The diner was smaller than I had imagined it would be. It was run by friends of the Banner family. The walls were painted a shade of deep burgundy, with lavender trim. At the entrance was a row of benches for when the place was packed. Fortunately, it was fairly empty this afternoon – possibly thanks to the sudden downpour. I recognized Mitchell standing behind the podium. He smirked at us, mostly at his older brother. His appearance was very similar to Jason's—the same shade of brunette hair, but his was curly and his eyes were blue rather than chocolate.

“Hey Jace, hey Alex,” he said casually. “I'll take you to your seats.”

We followed Mitchell to a cozy little booth in the back of the restaurant, right up against two large windows. The blinds were pulled up, and the brewing storm was visible. I sat down on the left side of the table; Jason took the right. Mitchell handed us each a menu and asked what we'd like to drink—we both ordered sodas, and he left to retrieve them.

“This place is nice,” I commented, looking up at my childhood best friend.

“Yeah,” he said and smiled. “My family comes here all the time.”

“What made you decide to ask me out for lunch?” I asked curiously as I began browsing the menu.

“I have sort of wanted to ask you for a while.” I looked up in shock, noting the color rising in his cheeks. “It wasn't until I ran into Paul at the supermarket that I finally got the nerve to ask. He said you could use some time out of the house.”

I swore under my breath. “It doesn’t surprise me that he had something to do with this,” I fumed.

He frowned. “You didn't want to come?”

“No, that's not it. He's just been really bothering me lately about going out more, even though I’ve told him I’ve just been too tired.”

“He's probably just worried about you.”

I nodded, not wanting to talk any more on the subject. “I think I know what I want,” I said.

“Great,” he said. “I'll probably just get a cheeseburger. Boring, huh?”

“Probably more exciting than my grilled cheese.” I chuckled. I had missed spending time with him.

Mitch returned with our drinks and asked for our orders. He winked at his brother as he left with the information. Jason's cheeks flushed again. “So, any idea what happened to that boy from music class? Karen and I haven’t seen him since.”

My eyes widened somewhat at his mention of Salem. “I don't know. I haven't really seen him since then either.”

“Weird. Maybe he got suspended, or moves a lot or something. Or maybe he got sick.” I was glad Karen had not told him whatever it was she thought she knew.

“Maybe...” I mumbled. “How's Karen?”

“She's doing fine. She's been worried sick about you, too, though.”

“Oh.” I frowned and played with the wrapper from my straw. “Well, can you tell her that I'm fine? I just talked to her on the phone not that long ago…but maybe she will believe it if it comes from you.”

“Of course,” he answered with a grin. “Would you believe she is actually jealous that I asked you out?”

I blinked and dropped the paper. “What?”

“I guess she kind of likes me.” He shrugged. “I never noticed it before, we’ve all just been friends for so long… so I didn’t really notice any signs.”

“Wow. I didn’t know that either.” I meant that more about him having an interest in me than Karen being interested in him. That had never been a secret to me.

“You have missed a lot of school,” he commented as I took a sip of my soda. “None of it has been very exciting, though. This isn’t going to screw up graduating with us is it?”

“That's not surprising.” I laughed. I had forgotten what it was like talking to someone who understood what my life was like outside of vampires. “Well…”

Mitchell returned with a round tray of food at just the right time to end the conversation before it got too uncomfortable. For that, I was very thankful. He placed a plate before each of us and sat a bottle of ketchup on the table.

“Thanks,” I said as he walked away. I had also forgotten what it was like to have food served to me without the use of magic, and how long it takes to have a meal cooked. I could hardly imagine what it would be like to cook anything again. I laughed to myself at the thought, and Jason looked at me awkwardly.

“What’s so funny?” he asked as he bit into his cheeseburger.

“Nothing,” I mumbled. “I'm just happy to be here.”

“Oh.” He smiled wide. “Me too.”

We ate in silence. So far, this was going a lot better than I had feared. Maybe Salem had been right all along and there was nothing going on outside of friendship...but I still had my doubts. Especially with how Jason had been behaving—blushing was not something my best friend often did.

“Hey, Alex...” Jason's voice broke the silence suddenly, and he reached a hand across the table.

I gulped as his skin touched mine. “What?”

“Thanks a lot for coming out with me today.”

“No problem.” I smiled, eying his hand. “I've had fun.”

“Me too.” He looked away for a second. “I was kind of hoping we could do it again sometime.”

“Yeah, maybe...” I said with a frown. I was glad he wasn't looking directly at me.

“I was kind of thinking maybe next week we could see a movie, maybe…If you’re up for it?”

“We'll see,” I replied, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

“Do you have other plans or something?”

“No…not exactly. If something comes up, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay.” He smiled again. Mitchell returned, gave him the check and walked off. “There's something else I wanted to talk about.”

“What is it?” I asked reluctantly.

“My parents...” He sighed, seeming to be barely able to speak the words. “My parents are getting a divorce.”

“What?! How did that happen? They've always seemed so happy!”

