The Raven's Apprentice - Chapter 21

"It was a couple of days before Gwen and I had a chance to get together," Cassie said. "She was busy with her advanced art projects while we were at school, and outside of school Bella was getting in our way. She was subtle about it. I mean, she didn't act like I was in trouble or anything. She just insisted that I come straight home after school."

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Foundry Cove, Willow Creek, 2000

She couldn't keep it up though. My father and Edwards were both on my side.

In the end Edwards just announced that, that afternoon after school, he was going to stop and see Mr. Brown. Since that would be right after picking me up, I had to go along. He'd bring me home straight after. My father had agreed that that would be fine. 

Whatever Bella thought of that, she'd clearly been outmaneuvered by my father the chess master.

"Hello, Cas," Mrs. Brown said. "Gwen's out back... being imaginative as Doug says."

I wasn't really sure what she meant by that, but honestly, I didn't care. I had lots of things I wanted to talk to Gwen about. Her being somewhere on her own, away from adults, would surely just make things easier. 

Walking around the Browns' house, I was more nervous than I was prepared to admit. Over the past few days, I'd been playing this conversation over and over in my head, imagining what I was going to tell Gwen. 

How was I going to explain to her that magic was really real? What could I show her to prove it (that didn't involve setting anything on fire... which I had semi-seriously considered doing)? What could I do to make her think I was girl she should be interested in? Was that even what I really wanted? Finally, what would I do if, despite all the odd things she said, she didn't believe me? 

As I rounded the corner, I heard Gwen's voice singing what sounded very like the magical words from my mother's Book of Shadows. (In fact, that was exactly what they were... she just had a better idea of how to pronounce them.)

She held a short, gnarled stick in her hand, and it moved in a graceful arc as if it was an extension of her own arm. Even as I watched, her enchanted song reached a crescendo and a shower of sparks exploded from the tip of the magic wand, like tiny fireworks.

The small, blue, glowing, winged figure hovering over her shoulder chimed in what sounded distinctly like approval.

"G... Gwen," I stammered. I was completely floored. Every part of my practiced conversations vanished from my mind, which was just as well as clearly most of them weren't important now anyway. 

"Oh, hi Cas," Gwen smiled brightly, as if magic wands and tiny, glowing winged people were just a normal part of her afternoon.

"I... what... who... how?" I stammered on.

"Oh, this is Bluebell," Gwen said, nodding to the tiny, flowing winged person. "She's an old friend of the family."

Bluebell chimed a greeting at me that I could almost understand, which did nothing to make me feel better.

"Hi," I replied weakly. 

"That's a... she's a... she's a fairy," I said. 

"Yes," Gwen said, nodding patiently as one might to a nervous child. 

"... and that was... magic," I continued, shock shifting into growing excitement. "You... you do magic."

"Yes," Gwen nodded again. "I thought I should get some practice because I really think we disturbed something..."

"Oh my God," I laughed, not really listening. "You can do magic! This is so great! I mean... I can too! My mother's book... the one the raven told you about... it's a magic book and I've been trying to learn the spells and I can do magic and youcandomagic and wecanbothdomagic! Real magic!"

I don't really know how long it took me to calm down, but it felt like either seconds or hours.

("It was probably a couple of minutes actually," Gwen offered).

In my defense, I wasn't the only one of us who was excited. Gwen was just as eager to have someone to really share things with. Anyway, once I did calm down, we actually managed to start talking.

Gwen told me a lot of her story and how she came to be in Willow Creek... which, since we spent the last few hours talking about that, I won't repeat in detail. I did have some questions about it, however.

"So, let me get this straight," I said. "You're a witch... from, like, one of the leading witch families... and your family were killed in a feud with vampires. Vampires are real? Like really real?"

"Really very real," Gwen nodded, "and not nearly as cool as Carmilla thinks."

"So, vampires, witches... are other... um, things, real?" I asked.

"Oh yes," Gwen said. "Fairies, obviously, and ghosts. Gnomes, mermaids, werewolves, svartalves..."

"Smart elves?" I blinked.

"Svartalves," Gwen corrected. "They're... artificers. Builders. Scientists and engineers, I guess you'd say. They're from another Realm, like witches were. In fact, in the old language, we were originally called alfar... so, when we encountered them, we called them svartalfar."

"Alfar... wait... you're an elf?!" I gasped. "You're an elf princess on the run from vampires?!

