Before Kit could go and see Vivian, he had to talk to Niccolo about sealing Vivians aether away. He knew that if he brought the idea up to anyone before going to Niccolo, he wouldn't hear the end of it. So when he got back to the estate that morning, he headed straight for the office.

He found Niccolo behind his desk, writing something down with a quill. "What is it?" Niccolo asked, his voice short.

"Viktor knows of a spell that would seal Vivian's aether away. Permanently." Kit told the elder vampire, not wanting to make this conversation any longer than he needed. Crimson eyes watched as the elder vampire froze mid writing. "If her aether was sealed away, Ezra would lose interest in her."

Niccolo slowly looked up from his desk to meet Kit's eyes. "Why would we do something like that?"

"So Vivian can return to her life in Lake Ashton. No one would be able to take advantage of the fact she's an aether reservoir, no one would be able to sense it. She would basically be a human. Only, she would be resistant to aether manipulation with having it sealed." Kit explained, hoping that Niccolo would just agree and it would end here.

"Permanently seal her aether away? Why would we do that, Kit?" Niccolo asked, standing from his desk. "We could potentially need her as an aether reservoir-."

"So you're keeping her here to use her eventually?" Kit interrupted the elder vampire, feeling anger boil inside of him.

Niccolo let out a breath. "What I'm saying is she could be helpful to us as an aether reservoir, I think permanently sealing it away would be a bad idea."

Kit stared at the other vampire, unsure of what to say. Niccolo really planned on using her at some point. Was he not willing to let her go home? "Niccolo, she does not want to be here. We cannot force her to live here for the rest of her life."

"It's a short life anyway."

"Niccolo!" Kit yelled out, startling both himself and the elder vampire. But he felt passionate about this, he had a reason to. Before he was a vampire, the whole reason why Ezra took him at such a young age, was because Kit was an aether reservoir too. The thought of anyone using her made his stomach lurch."You cannot use her."

Niccolo looked at him for a few breaths, as if taking him in, assessing. "You feel very intensely about this." The elder vampire points out, putting hands to his desk. "Why?"

"You know why." Kit replied, fists clenching at his sides. "We have to do this for her, to give her a normal life back."

Again, the elder vampire was silent, just looking at him. Then he pushed up from his hands and sat back down in his seat, letting out an exaggerated breath. "Fine, do whatever you want, Kit."

The vampire felt relief flood his system. "Really?" Kit asked, wanting to be sure he understood the man. "You will let us do the spell."

"Yes, yes, you can do the spell."

Kit gave a nod. "Thank you, Niccolo."

"Get out."

Kit was quick to leave the office and begin his search for Vivian, excited to tell her the good news.

✩

Vivian sat at one of the chair and table combos scattered throughout the library. When she had woken up this morning, Kit had been missing. Her first thought was that he had patrol that night and left ar some point, but she remembers him mentioning he didn't have patrol last night. Her second thought was that he was possibly in the kitchen, but when she went to check, the vampire wasn't there either. So she came to the library to see if he had woken up early and decided to look at books without her, but he was nowhere in sight.

The woman sat there now, trying to think of where else to look for Kit. She could try the gardens, maybe the vampire wanted a nice stroll past some forever blooming roses. That was where she would look next.

As she stood from the table, the door to the library opened. Vivian looked up and watched Kit walk into the large space. "Kit!" She said, excited. The woman stood and moved towards Kit, meeting him in front of the door. "Where were you?"

"I went to see Viktor." Kit said, smiling down at her. "We found something."

"Did you?" Vivian asked, clasping her hands together.

"There is a spell that can seal your aether away so that no one could access it. That way, Ezra would lose interest in you and you can return to a normal human life." Kit explained, seeming like he was a little breathless. Did he run here?

"I could go home?" Vivian asked, hope leaking into her voice.

"Yes Vivian, you could go home."

The woman's chest exploded with joy, she began to jump up and down before she reached out and to Kit and grabbed his hands, intertwining their fingers. "I could go home!" She yelled, absolutely ecstatic. She could go home, if they seal her aether away, she could return to her job at the cafe and return to her life as she knew it.

"There is one thing about the spell though." Kit said, his voice serious, toning Vivian's excitement down. "In the process of sealing your aether, you may experience a lot of pain."

"Oh." Vivian said, standing still as she looked up at the vampire. He looked like this information pained him. "Do you know how bad?"

"No." He shook his head as he spoke.

Vivian thought about it for a moment. Was an unknown amount of pain worth it? Was leaving this stone estate behind and returning home worth it? Her life back in Lake Ashton? Vivian looked down to their interlocked hands, the way that Kit's trembled the slightest bit. "What do you think I should do?" She asked, her voice soft as she looked back up at him.

Kit searched her face as if he could find the answer there. "You should do it if you think it is worth the pain. You would not be stuck here anymore, you could go home, Vivian."

"Would I still get to see you?" Her voice grew even softer as she asked, looking back down to their hands as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Kit drew their interlocked hands to his chest, pulling Vivian the slightest bit closer. "Nothing would stop me from seeing you, Vivian."

