12/9/2021 0 Comments Chapter ElevenTuesday June 27, 2017 Gabby stood outside her mother’s bedroom door at 7 A.M. sharp. She felt bad about waking her mom an hour before she was usually up, but she hoped the breakfast surprise she’d prepared would make up for it. She was nearly bouncing on her toes with excitement as she waited for an answer. Straining to hear inside the room, she realized there wasn’t any audible activity after knocking once, so she lifted her hand—the one holding a gift bag with her mom’s picture frame tucked neatly inside it—and knocked again, louder this time.
It wasn’t long before her mother cracked the door open and gave her a warm smile. “Good morning, Gabby. Is everything okay?” “Yes,” she answered with a bright smile of her own. She held up a plate with warm, fluffy waffles topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. “I made you breakfast!” Her mother’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, dear, you didn’t have to do that for me!” “I wanted to,” she insisted. “And, um, I have something else for you, too!” She held up her other hand, the one holding the gift bag. The entire surprise had been her idea, but she wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without Vincent’s help. He’d been in the kitchen that morning when she’d wandered in to begin making food. Gabby wasn’t exactly the best cook and had felt clueless about what she was going to make. Fortunately, Vincent had become acquainted with the kitchen and had shown her how to use a waffle maker that apparently had been sitting with a variety of appliances in one of the cabinets. It had taken a few tries, but eventually Gabby managed to make a few waffles that didn’t crumple to pieces and weren’t burnt. Her mother crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “And where did you get me this gift, Gabriella Cross?” Her tone was more amused than angry, which was reassuring at least. Still, Gabby felt guilty. In a small, nervous voice, she admitted, “Um, at the mall.” “You went to the mall alone?” she probed. Gabby shook her head. “No, I went with Jojo.” “And did you have a good time?” “Mmhm,” she nodded. For a moment, she couldn’t quite tell if she was in trouble for sneaking out or not, but then her mother leaned out of the doorway and kissed the top of her head giving her a clear answer. “Good. I’m glad you’re finding ways to have fun here in the city… but you could have asked me to drive you, you know.” “I’m sorry,” she apologized, feeling relieved. “I didn’t want to bother you. You seemed really stressed out, and I wanted to get you something nice.” Her mother’s eyes glistened with tears. “You’re never a bother to me, Gabby. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such a sweet, thoughtful daughter like you but I’m so thankful I have you.” Gabby’s smile returned, and she reminded her, “You saved me, remember?” “And you saved me,” her mother replied gently. “Now, why don’t we go sit down? I think I’d like to eat this lovely breakfast you’ve made me.” “Okay!” she chirped happily. Her mom already seemed in a better mood, and she couldn’t wait for her to see her gift. As they headed to the dining room, her mother gave her a sly smile. “So. You seem to really like Jojo a lot.” “I do,” she shyly answered. “He’s fun to be around.” She wasn’t sure how her mom would feel if she found out they were dating, so she had to tread carefully. “It’s just so nice to see him in such high spirits despite… certain guests.” Her mother’s voice sent a shiver up her spine; it was rare to hear such venomous disgust in her voice. A moment later, though, she turned cheerful again. “I haven’t seen him so happy since he and his sire met Amon and I for the first time.” “You know who turned him?” she asked in surprise. “Who was it?” “It was his older sister,” her mother replied. Gabby’s eyes widened. “What?” She hadn’t thought any of Jojo’s family were still alive. She wondered why he’d never told her about this before. “You’d have to ask him more, I didn’t get much of a chance to get to know her before—well, um, anyway!” They entered the dining room and her mother slipped into a seat at the table. “I was about your age when I met Nadia, you know. Well, your permanent age I should say.” Gabby was confused by the abrupt change in conversation, but she figured her mom was trying to be polite and not gossip about Jojo’s personal life. As she sat down across from her mom, she asked, “You were nineteen? Was Nadia a vampire when you met her?” “Well, twenty. And yes, she was. She’d already been alive for over a century…” Her mother got a far-off, wistful look in her eyes. “I was at a party, one my parents had thrown. They were still desperately trying to get me a suitor, but I’d rejected almost all of them so far for reasons I understand so much better now… I remember I became stressed and distraught, and I went outside to the garden to cry, and then… there she was, with me. I don’t know if I ever believed in love at first sight, but I could feel it in every inch of my body as soon as our hands touched that I wanted to spend every moment with her.” Gabby nodded slowly as she listened. That was more or less how she’d felt when she’d first met Jojo. “Were your parents mad?” Her mother shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. After a few months of seeing her in secret, I ran away with her to her father’s school in Germany. I don’t regret it for a moment. As… awful as some of my experiences in life have been, I cannot imagine being forced to marry and bear children for a man would have been particularly enjoyable.” “I’m glad you didn’t have to do that,” she said with sincerity. Imagining her mom in that position made her feel sad. She was so much more than a housewife. “I’m very glad too,” her mother sighed. “For so, so many reasons… But you know, there is a purpose in telling you this. I just want you to know that I understand what it’s like to be young and in love for the first time… It’s so… intense, beautiful, magical… especially for vampires. Mother’s greatest gift is letting us feel love the way she once did. I just want you to know that if you… if you want to talk about anything, or need advice, or whatever, I’m here for you, Gabby.” Her eyes widened again. Was her mom saying she approved? She wouldn’t be mad? She set the gift bag, which she’d still been holding until now, on the table in front of her. “I know eventually this will be over soon, and… Well, everyone will leave. But…” She took a deep breath and quickly gathered her courage. “…do you think Grandma would let Jojo stay with us?” Her mother opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by a reply from nearby. “Why not ask me directly, my sweet child?” Her grandmother lurched into the room, looking disheveled and exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. However, most surprisingly were her wings, which were extended behind her. Gabby had never seen them before; the shining brilliant purple feathers were probably the tidiest thing about her at the moment. Her grandmother stumbled over to a nearby chair and slumped down into it, leaning onto the table. Worry automatically filled Gabby’s mind, and she asked gently, “Are you okay?” “I’m exhausted, my dear “ she groaned. “I’ve been out and about tirelessly searching for a new Order… You’ve no idea how hard it is to find people worthy of joining our family in this modern day Sodom. Of the dozens I’ve spoken to, only a few I’ve offered a place here… and of those, only two have been turned so far, and then only one has joined us here.” “Really?” she asked with hopeful excitement despite her grandma’s fatigue. “Who?” “His name is Piper,” she explained. “He’s a struggling street performer. I met him at the subway station. I believe Rhiannon is with him at the moment ensuring his pet is safe… So despite the… awful news she brought, she is certainly a help.” A grin spread across her face. “He has a pet?” She’d never been allowed to keep one herself, so this was rather exciting. “A rat, a very nice rat I might add,” her grandmother said. “He does his performances to make sure he can keep the creature fed and healthy.” “Oh, a rat. Lovely,” her mother said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. “They’re really smart, Mom,” Gabby said. They weren’t necessarily her favorite animals, but she knew the ones kept as pets were far less nasty than the ones running wild in big cities. Her mother sighed. “Well, if he lets you play with it, just make sure you wash your hands and all that…” “I think he’ll like you, Gabby,” her grandmother added. “He’s like your little friend Juno. He speaks with his hands as well.” “Really?” They’d probably have to write messages like she and Juno did since she didn’t know how to speak sign language. “He speaks a lot more quickly than that child,” her grandmother added. “Perhaps he’ll let you help care for his rat while he recovers.” “Oh, is he still turning?” She briefly wondered if he would like breakfast to help keep up his strength. Then, with horror, she realized she hadn’t offered to make any for her grandma. “Are you hungry? I, um, made Mom some waffles, but I can make more!” Her grandmother waved her hand. “You don’t need to make me anything, my dear. But there was something you wanted to ask me, right?” She nodded. “Um… When… When we leave, could Jojo come with us?” Her grandmother stood and stumbled to the other side of the table where Gabby was seated and put her hands on her shoulders. “You know, these past few decades have been… agonizing. I’ve wanted to be loved by you for so long, but I could tell, you were afraid. And why wouldn’t you be? I was hideous.” Gabby stared down at the smooth wooden tabletop feeling incredibly guilty. She’d been wary of her grandma in her snake form, often avoiding her if possible. It unnerved her, and she knew now that wasn’t fair. Her grandmother had accepted her with open arms (so to speak), and she’d been rude and uncaring. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Shh, my sweet. Don’t blame yourself for what Dracula and his traitorous friends did to me.” She leaned down close to Gabby’s ear. “I promise you, I will do all I can to keep Jojo here with you.” Excitement quickly bubbled up within her, and she lifted her head again, grinning. “Really?” “Yes, really.” Before she realized what she was doing, Gabby leapt out of her chair and hugged her grandma tightly. “Thank you!” Her grandmother seemed genuinely shocked at first, but soon hugged her back. “No, thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling a bit. Gabby pulled away and grinned again, remembering the mug she’d gotten for her grandma. She had originally intended on giving it to her later, but it made more sense to do it now as her mom would likely be opening hers up shortly. “I have a gift for you! It’s in my room. Should I go get it?” “Oh, you got Mother something too?” her mother asked. “Yes, go get it! We can open our presents together that way.” With a nod, Gabby hurried out of the dining room and up the staircase. She wasn’t surprised to see the hallway was empty since it was still fairly early in the morning, though she could hear the shower running in the bathroom. When she reached her bedroom, she quietly crept inside. Flynn was sleeping on her floor just like he had been the past two nights. He seemed to be more comfortable with her and Jojo (who she had been happily sharing her bed with). If she had to guess, she’d say it was because he wanted to keep them safe, not that she particularly minded. She felt happier with the two of them close by. Moving slowly so as not to make too much noise, Gabby retrieved her grandma’s gift, which she’d tucked inside a pastel green gift bag, from the floor at the end of her bed where she’d left it the previous day. Then she left her bedroom, gently closing the door behind her. She felt relieved that she hadn’t disturbed either Flynn or Jojo and raced back to the dining room. “I got it!” she triumphantly announced as she walked back in. Her grandma was sitting at the table once more so she set the gift bag in front of her before sitting back down in her own chair. “I suppose I should be angry you snuck out, but I think you’ve brightened my mood enough to not care,” her grandmother smiled. Gabby winced sheepishly. Sneaking out in the future would be a little more tricky now that they knew she’d done it before, but she’d worry about that later. “Well, Mother, shall we finally see what Gabby’s surprised us with?” her mom asked cheerfully. “I suppose so!” her grandmother laughed in response, and the two women opened their presents. Her mother let out a gasp, one hand going over her mouth as she held