━━━━━━❰·❉·❱━━━━━━
~ UBI CONCORDIA, IBI VICTORIA ~
AMBERLE'S POV
A few days later, just after lunch, the Boarding House felt quiet... too quiet.
It was only when I realised Kai was nowhere to be seen that I figured out why.
As if reading my mind, he suddenly stepped into the living room with a backpack slung over his shoulder, peering between my and Enzo's confused faces from the couch.
"Moving out already?" Enzo questioned teasingly with an arched brow. "Or trekking through the Alps?" He sipped his tea with a shrug. "Good news either way."
Ignoring Enzo's comments, Kai instead grinned at me. "Training starts today."
"Really?" I asked with a soft, excited gasp as I sat up straighter. "What are we doing?"
He leaned against the back of the couch. "First of all, we need to go somewhere filled with happy memories - a positive association."
"Like the high school?"
"Bigger than that," he said with a shake of his head. "It sounds like your school years were good to you, but you spent most of your time there with just your friends, right?" Kai dropped his bag near his feet. "It has to be a place that also includes your family... somewhere that feels like home."
"Your house?" Enzo offered, his input taking me slightly by surprise.
"Um... no," I murmured awkwardly. "Believe it or not, I actually have some pretty bad memories attached to that house," I admitted. "Plus, my family and I were always too busy to spend much time there together."
Kai straightened up, moving around the couch. "Come on, Amber, think. There's gotta be something better than Mystic Falls High."
It took me a few moments to brainstorm before an idea finally came to me. "I know just the place," I announced, glancing between the boys. When they stared at me patiently waiting for an explanation, I said, "The lakehouse."
Kai snapped his fingers. "Bingo!" He smiled proudly at me before instructing, "Pack your bags. We're going on a trip for a few days."
Enzo and I both stood up, heading towards the hallway. Before we could get far, however, Kai stepped in front of Enzo, holding up a palm to stop him in his tracks.
"Where are you going?" he questioned the vampire with a chuckle.
"To pack?" Enzo replied easily. When Kai continued to stare at him, Enzo scoffed. "You didn't really think you were taking her anywhere without me, right?"
"You can't come," Kai warned. "You'll just interfere and cause Amber more stress."
"Enzo's a happy place," I chirped up, cutting the argument short. "If anything, he'll make it easier for me."
Enzo smirked at Kai, refusing to hide his smugness. The siphoner narrowed his eyes at me, the muscles in his jaw clenching.
"I'm not leaving him here," I pressed on, remaining stubborn.
Eventually, Kai gave in, shoulders relaxing. "Fine," he said, stepping out of the way. "If that's the only way I can get you on board, your boyfriend can come." Nodding towards the direction of the stairs, he added, "Hurry. We need to get there well before sundown."
Tutting and rolling my eyes lightheartedly, I made my way towards the hallway, finding his obvious frustration almost comical.
In my room, I grabbed an old suitcase from the closet and packed away a few outfits, underwear, shoes and other necessities. Before leaving, I quickly applied a coat of gloss across my lips in the mirror then hurried downstairs to where I knew the guys would be waiting impatiently for me.
Near the front door, I met Kai and Enzo standing with their bags over their shoulders. Kai narrowed his eyelids at me, giving me an odd look.
"What?" I questioned, staring back at him.
His brows knitted together in suspicion. "Did you put lipgloss on?"
"Yeah," I replied easily with a blink. "So?"
Kai sighed. "This isn't some Barbie vacation," he grumbled. "This is serious business."
I snickered, holding up my hands in surrender. "Oookay," I mocked. "What's gotten into you today, grumpy pants?"
"Nothing," he grunted before reaching for the door. "Let's go."
Picking up my suitcase by the handle, I followed the men out to the Porsche. Kai headed straight for the driver's side - Enzo beat him to it.
"What are you doing?" Kai questioned, glaring down at Enzo's grip on the door handle.
"I'm driving," Enzo informed him bluntly.
Kai shook his head. "I don't think so. You're not even supposed to be here."
Enzo heaved a sigh, straightening his back. "Let's put this differently," he began, the volume of his voice dangerously low. "Either I drive, or we all stay here for however long it takes before you either give in or I kill you." He flashed Kai an innocent smile. "Your choice."
Sensing a challenge, Kai stepped closer with a smirk, closing the gap between him and the vampire as they stared eachother down.
Fed up, I let out a harsh breath through my nostrils. "Just get in the back, Kai, stop wasting time," I groaned. "Weren't you the one who told us to hurry?"
