The plates were set. The fish was one the table along with potatoes, gravy and Lola's famous non-alcoholic mojito cocktails. It was finally happening: A nice evening without any supernatural conflicts.
The fact that they had managed without it for so long was personal record, and for the first time Melissa actually thought that could get through New Year Eve. Marc had been optimistic from the beginning but Lola had that cheeky smile, which seemed to indicate that something probably would happen, and she was going to enjoy it.
"Everything is set!" Mel yelled to Lola, and just as she reached the living room, there was a knocking on the door.
Mel sighed in disbelief, "If that is a vampire, I am moving out!"
Lola smiled, "It's not a vampire." She turned around and mumbled, "but you might wish that it was".
She opened the door and stared at the stranger on her porch for a while. "Malachai Parker, I assume."
"Call me Kai", he smiled
"You two can just begin, I just need to find something for a…. client", Lola looked at Kai, wondering what she should call him.
"A client?" Mel looked at Marc.
"Don't look at me. I have never seen him before." He shrugged. "Let's eat."
Mel scowled at the stranger, wondering what he was. Vampire would be the usual answer but Lola already dismissed that. A werewolf? A witch, would be unlikely.
He glanced at her with a smile, "Like what you see?"
"What are you?" she asked, controlled but also a bit bitter.
"That is a very deep question." He answered as his eyes went down and then up again.
"He is a witch!" Lola yelled from the library next door.
"A witch? What do you want from Lola?"
"Well, someone is a bit nosy."
"This is my house, and I have every right to know."
Mark stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, "You are right, Mel. He is in your home, which means that he is your guest." He then looked up at Kai. "Care to join us while you wait?"
Mel turned around angrily with an open mouth that clearly showed her discomfort.
Kai approached the table, "sure, just to piss Mel off."
"My name is Melissa, and only my friends can call me Mel."
"Well, I was hoping that we could be more than friends. He leaned forward as a hand stroke her back"
She stepped back in horror and looked at Marc, "Did you see that?"
"Leave him alone, Mel!" Lola yelled from the other room.
"What the hell did I do!" She looked around in disbelief. "He's the one who is harassing me!"
"You are acting like a spoiled brat."
Her mouth dropped open, "I can't believe this."
"He just needs a grimoire, and then he will leave."
"Suddenly, a vampire doesn't sound so bad", Mel mumbled as she sat down.
"Why? They are always such an emotional wreck. See a sociopath is much more fun. No emotions." He pushed the pushed the fork in a potato and took up to his mouth.
She narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about?"
"Found it!" Lola walked in with a little brown book in her hand. "This should have all the good spells for what you need to do."
Mel looked at Lola horrified, "Who is he?"
She glanced at Kai, who smiled, "it might have slipped my tongue that I am sociopath."
"Big deal. We work with vampires." She sat on the chair before with and ignored Marc and Mel's stares.
"Vampires are human creatures with hyphen emotions. A sociopath is the complete opposite of that!" Mel said through her teeth.
"I know that's what makes me better", Kai smiled.
Lola smiled, "he has a point."
"Lola, what is going on?" Marc asked carefully.
She stared at them both and sighed, "he is taking out the Gemini Coven and needed some help."
"Malachai Parker", Marc suddenly said. "You are the one who killed his siblings to get the power."
Kai smiled, "I am famous".
"You killed your siblings?"
"Not all of them. I had soft spot."
"They were children." March dropped his fork.
"Lola, are you listening to this." Mel looked up.
"I know who he is, but you don't know his Coven."
"We know they killed you fiancé, and you want revenge", March interrupted.
"Uh, I didn't know that. This just got very interesting." Kai remarked. "What did he do? Left the Coven? "
"He was about to? His family killed him before he could tell anyone, and then claimed that he dies protecting the Coven from some Psycho witch called Lola Shelley."
Kai laughed, "They put a target on your back. Clever. Is it odd that I am impressed?"
"They chased me for a year, and they killed a friend, who was only trying to protect me."
Mel leaned back, "I didn't know that. I knew they killed your fiancé but not the rest."
"You were afraid of my revenge side, and I wanted to protect you from it. Can we eat now?" She took some food in her plate.
"But that doesn't make this right." Mel whispered.
"He doesn't want to take them out. He wants to take control!" Marc's voice became louder.
"That was before they sent me to a jail for 18 years."
"So you don't want to merge with sister anymore?" Marc asked.
Kai stared at him for while, "how do you know so much about me?"
"My mother was in the Coven. She told me stories."
Kai smiled, "how flattering. I guess she is not around to me, is she?"
Mel looked at him, "Are you done?"
Kai stood up, "I will be out of you way now."
He was on his way out but Mel stopped him as she said, "You're pathetic"
Lola looked up at her to warn her but she ignored it and continued, "Your coven might be horrible but you didn't go after the coven. You went after the children. It wasn't their fault but you were too weak to fight, so you went after the weakest."
Kai turned around as Mel got up and looked him in the eyes, "you are pathetic".
"If I had any feelings, they would be really hurt right now." He smiled. He stepped toward her, which made Lola stand up, "leave her alone"
"I won't hurt her. I am rather impressed. Actually, I find this very attractive. His hand reached for her face but she quickly pushed it away. "I have thing for women with a temper." She pushed him back but grabbed her hand.
Lola warned him again, "Let her go".
He wasn't listening so he leaned forward, "But you should be careful, Mel. Sociopaths have a way of corrupting people's souls."
He smiled to her as he let go. He walked away, leaving behind a humiliated Melissa and shattered friendship between Mel and Lola.