"Where is Leo?" Alex asked, looking around behind me, looking for him.

"... He stayed in Scotland," I replied quietly.

"Oh, when will he be back?" Mum asked with furrowed eyebrows in confusion.

"I don't know if he will come back." I watched the realisation come to her face.

"What happened?" She prodded gently, holding my shoulders.

"We-we couldn't do it... We couldn't break the cycle, and well..." I looked down at the ground once more.

"Oh, sweetheart," she pulled me into another hug, "I am so sorry."

She coaxed me to the sofa, and I felt her hand patting my head gently; only then did I let the tears fall freely.

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My sadness soothed again; Uncle Keiron set the tea on the coffee table. Frustration and unease were on his face.

"What were you thinking? Wandering around Inverness…" He shook his head.

"I didn't know a Hunt was called," I protested, "We didn't know until we visited a metaphysical shop."

"Did they find you? Is that why you came back?" he accused.

"No. We left Inverness this morning. We didn't run into them. I came back because… It would be awkward living with an Ex and his mother," I mumbled.

"Hold on… His mother?" Keiron asked, bewildered.

'Shit.'

"Um…"

"Lexandria," Mum warned.

With a heavy sigh, I shared everything- from our secret letters to our first meeting with Morgan.

"You trust people too easily," Keiron stated bitterly, crossing his arms.

'You're telling me,' I thought with a slight eye roll.

"And… the cycle? The lifetimes?" Mum asked, rubbing my shoulder.

"I don't want to go into it… But she did help us. We couldn't figure out what needed to be 'fixed'." I used my hands to quote.

Confused, I heard a sniffle from her; I looked to Keiron for help.

With soft eyes, he explained, "No mother wants to outlive her child…"

I realised what he meant: Will you die young?

"So long as we are not together, I will live a long life…"

"You sound sure," he questioned.

"Trust me. I will be fine."

Mum pulled me close, "You are not out of the woods yet, my dear." She turned to her brother, "The council is still after her."

He nodded, "If they find out we are hiding her here, it will only cause more trouble."

"… It is late. One night will be fine!" she persuaded.

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I kept my phone off while I slept, but the whole coven would know I was back home within a day, thanks to my mother.

A light, furry touch woke me during the night. Sooty sat beside me, trying to get under the covers for warmth. Lifting the quilt, I enjoyed the company.

It was a while since I slept alone.

I briefly wondered how Leo was fairing.

'Is he with Maddie?' I shook my head as soon as the thought appeared.

The little sleepy tendrils caught me once more. I was drifting into sleep.

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Leo

He sighed for the umpteenth time that night. Sleep evaded him; he was unsure if it was an unfamiliar empty house or the lack of her small snoring huffs. The pillow next to him still held a vague scent of Lexi, which only added to the weight sitting on his chest.

He, too, felt numb.

He groaned before getting up to wander down to the darkened living room.

Then he spied the black scrying mirror abandoned on the coffee table instead of being locked away. It was too tempting.

With a hand over the face of the mirror, Lexi's bedroom came into clear view from her desk mirror.

She slept soundly with Sooty to keep her company. Her breathing and quiet snoring filled the room, and his eyes drooped at her rhythmic breaths. It eased the numbness within him, but the weight turned into a boulder, crushing his chest. Shifting to lie down, he stared into the darkness before finally falling asleep to her breathing, crashing on the world's most uncomfortable sofa.

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Jack

"There is no sign of Lexi. I will stay here and investigate further. Tell me if the vamp shows up." The radio crackled into silence after the Detectives' announcement.

Jack turned off the wireless machine and got out of the car. He was scouting out for Victoria.

They had chased a trail from Cambridge to Norfolk.

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Victoria barged into the occupied, safe house. Three of her children were hiding there.

"Mother is home!" she announced before grabbing the nearest scampering vampire.

"Now, now Oscar…" she coaxed, making him look into her eyes, "What have you been up to, dearest?"

He evaded her eyes, looking around the ceiling and floor, "Mother! So nice to see you. How was your trip?"

