Davy Harwood in Transition

  "You know of them?"

  He nodded. "Lucan was lovers with one of them, when we first became vampires. She stirred a lot of his thirst for the unknown. The Bright women are powerful witches, but most of them don't use their power. No one knows why."

  "It only goes to the eldest daughter."

  He shrugged. "Regardless, they all have the ability, but they don't want their power or they don't use it. The Vampire nation would be more curious about them if they did. I'm glad they don't. We have enough problems with witches and sorcerers. Your friend doesn't have power? I thought I felt some from her."

  "She has power, but it's blocked to her. She can't access it. A curse was put on their bloodline. I could remove what's blocking her, but I don't know if I should. I'm afraid what might happen."

  "Don't. It'll draw more attention to you. You need to stay hidden. Do normal things." Roane stood up again and looked around. A flash of emotions crossed his face. "Are you doing okay? It's been a few days. How's Emily?"

  "She's normal again. Bennett's lovespell was nasty. I went in her a few times and removed some of that madness. Horrible. I hate vampires." I cringed and then realized I had said. "I'm sorry! That's not what I meant."

  Roane smiled gently. "It's fine. I'm not too fond of my race right now either."

  Oh right. "Is it bad for you? What are they going to do to you?"

  "They tried to kill me. It didn't work. They left and they'll send hunters this time."

  "You'll be going against what you are?" But he was better. He was more powerful because of me. He'd be fine. Right?

  His eyes sought mine and held them. "I'll be fine. Gregory, Wren, and others are loyal to me. They'll help me, but yes, I am more powerful than them."

  I was relieved to hear that. I knew it, but it seemed more real when he said it.

  "Davy, why didn't you let me see you today? I felt you. I wanted to see you," Roane spoke in a soft voice.

  "It wasn't really me. It was what I am. It didn't want you to know I was there. I was confused too." That was when I realized that I'd never told him about Saren. Then I realized that I didn't have any intention of telling him. I trusted Roane, but something held me back from telling him. I wasn't sure why and that bothered me. I didn't want to always feel alone.

  "You're transitioning into your powers. You don't know them, not fully."

  Saren had said the same thing.

  Roane looked towards where he had come from. He still didn't move so I asked, "Is there something else? Is something bothering you?" Was it her? Was he thinking of Talia?

  His eyes whirled back to mine. I saw her in them. He had been thinking of her and that hurt more than I ever wanted to admit. "Do you miss her?"

  Everything in him shut down. Roane was stiff now and he spoke, "I'll check with you every now and then. I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine and if something happens, Gregory and Wren will come for you. You'll be protected by one of us if you should need it."

  He left abruptly and I couldn't help but think more should've been spoken between us, but she changed everything. The memory of Talia would always come between us and I had to accept it. He loved her, not me. A part of me wanted that to change. That same part of me clung to the idea that it would, that he'd turn his love to me, but I wasn't so sure now.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I tried to be normal after that day. Blue called me a few times, but I never answered. I knew she called because I skipped that meeting and the next two, but I couldn't tell her why. Saren told me not to speak to Blue anymore and for some reason, that didn't bother me. It should've, but it didn't. Maybe I had sensed what she was trying to warn me about my sponsor?

  "Hiya, roommate!" Pippa called out when she came through the door. My actual roommate followed behind carrying a shopping bag.

  "Hey guys." I tried to sound cheerful, as much as Pippa, but I didn't have the heart. And I didn't think her greeting was that funny. She had become like a roommate since she and Emily had become best bosom buddies. "You guys look happy. Why?"

  Emily frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

  What was wrong with me? What was wrong with her? More and more my roommate had started to transform into someone who was direct and dare I say it? She met problems head-on? Was this possible?

  I narrowed my eyes. "You're changing. Why?"

  Pippa's eyes widened and she grew silent. I felt her melt into the background.

  Emily dropped her bags. "Excuse me if I'm changing. I don't feel right, if you really want to know. And who are you to talk? You've changed too, Davy. It's like you're moping. You ignore calls from that purple lady and you don't go anywhere except for class." Then her eyes got wide. "Is this about Kates? Did you guys have a fight and I didn't know? Am I being a bad friend?"

  Pippa glanced at Emily. Her nostrils flared and I felt the wolf sniffing the air. It felt like she was trying to sniff her way into me. When I felt the tickling, the giggle rose up and I stood from the desk. "This has nothing to do with Kates. This is about you. You were going crazy and now you seem off. I don't know why, but it's different."

