THE UNWANTED RECRUIT

"I want to take her home, Ethan" said Rory glumly, as Natalie was still in her faint. Natalie was now resting safely on one of Jesse's leather recliners. Still, Ethan, ever the practical one, kept an eye out to see if any of the vampires would be sitting on the furniture. It wouldn't hurt, but it would be awkward to say the least.

The vampires kept their distance. Although they had poured in from the backyard, none sat on the furniture. Some were in a knot about Jesse, some girl vampires were around Vampire Erica, and a few were snickering at the Teen Rory. The Teenaged Rory was to all appearances lying dead, crumpled on the floor.

"That loser had the night of his life" said one of Jesse's thuggish looking followers. "It's just too bad it was his last."

"It was a mercy kill" laughed another. "I'm surprised the little guy managed to survive his first day of high school. Come to think of it, he didn't."

Benny had invisibly stood beside those few vampires. But Benny noticed something the dumb vampires didn't. The pale Rory was breathing shallowly, of someone who had lost a good deal of blood and was about to die without immediate medical attention.

Benny nodded to himself, grimly enough. As Benny had been told by Jesse himself (when the gang had accidentally summoned his ghost post-Lucifractor), the plan had been for Rory to be Sarah's first vampire dinner. Then the plan changed, to be Erica's first meal; only Erica had messed up and failed to completely drain Rory completely of his blood.

Benny was of the opinion that he and Ethan could insult Rory all they wanted on his general craziness, being his best buddies. But as for the others . . . and these types of putdowns!

"If they could only see yourselves being doused by holy water a few days from now" Benny said irately as he made his way back. "Spontaneous combustion. I swear, Teen Rory, we've made it up to you since our epic fail here!"

"Yeah, I know" said the present day Rory, taking a brief but pained glance at his past self lying on the floor. "Ouch! But Natalie! We should leave"

Rory found the sight cringe-worthy, and Rory rarely found anything cringe-worthy. It was fortunate Rory was far more interested in the present . . . or the future, depending on how you looked at it. Rory was waving his hand in front of Natalie's eyes; although Natalie fluttered her eyelids, she didn't yet reach consciousness.

"I thought you wanted to show Natalie everything" said Benny, who now felt like sticking around until the bad guys lost. "And really, the way I see it this is just virtual reality . . . everything is in our minds. Natalie's just sleeping off the shock."

"It's up to you, Rory" said Ethan. "The only major difference is it'll be more comfortable for Natalie to be revived back in the real world."

"Yeah" said Rory.

"I think she's going to forgive you" said Benny, practically. "She loves you, and she gave Sarah a pass . . . and Sarah's she's just met. But something tells me Erica's not going to be very welcome at your wedding."

"I don't even think she's going to show up" said Ethan.

"She'd just complain the whole time anyway" Rory shrugged, as he didn't expect Erica to show up. Rory still considered her a friend, so he thought she'd send a card. "But let's go back home. I can fill in Natalie on the rest."

"No!" said Natalie weakly, reviving. "I'll see it all!"

"Do you still like me?" asked Rory earnestly, practically diving onto his knees by her side.

"I wish you hadn't lied to me" said Natalie faintly. "But I don't think I'd have been able to understand it any other way. So the answer is Rory . . . I love you. But how did you get away?"

"That's a . . . tough question" said Rory, now hesitating, red faced with rare embarrassment and guilt. "You see, I joined Jesse's gang."

"You freaking joined them!" shrieked Natalie. "HOW could you?"

"I was dumb" Rory admitted. "But I want you to know it all!"

"And we're going to show you just how clueless he was" said Benny hurriedly.

There was an icy silence in this corner of the room.

"Oh, that's a relief" said Natalie in a quiet but deadly voice, dripping with both sarcasm and fury. "Okay, Mr. Keener, let's see how clueless a bloodsucker he was."

"Ouch" said Benny, with a wince.

"Last name, Rory" added Ethan.

"I heard!" said Rory. "Natalie!"

"Ms. Crete to you!"

"Just because you're a bit old school . . . ." Rory exclaimed angrily.

"If she's old school, shouldn't it be Miss Crete?" Benny interrupted.

"It's not because I'm old fashioned" said Natalie coldly. "It's because you, Mr. Keener, happily flew around Whitechapel, turning yourself into a bat, biting necks and murdering innocent people."

