Harry Potter. Holidays. Belly dance classes. Twitter. Pole dance classes. A determination to see every single movie there is in the world with Kristen Stewart in it. Molotov Jukebox. Stephen King's The Shining. A thousand and one excuses, but only one apology: sorry for the delay.

By the way, something has attracted my attention: more than once, I have been contacted by people who offer ideas for these your loyal Chronicles. Although I appreciate your good will and interest, I would love it more if you could only give me the chance to put my ideas together on my own. Have this gorgeous, amazing plotline bursting out of your fingers? Go! Write your own story! Yes you can! I don't mean to be rude, but I think this has to be clear for everyone: I won't take any ideas or contributions unless I asked for them, ok? I love you, guys, but let's give each other some space.

That said…

Long live Nymphadora Tonks!

Long live Remus Lupin!

Long live Bellatrix Black!

Long live Lord Voldemort!

Long live Severus Snape!

Brick By Boring Brick

I had heard the cries of humans becoming vampires, of course I had, more than once. I knew the sound of the lost soul. This, however, wasn't just a human cry of transformation; it was a heartbreaking howl, a sob that froze your bones and went deep into your veins.

The soft voice. The soft, sweet voice of the little girl I'd just bitten that now melted in bloodcurdling screams. It was so horrible that my first impulse was to cover my ears and run far, far away, where her cries couldn't reach me. Yet I forced myself to focus: after all the damage was already done and there was no going back, not for her, not for me. I concentrated on more practical, logistical things such as, where I could hide the girl so no one would notice her screams? The whole process had taken longer than I'd expected, and I had to go back to the castle or I would raise suspicions. Should I take her with me and keep her at a reasonable distance or was it better to leave her here and come back? Her body was very small; if Alec and I had taken only two days she would be ready in perhaps only a few hours, and I couldn't risk her waking up alone and becoming a real danger to our whole secret life. Therefore I decided to take her with me.

I hid her in a nearby forest, having to squeeze the last of my courage to gag her so her screams were muffled, and also to cover her eyes, for when I came back I would be recognizable.

"There, there, my Selene," I cooed while she screamed, remembering the name of that poor witch that had been so cruelly rejected by us. That would be something to trace back to Aleida; she had, after all, been Selene's right hand. If there was someone Aleida had ever loved, it was Selene. "You will soon be fine again, and we'll be together as if nothing had ever happened."

After all that, finally, I arrived home. By some strange stroke of luck, Aleida wasn't back yet, which would clear me of suspicions once the plan was unleashed and the girl found. I made sure I was seen by a few members of the guard and then I went straight for my brother. I was exhausted, and emotionally drained. The moment he saw me, without any question or any word at all, he hugged me as tightly as he could.

"Poor darling. That must have been horrible."

"It was terrible, Alec, terrible. It's terrifying, and it feels so awful."

"I can imagine. Do you think this will work?"

"It had better."

"Yeah," he smiled softly. "When will she be ready?"

"I'm not sure. A few hours, I suppose."

"Let me go with you. I hate the idea of your being alone there."

"No. I do not want you to be more involved in this than you have to. I know it's a foolish thing to say, I have already tangled you too much, but please, please, let me protect you. If this is discovered-"

"Don't even think about it."

"If this is discovered I must go down alone. I am the only guilty one."

Alec hugged me. "You have always gotten away with everything, Janette. Don't you worry."

"Thanks. Watch out for me while I'm gone. Wish me luck."

He kissed me on the lips and hugged me again.

I returned to the hiding place five hours after I'd left the little girl there. Just as I'd thought, she was already in the last spasms of transformation. Well, at least it had been quick. When I untied her, she instinctively held me and sobbed into my chest. That I had not expected. I didn't have the slightest idea how to comfort her. I mean, how do you soothe a four-year-old child who has just been turned into a vampire to satisfy someone else's need for revenge? I patted her shoulder awkwardly and attempted to caress her hair until she calmed down. What came after that was just as horrifying. She put her hand on her throat and began weeping dryly. Of course, she was so thirsty.

"Wait here," I told her, still in my Aleida voice. "I will get something that will make you feel better. Promise you won't move from here. If you do, I won't be able to help you. I won't be long. Stay here, please."

I had no idea if she was even able to register what I was saying, but it was my only hope. I ran with no direction, guided only by my disturbed sense of smell. I snatched the first human I saw, broke his neck and returned to the child. By some strange miracle, she was still there, just as I'd told her. Now I suppose she was too scared and confused to move, and she wasn't in the slightest aware of her new condition. But in that moment the only thing that mattered was cutting the human's throat, with my own nails out of hysteria, and making her drink the still warm blood. She did so eagerly, and the effects were immediate: she stopped shaking, calmed down, and consequently I relaxed, too.

I tried to push out of my mind the inescapable, nightmarish sight developing before my eyes: a four-year-old child drinking human blood. Instead, I focused on the rest of her, her appearance, that though just as heartbreaking was less horrifying. She was a moving vision. Still blindfolded because I was now much more recognizable, hair and clothes stained with dirt and blood, tiny tiny tiny, the size of a fairy, small even for me, and I was already undersized. Blond hair filled with leaves and earth and quite thin. This was going to be really hard for both of us. I bit my lip, forcing myself to keep in mind that the worst part was over; the one most difficult step that could -would, if discovered- get me killed was already taken and there was no going one for neither of us.

"Listen now, sweetie prettie," I said in that disgusting, sickly Aleida voice. "Now you are strong and beautiful, more than you were yesterday. Can you feel it?" she nodded. "Well, how about we go for a little walk and you can see all the new pretty things you can do?" she brought her little hand to her neck and moved uncomfortably. Naturally, she was still thirsty. "Yes, we'll see to that, too. Ready?"

"Yes."

I took her in my arms and ran. Everything is fine, Selene, I whispered, everything is fine again. The whisper was soft enough to pass as a talking-to-myself thought, but loud enough to register in her memories, the memories I knew would be checked the moment she was discovered and caught.

I stopped when we reached a clearing. She was calm and silent; having already drunk blood she wasn't as anxious, and when I finally did what I planned she would be slightly more controlled, or less altered, at least. I patted her on the back and spoke to her again.

"All right, sweetie, listen to me." how I hated this voice. There's something I need to do, but I won't take long. Please wait for me here. Don't move, stay in this place and I'll be back in a flash, ok?"

She nodded. As if I didn't know that just two miles away there was a small village. As if I didn't catch the scent of that people and it made my own throat pool with venom. As if I didn't know she was a thirsty newborn and a child.

"Stay here, my love. I'll be back soon."

Very, very carefully, I set her on her feet, right before me, facing the field and the close village. Just as carefully, I kissed her cheek . Even more carefully, I removed the blindfold.

And then I set her loose.

Hello again! I take advantage of this space to promote the most perfect band on Earth: Molotov Jukebox. With the amazing, sexy voice of Natalia Tena (Tonks in Harry Potter), this six-piece British band is ready for, in their own words, "world domination through dancing and sex." And believe me, they sure as hell can take over.

They've invented their genre, Gypstep. Don't ask me what that is. I have no words. It's everything and a little more. You have to listen to understand. Fun, sensual songs that will invariably make you jump around and dance till death. unbelievable. Perfect.

See you soon!

XOXO