Hello my beautiful, wonderful, most fantastical readers. So, here I was yesterday all ready and excited to update for you good people, and when I go to post I get this lovely message saying that the document manager was down and that I should try back in a few minutes. Apparently by "a few minutes" they really meant tomorrow because I kept trying and it kept on telling me the same thing. So after glaring at the computer screen for a while, I realized that it did not feel the heat of my anger so I gave up and went to bed. But, I am updating now! :) I loved hearing your theories, and I am very proud of those of you who got it right. I did try to hint at the answer as much as possible. Anyways, as per usual, your reviews were wonderful. I'm thrilled that you all enjoy my writing. Would you guys believe that someone threatened to bite me if I didn't update soon? I am both a little creeped out and very flattered. I hope you all enjoy!

My entire body froze, completely against my wishes, of course, when I saw him standing there. I closed my eyes for a second. I could do this. I could be strong. I would not make any more mistakes with him.

I forced myself to look him straight in the eye. "Are you here to kill me now?" I asked coolly.

It bothered me that he wasn't looking at me with the same cold expression that I remembered from the night Ethan had died. It would have been so much easier to hate him if he looked like that. Right now, he just had a pained expression. "Evelyn," he whispered softly.

"Where have you been?" Eric asked him. "Do you know what I went through trying to find you? And why does Evelyn think you hit her?"

Anthony completely ignored his brother, keeping his eyes on me. "We need to talk," he said.

"There's nothing to talk about," I said. I glanced around at the crosses and tombstones that filled the cemetery. "Is your uncle here? The least you could do is warn me."

Eric looked back and forth between us. "Why would Lucas be here?"

We ignored him. "Evelyn," Anthony tried again. "I would never hurt you."

I rolled my eyes. "Too late."

I didn't understand why he wasn't attacking me. I began sizing up him and Eric the way I should have done the first time I'd ever seen them – like they were my enemies.

"Okay, obviously you guys aren't going to pay any attention to me. I'm going to get Mark and Emily," Eric told Anthony. He kept his eyes on me, like he was worried.

"No," I said. I couldn't see Emily now. I still hadn't figured out what I was going to do about her.

"She wants to know that you're safe," Eric said. He didn't stay to argue with me, he just left. He was fast, even for a vampire.

"Evelyn, please just give me a minute," Anthony begged when we were alone. I didn't say anything. I just kept my body tense, waiting for the attack I'm sure he was building up. "Think about it, vampires can control the vampires they turn. Juana has been messing with Emily's mind. Lucas turned me…"

I stared at him and let that sink in. Lucas turned Anthony. He could make Anthony do anything he wanted. That meant that Anthony really didn't hurt me. He'd had no control over what he was doing. I wanted to smack myself. He hadn't lied. He was good. How could I have been so stupid that I couldn't put that together?

Because you never really trusted him, some strange, evil voice said in my head. No, that wasn't it, I argued with the voice. It makes sense, the voice said, you're natural enemies. No, that wasn't it. We'd been making it work, things had gone well for us. You mean before or after Ethan died?

Damn that voice. I wanted to run and kiss Anthony, the way they did it in the movies. I wanted him to comfort me.

No, the rational voice that'd I'd ignored for so long said. I shook off the immediate desire to forgive him, to try and move on from here. I couldn't just go back to the way things were.

"You never told me Lucas was your uncle," I accused. "Even after you found out he was the one who killed my father."

"I wanted to, Evelyn, but I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to wait till we'd have the chance to be alone together, but we never were. Things kept getting in the way."

I shook my head. "We can't keep doing this. If I'd done what I was supposed to do in the first place – treat you like an enemy – my best friend wouldn't be dead right now. We're done."

I was proud of myself. I didn't cry or stutter, and my voice remained strong.

I didn't even have time to flinch when, all of a sudden, a knife whizzed past my face, missing it by an inch. Anthony managed to catch it before it was able to plunge into is heart.

I looked behind me and saw Ethan's mother, Caroline, step out of her hiding place. She looked at me in disgust. "I knew something was up with you. Just wait till the Administratio finds out."

I looked at her in shock for a moment. "Caroline, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you, you little traitor. I wanted to find out something useful, and now I have."

