Part 11
The next few days Cassidy spent all her free time with Khardine and Pearl tracing her family history. The other Daybreakers in the house, a nice werewolf named Peter and a made vampire named Noel helped as well.
Cassidy was sailing on air through most of it. Her mother was a witch from a family named 'Weald, tracing back through generations. All her mother's family had been witches.
"What about my dad?" Cassidy asked.
"We're still looking into that. What do you actually know about your father?" Noel asked. His eyes were a beautiful sea colour, his smile was handsome, his rusty red hair had hints of copper in when the sun shone on it. All Night People really were gorgeous. Cassidy kept reminding herself she *had* a soulmate, no matter how nice or handsome Noel was. Orion was the love of her life.
"Almost nothing. He left when I was young."
"Well check out these faces," Pearl came into the kitchen with a large folder in her hand. "It looks like your dad was a Harman, they're like, witch royalty to witches. I haven't located his whereabouts yet." Pearl shook her head in amazement. "A pureblood witch family. You guys are *all* Night People."
"So why did my mom never tell us anything?" Cassidy wondered allowed.
"Call and ask," Pearl suggested.
Cassidy didn't want to bother her mother in the state she was in. She had called the other night and her grandmother had said she was doing okay, but needed a lot more time. Another unpleasant thought got in the way. "I guess I'd better see how much Lavinia really knows about this Night World thing," she said grudgingly.
She dreaded the thought of having to discuss this with her sister. Lavinia was difficult enough as it was, she was going to be worse if she thought she really was a superior being.
"Want me to come with?" Khardine asked, appearing in the doorway.
Cassidy shook her head. "I'll be fine."
She walked home quickly. She still hadn't been able to tell Orion the good news. They couldn't have to go ahead with their plan now. And Diana wouldn't be able to look down on her.
When Cassidy got home, she wasn't surprised to her car was gone. Again. Which meant Lavinia was gone too. But for some reason the front door was open slightly.
Cassidy frowned, peering in cautiously. Had Marlene's killer come back?
"You are such an idiot! You could have *asked* her name, you know."
Cassidy froze, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. That was Diana's voice.
"You didn't say I just had to get one of these vermin girls." The other voice was male, arrogant, and had a definite smirk in the tone.
Cassidy ducked into the closet under the stairs as she heard them coming down. She peeked out as she saw Diana and another guy, small with a mop of brown curls and a wide leering grin and scary dark eyes.
"I heard you were supposed to be reliable," Diana went on.
^Paris Shadow?^ Cassidy wondered, holding her breath, praying they wouldn't find her.
"I am. I was just hungry. Anyway, since then your stupid brother hasn't made any move on the vermin, has he?"
Diana smiled. "No, he seems to have come to his senses and has his hands full with Donatella."
"And that was what you wanted, right?"
"Well...yes...just get the right girl anyway. She's hiding in the closet."
Cassidy cursed under her breath. Vampires really must be able to smell feat. The closet door opened. She didn't even have time to scream.
* * *
"What?" Lavinia frowned, glancing over at Rylan.
Rylan had a strange look on his face as he followed her to the front door and shook his head. "I don't know, just a feeling."
Lavinia ignored him. Being a real witch was so much cooler than she imagined. Her power had opened the door to a whole new world to her. Creatures of magic and beauty. She belonged to the Night World. She had always been too good for humans.
And Rylan agreed with her. She still kept her vermin friends at school, she liked them admiring her. Now a new crowd were admiring her as well.
"Uh, Lavinia?"
"Now what?" She glared at Rylan, tossing her hair over her shoulders.
"Look." He pointed at something lying on the floor coming out from the closet under the stairs.
Lavinia stared. "It's my sister. So what?"
Rylan moved to Cassidy's side, turning her head over gently. Cassidy moaned. There were bite marks on her neck. Some vampire had got peckish. "She's your sister, and she's still alive."
Lavinia's eyes rolled. She'd managed to get rid of one annoying sister. She'd had nothing to do with the murder, but wasn't exactly broken up about it. Good riddance to the brat. Now Cassidy was on the way out and she wouldn't have any sisters anymore.
"She'd fetch a good price on the slave trade." Rylan was smirking.
"Did you just say *slave* *trade*?"
"Yep. Technically illegal in the Night World, but some of the older and more powerful vampires can get away with it. My mother's one of them."
"So we'd sell her. After you change her, then we get more money for an immortal slave." Lavinia grinned, oh she loved this idea.
"That's the plan."
"Do that then."
