Author: T.L. Brown
Date: 2012-08-21 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Paranormal; Fantasy; Romance; Young Adult; Paranormal Romance; Vampires; Supernatural; Magic; Demons; Fiction
Description: The old house at the end of the haunted street seems emptier with the people missing and the lives lost. Ari and Aimee struggle to cope with the changes they've suffered through, the newest one being Giselle. She is thrust into the role of Vampire Royalty and with it come certain obligations and limitations. Sam thinks he has Hanna all to himself but the Roses have other plans. None of them really have much time to feel sorry for themselves and the deaths of their loved ones. An ancient bloodline, tracing as far back as Adam and Lillith, is discovered with an heir to the power living closer th
Publisher: Tara Brown Publishing

Witch

Book Four of the Devil’s Roses

A novel by Tara Brown

Copyright 2012 Tara Brown
http://TaraBrown22.blogspot.com

Amazon Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. No alteration of content is permitted. This book is a work of fiction, any similarities are coincidental. This book contains materials not suited for people under the age of 18. All characters in this fictional story are based entirely on the crazed mind of the author and are not based of any human. Any similarities are by chance and not intentional.

This book is dedicated to my fans, thank you so much, the interest and support has been amazing. I also must thank my husband and children. You supported me even when I was in my writer’s frenzy.

I have enjoyed writing this series and hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much.

Thank You Nick J (sexiest Proof Reader ever)

A special thanks to Mani and Katy and my friends The Nators. Thank you all.

Other books by Tara Brown

Cursed, Book One of the Devil’s Roses

Bane, Book Two of the Devil’s Roses

Hyde, Book Three of the Devil’s Roses

Born

The Light of the World

Vengeance

A New Dawn

Prologue

New York 1994

Her eyes adjusted to the dark as she waited for the footsteps that grew louder, as they drew closer. Pain ripped through her as she pushed, desperate not to make a sound. The sweat dripping from her brow and landing on the soft cot sounded like a hammer falling upon a nail. The loudest sound in the room was her rapidly beating heart. It sounded like a drum.

She gasped as the contraction took over. It forced her to push harder against the waves of pain.

Lost in it all she didn’t notice the door opening. She didn’t notice the finely manicured hand that propped it open. She didn’t notice the startling green eyes that watched her. Had she noticed them she would have seen the fear inside of them.

She let a small noise escape her lips, as exhaustion blended with her pushing.

“Lillith.”

Fully engaged in pushing, as her body was thrown into spasms, she ignored the voice. Somewhere in the back of her mind she recognized the voice, relief filled her. It was better than pain medication.

“Lil can you hear me?” The green-eyed woman walked into the room closing and locking the door.

She nodded, gasping for air.

The sound of running water filled the room, she ignored it. She focused. Her belly tightened with the next contraction, making a scream slip from her lips.

Warm fingers gripped her ankles, “It’s okay Lil. Deep breathes.”

Hopelessness washed over her as the fingers rubbed her ankles. She felt the pressure, as the head was freed from her canal.

“The head is out Lil. Stop pushing for a minute.”

She breathed against the stinging sensation and waited for the words allowing her to push again.

“Okay, one more big push and he’s out.”

Lillith clenched every muscle, letting another scream slip from her tight lips, as she pushed the baby out. Instant relief filled her as the screams of the child echoed throughout the sterile room.

She kept her eyes closed. She was terrified it would be the same as the others.

The silence of the other woman told her more than any words ever could.

Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks, “Just do it quickly sister.”

“Lil, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head, “Get rid of her quickly Anna. I cannot bear for it to be drawn out.” She heaved slightly as her stomached tightened again.

She had never felt such a strong contraction for the placenta before. She knew instantly that something was wrong. Her stomach tightened as if it were ripping. Screams tore their way ripped from her lips. She watched as her midwife placed the baby girl in the carrier and turned back to her.

“It’s another head Lil.”

She smiled through the pain, he would get his son. She would be free. At long last she would be free.

Chapter One

Alaska

She shivered, watching the night move around her. Nothing made sense anymore. She thought about Aimee, and had to fight the tears that threatened her every moment. She hoped, no matter where Aimee was, she was safe. She couldn’t believe the things Blake said about her, Aimee was no monster.

Blake had become the monster. She knew it wasn’t his fault. He never changed on the outside, he was still the nerdy boy she had fallen in love with, but inside he was dead. Something had changed inside of his eyes, they were lifeless.

A noise outside of her room stilled her mind. She felt her breath stop as she scuttled to the corner silently. She moved with stealth she never knew she possessed.

The darkness of the room was still as she listened to the noise in the hallway. She waited for it to pass by her room, but instead it remained outside her door.

She felt her stomach lurch forward, as she imagined the horror outside of the room, waiting for her.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them into her chest. She took shallow breaths, hoping no one could hear. She knew better though, she knew they could hear her. They could hear her fear, as if it were a symphony playing for them.

She closed her eyes and imagined Aimee bursting through the door. She would look the way the panther dude had said she would. Leather pants and huge boots. Her long hair would look like a cape behind her. She would be strong and kick ass on all the freaks that held Alise there.

She maintained her vision of her sister, as the key turned in the lock. The door creaked open, filling the room with thunderous noises. Footsteps crossed the room.

Teeth shot out like a switchblade.

A horrid laugh filled her face, as huge hands grabbed her skinny arms and pulled her into its embrace. She ignored it all, filled with the joy the vision of her sister provided. She felt herself get lost in the sunlight the long blond cape brought with it.

Wolfville, Maine Present Day

Ophelia

“Did you see her eyes last night? That was freaky. They went all black.”

“I think she’s on drugs. She moved the pointer with her hands. I saw her. My brother’s eyes looked like that when he did X. I don’t know how she's related to Abbey.”

"I know right."

She tried to ignore the whispers. She couldn’t believe they would say such mean things. She hadn’t moved the stupid marker. The board had been jinxed. Something came through.

She shot a glare at the stupid plastics.

“You never gave me my paper back.” The words left her mouth only slightly louder than a whisper. She still glared at the girls watching her.

She turned back to see Mr. Paulson glance up from the stack of quiz papers he was about to hand out, “Sorry kid. Let me see if I can find it.”

He picked up his briefcase and flipped through it, “Ah here it is. Jeeze sorry I never marked it. Let me do it quickly now okay?”

“Okay.”

The whispers got louder. She felt her skin start to crawl as a shiver crossed her.

She turned her gaze to the girls in the corner shooting glances at her.

Mr. Paulson ran through the paper quickly, his eyebrows rose several times. He never underlined a single thing. He never found a single mistake. He whistled and passed it back with an A+.

“Nice work kid.”

She took the paper and looked over at the popular girls still whispering. She should never have gone to the stupid party. She didn’t belong with them.

She didn’t even like them. They talked about whichever girl couldn’t make it to whatever function they were at. Backstabbing beotches was what Noams called them.

She couldn’t believe Abbey had wanted her to go to the stupid sleep over. She never should have gone. She should have stayed home with Mackenzie and Naomi to watch the Scream movies back to back like she had planned.

She took her seat as Mr. Paulson handed out the new quiz. As the paper landed in her fingers she felt her head grow heavy. She struggled to remain upright.

She looked up from her desk to watch Jake for the smallest of moments. His smile and confidence oozed across the classroom. His eyes caught hers, bringing a smile across his lips. Her heart jumped at him taking notice of her. Then as quickly as it was there it was gone. He looked away as if confused. It took him a second to bounce back into the quiz paper sitting in front of him.

“No talking. You have fifteen minutes to complete this. When you’re done keep it turned over on your desk.”

She looked down at the questions but the page fuzzed out. She wiped a trembling hand across her face. Her forehead was covered in sweat.

“She’s sweating like a coke head freak. We should phone and report her.”

“Shhhh. Eyes on the test people.”

“Look at her now. Her freaking eyes are all black. She’s doing drugs I’m telling you.”

The whispers were driving her nuts.

She felt herself sway.

“Oh shit Ophelia has got some side boob. Thank you Jesus for the side boob.”

She looked down at her tank top and readjusted it. She looked at the boy next to her and scowled. He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Oh my god she looks like she’s gonna puke. God if she does I hope she turns away from me. Sweet god, don’t barf near me. Please turn the other way.”

She frowned at him again. His voice rang in her head but his lips didn’t move.

“She is gonna puke. I think she took too much. Typical emo slut. They always eff up and take too much.”

She looked up at the girls in the far corner. Their hands covered their mouths as they whispered. They were twelve desks away from her. How was she hearing them? Or the boy next to her? How were the people next to the mean girls not hearing them? Everyone had their eyes on their tests except the mean girls and the boy next to her.

“Shhhh. Eyes on your tests.” Mr. Paulson spoke from his desk but still never lifted his eyes. He tended to repeat himself whether they spoke or not.

"She is such an emo dork. I heard Abbey had to stop her from cutting herself the other day. She was all trying to commit suicide with those other emo sluts. I heard she likes Jake. What a loser."

"Abbey must be so ashamed."

It was a lie. She never cut herself.

Anger filled her in a sudden fit of rage. She stood up screaming at the girls in the corner, “STOP!”

The anger and energy rushed from her.

Sound burst into the classroom like a shot from a gun. Papers and debris filled the classroom as huge gusts of wind blew in the suddenly open windows.

Her desk sat perfectly neat, just as it had when she stood. Everything else in the classroom was spread across the room. Mr. Paulson’s glasses sat askew on his face. His hair was blown back. The kid in front of her had no shirt on except around his wrists.

Everyone looked at her like she was a freak. Cruel words began to fill her head in hushed tones, “Freak, druggie, possessed, psycho.”

She put her burning fingers up to her face and clawed at her head, “Shut up. Shut up. Just shut up.” She chanted. She looked at the jagged glass of the windows. There was no glass except around the edges. It looked as if the windows had been smashed.

Light filtered into the room from the windows. She saw something move in her peripheral.

The frightened faces of the other kids were nothing compared to the black shadows she suddenly noticed. They whispered seductively as they crept along the floor. They slithered snakelike, trying to reach out for her.

She ran from the class. Her feet were the only sound in the hallway as they pounded away from it all. She hadn’t been feeling right since playing with the Ouija board.

She ran until she reached home. With her back against the front door and the locks all turned, she slumped onto the floor and started to cry. She could never go back to the school again. She was a freak. She was for sure that weird Emily Rose movie.

She went to her hiding place, where she sat and read. She pretended everything was the same as it had been before the stupid party.

xxxx

“O? Ophelia you here?”

She felt ashamed as Abbey crept into her hiding place. Her beautiful face looked worried. She sat on her knees and reached her hands at Ophelia’s.

Ophelia looked at her over top of the book, “I hate you.”

Abbey smiled, “I heard it was just like the sleep over except you blew Phillip McNeill’s shirt right off his body.”

O watched her younger sister smirk. She couldn’t smirk back, “That Ouija board haunted me dude. I haven't been the same since that fucking sleep over. I hate your friends. They did something bad to me.”

Abbey put her hands up, “Hey you got mad skills dude. Mr. Paulson is off for the rest of this year and probably next. The whole class is in love with you.”

O shook her head, “No they think I’m a sweaty crack head. I’m starting to agree with them. I don’t even know what happened, the voices just got bad and then the windows broke and I screamed. I think someone slipped me something. Probably those bitch friends of yours Ripley and Lacey.”

"Those sluts are not my friends. They're acquaintances. They never have anything nice to say. No one listens to them O."

"They said I cut myself. Like you told people I was cutting myself."

She shook her blonde head, "No dude I never said that. Come on. You know those whores make shit up about everyone."

Ophelia put her face in her hands, "Yeah but they don’t have to make this one up. I destroyed the classroom. I'm going to die like Emily Rose."

Abbey laughed nervously, it was her thing, “I would have died to see it O. You’re like magic or shit. I’m jealous. Nothing happens in this stupid town. You're not going to die, maybe you'll be like Carrie at prom next week. You can kill Ripley and Lacey and the other nasty bitches.”

Ophelia cried into her palms with her book on her knees, “I wish I was like you.”

Abbey hugged her tight, “Ditto sis.”

Ophelia laughed a wet snotty ugly face cry into her sister’s shoulder. Ditto was their thing. They loved the movie Ghost.

“I’m going to Lance’s tomorrow night and I am dead assed certain Jake is going to ask you.”

She pushed her younger sister back, “Don’t be a dick. I already feel like death. I’m staying home and cutting myself for real and listening to sad eighties music.”

Abbey shoved her back, “Weirdo, you should come. It’ll be fun. Lance told me to ask you.”

Ophelia shook her head, “No way. Hanging with the angst twins and doing suicide pacts sounds like way more fun.”

Abbey rolled her eyes, “Stop joking, mom is going to think your serious and you’ll end up in an institution like aunty Marie who still swears she can’t see you.” She snickered and left the room.

Ophelia curled back in to her reading ball and continued with her book.

She ignored the garage door opening later, as the sun started to go down. She blocked out the voices in the house. Her workaholic parents would pop their heads in but she would keep her face in her book and pretend everything was normal. She hoped.

“Uhh Ophelia is there something you want to tell us?”

She cringed inside of the closet.

Her dad opened the door looking stressed. Her mom already had her hands on her hips.

Ophelia shook her head.

“Honey the school called and said there was an incident. You broke all the windows in a classroom and threw papers everywhere?”

She shook her head, “I never I swear. Ask anyone I never moved a muscle. I just yelled and everything went crazy.”

Her dad raised an eyebrow, “O.”

“Dad I swear.”

Her mom put her hands over her eyes, “Ophelia we have a meeting with the principal tomorrow. Prom is in a week and grad in two weeks. You couldn’t wait to smash windows till you were graduated?”

Her dad left and her mom dropped to her knees in the closet, “Baby if you’re sad or feeling bad about something you can tell me. You know that right?”

She nodded, “I swear I didn’t do it mom.”

Her mom nodded, “Okay baby. I believe you.”

It didn’t feel like she believed her, it felt like she didn’t want to deal with it.

Chapter Two

Sam

He paced around the room wondering when she would come home. It had been a bad idea to let her go. He had been giving her space. He hated space.

Roland entered the room silently, as always.

He cleared his throat, “Tea?”

Sam nodded, “Thank you Roland.” He took the tiny bone china cup and drank. He felt a twinge at the taste, his mother had made him drink it before too. It apparently helped calm the nerves but nothing would dull the pain he was in.

“You look as though you could use a walk perhaps.”

He looked up at the old man and laughed, “I’m going to kill her is what’s going to happen. Has she called?”

Roland shook his head, “Not in the last twenty-eight minutes since you last asked. Why don’t you just go to her?”

He sighed and dropped in to the over sized chaise, “I can’t. God I told her I trusted her. What a mistake. Aimee has her. She’s going to get her killed.”

Roland laughed, “I don’t think I can imagine anything strong enough to kill Miss Hanna. Beyond you.” His eyes glinted with knowledge making Sam blush.

“You flatter me Roland.”

Roland shook his head leaving the room silently, “I think not.”

Sam stood again, continuing to pace. He looked at the cell phone on the bureau and tapped his fingers against his legs. He grabbed the phone and flashed from the room.

He walked across the floor of Lydia’s house, looking for someone, anyone.

He walked until he found Lucas sitting on the couch, staring at the wall across from him in the largest of sitting rooms. He sat alone. He had been doing that since Ben had died.

“Hey man.”

Lucas didn’t even flinch, as he spoke without tearing his gaze from its spot, “Hey Sam. What’s up?”

“Oh, not much.” He slumped in to the chair across from Lucas. Lucas never met his gaze.

“You waiting for them to get back?”

Sam sighed and grinned, “Did Ari go too?”

He nodded.

Sam felt a sickening pain fill his stomach as he thought about Ben, the room felt empty without him.

“Why didn’t you go?”

An expression crept across Lucas’s face but it was gone when he spoke, “Not allowed. Lorri said no retaliation on this one. We’re dealing with something out of our league.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah I got the whole ‘no because you’ll want to defend Hanna’.”

Lucas’s lip lifted ever so slightly, almost into a grin, “Everyone wants to help Hanna.”

Sam threw a pillow at him, “Whatever. Asshole. Speaking of which how’s Dorian?”

Lucas shook his head, “Worse I think. He actually went to some vampire hideout in Brazil and killed everyone.” His sad eyes blinked away from the wall and looked at Sam, “Innocents and all.”

Sam whistled, “Wow. Daniel and the tards have no idea how pissed off they have made him. Wanna go hunt his dad?”

Sam’s eyes brightened, “Aleks’s?”

He nodded, “Lorri said no to Alaska, but not to Viking werewolf death.”

“Yeah. I’ll go. Any clue on where to start?”

Sam shook his head, “No, but I know where Aleks last lost the trail. It was in Virginia. Jonesville, Virginia.”

Lucas stood and put his hand out, “Take us to Jonesville.”

Sam pulled his phone out and Googled Jonesville. When the picture on the map came up he flashed them to a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Tumbleweeds rolled across the dusty road, as a wind picked up making waves in the hay field next to them.

Lucas looked around, “Where the hell are we?”

Sam shrugged and looked at his phone, “I’d say in hell, I don’t have any bars.”

Lucas growled, “Is that a Bison farm?”

“Look dude, focus. We are in Hillbilly County, someone is going to shoot your hairy ass if you chase livestock.”

“It’s hard to resist.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Okay well maybe we can stop for a Bison burger somewhere. I’m not eating it raw on the side of the road.”

Lucas stripped his pants and shirt off and passed it to Sam. He phased instantly, sending shredded pieces of his white boxers throughout the air.

Sam waved his hands in front of his face, “Luke. Gross. Your underwear is everywhere.”

The huge dark wolf made a funny noise Sam could swear was a snicker.

Lucas sniffed the ground and began running. Sam ran after him, flashing to keep up.

Sam wondered how he had caught the scent so fast but soon even he could smell it. It wasn’t the wolf he smelled but Aleks. He ran as fast as his legs would allow as they walked their dead friend’s footsteps. His chest ached thinking about the scent they chased.

Chapter Three

Ophelia

She woke tired. She was a typical teenager. She liked to sleep till noon and stay up until two in the morning.

The difference that morning was a combination of two things. The lingering hope that her parents had managed to believe she hadn’t actually broken the windows and that everyone at school had forgotten she had broken the windows. She had fallen asleep praying no one would care or remember what she had done.

She wasn’t even out of the sheets when her door was thrown open and her sister walked in, “I need you to be nice to Jake today. I told him you like him and he almost lost his mind. He was pumped. Don’t emo on me okay homie? Be the girl I know you are.”

Ophelia buried her face in her pillow, “Oh my god why do you have to exist?”

“You've wished for Jake to like you since we were five and six. Today is your lucky day and he’s going to Lance’s party. So are you by the way.”

Terror filled her, "I can't go to school."

"You have to. If you skip you're going to look guilty."

She looked at her reflection and shook her head, "No. I can't do it and I'm not going to that party with you and the plastics."

"Ride or walk?"

She sighed, "I'll walk. I need to get lost on the way and end up in New York City with a different name and a cool mustache."

Abbey laughed, "Such a loser drama queen." She grabbed her arm, "Come on we'll ride together."

At school she looked around at everyone from the sidewalk in front of the building. Everything looked the way it did everyday. Nothing looked different. She waited for the stares and the pointing to start.

She glared at her sister and waited for it to hit. She couldn’t believe Abbey had dragged her to school. She was strong for such a skinny thing.

Ophelia walked up the stairs of the school feeling embarrassment and pain in each step. She shied away from making eye contact. She would forever be the girl that gave Mr. Paulson a heart attack and nervous breakdown.

“O wait for me.”

She frowned and looked back at Maria, mean girl Maria Thompson, running toward her waving her hands. She looked around for Mack and Noams but they were nowhere to be found. She was going to die alone and humiliated.

She didn’t know what to do.

She almost turtle’d when Maria reached her, but she saw something she hadn’t seen before. Maria smiled at her.

“O we’re having a party tonight, end of year party for all seniors. It’s at Lance’s parents place. They have a pool so bring a suit.”

She stammered, “Uhhh what. N-n-no thanks.”

Maria laughed, “You have to come. You never come to parties and school’s almost over. Please. Jake Mackay asked me to make sure you come.”

O nodded, almost laughing, “Jake, Jake, Jake Mackay?” Her sister hadn’t been messing with her. She raised an eyebrow at Maria.

Maria smacked her in the arm, “You’re being weird. See you at lunch.”

"I’m being weird?’ She muttered and walked up the stairs feeling more scared than she ever had. She felt vulnerable, as if she’d showed up naked.

She couldn’t go to the party. It was a set up. Abbey wasn’t a part of the evil plan. They were using her to get to Ophelia. She nodded to herself as she walked. The plastic's hated her.

People smiled at her, people she didn’t know. Guys winked. She felt her face start to sweat as she hurried to her locker. As she got the door open she took a deep breath. Everyone was in on the plan.

“O can we talk for a second.”

She looked up at the ceiling, “Seriously?” She muttered.

She turned to face Jake. She was certain he was the hottest quarterback in the history of football. He filled all of the space in front of her. His shoulders were each double the size of her entire body. She trembled watching him look her up and own. His grin frightened her. He ran his hand through his dark blond hair. His chiseled features made him impossible to look at. He almost glowed with perfection.

He was it all, tanned skin, winning smile, perfect dark blue eyes and six foot two at least. She had seen him in swim class. She blushed remembering what lie innocently beneath his black t-shirt and jeans. His body looked carved and unreal.

“Hi.” She spoke abruptly, trying desperately to focus on anything but the memory of him in swimming trunks. His abs with droplets of water running down them.

“Pretty crazy what happened yesterday hey. No one really remembers what happened exactly? They said it was like lightning hit the window.”

She shrugged, desperate to not talk about it, “I don’t know, maybe.”

“Paulson’s out for the last few weeks and probably won’t be back next year. You rock. Marie said you might have a poltergeist from the Ouija board. Like Paranormal Activity and shit.”

She nodded, “Oh.” She felt her breath freaking out like she had asthma.

He licked his lips, “Can I pick you up at eight for the party at Lance’s?”

She shook her head, “Oh uhm no thanks.” Her forehead was sweating. She just wanted him to go away. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve, “I’m not going.”

He put his hands on either side of her, backing her completely against the locker, “You have to go.”

She nodded, hypnotized by his eyes, “I do.” Her words were a whisper.

He nodded again, charming every inch of her, “I will pick you up at eight.”

Her breathing had taken flight into the realm of uncontrollable, “You will pick me up.”

He laughed and leaned into her. He feather kissed her cheek. His plump lips pressed against her flushed, no doubt sweaty, cheek. She closed her eyes. She couldn’t be certain, but she might have wet herself.

He pushed himself off the locker making a sound, a growl? She turned back to her locker, desperate to hold on to her emotions. She gripped the metal of the door for a microsecond and took long soothing breaths.

She closed her locker and walked to the bathroom as quickly as she could.

“Uh hooker was that Jake kissing you on the cheek?”

She turned to see Mackenzie and Naomi following her in to the bathroom. They wore matching long sleeve white t-shirts with a dark face smeared on them.

She scowled at them both and walked in to the bathroom, “Where the hell have you two been? God Maria tried to kill me with kindness and everyone thinks I’m totally awesome for almost killing Paulson and Jake just kissed me and I think I'm being haunted by Emily Roses or her ghostly demons.”

Mack sighed, “You weren’t answering the phone or texts last night, what do you expect from us?”

She blushed, "Throwing rocks at my window?"

She looked in the mirror at herself, her pale skin was flushed making her face crimson. Her dark hair was matted with perspiration. She pulled an elastic from her pocket and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The curly hair looked tame as she dragged the moisture back and across the top of her head to smooth the frizzies. She looked at her face again. She had always thought herself pretty, not beautiful but pretty. She had a flaw. A major one. One she actually liked about herself, her eyes were different colors. The right was a dark, almost black blue and the other was light blue.

Mack pointed to her dark eye, “O it looks angrier today.”

"It's my nervous eye."

Noams laughed, "Dude seriously though, we called like eighty times."

She smiled at her best friends in the mirror, “I was hiding last night. My mom and dad are coming to meet with the principal. Everyone thinks I smashed the windows.”

Noams and Mack both had black bobs with too much dark eye makeup and dark lipstick. They had thin white faces and thin short bodies. The only difference between them was Mack’s huge breasts, they made fun of her for them. She was the stick with boobs. Everyone called them twins, even though they weren't related. Not even a little. They'd done the genealogy charts.

“Tell us the truth O, what happened?”

She turned away from the mirror and shook her head, “I don’t know. I kept hearing those plastic beotches saying shit about me, like I moved the Ouija marker on purpose or that I was a crack head. Then they said I was cutting myself and Abbey told everyone."

"Sluts. That Ripley is a whore. She let the French teacher-"

"-Okay gross. Dude come on."

Noams blushed under her white powdered face, "Sorry. Continue."

Ophelia snickered, "Anyway then I got hot and sweaty and then I yelled at them and the windows all broke and this wind blew through the classroom. The papers went everywhere. It was weird.”

They grinned and spoke simultaneously, “Wicked.”

She shook her head, “Not so wicked. The principal is pissed.”

Noams grinned, “We can be like that movie The Craft.”

Ophelia sighed, “No. This is like a poltergeist from that stupid game. I’m haunted.”

Noams shook her head, "Think of the revenge you could get on Lacey and Ripley. Everyone would know the truth about them."

Ophelia rolled her eyes, "Everyone knows the truth. Lacey got caught with her cousin at junior prom. Oh and remember last year when they faked those crank calls and the police traced the harassing calls back to Lacey's house. That was epic. And of course everyone knows the story about the French teacher and Ripley." She shivered.

"So gross."

"So gross."

Ophelia smirked, "Anyway today has been weirder than yesterday. Everyone is smiling at me and pretending I did an awesome thing. People I don’t know. Like I rock for no reason."

Noams looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted her bangs, "You do rock. We've been telling you this for years. You're just stupid."

Ophelia stuck her tongue out.

“Okay well hokey pocus see you at lunch then and movie night?”

She sighed, “Got invited to Lance’s by Jake. That’s why he was kissing me. He asked me out.”

Their screams filled the small bathroom with echoes.

“You have to go.”

“Oh my god, get laid for all three of us. Can you tape it?”

She laughed, “So disgusting.”

“Okay, we'll see you at lunch unless Jakey wants to show you his snakey in the handi washroom like all the other slutty seniors.”

"Bring Lysol, I heard that's where the French teacher and Ripley have, uhm well you know."

She rolled her eyes at them as they left the bathroom, "You guys are sick."

She turned and washed her face with cool water, to try to calm her nerves. She looked up at her reflection, as the water beads dripped from her face. Her thick lashes held water droplets, making her light blue eye look sharp and outlined.

Suddenly in the background she saw others. They looked like her. They floated without color in the mirror around her. She tried to focus her eyes on the water droplets. She tried to ignore the fact six other girls were in the mirror with her.

She didn’t dry her face. She ran.

She ran from the bathroom and down the hall. She ran to the front doors and then all the way home. She was losing her mind. She was dreaming. Her body was really in her bed, the day hadn’t really happened. It was a dream.

She wheezed, running in her front door.

‘Don’t be scared of us.’

The voice was outside of her head. She screamed and ran up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door and dove into her bed. She pulled the covers up and kicked her shoes off the side of the bed. She lay there shaking.

She closed her eyes.

She fell asleep curled in a ball.

Chapter Four

Sam

He tried not to judge the wolf eating the deer, even if it was a baby. His mother’s people were kind vegans. They despised the injury of any being, especially baby animals. He couldn’t help his upbringing anymore than Lucas could help his animal urges. The Siren's had shunned his mother when he was a tiny baby. He had been raised with the Wiccan's on an island in British Columbia until he let himself get captured by the American government. His mother had always believed in Wicca and the way of life they chose.

He looked at Luke and wondered if they would find the trail again. They had lost it outside of a town called Portsmouth, on the border of New Hampshire and Maine.

Lucas walked down to the river they sat on the banks of and phased back. He stood naked on the riverbank and dove in. The blood rose to the surface of the water, as it washed from him. Sam wrinkled his nose at him, as he surfaced and beamed, “Now that was a meal. I left some meat on the bones for you.”

Sam tried not to heave, “Yeah that’s not going to happen. You’ve had your muzzle over every inch of that poor creature.”

Lucas rolled his eyes, “Pass my clothes Nancy.”

Sam, half tempted to toss them in to the river, passed them to the edge of the water.

Lucas dressed quickly, “My family is from a small town from just up state. I’ve lost the trail but they will know if they’ve had a rogue wolf in their territory.”

Sam nodded, “Okay.” He looked at his phone, still no word from Hanna. He pressed his lips together.

“Want to go to her?”

He looked up at the grin on Lucas’s face, “No. I just want her to tell me she’s okay. It’s easy for you, Aimee and Ari like each other. They both hate Hanna.”

Lucas shrugged, “They don’t hate her, they dislike her. All supernatural girls dislike Hanna. Competition.” He winked at Sam.

Sam growled, “She isn’t competition.”

Lucas laughed mockingly, “I know I know. You’ve convinced her to love only you, that doesn’t change the fact she’s a hot mess dude.”

Sam squared his shoulders at him, but Lucas stepped back with his hands up, “Whoa dude, I get it. I smelled it on her when I met her. Anyone who meets Hanna will agree she's a sweet girl. She’s also the scariest monster I’ve ever met, including Lorri.”

“Not making me feel better.”

Lucas laughed again, “Nothing you can do. Nothing she can do. Dude Aimee isn’t going to let anything happen to her. Neither will Ari. We both know Dorian won’t.”

“Okay, stop trying to make me feel better. Jesus.”

Lucas pointed, “It’s this way. Want to flash us maybe fifty miles at a time?”

He put his wrist out for Sam to take. Sam thought for a brief second about leaving him to walk, but placed his hand over his wrist in the last second.

xxxx

When Lucas had said his family lived in a small area in Maine, Sam had not expected what he found. Lucas’s uncles had a massive hunting retreat with expansive grounds where wolves walked freely. The lodges were mansions, only made to look like log homes. Western Canadian Fir and Cedar made up the huge houses and many decks. The lawns were less than what one would expect surrounding such homes, but it made sense. Werewolves wouldn’t care about how the grass looked when they were eating a carcass on it.

Regardless of the fact he was able to leave instantly, he couldn’t help but feel nervous and out of place. He was the one that wasn’t like the others. A tall stunning woman walked past him smiling seductively.

Lucas moaned, “Keep it in your pants Sammy.”

Sam punched him in the arm.

“Lucas!” A voice called out from a crowd.

Sam watched Lucas bound up to a huge beast of a man. The man had dark red hair and dark amber eyes. He wrapped his huge arms around Lucas.

They hugged and talked briefly but as others began to notice the commotion, a group of people converged upon Lucas. Hugs and laughter filled the circle surrounding him. Sam lost Lucas in the crowd. He felt like twiddling his thumbs, as he waited for the reunion to end. He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Hanna.

‘where r u?’

He put the phone back, not certain he wanted the answer.

“Luke, is that for me?”

Sam looked up at a sexy young woman with silky blonde hair pointing at him. She wore the shortest shorts he had ever seen, revealing long tanned muscled legs. She wore flip-flops and a tiny white tank top. The weather was nowhere near warm enough for her outfit. Sam gulped. She watched him like he was the fawn Lucas had just eaten.

Lucas reappeared from the crowd, “This is Sam. He’s different. He’s not a snack Janine. He’s half Siren.”

Sam felt ashamed as he watched the faces of the people around him change. Their eyes widened, their mouths tightened and theirs stares became hardened. The Fae had long known sirens as trouble. They were like the Fae's naughty cousin that no one wanted around.

“He’s a Rose?” The blonde asked indignantly.

Sam lifted his hand revealing the gleaming platinum ring.

She gasped, “That’s so wrong.”

Sam looked at Lucas who laughed, “He’s with another Siren. He isn’t single. He’s met his mate calm down.”

Sam frowned and whispered, “TMI dude. What the hell?”

Lucas laughed harder, “We have no secrets man. The pack shares everything.” He raised an eyebrow at Sam.

“Keep my details to yourself. I’m not part of the pack.” He felt his anger rising.

Lucas shrugged, “You’re part of my pack.”

Sam’s anger was deflated. He lowered his gaze and nodded, “It’s nice to meet you all.” He muttered knowing they would all be able to hear him.

Lucas turned back to the growing group of people, “I have terrible news.”  Sam watched as Lucas’s lower lip trembled, “Ben was taken to the great mother.”

Sam’s heart hurt all over again, as everyone in the group began to react to the news and howling filled the air.

Chapter Five

Ophelia

“O some dude has a package for you and he won’t give it to any of us. He’s British and snotty and mean. You have to sign it. Oh and Jake is here for you.”

She groaned and rolled over. She felt her sister’s fingers on her arm, “O Jake is here for you and an asinine British wanker.”

She opened her eyes, ready to scream but her sister’s smiling face filled her blurry vision.

“Wha…?”

She laughed, “You fell asleep after school. Are you feeling okay?” She ran a hand over her forehead.

She sat up wiping away the drool, “Yeah. I’m fine. Just sleepy. Whose here?”

Her sister laughed, “Jake. British wanker.”

“It wasn’t just a nightmare. Great.”

“What?”

Ophelia shook her head, “Nothing. Tell him I’ll be down in, like two minutes.” She rubbed her eyes, feeling the room spin slightly.

Her sister got up and left the room, “You’re acting weird.”

“Yeah I know. Uh Abbs did mom and dad say anything about the principal?”

“Yeah mom told him if no one saw you move then it was pretty hard to prove you did it. Whatevs dude let's go.”

She got up and glanced at her mirror. She turned away from it quickly before the faces came back. She pulled her clothes off and pulled on her bathing suit. She threw on a pale yellow skirt and a white terry towel hoodie with three quarter sleeves. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and slipped her flip-flops on. She walked down the stairs feeling anxious and frightened.

“You are an incredible player son. I just adore watching the games this year.” She knit her brow at her dad as she walked around the corner.

“O package for you at the front door.” He pointed at the door and went back to bromancing Jake.

She turned and inhaled sharply when she saw the face of the man at the door. He sneered until he saw her. Then his black eyes lit up.

“Hello love.”

She smiled and walked toward him, “Hi.” She wanted to touch him. She reached a hand out.

He laughed, “Easy love. Ophelia I need you to sign here for this package. It’s a special delivery.” She stepped outside on the porch where he waited.

She nodded and took the pen. It stabbed into her fingers as she grabbed it. She winced but his eyes were mesmerizing. He took the pen back. She wasn’t certain she had signed or not. She took the small box, but never took her eyes from his face.

He leaned in, “You’re in danger. I need you to come with me.”

She nodded, “I want to.”

He laughed, “Ophelia I need you to hear me, they are coming for you.” His dark eyes were menacing. Ophelia felt uneasiness overwhelm her. She stepped back in to the house. He took a step forward but didn’t enter the house after her.

She felt a shiver as the evening air blew over her arms, giving her a chill. She blinked at him, “Who are you?”

He grinned, “Better question is what are you?”

She stepped back again, clutching the box, “Leave me alone.”

He shook his head, “Can’t love. Things are going to get weirder than just some broken windows at school.”

She closed the door quickly and pressed her back against it. He was part of the Ouija board problem. He was probably a ghost. She ran up to her room before anyone in her family could see her. She tossed the box on the bed and dropped to her knees against the rough carpet. She tore open the box to see bubble wrap.

She swallowed as she peeled back the layers of bubble wrap. Her trembling fingers clutched something cold and hard. She lifted it from the box.

A snow globe.

She had officially lost her mind. Her birthday was in a couple weeks. Someone had obviously sent her the snow globe for her birthday and she was acting like it was a bomb.

She raised an eyebrow at it. Inside there was a blonde woman in a long sleeve red dress standing at a window inside of a stone room. The windows of the room revealed a snowy forest. She tilted it upside down and glitter filled the room, making the water sparkle.

Through the swirls of sparkly water, she saw the head of the woman turn toward her. Her bright blue eyes sparkled. Her lips curled up in to a smile. She reached her long slender fingers toward Ophelia.

‘Ophelia’

A whisper floated in the air around her face. She dropped the snow globe back in the box and closed the lid. Her breath was ragged and her skin crawled with goose bumps.

She pushed herself up using her bed and backed away from the box. She walked backwards until her back hit her closed closet door. She shook her head and closed her eyes for a second.

O let’s go.” Her sister shouted up the stairs at her.

She turned and ran from the room.

She walked into the kitchen, wondering if anyone noticed the frightened look on her face.

“What was the package?”

She shrugged, “Some snow globe. Not sure.”

Her mom frowned, “That’s weird.”

She nodded and looked over at Jake. He looked amazing.

“You guys played amazingly last game. Jake how many scholarship offers did you get?” Her dad sipped his coffee and leaned against the counter. Ophelia smiled. Her dad didn’t want them to leave.

Jake blushed, “I got four offers. I’m taking Notre Dame. I never imagined I would get it.”

She couldn’t believe how humble and sweet he seemed.

Abbey walked into the kitchen and smiled at Ophelia. Ophelia couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked. Until she realized her golden hair and bright blue eyes reminded her of the woman in the snow globe. She shivered thinking about it.

Abbey frowned at her and nodded at the clock.

Ophelia cleared her throat, “Uhm dad we should be going.”

He laughed, “Oh right. I forgot you guys were going out. You kids have fun and we’ll see you when you get home girls.”

Her mom kissed her on the cheek, "We'll be at the movies when you get back. We're going to the late show."

She walked to the door, wishing she could crawl back under the rock where she had hidden for eighteen years. She didn’t know what changed to make Jake notice her or Maria be nice to her. She had a bad feeling the Ouija board wasn't to blame. There had to be something else. She was terrified they were going to torture her at the party. She looked at the sweet smile on Jake's face and the annoyed look on her sister's and felt reassured. Abbey would never hurt her.

Jake stepped in front of her, to get the door for her and Abbey. She watched his huge hand take the handle. Images of his hands touching her filled her mind. From the shadows she’d watched him forever. Whether it had been playing football or making out in tenth grade with Melanie Nolan.

Suddenly as if she were Cinderella, she was living a dream. The dream she had wished for every day.

He put his hand on the small of her back and walked out of the house after her.

“You-uh, look, uhm pretty Ophelia.”

She felt the heat from his hand on her back permeating to her face. Her whole body was blushing. She felt the sweat start to creep across her brow again. She couldn’t wait to get to Lance’s house and get in to the pool.

He opened the truck door for her. She tried not to look at him as she climbed in.

“Oh you too.” She winced as she climbed into his huge truck. He closed the door for her.

She unrolled the old truck window and looked at her sister who was grinning, “I’m going to bring our car O. I will meet you guys there.”

She waved and closed the window. She couldn’t talk. She was probably dying from a nervous breakdown inside.

Jake climbed in and sat on the seat not starting the truck. He looked as if he was trying to build up the nerve for something. He took a breath, “I’ve liked you forever. You make me really nervous.”

She started to laugh. He turned to face her looking heartbroken. She put a hand up, “No I feel the same. I thought I was the only one. I feel like a moron around you. You make me nervous. Look my hands are sweating.”

His hurt face split into a huge grin, “Oh god you scared me. I didn’t think a girl like you would ever like a guy like me.”

She shook her head, “Are you high? God. This is not really happening. Girl like what? I know they call me emo and say I cut myself. I don't by the way.”

He started to laugh, "Who? The mean girls who have been with everyone? So what. No one listens to them anyway. They turn on each other regularly."

She swallowed hard and watched the way her right knee trembled.

He put a hand on her bare thigh sending sparks across her, “Ophelia I’ve liked you forever. I’m not even kidding. I mean, you're the kind of girl who is too cool to date a guy from high school. You just always seemed so distant, like you didn’t want me to see you.”

She shook her head. Her whispered words floated from her lips, “I'm not too cool. Too nervous is more like it. I’ve felt like no one could see me.” She had never spoken truer words. She had always blended into the background with the twins.

He leaned into her, taking the air and replacing it with his warm breath, “I see you Ophelia.” His soft lips brushed hers, as if he were holding back. She responded to his kiss and met him more than half way. She wanted more of his kiss, his breath. She wanted him to cover her, pin her against the truck door and run his hands up her bare legs. She saw an image of his hands roaming her bare thighs.

She pushed him away and took a breath. His eyes were wild with passion and life. Something she had never seen before.

He laughed a throaty chuckle, “We should go.”

“Yup.” She bit her lip before she told him to drive down a dirt road and take everything. She would give him everything he wanted. She knew what he wanted. She could feel it in the air. Touching him only made it worse. His emotions and feelings crept into her mind with every touch of his fingers. It was like the whispers but good.

Her breath was still too big for her chest, as they parked in the driveway of Lance’s parents house. She didn’t know Lance anymore than she knew any of them. They were the popular kids. They tortured the nerds and dorks and ignored the rest of the insignificant nobodies, like her.

She went to open the door to the truck but Jake’s hand reached over and pulled her in to him again. His huge hands crushed her into his chest. He squeezed and pulled until she was in his lap. His greedy fingers rubbed her back, wanting more. More skin to touch, more than just a kiss.

She pushed hard against his chest.

He smiled, “Your eyes are really different colors up close.” He spoke breathlessly, “I have always liked that about you.”

She giggled nervously, “This is too fast for me.”

“Me too. I feel like we don’t know each other even though I’ve seen you every day.”

“I think we should go in.”

“Okay.”

She leaned in for a soft kiss but his tongue met hers inside of her mouth. She tried to pull back but his hands were too strong for her. She saw the image again, him straddling her, her back against the hard metal of the door and his hands roaming her skirt. They were lifting up her thighs. His hands felt molten against her.

“Stop.” She spoke unconvincingly, as his mouth found her neck. His lips burned a trail down her throat.

His hands slid around to her stomach. They started their progression to her breasts. He moved quickly, skillfully.

She pushed against him and shouted, “STOP!”

He froze. His lips looked ridiculous frozen in position they had been on her throat. His eyes were half closed, creepily. His hands formed cups just in front of her breasts. She backed against the steering wheel.

“Jake?” She whispered. He didn’t move, even to breathe. She didn’t know what to do. She felt a panicked scream rising in her throat.

She looked around the truck but no one was there. Her trembling fingers fought with his huge hands and arms to free her from his embrace. She struggled to climb off of him. She kicked her legs and pushed against him violently to get away. As her body hit the seat, she slid until she felt the hard metal of the door against her back. She started to cry in panic, “Jake. Jake please stop it. I was just scared. It was going too fast. Jake. Please move again.” She put a foot out to kick at his body gently. He remained in the position perfectly like a model at the wax museum.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she reached a wobbly hand out to his arm. He was frozen completely and perfectly. She squeezed his rock hard bicep and pulled her hand away quickly.

“Jake.” She whispered again into the silent cab of the truck. The sun had started to set.

‘RUN!’

She turned looking for the faces as the whisper filled the truck.

“Who are you?” She asked terrified to look around.

‘RUN, OPHELIA RUN HOME! DON’T STOP RUNNING! YOU AREN’T SAFE!’

She opened the cab of the truck and leapt from it. Her flip-flops slapped against the hard pavement, as she fled from the huge house and the truck with the frozen boy.

Chapter Six

Sam

He felt her eyes on him, they hadn’t left since she’d met him.

“Can you just ask her to try to not to stare?” He whispered into Lucas’s ear.

