GUYS! I made Everly's house into a 3D model (The picture) and I think it's super cool. I also made Colin's living room + bedroom so that'll be up too! I still have to make Everly's room... but I don't really know how that looks considering the book rarely takes us there? But yeah... there's her living room and most of her kitchen. I love it because I can picture Kas and Everly leaning against the dining table soaking in the sunset from that chapter all that time ago. Throwback to when he was actually alive. ANYWAYS you guys have a good day.

We were running so hard even I was failing to have energy. Colin was breathing quickly, Sophia in his arms wrapped up tightly. Witches felt the cold and so did children.

I shook my head as Colin stopped, leaning up against a tree. "I can't... Everly can we stop?" He gulped down air. "We ran seven miles in the time it takes a fast person to run two. Can we please quit?" I took a deep breath and watched him slide down the tree. "I'm not like you. I tire easier. Plus I'm carrying Sophia and..."

"Colin... it's fine. I get it." I got it but that didn't mean I was happy about it. We had to keep moving, keep pushing. Konrad would catch us at this pace. Becker would catch us. Magic would find us. I wanted to make it as much of a struggle as I could for them.

I sat down in the snow, hating how my nose ran from the exercise in the cold. Becker betrayed us. He snitched on Constance and I. How could he do that to me? To his sister? To his family. What would make him turn on us? Because the children are coming back? And without him... they don't?

What kind of sick man uses children as blackmail? It hurt me to my very core that Konrad could use Sophia as a weapon. She was so young, so innocent. But maybe that's why she was easy to corrupt. Because when you have no scars, it's easy to get hurt. My family taught me that at a young age.

I looked over at Colin and Sophia. He was holding her in his arms. He wore no jacket, he had no warmth to offer her. He was... dead. He was a vampire, cold with no heartbeat. Or at least I suspected. I couldn't actually feel the cold or the warmth.

I opened my arms. "Here... let me hold her."

Colin looked up slowly through his hair that was beginning to get too long. "Everly, I don't want to give her up."

"You'll be giving her up to hypothermia in a second. You're a vampire, Colin. You don't have any warmth." I wasn't trying to sound mean, but it came out that way.

He took a deep breath and realized that what I was saying was the truth. He handed Sophia over to me and I bundled her up to my chest.

"So... all vampires are dead right?" I asked, watching Sophia as she quietly fell asleep in my lap. She was so tired, so sad. It fueled my fight against Konrad even more. It wasn't just her. There were so many people Konrad had trapped— so many children.

Colin scooted closer to me, holding his knees to his chest. "Yeah, why?"

I rubbed Sophia's arms up and down, trying to bring some color to her pale skin. "Well... that means you're dead. How did it happen? How come you didn't just become a Salem Of The Old Witch?"

There were more questions in my heart. How did you not know your sister was one of the most powerful beings on the planet? How did you not know your grandfather was the worst person on Earth? Are you okay? How are you holding up after saving your sister from a mad-man?

He bit his lip, uncomfortable by my question. He cleared his throat and pulled his shirt down to show his neck. "You can't see it unless you know it's there. Magic. Great, isn't it?"

I looked at him but I couldn't find what he wanted me to see. But... that was the point.

"My dad he uh... he cut my throat after biting me. I never asked why he bit me. But... yeah... if you're born a vampire, you're technically human even after 19 until you die. My dad didn't want me to be a human in this world until I died so he..." He trailed off and rubbed his neck. "My mom screamed at him because there's so many less painful ways to die."

I always complained to him about how bad my family was, how he should've been glad to have his parents. He always told me that I didn't understand and I realize now that he was right.

"I'm sorry, Colin." I said but he rolled his eyes. "I really am. I didn't know he was that bad."

"That bad?" He stood up. "Everly, my dad... he's never been a good man. He is a liar and he's cruel and he's... he's still my dad no matter how much I wish he wasn't. You can't apologize for that because it's not your fault. I'm sorry I have a disturbed grandfather and a dad who plots against everyone." He ran a hand through his hair. "So what about you? Don't Hunters have some ritual to becoming a Hunter?"

