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The professor had told Blaire that while she would have much preferred to wipe their memories of Blaire’s existence entirely, they didn’t go that far or plant suggestions beyond what was needed to make Caleb view her as only a stepsister. So, the Wilcox family still hated her for where she came from, but she didn’t care. They would leave her alone now that they didn’t believe she was bringing down their grandson. Seeing Caleb behave this way assured her the professor had told the truth. Blaire was finally free from them. She’d never have to deal with the Wilcox family again. With Caleb moving three thousand miles away, she’d never see him and be reminded of a past she would much rather lay to rest.

Riley whistled. “I’ve actually never seen the effects of compulsion, but that’s something else… just… wow.”

Wow was right.

Riley didn’t say anything more as she completed her purchase of the dress Blaire tried on, as well as several other items of clothing she picked for herself. As they left the store, Blaire changed the subject.

“You know, the way you and Seth were dancing at Haven… is something going on between you two?” Not only was the topic a good distraction from the complete mind-screw of her whole interaction with new Caleb, but she wanted to get Riley to talk about Seth, curious why she seemed so bothered by him.

Riley turned red. “He’s basically Aiden’s little brother. There’s absolutely no way something could happen with my brother.”

“But he’s not actually your brother,” Blaire argued with a grin, swinging the shopping bag with the dangerous black dress inside.

They chattered about nonsense the rest of the way home, even the weather—anything but boys. Oh yes, Riley had it bad for Seth if she avoided the topic altogether.

As they neared the dorms, Riley turned serious.

“Have you thought any more about becoming one of us?” she said quietly.

Blaire sighed. She had dreaded someone bringing this up again. She still didn’t have the answers they wanted to hear, and she hated disappointing them, but they didn’t understand. She shook her head. “I just can’t do it… It’s not that I have something against Vasirian, but I can’t wrap my head around giving up my humanity and the whole thing about drinking blood.”

“I feel so sorry for Lukas…” Riley whispered.

Blaire looked over at her in confusion.

“Even if you complete the bond, if you stay human, Lukas is going to have to watch you grow old and die when he’ll have barely aged a decade. Then he’ll have to live possibly centuries without you.”

Blaire stopped walking. “Just how long do Vasirian live?”

“Well, the oldest known Vasirian is the Oracle. She’s just over four hundred years old.” Riley sighed. “Look, just think about it. I don’t want to see Lukas alone, and I don’t want to be left alone either…”

Riley turned away toward her dorm with glossy eyes, leaving Blaire alone. She didn’t think her presence affected Riley like that. She was screwing up with everyone.

Blaire walked to her dorm room and went inside. Lukas was gone, so she hung the dress in the closet. She looked down at the worn duffel bag on the floor and closed her eyes. She couldn’t do this anymore. Not after hearing the stakes were even higher. She wouldn’t do that to him.

She grabbed the bag and put it on her bed. She didn’t know where she was going to go, but she didn’t have to worry about the Wilcox family stopping her. In the short term, she would go to Charlotte and take her up on her offer of shelter now that it was safe for her family. Pulling her clothes from their hangers, she packed what would fit inside the duffel tightly, zipping the bag. She left it on the foot of the bed as she stepped out to meet Riley before her last dinner service at Blackthorn.

Lukas entered the dorm, searching for Blaire to go with her down to dinner, stopping short when he saw her duffel bag on the foot of her bed. He checked their closet and saw most of her clothes gone. Fear gripped him. Stepping back into the room, he glanced around and saw the photo of Blaire and her mother missing from the nightstand. Only the ornate knife that Aiden had given her sat there on its surface.

Blaire couldn’t be thinking of doing what he suspected. Things were going well since they’d stopped talking about her becoming a Vasirian, and the Order hadn’t made another move, so he couldn’t understand what had changed. He thought things had gone back to normal.

Lukas unzipped the duffel and saw it was packed tight with clothes, the picture lying on top. He picked up the frame and held it in his shaking hands.

She was leaving him.

He sunk to the floor and stared at the young teen Blaire, surrounded by sunflowers and warmth. She was his light, and she was leaving. All he could think of was everything she meant to him, every encounter they had.

Blaire laughing at Riley’s stupid jokes. Blaire getting angry at him because he acted like an ass. How her Southern accent got thicker, and her dialect changed when she got frustrated. Blaire twisting her hair when nervous. Blaire biting her bottom lip when she was uncertain. Blaire stuffing her face in the cafeteria with all sorts of foods she loved, carefree.

Blaire sleeping.

Blaire whispering his name in her sleep when he struggled to sleep and sat near her. Blaire snuggling close when he lay next to her with his arms around her. The scent of her.

Blaire talking to herself as she sat on her bed doing homework, a quirk of hers—she talked aloud to herself. He had taken it so personally at first, but it was one of the many qualities he’d grown to love about her.

His mind reeled with all the memories of the months she’d spent in the academy. He couldn’t imagine spending another day without her. His greatest fear was becoming a reality, and he didn’t know how to stop it. He’d be alone.

Lukas pulled himself from the floor and put the picture back in the duffel, zipping it closed. He ran a hand down his face, wiping away the uninvited tears.