Marie P.O.V

I entered the cafeteria, hand in hand with one of the most irritating, irresponsible and completely foolish Moroi to ever have walked the earth. And, God damn it, I loved him. I don't really know how or when that happened, but Adrian was right. I was stuck with him now. Even if I left him or he left me, we'd always be a part of each other.

Adrian bent down and kissed me. "I have to get some blood. Care to join me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop joking about it."

"I'm not. I'm very serious. I wouldn't mind sharing with you. I think it'd be hot."

I wrinkled my nose at him even though the offer of blood, of human blood and not the animal stuff I drank, made me salivate. "The only fix I'm getting this morning is some hot coffee."

"Suit yourself."

He winked at me and walked away. I got my coffee, added some sugar because I felt sluggish, and headed towards the table where I usually sat with the rest of my friends. Then I saw him. My brother. I debated sneaking out and was about to do just that when he raised his head and met my eyes with his own silver-green ones. A wry sort of smile lit of his tanned face and I sighed inwardly before making my way over to him.

"Hey, guys," I said to Rose, Lissa, and Christian. "And Daniel," I tacked on.

"You didn't tell us you had a brother," Rose said.

"She doesn't like me," Daniel said, sipping at his coffee. "Probably because I'm everyone's favourite."

He smiled angelically at me and I wanted nothing more than to pour my coffee all over his dirty-blond hair. I saw Rose eying him and I sincerely hoped that nothing would go on between them. All of my friends had always told me that my brother was attractive. I would usually suggest that they go buy glasses. I mean, yeah he was tan and tall and his hair was this shade of caramel that almost hit blond, but he was my brother. Nothing attractive about him.

"You didn't bring mom, did you?" I asked suspiciously. By bring, I meant tell, and from the way he looked at me I knew he understood what I meant.

"No, but she's probably going to drop by and visit for Christmas, tomorrow, anyways. You know how she is. Expect presents."

"Great. I needed some more socks."

He grinned and leaned back on his chair. Most siblings would've hugged after not seeing the other for months. Bantering was our only form of affection. Daniel turned to Rose and shot her a smile that was probably supposed to be charming. I only looked heavenwards and asked what I'd don't to deserve him. Rose, however, appeared mystified.

"So, I've been hearing about this dance tonight."

"Our schools having a dance for the older students. Christmas themed."

He pouted and Rose...she did something inexcusable. She giggled. Rose. Giggled. I hadn't even known that such a thing was possible. "I have no date."

Eddie chose that moment to appear and I couldn't have been happier. "Well, I'm taking my boyfriend, Lissa's taking hers and Eddie's taking Rose, so you'll have to go alone. Or just, you know, don't come at all."

Eddie looked confused and I hoped that he hadn't asked anyone else to the dance since I'd made up the part about him taking Rose just so that my brother would quite flirting with her. Eddie looked over at Rose and raised his eyebrows. "Looks like your my date."

"I could do worse," she replied. Satisfied, I smiled into my coffee and stole a muffin off the tray of food that my brother had gathered. He glared at me for my appalling thievery—then his eyes went serious.

"We have to talk, later," he said. I fidgeted in my seat and wished that he hadn't mentioned it here, in front of everyone.

"Yup," I said easily, trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. My boyfriend plopped down beside me and, thankfully, provided my brother with a momentary distraction.

"Who are you?" My brother asked petulantly. Adrian pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and then draped his arm over my shoulder. I watched, horrified, as Adrian nonchalantly blew the smoke into my brother's face.

"Adrian, you can't smoke in here! You're going to get kicked out."

"I'm above the rules."

"That excuse is getting old."

He smiled at me and put the cigarette out on the table. I shot him a berating look and turned to my brother. "This is Adrian."

My brother peered at him. "Have we met before?"

Adrian shrugged. "If we have, I must've been too drunk to remember it."

I racked my brains and remembered that my brother had been at the same party as Adrian and I, when we first met. He'd also been there when I'd started crying my eyes out after the Moroi whom I'd had a very inappropriate session in the bathroom with had never come back after he said he would. I hoped that my brother wouldn't recognize him.

My brother continued to exam Adrian for a very, very long time. Then he turned to me. "You're dating him? Seriously? Is this a joke?"

"You can't tell me what to do."

"You spent hours crying your eyes out because of him, and know you're dating him? Are you stupid?"

I picked at my muffin. "That was a long time ago."

"Long time ago, my ass—,"

"Excuse me, but when did you become my mother? Last I checked, I didn't have to listen to you. Just because you're older doesn't mean you tell me what to do."

"I'm just stating the obvious—,"

"Shut up! I swear, you are so annoying! You can't just come in here and act like you're the boss."

"Well, someone has to be the mature one and since you're obviously too childish—,"

"You? Mature? Tell me, were you dropped on your head as a baby or are you just stupid?"

"I'm telling mom."

"Go ahead! She can't do anything—she's halfway across the world."

"She won't be tomorrow."

"I still don't see your point. So she stays for a few days—big deal. She'll get over it and live."

I felt Adrian touch my shoulder. "I'd like to say something—,"

Daniel and I both turned to him and, simultaneously, yelled, "Shut up!"

Adrian blinked, then turned to the rest of the table. "That was freaky."

Annoyed, I stood up, grabbed my coffee, and left. God damn my brother. I swear, he made me so angry that I wanted to gouge his tongue out with a rusty fork.

I went into my room and sat down on the bed. I resigned myself to an afternoon of lazing around until the dance and was about to change into something more comfortable, but my phone rang. I almost didn't answer it but habit forced me to.

"Hello?"

"We're coming for you. Tonight."

I closed my eyes at the man's voice. Not just any man. My father. And not just any father, one who happened to be a Strigoi and was hell bent on finding and killing my brother and I. Suddenly, at that moment, I was pissed and fed up. Fed up of living my life on the run, fearing that someone would figure out what I was. Fed up of having to hunt animals whenever the urge for blood drove me crazy. Fed up of having my father call me every so often to remind me that he was still alive.

"Good luck with that, you bastard."

"Is that any way to talk to your father?"

"You are not my father, you distrusting piece of shit. You know what—I hope you find me tonight, because when you do, I'll be ready and nothing will give me greater pleasure than finally driving a stake through your heart."

He chuckled. "You already failed at killing me once, daughter, how will you succeed this time?"

"Because this time, I won't be alone," I whispered. "I'm not fourteen anymore. I'm stronger and faster and this time, I'll have people with me. People who hate Strigoi as much as I do."

"You hate a part of yourself, and that is why you will never defeat me. Because you are denying yourself access to your powers."

"I don't have powers," I snapped quickly—too quickly.

"Then why do the elements yield to your control? How is it that you can use spirit to compel people? That you can start fires and create water and move wind and grow plants?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said shakily. He laughed.

"Face it, daughter, you can't win this."

"Yes I can!" I yelled. "And when I kill you, it will be slow and painful and I will enjoy every moment of it."

I hung up on him and, in a moment of foolish outrage, flung the phone across the room. It broke upon impact with the wall. I sneered at nothing in particular and felt the seeds of determination plant themselves in me. I wouldn't let him beat me. Not this time. This time, when I staked him, he wouldn't get back up.