 
TWO BOOKS IN ONE

MOON STRUCK: WHEN WERE & HOWL, BOOK 1

AND

ELEMENTAL RAGE: A TIME TO KILL, BOOK 1
When, Were, & Howl

Episode 1: Moon Struck

Jeanette Raleigh

Copyright by Jeanette Raleigh

May 5, 2011, Revised March 3, 2014

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All rights reserved. Written permission from the author must be secured to use or reproduce any part of this book except for brief excerpts to provide critical review or articles.

Available by Jeanette Raleigh

Elemental Rage Series:

Book 1: A Time to Kill

Book 2: A Time to Die

Book 3: A Time to Rend

Elemental Angel

Book 1: A Time for Peace (A Novella)

Moonlit Madness: The When, Were, & Howl Collection (Books 1 -7)

When, Were, & Howl: Book 1 Moon Struck

When, Were, & Howl: Book 2 Vampires Bite

When, Were, & Howl: Book 3 A Tryst of Fate

When, Were, & Howl: Book 4 A Grave Awakening

When, Were, & Howl : Book 5 Werewolf Wedding

When, Were, & Howl: Book 6 Fate's Dark Glass

When, Were, & Howl: Book 7 Fortune's Deadly Gaze

Dark Visions (Book 1): First Love

Dark Visions (Book 2): Lost Love

The Zombie Cowboy Two-Step

Fallen: A Steampunk Novel

Published as J.B. Raleigh

Death Knell

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Chapter 1

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After a full moon weekend spent locked in the closet for my own safety, I walked into the office on Monday morning to find my monitor broken on the floor with stapler, desk caddy, and papers strewn about. A sane person would think the office had been broken into. A sane person would be wrong.

I clamped down on my anxiety and tried to think of where to start. My brain was still in a muddle while I came down from my animal high. The full moon doesn't lend itself to clear thinking. That's when I heard the noise.

The first sound was a growl, low and deep. That would be my boss, in his office doing...well. I might have been afraid hearing that kind of growl but for the hard bumps that followed and the whine. The man sounded like a wolf even in human form.

Then I heard sloshing kiss sounds and moans, feminine. His moon tryst was still in the office at ten o-clock in the morning?!! I felt a few pity tears rise up and pushed them down hard. No way would Rob see me crying at work. No way in hellooooo...what was that on my desk?

I stepped over my upside-down inbox and stared at the desk, my desk. Claw marks gouged along the top and a few wolf hairs stuck on the corner where someone had chewed up the leg of the desk. I swallowed rage when the woman in the adjoining office giggled. Would this be the rest of my life? I spend the moon night locked away, panicked and terrified only to walk into an office that smelled of wet fur. To top it all off, I have to deal with THIS?

The tears started to flow then, and I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. Rob could do without me for the day. The real estate market had tanked so hard, he could probably do without me for the year, maybe even the decade. Another growl and a giggle and I couldn't get out fast enough.

I must have made noise opening the door because just as I was slipping out, a deep voice bellowed. "Jen, is that you out there?"

Sighing and wiping my face, I smiled just to give my voice the impression that I was in a good mood and called out with as bright a cheer as I could muster. "I'm here."

I heard the sounds of whispered voices and furniture moving. That would be Rob, no doubt looking for his pants or shirt or underwear. After a few seconds, muffled laughter as the woman no doubt realized how badly ripped up her clothes had become. This isn't the first time Rob brought the full moon to the office. But this was the first time I had a front row seat.

Apparently sex on a desk is much more thrilling than out on the lawn. Of all the weres, wolves tend to release more pheromones than the average shifter and are often found humping the nearest leg when it comes to changing shape. I'm not being fair. I've never actually seen a werewolf hump a leg. I've just seen and smelled the office once Rob has finished with it after a full moon.

Rob opened the door, letting the slight blonde with disheveled hair walk out first. That's being too polite—she looked like she put a finger in an electrical outlet. Chivalry is not dead. I think he was hiding behind her. Her blouse was a button off and the woman had to hold the collar to keep her breasts from falling out. I would no doubt find that button when I helped Rob clean his office.

"Hi Jen." Rob smiled, a sweet sheepish smile that would have melted any anger I might have felt on an everyday normal kind of day. Not today. I started shaking, speechless, afraid that if I did say a word, it would start with tears and end with throwing sharp or breakable objects in the general direction of Rob's head. When I didn't answer, Rob said, "I'm really sorry about your desk. Full moon. You know how it gets sometimes."

Only I didn't know. I really didn't. I pretended because the alternative was to humiliate myself and tell Rob what kind of animal-were I was.

I nodded and looked away. The woman looked at me somewhat proud and embarrassed all at once and said, "Call me."

Rob glanced from her to me in silence.

The woman frowned when she noticed.

Staking her claim, she grabbed the lapels of his disheveled shirt and pulled him to her, throwing her lips on his. If I weren't so angry, I might have been impressed. I cleared my throat. Rob glance sideways over her head with a raised eyebrow, and I got the distinct impression he was showing off or something. Was he trying to make me jealous? Because it was so working.

I averted my eyes before the simple liplock could turn into a potential replay of the office demolition, but Rob gently set his hands on her shoulders and pushed her firmly away.

The woman giggled and Rob said, "Take care." Which in wolf terms meant, Goodbye and don't expect a call.

After the woman left, I stared at the desk. "Rob, you..." I broke off. I'd seen Rob's office demolished a half dozen times over the past few years, but this was the first time for my desk.

"Only once." Rob wore a button-up short sleeve shirt, slightly wrinkled and deep blue which showed off his arms and shoulders. Rob had that classic handsome look, and all that howling at the moon kept him in shape.

Speaking had become difficult with the ache in my throat which was sure to give way to the flood of tears hovering in the back ground. Rob would ask why and in no way would I answer. I knelt by the desk, turning my back to him and started to pick up papers with a rage that left my hands shaking.

Rob knelt beside me, picking up a stapler and a pile of folders. His previous happy smile darkened now to concern. I didn't mean to make him feel bad. I mean last night was probably one of the best nights of his life and I shouldn't take it out on him. I just hated that most weres were totally free on moon nights while some of us weren't. And I had a crush on Rob that I'd been trying to get over since the day I was hired.

Rob put a hand over mine as I righted a plastic bin. "Are you okay?"

I started bawling. Not a light polite shedding of tears. They all came out at once. These were not sad tears. Not at all. Sometimes a woman cries anger when she can't strike out. I didn't want to hurt Rob. It's just that the office had always been a place that was mine, where I wasn't judged for being what I am. I never felt embarrassed with Rob. Sniffling, I said with sharp biting words. "Did you have sex on my desk?"

I couldn't tell Rob the other half—how jealous I was of the beautiful werewolves he paraded into the office. Why should I want him anyway?

"No. Of course not."

"Fine." I spat the words out as the tears rose again.

"Jen, we need to talk." Rob really didn't like to talk. So when he said that, I knew it was a concession to the fact that I needed to talk. Rob was raised a gentleman even if he didn't pull it off himself three days out of the month.

We found an unlittered space on the floor and sat with our backs to the wall, the way children would sit. Weres tend to be less formal than non-were adults. I've always wanted to ask certain questions about things like that but then someone would start asking a few questions of their own. And I didn't admit to being a mouse, not anymore.

"What's going on? I've never seen you this unhappy before?" Rob looked comfortable on the floor, even after a night of rough sex. Usually I'm better at hiding my dissatisfaction with his choice in women. Of course, usually they were gone by the time I arrived.

"Nothing. I'm just having a bad day."

"My last assistant enjoyed late Moon-days." That's what the weres called the morning-afters. Everyone tended to sleep in.

"Was she a were, too?" I always wondered about Rob's last assistant. Rob trained me in the job himself, so I figured her departure was fairly abrupt.

"A wolf, like me." Rob chuckled. "Sometimes she called in the next day. Not often enough for me to say anything about it."

"Maybe one of these days I'll call in and see how you like cleaning the office by yourself." If I sounded bitter, I think in this case I had a right to be. Had Rob's desk been marked by another were the way mine was, he would have thrown it out and bought a new one. I contemplated doing my work on the floor.

Rob looked hurt. I didn't even feel guilty, I was still so mad. What he said next really threw me. "I know you're a were too."

"What?" I squeaked. I thought I had hidden it from everyone except my family and closest friends.

"Helloo? Werewolf? I can smell it on you, but I can't quite place the animal. You don't seem to enjoy it much. You should get out and live a little."

My face flamed with shame. I thought about giving my notice, but Rob was already doing me a favor by keeping me on. We hadn't sold a house all month and spent most of the day playing the stock market with what Rob called Monopoly money. It was his play money, real enough, and he played to win. I actually loved my job. But now I wondered when I would leave. It was a matter of time before he found out the rest. I would never be able to live that down. Not with a wolf.

Shrugging, I told a half-truth. "It's got nothing to do with being a were. My grandma wants us all to come over to dinner Saturday. I just dread it and didn't really enjoy the weekend."

Rob looked relieved that the blame for my mood didn't rest solely on his shoulders. "Oh, well, that's easy enough. Don't go."

"I've learned the hard way not to avoid family functions. Grandma took special pleasure in bringing the whole family to my two bedroom apartment one weekend when I didn't show for one of her family gatherings."

"You're kidding!" Rob's thousand-watt grin made me smile in spite of myself.

"Not at all. I was legitimately sick and while I'd heard stories from my parents about missing family night, I was the first to learn that this kind of treatment was generational."

"Your family certainly sounds like wolves. Mine is close, too."

"Close? The matriarchs in my family are control freaks with nothing better to do than make their progeny suffer." My anger burnt out, I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

"Are we good?" Rob had used his allotment of words for the day.

"We're good." I wanted to clean up before unlocking the office. Many of our customers were shifters, and while everyone else adjusted to the special hours without much fuss, having anyone walk into an office that looked ransacked was an embarrassment we could do without.

I nodded. "Can I have a new desk? Maybe we can keep this one as a spare for the next time you go crazy?"

Rob's eyes crinkled and I found my heart in my throat. Falling in love with the boss is a bad idea. In case I didn't get it, I reminded myself again by peering at the mess in the room. "We can go late this afternoon. We'll have to get you a new monitor anyway." Rob cleared his throat, looking at the one sideways on the floor. I've actually got a table cover you can use in the meantime if you want."

When he admitted this, my eyes jerked up at him. "You have a table-cover for the desks? This isn't the first time?" He buys used monitors at a tiny independent computer store around the corner knowing they're wolf fodder and has a mini-server in the coat closet for his own computer so he won't accidentally destroy it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the tablecloth.

It was Rob's cheeks on fire this time. "I've tried to be careful with your desk. I..." Rob was at a loss for words.

"Is that why your last admin quit?"

"She smelled so good. Every time I walked into the office with my girlfriends, I seemed to find her desk the most suitable. I mean, it was just a piece of furniture."

"One she worked at every day." I retorted. Rob's blue eyes widened every so slightly, and somehow he managed to look ashamed and amused at the same time. "The tablecover will cover the scratches."

"Are you sure? If it smells or anything, we'll go to the furniture store and get you a replacement right away. I have a one o-clock appointment and want to get the office in shape before then, but maybe we can slip time in to go desk shopping before."

"You're a werewolf. You know it smells. And see? You left some of your fur behind."

"Okay, we can fit a trip into our schedule."

"Hey, I know about all your appointments and you don't have anything on the calendar." Rob wasn't the sort to lie, so I believed him. It's just that I'm his assistant and with the lack of business we'd been having, you'd think I'd know.

"I met someone in the market for a house last night. Not to worry. He's were-friendly."

"We'd better get the office in shape then. I really would like that new desk before we have visitors." I couldn't believe anyone would sit at a desk with Rob's wolf scent all over it, especially a person with such an evolved sense of smell, but it occurred to me that the previous assistant perhaps knew Rob's weaknesses and played on them, maybe even enjoying his scent.

I imagined her rubbing her own scent on the desk near wolf time and driving him crazy. If I changed into a descent animal, I'd consider the same thing. That's a lie. I wouldn't really. I'm too much of a prude, but the idea is thrilling.

Speaking of scent, I may not be a wolf with extraordinary olfactory nerves, but Rob smells good, a spicy warmth that envelopes the office. There is no way I'm going to work at a desk that Rob's been near. Even mice go into heat.
Chapter 2

After we righted equipment and returned staplers and tape dispensers to their proper locations, I tackled the files. The awkwardness had lifted, and Rob and I were back to talking as if nothing happened. I don't hold a grudge long.

Picking up a stack of sticky notes, I glanced up. Our eyes met and suddenly I imagined those brightly colored little squares in places no man would want them and started giggling.

With broad shoulders and deep blue eyes, Rob probably would have melted the sticky right off the paper anyway. I giggled harder. Rob glanced up from righting a chair. "What?"

Some things were not meant to be said out loud. "I'm just having an Ali moment." Alison Carter or Ali for short is my best friend, and if I'm thinking of a man covered in sticky notes, it's her fault—somehow.

Rob cleared his throat, uncertain how to change a subject that has not yet even been broached. Of course, as a real estate agent, Rob was a great verbal wordsmith. "We don't have an appointment until one. Your desk would go perfectly in the corner of my office. We'll put a chair there for show."

"That would be good."

What I really wanted to say was, Do you need me to smear some perfume on that desk so that you'll keep using it and stay the heck away from mine?

I enjoy spending time with Rob. He's a bit of a cut-up. Funny. Not mean-funny the way some people are, but goofy funny. No one would think it looking at him. He looks great in jeans, but only wears them on Friday. His chest is broad and he has an easy charm that makes him a ready target for all of the single women in the city. He doesn't seem at all like the kind of guy who might be interested in geeky pursuits or in making funny faces. He spends weekends painting model ships and swimming. Get him alone and away from the business crowd, and he cracks me up.

He really turned on the charm at the furniture store. I know he felt bad about me walking in on well, him and that other werewolf. He was trying to make it better for me. I forgave him without trying. It's not like we're dating or anything. It's not like I have any claim to his heart.

I shut off the part of myself that thought I might actually care what he did on moon nights and concentrated on finding a good solid desk.

But I wasn't beyond teasing him. Rob pointed out a beautiful desk with a dark walnut finish. It was better than the one he had in his office. "What do you think of that one?"

I trailed my fingers along the side of the desk, weighing his height and frame to the size, "It's a bit big, don't you think?"

"It's perfect. You'll have room for all of your files." Rob grinned.

He set himself up for it, so I asked, "How big do you suppose it is?"

Rob rattled off a few numbers by the foot.

I nodded and with a cheerful smile said, "Hmmm...maybe I could find fitted sheets in that size. I'll take it."

He didn't quite know how to take that joke. He laughed, but as we were walking out of the store, a strange look passed his face and he turned to me, "You were just kidding?"

"About what?" I asked.

"Putting sheets on the desk." Rob held the door open for me, looking a little troubled.

"Stay away from my desk." I was firm, but kind and gave him a dazzling smile when I said it. It was the tone my grandmother used when one of us kids misbehaved and the same smile. Too bad I didn't have any peanut butter cookies to go with it.

"Yes, Ma'am."

By the afternoon the office looked reasonably put together with all of the large items, computers, staplers and tape dispensers, in their proper place and wall hangings rehung. Yes, someone. I won't mention names since we all know it's Rob, but someone pulled the calendar and a motivational poster off the wall.

The furniture store delivered my desk, and restoring the office was actually a lot of fun. Right on the hour, Francis Edwards, vampire extraordinaire, strolled in.

In case you were wondering, I'm bitter about vampires, too. They get great press in the movies, but most of it is spin. No one in their right mind would choose to kiss a walking corpse. I'm sorry, but there, I said it. A vampire is a blood-drinking dead thing that needs someone else's life to animate itself.

From what an acquaintance told me at an office Christmas party (the job before this one), vampires weren't interested in kissing humans either, unless they got something out of it, and I'm not talking sex here. She acquired this knowledge through personal experience of the kind I hope never to have.

Anyway, my own personal feelings aside, Francis definitely looked the part, jet black hair, pasty complexion, and lips far too deep a shade of red for my liking. He must have had lunch before coming. I guess I should be grateful.

Rob opened the door with that ever-charming smile lighting up his face. "Come in. Can I get you something to drink?"

I wanted to shout at Rob. Are you crazy? You don't just offer a vampire beverages. I've had a bad enough day without being someone's slurpy. Guess I was wrong because Francis accepted a coke.

Rob likes me to sit in on his appointments, generally to take notes and get an impression of the customer's needs. I'm pretty good at that. I fidgeted under the gaze of ancient eyes. Francis stared a lot, and I had the feeling that I was just a speck of curious flotsam in the chain of life compared to a vampire like Francis who by legend has probably lived a thousand years.

In reality, I have no idea how long a vampire lives. What I do know is that sunlight doesn't affect them much, other than to do what any other source of light does and point out the flaws a reanimated corpse has, such as a certain inflexibility in the facial muscles, kind of like botox.

The plastic vampire face really gives people the heebie jeebies. I tried very hard not to stare at Francis, particularly the lines in his face, but I caught a glimpse now and then with my not-staring. I'm pretty sure that's the real reason vamps prefer the night-time. That and people get drunk at night and a drunk is generally easy to feed off of.

I'm not sure how many people have been to an open casket funeral. I went to my grandfather's. He was missing the essence of him, that spark of spirit or soul that living people have. Watching Francis was like looking at someone who had lost that essence and yet still talked and moved and even drank soda.

When I saw the way Francis moved his tongue around the soda can, I finally figured out why creative types started the fascination with vampire sex. Francis knew how to work his tongue. Still, cold and dead is cold and dead.

When Francis told us what he was looking for, I'm sure my face reflected the shock. He told us that he wanted to buy a ranch. "I need enough acreage to raise a couple of horses, cattle, chickens, dogs, the whole works."

The whole works, as if he were ordering a burger. The look on Rob's face was priceless. He recovered quickly, though. Me? I'm afraid my mouth just hung there a few moments wondering if I would ever shut it again. I said, "Chickens?"

Francis smiled, disconcerting on a vampire with those plastic-looking laugh-lines, but the smile was in his eyes, so I guess it was genuine enough. "It's been a life-long dream. Once I joined the undead, I thought the dream lost. Vampires are not known to be ranchers. But I'm just not satisfied with life as it is and I want to make a change."

Now that fascinated me. I had to ask. "What are you going to do with the cows?"

Rob scowled at me, but I pretended not to see. Hey, I was curious.

"Whatever is normally done with cows. I'll raise them for beef." Francis spoke with that smooth knowledgeable affectation that most people take when they are pretending confidence they don't have.

I nodded without further comment. I wouldn't cost Rob this commission even if he did make wild passionate love on my desk with someone else, leaving wolf hair and spots to show for it.

Francis went on and on about his requirements, and I asked pertinent questions every now and then while writing everything down on a yellow pad. Rob did most of the interviewing. That's what it's like, interviewing for a perfect house. Our discussion went smoothly and Rob showed Francis a few properties online. A brown hair was stuck to the monitor, and I felt a wild giggle when Rob brushed it off, shuffling papers as he did so to draw attention to left hand while his right hand did the deed. To his credit, he didn't even seem the slightest bit embarrassed.
Chapter 3

I knew better than to skip out on Grandma's dinner. I showed up promptly at five. Grandma opened the door with a welcome smile. "Jen, how good to see you. It's been ages." Our last dinner was two months ago. She opened her arms and gave me the standard family hug-greeting.

I looked around the room with an internal sigh. Most of the family sat perched in the living room in a pre-dinner prelude to the torture some poor soul would later endure. I could only pray it wasn't me. They took turns.

"How are you?" That from cousin Nate.

"Fine." I tried not to smile sarcastically. I needed to practice my smiles in the mirror so I seem more genuine in my discomfort.

My brother walked out of the kitchen, and I waited for the punch line. He always had one. "Hey, Jen, we got you some string cheese." He tossed me the package. At least Mom put an end to the jokes about traps. I think she feared that one day my animal self would forget and take cheese from a trap or maybe just imagining me stuck to a tiny board with a broken neck was enough. Hey, I don't carry the plague like some rodents I can mention.

"Are you, like, ten? It's not even funny anymore." I hung my coat in the closet.

Grandma never stepped in when Todd started in on me. Mom did in a passive kind of way. "You are too old to tease your sister." Todd was a wolf, former basketball star, and he graduated summa cum laude with a business degree. I'm the mouse dropout of the family. Dad put an arm on Mom's shoulders and looked disappointed. I'm hoping his disappointment was aimed at Todd.

I once overheard Grandma's lecture to my mother, and she clearly said that if my mom had conceived on the first night of the full moon, I wouldn't have turned out the way I did. I was six. It didn't take me long to realize why my family was ashamed of me. I made the childish mistake of talking about my were-animal with a couple of wolf-children down the street. After proudly telling them I was a mouse, the round of teasing lasted years.

Just the other day, I saw one of those neighbor kids at the grocery store and ducked back down the aisle to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. I'm hoping they mostly got over it, but the humiliation still sticks with me. Most people think I'm a regular non-were human unless they smell the animal on me after the moon the way Rob did. And I'm happy to let them believe it.

After a few minutes of getting reacquainted with the family, Grandma called dinnertime and we went into the dining hall to eat. The table we ate around was massive and the floor plans for Grandpa's dream house were clearly built around the family's need to entertain large family dinners. I think it's a pack thing, and maybe that's why I'm such a misfit. Everyone else seems to enjoy the get-togethers.

Instead of grace, we go around the table youngest to oldest and say something we're thankful for. My niece, Piper, started with innocent importance. "I'm grateful for my puppy, Truffles." (The irony is that family pets tend to get along with weres although my brother was never allowed a cat or dog for obvious reasons. When I change, I'm not much larger than the average mouse.)

And away we go. I'm fairly young in our family structure, so my turn came quickly. I froze. What am I grateful for? Two months ago I said my job, and while I could always repeat my answer, it wasn't true anymore, was it?

Todd tapped his fork on the plate. "Trick question? Hurry up, dinner's getting cold."

Annoyed, I said the first thing that came to mind. "Flannel pajamas." I stared Todd down until his turn. He picked his girlfriend Camilla. A few congratulations from family members who were hearing about her for the first time and then the rest of the family finished the ritual. That ordeal over, we started eating.

Most of the conversation revolved around Camilla and an invitation for her to join the next family dinner. I thought I'd gotten away free and clear until Grandma said. "So, Jen, have you found anyone to bring home to the family?" Grandma alternated between siblings.

"No, no one special." I hated the way everyone looked at me with pity. I have my flaws, but I'm all right. My face is pretty, even if I do shift into a mouse.

Uncle Jack made things worse. "You don't have to hide from us. There's no shame in dating a non-shifter, as long as he's good to you."

Good old Uncle Jack. He didn't mean to dump propane onto a roaring fire, he just had a knack for explosive material.

"I'm not embarrassed. I'm just not dating anyone."

Grandma started to argue with me, as if she knew. "Now, Jen, we're a family..."

"I'm not...and for the record, I'm not embarrassed to be a mouse either. It's not like I can help it."

The table grew quiet. The younger kids were looking around trying to figure out the silence. Between the plate staring contests and uncomfortable glances, I figure I finally brought the raw nerve out into the open. I'd spent so many years playing along, but I was tired of it. "May I be excused?"

Those two seconds between asked and answered seemed an eternity. If I had stormed out without protocol, the next three years worth of gatherings would be filled with added innuendo and jokes, unless Todd miraculously grew up.

While Grandma dished lemon meringue pie with slightly brown crusted tops, I washed the dinner dishes, scrubbing a little more dramatically than required. Putting a piece of lemon meringue aside for me, Grandma patted my shoulder. "You'll find the right person when the time is right."

My sister, Andrea, brought in a few more plates and grabbed a towel to dry the ones I had already started. We hand-washed at Grandma's house.

"You're being a bit oversensitive. Grandma asks everyone those questions." She said in a low voice.

"It's different for you. You can give a running tally of your job and your husband's accomplishments and your kid's grade points. Mom and Dad should have stopped with you."

"Jen!" Andrea sounded truly horrified. Maybe she was.

I shrugged and changed the subject. "Can I ask you something?"

Andrea slid the plates into the cupboard. "Sure."

"Have you ever, you know, done it with a wolf in wolf form?"

"Well, sure, that's part of the experience." Andrea tucked her hair behind her ear with a far-off smile, probably thinking of a few rolls in the grass.

"What if you married a non-shifter? I mean with wolves being so..ummm."

Andrea laughed. "You should probably ask someone else. I've always been active on the full moon."

"Why is that? Is the desire really that bad?"

"Yeah. Not all full moons, but during the spring, it's hard. That's why Mom and Dad were so careful with us at moon-time when we hit puberty."

"But a wolf wouldn't force himself on another wolf, right?"

"No, of course not. Unless they are human rapists. We're still people underneath the fur. You know that. Believe me there are plenty of wolves willing, and when you find your mate, everything changes."

"How so? Don't you worry that you'll be cheated on with all of the hormones?" Again, thinking of Rob.

Andrea shook her head. "The desire is focused on your mate. Werewolves don't sleep around once they find the person they are meant to be with." Andrea stopped drying and turned with a frown on her face. "Where is this coming from?"

"Nowhere, I was just curious." I twisted the dishrag and looked out the window.

"You're in love with a wolf!" Andrea grinned, her voice carrying outside the kitchen.

"Shh...I am not." I whispered. "I was just curious."

"Look," Andrea pulled me close and put her mouth against my ear, whispering. "Don't ever tell anyone I told you this, but there is a mix of herbs we can take to reduce desire during moon-times."

"Why is it a secret?" I whispered back.

"Werewolves are supposed to run the pack and find their mate, but nowadays women have careers and don't necessarily want to mate right away."

"I may be part of the family, but I'm not part of the pack." I released the drain a little too hard and splashed water up. I'm twenty-four years old and this is the first time I've heard about how the full moon affects wolves and special herbs.

"Maybe not pack, but you need to mate just like everyone else. Don't think the interest stops when you get married, though. You know how it is." Yes, I did. Like being a tiny bug in a giant spider's web, and every strand tugged by a different member of the family.

"Why didn't anyone ever say anything? I'm just finding all this stuff out now?"

Andrea bit her lip and smiled, a habit she had when something amused her. "You never really seemed to have the same problems other weres had. And you take everything so personally I don't think anyone wanted to bring it up."

"I don't." My protests were loud enough to get the attention of the family and Andrea shushed me.

"Come over tomorrow night and we'll talk more." Andrea glanced over her shoulder at the table. "Too many wolf ears. Yeah, that means you." She said to Piper on her way back into the dining room. Piper giggled and squirmed.

"What are you going to talk about Mama?"

"Aunt Jen has some problems at work that we're going to discuss." She thought she was covering well for me, but I turned a deep red and gave myself away. Andrea saw my face and pressed her lips together with an impish grin.
Chapter 4

Another Monday reared its ugly head much sooner than I possibly could have imagined. Sometimes it feels like there are two Mondays in the week...they seem to come with such speed. My stomach was in knots when I showed up at the office. I'd been that way for a whole week.

Andrea didn't help. I'm in love with him.

Now I knew. That whole deep depression every time he cuddled up to a hot wolf was more related to my feelings for him than my own self-hatred. I dreaded work, not knowing what to say, dropping paper clips in mid-clip, spilling cocoa on the brand new keyboard, and in general turning red and blustery when Rob asked anything, which goes back to the not 'knowing what to say' part.

I suppose I should have faced my feelings long ago.

And here I was again, feeling awkward, and rather put out that a week had flashed by so quickly. In three more Mondays, I might get to experience the same joy of rebuilding the office. I thought of putting dog repellent at the entrance. I wondered if that stuff really worked. Of course, Rob would know not only what it was, but who was responsible for it. Not the best idea. But I needed a good idea and fast.

"Morning Sunshine." Rob strode into the office with laptop case in one hand and bag of doughnuts in the other. Did I mention how much I love him? He brings doughnuts when I'm down.

Somehow my lips quirked up. Maybe I should have made him work for my good mood, but I'm just not that kind of person. I gave my best cheery greeting. "Good Morning."

This was the day that we were going to have it out. That brow of Rob's doesn't just furrow over anything. He took off his jacket and unbuttoned his sleeves, rolling them up without a word. The last time he did that the conversation turned to the color pink. It sounds weird, but Rob asked me to please not wear a particular pink outfit, which is rather a personal request considering that he's my boss and believe me, there is nothing wrong with that outfit.

Anyway, with furrowed brow and unbuttoned sleeves, I wondered if this conversation would cover black pencil skirts or the awkwardness between us. I was betting on the awkwardness.

"I thought maybe we could talk." Rob said in the tone that conjured images of dental drills and bleeding ulcers. What he really meant was that he'd sit very still and wait until I spilled my innermost thoughts in the awkward silence.

I tucked a strand of curly hair behind my ear and practiced my best Homecoming Princess smile. It was a dream I'd had once, to be popular and loved. I'd practiced in the mirror for weeks, just in case by some miracle I had been picked, but the pack ruled and queen and court were combination wolves and human.

Not a mouse, raccoon, ferret, or porcupine to be found. If nothing else, I gained a killer smile, which came in handy at times like this. "Sure." I said.

"Okay."

Rob turned and walked into his office. Safe in my leather chair, hiding behind my rather spacious new guilt-purchased desk, I waited. He probably wanted me to follow him in, but I was just ornery enough to stay where I was. Boss or no boss, I needed a better work environment.

When I didn't immediately follow him into his office, Rob rolled his chair out. A werewolf giving up the high ground, now that was something. If nothing else, Rob liked me well enough to keep me.

"Look, I'm sorry about last week. If I could do it over, I would."

I wanted to say, "It's okay." But it wasn't, or "You're forgiven" but for what? It's not like I was his girlfriend or wife or anything important in his life. I shrugged, "Bad timing."

"Bad timing? You've been tripping around me for a week. What is going on?"

But he knew. I knew he knew. He knew he knew. He probably even knew I knew he knew. And now I was a little mouse running on a little wheel in my mind wondering if I could safely jump off. I love you, Rob? The funniest thing happened over the past few months...I fell in love. Hey, did you hear the one about the wolf and the mouse.

But did he like me back? Ah, the question for the ages. And I was of the firm opinion that happy chat or not, he would make the first move. And that move would probably include the word 'friends' or maybe the notorious, 'I'll call you'.

It was in his eyes. He wanted me to tell him I cared for him, so that he could have it all out in the open and let me down easy. But how? We spend hours alone together, and believe me this love-in-the-dark strangeness is nothing compared to the strangeness that would occur if I brought it out into the open.

"I'm just having some trouble with this whole office liaison thing." The truth in its entirety wrapped with a pretty bow, and with a safe 'l' word.

Rob didn't say a word. Not a single word. He just sat there staring at me.

"Well?" I couldn't stand him just sitting.

That seemed to wake him up. "Why? Do you have feelings for me?" Rob asked.

He went there. He really did. That's a wolf for you. No sense for cowering in the corner and waiting to see what happens.

"Feelings?" I sputtered. "Are we going to talk about feelings?" This was the moment when a witty rejoinder would have come in handy. Unfortunately, I'm not fast on my feet.

"Our conversations used to feel comfortable."

This time I think my smile was rueful, and my eyes probably had that puppy dog look which is an unfortunate side-effect of caring. "I know. I'm sorry. Can't we just put this conversation on hold awhile?"

Yeah, like forever?

Rob nodded once and stood. "Has the new ad come through for approval?"

Phew. Back on solid ground. "Next Tuesday."

We both knew the answer to that one, but it put the conversation firmly back into the business sphere were it belonged and desperately needed to be.

Chapter 5

"Can you do me a favor?" Famous last words. Or more accurately, the last words would be Sure, what do you want me to do? And I would do whatever was requested which would lead to chaos and an untimely demise.

I decided to play this request cautiously. "The last time I did a favor for you I was up to my butt in snow without hat, gloves or boots. I could have gotten frostbite."

"That was five years ago. Besides, it's just for a few days. I just want you to hold onto something for me." We sat in a coffee shop, the kind with green walls and hanging lights and a counter full of baked goods and a coffee fountain. The smell of coffee and cinnamon wrapped me in comfort. Too bad my best friend had to ruin the mood.

I would do almost anything for Ali. My record, criminal and otherwise, proves it. She looked at me with pleading eyes that would have been more fitting coming from a deer than a raccoon. We can't all be wolves.

Ali and I got the short end of the magic pile, but I'm the only one complaining. Ali thinks being small allows for heightened entertainment. Of course, she is a raccoon, and tends to have the playful and somewhat rascally nature such a creature would have.

"Is it illegal?" I could think of several things Ali would ask me to hold onto, and every one of them ended with a jail sentence.

"No, of course not." Ali had the good sense to look offended (purely for the benefit of the people in the coffee shop overhearing the conversation). Ali and I both knew her tendency to stray outside the lines of legality, and I was always trying to drag her back into a safe and sane world.

"Dangerous?" I trust my friend—mostly. But I know her too well. Ali had that guilty look about her.

Ali looked out the window, seemingly lost in thought. I knew she was avoiding my question.

"Well?" I wanted to say no instead of qualifying the request, but for all the trouble Ali has gotten me into, I have to admit a part of me enjoyed it, except the evening we spent at the police station after taking a nice long dip in the public pool—after hours of course.

I love swimming and the breaking-in part was actually loads of fun. Waiting for Mom and Dad to show up and community service; however, was not. Not to mention Grandma's lectures in front of the family for two hours over the course of two separate family dinners. She then asked me to invite Ali over for the third dinner.

I hid Ali from Grandma for a half-year after that incident worried that Grandma would harass her, and Ali would start laughing when Grandma's voice started squeaking with displeasure. Grandma's a wolf through and through, but I come by my voice honestly. And that would be the end of the only friend I ever really had, at least the only one who knew the real me.

Ali habitually caused trouble. I had good reason to say no up front. She grinned at me, the toothy kind of grin that tells me she has been up to no good and I'm either the clean-up crew or going along for the ride and then leaned in, whispering as if we were planning to rob a bank.

At least she answered the question honestly."Yes." It's dangerous. Not the object itself, but where I got it. Definitely."

"And where did you get it?" I tried to be nonchalant, but Ali and me were the kind of Weres who could change at will, independent of moon cycle, time of day, or anything else. Not that I enjoyed being a mouse, but sometimes being very small had advantages. Apparently being a raccoon is loads of fun. When I'm not jealous of wolves, I'm jealous of Ali and her raccoon form. At least she seemed to enjoy it.

"The creepy old guy that lives off Grady road."

"The haunted house?" We both called it that, although personally I don't believe in ghosts. It's just an old Victorian with white paint peeling, dark windows, and gnarly trees out front.

"That's the one. I think he's a sorcerer." Ali's eyes lit up with enthusiasm and somewhere in those brown sparkles my fate had been written out, hopefully by hand and in pencil so that I could erase it and start again.

"And he just gave it to you?" This is where knowing your friends comes in handy.

"Well, no, not exactly."

"Then you stole it." I tried to look like Grandma then, but I'm afraid my eyes are not piercing enough.

"Kind of."

"How is that not illegal?"

"Because it doesn't belong to him."

I made Ali backtrack and tell me the whole story. The gist of it was that she stole an amulet from a wizard that lives in the haunted house at the edge of Grady Way. Initially it was something of a lark. She liked breaking and entering as a raccoon to see what she could get away with. I think something of our animal natures comes out in human form as well, which leads me to believe that mice are not as timid as folklore would make them out to be.

While in the house, Ali watched the wizard use the amulet to shapeshift. He was practicing different shapes. A rumor had been circulating in the were-community that one of our experienced shifters had lost their power to shift by some magic. Ali decided that the gossip must be true and waited until the house was empty to steal the amulet back.

And that's where I came in.

"So, you're afraid this guy will kill you, and you decided that I make a better target?"

"You do make a smaller target, but he saw my car and tracked me to my house and even accused me of taking it. Do you believe the nerve of that guy?" Ali is not the most logical of individuals. She was truly and honestly offended.

My internal compass was pointing toward yes. I know it sounds crazy, but somehow I have enough of the mischief-maker in me to like the idea of stealing a wizard's toy or at least possessing a stolen wizard's toy. Instead I asked, "And if I said no?"

"I would sleep in my car for the next few weeks." I have to hand it to Ali. She always had a plan B, C, and D.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Ali pulled a paper bag out of her pocket and handed it to me under the table. Anyone watching would think we were in the middle of a drug deal or something from the secrecy and glances we made around the coffee shop to make sure no one was looking.

I peeked inside. The amulet looked a bit like a lumpy rock hanging on a cord, not even a cool leather cord or a silver chain, It seriously looked like twine. Okay, so it wasn't valuable. Not only would the keeper of the ugly little talisman not want it back, they'd probably thank Ali for stealing it. I carefully studied her face. Okay, so the joke wasn't on me. She was wearing her utterly serious expression. She really wanted my help.
Chapter 6

Rob wanted to take me with him to scout out a few of the properties he had found. He usually goes alone, but I figured he wanted to apologize for last week and lunch with an outing definitely qualified as a satisfactory apology. We had a small office, but when I was out, Rob called in Shelly, a retired real estate agent who helped him get started years ago. She didn't mind filling in a few times a month.

Spokane itself was a bit crowded for what Francis needed, but some of the outlying properties would work perfectly. The first few stops were too small and immediately crossed off the list. Our third stop was a three bedroom one-story a few miles outside of Cheney.

The style was a seventies family home with a master and guest bathroom, newly updated. While we did the walk-through, I said, "This is a nice one."

Rob looked out the window to view the pine trees scattered on the property. "Too close to the freeway."

"You can't even tell." Well, I couldn't, anyway.

"He's a vampire. They're a sensitive sort." That figured. The great thing about picky buyers is that they know exactly what they want because they've researched, which also means that if you can find exactly what they want, you'll make a sale. Finding the perfect place was the hard part.

I marked my page with an arrow down and wrote the word freeway next to it. "Okay, what's next?"

Rob grinned and his whole face lit up when he looked at me. I found my stomach do a flip flop. I sighed. This was Andrea's fault. She was the one who told me I was in love, otherwise, I wouldn't have noticed how good he looked this morning. Well, I would have noticed, but only in my heart, not my head. "About fifteen minutes away we've got a really good prospect."

I used to be really comfortable talking to Rob. We would talk about music and books, the latest in politics or art. He was intelligent and fun. And now that I suddenly felt butterflies when he was next to me, I couldn't string two words together, even after the talk we had about feeling comfortable around each other. Awkward.

A long stretch of highway and all I could think of was how much I wanted to be back at the office hiding behind my computer. Rob noticed. How could he not? "What's going on?

I sighed. Some conversations are just not appropriate for the workplace. Of course, Rob hasn't exactly followed workplace etiquette but that's not my problem. Well, it is...

I answered in the only way I could. "Nothing."

"Oh." Rob seemed upset, and I felt sorry for him, but what else am I supposed to say? He took a deep breath, looked like he was about to say something, shook his head and then put his foot on the gas. We were up to ten miles over the speed limit and Rob's limit is usually five over.

"You're going a bit fast."

I was trying to be helpful but he took it badly and growled under his breath.

Rob took a deep breath and then said, "Look, do you want to go with me on the next full moon?"

My heart leapt in my chest and I had to force myself to stop and think. Just because I like a fellow does not mean that I should date him and look what happened to those other girls in the office. What the heck was going on here?

Rob asked me out on a full moon. The idea shocked me. I almost said yes—wanted to say yes. My Grandma's favorite phrase passed down from her grandma came to mind...fiddlesticks.

"Can't we go out on a day that isn't a full moon?" I felt a small constriction as my throat tightened. I wanted to cry, mostly because I knew things that Rob didn't. I knew that I belonged to the rodent, not the lupine family. And I also knew what werewolves thought of other weres, the un-wolfy kind.

"How will we know if we're meant for each other?" Rob asked.

"The same way anybody knows." I stared out the window at the trees flashing by.

Rob's hands tightened on the steering wheel. I wondered if he was angry with me. He turned his head for a moment, and the anguish I saw in his eyes shocked me. Rob was in love...with me. He swallowed and turned back to the road. "I thought. Never mind."

We missed our turn, but I was in no way going to tell Rob that now. I softened my voice, wondering if I had hurt him somehow with my brusque attitude. "Please tell me."

"I just thought I saw something a few days ago." Vague, but I knew what he meant and it scared me.

"And you think a tumble on the desks will tell you if it was real?" I tried to be cool, but my whole body ached with loneliness. I'd never been with another were. I'd kissed a few humans before, but that's as far as it went. I wouldn't even know what to do on a moon night. I hardly know what to do at any other time. I ached to be held.

Rob didn't answer. He just stared at the road. I tried to relax, to lean back in my seat and pretend that it didn't matter. Well, at least I could get us going in the right direction. "We missed the turn a few miles back."

Rob nodded and pulled off the road along a muddy turn-off next to a field. He drove the whole way to the house in silence. I wanted to make it better, to say something to take back my sarcasm, but I knew that the end result would be the unveiling of my limitations and I've had enough rejection.

I needed help. Ali was definitely not the person to go to with a problem like this, but maybe my sister Andrea could help. I hoped so, because otherwise, I'd be spilling some top secret information for nothing.
Chapter 7

Andrea's husband worked as a night shift security guard at a manufacturing plant. The kids went to bed at nine, leaving Andrea plenty of time to explain the ways of the wolf to me. We hadn't been close as kids. Not that Andrea teased me the way Todd did or anything like that. Andrea was just too old to pay much attention. I spent time with my niece and nephew, of course, but I still felt awkward at times with the family.

I flopped on the sofa with a frown. "He asked me to go with him on moon night."

Andrea nodded, her eyes filled with compassion. Andrea was the only one in my family who really understood how painful the mouse shifting thing was for me.

"I asked if we could go another night and then I insulted him so much that he didn't even answer."

"Jen, you can't spend your life pushing people away. The shift is only three days out of the month and you let it run your life."

"He asked how we would know if we were meant for each other. And you said that wolves run in packs on the full moon until they find their mate, so I'm obviously not mate material anyway. Besides, he brings his trysts to the office and he's not exactly careful about who finds out or how he leaves the office." My heart ached even as I spoke. I knew she was right. Every person I knew had experienced at least a boyfriend, maybe even a few kisses. Sixteen and never been kissed? Try twenty-two. Okay, so I had kissed, but that was it.

"If he's already caught your scent and you really are meant to be his mate, then all the time he spends with other wolves will only hurt you when he finally notices, and it looks like he has."

"Didn't it hurt you? Knowing how many other women Cal's been with?" I didn't understand the process and never wanted to. Now I had to find a way to let Rob down easy and somehow keep our professional relationship comfortable.

"It really is different for you, isn't it? What do you do on moon nights?" Andrea turned on the lamp next to the easy chair and settled in. We were drinking tea, mostly because Andrea banned soda from the house, and my ginger ale addiction would have to wait.

I sipped the peppermint tea and shrugged. "I lock myself in the closet and wait for the change. I stay there until it's done."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Andrea looked horrified and I couldn't understand why. She had been part of the moon night rituals after all.

"I always have."

"But you're not a child anymore." Andrea looked shocked and I remember now that she left the house while I was still in junior high. How could she know that my moon habits hadn't changed?

"It's not safe. I'm the smallest were-type and any number of things could happen to me." The oddest thing was that Ali often talked me into changing to mouse form outside the full moon. I didn't mind being a mouse as long as the world wasn't full of werewolves.

"That sounds like dad." Andrea's thin grimace and her frown gave away exactly what she thought about my self-imposed prison.

"You've never had a wolf trap you between his paws. I snuck out once and felt more like a chew toy than an adventurer." Years and years ago as an adolescent mouse, I made my great escape which ended with a terrifying moment when some jerk of a wolf decided to mess with me. For the wolf it was all in fun, but when your entire body is the size of someone's mouth, such play is excruciating.

"Why didn't you ever say anything? We could have guarded you or something."

I never intended to give away the humiliation I felt at overhearing what Grandma really thought of me. I kept my feelings of inadequacy as close as a heartbeat for so long that when I started talking, it felt that my throat would close up from the dust of disuse. Somehow I managed to keep going. I told Andrea everything. My fears. My faults. How I got by on Moon nights.

When I finished, the compassion in Andrea's eyes gave me some comfort. "I'm sorry. I knew some of the kids picked on you, but I didn't realize how much it has affected you. Frankly, I was always jealous."

"You, what?" I stared at her. Jealous of me? What crazy world was this?

"You change at will and into a form that no one else has. The reason everyone teased you is because they secretly wanted to be a mouse, too. When you and Ali got in trouble for sneaking into the classrooms after hours and drawing wolf butts all over the chalkboards, people in my school were talking about it. And believe me, it was with the kind of awe reserved for hot guys in leather jackets."

Hmmm...I was cool, at least to someone. Why couldn't anyone have ever told me?

I remembered the story she was talking about. Ali and I were caught by virtue of hair, specifically raccoon hair. The windows were those crank and lift up from the inside windows that old brick elementary schools seem to have. One of the teachers left the window open a crack, which was all we needed to get through. Since it was a crescent moon weekend, the raccoon hair puzzled teachers until word leaked to the parents and Ali's parents realized what had happened.

Ali, true friend that she is, took the blame alone and was scheduled to detention for two weeks after school. She argued, quite reasonably, that since she had talked me into the trespass, that she should take the punishment. Nonetheless, I showed up at detention and my name was added to the annals of troublemakers. The wolves that weren't offended thought it funny, although one of the elderly teachers who taught music seemed greatly put out by it, at least by the exquisite disappointment she expressed.

As I recall, Andrea came home from school that day in a snit because I had embarrassed her horribly in front of her classmates. "You were really jealous?"

"You have no idea. Sometimes I still am. You don't even care what any of the elders think. It's like you can exist outside the pack and still be part of it."

"I don't feel part of it. I feel alone." I sipped my peppermint tea, feeling a strange sense of dislocation, as if everyone had seen my entire life in a completely different way than I had. "So what should I do about Rob?"

"It's your boss?" Andrea bit her lip and looked off into the distance. Apparently this was a dilemma that took more reasoning than the typical brush-off.

"Yeah." I looked uncomfortable. Of course I know how stupid getting involved with Rob would be. And I also knew that the office was far too small for the slightest bit of drama. I worked with the guy every day.

"How well do you like him?" Andrea asked.

"I like him well enough. We talk about all sorts of things and he's always polite even when I insult him."

"So why insult him?"

"He had sex on my desk. That's where this all started." I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

Andrea started laughing. I'm talking full-body laugh, the kind you get when you're punchy from lack of sleep and every silly thing sounds hilarious. I was confused. I mean, it's kind of funny, but not worth rolling on the floor over. "That guy has it bad for you."

"What do you mean?"

"When the change is taking affect, we like to find a spot where we feel safe, usually somewhere familiar. He probably started noticing you in human form. If he had sex on your desk, he was trying to be closer to you even while he was with someone else."

"Well, I'm not the first receptionist he's done this to." I'm sure I tried not to sound as indignant as I sounded. Somehow this was worse, the fact that it really did mean something and that he had done it before.

"Maybe they spent a full moon together and realized it wouldn't work between them. Maybe your desk is more comfortable." Andrea smiled and it was a little too broad for my liking. My sister was enjoying this far too much. And the sad thing? I wasn't. You'd think being in love is a wonderful experience. Not when it's one-sided agony.

"Wolves know with the moon. If you want to date a werewolf, you'll have to spend at least one full moon with him before he'll take it to the next level."

"You mean marriage." The word sounded strange in my mouth.

"That's exactly what I mean. You have to decide for yourself what you want. But I'd give him the moon night. What's the worst that can happen?"

The worst that could happen? I could become mouse pastry, my last vision of the big bad wolf's tonsils. Not a likely scenario, but definitely in the realm of possible worsts and a really bad way to go. My sister's advice, boiled down, was to go on the full moon date.

Had any little animal weres disappeared on the full moon? I didn't know. Maybe because we never exactly advertised what we were, except Ali, she didn't care if the world knew she was a raccoon.
Chapter 8

The amulet hung in the back of my closet on a hanger with my belts. Maybe not the best place for a magical item of questionable usefulness. The problem with Rob had me opening the closet before bed and considering the potential. If I used the amulet, couldn't I change into a wolf, run the full moon with Rob and maybe cheat destiny a little?

I'm not a magic user except for the were change. I've never met a sorcerer, wizard, witch, or even held a magical item before now. Still, my hand itched to pull the amulet out and give it a go. It belonged to the shape shifters before, and maybe if I played with it a little, I could find a way to return the magic to its rightful owner.

Really, I'm not that altruistic. I was just deluding myself, giving my reflection a little more polish in the old self-image department than I really deserved. But it was enough. Another full moon come and gone, but this time, the office was spotless. Not even the stapler out of place the next morning. Rob was a grumpy wolf that morning.

That evening, staring at the ceiling in the dark after yet another day of awkward non-conversation with Rob, I decided to try out the amulet and see if maybe, just maybe, I could turn into a wolf. And then of course, return the amulet and do all that other good and honorable stuff that a person should do.

Throwing the covers back, I turned on the light and peered into the closet. Did I mention, all these thoughts were running through my head in the middle of the night? I grasped the cold metal with a decisiveness I barely felt. The vivid purple center seemed just the right color to me. I fumbled, pulling it over my head, anxious to have it on and half-sick at the thought that it might not work. I longed to be a wolf.

I stared at my hands. Nothing. No wolf paws, no turtle pads, no furry rabbit's foot...I guess I'm not that lucky. I went to stare in front of the mirror.

Yep, that was me, and still in human form. Good looking if a bit round in the face, button nose—must have gotten that from the mouse side of the family, wherever that was. I waited. Nothing.

If anyone would understand the insanity of taking such a risk, it was Ali, and while she might not understand an eleven o-clock phone call, she was all I really had.

"Yrmph?"

Guess I woke her up. "Hey Ali, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Jen? Hey, what's up? Are you okay?" I guess calling your best friend in the middle of the night might lead one to the conclusion that things weren't okay.

"I'm fine. I just, well, this is kind of embarrassing..."

"More than catching your lab experiment on fire senior year?"

She would bring that up. "Hello? That was five years ago. No, I put on the amulet."

The phone was dead silent. I waited for a minute. "Ali, you still there?"

Ali's quiet voice barely above a whisper spoke across the line. "Jeez, Jen, what happened? Are you half and half?"

I flushed, grateful she couldn't see it across the distance. Half and half. I hadn't considered some of the more interesting problems that might arise with putting on an unknown amulet. "No, it didn't work. I was just wondering if there were words or something that I'm supposed to say?"

"How would I know? I just stole the thing." Ali sighed, but I could tell her heart wasn't in it. It's a fair bet that she wanted to try the amulet out first and was just waiting for the next weekend when we were together. Ali would of course have wanted me as backup in case anything went wrong.

"Sorry to wake you up. I was just hoping you knew."

"Why not say I want to be a penguin while you're wearing it and see what happens? Want me to come over?" Ali's voice had that rough quality from just waking up and from the lack of enthusiasm, I could tell it was a friendly gesture on my behalf and not because she was really interested in coming. Ali turned her nose down at the wolves, so I suppose the amulet was just a source of amusement more than anything else.

"No, I don't want to keep you up. I'll try it out and let you know tomorrow."

"Okay, hey, if it works, let's get together tomorrow and experiment a little?" Ali's voice brightened, and I could only imagine the kind of trouble she was planning. I would be the guinea pig (the wolf if I was lucky.)

"Sounds good to me."

I hung up the phone and with rash enthusiasm and ran back to the mirror in the bathroom. With all the energy, positive thinking, and goodwill I could muster, I spoke aloud. "I want to be a wolf."

Nothing happened. I laughed at myself for believing in a lump on a string. How crazy of me.

Pretty colors shifted along the amulet's surface in the bathroom light. The lump might be unformed, but it sparkled randomly, just little lights here and there. I wore it over my pajamas and went back to bed, wide awake. Grabbing a book, I started to read, every now and then fingering the amulet.

I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. Stretching, I closed the book, and pulled the amulet back to look at it. Feeling a fool, I closed my eyes. "I want to be a wolf."

For several seconds nothing happened. Another let down, but I was used to it by now. I turned off the light and closed my eyes, rolling on my side. The feeling of disappointment was almost crushing.

But then, something changed. My body started to itch, a burning itch like a thorn-scratch after picking berries. Nothing at all like a normal change would feel.

I ran to the bathroom and watched in the mirror as my eyes started to change, lightening to a glowing green and then yellow. Most wolves had yellow eyes. Mine stopped short at yellow-green, but then my body started to change, too, so maybe the eyes kept right on changing later. I would have Ali take a picture of me in wolf form just so I could see what I look like, and then I thought leaving evidence might not be so stellar an idea.

Being a wolf took a small bit of getting used to. Running on four wolf legs was a little awkward compared to the scurry on mouse legs, but not enough of a difference to throw me back to the toddling days of young childhood.

I ran around the house like a hyper dog or a cat on catnip. My paws flew as I skidded across the linoleum of the kitchen. I'd wanted to do that since I was a kid. While Andrea and Todd mourned for the lack of pets in the family, during the full moon Todd would play like a dog. From what I've seen with the neighbor's dogs, they weren't really that different.

I tried out everything, sniffing the wood on the table pine (yum), wagging my tail. Forgetting myself for a moment, I howled, you know the kind of wolf howl every kid practices as a human but only werewolves can really pull off. Suddenly I realized that an angry neighbor would probably call the landlord if I didn't shut my mouth. After exhausting myself with play, I figured I would change back to human and go back to bed. Ali and I would experiment more tomorrow night.

The amulet had vanished when I changed form. Instead of an amulet I wore a collar that stuck to my neck. I barked. "I want to be human."

Nothing happened. I tried everything. I started by putting my whole soul into the positive thinking wish to be human. And after several minutes of heavy wishing, I realized that even positive thinking must have limits. Who knew? After sniffing around the house in case I lost the amulet in my wild run, the reality of my situation settled in.

Whining, I put my face on my paws. Ali would find me tomorrow. And then I realized...I had to go to the bathroom. I was in for a long night.
Chapter 9

There is nothing more annoying than an alarm going off, that is, except an alarm that you have no way of shutting up. I awoke to shrill beeping in wolf form and rubbed my head against the buttons trying to move on to off all the while my ears aching with the sound. I had a new respect for dogs.

I'm a smart woman and I know all about the hazards of electrocution; however, even I have my limits. I took the cord in my mouth and praying that I didn't chew through and kill myself, yanked it out of the wall. With the strength of my tug, the table fell over with the lamp following suit, breaking the bulb. And suddenly I felt a little more compassion for Rob and the utter destruction of his office. Overall, the relief of silence outweighed any guilt or distress over a broken lightbulb.

Jumping up on the bed, I curled up face to tail. Hmmmm...my tail smelled good. Was that normal? I sniffed a few more times and smiled, falling back to sleep, my bladder still aching, and hoping that the day would pass quickly and Ali would show up to help me out of this mess.

The ringing phone woke me the second time. I jumped off the bed and padded to the purse. Snuffling inside, I snapped at the phone, trying to grab it with my teeth and pull it out of the bag and discovered that as dexterity went, I preferred mice to wolves. Sure, a wolf's paws were bigger, but a mouse's paws were almost hand-like in comparison.

I never did get the phone out of the purse. Once it stopped ringing the smell of the incredibly strong peppermints in my purse was too much to bear.

Padding around the room, I sniffed everything. It was almost like a sixth sense, like being psychic or something. Wolves have 3D nostrils. It's the only way the whole symphony of smells can be explained. Plastic, ick. Wood, hmmmm. Rob's choice in furniture makes more sense now. His desk was real wood, and only sported one claw scratch. Only his receptionists and his girlfriends, if you can call them that, would ever know how that happened.

My need to pee increased painfully with every circle around the house and I started to wish that my apartment was on the first floor, because at that moment, I was ready to jump through a window.

Doorknobs are not made for animals. How did dogs stand it? The changing-closet in the bedroom was closed, and the woodchips and newspapers were made for much smaller puddles, anyway.

I thought of how my parents had handled lock-ups when my siblings were young, and the repeated admonishment to go to the bathroom before a change, kind of like they would before a car trip is a familiar memory, as are the accidents my brother had as a young wolf. I guess when we were young, I did a fair amount of my own teasing. Maybe he's never gotten over my calling him pee-pup. I couldn't lose my bladder now, and if I ever did, Todd could NEVER find out.

Plunking my furry butt on the bathroom floor, I waited. The smells of the bathroom were odd. The water in the toilet smelled exceptionally good. Saliva started to drip along my jowls, even while I wondered if I could jump up with my paws on the lid to go. Would falling in the toilet be better than watering the floor? Some questions were never meant to be asked, much less answered. This is what I get for impatience and lack of research.

The growing desperation was silenced by a knock on the door.

"Jen? Jen? Are you in there?"

Thank God! Rob found me. Maybe he could call Ali and figure out how to turn me back. I ran out of the bathroom, barking and yipping. I threw my paws up on the door and yapped, hoping he would somehow know wolf-speak in human form.

"Hey, puppy, is your mistress home?" Rob called through the door.

I started whining and scratching the door. It gave me a new respect for four-legged creatures. As a mouse, I never really felt the need to communicate, except once with Ali when I was spinning in circles on a ceiling fan. We mime to each other in animal form. And to this day, I'm convinced Ali knew what I meant when I begged her to turn the fan off. She was in human form, having put me on the fan to see if it would feel like a merry-go-round. It did, but I almost slid off, even with the little handle bars we attached to the top.

I yowled some more and Rob started pounding on the door. "Jen? Are you okay?"

Suddenly I heard blows on the door. Rob was trying to force his way in. Just as quickly, the noise stopped. I whimpered, trying to get him to keep going. The door could be fixed. I just wanted out.

Hearing Rob's footsteps on the stairs, my ecstasy at being rescued fell to despair. Sighing, I snuffled a little and went back to the bathroom to wait for that defining moment—the moment when I couldn't hold it anymore.

I heard a keylock in the door and raced to the front of the house. The landlord and Rob were talking about me.

"Thank you so much. This really isn't like her. I just hope she's okay."

I thought, If you'd open the door, I'd be fine. Pet deposit be damned. No one ever mentions the pet deposits. Weres pay a bit more down than the average human. As a mouse, I managed to be convincingly human and skip the pet/were deposits. I ran through the door the minute Rob pushed it open, springing a leak at the second set of stairs. Here I was dribbling down the stairs while Rob and the land lady stared. Not my finest moment.

Yelling behind me, Rob hurried down the stairs. He could see I was a wolf, but I don't think he believed it was me. Wolves are more constrained with the ability to change than most weres. Size seems to be a factor since the bears and large cats have the same trouble. Werewolves only change on the full moon.

I ran to the back of the complex, hoping for a bit of privacy while I piddled. No such luck. I was mid-stream when Rob turned the corner and as embarrassed as I was, there was no stopping my body. Still, Rob had no idea the wolf watering the lawn in front of him was his receptionist.

"Jen doesn't have a dog." The landlady was a middle aged woman, pleasantly plump, with deep brown hair that had a natural curl to it. She wore rectangle glasses a bit small for her face.

Rob smell really good, better than he did when I was just human. "She's never mentioned it. This one's a wolf though. Doesn't smell normal either, almost as if she's a wolf that is not a wolf." Did I mention that some of our traits carry from form to form? Human werewolves have a great sense of smell.

"Maybe one of her friends dropped by for a visit. Jen's a good tenant, so if this is temporary thing, I'll forget I've seen it."

I love my land lady. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You'll never know how much...really. I felt practically giddy. Maybe it was the wolf form.

"I'm sure Jen will appreciate that." Rob grinned. "Can you do a quick check of her place? I don't think she's diabetic, but Jen's closed off sometimes and doesn't really talk much about personal stuff. Something is definitely wrong. It's not like her to miss work."

"What?" I think it came out more as a whine or maybe a howl. I really didn't mean to say anything. I am not closed off. I'm not.

"We'll check and make sure she's okay. Hey, little pup, wanna go back inside?" My landlady smiled at me and knelt on the ground putting her hand out. No, please, the indignity.

I barked and ran up the stairs to my apartment, without even looking back to see if I was being followed. The door was closed and I tried to push with my paws. No such luck. So I sat down and waited. People walk slow.

Rob waited outside while my landlord checked the place. I guess he was afraid he'd find me passed out on the floor naked or something. Baying the way dogs do for ambulances, I walked toward Rob and then walked backwards and then forwards again, trying to tell him it was okay to come in.

Rob gave me a thinking look and tilted his head to the side. Like I said, some traits carry between forms. "Jen?"

I did one of those rowlfs that dogs do and put my head on my paws, nodding. Rob called out to the landlady, stepping into my apartment. "Looks like we found her."

"Even if she is, Jen's not in human form, I can't let you stay. I mean, in case it's not her." The landlady watched me, looking for any indication of who I might be.

"I'll take her to the office. Can you grab a change of clothes out of the drawer." When he saw the look of doubt, Rob said, "I'll explain everything if you have any trouble with her."

"Trouble with me?" Well, that was annoying. Everything I tried to say came out in a jumble, like a howling yawn.

Rob took charge. "Okay, Jen, get into the bedroom and change back to human or we're going to the office with you as a wolf."

Change form? Nope. As much as I'd love to. I ran to the coffee table and picked up my keys in my mouth. Ewww. I tasted dirt, metal, rubber, and plastic. After running to the door and looking back for good measure, I sat on my haunches while Rob took the sweatshirt and sweatpants from her hands. Really? Sweatpants?

Oh, Oh, God! I wanted to hide under the bed. She grabbed my flaming bright pink granny panties. He is my boss you know. And good looking, which is totally beside the point. I didn't even try to say it. I knew my landlord wouldn't understand a thing I said, and from the way things were going, I just might die of humiliation before ever changing back anyway.

A random through crossed my mind. He knows I peed on the steps.

Chapter 10

Rob wrote a giant alphabet across several sheets of paper. Being a wolf, he seemed to have a knack for the size and spacing needed. He sat with his back to the wall in nearly the same place we had been during the post-moon-morning.

The first questions were easy enough. Am I Jen? Yes. Am I okay? Sure. Do I need anything? No. (So I lied. I needed help, but I wasn't going to come right out and ask him for it.)

There is something I would like to get out in the open right now. Rob smelled good. Not pleasant good or sweet good, but desirous hungry delicious good, and being in the confined space of his office made the scent so much stronger.

I focused on the letters.

The collar was starting to chafe. I scrabbled at it with my paw, trying to pull my head through. Rob unbuckled it, and set the collar on the floor, next to the letters. I sniffed it, but the look and feel was so different from the amulet, I wasn't sure they were the same thing.

"Jen, what's going on? Why don't you just change?"

Using an alphabet paper-form of a Ouija board sucked. The response took a long time, so I limited myself to one word replies. "Stuck."

"What do you mean? You can't change back to human?" Rob said it in a shocked quiet voice and his voice was so gentle I melted.

Whining, I ran to the letter Y. That was all that was needed. "I'm sorry. I've never heard of this happening. Has it happened to you before?"

I touched the letter N and feeling sorry for myself and longing for comfort, I slowly padded to Rob and put my head on his knee. That was a mistake.

Rob scratched my ears absently, probably trying to think of something he could say that would make me feel better. Instead, I felt something else, something deep. Before this, he was just the handsome boss I had a crush on, but when Rob touched me like that, I felt so safe and so...

I know I said that he smelled nice and I felt desire for him, but this was different. While he scratched my head and I leaned against his leg, my heart was full. I loved him. My love came out in a pathetic little whine.

Rob misunderstood. "It's okay. You'll change back eventually."

I don't know how long we sat together, but I am fairly certain he enjoyed the closeness, too, because he sat very still just scratching my ears. To his benefit, he kept his hand to the area of my head and ears. I just leaned against him and enjoyed the company.

Strange what you could get away with as an animal. This kind of togetherness would have been awkward any other way. I think we were both afraid that if we moved too much the spell would be broken, and we'd be two separate people going in opposite directions again.

The phone rang and Rob stood. "I better get that."

I sighed. My ears perked up when I heard Ali. Her concern came off high-pitched. She's like that when she's worried, and Rob interrupted her obvious list of concerns. "I found her. She's here, but Ali, she's in were-form and she can't change back."

I must have gotten a heightened sense of hearing from being in wolf form, because I heard Ali swear, and it was a word I can't use in polite company.

Chapter 11

Ali arrived around four o-clock. Her shift at the warehouse ended a half-hour before. Rob had given me a chew toy from a drawer to keep me busy during the morning. It worked surprisingly well, maybe because his scent was all over it.

One look at me and Ali laughed. Offensive, but I couldn't exactly bite her. "You can't blame me for this one. Where's the amulet?"

Uh-oh. The expression on Rob's face as he looked from Ali to me made me want to cringe. "Amulet?"

Rob had heard a few stories. Sometimes when we went out, Ali would pick me up after work and inevitably run into Rob who was closing up the office and of course she let a few misadventures slip. Not the worst, thank God, but enough.

Ali tossed her coat on a chair and sat down with a sigh. "Sorry, I've been on my feet all day."

Rob wasn't to be put off. "What's this about an amulet?" He sounded angry.

Ali looked up at Rob, wearing the most innocent expression I think I've ever seen. "Her change was inspired by an amulet. I got it from this friend of a friend. Said it was shifting magic and you could be anything you wanted."

Rob's face seemed to freeze in an angry scowl as he stared at me and then turned on Ali. "Do you have any idea where an amulet like this comes from?"

Ali pretended ignorance. "Well, I would assume a magician or wizard or someone with power."

Rob paced the room his hands waving in the air as if he were making a speech, which I guess he was. "A close friend of my dads, someone I look up to, lost his ability to change because of some wizard stealing his power, probably in the creation of an amulet like this. And you two...I don't even believe this. It's traitorous. Jen, how could you?"

I felt so small then. So very much like the mouse whose skin belonged to me.

