Notes:

- Sequel to the fics For You, In The Daylight and Without You. You can read all of them here.

- I'm sorry for taking so long. I've been very busy for the last few days. Also, I wanted this chapter to be perfect, as it's extremely important to the plot.

- Happy Holidays!


Kamilah

"Your hands are shaking. Why don't you take a cup of tea and calm down?"

Kamilah went to the kitchen and prepared her wife a special tea to ease her stress in such a difficult moment. Amy was sitting on the couch, crying in silence while she attempted to contact her mother.

When she returned to the living room, the girl had an entire different look on her face. Kamilah looked into her eyes, they seemed bottomless and without any emotion.

"Amy?"

"Don't ask me to calm down when my dad could be dying," she said coldly, before heading to their bedroom and starting to shove some clothes inside a small luggage.

Amy wasn't acting like herself. Again. She was an impulsive person, even reckless sometimes, but that was something completely different. Aside from her look becoming vague, she'd become extremely angry and aggressive.

It had happened a couple of times since they returned from Greece. The first, triggered by a small mistake she made at Ahmanet Financial that resulted in a contract loss. The second, one night after her visions about Kamilah's past started to increase. In both cases, she'd act distant and cold for a few days. Closed inside her own shell.

That had nothing to do with being a Bloodkeeper. Adrian thought it could be some sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after her near-death experience.

"Amy," Kamilah spoke softly, trying to get her to hear. "We can go in my private jet by the morning. Driving right now could be dangerous, look at the rain falling outside."

She wouldn't listen. Amy continued packing her clothes like Kamilah wasn't even present. The female vampire sighed and went to her home office.

"Adrian," she said through the phone. "It's me. It's happening again."

She told him about Amy's father and how it triggered her strange behavior for a third time.

"You know what concerns me. It all began since we discovered the Tree."

Adrian didn't believe it was possible, but Kamilah had a bad feeling about that situation from the start. The First Vampire had once tried to kill Amy to return to life. Whatever their connection was, their lives were bounded by something powerful. A power where Amy's death would make possible for her to walk on the Earth again.

Kamilah only knew her through legends and stories told by Gaius, but it was enough to know she wouldn't easily give up. Especially when she had been so close to obtain what she wanted.

"What should I do?" She asked.

"Give her space. But go with her, don't leave her alone in under circumstances."

When Kamilah hung up, she only had time to see Amy passing through the corridor, carrying her bags. She quickly changed her clothes and followed her to the garage, using her vampire speed.

"I'm coming with you," she was already inside the car when Amy finished placing her stuff in the trunk. "I'm driving."

The girl didn't complain or express any emotion. She simply sat on the passenger seat in complete silence, staring at nothing.

Kamilah started driving, but that tightness in her chest only increased as she followed to the road. She knew something terrible was about to come, yet she couldn't tell when. Or how.


Lysimachus

Even two years later, Lysimachus hadn't completely earned the trust of all Council members. The mistrust surrounding him had gone worse when he began to work as a Nighthunter in New Orleans.

His chair on the Council was hanging by a thread now. Though he no longer feared a death punishment, Jax, Adrian and even his sister could be supporting Priya and Lester against him after such a huge mistake.

"I can't simply erase her mind, Adrian," he told. "What about her employee? A big person is behind this. They'd certainly seek for revenge."

"Go home," Adrian advised him, "talk to her. Try to make her spill who's paying her. We can go after them."

"Okay."

Before heading to his apartment, Lysimachus invited Katherine to the nearest bar. It'd be their first conversation since her appearance in the Council meeting.

"How could you betray me like this?"

"I never betrayed you," she was sitting on a stool next to him, playing with her glass and with an annoyed look on her face. "As soon as you left the diner, a lot of zeros suddenly appeared in my bank account. Then, my phone rang. Somebody wanted to hire me to monitor Raines' research. Well... I remembered your file, that was accidentally on my phone."

"And used it in your favor!"

She rolled her eyes and stared at him for a moment, in silence.

"I couldn't say no, don't judge me."

He sighed and shook his head in denial. After one year working together and being partners, he'd never expect this act coming from her.

"Do you have any idea of what your friend is in possession?" Katherine continued. "In the wrong hands, it could spread chaos and destroy the entire human race."

