Witches in Training (#2 in the Witches Trilogy) [rewrites ongoing]

Chapter Twelve: Going Too Far

A/N: Okay, I know I haven't updated in a while, but all these holiday stuff just got me distracted. So many cool stuff to do. Sorry. But here it is!

VINNI

"Vinni, I need to talk to you." I pause at the familiar voice, glancing at De at the same time. She nodded slightly, pushed the cards towards me and left the room. "Vinni?"

"Um-yeah." I wave my hand and the door springs open, revealing the five0nine, brunette fairy with incredibly mesmerising green eyes. Also known as fairyboy. Also known as Louis. He folds in his wings and walks in, dressed in his typical jeans, sneakers and Abercombie shirt. "How'd you know about this place?"

"Russell told me." Louis says, easily sliding into the chair De just vacated.

"Jerk." 

Louis smirks. "So what is this place? Headquarters of the rebellion?"

"Something like that. Now that all the training's been suspended I've been cooped up here with Deanne all day."

"Jessica?"

I drum my fingers on the table. "We haven't seen her since yesterday. Kieran and Vera said she went off; didn't tell them a thing." I shake my head. "Anyway... what did you want to talk about?"

"Two things," he says, holding up two fingers, "one is something I'm afraid I have to dredge up. The other is, fortunately, something I think you'll be very interested in." With that he takes out two items from his pocket and sets them on the table. One's a flashdrive, about half the size of my little finger. The other is the bracelet.

"Louis," I say with faked politeness, all the while staring at him to make sure it's quite clear, "I thought we were over that discussion."

"No, we're not," says the masochist firmly, clearly looking to get punched.

"Yes, we are."

"I figured out something last night. About the bracelet. It's made by pixies, but it's crafted out of fairy glass, and strung together by fairy silk. It's enchanted with fairy magic. You know the most important element of fairy magic?"

"Uh... dust?"

"Fairy promises are unbreakable, right? Fairy magic is long lasting. And it has a special sort of magic memory; when personal emotions or auras seep into the magic's layers and get welded in it. As long as I have this on, I'm not about to forget the person who gave it to me." He flushes slightly. "I guess it also makes it kind of hard to let go of the person." Dark clouds have started to gather in the sky outside, but the atmosphere in here feels more ominous.

I arch an eyebrow, shuffling the deck of poker cards and setting up a solitaire game to distract myself from what could delve into being an extremely uncomfortable conversation. "So by giving it to me..." 

He has the decency to look embarrassed. "I didn't mean- I just wanted to kind of give you an explanation... what I meant about giving it to you to forget someone. I guess it kind of sounded a bit mean from your point of view. And Abby's."

"No, no, purposely trying to forget your best friend, it's all good."

"Vinni, I'm serious." He looks so unsettled that I give in.

I sigh. "Louis," I say patiently, "I've said this already. It's not you. It's not me. Frankly, at this point, it's not even the bracelet or Abby anymore. It's the fact that Abby's your mate, and your best friend, and she likes you, and you like her, and I'm not going to come in between that. I've done a lot of rather immoral things over the past couple years and I'm not about to add this to the list." I offer him a slight smile. "If you have to know, ranting at you yesterday was one of the hardest things I've ever done, which is saying something." I give up on my card game. "Now what's this about the flash drive?"