Chapter Two

Nikki


I woke up with a pounding headache. I groaned as the cover slipped off my head and the light shinned into my eyes. I love Vodka, but the hangover is a b***h. If I could drink and not get a f*****g hangover, I would be the happiest person in the world. Besides Tyanne, who by the sounds of it isn’t doing to well either, in fact I think I am doing better than her. I roll over and fall off the couch and land on someone who lets out a very masculine growl, which sends me to my feet quicker than s**t. I turn around and there lying on the floor is Griffin. I stand there with my mouth hanging open because never in my life have I seen Griffin a) on the floor with a hangover

b) having a hangover

c) getting drunk

d) even make a sound before.

It had momentarily stunned me, until he turned around and growled at me again. He almost had an animal like look on his face. Suddenly, he was gone. He f*****g disappeared into f*****g thin air. Of course I did what any sane and rational person would do, I had a shot of Vodka. After my shot, I went around picking up and finding people in the weirdest places. Katie had somehow got herself stuck in the cupboard and she feel asleep, her head resting on a bag of rice. When I asked her how she got stuck in the cupboard she looked at me oddly.

“ Well I took the pots and pans out of the cupboard. When I was done with that, I went and found a bag of rice because I wanted rice. So I went back to the cupboard, crawled in, grabbed a pot and tried to put the rice in the pot. But the f*****g bag wouldn’t let me put the goddamn rice into the f*****g pot. So I threw the pot out, cursed at the rice and then tried to get out, but the cupboard wouldn’t let me out, it took away the hole I crawled in. I think the cupboard got mad at me because I threw the pot. So I fell asleep.” As she finishes her story, she rolls over and continues to sleep. I think she is still drunk, and she is f*****g crazy when she is drunk.

As I was leaving, I heard snoring coming from the closet where the freezer was held. I opened the door and found Ceara lying on top of the freezer, using a pot as a pillow. This time I wasn't going to ask. I closed the door and left the kitchen. When I returned to the living room, Griffin was back. He just looked at me and then continued to stare into space. Sometimes that man is really creepy. I left him in the living room and went to go find Tyanne. She was nowhere to be found. I went back to the living room to ask Griffin if he seen her leave, but he disappeared too. So I left the living room and went to my room. I hopped onto my four poster bed and stared at Johnny Depp hanging above my dresser. I thought about how we all met, and how we call ourselves sisters when we are not related. Well Katie and I are related and Tyanne and Ceara are related, but thats it.

[u]Nikki's memory[/i]

I believe me and Tyanne are the ones who met first, since we were fighting over a certain shirt in Hot Topic. I don't think either of us got the shirt, I am pretty sure some old b***h came and took it out of our hands and bought it herself. Stupid old wench anyway. After We had stared at each other for five minutes out of shock, we burst out laughing. We decide to invite each other over to dinner to make up for the embarrassing scene we made. And that is how Tyanne met Katie. At first, Katie was wary of Tyanne, but then soon became The Katie I know. I never had met a person that Katie opened up to so quickly, but there was something about Tyanne that wasn't quit normal, but she was more normal than Katie and I, or so I had thought. After Tyanne invited both me and Katie to her house for dinner and left, Katie and I discussed if we were gonna tell Tyanne about us, but ruled it out. I wanted to be a normal person, with normal friends for once. The next night, me and Katie made our way to Tyanne’s house. That is when we first caught a glimpse of the other golden child. Ceara was Tyanne’s younger sister and one big, bouncing ball of golden energy. When we rang the doorbell, she bounced her way, literally, to the door and opened it. I had the impression of a bouncing newborn kitten.
“ Like omg, you guys are here!!! My sister probably didn’t mention me, but my name is Ceara, Tyanne’s younger sister. Its so good to meet you, finally. Tyanne has told me about you and her fighting over a shirt in Hot Topic, then some old b***h coming and taking it away.” I think I actually was surprised a swear word came out of that mouth. she looked like the good child, the does no wrong child. But as I got to know Ceara, I quickly learned that it was just the look.
“ Ceara, please leave them alone long enough to let them in.” Tyanne appeared behind Ceara, shoving her out of the way so me and Katie could enter.
“Omg, I so completely forgot!!” She looked so sorry, that I had to laugh. Tyanne took us into the dinning room and I quickly realized that they had to be loaded with money. This place was f*****g huge. We sat down and had some spaghetti and meatballs. It was so good. I discovered that Tyanne is a very good cook because she made it all from scratch, no frozen meatballs, no canned sauce. All homemade. I was impressed but jealous, I was lucky if I didn’t burn water. Normally Katie cooks, or we order take-out.