I scoffed. "Ritual? No. Training since birth, yes. Being prided in dying, yes. Fearing nothing because you're told you yourself are an embodiment of fear?... totally. I actually like Van Helsing. He's uh... if he was immortal and put through a lot more pain he reminds me of myself."

Colin chuckled. I knew at that moment that I'd do everything in my power to make sure that he continued laughing. I couldn't live in a world where Colin didn't laugh.

"Yeah you have bad ass role models. Vampires have... Dracula and disco-ball boy. Honestly, you have the better end." He threw his hands up. He was more closed off from me than what I was used too, but I liked this goofy side of him. But it hurt to know he was only acting weird and not holding me in his arms like he would have been because one of us... one of us was meant to die that day in the high school. One of us would have killed the other. Was he thinking the same thing I was? That that would have saved us a lot of trouble.

I laughed. "Oh yeah. I got locked in a room for two weeks once I turned 19." I said proudly.

He rolled his eyes. "Vampires are super sensitive to music. It just sounds like babble most of the time. Especially rock. But opera is exquisite."

My jaw dropped. "Yeah, well, Hunters can die from anything extreme. Like we can burn to death. You can't."

He smiled brightly. "Any object older than me can kill me. No Hunters know that. Well except now."

I crossed my arms. "Okay well thanks for that fun-fact Dumbo. Hunters can be sensitive to light. Switching from dark to light hurts my eyes and disorients me."

Colin leaned closer to me. "Honestly Everly, you have it better. All my photos are kind of blurry if they're of me. And if someone tries to paint a portrait of a vampire than it looks different from how I actually look even by a little bit. I have no idea what I really look like."

I pointed at him, laughing. "Okay being a vampire sucks. But let me tell you... you have brown eyes that warm up to almost gold in the sunshine. Your hair isn't just some shade of brown, it has a tint of red in it. Your nose is a little round but I love it because it evens out the sharpness of your other features." I set my hand on his cheek. "Your hair has a little flip in the front. Hope that helps."

He tilted his head at me. "I've never actually sat down and looked at you."

I scrunched up my face. "Oh yeah, totally. But you know my neck." This is why I didn't show my feelings. Because when I'm vulnerable and when I say something worth while, the response is never what I wanted or expected.

He put his thumb on my jaw line. "I was too busy watching your lips. Not always because I wanted to kiss them, but because I like the way you always look like you're smirking. I like the way they sneer because it shows that nothing scares you. I like the way they lift up into the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I like them because they let you speak and I love the sound of your voice. I love you. And I was dumb for ever thinking we weren't meant to be. Because obviously we were. Whether it be by luck for me or you lost the lottery because I'm nothing special and you deserve better." He set his hand on my cheek. "I don't need to pay attention to every detail of your face because I don't care what you look like. Sure you're hot and damn I got a good slice of pie, but I care about how you act. I care about your smile and your protectiveness."

I felt everything in me crumble. "I love you too, Colin. And I'm glad fate put us together. I'm glad that I'm good enough." For the first time in never, I cried in front of someone. I let precious, rare, drops slide down my cheek.

But I wasn't crying because I was sad. I was crying because I had this— I had love. I had him.

He brought me to his chest, kissing my head. "You're more than good enough. Don't ever trick yourself into believing anything less. Not if I'm dead, not if you leave me, not if we ever break up. You're good enough for everything and more." He dropped his hands to my back, rubbing up and down. "I want to stay here, holding you forever, but we have a freezing girl in your lap and an angry witch to run from."

"Right, right." I wiped my own tears and stood up, still holding Sophia. I was surprised to find her eyes open.

"Beck Beck taught me how to stay warm." She giggled and I smiled.

"Did he now?" I laughed.

She nodded quietly. "I want to go back." She pleaded. "I want to go back to Grandpa and dad." She complained.

