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  Aunt Karen pulled her green bathrobe tighter around hersel retying the shawl coming very close to Vivian. “Why’s that?”

  “You haven’t told her I’m dead,” Vivians hand itched to hit her.

  “We assumed you would come to your senses. Have you? Or are you here because you heard the news about June. I don’t know if you get normal news where you’re at.”

  She let out a staggering breath. “No. I’m here for the book.”

  “You’re not even worried about your Aunt?” Aunt Karen questioned.

  “No.” Vivian replied.

  “That’s hateful – “

  “About as hateful as all of you have treated my sister and I.”

  “You were not who we thought we knew,” Aunt Karen suddenly yelled.

  “You all were not who I thought you were either,” Vivian yelled back, sucking a deep breath through her nose. “Where’s the book?”

  “What book are you talking about?”

  “The book you stole!”

  “I didn’t steal anything!”

  Okay, now Vivian’s temper raised. Her lip twitched, and glass shattered from the red Corvettes windows.

  “That’s my car!” Aunt Karen screamed.

  “Where’s the book Aunt Karen?”

  “I told you, I don’t have it!”

  Calm, stay calm Vivian….. Exhale….. Inhale…. Stay calm.

  “Look, Jean was here, and the book went missing out of her car. You took it.”

  “No, I didn’t.” Small blue veins appeared upon Aunt Karen’s neck. “I want so bad for you to come back into the family as one of us, but I’m not so desperate to take something from you. Just say you will change back.”

  “No! This is who I am, why can’t you accept that?”

  “This isn’t the girl I knew!”

  “But this is who that girl turned into. Why can’t you love me for who I am?”

  “I do!”

  “No you don’t! I read your stinking letters, and all of them are about changing, and I will not change. Accept me for who I am!”

  Aunt Karen bowed her head, sucking in a deep breath. Minutes passed and she said nothing. "I miss my niece. She was so normal, so wonderful."

  "I miss my family. They were so accepting, and loving. I wonder what happened."

  "Part of their family turned into a psycho!"

  "I'M NOT PHSYCHO!"

  With this Joan came running out stumbling in the grass. She stopped in front of Aunt Karen, her face red with either anger, or from her short run.

  "Stop it mom, stop it!"

  "I told you to go inside Joan."

  "Never mind, I'm leaving." Vivian unclenched her fists. There was no use arguing, she wasn’t backing down. Reinforcements were what she needed.

  "No, Vivie, don't leave."

  “I won’t be gone for long,” she got back in her jeep, and pulled out of the driveway refusing to look at her cousin.

  Don’t worry sweet Joan. I’ll be back.

  Chapter Nine

  Akia’s Return

  Dawn was just breaking when Vivian returned back to the Underground. She must not have been gone for very long, but for her, it felt like forever. It has been six years since she seen her aunt, or her cousin, but she guessed they had felt the same. Just being there with them she was getting homesick for the musty smell of her home. Her real home, that is.

  The circular room was filled with lively happy chatter. It was a quick thought that they might have kicked Seth out temporarily, but he was there too, greetings –

  “Akia!” Vivian smiled, and put her arms around her psychic friend.

  A long time ago when Vivian first came to the Underground, Maeve told her that Akia said there would be a new member, a very treasured member as she would inherit the palace of many hidden creatures. Akia had taken accustomed to looking after Vivian when Maeve died. Vivian tried not to be around her too much since Akia loved telling people their future, and did not mind who was around. But then again Akia was not an ordinary psychic, she was part Elvin, and that gave her mystical allure, and the white hair that touched her waist, pale complexion, and the beautiful blue eyes.

  “Oh Vivian dear, it is so nice to be back here.” Akia held her hands, giving a full smile.

  “Did you have fun?”

  “Yes, very! Oh!” Akia turned Vivian’s hand over, looking at her palms, and then back up at her, sort of. She was looking past Vivian’s shoulder. “Oh dear, your aura!”

