"Witches are very powerful people, maybe you should be upfront with her from the start." Bonnie had the address of a witch in her hand and was holding it out of James's reach. She had a serious look on her face and James rolled his eyes.

"I am always upfront."

"Tell that to my mom."

"What does that mean?"

"The caramel cubes."

"Hey you had as many as I did."

"Yea maybe over my whole life but that day you ate mine and Roberts."

"Robert gave me his."

Mrs Greene who had been cleaning the floor around them stopped and knocked the end of the mop against the coffee table. As it always had the action silenced the two of them and they looked at her.

"Stop it both of you. If you want sweets so badly I will go and get some." Mrs Greene chuckled when they both looked at the ground with embarrassment. "Otherwise stop arguing and Bonnie give him the address."

"I was just giving him some advice." Bonnie dropped her hand and James grabbed the end of the paper. She had only given him a small corner to grip, and it was slippery. That made it even harder for him to try and pull it from her when she wouldn't let go.

"I didn't ask for advice."

She let go when James gave it one big tug and he stumbled back a step. Bonnie stuck her tongue out at him and giggled. He let a small laugh escape then glared at her.

"Very funny."

"I do try."

James unfurled the paper and read the address. "This isn't far. There are witches living this close to us?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Before they know they are witches they think they are human. Its only later, when they know that wolves and vampires will bother them for spells that they move further away to avoid as many of us as possible."

"Right. I am off then." James spun on his heel.

"Don't forget Ella." Mrs Greene didn't raise her voice, but James knew it was a command.

He groaned.

"Don't start. She needs you. Besides, you don't know how far this mission will take you so its better she is as close as possible." Mrs Greene rinsed the mob in the bucket, a squelching sound coming out of it along with the bubbles.

"Fine." James walked to the bottom of the stairs and took a breath.

"Do not yell up to her. Go and get her." Mrs Greene gave James a familiar stern look.

Bonnie giggled.

James muttered a curse under his breath then went to get her. He remembered Mrs. Greene being easier on him, but he supposed she had become more uptight after he and his brothers had moved out. Yet even when they were kids, when Bonnie came to visit, she had insisted that they get along.

***

James remembered being around nine and Bonnie staying for the summer. She had gotten a wooden dollhouse with two floors and four rooms. The back of it had been removed so that you could sit there and play with the dolls on the inside. James had stood peeking out from behind the hallway door and watched as Mrs. Greene had carried it in for her. It was so huge that when James was on his knees he could have hidden behind it. He leaned around the door a bit more and sniffed the air. It smelt like varnish and dust. He sneezed.

Bonnie looked up from where she was crouched on the floor and Mrs. Greene followed her eyes.

James held his breath and slipped further behind the door. He felt another sneeze brewing and held his nose to stop it coming out.

"James!" Bonnie struggled with his name, she struggled with the letter s, often it came out as an incoherent hiss. It meant that when she called him his name became Jamsssss.

James tiptoed to the edge of the door and stuck his head around it.

She smiled at him and waved one of the dolls in the air. It was a little girl with a red dress on. Her face was painted onto her wooden skull and the paint was starting to fade.

"Come see." She waved him over.

James looked around the room and listened for any signs of his father. He only searched for a second before he dashed out and fell to the floor next to her. The impact hurt his knees. He reached towards the house, then stopped. It wasn't his.

"This is Poppy." Bonnie told him, flattening the dolls dress against her legs. "She owns the house, but she lets her parents and brother live with her, cause she is nice."

James pointed at her face. "We should find paint and fix her."

Bonnie screwed up her face, then examined the doll. She giggled. "You're right we should."

James smiled.

Bonnie finished arranging the dress then set the girl into the house. She lifted the dad and started to brush dust from his face. James was entranced by the grey fading into the air.

"Bonnie?" He watched his hands, too scared to look her in the eye.

"Huh?"

"Can I play?"

Bonnie put her nail to her chin for a second. "Sure. But I haven't seen you boys play before so you can use the mammy. She is my least favourite." She reached in and picked up the doll in question and offered it out to him.

James took her and held her out in front of him. She was heavier than he thought and wore a dirty dress with flowers on it. He wondered briefly if his mammy used to wear dresses. Eddie and Robert spent a lot of time talking about her, but they hadn't said if she dressed like a mammy.

"If you are gonna be the mammy you need to put on the voice," Bonnie commanded.

James stuck his tongue through the gap in his teeth while he thought. He did his best to mimic Mrs. Greene when she came to tell him to clean his room.

Bonnie's eyes creased shut when she laughed. "James you are a terrible mammy."

James tried again, determined to be better at it. "Don't put your feet on the coffee table Eddie." He said in his mammy voice. "Robert don't let your brother eat that grasshopper."

Bonnie was doubled over laughing. She waved her hand at him. "Do another one."

