A month had past since Ian and his friends saved the city.
   The Night Circle was now demolished in New York and there was absolutely no supernatural activity anymore.
  
   Shane's funeral was held in the town square a week after. Ian's mind was now put at rest knowing his friend body was now properly buried.

   Ian occasionally patrolled the streets from the shadows during midnights.
   Part of him was happy that nothing had happened the following weeks after Julian's death. But another part of him was yearning for something to happen because the mediocrity of things had started to make it seem as if his work was actually done.

   While Damien continued obsessing whether or not the Night Circle was truly done with them.

   Now the Holiday season had come. It was Christmas eve.
   The evening was cold and mundane.
Lena was at Ian's house, assisting him in decorating the Christmas tree.
   Damien sat in the couch and watched tv while blissfully drinking a bottle of bourbon.
'So you're just going to sit there and not help out?' Ian said placing some red balls with hooks on the tree. 'Ever since we stopped the Night Circle you've been nothing but a couch potato.'
'My mansion is too boring for me. Besides, your house much more cozy.' Damien said, placing his feet up on the table. 'So where to now, brother? I for one would like to go back London, see some old friends. What about you?'
'What are you talking about, Damien?' Lena asked as she handed Ian a red ball from a box.
'Well, I just assumed Ian would be heading out of town now that it's all over. That was the original plan.'
'So you're leaving?' She asked, looking at Ian. Her eyes glistened at him, waiting for an answer.
'I'm not leaving right now.'
'So you might leave?'
'Uh.............I haven't really thought of it recently. Back when I was in Michigan, a hundred years ago, some friends and I would gathered around the Christmas tree and make a wish. So what would your Christmas wish?'
'I don't really have one right time. I guess I haven't thought about like you haven't thought about telling me you're leaving town.'
'Are you upset with me?'
'No, I'm just suprised you didn't tell me your initial plan.'
   Lucas entered the house with a young girl. She had dark skin like his and curly hair.
Lucas took off his coat which was covered with snow.
   Lena ran towards the girl and hugged her tightly as they both giggled.
'I can't believe you're here!' Lena said as they let go of each other.
'I'm just glad to be back.' The girl replied.
'This is my cousin, Lily.' Lucas said.
'You must be Lena's boyfriend.' Lily said, looking at Ian.
'Yes, I'm Ian.'
'Lena's told me lot about you.'
'Likewise! She told me that you and were best friends throughout childhood.'
'We knew each other like we were in kindergarten. She, Lucas and I were an inseparable bunch before she started living with her father in Canada, three years ago.'
'But I'm back now and I plan on staying with Lucas until I decide to go back.'
'Which I really hope is a long time from now.' Lena giggled.
    Damien stood up and went to Lily.
'I'm Damien! Ian's older, more handsome brother.' He took her hand and placed a kiss on it. 'Are you sure you and Lucas are cousins? Because you are too gorgeous to be related to him.'
'I'm going to pretend like that didn't hurt my feelings.' Lucas said.
   Lily withdrew her hand from Damien's and chuckled.
'Flirtation! The default setting of a sad playboy. Your dair hair, sexy eyes, muscles and charm may work for some girls but I'm off the market. Better luck with the next girl you try to woo.'
   Lena put her arm on Lily's shoulder.
'Let me show around town and bring you up to date on what you've missed.' Lena said.
'I'd love that!'
   They both chuckled as they left the house with Lucas.
'Did I just get rejected by a seventeen year old?'
'I'm pretty sure you did.' Ian replied trying to hold back his laugh.
  
   George came out of the shadows.
'What are you doing here?' Ian asked with a hostility in his voice.
'I ask him to came over.'
'Why? He's part of the Night Circle.'
'I'm not anymore. I renounced my oath just like Damien. I was actually in Michigan, enjoying the snow before Damien made me come all the way here.'
'I called because I hoped you had some information on a vampire named Cade.'
   As George heard that name, there was a sudden flicker of fear in eyes.
'No, I'm not helping you with anything related to that man. Do you guys have a death wish? Just saying that man's name can get you killed.'
'I understand that you're scared, Ian said, 'Cade is far older and powerful than the three of us in this room combined. But if he is the one that sent the Night Circle here then we need to know more about him.'
'Only a few people in the Night Circle know his actual origin. Fewer know how he looks like. There is a rumour that has been fast spreading for a few weeks now.'
'What's the rumour?' Damien asked.
'The rumour is that Cade is coming to New York to finish what the couldn't.'
'When is he coming?'
'I don't know. It's just what I heard. If I were you two, I'd run as far away from New York as I could.'
   George opened the front door and exited the house.

