Blackthorn Manor, Blackthorn Vale, Northumberland
October 31st, 1980
Midnight
By midnight, Halloween at Blackthorn Manor had reached the point at which sensible parents would normally have begun collecting their children.
The Blackthorns had never claimed to be sensible.
The manor grounds were still alive.
Lanterns hung from the ancient trees, casting warm pools of orange and gold across the lawns.
Pumpkins lined the pathways, their carved faces glowing beneath the October moon.
Some were perfectly ordinary.
Others had been enchanted just enough to change their expressions whenever someone walked past them.
Children ran across the lawn in costumes of every description.
A little boy dressed as a pirate was attempting to convince a child dressed as a ghost that ghosts could not be trusted with treasure.
Three girls wearing witch hats were arguing over whose costume looked the most authentic.
A boy dressed as a skeleton was chasing his younger sister around one of the trees while pretending to be undead.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, Cedric Blackthorn had surrendered completely to the demands of a six-year-old girl dressed as a dragon.
“You have to look frightened,” she told him.
Cedric looked down at her.
“I am terrified.”
“You don’t look terrified.”
“I assure you, I am experiencing considerable emotional distress.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Do it better.”
Cedric immediately widened his eyes, stumbled backward, and placed a hand against his chest.
“Oh, no!
A dragon!”
The little girl shrieked with laughter.
“Run!”
Cedric turned and ran approximately three steps before dramatically falling onto the grass.
The girl raised her cardboard sword.
“I defeated him!”
Several adults nearby applauded.
Cedric remained on the ground.
“Please,” he gasped dramatically, “have mercy.”
The girl laughed harder.
From several feet away, Lucian Blackthorn watched the entire performance with an expression of profound disappointment.
“Uncle Cedric.”
Cedric looked up.
“Yes?”
“You’re forty.”
“Correct.”
“You just allowed a six-year-old to defeat you with cardboard.”
Cedric slowly stood.
“She was armed.”
“With cardboard.”
“A dangerous material.”
Lucian stared at him.
“I genuinely don’t know why I bother speaking to you.”
“Because you secretly admire me.”
“I secretly tolerate you.”
“Same thing.”
Lucian rolled his eyes and walked away.
Cedric smiled.
The evening had been going wonderfully.
For weeks, the Blackthorn siblings and relatives had been preparing the Halloween celebration.
It had become something of a tradition.
Blackthorn Manor stood farther from the main population than most homes in the village, surrounded by woods, old fields, and the ancient boundaries of Blackthorn Vale.
The family could have kept the estate closed to outsiders.
Instead, they had opened the grounds.
Halloween belonged to children.
That had been the argument.
And nobody in the family had disagreed.
The event was not a magical gathering.
That distinction mattered.
Most of the visitors were ordinary, non-magical people from the surrounding community.
Parents brought their children.
Neighbors came for food and games.
Children wandered through the gardens in costumes, completely unaware that the old manor behind them contained enough magic to make their imaginations look disappointingly ordinary.
The Blackthorns simply concealed it.
The enchanted pumpkins behaved like decorations.
The floating lanterns were carefully controlled so that nobody noticed they were not hanging from anything.
The portraits inside the manor had been instructed not to speak while guests were present.
The magical creatures associated with the estate had been kept away from the party.
Even the family members had agreed to limit their magic.
It was easier that way.
There was something strangely satisfying about allowing ordinary people to enjoy themselves without knowing that an ancient magical family was quietly ensuring that everything went smoothly.
Alaric stood near the terrace speaking with several village parents.
Seraphina was nearby, keeping an eye on the younger children.
Arabella had somehow acquired a witch’s hat and was pretending to read fortunes for children who gave her pieces of chocolate.
Lucian was helping supervise the older children’s games while pretending he would rather be anywhere else.
And Cedric was doing what Cedric did best.
Making himself useful while behaving as though he wasn’t.
The family had been together for most of the evening.
Everything was peaceful.
Everything was normal.
Almost.