  Vivian looked over at Jean curiously, but she only shrugged her shoulders.

  “Dear, your emotions are running high! You visited your family did you not?”

  “Yes….”

  Akia nodded her head knowingly. “Oh, and you are in love!”

  Vivian’s face lit up red. “Akia, you must be misreading something.”

  “No dear, I’m not. You are pink, and red. It is very clear. You are in love.”

  Vivian looked back over at Jean giving her a stare saying ‘help me.”

  “Hey, don’t look at me! I know the same, and I don’t even have to read your aura for that.”

  Akia laughed, a very sweet and musical laugh. Vivian thought of the fairies laugh when she heard Akia. “Dear, who are you in love with?”

  She pulled her hands away. “No one,” she couldn’t help herself, her eyes directed over to Seth. His face was serious as it always was, but there was something else. She couldn't read it though, she had no way of knowing what he was thinking. It was perhaps best that she didn't know, a fear rose in her gut that he hated her for what happened last night.

  “I have to go.” Vivian ducked her head down, and made her way through the chattering crowd. Unfortunately there was no detour to her room.

  Once she shut the door though, there was a knock. She gave a quick thought at going through the window, but instead she opened the door.

  “Hey, we need to talk.”

  “Jean –“

  “No, we’re going to talk,” she pushed her way through the barrier that was Vivian’s arm.

  “I’m not talking about Seth.”

  “I wasn’t going to talk to you about that.”

  Vivian was taken-aback. She shrugged, and sat on the bed. “What is it then?”

  “The book. Seth told me that you went after it. Did you get it?” Jean asked.

  Disappointment set in. “No. Ugh.” She fell back onto the bed. “Aunt Karen said she never stole the book. I thought I would come back here, get some people to help me.”

  “Might be a good idea, but not now.”

  She sat up. “Why?”

  Jean sighed. “Aunt Karen will be on her guard. We need to wait, let her think it over, come to her senses.” Jean sat next to her putting an arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry sis, we’ll get the book back.”

  Vivian laughed. “That’s what we said how long ago?”

  Jean laughed too. “Hey, it’s still in progress.”

  When night fell they held a welcoming party for Akia. The circular room was filled with balloons conjured by the witches, and the chiefs set out long tables against the wall packed with food that filled the musty smell of the Underground.

  Laughter and chatter reached Vivian’s ears. She sat back on her bed, looking up at the moth eaten canopy that she never bothered to fix. Cool breezes from the open window sent chills up her spine as it traveled across her arms, and the small of her stomach where her shirt had ridden up.

  A knock on the door didn’t surprise her. She expected it to be Jean to talk her into joining the crowd out in the circular room. But instead a mop of blond hair crept through behind the door.

  “Jake, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you out there with the others?” Vivian propped herself on her elbows.

  His face was very white. “There are vampires, and werewolves out there.”

  She laughed and sat up crossing her legs patting the blanket beside her for him to sit down, which he did.

  “They won�
��t hurt you. Your brother is a werewolf you know.”

  Jake lowered his eyes swinging his feet watching the undone laces of his shoes fly around. "How?"

  It was not a question that she expected him to ask, and Vivian pitied him, and admired him all at the same time. His own brother was a werewolf, and though he didn’t understand any of it, he still accepted him, and wanted to understand. Vivian suddenly pained for her real family. She shoved the feelings aside.

  “It’s something I can’t explain, you’re –“

  “Too young, I know,” he cut her off. He stood up, and kicked at nothing. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

  Vivian shrugged her shoulders. “You are. Not even adults can understand it.”

  Jake remained quiet.

  “Look, you’re brother won’t be werewolf for long.”

  He looked up, his eyes hopeful. “You’re going to fix him.”

  Vivian flinched at his words “fix”, like Seth was someone broken. But she overlooked it. He was only a child after all.

  “Yes.”

  Next thing she knew, and also didn't expect, Jake threw his arms around her in a hug. After the short lasting shock, she hugged him back.

