Dad did what he always did in emotionally intense situations, mainly making everyone sit down with a cup of something warm before answering any questions.

He went to wake my brother as well even though it was already noon. Little bro came in and waved at me.

He looked mostly normal, other than glowing orange eyes and fangs when he smiled. He still had a short auburn fade that flowed into a perfectly trimmed beard.

Other than being gold everywhere except his emerald irises, Dad also looked normal: he was taller than anyone I'd ever met and built like a Scottish refrigerator. Once he started balding he just shaved his head, but he did keep the massive wizard beard, which now tinkled like quiet wind chimes whenever he moved.

"So,"he said in his sardonic voice when we finally sat down, "let's get the old stuff out of the way. Tristan decided, in his great wisdom, that he wouldn't tell his wonderful brother William or even his dear old pappy, that he was about to die."

"Dad listen-"

"Not finished yet son. He then decided to make us rich and bless Will with a long, healthy life. Of course that's all well and good I guess, but then you had to turn yourself into a genie and head out anyway, leaving us with an imposter to babysit until he ultimately croaked just three months later."

"That does sum it up," says my brother, who appeared to be drinking wine off all things.

"Ok I understand that, but why are you gold? And why does Will have fangs?"

Dad sipped his espresso before replying.

"At the end of your- sorry, his life, your genie got angry and delirious. He ranted and raved about the situation and said he had some way to ruin the wishes he granted retroactively."

"A Break, he called it." Interrupted Will.

"Exactly," Dad replied, "you wished I was rich, so he messed with it, gave me the Midas touch. You wished for Will to have a long, healthy life and he turned him into a vampire."

I looked from my golden father, to my little brother who sat in the sun and swirled the red liquid in his glass while winking at me.

"That's horrible, but I'm guessing there's more to it," I said, "if you really turned everything you touched to gold, you would have starved by now or something. And Will's sitting in the sun right in front of me."

"Yeah and this isn't even blood," Will replied with a grin. "I guess the wording of your wishes screwed him up, and he couldn't go as far as he wanted. Your wish for dad was 'I wish that Dad was rich and happy.' Well, Dad can't be happy if he's dead. Your wording for me was 'I wish my brother would have a long and healthy life' so I don't have to drink blood and the sun just makes me really, really tired. I've been told I'm a lunar vampire actually." He finished with a yawn.

"So, everything worked out then?" I asked hesitantly. This all seemed too good to be true.

Dad and Will shared a look, before Dad set down his coffee and leaned forward.

"Not exactly. A few nights ago, vampires showed up at the house looking for Will. They said they could 'smell the fledgling' and needed to kill whoever sired him. Apparently vampires police each other and there's a strict hierarchy that needs to be observed."

"I came down to talk to them and explained I didn't have a sire, thinking that would solve the issue," Will continued,"one of them could see that I was telling the truth somehow and said that the local Duke could either kill me or adopt me, as is his right. But she warned me that adopting me would mean offending several loyal followers so his decision would probably be killing me."

"I'll protect you." I immediately declared, "I have a friend, a Master right now who probably knows how to fight vampires."

"I'm flattered Tris, but there's another option: a tournament is being held in a few days for anyone who wants to join. The prize is that the Duke will grant any favor within his power!"

I wanted to tell my brother off, but held back. Will was extremely strong as a mortal, and a talented fencer once our money allowed it. He had a solid chance.

"I hate to admit it but that sounds like a good idea, but I'm joining in. That gives us double the chance to win."

"Triple," Dad interrupted.

Both me and Will started to protest but Dad simply drank coffee until we were quiet enough to safely interrupt.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"I'm not helpless. I taught both of you how to shoot and throw a punch. And may I remind you," he suddenly slammed his fist through the coffee table, and then held his scratched arm up for us to see. "I'm made of magic gold."

We watched in awe as Dad's arm slowly melted the scratches away.

"Alright, I've learned my lesson on making decisions for you. Let me get my Master and then we'll get signed up." I said.

---

When I told Samson I was gonna sign up for a vampire's tournament and at first he laughed but then he let out a low whistle.

"If I liked my odds I'd honestly get in on that."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because Duke Vecanto is a powerful vampire, and an even stronger blood witch. I'm not sure what the limits of a favor from him would be."