“Exactly. They've seemed happy. But they haven't been. It was Dad's idea, he said there is no more passion in their marriage, and he doesn't want to go on if things are going to stay that way,” he explained. “I'm thinking of looking for a place to move to. I can hardly stand the arguing and fighting anymore. With the money I get at Howard's, I should be able to afford something small.”

I frowned. “I'm so sorry, Jason. I had no idea.”

“Yeah, me either really,” he said, smiling just slightly. “It will be okay, though. Do you want me to take you home after this?”

“Sure,” I mumbled, deep in thought about Mr. and Mrs. Banner. They had always been such a cheerful, happy couple. It was bizarre thinking it had all been a facade.

Jason let go of my hand long enough to pay for the meal and get out of his seat. As soon as we were standing, he reached over casually and took it again and didn't let go again until we reached the car. He once again opened the door for me before getting in on his side.

“Alex,” he said calmly, buckling himself in and glanced at me. “I had a nice time, really.”

“Yeah, it was fun,” I said, looking back at him. That was my first mistake. I was shocked at how close he was to my face. “Jason-” before I got the rest of my words out, his lips were against mine. I pushed him away, possibly a little harder than I had intended and his opposite shoulder slammed against the car door. All of the training with Paul had made me stronger than I realized.

“I'm sorry,” he said, rubbing his shoulder. “I shouldn't have done that. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“It's okay...” I said quietly, averting my eyes. “I just...I just wasn't expecting it, is all.”

“You liked it, then?” His voice was hopeful.

I couldn't answer him. “Let's just wait before we do that again,” I murmured. “Just take me home, please.”

“Okay...” He sounded upset, but I tried to ignore the urge to comfort him. “I'm sorry. I hope you aren't mad at me. I just…”

“I'm just...surprised, that's all. Let’s just go. Please.”

After a short, silent drive, we reached my house. I said bye quickly and ran inside. Salem was waiting patiently on the sofa, reading a book. I hesitated for a moment, then walked into the room and greeted him. He could tell that I was upset.

“What happened?” he asked as he set the book aside. “Did you not have a nice time?”

“I did up until the end,” I grumbled and slumped down on the couch. “Jason kissed me.”

Salem stared at me, a flicker of anger illuminating his eyes with a hint of crimson. I had never seen him react in such a way; it was startling. He clenched his fists tightly. “Salem...” I whispered as I backed away slightly, “Your eyes…”

“Did you...” He didn't finish the sentence as he ignored me. He sighed and looked away from me. “Did you return it?”

“No!” I shouted. “I can’t believe you would even ask that!”

“I just wouldn't be completely surprised if you saw something better about him.” His lips were set in a firm, straight line. “The warmth, the lack of worrying about Paul, living a normal life again...”

I shook my head in anger. “You obviously don’t know me as well as I thought!” I got up to leave the room, but his cold fingers lacing around my arm stopped me.

“Don't leave, Alex,” he whispered in a gentle voice. “I apologize for my behavior...”

“You’re the one that said I should go. You’re the one that said-”

“You're right.” He sighed, turning me around to face him. His expression was more relaxed, and his eyes were natural again. “I'm not used to having competition.”

“You don't have any competition. He's my best friend, who clearly thinks I want to be more than that...and I think I have Paul to thank for that later.”

Salem didn't reply, instead he put his arms around me, dipped me downward slightly and kissed me deeply. My head was spinning, but I wasn't complaining—it was a good feeling this time. He pulled me up and kissed me again, this time more gently. “I want my lips to be the only ones to ever touch yours,” he whispered in my ear.

“Salem...” I replied quietly, pressing my body against his. Those three words came to mind again, and I pushed them away. “Salem…why were your eyes red when I told you that?”

“Anger can cause that to happen.” He frowned. “Unfortunately, it’s not something easily controlled.”

“Oh…” I said as I thought it over. “I should get ready for tonight.”

He regrettably loosened me from his embrace, and I sauntered upstairs to shower. I got dressed in an entirely black outfit—Paul insisted it would be easier to sneak around the cemetery if I blended in with the darkness. I could hear a car pulling into the driveway as I wandered downstairs. I wasn't ready yet...then again, would I ever be?

“Salem?” I said as I entered the kitchen. I sighed sadly, realizing he said he would leave before Paul and I left. I wondered if I would even notice him when I got there—part of me hoped I wouldn't, and I truly hoped Paul didn’t find him. It was a good thing that hunters didn’t have the strong senses of vampires; otherwise Paul would be able to find him in a heartbeat.

When I went to open the door, I peered through the window and noticed with shock that the rain had turned to snow. Gentle flakes were whirling through the air, illuminated by the lights on Paul's Wrangler—so much for blending in with the surroundings. I grabbed my crossbow from one of the kitchen drawers and headed out to the car.

The drive to the cemetery was tense. I avoided eye contact with Paul as I furiously thought over what happened between Jason and me. I decided to wait until a later time to bring it up. There were far more important things I had to focus on – like getting a grip on my nerves. Paul pulled the car over about a mile away from the cemetery to make it less conspicuous. We walked the rest of the way in silence; my jaw tightly clenched as I fought the urge to yell at him about Jason.