"Okay," he said simply with a shrug. "You asked for it."
And asked for it we did.
Kai did everything possible to piss Enzo and me off for the entire journey; rambling, singing, you name it. It was like he was playing a game of 'How quickly can I make these guys scream?'
At one point, Enzo let out a growl of irritation. "Will you move?" he snapped. "I can't see."
Kai snickered from the back seat. "What do you need to look out for? You're the only driver in the world."
The vampire sighed, his knuckles turning white as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Yes, but I'd much rather see a long stretch of empty road than your bloody big head bobbing in and out of sight!"
Suddenly, Kai leaned forward and covered Enzo's eyes. "There, is that better?"
Enzo almost swerved the car, scrambling to move Kai's hands. "Kai!" he roared.
As the pair continued yelling at each other, I truly began to panic. They may have been okay with dying in a car accident but I sure as hell wasn't. "Guys, stop. It's dangerous!" I yelled, trying to separate them. "Hey!"
It was like I hadn't even spoken.
Deciding it was time for drastic measures, I grabbed the handle of my door and yanked it open. Instantly relieved I was wearing my seatbelt as gusts of wind from the high speed Enzo was driving at whipped my hair around me.
"Amberle!" Enzo gasped, turning to stare at me wide-eyed as Kai immediately recoiled to the backseats in shock.
"Knock it off or I'm jumping out!" I warned them loudly over the noise.
Enzo let out a harsh laugh in disbelief. "Don't be ridiculous-"
"I'll do it!" I cut him off, moving my hand towards the clip of my belt keeping me securely in my seat.
"Alright, Amber, we're sorry," Enzo cried, lifting his foot ready to slam on the brakes if necessary. "Close the door, please!"
I glared at him. "Swear?"
"Yes!"
"Kai?" I called to the silent siphoner behind me. "I can't hear you making any promises?"
He didn't respond. Instead, Kai suddenly squeezed through the gap between the chairs and leaned over me, stretching to reach for the door.
Both Enzo and I yelped in shock, cursing at him.
"Why do I... pair... idiots!" I heard Enzo's broken yells from somewhere in the background. I was barely paying attention, however, too distracted by the way Kai was moments away from causing a crash.
Finally slamming the door shut, Kai sat back down, completely unfazed while Enzo and I gawked at him in horror.
"Problem solved," he announced cheerily with an innocent smile.
The car was silent for a long time after that. I kept my eyes forward, rigid in my seat. Enzo didn't say a word either, but it was clear he was beyond pissed off.
After a while, Kai leaned between the seats. "Are we there yet?"
Enzo refused to reply, so, quietly and calmly, I answered for him: "Almost."
Flashing a grin, Kai sat back and watched the empty world pass us by. "Nice."
❰·❉·❱
Eventually - thankfully - we arrived at the lakehouse. Grabbing our bags from the trunk, we made our way inside the wooden, two-storey building, surrounded by a magnificent porch, large forest trees and looked out onto the shimmering lake.
"This is the living room," I told the men as I showed them around, pointing to each area, "kitchen's over there, bathroom's upstairs-"
"Bedrooms?" Kai interrupted.
"Follow me," I said, beckoning them. They stayed close behind as we made our way to the second floor. Approaching the first room, I announced, "So this is my-" However, as I opened the door and took in my surroundings, I paused with a gasp before finishing slowly, "Room..."
I allowed myself a moment to stare in shock. Then, without hesitation, I rushed across the hall to my sister's room. What I saw only filled me with more dread. "Oh no," I whispered.
"What?" Kai questioned.
Ignoring him, I ran to my parents' room. Reaching up to rub my temples, I shook my head in disbelief, closing my eyes. "This cannot be happening right now."
"What's the matter, Goldilocks?" Enzo teased. "Are the beds too hard, too soft, what?"
Sighing, I dropped my hands to peer between the men. "When my parents got married in 1991, they didn't have any wedding gifts," I informed them. "Instead they collected the money from guests and put it towards buying this three-bedroom lakehouse. In May 1994, I was barely two, and my sister wasn't even thought of."
Enzo eyed me in confusion. "That's a wonderful tale, love, but what exactly does it have to do with the situation?"
"Enzo, I was a baby!" I reminded him. "There's a crib in my bedroom and Violet's room is being used as storage space." I gulped. "So that means-"
"Only one bed between the three of us," Kai finished for me, glancing over at the king-size.
Groaning, I turned away from them to pace the room.
"I'll sleep on the couch," Enzo offered almost immediately.
