The after school crowd packed the diner. Everyone laughing, joking and were rowdy at their tables. Most of the teens loved letting off steam there.

Damien leaned over the table and said over the commotion, "So look guys there's this party at a friend's place near Medford on Halloween. It will be a huge event and I wanted to know if you guys wanted to come?"

Julia bounced up and down like an excited puppy. "Cool I'm in. Halloween in Havenswood is so boring and I really want to get out of here."

The group gave her weary looks. Julia knew her mother would go beyond postal if she caught Julia sneaking out of town to go to a party but she didn't care.

"Who is this friend of yours?" Kuro asked then he looked at Julia. "I hate to burst your bubble but you know your mom isn't going to let you go. Especially since it's not in Havenswood."

"My mom will not be a problem," Julia replied as if she had everything already planned out. "She has to take part in the Hallows' Eve ceremony and then she's on patrol all night so she'll be too busy to notice that I'm gone."

Damien said to Kuro, "My friend is MormoShadowmist. He's looking forward to meeting you guys."

Everyone's mouths dropped open; they went silent at hearing the name of such a famous warlock.

Kuro was on the edge of his seat and said excitedly, "You mean you're friends with the Mormo."

Damien smiled and nodded his head cool as a cucumber. "Yep, I've known him for years. And his parties are crazy awesome."

Abby squealed squeezing her sister's arm in a death grip. "I can't believe you know one of the most famous warlocks of the modern era. Of course I'm in. It'd be like meeting the Weird Sisters."

Ella pried her poor hand out of her sister's hold and rubbed it. "I'm in as well."

Kuro nodded his head with a face splitting smile. "Me too."

Julia's high spirits had vanished replaced with a tentative look. "Damien, I'd love to go but I don't know if I want yet another warlock looking down on the reject of the Malphas line. I know how they get when they find out I have no magic."

Damien put his arm around Julia. "Don't worry Mormo isn't like that. I promise you he's nice, and he wants to meet you."

Hearing this got her back up. "You told him about me! How could you?"

Damien looked at her hurt and embarrassed expression. He stood, took a wad of money out of his wallet then set it on the table. "This should cover the bill and desert if you guys want any. If you'll excuse us we're going to go." Smiling at everyone reassuringly. "We'll make plans tomorrow about getting to the party, okay." He reached out his hand; caught Julia's and tugged her up. "Oh, and it's a costume party so don't forget to get a cool costume."

Julia was staring at her feet as they left the dinner. Damien pulled her down the road then stopped; cupping her chin in his hand he lifted her face. "Jules, please don't be upset. Mormo is the one who gets me the juice you love. He wanted to know who's made me so happy, cause it's been a long time since he's seen me this happy."

She gave him a cautious look. "And what did you tell him?"

Julia really liked Damien however every time she thought about trying to take things further a voice in the back of her head shouted at her not to. It was annoying, but it had such a hold over her she kept listening to it. And Damien seemed happy not to push things between them any further either. Which left them safely inside the friend zone.

"I told him you were a close friend that's very dear to my heart."

A twinge of disappointment nipped at her when he used the word friend. Julia felt those feelings numb as a voice whispered, don't, in the depths of her mind. She sighed, pushing through the frustration of having her heart, emotions and mind at war, and replied, "Okay. But I'm still unsure about going to the party."

It had always been the same with the witches and warlocks that she'd met over the years. They knew her mother was powerful and their bloodline was impressive. Everyone expected her to be as powerful as her mother. When they found out she was little more than a human; it was hard for any of them to hide their disappointment. Julia was sick and tired of that reaction and did not want to put herself into that situation willingly.

Damien rubbed her shoulders trying to get her to relax. "I promise Mormo is a nice guy. But I understand your anxiety so how about this? Why don't you come to the party and if you want to leave we'll leave, no questions asked."

Julia loved that he just got her. She brightened up and smiled as she slipped her arm around his waist. "Then yes I'll go to the party."

He looked at his watch. "We have an hour to kill before eight; do you want to go to Celestial Sphere Books with me? A book I've ordered should be in stock today and we can get a coffee while we're there."

She nodded her head. "Sounds like fun."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Julia arrived back at her house at 10pm, cautiously looking around as she walked up the front steps, figuring that she was about to face a pissed off faerie. When she didn't see Ren waiting for her she smirked, ha dodged a bullet there, and went inside.

Julia shut the door and smacked into a wall of anger that filled the air weighing everything down. Her eyes were drawn to the source; Ren was sitting on the sofa furious.

"What time do you call this?" he asked coldly.

She rolled her eyes and shrugged out of her jacket. "Honestly, I really don't care. I was out having fun. You remember what fun is, don't you?" After having to contend with her emotions going haywire whenever she was near Damien Julia didn't have time to put up with Rin's bad mood.

His eyes burned acid green as jumped up and marched over to her. "Don't give me that crap!" he roared. "I'm not the one who's changed. You need to take a long hard look in the mirror and see what you're becoming."

