Aran is a perfectly normal teenager, with perfectly normal problems. He deals with perfectly normal things, like school, puberty, a slowly increasing blood-thirst, growth spurts, romance, (did his sister get someone killed again?), horrible heartaches, self-esteem issues, being used for extortion (whatever, dad's crazy rich), hanging out with friends, self-discovery and crippling teen angst.. At least that's what he wants Zerach to think. [Takes place in the same universe as The Queen's Pearl, but otherwise unrelated..]