"Real vampires can't turn themselves into bats" Ethan muttered.

"And I only killed rats . . . a few pigeons . . . squirrels . . . one cat" said Rory. "And some other critters. Never people. Nat . . . Ms. Crete. I'm not saying I'm right. I'm just saying I stumbled into it."

"How dumb could you be to stumble into it?" said Natalie.

"You'll be surprised how dumb Rory was" said Ethan, putting his hands up to his sides, in a gesture to stop the argument. "So where are we going next? Tomorrow morning at school? The cemetery? Or Westdale Theatre?"

"Ethan, let's stick around . . . if you can" said Rory.


Ethan, Benny and Rory still seriously considered going back . . . now. Instead, they led Natalie outside to the backyard. Natalie let Benny and Rory escort her, though Rory could feel that Natalie's arm was tense . . . she didn't like him so much as touching her right now.

For the time being, most of the vampires were inside. With two exceptions.

"I want her" said Jesse to Gord. "I can see she's no dog, once she ditches her nerd attitude. Gord, I saw it back in the park. I haven't lived for two hundred and fifty years not to be able to predict what a girl looks like, naked under her clothes."

"It's a lot easier now than it was a hundred years ago" said Gord, with a laugh. "Remember how girls used to dress."

"No kidding" laughed Jesse. "The bad old days. But it's not just Erica's hot. Gord, I need to save face." Here Jesse allowed his eyes to glow yellow in anger at Sarah. "Especially since it's only a few days before we revive my old flock. I prefer dark and raven-haired with a little attitude, but a tall leggy blonde does just as well. Let Sarah starve until she finally returns to me. Or let Sarah slowly and painfully starve to death for want of human blood. Either's good."

Jesse didn't notice the present-day Ethan follow his wife, and give Jesse a (sadly, intangible) uppercut.

"It's a waste of a good chick" said Gord, putting his hands in his pockets. "Sarah's a dish, either way you mean it. But when fledglings die, don't they leave an ordinary human body?"

"Yeah, it's something about the curse not technically being complete. Still, very difficult to reverse. So, Sarah's death certificate will claim malnutrition . . . if she manages to last that long" laughed Jesse. "But forget that bitch . . . ."

The colours of the scene around them turned black-and-white without warning, as Jesse and Gord became blurred.

"Buddy, you can't do a thing about the bastard!" Benny held Ethan back from bodily tackling Jesse. "You're losing the vision."

"I don't give a frack!" said Ethan.

"Dude" Benny reminded Ethan. "You killed Jesse. Three times over!"

Ethan struggled for a minute, took a deep breath, and the scenery returned to normal.

"Not living colour, but undead colour" said Ethan, looking about.

"How about giving me up my right of Droit de seigneur, or maybe we should put it as just primae noctis?" insisted Jesse now with a smirk.

"Huh?" said Rory. "The what?"

"That's was the alleged right of the medieval Lord of the Manor to sleep with the bride of one of his vassals on the wedding night" said Ethan, coldly. "It's unclear if there was ever such a right or not."

"I think that's an invitation for a torches and pitchforks mob to come to the manor" Benny observed wryly.

Jesse and Gord, however, found it funny.

"You sound like Anastasia" laughed Gord.

"Little Miss Fang Fang" Benny translated for Natalie's benefit.

"Who?"

"That hurts, Gord" joked Jesse.

"But no problems with Erica" said Gord. "I got what I wanted from her. A dish, both meanings of the word. She's all yours, Jesse. But just because she's got fangs doesn't make her your type yet."

"Her mind's running wild with her first taste of human blood" said Jesse, with a shrug. "She's had years of frustrations. I'm an expert at figuring out and moulding the newbs . . . Anastasia might cling to that stale idea that making someone a vampire without their say-so can lead to disaster for immortal kind. I don't buy that anymore. Yeah, they don't spontaneously come with the right attitude if they weren't bit of their own free will. But, I know my past mistakes, and running roughshod over the free-will and moral blamelessness of a few reluctant souls wasn't one of them. It's a cool challenge Gord, rewarding too. But Erica? She's no challenge and you know she isn't what we'd call reluctant

"That's for sure" Gord chuckled.

"She knows she's now living the dream. When I get the old flock back, I'll think I'll pay a visit to Anastasia's dull, dank chambers and rub it in her face. You know, Gord, I manipulate our so-called rules like I manipulate Principal Hicks."

