Moonlight Denial: Shades of Moonlight Book One

Ethan sighed heavily as he walked into Town Hall. He cursed the pretty little human for leaving him horny and wanting. The vampire had been kind enough to relieve Nicoli when his F.L.S kicked in, couldn’t the boy do the same?

So, disgruntled and aroused beyond measure Ethan had to take matters into his own hand – literally – and take care of himself as Nicoli entered the building before him. The boy wanted them to go back in at separate times, so he told Ethan to hang back for a few minutes after he went in. It was fine by the vampire since it gave him the chance to get better acquainted with Righty.

It frustrated Ethan beyond belief. Nicoli had been dead on when he said Ethan was the one who was lonely and craving attention. Felix was a wonderful traveling companion and friend, but when it came to more intimate matters there wasn’t much the ghost could do for the vampire and that’s where his desperation kicked in.

Back with his clan Ethan could get some good, satisfying loving from any of his family members any time he wanted. It was rare for no one to be in the mood, but out on his own, Ethan hardly received the attention he wanted, and he found it to be no fun in hiring a prostitute. He wasn’t about to pay for false love. That’s where Nicoli came in.

The boy was cute, feisty, sharp witted, the list could go on and on in his pro column and Ethan thought he could finally get some relief. But he hadn’t expected the boy to be so reluctant and stubborn and now that something actually happened between them Nicoli turned out to be devious and cruel to boot. Ethan had underestimated the boy and now he was left with egg on his face and worse off than before.

Ethan sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

“Get a hold of yourself, big guy,” he muttered to himself. “You’re here for a reason so just focus on your purpose and worry about your dick later.”

The Heart. He was doing it all for the Heart. If he just remembered that he could possibly live through his deprived libido. They were finally getting somewhere in their search and that was where his attention needed to be.

With that in mind Ethan focused on why he had returned to the party in the first place. He needed to feed. It had been almost three weeks since he last had fresh blood and he could already feel the effects of his body being depraved. It was also necessary for the vampire to feed before tomorrow came. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Ethan was going to make sure that he was filled and on top of his game before they went into Deloris’ house.

Ethan had refrained from telling Nicoli, with good reason, that he was more than positive that Omen had more up his sleeve than just talismans and barriers. There was a ninety percent chance that Omen himself was going to be there, waiting for them. Ethan never liked walking into the lions den, but there was little choice now. They needed to get into that house. Sure, Ethan didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, but he was certain something was going to be there to help them find the first Heart. There just had to be.

That was the reason Ethan began prowling around the multitude of people, picking out which human’s he could woo and feed from. If he took only a little amount from a good number of people it would be enough.

He watched as a small group of girls pass by him. He studied each of them then shook his head and moved on.

Not only did he have to do this for himself, but he had to do it for Nicoli as well. He, Nicoli, and Felix knew all too well that Nicoli had the greatest disadvantage if they ran into trouble. To put the boy right in the line of danger was the last thing Ethan wanted to do, but the talismans and barriers had to come down and Nicoli was the only one who could do it. They needed him and if the boy was going to do this for them then Ethan had to make sure he was fit to protect both himself and Nicoli. It was going to be tricky, but with Felix backing him up he was sure it could be done.

Ethan perked up and he watched a young man dressed as a cowboy walk past him. He had to be somewhere in his twenties and he was average height, lean and delicious looking. A grin spread across Ethan’s face as he made to follow. It was a good place to start, but the vampire was stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see who it was and both of his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Looking up at him was a girl with big, hazel eyes and flaming red hair. Her tight leather vest and skirt showed off her nicely shaped body and revealed the fair skin of her neck, arms and legs.

Ethan recognized her in a heartbeat from Nicoli’s memories and the day the teenagers had followed him in town, though he had never expected to come face to face with her.

“Hi,” the girl said with a brilliant, white smile and a delicate wave of her hand. “My names Amelia and I was wondering if you’d like to dance.”

******************************************************************

Nicoli sighed and shut the door behind him that led to the room the children were playing in. He was looking everywhere for Amelia, and he was sure she’d have gone off to go play games with the kids, but she wasn’t there.

Amelia’s aunt Hailey said she had left just a few minutes before Nicoli had shown up, but didn’t tell the woman where she was going. Nicoli tried to keep down the suspicion that Hailey had lied about not knowing where she went just because she didn’t like him, but it didn’t seem like she was being dishonest. He was just being paranoid.

It was depressing. Nicoli really wanted to spend the time he had left with the girl. Part of the reason was to take his mind off of what happened in the maze. It surprised him just how much he had enjoyed kissing the vampire. He had planned to just kiss Ethan to get away from him, but Nicoli had ended up getting much more into it than he thought possible. He needed to distract himself from thinking of the vampire’s soft, delectable lips before Little Nicoli took over and made him seek the man out for more. He was stronger than that and, besides, he’d never feed Ethan’s ego like that anyways.

