“I don’t mean to be a dick, by any means,” Broderick said as he stood behind his desk in the basement of Howell’s. “But we need to step up our game.”

He was leaning on his desk, arms spread and palms open against the surface. He had what I could only describe as the most pissed off look that I had ever seen on his face and I had no idea what was going on. The rest of us, minus Craven, were gathered around the desk waiting for whatever news he was about to drop on us.

“And…what did you find exactly? You know, about the dead body?” Mellie asked impatiently. “I have places to be, I can’t just sit here and wait for your grand finale, or whatever.”

“I sent the body over to our friends at the University, they were able to extract a trace amount of DNA from the wound. Seems our vampire friends aren’t from here, at all. They belong to the Maras coven, which, as you know, isn’t based within the ice barrier. They operate primarily out of Eaves. So, what is a coven from Eaves doing here? Hm? Trying to draw Jasmine out?”

“Why the cloak and dagger?” Ralph asked, stepping forward. “If they want Jasmine, why don’t they just take her? No offense, Jasmine.”

“Because they know we’d raise holy hell if they did,” Mellie shrugged. “Angela’s legacy is to be protected at all costs. As one of the matriarchs of Greystem, we follow her wishes.”

“She inspires loyalty to a fault,” Broderick sighed. “But, I need volunteers. We need to go to Pi Sigma Theta, the sorority across from Delta Alpha Muh. Once again, not a real sorority, they just moved into a house and threw Greek letters up. As you know, or as some of you don’t know, there are four houses in that cluster, and they all share a backyard. They do their stupid theme changes in tandem sometimes, so we have to be wary when we go over there.”

“Do you think they’ll be doing the desert again?” Rhea perked up. “I like the desert.”

“And I suddenly hate you,” Broderick shook his head and rolled his eyes. “They’re the coven with ties to the Maras, but we have to tread carefully. They’ll likely give us the answers we want, IF we catch them on the right day. I need a volunteer to go with me. Jasmine, put your hand down.”

“That’s not fair!” I objected. “I had fun last time!”

“Okay, I’m not going to spend time arguing with you. You and Mellie then. We’re going…right now.”

“I’m busy tonight,” Mellie objected.

“Oh? Doing what?” Broderick stood up and rubbed his hands together. “Drinking wine and seducing boys to do your laundry?”

“And girls,” Mellie nodded.

“It’ll do you good to actually DO something around here, get ready to go,” Broderick sighed and reached into his desk, pulling out three lemons which he slammed down unceremoniously. “Everyone take a lemon.”

“Um, what’s the lemon for?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“You’ll figure it out,” Ralph snickered. I glanced back; I’d almost forgotten that he was there.

“Let’s get it over with,” Mellie said angrily. “I guess we have to take the stupid car.”

“Yes,” Broderick sighed, looking straight at me. “We have to take the stupid car.”

The ride to Ann Arbor took about twenty minutes as usual, and we pulled up onto a different street. I saw Broderick looking out the window, a confused and pained look painting his face.

“It should be here,” He muttered, staring at what appeared to be an abandoned storefront. “Their house is…no, it couldn’t be, could it?”

“You think they mezzed the entire front of the house?” Mellie suggested.

“I think they did,” He sighed. “I wonder what the theme is today.

“We’re not going to like it, whatever it is,” Mellie shook her head. “What do we do?”

“We go over to Delta,” He said, throwing the car into drive once again. The transmission clunked beneath us as he moved the shifter and pulled way from the curb.

“You see the other sorority is missing too?” She pointed across Broderick, indicating an empty lot right next to the abandoned storefront.

“Of fucking course it is,” He said angrily, taking a left turn and winding around the block. He stopped the car in front of the Delta house and told us to get follow him. The Delta house looked pretty normal, nothing odd about it, but as Broderick cop knocked on the door I couldn’t help but feel a little bit uneasy.

The door opened, and there stood Samuel, this time wearing a pirate outfit, complete with a bandana, a hook on his left hand, and a bottle of rum in the other.

“Argh!” He shouted aloud, taking a swig from the rum bottle. “What ye be doin’ at our abode at this late hour?”

“It’s four in the afternoon, Samuel,” Mellie snapped.

“Argh but be it really?” He waved a hand, indicating that we should look around. The afternoon sky had grown seemingly dark, the sky dotted with stars. “Now tell me? How can we help ye? State yer business.”

“Gods fuck it,” Broderick swore under his breath. “We need to get over to Pi Sigma Delta. Their house is gone, so you tell us how to get there.”

“Aye, ye not be the only one askin’ bout that accursed house. I can grant ye passage, but the road is long, the path dangerous, ye be takin’ your life into yer hands!”

“Samuel, you are LITERALLY taking your OWN life into your hands right now, show me how to get to Pi Sigma.”

“I have to tell ye,” Samuel said as he led us into the house. “It’s unsettling to even do this thing for ye, it feels wrong, in me bones. The Pi Sigma’s…they’re scurvy wenches they are. Cast a curse on ye they will. You an’ your companions, you’ll ne’er be the same!”

“Holy fuck Samuel,” Broderick practically shouted as we were led through the house, which had been transformed into some sort of boat dock, complete with life preservers affixed to the wall. “Shut your mouth and get us to Pi.”

“Don’t be so rushed to sail to your demise!” Samuel snapped as he threw open the back door. I heard Broderick say what must have been a curse word but in an entirely different language. Outside, just beyond the back porch, an expanse of water, glistening in the moonlight and stretching across the Delta’s backyard, all the way to what I assumed was the Pi Sigma house. Longways, it ran through two other backyards, forming a literal sea in the middle of the neighborhood block. Samuel beckoned for us to come with him, guiding us to a small wooden rowboat that had been docked at the porch. He carefully hung a lantern at the bow of the boat and began to untie the rope. “Now are ye sure this is the path ye wish to take? Can I not sway ye?”