"I'd like to grab that Hicks and twist his head off his body" said Gord, with sudden vehemence, as he crushed the cup he was holding to powder. "Can you believe he reprimanded me for being late to class! That damn middle aged mortal teacher. That's the problem with hanging out in a high school."

"Hicks is my kill, first thing next week I think" said Jesse, evenly. "I'm done with sucking up to the man. But you can take Mr. G, our faculty advisor. He's seriously getting to me."

"G. was a pain-in-the-butt when we had to talk him out of making a video of our productions."

"I feel a little sorry for G." laughed Jesse, before adding, "It's actually is too bad my portrayal of Prince Hamlet of Denmark can't be recorded for posterity. Laurence Olivier had nothing on me. If it wouldn't be a waste of my time, I should record an audiobook. The only thing is there really isn't anyone up to my level to star with me. But pal, I'm sick of those rancid old Shakespeare plays. They doesn't show me off at my best. If I could, I'd take the role of Edwin in the Dusk movies."

"That chauvinistic, murderous, fatheaded bastard!" said Natalie, turning to the others angrily. "When does Ror . . . Mr. Keener . . . wake up? Or does he just lie there all night"

"I don't know" said Rory, unhappily. "That whole week's a fog."

"We don't know either" said Ethan. "The details are new to Benny and me."

Ethan, Benny, Rory and Natalie were all unimpressed by Jesse's bragging. But Natalie, at least, was slightly won over to Rory's side by Jesse's confidence in moulding new vampires.


However, they were interrupted in their thoughts, as Gord brought up Ethan and Benny's escape.

"I think I knew that skinny kid's great-grandfather" said Jesse, with a shrug. "They can't do anything . . . especially not now. They're probably at home by now hiding under their beds . . . crying for their babysitters. Why, Gord, you desperate enough to make a meal of them?"

"Hell, no" said Gord, with disgust. "Nothing's worse than taking blood from a teen boy. I'd almost sooner bite a rat."

At this moment, Erica appeared in the back yard.

Jesse looked at Gord, with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Looks like you just stepped out of Dusk!' said Jesse, walking towards her. "You couldn't look hotter if you were sparkling in the sun."

"You think?" said Erica.

There was a hardness about Erica's face that wasn't there before. Although Erica's eyes looked normal, Ethan could see that Erica was the temperamental Erica he had always known.

"She looks confident" said Natalie, aloofly. "After what she just did."

"Yeah, the sort of confidence and pride you get when you can kill anyone who bugs you with impunity" said Benny cynically.

Ethan, Rory and Natalie looked at Benny in surprise.

"I don't mean me" said Benny. "Ask anyone. I was always self-confident!"

"Yes, that's true" said Ethan.

"He called one of our Grade 8 teachers a fart-head" Rory added. "And that was before he knew about his powers. You have to be confident to do that."

"It's about time you came to see me, Erica. The only problem with being immortal, is your nights can get dull about 3am in the morning" said Jesse. "If you don't have the right girl at your side. Remember in Dusk, that first kiss?"

With that, Jesse gave Erica a long kiss . . . .

"I wonder how they can breathe" said Natalie, coldly.

"They don't" said Benny.

"They do" said Rory stubbornly, "they need the air to speak. It's automatic, the same way as us."

Given the circumstances, Rory gave unusual emphasis to "as us".

"They breathe but they don't undergo respiration" said Ethan. "That comes straight from Sarah."

The kiss finally ended.

"But Gord?" said Erica at last.

"What about me?" shrugged Gord, helping himself to some blood in a punchbowl that had been placed outside.

"Does Gord kiss that good?" asked Jesse.

Gord didn't say a thing, but had a flash of yellow-eyed anger.

Giving up the girl to his best friend and leader? No problem. Insulting his kissing? No way.

"You're a vampire" said Jesse, wrapping his arm around Erica. "You can do what you want, when you want, kill when you want. You know you want to. Hell, you can fly."

"I can" said Erica.

They "romantically" held hands and, Jesse pulling Erica upward, held her in his arms and floated her several feet off the ground, yellow eyed. They returned with a thump.

"I think I'm going to barf" said Benny.

"You're not the only one" said Ethan.

