Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The nerve on her right arm throbbed with pain as she moved from her bed, crawling to the laptop at the edge. She tucked the strand of hair behind her ear to get a better view of the device. The words blurred; she had to blink multiple times to see the letters. Vander had lectured her for an agonizing thirty minutes on why staring too long at the LED lights was going to damage her eyes.

Her eyes were getting worse. If she told Vander about it, well, no more internet for her. If she didn’t have access to the internet, then how on earth was she going to catch the girl who had gotten too freakishly close to her family—the girl who was definitely parading as a human?

There was no way CAITLYN KIRAMANN wasn’t a VAMPIRE.

Jinx moved closer to the keyboard, replying to Ekko on their forum.

FISHBONES
She came again yesterday.

Jinx's fingers hovered over the keys, the dull ache in her arm making her movements sluggish. She gritted her teeth and typed, her nails clicking against the worn plastic.

The reply came almost instantly.

CHRONOKING
Dude. You’re still on this? Caitlyn’s just a rich girl with a weird sleep schedule.

Jinx scoffed, her eyes narrowing at the screen. Sleep schedule? Please. No human had skin that pale without being dead first.

FISHBONES
Oh yeah? Then explain why she only shows up at NIGHT. Why she flinched when I pulled out my holy water keychain.

CHRONOKING
…You threw holy water at her?

FISHBONES
It was a TEST. And she FAILED.

CHRONOKING
Maybe it’s because you fucking threw water at her unprovoked!

LIVEWIRE
YO HOLY WATER KEYCHAIN? THAT'S SICK AS HELL! Did it sizzle when it hit her? Did she start screaming in Latin??

FISHBONES
NO but she made this WEIRD HISSING NOISE like a pissed-off cat.

PRODIGY
That's called surprise, Fishbones. Normal human reaction to being assaulted with religious paraphernalia. Also, holy water only works if blessed by a verified priest, did you even check the seller's credentials?

CHRONOKING
Jinx. I'm begging you. Stop buying occult weapons online.

FISHBONES
NOT MY FAULT THE CHURCH DOWNTOWN HAS A "NO TANK TOPS" POLICY.

PRODIGY
...You tried to walk into a cathedral wearing grenade straps and expected service?

LIVEWIRE
BASED. SACRED GROUND HAS NO DRESS CODE.

FISHBONES
ZERI GETS IT.

FISHBONES
Serious note, she doesn’t even blink, like NEVER.

PRODIGY
Uh, actually, vampires are supposed to blink. It’s a myth that they don’t. Maybe she’s a zombie? Or a really committed cosplayer?

LIVEWIRE
YOOOO what if she’s BOTH. Vampire zombie hybrid.

FISHBONES
You’re just saying words.

PRODIGY
If she was a vampire, she’d be after me first.

LIVEWIRE
LOL imagine getting bit and the vampire’s just like “ew wtf” and spits it out.

FISHBONES
FOCUS. She’s getting closer to my family. I NEED a plan. Holy water didn’t work. Garlic just made her laugh. WHAT’S LEFT.

PRODIGY
Stake through the heart? Sunlight? Dramatic poetry?

CHRONOKING
OR you could not attack the rich girl who could buy your whole block.

LIVEWIRE
ok but hear me out….TASER.

FISHBONES
…Zeri, you’re my favorite.

PRODIGY
???

FISHBONES
Temporary favorite.

Jinx closed her laptop; the lights were getting to her eyes. Staring at the ceiling of her room to rest them. She was going to college two months from now; stepping on the gas with this investigation was imminent.

She rolled off the bed, landing with a thud that sent a fresh spike of pain up her arm. Great. Just what she needed, another bruise to explain away.

Her eyes flicked to the corkboard above her desk, a tangled web of red string, newspaper clippings, and grainy photos of Caitlyn Kiramann. No reflection in mirrors? Check. Always wearing high-collared coats? Check. That one time Jinx swore she saw her climb a wall like a goddamn spider? Double check. (Well, no, but she imagined it so much that it became real to her.) jinx covered it up with a big ass portrait of gawking monkeys.

But she needed proof. Solid, undeniable, Vander-can’t-ignore-this proof.

That’s where the taser came into play. She’d hit Caitlyn unexpectedly. If she was truly human, then a scream here and there and some big repercussions Jinx didn’t want to face. Well, if she was a vampire… she’d probably fake react to it.

Or maybe, just maybe, she’d glitch.

Jinx grinned, her fingers twitching at the thought. She’d seen it in movies, creatures of the night short-circuiting under electric shocks, their true forms flickering like a bad TV signal. Perfect.

She rummaged through her drawer, shoving aside half-empty energy drinks and tangled headphones until her fingers closed around the cold metal of her modified taser. "Fishbones Jr.," she’d dubbed it, complete with little shark teeth stickers on the handle.

"Alright, fangless," she muttered, flicking the switch experimentally. A sharp crackle filled the air. "Let’s see how you handle a little… spark."

Then a knock pulled her from her thoughts. "Pow, get your ass down for dinner." Her sister’s voice, muffled by the door. Jinx rolled her eyes. "I’m not hungry."

"I don’t care, Vander said we’re all eating together. So get your ass down; I’m not calling you again." What followed were her sister’s retreating footsteps. She blinked, her eye throbbing. Vander was surely going to stuff her up with so much food before she left for college. He’d said something about her not eating when she got there.

Well, he was right.

And she wasn’t even hungry now!

Who eats around eight?!

Her stomach growled in reply, telling her she had no control over what it felt.

Jinx groaned, pressing a hand to her traitorous stomach. "Ugh, fine. But only because you’re being a drama queen," she muttered to her own gut.

She shoved Fishbones Jr. into the waistband of her ripped jeans, tugging her oversized hoodie down to conceal it. Just in case. Caitlyn wasn’t supposed to be at dinner—she always came unexpectedly, like a thief. Jinx wasn’t taking chances.

The smell of spices and roasted meat hit her the second she opened her door. Vander’s cooking was legendary, and even Jinx’s stubbornness couldn’t compete with the scent of his famous garlic-braised short ribs. Garlic. She snorted. Yeah, like that ever stopped a vampire.

The dining table was smaller without Mylo and Claggor around. Just Vi, Vander, and an empty chair waiting for her. Vi was already halfway through her plate, shoveling food in like she was in a race. Vander sat at the head of the table, nursing a beer, watching Jinx with that look, the one that said he knew she was up to something.

"Took you long enough," Vi grumbled.

"Swallow; you look like an idiot," Jinx shot back before sitting down. She stabbed a piece of broccoli like it was her nemesis. "So… um, are we expecting anyone?" Jinx asked.

"What? You want us to expect someone?" Vi asked, her mouth still stuffed.

"You know, a certain someone that always visits at night," Jinx drawled.

"Oh! I didn’t know you were looking forward to Caitlyn coming over," her sister blurted out.

"Not as much as you!" Jinx said defensively. Her sister rolled her eyes at that.

"Maybe she’s creeped out by the way you stare at her every time she comes around."

Jinx’s grip tightened around her fork. "I don’t stare—"

"You literally do," Vi interrupted, swallowing her food with an obnoxious gulp. "Like a serial killer. Or a raccoon that just spotted a shiny object."

