Heli sinks into the empty chair in the library. The one M. L- had sat in the night they first arrived here. This time the fireplace is unlit, and the room is dark and cold. He props the stained mask up on the little table between M. L-'s last book and the empty carafe. He leans back in the seat and lets his arms hang limply over the side.

He really is a curse. No one else needed to be involved in whatever Lamia wanted with him, but they became involved anyway. His problems became everyone else's problems despite his every effort to make Eugene just let him go. He'd gladly go with the Shadows and back to her. She can do whatever she wants with him. No one else even needs to know.

Eugene and Viken could still be home, in their comfortable little house. People from the town wouldn't come to bother them. Shadows wouldn't have disrupted the masquerade, and Jaan could still be living the high life he dreamed of. M. L- would be sitting here, reading his books while A- collected cursed jewels. Another person he should have asked for advice.

He always thinks of things when it's too late.

"Why are you thinking at all? Just do what I tell you and stop fretting over every little thing."

Her words echo through another memory. He can see her in her room, her long hair braided with pearls and glittering jewels. She turns back to look at him, a pout on her face.

His eyes dart down and he tugs uncomfortably on the sleeve of his jacket, a heavy white cloth, trimmed with gold. He had wanted to run downstairs and see what the others' costumes looked like. They must have been excited to dress so stately, especially Jaan. In a way he was reminded of the make-believe games they'd played as young children. Jaan always insisted on being the king with his knights. Instead, Lamia had summoned him to her room, where he'd made the mistake of voicing a complaint.

"Is it really going to be okay to have all these other vampires here?"

"Of course it will be." Lamia's mouth curls into the slightest of a smile. "In fact, it will be great fun."

He doesn't understand how. She had him learning how to fight, hanging the threat of enemy vampires over his head as incentive, and yet here she was, inviting them all to their home.

"You'll be safe, right?"

"You're concerned about me?" Her smile widens. "Come."

He approaches and kneels down beside her. She wraps her arms around his and leans into his shoulder.

"You're so sweet," she sighs. "But you still don't know a thing. I'll make you a deal though, how does that sound?"

"A deal for what?"

"Stay close to my side, and everything will be alright. All you have to do is what I ask and don't bother yourself with any other trivial thing. If you can manage this, when the spring comes, I'll take you to my real home. My original home."

He looks down and their eyes meet.

"I thought this was your home."

She laughs. "Goodness, no. My home." Her gaze unfocusses and she stares into the distance. "My home is an island, a place that's warm. There's a beautiful forest and fields full of flowers that only bloom under a full moon. You'd like it."

He looks out to the snow piling on the other side of the stained glass windows. "Do we have to wait until spring?"

"Of course," she answers. "For the sea is always changing."

He doesn't understand, but he's renewed with a feeling of purpose and something to look forward to. All he has to do is push his concerns aside and quell his desire to be with anyone other than her. He's so engrossed in trying to imagine fields of moonflowers and he doesn't hear what she says next.

"So much for that," he mutters.

"For what?" Jakah wanders into the library. "Why are you sitting here in the dark? Jino would be convenient to have around now, wouldn't he?"

When Heli doesn't answer, Jakah goes about lighting the fire anyway. He rubs his hands in front of the rising flames.

"That's better isn't it?" Jakah's voice is cheerful, but Heli can tell he's forcing it. "Jaan said that M. L-'s carriage was here, where are they?"

Heli points to the mask on the table. Jakah blinks slowly as he stares at it.

"Are they…they're not…" His voice falters.

"If nothing else we can assume they're not coming back," Heli says dryly. "There's something for Jaan too."

"This?" Jakah picks up the envelope. The cheeriness in his voice is gone. He sounds totally deflated. He turns the envelope over. A thick seal of black wax sits on the back. "Looks like it's from his lord knight. Should we open it?"

"Or since it's addressed to me, you can let me open it." Jaan appears from thin air and takes the envelope from Jakah's hand. He breaks the wax seal and pulls out a small letter. Heli watches his expression turn increasingly sour as his mouth downturns the more he reads. Eventually he tosses the whole thing into the fire. As the paper curls up in the flames, Heli can make out a few words.

Kindred of Lamia…

Do not return .