I scoffed. "No way - if anyone's sleeping on the couch, it's me. I'm not sleeping alone with either of you so you guys can share it."
"Absolutely not-" Enzo grumbled at the exact same time Kai muttered, "I'll pass-"
"So, what then?" I questioned sarcastically. "I guess the three of us will just share it together, huh?"
The boys turned to look at each other briefly, shrugging as if momentarily considering it.
"Oh my God, I was kidding!" I cried in exasperation. Taking a deep, calming breath, I forced myself to be an adult about the situation and instead dropped my suitcase onto the bed. "We'll figure something out later. Right now I wanna unpack."
"You guys go ahead," Kai said dismissively, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder and backing up towards the door. "I'll head outside to find the right spot to practice."
Without another word he disappeared downstairs, leaving Enzo and I alone. Grateful for plenty of closet space, the two of us began unpacking our clothes in silence. Once finished, I made a move to leave, hoping to slip past Enzo undetected.
However, before I could get far, a firm grip tightened around my wrist and pulled me back. By instinct, I stiffened, glancing down nervously at Enzo's fingers and then back up at his face.
"Do you believe Kai?" he wondered, keeping his voice low and his lips near mine. "How do we know he's telling the truth and not doing all this to trick us?"
Deciding against fighting him off, I merely searched his brown irises with wide eyes, hoping that acting as submissive as possible would work in my favour. "I trust him."
The vampire's brows furrowed. "After only a matter of days?"
"Someone so desperate to escape his prison wouldn't allow what may be his only chance to slip through his fingers," I reminded him softly. "He won't risk messing this up."
Enzo couldn't reply. Instead, he continued to scan my features as if searing them into his brain forever, keeping me close. Finally satisfied that I wasn't spouting lies just to get him off my back, he let me go, decreasing the distance between us once again.
"Meet you outside?" I offered with a false smile.
He nodded, frowning as if deep in thought, his attention only half here, half elsewhere.
Once amongst the greenery, trees and foliage surrounding us, the nearby lake glinting under the sun, I headed towards Kai who was standing in a particular spot, beaming happily at me.
"Found it!" he announced. "The perfect place to practice."
"Looks good," I commented as I approached, though unsure exactly what in our surroundings he'd been specifically searching for.
"So," Kai began once I stood opposite him. "Shadows are longest in the early morning and late afternoon when the sun appears low in the sky." He squinted up towards the burning ball of gas above us, closing one eye. "Other than 12:28 at the time of the eclipse, these are the phases throughout the day that you should be looking to use to your advantage." Grinning, Kai gestured around us with open arms. "Nature is giving you more to work with."
I chuckled softly, in admiration of his passion for magic. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Let's start with some basics," he said cheerily. "Things I've seen you do many times before, but now you're going to attempt them without any help from the scary shadow place, okay?"
"Got it," I replied with a nod. "What first?"
The smile never faded from his lips. "A shadow orb," he instructed. "Very simple. You can and have done it in your sleep."
Deciding against pulling him up on the revelation that he'd been spying on me in the library the first time I'd found out about my powers, I instead focused on the task at hand.
"Okay." Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, heightening my senses in search of the shadows around us. Placing my hands together, I generated energy from the shadows I'd drawn into my body in the hopes of creating an orb.
Slowly, cautiously, I peeked open one eye and peered down. I gasped softly when I noticed the swirling ball of dark energy in my palms.
"Congrats," he chuckled. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"No," I grinned. "It felt like before, only less draining."
Kai nodded in understanding. "Which means we're on the right track. Next up: darkness aura."
"You mean the thing that protected me when you tried to kill me?" a voice wondered.
Glancing over in the direction I'd heard it, a small, nervous smile played on my lips as I watched Enzo approach us.
"That would be the one," Kai replied easily, unfazed by Enzo's mocking tone.
"Interesting." The vampire leaned against a tree in preparation to watch my training session.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Ignore him," he commanded, pulling my attention back. "Focus on me and your powers."
"Alright," I murmured with a nod. After taking a deep breath, I began to create a swarm of energy around my body, watching as the shadows formed a protective shield that slightly clouded my vision.
"Good job, Amber," Kai praised from nearby. "Now, disperse those shadows back into their original places."
Already having practice with this, I easily did as I was told.
"Great," Kai said cheerily. "Do it all again but this time hold the aura and wait for my instructions."
As asked, I recreated the darkness aura. "Okay," I grunted, my hands beginning to shake from the sheer weight of the power. "Ready when you are, dude."