"I'm not a princess," Gwen scoffed. "I'm just the heir of one of the First Families... which I guess puts me in line for a seat on the Council and... oh, crap!"

"You're an elf princess on the run from vampires," I insisted. "It's like something out of one of Alexander's games." 

"Wait... am I an elf?" I added.

"Almost all born witches have some alfar heritage," Gwen said, "but our people have been intermarrying with madr... mortals... for centuries. From what you've told me, your mother was a witch, and your father has some witch ancestors, so you were born a witch. It's just taken until now for your powers to start to manifest."

That was about the time Edwards interrupted us. "Cas, it's time to... what in Heaven?" 

"Hello, Edwards," Gwen said, standing to greet him. 

Behind her, Bluebell streaked off like an errant blue bottle rocket. Whatever lack of concern the fairy felt about being discovered by me clearly didn't extend to Edwards.

"Is it time to go?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. 

"What was...? Um... yes," Edwards stammered. "Yes, we don't want to make your mother too cross."

"Good point," I sighed. "This has been... amazing, Gwen."

"We've got lots more to talk about," she smiled at me, "but we can do that another day."

Another day. 

After all, we had time.

It wasn't like anything bad was going to happen.

The Raven's Apprentice - Chapter 20

"Fortunately, in the history of the world, four scantily glad teen girls trying to call up a ghost has never ended badly," Cassie said sarcastically. "What the Hell were we thinking?"

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Duplantier House, Willow Creek, 2000

I'm sure it says something that Duplantier House had a seance room, albeit one smaller and brighter than Ophilia Villa's. Honestly, I think it says a lot... both about our families and about the wealthy of Willow Creek in general.

We gathered around the table. Carmilla was plainly eager to make a foray into the Netherworld. Molly was, as always, willing to go along on whatever ride Carmilla and I had in store. Gwen... I remember thinking that Gwen seemed perfectly at ease with the idea of a seance. The panic that had plainly filled her earlier was nowhere to seen now.

This may have been Carmilla's slumber party, but we both knew the seance was all mine.

"Clear your minds," I said. "Focus on the sound of the rain, the wind, the smell of the dried flowers. Open yourselves to the Netherworld."

As I said the words, I recognized the similarities between my father's seance incantation and Gwen's centering exercise... but in that moment I was swept into the trance of the ritual.

"Claude René Duplantier Guidry, we call you," I chanted. "Here, in your house, in the company of one who is your family, we call you."

I could feel the spiritual energies, like I had never before. I felt the rush of shivering energy, like my mother's magic but also different. Colder, darker... hungrier.

I was distantly aware of those energies wrapping around me, lifting me up. 

"Claude René Duplantier Guidry, we call you," I repeated. "Come to us. Come to us. Come to us."

I could feel the Veil... the border between our world and the Netherworld. The rushing energy inside me seemed to throb in time to my heart, echoing against the cold, dark power beyond the Veil. I'd performed seances many times with my father, but I had never felt things so clearly before. 

Without really thinking, I let the energy inside me reach out and push against the Veil, forcing it aside. 

Somewhere, as if far away, I heard Gwen's voice whisper my name. "Cas?"

"Claude René Duplantier Guidry, we call you," I called a third time. 

There was a sound, like a deep, loud bell tolling once, and a rush of cold wind.

"What was that!" Molly fairly shrieked, leaping to her feet. 

I felt the circle break and as it did my awareness of the energies around me vanished, like a soap bubble popping. 

"That was awesome!" Carmilla said.

"No Guidry though," Gwen said softly. 

"Good," Molly insisted. "That was... really weird."

"Come on, Mol," Carmilla said, still smiling. "Let's go downstairs. Gramma D made peanut butter cookies."

"Cookies?" Molly said. "Yeah, cookies sound good and... hey, you're not trying to calm me down with food, are you? Because I'm not freaked out... and I don't, like, comfort eat or anything."

"Peanut butter cookies are very grounding," Carmilla said. "They're just what we all need after touching the Netherworld. Everyone knowns that."

"Ok, cool," Molly said.

"That was pretty intense," I said to Gwen as the others left. "Though I guess it didn't work..."

"It definitely did... something," Gwen replied cautiously.

"Well, like you said, no Guidry," I smiled. "That would have been cool, though."

"I don't mind ghosts," Gwen said, "but we should be careful. I think we might have disturbed something. The house feels... unsettled."