"Did we make enemies of all vampire society then?" Heli says.

"No," Jaan sighs. "That whole crowd…is complicated. I don't think any of them actually like one another. But they respect each other. They fear each other. They fear Lamia especially, and don't want to get involved in anything to do with us."

"So what does that mean as far as we're concerned?" Jakah asks.

"It means if we're going to go up against her," Jaan takes a deep breath. "We're going to have to do it on our own."

"They remind me of a pit of snakes."

"That is an extremely weird and wrong comparison."

"Look at them though."

"Viken, I'm going to throw you into a snake pit."

Weird, but as Heli lays in the back of the van with his head on Jaan's stomach, and Jakah under his right arm, maybe not that entirely wrong. The last light of twilight fades away as they approach the town. Eugene parks the van and climbs out while the rest wait.

They'd left the castle without ceremony. The longest one to pack was Sena, who insisted she was only considering the moral dilemma of taking the enchanted jewellery A- had loaned her. Would it be robbery to ensure such dangerous objects stayed out of the wrong hands, afterall? In the end she took the jewels, but her puffy, reddened eyes didn't go unnoticed.

Heli had spent most of the night just walking up and down the halls, taking in the sights for a final time. The dusty ballroom with its piano, the library full of books in a language he couldn't read, and a silk robe hanging on the back of an empty bedroom's door. Eventually, he found himself back in the little room with the covered painting, and with hesitation, lifted the veil. The faces of M. L- and A- stared back at him, their painted cheeks flushed pink and elaborate curls of powdered wigs perched upon their heads. He just sat and stared for a long time, only leaving when he heard Eugene calling his name.

No one had said much for most of the ride. Since there were now more of them and suitcases than seats, Heli, Jaan and Jakah ended up piled in the back with the luggage. Somehow, it was strangely comforting even if not the most comfortable.

"Still not convinced she doesn't want you dead?" Viken says suddenly.

Heli looks up into Viken's face as he leans over the backseat.

"What I'm convinced of," Heli says. "Is that everyone else knows more about me than I do."

Viken returns a confused look. Under his arm, Jakah tenses.

"You know I tell you everything how I see it, no matter how freaky," Viken says. "What I see now is if L- could get himself done in by the Shadow things, we probably don't have a chance."

"Viken, please," Sena says from the front seat. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"I can always depend on you, right Viken?" Heli looks up with a half-smile.

"Right on." Viken grins back.

"Alright, if this is how it's going to be you can get off," Jaan gives Heli's shoulder a light push.

"Can't there's no room."

"Stop moving around," Jakah whines.

Viken lets out a deep sigh. "What is Eugene doing? I was really hoping to be home by Christmas."

"When is that?" Heli sits up, earning a disgruntled look from Jakah.

"It has been today, you slept through most of it," answers Taho.

"Oh."

The van door slides open and Eugene leans in.

"Here's the plan," he says.

"Going home I hope," Viken interrupts. "We can still get back by Boxing Day."

"I called the house and spoke to Soule." Eugene continues unphased. "He said he'd been contacted about another job, and I'm going to take it. We'll stay here tonight. Since we have money from selling the horse, tomorrow we need to pick up some things, including clothing for Jaan, and more things for arctic weather."

"We really undersold on that horse," Viken says.

"The farmer was happy though," adds Taho.

"What's the job?" Sena asks.

"Hunting beasts in the north. Something that might be supernatural is attacking people. You're going home."

"Why?" From the front seat Sena turns around to face him. "You'll call me about vampires but you don't want me around for this?"

"I didn't say that," Eugene rolls his eyes. "I'm not sharing the money. If you want to give it a crack, go ahead and get your team and get up there on your own."

"No, I'm good thanks," she turns back to face the window.

"Taho," Eugene says. "Why don't you go with Sena and make sure she gets back okay?" He shoots Sena another glance, but she doesn't have any retort.

"You got it," says Taho.

"I'll go instead. Or also, whichever," Viken says.

"You're coming with me, you don't have a choice."

Heli climbs over the seat, squeezing between Taho and Viken. "Can I go home? This trip sounds cold."

"You don't have a choice either. You're coming with."

"Why do I have to go?"

"If I'm going to be looking for monsters, I want my own monsters along." Eugene closes the door and climbs into the driver's seat.