  "Thank you," he whispered.

  Vivian couldn't say anything back. Looking down upon his blond hair she thought of Joan, and the way Vivian had left her there.

  Letting go, she could see Jake’s face lit up, and he was out the door in a happy rush.

  It was shortly after Vivian had laid back down that Seth had stormed into the room, his face contorted with rage.

  Vivian smirked. “Ever heard of knocking?”

  Seth waved his hand dismissively at her question. “Why did you tell Jake that?”

  “That I was going to turn you back to human? Because it’s true.”

  “No it isn’t.”

  Vivian sat up again placing her hands on her knees. She sighed. “It is. No, don’t give me that look, just listen. You’re meant to be human. You have a little brother that is scared of you! And you’re all he has.”

  “I can raise him with being who I am if I have to. You despise change, why do you want to do it to me?”

  “Because….,” she trailed off purposely.

  He walked over to her sitting down beside her. “Because what?”

  “Because….. No one needed me."

  Seth turned his face towards hers, his face not full of anger anymore.

  “But Seth, you do.”

  “But – “

  “I don’t need love.” Vivian’s eyes filled with stinging tears again as she said the words. “I don’t want it.”

  Seth looked away. A part of her was hoping he would argue, but he didn’t. In fact he stood up and walked out softly shutting the door behind him. She had rather he slammed it, maybe somehow it would soften the dead weight that her heart was compressing under.

  Part of what she said was true. She didn’t want love. But she did need it. Everyone did. And as did the night when Seth left, and she believed he was gone for good, her heart broke. She reached around her neck pulling on the rock still emitting light mysteriously from it. There was something she could not figure out about it, but she was too tired from her mind reeling, and she pushed it down her shirt.

  The door opened again, and Vivian bolted up in a sitting position hoping that it was Seth standing there, but it was Akia. She was out of breath, her face white.

  "What's wrong?" She asked.

  "Oh dear..... Oh....." In three long strides Akia took Vivian in her arms comforting her.

  "Akia, what's wrong?"

  "Oh dear," Akia said again.

  Over her shoulder, she saw Jean leaning tiredly against the door frame, large tears falling down her chin dropping to the wooden floor.

  "Viv.... It's..... Viv......" Jean sunk to the floor, and Vivian hastily let go of Akia to kneel by her sister.

  "Jean.... What is it?"

  Jean shook her head holding her hands against her face, choking. "Akia....."

  Vivian looked behind her. Akia stood there shaking her head. "I just unpacked, and I got a vision.... I sent Levine as soon as I found out, but it was quick. I promise you, Vivian, it was quick. I know she did not feel any pain."

  "Who? Akia, give me a straight answer!"

  "Karen."

  "Aunt Karen?" Vivian shook her head, falling on the floor next to Jean.

  Jean nodded her head clutching the shirt on her stomach slowly rocking back and forth. "It's too late now," she hiccuped. "We never were a family again...."

  Vivian put an arm around her sister pulling her close. True, they were never a family since they changed, but who wanted to be family with them? Aunt Karen was their closest relative, and without her, there was no going back, but Vivian never wanted to go back, it would be a disgrace upon herself, and the Underground Palace. Jean didn't see it that way though. She saw it as a lost opportunity for a family that she lost so many years ago.

  "Wh- what's wrong?" Jake stood at the doorway behind Jean, and behind him was Seth.

  Vivian shook her head, unable to say anything.

  "Their aunt passed on," Akia said quietly. "She must have fallen asleep at the wheel. She drove into a tree at the side of the road."

  "'Must have? You don't know for sure?" Seth raised an eyebrow accusingly.

  "I cannot read everything dear. I do not know all the answers, I only know what I see."

  Vivian could feel Seth's eyes on her, and next thing she knew he knelt next to her pulling her in his arms. Without meaning to, she leaned on him, her head resting on his shoulder. The dark scent of him filled her nostrils, and it calmed her.

