Bitten Vo1: Indecision

-Chapter one-

-Swansea HighIt was the Scarlett families first day at Swansea Leisure School. It was exceptionally hard for them for several reasons. Maybe because it was all five of them together, so no need to make friends, they would all be together at lunch, so they wouldn’t worry about being alone and awkward. Maybe it was because they had just came over from Ireland, so there accent didn’t help them blend in. Maybe it was because they were all so amazingly beautiful, pale and graceful, which seemed to alienate them from everyone else. Maybe it was because (especially in Candice’s case) they wore slightly eccentricclothes, which made them stand out in such a small town. Maybe it was because people had already started making judgements about Stephanie and Oliver’s relationship. Maybe because after seeing Candice and Jasper together people thought that they were together like Stephanie and Oliver. Maybe it was because all five of them were thirsting after all the other pupils and teachers blood alike. Maybe it was because they were vampires. Maybe it was because they had with amazing speed, strength and hearing. Maybe it was because Candice could hear the thoughts of everyone in the entire school, or because Jasper could feel and control electricity around him, maybe because Evelyn could tell when someone is lying, or because Stephanie could control the weather or because Oliver could fly. Or maybe all those things contributed together, which always made it harder for them. ***

Five of them got out of the shiny black Porsche convertible , all eyes were transfixed on all of them immediately. Candice, the youngest, stepped out of the car first. When she stepped out, everyone froze and looked at her; she stood there and looked at all the people looking at her. She smiled to herself and brushed her short black hair out of the path of her eyes, revealing the electric blue eye make-up elaborately showing how bright turquoise her eyes were. Candice scoured the crowd again, smiling even brooder and waited for the others to come out of the car.

When the other four exited the car, many eyes

began to wander and a nervous chatter started up. As people carried on doing what they were doing before the five of them exited the car. Candice stood at the front, as if leading them to the main office, Jasper the tall brunet, had his hand in Candice’s and walking just behind her, as if he’s trying to her protect her from peoples enquiring eyes, the only problem was he couldn’t protect her from their thoughts or emotions. Candice smiled as she took a deep breath in, allowing the people’s emotions around her to scorch her throat with their tastes. There was a lot of Vanilla everywhere, it was as if the air was thick with the scent, she was surprised as well that not even the humans could taste it. But where ever they went a trail of Vanilla stalked them, and after a while to begin to get sick of the sweetly sick taste. That’s why Candice was going to try and blend in more, to try and dampen down the sweet taste of jealousy. Because that’s all Vanilla is jealously – so obviously Stephanies favourite taste, as long as it’s about her that is. But she makes everything about her anyway . . .

Evelyn was walking just next to Candice and she was talking to her about their new home and about what they were doing to her room later and Stephanie was inserting her comments here and there while fiddling with her long, blond, curly hair - while Oliver cheerfully walked next to her with his hands around Stephanie’s waist and all of them laughing at regular intervals, when Candice told them snippets about what the others around them were thinking, some of it was the funniest things that Oliver had clearly ever heard because at one point he couldn’t stop laughing, if he could tears would of been leaking out of his eyes, only he couldn’t, but that was completely irrelevant. When they got near to the main office, they saw, people talking to their other friends yelling to each other on the other sides of the corridor while trying to manoeuvre around the tiny corridor to get to their lessons. However, when Candice, Jasper, Evelyn, Stephanie and Oliver, tried walking to the main office a path appeared as if the five of them had their own privet bubble around them that normal people couldn’t step into. Many of the eyes that walked past of them looked wary, as if any one of them were about to pounce and attack them. When they were at the office Candice stood at the desk, whiles the woman at the desk sat there and blatantly ignoring her and continued to shuffle pointless bits of paper. “Excuse me, we need our timetables please.” Candice said very politely. The woman looked up insolently and said sounding incredibly fed up, “Names?” “Candice, Evelyn, Jasper, Stephanie, and Oliver Scarlet.” She smiled cordially, trying desperately to make a good first impression, however she was under the notion that a troublemaker in this school was exactly what it needed, it was as if everything

was grey – even the light that managed to work its way through the dirty windows had a slight grey tint, she knew exactly what the school needed, a splash of colour, and she also knew that now she was here they was going to get it. The woman at the desk stood up very slowly and went to an old filing (grey) cabinet in the corner of the room. Candice smiled slightly at the corners of her mouth and giggled under her breath and Jasper thought, intrigued about what had made her jovial on such a boring, repetitive day such as today ‘What? What is she thinking that is so funny?’ Candice spoke so quietly and her lips moved so quickly, that not even the queue of people beside her could hear her say, “She’s chanting, he’s too young in her head. Over and over again.” Evelyn and Oliver looked questionably at Candice, but otherwise ignored her unusual sentence, knowing that it was in response to someone’s enquiring thoughts, when Jasper replied silently -

‘That’s a bit

backwards isn’t it? I am old enough to be her grandfather - her great grandfather even,’ Candice chuckled slightly, wrapping her arms around his waist, “good point Jasper, but you can tell her that.” Stephanie wasn’t paying any attention to the quick exchange that was going on between Candy and Jasper; she was too busy mauling over the fact boy’s were walking into posts because they were staring at her. At the best of times her mind wasn’t a very nice place to be in, full of pictures of her own reflection and the reaction of boys when they saw her, even though she really did love Oliver, she still lapped it up, when boys flirted with her. It was awfully safe to say that Olivers mind was a simpler place to be in. Full of jokes, pranks and never ending forgiveness. Oliver was smarter than most people gave him credit for. It was simpler because there wasn’t much that Oliver wouldn’t think that

he wouldn’t say. He wasn’t the most tactile person, however when he thought really violently, Candy often helped him out to get his point across. Evelyn’s mind was funny however – completely exceptional. Yet it was always marred with a blue-ish tint and when she once asked Evelyn about it she said the blue is all the lies she hears, like Candice’s mind reading, never really leaves her mind in peace, neither does her ability to tell when someone is lying, but apart from that it was full of daydreams and doors that opened to another imaginary world. Jaspers mind was different to say the least; full of a thousand different ideas, thoughts, lies, and concerns (mainly about Candice, because he was that slight bit overprotective) all at the same time. It amused Candice for hours just to sit in silence with Jasper while he read a book, or relaxed, just so she could listen to everything that crosses his mind. Candice was abruptly jerked out of her revere by Evelyn taking the wad slightly yellow paper from the secretary and elbowing Candice in the ribs swiftly during the exchange and by Oliver thinking very loudly, ‘wakey, wakey Candice, don’t go all zombie on me!’ reminding her that apparently when she was browsing through people’s minds her face went blank and zombie-like. “Thank you,” Evelyn pointedly said loudly and walked away, through the old, stained (grey) door and onto the dying grassy patch then she separated the bits of paper and handed some sheets to everyone and they stood outside in the wind, allowing it to brutally bash their bodies, yet not one of them moving an inch in silence each thinking their own thoughts until Evelyn said, “Oh, great I have double biology.” Jasper grinned and said, “Yeah I do too, didn’t we get a G.C.S.E in

that before Eve?” “I don’t know,” she replied blasé, waving her hand as if it was no big deal, it just happened in the passing, she said, in a tone that shockingly reminded Candice of Stephanie when she was being an air head, “maybe somewhere along the line, I don't count them anymore.” “What do you have Steph? Ollie? Candy?” Ollie answered first, “Me and Steph have History now.” He pulled a face, and gestured to the main building, “We should get going or we will be really really late.” Jasper nodded in agreement, “I know, come on then. Wait what do you have Candy?” She grimaced, “Maths, double maths. All the time it’s always maths first and I’m alone. . . ” “You’ll be okay; if you’re not then you can at least show of by knowing all the answers.” Steph said encouragingly for once, trying not to be self centred, that only lasted for about half a second, before her thoughts rushed back to how perfect she was, but instead of voicing that out loud she said in a strangely comforted tone“Your lesson is in class D21 mine is D24 I’ll walk with you.” Steph took Candice’s arm and all but dragged her in the direction of their classes that were shown on the crumpled, yellowing map they had been given. “Meet you later Candy,” Jasper said, waving half-heartedly, looking at the sad look on her face. While Candice only managed to muster up tight grin, as Steph basically towed her in the direction of their class, with Oliver walking slowly behind her, humming greendays ‘American idiot’ under his breath, thinking of his curiously similar friend Jason Tyler, who was the Scareltts extended

family in America itself. *** In class D21, the teacher was Mr. Thomas an old greying man, who had a grouchy temper and he’d taught maths for 24 years and wholeheartedly detested the modern day use that maths may have had. So you couldn’t use calculators or anything like that. He was also very strict and when he was mid-flow through a lecture you didn’t interrupt him, unless you wanted your maths classes to become a living hell. Mr. Thomas was in the middle of a long and winding lecture about algebraic equations and how they made up 89.5% of your final grade, when there was a gentle knock at the door, and a girl with short black hair, wearing a black and blue stripy cardigan and a short black skirt and black and blue stripy socks and black high heels, all of it standing out on her pale white skin, and this beautiful movie type of girl, was in the doorway of that maths class. “Uumm, are you Mr. Thomas?” she asked politely, holding her head up high as she took a fleeting look at him and not waiting for his answer she carried on, “I’m Candice Scarlet.” She handed him a note and stood at the front of the class confidently and while he was reading it, she stood patiently at the front and noticed that basically everyone was staring at her, apart from the odd person - and she stared back at them inquisitively, and then an elfin grin crept up onto her face, blinding the entire class with her smile, her luscious ruby lips outlining her perfect white teeth, the smile reaching her turquoise coloured eyes making them scrunch up at the end, everyone on the class noticed that she had a dimple on her left check, most boys were so enticed with her that their visual obsession was short of taking notes.

Her attention snapped back to Mr. Thomas a second before his eyes lifted up from the note, to stare her, standing there patiently. He said rudely, trying to make her even a smidgen embarrassed, “it says here you have four siblings.” “Yes sir, I do,” she still held a little smile around her lips - as if on a privet joke all about him, yet still answered to him politely, ignoring his rudeness, calmly returning his gaze which any other student would cower under. He looked a little taken back but her politeness and calmness, “Are they going to be late as well?” “No sir, they are all older than me.” He looked more taken back but her politeness still and willingness to talk in front of everyone openly gaping at her. “Very well, take a seat next to-” he looked around the class and only saw one available seat, near the back next to a bad influence type boy called Owen, yet he couldn’t move anyone around, so against his better judgement he said,

“Owen. Move your bag boy,

make room for her.” Owen looked startled at his name being mentioned, and then his eyes widened when he saw Candice. She gave him a short smile, and moved towards his desk, and looking back at the eyes still gaping and her as she sauntered to her seat. ‘Wow! She is gorgeous! Better looking than Hayley at any rate; and to think I once thought I had the prettiest girlfriend in the school - maybe it’s time for an upgrade?’ a boy thought somewhere near the front as she brushed past him. Candice felt a sudden pang of sadness for this Hayley. ‘OMG, if that bitch tries to get my man off of me I will kill her- but it’s not like she is that pretty anyway. I am so much more naturally beautiful,’ someone thought across the class. Candice realised that it was

Hayley and the pang of sadness disappeared as quickly as it came. All the way walking to the back she heard what people thought of her. For the thousandth time she wished that she had a stop button, or at least a mute. When she finally got to the back of the long class room and sat down next to Owen, she pulled her legs under the grey maths table with remarkable poise. Although she was sitting near the back the entire class still found a way to stare at her. Owen sensing her discomfort from the thirty odd pairs of eyes watching at her every move, he looked around and snapped, “What are you lot lookin’ at? Is there a problem?” Owen clearly lived up to the fierce persona which Mr. Thomas’ thoughts had painted him out to be. She smiled and whispered at him, her Irish accent shining through, “thanks for that, I hate people staring at me.” “Not a problem. Hey I’m Owen and I take it from all this you’re the new girl Candice.” “Candy. Just Candy thanks.” “Wanna see if Mr. Prick-head at the front will call you that?” he grinned mischievously. ‘She’s different. Not like all the other girls in this school. Maybe she will have a personality,’ he thought, however he quickly amended his thoughts; ‘no Mia and Lexie had a personality. Enough personality to get them kicked out anyway. Maybe she will stir things up and I won’t be the only one in trouble-’ Candice left him to his own thoughts to say“You know what I might pass on that one, funnily enough,” she said, returning his impish grin. He carried on staring at her and when their eyes met, just for a split second, Candice felt like a thousand bolts of electricity were flowing into the pit of her stomach, and she noticed his gorgeous green eyes and his slightly tanned skin, and how his long-ish black

hair outlined his cheekbones impeccably, and that his slightly long fringe (covering one of his eyes) made him look five times as cute. After about five seconds, Candy broke away against her better will, to face the front, looking as if she was trying to concentrate on Mr. Thomas’ lecture. They both faced the front, slightly embarrassed at themselves, until right at the end of the lesson with about three minutes until the end of lesson bell, Owen looked at her, he’d noticed her completely absorbed in a drawing she had in front of her. He’d noticed her perfect, long, slender, white fingers, smudged with black from the charcoal. Her striking turquoise coloured eyes glittered with concentration while her hands suddenly froze, intent critically on her work, her mouth opened slightly in the trace of her apt concentration.

He noticed how dazzling her lips were, the exact

colour of blood, and that all of her elaborate make-up suited her flawlessly. He sighed, mentally, ‘she was so...so...’ words couldn’t describe how magnificent she was to him, ‘if only she could ever like me,’ he signed again, mentally, ‘I could ask her to the basketball court around the back of the school, but she won’t come, she’d wanna stay with her family and their friends...’ He thought on and, while Candy drew, she listened to Owens thoughts, she liked them, he thought she was “magnificent” she sighed out loud and put the sketch pad into her bag and thought, ‘but he doesn’t know what I am, if he did he would hate me.’ She thought, but then she reasoned with herself, ‘surly one day couldn’t kill him, at least. And that way I could truly repay him for stopping everyone staring at me...’ She straightened up and said to Owen, “Owen I know you normally chill by yourself at lunch in the basketball court near the

back but I was wondering if you, know, wouldn’t mind it if me and my siblings came to chill with you. It’s just,” she rushed looking at his shocked face misinterpreting it, “I can’t stand having to sit in a stuffy hall with everyone staring at us.” The bell rung as Owen was about to reply to her, but while everyone rushed around to see who could escape the class first, Owen saw Candy slowly zipping up her bag, and Owen stood there next to her and said, “Yeah cool, you can if you want.” “Really? Right. Okay, I will be there in about five minutes coz I need to go and get Evelyn and the rest of ‘em, is that okay?” “Fine, yeah, sure. Do you know where it is? The basketball court?” ‘You okay? “It doesn’t look like you hate maths so much!’ Jaspers thoughts called out. Candice waved at Jasper over Owens shoulder and said to Owen, “Speak of the devils. Meet you there in about five minutes. See you later,” she flashed another spectacular smile at him. Jasper was feeling uneasy, it wasn’t that he hadn’t noticed Candy, he was always uneasy when she wasn’t where she was meant to be. Which was often, she enjoyed parties more than the rest of them put together. It was that he didn’t like the look of the boy she was talking too; however she was grinning and looked happy more than usual, so that meant Jasper had to like him, for her. Candice ran outside to meet Jasper and when they were walking down the corridor, gave him a quick hug and took her hand into his, and before he could open his mouth she said, “you okay jasper?” not waiting for an answer, she carried on, “Maths wasn’t SO bad I sit next to a cute boy called Owen and I said I would sit with him at lunch, and you’d come with. Is that okay?” and without

any form of confirmation she danced off in the direction of her siblings, and she called out behind her, “Keep your opinions to yourself, we don’t all want too nor need to know what you think about certain things.” He laughed appreciatively at her comments about his thoughts. Evelyn met up with Stephanie and Oliver after her second lesson, they were the first in the canteen apart from the odd one, or two people. Evelyn grinned when she saw them, and let out a long sigh and said to Oliver,

“Fancy any lunch?” she gestured at

the other people on the entire other side of the canteen. Oliver grinned back but Stephanie scowled and said something like, “so not funny,” The three of them sat down just as people began filling into the canteen and Candice defiantly wasn’t wrong that people in the hall would be staring at them, when the hall was very nearly full up, Jasper and Candice appeared out of nowhere. Candice looked very excited about something and Jasper looked as if he was trying to be exited, or at least happy, but he was failing miserably. Candice went to open her mouth, when a group of seven or more older girls, stood at the corner of the table eying all of them up particularly Jasper for a reason which made Candice want to throw up and go into hysterics at the same time. The one at the front, clearly the leader of the group, stood there and grinned smugly and said in a clear voice, emphasizing on her welsh accent, “I think you weird freaks should move this is our table.” Both Oliver and Jasper went to leave, (but them being men they didn’t quite understand about girls bitching and that we have our own egos, but we don’t parade them like they do) however Evelyn, Stephanie and Candice sat there, Candice stood up square in front of the leader and said, “Sophie, I would watch who you’d be calling

weird.” Sophie’s face was a pure picture, a mixture or shock and anger. She was obviously not used to having people stand up to her, but she composed herself quickly and turned to her friends and said, “Did you understand anything that Irish twat just said?” “That Irish twat has a name and that Irish twat could kick the shit out of you if she wanted to.” Clearly Sophie was thinking something not very nice about them, because, Candice’s face clouded and she took a small step forward, Jasper stepped closer to her and put his hand calmingly on her back and she stopped and went rigged, Candice’s voice was low and quiet, yet she knew Sophie could hear her, “You say one more word Sophie and I swear to god I will not be held responsible to my actions.” “Ooh threatening, you think I’m afraid of you?” “You damn well should be, and I will give you a word of warning you take the piss out of our accent again and I will fix it so you can’t talk.” “Shut up. You’re just so jealous.” “Really, now why the hell would I be jealous of you?” All the Scarlet’s family felt on edge then, mainly because if it wasn’t for Jasper and Evelyn yelling at her mentally, ‘DONT KILL HER. DONT KILL HER-‘they all knew that Candice would be in her attack mode, and that Sophie’s head and other pieces of her body would be strewn across the canteen. She seemed stumped for a second then said, “At least when you look up minger in the dictionary there won’t be a picture of me there, there will be a picture of you.” Candice smiled slightly, “yeah, but I’m not the one who had to look up minger in the dictionary. And,” she said as a bitchy afterthought,

“My dictionary doesn’t have pictures!” Before Sophie could have even understand what Candice had just said, her and the rest of the family were across the canteen, gliding to the exit doors with everyone’s eyes onto them, Candice at the front again, only this time she was storming away full of fury as soon as they were outside, into a deselect part of the school, Candice burst into a rant too fast for humans to understand. “Oh my god! She is such a vile evil piece of scum! She thinks she’s so much better than us because we are Irish, no one else had bothered. But she is just pure evil-” “Candy,” Evelyn said gripping her by the shoulders, “relax, she is evil but we can get our revenge, but I believe that you have invited us to see your boyfriend.” “He is not my boyfriend-but you’re right we have to meet him, oh and Jasper, Oliver be nice.” They both grimaced but nodded in unison, and they followed Candice to the far end of the school past the main buildings. When the Scarlet’s finally got to the basket ball court they saw Owen shooting some hoops by himself, it was undeniable that he was good and in a game where they would be playing fair, as humans, with no cheating, that anyone on Owens team would win. However if they did challenge him to a game, Oliver wouldn’t fight fair. He enjoyed the fact that he could whip a human’s arse at anything and everything. She nudged him and when Owen noticed her he lobbed the ball into the corner and allowed it to bounce around. “Hiya Owen, sorry we took so long, there was a problem with Sophie Row in the canteen.” ‘Well you’re gunna have fun in dance...’ he thought as he walked over to great them.

Candice ignored this and allowed Owen to think she hadn’t heard, even though if he’d thought it two miles away, Candice still could have heard him, she said, “You okay Owen? This is Stephanie,” she pointed at the one standing nearest the back, looking very angry; however she was amazingly gorgeous, she had long blond hair and large pale pink lips, and a black beauty spot above her lips; however she didn’t have the same type of quirky beauty that Candice beheld. After her small pause she carried on, with a smirk on her face, “this is Oliver,” she nodded at a bloke standing next to Stephanie, he was tall and blond hair, he obviously had amazing muscles, they were basically popping through his tight vest top he didn’t look very intimidating, mainly because he had a smile around his face that seemed nice enough, “Evelyn,” she nodded at the girl standing just behind Jasper, she smiled nice enough and said, “Hiya,” he noticed that she was beautiful as well, she had shocking red hair, not really like ginger, but proper red, her face was kind enough she looked like one of those people who could make you feel happy just by looking at her even if your entire family had just died a long and painful death and while they tried to call you for help, you was at a football game in the freezing cold that you didn’t really want to be at. “And this is Jasper,” she said, and Owen noticed that when she said his name, his hand tightened around her waist and when she made a slight swaying movement to the left, he moved to and Owen couldn’t rationalise the jealousy in his head when he noticed how close they were. There was an awkward pause until Oliver said nodding towards the discarded basketball in the corner of the court, “You wanna game?” “Sure. What about you, Candice, you playin’?” “Yeah why not. Girls vs. Boys. You in Eve? Steph? Jasper?”

Jasper and Evelyn nodded but Stephanie shook her head and said in a haughty voice, “No chance, why would I play anything like that?” ‘Eeww, human! No thanks, unless he’s offering himself for lunch – which I doubt – I am out of this. We are only here because Candy is drooling over him. I mean he didn’t even backtrack like most other boys do. That’s so unfair- I wonder if it’s because my lippy has smudged? The teacher in music after history was funny- he didn’t give me any homework when everyone else got tonnes. . .’ Candice didn’t say anything to Steph she just turned her back on her trying to block out her thoughts and turned her attention to Oliver instead, he caught her looking while Evelyn, Jasper and Owen talked about the newest addition to a basketball team someplace (sport wasn’t really Candy’s forte) and Oliver changed the track of his mind suddenly, ‘You think Jasper will have a fight tonight? Play one. Then you and me. But no cheating, okay?” Candice was now sitting on one of the benches, the corners of her mouth pulled up a bit, but gave no other sign that she heard him until she caught his eye and gave him the, ‘you-know-I can’t-helpit,’ look. ‘Yeah well even using your gift I still managed to beat you last time Candy and you now it! No, wait I have a better idea, let’s play chess, or draughts.” Candy stifled a laugh and remembered last time she played chess with Jasper. After four minutes exactly, with only Candy’s black pieces moving across the board, occasionally with her throwing one of her pieces off, the white pieces remained untouched, because she read his moves before he made them and she only moved her so he could see, after Candy sticking out her tongue and throwing her queen of the board, Jasper sighed and knocked white king chess

piece over with Candy’s knight. Candice was jerked into her senses, by Jasper touching her on the arm informing her that Stephanie was being her usual snobby self and refusing to play so the teams would be odd, thanks to her. What happened in the end it was Evelyn and Candice vs. Oliver, Jasper and Owen and even though on the girls team there was one less player (Stephanie was painting her nails) they managed to win 5-7. After the match ended, Jasper said in a low voice, so low that Owen couldn’t hear thing, but all the vampires heard that he said, “Yeah sure like that’s a fair game, one can tell when we are bluffing with our fancy moves and passes, then there is another can read minds, about what we are going to do, like we had a chance in hell of winning,” but he only said it for a laugh, it wasn’t as if it was Stephanie lost because when she lost, she went into a huge strop about how unfair life was and demand a rematch. But that was Stephanie, none of them expected any different from her. When the match ended, the five of them sat on the benches and messed around (Stephanie had finished her nails and had moved onto reapplying her make-up still ignoring them and refusing to join in a conversation apart from when she threw them the odd dirty look), playing truth or dare and things like that and when Owen was half way through making them all wet themselves from laughing so much about the time Sophie Row asked him out, Steph called over Owen as if no one had been talking, “You all do know that you are half an hour late for lessons” Candice’s mouth fell open and Evelyn called out, “You could of said about half an hour ago, oh well I guess that we will have to skip this afternoon,” she sighed and pulled a face of mock sadness. “Evelyn its best not to skip on our first day. Not the brightest thing you have ever thought of.” Oliver called out and then everything

went in fast forward motion and before the minuet was up Oliver and Stephanie were in the Black BMW with promises to pick them up after school (Oliver and Stephanie’s year had a study afternoon) and the other four were running along the empty corridors and across the class gardens to get to their dance class. The dance, P.E and drama classes two years were held together. Years seven and eight are together and years nine and ten, so that meant that Evelyn and Jasper were in the same class for dance as Candice, which made them very happy, because Candice loved dancing and performing. Evelyn was good at dance too, so was Jasper. Vampires are graceful anyway, the way they walk could be a dance move if they wanted, however none of them had a patch on Candice. Added to the fact that Candice properly had a natural talent it only intensified in the hundred or so years she’s been alive. When they walked in the first thing that Jasper noticed that there was a girl on the floor having a fit surrounded by a circle of people, then he noticed that Candice and Evelyn were hiding behind them because they were laughing so hard. When Jasper turned his eyes away from their faces, he realised that the girl having a fit on the floor was Sophie and she wasn’t having a fit, she was in actual fact dancing. Or a better phrase would be trying to dance. She walked over, her cronies following her in suite, her blond hair reflecting a washed out shade of grey as she waltzed under the bright lights. “Seeing as I’m head of dance here-“ when Sophie said that a loud sputter of suppressed laughter erupted from one of the girls behind Jasper, Sophie frowned and continued, “ it’s my duty to inform you that you’re half an hour late-” again she was cut of this time by Candice saying, “yeah funnily enough we noticed that.” Her and Evelyn squealed again, and bet over clutching their sides, Jasper

knew that they didn’t have to of course they didn’t have to breath but it was dramatically effect and Carlisle encouraged that, it apparently made them seem more human. “And,” Sophie continued, “I want to know why.” ‘Bet the weird emo orphan won’t say. I would love a reason to send her to the head on her first day. That would be so good. I might ask her to dance in a minuet all on her own. Bet she will refuse - but she won’t be as good as me-‘after that Candice left Sophie to her own thoughts when she realised (if it was possible) that Sophie was vainer than Stephanie. Candice straightened up, her face full of hatred and anger, it startled Evelyn, extra specially Jasper (who knew he well enough, to know that when she was laughing like that it could take her hours to get her calm) a few seconds ago she was very happy and now she could of murdered her with her bare hands and laughed about it when Sophie’s remains were at her feet. “Yeah well we don’t always get what we want do we Sophie,” snarled Candice. “Well I do. And I want to see you dance. Now.” Sophie thought ‘ha ha she won’t by herself, or if she does people will laugh at her because she will be rubbish!’ but she didn’t know that instead of sleeping (as vampires don’t need to sleep, even though her and family could, it was more like an acquired skill) she could spend all night choreographing a new dance, so when she pulled her purple iPod and speakers out of her bag and said, “You’re on.” Sophie was sorely disappointed. A few minutes later Candice was standing on the large stage, her high heels discarded on the floor and then a hush came over the crowd as they all stood in anticipation, waiting to see if she was any good. Candice looked over and saw Owen and Evelyn standing near the back, she winked at them then looked at Jasper next to the

stage, she winked at him as well and he pressed the play button. The familiar tune to Candice started (Man eater by Nelly Furtado) up as she stood perfectly still as the drumming wind up began and as soon as they lyrics started-, ‘Everybody look at me, me I walk in the door you start screaming Come on everybody whatcha here for? Move your body around like a nymphs Everybody get your necks to crack around All you crazy people come on jump around I want to see you all on your knees, knees You either want to be with me, or be me-‘ She was off. It was unquestionable to say that she could dance; she was all over the stage, moving to the beat of the music. Street dancing was her favourite, but clearly none of the others watching her had ever seen anyone so good, but then Sophie was the head, so that meant she was supposedly the best, yet her dancing could easily be mistaken for someone having a fit. When the song ended everyone clapped and Sophie’s face was a picture, when Candice stepped off the stage grinning from ear to ear, Sophie stormed over to her and demanded to know where she learnt that, “No where special, the school I was in over in Ireland, were big on chorography.” She looked at Evelyn and they both seemed in danger of exploding in a fit of laughter again. Sophie turned around and said, “I may want to learn how to dance, but I’d never go over to a scuzy place like that to learn it. Anyway I don’t know how you could call that dancing; it just looked like she was having a fit to me.” “Sorry what did you say?” Candice voice cut through the air like a

sharp knife and when Sophie ignored her, she said again, “I said what did you just say about me bitch?” Sophie turned around and looked mildly afraid by Candice’s evils. A circle had formed around them people sensing the tension between the two of them and no one else wanted to be involved. “Just that you looked like you was having a fit up there, are you sure you’re okay?” “Better than you. If you have something to say just say it. Or are you afraid none of your cronies will back you up?” “They’d back me up more than your parents will. Your real parents that is.” Candice’s knuckles went whiter than her already white skin (if that is possible) as her hands went into tight fists, her body was rigged, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I have my parents Carlisle and Jada. And they would back me up completely if I were to rip your head clear off your shoulders.” “No wonder your real parents didn’t want you. You are a horrid, stupid, vile excuse for a human and they were so ashamed and horrified by you they couldn’t bear to look at you, when you were born, so they gave you to the most crummy parents they could find because- ARGH.” Before anyone could do anything, or even blink, Candice was on top of Sophie slapping her and yanking her hair out in handfuls. In a sense it was a mixture of good and bad luck that a teacher had come to check on the lesson at that particular second in time. It was good luck in the fact that the teacher managed to pull her away from Sophie without Candice actually seriously hurting her (even though the teacher didn’t pull her away Jasper did, when Candice was in a mood like that no human could pull he away, and Jasper was even more surprised that Sophie was still breathing, Candice

wasn’t the strongest out of them but she was strong enough to turn a massive stone bolder to dust, by pressing down on it) but bad in the sense that she and Jasper where sitting in the heads office, while Evelyn was on the phone to Carlisle and Helena asking them to come in. Jasper and Evelyn didn’t have to be there, but Jasper refused to leave her side and Evelyn was sitting in the chairs outside of the office waiting for them. Five minutes later and a slightly disgruntled Carlisle and Jada turned up. The head of the school was a porky man. He had a pot belly and a balding patch up his head and looked very much like a pig in every way. He looked as if he lived at his desk, the grey suit he was wearing looked as if it hadn’t ever been ironed, let alone washed. The pile of crisp white paper in his, in, tray looked shocking considering her had no life outside of the school environment. When Jada and Carlisle stepped into the office, his eyes just glanced over him, as if it was a boring film he had watched many times before, but his gaze ended up retracing themselves to their faces, Carlisle, his short blond, tight curled hair, as pale as the rest of the Scarlet’s and the same turquoise eyes. He then looked at Jada, his eyes nearly popping out of his socket, she had the same pale face and turquoise eyes as the rest of them, she had wild brown curly hair pulled into tight bunches and looked younger than twenty five (which she claimed). ‘I can now see what the other teachers meant, they all look alike particularly Candice and her step-mother. I wonder if they are related. They could be, even though clearly not their own, too young to have a sixteen year old child! You can see were Jasper and Candice are brother and sister-‘ Candice smiled slightly. The public story was that

Stephanie and Jasper were blood related, Carlisle and Jada were their adoptive parents and that Candice, Oliver and Evelyn were Carlisle and Jada’s other adopted children. When they came in, he motioned at them to take a seat and he turned to Jasper and said, “You can go now,” but Jasper remained rooted as ever right by Candice’s side, when Carlisle and Jada sat down on the other hard wooden brown chairs and said to Jasper, “Jasper please its fine, you go and wait outside with Eve please,” however Jasper didn’t budge, instead he thought, ‘Candy do you like me to wait outside or stay here?’ She murmured back in such a quiet voice, that only Jasper could hear her “Yeah don’t worry, the worst he’s thinking is Exclusion, and I can keep my temper I think, and thank you. I really do mean that.” ‘Don’t mention it,’ Jasper nodded silently and stood up and in one flowing movement he left the room. “Right so, Mr. and Mrs Scarlet I’m sorry I had to call you in, especially on your first day here in Swansea and on such bad news. As I’m sure your other daughter on the phone....” “Evelyn,” said Jada, looking at Mr. James then Candice and allowing a tight smile to play on her lips, even though she was meant to be the mother figure and to all of them she was mum, she didn’t act like it all the time. If she told someone to do something, they’d do it, and she’d tell them off, but in other ways she was more like a best friend in others. “Um, yes, Miss. Evelyn when she rang you I’m sure she told you that there had been an incident in her dance class this afternoon.” “Yes she did, she also told us that there had been a slight argument,” Carlisle said reasonably, but Candice read this thoughts and he knew that Evelyn told him that a complete cow called

Sophie provoked me and I lost my temper big styley. End of. All Carlisle cared about was that I didn’t murder anyone and for him that was good enough. “Well, yes, there was. One of our model students-” “You mean she is a stuck up teacher’s pet,” mumbled Candice. “Was somewhat, violently, attacked by young Candice here. Sophie is now in Swansea Valley Hospital; they’re patching up her broken nose,” Candice allowed herself a slight congratulation“And I am very ashamed of young Candice here.” Candice felt her temper flair up again, how did he have the right to tell her how ashamed he felt of her, when he wouldn’t listen to their side of the story. “Ashamed? ASHAMED!?! If you had someone taking the piss out of you and telling you how up were adopted because you are a stupid vile piece of scum! Maybe you’d Maybe be that tad violet too!” she had rose to her feet and was yelling at the top of her voice, balling her hands into tight fists out of pure frustration. Carlisle touched her hand and said softly, “Come on Candy, you need to calm down that isn’t helping anything, nor anyone.” Candice slowly sat down, instead of breathing heavily like anyone else who had just been yelling, her breathing was normal. If not, slightly irregular. “Well,” Mr. James said, “You should learn to ignore these things... Anyway there is never any need for violence. I have just been talking to Mr. Davey, and we have decided that you are to be suspended for a month, because we have to make an example. And I also have to ask you Mr and Mrs Scarlet to come to come to a meeting tomorrow morning.” Carlisle spoke up, “I’m truly afraid that my wife and I will be unavailable tomorrow. May we be able to come another day?”

Candice tried to figure out about what was going on, especially tomorrow, but Carlisle was thinking about translating everything Mr. James had said into French and Jada was adding up everything they had spent in the last fifty years (so far the price was up to £70,89083, not bad, but she hasn’t come to how much I have spent at Camden yet, thought Candice proudly). Mr. James looked as if he was unused to people not jumping at his whim, but recovered quickly and said, “Very well, the school secretary shall call you when the diary is in front of her.” He gestured at them to leave. They turned and left Candice at the front. He himself was surprised how graceful they moved as if they were floating, silently and deadly creatures. *** When Candice got outside to where Helena had parked the car, she noticed that all four of them were by the car. Jasper and Oliver were talking in animate expressions. Evelyn had her usual daydreaming expression and Steph was sitting in the car texting someone. “Wow Candy, on your first day! I know you make enemies but come on. But hey, it’s not like the first time-” when Oliver drew up close to Candice to give her a high five, he noticed that when Sophie Row fought back, Candice actually got a split lip and a slightly purple black eye. He runs this thumb over her lower lip quickly where the cut was, “did she do that to you?” “Oliver don’t I’m okay, and I flew for her she was acting in self defence. And I can take care of myself. And,” she added suddenly trying to distract them all from the fact she was suspended, “what are we doing tomorrow?”

