^
"No," Riley said, voice brittle but certain. "I'll live with the guilt, Emily. I don't want to forget my parents."
Her bitter smile hurt more than her words. Emily just squeezed her hand, saying nothing more.
"Riley," Ethan spoke gently. She looked up.
"You'll stay here for now. Learn how to control your powers... so this never happens again."
Riley glanced at Emily, unsure.
"You can trust him, Ril," Emily whispered with a soft, encouraging smile.
Ethan turned to Ryder, expression unreadable. "Take her out. Get her some clothes."
Ryder sighed dramatically. "How exciting."
Ryder rolled his eyes. "Let's go then, 'love,'" he muttered.
The two left the room, Riley walking ahead while Ryder followed lazily behind, hands in his pockets.
Ethan waited until the door closed before turning to Emily.
"You alright, little lamp?" he asked, walking closer.
She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped into his embrace. Ethan held her gently, his strong arms enveloping her smaller frame like a shield.
"Thank you for not running," he whispered.
"And thank you for saving Riley."
They stayed like that a moment longer...still, warm, quiet.
Then Emily pulled back and looked up at him. "Ethan... I remember."
He frowned slightly. "Remember?"
"I've seen you before. Not just recently. You saved me. More than once."
Ethan watched her carefully.
"I came here earlier to tell you...and your brother," she said quietly. "But things got... complicated."
He smiled faintly and patted her head.
"Forget Ryder. He's just a bit dramatic. Loves me too much, that's all."
Emily laughed softly. "Let's watch a movie."
Ethan nodded. "Anything you want."
She settled beside him on the couch while he selected a movie.
"Do witches live longer than humans?" she asked.
"No. Most don't," Ethan replied, his voice calm. "But those who dabble in dark magic sometimes live longer...at a cost. They usually end up turning evil. That's not a path I want your friend walking down."
Emily nodded seriously, her thoughts heavy with concern for Riley.
"How old are you, Ethan?"
He gave her a look, amused. "Curious little lamp, aren't you?"
She shrugged with a grin.
"I've lived more than a century," he replied, sitting back. "Closer to a millennium, really. I'm one of the original vampires...first of my kind. There are only three of us left: Ryder, myself, and our cousin, Santiago."
Emily stared, stunned. "So... you can't die?"
"Not by normal means. We can kill other vampires easily. Lower ones can't even resist our compulsion. But witches..." He trailed off with a faint frown. "Witches are more dangerous to us than you think."
Emily shivered slightly. "So... you're the strongest."
Ethan's gaze darkened just a little. "I'm what they call a bridge...a balance between humans and vampires. If I'm destroyed, the line keeping vampires from overrunning humanity breaks. And they will take the world."
Emily blinked. "So... the others live among humans?"
"They hide in plain sight."
He didn't tell her everything. Not yet. Especially not the prophecy that she would be the one to destroy that bridge—him.
"Okay. Enough vampire talk," he said. "Let's watch the movie."
Emily nodded, but her mind still buzzed with everything she'd heard.
As the film started, she caught the title and gasped.
"The Deity? I wanted to watch this! It was sold out everywhere!"
Ethan smirked. "I know the actress. Old friend."
Emily's jaw dropped. "Celine Anthony?! She's a vampire?"
He gave her a wink. "Not all of us bite necks and wear capes, little lamp."
Emily stared at the screen in awe, wondering how many celebrities were actually vampires.
"Are werewolves real?"
"Yes. They existed. But vampire hunters wiped most of them out. Haven't seen one in decades."
Her brows furrowed. "Vampire hunters are real too?"
"Oh yes," Ethan said, voice quieter now. "Born to kill us. They come from their own bloodlines, with weapons and tricks most vampires can't counter."
Emily fell silent. A new question burned in her chest.
"Earlier... Ryder said Riley was from some bloodline. What was it again?"
"The Orsticle witches," Ethan replied. "Their bloodline is one of the oldest. Almost all were wiped out during the vampire-witch wars. Riley... she's one of the last. That makes her powerful. And dangerous."
Emily's eyes widened. "So she's in danger now?"
"She's a beacon. Her energy will attract other witches. Some will want to help her... others will want to kill her before she becomes a threat."
Emily looked down at her lap. "How will she learn to control it?"
"We'll bring in someone," Ethan said. "A witch who can guide her. Teach her the old ways. The safe ones."
Emily smiled faintly. "Thank you, Ethan."
He looked at her. "You're welcome."
⸻
Meanwhile, in the boutique, Ryder looked absolutely bored out of his mind.
Riley held up another dress, spinning it toward the mirror.
"Are you going to spend all day here?" Ryder grumbled.
The shopkeeper giggled from behind the counter, watching him from afar. "You should let your partner choose, sir. Women love clothes."
"She's not my—" Ryder began, then paused.
Riley turned toward him with a raised brow. "You hear that? She said you should let me choose."
"I'll buy the store if it'll make you faster," Ryder muttered under his breath.
Riley smiled sweetly, holding up yet another dress. "Then I'll take my time."
Ryder groaned loudly. "Witches. Even the fashionable ones are exhausting."