"Good morning, sleepyheads." Valentina welcomed us in the dining room. "I was already afraid that I would eat all by myself. Sit down." She pointed in front of her.

"Thank you so much for letting me sit in my own house. How nice of you Val." Killian grabbed my hand and pulled me to the table.

"Was that a joke? Oh my god, Killian said a joke." She looked at him in surprise. "Is the world ending?"

"Really funny." Killian rolled his eyes, but I could see the tiny smile he was trying to hide.

He pushed my chair out and waited for me to sit down before he sat down too. Since when have we been doing this? You know what? I don't care. I like it.

"Shit." I looked up at Valentina. She had a cell phone in her hand and was looking at something.

"Watch your tongue." He warned her as if she were a little kid.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Killian." She stood up from the table. "I need to take care of something." Without another word, she left the dining room, leaving Killian and I alone.

"Oh, I almost completely forgot." I shifted my gaze to Killian. "Charles texted me."

"What? How could you forget that?" He frowned.

"Finn is leaving and your sister came to visit. There wasn't enough time."

"That's a really bad excuse, Lyssa."

"All right." I rolled my eyes. "Charles texted me that in almost two weeks we will have a chance. It's like a formal event where the management will try to get investors and..."

"And you want to go there." He cut me off. "Is it safe?"

"When it comes to white snakes, nothing is safe."

"That calmed me down." He snorted.

"I'll tell you about it later, I just didn't want you to think I was hiding something from you."

"It still hasn't calmed me down."

"It's fine. I'll manage, like always." I winked at him. "Now let's eat because I'm starving."

"What could be the cause of that?" He laughed.

"You know very well what." I poked him in the ribs with my finger. Idiot.

*****

Nine days.

Nine days since Finn left and eight since Valentina did as well.

It was probably the hardest for Killian. He tried to pretend he was fine, but he couldn't fool me.

Fortunately, there was Lucy, who always lifted his spirit.

I can't believe these last days were real. It was so peaceful.

Of course, we came up with a plan for the Blood Ball, I can brag about that. We thought out everything down to the last detail.

Three more days.

Three days until the Blood Ball.

I think that Killian and everyone have noticed that even though I've fine-tuned the plan, I'm nervous.

Still trying to find some flies but nothing so far. I suppose that's good.

But why don't I feel that way?

"You've been looking at those building plans for hours. Don't you think it's time you relaxed a little?" I looked up when I heard Killian's voice.

"I'd rather be sure." I lowered my head and returned to the plans.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him walk from the door of his study behind me. "Why don't we go somewhere today? You, me and Lucy." He leaned behind me and leaned his hands on the chair while his lips were near my ear. "Or just you and me, whatever you want."

How is one supposed to concentrate in such conditions? It's impossible.

"Do you think it's a good idea to go somewhere now?" I turned the chair carefully so as not to accidentally hit him with it. "We have three days, we should focus."

"You've been focused for the past week. He grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet." He walked past me, still with my hands in his, and sat down in a chair. He pulled me to him and sat me on himself. "You deserve some rest."

"I rest at night. I mean, sometimes." I corrected myself. "Whose fault is that I wonder?" I muttered under my breath.

"That sounds a lot like a complaint." He said jokingly and smiled. "Do you want me to stop interrupting your rest at night?" His hands slid to my hips.

"That's not what I said." I laughed and leaned in to kiss him.

Things have been going too well with Killian lately. He works a little less to focus on Lucy and me, which surprised me at first.

"Hold on." He pulled away from me. "There's something... something I wanted to tell you.

"Okay?" I frowned. "What's up?"

"I just...I wanted to tell you that..." He trailed off again. "Lyssa I lo...."

"Lyssa, do you have a minute?" A voice from the door, interrupting Killian. "Oh. Sorry." Luna looked at us guiltily. "I'll just come back later." She reached for the handle and slowly closed the door.

"Unbelievable." I laughed. "What were you saying?" I looked back at Killian.

"Nothing." He tried to smile. "So where are we going?"

"Are you sure?" I frowned.

"You need to relax for a while. And you're not the only one. So where?"

"There's a really good restaurant in town that makes wicked burgers. Finn showed me around." I smiled at him.

"Then it's decided. Burgers."

*****

"That'll be it, thank you." I smiled at the waitress and handed her back the menu.

"I'll bring you your drink right away." She smiled and left.

"You were right. It's good to get out of there for a while." I looked at Killian.

"Lucy also appreciated that, right?" He smiled at her. "Don't you want to tell us what you did with Kai today?"

"We were picking out things for my room!" Lucy shouted.

"Room?" I frowned. "What room?"

"Uncle Kai said I would have my own room and it would be purple." She happily wiggled on the spot.

"Killian?" I raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to tell me what she's talking about?"

"I thought it would be better if she had a normal kids room. The one she's staying in isn't the most ideal for a child. And for a girl, too. I promised her a kingdom." He smiled. "Right princess?"

"You want to redo a whole room for her?"

"It's just a room." He laughed. "I wanted her to have something nice. But if you don't want me to...."

"No, no, no...it just caught me by surprise. I don't mind. On the contrary," I looked at Lucy, "it's a good idea."