Because beyond the main celebration, beyond the lanterns and laughter, five figures stood among the trees.
They were young.
Or at least, they believed themselves to be old.
Very old.
They were all exactly one hundred years old.
To human standards, that would have sounded ancient.
To vampires, it was a different matter entirely.
They were barely adults.
Unfortunately, none of them had learned that distinction yet.
There were three young men and two young women.
Evelyne stood at the front of the group, staring toward the manor.
She wore a dark red coat over a black dress, her expression confident enough to suggest she had never encountered a locked door she believed should remain locked.
Adrian stood beside her with his hands in his pockets.
Julian watched the manor carefully.
Marianne looked increasingly uncomfortable.
And Lucien—different from the Blackthorn Lucian, though the similarity of names would later become a source of amusement—was examining the surrounding trees with intellectual curiosity.
Evelyne smiled.
“He’s here.”
Adrian glanced toward her.
“You sound surprised.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“You sound excited.”
“I am excited.”
“That is usually the beginning of a problem.”
Evelyne ignored him.
“There.”
She pointed toward the distant terrace.
Cedric was visible among the family members.
Adrian looked.
“So that’s him.”
“Yes.”
Julian folded his arms.
“That’s the famous antiquities dealer?”
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t look particularly dangerous.”
Marianne immediately looked at him.
“Neither do you.”
Julian frowned.
“I am a hundred years old.”
Adrian sighed.
“We’re all a hundred years old.”
Julian looked offended.
“Exactly.”
Adrian shook his head.
“You’re going to keep saying that, aren’t you?”
“Probably.”
Evelyne rolled her eyes.
“You’re both ridiculous.”
Julian looked toward the manor.
“We have lived a hundred years.
We have seen wars, political upheaval, technological changes, and the decline of empires.”
Lucien finally looked up from the trees.
“You’ve also spent the last twenty minutes arguing about whether Evelyne’s crush is handsome.”
Julian turned toward him.
“He is.”
Evelyne smiled.
Adrian laughed.
“At least we agree on something.”
Marianne sighed.
“We shouldn’t be here.”
Nobody answered.
She looked at them.
“I’m serious.”
Evelyne crossed her arms.
“We came to have fun.”
“We came without permission.”
“We’re vampires.”
“That isn’t a legal excuse.”
Adrian nodded.
“She’s right.”
Evelyne looked at him.
“You came with me.”
“Because I wanted to see how badly this would go.”
“You’re a terrible friend.”
“I’ve never claimed otherwise.”
Julian glanced toward the manor.
“Why would anyone object to five vampires attending a Halloween celebration?”
Marianne stared at him.
“Because it’s a private estate.”
“We aren’t children.”
Adrian looked at him.
“We’re one hundred.”
Julian smiled proudly.
“Exactly.”
Adrian sighed.
“You’re going to keep saying that, aren’t you?”
“Probably.”
Evelyne turned toward the manor again.
“I didn’t come for the party.”
Marianne already knew what she was going to say.
“You came for Cedric.”
“Yes.”
“You barely know him.”
“I know enough.”
Adrian raised a finger.
“You spoke to him three times.”
“Four.”
“One conversation lasted less than five minutes.”
“It was memorable.”
“You asked him about an artifact.”
“He answered.”
“You asked if he was married.”
“He answered that too.”
“You asked whether he liked red wine.”
“He did.”
Adrian looked at Julian.
“This is obviously true love.”
Julian nodded.
“Clearly.”
Evelyne glared at them.
“You two are insufferable.”
Marianne smiled despite herself.
“How exactly did this become a plan?”
Evelyne looked toward the manor.
“I saw him at an art gathering in Newcastle.”
Her voice softened.
“He was charming.”
Adrian made a face.
“He’s charming with everyone.”
“I know.”
“He probably smiled at fifty people that night.”
“He remembered me.”
“You approached him.”
“He remembered me.”
Adrian considered this.
“Fair.”
Evelyne smiled.
“I thought he was interesting.”