Vi was starting to piss Jinx off, her new haircut adding fuel to the fire. "You don’t know how stupid you look with that haircut. You know, you looked cool with your previous cut. When you actually had hair." Jinx laughed, then continued. "Better put off any thought of pulling any game with that lame cut; nobody is giving you p—“

Vander cleared his throat, prompting Jinx to stop. Then Vi started coughing, gulping down a glass of water. "Did… did you just call me cool?"

"Can you take a compliment without being insufferable?"

Vi beamed at that. "You called me cool. Wow! I’m cool."

Jinx grunted.

"Alright now, focus on your food," Vander said.

The rest of dinner passed in a blur of half-hearted chewing and forced small talk. Vander kept piling more food onto Jinx’s plate despite her protests,

"So," Vander said, leaning back in his chair, "you excited for college?"

Jinx stabbed at a piece of meat. "Thrilled."

Vi snorted. "Yeah, she’s definitely not gonna get kicked out in the first week."

"Shut up," Jinx shot back, but there was no real bite to it. She was too busy mentally calculating how many volts it would take to stun a vampire. Assuming Caitlyn even was one.

Jinx’s phone buzzed. A notification from the forum.

LIVEWIRE
DUDE. JUST FOUND OUT CAITLYN’S FAMILY OWNS A PRIVATE WINERY. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

PRODIGY
…She’s a wine vampire?

LIVEWIRE
SHE LITERALLY MAKES THE BLOOD OF THE EARTH. WAKE UP SHEEPLE.

"No electronics at the table," Vander said.

Jinx sighed, shoving her phone into her pocket. A soft knock came from the door.

Vander frowned. "We expecting someone?"

Vi shrugged. "Not me."

Another knock, louder this time.

"I’ll get it," Jinx blurted, already pushing back from the table.

"Jinx—" Vander started, but she was already halfway to the door, her fingers brushing against the hidden weight of Fishbones Jr. in her waistband.

She yanked the door open—

And there she was.

Caitlyn Kiramann, standing on their porch like some kind of gothic ghost, her pale skin practically glowing under the dim porch light. She was dressed in her usual absurdly formal attire, a high-collared coat, gloves (who wore gloves in summer?), and that infuriatingly perfect posture that made Jinx’s teeth ache. Her hair was perfectly tied in a ponytail, not a strand out of place.

"Jinx," Caitlyn said, blinking those big, unnervingly blue eyes. "I—apologies for the late intrusion. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d… drop by."

Jinx’s grip tightened on the taser. Liar.

"Uh-huh," Jinx drawled, leaning against the doorframe.

Behind Jinx, Vi’s voice boomed. "Caitlyn! Come on in."

Jinx didn’t move.

Caitlyn tilted her head, just slightly. "May I?"

"Jinx," Vi called from the table, exasperated. "Stop being weird and let her in."

Jinx exhaled sharply through her nose and stepped aside, her other hand still hovering near the taser. "Sure. Come on in," she muttered as Caitlyn moved past the doorframe. Her nose was assaulted by that unique smell that clung to Caitlyn. Jinx exhaled and shut the door harder than warranted.

Caitlyn didn’t even flinch at the slam—another point in the definitely-not-human column. She just glided forward, her boots making no sound on the creaky wooden floor.

"Good evening, Mr. Vander," Caitlyn said, inclining her head slightly. "Vi."

Vi grinned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Hey, Cupcake. You hungry? Vander made enough to feed a battalion."

Jinx’s eye twitched. Cupcake. Ugh.

She hated it when Vi calls her that.

"I appreciate the offer," Caitlyn said, her voice smooth as silk. "But I’ve already eaten."

Jinx’s fingers twitched. Oh, I bet you have.

Vander gestured to the empty chair beside Jinx. "Well, sit down anyway. You’re always welcome here."

Caitlyn hesitated,just for a fraction of a second, before nodding. "Thank you."

Jinx watched her with laser focus as she took the seat next to her. Caitlyn moved with an eerie grace, like she was floating rather than walking. And when she sat, she didn’t adjust—no shifting in the chair, no leaning back. Just perfectly still.

Freak.

"So," Vander said, leaning forward. "What brings you by so late?"

Jinx wondered if Vander was doing that on purpose. Because ever since Caitlyn had the ‘grace’ of getting into their house, she always visited at this time—every time she stopped by. Always at night.

"I just came to return this." There was a book in her hand. Jinx knew the cover—a fantasy book.

"Oh? Really? You’re already done with it? That’s fast," Vi said next to her.

Caitlyn nodded. "Yeah, it was an easy read."

"Well, it took me a lot of time to…" Vi trailed off, probably regretting she’d started the sentence.

"Took ya a month to finish. You probably would’ve finished it if you didn’t have rocks for brains."

Vi kicked hard under the table, causing Jinx to groan in pain.

Vander started clearing the plates off the table as Vi and Caitlyn went to the living room, talking about the book’s ending.

Jinx lingered in the doorway, watching as Caitlyn settled onto the couch beside Vi with that unnatural poise of hers—back straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, like she’d been programmed to sit politely rather than actually relax. Vi, meanwhile, sprawled out like a sunbathing cat, one arm slung over the back of the couch, her other hand already reaching for the remote.

"Alright, movie time," Vi announced, scrolling through the options. "Something scary? Or—"

"Something good," Jinx muttered, slinking toward the armchair in the far corner, the one with the clearest line of sight to Caitlyn’s every move.

Vi shot her a look. "You’re not even gonna watch; you’re just gonna—"

"Just put on the movie, baldy."

Vi rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Caitlyn, for her part, didn’t react at all, just tilted her head slightly, watching the screen as Vi selected something pretentious. Jinx knew for a fact Vi would hate it within ten minutes.

The movie started, and Jinx didn’t even glance at it. Her focus was laser-locked on Caitlyn. The way the flickering light from the TV played across her too-pale skin. The way she didn’t blink nearly enough. The way her perfect lips, painted a soft, deceptive pink, parted just slightly when she exhaled, like she was savoring the air.

Or tasting it.

Vi, true to form, lasted exactly eight minutes before groaning. "Ugh, this is boring as hell. Who cares about some dead king’s taxes?"

Caitlyn chuckled, a soft, melodic sound. "You’re the one who put it on."

"Shut up," Vi grumbled, slumping further into the couch.

Jinx watched, unblinking, as Caitlyn’s smile deepened, just a fraction, just enough for the dim light to catch the sharp points of her teeth.

There.

Jinx’s breath hitched.

They were longer than they should be. Sharper. Not quite fangs… not yet, but wrong.

Vi yawned, stretching her arms above her head before letting them flop back down. "Man, I’m wiped," she mumbled, her words slurring slightly.

Jinx’s pulse spiked as Vi tilted her head to the side, exposing the line of her throat. Caitlyn didn’t move.

But her smile did.

It curled at the edges, slow and deliberate, and for a single, heart-stopping moment, Jinx swore she saw the tips of those elongated canines press against Caitlyn’s lower lip… glistening.

Jinx’s stomach dropped.

A cold, creeping dread slithered down her spine, pooling low in her gut before settling somewhere else entirely.

She shifted in the armchair, suddenly hyper-aware of the dampness between her thighs.

Did I just fucking wet myself?!

Chapter Text

Bite on her neck, lips, arm. The smell of heat, blazing against cold soft skin, the wetness of her lips against her skin, the teeth went deeper this time. Her skin gave way easily, surrendering to the sharpness, giving out what it held. Her blood flowed out smoothly in a steady stream because Caitlyn was gentle, savoring every drop.