Lucas laughed, “On your own there man. I don’t get involved.”

“Pretty sure Ari is going to feel the full strength of my Siren gift when I get home. I might just show you what unleashed really is.”

Lucas’s back straightened. He bit into the chicken thigh he was gnawing on. He crunched the chicken bone and licked his fingers. He glanced back at the woman, “Janine can you do me a favor?”

“Sure Sugar, whatever you need.” Her eyes never left Sam.

Lucas frowned at Sam and then looked back at Janine, “Just stop okay?”

She didn’t even bat an eyelash, “No.”

Lucas looked back at Sam, “I tried, you even think about messing with Ari and I will kill you, cook you and eat you.”

Sam grinned, “Try.” He flashed from the room.

The moonlit night was peaceful and cool in Maine. He couldn’t believe the size of the moon. He could feel the pull of the oceans as he stood under it. His Siren appeal was always stronger under the full moon. The wolves knew that no doubt. Fae knew a lot about the supernatural world. They stayed in groups and educated their offspring. Not like the rest of the supernatural world. Most were rogues who wandered the world alone. Except Siren's who all lived on the Island in Greece. With no actual skills beyond their sex magic they stayed where they were the strongest.

His mother had been one until she met an angel and gave him her heart, the other Sirens had shunned her. Sam had grown up with his mother and the Wiccan's. He had always told everyone his father was alive. He never wanted anyone to know whose son he actually was.

His phone vibrated in his pants. Hanna had finally messaged him.

She answered his question, ‘At Lydia’s’

‘I want to see you’

‘Where r u?’

He sighed and looked around, ‘Butt eff nowhere with Luke’

‘ewww try to behave ;-)’

‘Funny’

‘I have to leave tonight. Lorri is sending me to Greece to see my fam’

Panic filled him, ‘NO’

‘yeah’

‘I’m coming to you’

‘Leaving now with Aims. Text when I know where I am.  <3 U’

He sighed, “Fuck.” Then sent his last message to her, in hopes it would help his cause later, ‘I love you too’

The last thing he wanted was for Hanna to meet the others. He had hoped to explain the whole situation before she met the rest of them.

Chapter Seven

Ophelia

Panic made her heart race as she ran through the downtown core. The small town along the Maine coastline was tiny enough that downtown consisted of about four blocks. Her feet ached from the flip-flops but fear and heartache pushed her on. She raced until she reached the only small lane that looked as if it could be considered an alley. She didn’t notice the shadows begin to take form around her feet.

She leaned her back against the cool brick wall of the local hardware store. She didn’t know what had happened to Jake. Why had she run? Why had the voices told her to run? Where was her sister? She pulled her phone from her pocket but sparks flew from it as her fingers met it. She sighed.

She slumped onto the ground between two huge dumpsters and clutched her knees in her arms. She pulled her knees into her chest.

She was so lost in thought, she didn’t notice the white blue eyes watching her. She didn’t notice the dark shadows forming into fingers, trying to reach out to her.

Her skin started to shiver from the cool air, brushing against the sweat beading on her skin. She had been hot all day. She felt like a freak wiping her hands against her forehead.

Her breath grew rapid, she felt something change in the air around her. Suspense hung in the air, coating her skin like mist. She felt something moving but saw nothing. She heard the mist whisper.

She gulped but didn’t move, she waited for whatever it was to show itself. The thumping in her chest was starting to drive her nuts. She tried to hold her breath in. Nothing moved around her.

Suddenly a huge animal lunged at her from the black empty spaces between the walls and the unlit alley. She put her hands out and screamed. Something pulsed from her. The huge wolf with the pale blue eyes stumbled back. She screamed again.

‘RUN OPHELIA’

She looked around at the voices but instead of belonging to the mist they had taken a shape. A huge ball of light separated into six smaller balls. As the light dimmed suddenly six girls stood in the alley. Each held their hands out as she had. They turned to face her, their faces each identical to her.

Instead of eyes the bright blue lights filled their faces. Each made a panicked face and screamed at her in unison, ‘RUN’

Their voices filled the air around her. She scrambled to her feet nearly losing her balance.

‘RUN TO THE HOUSE AND STAY INSIDE OPHELIA’

She rounded the corner of the hardware store and didn’t stop until she was on her street. She raced across her lawn and bolted up her front steps. Her shaking hands were barely able to grip the door handle but she finally got it open. She shot inside the house and locked the door. She didn’t know if the beams of light could get in. She pressed her back against the door and began to sob.

A knock at the door startled her. She shook her head letting the tears flow from her eyes.

“Ophelia?”

She stopped and whispered, “Jake?”

“Ophelia let me in. Are you okay?”

She shook her head and swallowed hard, “No I feel really sick. I need to go to bed.”

The door handle rattled above her head.

“Ophelia let me in.”

She shook her head, as if he could see her.

“Jesus Christ I just want to talk.” His voice started to sound angry.

Trembling she wiped her face and waited for him to leave.

His hands shook the door handle again, “Oh my god. What is that? Ophelia let me in. LET ME IN!”

He began to pound on the door. She jumped back from the door and watched the handle shake.

“SOMETHING IS OUT HERE!”

She grabbed the lock and threw open the door.

He leapt in knocking her to the ground. She screamed as he pinned her to the floor. The huge wolf with the pale blue eyes lunged at the door. Its wide-open muzzle bounced off the open door, as if it hit a glass wall.

Jake scrambled off of her and dragged her further inside of the house. He lifted her off of the ground and held her in his arms tightly.

"WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK!"

She tucked her face into his chest, squinting away from the wolf at the door.

Jake’s arms wrapped around her, “What the fuck?”

She shook her head.

He put her on the couch. The door hung open. Jake stepped toward the door.

“No Jake, no stay here. No don’t go over there.” She whispered putting her hands out. She never took her eyes off of the open door. A cool breeze blew in making the door creak. She felt like her heart was in her throat watching him take another step toward the door. He peeked around the open door frame.

“I don’t see it.” He whispered.

She could feel it though. She could hear it whisper in her mind. It wanted her. It wanted to do bad things to her. It called her a witch. It said that was its favorite.

Suddenly Jake jumped back. The huge wolf growled, filling the doorway. He grabbed the door and swung it hard. The door slammed shaking the entire house.

His chest rose with his breath.

She had covered her eyes with her hands and was peeking through the spaces between her fingers.

He turned at her, “What the hell was that?”

She shook her head, “A wolf.”

"Yeah I get that it’s a wolf O, but what the fuck is it doing in town? Why is it chasing us?"

"I don’t know."

He turned the lock on the door, “Why couldn’t it get past the doorway? It bounced on nothing.”

She shook her head again, “I don’t know Jake. Why did you freeze in the truck? What was that?”

He turned to look at her confused, “What?”

“Lance’s driveway. We were kissing and then you froze.”

“I don’t know. I never. I just looked out the window and you were gone.”

She rubbed her hands over her eyes, “What? That doesn’t even make sense. You didn’t hear me leave the truck? You were frozen. I touched you. It was like a seizure.”

He backed away from the door. He went to the windows and closed all of the blinds.

"What made you come here? Why didn't you go in the party?"

He walked over to her, his dark blue eyes looked concerned, “I just knew you were here. I had a bad feeling, like I needed to get here right away.”

He climbed onto the couch and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed and held it up to his ear.

“Dad there's a huge wolf outside of Ophelia’s house. Ophelia. You know Dr. Peters. Ophelia Peters. Yeah.”

He rubbed his forehead, never taking his eyes from the front door, “It was the size of a horse dad. It was huge. It jumped at us and tried to get us.”

They both watched the door.

“No we’re safe at Ophelia’s but you need to call the police and the forest rangers.”

He pulled the phone away, “I’m staying here with you okay.” He whispered.

She nodded, she didn’t know if that made her feel better but it didn’t feel worse.

“I’m staying at her house. Yup.” He hung up the phone and started to fiddle with it.

“I’m going to text everyone at the party and let them know. They should go home, this is nuts.”

She watched his hands fly across the surface of his iPhone. She couldn’t help but notice how graceful they were for such large hands.

He looked at her again, “You okay?”

She shook her head again. Her words didn’t make it out of her throat.

“That was bizarre. Why couldn’t it get in the house?”

“I don’t know. It was in the alley, behind Lawts Hardware. It attacked me then but then, uhm, well- I got away.” She didn’t want to tell him about the six ghosts that had looked exactly like her. She didn’t know what to say about any of it.

Jake put his hands on her bare arms. His touch made electricity run up and down her arms. She remembered his lips pressing against hers. His tongue was roaming her mouth. She blinked trying to focus on him and let go of the daydream that seemed to be taking over her mind.

He frowned, making his dark blue eyes almost black, “You okay?”

Her head shook back and forth, before she could even register what he’d asked.

He pulled her in to his chest. He kissed the top of her head, “Me either.”

She hadn’t imagined he could be weak or tender. She definitely never saw him as vulnerable. She also never imagined a massive wolf would be chasing her around town or that her house would magically keep it out. She didn’t even want to think about the ghosts in the alley or the fact Jake had been frozen in the car. The broken windows at school suddenly felt a lot less serious.

“I am sorry for kissing you when you were saying no. It was like I couldn’t stop.”

She closed her eyes, “It’s okay. This has been a weird night.”

The front door opened suddenly making them both jump. Abbey raised an eyebrow at her, “You didn’t even make it there huh? Did you even leave the yard or just wait for mom and dad to leave?”

Jake shouted, “CLOSE THE DOOR ABBEY!”

She frowned, "Don’t yell at me in my house Jake. You two are wankers. I can't believe you never came."

“We did but a huge wolf chased me, and Jake had, like, a seizure. Close the door.”

Abbey looked back poking her head out of the door, “I don’t see anything. Maybe it was a love wolf.” She snickered.

"CLOSE THE FUCKING DOOR!"

She slammed the door with a red face, “Asshole. You don’t have to shout.” She turned and stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

Jake sighed and tried to call to her, “Abbey I-I-I’m sorry. It was there. I didn’t want it to get you.”

Her angry footsteps on the stairs drowned out his voice. He looked at Ophelia and shrugged, “Sorry.”

“No. She never saw it. Better she's pissed at us than eaten by that friggen thing.”

She climbed off the couch and took his hand. Her body felt alive, like energy flowed between their grip and sparks flew from where their hands met. She pulled his massive body from the couch and dragged him from the front room. She walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

Chapter Eight

Sam

The elder's meeting was boring. He couldn’t even pretend to care about the numbers of deer and bears in the woods. He wanted to get to the point. He felt his leg starting to twitch.

He looked at Luke, who gave him a subtle headshake. Sam sighed and pulled his phone out. His heart sank when he saw no new texts or missed calls. Hanna was going to be the death of him. He was glad the scouting trip to Alaska was over but he was terrified of her being in Greece without him, and without an explanation. They would pollute her. He felt a slight ache in his chest, imagining her pulling away. They would tell her he was bad. He was cursed.

“Sam.”

He looked up to see the room staring at him. He cleared his throat, “Sorry.”

Lucas laughed, “They found his scent. It’s a little north of here. Want to flash some of us up there?”

“Sure but I can’t do many. Maybe three others.”

Sam stood feeling the eyes of the ever-watchful females on him. Janine licked her lips and looked directly at his groin. He felt it twitch. It had been a long time since he’d satisfied himself and he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of a shifter. They were like forbidden fruit. They hated his kind. His kind hated every kind. He tore his gaze away from the sultry mouth of the blonde shifter.

“Let's go.” He spoke in a quiet voice.

Lucas strolled over nonchalantly, “You need to see Hanna dude. You need something, because even I can feel what you’re giving off.”

He felt his cheeks flush, “Yeah well that’s not going to happen. She’s gone to Greece. I’m not welcome there.”

Lucas winced, “Well your tension is all the better to kill a wolfman with.”

“I would probably rip him to pieces from fifty yards right now. Who all is coming?”

Lucas pointed to the two men and Janine, “The elders. Two trips for the other three?”

He nodded and clenched his jaw at the thought of Janine constantly around him. He would need a picture of Hanna in his mind constantly.

“Stupid Siren sex vibes. Stupid full moon.” He muttered. His half angel half Siren situation was brutal, unless he kept it under control. He remembered the feeling of Hanna in his arms. The delicious feeling of her lips brushing against his. The soft noises she made.

“Dude, Jesus.”

He looked at the faces of the shifters and smiled. They were loosening their collars and trying not to pant.

“Sorry. Anyway, shall we?” He put a hand out. Everyone touched him. One of the taller men held the picture of a small town. Sam nodded and flashed them their instantly.

He was back at the lodge and flashing the other members instantly.

The small town was silent. The great hall with the voices and people surrounding them and the smell of campfire was suddenly gone. Replacing it was silence. His senses became heightened. He looked around watching the shifters turn their noses up to the wind.

He could smell something but he wasn’t entirely sure it was what they smelled. He could smell Annabelle almost but different.

He frowned seeing Lorri walking toward them. Her fiery red hair was spiked more than normal giving her a feisty look.

“What the hell are you two doing here?”

Sam smiled, trying to ignore the bodies surrounding him tensing.

Lorri nodded to the elder in front of Sam, “I am sorry for your loss. Ben was like a son to me. We have shared a loss.” Her eyes glowed with an inner fire, “Want to share revenge?” Her plump lip turned up slightly.

He nodded, “Yes. We want our kill.”

Lorri nodded, “I will allow you to kill the man responsible. His name is Daniel.” Her eyes lit up even more, glowing with evil, “He’s a vampire.”

The elder grinned, “Whatever you need that we may offer is at your disposal until such time as we may kill him.”

She turned to Lucas, “Why are you here?”

Lucas’s face flushed, “Aleks’s dad.”

She raised an eyebrow, “What the fuck?”

He shrugged, “Look you wouldn’t let us come to Alaska so we decided to find our own entertainment. We’ve tracked him.”

She shook her head, “Dorian gets this one.”

Sam laughed, “We can catch him and hold him until Dorian gets here.”

Lorri laughed, “If he was so easily caught do you not think he would have been already.”

Sam sniffed the air, “I can smell him.”

Lorri nodded, “I don’t give two shits Sam. Lydia said there is someone here we need. A girl. She’s been missing for eighteen years, human years. Her father is Jonathan.” Her tone dropped on the name.

Lucas looked sickened, “Jonathan?”

Lorri nodded.

Lucas shook his head, “He had all his daughters murdered.”

Lorri shrugged, “Lydia says she is the girl. She sensed her about forty-eight hours ago. It was like a switch turned on. I have no clue but Lydia wants her now. We don’t have a minute to spare.” She leaned over to Sam and smirked, “You smell nice Sam. Maybe you can convince her to come with us.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Whatever.”

Lorri grinned and pointed across the small downtown square, “It’s this way.”

The shifters phased instantly and spread out. Any normal human would have lost them in the dark night, but Sam’s exceptional vision made it easy.

He walked along behind Lorri, the only two still walking on two feet.

She looked back, “You pissed at me?”

“Yup.”

“You know she needs to meet them. She’s alone in the world. They can teach her to tame it down.”

He felt his rage building, “She isn’t alone. She has me and Roland and the Roses. They will teach her things she doesn’t need to know.”

Lorri looked almost softened for a moment, “You know she will always love you right? You’re the one. No one can replace that.”

Sam growled, “I’m not worried about her not loving me.”

Lorri snorted, which was odd for Lucifer to do. “Sam she isn’t going to hook up with some Greek just because they tell her too.”

He sighed, “So you concede they will try to make her experiment? That's their way.”

“It’s their way. If they teach her to pull to ease the tension and the need then all the better for us.”

He didn’t want to talk about it anymore. He wanted to smash things and destroy people that stood in the way of him and Hanna. It had been all he could do to not make an attempt at killing Marcus.

Lorri turned onto a street and walked up to a large country house with a beautiful front porch.

Sam froze as he felt it. He felt the cold in the air. It sparkled around his body.

He looked at Lorri who growled, “Guards.”

Sam nodded. He looked up to the window with the light on. He could see movement in the window. He flashed himself to the roof below the window. He peeked inside. He looked back at Lorri and pointed. She nodded and looked back the wolves surrounding the yard.

“Aleks’s dad has been here Lorri. I can smell him. It’s fresh.”

Lucas growled and began sniffing the yard.

Sam watched a guy and girl sitting on the bed talking. He smirked at how awkward they looked, they liked each other. He gave a slight tap on the window, making them both jump and turn around sharply.

The guy dove at the window like a hero protecting his girl. He pulled open the window with a look of rage on his face.

“What the fuck? Who are you? Why are you doing this?” He grabbed at Sam.

Sam laughed, “I’m here to help. Has a wolf been here?”

The girl nodded looking terrified. Her left eye was incredibly dark but her right eye was pale and slightly frightening looking. Sam felt badly for her. Her face couldn’t look more terrified. Her pale skin looked stark against her dark hair and one dark blue eye.

“How the fuck did you get up here? What do you want?” The raging teenager got in Sam’s face. Sam tried not to laugh, “I am a magical being with powers like being able to travel without walking or moving. What is your name?” He looked directly at the frightened girl.

She frowned at him, “Who are you?”

“I’m a Rose and you are in terrible danger. If you come with me I can protect you. That wolf won’t be the only thing that comes after you.”

The girl’s face broke into a smile, “Like the Terminator?”

Sam grinned back, “Exactly.”

The guy looked back at the girl, “We need to call the cops. This is nuts Ophelia.”

Sam continued to look into her marvelous eyes. He hoped she would use her ability to sense him and know to trust him. The guards weren't going to let anyone in.

Chapter Nine

Ophelia

The black soulless eyes of the mysterious guy outside her window were trying to tell her something. She didn’t know what, but she felt a hum inside of her mind when she looked at him. He was ridiculously good looking. He made Jake look plain. She couldn’t focus around him, something about him was unnerving. He smelled like something she had never noticed before. He was sex and seduction. His lips…She broke the stare and took a breath.

“What are you?” She whispered.

He grinned at her.

Jake gripped her arms and shook her, “Ophelia we need to call the cops and your parents. Where are they?”

She blinked at him, unable to process what he said.

He repeated himself, “Where are your parents?”

“They went to the movie.”

Jake’s thoughts seemed to pour into her mind, but it was as if they found their way in through his touch. He was frightened, he liked her a lot. He wanted to punch the beautiful stranger with the black eyes.

Ophelia snapped out of the haze and blocked his thoughts from her mind. She pulled away from him and turned to her bedroom door. She flung it open, panicked suddenly. His last thought made her skin crawl.

“Your sister.” Jake’s words were a whisper.

Her feet couldn’t move quickly enough on the bare hard wood floor. She skidded down the hall and flung the door open. Abbey's dark room sat empty. The only movement came from the huge picture window, where the long white silky curtains billowed in to the black room. The open window looked different. She shivered walking forward, feeling the carpet beneath her toes. She gulped. Her sister wasn’t there. Her bed sat empty. The covers were pulled back. The cool breeze that played with the curtains found its way to her. Her skin prickled with fear and confusion. She stopped one foot short of the window, seeing the screen was missing. Her sister was obsessive with bug screens. She was allergic to mosquito bites.

Ophelia leaned forward to see the torn screen lying on the grass below.

She gulped again and looked back at Jake who filled the lit doorway behind her.

“She’s gone.” Her voice was a whisper.

“We need to call the police.”

She took a step back to him, “I know but I’m scared Jake. That wolf didn’t look like any wolf I’ve seen before and that man on my window ledge, how did he get there?”

Jake put a hand out for her. The feel of his warm skin was a welcome feeling compared to cold of her sister's room.

Jake pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed with his free hand. She let her hand drop from his and walked back in to her room. The dark eyed guy was still perched in her window. His expression looked pained.

“She’s gone. My sister. Her window, the screen.” She felt dizzy trying desperately to process it.

He nodded, “Others know about you Ophelia. You need to come with us.”

“I want my sister back.”

“You have a spell on the house that will keep you safe as long as you stay inside of it. Nothing can get to you inside of here but you can’t ever leave. They will come for you.”

She shook her head, “You’ve come for me it seems.”

He smiled, “I have. I also have no intention of harming you. They do.”

She shook her head, “I don’t know you. I just want you to go away. I want my sister back.”

She closed her eyes trying to regain some composure. She felt her grip on her emotions slipping.

“I called the sheriff. He’s coming directly.”

She spun, “Jake, he isn’t going to believe us. A huge wolf snuck in my sister’s window and stole her in the night and this guy flew up here.” She looked back at the guy in the window, “Will you even be here if the cops come?”

He shook his head.

She put her hands on her hips and looked back at Jake.

His face was flushed, he looked angry in a way she’d never seen, “Ophelia someone is fucking with us. He climbed, he never flew. The wolf was probably trained to distract us so they could kidnap your sister. They’re holding her ransom until you go with them.”

It made more sense than the explanation she was processing. She couldn’t shake the feelings she was having or the fact she wasn’t afraid of the guy in the window. The wolf didn’t seem trained, it seemed savage.

She looked back at the guy in the window but he was gone. The wind blew in the empty window. She frowned at the empty space and slumped onto the floor.

Jake went to the window and closed it and the blinds.

“Sheriff’s here.” He ran out of the room and down the stairs. She sat on the floor alone, waiting for something to start making sense.

‘Ophelia you need to get out of here. They know. They know you’re alive.’

She looked around at the air. The voices usually brought the ghosts with them.

No one was in the room with her.

She walked down the stairs after Jake.

“Sheriff I saw it.”

Sheriff Walker stood in her doorway, he didn’t seem to be able to walk past the threshold of the door.

He grinned when he saw Ophelia.

“Honey are you okay?”

She nodded. She couldn’t help but notice he stood at the line of her doorway. His feet never budged past the doorway.

“Sheriff come-“

“NO!” She shouted wild-eyed at Jake. She leapt at Jake and clamped his mouth with her hands. She whispered, “Look at his feet, it’s like the wolf.”

Jake’s eyes dropped to the feet staying exactly out of the house but as close as they could get.

“Ophelia what’s the problem? Why don’t you come to my car and we’ll see about your sister.” He stepped back and held a hand out.

Ophelia shook her head, “No my parents are upstairs. They said she’s at a friends.”

The sheriff, she had known her entire life, watched her silently. His smile turned to a sickly sweet grin, “Ophelia invite me in.”

She shook her head, “My parents are upstairs.”

His grinned hardened on his face, “Ophelia invite me in. We need to make a report about the wolf.”

She took a step back, taking Jake with her. He had removed her hands from his mouth but he watched in silence. The Sheriff suddenly seemed to be much more than was possible.

Jake gripped her fingers, “Sheriff why can’t you just step in to the house?”

The Sheriff laughed, “Oh Ophelia, you silly girl. Now, just ASK ME IN THE FUCKING HOUSE!” His face erupted in anger. His skin paled against the porch lights. Fangs shot from his front teeth.

“Ophelia you’re in danger. Bad people are coming for you.” His eyes began to glow bright yellow. His face started to shiver. She screamed and lunged at the door. She slammed it shut and jumped back at Jake.

“What’s happening? It’s like a horror movie out there.”

He stood completely still, his lower lip trembled slightly, “I don’t know. We need to get out of here.”

She nodded, “We need that guy, I don’t know why but I trust him Jake.”

Jake’s face turned dark, “You think he’s hot.”

She knit her brow, “What?”

He took a step toward her, “He’s a bad guy. A very bad guy. I can tell.”

She took a step back, “Jake I don’t think he’s hot. I-I-I just think he can help. Why are you saying this?”

His eyes focused on hers and then as if a storm passed he blinked, “I don’t know. I feel like I’m not in control.” He blinked again and rubbed his eyes.

She sighed and took the step toward him again, “It’s late and you’re tired, I’m exhausted. Let’s just go back to my room.” She put a hand out for him. He took it. She wondered if he was going to change like the sheriff, who she had known her entire life.

He took her hand in his and squeezed, “Maybe it’s all a dream, a bad dream.” He pulled her to him, “Except the part where you finally let me in.” He smiled his charming grin at her.

She shivered seeing the look upon his face.

He pulled her into his embrace. His warm arms circled her and crushed her into him.

He rested her head against his chest and kissed the top of it. She closed her eyes and imagined it the way it was supposed to be. She wished it was prom and she was in her prom dress and he was in a tux. She wished they were dancing at the school. The night was filled with magical lights and music.

Chapter Ten

Sam

“They’re gone.”

Lorri gave him a look, “What?”

Sam nodded, “They’re gone. They were in the living room and then they weren’t.”

Her face knotted, “Where did they go?”

"They were dancing and then they were gone. I don’t know how else to describe this. They vanished."

Lorri snarled, "Don’t get smart Sam. Find her."

Sam glared, "Lorri I was watching her."

Lorri pointed to the house and growled, “And yet she is gone."

Sam looked around, "Whatever. Where are the wolves?"

Lorri looked ready to rip his head off, "After Aleks's dad. I told them to track him. When they get him we'll do a trade. Daniel for Jon."

Sam pointed at the house, "Why'd Jon come here? Seems too weird to be random."

"He has a thing for witches. Sam we can have this fucking conversation later. Find the witch and get rid of the dark one. How long has he been a traitor I wonder?" She glanced at Luke, "Your people never knew the Sheriff was bad?"

Luke shook his huge wolf head. She clicked her tongue and looked around.

Sam shrugged and looked at Lucas who looked at them both and whined. He turned and ran around the back of the house.

Sam sighed and walked back to the front door where the shifter-Sheriff lay dead in the garden. He grabbed the leg of the dead man and flashed to the Grand Canyon. He looked around at the amazingly beautiful surroundings. He felt the weight of the dead man in his hands as he sighed and thought about Hanna. He opened his hands and flashed back to Maine before the sound of the body hitting the canyon filled his ears.

The sheriff hadn’t expected to find their kind of Roses in the garden. Lorri had snapped his thick wolf neck in one blow. The wolves would be upset when they realized Lorri had killed one of theirs. They would be even more upset when they realized he was a dark one. One usually meant there was more.

“Sam, Lucas found them. They’re this way.” He looked at the savagely angry face of Lorri.

“What is she?"

Lorri looked at him through her eyelashes, “Ever hear the stories of Annabelle as a girl?”

He shook his head. Lydia was tight lipped about the ghostly maid.

“She is worse.”

“She’s a witch, how much worse can they get?”

Lorri nodded, “She is so much more than that. Annabelle is just a witch. Ophelia is half angel and half witch. Her mother is The Witch. She’s been held in captivity since we lost Jonathan to them.”

Sam felt sick, “Over a thousand years?”

Lorri nodded, “Yup.”

“How?”

Lorri pointed down the road, “We need to go. If they get her, we lose the war. She’s that important.”

“Hey I thought I was the piece of the puzzle that won you the war.”

She rolled her eyes and flashed away.

He followed the scent of Lucas until his flashes led him to a large building. It was a brick building that reminded him of the high school he had watched Hanna attend as a teenager.

He frowned hearing music coming from the building. Cars lined the parking lot. He looked at Lorri who looked incredibly pissed suddenly, “She’s going to be my own personal fucking nightmare. Fucking Jonathan. Fucking fuck.” She muttered and flashed inside of the school.

"You have a real potty mouth for an angel. Were you like this when before you fell?"

If looks could kill, hers would have blown him into tiny bits.

Teenagers lined the halls, gossiping and laughing. Everyone wore a prom dress or tuxedo.

He looked at one girl who shook her head, “I seriously thought prom was next week. I don’t even remember changing into my dress.”

The girl across from her wore a blank stare, “I know.”

Sam started to worry. He had seen Annabelle go poltergeist once, he never wanted to see that again. Her magic was terrible.

The song Yellow by Coldplay blasted from the gymnasium. It echoed through the school.

He turned the corner in to the gym to see couples slow dancing to the haunting song. The girl stood in the middle of it all with her eyes closed, gripping the teenage boy from her living room. They danced as if no one else was in the room.

Lorri walked up to them. Sam flashed next to them quickly before Lorri just tore an arm off and dragged her outside.

Lorri grabbed her arm roughly, “Ophelia I’m an old friend of your dad's. It's lovely to meet you, now send all these kids back to bed. You don’t want me to do it for you. I’m not really as gentle as I appear.”

Sam wanted to laugh at that, since she looked severely sharper than she acted, but decided against it.

The girl looked up from the chest of the massive boy, horror filled her face.

“H-how did we….?” She trailed off as she looked around at the party she was at.

The teenage boy pulled her back in to him. He completely ignored Lorri.

Lorri looked at Sam and nodded.

Sam touched her and the boy and felt the cool air as he suddenly stood outside of the huge mansion on the old oak lined street. A warm feeling filled his chest as he saw it.

Suddenly Annabelle was at the door on the front porch.

“What the hell?” The teenage boy started to freak out.

Sam smiled, “I did try warning you, let's not forget that part.”

The girl looked worried, “Who are you?”

“I’m a friend. My name is Sam. That is Annabelle on the porch and we are at the home of a friend named Lydia. She’s like you. She can help you.”

She looked around, “What- where are we? Why is it so cold here?”

“It’s Portland.”

The teenage boy looked confused, “No way I’ve been to Portland dude. No way.”

“Oregon.”

Both of them turned their heads to him as their jaws dropped, “What?” They spoke in unison.

Sam walked toward the huge house, “Come on. We have some serious explaining to do.”

“Where are my parents? Where is my sister? Why am I in a prom dress?”

Sam felt his heart drop, her sister had been lured through the window. He knew she was most likely dead. No human was ever left alive. He winced, “Come in the house.”

Ophelia started to cry, “I’m not going anywhere until someone explains this to me. Why am I wearing my prom dress? This isn’t even the dress I bought. I bought a red one. Why is he in a tux? We were in my living room and then we were dancing. What is happening to us?”

The guy pointed at him, “Yeah we were in swim gear. What the fuck is this?” He seemed to finally be surfacing.

Sam sighed and looked around. He was waiting for Lorri to arrive and take it over. He knew she would have Lydia at the prom cleaning up. He dreaded any of the kids who resisted.

“You found her.” He turned to see Dorian grinning from the porch.

Sam laughed, “Nick of time dude, come and help before one of us ends up with some injuries.”

Dorian laughed and sauntered from the house, “You really are Jonathan’s daughter. You are your mother in every way. Except the scent maybe.” His wicked lips curled up into his evil grin.

Sam rolled his eyes, “Shit Dorian she doesn’t know any of that.”

He shrugged, “She will.”

Ophelia shook her head, “Is that the FedEx guy? Why are you here? This is madness, my father’s name is Vic and my mother is Helen. My sister is Abbey and she’s missing. I’ll do whatever you want but please just let her go.”

Jake shook his head and stepped in front of her, “I will do what ever you want, leave her out of this.”

Dorian scowled, “Really? You would do whatever I want to spare her?”

The guy looked ready to lose it but he clenched his jaw and nodded, “Let her go and her sister too.” He wrapped his arms around his back to pull Ophelia to him.

Dorian pointed at the kid and raised his eyebrows, “Who is this kid?”

Sam sighed, “This is Ophelia and her boyfriend. He came with us because she used glamour on the entire town. Dorian I need to go to Greece I don’t have time for this shit. Take them inside and make her stop crying.”

Dorian smiled at the guy, “I may still take you up on your offer, later.”

Sam grimaced, “Okay well maybe I’ll take you guys inside because I don’t even want to know where we are going with this conversation.” He grabbed Ophelia by the hand and pulled her and her boyfriend up the stairs and through the doorway.

“She be bad juju Mister Sam. I don’ts want her in my house.”

He felt Annabelle’s resistance to her in the air.

He looked to see the maid blocking the hallway with her body.

Sam shook his head, “She’s okay Annabelle.”

Annabelle crossed her arms, “She be stronger than me. That never be okay.”

He laughed, “I know. Annabelle this is Ophelia and her boyfriend, what’s your name dude?”

The kid stood completely stunned by the talking ghost.

Sam snapped a finger in front of his eyes making him look up, “Huh what?”

“Name?”

“Jake. Is she- ah- uhm- a -ghost?”

Sam nodded, “She is a witch like your girlfriend here.”

Jake nodded, “I can see the door handle behind her.” And with that he was gone. The big strong brave young man was unconscious.

Chapter Eleven

Ophelia

The furniture was old. It suited the house perfectly. She felt safer than she had all evening. She sat on the couch silently. Jake lay on the huge sofa across from her. He was still completely out of it.

“We have to send him back.”

She looked up to see the ghostly maid standing/floating in the doorway.

She felt her heart quicken, “Why?”

“He’ll die around here real fast.” She floated across the room and sniffed, “Surprised you never killed him yet.”

Ophelia frowned, “Why do you all keep saying these things about me. I’m no witch. I’m a regular girl. I want to go home. I'm being haunted by a poltergeist. I want my mom and dad and my sister. Do you know where they’re keeping her?”

“Ophelia welcome. I’m Lydia. It’s so nice to meet you finally my dear.”

She turned to see an older woman walking into the room. Something about her made Ophelia feel relaxed. The older woman took her hands and squeezed them. “Please sit and relax. You’ve had an odd day I would imagine. That was some prom you manifested.”

‘Trust her Ophelia. She’s like us.’

She tried to ignore the voices but she watched, as an older lady seemed to sense them there.

Ophelia nodded, feeling herself getting teary again, “It's been a terrible week. First he froze and then they chased me and the voices and then the wolf and my sister and prom and now here.” She knew she wasn’t making sense but she felt lost in it all.

Lydia laughed bitterly, “Nothing I haven’t heard before my love. Sit and have some tea. It will relax you. Now how much do you know?”

Ophelia shrugged, “About what?”

Lydia looked over at the ghost, “I guess we’ll start at the beginning. Your parents are very powerful people Ophelia.”

“Vic and Helen are my parents.”

She smiled a sweet old lady smile, “Of course you would believe that. Anyway your real parents are very powerful people. Your father wanted a son, for a very long time. Purposefully your mother only ever gave birth to girls. They were, well…”

“Slaughtered Miss Ophelia. My sisters and I feels it every time he takes another one. The light leaves the earth for a day when the magic is taken into the dark. Don’t be sugar coating none of this Miss Lydia. None of it.”

Ophelia shook her head, “I don’t get it. I don’t have sisters who are dead. Just Abbey. My parents are boring people. You have the wrong person.”

“No sweetie, the people who’ve raised you were not your real parents. They too believed you were theirs but you were put there.”

The words stung. She felt the truth in them somehow, but she pushed it away. She shook her head, as if it stopped the words from sinking in. “No, no, no, no.”

‘She tells the truth sister.’

She looked up suddenly to see the six balls of light separate and fill the room with light. They became the ghostly figures they had been before. They each looked identical to her but with blue lights instead of eyes.

“How?” Lydia gasped, looking around the room.

Ophelia couldn’t help but be thankful that someone besides her could see the ghostly women.

“Ophelia have they been with you long?”

She shook her head, watching the six mirror images, “They came the other day.”

Lydia shook her head, “What’s special about this week? Hmmm it’s only June. You’re birthday will be in July.”

Ophelia frowned, “My birthday is September 21st.”

Lydia shook her head, “No we know you were born in July.” She counted the six floating balls, “July 7th if I’m not mistaken."

Her eyes grew frightened for a second, as she looked at the ghostly maid who scowled.

“She be the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter born on the seventh day of the seven month? That be great. Just great. Just dandy.” The maid vanished.

Ophelia frowned, “Why does she hate me?”

Lydia laughed, “She doesn’t sweetie. She just fears what’s next. You are the prophecy I’m afraid.”

Ophelia shook her head, “This day is just getting better by the second. What prophecy? You people have me confused. I'm telling you. I'm not the girl.”

Lydia looked up as a redhead walked into the room with a very tall young man and a pretty blonde girl. The blonde looked haunted.

“The prophecy of the end of days. You've heard of Armageddon?” The redhead spoke with a bite in her tone.

Ophelia felt her breath quicken, “You people speak in riddles, just answer a question.”

The blonde laughed bitterly, “It gets so much worse. I still don’t get straight answers and I’ve been here years. I’m Aimee and while this seems like some kind of odd dinner theatre production, it isn’t.” She put a hand out and forced a smile across her lips.

Ophelia took the girl’s hand and attempted a smile, “Ophelia. It does seem like a play or a movie.”

“This is Lorri and Lucas.”

Ophelia smiled and tried not to point out that they were standing amongst her pretend ghosts. They didn’t seem to see them hovering there, looking spooky.

“Do you ever have dreams that seem like they’re trying to tell you something?”

She shook her head, “No.”

The ghost maid came toward her, “Does some peoples act like they don’t sees you?”

Ophelia blushed as she looked at Jake and nodded her head, “Sometimes. My aunt. She swore up and down she couldn’t see me.”

Annabelle threw her arms in the air, “The witches who saved her put a curse on her. Baby girl you are trouble. You Roses is biting off too much this time.” She was gone again before Ophelia could ask her any questions.

She looked at the people left in the room and scowled, “Is anyone going to tell me what’s really going on?” She wanted to know where her sister was. Not to mention where she was. She looked back at Jake and sighed.

“Ophelia dear, we are telling you the truth. You are more special than you know. Come sit by me.” Lydia patted the couch and smiled as if she were her grandmother and about to offer her a cookie.

Chapter Twelve

Sam

Her red hair stood out against the brunettes. He watched her smile and laugh through the small window of the tiny Greek kitchen. It was just like the other times. He watched her laugh and smile or read. As always, she was clueless to his spying eye. From the moment he had met her he had known, she was his. He would never forget seeing her splash of strawberry blond hair against her father’s chest, before the accident. He remembered her mother taking her own life. He tried to block out the unhappy memories. He tried not to remember the pain on her father’s face, the tears that streamed before the rage took him.

Sam had never suspected Marcus in the blame for her mother’s death. No one had. His advances toward her mother had been kept secret. She had never told anyone. Sam had always loved her like an aunt. She was of the few Sirens who had shown love and sisterly affections toward his mother. They had visited him and his mother on the Canadian Island many times when Hanna was tiny.

His heart ached, watching her through the window.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

He looked at Lorri standing beside him. She had moved there silently.

“I go where my heart is Lorri.”

Lorri watched Hanna laugh and enjoy meeting the other Sirens. After a few moments she spoke, “They could come for you if they sense you.”

He felt the grim smile cross his lips, “I would kill them all.”

“Samuel.”

The tone in her voice told him there was no negotiating with her.

He watched for one more second, before flashing back to the woods in Lydia’s back yard. He felt the distance between them instantly crush his chest. He dropped to his knees, ignoring the wet moss soaking through his jeans. The extreme difference between late June in Portland Oregon and Ithaca Greece became obvious, as he felt the cold mist creep into his skin.

He wished for a second he could shift into an animal and go kill things in the forest. He wished Ben were there. Ben would make him laugh and make snide comments about Hanna.

He heard footsteps behind him in the moist grass. He looked back at the haunted face of Aimee walking toward him.

“Can we talk?” Her voice cracked.

He wanted to say no. He wanted to dislike her as much as she disliked Hanna but he couldn’t. He loved her like a sister.

He stood and nodded.

She sat on the bench next to the lake. He watched her eyes gloss over as she struggled with her breath.

His chest ached again but not for Hanna. It hurt knowing the losses were fresh wounds that festered instead of healing.

“I can’t do it anymore.” She whispered.

“I know. I miss them too Aimes.” He felt moisture threaten his eyes, as he pushed away the thoughts of Ben and the many nights they had spent laughing and joking. He had become the brother Sam never had.

“I made the wrong choice S-S-Sam.” Her voice broke on his name. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I knew he would be there waiting for me. I knew it wouldn’t always work with Shane. He’s human. I knew it wouldn’t last. I just loved him for so long. It felt like the choice my heart would have made before.” She broke into sobs.

Sam dropped to his knees in front of her and encased her with his body. Her shaking cries filled his chest, as she lost the control she always struggled to maintain.

Sam had gotten tired of her battles with which guy to love. He had always hoped she would just chose Aleksander and be done with it. He liked Shane just fine, but the whole mortal thing had been doomed from the start.

He rubbed her back and let her wreak havoc on his t-shirt with her tears and god only knew what else.

“I can’t face him. I can’t see him. I need to but I’m scared.”

“I know Aims. I’m scared too.”

She pulled back wiping her puffy cheeks, “I feel like I’m never going to get my sister back and Blake is going to kill her. I feel like everything is lost. You know?”

“Yeah I do. You bitches have been hard on my lady and now she’s in Greece. They hate me in Greece. They hate angels. Well they hate humans too. They hate everyone. You should go there. You'd fit in.”

She laughed and slapped his chest, “I don’t hate everyone. I like you. And we were nice to her. Very nice.” She leaned in and sniffed. She closed her eyes for a second and let it fill her. He felt almost violated by how long she lingered.

“You smell like him.”

Sam bit his bottom lip to stop the sarcastic shitty comments from flying from his mouth. She was vulnerable and afraid. He needed to remember that.

She opened her grey eyes and smiled, “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged, “I get it. We’ve been through a lot, Ari and the messing around on your memories and Ben and Aleks. I’m just grateful that we have each other."

“I guess. I just wish it was all easier you know?”

“Aimee you need to be honest with him. His life is short. He needs to be able to move on. It’s hard to hear it right now but it will get better with time.”

A hurt look crossed her face, “I’m just so scared to make the wrong choice. One side of me wants Shane, just like the other side of me wanted Aleks.”

He sighed, “Okay this is going to sound brutal and harsh but you need it. You broke Aleks's heart and then he died. You can't say you wish you'd made another choice. The choice you made is over. There is no getting that time back. Aims you have enough on your plate. Worrying about the life of a human is a big one to add to that. You’ve got like three humans to worry about.”

“Four."

He raised an eyebrow, "Four?"

"Blake isn’t evil. I know him. He isn’t doing this on purpose.”

He didn’t want to touch that one with a mile long pole. She had a hard time being wrong.

He nodded and smiled.

“Want to go kill shit?”

He laughed, “What?” He wondered if she'd listened to anything he'd said.

Her demon smile crossed her lips, “I know someone who deserves a visit from us.”

He felt his stomach rumble, “I’m hungry. Can we eat first?” He shivered remembering what she did the last time she was angry. She had pulled the soul so violently that blood had shot from the person and splattered everywhere. Lucas had loved it but Sam had nearly thrown up. Lucas had been calling him Nancy ever since.

“You go ahead and eat. I’m saving my appetite for later.”

He scrunched up his nose, “You have that look. The one where people bleed everywhere.”

She laughed bitterly, “They taste better scared. I so get what Dorian’s deal is with it. He likes them afraid before he does it too.”

“Dealers are disgusting. I’m a lover not a fighter.” He stood and lifted her up to her feet.

“Yeah whatever. Every time we go anywhere we learn another new talent of yours.” Her eyes turned serious again, “Thanks for letting me miss him.”

Sam shrugged, “You let me love Hanna and obsess about her and even talked me out of trying to kill Marcus.”

She pointed at him, “That would have been a mistake. You would have died.”

“Aleks would be alive instead of me. It would have been better that way.”

Her words were a whisper in the night air, “Never say that Sam. He wouldn’t want it that way. He was better than us all.”

Chapter Thirteen

Ophelia

“You new?”

Ophelia looked up from the picture she couldn’t take her eyes off, to see the most beautiful girl she had ever seen in her life. She was exotic.

The girl frowned, “You speak English?”

Ophelia laughed, “Sorry. Been a long day. Yeah I guess I’m new.”