"Well, at least we didn't start any fires," I said.

I ignored Gwen's look, which said 'yet' so plainly she didn't need to speak.

After sharing a plate of Mrs. Duplantier's delicious peanut butter cookies, I more or less set aside the strange power of the seance. If Gwen's concern that we had disturbed something nagged at the back of my mind, I set it aside too. After all, my father's seances were always perfectly safe. What could possibly happen?

So, I put the whole thing behind me, and we carried on with our slumber party. As we had promised Gwen, there was no actual slumber involved.

We quite literally danced the rest of the night away.

Mrs. Duplantier made us all breakfast, and, with that weird mix of tiredness and energy that comes with staying up all night, we said our farewells.

I did suggest to Gwen that we should meet up again after school, soon. After all, I hadn't told her any of the things about my mother's book that I really wanted to. I wanted to tell her everything... about my mother, my magic and the strange new awareness during the seance.

Maybe, I thought, we could talk about other things, other interests, too.  

The Raven's Apprentice - Chapter 19

"We thought we were so cool," Cassie sighed.

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Duplantier House, Willow Creek, 2000

"I can't believe you did that," I laughed.

"What, it was on my card," Carmilla said. "Besides, someone had to get it."

"Dressed like that?" I said. "I can almost see your nips."

"Yeah, and it's cold out there," Carmilla grinned. "I'm sure the pizza guy got the full high beams."

"... and you told him he was delivering to a 'lesbian slumber party?'" I said.

"What, it's my slumber party," Carmilla smiled, "and I'm a lesbian, so..."

"I'm confused," Gwen put in. "Why is it OK for Carmilla to show the pizza guy her nipples but I can't play naked in the rain?"

"Because it's not OK for her to... do that," I insisted, trying to ignore the image my imagination was painting.

"Oh, we won't stop you," Carmilla said, clearly not ignoring whatever images her imagination was conjuring up. "In fact, I might join you."

"Oh, Bella would love that," I rolled my eyes. "No boys, no booze, no pot, no mischief. I guarantee running around naked in the rain counts as mischief." 

"Plus, you said it was cold out," Molly added.

"All these rules.. I guess it's a good thing I couldn't talk Gramma D into picking up some extra beers," Carmilla mused.

"Probably," I agreed, honestly thinking I could go for a beer right at that moment and Bella's rules be damned.

"And I have no idea where we could get any pot," Carmilla said. "Which is kind of lame if you think about it."

"Well, I don't either, so we're both lame," I chuckled.

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Gwen admitted.

Molly didn't say anything.

Carmilla pounced. "Molly... are you holding out on me?"

"No," Molly insisted. "I mean... not really. It's just... I mean, you know some kids at school can get pot. Mom can't prove it but she's pretty she knows at least one dealer."

"Names," Carmilla insisted.

"George," Molly said. 

"Oh God," I groaned. "Creepy guy," I added for Gwen's benefit.

"Yeah, he's definitely into you," Carmilla said. "Hey, maybe he'd give some free pot if you..."

"I am not making out with George for free drugs," I insisted.

"So, where are we? No booze, no pot, no playing naked in the rain," Carmilla said. "I guess that just leaves boys... and count me out on that 'cause lesbian here."

"Yeah... not interested in any of the boys at school," I said, trying play it cool.

"Same," Molly agreed, also playing it cool.

This time it was Gwen's silence that drew all eyes.

"Oh," Gwen said. "No, I'm not interested in boys."

"Umm... are you interested in girls?" Carmilla asked. Did she have to sound quite so... interested?

"I hadn't really thought about it until recently," Gwen admitted. "But, yes, there is a girl I think is... interesting."

"Names," Carmilla insisted.

"Oh, I couldn't say," Gwen said. "I don't know how she feels... I mean, I think I know... but I'm still working on recognizing the difference between what Will Be and what I Want To Be."

"Well," Molly said. "Who's up for some dancing?"

"Me," I said, grateful for the out. 

Much as I wanted to hear who the girl Gwen thought was... interesting, I also didn't. What if it wasn't me? What if it was!?

Dancing, at least, I could lose myself in the music and movement. I could pretend I wasn't very aware of how Gwen's hips swayed and the way the hem of her nightshirt slid against her thigh as she...

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"Mom," Miranda interrupted. "Too much information. We don't need all the details of you looking at Gwen's butt."

