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"OUCH, DAMN IT!"

"If you spent more time defending yourself and less time cussing you might not get hurt as often," James said laughingly while I once again failed to fend off another blow from the boe staff he wielded expertly.

I growled but no words escaped my lips. I swung my boe staff around the way he did and had successfully hit me, but he blocked it with ease. I had left my other side open and he whipped me on the leg.

"Are you ready for a break yet?" He teased.

"No," I said licking my salty lips. I was sweating awfully.

"I know you want to learn this stuff, but it's not going to help if you keel over from a heat stroke."

"Can vampires really get heat strokes?" I asked curious.

"Well, no but you can over exert yourself just the same as if you were still human."

"Hmm...." I said. And, fast as a viper I lashed out with my boe staff to hit him in the side. Or at least, I thought it had been as fast as a viper. Apparently not, seeeing as he had once again blocked it. We continued on sparring for a while, block after block. This was the longest I had held out against him. We had been sparring since the sunlight incident. He had started explaining how vampires have more endurance and are just stronger then regular humans but eventually he had just given up and decided the best way to teach me was through experience. He swiftly realized that I had no weapon skills whatsoever and decided he would try to give me the basics today. He said Vampires learn fighting easier then other occultus because we need it more. Whatever that means.

"I see your mind drifting Donna. Focus!"

I saw an opening then and I took it. I whipped my boe staff around and thrust it directly into his stomach with a grunt. He hissed in pain and I pulled my boe staff back while he was distracted by the pain and expertly swept his legs out form under him. He had used that maneuver on me too many times for me not to be able to do it. I tossed my weapon up and caught it behind my back, spinning it until it was in front of me as I walked over the where my father was lying on the floor. I pressed the end of it against his throat lightly and smiled. "Gotcha."

"Great job Donna!"

"Yup. Now we can take a break. We can work more on it later right?"

"There's nothing more for you to learn from me, but I wouldn't mind another sparring match if we have time."

"Sounds good," I said, grabbing a towel and wiping my face with it.

"Ready to pick the lecture up again?"

"I guess," I replied.

"Well, you never asked about how you were running so fast."

"I was flitting, right?"

He looked kind of stunned. "How'd you know?"

"Believe it or not, I do have access to books. Vampires are always said to be able to move really fast. It's just one of those things that seems to define the stereotypical vampire."

"I always forget that humans know more about us then they used to due to reading."

"Yup. So, continue."

"Most you're going to have to experience for yourself. You'll begin realizing you're not human any longer in almost everything you do. Some realizations will be greater than others..." He coninued, sounding like he was talking to himself.

"So, I guess we're pretty much done here?"

"Not quite. We still have to cover our diet."

"You said we drink blood and some kill people but it's not really a big deal if a human dies when you feed off of them. The only rule is that they don't remember, right?"

"That's not all. We still have to cover the topic of bloodlust."

"Right. Bloodlust. Well, that's defined in a few different ways so your going to want to exlpain."

"A vampires response to blood is... strong." He seemed to be struggling to explain. "There's really no words to describe it. It pulls you. It calls to you. Nothing else will suffice. Nothing else can replace blood in our diets. We need to feed roughly once a week, though if your injured blood will speed your recovery miraculously."

"Do we still eat regular food?"

"Yes, but you'll understand soon enough. Your first feeding will have to be soon."

My initial response was intrigue. I wondered what it would be like. But then I realized what he was holding back. In everything I had ever read a vampires initial response to blood was all consuming. It was very likely that my first meal would be my first victim. I searched myself for an emotional response and felt nothing. No disgust. No apprehension. Nothing that I should be feeling.

"Why don't I feel bad? Why am I not concerned with the lives that I might end?"

"It's part of the transformation. Detachment. It's natural to us. We rarely feel true emotional responses. We're always calculating."His voice filled with self loathing. "Only in rare cases are our kind able to overcome it. Such as me with your mother."

"Oh." What a high killer.

"I promised your grandfather you'd go see him for your lessons after we were done."

"Alright." He was still withdrawn, lost in his own thoughts.

I moseyed on down the hallway. I was starting to be able to find my way around. I saw my grandfather then.

"Hey," I said, awkwardly.

"Hello, granddaughter. Are you ready to embrace your Witch heritage?"

