Chapter 65

The drive home felt longer than it ever had, even though the roads were familiar, even though I'd driven them a hundred times before. The engine hummed beneath me, steady, calm—mockingly so—while my thoughts spiraled out of control.

Damon's voice replayed in my head like a curse I couldn't shake.

You should move in with us.

The audacity of it still made my jaw clench. The way he'd said it—casual, smooth, like he was offering me a drink instead of asking me to hand my life over to creatures that thrived in the dark. The way his eyes had lingered on me afterward, sharp and knowing, as if he already expected my answer.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

There was no way. No universe where that was a reasonable request.

And yet...

The image of Chloe sitting in her room, curtains drawn tight, hood pulled low even indoors, flashed through my mind. The way she tried to smile through it. The way she pretended she wasn't suffocating.

My chest tightened.

If I agreed—if I even considered it—Chloe would get the daylight amulet. She'd be able to walk outside. Laugh in the sun. Live again instead of hiding like a ghost in her own house.

A sudden sharp heat bloomed against my palm.

I gasped, instinctively loosening my grip on the wheel as the symbol burned beneath my skin, not enough to hurt but enough to demand my attention. I glanced down briefly, my heart pounding. The faint marking pulsed once, like it was alive.

Like it knew what I was thinking.

"Stop," I whispered to myself, forcing my eyes back to the road. "Just stop."

By the time I pulled into the driveway, my head was pounding.

I barely had time to shut off the engine before headlights swept across the lawn again. Vanessa's car pulled in behind me, a little too fast, a little too sharp—classic Vanessa when she was carrying something big.

She climbed out, bag slung over her shoulder, curls bouncing as she walked toward me with purpose. One look at her face told me she was vibrating with barely contained energy.

"I got it," she said before I could even say hello.

I frowned. "Got what?"

She held up the worn leather book like it was a trophy. Old. Thick. The spine cracked and darkened with age. The air around it felt...heavy.

"My grandma's grimoire," she said, lowering her voice. "Well. One of them."

My stomach flipped. "She just gave it to you?"

Vanessa snorted. "Absolutely not. She 'strongly advised' against it, glared at me for a solid minute, then pretended she didn't notice when I slipped it into my bag."

I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "You're unbelievable."

"I know," she said proudly. Then her expression sobered. "Liz... there's stuff in here. Protective spells. Cloaking charms. If anyone can block whatever's trying to sense you, it's me. I just need time."

Hope flickered in my chest, fragile but real.

"And the amulet,there’s really just that one?" I asked quietly.

Vanessa's shoulders dropped. "with the Elvadores."

The hope dimmed.

I hesitated, then took a breath. "Damon made me an offer."

Her head snapped up. "I knew you weren’t coming straight home.What did he say?"

I told her everything.

The French Quarter. His tone. The condition. The unspoken threat wrapped neatly in charm. By the time I finished, Vanessa was pacing, hands fisted at her sides.

"Absolutely not," she said flatly. "Liz, that's insane. You moving in with them? With him? Do you hear yourself?"

"I do," I said softly. "But Chloe—"

"We'll find another way," she insisted. "We always do."

I shook my head. "You heard your grandma. There aren't many amulets left. And stealing from the Elvadores?" I gave a humorless laugh. "That's a death wish."

Vanessa stopped pacing, eyes blazing. "So your solution is to sacrifice yourself?"

"It's not a sacrifice," I said, though even to my own ears it sounded thin. "I'm old enough to move out anyway. And Damon won't hurt me. He can't. He needs me."

"That doesn't make it better."

"I know."

Silence stretched between us, thick and painful.

"You are my family," I said finally. "Both of you. And I won't let Chloe rot in the dark when there's something I can do."

Vanessa's eyes shimmered, but she looked away quickly.

"I hate this," she whispered.

"Me too."

⸻

Sleep didn't come easily that night.

I lay awake staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the house, every familiar sound suddenly feeling temporary. The creak of the hallway floorboards. The distant bark of a dog outside. Vanessa's soft footsteps when she got up for water around two in the morning.

This place had been my anchor. Vanessa's mom had taken me in without questions, without hesitation, like I already belonged here. And now I was planning to leave—not because I wanted to, but because I didn't see another way.

I pressed my palm against my chest, over my heart, then slowly turned my hand so the symbol faced up. It looked calm now. Innocent.

Lying.

Morning came too fast.

Sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, warm and golden, the smell of coffee filling the air. Vanessa was already gone—she'd left early, muttering something about "errands" and refusing to look at me for too long. I knew she was avoiding the conversation we both knew was coming.

Vanessa's mom stood at the counter, humming softly as she poured coffee into her favorite mug. She looked peaceful. Unaware.

Guilt hit me so hard I almost turned around and walked back upstairs.

But Chloe's face flashed in my mind again—pale, trapped, trying not to fall apart.

I cleared my throat. "Um... can I talk to you for a second?"

She turned, smiling instantly. "Of course, sweetheart. Sit."

I did, fingers twisting together in my lap. For a moment, I didn't know where to start. How do you explain something like this without telling the truth?

"I've been thinking a lot," I began slowly. "About... my future."

Her smile softened. "That's normal. You're at that age."

I swallowed. "I found a place. A small one. In the French Quarter."

She blinked. "Oh."

"It's nothing fancy," I rushed to add. "Just... a room, really. But it's close to town, and I think it would be good for me. To be independent. You know—grow up a little."

She set her mug down carefully, studying me in a way that made my chest ache.

"You don't need to leave," she said gently. "You know that, right? You're family here."

I nodded quickly, eyes burning. "I know. And I'm so grateful. I can't even explain how much. You and Vanessa—you saved me. But this doesn't mean I'm disappearing. I'll visit all the time. Every day if you'll let me."

She reached out, covering my hands with hers. Warm. Solid. Real.

"I'll miss having you under this roof," she admitted. "But if this is what you want... I'm proud of you for taking that step."

I bit my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry.

She stood and pulled me into a hug, holding me tight. "You'll always have a home here, Elizabeth. Don't forget that."

"I won't," I whispered into her shoulder.

And just like that, it was real.

I spent the rest of the day in a haze, packing slowly, deliberately. Every item I placed into a box felt heavier than it should have been. A sweater Vanessa had lent me. A framed photo of the three of us at the fair, Chloe laughing mid-spin, sunlight caught in her hair.

Chloe.

I stopped, sitting on the edge of the bed, the weight of it all finally pressing down on me.

She didn't know.

Neither of them did.

And when they found out, it was going to hurt.

But I couldn't back out now. Not when I'd already decided. Not when Chloe's future depended on it.

I wasn't running to Damon.

I was stepping into the fire so my friends wouldn't have to.

That evening, I stood by the window, watching the sun dip low, painting the sky in soft purples and oranges. Somewhere across the city, Chloe was waking up, another night beginning for her instead of a day.

"Just a little longer," I whispered. "I promise."

The symbol on my palm warmed faintly, like a pulse answering back.

Whatever waited for me in the French Quarter—whatever Damon truly wanted from me—I would face it.

Because love didn't always look heroic.

Sometimes it looked like packing your life into boxes and walking straight toward the dark so the people you loved could stay in the light.