Colin's brows furrowed. "He's not your grandpa, Sophia. He's a monster." Colin explained as best as he could. But he didn't seem to sway her thought process in the slightest. She just stared blankly back at him like he was trying to explain calculus or why Pink shouldn't be her favorite color.

She stuck her tongue out of her mouth. "Well... not all monster are bad. Octopuses are monsters but they help the ocean life. Dad taught me that. Because dad actually likes me." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Colin, angry but secretly proud of herself.

So much energy and just at the age where nothing makes sense but they want to be mean to everyone.

"Dad likes me." Colin retorted, biting onto the bait of his little sister.

"Nuh uh." She shook her head when she spoke, a dramatic flair added to her. "He tolerates you. I remember what you were telling Everly, who he also hates by the way. I remember when he killed you! It's because you're not powerful like me. If I want to go back, I'll go back. Grandpa told me I was special and I could do whatever I want." Her black hair almost looked like mine. She reminded me of a mini Constance.

Constance. Was she even alive? What would Konrad do to her now? What were the extents of what Becker would do? Turning in his sister seemed easy, so would hurting her be easy too? Did his good motives out way what he was doing? Was the outcome worth the struggle?

"Then why did you help us get out of there?" Colin asked her. He was so patient with her. Sure he was being childish and engaging in an argument with a little girl, but he was still patient. Dallas would have been bullying me already. It sucked. I wish I had a brother like that. Patient and calm.

I moved my eyes down. Too many things were coming to my head at once. Is this how Zachariah felt? Wishing his older siblings weren't the world's biggest jerks? I mentally noted to myself to be nicer to him, to let him have my bacon. To stop with the wedgies.

"Because dad might not like you but I do!" She shouted. "And I don't want to watch you die again."

He relaxed, all the tension released from his body. "I'm not going to die, sis."

"You should never make a promise you can't keep." She responded and grabbed his hand. "I'll go home with you on one condition." She stood up. "We have to save my friend."

Colin hung his head. "We can't. They'll come home on Christmas anyways. Sorry sis."

"She's not with Grandpa. She's with Aunt Leslie." She responded. "I really hate Aunt Leslie. She has my friend and is doing mean things to her. She's used against me a lot. And Grandpa told her to knock it off but she won't."

I popped my knuckles. "I want revenge against Leslie anyways. She's gotta be Konrad's right hand, right? Cut off the rattle of the snake first and it makes it easier to rip off the head?" I would probably get my ass kicked, but I was totally out to kill a witch. Especially one that betrayed my family. One that put a fake prophesy into my life.

Colin chuckled. "Your analogies astound me." He stood and helped me up. "We need backup. We can't just go in there with a little girl, me, and Sophia." He smirked at me.

"Haha very funny. Let me remind you that I can break you in half before you blink. If anyone here is a little girl, it's you." I shoved a finger into his chest.

Sophia giggled. "I still like you!" She yelled.

He rolled his pretty brown eyes and kicked some snow out from under his feet. "We'll need backup. More people."

I pulled out Uncle Kas's phone, cracking my neck. "I hope Sisca really liked Kaspar."

He looked at the phone and scrunched up his nose. "Sisca? As in the witch Sisca? She's kind of... weird."

"You drink blood for a deathing." I chuckled. "Get it? Instead of living... deathing..."

He gave me an emotionless look. "Yes. I got it. But she's weird by like.. supernatural standards. And not that powerful at all."

I stretched my arms back, ready for a good fight. If there would even be one. "I don't need her to be powerful. I just need her to send my dad and Dallas to Leslie's. In Louisiana with us."

He batted his eyelashes in confusion. "As in the Dallas and father-in-law that tried to kill me?"

I titled my head up to look at him with an adorable smile on my face. "Awe, you implied that we're married." I ruffled his hair. "And yes the father that wants you dead. They won't know we're there. I have a plan."

Colin was skeptical of me for a good reason. I never made plans because they never worked. So... this one probably wouldn't either. Make a plan, execute the plan, watch the plan fail, get rid of said plan and wing it. My motto. "You... have a plan?"

