Ander woke up with a wonderful feeling. It took him a moment to figure it out, but then he remembered- he was going on a date with Crystal tonight. He hopped out of bed and got dressed quickly. He selected a short-sleeved shirt, because there was no reason to hide his wounded arms anymore. On his way down the stairs to the dining room, he bumped into Linda.

“Watch where you’re going!” She snapped. Ander just smiled cheerfully at her and continued on to the dining room. As he slid onto the bench next to Max and Alex, he glanced over at Crystal’s normal seat. It was empty.

“Where’s Crystal?” He asked Zadai.

“She’s running a bit late this morning.” The earth half-demon replied.

“Oh.” Ander said intelligently.

“Sorry, Ander, I guess you’re going to have to wait to swoon over- Ow! Stop hitting me, Max, or I’m going to set your eyeballs on fire!” Alex exclaimed loudly, capturing the attention of every witch, warlock, half-demon, and psychic at the table.

“Then stop being such a jackass.” Max told him calmly. “Pass the syrup, please, Ander.” Ander did so, smiling at the friendly bickering. He was really fitting in here.

“What’s got you so happy, Ander?” Crystal asked, sliding in next to him.

“The sight of your beautiful face, of course.” Ander told her. She blushed prettily. Alex made barfing noises, punctuated by another exclamation and threat as Max hit him again. Ander barely noticed. He was too enthralled by the girl sitting next to him, eating pancakes and talking to him and Zadai.

“So what are your plans for after school, Ander?” Crystal asked.

“You mean before the movies tonight?” She smiled.

“Yes.”

“Well, I thought I might wander around in the woods for a while. You know, doing nothing in particular, smelling the flowers, hoping a certain someone will join me….” She smiled even wider.

“I’d love to.”

“Ander and Crystal, sitting in a tree, Ow! K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Stop hitting me, Max, I really mean it!”

“Shut up, Alex.” Ander said good-naturedly.

“Make me, lover boy.” Alex replied with a grin.

“Alright.” Ander held up a hand and unsheathed his claws. “I will.” He leaned over and put his hand directly before Alex’s eyes. The fire psychic gulped.

“Changed my mind. You win.”

“I thought you might see things my way.” Ander said with a smile.

“That’s enough testosterone poisoning, boys.” Terri cut in.

“I agree.” Zadai said primly. “Crystal?” The Seer grinned.

“No comment.” She said, smiling. After breakfast was over, Ander and Crystal split up to go to their separate classes. Ander spent most of the day in a daze, looking ahead to his date with Crystal. In gym class, his team was hard-pressed to win 31-29. The gym teacher agreed that the current division of 6 to 4 was fairer than 5 to 5. Zadai congratulated him on the win, even though she had been on the losing team. Halpra had been on Ander’s team again, and she gave him a friendly nod.

In Math, Ander sat across from Crystal again, and they played footsie all through class before splitting up for English. All in all, the day was going well. When classes let out, Alex and Max waved goodbye to Ander as he set out for the woods and his date with Crystal. Ander could hear Alex cursing Max for hitting him again, and he reflected that Alex’s and Max’s friendship seemed to be founded on the exchange of violence and threats. But, whatever worked, he supposed.

Out in the forest, Ander wandered around for a little while. He and Crystal hadn’t really set a specific place to meet, a lapse that Ander was now regretting. As he came into view of a little clearing filled with bluebells, he saw a figure sitting, picking flowers. He slowed his steps and stealthily approached. Sure enough, it was Crystal, humming to herself and tying a blade of grass around a bouquet. Ander grinned and tiptoed up behind her.

“Rawr!” He yelled, jumping out at her. Crystal screamed and threw the spray of bluebells at him. Then she saw who it was.

“Ander, that was not funny! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry.” He apologized, sitting down beside her and handing her back the slightly battered posy. “I saw you sitting here, looking so innocent, and I just couldn’t resist.” Crystal sniffed and accepted her flowers back. “Am I forgiven?” He asked with downcast eyes. Crystal pretended to consider the matter for a moment.