up the framed photo. “Oh, Gabby… This is so sweet! That was such a lovely trip, I just… Thank you so much.” Her grandmother, on the other hand, had gone completely silent with a curious expression on her face somewhere between shock and sadness as she looked at the “Best Grandma Ever” mug. Tears soon began to stream down her face. “I… You really… believe this? About me?” Gabby smiled and nodded her head. Aside from the fact she was the only grandmother she’d ever known, she meant it wholeheartedly (even if their relationship was odd). “May I give you a gift as well?” her grandmother finally asked quietly. Surprised, she replied, “You have something for me?” Her grandmother reached over her shoulder and plucked one of her vibrant purple feathers from her wing before holding it out towards Gabby. “Angels… we only give a feather to someone if they are truly special to us. We give it so that we can always be with you, even in some small way. You… are only the fifth person I have ever given a feather to, Gabby. Please, cherish it, and know that… no matter what, I am always here for you.” Gabby gently took the feather and examined it closely. It was even prettier and just as soft as she’d imagined it would be. Her lips curled upwards into a smile, and she promised, “I’ll keep it safe always. Thank you, Grandma!” “You’re welcome, my dear,” her grandma smiled. “Now… I… I need to go and put this mug somewhere safe. Perhaps…” She shook her head. “I need rest, first. Please see to it I’m not disturbed, my daughter.” “Yes, Mother,” her mom replied dutifully. “And thank you for giving that to Gabby. I’m… I’m honored you care for my daughter that much.” Her grandma smiled a far warmer smile than Gabby could recall ever seeing before. “She has you for a mother. I would expect nothing less than the best from your child. Now… I will see you both later.” Holding her mug close to her chest, Gabby’s grandmother slowly made her way out of the room. Shortly after she left, her mother slumped forward onto the table, putting her head in her hands. “Mom? Are you okay?” Gabby inquired quietly. Maybe whatever was bothering her wasn’t something that could be cured with waffles and a picture frame. Her mother shook her head. “Why… Why can’t she be like this always? Why does she have to…” “Have to what?” she pressed, feeling utterly confused. Her mother shook her head sadly. “It’s just… I haven’t seen her like this in so long. She’s been so bitter, so cold… so hurt.” “Why is she hurt?” Her mother turned and looked at her. “I think… you should ask Amon. He can tell you the story far better than I can.” “What story?” “Her story.” She was utterly perplexed at this point. “Grandma’s?” Her mom nodded. “I think it’s right for you to know. He should be in the living room, if you want to hear it.” She nodded her head. If her mom was suggesting it, then it must be important. Besides, she was burning with curiosity. Why was her grandma bitter and hurt? Gabby got out of her chair and quickly gave her mom a hug before skipping into the living room. It was far quieter than usual as the TV wasn’t on and Rex wasn’t cackling at the weird hand show that he liked to watch. The only person in the room was Amon, who was sitting in the luxurious purple armchair by the empty fireplace sipping from the mug she had given him the other day and reading a book. “Good morning, Gabriella,” he greeted her without looking up. “How are you this morning?” “Happy,” she answered honestly, absentmindedly running her fingers along the soft, beautiful feather her grandmother had given her. “Um, Mom said I should ask you about Grandma’s story.” Amon looked up at her and closed his book. “I’m surprised it took you so long to ask about her. I thought you’d be curious after you were finally introduced to her all those years ago.” She nervously admitted, “I have been, but… I didn’t want to seem rude or nosy.” Amon chuckled. “You really are far too polite for your own good. Very well, I suppose I could tell you the story I know, if you’d like. Or…” He raised an eyebrow curiously. “Perhaps I could show you instead.” “Show me?” she echoed with confusion. Did he have pictures or videos? Amon stood up from his chair, the fireplace roaring to life behind him and the lights dimming. “If you wish for this story to be more exciting, I can use my magic to make things a bit more visually engaging. I will recreate it to the best of my ability from what I know. You do love movies, do you not? You can think of this as one, though I will warn you: It is rather bittersweet, which goes without saying, I think.” Stunned, and not sure what to expect, she simply nodded and replied, “Okay.” Amon’s eyes began to glow with a brilliant, mystical blue light. “Then let us begin.” There was a bright flash, then complete darkness. As Gabby’s vision adjusted, she saw tiny specks of light appearing all around her. She whirled around in wonder and surprise and came face-to-face with none other than the planet Earth. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Amon said as he appeared beside her. “This is where our story begins, on Earth long, long ago. It was a time when there was great magic in the world, and humans, angels, demons, and fairies were able to live together in harmony. It was a time of myths and legends.” “Wow,” she breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. It looked so real, like she was actually standing in outer space staring down at the planet itself. “Now…” They zoomed through space at rapid speed, hurtling towards Earth. There was a bright flash of light once more and when Gabby's vision cleared, she found herself in a beautiful, luscious garden. There were trees of various sizes bearing fruits both familiar and bizarre. Kneeling beside one of the trees was a silver-haired young woman with umber skin piling fruit into a basket. Much to her shock and horror, when the woman turned her head towards her, she appeared to have no visible face. “Worry not. This is merely because I do not wish to misrepresent her. I am sure her face was quite lovely, or so your grandmother has told me,” Amon chuckled. “This is where her journey to who she is now truly begins, in this garden…” There was the sound of a mighty flapping of wings, and then there she was. Her grandmother seemed so much more happy and vibrant with her face free from stress and worry and her wings shining brightly. She was nearly unrecognizable; Gabby had only seen her in a human form for a short time, but it was still hard to imagine her grandmother looking so young and carefree. She watched as her grandma walked towards the woman who was picking fruit. The woman, upon spotting her, immediately leapt up into her arms. As they lovingly embraced, Amon continued. “In those times of freedom, she traveled the world. One day she alighted on a beautiful island, and on that island was a garden. And taking care of that garden was a mortal woman, a woman named Eve. She was captivated by Eve, stunned. Not even in Enoch had she ever seen such beauty… And so, she courted her, and Eve fell for her, and they began to carve out a humble life together in that garden.” It was strange and hard for Gabby to believe that her grandma had loved someone once. Even seeing it right before her eyes, she could barely believe it. But there was one thing that confused her more than anything else Amon had said so far. “They were both named Eve?” “Well… No. Not then. Though she did tell me they would often call the other by their own name, as a little game…” Amon sighed. “To truly answer you is to explain what happened next…” They zoomed out from the garden—a sensation that nearly made Gabby dizzy with the sudden movement—to overlook the world from the sky. “This age was a time of gods… but it was also a time of monsters.” A thick dark mass stood tall on the horizon like a massive silhouette looming over the world. It was lean with two large horns like a goat and several long, thick tendrils hanging from its head. When it raised an arm, even more shadows sprung forth behind it. There were hissing serpents, writhing tentacles, and other horrific things that Gabby was glad were only featureless shadows. “As is often the case in these stories, humanity’s hubris was their downfall. A powerful being rose up against them, and all those who resided on this world had to band together to stop them. Your grandmother, of course, was content to hide with Eve in her garden…” They reappeared in the garden just in time to see the woman her grandmother had loved fleeing from a shadowy mass, only to be run through with a dark tendril. “But a war like this will find you no matter where you try to hide.” Her grandmother ran out and held on to the limp, lifeless body of the woman she loved as the dark mass retreated, a cruel, sadistic grin spreading across its shadowy form as it vanished into the distance. Gabby’s eyes welled up with tears as she witnessed the pain on her grandma’s face. “No…” “As if this pain were not enough, she had no time to mourn.” The scene changed to show her grandmother being led by two faceless, winged figures through a room adorned in gold and white towards an ornate throne with yet another faceless angel sitting upon it. “She was conscripted into the service of Enoch’s military. All must fight, thus spoke the leader… And your grandmother was a formidable mage. She was a chronomancer, a spellcaster with a mastery of time, and she had a unique property—her venom—which she could use to restore a body to a better state.” The scene shifted once more to what looked like an infirmary. Her grandmother was standing over a bed, her hand rested against the forehead of a struggling, wounded angel. “At that point, she did not have to fight. She only had to heal. And for a time, despite her situation, she was content.” Curiously, one of the angels in the background of the scene had a face. She looked to be a youthful Asian woman with gentle features, dark hair that cascaded over her shoulders, and scarlet wings folded neatly behind her back (as opposed to the dull grays and whites of the other angels’ wings she saw in this part of the story). The woman seemed to radiate warmth and was looking at her grandmother in awe. “Who is that?” Gabby quietly asked, pointing at the woman. “That…” Amon said, gesturing over to her, “…was her second love.” The scene moved to what appeared to be a tent with the women embracing lovingly. “She was the single bright star in the darkness of that war, a fellow healer. Your grandmother ached to give more of herself, but the loss of Eve was still fresh in her heart… But her feelings were undeniable. “And when it came time to defend this new love…” The tent was ripped away, and the horrifying monster that had killed Eve reared above them. Her grandmother’s face twisted with rage as she leapt into the air and began to shine brightly. Her wings extended farther and farther, and her body elongated; she was a serpent, but not like the terrifying one Gabby had come to know. Rather, she was a radiant, sparkling dragon whose scales shimmered like a rainbow. The serpent opened its mouth and blasted the shadowy creature with a stream of violet energy. The creature’s cruel smile froze on its face as it shrunk away into nothing. “She did. With all of her might.” Gabby’s mouth was hanging open in surprise as her eyes fixated on her grandma’s brilliant scales. “She really used to look like that?” Amon gave a knowing smirk. “So she has told me.” “But what happened?” She turned her head towards him, feeling puzzled now. “Why did she change?” “Let’s continue, and you shall see for yourself.” The scene shifted once more, and they were in a vast, empty void that seemed to go on for miles. There were images of her grandmother floating all around at different heights. “Come along now,” Amon said. Gabby dutifully followed after him, staring in wonder at the various scenes as they walked through the infinite space. At first, they seemed happy and exciting, with her grandmother being cheered on and praised by her peers. However, they soon devolved and she saw her grandma appearing incredibly sick while using her magic to melt away her enemies, the same shadowy silhouettes as before. “She was celebrated as a hero for her victory, but when you are a hero, more is expected of you. She was pushed to fight again and again and was even made into an executioner, ending the lives of prisoners they deemed unworthy to live. She became known as ‘The Venom of the Gods.’ All of this made her heart sick; she wanted to return to her new love, to being a healer and saving lives. She did not want to end them. When finally the war was won, she was miserable and broken. And Enoch was now closed off from Earth by the orders of her king. She was now barred from mourning Eve and felt truly and utterly lost. She isolated herself, feeling unworthy of her new love and feeling like she did not belong in her homeland anymore.” “Why did they do that to her?” she whispered. She pained at seeing her grandma this way. How could they force her to kill others? “One thing humans and angels have in common seems to be that when it comes to war, those in power are willing to use those beneath them as pawns to win the game. A true leader would never do such a thing. A true leader would fight for those who do not wish to fight.” Gabby was startled by the sheer contempt in his voice, though it was certainly understandable. She, on the other hand, burned with worry and curiosity. “Why did she stay? Why didn’t she leave?” “That is the thing… She didn’t stay.” They had come to stop in front of a large image of her grandmother weeping alone in a field. Suddenly, a bright line shone upon her and she turned. With the movement of her gaze, another faceless angel came into frame, but this one stood out. He had curly golden hair and bright white wings, and he seemed to be radiating light. “She made a friend, one who she had fought alongside in the war. He offered her an opportunity to change the way things were so that nothing like what happened to her ever happened again, and she accepted.” Her grandmother reached out and took the shining angel’s hand. “Did she find happiness again?” “She did,” Amon nodded. “But not before more tragedy befell her. Her new friend staged a rebellion against the oppressive ruler of the angels, but though your grandmother was right beside him, he never made her fight. Her friend respected her decision… but this became her downfall.” The endless void disappeared and the scenery changed. This time, it showed her grandmother being held up by wires with the faceless form of the angel ruler she saw earlier standing over her with a posture that radiated smugness. “During a skirmish, she was captured. They threatened to do horrible things to her if her friend did not surrender… so he did. The rebellion was over; they had lost. But even the callous ruler knew he could not execute a hero like your grandmother. It would be suicide for his reign. So instead, he banished her to Earth. “As you might imagine, this was only partly a punishment. She was separated from her second love and could not return to Enoch… but, finally, she was able to mourn Eve. She returned to her garden and began to tend to it, and it was there she cast aside her angelic name and took the name of her first love, that her memory might always live on through her.” The scene changed to show her grandmother kneeling before an apple tree in the garden, her head hung low. Gabby felt immense sadness for her grandma. Was she still in pain? She tried to imagine losing Jojo and felt even more agony. Is that how her grandma had felt? Amon put a hand gently on her shoulder. “I can imagine what you are thinking. Perhaps we should move to a time of happiness for her?” The sun above moved rapidly through the sky, the moon rising to replace it, the cycling of day and night soon blurring until the sun was once more high in the sky. No longer in the garden, they were now standing on the bank of a river in the woods. The trees were tall and lush, and the water was beautiful and crystal clear. “For a few hundred years, she lived in the garden, only traveling to a nearby kingdom now and then to trade her harvests for supplies. She was regarded curiously by the citizens of the kingdom, but they hardly interacted with her beyond detached fascination. She accepted this, though she craved companionship, she craved to have people in her life again… “And then one day, as she traveled home from the market, she heard something that would change her life.” There was a tremendous splash from somewhere up the river, which Amon ran off towards with Gabby following close behind. They soon found her grandmother wading out of the water with a young boy who was coughing and spluttering. The boy, like many of those she’d seen in the story, was missing a face. Gabby’s eyes widened. “Who is that? What happened?” “That…” Amon said with a wistful smile, “…was the prince of the kingdom she visited. He had been off playing and had made a misstep and fallen into the river. Your grandmother heard him fall in and dove in after to save him.” The scene melted away before her like ice cream on a hot day, leaving behind a new one showing a lavish palace’s throne room. The little boy from the river was there holding the hand of a little girl with shiny silver hair. The king was seated on his throne, but stood up a quick moment later and embraced her grandmother, who had been standing nervously before him. While the prince’s face was missing, those of both the king and the princess were visible. “The king was so incredibly grateful, and did not hesitate to offer her a position in the castle. She accepted; she’d never have to be lonely again this way. And so it was that she became the royal gardener, beloved by the king, beloved by the people…” The scene once more melted into a new one, this one with her grandma playing with the young prince and princess in the palace garden. “...and beloved by the young prince and princess. As their mother had passed, it was your grandmother who helped the king raise them. Even with all the pain she’d experienced, she’d finally found some semblance of peace in her life, and she cherished it.” Gabby smiled as she watched the three play, but she felt a hollow sadness. This didn’t have a happy ending either, did it? If it did, then why was her grandma so sad and angry? Amon glanced at her forlornly. “I’m sure you realize this bliss was not to last.” The sky above them turned a deep red. “One day, the sky grew dark, and the air grew hot. From the heavens above, a great ball of fire came!” Amon pointed upwards. Piercing through the clouds was a massive ball of flame hurtling towards the kingdom. “Your grandmother had precious little time. All she could do was embrace the prince and princess and shield them with her wings. Perhaps, if she’d had more time, she could have prepared, but she had only an instant. And in that instant she chose to protect her family.” The scene changed yet again, and they were now in a dim cave lit only by the shimmering purple crystals embedded in the rocky walls. “When she finally came to, she found herself deep underground in a cavern… along with much of the kingdom. The magic shields the kingdom employed had protected the buildings from the impact, but the sheer heat and energy… there were no other survivors, save for her, the royal children… and one other.” The whole kingdom died? Gabby could practically feel her heart break. “Who was the other?” A warm glow filled the cave, enveloping everything in a hazy orange light. A figure slowly faded into view, and Gabby was shocked to see the angel her grandmother had met during the war, the one she’d loved. Her grandmother rushed forward and embraced the angel, spinning her around and kissing her. “I think, perhaps, they were meant to be. If only their reunion wasn’t so bittersweet on both of their parts. For her love, it was finding your grandmother devastated by the loss of her home, her friends… but for your grandmother, it was finding that her love had been the falling star that obliterated the kingdom.” “But… they were still together, right?” She wanted so badly for there to be a happy ending, even if she knew better. Why did her grandma have to suffer? What did she do to deserve that? It made her angry. “Of course. Her love did not do this on purpose.” The hazy orange around the embracing angels shifted, parting behind them to show another angel with flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes adorned in glistening white armor. “Rather, it had been her sister.” A shadowy figure rose up in the background opposite the red-headed angel. It wasn’t much bigger than her, but it had a peculiar silhouette and its head was shaped like a spade. The worst part, though, were its eyes: Two yellow orbs that seemed to be piercing through her as she looked at it even though it was a magical illusion. ”Much like your grandmother, her lover’s sister was a war hero,” Amon explained. “The angel had slain one of the most powerful generals from the monsters’ army using a sword that inflicted damage those struck by it could not recover from…” The red-headed angel darted forward and impaled the shadowy being, who exploded in a burst of fire. “Something had happened to her sibling after the war, but what it was she knew not. All she knew was that in a moment, her sister had struck her down and sent her hurtling through the barrier between worlds, leading to the tragedy that befell the kingdom. “It is unfortunate to say that that same sword that had once fought for the safety of the world had struck your grandmother’s love, and she would have suffered far worse if your grandmother had not put all of her energy into staving off what her lover believed was an inevitability. “With her magic, she bought her love fourteen years of time. Fourteen years in which they raised the prince and princess as their own, fourteen years in which they loved each other more than anything, fourteen years where your grandmother toiled endlessly, experimenting with her chronomancy and venom, even envenoming apples to slow down that vicious wound…” The scene slowly darkened and faded into the next one. Her grandmother was kneeling before an ornate shrine illuminated by candles and the light of the crystals. Her head was hung low as she laid flowers on it, the prince and princess, who were now older than when they’d first appeared, standing solemnly by her side. “It was not enough. Her love eventually passed on, despite everything she had done.” By now, Gabby felt almost as crushed as her grandma looked. “Why?” she asked miserably. “Why did she have to suffer like that?” Amon closed his eyes. “Someone I knew a hundred years ago used to say, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ Sometimes that reason is that people are very cruel.” He pointed towards where the entrance of the cave was. “Some far more cruel than others.” Gabby slowly turned her gaze to see the same angel with short, red hair from before standing in the mouth of the cave. This time, however, the angel looked disheveled with a wild look in her piercing blue eyes. “She came looking for her sister,” Amon explained. Gabby stared warily at the figure. Something about her gave her a bad feeling in her gut, and she shifted just a tiny bit closer to Amon. The figure lurched towards her grandmother, who moved defensively in front of the prince and princess. “The angel tried to sway your grandmother to her side, that she might once more be pulled into war. Your grandmother, of course, refused. She would never fight a war again. “Her refusal was a mistake, and it was the genesis of everything to come.” The angel lunged forward towards her grandmother, then everything faded to blackness, only punctured by the sound of her grandmother screaming. Scared, Gabby reached out and found Amon’s arm with the hand that wasn't holding the feather. She clung to it with wide eyes, hating the horrific sound. She wanted to help or do something, but she knew it was far too late for that. “Angel biology is different from that of humans… Their hearts, I am told, resemble something akin to a twenty-sided die that one would use in a tabletop game. They contain the core essence of an angel’s being, what makes them themselves. Perhaps most fascinating is that an angel could live without a heart, though their life would not be pleasant… And one did. Your grandmother’s heart was carved out with a silver dagger, and she was left for dead in the ruins of her home.” Gabby was horrified. “But why?” Why would anyone do such a thing to someone else? Amon shook his head sadly. “Who can say? And would knowing have changed what she awoke to see?” The darkness slowly faded away to reveal her grandmother lying on the cavern floor wounded, shivering, and clinging to the princess. The princess was shaking as well, a terrible gash visible in her side. “The princess had been struck with the very same sword that had claimed your grandmother’s love. She was to lose her… And the prince was gravely wounded as well, though not by the sword. She was to lose everything one final time… And then, a thought occurred to her.” A red apple appeared in her grandmother’s hand. “The apples she had long experimented on could not save an angel, but perhaps they could save a human. She envenomed it, then gave the apple to the