Vivian felt breathless for a moment, looking up at Kit who watched her with a serious expression. She could feel herself swooning, heart racing beneath her chest, breath hitching as crimson eyes traveled down to her lips. "Kit." She breathed out, feeling herself leaning closer to the vampire.

Kit dropped her hands then, reaching out and taking her face in his grasp. He leaned down, seeming to line their lips up. But he hesitated, he didn't close the small distance between them. Vivian's entire form buzzed with anticipation, waiting for the vampire to kiss her. "Are you sure about this?" The vampire whispered against her lips, his breath cold against her face.

"Yes." Vivian rasped out, voice stuck in her throat.

That was all it took, and Kit closed the distance. His lips were gentle at first, a caress against hers. But then he deepened the kiss, pressing more firmly into her as his fingers wound through her black hair. The feeling of his lips were cool on hers, working against her mouth. Vivian's heart soared in her chest, her stomach doing flips as Kit kissed her with so much want and need. Vivian felt breathless as she kissed him back, trying to match his rhythm.

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Then he was pulled away, stopping just above her mouth as they both breathed rapidly. Vivian felt woozy, like if he wasn't holding her face, her knees would give out and she would fall to the ground. She wanted more, she wanted to keep kissing him, but his mouth was just out of reach.

"Again," Vivian breathed, her hands reaching out to grab the front of his shirt, "please."

A breath passed between her plea and Kit pressing his lips to hers. Her chest felt like it might explode, Kit's lips soft and rough all at once. His thumb moved against her cheek, causing her stomach to fill with butterflies. This was the first time she had kissed anyone in a while, and it was amazing.

But he pulled away again, breathless. Vivian had to catch her breath too, eyes opening to look into the crimson ones above her. He still held her face, thumb swiping across her cheek. They just looked at each other, neither one knowing how to proceed past this.

"Vivian..." The vampire whispered, moving his hand to run fingers through her silky black locks. It seemed like there was more he wanted to say, but something was holding him back.

"What is it?" She asked, hands still fisted in his shirt.

"Nothing." Kit said, pulling his hands away from her and taking a step back. Vivian felt the empty space around her, and it was painful. She didn't want the vampire to step away.

"Kit." Vivian said his name, but the vampire looked away from her. "Tell me, what is it?"

Crimson eyes looked back at the woman, pain in them. "I cannot help but feel I am putting you in danger."

"By kissing me?" She asked, trying to understand.

"By wanting to." He said, and there was so much more he could have said but he didn't. Kit just left it at that, looking down at her with eyebrows pulled together.

"I don't understand." Vivian shook her head, searching the vampire's face.

"Ezra he... he destroys everything that I care about. If... if he finds out I care about you, he'll..." It seemed like Kit couldn't finish the sentence.

"Then he won't find out."

"It is not that easy. He just... he seems to know things." Kit said, looking away from Vivian again.

"I won't let him."

Kit looked back to her. "What?"

"I won't let him kill me. I won't."

"Vivian... that is hardly something you can control."

"You don't think I could defend myself?"

The vampire hesitated. "I don't think I could defend myself against him." He spoke the truth, knowing his sire was much stronger than him. He was a pureblood, like Niccolo and Vincenzo had been. "If he wants to kill you, he will."

Vivian just looked at the vampire, unsure of what to say. "We'll figure something out." She decided on, reaching across the space Kit created and grabbed his hands. "I promise, he won't kill me, okay?"

Kit looked at her like she was torturing him. "You cannot promise me that."

"Well I'm going to anyway." She said, determined. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

The vampire just released a breath, almost akin to a laugh. "You are impossible sometimes." Kit said, but there was a fondness to it. "Come on, we should get you some food. Have you eaten yet this morning?"

Vivian thinks about it and no she hasn't. She visited the kitchen earlier in search of him, but she never ate anything. "No, I haven't. Let's go to the kitchen." The woman said, stepping past Kit and pushing open the door. "Come on!"

✩

It was the following evening, Kit and Vivian meeting at Viktor's penthouse. Vivian was nervous the whole drive, her legs shaking the entire time, Kit reaching out one to place a hand on her leg, offering comfort. It helped a little, but she was still a bundle of nerves. Tonight, she was going to permanently seal away her aether.

Viktor greeted them at the doorway, leading them into the living room. The space was already all set up for the spell, a chalk pentagram on the ground like usual with symbols etched out she couldn't quite understand. Opehlia was there along with her mother, which really surprised her.

"Mrs. Garcia?" She asked as she walked into the living room, spotting the older woman sitting down.

"Vivian!" Mrs. Garcia said as she stood from her spot, crossing the room, making sure to be careful of the work on the ground. "I've been told about everything. I am so sorry you've been going through this all alone! I wish you could have told us."

"You're a witch too, Mrs. Garcia?" Vivian asked, watching as the woman stood in front of her.

