5: The Darkness Closes In

Ellie’s POV

The world came rushing back in fragments—cold air biting at my skin, the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, and Liam’s voice cutting through the haze like a lifeline.

“It’s starting,” he muttered under his breath, his tone grim as he caught me before I hit the ground.

I tried to speak, to ask what was happening, but my body felt impossibly heavy, like gravity itself had turned against me. The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me whole was his face hovering above mine—his piercing blue eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite name. Fear? Guilt? Or maybe… regret.

---

When I woke up, the room was dimly lit, the faint scent of lavender and ash lingering in the air. My head throbbed, and my chest ached as though an invisible weight pressed down on it. Blinking against the soft glow of candlelight, I realized I wasn’t in my apartment—or anywhere familiar.

“Where am I?” I croaked, pushing myself into a sitting position.

“You’re safe,” Liam said from the shadows, stepping forward into the light. His expression was guarded, but there was a flicker of relief in his eyes when he saw I was awake.

“Safe? This doesn’t look safe,” I shot back, glancing around the ornate chamber. Heavy velvet curtains covered the windows, and shelves lined the walls, crammed with ancient books and jars filled with strange, unidentifiable objects. A fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting long shadows across the room.

Before Liam could respond, a woman entered the room. She moved with an otherworldly grace, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder like a waterfall of ink. Her sharp green eyes locked onto mine, assessing me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

“This is Morgana Ashcroft,” Liam introduced tersely. “She’s… helping us.”

“Helping you do what?” I demanded, my voice rising. “Kidnap me? Lock me in some creepy manor while you figure out what’s wrong with me?”

Morgana raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my outburst. “Calm yourself, child. If I wanted to harm you, you’d already be dead.”

Her words sent a chill down my spine, but I forced myself to hold her gaze. “Then tell me what’s going on. Why did I collapse? What’s happening to me?”

She exchanged a glance with Liam before answering. “You’re tied to his curse,” she said simply, gesturing toward him. “Breaking it will require sacrifices—ones you may not be prepared to make.”

“What kind of sacrifices?” I asked, dread pooling in my stomach.

Morgana hesitated, her expression unreadable. “Your mortality, for starters.”

My breath hitched, and I turned to Liam, searching his face for answers. “Is this true?”

He nodded reluctantly, his jaw tight. “It’s possible. But we don’t know for sure yet.”

“Possible?!” I exclaimed, my voice cracking. “How can you say that so casually? You’re talking about my life!”

“I didn’t ask for this,” Liam snapped, his composure slipping for the first time. “I never wanted you involved in any of this. But now that you are…” He trailed off, his voice softening. “Now that you are, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

His words caught me off guard, silencing my anger. For all his coldness, there was a raw honesty in his tone that made my heart ache.

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed loudly in the quiet room. Pulling it out, I saw two notifications: a voicemail from the hospital and a text from Sophie.

Sophie: Hey El, just checking—are you still good to cover my shift tomorrow? I owe you so much for this!

And then the voicemail:

“Ms. Harper, your mother’s condition has worsened. Please come as soon as possible.”

Panic surged through me. “I have to go,” I said urgently, standing despite the dizziness threatening to pull me back down. “My mom needs me.”

Liam stepped closer, his hand brushing mine. “Ellie, it’s not safe—”

“I don’t care,” I interrupted, tears stinging my eyes. “She’s my mom. I can’t just leave her there.”

“And what about your job?” he pressed, his brow furrowing. “You’re supposed to work tomorrow, aren’t you?”

I froze, guilt twisting in my gut. Between Mom’s worsening condition, Dad’s absence, and now this curse hanging over my head, I hadn’t even thought about how I’d manage everything. Covering shifts at the café felt trivial compared to the chaos unfolding around me—but Sophie was counting on me, and skipping out would mean letting her down too.

“I’ll figure it out,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Right now, I need to see my mom.”

After a tense moment, Liam nodded. “Fine. But I’m coming with you.”