"I want you beside me" said Jesse, holding Erica in his arms. "Big things are going to be happening here in Whitechapel. And you're going to be right in front, one of my immortals. Why don't you come to my room so I can fill you in on what we're going to be doing? You want to be with me, don't you?"

"How lame!" sniffed Natalie, incredibly unimpressed. "I can tell there's no real feeling there. Some actor!"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact we just heard Jesse's soliloquy in how he's taking Erica to replace Sarah?" Ethan put in.

"But I can't believe it was that easy for him" said Rory, shocked, and addressing his remarks to Natalie.

"Smooth operator. How does he do it!" said Benny to Ethan, in spite of himself.

"Practice?" said Ethan. "Besides, she's just been turned into a vamp."

"Tell me, Erica" said Jesse, seriously. "You're a chick that's worth having on my arm? You don't want me to be embarrassed to be seen with you? Why don't you show off some more skin?"

"What a creep!" said Natalie.

"She's going to kill him for that one!" observed Rory.

But Erica didn't kill Jesse, she gave a smirk.

"I'll show more skin."

"And you know your eyes will never need those glasses again. Let's say I'm releasing you from your chains."

Erica laughed as Jesse pulled off her glasses, snapped them in two, and in spite of the lenses being plastic, ground them into shards with his thumbs and index fingers.

"Tell me" said Jesse. "How did that newb kid's blood taste?"

"Unbelievably wonderful" said Erica. "Like I've never lived before."

"Erica, there are some things Dracula gets right" said Jesse. "The dead travel fast. And the girls among us love the taste of small kids . . . though at 14, that Rory was pushing it.

"I'm more of a Dusk girl" Erica reminded him.

"Hell, yeah" said Jesse, showing off his fangs.

"Hell, yeah, she was and is" said Benny sarcastically.

"All this has proved is I hate Jesse" interrupted Natalie. "But, Rory . . . ."

"First name!" said Rory, pumping his fist in the air.

"How do you explain joining this?" added Natalie.

"Jesse explained things to me" said Rory tersely, and looking pleadingly into Natalie's eyes.

"I suppose I'll see how" Natalie replied cooly.

Jesse's and Erica were interrupted by another blonde girl vampire running out.

"Jesse!"

"Bets" said Jesse, plainly annoyed at being interrupted. "This is Betsy, Erica."

"The kid, the one Erica bit!" said Betsy.

"Throw him out with the other trash tomorrow morning" joked Gord, showing his fangs, who was again helping himself to a refilled blood-punchbowl.

"The kid's twitching up a storm, he's changed by now" said Betsy.

"The hell!" burst Jesse, with a flash of his yellow eyes.

"Poor Rory" said Natalie.

"Yeah, poor me!" agreed Rory, but looking hopefully at Natalie, now that she was plainly sympathetic.

Jesse straightened up, and gave a look at Gord. Gord nodded.

"Another vampire" said Erica, smirking with her fangs. "Sounds like fun."

"Wait until you find the kid following you around like a lost puppy" Betsy muttered. "I've had a few turns in my time."

"Listen, Erica" said Jesse, in a tone that suggested exasperation. "You didn't drain the kid completely. Listen . . . when you get a victim you can't infect them. And if you do infect them, you have to drain them dead."

"I didn't realize it" said Erica.

"I'll explain it to you later. Wait for me in my bedroom. It's the room with the double doors at the end of the hall."

"How does that work?" asked Natalie.

"Double doors?" asked Rory.

"No" said Natalie. "Vampires making new vampires."

"I don't know" Ethan admitted. "For a long time, we thought that vampires either had to kill or they'd turn their victims with their bites. But we soon found out, through Erica, that there was a third option. It turns out Erica was biting without turning or killing, so we finally realized how it worked."

"Did you ask Sarah if she did it?" asked Natalie.

"No!" said Ethan vehemently. "Sarah didn't do it!"

"Sarah never bit anyone either" Rory said. "Sarah would have starved first."

"That's how awesome she is" Ethan explained.

"Sarah had my grandmother make her blood substitutes the first year" put in Benny. "The second year she somehow had blood packages delivered to her. But Rory, you know how to bite without infecting?"

"No way!" said Rory. "I was Rory the Rat Biter, remember?"

"You must have practiced on the rats" said Benny. "Or heard."