I'd always had the feeling that Ethan's mother never liked me. I'd never thought that she downright hated me – well, except for right now – but I made tons of mistakes and there were times where I'd drag Ethan down with me. If I hadn't come from such a powerful family, I don't think she would have put up with my friendship with Ethan for so long.

Caroline had all of her attention focused on Anthony. I'd looked back and forth between them. I'd have to pick a side. I'd just told Anthony it was over, that he was enemy, and in theory, that was a simple concept. Actually putting my words into action was much, much more difficult.

Caroline already had two more knives out. She tossed one to me and then looked back to Anthony. If Caroline was in a fair fight with Anthony, I was one hundred percent sure that she would lose. As a hunter, Caroline was not particularly strong. Her power was X-ray vision, which was useful for sneaking around and finding out information, as well as other covert practices. It really wasn't much help to her during one on one fighting, and I knew she rarely, if ever hunted alone.

Regardless of the odds, Ethan was her son and the vampire who was partially responsible for his death was standing in front of her, so she would kill him or die trying.

Caroline gripped the hilt of her knife so tightly, her knuckles were white. She seemed to give herself five seconds of mental preparation before lunging at Anthony. He didn't move an inch.

Before Caroline could make contact with Anthony she was knocked out of the way. Suddenly Eric was standing in front of Anthony. "Are you crazy?" he asked his brother. "You could have at least moved."

Mark came and stood next to them. Emily was standing further off. I tried to communicate a GET OUT OF HERE! look to her, but she just shook her head. Ugh, she really did have a death wish.

Caroline was glaring furiously at Eric. She knew what her chances were. She had to sense how powerful they were. Eric and Mark stood in front of Anthony in defensive positions. They wouldn't attack, but they would defend their brother if they had to.

I saw her gaze flicker to Emily for just a second before she returned her attention to the brothers.

"Guys, relax, I'll take care of this," Anthony said. "Go back to Emily."

Eric and Mark didn't move.

I decided this was the time for me to intervene. I didn't want this to get ugly. "Calm down," I said. "No one's going to fight. We were just leaving."

"No we're not," Caroline said. She pointed to Anthony. "If you kill him, I will make sure the Administratio doesn't punish you for your most recent escapades." Clearly, she'd figured out that Anthony wasn't going to do anything to stop me.

There was only one way for her to ensure that I wouldn't get in trouble – she would have to keep my secret. I didn't even consider it. "No, Caroline, they're powerful. And they out number us." I tried to appeal to reason.

She just glared at me.

I looked at Eric and unlike Emily, he heeded my GET OUT OF HERE! look. It took all three seconds for him, his brothers, and Emily to disappear from sight.

"You little traitor," Caroline snarled at me. Her high pitched voice sounded wrong when it tried to convey anger. "Get home, right now."

I teleported to the living room of my house and found Cheryl and Olivia sitting there. "Where's Nicole?" I asked just as she was walking in.

"Where have you been?" Cheryl asked me. "You can't just disappear like that, Evelyn. Especially now, with everything that's going on."

"Sorry," I mumbled as Caroline teleported in.

"You have no idea how much trouble you're going to be in," she hissed at me. "You're father's probably rolling in his grave because his daughter is dating a vampire."

"What?!" Cheryl and Olivia jumped to their feet.

"And not just any vampire," Caroline continued, "the nephew of the vampire who killed him. I feel sorry for your mother because she's going to have to come home to this. I trust I can leave you in your sisters' hands while I tell the Administratio about your little friends."

"Wait a minute, Caroline," Cheryl stopped her. "I don't understand, what's going on? Evelyn wouldn't date a vampire, especially not one that was related to Lucas."

I looked at the floor when I spoke. "I didn't know he was related to Lucas."

Olivia made a sound of disgust. The shock was frozen on Cheryl's face. Nicole kept her face carefully blank.

"Evelyn, why?" Cheryl asked. She had a sad expression now.

I didn't say anything in response. What could I possibly say? I was sure the words "I fell in love with him" would not go over well.

"The Administratio needs to find out now," Caroline insisted. "I'm going to speak with them. I would suggest making sure your sister doesn't leave the house." With those lovely words, Caroline teleported out of the house.