"Hush, details are good," Mariah insisted.

"Anyway," Cassie continued.

----------------------------

There was a loud crash upstairs, almost directly above us, and what I could have sworn was a man's deep laugh.

Molly and I both jumped, startled, but Gwen... Gwen's look was pure, unfiltered fear.

"What was that!?" she demanded. Her voice was panicked in a way I had never, in my life, heard before.

"It's OK," Carmilla said. "Really, it's OK. I mean, it might be Guidry but he's harmless. Really."

"Who's Guidry?" Gwen demanded, suspicion and anger adding a hard edge to her panic.

"Just one of Gramma D's stories," Carmilla said, surprised. "Come on, sit down and I'll tell you."

"It's OK," I said soothingly as we sat down. "You're safe." 

It was a little like calming Alexander down after he panicked over the Monster Under the Bed, but the fear in Gwen's eyes was deeper and more... real. I was forcibly reminded of why Gwen was in Willow Creek at all... her mother and grandmother, killed by intruders. Of course she was afraid. 

"So, who's Guidry," I asked, turning to Carmilla.

"Claude René Duplantier Guidry," Carmilla said. "He was Gramma D's... I think he was her great uncle. Anyway, he's a relative and he lived around the turn of the century. That's his portrait, over by the TV. 

"According to Gramma D, Guidry was a famous spiritualist and medium... and he was a bit of a Casanova. The story goes, he was engaged to this wealthy woman named Temperance... but Guidry was also, secretly, in love with a maid in her household, Brunhilda, who also was secretly Temperance's half-sister."

"I think I saw this on a soap opera," Molly put in.

"So, Guidry left Temperance for Brunhilda," Carmilla continued as if uninterrupted. "Temperance was so furious, she actually had a heart attack and died. Guidry was away, on a spiritual investigation... but he was found dead the next morning. Gramma D says that Temperance was so angry at being jilted that her spirit reached out and killed him!

"Poor Brunhilda insisted that her lover would come back for her. So, she just sat and waited for him... until she withered away."

"She died?" Molly gasped.

"That's what most people say," Carmilla. "But Gramma D told me Brunhilda didn't die... she withered away to a living skeleton, still waiting for her lover. For his part, Guidry is trying to reunite with her. So, on certain nights, his ghost comes back to his family house... this house... looking for her."

"So, those sounds were Guidry's ghost?" Gwen asked. 

"Is that supposed to make her feel better?!" I demanded.

"No, it does," Gwen said. "Ghosts are OK."

"So, there's a lovelorn ghost banging around upstairs?" Molly asked.

"That's what Gramma D says," Carmilla nodded. "Hey, we could find out for sure!"

"How?" Molly said, suspiciously.

"Cas!" Carmilla said.

"What?" I asked, but I smiled a little because I was pretty sure where she was going with this and I was into it. I wanted to show off. All things considered, it probably would have been better if I'd just worn the little panties instead.

"You're a medium," Carmilla said. "You know how to perform to be a seance. We could call up Guidry's spirit and talk to him."

"That's..." Molly started, clearly a little nervous.

"... perfect!" I said. "Let's do it!"

"Come on. I know just the place..." Carmilla said, leading us all upstairs to call up a ghost.

The Raven's Apprentice - Chapter 18

"Heading over to Carmilla's, I wasn't worried about monsters... except maybe Elly," Cassie chuckled. "Which just shows how little I knew."

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Duplantier House, Willow Creek, 2000

"I checked on the Monster under Alexander's bed," I told Bella, "but I know he'll feel better if you could look in on him at bedtime."

"Which one of us is the mom here?" Bella chuckled. "I'll check on him. Now, you..."

"I know, I know," I smiled back, "No boys, no booze, no pot, no mischief... Jeez, what kind of slumber parties did you go to, Bella?"

"Just be safe," she said. 

For as protective as Bella was, you'd think I was going to Oasis Springs. Carmilla's family were our neighbors.  Duplantier House was practically across the street. 

At least, I managed to convince her not to walk me all the way to Carmilla's door. She didn't even hover, watching me go... much. I had the brief thought that, if she could, Bella would probably have someone following me, to keep an eye on me.

Of course, as soon as I saw Gwen, I quickly forgot about such thoughts. 

"You're here," Gwen smiled at me. "I was... Molly said you still weren't sure Bella would let you come."

"I managed to convince her," I smiled back. 

