Salem remained downstairs in the living room while I took a quick shower before my visitors arrived. I changed out of my blue jeans and red tank top into a flowing dark-blue skirt and white, semi-frilly sleeveless shirt. I felt a little over-dressed, but it was my birthday party after all, so why not. Time passed slowly as I waited for the guests to arrive, and Salem was sitting silently on the sofa staring off into space. I wondered what was on his mind, but before I had the chance to question him, someone hammered their fist against the door. Salem came out of his stupor at once and stood up.

I peeked through the tiny peephole and groaned. There were at least ten of my classmates waiting out there. After putting on a false smile, I reluctantly twisted the door knob and let them flood into my house. They piled their presents on the dining room table and wished me a happy birthday individually. I was surprised not to see Jason or Karen among the crowd.

“Karen told me to tell you she’d be a little late,” Brittany Crosswood said casually, as if answering my unspoken question. She was more of Karen's friend than my own. In fact, most of these people were little more than acquaintances, despite being in the same room as most of them for countless hours on school days.

“Ah, okay,” I said quietly. Someone turned on the old, black stereo that sat on the end table beside the sofa and started blaring music. I sighed. This wasn’t at all how I’d envisioned my evening.

Jason showed up about five minutes later, bustling in through the door without knocking and heaving a gift at me with a grin. The present was flat and badly wrapped. “Open it!”

“Now?” I asked, rattling the present around. “Shouldn’t we wait until I open the other presents too?”

“Nah, no one's going to care,” he insisted.

“Okay...” I pulled at the paper and gasped in shock when I realized what it was. I gaped at the sleek, black laptop that I held in my hands, temporarily speechless. “Oh, Jace! This is too much!” I flung my arms around his muscular form in a tight hug.

He laughed happily. “You’ve been saying for so long that you wanted one, so I’ve been secretly saving up my allowance and money from the part-time job at Howard's.”

Howard's was a small convenience store in town that Jason had worked at for the past five months or so. I could feel them coming, the warmth of tears building up in my eyes. I fought them, but I wasn't strong enough. Not today. I hugged him tightly again. “You shouldn't have...” I whispered.

“I wanted to,” he said with a grin. “Besides, after what you've been through, I’m extra glad I decided to do it. You needed some excitement, after…well, you know —all that.”

If only he knew just how much I had gone through. I finally released him and happily ran to my room to put away my new laptop. As I headed back down the stairs, I saw the front door whip open and Karen came waltzing in carrying what was unmistakably a cake box. I smiled and approached her.

“Happy birthday, Alex!” she shouted when she saw me. “You look so much better than when you left school. I was worried sick, really.”

“I feel a lot better too, and thanks…I will be okay,” I lied; the excitement from the computer had been enough to mask the stress on my face, for now. “So, what kind of cake did you get?”

I pictured the cheesecake Salem had summoned for me last night, knowing that this one would not compare. “It’s just chocolate with vanilla frosting. It's not very exciting, I know...but I didn’t know what to get. I figured this was the safest bet with so many people here. And I mean, if you don’t like chocolate, you can get out! Right?”

“That’s right!” We both laughed, and for the briefest of moments, everything else melted away temporarily.

“So he didn’t come, huh?”

“What? Who?”

“That new boy from school. I saw him like, right after you told us about him. He’s got a cruuush on you, I think,” she said teasingly.

“He didn’t?” I said as I glanced into the living room, expecting to see him sitting down on the sofa again, but instead seeing a room full of people dancing to the beat of an unrecognizable song playing on the radio. I could barely imagine what it would be like when Jason threw his party–I knew way more than ten people would be showing up for that one.

“Let me handle this,” Karen said in disgrace when she saw my face. I watched her casually enter the living room and shut off the radio. “How about everyone gets ready for Alex to open her presents while I order us some pizza?”

Everyone settled down after cheering at the idea of pizza. I smiled thankfully at my blonde friend as she passed by to order the food. The crowd of teenagers deserted the living room and filled the small dining area, surrounding me and the table of unopened gifts. Karen joined them after hanging up the phone.

“You’ve got to open mine first!” she insisted, handing me a small white gift bag.

I knew no matter what anyone got me, it wouldn't compare to the laptop from Jason. I opened the bag to reveal a gift card to Karen's favorite clothes store. I smiled, despite my disappointment. A gift card to almost anywhere else would have suited me better, but she was always insistent on me changing my style. Chances were that this would only end up lost somewhere, never used—but it was the thought that counted, I suppose.