  "Bad different?" I heard the caution in Emily's voice.

  "No." The tickling hadn't stopped. "It's a good different. I don't feel like I've been a part of it and that makes me a little sad, I guess." Then I laughed.

  Emily frowned.

  I laughed harder and glared at Pippa.

  "What?" My roommate looked between us two. "Davy, do you think this is funny?"

  "Not at all." I couldn't stop giggling.

  "You're laughing. That's not polite."

  She sounded so offended, which only made me giggle harder. Pippa was sniffing like crazy. It felt like her nose was pressed into my butt.

  "I'm sorry." I bit down on my lip, trying to silence the laughter. Then I snapped at Pippa, "Stop it!"

  She squeaked and rushed out of the room.

  "What?" Emily's mouth hung open. "What is wrong with you? She wasn't doing anything."

  She was, but I couldn't tell that to Emily so I shrugged. "I'm jealous of her. She's your new best friend. You two are always together and it's like you're attached at the hip. I'm sorry. I'm human. I felt left out."

  I was going to hell. A very bad, dungeons-with-fire type of hell.

  Emily melted. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Davy. I didn't think you cared. You seem so aloof sometimes, like there are things bothering you, but you never tell me. I had no idea it was me." She put her hand on her chest. "I'm touched, I really am."

  I saw that she was genuine and my self-loathing kicked up a notch. Emily was a good person. She was human. She was a bystander and she'd already taken a few hits from the life I lived. Vampires. Being kidnapped. Now a werewolf was her best friend.

  "Oh. Don't feel bad. Really."

  "But I do." Then she threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. "We will hang out. You. Me. Pippa. All three of us. I want the two of you to become friends. It'll be great."

  This was the last thing I wanted, but she was right about one thing. I had been moping. I had no real life. I was pathetic so I plastered on a bright fake smile. "Okay! Let's do it. Us three. We should go drinking."

  Emily's smile disappeared. "What? Drinking? Nooo."

  "It won't be like the last time. I promise." There was no Kates this time. We'd be fine.

  "I was hungover for three days and I don't even remember drinking." Emily shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

  "Oh come on. It'll be fun."

  Emily still didn't look convinced.

  "You need a pick-me-up, right?" I clasped her shoulders and smiled again. I even showed my teeth. I blinded her. "Let me give that to you. You need something to help jump-start your life."

  "Not really," Emily murmured. "I thought that was you?"

  "You. Me. What's the difference? Let's go out, have an adventure, and laugh about it over coffee tomorrow."

  "I don't want to be hungover," she mumbled.

  I shoved h
er towards the closet. "Pick out a hot outfit. I'll go tell the dog and then we'll head out. It'll be fun. Trust me."

  "Dog?"

  But I was already out the door. By the time I knocked on Pippa's door, I had another fake smile on. "Hiya, neighbor!" I even waved cheerfully.

  Pippa stepped back. "Hey."

  "Emily and I are going out for a drink. Come with."

  "I don't know." She glanced up and down the hallway. "I might stay in."

  "You're coming with us. No debate. We'll have a grand time."

  Pippa tried to grin, but it faltered. "Are you sure?" Then she drew me into the room and shut the door. "What about, you know, me being a werewolf and whatever you are. I still haven't figured it out. You're not a witch, are you?"

  Images of Brown flashed through my brain. "No. I'm not a witch."

  "Oh." She visibly relaxed.

  "You don't like witches?"

  "No. Not at all. They don't like us."

  I couldn't imagine why. My smile went up a notch. "So are you coming?"

  She bit her lip and twisted her hands together in front of her. "Can you tell me what you are? It's really been bothering me."

  I fought against the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm empathic."

  "What?" There was confusion first and then understanding dawned. "Oh, I get it. Vampires go crazy about empaths. No wonder you smell like them so much. Or, used to. You don't smell like vampires much lately. Are they leaving you alone?"

  A part of me felt like she bought that half-truth too easily, but the other part condemned me to hell again. "Are you ever going to tell Emily about you?"

  Then Pippa shrugged. "It's not my place to tell her what I am. Her mate will tell her. It's his place."

  Mate. I didn't like the sound of that. "Who is this guy?"

  Pippa smiled again and tugged at the ends of her two braids. "I have no idea, but she'll meet him. I feel it in my blood. So does she. She feels the promise of him through me. It calms her when she's near me."

  I'd seen it in Emily. If Pippa went away, the old Emily would be back within a week. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The new Emily seemed stronger, but if I had learned anything through my ordeal with the vampires it was that if something was being kept hidden, it wasn't a good thing.