"Told you," Molly said. "This is going to be great... like old times."

"Your friends are all here, then. Hello Cassandra," Mrs. Duplantier, Carmilla's grandmother, said indulgently. "I'm going up to my room. Give you girls your space. Have fun."

"Goodnight, Gramma," Carmilla said.

"What did I tell you," Carmilla said once her grandmother had gone upstairs. "We have the place as good as all to ourselves. Let's get this party started."

"So, Gwen, how was the City?" Molly asked. "Was it amazing? Is the Gallery incredible?"

"The City was... loud," Gwen said, wrinkling her nose (in a way I found incredibly cute). "Loud and smelly and crowded and... just very unpleasant. The Gallery, on the other hand, was incredible. The paintings and murals and... oh, the music. I think I could tolerate the City for the sake of the Gallery."

"Cool," Carmilla said, with a hint of impatience, "but what about you, Cas? You haven't said anything about the raven's message and it's been days. Did you find the book? What was it?"

"I... I did," I stammered. 

I'd been so eager to tell Gwen about my mother's book and the magic but suddenly, under Carmilla's hungry gaze, I didn't want to say too much. It felt like a secret, and I wasn't ready to share.

"Well?" she insisted.

"Yeah, I mean there's a book," I said. "A book my mother left for me. It's got all kinds of thoughts and things she wanted me to know. It's... pretty incredible." 

"That's amazing," Carmilla said. "Gwen has an incredible gift... being able to share a message from the Netherworld like that."

"Oh, well, I just listened to Roac... the raven," Gwen said, clearly surprised.

"You're amazing," Carmilla repeated in a way that made me a little uncomfortable. 

Why was she looking at Gwen like that?

"So, is this a slumber party or what?" Molly put in, breaking the momentary tension.

"Right," Carmilla smiled. "Let's get changed."

"Changed?" Gwen asked.

"Into sleepwear," I explained. "It's kind of a slumber party tradition... we hang around in our pajamas."

"I've got the bathroom first," Molly said brightly.

Gwen looked at me, puzzled.

 "Over there," I nodded toward the downstairs bathroom door. "To change clothes in," I added, forcefully pushing away the sudden image of Gwen changing into her sleepwear right next to me.

Molly quickly dashed off and came back in her comfortable looking pajamas. I feel like I could always count on Molly to be comfortable, practical and, at the same time, a little more grown-up than she seemed at first glance. With the simmering tension I felt when I was near Gwen, seeing Molly relaxed me a little.

Of course, Carmilla managed to banish that relaxed moment and rachet up my tension. If Molly was being comfortable with herself, Carmilla was showing off.

I mean, seriously... who actually wears a gauzy black teddy at a sleepover? I swear I could almost see through it, and I was pretty sure she wasn't wearing anything under it. I could almost see... I mean, not that I was looking that closely or anything. 

I suddenly kind of regretted that I'd left my little panties at home in favor of the shorts. Still, I guess the shorts looked nice. I mean, I definitely had the legs for them. 

The smile Gwen gave me made me feel good about them anyway. It did nothing for the butterflies in my stomach, but in a good way. 

I'm not really sure what I expected Gwen to come out wearing. It occurred to me that just about anything was possible. From the odd comments she let slip sometimes, she was clearly... um... comfortable in her own skin (and nothing more). I had the sudden panicked thought - did she wear anything at all to bed? 

I was a little relieved when she come out of the bathroom in a simple nightshirt. It was plain, comfortable looking and... absolutely breathtaking.

"OK, now it's a slumber party," Molly said brightly as Gwen sat back down next to me. "Oh, careful there Gwen... I almost got a peek at your undies."

"Hmm," Gwen looked puzzled. "Oh, no... you didn't."

"Oh yes, I did," Molly smiled. 

Carmilla was visibly holding herself back from trying to get a peek.

"No, you couldn't," Gwen explained with serene confidence. "I only wear panties when my courses come, and that isn't for a while."

"Wait," I blinked. "You're not wearing... You never wear panties?"

"No, why?" Gwen said.

"Don't let the boys at school know," Molly laughed. "There'll be an epidemic of dropped pencils around you."

Gwen just looked slightly puzzled.

"Well," Carmilla said, "on that very interesting note... what do people want on their pizza?"

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Author's Note: There will be a bonus chapter this week, posted Friday 5/24.