The girl smiled, making her face so stunning Ophelia almost had to look away, “Oh cool. I’m Giselle.” She sighed and slumped into the chair beside her at the huge table.

“I’m Ophelia.”

“What flavor are you?” She twirled her hair and raised her perfectly manicured eyebrows.

Ophelia looked deeply into her dark eyes, “Is that a trick question?” She nearly felt lost.

Giselle looked at her and smiled dreamily, “No. You make me feel funny. I meant what kind of monster are you?”

"Monster? You mean like the wolf and the ghost?"

Giselle smiled just as bright white fangs dropped out of the plump lips.

“AHHHH OH MY GOD!” Ophelia jumped up and backed away from the table, "Oh my god. Oh my god. What are you?"

Giselle put her hand up to her lips covering them, as if she was ashamed, “Oh thnap thorry. Thtupid fangth. They’re like a dude’th thingy. They jutht pop up randomly.”

Ophelia grimaced, “What? What? Oh my god? What thingy? You mean… oh my god.”

She was backed against the counter completely, but still trying to back away.

Giselle laughed, “I’m not like gay or anything. I mean not yet. Dorian thaid I might get bored, eventually. I gueth he had thith like phathe. Anyway. Uhm yeah. Thorry. The blood rushed there and then they came. Give it a minute and they’ll go away again. You just thmell so good.”

Ophelia shook her head, completely confused, “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

She pointed to her face, “The fangth make my ethh thound funny. I can't thay all the wordth. Like thally and thue and thorry and thupid. It’th the fangth.”

Ophelia started to laugh, “I know what the words are I just don’t know what you mean. I’m-err-not-a-err monster.”

Giselle walked toward her and focused her dark eyes intently and spoke in a creepy voice slowly, “Look into my eyeth and hear my voith. You will remember nothing that I thay. You didn’t thee my fangth.”

“Giselle, dear what are you doing?” Lydia walked in to the kitchen holding the album she had promised to show Ophelia.

Giselle sighed and put her hands over her eyes, “She’th a normal girl. She thaw my fangth.”

“She’s a witch honey. You’re fine.”

Giselle glared at Ophelia, “Not a monthter?”

She shrugged and took a step toward the table again, "It still hasn’t been proven."

“This is Giselle. Obviously she is a vampire. Not nearly as scary as one would expect.” Lydia rolled her eyes at the frowning beauty.

Giselle hissed at her, making Ophelia jump slightly. She laughed and walked over to the chair again. Her fangs vanished after a few seconds. She sighed as she sat in the chair at the end of the table.

Lydia opened the huge dusty old album, filled with grainy black and white photos.

“This is the only set of pictures ever taken of your mother. You see, you are identical to her in every way.”

She couldn’t believe what she saw. It was as if she stared at herself in an old white gown. It was the woman in the snow globe.

"Where is this picture taken?" She touched the picture. It seemed older than Lydia.

"She got away once. The picture was taken at a Rose residence in Italy."

‘Mother’

Ophelia looked back to see the six balls of light. She frowned and looked at Lydia, who frowned at the balls.

“How is it that they follow you?”

“I don’t know. Who are they?”

Lydia raised an eyebrow at her, “You don’t speak to them?”

She shook her head, feeling the blood drain from her face, “They only arrived after the Ouija board incident. Very frightening actually. They just started yelling at me and I’m pretty sure at one point they froze Jake. I think they’re evil.”

Lydia laughed, “They look exactly like you firstly and secondly no evil may enter my home. Just like your home was, I presume.”

Giselle, who had been tapping her toes annoyingly, sighed again, “Lydia I need to ask you something.”

Lydia looked impatiently at her, “This is really important Giselle. She has weeks before she must face her father.”

Ophelia’s head spun. “What? You know where my parents are? Do you know where my sister is? No one will tell me anything about her.”

Lydia shook her head, “Not the humans, but I know where your real parents are dear.”

Giselle made an exasperated noise and walked from the room annoyed, "Fine whatevs."

“Sweetie I will chat with you in a minute. I need to sort this out before she has an aneurism.”

Giselle waved a hand in the air and rounded the corner out of sight.

Lydia rolled her eyes, “Look dear your parents are different like the rest of us. We sort of need you to get up to speed immediately. This is your mother. The blue balls of light are your sisters and your father is a very bad man.”

Ophelia shook her head, “Who are the people who raised me?” Her chest was tight. She couldn’t draw a full breath.

“No clue. Not important people to our cause.”

O felt the white-hot rage fill her instantly, “THEY’RE IMPORTANT TO ME DAMMIT! I NEED TO FIND MY SISTER!” White lightning shot from her fingertips across the kitchen. The lightning hit the cupboards above the sink and blew bits of wood everywhere. Ophelia ducked at the sound of the explosion.

Her fingers burned where the fire had come from them. She lifted a trembling hand up to her face, “Wha- what was that?”

“Bloody hell.” Lydia whispered, looking around at the wood particles floating in the air.

Annabelle poked her head through the massive hole in the wall where the cabinets and counter had been, “I be telling you. I be saying it. She be trouble. My guards can’t even keeps her magic in check. She aint even had her birthday yet. You bes asking for trouble.”

Ophelia watched as Lydia frowned at the ghostly maid, “Annabelle you have to help us. You swore an oath.”

Annabelle crossed her arms, “I aint helping and I aint teaching no demon witch how to kills nobody. Oath or no oath I's already dead. What's the Witch gonna do to me now? I's already in hell. You aint looked outside lately has you? No. Miss Lydia you gots bigger fish to fry. The guards is weakened from miss thang here and we be surrounded by a thousand of them fanged devils.”

Ophelia trembled, “How did-why-what am I? Did she say demon witch? Oh my god it's the Ouija board isn’t it. Someone has possessed me.” She looked at her fingers again, still in shock.

Lydia sighed and rubbed her temples, “Ophelia you are driving me insane. Let me finish a sentence for the love of god. Annabelle what are you talking about?”

Annabelle pointed to the front hall, “There be a thousand of them night walking blood suckas out on the street Miss Lydia. They gots us surrounded. They come for Giselle.”

Lydia covered her hands over her eyes, "Where is Lorri?"

Ophelia shook her head, “It’s me isn’t it? They’re here because of me. The wolf brought them here for me. Everything is trying to kill me. I’m dreaming I’m sure of it.” She felt panic build inside of her.

Giselle stormed in to the kitchen, “Not everything is about you princess. That is what I was trying to tell you about Lydia. Those things have been following me all week.”

Suddenly the spiky redhead flashed in to the kitchen with a dark haired man.

“Lydia we have a problem.”

Lydia pointed to the hole in the wall Ophelia had made, “I have enough problems Lorri. These are Roses problems. I want them gone from my street.”

Lorri sneered, “It’s her, they came for her.”

Arguing erupted in the kitchen, “She is the heir.”

"This isn’t my problem Dorian. Jesus. Deal with your own problems and let me deal with Ophelia."

"She is the queen Lydia. This is everyone's problem."

Lydia looked like she cracked. She started to laugh uncontrollably. She sank onto the debris-covered floor, laughing in sobs.

Ophelia looked back at her fingertips and shook her head. She walked from the kitchen, “It’s too much. It’s all too much. I need this dream to be over.”

Chapter Fourteen

Sam

His phone vibrated as he tore the head from the vampire body. His strength, when he let the fire take him, was unmatched.

He felt the black blood spray, covering his forearms.

He glanced back at Aimee and grinned savagely. She was surrounded by ten of them, just how she liked it. Her hands moved faster than the human eye could catch. She had learned how to rip the souls from them in one swipe. She didn’t need to channel the energy. Dorian said she was the best death dealer he had ever seen. Watching the black blood spray from their bodies before they even got within an arms reach of her, proved that to be true.

Sam shivered watching the blood shed. Aimee could shut herself down emotionally.

Lucas dove at one of the undead surrounding Aimee and ripped its head off with one huge bite. The crunch from his massive jaw would have made Sam sick, if he hadn’t been in such a foul mood.

He wiped the blood from his hands onto his jeans and pulled the phone from his pocket.

“Gotta Go. Lydia’s.” He cried.

Aimee was gone before he got the sentence out. Lucas leapt through the crowd of monsters. Sam flashed them as his hand made contact with the fur.

The muggy cool air of Portland hit instantly. They had been in Madrid where Aimee had heard of a blood bar. Normally they didn’t do much in Europe but sometimes Lorri needed them. The European Roses had incredibly strong ties to Daniel. Lorri had been forced to kill many of her own. The vampire den they had just slaughtered had been one of Daniel’s splinter groups.

Sam felt his feet squish into the wet lawn, as he rounded the corner of the house with Lucas. His stomach felt heavy seeing the hoard surrounding the yard.

He looked at Lucas, “Vampires?”

Lucas nodded his wolf head and gave a low whine.

“Pretty sure we’ll be needing some backup on this one buddy.”

Lucas whined again.

He couldn’t understand how so many had gathered or why they stood outside Lydia’s house.

Sam noticed a female tilting her head and smelling the air in his direction. He looked down at the blood covering his clothes and gave her a goofy grin.

She started to whisper to the man at her left side. The man gave him a deadly cold stare.

Sam felt the hair on his arms begin to lift. Under their scrutiny, he felt himself growing angry again.

Lucas nudged him and looked at the front of the house where Giselle walked down the front steps alone. She looked uneasy, glancing back at the people inside of the house.

Sam raised an eyebrow at her. She looked terrified and cleared her throat.

“Uhm thanks for coming. Apparently we have a small problem. Uhm I’m not sure how this happened but I'm your new leader.”

Sam looked down at Lucas and frowned, “Oh shit. This is going to be bad.”

Giselle glared in his direction. He smiled at her and shook his head, "You got this."

She looked back at the massive group, “Uhm is there anyone who has any questions?”

They group began to laugh and heckle her.

Sam watched the undead roaming the guards. They looked ready to cross the line any second and kill everyone. His skin felt alive as he paced the yard with Lucas. He was ready for a fight. Vampires were the easiest things they killed in a week.

He looked down at the wolf, “This is not good. They will never follow her.”

The wolf snorted. Dorian appeared behind them, “She needs our support not our criticism.”

Sam looked back at Dorian, “How could you tell Aleks that it was a good idea to have Marcus turn her? Everyone knows his vampires are the royalty of the vampires.”

Dorian frowned, “I never told him that. Besides we've all assumed that there was at least a handful of his blood left.”

Sam laughed spitefully, “Well that was a great gamble. You just made Giselle the Vampire Queen. Jesus.”

Dorian growled at Sam. He stepped past him and addressed the crowd, “The new Queen has our support. Mine and Lorri’s.”

A large man at the edge of the guard laughed, “Black Angel of Death, was it you who took our father?”

Dorian shook his head, “It doesn’t matter who killed him. Your blood tells you who the rightful heir is. Her name is Queen Giselle.”

Giselle blushed, “Oh uhm just call me Giselle.”

A cry shot from the crowd, “We will not kneel before her. She is barely a week old.”

Giselle looked insulted, “Hey I’m twenty-one asshat.”

The crowd laughed, “Black Angel of death you can’t expect this to rule us for the next thousand years?”

“Let us kill her and make our next ruler someone powerful.”

“You angels overstep your bounds.”

Aimee and Lorri walked from the front steps, stilling the crowd.

“SHE IS A MURDERER. YOU HOUSE MURDERERS HERE. THIS IS A HOUSE OF HYPOCRISY!”

“GIVE US THE DEMON!”

Sam watched Aimee's eyes grow cold.

The crowd erupted.

Lorri put a hand in the air, “She works for me and is allowed the protection of my laws. The laws of the maker. Marcus lived by these laws and Queen Giselle will abide by them and enforce them as well.”

“You have no rights Lucifer. You fell. You have no right to rein over us.”

“Only our true ruler will rule over us.”

Lorri rolled her eyes, “Fucking idiots.” She looked back at Giselle, “Be ready to kick some ass.”

Giselle gulped, “I don’t actually know how to fight Lorri.”

Lorri looked at Sam and nodded. Sam walked to Giselle, “A rage will fill you. Let it take you. The power is inside of you. Ignore everything but what the rage tells you to do.”

Giselle frowned, “Dude look at me. I’ve never even had a sister to fight with. Nothing. I slapped a guy once. Like, I got nothing.”

"Remember all the training you had? You did great then."

"No I sucked. I was just fast. Remember when I ran away?"

Sam wanted to slap her, "Giselle, you can do this. There is anger and magic inside of you. Let it rise.”

"Like, my fangs."

Sam winced, "No."

Aimee stepped forward, "Okay you know when you're like tired from the stale air in the mall and then you drink espresso and suddenly you feel like you can shop some more?"

Giselle nodded, "Oh my god Aimee have you been shopping without me? Are those boots new?"

Aimee clenched her jaw momentarily, "No sweetie. The blood is like the espresso. You just need to ask it to come to you and it will. Close your eyes for a second and focus."

She looked confused, absolutely gorgeous but confused nonetheless. Sam had zero faith in her abilities. He looked at Lucas and knew the wolf felt the same.

"You got this Giselle." Aimee stepped to the side and watched the crowd. Sam knew her presence made everyone uneasy.

Aimee looked fierce, her grey eyes were molten steel and already set on which vampire she would kill first. Her black tank top was stained in blood but was hard to see as she almost always wore black. She wore blood red leather pants and huge dark brown knee high boots. Black stains and dried bits clung to her everywhere.

Looking at her, Sam had a hard time imagining her as Giselle remembered her. Sweet and nerdy. She seemed ruthless and violent.

Lorri put a hand in the air again, stilling the frothing crowd of savages.

“Bring a challenger. We will have a fight to the death for the right of royalty.”

The crowd erupted. Part excitement and part argument over who was eldest.

A man was shoved forward.

Sam watched as Dorian’s jaw clenched seeing the man. He was tall and strong looking, but not muscular. He looked like a Euro trash vampire. They all did. Sam had no love for Vamps, other than Giselle. She looked like she was about to cry processing the statement Lorri had made, “The death?”

Dorian took his turn at convincing her, “You have the strongest blood here Giselle. You have all of Marcus’s strength inside of you. Call to it. Ask it to assist you. That vampire cannot beat you no matter what. Marcus would have laughed at him. ”

Giselle turned back to the front door and threw up in the bushes.

The crowd laughed at her.

Sam felt anger inside of himself. He was ready. He was dangerous when he was ready. He felt his fingers flex on their own. He began to think about Hanna. Her lips and eyes. His fingers running through her soft strawberry locks. The swell in her chest. The way she moaned when he licked along her throat. He had never waited for anything the way he had waited for her. He felt his energy seeping from him.

He looked at the grin on Dorian’s face, “It almost feels like cheating having you here.”

Sam smiled and tried to ignore the blush crossing his cheeks, “It is cheating there is no doubt.”

He looked out at the massive group of vampires. The effect of his pheromones was hitting them. The eyes dilated first. They sniffed the air. Fangs began bursting everywhere.

Lorri looked back sharply to Giselle, “Not you, you idiot. Keep those fangs in your mouth for the love of god.”

Giselle covered her mouth, as a desperate look crossed her eyes.

She took deep breaths and dropped the hand.

The challenger frowned, “Is that a Siren?”

Dorian laughed, “Where? Surely one of us would have eaten a Siren by now.”

The male pointed at Giselle, “Is she a Siren and a vampire? Marcus has cursed us.”

Sam laughed. They never would have assumed it would be him. Male Sirens with any sort of powers were never heard of.

“Why do they think it’s me?” Giselle whispered.

He smirked at her, “I don’t technically exist Giselle. They assume the Siren is the most beautiful girl here. If you are a Siren and the vampire queen then they will be as servants to you in every way.”

Giselle looked lost, which wasn’t new.

Aimee looked back, “Command them to kneel. We need to see how many will defend her, just in case.”

Lorri looked back and nodded.

Giselle cleared her throat again, “Uhm I would like it if you would kneel please.”

Lorri rolled her eyes and grabbed Giselle by the crotch, “Like you have a set Giselle.”

Giselle shouted against the assault, “KNEEL.”

Several dropped to their knees but the others appeared to be fighting it. Their legs shook against her command. The tall Euro trash stood freely smiling.

"Enough with the theatrics Lucifer."

Dorian nodded at Giselle, “You ready? You have to kill him. He's a traitor to your kind. I bet he's the reason Marcus's bloodline is dead."

Giselle looked worried, “How did he kill them?”

Lorri sneered, “He has an army that Marcus never knew about. I guarantee it. Marcus was so obsessed with other things he missed it.”

Dorian laughed, “Like his cock.”

Sam glowered.

Giselle looked around at the group of people surrounding her and shook her head, “I can’t do this.”

Lorri gripped her arm, “Do it or die. Those are your only choices.”

A tear dripped down Giselle’s cheek.

Aimee stepped in and wiped the tear and smiled “You can do this. I’ve got your back.”

Giselle looked into her eyes and nodded, “You will help me?”

Aimee nodded, “I will not let you die.”

Giselle took a step forward and nodded, “Okay.”

Sam looked at Aimee in protest, but she shook her head subtly.

Lorri growled, “Stay.”

Sam knew who she was commanding.

Chapter Fifteen

Ophelia

She knelt on the couch, watching the others on the front lawn and the hundreds in the streets.

She looked back at Jake. He was still sleeping on the couch across from her.

She glanced at Annabelle, who hovered next to her, “Are you dead?”

Annabelle spoke but never took her ghostly eyes from the window, “I guess but I cants die. I’s like you. Miss Lydia protected me always when we was girls. Blacks was hated and treated badly. Miss Lydia always lied and said I was her slave.” She turned and smiled, “But I was always her friend.”

“How old are you?”

“Two hundred and forty six I thinks. Me and Miss Lydia was born same year under the same summer moon. Same moon as you. I be the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter too. My magic was always stronger than Miss Lydia’s. We lived in Georgia and spent our days learning the magic from my gran. We had to take Miss Lydia from her family. They was not the good kind. They was teaching her the bad magic. We moved from Georgia to here. We fled the hunters.”

O felt lost in the story, “Hunters?”

“Bad magic witches. They’s hunt our kind to take our magic. Good magic’s always stronger than bad magic. Always. But they’s steal the magic from us and they’s become strong like us.”

“That’s sick.”

Annabelle nodded looking out the window again, “I knows it. Me and Miss Lydia we come here and she find herself a proper husband and we’s build this house.”

Her ghostly face looked distressed as she continued, “They did find us though. They come in the night. The hunters, they find us out. I make my circle nice and big before I died.”

Ophelia gasped, “You died doing the magic circle?”

Annabelle nodded slowly, “I aint never heard of no witch living through making a guard circle like mine.”

“You knew you would die?”

She turned sharply, “Miss Lydia had the baby in her belly. She saved me too many times for me’s to not give it back. I’s told you I can’t die. I just changed. My body died but my magic is alive. It’s stronger without the body to make it weak.”

“Lydia had a baby?” Ophelia felt as if something in the story was about to go very wrong. Something besides the death of the most loyal person she had ever met.

Annabelle looked sickened, “No.”

Ophelia left it alone. She knew the hardships the people of the house had faced and couldn’t even comprehend what it was like for them all.

“Why are the vampires here?”

“They be here for Miss Giselle. She gone and died as the only heir to the vampire throne. Marcus kept them in balance. He was the ruler. Never too many vampires or killing people in the streets. Keep the secret was his law. He wasn’t no good but he wasn’t too bad either. Now he's gone they could just kill everyone. They needs a ruler. The one with Marcus’s blood is the strongest. Their blood calls to her and hers to them.”

Ophelia frowned, “Why do they look angry?”

Annabelle laughed bitterly, “You imagine if some five year old girl be your queen. She gets to tell you what to do? She aint got no experience as a vampire and now she be the queen.”

Ophelia sighed, “Ohhhhhh. Yikes.” She watched Annabelle for another second, “Why do you hate me?”

Annabelle looked at her sharply, “Baby girl I don’t hates you. I love yous just like I loved your momma. All witches loves you and yours. I hates what you gotta do. I hates that your life is cursed with his dirty blood. Aint no angel got no right to take from a witch the way Jonathan takes from your momma.” She looked back out the window and sighed, “We all cursed. Ever since Miss Lillith been raped in the garden we been cursed.”

Ophelia stood up and walked through the long wide hallways until she got to the front door. She opened it hesitantly. She had never seen so many people in her life let alone vampires. One vampire was more than she had ever seen. The whole thing wasn’t a dream, she was coming to that conclusion.

She could see everyone in slow motion, as she walked out onto the front steps.

Lorri was watching everyone with a stone face, but somehow Ophelia knew she was scared for Giselle.

One of the guys was letting off some kind of perfume Ophelia had smelled before. When she smelled him she wanted to take her shirt off and let him wrap his arms around her. She could feel the warmth of his skin against her. It made tingles everywhere.

The dark haired man who had been at her door with the snow globe smirked at her from beside the red haired lady. He leaned in and whispered, “Try to ignore him. He could drive you mad.”

“You again.”

He grinned harder, “Yes love, I did try to tell you.”

She couldn’t pull her eyes away from his strong shoulders and biceps. She wanted so badly to just touch him. She couldn’t understand how they all made her feel gooey inside.

She tore her eyes away from him to watch Giselle walk out in to the yard and cross the magic guards that Ophelia felt at all times. She shivered as she watched her. The vampires fell silent as a tall dark haired man rounded off against Giselle. The others formed a huge circle. The Roses never moved from the front porch, but every one of them seemed ready to leap into action any second.

“Why can’t we help her?” Aimee asked softy.

Lorri never moved her eyes from Giselle, “She will look weak. She should be able to take them all on as queen. It’s their way. Not to mention they need to believe I don’t run her.”

Ophelia could feel the apprehension and fear pouring off of everyone. She didn’t know what to do or say, but their nerves were building up inside of her. She couldn’t recognize the emotions or who they belonged to.

The wolf looked at her and held her gaze. She backed away from it realizing it looked similar to one that had attacked her.

“It’s Lucas Ophelia Jesus Christ.” Lorri turned and snapped at her. Ophelia flinched and took another step back.

“Are you all mind readers?” She asked feeling frightened, earning a bitter laugh from everyone.

Dorian smiled at her, “God bless you Ophelia. I needed that.”

Lorri laughed and took several steps forward, “The rules are the same as always. No one fights her except him. Anyone who interferes meets Dorian and Aimee. Now I know you’ve heard about Aimee and how she likes to eat. Let’s not provoke her.”

The crowd eyed Aimee cautiously and gave Giselle and the tall man space.

Ophelia looked around and shook her head, “This is bizarre and barbaric. They’re going to fight to the death. It’s 2012 not 1812. Even then I don’t believe fighting to the death was ever done. Maybe in the wild west.”

Sam smiled at her, “These guys have mostly been around for hundreds of years. They haven’t changed much unfortunately.”

She forgot what she was talking about. The smell of him was intoxicating. She took a step toward him. She heard the commotion and watched as they began to cheer, but all she saw was him.

Chapter Sixteen

Sam

He could feel her eyes upon him, but he tried to block her out as he focused his eyes on Giselle. He had pushed his pheromones out to intoxicate the vampires and accidentally ensnared a witch.

He tried to focus on the fight. The tall man had sliced Giselle's face open savagely. She stood in shock. Her beautiful lips coughed as bright red blood dripped from them. She had recently eaten obviously. Her dark eyes looked around at the crowd cheering, as his hand came down again at her. Sam felt his blood boil watching beautiful and sweet Giselle dying. She moved faster than he did. Trying to escape him but the circle held tight. The others snarled at her.

He turned to the girl staring at him like he was her next snack. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

“I need your help.”

She blinked, “Whatever you want.”

He pushed his attraction for Hanna as hard as he could. He could see the girls pupils dilate as she leaned into him. He bent in to her face, “See the girl dying?” He turned her to face Giselle who was on her knees.

She nodded.

“I want you to help her. Every strike against her is a strike against me. They are trying to hurt me.”

Her eyes became slits, “They want to hurt you?”

She turned and looked at the man with the dark hair. His hand came up in the air to strike Giselle again.

Sam watched as the girl blew as hard as she could. A great wind blew across the yard toward the fight.

Sam whispered into the wind, “Giselle fight back. Close your eyes and feel the heat. It’s there waiting.” He pushed his scent into the wind. The vampires looked distractedly around the circle for the source.

Aimee looked back at him, tears rolled down her cheeks but Sam knew she was unable to move her feet.

Sam nodded at her, “She’ll be okay. She just needs to unleash it. We all have it.”

Aimee turned and screamed, “Giselle I’m with you. I’m holding your hand. Close your eyes and trust me to help you.”

Giselle’s skin healed faster than anything Sam had ever seen before. She darted around the circle in between jabs and lunges. The hands of the Euro Trash moved swiftly tearing at her.

Lightning crashed down in the middle of the circle of vampires sending everyone back.

Sam realized Ophelia's eyes had gone completely black and her head was tilted back looking up at the sky. Bolts of lightening began to strike the street around the Vampires.

The Euro Trash looked over at Lorri. Lorri turned back at Ophelia and scowled, “No.” She looked at Sam, “NO.”

Sam bowed under her will.

His feet were stuck as Aimee’s were. Lorri would let Giselle die before she would let them interfere. “The vampires must do things their way. Giselle must earn the right to be queen.”

Sam could see Ophelia from the corner of his eyes. She lifted her fingers to a point. Her will was not attached to Lorri. She could disobey Lorri. Sam put his hand over hers and shook his head.

He noticed Giselle rounding on the vampire suddenly. She wasn’t jumping and fleeing anymore. She appeared to be listening to Aimee’s shrieks and cries. She closed her eyes. She put her nose in to the air and began to sniff.

She listened to the wind.

She moved as if dancing with her partner. He slashed out with his hand but she leaned back and rolled to the side. His hands swiped at her, but she dodged it and backhanded him across cement. He was back and clawing at her, but she fought him using precision. Her eyes were still closed as her leg shot out and took him to the ground. She leapt across the concrete like a feral cat and pinned him with her strength.

The vampires in the circle began to scream and howl as Giselle’s hand came down on the man. She stopped a hairs width from his throat. She looked up at Lorri.

Lorri’s expression never changed, “Finish it my queen.”

Giselle blinked, “What?”

“He is a usurper. Finish him. No one may defy your crown queen Giselle. Your word is final.”

Giselle looked as if she gulped. She looked into the man’s eyes as she lifted her hand and brought it down. Sam watched as one of her own tears dripped onto his face, as her hand tore his throat out. She brought the hand back a second time and tore the head right off of him. His frightful face rolled across the street to the edge of the silent circle.

Giselle sat back down on the cement and licked the blood from her fingers. She was panting. Sam closed his eyes and took his first real breath. Aimee was on her knees sobbing. The intense death dealer was nowhere to be seen, she was the fragile girl she fought to hide.

“Queen Giselle has my support. She is law. She is life and death.” Lorri shouted across the yard.

Sam watched as Giselle stood. Each vampire dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. Giselle looked stunned. She backed away from them all, but they whispered and muttered ‘My Queen’ in every direction.

She walked toward the house but was slammed on her back. Sam felt his jaw drop, as she stood up only to wince as she put her hands out.

“Lorri I can’t get passed it. Lorri?” She looked like a mime making the fake wall, like the ones on the seaside boardwalks.

Lorri sighed, “Giselle, the Queen of the Vampires may not enter Lydia’s home. It’s a sanctuary.”

Aimee was off the ground and running before Lorri could speak another word.

She crossed the guards in time to catch Giselle, who had dropped to her knees.

“Never?” She asked.

The vampires began to growl at Aimee, as she wrapped her arms around Giselle.

Giselle put a hand out, “She is my friend. No one hurts her. Like ever, okay.” She looked to be in shock.

Sam looked at Lorri, “Did you know this would happen?”

Lorri clenched her jaw and then she was gone. Sam looked at Dorian, “What the fuck Dorian?”

He shook his head, “Giselle never would have done it if she knew. She would have died. They would have waited for her to feed and then they would have killed her. This was the only way.”

Sam felt the truth in the words but his heart ached for Giselle.

“Where will she go?”

Dorian cracked a grin, “The castle of course. Dracula’s castle has always been where the royalty lived.”

Sam shuddered imagining visiting the disgusting place where his Hanna had been kept.

“What always? Marcus was the only Dracula.”

Dorian shrugged, “It’s hers if she wants it. It’s spelled to keep the royal one safe.”

Sam snorted, “Yeah it worked for Marcus.”

Dorian gave him a hardened look, “He was in the yard if you recall.”

Sam looked back at Ophelia, who was still staring at him. Sam frowned, “Go inside and learn about your family. If Annabelle is right, you meet your father in a couple weeks. July seventh is almost here.”

She nodded, “Whatever you want.”

He sighed and looked at Lucas who was lying in the grass looking bleak, “That’s going to get annoying fast.”

Lucas made a wolf snicker sound.

Sam rolled his eyes, “Come one we’ve got to help Giselle. This is nuts. You should change first though. No one wants you eating any of her loyal subjects.”

Sam strolled out into the crowd to Giselle and tried not to notice the blood on his pants.

Giselle shook her head in what appeared to be disbelief.

Sam knelt beside her and whispered, “We need to take you to Marcus’s castle. You’ll be safest there.”

Giselle nodded weakly, “I always wanted to live in a castle.”

Aimee pressed her lips together. Sam could see the anger welling inside of his friend. She was already fragile and a blow like Giselle being forced into anything, could force Aimee’s anger.

He put a hand on them both and flashed quickly.

He looked up at the front of the massive castle, “Home sweet home.”

Giselle gulped.

Sam knew it was too much to take. Giselle and Aimee had come from a tiny town with small houses and regular people. The past years had been filled with too many changes for them to not be overwhelmed.

Giselle’s dark and beautiful eyes filled with tears, making her face devastating, “Will you stay with me?”

Sam nodded, as did Aimee.

An English accent broke the silence, “Mistress my name is Hamish. Welcome to your new home.”

Sam spun to see an odd looking older man standing in the doorway of the huge entrance.

"Hamish? You weren’t here when Marcus lived here?"

Hamish shook his head, "I stay back in the English castle until Master Henry was permitted to leave."

Aimee put a hand out to him, “I’m Aimee.”

He cringed as he took her hand. Aimee pulled him into her and whispered something. The man’s eyes grew as he pulled back, “Madam I would never. I serve the Mistress of the house. My bloodline has always served the house of Dracule loyally. She is the mistress, her blood is his blood.”

Sam scowled at Aimee, who shrugged, “He must be like the house elves in Harry Potter. No one give him any gifts or clothing or socks.”

The older man looked horrified but stepped to the side to make way for them to enter.

Sam felt nauseous seeing the place again. It was never appealing to him, but remembering Hanna there made his skin crawl. Giselle gripped his bicep tightly as they passed the threshold.

“It’s creepy. It’s too big. Hamish is there a smaller house we could maybe hang at?”

Hamish looked at Giselle as if she had three heads, “Mistress does the manor displease you? We have five others. The one in Romania is quite nice in the summer. Not too hot and there is a nice lake out back.”

"Five? All like this?"

He laughed, "No, no, much larger."

She looked at Sam with her huge eyes full of fear. Her lips trembled slightly. Sam leaned in and kissed her soft face, “You have this Giselle. You defeated that other vampire. We won’t leave you here alone. Me and Aimes will move in with you okay?”

She pressed her skin against his lips and nodded, “I like the house Hamish.”

“Would you care for a snack perhaps?”

Sam shot his eyes up at Hamish who pointed down the hall.

Giselle nodded, “I am hungry.”

Aimee looked at Sam menacingly, but spoke to Hamish, “What kind of snack?”

Hamish looked confusedly at Sam, “Well she only really eats one thing young sir, obviously a bloody one.”

Aimee turned to him, “Where does she get her snacks from?”

Giselle put a perfectly manicured hand up, “Hamish I like my blood by the bag.”

Hamish choked, “What?”

Aimee looked furious, “Do you keep people here?”

Hamish reddened slightly, “We keep all blood types on tap. It’s how Master preferred it in all his homes.”

Sam felt his nose wrinkle, “Where do you keep them?”

Giselle looked confused, “On tap?”

Aimee shook her head, “Nothing. I will take care of it. Me and Hamish will go together to get you a snack.”

Sam stepped away from Giselle and grabbed Aimee’s hand quickly, “Maybe me and Hamish should get the snacks Aims.” He noticed the relieved look on the poor old man’s face.

Aimee looked wickedly evil, as she spoke through pressed lips like a ventriloquist, “Fine.”

Sam took the older man’s arm and rushed away quickly.

“By the gods what is she?”

Sam smirked, “Death Hamish. She is death.”

Chapter Seventeen

Ophelia

“You’re mother is the witch. She is the oldest human, ever. Her and Adam were created together, equally. God made them in his image, in the image of the angels.”

Ophelia shook her head, “Where is Sam? He smells nice?”

Lydia put a hand over her eyes, “Ophelia you must focus. Sam is not of importance. Please.”

Ophelia couldn’t help but feel the fog around her brain. Everything was a mistake. The people around her were a dream. She remembered Jake suddenly and shot up from her seat, “Jake, where is he?”

Lydia looked at the dark haired girl, who smiled at her. “Ophelia we took him home remember. He needed to go home. We had someone wipe his memory. He would be in danger if we let him remain here. Mortals aren’t safe here. Not to mention the love spell you put on him.”

She gasped, “What? I don’t know what you're talking about.”

Lydia smiled, “Honey did you wish for him to love you?”

Ophelia blushed and nodded.

“How often?”

She looked down at her fingers. She tried to not feel the embarrassment that was overwhelming her.

Lydia chuckled, “As we expected dear. When a witch wishes for the same thing over and over it becomes a spell. He was under your spell. Everyone in your little town was under your spell. From the moment your magic woke up you became a threat to their freewill.”

Ophelia reached her limit, “Look I need some sleep. Can I go home now please?” She felt humiliated and exhausted. She wanted Abbey and her own bed.

She caught a look shoot across Lydia’s eyes, as she glanced at the dark haired girl.

The dark haired girl spoke again, “You can stay here. We have a room for you.”

She felt like a snake caught in a charm. She didn’t know the people in the room well enough to lose it, so she held her emotions. She just wanted out. She wanted to go home. The walls started to close in around her. She felt herself panicking. She rubbed her hands on her thighs.

“Do you want me to show you to your room?”

She shook her head, “I want to go home. I want to go now.”

Annabelle was beside her suddenly, “Child you be having a hard time understanding everything that we be saying. But you needs to understand that we’s only be trying to help. What more do you need? I’s a ghost, the vampires were in the yard, you done magic right out there. Thems seems like pretty overwhelming things but if you think about it, they’s just the proof you need.”

She couldn’t help but see it. Annabelle was right. The proof was there but her brain couldn’t possibly see the forest for the trees.

She shook her head, “I need to go home. I need to find my sister.”

Suddenly the room grew hot. She shook her head fighting for sanity.

The blue light began to glow around her. She pulled away from them but they circled her and pulled in tight around her. She could feel the warmth of their light upon her face, as she felt herself grow still. The lights took away everything.

Everything went blue, matching the light of the beings around her. She felt the floor hitting her face, as everything changed to black.

xxxx

‘Ophelia don’t wake. Don’t open your eyes. Let this be a dream my love. Let my voice be part of your sleep. Your father has discovered you my child. You must trust Lydia and Annabelle to help you. Everything depends upon you. You and your brother.”

She felt the words against her skin, as if they manipulated the breeze around her.

The voice had been sweet like an angel’s and the words had caressed her as a mother would. She knew she had heard the voice before somewhere. She couldn’t let it be a dream. It was freaking her out.

She opened one eye and glanced around the room. The darkness was the first thing she noticed. Compared to the six tiny lights that sat in the corner of the room, it seemed pitch black.

She didn’t fear the lights suddenly. Something about them made her feel safe.

“What are you?” She whispered in to the darkness.

‘Your sisters’

She frowned, “No Abbey is my sister.”

‘We are your sisters. We have the same mother and father. Each of us has waited for you Ophelia.’

She shook her head, “Who is our mother exactly? Can you guys just answer questions without having to run out the room every five seconds.”

‘Lillith, she is Lillith. She is the beauty and the grace of God. She was the first woman. She was born of God the same as Adam. God made her free as he did Adam. She saw Adam as her brother. The angels told her to seek out the Stag, the king of the Elves. She had wandered into the sacred garden looking for the Stag but Adam had been watching her. God had told him he would receive a mate. He assumed Lillith was his mate. He tried to convince her of his notions but she dismissed him, perhaps cruelly. He forced himself upon her in the forest. In the moment of anger, pain and humiliation she called upon the magic she felt in the sacred garden. She pulled the magic into her and let it fill her. She used it to curse Adam with endless suffering and pain. She did not know the scope of the suffering she would cast upon him. Realizing what he had done to her, Adam left the sacred garden, never to return again. He believed the land was cursed. Lillith was destroyed. When the Stag came he refused her, as she was with child. She stayed in the garden alone and gave birth to the Fae. She gave birth to the first of them in that garden. Part of her and Adam was in the triplets but so was the magic. They could change themselves into anything they saw. One mated with a bear and one with an elf and one with a wolf. She lived in the sacred garden with her children and their children for centuries, until our father fell and stole her from the garden. There was a prophecy written when the angels fell that the children of Lillith would save the world. Only the children of Lillith could lift the curse she had placed upon them. The fallen believed that meant saving the world from God but Lucifer and the good angels believed it would be from the curse Lillith placed upon Adam. Suffering would end as would strife and pain. The seven deadly sins would cease to exist as would war and hate. Revelations speaks of a world free from death. After the Armageddon the world would become heaven. Heaven on Earth. The fallen wouldn’t survive such a scenario.”

Stunned and confused, Ophelia sat numb. “This is nuts. How do I fit into this?”

“The prophecy was specific. The children who would save the earth would be twins. One would be sacrificed to give the other strength. Because of her hate for men most believe the daughters of Lillith will free her from the evil clutches of our father. That is why he has sacrificed each of us.”

Ophelia watched the six balls of light, “What are you?”

“We are the remaining magic. Each of Lillith’s children has magic in their soul, as do their offspring. When one of Lillith’s children is killed the magic remains. We were killed so that our magic would remain.”

“How long have you been dead?” The question frightened her. How long had they waited for her to be born.

“I am the eldest. I am over one thousand years old.”

“I am the youngest and only forty seven years old.”

She blinked at their answers. None of it was fathomable, but then nothing about her week was.

“Where is my brother then?”

“He is with our father.”

She frowned, “Our evil fallen angel father? So is he bad?”

The balls of light floated toward her and took shape, each looking more and more like her. One smiled at her and moved like it spoke, “No. We have been with him since his infancy.”

Ophelia frowned at the ghost, “Why didn’t you come to me? Why have you waited until now?”

“We couldn’t find you. We feared you were lost or held captive somewhere. If you had died you would have joined us but you never. We never gave up hope that you were still alive. We feared you were held by magic so your soul could not be free as ours is.”

Ophelia felt a tear slip down her cheeks.

“How did you die?” She asked.

“Our father had us murdered at birth to stop us from ever ending the curse.”

“How is it you have aged?”

“We haven’t aged, we choose how we look. We look like Mother."

Nothing surprised her any more but that did make her sick. She felt dirty to be born of a man so evil as to have her siblings murdered.

She sighed and lie back down on the bed, “I just don’t understand how you never knew where I was.”

“Miss Ophelia you had a guard around your house. The witch who your father forced to kill your sisters, she put you somewhere safe. She died to save you.”

“The witch died making my guard?”

Annabelle who had appeared out of nowhere nodded, “I don’t know no witch who can live through making a guard. It’s a permanent stain on the earth. It takes a soul to make it.”

She rolled on her side and watched the light of the maid flicker, “Annabelle why are you a maid here?”

She shrugged, “I gots nothing better to do and Miss Lydia kept me alive and safe for a long time. I don’ts sleep and I don’ts eat and I never need to rest or be quiet. Eternity is a long time to be dead.”

“Why don’t you go to heaven?”

She laughed, “Oh I will. When Miss Lydia is ready to move on we move on together. We was born together and we will die together.”

“What is the guard for?”

Annabelle’s face grew serious, “Them shadows is full of dark magic. The stain on the earth from the darkness. All the black evil magic hunts us. It wants to corrupt us.”

She frowned, “Are we that weak?”

Annabelle shook her head, “No, but a witch has gotta rest and aint no witch restin when them dark thangs is after ya. The shadows creep along trying to tie themselves to you. They the dark stain your momma put on this earth. Her anger.”

Ophelia shivered, “I saw them. The shadows that moved.”

The maid put a ghostly finger up at her, “You stay away from them shadows, they be coming for you. If the darkness wins everything good on the earth is gonna die Miss Ophelia. All the hate and pain and suffering your momma cast on man is in those shadows. It be the original black magic. Full of hate and pain.”

“Am I bad?”

Annabelle shrugged, “The prophecy says you gonna choose the light and save man but tis only a prophecy. Tis possible that you could choose the wrong side and your brother could save man. The prophecy only says one of the twins. It's them angels that thinks it be the girl and not the boy who evil.”

Ophelia looked at the balls of light hovering in the corner again and sighed, “I hope that doesn’t happen.”

‘We all do Ophelia.’

Chapter Eighteen

Sam

Aimee paced back and forth as the sun came up, “I think this is a mistake. She is going to burn to death.”

Sam shook his head looking at the old dusty book, “No it says right here. She just has to wear that disgusting old ring of his and she can walk in the sun.”

Giselle sat in the window watching the sun. She twirled the ring that replaced her Roses ring.

“It feels old and gross. I hate this ring. Look how fat it makes my finger look.”

Sam closed the book with a snap, “Giselle you need the ring. Being the sun walker makes you different than the others, more royal. Marcus was always slightly weaker but he could go in the sun.”

Aimee never spoke.

“Aimee I just want to sleep. Can we try tomorrow?”

Aimee spun and looked confused, “What? Oh uhm sure whatever you want.”

Giselle left the window and waved backwards, “I’m going to bed. Jeeves come tuck me in.”

Sam covered his eyes, “Hamish, it’s Hamish.”

He looked at Aimee with a smile, as Giselle’s voice echoed throughout the halls, “Why are you so old? Why don’t I have young hot guys as my slaves?”

“Well, miss I am your butler not your slave.”

“Whatever. I need like, warm blood before I go to sleep and don’t microwave it.”

Aimee barely cracked a smile. She turned her back to the doorway again and watched out the window silently.

Sam grabbed her arm and instantly they were standing on the side of the road. The old faint cross in the bark was barely visible.

She walked to it and dropped to her knees. She rested her head against the tree and brushed her fingers against the lines of ripped bark.

She whispered, “How did you know?”

He sat on the road, “Aleks. He called it your spot, like his and yours. He told me you would sit here and tell him everything. You poured your heart out to him. He spent eight months listening to every thought and feeling.”

She felt it in the air, it wasn’t her mother’s spot. It was their spot. His and hers.

“Sam, what the hell Aimee?”

Sam turned and waved, “Shane, hey man.” Aimee turned her back on the tree but never removed her hands from the bark.

“Hey.”

Shane looked hurt, “I’ve been calling you and shit Aimes. What’s going on?”

She shrugged and swallowed hard.

Sam stood feeling the tension in the air, “I’m going back to the castle Aimes, give you two some time alone. See ya around Shane.”

Shane put a hand out for Sam to shake. He shook it, trying desperately to not feel the pain in Shane’s heart.

“See ya man.”