In response Carlisle handed Candice a scroll of thick, yellow coloured paper. Dear Dr, and Mrs Scarlet, You have been invited to a ball occurring this morning at seven, in the underworld; the hostess Miss. Renee Elder has invited your family of eight to this occasional ceremony, in reason of their new image. Do not be late. The pass code is: 75823625002 And the dress code is; male- black, female white.

“Great, Great. That’s great. Meredith is going to be a barrel of laughs after last time. And people like Chris will be there. I can’t go. I can’t. And white and black come on can you say tacky?” Candice muttered, re-reading the note. Tracing the words with her fingers trying to get some kind of read on them. Trying to see if she could tell what the people writing were thinking. That only worked very occasionally, when people had very strong thoughts running through their mind at that exact moment. And she wasn’t taking any chances. Not after last time. After a few seconds of her tracing the words she allowed the tension of her family staring at her, began eating at her concentration, she quickly stuffed the letter into her bag before anyone could ask her anything, she dashed away into the trees and yelled out behind her, “Come on last one home has to by me drinks tonight, and that alone could max out ya credit cards, let alone damage I could cause,” with that she was gone.

Jasper looked at Oliver, than Evelyn and said, “Well I’m so not buying her drinks, I need some left on my card for later.” He dashed off away from them followed by Evelyn than Oliver.

-Chapter Two-

Introducing . . . Home

Candice rose from her pillow and rubbed her forehead with one hand, while she propped herself up on her elbow, letting the world spin around her. She looked over and saw Evelyn sleeping peacefully on the other side of her bed and remembered what happened last night, the chocolate, the icing fight, discussing what she was to wear tomorrow when Owen came round... Shit! When Owen came over today! Candice panicked for about half of a second, than she kicked Evelyn’s leg and laid back down, her short black hair splaying on the deep purple pillow. When Evelyn only stirred slightly from Candices kick, Candy frowned and kicked her a bit harder. This time she heard Evelyn moan and roll over and when she was about to kick Evelyn again to wake her up, she heard Evelyns heartbeat increase slightly – that was the only sign Evelyn made that she was awake. Evelyn said to Candice with her eyes still shut and her voice heavy and rough with sleep, “What? Candy I know you don’t have to sleep for as long as me, but the icing fight last night really took it out if me!” “I know sorry but... Owen,” Candice said the word ‘Owen’ as if it was some explanation and between them it was. Evelyn just sighed, “Oh yeah, he’s coming at half eleven isn’t he? What time is it?” Candice only lazily opened one of her eyes in the direction of her retro red alarm clock, to make her sit up straight, her hair sticking up all over her head in unusual and random spikes. “What tells me we overslept?” Evelyn asked, still not making a

move, not even opening her eyes. Candice tried to take a deep breath in before the panicking – but that failed and the hysterics began, “Its quarter past eleven now! O.M.G I won’t be ready in time, and he will turn up and I look like a mess!” By the time she finished the sentence, she was in her colossal bathroom running the shower. “Nothing would change much then would it?” muttered Evelyn under her breath as she pulled herself from Candices bed, half falling as she crawled along the floor looking for her bag and her long lost green stiletto. “I heard that!” Candice called out, sticking her head out of the shower, her short black hair dripping wet, forming a little puddle on the floor. Evelyn just giggled under her breath and continued searching for her bag. “Eve, can you feel that?” Evelyn heard Candice ask from the bathroom. “What?” Evelyn enquired groggily, shifting across the floor on her hands and knees still searching for her green stilettos in the sea of Candices multi-coloured shoes. “I dunno,” she heard Candice say uncertainly, “I just feel like someone’s watching us outside,” Evelyn heard Candice mutter to herself; “Great I am getting paranoid, just what I need.” Then she herd Candice behind her, passing Evelyn her black duffle bag and her pair of green stilettos. “Candy what did you hear?” Evelyn asked resignedly as she took the bag and stilettos from Candice’s loose grasp. “Me – I – nothing. Just getting paranoid – don't worry. Don't worry about it. But Owen will be here in about ten minutes. So yeah.” Candy said nervously, Evelyn could hear her shifting her

weight from one foot to another while she searched through her blue Armani exchange bag to find her i-pod touch phone – just to placate Candice – she hated people watching her when she was nervous. Evelyn took in how nervous Candice was immediately, and knew why she was so nervous in the same second. “Chill, it will be okay. Owen will come, you two will kiss, make such a gorgeous couple and I will be going to get Jasper, Ollie and all that and give you a text when we are nearly here. Oh so simple.” With that Evelyn gracefully sauntered out of Candices room, her pillar box red hair flying out behind her as she flew with un-natural speed into her own, tidier bedroom to get changed, she felt an unnatural breeze which she assumed was the side effect of Candy running so fast from room to room. After about three or four minutes, Evelyn exited her bedroom, to hear a frantic Candice yelling up the stairs to Evelyn. “OMG! Get your butt down here girl - Owens here - now!” Then Evelyn now felt the cool and sweet smell of Candices breath in front of her, and almost as sudden as that, she felt herself being knocked down from under her feet, by a block of ice, then two blocks of ice caught her quick enough so she didn’t hit the ground, then Evelyn had a weird sensation – as if she was still, flying and falling at the same time, but before she could say anything – even protest – Candy was setting her on her feet, and mumbling quietly under her breath, while the noise of Owens car parking seemed to be echoed throughout the entire house. “Candice, I can run faster than you remember,” Evelyn said as she danced to the front door, nimbly jumping up to grab the keys from the glass chandelier (where Oliver hid them) Evelyn quickly re-thought the plan – she was going to get Oliver,

Jasper, Jada and Carlisle from Wrexham (where they were hunting a few animals) while Candice and Owen had some time to themselves as she showed him around her and her families’ mammoth mansion, without a entire horde of Vampires below, listening to Owens every heartbeat. Before Owen even got to the door, Evelyn was collecting her stuff up from the coffee table in the living room – in front of Candice whilst Candice was lounging on the large black leather corner sofa, to someone who didn’t look too closely, Candice looked like she was chilling – watching the re-runs of Hollyoaks, while Evelyn looked as if she was checking that she had everything she would need for the hour and a half drive up to Wrexham to collect her family – however if you did look closely, then you would see Candice sitting on the black leather sofa, perched on the edge, too tense to pass as chilling and her eyes glazing over the television soap which she held no interest for, whereas Evelyn was just juggling things around in her bag, making it look as if she was putting things in, but she was standing too still – like Candice – too still to be human, the only even breaths were coming from Evelynand the inconsequential babble from the plasma screen television perched on the white wall. Both Candice and Evelyn herd the engine of Owens car cut and the banging of his car door as he opened and closed it, the crunching if the gravel underneath his black and green checked Vans, to huge glass patio doors. After one push of the quiet bell, Candice was at the door and smiling cheerfully. “Hi Owen,” she said once she opened the door and gestured for him to come inside. “Hi Candy,” he said, his voice sounded strangely amazed as he took in the clear and open hallway.

‘Okay then, she is rich – but we knew that already – it doesn’t matter though but I would like a look around, it’s really cool – and massive!’ “If you want I will show you around,” Candy offered willingly. Owen gave a short laugh and followed Candice up the wide stairs and said sarcastically, “it is as if you can read my mind.” Candice joined in with his short laugh and said complacently, “Yeah right, sure I can Owen. I’m Physic me!” Then she shared a near enough silent chuckle under her breath with Evelyn, who she could here giggling slightly under her breath downstairs. Just before Candice and Owen reached the top of the staircase, Evelyn came out of the front room (as planned) and called up the stairs, “See ya later, I’ll be about three hours? Remember Candy you need to make sure that the chicken for tonight isn’t going to burn.” Candice rolled her eyes, it was all part of the plan – if Owens scent got a bit too much –then she could make an emergency exit to the kitchen with the claim that she smelt something burning. “Yeah, if you smell the house burning down, turn the chicken off, Gotcha.” Evelyn smiled at Owen and Candice and gently closed the door behind her as she left the house. When they came to the first room on the landing, Candice gestured to the inside of the already open door. “This is Jada and Carlisles room,” nodding towards the massive room. It had pale blue walls and a few light glass ornaments on the alcove window ledge and a white king size canopy bed right in the middle. The room has certain tranquillity about it, as if it was made for the sole purpose to just leave all problems behind at the door. She smiled at Owen and took his hand in hers and smiled at him even brooder, her eyes meeting his for only a split second, but that alone was enough to tear Candices mind to shreds. Part of her

thirsted after his blood, she had never been that close to a human before, held ones hand, yet somehow if felt right. Another part of her head wanted him to love her - as she loved him, but part of their relationship would always be based on lies, because there’s no way that she could never ever tell him the truth about her, he would hate her for it. Yet the loudest voice in her head screamed at her to just go with it, do what he wanted, to find out if he wanted her, and if he didn’t - mates would still be good. Being friends would be acceptable. Candice thought all that out in the shortest part of a second while leading Owen up the pale cream staircase, Candice felt his gaze on her and the family portraits, ‘of course’, she thought to herself, ‘he wants to see a baby picture of me, not likely. I don't even think cameras were around when I was born.’ Without talking, they came to a long hallway, which had several doors, each side. The stopped at the first door, she gently nudged it open and Owen saw a sight which made him gasp. The entire room was made up of books. Bookshelves across the entire wall, from floor to ceiling, even a few books on the odd table, yet the room still managed to look as if it could fit more books in it somehow. Candice stood at his side and looked at the pure shock on Owens face, when he looked down at her she just shrugged and said. “Jaspers own private library. Jada gave it to him for one of his birthdays.” “He got an entire library for his birthday?” Owen asked in disbelief. Candice just shrugged again – shrugging was good – you didn’t tell too many lies shrugging. So her answer was a simple one. “Jasper likes reading. Everyone here does – so it’s not for him really.” She tried to make her voice sound nonchalant but she

couldn’t make herself look up to look at his face when she lied, because it felt like if she did her heart might over ride her brain and spill the secrets that she didn’t want him to know. All of a sudden her unbeating heart felt heavier in her chest. Like it had been replaced with the worlds heaviest weight. Candice quickly spun round in his arms and without looking at his face she led him to the room opposite Jaspers, the door was painted a very pale and delicate pink, and when she opened the pink door, the pleasant and peaceful smell which filled the entire house, was replaced but the smell you would of found in a whores handbag. Candice gagged quietly and opened the door to find a room made out of pink fluff and mirrors. In the centre of the room there was a stretch pink leather couch -which had a pile of magazines on it – like ‘vogue’ and ‘look’ scattered across the pink leather. And when Owen looked around he saw parts of the wall, which wasn’t covered in mirror, there were pale, fancily engraved wooden tables which were piled high in curling tongs, straighters, hairspray and buckets of expensive make-up. When Owen looked down he saw Candys disgusted expression, he smiled and before she could say anything he said. “Wait let me guess Stephanies’ room!” She rolled her eyes, “What gave it away? The fact it smells like a whore’s handbag or that it looks like one?” Owen grinned mischievously at her, “That may of had something to do with it,” he playfully dug her in the ribs with his elbow – it felt like he’d just given himself a bruise. As they turned to leave, Candice closed the door gently and answered in a quiet voice, still avoiding Owens eyes, “Stephanie and Oliver, even though they love each other they have very very different styles. So to stop them arguing all the time, Steph gets her

own room and so does Oliver. Their joint room with their bed in is through Stephanie’s room. We could’ve looked, I have only been in there about once – but I don't like walking through that room. You never know what you might pick up by even breathing in there.” Owen laughed under his breath and followed Candice, she smiled at Owen, but the smile seemed off, it didn’t touch her eyes, she still looked breathtakingly beautiful, yet it just seemed off. “I think you will like this room Owen, seriously – this is Olivers.” Then she opened the door. Owen gasped when the door opened, it was almost his dream room give or take. The room was huge and on glass shelves across the walls, they were supporting big gold trophies each one had Olivers name engraved on it for some sport or another. And the plasma screen, which was mounted in the middle on all the trophies, was on a continuous loop of the sports channel, while the only thing on the floor was a big blue couch, which had a PS3 game controller which was linked to the PS3 sitting on the wall next to the television. Owen gasped when he entered the room and said to Candy, looking down at her, “No kidding I like this room Candy – but you’re right can’t see Steph being so happy with this in her room.” “You know her so well, should I be concerned?” Candice asked, teasing him again, poking him softly on his arm. He grabbed her hand before she could lower it, and he spun her around, so she was facing him, their bodies touching. The sudden electric energy flowed around the entire room, engulfing the pair of them in invisible flames. Owen was about a head taller than Candice – so when she wouldn’t meet his gaze, he gently put his thumb under her chin, and tilted up her face, so there was no way to escape his deep brown eyes. He slowly lowered head down –

towards Candice – so it was mere centimetres away from her. She looked down, her burning turquoise eyes nearly brimming over with tears, however just before they threatened to spill over, without her blinking – the old tears disappeared – replaced by fresh ones. “Owen,” she whispered, their faces so close that their lips were almost touching – her sweet and inviting breath scorched down his throat as she spoke. “Please,” she whispered her eyes now flashed to his face, as if she was searching for something. “I’m scared,” she admitted, her eyes fell down again, as if was afraid of his reaction to her confession. Owen was momentarily stunned, than he moved his lips, brushing across her hair, to her ear where he whispered in an equally quiet voice, “Don't be scared,” he whispered, “I will never everhurt you – I promise.” The fight somehow seemed to leave Candice, she moved her head backwards, so she was facing him again, their lips were closer than before and her eyes were back to searching his face hungrily. “I know,” she breathed, her lips inched closer to Owen, her thoughts flashed back to the meeting with Drew – he was with Belle and she was still alive – so she could at least try with Owen, couldn’t she? “I am scared,” she continued, “in case I hurt you.” “I’m not,” Owen said, before he gently lowered his lips onto hers, moving his lips slowly – as if he was afraid that she would reject him. For one second – the first second that Owens lips met hers – she was rigid with fear – she was so afraid that her vampiric tendencies would bubble up to the surface and she would end up killing him,

yet she was mistaken. After that one second, she became ecstatic. Her vampire-ness was yours truly hidden. She felt not one slightest impulse to kill him – she was eternally grateful that, that part of her was dormant. It all seemed so right – so perfect – like the puzzle pieces of the last three hundred years were all finally fitting together with pieces that she didn’t even know were missing. Owens hand slipped down from Candices face – to her waist, while Candices hands moved hesitantly up, to Owens shoulder and neck, her hands hooking onto him and pulling him closer into her, their bodies crushing into each other. After about – to them what seemed like a perfect eternity – was really a minute or so, Candice was the first to pull away, her face breaking into a true smile, her cheeks a slight pink-ish colour which stood out from her pale exterior, her eyes basically shining with happiness. She took Owens hand, and pulled his arm across her shoulders and pressing her ice cold lips against his hand. She led him out of Olivers room and down the hallway, past one open door, to which Candice muttered ‘Evelyn’ amusedly. The quick glimpse of Evelyn’s room was a weird one. The walls were all different colours in patches, and all over the wall there were photos of different places in the world – the Eiffel Tower, The statue of liberty, Taj Mahal – and to Owen it looked like a few were taken inside the Amazon rainforest – but he didn’t get a proper look. Candice was slowly but steadily leading him up the rustic metal spiral staircase, she led him up the spiral staircase, then they came to an attic doorway which someone – and he had a pretty good idea who – had spray painted a picture of the Nirvana logo in yellow and black onto the square door in the ceiling. “Your room?” asked Owen, while Candice shifted the square

wooden slab. “My room,” confirmed Candice as she pulled herself up, Owen looked up at her as she gave out her hand to help him up. After Owen pulled himself up onto Candices black wooden floor, he looked around the colossal room which made him gasp. He looked around the room and then he felt Candice standing them next him, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her room. The walls were all a deep purple colour, all except one wall, which was by her bed, was covered in graffiti, not chavvy graffiti like ‘Candy woz here’ it was proper graffiti, like big anamie people blown up on her wall, and chunky writing with all her families names, and he even saw his own name next to Alexei and Jaynis. She took his hand again and led him to the purple settee in the middle of her pile of DVDs, shoes and CDs, and they both sat down next to each other. “Your room looks amazing Candy, but compared to you it isn’t that quirky,” Owen said partly deep and meaningful and part teasing her, putting his arms around Candice, while she snuggled into his side. “Thanks, I think,” she murmured as she switched the huge black plasma screen television. When the Twilight DVD started up, she borrowed into his side and he pulled his arms around her – pressing her closer. After about half of the Twilight DVD, Candice suddenly sat up looking slightly disgruntled. Owen took a few seconds to react, but the he sat up with her. “Candy what’s the matter?” Owen asked, stroking her back soothingly because she looked like she was about to cry. Her expression faded slightly when she heard him talk. She slowly faded back into his arms, and turned to look up at Owen

and pulled up onto Owens chest and looked up at him, and slowly began to kiss him. It began gently and sweet enough, however as soon as it began it get a bit heated – Candices door flew open and Oliver stood there with Evelyn behind him, it look like Evelyn was trying to drag him backwards away from the door. Candice let her head drop onto Owen chest, and he heard Owen smile and shift nervously. Candice slowly sat up and spun around; she looked at Oliver and gave him, her you-are-going-to-pay-so-bad-for-this-as-soon-as-heleaves-because-if-i-have-my-way-you-will-never-be-able-to-walkagain look. ‘Sorry Candy, I tried to drag him back. But you know what Oliver’s like,’ Evelyn thought, using the element of surprise, grabbing Oliver back, with one short wave and apologetic smile at Owen, she yanked Oliver back down the stairs and with a deafening bang closed the door shut. Owen tried to loosen the vice like grip Candice had on his arms, to no avail, Candy hung onto his arms, laughing at his frail attempts to unleash her grip. “What’s the matter Owen?” she teased, in-between little kisses, she was planting on his lips, “sick of me already?” “Don't be stupid,” Owen whispered, finally disentangling himself so he could sit up straight. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, and she heard his heart accelerate slightly as he looked at her, it confused her slightly – even though she could hear what he was thinking – it was ludicrous. He was regarding her as if she was the prize to some big game that he didn’t know he was entering, but was so glad he had won. ‘That was completely,’ she mentally stuttered, until she found the word she was looking for, ‘backwards. It’s the other way round, how

could I possibly deserve him?’ Owen continued, oblivious to Candices completely different train of thought, “but I do really have to go. My parents want to talk to me,” gloom settled in on the end of the sentence. Candice saw he was telling the truth in his thoughts, and he was really not looking forward to the chat (wink wink) his mum wanted to have with him. Candice almost immediately felt bad for him, and because he was sad, and she hated anything that made him sad. She suddenly thought of Drew and Belle, so that was how Drew felt, and she realised that Drew was right. As long as you love someone enough and they love you – anything can happen – you can even ignore your own nature – for them. She stood next to him and wrapped his arms around Owens waist and he corresponded and wrapped his arms around her waist as well and kissed her head, keeping his lips there. She lifted her head up and pulled herself up so her lips met his. “Don’t worry honey,” Candice said taking his hand, once again, and spinning him around and leading him out the door, before they came to the end of her spiral staircase, she kissed his hand and said in a last bid attempt to cheer him up. “Owen don't worry – I am sure I can find a way to cheer you up later,” she smiled at the effect that sentence seemed to have on his heartbeat. “I will hold you to that Candy,” Owen said, poking her in the back. They walked the rest of the way to the kitchen in silence – when Candice went to say goodbye to Owen, he looked over her shoulder and saw all of her family – including Fiona – sitting on the high breakfast bench styled table. Jada and Carlisle were in deep

conversation – it was clear that they were made for each other, just the way they stood with their head pressed together, and it was obvious they were the perfect couple. Evelyn chatting to Jasper, while he was cooking another, what Owen thought, was another Spanish omelette, he called out over his shoulder, ‘see ya,’ to Owen, yet Evelyn seemed so deep in conversation with Jasper that Stephanie could have stood up on the table and begun swallowing fire, as long as Jasper was willing to listen, and converse back, she was happy in her own little world and Owen was not about to pop her bubble. Stephanie ignored him and carried on filing her already perfect nails, and Owen wondered if she ever left her nails alone. Or her hair. Or her make-up. He wondered if she ever thought about anyone apart from herself. Owen quickly glanced at her again. She had now moved on from her nails and was holding a spoon to her face to see her reflection, and was pushing up her hair. Oliver caught Owens eye and Owen expected to see his usual grin on place and a quick wave before he began to waffle down the omelettes, instead Oliver was giving him evils. The unexpected emotion on his face looked really scary, he looked scary anyway because of the way he was built, however that was usually contradicted by the huge puppy dog grin splayed out across his face – yet now he did look truly menacing, his eyes didn’t leave Owen, and that made him feel strangely uncomfortable, he looked away from Olivers gaze, so then he looked down to Candice. The pair of them were standing at the clear glass doorframe, and he waved goodbye to everyone in the kitchen, and Candice got up on tip-toe and gave him one fleeting kiss on his lips and whispered, “See you later.” With one more slightly longer kiss, Owen waved goodbye and left

the house in a matter of seconds. As soon as Candice was sure that Owen couldn’t see her, her face hardened and she slammed the door, with such force that the glass panelling on the door shook. “Oliver!” she called out, spinning around on her heels and marching toward the kitchen furiously. When she stood at the doorway, she put her hands on her hips and stood in the doorway blocking his only way out. Oliver visibly cringed in his seat, and even Carlisle and Jada pulled themselves out of their privet conversation to listen to what Candice was going to say to Oliver. “What the hell!” she said, angrily tapping her foot on the tiled flooring, her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Candy, you are my little sister-” Oliver began in his defence, but Candice cut him off short. “Oliver I am three hundred and twenty six, and that’s only,” she paused for half a second as she done the quick mental maths in her head, “thirty five years younger than you.” Oliver said, “But technically you’re sixteen – not old enough to be kissing boys-” Candice cut him up again, holding her hand up, not in protest, but she was ticking off her fingers in a sort of check list, “One,” she began, “isn’t Carlisle meant to be having this lecture with me, about kissing boys,” she quickly spun to Carlisle and said to him, “Do you have a issue about me kissing Owen?” Carlisle didn’t even have to say anything she heard from his thoughts that if Owen was what Candice wanted, then that was fine by him. It was okay in moderation. So Candice carried on, “So Carlisle is okay with it,” she amended her sentence as a small afterthought, “Well okay with it as any

father would ever be. Two,” she continued relentlessly, “Yes I am technically sixteen, in a abstract kind of way, but it is not world war one, nowadays sixteen year olds are getting pregnant and stabbing each other, would you rather I was like them?” she asked him. Oliver stuttered onto the question that Candice asked him, aware that there was no real right answer to the rhetorical question and he stuttered, “Well yes – wait . . . er no . . . of course - erm no.” “Exactly,” Candice said cutting Oliver off short, “So how can you say that! And I am about one hundred and fifty years older than Steph - and you and her are together. So you cannot criticise me about that!” Oliver didn’t say anything he just look down and said nothing. Candices anger evaporated as she let her earlier good mood bubble back up to the surface, she spun and let the room and begun humming to herself as she bung Paramore on the CD player. ‘Oh no, I just keep on falling, back to the same old, and where’s hope when misery come callin-‘ Candice was singing to Paramore when Jasper came in and sat on her bed. Candice noticed him straight away and almost in the same breath she knew what he wanted to talk to her about. Before he said anything, she sat down next to him and put her hand in his. She didn’t care what people outside her family and new friends thought – that she and Jasper were together together. She felt comfortable with Jasper all the time no matter what, she held his hand, he wrapped her arms around her and she felt comfortable and safe. Their love and bond was beyond brother–sister relationship – yet it just so wasn’t like Jada and Carlisles. It was as if their love belonged in a completely different category all together. “I won’t kill him,” Candice said, answering the unspoken

question in Jaspers head. He shook his head slightly and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her head, his lips gently brushing the few loose strands sticking up all over. “You might not mean to,” said Jasper. Candice giggled, ignoring (as usual) the seriousness of the convosation, instead of answering properly, she said to Jasper, struggling to turn her head up so she could look at him, “are you talking about my other personality? The vampire one?” the teasingness in her voice was obvious as she asked the innocent enough question. Jasper laughed along with her. There was no point pressing the, oh-so-serious convosation until she was ready to talk.

-Chapter Three-

Peace with the living “What do we have next?” asked Owen, pulling himself onto the graffitied bench.

Candice lounged backwards and picked up his heavy bag with unnatural ease, and with a quick flick of her wrist, she threw the crumpled up time table at him. Owen only quickly glanced at the bit of paper, than he pulled a face. ‘Next we have a period of ... French! Damn, I forgot that it was today that Madame Thomasset was back. And knowing Candy, she is going to want to go; she’d love to try it. And she’s probably better than me, considering she is perfect at everything. And that in about three years give or take – I have learnt one thing. Aller baiser une chat. Go fuck a cat, and the teacher definitely didn’t teach me that. What a great lesson that would’ve been if she did.’ Stifling a grin, Candy leaned forwards, towards Owen, and called out, “Well what do we have then?” Owen grinned in spite of himself and said, “Would you skive again if I asked you really nicely?” She pretended to mull it over, then pulled a face at him and said, “Nope,” with her mouth popping on the ‘p.’ Owen just groaned, “But you’re meant to love me!” he said, pouting out his lower lip. “Yes I do Owen, however not that much,” she teased playfully, picking up her stuff and walking over to him. When she was standing next to him, she agilely pulled herself onto his lap. “Please, please, please, please, please, please,” she stared into his eyes, unleashing the full force of her smouldering turquoise eyes. Owen looked stunned, but then pulled her face slightly closer to hers. Candice took a breath in, knowing that she wouldn’t be breathing in, for the next minute or so, and then pulled her face even closer to his. “Please,” she breathed, her lips so close to his, she could see the

few fine freckles that were spread across his nose. Instead of replying Owen just moved his lips closer and brushed his lips with hers. Candice heard Owens heart accelerate, and she felt like hers had just been suddenly jump started. Instead of breathing in, she moved her face closer to his and pressed her ice cold lips, harder onto Owens warm lips. After a few seconds of them like that, Candice pulled away slowly and laughed quietly under her breath so Owen wouldn’t hear, then she held out her hand, and she begun to lead him out of the basket ball court, in the direction of the main building with the promise of French. About two minutes later both Candice and Owen walked into the class room late, as per usual. When they stumbled through the door, everyone’s eyes glanced over Candice’s eccentric outfit. They had all become so used to her weirdness, that hardly anything about her shocked them anymore, apart from her beauty. All humans felt compelled to keep staring at her because of it. However Madame Thomasset wasn’t used to Candice, and her eyes very nearly popped out of her head in surprise when she saw what Candice was wearing. It was a long flowing black and purple tie-dyed gothic dress. The back was laced up as a corset, yet she managed to pull it off without looking slutty. ‘Not another one,’ thought Madame Thomasset, ‘Weird petite girls like her, never learn good French skills.’ Candice felt shocked for a second, than she became angry. Never learn good French, sometime in the eighteen hundreds, she had lived in France, so she would show her because as a matter of fact Candys French was more probably better than Madame Thomassets. Before Candy and Owen walked to the back of the class room, to their normal seats, Candice said in a beautiful clear voice, which

filled every corner of the tiny, damp French room. “Bonjour, je suis très heureux de voir que vous avez décidé de revenir et de nous enseigner. Je suis très egar pour en savoir plus sur la France, la langue, les gens - même de l'histoire.” (Hello I am very pleased that you decided to come back and teach us. I am very eager to learn more about France, the language, the people- even the history.) Madame Thomasset looked too shocked to say anything, yet she managed to choke out in strangely accented English, “You have an amazing accent young lady.” “Merci,” Candy said using the smile specifically made to scare humans, showing her perfect white teeth. She spun around and walked to the back of the class next to Owen, got her French books out of her bag and put them neatly on her desk, then with everyone’s eyes still on her (even the teachers) she said gleefully, “Carry on Madame.” She placed her hands on the top of her books and nodded toward the front. All eyes averted to the flustered Madame, as she begun shuffling around bits of paper on her desk, muttering about French verbs, while she hurriedly tried to find what tedious task sheet she had set the class. After an extremely uneventful lesson, in which everyone managed to copy Candys answers, they were dismissed for their next lesson. The next lesson was music, it was one of Candys favourite lessons. She didn't love it because she was the best (even though it was common knowledge that she could play some killer rifts on the guitar) it wasn’t because the teacher was fit, or nice – in fact he was the opposite – Mr. Lewis was a fat balding man, he had a short temper and was full of empty threats . But that was why Candy

loved the lessons. Mr. Lewis temper made her laugh because he was so easy to wind up. As she walked in she said, “What up sir?” and before he could answer her mocking question with a detention, another twenty seven pupils entered into the small cramped the Music block. As usual, it took Mr. Lewis a good twenty minutes of shouting his constant empty threats before anyone took even the slightest notice. When he had the semi-attention of the class he said, “When the registers comes around you must sign it or a detention. So who here can tell me the difference between an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar?” The entire class sniggered at his obvious question, however the lesson looked promising to them, Mr. Lewis had three battered acoustic guitars laid out across the front. When he saw no one would answer, he chose the one pupil that looked like they were paying the least attention, and also the one who he happened to dislike the most... “Candice?”he asked smugly. Her eyes still didn’t tear away from the window, yet she still replied to the teacher. “Yes Sir?” she asked politely, her eyes unwillingly tearing away from something that no one could see. “What’s that answer to the question I just asked the class?” he asked, smugly, putting the scruffy register down on his already overcrowded desk, he was sure he had caught her out – that was something he had never done in his lessons, even if she was the worst behaved pupil, she was the brightest. Her eyes snapped back to the front quickly, a grin creeping across her face, her eyes wide and cheerful as she swung her chair back onto two legs.

“Sir, if you don't know the difference between an electric and an acoustic guitar by now should you really be teaching me music?” A snigger spread across the class, while Mr. Lewis’ eyes just narrowed, it looked as if he was trying to outstare Candice, if he was trying to - he’d lost – badly, after about a minute and a half, he gave up and began blinking ferociously in the opposite direction that Candy was in. When he finally found his voice again he said in a voice slightly in awe of the students in front of him, “Listen me, young lady, just because you dress differently, doesn’t mean. . .” he trailed off into silence under Candice glare. “What do you mean sir? About my dress sense?” she asked, cocking her head to the side, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. Mr. Thomas’ stuttered, but didn’t say anything apart from an incoherent babble, Candice smiled under her breath and shook her head, she stood up and made her way to the front of the class, next to one of the really old guitars and pointed at it, “Are you going to let me play? Or are you going to try and teach me Twinkle Twinkle Little Star like the rest of the class?” she didn’t even wait for him to answer, unaware (as usual) of the entire class, including Mr. Thomas staring at her, she effortlessly picked up the guitar that looked the most in tune and she pulled herself up onto the teachers desk and began to play a soft, mellifluous tune which enchanted the entire class. Her face was relaxed – but at the same time deeply concentrated in her movements as she stared at her hands which were plucking the different strings. The tune she was playing was beautiful and melodious; a small smile began to play around her lips as she played, her eyes darted up and looked for Owens eyes, when they met, even though it was

only for a second, Candice smiled devilishly, then she began to change the song she was playing. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she began to change the song. The temp of the lullaby began to get a bit faster, and then a few of the chords began to change, then it slowly began to get deeper and lower. Then all of a sudden the song changed abruptly and Owen thought he was the only one who recognised – ‘I wanna dead beat you’ by the night marchers. When she finished playing she slowly put the faded wooden guitar back down on the dirty green carpet and said to him evenly, “Can I go now?” Candy asked Mr. Thomas, almost daring him to say otherwise. Mr. Thomas just looked shocked, but he nodded mutely none the less. “Owen?” she called out enquiringly when she paused at the heavy wooden door, but when she spun round to ask him if he was coming with she was startled to see that he was actually behind her, whispering in her ear, “you think I would miss a chance to ditch Music?” Candice just smiled happily and led him to the basketball court by the hand, laughing as she skipped blissfully in front of him, spinning around a bit saying, “why don’t we just ditch today?” Owen laughed at her and said, “Where’d we go? We can’t hang in school and my home is off limits with my mum being there. . .” he trailed of unhappily, it was apparent that he quiet enjoyed the idea of spending the rest of the after-noon with Candice, but he couldn’t see how . . . “We can just go to mine, I don't think anyone’s home” she shrugged, unconcerned about what would happen if any member of her family was home. Everyone knew that their father figure was a lecture at university and often worked unpredictable hours, while

Jada was an A&E doctor and worked three nights a week and four days a week. “What if they are home?” he asked her, wrapping his arm around her waist. Candice murmured something distractedly, while she was texting someone, “er well we fabricate a paper, like I dunno – we have a SOC paper due and they’ve given us the after-noon off.” Candice phone vibrated and she slid it up almost as soon as she’d finished talking to Owen, he read the text over her shoulder; Meet u at the b-ball court? B der in 5min? Think M&D r home wiv S&O, c ya there JX “Sorted,” she said shaking her phone, sliding it down cheerfully. Three and a half hours later, Candice and Owen were sitting in her mammoth garden, they both had their feet dangling in the stream that wove through their garden and in and out of the surrounding forest. “So you were adopted?” Owen asked her apprehensively as he felt her stiffen around him, but she spoke in a friendly enough voice, her eyes not meeting his though. “Yeah I was adopted,” she said shrugging, “when I was about twelve? I’m not that sure – but Carlisle and Jada were already taking care of Evelyn, Oliver and Jasper. Steph met up with Oliver when she was adopted about three years back.” “Do you remember your real family at all?” Owen asked her curiously. Candice only shook her head sadly, her eyes filled with what suspiciously looked like tears.

Owen instantly felt bad that he’d make her cry, “you don't have to tell me Candy – honestly, sorry I will shut up now.” “No, its okay,” she thought back, thinking of ways to word her answer so they she wouldn’t be lying to him – just not telling him the complete truth. “My dad either died of left when I was young – I can’t remember him that much, but my mother always said he was an alcoholic, like her,” she scratched at the ground bitterly with a stick. “My mum died when I was about ten, just after giving birth to my youngest sister,” she smiled slightly, ‘at least I don't have to lie to Owen about that,’ she though sourly. “My older sister - Darcy - died just before I was adopted when she was about nineteen – twenty. She was taking care of us until then.” “She sounded amazing,” Owen said sympathetically, he wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah she was,” she carried on relentlessly, “she was taking care of me, my only little brother Fagan and my two little sisters Lydia and. . .” she trailed off and if Owen didn’t know any better he thought she had forgotten her other sisters name – but Candice wouldn’t do that – would she? Candice shifted uncomfortably, shifting her eyes away from Owens chest back to the shallow little stream. Owen – feeling like he should do something to comfort her, but what? Candice never really looked sad, she always looked happy. So they sat in silence, until the sadness passed, just as everything does.