"Use those shadows and generate double the amount throughout our surroundings," Kai directed in a calm manner. "Darken the forest."
My brows knitted together in concentration as my forehead began to perspire. "I can do that?"
"You won't know until you try."
I gulped. "How do I do it?"
Kai stepped closer. "Watch me. Hold out your palms, like this-" He did as he said, showing me what to do.
Instinctively, I reached out with trembling hands through the shadows to mirror him.
He snorted, placing his palm against mine and comparing them. "Aw..."
"What?" I grunted, losing strength.
"Your hands," Kai giggled. "They're so small!"
"Shut up!" I whined, in pure disbelief that he could be talking about this right now. "At least I don't have man hands!"
Kai scrunched up his nose cutely. "Adorable," he teased. "You're a tiny thing, aren't ya?"
I barked a harsh laugh. "Big enough to put you on your ass!"
"Ooh, fighting talk, I like it," he gasped. "Now take that same energy and use it to make some magic."
As I began to lose the battle, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. "Help me, Kai!"
"Alright, alright," he snickered, stepping back. "Focus on the forest, the trees, the angle the sun hits them. Then use your mind to will the shadows you've collected to transport to those places with magnitude." He grinned. "I want us to feel like the eclipse is overhead right now."
Straining, I gritted my teeth together in concentration, my knees starting to buckle under the pressure.
With one last yell, I forced the shadows away. Now free of the aura, I could see just how quickly everything turned dark.
"Yes!" Kai cheered, approaching me once again.
Letting out a delighted laugh, I glanced over at the silent witness leaning against a nearby tree, watching me with pride.
My denim jacket had slipped down my shoulder during the struggle. I shrugged it back up to cover my bare skin underneath, thanks to the pink cami top I was wearing.
Without warning, Kai tugged it back down. When I peered up at him in shock, he lowered his voice to whisper flirtatiously, "I like it better this way."
That boy was playing with fire. He knew Enzo could hear him and yet he didn't give a damn. In fact, it was like he was doing it just to get a reaction.
No matter the reason, his seductive grin caused me to blush like the pathetic, desperate girl I was.
Then suddenly, Kai spun on his heel, turning his back to me. "Again!" he commanded.
A few hours later, after practising repeatedly and relentlessly, I was near enough exhausted. Kai, however, wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"Finally, let's try darkness teleportation," he instructed. "It's like a watered-down version of dimensional travel, to get you prepared."
Rolling my shoulders back, I stretched my aching fingers. "What do I need to do?"
"Create a darkness aura as you did before then concentrate on the shadow you want to exit out of," he explained. "Once you step into a naturally created shadow, you'll teleport through one shadow into the next in a nearby vicinity."
"Okay," I replied with a determined nod. "I can do that."
Allowing myself to relax, I created another darkness aura as requested.
"Which shadow is your exit point?" Kai asked.
I pointed towards my chosen tree. "That one over there."
"Great. Now concentrate and step into your entry shadow."
I did as I was told. While holding my breath, I reopened my eyes as I stepped into what I hoped was the correct exit shadow. Glancing around, I was pleasantly surprised to find I'd been right.
"That's great, you did it!" Kai cheered from the area I'd recently vacated. "Try again, only this time, choose one a little further away."
"Okay."
Focusing with all my might, I repeated the sequence, stepping out of a shadow a few feet away from the previous.
"Perfect!" Kai called to me. "Now, I want you to travel from here," he said, pointing to his chosen areas, "all the way over to the shadow from that gigantic tree across the clearing." He held my gaze as he added meaningfully, "You'll need a stronger aura for this one."
It was going to use up the last of my energy, I knew that, but I wanted to make him proud. "Here goes nothing..." I murmured to myself.
As I began to fabricate a darkness aura, ready to try the teleportation all over again, I suddenly began to hear a noise... a sound so chilling, I almost forgot how familiar it was...
Whispers.
The barrier I'd put up between me and the Shadow Realm was starting to come down.
"Oh no," I breathed, my blood turning cold.
"Amberle?" Enzo called, picking up my hushed voice even from over thirty feet away. "What's wrong?"
"It's the Shadow Realm," I informed them, my limbs trembling again - but from fear this time. "It's calling to me."
"Ignore it," Kai shot back unsympathetically. "Keep going."
As much as I wanted to obey him, I just... couldn't. I was frozen with panic, struggling to keep hold of the aura. "I can hear the whispers again," I warned with an unsteady voice. "I don't wanna push the veil any further."