After that, we hung out regularly. Then we found out Tyanne and Ceara’s secret. Kate and I were heading to there house to surprise them with some really cool new gifts. We had taking the shortcut through the woods behind there house. We were just about to the house when we seen a tiger running in the direction of the house. We thought some animal had escaped from the zoo, and we wanted to warn them before something happened. So we started running, but stopped when Ceara came out of the house, carrying Tyanne’s favorite outfit. Suddenly, the tiger seemed to shimmer and then grow bigger. When the shimmering stopped, there was a very naked Tyanne standing in place of the tiger. We must have made a sound because they turned towards the woods, and found us staring with open mouths. A look of panic crossed Tyanne’s face and she shot a look at her sister, grabbed the cloths and ran into the house.

“ Why don’t you guys come in and talk?” Ceara looked like she wasn't sure if we would accept or not. But we surprised her and came in anyway.
“ I know you guys might have some major questions, but first we just wanted to tell you guys, but we weren’t sure how you would act. It was nice to have normal friends and....” Ceara trailed off as me and Katie burst out laughing. Tyanne came in with a confused look on her face, and exchanged a look with her sister, who also had a confused look.
“ Here, come with us.” Katie said as we both got up and led them outside. They hesitated at first, but then decided to follow. Outside, in the privacy of their backyard, we showed them why we were laughing like loons only minutes before. As I turned into the form of a falcon and Katie turned into a raven, we heard their startled gasps behind us. I let out a screech when I took to the air, one that seemed to pierce the sky. When we dropped down and changed back into human forms and put our clothes back on, I explained how we wanted to tell them too, but we also wanted a semi-normal life. After a brief pause of silence, we all burst out laughing. Then we pretty much became sisters.

As I pulled out of my memory, I realized that the room was starting to get blurry. I pulled the comforter closer around me. I was asleep before my mind even registered that I was tired.




Katie


I woke up in a very dark, small room. Where the f**k am I? Oh my f*****g god, I think I am in a cupboard! Putting my hand out, I felt the door and gave a gentle push and was immediately blinded by a very bright f*****g light. Oh yeah, that was a bad idea. Now how the hell did I end up in the goddamn cupboard? I vaguely remember something about rice, or maybe thats just because there is a piece of rice in my mouth. As I fought my way out of the cupboard I noticed a lot of pans lying on the floor around the cupboard. Well that explains where all the pots and pans went to. I crawled out and went seeking the ibuprofen. As I was passing the closet I heard soft snores coming from inside. I stopped and slowly opened the door and inside was Ceara. I wasn't even going to ask about it. I shut the door and headed into the living room in search of Nikki or Tyanne, since they know were the ibuprofen is. As I entered the living room, Griffin appeared in front of me with the bottle of ibuprofen and a bottle of water.

“ Have I told you how much I love you?” I took the bottle of ibuprofen and water from him and shook a couple of the pills out on to my hand. It was then that I noticed that Griffin looked really guilty. Uh-oh, that was never a good thing when Griffin looked guilty.
“Umm... what did you do? please tell me it is something small.” From the look on his face I got that it wasn't something small and easy to handle. S**t, this isn’t good.

“ You know how last night you guys were talking about Zephyr? Well I had been reading Dagger’s mind all night long and when she said something about how no one would tell me about Zephyr I made her involuntarily remember the memory and that is what made her leave. And then this morning she was still drunk and I think she was dressed in what she considered her Huntress outfit and had a dagger and a bottle of vodka with her and she left. And I looked into her thoughts and found only anger and hurt and I think she might hurt someone if we don't find her.” As he trailed off and looked very upset, I realized this was very bad on two levels because I had never seen Griffin look so upset over anything before and if Dagger went off like that, then she very well would hurt herself or someone else by the dagger or by changing into a tiger in public. Which would be bad because then the government would come after us and make us into a science project.