"I'm not a monster," Heli mutters.

Windows in the town are bright with light, and holly wreaths hang on the doors. As they settle into their rooms at the inn, Viken grabs Heli's arm.

"It's still early, want to go out and look around?"

Heli nods.

"Don't go too far," Jaan calls after them as they step out of the inn. Viken opens an umbrella as light rain gently falls over them. They're the only ones meandering the streets, but it's not quiet, as music chimes from many of the buildings as they pass by.

Heli bumps into Viken as he gazes up at the lighted stained glass of a church.

"Think they'd let you in?"

Heli shrugs while Viken laughs and pulls something out of his coat pocket.

"Happy Christmas," he says, and hands Heli a small newsprint wrapped parcel tied in a bit of ribbon. "I know it's not that great, but…"

Heli takes the gift and slips off the ribbon. He unwraps the paper, and reveals a round piece of glass set in a wooden frame, about the size of his palm. Reflected in the surface is the clear image of his own face.

"This is from that mirror," he says. "The one that showed lies."

Viken grins. "Most of the shards were way too small. A lot of the larger ones were no good either. After it broke most of the magic went out of it, and they were all cloudy. This piece was probably near the centre. I wasn't sure if it would work since Eugene put the mirrors together, but Jakah and I tested it out. I did want something better, since I know we missed your birthday, but..."

Heli waits for Viken's ramble to end.

"This is brilliant. I don't have anything for you, though."

Viken shrugs. "That's okay. I wasn't really sure what kind of celebrating you did. I mean, as vampires. Or before that, even."

"Not much," Heli says. "With Lamia, we definitely didn't do anything special. The orphanage didn't do anything special either. All it really meant was a day of extra reading."

"They didn't put up any decorations?"

Heli shakes his head. "The director wouldn't spend money on something frivolous like that. Anything they did have was super old and falling apart. Better suited for a haunted house than a cosy holiday." He laughs. "Actually, I did get some sweets one year though."

"Who gave them to you that time?" Viken asks.

"She tried her best."

Viken tilts his head at the nonsensical response, but Heli's enraptured by the mirror in his hand, and Viken doesn't press any further.

They come across a bench pressed to the wall next to a cafe that's mostly dry from the cover of a balcony on the second floor. Viken takes a seat, and folds up the umbrella. Heli settles next to him, and Viken wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him over into his own shoulder.

"I did want to be home, but I guess this isn't too bad," Viken says. He shivers slightly in the cool, damp air.

Heli hums in agreement. The weather may be miserable, and there may not be a picturesque Christmas snowfall, but the town windows with their lights are pretty despite the rain, almost like a painting.

"What about songs?" Viken says. "Do you know any Christmas carols?"

"Not particularly," Heli replies.

"You must have heard some," Viken insists. "Let's see…"

He hums a melody that's vaguely familiar.

"I might know some," Heli says. He leans fully into Viken's shoulder. For some reason this cold bench is an extraordinarily comfortable seat, Viken radiates warmth as he usually does and Heli's head is starting to feel a little heavy.

"Should I keep going then?"

Heli nods and Viken starts in a soft tone, the hum of his voice pleasant as a wave of calm washes over him.

Heli's grip on the mirror in his hand loosens as he relaxes. He tries to focus on the drops of rain as they land on the ground around them, but his eyes are heavy. The lights and the rain all begin to blur together in his dreamy state.

A dark silhouette approaches and kneels down in front of them. Heli's not sure if it's real or if he's falling asleep.

"Do you really still want to protect Lamia?" It's Jaan's voice.

"Doesn't matter what I want," Heli mumbles. Even his voice sounds like it's floating away.

"Even after what happened to M. L-?"

"That's my fault."

"No, it's not."

"Yes," Heli breathes. "He didn't have to help us."

A hand wraps around his.

"Doesn't it make you angry?" Jaan asks. "All she's ever done is hurt you."

"So what?"

"All she's ever done is hurt the people who love you."

"I do that. I hurt them."

Jaan sighs into his free hand. "This is going to be hard, but I know in your heart you don't believe that. Always running away isn't the life you want."

