Talia's pov

A month had passed since Stacey's arrival. The atmosphere in this house has become stiff. The air was sometimes hard to breathe when Darcia and Stacey encountered each other.

The image of living under the same roof seemed a lot easier when I was younger. That was my original plan with Stacey; however, Darcia became a brand new plan instead. I see that sharing a household has its struggles. Though it would have been easier if the two of them could bear each other's presence, having small talk or any kind of small interaction would improve their relationship.

Darcia hates that Stacey is so close to me. That I care about Stacey the same as I care about her.

Stacey hates how possessive Darcia is. That she destroyed every possible freedom I had. Yet she understands my feelings for her.

While I struggled with our house members, except for Nicoli, though he has been a fantastic help, I also was worrying about Darcia's state of health. It is alright when she didn't feed, as it feels like for years?

The book I held in my hands dropped to the ground as my muscles weakened from the constant worrying I kept replaying in my head. I picked it up and closed it. I let out a deep and loud sigh. I got up from the ground in the library and inserted the book in the empty spot where I had taken it from.

It's been a while since I entered this room. A smile formed on my face when I kept looking around, admiring those old, barely touched books that were covered in dust. That's a reminder that I have to clean it someday soon.

Although one situation made me feel happy. Stacey's and Nicoli's relationship. Those two were inseparable. I assume Stacey has heard about Nicoli's tragic past, and that is what made them close over the course of one month.

Nicoli's mood became more energetic if I should describe it. He couldn't wait for Stacey to wake up in the morning and talk to her already. Stacey, on the other hand, woke up a lot earlier because of him. A friendship has been born between them and a powerful one.

"Tali! Come to the kitchen, please." Stacey screamed at me. I headed to the kitchen immediately, closing the library door behind me.

As I took the first step inside, I noticed the two of them hiding something behind their backs as they leaned against the kitchen island with glued arms together.

"What is it?" I asked with a curious look on my face.

"Happy birthday, Talia!!!" They congratulated in sinc and loudly, clapping with their hands, revealing a white round cake with the candles of number eighteen dug in the center of it.

I entirely forgot about my upcoming birthday. If they hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have celebrated my eighteenth birthday. My mind was so busy with everything that had been happening that I kind of forgot about myself.

"Guys, thank you so much." I thanked them and rushed to hug them. They were a bit surprised by our group hug, but then they returned the hug.

I knew it was Stacey's doing since she only knew the date of my birthday.

"Where is Darcia?" I wondered, looking around, considering I had not seen her for quite some time.

Both of them were quiet, wondering that too. Lately, or more precisely, the last week, she has been going out a lot, saying she has something important to figure out. When I asked what it was, she replied that she would reveal it soon. I trust Darcia's decision to not tell me now, still I am dying to know.

"I believe she is in the garage, fixing something about her car. I will go get her." Stacey offered herself first. I nodded as I thought about the great opportunity for them to get closer to each other.

When Stacey left, Nicoli cut a piece of cake and served it on a white plate, handing it to me. "We baked it together while you were reading. I hope it tastes well." Nicoli informed me.

I grabbed the plate from him but decided to sit at the dining table. With the dessert fork, I slid the edge of the triangle piece. The taste of it was - fantastic. Chocolate and a hint of vanilla are mixed together.

"You are great at everything. It tastes like heaven!" I praised Nicoli's baking.

"Don't forget about Stacey. She picked the flavors." He pointed it out and laughed.

He then sat across from me, untying his icy white hair to be free again. He looked majestic every day. I never saw a more beautiful man in my life. He looked like he came from a tale about vampires. His lengthy, icy-white hair was unusual to see in real life. No one could resist the urge to look at him if they could.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"Am I so handsome to look at?" Nicoli suddenly asked. I snapped from my admiration, and a corner of my mouth lifted.

"Can I ask you something?" I wondered.

"Go ahead." He agreed.

"Do you like your life?" I boldly asked. I thought about this question plenty of times. Do vampires like their life? Sucking human blood, not being able to sleep, and having the urge to kill. It all feels like hell to me.

To never age and die...

How does it feel for them after centuries of living? Isn't it torture and terrifying?

Nicoli's face dulled at my question and the smile that was there a second ago was gone. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to ask him this.