Kai sighed. "It'll be fine, they're just taunting you," he assured me. "The veil won't come down."
I couldn't take the risk that he was wrong this time.
"Kai, I'm scared," I croaked.
"Don't give up, we need to-"
"Kai!" a deep, accented voice snapped. "That's enough. She's already accomplished more than you thought."
Peering through the darkness swarming my body, Kai finally noticed my trembling hands and the tears of terror pooling in my eyes.
He nodded. "Okay."
Gasping in relief as my body hunched over, I let go, the shadows disintegrating.
"Well done for today," Kai praised as I returned to where the men stood. "You should be proud of your progress so far."
"Thanks," I replied, catching my breath and blinking my momentary panic away.
Kai gestured to the sky. "It's almost sundown anyways," he pointed out. "Let's head back inside."
Grateful to be free of the painstaking task that was learning and controlling my powers, I stumbled back to the lakehouse with both Enzo and Kai on either side of me.
Once through the door, I made my way towards the sink, ready to fill a glass with water.
Piling kindling and logs on top of each other in the built-in wood burner, Enzo attempted to get a fire going. "Damned thing," he grumbled when it refused to light.
Kai wandered over, noticing Enzo's struggle. "Give it here, I'll do it," he muttered, nudging the vampire out of the way and repeatedly flicking the lighter that wouldn't seem to ignite.
"Not so easy, is it?" Enzo teased in a snarky tone.
Preparing to intervene, I began searching through drawers for a box of matches.
"Sure it is," I heard Kai reply bluntly, followed by a yell of pain from Enzo.
"Hey, I found the-" Turning around to show off the matches in my hand, I gasped as I took in the sight before me.
Kai was gripping hold of Enzo's arm in his left hand, stretching his right palm towards the burner. Roaring flames were engulfing the logs and kindling, instantly warming the room.
"Let... go..." Enzo warned through gritted teeth as his body sank lower to the ground.
The siphoner waited a few more seconds as if to see how far he could push his enemy before finally loosening his grip and dropping his hands with a smirk.
Without missing a beat, Enzo leapt for Kai and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him closer. "Lay your hand on me again and you will surely lose it!" he snarled, eyes blazing.
"Guys, stop!" I cried. The men continued to argue viciously so I ran over, squeezing between them in an attempt to keep them separated. "Stop it!" I repeated louder when they spat threats at each other over the top of my head. "That's enough!" With one final push, I shoved them apart, glaring between their faces. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"He threatened me," Kai replied easily, appearing unfazed.
"Because you siphoned me!" Enzo snapped, pointing accusingly in his direction.
Holding up my hands to reinforce the distance, I huffed in frustration. "Look, I get it. You two clearly don't see eye-to-eye, but for now please can we all just get along? At least until we're out of this place?" I gulped, softening my tone. "I know there's a lot of tension, jealousy, and occasionally even some hatred between us-"
"Actually, I quite fancy you most of the time," Enzo commented, "when you're not yelling at me."
"Well, I like it when you yell at me," Kai added, specifically to get a rise out of his foe once again.
As Enzo attempted to step closer, I pushed him back. "Can we not do this right now?" I begged. "I'm here to get my powers under control so that we can go home. That's what I'm focused on, okay?" Peering back and forth between them, I added for emphasis, "Do you understand?"
Thankfully, they both nodded, relaxing their shoulders and backing up.
"Good," I breathed, lowering my arms and stepping cautiously away from them. "Now, how about we all calm down with some food and a few drinks?" I offered. Grabbing the dough from the counter and lifting it to show them, I sang cheerily, "I'm making pizza..."
Heading towards me, Kai mirrored my features. "I'll help."
❰·❉·❱
While Kai and I prepared the pizza in the kitchen, Enzo sat on the couch and played his guitar softly in the background, facing the fire. We'd already had a few glasses of wine; Enzo topped up his with half the contents of a blood bag that I tried desperately not to gag at.
It was as I was putting away some of the ingredients in the cupboards that I spotted a bottle filled with green liquid near the back of the shelf. Gasping in delight, I reached for it and pulled it out to read the label.
Absinthe.
"Look what I found..." I cheered, holding it up on show for the men to see.
As he glanced over from where he stood at the sink, Kai whistled long and low in appreciation.
Enzo chuckled, approaching me. "That stuff," he commented, "is lethal."
"Fun though, right?" I teased, cracking open the lid and pouring a shot for myself into a crystal glass.
"Amberle, if you drink this," the vampire warned, "you may not remember the rest of the night."
