With each click of my fingers, the radio channel changed. Slouched back in the chair with my feet on the dash, having to take the time to drive somewhere was ridiculously boring. Finding a song I liked, I left it alone and taking out my phone, found a message from Raya with Olivia in a super bubbly bath, complete with bubble hat and beard.

"I'm a bitch, I'm a lover. I'm a child, I'm a mother. I'm a sinner, I'm a saint, I do not feel ashamed!" I sing along, only for Zane to abruptly change the channel. "Hey!"

"Anyone ever told you, you are the worst passenger, ever?" He groaned, once again changing the channel as I turned it back.

"Losing battle Zaney, and if you had let me drive, I would be too focused on the road to mess around with the radio."

"Anytime you borrow or drive my car, bad things happen. I'm not a Bunting, I don't get unlimited funds to buy more cars because someone destroyed the last one."

"You know the council will reimburse any funds lost because of-"

"Not the point kid, not the point." Zane sighs.

"I know," I shrug. It is what it is. "Tomorrow I will change, and today won't mean a thing!"

The music disappears as it gets to the best part, and I give up, allowing the silence to take over what remained of the journey. As he slows down, he brings up the network on the dash screen of his car and checks the address.

"We're here."

"Cliche much?" I wonder, looking around at the abandoned church, complete with the spooky old cemetery at its side. "So, what's the plan old man?"

Zane rolls his eyes and reaching into the back, produces a small bag. Opening it up, I smile at the sight of all the vampire killing goodies in there and picking up a somewhat shiny, silver pistol, inspect the UV bullets that go with it.

"Oh, I've missed you, baby." I coo to the weapon.

"It's a gun?"

"I have these now, I don't really use much of this anymore." My hand lights up before disappearing as I inspect the goodie bag he brought along. "Oh, what's this?"

I pick up the small clear bottle, curious of its contents. Zane laughs, shakes his head and takes it from me, dropping it into the console of the car.

"Hand sanitiser. I don't like germs."

For a second I just stare, unsure if he's serious until I realise he is. "Cause I hate it when germs get mixed up in my bag of mass vampire destruction."

"You mock me, but am I ever sick?"

"We don't get sick like normal humans, super DNA remember?"

"Why take the chance?" He shrugs.

We load up and decide to start in the cemetery. It's a beautiful night and walking by neglected tombstones, I take my time to see how old this place really is. Most seem to have passed in eighteen sixty around here, and as an owl flies overhead, I shiver. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, as goosebumps rush all over me. I look at Zane, and he nods, feeling it too.

"Graveyards are totally romantic. I mean, look at all these couples buried together. Hey, we should get buried together. Imagine that. You, me, forever!" I tell him, perhaps a little too excitedly.

I know we're being watched. The shadows that you're not sure if you're imagining them move or if there is actually something there is definitely someone there.

"Well, with an offer like that, immortality sounds like a much better option. At least then I have a chance of getting away from you at some point." He mumbles.

"Ouch. You break my heart," I stop, looking at the dusty marble slab near our path. "I bet, Gino Vlasinovadich didn't feel that way about Maria Vlasinovadich. They were together for seventy years in life!"

"Lucky them." Zane keeps walking, while I rub my sleeve over their images to reveal the couple near the age of deaths and also on their wedding day. "Come on, not much further to go."

I turn and stop, slamming into one of the vampires who suddenly decided to appear.

"I couldn't help overhear, your boyfriend seems like a bit of a-" He pauses, frowning as he looks me over. "Hunter?"

"Well, Slayer actually, and not my boyfriend. Gross!" I grab his shirt and throw him down onto the concrete slab where David Villamor resided six feet below.

"Gross? What's gross about that? Well, apart from having you as my girlfriend thing?" Zane huffs, coming over.

"You just answered your own question," I roll my eyes and turn my focus back on the vampire that's looking between us completely confused. "So, hi. I'm Elise, this is Zane."

"What do you want?" If it's possible, his face seems to go even whiter.