"But it's not in wrong hands, okay? Adrian has been studying it for good purposes."

"Wrong hands, like mine?"

They both turned around to see Priya standing right behind them, with a malicious grin and her phone pointed to them.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the biggest traitor of them all?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lysimachus questioned, wondering if his night could become any worse.

"It's a public place," she answered. "I come here occasionally, when I'm too bored in my big mansion."

Something in the way she said 'big mansion' suggested she was attempting to insult Katherine. Knowing the Nighthunter, Lysimachus knew she wouldn't simply ignore it.

"Big mansions can be quite of a pain in the ass," she lamented. "I remember when I lived in one."

"Not when you have houseboys to serve you."

Priya joined them at the bar and ordered herself a drink. Recognizing her, the bartender said it was for free. Lysimachus just stood there, observing the scene and thinking of a manner to stop the conversation, that would certainly end badly.

"Oh so it's true," Katherine sounded curious and sarcastic at the same time. "You do fill your house with sex slaves."

"Better than living in an empty penthouse, don't you think?"

"How do you…" the point Katherine stood up to face Priya in a challenging manner was enough for him to intervene.

"Can you both just stop?" He asked. "Priya, why don't you go home?"

"Whatevs," she shrugged, swallowing her drink in one sip. "I've got exactly what I wanted here."

She played an audio file on her cell phone, when Katherine admitted she had access to Adrian's file.

"If you want I can kill her for you," Katherine suggested as Priya left. "I have a good aim when it comes to vampires."

"I'm sure we can solve it in another manner," he told, considering the alternative Kamilah gave him. Debriefing her would be the most correct thing to do, but first he had to know with who he'd be dealing with later.


Amy

"She just don't get it. Kamilah only cares about her own interests. She doesn't have any empathy for you at all!"

Amy shook her head, dismissing that thought. It had happened again. Her emotions and thoughts got out of control, leading her to act aggressively.

Depression. Anxiety. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Schizophrenia. A quick research on the internet suggested she could have any of these disorders. She'd take every opportunity when Kamilah was out of New York to visit a therapist. Dr. Blackwood was new in the city. One of the first vampires Lysimachus marked with his Brand, he chose a Scarab design to represent his Clan. Amy could vent and confess her everything, including the supernatural, without the fear of being labeled as crazy.

After a few sessions, her results were still inconclusive. Exams didn't show anything wrong with her. Medications weren't effective.

A sudden wave of unhappiness filled her heart. Not only because of her dad. Or because she how badly she had treated her wife. It was something bigger. Something she could not explain. Tears started streaming down her face.

"Amy," Kamilah gently placed her hand on top of hers. "Everything is going to be okay."

She was very focused on the road, making a lot of effort to see ahead. The rain had gotten even worse after they left.

"What a stupid idea," Amy thought. "I should have waited until the morning."

"Your father is still young, the chances of recovery are very high at his age. Besides, in case he needs better care, we can ask him to be transferred to the best medical facility in New York."

Kamilah continued to speak. She tried to focus on her voice or the warmness of her hand, but the thoughts started again.

"She doesn't even like your parents."

It wasn't true. The female vampire's efforts to gain her parents approval were finally showing results. Her dad loved to hear her stories about Egypt and her mom would spend hours talking to Kamilah about finances. She focused her thoughts on their last Holidays together, where they all went to a ski resort.

"Thanks," thinking of her family made those negative thoughts disappear. "And I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I just…"

Her crying wouldn't let her proceed.

"It's okay," Kamilah squeezed her hand. "It's a scary situation. It's normal your emotions are overwhelmed."

It was time to tell her. They had been together for two years. Kamilah was the person she trusted the most in the entire universe.

"I'm seeing a doctor for a few months now. I didn't want to tell you until she had a conclusion, but… there isn't any."

Although she did her best to hide, she could tell her words had impact on Kamilah.

"Well, if there isn't any explanation in science, we need to consider our other option here."

"The supernatural," Amy concluded.

"Exactly," Kamilah looked at her with a nervous smile on the corners of her lips. "Do you think..."