Knocking back the burning liquid, I muttered, "Sounds good to me."
Enzo sighed before suddenly snatching the bottle from my grasp.
"Hey!" I cried, reaching out in an attempt to get it back.
He shot me a sarcastic look, swatting my hand away, then pressed the bottle to his lips and drank a small amount. I watched in awe, a smile spreading across my face. Lowering it, he shuddered slightly and grinned at me.
"Well don't leave me out of the fun," Kai muttered as he hurried over, grabbing the bottle from Enzo and drinking some.
Excited they were willing to humour me, I gasped as an idea came to me. "We should play a game!"
"What do you have in mind?" Kai wondered, tilting his head with interest.
Grabbing another two glasses, I poured Absinthe into each one before passing them to the boys. "Never Have I Ever."
"Risky," Enzo murmured, furrowing his brows as he eyed me. "Are you sure you want to play that one? There's a chance another fight will break out."
I rolled my eyes playfully. "Don't be so dramatic - it's just a game." Staring between their uncertain features, I chuckled. "Come on, the best way to release tension is to laugh at ourselves. I'm sure you guys have plenty of hilarious secrets to spill."
They glanced at eachother, probably looking for support, before sighing and turning to face me with a smile.
Grabbing the plates filled with pizza, I lifted my foot and pointed it in the direction of the L-shaped couch. "To the living room!"
Placing down the pizza on the coffee table for us to eat throughout the evening, I got comfy as Enzo brought over my drink for me before he and Kai sat down.
"I'll go first." Clearing my throat, I said, "Never have I ever broken into a building..."
Unsurprisingly, both Kai and Enzo sipped from their drink, flinching slightly from the taste.
I gasped mockingly. "Delinquents!" I cried. "Just wait until I tell my dad-"
"Never have I ever," Enzo interjected swiftly, "texted someone whilst intoxicated."
Groaning, I drank from my glass.
Kai's dark brows knitted together in bewilderment. "What's texting?"
I hid a chuckle behind my hand as Enzo blinked at him in shock before realisation dawned upon him. "I forgot... not a man of modern technology, are you?"
"It's a message you can send from your phone," I elaborated, feeling almost sorry for the guy.
Kai's blue eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "You can do that now?"
"Yup," I told him. "Super convenient - unless you're drunk."
Enzo immediately snickered at my scrunched-up features.
"Interesting..." Kai murmured before turning serious. "Okay. Never have I ever lied about my age."
Enzo and I both drank.
"Enzo I can understand, but Amber-" Kai stared at me in playful shock. "I'm surprised at you."
"Fake IDs are wonderful creations," I explained with a grin.
He scoffed. "Isn't your dad a cop?"
Smirking, I whispered, "How'd you think I knew where to get one?"
Kai laughed in reply, Enzo shaking his head in disbelief.
"My turn!" I yelled before preparing myself. "Never have I ever gotten a tattoo."
Enzo rolled his eyes, lifting his glass. "You did that on purpose."
I giggled, not even bothering to deny the accusation, before peering at Kai in shock. "Really?" I questioned teasingly. "I thought that would be your kinda thing, y'know? The bad boy vibe."
"Nope," Kai said simply. "My skin is flawless."
I snorted. "Boring."
"Says you," he shot back.
Poking my tongue out at him, I was ready to make another comment in reply but Enzo stopped me before I could.
"There, children," he warned lightheartedly. "No need to make a scene." Barely concealing the smug smile on his face, he added, "Just because neither of you are anywhere near as cool as me."
I opened my mouth to object but Enzo had already started talking again.
"Never have I ever had a one-night stand."
A few awkward seconds passed before all three of us took a shameful sip.
Noticing Enzo joining in, I pointed at him accusingly, eyes wide as I held back laughter. "I don't think you understand the rules of the game."
"I do," he assured me, unfazed. "I was merely interested to know both of your answers." Enzo turned to face the siphoner, awaiting his explanation. "Kai?"
"Can't say I'm surprised," I mumbled sneakily under my breath before attempting to make myself look busy as I took another drink.
Kai peered over at me with an arched brow. "Sorry?"
"What?" I questioned innocently. "It's nothing personal, it's just, well... you seem kinda..."
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Kinda what?"
I cringed into the couch as I murmured in embarrassment, "... Slutty?..."
Enzo immediately broke into laughter. Kai seemed shocked at my choice of words but didn't appear offended - thankfully.
