"Do you really think she'll help us?" Tara asked quietly.

I shrugged, "I honestly don't know, but I figure it can't hurt to ask. I know she seemed kind of uh, flakey I guess? Unpredictable? I don't think she'd attack us unless we did something to provoke her. And she didn't say we couldn't come back."

Tara nodded slowly, then asked "Are we here to ask her for help with the Slúag elders? Or is this about the sunlight thing?"

I glanced at her and grimaced, "Both I guess. We already know she won't help us attack them or face them, but she might help us in other ways? Like preparations, or maybe she knows some other tricks we can use? And yeah, I really want to know how she can be out in the daytime without reacting to the sunlight."

We were sitting in the SUV, parked on the side of the road in front of Penny's house. It was Monday, about half past three in the afternoon, and we were waiting for her to come home from school. Tara and I were wearing our dark sunglasses of course, I had my jacket, she was in her hoodie.

My girlfriend was quiet for a few moments, before she finally commented "I never knew you had such strong feelings about being out in the daytime? I mean, you always acted like it was no big deal. Even when I was terrified of the sun, you just stuck on your sunglasses and didn't worry about it."

"Yeah," I sighed. "That's me after thirty years experience right? The first few years I was a lot more uptight about it. It was part of Isabelle's training, to toughen me up so I wasn't so scared about a little sunlight. But that doesn't mean I like it. It still hurts, I just got used to it."

She asked, "So if you're used to it, why's it so important to you to get whatever this magic is that Penny's using?"

I sighed again as I hesitated.

"I spent most of my living years dressed in loose dark concealing clothes and hiding in the shadows at the back of the room because of dysphoria. Since Isabelle turned me, I've spent all my dead years dressing in dark concealing clothes and hiding in shadows because I'm a vamp. Ok I got to be a girl, but I never got to go out and look pretty. I never got to go to a beach or a pool, never got to wear a bikini..."

My tone and expression got a little darker, "That's another thing, I don't have the figure for a bikini. I wasn't so upset about my height, though I wouldn't have complained if I was a couple inches taller. But I really wanted boobs, hips, all that stuff. I wanted to be girly. Isabelle screwed me around just like she did you. She's the one who first said I had a 'gymnasts figure', but I just thought I looked boyish. And it took me about as long as it took you to get over the disappointment and dysphoria and just accept it."

"Anyways," I sighed once more, "Even if I don't have the figure to rock a bikini there's other stuff I could look cute in if we could go out in the sun. I just really want to feel that? The way the sun feels warm on your skin, without it hurting. I want to be out in the sun as a normal girl. Without having to be all bundled up and hiding like we are now."

Tara reached over and took my hand in hers as she said, "I'm sorry Sam. I knew you didn't get what you wanted when you were turned, but I didn't realize how much it upset you. And I didn't know how important it was to you to have those sorts of experiences."

She gave my hand a gentle squeeze and asked, "What about other 'normal life' kind of things? Are you envious of Penny for being able to go to school and act like a normal girl with friends and everything?"

I took a deep breath then shook my head as I slowly let it out. "Not really. I think I actually feel a bit sorry for her? I mean I know what it's like being stuck as a teenager forever, but at least I've got another two years on her there? Being sixteen sounds like a terrible place to be stuck for eternity. And I don't understand why she wants to avoid other vampires. It honestly sounds like a lonely life to me."

"Yeah," Tara sighed. "Although most vampires around here sort of suck, so I can understand wanting to avoid them."

A moment later she added, "Here she comes."

Penny was walking along the sidewalk with two other girls, a brunette and a blonde. Like the first time we saw her, Penny didn't have sunglasses on. She was dressed like any other normal teen, in jeans and a fall jacket and with a backpack over her shoulder. She and her friends were talking and laughing, though I knew she'd seen us.

As they passed, she waved to her friends then turned and walked up the driveway towards her house while the other two girls kept going past.

She stopped at her front door and looked back at me and Tara, then motioned us to join her.

Penny waited at the door for us, then the three of us entered her house together. Once inside, she asked "What are you two doing back here again? What do you want now?"

"We were hoping you could give us a little more help," I replied. "We're going after the rest of the Slúag Marb in a couple days, so any advice or assistance you could give us would really be appreciated. And uh..."

I hesitated a moment then added, "I'm still really curious about how you do the thing so sunlight doesn't affect you. I'd really like to know how that works."

Penny sighed and rolled her eyes, "Ok look, I wouldn't help Isabelle confront the clan's elders, I'm sure as fuck not going to help you face off against some Slúag fucking Marb. And I've already told you all about them, and I empowered your tats so the two of you are protected. What more do you want?"

Tara replied, "We're not asking you to come fight with us. I guess we were just wondering, or hoping, if you had any more advice, or maybe some sort of weapon or something we could use against them? Or anything at all? We know we got lucky last time, but this time they're prepared. They probably even know we're coming."

"Even if I could help with something like that," the kid asked with a frown, "Why should I? I barely even know you two."

I replied, "Because we're family."

She scowled, "How exactly are we family?"

"We're all on Lucilla's line," I replied. "And we all have Lucilla's blood in us."

