A faint ringing sound gradually lulls me out of my slumber, my eyes fluttering. I notice the dark ceiling above me and my brows knit together in confusion. This definitely isn't my dorm room or the boarding house. Where–
Wait.
Oh, crap.
The disorientation starts to subside and I open my eyes fully, turning my head slightly. With the movement, I realize I'd been sleeping with my head propped on Kai's shoulder, one arm thrown across his torso and my legs stretched out across the couch.
Trailing my gaze up to his face, I see that he's fast asleep–eyes shut, soft snores falling from his parted lips. His chest rises and falls steadily underneath my arm with each breath he takes. His arm is loosely draped over my waist, enveloping me in warmth and his pleasant scent.
The ringing that had interrupted my sleep sounds again and I curse quietly, eyes darting to my phone laying near my feet. I reach over and grab it, turning off the ringer before the loud noise wakes Kai.
At the sight of Liv's contact name lighting up my screen, I sigh softly and debate for a moment whether or not to answer. Moonlight shining through the windows of Kai's apartment reminds me that I'd told Liv earlier that we would hang out tonight.
I check the top of my phone screen for the time and my eyes widen.
8:13
I nearly smack myself on the forehead. One moment Kai and I were eating burgers on the kitchen island, then we'd spent some time talking on the couch. I vaguely remembering drifting off in the middle of something Kai was saying.
How had I let myself lose total track of time?
I glance at Kai to make sure he isn't stirring before pressing the answer button on my phone and holding it to my ear.
"Char, where the hell are you?" Liv asks before I can even say hello, "I got out of psych like an hour ago so I went up to your dorm but you weren't there. I kept texting you and you didn't answer so I thought that you–"
"Liv," I cut her off, lowering my voice, "I'm sorry, something came up. I'll be there in a few."
"I thought you said you're on campus."
I bite my lip, eyes flicking to Kai. "I'm...I was earlier, but I just wanted to reacquaint myself with the town, so I went out for a while."
"Oh," she replies, a bit skeptically, "you sure you're okay?"
"I'm okay," I assure her and that may have been the first thing I told her in the conversation that wasn't a lie.
Despite the brief panic I'd felt when I woke when I realized I fell asleep in the apartment of the very person my friends and siblings are intent on keeping me away from, being here alone with Kai has done wonders to ease the tension I'd been feeling recently. Of course, I'm happy to be back home with my family, but their questions and suspicion about Kai is another added factor to the growing list of things I'm currently stressing over.
Elena's judgmental interrogation in the hospital and Damon's threat to severely hurt Kai are reactions I definitely expected but worry about nonetheless. They view Kai as just another villain threatening Mystic Falls; putting him down before he does the merge is undoubtedly something they'd have no problem doing.
Kai has to wait an entire month before he merges with Jo. A lot can happen in a month.
The possibilities of what could occur in that span of time leave a bad feeling in my gut. Joshua, or even my own friends, could get to Kai before then. He isn't safe just waiting around in Mystic Falls.
After telling Liv I'll meet her at her dorm in thirty minutes, I hang up and plant my head in my palms, sighing heavily. The peace I'd felt from being alone with Kai fades considerably, due to my worrisome thoughts.
"You look stressed."
I lift my head to look over at Kai, who's watching me with bleary eyes and a half-smile.
"Sorry I fell asleep on you," I tell him and he shrugs.
"Both of us were in serious need of a nap," he says and leans closer, eyes searching my face, "but, judging by that frown on your face, it didn't do much for you."
I look away from his narrowed eyes, curling my legs up to my chest and lean back into the cushions. Kai doesn't cease his examining stare, the gesture alone enough to compel me to voice my concerns.
"Kai," I scoot closer to him, meeting his curious blue eyes, "you need to get out of Mystic Falls."
His eyebrows shoot up, the statement clearly being the last thing he expected me to say. "You want me to–"
A loud round of knocking at the front door cuts off his words and both of our heads snap towards the sound. I glance at Kai, my heart thudding in my chest.
"Does anyone else even know where you live?" I ask in a whisper and he shakes his head, an irritated expression on his face.
I grab his arm, standing up from the couch and attempt to tug him up to his feet with me. He arches an eyebrow at me, allowing me to pull him into a standing position but resists my efforts to tug him out of the room.