That fraction of second she took her eyes from the road to look at Amy, she missed it. There was a woman, dressed in white standing in the middle of the road. Even with the heavy rain, Amy was able to distinguish her glowing red eyes and the blood in her vests. Her eyes widened in fear.

"Kamilah! Look out!"

By impulse, she grabbed the wheel, pulling to the other side of the road. The asphalt was wet and slippery, what made it impossible for her to regain control.


Lysimachus

Being a Nighthunter for at least 10 years, Katherine was very cautious of her steps. Knowing this, Lysimachus couldn't raise any suspicions, he needed to act naturally.

If he couldn't get her to speak, he needed to take extreme measures. He offered her to spend the night at his apartment, until she found a place to stay.

"It can be dangerous," he said. "A Nighthunter alone in New York City. Some vampires may feel threatened and attack you."

"Oh really?"

With a mischievous smirk, Katherine exhibited her skills. In one stunt, she pinned him against the wall and pointed a sharp stake directly to his heart.

"I mean it, Katherine. You never know what Clan leaders are capable of. They can be a bunch of snakes when it comes to their interests."

"Does that include you?"

"Why are you asking?"

"You were so gentle to invite me to your place, when you're on thin ice with the Council," she pressed the stake a little harder, almost perforating his chest. "I've done my research about you in the past, you're a vampire with psychic abilities. You're going to erase my memories."

"I would never," Lysimachus told, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I just want to talk. About your employee."

Katherine finally released him.

"I know nothing about them."

"Not even a name, or a gender?"

"The person I spoke on the phone, it was a man. He had an accent... Greek maybe."

Considering how tired she had been, after a shower, it didn't take long for Katherine to fall into a deep sleep. Lysimachus carefully took her laptop from her baggage and started to investigate.

First, he tried to trace the money back to its sender. It took him to a bank in Prague. Then, he tried Katherine's cell phone. Anonymous number.

They'd certainly call again, and all he had to do was to make sure he'd listen to the conversation.

"I'm so sorry, Katherine," he tapped both of her devices. "It's for your own good."

After placing everything back in place, he waited. He laid on the couch and pretended to be asleep. There was a lot on his mind at the moment. Besides his problems with the Council, Kamilah had sent him a message. Amy's father was going through something bad.

Maybe he was tired, or only paranoid, but living for over 2000 years and having psychic skills, he knew when something dark and dangerous was approaching. And that was what his senses were alerting him of right now.

"I should call Kamilah to check if everything's fine," Lysimachus thought.

As he grabbed his phone, Katherine's started ringing in the bedroom. He went to the kitchen and secretly listened to the conversation.

"Raines thought he was in possession of the First Vampire's body, but DNA tests proved him wrong," she told her employee.

"Right..." the male voice paused at the other side of the line. "What about the research?"

"I've had access to the results. He also presented them to me during my visit. So far, he has obtained positive results for a serum to cure Ferals and to make vampires walk in the sunlight."

"Has he considered ingesting the blood himself?"

"No. He told me it would be too dangerous."

"Is it safe in his laboratory?"

"I suppose it is, but..." Katherine paused. "Now the information is in the hands of the infamous Council Of New York, I wouldn't trust them. Especially Priya Lacroix."

"I see. I'm going to New York to observe closer," the man told. "I expect to meet you."

"Sure."

Lysimachus opened his laptop. Another anonymous, untraceable call. At least now he knew the man was coming for them. After getting the date, time and address, Katherine could be debriefed and he'd assure her safety.


Amy

Amy stood paralyzed and nauseous as the car finally stopped, colliding with a tree. All her surroundings were spinning, her head ached intensely and she was unable to even think. What the hell happened? The last thing she remembered was the mysterious figure standing in the middle of the road.

"Amy," she looked at Kamilah on the driver's seat. There was some blood leaking from small, shallow cuts on her skin that were already healing. "Are you alright? You've received most of the impact."

"I… I…" after a moment, her pain was gone. As well as her dizziness. "I think I am."

"There's a cut on your forehead. Let me heal it."

Kamilah pricked her finger and pressed some blood on her wound.

"Did you hit your head?" She asked.

"Yeah, but it was nothing. I feel fine."

"Anyways, we better ask a CT scan once we arrive at the hospital."