Ali came to the rescue. "Hey, don't yell at her like that. She didn't know."

"She already can shift. Why would she try to use someone else's ability?" Please don't tell him. Please, please, please, please, please. My heart raced as I waited for her answer.

"First of all, we didn't know it belonged to someone else." (This was a lie, but Ali being a troublemaker by nature, tended to lie very well provided an actual explanation wasn't needed.) She continued, "Furthermore, Jen had nothing to do with the amulet. She was just holding it for me for a few days. We had no idea what it would do, only that it gave off a weird energy." (Another lie. Ali's grace under pressure is a thing to behold. She usually gives it away with too much imagination. This time, her lying was fantastic.)

Rob's accusing tone cut me to the middle of my heart.

"You put on an amulet with no idea what it would do? Where is it now?"

With my head down and with a slight growl that accidentally slipped, I walked to the letters still spread across the floor. My initial plan was to make Ali do all the talking, but this was something only I could answer. Grateful that speaking was out, I put my nose on the letters—disappeared. But now I have a collar.

Ali stood up in a burst of frenetic pacing as she circled the room. A small fanciful part of me wanted to chase and nip at her heels. Rob was still sitting on his desk, having pushed the phone off to the side. He was so tall the tips of his feet touched the floor.

"There has to be something we can do."

"We'll go to Dirk tonight. Maybe he knows how his power was taken. What will you do if we can't find a way for you to change back?" Rob was still angry. I could tell.

I sighed, the kind of sigh only a large furry animal could make and sat down on the letter D. It didn't mean anything. I just happened to be standing over that letter at the time.

"We could tell your parents you fled to Hawaii and everybody else that I adopted a new pet." Ali joked.

Rob lost some of his tension and joined in. "Or that you married a vampire and moved to Greenland."

He'd hurt my feelings, though, and I was in no mood to laugh. Let the growling commence. I even showed teeth and snapped. And best of all, Rob flinched.
Chapter 12

Dirk's mansion could have been featured in Cribs or Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. A private paved road, just large enough for two cars, passed by the front yard which featured a stand of pines and a water-fall type fountain trickling water into a rather large pond. With my head hanging out the window, I could smell the algae and pine and the wind ruffled my fur in a way that made me happy to be alive. The front face had faux-stone siding up the first half of the house and for such a large house, I thought it austere.

Rob had managed to reach Dirk on his cell. Apparently he traveled a lot and just happened to be in town this week. When Rob told him of the amulet and my dilemma, Dirk asked us to come over right away. Not for my benefit. No, Dirk asked Rob a lot about where we got the amulet, and whether we could confirm that the amulet was driven by 'his power', and a whole bunch of other questions that seemed nonsense to me.

The garage faced the side of the house and looked large enough to fit four cars wide. Rob parked on the furthest side of the pavement, before opening the side door for me. I hopped out and padded around the car, a large part of me urgently longing to run through the grass.

The door opened before we even took three steps from the car and a gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair stepped out. I wrinkled my nose. He smelled fake with that bright cologne and I wondered if that was why Rob liked me so much. I didn't wear a lot of perfume such was my allergic reaction to it. Some perfumes gave me a roaring headache. "Thank you so much for coming. You're looking well. Did your father ever get that kitchen remodeled?"

"Sure did. Unfortunately, my mom thinks lavender works in a kitchen. This is Ali and Jen." I felt a little guilty when Rob pointed me out. After all, I might have taken this guy's mojo. One thing for sure, when he got it back, he'd change his cologne. It was hard to tell from wolf-angle whether Rob was smiling, but he seemed to relax now that his problem (that would be me) had been transferred to Dirk.

"So you're the girl who's caused all this trouble. We'll go to the back of the house. My changing rooms are back there and Jen will find quite a bit to interest her I think." Changing rooms? What, were we going to a closet?

We followed him back and sure enough, they were changing rooms. Chew toys, rawhide, leather strips, and old shoes. Must have a foot fetish, that one. Human furniture, second-hand, lined the walls of the large room. I wanted to ask if he had wolf parties in here, but I think I knew the answer. I smelled at least a dozen different wolf scents.

"Have a seat." Dirk waved with an expansive gesture and then said pointedly at me. "You may sit on the furniture in this room."

How nice. My sarcasm was lost in silence, but I jumped up on the couch where Rob sat and put my chin on his leg, my thinking brain realizing what a mistake it was while my doggie brain wanted some comfort. Maybe being a wolf was just a really good excuse to get closer.

With a happy sigh, I turned a circle and settled in, having slept very little the last night. It was time for a nap.

Rob scratched my ears and the weight of his hand coaxed my eyes closed. Ali sat on the other side of Rob, unusually quiet. Dirk and Rob started talking about Dirk's youngest daughter...bo-ring...until I found myself dozing. Rob's hand felt warm against my head and the scratches behind the ears, well let's just say, I understand a dog's enjoyment of the ear-scratch now.

I fell asleep.

Someone was shaking my paw. "Jen,"

I opened my eyes.

"We wanted you to be awake for this. Dirk found a book that might help us change you back."

Suffice it to say Dirk's fantastic magical book basically said to put all of your energy into the form you wished to take and speak aloud your intent. I did all those things. I did them again with Rob, Ali, and Dirk watching intently, with the collar back on. I didn't particularly like that collar. The more I wore it, the more I struggled to remove it.

Did I change back? No. Dirk gave us a couple of possible contacts.

We were in Dirk's library when Rob made the calls. His first two contacts fizzled. They didn't know anything about amulets or spells.

One was a werewolf who, like Dirk, had lost his power. He and Rob were chatting about me. And wolf ears pick up everything, let me tell you. Like Rob, this guy was angry, a more personal pissed-off state. And so, he asked Rob if he could talk to me.

"She's a werewolf right now." Rob said into the phone for which I was slightly grateful. I would have been completely grateful if they hadn't been talking about me at all.

"I just need a minute."

I nodded, which in retrospect I shouldn't have done.

Rob put me on speaker. The werewolf turned unmagical blasted me. "You ruined my life. I haven't had a moon night in twelve months. Twelve!" That was the start of his rant. And since I didn't feel personally responsible, I growled back, snapping at the phone until the man formerly known as a werewolf stopped talking.

"Jen disagrees with you." Dirk said bluntly. Somehow I seemed to disagree better as a wolf. In human or mouse form, no one really seemed to mind a difference of opinion from me.

Rob's tiny half-smile told me he was proud. It was a smile filled with affection and not a small bit of amusement. I wondered what amused him about me snapping at some random guy on the phone. "One more call to make."

The guy couldn't help at all. Just a bitter ex-wolf.

On the last call a woman answered the phone. She sounded sultry and sexy, with a husky voice. After Rob explained the problem, I expected the same unhelpful comments that we'd gotten before. Instead, we got an invitation to her house.

Rob said, "It's quite a drive. Are you sure we can't discuss this on the phone?"

"I need to see the magic used, and I don't make house calls. Bring Jen and the amulet here."

Did I not get a choice in the matter? Why should we go see some lady with a hot voice on the other side of the state? I certainly didn't see the point. But then again, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life as a wolf.
Chapter 13

We drove to Seattle that weekend to meet the hedge witch Dirk recommended. Her name was Gisele Madison. I'm not exactly sure what involves being a hedge witch, which is probably just as well. Rob carried my collar in his laptop case now, because I couldn't stand to wear it.

The drive was long and tedious. As a human, I loved car trips. As a wolf they were intolerable. The motion of the car made my stomach queasy. And it was boring. I couldn't converse, and Rob wasn't talking either. Ali would have understood and kept me company with stories, but she had to work.

After we got out of town and were driving through the rolling hills, Rob rolled the window down. I stuck my head out and felt free, like I could breath again. With my new wolfy nostrils, I smelled the different types of grasses and the little animals in their burrows. And the wind ruffled my fur in just the right way. From that point, the trip was much better.

The hedge witch lived along I90 near Issaquah. Her house was rather non-descript, at least from a wolf's perspective, but the garden was lovely and wrapped all the way around the house.

Sultry voice or not, I expected a frumpy little woman with gray frizzy hair tied back in a kerchief. What I got was an incredibly tall woman in a smart grey pant suit with a genuine grace in her movements. She wasn't just pretty. She was gorgeous, the kind of woman men dream of being with. The blonde highlights in her hair looked natural, and her smile was just a little too cheerful for me to be happy about it. She also smelled good.

After inviting us in, she took the seat next to Rob and flirted shamelessly with him, as if I didn't exist. My heart hurt to watch. It took all of my will power not to growl at her. When she put a hand on his arm and started to make her move, I didn't snap off her wrist. Instead I put my head on Rob's lap, right under other his hand and gave my best territorial glare.

"Oh." Gisele raised a manicured eyebrow and tilted her head just that little bit. "I'm afraid your friend hasn't been given appropriate lessons in manners for a werewolf."

That time I growled.

Rob used the tip of his finger to scratch the silky part of my nose. It felt surprisingly good and soothing. "I asked her to accompany me on the next full moon. I believe she sees you as a threat."

I could have died of embarrassment right then. Rob certainly had a lofty opinion of himself. It surprised me that his brutal honesty worked. Gisele removed her hand and we went back to business. "The amulet. Did you bring it with you?"

Rob handed her the collar. "When she changed into a wolf, the amulet disappeared, but she was wearing this."

Gisele hissed when she took the collar into her hands. "Powerful magic. Dark. Very dark. Three wolves lost their power when this amulet was made. Three cats lost their lives."

She wasn't talking about regular cats. These were were-cats. I just wanted to know how to stop the spell. My stomach felt queasy knowing people died to make it, and I wanted to rip the thing off. Rob must have read my mind. "How do we turn Jen back and return the wolves' power?"

As she looked me over, Gisele wore a haughty expression. "You must find all three wolves. When they put on the amulet and say a spell, their power will return to them. I will write down the exact words for you. The amulet should disappear with the third wolf and Jen will turn back into a human."

I didn't like Gisele. It wasn't just because she was tall and perfect or even because she thought she was better than me. She just had this way of making me feel small. Even as a wolf, I felt like a mouse in her presence, which technically I was, but I shouldn't be made to feel it. But she was a predator, in a way that a mouse like me did not appreciate. I watched her watch Rob, and I realized that she was interested in him.

Running to the door, I turned and looked over my shoulder at Rob. He laughed. That's what I like best about him. He's charming even when I'm not.

"Wait. I know you don't like me, Mouse. You will stay the night here. The maker of the amulet is hunting for it. I'll help you hide. I'll create a potion that helps you hide. One night is all I need." Her smile was false. As a wolf, I could read her scent, her being. She wanted Rob. Wait, what did she say?

She called me Mouse. My soul roared at the indignity. It was what I was. She named me truly. And now Rob would know. And we wouldn't ever go on the moon tryst date. Not that I planned on going, but I wanted to.

"Jen?"

I felt as if I couldn't win. We needed Gisele's protection. Dirk's description of her power and her willingness to help meant that we needed to stay the night. I dipped my head. It was the best I could do. Gisele slid closer to Rob. I watched while she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, and I heard exactly what she said, "Are you sure she's the one? You could always save that date with her for another month. We could have a glorious time."

Rob was listening to her words, but looking in my eyes. With a shake of his head, he said, "I've made my choice. Wolves stay firm you know, when testing for a mate. I'm going to test her next."

Wow, that made me feel special, like a tube in a laboratory filled with disease. Testing the girlfriend. It was a good thing Andrea explained this to me in detail or I would have slipped out the door with my tail slinking below my legs and run so far away that I never saw Rob again. But I knew that it meant he wanted me. He wanted to see if we were mates, and only because he thought we could be.

So I just sat there and pretended I couldn't hear what they were saying as they whispered back and forth, as he took her hand and removed it from his leg.

"Whatever you say, Sweetie." Gisele stood abruptly. "Well, let me show you to your rooms."

Her house wasn't overly large. There were exactly three rooms. The master bedroom on one side of the kitchen and the two smaller bedrooms across the house next to the living room. Those two bedrooms shared a bathroom. What concerned me was that she gave me the master bedroom...and worse, it looked like a guest room for a dog, with doggy furniture and a rather large pet blanket. And she gave Rob the bedroom next to hers. This lady was trouble.

We both had overnight bags, with hopes to do a few tourist stops once I had turned back to a human. Neither of us anticipated a long drawn out problem with the amulet. After taking a moment outside to do my business, I followed Rob into his bedroom.

"I'm sorry. I don't allow animals in that room or in my room. I'm sure you understand." Oh, I understood. Rob with his handsome smile and chiseled werewolf body could stay next to the witch. This was a total set up.

I stopped at the threshold of his room and sat down, putting my tail just at the edge of the door, but not a hair over.

"That's okay. There's plenty of room in the master for both of us." Rob leaned down and patted my shoulder.

Gisele's mouth fell open. To say she looked shocked was an understatement. "I'll just be downstairs finishing the masking spell."

For my part I hoped it worked. She was somewhat upset to be foiled in her pursuit, and I wouldn't put it past her to mess up the spell now that her fun was ruined. Also, it felt a little too convenient that she knew exactly what had to be done to reverse the amulet. How would a witch know that? Unless she'd made amulets before.

Rob wasn't one to be pursued. It's probably why he wanted me. It's not like I've been easy for him to get to know, even after months working together. I was surprised when he accompanied me to the pet room.

The pet beds were new. Perfect for a were-anything, the room didn't work for a human. After Gisele went downstairs, he slipped outside to grab his sleeping bag.

I went into the pet bathroom and discovered a huge tub with buttons on the bottom, specially built to a wolf's needs. I pressed the button and water filled the tub. It was just the right temperature, which for a wolf was a little cooler. As the tub filled with water, another tube squirted bubble bath in from another angle. I love bubble baths.

I was busy splashing in the tub, rolling upside down. There were some really cool things about being a wolf. The water smelled so fresh. Not exactly like water, but like something else, something more, something better.

I'd left the door open. It's not as if I could have closed it anyway with paws, but it didn't matter because I wore fur which in the wolf world was as good as clothes. Rob chuckled when he saw me in the tub. And then he pulled out his cell phone and took a picture. I hoped it was a good one because he sure as heck wouldn't get another tub picture of me again.

"Jen, would you mind if I shut the door for a minute? I'm going to change." Rob looked a bit awkward and I realized that we were going to spend the night alone together. Hmm...I'd imagined it several times before, but never quite like this. I barked what I hoped would be a cheerful response. He laughed and our eyes met, then he closed the door gently while I went back to my bubble chasing pursuits. After that, I had the tub to myself.

He opened the door a moment later, looking good in a blue t-shirt and shorts, and I found myself wondering what he looked like as a wolf. Maybe I could run with him on the moon as a wolf, if we didn't resolve the amulet situation.

I went into the corner of the bathroom and shook from head to tail. Rob pulled a hair dryer out of my bag, "You'd best get dried off before sleep."

Now that I faced a hair dryer as an animal, I discovered something. They are loud. My ears were far too sensitive now. But we managed and I felt clean and refreshed when Rob lay down in his sleeping bag. I longed to lie down next to him...or at least at the foot where a regular pet would lie.

But I felt shy. And I didn't know if he wanted me there. So, I curled up on the doggy couch with my head tucked over my butt.

Pretending to be asleep, I stared into the dark, but of course I was awake. My ears heard whispers in the dark of things I could not place. Rob experienced the same discontent and shifted back and forth in his sleeping bag. By morning, we were both tired and cranky. Coffee sounded good. The witch poured milk in my metal bowl. I sniffed it a few times. It actually smelled okay. So no coffee. At least she wasn't trying to poison me...yet.

I drank the milk without complaint, feeling grateful that Rob looked worse than I did. He had hair sticking up on the side of his head and wore a grumbly expression from all that tossing and turning.

There is no etiquette for licking milk out of a bowl. I felt awkward and very much on display, probably because Gisele watched me carefully while I drank. I sniffed the bowl again for good measure, then looked under and around just to make sure that there wasn't some witchy thing attached. All clear.

She handed Rob a bag of herbs on a leather thong. "Wear this around your neck."

She attached a similar bag to the amulet collar and reached for me. I side-stepped and growled.

"Fine." She handed Rob the collar. "Make sure she wears this. I've spelled it to make it more comfortable. If your moon tryst doesn't turn out, look me up." She smiled and it was genuine and soft, and she looked too good for having stayed up all night, much too good. But we never had to see her again. So I finished my milk and thumped my tail on the linoleum floor when Rob finished making pleasantries. He knelt down at my side and his hands on my neck felt right even while the collar felt oh so wrong.

He watered his hair down in the bathroom before we carried our stuff out to the car, ran a comb through his hair, and suddenly it was as if he'd never lost any sleep.

It was like magic. I loved watching him.

Chapter 14

After a comfortable night asleep on Rob's couch, I waited while Rob did a house showing and met with clients to list their house. It was going to be a slam-dunk. The house was in a good neighborhood and would sell quickly.

Waiting for the day to end so that we could get on with fixing me was the only hard part.

The moment finally came. I'd never see two men look so eager. Apparently being a werewolf must be awesome because they truly waited on the porch like two kids whose father had just come home from a business trip with presents.

Dirk introduced us to the guy that yelled at me on the phone and we got down to business. I wore the collar with the little brown pouch swinging under my chin. Trust me when I say the tooth mark in the leather was mostly an accident.

When Dirk leaned down to remove my collar, I nearly bit him. Talk about hackles rising. I wasn't expecting it and something about him just rubbed me wrong. With my canines showing, my growl meant business. It made no sense even to me, but I did not want Dirk touching me.

Rob knelt beside me, unbuckling the collar. His hand ruffling through my fur comforted me. "It's okay, Jen."

"You want to go first?" Dirk stepped back, a quick flash of anger smothered with a smile that didn't quite fit. He wanted to be in control, and I wasn't playing nice. I decided I didn't much like him.

I watched the man wrap the collar around his throat, a doctor from a small town forty-five miles south, he took a deep breath when Rob handed him Giselle's spell. With a husky voice he read the words from the piece of paper Giselle had written out, words that made no sense by the way. Witches.

A flash of light followed the last word and he changed from man to wolf and then back again. That made sense since wolves only changed on the full moon.

"Do you have your power back?" Dirk held out his hand for the collar.

He gave Dirk the collar, saying, "I'll know soon enough."

Dirk inspected the holes along the leather and touched the mojo bag. The urge to bite him grew, but I held my temper. Apparently I'm a territorial wolf. I had no idea I could be like that.

Dirk put the collar on, the change flashing for a moment to a wolf with a feral gleam in his eyes. We stared at one another, playing a dominance game in that instant that sent adrenaline shivering through my body. And then he was human again.

Dirk pretended nothing happened. He asked," Have you thought about how you're going to find that third wolf?"

Werewolves met regularly at the full moon and since they ran in packs, somebody should have known if a wolf lost his power. Dirk only found one other wolf missing his power.

Being without vocal chords really stinks sometimes. I had an idea. Something life as a mouse had taught me. When a person is embarrassed by something, they tend to hide it. As I did my mousiness. Maybe this wolf hid his loss in silence.

I woofed at Rob and then spent a good half hour trying to tell him what I thought. I'm a horrible mime. Ali would have understood. Rob asked for computer paper and we had to do the whole alphabet thing again, just so I could tell him my idea, which turned out to be a good one after all.

"You know, we do have wolves who have disappeared from the pack runs recently. I know a few are sick, but the rest might just be in hiding. Let me make a few calls."

Dirk left the room, handing Rob the collar. Rob played with the leather pouch, his fingers trailing the bite marks. He was watching me furtively, and now that I could see him through wolf eyes, I knew the wolf within was intrigued by me. I smiled, the kind of grin that made my tongue fall out. This time, Rob's smile reached the crinkles in the corners of his eyes.

Dirk returned with a list of names, some with phone numbers and addresses, some without. There were seven people on the list.

"I have it on good authority that this first one is holed up in a barn. You'd best check that address out first." Dirk winked at me. It made me feel slimey. Some people should not wink, Dirk being one of them.

Rob took the list and thanked Dirk and we were off.

I'd love to say that we immediately caught the guy and gave him his wolf back and we all lived happily ever after. The next time I let Ali talk me into anything...I'm talking the slightest trip to get our hair done or even a quick stop at an ice cream shop, I'm going to remember the barn on Hawktail Road and the crazy man inside.

I've long thought that Rob had sixth sense about life. He just seems to know when to call for help. We drove to the barn. Ali was already waiting, her hair swept back into a pony tail. For her this was the middle of the night, but as much trouble as Ali can get me into, I have to admit, she's always there to help get me right back out again.

"Thank goodness you're closer to a solution. Jen's grandma is driving me crazy. She was actually waiting at the top of the stairs in front of my apartment door last night. She knows something's up." Ali took off her sun glasses and slid them into the case. Now up close, with the rings under her eyes, no raccoon joke here, I could tell she hadn't been getting enough sleep, probably covering for me.

I yipped, and what I said was, "What exactly did you tell my grandmother and will I be able to join a family function without ridicule when this is all over?"

After years as friends, language is almost secondary. Ali tossed her sunglass case through the passenger window which had been slightly rolled down and said, "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm an accomplished liar. As a matter of fact, your grandmother is now happily convinced that you are on a cruise with a new boyfriend, who happens to be a hot werewolf. I didn't drop any names, so you have plenty of room to embellish."

Rob lifted an eyebrow and smirked. Yes, that's right. He smirked. I realized then that he planned to be the hot werewolf in the story. And Ali just scratched my head and stepped by me as if she'd solved world hunger on her own. I let her be patronizing in that moment because she was my best friend and I could hear a growl coming from the barn, an inhuman growl, and by that I mean, the werewolf was a wolf, in wolf form, and not on a full moon.

You know how barns have those openings in the second story with large doors? To throw hay down, I suppose. Well, this wolf growled at us from the barn. Rob stepped in front of me. Seriously. I'm in wolf form and could hold my own a lot better than he could.

"I'm going to open the door slowly, and I want you to both to get in the car." The effect was lost when he glanced over his shoulder to Ali to find a raccoon with a cheeky smile where a lovely young woman once stood. She greeted him with a chittering laugh and scampered under the car and out the other side, drawing the werewolf's attention.

In my limited world view, I thought that a wolf standing on the second story of anything would have to run down the stairs to get down from such a height. As I say, limited. The wolf in question dropped out of the opening like it was nothing. It occurred to me then that most barns had ladders. He couldn't have gotten out any other way. And he was running after Ali, snarling and foaming at the mouth.

No wolf was going to eat my friend. Even if she deserved it.

With a growl of my own, I leapt past Rob who yelled, "Jen! Jen, get back here!" He cursed like a rapper. Hell might have been mentioned a few times. It's hard to say, my focus was elsewhere.

There comes a moment in everyone's life when a decision must be made. A stupid, horrendous, really bad decision. This was my moment. Teeth bared, I knocked down the other wolf at full speed, snarling and snapping while we rolled in a tangle of fur and teeth.

He grazed my neck with his teeth and I growled and tried to sink my teeth into his. He tasted like manure. Like the barn. It was gross. So I didn't bite him. And he missed biting me. All around, not a great way to start off Round 1 in werewolf vs. werewolf.

The wolf shook himself away, his fangs bared while he stalked around me. I did the same with no intention of giving him the chance to look elsewhere. He could kill Rob or Ali in a single snap and from where I stood, the guy acted crazy.

Rob spoke very calmly in a soothing voice and I imagined he'd be a good father, even for the early morning feedings. I shook myself. We hadn't even gone on a first date and I was writing our future together. How pathetic.

In the meantime, the wolf was listening. His head was cocked and he stood still. I waited. And then the wolf bolted, not for the barn nor toward Ali or Rob. There was only one direction left for him and he took it.

Ali regained her human form, and Rob and I explored the barn. We found a cardboard sign asking for help and a dirty backpack. I nosed around, but there wasn't much else to find. There was a tunnel through the hay and I worked my way into it only to find a burrow that apparently the werewolf slept in.

"Jen, are you almost ready to leave?" That was Ali. She sounded a little worried. That meant her raccoon sense was giving her a warning. And she and I listened to those warnings of hers. We'd been saved from maiming and arrest a few times when her tingly sense gave us cause to flee.

I scurried back out from the tunnel, laughing because this time, I was a wolf. Usually my trips down small areas involved some amount of fear and a healthy dose of caution. I felt powerful, strong, invincible. And my hindquarters itched. I scratched at the spot while Rob and Ali argued over whose house I'd be going to next.

Apparently, Ali wanted a sleepover...Rob did, too. It's nice to be wanted.

They agreed to meet at Ali's (which meant Rob lost the argument), and we'd regroup from there.

As Rob pulled onto the gravel road, I saw the wolf loping back to the barn. We'd left his cardboard sign and backpack intact. Ali might not be the most law abiding person on the planet, but she is compassionate. She took a few dollars out of her purse, which made Rob feel guilty, so he took a twenty out, and we left it for the wolf.

My neck itched. I tried to reach back with my fangs, with my claws, with anything. Why was everything itching all of a sudden?

I should have known another lesson in humility was coming. I was a mouse, for Pete's sake! How much humility do I need?

"Jen are you okay?" Rob asked.

"Grrr ..yip." Which was my version of. "Rob, can we please not talk about the fact that my shoulder itches, my tail itches, even my belly itches. Maybe I'm allergic to hay."

Of course, he just heard "Grr..yip" and started talking about how I'd feel better after a shower and that we could cross this guy off the list.

Ali lived in a small one bedroom apartment. It was a cozy little place. But one were to another, I can tell you, she was very patient when she discovered exactly what my little problem, err, problems were.

She was watching me try to scratch and she knelt beside me, ruffling her hands through my fur. "Uh, Rob, if you want to take Jen home with you, that would be cool with me. I'm sure she'd be more comfortable in a larger house."

Okay, Ali was using her smarmy voice. What was going on here?

Rob fell for it. He grinned, "I thought we'd have to roll dice or draw cards. You want to come with us to the park tomorrow? We're going to try the next name on the list."

Ali's knees creaked when she stood. "You know, I'd love to, but I have to work tomorrow and I really need to get some sleep."

The universal signal for 'Please get lost.' Ali didn't use it much. She'd lived her life half-exhausted. Only as her special best friend in the whole world did I know this. Maybe she had a lead she didn't want to share or she was planning to revisit the wolf and cause trouble.

Ugh. Now my neck itched. This was beyond annoying.

With hurried goodbyes, Rob led me out of Ali's apartment. Glancing back over my shoulder, I do believe Ali was smirking at Rob.

"Ali sure changed her mind fast. She must have realized how tired she was once she got home." Rob rolled the window down for me. At least I could enjoy the wind in my face while we went.

We were past the halfway point to Rob's house when his cell phone rang.

"Rob here."

"Hey, Rob, it's Ali."

She sounded smug.

"What's up?"

"Jen has fleas."

The coward disconnected the call. I whipped my head around, feeling frantic not only on my own behalf but for Rob as well. She could have kept me and helped me hide it from Rob.

Now I was a bug ridden disease carrier. How horrid.

I whined. Rob tossed the phone onto the seat next to me. "So you heard?"

I nodded and felt like crying. Everything had gone wrong for me. Fleas. A pestilence. Fleas?!

A warm hand rubbed the top of my head. "It happens to the best of us." Rob said. I'm not sure if he meant it. I figured once I turned human again, I'd ask. I'd sure feel better if he'd gotten fleas at least once.

Chapter 15

I waited in the car while Rob stopped at Were-Mart. For a Were to buy flea shampoo is kind of like a human buying hemorrhoid cream. Embarrassing. Personal. Humiliating. But people get hemorrhoids, and werewolves get fleas. So do weremice, but I've never had the pleasure until now.

Rob was a great sport. He bought the flea shampoo while I leaned my head out the window watching people come and go. People aren't inclined to pet animals outside of a Were-Mart. Can you imagine petting your neighbor? It's just not the polite thing to do.

After a few minutes, Rob returned with a brown bag which he threw in the back seat. "Well worth it if I get to keep you with me for the night." Rob's not one to speak first and think later, but that statement came out a little more intimate than he'd planned and his cheeks turned rather pinkish.

I giggled, which must sound enough like laughter in a wolf because Rob started laughing, too.

The tricky part came with the actual shampooing. I wouldn't walk into Rob's house with fleas. I sat down on the stoop and no matter how many times he told me to come in, I shook my head and stayed put. It's hard to win an argument when the person you're arguing with isn't talking and isn't budging.

So Rob said, "What do you want me to do?"

I tossed my head in the direction of the brown bag hoping he'd guess.

"Shampoo outside? The water will be freezing." He waited for me to change my mind. When I didn't he grabbed the shampoo bottle and followed me outside.

It's funny but the whole ride home, I was wondering how I was going to get the shampoo on. I wanted Rob to help me. And I didn't want to ask. I mean, shampooing for fleas is not at all attractive or sexy or anything like that. But it is intimate.

I never day dreamed about my first shower with Rob, which is probably just as well as it would have been a disappointment. After a line of shampoo along my back, I was lathered and sprayed. Neither Rob nor myself was comfortable with him touching the tummy area. We weren't that close yet. I wondered if we ever would be, and then reminded myself to stop thinking about it.

He avoided my hind areas. With my luck that's where all the fleas were hiding. As he lathered my back, Rob said, "Well, at least you'll have a funny story to tell your kids."

I was glad to be in wolf form. Because I had no idea how to respond to that.

Then he turned on the hose.

And sprayed me.

I howled. Awooooooooooooooooo. It was so cold.

Rob's shirt was half tucked into his jeans and he shrugged, "I told you it would be cold. You can go in and take a warm shower if you'd like."

He squirted me again with a spiteful grin.

Well, that was not at all sporting. I ran up really close to him and shook from head to toe, letting the cold water beading up on the tips of my fur splatter all over him. He wasn't dressed in real estate clothes today anyway, so I figured he was fair game.

With a laugh, he sprayed me back, which was terribly unfair since I had no hose or even a tiny little water pistol, but I used what I had and shook again, letting the water fly everywhere until he was soaked.

"Okay, you win." Rob laughed, shutting off the water. He cocked his head and looked very wolfish when he said, "You know? I never realized how much fun you were."

I might only have wolf teeth to smile with, but what he said went right to my heart, so I used my canines to full effect.

Nothing exciting happened that night. We didn't discover we were soul mates or anything. Rob picked out some movies for his home media system with the help of my veto votes, and we spent the evening watching movies. The television is a bit different as an animal. The colors look different and the sounds are sharper.

Rob didn't actually mention the fleas again, and I was able to forget for a while what happened.

Rob let me sleep in his play room, a room fully stocked for the times when his wolf was out to play.

Chapter 16

The morning went smoothly and without incident. I felt content hopping out of the passenger door. I yawned, showing my teeth while waiting for Rob to unlock the office. I'd slept all night and here I was ready to nap all day. There was a blessing to having wolf paws.

I should have known something would happen to ruin my plan of a quiet day curled up where the sun streams through the window. Even I wouldn't have guessed that my grandmother would be tracking me down on a Tuesday.

My grandmother came striding into Rob's office at precisely 9:00 A.M, which is technically our opening time.

Before she even saw me, Grandma was admonishing me. "Jen, when a family member calls, the polite thing is to call back. I've been looking for you all over town." Grandma paused when she actually looked around the office and didn't see me.

When I heard her voice, I'm afraid my instincts might have had me diving behind the huge sofa Rob put in his office to make it look more homey and elegant. Yes, I was well-hidden before Grandma saw me. The couch itself isn't terribly comfortable. The back and cushions were too stiff.

With a laugh Rob whispered, "What happened? Did you miss dinner?"

Out loud he called to the other room. The darker part of me wanted to glimpse his backside as he went to greet Grandma but I'm afraid from where I hid, I could only see his dress shoes.

He greeted her warmly and invited her in to have coffee with him. If she accepted, he would lead her right to the couch where I was hidden and being the werewolf she is, she'd smell me. Would she recognize my scent as a wolf? I'm not sure how, but my Grandma knows things.

And then I'd have to come out of hiding. I could just see him merrily introducing Grandma and cringed. In a way it would be cruelty beyond measure, because I was now exactly what she wanted me to be, a wolf.

I should have given Rob more credit.

Rob swooped in and charmed my Grandma. I listened discreetly, from my hiding place. When she agreed to coffee, he grabbed his coat off the rack. "I know a great little place down the street. Jen loves the coffee cake."

"Speaking of Jen. She hasn't been answering my calls. And don't tell me she's vacationing in Hawaii. That friend of hers needs to practice lying a little more. She gets too enthusiastic for the story."

That was Ali in a nutshell. If we ever got caught at anything, it was because Ali was the one spinning the tale to get us out. Her explanations were fun to listen to, though, so I've never had reason to complain.

"Jen's okay. She asked for a week off to sort some things out. I just spoke with her this morning."

"Well, the whole family is on alert, so the next time you see her, you tell her to call me."

What? For me? Family on alert is not necessarily a bad thing I suppose. It's to keep anyone from falling through the cracks when they're having a rough time. But I've never had anyone worrying about me before. I'm the steady one, the one who attends all family gatherings without question, even if they do make me miserable....mostly because the alternative would be more miserable.

The last time we were on family alert was when Aunt May broke her leg. We took turns taking her shopping and helping her quilt, reading stories. I grew quite fond of Aunt May and even now spend a few hours dropping by every now and then to help her quilt.

"I'll tell her. She's not supposed to check in for a while, so don't worry if you don't hear from her in the next few days."

The door shut on whatever my Grandma murmured. It was probably a threat to hunt me down if I didn't make the requisite phone call.

Wiggling out from my hiding spot, I returned to my warm place in the window where the sun was streaming in. As a wolf, I had enough fur to keep me warm. It wasn't long before the sun felt too hot. So I traipsed back to the shade.

Rob spent a long time out with my Grandma. Bored, I pushed Rob's nerf football off the top of the desk and started tossing it around the room with my teeth. It might sound a bit childish, but imagine being stuck in a pair of rooms with absolutely nothing to do. It was the nerf ball or my sanity.

I may have gotten a little carried away.

The nerf ball sustained damage. Major damage. The kind of damage a nerf ball gets when chewed and drooled on and thrown and pounced on. And when a little piece came off, it seemed just the thing to hold the battered toy between my two paws and gnaw on the end. Something about chewing really feels good to the canine teeth.

I'm lucky Rob returned to the office alone, because I didn't hear him come in. Here I was thumping my tail happily destroying his favorite office toy when I hear, "My football. My favorite office stress reliever."

To be fair, his distress looked genuine. I had no idea a silly little ball would mean so much to a grown man. It's not like it really did anything but sit on his desk or maybe get tossed in the air a time or two when he was on the phone with a client.

I grinned, showing the clean white teeth recently refreshed by chewing on his favorite toy.

"Jen, you can't play with a man's ball like that."

Giggling, I ruffed, "I'll buy you another one." Somehow my attempts at reconciliation were lost in translation.

Rob trudged to his leather chair and sort of fell into it. I think he was at wit's end, honestly.

"Your grandmother didn't believe a word I told her. She thinks you're hiding."

I just tilted my head with the nerf ball between my paws and let my tail strike the floor a few times, just to let him know I was listening. It's not like I could do anything about my grandma anyway. And she was the least of my worries. Having paws and the ability to chew nerf balls into tiny pieces of fluff didn't appeal to my expectations of an idealized future, and yet I felt content and satisfied.

"She asked me several personal questions, ranging from my salary to if I wanted children. I think she knows I'm interested in you." That got my attention. My head jerked up and Rob and I maintained eye contact for a good fifteen seconds.

Andrea.

Of course she would tell everyone about my crush after a family alert regarding my status as a missing person. Maybe they thought he dumped me and I ran. I'm just lucky they trusted Ali and Rob when they said I was okay. Otherwise, I might have ended up on flyers all over the neighborhood and a police report with my description, which would have included my weremouse description, a humiliation I'd never live down.

Of course Grandma would come and scope Rob out herself.

I shrugged and gave Rob what I hoped to be an innocent look.

He just shook his head and mourned his nerf ball, "That football makes up for your desk. You know I had that for three years."

Wow, a whole three years. I bet it's a collector's item by now. I picked up the ball, hoping there wasn't too much drool and dropped it at Rob's feet. I understood dogs a lot better now. I was giving him a message. Something that said, "Here's your toy back. Thanks for letting me play with it. I'll probably take it again even if you don't want me to."

He picked it up without wincing. There are some benefits to working with a werewolf. Rolling it around in his hands, he seemed to be inspecting each gouge mark carefully. Nerf balls aren't exactly made of sturdy material.

Rob's hands were much too large for the toy. With a grin he tossed it rather sharply right next to my face. I snapped sideways and caught it in the air, chewing it a few times to hold on properly.

"Your grandma told me you're a mouse-were. It's no reason to avoid going out on a date with me...if that's what it is. If you really don't want to go out, I won't say another word." The innocent hope on Rob's face eased the tension in my soul when he said mouse.

I nearly choked on the ball. Ratted out by my own grandmother. I felt humiliated and shy, relieved and nervous all in the same breath. He knows. He still wants to go out. Maybe he was just trying to make me feel better. But he looks like he still wants me. At least now the truth was out.

Chapter 17

Francis turned out to be as annoying as those vampires in the movies who want to suck your face while they are sucking your blood. Apparently, he had a thing for me. What kind of thing, I can only guess, because he wasn't forthcoming. It wasn't lust or love, probably not even snack-related, which left what? I hid from Francis when he stepped into the front room.

Rob is usually the one who tells me that a visitor was coming, but this time, I smelled and heard him about the same time that Rob did. I hid under the couch which gave me a view of my office, which is also the reception area.

The vampire stood with a slack mouth staring at my desk. I wanted to knock on his head and ask if there was anyone home. I might have sighed from my hiding place because Rob looked in my direction suddenly with a frown and a raised eyebrow. He has classic features, a smooth jaw line, just the right amount of cheek and nose. And those beautiful eyes. And that silky black hair with a bit of a wave. I sighed. Definitely love.

"Where's your assistant?" Francis blinked a few times. Guess there was someone inside.

"She's busy." I do believe Rob gave me a secret smile just then when he said, "It's hard keeping up with her. I have a few houses I think you'll like. Would you like to see them?"

Looking at my empty seat, the vampire nodded slowly. "That would be fine."

"Shall we take my car?" Rob opened the door and held it for Francis. "I'll be down in just a second. I need to grab my phone."

Grabbing his keys, Rob unlocked the bottom right-hand drawer of his desk. I'd known from the first day of work that the drawer was off-limits. After his wild nights, I had a rather vivid imagination of what kind of kinky sex objects might be locked away only to be brought out in the light of a full moon.

I felt a sense of shock when he slid open the drawer and pulled out a beat-up stuffed teddy-bear. As chew toys went, this was the ultimate. He tossed it toward the couch where I was still hiding, "I'm sorry, Jen. I have no idea how long this will go. I'll call Ali to come over, so you're not stuck here alone."

It was useless to tell him that I'd be fine. I woofed and that was about the end of it. I'm not sure if he expected me to crawl out from under the couch then and there, but I had concerns that Francis might pop back in at any moment. Vampires are unpredictable at times. Still, a sale is a sale. And things were quiet. I could manage.

Once Rob had gone for the second time, I crawled out from my hiding place under the couch. I suppose I was lucky. Even another weremouse boss would have forced me to take vacation or go without pay in a similar circumstance. Still, I couldn't help feeling as if the universe were against me.

Scooping up the teddy bear in my jaws, I padded to my new favorite place in the office, a comfortable little corner with a large wolf-sized pillow. It was something of a shock that Rob let me use his pillow. Wolves just don't allow other animals onto their bed, at least not from what I've seen in my family. Maybe he really did like me.

I circled a few times before settling. Sniffing the teddy bear a few times and gnawing a bit on the end, I settled in for a nap.

Chapter 18

Rob had crossed a one more name off the list while Ali and I removed two more. We met up again at Ali's house. She yawned for a good thirty seconds, and Rob convinced her that he and I could finish with the list.

The next name on the list was a teenage werewolf by the name of Tyler Baker. His house was a small one-story in a crowded part of town. Rob was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, so at least he didn't look too badly out of place. With the window rolled down, I could hear everything they said.

A woman with graying hair swept back in a braid answered the door. "Whatever it is you're selling, I don't want it."

"I'm not selling anything. We're looking for Tyler Baker? He's missed a few of the full moons and we wanted to make sure he was okay." Rob used that super-smile that could charm a cactus.

"I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm at my wit's end. Tyler is adopted, and none of the rest of us have the full moon changes. He stopped going because the changes stopped. I don't know what to do." She opened the door wider, "Tyler is at that werewolf park. "

Rob handed her his business card. "We're going to swing by the park and see if we can talk to him there. If we don't run into him, can you have him call this number? We may be able to help him with his problem."

The woman took the card, "Thank you. He's been so depressed lately."

"Ma'am, any wolf who loses their ability to shift is bound to get depressed. If we're able to get his wolf back, I'm sure he'll be happier." Rob would know. I never thought I'd miss being a mouse if it came down to it, but I suppose I would.

"I hope this helps. Would you like to come in for a few minutes? I just have a few questions."

Rob looked over his shoulder. Just in case he needed permission, I nodded. "Maybe for a few minutes."

I waited in the car for an eternity in wolf time. In human time, it was only twenty minutes. Afterward, we drove to the park where werewolves are most likely to roam during full moons. The park is huge with ample room for us were-types to cavort in. As a mouse, I never had much use for it. This was actually the first time I'd even been there.

Trails wove in and out of the trees and the werewolf park was in many ways a forest playroom for wolves.

"It's rare to find humans lingering about here. I'll just walk along one of these paths. If you can use your nose to sniff out the humans, we should be able to find him if he's here." Rob said.

It was nice of him to actually come to the park with me. He'd suggested going home and waiting for Tyler to call, which was a whine-worthy moment in my opinion. But I only whined a little. Tired of four legs and drool, it was time for a cure.

A few scents caught my attention, the first a cologne that seemed promising. I followed the scent through the park, only to be disappointed upon discovering a middle-aged man instead of the teenager I was hoping for.

His skin was normally dark, but in the light he seemed almost gray, and he wheezed when he spoke.

"Are you a..." He gulped a breath and then another. I frowned or at least did the wolfish version of a frown. Something was wrong here. I stepped forward while he struggled for another breath, "were or pet?"

"Awoo" I leapt onto the bench next to him.

He coughed and struck himself in the chest. "Sure wish you were a were. I think I need help."

He was having a heart attack. I put a paw on his hand and howled for all I was worth, hoping I wouldn't upset him. Rob would know it was me. He would come and then he could call for help. The howl probably carried some panic. That's how I felt, frightened and helpless. He looked bad. Something about the way he struggled, the way he seemed to force his head up every time he took a breath.

"Name," He winced and gasped, "Ned." It took all his breath just to say those words.

I would have told him to save his air if only I had words.

I howled again. A lady came running out of the woods. Strange. I thought my panicked howl would only bring Rob. She stopped when she saw me and looked like she would turn around.

Ned stared off into the distance. "What a strange..."

And that was all he said. Ned's head fell to his chest and he didn't say another word. I tried to put my head by his chest to hear his heart but I couldn't even tell if I was close enough and his head got in the way. I howled again.

This time the woman turned back and ran up to the park bench. She touched Ned's hand. "Are you okay?"

Rob sprinted out of the trees from the other direction. He was at the bench before the woman decided she hadn't felt a pulse.

"I think he's dead."

Pulling him off the bench, Rob started CPR. "Call an ambulance."

I paced back and forth, feeling helpless in my wolf paws. A couple ran out of woods. "I can help."

When Rob felt for a pulse, there was still no heartbeat.

Ned. His name is Ned. The thought kept running through my mind. It bugged me so much. Maybe if I had been human, I could have helped him right away and he wouldn't be laying there without a heartbeat. At least the ambulance would have been there sooner.

But then if I were human, we wouldn't be in the park. Maybe Ned would have died alone.

"Help is coming." That from the lady on the phone. She wore a pink jogging suit, a strand of hair had fallen out of her pony tail. I thanked her silently for not turning completely away the second time I howled.

Rob was dripping with sweat. I'd never seen such a determined look before. He was wasted on real estate. He would have made a great paramedic.

Ned still looked grey. It was so strange. I had been talking to him, exchanging words and then there were no more words. I felt so young. No one close to me had ever died, and the feeling that somehow this person was dying stunned me to the core. I'd never seen anything like this. I felt a strange shock, almost awe that life could come and go so quickly.

When I heard the sirens, I whined. It was a natural impulse, one I couldn't control. Did anyone think of meeting the paramedics in the parking lot. I barked once and sprinted for the ambulance, hoping I could make myself understood once I got there. At least in a were park, they would be more likely to follow me.

A police cruiser and fire truck pulled into the parking lot first. The ambulance was still coming.

From the pathway, the woman in pink ran waving her hands. "Over here."

I trotted alongside the firemen until we neared the park bench. Rob was red and dripping, his sleeves were pushed up and there were sweat stains under his arms. I was so proud of him.

When the fireman took over, he staggered away, wiping his forehead. Scanning the crowd, he found me weaving my way to him and came over.

"He's been down a long time." Rob said in a whisper to me.

I was glad to have the kind of vocal chords that didn't work with words, because I had no idea what to say. I made a little noise in the back of my throat. Rob scratched the top of my head, and we watched.

The paddles didn't work the first time. I felt an incredible sinking in my heart. We were all drawn like a magnet to the lifeless form on the grass. The second jolt worked, coinciding with the arrival of the ambulance team.

"Shall we go?" Rob's words were quiet beside me. I'd forgotten he was standing there.

I nodded. My whole soul felt quiet, and I longed more than anything for home.

Chapter 19

Rob drove in absolute silence, his every action, whether a stop or a blink accompanied with a grim expressionless stare. The seats in the passenger side were really too small for me to comfortably lie down, so I sat staring out the window, letting the wind blow in my face. Every now and then I'd look over to check on Rob. He pretty much just stared straight ahead. If he looked my way, I didn't catch it.

Ali called, but Rob ignored the phone, and she went to voicemail.

He parked the car and unlocked the front door in silence. By now, I was used to the idea of staying at his house, but Rob was really freaking me out.

He didn't say a word. Stepping into the house, he tossed his jacket over the chair and strode to the master bedroom. Maybe he'd forgotten I was human under my fur, a very un-were thing to do, but he sure wasn't acting like himself.

I finally barked a question, which sounded more like "Roo?"

He stopped and looked at me, a frown on his face, and now I could see that he hurt, one of those deep emotional hurts that people live with, often in silence, often alone. Only the eyes reveal that kind of pain. He voice was soft, "I'm sorry, Jen. I just need to be alone for awhile. There's a remote on the couch that works pretty well with paws."

He stepped into the bedroom and shut the door, leaving it open just a crack.

My wolf ears heard him pulling clothes out of his dresser drawer and stepping into the shower. To Ali, a crack in the door is an invitation, but inviting myself into Rob's shower when he was feeling sad didn't exactly sound like a good idea. Again, to Ali, maybe it would. To me...not at all.

He'd actually showed me the remote earlier in a tour of the house. They make all kinds of special tools for the wereanimals with giant paws who are unable to manipulate small objects. I turned on the television, but truly couldn't care less what was on.

I wasn't listening to the T.V. at all. The shower was off now, but the door still closed. I heard Rob climb onto the bed. Then he wept.

Padding to the door, I nudged it open. Sure, he wanted to be alone, but in a spur of the moment decision, I ignored his request. His head was hidden in his arm and his shoulders were shaking. I put my nose on his hand, just to let him know I was there.

Rob stilled. "You can come up with me if you want."

That was all the invitation I needed. I jumped up and burrowed next to him. He welcomed the comfort. His shoulders relaxed.

We cuddled quietly for a long time.

Rob said,"Grampie Joel died of a heart attack a few years ago. There were witnesses, and none of them knew CPR. They weren't even willing to try."

Rob loved his Grampie Joe. He was always telling stories of Grampie Joe and his canoe, or the trip to Yellowstone. The fireworks fiasco in the field where all of the fireworks were accidentally lit off at once, while his grandpa sent the kids running for cover. His grandma still talked about that. At the time she was sure one of the grandkids had gotten killed by a roman candle.

I knew his grandpa died, but I never heard how. I stayed close to him, making comforting wolf sounds.

"Not one person even tried." The anger bled into Rob's voice, the frustration of a time and place that could not be repaired. Those bystanders could not go back and change the moment, but neither could Rob.

I listened quietly and waited.

"While I was in that park, I forgot who I was trying to save. When I took all of those classes, it was because of what happened to my Grandpa. I was counting and compressing and seeing Grampie Joe's ribs under my hand. But it wasn't him." Rob closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I'm fine."

We had moved from grief to tough guy in a single moment. I snuggled next to him and let him feel whatever he wanted. His eyes were closed. I knew he was exhausted, emotionally and physically from the day. He fell asleep while I wondered how strange it was that I was here lying next to Rob feeling comfortable. I seemed to fit there, although I had to wonder if I'd still fit as my human self.

I guess life-saving is a draining activity. After spending an hour watching Rob sleep, I hopped down, thinking that the day hadn't gone terribly bad, considering that we had actually saved a random stranger's life. That doesn't happen often in a lifetime.

In the meantime, food sounded pretty good, and earlier in the day when Rob opened the fridge for the milk, I happened to notice a raw steak sitting on a dinner plate to defrost. By now, it should be defrosted.

As a were-mouse, I never ate anything like raw meat, so this would be a first. Rob actually fed me raw hamburger the night before. "Just try it. A wolf's tongue loves it cold. I just can't explain it."

So I sniffed the hamburger for a few minutes before nibbling the tiniest corner. Wow, it was fantastic. Butcher's meat. The grocery stores added chemicals and water and red dyes. Werewolves didn't go for that sort of thing and tended to buy direct from farmers or from the butchers. I didn't dare ask if they ever bought live cows to hunt.

But that was yesterday and I was hungry today. Here I was standing in Rob's kitchen and I realized, I didn't know how to open the refrigerator door. He had to have some kind of mechanism for a wolf to open. That's how werewolves work. Their houses have alternative exits and entrances, and their cabinets and appliances are upgraded for easy access.

I tried to get my snout in between the empty space of the handle, but my nose was too big. Pushing didn't work. Nor did pulling. A growling stomach was not helping matters any and no way would I wake up Rob for something this trivial. No, there had to be a way.

Stepping back, I bent my head with a slight twist, so that I could look at the door from every angle. After several minutes of stalking the refrigerator door, I tried pulling the bottom of the door open with my paw. It was then that I noticed a strange little lever.

Rob had mentioned something about it when he was standing in the kitchen pulling the milk out of the refrigerator, but Ali was in the living room going a hundred miles an hour about some problem at work, and unfortunately, it was Ali to whom I gave my undivided attention. Best friend versus food. What else could I choose?

I put my paw on the lever and the ingenious little device pushed the door open. Carefully lifting the steak from the plate I carried it over to the platter on the floor. The refrigerator turned on. I shut the door before returning to my steak.

What Rob said is true. To a wolf's taste buds, raw meat is like eating candy. The flavor of incredibly fresh meat assaults the senses and leaves a euphoric feeling afterward. Even as an animal, I'm not a gulper. I ate slowly and thoughtfully, chewing my food as properly as a canine can manage.

After polishing off the last of it, I drank from the aluminum water bowl until the fur around my face was soaked. No self-respecting wereanimal would drink water out of plastic. It's one of the most repulsive tastes on the planet, though in human form, I never could tell the difference. Rob could, but then werewolves have heightened senses when compared to mice.

The side of me that follows Ali into random adventures wanted to go jump on the bed and curl up with Rob. The other half, who sits at Gran's dinners and tries to live a normal life decided that caution was a better choice. Caution won out, and I ended up asleep on the wolf bed in the corner.

That's how I heard someone rattling the door in the early hours of the morning. Silently, I snuck to the door, lifting my bulk to look through the peep hole, which was just that little bit too tall for me to see through. My sense of smell came to the rescue where my eyes failed me. I could smell something, and it smelled rotten, not like rotten eggs, but more like the smell of burger that has been in the refrigerator a day too long. Just that faintest whiff of something wrong.

A faint whiff is enough.

I growled. It was low and menacing and really something to be proud of.

The rattling stopped. We waited. Me on one side and the strange smelling fellow on the other. I heard footsteps and a car start, and the smell was gone.

Rob had stacked a pile of alphabet letters in the living room. Originally the plan was to have a sit down, man to wolf, if we couldn't find Tyler. Obviously, our encounter in the park changed all that. I pawed at the letters. At least all of the lights were still on. Rob tended to turn all of the lights off at bedtime, except for a small light over the stove.

Nosing through letters isn't the easiest thing to do, and a wolf's sight isn't made for reading; however, once I managed to get my teeth on a letter, I could carry it to just the right spot to relay my message. There were a few misspellings. It's not because I don't know how to spell. I'm actually really good with that sort of thing. But I ran out of d's. The message was simple. I just said. "Intruder at door. Smelled bad."

It would have been tempting to sneak out the wolf door and chase after the car, but I was too realistic to think I would actually catch the person, and I didn't want Rob to worry when he woke up, which he probably would the minute the door hit my tail.

Wide awake and bored, I waited. It occurs to me that I've never been bored as a mouse. It might be all the terror. It's really hard to be filled with apathy when something as small as a cat is dangerous. But as a wolf? Boredom. I slept for a few hours waiting for Rob.

Watching him wake up was fun. First, his hair really sticks up. When my brother sleeps, his hair sometimes looks matted or messy, but nothing like Rob's. I must have had a silly smile on my face, because he quirked an eyebrow at me with his own cheeky grin. And then there's the bleary-eyed scrubbing of the hair, which sort of explains why it's all sticking up in the first place. Perhaps I've never mentioned how exquisitely fine Rob looks in a white t-shirt and boxers. I ended up drooling all over myself.

"Mornin'" A bit of a mumble, but then Rob's not a morning person. I don't know a werewolf that is.

"Arooo" I'm getting the vocals down at least.

He read my message first. Unlocking the door and pulling it open, the first thing he did was sniff the air, frown, then sniff again. He stepped outside and stalked around the house, which is a strange word for a man alone, but the way he walked around the house reminded me of someone on the hunt, which he was. But whoever came for a midnight visit was long gone.

"Please wake me up next time."

I nodded once. There probably wouldn't be a next time anyway.

That satisfied Rob. Having checked all he could in the meantime, he switched gears, heading into the kitchen. Uh-oh. "I've got a surprise for you," Rob said as he opened the refrigerator door. He stopped, jaw dropping just that tiniest millimeter and then he swiveled his head to look at me.

And I have a surprise for you. No steak for breakfast. Sorry. My eyes might have reflected a slight bit of guilt, perhaps conveyed the message that steak was really too good of a thing for a wolf like me to pass up. He pulled the empty dinner plate out of the fridge. "I was going to make steak and eggs."

That was the moment when I was supposed to feel sorry. Did I? No. This was one of the few times I had the upper hand. Everyone knows, even human and vampires, that werewolves like to eat, always meat, preferably raw. I never asked if werewolves liked to chase their food first, mostly because I was small enough to fear being the appetizer.

That was another topic of conversation that never came up in the family. The only time I asked my mom about being eaten, she started crying. I guess the concept had been weighing on her mind as well.

All that aside, I was acting within my nature. And he had been asleep. What else was I supposed to have for dinner? Okay, so maybe I was feeling more than slightly guilty.

Rummaging through the refrigerator, Rob pulled out eggs and a package of bacon. "We'll still have a good breakfast."

Watching Rob deal with problems from infinitesimal to gargantuan made me realize that my heart was a smart organ, as organs went. I didn't plan on falling in love with him. From a logical perspective, the whole idea was ridiculous. And totally wrong.

But I liked spending time with him. I liked the way he teased me when I leaned against the window after a long drive from a house-showing. Long being relative. In my world, over ten minutes is reason enough to start using the window as a head-rest, especially now that I was in permanent animal mode. He always spoke with gentleness and kindness, and sometimes when he thought I wasn't paying attention, he'd watch me with this affectionate smile.

I loved that smile. And here he was making breakfast for me, with hair sticking out on one side.

I added one more positive trait to the list. Rob didn't yell at me for eating the steak. Men seem to have a thing for meat. It's inherent I guess. Never get between a man and his meat. But here Rob was pulling pans out of the cupboard and turning on the burners as if I hadn't committed the ultimate sacrilege. Maybe there was hope for me. I decided I'd have to go on the moon date with him, even if he broke my heart afterward.

Chapter 20

Just a regular day at the office. Head on my paws, I watched Rob type on the computer, talk on the phone. I never would have guessed that life as a wolf would be excruciatingly boring. Then again, I was a wolf cooped up in a tiny two room office. What did I expect?

When I couldn't take it anymore, I growled. Not even a polite, here I am, please pay attention to me growl. No, it was more of an I'll rip your leg off if you don't listen to me growl. The way Rob glanced up meant that my growl didn't scare him, not a bit. Actually, at this moment, he was amused, and I have no idea why.

He stretched and yawned, slowly pushing himself up from the chair and slowly walking to the door. I say walk. As slow as he was going, it could have been a creep or a crawl. He was definitely trying to annoy me.

I bolted out the minute the door opened. Our office only had the tiniest little green lawn in front and the surrounding ambience was concrete, cars, and glass. I wanted out. In a big way. Even in the open air, I felt claustrophobic, larger than the inside. Bored. Bored. Bored.

"Jen, are you okay?"

I stood panting in the grass, then I shook my head.

"We have a buyer coming in an hour." Rob couldn't afford to call and reschedule.

Nodding, I stood on the grass, wondering if Rob ever felt trapped. "So you're okay with us staying?"

I nodded again and thumped my tail. Tails were rather important in the animal world. It's rather amazing that humans get by without them.

Opening the door, Rob asked, "You ready to come back in?"

First I shook my head, my signal for 'no'. Then I pushed my nose forward and back to tell him that he should go ahead. "Okay. If you need me, just call."

I smiled. It was a wolfish smile. I missed my human one. Although Ali tells me I'm cute, I've always looked at myself and thought 'bleh'. Not that I'm ugly, at least I wasn't. Attracting a man, even a werewolf, as a wolf was impossible. Even if we were both running as wolves, the man inside the wolf would have to like me.

Ten minutes before the couple was scheduled to arrive, Rob opened the door. "Jen, it's time to come hide.

Ugh.

An hour behind the couch. And surely they could smell me. I mean I had fur and all. What kind of message was that sending. With a whine, I ran to the back of the building and hid in the bushes, then barked.

"No, I can't see you. If you want to hide there, that's fine." Rob called back.

Which wasn't an exact translation, but close enough.

After an eternity of looking at my wolf paws and digging in the cool dirt under the brush, they finally left. The man was tall and well-dressed. His hair was greying at the sides and he was just a bit overweight, though not enough to be a real issue. The woman wore her makeup the way women who have to look 'the part' do. She either went to a great plastic surgeon or was a dozen years younger than her husband.

I waited until they were long gone to come out.

"Jen, it's not uncommon to have extra energy as a wolf. I need to pick up some flyers at the printers. I can drop you off at Lost Ranger Park while I run errands, if you need some time to run." Rob wore his leather jacket and looked ready to go, so I hurried to scrub my paws off in the grass.

Strange how accustomed I was getting to hanging my head outside of car windows.

The park was completely empty. Rob opened the door. "Be back in a few hours. This is the whistle I'll use."

Rob's whistle was shrill and pierced my ears. I whined and pawed at my ear. Rob grinned ruefully, "I'm sorry."

At long last. Speeding off toward the trees, I looked back once to see Rob watching me. He hadn't even started the car. With a wave of my paw, I turned, tearing up the grass with my leaping strides. How good it felt to be free.

I ran off the tracks and deeper into the woods. The air smelled so fresh and the trees whispered their greeting to me. All was right with the world, and I was just where I needed to be. I felt a strange sense of euphoria and wondered if I truly wanted to be human again. But of course, it wasn't all playing in the woods. There were the long waits for the bathroom or for Ali or Rob to finish what they were doing. And the mind-numbing boredom. But at this moment, I was free!

Woods aren't boring. I sniffed the trees. I jumped into a stream and splashed in the cold water, leaping out on the other side when I was done. The bushes grew denser and I forged my way into the dense undergrowth like an explorer.

Running under the bushes and dodging the limbs, I smiled and panted at the same time. This was what I needed. It never occurred to me that danger would lurk in the park, not until a trap sprang closed on my paw.

It hurt, but the trap was humane, not one of those paw-breaking types. Still, I was running and tumbled over myself in a sudden halt, so my body ached and I think I pulled a muscle in my shoulder. A trap like this doesn't belong in a were-park. I sniffed the metal encasing my paw, looking for a way out. Spring loaded, there had to be a release switch somewhere.

The trap wasn't baited, and it was hidden off trail in the undergrowth. Maybe the trapper wasn't looking for any wolf in particular. I'd run a long way and might technically not even be in the park anymore. Perhaps a private citizen had grown tired of the wolves, but were-people have the same rights as anyone else. Kidnapping is kidnapping.

I howled and howled, barked and whined until my throat gave out. No one came to help. My throat hurt. I pushed and pulled, tugged and tore at the device, but nothing worked.

My heart sank when I heard Rob's whistle. Such a faint sound that I knew the distance between us was great. He wouldn't find me easily.

I howled or at least attempted with my exhausted vocal chords, and I don't know if he heard or not, only that after a series of whistling spread out over a rather long period of time, the whistling stopped.

We'd arrived at the park in early afternoon. When the sun sank over the hills, I was still there, trapped and waiting for someone to come. Sometimes I heard the whistles or calls, and I howled my reply. My voice was strong enough that a few times, I think they heard me. But no one came.

My paw, the one in the trap, lost feeling and was getting that tingly sleep feeling. I opened and closed my paw to get blood flowing, all the while hoping Rob would find me.

Late into the night, I heard chittering and lifted my head to find Ali chattering at me. She wore a tiny backpack, a gift from me. It was specially fitted for her by a seamstress who specialized in were-clothes. For those of us who could change without the full moon, it was a chancy proposition changing back. Having a little backpack with clothing helped. And a tiny flashlight, which helped even more.

I did some roo-roo type of barking, glad to see her. My throat still ached. She changed to her human state. From her backpack, Ali pulled out a pair of slinky pants so form-fitting that they were just one step up from nudity, but were easy to carry. She also carried a tank top and underwear.

After dressing, Ali knelt with the flashlights shining on the metal searching for a way to release the trap. I felt a deep relief when my paw released from the cage. Then she tore it out of the ground.

I limped in a circle, stretching my paw and the shoulder to which it was attached. With the blood flow coming back into my paw, I felt like a million teeny tiny pins and needles were being poked lightly into my paw. I shook it. Ouch.

Pulling out her cell phone, Ali dialed Rob. "Hey Rob, I found her. Her foot was stuck in a trap."

My wolf ears picked up Rob's voice. He asked if I was okay and where we were.

"She's fine. Ummm...somewhere in the middle of the woods? I have no idea, but we'll just walk back the way we came."

Rob said, "I need to see the area. This is werewolf territory. There shouldn't be traps anywhere at any time." Boy did he sound angry, hopefully not at me. Technically it wasn't my fault, even if I did manage to find the only wolf trap in acres and acres of forest. And then it occurred to me...maybe there was more than one trap.

Wolves ran these parts every full moon. The werewolves who lost their powers couldn't remember how or what happened, but surely a werewolf park would be a great hunting ground.

Rob was still talking, "Just stay put. Do you have any landmarks?"

Ali's problem with authority usually stopped short at friends, but Rob was being bossy just then. Ali cut him off. "We're freezing out here, and Jen's limping. I'll bring you back tomorrow. I'll be able to find it easily. I've got tonight and tomorrow off anyway."

Shoving the cell phone in her pocket, Ali muttered, "I hate my job."

She must have read my mind because she looked in my direction. It's not that easy just applying willy-nilly and hoping something sticks. I've got a mind to go raccoon permanently and live off the land.

I wolf-sighed. One of the heavy kinds of exhalations that speaks of exhaustion and uncertainty. Ali threatened to live off the land once every month or so, but lately she sounded like she just might mean it.

Digging through dumpsters for lunch just didn't appeal, and I doubt she'd get enough food any other way. But that was a discussion for another day, when I had vocal chords and the will to use them.

Shoes were too heavy for Ali to carry in raccoon form, so in bare feet, she picked up the trap, unhooking it from the chain that held it in place. It's amazing what our bodies will do for us given the chance. Her feet were tough, not that the occasional rock or sticker didn't bother her, but she managed to walk many a mile without footgear and she and her feet survived to tell the tale.

The last thing she pulled out of her pack was a cinnamon stick. She broke a piece off and dropped it on the ground near where the trap had been set. "Be just my luck if I can't find the thing tomorrow. We'll leave a trail, just in case."

She strode confidently back in the direction we had come while I loped beside her. I thought she knew where she was going. Sometimes people get that look, like they know exactly what they're doing. Except this time, she didn't.

The trees all started to look the same after a while, and Ali dropping pieces of cinnamon here and there didn't do much to convince me, even if Ali did have a strange gift for finding her way.

One of the park lights saved us. I was dragging tail by the time we reached the path.

"See, we'll make it home safe and sound."

I didn't reply. We were used to long moments of silence. After all, we both changed form outside the full moon. She laughed. "What an adventure. You can come to my house when we're done. Rob looks pretty beat up. I think he needs a night of pure sleep."

My throat still hurt, but I gave a bark of agreement.

Rob paced along the sidewalk near the cars. The parking lot was nearly empty with a few stragglers driving away.

"Thank God!" Rob knelt beside me and wrapped his arms around my neck. "You have no idea how worried I've been."

Ali looked around, "Wow, your buddies sure cleared out fast."

"Most of them have to work in the morning. As soon as you called, I told them you found her. Well, Jen, let's head home. I could sleep for a week." Rob yawned, his eyes watering.