"What are you doing?" he questions, refusing to budge despite my relentless attempts to drag him into the bedroom.
"Trying to hide," I reply in exasperation, "you don't know who's at the door. It could be Joshua, or someone from your coven–"
There's another urgent knock and I look at Kai with pleading eyes. He merely shakes his head, slightly amused and gently frees his arm from my grasp.
"Charlie, I'm not just going to hide under my bed like a five year old," he chortles, "even if it is my father, which is highly unlikely, by the way. Probably some pizza delivery guy that got the wrong apartment."
"Kai!" A familiar male voice shouts from outside the door, "don't make me vatos this damn door!"
I give him a stricken look and his lips flatten into a thin line, blue eyes darkening.
"Okay, so maybe not a delivery guy," Kai says in a casual tone that doesn't match the tension in his stance.
The quickening beat of my heart echoes in my ears and I wonder for a moment if Kai can hear it too. It's like my negative thoughts of what could happen within a month were immediately responded to, solidifying my concern that Kai isn't safe in Mystic Falls, without the title of Gemini coven leader as leverage.
"Kai!" The voice yells again and this time, I'm able to pinpoint the familiarity behind the sound.
"I think that's Luke," I whisper to Kai and he rolls his eyes.
"I was wondering when my dear brother was gonna pay me a visit," he says and starts to walk toward the door.
"Hey, wait," I reach out to grip his elbow, "he can't see me here!"
Kai tilts his head. "Why not?"
"You know why not," I sigh, "he'll just assume the worst and report back to Liv and then everyone's gonna find out and..."
And you might get your heart ripped out by my sister's hostile boyfriend.
"...it'll just be a mess. And not only that, but you don't have any magic to defend yourself."
"Oh, don't insult me," he waves his hand dismissively, "I'm a siphoner, Charlie. If my baby bro tries to hit me with an incendia, I steal his magic–simple."
I sink my teeth into my bottom lip nervously, reluctant to release my tight hold on his arm. Luke is admittedly the more powerful twin, between him and Luke. I don't want to witness what he'll do to Kai in a fit of fury, with me incapable of doing anything to stop it. And I don't want Luke getting seriously injured either.
"Kai–"
"Charlie," he gives me a look, "relax. I can handle Lucas."
There's a loud bang at the door again and I jump startled, the movement allowing Kai to jerk his arm away.
"You can wait in my room," he tells me, lifting his chin in the direction of the hallway near the kitchen, "I'll take care of my brother."
I stand there for a moment, every nerve ending in my body on high alert–telling me to run and hide. But something keeps my feet practically nailed to the floor in front of Kai.
"I know you're in here, Malachai!"
Kai flinches at the sound of his full name, his eyes narrowing. He looks at me, mouthing "go" before heading for the door, his fists clenched at his sides.
I can't find the motivation to will my body to move until Kai's hand is on the door handle. A burst of adrenaline rushes through me, my mind kicking back into a logical function. I hesitate for a second until he's turning the handle and I run down the hall, quickly turning into his room. My back flattens against the wall and I listen carefully to the conversation between the two brothers outside.
"Hope you don't mind if I send you the bill for the damages your knocking has probably done to my door," I hear Kai say lightly, in a tone that just barely reveals the hostility bubbling underneath.
"Liv told me you're back," Luke's voice is sharp, hardly containing his fury, as the sound of his footsteps quickly pad across the wood, "and somehow, you convinced her to take you to Jo. Imagine my surprise when she told me you didn't so much as motus her or Jo to get what you want."
"Yeah, after an eighteen year long period of self reflection, I've learned the error of my violent ways," Kai replies and I can practically hear the taunting grin on his lips.
Luke scoffs. "My sister told me what you said; that you're merging with Jo, so that she and I don't have to do the ceremony ourselves. And maybe you're fooling Liv with your supposed act of generosity, but I'm not going to fall for this."
"Fall for what?" Kai questions, "I'm just taking the ceremony off your hands so the two of you can live your lives together, rather than with one of you dead because they weren't strong enough."
There's a pause and I imagine Luke flinching at Kai's words. Deep down, he knows he's more adept at magic than his twin sister and that this fact will reveal itself in the worst possible way when one of them dies during the merge. It always was a personal topic for them, one that they usually tried to avoid discussing. And one that I found myself constantly worrying about since the day Liv told me about the merge ceremony.