Julia's blood was boiling at that point. "Pot-kettle-black, Ren." She saw the line and knew she shouldn't cross it but everything in her life seemed to come to ahead. "Did you ever think maybe the reason I've been skipping on training is because I don't want to hang around a miserable Tink like you?" the words tumbled out of her mouth with ease.

She could see the hurt in his face at what she had just said to him, but she didn't feel the least bit guilty. In fact, all she wanted to do was to hurt him more.

He composed himself but only just. "What's that supposed to mean?" his voice had a razor-sharp edge to it. "Julia, you're so blind you can't see it but Damien is no good for you. He is changing you and I'm afraid for you."

She couldn't get her head around why he hated Damien so much. It was bad enough that she had a constant voice inside her head relentlessly holding her back telling her to stop whenever she considered wanting more with Damien. She couldn't take hearing it from her best friend.

She was at her wit's end and knew if she didn't stop talking she would say something she'd regret in the morning, but that didn't stop her. "What are you talking about? These days I don't understand half of the junk that comes out of your mouth." Each word she said was colder and more venomous than the one before. "You're just jealous of Damien. Well, it's time to get over yourself, Ren. I'm not the silly little puppy that will follow you wherever you command."

He narrowed his eyes. "You are not the same warm-hearted and funny girl I knew. Now you've turned into an uncaring bitch," Ren shot back twice as frosty. "A lot likeVéronique, only she has a heart and a brain. Sadly, you've lost both."

Julia could feel something inside of her crack unleashing white hot rage. Picking up one of the faerie glass vases sitting on the side table she threw it at him and screamed, "Get out you jerk!"

Ren ducked, the vase flew past him and shattered against the wall. "With pleasure, Julia," he said, disgust dripping off every word. "And stay the hell away from me until your old personality grows back." He breezed past her walking out of the house leaving her in tears.

Ren saw Alex sitting on his porch four doors down and stormed over to him. "You need to have a word with your friend. Tell him to back off."

Alex looked at him with total indifference, "I told you before, Damien is only watching out for Julia. There is nothing going on. You need to rein the paranoia in, Tinkerbelle."

Ren's eyes widened shocked by his apathy. "Knowing what Julia is. You can't tell me that seeing Damien pawing at her is not affecting you. You hide it but I can tell you have feelings for her. If you don't want her snatched away again you had better put a stop to those two." Ren hoped his words were a slap in Alex's face.

Alex glared at Ren with a murderous look and hissed back, "That," he pointed to Julia's house, "is not Beatrix so don't you dare say they are the same. I couldn't care less what Julia does and who with. It is none of my concern. I am only here to keep Thorsen away from her. Get that through your thick skull you stupid pixie. Because if you ever bring Beatrix up again I will rip you limb from limb."

Ren laughed as a fire burned in his eyes. "I'd like to see you try." Then he flicked his arm in the air and waved it all off. "Fine, deny the obvious. That's something you and Julia have in common. But when you open your eyes and accept reality let's hope it's not too late." He walked off, leaving Alex staring at Julia's house.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Julia looked up at the gilded ceiling, her forehead crinkled as she stared at the crystal candlelight chandeliers that dangled down. Realisation reached out slapping her in the face; it's happening again! It felt as if someone had lifted a veil, her self-awareness started ebbing away like a receding tide.

The silk fabric of the champagne dress kissed Beatrix's skin as she paced back and forth in her room. The long train, full of baby pink ruffles, trailed behind her softly swishing with each circuit. Why... that one word was tacked onto so many questions that relentlessly bounced around in her mind. Her mind always answered, for Alex.

Two firm hands grabbed Beatrix from behind forcing her to still. A warm smile crept across her face and she leaned against the broad chest of her best friend. Damien had been her friend since they could crawl. Through thick and thin he was always there for her.

"You know, I never thought this day would come." He chuckled. "When the two of you met, you detested each other so much, I thought you would tear each other apart."

She turned around and rested her forehead on his shoulder unable to look him in the eyes. He had grown into such a handsome man, his brown hair was cut short at the back, but he loved to keep it long in the front and his bangs were always flopping in his eyes. Looking down at his hand, Beatrix laced her fingers with his; she was envious of his olive brown skin. Her skin had always been so pale.

She tightly wrapped her free arm around Damien. "You can't choose who you love." Guilt clouded her face as she looked up into his gentle eyes. He deserved so much more than she had given him. "I'm sorry, Damien," she paused letting those words hang between them.

It was the only thing she could offer him and even she knew it would never be enough. He didn't hide the look of anguish in his eyes, which shocked her. He had always been careful to hide it from her in the past.

Wanting to give him some explanation she said, "Alex is my vishshalaour souls are bound for eternity." As long as one existed the other would. Not even death could sever the tie she had with Alex.

A war of emotions flashed in his eyes as Damien pulled away. "Oh no," his voice was light and joking. "Don't tell me you the sceptic believe in that superstitious light faerie nonsense." It was painfully clear he wanted to end the subject.

Beatrix sighed and walked to the door. She looked back at him as she opened it and said matching his light-hearted tone, "You know I would never buy into that light faerie garbage. Now could you please deliver my message to Alex for me?"

****************************