"Wait a minute. I have two days off and a new wolf bed. Jen is staying with me." It's probably a good thing I didn't have a leash attached to my collar or Ali would have been tugging on me to pull me away.

"She's been missing for hours. I'd feel better if she was safe at home." It was hard to see in the twilight, but I was certain Rob was wearing his stubborn face.

"My apartment is safe. And I've been searching for her the same number of hours you have. Plus, you've been hogging her. I haven't really gotten to spend any time with her in days."

With a sigh, Rob said, "Fine, she can stay with you tonight."

I felt ambivalent about the way it all turned out. On the one hand, Ali knew me better and we'd spend the evening watching chick flicks and eating popcorn. Even if my wolf-form couldn't tell her exactly what I was in the mood for, she had a good idea what I liked.

On the other hand, I was frustrated that Rob didn't try so hard to fight for me. He seemed to like my company. Was he just being nice?

Back to the first hand, Rob knew Ali well, understood how unreasonable she could be and probably decided it wasn't worth the fight. But no one asked me. And tonight I really wanted to stay with Rob. Not enough to make a fuss, so I limped along with my aching paw.

I decided not to be mad at Rob and hopped in Ali's car with a goodbye scratch on the ears. An ear scratch feels surprisingly good. Mice never get their ears scratched.

Chapter 21

Ali and I fell asleep watching Were-Dreams, a television show which is more soap opera than anything else. I didn't usually sleep with any electronic stuff running. I liked the computers off, the television off, the lights off...everything off. This night I was just exhausted enough not to care.

I stayed with Ali for a couple of days. Nothing exciting happened on Thursday, unless you count getting your paw stuck in the couch cushion exciting. Rob left a message that he'd spoken with Tyler who would meet us in the park on Saturday. Ali worked Saturday evening, so she and Rob decided that I'd go to his house on Friday night.

Friday morning was a different story. Grandma stopped at the office. When I wasn't there, she called on Ali. Did she use the telephone? No. Not Grandma. She had to see Ali and make sure I wasn't hiding in the bathroom or something.

The smell gave her away. Grandma has a vanilla smell, very light and soothing, the kind of scent a werewolf could tolerate. When she rang the doorbell, I froze because even through the door, that scent trumpeted the announcement of her arrival.

Before I had even decided whether to hide or not, Ali answered the door. She's not one to care what anyone else thinks. If it was up to her, she'd just as soon tell Grandma the whole truth and be done with it. Thank goodness Rob already helped set the precedent for hiding me.

But then, there I was, grinning at my grandma with canine teeth and wondering if she recognized me.

"Ali, where's Jen? Something's up and I want to know what it is." Great! Now what do we do?

Ali must have been thinking the same thing because she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. I shook my head.

"Wow, you're out early. Have you met my new dog? Her name is Spoof. She does a lot of cool tricks." Ali was still wearing pajamas, the fuzzy, flannel kind with large pink and blue snowflakes. It was ten o'clock in the morning, which on a night shift schedule is far too early to be awake—which is probably why Ali looked so tired. Normally she would have gone to bed at 8:00 and slept until early evening. Her schedule was totally screwed up thanks to my problems.

Grandma didn't seem to notice or care about Ali's new dog. "Ali, is Jen in danger?"

Ah, an easy question, but Ali smiled sweetly when she answered. It was the smile that she gave when she was covering something up, her lying smile. She said, "No."

Of course, my grandma didn't believe her. "Ali, if you don't tell me where Jen is this instant, I will see to it that you both regret it for years to come."

I could only imagine what kind of punishment she would dream up. I may have whined. It was a slip of the tongue. Ali tucked a curly strand of hair behind her ear, a deadly earnest expression on her face. She did not take threats well. This could turn into a full blown battle. And Grandma would call in the troops. I could just imagine my parents and Andrea and of course my brother all lined up to harass Ali and Rob until they spilled.

"She has Chicken Pox." Ali blurted out.

It was probably a good thing Gran didn't look over at me just then. I'd put my paws over my head. Chicken Pox. That was the worst explanation ever. The worst. Seriously.

She was my best friend. I could let this disaster slide. One had to have allowances for a best friend's quirks.

"She's at her apartment?" Grandma asked.

"Well..."Ali hesitated, "Not exactly."

"Well exactly where is she?"

"My mom's house."

Here I stood over the abyss, the large pit of lies that Ali had dug in an attempt to keep my Grandma off my scent. It occurs to me that the reason Ali so frequently blurts out the worst truths is because she's so horribly bad at lying. It's the drama. Her poker face is great, and she can weave a fantastic tale. Unfortunately, no one in their right mind would believe her.

Grandma sure didn't." Well, then, we're going to see your mom."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that." Ali said.

Grandma is not only a werewolf, but the matriarch of the family. Her piercing stare is enough to make the strongest wolf crumble. It's a good thing Ali changes to raccoon. With the whole pack dominance thing, she'd be telling Grandma about the time we cut school in fourth grade to sneak into the zoo. Not the safest thing we've ever done. The zoo is full of the kind of animals that would love to eat a mouse for dinner. You'd think the were-people wouldn't allow the entrapment of fellow animals, but the majority see animals the same way people do, as dumb beasts without emotion or reason. I'm more of a rebel.

Back to Ali and Grandma. Grandma's eyes had bulged and her face transformed to a feral anger. Oh dear. "What did you say?" The words were enunciated very carefully. Ali had better have a different answer this time.

I cringed.

"Grandma Ann, A woman your age can't be too careful. Shingles aren't anything to play with."

"Jen does not have chicken pox." Grandma took a step forward. I could see now why Grandpa always let her have her way about things.

"Okay, you want the truth?" Ali looked at me again. The way she was glancing at me after every question, I'm surprised Grandma didn't figure it out anyway.

She took a deep breath, the kind of inhalation a person might take before walking the plank. Whatever Ali was about to say, I knew, I just knew, it wasn't going to be the truth. She'd never be able to crawl her way back into Grandma's good graces if she kept going, not that either of us had ever exactly been Grandma's favorites.

I barked and jumped to my feet, placing myself directly in front of Grandma.

Looking over my shoulder at Ali, I couldn't help but notice her relief.

With a weak wave of her hand and a rather ironic and dismal smile, Ali said, "So this is Jen."

If Grandma's brows drew together any tighter, they'd be up and down on her face. I really didn't know a woman could scowl so much. I should have. After all, I've been dealing with her my whole life.

It's like the boy who cried wolf, except in this case, Ali was the habitual liar who no one would believe, which isn't fair because Ali tells the truth more than most people. She's just a really bad liar and when she lies, it's a rather memorable event. Most people lie softly, with a garnish of the truth to make it palatable. Not Ali.

"Ali, I don't appreciate being lied to. I'm going to be speaking with your mother. And I don't care if Jen is an adult, when I find her, I'm going to put her on such a tight leash she will wish she was young enough to be grounded." See how unfair it is. Why am I in trouble because Ali is such a huge liar? But I know why. It's as much a punishment for Ali as for me.

Grandma turned to leave, and she was so mad her hands were shaking. Only Ali could get that kind of extreme reaction out of people. I flew past her and put a paw on the door. Then I turned and blocked the entrance.

"Get your wolf out of the way." Grandma said. Her eyes were lit with fury and I knew

"Wait. I'll tell you the truth." Ali sank onto the sofa, her eyes down on her lap. That's not Ali's style at all, which will probably make her believable. She gave a huge sigh, "You're not going to like it."

Grandma turned slowly. In the scary movies, she'd be the bad guy who just discovered the hero hiding in the closet. At least, that was my first impression.

"I already don't like it. Is that boyfriend of hers in on it, too?"

Boyfriend? Oh no.

"He's technically not her boyfriend yet, but they're well-suited to one another if it gets to that."

"Cut the beans. Where is Jen?"

Ali grabbed one of the sofa pillows and tugged at the fringe, her fingers weaving in and out. A definite change of tactics. "You have to promise not to yell at her when she gets back. She made me paw swear never to tell. This is a serious breach of our friendship."

"I promise."

Wow, Ali was totally wrapping Grandma around her little finger. The whole "promise not to yell' and "breach of friendship" elevated Ali's lies to truth. But Grandma's promise came too easy. She never yelled. She just slowly lowered her voice and spoke the words ever more clearly until you had to lean in to hear. Then she'd tell you how disappointed she was. This kind of trick works with pack animals. Not so much with mice, but then I always felt a little bad for disappointing her. That aside. When Grandma promised not to yell at me, she could still give me an excessively long stern lecture and not technically break her promise to Ali.

Ali must have been quiet a whole minute. Grandma took the seat opposite her on the couch and waited her out. I hoped Ali was using this time to come up with a really good lie, because the truth sure didn't work. Imagining the trouble chair in Grandma's den, I winced. This could be a losing proposition either way.

"Jen wants to go to college. She's touring schools on the east coast for a culinary arts degree."

As lies go, that wasn't a bad one, except for the expectation of a follow-through. Culinary arts was a huge stretch, but it was at least believable. Maybe once I was human, I could convince Grandma that I really had been a wolf for a while. Or that I decided not to go to college because it was too expensive. Too bad she didn't believe I had chicken pox.

"Why not WSU? That's a fine school." Here we go. Just because my dad and brother go, I'm expected to as well.

"Only the finest culinary arts schools will do, which is why she flew to New York." Ali bit her lip and raised her eyebrows with a hopeful smile, the kind which screamed untruth.

"But New York. That's so far away. We'll never see her."

Ali actually found a sad face somewhere in her acting repertoire and said," She needs to be her own person."

That part was true. Getting a unique identity in a pack family was hard.

"Why can't she be her own person close to home?" Grandma sounded like she was ready to grab the next flight to New York and track me down. Funny, I practically sat at her feet.

This is where I expected Ali to start arguing. She surprised me by saying, "I know. That's exactly what I told her. I wanted her to go to Eastern, at least for a few years. She can always transfer later."

And then she and Grandma were discussing how hard it would be if I ended up going to school halfway across the country. Ali had to polish it off with a corker, "Of course, if she attends school that far away, there will be no hope for anything with Rob."

It's rather annoying to listen to your grandmother and best friend discuss your love life. I tuned them out and daydreamed about a move to New York.
Chapter 22

After Grandma left, Ali threw herself on the couch and said, "Culinary Arts" and started laughing. Reflecting on the last meal I'd prepared as a human, egg noodles and parmesan cheese, I chuckled, too.

After wiping her eyes, Ali said, "I'd better warn Rob."

She gave him the two-minute version. Hanging up the phone, she studied me. "We have the whole afternoon."

Uh-oh. When Ali starts talking about how much time we have, it's usually because she's cooked up an adventure, which I had to admit was more fun than hanging around waiting for Rob or even worse, hiding because he entertained clients.

I wagged my tail and lifted my eyes, waiting for the germ of an idea to build.

"This is the only time you'll ever be a wolf."

Presumably that was true. Where was she going with this?

"The water park just opened. We sneak in, slide down one of the big slides, and sneak out." Ali's face was flushed and her eyes bright, just like a crazy person's.

This was an ancient idea. At the age of fourteen, Ali proposed the adventure. I declined. The proposition changed with a dozen variations. We'd paid as patrons, scouted and marked the entries and exits. I'd drown. No matter how many times I slid down the slide as a human, I thought of myself as a mouse, tiny and in the way, and factored in the amount of water—too much. And then the odds that some kid slid down just as I jumped. The adventure would kill me.

As a wolf, my hesitation wasn't as legitimate. But the collar with the stupid mojo bag was a dead giveaway. Hmm...I watched my own thoughts, my emotions, my excitement. I'm going to do this. After years of fear, I'm going to slide down the superslide as a werewolf.

I nodded, but then pawed at the collar. We couldn't have anything that marked us.

"That's a good idea." Ali said.

She removed the collar. I can't tell you how good it felt. When this is over, I'm never wearing a necklace or turtleneck shirt or anything like it again.

"I need to hide it someplace safe." She walked around her little apartment, opening cupboards. In the end, she taped it to the wall in her closet.

The protection gone, I started to have misgivings. Not enough to call off the adventure, but a healthy dose of worry. Nothing new. Every time Ali dragged me (willingly) to experience a new way of looking at life, I worried about my health, my status as a law-abiding citizen, and whether my family would find out, usually in that order.

Ali looked just like a pixie when she readied herself for these things. Her smile spread from ear to ear and with her curly hair, that's all she needs. Wearing her pink pocket shorts and a tank top, she grabbed her keys and her backpack, "Ready to go?"

I jumped up and followed her out.

At the water park, Ali drove around until she could get a parking spot by the exit and entrance. An easy escape was key to the success of these kinds of things. "We can't leave together, I'll be back to human. You'll have to sneak out and wait for me."

I shrugged, knowing there would be no sneaking, but it didn't matter. The four-legged ran faster than the two-legged. Anyone who has ever chased a dog knows that the only reason a dog is caught is because he's tranquilized or ready to come home.

"Trunk or door?" Ali asked.

I nosed the trunk.

Some of our plans failed when well-meaning passersby 'helped'. They shut the door, forcing a premature change from mouse or raccoon to human. In the end, Ali left the trunk open but down as requested and the doors closed. A trunk was more easily ignorable, and I could jump in to hide.

"Ready?" This was the culmination of years of thought and planning. Two video cameras in the parking lot, one over the cash register. Three attendants in the front, two at the slides, the concession stands clerks, a lifeguard on every slide. The golden scheme Ali worked toward for years.

"Let's do this."

She set her backpack at just the right angle. Ali loved getting into things. She discovered early on that having a container to carry her clothes around gave her that much added protection. As lookout, I stood on my hind paws and circled once, then gave a single bark. Ali shifted into raccoon and struggled into the backpack, an amazing feat in and of itself.

We slunk along the edges of cars and then when the cars ran out waited for an eternity until a car load of teenagers and a couple with their children parked. Once the group of teenagers started for the entrance we fell in behind them. They joked about us following, and one obnoxious brat threw his empty plastic bottle at us. So much for mixing in.

The parents and their three kids paid for their tickets at the front of the line, the youngest two barely old enough to swim. Ali dodged with a loud chitter in front of the nearest group, then slid into the park, leaving the children pointing and the teens laughing. The attendant started after Ali with a walkie-talkie, and I made my move. As a mouse, my entrance would have gone unremarked, but with Ali acting as a distraction, I ran ahead of the groups and into the park.

The water park was busy enough that a crowd formed a line at each of the slides. Ali in her plans decided that a direct run to the slides was the best case scenario. The park was designed to make use of a natural hill, which made our infiltration of the water slides possible. A twenty foot climb up a ladder wouldn't do for a raccoon or a wolf, but a five foot ladder for the twirly slides or a platform for the straight and fast slides were entirely doable.

The last plan to my knowledge entailed a single slide into the pool and a brilliant escape. But we cut in line and jumped easily onto the slides and the water gurgled and sprayed onto our fur and suddenly I just didn't care that a dozen lifeguards were yelling and congregating at the side of the pool to watch. We swam to the lip of the pool and pulled ourselves out. Ali first. But I was right behind. I shook myself and grinned.

And we ran back up the hill, just the way we did as little kids pulling our sleds up the hill at Brierson's Farm. A few of the guys wearing company polo shirts positioned themselves to block us. I bared my teeth as if to bite and then dodged at the last minute, and we went again. And again. And again. Studies show that heady emotions can make a wereanimal more apt to forget themselves. Something akin to hyperactivity where decision making and logic became subdued in favor of emotion. Personally I think it's just because we've discovered a taste of freedom and feel more likely to escape without getting caught.

Now the crowd was calling across the pool, giving advice to the life guards, some running around the pool to catch us, others watching the crowd to make sure people were safe. My head said it was time to go. My heart wanted to stay and play until the park closed or they caught us.

Criminals always regret that last score, the one that got them thrown in prison. It was time to go. With a howl to Ali, I sounded the retreat. We fled the pools, running down among the concessions. One lady with a hotdog came around the corner, and I skidded forward, bumping into her. She screamed. I'm talking an ear-piercing scream, and dropped her hotdog.

After all the playing, I was hungry. Now, I've never been a believer in the five second rule. Normally if it hits the ground, I throw it away. But the hotdog hadn't been bitten yet, and landed right inside that little checkered carton that hot dogs come in. I snatched the hot dog, gulping it down and scrambled out of the way.

The problem with grand retreats is that there is always some poor soldier who gets stuck behind. I lost Ali. She's quite good at evasion. And when she decides to go incognito, she disappears into the strangest hiding places and quickly, too. One minute she's there. One minute gone. I ran.

Once the retreat had been declared, our agreement was to meet back at the car, and wait for the other party to show. Not that waiting would be a problem for me. I couldn't drive the car home anyway. And no matter how many times I'd been stuck waiting in an awkward place, Ali was always there waiting at the end. Our friendship existed solidly on trust and similar interests.

Most of the crowd nearest the slides lost interest once I was out of view. They went back to the lines at the slides, eager to resume their own play, at least I assumed they did because I didn't end up with an entire horde following me. However, a few very determined lifeguards chased me.

I decided to circle back to the concessions in a large loop. This would give me time to watch for Ali, and create more distance between myself and my would-be captors. I slipped in between the two concessions, listening to the chatter.

Catching my breath, I waited until I heard, "Here! The dog's here." A little girl, probably around seven pointed at me. Panting, I grinned, poking my head out the back of the concessions. I dove around the corner and down to the next stand and sidled in between the two, waiting, waiting.

"Where'd he go?" So just because I'm a wolf I'm a he. Well, I didn't have time to set the record straight. Most of the voices came from the front side of the concessions. I poked my head around back again. No one in the back. The bathrooms were just down the way. I would sprint down back down the hill again, behind the bathrooms, and out the gate. I waited just one more second, and one more.

"There he is."

And bolted.

So fast the fence was a blur. By the time anyone had pointed me out, I was down the hill and swerving around the corner. The men's bathroom door stood open. Ali held the door. "Get in here."

I slid across the wet floor, totally grossed out. The place stunk and paper towels overflowed from the receptacle and littered the floor. Bad enough I peed on concrete at the beginning of this wolf fiasco, but now I was probably sliding all over it. Perhaps karma had come full circle.

Ali closed the door. She was wearing a t-shirt and underwear but no pants. "Hurry, into the stall."

She locked the door to the stall and sat on the toilet, than hoisted me up. My paws overlapped her shoulders and my hind quarters kept slipping.

"Shh...try not to move."

I chuffed. It was as close as I could come to an answer when we were in hiding.

As predicted the door burst open a minute later. "Anyone in here?"

"I am." Ali lowered her voice just that little bit. She sounded just like a ten-year old boy...good thing she wasn't wearing toe-nail polish.

"You seen a dog run through here?"

"Yes. He ran by the bathrooms before I came in." I closed my eyes. It was so hard to stay perfectly still, but this moment was crucial.

"Thanks kid." The door to the bathroom closed.

Sharing a bathroom stall, even with your best friend, is an awkward thing. When the questioner was long gone, Ali whispered, "I don't have any pants. I washed them after the park and when I was packing forgot to put them in."

I giggled. Silently. Mostly it came out as me shaking with a few hiccups. Ali helped me down and unlocked the stall, then locked the door to the outside. That seemed the safest plan for now.

"I'm going to call Rob."

What? I shook my head. Not Rob. There are a few things a boss shouldn't know about an employee. Unfortunately, Rob already knew most of those things. I really didn't need him to show up here and adding one more negative to the Jen-list. Especially when the only thing I didn't like about Rob was his moon trysts, which were apparently normal to the process of werewolf mating. And we were wet and not looking our best, although I did make a cute werewolf if I did say so myself.

Ali scrunched her hair up and squeezed as much water as she could out of it. With every word spoken as a whisper, she said, "Your grandma?"

I shook my head violently.

"Andrea?"

I shrugged, although it had not escaped my attention that all of the people Ali mentioned were in my family. But then she'd worn out her family already. The last big problem Ali asked for help on, her father said, You got yourself into this mess. You get yourself out.

My family it was. Ali dialed Andrea's number. Apparently it went to voicemail. Ali said, "Hey, it's Ali. Can you call me as soon as you get this message?"

Some people are tied at the hip to their phones. Andrea's not that type. She'd as likely leave her cell on the kitchen table for a week before noticing it had lost its battery charge.

Ali called a few more of our friends, but no one was available. She mentioned Rob's name again. I thought about the time and how long we had until the park staff rotated through cleaning the bathrooms or circled back in the search. Finally reason took precedence over humiliation and I nodded.

"Thanks. I was starting to run out of options."

She could have become a raccoon again, and we could have run out of here and changed in the car, but changing didn't lend itself to a speedy getaway.

"Rob?" If she wasn't trying to be quiet, she probably would have put the phone on speaker, so that my embarrassment could reach new heights.

"Can you bring a pair of jeans to the water park?" Ali twisted her hair around her finger in a sleek wet curl.

Rob mumbled something. There must have been water in my ear because I couldn't quite hear what he said. I shook my head to clear the water out of my fur and then sneezed.

"Uh-huh, that's the one." Ali stepped back, wiping her neck and glaring at me. I gave her the toothy wolf grin.

"We're in the men's bathroom, the one near the concessions. The door's locked. Knock three times, then once, then three times. When I unlock the door, hold the pants out and I'll grab them, throw them on, then we need to sneak Jen out of the park."

"What are you doing in the water park?" That time, I heard Rob.

"Long story. Please hurry. The park staff is looking for us."

My haunches were tired but I remained standing. Even if my butt fur already slipped in the nastiness that was the bathroom, I had no desire to repeat the experience. Someone tried to open the door once. Ali yelled out, "I'm changing. Can you please use the other bathroom?"

"Open the door." A gruff manly voice ordered.

"I'm sorry. I can't just now. It will be about ten minutes. There's another restroom just on the other side of the park. It's not far."

I tilted my head in a quizzical Why did you say anything?

Ali said, "You can bet there's someone around here with keys. I don't want anyone finding the park staff until Rob gets here."

So far, playing in the slides was well-worth hiding out in a smelly bathroom. But the wait was interminable. I know Rob's not a slow driver. I've ridden with him. He must have hit every red light on the road.

Ali was feeling the same thing. At least twice she said, "I wish he'd get here."

Finally the tell-tale magical knock. Three-One-Three sounded on the door. Ali unlocked the door and a very large hand, one I was familiar with thrust a pair of my sweats through the door. Ali threw them on in lightening speed.

She opened the door a crack and hissed, "Rob, come in here."

Looking bewildered, Rob slid through the door, locking it behind him. "The park's back to normal. Everyone's talking about the excitement about the raccoon and the dog, but they've stopped searching. How are we going to get Jen out?"

"Here's my plan. We open the door and Jen makes a run for it, out of the gate. If she's not followed she jumps into my trunk. If she is, then she runs out of the parking lot and down the street to the corner with that bus stop. We leisurely stroll to the cars. If Jen hopped in great, if not I'll pick her up on the way out.

Rob's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Fine. We'll meet at my house."

Ali shivered, "I need a hot bath first. Can we get dressed in real clothes and then come over?"

I watched the two bouncing conversation back and forth like a ping pong ball and waited for Rob to show some sign of annoyance or displeasure. What I didn't expect was for him to chuckle as Ali stepped out to take point. A few seconds later, she rapped on the door and I was off and running.

Turns out the staff, while not on high alert, was still watching for me. One look over my shoulder revealed three men on the chase. I exited the gates, jumping over the turn styles because some enterprising soul had blocked the entrance with cardboard, as if that would stop a wolf. It was probably a major pain for the patrons as well, because the attendant had to remove the cardboard every time someone left. Then I fled into the parking lot.

Ali's car was not an option. Too many people not only watched me leave, but decided to follow along and see where I went. So I ran straight out of the parking lot and down the street as planned. I could still smell the bathroom though, and looked forward to a bath, preferably with rose soap.

Sitting near the bus bench, I felt content. Adventure complete without major mishap and the chase over. The euphoria of exercise was starting to kick in, and I was feeling good.

Rob pulled into the bus parking zone and opened his passenger door. "Hop in."

I probably wouldn't get a better pickup line from him. Well, our plans had gone sour enough times, Ali would understand. I leapt into the pickup, staying on the floor because I was wet and gross.

He was driving his backup car, which was a beat-up truck that no real estate agent would drive anywhere near a client; however, as Rob once explained, it's great for off-road adventures and moving.

I refused to walk into his house having slidden through the water in a public restroom. Instead I went to the hose and sat next to the spigot. "Just a second." Rob threw on his grubby clothes.

He turned the hose on in the front first and hosed me off. I mimed to him flea shampoo by flicking my paw on my ear.

"You want me to be careful of your ears?" Rob asked, his head tilted.

I shook my head and then nibbled at my fur the way an animal does to get something uncomfortable out.

Rob just stared at me and shrugged.

Words would sure be useful at this point. I put my head down and then rubbed my paws over the top, as if I were washing my hair.

"Shampoo!" Rob said.

I nodded.

By the time my fur was scrubbed and polished, soaked and rinsed, Ali drove up. She smelled like she'd taken a shower, even if she hadn't gotten the soak in.

"Playing dirty, Rob?" Ali said.

"I'm the rescuer, I make the rules." Rob crossed his arms which really showed off his arms and shoulders.

"You didn't warn me." Ali teased.

"And let you squeal in front of me and steal the moment?" Rob asked.

I was confused that it was a moment. I was wet and scraggly, chased out of a place I didn't belong, and I smelled of a guy's bathroom, an indescribable scent made only worse by the wolf-powered nose. But Rob thought it was a moment. I grinned.

Ali followed us inside, and we finalized plans for the next day. When Rob went to the bathroom, she snuck the collar back on me. I could have gone another year without seeing the thing again.

Tyler was coming to Rob's house instead of the park on Saturday. One more day and I would be a woman again. I'd see myself in the mirror again. I had no idea how much I would miss my own body when I put on that amulet and wished my body away. Now, I was grateful to be getting it back again. One more day.

I dried off inside on the furnace register. The hot air was just a bit too toasty with my fur, and I turned every now and then to get a new side. Ali, Rob, and I shared dinner while Ali recounted our adventures at the water park.

Somehow I thought he'd react the way my family would, with disapproval and a frown. He surprised me with his laughter and avid curiosity. I swear he envied us. I guess from a distant perspective we must seem like rebels. We're more like immature children, were-folk who haven't had the decency to grow up. That's my family talking, not just Grandma either. Mom and Dad's lectures ran along those same lines.

The evening felt like magic to me. I fell asleep on the doggy-bed excited for the next day.

Chapter 23

Tyler arrived a few minutes before eleven o'clock. He and Rob chatted about werewolf things. Rob invited him to breakfast and while we ate, Tyler asked all kinds of questions a parent would normally have long answered. Not that Tyler was without knowledge. A few of his werewolf friends at school filled him in on most of it.

I could barely eat. Finally, I would be free! This inability to shift between human and mouse really hampered my enjoyment of life, except for the water park. That was great.

But there were other problems. For example, Rob never eats sweets. And it's so much trouble to spell out chocolate cookie only to have him spend an hour explaining why werewolves in wolf form shouldn't eat chocolate.

I didn't made puppy eyes or whine to change his mind. It occurred to me that even if I convinced him that cookies were an absolute necessity, he'd just drive to the nearest grocery store and buy packaged cookies. Ali and I make our own cookies with the freshest of ingredients.

I'd had some good times as a wolf, don't get me wrong, but I was anxious to get back to human form. So while I pushed sausage around with my nose, Rob explained pack life and invited Tyler to the half-moon barbecue for his own pack.

And then it was time. My heart sped while I danced on my paws waiting. Rob mistook my eagerness, "Jen, do you have to go outside?"

No—I just wanted this over.

Rob unbuckled the collar and handed it to Tyler. The collar remained in collar form as it had before. I wondered if it had anything to do with the mojo bag, which may or may not have worked. We didn't exactly have any problems when I took it off to slide at the water park.

"Put it on and take your wolf back." Rob said.

Tyler nodded and gently grasped the collar. A haze of light swirled around Tyler, and he laughed as the change took him and said, "I'm back." And then he was a wolf for just a moment and then, like the others, came back to human. The collar disappeared in a haze of light and in Tyler's hand was the amulet. He handed it back to Rob his face lit with a bright enthusiasm we hadn't seen before.

"Thanks. I can't thank you enough."

Rob congratulated him and we waited. Nothing happened. I put my face on my paws. If three cats died to make the amulet, maybe the magic still trapped me somehow. It's rather embarrassing to admit, but I whined a little, just a teeny whine barely noticeable, but enough to make a point of my distress.

"We'll figure it out Jen. Don't worry." Rob said, and I would have felt better, except he looked extremely worried. His brow hardly ever has worry furrows, he's just not the type. But here he is with a crinkled up forehead telling me not to worry.

Still I was glad when Tyler left and Rob scratched my ears, "I won't be able to scratch your ears when you're human. There are a few decent things about being a wolf."

I didn't dispute that, but I'm sure I could manage without an ear scratch once I became human again.

"Ali promised to show us the trap today. Are you still up for it?" Rob tucked the amulet in his briefcase. I couldn't stand to have it near my throat anymore. I hated the thing with a passion.

Rob wasn't being inconsiderate of my feelings. Having wolf traps set in a park designed for werewolves is a huge deal. All of the packs in the area planned to send as many helpers as possible

Werewolf packs are like church groups. When the clarion call goes out, help appears en masse. Over one hundred people were milling about the park when we arrived. Unfortunately, a few of them wanted to pet me.

I growled and bared my fangs, and Rob warned them off. He didn't tell them I was his office assistant. And I was grateful for that. There were a few stories I would never live down if the truth got out. This was one of them.

Although many of the folk who turned out to help were wolves and could only change at the full moon, a small group of other were-animals arrived. When a were-hound appeared, Rob pointed him out to me.

"That's Jose Sanchez. If anyone can track the trapper today, he can." Jose stood with a group of werewolves in human form. He wagged his tail just like a normal dog. Funny how we seem to take on the characteristics of our animal cousins.

An older gentleman with white hair, a clipboard, and a bullhorn called for attention. In an instant, the crowd hushed. He called for the trackers first.

"That's us." Rob said. I'd missed Ali in the crowd because she was already in raccoon form. It's not as easy to see or even smell when a hundred people are milling about. Many of the tracker group had already taken their animal form.

"This raccoon here will lead you to the first trap. She marked a few spots on the way with cinnamon. If you smell it, you're on the right track."

Ali chittered and stood on two legs to get a good view of her team. With a nod, she skittered toward the woods. The crowd of animals started after her. Ali and the group in fur didn't wait for those still in human form. They needed to get to the location and start tracking the hunter before the trap clearers went in.

I stayed with Rob and heard some of what was happening with the remaining crowd. The pack leader gave a speech then started calling out pack names and sectors.

By the time Rob and I arrived at the point of my trapping with the other humans, the hound had already bayed a find.
Chapter 24

Even though my life as a weremouse has at times been fraught with danger and perhaps an adventure or two, I've never suffered from any major problems or faced anything truly evil. When we followed the werehound into a twisted part of the forest, I expected to find something innocuous, maybe a teenager playing pranks who truly didn't realize how dangerous his actions were to the werefolk.

But the shed with the three large cages gave me a cold chill. The cage design indicated a preference for wolf, but human shackles attached to one of the bars. I howled my question, frustrated and unable to express my anger, How many werefolk have gone missing?

The hound changed into human form, a middle aged man, short and stocky with a balding head and freckles. I turned my head until he put on the jeans and the sweatshirt one of his friends handed to him. He shook his head, "This is a bad business."

"Did you get anything from the scents?"

"Three men, humans with no wereblood in them spent a fair amount of time here. They've had several wolves, a bear, two dogs, and three cats in the cages. One of the cats didn't actually have any wereblood. I smell vampire. Not in the cages and only faintly, but it's there. Also, air and earth magic, although that one hinders the reading." He pointed to me. I gulped, feeling simultaneously guilty and offended.

Rob glanced over his shoulder at me, "Is the smell exact? We've been struggling to undo a curse that's turned my friend here into a wolf. So far, the change has been permanent."

The man knelt by me and sniffed the air. I so wanted to curl my lips at him and give him the sneering wolf face. But he was helping, so I was nice. "One of the magic smells matches, but there's more than that magic in play here."

By now the leader of the pack, the man with white hair had arrived, "I called the Moon Patrol. They'll be here to investigate."

The Moon Patrol was the werewolves' affectionate name for the police, specifically the teams that handled werewolf problems. Usually a combo pair with a wereperson paired up with a human person. I glanced over at Ali who had remained in raccoon form. She gave me a quick nod and slipped out.

Which made complete sense. We'd only been out of high school a few years and Ali, if not notorious, would be recognized by at least eight of the Moon Patrol officers. On five of those occasions, we were shuffled along to our parents. But it still made sense for her to disappear, because if they started questioning her, she would lie, even if this was a wonderful time to tell the truth.

Rob and I waited.

Meanwhile, the group scouring the forest for traps brought them into the shed, dumping them in front of the cage. As the pile grew, some of the werewolves in human form looked distressed.

Most of the trackers left or changed into their human selves. I was the only animal left in the room, which could have been awkward, but no one made a big deal about it.

The Moon Patrol took forever to arrive. I practiced sniffing, catching all of the cat scents and even discerning the one that didn't turn to human. Unlike the bloodhound, I couldn't smell magic. Maybe they should start calling them magichounds.

Nothing exciting happened. The Moon Patrol took notes and asked questions. The only surprise I got out of the whole thing was that a few of the patrolmen actually dismantled the cages themselves.

We left while the investigation was still in full swing. The disturbed look on Rob's face told me he wasn't done yet. He opened the door for me and waited for me to jump in.

Ali popped up from the backseat, "What took you so long?"

To his credit, Rob merely raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin, "You don't have a car of your own?"

"I parked in the gas station down the way. This trap thing is probably connected to the amulet. So I was thinking we could all head over to the wizard's house." Ali pushed herself up and grabbed her seatbelt, hooking it in the latch with a single swish.

"Return to the scene of the crime? No." Rob shut the passenger door, walking firmly around the car.

"But Rob..."

Rob didn't let Ali get another word in. "No."

"But."

"No."

I barked, mostly to tell Rob that he was in a losing battle. Sure, he said no. And in a few minutes he'd drop Ali off at her car, then she'd go alone. Ali never let a little word like 'no' stop her.

As for me, I was getting tired of the snout and the paws. At some point, I desperately wanted to have my own face back, preferably before I turned gray.

Ali crossed her arms. "Fine. I'll stay home tonight, but I'm taking Jen with me."

Which meant that we were planning another escapade.

"Is that okay?" He asked me.

I nodded.

"No more water parks?" Rob lifted an eyebrow.

Who, me? My furry face broke out into a crazy grin. He scratched me behind the ear. We were both getting too used to those little touches. Moments like this being a wolf isn't so bad.

"No water parks." Ali put just the right inflection for boredom, sounding exactly like a disgruntled teenager, which is probably how she felt. But I read more into it. Yes, Ali had a plan in mind, something that required a bit of subterfuge. I wondered what we would be doing in an hour. Not hanging out at home. But how to break into a wizard's house...that's the question.

Rob's a pretty smart fellow and he frowned at Ali the way a parent might. That frown that says, I know you're up to something. I just can't prove it yet. But he let us go, driving away with a wave once he'd dropped us off at Ali's car.

"That was way too easy."

I wasn't so sure about that. Rob had his expressions, too. And when he dropped us off, it was with the full and complete expectation that Ali was up to something. I wouldn't be surprised if Rob ended up at Ali's apartment. Too bad Ali didn't understand me when I said, "He knows."

But it didn't matter. We were two peas in a pod when it came to trouble. Either way, we were heading to Grady Road to check out the wizard's house. I felt silly even saying the words in my head.

Chapter 25

Last year, someone broke into my uncle's house. They smashed his television, stole a bunch of Aunt Celia's jewelry and made a general mess out of everything. Since then Ali and I curtailed our trespassing. Seeing the fury and helplessness that followed an incident like that gave me an inkling of what it felt like. That and now that I was out of high school and have a full time job, I'm more aware of the consequences of my actions or so I tell myself.

Following Ali through the trees toward the back of the Grady haunted house, I realized that I was the only one to feel that way. Ali had continued her activities without me and felt right at home sneaking through the woods.

Following a raccoon through trees was much easier in wolf form. As a mouse, I often struggled to keep up. Accustomed to having to wait for me, Ali moved slowly until she realized that I was keeping up just fine. Once she figured out she wouldn't lose me, she gave a huge raccoon grin and sped off through the trees without a care in the world. With a yip, I chased after her, enjoying my moment on four legs, though deep in my heart I felt a thrill of fear at the same time, the worry that I would forever be a wolf.

Ali dashed up a tree growing beside the house, up along a branch and dropped onto the roof. She trotted along the roof to the window overlooking the back yard. The quick drive by didn't do much for my confidence. Just because the driveway was empty didn't mean the house was.

I tried a few times to climb the tree but gave up. Ali shrugged and scampered away. The plan was for her to let me in anyway. But I couldn't help thinking that a wolf was ill-suited for this kind of activity. For the first time in a long time, I missed being a mouse. I mean, I always like the human half of me, but it never occurred to me how many times Ali and I used our animal selves to get into trouble. Had I been a wolf, our friendship would have been different. I realize that now when watching from the ground while Ali slipped into the house after finding a window cracked just that tiniest bit. As a mouse, I'd be in the house already. We'd be in it together.

A few minutes passed before the back door opened. "Come on in. Nobody here but us weres." Ali's human hand opened the door, but she was already shifting back. She loved to be a raccoon. Of all the weres, she's one of the few who hadn't spent at least a night cursing the full moon for rising at an inopportune time.

The time for thinking had come to an end. I slid through the door following the raccoon tail that was even now disappearing up the stairs. Ali dashed into the master bedroom and stood in the middle of the room on her hind feet, waving her hands at the shelves. Appalling. And also fascinating. The shelves held a dark magic that gave a girl the willies. I sniffed the room. It smelled musty, like an old cellar. The walls must have been papered back in the forties because the wall paper was ancient and peeling in the spots where I could see.

I also smelled a spicy cologne that I'd smelled back in the park when we were clearing out the traps. Whining I lifted my nose and sniffed again. Here, the smell was overpowering. Ali nodded. She'd smelled it, too. We weren't done here. Ali checked each and every shelf, poking her nose behind jars and pawing things out of the way to see.

We found nothing of interest there. Ready to leave, I whined at the door and pointed my snout toward the exit. Ali shook her head and ran to the next room. What was she trying to prove? She found a den with a desk and desktop on the floor. With a single push of the paw, Ali turned it on. As neither mouse nor wolf would I have had the dexterity to do that.

She flashed back to human and I turned my head, while she grabbed the mouse and logged onto the computer. No password. I guess people have an expectation of privacy in their own homes. She opened the browser and started looking at browser history and tabs, then carefully searched the processing programs. "Quite the gamer."

I couldn't very well answer, but if I could, I'd say something like, "That's nice, now can we get out of here?" I'm all for adventure and everything, but I had never actually spent this much time in anyone's house before. Commercial buildings, yes, but not a home.

I whined.

"Remember 682 Spencer Avenue." Ali shut down the system and turned back into her furry raccoon self.

In my head I said 682 Spencer over and over and over. My ears pricked up. I heard a car and this wasn't the kind of neighborhood where cars drive by. I yipped. Ali nodded and we both fled, running down the stairs and out the back door. Her car was parked down Haverson Road. But we never made it. I felt myself flying through the air and hanging upside down.

Here's the crazy thing. Nothing was holding me up. No net. No rope. No nothing. There I was hanging in the air growling at the wind and swearing. My cuss words sounded like barks, but believe me, I know some really good words. The best ones I save for truly dire predicaments such as this one.

"Well, well, well, well, well." The words came from a haughty male somewhere behind us.

I twisted my head. If only I were human. There were so many things I wanted to say right now, starting with a joke about the pointy hat. I'm not kidding. He had a pointy hat that sat back on his head the way cowboy hats do. He was young, sported acne and a robe that would make Gandalf jealous.

"Come on down."

The air seemed to fall out from under me and I felt myself falling in slow motion. The pads of my feet softly touched the dirt. I scanned the forest, watching Ali crouching in the shadows, ready to spring with claws flashing. I shook my head. No sense in both of us getting caught.

"Come inside. We'll have a coke and talk about the future." His robe caught a bit at his knees while he walked. I had the feeling that somehow I had stumbled into a Comic-Con Convention. But he really needed to lose the hat and find a light saber.

My legs turned and stumbled after him. Not of my own will, and that scared me. I yowled and felt the pressure on my legs release. Stumbling a bit, I followed him under my own control.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know if you'd come willingly. You pose a bit of a problem, especially since returning the power." He looked over his shoulder while he spoke, his nose just that little bit too long and a shock of too long hair falling over his brow.

I whined with a question mark, hoping he'd catch on.

Who said wizards were stupid. He knew exactly what I was trying to say. "We're in huge trouble. Me because I lost the amulet. You because you had it last. It's a shame it's not in your possession now. We could be done with this."

He took out a pair of cokes and a bowl and a cup out of the cupboard. Grabbing a can opener from the refrigerator, he broke open the bottles and poured them, one into the bowl, one into the cup.

"Ice?"

I nodded. Seems we were going to be civilized. Plus, I have a weakness for Mexican coke. It tastes better, maybe because it comes from a bottle or uses real sugar. Either way, I no longer feared the wizard. But when he turned and stared out the window with a fierce rage burning in his eyes, I gulped air trying not to shake in my paws. Okay, he really was scary.

"The magic didn't touch your friend. I don't need her." With a flick of his wrist, the wizard turned to the ice maker, grabbing a handful of ice to split between the cup and bowl.

That wrist flick meant something. Before, when my legs followed his bidding, he'd made a strange little finger movement in the air. I edged toward the window, trying to look outside, hoping to see if Ali was okay.

"Do I look like a killer?" The bowl shook slightly as he put it on the floor, his eyes wide with that crazy gleam.

I closed my eyes and gave a quick head bob, wondering if he truly was capable or murder and hoping Ali safely escaped harm.

"Then you know to stay put. I need to find my grimoire on were-magic." Downing a gulp of coke, the wizard slammed his glass on the table, then ran up the stairs two at a time. I sniffed the bowl. It smelled good. It would however, be incredibly embarrassing to die by poisoning in a stranger's house.

When he came down the stairs, he didn't actually walk, but seemed to glide on air. I'd never seen anything like it. My mouth must have been hanging open.

"Drink up. I promise if I kill you, it'll be interesting. I'm partial to sword play myself. I won't poison you." He murmured while he flipped pages, his brow furrowed while he tried to find what he was looking for.

"You'd think grimoires would have tables of contents, but no. And the hand-writing is atrocious."

Deciding that he was several kinds of crazy, I sighed and waited.

"I said. Drink. Up." Suddenly my head felt as if something had grabbed me from the neck and forced my face into the bowl. I sneezed, breathing in while Coke went up my nose. That's how far he'd forced my head into the bowl, all without touching me.

How humiliating. My nose burned from the carbonation in the pop, and the hair on my snout felt sticky. I refused to drink. Just get close enough to bite and I'll tear your arm off. That's what I said in my head. And I would. I was that angry.

Taking away someone's freedom of choice is an act of evil, pure evil. That's how I knew that he had killed before. I didn't need to hear it. I was experiencing his lack of compassion.

When the strange clamping on my neck eased, I jerked my head up, growling.

"Get over yourself. Ah, here it is." He drew a circle in the air with his fingers and said a few words in a language I'd never heard before. It didn't sound like Latin. When he finished, he said, "Now we can have a real conversation. You just say what you want in wolf speak and the spell will interpret."

"Is Ali safe?" I barked. A lovely voice, like a soft chime asked the question.

"You sound like an angel." The wizard's mouth was open and he seemed more than a little awed.

"That's not my voice. Is Ali okay?"

"The raccoon? Yes, I just flew her over to the car. She's locked in now and quite perturbed I can tell you."

I felt profound relief, trapped as I was, I now knew that Ali was safe. I could deal with anything else that came my way.

"How do I become human again?"

He gave me a dismissive look, "Um...you wish yourself human again? It's not rocket science."

"I did. It didn't work." My yowling was once again converted into angelic voices. I wish I really sounded like that. Words can't describe the beauty of the voice that the spell created.

"Then I guess you're stuck. Where is the amulet?" The way he hunched at the table, the way he watched me bothered me.

I'm not as good a liar as Ali, but I've been known to throw one around here and there. I decided to make it a big one. "I'm wearing it."

The angelic voice must have made me sound truthful because he tipped the glass back again and wiped the corner of his mouth, "That's why it didn't work. You lost it. That explains a few things. One of the witches must have found it."

"Witches?" I didn't really want to give away the fact that I'd run to a lady with a hex bag for help.

"Yeah, they've been asking for were-magic. You'd be surprised how many non-weres are looking for a quick switch to the animal kingdom." Pushing the hair out of his eyes, the wizard frowned.

"I don't care about the amulet. My friend stole it as a prank. Now I'm stuck as a wolf and I really really need to be human again. Please." It felt strange pouring my heart out to a sociopathic wizard who treated me like a puppet. But I'd finally found someone who knew what was going on, and I really needed help.

"The only way for you to be human again is to put the amulet on. Do you remember where you lost it?"

So he didn't believe me. He tried to trip me up with that question. Lying the second time was more difficult. I felt certain deep inside that he could see through my falsehoods, "As far as I know I'm still wearing it. I don't know where it is. Can you find it with magic?"

I took a deep breath, hoping the answer was no. I didn't want Rob anywhere near this psycho, even if the crazy wizard was playing nice now.

"No. This isn't good. Look, I'm going to let you go, but you and your friend need to lie low. Find a place to hide and stay there. I'm serious. Don't be traipsing through the wolf park making yourself known to people."

"You followed us in the wolf park?" In wolf, it sounded like a yelp. Somehow the angel voice made me sound sultry. I thought it would be awesome if I could talk to Rob with that voice, but remembering the way it felt to be forced to move on my own, I decided even if I could, I would never use magic against Rob. And that angelic voice felt like a weapon.

"I have eyes and ears there. Look, I'm not your problem. I'm just house sitting, but you set off alarms coming into the house and I'm going to have to tell them something. You don't have the amulet. You don't know where is, and if you stay, they will kill you."

"So, you're letting me go?" My internal self was screaming at me. Just run, Jen. But nothing made sense here. Why would he capture me just to offer me a drink and chat for three minutes about the amulet.

"Yes."

"Why can't you do your magic and turn me human again? Your magic made me like this."

"I'm just a kid, okay?" He completely lost it then, ripping off the wizard's hat and throwing it on the table. "All of the magic is borrowed. I don't have any of my own. I can't help you. I was planning to keep you here until they came, but..." He swallowed, "Your voice is so pretty. I think I would like you in human form. And I don't want to be the one. Just go. I'll look for the amulet. If I find it I'll let you borrow it just once to wish yourself human with all of the magic you have and go to sleep. You'll be human again."

"If you don't have magic, how do you know and how did you force me to do things?"

He looked tormented. "It was my birthday present. I was the only member of my family without magic of my own. I have the most dexterity. Every single one of my spells hits exactly how I want it, but I don't have any power. My brother gave me were magic for my sixteenth birthday. Go."

I ran for the door, wondering if he'd lied to me as I lied to him.

Ali waited for me at the car. She was already in human form and dressed, and when I jumped up to the car window on my paws, she was pulling a knife out of the glove box. She screeched and jumped, opening the door. "Jen, I've never been so glad to see anyone before. What happened? Are you okay?"

"Arf."

The magic voice appeared, shocking both of us, "I'm fine."

"Whoa." Ali forced open the door. "Thank goodness. I've been trying to open these for an hour. Where did you get the cool voice."

"A spell. Teenage wizard without power. It's a long story."

"Well, you can tell me on the way home. Do you think the spell will last that long?" Ali's cell phone rang. She grabbed it, looked at the screen and threw it in the back seat. "We'd better get home. Rob is going to kill me."

"Or me." It was strange hearing the voice translating my yipping barks, but as we traveled home, I told Ali the whole story.

"And he just let you go? I bet they're bugging the car. That settles it. I'm not answering the phone. I'll take you straight to my apartment and we'll call Rob from there."

I whined, used to my voice going straight to wolf without stopping for human. The angelic voice spoke, "Get the phone and call Rob back."

"Fine. She turned the key in the ignition before reaching to the back seat. Rob was now on her speed dial, which says a lot about the past few days.

"I've been sitting here for an hour. Where are you?" Rob sounded peeved. Not my problem. Not my fault. I'm only the wolf in the passenger seat. I grinned at Ali. Her smile at me was wholly mischievous and I must admit my wolfish grin no doubt egged her on.

"Rob, you're not going to turn into one of those stalker boyfriends, are you? I mean, you do trust Jen, right?"

I howled. The voice said, "Ali!"

Rob was absolutely silent. For a second I thought we lost the connection. By now Ali was driving on the highway, which in our state was illegal. But staying any longer in the vicinity of the house creeped me out, so I couldn't really complain too much.

"Ali." Rob's voice was very distinct, very calm, very crisp. And he meant business. I felt a happiness well up when he said, "Jen isn't able to fend for herself as well, which means you're responsible for her safety when she's with you. You promised that you were going to the apartment. I'm standing in the parking lot, and I don't see you."

"Jen, Rob's at the apartment. He's being a jerk. We could eat his share."

Eat his share? Sneaky. It's never good to start a relationship with a lie. I kept my mouth shut. Wolf or not, with that strange voice, I didn't want to join forces with Ali against Rob, even if he was sitting at her apartment waiting for us. Yep, Ali gave herself away again. She's transparent at times.

"If you must know, we're at the restaurant. Hang tight. We'll pick something up for you."

Rob grumbled a little and Ali hung up on him. "Happy now?"

"Why did you lie to him?" That angelic voice was really annoying. She should have sounded appalled, but the tone came out soft and sweet. What if I wanted to yell? Would the angel voice yell with me? I determined to stop thinking of it as the angel voice. The fake voice would work better, even if this new spell cast on me did sound musical.

"I lie to everyone. Do you think he knows? " We were on the outskirts of town. I, for one, was grateful to be away from that place. Ali didn't wait for my answer, but kept on talking. "And I'm more interested in why that wizard kid let us go. He's clearly more powerful than either of us. Do you think he's tracking us?"

"Yes to both questions." My wolf voice growled. The fake voice chimed. And my head started aching with a fierce sharpness, so I put my head down on my paws and closed my eyes.

Rob waited for us, looking decidedly unhappy. Ali handed him a take-out Styrofoam container with a bacon cheeseburger and garlic mashed potatoes. She'd ordered for all of us. Ali and I ate in the car, chewing and swallowing as fast as we could to make an honest lie. My head still hurt, and Rob's lips were pressed so tightly together, I was afraid he'd forget to breathe.

"Want to come up?" Ali asked, the face of innocence.

Rob, container in hand, nodded. He didn't seem to know whether to be angry or embarrassed for being angry. Ali's comment about him stalking me put him on the defensive, and I felt personally responsible for it. Kind of like she was my pet who escaped and bit someone.

Not that Ali is usually so caustic, but I think she's worried about me and taking it out on Rob. Of course, he's doing the same thing. Maybe my best friend and my boss just don't like each other very much. That would be sad as I am incredibly fond of them both. But thinking about it just makes my head pound worse.

I curled up at the feet of the big chair and put my head down. Sleep might cure what's ailing me. I feel sick.

"Are you okay?" Rob is the one to notice that I'm not feeling too chipper. I shake my head, not trusting my fake voice to keep her mouth shut.

"Jen has a headache." Ali answered for me, throwing herself onto the couch.

Rob put a hand in front of my nose. He smelled so good, I leaned forward. "I'll get you some water. You might be dehydrated."

I didn't think that was the problem. Maybe the invisible hand that grabbed my neck or the fact that I was a walking pile of spells might have had something to do with it, but water did sound good. He brought me the water, then proceeded to eat his dinner. His cranky attitude changed about halfway through. Rob needs to eat regularly. For me it's sleep. I'm easy to get along with until I've stayed up too late, then watch out.

While I gulped water wolf-style, Ali said, "Rob, where's the amulet?"

"In my laptop case. With one hand, he unzipped the bag next to the recliner he was sitting in and pulled out the collar with that ugly hex bag attached. He handed it to Ali. I ignored them both. Guess I was dehydrated. Water sounded better than whatever Ali had in mind.

"Jen, we're going to try this again. Wish really hard tonight and you'll be back to normal tomorrow." Ali knelt beside me, so I lifted my head and let her put on the collar. I hated that thing with a passion. And my head still hurt, even after drinking all that water. Once the collar was on, I slurped up more water, not caring anymore that Rob was in the room and ignoring the conversation between the two.

When I finally finished drinking, I wanted sleep more than anything else. I will admit to being pathetic. I actually went and laid down at the edge of the recliner with my head on Rob's feet. Fortunately he was still eating, so the footrest was down.

"You two are getting cozy." Ali teased with a smile. I would have bared my teeth and growled at her, but my eyes were closed, and Rob had chosen just that moment to scratch my head.

"Don't make things awkward for us." Rob's fingers lingered on the top of my head.

All too soon he was leaving, and Ali and I were left to our own devices. Normally, we'd be popping popcorn and watching movies, but tonight I just didn't feel well. I crawled onto the bean bag that Ali let me sleep on as a wolf and curled up. I fell asleep rather quickly. Ali had just turned on the television and asked me what I wanted to watch. It occurred to me that I hadn't said a word since the car, and as I drifted off, I wondered if the fake voice was still with me.

I did wish to be human as sleep overtook me. I'm not sure if was with every molecule of my being, but I thought it.

When I woke up, it was as a wolf. Given the past few days, that wasn't so shocking. Having a teenage wizard puppet master sitting on the couch three feet away did shock me. He was eating popcorn with Ali and I feared that she'd become his latest plaything.

"Do you want some more? There's a lot left in the bag." Ali paused the movie. We air popped popcorn into brown bags, then dumped butter and salt and shook the bag until the sides were greasy. Apparently while I was sleeping, she found a few more interesting guests and followed our tradition on her own.

"Sure! Thanks." Wizard boy handed his bowl to Ali and I lifted my head, wondering what I'd missed.

"What is he doing here?" I hadn't lost the voice. It translated perfectly.

As she poured popcorn into the popper, Ali lifted her head. The helpless rage in her eyes gave me all the information I needed. Now I regretted saying anything. My head pounded with pain, and my eyes felt dry.

"Alex is joining us for a movie." The monotone words didn't belong to Ali. She was being controlled. It scared me that someone could have that kind of power over someone else. And poor Ali. She values her freedom over anything else.

I watched Wizard boy. So his name was Alex. He relished his power over her. The smile on his face as he touched the brim of his hat creeped me out. I closed my eyes and put my head on my paws. This was not giving up by any means. I didn't know exactly how much power Alex had. If I pretended not to be a threat, he'd focus on Ali. Maybe he'd get too close and I could get the hat from him.

I hoped Ali understood. It's not like I could communicate my plan to her.

"Jen, don't you want to eat some popcorn?" Ali asked in monotone. She was fighting him.

With my eyes still closed, I said, "I don't feel well. I'm just going to rest."

My wish to be human had failed. On top of that we had an unwanted house guest who turned people into robots. It was the middle of the night and I felt horrible. Things couldn't get much worse.

"You need to take that leather pouch off the collar. The amulet won't work as long as the bag is hanging from it." Alex watched me with interest. I'm pretty good at reading people. He was telling the truth, wrapped up in a pretty lie. I had the feeling that I was still wearing the collar because of the protection in that leather pouch, whatever it might be. Alex would have torn it off otherwise. He longed to have the amulet back, unable to hide his avariceness.

"Mmmh-hmmmm" I pretended a lack of interest in his words.

"Too much opposing magic. I bet you feel like someone took a mallet to your head." Alex leaned back on the couch with an awkward affectation. He wanted to be cool. He wanted to fit in, but he couldn't. He didn't belong here with me and Ali. And it was obvious.

The whine of the popcorn popper filled the room. It was a surreal feeling. My life was completely upside down, but the sound of the popcorn starting to pop was such a normal thing. I didn't answer. With my eyes closed, I waited. There had to be a moment when Alex would be busy with the popcorn. A moment when he would be occupied.

I closed my eyes, refusing to say another word.

"Your popcorn, Sir." Sir? I opened one eye just a sliver. Was this the moment? The wizard hat two leaps from my jaws, but I knew it was just that little bit too far, especially feeling the way I did.

"I'm thirsty. Get me a drink." He waved his hand with a flourish. Ali gritted her teeth and looked to me helplessly. While the wizard watched her, I stood, carefully, silently. She turned and walked to the refrigerator, her limbs jerking.

Ali grabbed the carton of milk. The wizard, his head turned to watch her, complained, "Not milk. Soda. Root Beer. Ginger Ale. Something fizzy."

Paws are rather nice for silent treading. With his head turned, I padded a few more steps and then a few more. I felt a bit like a kid playing red light green light. Only the first red light would mean disaster. Ali must have seen what I was doing because she was fighting him now. Her hand shook as she grabbed the butter. A few more steps.

"You're supposed to listen." The voice was stern. And rather scary. Those who feel entitled to take without remorse or consideration of another are some of the most terrifying people on the planet. And this guy was like that. Young though he was, I knew he'd kill us if we stopped entertaining him. That is, if I didn't stop him.

Ali grabbed a can of root beer, and smoothly opened it, returning to the couch at a run and pouring the sticky drink all over Alex. If I weren't going stealth mode, I'd have cheered her on. Instead, I took the opportunity to leap the rest of the way to the couch, grabbing the tip of his wizard hat in my teeth.

Ali whooped, "Pull it apart with your teeth. Watch out!"

Behind me, I felt movement, almost like a sixth sense, and I jumped out of the way just as Alex came crashing over the couch after me. I ran down the hall and into Ali's bedroom with the intent to crawl under the bed. Unfortunately, I did not fit. Alex was at the door before I could think. I jumped onto the covers, my tail knocking over the book on the bedside table. My paws got caught up in the quilt, but I had a firm grip on the hat. When Alex's hand grabbed the top of his hat, I yanked bath, tearing it from his hands and jumped off the edge of the bed, running back through the hall.

Ali opened the door, "Jen, get that hat to Rob. I'll take care of things here."

I fled her apartment building, the pain in my head now pounding to the tempo of my feet hitting the ground. I ran along the back fence, following it to the exit. The only flaw in Ali's plan was that Rob's house was a twenty minute drive from Ali's apartment. The way I felt, there was no way I'd be able to run all that way. Trotting down the street, I discovered a park with a merry-go-round, swing set with two swings, and a slide among several trees. The park was empty and in the center was a gazebo, which looked very inviting.

Deciding to rest in the gazebo, I started with the brim of the hat and tore into it with my teeth, treating it like a chew toy. Eventually I managed to poke a hole in the top. The cone had a thicker starched cloth that kept if from being wholly floppy. From there, the cloth ripped easily. The collar chafed again, and I wanted to pull it off, but as dogs are well aware, collars are not easily escaped. With the collar, I felt more like a dog than a wolf, subject to the whims of people who cared for me.

Tearing the wizard's hat into bits probably took a few hours. The cloth looked so harmless, but I didn't want to take any chances. The ground under the bushes was manicured and soft. With a mouthful of destroyed cloth, I trotted to a spot under the bushes and started digging, flinging dirt out from behind my paws. The activity was strangely enjoyable and my head hurt less now. I dropped the first bit of cloth into the hole. I ran back and forth from gazebo to bushes until the entire pile of scraps was piled in the hole, then I buried the fabric.

No need to involve Rob at all. I decided to return to Ali's now that we were safe from the hat. And if she needed help with Alex, I wanted to be there for her.

Retracing my steps, I returned to find her door shut and everything quiet. The sun had set and the apartment lights on, tall posts with round globes softly glowing on top. The lights in Ali's apartment were on, but I couldn't tell if she was still there. What if Wizard boy had kidnapped her or worse? It would be my fault for not going straight to Rob like she wanted me to.

My tongue was hanging out of my mouth and dripping. That's what I get for rushing. But I felt so much better. The hat must have been making me feel sick. Or maybe the compulsion related to the hat. Either way, I was almost back at full strength. Still, the only way in was if someone let me in. I stood on my hind legs and pawed at the doorbell. Finally the bell chimed.

"Just a minute." It was Ali's voice. But was it monotone? I had no idea. And then the door was open.

"I'm so glad you're back. Where's Rob?"

I barked that I never went to get him. I sounded wolfish without a special voice anywhere. Guess the hat was for more than forcing someone to make popcorn. Shrugging I stepped across the threshold.

The apartment was a mess. Not a mess like a few things out of place, but the recliner was overturned, the coffee table shoved aside. Several of Ali's favorite statues scattered across the floor in various states of brokenness. In the center of it all, Wizard boy himself sat on a kitchen chair unconscious with a bleeding head wound. His arms were bound behind his back and a gag tied in his mouth.

"You can't just keep him here."

Of course, Ali didn't understand a word I said. But seriously, I didn't like what I was seeing, even if Alex deserved it. And she didn't look any better. Her face was swelling with what looked like a black eye and a swollen cheek, and her hair was half out of her pony tail.

"I got him. He's still alive. Wasn't sure at first." Ali rubbed her hand on her pajama bottoms nervously, her other hand hidden. "Where's the hat? Maybe we can force him to walk to the car and dump him back at his house."

I shook my head and mimed with snapping of jaws and tearing of paws exactly what happened to the hat. Ali got my drift, "Oh, that's a shame. I had plans for that hat. Where are the pieces?"

No way. No way would I ever tell Ali where I buried that hat. She's my best friend and all, which is why there are certain things I know about her. One of those things is that Ali is better off without the temptation. Much as I love her, she can't be trusted with an all-powerful puppeteer wizard's hat. Not that she'd do anything purposely evil, but the accidental evil would break her.

"I don't know what to do."

Well, that was a first. Ali's the plan maker. But when I look back on some of her best ideas, my steering this direction or that improved all of them. Ali might shove off and row, but I get us where we need to go.

That's when I noticed Ali's hand bleeding. She'd been keeping it at her side, and using her body to block the injury. I pointed my snout to her hand.

"Oh, this? Just a bit of glass. Things got rough."

That's when I heard the sirens.

Ali winced. "Those police cars are probably for us."

I put my head on my paws. Could this get any worse?

We didn't have time for anything. Before I knew what was happening, officers were at the door. Ali limped to open it, and that's when I noticed she was barefoot and her foot bruised. She put up quite a fight.

She opened the door slowly. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

Ali shook her head. "No, Sir. A man attacked me. I tied him up. I'd like to press charges. He tried to force himself on me."

I frowned. That last part was a lie. At least in part. But I couldn't question her. I couldn't say a word.

Alex was taken in an ambulance. Ali told her story and I realized when she talked about the way he forced himself on her, that yes, he really had forced himself on her. Remembering how it felt to be out of control, I realized that every word she said was the literal truth.

I felt lonely for Rob. He was probably asleep by now. It would be nice to feel his hand behind my ears or at my shoulder. Small comforting gestures that somehow exuded safety.

It was almost dawn when we finally closed our eyes, the apartment secured, though still a mess. I wondered what the day would bring.

* * *

We slept in late and I wanted to try the collar again with the protection removed. The words Alex said kept going through my mind when I finally opened my eyes in the late morning . He couldn't be trusted, but maybe the witch lady with her protection bag wasn't helping us so much either.

Ali spent the morning picking up the apartment. She still walked with a limp and the bruise on her face looked awful. I wished I could help her. I felt useless without hands. In the end, I pushed around some of the furniture for Ali and held the dustpan.

It was quite a shock when the door opened and Alex stepped in. His hair was crusted with blood and stuck to his head, and he carried a baseball bat.

"You girls really don't know who you're messing with."

I wanted to cry. Not from sadness so much, but from utter frustration and general crankiness. Right now I would even take being a mouse. At least then I could find a quiet place to hide.

Ali's phone sat on the arm of the sofa. Snatching it with my mouth, I jumped the couch and carefully dropped it at her feet, silently apologizing for the slobber. There are some things that even a best friend should not be forced to endure. But Ali was as close as close could be, so I guess she'll learn to live with it.

I spun back determined to be a block between Ali and Alex.

"I filed a complaint with the police. You're going to jail." Ali said behind me. I was facing Alex, so I just had to assume she was also making the phone call.

"You're so cute. What did you say? I forced myself on you?" He held the baseball bat with both hands. And I knew that he could kill either of us with one swing.

Ali started talking behind us. "Yes, we're in trouble."

Seeing the cell phone, Wizard boy pulled the bat back with murderous intent. This little punk was not going to kill my best friend. With a growl, I leapt for his arm, snapping my jaws. He shrieked.

My teeth closed on the arm holding the bat. Ewwww. He dropped the bat without a fight and I released his arm. To be honest, I didn't bite as heavily or thickly as I should have. Our very lives depended on a firm and steady bite, but truthfully, I let go as soon as he did and while I definitely broke the skin, I let go before his arm started bleeding.

"You bitch."

Technically he was right. Still, I didn't care for his language. I snapped at him again, forcing him back. Ali tucked her phone into the breast pocket of her pajamas. I always wondered what those could possibly be used for. Now I know. "Time to tie you up again." Ali said. "That or my friend will chew you to death."

Alex started crying. I was as surprised as the next person, which was Ali, and she looked fairly surprised. He swiped at the tears with the hand that wasn't injured. I wondered if I'd done him any real harm, but seeing the bat on the ground and remembering Ali's injuries, couldn't bring myself to care.

"The wizard's hat doesn't belong to me. They'll kill me if they discover it missing."

A wolf's eyebrows don't have quite the emotional range that a human does. Still, I'm sure my expression must have been somewhere between quizzical and incredulous. Ooops. Guess he's in for a rough time. Still, not my problem. Except for the slight discomfort of having yet again to deal with a homicidal sociopath with magical tendencies.