"No, I didn't practice" said Rory offended. "But . . . I think I heard how once. From Erica, when she was making fun of me for being a rat biter. The idea is like . . . like you're drinking through a straw. Two straws. Somehow you have to . . . vacuum up without letting any venom drip out your teeth . . . I said teeth but I mean fangs . . . and drain into the victim . . . it's supposed to be easy."

"That sounds sick, Rory" said Natalie, shaking her head.

"It's not as if being a vamp is hygienic" said Ethan.

"Yeah, Rory, seriously" said Benny, who put his hand to his mouth. "I think I want to puke again. If I puke, do I end up puking here, in VR, or on Rory's table?"

"Fangs work like the suction thing they use at the dentist to vacuum up your drool" Rory added.

"Dude! TMI!" said Ethan, finally.


With Erica gone, Jesse strode to the doorway and met up with Gord and "Bets".

"They're right" said Gord. "His fangs broke through his gums."

"I can't believe that bitch didn't drain every last drop from the kid" said Jesse irritably. "I think I'll have to explain to Erica that vampires don't diet."

"Yeah, but first let's stake Rory" said Gord.

"And throw out the body" said Bets.

Jesse looked at the two, and decided to sport an incredibly evil grin.

He motioned to them, and closed the door behind the three.

"We keep him" said Jesse.

"That little guy?" said Gord. "He'll never pass as an adult . . . he barely passes as a teenager. And have you tried talking to him?"

"We can't stake him" said Jesse. "It looks bad in front of the flock . . . er, gang."

"I'd want to see the look on his stupid little face as he's impaled" said Bets.

"He's one of us now" said Jesse, firmly. "We consider him a fellow brother vampire."

"Little Anastasia get to you?" snickered Gord. "Maybe you should make him the Bridegroom of Anastasia? Second smallest vamp I've ever seen."

"That creepy little girl was like eight!" said Rory to Natalie. "I mean, probably closer to eight hundred but she looked eight!"

"Ugh" said Natalie, shivering at the thought.

"Which is only one of things which made her creepy" Ethan observed.

"No" grinned Jesse. "I mean we take in Rory for now."

Gord and Betsy laughed.

"For show?" asked Betsy.

"Yeah, Bets" said Jesse. "And let's make sure he's turned all the way. I mean, after all, one rogue fledgling is enough! And it'll so hurt his friends to see Rory burst into flames and fall to dust when he's staked. That little bastard is doomed to be staked sooner than later . . . probably by his friends if he goes and sees them."

"Why would they stake him?" asked Betsy.

"The old school reason" said Gord, with a snap of his fingers. "To save his soul. Only we'll make sure they're too late to save anything but a pile of dust."

"What a laugh" said Jesse. "We were just talking about Sarah leaving a body."

"And if this kid doesn't see his friends, Jesse?" put in Betsy.

"Well, Bets, I can always use a punching bag" said Jesse. "Even when the old flock is revived. But, Bets. This might be really entertaining. From what I saw, this kid is completely immature. Watch me give him the talk."

"Can't be more fun than Colby" said Bets.

"We'll see" said Jesse.


The newly-vamperized Teen-Rory was lying woozily on the floor when the future versions of Natalie, Rory, Benny and Ethan arrived beside Jesse. The entire crowd of vampires (save Erica) were staring and laughing at the bespectacled blonde kid with the newly minted fangs.

"Congrats Rory!" said Jesse, helping up the Teen Rory. "You're one of us, now"

"I'm one of what?" said the Teen Rory. "Is the party over? I feel funny? Dude! I think I feel asleep."

"First give me those glasses" said Jesse, and again he broke a pair of eyeglasses into two and ground the lenses into fragments. And that inhaler? GARBAGE! No more asthma, kid!"

"No more . . . asthma?" said Teen Rory, skeptically. "Really? Cool!"

"And no more glasses" added Gord, slapping Teen Rory on the shoulder. "You're a vampire Rory!"

"Because you're undead Rory!" echoed twelve-years later Benny, impatiently.

"Was!" insisted the present Rory.

It was now Benny's turn to punch Jesse through the face in his outrage.

Natalie watched a perplexed Teen Rory get praised by the entire gang of vampires, as they followed Jesse's lead.

More importantly, Natalie held present Rory's hand. All was forgiven for now.

Ethan wasn't much surprised to see what was going on; he had known Rory his entire life and expected something like this must had happened to turn Rory's attitude around so quickly about vampires.