“You’re forgiven.”

“Yay!” He celebrated by leaning over and pecking Crystal on the cheek. She grabbed his shoulders and placed her mouth over his. Ander responded eagerly. They made out for a while, tongues probing eagerly if inexpertly, before Crystal reluctantly pulled away and checked her watch.

“The movie starts in half an hour. That is, if you still want to go….” Ander grinned at her.

“There’s no reason we can’t make out during the previews. Or maybe more.” Crystal grinned back.

“What are we waiting for, then?” She asked.

“I’ll race you back to the house.” Ander offered.

“No fair.” Crystal said. “You’re-” And she jumped up and dashed off.

“Now who’s cheating?” Ander yelled, following her as quickly as he could. In a minute, he had caught up to her, and it was the work of a second to surpass her.

“Cheater!” Crystal yelled after him good-naturedly. Ander reached the house in five minutes and settled down to wait. After a minute or two, he heard baby Holly begin to cry. No one came to comfort her. It quickly escalated into screaming until Ander was through the door and rushing up the stairway, sure she had somehow fallen out of her crib and broken bones. The reality was much worse.

On his way to Terri’s room, where baby Holly had her crib, he passed Thom, asleep on the stairs. He didn’t have time to think about it, however, as Holly was screaming fit to burst a lung. He burst through the door to Terri’s room, and stopped dead in his tracks.

The creature holding Holly turned and hissed at him, revealing knifelike fangs fully three times as long as Ander’s own. The creature was impossibly pale, with paper-white skin and jet black hair and eyes. Its nose hooked around into a beak, and its thin lips were pulled back to reveal needle-sharp teeth. And in its long, skinny arms, it held baby Holly. Not cradling her, or rocking her, but in a sure, strong grip, as one might hold a trophy or a gun.

Ander didn’t even think, just dropped into a protective crouch and bared his own meager fangs. The brute hissed again and levitated. Ander felt the air in the room begin to move, winds picking up and forming a whirlwind around the strange being. Ander heard a gasp behind him, as Crystal arrived and took in the strange tableau, then she broke out into chant.

“Our Father, who art in Heaven, Ander, cover the windows! Hallowed be thy name.” The creature hissed. Ander ducked around it easily, for its attention was on Crystal and her prayer. The winds began to buffet Crystal, knocking her one way and then the next. Ander stood in between the two windows. From here, he could see Terri collapsed in a heap. He had no time to help her, though, as Crystal was beginning to falter under the pressure of the winds. Ander joined in the prayer.

“Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us-” The being turned to focus on Ander. Crystal’s voice strengthened as the winds let up on her. It hissed again, pointlessly baring its teeth, and turned back to her.

“Hail Mary, full of grace-” The two teens were praying in perfect harmony now, and their voices seemed to drive the beast wild. It turned back and forth, the winds in the room buffeting first one half-demon, and then the other. Through it all, baby Holly screamed. The miscreation seemed to hesitate a moment, and then reluctantly set baby Holly down in her cradle. She stopped shrieking instantly and began instead to whimper. Ander almost stopped praying, but Crystal motioned him to continue.

“Holy Mary, mother of God-” The creature screamed then, in hatred and frustration. It turned and shot past Ander, through the window. Crystal and Ander fell silent, exhausted. Crystal moved to pick up and comfort baby Holly. Ander turned to check Terri for a pulse, but the water half-demon stood up unstably.

“What happened?” Terri asked, steadying herself on the bed stand.

“The demon probably had its pet witch cast a mass sleeping spell on the house.”

“D-demon?” Ander asked.

“Oh yes. That was a wind demon, probably Holly’s father.”

“Wow.” Ander fell silent, contemplating this.

“Not a great first date, huh?” Crystal asked with a shaky laugh.

“I’m not sorry we saved little Holly, but next time, let’s go out to dinner like normal folk.” Ander replied, smiling at her. She smiled back happily.

The End

Author's Note: I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Why don't you take the time to push the submit review button and tell me how you felt?