The graveyard was surprisingly beautiful, yet depressing at the same time. A light dusting of snow covered the ground, sprinkled across the tops of the tombstones and the realistic silk flowers lain before them. There were sparse trees spread throughout the cemetery, their brown leaves holding on loosely and seemingly as dead as the corpses in the ground. I wondered where Salem might be hiding, but I tried to avoid searching for him. A sudden crunching sound reached my ears, and I turned to look at Paul–from the look on his face, I knew he had heard it, too.

“Be very quiet,” he whispered in a tone so low that it was hardly audible. “Someone’s here.”

I nodded my head, following slowly behind him as he crept toward a large crypt in the far end of the cemetery. I noticed we were surrounded by a tall wrought-iron fence from all sides other than the small gate we had entered through. I hoped I could run fast enough to reach the gate, or else climb over the fence, if necessary.

Someone whimpered from behind the crypt. My heart leapt in my chest, thumping loud and hard as we approached the tomb. Then, a voice came–it was a woman speaking in a false-comforting voice.

“It won't hurt long, precious,” she said soothingly. “Just relax.”

“P-please...” The new voice was young and gentle, but terrified.

Paul glanced back at me and signaled for me to go around the other side. I nodded and stepped to the right of the building as he inched to the left. My weapon was out; my hands were steady, and I was ready for whatever hid behind that building—or so I thought.

The image before me made me gasp in horror. A little girl, maybe eight years old, curled up on the ground beneath a tall woman with a mess of black hair falling in strands from her scalp. Salem was right—he was an exception. This woman may have once been beautiful, but her face was distorted and hideous from the hunger in her eyes. I gulped at the sight of the two long fangs easing out below her upper lip. She turned away from her prey; her eyes now focused on me.

“More snacksss,” she hissed. “What a pleasant surprise!”

Paul came from behind the crypt, tugged the girl away and faded from view. I was left alone to face this monster. She leapt into the air–I was amazed by how high she could jump! I spun around, looking for her. She was behind me now, preparing to pounce. I swung my weapon in her direction, pulled the trigger and released an arrow. It punctured her throat, and a line of thick blood oozed out. My eyes grew wide as I felt the familiar nausea and discomfort from the night at the lake.

“No, no, no...” I muttered to myself. Although I knew this was part of Paul's plan, I didn't want it to happen. I shrieked in agony as my bones twisted and snapped, shrinking and curling into the shape of the raven. I was soaring above the vampire within seconds, my wings flapping beside me at ease. How is a raven supposed to defeat a vampire? I wondered to myself.

“Open your mouth, Alex!” I heard Paul shouting to me, but I didn't see him.

What use was that going to be? I opened my mouth—or beak, rather—and a loud caw reverberated off the surrounding tombstones. The vampire clutched her hands to the side of her head as if she were in agony. “They can’t stand the sound!” Paul yelled.

I flew down, cawing once more as I landed on the vampire's shoulders. She tried to bat me away, but I wouldn't budge. Without much thought, I pierced her skin with my beak, and she screamed, flailing her arms before crashing to the snow-covered ground. I flitted my wings behind me and jumped off of her body. My eyes, although perhaps not the ones visible to the outside world, were wide with fear and confusion. Her body writhed and wriggled on the snow, as if I had severely damaged her.

The snapping, crunching sound came again. I flinched as a burst of radiant feathers surrounded me, and I fell upon the frosty ground beside her. She took the chance to clamber to her feet, although she was still in evident pain. Suddenly, she was on top of me. My hands grasped onto her shoulders, and I pushed her away with all the might I could muster, shoving her into a nearby tombstone. I caught sight of my crossbow lying idly in the snow, and I crawled over to it, aimed it in her direction and shot again. She moved before it could hit her. Something had clearly weakened her, but it hadn't been enough.

Before I had time to react, her body was over mine again. Her long, thick nails clawed at my skin as I tried to hold her back. I screeched as the nails dug deep into my shoulders. The monster of a woman cackled, and then opened her mouth wide, fangs bared and ready to strike. Salem had been right; I was not only going to get hurt out here–I was going to die.

Something moved outside my line of sight, and my heart sunk when I realized it wasn't who I had expected—it wasn’t Paul. Salem, with glowing red eyes, appeared beside us. He swiftly kicked the female vampire as hard as he could in her ribs, knocking her off of my body. He tackled her to the ground, and I stared in fear as his fangs were bared.

“No, Salem!” I shouted, but he didn't listen. His teeth tore deep into her flesh, and I shut my eyes.

Paul finally came into view, the sound of his boots crunching in the newly fallen snow made me open my eyes. He stood a few feet away, wielding his crossbow and preparing to shoot either one of them. I panicked, ran into him and pushed him over as the trigger went off. My mouth fell open, and I expected a howl of agony to erupt, but no sound came. I rolled over onto the snow, grasping at the shaft in my side.

Paul's lips trembled as he stared at the arrow embedded in my skin.

I fought to keep my eyes open, fought to focus on where Salem was, but everything was spinning so fast and growing hazy. “Salem...” I gasped, and I was swallowed by darkness.