"I would lie to you if I said that I liked it so much. Being able to live forever sounds thrilling, yet scary. Feeding on humans is something you have known since we were little. It can only feel weird for those who have been turned from humans to us. So, I do not find it weird while doing it, if that answers one of your wonders. Nevertheless, if there isn't something to yearn for or desire for, this life becomes boring after some time." He explained.

I started to think about his answer, and then Darcia popped into my mind. Was she killing humans just because of boredom? Since she had nothing to yearn for, if I could only know the answer to those questions.

"Do you desire now, Nicoli?" I asked while putting the last piece of cake on top of my tongue.

A long pause followed, and his forehead creased.

"Yes, I do, even though I should have never desired it again." He answered and then got up from the chair, picking up the empty plate from me.

Darcia's pov

Since early this morning, I have been improving some things about my car, such as changing tires and oil. I mostly work on my car when my mind is full of thoughts. It is the perfect distraction that I am in need of.

Nicoli and Stacey have been doing something in the kitchen since the time I entered the garage. Both of them were secretive, yet I didn't mind. I have bigger things to worry about than them making some mess in the kitchen.

The towel wrapped around my neck was fully soaked in my sweat, and I don't sweat much. I got up from the ground, grabbing the towel from my neck, turning it around to the less sweaty part, and placing it on my face to absorb my face sweat.

I heard footsteps getting closer to the basement. I turned my whole body in the direction of the door, looking at the staircase. The door suddenly opened, and Stacey entered the inside of the garage.

I turned back to the car, tossing the towel onto the filthy ground. I crunched down to the tire, making sure that every screw was sealed right. Carefully, I checked each screw to ensure that it was tightly secured and that the tire would remain in place.

"What do you want?" I broke the silence.

She walked down the stairs but kept her distance, about two meters away from me. She seemed to be hesitant to come closer, and it was clear that she was uncomfortable with the idea of being near me. I could tell that she was trying to keep her distance and avoid any contact. I glanced at her and caught her staring at me.

"I want to talk." She spoke finally.

I froze at the spot, then stood up steadily. I turned my whole body toward her, realizing she was a bit taller than Talia.

Her dull facial expression gave me the idea that she was fully serious. I snuck my hands into the sweatpants' pockets, standing straight and looking down at her.

"Talk then," I said more fiercely.

The tone of my voice surprised her; I could see it in her surprised expression. She didn't like the way I was speaking to her.

"I have no desire to fight or argue with you. For Talia's sake and happiness, I long to live peacefully together while I'm living in your house. I promise you, I have no intention of staying. So, can we make a truce?" Stacey stretched her hand in a form of handshake.

I wasn't going to agree at first, but she was perfectly correct. It was difficult for me to face the truth. However, it was better to agree to a truce than to make Talia even angrier than she already is.

My hand jerked forward toward hers, stopping an inch away. Her eyes narrowed as she united our hands together. My jaw tightened, focusing on my sharp peering into her blue eyes. I could sense the tension between us as we both silently acknowledged the connection. Her grip on my hand was firm, and I could feel the warmth radiating from her skin.

"Now, let's go upstairs to celebrate Talia's birthday, okay?" She suddenly instructed. My eyebrows snapped together, instantly pulling my hand from our handshake.

Talia's birthday?!

"It seems like you still don't know a few things about her, but no worries. There's plenty of time to get to know each other fully." She formed an honest smile on her face. However, believing humans is equivalent to believing a witch. Yes, she will help you when you're in need, although there's always a price to pay for their great help. They will demand something in return, and it's usually something that you can't afford to give. You become dependent upon them, and can easily be manipulated and taken advantage of.

I said nothing in return and just headed my way up the stairs. Immediately, Stacey followed. I could hear her footsteps echoing in the stairwell behind me. I could perceive her gaze on my back as I opened the door. However, I decided to continue walking.

We headed to the kitchen, and when we reached the doorsteps, Talia and Nicoli were in shock, looking at us. I glanced at the kitchen counter and saw Talia's birthday cake already missing one cut part of it.

I ignored their surprised looks and went to Talia, who was sitting at the dining table, embracing her in my arms and lifting her little roughly from the chair. She instantly locked her arms around my neck, looking questionably at me.

"Happy birthday, Talia," I whispered into her ear and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She hugged me tighter and bore her face under my neck.

"Thank you." She said quietly.