“ We have to wake up Honey and Sunshine and tell them about you being a vampire and tell them what you did so we can find Dagger before she hurts herself or someone else or she turns into a tiger in public and we have the government after us.” I started to run towards Honey’s room while Griffin went to wake up Sunshine. This will be so much fun. I enter Honey’s room and prepare to have one hell of a show. Honey’s room is really dark because she had thrown a dark heavy blanket over the window. I looked for her and found her on the bed. Uh-oh, she was sleeping and I am gonna wake her up. She is gonna kill me.

“Honey? Honey, you need to get up, we have a problem.” She started to turn and then went back to sleep. This is gonna be fun. I semi turned and screeched like a raven really loudly in her ear.

“Ahhhh.... What the f**k Shadow?” She glared at me and started to reach for the heavy teddy next to her. That thing is painful when she throws it at you and it hits you in the head.
“ Wait..... Griffin is a vampire and he made Tyanne remember about Zephyr and now she is drunk and in her huntress outfit and she left this morning.” When I had started to tell her what was happening at first she looked baffled, but now she looked pissed.

“ You woke me up to tell me a bunch of f*****g stories? I am gonna kill you Kate.”
“ She is telling the truth Nikki.” Griffin said oh so softly from behind Nikki, who jumped when she heard him speak from behind her. He had re-materialized behind her. Ceara then appeared into the room looking hysterical.

“ OMFG!!! Griffin woke me up and told me to get to your room and then he f*****g disappeared, like in thin f*****g air!!! Omg.... he is behind you Nikki!! How the f**k did you do that Griffin, that is not natural.” Griffin just smirks at her.

“This is coming from someone who turns into a lion.” He has a point but from my sisters shocked looks I remembered that Griffin wasn't supposed to know that.
“Ummmm..... Griffin you weren’t supposed to tell them you knew.” Both Ceara and Nikki turn to glare at me.

“ YOU TOLD HIM!!!!??????!!!!! What the F**k were you thinking? What if he turned out to be another Zeph...... Oh s**t did you say that Griffin made Tyanne remember Zephyr and then she went running off?” Nikki asked while heading to her wardrobe and pulling her huntress outfit on. Ceara swore under her breath and ran out of the room, no doubt retrieving her Looking Glass. Ceara was also the sorceress of the family. She could do some pretty sweet spells that made the bottle of vodka refill after it was empty but then again that meant we kept on drinking till we passed out because there was nothing stopping us from drinking. Ceara returned a moment later looking very confused and upset. That was not a good idea because that means she couldn’t find Tyanne and that normally meant that she was unconscious or worse.

“ I cant see her or anything its all black.” Ceara announced. Griffin looked confused because he doesn't know all our secrets. After a moment, understanding dawned on him as he no doubt read her mind. Both me and Nikki exchanged very worried looks. After a second Nikki went all commando on us and started to order us around.

“OK Katie will turn into a Raven and circle the town. Ceara you will Watch Katie and I as we are in our bird forms and then you will contact each magically if the other on has found Tyanne. Griffin are you any good with your nose?” He just glared at her.

“How do you think I hunt?” He shot back. She just glares daggers at him and then continues like they didn’t just have a mini argument.

“ Good then you will walk the streets and see if you can sniff her out and since we all know you are good at getting into people’s minds, you can contact any of us if you find her...” She trailed off as she was suddenly on the floor staring up into Griffin’s very pissed off face.

“ Don't toy with me Nicole. I don't like being reminded that I am not human like I used to be, and I definitely don't like being reminded about the mistakes I have made.” He growled at her one last time and then disappeared. We all looked at each other as Nikki slowly picked herself off of the ground.

