Hi guys! I guess I'll keep this short. I know you all aren't too happy with me right now, or Anthony for that matter. I'd wanted to update yesterday, but my dad was hogging the computer. Thank you so very much for your reviews. I do appreciate them so much. Enjoy!

I couldn't make myself move for the first few minutes while I was back at the house. Hunters know to expect death, and if Ethan had died any other way, if Anthony hadn't been involved I might have been able to deal with the pain. I couldn't even collect my thoughts to figure out who I was supposed to call. Nicole? Ethan's parents?

I wasn't ready to face any of them. I wouldn't be able to deal with the disgust from Nicole or the guilt I would get from seeing his parents. My own selfishness disgusted me. Here Ethan was dead because of me, and all I could worry about was my self.

I finally worked up the nerve to get out my cell phone and call someone. The ideal person would've been my mother. I could use her no nonsense, methodical attitude right now, but she obviously wasn't an option so I settled for Cheryl.

My throat was dry, and I was gasping as I tried to explain in broken sentences what happened. When Cheryl got the gist of it, she immediately teleported back to the house where she found me hovering over Ethan's body.

"Oh no," she said, putting her hand to cover her mouth.

Olivia and Nicole teleported in at that moment. "Cheryl, what's going on? Why are we home?" Olivia asked impatiently.

She saw the body on the floor and fell silent, her mouth hanging open. Nicole ran to Ethan and held her hands over him trying to heal him.

"It won't work," I told her. "He's d-d-dead."

Cheryl walked over to me, and gently pulled me away from him. She tried to get me to stand up, but my whole body felt like it was in pain. I couldn't move.

"I'll go call his parents," Olivia said.

"Come on, you need to get cleaned up Evelyn," Cheryl said.

"I'll take her," Nicole offered. She must have seen fear in my eyes at her words. I wondered if she figured out that Anthony was involved in this mess. I would take all of her "I told you so's" eventually, but not now. Sympathy washed over her. "Don't worry, it'll be okay. Come on." She held out her hand for me to take.

I took it and let her lead me upstairs to my bedroom. She put her arm around my shoulder. "It'll be okay, Evy. Don't worry," she soothed.

I took a long, hot shower, and changed into my favorite sky blue, cotton pajamas. Cheryl walked in about an hour later with a mug of hot chocolate with the tiny marshmallows for me. "Hey," she said. "Ethan's parents came. They wanted to see you, but I told them you were in the shower."

She was holding out the cup to me. I could feel she steam from it warming my face. I just nodded at her. She set the cup down on my nightstand.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but we do need to know. If this could help us find Mom…" She trailed off. "His parents would like to know how their only son died. They deserve to know."

I traced the patterns on my comforter. I wanted Cheryl to believe that the abstract patterns on the sheet had me enthralled so that she would just leave. She didn't.

Instead, she just there in silence. Cheryl wasn't as aggressive as Olivia would have been. She would sit and wait patiently until I said something, even if it took all night.

"Can I talk to Nicole?" I asked.

I noticed her eyebrows pull together ever so slightly. I didn't even realize that my words would insult her.

"Evelyn, I know we don't really talk as much," Cheryl started, "but—"

"It's not you, Cheryl," I assured her. "It's just that I'd talked to Nicole before about some issues I'd been having and I just…"

Cheryl nodded, seeming to understand. "I'll go get her, but you and I are going to have to talk eventually."

"I know, we will," I promised.

Nicole walked into my room about two minutes later. She took her time shutting the door carefully behind her. She walked over to me and sat cross-legged on my bed.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" she finally asked when I didn't say anything.

I took a sip of hot chocolate. Normally, I would've loved it. When my dad was alive, he used to make it for me every night. But right now it tasted as plain as water.

"Lucas killed him. Juana was there. I don't know how Ethan ended up with the two of them. By the time I got there, he was already fighting," I explained.

"Did you try to help him?" she asked.

I closed my eyes before answering. I didn't want to say it. We sat in silence for a full minute.

"Did you?" she pressed.

"Yes, but Anthony stopped me." My voice broke; the tears were starting to well up in my eyes.

I was surprised to see that Nicole hadn't moved. She just sat and stared at me for a while. "I'm sorry, did you say that Anthony pulled you back?"

I nodded miserably.

"Anthony, the one who you vouched for, who you've been dating helped Lucas kill Ethan," she confirmed.

I nodded again. She was doing a good job stacking up the guilt.

"And may I ask why your precious vampire was in an alliance with Lucas. Do you even know?" I hated her sarcasm. I'd flinched when she'd called him "my precious vampire."

I refused to look at her. "Lucas is Anthony's uncle. Lucas is the one who changed Anthony and his brothers," I mumbled softly.

I couldn't believe that Nicole hadn't lost her composure yet. "You're going to have to tell everyone about this." My head snapped up. I knew I would have to, but not tonight. I couldn't do it tonight.

I decided that now was not the time to feel sorry for myself. I'd screwed up big time, and now I had to fix it. "Okay," I said. "I'll tell everyone."