"This is it," I said to Liv, walking into her dorm with my arms occupied by my laptop, some horror movie DVDs I'd bought, and a bag of popcorn.
Liv looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow at me with a half-smile on her face. "It being...what, exactly?"
I dumped the supplies beside her on the bed. She rolled over onto her back, sitting up and scooting back against the headboard.
"The first night of your last year in college," I told her, plopping down beside her on the mattress.
"And your second," she nudged me with a grin. I shrugged.
"Not nearly as much of a milestone," I waved my hand dismissively, "though, I feel like we should be partying or whatever normal college kids do on the first night of the semester."
Liv snorted, opening my laptop and sliding Paranormal Activity into the slot. "This is way more fun."
I laughed, ripping open the bag of popcorn. "Definitely. Aren't you excited?"
"To watch this super corny, supposedly scary movie?" She asked, "of course."
I shook my head. "No, I mean, for senior year. After this, you'll be going out into the world–it's scary, but, also really crazy to think about, you know?"
As I scooped up a handful of popcorn into my palm, I noticed silence fill the room; noiseless aside from the plastic of the bag in my hand. Frowning, I looked over at Liv, who was staring down the closed laptop with her previous smile gone.
"Liv? You okay?"
Her eyes snapped up to mine, like my voice had broken her out of whatever daze she had just fell into. "Yeah...yeah, I'm–I'm fine."
But I knew my best friend well enough to know that she wasn't okay. The usual light in her blue eyes dimmed significantly and her lips were in a tight line, jaw tensed.
"Liv," I said again, "you're not fine. Tell me what's wrong."
She swallowed, closing her eyes. "It's just...I don't...I don't know if I'll be going out into the world after this year. I don't know if I'll finish senior year at all."
I pushed the bag of popcorn aside, turning to face her fully in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"
A shaky sigh left her lips and my frown deepened, anxious to know what it was that had her this unnerved. She opened her eyes to meet mine.
"My coven has this tradition," she began, "it's called the merge ceremony. It's how a new coven leader comes to power generation after generation. A set of twins in the leading family–which are the Parkers, in the Gemini coven–have to take part in the ceremony when they turn twenty-two. It's...it's a really messed up process. The twins have to join their magic while chanting a spell, in order to see whose magic is more powerful–whose will overcome the other's. And in the end..."
Her voice cracked and she inhaled a deep lungful of air. I placed my hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort, my eyebrows furrowed.
Exhaling slowly, she gives me a small smile before continuing, her lips downturning at the corners as she spoke.
"In the end, the stronger witch of the two becomes the new Gemini coven leader."
"What happens to the other twin?" I asked reluctantly.
She pauses. "The other twin...dies."
Since that conversation in Liv's dorm room, I felt different around my best friend. Like I needed to cherish every moment I had left with her because I was terrified over the thought of possibly losing her within a few months. But she was intent on avoiding the topic whenever I brought it up so I let her, partially because I didn't want to discuss her impending fate either–it hurt to think about it, let alone discuss it with the very person in the center of it all.
Luke wasn't faring much better, with the knowledge that he's always been more skilled at magic. Losing his sister, the person who had been by his side all his life, couldn't have been easy for him to deal with, despite the composed way he carried himself even when the topic of the merge was approached.
They both turn twenty-two in two weeks, the very event they'd been dreading for as long as they can remember arriving sooner than anyone is prepared for.
"Don't act like you're doing this for us," Luke hisses after a heavy silence, "you don't do anything for anyone unless it somehow benefits you. I'd rather merge then let you take over the coven."
"Hold on," Kai replies, amusement laced in his voice, "correct me if I'm wrong, but basically what you're telling me is you'd rather Liv die than have your big bro as the all-powerful coven leader? Wow. I'm not sure if that's admirable or just plain awful."
My fists lightly clench at my sides as I squeeze my eyes shut, silently pleading with Kai to not say anything stupid that would give Luke incentive to harm him.
"I didn't say that," Luke retorts through clenched teeth, "don't twist my words. And why are you so sure Liv will be the one to die? It could be me."
Kai laughs. "Oh, come on, Lucas. I know you guys were just toddlers when I last saw you perform magic, but still, based solely on the fact that Liv took weeks just to properly learn an incendia while you took a few days, it wasn't hard for me to figure out who the more capable witch in your little duo is."