Penny stared at me for a few moments, then grumbled quietly as she led us into her living-room. She slumped down on her bean-bag chair again, while Tara and I sat on the sofa.

Tara asked, "Is there anything else you can tell us about them? How about where they come from, or what they really are?"

The young vamp looked skeptical, she shrugged "I don't see how that matters. I'm not even sure of the answer myself? They have a Gaelic name, and in Irish and Scottish folklore they're associated with fae. If I had to guess though I'd say they were demonic in nature. Then again I have no idea how you'd classify us, apart from being undead. Maybe they're like, undead-undead?"

She added with a scowl, "Fuck, maybe they're just some kind of evolved vampire? I don't know, and I don't see that it matters. It's not going to make a difference in how you fight them."

Before me or Tara could ask, she went on "Like I said before, if they're incorporeal there's nothing you can do to them. There's no special weapon or whatever. And when they're possessing a vamp they can be killed like any other vampire. You're both protected from them eating you or possessing you, so it's no different than the two of you going up against a bunch of normal vamps."

"That's still pretty bad odds," Tara pointed out. "Even if we ignore that they're Slúag Marb we're still going up against two vampire elders, and possibly three enforcers."

"Nobody's forcing you to do this," Penny replied with a shrug. "Least of all me. If you think it's too risky just get in your car and go home."

I shook my head, "We've promised to do this. And more importantly, I'd feel better knowing the Slúag Marb were gone, and knowing that we'll never have to worry about the Family bothering us again."

The girl rolled her eyes, "I don't know what else I can offer you. How about a pep-talk? You two are at least twice as strong as any vamp they've got, elders included. You can take them, just be smart and careful and don't take stupid chances."

Tara and I exchanged a glance and she asked, "How do you know how strong we are? How can you tell something like that?"

Penny sighed, then launched into an explanation.

"The older and more powerful you get, the stronger you are and the better your senses right? I'm only two hundred and seventy-nine years old, but I'm actually a lot stronger than that because my dame was ancient when she turned me. I don't know how old, but she was at least fifteen centuries, minimum. So you two have had a few ounces of her blood right? I've had a lot more, and I had that right from the start. I'm probably as strong as a vamp five or six centuries old, if they had a normal Dame."

She continued, "So anyways, that means my senses are a lot more finely-honed than yours. And part of that, or one of the senses I have, is I can get a feel for how strong vamps are. And Samantha you feel like a vamp about two hundred and fifty years old, Tara you're like two hundred. And I know there's nobody in the Family anywhere near that. I'm positive the oldest vamp there is less than a hundred and thirty."

I frowned as I thought about all of that, then asked "So you're stronger than usual because your Dame was extremely old when she turned you. If me or Tara turn someone now that we're stronger than normal, will that impact them in any way?"

"Sure," Penny nodded. "The older and stronger you are, the easier it is to turn someone. And once you're past a hundred or so, that strength rubs off on them too. It's like starting off at level five instead of level one, if you're familiar with role-playing game terminology."

"That's good to know," I commented as I looked towards Tara. It meant we'd definitely have an easier time recovering after we turned Meg and Phoebe than I did after I turned Tara. And from the sound of it Meg and Phoebe would get an advantage too in terms of starting out stronger.

Tara agreed, "It's nice knowing it'll be easier on us when the time comes to try turning someone. Right now though Penny, our main concern is the Family. Apart from the pep talk, is there anything else you can do or tell us?"

The young vamp rolled her eyes, "Not really. Nothing practical anyways. If you want impractical advice then I'd say, get a tank or a bomb or something and just blow up their mansion. If you insist on walking in there, don't fight fair and don't expect them to fight fair either. And when it comes down to it, unless you know someone's trustworthy don't give them the benefit of the doubt. And don't be merciful. If you get the chance to put an enemy down, make sure they're not going to get back up again."

She wasn't telling us anything we didn't already know, but it was probably good for us to hear her say it. It helped keep that stuff in mind. At the end of the day it was going to be a life and death situation, and the best way to ensure we lived was to be sure the enemy died.

"Ok," I sighed. "Thanks Penny, we appreciate the advice and the information. And the pep talk."

I paused a moment, then added "Before we go, I'm still curious about the sun thing. Any chance you could share how you do that?"

Penny rolled her eyes, "Not now. Anyways it's autumn, you don't need to worry about going out in the sun for another six months. How about I get in touch with you when it's convenient? Are you on Discord? Or Twitter?"

I suppressed a sigh, I'd really been hoping to find out about that. I tried not to sound too disappointed as I told her, "I have email."

The girl smirked and in a sarcastic voice she asked, "Oooh you're staying on top of things. Is it CompuServe? Or AOL? Or do you have one of those flashy new Hotmail accounts?"

"Yeah very funny," I grumbled. "Next you'll be calling me a boomer, which is pretty rich considering you're the one who's nearly three hundred years old. Penelope."

Penny giggled, but she got out her phone and noted down my Club Nocturne email address when I gave it to her.

Then she gestured towards the front door and said "I'll be in touch. Now get out of here, and good luck with the big fight thing."

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