-Chapter Four-

It’s time to party! The next day started out the same as usual, in the sense that both Evelyn and Candice were dancing around their colossal bathroom in their pyjamas, doing their make up while singing and dancing along to their favourite songs. Oliver, Jada and Carlisle were in the dining room finishing off the full English breakfast that Candice had cooked for them. Jasper was in his room trying to read a book, but all he could hear were

Candice and Evelyn singing along to Papa Roach (Hollywood Whore.) After five minutes of attempting to read ‘how to kill a mockingbird’, he got up off the bed and walked into the bathroom. “Wow!” Jasper said when he saw them, “You two look amazing!” Evelyn gave him a playful dig in the ribs when they left the room, “Don’t sound SO shocked it’s not that unusual!” Evelyn did look amazing and when she walked past the open window, she looked even more so. In the sun, her pale skin had a slight white glow, and her flaming red hair looked even brighter and what would make a normal human scream and run away, was just another usual thing for them, Evelina’s eyes turned first black then red then settled on a strange purple colour, but then slowly began to change colour again. Candice followed Evelyn and the same pale white glow admitted from her too and the same thing happened with her eyes however instead of settling on purple her eyes set on a flaming red which could rival Evelyn’s hair. When they flew down the classical wooden, spiral staircase, Jasper followed in suite and just before they left the house, Jada came out of the kitchen, carrying a half eaten piece of toast and said sternly, putting her hands on her hips, “right you two - do you have your sun-glasses?” They nodded in unison, “yep.” “Okay- Jasper and Oliver will come to pick you up when it’s time to go, and if anything strange happens come straight back here. Don't dilly dally shopping if something goes wrong.” Candice pretended to look shocked, but the cheeky grin flashed across her face, “I wouldn’t be shopping anyway Jada. I never shop.” In response Evelyn just snorted delicately

“Will do Mum. Promise,” Evelyn added when she saw Jada’s disbelieving expression. “Sure, sure. Remember do NOT take those shades off in the sun,” chided Jada just before they left, dancing in the sunlight. They made their way over to the garage and Evelina went to pull the families less noticeable car (Volvo) keys down from the hook, but Candy already had Jaspers jaguar car keys in her hand. “Jada didn’t say anything about what car we had to take did she?” Evelyn tried to stifle a grin and to be the adult, however when Jasper appeared behind his car and laughed at Candy and said, “You could of at least asked though!” Candice smiled to and went to give Jasper a quick squeeze, “Ta, I so owe you one Jasper I shall be your slave forever.” “Didn’t we make that agreement a hundred years ago?” he teased playfully. “Oh yeah – that’s true - well I shall be nice to you, how’s that?” “Perfect,” he murmured as he held her close, “as long as you are very happy, that’s all I want.” Candice gave him a quick hug and said, “Please try and come earlier - I want you there.” Jasper just patted her shoulder and said, “If you say so babes. I think Evelyn is going to die of boredom if we leave her in that car any longer.” “Yeah that’s true, later then. You will come won’t you?” Candice asked her hands tightening around Jasper. He sighed, “You know I can’t bear to stay away from you too long, it makes me too anxious.” “It makes me anxious too,” she gave him one final hug then turned and stepped into Jaspers sleek and shiny black Jaguar then sped away and left Jasper thinking hard and looking wistfully after

her. **** Owen hadn’t been sitting on his own for that long, when his five best mates turned up - Jayni, Lexie, Rochelle, Sam and Louis they were all full of talk about that nights party that was coming up and about what would happen if the cops showed up to what was promised to be the best party in the history of Swansea. Owen had been friends with all five of them for so long that he couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t been chilling out and partying together, however today his attention today was averted. He wasn’t his usual self, not laughing with the rest of them nor cracking any jokes when Rochelle said something completely blond. He sat there staring into the distance and looking around whenever he heard a car drove into the almost empty parking lot. “Are you okay Owen?” asked Alexei for the hundredth time. Apart from Jayni (Alexis’s twin sister) Alexei was the only person who talked to Owen properly. Everyone else was mates but only Alexei and Jayni knew Owen for real. They also both knew him well enough to know something was up. “I’m fine, honest Lex.” He replied back, grinning his usual impish grin. “Yeah and I’m the queen Owen!” Alexei replied back sarcastically. “Well I never knew that you were a queen....” began Owen, but then his interest was averted once again, to a black sports car, that sped around the roundabout. The car was nice, a proper expensive car. Not one that you’d expect to see in the good part of Swansea let alone the bit that they were in now. It was basically asking to be nicked. But it wasn’t the beautiful, black, convertible sports car that held

his attention, or the loud music blearing from the speakers, it was the two people in the front, both looking amazingly stylish, wearing heavily tinted sunglasses, even though it was sunny, not really sunny enough for glasses. When the car smoothly came to a stop in the only parking space in the shade, he heard Sam and Louis wolf whistle at them, both sure that two such beautiful girls, no disrespect to Jayni, Alexei or Rochelle, wouldn’t come with them. When Candice told Evelyn this she giggled quietly, and when they walked over to Owen, she walked just behind Candice and had a look around. It wasn’t much of a park. It was more like a medium sized grassy patch, with the odd group of people sitting down or walking about. “Hi Owen,” said Candice when they drew up even to him. “Hello Candy, Evelyn.” He replied grinning “Hiya, you okay?” Evelyn asked. “Hello,” said someone about Owens age who was sitting with them, he had platinum blond hair gelled into pointy spikes, “I’m Louis, and you are-?” “I’m Evelyn and this is Candy,” Evelyn said smiling, fluttering her eyelashes, yet only Candice knew that because they still had their dark sunnies on, so she muttered under her breath, “wasted affect,” Evelyn just laughed silently, her lips moving too fast, no one could tell that they were having a sibling debate, even her friends directly in front of her. “Nah they know, deep down,” Evelyn pouted. ‘Wow they are cute! Clearly not from around here, I mean come on Alexei and Jayni are fit – Rochelle is too; but come on these girls are seriously fit as – The one with the short black hair - Candy – is the one Owen’s going out with. He’s already as we have to keep our hands to

ourselves with her, but Evelyn is so cute, anyway...’ “It’s very nice to meet you Evelyn. Nice to meet you too, Candice.” Louis said, smoothly picking Evelyns hand up, attempting to stare deeply in her eyes, while his lips brushed against her pale skin, “and it’s very nice to meet you Evelyn.” “I’m Sam,” said a taller boy, with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes, which Candice felt like she’d known before . . . but she pushed that thought out of her head – she was just getting paranoid, yet Candice eyes widened in spite of herself, as if he was a potential danger. She pushed that thought out of head as well. ‘I’m getting wayto paranoid,’ she thought to herself. “Nice to meet you,” Candice said, smiling widely at him, flicking a lose strand of hair from the path of her eyes. Sam looked even more pleased when Candice smiled at him, the opened his mouth to say something only Louis cut across him. “OIT! Do you mind Sam? I was talking to these two amazing ladies, you wasn’t.” “It doesn’t look like they mind, does it?” Sam retorted. When they began arguing they moved back into the distance, two slightly tanned people stepped forward. They both looked nearly exactly the same apart from one had short dark purple hair and another had very long dark blue hair. “Sorry about them, they are soannoying.” said the one with bright blue hair, wearing a short black denim skirt, and bright pink tights, which matched her pink rimmed eyes. “And I’m Alexei,” said the one with purple hair, wearing a simple black dress with an exotic looking tight green belt around the middle, which showed off her immaculate figure perfectly. “And I am Jayni,” said the other one. “Er, hiya,” Candice said nervously. All four girls were silent of a

few seconds then, shifting their eyes from one place to another, until Candice said, looking longingly at Jaynis long blue hair, “I love your hair.” Jaynis thoughts were exuberant when she realised that Candice wasn’t being sarcastic, she thought cheerfully, ‘makes her one of the only normal ones. Not gunna be Sophie Rowest’s friend if she likes stuff like that. YAY...’ “Thanks, I think you’re the only one – hey, I love your hair as well and your shoes they are so nice, where did you get them?” Jayni asked gesturing at her bright purple ankle boots. “Aw thanks - I got them from Primark, two quid, in the sale, they were a bargain” “Two pounds! Really? I thought that they’d be more expensive than that. With the buckles like that – I could have sworn that they were designer.” Owen looked at the two girls talking with a bemused expression, and noticed how easily that Evelyn and Alexei managed to fit into Jayni and Candy’s conversation. How that Evelyn and Candice could fit in with them so easily. When Rochelle walked over Candy noticed her immediately and smiled warmly and said to Rochelles shocked face, “Hiya I’m Candy.” “Oh, hello,” Rochelle looked surprised at her, how open she was to her and opened her into the convosation, “I’m Rochelle.” “Hey Rochelle, how are you? Where did you get your waistcoat? I love it! Is it really Ted Baker?” she asked gesturing at the label. With that Sam and Louis came over and Owen joined into their conversation and time passed really quickly. *** A few hours later the sun went behind the clouds and many people began to sieve out and before long it was just the seven of them and one or two others. Evelyn and Candice were wetting

themselves from laughter along with Jayni and Alexei, when they heard Rochelle say “Oh. My. Effing. God!” Everyone turned up to have a look at what Rochelle was talking about. They all saw three people in a bright blue convertible. One of them was very masculine and sitting on the back seats, he had blond hair, then there was the driver. A tall blond woman, with long wavy blond hair, she was very beautiful, and then there was the passenger at the front. He was the most gorgeous by far. He had semi- longish dark brown hair and although he wasn’t as muscular as Oliver, he was quiet well built. When Candice saw them she instantaneously felt better. “Oh, that’s my family.” Candice said offhand. “That’s your family?!” asked Rochelle shocked. “Yep,” Evelyn said leaning in. When the three of them left the car she pointed them out, “That’s Stephanie, and that’s Jasper and Oliver,” they wandered over and smiled at all of them, Rochelle wasn’t the only one shocked. “Wow, she is hot!” Sam said in awe, his eyes glued to Steph. ‘She is seriously sexy, wonder is she is with one of them blokes? Hope not-‘

“That’s nice, Sam, real nice she

my sister, do I really want to know that you find her hot? Anyway, she’s with Oliver.” Evelyn said. “Which one is Oliver?” Alexei asked eagerly. “The blond one,” Candice said. “So Jasper is the one with brown hair?” asked Jayni even more eagerly then Alexei. “Yep that’s Jasper,” replied Evelyn. “He single?” “You can try, you never know.” Candice grinned to herself. When the three of them walked over Sam and Louis began the

flirting thing that they done with Candice and Evelyn on Stephanie. Oliver didn’t seem to mind he just stood behind her and grinned. While Steph and Oliver just stood there, Jasper sneaked over to Candice until he was right behind her. He slipped his hand around her waist.

“Jasper, this is Alexei,

Jayni and Rochelle.” Candice said holding two of his hands that were in front of her. “Hello, nice to meet you all,” Jasper said warmly, nodding at them. “Hiya,” said Alexei, she appeared like she was the only one who wasn’t stunned into silence by their beauty. “You alright Jasper?” Evelyn enquired with casual ease, breaking the tension. “Yep I’m dandy, you?” without pausing he continued, “Dad said that you need to go home now, he needs to talk to all of us about – er- something.” ‘This is your curfew time ok. Nine-thirty. Thought it was a good idea that I didn’t say that in front of your friends because you’d kill me.’ “Oh, okay then, but Candice said she would ask you - but do you wanna come tonight? There’s a huge party going on at Melissa’s house. It’s an open invite for all, so all of you can come.” Lexie asked. Mia and Rochelle’s eyes were still locked on Jaspers face. “Well I think Mum and Dad will be fine with it so I don’t see why not.” “Great so see you there at nine? Do you know where she lives?” “Well why don’t we pick you two up?” Mia and Lexie’s mouth dropped open, “Are you sure?” “Uh, yeah, that’s why I said it. I wouldn’t have lied,” came Candice’s sarcastic reply. “Right, okay then, see you at about ten to nine?” said Mia

“Cool beans see you lot later then. Bye Rochelle, Bye Owen. S’later Sam; Louis.” With that with mind-blowing elegance the five of them were in their cars and gone. *** “Right you all need to stay together though alright,” Carlisle said, “And don’t get too drunk please.” “Will do Carlisle, a tad drunk is okay then?” Candice asked grinning slightly as she was doing her electric pink eyeliner. “What is the point in telling to stay sober at a party? You forget I know you to well.” Carlisle said back. “Yadda, yadda, yadda. So to clarify, I can get drunk, but not drunk enough that I forget my name?” She put her pink eyeliner in her bag and spun around to Carlisle. Once again Carlisle found himself shocked by Candice, how beautiful she was. She had a flawless complexion and perfect facial features, she always had a cheeky grin on her face and although she was frozen in her sixteen year old body forever, he noticed how more grown up she seemed. “I am so proud of her, she is the best person she could possibly be,” thought Carlisle forgetting momentarily that she could read his thoughts. Candice froze before she left the room and said in a quiet voice, “Thank you dad.” That had been one of the first times that Candice had called both Carlisle and Helena, mum or dad. When Candy came running down the stairs she noticed that Evelyn was wearing her skirt.” Admittedly it does look better on Evelyn then me,” thought Candice. The four of them were downstairs waiting for her, when she ran down the stairs all the idle chit-chat that was going on between them, fell to a silence and they all looked stunned. “What? Do I look okay?” Candice asked pulling on the hem of her

vivid pink dress. “You can’t go dressed like that!” Oliver said looking bowled over at her appearance. “Why not? What’s wrong with how I look? Do I look that bad? Should I go and get changed?” Oliver genuinely looked shocked, “Oh and you’re meant to be the physic one! You look too grown up. You’re meant to be my little sister!”

“Um thanks Oliver?!

What do you think? Do I look okay?” Candice asked, trying not to look into what they were thinking, just because Candice herself didn’t see the picture of perfection that everyone else saw. Jasper answered first “You....look....breathtaking. Truly perfect.” “Thanks, you don’t look so shabby yourself. And that skirt looks much better on you than me Eve.” She had turned around and was looking at Evelyn, “and those shoes look well good with it. Dressing up for anyone important? Like Louis?” Candice teased. “Eeww, him? He’s just a child!” Evelyn said pulling and expression of fake horror across her face. “Yeah coz all you want is an about hundred and fifty year old bloke and you’re happy. Come on I know he likes you and you think he’s cute.” “Stay out of my head Candy,” Evelyn growled. “I can’t help it at the park today that was all you was thinking about. You were basically shouting at me!” “Excuses, excuses.” Evelyn murmured playfully, “Come on we are meeting Steph and Oliver at the party, you me and Jasper are going to go and get Mia and Lexie.” “Cool beans, shall we go?” Candice gestured toward the door and with a few calls out to Carlisle and Jada; the five of them disappeared into the darkness to go to the party that would give all

of them the best memories. *** Two hours later, the sweet sixteen garden party was in full swing and the Scarlet’s were dotted around the vast garden area. Music was blearing from the speakers at all points and the drinks were in high demands. Candice was of course with Jasper, Evelyn had disappeared earlier into one of the less crowded rooms with someone like Louis or Sam, Stephanie was surrounded by a few boys and laughing at them and Oliver was talking to a few of the older boys about football or something like that. Candice was talking to Jasper, taking in the mood of the party. Talking to everyone as they passed by. Spiking their own drinks, when no one was looking, with vampire alcohol. “Come on Candice let’s dance,” Jayni slurred when she came bounding up to them. Candice was tipsy but not as far out drunk as Jayni was. Candice had a slight feeling that alcohol wasn’t all that Jaynihad taken, “Not a chance,” Candice yelled over the loud music. “Come on don’t be so boring, dance with me,” it wasn’t as if Candice had too much of a choice in such a public place, Mia had grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into the middle of the dance floor, and began raving to Mindless Self Indulgence, when Lexie came over to them with Jasper close behind her, clearly confused about what was going on, but following her because of her anxious feelings. “What? What’s the matter Lexie?” Jayniasked, clearly Lexie didn’t usually act like that in a party. “Sophie is here.” “Well woop-dedo-day-dar-day for her, we are having a party,” by

that time the four of them were standing by the edge of the massive pool, having to holler above the deafening music. Sophie stormed over; both of her eyes had a pale purple shadow underneath them from where she was recovering from the broken nose that Candice had given her. “What are you doing here?” Sophie asked rudely. “Partying and you’re ruining that.” Candice said, and that’s when Lexie noticed something, the more she drunk, the more animalistic her movements became, like right now, while she was arguing with Sophie, she seemed on the bridge of crouching, as if to attack and while she was doing hand gestures, her movements were jerky and less human as if she was something out of a horror film. It looked like Sophie had noticed it too because she stepped back but then said, “You look like hell, as a matter of fact you should go there.” “Been there done that and thanks so much for the compliment people in hell tend to look really hot.” Candice didn’t even notice that people had begun forming a circle around them, just like they had done in the dance class the previous day. “God, SHUT THE HELL UP! Why do you act like you’re so perfect-” “Nope, being perfect isn’t an act; I really am just as perfect as you think I am Sophie.” Candice smirked, having another sip of the drink she held in her hand. “You are so full of yourself! Why don’t you go and do us all a favour and go and die, you’re such a dirty emo I wouldn’t be a surprise if you slit your wrists,” yelled Sophie. “Gods sake! For once think of an original insult. I’m so over the ‘emo-slitting-her-wrists’ thingy.” “Leave her Candy she so isn’t worth it,” Lexie said as she tried to pull her away, however Candice just stood her ground then

grinned. “You’re right Lexie, I could get another drink later,” she smiled at herself, then poured her coke and vodka all down the front of Sophie’s white dress, smirked at the shocked look on Sophie’s face then walked past her, and said, “You know what Sophie you should wear more black, covers up the stains,” then walked to Evelyn to get herself another drink. *** At three’ o’clock in the morning both Jada and Carlisle were sitting in their privet sitting room, not talking, both stock still, like statues. They both jumped at the same time when they heard a smash then loud tinkering laughs, but then a few deeper, quieter laughs. They were human laughs. “Drinks, that’s what we need, more drinks, I shall, shall, oh yeah what drinks? Where are the drinks?” they both herd a female voice say. “Yeah right, drinks. Umm let me see,” the two of them heard a thump,

“oopps not good,” they heard what was defiantly Candice

laughing, then Evelina, then the same human laughing voice, then a few more human laughter, that’s when Carlisle and Helena decided to go downstairs. When they came downstairs, they saw Candice, Evelyn and a purple haired human girl lying on the soft plush carpet. When Candice and Stephanie saw Carlisle and Jada they both began going into hysterics, Evelina pulled herself to her feet and said“Hiya Mum, Dad this is Owen, Layni and Jexie. Oh, no, right this is Jayni and Lexie, yeah that’s them. Maybe. Anyway they are crashing here tonight.” “Have you been drinking?” Jada asked.

“Us? Drinking? No, never. I don’t drink,” Jasper said walking over to Evelyn; he was concentrating on his feet, walking as if he was on a tightrope. Jada and Carlisle both just grinned and grimaced at one and other then Carlisle said, “Owen, Jayni, Lexie, do your parents know where you are?” The three of them pulled herself up, and Jayni said her voice slurred, all the words began to run into one, it just coming out as an inaudible mush of words. “Yeah, well they know we are going to a sleepover and don’t expect us back until tomorrow.” Jada let her good nature overpower her. She walked over and helped to pull themselves up off the ground, “Come on then,” she said, you had better get to bed.”

-Chapter Five-

-Death bedCandice groggily opened her eyes and rolled over, trying to persuade her legs to swing over the edge of her bed, however she was failing miserably. She distinctly heard two people talking in low voices in the room directly below her, but she ignored them – she could smell fresh pancakes being burnt – which meant Oliver was cooking breakfast. “I’d best help Ollie,” she whispered to herself, throwing herself out of her bed, swaying as the sudden burst of movement made her

feel slightly light headed. That’s when she noticed it. A piece of pale blue, heavy parchment, folded in two halves, pinned to the middle of her wardrobe by a long wooden arrow. Candice walked forwards suspiciously, and lethally ripped the note off of the sharp end of the arrow, and read it slowly. It looked as if it was a ransom note – each letter was in different fonts -

Nice WATCHING YOU SLEEP. EVENTFUL Almost. Don’t woRry – sEe YoU SOOn. Candice stared at the note for a few seconds and tried to make some sense out of it – the only logical explanation she could come to was that it was the Elders – checking up on her because neither her nor her family attended the annual ball. She folded the thick parchment up and buried it up into her back pocket of her bright pink jeans which she had fallen to sleep in, just in time because Jasper burst into her room, full of glee – Candice idly wondered about what had put him in such a good mood, clearly he noticed Candys worried expression – and began to get worried himself. “So you are up!” he exclaimed cheerfully, “what’s the matter?” “Me? I...er... nothing Jasper – nothing,” she began to get nervous and when she opened her mouth to tell Jasper about the strange note, she felt a sharp blow to her stomach – not strong enough to make her double over in pain – just enough to cut off her air supply to shut her up. “Want to go for a run Jasper? Evelyn too – and Ollie if he wants?” Candice asked him rashly, all she wanted to do was see if she could get a read off of the letter, but at the same time her instinct told her to not tell anyone. “Why?” he asked curiously.

“Because I can – and I feel like a run,” Candice said evasively. He rolled his eyes sceptically, “you never feel like going for a run unless there is something in it for you.” Candice tried to look deeply insulted, but Jasper knew her well enough to see the fear and unsettlement in her eyes, so instead of pressing on with wanting to know the reasons, he just said, “Evelyn, Oliver – up for a race?” he didn’t talk any louder, but both Evelyn and Oliver flew up the stairs in less than a second. “Ready to lose your race children?” Oliver asked playfully. “Bring it,” was Candys only reply, as she took one resounding bound out of her window, and running full tilt in the direction of the surrounding trees. *** “Come on Jasper, you always said you were faster than me and I had, a, what two second head start? Come along, take your time,” she slowed down slightly and then came to a sudden stop. Skidding along the dirt and digging it up about two meters down. She pulled herself up the nearest mossy tree, pulling herself up higher and higher until she was about 10 ft off the ground, then she jumped from tree to tree, slowly soaring higher and higher, until she noticed Jasper and then Evelyn, they were just behind her and they were both racing each other. Evelyn began to get closer to Jasper, and Candice heard him laugh gaily, as he began to speed up as well. “Don't bother even trying to get away Jasper, I am so going to win anyway,” Evelyn squealed, jumping over the huge grey bolder, which had made Jasper stumble as he hadn’t noticed it, he was too busy watching Evelyn gain speed on him. She tensely watched them run past her, she held her breath – praying that they wouldn’t notice her, however as soon as they

were out of her line of sight, she sighed, she hated keeping secrets from Jasper but she relaxed anyway – she allowed her legs to dangle precariously over the edge of the branch and she let her hands droop by her sides as she pulled the strange note out of her pocket, when suddenly she heard Oliver say unabashed by Candice worried expression, “Hey, I thought we were racing, you don’t wanna buy lose again do you?” Candice jumped, unexpected by Oliver’s presence; she fell off the high, cold branch when Oliver said that, he flew down easily, and grabbed her as gently as he could manage to and took her up back to the branch she was originally on, setting her down safely, he was overwrought and oddly solemn, Candice managed to make out from his distant thoughts that he was worried about her falling. “What’s the matter Candy, did you see something from the letter?” Oliver’s voice was concerned, strangely serious – yet again as he hovered patiently beside her. “What letter?” Candice asked innocently, squashing the blue parchment into little balls in her fist, “I don't know what you mean?” “Don't insult my intelligence Candy.” “What intelligence?”She asked playfully, but then she sighed rolling her eyes, but then she told him the truth, “I haven’t seen anything from the letter yet Ollie. But I just have a really bad feeling something is wrong. I just need to concentrate.” “You wanna do it here. Now?” he asked, sceptically. “Yes please Oliver. I won’t fall.” She listened to his thoughts than sighed, “I know, it’s just a feeling I need to hear someone thinking something before we decide to do something.” “I will stay here, behind you okay,” he said stubbornly. She already had the letter out in front of her and her eyes were

half closed, “Mmmkay,” she mumbled, as her fingers began to press onto the words, it looked as if she was blind and trying to read the words. A few minutes passed with her like that, Oliver flying silently behind her aware of her thinking hard, the concentration basically radiating out of her, when Candice abruptly screamed a blood curtailing scream which echoed throughout the empty forest. Before Oliver could react she was falling down off the tree onto the ground, he dived down and only just managed to catch her before she hit the cold, hard, moist earth beneath her. She was still screaming and when Oliver’s freezing cold vampire fingers touched her - she was now thrashing around as if she was trying to escape from burning hot ropes which had wrapped around her, compressing her more tightly, she was scattering the fallen leaves on the floor where he laid her down. “Jada, Carlisle, Jasper - anyone please. Candy’s just.... just... HOLY SHIT!” yelled Oliver. A small, detailed silver dagger with a blood red ruby etched on the end, appeared out of nowhere and stabbed Candice in the stomach, her blood spurting everywhere. Giving her one last chance to scream, her eyes widened out of pure pain, she made a gagging sound as blood began to block out her lungs, making it nearly impossible for her to breathe, then she paled and went silent and still – that’s when Jasper arrived followed by Carlisle. “Candy? Oh my good god! Candice, what happened?!” asked Carlisle with a shocked expression on his face mixed with repulsed horror as he knelt on the dewy ground right next to her and noticed that her arms - that where already covered with half moon scars from previous battles - however they were now purple with newly formed bruises and drops of her ultra thick vampire blood were

smeared across her arms, making it neon impossible to tell where the actual cuts were. “What happened?” Jasper gasped, rooted to the spot with queasiness and abhorrence, it was as if he was made out of stone, his body rooted to the spot. Oliver got up and stumbled back a few steps, blood all over his hands from where he had tried to help Candice. “Um, she tried to get a reading off of this weird letter. To see if the person writing was anticipating any danger to us because she had a bad feeling... then she screamed and- and-” he gestured to Candice laying there on the ground, her face mixed with interest and pain - an odd expression for someone who had just been stabbed. “Oliver-,” Carlisle said stepping away from Candice allowing the wound in her stomach to continue bleeding all over her blue cardigan. But Jasper butted in, before Carlisle could saw anything, “what are you doing Carlisle, help her she’s in pain-” Carlisle cut over Jasper again, “No she isn’t. Well she is in a great amount of pain but it’s all an allusion. She is in no life or death danger right now and the pain definitely isn’t real. It is to her; to her it would seem too real. But I can promise you it will wear off,” Carlisle paused and looked down and Candice, twitching on the forest floor with a mixture of sadness and worry about his youngest daughter, he seemed to be contemplating the best way to stop her hurting, he thought for a short period of time, in which the only sounds that they would hear was the breeze running through the leaves of the trees and the sound of Candices rugged and uneven breathing. Carlisle thought then said sadly. Not taking is eyes off of Candice,

“Oliver please will you take Candice to the house and me and Jasper will follow, but I fear running with her in our arms will not help the sensation to her,” his voice sounded strained, Jasper looked at his new father and realised that there was an emotion that was bubbling under the surface of his worried expression, something that looked extremely out of place, on such a normally kind face, it looked like anger. Carlisle certainly tasted of it. Cinnamon was evading the air around them like a thick poisonous gas, and they all felt anger for the same reason. Anyone who could hurt Candice was clearly a psychopath, and they wanted him/her dead for even thinking about causing her so much pain. A few minutes later Oliver was bursting through the door with Candice in his arms. Jada noticed first when she came out of the kitchen, with a fresh tray of cakes in her hands, when she saw him with Candice quietly whimpering, she dropped the black tray, allowing the cakes to crumble and fly everywhere, while she stood like Jasper had done – still as a statue - her mouth dropped open, her arms frozen in place, as if she was sill actually holding the new, black metal tray, “What the hell?” managed to slip out through her clenched teeth as she slammed her jaw shut, but then she exploded, a torrent of words all flying out, her mouth not looking like she was talking at all, just quivering slightly, the words no louder than a corse whisper, Oliver had to strain to catch all of the words, “Oliver where is Carlisle and Jasper they went to see what you wanted - is she okay. Please gods tell me she’s okay.” “Mum, please listen to me, please - she’s okay. Carlisle will explain, is there a readymade bed I can lay her down on?” Jada was still horrified like Jasper was but managed to say, “Yes me and your Dads bed. Take her up. Just give me a sec please and I will be up there.”

Oliver didn’t say anything, he just took her upstairs and laid her on the bed, brushing her tangled hair out of the path of her eyes and whispered, “Candy it’s okay, it’s not real your okay. I promise your okay.” That seemed to calm her down slightly then Oliver was aware that Helena was in the doorway after having the quickest convosation with Carlisle in the world, she dashed to Candice’s side and patted her head with a wet cloth that she held tightly and looked as if she was in danger of crying every time Candice whimpered, or had a silent screaming fit. *** Candice felt a slight tingling feeling as if she had been lying down for ages. She tried to move her fingers slightly- check they workshe tried opening her eyes- nope that didn’t work- she tried to move her legs- nope they didn’t work either- toes- yeah they moved slightly- eyes- nope still nothing. All of a sudden pain, all over her body, as if every part of her body is on fire and covered in ice at the same time. She could open her eyes up now; they were over swimming with tears. She sat up, her spine felt as if it was breaking, someone was kicking her, and she saw some members of her family through the tears and the same smiling face. The same smiling face which now hunted her dream’s, was hurting her. So why didn’t her family do anything? They just sat there, she tried yelling at them to help her but she couldn’t get out the words. It just came out as an incoherent high pitched scream. Then the pain left as suddenly as it came. Candice tried to stay upright to talk to her family, but she couldn’t persuade her body to do so.

*** She sat up suddenly and noticed everyone looking at her with reserved expressions on their faces. “Candice are you awake or are you sitting up in pain again?” asked Helena. “Pain? What pain?” Candice noticed her voice was husky with so much sleep, she tried to move her legs but after she swung her legs over the side of the bed she fell over. Jasper grabbed her, holding her more tightly than usual, “are you okay honey? Are you in any pain at all?” “No I’m okay- but I don’t understand. What are you all going on about I can’t remember anything.” “That’s good I think,” Jasper murmured more to himself than to her, “Are you hungry?” He asked her so everyone in the room could hear him. “Think so,” she clutched Jaspers shirt and laid her cheek on his chest, “And tired,” she yawned. He frowned, ‘You shouldn’t be sleepy, you spent over three days asleep babes. You sure your okay?’ “Did I?” she asked. “Maybe you’re just hungry, I will cook you some breakfast, then I will call Evelina with the news you’re awake,” Helena swooped down and kissed her gently on the forehead. Jada left the room and then Candice noticed that she was in her parent’s room. The only thing unpacked was the double bed which she was laying on before. Jasper guided her over to the bed and sat down next to her, Carlisle waited for Jasper to nod. Candice didn’t even listen; she heard them just paid no attention.

Carlisle crouched and bent over in front of her and asked what happened, “I dunno. But the letter was a trap Carlisle. They didn’t want me to go because their, their...thoughts would have given something away. They were planning something. Something bad,” she frowned in frustration, “but I can’t remember what it is, but it was something that they didn’t want the elders to know. So it must have been bad, because I would have told them.” When Candy finished Carlisle looked very thoughtful, then asked her a basic question, which she should have been able to answer, yet the question didn’t register until a few seconds later. “Candice, are you okay?” was Carlisle’s question. In her mind she saw a man; no it was a daemon, dressed in a nasty red velvet suite, with shoulder length greasy blond hair and pale thin lips. Her mind reeled away from the memories with him in. She locked them in a tiny draw in the corner of her mind to never ever be opened. “Candy, it’s okay I swear it fine,” Jasper said with his hands around her shoulders, Candice realised that he must have been sensing her fear. “Jasper, please I’m okay, I swear. I really am Carlisle. Please leave it I just really want food.” Neither of them argued with her. She knew what was best for her. They just had to keep a closer eye on her than usual. “Where’s Eve? And Stephanie and Oliver?” Jasper and Carlisle exchanged hesitant glances, wondering how much would be wise to tell her, they forgot one thing.... “THEY DID WHAT??” Candice voice echoed around the room, “And you let them?? Oliver will pick a fight Steph will too and Eve won’t shy away. You don’t have to be bloody physic to figure out

what he would have been thinking. We need to go and get them.... Now!” “Candy, please, you were in a tremendous amount of pain, it must have been what they were thinking about while writing the letter. So you can’t come. No chance. I will go and get them to let them know you’re not dead.” “They think I’m dead- but what happened?” “Don’t worry; please you’re stressing me out. You really are. You need to chill. Breath remember.” “Jasper breathing isn’t really necessary for us is it? Go, go and get them.” “Look once I know you’re okay I will go,” Jasper murmured softly in the voice that made Candy feel like agreeing to anything. Even if he asked her to go and jump off of a cliff while he was talking to her like that, she would off the cliff because she trusted him with her life. “Jasper,” she sighed, “Look; see I’m calm as I can possibly be right now. Please go and get them and I won’t kill them. All of them.” “You sure you’re okay?” “No I’m lying,” she said the sarcasm etched in her voice.” Look just go and get them and I will be a whole less anxious than I am now. Shoo.” She said and gave him a gentle push towards the window. “Please,” she whispered in a baby voice that she knew Jasper couldn’t refuse, “Look I will beg, get them before they start a fight with someone like Renee or Meredith, please,” she got down on her hands and knees and said,” lookie see, I am begging, just go and get them. Jasper didn’t say anything he just gave her a tight squeeze and Carlisle a small nod then he took an abounding leap out of the

window, and landed on the other side of the field by the woods, then disappeared from sight. “Candy, phone,” Helena called up the stairs, “Are you okay.” Candice ran down the stairs as fast as she could, and was beside Helena in about half a second. Candice took the phone from Helena with a big smile and mouthed “bacon sandwich please.” “Hello,” Candice said into the receiver. “Hi Candy, its Owen.” “Oh hi, how are you?” “Yeah I’m okay, you?” without pausing he said, “Are you really suspended?” “Yeah I am. For about a month.” “What because you gave Sophie what was coming for her.” “If only Mr. James thought so. Was I missed at school?” “Well you could say that, there’s a lot of gossip. None of your family was in either, people will gossip in a town so small.” “Yeah we were all at home just sorting out our stuff. Jada gets tetchy when he live out of boxes for too long.” “Nice, lucky escape. Jada’s your mum isn’t she?” “Yep she is.” Candice didn’t even have to wait for the call from Carlisle upstairs to know that Jasper just called and that he and Evelina, Stephanie and Oliver are on their way home. “Candy I was just wondering-” Owen started but then Candice cut over him, “-Look Owen, I really need to go, can I call you back.” “Well, I was just wondering if you wanna meet up at Bridgestone Park at about eleven.” “What? Yeah okay sure see you tomorrow then- Bye.” “Bye,” came Owens reply, he began.