Jinx’s body was shaking with an odd feeling, she couldn’t explain it, but it felt good, and she wanted more. Judging by the heat where her thighs met, she wanted Caitlyn to be a little rough with her, but the taller girl only taunted her. It felt like she was reading Jinx’s mind.

Of course, vampires do.

Caitlyn broke free from her, staring at her with those deep blue eyes that seemed to glow brighter in the dim light around them. Her face was perfect under the moonlight. She was wearing transparent lingerie, the fullness of her chest blurred faintly by white silk. Though the sight of them stirred something in Jinx’s body, that wasn’t where her full attention was.

Caitlyn’s lips were painted crimson with Jinx’s blood.

The sight alone made Jinx’s body groan. Sensing it, Caitlyn smiled, pulling Jinx’s arm to her face, feeling it.

Soft.

“So… Jinx.” Her voice was gentle.

“Where do you want my teeth next?”

---

The light of the big fucking ball across the sky wouldn’t have scorched her face if she had closed the window. Funny enough, she did remember closing it, but every time she woke up, it was open.

But that wasn’t her main hurdle right now, she was drenched. Not her entire body, but a specific part.

Another wet dream…

It was starting to get really daunting. It had been three days since she saw Caitlyn’s fangs. Yeah, those were fangs, screw the dim lights and her shitty eyesight. That was a big step forward.

She had something, moving in the right direction. Now that it had been confirmed that the annoying long legs was a vampire, Jinx could finally put her plans into work. But what she had been doing lately was nothing…

Literally!

She couldn’t stop thinking about those fangs, the shape, the sharpness… how they would feel against her skin. She groaned at the thought. After a voice mocked her, maybe she had been placed under a spell… because why the hell was she having wet dreams for the past three days?

And all of them seemed to be about Caitlyn Kiramann sucking her fluids! And every time Jinx woke up, she was always drenched between her thighs and drained physically.

The frustration was unbearable. Jinx kicked off her tangled sheets, the dampness between her thighs making her skin prickle with irritation, and something else she refused to name.

She dragged a hand down her face, groaning. "Ugh, this is so stupid."

Caitlyn Kiramann, a vampire, was supposed to be her target. Her enemy. The pain in the ass who had been lurking around her family with that infuriatingly perfect posture and those eyes that seemed to see right through her.

And yet, here Jinx was, lying in bed, pulse still racing from the sensation of fangs sinking into her throat, of Caitlyn’s cool fingers tracing her skin, of—

"Nope! No more!" She bolted upright, shaking her head like she could physically dislodge the thoughts.

She needed to focus. Plan. Act.

But every time she tried, her traitorous brain supplied fresh images, Caitlyn’s lips smeared with her blood, the way her voice had dropped to that low, dangerous …

"Where do you want my teeth next?"

Jinx let out a strangled noise and flopped back onto the bed, cheeks burning, throwing an arm over her eyes.

This was a problem. A big problem.

Because if she couldn’t stop fantasizing about her supposed enemy drinking from her, how the hell was she supposed to…

Jinx rolled off the bed, landing with a thud that did nothing to shake the lingering heat from her skin. She needed a shower. A cold one. Maybe an arctic one.

She grabbed a fresh set of clothes, ripped jeans, a cropped tank top, and her trusty oversized hoodie—before stomping toward the bathroom. The mirror greeted her with a reflection she barely recognized: wild blue hair sticking up in every direction, dark circles under her eyes, and a flush that spread from her cheeks down to her neck.

Pathetic.

She turned the shower knob all the way to cold and stepped in without waiting for the water to warm up. The icy spray hit her like a slap, and she hissed, gripping the shower wall as goosebumps erupted across her skin.

Yes, bite those thoughts off with cold, icy teeth.

No, not Caitlyn! The fucking water! Why was her stupid body reacting to those thoughts? Jinx squeezed her eyes shut, letting the water flow over her skin, washing away those vivid images from her dream down the drain.

Those pointy edges of her teeth…

Her cold, soft skin…

Jinx felt her stomach clench.

Fuck this!

She marched out of the bathroom, leaving the shower running, snatching her laptop from the bed. Jinx placed the sticker-covered device on the table and sat down, droplets of water running endlessly down her naked body.

FISHBONES:
So, can a vampire summon a succubus?

She waited a few minutes before a reply popped up.

CHRONOKING:
Why would you ask that?

FISHBONES:
Just answer the question!

LIVEWIRE:
Wait, did Caitlyn summon one on you??? HOLY SHIT

FISHBONES:
She didn’t! Stick to the fucking scope.

LIVEWIRE:
You definitely had a FREAKY wet dream, OMG!

FISHBONES:
No, I didn’t, TF!

CHRONOKING:
Then why are you asking the question?

FISHBONES:
Since I’ve confirmed her fangs, I just wanted to know what I’m going up against.

LIVEWIRE:
It’s ten in the morning. You literally had a WET dream about Caitlyn and now you're scrambling for answers?

FISHBONES:
NO.

PRODIGY:
...You absolutely did.

FISHBONES:
SHUT UP.

LIVEWIRE:
LMAOOOOO.

CHRONOKING:
Dude. You literally just asked if vampires can summon succubi because you had a wet dream about Caitlyn.

FISHBONES:
IT WASN’T A WET DREAM, IT WAS A—

She paused, fingers hovering over the keys.

FISHBONES:
...A tactical nightmare.

LIVEWIRE:
SURE. A "tactical" nightmare where Caitlyn was biting your neck and you were definitely not enjoying it.

FISHBONES:
I WASN’T.

PRODIGY:
Jinx, vampires don’t need to summon succubi. They’re naturally alluring. It’s part of their predatory nature, drawing in prey with charm before feeding.

...Oh.

Jinx shut down her laptop. She was not getting turned on by the idea of being some bloodsucking leech’s juice box. Absolutely not.

…Okay, maybe a little.

But that was just biology. Or whatever. Jinx groaned, pressing her forehead against the cool surface of her desk. This was ridiculous. She was supposed to be hunting Caitlyn, not fantasizing about her like a zombie.

She pushed away from the desk, pacing her room like a caged animal. The dampness between her thighs was gone, thanks to the cold shower, but the memory of the dream lingered—Caitlyn’s lips, her fangs, the way her voice had curled around Jinx’s name.

"Where do you want my teeth next?"

Jinx shuddered.

She needed to do something. Something productive. Something that didn’t involve imagining Caitlyn’s mouth on her skin.

Her eyes landed on the corkboard—her so-called "evidence wall." It was a mess of red string, blurry photos, and scribbled notes, all leading back to one conclusion: Caitlyn Kiramann was a vampire.

And yet, here she was, letting some stupid dream derail her entire investigation.

"Get it together, Jinx," she muttered, grabbing a marker and stalking toward the board.

She uncapped it with her teeth and scrawled a new note in jagged letters:

"SUCCUBUS-LIKE INFLUENCE???"

Underneath, she added:

"Hypnosis? Charm? Or just really fucking hot?"

She stared at the words for a second before violently crossing out the last part.

No. No distractions.

She was going to prove Caitlyn was a vampire, and then she was going to…

...Well, she hadn’t figured that part out yet. But it definitely wasn’t going to involve letting Caitlyn bite her.

...Probably.

Putting on her clothes, she went to the kitchen when the smell of pancakes still sizzling hit her nose. Vi and Vander were there. Jinx ignored them, going straight for the coffee machine, hoping that the strong taste of caffeine would wash away the sour taste in her mouth.