  "Why can't you fix her?" Jake looked at each of them in turn, from Seth, Akia, Jean, to Vivian.

  Again, Vivian flinched at the word "fix". "You can't fix her. She's gone Jake."

  "But you have powers.... Why can't you bring her back?"

  She shook her head. "No one can bring back the dead."

  At this, Jean stood up walking around Jake, then disappearing down the hall.

  Akia took to kneeling to the floor close to Vivian. "Is there anything I am able to do?"

  "Yes, actually there is," she looked up into her face. "Will you take care of the Underground for the time being so we can go to the funeral?"

  "Of course."

  She stood with the help of Seth, and went to find Jean in her room curled up on her bed. Vivian sat on the edge laying a hand she hoped was comforting on her shoulder.

  Jean looked up shaking her head. "I knew something bad was going to happen."

  "I thought that was Akia's job."

  Jean didn't laugh. "I knew if we never made up with them that something terrible was going to happen."

  "Jean...." Vivian opened her mouth in shock, and took a seat at the edge of the bed. "Aunt Karen didn't die because we never made up with the family. She died in a car accident, just like Aunt June."

  "Don't you think that's a bit weird? They both died in car accidents, not that far apart?"

  Vivian never thought of that before, but shrugged it off. "I don't know, but I do know we need to pack. We're going to the funeral."

  "We? You're going too?"

  "Yes, I'm going too."

  Jean threw her arms around Vivian's shoulders. "Thank you," she whispered.

  "Don't worry about it. Just pack," Vivian left the room closing the door behind her softly. She knew how much it meant to Jean that they attended the funeral. She didn't understand why they should go when their family could not care less about them, but it meant a lot to her sister, and she would at least make her happy, or as happy as she could be in this situation.

  Chapter Ten

  Less than Nothing

  A leather torn suitcase laid open on Vivian's bed the next morning. She threw the few clothes she owned in it unfolded and wrinkled.

  "Great packing skills."

  Vivian turned around and saw Seth standing at the doorway. There was not a trace of
a smile on his face despite the joke he just made. Instead it was concerned, but she ignored it.

  "Yeah, I'm thinking of trying out for the Olympics," Vivian said dryly.

  "Who's going with you?"

  "My sister," she threw worn jeans on top of the pile.

  "That's all? Your aunt just died Vivian, I would think you would need more support than that."

  Vivian reeled around on her heel. She could feel her cheeks going up in flames. "I don't need anyone else. It's not like for the past six years they've acted like a family."

  Seth's concerned expression did not change. "I was thinking I could go with you."

  "No."

  "Why can't you accept help?" His voice raised.

  "It's not about that. I can handle this on my own."

  He stepped closely to her, she could feel his breath on her face. "Stop it," he said quietly.

  "Stop what?"

  "Stop pushing me away."

  Vivian stepped back as though he had something contagious. "This is what we do in the Underground. We help humans, and that's what I was doing, helping a human, and come to find out you were bitten. So I still helped you, but you wanted to go back to that world out there," Vivian pointed at a wall indicating to the outside of the Underground. "You wanted to be human. You have a brother you need to take care of. He's human, and he doesn't belong here. He needs to grow up normal. He can't do that here. Why do you keep bringing this up? We have been through this."

  Seth went over to her bag picking up a blouse and folding it neatly. "Just thought maybe things changed."

  "We're too different," she snatched her blouse out of his hands unfolding it and putting it back in the suitcase.

  Shuffling around her clothes pretending to check that she had everything, she heard him retreat back outside the door.

  It was much later on when Vivian and Jean said their goodbyes, thanking Akia again for taking over. Vivian was sure that the sun was already starting to sink low in the sky, though there were no windows in the circular room.

  She went to make her way to the door when she spotted Seth, and went back to hug him quickly without making eye contact. He opened his mouth as to call her back, but she quickly pushed her sister out the door and followed.