37__A Memory, a Flickering bulb

*Emma peeked around the wide tree trunk at the neighbour’s backyard, brushing her ginger-red hair out of the way. She gasped. There he was. That boy.*

*Emma’s family had lived on their farm since before she was born and they had never had neighbours before, but the strange boy moved into the empty house closest to their just two weeks ago.*

*His house was closest to theirs but she’d still had to go through the woods to get a peek of it.*

*Emma crouched lower when the strange boy turned her way. He finally turned away and she took another peek. She didn’t understand it. Where were his parents? He’d appeared and taken up residence in the house without anybody knowing where he’d come from.*

*His black hair fell over his eyes as he crouched by a huge boulder and poked something on the ground. Emma felt very sorry for the boy. She was only twelve, but even if she was thirty, she didn’t think she’d like to live without her parents. But he looked older than her so maybe he was okay with it.*

*She remembered the first time she’d seen him. It had been by the creek. She had been watching him when a group of older boys had appeared and started making demands of the boy. Emma had watched wide-eyed as they’d shoved him around, surprised that the boy wasn’t fighting back at all, only standing with his hair hanging over his eyes.*

*It had been the horrified screams of the older boys that had startled Emma the most. She didn’t know why they’d suddenly screamed and took off running, but it had definitely been something the strange boy had done.*

*Emma was nearly dead with curiosity.*

*Her big brother had said the boys building the well thought that the boy was a creature. There had been plenty talk of monsters in the town since then.*

*Emma bit her lip, watching the strange boy. Her mouth fell open when he straightened and with one hand lifted the boulder as easily as one would a ball of hay.*

*When he flicked his hand and sent the boulder tumbling back, Emma gasped and fell back into a heap of leaves.*
*Instantly, the boys head snapped up in her direction and Emma froze.*
*Her heart started to race when, through the thick locks of black hair in his face, her gaze met an intense blue-eyed one.*

**************************
Viktor stared at the strange woman’s face, unable to register her presence because there was only one thing going through his mind at that moment. He couldn’t process that either because the thought had no meaning to him. He didn’t know what it meant nor who it referred to, but the thought was currently filling his mind.

His lips parted. “Emma.”

Kamilla gasped and wrapped a hand around Viktor’s wrist. Turning away from the shocked stranger, he looked down at Kamilla with a frown.
“Viktor, what did you say? Just now.” she asked him.
Viktor stared at Kamilla. “Did… did I just say Emma?”
Slowly, Kamilla nodded. “Yeah.”
Viktor blinked. “Who the hell’s that?”

Kamilla’s mouth opened and then closed. Her eyes were bright with tears and Viktor had no idea why she was in that state. His eyes fell closed with a sigh and he lowered her hand from his wrist to his hand where he wrapped his own around it. He didn’t know why she was fighting tears when he was the one with inexplicable things happening inside his mind. Women were so bizarre.
Viktor turned to the blonde stranger who was still staring at him with wide eyes. He narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me, do we know each other?”

Elizabeth blinked at the dark tone. That didn’t sound like the Charming she’d gotten to know. With a confused frown, she glanced at Kamilla who quickly shook her head.
“Uhm,” said Elizabeth. “No, sorry. I’m mistaken.” With a nod she turned to leave.

“Are you?” Viktor demanded and Elizabeth stopped in her tracks.

She turned back to face them. “P-pardon?”
Viktor’s eyes narrowed even further. He’d clearly heard her say Charming before that Emma name suddenly popped into his head. Why was this human now pretending? He frowned down at her. “What is your name?”

The tone left no room for discussion and Elizabeth found herself responding automatically. “Elizabeth Ames.”

Viktor stared at her for a moment more before he gave a curt nod and led Kamilla away.
Kamilla glanced back at her and Elizabeth put up a ‘call me’ sign.
Viktor pulled open her door and jerked his head, telling Kamilla to get in.
Biting her lip, she lowered herself into the car.
Viktor got in and pulled onto the road.

