Chapter 2:

Morgan's eyes were piercing and I could see out of the corner of my eye that Thomas was getting increasingly worried. With the war against vampires, wizards didn't look at vampires with too much respect these days, even if they didn't receive all that much respect before.

I slipped out the door of the car and stood looking at him at my full height. I wanted to keep this as low key as possible. Somehow though I didn't feel I was going about it the right way.

"Dresden." Morgan growled at me in a low voice, his arms folded across his chest in a business manor.

"Donald." I replied with a brief nod of my head.

"Shut up Dresden! You know that's one step away from my full name!" He hissed at me. I actually didn't know that there were only three parts to his name, but still. "You of all wizards should know how dangerous that is." True, I did, which made it all the more tempting for me to tease him.

"Relax; I don't know your full name to give away to some horrible, salivating demon bent on world destruction. If I did I would have done it by now." I gave him my famous grin of assurance which only earned me a freezing cold stare. Sometimes I feel so unappreciated. "What are you here for then Morgan?" I don't even have to put my foot out of line these days to have him knocking at my door.

Thomas appeared from the passenger side of my car looking uneasy. If I was a vampire I would be a bit uneasy too. Morgan looked at him and started to grin. "I'm not here for the vampire. If I was, I would have been around months ago. News Dresden, you're not that good at being discrete."

"More like you've been spying on me." I hate it when people do that. "Okay, with that out of the way, why are you here?"

"I received an invitation to a party in a few days time. It seems suspicious so I want to know what part you're playing in this." While he was talking I was locking my car door and Thomas was copying my example. Like I said, better safe than sorry, and I'm quite affectionate of me blue beetle.

"Funnily enough Harry's in the same position. Did you get six vampires come to your door to deliver it?" Thomas commented.

"Okay, can we all carry on this conversation behind closed doors please?" I walked past Morgan and to my front door, Thomas close behind me. Credit where credits due, he isn't as stupid as people are lead to believe. Morgan followed us in after he made me invite him in. Does he still think I'm going to attack him? What do I have to do to get a break? "Hey Morgan, do I need to check my scroll for enchantments or is it safe?"

"Okay, you're not the one behind the party." He sounded almost disappointed by that. "You're not the mastermind type, bit too thick in my opinion." Okay that comment hurt. "So who has organised it, and why? What do they want to achieve?"

"Questions I want answering not to put a to finer point on it." I replied. I sat down heavily on the sofa while Thomas went to the kitchen to fetch some beers. "Do you want one Morgan?" Morgan shook his head at me. "Still on duty, I understand." Thomas reappeared with two cold beers in his hands and handed me one. He then sat down next to me and tried to look unobtrusive. "So Morgan, who have you invited to go with you?"

He looked up from my invitation. "Ebenezar McCoy."

"Good wizard to be stuck in a tangle with, even if he's not in my good books presently." I commented bluntly.

"Who you taken then Dresden?" I could almost hear the anticipation in his voice. "Hopefully not someone who like to start wars."

"I'm not sure what your insinuating," I sure as hell did, "and I do know who I'm taking. I'm taking Thomas." Thomas chocked on his beer as I said this and Morgan looked stunned.

"What? You're taking a vampire to what come be a vampire buffet! I know you're insane Dresden, but even you can see the flaws in that logic." Morgan looked enraged.

"Yeah, what gives?" Thomas asked." Why you asking me when you can ask Kincaid, that mercenary half demon bloke. Wouldn't he be better than me?"

"You're invited, like it or lump it. Besides, Kincaid charges way too much." I chuckled slightly. "And besides, he's in Peru at the moment dealing with some red court vampires. If I did invite him I would be causing a stir. I don't want more attention on me than there already is."

"Bad luck there Dresden. Besides, I've been contacted by him; the Archive has been invited also and he is going to the party as her invited friend." Morgan grinned. "Nice to see your vampire half brother will finally be some use to you."

"Excuse me; I'm a lot of help to Harry." Oh god, here we go. I could see where this was going.

"What, bringing him beers? Yeah, you're a great sidekick." Thomas flew up from the sofa. I did also and shoved him back down. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting Harry and not the other way around?" Morgan continued.

"Okay Morgan, that's enough. Either you're civil or you can leave, and no matter how much I want to deny this, I need your help. How many people do you know have been invited? I don't like this idea of a party, and you saying Ivy's been invited makes it all the more suspicious."

"That I can't disagree about. I'll find out, vampires too. There might be a link." Morgan didn't look happy I was giving him missions to do.

"Yeah, can you tell Ivy and Kincaid to meet here two hours before the party so we can get some ground rules set out? You and Ebenezar too, I don't want anyone we know walking into that party unprepared."

"Okay. Dresden, don't order me around like that again!" Morgan stormed out of my apartment and slammed the door behind him. I shrugged my shoulders at him, big fish little pond syndrome probably, or just power mad. I turned and went back to look at my scroll. Come to think about it, I didn't know when or where the party was at yet. Some days I swear I should have been born a blonde.

