Ian and Valerie went to the Old Maple Bar that night for the party.
   As Ian entered the bar most of the high school students there started giving him pats and handshakes.
'Didn't realize you were so popular.'
'Neither did I. I don't usually get this much attention in school.'
   Dorian came over to them.
'Happy birthday, Ian!' He said grinning with a cup of beer in his hand.
'How did you know?'
'Lucas told me and then I told everyone.'
'What colourful friends you have, Ian.' Valerie said sarcastically.
    Dorian turned to her.
'I don't think we've met. I'm Dorian.'
'I'm Valerie, Ian's sister.'
'I didn't know you have a sister.' He said turning to Ian.
'He gets that a lot.' Valerie retorted.
'Can we get a drink some time or get out. I'm single if you're interested.'
'I think I'll pass.'
   Valerie then went to the bar for a drink.
'You reek of desperation!' Ian said to Dorian.
   Lena and Lucas then approached them.
'I'm glad you came. Happy birthday!' Lena said hugging him.
'Happy birthday, dude.' Lucas said giving him a warm pat.

   Damien entered the Maple Bar and immediately went up to Ian.
'Hey, bro. I'm suprised you could make it.'
The disapproving looks on Lena and Lucas' faces were very noticeable. Not to mention the way they glared at him like he was a rapid dog.
'I'm sensing so awkward tension here.' Dorian said.
   Damien turned to him.
'You must be Lena's ex. Dorian right?'
'You must be the handsome elder Lena's told me about.'
'Well, what did she tell you?'
'That you're a dick!'
Lucas held back his laugh and Lena concealed her grin at Dorian's remark.
   Damien went closer to him and stared at him with with distaste and anger. Dorian showed no fear. He didn't even flinch. He only gave back a stern look.
Then they both burst into a hysteric laughter that was quite loud.
'Talk to me like that again and I'll rip out your spinal cord and ram it down your own throat.' He smirked before he walked away.
'What a funny guy!' Dorian retorted.
'It's hilarious that you think he was joking.' Ian whispered to himself.
   Lucas spotted Valerie texting next to the bar. He was completely lost while gazing at her. Until Lena tapped him.
'You okay?' She said.
'I'm good. Do you know who that girl is?'
'That's Valerie. Ian's sister that I told you about.'
'Yeah, I remember. She's really beautiful.' He said still staring at her.
'I was just about to go and meet her. Do you join me?'
'Go ahead. I'll catch up.'
   Lena went over to the bar where Valerie was.
'Hey, Valerie.'
'At least you didn't call me hot chick this time.'
'You heard that this morning?' She asked slightly embarrassed.
'Vamp hearing. I didn't mean to eavesdrop.'
'It's okay. I think my friend Lucas might be into you.' Lena said pointing at Lucas who stood next to Ian.
'The nerd with the glasses? He's cute but I'm more into bad boys.'

   Lucas finally worked up the courage to go to her. On his way to the bar he bumped into a blonde haired girl who held a cup of beer of which the contents were now on her dress.
This girl was Candice Denvers. A cheerleader at the high school and a very known mean girl. Lucas once had a crush on her in grade school but lost all interest due to her sauce.
'You idiot!' She shrieked in anger.
'I'm so sorry. It was an accident.'
'Do you have any idea the cost of this dress? It's much more than your broke ass glasses.'
'It was a mistake. You don't have to be a bitch about it, Candice.' Lena yelled.
   Now everyone's eyes were on this very incident. The effect buzzing music had even reduced due to this fiasco.
'Mind your own business, turd!'
'What did you just call me?'
'You heard me right. Or are you deaf now?'
   Valerie had had enough of this and was quite enraged.
'Who the hell do you think you are, blondie?' Valerie shouted.
'And who are you?'
'I'm the girl telling you to call it night.'
'Or what?' She asked shrugging her shoulders.
   Valerie took a jug of margarita and walked over to Candice and poured and whole thing on top of her.