Next was a present from Mitchell Banner, Jason's younger brother. It was a simple card with ten dollars in it—fine with me; money was almost always my favorite choice of gift—I could get whatever I really wanted that way. I shot him a smile and said ‘thank you’ before tearing open the next gift. As the pile dwindled down to the very last one, I had a mass of random things before me that I didn't need or necessarily want, but was, nevertheless, thankful for.

“Who is that one from?” Karen asked curiously, pointing at the last remaining present.

The last gift on the table was neatly wrapped in shining teal paper. I eyed it suspiciously, having not seen anyone bring it in. As I picked it up, I felt my heartbeat quicken when I read the tag: 'From Salem.'

“It's from him...” I said quietly.

“Who? That boy?! So he is here?” Karen’s voice grew excited as she glanced around the room.

“I-I don't know,” I said honestly, wondering where he had escaped to.

I tore open the paper, and my jaw dropped. It was an entire collection of Edgar Allan Poe's work in a beautiful leather-bound book, identical to the one Janet had left behind. There was a thin piece of paper, roughly the size of a bookmark, sticking up between the pages. I flipped through the book and pulled out the paper. In beautifully scripted letters, it read 'To my little raven.', and it was placed on the page where The Raven began. I felt my cheeks grow warm. I shut the book hastily as Karen came creeping over to peek over my shoulder.

“Well, what is it?” she asked impatiently.

“It's just a book.”

“That's lame. Who gets someone homework for their birthday?” She laughed.

I glared at her. “It was a very thoughtful gift!” The words came out angrier than I had intended.

Karen looked taken aback, and I frowned. “I'm sorry,” I apologized. “I'm just stressed...from you know what.”

She nodded slowly. “I understand.” I wondered if she really did. “But I mean if this boyfriend of yours is trying to impress you, he should’ve gotten you some jewelry!”

I smacked her on the shoulder playfully. “Boyfriend? I hardly know him!”

“Uh-huh, and what was all that blushing about then? Huh?”

Before I could muster a response, I was saved by a knock on the door. The pizza delivery man arrived and carried in four large pizza boxes. As everyone gathered plates of food, I stood back and waited. There were only two slivers of plain cheese pizza left by the time I got to the boxes. I wasn't surprised that no one had been considerate enough to let me, the birthday girl, get her share first. Nor did I really care; I wanted this all to be over with–And I wanted to know where Salem had gone to.

I sat alone in the living room on the sofa while everyone else chattered in the dining area, downing bite after bite of pizza.

“Cake time!” Karen shouted and dragged me out of the living room.

Good. This meant the facade was almost over, and I could go to bed. She lit eighteen brightly-colored candles, and the whole room was filled with a chorus of the traditional birthday song. I smiled awkwardly as everyone sung, noting that Mitchell was only moving his lips to the words and not really singing, then I blew out the candles. Karen dished out slices of cake to everyone—giving me the first slice this time. At least someone was being considerate. I smiled gratefully before sulking back to my spot on the couch.

She joined me moments later, followed by Jason. “So, how do you like the party, Alex?” she asked as she put a forkful of chocolate cake into her mouth.

I shrugged my shoulders as I swallowed. “So far, so good.” I smiled.

“That's good. I hope it isn't too much...I just thought you would feel better with some company.”

“I know. I appreciate it, really.”

“Admit it–you're in a hurry to get all of these people out of here so you can play with your new toy.” Jason winked at me.

“If by new toy, you mean that boy…” Karen laughed.

“I told you, I don’t even know him!” For a moment, I thought about what it would be like to be with a vampire but quickly shook the notion away. I had never been all that interested in having a boyfriend, anyway.

“Wait, what? Alex has a boyfriend?" Jason said, more than a little shocked.

“No, she’s just talking about that new boy from music class I told you guys about in the gym."”

“Oh, right, him. Come on, Karen, Alex wouldn’t be into some music nerd.” He laughed and Karen followed suit.

“You guys know me way too well,” I lied, though not sure why. It was better to just leave it at that and get this night over with. Besides, the thought of Salem and me together was preposterous.

They both laughed again then returned to eating their cake. To my relief, the rest of the guests were already leaving. A few of them wished me a happy birthday again before vanishing out of the front door. Mitchell stayed behind to give me a quick hug and tell Jason that he was going to walk home. I sighed with relief and leaned back on the sofa.

“Thanks, again, both of you,” I said, stifling a yawn.

“No problem,” Karen said proudly. “Do you want me to stay and help clean up?”

“No, it’s fine. I can handle it.”

“Let me know how the laptop runs,” Jason said.

“I will!” I said cheerfully and embraced him again. “I still can’t believe you spent all of that time and money.”

“It's not a big deal, really.” He smiled. “Just make sure to put it to good use.”