"Are most vamps blood witches?"

Samson shook his head.

"Most vampires are not Gifted. In fact, being turned into one causes you to lose any Gift you have and you'd have to start from scratch to learn one again, if you even had the affinity for it."

It was my turn to whistle at that.

I wanted to just teleport Samson to my home city where the tournament would be held, but that counted as an unapproved gift, so we had to drive down the coast to Oregon. It was a long drive, but nicer than I thought it'd be, and the trip reminded me that I hadn't been in a car for over two months.

When we arrived at the address Will had given us it was a large warehouse in the industrial part of town, much like Terese's family home. Various humanoid and very non-human looking Outsiders and Changed loitered outside the building in greater numbers than I'd ever seen.

A towering blue-furred wolf woman with glowing blue antlers talked to a man so beautiful and pale he was like a marble statue. A young looking girl with two different colored eyes laughed along with several actual fairies as a Minotaur and Cyclops compared muscles in the background.

"Aren't they scared that they'll alert the mortals?" I asked Samson as we got out of the parked car.

"This isn't some teenage story kid. The average Joe will think the costumes are cool and move on with his day. Anyone important enough to be annoying will already know what's up. Why would anyone here need to hide from mortals?"

"Oh."

I had just assumed that magic was supposed to be hidden but I guess most people really would just give themselves a rational explanation and stick to it.

As we approached the crowd, Will and Dad pushed their way though and jogged up to us. At night, Wills irises went from dull orange to black with silver crescents, filled in just as much as the moon currently was.

"Whoa you weren't kidding, your brother really is a lunar vamp." Samson said.

"This is my current Master, and friend, Samson. Sam, this is my dad and younger brother, William MacLennan, senior and junior."

My dad stuck his hand out and Samson visibly hesitated.

"I've got a handle on it don't worry," Dad grinned, looking the shabby man up and down "you would probably turn into fools gold anyhow."

"Glad to see where Tristan learned his awful sense of humor," Sam replied, shaking Dad's hand.

"Alright guys, sorry to interrupt, but I have something to do while you're all here." I said, reaching into myself and drawing out my Contract. "I want to be able to help you guys out from time to time, my Contract can have deals amended outside the typical Master-vessel situation. The only caveat is that you guys have to trade something back that I consider equal. make sense?"

"I've heard of this, and I came up with what I wanted on the drive over" Sam replied, "I propose that I can call on you at most once every three months to help me with my work. In return, I will provide everything you need for a week's vacation afterwards."

"Why vacation?" I asked, "I could make my vessel into any kind of place, with anything I could want there."

"Because you'll miss out on the human element, the mortal element, and before you know it you'll be so above it all it'll be like you're granting wishes for ants. I've heard it's a common problem for immortals."

"Ok, deal." The Contract responded to my words and wrote the terms. After Samson and I signed, it returned to its blank state.

"Since I'm pretty sure we're both immortal, and I'm still your father, I would like to pick up where we left off." Dad said, "I would like the ability to contact your vessel and leniency in you using magic for me for free. In return I will give you advice, emotionally support you, always have my doors open for you and always have your back."

That's pretty much exactly what I thought Dad would want for a deal, other than the leniency on magic part. I assumed after he signed he'd have much less limits on how much free help I could give him.

"Deal." Me and Dad signed the Contract, and it clarified that Dad could only contact me the way I chose, so I had it give him a phone number to the Alexander Graham phone I had in the study.

"What about you bro?" I asked Will.

"That's easy. How about you get to summon me like a familiar to fight for you, since I know you can't fight for shit. The caveat being I would be returned home whole and safe if I die. In return I get a wish or favor of equal value, and a free genie-made weapon right now."

"Hmm, lemme check on that one."

The Contract filled up as it had for the others, labeling Will as a familiar, but this time it required a blood signature from both of us and added that any Master I had could summon Will as well if they found out about him.

"Umm, does that look good to you?" I asked him.

"It's not like I have a lot going on anyway," he replied. We signed on the bottom. As soon as we did a long silver rapier appeared sheathed at his belt, the handle was carved mahogany wrapped in some sort of dark leather and the long blade was a silvery metal that seemed to reflect a different color with every angle.

"Alright, let's go get signed up then." I ordered.