The other part of it was just because he truly wanted to spend time with Amelia. They hardly ever saw each other outside of school and it was nice to be in a relaxed environment rather than at school where the threat of Trevor always loomed.

Luckily Nicoli had run into his father and Lance said he was extending the time they could stay by an hour, most likely because he and Lloyd seemed to be having a good time. It was perfectly fine with Nicoli. He just hoped he wasn’t going to be spending the time he had left looking for Amelia.

“Nicoli?”

Nicoli blinked and turned his head toward the voice that had spoken to him and his hope was rekindled when he saw the speaker.

“Preston! Thank God!” he exclaimed as he quickly closed the small distance between them. “Just the man I wanted to see,” he said with a huge grin as he stood before the red head in priest robes.

“Oh? Really? You needed to see me?” Preston asked his voice carrying a slight waver to it in his confusion.

“Well, actually, you’re the second person I wanted to see. Do you know where Amelia…is…Preston, is something wrong?” Nicoli asked, a dark brow rising.

The entire time Nicoli spoke Preston seemed to be averting his gaze to anywhere but the boy in front of him. Nicoli also noticed that the man’s face seemed to be permanently flushed, making his freckles stand out.

Preston gave a start at the question and finally looked Nicoli in the eye.

“W-Wrong? No, no, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine,” he assured the boy, a little too quickly and much too forcefully.

Nicoli stared at Preston as if he had a giant stamp on his forehead reading, “I’m lying! Something’s wrong! Really wrong!”

“Dude, seriously, what’s up? It looks like you’re about to work yourself into a heart attack,” the boy prodded. “Breathe before you pass out on me or something.”

Preston took his advice and took a deep breath and slowly released it. It seemed to do the job and the man smiled at Nicoli a little calmer this time.

“Everything is fine, Nicoli. It’s just…I’ve never really been one for social events and being here for so long is, well, giving me a little anxiety,” the man explained, though Nicoli thought his smile was a bit forced.

Nicoli pursed his lips and crossed his arms, looking at Preston suspiciously. Then he sighed and shook his head, deciding to drop it. He was sure the man was lying, he was a horrible liar, but Nicoli had just met him so it wasn’t like he had any privilege to try and pry into what Preston was hiding.

“All right, fine, whatever,” Nicoli said dismissively. “I change my mind. I don’t even want to know. But what I do want to know is if you know where Amelia is. I’ve been looking for her everywhere, but, obviously, I’m not having any luck.”

Nicoli’s eyes narrowed when Preston’s freshly achieved calm deteriorated and he looked more fidgety than before. Just what the hell was going on?

“Amelia? Well, no, I haven’t seen her for awhile now,” Preston told the boy. “I think she ran off to go find you, but I haven’t seen her since.”

Nicoli’s suspicion was swept under the rug when his disappearing act was brought to light. He hoped it wouldn’t be looked into too much.

“Uh, yeah, I took a little longer than planned, but…um, you know how bathroom troubles always hit at the worst time,” he said with a sheepish laugh, wanting to go smack his head against the wall.

“Um, yeah, no need to explain it to me, I understand,” Preston said.

Nicoli thought he was imagining it, but it seemed that the flush to the man’s face deepened. He just couldn’t figure Preston out, and it wasn’t like he had the time to try.

“Well, I’m gonna try and go find her, so I’ll talk to you later,” Nicoli said with a farewell wave and turned to head out to the dance floor. He jumped when a hand was quickly placed on his shoulder and Preston’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, Nicoli, uh, why don’t we go look for her together?” the man asked, turning the teenager to toward him. He had a shaky smile and a nervous twitter to his voice that was hard to ignore.

“Um O…kay,” Nicoli said uncertainly, afraid what the man would do if he declined. “Do you have an idea where she could be?”

“Er, not really but…but!” An excited glint came to Preston’s eyes as an idea struck him. “Why don’t we go ask my Uncle Roderick? She might have run into him while she’s been looking for you, so maybe he has an idea where she is.”

“Okay…I suppose we can start there,” Nicoli said. Preston was really starting to freak him out. He didn’t know what to make of the man’s strange behavior, but he felt he needed to play along for his own safety.

“Perfect, I think I saw Uncle Roderick in the cinema room set up on the second floor,” he said as he spun the teenager around and placed his hands on his shoulders. “This way.” Preston then maneuvered the boy and began leading him toward a flight of stairs located near the back of the building.

“All right, jeeze, you don’t have to push.”

Preston didn’t hear Nicoli’s complaint as he chanced a glance over his shoulder toward the dance floor, the place where Amelia really was and was doing the unthinkable at that very moment.

Dear, God, Amelia, please be careful, Preston thought and prayed for his cousin’s safety.

**************************************

Ethan stared at the girl for a long while. He wasn’t sure what to make of her. She came out of nowhere and asked him to dance. Seemed simple and innocent enough, but the fact that this Amelia girl was Nicoli’s only friend at school made Ethan wary, though he couldn’t really say why.