"Take it as a compliment!" I added reassuringly. "You're hot and you like to flirt so if you put two and two together, you get four-"
"You think I'm hot?" he wondered, eyes sparkling with an emotion I couldn't fathom.
Freezing, I gulped. "Um-" I let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, I didn't mean it like that but-"
"So how did you mean it?"
Enzo heaved a sigh. "Let's cut to the chase." Glancing at Kai, he said, "She's got a thing for you, mate."
"I do no-" Cutting off to lower the volume of my embarrassingly screechy voice that did nothing to help my case, I then repeated in a much more composed manner, "I do not have a thing for you."
The vampire merely chuckled.
Kai smirked but said nothing more on the topic. "Never have I ever... fallen in love."
Enzo took a sip of his drink. I made a move to lift mine before hesitating. Lowering my glass, I decided against it.
Both men stared at me in shock.
"What?" I asked, feigning innocence. "I'm slutty too," I teased with a shrug.
They snickered, shaking their heads in amusement.
"Never have I ever smoked," I offered, desperate to change the topic.
Enzo and Kai drank. Sneakily, I took a sip, hoping they wouldn't call me out on it.
Kai gasped, his jaw dropping open. "Well, well, well..." he baited, leaning back against the couch and folding his arms across his chest. "Am, Bam, thank you, Ma'am... you're not so innocent after all."
"It was one time!" I cried.
Enzo hummed in delight. "I've always known you were trouble."
I merely grinned.
"Never have I ever believed a place was haunted," Enzo said suddenly, causing my smile to immediately evaporate.
"Aw, dude, come on!" I whined, lifting my glass. "That's not fair!"
Both of the men chuckled at my expense.
I drank in shame before a memory replayed in my mind. Pointing at Enzo accusingly, I gasped, "You've gotta drink too!"
His brows knitted together, expression filled with humour. "Why?"
"'I'm starting to believe you may be right about this place being haunted,'" I quoted him mockingly in a deep, accented voice.
He scoffed. "It was a joke-"
"Drink!" I yelled.
Kai giggled again as Enzo rolled his eyes, doing as instructed.
"Never have I ever sung karaoke," Kai said.
I took another sip. It wouldn't be much longer before I'd need to refill my glass at this rate. A subconscious part of my brain wondered if they were specifically targeting who they viewed as the weakest link - AKA, me.
"I wish," Kai sighed, lower lip jutting out in a pout.
Spotting his glum features, I gasped in excitement. "Oh my God, we should totally go to a karaoke bar when we're out!"
He peered over at me in shock before breaking out into a grin. "I'd like that."
I mirrored his features. However, noticing Enzo's burning eyes on me, I cleared my throat, turning serious. "Never have I ever," I began, "regretted an apology."
No one moved.
Raising a brow in disbelief, I glanced between the men. "Really?"
"I don't apologise unless I truly mean it," Enzo explained with a shrug.
Kai snorted, turning arrogant. "Yeah, and I don't apologise ever."
"Why am I not surprised?" I laughed.
He washed his gaze over my face for a moment before sitting up. "Never have I ever... kissed a vampire."
Lifting my glass as if to make a toast, I prepared to drink. "Damon Salvatore-"
"Today," Kai interjected with an innocent smile before I could finish.
I stared at him, wondering what he was playing at. There was always an ulterior motive whenever Kai opened his mouth. "Enzo is the only vampire here and I definitely haven't kissed him," I informed them.
Kai raised his brows in intrigue, almost as if to test me. "No?"
"I'm pretty certain I'd remember something like that." I tilted my head at the siphoner, playing him at his own game. "Have you kissed Enzo today?"
He hummed in thought. "Can't say that I have."
"Great," I replied in a sickly-sweet tone, never taking my eyes off him for one second. "I'm glad we've got that covered."
There were a few moments of awkward tension between us before I decided to take a leap of faith during my tipsy state: "Never have I ever kept a secret to spare someone's feelings."
The lakehouse fell silent. All three of us glanced at each other, wondering who would break first. We should all drink, that much was obvious, but none of us wanted to admit it, knowing a fight was sure to ensue.
Kai let out a low exhale. "Okay, this just got weird."
"Agreed," Enzo muttered.
"Fine." Reaching over to grab the bottle of Absinthe, I began refilling my glass. "Let's play... hmm, fuzzy duck?"
The vampire scrunched up his face in utter bewilderment. "What the hell is that?"
"Well, Enzo," I chuckled, twisting the cap back on the bottle as I made myself comfortable once again. "I'm so glad you asked..."
