aurora [on hold]

Thirteen

"Aurora!" Logan shouted after me. The list was crumpled in a ball in my hand and I was stomping off toward the graveyard's entrance. I didn't answer him for the millionth time.

I heard something whiz past my ear and, suddenly, the tree in front of my was on fire. I spun on my heel and stared at Logan in shock.

"Did you just throw a ball of fire at me?"

Logan stared at me with the same intensity. "Oh, you can talk? I thought that the irrationality of your actions rendered you mute!" He exclaimed with sarcastic pretentiousness.

"Irrationality?" I demanded, pointing wildly at the crumpled ball of paper in my hand. "Why does this paper say I'm dead? I wasn't dead at the time of my parents' death."

Logan rolled his eyes. "God, Aurora, get your head out of your arse for once and read the bottom of the paper. The name after yours."

I glared at him and turned my attention to the paper. I un-crumpled it and studied the name below mine.

Bradley, Quinn

2003-2009

Not Applicable

Status: Alive

I frowned. "That's impossible. My parents died in 2008."

"Exactly," Logan agreed, playing with his fingers and allowing flames to flicker from the tips. "So why does it say your mom was alive in 2009?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but was cut off as I heard something else whiz past my ear.

"Logan!" I exclaimed. "What the hell?"

"I didn't do that!" He insisted. I turned and saw a steel arrow lodged into the burning tree.

"You two are complete idiots."

I frowned and turned back to face Logan. He was also turned and we were looking at a gorgeous brunette, long hair pulled into a ponytail, black corset, black layer skirt, holed tights, and combat boots. She held a crossbow in her hands and aimed it at us before holding it in one hand, pointing it toward the sky.

"Esther," I flatly greeted. "What a wonderful surprise. Are you here to kill us? Did William send you?"

She rolled her eyes and walked toward us, dead leaves crunching beneath her feet. "I don't take orders from William Dean." Esther turned and gestured in the dark. "Viola, come stop this before these two set the entire graveyard on fire."

Another girl stepped out of the shadows. Blue hair this time, and she dressed happier than Esther. Well, at least more normal. Black skinny jeans, red Converse, and a black leather jacket.

"Whatever," 'Viola' replied, disinterested in anything that was going on, and put her palm out, just like Logan does when he lights his hand on fire. Slowly but surely, a ball of water grew slightly above her palm. When it reached an acceptable size, closed her hand, drew it back, and threw it toward the fire. It should've been impossible, but it immediately took the fire out. Since we now stood in darkness, Logan offered light.

"What are you doing here, Esther? And why are you with her, Viola?" Logan asked them. I knew Esther, only, from training that first day, but I didn't know Viola. She's obviously a water witch, though.

"William sent us to get you once he realised you're going to break into your parents' mausoleum," Viola said. "But Esther hates rules and then, we caught wind of you being ill-" She looked up at my face. "Don't ask how, we have our ways. Anyway, Esther thought, 'Huh, she's a vampire, vampires don't get sick. So, she wanted to come here and test something out. Shall we?"

Without warning, Esther produced something in her pocket and threw it at me. I was caught off guard, so I wasn't fully out of the way as it hit my neck.

It dropped to the ground and I picked it up to study it. It looked like a ping pong ball, and it wasn't very heavy.

"It doesn't burn?" Esther suspiciously asked.

I shook my head. "No."

"Well, that was vervain, from the mistletoe family. And it's supposed to burn vampires."

"But I'm affected by mistletoe," I informed them. "It hurt like a bitch."

"But the vervain didn't," Viola reminded me. "My guess is that you're not really a vampire."

I seemed to be frowning a lot today. "What do you mean, 'I'm not really a vampire?'"

Viola shrugged. "I've done my research. It's incredibly rare, but it's a possibility. Tell me...have you set anything or anyone on fire lately?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I haven't."

"Have you drowned anyone?"

"No."

"Have you produced anything out of midair?"

My interest peaked. Viola rose an eyebrow.

"From your bewildered expression, I'd say that's a yes. I think we need to go somewhere to talk because you'll need to sit down for this."