“Samuel you stupid fuck,” Broderick snarled. Mellie placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Broderick, let the man have his fun, you know how bored they are,” Mellie smiled. “Besides, we’ll be out of here shortly.”

“Are ye sure I can’t change yer mind?” Samuel looked at us with what appeared to be legitimate concern. “I can’t tell ye what dangers might lurk behind those doors!”

There was a thud as the rowboat collided with the front of the porch. The three of us stood and jumped to clear the gap between the bow and the top step.

“Thank you Samuel,” Mellie smiled. “You’ve been very helpful.”

“Aye, but would be a help to my soul if I could change your mind!” Samuel said, using an our to push off and began to move back toward the Delta house. The three of us stood together in front of their back door. Broderick looked annoyed beyond belief, Mellie seemed amused, and I’m not going to lie, I was a little terrified.

“Alright come on,” Broderick said angrily, grabbing the doorknob and yanking it open. We stepped through, and instead of being greeted by what I thought would be a sorority house, it was the same nautical theme as the Delta house, though with a more Victorian touch. As we stepped into what had to be their dining room, a girl came around the corner, a beautiful blonde wearing a peasant type dress with a black leather corset bound around her midsection. As she moved toward us, she grinned seductively, dragging her hand lightly against the wall.

“Ladies…and gentleman,” She said with an evil grin, moving in close enough to sniff Broderick. “What brings you to the Pi Sigma house today?”

“We need to speak with Heather, and gods dammit, could you make it fast?” Broderick demanded. “We’ve had enough of this nonsense for one day.”

The girl slowly and purposefully moved over to Mellie and placed her face within half an inch of Mellie’s nose.

“Be careful what you wish for, dears,” The girl said in a mockingly evil tone of voice. “You might just….get it.”

“Well, given what’s being offered,” Mellie smiled. “I don’t think I’d mind getting it.”

As Mellie spoke, she snapped her teeth at the girl’s nose. The girl pulled back at the last second and giggled.

“Oh I like this one,” She laughed. “She has spirit! Now maybe we could put that to good use!”

“Could we not do this right now?” Broderick sighed and looked around, surveying the corkboard walls and the various nautical themed implements. “We’re on a schedule.”

“But of course,” The girl grinned. “I’ll take you to Heather, right this way!”

“You see this shit,” Broderick groaned as we were led to the left and down a hallway. “This is why I don’t deal with vampires.”

As the girl came to a closed door, she knocked lightly until she heard a voice from the other side asking us to enter. We were led through, into a room that looked more like the captain’s room of a ship tan anything else. The girl, Heather, sat at a huge desk, her boot clad feet crossed atop it. She was a red headed girl, dressed in a wench dress similar to the other girl’s but with a shorter skirt, and dyed a deep red. Her black corset accented her curves perfectly, and the three cornered pirate had atop her head added a new layer of absurdity to the entire thing. Broderick started to speak, but his eyes were drawn to what appeared to be a man of about twenty kneeling on the floor in front of the desk, his hands shackled, and an iron collar around his neck with a lead bolted to the desk. He was wearing a tattered University of Michigan sweater, his face bruised to hell and back. As soon as he saw us, he began to scream.

“Oh thank god, please help me! Get me out of here! Please!” He raised his shackled hands toward us, as if to reach out for help.

“Heather, what the hell is this?” Broderick demanded, indicating the man. Heather simply shrugged.

“He came into the house and tried to get…aggressive with one of our coven. Simply not a thing we put up with, and he’s seen too much. You know the law, we can’t kill him, we can only turn him .”

“Then why haven’t you turned him?” Broderick studied the man. “Get it over with, if you’re going to torture him don’t do it to him as a human; you could kill him.”

“We’re doing it kind of slow,” Heather shrugged. “Taking time to make sure he’s nice and weak, and that he stays small. This one’s going to wear frilly dresses and serve me tea.”

“You don’t drink tea,” Broderick stepped forward, past the man who continued to plead.

“Right, then I’ll find something for him to do,” She shrugged. “So what is it that brings you here, Broderick?”

“I’m looking for a member of the Maras coven, someone who has been committing…atrocities, so to speak. It could draw unwanted attention, for all of us.”

“Indeed?” Heather nodded. “I do know of one who came into town recently, a friend of ours from many years back, though if he’s planning to make our lives difficult, I want no part of that. His name is Draven, and he isn’t a Daywalker, like us. You would find him in the sewers at night, most likely.”

“In the sewers, right,” Broderick nodded.

“Dude, please, you have to help me!” The student shrieked again. “You can’t just leave me here!”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Broderick nodded. “It is very much appreciated-“

“Oh you didn’t think you’d get that little tidbit of information for free, did you?” Heather grinned as she stood from her chair. “You, Broderick, are quite handsome, perhaps you could spend a few days in one of my cag—”

“Squeeze the fucking lemons,” Broderick said, reaching into his pocket. I’d completely forgotten the lemon in my jacket. I reached in and grabbed it, giving it a hard squeeze. The moment I did, the corkboard walls and the desk vanished, suddenly replaced by a typical bedroom. Light pink walls, white closet doors, and three beds. Heather stood before us, now dressed like any other college girl, and wearing an expression of pure hatred.

“Don’t you know how to have fun?!” She demanded, suddenly kicking the poor guy on the floor, who collapsed into a heap at her feet, sobbing into her shoes like a baby as he struggled to free himself from the shackles.

“Fun?” Broderick growled. “Never heard of it. Let’s go.”