   Candice was shocked and extremely embarrassed. Her hair and half of her body was drenched in magarita. Almost every junior student was there watching the whole and some even recording it on the phone. She looked around her to see people pointing at her giggling, making sly comments to each other as they recorded with their phones.
   She finally turned back to Valerie as she wiped the margaritas for her face.
She hoped to see a remorseful look on her face. But all Valerie did was stand there with a sterness in her eyes.
'My hair!' She shrieked before running out of the Maple Bar.
   Suddenly, there was a roaring applause by the students which was adressed to Valerie who then climbed on top of the bar counter. She opened a bottle of whiskey and began drinking it straight from the bottle.
'Valerie! Valerie! Valerie!' Dorian shouted as the other students joined him in chanting her name.
   When she finished chunking down the bottle of whiskey. Another roaring applause was made as he come down from the counter.
'That was incredible!' Dorian exclaimed.
'Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen anyone stand up to Candice.' Lena retorted.
'Thanks for the assist.' Lucas said.
'No problem, kid.'
   Ian came over to them.
'If you're quite done, I think it's time to go home.' He said.
'Oh, come on! This party's barely even begun.' Dorian said.
   Valerie's phone started buzzing.
'Ian, I'll meet you in the car. I got take this call.'
    Valerie went out of the bar through the back door which led into alley to answer her call.
   Then three vampires came out of the shadows.
'What do you bozos want?'
One of the grabbed her arm trying to drag her away. She broke his arm and ripped out his heart. Another came at her and pushed her down. She got up and broke off a mop stick near the dumpster. The vampire came at her again and she drove it into his heart.
The last one quickly whooshed at her, pinning her to a wall. He wrapped his fingers around her neck, choking her.
   Valerie pulled his hand off her neck, breaking three of his fingers, and kicked him down.
   Damien whooshed in.
'What the hell do you think you're doing?'
'She is the Shadow Walker's sister. We thought if could capture her then we could lure him into a trap.'
'Did you idiots forget that she's also my sister?'
'I'm sorry, Damien. We didn't mean to offend you.'
'Who sent you here?'
'No one. We thought that we could just do it on our own and end this.'
'So no one knows you're here?'
'Nobody knows. We didn't tell a soul.'
'Good!'
Damien ran his hand into the vampire's heart, ripping out his heart.
'Thank you!' Valerie said.
'Are you okay?'
'I'm fine.'
'You should go home. I'll take care of the bodies.'
   Valerie picked up her cell phone which fell during the fight and quickly left the alley.

   Early in the next morning, someone knocked on the door of the O'Connell house.
Valerie opened it and was more than suprised to see that it was Lucas.
'Good morning!' He said nervously.
'Morning! Ian isn't here right now.'
'I know, I came here to see you.'
'Me?'
'Yeah, I just wanted to thank you for standing up to Candice for me last night. I also wanted to ask if you would like to go out on a date with me. I understand if you don't want to...................................'
'Lucas, I would love to go out with you.' She said smiling.
'Really?' Lucas asked surprisingly.
'Yeah, I would. But I'm leaving New York today. Ian's out getting my train tickets now.'
'You're leaving town? When will you be back?
'I'm not sure if I will come back. I only came to see my Ian for his birthday and make sure Damien wasn't being too much of a jerk. Besides, I never stay in one place for long.'
'I understand.' He said with a frown on his face.
'Hey! Don't be so gloomy. I'm sure you'll see me again, nerd.'
   She gave Lucas a peck on the check.
'Take that as something to remember me by.'
She said before closing the door.
   Lucas left with a grin on his face.

   In the afternoon, Valerie and Ian were in a subway station waiting for Valerie's train to arrive.
'So why Dallas of all places?' Ian asked as they walked together.
'I have a few friends there that I need to catch up with. Maybe I'll go to London after that.'
'I'll miss you, Valerie.'
'I'll miss you too.'
   The train for Dallas finally came along.
Valerie picked up her travelling bag, and hugged Ian.
'Try to at least call me this time.' Ian said.
'I will!'
   Valerie walked over to the train and on entering it, she stopped. She turned back to Ian and said;
'Damien may have done some unforgivable things on the past, but he came through for me. For once, he sided with his own blood over the Night Circle. Don't give on up him. There may be hope after all.'
   Valerie hopped in the train and Ian's eyes completely on it as it went away.
   On leaving the station, Ian saw a man alight from another train. Ian was beyond shocked as his whole body became filled with rage. For this man bore a face that haunted him for day and night for centuries. A face that he thought he would never see again.

   It was JULIAN DUBOIS.