You were seated across from Bonnie. Her eyes were closed, and the room was eerily silent, so silent that she could open them and scowl at you when you sighed. Your father was her 2000-year-old ancestor, a vampire witch hybrid who devoured women and was the son of qetsiyah. She had defeated him and taken you in, as she was technically your aunt.

“Look, you need to focus. You must meditate and connect with your powers, or they’ll continue spiraling out of control,” she advised. “Someone once taught me this. He wasn’t a very good person, but meditation? It genuinely helps.”

You shook your head, giving her a skeptical look. “I’ve had my powers suppressed my entire life, and now they’re uncontrollable. Is meditating going to help? I could’ve taken a yoga class if I wanted to meditate.”

“That’s precisely why you need meditation,” Bonnie replied, holding a candle up. “Light this.” Then, as the flame nearly took both your eyebrows off, she raised an eyebrow. “See? You’ve never had your powers, so you don’t know how to use them without overusing them. Trust me, okay?”