Apparently he took too long to reply when the young woman laced her fingers behind her back and continued to smile cutely at him.

“Well, mister?” she asked.

Ethan studied her a bit more before he bothered to reply.

“I’m flattered, Amelia, was it?” Ethan asked, playing the role of charismatic gentlemen as he knew best. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. I have to leave soon and I’m quite sure that your mother wouldn’t be too keen on her lovely young daughter dancing with a much older man.”

Ethan thought he said his peace very well and was sure the girl would wander away by the way she was staring at him. What he didn’t expect was Amelia bursting into laughter to the point she doubled over.

“Wow,” Amelia said and covered her mouth with her hand as the last of her laughter escaped her. “I hope that’s not how you really talk. It’s a little ridiculous.” She giggled again as Ethan stared at her as if he had been struck dumb. “And besides,” she continued as she looped her arms around one of Ethan’s, further perplexing the vampire. “Mom always says that I should go for older men. Apparently older men are more mature and would balance out my overabundant childishness. So, come on, we’re gonna dance,” she said, leaving no room for argument as she dragged Ethan out to the dance floor.

The vampire sighed as he was led by the pull on his arm. He wasn’t sure what the girl was up to, but he didn’t have a good feeling about it. He supposed he would just have to sit back and see where this went.

Once the two were out on the dance floor a slow song was played and the people around them broke off into pairs. Amelia took the liberty of placing one of Ethan’s hands on her waist and took his other hand up in hers. She smiled softly at him as they began to slow dance along with all the other party goers.

“So, I haven’t seen you around here before,” Amelia said, striking up a conversation. “What’s your name? I know everyone in Whixton and I’m not about to let that change now.”

Ethan’s suspicion grew. He knew very well that Nicoli had told her about the vampire after their first encounter, but, if he looked at it sensibly, it’d be even more suspicious if she wasn’t curious about his name. It’d make any normal person confused on how the girl would know them without actually meeting.

“I’m Ethan Meier,” he told her with his own smile. “I’m only in town for a few weeks. I’m traveling around the country and Whixton seemed like a quaint little town to stop in.”

“And right you would be, Mister,” Amelia agreed as the vampire spun her to arms length then spun her back. “Ethan Meier, that’s a strong name and I guess that fits since you seem like a strong guy.”

“Thank you, I’d like to think I am,” Ethan replied with a chuckle. “And Amelia suits you. It’s a very beautiful name.”

Amelia giggled and nodded not minding being flattered.

“Oooh calling a young girl beautiful now, are you? You’re certainly are a suave one. But since you’re such a strong and suave man, perhaps you can help me with something.”

Ethan arched a fair brow. Now things were getting interesting.

“Help you with something?” the vampire echoed. “Do you usually ask people you’ve just met for things?”

“Sometimes, but it’s really important what I need from you,” she replied.

“…And what is that?” Ethan asked, his words coming slowly and heavy in distrust. Their dancing slowed to a mere sway as the vampire gave the girl all of his attention.

“There’s something that I really need – no – I don’t think that’s the right word. Something that I really want from you.”

The words made the vampire stop their dance cold. The hand Amelia had on Ethan’s broad shoulder tightened its grip as she used it to help her stand on her tip toes. When her mouth was as close to Ethan’s ear as it could get she whispered,

“I want you to leave. Nicoli. Alone.”

If Ethan’s heart could still beat it would have skipped one. He watched in bewildered fascination as Amelia pulled back and the delightful smile she had had was now gone. He was left staring at a cold gaze that would make a statue crumble. The vampire was stunned that she went from delightfully bubbly and cheerful to completely serious and almost dangerous looking. It was as if he was looking at a completely different girl.

Ethan was quick to smother the surprise in his features and regain his composer. He couldn’t let the girl know he’d been shaken.

“I’m sorry, who?” he asked with a light chuckle as he started their dance again. “I’m afraid you have me confused with someone else. I don’t know anyone by that–”

“Cut the crap,” Amelia interrupted him, her expression no less intimidating. “I know you know what I’m talking about. I saw you and Nicoli talking in here earlier, so you can’t tell me you don’t know him.”

“I’ve spoken with a lot of people here so far,” Ethan said, quick on the rebuttal. “It’s a party, why wouldn’t I talk to a lot of people? And if I did happen to speak with this Nicoli person, I don’t see the harm in it. Why does it make you so upset?” he asked casually as he spun the girl again, only when he spun her back he had her back to his chest so she was facing away from him. When he spun her out again Amelia said five words that made him freeze in mid movement.

“Because I don’t trust vampires.”

It took Ethan a little longer to recover from the statement, but he had enough sense enough to pull the girl back to him.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, still playing ignorant. Then, for the first time, the girl smirked at him. It was a smirk that would make Felix proud. It was full of smugness and vicious delight.

