FIFTY-FIVE | STEP ONE

After my announcement to become part of the Coven, Hale dismissed Ander. He didn't bother asking me if I was sure about my decision, just waited all of thirty seconds before sighing in relief and nodding at me.

"Good. I'd say it's about time, but that's an understatement at this point, sunshine." He comes back over to me and holds a hand out to me. "We should talk to your mother before we ma**ke it official. She'd want to know." He tells me. I nod, feeling like a great weight's been lifted from my shoulders.

He leads me out of the office...only when the door opens, it's not the same landing as before. We're facing a huge library, books on shelves from floor to ceiling. I blink, trying not to gape as Hale gently guides me to the door at the other end of the room.

"What kind of place is this anyway? Is it real or just illusions?" I ask, not sure how I'm supposed to take all of this. We're walking around the weird halls of the compound, and yet again, there's something strange about the way everything's positioned. I get the feeling it's not really supposed to be like this or people would never be able to get where they need to.

"It's real. There are just some enchantments on a few of the rooms, rewiring the order so anyone who isn't part of the Coven can't just go milling around." Hale explains, a prideful look in his jade eyes.

"So when I officially join, it'll look different?" I deduce carefully - hopefully.

"Yes." Hale nods, a little smirk hovering around the corners of his lips.

"Okay, well... okay." I mutter, still a little confused, but relieved things won't be so disorienting once I'm a member.

"Here is where you can rest when you're here." Hale opens a door that leads into a large room. A bedroom with a four poster bed in one corner and a desk in the other. A fifty inch flat screen hangs on the wall directly across from the bed and there's even a dresser beside the bed. A wardrobe - yes, a freakin' wardrobe like from the Victorian era - leans against the wall beside us.

"I told you, sunshine," Hale smirks at me, seeing my stunned expression. "We don't sleep in coffins."

"I didn't think you guys lived in mansions either." I scoff, looking around the room again.

"This isn't a mansion," Hale laughs and rubs the back of his neck. "Remind me to set you up with a tutor, as well." When we leave the room - *my* room - we're suddenly back in front of the double doors that I first came in through. Hale, unfazed, walks up to the front doors casually.

"Wait, what does that mean?" I frown, following after him. The gatekeepers materialize, taking one of the double doors in their hands before hauling them open.

"It means you have a lot to learn about life for a vampire. And any daughter of mine should be made aware of her...*position*." Hale says in that annoying overly-careful way he does when he doesn't want to give too much away.

"Position?" I prompt, trying to coax the answer out of him, but he's not in a sharing mood anymore.

"See, this is why you should have a tutor." Hale sighs, shaking his head yet again. My annoyance twists inside me, growing until it's become anger.

"Why can't Mikyle just tell me - or *you* for that matter?" I ask, wondering why I need to have a *tutor*. It makes me feel like I should be called princess when he suggests things like this.

"Mikyle may be my advisor, but he doesn't know everything about our family history." Hale explains slowly, again in that patronizingly careful way.

"I'm not following." I reply blankly. "Why wouldn't he know everything?" You'd think the two would be as open as an Alpha and Beta would be in a Pack.

"No matter how close I am to your father, princess, there are some things even I shouldn't know." Mikyle materializes beside me and starts walking with us in the direction of the house.

"That's messed up." I mutter, only just managing to hide my surprise as my shadow keeps up with us.

"We don't die easily, which makes interrogations more effective for us-"

"Mikyle-" Hale warns, but my shadow continues anyway.

"Which is why it's safer for a lot of us not to know everything." His nonchalant tone paired with the serious implications of his words terrifies me. *Interrogation - as in torture? Who'd have the ability to capture a vampire and torture them for information? Hunters?...Wolven?*

"Safer for who?" I rasp, my stomach churning sickeningly in me as a little wave of nausea shudders through me.

"The Coven." Mikyle shrugs, still as calm and relaxed as he usually is.

"The Coven?" I scoff, looking between Mikyle and Hale. For a second, neither says anything.

"The Coven houses more than fifty members, and we grow more each year. Over time we've made a lot of enemies, sunshine." Hale finally speaks up, his eyes somber and expression closed off. I decide not to ask anything about that, since it's apparent this isn't a subject he wants to go into. Still, I can't help but think back to what I know about Hale's Coven - about the time we've been missing together because of it.

I begin making a list of questions to ask my *tutor* when I meet with them.

- - -

Mom's home when we arrive and gives both me and Hale large hugs the second we walk into the kitchen. I freeze in surprise by her overly-affectionate gesture, but relax after a second in her warm embrace.

"I heard from the Alpha about what happened," Mom whispers into my hair, squeezing me tighter against her body. I wince, having almost forgotten about the incident with the siren on the way here because of the talk with Hale and Mikyle.

"I'm fine, Mom," I insist, hoping she'll take me at my word. Despite the over-all soreness I'm dealing with, I am okay. *I'm still alive aren't I?* She pulls away, hurriedly wiping away stray tears from her cheeks before lifting my chin and carefully examining the already healed wound on my neck. Now all that's left is a jagged scar running across the base of my throat.

"Wisty," Her lower lip wobbles, and I'm suddenly terrified she's going to burst into tears.

"I'm joining the Coven. And Mikyle's going to teach me to fight." I tell her quickly, all thought of gently and tactfully bringing up this new development fleeing from my mind without warning.

"You- you're going to-" Mom takes a stunned step back, her eyes wide, dozens of emotions flitting across her face before they finally settle. "That's wonderful!" She scoops me into a hug, even tighter than before. The tension in her voice and shoulders are completely gone now and I can practically feel the relief radiating off her. "You had better train her well, Mikyle." She warns my shadow over my shoulder, still holding me tightly so I can't turn to look at the vampire as he replies.

"Of course, Lady M." He reassures her, sounding as serious as he did when he was talking to Hale earlier in Doc Quin's office.

"Wisty, this is amazing- Are you sure?" She releases me again and holds my shoulders firmly, searching my eyes with concern. I smile at her, already sure of my answer before I verbalize it.

"I am." I affirm, and stand a little straighter. "I'm ready to learn more, about fighting and vamp stuff." I tell her.

"Alright, but let me know if you need anything. Remember, Wisty, I'm here to help you." She reminds me, rubbing my shoulders comfortingly. I feel a little warmth in my heart, the nervousness of me telling her about his disappears.

"I know, Mom. You've been here my whole life." I feel my smile become a little sad. "That's why I have to do this. I want to help you, too." It may be the most honest thing I've said to her since our bond was severed.

"And I'm sick of getting my a-butt handed to me every time someone tries to kill me." Mom laughs and shakes her head.

"Why don't you get some sleep, princess? Your training starts tomorrow morning." Mikyle pulls me from Mom and gives me a little shove towards my room. I groan, remembering my shadow's going to be my instructor and know I'm in for a world of hurt.