"Jen, can you keep him occupied for a few minutes?"

With a nod I growled at Alex and settled my body on top of the bat. If he were at all creative, Alex could have come up with a thousand weapons in Ali's house. He struck me as an underdeveloped teenager, perhaps a boy who had spent his life spoiled, never forced to live in a world where someone else might have different needs or desires. But he was close enough to adulthood to know better. So as he swiped at tears bemoaning his existence, I growled again, just to be clear that all was not forgiven and I might just bite his leg so that he had a matching set.

Ali came out of her room in jeans and a sweatshirt, socks, but not shoes. She carried ropes and a bungi. "Okay, let's try this again."

Alex sniffed, "Please don't tie me up. My brother will kill you when he finds out."

If his brother was anything remotely like Alex, I was officially worried. He might not have emotional fortitude, but as a magic user and person without a moral compass, an older and more experienced version of Alex was something to be avoided.

"You've really got to stick to a method. You can beg or you can threaten but mix the two and everyone gets confused." Ali looked exhausted. Her hair was sticking out every which way and her pajamas were rumpled.

"Which one will work?"

"What will it take for you to leave us alone?" Ali leaned against the counter at a safe distance. She'd chosen to negotiate. If I were human, we might be having an argument right now on whether to tie him up, with my vote a tight knot that he wouldn't be able to escape.

"Return the hat and amulet to me."

I laughed. It was borderline hysterical, I will admit. As a wolf, it sounded more like a low chuff.

"The hat is gone and I'm not returning the amulet until Jen's human." Ali twisted the rope in her fingers, not so much as a threat but as something to do. For Ali to be threatening, she needs to be in raccoon form. With those long claws and the nasty snarl she manufactures, she's managed to scare off security guards.

"I already told you how to make her human again. She's wearing protection for any form of magic, even the natural kinds." Natural being were-magic and such.

"Rob will be here soon. What should I tell him?" This she directed at me.

I barked, "The truth."

Too bad angel voice was buried with the hat. I wanted her to understand me that time.

Ali shrugged, "Don't worry I'll think of something."

"Can I sit down?" In all of the excitement, I'd forgotten about his head injury. Not that it made me feel sorry for him or anything.

"Don't try anything." Ali grabbed a kitchen chair and handed it to him, every muscle tensed. She was expecting him to use the chair as a diversionary tactic. I could swear she looked disappointed when he thanked her and sat down.

We waited in a standoff for what seemed an eternity before the doorbell rang. Rob answered. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" He groused when he stepped inside, then he turned to me with his sunshiny smile and said, "Hey Jen."

"Sorry." Ali didn't sound sorry. She never does. It's just a word she uses when things go wrong.

"What are you going to do to me?" The tough kid act was long gone and now he sounded scared. Of Rob—and he's a big pushover. Ali's the scariest of us, if you get down to the person most likely to actually do something sinister to the kid.

"We're going to wait." Rob closed the door and locked the deadbolt, looked at Ali, looked at Alex, and with a half grin said, "Let's start with frozen peas. Ali, do you have anything like that in the freezer?"

"Why would I keep frozen peas?" Ali grimaced. I love peas myself, especially with mashed potatoes. "You can't be hungry for peas at five in the morning."

"For your face." Rob strode across the room with an exasperated sigh.

He frowned at the contents of the freezer. A pint of ice cream, frozen waffles, orange juice, a package of burritos. In the end, Rob grabbed a couple freezer bags with the zippy function, filled them with ice, and handed one to Ali and one to Alex. Wizard boy was looking worse with each passing moment.

Ali studied the ice dubiously. "No harm in trying."

Rob waved her to the couch. "You look ready to fall down. Take a nap on the couch. I'll watch the prisoner."

I'm the reason Alex didn't make a move for the door. I'm scary when I draw my teeth back into a snarl.

It was incredibly strange. We all waited in the apartment together as if something would happen. I wondered if Rob called the police. He seemed to have everything in check. And he was waiting for someone to show.

Sure enough, a knock on the door stirred the strange silence.

Ali's eyes were closed, so Rob opened the door.

My throat tickled in a low growl. I couldn't help it. She was standing there, in a black leather mini-skirt with legs that went a mile. She wore a tight black leather jacket over a shockingly bright pink blouse. To a man, she was hot. To a woman, she was competition. "Ah, yes. That is a problem." She said, looking at Alex.

Alex had paled and he looked like he might faint. He said, "I didn't give up any secrets."

"What do I care for secrets?" Her mouth might have formed the words, but I knew without a doubt she cared very much to protect her secrets.

"Well, now that we've caught the miscreant, I guess you don't need that protection bag anymore." Boy, did she walk fast in heels. She was kneeling in front of me with her hand reaching for the bag before she'd even finished talking.

I'm not proud of myself for my actions. As far as I knew at that moment, she was an ally. Still, I bit her. I don't like people reaching for me. I have a rather large circle dedicated to personal space. I'm sure it's somehow related to my being a mouse among wolves. At any rate, I bit her and she pulled her hand back. I stepped away, growling.

"Jen, she's on our side."

I lifted my lip, letting my teeth show. Snarling lifted my spirits. I've never been able to do anything like that. Mice don't snarl. And in human form, I never could quite look menacingly enough. And I was jealous.

"It's okay. If you could just remove the collar from her, I'll take it and the boy and everything will go back to normal."

Ali was sitting up now, looking around with a groggy, confused look. Rob was stepping toward me with the intention of doing just what the nice witch asked. What if I was stuck in this form forever? The witch clearly showed interest in Rob during our earlier visit. I was surprised she wasn't flirting and falling all over him now. But her eye was on my collar.

I turned tail and dashed to the end of the couch, looking over my shoulder to see what Rob would do. He nodded once.

"Jen doesn't want to let go of the collar just now."

The witch smiled at me, saccharine sweet and ugly. I grimaced, but stared at her with a tail wag, just because I could. "Others will come for her. The sooner you rid yourself of the magic, the better."

"Doesn't she still have protection?" Rob asked, noting the bag hanging from the collar. Personally, I couldn't wait to have the collar off. Timing was everything. And now wouldn't be the time to lose whatever protection I might have.

"Yes, but I'm afraid this one called his brother. My little warding spell won't do anything to stop one like that."

I didn't trust her. It was probably just jealousy. Her hair, dyed in platinum strands glinted with the light, and her makeup was perfect, which made me wonder why I cared so much to be human again with my brown curly hair, although I suppose my face was cute enough.

"Jen?" Rob asked.

I shook my head. Nope. Not giving up my amulet. At least not until I changed back to human.

The witch smiled and touched Rob's shoulder. Ali put a finger to her lips when I growled involuntarily. "If you run into any more trouble, give me a call." I swear her glare at me was accusatory, but what exactly was I being accused of? Growling out of turn? I didn't even break the skin. As bites go, it was more of a nip.

In all this Alex remained tight lipped. I glanced at the baseball bat lying on the floor behind the couch. No, I wouldn't feel sorry for him, either. When the witch said goodbye, he stood and followed her out. Her butt was perfectly rounded in the leather, and I glanced at Rob to see if he caught any of those haughty butt moves.

His eyes were locked on mine, and he was smiling. I found myself returning the smile. In that moment, we shared something. I'm not sure exactly what.

After the door shut, Ali said, "What do you think she will do to him?"

"Probably lecture him about showing us mortals his power." Rob dropped into the recliner and I padded over and put my head on his knee. We all looked horrible.

"Jen doesn't trust her." Rob scratched my ears and the longing I felt in that moment was too much. If I could only be human. I wanted so much to tell him everything that had been happening. I felt so alone. So powerless in this wolf form.

Ali remained silent. Which meant that Ali didn't have an opinion yet. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Was it just petty jealousy?

We sat that way for at least an hour, too weary to move. Finally Rob stretched and stood, "I'm going to take Jen home with me."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ali lifted the ice from her face, her eyes boring through Rob.

Ali, shut up. Of course it's wise. With a doggy sigh, I just waited for her to talk Rob out of it.

"Jen needs to stay with someone she can trust until we can figure this out. You work tomorrow. We're past the full moon, so I'm sure Jen and I can handle one more night without too much awkwardness."

I thumped my tail and grinned. Ali nodded and sat up. "Jen, come here for a minute."

Without knowing quite what Ali had in mind, I went to her. She reached to the collar and after a few tries, released the hex bag. "I think this is preventing the change. Remember to think human before you go to sleep."

"Rob, can I keep this?" Ali held the bag up.

Rob shrugged, "Uh, sure."

We stopped for breakfast in a small diner where Rob picked up a pair of chicken fried steak breakfasts. He drove to the office where we ate. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled the hashbrowns. Rob caught up on his emails, yawning all the while. Meanwhile, I dozed on the floor by the window. I liked the feel of the sun on my fur.

Right before lunch the phone rang and Rob answered. It was the witch. I heard her ask about the hex bag. Rob answered," Yes, she's safe. I'm not sure why you'd show the spell as deactivated."

A lie. Rob must have his doubts about her as well. I missed what she said then, but got the gist of the conversation when Rob said, "You turned him into a rabbit?" He laughed, the twinkle in his eyes gave me an achy feeling in my stomach. It might have been indigestion, but I think it was love.

"I'll call you if we have any unexpected visitors." Rob snapped the phone closed.

He stood and stretched, yawning again. He even made yawning look hot. "It's been a rough few days. Wanna head home?"

I leapt up and pattered over to him.

* * *

At Rob's house, I followed him around while he did chores, washing dishes, starting laundry. He made a frozen pizza for dinner. As a wolf, the only part of the pizza that looked any good was the sausage. When Rob finally settled on the couch, I sat awkwardly on the floor until he smiled at me with a look of welcome in his eyes.

"You can come up if you want. You're in animal form anyway, so you know..." Okay, what did he mean by that? On the full moon he might like me well enough, but for the rest of the time, I would just be his pet. But I did understand. We could just be us this way.

I hesitated. Still, he looked so comfortable on the couch. I jumped to the spot where he made room and curled up against him, my head on his chest, thinking that usually animals only got the ends where the feet go.

We watched television together and I felt his heart beating strongly against my ear. Rob had fallen asleep, and the moment felt so good to me. Maybe wolves don't cry, but I felt my eyes tear up. How long have I wanted to be right here in Rob's arms, and here he was, available and affectionate, but only because I was an animal. It was like a bad joke. For years I longed to be a wolf and now I only wanted to be return to my normal self again.

I fell asleep with all of that longing bottled up inside me, murmuring of my desire to be human again.

Chapter 26

"Jen? Jen? Wake up." Sprawled across Rob's body, I opened my eyes and with a shock reminiscent to plunging into a pool of ice-water, I realized I was also human and naked.

Blushing furiously, I pushed away. "Oh, Oh Crap, I'm sorry."

Then Rob's face turned a few shades of red. "Jen, I thought you liked me. I wouldn't have suggested this otherwise. I never thought you'd change back."

I was still close enough and the sorrow in his eyes, and the longing in my soul sent me plunging into deep waters again. Touching his cheek lightly, I leaned into Rob and kissed him, my first real kiss. I mean my first adult one where I knew what I wanted. "I do like you. I like you a lot."

It was then that I knew I was hooked...and maybe he was, too. He kissed back, tentatively, gently. Not the hungry way I saw him kiss his office tryst last month. He blinked and smiled, his hand caressing my hair. "We'll take it slow."

I kissed him, putting all of my love into it. I knew then that he genuinely cared for me.

I eased away feeling awkward warmth, and I couldn't help but think that we were starting something that would last. Yes, like every woman, I had flaws, but they were mine, and I loved them.

***The End***

Skip to Elemental Rage: A Time to Kill

Elemental Rage

Book 1: A Time to Kill

Jeanette Raleigh

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Excerpt from A Time to Die
Chapter 1

~~ Jade ~~

Jade Gray gasped as she sat up in bed, startled awake. An owl called in the distance, and she heard movement in the yard. Was it just outside the window or further away?

The overwhelming feeling that something was watching her haunted Jade. She shivered and rubbed her arms. A cool breeze lifted the edge of the yellow curtain. With a chill born more from fear than cold, Jade stumbled to the window and slammed it shut. She felt...something.

Across the room her sister, Raven, grumbled and rolled over, jamming her pillow over her head. Jade muttered an apology. For a moment she had forgotten Raven's existence in her haste to shut out the night. Heart racing, Jade took a deep breath. The clock read three in the morning—way too early to be awake.

A tiny corner of Jade's mind itched to lift the curtain, to look outside and sigh in relief when she discovered that the yard was empty. Somehow, she knew it wasn't. Someone hovered in the night watching, waiting.

A scream pierced the night. Jade jumped, an involuntary response. She rushed out of the room she shared with Raven. Her mom met her in the hallway, and together they raced to Mindy and Claire's room.

Mindy sobbed and ran for her hiding place. Jade opened the door as Claire turned on the light. Jade stepped into the room just as Mindy slid the closet door closed, her cries now muffled.

Before Jade could ask, her mom said, "What happened?"

Claire gathered up her pillow and the top blanket from her bed. She said, "Don't ask me. Mindy freaked out and started screaming. Now the bedroom smells like pee. I'm sleeping on the couch. She's just lucky its summer and I can sleep in."

Their mother, Amy Gray, was a middle-aged woman who hadn't gone all the way to matronly. She was thick around the middle, but not fat. A few grey hairs nestled in her black hair, and her forehead carried worry lines. She tilted her head toward the closet and said to Jade, "If you can calm Mindy down, I'll get her bed changed."

"Sure thing," Jade slid down the closet door wall, leaning her back against the door knowing that Mindy was just on the other side, crying. She knocked lightly, "Hey, Cricket, have a bad dream?"

"No," Mindy stopped crying. She was quiet now, almost calm. Jade always had that effect on her.

"What happened?" Jade asked. She yawned, her eyes watering.

"Shadow. Void. Darkness." Mindy said and started crying again.

Jade took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Melinda Gray, or Mindy to her sisters, was seven years old and small for her age. Where the other girls picked up reading and math right away, Mindy was different. Sometimes she'd stare at the wall and start laughing, ignoring her family. There were no friends to ignore. Mindy couldn't or wouldn't make them.

The teachers said she was a special needs pupil. The doctors didn't know what to think. Her scans showed a high degree of activity where they had expected to find less. Nonetheless, she spoke slowly in broken thoughts and emotionally clung to Jade. Not their mom. Not Raven. Not Claire. Always Jade.

Jade understood why. Mindy's birth came on the heels of their dad's death. Jade was ten at the time. Her mom had been in shock, and Jade formed a strong bond with Mindy in the aftermath.

"Cricket? You know you're safe with me, right?" Jade asked. This wasn't her first night sitting on the floor outside Mindy's closet, waiting for her sister to settle down.

"I know," Mindy said quietly. She pushed the closet door open a little. She asked, "Are they gone?"

"I'm sure they are," Jade said and held her arms out.

Mindy crawled out of the closet and wrapped her arms around Jade's neck. Jade winced a little when she felt the wetness from Mindy's accident soak through her nightshirt. Mindy said, "Void. Dark."

"See? The lights are on now. Let's get you changed," Jade glanced at the clock. How could it be four? She had to be up in an hour to shower and dress for her job at the diner. She worked the early shift from five to one-thirty. With a sigh, she carried Mindy to the dresser.

"Sorry," Mindy's lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes.

Jade felt an instant's guilt. Mindy was so sensitive to her emotions. Jade kissed the side of her head, "Shh...we'll have you settled in no time. Let's get some clothes and then go to the bathroom to wash up."

Her mother was just finishing with the pillow cases. She smiled at Jade. "Thanks for your help."

"It's no problem." Jade helped Mindy wash up and get into fresh pajamas. She tucked her in.

"Story?" Mindy asked hopefully.

"I'll tell you a story. Jade, why don't you get another hour of sleep," her mom said.

"I'm wide awake," Jade couldn't stop thinking about her own fear. She wondered if she was channeling Mindy's nightmares...or maybe there was something real out there, a terror that woke both sisters. She hesitated, "Mom, shall I make some tea and maybe we can have a talk after you're done?"

"Go ahead. I'll be right there."

Jade yawned as she stepped into the hall. She made a quick stop to grab a clean shirt. Lights were on all over the house. Claire had dragged her blanket and pillow into the living room and was flipping through channels. Jade didn't bother saying anything. She and Claire weren't close. They tolerated each other at best.

Filling up the electric tea kettle, Jade plugged it in and pushed down the switch. The blue light told her the kettle was warming up. She selected the "World's Best Mom" cup for her mother and a Bergsma frog cup for herself. She yawned harder and tears flooded her eyes.

Standing in front of the sink, Jade looked out the window into the darkness. She didn't even know what she was looking for. The yard backed up to the forest, and Jade watched every shadow. She hated that the window didn't have blinds or curtains to shut out the world. They lived in the middle of nowhere, but just at this moment, those curtains were needed.

"Jade?" Her mother stepped into the kitchen. It was a good thing Jade had set the cups down or they would be shattering against the linoleum.

"You scared me!" The spell of the night outside broken, Jade could finally turn her back on the window. She grabbed the tea kettle and filled the cups, then added a teaspoon of sugar and just a touch of milk.

Her mom laughed. The sound was rare these days. Jade remembered her mom's laughter ringing in the house back when Dad was alive.

"Sorry, Honey. Let's talk." Before sitting down, she told Claire to pick a station and settle down. Claire was flipping quickly through the channels, barely allowing a scene to appear before moving on.

Jade settled in her spot at the dining room table. Now that she was finally going to say it out loud, her stomach flip-flopped. She waited until her mom slid into her chair.

"Claire and Raven both have the gift. Claire with Water, Raven with Air. Dad said I would know when I got older. Well, I'm older, and nothing has happened," Jade hadn't meant to speak so bluntly. She'd been avoiding the topic for a long time, three years to be exact.

"I thought you were okay with not having power? What brought this on?" Amy sipped her tea, but Jade could almost feel the tension quivering in her shoulders.

"Today, I thought I felt something stirring, and I thought maybe that was how the power came. Mom, I woke up scared and I think I am somehow catching Mindy's thoughts. Maybe I'm like her. Everyone in the family can do something except me. Well, me and Mindy." Jade shrugged, "What do I do if I'm not an Elemental?"

"You are, though. Whether you manifest power or not," her mom said. It was just another version of a story Jade had heard from childhood. Raven had actually flown at five years old, manifested a tornado at six. Dad had made such a huge deal about it. Jade remembered the deep seeds of jealousy planted in her heart that day. She tried not to let them gain ground, tried to keep that pain buried deep where it wouldn't hurt Raven or Claire, but Jade was frustrated and angry...and jealous. Raven didn't do the Air Elemental thing anymore, not much anyway. It still hurt.

"Mom. Please..." Jade felt the hurt rise in her heart. She couldn't take another talk about her shortcomings, not after the night she'd had. She didn't want sugary lies either. Glancing over at the television and Claire sprawled out on the couch, Jade couldn't help but feel the anger and jealousy again. Raven and Claire got the best of mom and dad. The looks, the power. Jade got a biggish nose and strong jaw, and nothing of the universe. No Earth. No Fire. No Water. And sure as heck no Air.

"What do you want me to say?" Amy Gray asked the question in earnest. With Lawrence dead, she felt like she had been treading water in a raging river and heading for a waterfall. Her babies were young women now, and she was as confused as they about what to expect. Her husband's killer wanted something from the Elementals, from her family, from her babies. Years ago after Lawrence's death, she took the life insurance money and fled from the city to a small town in the middle of nowhere. Using her Aunt Bertha's name on the mortgage, Amy did everything she could to hide.

Now she watched her daughter and wondered if it had been enough. Who would protect Jade if none of the gifts of the universe settled on her shoulders? It was hard enough scrabbling away from the enemy when you have power.

"Just tell me it comes with age. Tell me I'll have some sort of gift!" Jade pleaded desperately. When Claire, listening in on the conversation, snorted, Jade clenched her jaw and bit her lip to keep from saying something to Claire that they both would regret.

"When you were born, I felt the universe move through you. That's all I can say. I don't know how it works, only that some of us touch the universe and others don't. Aunt Juliet never manifested power, and yet she lived a long and happy life," Amy trailed off, thinking of Bertha alone in Denver sorting out her sister's affairs. Aunt Bertha always knew the right thing to say to the girls, even if they didn't want to hear it.

Jade sighed and stood, "I guess I'd better get ready for work."

Amy said, "I need to make a few deliveries today. Lunch at eleven? I'll make egg salad."

"Sure." Jade couldn't help the hate that sickened her heart when Claire snickered from the couch.

She was grateful when Mom said, "That's enough from you young lady. Turn that television off this instant. There's enough cruelty in the world. I won't have my daughters turning on each other."

Claire whispered, just loud enough for Jade to hear as she walked by, "Are you sure she is your daughter?"

Jade rushed to the bathroom in anguish, because she had wondered before if she was a natural daughter to Lawrence and Amy Gray. Claire and Raven always joked that Jade was a changeling or adopted. Her three sisters had raven hair and green eyes. Jade's hair was red and her eyes amber. She was gawky and gangly. Claire's whispered words rolled again in her mind. She turned the water on and stepped into the shower, tears washing her cheeks even as the water skimmed along her shoulders.

Water. Claire. It annoyed Jade that she was right now standing in Claire's element. She shampooed her hair at super speed and quickly washed, grabbing her towel to dry off in the shower.

She hugged her mom on her way out the door. Claire pretended to be asleep on the couch. Jade knew her sister would blame her for the end of her morning television, even if it was Claire's own big mouth that got her punished.

Jade hopped into Bertha's car, grateful for her great aunt's generosity in sharing her car. It was a twenty minute drive into town. The woods along the edge of their property shadowed the driveway, creating sinister shapes in the near-dawn light. Jade shivered as she passed through the darkest of the shadows, her car lights steady against the road. She could swear that someone was standing among the trees. She drove slower, trying to make out the shadows. Her shoulders tensed when a shadow seemed to separate from a tree, but then she had driven by.

Looking in the rear-view mirror, she tried to see what it was...whether someone was watching the house. She could swear there was someone out there.
Jade worked at Red's Steakhouse. Red, the proprietor and chef, was a salty, gruff fellow in his sixties who said maybe a dozen words the whole day. The breakfast crowd arrived in full force at eight. Jade didn't slow down until around ten when she only had a couple finishing their breakfast at one of her tables.

When the door swung open, Jade glanced up. Her heart sank. Harold Jenkins strode in. When Marie started to lead him to her own area, he asked for one of Jade's tables. Marie was too professional to give Jade an "I'm sorry," look when she seated Harold, but she would apologize to Jade later.

Pasting a smile on her face, Jade stepped up with her pad in hand, "Are you ready to order?"

Harold smiled at Jade and untipped his coffee cup, "Morning, Sunshine. Here we are again. Are we going to do a song and dance again, or are you going to tell me where I've seen your Mama before."

"Hi, Harold. I'm sure we would have remembered you. What would you like?"

"Biscuits and gravy, eggs over-easy, hashbrowns, and a biscuit. So your dad was in sales?"

Jade told the lie as she'd practiced it. "Is in sales, present tense."

"I'd love to meet him. Sounds like a stand-up fellow," Harold flipped the page of the menu as if he might want to order something else.

"My parents divorced a long time ago." Jade said. The Gray women concocted the story of her parent's divorce years back. Her Mom actually made them practice answering questions until it became second nature. Jade wouldn't be surprised if Mindy actually believed her Dad was still alive somewhere selling used cars for a living.

"Sorry to hear," Harold said, as if he hadn't stopped her Mom at the grocery store to ask how her husband was doing just two weeks ago.

"Shall I take your menu?" Jade held out her hand, hoping that their conversation had ended.

Harold looked like he wanted to say something else, then thought better of it and handed Jade the menu. Jade hated the Saturday shift. Last week, Harold had asked her where she hailed from to which Jade replied that her family had actually moved to town before Harold and that she hailed from Wildwood Springs. He'd been picking at her history ever since she started working at the diner, and it really annoyed her.

When she made the rounds with the coffee pot, Harold was waiting with more questions. His eyes had a watery, faded look. Jade hoped his interest was just that of a lonely old man, and not that of something more sinister, like one of the Death Keepers, the some-time enemies of Elementals in general and the Gray family in specific.

"I hear your sister has problems," Harold said, and for a moment, his face told the truth of his heart. He wore a sly, conniving grin.

Jade counted to three in her mind. She didn't have time to count to ten. Pretending ignorance, she filled his coffee cup while she said, "Which sister?"

She was already walking away when Harold answered, "The youngest. I hear she's slow."

Jade's first impulse was to pour hot coffee all over Harold and his invasive questions. Instead, she said, "I love my sister," and kept walking. She would have to bring him the breakfast plate soon, and then fill at least one more coffee because Harold liked to hang around. She just had to hold it together a little while longer.

Red slid the plate onto the counter. Jade took a deep breath, feeling a little sick to her stomach. She shouldn't let him get to her like this. Forcing a smile onto her face, Jade served Harold breakfast and then put the bill upside down on the table.

"I didn't hurt your feelings, did I? I'm sure your sister is a sweet kid. I heard she doesn't talk much. I know a specialist in Seattle if you're interested," Harold dropped the information as if he were truly interested in helping, but something in his manner put Jade off, had ever since the first time she passed him on the sidewalk last year.

One thing Jade knew. She didn't want to be beholden to Harold in any way. Besides, if Harold thought he knew someone who could help, he should be talking to Mom. Jade said firmly, "My sister is fine."

She retreated, hoping for a reprieve. Harold must have decided not to bother her anymore because he brought his ticket to the cash register where Marie processed his bill. He left a ten dollar tip, which was incredibly high in their little town for a single person eating breakfast.

During lunch, Jade was glad to get out of the diner and into the fresh air. The scent of pine trees filled Main Street as she walked to the flower shop. Her Mom flipped the sign from open to closed and added the "Out to Lunch" sign as soon as she saw Jade coming.

"How's work?" Her mom turned the lock as soon as Jade stepped into the shop. The front room smelled of fresh-cut flowers. Several bright bouquets were stowed away in the display cases.

"I want to quit and work here with you," Jade said, as she plopped down at the table in the back room which served as a break-room and office.

"Harold again?" her Mom asked. It was a weekly occurrence.

"He called Mindy slow and offered to give me the name of a specialist in Seattle. He keeps digging for information every week," Jade said as she took the sandwich her Mom had pulled out of the little refrigerator she kept beside her desk.

"It's only for a few months. I'm sure you'll be fine. There's not enough work for both of us here," Amy said, handing Jade a sandwich, potato chips, and orange juice.

"I'm not sure a car is worth this stress," Jade said. She applied for the job at the diner because she wanted to buy a used car next year. She hadn't counted on all the annoyances that came with employment. Jade broke open her chips, popping one into her mouth. She was starving.

"Either way, you're learning to be responsible. You accepted a summer job and you're going to have to see it through. You need to learn how to answer these kinds of questions. It's better if you learn to do it in a setting where you can escape." Amy said and then nibbled on her sandwich.

Jade glanced at the clock. Her lunch break flew by on some days. She still had a few minutes. Before shoving chips in her mouth, she asked, "Seriously Mom, is all this secrecy still necessary? Dad's been gone for years."

Amy Gray paled, her eyes haunted by some distant memory. She grabbed Jade's hand, "Promise me, Jade. This isn't just your life or mine, but your sisters as well. The men who killed your father will stop at nothing. Stick with the story."

"Okay, Mom." Jade and Amy were silent for a moment, each remembering the past and finishing their lunch. Jade remembered the man who taught her how to ride a bike and put together 3D puzzles. Amy remembered the man who walked Raven for hours when she was teething, who surprised her with flowers on random evenings.

Jade was the first to break the silence. She pushed her chair back, "Gotta go."

Amy forced a smile, "I love you, Honey. Have a good rest of the day."

The sun was bright and the morning already warming up, but Jade shivered. She thought she heard whispering on the breeze. She jogged back to work, suddenly afraid, even out on the street in the bright sunshine.
Chapter 2

~~ Mindy ~~

Mindy tossed and turned all Saturday night. She lived in a permanent present, remembering little of the past and worrying less about the future. When dreams haunted her, she fought to remember the warning. Her visions did not come from Earth, the element that chose Mindy, but from something else.

Waking up, Mindy needed Jade. It was a deep need, like an itch that needed a scratch or a hunger after hours of fasting. Pulling aside the blankets, Mindy slid her toe to the floor. She tentatively touched the carpet. When visiting Great Aunt Cecile, the aunt who died of a sudden stroke, Mindy stayed alone in the attic room with a window that looked out over the flower beds. That first morning, Mindy was shocked to put her toe down on a cold floor. Now she was suspicious of the floor every morning and had to see, just to make sure it was carpet.

Once both feet were firmly on the floor, Mindy stood. She glanced over at Claire's bed with sudden tension. Her sister's back was to her, but Claire scolded Mindy if she woke her up. Claire had been mean all yesterday afternoon because Mindy wet her bed the night before. She'd seen the darkness, but nobody believed her. Not even Jade. Jade would know what to do if Mindy could just find the right words.

She left her room, meandering toward Jade's room. Mindy stopped at the watercolor of a blurry girl in white dancing in a field with yellow and orange flowers. Sometimes she got lost in the picture, in the bright colors. Today she smiled at the girl and knocked on Jade's room.

The other sister answered. From inside the room, a crabby Raven said, "What!"

Mindy felt a tiny fear. It wasn't the void nightmare fear or the man outside her window fear, but fear nonetheless. She almost couldn't speak. Finally Mindy said, "Jade."

Raven jerked open the door, "Jade's at work. Go back to bed."

Mindy tipped her head to look past Raven. She wanted her sister, the good one. She frowned and said, "Jade."

Raven rolled her eyes. Taking Mindy's hand rather more gently than Claire would have, Raven turned Mindy in the direction of the living room. "I'll make you breakfast. What do you want?"

Mindy padded along behind Raven, still holding her hand. Mindy felt comfort in her sister's touch, even though Raven wasn't always nice. Sometimes she called Mindy Dumb-butt and sometimes she hurt Mindy's feelings with her games with Claire that weren't funny at all even though her sisters laughed and laughed, like when they took her stuffed puppy, Pebbles, and hung her above the curtains. Mindy had tried to rescue her puppy, but it was too high for her to reach.

The kitchen was warm and smelled like toast. Mindy's mouth watered, and she grinned, "Jam?"

Mindy watched while Raven took two slices of bread and put them into the toaster. She said, "Do you want to toast them?"

Nice Raven today. Mindy smiled and nodded.

"Okay, come here then. Pull this handle down right here. Like this," Raven pulled the lever and the bread fell into the toaster. She pushed it up again and they popped right back out.

Mindy pulled the button down, and the toast slid in. Grinning, she pushed it up so that they popped out. She did this a few times until Raven put her hand over Mindy's, "They have to stay down so that you can eat."

Claire ruined the fun by walking into the kitchen. Claire never liked Mindy. Mindy didn't know why, but she tried to stay out of the way. Claire said, "Well done, Raven. Maybe by the time she's in high school she'll know how to make toast."

Mindy knew Claire was being mean. She ignored her. Instead, she stood on her tippy-toes and watched the toast. She reached out to touch the red metal inside the slots, but Raven grabbed her hand before she could get any closer. Raven said, "No, Mindy. Danger."

Mindy felt shocked, surprised. Tears started to form in her eyes. She wanted the sister who liked her. She wanted Mom. They were always gone. Mindy said, "Mom."

Claire threw her hands over her head, "For pity's sakes. I wish Bertha were here. I hate babysitting her."

Raven nodded to Claire. To Mindy she said, "Your toast is almost done. We'll get some jam on that and everything will be okay."

Mindy said, "I'm a big girl."

Claire pulled out Mindy's chair. "Which would have been cute at three or four, but you're seven. Sit down."

Mindy warily approached the chair. Claire had done things. Mindy couldn't remember all of them, but she knew better than to trust Claire. She looked at Claire who was staring at her with the hate look in her eyes. Only Claire gave her the hate look. Raven sometimes didn't like her, and sometimes teased her, but Claire hated her. Mindy stared back.

The toast popped. Raven threw a few more slices of bread in for Claire. While she slathered it with margarine and jam, Raven asked Claire, "Want to practice outside after breakfast?"

"No outside," Mindy turned in her chair, her nightgown scrunching uncomfortably. She grunted and wriggled a few times to get clear.

"She wasn't talking to you, Squirt." Claire didn't say Squirt the way Jade did. Claire abused the word, giving it a hard, biting edge. Jade's Squirt was full of amusement and love. Mindy didn't like it when Claire stole Jade's word. Claire stretched, water rising along her fingers. She said, "For sure. I have to get out of this house."

Raven filled up a half-glass of prune juice for Mindy. It was her medicine, but it didn't taste as bad as some of the other medicine. Mindy clapped when Raven gave her the plate of toast.

"Try to keep it on the table this time," Claire said. "You know, Mom should ban Mindy from eating jam. We wouldn't have to wash her nightgown all the time."

Mindy loved the taste of raspberry. She stopped worrying about 'outside' and focused on breakfast. She barely listened while Raven and Claire spoke around her. In between bites, she stared at the daisies on the table. It was sad that they were dying. Someone had cut them away from Earth.

Earth loved flowers. Mindy felt at peace inside while Earth spoke to her, and she sent that love to the daisy closest to her. The little flower perked up. A drop of jam fell from her mouth onto her lap.

Mindy looked up sharply. Claire was slurping down her toast as she said, "You try to become Air again. That's how I feel when I'm in water, part of it and absolutely free."

Claire and Raven were intent on their conversation. Mindy picked up the jam, sticky between her fingers and lifted it slowly to her mouth. She was glad they were all busy eating now. She didn't want to get in trouble with Claire again for her messes.

Raven said, "I'll try today. I'm still rusty."

Claire laughed, "If you were iron you would be, after all that practicing with me."

Claire had come into her powers last year when she started puberty. Even though Raven outstripped all of her sisters in elemental talent and ability, her father's death had stopped it cold. Growing up, any time Raven used her power, her mom had freaked out massively. Raven was just rediscovering her abilities. She said, "Well let's get Min Min cleaned up and then we'll get dressed and head out."

Claire frowned a little at Mindy, "Someday the little rat is going to tell on us."

"Hush, Claire. The little rat just rustles around. She won't say anything if you play it cool." Raven scooted out from the table and grabbed Claire's plate.

Mindy was slower finishing breakfast than the other girls. She said, "Mindy see the little rat?"

Claire laughed, "Sure, Mindy sees the rat. Hurry now."

Mindy didn't like breakfast after Raven and Claire finished eating. They were always watching for her to drop her food. Now they wanted her to eat fast. She still had a lot left to eat.

The minute she finished the last bite, Mindy said, "Done"

Claire grabbed Mindy's dish, "I'll do dishes if you clean the rat, I mean brat."

Mindy took Raven's hand and followed her to the bedroom to pick out clothes and then into the bathroom to wash up. Raven said to pick play clothes, so Mindy picked her pink princess sweats.

Raven ran a wash cloth under the water.

Mindy looked at the faucet suspiciously and said, "Warm water."

"Gotcha. Get out of your clothes, Mindy," Raven said. She waited until the cloth was warm.

Mindy struggled with the nightgown, but finally pulled it off her head. Her fingers stuck to the cloth a little from the jam. Raven washed her hands carefully and then her face and neck. It was a relief not to be sticky, although the air on her wet skin made her feel chilly.

Raven quickly helped Mindy into her sweats. She tied Mindy's shoes for her. Her mom refused to get her Velcro shoes, convinced Mindy could learn. Raven and Claire had long since given up. Only if Jade or Mom were watching did they bother to let Mindy try tying her shoes. The weird thing was that Mindy could sometimes do it...and then sometimes she couldn't.

Raven changed into her own outside clothes and the three sisters met in the living room. Raven expected Mindy to fuss when she tried to lead her outside, but apparently she had forgotten between breakfast and this particular moment that she didn't want to go outside.

Mindy found a patch of moss under the gnarled apple tree. The sun was shining and the moss was dry. She sat down. Raven said, "Now, Mindy, you know not to play by the creek. Say it."

"No creek," Mindy agreed with a slow nod of her head. Water was dangerous. Fire was dangerous. But Earth was safe.

From her perch, Mindy could see Raven and Claire play with the Universe. Seeing a heavy branch that had cracked and fallen from a tree, Claire grabbed it and threw it onto the pile that she had made to slow the water's flow. The water was up to their waists now. Claire wanted to make a swimming pool, but it was hard to dig deep enough.

Mindy could have helped. The dirt would have moved if she asked, but she didn't trust Claire to know that she spoke to the Universe. Not even Mom or Jade knew that. Earth said to keep it a secret. Claire would never know, not as long as Mindy was quiet.

Claire stripped off her shorts and t-shirt, followed by her underwear. Mom wouldn't like that. She stepped into the water and changed, her form melting. Mindy felt a little queasy when Claire's whole self collapsed, her form merging with the water. Raven closed her eyes. Mindy could see that Raven was trying to do the same thing, only with air. Somehow Raven couldn't quite manage.

Earth spoke to Mindy and she stopped watching Raven and Claire. Lying on her back, she watched the bunny cloud and the duck cloud float along in the far blue. Earth pulsed with warmth, like a blanket soothing Mindy and relaxing her mind. She was a blank. Time. Time. Time. Mindy couldn't think straight. There was something important about Time, and Earth was trying to tell her, but Mindy's brain was broken. Deep down Mindy knew that, but she could never fix herself, so she let go.

She relaxed and didn't worry, letting Earth's instructions wash over her. Maybe someday she would understand. Maybe Jade would fix her. Jade said she was going to be a brain surgeon. Neuro, nurture, something. Earth whispered and Mindy closed her eyes.

"Fix me," Mindy begged the presence she felt hovering in the dirt and stone beneath the moss. Earth cuddled her. Mindy felt safe and warm in Earth's embrace, but the lost feeling never went away. It was beyond Earth's power to fix what was wrong with Mindy.

Earth's embrace lightened, and Mindy felt the footsteps of a man nearby. Too close. Watching. Earth whispered, "Wake up Mindy. Warn your sisters."

Mindy's eyes filled with tears as they often did when she had to leave Earth's warmth. She pushed herself up and staggered to Raven whose eyes were closed as she fiercely concentrated on something in the sky. Mindy didn't know Air. She was a passing acquaintance to Mindy. Sometimes the breeze would kiss her cheek and sometimes she would hear a whisper from one of the winds, but Raven belonged to Air and Air belonged to Raven.

Mindy grabbed Raven's arm and shook her violently, shouting, "Stranger. Stranger."

Raven jerked, yanking herself away, "Mindy, you scared the sunny clover out of me."

"Help. Stranger," Mindy pointed to the woods where she had felt the man's feet upon Earth, an unclean man, not in the physical sense, but spiritually filthy, a man whose intent was to hurt.

She felt him leaving, tracking his evil footprints across her Earth. She wanted Raven to feel him, to believe her. Jade always believed her. Only Jade. Not even Mom, but Mindy thought Mom just pretended not to believe her sometimes to fool the other girls.

Mindy pointed again, "Air watches too."

Raven shook herself and Mindy could see that she understood. While Raven tried to see the man, Mindy crept to the water.

"Claire? Stranger. Come in now," Mindy knelt near the water, not too close. Mom and Jade told her exactly how close she could go, so she put her knees on the line and leaned as far as she could get to call for her sister.

The water bubbled near the bank. Mindy called again, "Claire!"

A fountain of water burst from the creek, the spray drenching Mindy. Mindy stood spine-straight as the cold water soaked into her princess sweats.

"Nooooooo," she wailed.

Mindy ran from the water, frightened. Water didn't speak much to her. Water scared her, mostly because it belonged to Claire. If Claire hated her, maybe Water did, too. Mindy couldn't trust it.

Raven opened her eyes and said in a strangled voice, "Claire, Mindy, get in the house now."

Mindy, still sputtering, had already run to the porch of the rambler and was standing huddled and looking miserable as she dripped onto the wood. Claire was coming up out of the water, her head forming first. Raven ripped off her leather jacket, annoyed that it was about to get wet. For a moment she almost thought the jacket more important than her sister's dignity, but Air remonstrated her, giving her the scent of the man watching.

Raven asked Air to send a swirl of dirt and leaves into the man's eyes. Air complied. As Claire stepped out of the water, Raven moved to block her from the stranger. Raven wrapped her coat around Claire. "Run to the house and keep that coat wrapped around you. Get inside. I'll get your clothes."

Claire's clothes were strewn along the grass a few feet from the bank. Bertha and Mom had planted grass all the way to the edge of the bank. It stopped with an abrupt drop of a couple feet into the water. Raven felt a sick fear as a strange image rose in her mind. It was the image of her father burning. The memory played over and over in her head as she picked up Claire's trainer bra, her underwear, her t-shirt. Raven knelt on the grass, her stomach heaving.

As her stomach revolted, she remembered the flesh melting, the stench. She tasted toast and jam as they came back up, spewing across the grass while tears streamed down her face. Her whole body shook with the memory.

Mindy, soaking wet and shivering, ran across the back yard to Raven. She put her hand on Raven's shoulder. "Stranger. Come home, Raven."

Raven trembled as she grabbed Claire's shorts. Mindy tugged on her sleeve. Raven seemed to wake up out of her flashback as Mindy said, "Cold. Raven."

With a hand on Mindy's shoulder, Raven and Mindy stumbled to the house. Raven circled the house, dropping the blinds and curtains, and locking the doors.

"What are you doing? Has everyone gone crazy?" Claire had just come from her room dressed in pajamas. She now stood with her hands on her hips in the center of the living room, watching as the last shade dropped from half height all the way down, and Raven untied the curtains and slid them across the curtain rod for extra measure.

Raven wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "There's a guy in the woods."

Claire's cheeks turned a fiery red, "Do you think he saw me?"

"I threw dirt into his eyes. Well, Air did, so no, but we have to be careful. There's something wrong with him." Noticing Mindy shivering at the edge of the carpet, Raven said, "Help Mindy change into pajamas. I'm calling Mom."

"No Mom," Mindy said. She shook her head sharply and water droplets flew. Claire had really dunked her. On a hot day, Raven might have been amused, but poor Mindy was obviously in severe discomfort.

"Fine, we won't call," Raven said.

A few minutes later Raven could hear Claire berating Mindy for not holding her arms out high enough. With a sigh, Raven strode through the hall to Mindy's room. "You got it?" She asked Claire.

Claire was clearly unhappy helping Mindy. Mindy's wet clothes were on the floor and she was tangled in her green frog pajama top. Claire gritted her teeth, "Mindy, quit squirming."

Raven found herself smiling in spite of herself. She helped Mindy out of her pajama prison.

Mindy fussed until her pajamas were on. She said in a whisper, "I'm scared. He's coming for me."

Raven felt a chill along her spine. It was like a physical blow to her heart to hear Mindy say those words. She pulled Mindy into a hug, "Shhhh...Min Min, no one will hurt you. Not with me and Claire here."

She clung to Raven, Mindy's arms wrapped tightly around her sister's neck.

Mindy's voice rose to a cry, "He's watching me. He's watching."

Mindy broke out of the hug and ran to the living room where the big picture windows faced the creek. She stepped in between the curtains and the blinds, and used her fingers to roughly part the slats. A vague memory told her she wasn't supposed to touch them, that she would break them if she pulled them apart. Mindy ignored the buzzy fly memory and stared into the forest.

Bright sunlight lit the lawn and sparkled in the creek. There, standing between two trees was something that looked like a man. He was wrong, so very wrong. Shadows spun around him, creating a well of darkness even where the sun landed. There were black holes where his eyes and mouth should be.

Mindy whimpered. "Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad."

She muttered over and over. Her mind couldn't shake her fear, and she couldn't stop herself. She turned to run and found that she was wrapped in the curtain. Shrieking, Mindy flailed.

Raven saved her. Raven, not Jade. It was a small step in building trust between the two sisters. Mindy relaxed in Raven's arms as she comforted her. Raven said, "It's okay, Cricket. It's okay."

Mindy could feel Raven's arm moving behind her as Raven lifted the shade and looked outside.

Claire huffed, "So now you're calling her Cricket, too?"

"Don't be jealous, Claire. She's scared. Mindy, do you need to use the toilet?" Raven asked, giving Claire a wink above Mindy's head.

Claire grudgingly smiled.

Mindy was still safe with Raven. She didn't have to go yet, but she knew if she got scared at the wrong time, she might go anyway, so she nodded. Raven carried her into the bathroom. Mindy was old enough to walk, but wanted Raven close. Raven closed the door to the bathroom and watched the mirror while Mindy tinkled.

When they were done, Claire pulled Raven aside, "So what did you see when you looked through the blinds?"

"There was nothing there," Raven said, "At least not that time."

Outside a shadow wraith skimmed along the ground away from the house. Power rose from the children, but if anyone was holding the magic stolen from his master, it would be the mother. He felt nothing of that power from the three daughters.
Chapter 3

~~ Raven ~~

Raven usually loved the weekends with both Jade and Mom working. If Mom was at home and Jade at work, Raven would lock herself away in their shared room, playing on her phone or the laptop. With both away, she touched the Universe, something her Mom absolutely forbade. Except for watching Mindy, she could mess around with Air and test the boundaries of her power.

Mom was such a bore. She grounded Raven for a small breeze during spring break. If she knew that Claire was actually turning into water, she would have a stroke, and when she came out of it, lock the girls away forever.

Not today. Ever since Raven felt Air's sense of the man in the woods, she paced the house uneasily and longed for her Mom and sister's return. At least five times she'd picked up her phone to text Mom and then put it back down again.

After three hours of pacing, Raven told Claire and Mindy, "Stay inside and lock the door behind me."

Raven sat on the porch. She didn't dare go too far into the yard. The forest came right up to their lawn. Great for hiding. Not so much if a deadly stalker came with kidnapping and murder in mind. She started with the leaves on the apple tree, sending wind fluttering and playing along the branches. Somehow she had to figure out how to become Air.

As her awareness flowed through the yard, she found herself eye to eye with a crow. Suddenly the world changed. Colors shifted and strange columns of shifting air became visible to the eyes. With a caw, the crow fluttered his wings and jumped into the air.

"Holy cow!" Raven exclaimed when she realized that she was actually looking at the world from several different points of view. It was a kaleidoscope of landscapes and for a minute she felt dizzy. She realized that if she focused on one, the image sharpened and became clearer, like looking at Google Images and then double-clicking on an image to make it big.

As she followed the source of the images, Raven realized that she was seeing through the eyes of multiple crows. She tried to track down the guy who had been watching the house. One of the crows was close to him. Raven tried several times to get a focus on the shadowy figure a few miles from the house and moving further away. He was moving quickly and Raven wanted to get a good look before he disappeared.

The crow refused to cooperate. Air knew what she wanted, and Raven felt in the knowing kind of way that the crow knew, too. As they approached the shadowy figure, the crow veered away and Raven could feel the animal's fear.

She tried a different crow, a younger, smaller one. This crow moved closer, and the man looked up. Raven caught just a glimpse, but the face seemed so familiar if she ignored the empty eye sockets and just looked at the face. She couldn't place it. The image of her father in a blinding flash of light rose in her memories, along with the familiar guilt.

Raven sank to the porch, her heart racing, "No, please no."

She rubbed her cheek, the raised scar a reminder of the moment she lost her dad. She had spent the past seven years trying to forget that moment, the moment her father was murdered. Maybe her memory was faulty. Maybe the man who had watched the house was just a random stranger, but he felt familiar.

Raven couldn't be certain...but she thought that he was there, lurking in the shadows watching when her father was murdered.

The stranger was on his way out of the woods. Raven stumbled to the creek bank, tears stinging her eyes. She whispered into the air, "I'm sorry, Daddy."

Raven pulled her shoes and socks off and sat on the grassy bank overlooking the creek. Perhaps her mother secretly used the universe's power to keep the lawn in check. The grass on the house-side of the bank was soft and nice to sit on.

Trying to get a handle on her emotions, Raven thought through the situation. If she called Mom, they might have to move. The town was small, and Raven's best friend, Shelly, kept her sane. If they moved, she'd have no one who understood. Shelly did. Her mom died of an overdose a decade back while she was in her room playing with dolls. Talk about a screwed-up family.

Mindy would forget the whole thing in an hour or so. It was all up to Raven. Remembering the horrified scream her father had made all those years ago when the fire whooshed around him, Raven decided that maybe she should tell her mother.

She felt the twin knives of guilt and sorrow.

The creek rippled in the space just under her toes. Raven squinted, watching the spot, "Claire? Is that you? I want to be left alone."

Claire rose from the water, the long tresses of her hair dripping water and wearing a long flowing white gown made of sun sparkles and water.

"What is it? I saw you on the porch. I know you know something," Claire pulled herself out of the water and onto the bank. The garment of sun and water sparkles remained.

Raven wasn't the sort to be jealous of Claire's power. She had her own. She acknowledged the usefulness of Claire's ability with a genuine compliment, "Nice dress."

Claire smiled, her eyes sparkling as cheerfully as the dress, "Thanks. I came up with it in case the guy was still here."

Raven played with a blade of grass, "He's not."

"What's wrong?"

Raven lifted her eyes to the tree tops, silent for a minute. She trusted Claire more than any of her family. Somehow they had a natural affinity for each other, a bond. But this was too big, much too big to share. Still, she didn't want to carry it alone anymore. She swallowed hard.

"Promise me you won't tell Mom or Jade or Mindy. Promise me you won't tell anyone," Raven felt haunted. She knew what she was about to blurt out might change her relationship with Claire forever. If Claire told anyone else, Raven probably wouldn't even have a family anymore.

"I promise. What is it?"

Raven swallowed, the permanent lump in her throat still thereafter. She said, "I was there the night Dad died. The man from the woods...I think he was there, too."

Claire's eyebrows rose. She had the same black hair that Raven did. Raven could see Dad when she looked in the mirror or at Claire. She didn't think she could say the rest, could be honest enough to tell the truth. Claire said, "Are we going to move again?"

Raven felt as if her heart were made of ash. She had to finish the story, but the words choked her. She said, "Claire. That's not what I have to tell you."

Claire sat very still, as if she knew that Raven was feeling as skittish as a baby squirrel on its first outing. They both waited, a cool breeze teasing their hair, the water from the creek gurgling in the background. Finally, Claire said, "You can tell me. I promise I will take it to my grave."

Raven shivered. With a hoarse voice she said, "Don't talk like that."

"Tell me." Claire took Raven's hand. She and Raven were more touchy-feely than Raven and Jade. Raven almost never touched Jade.

Raven whispered, "You'll hate me."

Claire shook her head violently, "No. Never." Moving closer to her sister, Claire put her arms around Raven's shoulders in a sideways hug. She said, "No matter what, I'm here for you."

Raven expelled a shuddering breath, and sniffed, letting a single tear spill. She said, "I killed Dad. Not on purpose, but in the end it was my fault."

Whatever Raven expected, it was not the gentle squeeze on her arm as her sister hugged her tighter. She had expected a slap, or maybe for Claire to stalk off and not say another word to her ever, ever again. She was even more surprised when Claire said, "A stranger stabbed Dad. You feel guilty just like Mom, but you're not."

Raven didn't want to say the rest. She didn't want to speak the words, but she was almost done with her confession, almost. She said, "Do you remember how Mom said he burned up?"

Claire nodded. Raven could feel Claire's hair brushing along her ear. They clung to each other.

Raven continued, her voice rising with pain, "I'm not sure how the fire started. I think Dad's attacker had power over the Element of Fire. I was sending a tornado to attack him, to push him out of Dad's way, but somehow he used my wind. When Dad caught fire, the air fed the fire. He might have survived...if not for me."

Claire didn't let go. She held her sister, and Raven felt relieved when Claire said, "It was an accident, Raven. You were just a kid."

"It doesn't feel that way," Raven whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered the screams and the smell, that terrible smell. She hated that helpless feeling of fear over something that had happened so long ago. She longed to forget, to erase that memory from her mind, shove it back into a cobwebby corner where it could never surface again.

"Is that why you stopped using your gift? I mean, Jade said you used to fly and make windstorms and then you stopped." Claire finally released Raven, but her tone and manner suggested an easy forgiveness. Of course, Claire was too young to remember Dad much. She didn't even know what she had lost, so of course she wouldn't be as angry as Jade or Mom.

Raven was curled in on herself, hunched into a ball with her arms around her knees. She nodded, "Yes. I keep seeing it happen over and over. In dreams. When I'm awake. Sometimes I think I'll go crazy. I thought if I stopped using my gifts it would go away. It never has. It's gotten better with time, but something about that guy watching us brought it all back."

"When I discovered my gifts, the only way to help me was to use your own," Claire looked thoughtful, "Thank you. That couldn't have been easy for you."

Raven felt forgiven. A weight she didn't even know she had been carrying lifted. Pushing off the ground, Raven held her hand out to her sister. She felt cleaner. Her conscience still bothered her. She still hated herself for creating the wind that led to her father's death by fire. But at least her sister knew and forgave her. That was a start. Maybe someday she could forgive herself.

Raven said, "We'd better get in there before Mindy freaks out."

Claire groaned, "I hope Aunt Bertha hurries home. Mindy is driving me crazy."

Raven air-popped some popcorn the old fashioned way, and they all watched a movie, a Disney cartoon since Mindy was with them. Mindy was calmer now. Raven figured it was because the stranger had gone. They settled in and actually got along better than they had in well, forever.

Jade was the first one back. The girls were halfway through the movie when they heard the sound of the garage door lifting.

Mindy squealed and jumped up, clapping. "Jade. Jade. Jade."

Raven laughed, "Yes, Jade's home."

The door opened and Mindy ran to Jade. Raven waited until the two settled down to ask, "Wanna watch a movie with us? Mindy even let us watch a classic. It's Aladdin."

Jade shook her head, "I'm beat. I just want to take a shower and crash for a few hours."

Mindy was disappointed and looked like she might start whining. Raven said, "Mindy, do you want to hit the button to start the movie again?"

With a grin, Mindy abandoned Jade and dashed back to the couch. Jade cast a grateful look in Raven's direction, and hurried to her room to grab comfy clothes for a quick shower.

A half hour later Amy came home, looking disheveled and distracted. The movie had just finished and the girls were cleaning up the popcorn. If there was one thing they had learned, it was not to leave dishes in the living room. The habit of returning the dishes to the dishwasher had been ingrained in all of them.

Leaning on the counter, Amy stared out the window, as if the answers to all her questions were out there under the trees.

Raven noticed how worried her Mom looked and asked, "What's wrong?"

With a sigh, she said, "Bertha called. She decided to stay in Denver another month."

Hearing the news, Claire made disgusted cry of discontent, "What? I'm not even going to have a summer! I have to watch Mindy ALL the time."

The sisterly togetherness died an ignoble death in the living room when Mindy curled up into a tight ball and said, "Cartoon."

Claire had hit pause the minute the discussion turned to Aunt Bertha.

Ignoring Claire, Raven said, "It's okay, Mom. I'll watch her. No biggie."

Amy forced a smile, her eyes still scanning the woods. "Thanks, Honey, I appreciate that. Do me a favor? I don't want any of you girls hiking in the woods. Just stay close to home. Okay?"

Raven had planned to keep everything from their afternoon a secret. Her Mom seemed to know something was wrong the way she watched the yard. Raven said, "I was going to say something about that."

In the background Claire widened her eyes and shook her head sharply. Raven ignored her little sister in favor of the truth. This was one secret she couldn't keep.

Amy said, "About what?"

"You said not to go into the woods. Someone is watching the house. I think...Mom, I think it's the man who killed Dad." Raven hadn't meant to say it quite so bluntly. She hadn't really meant to mention that part at all, and yet it slipped right out.

Amy paled. Raven had never seen her Mom scared before, not like that. She felt terrible for being the one to tell her. She waited to hear what she would say.

With a shaking voice, Amy said, "We've got to go."

Raven didn't have a chance to ask where they were going or what they were doing. Her Mom started moving through the house like a drill sergeant, "Claire, Raven, get the to-go bags out of the closet." She banged on the door to Jade and Raven's room, "Jade, grab Pebbles and get Mindy into the van.

Jade opened the door, her hair still wet from the shower, "What's going on?"

Without standing around to talk about it, Amy said, "They found us. We're leaving."

Raven didn't wait around to hear the rest of the conversation. She hurried to the coat closet near the door and grabbed the duffel bags. "Claire, can you get these?"

Claire normally would have fussed, but she and Raven had grown closer from Raven's confession. With a nod, Claire grabbed the two bags and headed for the garage.

Within three minutes, the house was locked up tight and the Gray family was on the road.
Chapter 4

~~ Claire ~~

Claire punched her pillow and tried to ignore her seatbelt as she leaned against the window. They were on 101 heading south like hundreds of other summer vacationers, except it was the middle of the night and all of those people were asleep in hotels, motels, or camping grounds. Her mom drove past Seaside and Lincoln City, finally stopping in Bandon, Oregon. It was a relief to finally get out of the car, even if no one was talking about anything important.

Once they settled into the motel room, squashed into a single room for all five of them, with a cot for Mindy, Claire finally breached the taboo topic of all things past and said, "So are you going to tell us who's chasing us or are we going to spend our lives looking over our shoulder for someone who might be right in front of us?"

They had been driving for hours and it was the dead of night. "Can't we talk about it tomorrow?" Jade asked.

"What if they find us in the middle of the night?" Claire suddenly wondered if she was the only one in the family who didn't know what was going on. Jade didn't seem a bit curious. Mom obviously knew. Raven remembered the guy who attacked Dad, so she must have some idea, and Mindy wouldn't care if she was kidnapped by monsters as long as Jade and Pebbles were nearby.

"Can I give you the short version?" Mom asked. She really did look worn down.

Claire sat on the edge of the bed she would share with Raven. She said, "I just want to know what's going on."

"Girls, come sit down." Amy, matron of the Gray clan, made sure the motel door was locked, then checked that the windows were closed. They were.

Piling on a single bed, Jade, Raven, Claire and Mindy surrounded her, Mindy and Claire closest with Raven next to Claire and Jade next to Mindy. Claire wondered if the story would ever start, when Amy finally sighed and said, "Our family holds an ancient power, taken from the Keepers of the Gate or the Death Keepers. One of their strongest, a man with the special gift of Time, had corrupted his power. Our ancestor stripped him of his gifts and locked him out of space and time forever."

"So what does that have to do with us?" Claire asked.

"The power is gifted from generation to generation, with one member of the family holding the gift until it can be passed down. We have many enemies, the Keepers and the Shadow Wraiths chief among them. Your father was murdered by a Keeper, but we are in danger from the wraiths as well," Amy said.

Claire was surprised when Jade asked, "Mom, who has the power now?"

Amy hesitated before answering, "I do, but you must never speak of it with anyone, not even your most trustworthy friend. We've talked enough. You girls get changed into your p.j.'s and we'll sleep."

The sisters didn't hear the lie in their mother's words...for it was a lie. Amy couldn't tell her girls the truth that one of her daughters held the Keepers' power over the universe, that one of them would be hunted for the rest of their lives.

The next morning, Amy asked Claire to help Mindy with breakfast. Claire grumbled, "Can't Jade?"

"Claire snuck out." Mindy said, a glint in her eye that told Claire she sometimes knew more than she was letting on.

Claire pinched Mindy and lied, "Did not. We were so crowded, Mom would have known if I'd gone out."

"Ow!" Mindy started the young kid siren wail, the kind that starts with a low cry and ends in a high pitched scream.

Claire had snuck out for a brief few minutes that morning before everyone else was awake. Water helped her with the sneak part. It really was crowded with five people in the room, and she was feeling a little claustrophobic.

"Claire!" Amy's tone was sharp and biting.

"I didn't sneak out!" Claire threw up her arms. "You always take her side."

"You pinched her." Jade said, and then cuddled Mindy until she quit crying, "It's okay. I'll make you breakfast."

Claire hated Mindy. She hated Jade. They always worked against her. Jade pretended to be so good, but she pinched Claire twice last week when Mom wasn't home. That's where she got the idea from. It wasn't like Jade was innocent. And Mindy always got her way. Claire couldn't do anything, but Mindy just needed to start whining, and everyone just jumped and gave her whatever she wanted.

All through breakfast, Claire listened to Jade help Mindy with ever-increasing annoyance.  Little tattletale.

When Mom announced they were going to the beach, Claire grudgingly put on her coat. Were she to study her own emotions, she would realize that beneath the jealousy and anger was a core of hurt and the feeling that she was an unnecessary part of the family. She didn't look that deeply. Claire fumed in the back of the van. She hated her family.

Hated them.

As Amy pulled into the parking lot of the beach, she said, "Be careful and don't get too close to the water. The ocean is dangerous."

Claire could be fairly certain that Mom was not talking to her about the ocean. Water was her element after all. She was still angry with Mindy and Jade and just wanted to get out of the car and up the beach and put some distance between herself and them.

They were just about to start up the beach trail when Amy's phone rang. She groaned. Jade said, "It's okay, Mom. I'll keep an eye on them."

"Thanks. It's Tess. You girls go on ahead."

Claire raced up the beach path, eager to see the ocean and escape her sisters. She could feel Water tugging on her, nudging her to play. It was a relief to have Water.

When she came over the rise, she tore off her shoes, leaving them beside a log. There was a giant rock five times taller than a person sticking up a quarter mile down the beach. Claire realized that if she could get behind that rock, she could hide long enough to become water and join the ocean.

She sprinted, hoping to reach the giant rock before Jade came up the walk behind her. Claire laughed as she reached her goal. Looking over her shoulder, she realized her sisters had not even appeared at the head of the path yet. Jade would be moving slowly because she had Mindy. Raven wouldn't care much what Claire did.

Ducking behind the rock, Claire found a little nook where no one could see her. She let her form become fluid and let herself flow into the little rivulet that joined the ocean. As she turned into Water, her shorts, tank top, and underwear were left behind. Claire realized that Water could help her carry them until she was ready to return to shore. Gathering them up as a moveable puddle, she pulled them close as she moved further out into the water.

She could hear Jade calling to her from the beach. Claire felt no fear in the ocean. It would be silly when she loved Water so much, and Water loved her, too. Jade's voice grated on her nerves. The idea of her yelling for Claire like she was some kind of parent drove Claire crazy. She watched with Water's senses as Jade and Mindy moved closer to the beach, Jade still yelling her fool head off.

They were still on dry sand, but there was a stream of water pushed up from the tide running along the beach. Jade and Mindy were just about to jump across. Claire giggled and told Water what she had in mind. Water laughed, too. That would be a fun prank.

Both Claire and Water had capricious natures that didn't always think through an action. What's more, Claire was still feeling bitter toward Mindy and Jade from the morning. The idea sounded like a great idea.

For a moment, Claire felt like she was riding on a surfboard. She was in the air hundreds of feet and then falling, falling, and tumbling. It was so much fun. She had no idea she could do that. Claire became disoriented as she tumbled in the water.

It wasn't until the waves had calmed down that she heard the screams.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy's best friend in Wildwood Springs was Tess Baker. She was the only person in the world that Amy trusted beside her family with keys to the house and shop. Tess was the kind of friend of whom you could ask a big favor and trust she would say yes, which was good because Amy had asked her to watch the shop for a few weeks until she could sell out.

She gave her permission to hire someone on a temporary basis to cover things. Tess might be a stay-at-home Mom, but she had a life, too. Amy didn't want to take advantage.

Relieved that at least one of her problems was resolved, Amy said, "Hey, Tess. Thanks so much."

"You're welcome." Knowing Amy was with her girls, Tess was brief and to the point. She asked, "Did you need me to place a stock order? I know you do that on Mondays."

"If you could, Tess, I don't know how long this will be. I just wanted you to know how much I value your friendship, if I don't make it back to Wildwood," Amy didn't know how to tell Tess what was going on. They might have been good friends, but Amy didn't share the secrets of her life, not even with best friends.

"Of course you'll make it back. Is this about Bertha's sister dying?" Tess asked, "If Bertha wants to sell out, maybe you can buy the place."

Tess was way off the mark, but Amy didn't correct her. She said, "I think Bertha's going to sell, so we're searching for a new place. Tess, I think someone in Wildwood means to harm me and the girls. If anyone asks, please tell them I'm on vacation and don't say where."

Laughing Tess teased, "You haven't actually told me where you are. It's okay. Just have fun and tell me about it when you get home."

Amy had spun lie after lie. She felt regret, remorse that Tess would never know the real story behind Amy's life. Amy's story to anyone in Wildwood Springs was that her husband worked in sales in Seattle, and she left him. It had been an ugly divorce, and she was keeping her distance.

Poor Lawrence. He had been the best of husbands, and Amy felt terrible for vilifying him. But in the end, she had to protect her girls.

She was just finishing up with Tess when she heard the screaming.

~~ Jade ~~

Jade yelled for Claire to wait from the path, but then Mindy tugged on her hand and pointed to a sea gull soaring above their heads. Claire was way too stubborn for her own good and never listened. By the time they climbed the hill, Claire was out of sight. Jade scanned the beach, and felt a twinge of fear when she didn't see her sister anywhere.

They might have been followed by whoever it was that scared her Mom so badly. Jade held Mindy's hand tight, hoping Claire wasn't pulling a stupid prank on them. In her loudest voice, she yelled, "Claire!"

Raven was a few steps behind. She said, "I'm sure Claire's fine. This is a big playground for her."

Thinking of Claire in the ocean, Jade felt her fear grow to panic. "She'll drown." She looked down, "Mindy, can you run?"

Together Jade and Mindy ran down the slope to the beach. Every few seconds Jade called out for Claire, getting increasingly angry and frightened when no one answered.

Jade held Mindy's hand so tightly, Mindy said, "Jade, hurt."

Jade looked down, "I'm sorry, Cricket. I'm scared. I don't want you to run into the water."