As soon as the phone clicked onto the handset she had a bacon sandwich in her mouth and grinned slightly as she ate the entire sandwich in three bites. “I take it you was hungry.” Helena grinned and took the dirty plate to the sink. “Yeah I was actually, Can I go to the park tomorrow.” “With who?” “Mates from school, Owen and maybe some others,” was Candice’s evasive reply. “Right, you know you have a curfew now.” Helena mentioned the word curfew very casually as if she was worried about how Candy would react. “What? Why?” “And you need someone with you at all times.” “What? Why me? That is so unfair!” “We are just worried about you that’s all,” Helena said gave her a quick cuddle. “Okay,” Candice said grinning, “But I get a new car.” “But you can’t drive” Helena said. “Well I should learn shouldn’t I, because if someone is after me, I should be able to make a good get away,” Candy said walking over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of chocolate milkshake. Jada sighed, “What one?” she asked in a resigned voice. “Um a purple Ferrari please. A nice fast car.” “As long as you promise to abide the rules,” Helena said to Candice giving her a long stare. “I swear on my new car,” with that Candy was gone she was upstairs in her new room, pulling out a stereo and loads of other stuff and throwing it around her room, to make it look semi-neat and ordered mess.

-Chapter four-

Fiona Ferrell It had been about two months since Candice and her family begun at Swansea Secondary school. A month since Candice got back from being suspended and things had begun to become that slight bit normal. Well as normal as things ever were with the Scarlett family. Owen was in every single lesson with Candice, so they ended up spending loads of time with one and other. At break and lunch all of them were in the basketball court (with Owen) and shock horror - even once or twice Stephanie began to stop being a stroppy cow and began to join into the conversation. Jasper couldn’t help to notice how different Candice was around Owen, it was as if around him she was human, but Jasper didn’t like it. I mean he was glad that she was happy, but he couldn’t shake the sense of doom and gloom that seemed to hang over the pair of them like a black cloud. Candice and Owen walked into the maths room D21, discussing

what their excuses should be for not doing their maths homework for the tenth week running, but it was Owen who needed the excuse, not Candice, all she had to do was flutter her eyelashes and say she was sorry in a low voice, because as much as the teachers hated to admit it, everyone was enticed by her. And they all knew that her knowledge was superior to their own. When she reached the damp, grey doorway, she froze. Her eyes widened out of pure fear and her knees began to buckle under the strain of suppressing her emotions and Owen swore on his life, that he saw her clear turquoise eyes change colour into a dark brown then into a pitch black colour. Owen was about to ask her what was wrong, when she turned and fled. Just like that without warning, without saying anything. When Owen overcame to the shock of her bolting so fast, he went to turn to run after her, but he was knocked to the ground by the blind class weirdo (well the weirdest person before Candice started) Fiona pushed past him with unnecessary force and she ran down the corridor that Candice had rundown a few seconds before. Candice didn’t know why she ran. It was her overpowering vampire instincts. She hadn’t felt so afraid since . . . “Well it just couldn’t be them; it couldn’t,” she told the voice inside her head which was yelling all sorts of things. She had run into the woods that surrounded the school. She pulled herself onto a high tree like she had so many times before, however this time she was actually listening hard, she calmed down slightly when she heard that there was no one in the woods. There were nobody’s thoughts inside her head, apart from her own, but that was because she wasn’t listening hard enough to hear the thoughts from the humans in her school. She relished the peace and quiet, momentarily forgetting her fear.

“What are you doing here leech?” Candice jumped and fell out of the tree, even though the tree was about ten ft. high, she still managed to land gracefully, feeling the same irrational feeling to flee. She ignored it, however she couldn’t quiet bring herself to stand normally. Instead she froze and stood still, to still and tense to pass as a human. “Leech? What are you on about?” Candice asked forging innocence even though jumping out of a tall tree and landing on her feet without a scratch might of been a bit of a give way. “Shut-up. You’re a vampire.” The girl standing opposite to her spat out at her. “How do you know what I am?” Candice asked, the defensive part of her instinct kicked in and she snarled. “Daemon,” she said the word almost regretfully. Candice pointed out the obvious, “You’re not with the trilogy.” She looked almost insulted, “No, I’m not. But I still protect humans and this. Is. My. Territory.” She said the last bit through grit teeth. Candice realised two things at once, Fiona was no threat, not to her anyway, but the other thing was her head was still quiet. She couldn’t hear Fiona’s thoughts. Maybe it’s because she’s a daemon, though Candice, still it’s bloody annoying, not to hear anything. “Oh, we don’t, um, eat humans,” she half smiled, “we’re good.” She snorted, clearly she didn’t believe her. Candice didn’t need to be physic to know that. “I know, it’s not very normal for us. But we don’t.” Candice said again. Fiona seemed to believe her. “Same-ish, We don’t kill humans for fun. Or sport.” The tension eased slightly between the two of them, Candice grinned, “God this is one sick fairytale isn’t it.” Candy laughed, the

gentle, wind chime like sound echoed around the forest making the silence around them more eerie and pronounced. Fiona smiled and said “’the tales of the good vampire and daemon’ sounds like a good book,” Fiona laughed again, more to herself then about what she’d just said. “I’m Candice, by the way,” she said. “Leeches have names?” her voice was more surprised, than insulting, however she recovered herself quickly, “I’m Fiona, Fiona Ferrell.” She paused as if silently deliberating about how to word it, “Are there loads of you? Vampires I mean?” Candice became a little nervous; not being able to hear what Fiona was thinking was making her very edgy. “Um yeah there are seven of us.” Candice noticed her shocked expression and hurried to say, “But it’s cool, we all eat human food. We’re veggies. What about you?” she asked changing the subject abruptly. “There are four of us- but it’s just me at the moment. They’ll be back soon,” despite her happy-go-lucky voice, she couldn’t help but notice the desperate expression on her face. Candice didn’t even question what she was asking, her good nature, like Jada, was shining through and remembered what Owen had said about her, “the class weirdo, no one likes her, she has no friends,” so she said, “Mates?” “Hunter and the hunted? Our two species at war and we should be mates?” “Yeah, why not? Should be a laugh.” “You’d gamble with your life like that, just so quickly. Right now, I could kill you and your entire family, without even getting a scratch.” “You could. I could also go on a killing spree right now and wipe

out the whole town. But I won’t and you won’t,” she let her mind wonder for a few seconds then a question bubbled to her lips, “do daemons have gifts? Like special abilities?” her fear was forgotten again, she was overwhelmed by her curiosity. “Well, yeah, some of us. Why? Do vampires?” Fiona asked, she heard Candice move and took a hesitant step backwards, hitting a tree. “You’re blind!” came Candice shocked voice, as she noticed how uncertain she was with all of her movements and the long, thin, white stick Fiona clutched to tightly, her knuckles standing out white on her slightly olive toned skin. “Yeah I am. So what?” Fiona said, Candice realised that she must have offended her. “Sorry, it’s just I didn’t think that daemons could...you know, like we can’t be blind.” Candice said shamefully at the end. They stood in silence for a few seconds, then Candice remembered something that Carlisle had told her, it had intrigued her so much at the time and it only took her about two seconds of standing in silence before it clicked into place. “Are you a seer?” Fiona looked shocked, “How do you know that?” “Carlisle told us, he’s our father figure-” Candice began, but she was cut short by Oliver bounding out of nowhere standing in front her, bracing himself for a fight, then Jasper and Evelyn ran out of the forest blackness with blinding speed, right next to Candice in less than a second. Fiona didn’t seem to understand what she was hearing until Oliver growled, that’s when she jumped and went first into shock, than she tensed. “No, Oliver, don’t she’s called Fiona. She’s nice, she is really. Fiona’s

not with the crown, come on, I’d know please. She’s good, against her nature like us. Come on. You trust me don’t you?” Candice garbled. She knew that they would think she was in danger and because she was the youngest, they were a tad prone for overprotection. But they would do anything to keep her completely safe. If they had their way, she would be wrapped up in cotton wool then shoved in a small sponged room away to civilisation so she couldn’t be harmed. Oliver only glanced at her but relaxed his pose almost immediately, she looked desperate and scared. Not a usual expression for Candy, she never looked like that when she was worried about herself, so Oliver gathered that she must have been so afraid for the blind daemon girl. Jasper was quick on the uptake, he looked at Candy for a few seconds after she spoke, than he went right to her side like normal and kept a close eye on her, however he was still tense about having to be so close to such a natural enemy. Evelyn was finding it harder to control herself, she trusted Candice; they all did, they had no reason to doubt her, yet it was more like, as soon as you saw a daemon you hated her, no matter what. Fiona didn’t even look slightly abashed, as a matter of fact she looked quiet the contrast, she was smiling. Not an evil malicious grin, it was a proper smile, lighting up all corners of her face. Evelina shifted slightly and Fiona frowned and took another hesitant step back. “You’re blind!” Jasper said just as shocked as Candice; however he realised his mistake quicker than Candice did, and he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you but I have never heard of anyone of our worlds blind before....” “Yes we have, remember,” Candy murmured slightly only loud enough for Jasper to hear, but Candice misjudged the daemonic

way of hearing, because Fiona said, “Yeah you were just telling me about how you knew so much, you said you’re head leech- oops, sorry; Carlisle, knew so much about daemons let alone the ones who never escape-” she paused and continued, “-and I want to hear about your very unique way of life, however I have to get back, I have missed too much already.” With that she slowly turned and began making her way back to the school. Jasper, Evelyn and Oliver were still in shock. Daemons and Vampires were neutral enemies, a few hundred years ago; daemons began a mass genocide of their species. Over fifty thousand vampires were massacred. That left the rest of the other Vampires all over the world, petrified of daemons. Candice had more reason than most others to be afraid of daemons. Before Jasper found Candice one day, when he was out hunting (they didn’t tell Carlisle about him hunting) he found her starved, in rags and covered in scars, cuts and bruises where some daemons found her and took her back to their experimentation “lab” where they injected her with all assortment of drugs that caused her pain that felt like she was burning. So afterward she managed to escape, she was walking around dazed for a few days until he found her. However Carlisle reckoned that Candice had another “gift” of being able to suppress unwanted thoughts or memories because she claims she can’t remember a thing apart until she met the Scarlet’s. Jasper, Evelyn and Oliver stood still and watched Fiona try to walk into the direction of the school. Her white stick permanently in front of her and slowly moving, however she stumbled a lot and once or twice she nearly stacked it. Candice ran over to Fiona the third time she nearly fell over and grabbed her by the elbow and caught her before she hit the ground,

“thanks,” she mumbled as she tried to straighten herself up. “Come on, we are both in the same class aren’t we?” Candice said as she linked arms with Fiona and helped her walk around, “So how long have you been going here? Careful, there’s a root sticking up there.” The other three of them stood still and anxiously looked at one and other, than Jasper began walking in the general direction that the two girls had walked off into about five minutes before hand, then Oliver turned around and flew into the complete opposite direction, while Evelyn just stood there, not noticing anything going on around her, a nuclear bomb could of dropped on top of her and she was so deep in thought that she wouldn’t of been aware of it. *** “Wont they be worried about you?” asked Fiona, walking beside Candice. “More than likely, but then again they have nothing to worry about.” “You seem so sure. What if I slip? It might not even be me intentionally, just instinct.” “Well I shall have my wits about me or something like that wont I? Come on your sounding like Jasper.” She carried on walking at a slightly brisker pace. After walking in silence for a few minutes, until Candice said, “Stop Fiona, we are near the edge.” Fiona stood still listening to the noises around her. She heard a few little animal sounds and then the sea. She guessed that they were lapping around the bottom of the cliff. “We are meant to be going to school.” Fiona said half-heartedly. “School-shmool. You have been off for over two months, what is another day going to hurt?” Candice giggled than sat down. Fiona

couldn’t see her however it still made her jump when Candice sat down on the floor. She moved to quickly and too smoothly. When she sat down there was no sound of crunching twigs or anything like that, just silence. Fiona guessed that the surprise showed on her face and she heard Candice stood up a lot noisier. “Sorry, it’s just I don’t have to think so much around you. Think human, that is. Sorry,” she said again. “Don’t worry. It’s just...” Fiona thought for a moment, “Unnerving I suppose. Humans are so loud, there what I’m,” she paused again, “attuned to I suppose.” “Don’t worry my fault. You going to sit down? It’s okay the ground is dry. Not muddy. That muddy.” Fiona tried to sit down with as much grace as Candice; however she held her hand out behind her so she could feel the ground before she sat down. She didn’t sit down exactly clumsily, just very hesitant. ‘But then again,’ thought Candice, ‘If I couldn’t see where I was sitting I would be the same too.’ After a few uncomfortable seconds of silence Fiona said, “Can I ask you some stuff. Like about what you are?” Candice didn’t sound a bit embarrassed or self-conscious when she answered, “What do you want to know.” Then she suddenly burst out, “God this is so annoying. Trust the bloody daemonic race to piss me right of!” “What?” “I can’t hear you. I hate this. Please tell me what questions are burning in your head, what questions you really need to know the answer too.” Fiona heard desperation and the urgency in her voice and opted for the easiest and the most obvious questions. “What the hell are you going on about?”

“I can hear what people think. Humans and Vampires, but I now know that I can’t hear daemons.” She spoke very casually about her ability, but what Fiona didn’t know was that Candice’s bright turquoise eyes were staring at her face, even when a burst of strong salty wind blew around them, her eyes never blinked, never wavered from her face, just so candy could mark out if and when she’d said too much. “You can read minds!?!” “Yep, that’s me.” “Okay I can accept that. Kinda. But you can’t hear me? Is it ‘because I’m a daemon?” Fiona asked. Not horrified or as if she thought Candice was crazy, but with actual interest. “I think so. It’s nice, because it’s relatively silent in my head apart from my thoughts, but annoying because I never realised how much I rely on it.” “What so can all Vampires read minds? Aden never really talked about Vampires. We never really talked about any of that. I suppose he tried to shield me somehow. That didn’t work. I didn’t even see you coming!” she paused and said, “So please tell me about your kind, Vampires.” Fiona shuddered when she said the word ‘vampire’ but Candice didn’t care, it was probably just out of habit. “Again, what do ya want to know?” Candice asked again playfully, sitting into a more comfortable position. “Why can you read minds? No humans can, how can you when you become a vampire?” “I dunno. Carlisle thinks for some of us it’s like our –um- human talents intensified by the change. Like Evelyn must have been able to tell if someone was lying before and then that increased when she changed. But then that theory falls through with other vampires. Like Jasper, Stephanie and Oliver.”

“Why not? What do they do?” “Well Oliver can fly, Jasper can sense and control electricity and Stephanie can control the weather.” Candice said hurriedly, still worried about Fiona’s reaction. “Oh, cool. What about Carlisle he’s your leader isn’t he?” Fiona asked eagerly. “Well Carlisle is more of a father figure than a leader. But yeah he is. He is the main reason that we don’t eat humans. And his wife Jada. Our mum.” “Hell, how many of you are there?” “Seven in total. Me, Oliver, Evelyn, Jasper, Carlisle and Helena.” “And you all only eat human food?” Fiona pressed. “Yes, we all only eat human food and the occasional animal. What about you. I thought it was compulsory for all daemons to be with the trio. Especially seers like you.” “Yeah well. I was with them, but seers are treated like animals with them and Jasmine, Mitchell and Aden didn’t like, what they do now so the rescued me and we have a semi-normal life now.” Fiona’s voice was sad and heavy when she spoke about them, “Aden, Mitchell and Jasmine are my family. My brothers and sister.” “Where are they?” Candice asked in a hushed voice aware that they subject might be hard for Fiona. With great strain as if she might cry she said, “Spying, on the trio. They’re worried. I wanted to come but Aden wouldn’t let me. But then I suppose that Lucifer would recognise me quicker. I saw them. That’s where I was for two months. I miss them though, wouldn’t tell Aden or he wouldn’t go back to the crown then Lucifer would send men to look for him- because of his gift.” “What’s his gift?” Candice asked eagerly. “Astro-projection. Jasmine has like a supersonic voice and can

‘jump’ or at least that’s what they call it, it’s basically teleporting and Mitchell can, um, detect peoples weaknesses.” “Do all daemons-” began Candice than she yelled out into the darkness, to something Fiona couldn’t see in the woods, “Yes Jasper I am coming,” then she said in a quieter voice to Fiona, “Want a lift?” “Um yeah thanks,” Fiona mumbled. “Can I please give you a lift? Like carry you? Because it’s about to start raining and I don’t want to get wet.” Before Fiona could say yes or no Candice picked her up into her skinny arms that felt like two small blocks of ice; cold and hard and before Fiona could protest by saying that Candy will break her arms because she’s too heavy, then Fiona felt very weird, Candice’s arms didn’t move, they stayed straight and relatively comfortable however she felt the wind rushing through her hair and than before she could listen out to anything else Candice was setting her down on her feet gently and murmured “sorry, but I hate the cold and wet.” Then stepped into the car and guiding her in.

-Chapter seven-

-BloodlustCandy was at her locker moaning to Fiona, trying to distract herself, even before she began, she knew it wouldn’t work, it was impossible to distract yourself when you were that thirsty, yet she still tried frugally to distract herself - “I hate maths; it’s so repetitive, same shit all the time. I can’t wait until I can drop it and do something better with my time.” “Do you, like, do maths every time? Can’t you, I dunno, start later, so you can drop it straight away, or just skip it,” she asked, while she was staring off into space. “I wish. But no, if we start earlier at a new place the longer we can stay there, still wish I could start out later and if I skip it all the time the school will notice -sadly,” Candice said, slamming the locker shut with unintentional force so there was a slight indentation of her hand print. When she noticed what she did, Candy glanced around quickly visibly and mentally checking that no one noticed anything suspicious, than began trying to smooth the indentation out. “Crap, crap, crap,” Candy murmured under her breath, still trying

to smooth it out, checking every few seconds that no one had noticed anything. “What?” Fiona asked, looking in Candice’s general direction. “Just frigging dented the locker- a great, big, bloody hand print, right smack bang in the middle. Oh for god’s sake could anything else go wrong for me today?” Candice said in a hushed voice, dropping her hand and leaning back onto the locker facing Fiona. “What’s the matter?” even though Fiona couldn’t see the resigned expression she new Candice well enough to hear in her voice. “Nothing,” she sighed through her nose, but then Fiona noticed she didn’t breathe in. “Candy tell me, what’s up?” Fiona insisted - Candice knew she might as well tell her because Fiona wouldn’t let it drop; she would keep badgering her until Candice spilled. “I am just really hungry. Or more accurately- thirsty,” she said the word thirsty, really quietly, full of regret and shame. “Why. I mean can’t you hunt animals? That’s what you do isn’t it? Instead of humans,” Fiona asked. “No. I did that last night. I have tried everything. I don’t want to hurt people. But I need to. I don't want to end up killing Owen, or someone here.” As she said that Owen came up behind her, and she heard Candy groan slightly. “Hi Candy. Hi Fiona. You ok Candy? You look pale. I mean paler than usual.” Owen said his thoughts full of concern for her - that defiantly wasn’t helping the situation. Candy felt the heat dripping off Owen in bucketfuls. The thump of his heart ringing into her ears, the blood running all over his body – it would feel so good to be able to drink him. His sweet blood would taste so nice.

‘No!’ a voice inside Candice’s head yelled out, blocking out the thirsty thoughts, ‘He is my friend, I will not hurt him, no matter how thirsty I am, there is no chance, let’s just go and hunt some animals! A damn lion if I am that thirsty - but not him!’ When the more human voice shut-up, the thirsty, vampire part started up again - it would be too easy to get him by himself. She could ask to talk to him in privet, knock him out, snap his neck then feed off him, or do it while he was still alive having the blood still pumping around his body while she was draining him, so all she would have to do is ask him to talk privately, she could do it now... ‘Shut up! NO! I mean it.’ ‘He’s basically asking for it though. His instincts told him that we were dangerous, yet he ignored em and came running.’ ‘And? I am glad he did. I like him and I will not harm him.’ ‘Why. I mean what is the point. He is dying now isn’t he?’ ‘What, no he bloody is not!’ ‘Sure he is. He is human is he not? Why not speed along the natural progress, you know save him a load of suffering in the long run?’ ‘Because it isn’t my place. I won’t play god with Owen?’ ‘Boring! Why not? Have you seen the news? Kids are playing god with other kids lives – why not you?’ ‘Because I am not like those kids!’ ‘What’s stopping you? Give in.” ‘What’s stopping me? I have a good human conscience-‘ ‘But you’re not human are you. You have been denying yourself for too long, I know you want to!’ ‘La, la, la, la, la, la, la! I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you!’ ‘You’re only ignoring me because you know I am making more sense than your feeble attempts to persuade yourself that you can live without blood. It’s what we are!’

‘What is that? A cold blooded murder? That’s you –not me.’ ‘We are the same – you know it and want it. Stop denying yourself the simple pleasures in life!’ ‘Fine, I will deny myself chocolate, eyeliner for month, human blood isn’t a pleasure it is a curse!’ ‘You keep telling yourself that!’ ‘Okay I will don't worry.’ ‘Fine I will just have some nice luscious blood, dripping all down me! Nice and warm and tasty, sweet my favourite kinda;’ ‘I still can’t here you!’ All of the silent arguing went on inside Candy’s head for about half a second- then she blurted out to Fiona“I am sorry I have to go, I can’t do this. Fiona please tell them where I have gone. I’m sorry, but I can’t be here. I don’t want to do any of this - I can’t.” She gushed out still not breathing in. Then she ran so fast that Owen was surprised that she was failing P.E when they were doing hurdles. “What was that about?” asked Owen, facing Fiona. Fiona just shook her head slightly, and then said to Owen, “Could you do me a favour? Can you take me to Jaspers class? Please I need to talk to them and I know if I go by myself I will go into the wrong class - again.” Five minutes later Jasper ran up to the top of forest creek and found Candice in a state of daresay. Her clothes were ripped and she was pacing, so quickly around the corpses of various animals – that she looked like a ghost. When she saw Jasper she froze. Not moving a muscle at all. He saw the dried blood around her mouth and her huge eyes had gone a sullen dark brown colour and were darting around like crazy.

He walked cautiously forward talking to her in a calming voice. “Hello, Candy. What’s the matter? Didn’t it work last night?” he thought back to the early hunting trip that they went on with her, and the amount of animals she fed on. “Of course it didn’t bloody work. I am so thirsty. I can’t do this Jasper. It burns too much. But I don’t want to give in and hurt someone I might know.” She suddenly sat down and whispered, “I am so scared.” Jasper felt his heart break when she said that, he had spoken to Carlisle earlier, the previous night and they had agreed that it was only normal for vampires who had once tasted human blood. After a hundred years or so they became uncontrollably thirsty for human blood. He said that the easy way out would be for her to feed on human blood. He didn’t like the idea, but just live his children, he hated anything that made her upset, or suffer. ‘Hunt,’ was Jaspers thought. “No!” she growled, “I will NOT harm any human.” ‘You are so stubborn! Have one human. Pick and choose. Have one that no one will notice if it dies.” She growled fiercely at him, “I am sure that they will notice. I don't want to. What if I go mad, and go on a rampage?” ‘Chill, you need to before you do really hurt someone. I will go with. Stand with you on guard or something. You need to do this – or you will correct your fears by killing Owen.” She paled, and then said in a pained voice, “But I don't want to.” He smiled sympathetically, “But you have to. You know that – go out of Europe whatever. Come on you know we are all worried about you. Especially Fiona. You now she is amazing, she knows you have to kill what, she is meant to protect, and she is okay with it. Well she said she doesn’t care as long as you’re back in time for

Drama.” He stepped forwards, “go on. Now!” he ordered, “don’t be scared,” he gave her a quick cuddle, and then pushed her in the direction of a deeper part of the forest. Two hours later and Jasper rang Evelyn up while she was at school, to ask her if she would come home early to talk to Candice before Carlisle or Jada got back. “Why?” she asked. “Candy’s eyes went red didn’t they – but when she noticed she smashed the mirror and she is in a real bad mood. She’s sitting on her bed and she won’t talk to anyone, well not me anyway.” “Five secs,” she said hurriedly before snapping her phone shut, and quickly telling them that Candice was ill, and Jasper wanted some help before he took her to the doctors. “What’s the matter Candy?” Evelyn asked with false cheeriness as she entered the room, she double took when she entered the room, noticing the smashed mirror with glass splayed out across her dark wooden flooring. “Don’t Evelyn, please leave it. Let me wallow just for a bit.” Candice said half smiling. ‘Come on you know Jasper is worried.’ “He is always worried about me.” She said, pulling a pillow onto her lap and curling up into a ball at the end of her bed. ‘That’s because you are always the one who is in trouble!’ She peered over the pillow and stuck her tongue out at Evelyn and mumbled into the pillow again, “I will take that as a complement!” She walked over and sat on Candice’s bed and looked around her room; it was rare for anyone apart from Jasper, to ever go into her room, but it was massive, her room, it had a colossal black plasma

TV screen surrounded by DVDs, then next to it there were two vast speakers side by side next to each other with a miniature C.D player smack bang in the middle, with about forty C.Ds splayed out across the floor, the walls were covered in multi-coloured graffiti that Candice had done, she was now sitting on her gigantic bed, with a few pairs of shoes scattered around. “Come on – you know what Carlisle said,” Evelyn said, picking up one of the fluffy red pillows in her bed and sat down next to her and pulled her closer, letting her lean on her exposed shoulder. “Yeah I know - but you all expect it of me and Oliver has had human blood before and he isn’t like me.” She complained. “You have been a vegetarian for a shorter time,” consoled Evelyn, stroking Candice black hair, “It just takes practice.” Candice began debating whether or not to tell Evelyn what was really bothering – what she would tell Jasper because she knew what his response would be already. “Eves,” she began, fiddling with a piece of red thread that was dangling off of the pillow, “You know how I am more human I am compared to Oliver and all that.” Evelyn seemed hesitant to answer, not sure where it was leading too, “Yes,” she sighed at her hand dropped into her lap and was wary about what was going to be said. “Do you think that it is a bad thing?” she asked. Her huge, now ruby red, eyes looked up and studied Evelyn’s face. “Why? It’s only a bad thing if you think it’s a bad thing.” Evelyn said her eyes shifting away from the red ones, glancing over her head and into space. “It is a bad thing though isn’t it, because we aren’t human and it’s especially bad for me because humans like me more, and I like human blood more.”

Candice sighed louder and pursed her lips when she finished, still not reviling her true fear, but Evelyn knew Candice well enough. “Oh, you’re worried -” began Evelyn but then Candice flew into action and with her left hand she clamped Evelyn’s mouth shut, then with her other hand with the pillow in, she threw the pillow into the door, the pillow slammed the door shut with a loud bang. “Jasper,” was all Candice said but Evelyn understood that the convosation would mostly be in silence now, Evelyn nodded so Candy removed her hand from her mouth. ‘So you are afraid about hurting someone?’ thought Evelyn, understanding that thoughts were the way that she would communicate to Candice without Jasper listening in. “Yep,” was all she murmured, but sat down in a dejected way. ‘You won’t though; you should have more faith in yourself Candz,’ thought Evelyn as she sat down next to Candice, rubbing her back in a comforting fashion. Candice just raised her eyebrows. Abruptly Evelyn’s train of thought changed direction and she began thinking about the Toméan family visit. The Toméans are the largest family in Egypt, and the only permeate resident vampire family in Egypt as far as they know. In the Toméan family there is the mother Asenath, she is a lot like Jada in some ways, apart from Jada has Carlisle to help her bring them up somehow and help them be vegetarian, but Asenath doesn’t have anyone, then the eldest son Bebti, then there’s Eboni, she’s about Evelyn’s age, and they are similar, apart from Eboni is very gravitational and is often so deep in thought that you have to yell in her face to get her to pay even the slightest bit attention, then there is Candice’s favourite – Femi, she was frozen in her sixteen year old body, like Candice, but they acted the same as well, they were very good friends, the twins were the youngest Kakra and

Kissia, the pair of them looked exactly the same, they both moved the same, they both talked the same, only their thoughts held the slightest bit difference, even then that was miniscule, Kissia was that slight bit braver then Kakra, only by a smudge – that was there only difference the two of them had. ‘They are coming down soon, Jada and Carlisle are taking time off and we are being pulled out of school. You know the Superficials and the Tylers might be coming too, all four of us together.’ * The Superficials were the Crawfords, the vampire clan that lived in Beverly Hills. There was Chase, the eldest, then there was Brittany she was amazingly bitchy about people she hated, and didn’t mind telling people exactly what she thought of them whenever she wanted to, so not many people tried to get onto her bad side, Jodie was next, she was the opposite of Brittany in a way, she was by no means less bitchy, but she sugar coated it in the way Brittany didn’t, Serena was the youngest (in human and vampire age) and she wasn’t so bitchy, she was more like a teacher’s pet, always nice and always sweet, whereas in reality she wasn’t - then there was the parents Daniel and Daphne, they were very much the stereotypical people who live in Beverly Hills – apart from most families in Beverly Hills aren’t Vampires. The Tyler’s were the largest vampire family in America, Jason was the eldest, and much like Oliver in nearly every way, funny, the strongest, and they could both fly. Nicole, or Nikki if you liked being alive, was the blond one, much like Stephanie - blond, selfobsessed, fashionista, then there was Ashley, she was content, able to control her emotions easily, a daydreamer, much like Evelyn but

more talkative. Matthew, or preferably Matt, was astoundingly smart, sincere, obliging and just an all round good person. Drew was the youngest (in human years) and much like Candice in their abilities, they could both hear what others around them were thinking – and Drew was more human than the rest of his family. Their parents were Ely and Claudine; Ely had the same job as Jada, working at a hospital. All four families that would be meeting up in Wales, and that fact was enough to keep Candice smiling when Jasper came in the room to check on her.

-Chapter eight-

the sight of the seer Fiona sat on the green tiled floor in the boiling hot drama mobile, plating one side of her long dark brown hair, laughing along with Owen and Evelyn while in-between both Candice and Jasper laughing - they were trying to re-enact the famous balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet. When Jasper straightened up, he put on a serious face and said in an uncannily realistic accent of what Romeo would have sounded like and said. “She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air,” he looked at her then grinned while she tried to reply the following lines without wetting herself from laughing and it must be said that Fiona, Evelyn and Owen weren’t helping because while Evelyn was in hysterics on the floor, Fiona was crying, tears of laughter falling down her cheek, leaving a slight trail of blacky-blue mascara and Owen was shaking on the floor because he was unable to stand up from laughing. “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo. Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

“Aside,” said Jasper, clutching his heart as if it was breaking in an overly dramatic gesture – kind of like an overly camp boy - before he broke down laughing along with Fiona, who was crying heavily at this point. Candice stood there laughing but managing to choke out, “Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor a hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part. Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would were he not Romeo call’d-” After that she stopped trying to stop laughing and allowed herself to break down on the floor, laughing next to Owen. When their skin touched quickly; in the passing, he felt how ice cold her skin was. Even when she was leaning on him, her full weight felt no heavier than a feather pillow, and when she laughed, the noise filled the room like a loud tinkering bell. It was nearly the same as Evelyn’s, but hers was slightly higher, louder and much merrier. “You’ll get the part, you know. You three are the only people who can read Shakespeare without a script.” Fiona said calming down slightly, wiping the tears away with a quick sweep with the back of her hand. Over the past few weeks, Fiona and Candice had become really close. Like sisters in such a small space of time. Evelyn liked Fiona too, apart from the fact she was a daemon, however after spending about an hour in Fiona’s company, she became so used to the smell that it didn’t worry her any more.

And Jasper liked her. Candice

suspected that he liked her a bit more than he should do. But that didn’t worry her, or upset her. She was actually thrilled at the idea that Fiona and Jasper might get married someday. But that was

Candice, rushing into anything and everything with a strangely optimistic frame of mind, even if the amount of sarcasm she used might tell otherwise. Oliver loved Fiona. He enjoyed teasing her about everything, while Jada allowed her mothering nature to shine through. She often invited Fiona round for dinner. Done her washing. Brought her new clothes. Everything, and as far as Candice could tell Fiona didn’t mind. She quiet liked belonging to a family like theirs, because the only family she had ever known was her daemonic one. The only one who had a problem with her was Stephanie. She treated her, the way people who hated pets, treated there mates pets. Apart from the fact that you didn’t hiss and glare at peoples pets when they walked through the door. Owen looked shocked, “You know all of that of by heart?” he said. “Nah, I just like Leonardo Dicaprio, he was really cute in Romeo and Juliet. Anyways,” she said poking Fiona’s leg, “how do you know we have no script?” “Because, none of us went to go and get a script when the teacher gave them out – oh and we are doing The Twelfth Night. Not Romeo and Juliet.” “Ah,” said Candice nodding in an overly sarcastic fake-wise way, “That would explain it. The twelfth night, I see. A really annoying play about a grieving girl dressed as a boy, to serve a stuck up queen whose husband just died and is getting off with-the-girlwho-is-pretending-to-be-a-boys lover!” Owen looked shocked again, then recovered, shaking his head slightly and said, “I got no word of that basically Candy. Not a word.”

Candy beamed at him, “It’s not a film, so you might have to read a book Owen,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. “You read Shakespeare?!?” Owen said incredulously. “Uuum, yeah,” she said absentmindedly, she was now content on French braiding Evelyn’s hair. Owen just looked shocked and began to shake his head again, this time with disbelief, and Evelyn wagered her eyebrows so comically, that Jasper spat out his mouthful of drink. “Yeah, yeah. Lap it all up. But then again at least I can read Owen,” Candice said standing up; she was still smiling when Owen stuck her tongue out at her. ‘I wonder if she’d come out with me to the beach on the weekend- it should be nice and sunny. It could just be the two of us. I’d really like to get to know her better, she is so lovely...’ Candice didn’t want to listen to Owens thoughts anymore; she quickly jerked her head twice, and then murmured ‘shut up,’ so quietly that no human could hear. Candice hated sometimes what she heard, Owen was so lovely. ‘Damn,’ she thought, ‘why couldn’t I see I am falling for him? Or why couldn’t I see that he was falling for me?’ She had her quick mental breakdown, too quick for any human to see, yet her family there noticed and immediately clouded her mind with concerns, ‘What’s the matter?’ ‘Candy are you alright?’ Candice didn’t say anything, instead she just unleashed a full smile, which both scared and enchanted people. But it mostly scared them. Even though humans didn’t know that they were vampires – they knew deep in their sub-consciousness that something was wrong with them. “Owen, we have to go Carlisle expects all of us to do somethingerm now.”