“That’s all?”
“At first.”
“And now?”
She looked toward the manor.
“Now I want to know him.”
Marianne sighed.
“Then you should have sent a letter.”
Evelyne looked at her.
“That would ruin the surprise.”
Adrian muttered, “The surprise is becoming a diplomatic incident.”
They continued toward the manor.
None of them noticed the faint silver shimmer between the trees.
Julian did.
He stopped.
“Wait.”
The others stopped.
“What?”
Julian raised his hand.
“There.”
A nearly invisible line of silver light ran between two ancient trees.
Marianne stepped closer.
“That’s a ward.”
Lucien examined it.
“An old one.”
Evelyne frowned.
“I didn’t see it before.”
“Because it was concealed.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You said the estate was ordinary.”
“I said the family lives among ordinary people.”
“That is very different.”
Evelyne reached toward the ward.
Marianne immediately grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t.”
Evelyne looked at her.
“I’m only touching it.”
“That’s precisely what I’m worried about.”
Evelyne pulled her hand away.
A tiny blue spark jumped across the ward.
All five stared.
Adrian slowly turned toward Evelyne.
“Perhaps this is the moment where we make a sensible decision.”
Evelyne shook her head.
“No.”
“Perhaps you misunderstood.”
“No.”
“Perhaps we should leave.”
“No.”
“Perhaps—”
“I want to see him.”
Adrian sighed.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
They searched for another route.
Eventually they found a narrow service passage near the western side of the estate.
It had been left accessible for ordinary staff and villagers during the Halloween celebration.
They slipped through.
The moment they crossed the boundary, Blackthorn Manor knew.
Thomas Wren noticed the disturbance from the western garden.
Edwin Hargrave received the report moments later.
Margaret noticed the slight shift in the household wards.
And inside the manor, Octavian Blackthorn calmly lowered his teacup.
“Five.”
Isolde looked up.
“Five what?”
“Vampires.”
She paused.
“How old?”
Octavian smiled.
“One hundred.”
Isolde stared at him.
“All of them?”
“Apparently.”
She leaned back.
“Children, then.”
Octavian’s smile widened.
“That’s what I thought.”
Alaric approached the window.
“Are they dangerous?”
“Not particularly.”
Seraphina looked toward the western grounds.
“Do they know whose property they entered?”
“No.”
Alaric folded his arms.
“Then they’re about to learn.”
Octavian glanced toward the party.
“Not yet.”
Alaric knew that expression.
“You want Cedric to handle it.”
Octavian smiled.
“Of course.”
Isolde shook her head.
“You enjoy watching your sons solve problems.”
“I enjoy watching Cedric discover that his reputation creates problems.”
Alaric laughed.
Seraphina smiled.
“What exactly have they done?”
Octavian looked toward the western garden.
“One of them apparently came looking for Cedric.”
Alaric’s expression changed.
“That sounds like Cedric’s problem.”
Octavian nodded.
“Exactly.”
The Blackthorns did not panic.
There was no reason to.
The five vampires had not attacked anyone.
They had not harmed anyone.
They had simply wandered onto protected property because they were young, arrogant, curious, and apparently incapable of understanding the concept of asking permission.
The family quietly redirected them away from the party.
The non-magical guests never noticed.
The children continued playing.
And Cedric remained completely unaware that his evening was about to become considerably more interesting.
At eleven fifty-eight, headlights appeared beyond the main gates.
A dark automobile came up the drive.
Cedric stepped out.
He closed the door and stretched.
“Finally.”
He looked toward the manor.
The lights glowed warmly.
Music drifted across the grounds.
Children laughed.
Cedric smiled.
Then Edwin Hargrave approached.
Cedric noticed his expression.
“What?”
“We have visitors.”
Cedric looked at him.
“Guests?”
Edwin paused.
“No.”
Cedric sighed.
“That sounds worse.”
“Five vampires.”
Cedric blinked.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“At the Halloween party?”
“Yes.”
Cedric stared at him.
Then he laughed.