prince, praying that this would work. And the results… They were not quite what she imagined. The prince’s teeth turned to fangs, and he became stronger, faster, and powerful beyond any mere human. He became the first vampire.” Gabby stared at the image before her in shock (if it was even possible to be surprised any further at this point). “Who is he?” she whispered. Amon gave her a sly smile. “Who knows? Whoever he is, he would have to be very old and very mysterious, wouldn’t he?” “Is he still alive? Or…” She swallowed hard. “Or did Grandma lose him, too?” “As she tells me, he is very well, though she does her best to keep him out of harm’s way,” he explained, amusement in his voice. “Ah, as for the princess…” He gestured to her, who was being fed an apple by Gabby’s grandmother. “She, too, became a vampire. But even as a vampire, the wound simply would not heal, and she lived in agony. Your grandmother used her magic to put her into an eternal slumber so that she might rest easy until the day she could be healed.” “Did she ever find a way to help her?” “Not yet,” Amon sighed. “But in her quest to find a way to awaken her…” The cave dissolved into a thousand tiny particles, and they were in the void once more. However, instead of the snapshots Gabby had seen before, there were instead hundreds of images floating about of her grandmother extending a hand to a wide variety of people. “...she has helped a great many. Some I would say were deserving.” He gestured towards an image of her grandmother extending a hand to a miserable-looking Middle Eastern man kneeling on the ground underneath a noose with tears in his eyes. “Some I can promise you were not.” He directed her attention towards another image, this one of a sobbing woman dressed in an incredibly fancy dress stained in blood, pleading before her grandmother. “And some…” Amon led Gabby to an image of her grandmother extending a gracious hand to a tall, pale man with shoulder-length dark hair who looked as if he had just been beaten, battered and bruised. “Some were, perhaps, far too good for this world.” Still holding Amon’s arm, even though she didn’t necessarily need to anymore, she quietly asked, “Who is that?” “That… is Dracula.” Her eyes widened once more, and she involuntarily squeaked, squeezing his arm a little tighter. That was Dracula? Her mom had told her he wasn’t a danger to her, but she was still afraid. “He was a good man, Gabriella. All he wanted was a world where vampires didn’t have to hide, and could live in harmony with mortals. Sad to say he never achieved that, though he came close before the end… Silberstadt, Germany is to this day a testament to his desire for such a world.” “But… then why is Grandma so mad he’s back?” “Because she thinks he betrayed her. Which is not the whole truth, but from her point of view, it’s the only truth that matters. And she has that point of view because she is a broken woman from all that has happened to her, and she lets herself be swayed by… negative influences.” The images surrounding them blinked out one by one, leaving them standing in the darkness of the void. A few seconds later, gas lamps flicked to life all around them, revealing a dim, foggy road in a dreary-looking city at night. The sound of cheerful whistling echoed down the street, yet for some reason it filled Gabby with a sense of apprehension. “Some more negative than others,” Amon said, waving his hand towards one of the lamps. The source of the whistling soon became apparent. A young man in a long dark coat stood under the lamplight, tossing a knife up into the air and catching it on the way down. “Jack is a blight upon this coven and the most egregious of her second chances. She was always willing to allow even wicked vampires like Elizabeth Bathory, Sawney Bean, or Gordon Ruthven pay their penance by swearing their love and loyalty to her, but she has given Jack more chances than any before. And unlike any others, he has never shown any sign of repentance.” “But… why?” She felt even more afraid now than when she’d seen Dracula just moments ago. And who could blame her? This was the same man who had tortured and abused Jojo for years. Yet her grandma still wanted him to be a part of the coven? “I am not certain, Gabriella. But there is one thing I’m sure of.” Amon snapped his fingers, and suddenly they were on a grassy hill. A short distance away, a young blonde woman sat with her back turned to them. It was clear from her posture and the sniffling that she was quite unhappy. “Why, hello there,” came her grandmother’s voice. She landed on the ground behind the woman, folding her beautiful angelic wings neatly behind her back as the young lady whirled around and stumbled to her feet. Now, looking at her face more clearly, Gabby immediately recognized the woman as her mother, only she seemed to be younger, possibly around her age. “She has always told me the day she met Marianna was one of the happiest of her life,” Amon smiled. “From that first encounter, she knew that Marianna was her daughter. For all that she claims of no longer being able to love, I think there is still a part of her that can because I know what she feels for your mother is as genuine as anything in this world.” This, finally, brought a smile to Gabby’s face. It reassured her to see her grandmother really did love her mom. “Do you wish to see one more memory she cherishes? I suppose we should leave this on a less bitter note.” She nodded enthusiastically. “Mmhm!” One more, even if bittersweet, would be a good end to the story. Once more, the scene faded away, and they were now in a very familiar hallway. Even though it had been more than forty years, Gabby immediately recognized the Chicago mansion she had been invited to stay in when she’d first met Amon and her mom. She could see her grandmother in her snake form just a few feet from where they stood. She was peering into the bedroom she’d once stayed in. “What are you doing?” came the hushed voice of the past Amon as he approached her grandmother. “If she awakens now and sees you, I can’t imagine it will end well. Marianna is still crying with relief that Gabriella accepted that she’s a vampire.” Her grandmother withdrew her head from the doorway. The cracked horns and missing eye and various wounds had all disturbed Gabby when she saw her back then, but in this moment, they only made her seem sadder than ever. “I’m… a grandmother. This is my granddaughter. I can hardly believe it.” “I know,” the past Amon smiled. “What if she hates me, Amon? Look at me.” She gestured at herself with her tail. “I won’t blame her if she finds me hideous. I am. Trapped in this mockery of who I once was…” “I don’t think she is a hateful person. She’ll come around eventually. Give her time.” Gabby felt Amon put his hand gently on her shoulder. “Your grandmother is a complicated woman. She has suffered, and she has caused suffering. But I want you to know that she has never viewed you as anything less than family, and she does love you, heart or no.” She’d had no idea about this. She remembered being so frightened of her grandma for a long, long time, particularly because of her appearance. But now, more than ever, she understood. Ignoring how watery her vision had quickly become, she asked, “Do you know where Grandma is right now?” With a snap of his fingers, the illusions disappeared and they were back in the living room. Amon slowly sank back into the armchair he’d been in before the story began. “I believe she has retired to her room, although I don’t think she’d be unhappy if you visited her.” With a bright smile, she chirped, “Thank you!” Then she quickly dashed out of the room and through the house. She understood everything, or most of it, and she needed to let her grandma know how much she appreciated her. It was a mission that couldn’t wait. As soon as she reached her grandmother’s bedroom door, she knocked with excitement. She was practically bouncing on her tiptoes as she waited for an answer. There was a long moment of silence before her grandmother quietly replied, “Come in.” Timidly, she opened the door and peeked inside. Her grandmother was hunched over her dresser, her head hung low as she stood in front of the mirror. She turned around with surprise in her eyes. “Gabby? What… What brings you here?” “Am I bothering you?” she asked nervously, her previous enthusiasm muted by the melancholy atmosphere in the room. She’d been so excited that she hadn’t considered her grandma might be busy. “No, no, never, my dear…” She glanced back at the mirror for a moment before giving Gabby a sad smile. “I’m just… alone with my thoughts right now. I suppose trying to rest was a fruitless endeavor.” Seeing the same sorrow on her face as she did in Amon’s story, Gabby rushed inside and enveloped her grandma in a tight hug. Her grandmother didn’t hesitate to hug her back. “What have I done to deserve this?” she whispered. She wasn’t sure if she should confess that she knew her story or not. Was it something she wanted Gabby to know? She certainly didn’t want to get her mom or Amon in trouble. To err on the side of caution, she decided to simply say, “I know you’ve been stressed out, and I wanted to let you know I love you.” “I…” Her voice seemed to waver, as if unsure how to respond. “I appreciate it, so much. And I hope you know that soon I’ll be able to show you how much I love you too.” “You will?” she asked, lifting her head to look at her in surprise. “Yes,” her grandmother smiled. “I owe it to you after terrifying you for so long… And I owe it to that sweetheart of yours, don’t I? I’ve… been so cruel. Why? Why have I… not cared?” Her grandmother shook her head sadly. “I look in my mirror and I far too often see a stranger, Gabby. I terrify myself. But I promise you I will do all I can to make things right when all is said and done.” “I believe you,” she reassured her with a bright grin. And she did, very much so. “Perhaps I will start with taking care of Moore… I’ll let my new Order use him to feed… Piper will surely be hungry when he awakens, after all…” This, admittedly, made her giggle. “He deserves it.” “The more I see you with that boy, the more I wonder why I let Jack convince me to take that man…” her grandmother muttered. “And I don’t understand why I ignored your mother’s concerns… But I will right this.” She hugged her grandma tightly again. “Thank you,” she whispered. Jojo would finally be able to be free so he could discover who he was meant to be, and they could really be together! ****** Deep breath, Rika. Don’t be weird, Rika reminded herself as she stood outside of Liquid Heaven. For some reason, she hadn’t been able to get this Easy guy out of her head for the past day. Between him and the winged man, she had a lot on her mind, though she couldn’t understand why Easy was apparently so memorable. Even more confusing was why her watch had gone crazy when she’d seen him. The watch had been a gift from her father on her tenth birthday. He was a watchmaker by trade and had painstakingly crafted it to suit her. He had engraved the gold case with her initials and an elaborate design. Compared to the ones made for her older brother and mother, hers was completely unique. She clearly remembered him saying to her, “Keep this, and you will always have a part of me with you even when I am not around.” And, for all of these years, it had certainly proven true. The watch always seemed to point her in the right direction during certain parts of her life by letting off a loud ticking sound only she seemed to be able to hear. She’d chalked it up to simple weirdness, but after becoming a vampire, she’d started to wonder if there was more to it. Her father had been a mysterious man, all things considered, and though she’d been very close to him, she’d still felt an odd distance between him even before he’d disappeared on a trip to Egypt. But none of that explained why it had been ticking with Easy. Normally, the mysterious ticking noise only sounded when there was a huge decision to be made, like when she’d decided to return to Rhine after a year or two in exile, when she’d decided to trust David for the first time, when she’d dated Allen, when she’d dumped him… These were all huge, important events that seemed major even in the moment. But Easy was just some guy, wasn’t he? What stood out about him enough to warrant the ticking? Rika was determined to figure it out. With one final inhalation, she stepped inside. Behind the counter were two female employees. One had curly blonde hair and a friendly smile as she took a customer’s order. The other had curly pink hair and was making beverages. Scanning the inside of the restaurant, she found Easy sitting by himself towards the back sipping on a coffee. Just like the other night, he was wearing a black sweatshirt. How he was comfortable in the summer heat, she didn’t know (though maybe it was just a guy thing considering how David wore sweatshirts regardless of the temperature). Deciding to wait for the line to die down a bit, she headed over to his table and slipped into the seat across from him. “Hey there, Easy,” she greeted him cheerfully. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” “Nah,” he shrugged. “I came early. I was in the area anyway.” “Doing more of… whatever it is you do?” she asked. “Yeah, something like that,” he mysteriously answered. “Uh-huh.” This was off to a very awkward start, but she was determined to power through it. “So, Easy… What kind of coffee are you drinking? Anything good?” It was a lame question, but maybe it would help break the ice a little bit. “Just a French vanilla latte. Not all that special, really.” “Nothing wrong with keeping it simple.” “You gonna get anything?” he asked before taking a quick sip from his cup. Rika glanced over at the line. “Yeah, I’m just waiting for the line to go down a bit.” Easy also looked over at the people waiting patiently (for the most part) and nodded. “Oh. It got busy. It was pretty empty when I first showed up.” “Just my luck,” Rika sighed. She had been held up a bit by Val, who had told her he was nervous about seeing his sister and chatted with her for a while. She hadn’t bothered to cut him off, so she’d been a bit tardier than she would have liked. Of course that meant she’d arrived when business started picking up. He shrugged and turned his attention back to her. “They’ll get caught up eventually. They seem pretty good at their job.” The barista making the drinks did seem to be handling the rush pretty well, so she shrugged and turned back to Easy. “So,” she began, “I think you told me that you had some crazy stories about this city to tell.” “This one and others,” he answered in an almost irritating vagueness. “Oh, you travel a lot?” “Yeah. I haven’t really stayed in one place longer than a year or two since I left home at nineteen.” “Guess we have that in common,” she laughed. “Is it because of work?” She had to admit, she was growing more and more curious with each vague reply that he gave. “Yeah. I get a place in a city with a year’s lease, maybe two, and leave when it runs out.” He took another sip of his latte. “How much longer are you stuck in Rhine?” “Nine months,” he answered. “Seen anything really crazy in your first year here?” With a small smirk, he replied, “Try first three months. At least the city isn’t boring, that’s for sure. I’ve seen a guy having an affair with his wife’s twin sister, some chum running a black market operation with stolen trading cards, and a dumb kid stealing beer from a bar’s storage cooler and replacing it with dollar store root beer.” She laughed at the last one. “Welcome to Rhine City! You’re gonna see a lot of stuff like that. But you’ll probably see even worse stuff too.” She paused for a moment, then cautiously continued, “So… Is all that part of your job? What is it you do?” Easy nervously rubbed the back of his head. “Uh… I’m… kind of a freelancer.” “Like a freelance photographer?” That did go a long way towards explaining what he was doing at the scene of the gang’s big debut, but it raised a lot more questions than it answered. The biggest unknown, of course, was why her watch had done its thing and pushed her to talk with him. He didn’t know anything about the winged man, so she wasn’t totally sure what the deal there was (not that she had actually expected that particular mystery to be answered easily). “Sort of.” He placed his hand onto the table again and awkwardly played with his cardboard cup. “It… depends on what I’m hired for.” She raised an eyebrow at this. “So what were you hired for the night we met?” He hesitated and avoided looking at Rika while he seemingly considered this question. “One of my employers was… interested in Robert Snyder.” Oh boy. Competition? “And I’m guessing it’s not that Loveless guy.” “No,” he confirmed. “And I’m guessing you can’t tell me who did hire you.” “I could,” he shrugged. “But I don’t want to.” Ouch. She supposed it was fair since he barely knew her. “Why exactly are you so interested in what I do?” he asked, both changing the subject and surprising her with his forwardness. “You ever figure that out?” “No,” she sighed in exasperation. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve got nothing so far. But I know talking to you is the right thing to do.” Beneath his messy hair, one of his eyebrows lifted. “And how do you know that?” “You either wouldn’t believe me or would think I’m crazy if I told you the real reason, so let’s say a gut feeling. Maybe women’s intuition? Something like that.” “Think your intuition is a bit off then,” he dismissively shrugged. “Pretty sure that guy, Loveless or whatever, is more interesting than I am.” “That’s not what my gut’s telling me.” He snorted. “Do you just have a thing for the most boring guys on the planet or something?” “You’re plenty interesting. Your name’s Easy, for crying out loud! That counts for something, I think.” She barely knew the guy but he was very intriguing to her. After all, she’d singled him out of a crowd of onlookers, but she really couldn’t fathom why. It definitely wasn’t because he was boring like he seemed to think he was, but she still didn’t quite get it. “What does my name have to do with it?” His relaxed demeanor changed, and he looked extremely suspicious suddenly. “Why am I really here?” She sighed and pulled out her pocket watch, setting it down on the table and tracing over the initials engraved on the front with her finger. “My dad always used to say ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ And my dad was my favorite person growing up… So noticing you? There’s a reason for it. And I’m trying to find out.” Easy stared at the watch for a long, quiet moment, one that was only filled by the noise of conversation and coffees being made in the cafe. “R… A…?” His eyes lifted up to stare questioningly at Rika. “I thought you said your last name is Paine.” Shit. “Yeah, I did. That’s what I go by these days. My best friend lets me use his last name.” Under his breath, which he probably didn’t actually expect Rika to pick up, Easy mumbled, “So that’s why I couldn’t find anything on you…” “Looking me up, huh? I guarantee you found something about me without realizing it.” Easy’s face immediately flushed a light red. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be creepy about it. It’s just… part of my line of work, I—” He stopped mid-sentence and stared at her suspiciously. “Wait, what do you mean I probably found something about you?” She sighed. “Did you see any articles about the disappearance of Rika Amano ten years ago?” He paused to think about this, but ultimately shrugged. “Surprisingly, your name is more common than you’d think.” Muttering once again, he added, “You wouldn’t believe the number of anime or manga characters that popped up.” Rika snorted. “Oh, I can believe it. But, yeah, I’m a footnote in the city’s long history of mysterious June 30th disappearances.” “You don’t look like you’re missing to me.” “I came back, obviously.” Her watch had ticked like crazy when she’d left the city; it had driven her nuts for months while she moved from town to town, trying to survive. It was on and off like that for a couple of years before she’d felt like she needed to come back, at which point the watch had given her a break. “Why’d you leave in the first place? Other than, you know, the obvious crime problem.” Her hand instinctively went to her left arm. “My… brother didn’t want me around. He hired people to beat me up and if I didn’t leave, it would get worse.” “That’s pretty fucked. And I’ve seen some shit.” “Yeah…” She couldn’t argue with it. It was terrible how bad things got after her father vanished. Her brother seemed to get even more anxious and angry than he had been before, and their mother had become more quiet and somber. An awkward silence passed between the two before she heard a soft sigh from Easy. He shifted in his seat and reached for something in his pocket. She was surprised to see him pull out his wallet, from which he took out a $10 bill and handed it to her. “I think the line’s slowing down if you still want something.” She looked down at it. “I… Are you sure?” “Yeah.” She smiled gratefully. “Thanks. Seriously.” She grabbed the ten and headed up. The line had thinned out considerably, so she barely had time to consider what she wanted before she finally arrived at the counter. The blonde-haired woman who had been working at the register when Rika had first arrived was missing, and the woman with bubblegum pink hair who had been making the drinks was wiping something down, likely taking advantage of the small break in customers. “Be right with you!” the barista called out without looking up. “Take your time! I need a minute anyway.” Rika looked over the menu and, after some deliberation, decided on a white chocolate mocha. A short moment later, the barista finally turned towards her. “Hello, how can I h—” The server froze, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open. “Um. H-Hold on just a second.” She looked around before calling out, “Yo! Felicity!” “Yeah?” came a voice not far from where Rika stood. She turned to see the other employee, Felicity presumably, standing at a table with a washcloth. “Can you take this order for me? I, uh, need a break. It’s an emergency,” the barista asked nervously. “Yeah, sure.” Rika watched Felicity shrug apologetically in her direction before hurrying behind the counter just as her coworker rushed out-of-sight. “Sorry about that. What can I get for you?” “Er…” Rika was a bit baffled by what had just happened, but she didn’t want to dwell on it and hold up the employees. “Can I get a white chocolate mocha, please?” “Sure thing,” Felicity smiled. She smoothly processed the order, handing Rika back her change, then got to work making the order. The noise of the machines was loud enough as it was, but with better hearing thanks to her vampirism, they were even more thunderous. Surprisingly, however, it didn’t bother her very much. It was easy enough to disregard it as background noise. No more than three minutes after she had ordered it, Felicity returned to the register with a paper cup complete with a coffee sleeve to protect her hand from the heat. With a smile, she chirped, “Here you go! Enjoy!” “Thank you very much,” Rika replied as she took the drink. Taking a couple bucks out of her own wallet and putting them in the tip jar, she returned to her seat and handed Easy his change. “I had a really weird experience up there.” Lifting his thick dark eyebrow beneath his hair once more, Easy asked, “What do you mean?” Before she could respond, the pink-haired server sat down in an empty seat at their table. “Heyyyyyy there,” she said. Both Rika and Easy glanced at the employee, dumbfounded. “Uh… hi,” Rika uttered in confusion. “So this must seem really damn weird, I’ll admit, seeing as you don’t know me or anything…” Under his breath, Easy grumbled, “This seems familiar.” The server turned towards him and gave a confident smirk. “Hey, wait, aren’t you that cute dorky guy who ordered from me earlier? Do you have any idea who you’re sitting with here?” Rika felt a sudden surge of anger and slammed her hand against the table, trying her best to be conscious of her strength. “Okay, I’d like some answers here. Who even are you?” The server girl jumped before hurriedly rummaging in her pants pocket and pulling out a white business card that read Tales from Rhine City in bold spring green text. “I’m Rue Rheingold, I host a podcast called Tales from Rhine City with my friends where we talk about cryptids and mysteries and shit, and my girl Rita specifically told me to keep an eye out—“ She paused to wink and point at Rika. “—for you.” Rika blinked, feeling more confused than ever before. “For… me.” “Yeah!” She lowered her voice. “Rika Amano, the missing daughter of the Amano family. Vanished three years after her father did. And then there you are popping up in the Loveless video! It’s unreal!” Rika narrowed her eyes. This was beyond strange. Was this girl a friend or enemy? Was this one of Eve’s evil vampires that she’d been warned about? Was this what her watch had pointed her towards? It was ticking faintly now, but she wasn’t sure what it expected her to do. “So what exactly do you want? An interview for your podcast?” Rue’s eyes lit up. “Holy shit, would you? I mean, no. I just, uh, need you to