The Wizardess and the Vampire, Chapter 7 by patricia51

"She's gone."

"What?" Alex's legs collapsed under her. Theresa was ready for that reaction though. She caught her daughter's arm and guided her to a ready chair.

"But, why?"

"She wrote you, actually all of us, this letter." There was a rustle as the older Russo passed the paper she had been reading to Alex.

"Dear Everyone,

This letter is the most painful thing I have ever had to write. I wish things could be different but they can't. All of you have made me so welcome and so happy. But for reasons I can't explain I find that I am losing my control. I am dreaming about biting Alex and draining her. These dreams seem to be spilling over into real life. I cannot stay here. More than anything Alex I want to be with you but I will not risk your life and by staying here I am doing that. I love you so much.

Juliet."

Alex dropped the letter. She buried her head against her mother and cried. Theresa rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair and comforting her daughter.

"What's wrong?"

Theresa looked over at her husband. With a jerk of her head she indicated the piece of paper that Alex had let fall to the floor. Jerry picked it up and read the letter. By the time he had finished it the Russo boys had joined the rest of the family and the letter was passed to them. They all sat down at the kitchen table and waited in an awkward silence until Alex had stopped crying. They all wanted to comfort her but no one knew what to say.

Alex finally wiped her face and sat up. "I just don't understand it. I don't understand why. I found someone I love and now she's gone." The normally self-assured young wizardess seemed completely lost."

"She IS a vampire after all," Justin thought aloud. "Maybe they can only restrain themselves for so long."

"Not Juliet," Alex corrected her brother. "She's never hurt another person. She told me and I believe her." Nods of agreement answered her, even from Justin. They had all believed the teen vampire's promise.

Silence descended back on the gloomy family. They sat around the table until the most unlikely person spoke up.

"What changed?" Max asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what changed between last week and this one? Last week everything was great. This week it's awful. So what is different now?"

Justin stared off into space. "The only thing I can think of is the visit by Juliet's parents. But that seemed to make her feel better. So what could it..." the oldest Russo sibling broke off in mid sentence. "Max," he tousled his younger brother's hair. "You're a genius!"

"I am?" replied the confused boy.

"He is?" chimed in just about everyone else.

"He is," Justin stated firmly. "What did the Van Heuson's visit change?"

"Juliet's blood supply!"

"Exactly. Somehow, someway, what they brought is causing this. But how?"

"Couldn't some spell examine the blood?" Max piped in again, excited at actually having come up with a good idea for once in his life and trying now for two.

"If we knew what we were looking for yes."

"Well," Jerry studied the letter. "Juliet says that she's having nightmares about biting Alex. And only Alex. Why just her?"

"Juliet is in love with Alex after all," pointed out Theresa.

"Still, you would think that she would dream about biting anyone but Alex."

"Unless..."

"Unless what Justin?"

"The blood. Alex. The hunger. What I remember Alex telling me about their visit to the blood bank It all fits. YES!" yelled Justin.

"Yes what?"

"I'll explain on the way." Justin announced as he slipped open his cell phone.

"The way where?"

"To the Late Nite Bite. Alex, Max get your wands. This is going to need all three of us."

(At The Late Nite Bite)

Juliet Van Heuson morosely cleaned up a just vacated table. She wished there was more to do. The sandwich shop was nearly empty. If there were more customers there would be more for her to do.

At least her parents had gloated too much when she had all but run through the door of the sandwich shop that morning. Oh her father had huffed and puffed and proclaimed that "vampires should stick to their own" and the gleam of satisfaction in her mother's eyes had been unmistakable. But after a few little "I told you so's" they had left her alone.

Alone. That was what she was going to be. She knew her mother was already planning on what nice boys she could introduce her chastised daughter to but that effort would be useless. Juliet loved Alex. That was it. And if she couldn't have the girl she loved she wouldn't have anyone.

The long haired teen blinked back tears and set her jaw firmly. She would NOT give in and cry. Her parents were still watching and she would not give them the satisfaction. Instead she turned and started towards a customer who had requested extra napkins.

As Juliet crossed the room she suddenly stiffened as a wave of magical energy such as she had never felt before swept over her. The complaining customer in front of her froze into immobility. She herself had to use her vampire strength to look around the room. The other humans had stopped in whatever positions they happen to have been in when the magic struck. Their eyes focused on nothing. If they were aware of what was happening she couldn't tell it.