“That’s actually quite rude.”
Edwin remained expressionless.
“They are being kept in the west receiving room.”
“Did they hurt anyone?”
“No.”
“Threaten anyone?”
“No.”
“Then why are they here?”
Cedric stopped.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Have I met her?”
“At an art gathering several nights ago.”
Cedric thought.
Then he smiled.
“Ah.”
Edwin waited.
Cedric laughed softly.
“I remember smiling at her.”
Edwin nodded.
“Apparently she interpreted the gesture differently.”
Cedric sighed.
“My greatest weakness.”
“What is that?”
“Being charming.”
Edwin gave him a look.
Cedric laughed.
“Come on.”
They entered the manor.
The west receiving room was quiet.
The five vampires sat together.
Adrian was examining an antique clock.
Julian was studying the portraits.
Marianne sat near the edge of the room.
Lucien had found a book on a nearby table and was reading it.
Evelyne stood immediately when Cedric entered.
Her expression brightened.
“There you are.”
Cedric stopped.
He looked at her.
Then at the others.
Then back at her.
“I suppose there I am.”
She smiled.
“I knew you’d come.”
Cedric removed his coat.
“I live here.”
“I know.”
“Then technically, I was always going to come home.”
Adrian quietly laughed.
Evelyne ignored him.
“I came to see you.”
Cedric looked at her.
“That’s flattering.”
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
“I am.”
Her smile widened.
Cedric continued.
“That you didn’t bring someone older and wiser to supervise you.”
Her smile vanished.
Adrian covered his mouth.
Marianne looked away.
Julian smirked.
Evelyne crossed her arms.
“I’m a hundred years old.”
Cedric blinked.
“Congratulations.”
Julian spoke immediately.
“We are all a hundred.”
Cedric looked at him.
“All of you?”
“Yes.”
Cedric considered this.
“That explains quite a lot.”
Adrian burst out laughing.
Julian frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Cedric smiled.
“It means you’re all very young.”
The room went silent.
Julian looked genuinely offended.
“We have lived for a century.”
Cedric nodded.
“I noticed.”
“You say that as though it means nothing.”
“It means something.”
Cedric walked toward the fireplace.
“Just not what you think it means.”
Evelyne frowned.
“How old are you?”
Cedric smiled.
“Old enough to know better than to announce my age to strangers.”
Adrian laughed again.
Julian glared at him.
Cedric gestured toward the chairs.
“Sit.”
They sat.
Cedric studied them.
Five vampires.
One hundred years old.
Young enough to believe that surviving a century made them formidable.
Old enough to have developed considerable confidence.
Not old enough to understand restraint.
He recognized the type.
He had met dozens like them throughout his travels.
Young supernatural beings often believed age automatically created wisdom.
It didn’t.
Time gave opportunities.
Experience gave lessons.
Wisdom came from actually learning them.
Cedric leaned against the mantel.
“Let’s begin again.”
He pointed toward himself.
“Cedric Blackthorn.”
He pointed toward Evelyne.
“You came here because you wanted to see me.”
She nodded.
He pointed toward the others.
“You came because she asked.”
Adrian raised his hand.
“Mostly.”
Julian sighed.
“Yes.”
Marianne nodded reluctantly.
“Unfortunately.”
Lucien looked up from his book.
“I came because I was curious.”
Cedric smiled.
“Honesty.
Excellent.”
Lucien closed the book.
“I’ve read about the Blackthorns.”
Cedric’s expression became mildly interested.
“Have you?”
“In old vampire archives.”
Julian looked at him.
“You never mentioned that.”
“You never asked.”
Adrian sighed.
“This group has communication problems.”
Cedric smiled.
“Clearly.”
He looked at Evelyne.
“Why me?”
She hesitated.
“Because I liked you.”
Cedric nodded.
“I see.”
“I thought you liked me too.”
“I liked talking to you.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“No.”
His answer was gentle.
“But it doesn’t mean I disliked you.”
Evelyne looked down.