James thought for a moment. "Richard don't shout he is only little."

Bonnie coughed over her laugh and lifted the dad figure. "I do whatever I want cause I am the daddy."

"You wouldn't be making fun of me, would you James?" James started and looked up at Mrs, Greene. She towered over him and his neck hurt he bent it back so far to see her.

"No."

Bonnie laughed. "He is mammy."

"Don't tell on me." James glared.

Bonnie stuck out her tongue.

Mrs Greene chuckled. "Try and play nice you two."

"Okay mammy," Bonnie said.

They turned to the house again. James made the mammy clip clop about the house, imagining she was doing some cleaning. Bonnie even let him play with the brother, who they dubbed Edmund and who was always falling down the stairs.

"James!" James cringed at the harsh tone and peered over his shoulder. His father was standing in the front doorway. There was blood on his hands and Robert and Eddie were with him. James knew that they had been out dealing with some wild animals who kept attacking the house.

Eddie smirked and waltzed up to James. "You have gone and done it this time baby brother."

"Edmund, Robert go to your rooms."

Robert hesitated once he got to James.

"Robert." Their father insisted.

Robert squeezed James's shoulder then followed Eddie down the hall.

Their father slammed the door shut and with one look made James set the dolls down.

"Get over here." James cringed again and walked to his father, dragging his feet.

When he reached him, he held his head low.

"You know what I said about toys," his father said in a voice like ice splitting.

"Daddy I was just playing with Bonnie. She asked me to."

"You need to stay focused on your training. My sons are supposed to be warriors. Do you think this will help you when the wolves come and...."

"But mammy said it was okay," James pleaded. His father was struck silent for a moment and James wanted to run away when both he and Mrs. Greene were watching him. But he knew that running would make things worse.

"She is not your mother. She is Mrs. Greene. Your mother would want you to stick to your training and studies so that nothing bad happens to you like..."

Mrs. Greene interrupted him. "Richard don't shout, he is only little."

His father turned on her. "He needs to learn discipline. Playing dollies with your little girl won't do that."

"He is a child. Children play."

"Not my sons. There are so many dangers out there. Should I just leave him unprepared?"

"If your wife was here, she would agree with me." Mrs. Greene didn't flinch under his fathers glare and James was in awe of her.

"She isn't!" His father's voice broke and he turned his back on James.

James lifted his hand towards him. "Daddy?"

He spun and looked at James. "I'm fine. Son go and study with your brothers. I think Robert is reading about werewolf pack traditions."

James glanced at the doll house as he passed. He leaned towards it but heard his father speak his name in warning.

***

James found himself at Ella's door without remembering having walked there. He raked his hands down his face. He needed to stop becoming so obsessed with memories. Maybe he needed to change more in the house to get rid of the echoes of the past.

He knocked on the door. "Hey, Ella."

She opened the door before he could knock again. James stopped breathing. She was wearing a lowcut vest and a pair of tight shorts. Her eyes were defined by make up and her hair was cut to shoulder length.

"You look great."

Ella didn't meet his eyes. "Thanks. I felt like a change might help."

James didn't ask what it was meant to help with. He could guess. "Look," His throat felt tight. "I am sorry about what I said before. I can't understand what it's like to lose a pack or whatever." He swallowed hard.

Ella chewed on her lip. "I might have said some horrible things too. Forget it. Lets just find a witch."

James leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. It felt like the right thing to do. She tilted her head and sighed into his mouth, kissing him gently.

She took his hand. "Let's go."

James nodded.

They went outside and to the driveway. Sitting there, basking in the sun was Mrs. Greene's car. It was a small red ford focus with a black dice hanging from the rear-view mirror. James took the keys from his pocket and unlocked the car.

The inside smelt sterile and James would have been willing to bet that if the car had been swept for prints the only ones they would have found were his. There wasn't even a speck of dust.

Ella slid into the passenger seat. "How far is it to the town?"

"Not too far. Like a half hour drive." James turned the key and started the car. It spluttered once then rumbled into life.

Ella pointed at his belt. "Put on your seat belt."

James raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

She thought for a moment then sighed. "Of course, you will just heal if you fly out the window."

"You're learning." He smiled and clicked the radio on.

Little Mix started to play from the player. Ella started to bob her head to the beat, so James didn't touch it.

Once they got to the town James pulled in and parked beside the school. The sun was bothering his eyes, so he took his sunglasses out of his coat and slipped them on.

Ella reached around to undo her seatbelt.

"You stay here." James told her.

"Why?"

"I am going to try and convince a witch to help a vampire. I don't think adding a werewolf to the mix is a good idea." Ella narrowed her eyes at him. He sighed. "Look I will be back in no time. But this girl doesn't even know she is a witch yet. She will need to be eased into this."

Throwing her hands up Ella flopped back against the seat.