Kamilla looked at him as he drove through the streets of London. His face was dark with a frown that did nothing to diminish his beauty.

“Why are you staring at me?” Viktor asked.

Kamilla pursed her lips. “Aren’t you going to question me about that?”

Viktor smacked his lips together before sighing. “Why should I?” he asked. “You won’t tell me a thing with that silly desire to ‘protect’ me. Ridiculous.”

Kamilla gave him a look. “It’s not ridiculous!” Sighing, she waved it away. “Where are we going?”

Viktor picked up speed. “Back to my apartment. You need to eat before we head back to Onyx.”

Kamilla turned in her seat to face him. “We’re going back to Onyx?! Today? But…”

“I need to go to Cassius. Why? Did you make plans with your little blonde friend to gossip more about me?” At Kamilla’s quick gasp, Viktor glanced at her. “What? Don’t tell me you thought I really didn’t know you were talking about me.”

Kamilla sunk back into her seat, face flushing from guilt. She bit her lip, mind racing. This wasn’t good. She had made plans for while she was in London, but they hadn’t been with Elizabeth. They had been with somebody far more special. The reason why she’d gotten Demetrius to buy her all her new devices in the first place.

Soon they were pulling into the parking lot and heading up to Viktor’s place.
She glanced at him. She had to do things really smoothly, otherwise he was likely to hang her from Witcher’s.

“So…” Kamilla started as they got into the elevator. “What happened to the body?”

Viktor shrugged. “Took care of it. It’s been on the news all day, but they won’t find it. Not where I put it.”
Kamilla raised a brow. “Uh, in your private penthouse suite? Wow, it’s *never* going to get found now!”
Viktor scowled at her sarcasm. “That’s not where I put it, smartass!”

Kamilla pursed her lips and nodded as they walked into the apartment. She looked at the back of his head and felt a burst of guilt.

“Order something in, okay? I can hear your stomach from miles away. I need to work for a few hours before we leave.” When she didn’t respond, Viktor stopped and turned to see Kamilla still standing by the closed elevator.
He frowned at her. “What is what that injured mutt expression?”

Kamilla tilted her head. “You mean ‘injured puppy’?”
Viktor waved it away. “Whatever. What’s wrong with your expression?”
Kamilla sighed and shuffled her feet. “Earlier… you were super frustrated I wouldn’t tell you anything. Aren’t you mad at me anymore?”

Shrugging his coat off his shoulders, Viktor studied her as the guilt tearing through her conscience wafted over him. He sensed her guilt and… something else. Viktor froze and analysed it, his heart filling with a sense of dread. She wanted to do or say something that she knew he wouldn’t like. She was planning something.
“You feel very guilty about it, don’t you?”
Kamilla pouted and nodded.
Viktor swallowed when her expression actually softened his heart. Damn, the woman had diabolical abilities.
Turning away from her offensively adorably expression, Viktor hardened his expression. “Good. Maybe your guilt will make you talk.”

With that, he disappeared up the stairs to his study to sort through the documents Roger had emailed him, signing what he had to and finalizing what had to be finalized.
Viktor sat in his study for thirty minutes, his heart tightening with dread for every single one of those minutes. He looked at his watch before closing his eyes to feel her.

Kamilla was still close by. Viktor’s brow twitched. She was close, but getting further away by the second.
With a muttered curse, Viktor pushed back his chair and stalked out of the office.
Making his way downstairs, he swept his gaze across the apartment.
A slow smile curved his mouth. Kamilla wasn’t in the apartment. That was what the guilt had been about.

She ran.

Snatching his coat off the armchair, Viktor strode over to the waiting elevator and went to the roof of the building.
Glancing over the side, Viktor scanned the street until his gaze found her.

She was already on the other side, rushing down the sidewalk like she were being chased by a pack.

He tilted his head. She’d have been lucky if she were getting chased by a pack. At least she could fight them.

With Viktor, she didn’t stand a chance.

With a dark smile, he stood on the edge and closed his eyes.

Spreading his arms, he let himself fall forward as he dove off the building and into the cool breeze.