Cedric continued.
“You mistook charm for an invitation.”
She nodded slowly.
“I suppose I did.”
“That is easily corrected.”
She looked up.
“How?”
“You ask.”
She blinked.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Adrian leaned back.
“That seems surprisingly simple.”
Cedric looked at him.
“It is.”
Then his expression became more serious.
“But there is another matter.”
He turned toward the windows.
Outside, the Halloween celebration was still alive.
Children were running beneath lanterns.
Parents were laughing.
Music played.
Cedric pointed toward the grounds.
“There are hundreds of people outside.”
The vampires looked.
“Most of them are human.”
Marianne nodded.
Cedric turned back.
“That matters.”
Evelyne frowned.
“We didn’t hurt anyone.”
“I know.”
“We weren’t going to.”
“I believe you.”
That surprised them.
Cedric continued.
“I don’t think any of you came here intending to harm anyone.”
He looked at each vampire.
“I think you came here because you were curious.”
He looked at Evelyne.
“Because you were infatuated.”
He looked at Adrian.
“Because you wanted entertainment.”
Adrian nodded.
“Accurate.”
He looked at Julian.
“Because you thought your age made you important.”
Julian frowned.
Cedric then looked at Marianne.
“And because you knew this was a bad idea but followed them anyway.”
Marianne sighed.
“Also accurate.”
Finally, Cedric looked at Lucien.
“And because you wanted to satisfy your curiosity.”
Lucien nodded.
“Yes.”
Cedric smiled.
“Good.”
He folded his arms.
“Now you understand why this isn’t a fight.”
The vampires looked at one another.
Cedric continued.
“You didn’t attack anyone.”
“You didn’t expose yourselves.”
“And you haven’t damaged the property.”
“So I’m not angry.”
Evelyne looked relieved.
Cedric raised one finger.
“But you were reckless.”
The relief vanished.
“And recklessness around non-magical people can become dangerous very quickly.”
He walked toward the center of the room.
“You crossed protected land.”
He pointed toward the floor.
“You entered a private gathering.”
He looked at the windows.
“You did it while hundreds of people were here.”
Then he looked at them.
“And none of you told your families.”
The silence that followed was immediate.
Adrian winced.
“That’s the part my father is going to care about.”
Cedric nodded.
“Probably.”
Julian crossed his arms.
“We can handle ourselves.”
Cedric looked at him.
“I’m sure you can.”
Julian seemed satisfied.
Cedric continued.
“Against most people.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“You don’t think we can handle you?”
Cedric smiled.
“I don’t think you’ve asked the right question.”
Julian stood.
“What question?”
Cedric looked at him.
“Whether you should.”
Julian stared at him.
Cedric remained completely calm.
“I don’t need to prove that I’m stronger than you.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Why not?”
“Because strength isn’t demonstrated by starting a fight.”
Cedric raised his hand.
A tiny blue flame appeared above his palm.
Everyone stopped.
The flame was no larger than a candle.
Julian watched it.
Evelyne’s eyes widened.
Adrian slowly sat straighter.
Marianne immediately understood.
Lucien leaned forward.
“Blue flame.”
Cedric glanced at him.
“Yes.”
Lucien looked fascinated.
“I’ve read descriptions.”
“Most descriptions are wrong.”
The flame moved.
Cedric rotated his wrist.
It became a small bird.
The bird flew around his fingers.
Then transformed into a flower.
Then a crown.
Then a serpent.
Then a blackthorn branch.
Lucien watched every movement.
“That’s extraordinary.”
Cedric smiled.
“Thank you.”
Julian remained unimpressed.
“Fire.”
Cedric looked at him.
“Yes.”
Julian smiled.
“We have seen fire before.”
Cedric nodded.
“I’m sure.”
He closed his hand.
Every ordinary light in the room went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A blue glow appeared above Cedric’s head.
One flame.
Then another.
Then another.
Hundreds of tiny blue flames emerged from the darkness.
They rose silently.
They joined together.
