In chapter two of book one, “The Unholy Union,” Lyn sits in the swing on the front 
porch of the Fletcher mansion in Chatham, Massachusetts, unwinding from her 13-hour drive there from Raleigh. And as she relaxes, she vividly remembers a moment from her childhood when a visit to the home of then-young vampires Christopher and Daniel revealed the manner in which these “creatures of the night” can walk about in daylight without being hurt…
“Who is it?” A child’s voice resonated from the other side of the door.
Leaning over to the half-open mail slot, Lyn yelled loudly, “It’s me! Lyn! And my mom!”
“Okay hold on. Mama?” the little boy yelled. “It’s Lyn and her mama. Can I open the door?”
“Yes son, let them in,” Lydia called back.
As the door cracked open slowly, sunlight streamed brightly onto the little boy’s face. Immediately, he reached out and grabbed Lyn’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go to outside. I want to show you my new tree house that my daddy built.”
Lyn giggled. “You mean the Prince?”
“Yep, that’s him.” the boy said.
Lyn’s mom leaned down toward the boy. “Now which one are you?”
“Oh, I’m Christopher,” he said, completely accustomed to the question. “My brother is practicing his magic. But I’ve already finished my lesson today. So I can play, but Daniel can’t.” He frowned. “Daniel doesn’t listen to mama.”
“Lydia. It is so good to see you.” Lyn’s mother said as Christopher’s mother appeared at the door.
“Please come in, Janet,” Lydia responded as the two women exchanged hugs. “Care for a glass of ice tea? I haven’t seen a familiar family face in months. So good to see you. How is the family?”
While the grownups chatted, Christopher looked at Lyn and grinned. “I have a bow and arrow set in my new tree house. You know, to shoot the bad witches. Daddy said they want to steal us, but he won’t let them have me. But if Daniel keeps messing up, my Grandma Bets said she may give him straight over to them.”
“Witches aren’t bad,” Lyn frowned then wrinkled her nose, “I know ‘cause I’m one and I’m not bad. They must be vampires because my Dad says vampires can be mean.”
“Vampires aren’t mean,” Christopher said with a scowl. “We just get cranky because the sun burns our skin.”
“Oh, then use some sun cream like I do,” little Lyn said matter-of-factly. “My mom tells me to use it every time I go outside so my skin won’t burn.”
Christopher’s eyes lit up. “Really?” he said. “Hold on a minute. I have to go tell Daniel about that cream. He’s not allowed outside in the tree house ‘til he practices hiding himself underneath his magic cloak.”
“Huh?” Lyn pinched his arm to stop him from dashing away. “What magic cloak?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see it ‘cause the cloak is invisible, but mine is working ‘cause the sun didn’t make me explode.”
Lyn screws her face up. “That would be yucky. Where is Daniel?” Lyn asked as Christopher pulled her through the basement door.
“Down there,” he said, pointing down the stairs, “practicing his magic.”
“It’s too dark down there,” Lyn said. “I’ll make a light.” Lyn held out her hand and suddenly a bright light rose from her fingertips. “See? I made a hand candle.”
“Cool!” Christopher said, quite impressed. “How did you learn to do that?”
“My dad,” Lyn said, shrugging. “He’s teaching me stuff.”
Walking carefully down the steep basement stairs, Lyn’s hand-candle lighting the way, the two found Daniel sitting on the floor in front of the family book of shadows. Seeing Lyn, Daniel jumped up and ran over. “Hey! I like your hair. It’s really long.”
“Thank you,” Lyn said, swinging her hair around her shoulders. “Look!” She showed him her hand-candle. “Chris says you’re practicing magic, need help?”
“Nah,” he said, “I have to do it myself or I’ll burn up if I go outside.”
“You can use my sun cream,” Lyn offered.
“Yeah.” Christopher interrupted. “Lyn has cream you put on your skin to keep from burning. I don’t think Mama knows or we wouldn’t have to use magic spells to keep from getting burned.”
“Then go tell her,” Daniel demanded. “I don’t like being in the basement.”
“You go tell her. I did my spell right.” Christopher smiled at Lyn. “He’s learned to make fireflies.”
“I love fireflies,” Lyn said, smiling warmly at Daniel.
“Boys,” Lydia suddenly called down from upstairs. “Please come up for lunch.”
“Okay Mama,” Daniel answered.
“Do you still drink blood or can you eat sandwiches?” Lyn whispered as if keeping a secret from the basement walls.
“No, we have to drink blood. Sandwiches give us stomach aches,” Christopher whispered back.
As the three ran up the stairs, Daniel saw Christopher grab Lyn’s hand. By the time they’d reached the hall above, Daniel suddenly stopped and punched his brother in the stomach.
“She is mine,” he hissed through his fangs as Christopher doubled over. “Daddy said so. You have to keep your hands off her.”
“She could be mine,” Christopher managed. “Grandma Bets said so ‘cause you don’t do your magic right. And you’re not allowed to show your fangs. I’m telling.”
“You say that again and I’ll punch your fangs out!” Daniel said as he grabbed his twin by the shirt. “I mean it!”
“Stop it right now, you two,” Lydia said coming down the hall after hearing the commotion. The comical sight of her young sons fighting over a girl forced her to conceal a grin. “Little Lyn doesn’t belong to either of you. She belongs to her mother and daddy.”
“But Mama,” Daniel whined, not so tough any more. “Daddy said when I grow up she will be my girlfriend. He said Pop’s told him, and that is the way it’s supposed to be.” He turned to Lyn. “You will have my babies.”
“Ew, gross!” Lyn said, punching his arm. “I ain’t having any babies. Ever. I’m just going to have cats. And Daniel,” she added, hands on her hips as she assumed as much arrogance as a six-year-old could muster. “I don’t belong to anyone ‘cause I’m an angel. My daddy said so.” And with that, she stuck her tongue out at him.
“Mama,” Daniel said, side-stepping Lyn as he remembered something. “Christopher said you could put cream on us, like Lyn has, to keep us from burning. Can you go buy some? I want to play outside.”
Lydia smiled. “Look boys, you know you’re different from Lyn — somewhat, anyway. Sunscreen, which is what Lyn was talking about, will not protect you. You have to use your magic. Daniel,” she leaned down to face him eye to eye. “Let me see what you practiced.”
As Daniel performed his magic cloaking spell, Christopher whispered to Lyn. “He’s real good at magic, but he’s just lazy. Grandma Bets says that if we don’t make him do spells he’ll burst into flames…”