“You heard me. I. Don’t. Trust. Vampires,” she said slowly and annunciating each word, as if it’d help the man understand her better. “And don’t bother denying it,” she said when Ethan was about to speak. “I know that you truly are a vampire. You haven’t actually breathed normally when you’re not talking. Your skin is cold and,” Amelia’s hand slipped from Ethan’s hands and she pressed her fingers against his wrist, “you have no pulse,” she told him matter-of-factly as she retook his hand.

“Besides,” she continued, not letting the man get a word in edgewise. “Even though this is the first time I’ve actually come face to face with a vampire it’s hard to ignore that dead, decayed aura that’s radiating off you. That’s just a plain give away.”

Ethan’s eyes widened a miniscule at the last statement. He was beginning to appreciate the fact that this girl wasn’t fooling around.

“You…can see my aura?” he asked in disbelief, letting his cool demeanor slip.

“Of course I can,” Amelia said, her grin widening at his reaction. She was now the one that had to keep the man moving so their dance didn’t stop. “It’s a skill that comes easily to most of those in the Fairbrooke Family.”

“Fairbrooke?” Ethan echoed. The name struck a chord within him and everything fell into place and made sense. “You’re a Fairbrooke.” His stunned expression was swallowed up by a wide, nearly sinister grin and his hand slid around Amelia’s waist so his whole arm was around her and he took over their dance with gusto.

“I suppose there is no denying it from a Fairbrooke then. Yes, I am a vampire,” Ethan admitted. “Since I first set foot in Whixton I wondered if I was going to run into anyone from the illustrious Fairbrooke Family.” When he spun Amelia out once more he took the time to bow deeply to her. “I’m honored to meet you. It’s not everyday I have an encounter with someone from such a revered witch family.”

Amelia’s expression did not change and she hmphed when the vampire stood and took up their dance once more.

“You can keep that honor,” she spat, not amused in the least. “If you know the reputation my name carries then you should also know that I’m not suggesting that you leave Nicoli alone. I’m telling you to.”

Ethan chuckled and his grin never faltered as they moved to the music.

“Why, my dear, you should also know you can’t use your name to frighten me. The Fairbrooke name might be mighty, but you’re just one little witch, hardly enough to make me sweat,” he gloated and for one second Amelia swore she saw fangs in his smile. “And, again, I’ll say I have no idea who you’re talking about. What exactly makes you think I’m doing anything to this Nicoli that warrants verbal threats?” he asked.

“First off,” Amelia said coolly, unfazed by Ethan’s words. “I’ll have you know I’m not some mediocre, parlor trick using magician that hides behind a name. I’m the daughter of Cecile Fairbrooke, the very head of the Fairbrooke family, so don’t write me off so easily. I’m very well trained. And if you don’t believe me, I’ll be glad to give you an example.”

Ethan had to bite back a pained cry when something that felt like an electrical shock went from Amelia’s hand into his, sending a blistering jolt through his arm that left it momentarily numb.

The vampire growled and hissed at the girl, the sudden attack causing him to bare his fangs before he could stop himself.

“Didn’t feel too good, did it?” Amelia asked innocently and smirked as Ethan’s glare deepened. Their dance was now on automatic as the war of wills and power waged. “That’s just a little taste to what this, “One little witch,” can do and don’t you forget it,” she told him. “And, again, I’ll say that I want you to leave Nicoli alone. I don’t care how much you deny it, but I know you’re doing something either with or to him, and I want it to stop,” she said, her expression turning stony and severe again.

“And why do you believe this so strongly?” Ethan asked through clenched teeth as feeling slowly trickled back into his arm.

“I saw the two of you talking when I came back into the room and I know for a fact that you had Nicoli meet you out in the maze and, apparently, you two were fighting about something then you proceeded to violate him,” the girl answered. The shocks came from Amelia’s hand again, only they were a slight tingle this time, as if in warning. “And that is not going to be tolerated.”

“…you were spying on us,” Ethan muttered, abandoning all pretenses. Now all that concerned him was how much the girl had heard and how he hadn’t sensed her presence. Albeit he was distracted by ravishing Nicoli, but he should have picked up on something: a scent, a heartbeat, anything, but he had noticed nothing…except…

That noise… Now Ethan remembered. The noise he had heard, the undistinguishable sound and the footsteps, they must have been Amelia.

“Not quite,” Amelia said, dashing his suspicions. “I saw you here, but not in the maze. I received that information from someone else.”

“And who would that be?” Ethan asked. Nicoli’s own words came to mind at the situation that was being presented to the vampire. He needed to do some damage control. If Amelia’s informant had overheard his and Nicoli’s plans then everything could be at risk. It was then Ethan wished he could read the little witch’s mind.

It was known amongst all vampires that witches minds were completely closed off to them. The magic that was in the witches very blood made a natural veil around their mind and prevented any kind of encroachment to their thoughts. Ethan was learning how truly inconvenient it was.