"Oh we just want to ask a few questions, that's all. Think you can help with that?" I smile.

"Ah, maybe, I guess?" He mumbles, and I let him stand.

"We're investigating the mass murder of civilians that was broadcasted-" Zane opens with, and the vampire takes his chances and goes running, knocking me over as he takes off. "Stop!"

Zane pulls out his gun, before cursing and going after the rather speedy leech.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking!" I call out and get to my feet, dust my pants and hands off, and then appear barely a meter in front of the runaway. "Boo!"

He screams, actually tries to avoid me, and trips over an old wooden fence. I keep him down, pin his arms behind his back and restrain him, before flipping him back over as Zane joins us.

"You either help us, and we'll be nice, or try shit like that again and get real dead, not just, blood-sucking dead. Capiche?" I ask.

"I had nothing to do with that, I swear!" The vampire admits.

"I know, we know." I motion between Zane and me. "But a little birdie told us, you know who did and where they're hiding."

"I don't. I just, live here, away from everyone. I like a quiet life, honest!" He starts to cry.

"Well, how about you just tell us what we want to know and then you can go back to your quiet life?" I offer.

"But. but, but I don't know-" The vampire stutters, right before I sense more and then he starts to laugh. "You're going to die as those fucking humans did. No, it'll be worse for you, we'll bring you back too and-"

"Been there, done that!" I sigh, grabbing Zane's gun and shooting him in the heart. He's dust before the first attack comes and the five vampires that have us surrounded are just as quick to fall. "I forgot to keep one alive."

"There's more inside. We're at the right place." Zane motions not to the rather large mausoleum towards the back. "They came from there."

"Not just a pretty face are you?" I pat his chest as I passed him, and we head that way.

I walk up to the door and knock a couple of times, and as the rather large male stands in the doorway, I smile at him.

"Hey, I know you from somewhere. You've been on TV right?"

He bares his fangs, "So, we are finally found."

"Elise?" Zane queries from behind me and turning around, more and more vampires seem to appear out of nowhere. "You are got more than a couple of guns, right?"

"You can't stop us, Hunter. But I'm going to enjoy watching you try." He leered, laughter sounding out from behind him.

"How about I make this a fair? You all get one shot at me, or to even run away while you can and see how long that lasts for you since you've been hiding so well all this time."

"I would be doing the running if I were you." He challenged, emerging from the structure to stand almost chest to chest with me.

"I guess that's a no to my offer then?"

As the first two lunged for Zane, I shielded him. More than that, I stopped them all. Closing my eyes I felt them all, their weak, rotting energy was easy to pick out as my powers flowed around us. I hunted them down, one by one, trapping them like flies in my web and then I tightened my hold. Some screamed, struggled, cried; their rage flicked on and off in the stronger ones.

"We weren't killing them all, Elise. I agreed to this, if only we were going to do this the right way." Zane reminded me, in his usual pissed off tone.

"No one but us knows we are here Zane. Let me show them the same mercy they showed those people, they slaughtered." I begged.

"No. We are better than them, better than that." He lectured.

One by one the vampires surrounding him turned to dust. Not only did they do, what they did, they not threatened my friend. The asshole in front of me, and those inside were bound, and with a shaky breath, I released my hold on them.

"There, happy?" I ask Zane as he moves to check the now unconscious leeches before us.

"Yes. Come on, let's get them-" I clicked my fingers, and they disappeared. "Where did they go?"

"I was thinking Ailin's office, but I sent them to the prison for processing. I'm thirsty, wanna go grab a drink?" He frowned at me. "Relax, call them and check. I didn't think you'd want them to mess up the back of your car, plus I'm not sure they'll all fit. There are like ten of them, you going to play vampire Tetris to fit them in?"

"Well, no, but-" He shook his head. "I guess this is the new normal now, hey?"

"Looks like. Come on, I know where we can go!" I grab his hand, and we're soon standing in the Valkyries bar.