A vast tree appeared across the ceiling.
Its branches spread from wall to wall.
The Blackthorn tree.
The silver crescent moon appeared at its center.
The entire room glowed blue.
There was no heat.
No smoke.
No burning curtains.
No damaged furniture.
Nothing moved except the flames.
Cedric stood beneath it.
Perfectly calm.
Julian stared upward.
His confidence disappeared.
Marianne whispered,
“He hasn’t even tried.”
Adrian swallowed.
“Oh.”
Evelyne didn’t look frightened.
She looked fascinated.
Lucien looked almost delighted.
“That level of control…”
Cedric looked at them.
“That is the difference.”
The flames continued to move.
Cedric didn’t need to make them larger.
He didn’t need to threaten them.
He didn’t need to burn anything.
He simply demonstrated that he could control every flame in the room with absolute precision.
Then he closed his hand.
Everything disappeared.
The lights returned.
The room was exactly as it had been.
No damage.
No smoke.
No heat.
Cedric lowered his hand.
“Power isn’t about how much you can destroy.”
He looked directly at Julian.
“Sometimes it is about knowing exactly how much you could destroy and choosing not to.”
Julian slowly sat down.
For once, he had nothing to say.
Adrian broke the silence.
“I believe we have made an error.”
Cedric smiled.
“Several.”
Lucien nodded.
“The Blackthorns.”
Cedric looked at him.
“Yes.”
Lucien smiled.
“I understand why the archives are so careful.”
Cedric raised an eyebrow.
“Good.”
Evelyne looked at him.
“You could have humiliated us.”
Cedric smiled.
“I considered it.”
She blinked.
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because being powerful and being cruel aren’t the same thing.”
Evelyne looked down.
“I understand.”
Cedric nodded.
“Good.”
He turned toward Edwin.
Edwin entered moments later.
“Certainly.”
Cedric pointed toward the vampires.
“Five calls.”
Adrian groaned.
“Do we have to?”
“Yes.”
Julian looked irritated.
“Why?”
“Because your families deserve to know where you are.”
Marianne nodded.
“He’s right.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Don’t encourage him.”
“You should have listened to me before we came.”
Adrian sighed.
“Also true.”
One by one, they made the calls.
Each conversation was uncomfortable.
Each family reaction was different.
One parent demanded to know why their child had crossed into Blackthorn territory.
Another simply asked whether they were alive.
One father was apparently silent for so long that Adrian looked genuinely frightened.
Julian’s call was the shortest.
He listened.
His face slowly reddened.
Then he quietly said,
“Yes, Father.”
A pause.
“I understand.”
Another pause.
“No, I did not know.”
Cedric almost smiled.
Evelyne finished last.
She placed the receiver down.
“My mother is furious.”
Cedric nodded.
“She should be.”
Evelyne looked at him.
“You really enjoy this.”
“Only slightly.”
She smiled despite herself.
The tension finally broke.
Cedric opened the side door.
“Come.”
They followed him.
He didn’t take them through the main celebration.
Instead, he led them to a side corridor overlooking the grounds.
From there, they could see the party.
Children ran beneath lanterns.
Parents laughed.
Music drifted through the night.
The manor glowed behind them.
Fireworks began rising above the trees.
Evelyne stared.
“It’s beautiful.”
Cedric nodded.
“That’s what you nearly disrupted.”
She looked down.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
He looked at all five.
“Then remember this.”
They listened.
“You are one hundred years old.”
Julian nodded automatically.
Cedric smiled.
“That isn’t something to brag about.”
Julian’s mouth opened.
Then closed.
Adrian laughed.
Marianne smiled.
Lucien shook his head.
Cedric continued.
“You’ve had a hundred years to learn.”
He looked at them.
“Now use them.”
Evelyne nodded.
“We will.”
Cedric opened the outer door.
Their families’ representatives were waiting beyond the wards.
The vampires stopped.
Evelyne turned around.
“Cedric.”
He looked at her.
“Yes?”
She hesitated.