"She has a chance," Luke says, his tone so low that I have to strain my ears and quiet my breathing to make out his words, "I believe in her."
"Would you rather place your bets on a small chance that Liv could...well, live," Kai lets out a small chuckle, "or just leave the merge in mine and Jo's hands, so Liv, and you, are both guaranteed to live?"
A brief silence ensues and I know Luke is considering the question carefully. Despite any negative feelings he has toward Kai, the possibility of his twin getting to live her life is enough to make him consider his brother's offer–though, it isn't really an offer, so much as a task that Kai plans to undergo whether anyone likes it or not. I just hope Luke chooses to let Kai and Jo go on with the merge, because Kai's promise to me is only being upheld if the twins don't provoke him.
Please, Luke, don't stir up any trouble.
"Don't do that," Luke finally speaks, angrily, "don't try to mess with my head and justify what you're doing here."
"I'm not messing with your head, little bro, nor did I mess with Liv's. I'm simply offering you two a way out–a free pass out of the very event you've worried about nearly all your life. I mean, you'd think that'd sound way too good to pass up, yet here you are, desperately trying to find a reason not to simply let Jo and I take yours and Liv's place. Where is the logic behind that, Luke, because I'm failing to see it."
"I know this is difficult for someone like you to understand," Luke says lowly, "but I'm not going to jump at the opportunity to save my own ass-and Liv's-at the expense of my coven's, more importantly Jo's, wellbeing."
A deep chuckle rumbles in Kai's chest. "Ah, I see you're just like our dear father in that aspect. You know, with the whole coven comes first no matter what mentality. But I'll let you in on a piece of advice, Lucas..."
The soles of Kai's thick boots slowly thud across the wooden floor, the creaks of the wood echoing throughout the apartment. I hold my breath, anxiously waiting for something to happen while simultaneously praying that nothing does, my mind racing with doubts about Kai's promise.
The suspense begins to eat away at me, my stomach twisting and turning into tight knots. Sighing quietly, I pad over to the doorway of Kai's bedroom and peek my head out past the frame. Kai is staring down at Luke with a tick in his jaw and a tilted head, no taunting amusement present from what I can observe. Luke, a few inches shorter than his brother, looks up at him with an expression that feigns unbothered expectancy, but his fists clenched at his sides in addition to his tense frame tells otherwise.
Kai continues, "Despite what Joshua tried to ingrain in your head, it's not a crime to put yourself above the coven once in a while."
A sharp exhale passes through Luke's nostrils. "Of course you would say that. You've never cared about anyone but yourself. Dad and I may have our differences but we can agree wholeheartedly on one thing: you're not fit to run the coven," Kai's jaw clenches, "you never were. You're just a messed-up sociopath, a siphoner, and I'll be damned if-"
Luke's harsh retort is abruptly interrupted when Kai's hand lashes out, curling his fingers around his throat and slams him against the wall.
"What was that, Lucas?" Kai breathes out a laugh, "I couldn't hear you over the sound of you choking to death."
My heart beats erratically against my ribs as I stare wide-eyed at the very scene I wanted to avoid, taking place right before my eyes.
"You know," Kai continues, over Luke's choked gasps, "I just wanted to help you, little brother. Let you have a shot at life. Because I know better than anyone that getting everything ripped away from you when you've just turned twenty-two? Fucking sucks. But it seems you have no problem going down that path, rather than just accepting my generous offer, so why don't I just speed up the process of your demise?" He flashes a cold smile at Luke.
"Kai!" I shout, not bothering to consider the repercussions of making my presence known when Luke is moments away from dying right in front of me.
His head snaps toward me, a surprised look on his face as I rush toward them, scowling up at his arched eyebrows and warning gaze.
"Charlie, I'm kind of in the middle of something, so if we could do this later-"
"I thought you said you keep your promises," I snap, my fingers looping around his forearm and attempting to pull his strong grip away from Luke's neck. He resists my pull, his eyes narrowing at me.
"Kai," I say urgently, tugging harder at his arm, "stop it, you'll kill him!"
Luke watches us with wide eyes, his face beginning to turn an eerie shade of blue the longer Kai's grip remains firmly around his neck.
"That's sorta the point," Kai says lowly, rolling his eyes.