“Katheryn Elizabeth Hinman You are not to date him any longer!!! I will not tolerate that type of behavior from him, and you are not to be around him at all. You will pray that the earth will open up and swallow you if I find out that you are hanging out with him after I tell you no.” I glared at her for even thinking of telling me who I can and cant date.
“ There is no way in Hell you are gonna tell me who I can and cant date. I am eighteen years old Goddamn it and I love him so you are not gonna tell me that I cant see him ever again. And I think you deserve that after what you said, so blame yourself for what happened, not Griffin.” As I continued, my voice got colder and no doubt my eyes went completely black from the way both Nikki and Ceara were staring at me in horror. Oh yeah, I also somehow got Demon blood in me so when I get really, really, really angry, it shows. I stalked out of the room, leaving a trail of frost in my wake. Who the hell does she think she is? Telling me who I can and cant date. I don't tell her who she can date, so why does she think she needs to boss me around? It started to remind me of the time mom and dad had told us that we weren’t like normal humans and then how they had died later that night.

Katie's memory

There is laughter in the air as dad chases around Nikki, who is squealing with laughter. Suddenly Nikki turns into a little falcon chick and is hopping around in the yard. Our dad quickly scoops her up and hides her before any of the neighbors see her shift back to human form. I laugh at the sight.
“ Katie, it isn’t funny. Your sister and you need to learn that you cant turn outside where everyone can see you. We are not like regular people, we are.... different. Here come inside with us and we will tell you the rest.” My mothers arms wrapped around me and lifted me up and carried me inside. We followed dad and Nikki in bird form into the living room were dad closed the curtains so we had some privacy from those big windows. He then turns towards the squawking chick who is hopping around on the floor.

“ Nicole, turn back now.” Dad made the room suddenly very cold with his powers which made Nicole realize she had done something wrong and turn back into a human. She sat there in the middle of the floor completely naked and looked up at our father.
“What did I do wrong papa?” Our mother had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders so she wasn't freezing. Our father looks at her and then he soften up and makes the room warmer before continuing.

“ You aren’t supposed to turn in front of other people because we are not like them and they don't like what isn’t like them. We aren’t really human. Your mother is an Avian Shape-Shifter and I am an Ice Demon. We aren’t supposed to show people what we are really like because they will take you away and do really bad things to you girls because you are not like them.” I felt horror at what he was saying, then anger. The angrier I got, the colder the room got.

“ Dameon, your going to freeze the whole house up if you don't stop it.” My mother had warned my father, but my father had this surprised look on his face.
“ But Nicola, it isn’t me. I am not even making it cold in here.” He looks around at us and as soon as he sees my face, his features relax a little before tensing up again.
“ Katie why are you so mad?” Finally my mother turns to me and her eyes widen in shock and horror, my father is waiting patiently for my reply. I don't remember why I was so mad, but all I can feel is anger now.

“ I am mad because I want to be a normal person, not different. I am mad because why cant they accept us for what we are and not hurt us because we are different. I am mad because... just because.” I finished pitifully. My father came over to me and wrapped me into his arms and held me while I cried and slowly the room got warmer. He then taught me how to control my Ice Blood, which is what demons call an other’s power over the cold weather. Then both my mother and father made us promise not to change in front of humans ever again and not to tell anyone unless we knew they could absolutely be trusted.

Later that night while we were at the baby-sitters, we got the call that our parents were murdered. They were murdered because someone had seen my mother change into a Hawk in an alley way and fly around a bit while my father had waited in the alley making ice balls in the middle of the summer. The guy had gone and got his friends and waited till my mother landed and change back before they beat up my father and make him watch as they raped my mother then they killed them both. When we heard about it, my sister and I held each other and shook in terror. Then we both turned and ran into the woods were we lost the humans by turning into birds and flew away. We had never gone back to that place since then.