call the number on the card when you get a chance.” This was all extremely suspicious and yet, she wanted to believe that this weird woman was willing to help. Looking down at the business card again, she closely observed the UFO emblazoned on it, and a thought occurred to her. If Rue and her friends knew about cryptids and UFOs, maybe they could help her find the truth about the winged man. The ticking of her watch instantly intensified, signaling to her this was probably the right decision. With a sigh, she said, “Ok, I guess I’ll call tonight.” “Great!” Rue said, jumping out of the seat. “Well, I gotta get back to work and all, so… enjoy your date? Talk to you later? Bye!” Before Rika could even react, Rue had darted off to the back yet again. Unsurprisingly, Easy looked pretty perplexed. “Date…?” “That’s your main takeaway from all that?” Rika huffed. He shrugged. “This doesn’t have anything to do with me. What do I care what they want with you?” Rika’s hand went to her left arm yet again. The harsh bluntness was not totally unexpected at this point, but it still wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “Well… At least I think this is the right course. These weird girls might be able to help me out, actually.” “With what?” “I guarantee you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He stared at her blankly. “Try me.” “I ran into a man with wings the night of the Loveless thing, when I was on a roof nearby.” Easy leaned back in his chair and snorted. “You’re right. I don’t believe you.” “Wonderful,” she grumbled. “What do you need help with, anyway?” “Aside from the winged man thing… Maybe finding out what happened to my father?” It was a long shot, but Rue knew her case; maybe these girls had some info she didn’t have access to. “What exactly did happen to him? If, um, I’m allowed to ask.” He shifted in his chair awkwardly as though nervous he’d gone too far. Rika’s head drooped, and she looked down at the table. “It was thirteen years ago,” she began quietly, “at a time when things seemed… really tense in our house. He and my mom seemed so off for a while. Then, suddenly, one day he said he had to go on a business trip to Egypt. And he just… never came back.” “Shit. I’m sorry.” When she lifted her gaze again, she saw his lips had curved downwards into a sympathetic frown. It was the most emotion she’d seen from the man since meeting him. “It’s so stupid, right?” she laughed bitterly, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. “Thinking he might still be alive out there. He can’t be, can he? But I want to know, and I know that whatever feeling I have in my gut is pushing me towards answers. This Rue girl, you, the winged man I saw… they’re all pieces of a puzzle, and I’m trying so hard to put it all together because I need to know for sure.” “How is any of that supposed to tell you what happened to your dad?” “I don’t know, Easy. I really don’t.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Silence passed between them for a moment before he spoke. “Look, I don’t know how to give you the answers you want, but if you want to go looking for them… Well, maybe I could help you out.” “You’d… do that for me?” she asked almost incredulously. “Even though you barely know me and you probably think I’m insane?” He shrugged. “Yeah.” “Well… I’d appreciate it. Seriously. And maybe I’ll be able to find out why you’re so interesting so that I can finally let you know.” She gave him a big smile, though as she did she wondered if her fangs were too obvious. If they were, he didn’t say anything. Silence fell between them once more before Easy sighed. “Can I see your phone?” “Oh, sure. You, uh, putting your number in?” “Yeah. Unless you’re relying on snail mail,” he snorted. “Snail mail,” she repeated as she handed him her phone. “My dad called it that. Such a weird term, but he loved snails.” Easy blinked at her beneath his glasses. “I guess someone has to appreciate them.” “What, you don’t like snails?” Rika laughed. “They’re kinda cute. I like their eyes.” “I’m not a huge fan of the outdoors, so what do you think?” He took a minute to tap through her phone and program his number in. When he handed it back, there was a smirk on his face. “Interesting background.” She raised an eyebrow and smirked back. “You got a problem with Cats?” “Is that what it is? I can’t say I’ve ever seen it.” “Yep! That’s my favorite character, Skimbleshanks,” she explained as she proudly tapped her phone for emphasis. “That’s the one thing my whole family could agree on: we all loved Cats. I remember when my dad took my brother and I to a show back in… 1999, I think.” She sighed. “I miss those days.” Easy rubbed his neck again nervously. “It, uh… sounds like a good memory.” “It is,” she said, her mood perking back up as she remembered how much fun she’d had. Her mother and father had been in such a good mood as she and her brother had skipped out of the theater singing their favorite songs. Even in the darkest moments she’d lived through the past decade, she’d still clung to that memory. “At least you have good memories despite, you know… what happened.” “You can’t let the bad moments of your life define you,” Rika replied quietly. “It never leads to anything good. You have to use the bad to push you to rise above it and be better… you know?” “Yeah,” he agreed with a sigh. “I know. Hard to do that, though.” “Nothing in life is ever easy, is it?” She smiled playfully. “Except you, I suppose.” With an irritated groan, he replied, “Look, the name was my mom’s idea, okay? Something about how labor was the easiest with me.” “Honestly, that’s really cool,” she said earnestly. “I like your name. It’s unique. Unlike mine, as you saw when you were looking me up.” He shifted his eyes away to stare at something behind her and sheepishly admitted, “I like your name.” For some reason, she suddenly felt her cheeks burning. “Oh! Well, thank you. I’m glad you do.” Another awkward silence passed between them. Easy slowly reached for his cup and practically downed the rest of the contents for several long seconds. When he set it down again, he cleared his throat and eloquently said, “So, uh…” “Uhhh… So what?” she replied sheepishly. When he shrugged, apparently at a loss for words, she suggested, “Well… Hey, we don’t have to force a conversation! Let’s just, um, enjoy the rest of our drinks!” Easy glanced at his cup. “Mine’s gone.” “Oh.” She felt increasingly awkward, and she didn’t know why. “Well, um… I suppose we could part ways for now. If you want.” “For now? So we are meeting up again at some point?” “Isn’t that why you gave me your number?” Once again, he shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. Or, you know, because I wanted to give you a way to contact me when you figure out why exactly you wanted to talk to me so badly.” He gave her a teasing smirk. She gave her own playful smirk back. “Guess we’ll just have to see which comes first.” This had been a pretty fruitful encounter, even if she still wasn’t totally sure what she was doing. Easy was a very interesting guy, no matter what he said, and Rue’s request had her burning with curiosity. As she sipped her mocha, she wondered what exactly was in store for her future. Whatever it was, she knew one thing for sure: The tell-tale ticking of her watch told her that she was taking a step in the right direction and heading where she was meant to be. ****** Sierra had a routine. Every day, around 5:00 p.m., she left her apartment and walked a few blocks to Rhyme or Reason Karaoke Bar. She’d been doing this for the past few years like clockwork (with the few days she was going through the turning process being an exception), but for the first time in a long time, she was breaking this habit. Instead of heading to the bar, she was in a taxi riding to a house she hadn’t been to since she was a kid. She’d told Armstrong the night prior that she had family obligations and would likely be absent. He’d definitely appeared suspicious, not that she blamed him; she’d hardly talked about her family at all since she’d known him. Thankfully, he hadn’t asked for further information. She had a feeling he’d be asking about it the next night, however. “This the place?” the taxi driver’s deep, gentle voice asked, drawing her attention back to the moment at hand. He was pulling up in front of a house, one Sierra recognized instantly. 1991 Loomer Street. The house her grandparents lived in for the entirety of their life in America. The house her mother grew up in. The house she played in so often as a child. The house both of her grandparents died in. The house that Valentine now owned. It was just as she’d remembered it and although it hadn’t aged quite so well (the maroon siding was fading in color and some of the grey roof shingles were falling off), it was still much nicer than the other houses on the block. The two-story townhouse was large and spacious, and it was reminiscent of the way her grandparents had tried to live happy, simple lives. With a trembling hand, Sierra paid the driver her fee plus a nice tip before exiting the car. She heard him drive away as she slowly made her way to the front door, which was still a brilliant white. Had Val repainted it recently? In fact, the stairs and the railings leading up to the front porch were just as white. “At least he’s taking care of it,” she mumbled, trying desperately to ignore how vulnerable she felt. An involuntary chill ran down her spine as she knocked on the door, three simple but loud knocks just as her mom used to whenever they’d visited during her childhood. She was half-tempted to turn tail and quickly walk home, but she’d given her brother her word that she’d be there, and she wasn’t about to disappoint him again. The door opened a moment after she finished knocking. There, standing tall in the doorway, was her brother, Jason. He gave her a nervous smile. “Hey, Sierra… It’s good to see you again.” “Hi,” she simply said in what sounded like a bored, monotonous voice. On the inside, however, her insides felt like wiggly jellyfish. She was doing everything she could to keep her hands from visibly shaking, including crossing her arms over her simple black tank top. “How’ve you been?” he asked, running a hand over his hair with obvious uncertainty. He may have been a good actor, but that had never extended to hiding his feelings from her. It was comforting at least to know he was as anxious as she was. “Fine.” “Well, uh, good.” He cleared his throat. “Val’s waiting in the living room. You know he’s got a big smile on, but he’s nervous as hell.” Sierra lifted an eyebrow. “What’s he nervous about?” “I think he’s worried about how you’ll react to some news he’s got for you.” News? Was he going to college? Getting married? Expecting a baby? She tried her best not to show how much this ramped up her already high-strung nerves. “So, can I come in or what?” Her brother stepped aside and gestured into the house. “You even gotta ask? You’re always welcome here. Come on in, sis.” She cautiously passed the front door’s threshold. Almost as soon as she was inside, she felt a warm sense of nostalgia. The front hallway was almost exactly as she had remembered it, with the blue-grey painted walls and the pictures of Sierra and her brothers when they were babies. Deep down, she was glad Val hadn’t changed the house much. She didn’t know if she was fully ready for that yet. Losing her grandparents had been hard, especially because they had once been her only real safety net. The house was so familiar to her that she didn’t need to consciously think about where to go. Her mind and body already knew. Within seconds, she was standing in the large open doorway to the living room, staring in disbelief at her baby brother. Except he wasn’t so much of a baby anymore. The last time she’d seen him, Valentine had been fourteen years old. Now, he was a young man. Fuck, has it really been that long? Sierra thought miserably. Had she really missed him growing up? Would she even know him anymore? Thankfully, the one thing that she knew Val best for—his smile—hadn’t changed at all. He beamed at her as soon as he saw her, holding up his hand and giving her a, “Hey, sis,” before rushing off of the same worn grey couch she’d seen her mom and grandparents sit on years ago and pulling her into a tight hug, just like he’d done when he was little. Instinctively, she stiffened when he touched her, an unfortunate response she’d developed after years of abuse from her dad. This is Val, you moron. This is your brother. He’s not going to hit you. Slowly, she felt her muscles relax, and she wrapped her arms around him in turn. “Hey, Val.” “Sorry, I should have warned you,” he laughed. “I