“I really did like you.”
Cedric smiled.
“I know.”
“I suppose I should have asked.”
“You should have.”
She laughed softly.
“I’ll remember.”
“Good.”
She extended her hand.
Cedric shook it.
“Happy Halloween.”
“Happy Halloween.”
She left.
Adrian followed.
“Goodbye, Cedric.”
“Goodbye.”
Adrian paused.
“For what it’s worth, I think you are much more frightening when you’re polite.”
Cedric smiled.
“That’s probably why I’m polite.”
Adrian laughed and disappeared through the gate.
Marianne stopped next.
“Thank you.”
Cedric looked at her.
“For what?”
“For not treating us like enemies.”
“You weren’t enemies.”
She nodded.
“And for listening when I said it was a bad idea.”
Cedric smiled.
“You were the only one listening to yourself.”
Marianne smiled.
“I’ll remember that.”
She left.
Julian remained.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally Julian said,
“I was arrogant.”
Cedric nodded.
“Yes.”
Julian looked almost embarrassed.
“I thought being a hundred years old made me experienced.”
“It makes you a hundred years old.”
Julian laughed despite himself.
“I deserved that.”
“Probably.”
Julian extended his hand.
Cedric shook it.
“I apologize.”
“Accepted.”
Julian left.
Lucien was the last.
He glanced toward the manor.
Then at Cedric.
“Would it be inappropriate to ask about your blue flame?”
Cedric laughed.
“Very.”
Lucien smiled.
“I thought so.”
“Go home.”
“I will.”
Lucien stepped through the doorway.
Then turned.
“For the record, I came because Evelyne promised wine.”
Cedric stared at him.
“Of course you did.”
Lucien smiled.
“Happy Halloween.”
“Happy Halloween.”
The door closed.
The five young vampires were gone.
And that was it.
No threat remained.
No curse.
No ancient feud.
No secret enemy.
No promise of revenge.
The matter was finished.
Five foolish young vampires had made a foolish decision.
They had learned why it was foolish.
They had apologized.
Their families knew.
And they had gone home safely.
Cedric stood quietly for a moment.
Then he heard laughter behind him.
He turned.
Alaric stood at the end of the corridor.
“You’ve been busy.”
Cedric smiled.
“Apparently.”
Alaric looked toward the closed door.
“Trouble?”
“Not anymore.”
“Did you burn anything?”
“Nothing important.”
Alaric laughed.
“Father?”
“He knows.”
“Of course he does.”
They returned to the terrace together.
Octavian stood there with Isolde.
Seraphina held a cup of tea.
Arabella had somehow acquired another piece of cake.
Lucian was leaning against one of the pillars.
Cedric stopped.
“Why is everyone looking at me?”
Lucian answered.
“We heard.”
Cedric frowned.
“Heard what?”
“You frightened five vampires.”
Cedric looked offended.
“I educated five vampires.”
Arabella laughed.
“With blue fire.”
“Educational blue fire.”
Alaric smiled.
“Is there a difference?”
“Absolutely.”
Octavian looked at Cedric.
“Did you handle it?”
“Yes.”
“Properly?”
“Yes.”
“Any damage?”
“None.”
Octavian nodded.
“Then I approve.”
Isolde handed Cedric a cup of tea.
“Drink.”
Cedric accepted it.
“Thank you.”
Seraphina looked toward him.
“You kept them away from the children?”
“Of course.”
“Then you handled it exactly as you should.”
Cedric looked across the grounds.
The celebration was still going.
Children were laughing.
Lanterns floated above the lawn.
Parents were beginning to gather their things.
For a moment, Cedric simply watched.
Alaric stood beside him.
“You nearly missed all this.”
Cedric nodded.
“I know.”
“Was it worth coming back?”
Cedric smiled.
“Absolutely.”
A child dressed as a skeleton suddenly ran past them.
“Uncle Cedric!”
Cedric looked down.
The child held up a pumpkin.
“Look!”
Cedric crouched.
“That’s impressive.”