Sam flashed to Greece instead. His heart burned. It was nighttime there. He watched the small house in the lonely part of the island but no one moved inside of the windows. He flashed downtown but the streets were bare. He frowned and wondered alone, searching for her. He could sense her still on the island. Her heart felt full. He loved the feeling.

His body pulled to the left. He climbed a steep street until he heard music. He left the road and ventured into the woods at the top of the hill. He flashed into the tree and surveyed the area.

Finally her bright strawberry blonde hair shone like a beacon of light for him. The lights above glistened off of her hair. His heart snapped almost in half.

She was in the arms of another man. They danced slowly on a dance floor. She was filling up on the man. He could sense it. He could smell it in the air. The other Sirens were around her dancing with strange men as well. They were teaching her to glean emotions like a succubus. It would dull the ache of her need. Sirens could feed similarly to a succubus. They needed sexual energy to satisfy their craving which was called a need. Orgasms given by another were the best way for a Siren to gain the energy and end the need, but it could be had by sucking a member of the opposite sex of their sexual energy. It was more vampirism than Siren and frowned upon. His mother would never have stooped as low as Hanna was.

The dark haired man was roaming his hands across her back and down her ass cheeks. He gripped the satin of the thin dress she wore and slid his hands everywhere. His fingers probed and caressed. Sam felt rage building inside of himself but she allowed it. If anything she encouraged it. He felt his breath quicken as she swayed her hips to the music. She smiled and giggled. She had drunk the wine. Sirens were famous for their aphrodisiac wines. It made the gleaning easier. They gave off an aroma when they did it.

Suddenly as if sensing his pain, her eyes darted to where he sat swaying in the tree.

Her hands dropped.

The other women looked up.

He watched their faces drop as they recognized the smell of him.

“You are an abomination. You must leave this island.”

He flashed to the ground across from the patio where they danced, “Why?”

He ignored the others and looked only at Hanna. Her eyes flooded with tears, “It wasn’t what it looked like.”

He took a step back, “I know what it is Hanna. You’re no better than a vampire, a slutty one. You and Marcus deserved each other. I’m sorry I killed him. It was the ending you needed.”

His heart was breaking. It was on fire.

“You have no right to be here. Your angel blood is a disgrace to our kind.” One of the older ones with shiny blue eyes pointed at him.

He sneered at her, “Don’t worry I’m leaving.”

He turned away from Hanna and began to walk away. He couldn’t flash. His power was gone. His pain was everywhere.

“Sam wait.” She ran after him. Tears poured down her ruddy cheeks, “Sam honestly what do you expect from me?”

He felt her hands shove him. He didn’t have to look back at her to know she was fighting the beast.

“You’ve loved me your whole life. You’ve known about me since forever. I’ve known you a year. It’s not the same for me. I don’t even know why we love each other. I can’t explain it.”

He winced. He wanted to tell himself it was the wine talking. He could hear it in her voice.

"Sam I just need a little time to adjust. I can't learn everything from you. Your mother was a disgrace to our kind. You need to know how bad her choice was. I shouldn’t even love you Sam. You shouldn't be my match."

“We don’t have to love each other Hanna.”

She shoved him again but he continued to walk away from her, “Good I don’t want to love you anyway. It feels forced, like I have no choice in who I love. I wish I never loved you. Jesus Christ just turn around and talk to me like a real man. You're acting like a bitch.”

She shoved him in the back once more. He flew down the road and into a building. His face and arms stung where fresh blood began to trickle from the wounds. Rocks and building began to crumple around him.

He watched regret pour across her face as she screamed for him. He flashed as the rocks covered his body.

He lay in the yard at Lydia’s. He could still smell the old vampire blood on the road. His blood began to fill the air and take over the air around him.

“Sam what are you doing?” Ari rushed at him and cradled him in her arms. He hadn’t realized tears had blinded him until her face appeared blurry.

“Sam what’s happened?”

Luke was suddenly at his side, “Is it Hanna? Is she okay?”

He covered his face to hide his pain. He was ashamed of himself.

“Is she hurt?”

“Where is she?”

He tried to speak but his voice cracked. He whispered instead, “She doesn’t want to be with me.”

He felt Luke help him to his feet, “Did she do this to you? Tell me you fought back.”

“Lucas.” Ari scolded him. Luke laughed nervously.

Sam shrugged him off, “I’m fine.” He turned and walked inside of the house.

Danny was in the kitchen eating and playing his DSI, “Hey Sam. Did Anne tell you she met some Internet dude? She’s going on a real date. Like gross. I pity that poor sap.”

Sam nodded and trudged through the kitchen to the stairs. He ran up them until he was in his room. He closed the door and collapsed on his bed. He missed his mom.

He hadn’t seen her since she had been taken. The Wiccan’s assumed she had been caught by the government, like the girl they had taken from the island. He let them take him when he found out she was missing. He promised the Wiccan's he would find the missing child and his mother.

He realized his mother had not ever been inside of the facility when he got there. He met the Nephilim children and stayed with them until they would be rescued. The girl who had been taken from the Wiccan's was Sarah. She was a fire witch. He smiled thinking about finding her there. She had been taken from her elementary school for burning the gymnasium down. When she touched him his magic sparked with hers and he was able to see the future. He saw Aimee long before she ever came for them.

The kids in the center were all the same, they all got their powers before they should have. They were frighteningly dangerous and out of control. Danny and Anne had the least frightening powers. Sarah got nervous and lit fires all the time. He constantly put out the seductive powers, which made him popular with the female guards.

The government had been using them. Danny was made to predict things and used as a human walkie-talkie. Sarah was made to sneak into places and firebomb them. She could make herself invisible whenever she needed it. Anne could make a shield that stopped everything from working. She was like a walking E.M.P.

Sam had hated being captive and could have escaped at anytime but he couldn’t take them with him. Not all of them. He couldn’t guarantee he could make it back to get the ones he left behind. He couldn’t protect them from themselves. They were too volatile. He knew one day Aimee would come and save them all. Then he could get back to Hanna. Back to waiting for her to wake up.

He felt anger growing inside of him as he thought about the years wasted.

“Sam.”

He looked up at Lydia standing in the doorway of his room.

“You have everyone pretty worried Sam. Is Hanna okay?”

He shook his head, “They’ve turned her. I saw her gleaning the need off of someone.”

Lydia looked disgusted, “Why would she do something like that?”

He shrugged, “They have her. Sending her there was mistake. I will never forgive you, or Lorri.”

He pulled his ring from his finger and placed it on the nightstand.

“Sam don’t be foolish.”

“Make the pain stop Lydia. Please. Break the match.”

“I won’t Sam. It will break your heart. You’ll never feel love again. You'll die.”

He turned his back to her, “I won’t ever love again anyway.”

“What’s going on?” Lorri's voice filled the room.

“Hanna and Sam have had a fight.”

“Yeah I figured. She just sent me a message to come and get her in Greece. She wants to come home.”

Sam turned around and shook his head.

"Don't be a pain in the ass Sam."

Lydia put her hands on her hips, “Hanna is a Rose. You can’t leave her there if she wants to come home. That’s wrong. Sam, you and her need to try to fix this.” She stormed out of the room.

Lorri nodded at his ring on the nightstand, “Bugging your finger?”

He shook his head, “Not doing this anymore. I’m done. The moment I went searching for my mom and became bent on saving the kids, was the last moment of peace I’ve had.”

“I’m going to kill her.” Lorri rubbed her eyes like she was exhausted.

Chapter Nineteen

Ophelia

The woman in the snow globe waved at her and blew her a kiss. Ophelia looked at the six balls of light, “Do you see her often?”

‘Other than this snow globe we have not seen her since birth. We each remember her from the minutes we had when we were born, before we were taken.’

She frowned, “Why can’t you go there?”

‘There is a guard around the tower. No one may enter but our father and the maids.’

“How did Annabelle make this snow globe then?”

‘One of the maids sacrificed her life to create a live link to mother’s cell. It’s made of her blood and soul.’

She frowned, “Gross.” She was grateful she had gotten Sam to take her to grab it. He made her promise a favor if he did it. She had cried when she saw her house. Her parents were out. She knew they were looking for their daughters. She imagined they were terrified, as she was.

Thoughts of Jake filled her mind. She wondered if he was still thinking about her or if it was all a lie. She couldn’t believe her life had taken the turn it had.

She left the snow globe and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

“She needs to convince them to give her their power after she kills her brother.”

“Shh.”

She stopped as she opened the fridge door. She stood frozen at the fridge holding the jug of orange juice.

Were they talking about her?

“Ophelia honey, do you want to come in here?”

She carried the orange juice with her into the sitting room next to the kitchen. Lorri and Lydia sat on the chairs.

Lorri raised an eyebrow at the juice.

“I was getting a glass, I swear.”

“So you heard that I assume.”

She nodded, “You want me to kill my brother? The brother I haven’t ever met and don’t really believe exists?”

“The way the witch who birthed the others did the spell was so that whoever was the last standing would be graced with the power of them all. It’s the only way to defeat him.”

She raised an eyebrow, “They told me you’re Lucifer. If that’s true how is he stronger than you?”

Lorri looked her directly in the eyes, “He has allowed the shadow to fill him up. He is full of the hate and pain of the world. He is the actual Satan human kind believes me to be. The reason we guard is to keep the darkness your mother cursed the earth with out.”

Ophelia nodded, “I know Annabelle and my sisters told me this. Adam raped her in the garden.”

“Shhh child. Do not speak the words.” Lydia looked around nervously.

She frowned, “Why?”

“Better to be safe than sorry.”

“Look I get that this is very real to you all but the part that’s real to me is my sister. Do you know where she is?”

Lydia glanced at Lorri who nodded, “We think she’s in Alaska, if she’s still alive.”

“Still alive?” Her stomach started to twist.

Lorri nodded, “Look kid the people who have her have all the darkness in the world inside of them. Bad things are kind of their gigs.”

“Can we go get her?”

“Not until July seventh. It’s when you’ll be at your strongest.”

She tried to contain her anger, “Are you fucking insane. I’m not waiting over a week to get her. Especially if she might die. Freaking nut bags. My parents have probably called the police. Everyone knows we're missing. Jesus Christ.”

She got up and stormed up to the room where Sam was staying. She tapped on his door.

“Yes.”

She opened it and smiled, “Hey.”

He stood at his bedside with a big bag. She frowned, “What are you doing?”

“Leaving.”

Her heart sunk. She hated the house and the stupid people in it. The little kids were creepy and the girls her age were bitchy. She paused watching him and blurted out, “Can I come?”

He shrugged and put a hand out. She ran out, “Be right back.”

She ran to her room and snagged her snow globe and ran back to his room.

“Sam don’t do this.”

Lydia’s voice rang through the halls. Sam frowned at Ophelia who grabbed his arm as they flashed.

She opened her eyes when they stopped moving to see the most amazing castle she had ever seen.

“Wow. What is this place?”

He walked away from her, “Giselle’s place.”

Ophelia gulped, “The vampires house?” She barely recalled the night the vampires had been outside Lydia's. What she did remember was horrifying. She smiled watching Sam. She remembered him mostly. Him and the way he made her mind fuzzy.

He was already inside. She looked up the huge creepy castle. She walked in amazed. The foyer was the size of her main floor of her parent’s house. Sadness filled her as she thought about them. Were they out looking for her right now? Were they scared?

Lorri told her that she was a danger to everyone now that her father knew she was alive. He would know he had been betrayed. She couldn’t imagine being a baby smuggled out as a dead infant as her mother grieved the loss of yet another baby girl. She gripped the snow globe against her chest and tried not to cry. She couldn’t fight the fact she felt something for the snow globe lady, even if she didn’t understand it.

Chapter Twenty

Sam

He stormed to Aimee’s new room. She was huddled on her bed crying.

“I need your help.”

A disgusted look flashed across her red and puffy face, “What? Are you kidding me?”

“I need help. I need to find the spell that breaks my match.”

“Can you break mine too?”

He slumped onto her bed, “You’re being a drama queen. You aren’t matched. You were in love Aimes. Humans don’t die from falling out of love. What happened?”

“I broke up with him, duhhhh. I thought the crying and not even wanting to kill made that obvious.”

“Is he okay?”

She glared at him with her steely grey eyes, “What, no. Of course not. He’s upset. He cried on the side of the road and yelled at me.”

“What did he say?”

“He said I was making a mistake and that we are supposed to be together. Then he got really mad and asked why the fuck he was staying in random hotels with my dad and giving up his dreams if we weren’t going to be together. Then he called me my sister and left.”

“You know that’s not true right."

"It is true. I am my sister. I loved him and Aleks at the same time. I dated them both. I judged her for the same shit."

He rolled his eyes, "You saved his life breaking it off. Think of the shit that's wrong with you."

She sniffled, “It didn’t feel like it. It felt like I was destroying it.”

“Did you go get your dad?”

She nodded, “I took him to my grams. We sold his house a while ago and it closed the other day. He cried a lot. I’m an asshole. Everyone hates me.”

He put an arm around her, “Aimes you're being a sobby baby. Remember fierce death dealer. You need some of that 'I am woman hear me roar'. You aren’t an asshole. No more than any of us. We can’t have mortal connections. They die too easily.”

“Well my dad's staying with my gram in her new condo that I got Lorri to buy her. It’s in the south of France. No one knows they’re there. Not even Shane.”

“He’ll be happy Aimes.”

“I wish they could all be happy. I wish I’d cut the ties with them all long before I became a Rose. I don’t mind my life being fucked but I hate that they're all separated and scared and I can’t be there. I wish I knew what was going to happen.”

Sam pulled a gold plate from his backpack, “Then I have something to cheer you up.”

She glared at him, “Gold dishes?”

“Annabelle’s golden scrying plate. Ass.”

She snorted, “What in the eff could you possibly want to show me in that plate? You aren’t even magical. Wanker.”

He sighed and pinched his noise, “I’m not hammer head but Ophelia is and she is here.”

She burst into snotty laughter, “You’re a moron.”

“Be that as it may but you can see if it was the right choice.”

She stopped laughing and looked at him, “You think she could see that?”

He nodded, “And more. How to get Alise back. I bet she can.”

“Uhhh that Ophelia chick is wandering the halls and Hanna just called from Roland’s place. She’s coming over.” Giselle popped her head in.

Sam smiled, “Ask Ophelia to meet us in the den please.”

Giselle frowned, “I am not your servant. Besides I got me a vampire date.” She turned and shouted into the hall, “Jeeves get that witch in the den and I’m hungry.”

She walked away.

Aimee tilted her head, “I miss poor Giselle.”

Sam nodded, “I agree.”

“I HEARD THAT ASSHOLES.”

Sam smirked, "Guess we are assholes."

Aimee laughed and picked up the golden plate.

“Wonder what her date will be like?”

“He will no doubt be young and attractive and hopefully eager to fill my role as Jeeves the slave.”

Sam snorted as Hamish appeared in the doorway.

“Young miss Ophelia is headed to the den.”

“Thanks Hamish.”

“You are quite welcome Miss Aimee.”

Sam rolled his eyes at her grin as they walked out of the room. Giselle had gotten moody and snotty since they had moved into the castle. Aimee kept calling her mean high school Giselle.

Ophelia was standing in the den waiting for them when they got there. She seemed out of place. He felt sorry for her for a small second.

“Dim the lights and light a bunch of candles.” Sam grabbed the plate from Aimee and placed it on the small table. He grabbed a glass of water from the bar and poured it into the shallow plate.

“Make sure the candles are behind the spot. They need to be behind where she is going to read.” He smiled at Ophelia, “You need to look into this plate and relax your mind. We will ask questions and you will see answers okay?”

She nodded looking lost, “This is how a witch gets answers?”

He nodded, “I saw the Wiccan's do this tons. Plus this plate is really magical.”

She fidgeted with her fingers and looked into the water.

“Calm the mind Ophelia. Push away every thought and worry. Just relax and breathe.” He tried to speak as low as he could.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ophelia

The water looked normal. She wanted to help them so they would help her get her sister and her life back but she doubted her own abilities. She knew there was magic, too many things had occurred for her to doubt that, but at the same time she had never seen a vision.

She cleared her mind and watched the water in the golden plate. Just as she felt the last cog in her mind stop turning, the water rippled. She looked closer. The bottom of the plate fell away revealing an incredibly deep hole filled with water.

“Okay I think you can ask now.” She felt detached and fuzzy.

Aimee blurted quickly, “Did I make the right decision to break up with Shane?”

The water turned stormy and dark suddenly. Waves started to lap across the tops of the hole. A handsome man with dark blond hair and bright blue eyes sat alone in a room. He was drinking a beer with the TV on and his police uniform shirt open to reveal a white under shirt. He looked like a slob. He looked miserable. In a flash he was at a scene of an accident. A woman in blue jeans and a baby blue t-shirt held her hand to her face. Blood dripped from her forehead. He wiped the blood away. She smiled at him. The next flash he was holding a baby in a hospital room. The lady from the accident smiled from a hospital bed. His eyes still had sadness in them.

“He’s going to save a woman and fall in love and have a baby. He looks happy I guess. Haunted still maybe. So I guess you did. His life looks like he moved on.”

“My turn, how can I break my match?”

She frowned. She didn’t understand the question. She watched as the water churned again and when the picture cleared a beautiful woman stood at the edge of a lake. An older woman walked to her. Her back was to Ophelia. The scene looked old fashioned. They both wore old-fashioned dresses and bonnets. The young woman opened her dress and the older woman whispered, “Fod yn rhydd o’r cadwyni o gariad” then she pulled a dagger from the holster on her hip and dragged it across her hand making bright red blood appear. She coated the dagger in the blood and then plunged it into the heart of the woman. Ophelia gasped and the woman screamed in agony. The older woman pulled the dagger out. No wound was there but a scar remained. The older woman turned to face Ophelia. She gasped again seeing the younger face of Lydia walking away from the screaming woman.

“I have to cut myself and say some shit and then stab you. Lydia did it in the mirror to a young woman. She is so beautiful. She looks like she is in agony though.”

“You know what to say right? Not just some shit?”

“Yeah god. The words are repeating in my head right now.”

Aimee cut Sam off, “Will I get my sister back?”

Ophelia thought of her own sister momentarily as the water splashed and rolled inside of the hole. She waited for the water to clear but it didn’t. She started to feel sick. She dropped to one knee.

“I don’t think I can do anymore right now.”

Sam was behind her smelling amazing. She felt rejuvenated as her body leaned back into him.

“Ophelia I have the dagger if you could just do this little spell for me quickly.”

She looked back at him and nodded, “Yeah alright fine whatever.”

He bent down and pulled a small dagger from his sock.

“What is this Braveheart? Who keeps knives in their socks?”

He smiled, “Hey I grew up with earth witches. They always have a spare blade somewhere or salt in a pocket.”

He passed her the blade. It was still warm from being near his skin.

She looked at him, “Are you sure I can do this?” Her nerves started to freak her out.

“I can’t die anyway. Stabbing me in the heart is just going to hurt if the spell doesn’t work.”

She glanced at Aimee who seemed off in space. She sighed and spoke the words she’d heard the younger Lydia speak.

“Fod yn rhydd o’r cadwyni o gariad,” she slid the blade along her hand slicing it open. The pain rushed in. She started to panic but coated the blade in her dark red blood. It seemed darker than she remembered it ever being. It was almost black.

He pulled off his shirt and took a deep breath, “Do it."

She looked him in the eyes, about to back out but he shook his head, “Please, I need this.”

The desperation in his eyes spoke to her. She plunged the knife into his soft skin. He screamed and writhed in pain instantly. She pulled the blade out and let it drop to the floor.

She wrapped her arms around him and began to cry, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Aimee snapped out of her daydream and grabbed him as well. She wrapped her arms around him.

He screamed in pain.

He dropped to his knees on the tile and fell to his side. He curled into a ball. Ophelia sobbed wrapping herself around him and cradling his head in her arms, “I’m so sorry.”

Suddenly a redhead rushed into the room, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

She dropped to her knees in front of him sobbing.

Aimee reached a hand for the redhead but Sam put a fist out, “No Aimes. She isn’t worth it.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

The redhead cried into her hands, “I never meant it. I never meant it Sam. Please. Please.” She shook her head reaching for him.

He recoiled at her touch, “Never speak to me again.”

“Sam. I was confused. You were right I shouldn’t have gone there. Sam I’m sorry. Please. I love you Sam.”

He reached for Aimee instead and let her help him off the ground. On his chest sat a brand new scar in the shape of a heart with singed edges.

Aimee lifted him, “Get out of our house.”

He looked weak as Aimee led him from the room.

Ophelia knelt on the floor, “I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know it would work.”

The sobbing girl covered her face. Her skin shook and shivered like the sheriff’s had. Ophelia felt the air grow cold.

The redhead looked at her and screamed. Her face grew frightening.

Ophelia backed away, "He asked me to do it.”

The redhead lunged at her. Ophelia felt something surge from her. Her hands shot at the redhead. Waves of something burst from her and shot the angry girl across the room. Ophelia felt something strong fill her. It took over all of her emotions. She was no longer afraid. She looked up at the ceiling. She frowned at the tile ceiling filling with dark angry clouds.

Rain began to pour across the tile floor drenching her and the other girl. She ignored it as power surged through her.

Thunder and lightning filled the sky. Rods of lightning struck the floor around her.

The redhead dove at her. She pulled at the lightning hitting the redhead in the back. She screamed and flew across the room again. She slid on the water and slammed into the wooden wall. A huge hole was bust through into the next room.

Suddenly Giselle appeared at the door, “STOP WRECKING MY SHIT!” She screamed into the rain and hail falling on the floor.

The redhead snarled at Ophelia, completely ignoring Giselle's arrival.

Hanna, what the hell? Why are you trashing my den?”

The redhead leapt at her, still snarling.

Ophelia struck her with lightning again, knocking her to the ground on her stomach.

Giselle looked at her, “Ophelia, girl your eyes are some effed up right now. You need to stop raining on my den. And stop hitting Hanna with lightning. She’s a Rose.”

Ophelia ignored her words. She loved the feelings that were flowing through her. The power was licking at her.

She pulled at the lightning again and forked it, striking Giselle and the redhead.

Giselle was knocked back into the wooden paneled walls. She growled and leapt at Ophelia. She was faster than the redhead. She hit Ophelia mid waist with a crushing blow. She knocked them both out the window and onto the grass, two stories below.

Her hands came at Ophelia’s throat but Ophelia shoved her with energy. Giselle flew back at the vines against the brick castle wall. Ophelia twisted the vines of the castle wall, trapping Giselle against it.

A scream filled the yard, “STOP THIS!”

She turned to see Lydia standing on the grass with her hands on her hips. The next thing she knew she was trapped against the castle wall with vines choking her. The redhead appeared out of nowhere and was held against the wall too.

Lydia’s eyes were solid black. With her long grey hair she looked terrifying. Ophelia felt reality creeping in as her magic faded away. She started to giggle.

The redhead, whose face was covered in tears, looked at her like she was insane.

“It was my first time using my magic.”

The redhead didn’t seem to come around. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the hard brick wall roughly.

“WHAT DO YOU THREE THINK YOU’RE DOING?” Lydia paced in front of them.

Giselle pointed with her fingers that she had free toward Ophelia, “They did this. I was just defending my den. I don’t know what the den is for but they were using it like a wrestling ring.”

“That’s boxing you moron and we saw you take Ophelia out the window. Nice try.” Lorri put her hands on her hips the same way Lydia had. “You’ve left a magical stain in the area. Ophelia your father is looking for you. His people will be able to see this mess. You idiots. This shit is a beacon for them to follow.”

Lydia sighed and put her face in her hands, “We can disperse it some. The stain will still be in the city but at least they will assume she’s at my house not the vampire queens.”

Lydia’s eyes looked normal and kind when she pulled her hands away from her face. She looked like it was her heart that was broken when she looked at the redhead, “Hanna. I’m so sorry.”

The redhead shook her head, “I did this. It’s my fault. I never should have gone. They never taught me anything I couldn’t have figured out from your book.”

Lydia swallowed hard as her eyes darted at Lorri, “We just thought you would want to know your mother’s family.”

She nodded, “I did but it’s cost me everything.”

Lorri looked indignant, “It was the best place for you to learn emergency feeding to stop the need.”

The redhead looked down, as best as the vines would allow, “It doesn’t matter now. He’s broken the match.”

Ophelia noticed for the first time the bracelet the girl wore was glowing like a fire burned inside of it. She couldn’t help but feel animosity toward the girl. Something made her dislike her instinctively.

A whisper filled her mind, ‘It’s her Siren half. All supernatural women naturally dislike her. She is a sweet girl I promise you.’ Ophelia looked at Lydia, who nodded, ‘You will like her if you give her a chance. We need to talk about that spell and Annabelle's plate. I'm very angry Ophelia.’

Ophelia felt sick. She had used her magic and done a terrible thing. The redhead lost everything because of Ophelia. Ophelia didn’t know the story. She didn’t want to. It would only make things much worse.

She needed to focus on the important things. She wanted her sister back.

“I will let the vines release you all but you will apologize to each other. Ophelia it’s safest for you to stay here. Giselle she doesn’t leave the house. Ophelia I am very disappointed in you.”

Giselle opened her mouth to argue but closed it again as black clouds floated in Lydia’s eyes.

“Fine."

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sam

The pain was overwhelming. Nothing soothed it. He threw up when he tried to eat and passed out from the pain when he tried walking around.

He felt mortal for the first time.

His shallow breaths worried him and by the look of it Aimee too.

“So when did you sell your dad’s house?” He asked hoping for something beyond Hanna filling his mind.

She shook her head, “I listed it last summer. It sold a month ago. We just closed it.”

“Have you seen the people who bought it?”

A subtle smile crept across her lips, “Maybe.”

“You’ve spied on them?”

She laughed, “It wasn’t spying. It was checking to make sure they would really love my house. My mother was all over that house. The curtains. The paint. The carpet. All her.”

“Aimes you have to stop living in the past.”

“My sister is taken, my mother is dead and my father is living with his mother in France. Easier said than done. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

He looked at her fighting the anger in his words, “My father was one of the fallen. He fell with Lorri. His name was Anthony. He met my mother and they fell in love. He joined ranks with Jonathan because he apparently chose my mother over God. Lorri murdered him when my mom was pregnant with me. She gave birth to me in Greece with the other Sirens. They shunned us when they saw what I was. We moved to Canada to live amongst the Wiccan's on an island in British Columbia. When I was nine my father’s friend Jonathan took my mother as his slave. She has lived in captivity for twenty years. I thought she had been taken by the government and let myself get abducted by them. I lived in captivity until you freed me.”

Aimee looked confused, “You always said they were alive. How do you even kill a fallen? I'm sorry I said that Sam. I didn’t know.”

He sighed, “No one does. I want to believe my parents loved each but the more time I spend with everyone, the more I think they just fell into the attraction. He was an angel and she was a Siren. Worst mix ever. How would you ever trust your love in that situation?”

Aimee blushed, "That's what I always thought about Aleks. I always thought the love wasn’t real. It was part of whatever we all are. Is your mother still alive?”

Sam shook his head, “I don’t know. Jonathan is a bad man. He has kept one Siren for a very long time. He had Daniel turn her apparently. If my mother, your sister, and Ophelia’s sister are all alive, it’ll be one huge miracle.”

Aimee flinched, “Alise is alive. I know it.”

Sam felt his eyes grow heavy, “That’s good.” He didn’t have the same feeling about his mother. He imagined that after twenty years of horror he wouldn't know her even if he did see her.

xxxx

He woke feeling the cloud of desperation and pain lifted. He stretched his arms freely. His heart didn’t burn. He felt something he had never felt before, freedom.

He loved Hanna from the moment he saw her. He knew his future. His feelings for her had always been in the background. The freedom came at a price and he could feel the price tag attaching itself to him. He felt empty. There was no love. There was no possibility of love. Nothing inspired him. He was calm and even inside.

He took a moment to adjust to the feeling of it. It didn’t hurt but it lacked joy and possibilities.

Aimee was passed out next to him. He stroked her arm. He wished he could love her. She was perfect. He saw it clearly for the first time as the haze Hanna had created lifted from him.

Her face was pretty but her heart was beautiful. He had no idea the capacity for love she had. She lived surrounded by constant guilt and pain. She would never find happiness and joy as long as the ones she loved lived in pain.

She woke with a smirk, “Are you touching me in my sleep because that’s a little creepy.”

He laughed. His laugh felt hollow. “No. I was admiring you. I wish I could be like you.”

She laughed, “You wish to be bogged down with too many people’s happiness attached to your choices and to be heartbroken over a guy you didn’t choose. Yes my life is admirable, there is no doubt.”

Sam laughed at her, “I like it when you pity yourself. No I was thinking about how many people you love. It’s astounding. You love Shane, Aleks, your father and sister, Giselle, Lydia, Ari, Lucas and Ben, me and I dare say you love Lorri even if she is shitty to be around.”

She smiled, “You forgot someone.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Annabelle. I love Annabelle. Sometimes I go there just for the baths. She gives these baths where she sings old weird Cajun songs and washes your back. It’s good. And I love Blake.”

Sam winced, “He’s done so many terrible things Aimes.”

She shook her head, “I know but in my heart I know it’s not him. He didn’t do it because he wanted to. They’ve done something to him.”

“You’re setting yourself up for some serious disappointment my friend. When we finally find our way into their lab and we see he is there for his own selfish reasons you’re going to be hurt. Prepare yourself for the worst.”

She shook her head, “I can’t. I just can’t. Not with him.”

Giselle poked her face in the room, “Guys Hanna won’t leave the castle. Sam you have to talk to her.”

Sam nodded and got up from the bed. He walked toward Giselle who was grinning at him, “You two got a thing going on?”

He frowned, “No.”

She shrugged, “She’ll tell me.” She walked into the room past him.

His feet padded along the cold floor.

He had hated the castle.

He had hated his memories.

He had hated Hanna.

Suddenly it was gone. The hate was deflated and pathetic.

He couldn’t bring himself to get past her betrayal. His emotions attached to it felt weak. Not poignant and deep as it should be. It was shallow and barely there. He felt hollow.

He walked to the room he knew she would sleep in. The room she had been held captive in. She would torture herself by sleeping there.

The candles had snuffed recently, leaving a smell of smoke in the air. She lay on the bed in her clothes. Her red hair was splayed out around her. His stomach didn’t ache and long the way it had before. Her ruddy skin didn’t move his fingers to touch her.

He barely registered her smell in the air.

“Hanna.” His voice was flat.

She turned over revealing her red and puffy face, “Sam.”

She reached for him but he stepped back and walked to the armchair beside the bed.

Tears started to flow from her eyes, “Sam I’m sorry. I need you to hear that. I love you. I love you so much.”

He nodded, “I know you are. Hanna I can’t forgive you.”

“I know that. I see the blank stare in your face. You don’t see me anymore. I don’t know how to fix it.”

He grinned wishing he could enjoy her pain, “You can’t. I’ve broken the match. You’re free to live in Greece and torture men to your heart’s content.”

She shook her head, “I don’t want that. I want you.”

His smile felt stuck on his face, “You had me Hanna.” He laughed bitterly, “Correction you never had me. You wanted space after Aleks and Marcus died. You wanted to figure things out. You wanted to catch up with your emotions.”

“I just wanted to start over.”

He shook his head, “There is no starting over. I’ve broken the match.”

“Sam why would you go to such extremes?”

“Hanna you told me that you wished you never loved me. What did you think I would do?”

Her eyes grew cold, “Understand that I was drunk and confused. I just said those things. I never meant them.”

He nodded, “Okay, well great you never meant them. That doesn’t change what is done. You have a lot of growing up to do Hanna. You will get past me just like I’ve gotten past you.”

He stood and walked from the room.

She called out to him, “Don’t do this Sam.”

He muttered, “It’s done.”

He flashed to Lydia’s house. He opened the fridge and pulled out the chocolate almond milk that he loved. He drank from the carton.

“Sam you knows I hates that.”

He glanced at Annabelle and pulled the carton from his lips, “Sorry Annabelle. I’ll finish it.”

She pointed to the table, “You wants some breakfast?”

He looked over and nodded at the plates of pancakes and bacon and eggs and sausage.

“No home fries?”

She pulled them from the oven, as he spoke, “Don’t be getting picky on me Sam. Yous lucky you getting breakfast after what you done to Miss Hanna. You conned that girl into doing that spell. You thinks I don’t know yous took my plate. Yous lucky she never died.”

He frowned, “From scrying?”

She put the plate down on the table and snapped at him, “Sam that be my plate. It be tied to me. My power be in there. You put her power in there. Now it be her plate. Her magic is stronger. You ruined my plate. And yes she coulda gone and died on all y’all. Witches scry after years of training.”

He blushed, “Sorry Annabelle.”

“What’s done is done is all. Eats the breakfast Sam before I gets mad. You shouldn’t have took my plate and you shouldn’t have took her to Giselle's.”

He noticed things on the back counter floating. Annabelle angry meant the house would get trashed, which made Annabelle angrier. It was a lose lose situation. Annabelle disappeared into the wall.

He sat at the table as Sarah materialized. He smirked at her, “Hiding?”

She nodded, “They have all been feisty since yesterday. You guys did a bad thing Sam. They said it’s a bad spell to do. You could die from it.”

He frowned, “What?”

She nodded, “Lydia said she did it once before. The woman hung herself. The sadness of not feeling anything, it gets to you.”

He ruffled her hair, “Don’t worry about it Sarah.” He didn’t feel anything. Even the sentence she spoke didn’t worry him.

“It’s not possible to feel sadness if you can’t feel anything.”

Sarah’s little face didn’t look convinced. She ate a piece of bacon and shook her head, “It was a bad thing Sam.”

He pointed, "You shouldn’t be eating that bacon. Your mom would be very angry."

She smiled, "I'm not a vegan here. I'm a flexitarian. I eat what I'm served."

He piled food on his plate and shook his head.

The other kids started to pile into the kitchen where the table expanded as always. The small kitchen always accommodated everyone.

Danny raised an eyebrow, “No more you and Hanna?”

"Not so much."

Danny shrugged, "I like Hanna. She makes me feel happy when I look at her."

Sam coughed and changed the subject, "You guys all been in contact with your families lately?”

They nodded. Sarah smiled a toothy smile at him. Her teeth had grown in too big for her small face, “Aunty Beth said to tell you she expects a visit sooner than later. She said she wants to talk to you about something.”

He shrugged, “Okay. Maybe I’ll see if we can both go.”

Sarah shook her head, “I don’t wanna go. I started a fire yesterday when I was mad at Danny.”

Danny’s chubby face turned red, “She burned my World of Warcraft poster for the Mists of Pandaria.”

Sarah looked down at her plate, “It was an accident. I said sorry Danny.”

Danny glared at her, “And yet your apology didn’t bring it back.”

Sam frowned, “Be nice both of you. It was an accident. Sometimes we can’t help what our powers make us do.”

“Is that what you told Hanna when you apologized?”

He turned to see Lydia standing in the kitchen with her arms folded across her chest and a truly pissy expression plastered across her face.

“No. I never apologized. I’m not sorry.”

Lydia shook her head, “You will be Sam. Even I can’t save you from what you’ve done. There was a reason I told you no witch would ever do that spell for you.” Her eyes burned, “We all know the cost of it.”

She turned and walked away.

He looked at the frightened looks of the kids at the table. Even Dawn looked upset. He picked up his fork and started to eat.

After breakfast he walked into the sitting room where Lorri and Lydia had their heads pressed together.

“Can I help?”

Lorri glared at him, “You’ve done enough kid.”

He sat beside Lydia, “Look I don’t regret it. It was the right choice. I’ve freed her.”

Lydia sputtered something in hysteria and left the room.

He looked at Lorri who cracked her bitter grin, “You fucking idiot.”

“What? It was my choice.”

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Sam you have no choices. None. You are a slave to this fate just as we all are. When I fell I was terrified. I am not exactly a people person.”

Sam snickered, “No kidding.”

She glared, “No. None. Anyway, when God asked me to fall I had to trust he was making the right choice. I had to assume he knew best. If I had defied him where would humanity be right now?”

Sam went to speak but she slapped him, “It was rhetorical dipshit. Humanity would be fucked. They would be up hellfire shit creek with no paddle and a vampire dry humping them in the boat. The point I’m making is Lydia told you ‘no’ because she knew what was best. You should have trusted her. Instead you defied her and have left us a giant goddamned pile of bullshit to clean up.”

He shook his head, “How? I don’t want to love a girl. Big deal. It’s my business. It’s my choice. I still have freewill.”

Lorri growled, “You don’t deserve freewill. You destroyed Hanna’s. You took away her choice to love you. You moron. Her mother matched once a long time ago. She hated her match. She made a mistake and asked Lydia to do the spell. Lydia did it not knowing what would come of it. Hanna’s mom committed suicide. She was tired of feeling nothing. It was a dark magic spell. Darkness is what killed Lydia's baby. You brought dark magic into Ophelia. Our fucking savior.”

Sam shook his head as Lorri slapped his cheek again. The sting of his cheek was the only warmth he felt.

“Don’t tell me that Hanna's mom committed suicide because of Marcus. It was never because of Marcus you tool. She had matched with Dr. Jekyll. The problem was that when he shifted into Hyde she lost her match. It was transferred. No one knew that could happen. Suddenly she loved Marcus and he loved her. Terrified of having an affair she went to Lydia. She struggled with the emptiness for years. Then they had Hanna. Imagine being a mother and feeling nothing for your child.”

Sam felt nothing. He started to worry.

Lorri nodded, “Now you get it. Marcus assumed she had chosen the doctor and threatened to kill him. She felt nothing for either of them though. She took her life before either of them was ruined from her mistake. The spell has a cost Sam. Every spell has a cost. Look at the guards that keep the darkness out. They cost Annabelle her life. So now you see how stupid you are.”

“I don’t feel anything. I don’t feel regret.”

“Do you love anyone Sam? When you think of your mother being held captive by Jonathan as his fun time girl do you feel anger?”

He shook his head, “I feel nothing.”

“Then you are as useful as a tit on a bull. You feel no anger? You feel no love? What will drive you to help us in the fight for your mother’s freedom?”

He shrugged, “I don’t really feel like fighting.”

She laughed bitterly, “All this on day one. Great news Sam. Now the best part, this spell grows. The nothingness you feel today will intensify. In a month you will feel even less. Soon you will not even feel pain.”

He looked at Lorri, “This is bad.”

She laughed harder, “No shit. Now go find Ophelia and get her scrying for a solution to this little problem before you hang yourself and can’t die so you just hang there like the idiot you are.”

He should have felt worried. He knew that.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ophelia

“You want to go for a walk?”

The redhead nodded blankly.

She got up from the armchair and followed Ophelia from the room.

“My name is Ophelia.”

“Hanna.”

“Nice to meet you.”

They walked from the castle in an awkwardness neither of them tried to fix. They walked along the bushes in the back garden.

“I’m sorry. I never would have done it if I knew what he was asking.”

Hanna shook her head, “I deserve everything I’m getting. I let my powers get the best of me. I swore I would never but I did.”

Ophelia sighed, “I just wish it could be last week again and all of this was gone. I want my friends and my parents and my sister. I want normal.”

Hanna burst into laughter, “Oh god you have no idea. You know Aimee was a nerdy science geek who was going to University and had finally landed the boy of her dreams before she became a death dealer. Ari had a nice little café with her uncle in the desert before her abilities kicked in. I had a best friend named Rebecca. My aunt and uncle murdered her and triggered my dormant freak genes from my dad’s science experiments on himself. We all just used to be people.”

Ophelia felt sad. Tears formed in her eyes, “What are we doing? Why are we waiting?”

Hanna smirked at her, “Dorian told me your brother is as strong as you are so we can’t use you to our advantage. Plus your dad lives in Alaska in this place we checked out the other day. It’s like a fortress. Impossible to get into. We don’t have the numbers we used to. They have the advantage. It would be a slaughter fest. The only advantages we have are me and Aimee and Ari. They don’t have anything like us.”

“My sister is there.”

She nodded, “Yeah my boyfriend Sam, his mom is there. He doesn’t think I know, but Dorian told me.”

Ophelia cleared her throat, “That sucks. Who is this Dorian?”

Hanna paused in the grass, “I meant my ex boyfriend. Sorry. It just hasn’t really hit me yet.”

She didn’t say anything. She just gave Hanna the quiet moment she needed.

“He won’t ever be my boyfriend again.” She sat on the rock outlining the garden beside them. She bent her face into her hands.

Ophelia put her hands on Hanna’s back and rubbed it like she had done to her sister millions of times. She had dated a lot of boys who always ended up being dirtbags.

Ophelia was about to speak when she saw movement in the forest behind them. She squinted to see a man walking amongst the massive trees.

“I’ll be right back. I think I see someone spying on us.”

She walked away leaving Hanna to sob on the rock. The girl was a mess.

Ophelia pointed at the man, “Who are you?”

He stopped walking and spoke with an English accent, “Oliver. The resemblance to your mother is remarkable.”

He didn’t look like he belonged in the woods. He wore jeans and loafers and a light blue dress shirt with short sleeves that hugged his biceps. He had a tattoo just poking out of the collar of the dress shirt on the right side of his neck and short dark blond hair.

She glared at him, “You know my mother?”

He smirked making her knees wobble, “Everyone knows who your mother is Ophelia. That’s why I’m here. To help you.”

She held her finger up, pointing at his face. He never even flinched, “You must not know much about me.” She wanted to laugh at herself for being such a noob but he could be her father for all she knew. None of the others seemed to age beyond thirty-ish. He looked twenty-five, but she knew that meant nothing.

“I know all there is to know about you. Born July 7th, 1994 at seven minutes after seven. Your brother was born a minute after you, making you the older twin. You’re part of a prophecy to end the world or heal it, depending on how you choose. I know I'm drawn to you. From the minute it was discovered you were alive I have felt you at every moment.”

“That's creepy. You are not welcome here. This is the Vampire queen’s property. She eats strangers.”

He laughed, “You are much cuter than I thought. I had feared you would look like your father. He’s not the handsomest of men.”

“You know my father how?”

“I fell with him.”

She gulped realizing he would then of course be as strong as Lorri. She held her finger pointed at him, “You’re an angel?”

He gave a short nod.

“Why are you here?”

“For you.”

She took a step back and shouted over her shoulder, “Hanna come meet my friend.”

He looked nervous seeing Hanna, “Is she a Siren?”

Ophelia beamed, “Don’t like Sirens? Pretty sure that makes you racist.”

His laugh grew nervous, “Oh I like them just fine. In fact I have a rather hard time not liking them. Tell her to stay over there.”

Ophelia smiled as she heard the crunching of Hanna’s footsteps on the gravel and branches coming closer, “Who is he?” She asked.

“He is like Lorri only he must be one of the bad ones. Lorri never mentioned an Oliver to me.”

Hanna wiped her face, “Dorian mentioned one to me. He’s Jonathan’s pet. He let the darkness take him the way your father did.”

He smirked, “Of course Dorian would know you. He’s always liked Siren’s. I recall he had one a while ago. Never got over her I’m afraid. She was lovely.”

Hanna sneered, “Why are you here?” She pulled her phone out and sent a message.

Dorian appeared instantly just behind them, “Oliver. What on earth could possibly posses you to come here?”

Oliver smiled, “Brother. It’s good to see you again.” He crossed his arms making the shirt seem constricting.