   Lucas was in his house playing a video game in his bedroom. His phone buzzed on the bed.
   He checked it and saw a text message from Ian.

   'Lucas can you come over to house now? We need to talk. It's quite urgent.'

   Lucas turned off the game and put on his boots. On his way out of the house, he noticed Lily sitting alone in the living room with a ball of fire her in hand that was raised close to her face.
   It didn't burn her or harm her in any way.
From the way she looked at it, she was actually amused by it.
   Lucas took off his glasses and cleaned his eyes to make sure he was clearly. When he put the glasses back on he saw the ball of fire still in her hand. She still didn't noticed the fact that Lucas was standing by the door watching her.
'Lily!' He shouted.
   She instantly dropped her hand and the ball of fire disappeared. Then she alighted from the chair in shock and turned to him.
'Please tell me you didn't see that.'
'The fire ball in your hand? Yes, I freaking saw it! How the hell did you do that?'
'I'm a witch!'
'Say what now?'
'I think I inherited it from our side of the family.'
'Your mom, my aunt was a witch?' Lucas asked.
'I don't really know. Since she back to Nigeria with her mom, we haven't really talked too much. But it's obviously not from my Dad's side. I didn't even know until last year when I accessed my powers.'
'I remember when our moms used to talk about witchcraft. I always thought it was just bogus African nonsense. Looks like I was wrong.'
'Just promise me you won't tell anyone.'
'I promise you, no one will find out. Besides, keeping secrets is my specialty.'

   Ian and Lena arrived at the O'Connell house at the same time. It was almost midnight and Christmas had already come.
'What's the emergency?' Lena asked as she entered the house with Lucas.
'You kids might need to sit down for this.'
Damien said.
'What's wrong?' Lena asked, noticing the serious look on Ian's face.
'There's a man's coming for us. Coming for the whole of New York.' Ian said.
'Who is he? Is he a member of the Night Circle?' Lena asked.
'He owns the Night Circle! His name is Cade and he is the oldest and powerful vampire in history. He is known to be the first of our kind.'
'So he's Dracula?' Lucas asked.
'Pretty much! But without the cloak and stupid accent.'
'He's the one who sent Julian and Night Circle to New York.' Damien said.
'So basically you're telling me the powerful vampire in existence is coming to destroy us. I thought we moved past this and now we have another enemy to face.'
'It's going to be okay.' Ian said.
'No, it's not. You wanted to know my Christmas wish. Well, I wish that this was all over and we could just go back to our normal lives.'

   Ian held onto Lena's hand and took her into the kitchen and looked at the clock.
'What are you doing?' She asked.
   When the hour hand hit twelve o'clock, Ian drew her closer and pressed his lips against hers, kissing passionately.
   When Lena withdrew her lips, she looked up and noticed their was a mistletoe hanged above them.
'Did you plan this?' She asked, smiling.
'I wanted at least one thing to work tonight.'
Ian replied, smiling back at her.
'This is so not how I imagined our first kiss. This surpassed my expectations.'
'I never imagined that I would meet someone like you or Lucas when I first came here. My only plan was to save the city and leave. But now I can't.'
'Because of Cade?'
'Because I'm in love with you!'
   Lena couldn't believe the words she had. She felt a sudden rush of shock and happiness.
   She looked deep into his eyes and they kissed again.

   A few moments after, a tall man with brown hair and almond eyes emanated from the shadows into the kitchen.
Ian pulled out a stake from his pocket.
   Lucas entered the kitchen with Damien who held a gun pointed at the man.
'You can lay down your weapon. I am not here to harm you.' The man said in an old English accent.
'Who are you? What are you doing in my house?' Ian asked.
'My name is Sebastian. I'm here because I know you have a vasted interest in man you know by the name of Cade.'
'How the hell do you know about that?' Ian asked.
'George must have snitched on us.' Damien retorted.
'Your friend told me nothing. I've had spies follow you this last month. You really need to more careful who you ask questions about Cade.'
'So what exactly do you want?'
'Believe it or not, but I'm here to help you stop him.'
'How? He's already coming to the city.' Ian said.
'That's the problem, Cade isn't coming to the city. He's already here!'

    On that same night, Cade stood on the very rooftop where Julian was killed.

   From there he stared at the city, and as the wind blew by his face, he thought to himself;
'And so it begins.'