Evelyn looked slightly confused and Candice saw through Evelyn’s eyes what she saw when people lied. When Vampires were angry, a slight redy-black tint goes over everything she sees. When Evelyn listened to someone who lied, a slight blue-ish tint overtook everything in her vision. ‘What up? Is there danger?’ Jasper thought, mentally thinking about what was going after them and what they’d do. “No,” she whispered, to Jasper, in answer to his question, “I want to think. With an empty head.” Then Candice done what she usually did and walked over to Fiona, who had heard all of the silent discussion, and extended her arm, so she could help Fiona walk around without tripping over, all the Scarlets done that. They all guided her around. Apart from Stephanie. *** When Fiona’s hot, olive toned skin touched Candice’s ice cold, white skin, Candice’s place face flushed an unusual pink colour, for her, and her eyes widened in shock; and her body went rigged, as if she was receiving an electric shock, while Fiona had the opposite effect. If anything she paled slightly, her eyes half closed and she relaxed. Her entire posture slumped slightly. It took the Scarlet’s about two seconds to realise what was going on, it took Owen a longer five seconds to notice what was going on. Jasper went to yank her away, but when Jaspers touch met Candice’s arm, Fiona pulled her hand back sharply, like she was the one getting a shock - but when she moved her hand away from her; Candice dropped to the floor like a bag of bones, her face pulled into a grotesque ‘o’ shape, both of her hands capped around her throat, but apart from that she was motionless, before her eyes

rolled into the back of her head exposing the whites, they saw that her eyes were hazel, her face went a violent pink colour - her bright turquoise eyes flashed to the front suddenly, full of understanding about what was happening, but before any human noticed, her eyes were only white again - that’s when people jumped into action – the Scarlet’s knew immediately what was going on, she was going through the change from being a human to a vampire all over again – because of Fiona’s touch. ‘The old fashioned cobbled roads bruise my barefoot feet. I sold my shoes a few days ago, along with my only hair ribbon, to buy passage to London. If I could of I would’ve walked, but I couldn’t have asked Faith to do that, or Lydia, or Fagan. They are all so little; I don’t even know if Faith understands what’s going on. Why we have moved out of our little cubby hole, where we are safe, able to steal little of what we need, and get a few pennies in exchange for a full day work no questions asked, but we have to, too get Darcy back. We never had a Papa; when our Mamma was still alive she said that he drunk himself to death. I reached the old bailey house, with plenty of time to spare, but I wouldn’t be hanging around. I slipped in between the old metal bars – and half walked, half ran in the direction of the dark cells, where I knew Darcy would be held, in a freakishly amazingly short time I reached the cells. “Darcy? Dai?” I called out in a whisper, leaning on the cold, rusty, metal bars. I stared into the pitch black and whispered her name again, slightly louder this time. I saw two black shapes pacing the back end of the cells. ‘They must be the two people, who are charged with her,’ I thought to myself, not that interested in them, all I wanted was to see my special big sister who I swore to keep safe, she was a fundamental part of what was

left of our broken family. “Hello,” I called./ out again, “Darcy it’s me, it’s Jule, Juliana – come on where are you?” [ I heard a tiny rasping voice, say something in an unable whisper, even though I couldn’t quiet here what they were saying, I felt the menacing edge to the cloaked people words , and I took a short step back out of shock and fear. Before I could react, the cells metal bars were being thrown across the room, by one of the hooded figures, while the other one was behind me, and before I could say anything, or even muster up a silent scream, I felt something cold and sharp press on my neck, then a searing pain across my entire body, I felt myself hitting the dirty, cold, cobbled stones, and before I closed my eyes due to the searing pain that was all over my body, I saw my sisters face Darcy, her eyes open wide... but unseeing, and oh so clearly dead. I slowly closed my eyes, hoping I would die too, because the pain was accurately just like burning. I couldn’t breathe due to the pain, it was crushing me, I would rather die, I would hopefully soon, so I wouldn’t have to think any more about the pain and the blackness, because my eyes wouldn’t open. *** Candice slowly opened her eyes then shut them quickly under the glare of the bright, white hospital lights. She kept her eyes shut tightly, but wriggled around slightly, making sure that she wasn’t in any pain, remembering what had happened last time she was unconscious. “Candy?” Jasper asked, she had only just noticed he was holding her hand, because he gripped in a bit tighter, an anxious edge barely disguised in his few words. Her eyes snapped open when she heard his voice, but she regretted it almost immediately when the lights began to pop, as

she tried to blink them away. “Sheesh a bit bright?” murmured Candy turning her head to the side, away from the luminous glare of the lights; she saw most of her family, apart from Jada and Oliver, she didn’t know where they had gone, no one was thinking about them. She subconsciously rubbed the back of her hand, as she groggily tried to sit up, that’s when she noticed that someone, while she was unconscious has tried to shove an IVF needle into her hand, with no success, but they just left a slight indent, in her metal hard, ice cold skin, which no human could ever notice with their rubbish eyesight. When she finally managed to sit up, she noticed Fiona sitting in a corner, tear stains all down her cheek, even in Candices groggy state she felt very protective over Fiona, she was like her sister, and Candice was very protective over her family. She was a force not to be reckoned with if you laid a finger on any of them – not that any smart human would. Even though they don't know that they are vampires, their instincts still tell them that they are too perfect, dangerous. However there are always a few, like Owen, who tend to break some of the ice, when they ignore their instincts yelling at them and go ahead anyway. And even in the state she was in she was worried about her and Owens relationship, but she pushed that thought to the side, she’d worry about it later, when she was alone and was able to break things for being such an idiot. Right now she was concentring on what had happened. Before she could ask anything, Jada walked in and smiled when she saw Candice awake, she was wearing her white doctor coat – so she was working, that was a good thing for two reasons – ‘One reason is that I mustn’t have been so hurt,’ thought Candice, ‘Or

else Jada wouldn’t have left, the other reason is that she can make sure that no awkward questions would be asked – like why an IV needle broke when they tried to shove it into my hand. “You okay honey?” Jada asked standing by Candices head and absentmindedly stroking her hair with one hand, while another hand, held a clipboard, which she was flicking through impatiently, when she read a small segment in red ink, she frowned and sighed. “What is it?” asked Jasper alarmed. He was still tense, his hand clutching hers more tightly. “Nothing, something I just need to sort out,” Jada said, she patted Candices head one more time and walked over to the other side of the bed and picked up a little black radio with a huge orange button in the middle that said ‘Medication,’ she held her finger on the orange and smiled at her family standing by Candices bed, then said into the radio, her voice all business like, “Lucy? Can you send Jared to room twelve-nine-six-oh-four please, with a double caternphine three-oh m.g, terestome pill prescription and the results files from desk eleven.” When Jada finished she took her finger of the orange button, and held it out expectantly waiting impatiently, while for a few seconds, just senseless crackling noise admitted, then a woman’s voice came out, “Sure Jada, he’ll be about two minutes, I just sent him on his way, grumbling like usual. So how is she?” Jada smiled for a split second, looking at Candice then said. “She’s fine thanks. I will come down before I knock off and talk to you later.” “Ok. Jared’s on his way up. Will you be needing any discharge papers?” “No, that's ok Lucy. I will come and collect them later on my way down.”

Jada left her finger off the orange button and clipped the black radio back onto the side of Candices bed. She walked over to Candices bed and noticed how alert Candy was, and she also heard the heavy footsteps of Jared entering the room, so she said, hoping Candice would catch on and follow onto her lead. “You alright sweetie, how are you? You’ve had your appendix removed.” “Wha-?” began Candice ‘Fiona saw the past when she touched you. She saw how you were changed into a vampire. And for some reason she made you live through it again, it was just mere chance that it happened. And she feels truly terrible about it. The only issue was that it happened in front of your whole Drama class, and we could tell them what really happened, so the story is your appendix exploded and you have been in hospital for the past three days, it having it removed and getting over the operation.’ Candice quickly scrambled some of her thoughts into a slightly more coherent mess, “Oh, um okay, how long have I been in here?” she asked, she thought that, that was a fairly human question to ask, even though she already knew the answer. Jada smiled, but quickly wiped it off her face, before Jared could notice anything. Candice turned her attention to the man standing into the corner, and noticed how edgy he was. ‘The needle broke when it went into her. And I looked, the operation was booked but no one turned up to have their Appendix removed... and none of them by her bed have slept in three days, or really eaten anything. I wonder...’ Before Candice would react to what she was hearing - Jasper

obviously sensing the sudden tension that electrified throughout her body – guessed what was wrong and thought, so Jared wouldn’t hear. ‘We know, chill we know he’s suspicious, he’s the one who tried attaching a drip to you before Mum overtook the case. She’s going to sort it out. Give her a sec, she wants to play around for a bit first, he’s been making her life hell recently.’ Jada walked forwards professionally, and went to lift the syringe out of his hand, when she stopped and looked at him square in the eyes and said, her voice going a slight bit deeper and her eyes turning black. “Jared, you will forget what you saw, you won’t have any more suspicions about me or my family. You will drop this stuff off then you will leave. You will not remember this conversation.” When Jada finished talking she just smiled and took a step back, while Jared just looked shocked, then he suddenly came to his senses. He walked around to the side of Candices bed, around Jasper and put the load of heavy files on her bedside table, and gave Candice a warm smile, which she returned, at little groggily than usual, but definitely Candice-style. She was actually quiet bemused by the affect that Jadas gift had on him. All doubt from his mind that he might of had, had disappeared – just like that – almost as if someone had flipped a switch. After one final glace at the unusual family, he left the room. “Nice,” Evelyn said, “As easy as that? Why don’t we just walk around using our super vampire skills at school and you change people’s minds just like that!” Jada just half scowled and half smiled at Evelyn, and picked up

the folders on her bedside table – in the same movement she stroked the back of her head. ‘You’re ready to leave when you want to, please talk to Fiona first...’ Candice just nodded, and smiled again. When Jada left the room, Candice looked at Jasper, and so Fiona couldn’t see what she was doing, she stared as Jasper, then Stephanie, then Evelyn pointedly, then stared at the door, she done it again until the motion clicked, and the three of them stood up and with a few mumbled excuses they each left the room until it was only her and Fiona. “Babes...” begun Candice, making a move to sit up straighter, but Fiona rushed to her bedside and began talking so quickly and quietly, that Candy froze under the strain of desperately trying to piece together what she was saying. “I am so, so sorry. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t even sense that vision coming on. I should have pulled away but I didn't, it was like I was frozen, and I made you relive all that, and now Stephanie hates me even more then she did before, and she has every right to after what I have done, you all should. I am a terrible person, you were in so much pain and I caused it -” When Candy saw that no end was in sight of what Fiona was blaming herself for she butted in. “Fe, listen it wasn’t your fault, seriously in a weird way it was kind of fascinating.” Fiona just scowled, “If you find that fascinating, you need a new hobby.” “Whatever Nona,” Nona was the nickname that Candice had come up with for Fiona – she used Nona and Fe. When Candice saw on Fionas face, that she clearly didn’t believe Candice about what she said that it was kind of fascinating, she admitted to Fiona, shrugging her shoulders, “Look, I never really remembered my

past human life, you know my human family and all that, and I saw about twenty minutes before I was bitten, I found out my name was Juliana” she paused, amazed to find a lump growing in her throat, she never really felt like that about her human family – as heartless as she knew it sounded, as far as she was concerned the human life belong to someone else-family included. Candice voice lowered to a horse whisper, trying to disguise the lump at the back of her throat, “Her name was Faith. The one I could never remember. Her name was Faith. And there was Lydia and Fagan, but I remember Faith was my favourite, even though she was the youngest she knew crying for food when we didn’t have it never made food appear, it just made me cry too,” Candy sighed, aware for once about the sadness filling the room, she sighed again and decided she’d think and remember later. And talk to Jasper. And think about Owen . . . The list went on and on, so she pushed it all out of her mind and tried to think that she was the human girl who had just had her appendix removed and her best mate was just sad. Not feeling guilty about making her feel pain equivalent to burning alive for three days straight with another barrel full of pain. “Come on lets go. I hate hospitals, they give me the heebies!” she shivered and pulled her legs over so she could slip off the uncomfortable, plastic bed. She slipped her shoes on which were lying on floor and yanked the white hospital gown off and pulled on her jeans and top on in the same second. Fiona looked as if she was still going to blame herself for more things, so Candice called out, already by the door. “Come on, let’s make this situation better!” Fiona let out an exasperated sigh, “how can you make this better?” she asked, slowly walking to the door, running her hand

along the wall, sure not to bash into anything. “How do I make anything better? Chocolate, duh!”

-Chapter nine -

- girls rule, boys drool!The Scarlets all sat in the clearing talking about everything, and what would be going on throughout the day – and although none of them mentioned it, they all knew that they shared an identical fear, what would happen once daemons and vampires met peacefully for the first time in about six hundred years. They were noticed that the Tylers were arriving, by Jason crashing through the clearing, “Hey, what up?” he said once he landed. “Jase!”Yelled Candice excitedly rushing over to him. Oliver bound forward to give Jase a high five. Carlisle leaned against a tree and laughed under his breath, looking over with wonder at Oliver and Jason – how can two boys from utterly different times be so similar?

A few seconds later, the rest of the Tylers ran into the clearing, Drew was near the back, blocking something from view, the entire family seemed to block that one thing that was behind Drew as well, even though they all done it subconsciously, because they wasn’t thinking about what they were hiding. Candice would have noticed. “Carlisle how are you?” asked Ely as he walked forward to embrace Carlisle – they were like brothers. “I am fine thank you. How about you and your family?” replied Carlisle grinning, that’s when he heard a gut wrenching snarl from Drew and when everyone looked over, he was snarling at Candice, his teeth bared, his stance ready to attack, however Candice didn’t seem remotely abashed, on the contrary she was smiling. “I am seriously shocked Drew Tyler! I mean come on. . .” said Candice indignity, putting an expression of fake disgust on her face, ‘it’s like you don’t me at all.’ “Actually that’s what’s bothering me, I know you too well,” said Drew, his posture not changing at all. “That is true,” Candy stopped to listen to his thoughts. ‘I don’t know whether I can trust her around Belle, it’ll be too dangerous, she can be so unpredictable…’ Drew thought. “Hey, what do you mean you can’t trust me? And I am not thatunpredictable – well not often. I promise I’ll behave. So, can I meet her?” she said out loud, the Tylers all glanced at one and other nervously, while the Scarlets just looked confused. ‘No, she’s too important for me to risk.’ Drew and Candice were almost perfect at having silent conversations, just listening to each other’s thoughts; it would have

gone unnoticed normally, except of the fact that this conversation had with a confrontation. ‘Then why the hell did you bring her then?’ ‘Because she was begging to come and I can’t say no to her.’ ‘So you dragged her all the way to here, so you could hide her behind your back? I’m sure that that’s so not what she was begging for.’ ‘Well I didn’t bring her all the way to get eaten.’ ‘It won’t be eating; it’ll be more like drinking.’ ‘That’s completely beside the point. I couldn’t leave her on her own, unprotected.’ ‘So you’ve decided the safer way, is to bring her to a large horde of vampires, who are either on a diet, or free to kill what they like’ “Well, it’s a lot safer than her on her own, when I know Xander is still out there.” “That is true! Can I meet her then? Or will you keep her hidden all day?” she said aloud, oblivious to her families enquiring gaze and the tension slowly filling the atmosphere around them, she paused for a second her head tilted to the side, listening intently then she said, “I swear to be nice,” Drew let out a curt laugh, then Candice amended her sentence, pulling a face “Okay nice-ish, so can I? Please. Pretty please. You know you want too?” “No I am pretty sure I don't, in case you haven’t noticed you can be that tad eccentric!” “Moi? Eccentric? Never,” she grinned and listened to him again, then said as if proving a point, “see!” Drew let a real laugh pass his lips, and then he must have thought something funny and insulting because Candice laughed too, and said out loud, “Shameful Drew, you should respect your elders!”

When Candice said that - the tension revolving around their silent conversation was shattered as everyone had to laugh. Looking at the odd pair of them, there was the tall Drew Tyler, with bronze hair, just over a head taller than Candice and he definitely had more muscle, while Candice (to anyone who didn’t know her) looked petite, and breakable and unquestionably younger than Drew. Drew sighed aware of everyone’s eyes on them, Candice, as usual, was oblivious to the silence, curiosity and anxiety surrounding them and still remained as eager as ever to meet Belle, the beautiful human with the exquisite sent that Drew had fallen so desperately in love with. He moved back slightly and put his hand around Belles waist and gently pulled her forward, until she was resting on his chest, his arms forming a safety jacket around her as she took in her surroundings. She saw the usual Tyler family that she was so accustomed to, even though their beauty still knocked the wind out of her, and then she saw seven different vampires. She knew they were vampires by the way they slightly flinched when the sun unexpectedly hit them and that their skin glowed slightly white, but it wasn’t just that, she saw that another vampire was in the air like Jason and they both had the same grin smiling down at her. “Hiya,” said Candice, the only vampire with short black hair, “I am Candice. How are you Belle?” she leapt forward to give her a hug- like they had been old friends, when she pulled back, he face had an odd expression on it, it was a look concentration and being slightly dazed, “oh you do smell nice, Belle – I thought Drew was overreacting - like usual!” The Tylers all shared a fleeting concerned look at one and other, when she said that, while the Scarlets all shared a confused look,

when Oliver said (due to the fact subtlety wasn’t his strong point) “Please will someone reveal the secret - this is doing my head in!” Candice suddenly glanced around at them, as if she had forgotten that they were there, and then her face broke into a massive smile, she stepped sideways – so everyone could see Belle and said, “Guys, this is Belle, she’s with Drew.” ‘What’s the fuss? She’s a vampire isn’t she?’ thought Oliver, and when Candice looked at Belle again she saw that if would couldn’t smell her it would be easy to mistake her for a Vampire – she was as beautiful as one, her skin was as pale. Drew half smiled at Candice when she was marvelling about that idea, then he spoke up to the rest of them. “Belle is human-” began Drew, but Candice interrupted by putting her hands around her shoulders and pulling her forward – out of Drews grip and into her own. “Belle this is Jasper, Oliver, Evelyn, Helena, Stephanie,” she stopped at Stephanie and frowned slightly, then turned her and Belle around facing her in the complete opposite direction and nodded at the man with a mess of curly, shoulder length, brown hair standing next to Ely, “And this is Carlisle.” “Nice to meet you all,” Belle said timidly, her eyes fixed onto the ground. Before anyone could say anything Candice had spun around again, still with Belle into her arms, and said to someone in the surrounding forest, that Belles sensitive eyes could see. “What the hell is that!” asked Candice, looking warily at Nikki, that’s when Belle first noticed that she was carrying a pink leather bag – which she hadn’t noticed before - and in her pink leather bag Belle saw she was carrying a little dog. At least she thought it was a dog, it had sunglasses on to match the vampires Prada ones and a

little pink with glittery rhinestone baker boy hat on. The next thing anyone noticed was Candice running up to Nikki, but instead of greeting her, she bent over and peered suspiciously at the dog tucked into her bag. “It’s my dog. Her names Tulip,” Nikki said, her voice was high and tinkering, like a babies voice and it filled the silence around them like a fog. “It isn’t a dog,” said Candy straightening up, talking directly to her, “It’s a frigging rat – a rat on steroids. There is no chance that is a dog.” “It’s a chiawa actually Candy,” she said. Candice’s head tilted to the left and she smiled and said, “Good to see you too Nikki!” then she embraced her like a true sister, “What took you so long?” Nikki laughed and stuck her tongue out delicately – Candice seemed to take that as an appropriate answer, Nikki just said – “Finished?” Belle looked confusingly at the pair of them, while idle chat started up, Drew was talking to Jasper about some new type of engine in a Mercedes – it took Belle a few seconds after staring at Nikki and Candice talking under their breaths, the words all jumbling into one, yet she managed to make out “Who’s Jordan?” Candice asked first. Nikki didn’t say anything she only rolled her eyes, and sighed as her expression became puckered – like she was trying to remember something awful. Candice laughed and said, “Come on. That’s about half the boys in the world now you’ve invaded and conquered – don't you think we should give the male species some space to breathe and recuperate?”

Before Belle could listen to Nikki’s reply, everyone’s attention was diverted to Jason and Oliver as they nosedived back to earth. After they crushed to the ground, Jasons voice filled every square centimetre of the clearing, unintentionally demanding attention. “So are we playing basketball or not?” he asked, pointing out the two massive basketball hoops either side of the clearing. The basketball hoops looked severely out of place – the clearing was surrounded by trees, all the grass was green, flowers growing and all that – it looked like something out of a fairy tale book – and then there were the basket ball hoops. The long and thin metal poles holding them up were rusty and going a strange gold colour in patches. The hoops themselves were horrid and tatty. The string forming the net was ripped and a muddy orange colour. “We better be,” said Oliver, once he had skidded to a halt, pointing at the two metal basketball hoops either side of the gigantic clearing, he continued frowning, and unusual expression for Oliver, “because I dragged those here!” “Duh, corse we are Jase,” Candice said, falling back and relinking arms with Belle. Belle was surprised to say the least – the Scareltts were nearly matched to the Tylers – with Oliver and Jase so alike, and Stephanie and Nikki the self absorbed blonds (only one blond was a natural one though) and Drew and Jasper who could talk, talk, and talk about cars. The only vampire that was really an odd one out was also the one that surprised her the most, the one that was standing right next to her. Belle looked at Candice and didn’t feel afraid or anything like that – it was more like envy. Candy was so little, not short but very thin, however it suited her perfectly – she had that kind of quirky beauty about her. She had high cheekbones and spiky hair – which

never flopped – just stayed in place perfectly. Belle remembered a conversation she’d had with Drew that previous day – like how she never saw herself clearly . . . Belle was jerked back to her senses by a short wind blowing around her and Drews silk voice in her ear, caressing the words, “Is that okay?” while his hands slipped around her waist. “What? Is what okay?” Belle asked, confused about what she had missed while she was in her dreamy revere. Belle heard a quiet chuckle behind her – as she spun around she saw another vampire with flaming red hair, reaching way down past her shoulders, half way down her back and like all vampires “Its Evelyn right?” Belle asked. “Yep. Hi Belle,” - Evelyn was breathtakingly beautiful. “Drew wants to know if you’ll be alright on our team,” when Belle still looked puzzled, Evelyn said, “Its boys vs. Girls – basketball.” “Well –yeah, sure,” Belle said, turning slightly red, “But I am really bad at sports,” she rushed out. Evelyn smiled good naturedly, when Drew coasted off – after making sure that Belle was alright with the teaming. “Don't worry,” Evelyn said, when she was certain the boys attention were completely involved on the weird little tactic meeting that they were having, “if they try to pass you the ball, just throw it at one of us, we’ll catch it.” Belle smiled nervously and allowed Evelyn to move her at speed to the crowded patch of grass, where the two team captains were laying down the ground rules. The captains were Candice and Drew. Obviously.

“No hitting, scratching, kicking, flying and throwing anything that isn’t the ball,” Candice smirked and pointedly stared at Nikki – like everyone else in the clearing. Belle swore that if Nikki could blush she would be. Belle made a quick mental note to ask Drew what that was about later. “Yeah, yeah,” Jase said, grinning, “are we going to play or are you putting it off because you’re scared.” Candice and Ashley both stuck there tongues out at him - Ashley made a move to slap him around the head, he ducked out of the way and flew over to the net, “game on?” he asked Candice. Candice smiled and it looked like she pulled a new orange basketball ball out of thin air while all the girls spread around the clearing, Candy just took one step forward, laughed quietly, “Game on,” she confirmed. *** The game was fun and furious, the boys team tired to use brute strength and confusing tactics. But their plan flopped. Very badly, the girls were using the tactic of speed, even Belle got to play, the first shot was scored by Ashley - she punched the air in a sort of gloating dance. The boys all looked fairly uncomfortable – especially near the end of the game were the scores were standing 13-9 to the girls. When Nikki scored the fourteenth goal, she jumped and punched the air, in a kind of snooty ‘I win you don't, ha-ha’ kind of way, that’s when Jase and Oliver began to snigger at something behind Nikkis back - when a ball of wet mud flew across the air and hit Nikki squarely on the back of her head, covering her hair in slimy, dripping, mud. Nearly all the girls, and even Claudine, Ely, Carlisle and Jada, were doing their best not to laugh at the murderous expression on

her face. Nikki slowly turned around, breathing heavily, her fists curled into tight balls, her pink acrylic fake nails digging into her palms. When she spun around she saw Matt, Jasper, Drew and Brandon, lying on top of each other on the slightly damp grass, all four of them nearly wetting themselves from laughter at Nikkis more-thanfurious expression across her perfect features. “Who got mud in my hair?” Nikki asked through grit teeth, her voice deadly quiet. Candice knew without reading the boys minds that no one would answer. That is assuming that they all wanted to keep their heads firmly attached to their shoulders. Even though Nikkis face steadily got madder and madder, the boys laughter, and everyone else’s for that matter, steadily got louder and harder to control. Pretty soon, everyone in the entire two families apart from Nikki were on the point of hysteria while Nikki looked as if she was permanently set in stone. Nikki shuddered as she took a deep breath in, as she heard Candy say out of random curiosity, not meaning to be insulting, ‘didn’t you see that coming.” But Nikki said in perfect retaliation to Candice, “You could have told me what they were thinking.” ‘Aahh,’ something clicked inside Belles head as she realised what Candice could do, ‘I see.’ Candice laughed and at down next to Belle as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world, “it would be-” Candice seemed to ponder the right word, oblivious (as usual) to everyone listening to Candice and Nikkis every word. Candice finally chose the right phrase, which made Drew snort before she even spoke - that made Belle more curious to see what she thinking, “-rude to ignore the privacy signs of their own minds

would offer,” she finished with a smirk. Belle noticed the reaction of everyone in the clearing was the same - they all snorted as well. “Candice,” Nikki said with a disbelieving expression on her face, “do you even know what privacy signs are?” Candy giggled and linked her arms with Ashley and Belle as she replied, “of course I know what privacy signs are – I like to wave at them as they go by,” Drew snorted again at something, and Candice laughed so hard that even Belle and Ashley found her laughter contagious, the pair of them were laughing too. “You’re on Drew,” she laughed, then she disentangled herself from her two friends, the she cheerfully skipped over to the middle of the clearing, she spun and laughed, “That is if you can take it – it was your thought after all.” “What, what are you doing Drew?” whispered Belle to Drew, as he gave her waist one final tight squeeze, before he walked to follow the same path that Candice had danced across seconds before. “Don't worry,” he whispered back to Belle, “I am only going to play.” He smiled at Candice and followed her footsteps to the middle of the clearing. “No, no, no, no,” Candice said shaking her head in mock sadness, trying to hide her grin, “you’re going to lose.” Drew instead of replying he just laughed and stood opposite Candice, his position changed into a defensive crouch, Candice just stood there, not moving at all, her arms left limply at her side – looking as little and as breakable as a china doll, while both Oliver, Jasper, Brandon, Matt and Jaseson were betting on who was going to win the . . . “Fighting!?” Belle said shocked, than she felt stupid for not

thinking about it sooner, after all how often did they get to use their real brute strength? Ashley seemingly sensing Belles discomfort and fear she said, “Don’t worry we always do this,” she shrugged, “It’s just a game. We don't really hurt each other.” She frowned and said, “apart from Ollie and Jase, they proper go at it with each other. It’s actually quite funny.” Then she re-linked her arm with Belles and led her over to Oliver who was talking to Jason. “Ash, who is going to win?” asked Oliver, when the two girls joined them, she noticed that the four parents of the two families had gone. Completely and utterly disappeared – but Belle hadn’t seen them go. Oliver following Belles gaze around the clearing, he said, “Ely, Claudine, Carlisle and Jada have gone back to the house to catch up, it’s just us,” he ginned, then leaned back into the conversation/argument that Ashley and Jase were having. “. . . Won’t tell you who will win,” finished Ashley, poking Jase on the arm. “Oh come on Ash, please,” moaned Oliver pulling a puppy dog eyes expression across his face. “No, I’m not going to help you cheat.” Ashley said, walking over to Evelyn who was just staring into space. “Who do you think will win Belle?” asked Jase, hovering in the air about two feet above Belles head. “Er . . . I don't know, I can’t see Candice fighting though, she looks so little,” Belle said frowning, looking at the unequal pairing because anyone could say that in a fair fight Drew would beat Candice just by flicking his little finger. Oliver just laughed, while Jase said, “Candy may look innocent

and little when she wants to-” began Jase. “-but I can assure you she is the opposite,” Oliver continued, “She knows how to take care of herself,” he reassured Belle with a very honest grin. “I’ll say,” said Jase, landing on the ground behind Belle, “Last time we came down, Candice whipped my butt,” Belle frowned, Jason was huge, there was no way that Candice could beat him, “I still have the marks.” Oliver just laughed and slapped Jase on the back, “I feel for you bro. But that was utterly hilarious, someone should have videoed it.” “Sshh, they are starting,” said a new voice, which Belle recognised as Stephanie, she was amazingly beautiful, her long hair was French braided at the top, than she let the rest of her naturally wavy hair fall down her back - what with that, and the fact she was wearing all white and that she was so inhumanly beautiful - she looked like some sort of angel. Stephanie reached out her hand and shook Belles hand gently, “I’m Stephanie, and it’s nice to meet you Belle.” Belle could only mumble ‘nice to meet you too Stephanie,’ her cheeks turning a slight red colour, while she craned her neck to get a good look at the fight. Candice was thinking hard, she could hear Drews moves before he made them – just like the way he knew hers. She nearly laughed when she heard Belle talking to Jase and Oliver about how little she was. Yes she was little, but yes she was fast and strong and she knew how to fight. But Drew could too. Equal. Even. For once Candice felt the tension around her and she began to get

a bit edgy herself, but so did Drew. They stood there for a few minutes, battling silently with each other’s thoughts - that’s when Candice saw what she needed – a little slip up. And before Drew could react, Candice had pounced through the air and had landed as a crouch on top of Drews shoulders, with her shocking white fangs pressed to his jugular. Belle took a deep shocked breath in, Candy look truly frightening, her normally bright eyes, going a colour closer to black than blue, darkening her face, making her seem scarier than anything else. Her usual cheeky smile replaced by her lips pulling back to expose her shocking pointy white fangs. She suddenly didn’t seem to petite and breakable to Belle - it was now perfectly apparent about what Jase and Oliver were talking about. “Haha, I win,” she said softly under her breath, laughing before she stepped lightly off his shoulders, landing gracefully, her feet not even making a noise on the ground. “So who wants to play the winner?” she asked innocently enough, however Belle saw almost everyone in the clearing share a nervous glance at one and other. Candice noticed too and she laughed and said to Jase, “Aww scared?” then she laughed again and spun on her heels, making even the most elegant ballerina feel immensely jealous, while Jase cockily walked over to her. “Why would I be scared of you, little one?” he asked arrogantly, putting his hands on his hips. “Little one?” she asked indignantly, “Oh you are so going to regret that Jason Tyler.” “Why would that be little one?” he asked, grinning. “Because,” she said cocking her head to the side and smirking to herself, “When I win – which I will by the way - you will be humiliated because the little one beat you!”

Jason shook his head, mimicking her before, “No, no, no, no because I am going to win.” “Ready. . .” whispered Candice. “Steady,” Jase said in the same low tone. “Go,” they said together. Candices and Jasons fight was different to, her and Drews. Theirs was a fight on intellect, whereas as soon as the word ‘go’ was out of their mouths, Jase ran full steam ahead, his aim to run straight into her and knock her to the ground. However before Jason could touch her, she swiftly took one small step to the side, making Jase fall flat on his face, and before he could jump to his feet and try to tackle her again, she jumped agilely onto his back, it just looked like she was hovering in mid air, her feet not seeming to make any crease in Jasons baggy blue top. Belle didn’t really see anything because her eyes were too slow to see the fast movements between the pair of them. “Admit I am better than you,” she threatened innocently, “or else I will tell.” “Nu-hu,” Jason said, still struggling to get up, “No fair, re-match. And,” he added as an afterthought, “what would you tell?” “One,” Candice began narrowing her eyes, “it was fair, and not my fault if you’re fairly obtuse is it? And I will tell everyone, that you, Jason Tyler secretly play the bra-” “Stop,” Jase said suddenly, just cottoning on to what she was about to say, “Stop, please. Look okay I agree you’re the best.” Candice laughed angelically, and lightly jumped off of her back, “yeah I know.” “Strip poker!” Oliver called out suddenly, floating a fair few feet above everyone else. “What the -” began Evelyn, but then she noticed that Stephanie, Ashley and Nikki putting a few more cardigans, after all it was

better safe than sorry. “Can I play?” Belle asked Drew, while Candice was sending Oliver to go and get a pair of cards from her room in the Scarlett mansion “Ollie it’s not hard, you know my room yes? The room right at the top. Yes, under my bed – you know the big purple thingy I sleep in – that’s a bed,” she was clearly being sarcastic now, “under that there is a black box covered in silver wrapping paper. In that there are a pack of cards -” “No,” Drew said, drawing her attention back to the conversation they were having. “Why!” she asked indignantly, pushing some lose strands of hair back behind her ears. “We’ll play our own strip poker later,” Drew murmured in her ear. The pair of them looked up into the sky when they heard a low wolf whistle from Oliver and Jase. “Ha, that wasn’t what we wanted to hear Drew. Please, didn’t want to hear it.” Jase said, landing on the floor holding a black of cards, while Oliver was flying behind him with a huge clear glass table. “Oliver did you tell Jada!” asked Matt, once Oliver had finished laying the table on the grass without smashing it (!). “What do you think?” he asked sarcastically. “Wow Oliver! You’re picking up tips from me. Glad to see I have taught you well,” Candice laughed, as she caught the cards which Jason had thrown at her. Half an hour later there was an unusual sight to be seen at the clearing. Oliver and Jase were both in their red Calvin Kline underwear, Evelyn had just taken of her fourth cardigan, whist Stephanie, Ashley and Nikki were all on their second cardigan. And then there was Drew and Candice sitting there all comfortable and

warm, not taking a single item of clothing off. “One more game?” asked Oliver eagerly; both Candice and Drew exchanged anxious glances. “Er, Jase no. Please dear god no,” Candice moaned, pulling her hands over her eyes. “No, come on,” Jase insisted and gave out another hand of cards. Candice peaked at hers and said, “Clear,” under her breath. “Oh no,” and both Jase and Oliver paled before they went to rip their underwear off. “NO!” Evelyn screamed and she dodged out of the way, laughing hysterically, alongside Ashley. “What’s going on?” Ashley heard a voice call out from the shadows of the trees, Candice seemed to recognise the voice almost immediately and she called out, “Nothing important, we were waiting for you, the Egyptians and the Crawfords.” “Er,” Fiona called out from behind the shadows, “Why have I just had a disturbing vision of Oliver and someone else sitting here in their underpants?” Even Belle heard a low chuckle, obviously from a man saying, “Okay, I guess you don't hear your little sister say that every day.”