Heli tries to sit back up, but his body doesn't want to cooperate. His arms feel like jelly and he can't find the strength to push Viken away.

"How do you know what I want?"

"Oh, that's right," Jaan's voice is stern. "You don't even know what you want. Fine. It is your fault. Because you won't do anything to help yourself. You just keep letting her have her way. That's just how it is, isn't it?"

"That's not true, I don't-"

"Do you want to leave us?"

"No, I want to stay…."

"You want her to get away with what happened to M. L-?"

Heli shakes his head and his heart sinks. So many things he could have learned from L- and A-. So many reasons he could have refused them sanctuary. For that brief time it had looked like they'd found some allies, and now they were gone. And it was his fault, no matter what Jaan says. He had led Lamia here. Lamia, who had abandoned him, and now would chase him wherever he went, ploughing through anyone that might end up in her way, all for the sake of eliminating him. Just to ensure he doesn't…what?

"If she wanted me back, she would have come," he murmurs.

"That's right," Jaan responds, his voice softening. "She doesn't want you. She doesn't care who she hurts. Didn't you want to protect all of us? Isn't that what you told Jino?"

"Yes," Heli says. "But I don't know how."

"Tell me what she said. What were the terms of the oath?"

Heli searches his memories through the darkness of his closed eyes, the blurred images slowly coming into focus. He's looking at candles, a pile of cushions and a small golden cup filled with fresh blood.

And then I will kill you.

No, before that. In his mind she moves in reverse, leaning back, the cut in her hand closing, as the drops of blood rise up and return into her skin.

"I'm asking you to give me your life." They're her words, but Heli says them aloud as if they'll disappear as soon as they rematerialise in his memories.

"That's good, what else?"

"I would…I would…I don't have a choice, I'll swear it…"

Jaan's grip on his hand tightens. Viken is still softly humming, but the melody is different.

"Come on, Heli," Jaan says. "What did she offer you in return? You're almost there, you have to remember."

"If you swear your life…" he begins. He really could just fall asleep here, if he isn't dreaming already. "If you swear your life…"

"If you swear your life?" Jaan prompts.

The memory grows cloudy as the corners of his vision turn grey. Her mouth is moving but he can't hear. He doesn't have the energy to show Jaan anything telepathically and he feels like he's sinking. All he needs is to focus, before the memory drifts away again.

If you swear your life…

"I'll keep you by my side."

Heli's eyes open. Jaan looks at him with a mixture of surprise and relief.

"I'll keep you by my side?" Viken repeats with a frown. "She left you in a coffin though. Abandoned you for years. She already broke her end of the oath."

Heli pushes himself up to look at Viken's face. Silently he mouths Viken's last words.

Already…broke…

The image of her face in his mind, once beautiful, distorts into something grotesque and unrecognisable. He shrinks as he's filled with a wave of anger and disgust. His skin feels slimy and gross, every shadow of her touch on his face burns like opening a gaping wound. If he could shed his skin in favour of a fresh body he would. Emotions he's ignored and repressed, the thoughts that he'd stamped out before they could take hold and fester bubble up and swirl around his chest, tightening in a suffocating grip.

He can feel it. The fraying thread that his soul clung to like a lifeline slowly unravels completely, and snaps. He freezes, gripped with the same foreboding that had filled him the day they met, in a carnival tent.

"It's gone," he breathes.

"Gone?" Viken repeats. "That's it?"

Heli nods, his head spinning with disbelief.

"Thank God." Jaan rises with a stretch. "I wasn't expecting things to work out this fast. You did good." He looks down at Heli sitting slouched over and wide-eyed.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so," Heli nods.

Viken pulls him up by the arm and they lead him back to the inn and into the warmth of their room. After the initial shock of all his suppressed emotions surfacing at once, he finds himself numb. He should be glad, but part of him is gone. Jakah looks at him with a curious expression as he takes off his coat and hat as if in slow motion, and sinks down at the end of a bed.

A door slams and Eugene practically leaps across the room and grabs Heli by the shoulders. Taho closes the door as he follows behind.

"You're right," he grins. "Viken, you're right, I don't see it anymore." He claps his hands together and laughs. "How'd you do it?"

"Bullied him a little," says Viken.

"Is that it?"