I grit my teeth and tighten both of my hands around his arm, a loud grunt ripping through my teeth as I wrench his grasp away from Luke. The blonde witch bends over, immediately intaking gulps of air into his deprived lungs as Kai turns on me with a glare. His towering frame standing threateningly above me would've once infused a blood-curdling fear in me, but now all I feel is fury and irritation as I glare right back at the witch.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I yell, "you could've killed him! You told me you wouldn't-"
"I'm pretty sure what I said was that I'd leave your beloved twinsies alone if unprovoked," Kai fires back, "and, well, I was provoked, Charlie, so sorry if that goes against the stupid promise."
I swallow down the lump rising in my throat, my glare fading slightly as the statement sends a distinct ache to my chest. Stupid promise?
"Making deals with the devil."
I crane my neck over Kai's shoulder to see Luke, having regained his breath, looking at me with anger flashing in his ocean-blue eyes.
"I should've expected as much from you," He shakes his head distastefully.
A frown takes over my features as I step around Kai, who turns around to face us with annoyance evident in his expression.
"Luke," I sigh, "this isn't–look, I know how all this may appear to you, but I'm not–"
"Oh, save it, Charlotte," He cuts me off harshly, "I knew you and your little gang of vampires could never be trusted. And maybe now Liv will finally believe me."
He turns to walk away but in my panic, I grip his wrist, pulling him back.
"Luke," I plead. "Wait a second, just let me explain–"
He glances down at my fingers curled around his wrist before shoving me away forcefully. I stumble back, losing my balance and nearly falling to the floor before Kai catches me against his chest. With his hands steadying me, I straighten up, my mouth parted as I meet Luke's glowering features.
Kai pushes me behind him and stalks toward Luke with his broad shoulders tensed. "Did you come here looking for a death wish, Lucas? Because you can consider it granted."
"Kai," I warn, quickly moving in front of Luke.
"Go ahead," Luke taunts from over my shoulder, "kill me. After all, murdering your family is what you do best."
"Really?" I snap, shooting the blonde a look, "I'm trying to help you here, would you mind shutting up?"
"So, you're on his side now?" He snorts in response, "of course. Leave it you and your friends to find a reason to team up with a psycho."
"Sociopath, if we're going to start using labels," Kai says flatly, advancing toward his brother. I lift my hand, pressing it against his chest to prevent him from moving any further.
"Luke, just get out of here," I murmur without straying my stare from Kai.
"Excuse me?" He replies incredulously, "why are you even here with him, Charlotte? He's the whole reason you were trapped in the prison world and yet here you are–"
"I'm trying to make sure he doesn't hurt you, or Liv, or anyone," I interrupt Luke in exasperation, throwing him a look over my shoulder, "and you being here, provoking him, isn't helping. Just go, Luke."
I know the answer I gave him isn't the full truth, but it was partially accurate and that's what we'll both have to settle for. Telling Luke that I actually enjoy his sociopathic brother's company wouldn't go over well with him, and it'd only be worse with my friends, along with Elena and Jeremy–who would undoubtedly freak out and I'd suffer never-ending judgmental accusations and possibly danger headed Kai's way, as a result.
Sometimes it's better to avoid the truth, if it means the mess that inevitably comes along with it can be dodged too.
"Fine," Luke grudgingly complies, backing toward the hallway, "I'll go. But Liv is going to find out about this."
I swivel my head around, looking at him pleadingly. "Luke, is that really necessary? I just saved you from being choked to death."
"And you're also hanging around with the guy who almost choked me to death–and siphoned me while he was at it," Luke shoots a dark look toward Kai, "so I don't think I owe you any favors."
"You don't understand any of this," I tell him, "and I wouldn't expect you to, but Liv doesn't need to be involved."
His eyebrows pull together and he takes a step closer to me. I feel Kai's chest push against my hand as he tries to move forward, but I glance at him, giving him a minuscule shake of my head.
"Liv should know that her best friend is fraternizing with the guy who tried to kill her when she was a toddler," Luke hisses in my face and I close my eyes, releasing a heavy breath.
"Key word, tried," Kai pipes up, "meaning, despite any admittedly misguided actions I took eighteen years ago, she's still alive and well today. And she'll remain that way if you stay out of my way when Jo and I take our rightful places in the merge."