“Why are they all so hot?” Ophelia leaned in and whispered to Hanna who giggled.

“I think I could have gone a little longer before I saw you again. You’re a traitor to your own kind and to our father.”

Oliver’s eyes flashed at Ophelia again, “I cannot say you misjudge me brother but I can say I was wrong. Wrong in my betrayal and wrong in the side I chose. The dark is a tempting seductress.”

“You’re boring me. Out with why you’re here?”

He shrugged, “I came to help. Jonathan has taken it too far. He’s mad.”

Dorian laughed, “He’s always been mad and you’ve always been a wanker so please stop wasting my time. Go back and tell Jonathan your pathetic little attempt failed. We won’t be tricked by you two.”

Ophelia felt like she was out of the loop. She glanced at Hanna who seemed to be following along well enough and sighed, “Well I’m going inside. Nice meeting you Oliver. Please tell my father I said hello and thanks for raping my mother for a thousand years so I could be born to this wonder and excitement.”

His words floated into her mind, ‘I need you Ophelia. We need to be together’. She turned back to him and frowned. He smiled again, “I can get you guys inside.”

‘Your sister Abbey is still alive, for now. We need to hurry’ his words licked at her mind. She watched him. His blue eyes seemed honest. His beautiful face was sexy. She couldn’t be sure if she wanted to say yes because he was gorgeous or because he was a good guy.

Hanna glanced at her and nodded, “We do need help getting in there.”

Dorian also crossed his arms, “It’s a trap. We follow him in and then Jonathan gets you.”

Oliver cocked his head, “Brother he has the upper hand. Why would he need her to come to him?”

Dorian shrugged, “Look I’m not playing at this Oliver. I’ve sent a message to Lorri who will no doubt be here any minute, with Aimee.”

Oliver grinned, “Ah yes the dealer you made. Quite the intelligent move. You’ve made something bigger than us all there. Can she take us out?”

Dorian nodded, “She can.”

Oliver shook his head and chuckled, “You made something that can kill you? You’ve always been the reckless one.”

“At least he has honor and integrity. At least he is willing to fight for what is right, even if it means creating something that can kill him.”

Ophelia looked to where Lorri walked across the rocks with Aimee behind her. She still looked a mess.

“Why hello love. Long time no see. I suppose not as long as it has been since you’ve seen me.”

Lorri squinted.

Oliver cracked a boyish grin, “You think you were that stealthy? You brought the Siren with you. Jonathan has a taste for them. He smelled her from ten miles.”

Lorri shrugged, “Maybe we brought her for him to smell.” Her eyebrows arched.

Hanna took a step toward Oliver, “You want me to show him inside Lorri?”

Lorri shook her head, “No I don’t want you breaking him until I get some answers.”

Oliver looked at Aimee, “So you’re the dealer?”

Aimee looked confused, “I guess. What does that make you, the player?”

He chuckled again. His smiles and carefree attitude only made the attraction to him worse for Ophelia.

“Oliver there must be a reason for this, now.” Lorri looked annoyed.

Seeing he was getting nowhere his face lost its joy. His blue eyes hardened like steel. He pursed his lips and flexed his jaw. After a moment he spoke, “He’s murdered my son.”

Lorri looked back at Dorian whose jaw dropped, “Phillip?”

Oliver nodded.

Lorri crossed her arms. Dorian looked at Hanna and Ophelia, “Leave us. You too Aimee.”

Ophelia watched a single tear fall from the face of the man. Where it landed on the ground a small white flower instantly grew.

‘Help me Ophelia. I need you. Help me get my vengeance Ophelia’ His eyes met hers for a second. She turned and walked back to the house in silence with Aimee and Hanna.

Aimee glanced at Ophelia and Hanna and walked ahead of them.

“She hates me.” Hanna whispered.

“She doesn’t hate you. She just loves Sam like family I think. They all seem really close. Have they been together long?”

Hanna shook her head, “A couple years, not long. Long enough that they formed a bond. You and I won’t ever be welcome members like they are.”

“Where is your father?”

Hanna blushed, “Aimee killed him.”

Ophelia felt her face scrunch into a ball of disgust, as Hanna opened up to her and spun a story Ophelia wasn’t certain she would ever believe, not fully. She was grateful that her parent's weren't the only fictional characters in the story of their lives.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sam

He sat staring out the window. The sun was shining and the birds were singing but he felt closed off from it. It was as if he had taken drugs that inhibited how he felt. Everything felt thick and sluggish. His mind moved as if it too were impaired.

“Sam I need your help.”

He looked at Lorri and shrugged. He didn’t feel like helping. He made himself get up. He imagined the years when Hanna was a little girl and how hard her mother must have faked loving her and enjoying being with her. It must have been exhausting to pretend.

“I need you to hang out with this guy for the night. You can’t come with us, obviously, but you can hang out with him. If he tries to get away from you, flash him to this picture okay?”

He looked at the water fountain, he had seen it before. He knew the area well. He nodded, “I guess.”

“He’s chained in Hanna’s room for the night. He’s in the chains we have left over from Marcus. The enchanted ones. He can probably get out of them but not without you seeing what he’s doing. If he flashes, follow his trail and text me.”

Sam shrugged, “Why?”

“He’s a bad man. I need to double check his story.”

Sam left the room and walked the great hallway until he reached Hanna’s room. She stood in the corner twirling her red hair around her finger and smiling at the man chained to the corner.

“How uncomfortable do I make you on a scale of one to ten.”

The man looked at him and sighed, “It was a nine but since he got here it’s an eleven, maybe fifteen.”

She turned to see Sam and dropped her hair and her smile, “Lorri wanted me to pester him. He hates me.”

Sam shrugged, “It’s cool.”

She frowned, “It doesn’t bother you?”

He shook his head, “I feel nothing for you, or anyone.”

Her face twisted, “See you later Oliver.” She walked out trying to maintain her composure. He’d seen that walk before. He wasn’t usually the recipient of it.

He glanced at the guy in the chains and smirked, “I’m Sam.”

He nodded, “Oliver. So you’re the entertainment are you Sam?”

He shook his head, “I’m the tattletale. If you escape I rat you out. I have this weird gift with my flashes, I can track another persons flash. Like you leave a scent for me to follow.”

Oliver laughed, “You really are the perfect man to watch me then.”

“I guess.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow at him and nodded toward the door, “What’s with you and the Siren? She has no effect on you at all?”

Sam shook his head, “Nope. Used to. Used to be my match.”

Oliver scowled, “Oh that was a mistake son. No one can live through the darkness that comes to eat your soul when there is no love in it.”

Sam shrugged, “Hope it doesn’t come before I’m done watching you, then you’d get away.”

The man’s face looked proud and sad simultaneously, “My son would have loved you. Same dry sense of humor.”

Sam noticed the way he said son and would have, “Is he dead?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“You really have no emotions anymore do you?”

“No. How did he die? Was he Nephilim?”

Oliver ran his hands over his face and sighed, “Yes. He was murdered.”

Sam new the appropriate response, “I’m sorry.”

Oliver turned his bright blue eyes up to him, “Are you?”

“No, but it’s the right thing to say.”

“I dare say it is and before you ask, it was Jonathan. He is a man I have known longer than mankind has existed and he murdered my son. My son took a bite of the forbidden fruit.”

“The fruit the snake warned about?”

“The fruit the snake held captive to torture and force unwanted sex upon.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah sleeping with another mans sex slave will anger him.”

“Tis too true lad, too true.”

“How old was he?”

Oliver looked at him, “You really are a chatty thing for an unfeeling monster, and why do you smell so good? Are you a Siren?”

Sam nodded, “Half Siren.”

Oliver’s eyes grew wide, “You are not Anthony’s son?”

Sam nodded again, “I am.”

His eyes grew hardened again, “I was so sorry to hear about your father. He was a truly great man. What Lorri did to him was a crime. I know you feel nothing but you don’t even have an ounce of loyalty to your old man?”

Sam frowned, “He was with the dark ones. She doesn’t discriminate on that one.”

Oliver’s mouth curled into a grin, an evil grin. “Sam my boy have I got a story for you.”

Sam frowned at him, “You know you can’t make me angry. What’s the point in trying to provoke me?”

Oliver shook his head, “When you hear this you’ll find the witch who cast that spell and have it reversed.”

“It can't be reversed. Can it?”

“Just as your father was never an evil one, your spell can be reversed. Though I doubt you’ll hear the truth of either thing from the people you call friends. They don’t dabble in dark magic.”

“You’re a traitor and a liar why should I believe you?”

Oliver put a hand out on the bed next to Sam’s thigh, “I loved your father like a brother. I would have died for him. I wish I had died for him. He never had an evil bone in his body. He was guilty of the one thing I have never felt, love.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ophelia

The alley was dark and yet somehow the eyes of the wolf next to her glistened.

She patted the fur on his back, earning her a snarl. She pulled her hands back, “I just thought maybe you would like being patted or something.” She whispered.

Ari laughed, “Oh my god that was awesome. He only likes to be patted by me and even then I feel like I’m pushing my luck.”

“Why are we here?”

Ari pointed to the apartment above them, “We need to see if the man who lives there is alive or not. This is an area where the dark ones live, nice and close together.”

"What city is this?"

"Rome."

She couldn’t hide her feelings of excitement. She had never left her state before, let alone the country. She was in Rome. She sniffed the air and let the excitement build. She wished she could see more than just the balconies in an old alley.

"My sister is going to freak when she hears I came here. We have this plan for when we are both graduated. Back pack Europe for the summer."

Ari looked sad when she smiled, "I'm sorry. I know how it feels for all of this to hit you. It' not fair. Not even a little."

Ophelia dismissed the tears in her eyes and turned her face up to watch Lorri again. She flashed onto the small metal deck. In the dark her bright red hair looked black.

She crept inside of the apartment through the glass door and disappeared in the blackness of it.

Ari walked along the brick wall, but kept her eyes on the other patios and decks facing the alley.

Ophelia felt uneasy. Her fingers made small sparks from the nerves. The flashes made slight amounts of light in the alley. Lucas looked back at her and shook his wolf head. She clenched her fingers into balls, “Sorry.” She whispered into the silence.

A hand brushed along her back, “You are more powerful than any of us here, just try to remember that.”

She turned to see Aimee forcing a smile. She nodded and smiled back.

There was no way she was as powerful as any of them.

Ophelia looked to the right. Lucas sniffed the air and suddenly Ari made a half scream and vanished.

Her scream continued on a rooftop above them, as abruptly as it had stopped. Ophelia felt her stomach twist as she looked up at the pointed rooftop where Ari stood alone. A pair of feet hung over the edge next to her.

Aimee smirked and in a flash Ari was standing back beside Ophelia.

Aimee was gone again as Ari’s feet touched the ground and instantly she was standing next to the man's feet. Ophelia watched in horror as Aimee put her hands on the man. His feet twitched for a second and then lie still again.

Ophelia looked up at the silhouette of Aimee on the rooftop. Her long lean body was outlined by the stormy night sky. Her blonde hair blew in the wind and her eyes glowed like platinum. She was the scariest thing Ophelia had ever seen.

Ophelia felt her right arm grabbed, a sharp wind in her face and an abrupt stop. New smells filled the air around her. A forest and dead leaves mixed in the cool night air. She stood alone in the forest.

"Hello sister."

She turned to see a guy standing beside her. His breath was visible like smoke in the damp forest.

"Where are we?"

"Ireland. It will take them a minute to find you."

She felt her hands trembling, "Who are you?"

He laughed and stepped into the light of the moon, he looked almost exactly as she did. Dark hair, one light eye and one dark and pale skin but with one difference, he had fangs in his smile. Her stomach dropped seeing them. She gasped and stepped away.

He laughed, "Thorry they're new. Father had Daniel turn me latht week. I am having a hard time. They jutht pop out."

She remembered Giselle and started to laugh. The fear she felt melted away.

"How is this all possible?"

He closed his eyes for a second as if concentrating.

He looked up at her and smiled a bright white smile minus the fangs.

"You grew up in a normal family. I keep forgetting that."

His face made her heart ache, "Have you always known about me?"

He nodded in the moonlight, "Always. I thought that you were dead for a while but the balls of light told me you had to be alive."

"Is it all true?"

"There are things you can't imagine. Werewolves, vampires and witches are just the fun stuff you see daily. The Fae are a broad spectrum. Siren's, Elves, Goblins, whatever you can imagine."

She looked around, "This is so weird."

"We only have a minute before they get here. We need to help each other. I don’t want to die. I'm sure you don’t want to. I sent a friend to help you. His name is Oliver. He has a plan to get rid of father. It's the only way any of them will leave us alone."

She gulped, "Have you seen mother?"

He shook his head, "Never. Not even a glimpse. He keeps her trapped in this ungodly tower, like a fairytale."

He took a step toward her, "Please Ophelia, trust Oliver. He's there to help us. Father killed his son." Tears filled his eyes, "He was my best friend."

She felt sick, "I will do whatever I can. I just haven’t caught up on it all. I don’t know what I'm supposed to actually do."

His gaze lowered, "They will explain it to you. Don't trust them O, trust yourself and our sisters." He reached for her hand, "It's good to finally meet you."

Ophelia felt a lump in her throat, "Again."

His laugh was weak, "I suppose it is again."

He was gone. He had called her O. Was it a message from Abbey? How had he learned to flash travel?

A voice broke her thoughts, "Ophelia I got a text to come and find you."

She looked up at Sam standing at the edge of the dark forest.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, "No. My brother came to see me."

He nodded, "I've never met him."

She shrugged feeling lost suddenly, "He seemed really nice."

Sam put a hand out for her and before she could open her eyes from her blink, they were in Giselle's massive living room.

Lorri stormed across the room gripping her shoulders with intensity, "What happened?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. My brother came to see me. He seemed sad and alone. He wanted to talk to me. Alone." She didn’t want to tell any of them anything.

Lorri gripped harder, "What did he say?"

"He said that he needed my help and that you would explain what I was supposed to do."

Lorri looked annoyed. She processed the information and let Ophelia go with a slight shove. She paced the huge room. Everyone sat in silence spread across the grand furniture.

All eyes were on Lorri.

Lydia spoke after a moment, "It's time to tell her what she must do Lorri."

Lorri snarled and continued to pace.

Ophelia looked around the room. Oliver watched her from the corner. His eyes never left her.

Lorri walked to her and grabbed her arm.

Cold wind swept around her and when she looked down her feet stood on rocks. The night sky was filled with stars. She turned to see Lorri sitting on a rock outcropping. The night air was warm and dry compared to where they had been in Portland.

"Have a seat kid."

She walked, trying not to look down the mountainside.

"Where are we?"

"Iran."

Ophelia frowned, "This is random, even for you."

"This is where it happened."

"What happened?"

"Where your mother lived, before we fell."

Ophelia decide not to ask any more questions. She sat on the sharp crumbling stone hillside.

"Below us here is the original Garden of Eden as you people have called it. It was the scared garden. God could speak to Adam and Lillith there. He taught them how to garden and how to grow food. He taught them how to build a hut. He tried to guide them with love and kindness."

"So much for that."

Lorri snorted, "You have no idea. Lillith was defiant and obstinate. Adam was, well, he was a man. He thought with his dick. He asked God for a companion. It was his only request. God told him his wife would show herself to him. He misunderstood. He came upon Lillith bathing in the lake. Anyway, the story takes a turn for the worse. Lillith erupted in rage, like any woman would. She drew the magic from the ground and the garden in and cursed him as he was inside of her. He got her pregnant. She had intended herself for the king of the elves. She wanted the magic and purity of their life. In an instant she was ruined. Adam impregnated her. When the King came she was pregnant. As her babies grew so did her sadness and pain. When she gave birth each of the children was already cursed. Not only with magic but also with vulnerability."

Ophelia had no response. She couldn’t imagine such a lonely and painful existence.

"When she took the magic, she stripped the garden of its natural magic. She took it into herself and made it something corrupted and polluted. She cursed the land and the garden. The Middle East has never recovered. The strife here is the direct result of the anger and pain she suffered. The land can never be at peace. Not while Lillith lives. She must die to remove her stain on the world."

Ophelia felt her stomach twinge, "Die?" She turned her head to see the hardened look on Lorri's face.

"Die. There is only one way to kill Lillith. All of her children have a piece of her power in them. Once they die their power is left behind. They are part of her stain on the earth. You have to kill your brother and convince your sisters to give you their power. Then you will be strong enough to kill her."

Ophelia frowned, "You want me to kill my own mother after I kill my twin brother?"

Lorri swallowed, "What I am asking of you is a sacrifice, obviously but no one is planning on letting this continue. Your father is planning the same thing, only in reverse. He intends to have your brother kill you and use the magic to strip your mother of her powers. Once she's stripped he can kill her but maintain her stain and darkness. He can use your brother so they can take over. Humans will become sheep."

Ophelia shook her head, "This doesn’t even make any sense. So both my parents are evil?"

Lorri shook her head, "No Lillith isn’t evil. She can't help what she has become anymore than you can. Magic was never meant to be inside of you people. The Garden was the magical birthplace of your mother and Adam and eventually Eve. The magic came from the earth. God didn’t create the earth. That's a whole other story and I'm not giving a history lesson because I like talking. God just needed a place to create, the birthplace of creation needed to be strong and powerful. Lillith took the magic and the power. That's why God needed Adam's rib to create Eve. He needed a place to start the magic after Lillith took it."

"Why can't we just kill my father and free her?"

Lorri looked up at the starry sky, "I know this is hard to hear kid but they both have to go. He's mine though. You wouldn’t stand a chance. He would flash and be gone before you reacted. Your magic is subjective to your circumstances."

"What about that Ari girl? She could push my mom or dad and make them change their minds."

Lorri shook her head, "She would knock them out for a bit. The soul has to be pure and intact."

"Oh."

Lorri pointed, "This place is a scar on humanity. It is filled with sadness and pain. We need to go back."

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sam

"I have a plan."

"Sweet god, tell me it fixes home boy here. I'm getting tired of his part in the coma patient."

Sam glanced up at Ari and Luke staring at him.

Aimee pulled her hair into a ponytail nodding, "Yeah Sam this has to change. You're driving me insane." She turned and looked at Ari, "Yesterday he slept for sixteen hours. Not even kidding. I thought he was dead twice."

He shook his head, "I know I should be upset but I, uh, just can't seem to be."

Hanna walked into the living room in a skimpy pair of running shorts and small t-shirt. Luke made a noise low in his throat.

Sam pointed to her leg, "You have some dirt on your leg."

She drank from the water bottle in her hand and looked down at her leg, "I was running in the hills." She sat on the chair opposite him.

Aimee looked hostile but Lydia had made her swear to be nice.

Ari looked frustrated, "Anyway. I have a plan."

Hanna nodded, "I'm in." Her eyes bore down on Sam. Her cheeks flushed as she watched him. She adjusted herself in her seat. Luke made another low sound. Sam could feel her affects in the air but his body couldn’t respond to it.

Aimee snarled, "Great."

Sam let his eyes linger on Hanna's face, "We can't tell Lorri. She murdered my father on purpose."

Aimee's eyes flashed at him, "What?"

He nodded, "Yeah. She fell in love with my mother. She felt the pull of the Siren. Oliver said my dad fell in love with my mother at the same time and Lorri used the Devil's Roses to kill him. She used the excuse that he mated with a mortal."

Ari raised an eyebrow, "But Siren's aren’t human. Not really."

Sam shrugged, "Yeah. I never knew any of this. I guess she was jealous that my mom chose my dad."

"You must be pissed."

He looked at Hanna, "Nope. Can't even get angry that my father was murdered unjustly out of jealousy."

Aimee shook her head, "Lorri is a bitch, there is no doubt about that but there is no way she murdered your dad. Where did you hear that?"

"Oliver."

"He's lying. He's Jonathan's pawn. He's trying to separate us from the Roses. He wants us on the dark ones side."

Sam shrugged, "Either way we need to keep the management out of this mission. Lydia will tell Lorri. Lorri might not be on our side."

"Lorri is a lesbian?"

Ari looked at Luke and growled, "Focus."

He shrugged, "What. It just explains so many things."

Aimee rolled her eyes, "Can we keep the lesbian stereotypes to minimum and stay focused?"

Ari put her hands on her hips, "We tell no one."

Hanna nodded, "We tell no one."

"We need Ophelia's help. Her sisters and brother have to help us. Plus we need to know how to get in, we need Oliver to tell us how to get in."

Sam smirked, "He asked me about Ophelia a million times. It got annoying actually. I bet she can weasel it out of him."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Oh shit he's like Dorian dude. You don’t want to mess around with them."

Ari frowned, "She is stronger than Annabelle and Lydia. She could probably kill him."

Aimee smiled sweetly, "Sam she has a very strong reaction to your Siren thing. You should be the one to tell her to go hang with Oliver and get the way in."

Sam noticed the way Hanna's eyes flashed. She got up and left the room. Aimee looked satisfied. Sam knew he should feel sorry for Hanna. He could recall the pain she caused him. His body remembered the pain. It didn’t register as pain, just a memory. He got up and followed her to the room.

"Hanna, wait up."

She turned wiping her face. He felt the slightest of twinges in his stomach. It was the first thing he'd felt in days.

She narrowed her eyes but sighed when she saw the blank stare on his face.

"I don’t want you to hurt."

Her shoulders slumped hollowing out her shoulder blades and throat, "Why can't you just undo it and love me again Sam."

He shook his head, "I don’t know how."

Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. She took a step toward him placing her hand on his chest, "I will love you as long as I live. My heart will belong to you forever. Even when a thousand years has passed and you don’t remember me, every heart beat will be for you." She leaned in and brushed her soft lips against his cheek. She brushed past him and walked down the wide hallway. He knew that deep down it hurt. His stomach ached in a way he remembered being associated to pain. A tear found it's way from his eye. He dragged his hand across his face. The simplicity of the tear was lost in the abyss that had become his heart. He turned and walked along the hall in the opposite direction. He needed to find Ophelia. He needed her to fix him. He felt the black of the world swallowing him.

His feet walked, his mouth breathed, and his heart beat but nothing felt real.

The fog in his head kept him preoccupied enough that he nearly walked past Ophelia. She was curled up with a huge old book in the library. He stopped walking and backed up to the doorway. He poked his head in, "Hey can we talk?"

She looked up, but her brain took a moment to register him. The book had pulled her in.

Seeing him, her cheeks flushed, "Oh hey Sam."

"I need your help."

She looked lost when she looked at him. His Siren call was worse since he lost his feelings for Hanna.

He walked in and sat in the huge over stuffed leather chair across from her. He didn’t understand why she was staying at Giselle's too. Everyone had basically left Lydia's in protest of Giselle's banishment.

In the dim light of the library she looked young. Her dark hair and one dark eye made her look the way he'd imagine a witch to look. Her light eye looked sick, like a cataract.

"I need you to get close with Oliver. Get some answers from him. We are going on a rescue mission. We aren’t telling Lydia or Lorri. Their agenda has nothing to do with your sister or Aimee's sister. They just want the plan they have hatched to work, even at the expense of Alise and Abbey."

She blinked, "Abbey." She spoke the words like she had forgotten about her.

"Yeah. So we were hoping you'd get the way into the Alaska fortress for us. Oliver knows it. We can't trust him so you have to be sneaky. Can you do that?"

She nodded.

He forced a smile across his lips, "You can keep the secret for us?"

She nodded again. She looked like a robot around him. He couldn’t understand it. She would do anything he said.

He watched her eyes, trying hard not to focus on only one, "I need another favor."

She nodded.

"I need you to find out about changing me back and fixing my heart."

"Okay."

"Oliver said it was possible but you have to find some dark witches to do it."

"I'll do whatever you want Sam."

He sighed. He knew it would be driving him insane if he could feel anything. He was grateful for a moment that he was numb."

He got up from the chair, "Okay. Thanks Ophelia."

She put the book down and got up from the chair. She walked to the room, almost like following his orders. She turned and walked down the hall in the direction of Hanna's old room.

He flashed into the kitchen. Giselle was sucking the neck of a man against the counter.

Sam frowned.

She pulled away, "Derek I'd like you to meet Tham. Tham thith ith Derek."

"Why are you eating your date?"

"It's my kitchen. I'll eat whoever I want." She laughed.

Her blood stained fangs popped back, leaving her with normal straight teeth covered in blood.

"Dude he has a blood disorder. He used to get bled or leached. Like barf. Anyway Jeeves knew about him because of Marcus. Marcus always had a few of them he kept around."

"Hamish told you he has a blood disorder."

The man spoke, "I do. I have hemochromatosis. I have to lose a half liter of blood every week."

Sam nodded, "Sounds legit. Nice one Giselle. No more bags for you then huh?"

She smiled her blood grin, "Dude there are millions of these people. It's like the most common shit wrong with people."

"How did Hamish find you?"

The man shrugged, "My doctor. He was a friend of that Marcus guy."

Sam nodded, "So you are part of the blood kept on tap?"

"I wasn’t before. Marcus liked girls."

Giselle looped her arm in the man's, "Come on I'll get Jeeves to take you home."

Sam sat at the table. He didn’t know why he was in the kitchen. He couldn’t remember why he had come down there.

His phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket.

"Hello."

"Sam my boy Hanna has told me what you've done. Come to the mansion right away."

Sam nodded, "Okay Roland." He flashed from the chair before he even pressed end on the call.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ophelia

The bedroom was dark with candles and a fire lit. The air was always damp on the west coast. She didn’t like it. The east coast was damp but at least it was warm. She couldn’t recall why she listened to Sam. Something about him made her want to smell him and cuddle against him. She wanted to make him happy.

In the firelight she caught a glimpse of Oliver. He smiled at her from the reading chair next to the hearth.

"I was wondering when you were going to come and see me."

She frowned, "I don't really like the way you creep around in my head."

He laughed and closed the book in his lap. He tilted his head, "I don’t really creep around. It's no different than talking. You just have the ability to read minds. All the strongest witches do."

She raised an eyebrow and sat in the chair across from him, "Why can't I hear everyone?"

"You haven’t hit your power yet. At eighteen you'll, well blossom so to speak. Everything will come into you."

"How do you know so much about me?"

"I've been around for a long time."

"So you're really old?" She felt her lips twist into a grin.

He laughed. His laugh made her happy.

"Tell me why you're here young lady."

She shrugged, "I just wanted to see you."

He leaned forward, his beautiful face softened for a moment, "I wish that were true."

"It is."

"Did Tristan come for you?"

She gulped, "Who?"

"Your brother."

She felt her eyes dart to the flames licking at the large stone fireplace, "No."

"Don’t lie to me Ophelia." He lifted a leg with a shackle, "I only allow this to stop me from killing everyone in here because I need you. Don’t make that not be the case."

Her eyes grew wide. She gulped, "He came to me."

"Did he tell you about my son?"

She nodded, "He said he was his friend."

Oliver nodded, "His best friend. The only friend your brother has ever had. His life has been a lonely one."

"What did he do?"

"He fell in love with the Siren Jonathan keeps as a slave."

"That’s disgusting."

Oliver nodded, "He's never understood how to love anything. The darkness filled him early on in our lives here. He became what he is almost as soon as we got here. He let the shadows and taint fill him up."

Ophelia crossed her arms, "What's your excuse for being evil?"

His eyes grew dark, "I disagree with our rules. I always saw what Lorri was doing as subjective. She is biased. Dorian has lain with human women. Just because he never reproduced Lorri never killed him."

"He has a child. Ari is his."

Oliver's eyes flashed, "You lie."

She shook her head, "He never knew."

"Well then you can see the hypocrisy for yourself."

Ophelia shrugged, "I guess. What's it like where Jonathan lives?"

Oliver nodded and put his hands behind his head. "So do you want me to draw a map or will you remember the things I tell you?" He looked smug.

She glanced at him, "What?"

He laughed. His navy dress shirt and dress pants made him look proper and professional. The loafers were the icing on the businessman apparel. The tattoo climbing from the collar of his neckline and out of the rolled up sleeve made her wonder what else there was to him. His blue eyes sparkled in the orange glow. She noticed he was wearing different clothes, "You go home to change?"

He laughed, "No I just popped over to my apartment and grabbed a shower."

"You're vain."

He grinned.

Her heart fluttered, "You're like Sam aren’t you? You're making me attracted to you."

His lip turned up into a lopsided grin, "You're attracted to me?"

She felt a blush wash over her, "No I mean you're making me feel things."

He leaned forward brushing his fingers along her fingers, "What are you feeling Ophelia?"

She shivered watching his long fingers trace lines along hers.

"I-I-I don't know. You all make me so confused."

He pushed his fingers interlaced with her, "I can make you feel things no one else could. I think you're meant for me."

She looked up from their hands to see his face inches from hers. His warm breath fell upon her lips. She licked them and backed away slowly, "You're messing with me." She remembered the feeling of Jake touching her. She liked it. She liked being touched and held. She liked the thoughts that had burst into her mind when he touched her.

She swallowed hard.

Oliver leaned in closer. His size made her feel like a child, "Close your eyes. Blank your mind. Just listen to the fire. Let me in."

The smell of him wafted into her nose making her heart flutter. She looked at his face. She trusted him. She wasn’t entirely sure why but she did. She closed her eyes. He kept his distance but maintained the contact of their hands. She felt her breath grow ragged as the warm flicker of the fire created flashes in her mind. She listened to the fire cracking the logs. The warmth felt unbearable.

He massaged his thumb in the palm of her hand making a flash shoot into her mind. His arms encompassed her. His body wrapped entirely around her. She never struggled. She had no control over the vision. Her body was his to control. The vision was his. His lips brushed along her throat, making sweat start to form along her brow. His hands pulled at her clothes, touching the soft skin beneath. She was amazed at the hardness of his body against the softness of hers. His lips met hers but before she could feel the kiss the flash stopped. She breathed through her mouth waiting for the moment to come back. She felt like she was blindfolded. She bit her lower lip waiting for him to continue but nothing else happened. She opened one eye to see a wide grin spread across his lips, "I take it you liked my imagery?"

She stood up from the chair feeling exposed and humiliated. She pulled her hand from his and ran from the room. His laugh echoed in the walls of the massive room.

She ran into the sitting room to see Aimee and Ari with their heads pressed against each other, "You two can fucking work him over for the details. He's not as stupid as you think he is. He knows we want the map." She turned and ran to her room.

She closed the door trying to ignore the shake of her hands. She put a hand to her face feeling the flush and warmth. She sighed and climbed onto her bed. She lay back fighting the image of him lying on the bed with her. She realized as she heard his footsteps in her room the image had been her bed and not his.

She opened her eyes to him walking across the room. He knelt at her bed and scooped her into his arms. He slid her across the bed. His fingers were everywhere at once. She pushed his hands from her face and instantly they were sliding through her hair and pulling at her t-shirt. His mouth slid along her neck creating a fire inside of her. She gasped at him but before she could speak his lips were on hers. They parted hers. His tongue licked at her lips. He sucked her bottom lip. She pushed his face back, but his hands slid her shirt up exposing her light blue bra. He slid a thumb across her nipple under the padding. She trembled with fear and excitement.

"You laughed at me." She spoke into the dark blond hair of his bent head.

He looked up from her throat, "I was laughing with you."

She raised an eyebrow, "I wasn’t laughing and you're old and friends with my evil dad."

His English accent grew thicker, "I've changed love."

She shook her head, "No you haven’t. You're trying to seduce me. I'm a seventeen year old girl."

He laughed, "It's true." He looked up through his lashes, "Is it working?"

She swallowed hard, "No." Her voice was a squeak. He laughed. He flashed from on top of her to beside her. She nearly tumbled forward but he pulled her to the other side of the bed.

"Okay we can talk then if you prefer."

She frowned, "How old are you?"

He pressed his swollen lips against her cheek, "Old. I don’t have a number. There was no time when I was born. I was a star and then I was a man."

"Did you watch over the earth?"

He nodded kissing her neckline and dragging his tongue over her collarbone.

"You're bad at talking." She shoved him away.

He pulled her in tighter, "If I'd known you existed, I would have watched you every day. I would be a star again in a heartbeat to spend every moment watching you."

She started to giggle, "You're intense. We met like days ago."

He shook his head, "I think I always knew I would meet you, maybe not you as in Jonathan's daughter, but you as you are. If we were peasants in towns across the world, I would have found my way to you."

He kissed the end of her nose. She watched his face trying to find a flaw to focus on but he was perfect.

"Sleep." He pulled her into him.

She laughed, "I can't sleep with you here. What if you do something creepy to me in my sleep."

He looked offended, "You honestly believe me capable of that? If I do creepy things to you, I want you to be awake for it."

"That’s creepy, just saying that is creepy."

"Well aren’t you glad you're awake then?"

"No I wish I was sleeping and this was all a dream."

"You feel it when you're with me don’t you? You feel that we are meant to be together?"

She laughed again, "This is so fucked. I need to find my ruby slippers so I can click my heels and then go home and graduate and go to college like a normal girl."

"Well if this were OZ I think I would be wizard to your Dorothy. I would force you to stay with me forever and never go home."

She smiled feeling sleep taking her, "No you would be the tin man. You wouldn’t have known you had a heart all along." Her eyes got heavy and she fell asleep, feeling his lips against her forehead and his warm breath in her hair.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sam

Roland looked older and more worn.

"You can fix it but you have to go to the dark witches."

Sam nodded, "I know. I just don’t know where they are."

Roland rubbed his forehead. He sat in the comfy worn chair in the den that looked out of place compared to the niceties everywhere. He brought his glass of scotch and ice up to his lips and sipped at it for a moment. Sam watched him silently.

"Lydia was raised by dark witches. She grew up in the south. They had been teaching her to be a dark witch when Annabelle and her grandmother stole her and raised her in the light. A lot of the dark witches live in the south. It's the reason Lydia came to the west coast. They were trying to escape the hunters, the dark hunters."

Sam didn’t know the story of Lydia at all. She never shared details.

"How do you know this?"

Roland smiled, "I come from a very dark and powerful family. I grew up in England but a couple hundred years ago I came to the new world. I met Lydia then."

Sam frowned, "What are you?"

"Fae. I'm a Were."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "Why can't we smell it on you?"

"I don’t shift, ever. It's why I'm aging so rapidly. I never let the magic touch me."

"You loved Hanna's mom didn’t you?"

Roland nodded, he looked broken. "A long time ago. She loved me back."

"Fae are a hard one to avoid for us."

Roland laughed bitterly, "I made it pretty easy for her." He cut of his laugh with a sigh, "I loved her so much. I swore I would protect her forever. She met the doctor and that was it for me."

"Why didn’t you leave?"

Roland's dark eyes looked stricken, "I had already made a bond with her. I would feel her. I would love her. I would serve her."

Sam felt his face twist, "She let you?"

He nodded slowly, "She did."

"That's sick."

Roland sipped his drink, "Perhaps, but it was the way things were done. The doctor and I suffered together. Both stricken with the same illness, us and Marcus."

"Is that why she had the match broken to remove the effects on you all?"

Roland's face crumpled painfully, "She almost killed me that day. I was the only one blood bonded to her. The pain was unbearable. She broke all the bonds. The doctor never knew but Marcus did. She acted so well that she was in love with the doctor that Marcus believed that she had broken the match and rematched with the doctor. She did it to spare him, he truly was the only human. I was Fae and Marcus was vampire. Her pity for us was not great. Her pity for the doctor and wanting a normal life drove her to the decision."

"Then when she couldn't love her own child she took her life?"

Roland's eyes flashed with anger, "Young man you will never repeat that story. If Hanna knew…"

Sam shook his head. "She will never hear it from my lips."

Roland looked broken, "When the young miss came into our lives everything got better. But the act grew too stressful on her. In the moment of her death I saw her for the weak thing she was. I let Marcus believe that she did it to stop him and his lust for her. With no match she was almost impossible to be around. The bracelet calmed it but never took it from her. The day she did it was the worst day of my life." His old eyes filled with tears.

Sam had no pity or remorse though he wished he did.

"The best day was when Miss Hanna came home to live here. I see all the best things of her mother and father inside of her." He looked up at Sam, "You must fix what you have done to her. It hurts Sam. It hurts so much."

Sam nodded, "I will try Roland."

"You will keep my secret?"

Sam nodded.

"Take Ophelia to Alabama. There is a region called Lillian. It is named for a black witch. Ophelia can find them. Be careful. No matter what trust no one and if it gets dangerous flash the pair of you out of there."

"Should I bring Hanna?"

Roland shook his head, "She will be sacrificed for the things inside of her. Marcus used her blood for all sorts of unsavory things for a reason. It contains things that can be used for very bad acts."

Sam stood up from the chair, "I'm sorry for your losses Roland."

Roland smiled a sad grin, "I know you are incapable of sorrow my son. You are incapable of all feelings. But thank you for the sentiment."

Sam smiled, "I wish I could take it back. I wish I was able."

"Can Ari change the fate?"

Sam shook his head, "Too risky. Ophelia is such a major piece of all of the puzzles that if we don’t tread carefully with her the world is at stake."

"Understood. Safe travels my son."

Sam put his hand out for the old man to take.

"Let me know when you’ve had enough."

Roland chuckled, "Oh not yet. I have an arraignment with Miss Aimee."

Sam smiled, "Fair enough."

Sam flashed back to the mansion. He was sleepy and feeling lost in the story. Sirens really were the worst of the magic world. He wished he had never laid eyes on Hanna. He knew his heart would argue if it had a voice.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ophelia

She woke feeling cramped and sweaty. She looked down at her clothes and sneakers. She had fallen asleep still dressed. She kicked her shoes off and slid her jeans down. She pulled her t-shirt off and savored the night air on her sweaty naked skin.

"I was going to do that, but I did promise nothing creepy."

She sat up covering herself. Oliver sat in the chair next to the window.

"You're really here?"

"Yes, and I really just saw you in your skivvies."

She pulled the quilt up and covered up, "You need to go back to your room."

He shook his head and stood from the chair. In the silver moonlight his form filled the window. She watched as he unbuttoned a few of the buttons on his shirt and then pulled it up over his head. She felt the breath get sucked out of her chest. His tattoos were beautiful. The one that went up his neck partway was a blade, the hilt of it rested on his heart. His stomach had one on the side of it that dipped into his pants on his hip. It was a dark shape with a word running down the side of it. His right arm had one that wrapped around his shoulder and ran down his arm to his forearm. She looked at it trying to see it in the moonlight but couldn’t. He dropped the shirt to the floor. She pulled at the blankets. He looked twenty-two but she couldn’t get past the feeling he was old.

He knelt on the bed. He bit his lower lip. She couldn’t help but stare at it.

"What are you thinking?"

She pushed her thoughts at him. He grinned, "You think I'm old."

She laughed.

He sat on the bed looking dangerous, like a boy her father would have warned her about.

"Can you imagine what you'll feel like in one hundred years Ophelia?"

She shook her head, "Dead. I guess."

"But you'll live forever. Human's age but they don’t feel different. Ask any of them, physically they feel the age but mentally they feel as they did when they were twenty."

"But you have always been."

He shook his head, "Not so. I had a birth. It just wasn’t like yours. I was born in the night sky. I've always been made of magic. I'm not so different from you."

He took her hand and placed it on the hilt of the sword where his heart beat. It was lazy compared to the rabid beat of her own.

"My heart beats."

She left her hand over his heartbeat but instead of laying it there she traced the tattoo. He closed his eyes. She leaned into him letting the covers fall. She climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He opened his eyes. She pressed her hands on his chest feeling the heat pour from his skin.

"Why do I feel this way with you?"

His arms wrapped around her back, "Every soul has its mate. You are mine."

"How long have you known?"

"The minute you uncloaked yourself. I sent a friend to check on you."

She pushed back, "The wolf who tried to eat me?"

He shook his head, "No, what wolf?"

She watched his face, "The one who tried to eat me but was thinking disgusting things about me. His mind was easy to read."

Oliver grabbed her shoulders, "What wolf? What did he think?"

She shook her head, "He kept saying he liked witches. He was excited I was a witch.  I'm not repeating the rest. It was sick."

Oliver sighed, "Jon."

"Who?"

"Have they told you about Aleks yet?"

She nodded, "Yeah Ari told me. Sad story."

Oliver held her tightly, "Did they tell you everything?"

She shrugged, "I don’t know. They told me about his dad being a cursed shape shifter werewolf who, oh my god. You think it's him?"

Oliver nodded.

"Why?"

"Because of what you are. Jon killed a girl, before her powers hit yet. She was a typical witch, her powers never hit when she was young. Her father was a very important man. He was from the pure lines of the Fae. His mother was the daughter of Lillith who married the elf."

"You know this sounds like lord of the rings."

"You know the guy who wrote Lord of the Rings knew about us all."

She rolled her eyes, "Figures."

"Anyway the daughter who stayed with the elves, Marianne, she gave birth to twin boys. Henry and Ethan. Henry never married but Ethan married a witch. She gave birth to a girl. The girl was Ethan's life. He taught her everything he knew about the earth and magic. He loved her more than anything. Being such a close part of Lillith and part witch, she attracted attention. She was beautiful. Jon watched her, a lot. He waited for his chance. He captured her and did unspeakable things to her. Then he murdered her."

"That’s horrid."

"It was. When Aleks, who was thirteen at the time, found his father in the woods with the dead girl he took her body and hid it and covered up the murder. He never told anyone what he'd done. Ethan looked everywhere for his daughter. Finally he traded his goodness to the taint. He used dark magic to find out the truth of the matter. Destroyed by the fact she was dead and so badly used he lost his mind. Instead of killing Jon he cursed him. Ethan assumed the towns people had known about what had happened and helped Jon cover it up. Ethan made him into a monster that would kill all of their daughters. He would destroy all of their lives and never be able to be killed. He then cursed the young boy who had helped cover it up to clean up after his father everyday of his life. He made it so Aleks was an immortal who would rise when killed and forever find his joy in life feeding off the pain and misery his father's acts created."

Ophelia shivered, "That’s sick. Why didn’t he just kill him?"

Oliver looked down, "The darkness is strong and when you let it get a hold of you it makes your choices for you. More chaos comes from the decision made to create a monster instead."

"Where is Ethan now? Maybe he can fix Jon."

Oliver pulled the blankets off the bed and wrapped them around her, "No he died. Henry killed him."

She snuggled into his chest feeling all of the sexual energy gone, "He killed his own brother?"

"Yes. He took his power. He had to. Ethan had become dark. The darkness ate him up and nothing of the kind shaman was left."

"That’s a sad story.” She yawned.

He lifted her up and laid her down on the bed. He lay next to her and wrapped himself around her, "No sadder than the others. Each of the Roses has a story that can parallel it."

She closed her eyes and savored the heat coming off of him, "But Aleks died, never killing his father or redeeming himself."

"Yes, but at least his curse was lifted."

"How?"

"Henry."

"Henry the brother?"

Oliver nodded against her head, "Dorian went to Henry and swore to him that he would kill Aleks's father and end the pain caused. He also swore something he will never be able to give."

She tilted her head up, "What?"

"That he would get Lillith to bless the remains of his niece and save her soul. The victims of Aleks's dad are haunted. When Ethan made the curse upon Jon he never realized his daughters spirit walked the earth still. He cursed his own child to a lifetime in the in between."

"Aimee's mom."

Oliver nodded, "There are hundreds of them. A lot of them are witches who have yet to reach their age of power. He loves witches."

She shook her head trying to fight the memory of his muzzle trying to leap through the door at Jake.

"I will convince my mom to save them all."