Kamilah dialed a number where she ordered a service to pick them up and later, collect her damaged vehicle from the woods.

"Shouldn't we return to New York?" Amy asked, following her wife back to the road.

"We're half-way to your hometown," Kamilah said. "If you're okay, seeing your father is still our priority. Right?"

Amy nodded, still feeling upset due to her early behavior. Her body was sore from the collision and now the rain was soaking her clothes, she was also shivering in cold. Noticing it, Kamilah took off her own jacket and wore it around her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry," she told, starting to cry again. "What have I done? I must be really going crazy."

Kamilah stopped and involved her in a comforting hug.

"That's okay," she kissed Amy's forehead. "What happened, Amy? Back in the car?"

"I saw a woman standing in the middle of the road."

"A woman?"

"Like one of those freaky horror movies Lily likes. She... she was a vampire. I saw her red eyes. And there was blood over her clothes too."

Amy knew the look on Kamilah's face. She didn't think she was crazy, she was intrigued.

"We'll investigate further when we get home. You're not going crazy, trust me."

She wrapped her arms around Amy's waist and quickly pulled them out of the woods using her advanced speed, what made Amy feel nauseous again. Only a few minutes later, a driver arrived to pick them up. For the rest of the trip, Amy's mind could only try to remember the woman. Her features, her clothes, her hair... she seemed so familiar, but at the same time so strange.

In the hospital, her family was in the waiting room. Her father was submitted to surgical procedure. Her mother came to meet them and quickly panicked, noticing how bad they both looked.

"I told her we should find a doctor and ask for a CT scan," Kamilah said. "She's hit her head."

"Kamilah is right, Amy. Come with me, I'll help you to find someone."

Amy didn't know which of the two women standing in front of her was the most overprotective.

"It was nothing," Amy insisted. "I'm okay. Just a little bit tired. I'm gonna... I'm gonna wash my face."

In truth, she just wanted to be alone for a moment to think about on everything that was happening. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was a complete mess. Her make-up was completely ruined by tears and rain. There was still some dry blood on her face and hair from the injury Kamilah healed.

"Oh my god. Disgusting!"

She applied some cold water on her face, to clean herself and hoping it'd relieve some of the exhaustion she was feeling. She needed to stay up for her dad. She needed to be there when he was out of surgery. She just needed to see him. That was why she desperately wanted to be there, wasn't it?

Turning off the water, Amy looked at the mirror again. There she was, standing right behind her. The same woman from the road. Glowing red eyes, exposed fangs and blood all over her vests. And she was smiling at her.

She tried to scream but no sound would come out. Her legs were becoming too weak, forcing her down on her knees. All the intense pain she felt after the accident had returned. She still tried to reach for the phone in her pocket and text Kamilah, but she had no strength.

Instead, a vision started to form in front of her. She saw that woman and all the pain she experienced from finding out her husband and daughter were dead.

"I-I'm sorry..." she tried to speak. The woman couldn't hear it. It was just a vision, an hallucination. Strangely, she felt deeply connected to it somehow.

Amy closed her eyes, attempting to return to reality. The smell of blood seemed real. It wouldn't go away. Opening her eyes again, she noticed she was in another vision.

The penthouse she lived with Kamilah was completely dark. It looked a little bit different, the furniture, the decoration. She grabbed a framed picture she found at the office. From an important event they were supposed to attend in only a few days.

"W-What... A-Am I seeing the future now?"

She heard a muffled sob coming from the master suite. She ran as fast as she could and opened the door. Kamilah was lying on the floor and she was severely wounded.

"Kamilah!" Amy yelled, taking her in her arms. "What happened? Talk to me."

"Amy, I always knew it..." she struggled to answer. "I always knew you'd be my ruin. I always knew you'd be my death. I fell right into your trap and you know what? I don't regret it. Not even for a second."

A hint of a smile appeared on her lips, before she started coughing blood. Amy began to cry. It had to be a manner to save her.

"N-No. I'd never do anything to hurt you. I love you!"

Before she could do anything, she saw her again. The woman. She streaked forward and in a blink of an eye she extracted Kamilah's heart. Crushing it with her own hand.