Eric waves as he sees me, while Zane takes a moment to look around and work out where we are.

"What happened to my car?"

"It's in the parking lot, don't worry." I go up the bar and Eric is already waiting. It's quiet tonight, and I see the Valkyrie watching us.

"And who is your friend?" Eric asks, looking at Zane cautiously.

"Zane, Slayer, old and grumpy, but don't hold that against him. This is Eric, ex-mage who pissed off the wrong witch and had his powers bound or something. He makes a good martini though." I introduce the pair.

"Oh, the Zane?" Eric relaxes, and the pair shake hands. "What will you have?"

With his beer in hand, we find a place to sit and sure enough, Ailin is soon calling him. He takes her call, confirming the identity of the vampires now in our custody and how they came to end up where they did.

"So, that's a wrap then sunshine. Law and order have been restored, the bad guys have been stopped and once again peace rules the lands," he sips his beer, yet I notice him staring and turn to see Meghan at the bar now. "For now, anyway."

"Until the next time." I raise my glass of lemonade, and we drink to that. "So, that's Meghan. You should go say hi, just try not to be yourself, and you might stand a chance."

"Funny. But nah, she isn't my type."

"Do you even have a type?" I smirk.

"If I do, I'm not telling you." He winks, yet his eyes follow her as she goes back upstairs. "You are a good friend, but a terrible wingman."

He so has a type.

"Did you want to go over and say hi?" I ask. "I mean, to all of them, not just the fiercest little Valkyrie there is."

"I'm good," He shrugs, "Unless, you wanted to?"

"Why not, just if it comes up, do not drink the mead," I warn.

Of course, he drinks the mead, unable to resist the challenge Meghan throws at him as the pair banter worse than he and I ever could. It's a couple of hours later when I lose track of him, and Kara gives me her ever knowing smile when I ask if anyone has seen him.

"Did you find the ones you were hunting?" She asks.

"We did, and it is now officially case closed," I tell her. "Kara, I came tonight to thank you, for everything you and your sisters have done for me."

"There is no need to thank me, Elise." She smiles, yet it's sadder than anything. "You will do great things here. Do not doubt that."

"I've been thinking about what you told me the other day, and I know I said I would drop it, but-"

"You can't, can you?" She doesn't seem annoyed by this.

"No. How old are you? I mean, for Hecate to adopt you, she died a really long time ago. Apollo told me that. I just, your realm works so differently to mine. The way time goes and you all age, or don't."

"Who said Hecate was alive when she found me?"

"Because she had to be. She lives in the Under-" I paused. "You didn't start off as a plant did you?"

She laughs softly. "No. I was not of her garden. Hades gave me to her after I was gifted to him in a game of poker. He had no use for a baby. He had lost his own family and did not want another."

"You were raised in the Underworld?"

She hesitated and something told me I was never going to get the truth.

"It isn't a bad place, not really. When it became clear what I was, he returned me to my people who willingly took me in. I left the only mother I knew, the only home I had, and could never return to either of them. I trained hard. I was angry, so angry with the world and the way things were. I made myself be the best, to claim something for myself that couldn't be taken away. It was why I was chosen by Odin to join his guard." She shrugged, closing her eyes for a moment. "I see a lot of myself in you, Elise. That pain, the darkness, the anger. I want to help you as I wished someone had helped me. But, we are not as alike as I first thought either. I see you, the you that is coming. She is a fascinating creature, and I hope I am still able to call her my friend."

"Of course." We hug, and the familiarity that has always existed between us since we met warms me.

They may not be, my kind, but these are my people. Zane is one of the few that doesn't flinch when I use my powers. Around the others, I watch myself. I don't blame them if the roles were reversed, I don't know how I could handle seeing one of them, different and sometimes it is nice to pretend they don't exist.

Only they do.

The Valkyrie doesn't care about this stuff as my people do; like my friends do. To them, I am regular with or without my powers.

