Charming Vampire's Secret

er her skin from the spellcasting. She kept replaying the incredibl

's fury and violence. What had she gotten h

, who gave her a subtle, reassuring smile. But his e

aty at her locker. "Can we talk tonight? Ther

ded. "Of

t the spellbooks between them, although

trol of your powers?" she

years, I gave into the darkness many times,"

ruelty, the gruesome aftermath. Katy listened uneasily to his b

ly. "Over many decades I learned to master my baser urg

deeper you get into my world, the more you will walk the line

s eyes, flickering between earnest blue and haunted crimso

k together we can stay grounded," she o

e, laying out boundaries for their continued foray into the supernatural. The forces th

ng curious glances her way. It seemed her constant

chen grabbing a snack when her m

ending all your time with," she prompted casua

ld she possibly tell her family about their int

y. We have English toge

e? What do his parents

her, it occurred to her she had no idea

ooks and poetry," she said evasively.

careful, honey. I know you're head

ut loud she just vaguely agreed before

Felicity would have to get their stories straight about his cover ide

ey needed to flesh out his manufac

live alone," he explained. "My parents are wealthy entrepreneur

at about school r

rging human bureaucracy is trivi

made those logistics easy for him. It was rather th

l you," Katy said. "The poetry-loving hope

Someday, perhaps. But they're safe

ully understand. But she could help them see the man

er, hoping to smooth things over with an official introduction

osing leather jacket and intense gaze. But he had added contacts to conceal h

ies, giving perfectly vague responses. Under the table, Katy kept squeezin

his study for a "chat." Katy tensed nervous

my daughter?" Katy's dad asked gruffly. Her

the world to me," he said sincerely,

Katy's dad finally smiled and clapped Felicity on the ba

. "That went better than I expected," she marve

s." He brushed a soft kiss to Katy's f

e occult texts more cautiously now, avoiding the most dangerous-looking rituals. Her pri

e impulses in more positive directions, like pursuing justi

rse for good, instead of just

meone in distress late at night. The next evening, Katy and F

a blur, Felicity raced off and reappeared gripping a mugger by the throat.

he whimpered, raising

an encouraging nod. With visible rest

wled. The man scrambled u

. "You didn't give into v

d, using this curse to protect." Katy b

ften. Felicity saved many victims from harm using his supernatur

ked into an alley ahead of them. Sensing violence brewin

hen she caught up, Felicity stood over the robbers' unconsc

"Felicity...y

registered her horror. His vampiric

y. I didn't wan

believe Felicity could control his savage instincts. But a