Mindy pointed to the crashing waves. Jade said, "That's right. Just keep holding my hand. We have to find Claire."

Noticing the tall rocks, Jade thought that maybe her sister was joking around and hiding behind them. At twelve, Claire could still be a brat sometimes. There was a small tidal stream flowing along the beach, small enough that she and Mindy could jump over it. She leaned down to Mindy and pointed to the water, "Hey, want to jump across the ocean?"

Mindy giggled, "Yes."

They had just made the leap when Jade heard a strange slurping sound. In a single glance, she could see that the water had pulled back into a wall. While she watched the wall released and a wall of water three times her height came crashing down on top of them.

Jade screamed and felt Mindy's hand being torn away. She took a gasp of air, and then she was in a deluge, swept along the beach in a freak wave. The water was over her head. She tried to swim as she was tossed in the water. It seemed to last forever. When the water finally receded, she was a mile down the beach, soaked and covered in sand. Her skin felt raw where she'd scraped against the rocks.

Spitting out salt water, Jade finally caught her breath. As she turned in a slow circle looking for Mindy, she realized that she had lost her second sister. "Mindy!" Her voice rose hysterically. She remembered the moment the water tore Mindy from her grip.

Raven was running down the beach. Jade coughed and staggered toward her, "Have you seen Mindy? Where is she?"

Jade kept turning in circles looking for her little sister. Claire rose out of the water, fully dressed. Claire's gift was water. Seeing Claire's smirk Jade screamed, "It was you! You did this. Where is Mindy? Where?"

Claire looked frightened. She ran to Jade, "I didn't mean it. It was supposed to be a splash, just to get you wet. She will be okay."

In a fit of anger, Jade pushed her sister so hard she fell to the ground, "Don't talk to me ever again. If you hurt her, I will never forgive you."

Raven reached out to Air, using the gulls to scan the beach. There was a lump in the wet sand back a half mile. She started running.

Seeing Raven sprinting into the receding water, Jade followed, feeling sick to her stomach. She loved Mindy, more than life itself. Raven was frantically digging. It wasn't until Jade saw the bright yellow of Mindy's sweatshirt that she actually believed the lump in the sand could be her sister.

The digging went on a lifetime, too. Raven and Jade both frantically dug Mindy out and then Claire joined them, terror in her eyes as she realized what she had done.

Claire called on water to push the sand away. Jade shook her, "Haven't you done enough?"

Raven grabbed Jade, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stop! She's trying to help. Let her help."

The water pushed away the sand. Beneath it was the pale face of a little girl, her face peaceful, her eyes closed.

She drew Mindy into her arms, "Cricket? Say something. Please?"

Jade felt sick. Her little sister looked like a statue.
Chapter 5

~~ Amy ~~

When Amy heard her girls' screaming, she thought Lawrence's killer had found them. She sped up the hill, cursing the sand as her feet sank into it, holding her back from a true run. From the top of the beach, she could see a crowd gathering below. Someone was hurt.

Amy ran down the embankment. As she grew closer, she heard the girls. Jade was telling Mindy that everything would be okay. Mindy was coughing. Raven explained to a couple that a freak wave hit, and that she and her sisters had barely survived.

"Mama!" Mindy was in Jade's arms now, but seeing Amy lifted her hands. At seven, she was young for her age in both temperament and size. Onlookers thought her to be a four or five year old.

"What happened?"

Jade and Raven both started talking at once. By the time Mindy was in the van and buckled in, Amy had the complete story except for Claire's role in it. Mindy was still coughing. Amy drove her to the hospital.

Claire was unusually quiet. Normally she'd be throwing a fit about leaving the ocean. Staring out the window, Jade thought about saying something to relieve the tension, but then she realized how close they came to losing Mindy. She turned away from Claire.

It was a small hospital. Anyone requiring anything more than stitches or a bed pan was life-flighted or ambulanced out. Other than the cough and being covered in sand, Mindy seemed fine. A bit more clingy and less trustful of Claire, but fine nonetheless.

The doctor wanted to keep Mindy for a few hours and run some tests. Amy agreed. Jade was still angry and wouldn't talk to Claire. Raven was caught in the middle. Amy took the girls back to the motel and ordered pizza. As soon as it was paid for, she returned to the hospital.

~~ Claire ~~

Claire sat at the table in the motel room. She watched while Jade flipped on the television and grabbed a slice of pizza. She had never felt more hated in all her life. She couldn't stand the silence, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Jade threw the remote on the bed, "You almost killed Mindy. Do you really want to ask me to say something to you right now? Because right now, I think you're a spoiled piece of garbage brat, and I wish you weren't my sister."

Raven grabbed the remote and shut off the television which was blaring out some infomercial anyway. She sat on the bed between her sisters and said to Jade, "That's harsh. You don't mean it."

"Did you miss the whole drown me and Mindy deal? Or were you in on it too? Maybe you thought you'd have a little fun with the sisters who didn't get any super powers from Grandaddy Universe." Jade's hands were clenched into fists, and Claire wondered for a minute if Jade was going to leap across Raven and start punching her.

Claire hurt deeply, but she didn't cry like Raven or Mindy or even Jade. Her sorrow was dry. She'd spent all of her Water power at the ocean. She said, "Raven didn't do anything. I was just going to play a little joke, but there was too much water and it got away from me."

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but Raven cut in, "Jade, whatever you're going to say, don't. I can see you're still mad, so let's just table this discussion until Mindy's better and we can discuss it logically."

Jade's voice rose, "She's the one who wanted me to say something. I don't even want to stay in the same room. You are not my sister, Claire. I disown you. Mom puts up with so much crap and you guys don't even care."

"You think I don't care?" Raven asked, her voice dangerously low.

"Oh, please. You sneak out every weekend and run to the highway so that you and your delinquent buddy can go out and party. You come home reeking of booze and then hide your clothes until me and Mom are gone so that you can wash them. I bet Mindy is getting great care with you and Claire watching her," Jade lashed out at her other sister.

They were deep words, words that she'd been trying to find a way to express for weeks. Somehow the dark thoughts that should be exchanged in a quiet moment always ended up used as whips and scourges during an argument. It was hard to watch someone go down a road like that and not know what to say or whether to tell.

"Wow, tell us how you really feel," Raven said sarcastically. "Things happen. Claire made a mistake and we'll move on."

"You've been enabling her bratty behavior. That's why she talks back all the time and is such a pain. With a sister like her we could end up dead the next time she gets the urge to play a joke," Jade's words hurt Claire. Claire knew that Jade didn't always like her, and sometimes called her names, but she didn't really understand why Jade was always down on her.

"I'm sitting right here!" Claire cried, "I didn't mean to hurt her. I swear I didn't."

"Sure you didn't. You say I'm adopted. Well, I hope I am, because I don't want to be related to you," Jade's words struck home.

Claire pushed out of the chair like a rocket, "I don't need you. I don't need anyone. Water loves me. She'll take care of me. You're not a good sister. You never have been. All you care about is Mindy."

Claire ran out of the room. She heard Raven call her name and almost turned back, but slammed the door instead and ran for the nearest stairwell. She ran down the stairs heedless of where she might go. She didn't care. She just had to get out of that motel room.

From the street, she could feel the salty droplets on the breeze and hear the roar of the waves. Even though it was dark out and the streets were empty, Claire ran in the direction of the ocean. She was planning to become Water forever. She wouldn't have to go to school or listen to Jade complain anymore.

She'd be free.

She ran so hard that when she reached the beach, she was out of breath and her sides ached. Bent over and sucking air into her lungs, she didn't notice the teenager approaching her until she touched her. Claire jumped.

It was a Goth girl with white-blonde hair that reflected the refracted light of the moon on the clouds. The Goth girl said, "I'm sorry for startling you. Are you okay? You look upset."

Claire felt an immediate affinity for the girl. Surely this was someone who would understand. She shrugged, "My sisters hate me. I can't go back there. Ever."

"For reals?" The girl asked. Her feet were bare and almost gleamed like pearls in the sand. Claire wondered what it would feel like to be so perfect. The girl had to be a few years older. Claire was surprised she would even talk to a kid. Her concern touched Claire.

"Yeah." Claire nearly broke down, but instead lifted her chin with determination. Jade would never make Claire cry. If she were going to cry, it would be over someone who actually cared about her.

The Goth girl put a hand out, "Name's Tasha. We're beach bums. Kinda hard in Oregon weather."

Claire took her hand, a hysterical giggle rising, "Yeah, it is cold on these beaches."

The Goth girl led Claire to a group of young people ranging from kids barely out of puberty to guys with scruffy beards. Claire felt a jagged pleasure at the thought that she would have someplace safe to stay, and Mom and Jade would feel sorry when she didn't return to the hotel. Somehow Claire knew that Raven really would be sorry, but she pushed that thought aside when she joined the group.

"Another stray! Put her there, little girl," It was insulting, and from a cute blonde guy probably in high school, but Claire gave him the knuckle version of a high-five anyway.

"We've got what we've come for. Let's head home. Everyone into the Vanagon." Tasha motioned with a slight tilt of her head, and Claire could swear that for a moment her eyes looked completely silver, as if she didn't have irises or pupils. And then the moment was over, and her eyes were back to normal.

Claire climbed into the 70's Volkswagon bus and found a seat. She had to step over a shovel crusted with sand on the way in. Soon she was scrunched as more than the recommended number of passengers climbed in behind her. Claire wasn't really a people-person. She didn't handle crowds well. Tight spaces alone, yes. Tight spaces with a dozen other people, definitely no.

She breathed in through her mouth and told herself that this was better than joining with the ocean. It would be lonely if she spent her life as Water. They drove for over an hour. Claire knew that because the girl smashed up next to her kept looking at her phone.

Any time Claire started to get nervous, Tasha would say something funny and then ask her if she was sure she wanted to join them. With a laugh, Tasha said, "I can always drop these folks off and take you back myself."

Claire thought of Jade screaming at her and shook her head, "I'd rather be here."

Earlier at home when Raven had confessed her deepest darkest secret, Claire had pretended to understand, mostly because Raven was her favorite sister and she couldn't imagine being on the outs with Raven the way she was with Jade and Mindy. Now she knew. Every time she remembered that lump of dirt where Water had dropped Mindy, she felt a sick feeling rise in her stomach.

I almost killed Mindy.

Jade would never forgive her. She didn't have a home to return to anymore.

Claire couldn't escape the thought toppling over and over in her mind, just the way she tumbled in the surf when it was happening. I thought I hated her, but I don't. I just want to do my own thing and for Jade to like me.

That was a new thought for Claire. She thought she hated Mindy. She really didn't like smelling urine in the middle of the night, but that wasn't exactly Mindy's fault. It was just that over the years somehow Mindy had replaced Claire in Jade's affections. A long time ago, Jade had played with Claire the way she now played with Mindy. Claire missed that.

"We're here."

The porch lights were on, giving the house a warm feeling. Claire stared at the mansion in awe. It was a huge house in the Victorian style with an enclosed porch that wrapped around the house. The fence was one of those creepy iron fences that show up in horror movies and cemeteries, while the tall grasses in the yard gave it an abandoned feel.

The blonde guy in the passenger seat jumped out first to run down the driveway and shut the gate. Claire could swear it creaked as it closed. The fellow ran back, waiting outside the van for the rest of the group to disembark.

Everyone climbed out of the van. Claire followed Tasha into the house like a lost puppy. Tasha was friendly with everybody, and Claire realized that the house in its own way was as crowded as the van had been.

Something felt off about the house. There were too many sofas and nothing else. The walls were bare, without a single picture or photo. In every room were sofas and people lounging. Dozens of kids her age, most of them asleep, littered the rooms, many of whom looked thin and some with bruises on their faces. The whole thing was strange and reminded Claire vaguely of the puppy mill she saw in the news last year.

The house smelled funny, like the combination of bleach and a musty dank basement odor. No one else seemed to notice. Claire tried to ignore it, like everyone else. She wanted to fit in.

"You must be hungry. With the crowd we have, someone is usually cooking and if not, there are always leftovers," Tasha disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a warm plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and carrots. The smell of warm food masked the more unpleasant odors.

Claire wolfed down the meatloaf. She'd used a lot of energy in the ocean, for the trick on Mindy that had gone so very wrong. Claire was the only one who ate. When she finished, Tasha said, "I want to introduce you to the core group. Come upstairs."

Claire followed Tasha up to the second floor, down the long hall and into a bedroom that had been converted into a sitting room. Three other women, all middle-aged were lounging on sofas.

The eldest, a slightly overweight woman with grey in her hair clapped her hands like a child, "You brought treats! What a lovely young woman. Come have a seat, and we'll tell you the rules."

"Oh, Gladys, she just arrived. There will be time enough for rules another day," said a scrawny woman who looked like she'd done several years of hard living.

"Tasha, be a dear and close the door," Gladys leaned forward with a rapt expression while Claire sat awkwardly with her hands at her side in the couch next to Gladys.

"Now, Dear, you must pay attention, can you do that?" Gladys asked. Claire almost giggled when the other woman rolled her eyes and mimed Gladys talking.

Claire moved her hands to her lap, feeling very self-conscious, "Yes."

"Good. If you break any rules you'll be expelled from the house, and believe you me, it's a long walk to anywhere civilized. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Claire said,

"First. The curtains stay closed. If you need sunlight, go outside. Make sure you close the porch door behind you when you do. Easy enough?" Gladys asked.

Claire nodded.

"Second. Any food that comes into this house must be approved by Tasha. Think of her as your liaison. You'll probably stay close to the house for the first few weeks, but eventually you'll want to see the world."

"Mom doesn't let us eat much junk food either," Claire said and wondered if she sounded too disappointed. She didn't want Gladys to send her away.

"Fine. Fine. The last one is the most important. This house is a sanctuary for many. Don't give anyone the location of this house. Not your best friend. Not your family. If this house becomes unsafe, we will hunt you down." Gladys laughed lightheartedly, but her eyes were as cold as glacial springs.

Claire forced a smile, "I won't tell anyone."

"See that you don't." Gladys pointed to a blanket hanging across the back of the sofa, "Now take off your shoes and get comfortable. You know how you lounge when you watch television? Do that now."

Claire thought being ordered to relax was beyond strange. Still, she was glad she was in this house and not in the motel trying to ignore Jade. Boy, would Jade feel bad when Claire didn't come home tonight. Gladys handed her a pillow. The pillowcase smelled like fabric softener and hid a little of the room's strange odors. She pulled the blanket down. The sofa was comfortable. Claire thought she could easily go to sleep, even with three ladies watching.

"Ah, better?" Gladys asked. Claire noted a predatory gleam in her expression and was reminded of a cat about to pounce on a bird. She had to shake herself and remember that she was a guest, and that so far everyone had been beyond nice.

Claire said, "It's great. Thanks."

"Not to worry. Just lay back and close your eyes. Don't worry about anything. You're safe with us."

Claire did as she was told and closed her eyes. As she lay there, she had the strangest feeling that someone was tugging on her mind. It was the only way to explain it. It was different from her interaction with Water. Water gave and took equally. This was a taking. Claire thought the ladies must be testing her, so she pulled back, reeling the energy back in.

At first there was resistance and then she received energy in a flood. Claire wasn't sure exactly what to do with all that energy, so she just gave it to Water, siphoning it into the moisture in the air. Water danced in the skies, drawing droplets into clouds, settling dew drops on the trees. It was almost too much energy for Claire to manage.

Someone screamed.

Claire opened her eyes. Gladys was no longer a middle-aged woman. Her hair had gone white and her skin was wrinkled. She screamed, pointing her finger at Claire, "Tasha! Get her out. Get her out of here."

"What's wrong? What did I do?" Claire pushed the blanket out of the way as the door burst open. Tasha and two of the hefty guys came in.

"Put her in the shed. Let them take her blood." Gladys screamed angrily, spittle dripping from her lips.

Claire squirmed out of the first man's grip and kicked the second one, "Don't take my blood. You're supposed to be my friends."

She ran for the door, tripping on the out-stretched leg of the woman who hadn't yet spoken. Claire stared in horror when the woman started cackling and Claire could see that her teeth were long, sharp points.

In shock, Claire said, "Vampires. You're vampires."

"Give the girl a cookie," Gladys said, "Bind this one with the special cuffs. She's got the power of the Universe, this one does."

Claire fought the whole way to the shed. By the time they threw her in, she had a black eye and a bruised lip that throbbed. But she had broken one of the vampire's noses with a well-landed kick and felt some satisfaction in that.

The shed was scary in a horror movie kind of way. It was dark and sinister, as if something unseen lurked in the shadows. The place smelled like the toilet. At least three others, two men and a woman, were kept in the shed and shackled. As they dragged Claire to her own shackles, she smelled blood.

Claire called out to Water, "Help me. Find Raven. Please. Help me."

The bands were heavy and made of iron, small enough to lock around her wrists. Claire couldn't hear Water's reply. She swallowed away her fear and focused on anger. Raven had given her that piece of advice when they were watching a scary show about a serial killer, a show that Mom would have never allowed had she been home. Claire, if you ever get into that kind of situation, there are no rules. You become the predator, do you hear me? You've got the Universe's gifts. Use them and don't hesitate.

Claire couldn't touch Water. The vampires had done something to block her. But there had to be something she could do. Claire hated the feel of the slimy wall against her back, the cold of the wood soaking through her t-shirt and onto her skin.

She closed her eyes and focused on the metal clasped around her wrists. Metal was Earth's child, also born of fire. Claire had little to do with either, not that she hadn't said hello to Earth now and again or to Fire. Now she called to Earth, asking for help with the shackles.

Earth answered, but Claire couldn't understand. Earth's rhythm was so much different than Water. Claire called again.

She smelled the beast before she saw it. Some humans are base animals, with no more conscience than an alligator or a tiger. This creature was such. It didn't have the cleanliness or the manner of the vampires in the Victorian house. It stank of old blood and cobwebs.

The beast snorted, sniffing the air. Claire froze. It was so hard not to move. From across the room, another of the vampires snorted and then struck. Claire heard the gurgling scream of a woman chained to the wall, and then she was silent.

Claire prayed that Water would hurry, and that Raven would care enough to come for her.
Chapter 6

~~ Raven ~~

Raven and Jade watched a rerun of Friends without speaking. A few hours had passed since Claire's stormy exit. Raven wanted to broach the topic, but didn't want her head snapped off. She said, "Claire's been gone a while. I know you're angry, but I'm worried about her."

With an audible sigh, Jade turned off the television, "I'm sorry. I can't say I over-reacted, but I didn't mean to be cruel."

"She probably went to the ocean. Maybe we can leave a note and go looking for her?" Raven asked hopefully. She pulled a pony-tail holder out of her pocket and swept her black hair behind her head.

"Let me call Mom," Jade said.

"Um...are you sure about that? Claire's probably at the ocean. We'll find her and Mom will be none the wiser," Raven knew Jade. There was no way Jade would go behind Mom's back.

She was right. Jade said, "It will just take a second."

Jade dialed. She whispered, "Voicemail." Then left a message, "Hey, Mom. We're going to the ocean. I need to see something."

After she disconnected, Raven gave Jade a friendly slap on the shoulder, "Not bad, Sis. Soon you'll be sneaking out with me at night and cutting class."

Jade laughed, "Don't count on it. Two more years. Maybe I can get a scholarship to the UW." Jade wanted to go to the University of Washington in Seattle. College fees were soaring, so during the school year Jade spent time studying when she wasn't in sports. Wildwood Springs was a B school, so Jade played volleyball, basketball, and track. Between sports, studying, and school, there wasn't a lot of time left over for sneaking out.

Something in the aftermath of the accident and Jade and Claire's fight loosened Jade and Raven's relationship. They spoke of their worry about Mom, Claire and Mindy, of the strain of keeping up a pretense with everyone they knew. They talked all the way to the beach. For Jade it was cathartic. She missed Raven, even though they shared a room. At one time, the sisters were close, but in the past couple of years, somehow they each went their separate ways.

When they got to the beach, Jade and Raven found absolutely nothing. It was late at night and the waves rolled onto the beach heedless of their search. Jade looked out over the water. "Do you really think she's out in that?"

Raven shrugged. Knowing Claire, yes. She said, "Let's walk down the beach a while. She might make us wait a bit."

It was a magical night. Despite the heavy burdens Jade carried, she felt lighter now that she was under the stars, watching the lovely moon and listening to the ocean's low rumble. It eased some of her anxiety. They walked in silence.

Raven spoke to Air, showing a mental image of her sister playing in the water. A gust of wind skittered in a tight circle around Raven, reflecting back an image of Claire with a group of kids. Air's image was disjointed and swept quickly from object to object. It would make a person dizzy if they tried to follow Air's vision for too long, but Raven knew for sure that it was Claire that she was seeing.

Raven grunted in disgust, "Stupid kid."

"What is it?" Jade asked.

"Claire got into one of those sliding door vans with a bunch of strangers." Raven pointed in the direction of Air's revelation. "It happened about a quarter mile down the beach. At least they were our age, and there were lots of them."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Jade said.

Raven kicked a piece of driftwood that was in her path, "Me neither."

"Could you find her using your gifts?" Jade had never spoken to Raven or Claire about their gifts. She was so hurt that her own hadn't made an appearance that she avoided the topic. Sometimes she caught a passing word or glimpse from one of the elements, but never enough for her to say, "Yes, I belong to the Gray family. I am an Elemental."

Raven shrugged, "Maybe? Air isn't great on past or future events. I'd be better off if I had a general idea of where she was and then looked for her there. Air doesn't know where the van went."

"I know you and Claire have been practicing. What kind of power do you have?" Jade tried not to sound jealous when she asked the question. She pushed a strand of reddish-brown hair out of her face. The wind teased it back.

Raven laughed. "You know Air likes you."

Tucking the strand behind her ear, Jade said, "She has a funny way of showing it."

In the distance a fog horn bellowed. Raven answered Jade's earlier question about her power, "Air is capricious. She likes to dance. If I ask her to do anything that involves spirals or swirls, she doesn't hesitate." Raven used her hands a lot when she talked, especially when she was excited. Growing animated, Raven said, "I learned something new. I can see what birds see and even multiple birds at once. It's totally weird."

Jade asked a few questions about Raven's bird vision. She stared out across the water. "How many birds at a time?"

"I have no idea. I've only done it a few times." Raven walked closer to the water's edge. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled, "Claire!"

The wind picked up her voice and sent it over the water. Jade and Raven listened, but no one answered back.

"If she climbed into a van, she's probably not out in the water," Jade tried to be apologetic when she said it. If Claire left the beach, she couldn't logically also be there.

Raven said, "I thought maybe she took a spin around town and came back. I don't know what to do now."

Jade was starting to get tired. It had been a stressful day that had definitely taken its toll. "Let's find a seat on one of these logs, and you commune with the birds. If you don't get anything we'll head back to the motel. It would be our luck Claire's already there and fast asleep."

Giggling Raven said, "No, she won't be. She doesn't have a key."

Jade couldn't help but join in the laughter. It was one part laughter and three parts hysteria, but it felt good. The girls quieted and Raven got down to work.

The gulls spun and soared above the ocean, over parking lots and buildings. Raven started with them. In her mind's eye she made an image of Claire and the van. She painstakingly watched from bird to bird, from image to image slowly moving away from the ocean and further inland.

The birds could only show her what they could see at the moment. Her power was worse than useless at finding Claire.

~~ Mindy ~~

Mindy felt fine. Her coughing had stopped. She just wanted to go home. When they wheeled her back to the room, she waited. Earth had kept her entertained while she was being tested. They said they were testing her, but these tests didn't ask for answers. She just had to be still.

They tilted the bed back up for her and asked if she wanted a book. Mindy said yes, even though she didn't know how to read. Claire called her a dummy once because of it. She said that kids two years younger than Mindy could read. That time, Mindy cried. Jade said it was okay, that Einstein didn't even talk until he was four and look how smart he turned out to be.

As she flipped the pages, she felt Earth poke her. Climbing down out of the bed, Mindy jumped into Earth's embrace, the same way she did when Water had sent a flood after her.

Mindy said, Not Claire's fault.

Earth agreed. Water liked to tease.

Someone was coming. Someone dangerous. Earth told Mindy she needed to hide. They hid in the rocks together until the two scary men left Mindy's room. They were bad. Earth didn't like their feet upon her. They didn't belong.

There was more. Claire was also in trouble. Earth showed Mindy Claire locked away in a strange place far from the Water she loved. When the men were gone, Earth released Mindy and she climbed back in bed. Mindy tried to remember, Claire. Danger.

When Mom's phone rang, Mindy got out of bed again to answer. "Hello?"

It was Jade.

"Hey, Cricket, why are you answering Mom's phone?"

"Stranger." Mindy vaguely remembered the shadows in her room. Somehow she had to cling to the memory so that Jade would know, so that she could stay safe. Jade didn't have Earth, not like Mindy.

"Is there someone in the room with you?" Jade sounded alarmed.

Mindy looked around the room. "No."

There was something else. Earth said, Remember.

Something important.

Jade said, "Okay, Sweetie, get some sleep and tell Mom I called."

Mindy blurted out, "No. Think."

That was the family code word. Sometimes Mindy needed time to get out what she was trying to say. It was frustrating when everyone talked so quickly around her and never gave her time to speak. Jade was the first person to realize that sometimes Mindy just needed a few more minutes. Jade told her if she ever needed more time to say "Think" and Jade would know she was thinking.

Jade said, "It's okay, Cricket. Take your time."

Mindy felt relieved. Time. Time. Time. She needed Time. The earth moved in a circle. It spun in a circle. Everything was a circle. What was she supposed to remember? Earth. Sister. Oh...Claire.

Mindy said, "Earth. Claire. Danger."

"Earth? Mindy, can you hear Earth?" Oops. Mindy forgot. She wasn't supposed to tell.

It's okay. Just tell her.

"Yes," Mindy said, and then repeated, "Earth. Claire. Danger."

Jade's voice went so loud on the phone that Mindy cringed and pushed the phone away with a frown, "Mindy, do you know where Claire is? She's missing. Mindy?"

"Hmmmmm..." Mindy thought and thought. Claire. She didn't have the right words to tell Jade how to get there. She said, "Earth knows."

"Thank Min-Min. Are you feeling better?" Jade asked.

"Yes." Mindy said.

"Tell Mom I called, okay?"

"'kay." Mindy hit the button that Jade had taught her to hit when she was done talking. Then she turned a page in the book. There were polar bears inside and everything was light blue and pink and white, cold Earth. Very pretty.

Mindy watched the bears for a while. Then she went to sleep. The nurse who smiled a lot came to visit again. Then Jade and Raven woke her up.

Jade put a finger over her mouth. She said, "Shhh...we're playing hide and seek."

Mindy lit up. She loved hide and seek. No one ever found her. Ever. Earth hid her too well. "I hide."

Raven whispered, "Mindy, we're going to smuggle you outside, you need to be very quiet. No noise at all. Can you do that?"

Mindy pouted and shook her head, arms crossed.

Jade put her arms around Mindy, "It's okay, Cricket. We're hiding from the doctors. We have to find Claire, and you're the only one who can talk to Earth. Where's Mom?"

Mindy shrugged.

At that moment, the nice nurse walked in, "Oh, excuse me. I didn't see you two come in. You must be Mindy's sisters?"

Before Jade could give the nurse her name, phone number, social security number, address, Facebook account, and firstborn, Raven answered, "We're looking for our Mom. She should have been here with Mindy, but she's not answering her phone."

The nurse wrinkled her nose, "I haven't seen your Mom for hours."

"Can you have her paged?" Jade was starting to feel desperate. As soon as Mindy said, "Claire. Danger," Jade had a sinking feeling. She already felt guilty for Claire running away. If anything happened to Claire, Jade wouldn't forgive herself.

"Of course," the nurse said, bustling out of the room.

Amy Gray, please check into the nurses' station at the Emergency Room. Amy Gray.

Earth nudged Mindy. Claire. Time. Stranger. Mom.

Things were jumbling and tumbling in Mindy's mind. Earth tried to tell her the story, but Mindy only retained pieces.

Aloud Mindy said, "Stranger. Mom."

Raven gasped, "What Mindy? What did you say?"

"Stranger. Mom." Mindy repeated and started to cry. She didn't know why she was sad or scared, only that the things Earth showed her were sad and scary. She didn't want to remember. She didn't want to hold onto Earth's thoughts, but she had to, for her sisters, for Mom, she had to remember.

Jade held out her arms and Mindy sought shelter in them, the way she always had when Earth told too much truth. Mindy felt the time passing. Too quickly. Too quickly. Claire. Danger. Death.
Chapter 7

~~ Claire ~~

Claire heard the slurping sounds of the vampires eating their victim. It was the only way to describe the slaughter. The air was heavy with the smell of iron and copper, the smell of darkness, the smell of death. Claire closed her eyes. These vampires weren't intelligent. If one attacked, they all attacked, fighting over the same person until that person was utterly consumed.

At least the screaming had stopped.

Claire would have given anything just to stick her fingers in her ears, to be deaf for those terrible long minutes. Now the vampires were sated and they moved away, grunting and grumbling without words the way an animal would. Claire needed to find a way out of her bonds. There had to be something. There had to be.

She reached out to Earth. Earth could hear her. The cuffs blocked her direct contact with Earth. Water was so far out of range that Claire couldn't even talk to her. Maybe Earth couldn't give her power to change or power to move, but maybe it could do something else.

Claire sent her thoughts to the presence that waited in the stone, in the rock. Claire was sorry now that she hadn't paid more attention to the gentle rumblings in the stone. Earth had always moved so slow, so quietly. Earth was boring. Claire wouldn't tell that to the presence saving her now, but it was the truth. She never gave Earth more than a passing hello because it just couldn't keep up the way Water did.

Earth understood.

Earth passed back the information that it had shown Mindy. Claire caught herself before grumbling. Until that moment, she thought that she and Raven were the only Gray sisters who had caught the Elemental gene. Now she knew that Mindy had it, too. That was a surprise. Not a pleasant one. Claire wanted the Elemental gift to be something only she and Raven shared.

Claire waited, hoping Earth would be able to do what she had in mind. She could feel Mindy somehow, as if a part of her were with Earth even now. The vampires moved closer, one of them sniffing the air with that hooting sound that meant another feeding frenzy. It edged closer and closer to Claire, so close that she couldn't see anything but the dark cloak it wore. It was leaning over her, sniffing and sniffing, the smell of death overpowering. She was surprised it could even smell her over itself.

Claire's heart beat faster. She tried to pull her hand out of the cuff. She scraped and pulled, gritting her teeth so that she didn't make a noise. The smallest whimper would set them off.

Earth was slow to react. Claire felt the vampire's teeth clamp down on the tendon that connected her throat to her shoulder. The pain was excruciating. She bit her lip. She mustn't scream. Screaming would drive them all crazy, not that they were sane to begin with. She held her breath.

Tears welled in her eyes as Claire begged the universe for help.  Please tell me what to do. I can't touch Water. I'm alone here.

She heard the answer as clearly as if the universe had actually spoken, "Of course you can. You're made of water."

Claire gasped. Even that slight sound caught the attention of a second vampire who grabbed her wrist. Taking a deep breath, Claire focused inwardly. Water had always been outside before, something she joined. The idea that it was also a part of her had not occurred to her before.

Her arms were caught together above her head. As the second vampire tore into her upper arm, Claire focused inwardly, surprised when she found that she could talk to her element. The communication was different from the inside out than it was from the outside in, but she discovered an answer.

She could still become Water even with the manacles. It would just take a bit of creativity. The water inside her arms shifted itself to avoid the manacles. The manacles were designed for witches and wizards, not Elementals. Claire found that once she looked from the inside out, she could become Water.

That is exactly what she did, arms first until she was a puddle on the floor. The floor was covered in filth. Claire could sink in and out of puddles all day, but the shed had been used for murder. There is no delicate way to describe the smell or the human liquids pooled along the floor, all those things that made up a functioning human body, provided they were inside and not splattered everywhere. Claire hated the dirtiness she felt even as she rolled along the floor.

Claire felt the world as Water, but also carried her human emotions, feeling trapped and afraid. If she became human again, they would kill her. They had already killed one of the women in the room. The others were silent out of self-preservation.

Don't open the curtains. Still in the shed, Claire knew where she had to start, but first she had to get back to the main house where the smart vampires lived. Claire slowly slipped across the floor, bit by bit, inch by inch. Raven's advice was sound. Claire was not going to be prey to these animals. She was going to stop them all and save the people who were trapped here with her.

The shed would be tricky. It only had one door with no windows or points of light. Cheated of their prize, the vampires turned their attention to the man who stood next to Claire, his arms also caught above his head.

Time was running out. She realized that she couldn't wait for the sun, not if she wanted to save this guy's life. Maneuvering as close to the shed door as she could, Claire allowed the water to coalesce into human form again. Her arm and neck throbbed where the vampire had bitten her. The sudden pain when she became human again nearly made her cry out.

Claire pushed on the door to get out of the shed, thinking she might find something she could use against the vampires. The door was locked. She heard the crunch of a first bite. The man was smart enough not to make a noise, not even a whisper. Claire decided she would have to for him.

"Hey, you animals. I have some sunlight for you...want it?" Claire shrieked the words.

Apparently they did. Leaving the man alone, they shuffled toward Claire with that strange grumbling howl. Claire turned to water again. Having bought the prisoners a little more time, she slipped between the door and the floor, a liquid that slowly slid outside.

It took longer than she would have liked, but Claire was finally outside. The sky had that tender pre-dawn glow that made the world visible in a dream-like way. Seeing a dozen other sheds just like the one she escaped, Claire felt shocked. They were in the back yard, and Claire could see not only sheds, but a barn.

Now that she was outside, Claire could feel Water again, the whole of water. She didn't realize how much she missed the outside contact. Claire rarely wished for another Elemental gift, but this time, it would have been nice if she connected more easily to Earth or Fire. Vampires weren't afraid of water. With enough power, water could be terribly destructive, but they were inland. Other than a rainstorm, Claire couldn't think of a way that Water could help her set free the prisoners.

The worst moment Claire had in the back yard happened when she was walking between the sheds, trying to find something that she could use against the creatures inside. Across the field in one of the last sheds in the row, Claire heard a terrible scream. It was so full of fear and rage that she froze for a moment.

Water, help me.

Claire didn't know exactly what she was asking water to do. A few streams of water went spinning in the air around the shed, but nothing happened. Claire thought of the van and remembered the shovel. She sprinted along the sheds, across the side yard and to the front. Throwing open the vanagon's door, she grabbed the shovel.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Someone stood on the porch. Just her luck.

Claire ignored the voice and ran for the back. The screams she had heard from the shed stopped with sudden silence. The only sound was of feeding, the crunching and gulping like a pack of dogs. Claire unlocked the door. Throwing it open, she could see five vampires on their hands and knees feeding off of something she didn't want to think about.

It was too late for the woman in the shed. Worse, Claire could hear the back door of the big house open and shut and the quiet murmurings of the group as they came to find her. Claire slipped into the shadows behind the shed. She didn't want to wear herself out too early by switching back and forth from human to water.

A voice called from the yard, "Hey, we won't hurt you. You don't have to steal from us. We'll see that you're well-fed and cared for."

Claire realized that the vampires didn't know that she had actually escaped. They thought she was a prowler. Thunder rumbled in the sky above and lightening flashed. The quiet pitter patter of water droplets against the shed helped Claire hide both her scent and location from the vampires.

They were spreading out now, forming a line to find her. Even though she was exhausted, Claire pushed to make another change to water. With so many of the vampires out here trying to find her, she could wreak havoc on the house, pulling down curtains to let the sun in everywhere. They would have no safe haven in which to return when the sun rose.

Claire's change to water went quickly this time. She let Air maneuver her, catching the breeze in a thousand pieces until she reformed as human on the steps. She ran for the porch, yanking open the door. The vampires were all outside hunting for her. This was her chance to really make a difference.

Dozens of people lay sleeping on the sofas. Claire tore the curtains in the room down, certain that at any minute a vampire would come through and catch her. Beneath the curtains, the vampires had added a second layer of aluminum foil. The room was still dark. Claire tore the foil off until she could see window and moved to the next.

She was in the parlor behind a sofa with an old woman snoring when the porch door slammed, and the first group of vampires returned. Claire dropped to her knees and wriggled her way as far back as she could. Claire heard Tasha's voice among them.

The vampire from the porch said, "Someone was out there, I swear,"

"The windows. Somebody destroyed our windows," another one said.

Tasha's voice rang out, "I've smelled this one before. Check Pen 3. I think our newest arrival escaped."

Claire tried to change back to water. She was so tired. It was one too many times. Water couldn't hear her. Dread crawled along Claire's spine as Tasha's footsteps came closer. She had nowhere to run...nowhere to hide.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven and Jade sat in the hospital room with Mindy. The plan was going well until the sisters realized that their Mom was missing, too. Raven couldn't believe that Jade was chickening out now. Even if Mom disappeared, they still had to help Claire, and Mindy was the key to doing it.

Raven was tired and grumpy. She hadn't slept well the night before either, so she had a headache from lack of sleep. They were sitting on chairs around Mindy's bed when their Mom walked in, "What are you girls doing here?"

"Where were you?" Raven asked.

At the same time Jade said, "Claire ran away."

"I thought there was someone watching me. I didn't want to lead them to Mindy," Amy said.

Raven hoped a nurse or doctor didn't overhear, because at least from the outside, Amy Gray sounded paranoid. She looked exhausted, as if she could use a week of sleep. Raven said, "Mom, we need to find Claire."

Jade jumped in, "Mindy said, 'Claire. Danger. Death.' We think she's in trouble."

Not to be outdone Raven said, "But she also said, 'Mom, Stranger', so....maybe Claire is okay and back at the hotel. Anyway, we were going to break Mindy out to help us find Claire because Earth seemed to be telling her something important."

Amy rubbed her temple, "Give me a minute."

Raven had to count to twenty to keep herself from interrupting Mom's moment of solitude. Her mom said, "Here's what's going to happen. I'm driving you girls back to the Motel where you will sleep a minimum of six hours. Claire might be back at the motel. If she's not, you're going to stay put. I have a few friends in the area. I'll give them a call and we'll see what we can turn up."

They all bundled back into the van and trudged up the stairs to the second floor of the motel. Claire was still missing. Jade crumpled up the note she and Raven had written and threw it away.

Raven sat on her bed, "So, are we actually going to do what Mom says?"

Jade yawned, "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Maybe things will look better with a little sleep."

Changing into a t-shirt, Jade crawled into bed and fell asleep. Raven thought it wasn't a bad idea, except for Mindy's voice. Raven thought there had to be something she could do.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy felt numb. It was too much. She knew Claire was learning the gift of Water. It was obvious in a dozen different ways. She tried to be a good mother. She tried. Maybe she should have stopped Raven and Claire from practicing when they thought they were unwatched. Maybe she should have told them straight out that she knew what they were up to and approved, but to please be careful. Instead, she buried her head in the sand and let it happen without help or intervention.

Claire nearly killed Mindy. It was her fault. She knew how much power an Element gifted a beloved member of the Gray family. It was clear when she left Claire and Jade in the motel room that they were unhappy. She was juggling children, needing to be with all of them, but they were scattered. If Lawrence were alive, he would know what to do.

Amy hesitated. Years ago she had switched phones. Along with the change, she had imported all of the old numbers. The name in her address book just said "Bill." One of the girls once asked who he was and Amy answered with a non-descript non-answer that didn't tell them anything. He was Lawrence's brother, and at least a decade ago, he lived in Oregon, in Bandon to be precise.

She dialed the number, holding her breath. A woman answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Martha," Amy let her breath out in a huge swoosh. She didn't even realize she had been holding it. "I'm sorry to bother you. We're in trouble. I think whoever killed Lawrence is after me. Claire ran off, and I was hoping Bill could help."

"Of course. Of course. Where are you?" Martha's voice was soothing, gentle. It had been so long since Amy had talked to her, seen her. She remembered a slightly older woman with a vivacious personality and warm smile. This Martha was more subdued.

"Bandon,"

"Well, honey, you're right on our doorstep. Bill and I haven't moved. Come on over and we'll get this sorted out," Amy could just see Martha with her enormously big hair, high-top sneakers and pink leggings. Of course, that was in the eighties. She had no doubt changed by now.

"Can you give me the address? It's been awhile." Amy rubbed her eyes. They were starting to feel scratchy.

After scrawling down instructions, Amy drove to Bill and Martha's. She tried to prepare herself for anything. The last time she'd seen Bill was at Lawrence's funeral. He put his hand over hers and slipped a letter discreetly into her hand. It told her to run and not to look back.

Bill was in the yard watching the road when Amy drove up. She realized that she had called in the wee hours of the morning and was right now driving in at sunrise. Funny...she'd been so wrapped up in her problems that she hadn't even realized what time it was.

When she stopped the car and opened the door, he was there with a big bear hug. Martha met them at the door. It was shocking to see a woman much changed and yet the same. Gone was the mile-high hair and the long button-up shirts. In its place, Martha wore jeans and a blouse with straight hair that framed her face, "It's so good to see you. Don't tell us where you've been staying. The Keepers still ask Bill every so often if he's seen you."

Amy hugged Martha, "I'm sorry to bring trouble to your doorstep. I don't know what to do."

"Have you given any thought to passing on the secret? I'm sure the older girls would be suitable by now," Bill led the way into his house to the kitchen where a pot of fresh coffee waited.

Amy lied.

To her, the secret Bill spoke of was a curse. She and Lawrence had made the decision together, and they had passed the power on a long time ago, but she couldn't give that information away...not to anyone, not even her daughters. Better to make herself a target than the girls.

She said, "Bill, you know I can't put that kind of responsibility on them. They're only teenagers. Jade doesn't show the Elemental ability at all and she's the most responsible."

"When the time is right, you'll know," Bill said, and Amy had to silently agree. She surely did know. The power wanted to be passed. It had made its own decision in the matter, but had to wait for her to agree. Amy wouldn't make that kind of decision alone. She wouldn't have burdened any of her girls without Lawrence's knowledge and approval. He hesitated until it was clear that the Keepers had discovered that the Gray family held the power. She had spent long nights awake and wondering...if she had only passed it on a little sooner maybe they would have stayed hidden...and Lawrence would still be alive.

Martha held her hand out to Amy, "You said Claire is missing. Do you think the Keepers or the Shadows took her?"

Feeling haunted, Amy took her hand and said, "She ran away. But I just can't see her staying out all night. She would have walked to the ocean, gotten bored and come back."

Martha glanced over at Bill, "Honey, can you grab the map of Oregon and my marking wand, please?"

Amy realized that they were already prepared to help when Bill pulled open the junk drawer and brought out the two items requested.

Closing her eyes, Martha said, "Think about Claire. Think of your love for her and that you want to find her."

Amy closed her eyes. Martha's hands were plump and soft. Amy remembered the lean, supple woman she used to be. Amy focused on her daughter, her third child, the artistic one who couldn't help but blurt out all kinds of uncomfortable truths. She thought of how much she loved Claire. Martha's hand started moving.

Energy prickled the palm of her hand and Amy followed the energy down. Martha said, "You can open your eyes."

Amy did.

Bill cleared his throat, "Would you like to stay for coffee and muffins?"

"I'm sorry," She put a decade of sorrow into the apology. She missed Bill and Martha. If she could stay without putting them or Claire in danger, she would.

"They hardly ask about you at the meetings anymore," Bill was losing the hair on the top of his head. The stray thought crossed Amy's mind as she wondered if Lawrence would have, too. She would never know.

"Bill, don't wait for them to ask. Tell them you've seen me. They already know we're here. We were followed," Amy lifted her arms to Bill and they hugged once more.

Bill said, "I can't betray you like that."

"It's not a betrayal. You gave your oath to the Keepers not to me. As soon as I find Claire, we're leaving. Just give me a few hours. Tell them I was planning to bring the girls back here to stay but never showed," Amy pulled away and turned to hug Martha as well, "Thanks for everything."

She drove away feeling a keen sense of loss, and a keener sense of time passed. So much had been taken from her. She drove to the hospital, wishing that she could somehow erase the past seven years.

Amy Gray's elemental gifts were a combination of all of the elements, meaning that each element was weak but they worked together to do things that some Elementals couldn't handle. When Lawrence was alive, he liked to tease Amy that persuasion was her biggest gift. Maybe he was right.

Mindy had stopped coughing hours ago and all of the tests were clear. She was a little more 'spacey' than usual but that happened sometimes with Mindy, especially in the morning when they were going to school or when she was tired.

Jade and Raven were already up and dressed. Teenagers. At any other time they'd sleep until noon, but tell them you want them to sleep and they're awake.

"Jade, you stay here with Mindy. Raven, I've got a map. We're going to get Claire," Amy used her best Mom voice, but still faced resistance.

"Mom, I have to be there. I really hurt her feelings," Jade said.

Mindy, who hadn't said a word since the hospital, nodded vigorously, "Mindy come. Earth. Claire. Help."

Thinking of the map, Amy realized that they would have at least an hour drive ahead of them anyway. If the Keepers were watching Bill's house, they wouldn't have much time.

She would find a way to leave Mindy in a safe place before they arrived. "Fine," Amy said, "We'll all go."

It was still early in the morning when the Gray women headed to the parking lot with bags and totes in hand. The sun still hovered over the horizon. Jade carried Mindy out to the van and buckled her in. Raven loaded bags into the back while Amy walked around the front.

A man called across the parking lot, "Excuse me. I'm looking for the lighthouse. Can you tell me which direction I should take on 101?"

Amy asked Air if she could trust the man. Air didn't know. He belonged to the Universe. Keepers belonged. Their power over Death and once, Time, gave them an advantage over the Elementals, and yet in all these years, the Gray family had managed to hold onto the Keeper's magic, Time.

Amy shrugged and told him, "I'm a tourist here myself. We haven't been to the lighthouse yet. It's near one of the campgrounds, I think."

She felt the faint twinge of discomfort creeping up the base of her spine that warned her of danger. Before she could call to Air, the man said, "Stop. I know what you can do. Look at me."

Amy turned slowly. The Keeper held a gun pointed at her chest. He was of medium height with a big bushy beard and matching eyebrows. Given the spiky short hair, Amy was certain it was a disguise.

He talked low and quickly, "I don't want to hurt you or your girls. My orders are to bring you in. Get your girls up here. Now."

With a glance back to see what Jade and Raven were doing, Amy called, "Girls, can you walk to the front of the van please? Walk slowly and don't do anything foolish."

Jade was trying to find room for the cooler and a grocery bag of chips and crackers that they'd taken into the motel for snacks. Her Mom didn't believe in eating out.

She called to her Mom, "What's wrong?"

Raven closed the back door and came up front.

Amy used her Mom voice to say, "Just get up here." To the man she said, "I have what you want. Leave my daughters alone. Please?"

When Raven saw the gun, her eyes widened and her fingers twitched. Amy could see her daughter's mind processing the possibilities. She said, "Don't, Raven. Just listen and do what I say."

Jade joined them. Amy hoped the man didn't know about Mindy. She had been fast asleep in the van while everything was loaded.

He didn't seem like a bad sort. The Keepers were actually similar to the Elementals. They had their place in the Universe and most of them were good, upstanding citizens. The kind of power they wielded, however, meant that any deviation or aberrant behavior could turn them into monsters.

"Do you know why you're holding a gun on me?" Amy asked. It was more than curiosity. If she knew how much he knew, she might be able to save her children. His orders made all the difference.

"The three of us are going to walk to my car. You're going to walk slowly and with big smiles on your face. If anyone tries to run, I will shoot your Mom. If anyone screams, I will shoot your Mom. Get my drift?" He had a gravelly voice and Amy tried to memorize his features. It might help later, if she survived that long.

"Whatever you say," Raven said which made Amy nervous. She knew her daughter, and Raven was using a passive tone, which usually meant that she was going to do the opposite.

"What happens when we get to your car?" Amy asked, mostly to keep Jade and Raven from talking or planning. She had to protect her girls from the Keepers. When they figured out who had their precious gift of Time, they would stop at nothing to take it back.

Raven flashed Jade a signal. Amy caught the end of it. She hoped Raven would be smart about her plans to escape. The Keeper noticed, too, "You, making the hand gestures. Open the car door and tie your Mom's hands. This gun will shatter bone. Your little wind tunnel won't do much to me, but this bullet will kill your Mom."

Flushing a deep red, Raven stared at the man. She was furious and wanted to do something. Amy couldn't believe that the parking lot could be so absolutely quiet. Surely there had to be someone around, someone watching who could call the police.

Amy said, "Let my girls go, and I'll go with you. I have power."

He threw his keys at Jade. She fumbled and dropped them, "Sorry. Sorry."

"Open the trunk and pull out the rope."

Jade did as she was instructed, her hands shaking the whole while. While Raven reacted to everything head on like a bull, Jade was more sensitive. In a fight or flight situation, she would run.

"Give that one the rope," He didn't wave the gun around. He held it steady. That meant he knew his way around weapons. Amy had to get her girls free.

She spoke in her mind to Air. Please help Raven. When the Keeper is not watching Raven or Jade, tell her to fly with Jade to the van. Tell her to run. Get Claire, and run as far and as fast as she can. The keys are in my purse next to the driver's seat. Credit cards are in my wallet.

The Keeper grabbed Amy's shoulder and pushed her so that she was facing the car. "You, tie her up."

Air passed the information to Raven. She whispered, "Mom."

In a loud voice, Amy said, "Honey, don't. Just do what he says. Tie up my hands. Everything will be all right."

Everything will be all right. Amy remembered those words. They rang sour in the early morning air. They were the same words she had used seven years ago as she clutched her two little girls the night Lawrence died.

"Help your mother into the trunk, and leave enough room for all of you."

Jade watched the man, watched the gun, watched her Mom, watched Raven. Jade would try to reason through all of the possibilities.

Amy had to get her daughters away from him. She spoke to Water, cried out to Earth, begged Fire, and cajoled Air to give her some means of escape. Fire started with a roar. The gas station across the street suddenly blew up. Shocked Amy tried to see from the trunk.

Scared, the man said, "What the..."

Then it was Earth's turn. Earth slid, knocking the Keeper off his feet. Unfortunately, Jade and Raven went down, too, but not for long. Air swept them up into a strong embrace and carried them all the way to the open door of the van.

Water gathered moisture from the sky and shot it into his eyes.

Then it was the man's turn. With the daughters out of reach, he reached into the trunk and grabbed Amy's ankle. Amy knew what was coming and sent one last message to Air, hoping to get through before she was taken. Closing his eyes, the Keeper carried her away into the land of the Dead.

He wouldn't use a car. They disappeared, leaving the car behind. He had power of his own.

~~ Claire ~~

The vampires knew where she was hiding. Of course they did. When Claire had run into the house, pulling curtains down as she went, she had left an easy path to follow. What Claire hadn't expected was for vampires to have tranquilizer guns.

Hiding behind the couch, she could feel them take up positions in the room. She knew she was surrounded, and decided that rather than give them more time to surround her, she would jump out and make a run for it.

That is exactly what she did.

Claire crawled out from the back of the couch and then leapt for the door. The vampire shot her in the butt with the tranquilizer gun. She felt herself slowing down, slowing down and then stopping. She said, "Don't put me back with the animals."

Tasha rolled her over and signaled the blonde vampire to grab her, "Don't worry. We've got something else planned for you."

Claire fell asleep for a while. When she woke up, she was back with Gladys. Gladys looked much younger now. She must have been feeding.

Tasha grabbed Claire, dragging her up. Claire couldn't lift her arms. They felt so heavy. She was awake, but didn't have the energy to lift her head. She choked on the liquid Tasha poured into her mouth, swallowing between weak coughs.

Gladys lovingly brushed her hair away from her face. As Claire closed her eyes, she realized that Gladys was pulling energy away from her. She could try to take it back, but she was so tired. Instead she closed her eyes.

~~ Raven ~~

Air dropped Raven at the passenger door of the van. Raven grumbled, "You could have at least put me in the driver's seat." Air kissed her cheek. Raven opened the passenger door, glancing over her shoulder to see if her Mom had won free.

While she was watching, her Mom and the stranger disappeared.

Air urged Raven to hurry. Sirens sounded in the distance and the chaos from the fire brought people out to look. Jade hesitated at the driver's door of the van and watched the gas station burn with the same curiosity as Raven. Mindy was awake and yelling, "Jade! Jade! Jade!"

Raven said, "We've got to go. Air told me that Mom's okay, but we can't get to her from here. Mom said to get Claire and we'll meet up later."

They closed the doors. Jade carefully put her foot on the brake, looked all around the parking lot, checked behind her...

Raven slapped a hand to her forehead, "Jade! If this were a getaway, we would all be busted."

"Hey, it's not that easy to drive in a city. It's not like Wildwood is full of traffic lights or anything, and I'm new at this," Jade slowly put her foot on the gas.

"You're a teenager. Bertha drives faster than you. That should tell you something," Raven said. Great Aunt Bertha was at least eighty and used a cane to hobble everywhere.

"Shh. I'm trying to drive." Jade turned on her blinker. Raven thought she would go crazy looking at the mirror and watching the smoke billow. By the time Jade turned right, the first fire truck was on the scene at the gas station.

"Will we get pulled over for leaving the scene of a crime?" Jade wasn't sure of the law, but it seemed like authorities would be interested in talking to anyone who witnessed a fireball blowing up gas pumps.

"Are you seriously worried about being a law abiding citizen now? Mom said this map used magic. We don't know how long it will last. Let's get to Claire. That's what Mom wanted. Then we'll find Mom,"

Raven rolled down the window, letting the cold morning air in. She was feeling a little wound up. Jade wasn't exactly her companion of choice. How Raven ended up with a rule-following, authority-pleasing sister was beyond Raven's comprehension.

Jade ignored her complaints, "Can you just get the map and tell me what road I'm supposed to be on."

Raven grabbed the map out of the glove box. She said, "We need to take 101 to 42."

From the back Mindy said, "Stakes."

Jade and Raven exchanged a glance. Thinking she meant 'steaks', Jade said, "There's a whole bag of snacks right at your feet. We'll have a real dinner later."

Mindy would make a mess, but it was easier than dealing with the fallout when she was screaming for food...or Mom. Rolling her eyes in a fairly good imitation of Claire, Mindy said with a sigh, "Vampire Stakes."

Jade grinned proudly. Mindy wasn't always with it enough to pull off sarcasm.

"Vampire stakes?" Raven asked, "Mindy, are you saying we need to prepare for vampires?"

Mindy's eyes lit up. "Yes."

Jade pulled over long enough for them to grab a few smaller pine boughs. Raven grabbed a knife and while Jade drove, whittled stakes. After the first one, Raven said, "Well, they don't look like much but at least they have a point."

"I just hope we don't have to use them," Jade said. Looking at the pile of sticky wood at Raven's feet, she said, "And Mom's going to kill us for messing up the van."

Raven held up a stake, "I can't even believe we're doing this."

Other than the fact that Jade drove like she was on a car with training wheels, they made good time. They missed one turn, but only because the sign was hard to read at speed, and Jade was slow to react.

They arrived at the place on the map.

"Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be?" Jade asked. They were in the middle of nowhere, all trees and winding roads with very few houses or landmarks.

"According to the map, anyway," Raven said. "Have you thought about what you're going to say to Claire?"

"What do you mean?" Jade asked.

"Your words hurt her. She completely idolized you when we were younger, at least until you started treating her like she was in your way or something."

"I never did. I've just been busy, and I have to take care of Mindy." Jade put on a bit more gas and Raven thought that maybe if she antagonized Jade enough, they might even go the speed limit.

"We're sisters and you're the oldest. You need to fix this," Raven wondered why Mindy belonged to Jade and Claire belonged to her. It was as if with so many sisters, they each picked a favorite with which to form a natural alliance. It made some sense that she and Claire would sneak off to practice with their Elements.

"I'll apologize. I know she didn't mean to hurt Mindy like that. I could see it on her face." Jade said.

She turned a corner and there in a field of tall grass was the creepiest looking Victorian house she had ever seen, complete with a tall iron gate that reminded her of a B horror movie. In the light of the sun, they could see the paint peeling from the house and the dark windows, some blocked, some open.

Jade backed the van up and turned around, driving back around the corner and into a small turn-out. "Okay, Mindy, we're going to take your seatbelt off. I want you to lie down and take a nap until we get back."

Raven grabbed Jade's arm and pulled her close. With a whisper she said, "What if the vampires come out?"

Jade waved to the sun, "We're good. They'll be stuck until nightfall. We just have to get in, get Claire, and get out before it gets dark again."

Jade covered Mindy with a blanket and made sure she had plenty of food and water. She rolled down the side-window, although it was cool enough outside that they didn't have to worry about Mindy getting heatstroke from being stuck in the car. Jade grabbed a couple of stakes and got out of the van.

When Raven unzipped her duffel bag and started digging for clothes, Jade said, "Raven, what are you doing? Now isn't the time for a fashion show."

"Trust me. I've read up on vamps," Raven said as she disrobed in the van. She put on a red tank top and a black leather miniskirt. Then she grabbed her leather jacket. At first Raven hesitated at the jacket. It had been her 'big' Christmas present from Mom last year. But it completed the look, so she had to go for it. Sacrifice for the family and all. Besides, her jacket might survive whatever trouble they got themselves into. Raven armed herself with a large knife and two other stakes. If this was her last night on earth, she wanted to look cool. She pulled on a pair of black army boots that were shiny and yet serviceable.

Jade and Raven walked back up the road. They stopped at the iron fence with the huge black iron bars. It could have made a prison gate in the old days.

The fence had a huge space underneath. Raven handed Jade her jacket, then lay on her stomach and wiggled under, "Glad this fence is only for show. Can you imagine if it had barbed wire?"

"It just means they feel secure enough not to need it. Guess it's my turn," Jade said.

Raven held out her hand while Jade sighed and pushed the jacket through the iron bars. Jade crawled through after her.

As they crept toward the house, Raven listened to the birds. There was something comforting in knowing that the animal kingdom wasn't absolutely terrified of the house and its inhabitants.

With all of the windows blocked, Jade and Raven didn't have much to go on. They needed to figure out who they were dealing with and how many. Raven found a tree close to the house with branches that went up all the way to the window.

Jade waited at the bottom while Raven climbed the tree. She used a little help from Air, climbing with the speed of a monkey who lived its life in the trees. She wasn't at all decent climbing in a skirt. Raven felt a little silly for her dramatics. Still, she couldn't very well change back into jeans now.

Crawling along the branch, she dropped to the upstairs porch. The thunk caught someone's attention. Raven heard voices from the room. With help from Air, she took a leap and let Air hold her above the door.

Air couldn't hold her long. Gravity was so much stronger. Three men, two large, one wiry pushed through the door, eager for a fight. As she hovered above the heads of the three men, she slipped down a little. She thought that someone would sense her, she was so close. They were on edge of the balcony and looking down.

They called down to Jade, "Who are you? Come on up."

One of them finally turned around, looking up. He jumped a little when he realized that Raven was just a few feet from his head.

"Hey guys," Raven said lightly when the wiry fellow pointed at her. "Sorry to crash your party."

She had an idea, a rather dangerous and perhaps foolhardy idea, but it was her only one. Raven asked Air to shoot her over the guys' heads, hanging her over the ground just feet away from the balcony.

Air didn't like it. Not at all. Elements cared for Elementals. They loved their humans. Raven was still young and not as savvy as the Elementals who had spent years understanding their limits. Air tried to reason with her, but Raven had a plan.

With a gust that might have been a sigh, Air pushed Raven over the vampires' heads and just out of reach of the balcony. If she accidentally let go, Raven would be badly hurt.

One of the men laughed, "Playing hard to get?"

Raven wriggled a come-get-me finger at him with a laugh and said with a teasing voice, "Not that hard."

Slapping each other's shoulders, the men leaned over the balcony, reaching for Raven. She slipped a little closer, before pulling away again. When they were leaning over the rail, Air whipped a quick blast, pushing the three men over the railing.

Raven found herself flying backward and down as Air tried to cushion her fall. To her credit, Jade didn't do anything stupid like cry out. She just ran for the place where she thought Raven was going to land.

It was a disappointment to land hard in front of Jade. Raven had spent years practicing alone or with Claire so that when the time came, she could impress Jade and Mom with her mad flying skills.

She tumbled into Jade sending them both sprawling on the ground.

The joke she was about to make about the rough landing ended when she heard one of the men on the ground moan in pain. The morning had come and the sun was out. Raven felt the knowledge like a shock. It was one thing to kill vampires, but these were humans.

"Jade, they're not burning up," Raven was pale, all color gone from her face. With her jet-black hair, it gave her the look of someone deathly ill.

"What are you saying?" Jade asked.

"I think I just killed three people." Raven whispered, "What if Mindy's wrong? What if Claire just ran away with a bunch of kids? I thought I was doing the right thing, but if they're not vampires..."

Jade, ever the practical sister, could see where this was heading and stopped Raven's thought process cold. "Raven. This whole place feels wrong. Shake it off. The windows are covered, and those men didn't come out onto the balcony to be friendly. Did you see the way they looked at us? C'mon."

Shake it off. Raven mused. It's like she's playing a basketball game or something. In a small town, anyone who wanted to play a sport got on the team. Usually in junior high, a large number of kids played only to discover it wasn't their thing. Raven was going to sign up for volleyball and basketball next year, but only because her friend, Shelly, played, but then Shelly changed her mind for volleyball, so Raven did, too.

Raven scrambled up. She said, "Let's see if they have any real vampires."

Air built herself up inside the house pressing more of herself in tighter and tighter. Air was large, but she had super squeezing capacity. She squeezed into the house until she felt uncomfortable. She almost came out early, but Raven encouraged her to stay. Keep going. Air layered in upon herself until she was unbearably uncomfortable.

Please, I have to get out.

Raven said, "I understand. Come out all at once with all of your power."

Air's escape hit the house like a bomb.

Panes of glass blew out of the house all at once with a large boom. Where plywood had been nailed to the windows, it was ripped out. From inside the house, Raven heard screams.

There was gunfire. One minute Raven was standing on the lawn with her arms upraised facing the house and the next she was on the ground where Jade had tackled her.

"Are you hit?" Jade asked. She stayed on top of her, even when Raven elbowed her in the side.

"Get off me. We're losing our element of surprise," Raven tried to push Jade off, but her sister was stocky.

"Okay," Jade said, "But don't stand up. They're shooting from the window in the garret."

Jade rolled off as if she'd spent her life getting shot at. She belly-crawled to the porch. Fortunately, it wasn't that far. Raven almost stood up again, but decided that dying to spite her sister probably wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. She followed in Jade's slug-like steps, keeping on her belly, low to the ground. The only problem was the whole freaking yard was covered in glass. Great idea, Jade!

Another shot rang out and hit the dirt not two inches from her side.

"Screw this!" Asking Air to cover them, Raven dove for the porch, passing her sister who was still doing the belly crawl. Jerking the screen door open, Raven threw herself inside.

The porch had been lightened by her fabulous attempt at sunshine warfare. One of the windows still had a huge jagged piece of glass jutting up from the frame. Air's explosion had opened up the house in one shuddering blast. Raven had a knife in one hand and a stake in the other.

The porch was empty. Just her luck, the door to the porch was solid. The only way to see what was on the other side was to walk through. Raven waited for her backup to arrive. Jade was there in another fifteen seconds. As the door jerked open, Raven said, "Took you long enough."

"You're lucky you didn't get yourself killed out there." Jade groused.

"I had a windstorm covering us. Better than crawling through glass," Raven nodded to the door, "You ready for what comes next?"

Jade nodded, "Just stop with the Action Hero antics and let's get Claire."

Raven threw herself through the second door, knife in one hand, stake in the other. She came face to face with a hot surfer guy just the right amount of years older. Raven lifted the stake.

In a flash of speed, the guy tore it out of her hands and chucked it behind him. Raven dove sideways, slicing the knife at his legs, which were rather pasty. When the knife sliced along his skin without any blood beading, Raven knew.

"Vampire!" She yelled to Jade who was coming up behind her.

Ignoring Raven, the surfer vamp grabbed Jade by the throat as he took a long step forward. He smiled and ran his tongue along the two viper teeth vampires were known to have. Myth said the vampires fed on either blood or energy. Feeding on blood was considered second class. Seeing them Jade said, "Oh, so you're a loser vamp who has to feed with his mouth."

His hands wrapped around Jade's neck, cutting off her air as he leaned down to bite her.

Raven wanted to high-five Jade for the dig. Jade, the straight-laced goody-two shoes of the family. Maybe high-stress situations really did bring out the best in people. Raven wasn't about to give the vamp the chance to eat her sister. She dove for the second stake and lifted it high, bringing it down sharply on the vampires back.

He flexed his shoulder, still choking Jade. He taunted Raven, "Oh, are you a woodcarver? Too bad for your sister you're not a better fighter."

Jade's face was purple. Her hands were wrapped around his fingers, trying to pry them off. Raven yanked the stake out of his body and tried again. The stake barely entered his body. Nothing happened. Worse, the vampire seemed to enjoy her helplessness. He laughed at Raven and tightened his grip on Jade.

They were in the parlor. Raven was frustrated. Where was the light? There should have been sunbeams burning the surfer-vamp to a crisp by now. Instead, a single beam of sunlight had gotten through and now created a kind of vampire trip wire across the parlor to the stairway. It was so far from where Jade and the vampire were fighting as to be completely useless.

The vampires had added security measures in the house. For all the coolness of tearing them out of the house, the blasted-out windows didn't leave the vampires defenseless. The house was still too dark. Jade was running out of time. Her eyes bulged out as she frantically tried to breathe.

Raven didn't know what kind of knife she'd pulled from the van. It was large and sharp. With a cry of rage, she lifted it with both hands the way she would lift an axe. With every atom of her being, Raven funneled her anger into downward motion. The knife skinned the vampire from shoulder to elbow. It bit deep into muscle and bone and then caught at his elbow, stuck in the bone. Raven tried to pull it out, but it was lodged tight.