Oliver kissed the top of her head, "Uh huh." She tried not to notice the patronizing tone he took as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Thirty

Sam

Seeing her wrapped up in his arms, made him notice the emptiness. He should have been angry that she was sleeping with the fallen. He wondered if she was using her body to trick the angel into giving away from the secrets of the frozen fortress.

He cleared his throat.

Ophelia looked up and fixed the blankets. She blushed looking up at the half naked man in her bed.

"I'll wait for you in the kitchen."

She nodded.

He left the room missing the feeling of being uncomfortable.

Giselle was staring out the window in the hallway. She looked classic leaning against the massive window, hiding from the light.

"You can go out. The sun won't burn you."

She hissed at him, "Says the boy who has never been burned by the sun."

He rolled his eyes, "How's the kingdom going?"

Despair crossed her face, "Not great. I wish Marcus was back. I hate this. Yesterday I had to kill a little boy. He was like three hundred years old and he was this little brat. Anyway he murdered three little girls. Drained them completely."

Sam nodded, "Yeah doesn’t sound great."

She shook her head, "I miss Lydia's. I miss Annabelle. She used to give these baths."

Sam held a hand up, "I know, I know."

She sighed, "I just want to go home. I don’t like it here. Jeeves is sassy too."

Sam rolled his eyes, "Giselle, his name is Hamish for the millionth time. No wonder he's saucy."

She turned her back on the curtain and waved, "Peace out bitch. I'm going to bed."

He shook his head and turned and walked to the kitchen.

Ophelia came running in pulling her shirt on over a tank top.

"What's up?"

"We need to go to Alabama."

She frowned, "What? Why?" She grabbed a bag of marshmallows and started eating them.

"That’s disgusting." She stuck her tongue out.

"Anyway."

He looked out the doorway to the massive kitchen and spoke in a hushed tone, "We need to go find the black witches of the south. They live in some place called Lillian.”

She shrugged, "I'll do anything you want Sam."

He hated his effect on her. He nodded and put a hand out. She touched it and suddenly they were standing in the yard of a small white house.

He sighed when she saw them standing in the yard looking puzzled.

Beth frowned, "Sam?"

He took a step forward, "Aunt Beth."

She hugged him tight, her hand shook slightly.

"Did you find her sweetie?"

"No. Jonathan has her still but the children are safe. Lydia and Annabelle are spoiling them rotten."

She looked past him at Ophelia. He felt her stiffen.

"Why would you bring her here?"

Ophelia looked around, "You know the dark witches?"

Sam held his aunts arms, "This is Ophelia. She is..."

"We know who she is Sam. Why would you bring her here?"

He sighed, "She's done a spell on me and I wanted to know if any of you knew how to reverse it."

Beth felt him with her hands, she squeezed his arm. She looked back at the others starting to come out in the front yard from the other houses surrounding them.

"What have you done?"

Sam shook his head, "I made a mistake."

Beth looked at her, "You have the stain of magic on you. A protection guard spell. Who did it?"

Ophelia looked confused, "I don’t know. I didn’t know I was a witch until like two weeks ago."

"Sam her magic hasn’t come in yet. Why would she have done magic on you if she has limited magic?"

He sighed, "She broke my match for me."

Gasps filled the air around them. Some of the women ran back into their houses. The others held crystals and spoke in hushed tones. Ophelia's face flushed. She looked embarrassed and confused.

"I asked her to do it."

An old woman he didn’t recognize stepped forward, "I know how but it won’t be worth it to you."

He frowned, "Why?"

"You'll be enslaved to her. The only fixing it makes you her blood bond slave."

He thought about Roland and the pain and anguish and shook his head, "There is nothing else?"

"Not unless you go to the black witches. Even then the only fixing it might end up with you matched with the witch who does the spell."

He looked back at Ophelia. Was feeling love worth feeling it for a girl who didn’t love him back but was fixated on him because of his Siren call?

"Okay. Well thanks. We have to go."

He watched as the other witches looked in awe. The older witch he didn’t know spoke to her, "Have you met the others?"

Ophelia shook her head, "What others?"

"Your sisters?"

Ophelia paled, "I have."

"I don’t envy you child."

Ophelia frowned, "Yeah it sounds like an awful lot. I have to kill my brother and my mother, and my sisters will give me their power. Only then can I help defeat my father and free the world from the evil. I feel like Frodo."

A younger witch snickered. Sam smiled at her reference. Aimee had forced the three movies on him a while back. He remembered the feeling of liking them.

Ophelia glanced at him. He nodded, "We have to go. She can't be out and about without attracting her father's attention."

Beth squeezed his hands, "I miss you son. Come home more often."

He hugged Beth, "I will." He wanted to feel the warmth of her. He wanted to enjoy the relief of coming home. But his heart was empty.

He took Ophelia's hand. She squeezed it. He squeezed back. He looked deeply into Beth's dark brown eyes and smiled weakly.

The muggy heat of Alabama hit fast and hard.

He felt the tension of the black magic in the air.

Chapter Thirty-One

Ophelia

The feeling of nausea and disgust filled her as they took their first steps.

"It's hot. It's too hot here. I feel something not good Sam."

He nodded. She couldn’t help but love him in a messed up stalker sort of way. She blushed watching him walk.

"Stay close. I need to be able to flash us instantly."

She watched his lips move when he talked. They were perfect.

"I think we need to go this way." He pointed to a road.

She felt her stomach tighten. She wished Oliver were with her. She felt safe with him, unless he was wearing a dress shirt or anything that let the smallest slip of his tattoos hang out.

"You okay?"

She blushed and smiled at Sam, "Sorry."

He put a hand out, "I need to flash us forward. Probably smart for us to hold hands anyway. Easier for me to flash us home."

His huge warm hand closed around hers. Her heart jumped.

They flashed a few times but the dirty feeling in the air was making her feel sick. She put a hand up, "I'm going to be sick if you do it again."

He nodded, "Sorry I forget not everyone is used to it."

She fought a puke shiver, "I will never be used to that. So gross."

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Suddenly she felt a slice like a knife cut across her hand. She went to pull her hand from Sam's but his grip was intense, "Don’t let go."

She looked up to see a group of women walking toward them, stretched across the road.

'Lillith's daughter, interesting thing to find on the road so far from anywhere.'

She shivered as the voice rolled through her mind like the thunder in the clouds above that had come from nowhere.

'Why have you come, daughter of Lillith?'

She stopped and stood her ground, "Uh look my name is Ophelia. You can call me O or some variation of that but I'm not digging Lillith's daughter much. I'm here for a spell."

"You bring a Siren with you?" A dark haired woman with black eyes asked.

A blonde chubby lady next to her laughed, "Not just any Siren, sister. He is Nephilim if I'm not mistaken."

"I can smell that in the air. He smells like sex and chocolate. How can you stand to be near him?"

"I'd eat a tasty little treat like that."

They laughed.

Ophelia looked at him and smiled. She couldn’t fight the blush that crossed her cheeks even though she was terrified of the black witches.

They didn’t look like black witches. They looked like a group of nice ladies, except that their eyes were filled with black. No whites and no colors, just black.

They wore regular clothes and had their hair done nicely.

Sam squeezed her hand.

She turned and focused on the women.

"I need a spell."

The dark haired woman stepped forward, "You have no business here."

Ophelia felt her skin shiver. The threat lingered in the air.

"I need something, surely you have a need."

The dark haired witch cocked her head and smirked at Sam. Ophelia felt her inner rage starting to rise up.

"He is not a part of any bargain. What else can I give you?"

"Blood."

Ophelia frowned, "What?"

Sam shook his head, "No not her but you can have mine."

The dark haired woman glanced back at the other twelve women. She sucked her teeth and nodded, "Deal."

"I'll tell you the secret to the spell after we get the blood. You need to absorb the broken ends of the match. The other person he was in love with needs to be present. She has to offer you his blood and him hers. They need to offer you the blood bond. It must be done in a dark room or outdoors, where no guard is present. The shadows must be able to reach in and touch your soul."

The chubby one grinned, "Risky move for a pure little girl like you. Your full magic hasn’t even come in yet."

Ophelia felt Sam's grip tighten again. His fingers were cutting the circulation off.

The dark haired woman pulled a vial from her handbag and a knife from her huge hair. She said something over the vial. It swirled red, as if blood were already inside. Then suddenly it was clear again.

Sam put his free hand out for them. She gripped it like a snake striking. She rubbed it over her chubby sweaty face. Sam looked ready to gag but he held himself straight. She pulled his hand down to her level. She licked his palm making him flinch. She dragged the knife across his hand and then closed it tight into a fist. The blood dripped out quickly in the vial she held below.

Her smile grew wicked and crazed as the blood filled.

"You fucking idiots."

The blonde hissed and stepped back.

Ophelia looked to see Oliver walking down the road. She swooned seeing him in a white dress shirt open slightly at the top revealing a lot more tattoo and faded jeans. He wore his same weird loafers but somehow they made the outfit look classy. She looked up from his chest, and tattoos that teased her from beneath his white shirt, to see an angry face.

"Give him back his blood."

His English accent wasn’t helping Ophelia focus.

Oliver looked at Sam's hand over hers and growled, "Give him back the fucking blood witch."

His gaze could have ripped Sam apart, "You never give your blood to anyone freely you idiot. She could control you."

The dark haired witch smirked, "Dark brother what say we share them. You can have the girl and we take the Siren. No one needs to know."

Oliver took a step toward her. The confused look on her face spoke volumes. She was doing magic on Oliver but it wasn’t working.

He snatched the blood vial from her hands. She quickly licked at the spilled blood. It was disgusting to see."

Sam looked calm but Ophelia knew he would be freaking out if he could feel anything. She was freaking out. Oliver angry was hot and scary. She couldn’t take the situation seriously. Between Sam and Oliver she was a mess. She noticed the other witches were the same though. They seemed to be affected as she was.

They were more than taken with Sam. They were desperate to have him and his blood.

Oliver shot daggers at Sam, "The castle."

He never even got the sentence out and the three of them were standing in the front foyer of Giselle's.

Ophelia looked at them, "We never got the secret."

Oliver seethed, "Are you trying to get yourselves killed. I told you to find them. Not to give them your blood."

Sam shrugged, "They wouldn’t give us the spell otherwise."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, "That would be why I said wait till I could take you."

"What is going on? Why is he not chained up?"

Oliver burst out laughing at Aimee's confused face, "You don’t really believe those stupid chains would hold me do you. I came here to help and that’s what I'm trying to do. If you can stay alive long enough for me to be of some help." Oliver stormed off into the mansion.

Aimee watched him walk past, "He let us think that would hold him? Where have you two been?"

Sam looked at Hanna walking up to them, "Trying to fix my little problem."

Ophelia felt defeated, "We never found out the end of the spell Sam. I can't do it."

Sam looked at her, "We scry."

He continued to hold her hand and dragged her down the hallway. If she didn’t know any better he was feeling something. He seemed annoyed or defeated.

He dragged her to her room and started lighting candles. She dug out the purple bag where she kept the scrying plate. The bag that kept it had to be purple for protection. She thought maybe white, but Annabelle laughed at her and handed her the purple bag.

She placed it on the table where the chairs were by the fireplace. Sam closed the curtains and flashed in front of her with a glass of water. She poured the water and knelt before the plate. She let her mind clear. Oliver attempted at climbing into her thoughts but she pushed him away. When her mind was blank the bottom fell away from the scrying plate. She watched the water start to churn. The waves grew and started lapping over the edges of the plate, spoiling onto the wooden table. A mist covered the plate, as if hiding the answers from her. She blew the mist aside to reveal a crystal clear picture.

Three women sat in a small clearing. They looked up to a full moon. One woman pulled a small blade from a sheet she had wrapped with tools in it. She dragged the knife across each of the other people's hands and poured them into a goblet. She poured red wine into the goblet and cut her own hand. She squeezed her hand over the goblet. She dragged the bloody hands against each other and squeezed. Blood droplets fell onto a red pillow.

They each took a turn with drinking from the glass. The flames of the candle rose with every sip of the goblet of blood and wine. The woman with the knife placed the knife on the red pillow and wrapped it up again. She lifted the package up and walked away from the two women sitting in the clearing.

The picture turned dark and fuzzy for a moment. Then it showed the woman holding the wrapped sheet with the pillow and the knife. She was in a dark cloak with her head down. She walked with purpose while trying to remain hidden. She looked around as she walked to a window of a house on the side of a street. Inside of the window a young man and woman were kissing and holding a baby.

She watched them for a moment and then took the sheet to the front door of the house. She knocked at the door and placed the sheet on the ground. She ran and hid in the shadows. The man came to the door and opened it. He looked around and picked up the sheet. She unwrapped it to find the knife and the pillow. Suddenly he looked lost. He looked back at the door and closed it. He walked away from the house carrying the pillow and the knife. He left his wife and his baby. Ophelia knew that was what was happening. The water went choppy again.

"We have to sacrifice a happy love to save you."

"What?"

"The secret is that we have to take the things we use for the spell and leave them for an innocent couple to find and ruin their love."

She looked back at Sam who nodded and flumped into the chair next to her, "Christ. That’s bleak. Whose lives do we chose?"

She shook her head, "No clue."

She watched him, "You know you will love me though right?"

He looked at her, "I'd rather love you, even if you don’t feel the same, than be this. I feel nothing beyond a bit of confusion or frustration at times." He ran a hand through his hair making it spiky. She smiled at him. She could think of far worse fates than Sam being madly in love with her forever.

"When is the full moon?"

He blinked at her, "Tonight."

She laughed, "Of course it is."

"What do we need?"

She shrugged, "Knife, goblet, sheet, red pillow, me, you, and Hanna."

He nodded, "I'll get everything. Meet you back here?"

She shook her head, "The big rock garden."

He was gone before he could answer. She felt empty. She wasn’t sure why.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sam

"I need you."

Hanna looked up at him, she almost smiled for a second but then stopped herself. She rose from the chair fluidly.

"For what?"

He felt his gaze grow serious, "How much do you love me? Like for real love?"

She nodded, "More than anything."

"Would you sacrifice our love to fix me? It's part of the solution."

She paused before she nodded, "I would."

He put his hand out for her to take. She took it and they were in the rock garden outside instantly.

She looked confused. He squeezed her hand.

"Hey." He walked pulling her along to where Ophelia sat with a blanket.

She looked miserable, "Hey." She looked at their hands together. Sam dropped Hanna's hand and sat down.

Hanna sat down on the blanket. She looked at them both, "What's the plan?"

Ophelia swallowed hard, "I am going to take the bond from you both, you have to give it to me willingly."

Hanna frowned, "What will you do with it?"

Ophelia squirmed, "Repair it."

"Then?"

"Then I keep it. Sam will be matched to me. Only one sided but at least he will have all his emotions back."

Hanna looked down, "Will he ever get over you?"

Ophelia shrugged, "I don’t know."

Hanna looked up at Sam and nodded back a tear, "Lets do it."

Sam knew all of it was far more than she deserved to suffer. She hadn’t done anything that wrong. The image of the man groping her bothered him still but it didn’t seem like the big deal he's made it. Her words burned inside of him but it too wasn’t the do all end all of the world. He wished he could take it all back.

Ophelia lit the candles and pulled out the red pillow and the goblet and knife. She looked focused. She took Sam's hand and dragged the knife across it. It stung slightly.

She did the same to Hanna who made a brave face. Ophelia squeezed Hanna's hand over the goblet and then his. She poured wine in and then cut her own hand. She rubbed their hands together and let the mixed blood drip onto the red pillow. They each took a turn drinking the blood.

He watched as dark shadows from the moons light crept along the ground like snakes.

"Ophelia what is that?"

She looked scared as they swirled their way up her legs. Her lower lip trembled as they made their way up her stomach and vanished. She gasped and shook her head.

When she opened her eyes they were solid black but stars sparkled from them. A calm smile crept across her face. It was disturbing.

Ophelia took the knife and the red pillow and bound them up in a package. She got up and left them there.

Sam looked at Hanna who stared at the wine glass.

"I want to say how sorry I am. Now that the anger is gone from it all I really think I over reacted Hanna."

She looked crushed, "Don’t say that. Please don’t make this be for nothing Sam. My heart is broken and I don’t know how to fix it."

He nodded, "I know. I think you should ask Roland, he knows stuff."

She got up from the blanket and walked away.

Sam felt sick suddenly. He couldn’t fight it, he was nauseas. He couldn’t flash.

He stumbled away from the blanket to the inside of the house. He made it inside when everything went black.

xxxx

He woke to Aimee next to him. She stroked his face.

He frowned, "What are you doing?"

"I found you. I get to keep you."

He laughed and then winced, "I'm in agony again. I'm thinking Ophelia might have messed it up."

"Stop being a baby. At least you can feel the pain."

Sam smiled, "I can feel something else."

She frowned.

He laughed, "I'm fucking annoyed with you right now."

Aimee giggled, "Yay. Can we go back to being the friends where you sympathize with me and my sadness over breakups? I kind of missed you having a heart. Or sarcasm."

He sighed, "Sweet friggen god Aimes I don’t want to talk about it anymore."

She squealed and hugged him, "You are back."

He laughed and felt joy for the first time in what felt like ages. He thought about Hanna but nothing but wounded pride and a slight amount of anger floated around in him. He thought about Ophelia and nothing. He looked at Aimee and smiled, "I'm free." He let his head rest on the bed next to her. "I feel like I've fought a battle and haven’t slept in ages but."

She kissed his forehead, "Sleep now. I won’t leave you. Just in case the horrid heartless other you comes back and tries to take over."

Sam smirked and rolled on his side trying not to wince in pain, "You kick his ass if he comes back Aimes. Kick it hard."

Her eyes glossed, "Sam no one knows what it's like to sink into a pit of despair like me. You've got to have someone there to pull you out."

He remembered her stories about the days before Aleks and how sad she was. He fell asleep feeling sad and not for himself.

xxxx

He woke again feeling groggy but the pains that had been burning through him were gone. He looked around the room for Aimee, but he was alone. He got up and stretched. He felt a hunger he hadn’t felt in ages. His need was strong. He could feel it on himself. He pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt and stumbled out to find food.

A blur shot past him in the hall and suddenly his back was slammed into the plaster of the wall. A warm mouth pressed against his neck. Savagely a dark head of hair nuzzled into him. He tried to pull back but she slammed him into the wall again. Her warm lips caressed his throat. He shoved hard and flashed.

Giselle stood at the end of the hall he had just left. Blood trickled down his throat. She licked her lips. He could see the black eyes from where he stood. He put a hand out, "Giselle calm down."

She snarled at him, "Come here Sam."

He flashed to the kitchen where Aimee sat staring out the window. She glanced back at him and smiled, "Hey look who's awake. How are you feeling?" She frowned at the dark blood running down his neck where his hand was.

He scowled, "Giselle."

She raised an eyebrow, "Did she just blood rape you?" She sniffed the air around him, "That is pretty unbearable Sam. What is that?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"Doesn’t smell like nothing." She got up from her seat grinning.

He took a step back, "Aimes, for Christ sake not now."

She nodded, "I want it now."

He flashed to Lydia's. She was stirring a cup of tea in the kitchen. She wrinkled her nose, "Oh Sam. Come on. Take care of that."

He sat at the table, "I can't."

She smiled, "Wait, if you're emitting that then you must feel again?"

He glanced up at her old face and bit his lip. He nodded.

Her face dropped, "Did you go find the black witches?"

His eyes darted to the table. He lowered his head in shame. He had no idea whose marriage Ophelia ruined to save him. He felt sick when he thought about it.

"Sam."

"Went to Lillian. They gave us the spell."

She dropped the cup of tea, "Sam what have you done?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"Who did Ophelia push the heartbreak on?"

She sat across from him. He couldn’t meet her gaze.

"I don’t know. She just took it and left."

She put her hands over her face, "Oh honey. What have you done? Your feelings for Ophelia will be so intense Sam. Her being a witch they will push onto her. You'll force her to love you."

He looked down, "When I think about her I don’t feel anything."

She sighed, "Babe you haven’t seen her since she gave away the broken heart have you?"

He shook his head.

"Oh goddess."

He looked up to her frightened face, "Can you help?"

She shook her head, "No honey."

"Can I stay here?"

She nodded, "Of course you can. Your room is always going to be your room."

He felt defeated as he rose and stalked off to his bedroom. The hunger in his stomach and everywhere else was painful but he couldn’t help but hate the choices he'd made.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ophelia

The darkness of the shadows scared her. She felt them tickle inside of her. She sat perfectly still but they moved inside like snakes writhing around in her belly.

She felt movement in the room and glanced up at Oliver in the doorway.

He looked worried.

"Are they inside of you?"

She frowned, "Who?"

"The shadows."

She nodded.

He bent and pulled a small dagger from his boot. He walked to her and knelt on the floor in front of her.

"I have to get them out."

She watched as he took her hand in his. It looked tiny compared to his hands. He poked her finger on the tip. He put it up to his mouth and kissed the prick. He pricked his finger and pressed their bloody fingertips together.

Light filled the spot with incredible warmth.

The warmth ran up her fingers and into her hand. Soon her entire arm was tingling with warmth. She looked at his blue eyes expecting to see love or kindness but his face was filled with regret. She watched as the light shot through her body as if lighting her veins up with yellow glow sticks. The warmth touched every inch of her. She opened her mouth and a light beam shot from it.

An agonizing pain stabbed into her stomach. She doubled over in pain. The light and dark had a war inside of her. She felt the sweat start to build on her brow.

"Just give it a minute."

She looked up at Oliver. His beautiful face was covered in anger. She assumed it was directed at her.

She screamed as the pain blacked her vision. She could hear herself screaming but the sound got quieter.

xxxx

Cold shivers woke her. Her face hurt. The cold stone pressed against her face, it was painful against her eyebrow. She put her hands on the cold floor and pushed until she was sitting upright. She felt the gurgle of her stomach. She heaved once.

"Here." She felt his hands on her back as the empty garbage pail was put in front of her face. Her stomach retched. The most bizarre thing happened when she threw up. Black goo came out. The feeling of it against her lips made her retch more.

"Let it out."

Her stomach was completely hardened as she gripped the pail. She almost screamed as the black goo shot from her lips.

She coughed spattering it against the stark white pail.

She looked up, "What is it?"

"The part of you that died."

She frowned, "What?" She coughed again. Dark red blood filled her mouth.

"The shadow kills some of you off when it gets inside. It kills the light and the good. It's like a cancer. You've let it in too many times now."

She shivered.

He got up and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

"Are you full of shadows too?"

He looked pinched for a moment, "Sort of."

"Can you get it out?"

He shook his head, "Mine is different than yours. Mine is more like pieces of my soul."

"What happens if you die?"

"I will cease to exist. I have let the dark kill enough of my soul that I if I die I will just vanish."

"God can't help you?"

He laughed, "He probably could but he won't. I made my choice."

She nodded, "Like my father?"

He nodded rubbing her back, "Your father doesn’t have an ounce of love or light inside of him. He is completely dead inside now."

"Did he ever love my mother?"

Oliver looked like he was about to smile, but he stopped himself. He shook his head, "He has loved power, always."

Ophelia looked at the garbage pail, "Why did you choose his side?"

"I didn’t believe they deserved what they had."

She frowned.

"The humans. I thought they were nothing. So weak and pathetic. I didn’t understand why we were trying to save them when we could use them."

She pushed herself up and lifted the pail. He reached for it but she moved it out of his grip, "Uh no. I don’t want you to see this. It's nasty."

He stood up in front of her, she noticed his body's heat and shivered again.

"I have to take it Ophelia. I have no choice. You have to get rid of it a certain way."

She held the bucket and shook her head, "No."

He laughed, "Yes." He reached a long arm behind her and took the pail of goo from her firm grip.

He took it and walked out. She felt sick and disgusting. Her finger tingled where he had rubbed their fingers together like blood brothers would.

Aimee walked in looking feisty, "Have you seen Sam?"

Ophelia watched Oliver leave and shook her head.

"He told me what you had to do."

Ophelia looked at the steely grey eyes of the death dealer and nodded. She didn’t want to talk about it.

Aimee looked sad, "Is there any way it backfired a little?"

"Why?"

"Giselle attacked him and he smelled like sex on a stick."

Ophelia snorted, "Gross image there man. I don’t know. I've never done any of this shit before. He asked I did. I can't seem to say no to him."

Aimee chewed her lip, "Come with me. I think I know where he would hide from Giselle."

Ophelia took her hand and instantly they were standing in the hallway outside Sam's room.

Ophelia could smell it in the air, "He's here."

Aimee flashed a grin, "That's the worst he's ever been. Normally he's just tempting. This is nuts."

Ophelia looked at her and shook her head, "Let me go in alone. You look like you might eat him."

Aimee squirmed a little, "I might."

Ophelia knocked lightly and opened the door a crack, "Sam?"

"Lydia came running down the hall, "NOOOOOO."

The sound became part of the background noise. Ophelia saw and heard nothing beyond the heart beating in his chest. She took a step toward him. His dark eyes flickered when they saw her.

Sam smiled at her, his eyes grew. He whispered, "Shit."

She nodded and closed the door.

Sam flashed against her, pinning the door shut. His mouth was on hers instantly. She was pulling her own shirt off as he was stripping his jeans off. They flashed and he was on top of her between her legs. His body slid against hers as his tongue licked up her throat.

His huge hands pulled at her skin, kneading her as if he was trying to meld them.

She moaned.

A cold rush of air burst between them and she was standing in the hallway at Giselle's in her underwear and tank top with one sock on. She looked at Aimee who was wide eyed next to her.

"What the fuck?" She asked breathlessly.

Aimee burst out laughing as Ophelia burst into tears.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." Aimee held her hands at her lips.

Ophelia sank onto the floor to sob into her hands. She felt like a piece of her heart was missing suddenly.

His fingers bit into her arm and she was standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Cold wind whipped her dark hair around her face.

She turned to see Sam standing beside her.

His dark eyes were filled with passion, "I've got to admit something."

She looked at him, "I know. Witches are more sensitive to Sirens and angels. Dorian makes me want to touch him and I would run away with Oliver tomorrow. You, well you make me feel like I found the other half of my soul.

He took a step closer, "It's not real."

She reached out for his bare chest and ran her fingernails down his torso softly, "It feels real."

He nodded and took another step closer, "I want it to be real."

She gulped and let his arms fold around her, "What about Hanna."

He shook his head, "I can't make myself love her."

He lowered his lips on hers and gently brushed against them.

"I don't think I can stop myself."

"Then don’t."

He scooped her up in his arms and knelt on the mossy cliff. His hands made fire wherever they touched. He ran them along her stomach and hips and down her thighs. She shivered as the cold wind chased his fingers along her skin. He bent his face and kissed her arm. He slid her tank top down her shoulder. His kisses moved along after the fabric, wherever it left he kissed.

Slow burning warmth started to burn in her stomach. She moaned as the cold wind whipped across her naked breast. His mouth chased away the wind with his warm breath landing on her bare nipple. She cried out as he flicked her nipple with his hot tongue. She felt herself melting into him. His hands caressed as his mouth sucked and kissed its way down her breasts and onto her stomach. He trailed along her naval.

She closed her eyes and let the excitement and pleasure build inside of her. She ached for him.

"I want to love you for real Ophelia."

She realized what he said and moaned, "This is wrong."

"Yes, yes it is." He murmured into her neck. He slipped his fingers under the waist of her panties. He slid his fingers inside and traced the waistband along her stomach. She moaned his name.

He kissed her cheek and then the corner of her lips. She turned her face to press her lips against his but he had pulled back, "Sam."

She opened her eyes, "What?"

He looked angry, "Sam."

"Okay."

"You called me Oliver."

She shook her head,  "I didn’t."

He nodded, "I heard you crystal clear."

He slid on top of her and pressed himself against her, "Ophelia I want you but not if you don’t want me."

She swallowed and licked her lips, "I do."

He kissed her cheek, "Do you want Oliver?"

She pressed her lips together and knit her eyebrows together, "Well it's just that. You know. He uhm. He's like you and all you guys mess with me. Like I said Dorian and Oliver and you. Sometimes I even feel like that about Lucas."

He nodded, "But you can tell the difference between me and them, right?"

She nodded. His weight on top of her was starting to hurt her back.

He was pinning her to the ground.

She struggled a little, "Oliver I want to go home."

He pushed her into the ground again, "IT'S SAM!"

She flinched, "I know. You're scaring me. Sam get off."

He pressed her into the grass, "I want you to want me Ophelia."

She shook her head as tears started to flow from her cheeks, "Please not like this Sam."

His fingers bit into her wrists. She felt his erection pressing into her pelvic bone through his jeans.  She felt the darkness coming to her as she panicked.

"WHY DON'T YOU WANT ME? WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME THE MOST?"

"Sam."

The voice she heard was like angels singing. Sam was knocked off of her and then in a flash of color she was alone lying on the cliffs with the wind whipping around her.

She felt relief and the agony of the distance. She sat upright and pulled her knees into her chest. She shook her head, trying to remove the look in his eyes. He looked insane. She looked around at the shadows she had called to her. They slithered around the ground like baby snakes.

They surrounded her like a wreath of shadows in the moss. The wetness of the moss soaked into the bum of her panties. She rocked back and forth. She knew why her mother would have called the magic of the garden. The helpless feeling of being pinned underneath of another person was enough to destroy a person.

Her attraction and want of him didn't fade or diminish even slightly. She wanted him more as the distance between them grew.

She looked around for Oliver. She had heard his voice. The ocean was grey and wild below her and above the sky was filled with angry looking clouds.

"Ophelia."

She flinched at the sound of her name to see Hanna and Aimee standing beside her. Hanna's cheeks were soaked in tears.

Ophelia covered her face in shame. Her magic had made a monster out of the sweetest man alive. Sam wouldn’t hurt her and she knew it. She had destroyed the pure love he had felt for Hanna and broken both of their hearts. Not to mention the happy couple she had destroyed the night before.

"I've got her."

She looked to her left to see Oliver standing across from Aimee. She sat in the middle of them.

Hanna came and knelt on the ground next to her, "Sam sent me a text. He sent a message saying what he did. He can't face you."

Ophelia felt her eyes fill with tears, "I did this."

Aimee snarled, "He did this." Ophelia looked at Oliver, where Aimee pointed.

"He told Sam how to fix it."

Hanna nodded, "Don’t trust him Ophelia. We can get them back without him."

She watched his eyes sparkle with fear and trepidation. She put a hand out to Hanna, "I want to go home."

Aimee reached for them and she was in the bathroom at Giselle's, standing in front of the massive soaker tub.

Aimee was already filling it with water. She looked at Hanna and smiled, "I can do it."

Hanna nodded. Her lower lip trembled, "Okay. Ready in an hour?"

Aimee nodded. Hanna walked from the bathroom.

Ophelia felt for Sam but he was nowhere close.

She pulled her underwear and tank off and stepped into the huge tub. Aimee sat on the toilet across from her, "I don’t have to tell you what this has done to him."

Ophelia shook her head, "I know why Lydia told me not to meddle. She told me not to do magic."

Aimee shook her head, "When I was changed at first. I murdered a girl in the woods outside my town. Dorian let me kill her. I thought she was a sweet innocent girl." A tear escaped her hard grey eye. She wiped it away and laughed at herself, "I knew nothing. She was a nanny to these kids and she hurt them on purpose. She was a bad woman. She would have become a serial killer possibly. Anyway Dorian snatched her and let me murder her and he let me believe she was an innocent. He did it to scare the shit out of me so I wouldn’t murder anyone else. I would remember the look on her face and never let my powers get the best of me."

"Have you ever again?"

Aimee shook her head, "Nope. I've only killed what deserved death. Her face haunts me."

Ophelia shivered, "The look in Sam's eyes, it was madness. He wasn’t himself. My magic has ruined him. He was a bright beautiful person and I've ruined him."

Aimee nodded, "You will never forget that pain Ophelia. I swam all the way to Portland the morning I murdered her. I was terrified to be with my family. I crawled from the harbor and slept amongst the homeless and disgusting garbage of the city. Lydia found me one day. She sensed me. I was starving. She used magic to hold my hands at my sides and brought me home. She locked me in a room and once a day she would unlock the door and put a bad person inside. I would kill them and then she would take them out. She did it for two months until I'd gotten to the point I could talk again. Then she forced Dorian to help me get it under control. Aleks came everyday to check on me. I killed sixty-one people in two months."

Ophelia watched her relive the moments. Her face softened, "Everyday I imagined what it would have been like if none of it had happened. What university I would go to and what city I would live in. What my husband would look like and my kids. I imagined the Christmas holidays and lazy summers. I imagined what the girl who I murdered would have done with her life."

Her eyes flickered at Ophelia, "There is no fixing what we are but there is learning to control it. Take the pain and make it the parameter that you never leave."

"What am I going to do about Sam?"

She shook her head, "We have to focus on the big stuff Ophelia. I need to rescue my sister, you need yours and we need to stop your dad. We don’t have time to worry about that right now."

Chapter Thirty-Four

Sam

Shame and pain battled for the top spot in his heart. He was mortified at his actions. It was hazy. His Siren side had taken over and nearly done something he would never be able to take back. He wanted nothing but to touch her and tell her he was sorry but he knew she would be terrified of him.

He paced his bedroom at Lydia's. He flashed instantly to Giselle's. He stood outside in the woods looking at the windows.

He felt the air stir and looked back at Oliver standing behind him.

He lunged at him but Oliver pulled him in and hugged him. Sam felt the warmth of the embrace and collapsed. Heaving, crushing sobs shook his body.

"I didn’t know Sam. I didn’t know." Oliver chanted, holding him tight.

Sam felt the energy and anger rush from him as sorrow filled him up.

He was lost in a sea of hopelessness. The emotions and loss caught up with him.

Oliver pulled him to the ground and cradled him against his chest. Sam tried to ignore the shame he felt for crying in front of the man.

"What are you guys doing here? Get off him."

Aimee was on her knees shoving Oliver away and pulling Sam down into her embrace.

"Sam, it's not your fault. She knows it's not. She knows." She whispered into his ear and ran her fingers through his hair.

He felt himself stiffen against her, "Aimes I can't do this. I need to spend some time away from you guys. I can't do this." He looked at Oliver and nodded, "I know you didn’t know this would happen."

Aimee stood up looking defeated, "I love you Sam."

He felt the breakdown coming again, "I know. I love you too Aimes. I just need some space okay."

She bit her lip and was gone in a whirl of the wind. Oliver smiled at him and followed Aimee out in a whirl of wind and color.

He flashed home again before anyone else saw him.

He collapsed onto his bed and waited for the darkness to take over.

"Sam."

He looked over at Annabelle sitting next to him on his bed.

She looked at his face and ran a ghostly cold hand across his cheeks, making him shiver.

"I knew your momma Sam. She is a good woman. She would be proud of the man yous become. I knew your daddy too. He was a good man. The things about his death that you knows, about miss Lorri. Theys true. She had a moment likes yous having now. She never meants it. She loved him like a brother. She aint never been the same since then."

Sam shook his head, "Not now Annabelle."

She looked him in the eyes, which was creepy considering her eyes were a ghostly grey. "Now is the only time I gots. You all gots to go tonight. I needs you to go back to the mansion and tell thems that Jonathan is going to try to kill Lillith. Them blue ghost girls aint been here in a week. They been stuck over there. He gots them all drained. Ophelia don’t know it but her brother gots their magic. She done lost the fight."

He couldn’t care about the news. He couldn’t force himself.

He looked at her and nodded, "I'll go tell them."

Annabelle smiled, "You gotta save your momma Sam. She will die in there if you donts free her."

He nodded again and flashed into the living room at Giselle's. He felt naked when he saw Ophelia. She was changed and her dark hair was wet. She looked pretty but to his heart she was stunning. He couldn't fight his feelings for her.

She flinched when she saw him. His heart broke.

"Your brother has the magic of the other six. Your dad made him take it today. They'll try to kill Lillith tonight apparently."

Ophelia frowned, "But Lydia said it would be my birthday."

Sam shrugged, "Guess something is up. We have to go today."

Aimee walked into the massive room, "You're back. What's going on Sam?"

He flinched. She didn’t trust him alone with Ophelia. He didn’t trust himself.

"We need to move tonight. They'll kill Lillith tonight."

Aimee pursed her lips in thought. She pulled her phone and sent texts.

Sam glanced at Ophelia watching him nonstop. He felt sick seeing her face.

"I'm sorry." He spoke low.

She nodded, "Not as sorry as I am." Her face flushed as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Her face was covered in guilt. He didn’t even know how to respond. How could she feel guilty over his attacking her?

Oliver walked in and stopped.

Sam felt his gaze upon him, "Jonathan will kill Lillith tonight."

Oliver's eyes widened. He thought for a moment and then looked like he'd been hit with a dose of obvious, "Oh shit. The sisters."

Sam didn’t follow along. Dorian appeared out of nowhere just ahead of Lorri.

Sam had thought that Ari had planned on the mission not involving Dorian or Lorri.

Lorri looked at Oliver, "What's he doing wandering about?"

Oliver laughed, "Lets focus Lucifer, Jonathan will kill Lillith tonight. He can use the sister's magic if Tristan can hold it."

She frowned, "He can't hold it until they turn eighteen."

Oliver shook his head, "No. They can wield it any time. The other sister's are eighteen. Once they take their power it pushes their age. They could have taken the power at birth if they could have cleansed the sister's spirits."

Lorri turned to Ophelia, "Holy shit. Have they been around to see you?"

Ophelia turned her head, "No. They haven’t. I haven’t seen them in days."

Lorri grimaced, "Fuck. Okay. We need to go now." She turned to Dorian, "Get Ari and Luke. I'll get Brandon and Giselle. Aimee we need Lydia and Hanna."

They were gone leaving Oliver and Sam standing facing each other with Ophelia in the middle.

She flushed and looked at Sam. He went to open his mouth but she put a hand up, "I know. If I could take it all back Sam I would. I would rather die than hurt you."

He shook his head, "Then you understand how I feel."

She swallowed hard, "I do."

She looked at Oliver and then him again.

Sam knew he had lost her. No matter what he did he couldn’t compete with what she felt for Oliver.

Aimee appeared with Hanna and Lydia in tow. Lydia ran to Sam and hugged him into her, "My boy."

He wanted to cry again but fought the urge. Hanna stayed back watching him.

He could feel her feelings for him. He wished he could feel what she felt. He wished things would be normal again.

He looked at Lydia and whispered, "Is it possible to take the feelings Hanna has and mirroring them so I feel what she feels instead of what I feel?"

Lydia brightened up, "I believe there is." Her face sunk again, "But then you'd lose your emotions again."

He shook his head, "I want things to be normal again."

Lydia squeezed his fingers, "I think we can make it work. I can't believe I never thought about that. When we get back okay?"

He nodded, "Okay."

He let go of the older woman and walked to Hanna. He looked down at her fingers and slid his hand around them. He felt her shiver.

Hanna smiled at him as a blush crossed her ruddy cheeks.

He smiled back. He forced his eyes to remain focused instead of wander and look at Ophelia. He made himself see Hanna. It hurt.

He realized how hard it would have been for her mother to force the love and why she would have been so broken from it. He promised himself he would love Hanna more than anything again, soon.

Lorri flashed in with Giselle and Brandon. Sam smiled at him.

He raised an eyebrow at Sam, "You okay?"

Sam laughed.

Dorian appeared with Ari and Luke.

Luke looked at Hanna and Sam and raised an eyebrow. Sam shrugged.

"Giselle you need to compel everyone so that if Ari accidentally pushes a human, you still remember everything the way it is now."

Giselle gave Lorri a dirty look, "You just barged in on me and my fang bang and now you are going to boss me around?"

Lorri growled at her.

"Fine whatevs. God. Take a chill pill." She walked up to Sam first and winked, "I want you to remember this in case Ari pushes a human. Ari's magic doesn’t work on your brain. Remember everything up to the point Ari pushes. Also I want you to unbutton your shirt and..."

"Giselle."

Sam felt his fingers slip up to the buttons on his shirt.

"Sam, stop it."

He heard it but he couldn’t stop his fingers. They unbuttoned the first one.

"Stop dicking around Giselle."

"Sam stop trying to take your clothes off."

He nodded, "Okay." He felt foggy for a moment.

Giselle went around to each person and said the same thing.

Lorri looked around and finally settled her eyes on Oliver.

"We have no choice but to place our fates with you."

He bowed slightly, "I am here to help." His eyes darted to Ophelia. Sam felt jealousy raging through him as the fog in his brain lifted.

"Oliver pulled his cell phone out and showed a picture to them all. It was a small garden with roses and lilies.

"Flash here. It's the weak point. Follow me through and we'll split up." He took Ophelia's hand in his and was gone instantly. Sam flashed pulling him and Hanna through fast. His feet were in soft earth in a warm garden. The smell of flowers filled the air.

Hanna gripped his hand before he could take another step. She pulled him into her. Her lips met his with force. She kissed him desperately. He let go of her hand and pulled her up into him.

"I missed you Sam." She whispered into his face as she pulled back.

He hugged her tightly and smelled the scent of the strawberry shampoo in her hair. He closed his eyes and let it be enough.

"I love you Hanna."

She rested her head on his chest.

"Sam." He looked up to see Lorri giving him the evil eye from across the bushes and flowers.

Lorri pointed to the right, "Oliver says your mom is to the right. She stays in a room that’s guarded." Her eyes flashed to Hanna, "Nothing hurts you. You can get through."

Hanna nodded and squeezed his hand, "Okay."

He felt a twinge in his stomach as he started toward the huge white metal door at the end of the room. He hadn’t seen her in years. Would she remember him?

Aimee grabbed his arm, "Flash if you get into trouble."

He winked, "You too."

She squeezed his arm. He pulled Hanna to the door and looked at her. She nodded and they slipped out into the hallway. It was freezing when they got out into the hall. The door sealed like a freezer door would. It wasn’t that the hall was cold but that the garden was sweltering.

Sam pulled her along. She was watching their backs. No one came. No cameras filled the halls. He was a ball of nerves. The huge white hallway was silent.

"This is creepy." Hanna whispered.

"Yup. It feels like a trap." He followed the hall and turned right at the end of it. The hall opened into huge great room with a fireplace and couches. No one milled about in the beautiful room. It reminded him of a hunting lodge or Luke's family's home.

He stopped and waited and when nothing moved, he flashed them across the room to the hallway. It looked more like a house on that side. The hallway seemed like a hallway in a house, not a fortress.

He cracked every door on the right and peeked inside. Hanna peeked in the rooms on the left. Behind every closed door there was a small bedroom or office. No one was in any of them.

"This is a trap Sam. We need to get the others." He felt her skin ripple.

Sam stopped when he smelled something familiar. He'd smelled before. He grabbed her hand and waited as a man rounded the corner. He was a weretiger. Sam had met a few before.

The Were sniffed the air and then looked to where they stood. A smirk crossed his lips, "Look at what I found. Both Sirens?"

Sam glanced at Hanna. She smiled as the shiver took over. She stepped forward and sauntered to him.

The were looked around, "Did I win the lottery? Are you real?"

She grinned, "Touch me and find out?"

He reached with his fingers but she had ripped them off before it registered. No one expected Sirens to be able to defend themselves.

Sam flashed to him and had him out of the hallway and in Libya in the middle of the desert before the first scream ripped through his throat. Sam flashed back to the hallway.

Hanna was still holding his fingers.

Sam looked at them, "Put them in that plant."