❰·❉·❱
A few hours, three pizzas and multiple bottles of liquor later - after we'd all cursed far more times than we thought we would that night - the tension in the air had finally dissolved. Thankfully, we'd spent a lot of our time laughing instead of fighting.
Enzo was right, of course. I would struggle to remember much of what had happened by the time I woke up in the morning, but we'd had fun and that's what mattered.
After all, in a world filled with loneliness and regret, we had to appreciate the small moments.
Not long after what must've been midnight, Enzo was across the couch from us, tossing the empty bottle of Absinthe in the air and catching it, slightly distracted in his drunken state.
Kai was half-asleep beside me, stretched out with his head drooped against my shoulder as he struggled to hold it up.
I poked him, though had a hard time trying to pinpoint exactly where his shoulder was, since I could see three of them. "Hey, babe?"
"Yeah babe?" he mumbled.
"You're drunk," I informed him in a whisper.
"No babe," he replied with a lazy shake of his head before poking me back. "You're drunk."
"Shh..." I whispered, placing an unsteady finger against my lips. "Don't tell anyone."
We both broke into a fit of giggles, sliding lower on the couch, almost upside-down.
"Okay," Enzo announced as he managed to get to his feet, though slightly off-balance. "Time for bed."
With lids half-closed, I saluted him. "Yes, Sir."
He reached out for me, attempting to help me up. Like Bambi on ice, I rose from my seat with trembling legs, staying upright for a few seconds before hurtling towards the ground with a shocked squeak. Enzo quickly caught me in his arms, pulling me back up.
"You coming, babe?" I asked Kai over my shoulder, knowing he was in that area somewhere but unable to find the exact spot.
"Right behind you, babe," a voice stammered in reply.
As Enzo dragged me towards the stairs, I slipped out of his grip and toppled to my knees. Ignoring his hands that tried to grab hold of me, I began to crawl instead, desperate for my bed. Kai stumbled behind me and held on to my leg as I pulled us towards the top, all three of us laughing like a bunch of crazy people.
"Amberle, come on," Enzo begged weakly, reaching for me in his drunken state halfway up the stairs. "We're almost there."
"It's too late for me!" I cried dramatically. "Save yourselves!"
Giving up, Enzo scooped me up in his arms and carried me the rest of the way, swaying every now and then.
"Wait!" a broken, intoxicated boy called as we hurried away. "Don't leave meeee!"
Ignoring him, Enzo managed to make it to the bedroom. "Bollocks-" Seemingly tripping over something on the floor with me in his arms, he fell towards the bed, both of us tumbling onto the mattress in laughter that left tears in our eyes.
From the hallway, we heard Kai calling to us as he staggered towards the room by himself but we were too drunk to be of any aid to him right now. Eventually, he made it inside, dragging himself across the floor and heading straight for the bed.
Rolling over, I reached down and grabbed his T-shirt before sloppily pulling him onto the mattress beside me. With a groan, he led back, his head only half on the pillow before righting himself.
"High five, dude!" I cheered, raising my palm in the air. We gave eachother a messy high five, practically missing the other person's hand. "So glad you-" I paused to hiccup, "-could join us."
"Hell yeah," Kai chuckled, eyelids officially closed for business.
"Shh," Enzo grunted from my other side. "Sleepy time now."
"Yes, Kai, shush!" I chastised playfully, nudging the siphoner-heap curled next to me, both of us breaking into hushed giggles.
Once our laughter had dissolved, Kai turned inwards to face me. Immediately feeling awkward, I rolled over - only to find Enzo in the same position. I swiftly turned to lie on my back, staring up at the ceiling that was spinning faster than I could right it.
It was crazy how quickly being flustered could sober someone up.
"Good night!" I quickly called to the dark room, desperate for a release of tension.
"Night, darling," Enzo murmured in my ear, perfectly synchronised with Kai in the other ear: "Night, babe."
Finally, the three of us became still, relaxing in the hopes of getting some well-needed slumber. It only lasted a few moments, however, as Enzo instinctively reached to link his fingers through mine that were resting at my side... followed by Kai's mirrored actions.
Lying there between two guys I was extremely attracted to, holding their hands, feeling the warmth of their bodies pressed against mine, hearing their soft breaths near my ears... it was almost too much to bear.
Well. I mean, it definitely would've affected me more, had I not been focused on the fact that my head felt detached from my neck and I seemed to be wearing only one sock.
The sweet relief of sleep was a welcome change that, thankfully, came swiftly after.
━━━━━━❰·❉·❱━━━━━━