The caravan tilted as the dancing duo moved out of the way, continuing their little love fest at the other end. I smiled, leaning on the kitchen counter. Watching Niko and Beatrice return to the way that they were was a beautiful thing to be a witness to.

It was nine am, and we'd been up for several hours clearing the debris. We'd taken a break for a few minutes to have something to eat and drink. The day was starting to warm up, but it was agreed that Anzide and I would return to the mess. Brad would sit under the marquee and go through each of the planks of wood, pulling out the nails. I don't know what his plan was but the wood and the bricks were all sorted into piles.

I looked at Niko and Beatrice and wondered if Brad was planning for a different kind of life. The kind that needed a much larger house. If he found someone, they'd have kids. At some point in the future, Anzide and I would probably take that path too. There was even a strong chance that Niko and Beatrice might have more. We would be in a house that, while big, was in reality, too small for us as a group.

Beatrice shrieked with a giggle when Niko turned her under his arm. It started to turn a little naughty when she curled back into his arms. I turned away, not wanting to see my great-grandparents kiss. Brad merely rolled his eyes.

"Missing out, eh buddy? Need to get yourself a little vampire action?"

"Not right now, thanks. Aside from the fact that the caravan is not big enough for the five that we clearly have now that good old grandma is back, we have a looming war, and we don't know who is friend or foe."

I had to say, he was right. We'd been stuck in this situation for just a few days, and it wasn't getting any easier. The only reprieve that we had from each other was when we did things outside of the caravan. Brad and Niko would go out to feed, and Anzide and I would go grocery shopping.

"Evie?"

Everyone paused at the sound of someone that could cause a lot of problems. I looked at Niko, the one person in this infernal tin can that had to be kept a secret. He should be dead and I wasn't prepared to tell the world differently just yet.

Stepping out of the caravan with my permanent security guard not far behind, I walked around the side to see Kannon standing at the fence line.

He gave me a vague smile that died just a little when he saw Anzide.

"Kannon," I said tersely. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged uneasily.

"You look a little stressed. Is something wrong, something you need to tell me?"

"I'm sorry for everything. You know that it was not my idea, and I hate that it came between us."

Well, that's not entirely true. I wasn't going to tell Kannon that I'd seen him and my other nemesis, Jess Hartley, screwing against my locker at school. Their lust filled words before the defiling were enough to open my eyes to the truth. I was just grateful that I had Anzide's help to hide from their sight. Otherwise, I would have never known.

"I want you to win. You have no idea what it's like being under his thumb. I want out, I want to walk away, but I can't."

Aww, no turning your girlfriend into a vampire and becoming the second in charge of Drakkus's coven? Such a pity.

With another shrug, Kannon's gaze lowered.

"I just thought I'd say that."

"Okay, well, thanks for that. I guess."

When Kannon wasn't looking, I turned to Anzide, and after giving him a subtle smirk, I flicked my head. He frowned but accepted my silent request to put some grass between us. If I was going to get anything out of Kannon, it would be done without Anzide around.

He began walking along the rear of the caravan, pretending to inspect it while still remaining close to me. It was enough, and Kannon watched for a few seconds before looking at me with hope. I wasn't fooled but pretended to be the same old Evie who didn't know that she stood in front of a liar.

"I want to be friends again. I'm sorry that I got angry about the whole phoenix thing. It's just that Drakkus said that you should have known and were intentionally trying to hurt me. All of his core group started on me, saying that you were trying to kill me. It was Jess that pointed out that you clearly had no idea."

So, he has a core group and still demands that the eighteen year old becomes his second in charge? That did not make any sense. I think that I needed to pay a visit to the local demon headmaster. Clearly something has happened, and it made me wonder if he'd removed Hannah, the other demon.

"Well, I'm glad that Jess was using her brains. I'm pretty sure that you could have easily figured out how clueless Brad and I were, considering how much information you offered."

Kannon clearly had a mission here. He said that he wanted to be friends again, which I guess he figured entitled him to gain access to the property. With the two newest additions to the contents of the caravan, it wasn't happening. I had to keep Kannon on a leash but not close enough that he thinks it was alright to climb over the fence.

A thought entered my mind, and it fitted with my other idea to go and see Harlwood.

"I was thinking about returning to school."

I could see Anzide turn his head and look at me. I wasn't looking at him directly, but I figured he was frowning at me too.

"But it just seems so hard, you know?"

Kannon nodded, giving me a soft smile. Yeah, I caught you on my web, little boy.

"I can deal with Audrey easily enough, but if Drakkus is causing problems, then Brad's not going to let me go anywhere near the place. What do you reckon my chances are? Can I get a year from him?"

"I, uh, I don't know."

"Well, look at it this way. I can leave today, but I'd have to start at another school, and I don't think that's fair. He started this nonsense. I was minding my own business."

"Yeah. I'll say something if you like."

"I'd appreciate that."

He began to turn away, stopping before he got too far.

"I'm sorry about Niko too. That was wrong what they did to him."

