Authors Note / Disclaimer: See Part 1.

"Has anyone figured out why she's laughing yet?" Cy asked from the edge of the couch.

"Yes, I know why she's laughing. Selene was apprenticed to Amelia deVorjac in the first few years of her sire's hibernation. In that time Amelia taught her about the dark side of the occult ways in which vampires live. One of the things she was introduced to was the idea of immortals that had neither the Lycan nor Vampire strain in their bloodstream. These immortals are only known as 'The Old Ones', and are born among normal humans from a recessive gene found in only a dozen or so of the original bloodlines."

Selene was kneeling on the floor in attempt to catch her breath, and windedly asked, "And how did you know Amelia?"

Anna smiled genuinely. "Amelia is my Aunt, not by blood relation of course, and was a good friend of my mother. Our namesake, actually. She will be aggrieved that the mother of her prodigy is to be buried so soon."

Selene snorted derisively at the friendly, almost adoring tone Anna used. "How can she be aggrieved when she is greeting your mother in the afterlife?"

Shocked, Anna pulled Selene to her feet by the back of her stiff leather collar. "Explain yourself! Amy will not meet Amelia for several years, how can she be dead?"

Selene attempted to pry the fingers away from her collar, but stopped and glared at Anna. "Look, all I know is that Amelia was assassinated six days ago by a group of Lucian's men, and drained of her lifeblood." Anna released her collar as she blanched. "She was taken and given a proper burial by Alexander Corvinus, before his own death."

Anna dropped back onto her heels, "Grandfather is dead?"

"Grandfather?" Amy was confused by the conversation. She knew that mom had a best friend named Amelia, and that she was moving overseas, but could she have been an Elder of a coven of vampires? She remembered meeting her once, an elegant beauty shrouded in dark shadows and strange scents. But she knew for a fact her grandparents were all long gone.

Anna slid slowly down the wall she was crouched against. They were all gone. Her family. Grandfather, Amelia, her blood. Her brother was a hybrid, and she herself untainted and confused by the on goings. Amelia, her link to the occult world, her second mother, dead. How was this possible?

"Aunt Amy was Amelia deVorjac?" Michael was pale, and shaking. Selene stared, perplexed at the pair's reaction.

Michael shook with the intensity of the memories. Ones he had seen before, but this time he noticed his aunt standing next to Viktor and Markus. So out of place; her expression cold and hard as she watched Sonja scream out for her husband's release, but Michael saw something in the memories that Lucian never realized. Amelia was crying. Tears of blood dripped down her face onto… manacled hands? Michael's head whipped up towards the older version of his sister. "He didn't know."

Anna begun to weep silently. "Amelia cared for Sonja as a daughter. Lucian thought she had abandoned Sonja when they were married, and she was the one who informed Viktor of his daughter's treason. He wanted her dead, just as much as he longed for Viktor's death."

Selene stared openly. The teens and Janet were beyond confused. Ian, sat entranced by the horrible and foreboding events. Amy was caught up in the confusion of the last day, and the appearance of the woman who seems to be the last puzzle piece in a long line of unmatched variants.

"The day that Viktor was told of his daughter's marriage and pregnancy, Amelia was at the coast arranging for Lucian's freedom and safe passage to England. Viktor sent riders to intercept her and her guards, and she was arrested for treason. He forced her to watch her niece be tortured, and then hear the screams as she was burned alive. Viktor returned, bloodied, and told her of Lucian's escape, and her punishment. He could not kill her, for she was a coven Elder, but he could lock her away. And he did. It puzzles me how no one asked about the timing of Sonja's and the beginning of the century long cycles of sleep."

Selene saw the puzzle pieces coming together. "Markus sided with Amelia against Viktor, didn't he?"

"Yes. Markus realized too late that Viktor was insane and too cruel for a position of such power, so he went against Viktor's wishes and attempted to liberate Amelia. Viktor imprisoned him as well. If either of them was awake during the next century, your family would not have been killed, there would have been no war, and the covens would be united. Amelia learned of all of this when she was awoken, and in her century of power, she planned. She would awaken Markus, and Viktor would be killed, and there would be a treaty with the Lycans."

"But that's not what happened." Selene was in shock. It all could have been different. "Kraven double crossed the coven, as well as the clan, and Amelia was killed as her transport arrived, and Lucian, Viktor, as well as at least a hundred immortals were killed."

Ian jumped to his feet and ran from the house. The door swinging half off the hinges, Amy ran to the doorway, but he was already too far into the woods. She dropped down to her knees, leaning her head onto the doorframe, half listening to the horror unfolding.

Anna grimaced in pain, but she needed to hear the rest. "And Gra… Alexander Corvinus?"

Selene continued with a sad grimace, "I had turned Michael into a hybrid, and he fought off Viktor. I… I took his head. Sometime after, Markus was accidentally awoken with Lycan blood and was hybrid. He killed Kraven and destroyed the entire coven."

Anna grinned, "What about that selfish bitch Erika."

Selene grinned with her. "She was dumped by Kraven and disappeared. Alexander was alerted by this and collected the bodies for proper burial. He tracked Michael and me down to protect the lock to William, Markus's brother's, prison. Markus killed him, but not before he made me drink from his blood." She shuffled her feet. "I'm really not sure what it did to me, but I'm no longer a pure vampire."

Anna sat, mouth agape. "He's passed it on. By the gods, Selene, do you have any idea what you are?"

Selene was stunned by this reaction. "Not really, no."

For Anna, all the pieces were sliding together. "We need to talk." She stood, and held out a hand to the still sitting Selene. "I need to explain some things, away from the others. We must go," Selene grabbed Anna's hand, expecting to be pulled up, but instead realized that Anna was focusing on something. "What are you…" there was a tugging sensation, and Selene was tugged… somewhere else.

"Welcome to my home."