Nicole just looked at me for a minute. She seemed to be thinking really hard about something. Finally, she sighed. "I really shouldn't be doing this…but maybe you don't have to tell them. At least, not yet."

My eyes widened. Did she really just say that? "What?"

"I can tell Cheryl that you found out that Lucas is working with his nephews without saying anything about your history with Anthony. We can find Mom, and take care of all the vamps, and then we can figure out what to tell everyone. Fair enough?"

I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to think about what she meant about "taking care of all the vamps." I finally just hugged her. "Thanks, Nicky."

"Yeah, I know, you owe me one after all of this is over. Now go to sleep."

***

It was sunny outside on the day of Ethan's funeral. I'd stayed in my room since he'd died. My sisters came and gave me my meals. At first, I'd been surprised that Cheryl and Olivia were putting up with me, but I figured that Nicole most likely had something to do with that. Nicole hadn't tried to talk to me since that night when she'd told me that we could keep my huge mistake a secret.

I spent a lot time thinking about everything, trying to put together the pieces and see how I'd manage to overlook the fact that I'd been dating an evil, cruel vampire. What was worse was that I couldn't get angry. I wanted to hate Anthony. I wanted the pain to turn into rage so that I'd be able to go after him and kill him. So many girls would love the chance to be able to kill the guy that did them wrong, but here I have the opportunity, but I knew that if I ever saw him I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself from crying.

I put on the black dress Cheryl had given me yesterday. I'd been contemplating whether or not I'd be able to go to the funeral. I was sure I'd fall apart.

I didn't like this feeling weak thing. It didn't suit me. It wasn't the way I raised. Hunters didn't cry at funerals. I was certain that even Ethan's mother wouldn't cry. Death was part of what we hunters did, there was no avoiding it. When someone died, we had to move on, or we wouldn't survive.

Cheryl must have guessed what I was thinking because she was stern with me for the first time when she handed me the dress. "I know you're going through something right now," she began. "But you're going to that funeral whether you want to or not. No excuses. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I mumbled.

I looked at the clock. There was still another hour before, we'd need to leave. Ethan's parents wanted the funeral to be small. Only hunters would be there.

I replayed the day in my head, dragging out the events that had led up to Ethan's death. I shouldn't have let him go alone. I was stupid. I'd wanted to go with Nicole to see Anthony. I lied down on my bed and put the pieces of the puzzle together until I came up with a story that was plausible.

If Anthony and his brothers were working with Juana all along, that meant that Eric and Anthony most likely left with Juana. I always wondered where Eric was during all of this. Where did he fit into the plan? They probably figured that they should leave Mark with Emily so that he could slow down Nicole and me.

Of course, there was always Emily to consider. I couldn't make myself think that she helped them in any way. But, there was always the possibility. She called me several times after Ethan died, but I never answered.

There were a couple of things that did make sense, though. Like why Anthony and his brothers had looked so worried when I'd said Lucas' name. They were scared I'd find out their secret. Then there was the fact that Anthony had showed up pretty much the same time that Lucas had made his reappearance. I was so pissed at myself for being tricked so thoroughly.

Nicole walked into my room. "Hey, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, isn't it kind of early thought?" We weren't supposed to be leaving for another thirty minutes.

"Have you thought about how Emily could be involved in all of this?" she asked.

"I've thought about it, but I really have no idea. She never seemed evil, but neither did Anthony or his brothers."

"Well, we'll deal with Lucas and all his little minions first. Then we'll have to let the Administratio deal with Emily," she decided.

Her solution bothered me. I didn't think that Emily was helping Anthony or his brothers in any way. She was always so worried and on edge. It was possible that she found something out about them when, she was living with them. I guess it was also possible that Juana messed with her mind since she was the one who turned her. Although why Juana turned her instead of killing her in the first place was a mystery. Unless, of course, she knew that she would get Emily's powers.

Ugh, I felt like screaming. This was all so confusing.

Nicole and I traded theories about what Lucas' master plan was, but we still couldn't come up with anything concrete.

"Maybe I should call Emily," I said.

Nicole shook her head. "I think I'd rather you didn't have any contact with anyone in that house for a while."

"Why?" I asked. "They tricked me, I get that now, but if I talk to Emily we might be able to find out something helpful."

"Unless she's in with them now, and she leads us on a wild goose chase, or into a trap," Nicole reminded me.

I sighed. "Well, what do we do then?"

"We're going to have to stick to more conventional methods." My sister ran a hand through her blond hair. She was probably getting a headache just like me.

Cheryl and Olivia came into the room. "Oh, so you're finally talking to people?" Olivia said to me.

I didn't say anything, but both Cheryl and Nicole gave her a weary look. "Evelyn, Ethan's parents are going to want to talk to you," Cheryl warned me carefully.

"I figured they would," I said. "It's fine, I'll talk to them."

Cheryl smiled, pleased that I wasn't going to put up a fight. "Everybody ready to leave?"

I was right about the funeral. Nobody cried, not even Ethan's parents. I managed to hold myself up. The entire service seemed surreal to me. I barely heard all the good things that were said about Ethan.

After they buried Ethan, we went over to Ethan's house. I flinched when his mother called me over. "Evelyn? Can I talk to you for a minute?" she'd said.

