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Arman was quiet. He couldn’t quit thinking about Fiona.

Caitlin sighed. “Levka and the others will take care of Fiona.”

“You really care about her, don’t you?” Justin asked.

“Yeah. It’s like we’re connected.”

“Then you’ll have to turn her,” Justin said.

“If she wants me to do it, I will, but she has to want it.” Arman wasn’t sure that she wanted to do it.

Then Caitlin changed the subject as they arrived at the shopping center. “Okay, balloons, party hats, strobe lights, a fog machine, music for a DJ party? What do you think? Fiona isn’t going to be going to a prom night at a high school, so maybe a dance party?”

“Yeah, she would love that,” Justin said. “Her favorite colors are blue and green.”

“What would she like as gifts?” Jasmine asked. “We can have a cake made at this store and return in an hour.”

They went inside a bakery and Justin said, “Oh, she would love this topper: 18 and Adultish with the crown on the 18 and the butterfly sitting on the crown. It’s perfect. And she loves the water, so an ocean scene with the mermaid sitting on the rock?”

“That would cover the blue and green she loves,” Caitlin said. “I love the topper too. And the ocean scene is beautiful.”

They all looked at Arman. He smiled. “Yeah, that looks great.”

They ordered a cake that could serve up to thirty people.

“Chocolate cake,” Justin said. “That’s her favorite.”

Arman was glad that Justin was here because he knew so much about his sister! “Gifts, then?”

They bought her books, clothes, some games that they could all play, puzzles. They really needed to have some fun things to do once they were no longer worried about Tobias coming for Fiona.

“Do you think he’ll come for her tomorrow?” Justin asked as they dropped back by the bakery to pick up the cake after shopping for presents.

“I believe so,” Arman said. “He went after Fiona’s dad, turned her mom, Regina took her hostage, and then introduced Tobias to her. So yeah, I figure they will try to get to her tomorrow night. Or even before. So we have to make sure Fiona is being watched at all times.”

Justin sighed. “Well, that’s why I have to make sure I’m a vampire then. Tobias won’t expect it.”

“You know you’ll be newly turned,” Jasmine said.

“Yeah, the whole business with the fangs coming down can be problematic,” Caitlin said.

“But at least you can vanish and reappear in a different place,” Justin said, getting into the van with the others.

“Right. That would help you to get out of his path if Tobias came after you, and that could give someone else the chance to fight him,” Caitlin said. “You’re getting pretty good with a sword too. You have a really powerful swing.”

“That’s for sure,” Jasmine said. “You absolutely were wearing me down and no vampire has ever fought me with that much power.”

Justin beamed.

Arman smiled. He figured Justin would make a powerful fighter someday when his fighting skills were further honed.

“You need to turn my sister,” Justin repeated to Arman. “She’ll have more abilities, be safer, and the rest of the family will all be vampires as well.”

Justin had a valid point. But it was still completely up to Fiona as to what she wanted to do.

18

“Tell me about yourself, uhm, uh, Dad?” Fiona was going to have to get used to calling her parents mom and dad. She wanted to. “My foster mother said you were CIA or something, but I guess that was a cover for why you weren’t able to see us and had no address. Justin and I wanted to thank you for all the gifts you had given us over the years.”