"Oh yes, the whole family is! And we've known Viktor for years, they've been mentoring young witches in my family for as long as I can remember." The elder woman replied, reaching out and taking Vivians hands. "I've never had the pleasure of knowing an aether reservoir though! I was so shocked when Viktor told me it was you! I would never have guessed."

"I've never had the pleasure of knowing witches, so the feeling is mutual." Vivian said, her hands warm in Mrs. Garcia's grasp. "Are you two going to help out with the spell tonight?"

"Yes ma'am." Ophelia said as she came around her mother, standing with arms crossed. "We're pretty important witches around here."

"Oh really?" Vivian asked with a playful tone. She was so glad to be seeing her best friend again, it felt strange to live apart from her.

"Yes, really." Ophelia echoed, looking around the room.

"Our family had been living in Lake Ashton for many generations." Mrs. Garcia added in, releasing Vivians hands. "Viktor was right to come and seek out our family to help with this spell."

Vivian looked at the two witches for a moment, still a little stunned that they were witches at all. "I'm glad you guys are here then."

"We should prepare for the spell." Viktor said, walking up to the three of them with a tray of drinks. All the drinks were a shimmery purple liquid, the witch handing a glass to everyone. "It's going to be a big one."

Bringing the glass to her lips, Vivian hesitated for only a moment before downing the whole glass. It tasted bitter this time, Vivian putting a hand to her mouth as she gagged a little. "Oh wow, that one was gross." She said, somehow being the only one that had a reaction to the drink.

Vivian then moved to stand in the middle of the pentagram, Viktor lining the outer circle with their salt mix. They then set down candles on each point of the star and lit them one by one, muttering something under their breath with every light. She then watched as the witches took their places around the pentagram, each an even distance away from one another. Vivian looked to Kit, who stood on the other side of the room against the wall, arms crossed. He gave her a little nod, and she gave one back.

"It is time." Viktor said, their voice steady and calm.

Each witch lifted their hands to the ceiling, beginning to chant in that foreign language. As they moved their hands towards the circle, Vivian felt a tug deep within her. White silky smoke flowed from each of the witch's hands, streaming down to the circle and moving along the edge. The white smoke crept closer and closer to Vivian, the woman feeling her heart race within her chest. It encircled her, moving around and around.

Vivian felt it then, a pull against her insides, like her chest was being yanked from her body. She took in a harsh breath, pressing a hand to her chest. A heat crept up her arms and legs, engulfing her whole body after a moment, and then becoming hotter and hotter until it felt like her skin was burning.

The woman fell to the ground, just barely catching herself with her hands. She sucked in a harsh breath, feeling her whole world tilt. She wanted to cry out, to tell them to stop, but she couldn't. She wouldn't. Vivian wanted this, and that meant bearing through the pain.

Vivian looked up and caught the concerned expression on Kit's face, his eyes wide. She gave him a small nod, biting through the scalding heat. Then her body grew colder and colder until it felt like she was in a freezing lake, the cold pressing into her and making it hard to breath, hard to think. She tried to focus on anything but the pain, but it was impossible. A flash of stabbing wounds struck her chest, and she finally let out a cry. Dropping her head back down, she tore her gaze from Kit's.

Breathing was hard against the pain and cold. Her vision swam as she looked to the ground, trying to keep the food inside her stomach and not spread across the chalk pentagram. Wave after wave of pain crashed into her, making tears stream down her face, crying out with each wave.

Then the cold slowly began to release her, her body warming back to its normal temperature, the stabbing pain subsiding. Vivian felt overwhelmingly tired then, her arms giving out and falling to the floor. She could hear Kit call out her name, but she was unable to respond. Everything was spinned and she was so dizzy.

Cold hand grabbed her body then, forcing her to sit up. "Vivian!" Kit's voice called to her, pulling her from the daze she felt herself slipping into.

"D-Did... did it work?" Vivian asked, opening her eyes and looking up into the crimson one of Kit's.

"I do not know." Kit replied, a little breathlessly. "Are you okay? Are you in any pain?"

Vivian shook her head. "No... no, I'm just sore." She answered, and that was the truth. Her entire body ached like she had just ran a marathon. "That... that really fucking hurt."

Kit brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I know, it looked horrible."

"How do we know if it worked?" Vivian heard Ophelia say, the woman looking over to see her friend kneeling beside her.

"The necklace." Viktor said from above them, pointing to the pendant on Vivian's chest. "Take it off. If the spell worked, there would be no reaction."

"My necklace?" Vivian asked, raising a hand to the pendant. "But... you said to never take it off."

"It is the only way we'll know."

Vivian looked to Viktor, the witch displaying a serious expression. She trusted them, trusted their word, so Vivian reached up to her necklace, took in a deep breath, and unclasped it.

Nothing happened.

Vivian looked up to Kit. "No aether?"

The vampire shook his head. "No aether."

"It worked!" Ophelia exclaimed next to her, throwing hand up before wrapping them around Vivian. "Oh my gods, I'm so glad that worked!"

Vivian looked up to the witch, her eyes wide. "It worked."

The witch nodded their head. "Your aether has been sealed away. It worked."