He struck with a vengeance, his teeth popping into Jade's neck with an audible sound. Blood ran down the side of her neck.

Crying out, Raven released the knife. Taking three steps back, she threw herself against the vampire and Jade, using the entirety of her body weight to knock them over. Jade fell limply to the ground. Raven had taken care that the knife wouldn't hurt Jade but she feared that the vampire's choke hold had already killed her.

Raven went for the knife again. The vampire beat her to it. With one swift motion, he pulled the knife free. Skin and muscle flapped back and forth on his arm. The vampire was bloodless. The surge of blood Raven expected never came.

Time stopped.

Seeing the vampire with the knife, Raven froze. He was on top of Jade. She tried to think of what to do, how to save her sister. He was so close. One sharp slice and Jade would be dead. Raven cried out to Air, asking for help. Air did what she could. The tornado blasted into the vampire.

Raven had to stop the vampire and get to her sister. Sisters. Claire was still there. She realized then that they weren't alone. Three more vampires were hanging back, just out of sight of the parlor, watching.

Yelling at them Raven said, "What are you afraid of? You soul-sucking brainless corpses!"

Jade had to be alive. She had to. How long had it been since the fight started? How long had that vampire's hands been wrapped around Jade's throat. Air wasn't keeping the vampire from Jade. He had grabbed Jade with one hand in the tornado and fed from her even as they circled in the wind. In the other hand, he still held the knife.

When Air stopped circling, Raven yelled, "That can't be it. Get in there and do your thing."

It was the one time, the only time, she had ever yelled at Air. She could feel the hurt coming from her Element. Air was as confused as Raven. The creature was strong and buffeting him about was just wasting time.

Raven gasped when the vampire lifted the knife in a single swift motion, Jade unconscious in his arms. She closed her eyes. She wasn't proud of herself for it, but she couldn't witness the horror of what he was planning to do with the knife.

Cringing, Raven thought she would hear the final drop of the knife. When she opened her eyes, she realized that the vampire had cut his own throat. Blood was falling into Jade's mouth.

Air spiraled in the parlor. "Stop him. You have to stop him."

It was then that Raven saw the antique mirror hanging next to the fire place. She grabbed a vase and smashed the mirror. It sprayed glass into her hair and eyes. Blinking, Raven grabbed the largest shard of glass, cutting herself on the edge.

Take two. Air shouted.

Raven picked up another shard, blood running between her fingers. The vampires in hiding smelled the blood and stirred from their hiding place.

She ran for the stray sunbeam.

Aloud, Raven said, "Help me, Air. I don't have much time."

She felt the presence of Air in her mind, in her heart, in her soul, a gentle presence, not a fighter, not really. That surprised Raven. After all their time together to know that Air was a pacifist when Raven was a fighter. Why would Air choose her?

Because you intrigue me. That was Air's answer.

Air knew sunlight and the bending of sunlight. She understood prisms and flashes and all things bright. She died a thousand deaths in fetid tombs, choking on dust and dead things, but outside in the Universe, Air was best friends with Light. Air showed Raven how to place the mirrors. She needed both, just as Air knew she would.

The beams burned right onto the head of the vampire dribbling blood onto Jade's lips. Air swirled around the room. The vampire's head caught fire in a whoosh, the way propane on a gas stove suddenly catches.

Air warned Raven of another vampire and showed her a new placement for the mirrors. Raven followed her guidance and the beam of sunlight shot through this vampire's neck. One more vampire, again drawn by the smell of Raven's blood poked its head around the corner. Air had already given her warning, and Raven was ready with her arrow of light.

It was over. The last vampire in the room had turned to dust. Raven stumbled to Jade's side, terrified of what she would find. Raven grabbed a doily from one of the tables and held it to Jade's neck. "Jade? Jade? Talk to me."

Jade opened her eyes with a groan. She whimpered and tried to spit out the vampire blood. Air kept watch while Raven knelt at Jade's side. "Are you okay? What can I do?"

Jade spit out more vampire blood. Her own blood was soaking into the doily. She groaned, "Find Claire. Hurry. I can feel them. There are dozens."

Raven left the stakes behind, but decided the shards and knife would be useful. She didn't even want to think about the repercussions of Jade drinking vampire blood and suddenly knowing that the vampires were all around, but it was all Raven could think of as she took the stairs two at a time. 
Chapter 8

~~ Claire ~~

Claire struggled to open her eyes. She heard the fighting downstairs. Raven screamed once. It was a pained, angry scream, one that made Claire want to get up, fight to get up. But she couldn't.

Gladys smoothed her own hair, now restored to a youthful shine and said, "Beddy-bye time. Tasha, finish her quickly and find me in the panic room. The drug we used has an aftertaste, and her sisters are closing in."

Gladys left the room, moving down the hall and to a back staircase. Claire heard her footsteps retreating and then a door closing.

Tasha put a hand on Claire's head and drank in her essence. Claire's heart beat slowed. She gasped for each breath. The worst part was seeing Tasha's fevered excitement and knowing that her joy was because she felt Claire dying.

Claire could see it. Tasha enjoyed the kill. The world spun. Claire knew that if she closed her eyes, she would die. It took every ounce of her strength to keep them open, even just a sliver. Finally, she couldn't hold them open anymore, and her eyes slid closed.

In the distance a door slammed open. The drugs had affected Claire so much that the distant door she had heard was really just a few feet away. Claire heard Raven's voice, "Get your hands off my sister, Fangs."

The sound was so distant, like a voice under water. Claire wanted to open her eyes. She just couldn't.

A cyclone burst through the room.

Claire opened her eyes long enough to see Raven stab Tasha through the heart with a knife. It didn't do anything but buy time. Air tore down the curtains that had been nailed to the walls and flipped the foil back. Sunlight pierced the gloom and Tasha caught fire, burning up in a single fevered scream.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven sank onto the bed, blood dripping from her fingers. She dropped the glass, "Claire?"

Claire mumbled, "Drugged."

Raven wanted to cry. She and Jade together could drag Claire out of there, but she didn't have the strength to carry one sister, let alone two out of the house. Air loved Raven and would hold her up against the force of gravity, but she couldn't be trusted with Claire, not if the practice sessions were any indication.

Raven decided the first step was to get her sisters to the iron gate. At least Claire wasn't fully grown yet. Raven could reasonably expect to get her safely out. She grabbed one of the pillows and pulled it out of the pillow-case, wrapping it around her fingers to stop the bleeding. Using a fireman's carry, she heaved Claire over her shoulder with a grunt.

"No sister should have to do this," Raven grumbled under her breath.

"Jade." Claire said. Claire realized that she sounded like Mindy. Then she realized that she was slobbering on Raven's awesome leather jacket and started giggling.

Punctuating the words, Raven said, "Stop. Laughing. Stairs."

Which also sounded like Mindy, making Claire laugh even harder.

Raven didn't bother with another verbal response, but in her head she threatened to leave Claire on the stairwell. As it was, she tripped at the bottom of the stairs, but held it together long enough to retain her balance.

She stopped long enough to check on Jade. Jade was still on her back, staring at the ceiling. For a moment Raven was terrified that her eldest sister was dead. Then Jade moved her head slightly. In slurred words, she said, "Get Claire out."

"Don't boss me around," Raven said, and then followed Jade's instructions, which were exactly what she was going to do anyway. Air helped with the doors. The sun was bright in the sky. It had to be past noon. It felt like they'd just arrived at the compound, but Raven realized they must have spent a lot more time scouting than she thought.

She dropped Claire at the gate, hoping that Air had cushioned the fall. It wasn't that easy to lug a person down a flight of stairs and across the lawn. Raven hurried back to the house. Jade was still there, staring at the ceiling. "Jade? Can you move? I'm not sure I can carry you," Raven said.

"I'll try."

The sisters stumbled out the door and down the stairs like drunks. Jade banged her shins against a post and Raven caught an elbow on the door. Raven kept expecting another attack, but the vampires were quiet.

Jade held her hands over her eyes the whole way across the lawn. When they finally reached Claire, Raven decided they should keep going while Jade was still standing. As they stumbled past Claire, Raven said, "I'm taking Jade to the van. I'll come back for you. Don't go anywhere."

Getting Jade through the fence was tricky. They both managed to roll under the gate. Once again, Jade lay still, staring up at the blue sky and not quite all there. The only difference was that she squinted her eyes until they were nearly closed. Raven tugged on her, "Jade, get up."

Jade ignored her.

Raven couldn't very well kick her sister, even though she wanted to. She poked Jade again, "Jade, we've got to go before it gets dark. I know that seems like a long time from now, but I have a lot to do."

Raven tugged until Jade blinked and then let herself be pulled up. Raven cursed the idea of parking the van around the corner and down the road. Their stumbling walk seemed to take forever. When they finally reached the van, Raven felt immediately guilty.

Mindy curled up in the passenger seat holding her teddy bear and sucking her thumb. Great babysitting skills, leaving Mindy to fend for herself at the edge of a vampire nest. Mindy pushed open the door and climbed down, thumb still in mouth, teddy bear still in arms. When she saw the blood on Jade's neck, she started to whimper.

"Mindy, are you okay? I need you to be brave for Jade, now." Raven said gently. She wasn't the best of sisters. Jade was the one who loved Mindy the way she needed to be loved, without selfish thoughts of playing on the phone or reading when Mindy needed her to be present.

Nodding, Mindy took her thumb out of her mouth. Raven thought she was going to say something, but instead she pointed to Jade and then the road they'd come from.

"I don't know what you're saying, Mindy, but Jade was hurt there and I need to get Claire." Raven nudged Jade up. "Jade, I can't get you into the seat by myself. C'mon, you have to help."

Jade groaned. It came out a bare hum. With one hand wrapped around the seatbelt and one on the dash to steady herself. Jade took the first step up, teetering as if she might fall right back again. Raven was about to push her in when Jade leaned forward and turned, half-sliding, half-falling into the seat. Raven asked, "Mindy, I need to go back for Claire. Can you watch Jade for me?"

Mindy nodded. Raven was about to open the sliding door for Mindy, but Mindy climbed over Jade's legs on the passenger side and squirmed between the chairs to go to the back of the van. When she was safely settled, Raven closed the door.

Jade was in no condition to drive. Raven had just gotten her learner's permit. She felt a sudden sinking feeling. The mantle of responsibility had fallen on her shoulders. She was responsible for getting her sisters away from the vampires, for the whole escape.

Raven hurried to the back of the van. She found the first aid kit and used real bandages on the slice across her fingers. In Mom's emergency supplies, she found a small axe, starter fluid, a flashlight, and matches. She had dropped the broken mirror shards in the house, unable to carry them and Jade. Now she wished she had them. She dumped a duffel bag filled with beach towels and clothes and put her finds inside. Hefting the bag, she shut the door.

"Mindy, I'll just be gone a little while longer, okay?" Raven asked.

"Yes." Mindy said.

Raven's sneakers crunched on the gravel road. She realized that if she really wanted to fit the part of a hot vampire snack, she should have worn high heels with the leather skirt and jacket. Too late now. Plus no one can run in heels. Besides she was none too lady-like in the skirt.

Jogging along the road to the gate, Raven did the roll under, feeling like a pro now that she'd done it so often. Claire was sitting up on the grass, as pale as a first snow, with dark smudges under her eyes. She looked so haunted that Raven knelt on the grass next to her and gave her a sideways hug.

"Can you last here for just a little while longer?" Raven asked.

Claire leaned her head on her sister's shoulder, "What are you going to do?"

"Break open the sheds. Burn the main house. I should have enough daylight." Raven said and unzipped the duffel bag to show Claire.

"There are people in the house. Real people. The vampires keep them drugged," Claire said, looked at the lighter fluid Raven.

"We've got to get out of here before darkness falls," Raven said. "I'll do what I can in the next few hours.

Feeling wobbly, Claire pushed herself up, "Let me help. The worst of the vampires are kept locked in the sheds. They can't talk and the other vampires keep people chained up in there as food. If we can cut the locks on the door, maybe we can let enough light in to kill them."

The first shed was the hardest. After forcing the door open, they realized that the sunlight didn't penetrate all the way. Raven swept the shed with the flashlight, shuddering when the beam landed on the half-eaten remains of a teenager. She jumped when the light found the vampire, a dirty foul thing that moved in the dark like a beast. Claire clutched her arm, her breath hot on Raven's neck. Raven's first inclination was to shake her sister off. Claire's version of personal space was a bit closer than Raven's. Feeling Raven tense, Claire moved back.

The smell was a wall of putridness. Raven felt her insides roiling. She was holding the axe in one hand, flashlight in the other. She said, "Watch the door. I'm going to try something."

The sheds weren't huge. She thought she could gauge the distance of the vampire. About halfway down the shed, she stopped and lifted the axe. The blade bit into the old wood. She swung at the outside of the shed over and again until she had created a large enough hole. The sunlight hit its mark and the vampire howled.

Raven ran back to Claire, "Is it dead?"

"You told me to watch the door. I'm not going in there." Claire sounded affronted in the way only a younger sibling could be.

Grabbing the flashlight out of Claire's hands, Raven stepped forward. Sweeping the inside of the shed with the light, Raven knew that sunlight had done the job. "Okay, let's do the next one."

"Wait. Aren't we going to burn these?" Claire carried the duffel bag. Clearly she'd taken a peek.

The stench of the shed and the feeling that she was filthy beyond redemption made Raven irritable. Her first thought was to snap at her sister, but instead she took a deep breath and with slow words that were more annoying to Claire than a snap said, "That's for the house."

"You can't set the house on fire. There are people in there," Claire thought of the dozens of couches, each one with a person, not a vampire, but a human being.

"And what? Let them die here as vampire food? It's euthanasia. They're already dead anyway. We're just making sure the vampires die too." Raven kicked the door.

Claire's eyes grew round, and in their depths Raven could see a bitter disappointment, as if Claire had been hero-worshipping her from afar. "You can't do that."

"I've got a job to do." Raven stepped past Claire, feeling such a sense of guilt and terror and disgust. It was wrong. She knew deep in her heart of hearts that sacrificing the people in that house to kill the vampires was wrong. She just didn't see how they could get them all out, kill the vampires, and escape safely. She was in way over her head. They all were.

"But they're kids like me," Claire followed Raven like a little puppy. They shared the same look, black hair with vivid eyes. But Claire's hair was messy, her jeans and shirt filthy. She was the walking poster child for a cautionary tale against running away.

Raven ignored her, stopping at the next shed with axe in hand. Claire would never win an argument with Raven. She was too stubborn. Throwing the duffel bag down next to Raven, she said, "You keep going here. I'll get them out."

When Claire stormed off, Raven thought of telling her that she'd changed her mind, that she wasn't really going to set the house on fire. She felt completely stuck. What was the most right thing to do? Leave the people to be eaten by vampires or kill them all in fire? Or Claire's third option...rescue them all.

It was ambitious, but Claire was like that. Before Claire got to the house, Raven called out to her, "Claire!"

Claire turned around. Raven said, "Help me here, and I'll help you get everyone out."

Claire ran back to Raven, relief clearly stamped across her face. Working as a team, they cleared the sheds. Five people were rescued from the sheds. They were as filthy as Claire and scared out of their minds, but with a rescue squad, Claire's idea might work.

Raven assembled the small group of men and women. She spoke with solemn authority, "We work in pairs and clear the rooms one at a time. I'll fire the house before the sun goes down."

~~ Claire ~~

Claire didn't feel well. She was exhausted and scared. A whole host of other emotions flickered through her soul like fireflies dancing through the sky at twilight. She wanted to go back to the grass where Raven had left her before and just relax until Raven was finished.

Something in Raven's cold-heartedness scared Claire. She didn't know anyone could be capable of such ruthlessness. Burning people in the house amounted to killing someone who was in the way. Couldn't Raven see that? She was the older sister. She was supposed to do the right thing. She was supposed to be an example for Claire.

She followed Raven to the big house. The sun was further along in the sky than anyone was comfortable with. Raven gave some final instructions before kicking the porch door in, "If you see the opportunity to make a hole in the house, do it."

The three guys, eager to show off for the hot chick in the leather mini, were right up the steps with Raven, ready to save some people and kick some vampire butts. Claire, even though it had been her idea, felt terrified.

When a vampire drank—the soul-sucking vampires, not the blood-sucking ones—it was a shocking experience. Worse than finding out your Dad had died in a fire. Worse than watching your sister repeat the same things over and over again when you know that's not what a seven-year old does. It was like standing at the edge of a twenty-story building and seeing people and cars move in the distance and itching at the back of your shoulder blades because there is a person behind you ready to push you off. Claire could feel the anger in Gladys when she drank, the joy in Tasha when she was going to kill Claire with a last sip.

Claire was frightened.

She didn't want to go into the house.

Raven was inside.

Rescuing the people before setting the house on fire was her idea.

God, please help me.

Tears filled Claire's eyes. She couldn't. She couldn't do it. She took a deep breath. She looked away from the porch where the two men now entered. That was when she saw the three mannequins...no they weren't. She had to stop pretending. They were people. Vampires would have disintegrated into dust. They were all dead. The last one had dragged himself toward the house, through the dirt. He had made it quite a way, too.

Claire knew then why Raven didn't care. She was broken. She had already killed. Claire wondered why Raven didn't have the thousand-yard stare yet. The serial killer stare, the glassy-eyed stare. The stare that said, 'I am a killer'

And then...I can't leave her alone in there. Not with those monsters.

Claire ran to the porch, passing the three girls huddled at the door, afraid to go in, afraid to stay out. "Come on. We need to get everyone out."

They worked hard and in pairs, dragging out people so drugged that they didn't wake up when they were dropped on the grass. Once Claire grabbed the wrists of an elderly woman, Claire gave a squeak of distress and dropped the wrinkled arm. The woman's arm was cold...dead.

Jade arrived at the house sometime in the middle of the rescue operation, holding Mindy's hand and looking fragile. Claire gave her the summary of what was going on. She said, "Just stay here. We're almost done. You don't have to go back in there."

Claire started toward the house and then seeing Mindy holding her teddy bear and sucking her thumb wanted nothing more to pull her into her arms and tell her how sorry she was for everything. Claire was filthy, covered in stink.

Instead she said, "I'm so sorry, Mindy. I'm sorry for everything. I'll make it up to you."

With wise eyes, wiser than the shell of a body that never seemed to work right, Mindy said, "I love you, Claire."

Claire felt released, forgiven, cleansed. She said, "I love you, too, Min-Min."

She smiled.

Even with all of the horror surrounding her, she felt lighter.
Chapter 9

~~ Raven ~~

The attic was the most terrifying place Raven had ever seen—and that counted the horror movies she had watched. Some of the people there were still alive, barely...but they had been ravaged. What made it so mind-numbingly scary was that the attic itself was clean. As if the vampires were fastidious housekeepers, the bodies were hoisted above plastic and sheets. Two huge bins were placed conveniently near the worst of the carnage with the words, "Dirty laundry" written in bold marker across the plastic.

For all their care, one of the vampires had gotten careless and a blood splatter stained one of the signs. Raven's partner stepped back, "I think everyone in here is dead."

As if to refute the man's words, one of the vampires' prisoners moaned. He was lying on a brown wooden table, a sturdy hand-made table that must have been made in the age before veneer and plastic. He had been splayed out like an experiment.

"Help me," the hoarse request was filled with so much helplessness, so much terror that Raven wanted to run and leave everything, everyone except her sisters to fend for themselves.

She exchanged a glance with her partner. It was the first time she had really looked at him. He was older, probably a college kid. His hair was buzzed on the sides with a regular cut in the middle. Not exactly a faux-hawk cut, but close, as if he didn't quite want to commit. He shook his head, ever so slightly.

Raven thought of Claire's eyes brimming with disappointment. She wouldn't leave a living human being here for the vampires to torture, especially if the rest of their harem had been taken away. Before she could second-guess herself, Raven quickly reached for the first rope, tied around the guy's leg. She almost set the axe down to untie the knots, but relinquishing her only weapon in this place, even for a moment, seemed like a bad idea. Using the axe seemed equally unsafe.

"Do you have a knife that can cut through these?" Raven turned her head. When she saw the look of horror and surprise suddenly cross her partner's face, she knew something bad was going to happen to her. She threw herself forward.

The vampire was faster. Grabbing her foot he pulled back. Falling, Raven hit her forehead against the wooden floor. Stars swam across her vision. She heard the sounds of footsteps running away. Her partner was abandoning her to the vampire. The vampire pulled her away from the wall. Raven tried to hold herself up with her hands to keep her face from striking the floor as she was dragged back.

Between one moment and the next, the creature was on top of her, pushing her hair out of the way. She was facedown, staring at the floor and wondering when the vampire was going to strike. She remembered Jade. That was what came next. She couldn't let it.

Raven reared her head back, crunching the vampire's nose with the back of her head. Sharp pains shot down the back of her neck, but she crawled out of the way, lugging her axe with her. As she turned to face the vampire she said, "I think that hurt me more than it hurt you."

The vampire wasn't much of a talker. Now that she could see the vampire, Raven was certain that she hadn't hurt him at all. So far the only way she had successfully killed the buggers was through sunlight. She didn't have the stake-through-the-heart method down, yet.

Since she didn't have a stake, now wasn't the time to try a new method. Raven asked Air for help. She didn't know exactly what to ask for. The attic wasn't one of those pleasant farmhouse ones with windows.

The vampire lunged for her. Vampires are predators. As all predators do, they strike with speed and agility. Raven swung the axe forward hoping to catch the vampire in a vital part. Somehow he danced right around her swing and was inside it before she knew what had happened. He grabbed her axe and threw it behind him where it skittered to a stop under the wheel of a rusted out bicycle.

Raven crawled backwards even as the vampire lunged forward. She hated the feeling of the cold body on top of hers, the smell of the grave in her nostrils. If she were going to die, she wanted it to be in a field with the smell of roses all around and a gentle breeze blowing across her face. His teeth extended.

Air tossed dust in his face pushing with all her strength against him. Air was great in a large field with lots of room to move, but the attic blocked her strength. Raven stared into the vampire's eyes. They were empty. He had such a soulless expression that she wondered why he would even bother to kill her.

The door burst open. Claire rushed into the attic with a stake in each hand. The vampire leapt from Raven with an elegance that looked like flying. It was disturbing, to say the least. He grabbed Claire's hand, digging his nails into her palm until she dropped the stake. Raven crept closer, snatching the stake and hoping she didn't get stepped on.

Claire swung the other stake forward, aiming for the center of his ribs. He gracefully sidestepped the swing, tearing the stake out of her hands. The vampire grabbed Claire's throat. Everything moved in slow motion.

Air created a distraction, not enough to free Claire, but a distraction nonetheless. It masked the sounds of Raven's movements. She lifted the stake and plunged it into his back and into his heart, putting all of her weight into the strike.

This time when the vampire went poof, Claire and Raven were both standing too close for comfort. Covered in dust, Raven coughed, "Eww. Ugh. Gross. I have vampire on my tongue."

Claire couldn't help it. She started giggling. Raven grabbed her shoulder and hugged her over the pile of vampire dust, "Thanks, Claire. You saved my life."

"You saved mine first," Claire felt warm joy flood her being. She was loved.

"Then we're even. Last room. Let's get this guy and get out," Raven stepped over the pile of dust. She felt dirty. The dust she'd breathed tasted like dog poop smelled.

Together they removed the ropes, "He's in bad shape," Raven said.

"I know," Claire said, "Raven, we have to leave some of them behind. They won't all fit in the van. How do we know we'll kill all the vampires with the fire?"

They heaved the guy off the table. He was heavy. He screamed in pain when they moved him. Claire looked ill. As they walked out of the attic hefting the guy between them, Raven said, "We don't. We'll drive out with the most conscious people and drop them in the nearest town. As soon as we have cell service, we'll call 9-1-1 and get someone up here. I think the police and fire fighters will be safe enough once we burn the house down."

They carried the man down the stairs and through the hall. Raven's so-called partner who had abandoned her was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He took over for Claire. He looked guilty. Raven thought it fitting since he'd abandoned her to a certain death. Jerk.

The lawn looked like the side of a swimming pool with people lying out as if catching sun, except none of them wore bikinis and they were much too pale.

Raven proceeded with her plan to burn the house down, or at least got a roaring fire going. She could only hope that it would become an inferno before anyone they called arrived.

"You know this is arson, right?" Jade asked.

"You know that those vampires almost killed us, right?" Raven retorted. Having an angelic sister could be a major pain. Jade could definitely use a walk on the wild side.

Jade bit her lip, "Yeah, I know."

"Look. I'm the only one who will set the fire. You can say you didn't have anything to do with it," Raven was determined. Those vampires were not going to wake up to a nice cozy house, especially if dinner was unconscious in the yard.

"No. I'll do it," Jade opened her hand as if she expected Raven to just hand over the starter fluid and trigger lighter.

Raven held one finger in the air, "No. I am seriously going to burn this house down. You can help if you want, but I'm the one who is firing it."

"You're going to end up in juvie if you keep this kind of stuff up," Jade teased. When Raven looked like she was going to start a hissy fit, Jade said, "Kidding. I'm kidding. I've got everything ready to go. Let's get moving. I want to put some distance between us and those blood-suckers before sundown."

Raven was impressed. Jade had laid out several bundles of kindling in strategic places. They worked quickly until the fires had a good start.

The sisters slipped under the fence so weary they could barely move. Of the three, Mindy was in the best shape. Surprisingly quiet, she sucked her thumb and followed Jade and stared at the extra passengers they'd picked up. Raven couldn't wait to get rid of them.

The sooner they drove away, the sooner she could forget. Even though Raven wasn't really legal, she drove down the mountain. Jade was too wiped out from everything that happened, and Raven wasn't about to let a stranger from a vampire compound drive Mom's van.

The minute they had cell service, one of the guys with a cell phone called the cops, the ambulances, and the fire trucks, leaving out any mention of vampires. He explained it as a cult compound that had been set on fire, gave the address and then hung up. Not that the sisters didn't have their own phones, but they were on the run, and having the police trace their call wouldn't be the best idea ever.

The goodbyes were brief, but heartfelt. The sisters were finally alone. They found a rest stop where Raven called Bertha. When Bertha picked up the phone, she was half-asleep, even though it was only eight o'clock in the evening in Denver. Raven didn't know where to start.

"Aunt Bertha?" Raven leaned her head against the seat. Her sisters were all out stretching their legs on the little park next to the rest rooms.

"I knew there was trouble. Felt it in my elbow," Bertha's voice was comforting in a way that surprised Raven. Bertha usually dealt with Mindy, but in that moment, there was no one else on earth that Raven would rather talk to.

"Someone grabbed Mom. I think it was a Death Keeper. He disappeared with her. One minute they were standing there and the next gone. Did Mom tell you we were on the run? Some creepy guy was watching the house." Raven spilled the story in fits and starts, answering Bertha's many questions.

Bertha said, "I'll take the first flight out tomorrow. I'll rent a car and meet you girls and we'll figure things out. In the meantime, don't use your powers for anything. With my sister gone, the wards must have broken."

"It's probably too late. The Elements have helped us quite a bit today. What does having broken wards mean?" Raven watched from the car as Mindy and Claire chatted up some old lady and her two terriers. They really just wanted to pet the dogs. Jade had found a bench under a shade tree.

"Anyone looking for it knows exactly where you are. No more Elements. Not until we get that ward back in place." Bertha lowered her voice, "Raven, I know you girls are in a tight spot. Just move as far and as fast as you can and let your Elements rest. You'd better get back on the road, and I need to get packed."

"Are you okay, Aunt Bertha?" Raven wondered if Aunt Bertha ever regretted coming to stay with the family. She'd been with them since the year after her Dad died. She and her sister had lived together in Colorado, while the third sister, Raven's grandmother, lived in Eatonville, Washington. She was closely tied to Earth and had a great love for Mount Rainier until her death fifteen years before.

Bertha was quiet for a moment and then said, "Just getting old, Love."

"Don't talk like that," Raven sometimes resented having to share rooms with their sisters, maybe more so than Jade or Mindy, but she loved her aunt. She'd already lost her father. She didn't want to lose anyone else.

"It's true. Now gather your sisters and get back on the road. If you've been using the Elements, you need to put down some miles," Aunt Bertha said. She and Raven said their goodbyes, and Raven promised to be good.

Raven couldn't wait for a real shower. Using a towel and sink just didn't make for refreshing cleanliness. No matter how much she scrubbed, she could still smell vampire. She changed out of her leather skirt, a little disappointed by the outcome. Somehow she thought she'd be more awesome if she fought in hot clothes. Turned out to be blasted uncomfortable and didn't stop the vampires from trying to turn her into a Slurpee.

Raven pulled onto the highway. She felt lost. Jade and Claire were already asleep or pretending to be. Mindy stared out the window, curled up with her teddy bear.

The sun was just now deepening to twilight. Raven grinned proudly when she remembered to turn on her headlights.  I'm getting better at this driving thing, she thought. Raven turned a blind corner to find a shadowy figure standing in the center of the road.

Slamming on the brakes, Raven knew without a doubt that she was going to hit the man.
Chapter 10

~~ Jade ~~

Jade was hungry. Her head ached. Even her eyes hurt. She felt feverish.

Although she was awake, she closed her eyes and let Raven do pretty much whatever she wanted with the van. Mom would have a fit...if they ever rescued her. Jade was too tired to think about how to get Mom back.

The brakes squealed and the van swerved back and forth as Raven attempted to swerve without going off the road. Jade opened her eyes to see a shadow in the road, what looked like a tall man in a trench coat. She screamed.

Jade squeezed her eyes shut, dreading the thump.

It never came.

Raven gasped as they screeched to a halt, "What the...?"

Opening her eyes, Jade saw blacktop and the headlights pointing into the trees. There was no one there. Mindy started to scream, her voice rising as she struggled to get out of her seatbelt.

Jade unhooked her belt, "It's okay Mindy. We just..."

But it wasn't okay.

Because there was a man standing in the van, right next to Mindy. He was semi-transparent, as if the van had gone over him and stopped just where he was standing. Jade felt like screaming when she looked at his face. It was a mass of scars, as if it had melted.

He reached for Mindy. Jade thought she heard him whisper, "You're in danger."

Jade climbed over the seat and threw herself between the man and her sister. She yelled to Raven, "Go. Get us out of here."

Once she had seen the weird ghostly thing in the van, Raven froze. Now she started the van up again, put it into reverse to get straight on the road, and squealing the tires, drove off. Jade fell, hitting her chin against the arm of the seat.

Claire reached out a hand to steady her sister. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she said, "Sit down."

Jade looked around, "Is it gone?"

Mindy said, "No. He's here with us."

As Raven accelerated, Jade yelled into the darkness, "What do you want? Show yourself."

Claire grabbed Jade's hand, "Jade, stop."

"What?"

"I don't think we want to know what he wants. Mindy's afraid of him," Claire covered her eyes when they screeched around a corner halfway into the other lane. Raven was a terrible driver.

Mindy shook her head, "Not scared."

Muttering under her breath, Claire said, "Well, that's a first."

Jade held up her hands, "Okay, guys. That's enough."

As the sun sank below the horizon, she felt a burning sensation work its way from her neck, spreading out to hands. Jade swallowed hard.

"Raven, pull over," Jade watched in horror as her fingernails grew in an instant, sharpening into claws.

Raven snorted, "In case you haven't noticed we're in the middle of nowhere and there aren't any turn-offs."

In a quiet voice, Claire said, "Raven, you need to find a place to stop."

When Jade saw the fear in Claire's eyes, she felt guilty. She reached out her hand to touch Claire's arm. Claire flinched and pulled away. Jade pulled her hand back, holding it as if she were injured.

Jade said, "I'm sorry, Claire."

Claire shrank away from Jade, unable to reconcile the fangs and teeth with the sister she knew. She said, "Me, too. Are you going to kill us?"

Jade's first impulse was to be insulted, to say, no, of course not. But she realized that changes were happening to her, things that she might not have control over. She said, "I'll try not to. I don't know what's happening to me."

Her gums hurt, aching as if she'd gotten a piece of popcorn wedged up between her teeth. She ran her tongue along the edge. She was growing fangs.

Mindy said, "Vampire."

Claire tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. Sometimes she just couldn't help being a smart aleck. Without realizing how bossy she sounded, she said, "Even Mindy knows what's happening to you."

Raven caught Jade's latest change in the rear view mirror. She accelerated for a few seconds and then realized she'd have to actually drive slower if she was going to find a place to turn off in the dark.

When no one spoke for several minutes, Raven said, "Well, this is awkward."

"What should I do?" Jade rarely asked her sisters for advice, especially Raven whose behavior wasn't always something Jade agreed with or would emulate.

Raven said, "For starters, keep your teeth to yourself." It was one of those honest jests, on the border between offensive and completely spot-on.

Licking a fang with her tongue, Jade's mind made the leap from disbelief to belief. She was a vampire. She sat back, shocked. "Raven?"

"Uh-huh?" Raven asked as she turned down a gravel road lined on either side with trees. She found a nice wide space for parking next to a creek that fishermen used and parked there.

"Is this permanent?" Jade felt sick to her stomach. The churning worry that she had become a monster ate at her from the inside out. She could actually see the blood pumping through her sister's bodies, as if she had some weird infrared goggles that could image blood instead of heat. The worst was that the blood smelled like food, like a cheeseburger or maybe more like a blackberry pie. It smelled sweet.

Raven didn't have an answer. She didn't even have a guess. With her sister looking like she swapped mouths with a snake, Raven figured the more pertinent question was whether her sister would want to bite them all in the meantime.

She took the coward's way out. Raven said, "We'll call Bertha tomorrow. She will know. You're not hungry or anything, are you? I mean, we'll all survive the night?"

"No." Mindy said from her seat in the window.

They were sitting in the dark in the middle of nowhere. Jade had to admit that Mindy might be right. Although, she hoped that somehow she could fight this strange assault on her body, the hunger built in her stomach and on the back of her tongue like a slow burn. She heard her sisters' hearts beating, felt their blood as if it were her own.

It wasn't fair. She felt betrayed. Her fingers shouldn't look like they belonged on Cat Woman. She didn't even enjoy manicures. Why would she need such long fingernails?

It was at that moment that the shadow reappeared. This time with the van stopped, Claire who was nearest to the van door, unbuckled her seatbelt and dove to get out, pushing the door open as fast and as hard as she could.

The shadow seemed to grab Claire's arm...or at least it wanted to, but its hand went right through her arm.

"No, don't leave," it said.

Claire popped off Mindy's seatbelt. "Come on Min Min. We need to get out."

Mindy shook her head.

Jade closed her eyes. The shadow somehow hurt them. It felt familiar, like she should know it somehow. Her sisters couldn't see how bright he was. Jade hoped her eyes would adjust and opened them again with a squint.

The shadow said, "Un-invite her. Hurry."

Raven and Claire exchanged a glance. Jade could see the debate sparking in silence between the two sisters. They knew exactly what the shadowy figure wanted. Jade wondered what would happen when Raven said the words. It would be Raven. She was the sister most likely to run wild. She wouldn't think twice about throwing Jade out into the cold.

No one was more surprised than Jade when Mindy said the words, "Jade uninvited."

She felt a pressure in the depths of her being, like a terrified hysteria that threatened to unravel her whole body. Jade fought against the feeling, trying her best to stay in the van, to block the stranger from Mindy.

When she glanced at Mindy, Jade lost the battle. Mindy's lower lip quivered, her eyes locked on Jade in terror. Jade fought the intense need to leave the van. This was all a huge mistake. She said, "Mindy, are you afraid of me?"

Mindy nodded.

That was all Jade needed to hear. The fight lost, she scrambled for the van door, wrenching it open as she fell onto the gravel. The night was cold and clear. The sound of the water from the creek chuckled in the distance, laughing its way down the mountainside while Jade stood outside the van, feeling alone.

Mindy's face was pressed to the window. She was watching Jade. Jade raised her hand. Mindy didn't wave back.

Another wave of changes hit and Jade collapsed with a cry. She felt as if someone had electrocuted her. Her body convulsed. Jade opened her eyes and found that she was watching herself from a distance. She could see the shadow standing in the middle of the van, a strange flickering light, and she knew it to be a disembodied soul, just like herself.

From her vantage point, she could see her own body. It was hers, but something had taken it from her, another being controlled it now, and she watched while the beast in her body circled the van, trying to find a way in. As she floated in the trees, Jade knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that if her sisters opened that van door, that creature who took her place would rip them out of the car and devour them.

Jade had never found her place among the elements. She searched for Air, Water, Earth, and Fire, but none answered.

She cried out, "Please help me! Tell me what to do."

No one answered.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven hardly knew what to think when Jade pushed her way outside, fangs bared with a low growl in her throat. Did Jade even know she was making a sound? What bothered Raven the most was the sad look in Jade's eyes, at odds with the animal sounds she made as she thrust the door open.

Claire was in the back seat, shrinking away from the shadow still standing in the center of the van. Oddly enough, Mindy was the only sister not frightened by the ghastly figure.

Raven sat in the driver's seat and wondered what to do next. The engine was still running and the headlights on. Raven turned off the van. She couldn't very well leave Jade alone in the woods, vampire or not.

A banging on the driver's side door startled Raven. From the back, Claire screamed. Raven shot out of her seat, but she was still wearing her seatbelt. She scrambled to take it off. A dark face pressed against the window. Raven could hardly see in the dark, but she knew it was Jade.

Jade's voice was a howl, "Let me in."

Mindy started crying. She said, "Raven, don't."

The van was dark. Raven listened to Mindy's whimpers, and Claire's fearful moan. Raven was in charge now. She said, "They say that vampires have to be invited. Whatever happens, don't invite Jade in."

The banging on the driver's seat door didn't let up. Neither did Mindy's crying. Raven couldn't see Jade clearly, only her shadow. She fought with her seatbelt. When it came clear, she grabbed the keys out of the ignition and shoved them in her jacket pocket.

She climbed over the console. Somehow sitting in that seat while Jade was on the other side of the door was just too scary. Raven released Mindy's seatbelt, "Climb into the back seat with Claire."

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when such an invitation would have triggered a series of complaints and snide remarks from Claire. She held her arms open and Mindy nestled in next to her. Claire said, "It's okay, Mindy. It'll be okay."

Raven leaned over the seat to grab the suitcases and duffel bags in the back. She started pulling things out. There were three full-sized fleece blankets in the back. Mom was big on emergency kits. Now Raven understood why. She wondered if her parents had known about monsters. All those years and no one thought to mention that vampires were real.

"Raven?"

Mindy's voice was small. Raven hated the sudden weight of responsibility.

"Yes, Mindy?" Raven tried to be calm, to speak without the frantic fear she felt.

"Jade." Mindy's finger pointed to the window. Raven couldn't see anything outside. The windows outside the van were so dark.

Claire turned on the flashlight and pointed it to the window right next to her head. She screeched when Jade's face appeared, her bloodshot eyes and lips peeled back over inch-long fangs. She was scarier than any vampire they had fought against in the house, maybe because she wore Jade's face. Mindy grabbed Claire's arm, yelling, "Off. Off. Off."

Claire flipped the flashlight off, her whole body shaking as she said, "I'm sorry. You're right. It's off."

Raven pulled out the blankets, dragging them into the seat. Now Claire and Mindy were hunched together in the middle of the backseat, not wanting to get too close to the window.

Raven's heart rapped against her ribs in a staccato tempo that said, "Run. Hurry. Run." She forced herself to close her eyes. There wasn't much difference between the darkness with her eyes open and the darkness with her eyes closed, but she needed to calm down. Her first impulse was to flee. Take the van and leave Jade behind.

Drawing in a deep breath, she said, "If I remember vampire lore right, Jade can't come in. We're in essence living in the car for now, which makes it a dwelling place. We're safe. Let's change into our pajamas and sleep. We'll look for Jade in the morning."

Claire took a shuddering breath, "I'm not sure I can sleep. I think I'll be afraid of Jade for the rest of my life."

Mindy, her body pressed up against Claire's arm and her own arms wrapped tightly around her sister said, "Jade gone."

Claire kept one arm wrapped around her sister's shoulders while she turned the flashlight back on, "I'm actually relieved."

But Jade wasn't gone. Her face hovered just on the other side of the van, waiting, a predator lying in wait, "Mindy, she's still there."

Claire didn't turn off the flashlight right away. Somehow it was easier knowing where the monster was. Mindy stared into Jade's eyes. She shook her head against Claire's arm, "Jade gone."

Raven hated seeing those cold animal eyes coming from her sister's face. Jade didn't look like Jade. She wasn't there anymore. She said, "I think Mindy's right. That's not Jade. Please turn off the flashlight."

Claire flipped it off. She said, "How do we get her back?"

Raven didn't have an answer.

This time, Jade howled and pounded against the side of the van. Raven ignored the sound, pulling up Mindy's duffel bag. Ignoring Claire's questions, she said, "Can I see the flashlight for a second?"

Claire hesitated, but handed it over. Raven was grateful. She didn't want to start a sister fight in the middle of this craziness. She found Mindy's pajamas and then handed them and the flashlight to Claire, "Help Mindy change. I'll look for your bag."

"Mom kept another flashlight in the netting behind the driver's seat," Claire said. She jammed the flashlight into the corner of the seat and turned it on. It fell, but the ambient light was strong enough that she could help Mindy change.

"Come on, Mindy. Let's get ready for bed," Claire said.

Raven suddenly remembered the shadow man, "Wait, where did that creepy shadow guy go?"

He had disappeared once Jade was outside the van. Somehow they had forgotten about him when Jade had turned feral. Mindy said, "Gone."

Raven narrowed her eyes, trying to see in the hidden recesses of the van. Seeing a shadow in the shadows that could walk through solid objects wasn't comforting. She hoped he really was gone. Mindy was the one to answer. She pointed outside the van, "Gone."

Of course Mindy said the same about Jade, and whether Jade's soul was there or not, her vampiric body certainly hovered outside ready to attack.

"Do you think he's some creepy perv who will watch us undress?" Claire asked while she helped Mindy out of her t-shirt.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Raven said. She moved to the space behind the driver's seat and sat down, reaching for the net with all of the junk that somehow gets stored in little slots like that. She pulled out a bracelet that Claire had made, a beanie bear, a small book, and a clean handkerchief before finding the tiny pen light.

"He's a good shadow," Claire said, "He was trying to warn us about Jade. That's why Mindy wasn't afraid."

"Maybe," Raven wasn't big on trust.

With the tiny light, she found the last two bags and got their pajamas. Handing Claire a couple of pillows, Raven put a pillow on her own seat. No matter where she was in the van, Raven felt a sharp tension between her shoulder blades. She knew Jade was watching. Claire and Mindy curled up together in the back seat, as close as a pair of baby bunnies. She was in the middle seat. Raven was wearing her pink sweats and a black "Introverts Unite" t-shirt.

The night was endless. Jade stopped pounding on the side of the van, and for a long period it was quiet. Claire and Mindy settled in, their breathing regular. Raven stared out the window, not that she could see anything. The whole world was dark.

Raven's mind flitted back and forth across the dozens of stories she'd read or watched about vampires. They all had something to say about the killing of vampires...garlic, stakes, beheadings, sunlight. Not a one said anything about how to reverse vampirism. She stared into the darkness and wondered if she had lost her sister forever.
Chapter 11

~~ Mindy ~~

Jade was in the air. Mindy felt her floating above the van, but even asleep, Mindy couldn't talk to her sister. An animal had moved into Jade's body. It was an evil thing. Mindy might not have the proper words, but she knew. She knew.

The shadow was gone, but he had left instructions. Mindy had to find a way to tell her sisters. Jade needed to come down from the sky. She needed help from her Element, but Jade didn't have an Element. At least, not that Mindy had ever seen. The shadow man seemed to think she did. Mindy had to find her Element and bring her back. Not just the Element, though.

The Death Keepers had bottles that held the secrets of the universe, bottles that were special. They could kill the vampire inside Jade and bring Jade back. Mindy saw the map. She had to remember, remember, remember. Town on map. Mindy saw the church, not just a church, but one that belonged to the Keepers.

Mindy needed to find one of the bottles and fill it with water never touched by human hands and purified in the four Elements. Jade must drink the water and bathe in Fire.

Mindy had to remember. That was the most important thing. In Mindy's dreams she ran from the beast that stole Jade. When she woke up, the sun was shining in the window and she had to go to the bathroom, but she was in the van.

"Have to pee," Mindy said. She was tangled up with Claire. Good thing she didn't have an accident last night. Claire would never forgive her.

Claire groaned, "Mindy, we can't go outside. It's not safe."

Raven checked outside each of the windows, looking for Jade. "It's daylight. Vampires can't survive sunlight."

"Do you want to go out there?" Claire asked. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Mindy heard Raven talk to Air. Air wasn't as clear as Earth. Sometimes Mindy could hardly hear her, but she knew that Raven was checking to make sure it was safe for her to go outside.

Mindy didn't have much time. She felt glad when Raven held out a hand and said, "I think it's safe enough."

Mindy knew it was. Beast Jade had found a dark place to hide. Good Jade was hovering above the van, watching. She didn't want an accident. Not on vacation. Everyone would be really mad if she did.

She put on her flip flops and hurried out of the van, her feet pitter-pattering along the gravel. She knew where beast Jade slept and avoided the area. Mindy did her business. She didn't like the shadows in the forest, not just vampires, but the other things, too. They grew stronger every day.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven waited for her. Today Raven was patient.

When they returned to the van, Claire was outside. She had changed into her day clothes while Raven and Mindy were in the woods. Now she was stretching her legs and wandering around the van.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked. She had a comb in her hand and was pulling her long black hair into a pony tail. She hardly had to think about it. Jade always took a long time when she brushed Mindy's hair.

"Looking at the footprints. Jade walked around the van a million times," Claire said.

"I thought we could find Jade and then maybe figure out how to keep her from hurting us while we drive home. The vampires had their worst cases locked in the sheds. Maybe we could do the same with Jade.

"No," Mindy said. She wanted to say more, to say that she knew what to do, how to bring the 'real' Jade back, how to get rid of the vampire creature. The words tangled in her mind and then were gone before she could speak them.

"Min, she's our sister. I know she scared you last night, but we have to find her," Raven knew that reasoning with Mindy was not easy at the best of times. Mindy could be incredibly stubborn and not as easy to bribe or punish as Claire.

Mindy ran to the passenger door of the van and opened it. She pulled herself up into the seat, opening the glove box. She found the map of Oregon. She tried to open it, but she became confused with the folds. With a soft cry of dismay, she handed the map to Raven and said, "Help."

Raven stared at Mindy and the map. It was Claire who stepped up, "C'mon, Raven, let's see what's so important about the map."

Raven could see that Claire was trying especially hard to be nice to Mindy. She hated the feeling of utter helplessness she felt. Maybe this was Mindy's way of coping with the same feeling. "Okay, let's sit down so that we can open it all the way."

The three girls sat in a row. Raven in the middle with Claire and Mindy on either side. Mindy stared at the map for a long time. When Raven started to fold it up, Mindy grabbed her arm, "Nooooo."

"Mindy, we need to find Jade now," Raven closed her eyes and prayed for patience while opening the map back up. Mindy needed longer. Mom always told the girls to count to sixty while Mindy was trying something new. Jade was better at sitting quietly while Mindy tried to figure something out.

Raven tried to pretend to be Jade, to be that quiet presence that Mindy needed. She wished her sister were back, not in vampire form, but as her sister. Finally Mindy pointed to a town on the map. Bend, Oregon. Mindy said, "Here."

"You want us to drive there?" Raven asked.

Mindy nodded.

"What about Jade?" Raven was torn. Bertha had said to put as much road between them and the vampires as possible and yesterday night they'd hardly gone far at all. If they stayed, Raven feared the rest of the vampires would catch up. A dozen vampires could tip the van, throw it over a cliff. Just because they couldn't enter the vehicle didn't mean they couldn't find a way to murder the girls inside.

Claire leaned against Raven. Sometimes she was a teenager and sometimes a kid. At this moment, she was a kid. Claire said, "Are we really going to leave her?"

Mindy grabbed Raven's hand, the hand that was holding the right side of the map. Her green eyes were clear and adamant. She said, "Yes. Save Jade. Bend."

"Ask Water. I'll ask Air. If they agree, we'll go to Bend," Raven folded the map, slowly and with an eye on Mindy. Sometimes it didn't take long for the siren wail of a cry to get started. It would be easier for everyone if Mindy spent the next few days in a good mood.

Having said what she needed to say, Mindy seemed content. Claire closed her eyes. Water spoke. Raven looked up from the van into the sky. Air spoke.

They were going to Bend.

Mindy was still in pajamas while Raven still wore her pink sweats. After a quick change, they were in their jeans and ready for the road.

"Claire, can you do me a favor?" Raven asked as they got their luggage into the back.

Thinking that buckling Mindy in was what Raven was asking, Claire said, "Got it."

"Thanks. Also, can you make notes as we leave. I need to know what roads we are coming out of so that we can return for Jade. Also, if you could record the important mile posts." Raven didn't trust her own memory. They had ended up on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere and lost Jade. She could just see them trying to return and discovering that they had no idea where they had been.

Raven couldn't help herself from looking in the rear-view mirror, not for the first few minutes. She felt guilty for abandoning Jade. She couldn't help thinking that if the situation were reversed, Jade would be leading the hunt through the woods, trying to find Raven. Raven was letting Jade down. She was letting Mom down, too.

Mindy started singing one of the songs that she loved. The gravel road turned into a highway. Raven thought of Jade's vampire teeth and scary eyes and felt a little sick. It was as if she had watched her sister die. Maybe she had. Raven was homesick. She wanted her own bed and for everyone to be safe.

Bertha called while they were on the road. She was at the airport about to catch the first flight. Claire spoke with her for a few minutes, carefully leaving out the part about Jade.

After she hung up, Raven said, "Why didn't you tell her?"

Claire shrugged, "It's not like she could do anything about it. Once she's here we can tell her everything."

Raven decided that sometimes Claire was old for her age.

Raven might be okay at driving the highways, especially since she was only doing forty-five in a sixty-mile zone, but when they reached Bend, she was in way over her head. Claire said, "So where do we go now?"

Raven snapped, "How should I know? I don't even know how to drive in the city."

"O....kay," Claire said, "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the van."

"Please stop talking," Raven didn't turn to look. Her hands were in a death grip on the wheel and she was focused on not hitting anyone or anything. She was lucky they lived out in the middle of nowhere and Mom let her drive sometimes on the old dirt driveway, but it still didn't make up for her lack of experience with city driving.

From the back, Mindy piped up, "Turn right."

Raven sighed heavily.

She turned right.

The whole trip to Bend was Mindy's idea. Raven didn't know why she listened, but Mindy seemed so certain of herself.

She followed Mindy's directions back out of the city to a country church. It was nestled in the forest, a cute little white chapel that could have been a one-room schoolhouse a hundred years before. It was well-kept and painted white. The parking lot was tiny with maybe a few dozen places. The clock on the van dashboard read noon.

Mindy pointed to the church.

The parking lot was empty, so Raven pulled into the lot and parked near the church, shutting off the van.

Mindy pushed on her seatbelt until the catch released. She was much better at unbuckling than buckling. Claire pushed the door open, and they all climbed out.

Raven was going to ask, What next? but Mindy was already opening the door to the back of the van. There was no good word to describe Raven's feelings when Mindy pulled a small axe out of the back of the van. She held it by the blade, handing it to Raven. It was unsettling to say the least. Her sister was not allowed to handle sharp scissors, let alone axes. Not that she had ever hurt or even threatened anyone, but she wasn't always thinking at one hundred percent efficiency. Mindy kept searching the back of the van.

"Uh, Mindy, what are you looking for?" Raven asked. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. The back of the van was a mess with duffel bags and suitcases pushed over the seat to fall onto the ground.

"Knife."

"Here, let me." Raven knew where Mom kept the food box. She hid a knife in one of the plastic kitchen containers that was really hard to open. Raven put the axe on top of one of the boxes. She searched until she found the knife.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" Raven asked.

Mindy pointed at Claire, and then she pointed at Raven and the axe.

"So we're supposed to go in armed?" Claire asked as she took the knife and tried to think of a good place to put it.

"Flashlights," Mindy said, so Raven grabbed the flashlights. Mindy nodded once.

While Raven locked up the van, Mindy found a big stick. It was about half her height. She swung it back and forth a few times and then turned to watch Raven as Raven locked the door.

They walked to the church together. Raven was glad that no one else was in the parking lot because it sure looked strange having three girls walking through the parking lot carrying flashlights and sharp objects.

Claire inched her way closer to Raven, "So you think Mindy knows what's going on or are we going to scare some church lady half to death?"

Raven shrugged, "No idea. I'm going to be really embarrassed listening to her if this turns out to be some 'Mindy' fantasy."

The church had a fence and a flight of stairs going down to a basement. They were set along the side of the church and invisible from the parking lot. Mindy led the way down the stairwell, her black hair a little tangled and stringy from sleeping in the van without brushing it this morning. Raven felt a twinge of guilt. She supposed now that Jade was gone, that kind of thing was her responsibility.

At the bottom of the stairwell was a door. Mindy pulled a stone out of the wall and carefully picked up the key inside before returning the stone. She handed the key to Raven.

Raven thrust the key in the lock before she could think too much about how Mindy knew it was there and what kind of trouble they would be in if caught. This was trespassing for sure.

The door creaked open. The air was cool and dusty. After a short landing, they discovered another staircase that went down. Raven turned on her flashlight and led the way. She and Claire decided to put Mindy between them for safety's sake, so Claire took up the rear.

The stairs were endless and made of white stone. They would get to the end of the stairwell only to turn a corner and discover another flight of stairs. Their footsteps echoed in the dark. After the fourth turn and a new discovery of stairs, Claire said, "Maybe we should go back. We've already gone two stories down."

Mindy took Claire's hand. She said, "Down."

Claire was about to jerk her hand away when she remembered that lump of sand that was her sister. She had nearly killed Mindy with her prank earlier. She could give her sister the benefit of the doubt here. Raven was watching her, a question in her eyes. Claire said, "I owe her. Let's go down."

After three more flights of stairs, the girls decided to rest at one of the turns. Mindy settled her stick on the stairs they had just come down. Raven gladly put the axe down on the landing. Her arms hurt. As they worked their way down, she had moved it back and forth from hand to hand as she grew tired.

"Mindy, do you know where we are?" Raven asked, flopping onto the floor with her back against the wall.

Mindy carefully lowered herself to the floor next to Raven. She shook her head.

"Why are we here then?" Claire didn't really expect Mindy to answer. She didn't think Mindy knew.

Mindy said, "Jade. Bottle."

They rested several more times. Raven was beginning to think that there would be no end, and then suddenly the stairs stopped at a door. She reached for the handle, but Mindy grabbed her arm.

"What is it?" Raven asked.

"Axe," Mindy said, pointing to Raven's hand. Raven exchanged a secret smile with Claire who had rolled her eyes. Raven said, "Yes, I have the axe."

Mindy mimed lifting it higher. Raven lifted it higher, then pushed the door open wide. Mindy's flashlight reflected off a monster.

Raven screamed.

She swung the axe without thinking.

In front of her was a human-sized scorpion, its tail poised high above its body. Her arm had to extend completely over the scorpion's creepy pinchers for the axe to bite into the tail. The scorpion grabbed for Raven with its pincher.

Mindy poked her stick at the pincher, distracting the scorpion from Raven while Raven hacked at the tail.

Claire called out from the back, "Watch out for the claw. Mindy, be careful."

The axe struck hard, lopping through the tail while blood gushed from the scorpion. Instead of running away, it attacked. One of the pinchers pushed the girls back and Mindy dropped the flashlight. It rolled along the floor, throwing Raven and Mindy into the dark. Claire yelled, "Retreat."

She grabbed Mindy's arm and pulled her back just before the scorpion's claw mashed closed in the air where she had been standing.

Raven yelled, "I need light! Claire!"

The scorpion glowed a bit in the dark, eerie blue light outlining its bulk. Raven shifted the axe, swinging down at the head while a pincher knocked her down. Her thigh struck the stone stairs. The axe was still stuck in the scorpion. Raven couldn't get it back.

She stumbled up the stairs, following Mindy and Claire. Claire was shining a light down, trying to help Raven find her way up. The scorpion thrashed back and forth with the axe lodged in its head while it screeched that horrible sound.

Mindy snuck past Claire while Claire reached to help Raven. Just three steps above the scorpion, she brought the stick down on top of the axe. It pushed deeper into the scorpion. The creature made a sudden dodge forward, pinchers raised. Shrieking, Mindy stepped back, bumping her heel on the step and falling.

Raven screamed, "Mindy, get up here."

Raven scrambled back down the stairs without a weapon. The scorpion reached for Mindy. If it got that pincher around her body, it would crush her. Raven leapt down the four stairs over Mindy and directly onto the scorpion. It was the single most disgusting thing she had ever done in her life. She fell forward and her hands and face were covered with scorpion goo.

The scorpion bucked and spun, throwing Raven down the corridor. Claire screamed her name. She climbed down the stairs, shining the flashlight at the scorpion. She could see Mindy and the scorpion, but not Raven.

Now that the scorpion was in light, Mindy grabbed her stick and lifting it high above her head, shoved it into the spurting hole where Raven had cut off the scorpion's tale. Mindy shoved the stick in at an angle, throwing her whole weight into it.

Raven grabbed her axe. Using her foot as leverage against the scorpion's head, she yanked the axe out. She brought it down on the scorpion again and again until it convulsed and died.

Raven found her own flashlight and wiped it off on her jeans. "Do we keep going?"

Mindy said, "Yes,"

Claire stared at her like she was crazy.

Raven waited. She said, "Claire, it has to be unanimous."

"You mean because we'll likely die down here?" Claire asked. She picked her way carefully down the stairs, her revulsion clear.

"We don't know what other monsters we'll find. If you don't want to come, you don't have to," Raven said.

"Mindy, if we keep going, can we help Jade?" Claire asked.

Mindy pointed down the long hallway into the darkness, "Yes. There."

Claire jumped over the scorpion's dead body sounding braver than she felt when she said, "Then let's go."

Raven once again took the lead. No matter how many times she wiped her hands on her jeans, she felt gross. The axe handle was slippery and dripped scorpion goo. Her shirt was splattered in scorpion, and her shoes squelched every time she stepped. All in all, she felt miserable.

The corridor stopped at a wooden door. Raven hesitated.

"What? You don't like the idea of fighting giant spiders?" Claire teased. Raven hated spiders passionately. The fact that they had just fought a giant cousin to spiders was a little too much to bear.

"Ewww. Don't even go there," Raven said. She stared at the door.

"Are we ever going to go through?" Claire tugged on a lock of Mindy's hair, "Anything scary back there?"

Mindy pointed at the door, "Scary."

Raven stood in the corridor. She stared at the door, trying to build up enough bravery to walk through. Claire shifted from foot to foot, sometimes looking back over her shoulder as if she expected the giant scorpion to return to life.

"I can't do it." Raven said the words quietly. She turned from the door and started back down the way they came, "Let's regroup."

Claire turned in step beside her, "You killed a giant arachnid. That has to count for something. Maybe scary is relative."

Raven turned to call for Mindy when she realized that Mindy had opened the door to "scary", and it was too late to stop her...

~~ Mindy ~~

Bones were scary. They were people that once walked with Earth and now did not. Mindy shuddered as she stepped into the hall of bones. Raven was too scared to come through here. Mindy was the only one who knew where the Keeper's bottle would be found, the one that could help Jade.

Mindy ignored Raven and Claire. They were angry that she opened the door. Mindy knew that much. She kept walking, breathing slowly in and out so that the ghosts in the darkness wouldn't hear her.

The dead people were resting in ledges along the edges of the wall. Mindy needed to find the one on the platform, the one that the Shadow Man showed her. She walked slowly through the halls, her light shining just in front of her while she walked.

She heard Raven's footsteps echo with Claire's right behind as they ran to catch up. Raven grabbed her arm. Her hand was yucky from the monster. Mindy tried not to flinch.

Raven said, "Mindy, what are you doing?"

Mindy pointed. "There."

She ignored Raven and walked forward. They wouldn't come back again. If she let Raven leave now, Raven wouldn't save Jade. She'd feel bad forever. Mindy would, too. Mindy loved Jade, the Jade who floated above the world now. Not monster Jade who would eat them all if she could.

Claire flashed her light on a particularly gruesome skull with a patch of hair still coming out of its head and its teeth seemingly thrown back in laughter. She immediately turned the flashlight to the ground where Mindy's was. Claire asked, "How much longer?"

Mindy pointed to the large double entryway carved into the stone. Strange figures were engraved into the wall and a gargoyle leaned down from the space just above two ornate doors.

Claire grumbled, "That doesn't tell us anything."

Raven changed axe hands again. She wanted to tell Claire to be quiet, but didn't feel like dealing with the aftermath. As they walked through the dank catacombs smelling grave dust and mildew, Raven decided that she was a coward. Her much younger sister was leading the way into danger.

Raven said, "Mindy, let me take the lead."

Pushing through the double doors, Raven expected more of the same, crumbling bones on stone ledges and a floor made of white stone. She whistled when she saw this new room.

The room itself was as bright as day and cavernous with a huge raised platform and a coffin in the center. The floor was veined marble and polished to a shine. The walls glittered as if encrusted with precious gems. Marble statues watched the room from alcoves with gold gilt frames.

"What is this place?" Claire's mouth hung open. She wandered around the room looking at all the statues and the intricately painted designs on the walls. "Where is the light coming from?"

Raven walked across the marble floor in shoes that left scorpion blood smeared on the floor. "What's next, Mindy?"

Mindy didn't answer. She walked toward the coffin in the center of the room. The coffin was gold and reflected bright from a raised dais. Mindy climbed the stairs to the coffin. She grunted as she tried to push the lid off.

Raven heaved from the other side, with a groan trying to force the lid. After straining for a few seconds, she gave up, "Claire, I think we all need to try this."

Claire was tracing her finger along a swirling gold pattern on the wall. She looked up, "Oh. Sorry."

Once Claire was in position, Raven counted to three and then they heaved. The lid lifted an inch and then fell shut as the girls grew tired. Mindy picked up her stick. Raven said, "One more time."

She counted to three. As Raven and Claire lifted the coffin lid, Mindy slid the stick in between the lid and the box. When Raven and Claire dropped the lid, the stick kept it from latching completely.

Raven picked up the axe, "Great idea, Mindy."

Claire looked askance at Mindy. This was one too many great ideas from her little sister who couldn't read, couldn't write, and often lost track of what she was saying. Meanwhile, Raven shoved the axe between the lid and the box and used it as a lever, pushing the lid up.

Raven waved Claire back to the box. "This time we'll push forward. Everyone get ready."

They lined up, hands on the lid, "One, two, three."

With a huge grimace and lots of noise, they pushed on the box. It moved forward six inches. Raven shook her hands. Mindy tugged on Raven's shirt and pointed to the open space between the lid and coffin.

"We're almost there. We just need to push a little harder."

Mindy shook her head and pointed to the opening.

Claire giggled. Her laugh had an edge of hysteria to it. She said, "I think she wants you to wiggle inside there for something."

Mindy nodded, pointing to the sliver of purple that she saw in the crack

~~ Raven ~~

Raven pulled herself up onto the platform. Mindy was steadily pointing to the place where she would have to reach. She leaned against the side of the coffin and pushed her hand into the space between the coffin and lid. She hated her hand in that space as much as she hated reaching into the dish disposal for a spoon even when she knew full well it was unplugged.

"Oh, that is so gross," Raven said as her fingers touched something hard, dry and smooth. If she had to guess given her position on the platform, it was a finger bone. She recoiled.

Mindy made a disappointed sound. She pointed again.

Raven closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. In a single day she'd tasted dead vampire and waded through dead scorpion, surely she could handle a little finger bone. With a sigh she said, "I guess I can reach into little coffin. It would help if I knew why I was poking around a skeleton."

Climbing up to join Raven on the platform, Mindy tried to see into the crack between the lid and the coffin. She said, "Bottle."

Giggling again, Claire said, "I can't even believe we're here. This is so insane."

Mindy put a hand to her mouth, stifling the tiny laugh that exploded.

Raven tried to be stern as she said, "Come on, people. I'm touching a dead person here."

Something moved under Raven's finger and she jerked back, hitting her hand on the lid. "Something moved in there."

"You're probably just freaked out." Claire said, squinting with her flashlight to look between the cracks.

Raven could have sworn something moved beneath her fingers. She wasn't about to chicken out now. Leaning down, she looked into the coffin. The light was reflecting brilliant purple. It might be the bottle Mindy was talking about.

Taking a deep breath and shaking her fingers as if to ward off bad luck, she closed her eyes and shoved her hand all the way into the coffin, wincing when her hand pushed the bones of the skeleton aside. She grabbed the bottle and started to pull back, but something caught her wrist.

She wiggled her hand back and forth, running into bone. She reached in with her other hand, grabbed the bottle and withdrew it from the coffin. It sparkled like a thousand tiny suns.

Mindy made an oohing sound.

Claire clapped her hands, laughing, "It's like Christmas."

Raven grunted and shoved the bottle into her jacket pocket with her one useful hand, "Still stuck here. Can you guys see how I'm caught."

Claire adjusted her flashlight and peered into the crack. A shadow crossed the crack right in front of the light. She dropped the flashlight and jumped back, "It's alive. It's moving. Get out of there."

Raven jerked her arm. Bony fingers tightened on her wrist and yanked her back until her whole arm was in the coffin and her chin was resting on the lid. "Claire, get the axe."

Claire looked at the axe holding the lid up and shook her head, "It's holding the lid up. If I take it, your arm will get crushed."

"What about your knife?"

Claire pulled out the knife. She shoved it in between the crack trying to poke the skeleton. Once Raven cried out, "Ow! Claire! Be careful, you just stuck me with that thing!"