Ethan's mother, Caroline, was a woman of contrasts. She was short and blond and seemed motherly. Her voice was high pitched, almost overly sweet. Her hair was kept short and fell just past her face. She was seventy-one years old, but she looked thirty. When she called me over she had a fake smile plastered across her face.

"Greg and I have wanted to talk to you for a while now," she began. Greg was Ethan's father.

"I know, I'm sorry. Things are bad right now and I just…" I stopped. I really had no idea what I was saying. I should have thought about my story before coming. "Didn't Nicole tell you what happened?"

The smile disappeared from her face. "Yes, but I'd like to hear it first hand from you. I deserve to know what happened to my son, don't you think?" Her pursed lips and hard glare looked so out of place on what would have otherwise been a sweet face.

I nodded. "Ethan had left by himself. I met up with him after a while. I found him fighting with Lucas, and I wasn't able to stop Lucas from killing him."

Caroline just looked at me. "And that's all you can tell me?" I didn't like the way she scrutinized my face. It was like she could tell I was lying.

"That's all that happened," I responded. "Now, I think I should go home."

"Fine," she said curtly. "I'll call you if I have any more questions, and I'm sure Greg is going to want to talk to you later."

"Sure, no problem," I said, hoping she wouldn't catch how rushed the words came out.

I teleported back to the cemetery and found Ethan's grave. I didn't know why I was here. I just felt like I needed to go. I'd been barely coherent throughout the service. The more I stared at his tombstone, the more I felt like my insides were ripping apart.

"There you are!" I jumped when I heard someone talking to me. "Do you know how long I've been trying to contact you? I was getting worried that something happened to you too." Eric said to me.

I saw him and the rage I'd wanted to feel finally boiled up. I didn't know how I would hold up if I saw Anthony, but for now I could definitely take out my feelings on Eric.

Eric was about a foot away from me now. I didn't even think about it when I kicked him hard in the chest so that he fell on the floor and turned invisible.

"What the hell?" he gasped, standing up. "Evelyn?"

I punched him and the pushed him back on the ground again. At first, he just grasped at air, but then suddenly he managed to get a hold on my hair and he yanked it back.

"Ah!" I screamed and I lost my shield of invisibility. He held on to my arms tightly, giving me no opportunity to get away him.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Eric asked.

"Let go of me." I struggled against him without success.

Eric stared at me strangely for a minute. "Have you talked to Anthony recently? I haven't seen him since we left to get Juana a few days ago. I've been trying to get a hold of you. Emily told me you weren't answering your phone. She's really worried."

I stopped my attempt to fight him while he still held me firmly. What did he take me for? He didn't really think I'd fall for some stupid trick after what Anthony did, did he?

"Let go of me," I repeated. I wondered briefly if he would kill me now.

"Evelyn, what's wrong? Why are you trying to fight me?" he asked. I had to give it to him, he was a good actor. He looked honestly confused. Although, where he thought it would get him was beyond me.

"Because you're a vampire, and I am a vampire hunter. I thought it was obvious," I said in response to his question.

"Evelyn, are you out of your mind? I'm not going to hurt you. Now, do you anything at all about Anthony?" He was still holding me tightly, but his grip was gentler now. I think he was trying to get me to trust him, as if that was ever going to happen.

"I have no idea where Anthony is. The last time I saw him, he was helping your uncle – the one who killed my father, by the way – kill my best friend, along with Juana. I left after that event with the desire to never see him or you ever again," I said the words sharply.

Eric continued to look confused. I wondered when he was going to drop whatever game it was that he was trying to play. "Anthony wouldn't kill your friend, Evelyn. He loves you."

I laughed a sort of hysterical sound. "Yeah, sure. Listen, I am done putting up with all of this crap. I was stupid, I made a mistake. You and your brothers completely fooled me, but that won't be happening anymore."

"Look, I know you think that Anthony did something wrong, but I'm sure there's an explanation for—"

"No," I cut him off. "I don't think anything. I saw with my own two eyes. And then I think I recall him slapping me across the face too. He used me for whatever nefarious plot it is that you guys have cooked up with your uncle. Now, for the last time, let go of me."

Finally, Eric released me. "He hit you?"

I rolled my eyes. "When are you going to give up this clueless little act?"

"When are you going to realize I'm not acting? Evelyn, we never lied to you. We're not evil," Eric said.

I rolled my eyes again. I was about to speak, but he stopped me.

"What about Emily? Are you just going to abandon her? Do you have any clue how worried she is about you? I wish I could be with her right now, but I promised her I would find out if you were okay. She wanted to come herself, but I convinced her it was too dangerous," Eric sounded like he was begging a little. I was beginning to think I'd underestimated how he felt about Emily.

"Well you can tell her I'm fine, and now I'm leaving."

I turned and froze. Standing, just a few feet away, was Anthony.

And the suspense drags on. So do you guys have any theories? I'd love to hear them. Think about the possibilities. Did Eric set Evelyn up? Is Anthony the only one who's evil out of him and his brothers? Or is it something entirely different going on here? The next update will be this week, I promise.