Looking over it I learned that the party was on this Tuesday night and started at 9pm sharp. Tuesday night, what an odd time to have a party. I always thought parties that were any good were held on Friday or Saturday nights. I must be old fashioned thinking the idea was not to go to work with a massive hangover the next morning. Oh well, it said Tuesday night so that meant Tuesday night was party night. As I kept scanning through the scroll to find the place the party was at, Thomas started questioning me on what Morgan had said about him.

"Harry, you don't really think I'm a useless over sexed vampire do you?" he added insults he'd been called on other occasions to add effect, including insults from me.

I looked up and shook my head at him. "Don't pay attention to him; he was just getting at you." I looked back down at the scroll again, but Thomas wasn't going to let it go.

"Is that some form of code to say that you agree with him, that I'm only good for bringing you beers." Thomas really did sound hurt. Wow, thanks Morgan for leaving me with an upset, insecure vampire.

I stood up fully and addressed him, making sure that my attention was in no why on the invitation. "If I thought you were useless would I have invited you to that party? You're not useless, I trust you with my life. The reason you weren't my first choice for this was because you're the only family I have left. I wasn't going to risk your life in some stupid adventure."

"Thanks Harry." He grinned at me. "I just needed to know that I was of some use to you."

I was about to turn back to my scroll when a knock came from my door. If there was a Deity somewhere, he didn't want me reading the scroll. I went to the door and opened it to find Billie stood there with Toot-toot.

"Harry, Toot-toot has been invited to this strange party and he's invited me as a friend. We want your opinion on it." Billie was straight to the point, missing out the formalities we usually went through. I couldn't stop feeling this sinking feeling that the party was a cover for something else, so I invited them in to talk to them.

"I smell pizza." I couldn't help but admire toot-toot's sense of smell, but then again, pizza was the main staple in his diet.

"Yeah we had pizza last night," Thomas chipped in from the sofa, "there's left over's in the kitchen if you want them." Toot-toot instantly disappeared into the kitchen, and after ten seconds worth of pots and pans crashing I could hear him eating it.

I looked at Thomas. "You're tidying that mess up you know." He shrugged his shoulders at me and sprawled out across my sofa. "Couch potato." I commented before turning to Billie. "Who got the invite? Summary form if possible."

"Toot-toot got the invite, and he invited me because he remembered me giving him a pizza last week. I told him it was on your orders but he wouldn't have any of it and said that I was to accompany him to this party. I said that there's something funny about it when he mentioned vampires so I said we should come and see you." Billie finished his summary of the happenings.

"Wow, this list of magical folk attending that party is beginning adding up Harry. You're not the only one to get dragged into this kid; I get to thank to your friendly local wizard here for inviting me." I didn't even bother looking around at him.

"You've been invited too?" Billie asked me. I just nodded. "There's something funny happening here you know, something suspicious."

"No shit Sherlock!" shouted Thomas from the sofa.

"Billie, meet my half brother Thomas."

"But he's a vampire and your not." Billie looked puzzled.

"Very observant of you." Thomas sat up and clapped his hands. "Would you care to tell me also if Harry here is a man or a woman?"

"Thomas, shut up would you!" I rolled my eyes, "you can be a moody vampire at times you know that."

"I'm in no mood, just talking to Billie here, isn't that so Billie?" I shook my head at Billie and he just smirked back at me in acknowledgement. Thomas sat crossed legged on the sofa now looking amused.

"Back to the point, we're all going together. Me and Thomas," Thomas gave a brief wave, "and Morgan and Ebenezar; safety in numbers is the main plan. We are all meeting here two hours before the party to lay some ground rules, be here if I were you. I've been to parties that have turned ugly fast, not pleasant." Billie nodded as Toot-toot reappeared from the kitchen.

"Is it sorted then? Will there be pizza at the party?" Toot-toot asked in anticipation.

"Come to mine two hours before the party and their will be plenty of pizza for you." Toot-toot seemed encouraged by this, and started doing what I perceived as a pizza dance. "Okay-okay enough. Be at mine two hours before the party like I said."

"Okay, thanks Harry." Billie exited through the door followed by toot-toot who was grinning like a fool.

"Oh and dress reasonably, something you can run in, or in Toot-toots case, fly." I yelled at them as I was stood in the doorway. As they moved out of my line of vision I shut the door and moved back to the invitation. "Where is this damn party being held? I've got to know to attend. Where is the part that says where the damn thing is?"

Thomas yawned and laid back down on the sofa. "It'll be there somewhere." I froze as I read where the party was being held. Thomas must have sensed the change that came over me. "What is it? What's wrong Harry?" He got up from the sofa and stood next to me trying to find where I was reading, and sure enough he found it.

It read:

Party location

Raith Family Residential Manor

Chicago

A/N:Thank you for reading and another thank you for those of you who have reviewed. I know exactly where i'm going with this so don't panic if you think i don't know what i'm doing or even thinking. All will be made clear in time. Chapters should be updated quickly since i've now finished my GCSE's so there will be no two months or so waiting period for the next chapter. All that does is make people upset! I like to try to avoid that if possible, so happy reading! Oh and by the way - i'm blonde - so if you also are, don't take it personally, it's just a stereotypical joke.