"Uh, yes?"

"There's no time for uncertainty when working with magic. You must know what you want," He scolded.

I took a deep breath. "Yes. I am ready."

He nodded his head. "Good." He gestured towards two chairs. "This is going to be a long discussion. You're going to want to get comfy."

I groaned internally and took a seat. Before long I realized that this wasn't going to be a taxing conversation. My grandfather was very intelligent and knew the answers to all of my questions.

"Most witches have a natural affinity to something in nautre that becomes the manifestation of their own personal deity. They are endowed then with the gifts from that divine being and that's how our magic works. Those are simple spells, the ones that are direct gifts from your deity. There's no incantation or ingredients needed. You're just able to do it. Usually you also gain an ability specific to your personality and unique to yourself. Yours for example would be your premonitions. Your mother also had this ability." His voice grew sad for a moment, but he quickly moved on. "As far as doing charms and such go, that's a learning experience. Only people who do charms for a living study in depthly the art of charms. You'll be able to write your own, and I will teach you what different things you can use to achieve the goals of your charms. For the most part however, you probably will not be having a need for charm craft except basic wards."

And then he started talking about herbs, which I already knew most of. he was surprised at how well I knew my herblore. "Your mother taught you all of this?"

"Ever since I was young. It's how she made a living and supported us both."

"A witch should not have to conceal her knowledge behind such material things as owning a sotre to support herself," He said, disgusted.

"I know this may come as a shocker, but Tanya was happy with our life. And so was I, aside from the typical teen complaints. We were happy with our house and her job and my education. We were content with our lives."

"You only think she was happy. My Tanya could never be happy living among humans."

"How would you know? You weren't there," I challenged. He looked thoughful for a moment.

"It's night time. Let's go outside and find what your affinity is. Usually you get one of the four elements. Earth, fire, air, or water. Occasionally people get spirit, which is the makings of a great priest or priestess."

"Wouldn't it be ironic if I had an affinity for the sun?" I joked alound.

"Don't be absurd, Belladonna. The sun and moon do not chose priests or priestesses to gift with an affinity. Not for thousands of years."

"Oh. What is your affinity to?"

"The Earth," he replied. I could see it in him. A sturdy person, unmovable and set in his views. Powerful.

We were outside now. The darkness was enchanting in all of its glory, and the moon was swollen basking everything in a silver grace. The world around me shone and glistened in the night, and the stars glittered. They didn't have to fight to be seen against city lights here. This place was a refuge for witches, I had learned, and therefore the night would not be disrespected in such a way.

My grandfather once again began chanting in a language. It was the same as at the awakening ceremony, only now it converted into something I could understand in my head.

"Great divine. We are the faithful servants of the elements. We call upon you in the hope that you will reveal our newcomer's affiinity. Please, reveal yourself!"

Power coursed through my veins and the night around me seemed to chatter restlessly. The grass rolled and the trees shook. A gust of warm air played with my hair and the stars burned brighter in the sky.

My grandfather looked around, seemingly confused. Then he looked at me, eyes wide with astonishment.

A woman of impossible beauty shimmered before, clothed in nothing more than the silver hair that cascaded to the ground. It wasn't silver with age, however, for she was a young woman. Her eyes shown with a unique color I had never seen and couldn't begin to describe. She by no means looked frail, though she was without a doubt the incarnation of beauty.

"Belladonna." She spoke, and her voice was like liquid silver.

"Yes?" I asked. My grandfather gasped.

"I am the goddess of the moon. I have chosen you to gift with my affinity, and in that, gift you with the affinity for all things, for I am the mother of all things. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit are my children, and I grant you the ability to call upon any of them, as well as me, at any time."

"But, why?" I asked, completely stunned.

"You have a difficult road ahead of you, but your spirit is strong. I have no doubt that you will succeed in what you must, if given the tools needed to do so. Use my gift well, and never forget who has given you it."

And with that, she disappeared. I glanced over at my grandfather and he was staring at me, slack-jawed. Astonishment didn't even begin to describe the look on his face. He looked at me as if I couldn't possibly exist. As if this couldn't possibly be real. I couldn't be real. I realized then how monumentus this must be for him. And I knew that things were enver going to be the same.

Meanwhile, the goddess of the moon looked down upon me from her throne among the stars.