The Masquerade

The Set Up

-Mackenzie-

Everyone stared expectantly at Mackenzie as they sat in their seats under the gazebo. Tate sat as far away from Julian as possible, clutching the towel Mackenzie had given him. Sophia sat between her brother and the other boy, consistantly outwardly undisturbed by the chaos around her. Allison was on the other side of Tate, nearly shaking. She made no attempt to hide her nervous glances in the vampire sibling's direction. Julian slouched in his chair and tapped his finger on the table beside him impatiently.

Mackenzie paced in front of them under the cloud covered sky. "So a few nights ago, Allison and I were in the bookstore. Tony left us alone for the first time in well, ever, so I decided to see what he kept in the back room. We found some herbs, and a lot of books."

"No porn stash?" Julian raised an eyebrow. Mackenzie gawked at him for a moment.

"That's what you'd expect, right?" She joked in mock exasperation. Allison stared in horror at the exchange, and Mackenzie got serious.

"Anyways, we were looking at the books and I found one that was an encyclopedia of supernatural creatures," Mackenzie looked at Julian, "I was trying to read it the night when you came to my porch, but the text went poof before I could get further than the first sentence on vampires."

"I was wondering what you were holding. I thought it might be a spell book," Julian said. Sophia turned to him.

"You thought she was a caster? Why didn't you tell me this?" Sophia questioned, folding her hands on the table.

"You weren't exactly speaking to me at the time. By the time I got you to talk to me, her life was already in danger and I knew she was human," Julian replied flippantly. Sophia shook her head at him.

"Wait, Mackenzie's in danger," Allison piped up from her side of the table. She looked at Julian momentarily then faced the ground once again. Mackenzie crossed her arms.

"I think I should talk to Allison in private," She said with a look towards Sophia. Sophia stood and pushed her chair in after her.

"Tate Saunders, I would like to speak to you," She announced. Tate's eyes widened, but he shrugged, dropping his towel. He stood clumsily, knocking his chair back a bit.

"As long as you don't hit me over the head," Tate mumbled, following her out the gate and into the path. Julian groaned.

"That boy sure can keep a grudge," He said. Mackenzie walked closer to the table, right in the midpoint between Julian and Allison.

"Shut up and say hi to the nice girl sitting across from you," Mackenzie ordered. Julian flashed a smile in Allison's direction, waving a bit. Allison shrunk further into her chair.

"I don't think she wants to talk to me," Julian pouted, "My feelings are hurt."

"Allison I've known Julian for a whopping four days, he's mostly harmless as far as I can tell," Mackenzie deadpanned. Allison looked up at her.

"He's a vampire, Mackenzie," She stated simply. Mackenzie's opened her mouth to answer, but shut it in a moment when no words came to her mind.

Allison had a point. The people Mackenzie was letting teach and protect her were probably murderers, but she had no choice but to trust them. She wasn't dying at age seventeen. She had so many plans for her future, ones that included bingo night and therapeutic shoes, and if this vampire got to her then she'd lose any chance to fulfill those plans.

"But him and his sister are possibly the only ones that can help me right now," Mackenzie almost whispered. Julian's expression turned unnaturally somber and Allison's large green eyes bore into Mackenzie.