The laboratory stank of wet earth and his own apprehension, a constant reminder of the issue of Amelie like an unrelenting weight on his shoulders. Myrnin went throughout the lab, gathering the things he would require while stepping over the dead leaves that had entered his home on the breeze. Pieces of parchment went into one of his pockets while a bag of blood went into the other.

Throwing on a long leather coat, Myrnin opened a portal to the warehouse in Common Grounds and instantly recognized the smell of coffee and the underlying scent of human enjoyment that had bled through from the main cafe to the back of the building. Myrnin had fully intended to find Oliver in the front of his shop, but it was too late to turn around and reopen the portal when he saw the intolerable man was standing before him, glaring with cold anger.

"You fool," Oliver snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

He realized suddenly that—while he had appeared in the warehouse—the smell of coffee was much too powerful. Myrnin looked down and saw that he had opened a portal right in the middle of a bag of beans, effectively cutting it in half, and spilling them out of the burlap sack onto the cement floor.

Myrnin waved this away as he had more important matters to discus with Oliver. "This is of little matter to me, you harebrained monstrosity—"

But before Myrnin could finish his quick insult that would end something along the lines of "who enjoys flaunting his homosexuality during the darkest junction of the night," the man he'd been dishonoring made a swing for Myrnin's face.

He ducked just in time, but Oliver looked very upset.

Myrnin caught another glance at Oliver's face and realized that perhaps "very" was an understatement.

"Oliver, I haven't got time for your—"

"You idiot!" Oliver roared as he made to ram into Myrnin with the full weight of his body. "Why did you keep that god damned mysticism from her!"

Myrnin was so surprised by Oliver's reaction that he didn't respond when Oliver tackled him except to let escape a small "oomph" from his lips at the impact of the collision. How did Oliver know of it? Was he also aware of Amelie's attempt to sacrifice herself for the sake of an old lover? Surely not, for Oliver would never allow it; not even he was stupid enough to have the inability to comprehend the consequences of Amelie's possible demise.

Oliver was making to wrap his hands around Myrnin's throat, so, in one lithe maneuver Oliver probably had no idea Myrnin could make, he shifted Oliver's weight, using the inertia to his opponent's disadvantage. In the next moment, Myrnin was sitting astride the coffee shop owner* with the man's arms pinned down under his knees.

Taking out the pieces of parchment he'd stuffed hastily in his coat pockets, Myrnin shoved them roughly in Oliver's face. "This is why," he hissed. "Amelie found the instructions."

Oliver ceased his struggling under Myrnin and read the words on the papers before his face.

"When?"

Myrnin shook his head. "I don't know."

Silence fell between them as Myrnin let him process the information he'd been given. Next, Oliver said, "Last night."

"How do you know?"

Oliver made to get up but Myrnin sent him a sharp, distrustful glance. Oliver reciprocated the look with one just as harsh and Myrnin reluctantly removed himself and stood.

Once Oliver was up he said, "She came here raving in French I think about how she couldn't trust anyone anymore because of a magic that was keeping her and someone apart. She said—in English—'I can do it now.'"

Myrnin was livid. "And that didn't make you in any way suspicious?!" He so badly wanted to run Oliver through with a steel rod.

"Amelie often expresses her troubles to me in French without expecting an answer. If she does not require me to speak, I have no need to."

"Your 'man of few words' act is revolting."

"Well, your 'wounded scientist' front—"

"I need you to help me with Amelie."

The words came so quickly from Myrnin's mouth that he thought perhaps if he swallowed hard enough, they'd return to the back of his mouth.

Oliver looked just as confused.

"I beg your pardon?"

Myrnin cleared the hesitation from his throat and, along with it, the pride from his mind. "Amelie and I have never been... intimate." From the look on Oliver's face, he too was regretting entering into this conversation. Myrnin continued, "And we have a serious situation that must be taken care of with an incredible amount of delicacy." He waited for a moment so Oliver could comprehend his request. "Amelie has tampered with witchcraft and rose Samuel from his grave."

Sam was cold.

It wasn't because he and Amelie were staring up at the stars together, lying down in the dewy grass of the cemetery. It wasn't because he was a vampire and was cold blooded by nature. It was the moon. Sam was positive it had something to do with the moon. She looked so lonely hanging high above the earth; it made him cold just thinking about how sad she was.

But Samuel shouldn't feel lonely: he had Amelie. There, right beside him, nestled in the crook of his arm. For some reason, however, Sam couldn't keep his mind on what was in front of him.

Something magical was surrounding them—an ethereal presence he couldn't focus on completely, but knew was there—a thousand tiny auras accumulated to create an ambiance of sanctified greatness he was unable to properly explain.

"Do you feel that?" he said quietly to Amelie.

She was silent.

Sam looked down at Amelie but when he did it wasn't the Founder. Amelie's eyes were wide open and swirling with black similar to the way they would on a hunt, but not crimson. On her face was a malevolent grin Sam had only ever seen a number of times in his life.

In a second, Sam scrambled to his knees beside her and took hold of her hand.

"Amelie?" he said frantically.

Her smile twisted up and she laughed—her voice not her own, but a chorus of demons, sounding like they had just crawled from the mouth of hell.

"I send you my felicitations on your escape, Samuel, but your lover will not be so lucky. Leave her with me; this is the price you pay for returning to the world above. She tried to deceive me and leave me no payment, but I am not so foolish.

"I've taken away your curses but granted you with two new ones. Again, congratulations."