Amy felt like her own heart was being crushed too. She couldn't breath. She couldn't stop the pain.

The world spun around again and she was back at the bathroom. But not for too long. Soon, the world around her faded and everything became darkness.


Kamilah

Outside the hospital, Kamilah grabbed her phone to call her brother. Adrian already had a lot of trouble in hands with that Nighthunter breathing on his neck. Venting her problems on him felt too selfish.

She sighed at the picture on her screen. The one from their trip to the ski resort. She and Amy looked perfectly happy, and now, everything seemed to be falling apart again.

She also noticed the date. It was their first wedding anniversary.

"What a way to celebrate it."

At least Lysimachus had found out some good information about Katherine's employee. He authorized her to ask Serafine to erase her mind and then, he'd be attending the meeting in her place.

"What about you, sister?" He asked. "Your voice seems strange."

"It's Amy. I'm worried about her, but..." she sensed Amy's mother coming in her direction. "I'll talk to you in person, when we arrive."

"Okay."

He was ready to hang up, but she stopped him.

"Brother, wait. Do you think it's possible for a deceased person to be linked to a living person's mind, like a parasite? Using them, feeding off from the emotions and creating visions and thoughts?"

"I... Uhhhh..." he thought for a second before answering. "I haven't seen anything like this before, but I can make a research."

She hung up and Amy's mother came to tell her the news. Her husband was completely fine. The surgery was a complete success. Minor than they assumed at first. The doctors could barely believe he had a heart attack so recently.

"They said 'if you told somebody else, they'd say you're inventing things', the exams and symptoms indicated a heart attack, but his heart is so strong and healthy. It almost seems like he played a prank on us."

Inventing things. Playing a prank. Illusions. No. It couldn't be. That entire situation was forced. She played all them like puppets and they fell for it.

"Mrs. Parker," the realization made Kamilah's voice crack. She hadn't seen Amy for almost 20 minutes now. "W-Where is Amy?"

"I thought she was here with you. She wasn't in the waiting room."

She didn't care what mortals would think. Using her supernatural speed, she needed to reach Amy as faster as possible. Kamilah opened the bathroom's door in a slam.

"A-Amy..." she felt her heart tightening inside her chest, like if it was about to explode.

Her wife was lying on the floor unconscious. She kneeled right beside her, to confirm what her hearing was detecting. A weak, almost inexistent pulsation. Having lived for so long and watching so many mortals die, she briefly examined Amy to conclude she had a grave brain injury in the collision. She knew the human body enough to know she'd hardly survive that.

The door opened and she didn't even had to turn around to know it was Amy's mother. She could sense her desperation and hear her muffled crying. Yet, she wasn't able to act. She stood frozen in place, with Amy in her arms, watching as life left her body.

"Do something!" Mrs. Parker grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard, making her come back to reality. "Y-You promised it... You said you'd protect her!"

"B-But..." at that stage, only Turning Amy was an option. There was no other manner to save her life.

"Do what you have to do! I know what you are."

Kamilah nodded in agreement as her fangs opened a large gash on her wrist. She placed it inside Amy's mouth, letting the blood flow down her throat.

She could feel it when her heart stopped beating and she exhaled one last breath. It was the worst feeling in the world. Kamilah felt empty and alone. She wanted to cry, to scream, even knowing that soon her wife would slowly come back to life.

That could only be another attempt of the First Vampire to end Amy's life to regain hers back.

But she failed. Kamilah found her in time. Time enough to Turn her. She'd live. At the first signal her body was beginning to react to the transformation, a small smile appeared in the corners of Kamilah's lips. She sighed relieved.

"Is the going to be okay?" Amy's mother asked, still watching everything.

"Most likely, yes," the female vampire answered. "There's still some procedures I must perform, to guarantee a successful Turning. The next six hours are crucial."

The woman tossed Kamilah her car keys.

"Go. I'm only begging you, save my daughter."

Kamilah nodded again. Without being noticed, she rushed outside the hospital carrying Amy in her arms. She placed her inside the trunk, where she'd be confined in a small space and away from any sources of light.

At the same time she started driving, she also dialed Adrian's number.

"Adrian, prepare the basement. I'll be there as soon as possible. We've got a problem."