It was all too easy to be angry with Caroline. I wanted to hate her, but I reminded myself that she had very good reasons to be upset with me. Still, I felt a flicker of rage towards her.

"Are you out of your mind?" Olivia hissed at me. "How do you ever decide that dating a vampire would be a good idea? How could you possibly look at yourself in the mirror and say 'yeah, this feels right?'"

It was a lot easier than she would think. I knew I was going to have to talk soon. I couldn't stay silent forever, but anything I said now would sound wrong. It was too much all at once. I'd let this go too far, and I was so tangled up in my web of lies that there was no way for me to get out of it.

I would be facing some terrible punishment when Caroline finished telling the Administratio about what I'd done, but I didn't feel like talking to my sisters.

Cheryl walked out of the room without a word. "Where are you going?" Olivia asked, outraged that Cheryl seemed to be leaving without yelling at me.

Cheryl returned about a minute later holding a bottle and a glass of water. I saw the bottle and I knew she'd been in our mother's room. Cheryl poured the contents of the bottle into the water which turned a dark, midnight blue color. Olivia relaxed when she saw what Cheryl was doing. Nicole remained unresponsive.

I knew exactly what the liquid was that Cheryl had poured into the water. It was a concoction that hunters had come up with for traitors such as myself. It stopped the ability to teleport, not indefinitely, but considering the amount Cheryl had poured into the water, I wouldn't be teleporting anywhere for about two weeks.

I knew my attempt would futile, but I couldn't just give up my power so easily. So when Cheryl handed me the glass of course I protested. "Cheryl that's not necessary."

Cheryl is one of those nice people who you don't like to upset, not because they're so nice that their pain becomes your pain, but because when they get pissed it's so out of character, it's scary.

"Since you've been sneaking around with the brethren of the vampire who killed out father, clearly it is necessary," my oldest sister growled at me.

I took the glass and slowly put it to my lips. Cheryl was staring me down. She would make sure I drank every drop even if she had to shove it down my throat, I was sure. "Wait," Nicole spoke for the first time. "Is it safe to take away her powers with everything that's been going on? If she comes across Lucas, it's dangerous for her to not have the ability to teleport away."

"Not if she's sucking face with his nephew. I'm sure she could pull a few strings to save her skin," Olivia said.

"Olivia, stop it," Cheryl admonished quietly. "Evelyn, drink it." To Nicole she said, "She won't be going anywhere to have to worry about that any time soon."

I put the glass to my mouth. It was a thick liquid, and it did not go down smoothly. It felt like slime was falling down my throat. I was thankful that it tasted just like water.

"Go to your room, Evelyn," Cheryl ordered.

Without a word, I left to do exactly as she said. There was nothing I wanted more than to be by myself. I knew it wouldn't last long, though. I was certain Nicole would be up here to find out what happened the first chance she got.

If I could, I was going to keep it a secret that Nicole had known what was going on. She'd done a lot to help me, and there was absolutely no reason why she should go down with me.

I threw myself down on my bed. I felt like I should be crying or sulking, but I felt numb. The entire time I'd been dating Anthony I'd known I would get in trouble if the Administratio found out, but my mind had never gone so far as to anticipate exactly what that trouble would be. I had no idea what to expect. I'd never heard another hunter who dated a vampire.

Vampires were damned. That was how hunters viewed them, as evil, damned, demonic creatures. They were stuck with immortality and a sick need for blood and a wicked streak that made them relish death – with the exception of Anthony and his brothers.

We, as hunters, were the enemies who could stop them. We were nothing like them. Our immortality helped us do good. We felt no pleasure from killing and torturing. It was our job, our responsibility to stop them. But that responsibility took so much away.

Hunters were blind to change. They wouldn't ever accept that there could possibly be a good vampire. They wouldn't accept Emily when Caroline confirmed the suspicion that she'd been turned. I didn't know how I could help her now. A zero tolerance policy for all vampires was what made our methods to wipe them out effective. We would continue to fight vampires whether we viewed it as a job, a responsibility, or a liability.

I realized something that the other hunters would never acknowledge. We were damned after all.