Raven could feel the blood running down her arm. The skeleton would not let go, no matter what she did.

Mindy stood wide-eyed and silent at the edge of the platform, looking like she might burst into tears at any minute. Raven's arm was stuck at an awkward angle. She rested her forehead against the coffin, letting her arm rest for a minute. The skeleton didn't seem to react unless she did.

"Mindy, did the Shadow man tell you what to do next?" Raven kept breathing harder and harder. She hated being trapped. She was scared. "Mindy? What do I do?"

Shaking her head, Mindy said, "Bottle. Jade."

Claire withdrew the knife from the crack and dropped it on the floor. She moved to the other side of Raven. Closing her eyes, Claire shoved her hand into the coffin.

Gritting her teeth, Raven asked, "What are you doing?"

"I know you're scared. I'm going to get you out," Claire said. Her fingers closed over the bony hand. It was indeed moving. With her ear next to the coffin, Claire could hear a clattering, as if the bones in the coffin were striking or rubbing against one another. They were.

Then something grabbed Claire's hand. Hissing, she said, "Raven, I'm stuck, now. Can you move?"

Raven tried.

"No."

Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, they heard the creaking of the door.
Chapter 12

~~ Claire ~~

Claire felt the bony fingers reaching and grasping, searching a way around her hand even while she struggled to free Raven. She dodged the fingers, thinking that it wasn't that hard to keep away from the skeleton. That was when it trapped her.

She flinched and tugged.

Then they heard the door open.

Mindy shrieked and ran around the platform, hiding on the other side of the coffin. Claire thought that probably wasn't a bad idea and would have loved to join her.

She craned her neck to see who was coming. Three men dressed in black with priests' collars rushed in, each carrying a scepter. Two were overweight and red-faced, one tall and skinny. The biggest priest wheezed and held his sides. The youngest asked, "What are you doing?"

Claire bit her lip. She had no idea what to say.

Raven straightened, "Our Mom went missing. I heard that you had an amulet that would let people travel through time. We came to borrow it."

"Borrow?" The florid priest whose breath was still ragged managed to ask.

The tall priest with graying hair at his temples, the most likeable of the bunch, put a hand on the other's shoulder, "Now, Jack, let's at least get the girls free of the room before we lecture them on trespassing in strange places."

With a hand signal to the other two men, he led the way to the platform. He stood at Claire's side, but close to the middle while the other two men took an edge each. They did a fair bit of grunting and groaning themselves as they moved the lid.

The skeleton roared, lifting its head out of the coffin and looking with terrible malice upon the tall priest who Claire liked best. With a rude smile, its jaws opened wide and it threw itself on the priest, teeth gnashing as it wounded him with bite marks along his arms.

Claire squealed and jerked back. The skeleton turned its head, empty sockets fixed on Claire. She cried hysterically while she tried to pull out of its grip. Somehow when it was just a dark thing between the cracks, she could pretend it wasn't real.

"Let me go. Let me go," her wail rose as the skeleton's bones realigned themselves, the skull moving closer, not on tendons, but on air. The skeleton wasn't clean. A patch of hair hung from the top of its head.

Claire shivered with fear as the skeleton smiled at her. The tall priest put a hand on her shoulder. She felt as if an electrical field moved along her shoulder and down her arms. The priest said, "Shhh...you'll be okay. Jack just has to get his scepter. Try not to move."

Whimpering, Claire nodded.

Jack had put his scepter on the floor when they moved the lid. He reached for it now. Seeing the skeleton set himself up for a strike, Jack suddenly cried, "Wayne, watch out!"

Raven's right arm was trapped. Claire stood between her and the priest whose name was Wayne. She could see the skeleton twisting its head and setting its target. Claire said, "Raven, it's going to attack."

Raven pulled back with her free hand and punched the skull as hard as she could.

"Oh. Ow." Raven shook her hand.

Her strike didn't even slow it down. The skull's teeth chattered in anticipation and with a sudden and intense dive, it latched onto Wayne's wrist. Wayne's expression was one of tolerance. Claire wondered how he could bear having that thing gnawing on his flesh.

"Now," Jack said.

Wayne pulled his arm back and Jack brought the scepter crashing down on the skull. The fingers locked around Claire's wrist loosened and she was finally able to move. There were five bruises where the bones had dug into her skin. Holding her wrist, she said, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Wayne's wrist bled from a few of the deeper tooth marks. Ignoring them, he smiled at Claire, "Not a problem."

He turned his attention to Raven, "How about you? Can I look at that?"

Raven pressed her lips together in a firm line and stared at Wayne. Claire was afraid she was going to say no. Raven just watched him quietly, Wayne of the easy smile who was also injured. Finally she held out her arm, "Okay."

Claire could tell that she felt some kind of electricity from him, too. It was just a fleeting surprise that crossed her face. Raven was still bleeding from the knife wound that Claire had accidentally inflicted on her. Wayne said, "Hold this tight. We'll bandage it upstairs."

"What about your wrist?" Claire asked. He held it close to the cloth of his jacket to catch the blood.

"I'll bandage mine upstairs, too. Are you girls hungry? It'll be dinner time in a few hours. Once we take care of the injuries, we can eat."

Claire begged Raven to say yes with her eyes. Raven didn't listen. She said, "No, thank you. We have to be on our way."

Keeping a rather large distance between herself and the men, Mindy walked out from the backside of the platform, "We go."

Claire said, "But you're bleeding."

Raven gave Mindy a pointed look, "Claire, we have business to attend to."

Mindy looked like she wanted to come closer to Raven, but Wayne was too close. She stayed back, but her nose lifted a fraction of an inch to that stubborn angle that said she was going to throw a tantrum if she didn't get her way.

Wayne waved a hand at Raven's cut, "It will take just a minute to get that cleaned up."

Mindy shook her head, "No."

"I don't bite. I promise," Wayne said, with a laugh.

"Do you kidnap people?" Raven asked. She gave Wayne a look that said she thought he did. Claire wanted to crawl into the floorboards and hide. Their Mom had spent so many years talking about the Death Keepers. She always said that the Church of the Light was a front for them. Now Raven was ruining everything.

Wayne flushed red, "No. I don't kidnap people."

Jack cleared his throat, "Can we get out of here? There are a few too many surprises down here."

Nodding to the girls, Wayne said, "Let's get upstairs and then we'll decide what to do."

They led the girls down the same hallway. The priests knew about another secret stone. When they pulled it, a door slid open. Mindy made a point of keeping Raven between herself and the men at all times, hovering at her side like a shadow. Raven put an arm around Mindy's shoulder and whispered into her hair, "You couldn't have found us the elevator?"

Mindy giggled and hugged Raven around the waist. She was in the corner near the door, away from the men.

Claire watched Wayne. When Wayne had put his hand on her shoulder back at the coffin, she had felt an instant affection for him. She didn't remember Dad at all. Wayne had a nice smile, too, even when he was bleeding all over. She wished they could stay longer, but Raven was already trying to find an out.

~~ Wayne ~~

Wayne never really understood the whole tiff between the Elementals and the Death Keepers. The universe hadn't graced him with the gate, and for that he was glad. The idea of ferrying souls from one realm to another never appealed.

His gift was better, in his opinion. Some of the other Keepers disagreed. He was an Empath and could detect the Universe's gifts. The older girl was gifted with Air, the middle with Water. He hadn't touched the youngest. She was a shy little thing, but he could sense Earth. Three of the four elements.

He knew who they were. He couldn't believe the oldest girl would call out her mother's kidnapping to the man who had arranged it all. The elevator dinged and the door slid open. Wayne was a little amused that the girls would walk right into his church looking for a way to save their mother.

He led the girls down the hall and into the kitchen. The elevator didn't actually go to the top floor where the three-room church opened directly to the garden in back or the parking lot out front. The chapel was a front for the Keepers. A beautiful sanctuary with brightly-colored stained glass windows and a door to the outside created the illusion of a small country church to the congregation who actually worshipped there. A few were Keepers, the rest were church members for the front.

He held the door open for the girls. The middle sister watched him with puppy-love eyes. The youngest clung to the oldest and shuffled quickly by. He wanted to find a way to test her, but so far she had neatly avoided his touch.

"There's a roast in the oven. It will be out in an hour. In the meantime, let's get bandaged up." The room smelled like roast beef and baked potatoes. Raven's protests died with her growling stomach and Wayne's charm.

She said grudgingly, "It does smell good in here."

He had a gift for putting people at ease. He took the lead while Jake and the other priest faded away, excusing themselves to do other things and made sure Raven felt safe enough and knew that she could leave at any time.

They all introduced themselves with Raven introducing her little sister, Mindy. Claire would be the ticket to the Gray family. Claire was the one to take the white roll of bandages from him and say, "I can help."

They started with Raven's knife wound from Claire's attempt to poke the skeleton in the coffin. It wasn't that deep. Wayne examined it, "You won't need stitches, but let's get some antiseptic on there."

Claire searched through the first aid kit, pulling out a tube. She handed it to Raven who squeezed a dab onto her wound. Mindy had placed herself between Claire and Wayne, crouching to stay out of sight, as if he wouldn't remember she was there.

"Just wrap it a few times then we'll cut it with the scissors," Wayne pointed the white tape out to Claire. She cut the bandage and then a few pieces of tape.

Raven said, "Thank you", although Wayne knew very well that she was anxious to get away. Maybe the thought of dinner would keep her. Once they were done, she said, "We'd better be on our way."

Wayne would have protested if Claire hadn't done it for him. She said, "But we were invited to dinner. It would be rude to leave now. And we haven't taken care of Wayne's bites."

Claire pointed out Wayne's wounds. He hadn't meant to involve the girls with his own care, but he realized an opportunity when he saw it. He said, "You wouldn't want to miss the roast beef. Claire, would you like to help me? Mindy? You can help your sister cut the bandages if you'd like."

Mindy peeked out from behind Claire, but kept her distance. She said, "Bathroom."

"There are men's and women's bathrooms just out that door and down the hall," Wayne held out his hand to Mindy, "I can show you the way."

Mindy ignored Wayne, taking Raven's hand. Raven let Mindy hide behind her. She said, "It's okay. I'll take her."

As the door shut behind Raven and Mindy, Wayne smiled at Claire, "So I've figured out that Raven is Air. You're Water. The little one is Earth?" he asked.

Claire found a packet of antiseptic wipes in the kit and opened it for him. She gazed at him with adoring eyes, and eagerly tried to anticipate his next request. With a brilliant smile, she said, "You know I'm Water? How?"

"Just a little gift. It's nothing like having Water or anything," Wayne said. He followed with, "I'm sure you've heard how our group lost our Time gift?"

Claire nodded, "Yeah. Mom told us the Keepers were after us because you thought we stole it or something." She tugged on the bandage and handed him the edge to wrap around the bites. "Does it hurt?"

"Terribly. You said your Mom went missing. Your sister thought we kidnapped her?" Wayne hoped to turn the conversation again to the Time gift and find out which member of the Gray family was carrying it now.

She was an awkward little thing. Wayne could see a strong and stubborn personality underneath Claire's eager need to please. Claire was clearly one of the Gray family with her dark hair and green eyes, but where the youngest sister had a button nose, Claire's was straight. It was almost pathetic how eagerly she watched him, waiting for any little crumb of approval. He thought he'd give her one.

"You're the strongest, aren't you?"

Claire blushed and dipped her head, hiding a proud smile.

He said, "I knew you were."

"Raven is strong, too." Claire said.

"I'm sure she is," Wayne finished wrapping the bandage. He let Claire tape it together. He said, "Don't you have another sister?"

Claire gasped, "How did you know that?"

Wayne tugged a strand of her hair. It was just the right thing to do. She shyly looked down, watching him under her eyelashes. He said, "Our order once guarded the Elementals. It's a shame that such a small gift of the Universe would come between us. I bet it's lost forever, but both sides are still wary of one another."

"There is no gift. Mom said the only gift she ever got from the Keepers was the necklace Dad gave her. But I guess since they killed him, they thought he gave her more." Claire suddenly realized that she was saying things she wasn't supposed to. She put a hand over her mouth.

Wayne chuckled, "It's okay. You haven't told me anything I don't already know. My order didn't kill your Dad, though. That was the Void. There are half a dozen groups looking for a way to travel time." Wayne said. Claire's tiny piece of information was priceless. He had already known Amy's husband was a Keeper, but the necklace was something new. No Keeper had ever heard that the power could be moved from outside a person into an inanimate object. It would be just like the Elemental women to come up with a scheme that did just that. No wonder no one could find it.

The door opened. Raven and Mindy were back. Wayne deftly switched the conversation, "Would you girls want to stay the night? We have guest rooms."

Raven answered before Claire could beg, "No, thank you. We need to get back."

He would have said something more, but Mindy tugged on Raven's hand. She cupped a hand over Raven's ear and whispered something.

With a nod, Raven told Wayne, "We need to leave by six o'clock."

During dinner Wayne overheard Raven whisper to Claire that Bertha had called while they were in the bathroom. Bertha was stuck in Denver for at least another week. Someone had tried to break into her sister's house and she couldn't leave until her cousin arrived. Raven hissed, "She told me to get out of here. Now. And that's what we're going to do."

Claire whispered back, "This is the safest place we could be, especially considering the vampires. Did you tell her about Jade?"

Raven's eyes met Wayne's. They exchanged a long and unyielding stare, neither willing to turn away. Wayne refused to let her think he could hear them. She just shook her head quickly and whispered back, "No way. She'd flip and come right away even though things aren't settled there. We leave after dinner."

Wayne ushered the girls into the kitchen. He got exactly what he needed from Claire.

~~ Mindy ~~

Mindy hated Wayne, detested the little chapel, and wanted to leave as soon as she could. The only problem was that Raven and Claire wanted to stay and eat. She shrank away from the priests. She wanted to kick Wayne, but that would mean touching him, and she wasn't about to do that.

She didn't know how to say how urgent their job was. Raven kept the bottle hidden in her pocket. Claire fawned over Wayne. It was just another thing Mindy didn't understand.

Mindy wouldn't come near the dinner table until Wayne and Jack were out of the way. They liked to be conveniently close, pull out a chair and then put a hand on Claire's shoulder or pet her head as if she were a dog. He wasn't as much like that with Raven, but he still bumped into her once when they were both reaching for the potatoes.

They called her over, but she shook her head. Wayne figured it out. When he realized that she wouldn't eat unless he and Jack were gone, he waved Jack away and they retreated to the kitchen.

Claire was furious. She scolded Mindy while she slapped potatoes on the plate for her, "Why can't you learn to interact with people? You do realize that you're going to be completely alone someday."

Mindy climbed onto her chair and ate her potatoes and beef with a wary eye on the door. Being alone didn't sound too bad. She didn't even listen to most of what Claire said. Sometimes a thought crossed her mind, something that needed attention, but the potatoes tasted good, and the priests were staying in the kitchen where they belonged.

Claire grabbed the pitcher of ice water at the edge of the table and poured a glass. Mindy remembered. She said, "Pure water."

In no mood to make nice, Claire grabbed Mindy's glass, dumped it halfway and shoved it back in front of her, "I like those guys. We might never see them again."

Mindy knew she shouldn't say 'good' at the thought of never seeing them again so she just nodded. She had to keep Water in her thoughts. Water was next. It was important.

"Water," Mindy said again.

Claire slapped a hand to her forehead, "I just gave you water. Raven, I'm going to kill her. I seriously can't help myself."

It was a poor choice of words. Claire had said it a million times before, but she'd never almost killed her little sister before either. Blanching, she said, "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

Raven said, "Just finish eating and let's get out of here. Mindy, we'll figure out the water later, okay?"

"Okay."

Wayne overheard Raven and Claire talking. Mindy knew it.

Mindy hoped they would have later. The priests in the next room were whispering about her, about her and Claire and Raven. Earth said they wanted to keep the girls.

Mindy didn't want to be kept.
Chapter 13

~~ Jade ~~

Jade floated above her body feeling a strange sense of peace. She decided she must be dead. The floating thing was exactly what all of the near-death experiencers talked about. She could see her body below. At least the vampire hadn't attacked anyone else. Watching her own body stumble through the woods struck Jade as ridiculous. The sun would be up soon. The forest was becoming lighter and lighter.

Surely there must be a way to get back in there and take control.

She focused her efforts on the back of her head, thinking that if she could just crawl back into her mind, she could expel the beast. Thought became action, and Jade found herself cowering under a twilight morning. The beast's hunger now belonged to her. The beast's fear owned her.

Morning would break soon, and that would be the death of her. Even sharing her body with a raging animal did not make Jade suicidal. She loved life in all of its variety and splendor—watching the chickadees flit from bush to bush, the deer roaming across the fields, swimming, playing basketball, singing songs with Raven and Claire when they drove to town to go clothes shopping.

She tore her way into a hole under a giant fallen and decaying cedar. With subtle amusement, Jade realized that there were bugs in the dirt, that her hands touched spider webs, but the beast was frightened, and Jade's squeamish emotions had hardened into something else. After the hole was dug, she dragged thick and heavy pine branches to make a cover.

Even with the sliver of dawn on the horizon, Jade's eyes ached. She feared that they were on fire, that she would turn to dust and miss everything. Hurrying into her hole, she crawled in, curling up and dragging the pine boughs to cover the entrance. It was a tight fit with all manner of creepy-crawlies in the wood and soil surrounding her, but Jade's sole focus was the sun.

The sun terrified the beast and by extension Jade. In all of the stories, vampires longed for the sun, but Jade now knew the truth. Her vampire self hated the light, detested the heat, and enjoyed the cool shadows and darkness. She could feel, even underground, the power of the sun, the inferno that waited if she changed her mind and came out to get some fresh air.

Jade didn't think about her life or about what it meant that she was a vampire. The beast was too hungry, too powerful. She didn't think much of anything, only how hungry she felt, and how everything smelled so different.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy, matron of the Gray family, awoke in a queen-sized bed in an elegant room. The painting across from the bed was of a Victorian house and a garden in the Impressionist style with colors that blended and melted into one another. Her mouth felt like she had swallowed a fistful of salt.

She pushed the covers aside. She was wearing the same clothes she'd worn during the kidnapping. That gave her some sense of relief. She couldn't abide the thought of a stranger dressing her. She found her shoes on the floor beside the bed with socks tucked inside. The action was oddly thoughtful.

The room was decorated in peach and gold with lamps and tables that reminded Amy of a hotel suite. The lights hanging on the wall were in gold sconces that could have been antiques from an earlier time, but for the light bulbs.

Investigating the room from top to bottom, Amy searched for some clue about where she had been taken. There were no scribble pads with the hotel's name emblazoned across the top and no phone, but there were windows and curtains. Amy pulled the curtain back to find woods in the distance. Otherwise, she seemed to be on some estate. There was a lovely fountain in a perfectly manicured rose garden, and a single unpaved road that curled through the trees winding across the front of the mansion as if the landowner provided valet parking.

The estate was secluded.

Amy listened at the door for a long moment, trying to hear if someone waited on the other side. She didn't dare talk to Air yet. Some Keepers were sensitive to such things. Others could trap an Element, a brutally painful thing to the Elemental who cared for that Element. When she didn't hear anything, she pushed the door open. She could only use the Elements for the smaller tasks.

Every board on the floor seemed to creak. The floor was polished wood, burnished to a gleam. It was empty except for a few elegant paintings with their purple and pink flowers in fields of green and gold. A door opened behind her. Amy spun on her heel.

There was no one there.

The door was open. It hadn't been. Amy was certain that she was not alone, but the hall was completely empty. She stepped toward the open door, and thought of the stories Lawrence had told her. The Keepers all had their own gifts from the Universe. Some were the grim reapers, ferrying dead souls from this life to the next. Others saw the future or the past. It was said that at least two or three Keepers in a generation could go completely invisible.

Amy thought she had just found a Keeper that could.

Amy closed her eyes, asking if it was safe for an Element to join her. It was Fire who answered, not Amy's closest Element. She had always been a little afraid of Fire. Fire was a capricious being with the capacity to do great harm in a very short amount of time. Still, Fire showed her the heat of the man moving toward her now. He crept up on her with each step carefully placed on the creaky floor.

Scanning the room for a weapon, it was Fire who offered herself. Fire, the Element who had killed her husband. Amy swallowed hard, reaching for the Element she least trusted. Amy shrank from Fire's need to consume. An image of the invisible man flaming flickered in her mind, smoke curling from his hair, and Fire's vicious need for Amy to allow it, to encourage it, to guide it.

Amy had something else in mind. She sent Fire to the sole of the man's shoes, holding the Element back.

Through Fire's vision, Amy watched as the man leapt back with a startled gurgle, hopping on his feet. When that didn't work, he stepped on the heel of his shoe to pull it off. The shoe was smoldering, a small curl of smoke rising from the Nike swirl. Amy cut Fire off, hard.

Fire raged in Amy's mind, a temper tantrum worthy of an Element, but Amy refused to budge. She'd only asked for a slight warming of the man's feet. If the shoe was hot enough to smoke, he'd sustained burns she hadn't meant to inflict.

"I'm sorry," Amy said.

"You can see me?" The veil suddenly dropped. Amy's mouth dropped open. "Tony?"

He was the best man at her wedding, her husband's closest friend. She couldn't even begin to process the shock and betrayal at his presence at her kidnapping. Tony pulled off the second shoe, "Is this how...uh...?"

Tony stopped talking.

It was probably a good thing.

Both Fire and Amy wanted to turn him into a column of flame and a pile of ash before he even finished that sentence. Through sheer strength of will, Amy held Fire back. She needed to sit down but there was nowhere in the hall to sit. She stared at Tony in shock, "You think I killed Lawrence? It was your goons, his own people who killed him."

"We're peaceful. We didn't do it." Tony put his hand under her arm, aware that she was barely standing on her own strength, "The tranquilizer can have some nasty after-effects."

"Peaceful. So you think kidnapping is the act of a peaceful group? Or do you justify everything because I'm your so-called enemy?" Amy wanted to tear her arm away from Tony, but there was a perverse relief in his presence. He would know the real truth. He would know why they killed her husband. He would know why they kidnapped her.

"We didn't start this fight, Amy. You weren't injured, which is more than I can say for those who have tangled with Elementals. I still have blisters on my feet to prove it." Tony led Amy down the hall and a flight of stairs. He had left his shoes behind and was padding along in his socks. His fingers tightened as they approached the landing.

Tony sounded defensive.

Well, he should. Amy thought.

"You betrayed me. You were my husband's best friend. I thought they had killed you, too, and yet here you are," Amy tore her arm out of his grasp. She decided that she would rather stumble to the ground then take help from Tony. At first his grip felt warm and welcome, but she felt the anger in his words, the justification for his own evil actions.

"Lawrence died in a fire, and you just proved yourself more than capable of having done it," Tony broke, raw emotion blending with a tough bitterness.

"He was the love of my life. What do you think happened? He was stabbed while two of my daughters watched. The Death Keepers thought I had their precious gift and made their move, and it cost me Lawrence. That's on you. You and them," Amy spit out the words. It was a relief after hiding for so long to have a place to vent her pain, her anger. Fire licked along her arms, seeking its own outlet, but Amy ignored it. Fire needed a strong hand. She wouldn't give in.

"My people wouldn't...maybe his attackers belonged to the Void," Tony said.

He sounded so thoughtful and puzzled that Amy broke into hysterical laughter that turned into sobs. "He's gone, and I'm hunted. My daughters are in danger. I'm telling you a Death Keeper killed him."

There was a pause. Tony said, "They want the gift. Just return it and then the Void will have a new focus, and so will we."

The tears running down Amy's cheeks were for her daughters, all of them. Tony reminded her of Lawrence, and her husband's death replayed in her mind, but it was for her babies that she cried, for the loss of their innocence and the burden that they must carry. She lied then, because it was the only thing that she could do to protect her own, "I don't have the gift. I never did."

The Universe gave the gifts, but it was the Universe's daughter, Diana, who asked the Gray women to carry one more gift, one that they couldn't use, one that they could never keep for themselves, one that would cause them to be hunted and persecuted, chased across continents. Amy understood.

The carrier of the gift was burdened with the memories of the first. The Universe didn't always properly judge the character of the recipient of certain gifts. It gave freely and abundantly to all, rewarding the recipient based on how often the gifts were used.

A Death Keeper in ancient times, centuries before, had received the gift of Time. The gift passed from generation to generation, with always and only one person able to use the gift, the ability to travel across centuries, to change patterns and events. A powerful gift coveted by many.

When Petrodus used the gift, he did so with evil intent. A delight in the wicked, a taste for women, and a twisted personality led to carnage across the centuries. He found one of Diana's children, an Elemental beloved of Air. After taking her body, he murdered her, hiding her in the grotto of a temple. Her sisters found her.

They cried out to Diana, cried out for help. She answered, stripping Petrodus of power and shoving him into a prison built of Time and Space where not even the Death Keepers who crossed dimensions could go. The gift of Time had to go to someone. Diana refused to return it to the Keepers.

She gave it to one of her daughters. The sister of Petrodus' last victim. Whoever carried the gift of Time also carried the memory of the Elemental's death at the hands of Petrodus. Emblazoned in their memory was the reason why only the Gray family would carry Time, why they would protect it at all costs from the Keepers and the Void...and anyone else who wanted to abuse it.

Tony believed her when she lied, when she told Tony that she had no idea where the gift of Time was. She carried Time once. She had seen the evil that had been committed with it before, and protected the gift with her life...and the life of one of her daughters. He said, "I'm sorry, Amy. Lawrence said you didn't have it. I just thought he was blinded by love."

Lawrence had been. Blinded by love. That was how she kept the secret from him for so long. By some strange humor of the Universe, the Elementals often found themselves falling in love with Keepers.

Tony spent most of the day with Amy, showing her the estate as if she were his honored guest and not a prisoner. He introduced her to other women who lived as guests at his estate and then quickly hurried away before she could become more than a passing acquaintance with any of them.

Shortly before dinner, his phone rang. Excusing himself, he took the call. When he returned, his demeanor had changed. He watched Amy more carefully. He no longer trusted her. Not that Amy cared. She didn't trust him either. The cook had prepared roast chicken with a side of green beans and potatoes.

Amy picked at her food as they ate in silence. She felt betrayed for a second time when Tony plunged a needle into her neck. The world went fuzzy and then dark.

~~ Jade ~~

Jade spent hours curled up in the dirt, fighting the beast for control of her mind. It was a special kind of insanity. She knew she could disconnect again, fly to the top of the world and watch while events unfolded beneath her. But then the vampires would win.

She felt them now, and she knew that they felt her presence like a beacon on a dark night. The vampires had moved closer, two hundred and twenty-three of them. Counting in the darkened hole, Jade knew they were coming for her.

The beast's hunger chewed on her from the inside out. She wanted to be free. The sunlight trapped her, a cage that knew no end. Sunlight that made her skin itch. She dug deeper, her brown hair clumped with mud and dirt under her fingernails. The deeper she went into the darkness, the stronger the relief.

Jade stopped digging.

The beast roared inside.

Burn it out.

The words whispered from inside, from outside. She heard them as clearly as if they were spoken.

Jade crawled backwards and almost pushed the cover of pine branches and detritus out of the way to meet the sun and let it destroy her. The beast poured fear and loathing into Jade's mind until she couldn't think straight.

But the words kept playing like a song inside her head, Burn it out.

Another sound overwhelmed the words, a thousand voices rising in her mind. "We are strong. We are powerful. We will overcome."

She was linked telepathically to hundreds of vampires. Jade didn't know if it was every vampire in the world or those nearby, but they all spoke the same words. It reminded her of a school rally with the cheerleading squad leading the kids in the bleachers in a cheer.

Jade struggled to overcome the tide of thought that threatened to drown her singular voice. She spoke again and again, "I am an individual. I think my own thoughts. I am human."

A few of the other voices faltered. She heard a question in her mind, "Who are you?"

"Jade. I am not one of you." Jade pushed the beast down. It reared back and forth in her mind, searching for weakness with a surprising intelligence. Jade said to the beast, This is my mind. I'm in charge.

A single thread separated itself from the throng, "Jade, this is Gladys. Come to us tonight. We will join forces."

"And together we will rule the universe." Jade joked. She forced herself to turn in the hole. She almost poked her hand out to see if she would burn.

Gladys spoke in her mind, "A vampire cannot live alone. You'll need a place to rest, a safe place to wait out the sun. Give me your oath of loyalty and all this you will have."

Jade remembered the sheds. With the beast roaring in her mind, she knew now what happened. The people inside those bodies were weak. Their souls had gone away as hers had or maybe they stayed but couldn't control the thing that shared their blood. The beast wouldn't stay silent. It wouldn't go away. She had to be strong.

Jade said, "No. I belong to no one."

"My poor daughter. We are family. Tell me how I can help."

"How do I get rid of it?"

Jade didn't expect an answer. Gladys was old, even for a vampire. Jade could feel her power overwhelming the many voices in her head.

It wasn't Gladys who answered.

Some other voice, inside, outside—Jade didn't know. Another voice answered, Burn it out.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy felt herself carried up the stairs, her mind a sudden blank. She knew she should fight, but didn't know why or even how. Tony tossed her on the bed. It was a gentle drop. Lawrence had done exactly the same thing once. But Tony wasn't someone she trusted and with the drugs, the fall felt sudden and shocking.

Tony wrapped his fingers around her neck.

"Please don't. I can't leave my daughters," Amy slurred the words, hating herself for the begging tone.

Tony's breath smelled like rosemary and chicken. He was so close. Amy felt claustrophobic. She closed her eyes and waited for the end. Her arms longed to hold Mindy one more time, her little angel.

"I need to look out for Mindy. She's so fragile," Amy fought to keep her eyes open, but the drug claimed her.

When Amy woke up in the same bed in her beautiful prison, she realized immediately what was missing. She touched her throat. The sharp feeling of loss threatened to overwhelm her.

The necklace was gone.

She scrambled out of bed, falling to the floor when her legs refused to believe that she could actually walk and dumped her to the ground. The world seemed to have a permanent tilt. Pushing up from the lush peach carpet, she wobbled her way to the door.

She held herself up with one hand on the wall while she walked barefoot down the hall. Her feet felt cold against the smooth wood. When she reached the stairs, she faltered on the second step. Grabbing the rail, she half-fell, half-skidded down to the bottom.

Groaning, Amy held her knee. Her cheeks felt too warm, her eyes scratchy. Silent tears flooded her eyes. She reached for the necklace.

Somehow the necklace had come to be a security blanket of sorts for Amy. It was the first Christmas gift Lawrence had given her, a year before they were married. She wore it every day since. A bit flashy, Amy loved the intricate design and the tiny gems that sparkled like flowers among the delicately carved leaves.

Whenever she felt lonely or afraid, she touched the necklace.

Now it was gone.

Amy limped carefully down the second set of stairs, holding firmly to the rail and moving at a slug's pace. Tony hadn't killed her. He'd stolen her most cherished possession, a gift that meant more than her wedding ring. Her mind was still muddled. She tried to think of what to do next.

She tried to imagine why he would take it. The only thing she could come up with....He thinks I won't leave without it.

There were no bars on the windows, no gates in front of the property. Even if the prisoners were watched, it didn't seem that they were watched closely. The Keepers would need a way to hold her there.

Amy loved the necklace, but it was only a thing. The loss hurt, a sharp pain that hung in her heart, but it was the reminder of losing Lawrence that caused that sharp pain, not the actual loss of the necklace itself.

Amy thought about finding the other women that were kept here, asking if they wanted to escape with her, but in the end, she walked out the front door alone. When she stepped onto the front porch, she expected an alarm to go off or for a group of goons or maybe Tony to come running.

The house was surprisingly silent.

As Amy ran with a lurching gait across the front lawn, seeking the cover of the woods, she couldn't help but feel that this escape had been too easy. Surely someone was watching. Surely someone would come after her.
Chapter 14

~~ Claire ~~

Claire would have attacked her dinner with a vengeance except she wanted to be graceful and proper in front of Wayne. He had finally come out of the kitchen to sit with them. The food was exquisite. If only Mindy weren't acting like such a weirdo. Once Wayne appeared, Mindy hid under her chair and hardly ate anything. Not even Raven could coax her out.

The worst was that Mindy kept saying, "Vampire. Jade. Vampire."

The last time, even Raven said, "Shhh..." and added a Mom-glare that Claire didn't know Raven had.

Wayne took it all in stride. He passed Claire more potatoes and even asked if she'd like him to butter a roll for her. She felt fluttery inside when she said, "Yes."

Mindy said, "Jade. Vampire."

Cindy and Raven exchanged a glance.

Wayne wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin, "Your sister sure likes vampires. Is that a movie?"

"Is what a movie?" Claire asked.

"Jade Vampire?"

Claire felt her face redden. How to explain her younger sister's upset because her older sister had turned into a vampire. There was just no way. Instead, Claire said, "No. She's just mental."

"Ah." Wayne said. He picked up his steak knife and cut a slice of beef on his plate, "Because if there were vampires nearby, the Keepers would be able to help. If needed..."

Mindy crawled from beneath the chair further under the table, piping up, "No vampires."

Claire leaned down to watch Mindy. Somewhere Mindy had gotten a roll and was chewing on it while she knelt under the table, carefully circling, like a caged tiger. "Mindy, can you come out now and eat?"

Mindy shook her head.

Sometimes dealing with Mindy was a lose-lose situation. Mom said that they couldn't always give in to her. If they did, Mindy would learn that throwing a tantrum would get her what she wanted. On the other hand, at this moment, surrounded by enemies and with Jade and Mom missing, maybe letting Mindy crawl under the tables wasn't that big of a deal, even if it made Claire feel by turns mortified and homicidal.

They sat in awkward silence, only the sound of forks and knives scraping on plates to ease the quiet. Claire could tell that Wayne knew she was lying. She couldn't keep the warmth from her face. She was relieved when he winked at her and said, "I could tell you tales of vampires. Did you know that vampirism is reversible? Until a new vampire gives an oath of loyalty to its master, the creature tainting the blood can be removed."

Claire and Raven sat stock still, like a pair of rabbits pausing while an eagle circles overhead. Raven forced a laugh, "How would you reverse something like that...if it's not too late?"

Wayne's half smile fell on Claire like a miniature sun. She couldn't help but smile back. He said, "I have no idea. Only that they say it can be."

"Who is they?" Raven asked. She picked that one up from Mom.

Waving his hands, he said, "Other Keepers. Those who've dealt with the darkness."

"Do you fight a lot of different monsters?" Claire felt a sense of awe. Mom had hidden everything. Sure, she'd told the girls that there were dangerous people out there, but nothing like vampires. That's something a mother should tell her daughters.

Wayne broke a roll, buttering it, the edges of his lips quirking up when he saw both girls sitting on the tip of their chairs waiting for his answer. He teased, "Are you sure you want to know? Once you know, you'll never look into the night the same."

Claire gulped and nodded.

Raven said, "Please just tell us."

"Let's put it this way. If you've heard a myth about it, there's a version of it walking or flying out in the world. The most vicious monsters you've ever watched on television exist somewhere, in some dimension. The Keepers walk into worlds where everything has teeth as long as a man is tall." Wayne leaned forward and lowered his voice, "It's best not to go out at night. In any dimension."

Claire shivered.

Raven put her napkin down and pushed back her chair, "You're right. There are monsters everywhere, but we still have to leave now. Thanks for dinner."

"Wait, but I'm not done." Claire protested. She couldn't believe Raven would end the dinner right there in the middle of the most interesting conversation of her life.

"You haven't taken a bite in half an hour. It will be getting dark soon, and we need to go."

Claire whispered, "I'm sorry," to Wayne. Both of her sisters were embarrassing.

He put his hand over Claire's. It was so large and warm. He said, "Don't worry about it. Be careful out there. I'll give you my business card. Call day or night. I know you girls are into something big, and I won't keep you. Just know that I'm here if you need me. "

Claire fell a little bit more in love. As he handed her his business card, she looked at him with adoring eyes and said, "Thank you."

~~ Raven ~~

Raven checked the speedometer and immediately let up on the gas. Even though Claire wasn't talking to her or Mindy, Raven's relief at finally getting out of that chapel was palpable, a physical thing.

She had no idea where to go next. They stopped at a grocery store and shopped for snacks. Raven started in the fruits and veggie aisle, grabbing plastic bags and filling them with apples, pears, and bananas. She also grabbed a bag of carrots.

Claire wore a frown on her face as Raven reached for yet another healthy food, "Uh, Raven. What are you doing?"

"Shopping," Raven tossed the bag of carrots in the shopping cart.

"We can eat whatever we want. Let's get potato chips and soda," Claire picked the bag of apples up, "I'll put these back."

Raven held her hand out, "If you want potato chips, get them, but I'm keeping the apples."

Shaking her head, Claire dropped the bag back in the cart, ignoring Raven's outstretched hand. Grabbing both of Raven's shoulders and staring her in the eye, Claire joked, "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

Raven pushed Claire off playfully, "Get out of my aura, will you?"

Mindy tugged on Claire's jacket. She said, "Water."

"Argh! Fine, we'll get water," Claire said.

Raven stopped at the garlic. She filled a plastic bag with handfuls of cloves. Tossing it in the cart, she said, "For tonight. Just in case."

They gathered chips, cheese and cracker snacks, jerky, soda, and lots of water. No matter how many bottles of water they grabbed, Mindy wanted more. Sometimes she would say, "Wrong water," and Raven would pick a different brand. After fifteen minutes in the beverage aisle, Raven was exasperated. She lifted her hands and said, "Mindy, do we have to get the kind of water you want here?"

"No."

"Good, let's go."

There was a tense moment in the checkout line. Raven handed her mother's credit card to the cashier. She prayed that the card would be accepted. She'd never shopped without her own money. Raven held her breath until the card went through.

Loading the van with groceries, Raven shivered in the chill breeze. The sun was going to set soon. The vampires would be out. She said, "Should we try to check into a motel or stay with the van?"

Water nudged Claire, droplets shimmering on her arm.

"We need to camp. I think I know what Mindy has been trying to tell us," Claire touched the water on her arm, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Care to share?" Raven asked.

"Let's hit the road. I'll explain on the way," Claire said. She tousled Mindy's hair as Mindy climbed in back, a huge smile on her face. The wind flirted with Claire's hair and for a moment, Raven felt jealous. Air was happy, too. What had Claire come up with?

Raven didn't waste a moment. After everyone was buckled in, she started the van. She shushed Claire until they were back on the highway, "Okay, I'm ready. Tell me."

"Holy water! Jade must have pure water untouched by man and born of starlight, held in Earth, and open to Air. If she drinks the water, she will be cured," Claire leaned her head back, soaking up the moment of triumph. "Piece of cake."

"Where do we get water born of starlight? It doesn't sound that easy to me," Raven turned on the headlights. She drove slower than the speed limit, not wanting to risk getting pulled over. She wanted to find a place to rest, but it needed to be away from civilization.

Claire shrugged, "Water knows a few places. There's the arctic. People don't really go there or the tops of mountains. We just need a single bottle of pure water. Mindy knew all along. Earth told her, and she told Water."

Raven sought Mindy's eyes in the rear view mirror, "How long have you been able to talk to the Elements?"

Mindy put a finger on her lips in thought. She looked genuinely confused. She said, "Jade."

"There's a reason the water not touched by man hasn't been touched by man," Raven said. She was starting to get a headache. The tension of the past few days and lack of sleep was getting to her.

"Water can carry me to the arctic with the bottle. I'll fill it and come back." Claire had the enthusiasm and excitement of youth. Also the innocence.

"You'll die of exposure before you'd get halfway there," Raven said. She ran her hand through her hair, "Can Water bring it to you here?"

Claire closed her eyes and communed with water. A little grumpy, she said, "Yes."

"Fine, that's settled then." Seeing a rest stop, Raven said, "We'll stop here for the night."

"Bathroom," Mindy said.

Claire twisted her finger around a strand of dark hair. Joking, she said, "Finally! Things are getting back to normal around here."

They all laughed, even Mindy.

With new hope and purpose, Raven parked the car, and they all got out to stretch their legs. The sun was sinking behind the trees. Little did they realize that an army of vampires was heading their way, and they would soon be fighting for their lives.
Chapter 15

~~ Raven ~~

After taping garlic all over the van, Raven said, "I'd like to see them get through that."

Claire shuddered, "I hope they can't."

They ate dinner by flashlight. Claire tossed a couple of grapes into her mouth, "So, I might have been wrong about the fruit."

Raven's mouth dropped open. "Claire. I can't believe you said that. Wait, I need to record this. Raven pulled Mindy's drawing pad of paper out of the net behind the driver's seat. How exactly did you put that?  Might have been wrong. Can you autograph it for me? In case you get amnesia or something?"

Mindy giggled which set Claire into peals of laughter. At first Raven's smile was just a begrudging go along with it smile, but then Claire threw a grape at Raven which bounced off her nose. That started Mindy laughing so hard she was gasping. Claire made a little yipping sound while she was laughed which made Raven start off which made Claire laugh harder. Soon tears were rolling down Raven's cheeks.

Grabbing a grape of her own, she pinged it at Claire, hitting her on the top of the head.

"More. More." Mindy clapped, her eyes shining with delight.

"The princess has spoken," Claire said, taking a half bite of grape. She threw it so that the fleshy side hit Raven in the cheek.

Raven rubbed her cheek, laughing so hard her stomach hurt. "As royal princess of the Gray clan, I declare grapes to be heretofore banned from..."

Mindy tossed a grape that bounced off the top of Raven's head.

"Pee." Mindy said, her eyes shining while she giggled.

Raven and Claire suddenly stopped laughing. Claire leaned against the window, a hand around her eyes as she peered out of the van into the darkness.

"Maybe she should just go in here," Claire said.

Raven spoke to Air. Air whispered in her ear. With a nod, she grabbed the shopping bag and pulled more garlic cloves out, "It's safe. We'll make a run for the restrooms. While we're in there, we'll do a little decorating."

They did their business and taped garlic to the walls of the restrooms. Mindy pointed to the door and said, "Uninvited. No vampires."

Raven tousled Mindy's hair and gave her a sideways hug. "That's right Min-Min."

They trouped back to the van, getting settled in for the night. Raven read The Monster at the End of This Book to Mindy. Not for the first time, but the irony was not lost on the older sisters.

They lay in the dark and tried to sleep. Tossing and turning, Raven couldn't get comfortable. Her anxiety rose with each passing minute of the clock. Air was keeping watch. With a sigh she rolled over again, punching her pillow.

Claire whispered, "Do you think they'll come tonight?"

Raven thought of Jade's fangs glistening in her mouth and her blood-red eyes. She had no idea but said, "No. I'm just worried about Jade. If she takes the oath..."

She couldn't say it aloud—that they might not get their sister back. The thought was too terrible.

Claire stretched and yawned, "She won't. Jade's responsible. It's her duty to return to us. Water is on the way back."

The bottle was open and sitting on the passenger seat of the van. The window was rolled down slightly, just enough for Air and Water to pass back and forth.

Eventually Claire fell asleep. Raven stared at the ceiling of the van. She jumped at every sound. Finally succumbing, she fell into a restless sleep.

Sometime in the night, Air tickled her nose. Wakeup, wakeup, wakeup, wakeup. Startled awake, Raven sat up quickly.

Shaking Claire, Raven said, "Claire. Vampires."

Claire rubbed her eyes, "What? They're here?"

"Air said they're about fifteen minutes away." Raven found her jacket and dug into her pockets for the keys.

"Wait," Claire said, "We're just going to drive away? But the restrooms here are vampire-proofed."

Crawling over the console to the driver's seat, Raven said, "That's just a guess. Until we know how strongly they react to garlic, our best chance is to make a run for it. Wake up Mindy and get her buckled in."

Claire was gentle with Mindy. Raven was touched at the changes in Claire since Mindy's near-escape from death. "Come on, Min-Min. We're having an adventure. I just want to get you buckled in and then you can go back to sleep."

Making sure Mindy had a tight grasp on her teddy bear, Claire helped her into her seat before she grabbed the middle seat next to the window. Buckling herself in, Claire said, "Okay, Raven, we're ready."

Raven turned on the headlights, and slowly accelerated out of the rest area parking lot. Her eyes were gummy and scratchy, and she felt tired all over. They drove into the darkness. She was concentrating on the road when a thump suddenly hit the top of the van.

Claire squealed as a face hanging upside down appeared in the window beside her.

Raven braked, but didn't stop. She rounded the corner to find vehicles blocking the highway. Braking hard, the van still didn't stop in time. Raven slowed it down enough to prevent serious injury, but even with her foot heavy on the brake, the van hit the Prius the vampires had used to block the road.

"They're everywhere!" Claire cried out.

Raven blinked. Her heart was pounding, her adrenaline charged. The van was still running. That was something. Hands pounded on her window, scaring her into a scream. A laughing face appeared, its lower jaw covered in blood, whether from feeding or injury Raven didn't know. She didn't want to know.

"Raven, do something." Claire wrenched at her seatbelt as more faces sneered at them from the darkness.

Mindy hugged her teddy bear and cried.

"They can't hurt us," Raven said. "They haven't been invited. We have garlic. We're okay. Just sit tight."

Seeing Claire push her way out of her seat, Raven said, "Get your seatbelt back on, we're not done yet."

Raven threw the van into reverse. She didn't have time to wait for Claire. As soon as Claire was sitting down, she punched it. Driving backwards was terrifying, especially on a curvy road without lights. Raven hit a few vampires. She could hear the thumps against the car.

They were at the curve and she had to drive really slowly. She couldn't see behind her, and the roads were dangerous. As she pressed on the gas, she realized that the van was no longer moving backwards. The van was rising in the air. Even if she'd run over a dozen vampires, there were a dozen more to take their place. They were lifting the van and now it was moving off the road.

Raven put the van in forward. Nothing worked.

Claire scrambled back to Mindy and the two younger sisters clung to each other. The child part of Raven wanted to be back there with them, crying and waiting for Mom to save them. Mom wasn't coming.

The van tilted as the vampires released the van on the edge of the road. Raven said, "Claire, they're going to roll the van. Hang onto Mindy."

That was all she could say before she found herself slammed against the door. The van slid down the embankment before falling on its side. All Raven could see were the hints of faces flashing in the moonlight. Hundreds of vampires surrounded the van.

Raven reached for the Keeper's bottle that had rolled off the passenger seat to the driver's side of the car. She jammed it into her coat pocket. Her head hit the side door as the van fell completely on its side, pushed by a hundred vampire hands. They were strong.

She could hear her sisters screaming as the van came to a firm stop against a tree. Thumps and bumps echoed from above as vampires jumped on top of the van which was now on its side.

"Is everyone okay?" Raven yelled to the back.

"Define okay," Claire said with a shaking voice.

"No bleeding. No broken bones?" Raven asked.

"I'm okay." Claire said.

"I'm okay." Mindy said, a slight waver in the tone of her voice, a precursor to a sudden torrent of emotion.

"Hang on. I'll be right there." Raven removed her seatbelt. Movement in the van was strange. The van was on its side with their duffel bags now resting on the windows. Claire helped Mindy free herself from the seatbelt. They couldn't see anything in the dark.

She took a deep breath. She needed to focus. By standing, she could reach the glove box and a flashlight. She turned it on. The beam reflected off the passenger window which was now the top of a van. A hungry face peered in through the window.

Raven was proud of herself when she didn't scream. Swallowing hard, she squeezed and climbed her way to her sisters. Mindy had a lump on her head from a bag of foodstuffs that fell. She and Mindy had seatbelt bruises, but Claire was the banged up the most from rolling and falling inside the van.

"Wow, you don't even have your driver's license and you already wrecked the van," Claire said. With a hysterical laugh, she said, "Mom's going to ground us all until we graduate."

From above, something started pounding on the windows.

The whole situation felt surreal.

"They're coming in," Raven said.

"But we didn't invite them," Claire sounded betrayed. Raven understood. Sometimes life had a way of moving in a consistent path for so long that when things went sideways, it was a shock. She still remembered the day after her Dad's death, how strange sitting in the kitchen without him felt, how weird it was to see his World's Best Dad coffee cup sitting in the dish strainer waiting, but he would never use it again.

Another heavy branch thudded against the window, cracking it into a spider web pattern. "Put your heads down," Raven gathered her sisters to her, holding her arms around them and using her body as a shield. Mindy was protected best with Claire and Raven both shielding her.

The window broke, raining down sharp little pebbles of glass onto the sisters. Raven shook her head, pulling pieces of glass out of her hair. That was when the fight began in earnest.

The vampires thrust the stick through the window waving it to poke the sisters. The stick hit Raven across the face, and knocked the flashlight out of her hands. A sing-song voice taunted them, "Come out, my tender morsels."

Raven grabbed the stick, pulling it with all of her weight and tearing it out of the vampire's hands. Mindy wailed. Claire hugged her sister, "Hush, Min-Min. It's okay."

"Get the light,"

Raven felt a dozen eyes on her. The vampires peered down into the van. One knelt at the edge. This one held a gun, "You know, it's not all about stakes and garlic. We have our weaknesses, but yours are so much bigger."

"If you shoot us, you can't eat us," Claire said. Her jaw jutted and she stared at the vampire with that same look she got when someone told her she had to eat her peas or watch Mindy for a few hours. Raven was proud of Claire. Sometimes a person's biggest weakness was also their greatest strength. Claire might be stubborn and proud, but she was also tough. Raven grabbed Claire's hand and squeezed as a show of support.

The vampire said, "We'd shoot you last. You can watch your sisters die...or you can come out."

"Give us a few minutes. We'll come out," Raven leaned to Claire, "Just do as they ask. Get anything we need together, clothes, jacket, food, and then we'll go out."

"But they're evil..." Claire was going to go off on a Claire diatribe about how they shouldn't give in to evil people, but Raven cut her off.

"Yes, they are, and evil people don't play by rules and they don't have a conscience so we do what they say and live another ten minutes," Raven was on her hands and knees shining a light and searching the van for something.

Tearing the tape away from a clove of garlic, Raven peeled it while Claire begrudgingly searched for clothes and Mindy waited wide-eyed and frightened. Raven slipped the garlic into Mindy's mouth.

"Eat this," she said, while she bit into her own, her mouth recoiling from the caustic taste.

Mindy made a face, "Ewwww."

Raven passed one to Claire, "Chew it down."

Claire nodded solemnly, and took the garlic.

Raven hoped that her plan would work. They gathered the duffel bags with their belongings. The vampire at the top peered down, "You're out of time. We'll pull you up."

"I'll go first," Claire said. She climbed the seat and held up her hands for the vampires. Their fingers were cold but gripped her skin like iron bands.

~~ Claire ~~

Claire stood in the darkness surrounded by monsters. She limped away from the van. Her ankle had twisted when the vampires dropped her to the ground. Mindy came next.

"They smell like a cess pit," a young vampire who looked about Claire's age circled her, sniffing the air like a beagle. Claire thought of the garlic and felt instantly grateful for Raven's quick thinking.

Raven was passing their duffel bags up. One of the vampires on top of the van threw the first one at Claire, knocking her over. She landed on a rock. The jarring pain and laughter shocked Claire into motion. She picked up the duffel bag and swung it at the nearest vampire.

The vampire grabbed the duffel bag, yanking it away from Claire and threw it on the ground. The vampire wiggled her finger back and forth, "Now, now. You're our dinner guests. I don't like my entrees to be too spicy."

Under the light of the moon, Claire could see the vampire's smirk. It reminded her of the boys at school teasing her because of Mindy. She had punched one of them, and her Mom was called into school.

Claire hated those boys and hated the vampire and hated everything else in the world that was unjust and unkind. She hated that she was embarrassed by Mindy, that she couldn't be like Jade and just not care what everyone thought. She hated that Jade called her spoiled because she didn't want to help Mindy.

The vampires were pulling Mindy up now, her fearful cries piercing the thin vampire laughter and chatter. Claire let her anger win that time. She punched the vampire right in the stomach. She might as well have been a twig trying to knock over an oak. The vampire grabbed Claire by the throat and shoved her back, using her leg to trip Claire. Claire fell to the ground with the vampire coming down with her, strangling her.

Claire heard Mindy's voice yell, "Stop."

The vampires mocked Mindy with squawking squeaky voices, "Stop. Stop. Stop."

Claire wanted to punch the vampire again, but she was getting the life choked out of her.

The ground suddenly gave way and Claire felt herself falling. The vampire fell with her. They were in a strange collapsing tunnel, falling faster and faster. A rock wedged itself between Claire and the vampire, forcing the vampire to let go. Claire kept falling at a tremendous rate, but the earth always held her in a strange embrace that kept her from hurting herself.

Then it was over.

Claire was hanging upside down in a tunnel. She felt a small breeze blowing from the tunnel below her. She decided to crawl further down to find the breeze.

She felt claustrophobic. Mindy might like tight spaces. Claire did not. She wanted to be free, tossing about on the ocean waves, not trapped beneath a mountain of dirt. Claire shook with fear as she inched her way down hoping that the slight air would be enough. Stars blinked across her vision, and she wondered how much oxygen she had left.

She had felt less frightened facing the vampire. The vampire might have been killing her, but Claire's driving emotion then was anger. Now she was alone in the dark at the bottom of some weird tunnel, and she felt as if she'd been put into a grave.

"Raven?" Claire called into the dark. She pushed her way forward through the dirt and rock, crying out for her big sister.

When no one answered, she began to panic.

~~ Mindy ~~

The vampire was killing Claire and the rest just laughed and laughed. Mindy hated that they laughed at Claire. She remembered how hurt Claire was when the boys at school laughed at her. It was Mindy's fault. She couldn't think the words fast enough. She didn't have the capacity to even realize what it was to think words, but she knew somehow that a flaw in her own self caused Claire's pain.

And now they were laughing again, while Claire died. Mindy was smart with some things. She had hidden talent. Mom whispered that to her, "Don't worry Mindy, you are a jewel. Don't let anyone make you feel less."

Mindy didn't know how to help Claire. She was too busy trapped inside wordless confusion, but Earth knew, her best friend forever, truly a rock that Mindy depended on when her life became baffling. Mindy asked Earth for help.

Earth opened its heart and let Claire in.

The vampires watched in shock as the sink hole dragged Claire and the vampire down. Mindy clapped her hands.

The vampires lowered her from the van to the ground. She didn't pay much attention to them. She was watching Earth deal with the vampire.

Behind her, from inside the van she heard Raven ask, "What's happening?"

A vampire who misunderstood the situation laughed, "Your sister is dying. Come see."

They helped Raven to the top of the van, which was now really the side, and then off. With rough hands, they dropped her down. Raven turned a horrified look to the hole where Claire had disappeared.

Earth tore the vampire away from Claire. Now it was crushed under rock and dirt. Mindy felt surprise and then relief. Earth's strength obliterated the vampire into dust as surely as sunlight. The energy for such a task drained from Mindy, and she felt exceptionally tired.

Earth could do more, but she needed Mindy. Without Elementals, the Elements flitted about wherever they would go. The Elemental gave the Elements life and consciousness. Earth was aware, but Mindy helped her thoughts become part of a physical reality.

Mindy closed her eyes, feeling a little wobbly. That was okay. Earth was close.

The vampires felt their friend, Ruth's, absence like a pulled tooth. One minute her mind was a voice in their head, the next there was an empty space where she had been. A wave of concern fluttered over the vampires. "Where's Ruth?"

"I don't feel her anymore, do you?"

"Ruth disappeared."

"That girl did something."

"What did she do?"

"Stop her before she hurts someone else."

One of the vampires stepped forward.

Mindy felt a sharp pain in her head. Little speckles of red and white sparked and faded in her vision. She heard Raven shouting her name...and then everything went black.
Chapter 16

~~ Jade ~~

As the sunlight faded, Jade felt the movement of the vampire clan. She crawled out of the dirt, her fingernails torn from digging, her face filthy. Jade wasn't herself. The beast filled her thoughts with darkness, with hunger, hate, and fear. Stumbling out of the foliage, Jade discovered the dirt road and the distant memory of her sisters.

She followed the road, trudging along while two halves fought for dominance. In her mind, Gladys beckoned.

The vampires were on the move. In large groups they cross the state. Jade knew they were looking for her sisters with revenge in their thoughts. The beast inside her wanted revenge, too. Jade clenched her teeth, angry at the images flashing through her mind.

The vampires were close, now. Jade stepped from the dirt road onto the highway. The beast wanted to go toward a specific group of vampires. Jade wanted to go toward her sisters. Jade won that round. She dragged the beast with her, stomping down the highway, each footstep a triumph.

The beast's anger was her anger, and she used it as fuel to keep going. The beast's desire to turn around faded, and Jade realized that Gladys and three other vampires had almost caught up to her. She must have been walking for over an hour. If Gladys was driving, it made sense that they would catch up.

Jade was on a long straight stretch when a Saturn station wagon pulled up. Gladys leaned out the passenger-side window. She said, "Get in."

The beast won that fight. Jade was sitting in the back seat with a sense of alarm before she even knew she was moving. She didn't recognize the driver who took no time in accelerating to the speed limit. Jade felt a brief moment of satisfaction that she'd gotten dirt all over the Saturn's back seat, but it was short lived. She was hurtling down the highway with a carload of vampires, after all.

"I'm glad you've decided to join us," Gladys said. She rolled the window down, letting the night's cold breeze enter the car.

"I haven't," Jade said. She recognized a sense of claim in the words Gladys used and refuted them.

"Your sisters will make great vampires, except the youngest. I'm afraid we won't have much use for her."

"If you hurt any of my sisters, I will kill you," Jade gritted her teeth. The beast fawned all over Gladys, and Jade hated the way her thoughts followed the beasts. Still, Jade was holding her own.

"Let's not worry about that for now. You've had a rough morning. We'll get you to a safe house. You can get cleaned up," Gladys turned on the stereo, which was just as well, because her tone sounded false. Gladys was angry.

They drove for a few hours before turning off the highway. Jade had no idea where they were but the road was a country road and soon they were at an A-frame house with six manufactured homes around it. Jade could guess where she would end up. Two of the homes were built to be prisons with fences around the home. The beast forced the car door open, even though Jade struggled against it.

She realized that in the presence of other vampires, she was weaker...or the beast was stronger. Jade followed Gladys in, fighting every step of the way. She looked drunk, stumbling three steps sideways before lurching forward. If Gladys noticed she didn't say anything.

Gladys left clothes for her in the bathroom, a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans as well as a bra and underwear. Jade was hesitant about the underwear, but they had to be cleaner than what she was wearing. After undressing she looked in the mirror.

What she saw sickened her.

Jade closed her eyes and leaned against the sink, her gorge rising. Her eyes were bloodshot. Fangs protruded from her gums. Her hair was matted and filthy with leaves, twigs, and dirt. When she removed her clothes, her body was pale having lost the summer tan that she'd developed from swimming in the past few months.

Her body felt like it was someone else's, like it belonged to the beast.

When she thought that, she felt the beast's excitement. It was electrified by the thought of owning her, of having this body all to itself. It needed one thing from Jade.

The beast wanted her to let go, to disown herself.

Thousands of people had done it in the past. Every vampire that ever lived had to agree to the bond. Jade wondered what the alternative would be.

Death.

The beast whispered the thought in her mind like a frost-bitten breeze after a snow storm.

"It's my body, and I'm staying," Jade said. Stepping into the shower, Jade was grateful for the warmth. Even here, the beast fought for supremacy. Jade wouldn't give it an inch. Any moment that she realized it wanted something, she did the opposite. She had to be stubborn. She had to be tough.

Apparently giving in was all too easy. She found herself walking out of the bathroom against her own wishes.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy sprinted across the open field. Anyone looking out of any window in the mansion would see her, and there were far too many people. By the time she reached the woods, she was out of breath. She didn't stop there. Amy had to put as much distance between herself and the mansion as possible.

Amy couldn't say how long she ran through trees without seeing so much as a road. Her plan had been to find a road and follow it out, but before she ever saw a sign of civilization, she heard the sound of the sea and smelled the salt air.

The ground changed and the trees became scrubbier. The Oregon coast was thick with people. Maybe not as many as the east coast, but she should be able to find someone to help. Amy fully expected to discover houses or a campground before reaching the water.

Her feet were tired and the inside of her left foot was developing blisters. Amy wanted to remove her shoes and rub her feet, but she didn't dare take the time. As soon as Tony found out she was missing, he'd come after her, probably with his goon squad.

Soil gave way to sand.

Amy climbed a sand dune, the ocean's roar close. No sea gulls greeted her, nor was there any sign of life, human or otherwise. When Amy climbed over the dune, she stared in dismay.

It was the ocean.

But it was covered in mist. The fog stopped a few feet from the shoreline, as if an invisible wall had been built along the shore. The Keepers had their own gifts of the Universe. Perhaps one had mastered fog.

Amy reached out to Water and Air.

No one answered.

It wasn't that Amy was weak or tired. That was what scared her the most. Water and Air just weren't there. With a breeze blowing off the ocean, Amy should have had a strong connection. Instead she had silence.

Amy walked to the edge. The water didn't feel like the Oregon coast. It was colder, more alien. The color of the water itself was purple and black and untouched by the sun. It was as if the sun's rays stopped with the mist. Amy was standing in sunlight. She could feel the warmth, but as she stepped closer to the water, the mist somehow dimmed the light and reduced the warmth.

People always lived by the coast. Amy decided that the best thing she could do was keep going. Even with blisters on her feet, she had to find help soon, before they discovered her missing.

Amy walked for hours with growing concern. As she walked, the beach curved. It was always an inland curve. In all that time, she hadn't seen a gull, turn, or a sand piper. There were no houses and no roads.

The mist remained.

As did the curve.

Hours later, exhausted and aching, Amy found a set of footprints. She followed them until with growing horror, she realized that they were her own. She recognized a large outcropping that she had seen before.

Feeling frustrated and angry, Amy sat down on a rock and pulled off her sneakers. She peeled off her socks. The blister was huge, but it hadn't broken yet. Amy thought about swimming out. The mist still hung heavy on the water.

Leaving her tennis shoes with socks tucked inside next to the rock, Amy walked down to the water. She had to get off the island.

The waves lapped against her toes. The water was freezing cold. She wouldn't last a half hour swimming in that kind of temperature. She heard a horn, not a fog horn, but a deeper and more musical sound.

In the distance she could see a boat.

She jumped up and down, screaming for the captain to come in, her arms waving frantically. The boat glided smoothly through the water, oblivious to the waves, turning in her direction.

Amy felt a chill when the captain was close enough to see. He belonged to the void with his skeletal features and empty face. He beckoned with bony fingers, and Amy knew she had a way off the island.

The Keepers might have kidnapped her and were certainly capable of killing her. The fear she felt in their presence was like a mosquito bite compared to the fear she felt of the Void. Turning, she fled the beach, ignoring her shoes and running for cover.

Rocks and thorns poked her feet but she didn't stop even when she was out of sight. The blisters on her foot broke, and still she ran, back to the forest, back to the center of the island. If she was very very lucky, the Keepers might even take her back.
Chapter 17

~~ Claire ~~

Claire hated the dirt.

She was inching her way through a tomb, head-first.

There wasn't enough air in the tunnel. It was dusty and every breath brought particles into her mouth. She could taste rock. Coughing, she moved forward, nearly falling when the tunnel opened into a cavern.

Claire froze.

The air was fresh by comparison, but she had no concept of depth. There might be a hundred foot drop below her. Claire couldn't say how long she waited in the dark, in a tomb of her sister's design. Not that Mindy meant to kill her, no more than Claire meant to hurt Mindy earlier. They were just so very different.

Crawling back until she was back firmly on solid ground and breathing fresh air, Claire curled up, lying flat, her cheek pressed against the dirt. She wanted Mom. Jade was the oldest. Mom always talked about how much she relied on her. Mindy was the youngest. Mom always fawned over Mindy. Raven was the strongest, and even when they were fighting, Mom liked Raven's spirit.

But Claire...she was the quiet one, the awkward one. She might as well be a lesser carbon copy of Raven. They got the same black tresses and green eyes. At least Jade had lovely reddish brown hair, distinct and unique from her sisters. Not Claire, she could disappear and not even be missed. Not when she had an older sister just like her who was stronger, prettier, and better.

She closed her eyes, not that it made a difference in the pitch black of the tunnel. The air was thin. Claire thought that she should fight harder. Jade called her spoiled. The memory hurt her feelings. In school there was always a moral tale to be told about the good sister who did her chores and was justly rewarded and the bad sister who refused to help and thus came to an ignoble end.

Claire knew which sister she was. She'd been offended by the stories. She didn't know how to be the perfect daughter, the sweet Cinder Ella, Goose Girl, Snow White combination who always smiled even when sweeping the floors or dusting the house. She was the evil step-sister, the wicked witch, the spoiled brat.

Tears dripped onto her nose.

Water spoke to her.

Claire?

Claire?

Claire lifted her head. Water had found her even in Earth's domain. She said, "I'm here."

Come forward so that you can turn around.

Claire did as Water asked. It was a leap of faith to push her way out of the tunnel, but Water was waiting. It filled the hole, meeting her at the opening. Feeling secure in Water's embrace, Claire pushed out of the tunnel and into the water. Once she felt safe, water retracted, and Claire found herself standing in a little cavern sized just for her.

The earth trembled and then was silent.

Water shivered, They hurt your sister.

"Which one?" Claire had three sisters, and the vampires certainly didn't like any of them.

"Earth." Water spoke of Mindy. Claire grabbed at the wall when the Earth shook again. Dirt fell from the top of the tunnel.

"Will it hold?"

Earth is strong. If she doesn't lose her head, it will hold. She is angry. I think we should leave.

"What about Mindy? Is she okay?" Claire fell when the Earth shook again, grumbling with sorrow and anger.

She is silent. Earth is trying to reach her, but she will not answer.

That could mean a lot of things, but Claire thought of what Mindy had just saved her from. The vampire who had jumped her was ready to choke the life out of her. When Mindy removed Claire from their grasp, of course the vampires would be angry. And she would be their next target.