* * *
The next few days Cassidy spent all her free time with Khardine and Pearl tracing her family history. The other Daybreakers in the house, a nice werewolf named Peter and a made vampire named Noel helped as well.
Cassidy was sailing on air through most of it. Her mother was a witch from a family named 'Weald, tracing back through generations. All her mother's family had been witches.
"What about my dad?" Cassidy asked.
"We're still looking into that. What do you actually know about your father?" Noel asked. His eyes were a beautiful sea colour, his smile was handsome, his rusty red hair had hints of copper in when the sun shone on it. All Night People really were gorgeous. Cassidy kept reminding herself she *had* a soulmate, no matter how nice or handsome Noel was. Orion was the love of her life.
"Almost nothing. He left when I was young."
"Well check out these faces," Pearl came into the kitchen with a large folder in her hand. "It looks like your dad was a Harman, they're like, witch royalty to witches. I haven't located his whereabouts yet." Pearl shook her head in amazement. "A pureblood witch family. You guys are *all* Night People."
"So why did my mom never tell us anything?" Cassidy wondered allowed.
"Call and ask," Pearl suggested.
Cassidy didn't want to bother her mother in the state she was in. She had called the other night and her grandmother had said she was doing okay, but needed a lot more time. Another unpleasant thought got in the way. "I guess I'd better see how much Lavinia really knows about this Night World thing," she said grudgingly.
She dreaded the thought of having to discuss this with her sister. Lavinia was difficult enough as it was, she was going to be worse if she thought she really was a superior being.
"Want me to come with?" Khardine asked, appearing in the doorway.
Cassidy shook her head. "I'll be fine."
She walked home quickly. She still hadn't been able to tell Orion the good news. They couldn't have to go ahead with their plan now. And Diana wouldn't be able to look down on her.
When Cassidy got home, she wasn't surprised to her car was gone. Again. Which meant Lavinia was gone too. But for some reason the front door was open slightly.
Cassidy frowned, peering in cautiously. Had Marlene's killer come back?
"You are such an idiot! You could have *asked* her name, you know."
Cassidy froze, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. That was Diana's voice.
"You didn't say I just had to get one of these vermin girls." The other voice was male, arrogant, and had a definite smirk in the tone.
Cassidy ducked into the closet under the stairs as she heard them coming down. She peeked out as she saw Diana and another guy, small with a mop of brown curls and a wide leering grin and scary dark eyes.
"I heard you were supposed to be reliable," Diana went on.
^Paris Shadow?^ Cassidy wondered, holding her breath, praying they wouldn't find her.
"I am. I was just hungry. Anyway, since then your stupid brother hasn't made any move on the vermin, has he?"
Diana smiled. "No, he seems to have come to his senses and has his hands full with Donatella."
"And that was what you wanted, right?"
"Well...yes...just get the right girl anyway. She's hiding in the closet."
Cassidy cursed under her breath. Vampires really must be able to smell feat. The closet door opened. She didn't even have time to scream.
* * *
"What?" Lavinia frowned, glancing over at Rylan.
Rylan had a strange look on his face as he followed her to the front door and shook his head. "I don't know, just a feeling."
Lavinia ignored him. Being a real witch was so much cooler than she imagined. Her power had opened the door to a whole new world to her. Creatures of magic and beauty. She belonged to the Night World. She had always been too good for humans.
And Rylan agreed with her. She still kept her vermin friends at school, she liked them admiring her. Now a new crowd were admiring her as well.
"Uh, Lavinia?"
"Now what?" She glared at Rylan, tossing her hair over her shoulders.
"Look." He pointed at something lying on the floor coming out from the closet under the stairs.
Lavinia stared. "It's my sister. So what?"
Rylan moved to Cassidy's side, turning her head over gently. Cassidy moaned. There were bite marks on her neck. Some vampire had got peckish. "She's your sister, and she's still alive."
Lavinia's eyes rolled. She'd managed to get rid of one annoying sister. She'd had nothing to do with the murder, but wasn't exactly broken up about it. Good riddance to the brat. Now Cassidy was on the way out and she wouldn't have any sisters anymore.
"She'd fetch a good price on the slave trade." Rylan was smirking.
"Did you just say *slave* *trade*?"
"Yep. Technically illegal in the Night World, but some of the older and more powerful vampires can get away with it. My mother's one of them."
"So we'd sell her. After you change her, then we get more money for an immortal slave." Lavinia grinned, oh she loved this idea.
"That's the plan."
"Do that then."
* * *