CHAPTER 4

I UNTIE THE BLESSED SILVER FROM EVAN'S LEGS AND THEN I UNTIE IT FROM HIS WRISTS. HE FALLS TO THE GROUND LIKE A BROKEN DOLL. I PULL THE STAKE FROM HIS HEART AND THEN POUR FIVE DROPS OF ACID IN THE FORM OF A CROSS. HIS BODY WILL MELT AWAY IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I WRAP UP THE BLESSED SILVER AND STUFF THEM ALONG WITH THE STAKE INTO A BACKPACK. I PULL THE WIG OFF AND PUT THE CONTACTS INTO THE BACKPACK AS WELL. I CHANGE OUT OF THE HEELS AND DRESS INTO REGULAR JEANS, T-SHIRT, AND SNEAKERS. THEN HEAD OUT OF THE HUGE ABANDONED MOTEL AND GO HOME.

"DARLING YOU LOOK PERFECTLY CALM… WHO DID YOU KILL?" ASKED AUNT AMELIA ONCE I GOT HOME.

AUNT AMELIA IS ONE OF MY THREE AUNTS. EVEN THOUGH SHE ISN'T BIOLOGICALLY MY AUNT I CAN ALMOST CONSIDER HER THAT WAY. MY PARENTS WERE LONELY CHILDREN WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER. AFTER THEIR DEATH ALONG WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AUNT AMELIA ALONG WITH AUNT PRUE AND AUNT JEAN FOUND ME FREEZING TO DEATH IN THE BACKYARD. HOW DID THEY FIND ME? WELL THEY'RE ALSO WITCHES. ACTUALLY THEY'RE THE LAST THREE WITCHES THAT AREN'T UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE VAMPIRES AND DEMONS. OH YEAH THERE ARE DEFINITELY DEMONS AROUND AND DEMON HUNTERS. NO ANGELS, NO MAGICAL UNICORNS, AND DEFINITELY NO PETER PAN. JUST WITCHES, VAMPIRES, DEMONS, AND DEMON HUNTERS, BUT NOW THERE IS SOMETHING NEW AROUND THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT. ME, A DHAMPIR, HALF HUMAN AND HALF VAMPIRE. IT ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE NO ONE CAN SURVIVE A VAMPIRE BITE WITHOUT ANY BLOOD IN RETURN, THE TRANSFORMATION WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE AND THE HUMAN WOULD GO CRAZY AND SLOWLY DIE. WELL SINCE I WAS HALF WAY DEAD IN THE FREEZING SNOW JULIUS THOUGHT THERE WAS NO NEED TO KILL ME SINCE I COULD SUFFER SLOWLY. THAT IDIOT, BECAUSE THEN AUNT AMELIA, PRUE, AND JEAN CASTED A SPELL TO SEARCH FOR INNOCENTS IN DANGER. THERE WERE PLENTY BUT I WAS IN THE MOST DANGER. SO THEY CAME FOR ME AND TOOK ME INTO THEIR HOME. THEY SAW THE BITE MARKS BUT REALIZED I HAD GOTTEN NO BLOOD IN RETURN.

SO THEY TOOK CARE OF ME EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW I WAS GOING TO GO CRAZY AND DIE. IT SHOCKED THEM COMPLETELY WHEN I WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY TOTALLY FINE AND NORMAL. THEY EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO ME THAT DAY ABOUT THIS WORLD THAT HUMANS WERE OBLIVIOUS TO. THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE I WAS A DHAMPIR, SOMETHING THAT THIS MYSTICAL WORLD HAD NEVER HEARD OF. IN OTHER WORDS I WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY OF MY KIND. THEY KEPT ME WITH THEM AND EVEN TAUGHT ME SPELLS THAT A SIMPLE HUMAN COULD DO WITH THE RIGHT MATERIALS AND INTELECT.

"OH JUST EVAN DAME." I LAUGH.

THE AUNTS ALSO KNEW ABOUT THE MISSION I PUT MYSELF IN. THEY DIDN'T APPROVE BUT THEY ALWAYS SUPPORTED ME AND WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME.

"O DEAR, YOU REALLY ARE GOING CRAZY."

"IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT TIA, IT'S BEEN OVER FIVE YEARS." I LAUGH HARDER.

THE AUNTS WERE IN THEIR EARLY THIRTIES WHILE I WAS ONLY EIGHTEEN.

"MY BEAUTIFUL NIGHT," SHE CUPS MY FACE IN HER HANDS. "NOTHING IS EVER TOO LATE."

THEN WE BOTH LAUGH AND SHE PUTS AN ARM AROUND MY SHOULDERS LEADING ME TO THE KITCHEN.

"NIGHT, YOU TROUBLESOME GIRL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" ASKS AUNT JEAN.

"AT THE BAR."

"TSK TSK YOU AREN'T EVEN TWENTY ONE." SHE SHAKES HER HEAD.

"YEA WELL I DON'T LOOK EIGHTEEN EITHER." I SMILE.

"SHE STAKED EVAN DAME." ANNOUNCES AUNT AMELIA.

"THAT A GIRL!" CHEERS AUNT PRUE.

SHE GRABS MY HAND AND TWIRLS ME AROUND JUST LIKE SHE USE TO DO WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.

"LET'S CELEBRATE!" SHE DANCES AROUND.

"I'LL GET THE APPLES!" AUNT AMELIA FLIES TO THE CABINETS.

"AND I'LL GET THE BLENDER!" GIGGLES AUNT JEAN.

"I'LL GET THE BOTTLES." AUNT PRUE QUIETLY.

AUNT PRUE ISN'T REALLY THE GIGGLY GIRL TYPE. SHE IS QUIET AND RESERVED BUT WHEN GOOD NEWS COMES SHE CAN ACTUALLY LIGHTEN UP. SHE ACTUALLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO FIGHT AND HOW TO STAKE VAMPIRES. AUNT JEAN TAUGHT ME HOW TO CAST SOME SPELLS. AUNT AMELIA TAUGHT ME HOW TO ANALYZE SITUATIONS AND HOW TO BE SMART ABOUT MY CHOICES.

"AND OF COURSE I GET THE MARTINI." I TWIRL TO THE FRIDGE.

WE ALL GET THE SUPPLIES AND LAY THEM ON THE TABLE.

"OPEN THE BLENDER." CHANTS AUNT AMELIA.

"DROP THE APPLE." CHANTS AUNT JEAN.

"POP SOME DROPS OF MARTINI." CHANTS AUNT PRUE.

"AND SERVE IT UP DEAR AUNT JEANNY!" I FINISH UP THE CHANT.

THE BLENDER STARTS TO BUBBLE AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AUNT JEAN POURS FOUR CUPS OF APPLE MARTINIS.

"WHAT SHALL WE TOAST TO?" ASKS AUNT JEAN.

"TO THE COMPLETETION OF NIGHT'S FIRST TASK." SAYS AUNT PRUE WHILE RAISING HER CUP.

"TO THE COMPLETETION OF NIGHT'S FIRST TASK." THEY ALL SAY TOGETHER AND THEN CLINK CUPS.

I SMILE AND RAISE MY CUP AND THEN DRINK.