  I wasn't a good thing.

  Ugh. The guilt flared inside of me again. Lies and secrecy. Both words weren't good and my life was all about them now.

  "You know what? Nevermind. We can go for a milkshake instead."

  Pippa frowned. "Are you sure?"

  "Yeah. That'd be better." I was kicking myself as I went back to my room.

  Emily had already changed for the night out. She was dressed in a shimmering white shirt over gray slacks. She looked good, very good. But she smiled and waved towards my desk chair. "You didn't tell me about Brown. She should come with us."

  My eyes popped wide when I saw the witch at my desk with a book in her hands. She smiled politely and stood. "Hi, Davy. Remember me from the library? I've thought a lot about that day and decided that you'd been sent to me for some answers. I can give you those answers." Then she extended the book to me. "You can read as much about werewolves as you want. It's not my place to stand in your way."

  What?!

  Emily gushed, "She's a witch! Can you imagine that? We know our own witch."

  Oh. Not good.

  Then my roommate murmured, "I didn't know you liked werewolves?"

  "What?!" Pippa squeaked from the open doorway.

  "Pippa, this is Davy's friend, Brown. She's a witch."

  Brown smiled and lifted the book again. "And I brought this for Davy. She wanted to learn about werewolves."

  "She did?" Then Pippa seemed to regroup. "You're a witch?"

  Brown lifted her shoulders and preened. "I'm a new witch. I don't have much power, but I can feel it. It runs in my family and I know, I just do, that someday I'm going to be a great witch. I know it."

  "Oh."

  While the wolf was at a loss for words, I stepped in. "That's wonderful, Brown. You'll be a great wol—witch. You'll be a great witch."

  "I'm going to be sick," Pippa whimpered behind me.

  Brown's chest puffed up and her cheeks got red. "Thanks, Davy. That means a lot and you barely know me too, not like that vampire that was watching us until I left. I saw him, you know. I felt him, I should say. He was a hottie. I didn't know you knew any vampires."

  "Oh my—" Pippa crashed to the floor behind me.

  "Vampire?" Emily questioned.

  I checked behind me and Pippa gave me a weak wave. One of her shoulders was propped against the wall. "I'm okay."

  "Did you say vampires?"

  Brown turned to Emily and nodded. "You couldn't guess how many go to this college. They're everywhere. Well, they were everywhere, but I didn't notice them much for awhile. Now they seem to be everywhere again. I don't know what's going on. My family doesn't practice witchcraft enough to be considered a threat or an asset by the vampire world. I think that's a good thing. How about you? Do you know any vampires?"

  Emily bristled. "There are no such things as vampires."

  Brown laughed. "Next you're going to tell me that you don't really think I'm a witch, right?"

  "No. I believe in Wiccans. I had a friend who became a Wiccan in high school, but there are no vampires, except in movies."

  Brown stood tall and straightened her shoulders. She seemed miffed. "Excuse me? I am not a Wiccan. There is a big difference between a Wiccan and a witch. Wiccan is a way of life for normal humans. It's a religion, but they're not born with magic. Witches are. I was. There's a difference."

  Emily fought back a grin and glanced sideways to me. "I'm sure you are."

  The air instantly sizzled around us and Brown lifted a hand. "You don't think I'm a witch?"

  "What?" Emily was at a loss for words. "Davy?"

  I jerked a shoulder up. "So what if she's a witch?"

  Pippa melted to the floor and Brown perked up. "That's right." The air lost its sizzle. The witch had been appeased. And then something came over me. I picked the sizzle back up, but it was louder.

  Emily glanced around. "What's going on?"

  Pippa stood up and looked around me.

  Brown glowed as she looked around.

  My body hummed. I felt it all over and remembered when I had changed Lucan back to being human. My body had hummed at that time too. I had snapped my fingers then, but this time I merely narrowed my eyes and the microwave exploded. Sparks flew from it and Emily jumped back, screaming.

  Brown clamped both hands to her cheeks. "Oh my gosh. I don't even know how I'm doing that."

  Emily swung horrified eyes to her, but I grinned. "What were you saying about the difference between Wiccans and witches?"

  Then I glanced at Pippa from the corner of my eye and stopped cold. She wasn't amused. My stomach dropped. She knew I was more than empathic.

  CHAPTER NINE

  I made a quick dash for the shower. A half hour later, I found our room sparkling with cleanliness. I sighed internally as I