“That’s none of your concern,” Amelia replied flippantly. “What should be your concern is that I’m being serious and if you don’t leave Nicoli alone I’ll –”

“You’ll what, Little witch?” Ethan cut her off, his sneering smirk returning. “Are you going to shock the undeath out of me? Or perhaps stake me with your broom? Really, what are you planning on doing? Can you really kill someone, even if they’re a vampire?”

That silenced Amelia and caused her glare to deepen at the vampire. The truth was, she didn’t know what she would do. It was her first time coming in contact with one of the undead and she wasn’t certain on how to handle the situation.

“What do you want from Nicoli?” she asked instead. Perhaps if she could figure out the vampire’s motives it’d be easier for her to think on what to do.

Ethan chuckled and grinned in satisfaction. If the girl had to ask that then there was a high chance that her informant hadn’t overheard him and Nicoli’s conversation. He could be wrong, but it made him feel more at ease, nevertheless.

“Now see, that is something that would be none of your concern,” Ethan replied. “It’s a private matter between me and the boy.”

“But why?” Amelia insisted. “He’s just an ordinary guy, what could you possibly want from him besides just a quick snack? And that’s obviously not it since you’ve could have drained him dry in the maze.” Then a question surfaced in her mind that almost made her freeze in place if Ethan hadn’t continued to move her in their dance. “Does he…does he know what you are?” It seemed impossible. Nicoli was so vehement in his disbelief of the supernatural it didn’t seem possible that he knew what Ethan truly was, but then again…

Ethan let out a tremendous laugh, almost making Amelia jump at the sudden sound.

“Know what I am? Dear, have you actually spent time with that boy? He wouldn’t believe I was a vampire if I fell into the Grand Canyon then flew my way back up unharmed,” the vampire told her, his sneering smirk from before turning into a light-hearted smile. “As much as you think I’m the bad guy because of what I am, which is rather racist, might I add, I have no ill intentions towards your little friend.”

“How can I trust you on that?” Amelia was quick to ask, her features showing her suspicion.

“You’ll only have my word,” Ethan replied. “If that’s not enough then I’m sorry I can’t offer anymore. Did you ever think that I only led him into that maze to have my way with him? Or “violate” him, as you so put it, which, in all respect, he happily joined in after some convincing.”

Amelia bit back a disbelieving retort. If that was all it was why had Nicoli and the vampire been fighting beforehand like she had been told? Was Nicoli simply just turning down the vampire’s advances? From what she heard their intimate kissing seemed to only occur as an afterthought. Then what was the real reason to their meeting?

Before Amelia could speak any of her thoughts the song they had been dancing to ended. She watched as the people around her broke away from each other and eagerly awaited the next song. The girl’s attention was directed back to Ethan when the vampire released her hand and waist and stepped back from her.

“Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Amelia Fairbrooke. You’re a lovely young woman and I admire how much you care for the well being of your friend,” he told her, and his words seemed sincere. “But, before I’m off, I’ll leave you with this.”

Amelia’s eyes widened when the vampire took hold of her chin between his fingers. She only had time to grab onto his wrist before his mouth was against her ear.

“I will not bring any harm to Nicoli, you have my word on that, and I promise I shall protect him from anything that would bring harm to him, just as I’m sure you will.”

Before Ethan pulled away entirely he pressed his lips to Amelia’s cheek in a soft kiss. He then released the girl’s chin and stood up to his full height.

“Do take care, Miss Amelia of the Fairbrooke Family,” he said with a little salute of his fingers and a charming smile. Then he turned and walked away, leaving Amelia to stand alone in the middle of the dance floor.

Amelia watched Ethan’s retreating back until she couldn’t see him anymore. Even after he was gone she continued to stare at the spot where he had been. Then, slowly, she raised her hand and covered her cheek. She could still feel his lips on her skin. Her mother had always warned her that vampires were vicious yet sensual creatures, but Amelia never appreciated just how true that statement was until now.

Her mind raced and Ethan’s words spun around her head until she thought she was getting dizzy. The second Amelia had seen Nicoli talking with the vampire she was sure Ethan was up to no good and was going to harm her friend, but after his last words, she didn’t know what to think.

“Nicoli,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “Just what the hell did you get yourself into?”

*************************************************

“Man, your uncle can just talk and talk and talk,” Nicoli said as he, Amelia, and Preston walked out of Town Hall after Lance and Lloyd, who were still laughing and joking quite loudly. “I liked your uncle, don’t get me wrong, but he’s worse than my grandfather when it comes to old stories,” Nicoli continued.

“Yes, Uncle Roderick does get a little carried away sometimes when he spins a good tale,” Preston said with a chuckle.

“It’s usually better to just go along once he really gets going,” Amelia added as the three of them trotted down the stairs. They stopped halfway down the pathway and watched Lance and Lloyd give each other a manly hug and discuss plans for a future get together between the families.

“Damn it, I wish we hadn’t wasted most of the night trying to find each other,” Nicoli murmured. By the time he and Preston had actually found Amelia they only had about ten minutes to talk before Lance found them and told Nicoli they were leaving. “This really blows. Ow!” Nicoli winced and rubbed his arm where Amelia punched him.