“You look like shit,” her sister said, the rim of her coffee mug perched on her lips.

“Thank you,” Jinx muttered. She filled her mug to the brim.

“You good?” Jinx sighed, leaning on the counter. “Am I good, sis?”

“You clearly don’t look like it,” Vander said, his back turned to her as he flipped a pancake. One thing she didn’t need was both of them babying her this morning. “Just a bad sleep, nothing more,” she blurted out while stealing a bite of her sister’s breakfast.

“Hey! Get your own plate.”

“I’m not hungry enough for a full plate.”

Vi rolled her eyes. "Then don’t steal mine, you gremlin."

Jinx stuck her tongue out, taking an exaggerated bite of the stolen pancake. The sweetness barely registered—her mind was still stuck in that damn dream.

Vander slid a fresh plate of pancakes onto the counter in front of her. "Eat. Properly."

Jinx scowled but didn’t argue. She picked at the food, her stomach churning with a mix of hunger and something else, something restless.

Vi leaned in, lowering her voice. "Seriously, Pow. You look like you got hit by a truck. You’ve been acting strange lately.”

“Ugh, I’m fine, fat hands.”

“Come to think of it, this started the last time Caitlyn came over…”

“Where are you going with this?” Jinx asked, frustration bubbling in her mind.

“Did anything happen between you two when I fell asleep?”

Jinx felt her pulse spike at the question. “No? Why would anything happen?”

Vi shrugged. “I don’t know. You don’t seem to get along well with her… and Caitlyn hasn’t hit me up since that day.”

“When has she ever hit you up before?”

Vi sighed.

“What’s your problem with her, kid?” Vander asked.

“She’s weird,” Jinx muttered. Her eyes are weird, her lips, face, the perfect sitting posture, the curves of her lower line.

“Really?” Vi blurted out.

“Yes, she’s weird. Always coming at a specific time, every night. Her skin is pale, like something undead. I won’t believe both of y’all can’t see it.”

“Maybe she doesn’t go out frequently,” Vander replied.

“Yes! Why doesn’t she go out in the daytime?”

Vi frowned slightly. “Where are you getting at?” Her voice was strained.

“You know what I mean, fat hands.”

“How have your sleep been?” Vander asked after a minute.

No, no, no—they weren’t going to flip this around, not this time.

“Speaking of sleep, I really need that right now,” Jinx said as she pushed away from the counter. She took Vi’s plate, not because she was hungry—and even took her phone just because… She bolted to her room with her sister shouting behind her.

Getting to her room, she locked the door, put the plate on the floor, and tossed the phone into the far corner of the room before collapsing onto her bed. Her body felt heavy, craving something—raw thoughts. She pushed them to the darkest parts of her mind. She didn’t want to give her ill body that satisfaction.

A voice—her own voice, echoed in her mind.

“Are you finally going to admit how pathetic you are?” the voice said.

Jinx groaned. “I’ve always been pathetic. Maybe you missed the memo twenty-one years ago.”

“Oh, I know. But this is a new low,” the voice whispered, as if it were loud enough to wake other apparitions sleeping deep in her mind.

“I have everything under control. Just have to figure this out,” wait out this daunting feeling.

“That’s what you always say. ‘Just give me time, and I’ll bounce back.’ Isn’t that, like, the thirteenth hundredth time you’ve said that now? I’ve lost count.” Jinx cringed at it.

The voice continued, “And are you sure Caitlyn doesn’t have you under her control?” slurring lightly on the last word.

Jinx curled into a ball on her bed. “Just shut up!” she barked.

The voice giggled. “I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want me criticizing you…”

Jinx didn’t even know how or when she started listening to, or conversing with, the voice, her own voice. She didn’t remember when the voice gained agency, like it was a separate entity.

“…or encouraging you. You want it, don’t you?” The voice continued as Jinx’s hand landed on her abdomen, just a few inches away from her waistband. “Just picture it—well, that won’t be hard because she’s all you think of.”

Jinx’s hand slid lower, her breath ragged.

“Imagine it—her hand on you.” Jinx’s—Caitlyn’s—hand slid lower. A whimper escaped Jinx’s mouth.

“Take off your hoodie.”

The voice in her head spoke, and Jinx obliged, pulling the fabric over her head and tossing it aside. The cool air of her room brushed against her bare skin, but it did nothing to quell the heat pooling low in her stomach.

“Now your jeans.”

Jinx hesitated, fingers hovering over the button.

“You want this,” the voice murmured, coaxing. “You’ve been thinking about it all morning. About her.”

With a shaky exhale, Jinx undid the button and shimmied out of her jeans, leaving her in just her underwear. Her skin prickled with anticipation, her pulse thrumming in her throat.

“Close your eyes.”

Jinx obeyed, and instantly, the image of Caitlyn flooded her mind, those piercing blue eyes, the curve of her lips, the way her fangs had glinted in the dim light of her dream.

“Her hands are cold,” the voice whispered, and Jinx could almost feel it, Caitlyn’s fingers trailing up her thigh, slow and deliberate. “But you like that, don’t you? The contrast. How she makes your skin burn.”

Jinx bit her lip, her own fingers mirroring the imagined touch, ghosting over her stomach before dipping lower.

A sharp knock at the door shattered the fantasy.

Jinx jolted upright, heart hammering.

“Jinx?” Vi’s voice came through the door, muffled but unmistakably annoyed. “You still have my phone, you little thief!”

Jinx groaned, flopping back onto the bed. “Fuck off, I’m sleeping!”

“Bullshit! Open the damn door!”

Gritting her teeth, Jinx grabbed the phone from the floor and yanked the door open just enough to shove it into Vi’s waiting hands.

Vi blinked, taking in Jinx’s disheveled state, flushed cheeks, wild hair, the fact that she was half-naked.

“Uh,” Vi said, raising an eyebrow. “You good?”

“I was until you knocked!” Jinx snapped, slamming the door shut again.

She leaned against it, exhaling sharply.

This was getting out of hand.

Jinx tugged off her underwear with a frustrated groan, kicking them aside before moving toward the bathroom. The cold shower earlier hadn’t been enough, she needed something more drastic.

She twisted the faucet of the bathtub, letting icy water rush out. The sound of it hitting the porcelain echoed in the small space, sharp. Jinx didn’t wait for it to fill completely before stepping in, the freezing bite of the water making her gasp as it lapped at her ankles, then her calves, then her thighs.

She sank down, the cold seeping into her bones like a punishment. Good. Maybe this would shock some sense into her.

Jinx leaned back, the chill numbing her skin, her thoughts. She closed her eyes, focusing on the numbness spreading through her limbs, willing it to drown out the heat that had been plaguing her.

But even the cold couldn’t erase the memories burned into her mind. Jinx exhaled sharply, sinking deeper until the water swallowed her collarbones.

The cold was starting to make her limbs heavy, her thoughts sluggish. Jinx let her head tilt back against the edge of the tub, her eyelids drooping. Maybe if she just stayed here long enough, her body would forget…

The water rippled around her as she shifted, the cold now a dull ache rather than a shock. Her thoughts blurred, slipping into a hazy half-sleep.

Jinx remembered calling Vi off when she was bothering her through the bathroom door before closing her eyes.

---

The sound of water sloshing violently jerked her awake. Jinx gasped, sitting up so fast that water splashed over the edge of the tub. Her skin was soggy, her muscles stiff from the cold. The bathroom was dark now, how long had she been in here?

She fumbled for the drain plug, yanking it free before hauling herself out of the tub, shivering as the air hit her wet skin.

She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself before stumbling out of the bathroom and into her room.

She’d been in there for hours.

Jinx lay on her bed for a while before deciding she needed something warm. She put on her baggy hoodie, yanking it down over her damp skin. She didn’t bother with pants, just tugged on a pair of black underwear before moving barefoot out of her room.

The cold wooden floor creaked under Jinx’s bare feet, her damp skin prickling under the oversized hoodie. The house was too quiet, the kind of quiet that made her ears throb. Or maybe that was just the leftover buzz from the icy bath still clinging to her bones. She flexed her fingers, trying to shake the numbness from them, but the tremor in her hands wouldn’t stop.

Cold. Too cold.

She needed warmth. Something hot. Coffee, maybe. Or just the glow of the TV to drown out the whispers in her head.

Then she heard it.

Laughter.

Vibrating through the walls.

Vi’s loud, and—

Her.

A softer sound. Caitlyn’s laugh.

Jinx froze in the hallway, her pulse suddenly too loud in her ears. The living room light spilled out long against the dark floor, and she could see the shadows of two figures moving beyond it.

She shouldn’t go in there.

But her legs moved anyway, dragging her forward until she was standing in the doorway, her fingers gripping the frame for balance.

Caitlyn’s back was to her, tall, elegant, that stupidly perfect ponytail spilling down her shoulders like ink. She was leaning slightly toward Vi, who was sprawled on the couch, grinning like an idiot at something Caitlyn had just said.

Then Vi spotted her.

"Hey, Pow," she said.

Caitlyn turned.

The soft light from the TV painted Caitlyn in gold, her sharp cheekbones, the curve of her lips, the way her blue eyes seemed to glow just faintly in the dimness. She was wearing a sweater, high-collared as always, the fabric draping over her frame in a way that made Jinx’s fingers twitch.

"Jinx," Caitlyn said, her voice smooth, amused. "You look…"

"Like shit?" Vi supplied helpfully.

Caitlyn’s lips quirked. "I was going to say cold."

Then Caitlyn’s gaze bore deep into her, like she was reading her secrets, then dipped.

Just for a second.

Just long enough to trace the line of Jinx’s bare thighs, the way her hoodie barely covered the tops of her underwear.

Jinx exhaled sharply.

"We were just watching some dumb horror movie. Wanna join?" Her sister’s voice brought her back to earth.

Jinx swallowed.

Caitlyn was still watching her with a passive look, like she was bored. Not impressed.

Jinx lifted her chin.

"Whatever," she muttered, stalking forward and dropping onto the couch—as far from Caitlyn as possible.

Vi snorted.

Jinx ignored her, grabbing the blanket draped over the back of the couch and yanking it over her legs. The fabric was warm, soft. It smelled like laundry detergent and—

And something distinctive.

Her nose twitched.

That wasn’t Vi’s scent.

She glanced sideways suspiciously. Caitlyn was sitting primly, her hands folded in her lap, her expression perfectly neutral.

On screen, some fake vampire hissed dramatically, fangs glinting.

Vi groaned. "Oh come on, that’s not how vampires work."

Jinx’s fingers dug into the blanket.

Caitlyn tilted her head. "And how do vampires work, Vi?"

Vi waved a hand. "I dunno, but not like that. They’re supposed to be, like, sexy and mysterious. Not hissing gargoyles."

Caitlyn hummed. "Sexy, you say?"

Vi grinned. "Hell yeah. If I was gonna get bitten by a vampire, I’d at least want it to be hot."

Caitlyn’s lips curled. "Noted."

Jinx couldn’t take it anymore.

She stood abruptly, the blanket pooling at her feet.

Vi blinked up at her. "Uh. You good?"

"I’m getting coffee," Jinx muttered, already turning toward the kitchen.

She didn’t make it two steps before a cold hand wrapped around her wrist.

Jinx froze.

Caitlyn’s fingers were like ice against her skin, sending a shiver up her spine.

"Let go," Jinx said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Caitlyn didn’t.

Instead, she leaned in, just close enough that Jinx could feel her breath against her ear as she murmured,

“You are shaking. Don’t slip hot coffee on yourself.”

Jinx yanked free, trembling with rage, and left for the kitchen. She heard Vi ask Caitlyn what she had said to Jinx, but she was too far away to hear Caitlyn’s reply.

Jinx stormed into the kitchen, her breath shaky. The cold grip of Caitlyn’s fingers still burned against her wrist like a brand.

"Don’t slip hot coffee on yourself."

As if Jinx was some clumsy child. As if Caitlyn had any right to—

She slammed the coffee pot down harder than necessary, the sound echoing in the empty kitchen. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the machine, her fingers numb, her mind racing.

"Sexy and mysterious."

Vi’s stupid words bounced around in her skull, mingling with the memory of Caitlyn’s lips brushing her ear, the way her voice had dropped to that low, mocking tone.

Jinx gritted her teeth, shoving a mug under the spout and jamming the brew button. The machine sputtered to life, the rich scent of coffee filling the air, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside her.

She leaned against the counter, gripping the edge.

The coffee finished brewing, dark and bitter. Jinx grabbed the mug, not bothering with cream or sugar, and took a scalding sip. The heat seared her tongue, but she welcomed the pain.

Jinx’s grip tightened around the mug.

She should go back to her room. Lock the door. Ignore them.

But something, some stupid, masochistic impulse, made her turn and walk back toward the living room instead.

She paused in the doorway, watching.

Vi was still sprawled on the couch, her head draped on her shoulder, she was asleep. Jinx rolled her eyes. Caitlyn sat beside her, posture perfect, one leg crossed over the other. The flickering light from the TV played across her face, highlighting the sharp angles of her cheekbones, the curve of her lips.

Jinx walked into the living room with steady steps before sitting on the armchair. Caitlyn didn’t pay her any attention, not even glancing at her. Those blue eyes were locked on the TV—at least where the TV was. Jinx took a sip of her bitter coffee, never breaking her gaze from Caitlyn. The taller girl didn’t move an inch, her eyes unblinking.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Jinx decided she couldn’t take it anymore and stood abruptly.

Caitlyn didn’t look at her, those cold blue eyes still locked on the TV, before she slowly turned toward Jinx. Her face didn’t give anything away. She blinked slow and deliberate before speaking.

“Did you enjoy your coffee?”

“Don’t ask me that,” Jinx blurted out.

Caitlyn broke her gaze and stared at the floor as if measuring Jinx’s words, then she returned her gaze.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“Oh! You’ve finally noticed the elephant in the room,” Jinx’s lips curled into a smile. “You are the problem! Weird as fuck, your face, everything.”

It took Caitlyn a few seconds to reply because she was wetting her lips in a slow and taunting manner.

“Hmm, now that’s absurd. If we’re talking about weirdness, you’re the one taking the bullets….always staring at my face, looking at what’s between my lips.” Her lips curled, revealing those snow-white teeth.

Then she stood up. Jinx suddenly felt small.

Caitlyn moved closer to Jinx, towering over her. Jinx felt the support of her legs going soft, her cheeks itching.

“Hmm,” Caitlyn tilted her head, “seems pretty late.”

Jinx glanced at the clock on the wall—it was 11:50 PM.

How on earth…

“I wonder what’s weird about my face.”

Her hand found Jinx’s chin, it was cold. She tilted Jinx’s head up, those icy dead blue eyes burning into her. Caitlyn’s thumb slid up the curve of Jinx’s lips, parting them slightly before moving to her cheek, rubbing it with profound care.

She leaned closer.

Jinx felt like a statue rooted to the floor.

“Maybe next time, I’d like to discuss with you this ‘weirdness’ of my face, just the two of us alone… because last time I looked in the mirror, I saw nothing.”

And with that, she moved past Jinx.

What followed was the creak of the door opening and closing.

Jinx finally found her breath, pulse roaring, heart screaming against her rib cage. She fell to her knees, the support of her legs betraying her.

She had to use her arms to support herself because the trembling of her body wouldn’t cease.

The voice in her head laughed. “You’re going to have a blast tonight. Knock yourself out.”

There and then, Jinx decided she was going to the Kiramann mansion, find that leech, and put a stake through her heart, if she even had one.

But before then…

Jinx whimpered as euphoric glee enveloped her body.

Chapter Text

Even with the embrace, she couldn’t keep herself still as the teeth dug deeper, trying to focus on breathing, and the room being foggy didn’t make things easier, especially on her legs which were trembling, causing her to lean deeper into Caitlyn’s embrace, she clenched around her like a lifeline. The lifeline that’s currently sucking her blood. Caitlyn seems pleased at Jinx leaning into her so she sinks her teeth deeper, causing Jinx to whimper.

Jinx’s breath hitched as Caitlyn’s fangs pressed further, the sharp sting blurring the line between pain and something dangerously close to pleasure. Her fingers twisted into Caitlyn’s robe, nails digging into the fabric as if she could anchor herself there, as if letting go would send her spiraling into the abyss of sensations threatening to consume her.

A weak, shuddering moan escaped her lips, her body betraying her with its trembling submission. Caitlyn’s grip tightened in response, one hand sliding up to cradle the back of Jinx’s neck, possessive and steady. She hummed against her throat, the vibration sending another jolt through Jinx’s nerves, her knees buckling further.

“S-stop—” Jinx gasped, but the protest was half-hearted, her voice trembling as much as her limbs.

Caitlyn pulled back just enough to smirk, her lips stained crimson. “You don’t mean that,” she murmured, before sealing her mouth over the wound again, drinking deeper. Jinx’s vision swam, her grip slackening as the world narrowed to the searing heat of Caitlyn’s mouth and the dizzying rush of blood leaving her veins.

And then, just as she felt herself tipping over the edge, Caitlyn withdrew, licking her lips with deliberate slowness.

Caitlyn ran her tongue along Jinx’s cheek, in a clean swipe, she broke free from Jinx’s embrace, causing the smaller girl to make a protesting sound. Jinx’s legs weren’t ready for the burden of being her support so they sent her to the floor, Caitlyn moved further away from her to the armchair, her footsteps soundless to Jinx’s roaring ears.

She sat on the armchair, her cobalt colored robe barely sticking to her shoulders, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath, with a deliberate motion she spreads her legs exposing herself to the dimmed light….and to Jinx. The sight alone made Jinx groan audibly.

“Come.” She said in a soft smooth tone to Jinx.

Jinx’s body moved automatically, the cold floor made no difference to her blazing skin, she made first contact with Caitlyn’s foot, her tongue escaped the cage of her mouth. She ran the tip of her tongue along the arch of Caitlyn’s toe, continuing in a smooth and steady pace to her knees, her eyes caught Caitlyn looking with a somewhat blank stare, lips curled up with a little smile.

With trembling fingers, Jinx’s fingers found Caitlyn’s inner thighs, she could feel the heat radiating from there, a heat she never imagined the taller girl possessed. Jinx’s face moved closer like a moth seeking the warmth of a flame, but a cold sleek finger which landed on her jaw, halted her progress.

Tilting Jinx’s head up, Caitlyn smiled deeply this time. “You have to earn that.” She whispered, while pulling Jinx to herself, straddling the smaller girl on her lap. Jinx felt dizzy, her fishnet stockings grinding against the soft cold skin of Caitlyn.

It felt like she was in a trance.

“What do you want?” Caitlyn said, as her hands found the width of Jinx’s waist. “I….I don’t know.” Jinx confessed, she wanted to prove Caitlyn was a vampire, right? The throbbing of her neck confirmed that right? But why was she unsatisfied? Caitlyn smiled again revealing those crimson painted teeth. “I could help you with that.” Caitlyn said her eyes on Jinx’s facial features, then her brows tightened a little bit.

“Do you want me to help with that.” She asked, it was like a statement not a question, Jinx found herself nodding sheepishly. “Good girl.” Jinx gasped, was it because of the praise or Caitlyn’s fingers finding the waistband of her shorts. The taller girl’s focus locked on Jinx, her fingers slid lower and easier because of the mess she had made of her shorts.

She entered with ease.

One finger.

Jinx’s muscles contracted, locking the finger in.

Please never leave.

Answering Jinx, Caitlyn moved deeper, Jinx moaned, biting her lip. As if scolding herself. Her head tilted upwards, this was all she wanted right? But even as she’s being tangled deep in a euphoric thread, there was something else…

“What do you want? “ Caitlyn asked her voice barely a whisper, it felt like she heard it in her head. “You…I w want— you.” She struggles as her body, seems to be getting hardwired into just producing one sound. “Hmm? I don’t think that’s what you want.” She slid another finger inside, Jinx’s back stretched in an arc, her hands went to seal her mouth, dumbfounded she could make that sound.

Jinx wanted to rock herself against Caitlyn’s fingers, but was she allowed to?

She needed….

“Answer the question.”

Caitlyn’s fingers moved faster and rougher, Jinx’s hands tightened around her lips. She wanted to match Caitlyn’s pace.

But….

“I don’t know… I want this… need you.”

“Wrong.” Caitlyn slipped another finger, Jinx screamed, almost falling off the chair, but Caitlyn’s cold grip was hard on her. The fingers inside her were moving at a slower pace, which made Jinx grateful. She wanted to go feral, satisfy herself on Caitlyn’s fingers, but instead, she was swimming in her thoughts.

What did she want?

Why was she so fixated on Caitlyn, trying to out her as this dangerous thing….dangerous to her. Scared she would succumb to whatever Caitlyn influenced her with, slowly feeding her. Jinx had to fight back… at least have some agency before….

“Oh, you have figured it out. I thought you have been too out of yourself to figure it out.” She chuckled, then continued. “Would have left you in this dump of a place, because I got other…” she paused, and looked at Jinx again with that passive facial again, Jinx knew she looks like a mess.

“Out with it.”

Jinx’s body groaned to the command, just the thought of saying it excites her. Surrendering everything…. She bit her lip and tasted iron.

“I want to be yours.”

“Yes, you’re mine.” She smiled, this time it matched her eyes. Caitlyn’s smile deepened, her fingers stilling inside Jinx as she leaned in, her lips brushing the shell of Jinx’s ear.

“Say it again,” she murmured, her breath cool against Jinx’s feverish skin.

Jinx shuddered, her hips twitching involuntarily, seeking friction, seeking more. But Caitlyn held her firmly in place, forcing her to endure the sweet torment of stillness.

“I—” Jinx swallowed, “I want to be yours. Only yours.”

A low, satisfied hum vibrated against her neck before Caitlyn’s teeth grazed the already tender mark there, not biting.

“Good,” Caitlyn whispered, finally rewarding her with a slow, deliberate curl of her fingers. Jinx gasped, her back arching, her hands flying to grip Caitlyn’s shoulders for balance.

“Because you always have been.”

The words sent a thrill through Jinx, something dark and electric coiling in her stomach. Caitlyn’s fingers moved again, this time with purpose, each stroke dragging a broken sound from Jinx’s throat.

“You fought so hard,” Caitlyn mused, her free hand tracing the curve of Jinx’s jaw. “All that running, all that denial... just to end up here. In my lap. Was it that hard, Jinx to admit your feelings?”

Jinx couldn’t answer she felt her sense of self, slipping away from her. She was Caitlyn’s….

Forever and always.

Another voice whispered at the back of my mind.

“Mine.”

Caitlyn pulled closer,

“Now you have my permission.”

A strangled cry tore from her lips as she shattered, her body clamping down around Caitlyn’s fingers, her vision whiting out at the edges.

- - -

She woke up to the pounding of the wall that separates her room from Vi’s. “Can… you stop moaning..? I’m trying to sleep…here.” Her sister said in a sleep laced tone, which made Jinx grateful she’ll probably not remember it in the morning. She curled herself into a ball, her thoughts empty. The window was opened again.

Jinx knew she would have that dream again after what transpired in the living room, but the scariest part was how calm she was, after the dream. Like she was starting to….

She shook her head, banishing those trails of thought.

Foolish.

Even without the blanket or clothes, Jinx felt warm, a heat that would soon reach its peak and burn out to a freezing cold just like…

She exhaled shakily, fingers tracing the phantom sting on her neck. No mark. Of course there wasn’t. It was just a dream.

Just a dream.

But her skin still burned where Caitlyn’s hands had been, her thighs still trembled with the memory of those merciless fingers.

Jinx gritted her teeth and rolled onto her side, staring at the open window. The night air was cool, the moon casting pale light across her tangled sheets. The moonlight would probably look good on Caitlyn. Jinx’s hair sticking to her face. She turned her side, fingers finding thighs.

Jinx masturbated to no one and nothing in particular.

- - -

Morning didn’t offer relief, it only gave her the aftertaste of something, a feeling that she can’t reach. Jinx stood up, the scenery spun for a second before stilling, though with every step she took it threatened to spin. Her hands found the cold doorknob, she shuddered at the feeling.

Jinx stepped into the hallway, her destination the kitchen, then realized she was naked, the return to her room was daunting. She put on anything the first thing that came to sight, a pair of loose shorts and a cropped tank top, something she barely remembered owning. The fabric clung uncomfortably to her skin.

The kitchen had only one occupant, Vi sat next to the counter, there was a mug and can of beer next to it. She would have taunt Vi but the will for that was gone just like the one she surrendered to…

She sat on the chair next to her sister and sighed heavily, “you okay?” Her sister asked. “Just drained.” Jinx muttered. “What about you?” Vi shrugged, “would have been if you weren’t moaning so loud.” Jinx buried her face in her hands. “Was I really that loud?” She asked awkwardly. “Yeah, whoever was drilling you in your dream definitely knew where to touch. “ Jinx groaned at that.

Vi smirked into her coffee, clearly enjoying Jinx’s discomfort. “So,” she drawled, “who’s the lucky person haunting your dreams? Or should I just assume it’s the same one haunting your neck?”

Jinx stiffened, her fingers instinctively flying to her throat. No mark. There’s no mark. But Vi’s sharp eyes missed nothing.

“The fuck are you talking about?” Jinx snapped,

Vi set her mug down with deliberate slowness. “You’ve been scratching at your neck all morning. And last night, you were practically begging in your sleep.” Her grin turned wicked. “Sounded like you were having the time of your life.”

Jinx’s face burned. She wanted to disappear. Or strangle Vi. Maybe both.

“It’s none of your concern.”

“Well, I know, but it’s going to be, if this continues. I like sleeping in peace.”

“I’m pretty sure everyone does.” Jinx barked.

“It’s not my fault you don’t want to pull someone.” Jinx felt her cheeks itchy, she grabbed the beer and squeezed hard, spilling the liquid on the counter. Before Vi could react, “hey!”

Jinx stormed out of the kitchen, her breath huffing, anger bubbling up in the still water in her mind, she wasn’t even angry at her sister. Jinx was angry at herself, for being powerless, she’s not the type that gets swayed easily by the river current.

But why did she surrender that easily?

Inside her room, Jinx sat on the edge of her bed, fingers pressed hard into her temples like she could crush the thoughts out of her skull. The dream clung to her skin, Caitlyn’s hands, Caitlyn’s mouth, the way her body had opened for her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Disgusting.

She lurched to her feet, pacing the cramped space of her room, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor. The window was still open.

It was just a dream, she muttered, nails biting into her palms. “Just a stupid fucking dream.”

But her body remembered. Her thighs still trembled. Her neck still burned where phantom teeth had pierced her.

It wasn’t real. Caitlyn wasn’t some bloodsucking seductress. She was just… Caitlyn. Uptight, annoying, human Caitlyn.

Except—

Except in the dream, she hadn’t been.

And Jinx had liked it.

Her stomach twisted.

Oh how she loves punishing herself.

She wasn’t some weak, whimpering thing. She didn’t beg. She didn’t surrender.

…So why had it felt so good?

The room was too small. The air was too thick. She needed to move needed to run but her legs wouldn’t listen.

Instead, she sank back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling like it might swallow her whole. And leave the husk behind, if Caitlyn wants that she could take it, because Jinx doesn’t want to be around when that happens.

Feeling good felt like a punishment.

She opened her laptop, staring at the messages piled up in the forum, some were directed at her while others just daily back and forth arguments about the superstitious…Jinx would have loved it.

But right now….

Her fingers hit the keyboard, in a reflexive way.

FISHBONES
I love you guys.

She closed the laptop, stared at the ceiling one more time before getting off the bed, opened her wardrobe. She donned a black cropped top Her frayed shorts were ripped at the seams, layered over fishnet tights, and her platform boots added an inch or two to her height. At the far corner of the wardrobe were things she had swore she would use when the time comes.

But now Jinx is going out to face her turbulence unarmed, fragile and confused.

Outside, her legs took her to a park, an empty one. She sat on a bench leaning into the warm wood, the air felt warm, the sky blue, birds chirping… ants working tirelessly, leaves getting crusty falling off their branches, getting swept off by the steady pace of the wind.

Everything was under a certain control.

It probably felt good.

Will feel good.

She closed her eyes, letting darkness bask her vision, a place where nothing matters everything obscured.

Unseen.

When she opened her eyes. It was already dusk. “What the hell?” Her head throbbed as she sat up, disoriented. The park was empty, the golden hues of sunset bleeding into deep purples and blues. How long had she been out? She touched her pocket and groaned audibly realizing she did not carry her phone.

She should go home.

But instead she walked. Her feet carried her without thought, winding through alleys and side streets until she found herself standing in front of the most famous building in the city.

It was famous for two reasons.

Its eldritch design
Being inhabited

But one Kirraman currently resides in it, making the first time the public eyes had seen them for decades, its gate was locked, Jinx climbed over with ease, she landed with critical thoughts. Is this not a bad idea? It was already dark enough to see the moon.

She started forward, her boots crushing dry and crunchy leaves with every step, a single, solitary light shone from an upstairs window, beckoning her forward.

The scenery around her felt oddly familiar.

Jinx felt a prickle of nervous energy that was a strange mix of fear and excitement. The mansion stared down at her, its ornate carvings and strange angles looking even more menacing in the low light. She felt like an intruder, a trespasser, foreign at a place she wants to make… she focused on the pull that urged her on, foreign but familiar The faint glow from the window was a beacon in the dark, and she walked toward it, her heart thrumming against her ribs.

As she got closer, she could see a faint shadow moving behind the glass, a tall, elegant figure. Jinx's breath hitched. She knew that silhouette anywhere. The closer she got, the more the cold from the dream crept into her veins, an icy feeling that had nothing to do with the cool night air. She reached the door and, without a second thought, pushed the heavy wood open. It wasn't locked.

She stepped inside and the scent of old books and something else, iron, like a hint of ozone hit her all at once. The house was quiet, so quiet it made her ears ring. She found the grand staircase and started to climb, her steps a little hesitant at first, then growing more determined as she neared the light source.

At the top of the stairs, she found a half-open door and a sliver of light spilling into the hallway. Jinx hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the doorknob. She could still turn back. She could still pretend this was all just a mistake, a strange dream that had bled into her reality. But the thought of not knowing, of walking away from this strange pull, was worse than anything.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open slightly enough to accommodate her.

Jinx stopped dead in her tracks. Her breath hitched. The room was a photocopy of the one in her dream. It was a solarium, a greenhouse, but with a surprising and very out-of-place addition, a small, stone-lined pool, steam rising from its surface. It was more like a grotto than a modern swimming pool. And in the middle of it all, submerged to her shoulders, was Caitlyn.

Caitlyn was wearing a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose, the lenses catching the soft glow of the hanging lanterns. A book was propped up on a floating tray next to a half-empty glass of what looked like red wine. Her long hair was piled loosely on top of her head, and her expression was one of complete focus, a relaxed, concentration.

Jinx just stared, her cheeks itching. This was the reality. Caitlyn, in a hot tub, reading a book. No fangs, no crimson lips, no bloodthirsty aura. It was so normal, so mundane, that it felt like a betrayal. The icy temperature of her dream, the intoxicating surrender, the raw, aching need all of it seemed ridiculous now. She was a fool, a desperate, pathetic little moth drawn to a perfectly ordinary, perfectly harmless flame.

The embarrassment was a physical weight, pressing down on her chest. She wanted to turn and run, to pretend she had never seen this, to erase the last few hours from her mind and go back to being… well, to being herself. The version of herself that was reckless and in control, not this weak, whimpering thing that was….

Caitlyn finally looked up, her head tilting slightly. She took off her glasses, setting them on the tray before she saw Jinx. A flicker of surprise crossed her features, a genuine, human expression. "Jinx?" she said, her voice a little softer than usual, tinged with a hint of confusion. "What are you doing here?"

The simple, honest question was like a slap. Jinx couldn't answer. She could only watch as Caitlyn gracefully rose from the water. Water sluiced down her body in rivulets, clinging to the curve of her hips, her thighs. The sight was intoxicatingly real, and yet, as Caitlyn reached for something on a nearby rock, Jinx felt a shiver of déjà vu.

Caitlyn pulled on a silken robe, the exact shade of deep blue from Jinx’s dream. The fabric clung to her skin, outlining her form before she tied it at the waist. As she turned, a soft hum seemed to fill the air, a whisper of something in her head, or perhaps it was just the sound of the steam escaping the pool. Jinx couldn't tell.

Caitlyn's eyes, now devoid of the reading glasses, were an intense, piercing blue, and the look she gave Jinx was eerily familiar. The surprise was gone, replaced by a deep, unwavering intensity. Her lips, soft and parted, held a hint of a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Familiar.

"So you came," Caitlyn said, her voice a low murmur that sent a shiver down Jinx's spine. It was a statement, not a question.

Jinx's mind was racing, her thoughts a jumbled mess of embarrassment as she nods sheepishly.

"What do you want from me?" she blurted out, her voice a little too loud in the stillness.

Caitlyn didn't answer right away. She just stared at Jinx, her eyes low and unblinking, like a doll's. Jinx felt a shiver trace its way up her spine. The silence stretched on, becoming an unbearable weight between them. It was a long, unnerving moment before Caitlyn finally blinked, slowly, deliberately, as if she were waking from a trance.

A frown, so subtle Jinx almost missed it, settled on Caitlyn's brow. "I've been meaning to ask you that," she said, her voice a low, thoughtful murmur. "I don't know."

Jinx's hands clenched into fists. "Don't play with me. Why did you invite me here? Why do you keep showing up?"

Caitlyn collected the glass of red wine…

Dipping her fingers in it before licking them.

“Your sister, I found her trespassing, taking pictures of…” she stopped and licked her fingers slowly, then continued. “I’m sure this scenery seems familiar to you?”

Jinx took in the question, not knowing the intent, but she had seen the compound somewhere… in pictures. Yes! Ekko’s birthday gift from Vi, she groaned internally on how much of a blockhead her sister was.

“I’ll take your silence as confirmation.” Caitlyn’s voice pulled Jinx out of her thoughts. “I wanted to call the police, but she begged, saying she wasn’t a thief. It was a birthday gift for someone. She showed me the photos she had taken on her phone, as proof."

Caitlyn paused, her eyes seeming to look through Jinx, lost in a memory. "She was scrolling through them quite quickly. But there was one that made me ask her to slow down."

Her lips kissed the edge of her glass, tasting the drink, then continued, staring at Jinx, a blank facial expression.

"A selfie," Caitlyn said, her voice barely a whisper. "A picture of a girl with bright blue hair and eyes that…“

Jinx’s stomach flipped. She didn’t even remember taking a picture with Vi’s phone.

"Something about your eyes piqued my interest," Caitlyn continued. "They were full of this vibrant energy, but underneath... I saw something else.. I couldn’t quite figure out, it excites me.” She said with her face stoic.

“So you used my sister to get closer to me?” Jinx barked, “no, no, I’m very fond of Violet, she’s soft, and has a great sense of humor. I like being around her.”

“Like being around her while acting weird around me, like… like you’re flirting with me or something.” Jinx mumbled. Caitlyn chuckled softly, “you share the same sense of humor.”

"And now I'm here. You're here," Jinx said, her voice trembling slightly. "Are you… are you wooing me? Is this all some kind of weird… flirting?"

Caitlyn stared at her, her eyes wide and unblinking again. The long, unnerving silence returned, and Jinx found herself holding her breath, waiting. A flicker of something, a strange, fleeting emotion crossed Caitlyn's face. Then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the corner of her lips turned down, and she frowned.

Then she bit her wine stained finger, “I like your voice Jinx, it excites me.” She bit another hard this time… but Jinx didn’t see anything coming out of it,

Maybe the foggy room…

“Now, why did you come?” She asked, tilting her head slightly. “Is it because of my face? Do you find anything weird on my face?” She continued while staring passively at Jinx.

“I don’t….know.” Jinx forced out. The taller girl hummed at that. “Well that makes two of us.” She stretched out her hand towards Jinx, the motion loosened the robe on her.

“Then why don’t we find the answer together.”

Jinx took a step forward, her ears ringing screaming something to her that she can’t hear. Maybe she was missing something… she was supposed to be on guard for something like a firewall. A defect was already deep within her…. corrupting her senses. Each step towards Caitlyn was an invite.

She was inviting someone dangerous to her safe and secured haven… sealing it with an embrace on the cold skin of her attacker.