She managed to turn around. Her parents were still moving, but slowly, as slowly as she was. Then there was a familiar scent. It was Alex. But more than Alex. She looked at the stairs. Alex and her two brothers came down those stairs and stopped at the beginning of the shop proper.

Justin stood in the middle. Her beloved Alex was on his right hand and Max was on his left. But she had never seen any of the Russos like this. Energy crackled around them. Their eyes glowed. Alex's hair curled and twisted as though it were alive. All three of them held wands that shimmered with light.

"Alex!" Juliet couldn't help but cry her girlfriend's name. Many emotions ran through that single word. There was longing and sadness and love and a warning all together.

"What do you think you are doing?" her father asked. Surprising Juliet there was no bluster or threat. Instead it was a simple question.

"We've come to get back the missing member of our family." replied Justin.

"What?" her mother nearly screeched. "She's not a part of your family. She's mine. I mean she's ours. Our family."

"Not any longer," replied the oldest Russo child, who was obviously anything BUT a child right now. "She has thrown her destiny with us. When she fell in love with my sister she joined her fate to that of Alex. They are a couple now."

"A couple?" snorted Cindy Van Heuson. "Juliet is a vampire, not a wizard. And she told us how close she came to acting her nature with that little brat there."

"No, NOT her nature." Justin's eyes bored into those of Juliet's mother. Amazingly it was the centuries old vampiress who stepped backwards. "Juliet has always been able to control herself. And she would have had no problem doing so had it not been for you."

Juliet didn't know what Justin was talking about. But the truth rang in his voice. She managed to tear her gaze away from Alex and look at her maternal parent.

"Mother? What is Justin talking about?"

"Nothing! He's crazy!"

"Mrs. Van Heuson I KNOW." Justin answered sternly. "I know how you set Juliet up. Once Max here asked the right question it wasn't hard to figure out. He asked what had changed between last week, when Juliet was fine and this week, with the nightmares and the thirst for Alex. And the answer was the blood Juliet was drinking. The blood that you brought. The blood that included the pint that Alex donated last weekend at the blood bank. I called there and they checked. Oh the blood is still there, but it amazingly has changed types."

"Juliet had mentioned to Alex that it was not a good idea for her to feed from Alex 'lest she be tempted'. My father just called. In addition to Alex's blood the keg you brought had been infused with herbs and a potion that would stir up Juliet's hunger and make her dream and well as pushing her towards actions that she never would have even thought about had she not been drugged."

As Justin spoke the trio of wizards had advanced across the floor until Alex stood next to Juliet. The teen vampire reached out without looking and her fingers found the girl wizard's hand.

"Mother, is this true?"

"What if it is?" her mother burst out. "I was trying to save you. Save you from going against your nature. you are a vampire Juliet and a girl. You should be having nothing to do with a mortal and absolutely nothing to do with another female. That is wrong. All of it."

Juliet shook as her mother began to advance towards them, her gaze going back and forth from her to the girl beside her. The mother's fangs were out and the hunger shone in her eyes. Juliet knew if her mother reached them she would drain Alex and perhaps both boys too.

"Stop." Justin commanded in a calm voice. Her eye bulging with her effort the older female vampire tried to advance but found she was as immobilized as any of the humans.

"You cannot overcome us Mrs. Van Heuson. One wizard you could deal with. Two if Mr. Heuson joined in. But three of us linked together as only siblings can be make us too powerful for even the both of you. And I notice that Mr. Van Heuson seems as surprised as anyone else.

"Cindy." Juliet's father's voice was as deep a growl as she had ever heard. And if her mother's advance had scared her the fury in her father's eyes was terrifying.

"Alucard our daughter is what she is! She's a vampire. A soul or not that is what she will always be."

Juliet found her voice. Clutching her lover's hand she screamed at her mother.

"I wish I wasn't! I wish I wasn't a vampire!"

Thunder and lightning seemed to sweep the room. Juliet felt her body being torn apart and put back together. Only the grip of Alex's hand kept her from falling. As it was the force of the unleashed magic drove her to her knees.

"What happened?" was a chorus from wizards and vampires both. Alex helped Juliet back to her feet and embraced her. After a moment she drew back with wonder in her eyes.

"Juliet? Feel." The girl wizard took the hand she was still holding and lifted two fingers to the brunette's neck and placed them against the Jugular vein.

"What is it?"

"She has a pulse," Alex said, her eyes shinning. "She's alive."

(To Be Continued)