I'm really sorry for not uploading something sooner. I always say I'll upload as soon as I can, but it never seems soon enough for me. I really hope this will make it a little better. I'm finally on summer break right now, so I don't have to worry about school. So hopefully I can upload sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed. *crosses fingers* Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter and please review. I love reading your guys comments. :)

Disclaimer - I don't anything from the Night World series. I do own Hazel, Zander, and Duncan.

Hazel

I laugh. "Did I really just say that?"

Zander nods and smiles. "Yes, you did, and I'm glad you did," he says.

I groan and hide my face in his shirt. "I'm never going to live this down." I look up at him. "If you tell anyone I said that, I will kill you, soulmate or not," I threaten.

Zander laughs. "My lips are sealed, but now you have to actually like me," he jokes.

I punch his arm, playfully. "Hey, you don't have to reduce to violence," he says, spinning me around.

I squeak and blush at the sound I just made. I groan again. "Why am I acting like such a girl?"

Zander looks me up and down. "Maybe because you are one? You are a girl, right?" he answers.

I glare at him. "I know that. I mean, why do I have to act like this around you? I really don't like it," I say, crossing my arms.

Zander looks down at me and smiles. "But I like the way you're acting. It's kind of cute," he laughs.

I try not to smile, but fail. "Okay, but I'm only going to act like that around you."

Zander kisses me. "Deal."

We continue to talk until I yawn and Zander walks me back to my room. We stop outside my door and stare at each other. Silence surrounds us in the dark hallway. I'm lost in thought when Zander breaks the silence.

"We're going to get her back. Everything's going to be fine," he whispers.

I just nod and head into my room. I close the room behind me and lean against it. I sigh and close my eyes. I hear Zander walk away from the door. My eyes start to water and I force myself not to cry, but it doesn't work. Tears fall down my cheeks and I start to sob. I crawl over to my bed and climb into it. I wipe my eyes and pull the covers up to my chin.

I close my eyes and before I drift off to sleep I whisper, "I hope you're right, Zander."

"Kill him."

"You need to kill him."

"Kill him!"

I sit up in bed, looking around frantically. I sigh when I realize it was just a dream. I shiver and see that the window is open. I get out of bed to close it when I notice it's morning. I close the window and head over to the closet to see if there are any clothes.

I open the door and find three pairs of jeans, a jacket, five shirts, and some flats. I put on a new pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt, and the flats. I head downstairs and find Thierry and Hannah in the room where we talked yesterday.

"It's okay. You just need to tell her," I hear Hannah say just before I enter the room.

"Tell me what?" I ask, looking from Hannah to Thierry.

Thierry and Hannah both look at me. When no one says anything, I ask again. Still, no one answers me.

"What do you need to tell me?" I say through clenched teeth, trying to stay calm.

Thierry sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He sits down in a chair and I do the same. He looks at me and I know something is wrong.

"What happened?" I whisper.

He sighs again. "Duncan contacted me last night-"

"What?!" I yell, interrupting him.

He holds up a hand to silence me. "He contacted me. He said he was surprised and yet not at all that I wasn't dead yet. He told me that since I wasn't dead yet and that you hadn't returned, he had. . ." he trailed off.

"He had what?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"That he had already killed your mother. He told me to inform you that you didn't need to continue and that you should go home," Thierry finishes.

I freeze. My vision tunnels and everything slows down. I sit there, staring at my hands, not knowing what to do. I feel like I'm a thousand miles away and yet still in the room. My feet feel heavy, but my arms feel so light.

I look around and realize I'm crying. It feels like hours pass, but I can't be sure. Then, suddenly, someone wraps their arms around me. I think it's Hannah, but when I look up, Zander's face stares back at me. I try to smile, but can't. I sob harder and lean my head against his chest. He rocks me back and forth.

Then, I wake up in my room. I sit up slowly and look around. I put my head in my hands.

"Was it all a dream?" I whisper.

"I'm sorry, but it wasn't," a voice answers me.

I look up and see Zander standing at the foot of my bed. I stare at him and he nods. My eyes begin to water again and he's suddenly sitting next to me. He takes my hand in his and gives it a squeeze. He wraps me in his arms and rests his head on the top of my head.