I slapped his chest lightly. "Well yes I have a plan. Is that wrong?"

He massaged his eyebrows. "What is the plan?" I pressed the call button on the phone and watched his mouth drop open in resentment. "Everly-y-y-y." He groaned and pulled his hair.

The phone rang for a while before a girl picked up, her light voice sad and tainted with pain. "Hello? Kasparov? Is that you?"

I realized how hopeful she might have been. I wasn't aware to the full extent of her and Uncle Kas's relationship. But... Kas didn't really go out with people after Aunt Wren died. Or so I heard. I wasn't even alive at the same time as Aunt Wren. But from what my family has explained to me... she was a lot better person than what Kas deserved.

"No. It's his niece, Everly. I hate to bother you but can I ask you some things?" I had to know if she was working with Konrad.

She hummed a yes, her hopes shattered.

"Are you with Konrad?" I asked.

She growled. "Most witches are but I would never work for that monster. He killed my big sister, Polyphema."

I almost screeched. I covered the mic and and gave Colin a dumb look. "Not that special huh? She's not powerful." I uncovered the mic and furrowed my brows. "Wait... then are you a Salem Of The Old Witch?" Polyphema was Becker's mom. I was on the phone with a relative of thee Polyphema.

Colin mocked me and made Sophia laugh.

"I'm not technically Salem. Salem refers to first ten and their kids. I was the seventeenth witch. My nephew, Becker, is a Salem though." She stumbled over Becker's name for some reason. "Neither of my parents were witches. Just my sister. Of course, my mom's dead too now. Konrad killed her out of hate, she looked too much like Polyphema. My daughter, Linda, is a witch. I would assume so are her children."

So apparently my family trusted her very well. I don't know a single supernatural that would give that much information out freely. I didn't know a single person who gave that much information out freely. "Yeah... Do you know where Leslie lives?" I hoped she did because I didn't.

"Yes... why?" She was fearful.

"Because I want to kill her. I need your help. Can you contact my dad? Would it be weird?" I asked and Colin groaned again.

"I talk to the Dawns quite often... I suppose I could. Why?" She was perking up a little. The sound of revenge must have sounded sweet to her ears.

"Tell him that you found out that Leslie is with Konrad. Tell him that she's hiding the kids there. Tell him that you're too scared to go there but you'll teleport him and my brother there. Tell him that you've been working with my Uncle Kas the entire time and now that he's dead you want to work with my dad. Don't tell him you've been talking to me. I'm in an argument with him right now. If you could teleport me and my two friends to Leslie's house too, two minutes before you teleport my dad that'd be great." I huffed out a breath and made eye-contact with Colin. He seemed impressed.

She was silent as she thought it over. "I can do that. Do you need me to teleport you out?"

I didn't think my exit out. "Umm... yes! But not my dad. Leave him there. I'll talk to him. Don't teleport him anywhere even if he begs. Not for a million dollars." I sounded very suspicious.

"You Dawns are merciless. What are you even arguing over?" She had a tone to her that said she wouldn't help me unless I told her. She was scouting me, seeing where I was.

Colin made a cutting emotion with his hand. "No." He mouthed.

I bit my lip. She had to be okay with different-species relationships. "My boyfriend is a vampire. He wants to kill him."

"They're close." Sophia said. "I can make us invisible but not for long." She started muttering things in Latin. I felt my body become lighter. "They can't hear us."

Sisca chuckled. "I've had that happen. Mother never did like my husband when he was alive. I'll help you. When do you want me to teleport you."

I looked around me as Becker walked close to us. He looked me in the eyes and then turned. "I told you to run, Everly." He whispered aggressively. "I can smell your perfume."

"I won't be here long, but I'm coming back for you." I said but he couldn't hear me. "Now, please." I told Sisca.

****

Louisiana is really hot and humid. My hair hated it, Colin's hair hated it, my skin felt like it was melting. I appeared in mucky, wet, ground and felt water soak in through my converse. "This is disgusting." I grunted.