"To get him to remember Lamia's words," Jaan interjects. "She'd already betrayed him."

"Ah," Taho says. "Fully erasing the spell has to be mutual, afterall. We might have a bigger problem though."

"What do you mean?" Heli looks up at Taho as he asks.

"There's nothing stopping her from killing you personally. Any pain or resistance she's felt about trying to get rid of you will have also disappeared."

A fresh pang of fear courses through him.

"She can't access your mind anymore though, right?" Eugene still seems pleased with the situation. "No more talking to you in your sleep."

Heli shakes his head. "She did that before. It's not related."

Eugene's smile droops at the corners.

"Let's just make sure it's really broken. Say something mean about her."

Heli just blinks as he shrugs.

"Something that would betray her then."

"She…" He takes a deep breath. "She wasn't at her castle and no one knows where she is, so she's probably gone to her true home."

Eugene tips his head. "Do you know where that is?"

"She said," he squeezes his eyes shut as he remembers. "An island in the Mediterranean. She called it Aeaea."

Eugene's eyebrows shoot up and Taho groans.

"Aeaea isn't a real place."

"It's not?"

"No," Taho shakes his head. "The name is from the Odyssey. Circe's island."

So, she had lied. Her promise to take him somewhere warm and beautiful was just made up and he was a fool to believe it. He was a fool to believe anything she said.

"That may not be the name, or the name now, but the island is real," Jakah says. "I've been there."

Heli turns to Jakah sitting on the bed behind him.

"Why didn't you mention it sooner?" Eugene says with an exasperated sigh.

"I didn't realise it was that important to her," Jakah shrugs. "We just stopped by for a little while."

"She said there was a forest, and fields of flowers."

"Sounds right," Jakah nods. "We went to it on a boat, but it was sunny that day so I didn't see much of the route. Looking over the sea was pitch black. I'm not sure if I could find it."

"Hmm, okay," Taho crosses his arms. "We're going to have to figure out what it's called nowadays. I can research that at home while you're monster hunting."

"Good plan," Eugene nods. "Someone go get Sena so we can have a somewhat decent Christmas."

Sena enters with an annoyed expression and pulls drops into the room's only chair. As they all crowd into the tiny room, Eugene flips open his velvet drawstring bag, dumping out a mass of contents far exceeding its size onto the end of the bed.

"Why didn't you put all our luggage in there?" Jaan asks. "Instead of squeezing us into the van with it."

"First of all, the space isn't actually infinite," Eugene laughs. "Secondly I'd never be able to find anything." Books and bottles tumble onto the floor as he sorts through it.

"You're just unorganised," Sena teases. "And I'm not seeing a pile of holiday cheer there."

"There's a radio though!" Viken snatches a small black and silver box just before it hits the floor. He extends the antenna and adjusts the dials until he finds a staticky broadcast of a singing choir. "Music is all we need."

"We need food," Sena says.

"Chocolate!" Viken shouts.

"Alright, alright, give me a minute."

Eugene tosses a small tin towards Heli. Jakah grabs it as it bounces off the duvet. Inside, it's full of dark red oval shaped sweets.

"Remember those?"

Heli nods as he explains to Jakah. "They're made of blood."

Jakah opens his mouth as if to enquire further but instead just shrugs and pops one into his mouth. Eugene fishes more sweets and snacks out of his bag, and the seven of them pass the night eating and listening to the music on the radio. Though her mood seems to brighten, eventually Sena leaves first, heading back to her own room, followed by Eugene and Taho who yawn as they wish the rest a good night.

Viken seems to be fighting with his eyelids and he also rises and heads for the door.

"Next year we'll have a proper Christmas," he mumbles. "At home with a real feast and a pile of presents." He smiles. "No Lamia to worry about, it'll be great."

"You think so?" Heli follows as Viken walks out into the hallway, a hand on the door to pull it shut. The radio is still playing the soft ringing of bells. He wishes he could share Viken's confidence, and let go of all the worries and sorrows that have unfolded over the past couple days. He looks over at Jaan and Jakah, who are still marvelling at the various sweets Eugene pulled from his bag. So much had changed in just the past few months, he wouldn't even begin to guess at what their lives would hold in a year.

Maybe everything would work out for the best.

"I'll look forward to it."