"Not a chance," Luke grits.
"Shame," Kai shakes his head, "Olivia accepted the offer with open arms. Probably because she knows she'll die if you two merge instead."
Luke doesn't reply to this, averting his angry gaze from Kai's knowing stare, looking at me instead.
"I won't tell Liv," he tells me lowly, "but you better figure out who exactly you're allying yourself with, Charlotte, because I won't have you and your vampires putting her in any more danger."
I stay silent, watching Luke as he walks out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.
"He really enjoys abusing my front door," Kai's voice brings my irritation bubbling up to the surface again and I spin around to face him.
"You promised me that you weren't going to hurt him or Liv." I cross my arms over my torso. "Guess I was stupid to think that such a stupid promise meant anything to you."
Kai rolls his eyes, reaching for my forearms and bringing them up to his face. His eyes narrow as he examines the limbs, turning them over in his palms. My eyes dart from left to right in confusion as I try to decipher what exactly he's doing.
"What are you doing?" I finally ask him when he starts to push up the sleeves of my sweater, seemingly to get a closer look at the flesh. His eyes briefly flick up to mine before resuming his examination.
"My brother's stronger than he looks," Kai replies irritably, "he shoved you, pretty hard from what I saw."
"I'm fine," I insist, pulling my arms out of his grasp, "he just...he doesn't like my friends and I all that much."
"Yeah, I noticed that," he nods, "can't say I blame him. I'm not particularly a fan of vampires either. It's a witch thing."
"It's not that they're vampires," I pause, "well, not just that, anyway. He just...he says that my friends use Liv as their," I bring up my fingers to air quote, "'magic monkey'. Doesn't believe that I'm the right friend for her because of it and now with everything that happened today, he's probably never been more sure of that."
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I look at Kai before pulling it out, seeing a text from Liv pop up onscreen.
Are we still hanging out tonight?
I text her back that I'll be running a little late before shoving my phone in my back pocket and moving past Kai to grab my jacket off the kitchen stool.
"Woah, not so fast." Kai blocks my path as I head for the door. I raise an eyebrow at him as I shrug my jacket on.
"What?" I ask, "I have to go, I'm not staying here with you all night. Especially not after what you just pulled."
He brings his face closer to mine and my breath nearly hitches in my throat. I try not to look at his lips, try not to think about their close proximity to mine as he speaks.
"You said something earlier," his voice is low, "you said that I need to get out of Mystic Falls. Why?"
I swallow hard, averting my eyes from his too-intense stare. "Doesn't matter because it's not like you'll leave anyway, even if I tell you to."
"True," he chuckles, "but humor me. Why do you want me to go?"
Kai laying on the alleyway, his heart ripped out of his chest...
"Ding, dong, the wicked witch is dead."
"It's not safe for you here," I tell him and he raises his eyebrows, "you can't just wait around Mystic Falls for a month until the merge. Someone will come for you before then, whether it's Luke or Joshua or Damon–"
"Damon?" He interrupts me, a curious yet amused look residing on his face now, "you mean the Salvatore vampire who suffers from constant man pain and is attached to your indecisive sister, Evelyn? In what world is that guy a threat to me?"
Damon holding up Kai's heart in his bloodied hand with a satisfied smile on his face...
I drag my palms over my face, sighing. "He hates your guts and what he does within the next month is unpredictable. So if you aren't going to leave, just be careful."
Kai cocks his head, smiling at me. I glare at him.
"What?"
"You don't want me to get huuuuuuuurt," he singsongs. I roll my eyes, avoiding his teasing gaze.
"I don't want anyone getting hurt," I say dismissively, maneuvering around him towards the door.
"Yeah but especially me," he teases, following me. I bite my lip, my eyes glued to the door as I feel his presence lingering behind me.
"Just don't do anything stupid," I mumble, "and leave Luke alone."
I hear him snicker and his hands trail over my waist, pulling my back into his chest. "Yes, m'am."
How he manages to dissipate a considerable amount of the anger I'd just felt toward him with a few smooth words and a simple touch is a feat that will never fail to awe and irritate the hell out of me.
"Sorry if that goes against the stupid promise."
Just like that, the anger returns and I shove my elbow against his ribs, causing him to move back a few steps and a grunt leaves his lips.