"Actually," Anzide offered as he moved in behind me. "I think you will find that it was illegal. Your leader had the audacity to accuse Evelyn of murdering a vampire, yet he does the same thing. He was a murderer long before Evelyn was even born."

"Yeah, I know."

Anzide stepped forward, giving Kannon a dark smile.

"There is something that you should know about us biblical creatures. We are permitted to take a life if it is necessary to sustain the lives of others around us. No repercussions, so his accusations against Evelyn are completely false. She could have taken Drakkus out without a single problem from the Nephilim just like how nothing happened after Andross's death. You could have had it all but you picked the wrong team. So, run away, little boy. Run back to your master and tell him what you've seen like the good little lap dog that you are."

When he turned, Anzide winked at me. The grin was merciless, but I knew that he'd said it all on purpose. It was not an angry outburst. Every little part of it was intentional.

Returning to his slow walk next to the caravan, Anzide pretended that he was calming down. I could feel the anxiety radiate but not from Anzide. Turning back to Kannon, I found the source.

"You know that it's illegal for a vampire to kill another. If the vampires from Europe turn up and find out what he's done, they're going to take down the entire clan. So, I guess you really did pick the wrong person."

With a shrug, I smiled and began to walk backward. Kannon gave me a pleading look.

"What do you want from me?" he whispered sadly. "I had no choice. I had to follow what my parents said was the right thing to do."

Oh, if only that were the truth.

"I don't know what you should do. If you go against Drakkus, you could end up dead."

"I could be your spy."

But how could I trust you?

"Sure. Pave your way back to me with information. It's a good move, Kannon. If you're careful, Drakkus will never know."

A soft smile filled his face as Kannon stepped back into the long grass. He nodded his acceptance and began to walk away. I watched until Anzide returned to my side.

"Information?" he murmured.

"I'm sure it will be the complete opposite of the truth, but it will be interesting to see what Drakkus wants to be fed to me. In the meantime, I want to visit the local demon to get some other kind of information."

No one thought that it was a good idea to go wandering around so soon after Harlwood had removed the vampires, but they accepted that I did things that were necessary in my mind. It was always ticking over with thoughts about this blood war and how to win it. How to save my family.

Jane looked at me with an uneasy smile as I walked to the door. It opened as if there was a demon behind it. Harlwood smiled, gesturing to the darkness of the corridor to his office.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I have some questions and thoughts."

"Then proceed," Harlwood said as he sat down.

Anzide sat on the chair next to me, unimpressed that I was here. Brad wasn't happy either, but at least they agreed that getting the questions answered was a good idea.

"Have you done something to Hannah?"

The demon smiled as he tilted back in his chair. His hands were clasped over the front of his chest.

"Perhaps. Why the concern?"

"Kannon turned up at the property. It was a little unexpected, and it made me wonder if their precious demon was no longer able to interfere."

"You would be correct in that theory. Hannah is no longer a resident of Hades, and I have gone to great lengths to ensure that her sudden departure was expected but hidden from Drakkus to avoid his wrath. I would appreciate it if you could avoid making too many waves regarding her absence."

"Sure. Have you managed to get into his house?"

"Not as yet, but I ensured that Hannah dropped all protections before she left. You could go for a wander if you desired, though I wouldn't recommend it. I'm sure your uncle would have a fit if he knew, among others," he smirked, tipping his head at Anzide.

"Yeah. I was also going to ask about returning to school."

"You can return any time you like. Drakkus is your only issue, so once he's gone, you're free of the problems. As an Eternal, your learning can be fast-tracked to bring you up to the rest of the year level. So, you could take a couple of weeks to deal with the vampire and then come back when you're ready."

Harlwood narrowed his eyes as his tented index fingers pressed against his lips. It wasn't easy to have a demon assessing me like this.

"You know, I find myself eager to be free of the pestilence. I can't kill him for you, we've established that, but perhaps there is another way to assist you."

"I don't have anything to offer you now. You're the soul feeder for this town."

"I know."

Standing, he walked to the window. From where I sat, I could see the extension and the pretty garden. It made me realize that Harlwood probably saw us the other day when Anzide pulled me through the wall.

"How would you feel if the town grew a little more?"

"I don't know. Do you mean like more human residents?"

"Yes. I haven't cast a lure in a long time."

He turned, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Never saw the point. Not when my feeds were being taken from me. I am hungry, Evelyn. I've waited a long time to have this town back in my arms. I've also watched as it progressed under Niko, then stalled when Drakkus took over. I'm sure that it will change in the coming days after his passing but I'd like to give it a little shove. You can think about it and discuss it with your family, but I'd like to modernize Hades. Just a little though. No one wants too many cops to bribe, am I right?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. No, definitely not. Buying Larry's indifference to the vampire's antics was going to be difficult, especially when Drakkus had been so benevolent to him.

"I will stop by tomorrow. There is someone I'd like to say hello to and I'm sure he's recovered enough for a chat."

As I stood, I nodded.

"I'll let him know."