just… got excited.” “It’s okay. Old habits die hard.” She moved one hand to pat him on the head before stepping back. Unfortunately, she wasn’t much of a hugger (yet another thing she’d inherited from her dad). “Kept the curly hair, huh? Mom would’ve liked that.” “I know, that’s why. That and I like ‘em too.” Unsure what else to do or say, she crossed her arms over her chest. “So… I’m here.” It sounded extremely lame, but the whole situation was awkward. What was she supposed to say after so many years apart? He was practically a different person. Then again, so was she. “You sure are!” her brother agreed. “And I have so much I want to tell you… But most of all, I want to say I’m sorry.” She had been doing a fairly good job (as far as she was aware, anyway) of hiding any internal emotions she was experiencing, but she knew her confusion was now written all over her face. “For… what?” “For… For a lot,” he mumbled nervously, “but especially for staying away. It was stupid, I could have used your help figuring myself out, but I was too scared to get in touch again. I love Jay, but he isn’t you.” “It’s not your fault,” she quietly told him. It wasn’t like he’d had much of a choice in who he had lived with. Frankly, it was a miracle he didn’t hate her for forcing him to move out and live with Jason. He shuffled nervously from one foot to the other. “So. I can tell you one big thing you missed that I wished you were here for.” He spread his arms wide. “I came out.” “Out?” Her mind blanked for a minute until it clicked. Her little brother was gay. “Oh, that kind of out.” Now it was her turn to shift her weight nervously. “I don’t know if I’d really have been better than Jason with… You know, helping out.” If she’d ever had a sensitive side, their dad had killed that long ago. It didn’t bother her, obviously. Val could like whoever he liked; she loved him no matter who he locked lips with. “Ok, maybe you’re right, you would have sucked,” Val laughed. “But I wouldn’t have had to worry about how you’d react for the past few years.” She stared at him in disbelief. “Did you really think I wouldn’t support you?” “Well… Not really… But, look, Dad said a lot of nasty stuff. I was afraid to tell Jay, and he was a theater kid! He was surrounded by gay people all the time in school!” “Dad was a piece of work, that’s for sure,” she growled. Of course he’d had an effect on Val, too. She couldn’t recall ever hearing him say anything, but that didn’t mean it never happened. “Yeah, well, we don’t have to worry about him anymore,” Val muttered. “An-y-way! What have you been up to, sis?” Sierra shrugged and admitted, “Not really anything. Hanging out at the bar pretty much every night.” Val put his hands on his hips. “And what are you doing at the bar?” Rolling her eyes, she replied, “You’re a big boy, now. You know what people do at bars.” “I know, but how can you want to drink! Alcohol is at least at the top of the list of what ruined our lives!” “Val, come on,” Jason said as he entered the room. “Sierra’s not here for a lecture. I’m sure she’s a responsible drinker.” She kept her mouth shut and turned around to stare blankly at Jason. Their dad was a raging alcoholic by the time Val came along, so of course he only saw drinking as something bad. Yeah, well, I’m not Dad, she thought bitterly. “You’re right, you’re right,” Val inhaled. “I don’t want to make our family reunion miserable. I’m just… I’m real happy you came, Sierra.” Sierra opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by an excited, “Good morning!” The source of the voice belonged to a young white woman with blue hair hastily tied into pigtails who had come in behind Jason. Suspiciously, Sierra glanced at him. Was this his girlfriend? She didn’t expect him to be into someone so disgustingly peppy. Before she could even question her brother, the girl gasped excitedly and grinned. “Oh, hi! You must be Sierra, right? It’s so nice to meet you!” “This is our friend, Anna,” Jason explained. “She’s helping us out with a little project of mine,” Val added. “What project?” “Just a little community service thing I came up with,” Val winked. “Mom always said I made the world a better place, now I’m just being more active about it!” Sierra glanced at the girl, who was obviously trying to appear friendly, before looking back at Val again. “What are you doing exactly?” “Oh, you know,” he shrugged with a grin. She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I don’t know.” It was Val’s turn to stare at her blankly. “You’re kidding, right? Have you not watched the news at all?” “No,” she admitted. At most, she left the television on in her living room to drown out the noise from her neighbors, but she never cared enough to actually watch what was on. “Ugh, typical Sierra,” Val grumbled. “Well, if you’re hanging out in bars, I’m pretty sure you’ll hear people gossiping about Loveless real soon!” “What the fuck is Loveless?” she sighed. Anna giggled. “That’s Jason’s nickname.” “Since when?” Sierra demanded, staring at her brother questioningly. “Since Lilith and Val teamed up to give me the dorkiest nickname imaginable,” he sighed. “You own it, bro,” Val grinned. “Superheroes all have really corny names, anyway. Mr. Fantastic, anyone? Talk about an ego!” “Who the fuck is Lilith?” “Someone I knew from high school,” Jason said. “She dated that one guy from Jay’s drama club who caught on fire, remember that?” Val laughed. “Considering what Lilith told us, he deserved it!” “Right,” she nodded as recognition hit her. “Okay, so what the fuck are you all doing? Helping little old ladies cross the street? Volunteering at a community garden?” Anna snorted in response. “Oh, you know…” Val shrugged before coughing and saying extremely quickly, “Vigilantism.” Alarms rang in her mind, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “You have five seconds to explain yourself.” “I think it might take more than five seconds to explain, sis,” Val laughed. “Four… three…” He immediately rambled, “I turned Jay into a superhero to fight crime, ok? Geez! Stop with the counting!” “By ‘turned,’ he means that he kept badgering me to go fight crime when I told him he was not going out fighting criminals on his own,” Jason said. “And you just let him do this?” Sierra asked in disbelief. She could feel anger rising very, very quickly. “He’s not my keeper, sis,” Val protested, “He can’t just forbid me from doing stuff. I’m an adult!” “But he was still responsible for you!” she countered, turning to Jason with a heavy glare. “How long has this been going on?” “We just did our big debut over the weekend,” Jason replied, holding his hands up defensively. “Before that it was mostly just little things.” “I helped the old ladies across the street,” Val said. “Jay beat up the guys snatching their purses.” “So this is the shit you’ve been doing? I trusted you to keep him safe. The hell kind of an example is this?” Her anger was increasing and quickly heading for a dangerous point, but she didn’t particularly care at that moment. “He is safe, but he’s an adult now. I can’t just force him to do what I want.” “Well, where do you think he got the fucking idea?” she snapped. “From comics, movies… Come on, sis!” Val whined. “I thought you’d like that I’m trying to make Rhine City better!” “Why the hell would I like that? Isn’t it bad enough he went to jail? You wanna end up there, too?” “We’re not gonna get caught,” Anna interrupted. Her previous cheeriness was gone. “And besides, these are bad people. They’re doing things to help keep this city shitty. They need to get exposed.” Sierra turned towards her and barked, “Stay the fuck out of this.” “Don’t you yell at Anna, it’s not like she’s wrong,” Jason snapped back. “Val, I told you she wasn’t gonna like this.” “Oh, did you? What clued you in? The illegal shit?” Under her breath, she muttered, “Would’ve just fucking kept him with me if I knew this was gonna happen.” “I’ve got a feeling he’d have wanted to do this even if he had stayed,” Jason said. “Come on, Sierra,” Val added sadly, “I really wanted our family reunion to be nice. Do we have to have a big fight over this?” She glanced at her youngest brother hesitantly. She wasn’t mad at him and even in the midst of her anger, she knew it wasn’t fair to take it out on him. With a sigh, she asked, “Val, can you go to your room, please? Jason and I need to talk. Alone.” “First time I see you in years and you’re gonna send me right to my room?” he huffed. “Fine. Anna, come on, I think you should probably come too.” Sierra waited until they left the room and walked up the stairs before hissing at Jason, “I sent him with you because I trusted you to keep him safe. What the hell is this? The both of you are gonna fucking land in jail if you don’t knock it off.” “He was dead set on this, Sierra. All I could do was make sure he didn’t end up getting hurt. You think I want to go back to jail? I was in there for almost a year, I wouldn’t do anything that would get me put back in.” “Could have fucking fooled me,” she snorted. “I’ve got it covered. Nothing’s gonna happen to either of us. Especially not him.” “This is Crime City, moron. You don’t know that.” If they went after the wrong person, they could end up seriously hurt (or worse). “There are way worse things in this city than crime, Sierra,” Jason added quietly. “If you had any idea… But a friend of ours is making sure that nothing crazy happens. You’ve just gotta trust me. I watched out for Val the past six years, and nothing bad happened, and I intend to keep it that way.” She unfolded her arms and held them firmly at her sides. Her hands were balled into tight fists; she was consciously trying to keep her rage under control, but she knew she’d need several heavy drinks at the bar that night. “I sent him with you because I trusted you to keep him safe. Don’t think I can trust you to make a single good decision anymore.” Had six years really changed her brothers that much? Once upon a time, she and Jason had been a team, and now she could barely stand to look at him. And Val, sweet little Valentine, had decided vigilantism was the way to live his life? What the hell happened? “And am I supposed to trust you? I don’t know if you could tell, but he sure as hell sounded pretty crushed to hear you’re out at bars all the time, even after what he had to go through because of Dad.” “It’s because of Dad.” She averted her gaze and stared at a nearby wall instead. “I can’t sleep anymore.” “Still?” Jason replied quietly. With a shrug, she admitted, “Alcohol is the only thing that helps.” Well, before she was turned against her will into a vampire, that was. But considering how rocky their reunion was already, that was the last thing she wanted them to know. Instead, she snapped back with, “And that’s why I sent him with you. It was hard enough trying to pretend like I was fine while your ass was locked up. I needed you to do what I couldn’t. Goddamnit, this isn’t what I meant!” “You think this is the sort of life I want? Sierra, I don’t have anything anymore. I’m not gonna get picked up by any theaters, I’m not gonna be an actor like I dreamed. I’ve had to work shitty customer service jobs because I refuse to have Val blow our grandparent’s money on me. This is what he came up with, and everything just fell into place.” “So you’re going to let him make the calls? He’s just a kid. He doesn’t know any better!” “He’s an adult now, Sierra,” Jason sighed. “It’s hard to believe, trust me. But he’s a young man now, and he’s choosing how to live his life. I’m his brother, not his mother. I can only do so much.” “He didn’t have a mom when he needed one,” she quietly retorted. “He needed us. He still does. I don’t care if he’s legally an adult. He’s still a kid. Are you really gonna tell me he understands the seriousness of what he’s doing? If he gets caught, he’s not gonna end up as lucky as you did.” “You don’t think I don’t know how crazy this all seems?” He shook his head. “Sierra, I’ve found out some crazy shit about Rhine City this past year. Stuff you wouldn’t believe if I told you. So he needs his family and friends to be here to keep his dumb ass safe.” “Nah,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not getting involved in this shit. You wanna run around and pretend like you’re making a difference, be my fucking guest. But you’re not gonna ruin his life too.” “You don’t have to join in on this! Just… be in his life again.” “Guess I’m gonna have to. Someone’s gotta keep him from getting arrested, and it’s apparently not gonna be you.” She crossed her arms again and glared heavily at him. Time had changed too much apparently. They weren’t a team anymore, even if their ultimate goal was