She smiled and walked to the huge planter. She pulled at the fake dirt and shoved the fingers into it.

She wiped the blood on her pants and they continued down the hallway.

"It feels less like a trap now."

Sam smiled at her, "That was disgusting."

She shrugged, "Luke likes it when I do that."

"He is also disgusting." He spoke while still looking in rooms and moving forward. He came to a room with the black obsidian door, "Devil's rock."

Hanna looked at it and held a hand up, "It stings."

"This is it."

Hanna looked at him, "You sure?"

Sam nodded, "I've seen a door like this before. Can't flash in there."

Hanna turned the handle, crushing it in her hand. She pushed on the door hard, ripping it off the hinges on one side. She kicked it once making a huge bang. Sam put a hand on her shoulder, "Shhhh."

She glanced back and snarled at him. Her eyes looked wild. The beast was fully there. She had let it take over. He hoped she was still driving the bus though.

He looked around the hallway as Hanna demolished the stone door. Her knuckles bled but she didn't stop. She made a throaty scream as she passed through the entry into the room. Sam looked in at a large sitting room with couches and flowers. It looked like a regular house but there were no windows. A small kitchen sat at the back of the room.

He could smell the burning of Hanna's skin from passing through the door.

"Jon?"

His mother came around the corner. She hadn’t aged at all. She looked at Hanna and dropped Vampire fangs instantly. She hissed at Hanna, who grabbed her by the throat and held her in the air.

"Mom?" Sam's voice cracked.

Her panicked dark eyes met his over Hanna's red head.

"Sam?" She spoke perfectly with the teeth, not like Giselle who still sounded like a four year old.

"Hanna, drop her. Hanna that’s my mom."

Hanna looked back at him and growled. She dragged his mother through the black doorway. She screamed the entire way, fighting to get away from Hanna's savagery.

His mom's skin lit on fire as she passed through the doorway. She screamed in pain. Hanna covered his mom's mouth with her hand.

In the hallway the beast lessened and Hanna struggled with the pain.

Sam grabbed his mom from her and held the weeping vampire. She gripped her son, "I knew you'd come."

She looked exactly the same. Her dark hair was long and shiny with subtle curls. Her skin glowed except where it was blackened from the magic. Her eyes sparkled but he could tell when he touched her she was a vampire. She didn’t have the same life she used to. The life and magic of the Siren.

"Why?" Sam asked staring at her teeth.

She shook her head, "He was afraid I would start aging. He did it a couple years ago. His last Siren aged badly."

She looked at Hanna, "What are you?"

Hanna laughed, "A little of this and a little of that."

"You're a Siren?"

Hanna nodded, "Part."

Her mouth trembled, "You're Hanna." She brought her fingers up to her face, "You look just like him." She grabbed her and hugged her tightly against her chest.

Hanna hugged back confused. She remembered nothing. Sam hated that she didn’t have the memories he did.

"How is he?"

Hanna's eyes dropped, "He's in a better place."

His mother's lower lip trembled, "I'm sorry my love. I loved your mother and father dearly. I see you never managed to escape the family curses then?"

Hanna shook her head.

His mom looked at him and smiled again, "I'm so sorry I left you Sam."

He shook his head, "We have to go."

His mother froze, "He will kill you both. Sam you have to flash out of here."

He shook his head, "You have to come."

She shook her head, "I can't leave."

Sam frowned, "Why?"

She looked at him flatly, "I love him Sam."

Chapter -Thirty-Five

Ophelia

She walked behind Oliver, who wouldn’t let go of her hand. She had to scratch with her left hand.

They all followed him. She had a horrid feeling that he had led them into a trap. They never saw anyone else.

Oliver snuck to a back door and pointed, "Half of us need to go this way. Ophelia and I will go to with Lorri and Dorian and Aimee. Lucas, Ari, Giselle, Lydia, and Brandon you go that way. It's where Ophelia and Aimee's sisters are."

Ari shook her head, "We need someone who can flash us out."

He looked at them and nodded, "Right. Uhm Aimee you'll have to go with them and text Sam to head that way too. He should have his mom by now."

Lorri looked at Aimee, "Don't let any old feelings cloud your judgments."

She nodded and walked away.

Oliver pulled Ophelia out the door. The cold blast was intense. She started to shiver immediately.

Oliver looked back at her, "Warm yourself."

She frowned, "How?"

He glanced at Lorri, "So she knows nothing?"

Lorri growled, "We found her two weeks ago. You've had a lifetime with Trist."

He muttered under his breath, "Fuck."

Ophelia felt his disappointment. She pulled her hand from his with a jerk. He looked back at her. She crossed her arms.

Dorian chuckled, "Alright kids let's focus before Jonathan sends us to hell."

Lorri snickered. Ophelia felt like she was missing the joke.

The snowy cold courtyard was long and surrounded by a stonewall. At the end of it sat the tower. She recognized it all immediately.

She looked up to the second window to the top and pointed, "That’s hers."

They ran across the courtyard and Oliver kicked open the door. Ophelia ran up the stairs behind him. She felt Lorri at her heels. She was wheezing by the second flight. Oliver laughed and grabbed her hand again and flashed them to the top. Dorian and Lorri flashed behind them.

She reached out and touched the door. It sparked against her fingers but she ignored the pain. She would finally meet her real mother.

It felt surreal, regardless of the fact she was standing in a stone tower with angels and demons. It was easier to believe in them than the existence of a mother she never knew about. Memories flooded her of her mother back home. She couldn’t imagine the pain they were in.

She looked at Dorian. His eyes were set on the door.

Oliver tugged at her hand, "You have to open it love."

She frowned, "How?"

"Use your magic and open the door."

She pointed a finger and spoke slowly, "Open sesame."

Lorri sighed, "Stop fucking around and tell the door to open."

Her face flushed, "Open."

The door didn’t even creak in a slight effort to open. She looked back at Lorri who was pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What do I do?"

"Magic is imagery, want and need the door to open. Like when you were mad and the magic filled you. Think about the fact he's murdered all the others. Think about the fact she's spent a lifetime alone. Want it."

Ophelia looked back at the door and thought about the fact her mother had been alone. She imagined the cruelty of him forcing himself upon her. She remembered the helpless feeling of Sam pressed against her. Her back in the damp moss as he held her down and screamed at her. She looked at the door and pushed on it. A loud burst shot through the silence as the door blew apart. Tiny shards of wood and slivers filled the air. She blew hard making them fly away from her. She looked into the cell to see the woman from the snow globe but she wasn’t there. The cell was empty. She turned back to speak but something hit her hard in the head.

xxxx

She woke to a chuckle. She looked up to see her brother standing over her.

"You cannot be my sister. My sister would have known better than to trust a stranger."

She swallowed tasting blood in her mouth. Oliver watched her with his bright blue eyes. She felt her breath grow ragged, as the desperation of the situation became reality.

She looked around. She didn’t recognize where she was. Her hands were wrapped in a fabric and tied over her head. Her feet just touched the floor with her tipi toes.

Her back was against a cold stonewall. She was frozen.

Tristan was taller than she assumed her would be. He towered over her and looked angry and frightening. Not the same as when they'd met in the forest. He was a different person.

He sneered and leaned in, "You smell like sex Ophelia. It's hard to be around all these angels and Sirens."

She turned her face away from his warm breath.

She refused to look at him or Oliver.

She didn’t see Lorri or Dorian. She wondered if they'd been apart of the plan from the beginning too?

She felt her toes cramping up and she struggled to stay standing.

Tristan hovered over her like a predator.

She continued to look away from them. She felt her breath getting out of control. She started to heave slightly.

"Wa-wa-wa-wa what's the baby going to do? Will she cry? Are you going to cry for daddy, love?"

She looked at him.

He laughed, "You didn’t think I was your brother did you?"

She started to cry. He leaned in and licked her cheek.

"Your tears taste like your mother's."

His body pressed her into the rock wall.

She looked exactly like Jonathan. She could see her own traits and features on his face.

She looked at Oliver. He looked pained for a moment.

She spat at him, "How could you? He killed your son."

Her father laughed, "I never killed him. Oliver has him being, detained so to speak. It had to be believable. No one can resist young Samuel's mother. No one."

Ophelia shook her head, "Why are you doing this? Where is Tristan?"

He laughed, "You're brother is an idiot. You are my heir Ophelia." He glanced back at Oliver and smirked, "We just need to make sure you like my side better."

"Where are my sisters and Lillith?"

He laughed and turned and walked from the circular stone room. She shivered from the cold.

Oliver watched her for a moment and then followed her father from the room.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Sam

"Just pull her along."

Hanna looked nervous, "Sam I don’t feel comfortable."

He clenched his jaw and leaned in looking down on her, "I'm not leaving without her."

Hanna's skin rippled, "Don't be a shit. I just don't want her to feel like we forced something on her. She said she loves him."

His eyes flashed at his mother's unconscious body. He felt bad for knocking her out but he had no choice. She was compelled by Jonathan.

He felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it from his pocket to find a picture of a room from Aimee. He grabbed Hanna and his mom's hand and flashed them into the room.

Aimee had her back to a wall and was appearing around a corner.

"They're in there."

She looked at his mom, "Is she hurt?"

Hanna rolled her eyes, "She wasn’t until Sam knocked her out." She glanced at Sam and gulped, "She wanted to stay. She loves Jonathan."

Aimee grimaced.

Giselle made a sickened face, "Eww I heard he looks a lot like Ophelia."

Aimee's head snapped around, "I've had enough of the return of shitty Giselle. Stop."

Giselle put her hands up, "Whatevs Aimes. Can we just kill Blake and get Alise."

Aimee looked at Lydia. Sam noticed the vacant stare in her eyes.

"Lydia?"

She looked at him in a panic, "Sam they have Ophelia. Her magic just went out. They're going to be here any minute."

Sam felt his stomach sink. He still felt the bond to her. She wasn’t dead.

Aimee's nostrils flared, "Fuck this shit." She kicked the door open to the lab.

Sam looked at Hanna, "Don’t lose her."

Hanna smiled at him sarcastically, "Fuck off Sam."

He grabbed her face and kissed her hard. He let go and flashed into the room behind Aimee. A man fired a gun, which normally they wouldn’t have bothered avoiding but with the hellfire being a possibility it changed their reactions to bullets.

Aimee leapt across the room and flashed Ari behind the man with the gun.

The lab was huge. Sam felt lost for a half a second. He saw a pasty angry looking guy hunched over a microscope with headphones on. He would bet his money it was Blake.

He watched as Brandon and Lucas phased mid air and began attacking the other men and women in lab coats. Ari didn’t use her gift. They all appeared human. Sam looked back at the door, he had a bad feeling.

Lydia was standing with Hanna above his mother who was laid on the floor.

She made eye contact with him, "Minutes."

He looked back at Aimee who was holding the dark haired guy in the air.

"Just fucking tell me where she is."

Sam looked at the way the incredibly tall guy didn’t react.

He looked at Giselle draining the blood from a smaller guy in the corner, "He's compelled Aimes. Giselle get him."

Giselle hissed at Sam.

"DO IT NOW!"

Lydia shrieked, "GISELLE STOP BEING A PAIN IN THE ASS."

Giselle dropped the bleeding man and skulked over to Aimee, "Okay nerd look into mommy's eyes."

Sam knew she hated him. He had been a part of her being mauled in blood bars.

"Listen to me Blake. You don’t have any more glamour on you. No compulsion. You are just you again."

"Ha you really believe one of Lorri's pet's can remove my compulsion?"

Sam saw Daniel walk into the lab from the back. He held an iPad.

Blake looked around. He frowned, "Aimes?"

Aimee leapt at him and wrapped her arms around his chest.

"Blake."

Giselle stepped toward Daniel, "Bow bitch."

His legs buckled slightly, "Impossible."

She growled, "BOW BEFORE YOUR QUEEN DOUCHE CANOE!"

His knees dropped to the hard cement lab floor.

His face trembled, "You are of Marcus?"

She licked the blood stains from her face, "Yeah and I'm pretty sure you remember me being your little party favor not so long ago too, don’t you? Well asshole, now it's time to pay."

Sam put a hand out, "No. Lorri made a deal with the wolves. They get to kill him and we get Aleks's dad."

Giselle wrinkled her nose. She thought for a moment and nodded, "Fine but I take him now. No waiting around for Jonathan and the other dicks to show."

Sam nodded.

Aimee looked at Sam, her eyes were filled with tears.

"Alise is in the backrooms. Where the vampires feed."

Sam felt sick. He knew her sister would either be dead or worse.

Lorri ran into the room, "They got Ophelia. We need to get the fuck out of here and come back."

Sam clenched his jaw.

Lorri barked, "Fucking Oliver. I fucking knew it."

Aimee shook her head, "We need Alise and Ophelia's sister."

"WE NEED TO GO NOW."

Blake looked startled, "What is going on?" He paled, "Are you guys like them?"

Lorri smiled, "Worse. Now move some asses."

Giselle looked at Lorri, "Look who we found."

Lorri leaned to the side to see around the tables and computers. Her face dropped.

"Daniel."

He trembled, "Lorri. I didn’t mean to. You know I always believed in your way."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, "You son of a bitch."

She looked crushed. Sam had never seen her vulnerable.

"Giselle can you hold him?"

She laughed, "Yup. I'm going to stick one of my heels in his ass as soon as we get him home. Fucker."

Lorri nodded and looked around, "Okay I'm going to take Giselle and Danny boy to Maine." She tilted her head, "You owe a blood debt you piece of shit."

Ari looked at Lorri, "I could push Alise when we get her."

Lorri shook her head, "Last resort Ari. You know what happens when you mess with your own circle. Christ only knows what we'll end up with. Aimee, take Brandon, Sam, Ari and Luke with you. Hanna bring Sam's mom."

Hanna lifted her into the air.

Lorri smirked at Daniel, "Hanna here is going to rip one of your rotten legs off and shove it up your ass if you try anything funny."

Hanna smiled at Daniel.

She carried Sam's mom like she weighed nothing. Lorri touched Giselle who gripped Daniel. Hanna put a hand on Lorri's shoulder.

Lorri looked worried, "Aimes you and Sam flash if you have to. No matter what. Leave the sisters if you have to."

Sam felt the order in the words. It wasn’t a suggestion.

Lydia ran to Lorri, "I'll come with you. I've spelled the room. They can't come in here. We need to get out of here now."

Lorri was gone as Lydia's hand touched her shoulder.

Aimee hugged Blake again.

He sobbed into her chest, "Oh god. Oh god Aimee. I've done so many bad things."

He slumped on the floor at her feet and covered his face in shame.

A loud bang on the door interrupted.

Sam gave Aimee a look. She nodded and pointed to the back door Daniel had come through, "Does this lead to Alise?"

Blake blubbered into his hands speaking inaudible bits.

Aimee grabbed his arms, "Blake we can cry when we get home. I need you to focus now."

He wiped his eyes and repositioned his glasses, "That way." He pointed at the back door.

She shook him, "I need your help. Can you help me?"

Aimee's face looked desperate.

Blake nodded, "I'm so sorry Aimes. I shoulda believed you. It was real. It was all real."

Aimee sighed, "We can do this at home Blake. I need to get my sister."

He sniffed and wiped his hands on his sleeve.

Ari had the door open and both wolves were in the hall. She peeked back, "Hey Dorian is in the hall waiting for us."

Sam was last into the hallway. He couldn’t believe they finally had Daniel. Lorri could finally cross it off her to do list.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Ophelia or the fact her father had her.

Dorian looked pissed.

He hissed at Sam, "Your mom is in on it."

Sam nodded, "I think she's compelled."

Dorian shook his head, "Nope. It’s a match."

Sam felt sick, "What?"

Dorian nodded, "Fucking Sirens. Have you guys seen Oliver?"

Sam shook his head.

Ari whispered, "We need to keep moving."

Dorian glared at her, "This was a set up. Notice how they don’t have any security here?"

Sam nodded, "Jonathan was willing to trade it all for Ophelia?"

They followed the huge wolves through a series of halls and past a massive kitchen. Sam felt like his stomach was in his throat.

Dorian looked at Ari, "I'm going to find Ophelia. If I don’t come back, I'm sorry."

Ari grinned, "Sorry you died on me?"

He shook his head solemnly, "That I never knew. I would have tried if I'd known."

She shoved him, "Stop being a weirdo. You're like a cockroach. Nothing can kill you." His eyes flashed at Ari for a moment. He smiled and leaned into kiss her on the cheek. He glanced at Sam, "You get her out."

Sam nodded and Dorian was gone.

Blake stopped outside of a door, "This one."

His thin pale fingers trembled. He looked sick seeing the door.

Aimee shoved him to the side and kicked the door open.

Sam clutched his nose instantly. The smell was unbearable. Aimee looked horrified as she stepped in. The dark room was a cell. It reminded him of Marcus's dungeon.

There was a small cot, a shower, and a toilet. The dark concrete room had no one in it but from the stink whoever had been in there was dead when they were removed.

Old dark brown blood stains covered the mattress.

Aimee looked at Blake like she wanted to strangle him. He shook his head, "She was here."

Aimee stormed from the room and started kicking in the every door in the hallway.

"You have a very bad temper has anyone ever told you that?"

Sam looked down the hall by the kitchen they passed. Oliver stood there with a grin pasted on his face.

Sam flashed at him but he was already down the far side of the other hall. Sam flashed there but he was in the ceiling looking down from the grate, "We can play this all day or we can just trade."

Aimee scowled up at him, "What could you possibly want from us?"

Oliver tilted his head, "You Aimee."

She walked under the grate where he sat, "Fine done. Everyone else walks free."

Oliver flashed to the far side of the hall opposite Sam, "Walk out the door behind you into the snow. There is a courtyard. Stay there. We will meet you outside." He was gone.

Sam looked at Aimee, "No. No this is a bad idea. Why do they want you so badly?"

She shrugged, "I don’t know." She looked defeated, "At this point what does it matter? Aleks is dead. Shane is heartbroken. My sister is most likely dead." She turned to Sam and smiled, "You know where I want my body to go."

He nodded, "I don’t know what can kill you Aimes. They may want you alive."

Ari put a hand on Aimee, "This is a bad idea. Let me push him." She glanced at Blake. Blake looked nervous.

Aimee shook her head, "You know what Lydia says."

Aimee turned and walked to the door. She put a hand up to it and looked back at Blake. She rushed him and threw her arms around his neck. Her held her tight.

They whispered into each other's necks. Aimee shook from the sobbing. She pushed herself off of him and turned to face the door. She looked at Sam and pushed as hard as she could.

The cold arctic air blasted them. It was miserably cold for July. Sam looked at Blake who started to shiver.

"Stay in the hallway."

Blake nodded and stepped back in. Ari grabbed him by the arm, "No. This is my insurance." She dragged him out into the cold.

He looked as white as the snow. Sam scanned the white courtyard for movement.

Luke lowered and growled as Oliver walked toward them. In each hand he had a thin girl. Sam knew they must be Alise and Abbey. He could pick out Alise right away. She was sickly skinny and covered in sores. She wore baggy jeans and a pale pink t-shirt. Her dark hair was around her like a filthy cape and matted with things. Abbey too was covered in sores. He assumed they were bite marks. Her blonde hair was pulled back in messy ponytail, like bed head. Her jeans were ripped and torn and her light blue t-shirt was bloody.

Another man walked out into the courtyard with Oliver. He looked almost identical to Ophelia. Instantly he knew it was her father.

He smiled and held his hands out, "Roses. It's wonderful to meet you all. Sorry for being such a poor host. I'm sure you understand the time constraints placed upon me, what with Ophelia and Tristan turning eighteen and all."

Aimee stepped forward, "Look you want me to stay. I want them all to go free. Cut the shit and niceties."

He nodded, "I like your style Aimee. It's a shame we have to kill you."

He pulled a gun from behind his back and raised and fired it before Sam could register what was happening.

Sam screamed, "No." He flashed at Aimee. She stumbled forward in the snow. Blake screamed but Ari held him tight. Sam held her arm.

Her sister screamed and pulled from Oliver's hands. He held her tight to his side.

Sam looked down at the snow. Black blood dripped onto the white snow. He rolled her on her back revealing something he never thought he would see. Aimee's skin was singed where the bullet made a huge hole.

She cried out from the fiery wound spreading up her pale stomach.

"You see Aimee, Dorian made you for one reason. Each of us makes something different. I create vampires. Not cursed ones like Marcus but real ones. We don’t know what Lorri creates, she has a rule about not making things. Oliver here creates succubus and incubus, emotional vampires if you will. Sam, your dad made what the natives called a Wendigo. Very horrid creature. He only made a few. Terrible plague on the earth. He refused to make any more. But Dorian makes something very special. He makes the cure. He made the one that took Anthony." Jonathan smirked and pointed to the sky, "He needed a backup plan, incase we decided to have fun instead of be Lorri's lapdogs. Dorian makes the backup plan. You are it my dear and I can't run the risk of you ruining any of my plans."

She leaned forward as the bullet wound spread. Ash fell to the ground where she leaned. She cried out.

Sam gripped her. He rocked her. Her fingers bit into him. Screams filled the courtyard. He blocked it all out.

She began to tremble.

Sam looked back at Ari and nodded. Her black eyes sparkled as she pushed the screaming Blake. The air sparkled around him.

Dorian was behind her in a flash, "Ahhh yes, Jonathan you have yet to meet my daughter."

Jonathan's mouth dropped. He looked back at Oliver with daggers.

Sam watched the show as everything around them froze for a second.

Blake was pacing around his house. Aimee lay on a bed sleeping. Blake was talking and pacing. Shane stood in front of him with his arms crossed. Shane shook his head. He looked angry. Suddenly Blake was standing in a room talking to Aimee. She looked devastated. She ran from the house.

Everything sparkled around them and suddenly Aimee was asleep on the bed again. He paced watching her. He looked upset but instead of leaving he went to his computer. He sat there looking exhausted. When she woke up she went to his side. He showed her websites and chats. Everything around them started to change. Jonathan screamed and leaped at Aimee but everything went black.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Ophelia

She stood in the kitchen at Lydia's holding a glass of water. She looked at Ari who shivered and sat down.

Ophelia looked at the glass in her hand. She remembered pouring herself the glass of water just as she remembered being tied up in her father's cell.

"What was that?"

Lydia stormed in, "That was Ari at her best."

A tall handsome man walked into the kitchen, "Lydia where is she? I've had it."

Lydia and Ari both jumped up and ran at the huge man.

"Oh my god Aleks. Oh my god."

Aimee flashed into the kitchen and jumped at him. Ophelia felt lost. She knew a guy named Aleks had died. Old memories that still sat in her mind, but felt distant, had his death in them. Slowly memories of him at her window instead of Sam started to creep in her mind.

She watched them cry. Aimee gripped him and kissed his cheek repeatedly.

His face was flushed and confused.

"I'm tired of the head games Aimee. Just tell me what the hell is going on with you guys?"

She shook her head, "I love you. I love you."

A slow grin crept over his face, "So you want to be with me?"

"Aleks what do you remember?"

He frowned at Lydia, "From when?"

Lydia looked at Ari, her mouth agape, "Oh no."

Ari took a second and then she looked the same. Aimee dropped to her knees.

Lucas ran inside, his face was soaked. Tears poured from his eyes. The memories sank in slowly. The memories matched in her mind until she came to Lydia's two weeks ago. Nothing was the same. Sam was not in a single new memory.

She started to panic. She looked at a new face, who her brain instantly recognized as Ben. He looked confused. He looked at Aleks. Lydia, Ari, Aimee, and Lucas sobbed. Ophelia looked at them all. Her stomach twisted into a knot. Her heartstrings tugged as she looked at Ben. He smiled and took a step toward her. She took a step back. Her body knew him, as did her mind but her reality was different. It was as if two people's lives lived inside of her. She bolted to the kitchen sink and retched over it. A meal she didn’t recognize for a moment shot into the sink. She hadn’t recalled eating corn and peas.

"He's not dead. He's not." Aimee rocked back and forth.

Lydia held her heart, "They all are. Little Sarah. Dawn. Danny."

Ophelia threw up again.

She sank against the counter.

"I take it Ben and I missed out on the party?" Aleks stood like a massive statue in the middle of the kitchen with the sobbing people draping off of him. Ari let go of him and grabbed Ben. Her and Lucas held him tight against her.

Ophelia looked at them all, "What happened? How did it happen?"

Aleks looked confused, "You never even met him?"

She started to sob as well, "I loved him." Her heart broke. Sweet Sam.

Hanna came bursting through the door. Her eyes flashed on Ari, "You bring him back. You bring him back. You bring him back." She grabbed her by the throat and held her in the air. Hanna's skin shivered. Ophelia watched the redhead lose total control. She threw Ari through the wall of the house and out on the back lawn. She dove through at her. Lucas changed and lunged at Hanna. Hanna swiped with her hand and tossed the wolf across the grass.

She screamed a sickening sound.

Lydia ran out through the huge hole and stepped between them, "This solves nothing."

Ari shook, she cried so hard. Hanna dropped to her knees and screamed into the sky.

Ophelia gripped the cupboard to stop herself from passing out. The pain in her chest was unbearable.

Hanna looked at her and started to sob again.

Ophelia rushed her and wrapped her arms around her.

"He loved you. He loved you Hanna."

"I can't bear this." She glared at Ari, "How? How?"

Ari shook her head, sobbing, "I don’t know. I don’t know what changed."

Aimee staggered through the hole, "Blake. He helped them perfect the Hellfire bomb." She wrapped her arms around herself.

She looked frighteningly fragile.

Aleks put his arm around her, "What happened?"

Ari sat on her knees, "I pushed Blake. Instead of betraying Aimes to Shane and chasing her out of the house, he found other supernaturals online."

Aimee cringed, "His guild on the World of Warcraft. He helped me change. He came with me here. He convinced Dorian to help me."

Aleks shook his head, "So the way it was before, you all remember?"

Ophelia looked at him, "We got Giselle to use her compulsion to make sure we remembered."

He nodded, "Like Andy did."

"She's still in the hospital?" Aimee spoke looking confused.

Lydia nodded, "Blake never took them to the blood bar. They never recruited him from MIT."

Aimee looked at Lydia, "Alise is safe. She's at home with dad. They're safe. Shane." Her face flushed as she glanced up at Aleks. His handsome face turned red with hers.

"You and Shane are together Aimes." He broke into a grin, "Were we together in that other place?"

Ophelia watched as Aimee slowly shook her head.

He stopped, "My dad?"

She shook her head.

He frowned, "I died?" He sounded completely mystified.

Aimee swallowed hard, "You and Ben."

Ben looked at her, "Me?" He looked at Lucas who wiped his eyes.

Ari shook her head, "I can't seem to make it so we all are okay."

Aimee wiped her face and walked to Aleks. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his chest.

Ophelia couldn’t help but notice how amazingly attractive he was. She looked at Ben. He raised an eyebrow, "If I was dead, then you and I…?"

She shook her head.

He nodded slowly, "That’s explaining a few things."

Lorri burst through the hole in the kitchen wall and stormed over to Ari. She lifted her off the ground.

"I had him in my fucking hands. In my fucking hands Ari. For fucks sake. I said not to use it. I said no." She dropped her and paced the yard like a wild cat.

Ari slumped on the grass again.

Ophelia noticed the way Lucas walked to where Ari sat and put himself between Ari and Lorri.

Lorri turned and pointed, "They had Jon too. For fucking fuck." She raged around the yard.

Aleks stepped forward, "What? My dad? Who had him?"

Lorri looked savagely at him, "The wolves."

Ben frowned, "Us?"

Lucas looked back, "The guys back home were tracing him for us."

Aleks's eyes flamed, "How? How did they do it? Where was he?"

Ophelia spoke quietly, "Me."

Aleks started to laugh bitterly, "Oh I should have known. Of course. When Lorri and I got to your house that first night to get you his scent was everywhere. If we'd thought to call the pack they would have been able to trace him." His eyes hardened as he looked at Lorri, "If the Roses business hadn’t been more important, as usual, I could have had him."

Lorri pointed at him, "Don’t you start with me right now Aleks. I swear to god I will rip your fucking head off. In the other version of this fiasco the wolves were there because of Sam. He thought of the wolves. He brought them."

Ophelia remembered being in the cell and looked at Lorri, "He still has my sister."

Lorri covered her eyes with her hands, "Oh sweet Jesus save me from this moment." She looked at Ophelia with rage on her face, "I am not going to talk to you about saving a human right now. Sam was everything. He was the thing that made us win. It wasn’t you. Look in the scrying dish you haven’t stolen from Annabelle yet." She was gone as the lightning struck the ground where she stood.

Aimee sighed. Lydia rubbed her back, "I know honey. It's been so long since they died that the pain is old and it won’t let me hurt as much as I want to."

Dorian flashed into the yard, he grabbed Ari and pulled her in. She started to cry all over again.

"Dad."

He rubbed her back, "I know."

He looked up at Aleks and smiled, "Good to see you brother."

Aleks frowned at him, "You look weird."

Dorian pulled Ari back and looked at her, "Is this what it's like every time?"

She sobbed and nodded.

Lucas joined the hug, "I can't imagine living through this more than once." He kissed Ari's head.

Ophelia felt totally out of the loop. She glanced at Hanna who was silently crying.

"What can we do?"

Hanna shrugged, "Move on. Once they're gone, that’s it. There is no bringing them back." Her eyes hardened.

Ophelia went inside, she noticed she felt more at home in the house than she ever had. She had never stayed at the castle. She had always been there. Through thick and thin, she had spent her time learning. There was no vampire war in the yard or drama with Sam.

She felt Ben wrap his arms around her, it felt less strange to be around him.

She turned and looked up into his handsome face.

He brushed his lips against hers softly. His shaggy brown hair and emerald green eyes reminded her of Lucas. He was more handsome. He wrapped himself around her.

"I'll keep you safe O."

She felt her body relax into his. His touch wasn't just familiar, it was wanted.

She felt something cold and opened her eyes.

Annabelle floated to her, "I was just lookin in on your momma. Your sisters have been taken. He's gonna give the gift to your brother tonight."

Ophelia shook her head, "No it's a trap. He must know about the snow globe."

Ben looked down on her, "You psychic now?"

She smiled, "No." The smile felt wrong. "We went there in the other way things were. Oliver betrayed us and my dad was my brother."

He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed, "It's complicated."

Lydia came in through the hole and looked at Annabelle. Annabelle put her hands on her hips, "What in Sam hell is that?"

Lydia's face crumpled.

Ophelia started to feel sick again. She hugged her stomach, "I'm going to bed." She walked to the stairs. Ben scooped her up and carried her to her room.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ophelia

A knock at the door woke her up. She went to roll out of the bed but Ben's huge arm was across her. She felt funny about him sleeping in her bed. She picked through her old memories. He hadn’t done it before. She walked to the door and opened it a crack. Aimee smiled at her, "Want to help me?"

She rubbed her eyes, "Dude it's still dark."

Aimee nodded, "I have a problem. I need a favor from Hanna and she won't help me. She doesn’t like me."

Ophelia laughed, "You and Ari are kind of bitchy to her. Yeah just let me get some pants on."

She pulled on jeans from the floor and stalked out of the room. They walked to Hanna's room. Ophelia opened the door. Hanna was asleep in a ball with tissues everywhere.

Ophelia looked at Aimee and scowled, "Why are we in here?"

Aimee shrugged, "I need her to convince Marcus to turn Giselle."

Ophelia looked at her and sighed, "She won't do it. They broke up. Remember? Marcus is an overbearing wanker."

Aimee pointed, "My friend is dying. Do it."

Ophelia groaned and turned to Hanna. She shoved her lightly, "Hanna wake up."

Hanna moaned and murmured, "No Sam."

Ophelia looked back at Aimee and glared. Aimee snapped a finger and pointed.

Ophelia gave her the finger. She turned back and shook Hanna again, "Hanna wake up."

Hanna rolled over and opened one puffy eye, "Wh-wh-what?"

Ophelia bent over to her, "I need you to wake up."

Hanna groaned, "Dude this better be important."

Aimee spoke from the dark doorway, "I need you to save Giselle. She's dying."

Hanna watched her for a minute. Ophelia thought for sure she was about to say no but she climbed out of the bed. She stood looking Aimee square in the eyes. "You hate me for something that never even happened, just so you're aware."

Aimee laughed. She put a hand out and they all touched. Ophelia squinted seeing the bright lights of the hospital. They followed Aimee into a room. Blake sat there reading on an iPad.

"Hey loser."

He looked up at Hanna and smiled, "Hanna. My favorite monster."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah I've never heard that one before."

Ophelia gave him a slight wave. He smiled at her.

Ophelia looked at Giselle. It was weird seeing her sick. She was used to her being volatile and snobby.

Giselle opened an eye and smiled at them. Aimee leaned forward, "Hey girl. How are you feeling?"

She frowned, "You need to turn my ass back into a vampire. This shit is not fun. I want to be drinking blood and stomping around Marcus's castle in my big boots. This sucks."

Aimee frowned. Hanna leaned in, "How do you remember that?"

Giselle shrugged, "When you guys said you wanted me to do the mind thingy on you, I decided I didn’t want to be the only bitch who was lost." She pointed to Blake who was frowning, "Look at his dumb face. He has no clue what's what. Anyway I went to Annabelle and she gave me a mirror I could do the juju thingy on myself."

Aimee laughed, "That was pretty smart."

Blake pushed his glasses up his nose, "That was brilliant Giselle."

Ophelia looked at Blake confused. He pointed to Aimee, "She texted me everything earlier."

"Oh."

Blake looked at Hanna, "Sorry for your loss. Again."

She gave a slight nod, "Yeah. Guess the wound is healed and I'm over it."

Ophelia felt exactly what she was saying, "I know. I hate that my body doesn’t seem to care. It didn’t know Sam so it doesn’t matter."

A girl with dark silky hair came strolling in the room. Her eyes were on her cell phone as she texted and walked.

Aimee jumped up and grabbed her. She held her to her.

The girl struggled, "Aimes wtf? What are you doing? You're smudging my makeup."

Aimee pulled the girl back and Ophelia could see the resemblance. Aimee was a twin too.

"Never do that to me again Alise. Ever."

The girl frowned, "Dude I went for coffee." She rolled her eyes and sat on Blake's lap. She looked tiny compared to him.

Blake shook his head, "This is outright bizarre. I don’t think I will actually be able to process this one."

Giselle cocked her head, "Uh hello are you here for me or what?"

Hanna laughed, "Good to see you're still you. I'll send Marcus a text."

Aimee looked back at her, "You want me to go get him?"

She shook her head, "He won’t be long."

Aimee rolled her eyes, "You and boys Hanna, I swear."

Alise frowned, "Who are you all? Giselle what is up?"

Giselle laughed, "Other girls from the liver ward. Me and Aimes met them a while back."

Alise smiled and nodded like a puppet, "Cool. So you all got better after a drugging?"

Hanna frowned, "Uhm yeah."

Ophelia laughed, "This is weird. Do you guys need me here?" Hanna flashed her a look. She put her hands up defensively, "Okay. Just sleepy."

Giselle gave her a look.

Blake stood and slipped his hand into Alise's, "Want to go for a walk Aimes?"

Aimee nodded and put a hand on Giselle's hand, "Want anything?"

She nodded, "The desire to suck the blood from young men."

Aimee shook her head, "Okay well ewww and I'll see what they have at the cafeteria."

Ophelia sat in the chair in the corner. She was exhausted. It had been a brutal day.

Hanna sat on the bed and looked at her cell, "He'll be here in like five."

Giselle squirmed in the bed, "Good. Everything hurts."

Hanna sighed, "Aimee's sister is a space cadet. Wow."

Ophelia laughed, "That was weird. She knows nothing about nothing?"

Hanna swung her legs up onto the bed, "She knows nothing about the things she knows. Damn." She looked down and frowned at Ophelia, "Whose pants are you wearing?"

She looked down and felt the heat rushing up her cheeks, "Mine."

Hanna laughed, "Those are Ben's."

Giselle gave a weak laugh, "Oh busted."

She shook her head, "He was just being nice."

"I'd let him be nice to me any day of the week." Ophelia shot a look at Hanna.

"What? I would. He smells like delicious Fae."

Ophelia made a face, "You make him sound like a snack. You know who smelled good…" She stopped.

Hanna's face crumpled.

Ophelia closed her mouth, "Sorry. It's like I expect him to walk in the room any second."

Giselle turned her face up to stare at the ceiling, "I wish he would walk in. He made everything better."

"Yup."

Ophelia felt eyes on her. She glanced to the door. She saw his face and felt her heart stop. Her eyes narrowed. She got up from the chair and mumbled, "I'll be back in a minute."

She rounded the corner of the corridor to see him leaning against the wall with a smug look on his face.

"What are you doing here? You have some nerve. I should call Aimee to come kill you."

He raised an eyebrow, "Have we met?"

She stumbled on her words, "The castle, when you were in the, oh never mind. Oliver I know who you are."

He leaned in and smelled her hair, "I forgot how you smell. Your memory should be gone Ophelia."

She pulled away from him, "So should yours."

He laughed, "I made sure my memories would be intact. I never knew Ari was his daughter until you told me but I always knew what she did."

She recalled something and cocked her head, "You never told him. My father, you never told him what Ari did?"

He shook his head.

"Why?"

He ran a hand down her arm, making chills wash over her. He tilted her chin with his other hand, "I told you. I love you."

She laughed, "So you let him take me prisoner and try to kill Aimee?"

His eyes hardened as his fingers bit into her skin, "If Aimee dies then it's one less thing to worry about. You think Lorri and Dorian wouldn’t sacrifice themselves to kill me and Jonathan off?"

She pushed him, "What do you want? You think I don’t know that I somehow play into your lame ass plans? You're playing my dad and me."

He laughed and stumbled back, "Ophelia I've never been anything but sincere with you. I did lead you into the trap, obviously, but I made sure you had the upper hand."

She shoved him again, "Sam died because of you." His shirt singed from the sparks off her hand. She let the energy shoot from her hands again and he flew down the hall, riding the wind coming off her. She stood at the end of the hall with the cool wind surrounding her. Her dark wavy hair blew around her body. She felt the black take over her eyes. Her vision grew sharper.

His back slammed into the wall at the end of the long corridor. She walked toward him. He flashed out of the grip of her wind. His hands were at her throat, "Don't make me do something I would regret."

She jerked, sending electricity from her body. He was blasted off of her and into the wall. She turned seeing black blood drip from his lip. He laughed, "You are getting more powerful Ophelia." He wiped the blood from his mouth and pulled his ass out of the broken wall. White dust filled the air. He rubbed his back, "You know those walls are reinforced.”

He flashed as the lightning bolts shot from her hands, starting a small fire in the wall. Her breath raged from her flared nostrils. She looked around to ensure no one had witnessed his or her magical abilities. She looked at the smoke coming from the wall. She leaned forward and blew ice across it.

She walked back to the room.

Hanna raised an eyebrow, "What the hell?"

"Oliver."

Giselle snarled, "I'm biting him when I turn again."

Hanna turned her head, "You'll die dummy. You can't feed off fallen."

Giselle's dark eyes flashed, "I never said I was going to feed. I said bite." She moaned in pain and clutched her right side. Hanna stroked her face and looked impatiently at the door.

Her face dropped.

Ophelia looked to see a stunning man walk through the door. Her jaw dropped. He was refined and sexy. She tore her gaze from him and glanced at Hanna who was completely flushed.

Hanna stammered, "Mar-Marcus. Thanks f-for coming."

His face looked pained.

Ophelia could feel the tension in the air. Hanna's bracelet was glowing like it was a raging flame, or lava.

Giselle smirked at Marcus through the pain, "Hey I need you to save me again."

"What? Hanna I need to speak to you." He ignored Giselle.

Ophelia melted at his accent. He was sexy and had an accent. She envied Hanna for a moment. The hottest guys loved her.

Hanna looked like she was battling her emotions, "Ari."

"Ahhh I see. So what was this alternate world like? Were we married? Living in Romania in the summers and here in the winters?" His smile was bitter and pained.

Hanna shook her head, "You were dead."

He looked confused, "And yet I saved my last breath to save your friend? Aren't I kind."

Hanna's face was frozen, "The kindest. Will you help her?"

Marcus shook his head, "No."

Hanna took a step forward, "I would be, grateful."

He laughed, "Oh Hanna." He grabbed her hand, "You'll be grateful anyway I'm afraid."

Ophelia took a step toward him, "Let her go."

He smiled at Ophelia, "If Hanna needed protection I assure you, she wouldn’t be my girl."

Hanna pushed away from him, "I'm not your girl. We had this conversation." Her eyes filled with regret, "I know where his heart is. I know how to free him."

His face filled with rage, "Then take it."

He stepped forward and put her hand on his chest, "You take it because I don’t want it without you."

Hanna clenched her jaw.

Ophelia was lost.

Giselle was clutching her side again. Her face was pinched in pain.

"Please."

Marcus moved like a snake striking her arm, "See you soon." He pulled her in and kissed her face. His hand moved liked viper again and struck the bracelet on her wrist. He flashed a grin, "I like you better naked, you know that."

Ophelia watched the bracelet fall to the ground and smash against the hard floor. The shells were white. She had never seen them white.

She felt a strange sensation instantly. She hated Hanna. It was stronger than hate. She despised and detested her. She was gross and sleazy. Ophelia shook her head, "What is that?"

Hanna scowled, "That is the call of a Siren." Her eyes pleaded, "Please don’t hate me."

"I won’t. I know it isn’t real."

The doctor came in and flashed a charming smile at Hanna, "My love."

Ophelia watched as Hanna pulled him into her embrace. She let his hands roam her body. He kissed her. Hanna let him.

Ophelia threw up a tiny bit as the older and clearly married doctor ran his hands over Hanna's jeans and breasts. Hanna made out with him for several minutes.

Hanna pulled back, "Go and sleep Doctor. Find a replacement doctor to take care of my friend."

He nodded.

Ophelia noticed the feeling of disgust had subsided a fraction.

The doctor left gripping his clipboard.

Hanna sighed, "Fucking Marcus." She looked back at Giselle, "I gotta go before this shit gets real. Lydia has a spare bracelet I think."

Giselle breathed into her cramp, "Yeah. Tell his highness to kiss my ass."

Hanna gripped her hand, "I will make him fix you."

Ophelia knew Hanna and Marcus had dated and he had been a piece of shit to her but she also knew Hanna loved him. She had seen the relief fill her face when he'd walked in alive and mean.

Hanna walked out as Aimee and Blake walked in. Blake reached for her, "Hi." He pulled his glasses off and pressed her against the wall.

Aimee grabbed his arm and scowled, "Dude. You don’t want any of that. Keep it in your pants."

He turned and shoved Aimee, "Leave her alone."

Aimee laughed, "So Marcus destroyed the bracelet huh?"

Hanna sighed, "Take me to Lydia's?"

Aimee shoved Blake at Ophelia and flashed Hanna away before Blake could react.

He stood looking dazed, "What-what was that?"

Ophelia felt stunned, "Hanna I guess." She looked over at the massive erection making a tent in his jeans.

He stood dazed and lost.

Giselle saw it and started to laugh and shake her head, "Nooooo."

He put his glasses on again and smiled, "She is amazing."

Ophelia covered her eyes with her hand, "Okay I'm going to go and find you some help."

Aimee was in the room again in. She looked at Blake and shivered, "Blake."