“Oh, I will for sure.”

I followed them both to the door, quickly saying good-bye and sharing a warm group hug before they walked off to Jason’s car. I wasn't surprised that they were leaving together, considering we were all three really close. I sighed with relief when I closed the door, then nearly screamed when I felt the cold skin against my arm. Turning around slowly, I lowered my guard.

“I didn't mean to startle you,” Salem said apologetically.

“Where have you been?” I gasped.

“Upstairs,” he replied casually. “I figured I would give you some privacy.”

“You could have stayed.”

“It would have caused a scene.”

“No, it wouldn’t have,” I replied, but he was probably right. Everyone would be wondering who he was–and who knows what Karen or Jason would have done. “Thank you so much for the book, by the way.”

“It was my pleasure.” He smiled. “I hope you don't mind.”

“Why would I? I love it.”

“Well, what I mean to say is, I hope you don't mind that I used the blank book Janet gave you.”

“How did you do that?” I blinked.

“The same way I summon all other objects...I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it, but I think it worked as planned.”

I grabbed the book off the table, turning the crisp pages and noting that everything was exactly as I remembered reading it in other volumes. I plucked the paper out from the book and examined it. “I don't mind; I hadn't planned to use the book as a diary or anything, anyway. How did you know this was my favorite story?” I asked quietly, turning the thin piece of paper in my hand.

“Good guess?” He suggested with a grin. “Plus, it is hardly a surprise, considering your last name.”

“Hobbs?” I wondered.

“No, Waldron,” he corrected. “Hobbs isn't your surname, after all, remember?”

“Right...” I had sort of spaced that fact out. “What does that have to do with anything, though?”

“Waldron translates into the word ‘wall-raven’, which in a roundabout way is said to mean ‘strong raven’,” he said. That explained the little note scrawled across the bookmark.

“Oh,” I said, considering what it could possibly mean…probably nothing. “How do you know that?”

“I have done my research,” he explained calmly. “You aren't going to like this, but your family is sort of my mortal enemies.”

“Emphasis on 'mortal', right?” I laughed half-heartedly. “How is it they haven't...killed you. I mean…considering they seem to know you are here, and Paul said you’re one of the few he hasn’t been able to finish off?”

“I'm smarter than they anticipate.” Salem shrugged. “Plus, I don't go looking for trouble like some of my kind do. Some vampires enjoy the thrill of being hunted. God only knows why.”

“How come I’ve never heard about real vampires before? I mean, if there are so many of you out there it would be all over the place. Nothing’s a secret these days.”

“We...they...don't act out in the open; they are discreet about what they do. Most likely, a lot of the murder stories you see on the news or read in the newspaper are related to vampires.”

I frowned, not liking where this was going. “Do you...” I paused, unsure of what to say.

He seemed to understand and smiled reassuringly at me. “Of course not.”

“Then, what do you do about blood? I mean, that part of being a vampire is true, isn’t it?”

He shut his eyes briefly and sighed. “I was hoping to avoid these questions. Yes, that much is true. It is simple...there are other ways to satisfy my needs, such as through animal blood.”

“Oh.” I walked to the kitchen counter and collected the empty pizza boxes. “You weren't born this way, right?” I asked as I went to the front door.

Salem opened the door and followed me out. “No, I was once an ordinary human,” he said with obvious remorse.

I dumped the boxes into the large green trash can beside my house. Moments later, I brought out a trash bag full of discarded wrapping paper, paper plates and the empty cake box.

“Well, how did you become a vampire, then?” I asked as we went back indoors. Salem was quiet for a while, thinking I guessed.

“My memory is foggy, as bizarre as that might sound. I believe that is how it is for all of us–perhaps we repress the memories, although maybe it is just due to how long it has been,” he eventually replied, sitting beside me on the sofa. “From what I can recall, the place I called home had caught fire one night...there was smoke everywhere, my sister was screaming...I never heard my mother or father, but I could distinctly hear Hannah somewhere in the house. I can vaguely recall seeing her, but I’m not sure what happened to her…” He paused; I could see the sorrow in his eyes as the images replayed through his mind.

“She was barely three at that point. I made it out of the house before it crumbled completely, but I didn't escape completely unscathed. I suffered severe burns across my lower half. Raziel–my ‘Sire’, the man who bit me—claims that he found me in the alley behind my house, writhing in agony...instead of putting my misery to an end, he elongated it for the next 120 years or so.” He scowled.

“You are miserable?” I frowned as I stared into his blue eyes.

