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screamed and the vampire and wolf seemed to be beside themselves. “No!” The woman had revealed her identity. It was as though Althea was looking at her own reflection.
    “Now, do you see?” Her mirror image laughed, sending chills throughout her body. “You and I are one in the same.” A wicked smile crossed the woman’s features.
    Althea shook her head and her mirror image nodded. “Oh yes. Like Dimples said, you’re in denial.” The figure walked toward her.”
    “You!” Anger shook Althea’s insides.
    “Yes. Be angry. The angrier you become, the longer I’m able to exist within your realm.”
    “Calm yourself,” Quinton warned. “Already, you’ve given her too much power.”
    “Shut the hell up, vampire!” Her mirror imaged snapped. “I’ve had more than enough from you two twits!” Once more she set her sights on Althea. “While I am proud of you, I’m afraid there isn’t enough room in this world for the both of us!”
    Althea placed her hands on her hips. “Oh no, I know what you’re getting at.”
    “Oh, do you?” The figure paced the floor, her cloak making swooshing sounds in the quietness of Althea’s office.
    “Who are you?” Althea asked.
    Laughter reverberated throughout the office, shaking the windows. “I’m so disappointed in you.” The woman hung her head, pretending to be disappointed. “I am Aehtla.” She giggled. “Althea spelled backward, if you will. She stopped to glare at Althea. “Judging by the look on your face I didn’t have to tell you that.”
    “You’ve ruined my life,” Althea said with sorrow, suddenly realizing that Dimples was right in what she said. “You’ve alienated me from everyone I know!”
    “Don’t pin this on me!” Aehtla snarled. “I helped you to get Rufus out of your life! You wanted to hurt him just as much as I did! As a matter of fact, you created me. I gave you your powers!”
    “Althea, destroy her, now!” Vukasin urged.
    “Wolf, fuck with me and you’ll get more of the same the last time we met!”
    “Fuck with him and I’ll kill you,” Althea warned, edging closer to her evil twin.
    “Ah, that’s right. You created them also.” Aehtla glanced over at the wolf and the vampire. “I so envy you. Perhaps I can conjure a hot-ass vamp and wolf.” She put her hands on her hips. “What do you think, fellas?” She laughed when they said nothing. “Just as I thought. A Goody-Two shoes, just like your creator.”
    “You’re evil, you need to get out of my life, now!” Quickly Althea raised her hands, releasing blue lightening bolts into the dark one, but Aehtla was too fast for her. She did the same. Both women reeled backward into furniture.
    Cursing, Althea rose to her feet, hurling another bolt at the woman. It bounced back in her direction. Gasping, she ducked as it destroyed her computer. She roared with anger. “You bitch!”
    “Althea! You can’t get angry!” Quinton demanded.
    Suddenly, both women clashed. A small whirlwind erupted in the room, like a black hole, sucking them up. In a flash, the hole brightened, leaving the vampire and wolf all alone.
     
    * * * *
     
    “What the hell happened?” Vukasin punched the wall, leaving a hole in it.
    “Nice going, superman.” Quinton sneered. “Now look what you’ve done!”
    “Now isn’t the time for your smart-assed remarks,” Vuk said through gritted teeth. “Once this is over with, we shall have our time.”
    “Okay, knock it off. The last thing we need is to argue among ourselves. We need to find her and fast!”
    Vuk shrugged. “But where the hell did they go?”
    “Back to our realm, perhaps,” Quinton suggested. “Can we transport ourselves there?
    “Yes, we can. Apparently, what’s her name forgot about that. We’re free to travel through the realms.”
    “Why did you call her what’s her name? It’s Ae—“ Before he could finish his sentence, the wolf clasped his hand over the vampire’s mouth.
    “Don’t do that,”