The Raven's Apprentice - Chapter 17

"Fate or luck," Cassie repeated with a small smile. "It seemed to be on my side that week."

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Ophilia Villa, Willow Creek, 2000

"Alright, Cas," Bella said.

It was morning, near the end of the week, a few days after we'd last talked about the sleepover. We hadn't spoken about it since. Both my father and Edwards insisted I should give Bella the time she'd asked for to think things over.

"Alright what?" I said bitterly, wondering what I'd done wrong this time.

"Alright, you can go to Carmilla's sleepover," Bella said. 

"I knew you'd say n... wait, what?" I gasped. "I can go?!"

"You can go," Bella chuckled. "I meant what I said..."

"Right, right," I agreed. "No pranks, no leaving the house. I'll even tell Carmilla to cancel the keg and male strippers." 

"Cas," Bella said warningly.

"God, I'm kidding. You know my friends, Bella," I laughed. "I can really go?"

"You can really go," Bella nodded.

"You're the best," I said. Actually, I might have squealed at that point. There may also have been bouncing.

As I dashed upstairs, to call Carmilla and tell her, I overheard Edwards and Bella talking.

"It's good to let her go, ma'am," Edwards said to her.

"You agree with Mortimer that I'm being overprotective," Bella said. 

"It's not my place to say," Edwards said. "Still, she's not a little girl anymore. She's grown into a fine young woman."

"The world can be a dangerous place, especially for 'fine young women,'" Bella sighed. "We both know that."

Up in my room, after calling Carmilla, I was faced with what, at the time, seemed to be the most important choice of my life - What was I going to wear?

I mean, it was a sleepover, so it was going to be sleepwear... but my usual sleepwear in those days was an old tank-top and pajama pants. Comfortable but not really... well... not really intended to make an impression.

The tank-top would be OK, I thought. Maybe I could swap the pajama pants for a nice pair of shorts. That would still be comfortable, while showing off my legs to nice effect. After all, I had nice legs. I mean, if I wanted to make an impression maybe...

Of course, given the fact that our school uniform included those ridiculous pleated skirts, it wasn't like she... I mean, my friends... hadn't seen my legs.

Maybe... 

I mean, there were people who did sleep in a tank-top and underwear... and it wasn't like those panties were really that small. I mean... they would definitely make an impression...

Alexander chose that moment to barge into my bedroom. "Cas, I... Why are you checking out your own butt?"

"Alexander!" I shrieked.

"I wanted to talk to you," my annoying little brother insisted.

"Knock first!" I snapped. "Creepy little geek."

"What were you doing?" Alexander asked.

"None of your business," I snarled, pulling on my pajama pants. 

"Oooh," Alexander grinned. "I get it."

"No, you don't," I said firmly.

"You're going on that sleepover," Alexander crowed. "Gwen's going to be there, and you want her to check out your butt!"

"No!" I gasped.

"You want Gwen to look at your butt, because you LIKE her!" he said. "Gwen and Cas/sitting in a tree/K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Shut up, geek," I growled.

"No," Alexander laughed. "Besides, Gwen's nice. I like her... and you LIKE her. Don't worry, I won't tell mom you're going to show her your butt." 

"I... I'm not... I'm not doing that," I stammered. "And I don't... I mean... I..."

"Yes, you do," Alexander laughed again. "You should just kiss her."

"What do you want, Alexander?" I said.

"I need a favor," Alexander said, hopping up on my bed, "before you go on your sleepover."

"Oh, good job buttering me up first," I said sarcastically, sitting down next to him. "I'm totally in the mood to do you a favor now."

"Come on, Cas," he wheedled. "Don't be like that..."

"What do you want," I sighed.

"Can you... can you spray for the monster under my bed before you go," Alexander asked quickly. "'cause only sometimes mom isn't here to do it and dad's busy writing and Edwards locks his door at night and..." 

You might think it was weird for my brother, who was almost twelve, to still be worried about the Monster Under the Bed... but we're Goths. The occasional, mostly imaginary, Monster is part of the deal, and everyone knew Ophilia Villa was supposed to be haunted. So, waking up in the middle of the night to spray under Alexander's bed and drive away the Monster was pretty normal for me.

"Of course, I will," I said with a smile. "Don't let me leave without doing it."

"Thanks Cas," Alexander smiled.

I mean, Alexander was a geek and an annoying pest, but he's my little brother. We've got to stick together, especially when it comes to monsters.