"Are you still someone who keeps his promises?" I question quietly. He doesn't answer.
I whirl around, storming toward him. "Are you?"
"I told you I'll keep the damn promise to leave Liv and Luke alone as long as they don't come around trying to provoke me," Kai replies sharply, "and Luke showed up here today provoking me. So even in the light of whatever promises I make to you, I'm not going to refrain from defending myself."
"I'm not asking you to, but you almost killed him today, Kai," I counter, "you need to get a hold on your anger. Everyone already thinks that you're an evil witch returned from hell to rain it down on the Gemini coven. Don't continue to justify that thought for them."
He snorts at this. "Who says that's not who I am?"
I shake my head slowly. Kai's efforts to carry out the merge ceremony have been surprisingly civil, a significant contrast to what everyone expected him to do–which was likely to return from the prison world a seething, psychotic wreck ready to brutally murder anyone who presents an obstacle. That's not who Kai is, that much I've gathered from my time with him. Violence is often a method his impulsive self leans towards, but he's proving himself capable of choosing more respectable paths. And I don't want him spiraling back down into the darkness, an end that Joshua deems inevitable for his supposed abomination of a son.
"That's not who you are," I answer simply, turning toward the door and pulling it open. "So keep your promise."
•••
"A rave!" Caroline suddenly exclaims with a delighted grin.
Several students scattered in the tables around us shush her, regarding the bubbling blonde with irritation evident in their tired expressions.
I place my pencil beside my textbook, looking at her in confusion. "A rave?"
"For your welcome-home party!" She lowers her voice, unable to contain the smile on her face, "it'll be so much fun."
"I don't know, Care," Bonnie murmurs from beside me, "I thought this was supposed to be a small get-together?"
I nod in agreement. "Yeah, I'm not sure if I want something that huge. Just a small dinner party with you guys and the rest of our friends would be more than enough."
Caroline grimaces, shaking her head, her blonde curls bouncing with the rapid movement. "A small dinner party isn't nearly enough celebration, Char. No, I'm definitely throwing you a rave."
I glance at Bonnie helplessly and she shrugs in response.
"It could be fun?" She offers and I sigh, nodding.
"Okay, Care," I smile softly at her and a sound of glee leaves her lips, earning more annoyed looks from nearby students.
"Yes, thank you, I can't wait, this is going to be awesome," she laughs, standing up from her chair and slinging her bag over her shoulder, "I'm gonna start getting the invites out, then I need to book a DJ and..."
She continues to rattle off the tasks that needed doing before waving to us and hurrying out of the library. I chuckle, leaning my face against my palm.
"What did I just get myself into?" I ask Bonnie.
She snorts out a laugh. "Maybe one of the most memorable parties of your life?" She knocks my shoulder with hers and I smile.
"Maybe," I return, flipping to the next page of my textbook.
It'd been three days since the incident with Luke in Kai's apartment and I hadn't seen Kai since. His absence left something seemingly missing in my days and the feeling annoyed me endlessly. I should be glad that I've gotten some time free of him and on some level, I guess I am–our argument and him nearly killing Luke led to me needing a bit of space from Kai.
Nonetheless, growing so used to spending every day and nearly every waking minute with him in the prison world made three days without him feel strange. It was similar to the week I spent apart from him in the prison world, except that was different in the case that we were the only two people in that world. Now, there's witches, vampires–any supernatural creature you can think of, living in this world and many of them hell bent on killing Kai. Knowing this made being apart from him a particularly anxiety-inducing task. Who knows if he's okay right now, or chained up while his father tortures him, similarly to how he had in one of the unpleasant scenes I witnessed in Kai's mind?
Mainly because I needed to, and partially in an attempt to get my mind off of what Kai's up to, I got myself settled back in Whitmore College these past few days. With Caroline's helpful compelling powers, I'd convinced my professors–save for Alaric, who didn't need compelling to understand abnormal situations that arise due to the supernatural crowding this town–to let me do the assignments I'd missed. Though Caroline side-eyed my desire to actually complete the assignments rather than accept the A pluses she'd compelled for me, she complied.
Being back in college and completing regular tasks like book reports brought a sense of normality back into my life, which I thought would set everything right back to the way it used to be and I'd feel better.
Except I didn't, because a certain dark-haired, annoyingly charming witch has been crowding most of my thoughts lately.