---

The hospital was eerily quiet when we arrived, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Mom looked smaller than ever in the bed, her breathing shallow and uneven. A nurse directed us to a doctor, who gave us the update we’d been dreading.

“We’ve stabilized her for now,” the doctor said gently, “but her vitals are weak. We’re doing everything we can, but… it’s critical she gets rest. And honestly, Ms. Harper, prepare yourself. Time isn’t on our side.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I nodded numbly, unable to form a response. When the doctor left, I sank into the chair beside Mom’s bed, clutching her frail hand.

“She’s fighting,” I whispered, more to myself than to Liam. “She has to be.”

But the tears came anyway, hot and relentless, spilling down my cheeks. I buried my face in my hands, trying to muffle the sobs that shook my body.

That’s when the door creaked open.

Dad stumbled into the room, reeking of whiskey and looking worse than I’d ever seen him. His shirt was untucked, his tie loosened, and his bloodshot eyes darted around the room before landing on me.

“You should’ve been here,” I snapped, my voice trembling with anger. “Instead of drowning your sorrows, you could’ve actually helped her.”

He flinched, running a shaky hand through his disheveled hair. “Don’t lecture me, Ellie. You don’t know what it’s like—”

“No, you don’t know!” I shouted, standing abruptly. “You’ve abandoned us both. Do you even care anymore?”

For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but then his shoulders sagged in defeat. Without another word, he turned and left the room, leaving behind the faint smell of alcohol and the hollow echo of the closing door.

Liam stood silently in the doorway, giving me space but staying close enough to intervene if needed. When I finally broke down in tears again, he stepped inside and wrapped his arms around me.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, holding me tightly.

I buried my face in his chest, letting myself cry for the first time in days. “Why does everything feel so hopeless?”

He didn’t answer, but his embrace spoke volumes.

-----------------

Later that night, we retreated to an empty waiting room down the hall. The fluorescent lights hummed softly above us, casting harsh shadows across the sterile chairs and faded magazines. I sat hunched over, staring at my hands, while Liam leaned against the wall, watching me with an intensity that made my pulse quicken.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with all this,” he said quietly, breaking the silence.

“I don’t have a choice,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “She’s my mom. And you…” I hesitated, glancing up at him. “You’re part of this now too.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t pull away when I reached out and cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to meet my gaze. “I’m not afraid of you,” I whispered fiercely.

His gaze softened slightly, but the tension in his posture remained. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The only sounds were our ragged breaths mingling in the cold night air.

Then, without warning, he crushed his lips to mine.

The kiss was desperate, electric, as if he’d been holding back for far too long. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as I surrendered to the intensity of the moment. His cool skin sent shivers down my spine, but his touch burned with an undeniable heat.

“Ellie,” he moaned against my mouth, his voice laced with restraint. “This isn’t safe…”

“I don’t care,” I whispered, silencing him with another kiss. My hands slid beneath his jacket, exploring the hard planes of his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his undead heart—or whatever it was that drove him.

With a low groan, he lifted me off the ground, pinning me gently against the wall. His lips trailed along my jawline, down my neck, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Every nerve in my body came alive under his touch, craving more even as logic screamed at me to stop.

“You drive me insane,” he admitted hoarsely, his breath ghosting over my skin.

“And you think I’m not losing my mind too?” I shot back, tangling my fingers in his hair.

For once, he didn’t argue. Instead, he claimed my lips again, pouring every ounce of longing and frustration into the kiss. In those moments, nothing else mattered—not the curse, not Victor Draven, not even the looming sunrise. It was just us, two souls clinging to each other in the dark.

When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathless, our foreheads resting together as reality began creeping back in.

“This changes nothing,” Liam murmured, though his grip on me betrayed his words.

“It changes everything,” I countered softly, meeting his gaze.

And for the first time, he didn’t pull away.

We sat together in silence, clinging to each other in the quiet waiting room. For the first time in days, I felt grounded—like maybe, just maybe, we could face whatever came next.

But then, the sound of shattering glass interrupted the soft silence.

A shadowy figure leapt through the window, snarling: “Your time is up.”