“Well, that’s what you get for taking such a long dump in the damn bathroom,” Amelia scolded him with her hands on her hips.

“I’m sorry for answering the call of nature,” Nicoli retorted and the two stuck their tongues out at each other.

“Now, now you two. Let’s not behave like children,” Preston said, which resulted in him getting two raspberries blown at him.

“Hey, rugrats,” Lloyd interfered as he walked back to them. “Let’s play nice now. Nicoli, your father went to go get the car,” he then told the boy. “So he wants you to wait here till he pulls up.”

“Oh, okay,” Nicoli replied.

“It was very nice meeting you,” Lloyd said and shook the boy’s hand. “And I look forward in seeing you again soon. Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I promised my lovely Hailey a dance, so I bid you farewell,” he said with a grin and a wink before going back towards Town Hall.

“Go dance her shoes off, Uncle Lloy-Lloy!” Amelia yelled after him.

“And it was nice meeting you too!” Nicoli called out.

The man gave a slight wave before disappearing into the building.

“Your family all seems really nice. I’m glad I got to meet some of them,” Nicoli said after Lloyd was gone.

“You’re darn tootin’ they’re nice. Just wait till you meet my mom though. I’m sure you’re going to love her!” Amelia told him excitedly.

All three of them turned when a car horn blared and they saw Nicoli’s father pull up and wave at them.

“There’s my ride,” Nicoli sighed before turning back to the other two. “I guess I’ll see ya – oof.” Nicoli was cut off as Amelia practically tackled him and flung her arms around his neck. “Um, Amelia?” the boy said questioningly as she hugged him with all her might. She held on for a good minute or so before pulling back with a wide smile and a pat to Nicoli’s shoulders.

“Since you ruined our hang out time tonight I’m expecting you to make it up to me at some point, you got that?” she asked. “That means when I ask you to do something in the future you have to do it no matter what, okay?”

Nicoli blinked at her in bewilderment. He then sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Ma’am, whatever you say,” he said sarcastically and laughed when he received a pinch to his cheeks for his comment. The car horn sounded again and Nicoli sighed. “I’ll see you later, Amelia, and it was nice meeting you, Preston. I hope we get to hang out again soon,” he said as he reached over and shook the older man’s hand.

“Oh, I’m sure we will,” Preston assured him.

Nicoli nodded and made one last face at Amelia before turning and running toward the car.

“See you guys later!” Nicoli called back and he waved one last time before opening the car door and slipping inside.

Both Amelia and Preston waved as the car pulled away. As the tail lights faded into the darkness of the night Amelia finally let her forced smile slip away and a worried expression replaced it.

Preston watched her as this happened and he had his own concerned look.

“Amelia, what happened in there?” Preston asked. He gave a start when the girl glanced at him then turned and walked away into the small hay field. “Amelia!” Preston called after her and followed. “Talk to me. Did that – that thing hurt you?”

“No, Preston, he didn’t hurt me,” Amelia grumbled as she sat down on a bale of hay. She sighed as she took her Flying Monkey hat off and threw it down on the ground. “He just…I had no idea how to deal with him. I thought intimidation would work, and it seemed to at first, but then he just pulled the rug right out from under me. Vampires are…odd creatures…”

“I’m just glad he didn’t hurt you,” Preston said as he stood beside Amelia and stroked her head. “But did he say what exactly is going on between him and Nicoli?” he asked.

Amelia sighed and shook her head.

“No, he was very closed lip about it. What really threw me for a loop, though, is that he said he has no intention of hurting Nicoli and that he’s even going to protect him if anything does try and hurt him.” Amelia bowed her head and let her hair fall around her face. The girl then let out a frustrated cry as she buried her fingers in her fiery locks. “I just don’t get what’s going on! And I just hate myself for not realizing that vampire was hanging around Nicoli until now. It all makes such perfect, stupid sense now. I mean, the black eye disappearing, that definitely had to have something to do with Ethan, Nicoli acting so, so strange that one week, and now this! God, I’m such an idiot!”

Amelia came out of her slumped position to look up at her cousin.

“So, are you sure you have no idea what they were talking about?” she asked, hopeful that the man would remember something.

Preston only sighed and shook his head, hating to see the girl beat herself up like this.

“No, I was too far away to really hear anything,” he told her. “The only time I heard even a fragment of what they were talking about was when Nicoli started yelling no over and over. Other then that I heard nothing and then they started…you know, getting close and I felt it necessary for me to leave,” he said and his face flushed at just the memory of what he saw.

Amelia huffed and rested her chin in her hand while her elbow was planted on her knee.

“You should have tried getting closer,” she muttered.

“Closer? Are you insane?” Preston asked in disbelief. “My cloaking spell might have made me undetectable to the vampire, but it doesn’t keep my feet silent. I’m sure he would have heard me if I tried getting any closer.”

