Crave (Harlequin Teen)

idea that the Brat Twins were witches in more than just a figurative way. Not to mention Tristan.
    Holy heck. Tristan was a witch.
    “Magic isn’t a religion for us like it is for Wiccans,” Nanna said. “Most of the Clann’s descendants are Christians who just happen to be gifted with the ability to do magic. It’s genetics, not a lifestyle choice.”
    Yeah, and I was sure everyone here in the Bible Belt of East Texas would really understand that distinction.
    When I could make my brain work again, another thought hit me. “Wait. Dad, if you’re a vampire, how can you go out in the daylight? And what about garlic, and holy water, and—”
    “Vampires are like any other species, Savannah. We have evolved over the years. Sunlight no longer hurts us. Garlic and holy items never did—that was just religious propaganda. We all started out as humans with souls. Only our bodies have been changed by the hybrid vampire blood.”
    I pressed a shaking hand to my forehead, which was pounding out a rhythm I couldn’t keep up with. “Okay. So you’re saying I might, or might not, start turning into an even bigger freak.”
    “Stop saying that word,” Mom grumbled. “The proper term is dhampir. ”
    “So there are others like me?”
    “No,” Dad answered. “Until your birth, dhampirs were a myth among our kind. We did not believe our race of vampires could procreate because of the demon mix in our origin’s lineage. And no vampire in our society has ever consorted with a human long enough for a baby to be created.”
    “Because…?”
    Mom cleared her throat. “Well, hon, because vampires don’t usually have that kind of self-control. They tend to either turn their human lovers or…” The look on her face finished her sentence.
    Or kill them. I snuck a peek at Dad. He appeared as emotionless as ever.
    “But you didn’t,” I said to him. “Why?”
    Nanna smiled. “Because I made a charm for your mother that dampened his bloodlust when he was around her.”
    “So you were actually okay with their being together?” I realized after the words were out how rude they sounded. Too late to take it back now.
    Nanna shrugged. “Your mother’s always been hardheaded. It was either make a charm to ensure he didn’t kill her, or lock her up in a vault somewhere.”
    “Okay. So then you can make a charm for me, too, right? Something that’ll prevent all those…those symptoms Dad listed?” Something that would keep me nice and normal and human. No blood drinking, no flying plates.
    “Well, I could, but—”
    “But that would be unwise,” Dad cut in. “It would be similar to giving morphine to a patient who has yet to be diagnosed. Charms would mask the appearance of any symptoms. We need to see what abilities develop within you. Then we will teach you how to control them yourself. Without magic.”
    “So I’m supposed to…to just deal with it?”
    “I know this is very difficult for you,” Mom said. “But I promise we’re all here for you, and we’re going to help you through this. And hey, it might not be a big deal, after all. You could just as easily not develop any abilities at all, or take after the Evans side and have only the magical blood within you. We’re going to take it one day at a time, and we’ll work through it as a team.”
    A team. As if there was any “we” in this. There wasn’t. This was me we were talking about, not them; my life, not theirs, that might go insane at any moment. My life that had been one long series of lies and crazy family secrets.
    “The important thing is for you to communicate openly with us,” Dad said. “If you begin to experience strange urges or abilities, you must let us know at once. I will also be calling you once a week to check in with you.”
    Huh, right. I should just tell them every detail about my life. Like they did for me, keeping so many secrets from me for fifteen years.
    “You must also stay away from all members of the Clann,” Dad warned. “Especially their leading family, the Colemans.”
    “Uh, not that I’m exactly friends with any of them any ways, but…why?”
    “The Clann’s powerful blood calls to vampires stronger than any other humans’,” he said. “The more powerful they are, the more attractive they appear to a vampire. Since the Colemans have been their most powerful family for the last four generations, it is reasonable to assume that they will tempt your vampire side first and more than any others