"Can I also have flowers painted on the wall?" She looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Of course." I ran my hand through her hair. "Whatever you want, sweetie."

While we continued to talk about the room, the waitress came back with our drinks and said she would bring our order in a few minutes. "And we also have a children's corner where the other kids are, if you want to go play." She winked at Lucy and left our table.

"Can I?" She looked at me with big eyes. "Please, please, please." She grabbed my hand.

I looked at Killian, who just shrugged. Really helpful.

"But stay where I can see you."

"Yes!" She squealed happily and slipped past me. "Thanks mom!" She screamed as she ran to the other children.

"Did she just..." Killian began.

"Yes." I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest. "She just called me mom." Still looking at Lucy, tears began to well up in my eyes.

"Shall I give you a minute?" I could hear the humor in his voice.

"Shut up." I turned back to him and saw that he was smiling from ear to ear. I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to look normal.

"Did you expect her to call you Lyssa forever?"

"Of course not, but I wasn't ready right now."

"I don't think you can ever be ready for this."

"I can prepare for anything. Don't underestimate me, Killy."

"I wouldn't dare." He laughed and put his hands in a defensive gesture.

"That's what I thought." I laughed and looked at Lucy.

She was playing by the "pool" full of plastic balls with some boy. They looked cute.

"What are you doing?" I frowned when I saw that Killian wanted to stand up and walk towards them.

"Look at that little shit." He nodded his head at them with a frown on his face. "Who does he think he is? Lucy isn't interested in him."

"Killian." I caught him across the table again. "Stop." I laughed. "They're kids. She won't bring him home right away." I let him go, trusting that he wouldn't run after them and that he wouldn't tear them apart.

"He's too old for her." His jaw clenched.

"Maybe about a year. Leave them alone. You're impossible." I took a sip from the glass in front of me.

"She won't date until she's thirty. I hope you know that."

"Thirty? Are you serious?" From his expression, he actually is. "How the hell does Valentina have a boyfriend?"

"His existence does not threaten me."

"And the existence of that little boy does? Oh my god Killian." I looked at his face. "She's just being friendly."

"He was looking at her strangely." He kept saying his own thing.

"He wasn't!" I laughed. "I really don't know which of you is a kid."

"Really funny." He rolled his eyes.

"Nice evening." A waitress came up to us, this time different from the one here. "Have you picked something from the menu?" She smiled at us.

"Picked? We already ordered." Killian scowled at her.

"I'm the only one serving this table, so it's impossible."

"No, no, the tall blonde was here. She already brought us our drinks." I pointed to the glasses in front of us. "I think her name tag was Charlie."

"I'm sorry, but there must be some misunderstanding. No one with that name works here."

"What do you mean?" Killian asked before my eyes fell behind the waitress.

"Killian. Where's Lucy?" I was looking at the empty pool.

"Shit." He stood up and headed straight for where Lucy was a moment ago.

"Are you going to order or..." I didn't let her finish, I got up from the table and almost rolled over her as I headed for Killian.

"Killian, where is she?" I looked around the entire restaurant, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"We'll find her. Go check the toilets, I'll go to the back." He ran away and I ran in the other direction to the toilets.

"Lucy?" I opened the door. "Are you here?" No one answered. "Where are you Lucy?" I said to myself and ran out of the toilets.

This cannot be happening.

I went back to the main part of the restaurant and looked at every table.

"Come on Lucy. Where are you?" I looked from one side to the other. "Shit."

I went to the cash register, where the female employees were standing and talking.

"Have you seen a girl this tall?" I showed Lucy's approximate height with my hand. "She was wearing a red dress with white flowers and . . ."

"Oh sure, she left a while ago." One of them said before I described her more.

"With who?" Oh my God. This is not happening.

"With some blond girl." She shrugged and said something else, but I didn't understand her. The whole room started to spin for a moment and everything seemed to blur. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah...I just need some air." I headed for the back entrance where Killian was going.

That drink. There was something in it. Oh no.

I was clinging to the wall when my legs decided not to cooperate. I grabbed the handle and opened the large metal door above which was written exit.

When the cold air hit me, I barely managed to stand.

The last thing I saw was a car and four people. Two women on the sidewalk, a piece of red dress, and Killian being pushed into a car.

"No." I said with all my might. "No." I tried to walk to the car, but the two women closed the door and got in. "Stop." I whispered. "Please."

And then everything was like a fog. My knees failed and I found myself on the cold ground. Everything blurred and unrecognizable until darkness had taken me.

*****

"Lyssa." There was that voice again. "Stay with me. It's going to be okay."

I tried to open my eyes or just move, but I couldn't.

"We're almost there."

It was a woman's voice, but I didn't know whose. Everything is so hazy.

"Just stay with me. Don't sleep."

"Ki...Killi..." I tried to speak but couldn't.

"I need to get you back to the villa, then we'll take care of Killian. Nothing will happen to him. They won't hurt him."

They won't hurt him?

Oh my God. That car. They took him. He was kidnapped. Killian and Lucy. They took them.

No. No. No. No. No.

"No, Lyssa! Stay with me! Shit."

The last words I heard before the darkness took me again.

*****

Yeaaaaah so that happened :/