“I know, I know,” Amelia whined, knowing it wasn’t her cousin’s fault. It was good he had been cautious since it was both their first time coming in contact with a vampire.

“If you’re really worried this vampire is going to hurt your friend we should go tell Aunt Hailey and Uncle Roderick. The vampire couldn’t have gone far and I’m sure they could –”

“No, Preston,” Amelia cut him off. “I don’t want to get them involved until I’m absolutely sure it’s necessary. I even had my reservations about getting you into this when I first saw Nicoli talking to that man, but I knew I had to since you’re a lot better at concealment spells than I am.”

“Lucky me,” Preston chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He sighed when Amelia didn’t even crack a smile. “If you want my opinion, you should try and warn Nicoli what he’s dealing with. How I see it is that he’s involved with this Ethan because he thinks he’s an ordinary human. If Nicoli were to know that he’s actually a vampire then maybe–”

“Preston, stop,” Amelia said as she looked up at him. “Have you heard one word I said about Nicoli? He doesn’t believe in anything that has to do with the supernatural. You should have seen it the first time he told me about meeting Ethan at the library. Of course I was working off an assumption from what Nicoli had told me, but I said outright that I thought the man that he met was a vampire. Instantly walls went up and Nicoli was deaf and disregarded all the reasons I gave him to why I thought that way. There’s just no way I’d ever get him to believe me now that I really know that Ethan is, in fact, a vampire.”

“Well, actually, there is one way,” Preston said after a short silence.

Amelia blinked and looked up at him in bewilderment.

“What way?”

Preston sighed as he looked from Town Hall then back to his little cousin.

“I’m sure there would be some arguments from the family, especially from Aunt Hailey, and maybe even Uncle Roderick, but you can reveal to Nicoli that you’re a witch. Show a few spells and even the most hardcore disbeliever would have no choice but to see you’re telling the truth. Then he’d be more inclined to believe what you say about the vampire.”

Amelia stared at Preston for awhile, unable to grasp that her cousin, one of the more vocal about keeping their family secret from people, would suggest such a thing. Her face then became troubled and she looked to the ground and started gripping and rubbing her hands together nervously.

Preston watched her do this for a few moments before sitting on the hay beside her. He then put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

“You’re afraid that he won’t want to be your friend anymore if he finds out the truth, aren’t you?” he asked softly.

Amelia slowly nodded her head. It was her greatest fear to be shunned because of what she was.

“It’d be Dad all over again and I don’t want to go through what Mom did. That almost destroyed her,” she murmured. She then looked at Preston sadly. “Am I a coward for thinking that way?”

“What? Amelia, no, you’re not a coward. It’s a very sensible fear that all of us have, not just you.” He then chuckled and smiled. “You saw all the anxiety Aunt Hailey went through when she fell in love with Uncle Lloyd and was debating whether or not to tell him the truth.”

Amelia finally laughed a little.

“Yeah, I remember when she was talking to Mom about it one day and nearly ripped handfuls of her hair out. Poor Aunt Hailey,” she said and giggled at the memory. “I’m really glad it worked out between them, though.”

“So am I,” Preston agreed. “But you see, all of us are scared about it, so don’t feel so bad that you do, too,” he said with a relieved smile. He was happy that his cousin seemed to feel just a little bit better.

A companionable silence fell between them and they both had their own thoughts about what to do with the situation at hand. The more Preston thought about Nicoli and his ties to the vampire, the more one question stuck out to him that had nothing to do with Ethan.

“Amelia?” he said softly.

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“You just did, but go ahead,” Amelia said with a cheeky smile.

“Well, I was thinking. You’ve hardly ever made friends with people who, you know, aren’t like us. The fear of being rejected being why, right?” he asked and received a small nod from the girl. “Hmm then I’m curious. Why did you reach out to Nicoli and befriend him? What made him different?”

Amelia averted her gaze and stared straight ahead of her. Her reason why was something the girl had only discussed with her mother, but she supposed Preston deserved to know after he helped her.

“It’s not because I actually wanted to be his friend,” Amelia muttered softly. “It caught me by surprise when I found that I actually liked talking and spending time with him and the friendship just sort of…happened.”

Preston wasn’t sure what to make of that. His cousin didn’t actually want to be friends with Nicoli at first? It was puzzling.

“Then what made you approach him in the first place?” he asked.

“It’s because…because.” Amelia took a moment to gather her thoughts and speak the words that were on the tip of her tongue. “It’s because he’s been touched.”

“…touched?” Preston echoed. His face turned red when he had an idea of what that meant. “Um, Amelia, is his love life really what made you approach him?” he asked in disbelief.

Amelia looked up at him in confusion and her eyes widened when she realized what he was thinking.

“No, you idiot! Not like that!” she yelled and shoved at his shoulder, almost making him fall off their seat.

Preston found his balance at the last second and was able to stay upright.

“Then what do you mean about him being touched?” the man asked as he adjusted his glasses.

Amelia sighed and bowed her head again. When she lifted her head her face was solemn.