“I made it myself.”
“I can tell.”
“Are you scared?”
Cedric looked at the pumpkin.
Then at the child.
“Completely.”
The child laughed.
Cedric stood.
“I seem to be having a difficult night.”
Alaric smiled.
“You’re losing your reputation.”
“I never had one.”
Lucian snorted.
“Everyone has one.”
The family laughed.
The fireworks continued above them.
Gold and silver light spread across the October sky.
The manor windows glowed warmly behind them.
For all the ancient magic surrounding Blackthorn Manor, for all the strange creatures that occasionally wandered into their lives, and for all the power contained within the family, this was what the Blackthorns valued most.
A happy house.
A safe home.
A place where children could laugh without fear.
A place where neighbors could celebrate without ever realizing how much magic surrounded them.
And a family capable of handling the unexpected without allowing it to become something larger than it needed to be.
The evening gradually wound down.
Parents gathered their children.
Costumes were adjusted.
Lost shoes were found.
Pumpkins were collected.
The last pieces of cake disappeared.
The lanterns were extinguished one by one.
By one in the morning, the grounds were nearly empty.
By two, the household staff were finishing the final cleaning.
Margaret supervised the kitchen.
Thomas checked the gates.
Edwin walked the grounds.
Eleanor gathered abandoned costumes and toys.
The family slowly disappeared upstairs.
Lucian was among the first.
Arabella followed.
Seraphina eventually retired.
Alaric went with her.
Isolde gave Cedric a final look before leaving.
“Don’t stay up all night.”
Cedric smiled.
“I won’t.”
Octavian paused at the staircase.
“And don’t eat my cake.”
Cedric looked innocent.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Octavian narrowed his eyes.
“I know you.”
Cedric laughed.
“Goodnight, Father.”
“Goodnight.”
The manor became quiet.
Cedric remained in the great hall.
The decorations were scattered everywhere.
A paper ghost hung crookedly from a chandelier.
A pumpkin sat beside the staircase.
A child’s cardboard sword had been abandoned near the fireplace.
Cedric picked it up.
He smiled.
Then he placed it carefully on the mantel.
He looked around the silent hall.
Hours earlier, children had been screaming with excitement.
Parents had been laughing.
Music had filled the corridors.
The family had been together.
And for one brief moment, five one-hundred-year-old vampires had nearly turned the evening into something else.
But they hadn’t.
The children had remained safe.
The guests had gone home happy.
The vampires had gone home wiser.
And the problem was over.
Completely.
Cedric looked toward the tall windows.
Beyond them, Blackthorn Vale was quiet beneath the October sky.
He smiled.
“Happy Halloween.”
From upstairs came Octavian’s voice.
“Cedric.”
Cedric looked toward the ceiling.
“Yes?”
“Go to bed.”
Cedric laughed.
“Goodnight, Father.”
The manor settled around him.
The clocks ticked.
The portraits whispered among themselves.
The protective statues stood silently in their places.
The wards shimmered beyond the grounds.
And Blackthorn Manor finally returned to sleep.
Halloween had ended.
The unexpected guests were gone.
The misunderstanding had been resolved.
There would be no feud.
No revenge.
No lingering threat.
Only another story that would eventually become an amusing memory at the Blackthorn dinner table.
And somewhere beyond the manor, five young vampires were going home with a very simple understanding of the world they had nearly forgotten.
Being one hundred years old did not make someone wise.
Being powerful did not make someone entitled.
And being invited into someone’s attention did not mean being invited into their home.
They had learned it from a man who could have frightened them with destruction but instead chose restraint.
Cedric would probably joke about the incident tomorrow.
The family certainly would.
And perhaps, years later, the five vampires would still remember the night they proudly announced that they were one hundred years old—
only to discover that, to the Blackthorns, they were still children.
For tonight, however, the manor slept peacefully.
The children were safe.
The family was together.
The guests had gone home.
And Halloween ended exactly as it had begun.
With laughter.
With family.
And with everyone safely home.