“Well…not at the moment.” He looked back at me. “The pain of becoming...what I am...was beyond anything you could ever imagine, for so many different reasons. My chance at living a normal life was taken away from me that night,” he muttered in anguish. “But, at the same time, had it not been for that, I would have been dead centuries ago. Although watching the world grow and expand has been a gift, the rest of what you have to endure isn't worth it.

“I lost my family, not only to the fire, but to becoming what I am. My friends, I couldn't see them ever again. Everything was taken away from me that night. Everyone I knew and loved eventually aged, withered away and died, while I was cursed to walk this Earth alone for eternity–watching it all unfold from a distance.”

I wondered if vampires were able to cry as I stared at him, but no tears came. The need to comfort him overcame me, but I didn't know how. “I'm so sorry, Salem...” I whispered, trying to ignore the growing curiosity to ask even more questions.

“Don't be.” He smiled and placed his cold hand against my cheek. “If none of that had happened, I would never have met you.”

I laughed. “Don't forget you're talking to the offspring of a vampire hunter.”

Salem just smiled. I admired his expression for far too long; I lowered my gaze and blushed. “Can I ask one more question?”

“Anything.”

“What happened to this Raziel guy?”

“He still exists somewhere, as far as I know. For the first five years of my ‘new life’, as he called it, he treated me as a slave. Although he referred to me as his ‘apprentice’, I felt like nothing more than a servant. He taught me the ways of being a vampire, but it sickened me. I refused to indulge in human blood, knowing I had once been one–my family were humans, my friends. I would never have done that to them, why would I even consider doing that to anyone, even a stranger?” He flinched at the idea. “He would have me bring him...food...every night.” The pained look on his face was almost unbearable.

“People?” I gasped, knowing the answer.

He grimaced. “I wouldn't have felt quite as miserable had it been criminals or terminally ill beings...but these were innocent people.”

“How could you put up with that for so long?”

“I had no other options, or so I thought,” he grumbled. “You weren't the only one who fell for the lore of vampires. Raziel tried to convince me the stories were all true, that if I went out in the daytime I would combust.” His eyes darkened. “One specific night, he made me do something intolerable. I couldn't bear to exist after that...He requested I bring him ‘young blood’, as he called it. In other words, the blood of a child – Raziel said it was the tastiest, most invigorating blood imaginable. I had no choice but to obey him, at least that's what I thought at the time.

“She couldn't have been much older than Hannah had been. I snuck through her nursery window, plucked her from her crib and presented her to Raziel. I immediately regretted what I had done. The next morning, I decided to end myself. It came down to either spending eternity doing his bidding or risking my existence by stepping out into the sunlight. I braced myself for death as I stepped out into the morning light, anticipating the inevitable —but it never came.” I noticed how he never referred to it as his 'life'. “I stood out in the sun for at least fifteen minutes, and nothing happened.” He stopped abruptly and changed the subject. “You should try calling Janet again, before it gets too late.”

I blinked, deep in thought as I tried to imagine what he had been through. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not only never talk to my best friends again, but to watch them grow old and die while I remained young. “Yeah, you're right...”

I grabbed the cordless phone, sat cross-legged on the sofa and dialed the familiar number. I only waited through two rings this time before her familiar voice answered.

“Hey, Mom,” I said into the receiver. Would I ever be able to stop calling her that? “I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“I'm getting there.” She sounded better, happier, than our last conversation at the least. “How was your birthday?”

“It wasn't as bad as I thought it’d be.” I laughed. “Karen threw me a surprise party, which went okay. Jason got me a laptop!”

“That's great, sweetie.” I heard the muffled voice in the background. “I have to go; my dinner is getting cold. Go enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Okay, keep in touch. Okay?”

“I will. Don't worry too much.”

“I'll try. Bye, Mom.” It might be impossible to call her anything but that.

“Bye, sweetie.”

Salem delicately took the phone from my grasp and sat it on the coffee table. “You have more questions,” he said knowingly.

“Just a couple,” I replied shyly. “What happened to the burns?”

“Becoming a vampire could be seen as a type of cleansing, I suppose. Any illness, wound, scar, or deformity you might have had as a human is healed upon turning.”

“Then, in a sense, isn't it better to become a vampire?”

“No!” he shouted, causing me to look away in slight regret for asking. “Nothing is worth this sort of existence.”

“Okay,” I croaked. “One more thing...” I braced myself for anger, but instead received a smile.

“Ask away,” he said gingerly.

“It's more of a fact than a question.” I twiddled my thumbs nervously. “Your eyes–they change color when you're summoning things or whatever...”

He blinked. “You noticed that?”

“Yes...”

“I am impressed.” He smirked. “You must be very observant.”