Benny wasn't so calm; he was angry looking at Jesse's smug face as Jesse brainwashed his pal about all his new bloodsucking "friends" and abilities.

"Is it okay to be a vampire?" Teen Rory asked stupidly.

"Okay . . . and incredibly cool" said Jesse. "I mean, for starters, you have fangs. Retractable fangs?"

"That's cool" said Teen Rory, thoughtfully. "That way the dentist won't mind. Where's a mirror? They must look awesome."

"Honestly, Rory?" said Natalie incredulously. "You were turned into a vampire and you asked . . .where's . . . a . . . mirror?"

"Later, Rory" said Jesse, casually, although with a smirk.

"Also really stupid to like having animal fangs" the present-day Rory admitted. "In the comics, they're cool. In real life . . . ."

The present-day's Rory, he was feeling increasingly small as Jesse escorted his past self outside and showed off the powers.

Superspeed. Super strength (bending and unbending a light-post). And finally, flight!"

"Those are cool . . . those are . . . Superman powers!" Rory exclaimed.

"That's about right, Rory" said Jesse, rolling his eyes. "Now you're faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound."

"That's really old school" said Teen Rory, dismissively. "Superman hasn't used that intro since my Grandpa was a kid."

Jesse looked angry at being called "old school".

"It's true, Rory" said Jesse, in a calm voice. "Each of us has the powers of Supeman."

"And . . . you're like the leader of a whole superhero team!" said Teen Rory thoughtfully. "Team V!"

Ethan and Benny groaned as Teen Rory used the victory sign for "Team V".

"You know Rory, you tainting Superman by saying he was like the vamps" Ethan observed sarcastically. "He's one of your favourites too."

"Natalie, if I were in a cartoon, I'd be three inches high now" said Rory.

"I . . . ." started Natalie.

"But you need to be a full vampire to fly" interrupted Jesse. "And you either become a full vampire or you die of starvation."

"I die?" asked Teen Rory.

"Yeah, you'll die unless you feed on human blood."

"Feed on human blood? That's gross" said Teen Rory. "It makes me a cannibal."

"Vampire Sasquatch drinks blood" Jesse reminded Rory. "And if you're a vampire you can't really be a cannibal for drinking human blood, can you?"

"Yeah, that's true" said Teen Rory, thinking it over. "But Jesse, this is sort of weird. I don't really . . . ."

"Everybody here's drinking blood" said Jesse, as he went to another punch bowl and took a cup and drank. "Look inside! Other parties have beer, we have blood. And Rory, let me put it this way" said Jesse. "We're going to the old White Chapel church tomorrow. You can't come with us unless you're officially part of the team?"

"You're going to church?"

"Rory, I used to be a preacher."

"It can't be wrong then to be a vamp."

"Think of this as your initiation."

"But isn't this like taking drugs" said Teen Rory, whose nostrils began to twitch as he was now standing next to the blood.

Teen Rory's eye lit up yellow, and his fangs protruded from his mouth as he hungrily eyed the punchbowl.

"Has anyone told you not to drink blood?" asked Jesse, joking as he gave Teen Rory a punch on the shoulder, "You're never had blood, but you're hungry for it. See, Rory. It's perfectly natural for you!"

"Don't forgot, Natalie" said the adult Rory, gloomily. "I was already a vampire by then."

Natalie nodded grimly.

"You looked so happy and blameless at the start of the evening" she sighed.

"Rory was the most blameless vampire you'd ever see" Benny put in defensively, clapping the present-day Rory on his shoulder. "He's the only vampire I ever saw who floated up when he was happy."

Natalie looked surprised.

"I don't think that helps" said the present-day Ethan.


The four visitors from the future watched Teen Rory look at his "wonky" reflection in the blood in some confusion. Then Teen Rory couldn't wait any longer and gulped directly from the bowl. His reflection disappeared entirely.

"I'll give you a few packets of blood from my private stash" said Jesse, as he watched the scene smirking. "Nothing fancy, just O positive. It'll carry you for the next week or two."

"It'll also" said Jesse, as he walked back to Gord and Betsy, "keep him from screwing things up. Until he's staked, or discovers how to use his instincts to hunt."


Author's Note

And that's the end of Ethan's vision. There are two chapters to go.