-Chapter ten-

Soul mate Fiona appeared from the dark shadows with two men eitherside of her, however Belle didn’t understand the reaction that all of the Tylers had, apart from Drew and Ashley that is. He remained perfectly relaxed; the only slight adjustment he made was to tighten his arms around her, just so she was a fraction closer to him. While Ashley smiled and said in a cheery voice, “Hiya Fiona and friends . . .” she started uncertainly, “I’m Ashley and this is my family, Matt, Drew, Brandon, Nikki, and Jason.” However Matt, Jason, Nikki and Brandon panicked, each in different ways. Jason hardly reacted at all, even though his mind was in chaos with panic, he glanced at Olivers relaxed poseur, so he relaxed himself, but the trace of fear wasn’t utterly abolished. Matt and Brandon just skittered back a few steps than looked suspiciously at Fiona and her two male acquaintances, but they regained in their terror, and just stood in a stand still pose, poised ready to run, but also to relax. Nikki just made a disgusted noise under her breath and said something under the lines of, “She hangs with dodgier and dodgier people,” yet underneath the snooty pretence, you could hear the slight edge of fear threatening to break through under her breath. Candice looked over to the two other daemons standing either side of Fiona, one was lean, with short jaw length black hair and piercing grey-blue eyes that looked like you could get lost in them. He let a thin, wiry smile escape his lips and he said in a Manchester accent, “You’ll alrite? I’m Mitchell and this is my little brother

Aden.” Candice tilted her head to the side as she looked at Aden. He had short dark brown hair – stuck up in spikes – but allowed a few strands to hang loose, framing his face perfectly, making his clear green eyes stand out. She tried to shift her gaze away from him after a few seconds of staring at him, yet it was like a magnetic pull, she could never lift her eyes away from him without feeling physically sick. When he caught her gaze, it felt like butterflies were making their big break, she felt the irrational desire to go and wrap her arms around his toned, tanned torso, and allow herself to be protected - just like a little girl. “Hiya,” Candice spoke up, it surprised her to see that her voice was still there, because all of a sudden she felt her throat go dry, and her mind completely blank of anything to say to him without sounding like an absolute idiot. ‘That’s wrong,’ her own voice reminded her, ‘Owen. Remember him? He’s the one who would happily drop everything, just because you may have mentioned it. He’s the one you love! So why the hell are you slobbering all over Aden like an imbecile? Pull yourself together woman, you’re turning into Nikki.’ “Fiona,” she said once again breaking the tension, and still unaware that there was even tension, “I’m sorry you had that disturbing vision of Oliver and Jason in their underwear, I really do. But we were playing strip poker and they are so bad it was almost a crime letting them play really. . .” “You could’ve waited for me before playing strip poker,” moaned Fiona playfully, walking a few steps forward towards the seats. “You can play with Drew and Belle,” sniggered Jase, now completely at ease with the situation, “they’re playing their own

privet game later.” Nikki flinched when Fiona sat down between Candice and Belle – opposite her – “jeeze, cool it Nikki. Anyone would think we’d just told you that you have to live without make-up for a week.” At that point Candice felt her blue Samsung Tocca Ultra phone vibrate in her pocket, she yanked her mobile out of her dark denim skinny fit, Levi jeans and saw the screen flash up in green and blue, ‘Owen calling.’ She stared at her phone for about half a second before gracefully sliding it up, and mouthing to everyone, ‘one sec.’ “Hello,” she said, pressing her phone to her ear. ‘Hi Candy, it’s me Owen, you okay?’ “Yeah I am not bad, you?” ‘Oh, I’m alrite,’ he said, for some reason – he sounded nervous, ‘It’s just a quick call, I wondered if you fancied going to get a drink with me tonight at Ammo?’ Candice spared a fleeting glance at Drew and Belle sitting comfortably next to Fiona, and completely blanked out the calming, atmospheric, natural chatter going on around her as she answered, ‘Er, I can’t do tonight – family friends are around, but how about tomorrow?” ‘Sure’ Owens voice sounded happier, Candice heard some faint yelling in the background, ‘Well I had better be going,’ he sighed heavily, ‘see you tomorrow at about half eight?’ ‘Yeah, see you then Owen.’ ‘Bye.’ ‘Tra.’ She hung up and looked slightly awed at her phone for a few seconds, until she registered that another call was coming through, she quickly slid her phone back up.

* Three hours later and everyone was sitting in the overcrowded black and white dining room, eating the banquet styled meal that Claudine and Jada cooked while Ely and Carlisle talked in Carlisle office, about ‘stuff’ which usually meant something was wrong. But the mood was too exuberant for anyone to worry about it. “This food is really great,” Mitchell said happily finishing off his fourth helping, “thanks so much Mrs. Tyler and Mrs. Scarlett.” Claudine smiled jovially, while Jada stood up and picked up the empty plates and light-heartedly chided Mitchell, “I have told you, call me Jada,” she gently tapped the tea-towel lightly on the back of his head. Aden was laughing at Evelyn, who had just ‘fallen’ off her chair ‘accidently,’ while Candice was for once quiet, sitting at the end of the table staring at Owens picture on her phone, then looking at Aden, she didn’t want to keep looking at Aden . . . Well yes she did, but she didn’t as well – it was so confusing. In the end she stood up suddenly and said rashly, “Drew could I talk to you please? Outside?” she asked, aware of everyones eyes on her for once, not one mocking but worried and shocked. Whenever Drew and Candice wanted to talk they just had a silent debate inside each other’s head. Normally unaware to everyone else. So if she wanted to talk to him out loud something would be up for sure. Yet no one commented on it, Candice once again locked eyes with Aden and she felt dizzy, as if she had forgotten how to breathe, oh yeah, wait she had – how do you breathe again . . . Drew stood up looking slightly perplexed about what Candy wanted to talk about, she was giving none of it away in her thoughts, it was as if she’d turned the volume up of some internal music to block him out. So if Drew tried to listen to what she was

thinking all he could hear was ‘Decode,’ by Paramore – which made him smile anyway. As soon as the pair of them stepped outside, into the clear glass hallway, she sighed and said running a hand through her head – a sign she was nervous, “Drew can I ask you something, about you and Belle?” she asked hesitantly. Drew was wary as he still didn’t know where the question was heading, but he nodded anyway, Candice was basically a little sister to him, he would help her with anything she asked for, Ely had a theory about that – because she was so young when she was ‘changed’ that it is like a instant impulse to love her and try to protect her because she looked so fragile and so breakable (if you knew her at all you’d know that she doesn’t need protecting). She dropped her hands and let them drop limply to her side as she asked, staring out of the drastically big French glass doors. “Do you still have a certain amount of bloodlust with Belle? I mean it’s obvious you love her, but do you still want her in the vampire way? And I mean is she in much risk – you two being together?” she asked, her voice getting close to hysteria near the end, it was clear to Drew (even without reading her mind) that she was voicing her own worries and seeking comfort from Drew – but that would mean that Candice was falling for a human (!) which she clearly felt guilty about. Drew didn’t want to tell her the entire truth, like kissing Belle is like inhaling flames, very painful – but bearable – and that the bloodlust never leaves but if you love them enough that it will fade and become easier to ignore, and that she is in constant danger . . . So Drew replied instead, “It’s bearable, if you love them enough anything can happen -” “That, Andrew, sexy, Tyler, the corniest bit of crap I have ever

heard in my entire life!” came a deeply accented voice from just behind Drew himself, he spun around, but before he could finish reassuring Candice, he realised that she was listening to his thoughts . . . but she seemed fairly resolved after today, seeing Drew and Belle together sparked a new flash of hope inside her – for her and Owen. Right now it was time to concentrate on their little guests . . . “Femi!” squealed Candice, rushing around Drew, to give the dark skinned girl a hug, “you came!” Candy exclaimed, holding her at arm’s length with appraising eyes before saying, “I love your hair, having it in a long weave really suites you. . .” Drew felt another presence behind him so he spun around again to greet the mother of the Egyptian Clan, “Asenath, it’s good to see you here,” Drew greeted her warmly, “And you Eboni, I hear congratulations are on order?” he enquired politely, both Femi and Candice talking excitedly in the background. Eboni smiled and said in a quiet voice, “Thank you Drew, I am sorry he cannot come today, he sends his regards. . .” she began, but her own imagination took over her head and she sunk back into her own mind once again, Drew hoped that Eboni’s husband was a good man, as Eboni was very sweet and sincere – she deserves someone a pure as she is. A dark toned hand - in comparison to Ebonis olive coloured skin – rested on her shoulder and gently pulled her aside, her body moving wispily, as if she was in danger from disappearing. “Drew,” acknowledged a deep and strangely accented voice, English seemed very strange coming out of his mouth, looking at his strong Egyptian features, and you would expect some unruly, native tongue to come out of his mouth. “Bebti,” Drew nodded, he was not particularly fond of Bebti, he

was quick to point the finger and punish people, even though the evidence may be rickety and insufficient. Drew and Candice exchanged one quick fleeting glance over Asenaths shoulder, and they both understood that the felt the same way about Bebti. Asenath spoke up, “I’m sorry that Kissia and Kakra could not join us – they have business elsewhere.” Candice smiled and said warmly, “Don’t worry Asenath, if you want Drew will take you through . . . I hear the Crawfords coming,” only Drew could hear a mental groan when she said that, “and this hallway shall get awful crowded with all of us in here.” Bebti nodded and Femi skipped in the direction of the dining room, while Asenath had to guide Eboni who was still in her own little world. “Brittany!” Candice cried, throwing a fake and plastic smile on her face – which Brittany seemed to believe. Brittany kissed both of Candices cheeks and said in a snooty voice, “Aww Candy honey, how have you been? Still living here I see, thought you would have killed someone by now,” her voice dripped in honey, she was clearly putting being ‘nice’ on, and it wasn’t a very hard effort. Candice smiled and said, “You’re still living in Beverly Hills I hear?” the malice barely contained. Brittanys baby-like face hardened, “Beverly Hills is all the rage with the rich and famous,” she remarked sourly. “Sure, sure,” Candice remarked patronizingly, he wasn’t in the mood to have an argument with Brittany, not yet anyway. Anymore snide remarks off of her and that could change fairly quickly. The rest of the Crawfords arrived behind Brittany and after a quick exchange of greeting between them; Candice let them into the almost full dining room.

Brittany burst through first, pushing Candice eagerly out of the way, causing her to stumble forwards and nearly crash into a pile of food. Aden, Jasper, Matt and Carlisle were the only ones who noticed Candice’s murderous expression and she straightened up and they worried that she might do something vicious towards Brittany, which would nothelp Drew show Belle how harmless vampire’s can be – nor her already tedious relationship with the Crawfords. They just though she was a weird little freak – whereas she thought that they were made plastic and incapable of having a genuine personality. So they were even. ‘Brittany,’ sighed Jason, unenthusiastically. Brittany saw him, and her eyes widened, and she shrieked, flapping her hands around, ‘OMG, Jason Tyler. I haven’t seen you in ages.’ ‘Yeah - there’s a reason for that.’ he muttered under his breath. ‘Sorry?’ she asked, not hearing him. ‘I said; I wander what the reason was, for that.’ he smiled; it was fake, but believable. ‘Oh.’ she grinned, and hugged him tightly. When they embraced, Jason mouthed from behind her shoulder. “Help me please,” and Brandon, Jasper, Matt and Oliver smiled, and replied “No.” ‘Come on people – break it up!’ they spun around to see Chase Crawford. ‘And he’s the only one who hasn’t -’ started Jason. ‘Don’t speak too soon.’ started Candy. ‘How is everyone do-i-ng…’ Chase’s voice faltered, and his mouth swung open. Drew sighed resentfully, and sidled closer to Belle.

‘Chase, you won’t hurt her,’ smiled Haley-Ann, she was blonde, as was the rest of her family; she had blue eyes, and was wearing a baby blue vest, saying “Candies.” ‘I’m Haley.’ she smiled, lending a hand to Belle, who almost fell back with her greeting. ‘Belle.’ Belle managed to choke out. ‘Let me introduce ourselves. We’re the Crawfords, from Beverly Hills.’ ‘But of course, since the Tylers have more people in their family, our clan is below them.’ ‘Diet is normal. We’re not veggies, but we can control ourselves… sometimes.’ she cocked her head, with a smile and then a grin. ‘I’m Serena.’ A girl from behind Chase said, she stepped closer. She was strawberry blonde. ‘This’ Jodie, she’s a tad, shy. Never talks much. Although, you can never get her mouth back shut, once she opens it.’ Jodie had long, straight, blonde hair, with chocolate brown roots. ‘And you’ve already met, Chase and Brittany.’ her voice was sing-song, and polite. It was very important for first impressions to be good, and in this case, Vamps couldn’t mess up. They knew Drew was watching them, and listening to their every thoughts, so they were careful. ‘Mom and dad said “Hi” they couldn’t make it, they’re in Dubai. It’s their wedding anniversary.’ Chase added, his eyes were still on Belle, tracing her features avidly, with utmost interest. He scanned down her, and she turned away, fidgeting uncomfortably. Drew sighed again, feeling irritated, and he stepped in front of her in the most protective manner possible. He had heard too much of their thoughts, and began to get more frustrated than he already was. ‘Last time I checked this was a time for all the vampire families

we know that are left, to catch up, chat and have fun – wasn’t it?!’ he said angrily. ‘The last time I checked Candy, you didn’t say. “Soiree at my house, Drew. Bring Belle. My guests and I are just about dying to examine her.” ‘Right, sorry.’ Chase stepped back. ‘So, this is cheerful then,” Femi stated, a grin playing on her face as she eyed up Mitchell, “I’m Femi,” she said to him. He smiled and lounged back in his chair, “Mitchell.” Jase and Oliver flew up in the air and began to sing at the top of their voices, “Femi and Mitchell sitting in a tree – f-u-c-k-i-n-g, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby-” But then sadly (?) they never got to finish their song because both Femi and Candices hand shot out at exactly the same time and grabbed whatever piece of food was in their reach and threw it upwards, with uncannily precision, hitting both Jase and Oliver. Jason now had a spatter of cake in his hair, the icing making his hair stick together, looking as if he had dreads. While Oliver had a handful of tomato and basil pasta thrown at him, it was splayed across his chest, and the red sauce made it look like he’d just been shot. “Little ‘uns, you will regret that,” they said, each swooping down, picking up a handful of melting ice cream, in one of the black and white patterned bowls, grinning matching evil grins. “You wouldn’t!” Candice said shocked, taking a few steps back, edging her way towards the door, concentrating on the pair of them. “Wouldn’t we?” the asked after her, but as they pulled their hands back to throw it at her, they spun and threw them in random directions, one lump of ice-cream hit Evelyn squarely across the face and another hit Belle. Drew growled, while Belle

just laughed, and lunged towards the table to grab another handful of food, as she heard Candice yell out over the sea of squealing as food began to fly everywhere, ‘food fight!’ then she heard Brittany scream hysterically, ‘I am waiting outside, let me know when you all have decided to grow up!’ as soon as she finished speaking, a lump of mash flew out of the air and hit her, right in the middle of her back, and about the same time Candice yelled back to her, ‘Brit you’ll be waiting a long long time. I aint never growing up!” After about five/ten minutes all the food began to run out and at least half the people were in the room were covered in food – that’s when Oliver and Jase began to fight between themselves in the center of the room, on top of the table, attempting to push each other onto the floor, which was now coated in all sorts of food. Chase got between them to stop them, and they pulled him in too. The only mature one left was Drew. He took a deep breath, and helped Chase out, they tugged Jason away from him, and then Jasper launched on them. All the boys began to fight, as the girls rolled around on the food splattered floor, laughing their head off. ‘Take you shirt off!’ Candy urged them. Mitchell, Aden, Jason, Brandon, Oliver and Jasper took the advice and pulled their shirts off, and threw them at the girls. Stephanie got up, and pulled Oliver into the corner, by tugging the rim of the top of his jeans. Jason wolf-whistled, and like a wolf, he got down on his knees, and jumped over to, where the girls was, he started to kiss Femi, who looked embarrassed. Jason stood up abruptly, “Hide and seek, with a twist!” Oliver evidently agreed as he pulled himself away from Stephanie back into the center of the room. “Yeah. Or twenty one dares.”

“Spin the bottle?” Evelyn suggested. “Spin the bottle!” Brittany exclaimed, waltzing through the glass doors, “I like it. Let’s play.” Candice snarled quietly under her breath, but otherwise ignored her as she walked in. Out of no-where Eboni appeared, in the present world (i.e. – not her dreamland) which was strange for her. She was holding a large picnic rug and a clear glass wine bottle in one hand and in her other hand she held three large bottles - one was filled to the brim with red wine (mixed with bloodlust obviously), another was full of white wine (again mixed with bloodlust) and the largest - was full to the brim of WKD blue (mixed with bloodlust). As she gently put the bottles on the ground she explained, “Asenath has gone to talk to Carlisle, Ely, Claudine and Jada. So we are left to our own devices,” she cocked her head to the side cheekily, “bad idea, especially when all the booze is barely even hidden here.” Candice smiled back; she had forgotten how much fun Eboni actually was when she wasn’t in her own little world. “Tell me about it,” Candice laughed as she helped Femi set the picnic rug out, and she put the empty bottles right in the middle, “here are the rules,” she said, sitting on the edge of the rug, as everyone else began to sit in a circle around the bottle next to her, “there are none. No matter who it lands on, who it lands on next you have to kiss, it don’t have to be long and passionate, it can just be little, but you have to. Even if it was like Femi and Eboni – rules are the rules.” Then she lounged back and she once again found herself staring at Aden, she heard the game go on around her and she didn’t care, her interest was captivated by Aden. Because he was a daemon his

mind was very difficult for her to read, so she was constantly curious, about things – like why his lips were constantly curved upwards, in a half smile and why his eyes always glittered as if he was always receiving good news. “Candice,” Matt shook her arm softly, his touch brining her back to earth. “What?” she enquired confusedly, she wondered what she had missed. “The bottle stopped on you Miss. Scarlett,” Jase said, it was obvious he was, well not completely drunk, but just a bit over tipsy. ‘Damn,’ she thought, ‘all my friends are nearer to drunk than me, I have some serious making up to do,’ she leaned forwards to pick up the almost full bottle of WKD happy that no one had really drunk from it yet. “With who?” Candice laughed, “Sorry I was miles away.” No need to mention that she was only a few inches away, right next to Aden. “It stopped on me!” Jasper laughed, “Aren’t you just so lucky?” It was even clearer that Jasper was drunker than Jason, Candice found Jasper drunk funny, he was worse than her sometimes, well the morning after he was anyway. Candice just laughed but leaned forwards, across the red and black tartan picnic rug and meet Jaspers lips briefly, before they both pulled away at exactly the same time, “Ooh Candice, you and Jasper there would make such a cute couple!” Mitchell said. Candice just shuddered while Jasper said in a tone of fake disgust, “Eeww.” “Thanks Jasper.” “No probs babes,” Jasper replied, reaching over for the bottle full

of red wine. “Come on, spin the bottle,” Belle said laughing comfortably, she was snug and warm in Drews side, Candice was amazed – Drew was even letting her drink a little. Shock horror (?)! Candice reached forwards, gently spinning the bottle around, taking a long swig of the WKD as she did so. The empty Smirnoff ice bottle, spun around once, then twice, then stopped suddenly on Candice again, Matt nudged her and thought, ‘well someone’s getting lucky tonight!’ Candice glanced down completely shocked – once again in her own little world, but this time is wasn’t Aden. She was just busy drinking and concentrating on getting as drunk as possible as quick as possible so she might do something like snog Aden. . . Wait her world was all about Aden again. She choked on her WKD and spilled about half the bottle down her superman hoodie, as she gasped, her throat feeling raw, “no come on guys I just had my go, lets spin it again.” “Nu-hu,” Brandon said shaking his head, “You made the only rule, ‘you have to kiss whoever it lands on,’ you have to abide it too.” Candice groaned but all the same spun the bottle with more strength and less enthusiasm. And it stopped at. . . Aden. Candice mouth dropped open and she had to remind herself that she had to say something sexy or mysterious. Aden just laughed nervously and looked very surprised but incredibly happy. Candice forgot about saying anything sexy or mysterious, but instead she just gawked at him like an idiot. She opened and closed her mouth a few times until she managed to stutter out, “I . . . we – er. I have a boyfriend,” she said in a rush, her mouth still open, looking as if she was going to shoot

herself in the head because she thought she sounded so stupid. Aden smiled sexily, “you kissed Jasper,” he said – it wasn’t a question, it was just a mere statement of a fact. “Yeah – but. . . Owen and er. . . I-” she faltered to a stop. Everyone in the circle apart from Aden who seemed more mesmerized than shocked by her words. No one had ever seen Candice inner calm shaken so badly before and it surprised them that Aden had the power to do that. Aden leaned forwards to kiss Candy, and she found herself mesmerized by him and leaned in also. When their lips met, she felt as if the room could be burning down and she wouldn’t even notice. His lips pressed deeper on top of hers – her own lips moving now as well – something she could never do with Owen, it becoming slowly more building – like a leading up to a big explosion. Aden hesitantly moved his hand up to her face to rest on her cheek. When her mind finally begun to gather up some of her scattered brain cells, they were screaming at her asking the same question over and over again. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU ARE WITH OWEN!” When she finally registered what they were yelling at her she pulled sharply away. Belle swore that Candice was blushing even in her un-alive state. Candice just sat there her eyes dancing around – Aden leaning backward, back into his seat, his eyes dancing in a different way. Candices eyes were dancing out of embarrassment and nervousness – while Adens were dancing out of pure glee. “More booze!” Candice exclaimed, “I’ll get some – you should carry on with the game – I’ll be right back.”

*** About two and a half hours later spin the bottle had finished and they were all lying next to each other on the food splattered floor all talking over one and other, when Drew yelled out suddenly, “Crap, the `rentals are coming,” sitting up unexpectedly, making Belle slide off of him. “What do we do?” Femi asked incoherently, frowning as she thought of Bebti and Asenaths reaction to her drinking. “We hide the booze!” Jase said proudly, as if he’d just figured out the answer to the world’s toughest question. “That,” Candice said sarcastically, sitting up smiling, “Is a stroke of genius, bloody Christopher Columbus, but where?” Oliver picked up a few of the empty bottles and flew up to the crystal chandelier and precariously balanced a few of the glass bottles in the center, he hovered up there for a few seconds ready to catch the chandelier in case it dropped and smashed into a hundred thousand tiny pieces on the food spattered floor. “Belle!” Candice said, slurring her words and dancing (as that is the only word to describe the way she walked) over to where Belle was laying down, her eyes half closed but listening to the conversation – just not participating. Drew snarled viciously and drunkly towards Candice as she walked over toward Belle scooping up all the empty bottles, saying almost incoherently, “I am a genius! I have an astounding plan!” Jasper laughed and said, “What like all of your other amazing plans you have make drunk out of your skull?” Candice straightened up indignantly, “Oi – Mr. J. Scarlett I am

not drunk out of my skull,” she hesitated as Jasper and Matt burst out laughing, “Not completely anyhow. Oh and what other amazing plans – all my plans are amazing?” “Well there was the shopping trip to Rio at three in the morning – and when you realized the shops were shut, you tried to bang the doors down-” began Ashley pulling another face, rolling around on the floor next to Belle. “- And there was that time you wanted to work in the circus as a tightrope walker, so you walked across the electricity lines outside in front of loads of humans-” Matt said, reminding her about what she did over fifty years ago. “- And that time you were so drunk you danced on the tables at Club Invisible in your bra-” Jasper said laughing. Candice opened her mouth to say something when Jason cut over her – “And that time-” Candice cut him off, but raising her hand. “Yeah I may have messed up once or twice-” “Or a couple of thousand times,” Chase muttered under his breath, but not loud enough for Candice to hear him. “But this plan is . . . is. . .” Candice looked lost for words, so Evelyn popped up. “It’s brilliant?” “Yeah – this plan is brilliant!” Eboni looked skeptical as she sighed, “Candy what’s your plan to stop the parents killing us.” “They won’t kill you-” Mitchell injected cheerfully, “but you’ll be so grounded, there won’t be much point in you living!” “Wow, thanks Mitch,” Brittany said sarcastically. “No worries Barbie -” Mitchell retorted. Before their little spat could escalate into a fully grown argument,

Candice piped up, speaking just loud enough to get everyones attention, “I have my plan! We hide the booze behind Belle!” Oliver snorted and said – jinxing Jason -, “Genius!” “I know!” Candice said, pretending not to notice the sarcasm in their voices. But Asenath and Bebti won’t look that near to Belle – Ely and Claudine will very hopefully laugh it off and not notice, Jada and Carlisle aren’t a problem though,” Candice said smiling angelically, pulling Belle up so she was sitting upright. “Why aren’t our parents a problem?” Evelyn asked. “Remember last time they grounded us?” Candice asked raising her eyebrow artfully. “Oh,” Stephanie said, running a hand through her hair, “you mean when they said that you were grounded for two months – then you were allowed out the next day.” “Yep,” Candice laughed. Belle sat up woozily, Drew beside her so she wouldn’t look too out of place, then the rest of the vampires helped Candice hide all the bottles behind Belle, Aden hurried to help Candice and he couldn’t help to notice himself – that when their hands brushed over hers casually, her cheeks went a pale shade of pink, he felt the overwhelming urge to run his fingers across her cheeks to see if they really felt as soft as they looked. ‘Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look up,’ Candice chanted inside her head as he felt her towering over her, to help her. “They’re coming!” Jase and Oliver exclaimed, flying away from the door. When Jada, Carlisle, Ely and Claudine entered the room they saw a suspicious picture. Only Drew and Belle were sitting on the ground – unknown to the parents that they were hiding the ten empty alcohol bottles, while every other vampire in the room

stood in a straight line either side of Belle and Drew, all of them trying to look as innocent as possible – which in turn made them look twice as guilty. “What?” Jada asked suspiciously, “Drew, Belle what’s behind your back?” Both Drew and Belle exchanged a quick look while Candice and Nikki began to laugh and began to grab onto whoever was next to them to stop each other from falling to the floor in hysteria. “What-er- behind them? What – erm – nothing. There is nothing,” Jasper stuttered, trying to hold back another laugh while all four of the parent’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Jason, Oliver why are there bottles hanging from the chandelier?” Claudine asked, eyeing up the few glass bottles hanging precariously from the crystals. “What bottles?” Jason asked sweetly. “Those bottles.” “What bottles?” “Those – Jase stop it you know full well what bottles I mean,” Claudine said. “No I don’t,” Jason said stubbornly. “Jase-” began Claudine, but then she paused and said cocking her head to the side, “have you been drinking?” “Us!” Aden said, “drinking, Mrs. Tyler but I would never let someone as little as Candice drink,” he nodded towards Candice, stumbling forwards slightly. Both Jada and Carlisle exchanged a look at one and other, as they both looked at Candice, her deep pink lip gloss was still slightly smeared. “I am not little Aden!” Candice exclaimed. “Are too, well compared to me you are,” he said cocking his

eyebrows. “I am like over three hundred!” “No you’re not!” “Am.” “Not.” “She is,” Oliver piped up, trying in vain to break the argument up. “Shut up!” Both Aden and Candice turned and yelled at Oliver. “Where’s Asenath and Bebti?” Femi asked nervously, trying to seem sober. “Don’t worry,” Ely said, grinning despite himself, “they are staying in the Scarlett summer house. But you really shouldn’t be getting drunk you know.” “Mmmm,” Chase murmured, the alcohol taking its toll on him, he began to fall asleep standing up. “Bed?” Jada asked, stepping aside the door, creating a path for the vampires (and a single human) to pass through to go up to the bedrooms.

-Chapter 11-

Suppressed Guilty love “See you later,” Candice groaned from under her huge purple, duvet, “Call me later, when this hangover is over.” “Ha-ha, I’m not hung over Candy,” Belle gloated, teasing Candice, almost naturally - it surprised Drew how natural it actually was. “I know,” Candice laughed, “you were hardly drunk, I need to do a better job next time,” and then she groaned. “My head hurts.” “You will have to come up soon,” Nikki said loudly to Stephanie, their two annoyingly loud voices echoed around the room. “Shut up!” Candice growled loudly, then she visibly winced and began to borrow deeper into her duvet – so now only a few loose strands of her hair were visible clashing on the all white pillow. “You shouldn’t have drunk so much should you?” Nikki laughed alongside Stephanie. “How much do you actually remember from last night Candice?” Stephanie asked, her intentions looked pure enough – as if she was merely concerned about her little

sister - but Candice and Drew knew different, inside of her fake blond, self obsessed head – she was thinking, ‘CANDICE KISSED A DAEMON WHILE DATING OWEN! OMG AND SHE MOANS AT ME FOR BEING A SLUT!’ “Tell me - do blonds have hangovers?” Candice asked menacingly, but before either Steph or Nikki could answer, Candice answered it herself, “hang on I already know the answer - blonds don't have brain cells to be hung over – shame.” Stephanie just snarled but otherwise they both just ignored her, and they both carried on with their loud, overly-fake conversation. Jase and Matt both entered the messy, overcrowded front room quietly, and said to Carlisle, “Well it was nice seeing you guys – oh and er – sorry about the mess and everything – I will clean up next time,” Jason said cheerfully, clapping Carlisle on the shoulder. “There always is a next time isn’t there?” Carlisle said good naturedly. Candice shot straight up as soon as the words were out of Carlisle mouth, “You’re leaving!” her bright blue eyes frantic – the majority of last night black make-up smeared across her face, making her pure white skin seem ever paler than usual. “You can’t go!” Candy exclaimed, “Well the boys can, but Ashley, Belle and even Nikki (!) I need you here.” Ashley stood there smug – as if she was expecting it, Nikki looked resigned, but in a happy sort of way,

whereas Belle didn’t have a clue that Candice was going to say that - and was completely taken back, but she was more than happy to stay. “Where’s Femi? And Eboni?” Candice asked, looking as if she was a deer in the headlights – her eyes twisting this way and that, but her body stayed frozen to the spot. Matt and Brandon smiled at on and other, nearly laughing at how scatty Candice was. “Jeeze Candz, they left almost two hours ago now,” Jasper said, shaking his head, “they did wake you up.” “No they didn’t,” Candy disagreed, shaking her head, running a hand through her black hair, making it stick up even more. “Yes they did,” Oliver said, as he flew into the room, almost flying directly into the dangling lampshade. “Femi was shaking you for a good ten minutes before you would even open your eyes to mumble goodbye.” “She did?” Candy asked confused, she couldn’t remember anything since Brittany began to pretend to fall asleep on Jason – and because Jason was too nice sometimes and too stupid – he really thought that Brittany was sleep and he couldn’t move in case he woke her, but Eboni ‘accidently’dropped a bowl of water over her, Jase was spared because Brittany wouldn’t try to sleep with him anymore – as a matter of fact she now hates his guts violently – because she thought it was him that poured water over her. “It’s not my fault,” Candy said defensively – “I was

drunk last night, which follows that today I am hung over, which means I won’t get up ‘till late. Hey what time did they leave anyway? It must have been about daybreak?” “Er no,” Ashley said, shaking her head amusedly, “don't you know what time it is?” “About nine-ish?” Candice asked hesitantly. “Higher.” “Ten-ish?” “Higher.” “Eleven-ish?” “Higher.” “Twelve!?” Candices face was a mixture of shock and amusement. “Higher.” “What!?” Candice demanded, “How long did you let me sleep in for?” and then as if it was only a little errant thought running through her head, she asked shrugging, “has Aden and Mitchell left yet?” And before any of them could answer, Aden, Mitchell and Fiona themselves came through the food stained glass door. “Speak of the devil-” began Jason quietly. “And the devil shall appear,” Oliver finished. “Did someone mention my name?” Mitchell asked joyously, throwing himself on the empty black leather arm chair, seemingly unaffected by a long nights drinking. “No,” Candice answered too quickly, a tiny, pale pink blush spread across her cheeks - her eyes widened and

immediately focused on Aden, but then she dropped her embarrassed stare onto the carpet. “Finally awake Candice?” Mitchell asked playfully, “I was worried you would still be asleep when we had to leave.” He ran a hand through his tussled black hair and grinned mischievously. “What time are you going?” Candy asked out of habit – as Jasper so frequently pointed out – on day her curiosity would get her into trouble. Aden glanced down at his old-fashioned silver pocket watch and said is voice dead, all the while he was staring at Candice avidly, “about now actually.” Fiona spoke up, her voice as hoarse as Candices was when she first woke up, “I am going to the border with them, and then I will make my back.” Jasper snapped to attention, “What time will you be back?” he enquired, staring at Fiona worriedly. Fiona smiled faintly, while Candice stifled a laugh – she couldn’t believe that she had just realised that – I mean how could I have missed it? - she thought to herself. “Well we had better been going, “Aden said glumly taking a step backwards towards the door, gesturing towards Mitchell and Fiona. “See you later,” Fiona said, giving Belle a tight hug, “take care of yourself Belle.” “Thanks Fiona – you too,” Belle replied grinning. “Don't I get a hug?” Mitchell asked playfully, opening

his arms as Evelyn laughed and gave him a little squeeze. Mitchell turned and gave Candice a quick hug, and whispered quietly in her ear, “He cares about you Candice, you know.” “I know,” Candice sighed, pulling away from him, closing her eyes briefly as if she was still tired. “Come on Mitchell, the last thing we want is a guard to come and find us – let’s go,” Aden said keeping his eyes down low. Candice felt like her heart was about to break through her chest as she thought about Aden more. He was going back to the Trinity– what if they smelt vampire on him? They might turn on him and kill him (that thought was too painful to even think about for a second) and if they killed him she would die because she’d have to go and avenge his death. Candice felt annoyed at herself for feeling sad about Aden leaving, which is very bad because she is with Owen, which could be the equivalent of her cheating on Owen, which is now making her feel guilty, which is adding to the pile of unwanted emotions in Candy’s mind. “See you later Candy,” Aden said before he left. Candice didn’t - couldn’t – reply, she didn’t trust her own voice. “Candice can I have a quick word with you outside for a moment please?” Drew asked; once again the entire room froze. Two privet conversation aloud in two days (!) something was seriously wrong.

‘What does he want? Why does he want to talk to me aloud in privet? I haven’t done anything wrong. Much. Recently anyway. I am rambling – why am I rambling. Drew stop listening to me ramble.’ “Sure,” Candice said nervously, gracefully walking outside – she felt Drew’s presence behind her, but she didn’t turn around. Even though she heard what he was thinking before he said it – those eight words “Do you know the soul mate theory?” - sent her mind reeling. Drew was surprised that her voice sounded so flat and dead when she replied, “Yeah, I have heard bits and peices of it.” “What do you think about it?” he asked her. She mauled her answer over a bit, as Drew began to gently probe her colourful mind. He realised quickly though that her mind was incredibly difficult for him to read her passing thoughts as they danced across her mind. It was as if he was trying to listen to a fuzzy radio broadcast – you could only hear the odd word – and even that was slightly out of focus. Drew felt a surge of pride and annoyance when he found this out. He was proud in the sense that his little Scarlett sister had managed to manifest her special gift so much. But annoyance that he couldn’t tell what she was thinking – and annoyance that he couldn’t do it himself. “But you can block most of the voices out,” she said, leaning back on French glass windows, “or at least slightly

tune them out – I can’t.” Drew smiled and said, moving so he was standing next to her, “thanks – but don't change the subject. Do you honestly know the soul mate theory?” Candice sighed, and said in an unemotional voice; as if she was reading from a particularly boring textbook, “the soul mate theory, specifically designed for daemons, it’s where you love that one person – forever and always. You could never cheat on them or hurt them in any way – it’s stronger than normal love, even stronger than enticement. Basically true love, but so much harder to deny –you know as soon as you see them you just know that they are the one that was made of you,” she paused, but then suddenly her eyes and her voice were burning ferociously with an un-nameable emotion, “I know what you’re getting at Andrew bloody Tyler – me and Aden are nothing like that do you hear me – nothing. I love Owen okay.” “I am sure you do love Owen,” Drew said soothingly, “but you said so yourself – the soul mate principle over rules all over types of love.” “Since when do you believe in that kind of crap?” she asked him scathingly. “Since I saw how you and Aden reacted with one and other, when you first saw each other yesterday in the clearing – before you even knew each other – last night and this morning. I even got a quick glimpse inside his mind, and it’s obvious that he loves you – or at the very

least he cares about you a great deal – more than his own life. He’d die for you.” Candice snarled despite herself – she didn’t like talk of Aden dying – it made her feel sick again. “See,” Drew said softly, placing a hand on the centre of her back, “you can’t help it it’s like an impulse.” “Yes I can,” Candice said obstinately, “Aden’s not here is he? Owen is. So logic follows that I am with Owen, not Aden.” Drew smiled and said teasingly, poking her arm, “you are the most indomitable person alive.” “Well you’ve lost that one – I aint alive.” “Fine the most indomitable person I know, happy?” “Not particularly,” she remarked sourly, that’s when Drew realised that this Aden-soul-mate-over-riding-herlove-for-Owen thing had really shaken her up. It wasn’t that she was sure of herself, like she was so self-absorbed that she thought that the sun rose because she wanted it to – as a matter of face she was the opposite. She was riddled with self doubt, but she expertly covered it up – but she was confused about Oweneven remotely liking her – let alone loving her, she found it shocking that Aden was her soul mate lover, in her mind it just made absolutely zero sense. She walked back through the door, unaware that everyone was silent and that everyones eyes were fixed on her as she said in her desperate last bid to be carefree, “are you all up for going to Ibiza then for a party?”

Candice carried on then, picking up and re-centring things talking randomly to no one in particular, everyone looking worried and anxious, but no one saying anything, just listening to her talk not to anyone specifically, “I think we should go to club Space in Ibiza – or Amnesia. Hang on do you think we could get into Pacha? They should let me in – I have a fake I.D somewhere upstairs I think. If I don't I should be able to get a fake one in time shouldn’t I?” “Actually Candy, we can’t stay – well I can’t,” Belle said sadly. “What?Why?!” “Because Tom is expecting me home in a few hours, he doesn’t even know I am in England. He thinks I am just at a sleepover with Ash.” “Oh, okay don't worry – you up for it Evelyn?” “Well err, there is the party with Owen at Amadeus, tonight remember?” Evelyn replied hesitantly, her eyes not leaving the plasma screen T.V in front of her. “What oh – mmhhmm” was the most exciting reply Candice could think of, “I might not go.” “Why not!” Stephanie demanded, “You’re making me go – so why aren’t you going?” “Because!” Candice exploded her voice rising hysterically, “I don’t want to Stephanie, I don’t have to give you a bloody reason why or why not I chose to do things with my miserable excuse for a life!”

Stephanie flicked her hair dramatically and stomped out of the room, holding her head up high, breaking the clear glass vase when she slammed the door. Jada scowled and opened the door and yelled up the stairs, “Stephanie Rhiann Scarlett, when you get your butt back down these stairs you are going to clean this mess up, and then you’re going back to Rome and dig up another fiftieth century Roman goddess vase entwined with pure gold in the handles!” Then she slammed the door shut with slightly less force then Stephanie. “Anyway,” Evelyn said, pretending as if Stephanie’s ridiculous self centred outrage had never happened, “are you going to Owens or not?” Candice suddenly felt like she’d like to be all alone – it washed over her like a wave of uncontrollable emotion, “I am thirsty – yeah that's it I am thirsty. I will probably go hunting after dinner instead of going to the party.” “But Candy you hunted a few days-” began Jasper, looking at her worriedly, but Candice refused to return his gaze, instead she once again busied herself by cleaning the already spotless house. “Yeah well I am thirsty again Jasper, so you all go to the party, just don't expect me to be there.” She buried her real reasons for missing the - what was sure to be legendary – party for later when only Drew was around, so she was the only one who knew what havoc was going through her head.

Drew eyed her up momentarily; worried about what she’d do if he left her alone, but she stared back at him with her usual expression, cheerfulness and immaturity. When she heard him make the quick assessment of her, she snorted and said in a fake posh voice, “I am not immature Mr. Drew Tyler.” She walked over and gave him a quick hug then she turned and gave Belle a gentle hug, squeezing her around the waist softly as if she was about to snap Belle in half. When in reality she could. “Candy you will need to come to America soon,” Ashley said as she danced over to Oliver as she gave him a hug. “I will, eventually,” Candice laughed joyously, as she lent in to give Ashley a hug, Candice slipped her phone into Ashley’s back pocket of her pale blue denim jeans when she was certain that no one was looking, “I have a video of Jasper drunk and I don't want him to delete it,” she whispered in her ear, when Ashley just looked confused. After about ten more minutes of hugs and squeals of good-byes, Matt read out the teleporting spell with that all of the visitors were gone, and Candice let out a long breath of air that she didn’t know she was holding in as the house fell silent. *** Candice rolled over to once again glare at her alarmclock which was perched on her dark-wood bedside table. She heaved a serene sigh as she rolled onto her back, running her hands through her hair, clamping her eyes

shut – willing for the oblivion that sleep could give her to come and swoop her off of her feet, as she was sick of thinking. She had came to a bolshie conclusion over the few hours she had been left to her own thoughts as her family began to sieve out of the house. Her conclusion was that she would forget about Aden the very best that she could – and concentrate on the bloke who she had promised herself to love naturally, not as a knee jerk reaction. She was letting her mind wander though, as she slowly began to drift to unconsciousness, about Aden. About what he was doing now, if he had gotten there safely, if he was safe now, if he was thinking about her right now because she was thinking about him. She was also wondering if the psychic mental link between two people once they have made their mark on the other was true of just pure speculation – soul mates were tremendously rare, and when they did occur (every three centuries or so) they wouldn’t declare it for fear like someone like Quincy would find out – and for sure, the soul mate principle was very interesting – but he would turn it into some sort of sadistic science/freak show experiment. ‘Candice is that you?’ she heard the voice ask inside her head, and as an automatic reply she sent another psychic reply back saying‘Of course it’s me Aden – why do you make a habit out of soul mating people?’ “Crap!” Candice exclaimed aloud sitting up straight

suddenly in bed, “no, no, no. This. Can. Not. Be. Happening!” she muttered to herself through grit teeth. Now the (let’s just call the soul mate thing between the pair of them ‘thing,’) thing was real, she couldn’t deny it now it was in her head for good – so it seemed. ‘What am I going to do!’ Candice thought to herself, subconsciously jumping out of bed and pacing her large bedroom, the only steady noise was Candice’s light footprints as she lightly paced around – like a caged animal – and the general murmur that slipped through her grit teeth. ‘I do love Owen I really do – but in a cute-sweet-human kind of way, and I love Aden in the kind of sexy-exotic –forbiddenland-dangerous-mysterious-bad-boy kind of way. But does soul mating over ride the love me and Owen share? I can’t break up with Owen though, it would kill me. But I can’t stand the thought of never seeing Aden again, that would do worse than kill me-’ Mind way through her hysterical mental rant, she distinctly heard the house phone go off somewhere in the background, she just ignored the ringing, until it went straight to voice mail, when she heard Fionas frenzied voice scream out of the machine, “Candice please tell me your there. Answer your phone please please answer your phone! It’s Owen, Alexi and Jayni – someone’s taken them – a daemon-” By that point Candice had heard enough, she had darted down the spiral staircase, and grabbed the phone, “What

happened? Fiona are you okay?” Fiona answered back almost immediately, “I’m fine, they didn’t touch me – but they grabbed Owen, Lexie and Jayni and ran for it, but they were definitely daemon.” “Shit!” Candice exclaimed, “Do Oliver, Jasper and all that know. Ring them now! And erm where are you?” Fiona sounded breathless, “Back entrance of Amo, they already know, Ashley called them – oh and why does Ashley have your phone.” Candice didn’t answer the question, instead she just snapped the phone shut and darted towards the door. *** As soon as Candice arrived at the back entrance, it was obvious that a daemon had taken them – the air was heavy with the daemonic scent – there was a trail of it leading in two paths, one entwining into another, both in the general direction of the Scarlett household. “Who took them?”she heard Oliver ask Fiona, still not expecting any answers, yet asking her all the same. “Some daemon,” she said, shaking her head slightly and closing her eyes, rubbing her temple. “What’s wrong?” Jasper asked her hesitantly, softly touching her arm to spin her around to face him, “do you see anything?” “No,” she said, throwing her head into her hands, “I can’t see a thing – the future isn’t definite, so I can’t see it, but I can tell you that it’s going to rain tomorrow.”

Candice only heard the beginning bit of that conversation; she was too busy trying to pin-point the evil voice she could hear inside her head . . . “Candy!” Evelyn said, shaking her shoulders, “wake up!” “Get lost, lemme think!” Candice grumbled, pushing Evelyn’s hands off of her. “We need to go; we think the trail follows to home.” “NO!” Candice all but yelled, “I need to stay here.” “Candy-” began Carlisle, but Jasper cut him off. “I will stay here with her. You go back to the house.” Carlisle nodded slightly, than he ran into the darkness with the others. The air that surrounded them whispered and pressed against Candice, murmuring in her ear, ‘ you know that the forbidden hold them . . . in deep and dark times we are in now everything changes, and only we cannot come to light.. .’ they sighed around her – their voices being brushed along by the wind soon disappeared but their words were still wrapped around Candys thoughts, squeezing them tighter and tighter – each idea about who had taken her friends more ridiculous than the last. “Candy, what’s wrong? Tell me and we can sort it out honey – you just have to speak,” said Jasper, she knew he was worried about her, but the growing amount of fear and dread in her stomach kept her muted. The cogs working so furiously in her head – she was surprised that Jasper couldn’t hear them whirling around where he was

standing. ‘Where the hell are Lexie, Owen and Jayni?’ thought Candice over and over again, her hands balling in and out of tight fists, her head hurting from a mixture of exhaustion and uncontrolled fear. Fear not for herself – but for her friends. They were who she was afraid for – even though she had a very good – and real – reason to be afraid for herself. Whoever (or whatever) had managed to kidnap Owen, Lexie and Jayni without a trace – and also managed to get past a strong young (admittedly blind) daemon, and yes Fiona was blind but she was still a great fighter, it was like she couldn’t see but her hearing was so much better than the average daemon and she could smell more things in the air, about the same as vampires. But whoever could get past Fiona without even getting a slight injury, more than probably held a threat to her and her family too. Before she could open her mouth to talk to Jasper about what the hell they were going to do now – she heard Jasper fly backwards into several trees, smashing tiny splinters of wood everywhere – but Candice didn’t even get to take a shocked, unnecessary breath in, before she felt a flame hot hand (compared to her ice cold skin, to a human it would seem only a tiny bit hotter than usual) pulling her into the darkness, which was now engulfing the pair of them.

-Chapter 13-

Kidnapper She heard Jaspers distant cry of, ‘Candy!’ before his voice was cut off abruptly. ‘That’s bad,’ she thought, suddenly her mind caught up with her body, anger crept up on helplessness and denial which was for that moment in control. ‘Who’s this pulling her away from Jasper; they needed to find Owen together . . . And Jasper was probably hurt . . . how dare this unknown man take her away from him like that when he needed her help . . .’ “Jasper!” she cried out, but the burning hot hand pressed down on her mouth harder than before, cutting off the little air that she had – and as for her cry she might not have bothered it was so quiet. “Jasper!” she tried again, gaining a bit more volume this time, her arms struggling furiously against the heavy arm that pinned hers to her side. Candice knew that they were moving by the whistling past her ears; messing up her hair worse than it already was. Candys persistent struggling paid off at last, as she managed to get one of her arms free from his grip- she grabbed her kidnappers hand which held her other arm to her side, however before she could spin around and snap his arm off, she felt her head go heavy and sear with pain as something solid and bulky hit the back of her head. With a quiet sound ‘oh’ of surprise Candice fell like a sack of potatoes into her captors arms. He stared down at her and laughed humourlessly, “this is going to be so much fun isn’t it?” than in one

fluid movement, she was hanging limply in his arms, while with his other hand he pulled the white masquerade mask off he had been wearing to disguise himself. He twisted his head up past the trees and glared balefully up at the moon glistening high in the pitch black night sky. While he was glaring at the moonlight he allowed it to caress his shockingly beautiful features and a cruel smile playing on the edge of his lips. In the shimmering light of the moon he reviled that he was Quincy – the cute sadistic psychopath brother of the daemonic trilogy. The Trilogy was nicknamed the princes of darkness from hell itself. And as he looked down on the young unconscious Candice Scarlett, his smile became more prominent as he muttered to himself before carrying on running – “well done Quincy, Lucifer will be pleased, and maybe when he is finished his own experiment she could go for a little practical work.” * The daemonic castle was buzzing, so much so that even the faeries knew about it. Quincy had finally managed it, to find and capture a vampire good for testing, and Lucifer was happy too, this particular vampire was friends with humans – he wanted to see how far that friendship would stretch. Candice opened her eyes a few seconds after a few pairs of rough hands and thrown her in a malodorous and infinitesimal cell. She awoke in time to hear the heavy metal bars cling together and hear the lock twist and click – three times – making sure she had no chance to escape. When Candice was about to leap to her feet and snarl and try to rip the metal bars so she could escape and use those metal bars to beat her captors with, she heard Owens voice call out to her from across the cell as he moved forwards to help her to her feet, she also heard two whimpers of girls behind Owen who she automatically assumed were Lexie and Jayni.

“What? Who? How?” began Candy but she had to many questions whirling around in her head, and her being so thirsty with Owen being so close was definitely a bad idea. “Ah, Miss. Scarlett I was waiting of you to wake, I had begun to think that my brother had hit your head too hard.” Said a loud British voice, his voice echoing the tiny rooms. Candice knew who he was straight away, some of her nightmares had him in – only a few – but enough for her to recognise his voice almost immediately. She only nodded her head in his direction as she hesitantly walked towards the metal bars, “Lucifer,” when she took her first step in the general direction of the metal bars, Owens arm shot out and grabbed her arm, and whispered to her, “Careful they’re not human.” “Hush,” she murmured, “if you have ever trusted me before trust me now, don’t worry right now okay.” Lucifer seemed eager to hear every word as he lent forwards to hear the words of comfort that Candice was offering to her frightened friends. When she finished talking to them she took a few more tentative steps forward, towards Lucifer and his guards. “Ha!” Lucifer exclaimed loudly as soon as Candice was finished, “don't they know? Haven’t you told them about your . . . problem?” Candice cocked her head and said, “It’s no different to yours,” the same time that Lexie spoke up and said, “Told us what Candy?” “Ha!” Lucifer even more gleefully, “So they don’t know! Well I hardly think that’s fair maybe we should let them see the real you.” That was when Candice only got a quick, fleeting glimpse of his thoughts and skittered a few steps back and whispered , “no, please dear god no,” while Lucifers grin widened and he clicked his fingers once and two daemons appeared carrying what looked like a corpse, only Candice knew better, she could hear the slightly

accelerated, unhealthy beat of her heart. She also knew what they were about to do, without even opening the cage they managed to get the poor womans body into the pokey space. While Candice was having a mini argument inside her overcrowded head. She knew what they were going to do. Make that woman draw blood – and part of her repulsed at the very thought about it, while another part of her reeled at the bliss of what human blood could bring, and she was hungry, she hadn’t hunted for over three months which was like an eternity to her. Before she could come to any form of a conclusion inside her head she heard the soft ripping sound that human skin makes as it tears, and the aroma of sweet blood filled the tiny space, she breathed in deeply and without a conscious thought, her sharp white fangs were out and she territorially crouched over the womans body and began to drink the tasty, warm, drug filled blood. As she really begun giving into her more vampiric tendencies, when she heard a shocked, scared and horrified gasp from Owen, Lexie and Jayni, all of which were frozen to the spot with repulsion. However that one little intake of breath brought Candice back to her humane senses. She was meant to be protecting them from her world, not inviting them into it with open arms. She jumped away from the now lifeless woman, with inhuman speed, jumping back into the shadows, her eyes transfixed on her three friend’s faces. She quickly wiped her mouth with her free hand, wiping away the excess blood which had dripped down her face due to her sudden and violent departure. She watched their faces as both Lexie and Jayni’s mouths pop open in little ‘o’ shapes simultaneously. Candice turned away from them, facing the daemonic guard. “Are you happy now?” she asked Lucifer, praying her voice

wouldn’t betray her by showing her signs of fear or repulsion, instead her eyes narrowing dangerously, “you got what you wanted. Let. Them. Go!” Lucifer noticed that Candice didn’t say ‘us’ she said ‘them’ which proves that she was smarter than she let on. “What?” asked Lucifer eagerly, leaning backwards in his chair, “No, the fun hasn’t started yet?” Candice snarled at him, a truly gut wrenching snarl, which Jayni thought was extremely out of place from someone so little. “Tell them everything,” Lucifer ordered, smiling tauntingly at her. She didn’t even bother to reply to him instead she softened her glare and faced her three frightened friends, her eyes transfixed on the floor. “Say it,” Lucifer hissed, clearly enjoying every second, “tell them.” Candice looked like his words were physically binding to her; like she had to tell them or else she’d be in physical pain. “I am a. . . Vampyre,” Candice said, her eyes still stuck on the floor. Her eyes snapped up when she heard Lexie laugh hysterically. “Sure Vampyre, and what Evelyn is a witch is she?” for some reason Lexie’s tone annoyed her. “No, Evelyn is a Vampyre. We all are,” Candice said quietly. Everyone surrounding them were quiet, even Lucifer. The silence seemed to go on until Jayni said, “nu-hu, there are no such thing as vampyres. Things like that aren’t real.” Candice laughed curtly, “what are you saying I’m not real?” then all signs of possible happiness vanished from her face, as she danced over to the bars pressing her face into the grooves of the metal, “look, ‘o’ mighty one,’” she said sarcastically, “I have told them what I am, so let them go.”

Lucifer seemed to be enjoying this more and more, and when his two younger brothers walked in he nearly exploded with glee. “Quincy, Calumn I don't think you have met out guests here?” he said gesturing at the four of them in the cell. Quincy laughed mercilessly while Calumn just looked sick and nodded at them. “What. The. Hell,” Owen said, they were the first words the Owen had said since they had found out what she was and Quincy seemed to be relishing in his words. “Aww, is the pretty boy confused, bless him,” Quincy laughed callously, he quickly dodged out of the way, when Candices arms snapped through the bars, reaching out for his throat, snarling again. “Oohh a bit protective over your pretty boy are we Miss. Scarlett,” he laughed again, and went to stand next to Lucifer and looked at the lifeless corpse lying on the floor of the cells and said with his usual sadistic swagger, “damn Lucifer you started the party without me. Please tell me they don't already know what we are.” “They know what sheis, but not us,” Lucifer laughed and patted Quincy condolingly on the shoulder. Quincy looked up and Lucifer and without saying anything they managed to pass a message to one and other, Quincy smiled and showed off his absurd god like looks. Jayni and Lexie both allowed their jaws to drop when Quincy smiled, he was breathtakingly beautiful, and also extra sadistic compared to his mad brothers. “You want me to tell them everything!” Candice said, shaking her head, Quincys eyes narrowed, and his arms flew through the bars, and before Candice could react his hands were wrapped tightly around her granite throat. “I don't like your tone,” he hissed callously.

Candice didn’t even seem remotely abashed, she just stood still and raised her eyebrows and when she spoke her voice was calm and relaxed, “well I don't like you - there you go we are even,” she pointedly looked down at Quincys hand wrapped around her throat, and said in a slightly more strained voice, “You might wanna let go Quincy, that is if you want to keep both your hands attached that is.” He tightened his grip on her throat for about half a second and said, “you don’t frighten me child,” but then he allowed his grasp to ease around her throat, slowly lowering his arms, his entire body tensed as he took a few steps backwards. Candice skulked a few steps backwards into the darker shadows, massaging her neck; she was pleasantly surprised to see her friends didn’t shun away from her, they still remained as close knit as they would have done before, and it was like a gut reflex reaction, she spoke up, her voice hardly croaking at all, “Don't call me a child, I am older than you by far Quincy.” Quincy laughed teasingly and said cockily, “I have always liked older woman.” Candice grimaced but replied almost as soon as he finished talking, “Strange I always liked humane, optimistic boys; I guess that we just aren’t meant to be.” “I always liked a challenge,” Quincy leered at her. “Yeah well like one – from a distance I hope,” Candice snarled, she was shocked to hear that Owens thoughts were tinged with jealousy, even still. Candice was going to open her mouth with another clever comeback, when she heard Owens stomach rumble noisily, so instead she said, “How about cleaner, more comfortable surroundings, and decent food for the humans?” She made a face, when she heard Owens reaction to her saying, ‘the humans.’

Lucifer laughed gaily and said in fake merriment, “I can do one better. Once you have told the females everything we can let them free.” Candice face was etched with suspicion and disbelief, “Free, no strings attached?” “Yes, I give you my oath that we shall not let them come to any harm on daemon land or by daemon fist, until the fey boarder. I give my oath.” Candice looked sceptical, “that’s a shame, if I trust you we might have something going on here.” Lucifer gestured grandly for them to leave the cells and without anyone moving the cells swung open, a short cold draft making all the humans in the room shiver. “Vampyre,” Quincy said, and then he smiled at the way that word made the twins shudder where they stood, “you first. Come on.” Candice smiled, as if what was going on here was nothing unusual, she laughed in the same way she would have usually done if she was walking out of lessons. The cell took an amazingly long time to cross for the only three humans to cross, that is, compared to the more mythical creatures. When Owen reached the doorway, he say Candy stand square in the middle of the door and not move a muscle. Owens thoughts immediately jumped to the fact that she was protecting them from harm, even though after he saw how strong and inhuman she was, he still felt an irrational urge to protect her instead. When he took a few more steps forward he saw her face contorted in pain, yet she still managed to look breathtakingly beautiful. He heard her breathing slow down, until it was like she was holding her breath, her lips clamped tightly shut, as if she was fighting back a scream.

Quincy’s evil and heartless laugh brought Owen back to earth with a hefty thump. “Aw,” Owen heard his voice through ringing ears, as the rage fumed through him, clearly he was causing Candice pain, and even after everything that happened he still loved Candy, and would do anything to keep her from hurting. Quincys piercing voice continued, carrying through the air like a poisonous fog, “Pretty boy doesn’t like it when the dirty blooddrinker is in pain,” he hissed, “wouldn’t stick around for the rest of the show then mate.” Before Owen could even think, let alone move, Candice made much more of an effort to relax, she tried to bring her shoulders down, but they wouldn’t budge, they were still tense with the mind-blowing pain. But she found she could talk her voice not quiet natural, but still natural enough to make it sound as if she had a slight head-ache. “Are you going to make us stand here all day? Or are you going to invite me in or not? It doesn’t bother me either way – but I should warn you humans get tired,” she managed to say calmly, yet her face was still contorted in pain, however she was determined to make it fade from her expression, she wouldn’t let them cause her pain. “You have to ask nicely,” Quincy goaded her, standing just out of her arms length reach. Candice pursed her lips together as she felt the wetness of the blood gathering in her eyes drip slowly down her cheek, leaving a pink stained trail behind it, another gash opened above her eyebrow, making her wince and re-clench her lips together, fighting back another terrifying silent scream. “Quincy, that is enough, don't you want to have your fun later?

You can’t if she’s dead,” Lucifer reminded Quincy, his sexy British accent making Lexie and Jaynis heartbeat increase in spite of themselves. “Of corse, Princess Candice I invite you to any and every room in the castle,” Quincy yawned as if the whole thing was boring him. “Move – now,” Lucifer ordered giving Jayni a hard push forwards, making Candy snarl and mutter something intangible under her breath, but she didn’t turn around, instead she dropped her step back with her human friends. Knowing Lucifer wouldn’t goad her to walk any faster. In 3 minutes, in what really felt like three hours for the three humans – surrounded by things that they didn’t even know existed, probably never imagined either, while just to Candice the trip across the extravagant and frightening castle felt far too short, she had to work out what she was going to say to them and how they were going to get out, that was her main priority, a part of her aching head was reserved for feeling sorry for herself, but even after a quick second that was swallowed by what would happen to Lexie, Jayni and Owen if she didn’t get them out. That was her main problem, she had to get them out of here alive, and ‘after all,’ she reasoned with herself, making herself feel guiltier and more determined by the second, ‘it’s my fault they’re in here, in this mess I will make them safe. I will.’ She vowed silently. When they finally got to their designated room, Calumn meekly opened the doors, it was clear that he was very much against this plan, but he also knew that there was no point arguing with his brothers, two against one, without even thinking about it too hard it’s clear who’d win. When the doors flung open there was a flurry of movement in the huge glass room. The old, oak wooden doors creaked as they were opened and all of the faces in that room

swivelled to see the newcomers, and one face shone like a lost star from the sea of all the others. A face only she recognised out of all her friends, and that face clearly recognised Candice, she could taste his emotions from the other side of the room and she was alarmed with the thought that he would do something stupid. His emotions tasted like Cinnamon, basil and vanilla. Anger, worry and jealousy. All intensified, by more than she had ever seen in her three hundred years. She felt happy to see his face once again before she died, because there was not a chance of her getting out alive, but she would die if she had too, just to get Jayni, Lexie and Owen out. She stared at his face for one more second before walking forward, she was careful, and although (guiltily) his face shone in her mind like a lit up photograph, she wouldn’t risk staring at him any longer, she wouldn’t get him killed too. It was Aden. His mind only had just enough self-control to walk orderly out of the room when he was ordered to go so, he had to fight the urge to pick Candice up and carry her away from all the evil and all the darkness in the world. To keep her safe and tucked up forever. He walked right out the West Tower and over to the North courtyard to where his brother was stationed. Aden needed help and he needed it quick, his willpower was wavering as he heard the doors crash shut behind him. He needed help to get Candice out alive and although she would probably never love him the way he loved her, Aden didn’t care, he will give his life to her, just to see her live on. He quickened his step and was at the courtyard before the conversation was even started in the hall of mirrors.

-Chapter 13Walking talking mythical creature Dear diary, er a slight problem, I am a bit busy however if I survive, I shall write a long and in depth account of my marvellous and exciting time with the Trio. Candice X ‘Ow, ow, ow!’ she yelled, severely pissed off by the shard of glass in her hand, she shook her hand, and hopped to the wall. ‘You annoying piece of -’ she started, but Quincy cut through her, ‘Don’t waste your energy. I need you conscious for the next one.’ (SORRY THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN MISSING)

-Chapter fourteen-

Cruel to be kind

Candice tried to roll over as she opened her eyes, but she felt the cold, metal shackles dig into her wrists, she vaguely registered the pain as a few drops of blood oozed from the deep cuts in her raw wrists. “What?” she muttered, flexing her fingers and trying to pull her bloody wrists out of the manacles, “why am I here? How?” her question trailed off to a standstill as Quincy walked over to her, she tried to jump up and rip out his throat, but the chains pinned her to the floor. An animalistic scream pierced the air as Candice carried on trying to grab Quincy, only to get pinned back on her back. “Ha,” Quincy laughed at her quietly, “how does it feel – the pain?” he mused while towering above her; “I suppose it’s unusual for you to feel this much pain – tell me, do you like it?” “Get off of me! Lemme go Quincy. NOW!” she yelled, pink stained tears running down her black cheeks. Quincy fell to his knees – so he was crouching by her head, his hand flew out and he sweetly wiped the bloody tears away, “no, don't cry little Princess Scarlett, or else I will think you’re not having fun here.” Candice tried with all of her might to stop the torrent of tears that were now falling down her cheeks relentlessly as she instinctually tried to bite his hand as it rested on her cheeks. “Hhmm if you’re not happy then let’s have some more fun?” Quincy laughed manically, that's when Candice remembered the strange dreams she had, the one when Owen was killed then she was taken to this dark and damp room where she was held

prisoner, than Calumn showed up and told her he was sorry, then he scurried out of the room before the darkness overtook her and Quincy waltzed back in. “Up,” he ordered her, he stood up himself and waited for her impatiently, Candy moved her arms hesitantly, that's when she realised that the cuts weren’t the only thing which was aggravating her wrists – there was a burning red-hot sensation threatening to make her pass out again, the sensation has also spread to her left cheek. But she didn’t have time to think about all the pain she was feeling no, instead she concentrated on standing up, which drained her completely of all of her energy she had managed to scrape up. “Owen,” she whispered through clenched teeth, stumbling backwards a few steps away from Quincy. “Oh, you mean that pretty boy; you know you could’ve done so much better than him.” “Could’ve?” Candice’s voice felt hoarse against her burning throat, “what do you mean I could’ve?” “He’s dead,” Quincy stated pleasantly, she watched Candice’s face go into first shock then sadness, but he grabbed her by the waist and threw her into the unlit black chandelier. Candy fell limply to the floor, and as she struggled to get up, her eyes flickering pathetically as she managed to prop herself up onto her elbows while she tried to escape Quincy. “You’re so cute,” Quincy called out, as his foot collided with her metal hard stomach kicking her into the cold and dirty black bricked walls. “I really like you,” he said crouching down, so he was face to face with her, “this could be fun,” his hand gripped around her waist, ignoring Candices feeble protests, he threw her across the room, but instead of her crashing into the assortment of equipment which he

had splayed out across the floor. Instead she landed in the arms of one very angry daemon. She landed in the arms of Aden. Aden Ferrell. “Aden? What the hell...” she murmured, trying to push herself out of his arms, finding a sudden burst of energy so she managed to set herself upright, stepping a few steps backwards. “Very funny, I have already said the guard can have a go with her if she survives in here, so back down now daemon,” Quincy ordered, his eyes narrowing dangerously, striding forwards with his arms outstretched, ready to snatch Candice at a moment’s notice, but Aden was a few steps ahead of him and he pushed Candice behind him and said equally as dangerously “No, you won’t hurt her anymore.” “You will stop me will you boy?” “If I have too,” he said quietly, Candice whimpered from behind his back despite herself. Quincy ran forwards, but Aden put his hands out and pushed him away from the pair of them with such force that Quincy was pushed back, his head hit heavily hit the wall, Quincy slid onto the floor. “Run,” Aden whispered into Candy’s ear. Candice moved two steps backwards, but she realised that she had to either run now or Quincy would regain his strength and call more powerful members of their armyand they would be captured, and not only would Candice die – but she would have dragged Aden to his death just like Owen. She pushed her way out of the door and ran blindly, hearing crashes and smashes from Quincy’s torture room, however she just carried on running, through doors, up stairs, pushing her way up;

jumping over obstacles, trying to put as much distance from herself and Quincys room. Until she found an open window, she pulled herself up, ignoring the fact that as she pulled herself into the fresh cool air, the burning on her cheek and wrists didn’t cease, instead they hurt more. She ran faster into the dark forest which surrounded the castle, protecting it from prying eyes, just as she reached the edge of the huge cliff top, she ran smack bang into a strong pair of daemonic arms, his hands wrapped like shakels around her wrists, restraining her from hitting his chest further. “Please get off me,” she whispered while trying to get away, hitting his chest further, yet he wasn’t taking even a small step away from her. “Calm down Candy, it’s me – Aden,” he said in her ear, releasing her hands and giving her a bone crunching hug, “you need to calm down alright? We are safe, I just wanna check you out before I call Jasmine, okay?” “Right yeah okay,” she muttered, rubbing away the fallen tears from her grubby face, she glanced at the wetness on her fingers distractedly, “damn.” “What,” he asked her concernedly. “What did he give me?” she asked him softly, breathing deeply. “I’m not sure, something that made you a big more human – see,” he pointed at her bloody wrists, “you’re not healing as quick as usual.” “Oh, I thought I had finally managed to cry.” Aden half smiled and pulled a small torch light out of his pocket, and aimed it at her eyes. “Follow the light,” he ordered her. She laughed, but complied all the same, “My pupils are both dilated, which means my eyes don't react to light, which also means

I am dead,” she smiled pleasantly, when she smiled it felt like Aden’s heart was going to break out of his ribcage at any moment, she literally took his breath away. “Oh yeah,” he laughed sheepishly, after he put the little torch back into his pocket. He hesitantly lifted his hand up to Candice’s cheek and began to try and brush the dirt away, and too see if the beautiful and exotic spiral pattern was real. “What?” she asked him, he noted that she had finally stopped shaking. “Nothing,” he said quickly. Too quickly. But before Candy could open her mouth to protest, he said, “come on, I will call Jasmin-” “Who’s Jasmin?” she asked wearily, rubbing her temples. “My sister – she is in hiding, more so that Fiona. But she wants to help.” He pulled a small phone out of his back pocket, that's when Candice really noticed what the daemon guard were wearing; they were wearing slightly baggy, dark brown leather trousers, with tenodd pockets all over them. Nothing on the top half of their bodies, apart from a thin strip of leather which held a long, threatening samurai sword and a few little daggers. Aden noticed her look at them, “Lucifer likes them, he says they look threatening,” he chuckled at the bewildered expression on Candy’s face, then he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone. ‘Jazz we are out-” ‘What’s going on? Is Candy out too? Everyone here is so worried – is she okay?-’ Aden half smiled, ‘Jasmin, shut up for a minute, we are at the top off Dead Man’s Hill can you come and get us?’ ‘What?! Sure of course, be right there.’

The phone went dead, and almost as soon as Aden’s phone was back in his pocket, a tall girl appeared; she was wearing a dark purple off-the-shoulder top, which plain black jeans, and a pair of Armani flats. Her long black hair was slightly curly and frizzy, where it was obvious she hadn’t straightened it, and she looked slightly breathless. “Come on,” she said, frustrated as she placed her hands out in front of her – both Aden and Candice placed their hands on top of hers. Then the three of them just disappeared. Candice felt all the air leave her body, as if she had just been winded, then about a second and a half of darkness, then she was in the middle of her very own front room. “Candy!” Jasper cried, he ran forwards and grabbed her in a bone crunching hug, “are you okay?” he assessed her quickly, “why aren’t you...healing...” His sentence trailed of and he was just standing there and openly gawking at her cheek, a look of pure shock covered his usually calm features. “What,” Candice demanded feebly, “Jasper I have had a really long – well forever – and I don’t need any more bloody riddles, so can someone please tell what the hell YOU ARE ALL STARING AT!” she ended up yelling. Stephanie wordlessly handed Candice one of the many mirrors from her bag. Candice sighed and just held the white gold mirror, with ruby’s laced through the beautiful frame work, limply in her hands. “Steph, I have just spent god knows how long in a torture cell with a complete nutcase, before that I had to watch my boyfriend die, so I think my hair is allowed to be a bit shitty.” “But you have a-” Oliver began to say, but Evelyn cut over him,

her voice uncharacteristically sharp. “Shut up!” “But there’s a massive-” Jason tried to say. “Jason for god’s sake - I said SHUT UP!” “But Candy has a massive scar across her cheek that isn’t healing!” they both blurted out at the same time. “Way to tell her gently, you idiots,” Nikki muttered. “You say what!?” Candice yelled, “OMMFG, why aint it going! It should be going, what if it don’t go?!” “Candy, calm down,” began Jada, but Candy’s hysterics cut over her words of comfort. “Calm down!? CALM DOWN!?! You want me to calm down! You try having a horrible, great big, pretty, swirly scar. . .” Candice spoke softly, murmuring comforting words to herself as her fingers lightly danced over her scar. Jasmine looked over Jason’s hovering shoulder and had a proper look at Candice’s scar – it wasn’t that much like a scar, and it was receding, it wasn’t as large, or as protruding as it was when Jasmine had fist seen her, but there was no doubt that it would never heal. The ‘scar’ was a pale blue/purple colour, and they way it stuck out and the way it was formed made it look more like an expensive, unique, tribal tattoo. The ‘scar’ was like a jagged, spiral shape, it looked quiet neat and purposeful, it was obvious that Quincy hadn’t done it, so it would look like that – at least not intentionally. “Do you have schizophrenia?” Jason asked Candice after a few seconds of silence. Candice snapped out of her dreamy, revere, a cheeky grin spreading across her face, looking a lot like the old Candice, admittedly a bit grubbier, but her none the less. “Jase, why would I have schizophrenia?” she asked him

amusedly. “Because a minute ago you was all, ‘AAGGHHH I AM GOING TO DIE I HAVE A GREAT BIG SCAR,’ now you’re like, ‘it’s so pretty, if feel like a princess!’” Candice scowled, “If you can carry on I will hit your head so hard that I will make you believe that you are a four year old princess. Got it?” Jason just nodded, “I think I will shut up now.” “Yeah if I were you I would too,” Aden laughed. “It’s really beautiful,” Jasper whispered, tracing the intricate patterns across her cheek, “just like you, gorgeous, unique and somewhat freaky.” Candice smiled and stuck her tongue out to Jasper, who laughed and walked over to sit next to Fiona. “Are you alright?” asked Aden seriously, he was obviously concerned about something. “Me? I am fine, dandy, over the moon,” she laughed weekly, but despite her happy exterior, she felt her knees give out due to tiredness, but before she hit the ground, she felt two pairs of strong hands grip her waist and shoulders, and tenderly carried her over to the oversized couch and laid her down, she felt both Ely and Jada’s hands probing softly around her head. Candice tried to sit up, but Ely’s hands lightly pushed her back down. “I am fine-” she begun, but Jasper cut over her. “Shouldn’t she go to the hospital?” Jada’s hands never stopped making sure she was okay; she pulled down the bottoms of Candice’s eyelids to expose the whites – just to check. “That’s stupid,” Aden snorted, “how can she go to the hospital, she’s technically dead you know.”

“No – you don't say,” Jasper retorted. “Shut-up. Aden’s right Jasper, but thanks you for your concern. I am fine,” she asserted, pulling herself into a sitting position. “I am fine,” she repeated, “I would just about die for a bath though.” “Candice are you sure you’re okay?” Brandon asked. Candice sighed angrily. “Can I go?” she repeated. “Jayni and Alexi are upstairs sleeping,” Carlisle began but he was interrupted by two gentle knocks on the door, and Jayni saying in a faint voice. “No they’re not. We’re here.” Before Jayni had even finished talking Alexi had flown across the room and given Candice a bone crunching hug. “Are you okay?” she asked. “I am fine, look Jayni, Alexi I need to talk to you guys about Owen. . .” Candice fell silent by the looks on their faces. “We already know,” Jayni choked, “that nice bloke – your brother,” she nodded towards Aden, “he said that Owen was as good as dead.” “Sorry,” Aden muttered. Both Jayni and Alexi took a deep breath in before saying at exactly the same time, “look we are majorly pissed that you didn’t tell us the truth Candy but we are willing to forgive you only if you tell us everything now.” Candice went to open her mouth to agree, but Jasper cut over her as per usual, “you’re tired, you should talk them in the morning.” Candice growled and sat down and softly pat the chair, gesturing for them to sit down opposite her. ‘Can you read my mind?’ Jayni thought curiously. “Yeah that’s me. The mind reader,” Candice smiled slightly. “Oh, don't worry - don't say goodbye,” Candice yelled over her

shoulder as everyone apart from Aden left the room to give her some privacy with Jayni and Alexi. Aden was staring at Candice with the same intensity as he was in the Hall of Mirrors and it had the same effect on Candy as it did then. “Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Alexi. “Would you’ve believed me?” she asked again as she shook her head, then she sighed, “are you sure you want to know the truth. Everything? And by that I mean everything.” Jayni didn’t hesitate before she answered, “I want to know the truth, and I won’t judge you, or anyone else. Y’all are still the same people, just special.” Candice snorted the same time as Aden and she struggled to stop herself from turning around, she wanted to look at the expression on his face. If felt like every second he wasn’t with her and they weren’t together - was a second closer to her true death. “Special,” Candice carried on, acting as if she couldn’t feel Aden’s eyes burning into the back of her head as she spoke, “that's one thing we have never been described as.” Jayni smiled, “knowing you I am sure you have been called a great deal of things.” “Truth?” Candice asked hesitantly. “Truth,” Jayni agreed, ignoring Alexi trembling slightly next to her. Candice sighed and leaned forwards, rubbing her head as she spoke. “Well as you saw today Daemons and Vampyer’s don't really get on to well,” Candice saw the question coming before Jayni had even asked it, “the feud started ages ago – before I was even born – and is escalated from there. So both Vampyers and Daemons have their

own royalty I suppose. You have already met the Trinity, i.e. Princes of Hell – literally. And the Vampyer royalty is the Elders, but they are way way to complicated and detailed for me to get into – it’s like a completely different story. Anyway, we came here to hide from them, the daemons. For about two, maybe three, hundred years they have been hunting Vampyer’s, ever since the fourth Prince Marcus died. . .” Candice mused in silence for a few seconds before carrying on. “But anyway, as you have also seen today that some Vampyer’s try to be good, and some Daemon’s do too,” she added on the end. Jayni smiled and asked curiously, “But Vampyer’s are meant to burn in the sunlight – or sleep during the day in coffins. And not show up in photos or mirrors and everything.” Candice shrugged, “they’re just stories. Myths from when more mystical creatures walked alongside humans without fear. Only when we,” she struggled for the right word, “when we showed them our full potential, people got scared and made up their own stories to make us more scary , or to make them feel more safe – that's probably where us burning in the sunlight comes from.” “How do you become a Vampyer, is it like. . .” trailed off Jayni. “Yes they have to be bitten, or venom has to enter their bodies somehow,” Candice struggled, trying to explain it in a way which would make them understand but also not scare them. “Okay it’s like this, when a Vampyer’s venom enters the bloodstream, it kills off all the red blood cells, that's why the transformation is a bit painful. But – you know that the red blood cell carries the oxygen around the body – well we need fresh blood every two-to-three months or else we go mad or die, or whatever we do.” “But I have seen you bleed, you know that day we was messing

around at the ‘Dark Lights,’ that club where you got totally hammered, and you fell over outside you cracked your head open when you fell over. . .” Jayni said inarticulately under her breath. “I had fed the day before. The more human blood we have, the stronger and healthier we are, but the gap between us and humanity widens. Every time you feed you lose some of it, until one day it’s all gone,” Candice said sombrely shaking her head. “Do you kill us humans then?” asked Alexi, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. “No, no, no,” Candice said hurriedly. “We hunt animals and occasionally have blood from a blood bank, only that makes us weaker if a human spills blood in our presence. “ Candice yawned and put her head in her hands beginning to feel ill and dizzy – it was as if Aden could sense how uncomfortable she was feeling as he lifted her up into his arms in half a second saying to Jayni and Alexi, “I think that Candy just needs some rest." “I think you should put me down before I hit you,” she said calmly, beginning to struggle in his arms, but then her eyes unwillingly began to close as she realised that she was sleepier than she had noticed . . . Candice rolled over once or twice, moaning slightly between clenched teeth before the perfect bliss of the quietness, darkness and unconsciousness overwhelmed her. ‘It wasn’t your fault you know,’ Aden said to Candice physically. ‘God, won’t you leave me alone?’ She moaned, ‘I am asleep. F.Y.I I don't want to be disturbed.’ ‘You were the one calling me from your dreams,’ he said back to her smugly. ‘You do all sorts of crazy things when you have just been tortured by a

sadistic Daemon and when you’re unconscious.’ ‘When will you learn that you love me?’ ‘When I actually do love you.’ ‘I can read your mind when we are like this, so I know the truth Candice,’ he reminded her. ‘Well stop it!’ she snapped, as she pulled herself out of unconsciousness. She ran a hand over her hair for a minute, vainly hoping that Owen’s death was all just a bad dream, but as she traced a hand over her scar, tattoo, cut thing she realised it wasn’t. She realised it was real, and Owen was dead.

-Chapter fifteen-

Love me or hate me I walked into class just as the register was being called out. There was a moment of absolute perfect silence as all head swivelled to watch my stunning entrance. And for once it wasn’t to see what the most popular or most feared girl was wearing, or what colour I’d dyed my hair, or whether or not I was being escorted to my classes by the headmistress (aah good times). They all stared because they thought I’d changed over the past few weeks because life had crapped all over me and they’d be able to see it all over my face. Like the tracts of all the tears that I so didn’t cry would have worn grooves into my cheeks and that I would walk in keeping my head down and my mouth shut. Wrong. The minute you show any sign of weakness in the human, teenage world, they start circling around you like sharks – or vampires – that’ ve just smelt blood in the water. So I pasted on my trademark supercilious smile and danced over to my empty seat next to Ella. There was an audible sigh of disappointment from the entire class, even the teacher. But did I let that affect me? No. I had become accustomed to the thought everyone in this school would give their right arm just to see my fail – not that some humans didn’t like me – but most of them hated my perfectness and they would give anything to be just as flawless. If only they knew the real price I had to pay to become like this. But they don't, and I

don't plan on telling them any time soon. The fierce whispers trailed behind me for the rest of the day. I was kind of used to that though. Not because I was the nastiest girl in school or even the cleverest. All those A-grades were the result of three hundred years worth of school – nothing else – not natural talent. No, my place was at the top of this inconsequential school’s pecking order. The way that I see it is that it’s like one of those big cat things on the Discovery channel. It’s eat or be eaten. It’s not right and it’s not fair. But I am the queen of the rumour anyway. Of the hidden insult. Of the quick nudge wink and a smirk. And that’s how I rule the school. Hang on, I have changed my mind, maybe it’s not so much big cats, but more mindless stupid sheep who will follow the person who is right up there, and as soon as there is a new leader, people turn their backs on you and you realise that they aren’t friends. Or at least not real ones. I had been keeping my head down for these first few periods – I was still coasting the wave of my new found notoriety as ‘The Girl Who Lost Her Boyfriend’ – which meant people stayed away from me if they knew what was good for them – so I was a little surprised when Sophie herself came tripping over to our own little table at lunchtime. I lifted my head from my plate filled with unappetizing wilted turkey salad, gave her a bit of my patented evil eye and went back to talking to Stephanie. “It’s black with this tiny red geometric print,” I explained trying to describe to her the really cool skirt I had brought on the weekend, “it’s like Marc Jacobs via New Look.” “Sounds cool,” Stephanie said, slanting her eyes over at Sophie who was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Trust me it really is, but I don't know if I have anything that will

go with it. . .” “Candice, can I talk to you for a minute?” I could, of course, hear Sophie perfectly but I carried on extolling the virtues of the skirt to Stephanie, like it was the only thing on my mind. Wrong. “Look Candice, I think we should try and clear the air or something.” Stephanie smiled thinly, “Hey, Candy, did you just hear a weird squeaking noise?” I’ve spent over three hundred years perfecting the best ever nonchalant shrug that I gave, “Maybe it was just your imagination Steph, I didn’t hear anything.” Sophie must have had a total death wish because she pulled out the empty chair next to me and sat down. Worse than that, she touched my arm and tugged at my brand new, black, nine hundred pound, Kenzo leather jacket. I just stared at her stubby fingers curled around my sleeve and very gently shook my wrist out of her grasp. I mean I didn’t want to break any of her fingers. Well . . . “What happened last term. . . We both did stuff. . . Y’know and I thought. . .” she was giving me nothing but a word salad before she exhaled angrily, “For god’s sake Candice I am trying to apologise here!” “Are you going to manage a complete sentence before the bell goes?” I rested my chin on the back of my hand, and watched her bottom lip tremble, “what are you apologizing for exactly?” I taunted her. I could hear her mentally count to ten, even though she got stuck around five, before answering me. “I thought we could forget what happened and I have wanted to tell you all day that I am really

sorry about Owen.” “What about him? What are you sorry about?” She laughed nervously and looked at Stephanie for some clarification, but Stephanie was staring at her chocolate bar as if it was about to break into song. “I’m sorry about Owen,” she repeated, “about what happened.” “You should be,” I said softly. “’Cause if you think about it, it was your fault really.” It was really interesting to watch the colour drain out of her face as if someone had adjusted her contrast button. “That’s a terrible thing to say,” she gasped, her red lip-gloss even more garish against her blanched skin. “I thought you’d be different.” I knew too well she did. Everyone did. They wanted me to be soft and weak so they could stop being scared of me. Well they were going to have a long long wait. “Well I’m not,” I said finally, feeling my top lip curl with disdain and the bitch goddess tone edge into my voice. “Business as usual. Now why the hell are you still sitting there?” Sophie scrubbed her hand over her eyes which were leaking tears, as usual. “Your boyfriend died!” she screeched, ensuring that everyone in the canteen was now giving us their undivided attention – great. “And if you weren’t such a heartless bitch then you’d be upset about it. I put my hand to my heart and made an ‘ouch’ face, like I was actually bothered. “Listen sweetie, so I’m one boyfriend down – that doesn’t change the fact that you are a desperate, fugly, slut who no one actually likes. Sucks to be you more huh?” She was rooted to the spot, opening her infamous mouth of hers as wide as it would go. Didn’t look like she was going to be moving anytime soon, which made it easier to nudge the half full open

bottle of tomato ketchup with my elbow as I got up so she was drenched in a horrible, sticky deluge of bright red droplets which soaked her skanky, slightly see through, high wasted white skirt. “You should know, wearing ketchup really isn’t a good look,” I advised her gathering up my sunglasses and bag. “You bitch,” she breathed as if she couldn’t quite believe that I’d just given her a tomato sauce shower. Stephanie bumped her shoulder as she brushed past her. “I really should totally go and tell Oliver and tell him about what you said about Owen,” she hissed. When Stephanie said that, I had to smother a hysterical laugh which was threatening to break though and shatter my ‘bitch face.’ I loved the fact that people in this school felt afraid and nervous around Oliver, he was harmless, but the humans here only stared at him and all his muscle was slightly terrifying – if you didn’t know him that was. As I slowly made my exit through the canteen, it occurred to me that I had something to thank Sophie for because now the other girls weren’t feeling sorry for me. They were all looking at me as if they were scared that it would be their turn next. Now thoselooks I knew how to handle. I slipped into the into the dance block without anyone noticing me, well apart from Stephanie, but it looked like for once she understood and she swore on her D&G shoes she wouldn’t tell Jasper where I was. I dumped my bag on the floor by the door as I locked it shut using all four locks, making sure that no one could come inside. I slowly danced over to the surround sound system MP3 player and put my all time favourite Likin Park song on, and I began to dance around the room, trying to concentrate on the song’s lyrics, not the

thoughts buzzing all around my head. After about five songs, I heard Jasper say behind me, “You look beautiful,” which nearly gave me a god damned heart attack (not the easiest thing in the world to do) as I didn’t hear him enter. “Jeeze Jasper you just scared the B-Jesus outta me, please quit doing that.” Jasper smiled and walked towards me, I knew what was coming, and I also knew that I couldn’t avoid this any longer. Everyone at home was worrying about me – even Oliver. “Are you okay?” he asked me. I plastered on another superficial smile, and laughed trying to be carefree. It would have worked with Stephanie, or possibly Jada, but not Jasper. He was too god damned perspective. “Tell me,” Jasper growled, the corner of his mouths pulling up into a tight smile. “I am fine. Honest to god – it’s just. . .” I trailed off, I didn’t know whether to tell him or not. Yes I trust Jasper with my life. And yes Jasper knows me through and through, but some things I just keep close. The Owen thing was one of those many things, so I stayed silent. Jasper was still hanging on of an answer, he always did, I nearly blurted out what was wrong, when I heard Oliver yell out from the window “What Jasper means is your acting too god damned grown up!” “Oliver!” I cried, totally shocked. Yes, I always knew he was stupid, but still. He was hovering out of a second story window, where any human could stroll along and see him. “Get in here you twat!” Oliver rolled his eyes, but he complied none the less, nearly hitting his head on the rotting window frames, “you sound like mum,” I heard him mumble under his breath.

When the two of them were standing next to one and other, I put my hands on my hips, “What the hell do you mean – that I act too grown up? I act the same as I always do.” “Yeah, sure,” Oliver said patronisingly, putting his hands on his hips, copying me, “but when was the last time you got drunk?” I sighed, I knew what they were going on about, but I wasn’t about to admit it, so instead I said defensively “I have been busy.”

Both

Jasper and Oliver clearly thought that it was an inadequate answer, because Oliver carried on regardless, “since when have you been too busy to get drunk?!” “Since, I grew up!” I yelled as I finally lost my temper. Which I regretted almost imminently. Both Oliver and Jasper looked shocked and sighed, while I simply just scowled at them. “Hang on,” Oliver said; rolling his eyes as he started to fly around the room, “I thought Jasper was meant to be the big, bad, boffin, grown up out of you two.” I shrugged nonchalantly, and smiled sheepishly at them, “I’m not that grown up . . . am I?” “Well. . .” Oliver trailed off, smiling at her as he began to do monkey bars on the low down lights, which were dotted all over the ceiling. “Hhmm,” I muttered to myself disgruntled at the idea that I might actually be growing up for real, when I asked Jasper a weird kind of question. “Have I had my sweet sixteenth yet?” “I don’t think so . . . why?” he asked her suspiciously. “Because I was thinking, how about Saturday? I mean a proper proper bad ass party.” “Do you want to really? Not just because you’re growing up and trying to cling desperately to your youth?”

“Jasper, I am Candice Scarlett, I don't ever plan to grow up.” “Saturday?” “Saturday,” I confirmed, as I leaped backwards, and Oliver crashed on the floor with a loud bang and smash, holding a broken light. “Oops,” he laughed. “No shit Oliver, oops.” I laughed with him.

-Chapter sixteen-

Seven minutes in hell I’m having a HUGE Sweet 16th at my house On the Saturday the 19th of November and YOU are ALL invited. Come to 56 Kernexion Road at any time after 9pm. Its 9-whenever we are sober, you’d better come. Candice Scarlett XOXO “What if no one comes?” Candice worried, running from room to room, checking the already perfect shocking purple decorations. The bright lights making her, scarily pale skin turn different colours. “Well if no one else turns up, at least we can have our very own party here!” Ashley called out from the front room. “Happy sweet sixteenth Candy!” “Aww thanks Ash” Candice laughed as she ran into the living room and gave Ashley a tight hug. “Wow! You look amazing!” Ashley exclaimed, as she went to place the scarily large, over bowed present on the table. “What you saying I don’t look amazing normally?” Candice laughed, sitting down on the soft, vanilla coloured, leather sofa.

Candice looked over her shoulder as she heard Jason stop in the doorway, when she looked at him, his mouth popped in a little ‘o’ shape, his eyes wide with what looked like surprise, staring straight at Candice. “Jase shut your mouth or you will attract flies,” Matt said as he walked in, but Matt froze as well and stood in the marble arch doorway next to Jason, with his mouth open as well. ‘Who’s she?’ Brandon wagged his eyebrows. Jasper slapped his arm, and mumbled in a low voice; ‘It’s Candice.’ ‘Oh...’ “What are you looking at?” she asked them, turning around a few times, trying to see what Jase, Matt and now Brandon were staring at so vividly. “What?” she repeated. Nikki walked inside, wearing a short pale pink silk dress, with a black high wasted belt, flaunting her curves perfectly. She stopped at the same place as the two boys for about half a second, and her mouth also popped open, but she regained control of herself as she glided forwards towards Candice, tightly holding her tiny present in her hand. “Pay her a complement and get over it,” Nikki said irritably, giving Candice a soft hug, making great care not to crease her own baby pink dress. “Pay me a what? You look great by the way,” Candice said to Nikki. “You do too Ash.’ Ashley beamed. ‘Wait they’re staring at me?!” “You look bloody amazing,” Jason said, as he began to fly up in the air. ‘Didn’t recognise you at first. Was about to give you my number – but now it’d be weird – I should stop talking?’ ‘Yeah... could ya get down? Humans will be in the zone in a

couple...” Candice ordered half-heartedly, quickly catching her present which Jason threw at her. “Aww man, why did you invite Humans?” Jason moaned, slowly drifting down towards the ground. “Because I have Human friends Jase, deal with it,” she laughed. “Wow!” Drew said under his breath as he walked in, hand in hand with Belle. ‘You look amazing Candy.’ Belle complimented her. Belle’s velvet voice had already entranced others around her, as her breath floated around the air, they realised she looked stunning. She was wearing a beautiful deep scarlet dress, which just reached her knees, and her hair hung around her face in elaborate angel curls making her eyes pop out of her pale face. “Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't look any different from usual,” Candice scowled. “You do, you look beautiful,” Jasper whispered in her ear as he appeared behind her, wrapping his hands around her waist. “Are you saying I don't look beautiful normally, I think you’re all insulting me!” she chuckled under her breath. “Hi guys. How are y’all?” But Candice did look different to normal; she was wearing shocking green tutus, with an outrageously tight leather corset, laced up at the back, tight leather leggings, and a really really high pair of green and black lacy high heels, which made her almost as tall as Drew. Her hair was poker straight at the front, with a shocking green alice band, while the back of her hair was backcombed, and styled into an elaborate style mess. Her eyes were rimmed with pure black charcoal, which made her eyes look bright, bright turquoise, alight with happiness and excitement. “Open your present now!” Jason ordered, precariously standing

on the back of the sofa, behind Candice. “Now? I was going to open them later,” she began, but then she remembered that the point of tonight was to get as drunk as possible, and become normal again (maybe not normal, but well . . . you know what I mean). “Give us the prezzie Jase.” “Nikki chose it,” he said immediately, worried she won’t like it. “Of course I will like it Jase,” Candice said as she opened it, smiling kindly at him. Once she ripped of the gorgeous wrapping paper, she opened a beautiful black silk pouch and pulled out an white gold necklace, which had an stunning huge real black diamond on the end, carved into an spiky heart shape, with white gold loops and spirals inside the diamond, making it look exotic and supernatural. For once Candice was speechless. “Do you like it?” prompted Brandon. “Like it?” Candice said incredulously, “like it? I bloody love it! This must have cost you an arm and a leg!” “Well actually – just an arm - but you like it though, right?” asked Jason. “Duh,” she said adoringly, pouncing on Jason and giving him a kiss on the cheek, “thank you so so much!” before jumping back on the couch. “Open my present. Open my present,” chanted Ashley as she shoved the large, purple gift bag in Candice’s hands. “Jeeze pushy much,” she mumbled as she ripped the tissue paper off, to reveal a loud scream from Candice. “Oh my GOD! Ashley I love you so much, oh my mofo god! I can’t believe it, next season limited edition Kurt Geiger shoes!” “I knew you would love it!” squealed Ashley, blabbering to Candice about the shoes, which made Candice grin even wider and

she began to dance around the room, holding the indigo, swayed, stiletto ankle boots, singing, “I got a pair of Kurt Geiger shoes, ha ha ha ha ha! YOU’RE SOOO JEALOUS!!!” Jasper laughed at her, ‘Funnily enough. I don't wear Kurt Geiger shoes.’ And he calmly added, ‘the first Humans are soon to be here, what song should we put on to welcome then in?’ he smirked. ‘Er,’ she pondered for a moment before she said, running behind the Dj booth, flicking her fingers through hundreds of CDs, ‘Escape the Fate, It’s Just Me, that oughta welcome them in,’ she smiled mischievously, before flicking the bright lights on and putting the white and purple strobe lights on, and turning the music up deafeningly loud, before saying, quietly, yet everyone (apart from Belle) could hear her laugh, “let the party begin biyatches.” *** “Hey, thanks. Yeah, put it over there,” Candice said for the hundredth time, pointing to the sky high about of presents in the far side of the room, and handing her human friends a drink. Well most of them weren’t her friends, and without her being able to read their minds, she wouldn’t have even known who they were, but as long as they all knew her as the queen bitch and the killer parties, anyone who was anyone was there – and so was everyone else. The entire school was here, and this was when Candice thought she should mention The Lottery. “Oi Oi,” she yelled as she pulled herself up on the kitchen table swaying slightly as all the booze rushed to her head, she thought now was a good idea for her to tell them and propose the new queens, just before Aden showed up, so she could get pissed and try to forget about how stupid she acted when she was around him. “Shut ya face bitches! Listen, I want to choose a new Queen, new head of SC in training for when I leave.” By now everyone was

silent, and every girl was begging to be chosen, and every boy hoped that it would be their girlfriend, unless you was one of the totally out there gays – then you were in it for queen as well. “Huh?” Belle asked Drew quietly, putting her hand in his. “At her school, she’s got a reputation,” he smiled, “for sticking up to the bullies who used to make little people’s lives hell, by making the bullies lives hell. And they have given her and her ‘friends’” Belle could obviously hear the quotation marks around friends, she wondered if Candice knew that they were fake friends “-A nickname. They call them the Shadow Council, and made Candice the queen. And she wants to make sure that the leadership isn’t abused, so she has chosen the people who she thinks is good enough and put them in that hat, and is now going to choose the three trainees, one in her year, one in the year beneath and one in the year under that.” Belle looked up and saw Candice root around in the hat before pulling out three pieces of paper, “and the Queens in training are, dun dun dun, Gerard Chorane in year nine,” a bloke from the crowd cheered gaily, “Connie Davis in year eight, and Melissa Robyien in year seven,” she materialised a drink out of no were, “well done and good luck, your gunna need it.” “Why don't we also drink to Candice Scarlett, happy sixteenth and how beautiful and not to mention god damned sexy you look this fine evening,” Aden said, appearing behind her. ‘Shit, you just gave me a heart attack.’ Candy exhaled sharply. ‘Sorry.’ Aden smiled sexily. The party had gone back to normal. Carlisle came downstairs and beckoned Candice to join him in the kitchen – if they could find the kitchen. ‘’Sup father?’ she grinned, waving her drink around until some of it slopped on the carpet. ‘Oh,’ she giggled, ‘I spilt wine on the

carpet,’ her giggle became a hysterical laugh, ‘am I grounded?’ ‘No, on one condition –‘ ‘Don't use long words when I’m drunk.’ ‘Just get them out,’ he said sighing. ‘Get who out?’ ‘The two teenagers frolicking in our bed-room,’ Jada said appearing behind Carlisle frowning slightly. ‘Who?’ she asked them, ‘and what does frolicking mean?’ ‘Just get them out now Candice Dawn Scarlett.’ Carlisle ordered. ‘Jeeze I am going,’ she muttered under her breath stalking out of the kitchen, stepping over a passed out body lying on the stairs and weaving in and out of the dancing people. ‘Out!’ she said, stumbling through the closed door, making the two couples jump apart as if they had each received a an electric shock. ‘Look I know I said get a room, but not this one. Second down the hall on the left. Pink, fluffy one. In there, now. Out here. Into the pink one - I make no sense,’ she said giddily, as the two people rushed out, just as Aden stepped in, ‘why am I still talking if I make no sense? I am talking to myself, while making no sense. That’s stupid –‘ ‘I’m listening to you,’ Aden said huskily. ‘Don't go getting any ideas. I mean you could, but I won’t. Do you want ideas? I sound like an idiot don't I?’ ‘No, you sound adorable.’ He smiled. ‘Stop smiling,’ she scowled. ‘Why?’ he smiled. ‘Because you are making me feel funny – you know light headed, drunk and high. You look cute, but you always look cute. Please tell me I didn’t just say that out loud. I sound really stupid to you, don't I? Wait you already answered that question. Oh god, I should just

shoot myself now, but I can’t because I am a Vampyre, and Vampyre’s can’t die. . .’ Connie stumbled into the middle of Candice and Aden, and just when she was about to say something, she doubled over and violently threw up, over Aden’s black, Italian Leather Converse. ‘Did you just say Vampyre?’ Connie asked, wiping ‘No she didn’t,’ Aden lied smoothly, ‘you’re drunk, maybe you should go back downstairs to the party.’ ‘Only if you go down with me,’ Connie smiled flirtatiously and hitched her skirt up slightly, so it was just above her thigh. Candice frowned and pushed Connie backwards, away from Aden. ‘You cheap, slutty whore! Get your ass outta my house, you skanky bitch!’ Candice slurred, stumbling forwards. Connie went to push Candice back, only Aden swiftly stood behind Candice, his eyes flashing silver and he said in a threatening voice to match‘I wouldn’t do that if I was you.’ “This is . . . wrong. You guys are freaks,’ Connie said before, walking slowly down the hall. ‘If you’re normal than I am glad I am a freak.’ Candice retorted as Connie staggered down the hallway towards the stairs. Candice turned around on her heels and smiled at Aden. ‘I always wanted a knight in shining armour.’ ‘Hhmm, can’t say I am that fussy. I only want you.’ Aden replied as soon as the words were out of her mouth. ‘That's good to know.’ ‘Do you like that? Do you like me?’ ‘Well. . . you are incredibly cute, funny, sexy, daemonic, exotic, mysterious. . .’ ‘Whereas you are adorable, hilarious, drop dead sexy also, stunning, perfect, vampiric. . .’

While Candice and Aden were talking they were both pressing their bodies closer and closer together, moving slowly to the bed. Candice gently pushed Aden down onto the bed, towering above him, smiling drunkenly. ‘Do you like my cardie?’ she asked him innocently, an impish smile playing around her lips. ‘It’s . . . stunning,’ He replied, staring at Candice. She swiftly slipped it off onto the floor, baring her shoulders ‘what about now?’ “Now? I like it even better.” ‘What about my corset?’ ‘It’s entrancing.’ ‘Now?’ she asked him again, once she hastily undone the laces, so in less than a blink of an eye, Candice was standing above Aden in her purple and blue polka dot lacy bra, her corset and cropped black, cardigan laying discarded on the floor. ‘It’s captivating,’ he said huskily, as he pulled himself up slightly, so he could meet Candice’s soft lips halfway. There were two minutes of hardcore kissing, until Candice softly pushed Aden back and climbed on top on him, giggling slightly under her breath as he passionately kissed her neck. It was going all romantic and it was soon to get all serious, but then Jada and Carlisle suddenly walked into the room, without any warning so they caught Aden and Candice having a heavy make out session, in which Candice was sitting on top of Aden in her bra, (everything else on below though) and Aden laying underneath Candice, laying flat on his back, in his boxers and no shirt on, his arms around Candice’s waist. ‘Shit!’ Candice exclaimed, before rolling off of Aden, right off of the bed, so she could hide on the other side of it, hiding herself,

while Aden sat their sheepishly, quickly grabbing his jeans and shoving them on, and picking up his shirt as he did so, and handing Candice her corset before slipping past the frozen and mortified Jada and Carlisle and into the party. ‘Please tell me you saw none of that,’ Candice muttered drunkly once she laced up her corset at the back, ‘Aden. Aden? Where’d he go?’ she asked herself more than Jada and Carlisle. ‘I think he joined the party, and maybe you should too. They’re missing their hostess.’ ‘Shit. . .’ she muttered under her breath, she walked past her parents, ‘sorry by the way.’ ‘Just. . .’ Jada looked as if she was about to say something, but she thought better of it and changed her mind, ‘- enjoy your party.’ ‘Thanks.’ Candice nodded appreciably. Candice flew down the stairs, and nearly knocked Mitchell off of his feet. ‘Careful,” he laughed.”Have you seen Aden. He rushed over here then abandoned me. Oh and happy birthday by the way.” “Thanks Mitch, Aden should’ve just came down here. . .” ‘Really? I haven’t seen him come down. What’s going on? You’re all red Candy.” Candice was about to answer when she heard Jason and Oliver yell wildly, a splash of water and a load of girls screaming, Candice rolled her eyes and dodged Mitchells enquiring gaze by leaning over the banister to look out the huge glass window which overlooked the garden. ‘Omg! Jase and Ollie have jumped in the pool, in . . . . the . . . garden. . .’ Candice stuttered to a pause, and then all the concern dripped off of her face as she smiled wickedly, ‘I have just had the mother of all epiphanies.’ ‘Candy that's not what epiphany means. . .’ Mitchell said half

heartedly while all the Humans dashed outside to see what the fuss was about, so in less than ten seconds the only people in the room were Candice, Mitchell and two people which were passed out sitting on top of the fire place. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked her while she opened a “locked” door and pulled out three large pots of paint, and a strange strobe light. ‘Everyones outside,’ she said simply. ‘Yeah ok. But why do we need three pots of glow in the dark paint and a freaky looking strobe light?” ‘It’s dark, and people are outside parting.’ ‘Yeah, are you going to tell me that evil little plan going around and around inside your little head?’ ‘Well this strobe light shows up UV rays right?’ ‘Right.’ ‘And this isn’t just glow in the dark paint, its glow in the dark paint which also has UV rays – paint – thing in it.’ Candice smirked as she quickly checked over her shoulder before nimbly jumping up onto the window ledge, opening the massive widow and balancing the strobe light so it hit everyone in the garden, before jumping off in less than a second, picking up the three pots of paint, smiling evilly at Mitchell over her shoulder as she walked into the party, calling to him over her shoulder. ‘Everyone will remember this party; it will go down in legend. They have no choice. Especially after tomorrow’s meltdown.’ ‘What’s happening tomorrow?’ ‘It’s a surprise. But you will need a tux.’ * ‘Seven minutes in heaven!’ Ashley screamed at the top of her small lungs, capturing the attention of everyone in the garden and pool immediately.

Everyone had at least a little bit of luminous paint on them somewhere. Most people had just shoved their hands in at first, and when they raved it did admittedly did look very impressive. But after about ten minutes Candice, Evelyn, Mitchell, Ashley and Belle disappeared for about five minuets, and when they appeared again, everyone was stunned into silence. Candice has mixed some of the paint with hair jell, and mixed some with lip gloss, so all the girls had bright lips, Candice had smeared some on her checks like war paint, Evelyn had put some on her top lids and doing big flicks in the corner. The girls made Mitchell mess up his shoulder length black hair, using the luminous hair jell. Both Ashley and Belle had the luminous paint painted onto them like face paints. Anyway Ashley yelled out seven minutes in heaven, and made everyone fall silent. The numbers had dwindled from earlier in the night. No one had left, but they had fallen asleep, or collapsed. Although Candice wouldn’t tell anyone her master plan, she gave Belle and Drew her room key and sent them up her fairly early on in the party, telling Belle that she would need her sleep for tomorrow, and begrudgingly Belle went up to Candys room, without mumbling a complaint, trusting Candice when she had said that she would need her sleep for tomorrow – who knows what she had planned. Either way the numbers now stood at twenty nine people. Which was less than a quarter then what the had begun with. So that ment th

(THIS IS ALL I HAVE WRITEN ON THIS BOOK SO FAR) SORRY Please let me know if you want to read some more. COMMENT BELOW please 