“He’s been touched by something…evil.”

“Evil?”

“Couldn’t you feel it when you met him?” Amelia asked and Preston shook his head. It didn’t surprise her really. Preston had always accelerated in defensive and healing magic, but his ability to sense auras was always a bit lacking.

“The first day he came to school, when he first stepped foot in my English class, I felt it. I could even see it if I concentrated hard enough. It’s this dark, evil aura that surrounds him. The first time I came in contact with it, it was almost suffocating. At first I thought it was coming from him, just like Aunt Hailey does.”

“Wait, Aunt Hailey? She senses it, too?” Preston asked and Amelia nodded.

“Yes, she pulled me to the side earlier when she first met Nicoli to warn me about it and she thinks I shouldn’t be around Nicoli at all. She said she doesn’t trust him because of it and that I should be careful. If she had told me that when I first met Nicoli, then I would have agreed with her one hundred percent,” the girl told him.

“But you don’t now?”

“No, I don’t. That first day I couldn’t get Nicoli and that aura off my mind. So, the next day I approached him, to see if I could get close enough and figure out what it was, or what he was,” Amelia said. “After awhile I realized that the aura isn’t coming from him. It’s more like it’s just on him.”

“On him? How can an aura just be on someone?” Preston asked. “I’ve never heard of something like that before.”

“I didn’t know either, so I asked Mom about it and she told me that it’s a rare phenomenon that only happens when a human comes into contact with something pure evil, which doesn’t happen often since that usually destroys a person. So, that’s why I first started hanging around Nicoli, because I wanted to see if I could figure out how he came in contact with that kind of evil.”

“Did you discover anything?” Preston inquired, becoming further interested.

“Not really, Nicoli seems like a completely normal guy and everything that he’s told me about his life doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, but being around that aura so much has led me to one conclusion,” Amelia told him.

“And what’s that?”

“It’s old. Really old. It’s like this stale, faint kind of mist that’s just clinging to Nicoli for all its worth and that’s not all. Nicoli actually has two auras around him.”

Preston’s eyebrows shot up and disappeared under his bangs.

“Two!?”

Amelia nodded and had to try and hold back a giggle from her cousin’s reaction.

“Uh huh, he has two. It’s almost undistinguishable compared to the other one, which is why I only noticed it about a week ago,” Amelia explained.

“It’s not another evil aura, is it?” Preston asked, wondering how one regular person could have that much wicked energy around them, but he was further perplexed when Amelia shook her head.

“No, it’s completely different from the other one,” she said. “It’s really thin, and it’s under the evil one, so it covers most of Nicoli. And the feeling I get from it, well, it’s a good aura, a really really good aura. It’s as if, well.” Amelia paused as she searched her brain for the right words. “It’s as if it’s acting as a shield against the other aura. It’s protecting Nicoli from the evil one.”

“So…you’re basically saying that he has a good and evil aura and one is fighting the other?” Preston asked to clarify and he pursed his lips in thought when the girl nodded. “Do you think he knows anything about them?”

Amelia simply shrugged her shoulders.

“I have no idea. From what I know of him and what he believes, I’d say most likely not,” she told him.

Preston “Hmmed” and went into thought once more. The puzzle was just gathering more and more pieces and none of them were fitting together.

“I can’t believe he doesn’t believe in anything supernatural then, I mean, honestly,” Preston said, making his cousin look at him curiously. “From someone who claims to only believe in things that are “normal” he sounds more “abnormal” than anything else.”

Amelia did let her giggle go this time and nodded.

“My thoughts exactly.” Her smile then disappeared and she sighed and slumped her shoulders. “But that coupled with what’s going on with that stupid vampire…it’s all making me so worried about him and what’s making me even more aggravated is I don’t know what to do about it,” she muttered miserably and covered her face with her hands.

All Preston could do was rub her back soothingly, making sure not to accidentally hit her fake wings.

“Well, I don’t know either, so I guess we’re in the same boat,” he said, though he knew it didn’t help. “All I can suggest is, if you really care about him as a friend and since he’s being completely dense about what’s around him, is to just look out for him. Try and protect him as best you can and you know I’ll always be there to help you if you need it.”

Amelia didn’t reply to his words, but she turned her upper body enough to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him. She rested her head against his cheek and neck and let a small smile grace her face.

“Have I ever told you you’re the best cousin ever?”

Preston laughed and returned the hug.

“I thought my sister was the best cousin ever?”

“Okay, you’re the best cousin ever when Serena isn’t here,” Amelia corrected herself.

In all the mysteries that surrounded her new friend, she was happy in the fact that she wouldn’t be alone in trying to figure them out, and figure them out she would. If Amelia could do that she would have a better idea on how to keep Nicoli safe.

She would be like the protective shield around the boy and help look after him from whatever tried to harm him. Whether it be vampires, evil auras, or high school bullies, no one messed with a friend of a Fairbrooke witch. No one.

======================================Ch. 16 End