“Not usually,” I confessed. “What else can you tell me about vampires? I want to know everything.” I was surprised by my own question, but I had grown genuinely interested in the topic.

“While some of what you have heard or read or seen are definite myths, there are some attributes we definitely do obtain—such as speed. We can run quicker than any human, and drinking the blood of humans makes us exceptionally strong.” He looked disgusted for a moment. “Powerful vampires can possess the ability to share visions and memories with others by the mere touch of their hand. I spent many years experimenting with what I could and could not do after I left Raziel. It truly was amazing to me that daylight did not kill me, and I wondered what else was and was not true.

“I knew that sleeping was no longer necessary, but I attempted to sleep, nevertheless—simply because Raziel claimed it was impossible, and I was stubborn enough to put it to the test. Unfortunately, he was correct. I cannot even imagine what dreaming is like anymore.” He sighed and looked at me. “That's enough vampire talk for now though, I believe.”

“Surely there is more that you can tell me.” I was practically begging. Perhaps it was the vampire hunter in me that hungered for more information, or maybe I was just a curious girl.

“Well, there is one thing,” he said with an expression of discomfort. “But I would really prefer not to discuss it right now.”

My eyebrows arched upward. “Now you have to tell me.”

“I am afraid that it might upset you, Alexis.”

Swallowing hard, I tried to keep my face straight. “Why would it upset me?”

“Because I used this particular ability on you.”

“What…what are you talking about, Salem?”

“Vampires are able to persuade mortals into doing essentially anything, without even a single motion.”

My eyes were firmly locked on him, my mouth agape and an involuntary shudder rippled down my spine. “That’s how you convinced me to agree to stay at your place?”

“That’s how I convinced you to come to my house,” he confirmed. “The effect was beginning to wear off towards the end of the evening, hence your outburst in the morning.”

It was difficult to restrain myself from feeling angry. I felt completely violated, yet at the same time there was a part of me that was thankful that I’d gone with him and learned what I had. Now I understood why I kept having conflicted feelings about it, and the sudden calmness I’d felt after wanting to panic and leave. “Promise me you’ll never use it on me again.”

“I promise,” he vowed.

The room fell silent for a moment, and then Salem glanced up at the clock. It was nearing 10pm. “Do you need to go somewhere?” I asked, trying to avoid thinking about this new-found knowledge.

“No,” he replied. “I was just noticing your birthday is coming to an end.”

“I don't mind.” I laughed. “Not this year.”

“There was one last gift I wanted to give you, but I wasn't sure how you would react.” He looked uneasy.

“What is it?” I asked anxiously.

“It would be easier for me to show you, than to tell you.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Are you going to summon something out of thin air again or something?”

“No, not exactly.” He chuckled. “Alexis, I know it is hard for you to fathom right now, but you do mean a lot to me.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that. Are you ever going to explain what you’re talking about?”

“In due time.” He smiled lightly. “Close your eyes.”

I hesitated a moment before letting my eyelids fall shut. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I waited intently for whatever was coming. Maybe he had lied about not being enticed by human blood and was about to bite into my throat; oddly, part of me didn’t care. My eyes almost flew open as I felt Salem's cool breath against the side of my face. Tenderly, he brushed his cold lips against my cheek.

“Happy birthday, Alexis,” he whispered into my ear.

I was speechless, breathless...breathless. “Salem...” I became more focused. “You can breathe?”

“Not quite as literally as you can,” he replied, obviously stunned by my unexpected response to his action.

“Oh.” My expression was blank momentarily, and then I grinned at him. “I was wrong earlier when I thought to myself nothing could compare to the laptop Jason gave me.”

His lips twisted into a magnificent smile before he stood up. I was uncertain what he was doing at first, until he pried me off of the sofa and effortlessly cradled me in his arms as he made his way up the stairs. I grasped his arms tightly, afraid with every step that he would drop me. Somewhere deep inside I also still feared for my blood. What if he couldn’t control his hunger around me? Then again… he’d been living this way for over a hundred years. Why would he suddenly hunger for my blood when human blood had never interested him in the past?

We approached my bedroom door, which was wide open and inviting. He laid me gracefully across my soft mattress and pulled the covers up over me. I nearly objected before he put a cold finger to my lips.

“It's late, and you have had a long, tiresome day,” he whispered. “Get some sleep.”

“But I haven’t even gotten to enjoy my presents yet!” I playfully whined.

“Not even the last one?” he asked with an innocent grin.

“Well, when you put it that way...I enjoyed one of my gifts.” I yawned. I was more tired than I had realized.

“Goodnight,” he whispered sweetly and I drifted away into