I watch Eric serve two young, light fae. It's strange to see them out and in a place like this, yet I can't stop myself from smiling as they giggle of the glass of champagne they order and find a seat near the stage where one of them pulls out a pile of magazines from her bag.

"How about that, a light fae marrying a vampire. I've seen it all now." Eric muses.

"Kinky." I don't even want to know anything more about it.

"Still sticking with your Sober Sally routine?" He teases, but the look on his face says otherwise.

"For now, only because the bartender here is such a Negative Nelly."

"I do it because I care. You seem, different though. You good?"

"I am. I mean, I'm not even ten days sober, but I haven't gone hard like I used to. It's just, it's always been a way to stop myself from thinking. Feeling. I guess. Plus I knew this vampire who owned a bar, and I liked being around him and having fun, and the drinking just went with it too." I thought about that for a moment. "It pissed off my parents, my principal, my teachers. I like breaking the rules. People started pointing it out like it was a problem, and I guess it was, but it just made me want to do it more."

"Don't need to explain it to me, we've all been there. You're so young. Be kind to yourself. If I were you, I'd probably be dead by now so I can't judge, but I see you're trying, and respect that."

"Thanks, Eric."

It's way past midnight by the time Zane resurfaces, the mead did its job, I manage to get him to his car before he throws up by the tyre. He is saying something about me driving that I don't understand but get him in and rather than drive, take us straight back to his car parking space at the Academy and then get him into his room. Water on the bedside table, a bucket by the bed, he passes out the second he touches the mattress. I try my best and get him into some PJs, even this turn out to be pink with unicorns looking similar to a pair I own. It was going to be the least of his problems in the morning.

I leave him there and wander around this new Academy, so familiar yet so different to Huntington's. In the library, I curl up in the oversized reading chair and summon a bunch of books relating to the Norse gods. There is nothing in any of them that give a glimpse into the realities of their world, just what we think we know. Browsing the mythology section, it seems to be double the size of what Huntington's have.

I read more on various cultures and creatures, bible stories and the history channel's special edition print of Ancient Egypt. The number of gods, goddesses, theories, monsters and powers are endless. And now, here we are. In this modern world where a whole other one runs parallel to it. Where the gods of the past abandoned us mere mortals to go home, and those that stay choose to live as we, well, as the civilians do.

I thought of the Bee King and his honey business.

The Valkyrie and their motorcycle club.

Of all the others hidden in plain sight.

What a world to live in. Sure it's flawed, it's hard, but it's beautiful, and it's ours. I open an older text of the Council's, where Apollo and Artemis have their turn to tell a story. The pages that soon appear after them tell a new story of their half brother, a King, a God; of a man banished from his home yet found his way back. I stared at the not entirely accurate carved marble face of Cain.

"My world should know some of your stories too, whether you like it or not," I tell the paper, and closing the book, put it away as Drew walks in. "Hey!"

"Elise! Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting Zane, and I couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same. I've been going over some old family journals that ended up here. I heard you been saving the world again?" He came and sat down, and I joined him.

"Just another day really."

"My how humble you've become." Drew teased. "Are you here long?"

"Maybe, I haven't decided yet," I sighed. "Hows Nigel?"

"Better, I think. Thank you, for helping us. He's here, got given a vampire combat class to teach. He seems to like it."

"And Tom?"

"Taking a holiday with Sam. He wasn't thrilled about Nigel's new job." Drew sighed. "It's been a tough year so far. Hoping it gets easier from here."

"Me too."

Drew frowned, "Oh shit, Elise, I didn't mean, when compared-"

"We all have our own battles Drew." I get us some hot chocolate and hand him one. "I think the worst of it is over, as bold as that is for me to say. Touch wood."

He laughed as I touched the small wooden table between the chairs. "Careful, the universe might see that as a challenge."

"Good, I'm ready for a new one." I laugh, sipping my drink.

"That's the spirit!" Drew enthused, raising his mug to me we cheers to that. "Though, nothing too extreme."

"It's the only way I know," I shrug.

And I don't think that would ever change either.