After Bonnie and I eventually parted ways and exited the library, I walk along campus in route to my dorm when a familiar voice called my name.
My head turned to find my ex boyfriend, Jay, jogging towards me with a wide grin on his face.
Oh, God.
"Hey, Charlotte." He sidles up next to me with a smile, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I stiffen in his hold, tempted to elbow him in the ribs and continue on my way.
"Hey." I smile tightly.
"Long time, no see," he says, "I was hoping to see you around soon. I saw Liv at the bar the other day, she told me you had a family thing."
Is that what they're calling being stuck in an alternate plane of existence nowadays?
"Something like that," I tell him.
Jay pauses, a sour look passing over his face before he continues. "I also saw your new boyfriend while I was there."
I raise an eyebrow in confusion before remembering Kai telling me a few days ago that he met Jay. I sigh heavily.
"He's not my boyfriend," I reply, rolling my eyes.
"Yet you knew exactly who I was talking about," Jay snorts, "anyway, he said you two have a...friends-with-benefits situation going on."
I laugh once, loudly. Sure, if that's what he wants to call it.
"Yeah, no," I shake my head. "Kai and I are..."
"Strictly exclusive."
I whirl around, Jay's arm sliding off my shoulders in the process. Kai stands in front of us clad in a gray hoodie and jeans, an icy smile on his lips. I can't help the relief that swells in my chest at seeing him again, but my ex boyfriend being added to the mix dims the feeling considerably.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him warily.
"Was on my way to see Liv, but as luck would have it, I bumped into you two instead," Kai says, smiling brightly while looking between the two of us, his eyes narrowing when they land on Jay.
"Well, maybe you wouldn't mind leaving," Jay snaps, "because Charlotte and I were in the middle of rekindling. Since you two aren't even really a thing."
Rekindling? Oh, Jesus.
"Rekindling," Kai repeats flatly, arching an eyebrow at Jay, "interesting. But Charlie and I have some unfinished business as well, so," Kai makes a shoo gesture with a wave of his hand, "run along, Jason."
Jay stays where he is, scowling at Kai. "I'm not just gonna–"
"Just go, Jay," I say irritably without taking my eyes off of Kai, "please. I have to talk to Kai."
Jay looks at me incredulously. "You have to–the guy's a total asshole! You'll give him a chance, but not me?"
"I'm pretty sure it's the charm," Kai shrugs, by way of explanation, "I practically ooze it. Charlie is helpless to its effects, really, so I wouldn't blame her."
I narrow my eyes at Kai as Jay sends an icy look in his direction before storming off, grumbling to himself.
"So you're following me around campus now?" I ask, while continuing my walk. He takes a few strides to fall into step alongside me.
"No, I actually was on my way to see Liv," Kai says, flashing me a smirk, "this was just a pleasant surprise."
I sigh, my eyes darting around the campus for any familiar faces before deciding on grabbing Kai's arm firmly and pulling him in between two buildings.
"Ooooh, I like where this is going," he purrs.
"Kai, why are you here to see Liv?" I question, folding my arms over my chest, "are you keeping your promise or not?"
"Here we go again with the promise," he exhales sharply, "I just came here to talk to her, make sure Luke didn't taint her mind. I don't have any plans to maim anybody today. Well," he pauses thoughtfully, "I didn't, until I saw your boy toy over there."
My teeth sink into my bottom lip nervously and his gaze darts down to my mouth, his jaw clenching slightly.
"Wise advice," he adds lowly, "don't do that if you want a chance at keeping that what happens in the prison world rule ongoing."
"Do what?" I ask curiously, releasing my lip from my teeth.
Kai lifts his hand to my face, dragging his thumb over my bottom lip slowly. My breath hitches in my throat at the contact as I watch his gaze grow darker.
"Bite your lip," he rasps, leaning in. I gulp, hesitantly moving back from him. His hand drops from my cheek, thumb sliding off my mouth, leaving a tingling on the skin.
"I have to go," I say hurriedly, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder, "and don't go after Jay."
"No promises on that," he calls after me as I put as much space between us as I can, hurrying back to my dorm.
Author's Note: Really didn't think I'd be able to get this update up tonight so I'm glad I did.
This story is so close to 100k reads I'm so shook
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, as always I love reading your comments so let me know your thoughts (: