Drunk In Blood. © [EN]

6. This potion is consuming me

I'm sitting on the stone bench in DIB's courtyard, savoring every bite of my pancakes drizzled in honey. Today, I craved something sweet, something to soften the mess in my head and help me stay calm, if only for a little while. Beside me, Maya and April are eating their own breakfasts, but I can feel their glances, waiting. Their eyes reveal a mix of curiosity and, in April's case, a hint of impatience.

"I have a plan to undo Vincent's love spell," I say slowly, testing the waters.

Maya tilts her head, clearly intrigued, and I even catch a spark of excitement in her gaze. But April... April is already starting to frown.

"What's the plan?" Maya probes, equal parts excited and cautious.

"We have to find Vincent's twin flame. It's the only way to break the spell."

They both fall silent, processing what I just said. April opens her mouth to speak, but Maya interrupts first.

"That's almost impossible, Leia," Maya says, wide-eyed with concern. "First of all, we don't even know if his twin flame exists in this lifetime. For someone like Vincent, who's a vampire... we could be searching for years and still find nothing."

"I know, but there has to be a way," I insist, trying to sound more confident than I actually feel. April drops her fork, looking at me like I've just confessed to a crime.

"Leia, that's crazy," April argues, bluntly. "Not only would it take far too long to track down that supposed twin flame, but if you and Vincent are already bound by the potion, that search might hurt both of you in the process. You don't know what consequences that could bring."

The coldness in her voice catches me off guard. I've spent years with April, and it's rare to see her this firm. I feel a knot tighten in my stomach, but I refuse to give up.

"There's no other choice, April. I have to make this right on my own."

She sighs, but her eyes sparkle with something else—something that seems like a mix of calculation and suspicion. Then, after a tense pause, she leans in close, lowering her voice as if about to reveal a secret.

"There is actually another option. I was thinking about all this, and Yiren might be able to help us."

Yiren's name makes me tense up. Vincent's cousin, Yiren, has a reputation as dark as it is mysterious. Rumor has it she's studying witchcraft to become a hybrid, something illegal and absolutely forbidden in the vampire world.

"Yiren?" I whisper, almost in disbelief. "No, that's way too dangerous. And we can't expose Vincent to that risk. She's his cousin."

April shrugs, as if the concern doesn't faze her in the least.

"I saw her the other day in the library, in the advanced dark magic section. Believe me, she knows enough to be useful."

I shake my head firmly. Yiren is anything but trustworthy. I already have enough problems without someone like her meddling in my affairs.

"No. We'll leave her as a last resort, if we truly have no other options," I say, mostly to convince myself rather than her.

Then, I turn to Maya and tell her the other part of the plan: we'll cast a tracking spell when we leave. We need something of Vincent's, something personal, that will let us trace his twin flame if she's already reincarnated in this life.

"Something of Vincent's? Leia, that's risky," Maya murmurs. "And there are only five minutes left before break ends."

I meet Maya's eyes, and despite her doubts, I can tell she trusts me.