I've got to be the only girl whose first date ends up being a vampire.

Petrel, vampire and all-around creep, greeted me with a pointy smile.

"Ascher, so nice to see you again," he was referring to the fact that we'd met last month when my sister Gemma and I were attacked by him and his suck-head friends. Wanting to tell him that he could go ahead and bite me, but not being able to do so safely, I did the next best thing. I kicked him.

"What's going on?" My best friend, Denise, wanted to know.

She had no idea that vampires were real or that my sister and I were both half-witch, half-warlock. I'd been calling us witch-locks because war-itch sounds like a fungal infection. My sister, Gemma could shape-shift into a panther and I could conjure and control fire with my hands. Ishy to say the least.

Finding out about our powers was really the only good thing that came out of the ordeal with Petrel. Well, that and meeting Elliot Ambrose, a time-shifting hottie and accidental vampire servant. He is also my pseudo-boyfriend of two weeks. I say pseudo because we hadn't been on an official date yet. As it happens, tonight was my first date--ever.

Grabbing Denise away from her boyfriend, Dax, I herded her to the sofas and gave the boys my best scary look. It was Dax's fault that Gemma and I were attacked in the first place. I mean, he didn't, like, sick the vamps on us or anything, but he did tell us to check out The Crimson, a.k.a. hangout for Chicago vampires. He'd kept bragging about how cool it was and when Denise had canceled our plans to go, my sister stepped in to make me feel better. I intended to question Dax about what he knew of all things fanged just as soon as we got some time alone.

"What was that all about?" Denise asked.

"That boy you set me up with, he's a jerk," I said. "I met him once and he was just ... he was just way over-aggressive and there's no way I'm double-dating with you guys." Denise looked at me sadly and nodded.

"If you don't like him, you don't like him. That's fine, but you know my mom thinks this is a double-date and that's the only reason she's letting me stay out past curfew. You said you'd do this for me, Asch. Is this really about Petrel?" Denise regarded me with inquisitive puppy-dog eyes.

"I was up for the double-date thing, but not with a guy like Petrel. I'm sorry. I just ... I can't. It's a long story," I said. Her expression turned into that of a pit-bull.

"God! When isn't it a long story, Ascher. You're always making excuses for why you can't do one thing or the other. I mean, you really need to get over this whole shy wallflower thing. It's getting old." I blinked at the face of my best friend, contorted in a look of disgust and mulled over the fact that she'd just summed up my most embarrassing attribute in such a bitchy way.

"Is everything all right, ladies?" Petrel's voice made my heart seize. I'd let him get close to me without even realizing what I'd done and the surprise made my fire-magic surge to the surface. Squeezing my palm tight to keep the fire from pouring out, I ran towards the bathroom. If any one had the nerve to ask where the fire was, I was going to show them. There was a massive line, but I cut past the enraged cries of other girls, all but diving into the next open stall.

"Sorry. Gotta go," I said, ignoring the epithets hurled back at me. Then, I did the grossest, but most necessary thing I'd ever done. I stuck my hand in the toilet. Steam rose and I just managed to conceal the sizzling with a courtesy flush. When I was extinguished, I grabbed at the toilet paper roll, but it was out. Not willing to wipe the icky water on my jeans, I exited the stall and dripped my way past the glaring line of girls.

Hurrying to get back to Denise, I washed my hands with half the soap dispenser before making my way out of the bathroom.

When I found Denise, she was sitting on Dax's lap and he was grinning like some twisted Santa. Petrel was nowhere in sight.

"He's getting something to drink," Dax explained. I wondered if his response was a coincidence or if he had the power to read thoughts like the old witch, Rose Bruer who'd healed me after the vampire attack. "Petrel says he really likes you."

"I'm sure."

"If you're gonna be so snotty, why don't you just call your sister to come get you?" Denise said. And leave you alone with Bitey McFang?

"I don't think so," I said.

"Got the drinks," Petrel said. "Alright, Sprite for Denise and water for my man, Dax. That leaves cherry cola with extra red syrup for me. I'm sorry, Ascher--is it? You ran off in such a hurry, I didn't have a chance to ask you what you wanted to drink. You want something?"

"I'm fine," I bit the words through my clenched jaw. The bass of a new drumbeat echoed through the club and I smiled, forgetting myself. It was Rob Zombie's 'Living Dead Girl.'

"I love this song!" I said.

"This is a great..." Petrel's words were cut off by the look I gave him. We stared at each other, my face hard and his brimming with happiness.

"Why don't you dance?" Denise asked.

"Why don't you?" In answer, Denise climbed out of Dax's lap and led him onto the dance floor. Petrel extended his hand to me and I reached forward, calling my fire and grabbing his hand. He snatched it back, dunking it in his drink.

"I didn't come here to fight with you. I just needed to see you," Petrel said.

"Are you crazy? What makes you think I'd want to see you?"

"I have a message from the Master." I rolled my eyes. Savian Radbourne was the Head Vampire of Chicago. He'd kidnapped and bitten my sister. Suffice it to say, we didn't send Christmas cards to each other.

"Savian's your master, not mine."

"He summons you."

"Oh, he does, does he? Well, you tell him I have an agreement with Daray Valerian that the warlocks and vampires stay away from me and my sister." I was referring to the fact that I'd forced the Prince of Warlocks to make a pact that neither he nor the vampires could harm me or Gemma. It's amazing what a guy will agree to when your feline-shifting sister has her panther-size jaws on his neck.

"This is why he sent me, to offer an olive branch."

"He offers the freak who bit me as a symbol of peace? Right."

"It is very important that you meet with us. We have..."

"I'm all out of favors for the fanged, I'm afraid," I said, flipping open my cell and punching in Gemma's number.

"If I were you, I would come as the Master has asked," Petrel said.

"Yeah, well. If I were you, I'd be on a liquid diet and addicted to sunscreen."

"You might not be that far off." Before I could respond, Petrel had disappeared. Quick exits, yet another annoying thing about vampires.