He looked at her. She looked at the bulge in his pants. He put a hand over it, "Oh my god." He ran from the room.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Aimee

She woke from the bed beside Giselle to see Shane standing in the hall. He was in uniform and exhausted looking. She knew he had worked a night shift.

"Hey Aimes."

She felt a lump in her throat grow, "Hey."

He looked at her, "You okay?"

She shook her head, "Ari. She messed with the fates again."

"What does that mean?"

She felt sick. She remembered when they broke up only weeks earlier. He was crushed.

She looked at Giselle sleeping on the bed, "I can't do this anymore Shane."

He sighed, "Not this shit again Aimes. Come on. We've come so far this year. I told you I'm fine with it."

She felt her gaze harden, "I know but I'm not." It was a lie. She knew it was a lie. She wanted him more than anything in the world, except Aleks.

His gaze hardened, "I've been here every step of the way. Dealing with your fucked up friends and the bullshit your life is involved in and this is it? This is the extent of the emotion you have for me in the end?"

She nodded. She had broken up with him already. She'd done the big talks. He just didn’t remember them. She couldn’t change the way her heart was closed off to him.

"Fuck you Aimee. You know what I'm sick of this shit. You're a nightmare. A walking disaster. You're worse than Alise. At least she knows what she wants in life."

She nodded again. Her heart stayed closed off. She'd gotten good at it. She watched him scream at her but in her mind all she saw was the Nærøyfjord. The cold wind and the tears that fell on Aleks's grave.

Shane shouted his worst at her. His blue eyes filled with tears.

She felt nothing. She couldn’t. She knew the secret. He was too good for her. He always had been.

"I love you. How is that never enough Aimes?"

She blinked at him and spoke flatly, "Shane it's not you that’s not enough. It's me. I will never be normal. We will never get married. We will never have children. I will never age or die. You will do everything alone. You will have my heart and nothing else. One day you will see that I'm not worth the sacrifice of everything else."

He blinked, "You are when you're everything Aimes."

She shook her head, "But I'm not Shane. I'm everything right now. In ten years when you look like my uncle or older brother it'll be weird. In twenty years when you look like my dad it'll be creepy. When you're watching kids play sports or running to their dads with a bleeding knee, I won’t be enough. Trust me. I saw it the other way."

Shane shook his head and walked out of the hospital room. She felt nothing. Her regrets and priorities had already been put in order when Aleks died. She had clung to Shane in an attempt to be the girl she was. She never factored in the girl she had become. Shane could never share the ways in which she had changed. He could never understand the one thing she lived for, the kill.

She looked at Giselle and smiled. She needed Marcus to fix her. She flashed to the Nærøyfjord. The dark night was stunning. The hillside was the same. She turned to the graves on the hill and felt the emotions catching up with her.

She walked across the huge rocks to the spot where they had dug the hole.

She dropped to her knees.

She felt the warm wind behind her.

She smiled.

She didn’t turn around. She didn’t need to.

"I love you Aleks. I always did. I just never knew how much."

His arms were around her and the smell filled the air around her. The smell that had become home.

"How do you know about this place?"

She pointed, "We dug the hole there." She heaved.

His grip tightened, "I died. How?"

"Marcus."

He laughed, "Well can't say I never earned that. Did I return the heart to Henry at least?"

She nodded.

He sighed, "Good."

She turned, "But the world is different now. Henry is a prisoner again."

Aleks smiled, "But it means I know how to free him."

She felt his warm breath on her face. She closed her eyes, "I prayed for this moment. I prayed you would come back to me."

"I prayed you would finally see me Aimee. From the minute I saw you sitting on the side of the road crying, I prayed you would see me."

He hugged her tightly and flashed them to a dark room.

He lit a candle beside the bed.

She looked around, "Where are we?"

His piercing light blue eyes and crooked smile made her heart soar, "My place."

She grinned at him, "You have a place?"

He nodded, "I have had it for years. Marcus and Dorian and I used to stay here. It was like the bachelor pad."

She looked back at the bed, "So you had some fun here?"

He laughed and shook his head, "Uh no. No you know me better than that. Dorian on the other hand, and Marcus. Wow."

She laughed and backed away from him, "So they used this bed for a few hundred years?"

"Yes Aimee we had amazing mattress manufacturers three hundred years ago. They worked wonders. And had a company called Sealy, I believe you know of them."

She giggled nervously, "You're a dick."

"Stupid questions Aimee. I bought a new mattress this year." He took a step toward her.

She grinned and took a step back, "Where are we?"

He sighed impatiently, "I told you my place."

"Country?"

"Italy."

"No shit?"

"None."

She pointed to the painting she could see over the fireplace where the candle was lit on the bedside table next to it, "You paint that?"

He laughed, "No uhm a very kind man named J.M.W. Turner did. I usually called him Joe."

The butterflies in her stomach took a break as she turned away from him and picked up the candle. The painting was beautiful. It was a country estate painted in the dark with the light of the moon and stars shining down on it and a field behind it.

"He was known as the Painter of Light." She whispered the thing she remembered the most. She'd seen another of his paintings the Slave Ship, in print of course. It was tragic and beautiful.

"It was Marcus's home outside Colchester. Joe stayed with him for a while. He was painter in residence. We each got a painting that year."

"You keep it here? It must be worth millions."

He laughed and took the candle from her hand, "It is, so, maybe don’t light it on fire. It's obviously irreplaceable."

She turned to him, "You said you didn’t have houses all over Europe and money and blah blah blah when we met."

He laughed, "I don’t. I have this apartment and a small farm."

She raised an eyebrow, "How small."

He pointed to the estate house in the picture.

She put her hands on her hips, "You have an English country estate? You said it was Marcus's"

"Aimee I really don’t want to talk about farms and paintings and bank accounts. Marcus paid me with the house once." His bright blue eyes were smoldering in the dim firelight.

He placed the candle on the bedside table again.

Her stomach dropped. She could feel everything quicken.

His hand took hers and tugged gently. She stumbled forward. He smirked.

She frowned at his grin, "What?"

He laughed, "We haven’t been together like this since you were sick."

She nodded, "So."

"I had to be gentle with you then." His voice was full of mischief.

He pulled her hard into his arms. His mouth crushed her lips against her teeth.

His hands ripped the shirt from her body.

She started to laugh nervously. He stepped back and pulled his own shirt off. She stopped laughing. His body was amazing. He towered over her. He pushed her onto the bed.

He knelt in front of her and pulled her boots off, "Why do you wear these in the summer? It's hot as sin."

She leaned on her elbows and smirked at him, "They're my ass-kicking boots Aleks. I need em."

He dropped the boot on the floor. She winced watching them be treated so badly. She had a special closet for them at home.

He leaned over and pulled at the waist of her pants and slid the jeans off her body.

His eyes sparkled in the light.

She gasped, feeling the muggy air against her bare thighs. She hadn't noticed how warm it was.

He leaned down and kissed her bare belly. His warm lips made her skin light on fire. The electricity of their touch hadn’t faded through his death and rebirth. She felt the energy in the air around them.

His hands roamed her torso, caressing her softy and working up to a knead. She dragged a hand through his hair. He moaned into her stomach, "I need you Aimee."

He kissed his way to her lips. She met his fiery kiss with passion and desire. His hands worked their way into her underwear. She felt nerves dancing inside of her, as he dragged her underwear down her thighs.

Her brain threatened reflection but she shut it down.

His kisses were enough. She felt her hands trying desperately to suck from him. She didn’t have to guard them. They pulled passion from him and filled her up but no life force was taken. She could feel his thoughts and desires, not like she knew them but felt them. The urgency of his hands was explained in the feeling she stole from him. He was terrified the moment would end. He wanted to savor as much as he could.

She gripped his face, "This is it. You and me forever."

He kissed her lips softly, "It won’t ever be enough Aimee."

He lay on his side. She grabbed the waist of his jeans. She could feel the bulge under them, it was about to burst the jeans open.

She smiled and undid them, releasing him. He was magnificent. A true Viking in every form. She gasped seeing him. She pulled the jeans off and smirked, "Commando?"

He shrugged, "I had a busy morning and it's summer."

She kissed his stomach just below his belly button. He moaned as her fingers traced along his skin. The heat radiating from him was making the already heavy air unbearable. He grabbed her arms and threw her on her back, "Maybe another time. I need you, now."

He kicked his pants off and crawled on top of her. She could feel her own readiness as he slid inside of her gently at first. Her body expanded for his slow entry. She inhaled sharply.

He looked at her, "I love you."

He bent and kissed her mouth, sucking her lip as his body rocked back and forth against her. Her skin tingled, coming alive. Searing heat shot from her hands. He moaned when she touched him as her power shot into him and sucked from him.

"Aimee stop."

She couldn’t. He was thrusting in and out of her rapidly and the heat between them combined with the sucking her hands were doing was driving her wild. Her body burst in a bloom of sweat as she rocked her pelvis with his. Her stomach heated up and the fire crept low into her abdomen. Suddenly she clenched against him as pleasure shot through her. Her hands pulled and he screamed. She wasn’t sure if it was pleasure or plain. She didn’t care. She rode her orgasm until her body twitched. She felt full. She felt him collapse on her. He lifted his head, "What the hell was that?"

She started to laugh in between gasping for air, "I don’t know."

"It felt like you were sucking my entire body."

"Did it hurt?"

He cocked a crooked grin, "That would be a no. I'm a better lover than this. I don’t have stamina issues Aimee."

She started to laugh, "Well I'm not as easy to please as this."

He kissed her cheek, "We have time to practice. Maybe save the sucking hand thingy for the end."

She laughed, "We'll see."

She felt relief in a way she had never felt before. He could keep her hunger at bay.

She pulled back and looked into his exhausted blue eyes, "You were made for me. You're strong enough to live through what I am."

He kissed her cheek, "I did try telling you."

She curled into him and let the heavy air soak her in sweat. Nothing mattered, her heart and soul were filled with love. It was a new feeling for her.

Chapter Forty

Ophelia

She paced in the yard. She heard a stick break and glanced over expecting Ben but Oliver leaned against a tree. He nearly killed her with his sexiness. She sighed, "Not right now."

He looked up at the house she stood behind, "You planning on threatening him?"

She looked at the mansion, "This is where we met last time. I was hoping you would come to me here."

He beamed, "My heart swells."

She rolled her eyes, "I need your help. That girl Giselle. I need her to be saved. She's dying because of me. My dad did all of this."

He crossed his arms, "Why do I care?"

"Because I care." She fluttered her eyelashes.

He laughed, "Oh you want me to swoon under the spell of your womanly wiles and save her because it matters to you?"

She nodded and bit her lip.

"What do I get out of it?"

She gulped, "My gratitude."

"I want undying love and physical appreciation."

She laughed nervously, "I want world peace."

He shrugged, "What do I care about the world."

"It was an expression. It means we can't always get what we want."

He pushed off of the tree and walked across the rocks and dirt slowly, "I get what I want. And if you want world peace so badly all you have to do is wish for it. Witches wishes and such."

He stopped walking directly in front of her. She looked up at him, "Will you do it?"

He looked in her eyes, "I want one thing."

Her eyes narrowed, "I'm not the kind of girl you think I am."

He bent and brushed his lips against her cheek. His warm breath whispered into her ear, "I know what kind of girl you are."

He was gone.

She looked around, "Oliver you never said what you want."  Nothing moved. The garden was silent.

"Oliver?"

She put her hands over her eyes and muttered, "Shit." She pulled the cell phone Lorri gave her, from her pocket.

In an instant Aimee stood across the grass from her. She looked different. Relaxed.

She beamed, "Hey. You rang?"

Ophelia smiled, "Oh my god is Giselle better?"

Aimee shook her head, "I don’t think so. Blake never sent me a message about her changing. He's there with Alise. I'm heading there now."

"You look weird and you got here fast and you're cheerful."

Aimee blushed, "Oh uhm it was, well, I had a good night."

Ophelia laughed, "Oh gross sorry. I didn’t mean to like, pry."

Aimee shook her head, "No it was fabulous." Her grey eyes sparkled with life. "I never knew what happened when supernatural people, uhm, did it."

Ophelia felt her face getting red, "Oh. Cool."

Aimee put her fingers to her face and smiled. She was remembering the night before. Ophelia felt awkward.

"I asked Oliver to save Giselle."

Aimee's face dropped, "What?"

Ophelia nodded, "Yeah. I did. I think he might."

Aimee frowned, "What did Jonathan say he made again?"

"Succubus."

"What is that?"

Ophelia tried to remember, "I saw it on Charmed I think they suck your life force and you die. Like a vampire."

Aimee nodded, "Oh okay then we should be fine. As long as Giselle gets to suck something she should be fine. Wait die? Can she suck only a little at a time?"

Ophelia shook her head, "I don’t know. On Charmed they sucked you dry."

"Sweet fuck. Lets hurry."

She grabbed Ophelia's hand and flashed them into the room. Oliver was bent over in an embrace with Giselle. His hands slid up into her dark hair. Her hands rubbed the back of him.

Ophelia stopped herself from leaping forward and ripping them apart. Watching them make out was killing her slowly.

Her heartbeat quickened. She looked down at the floor. She turned away from the scene.

Aimee cleared her throat.

Ophelia walked out quickly. She ran down the hall.

"Ophelia wait."

She pushed her legs hard when she heard his name. She shot the glass in front of her with a fireball. She dove out the window.

The air rushed across her. She screamed seeing the ground flying at her but she knew. Her instincts felt it. She blew hard at the ground and slowed her decent. She floated to the ground. Her legs hit the pavement running.

"O."

She looked up to see him standing on the sidewalk in front of her. She stopped.

"Running from someone like me is a bit pointless."

She screamed. A fireball ripped from her fingers. He flashed and it hit a black SUV, exploding it on contact. She watched the vehicle burn.

"That’s how we change them…"

Her eyes shot behind her where he stood. A fireball was soaring at him before he could finish his sentence. It hit a corner of a small building and exploded it into shards of wood and glass.

"O. The humans. Stop."

She swung both her arms at once and fireballs shot from both hands going in a circle as she spun. She fired like a Tommy gun.

She looked around her to see a wall of fire around her. She saw a figure on the other side of the flames. She walked through. She knew it wouldn’t burn her. Oliver stood on the lawn of the hospital with his arms crossed. His arm muscles bulged in his rolled up white dress shirt. She tried not to notice. She felt the fire rising inside of her. She felt something bite into her arms and suddenly she was standing in the garden at Marcus's. She turned to see Aleks. He held her out to assess the damage, "You okay?"

She shook her head, "He, was, he, her." Her face fell into her hands.

He pulled her in, "You can’t light a whole neighborhood on fire honey."

She smelled him and memories flooded in. He sat in her window. Memories of him and Sam melded. She knew him. She knew him well. She hated that she was attracted to him.

His huge arms wrapped around her.

"Tell me what happened."

She sniffed, "I asked Oliver to save Giselle. I caught them making out in the hospital room."

He hugged her tighter, "O that's how we make a demon."

She looked up into his blue eyes, "What?"

He nodded, "You ever hear of the kiss of death?"

She nodded.

"That’s where that came from. Angels give humans the kiss of death. Mix their blood with human blood and swallow."

She wiped her face, "Well that’s gross. You guys are disgusting."

He laughed.

She understood how Aimee loved him so much. He was the sweetest guy in the world. Not like Oliver. She didn’t care how it was done. He had said he loved her. Her skin crawled seeing it play over in her mind.

"We need to get you back." She nodded. He flashed her. The air filled with warm wind and suddenly she was back at Lydia's and he was gone.

She looked up to see Ari going over an old book on the table. She looked up and smiled, "Hey. You okay?"

Ophelia shook her head, "No. I think I just destroyed a parking lot."

Ari laughed, "Oh well at least it wasn’t everyone's lives."

Ophelia sat beside her, "You know it wasn’t your fault. Aimee was dying. I would have done the same thing."

Ari looked at her and smiled, "Thank you."

"Hanna told me that this has happened to you lots, the change thing."

Ari sighed, "Yeah."

"How did you deal with the old memories and feelings?"

Ari shrugged and drank from the mug in front of her, "Still haven’t."

Her dark eyes filled with sadness, "I killed every one of those little kids. Sarah, Dawn, Danny. Their faces float in my mind. Sam was like a brother to me. He and Lucas were brothers. Lucas cries every day. He can't even be grateful that his real brother is alive because his heart is broken."

Ophelia felt like her heart was on fire. She wrapped her arms around herself, "I'm sorry Ari. I'm sorry for it all. My family is the cause of it all."

Ari shook her head, "Ophelia my dad is nightmare. He's my nightmare but somehow he has a way of screwing with everyone's lives. It's insane. Lorri is no treat. I've known her now for a while, just found out she likes chicks. Totally thought she was straight. She doesn’t let any of us in. She's all about the plan you know? Lydia is so busy worrying about everything that she misses a lot of things." She puts her arms out, "One day this will be ours to run and you know what, we'll be no different from them. We'll think it's for the greater good or see the bigger picture and forget about the small details. They have too much at stake."

Ophelia sighed, "We need the next Nephilim to be able to freeze time so we can take a year and live in Barbados."

Ari pointed at her, "Now that’s the spirit. Make it a witch wish and make it happen."

Ophelia laughed.

Lydia walked into the kitchen and smiled, "Good to see you girls coming around."

Ari shook her head, "It just gets easier to live in constant disappointment."

Lydia sat down at the table with a coconut cream pie and three spoons. She passed them out, "Yes I suppose. I think also that Sam would have wanted us to be happy. He would want us to make sure Hanna finds happiness."

Ophelia scooped a massive spoonful of pie, "He would want us to kill my father and Daniel." She shoved the sweet pie in her mouth and moaned.

Ari nodded, "Cheers to that." She clinked her spoon against Lydia's and Ophelia's and shoved it in the pie. She put a massive bite in her mouth. Her eyes softened, "Oh my god." She spoke with a full mouth.

Lydia laughed, "It is an old family recipe of Annabelle's mom."

Ophelia looked at Lydia and wondered if she was full of regrets. She married a regular man, she tried to have a baby, and she tried to seek out a normal life. It all ended when her best friend sacrificed her life for her and made the guards. Her baby died because of the darkness that was in her from trying casting dark magic. She shoved her spoon in the pie and took a bite.

"Look at you greedy women eating that pie I made for everyone. Shame on you all." Annabelle laughed floating in the kitchen. She looked at Ophelia with her creepy ghost eyes, "Now that Mr. Oliver be in the street calling for you. He been there about an hour and he be getting on my last nerve."

Ophelia glanced at Ari who smirked, "Yikes. That’s a bad situation."

Lydia shook her head, "No you stay in the house. He's trouble. I think we all learned that the hard way."

She took a bite of pie and looked at Annabelle who crossed her arms, "You all can't hear him but I can. Now somebody best be getting rid of him."

Ophelia stood licking her spoon, "Don’t eat it all. I'll be back in a minute."

Lydia smiled, "Fine but you hurry. We need to talk about a certain ring of fire in the hospital parking lot when you get back."

She grimaced and turned and walked out of the kitchen that suddenly seemed cozy again. With so few people it felt half its size.

She walked through the front door and the porch door, trying to control the anger that was building.

He was over where the vampire war had been, back when the world made sense.

"I need to talk to you."

She watched his face. He seemed genuinely upset.

"Why?"

"Because I want to explain."

She shook her head and walked down on the steps, "Why did you do it?"

He threw his hands up in the air, "You asked me to, you insufferable girl."

She cocked her head, "I never asked you to do it quite so, vigorously."

He laughed, "Jesus save me. Look Ophelia that’s how it's done."

She snapped, "I'M PRETTY SURE YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO COMPLETELY CHEW ON HER FACE!"

He crossed his arms and paced in front of the guard, "Don't make me come in there. Please."

She could see the dark shadows swirling around the ground outside of the guards.

"Is that your darkness?" She pointed.

He looked around, "What? Where?"

"There. The swirling shadows. You're evil and you bring darkness with you."

He looked around, he never looked on the ground.

"I don't see it. Is it behind me?"

She raised an eyebrow, why couldn’t he see it?

"O I don’t give a shit about the swirls of evil. I need you to hear me. I never would have done it if you hadn't asked me to. Please listen to me."

She walked across the yard, "You are honestly going to tell me I asked you to fucking make out with her like it was an Olympic sport?"

"Yes. No. Wait? What?"

She nodded, "I watched you. I saw you. Your hands were in her hair and her hands were all over your back."

He pointed at the old house and spit his words in fury, "You're dating that fucking dog. Behind my back, you're dating him. I've said nothing because I know it's part of the other world. But you could have broken it off by now."

"That is besides the point. Wait you're spying on me and making out with her. Oh my god."

He raked his hands through his hair, "You're going to kill me. I'm going to actually have a heart attack."

She crossed her arms, "You have to have a heart."

He looked up at the tops of the trees and screamed.

She watched his bright red face ripple. He stepped across the boundary. He screamed in pain and dragged her across it. She looked at the shadows on the ground around her.

He flashed them, as they crossed the guards fully.

She pushed him away when her feet touched the dirt.

She was horrified, "You crossed the guard?"

He looked psychotic as he leaned into her, "I love you. I told you I love you." His breathing was labored.

"You crossed the guards."

He grinned, "I can do that."

She took a step back, "You made out with my friend."

He pinched the bridge of his nose like Lorri did when she talked to her. "It is NOT what you think it is. I am NOT attracted to her."

Ophelia cocked her head.

He laughed bitterly, "Well fine. She's attractive, but she isn’t my type."

"She is everyone's type. There are blind people who can sense she is their type. She's my type and I'm not gay."

He laughed again, "I mean, you are mine. You are the one that matters to me. I want you. The kiss meant nothing. The only type I have is you."

She watched his face, "You set a trap and almost got Aimee killed."

He pointed, "Not in this lifetime and you're bringing up old shit."

She laughed, "Stop making me laugh. I'm mad at you."

He reached for her hand, "O you're mine. Even though you're foul tempered and jealous and still dating a shifter." He pulled her in and gently brushed his soft lips against her. The air filled with aftershave and him. "You're mine."

She felt his big arms wrap around her. She wanted to push him away. She wanted to be angry about Giselle but she couldn’t. She had slept wrapped in Ben's arms the night before. She kissed him back. His tongue slipped into her mouth. His hands pushed up into her hair. He gripped it slightly and pulled her head back from his, "I expect you will deal with the young shifter."

She looked into his blue eyes and nodded.

He bent back into the kiss. His hands roamed her back until they reached her backside. He squeezed her butt firmly. She started to laugh. He looked at her. She squirmed, "I'm ticklish."

He squeezed again, making her arms and legs go everywhere. She screamed at him, "STOP IT!"

He laughed watching her flail, "You go into full defensive when tickled?"

She pushed him back, "I hate being tickled."

He laughed, "Your mother is like that."

She paused, "You know my mother?"

He shook his head, "No. No one knows your mother. Your father told me. Sometimes he binds her and has her tickled. It's the only time he hears her laugh or sees her smile."

She felt sick, "That’s horrid."

He shrugged, "Could be a lot worse." His blue eyes darkened, "Trust me."

"Where is my brother really?"

He looked around and sat on a log next to her, "Tristan is a prisoner. He's a sweet kid. He wants you to win. He wants to be free."

She swallowed hard, "Where's your son?"

"With Tristan. They're friends. Well that’s not entirely true. They're lovers. They want nothing more than to live together and be together in a sunny place where they never have to see Jonathan again."

She felt confused, "Why would you let your only son live there? In those conditions?"

He shook his head, "He wanted it. He knew early on Tristan was his."

She smiled, "My brother is gay?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my god we have to save him. Is he cute? I could totally be a hag."

Oliver looked lost, "Look the plan is to save him."

Ophelia sat next to him on the log, "What is the plan? What is your plan?"

He rubbed her thigh, "I would very much like to make love to you for starters."

Her stomach dropped, as he continued, "Then we need to rally the troops. That friend of Aimee's made the weapons for Jonathan with Marcus's hellfire. So at least he won't have that this time around. He sent a message yesterday that your brother was getting the powers. He assumed you would come to him. That's going to have to happen again but this time when I capture you with him, you will trust me. You come alone with me and let Lorri and Dorian go with the others. When he makes the trade for your sister for Aimee she can't fight. He will let her live if he has no means to kill her."

Ophelia looked at him sharply. He put his hands up "As far as I know he doesn’t. I know his entire plan. I helped plan it."

"What changed?"

He bent and kissed her lips softly, "You."

She shook her head, "No, there has to be something else?"

He smiled, "Believe me O, you are enough of a reason. You've given me something I've never felt before."

Chapter Forty-One

Aimee

She watched Giselle start to change. Her body was healing rapidly. The guards had let her inside. Giselle had cried for an hour being back at Lydia's. Her skin was glowing again, instead of yellow and clammy.

Aleks walked in, "Hey. Oliver wants us to meet him and O. We need to go over the plan for tomorrow."

She shook her head, "We shouldn’t trust him."

Lorri crossed her arms, "You know I was thinking the same thing but he never told Jonathan about Ari. Jonathan was completely surprised by that one. He's on our side, he's just doing his usual bullshit."

"What?"

"He is the most selfish person ever, ever. He's doing all of this because he loves Ophelia. I never thought I would ever see him fall in love."

"What about the mother of his son?"

"Slave."

Aimee scowled. Lorri shrugged, "They didn’t like the idea that we were to help the humans. They started to see them as weak and infantile."

Aleks laughed, "Humans are those things."

Lorri shrugged, "God loves them. He wants them kept safe. That was the mission. He never wanted them used for anything or abused by things they couldn’t fight off. He and Jonathan couldn’t understand that. They let the temptation in the air taint them."

Aimee remembered what Sam had said about his mother and Lorri. She looked down.

Lydia looked around at them, "You need to go. Her birthday is in a few days."

Aimee flashed to the photo Lucas had shown her on Ari's phone. The smell of dust and cedar filled her nose. She looked over at Ophelia sitting on the couch in a huge room with peaked windows making an entire wall. The moonlight was too dim to see outside, but she knew they were in a skiing lodge. She looked around at the grandeur and looked back at Aleks, "I want one."

He started to laugh, "You're going to have to start investing like Lucas."

Ari looked at him, "Huh? With what?"

She looked back at Lucas who shrugged, "I have money."

She raised an eyebrow, "You invest?"

He grinned, "I get Annabelle to help out."

Aimee laughed, "Oh my god you live in your room at Lydia's for free and have money?"

He frowned,  "I like it there. I didn’t want to live in Wolfville."

Ophelia's ears perked up, "You're from Wolfville?" She asked from across the room.

He nodded, "Yup. Same town as you. Only I live on the outskirts, like far out."

"Crazy."

Ari looked at him seriously, "You have money?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

She looked at Aimee and shook her head.

Aleks poked her, "Maybe if you guys spent more time talking and less time…"

"Thank you Aleks." Ari's face was flushed, "I'm pretty sure that’s exactly how we will be spending our evenings from now on."

Aleks looked at Lucas, "Sorry bro."

Lucas scowled, "What the heck?"

Ari went to a couch and sat down. Dorian flashed in. He grinned at Oliver who sat next to Ophelia, "Brother."

Oliver nodded, "Well let’s make a plan then shall we?"

Chapter Forty-Two

Ophelia

She wandered the huge skiing lodge. The lights were dimmed everywhere. It was built on a sacred land so she didn’t have to worry about the shadows and darkness. Marcus had built his castle on sacred land as well. Aimee had told her that her ex boyfriend's house had also been built on sacred land. Everyone seemed to be aware of the sacred land and the dark swirl issue.

She had no idea the power that was available in the world.

She felt a hand touch her and then she was in a dark room.

She put a hand out to feel Oliver in front of her.

His fingers brushed her arms. Being in the dark and without her vision, she felt impaired. She closed her eyes and let her sense of smell take over. She could smell him.

"Oliver."

His warm lips brushed her throat, "Expecting the shifter?"

She laughed, "I hate you. I sent him a text and told him I couldn’t get over someone from the previous life we lived."

Oliver whispered into her cheek, "I did notice his absence from the evening festivities."

His hands slipped to the bottom of her shirt. His fingers played with the bottom of the shirt as his mouth found hers. He pulled her shirt off and kissed her again. Her stomach felt like it had it's own party going on inside.

He undid the button on her jeans and slid them down over her underwear. He bent to a knee and kissed her naval. He kissed her inner thigh.

"You smell like honey."

She shivered as his tongue traced along her thighs. His fingers brushed against her underwear. She felt faint. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her. She felt a soft bed beneath her and his weight over top of her. His fingers masterfully unhooked her bra. His lips never left hers. His hands moved up her torso sending shivers everywhere. His fingers found her breasts and he began thumbing her nipples. She gasped into the darkness.

He kissed along her neck to her breast. He took her right nipple in his warm mouth and sucked. She cried out. He spilled his free hand over her mouth, "Log houses are notoriously bad for sound proofing."

She ignored him. A fever covered her body. His hand slipped from her mouth and traced a line to her underwear. He slipped his fingers inside of them. She shook her head as he pulled them down.

"I haven’t done this before." She whispered into his cheek, as her face lit on fire. She was embarrassed.

"I won’t hurt you."

She nodded but bit her lip as her panties were stripped from her. She felt rigid.

"Relax Ophelia. I won’t hurt you I promise. You'll like it."

His mouth returned to her nipple. She felt her body relaxing again as he caressed and sucked. She felt herself getting lost in him. His scent was everywhere. His kisses touched everything. His hands rubbed and smoothed away the tension.

He pulled his clothes off and climbed between her legs.

His weight against her made her nervous, like she was trapped. She started to feel tense but he soothed her again. His words floated in her mind, 'Breathe O. Just relax and enjoy.' He sat up between her legs.

She felt his fingers brush against her thigh. Then they trailed up until they were high enough that she clenched her fists.

'This is the best part' His words whispered in the back of her mind.

She felt his thick finger slide inside of her. She inhaled sharply. He rubbed a hand on her belly. She loved the touch of him. His fingers began to slide in and out. She moaned as a fire was lit in her stomach.

He lay back on top of her and suddenly a huge pressure filled her. His mouth was on hers. His tongue was moving swiftly and instantly the pressure was lost in a moment of pain and then pleasure again. She noticed she had bit his lip and was moaning in both pain and pleasure.

He moved slowly inside of her. His hands pulled at her skin, like he couldn’t get enough. She felt her fingers dragging along his back. He thrust harder, crying out.

Heat and sensations she had never experienced before filled her. She had orgasms when she was alone at home but nothing prepared her for the pleasure that built and ripped through her. The heat became unbearable. She felt as if fire licked her skin.

She cried out again and again, lost in the rolling pleasure. She panted, "Harder. Do it harder."

He chuckled into her hair. His body met hers harder and faster. She maintained the high she had reached until he cried out and collapsed on her.

She opened her eyes to see fire surrounding them.

"Shit." She made rain clouds in the ceiling and let a downpour rain all over them.

In the light of the flames he looked unimpressed. She couldn't see his face any longer as the rain washed them away but she assumed he was pissed.

"Sorry."

"Guess we're sleeping in another guest room."

She giggled.

"Stop the rain, the fire is out."

She blew the clouds away and then her eyes burned from the light of the bathroom. She looked at her naked body in the mirror. She gasped, "Oh my god."

Oliver's back was covered in thick angry scars.

He raised an eyebrow as they healed before her eyes in the mirror.

"I did that?"

He picked up her hand and kissed it, "I think we need a padded cell with fire retardant everywhere for the next time we do that."

He walked pulling her into the huge stone walk in shower.

She couldn’t look down. Until the water had washed them both clean.

Chapter Forty-Three

Aimee

The hallway was the same, Ophelia was gone. Dorian had gone to look for her and the others searched the cells they had to find on their own this time, without Blake as a tour guide. Without Giselle and Lydia or Brandon Green they had to kill more than the first time. The Alaskan vampire retreat was also Jonathan's headquarters for his evil deeds.

Aimee hated being there. There, where Alise and Blake had been tortured and made to do things against their will. There, where Ophelia's mom was held as a victim of rape and solitary confinement.

Sam's mom had been left in her cell. Without Sam there to care if she was saved or not Hanna was the only one who had bothered to mention her.

Oliver appeared in the long corridor as they opened the cell knowing they wouldn’t find Abbey but frightened if they didn’t stick to the plan she might be sacrificed.

Aimee looked around at everyone standing in the hall watching Oliver.

Aleks looked at her and whispered, "Your line."

She rolled her eyes, "What could you possibly want from us?"

Oliver tilted his head, "You Aimee."

She walked closer to him, "Fine done. Everyone else walks free."

Oliver flashed to the far side of the hall opposite them, "Walk out the door behind you into the snow. There is a courtyard. Stay there. We will meet you outside." He was gone.

Aimee looked at Ari, "He's awfully theatrical."

Ari stifled a laugh.

Aleks pointed to the door, "Ladies first."

The cold arctic air blasted them. She noted it was miserably cold for July. Aimee scanned the white courtyard for movement.

Luke lowered and growled as Oliver walked toward them. In his hand he had a thin girl. Aimee knew the girl was Abbey.

Her memory flashed of Alise being held there. She pushed the memory away and looked at Abbey. She looked the same as last time. Her body was again covered in sores. Aimee assumed they were bite marks. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, like bed head. Her jeans were ripped and torn and her light blue t-shirt was bloody.

Another man walked out into the courtyard with Oliver. It was Jonathan. The memory of the fire hitting her in the stomach crept into her mind. Ari put a hand on her, "It's okay."

Aimee nodded.

Jonathan smiled and held his hands out, "Roses. It's wonderful to meet you all. Sorry for being such a poor host. I'm sure you understand the time constraints placed upon me, what with Ophelia and Tristan turning eighteen and all."

Aimee stepped forward, the world fuzzed as she spoke the same words as last time, "Look you want me to stay. I want them all to go free. Cut the shit and niceties."

He chuckled, "Aimee I like your style." She cringed waiting for the gunshot.

He pulled his hands from behind his back, "You remind me of Lorri, before she became old and stodgy Lorri. She used to be fun and carefree."

His dark eyes flashed at her, "Now I'll give you this thing here if you'll stay as my guest obviously."

Aleks's hand shot up and gripped her shoulder.

She nodded, "Deal. Everyone walks."

He shook his head, "Hanna you are naughty thing I'd bet. Marcus can't be nearly as fun as I am in the sack. He's a cursed Vampire. I'm a born. I have talents he doesn’t have."

Hanna looked at Aimee and smiled, "If you want me to stay then Aimee and O go home."

He laughed again. He looked at Oliver and laughed.

Aimee hated the smug look on his face.

She glanced at Aleks, whose grip was almost ripping her shoulder off, "I got this."

He shook his head, never taking his eyes from Jonathan, "I just got you back."

She felt her heart break. She nodded, looking into his crystal blue eyes, "I'm yours and nothing he does can change that." She took a step toward Oliver. Oliver released the thin frightened Abbey. She looked confused as she stumbled forward rubbing her sore covered wrists, Abbey looked around, "Where is my sister?"

Aimee smiled at the frightened girl, "She's waiting for you." Aimee whispered. She looked back at Aleks. He nodded. His jaw was clenched. He looked pissed.

Aimee felt Oliver's fingers close around her wrist and then she felt him flash her.

She smelled decay and mildew. She looked around at the dark cell. It reminded her of Marcus's dungeon. He was such a weirdo.

"This is your new home."

She laughed, "Till I flash out."

She looked behind her at the tears pouring from Ophelia's wide eyes. Her dark eye was creepy black against her light eye. Aimee's hands were secured to the wall in a fabric. She tried to flash out of it. Fear slammed against her.

Ophelia's mouth was gagged with the fabric.

Aimee looked at Oliver in horror as a huge man came to stand next to him. His massive fist came at her face fast. Her head was slammed into the rock wall behind her.

Oliver smiled and walked to Ophelia. He stroked her cheek.

Aimee tried to focus her eyes but the fist slammed into her face again. It hurt more than anything she had ever felt. The fiery gunshot was nothing compared to the pain she was in. She was sure her head was bleeding in the back.

Ophelia's muffled cries filled the room.

Blackness took her eyesight, as a dark and creepy laugh filled her mind.

"The fabric is made from Lillith's hair. It interrupts power, if you imagine anything so bizarre."

Aimee smiled as the fist slammed into her face again, "When I kill you I will rip your soul from your eyeballs."

Epilogue

Ophelia felt sick still from watching the dark blood pour from the cuts on Aimee's face.

The quiet of the darkness inside of the cell was frightening. She felt dirty and afraid. Oliver had conned her. She had given him everything.

She wriggled her lips enough to get the fabric from them, "Aimes." She looked around the darkness.

"Aimes."

She whispered a little louder,  "Aimee."

Aimee stirred and lifted her head, "What?"

Her face was no longer beaten. Her healing powers were still there. Some of their magic mustn't be blocked.

"Where are we? Why does my head hurt?"

She looked at Ophelia and scowled, "Shit. Your boyfriend really is evil."

Ophelia nodded, "My sister got out though right?"

She smiled, "I fucking hope so. Jesus. I was flashed here."

"You're healed."

"What?"

"Your face is healed. The fabric that keeps our powers isn’t taking everything from you. Plus that guy should have split your head open. What else can you do?"

Aimee shook her head, "I can't flash or feel the fire in my hands."

"Seriously."

"Yeah."

Ophelia felt her hope fading, "Shit."

Aimee made a face of concentration, "You hear that?"

Ophelia listened and bit her lip.

Aimee put her head down, pretending to be asleep again. Ophelia did the same. Her lip trembled, as the footsteps got louder. Then men's voices filled the cell.

"You're making noise."

"Shut up. I'm not even talking to you right now."

"You just did."

"I hate you."

Ophelia could hear two men talking. A spark lit in her heart as she peeked she at them.

"Ophelia." She looked at the super cute silver python skin Christian Louboutin boots. She lifted her face to see her brother, "Tristan?"

He squealed and jumped at her, "O, my little O-cake."

She laughed, "What?"

The dark haired guy who looked almost exactly like Oliver sighed, "Oh my goddess he has been working on nicknames for you since the blue girls told him you were alive."

"You must be Oliver's son?"

He smiled, "Yes and I hear you two had some fun. Naughty little thing."

Tristan shivered, "Gross. Anyway this is my ex Phillip."

Phillip wrapped his arms around Tristan and kissed his cheek, "I'll never ex you. You'll have to kill me first."

Ophelia couldn’t believe how much her brother and her looked alike.

She looked at Aimee who was trying not to laugh.

"Aimee, Tristan and Phillip." She pointed to everyone in the room.

Aimee laughed, "Oh my god you are the gayest supernatural men I've ever met. Are you the rescue mission?"

Phillip smiled, "Duh. What's with her? Maybe we like to be called homosexual. Maybe we get offended by the term gay."

Aimee stopped laughing and flushed red. Tristan burst into laughter. Phillip walked over and untied Aimee, "Girl you gotta mellow out. You look really tense."

Tristan chatted nonchalantly, as he untied her hands, "Dad is a shit O. A major shit. He's been torturing your other sister for like weeks. Anyway Oliver couldn’t come up with a better plan than this one."

Ophelia felt her heart swell, "He never betrayed me?"

Tristan flung his arms in the air, "Tada."

Aimee looked at Phillip, "Can you flash?"

He rolled his eyes, "Lead on, I can track. But I want to try on your boots when we get there."

She grimaced, "What? No. Look how big your feet are."

He giggled, "Look how tense she is."

Aimee put a hand on Ophelia and they were standing in Lydia's kitchen instantly. Phillip and Tristan were there seconds later.

"Oh my god this place is cute. Trist this is exactly like that barn reno we saw on HGTV."

Ophelia looked at Lydia holding a cup of tea to her lips, "Ophelia is that your brother?"

Ophelia nodded, "And Phillip. He is Oliver's son."

Lydia nodded, "Welcome." Her smile looked forced.

Annabelle rushed the kitchen, "No. No way. Both Lillith's only living kids in one house. No."

Ophelia looked at her brother in the light of the kitchen. She jumped forward and hugged him tightly.

"O!" She turned to see her sister, rushing in. "Oh my god O you got your brother back too." Abbey jumped at them both and hugged them.

Ophelia couldn’t help but wonder the fate of Oliver as she pulled back and looked at Abbey. Tears poured from her face, "Abbs, you're okay."

She nodded, "It was so awful. They fed from me. Oh and I called mom and dad and they asked me how camp was?"

Ophelia looked at Lorri who walked into the kitchen, "We had to say something. By the way, Daniel is residing with the wolves for a little while. They are almost positive they have a track on Aleks's dad."

Ophelia watched as her sister turned and smiled at Lorri.

Ophelia looked back at her brother, "You want to catch me up on mom?"

He smiled a bright white grin, "We have like five days to save her and fight to the death for her magic."

Ophelia nodded, swallowing hard. Tristan burst into laughter.

"You aren’t the fun group of bad asses we kind of thought you would be."

Lorri snorted, "Yeah we like to keep the fun to the Christmas parties."

Everyone in the kitchen laughed, except Tristan and Phillip.

Phillip beamed at Ophelia, "Dad has found a way to make it work so one of you gets power and the other one gets to live."

Ophelia smiled, "Really." She looked at her brother and they both shouted at the same time, "You can have it."

She looked at Aimee who looked around the kitchen. Ophelia's stomach started to drop. Where was Aleks? Did he make it back?

Aleks came walking in behind Ari. He glanced up at Aimee and flashed to her and then they were both gone.

The warm wind filled the kitchen.

Phillip pulled his phone from his pocket, "My dad is in the yard. I guess he can't come in the house?"

Ophelia ran through the kitchen and burst through the porch door. He was smiling under a streetlight.

She ran across the grass and leapt into his arms.

"I told you."

"I thought you were on his side." She looked up into his eyes. He was in pain.

He cleared his throat, "No but I couldn’t even take a chance. Tristan was the only way that you would be able to get away. Everyone up there is loyal to him. I freed Trist and Phil, while he went to torture your mother with the news."

She pulled back, "Will he know."

Oliver nodded, "He probably will."

She hugged him again, "I'm just glad you're okay."

He kissed the top of her head, "Me too. Now we need to get ready. You and Trist have a very hard week ahead of you. I'm going to stay at Marcus's. Henry hates your father, more than anything on the planet."

She frowned, "I'm coming."

He shook his head, "You stay here. You stay safe." He kissed her lips once softly and stepped back. He was gone and she was alone on the street with the dark swirling around her feet. She stepped back into the guards and felt the night become creepy.

"Come in the house, girl."

She looked back at Annabelle floating in the doorway.

"Annabelle, what happens if he gets the power?"

"He gets the world baby girl. He gets the world."

XXXX

The End

Stay Tuned for the final novel in the series, Death. Coming in the Winter of 2012

Table of Contents

- Copyright
- Other books by Tara Brown
- Prologue
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
- Chapter Twenty-Three
- Chapter Twenty-Four
- Chapter Twenty-Five
- Chapter Twenty-Six
- Chapter Twenty-Seven
- Chapter Twenty-Eight
- Chapter Twenty-Nine
- Chapter Thirty
- Chapter Thirty-One
- Chapter Thirty-Two
- Chapter Thirty-Three
- Chapter Thirty-Four
- Chapter -Thirty-Five
- Chapter Thirty-Six
- Chapter Thirty-Seven
- Chapter Thirty-Eight
- Chapter Thirty-Nine
- Chapter Forty
- Chapter Forty-One
- Chapter Forty-Two
- Chapter Forty-Three