Colin agreed and so did Sophia. Colin bent down and Sophia jumped onto his back. "Hold on Sophia. We should get into the house." He pointed to an old french style house. A large lake spread out in front of us. Lake Martin.

The ground mushed below us as we ran to the house, opening the door. I didn't know if Leslie was home but I was hoping maybe she was out looking for us with Konrad. Couldn't they map find us?

Suddenly my plan felt worse and worse. I could be getting my dad and brother killed. What if they call to be teleported because Konrad is there? Or if they can't kill Leslie. My gut hit the floor.

"Hey, it's okay." Colin said as two people knocked on the door. Dallas and my dad's voices yelled out a hello.

We ducked and fell to the floor behind the couch.

"Leslie!" My dad yelled. "Hey we need your help." The door shut and I put a hand over Sophia's mouth. She pushed it off and glared at me. What a little booger.

The floor creaked beneath my dad's heavy steps. "Dallas, get your dagger out." He whispered as another door in the hallway opened.

My body felt light once again. She was home. Oh God. We were screwed.

"Relax. We're invisible." Sophia smiled at me as she stood up. We walked back into the living room where Dallas, my dad, and Leslie stood.

Leslie smiled brightly at my dad. "Terrance Dawn, what are you doing walking into my house without your kids. You know how much I love them."

My knuckles went white. That bitch.

"Konrad took them." My dad replied. "Fiona is in hiding because of what Konrad would do to her again. Zach got taken. Everly is working with Konrad now. Dallas is my last child."

Leslie frowned. "Oh I'm sorry, hun. Where's Marinda? Is she okay?" She sounded genuinely curious about my mom. My dad noticed it too. I could tell by the way he tilted his head.

He shrugged. "I assume Konrad has her. She disappeared in Ireland." He replied sadly. "I uh... I came to see if you could find her."

I got a good look at Dallas. His face was bruised up pretty badly. So was dad's. What happened after Uncle Kas and I left couldn't have been good. Not if they looked so broken right now. On top of this, Dallas looked sad. He thought I was working with Konrad. He thought I gave up on them. And I would never do that. Not for a million dollars.

Leslie hummed. "I'm afraid not, Terrance. I've already tried looking for Moira."

Dad lunged at Leslie, his hand over her mouth. He slammed her against the wall, knocking a picture of a beautiful swan off the old wall. "Don't lie to me like I don't already know who you work for. I'm not dumb."

Leslie started whining. Dallas was pressing his dagger against her side, making her skin sizzle and pop. That would leave a scar. There was no healing from Lotus. Most of the time, anyways.

Leslie cried.

"If you speak a single word in Latin, it will be a lot more than just skin touching the blade." My dad threatened. "You know I'm old. I'm also pissed and dangerous. My kids are missing, my wife is gone, and my daughter betrayed me. I will not hesitate to kill you." He released his hand from her throat and Leslie fell to the floor, coughing.

"I'll tell Konrad." She whined.

"Bring it on, witch. I'll kill him too. You're forgetting who my niece is friends with." As the words left his mouth, a wolf came into the room. A wolf that I knew by just the feeling was Alpha Arlis Barron. Next to him, Chleo Queens smiled at her.

"Hello, Leslie." Arlis said, his bones breaking skin tearing off as he ripped into a very large calico colored wolf.

Her eyes went wide. "Boys. What are you doing here!?" She was trying to be casual, but it was failing by a long shot. Her voice wasn't even and her hair was graying by the second. This was her death day.

"Kids are here." Chleo said, speaking for Arlis who was a wolf at his side.

Leslie shook her head. "No... no they're not."

Arlis lunged at her, gripping onto her leg and tearing.

She screamed out.

"Everly... let's go find her friend." Colin gently pulled my arm and I shook my head.

"Go ahead. I'm going to stay here and watch." I sat on the couch and watched each and every move any of them made. The living room was getting full, and not just with people. But also with tension.

Colin nodded and walked away, Sophia still on his back. They crept around, looking in room after room.