"I'm sorry, but it did happen," he whispers into my hair.

"But that doesn't mean it's true," I whisper back.

He pulls away and looks me in the eyes. "Why would Duncan pretend your mom was dead?"

I straighten my shoulders, feeling more confident. "I think he wants me to continue. He thinks I won't give up even if he says my mom is dead. He wants me to find her, so he can get to me."

Zander looks at me, confused. "But why would he want to do that? Why does he want you?"

"For my powers, I think. He wants to use my magic for something," I answer.

Zander falls silent. He looks away and doesn't say anything. Then, he turns back to me and nods. "If you believe your mom is still alive, then I think so, too. I'll help you find her."

I smile and hug Zander. He laughs and wraps his arms around me. I sigh into him and he squeezes me. I wish we could stay like that forever, but eventually he pulls away.

I stare at his green eyes. "What?" he asks.

I blush and look away. "It's nothing."

He makes me look at him. "What is it?" he asks.

I sigh. "I just. . .I wanted to know about your past."

Zander's eyes grow dark and he looks away. "Oh."

I put my hand on his. "You don't have to tell me. If it's hard, I can wait," I say.

He turns back to me. "No, I can tell you. It's just. . .It is a little hard to talk about." He pauses. "What do you want to know?"

I think about it for a second. "Well, um, why did Thierry change you?"

He runs a hand through his hair. "Well, you know that I hadn't been changed until recently."

I nod.

"I got mixed up with some dangerous people. I needed to make some money, so I put out an ad that said I would do any job anyone had as long as they would pay me. I did a few jobs like mow someone's lawn or walk someone's dog. But then someone sent me an email saying they would pay me two thousand bucks if I did something for them."

He trails off and shivers. I rest a hand on his arm, trying to comfort him. He lays his hand over mine and smiles. Then he continues.

"So I went to the address to see what the job was. It was at this warehouse, so I thought the job would be like moving something heavy or checking inventory or something. I went in and was attacked. It was a bunch of rogue vampires. The leader said he would pay me two thousand bucks if I let them drink from me. I refused, but they drank from me away. It was after the fourth vampire that drank from me before Thierry came. He staked all of them and then tried to help me. I had already lost a lot of blood, so he turned me. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him."

I sigh. "Wow."

"Yeah. But that wasn't the worst that happened," Zander says.

I look at Zander. "What? What happened after that?" I ask, scared.

"Apparently, the rogues knew where I lived. The leader had gone to the warehouse, but he had sent some other vampires to my house. When the others found out the ones at the warehouse were dead, they attacked my parents. When I finally got home, they were dead. They had been drained. Thierry didn't want me staying there since I was a newly turned vampire. He helped me through the transition. He told the police that my parents had been murdered and he was the one who got me emancipated. I have my own place back in town, but I live here at the mansion on weekends and during breaks to help Thierry out."

Zander stops and I know he's done. I don't know what to say. I squeeze Zander's hand, trying to make him feel better.

"I know you've probably heard this a million times before, but. . .I'm sorry."

He smiles. "It's better when you say it."

I laugh and lean my head on his shoulder. We fall into a comfortable silence. We sit there, enjoying each other's presence.

"Zander?" I say.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I met you."

He laughs. "I'm glad I met you."

I yawn. "I think it's time for you to get some rest," Zander says.

I nod, suddenly sleepy. I lie down on the pillows and close my eyes. Zander tucks me in and kisses my forehead. I smile, knowing he's staring at me. I hear him turn the lights off and leave the room. The door clicks shut behind him and I fall asleep.

"Hazel," someone whispers.

"Wake up."

"Get up, Hazel."

I groan and open my eyes. I gasp when I look around. I'm on the roof of a house made of stone. I get up off the ground and walk to the railing. The house is on a beach and the sun is starting to set. I look around frantically, seeing if anyone else is around. When I don't see anyone, I sit down on a stone bench.

That's when I realize I'm in a dress. It's white and doesn't have any sleeves. It's flowy and feels like it's made of silk. I feel my hair and it's in a bun. I get up and yell.