"Mindy," Claire whispered. She jumped toward the tunnel, grabbing for rocks, trying to pull herself up. The tunnel was over her head and she couldn't get back up.

"Help me!" Claire begged Water. She had to find Mindy, had to save her.

Claire tried to become Water, so that she could flow quickly up the tunnel, but she hadn't slept well the past few nights and found it impossible to concentrate. Water lifted her up the tunnel, but both were tired, and the movement through Earth's halls slow. Claire clenched her teeth as she felt the time slipping away. Minutes and more minutes passed.

"Has Earth felt Mindy yet?" Claire and Water moved up the tunnel at a snail's pace. Water was exhausted, gathering upon itself to lift Claire.

The Blood are taking your sisters away. They will be gone long before we reach the surface. Air is safe.

Raven was safe for now, but not Mindy. Earth surrounded Claire, weakening her. Not on purpose, but it was the nature of her personality and Earth, of her affiliation with Water.

They traveled to the surface.

As she stepped into the cold night, Claire knew that the vampires would be gone. As she crawled out of the hole, she had no idea how alone she would feel.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven was too far away when the vampire struck Mindy to do any good. She fought like a tornado to get to her sister's side. She didn't waste any breath screaming at the vampires. She used every last ounce of strength in attack.

The garlic saved her.

The vampires felt repulsion even while they held her down. It was like a woman afraid of spiders being forced to hold one. The vampires didn't like garlic in the least.

When one let go, she yanked her hand quickly from the other vampire. The sudden release made her fall forward. She barely got her hands up in time to catch her fall.

Raven could hardly stand. She half-stumbled, half-crawled to Mindy's side. Mindy's head was bleeding quite a bit. Raven took off her jacket and covered her sister with it. Because she didn't have anything to stop the bleeding, she put her hands over her sister's blood-matted hair.

The vampire who struck Mindy stood over them like a sentinel. Raven wanted to stab him through with a branch. Mindy needed her, and there were too many vampires to fight. She'd just wind up dead and unable to do anything.

"Cooperate and you'll both live," the vampire said.

"Right. Because you did all this so that we could then go on our merry way," Raven said, waving her arms at the van and the vampires milling about, waiting for something to happen.

"We don't want you dead. You're fighters and intelligent. You have other gifts. You're meant to be turned. Those are my orders, unless you cause too much trouble, in which case, I'm to kill you like the other one."

He meant Claire.

Raven reacted as he would expect to the news of Claire's death, but it was an act. Air had already given her news of her sister.

"You'll like being vampires. We're stronger, live practically forever. We have our own gifts," the vampire spouted some more nonsense, but Raven stopped listening.

"We need to take Mindy to a hospital," Raven said.

Raven hated the vampire talking, the one who hit Mindy. He was pompous and full of himself and his own importance, going on about vampires and his own role in the group, how important he was and how they could be, too.

She hated him more when he said, "A dose of vampire blood will do the trick. Gladys loves the little ones," Waving to a pair of vampires hanging on the periphery who wore polyester green pants and looked like they belonged at a disco, he said, "Put her in the Hummer."

Raven felt wobbly, but she pulled herself together. No one was going to touch her sister. She growled at the vampires, "I'll do it."

She gently lifted Mindy, cradling her sister. They were being picked apart one by one. First Mom, then Jade, now Claire. She and Mindy were the only ones left, and Mindy wasn't even conscious. Raven ignored the vampires as much as she could. Their mouths opened and saliva dripped when Raven passed by.

They were hungry. Mindy's blood reminded them that she and Raven were prey.

Raven sat with Mindy in the back. The woods surrounding the van were dark, but the movement gave her the feeling that there were more vampires there than she had first suspected. While they were fighting, the number had grown, as if they were herd animals, drawn one to the other.

When one of the vampires crawled in back with her, Raven shifted away. She felt the bottle in her pocket then, a hard lump and a reminder that she still needed to save Jade, once they saved themselves. And after that, Mom.

Raven accepted the handkerchief the vampire handed her, inspecting it before she held it to Mindy's wound. She wondered how they were supposed to get pure water now...and if they would remember each other once they were vampires. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad since Jade was a vampire, too.

She glanced at the creature sitting next to her. His eyes were glued to the blood on the handkerchief, as if he couldn't pull himself away.

Yes, it would be bad.

~~ Jade ~~

Gladys was keeping something from Jade. Early in the morning, in the wee hours before dawn, several vehicles entered the compound, parking in front of two of the manufactured homes that looked more like prisons than homes. The tall iron gates with barbed wire blocked the view. Someone had come for a visit.

Jade decided to check out the house, to see if they had brought in some of the more vicious vampires, the beasts with no control.

She didn't get far.

Seeing her start toward the stairs, Gladys stopped Jade, "Where are you going?"

"I need some air," Jade said. It was a lame excuse, but all she could think of on a whim.

"Not until I have your oath," With a flick of her fingers, Gladys commanded two vampires to escort Jade upstairs.

They not only prevented her from going downstairs, but escorted her to a bedroom on the far side of the house. When she pulled aside all of the vampire layers of protection to look out the window, all she saw was woods and the fence. One of the vampires pointed to the opening, "It's an hour to dawn. You're going to burn yourself to a crisp."

Jade shrugged.

The beast moved forward with a will. Not only did it return the window to its former sunless state, but the beast moved a table to block the curtain to buy time in case Jade took control again.

Tired of losing to the beast, Jade struggled to regain control. Even though she seemed to have the upper hand most times, the beast could be impossible to overcome when it made a firm decision on something. The shades on the window gave the room a stifling feeling.

Jade would never see the light of day again.

She felt the beast's fear as she imagined the sunlight on her arms. The vampires weren't afraid of much, but they were afraid of light. She also felt something sinister, a hidden glee, a secret between the beast and the other vampires.

Jade found the bed and sat down hard, her mind half twisted trying to read the beast's thoughts, which was strange since the beast was inside her, a part of her. It made Jade wonder how deeply this creature was entangled with her. Perhaps it was like a parasite or a virus. With enough struggle, maybe Jade could beat it out of her.

She listened to the beast, trying to hear the thoughts. She knew the other vampires were talking to it. When she was closer to the beast and fighting less, she could hear their voices, too. Jade almost gave up the struggle out of sheer curiosity.

Instead, she hung on, fighting with every bit of strength she possessed to retain her own identity, to keep the beast out of her heart, away from her soul. An image of Mindy lying still on the ground floated across Jade's memory like a dream. In that instant, Jade knew exactly what had happened. She knew who was in the house next door. Not some horrible vampiric thing, but her sisters, alive so far, but far from well.

Jade pushed off from the bed, but the vampires guarding her knew that the beast had been subdued. They stepped forward. In that moment, she also felt the sun rise. The beast taunted her with the knowledge. "You'll die, too."

She tackled the beast. Her spirit dominated the creature, pounding it down, but not into oblivion. Somehow it stayed, stubborn and insistent, like a thistle in the sock only in her mind.

Gladys laughed in her thoughts, the mocking sound worse even than the beast's constant hunger, "You'll never escape. Your sisters have a chance. Swear your oath to me, and I'll see them free."

Lies. Jade knew what kind of freedom Gladys offered. Maybe death. Maybe life as vampires. Not all freedoms were equal. She didn't bother with a response. Jade shoved the beast again, not because it had risen, but because she was angry, "Let me see my sisters. I won't do anything until I see them."

"It's daylight. You wouldn't survive the journey." Gladys had a grating voice. It reminded Jade of the cheerleaders in her school, specifically Danika McGregor, whose taunts generally ended with a fake hyena giggle that somehow drove the boys crazy. Maybe they were just pretending, too.

The door opened and the vampires dragged in a teenager. He looked petrified, especially when he saw Jade. The beast roared, and Jade knew what it wanted.

She also caught the psychological warfare in the choice of candidates, or as the beast thought, food. Jade couldn't deny that the fellow was handsome, a popular clean-cut type who would please his parents with straight A's.

Jade's type.

The beast forced her mouth open. Her legs walked to the teenager who was trapped between two vampires with two more blocking the door. The only problem was that Jade didn't want to walk. She thought a nice place to be would be across the room from the teenager who seemed to the beast like a hamburger and milkshake all rolled into one.

Taking a page out of Gladys' book, Jade grabbed one of the vampires holding the kid by the shirt. Using the beast for emphasis, she growled, "I like to play with my food first, and I don't need an audience."

It was the right thing to say. The vampires stepped back. One of the guards at the door said, "Good to see you back."

Jade watched as the vampires, even her guards left the room. The beast was so close now that she could hear the kid's heart beating like a runner having just taken a lap. He was scared. She was hungry.

Jade yanked herself away. Not she. The beast. The beast was hungry. She realized how close she stood to the kid. He was shrinking away, looking for a weapon. Even though he wouldn't go down easy, Jade knew in her heart of hearts that if they got into a fight, the beast would defeat the boy. She also knew that if he roused the beast enough, there would be no way for her to stop him.

"Wait," Jade said to the boy, "I'm fighting it. I haven't had blood yet. Just move slowly. I'm trying to control the beast."

Shaking, he nodded. He swallowed a few times and asked, "How long have you been a vampire, then?"

"Two days, well, I turned at night," Jade found the strength to take two steps back.

"I'm sorry," the boy took a step back, too.

Jade sank down onto the bed. She sat on the edge, not trusting herself to get comfortable. The beast was strongest when she was relaxed. She couldn't afford to get to that degree of comfort.

"Me too," Jade said.

The beast freaked out inside Jade, like a neurotic animal trapped in a too-tight cage at the zoo, lashing out and trying to get free. Jade closed her eyes and tightened her grip. She was intelligent, much more so than the thing inside her, and that made her stronger. Using that strength, she locked the beast down tighter.

With her eyes closed and her mind focused, Jade didn't see it coming.

The door opened.

Four vampires burst in, grabbing the boy. They murdered him, stabbing him while he screamed.

Jade opened her eyes, and suddenly she was remembering another stabbing.

"Daddy," Jade whispered the words. She had watched her own father die. She had watched him die at the treachery of a trusted friend.

She couldn't bear what was happening here.

There were no weapons in the room other than what the vampires brought with them. Blood poured on the carpets and sprayed on the walls.

The beast leapt like a dog on a chain.

Jade found herself crawling on her hands and knees toward the blood.

He would make her drink. If she got too close, that vampire born inside of her would turn her into an evil creature just like the others.

"I will not." Jade screamed the words, flipping herself around and dragging herself toward the bed.

The room reeked of copper, iron, the things that fed evil.

Jade remembered her Dad's last words, "I'm so proud of you both."

Raven was with her when Dad died. Jade had almost forgotten. Grasping the comforter in both her fists, Jade pressed her face against the cloth, breathing in fabric softener and detergent. It couldn't mask the smell, not even remotely.

She could hear the others feeding. Just that thought brought the beast to the surface, and she felt her mouth water. Ripping the comforter off the bed, Jade dragged it past the four vampires. Her guards were feeding. She didn't dare the slightest glance over. She knew what horrors she would see.

Forcing the door open, she walked unchallenged out of the room and down the stairs. The beast was in ecstasy, and Jade learned another thing about vampires. They lived life through one another. When one fed, those close by participated in some weird telepathic way.

The beast wanted to return, but Jade was in control. She tried not to think too hard about her plan. It was like a strange meditation where the very thing she wanted to do was the very thing she couldn't think about. At the front door, she covered her head with the comforter. Not an inch of skin was open to the sun.

Still, Jade didn't know if she would survive the next twenty minutes. Pushing the door open, she walked outside.

The beast started howling.

It was too late for the vampires inside to stop her. She'd already gotten down the porch and halfway across the yard when the beast's screams drew their attention. It reared against her, trying to wrest control, Jade said, "Just try it and I'll let the sun in,"

The beast stopped cold. Jade couldn't see where she was going. She looked down and just moved one foot in front of the other. She had a feeling for the general direction she should take. That would have to be enough.

It started with a sunburn. Jade's skin flushed, and then peeled. Walking through the gate, Jade felt a strange smoke rising from her skin. She could smell her skin burning.

Jade didn't know where the house with her sisters was. Although Jade tried to move quickly through the sun-drenched yard, she would never move fast enough. She might never see her sisters again.
Chapter 18

~~ Amy ~~

Tony found Amy sitting on a stump in the forest trying to figure out her next move. He looked almost rueful, as if he'd known she would make the attempt to escape and fail. He said, "Are you ready to come back?"

"This isn't even Earth, is it? You've used the Gate to bring me to a new dimension." Amy's feet bled freely where the blisters had broken and where sharp rocks had scuffed and penetrated her skin.

"No, this isn't Earth. You're a long way from home. It's not a bad place, really. We have movies, books, a beach to walk on...everything a person could want, really."

"Except my family. My very own desert island in the middle of nowhere—how thoughtful. How many of us are captive?" Amy said with a hint of sarcasm. She refused Tony's hand and stood up on her own.

"We are all captives here, Amy, even me. This way..." Tony pointed toward a space between two trees. He didn't help Amy as she stiffly picked her way across brush and plants, rocks and pine cones. She wouldn't have taken his help anyway.

"You?" Amy scoffed, "You expect me to believe that?" It was not the first time she felt anger toward Tony, but this anger was confused.

"I've been here since a few weeks after the funeral. This may be the only chance I get to talk to you. The house is bugged. I know you passed the gift of Time on to someone else. I don't want to know who. The Keepers think it's in the necklace. I helped them so that they would trust me. I know full well that the power isn't there."

"You can never find what doesn't exist. Tell them that." Amy was a half-step behind Tony. She couldn't see his expression when she told him...and he didn't see hers.

She had practiced that particular lie in front of the mirror for hours. Not all at once, but over the course of several years while she was married to Lawrence as they were planning for the worst.

Tony glanced over his shoulder at Amy. Their eyes met, his grey to her green. She thought he was about to say something important. He hesitated. She could tell when he discounted what he was originally going to say. Instead he said, "The necklace is our best bet for now. It will take them time to test it."

"I want it back," Amy said. She stepped on a sharp piece of bark. She bit her lip and refused to react. She wouldn't give Tony the satisfaction.

"Look, I'm a prisoner just like you. They may trust me a little more, but they're not going to listen to a word I say. I'll ask, but just by asking it will probably guarantee that you'll never see it again." Tony stopped at a giant rock and sat down. He unlaced his sneakers.

Amy wasn't about to give up on the necklace, but for now, she accepted that Tony wouldn't be able to help her. Changing the subject, she asked, "What are you doing?"

"You can't walk all the way back barefoot. I'm giving you my sneakers," Tony said as he pulled of the first one and handed it to her.

Amy shook her head, "What difference does it make? If I have your shoes, you won't have any."

"I have tough feet. Please? I feel bad for taking your necklace. Let me make it up to you."

"This doesn't come close to making up for stealing the first present I ever got from Lawrence," Amy said, grabbing his sneaker. It was several sizes too big and a clown shoe on her, but she wore it anyway. If nothing else, she would take some pleasure in watching Tony navigate the woods barefoot.

"Listen, we'll be to the house soon enough. When we get there, I'm going to ask you to write a letter to your daughters. They're hoping you give something away in the letter. I'm to tell you that it will be sealed and unread by any of our group, but I promise you, it will be. They want you to sign paperwork that will turn the daily running of the shop over to one of our agents."

"I won't do that," Amy said.

"I get it, but if you don't, they'll have a whole team watching your daughters. You could counter with a few things, either ask for Martha and Bill to be the ones to watch the shop or in your letter to Jade, have her hire the name the Keepers provide to you."

"Why would I do any of that?" Amy flopped along feeling like a child in overgrown shoes.

"To protect your children. As long as the Keepers think they've got the person with the power, they'll only watch the house. The minute you prove that you don't have the Time gift, they will take your daughters. For now, they are only watching," Tony sounded so slick when he presented the reasons, but Amy knew her children weren't safe.

Still, it sounded like she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. With the letter, Amy could give Jade some hope until she could find a way out.

"I'll write the letter, but no one is touching my business," Amy said. As they walked back to the house, she thought about Tony's words a few weeks after the funeral. He must have been a captive on the island for seven years. Maybe there truly was no escape.

~~ Claire~~

It had taken Claire's last ounce of strength to climb out of the tunnel. Water splashed back and soaked the grass. Claire wobbled a bit, but managed to walk to the van. Claire hadn't seen Raven grab the bottle for the pure water to save Jade. She thought she had to get back into the van and find it.

She walked in a circle around the van first. It was still dark. The idea of crawling into the van at night was too much. The windshield was broken out now and their boxes and suitcases and duffel bags strewn everywhere. It looked like the vampires went back in after the sisters were gone.

She found sleeping bags and pillows a few yards away from the van in a pile. After yawning for the bazillionth time, Claire changed into a clean t-shirt and sweatpants, climbed into a sleeping bag open to the sky, and closed her eyes. Water promised to watch for trouble.

At first Claire didn't sleep. She worried about Mindy and Raven, wondering if the vampires had killed them or turned them. Claire closed her eyes but opened them at the smallest rustling sound in the woods. Finally her anxiety gave way, and she fell asleep.

When Claire awoke, the sun had already crested over the mountains and was shining between the trees. She climbed back into the van through the windshield, but didn't find the Keeper's bottle.

When she found Mindy's teddy bear, Claire held onto it. Of all of the items in that van, Pebbles was the most beloved. The bottle was necessary, but the teddy bear was also important.

She asked Water if she had been able to find pure water and if she had seen the bottle. Water found pure water, but didn't know the location of the bottle.

After hours searching, Claire gave up. She didn't want to leave the site until she knew for sure that they could save Jade, but she didn't want to stay any longer.

"Can you find Raven?" Claire asked Water, "See if she has the bottle."

Claire gathered necessities into a single duffel bag. Mindy's teddy bear took up precious space, but Claire couldn't bring herself to leave it, even if it meant less food or fewer clothes. She considered a second bag, but decided against it.

Finding the box of food overturned, Claire righted it and dug into the contents. While she waited for Water to report back on her sisters, Claire ate.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven sat in an arm chair yawning. The door was locked and two guards stood inside the room. Mindy was unconscious on a bed. Raven wanted to join her and get some sleep, but Raven didn't trust the vampires.

At some point in the night Raven fell asleep anyway.

She woke up with a sore neck, not from the vampires but from sleeping at a bad angle. Her first thought was of Mindy. Feeling groggy, she forced herself to stand up. She was tired and sore and hurt where she'd been bitten and bruised. Shaking her sister, Raven tried to wake Mindy. There were no vampire bites on her sister, but Mindy was still out.

Raven sat heavily down on the bed. It was hard to think straight. Mindy needed to get to a doctor, but the vampires had no intention of letting them go. It wasn't like Raven could carry her. She could ask Air to help with Mindy, but it wouldn't take long until she would have to rest. Raven was so tired now.

Air was as lost as Raven. The Element had lots of suggestions, but none of which were practical or that would really be useful.

Raven was still thinking about it when Water contacted Raven and Air.

Raven pulled out the bottle and unstoppered it. That was what Water wanted. Water released its prize inside then Air dropped the stopper in. Don't open the bottle until the Jade is ready to drink it. Water instructed.

"Agreed," Raven said. She felt shy around Water. It was like that when an Elemental spoke to an Element who wasn't a connection. Raven thanked Water and Water disappeared.

"But..." Raven was going to ask what she should do next, but Water was long gone. With a sigh, Raven wondered what to do next.

~~ Jade ~~

Foolish girl. That was Gladys speaking through the vampiric telepathic link. Apparently she didn't like her newly minted vampires spending time in the sun.

Jade was certain that at any moment she was going to spontaneously combust. Her skin itched like a thousand red ants were crawling under it. Ignoring Gladys, Jade found the gate and passed through.

The beast was terrified and that fear bled through to Jade. She could hardly think straight.

Gladys spoke through the link. The house is just to your left. Don't go wandering off. You need to get inside.

For once Jade was grateful that Gladys was speaking to her.

Jade couldn't see through the comforter. Her only view of the outside world was the ground at her feet. It occurred to her that this wasn't the most intelligent thing she'd ever done.

For one thing, she didn't have hands. The minute she removed the comforter to grasp something, she'd burn up. For another thing, she couldn't see anything. She had no idea where the house with Mindy and Raven would be now that she was outside. Somehow, she thought she'd have better luck and less of a tendency to turn into a crispy vampire fireball.

She heard a door opening and someone shouted, "In here."

Jade followed the voice. Rough hands grabbed her and dragged her in. She screamed in pain, her arms in flames. Jade struggled, bumping into a couch and falling.

The beast roared.

Jade stayed on the ground. She didn't trust herself to move.

Someone ripped off the comforter. Jade blinked. At least thirty vampires surrounded her. She thought they would leave her alone. She was wrong. Grabbing her hands and feet, they carried her upstairs to a bedroom that looked more like a torture chamber. The floor was wood and had a drain in the middle. An iron bed with chains and handcuffs stood in the middle of the floor over the drain.

Struggling, Jade didn't even come close to an escape. They bounced her down on the bed so hard that her teeth jarred and she felt sick to her stomach. She tried to slip her hands out of their grip but they clamped the metal around her arms.

The cuffs would have been uncomfortable enough, but Jade's skin was burnt and blistering where the sun had filtered through the comforter. The skin actually tore where it stuck to the metal.

Jade didn't think the situation could get worse until one of the vampires grabbed her. He ran his fang along the fleshy inside of her arm opening a blood vessel. He drank from her.

The beast rose and Jade found herself watching from the ceiling again. She couldn't bear to watch. Instead, Jade floated away, through the room and into the sky.

Air whispered to her.  Not too far.

Jade was beyond caring. She was tired of fighting the beast, tired of struggling against the vampires and terrified of Gladys.

Air said, Follow me.

Just one house over, Jade and Air slid through the roof and down down down to the first floor bedroom. Raven and Mindy were trapped in a room with two vampires. Raven was curled up on the bed next to Mindy asleep.

Air said, They plan to have a sacrifice tonight. To kill Earth and take Air as their own. Go back. Be strong.

Leaving Jade back in the room where the vampires fed from her, Air disappeared. Air would never stay long in a room with Jade, almost as if she feared too much interaction. Jade forced herself down into her body.

She endured the vampires, refusing to drink when they offered. The movies romanticized vampires, making them misunderstood lovers. They were worse than serial killers. At least serial killers had a human life span and most of them weren't cannibals.

She blocked out what they did to her, tried to shove it deep into the recesses of her mind, but all the while her sense of injustice grew, her sense of rage grew, and her determination that she would wipe every vampire off the face of the Earth grew. And if they turned up in other dimensions, she might just wipe them out there, too.

Time stretched like taffy. An hour turning into a lifetime. A night spanned into eternity. Jade detested the slice of teeth on her skin, the cool tongues and the sense of invasion. She grew up modest. Some people would hug strangers. Not Jade. She didn't want people she didn't know touching her.

Jade focused on the fight. She focused on the beast. She imagined sunlight, sunlight on the beach, a warm afternoon strolling through the park, sweating in noon-heat while she painted a fence. Any memory she could recover of the sun, she did, pushing it on the beast until it was insane with fear. She didn't stop thinking of sunlight, not until they stopped feeding. Not until nightfall...that was when the vampires stopped.

She heard Gladys in her mind, Now you'll learn what happens to those who disobey.

The vampires dragged her to a stone altar standing in the middle of the field. More than a voice in her head, Gladys was standing in front of the altar like an Amazon woman, tall and self-assured with a stone knife in her hand.

The vampires dragged Raven out kicking and screaming. She got a few good kicks in, but by the time they dragged her to Jade's side, she was bleeding from her nose, and her eye was starting to swell. She wore bruises upon bruises from the last few days' adventures.

Raven spit at the nearest vampire. Seeing Jade she fairly growled, "They're going to sacrifice Mindy. Are you going to help now that you're one of them?"

Jade's intention was to say that they would never touch Mindy, but the beast, strengthened by the presence of powerful vampires rose. With fangs extended, Jade found herself saying, "I'm going to drink deep from Mindy. It will be my first act as a real vampire."

When the vampires brought Mindy out she was conscious, but stumbling and clearly in a stupor. Jade wanted to tell Raven that the beast was controlling her, making her say all those things. That Gladys was feeding the creature lines telepathically, but she was too weak.

As they marched Mindy to the stone altar and lifted her onto the slab, Jade found herself floating in the air again. She was desperate to return as she watched Raven struggle. She watched vampires tie Mindy's hands. Her body left its place beside Raven to join Gladys who stood at the altar, knife in hand. All the while, Jade watched helplessly above her body.

"Tonight we welcome a new vampire in our midst," Under the starlit night, Gladys' voice boomed.

The vampires cheered.

Gladys continued, "Tonight we sacrifice purity. We sacrifice faith. We sacrifice loyalty. Step forward."

Jade watched as her body stepped forward. Raven screamed for her to stop. A tornado swept through the clearing, shoving vampires aside. Jade knew Raven wouldn't be able to sustain it. That kind of power exhausted an Elemental and Raven already looked wiped.

A chill swept through Jade as she watched herself raise the knife. The tornado tossed vampires away from the altar, but just as it reached Jade and Gladys the tornado stopped.

One of the vampires struck Raven hard across the face. Jade watched as Raven crumpled to the ground. She was stunned. There was no one left to stand between the beast and Mindy.

Never had Jade felt so helpless, never so frightened.

A voice intruded on her thoughts, "It's almost too late. Let me help."

Jade knew who it was. The sharp smell of ozone shook her from her panic. "Yes. Yes. Let me save Raven and Mindy. Burn them all. I don't care,"

It wasn't almost too late. It was too late. Jade realized that in an instant.

Mindy was lying on the altar. Jade's body and the beast inside hovered over her. The knife came down.

Jade screamed.

She had just killed her little sister, at least her body had. The beast had thrust the knife through Mindy's center.

Jade's echo of pain and fear, her echo of rage bounced through the forest carrying flame. Lightning struck in a dozen places at once, frying vampires. Gladys screamed as she became a living vampire torch. With Gladys out of the picture, the beast weakened.

As she floated back to her body, she saw Raven push herself off the ground. Jade wrenched control of her body away from the beast. Her anger rose, as deadly as a viper. Lightning struck again and again. Air joined the fury and wind whipped the burning vampires away from the altar. Fire and Jade worked tightly together. Fire relishing the freedom so rarely found in the little balls of cold rock circling the Great Fire. So seldom was she allowed a true blaze.

Again and again, vampire after vampire burst into flame. Every structure in the field was on fire, whether house or shed, car or lawn mower. Only the Elementals were safe from the inferno.

The moment triggered a memory, a harsh moment that Jade had long ago shoved into the recesses of her mind, a kind of amnesia. She remembered the death of her beloved father. She remembered the cause.

Jade's legs wouldn't hold her. She wobbled, collapsing to the ground. She sobbed, the memory of the Fire seven years ago, and how it jumped from her father's attacker to her father, how he howled and then suddenly it was over. She couldn't remember what happened next, only that he had been on fire and it was her fault.

When the beast took her body once more, she told Fire, "End me. I can't control the beast, and I'm tired."

Fire waited. She didn't listen to Jade. There were other plans in motion.

Raven dragged herself to Jade. Jade was barely aware of the world around her. She stayed in her body, sharing it with the vampire, but she had no control. Raven's nose was bleeding. She wiped her nose on her hand and held it out for Jade.

Not Jade, the monster.

But Raven didn't know that. Did she?

The monster stood, moving to feed on Raven. Jade was so tired. She should care, but Mindy was dead. Jade lost herself in the beast's hunger, losing all sense of time and space.

The beast shrieked.

Jade came to her senses as Fire struck.

She was on fire, burning from the inside out.

Burn it.

Jade thought she would die. It would be better than living with the knowledge that she had killed her little sister. She fed the fire with her own energy, feeling the heat lick her skin.
Chapter 19

~~ Raven ~~

Raven staggered like a drunk, but she had seen how hard Jade was fighting for control. She knew what she had to do. Taking the bottle of Keeper's water out of her jacket pocket, she forced herself to walk to Jade. It wasn't far in terms of distance, but Raven had nothing left.

Between the beating she took from the vampires and the power she used to help Air fan the flames, Raven could barely walk in a straight line.

Jade was getting worse. The fires had all gone out.

Raven could see that it would be too late if she didn't do something. She had already lost Mindy. She wouldn't lose Jade as well.

Raven removed the stopper from the bottle, holding it in her right hand. When she reached Jade, Jade's fangs were extended. Jade wanted to feed.

Raven wiped her nose on her left hand, letting the blood drip on her fingers. She held them out.

Jade latched on. Raven didn't give her a chance to feed. She slipped her hand away. Before Jade could figure out what was happening, Raven dumped the water down her throat.

Several things happened at once.

Jade began caterwauling as if someone had just dumped her in a pot of boiling water...maybe Raven had. The air glittered around Jade, as if a thousand fireflies were dancing in the air around her.

In the dark of the night under the stars, Jade began to sparkle. There was no other way to describe it. As if lit from within, her skin shimmered. There were several pops and smoke rose into the air. It seemed to come from nowhere, but Raven thought Jade had something to do with the smoke.

And then the light faded.

Jade wept, tears streaking down her face. She pulled Raven into a huge hug, "Thank you."

The sisters turned toward Mindy. Raven stepped over a pile of ash that was once a vampire. She reached the altar first. She hadn't started crying yet. Jade hadn't stopped crying.

When Raven released Jade from the hug, her sister collapsed. Raven wanted to comfort Jade, but Mindy might still be alive. Raven held out the hope that her sister somehow survived the stabbing.

Raven's flashlight slowly inched its way along Mindy's body. Raven kept swallowing bile, afraid of the moment when the light settled on a pool of blood. That moment never came.

As the light settled on Mindy's face, Mindy said, "I'm okay."

The tears started flowing then. Raven said, "Mindy? Where did the vampire stab you?"

Raven didn't want to say Jade's name. Saying the word vampire created distance, even though it was Jade with the knife. She didn't want either sister to have those words ringing in their ears. "Little trick," Mindy said and put a finger to her lips, "Shhh..."

Raven yelled to Jade, "Jade? Mindy's okay. I'm untying her now."

Jade shuffled forward, wiping the tears from her eyes. "She's really okay? But I saw...I saw the knife come straight down. How?"

Shrugging, Raven cut the first of Mindy's bonds, "She said it was a trick."

The sisters gathered around the altar. The wind rose and piles of ash that had once been vampires drifted on the breeze. Raven was shocked at her sister's sudden transformation from vampire back to human. The whole last week felt like a dream, a nightmare. The nightmare was over. Raven wanted to convince herself of that, but the vampires were only the start. They still had to find Mom.

~~ Jade ~~

Jade couldn't stop crying. Mindy held out her arms to Jade, "I'm fine, really. Only my head hurts."

"They hit her hard," Raven said.

"Looks like they hit you hard, too." Jade said to Raven as she picked up Mindy. It was the shortest carry ever, "I'm sorry, Cricket, I'm too tired to carry you."

Raven was looking for a way out. With a sigh she said, "The cars are all burnt. I was hoping to get out of here."

Jade sniffed. Tears were still running.

"It's over. You can stop crying," Raven teased.

But Jade couldn't. Because she had almost killed Mindy. Because she had killed her dad. She remembered things no daughter should ever remember. She said, "I'll probably be weepy for a while."

Fire nudged Jade.

"Oh," Jade turned, "Fire told me that there is a car left. She knew we'd need to get out. She just didn't want to leave one near where the vampires were dying, in case they tried to escape."

"How far is it?" Raven didn't think she could move another step, let alone ten, let alone one hundred.

"I'll get it and bring it around," Jade said. She wanted a little time away. She needed to cry for a while, and somehow it seemed better to do it walking through the night looking for the car than sitting next to her sisters.

Fire didn't understand distance the way a human did. The car was a Ford Mustang parked in one of the slow-car turn-offs up the road. After a long hike, Jade spent several minutes looking for keys and ignoring Fire.

Finally Fire gave up on trying to convince Jade. While Jade was poking around in the glove box, Fire turned over the engine. Jade lifted her head, "Oh, I really don't need keys." That was what Fire was trying to tell her.

Fire wasn't a talker, not like Air or Water. She did the Fire version of shrugging by making a few sparkling flickers in the air around Jade. Jade drove the car back to the field, bouncing along the uneven ground.

Raven got into the back seat with Mindy. It made sense, but Jade had a wide range of emotions from guilt to humiliation. The thought crossed her mind that maybe Raven was afraid of her or didn't like her anymore or remembered Jade's part in their Dad's death.

"Where's Claire?" Jade rubbed her temple. Her head hurt. It had been a long week and right now she was feeling like she'd been hit by a freight train going a hundred miles an hour.

Raven blinked. She had forgotten Claire. She put a hand to her forehead and said, "She was underground. Air said she was okay, but then the vampires grabbed us and I lost track of her. Maybe Air can find her again."

Raven asked, and Air went searching.

Jade said, "I might as well get to the main road while we wait for Air, in case there are other vampires around."

The forest was eerily quiet. Jade tried not to block everything out of her mind, but she kept replaying the moment when the vampires ignited, the foul smell in the air, the sickening sensation that she wouldn't be able to stop. Worse than that, the memory entwined itself with the memory of her father's death. She focused on the road, on that bare patch of visible gravel struck by the headlights. She tried to zone everything else out.

"Anything about Claire yet?" Jade asked Raven.

Raven rubbed her eyes. She had fallen asleep, as had Mindy. "What?"

"I was just wondering if you'd heard from Air." Jade said. She drove slowly, at least ten miles under the speed limit. The roads were empty. She was so tired she was afraid that she'd fall asleep at the wheel.

"Nothing yet...I hope Claire's okay," Raven said.

Once they hit asphalt Jade just guessed at a direction and drove. She wanted distance between them and the vampires, if there were any left alive. The next town she reached they'd take their mother's credit cards and...Jade had a horrible sinking feeling. "Raven, did you grab Mom's purse?"

"Um...no. Surrounded by vampires, remember?" Raven asked in that snotty superior way that sisters sometimes have.

"Okay. Okay. It's just that we don't have any money for a hotel room...or gas...or anything else," Jade felt an avalanche of overwhelmed. A glance at the gas tank gave her some relief. At least it was over halfway full.

"We just took out a hundred vampires. A little cash-flow problem can't get us down," Raven said. She leaned her head back against the seat. She hurt so bad. Her face felt like it was one of those giant balloons that kids jump in, the ones with a thousand little balls and it felt like the kids had been jumping on it all day. Raven figured the way her head ached in rhythm fit the analogy.

Jade sighed, "Easy to say, but we're exhausted and we don't know what else is out there."

Raven straightened in her seat, "Yes, we do. We'll ask for help from Wayne in Bend. Long story. I'll give you directions."

Jade shoulders relaxed just a little. Maybe they would get out of this mess. But she wouldn't feel completely at ease until they all were together.

She said, "I just hope Claire's okay."

~~ Claire ~~

It was the middle of night in the middle of nowhere and every step felt like torture. Claire hefted the duffel from one hand to the other. The thousand pound bag, with water and jerky, a teddy bear, a few clothes, Mom's purse, and Raven's favorite CD bounced along her back. Claire felt guilty that she didn't find any of Jade's favorite things to bring. She did put in the copy of Day Soldiers that Jade was reading. That book had special meaning now that she knew vampires were real. Until this summer, vampires had always been fiction.

Claire shuddered.

She tried to think of happier things. Water. Sunlight. The park during winter when they all went sledding. Anything but the fact that she was walking on the side of an empty road at night and could possibly be watched or stalked by vampires.

Something stirring in the night air gave her the creeps. She couldn't stop from shivering. It was as if she were sitting in a freezer. Claire couldn't get warm. Whether it was the stress of the long, wet climb-and-carry out of the tunnel or the terrible fear she had for her sisters, Claire focused on taking one step and then another, all the while shaking so hard her teeth rattled.

What if I just stopped walking?

Claire was just thinking the thought to herself, but Water overheard. Water said, You could join me. We'll just become one forever. You'll never be too cold or too hot. You can dance on the Earth and play in the Air.

It sounded so good, especially now that the road was heading up a steep incline. The air was so cold. Claire wished she had a pair of gloves and a hat. She thought it would be nice to turn into Water, to play endlessly. There was a danger to playing too long as an Element. Aunt Bertha warned her several times to control herself, that Elementals had been known to lose themselves in the Element. Their souls could be trapped forever as the Element they favored.

Claire was too tired, now. She was sure to lose herself if she allowed Water to talk her into changing form.

Trudging up the hill and around the bend, Claire shifted the duffel bag several times. Water didn't have good news about her sisters. They were trapped by the vampires miles away. Walking she didn't have a prayer of catching up.

The night was still and silent. Claire felt lonely to the depths of her bones. Not just lonely in a human way, but lonely in an animal way, as if she didn't belong anywhere at all. She didn't miss anyone specifically. She missed everyone.

As she breached the top of the hill and started working her way down, Claire had the feeling of being watched. She turned completely around a few times, only to come out of the turn with a stronger feeling that something was out there and a terrible fear because she couldn't see who it was.

She didn't see him coming. Not at all.

Claire took a step right into him.

He grabbed her arms, his thick hands so cold that her skin felt freezer burn where he touched. She felt him there, grabbing her, but when she tried to see him, her eyes slid off him in the weirdest way, as if the man himself was an optical illusion.

She surely felt him, though.

His grip was tight.

Claire tried to become water. He seemed to know what she was doing and prevent it. Claire didn't know how, only that she felt a frozen electricity running along her arms and she couldn't change.

Water didn't ask for permission. She didn't even indicate that she was going to do anything. Water blasted the man, every droplet available on the floor of the forest, a few spouts from a nearby stream flew in a water spiral at the man.

He was surprised and loosened his grip for just a second.

Claire yanked herself away, letting the change take her.

As she changed, she could see the man more clearly. A man who was not a man. A dark shadow that could see without eyes, hear without ears. It hunted them.

He raised both of his arms. A jolt of electricity pierced Claire and she lost her thoughts. When she came out of her daze, the man was gone. Her knees buckled and she crawled into the grass, throwing up again and again, her stomach heaving even when there was nothing left.

"What was that?" Claire asked, when she was done heaving.

A servant of the void.

"How do I get away? Where do I run?" Claire's heart seemed to skip a few beats as it pitter-pattered in a desperate rhythm.

Water answered, He got what he came for.

That made no sense to Claire. Nothing had been taken. He had grabbed her arms, though. She thought back. She was still talking to Water, so she didn't lose her Elemental status. What could he have taken? Finally, she gave up trying to figure it out on her own, "What did he come for?"

Knowledge. He knows the Gift of Time is not with you. He will seek out your living relatives.

"Is he dangerous?" Claire asked.

Unpredictable. They kill some Elementals, take others to become Void, and leave the rest alone. Only the Void's Master knows why.

Claire rubbed her arms. She felt so homesick. She had a thought that she shared with Water, an idea about how to get home.

She asked Water, Do you think you can do it?

Water splashed excitedly.
Chapter 20

~~ Mindy ~~

Mindy opened her eyes. She was in the back seat of a strange car, but at least Raven was next to her, and Jade was driving. Mindy felt strange. Something had awakened inside of her, something dangerous.

Earth would know.

She reached for Earth.

Earth didn't answer.

"Jade?" Mindy said.

"I'm here." Jade sounded tired, but worse, she sounded worried and stressed.

"No Earth." Mindy said.

Jade nodded, "It's okay. You're tired. When you feel better, I'm sure Earth will talk."

Mindy sighed and leaned back, "I'm tired."

"I know you are, Cricket. We'll try to get home soon."

Raven stretched, "Where are we?"

"A few miles from Bend. I think we'll make it."

Raven gave Jade directions to the little church. She had a few missed turns, but eventually they pulled into the parking lot.

Mindy rubbed her eyes. Seeing the church, she said, "No. No. No. No. No."

Raven coaxed her, "Come on, Mindy. It's not that bad."

Jade frowned, "What happened before?"

Shrugging, Raven said, "Mindy crawled under the table while we ate. She wouldn't go near Wayne and the Keepers."

"Makes sense if they're our enemies," Jade said.

"That's just it," Raven yawned and pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair, letting her hair go everywhere, "They were actually really nice."

"Lies," Mindy said.

"Who's lying?" Raven asked, offended.

"Wayne," Mindy hugged herself, "Keep away."

"I won't let him hurt you," Jade unbuckled her seatbelt and rubbed her eyes.

"Don't let him touch you." Mindy said. It was rare that Mindy spoke a clear and complete sentence.

"Me?" Jade asked.

Mindy nodded, "Reads gifts,"

Raven groaned, "That's what that was."

They were sitting in the car in a parking lot, hungry, thirsty, and tired. Even if the Keepers did have something on them, Jade couldn't imagine taking another direction at this point. They didn't have enough gas, and they didn't have any money.

Jade said, "I'm clearly missing something here."

Raven explained, "He can read what gifts we have by touch. I felt a zap of electricity when he touched my hand. He wasn't being creepy about it, but Mindy was careful not to let him touch her at all. He tried a few times, so I guess you should do the same as Mindy,"

"So? They're Keepers. They know we're Elementals. What is he going to learn?" Jade unbuckled her seatbelt.

Mindy said, "Secrets. Hide yourself."

"I need to stretch," Jade said.

The girls walked around the parking lot. It was still dark outside. They were all tired and cranky. Hours later, when the sun was high in the sky, having slept crookedly in the seats, they had a reprieve. Wayne came out to greet them.

Wayne took one look at Raven's battered face, and his jaw dropped open. "What happened to you? You need to file a police report right away. Come inside."

Raven did the talking. She said, "No police. Besides, the guys who did this got worse. We need to get home. I wrecked Mom's van. Can we borrow your phone?"

"Sure. Come inside. You can stay as long as you need," Jade and Mindy both kept a nice distance from themselves and Wayne. He was ever the polite host. Jade could see why Mindy didn't trust him. He was a little too slick and accommodating for her taste.

~~ Claire ~~

Flipping and spinning, tossing and turning, Claire existed as a thousand drops of water. The trials of the past few weeks forgotten, Claire experienced life in the present, completely and fully, unable to focus on anything beyond the sensation of movement and mist.

Water knew all of the best ways home. When they arrived at the pond behind her house, Claire could barely drag herself out. She understood how it was possible to get lost in an Element. Her limbs felt so heavy she could barely move. She lifted herself up and walked like a zombie to the house, dropping the duffel bag on the porch

The door was locked.

Claire could slide through if she changed again. She was just so tired.

Once more? Water asked.

I'll try. Claire said.

She trickled under the door, much more slowly than she would have on a normal day. Changing back to her human form was the hardest thing she had ever done. Claire found the phone and dialed each of her sister's phones first, just in case. None of them answered. That made sense since the phones were probably all in the luggage scattered through the van.

She called Bertha.

Bertha answered, "Hello?"

"Aunt Bertha? It's Claire." Claire didn't know why, but she started crying. Somehow she told the whole story from start to finish. She ended with, "I don't know what happened to them."

"I've just rented a car, and I'm on my way. Stay put for now. If you see anything strange, go to my room and hide under the bed. My room. Not yours or your sisters. Okay?"

"Yes." Claire wiped her eyes, feeling much better.

"I love you." Bertha said.

"Love you, too."

Claire hung up the phone. She walked it back to the charger on the kitchen counter. That was when she noticed the letter:

My Dearest Girls,

The Keepers are responsible for my absence. Although I am well-cared for, I am unable to leave. I am in a strange prison with no guard, but I haven't figured the way out yet. I am not in any danger right now.

It's almost time for school. Go to school. Do your chores. Play sports. Do everything you would have done if I were there.

Don't try to find me. I'm not in a realm that belongs to Earth. That much I know. I will do my best to get free. In the meantime, live your lives and don't worry about me.

Love,

Mom

P.S. Mind Aunt Bertha.

Claire put the letter back on the counter. She was too tired to process it right now. She stumbled to the bathroom and took a shower. It was the longest shower she'd ever taken because she didn't have three sisters in line waiting. She thought she was going to fall asleep standing up. Claire finally shut the shower off.

She climbed into bed and had the best sleep of her life.

~~ Raven ~~

Jade and Mindy played a deft game of avoiding Wayne. Jade used the chapel phone to call Bertha. Relieved to hear from the girls, Bertha said that she was at Seatac Airport. They talked a few minutes. Hanging up the phone, Jade was grateful to give the girls good news.

"Aunt Bertha will be here by evening. Claire already called Bertha and she booked a ticket from Seatac to Bend based on what Claire told her. She was relieved to hear from me for sure," Jade chuckled. It was easier to laugh now that she knew everyone was safe. She yawned so wide that tears ran down her cheeks.

Wayne stepped through the door. Raven wondered if he'd been listening outside. He was quick to step into the room the minute Jade hung up.

They had decided early on that Raven would be the diplomat of the group. She would step forward whenever a Keeper came into the room while Jade and Mindy stepped back. It was pretty obvious what they were doing, but so far Wayne respected the boundaries.

"We've got a guest room set up with a few cots. Jack will show you the way," Wayne smiled what looked like a genuine smile.

Jack led the way, followed by Jade and Raven. They never expected Wayne to be quite as sneaky as he was. He quickly moved to the end of the line and was about to put his hand on Mindy's shoulder when she danced around and roundly kicked him in the shin.

"No," Mindy said, running into Raven when she back-pedaled away from Wayne.

"Ow. That's some kick," Wayne rubbed his shin, but didn't say much more.

Raven wrapped her arms around Mindy's shoulders, "Mindy, you can't go around kicking people. They're helping us," To Wayne, she said, "I'm so sorry. I don't understand her sometimes."

Raven turned, neatly putting Mindy between her and Jade. If they wanted to, the Keepers could overpower them. Raven was under no illusions about the strength she, Jade, and Mindy possessed compared to the Keepers. Apparently the Keepers wanted to keep up pretenses.

Since they had actually been more helpful than harmful, Raven would let them.

Nothing else happened. They closed the door to the room. Raven whispered to Jade in her quietest voice, "Probably bugged."

Louder Jade said, "Let's try to get some sleep."

Raven closed her eyes, but she didn't sleep. She had a hunch. Talking to Air, she sent herself to the crows and tweety birds outside. Wayne was outside talking on the phone. She found a crow on the roof that could hear what he said.

"No, I haven't been able to get near the oldest or youngest. The little one kicked me in the shin, but I didn't catch a thing from her. She's slow. No way her Mom would give her Time to handle. If we don't find it with the Mom, it's got to be the eldest. She was more skittish than the little one. As a matter of fact, I think the youngest dotes on her and is mimicking her."

The reply was muffled. Raven closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She just couldn't hear what the other voice said.

"I don't think Tony will switch sides after this many years, but I'll give it a try. We have the Mom. I think we should let the younger ones go and watch them. We don't have the resources to hold them and they might give something away. They solved the vampire problem we've been having around here in one night. I'd hate to think what they would do if they thought we were the enemy."

This time Raven heard a man say, "They do think you're the enemy. Why else would they shrink away?"

"Maybe so," Wayne agreed. He sat on the concrete ledge on the side of the stairs. "But they don't think we're hostile. I'm not sure where Claire went. She's the only one who one hundred percent trusts me. I'd like to keep our relations in good standing. When the Gray sisters needed help, they came here. That's something."

"Something or not, this is as close as we've come to recovering Time in three centuries. The minute you get a feel that these girls have it, I want a phone call."

"You'll get it," Wayne said, hanging up with that person.

Sitting on the ledge, he made another phone call, "Tony?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Tony didn't sound enthused with speaking to Wayne. Raven wondered who he was.

"How's Amy doing?" Wayne sounded genuinely concerned. Raven thought that of all the people she'd ever met, Wayne was the most dangerous, and she was including the vampires. At least with bloodsuckers, you knew where you stood. Wayne was sneaky, charming, and good at pretending.

"She spent the night walking in circles along the beach before she realized that she was on an island. She hates my guts and thinks I'm in the middle of this. Otherwise, she's fine," Tony's resentment came through loud and clear.

"Are you ready to be a Keeper again?" Wayne pushed to his feet and walked down the steps. Raven asked the crow to hop down. It did, fluttering to a grassy spot where she would be within hearing range.

"I've been imprisoned for nearly a decade. I told the truth, and for that you ship me to another dimension. I'm siding with Amy on this one." Tony said.

Tony hung up on Wayne. Raven knew this because the call ended abruptly. She thought perhaps the conversation between Tony and Wayne might have been, at least partially, a ruse. Maybe the Keepers thought she would seek out Tony and tell him everything.

That wouldn't happen. Still, they knew something. Mom was alive and well somewhere in another dimension. Not only that, but she was on an island of some sort.

Wayne didn't seem to be doing anything else interesting. Raven released the bird with a sigh and turned on her side to sleep. Her cheek hurt where it pressed against the pillow, but she hated sleeping on her back. She would tell Jade about Mom once they were away from the Keepers. Closing her eyes, Raven didn't think she'd sleep, but then she did.

~~ Aunt Bertha ~~

Aunt Bertha's back was killing her. She signed the rental agency agreement thinking that the thousand dollars she spent to pick up the girls was outrageous. One day made five hundred dollar's difference on the ticket price, but she booked it anyway. Better to get those girls out of Oregon. They'd raised quite a stir.

Driving to the church wasn't so bad. Just a hop, skip, and a jump as it were. Bertha had to hold onto the door a few moments before she could grab her cane. That trip to Denver had drained her dry. She'd felt poorly most of the visit. She went to a clinic in Denver, took some tests, and had results coming to her family doctor.

Probably nothing. Bertha was eighty, after all.

Still, she felt every minute of those eighty years.

When she arrived at the cute little chapel, the girls were already outside waiting for her. Mindy sprinted across the lawn the minute she saw Aunt Bertha. She screeched to a halt and then gently wrapped her arms around Bertha's middle.

"Hey, Sunshine. Ready to go home?" Aunt Bertha hugged Mindy back with one arm. The other arm used the cane to keep her firmly on her feet. The hug hurt her body. Bertha wasn't about to tell her best girl that she was hugging too tight, though.

"Home." Mindy said, and in that one little word, she gave an encyclopedia of expression.

Raven shook Wayne's hand, thanking him. Jade was already helping Mindy get her seatbelt on. Jade slid in and closed the door. She'd escaped without Wayne's examination. Raven took the passenger seat.

They were all surprised when Aunt Bertha hobbled right up to Wayne and stuck out her hand, "Thank you, young man, for taking care of my kids,"

Wayne took her hand. Bertha felt the electricity and let him study her. She gave him a little extra, though, something to think of. She was a tricky one. Her gift didn't normally come in terribly handy. It was the gift of nothing, of space, of vacuum. But oh, it was so close to Time.

This Bertha knew well, having been close to the carriers of Time her whole life. Keepers typically handled the male side of the Universe while Elementals handled the female, but Bertha's gift usually passed down on the male side. She was an anomaly.

Wayne paused. Flustered, he stuttered, "You..."

Bertha pet his shoulder, "Yes, me. You keep your Keepers to themselves, and bring my niece back. She's got four girls to raise."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wayne said, his face a few shades redder than before.

"Well, when you figure it out, I'll be waiting," Bertha hobbled back to the car, barely able to open the door on her own.

She just set herself up, in a big way, but her girls would be protected. The way the Keeper had been eyeing Jade, Bertha knew they'd send a stealth team to grab her. Not now. Now they had Bertha to contend with...and her gift would scare them enough to buy her girls some time to grow in their powers.

Bertha put the car into drive with a deep sigh. There was so much to do. She would have to fill out a missing person's report on Amy as well as figure out the insurance on the van. Jade would need a thorough spiritual cleaning to make certain no remnants of vampire remained. They would hang the windows with garlic and sage, but from what the Elements were telling her, vampires wouldn't be a problem for the girls. Bertha made a mental list while she drove.

No one was happier than Bertha when hours later the car finally wended its way up the little driveway that was home. Claire was still fast asleep when the girls arrived.

One thing about wrecking the van...there was nothing to unpack.

The girls showered and changed. Bertha made them scrambled eggs and toast. Jade read Amy's letter a few times and then handed it to Raven to read.

Mindy started crying softly when she saw her teddy bear sitting on the bed waiting for her. Claire was fast asleep in her own bed, and Mindy knew enough not to wake her, so Mindy left the room to find Jade.

Jade was getting ready for bed. She was brushing her teeth and cleaning up her room a bit.

"Claire. Claire." Mindy said and held up her teddy bear so that Jade could see.

"Did Claire bring back Pebbles for you?"

Mindy nodded.

"I bet she loves you very much," Jade said, teasing Mindy's hair out of her face.

Mindy smiled.

"Come on, I'll get you tucked in," Jade said, stopping at the bathroom to wash out her mouth and throw her toothbrush in the holder before getting Mindy settled.

The house was quiet.

Bertha smiled.

Her girls were safe.

*** The End***

ELEMENTAL RAGE 2 AVAILABLE NOW! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE...
Author's Note

If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Reviews help authors qualify for great advertising venues.

Although some of the settings in this novel are real, many of them are fictionalized. As far as I know, there is no such town as Wildwood Springs in Washington State. I wanted a tiny town in the mountains for my Elementals to grow up in, one where I could control the size and the buildings and everything else.

Day Soldiers is a real book about vampires and a personal favorite with non-stop action and a bit of humor.

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Excerpt from Book 2 of the Elemental Rage Series: A Time to Die
Chapter 1

~~ Jade ~~

Jade detested school. At least English class was tolerable. She slid into her seat and pulled out her laptop. Everyone was chattering or on their computers. Jade just wanted to be alone, to stop the noise. Everything felt so loud.

Closing her eyes, Jade heard the screams again. Maybe she needed a shrink. It was seven years ago since she had accidentally killed her Dad, but somehow she'd manage to block it out. Until last summer.

A hand slapped the desk in front of her.

Jade jumped.

"Wake up, Pippi." Danika's perfume filled the room. She wore a bemused expression on her face, standing over Jade while she waggled a finger painted to perfection in hot pink.

The class roared in laughter.

Jade flushed. She lifted her eyes to meet Danika's, her jaw jutting out. Just once she wanted to punch Danika hard in the face. Just once.

Fire agreed. But Fire wanted more. Fire's voice whispered, She should burn.

As the most unstable of the Elements, it took a strong-willed Elemental to guide Fire. Very few Elementals were born with a gift for Fire, and those who did sometimes died tragically young in mysterious blazes. Aunt Bertha had explained it all...several years too late.

Jade calmed Fire. It wouldn't do to have Danika's hair suddenly burst into flames in the middle of English class. She narrowed her eyes at Danika, "Maybe you should work on those burrs."

Danika raised an eyebrow. This was new. Usually Jade turned a thousand shades of red and shrank away while the class laughed.

She said, "Burrs? What are you talking about?"

"I can see why you'd be so unpleasant having them shoved up your..."

At that moment Mr. Tanner strode into the classroom. The class tittered and Jade maintained eye contact with Danika, a staring contest that she decided not to lose. In the past, she always looked down, down at her hands, down at her lap, and Danika would walk by with her nose in the air like God's gift to the world.

"Wow, Looks like Pippi grew a pair," Danika flipped her hair back and pushed by Jade with a butt wiggle in Tom's direction. He was always ogling Danika. Her short skirts encouraged it.

Jade took a deep breath and counted to ten. When she was still angry, she made a list of all the reasons she was smarter than Danika. She couldn't say prettier, as much as she wanted to. Jade was realistic about her own prospects. With long reddish-brown hair, a strong nose and jawline, and a tall figure, Jade couldn't compete with Danika's perky nose and huge eyes set in a perfectly oval face. Danika had a classic beauty that she used to full advantage. Jade had...nothing.

First period ended. Finally.

Nothing terribly exciting happened through second period either. Danika was back again in Chemistry during third period. That was the worst thing about a small school. You had class with the same group of people over and over and over. The kids destined for college might take the tougher classes while the kids destined for other things ended up in remedial classes, but for the most part, Jade had to spend the day listening to Danika and her three besties blather on and flirt.

Jade felt that sick thud in her stomach when Ms. Hunt said, "We're going to choose Chemistry partners. You'll be partnered for the school year."

It really hurt being unpopular. Jade dreaded the moment when Ms. Hunt said, "Divide into pairs."

The moment never came. Instead, the teacher started reading pre-assigned teams. The class groaned as a whole, but Jade could only feel the weight of sweet relief wash the tension out of her shoulders. Maybe Ms. Hunt understood. She was a mousy woman with thin features and long, slender fingers. Her hair was completely white, although for some reason she curled it and teased it as if she was still stuck in the eighties. With oversized cardigans and long skirts, Ms. Hunt was certainly unique. Jade liked her for it. The rest of the class might make hurtful side comments, but Jade felt a bond with the teacher who had to suffer the same unpopularity that she herself felt.

Ms. Hunt might have a mousy face and small, round body, but her voice boomed. As she read the list of names, Jade held her breath.  Please not Danika. Please not Danika.

No one was more surprised than Jade when Ms. Hunt said, "Jade, you're with Zach. Second row, middle."

Jade grabbed her backpack and snuck a glance at Zach. He grinned at her with real warmth. For a moment, she was surprised and then she smiled back. He was cute. Grey-blue eyes that changed with the clothes he was wearing and a casual ease that didn't care what anyone else thought.

It was probably the first real smile she'd had in a month.

They would be partners for the year, Zach and Jade.

Jade's finest moment came at a time that could have been humiliating. She wasn't a clumsy person by nature, but as she set her vial in the refrigerator, another team's vial fell. She picked up that vial and set it down, only to have two more fall.

Zach noticed and started laughing. He said, "Here, let me try."

Jade stepped back, and Zach picked up one of the fallen vials. He very gently placed it on the rack. With a superior grin and an infectious smile, he lifted his hands, "See? It just takes a steady hand."

Jade giggled. She wasn't normally a giggler, but Zach somehow loosened the tightness in her gut that made school feel dreadful. He reached for the last vial lying on its side and ever so carefully righted it.

Another vial fell in its place.

Clapping her hand to her mouth, Jade exploded in laughter. Zach couldn't help himself, he did a little dance and after a gale of laughter said, "Now, I'm really serious. This vial will not beat me."

As his hand approached the vial, he was laughing so hard his hand shook. Soon he and Jade were holding their sides, laughing so hard that tears were running down their cheeks. "What's going on over there?" Ms. Hunt had given them a minute of laughter, but apparently they'd made a spectacle of themselves.

Jade said, "Nothing, Ms. Hunt."

Zach said, "We're having trouble getting the vials to stand at attention."

Zach reached in once more, his eyes still gleaming and gently placed the last vial and this time, the vials all remained standing.

Jade wanted to say something to Zach, but she had no idea how to say it. Thanks for not being a jerk? Thanks for not making fun of me? No.

The moment passed and Zach quickly avoided any awkwardness by referring back to the experiment. Jade couldn't believe how much fun Chemistry had been. It would have been perfect, but as they were leaving class, Danika said to no one in particular, "I heard that Jade's father died under mysterious circumstances. Stabbed and burned alive. Maybe her family is mafia or something,"

Zach heard and turned to look at Jade.

She didn't know what she saw in his eyes, sympathy or condemnation.

Jade buried her bitter anger and walked quickly to her locker.

~~ Raven ~~

Raven looked hot in her leopard print dress with black leather boots. Her makeup was light, eyeliner and lip gloss, but it was all she needed. If only she didn't have that scar along the top edge of her cheek, she would be a top ten.

At lunch Raven hung with her usual friends. Of the group Shelly was her best friend. It was painful to watch her sister grab her food and go outside. Last year Raven looked away when her sister looked desperately in her direction during lunch time. This was the first day that Raven had really seen Jade in the lunch room since school started. Pushing up from the table, she said, "I'll be right back."

She caught Jade at the end of the line, "Hey, come sit with me."

"Are you sure?" Jade felt like a leper. Her sister wasn't the most popular kid in school, but she certainly wasn't unpopular either. Shelly was a bit of a stoner, but they had a mix of smart kids and jocks in their group, all in Raven's class, of course. Raven was much more popular than Jade.

Raven shrugged, "We're sisters."

Jade wondered if the Universe had tilted on its axis. She was actually having a semi-decent day, if you discounted Danika's regularly-scheduled nastiness. She followed Raven to the table. There was no need for introductions. In a small school, they all knew each other, even if they didn't speak on an every-day basis.

There was an empty seat next to Jade. She was even more surprised when Zach brought his tray to her table and asked, "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Raven waved a hand, "Be our guest."

Jade didn't even manage a squeak. Raven wondered that her sister ever survived as long as she had. She was such a straight-laced prude and much too shy for her own good. She couldn't wait to grill Jade on the hottie when they got home.

Zach was clearly interested in Jade...and Raven would bet a hundred dollars that Jade was completely oblivious.

Shelly got to talking about a cool out-of-town party on Saturday. Raven seriously wanted to tell her to shut up until class. Raven shared a room with Jade. Sneaking out was hard enough when Jade wasn't expecting it.

"Did you hear about the couple they found murdered in Port Siena?" Shelly leaned forward, her voice a loud whisper designed to carry to the ends of the table while yet invoking mystery.

Zach looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Jade couldn't remember hearing anything about it. Of course, she had no time for the news.

Mike answered, "The rumor is the couple were husks, like something had cleaned them out from the inside."

Raven nudged Jade, her eyebrows raised. After their last brush with the supernatural, she was more than interested in what might have killed the family.

Jade shrugged.

Raven sighed. She thought Jade would have heard something from Aunt Bertha. She had been relying more and more on Jade lately. Raven figured Aunt Bertha knew everything supernatural that happened on the west coast. She surely would have heard about that. Raven couldn't wait to get home and ask what was going on. Not that she wanted to go on a monster-hunt, but she did want to know what was lurking two towns over.

At least Aunt Bertha was a deep sleeper these days. Since the summer she hadn't been sitting in her chair once when Raven attempted to sneak out. Raven would definitely sneak out for the party on Saturday night.

~~ Bertha ~~

Bertha thanked the doctor and picked up her cane. Her back was on fire, but now it had a name. There was a finality to the moment. Bertha would never see this doctor again. The first in a string of lasts.

"Thank you," Bertha hobbled out of the office, thinking how odd it was for her to thank the doctor for her death. Metastasize. What a horrible word.

The weight of the diagnosis fell on Bertha like a giant stone. She didn't have the strength for a prolonged fight anyway. At eighty years old, she was past chemotherapy. The cure would kill her as fast as the disease.

As she reached for the car door, she dropped her cane. Bertha felt frozen. She didn't think she had the strength to bend down and pick it up. She had been great at ignoring twinges. With her sister's death and niece's disappearance, it was no wonder she pulled a muscle in her back...or so she thought last summer. But that's not what happened.

What would she tell the girls?

Bertha leaned against the window of the car.

"Ms., Are you okay?"

It was one of the nurses, a sweet young thing, probably older than she looked. Everyone looked like a child to Bertha, even men with gray hair. She straightened, "I seem to have dropped my cane. Would you be a dear? I can't bend like I used to."

Just like that the cane was back in her hand. Such a simple thing for a stranger. The woman helped fit her keys in the door, "Are you sure you don't want me to call someone?"

Bertha thought of Jade. If she called, Jade would wonder what she was doing in front of St. Luke's Center of Oncology. "I'm fine. Just dropped my cane."

As Bertha buckled her seatbelt, she wondered just how long it would take. The doctor said six months. That was, Bertha supposed, a reasonable guess. The body did what the body would do. Maybe she had a lot of fight in her. Maybe she could drag it out a decade, go into remission, or maybe...

Who was she kidding? Her hair was white. Her skin had turned into parchment over the years. She had gotten old. She would die of something sooner than later.

She had to tell the girls.

Bertha drove the sixty miles home. The nearest hospice was sixty miles from the little town of Wildwood Springs as well. Picking up the prescription in town at the small store that housed the pharmacy, Bertha was glad for the laws that prevented talk. In a town like Wildwood Springs everyone was in everyone else's business.

She hobbled around like everything was fine, greeting the folks in town with a smile while she picked up a few things. Then she drove out to the lonely house in the gully near the woods where the creek burbled and the breezes played, where any Elemental would feel right at home.

Fire and Earth had finally awakened in the girls. All four girls carried their element. It was time for a Spirit Walk. Bertha didn't know if she was up for it. She really should have done it before the end of summer.

The house was quiet. The girls wouldn't be home for at least another hour, three for Jade. At least Raven had decided not to do volleyball this year. Raven took the bus home with Claire and Mindy. She would drive the girls in Amy's car from the end of the gravel driveway to the house, saving Bertha the trip.

Bertha spent those hours on the bed. She meant to start dinner, but the pain was so sharp, she thought she'd take just a few minutes to lie down. Suddenly the girls were shrieking...no that wasn't right, they were just calling in regular voices, but she was oh-so-sensitive to noise right now.

She pushed herself upright, and grabbed her cane.

"Did you girls have fun at school?" Bertha felt forced and fake. At her age, she should be able to say anything she wanted. She really didn't care how school went. She just wanted to sit quietly and be left alone.

Raven shrugged, "It was fine." She passed quickly through the house and shut the door to her room with Jade. Bertha wouldn't see her again until dinner in a few hours and even then she'd be lucky if Raven said more than three words.

Claire said. "No. I have to make up an experiment of my own with a provable hypothesis. I'm pretty sure scientists have already studied anything I could come up with.

"I'm sure you'll think of something original," Aunt Bertha said, feeling like a fraud. Forty years ago, she'd have been actively helping Claire think of something. She just didn't feel like it now. She hurt. She wanted to be left alone.

Claire took Mindy to her room to help her change.

Aunt Bertha inched her way to the kitchen and wondered when crossing the house had turned into a marathon. Meatloaf tonight. No way would she let a little pain keep her from taking care of her girls.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind, and Bertha wondered who would care for them when she was gone.

***Coming Soon: A Time to Die