"Where are they!" My dad screamed at her.

Leslie cried again, her leg bleeding like a waterfall. "They're not here! I can't tell you. Whatever you do will only be half as bad as what Konrad would do if I told you."

My dad closed his eyes and nodded. He was so angry he was calm. If you knew him well, you knew this is when you should start running. Him and mom were the same that way. When they were calm, it was only because they were in the middle of their own storm.

"Good. Bring Konrad to me." He said.

The dagger in his hand disappeared. So did Dallas's. "I already have. And now you have no Hunter's dagger to stab him with."

They all froze. Then behind me. I turned and saw Konrad smiling down at me. "Oh poor girl. Thought you could run." He lashed out and grabbed my hair, pulling me up. I screamed and I felt the invisibility wash off.

Everyone gasped.

"DAD! I'm not working for him. I wouldn't. Dallas you know that!" I screamed as he stabbed my side. I looked down. It was my own dagger. No Lotus poison filled my system this time. He must have washed it off.

My dad blinked his eyes.

"Here's your Hunter's dagger." He threw me onto the floor and stepped on my back. Magic pushed me down as a grey cloud fell over me. "She's right... she's not working for me. I wish but... she's not even the good Dawn. Just the runt. Zach is smart, Fiona is hot, and Dallas is strong."

Dallas chuckled. "Actually... I'm all three. The others are runts."

Konrad smiled. "I like you, kid."

Dallas smiled. "Yeah? You won't like me when I'm killing you."

Konrad pushed the grey smoke harder onto my back. Pressure pushed on my body and made it hard to breath. I yelled out in pain, and then bit my lip to hold it back. The dagger was still in me, scratching and plunging.

"I want my granddaughter back, Everly. Where is she?" Konrad asked.

"Go to Hell!" I yelled. Why was nobody jumping into this? I would've appreciated some help. From anyone.

Konrad leaned down. "Babe, I've sat on Satan's throne. Hell doesn't scare me." He kicked my side and made me roll over, the last of my air flying from my lungs. The dagger shifted in my side, cutting and tearing at me.

Arlis shifted back into a Greek God- I mean man. He shifted back into a man. A man who... is not as attractive as my boyfriend. I shook my head. Think death, here, Everly. I thought to myself.

"Well then you won't mind when I send you back. Give me Gracie." Arlis growled.

Konrad tapped his chin. "I told your mate I didn't have her because I really don't." He laughed. "Werewolves, always so dense."

"Excuse me if I don't believe you." Arlis sneered. "Give us the Kids."

Konrad walked around the room. Nobody made an attempt to attack. "Or what? I am a very generous man, Arlis. I am. I'm giving back the kids on Christmas. But only because I have Becker on my side. And my granddaughter who is also a Salem Of The Old Witch."

Everyone was silent. None of them seemed to even consider that he was lying. Maybe because it was a thought we already ignored, and now it was coming back to haunt us.

Arlis lunged into a werewolf, and stalked towards Leslie.

"He says, give us the kids now or he'll kill her." Chleo interpreted. He must have been the translator a lot. He seemed used to the movements.

"Do it. You won't." Konrad smiled.

Oh did Arlis do it. Her head rolled in front of me and I pushed it away, moving backwards until my back hit the wall. I didn't even have enough time to scream.

Konrad was shocked to say the least. "I take that back."

"DAD!" A familiar voice yelled. I turned and Fiona stood there, a little girl clinging to her side that I had never seen. Colin and Sophia were behind them, smirking brightly.

"YOU LIAR!" Chleo yelled and shifted into a wolf, clothes ripping around him. I guess the little girl was Gracie. I didn't know Arlis had a daughter. Then again... I didn't know a lot of things about the werewolves.

Fiona dropped by my side and threw a dagger to dad. She helped me up and pulled me to her chest in a hug. It was a short lived reunion that I wish could've lasted longer.

"Sorry little cousin." Becker pulled her back. He was old again.

It was a mess after that. A bloody mess.