Raven Madison

Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives

~~Volume 1~~

     Raven Madison, a young ,16-year old girl, is the only Goth at Dullsville High School.  Curious, adventurous and quick-witted, Raven takes on the daily

challenges of high school bullies and cheerleaders without fear.  Although fairly average (not accounting for her taste in clothing), Raven keeps a dark secret  (even from her family and best friend, Becky Miller): one that she visits every night at the local cemetery after the sun goes down.  Her boyfriend, Alexander Sterling, is a vampire.
     Alexander is a calm, gentle artist who only emerges at night from his mansion home on Benson Hill.  A flashback is shown, revealing that Raven discovered what Alexander was when she was checking her make-up in a pocket mirror on their first date.  Agreeing with what most vampire legends say, Alexander had no reflection, but that hardly stopped Raven from loving him.
     Enjoying a regular, night-time date in the woods behind the cemetery, Alexander interupts it, saying that something doesn't feel right.  They walk into the cemetery only to find four open graves, and a toy soldier laying in the grass.  He recalls that the toy belonged to his cousin, Claude, which was given to him when their extended family came from Romania to visit Alexander and Claude's grandmother at the mansion.  He also mentions that Claude had a reputation of hating Alexander, and was always jelous of him.  Mainly, because Claude is only half-vampire: a vampire who can walk in sunlight because of his mortal blood, but has fangs/immortality because of the half vampire-ness.
     The next couple days continue without any threat, as Raven, during the daytime, subjects herself to warding off snotty cheerleaders and listening to her best friend (and only friend) Becky talk about her new boyfriend, Matt Wells.  Tired of waiting for answers, Raven desides to hang out at the cemetery to see if Claude shows up.  To her surprise, he does, popping out of his coffin with three other friends.  Kat: the right hand girl, tough and charming (at least, until angered);

Rocco, the muscle of the group, with unfortunately, more brawn than brains; and Tripp, the tech-savvy nerd who is Rocco's near opposite.
      Raven listens in to their conversation, discovering that Claude is searching for vials that belong to his grandmother.  They find her hinding behind a tombstone, so she runs towards the exit, only to be saved by Alexander.  He reveals to her that Claude is after the vials because they contain century-old vampire blood, that could make him a full-blooded vampire, and very deadly.  He warns her to be safe, but the next day seems to change all that.
     Upon arriving to school late, Raven's teacher assigns her to showing the new students around the school: Claude and his gang.  He demands that she tell him where his grandmother keeps the vials, but Raven says she doesn't know.  Claude then theatens that Raven's BFF, Becky, looks "yummy" and that he might stop by at Raven's house for a midnight "snack" if she

refuses to spill the information.  Once again, Raven's vampire-entangled life has her wondering if becoming an immortal (her wish) to be with Alexander forever, is really worth it.

~~Volume 2~~

     Due to Claude's threat on her family's life, Raven takes up the initiative to spread garlic all over the house, slightly worrying her parents and younger brother.  She goes to visit Alexander at his mansion, to discuss where the vials might be located.  He recalls a certain memory, when he and Claude where both children, where they both were playing , while their grandmother was painting, and Claude discovers a "treasure map" in a dresser drawer.  Their grandmother is furious and demands them both to go to their rooms.  They go looking for it afterwards, but find that it is gone and that their grandmother's room is always locked after that day.
     Together, they devise a plan to trick Claude with fake vials.  Raven will lead them to a false location (Claude's grandmother's old carriage house) with a false map, give them the "vials" and then tell him that they can only be consumed on Romanian soil, so that Claude and his gang will be gone for some time, at least.  The plan seems full-proof, and so with that, Raven leaves to go to school the next day.  
     As planned, Claude confronts her in the library, asking about the map.  Raven claims to not know where it is, but then Claude interjects that if he does find the vials, with her help, he'd consider giving her some so that she could become half-vampire and stay with Alexander forever.  Shocked and yet thrilled by the

idea, Raven continues to think about what it would be like, contemplating the advantages (being with Alexander forever) and the down-sides (like not being able to explain her blood addiction to her family, or not being able to see her reflection in the mirror).    Raven asks Alexander about it, but he dismisses the idea, saying that he wouldn't want her to be an outsider, someone who could never fit in to both worlds, and that she's perfect just the way she is.
     Back at the mansion, Raven convinces Alexander that they should check out his grandmother's room, since he mentioned that he knew where the key was, but promised Grandmother not to go in.  They search the room, and find a small key, which Raven secretly keeps.  Over the next few days, Claude and his gang continue to hound Raven for the map, hoping that she'll give in since she wants to be half-vampire.  She devulges to him that she knows where it is, and will give it to him when the time is right, but he must go back to Romania afterwards with the vials.  Yet, even after this, they continue to endanger Raven's friends, including Trevor, a rich, pretty-boy soccer player who has a strange infatuation for Raven (even though she dispises him).  Seeing Raven's defiance to Claude, Kat desides it's time to take manners into her own hands...
     Raven, one night, goes to meet Alexander at a green-house to get the fake map from him.  However, Kat follows and shows up holding some black beauties (black roses that Alexander gave to Raven, said to be died in actual vampire bat blood).  Kat taunts Raven, saying that she and Alexander used to date in Romania and were very involved with each other.  Alexander protests, saying that it was only a one time date and that Kat's only trying to make Raven jealous.  Raven, not sure what to believe, says "I bet he didn't sculpt for you the way he does for me.", to which Kat replies "He sculpted me plenty; we had some hot and heavy modeling

sessions" (with Alexander freaking out in the background).  Then, Raven triumphantly states, "Alexander doesn't sculpt.  He paints!".  Angry that she was tricked, Kat leaves, and Alexander tells Raven that never even liked Kat and that he'd never keep secrets from Raven again.
     Raven meets Claude that night and give him the fake map.  He says that he's going after the vials tonight, and that Raven needs to "distract" Alexander or else Claude'll hurt Becky.  Raven agrees and goes back to Alexander who says that he has one final thing to do for the plan to make it perfect.  They wait outside the carriage house to watch Claude and his group dig.  Shortly, Claude finds a small box with vials in it, and Alexander steps out of his hiding place.  He and Claude fight, and the case is dropped in the process shattering the "vials" (which are fake).  Claude, enraged, that his only oppurtunity to be a full-vampire is gone, threatens that someday Alexander will be at his mercy; to which, Alexander replies that they should leave town.
     Back at school, Raven is blissfully writing away in her planner journal (in which she writes everything down), when Claude confronts her, mocking her that Alexander is controlling her.  Angry, Raven storms out of the classroom, forgetting her journal, which Claude quietly takes away...  That night, Raven and Alexander meet at the cemetery for a date.  In the midst of talking, they both freeze; Clade and his gang were there too...with Raven's notebook.  With everything

written down in it (including her and Alexander's devious plan), Claude knows that everything was a lie.  What will happen now that Claude knows all their secrets? Will Raven be put in more danger?  Will Alexander be able to save her? And will her dream of being together with him forever come true?  We'll just have to wait and see....