"Hm. A little stressful. Imagine my surprise to find out your brother has been rallying you against me."

"What?" he said, feigning innocence, "I would never mother."

"Yet here you are. Hiding." She forced him to kneel quickly, pulling his head back. He scrunched his eyes closed, "Why would you hurt your mother?"

He said nothing, making her tut.

"Oscar. You and I both know he has made new vampires despite the rules. What did I do to make you angry?" Her tone changed from stern to lamenting. Trying to trick him with crocodile tears.

He brushed his hair soothingly, like a mother would. He sighed and stopped struggling.

"He was persuasive. You haven't spent any time with us. Instead, you fly off to another continent… We needed a leader- one who doesn't bow to the council, one who doesn't force us into oppression."

"Bow to the council? Fools. I keep you safe from death. This treaty keeps us from extinction."

"You forget who you pled your loyalty to after the cull of your Sire," she spoke bitterly.

"He told us you were not coming back. That you broke the treaty and left us for dead," he whispered. Letting him go, he didn't move from the floor.

"Never. I was overlooking a new home for all of us."

"You were?"

She nodded and smiled.

This was the third time she explained herself. She wanted to keep it a surprise.

"Now… Tell me where he went… I know he was here."

"He is going to Pendle…"

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Lexi

Mum shakily held the phone, typing in some numbers from a business card from 'Magnus Hawkcroft'.

"Magnus… is that the detective?" I asked.

"Yes… We have to do this-" "Give it here."

"What?" She was taken aback.

I said nothing and kept my handout asking for the phone.

I heard Luke laughing from the table, "This is going to be good!"

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"This is Magnus. Who is speaking?"

"Lexandria Langton."

I heard him choke out a cough, "Is this a joke? How did you get this number?"

I smiled, "No joke. My mum had your business card."

I felt another presence around me. Without thinking, I waved a hand and protection Sigils quickly blocked the spying eyes.

'That's new…'

"You know turning yourself in won't get you the reward."

"Noted."

"I guess you will not tell me where you are?"

"No luck with your dowsing then?" I teased lightly, "I'm back home in Pendle."

"You are? How did you get there without tipping off CCTV?"

"That's a secret. Are you coming so we can get this over with?"

"… Why bother? You are not going to be there when I arrive."

"You have my word; I'm housebound." I looked at Mum.

"I will inform the council. Your co-operation, while unexpected, is appreciated."

"Not chasing me right away? Why is that?"

"We have had a tip-off on Cornelius. I cannot tell you more. You understand."

"Certainly. Good luck."

"I will call once I have spoken to the council."

I sighed before abruptly hanging up the phone call and told my family of Magnus' delay.

"Glad they are finally doing something about the Vamp," Keiron commented.

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Mum took back her phone, and she looked undecided about something.

"Mum? What's up?" I asked.

"I must tell you something... tell you both something."

She waved her hand to Alex and motioned for him to sit beside me while she sat beside Uncle Keiron.

Keiron gave Luke a pointed look, and he quietly exited up the stairs. Suspicious, I waited patiently for her to continue.

"Alex... I don't think you will go through Enmagica," she admitted.

"What? Why?" Alex asked, confused.

"You..." she gulped, "You are half witch."

"What?" I whispered, stunned into silence… My brain couldn't comprehend her statement.

Mum stumbled over her words, tears accumulating. Uncle Keiron spoke for her, "You are half-siblings, Lexi."

"No!" Alex sobbed, "You're lying! This is a joke, right?" he protested.

Mum gently shook her head and silently cried. Alex always looked like Mum more than I. But looking at him now whilst stood, the light made him look different.

His face was blank, and his eyes were dark. Clouded and swirling with too many emotions, he closed his eyes and fled to the door.

"Alex, wait!" Mum pleaded.

Alex walked out of the front door, slamming it with anger. The roller-coaster of emotions was too much.

"I need some time," I muttered in a daze.

Standing, I left my mother and uncle on the sofa and went straight to the woods.