Eric would speak to me. He had to. My plan had to work. There were no more choices, and as long as I was in this weakened state, Kreturus could attack and I'd go down without a fight. This was the only way.
Night fell and when the time came to set the trap for Eric, I revealed my plans to Collin and Al. Al sat there, not saying much, but didn't argue with me any longer. She thought I was taking an unnecessary risk, but I wasn't. I couldn't sacrifice Collin like that. And I knew that I had to be careful with Eric. I didn't bind him when I had the chance. It was mostly because I thought he was dead, but given the chance to bind him now, I would still decline. Something inside of me told me that binding Eric was a mistake, even if it put me in danger. Tonight, Eric would come looking for me, and he'd find me. Collin and Al had Celestial Silver chains that we'd use to trap him and keep him from effonating away.
My plan was fairly simple. Eric wanted me for his own sadistic reasons. We needed someplace where I'd be out in the open alone, but still somewhere that it seemed like the encounter was an accident. We'd make Eric think he caught me. Then, when he tried to take me, Collin and Al would chain him. The old nun assured me she could move fast enough to keep him from leaving with me. And Collin seconded that opinion. This was the part of my plan that was hard for me. I had to believe that they'd get to me fast enough and that if something did go wrong, that they could fix it before Eric snatched me. I thought the plan was simple enough. Al muttered it was too simple, but that was the point. If it looked like we were just out and about, Eric wouldn't suspect an ambush. And even if Eric used his blood and tried to do the same thing as before, we'd have him. There was no way he could escape with me this time.
We put the plan into effect. I left the church building, unshrouded by shadows so that there was nothing masking my scent. Eric would find me faster that way, but so would other Valefar. It was increasingly rare for me to walk around without being shrouded. The shadows were like a cloak shielding me from those who'd drink my soul. But the shadows' presence left a chill deep within me that wasn't warmed in their absence. It had grown permanent, so that I was always cold. I wondered if that was the poison amplifying the shadows' effects, but there was no way to know.
Leaving the safety of the church, Collin helped me into his car and we drove to the diner - the one I had met Eric at so long ago. The diner shimmered. It was a silvery beacon in the middle of the dark night. As Collin slid into the booth, I slid in opposite him. He was agitated that he agreed to go through with this. I could feel it wafting off of him. Instead of being offended, I placed my hand over his until he looked up into my eyes.
I smiled softly at him, and whispered, "I love you."
His anger faded as he took my hand in his. "I love you, too. But I don't know if I can do this, Ivy. I can't stand the thought of something happening to you." Collin rubbed his fingers gently against the back of my hand while he spoke softly. "What if he's more powerful than we thought? He already showed that he's mastered some of the vilest magic that we're capable of. What if he's not the same for some reason? Ivy..." his voice trailed off and he shook his head.
I interrupted, "But he is the same. He's a Valefar. You know everything about Valefar. You know their strengths and their limits. You commanded the ones in this area for a long time. I'd think that this would be predictable for you. But I can see on your face, you think it's not."
He shook his head, "Never think anyone is predictable - especially him." We were intentionally not using Eric's name so we wouldn't tip him off. If someone overheard our conversation, it could easily sound like we were talking about Kreturus or another Valefar. Collin's back