I felt nothing as I pulled out of that memory. Its funny how I used to think of that and made everything around me freeze, but now it doesn't even make me mad. Nikki and I flew around until our wings felt like they were gonna fall off then we had made a home in an old abandoned barn. When Nikki turned sixteen, she went and got her drivers permit and then a license. When she got a job, she saved enough money to buy an apartment that was stuck into a little town called Greene, New York, which is were we had lived for years until we met Tyanne and Ceara. From there we moved in with Tyanne and Ceara in there woodside mansion and then we met Kristin Creek. Kristin is a friend of Tyanne’s who knows what we are. Then again Kristin is a vampiress. She owns the company called Last Blood Drop, which is an herb and oil store during the day but at night, it is were we get called to, to take care of rogue vamps and demons. I pulled out of my thinking as I realized I had no clue where I was, but that wasn't what had gotten my attention, Tyanne’s scent. And it wasn't alone, there was at least three Royal Demons’ scent mixed with hers. S**t, this was not good at all. Royal Demons are the biggest, strongest, smartest, and meanest demons around. They make my trick of freezing people to death look like child’s play. So I did what any sane and rational person would do, wish I had a big a*s bottle of vodka and changed into a raven and flew back to the house as quick as I could.



Ceara

After the blow up and every one left, I quickly got ready to watch all of them search for Dagger. I hate being the sorceress sometimes because I am usually the one who is stuck behind reading the thoughts of the others and waiting anxiously for a reply or someone to find something interesting. I entered my dim room which is so much different from my personality. My lioness side may like the sunshine and sparkly things but my sorceress side likes the dark castle like room. As I set up my crystal ball so scry for the others, I listened in on the others thoughts and feelings. Poor Griffin was really upset for doing that to Tyanne and what he said to Nikki, but he was also pissed at Nikki for what she said. He was somewhere down by the mall, but wasn't really looking for Tyanne. He was more lost in thought and very upset. So I sent out a mental message for him to pay attention. Suddenly his face appeared in my crystal ball.

“ When I want you in my head lion, I will tell you that. But other than that, stay out of my head.... and I am looking for Tyanne, so don't patronize me.” with a final scowl, he disappears. Well... I guess that went well. So I turn to the others. Nikki was pissed at Griffin and upset about the fight between her and Katie. She was also worried about Katie. But she was mostly concerned about Tyanne. If Tyanne goes out in a rage and turns in front of the humans and hurts them, then the Headquarters will issue a bounty on her head. And that means that Kristin will pick up that bounty and give it to us to deal with...and if we don't, then someone else will. Which means the totally hot O’Conner brothers or those stupid friends who think that being a hunter means you have to be goth and emo....stupid teenagers anyway.

I sent a prayer to the Gods and Goddess that are watching over us then I turned to find Katie’s mind. I found her stalking down a street, fuming over what Nikki had said. Then that pulled her into her memories. I didn’t want to pry into her memories, but I couldn’t pull away from them. I learned about her parents death the hard way, and I learned why it got so f*****g cold in the room when she got pissed. Poor Shadow....Uh-oh....something pulled her out of her thoughts. I turned to my crystal and conjured up her image. She found Ty, but Ty was not alone. She was surrounded by Three demons. I couldn’t place her fear and worries until one of them faced her and I seen the crest of a Royal Demon. Oh s**t. I always hated those b******s. I quickly sent word to Nikki and Griffin of Katie’s whereabouts and the situation.

I heard a faint “S**T” from Nikki’s end and a distant sigh from Griffin. Then I turned back to Katie’s mind and found her in bird form and flying my way quickly. I was gonna tell her to head back then remembered she didn’t have any of her equipment on her. I told her that Griffin and Nikki was on there way to Ty and that she better get her s**t and move quickly, they were gonna need her. I pulled out of their minds and ran to get my own equipment. I also grabbed my grimoire of spells, because I figured its better to take them and not need them then to not take them and need them. I headed out the door as Shadow rushed into her room.

“Heading out Shadow, Hurry up.” I yelled over my shoulder as I ran out the back door. I think I heard her shout something about shoving something up my a*s, but I could have been imagining it....most likely not. Always a charmer that Katie is. I ran to the site where Katie found Ty, and found a very confused Griffin and a very frustrated Nikki. Fear enveloped me as I seen there faces and no Tyanne. Dropping to my knees, I prayed that Tyanne was OK, and at home drinking some vodka that mysteriously appeared. Katie showed up only seconds later out of breath and looked around.

“Where is she?” Katie voiced out loud for all of us. Nikki shook her head and came towards me...but the last thing I remember is the pavement suddenly looking very close to my face. I have never felt this upset since that night....