"Is anyone here?!"

"I'm here," someone says behind me.

I spin around and glare at him.

"Duncan."

He smiles at me. "You look beautiful," he says, trying to seem flirty.

I cross my arms and continue to glare at him. "What's going on, Duncan?" I demand.

He throws his head back and laughs. "I guess my charm doesn't work here."

I snort. "What charm?"

He glares at me, and then clears his throat. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing here," he says, his voice disgustingly smooth.

"Yeah, I'm wondering a lot of things. Like why am I dressed like this, or how did I get here. Oh, let's not forget what the hell is going on?!"

Duncan shakes his head. "You always did get a little feisty when you got mad." I open my mouth to retort, but he holds up a hand. I close my mouth and let him continue, restraining myself from ripping him apart.

"You are dreaming right now. We are in your dream, or I should say I'm in your dream. I wanted to show you something," he says.

I stare at him, curious. He waves his hand and an image starts to appear in front of him. It's a little fuzzy, so I squint to try to see it better. The image starts to focus and I gasp.

My mom is tied up and gagged in a room. There's a little light, but it wouldn't matter. Something is tied around her eyes, so she can't see either. She struggles against the binds, but it doesn't seem to be working.

I reach for her, wanting to help, but the image shimmers and fades away. My eyes start to water, but I swallow back the tears.

"Aw, little Hazel is about to cry," Duncan laughs.

"Shut the hell up!" I scream at him.

He laughs even more. I jump at him, ready to kill him, but he's really fast. I stop and look around, adrenaline running through my system.

"You can't touch me here, Hazel. I know more about this world than you do," Duncan says from behind me.

I whirl around and try to attack him again, but he dodges again. He laughs and I fall to my knees. Tears stream down my face.

I scream. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

Duncan's voice echoes around me. "Because it's fun. Tick tock, Hazel. You don't have a lot of time."

His voice fades away, but echoes within my mind. I sit there crying, not knowing what to believe. My tears turn to sobs and I wipe my face. My bun came undone and my hair falls in my face.

"I'm going to find you, Mom. I will find you."

Then, I collapse and everything goes dark.

I wake up in my room in my own clothes. It's just me in the room. I look out the window and see it's still night. I get out of bed and walk over to the window. I stare at the moon, trying to get rid of the last bits of my dream.

I lean against the windowsill and sigh. The wind blows my hair back and I smile.

"I know, Grandma. I'll do a spell."

I head downstairs and find a blue candle and some matches. I go back to my room and set the candle under the window. I sit down in front of it and light a match.

"O Goddess within; O God within. O Goddess of the Moon, the Waters, and the Earth. O God of the Sun, the Forests, and the Mountains. I need to feel your presence. I need to be reminded. Assist me to remember. Show me the key that will show me the way," I say before I light the candle.

I stare at the flame and say, "With the light of the moon and the flame of this candle, let my dreams show me the truth. Blessed be."

I put the candle out and sit in the moonlight for a few more minutes. When I'm done with the spell, I take the candle and put it in the closet. I put the matches on one of the nightstands. Focusing on my dreams, I crawl into bed and close my eyes. A few minutes later, I fall asleep.

I wake up on the roof again, but this time I'm not a dress. I look around, but don't see Duncan anywhere. I give a sigh of relief when I don't feel his presence either. I walk to the center of the roof and sit down.

I stare up at the sky and start another spell. "Show me the truth. Show me what cannot be seen. With the power of the moon and her light, show me what I wish to see. Blessed be the way."

An image forms in front of me. It's like the one that appeared with Duncan. My mom is tied up and gagged in a room with very little light. She's blindfolded and there doesn't seem to be a door anywhere in the room.

"Show me, please," I whisper, shutting my eyes.

Light pours from the image and the scene changes. I open my eyes and see a house on a hill at night. There's the sound of the ocean nearby. The hill has green grass on it. A path leads up to the house. The house is very old. It seems to be made of gray stone.

"Please, show me more," I plead. But that's when I woke up.

Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it and please review. I really appreciate it. Thanks :)