The Entity Within

touch seemed like a safe motto, but damn … a mere look from him was enough to make her body melt.

He left them around the table and went in the corner to work his iPhone.

“Damon, do join us,” Gram said.

“He’s a vampire,” Zoe said. “He can’t eat food.”

Gram looked confused. “But Nick is eating.”

Zoe had noticed that but was too polite to ask why.

“That’s a result of Nick mating with me,” Daniella cheerfully explained, which made Nick nearly choke on his pizza.

“Need help over there?” Damon asked mockingly.

“No,” Nick growled.

“The first vampire to mate with a druid hybrid will have his powers greatly increased,” Daniella said. “We didn’t realize that one of the side effects was that Nick could once again eat real food. He’d never had a hot dog or pizza. Can you imagine that?”

Which left Zoe wondering about Damon. He’d probably never had a pizza, either. She wasn’t about to ask him or feel guilty eating in front of him. Or maybe he had. Maybe he’d been turned in the 1950s like Tanya, in which case he would have had plenty of chances to eat hot dogs and pizza.

But if Damon was turned in the 1850s, that was another matter entirely. Same for the 1750s. Hell, he could have been born in 1050 for all she knew. What was the politically correct way to inquire about such things?

Not that she cared when he was turned. It was none of her business really. She should just ignore him the way he was ignoring her.

He was totally immersed in whatever was on the screen of his phone as he pressed the tiny keyboard with incredibly rapid strokes. His actions drew her attention to his fingers, which were thin and artistic. Not dainty, though. Not at all.

“Having fun playing Words with Friends?” Zoe couldn’t resist asking.

Damon lifted his head to give her a blank stare.

“Never mind,” she muttered, focusing on cutting her pizza instead. It was so thick that she couldn’t just pick it up and eat it like back in Boston.

“No one beats me,” Damon said.

Which left her wondering if he really was playing or if he just had heard about the online game and was yanking her chain. She hadn’t known him very long, but she already knew for a fact that he got a big kick out of pushing her buttons.

“It was so nice of you to all come over and make us feel welcome,” Gram said.

“They’re staying overnight,” Zoe warned her. “To keep an eye on us.”

“Really?” Gram clapped her hands. “It will be like a vampire-witch-druid-hybrid pajama party. What fun!”

“Next you’ll be getting out Twister … no, I’m only kidding, Gram. Do not do that.”

“Of course I wouldn’t do it right now. We’re still eating,” Gram said. “But later…”

“No.”

“Why are you against this Twister thing?” Damon demanded.

“It’s a stupid game.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

“It’s great at parties,” Gram said.

“We’re not here to party,” Damon said.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while keeping an eye on us,” Gram said.

“The first night I stayed with Daniella, she made me watch a chick flick,” Nick said.

“It was The Proposal,” Daniella said. “You remind me of Betty White in the movie,” she told Gram.

“It’s the white hair,” Gram said.

“And the mischievous look in your eyes,” Daniella said.

Gram laughed. “I don’t know about that.”

Zoe knew all about Gram’s mischievous streak. It might be a benefit in a regular senior but in a witch it became an occasional liability.

Once they’d finished the pizza, Gram offered to whip up a little something for dessert.

Zoe was already shaking her head before Gram had even completed her sentence. “Not a good idea.”

“I’m not good at conjuring up cooks. I once tried for Emeril and for some reason got a set of T-fal cookware instead. And then there was the baked Alaska incident. All I can say is that I’m glad the ballroom had built-in sprinklers.”

Morticia walked into the dining room at that moment, diverting Daniella’s attention. “So you have another cat? Does this one talk, too?”

“No,” Gram said. “But she communicates in other ways.”

“Does she write notes?” Damon asked sarcastically.

“She probably could if she wanted to,” Gram said.

“We didn’t save any pizza for them,” Daniella said.

“They’ve got Fancy Feast in their dishes in the kitchen,” Gram said.

“I’ve gone from Russian caviar on golden spoons to cat food on the floor.” Bella shook her head. “It’s pitiful.”

“We all have our burdens to bear,” Zoe said.

“She is such a hard taskmaster.” Bella looked up at Daniella with the soulful look she’d perfected from watching the Puss in Boots movie over and over again. That, Turning Point, and Magic Mike were Bella’s favorite DVDs, and she’d often watch them nonstop.

“It must be very hard for you,” Daniella said sympathetically.

Bella nodded her agreement.

“I’ll bring you a chocolate cupcake tomorrow,” Daniella promised her. Turning to Zoe, she said, “Can she eat that okay?”

“I’m down here,” Bella said. “And I can eat it just fine. I would prefer caviar, but I’ll make do.”

Morticia sat beside Bella and copied her soulful look up at Daniella.

“I’ll bring one for you, too,” Daniella said.

“If you two are done begging, I’ll clear the table,” Zoe said. She was eager to take a break from Damon. He hadn’t spoken up during the feline discussion but Zoe knew he listened to every word.

“I’ll help you,” Daniella said.

“No. You’re a guest.”

“Or a prison guard,” Daniella noted. “I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that way.”

“I don’t think that about you,” Zoe said.

“She thinks it about me,” Damon said.

“Which is why we need to insert a little fun into the evening,” Gram said, and she pulled a box from thin air.

“That doesn’t look like Twister,” Daniella said.

“It’s the witch version. Similar but not close enough to break any copyright laws,” Gram said. Unfolding the mat, she set it on the floor. “Instead of colors we have symbols. The stars, the moon, the sun, and a purple triangle.”

“The meaning of which is?”

“That I like purple,” Gram said. “Now someone draws a card from this deck with one of the symbols. You only move your hands. Your feet remain here at all times.” She pointed to the foot-shaped marks labeled LEFT and RIGHT. “Two players are on the mat at the same time.”

“Let Daniella and Zoe play it,” Damon said.

“Great idea,” Zoe said. “Vampires wouldn’t be any good at this as it requires manual dexterity and flexibility.”