still the same: Keep Val safe. “Sierra, there’s a lot you don’t get about all this. You’ve gotta trust me.” “I did once.” She scoffed. “Never again.” She knew she was being overly harsh, but she couldn’t help it. She had thought Val would be better off and safer with Jason. At least then he wouldn’t be awoken to her shouting every night when the nightmares struck. And he wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not she’d be home when she was working at the fight club. But maybe that hadn’t been the right call. Maybe he should have stayed with her. It’s too damn late now, she thought bitterly as she walked further into the living room and sat down on the couch. Fuck, she needed a drink. “Well, just… don’t do anything to hurt him, alright?” She had been starting to calm down, but hearing this pissed her off all over again. She stood up, grabbing a decorative floral pillow off of the couch and held it, ready to throw. “The fuck you think I’m gonna do?” “Honestly, I don’t know.” “Do you honestly think I’d ever hurt him? My little brother? What the fuck is wrong with you?” "I didn’t—” Sierra chucked the pillow at him. “Fuck off!” she shouted. He ducked out of the way, and the pillow flew past him only to hit a stranger in the face. “Ow,” the stranger mumbled as the pillow slid off of him. The man was a tired, scruffy white guy who was wearing a hoodie despite it being the middle of the summer. “Who the fuck are you?” Sierra growled. The man ran a hand through his hair and gave her a smile. “David. I’m guessing you’re Jay’s sister? He said you were coming today. I put on my Sunday best and everything.” She lifted an eyebrow, staring at his sweatshirt. That was considered nice? She decided to ignore him for the moment and instead glare at Jason once more. “How many fucking people do you let come around here?” Before he could answer, David replied, “Let’s see, there’s Lilith, Aiden, and me who drop by, and Rika and Anna live here… You gonna be joining us, too? I can get some beer to celebrate. Unless you don’t like beer, in which case I’ll get myself beer and you whatever you like.” “Not helping, David,” Jason grumbled. “That blue haired prep lives here?” she exclaimed in disbelief, still glaring at her brother. “You just letting anyone move in now?” “That’s Val’s call, and she’s not a prep,” Jason said sternly, folding his arms across his chest. “Rika kinda needed a place,” David chimed in. “She couldn’t just live on my couch forever.” “Who the fuck is Rika?” she growled, throwing her arms up in the air. Would her grandparents have approved of this? “One of our friends,” Jason explained. “This house was given to Val so he had a place to live, not to just invite anyone you want to move in!” Truthfully, of the three of them, Val had gotten the most from their grandparents. It was explained in their will that they left the house to him since he was the youngest and they had spent the least amount of time with him. “Go talk to Val about it then because I’m not in charge of what happens with the house,” her brother retorted. She snorted. “Fine by me.” Without another word, she stormed past him, shoving past David on her way to the staircase. She could hear Val and Anna talking quietly somewhere upstairs and followed their voices until she found a bedroom, one Val had always slept in as a kid whenever they’d spent the night at their grandparents. “Hey,” she said as she stepped through the doorway. “You doing okay?” Anna, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, looked wary of her. She glanced at Val and asked, “Want me to go?” “Not really,” he sighed, “but I think she does.” Sierra was silent as Anna stood up and quietly left the room. As soon as the girl was gone, she sighed and admitted, “I’m not mad at you.” “And why not?” Val replied. “You know all this is me, right? I spent years just… being a shut-in, watching video game streamers and doing the bare minimum to keep the money and house. I couldn’t take that anymore, and I couldn't take having no friends anymore either.” “Because as much as you think you’re an adult now, you’re still a kid,” she told him gently. “If I am, it’s because I never got to really be one,” he replied miserably. “Yeah,” she quietly agreed. “I guess we never really got to be.” She’d had the best chance at a normal childhood before their dad’s abusive behavior really took a turn for the worse. Their home life was horrible by the time Val was born. “I can’t let anyone else go through what we did, sis. It’s not right.” “And it’s not right you’re putting your life on the line.” She walked further into the room and sat down next to him on the edge of his bed. “What the hell am I gonna do if you get arrested or killed? I’m sorry, but I can’t support this. It’s not safe.” “Sis, no one in this whole city is safe! There’s some seriously spooky crap going on right now!” “It’s safer to stay out of trouble instead of creating it,” she countered, her hands balling into right fists again. “Please.” “Look, I’m not asking you to support this. But I need you to support me. We pulled off our first big mission together and after, it felt almost like one big family again… But it wasn’t right because you weren’t there.” “I’m not gonna be there. I’m not gonna celebrate this with you.” She shook her head, her thick curls resting heavily on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, but I’m not supporting this or you.” She paused before adding with a sigh, “But I’m not exactly going to disappear again either.” “That’s all I’m asking, sis. Besides… it was me who disappeared.” “Yeah, and who sent you away?” she muttered bitterly. “Stop being so hard on yourself, geez,” Val laughed. “I could’ve called any time, but I didn’t.” “I could have too. I’m just as guilty, if not more so.” “Well… we both suck, then.” Surprising herself, she laughed. “I guess so.” “Well then, it’s time to stop sucking!” Sierra snorted and joked, “Might have some trouble with the guys if you do that.” Her brother nearly fell over on his bed from the fit of laughter he burst into. “Guess I don’t want even worse luck!” he managed to wheeze out when his laughter began to subside. She patted him on top of his thick dark curls, unable to hide her amused smirk. His laughter, which was nearly as contagious as his smile, was a friendly reminder that even if he was older now, he was still the same old Val, the little brother she loved and promised to protect. “You know, you should get to know some of my friends,” he said as he sat up again. “I know David likes to drink, maybe you should bring him to the bar with you so he can make sure you don’t do anything stupid!” “I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” she retorted. “Suuuuure you can,” Val said, rolling his eyes. “I have been for the last seven years,” she reminded him. “Well you are still alive, and you don’t look any worse for wear…” “Exactly.” “Clearly it’s dumb luck,” Val huffed. “You think I don’t know how to take care of myself?” she asked in disbelief. “I’m insulted. Since when do you think so little of me?” “I can’t think little of you, you’re taller than me,” he retorted. She snorted again. “Shut up, you.” “You know that is asking way too much of me,” Val winked. Sierra made a show of rolling her eyes and sighing, but she had a small grin on. “Yeah, yeah. So you wanna go get lunch or Something? My treat.” She’d barely managed to finish a bowl of cereal that morning, so her stomach was starting to protest over the lack of food eaten that day. She also didn’t exactly mind an excuse to leave the house. The weird childhood nostalgia (mixed with the bizarre reunion with her brothers) was messing with her head. She felt like she’d barely changed in the last six years; meanwhile, her brothers (Val especially) had changed quite a bit. “Sure! Sounds like a plan! You pick though, I’m too indecisive.” As she stood up from where she’d been sitting on his bed, she teasingly said, “Looks like we have something in common after all. You still like pizza, right?” “Who doesn’t?” “I think I might know a place you’ll like,” she replied. A local hole-in-the-wall restaurant that she visited on the rare occasions she actually had an appetite came to mind. “Can you drive? Or should I just call a taxi?” “Yeah, call a taxi, I’m too lazy to get my license.” She couldn’t hold back a laugh at this. Yet something else they had in common apparently. “Come on, let’s go downstairs. Should probably at least tell Jason where you’re headed. I can call for a ride while you’re doing that. Sound good?” “Sounds good!” Val stood up as well, and the two walked through the hallway and down the stairs. She could hear Jason and Anna talking in the living room before they even entered. When she and Val walked through the doorway, however, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the two. At first glance, they appeared to be chatting casually, but she’d made enough bets with Armstrong over the past few years at the bar that she was able to pick up on when someone was being rather flirty, and Anna was doing just that. She had on a sly smile, one that definitely suggested heavy interest in Jason, and almost seemed to be leaning towards him. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she grumbled perhaps a bit too loudly as their conversation immediately stopped. Anna’s eyes flitted towards her, confusion crossing her face, and Jason turned around in his seat to look at her. “Uh, something wrong?” Jason asked, confusion written all over his face. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced at Anna, though her question was directed towards her brother. “You’re not seriously into her, are you?” For whatever reason, Jason had always had a thing for skinny white girls, but why’d he have to pick someone as basic and preppy as she was? The confusion quickly turned to anger. “What the fuck, Sierra? That’s way out of line. And if I am, so what?” “So are you or aren’t you?” she countered with a raised eyebrow. She shifted her gaze to him now, purposefully ignoring Anna’s hurt expression. Was it mean-spirited? Yeah, but what the fuck did she care? This girl was just as guilty as her brother was considering she was a part of their little “gang.” “That’s none of your business, especially not when you’re giving me that look.” She smirked smugly at him. “So you are.” “Ladies, ladies, let’s not fight,” came David’s voice as he strolled back into the living room, a bag of chips in his hand. “This is supposed to be your big reunion! Save the bickering for Thanksgiving dinner!” Sierra snorted and rolled her eyes. “This doesn’t concern you.” “Nothing concerns me,” David said as he shoved a chip into his mouth. “I’m a real relaxed guy.” With an annoyed sigh, she asked, “Why are you even here?” “Well, your little brothers were really excited you were coming so I wanted to say hi. Also, I’m out of chips at my apartment.” He bit into another one. “It all works out.” She stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy for real? She shook her head in annoyance and waved him off, turning her attention back to Jason. “You need better taste. Like, come on. It was one thing when you were in high school, but now? That’s just sad.” “I think you need to mind your damn business. You do know you’re being seriously degrading to Anna, right? She’s literally right here.” “I’m aware.” Even if she was deliberately ignoring her. Still, she supposed she should apologize, so she glanced at the blue-haired girl, who was staring at the carpeted floor and looked uncomfortable. “I’m sure you’re… nice and all, but you’re, what? Eighteen? He’s twenty-seven. That’s a bit too old for you, don’t you think?” “I’m nineteen,” Anna mumbled in reply. “Like that’s much better,” Sierra snorted. “My point is he’s an adult, and you’re not even out of your teens. Get it?” Anna stood up and quietly replied, “Loud and clear.” Before anyone could say anything else, she quickly rushed out of the living room and up the stairs like an embarrassed puppy with its tail between its legs. “Are you fucking kidding me,” Val said quietly from behind her. She turned nervously towards him. In truth, she’d almost entirely forgotten he was there. “Look,” she started, hating how guilty she suddenly felt, “everyone’s gotta grow up sometime.” She gestured to Jason, who looked as displeased as Val did. “He’s an adult, and he needs to start acting like one. Since, you know, clearly he wasn’t doing that when I left him in charge of you.” “He’s not the only one who needs to start acting like an adult,” Val snapped. “What the fuck is this, junior high? What was that? I wanted to see you again, but I didn’t want to see you bully my friends!” “Must be considering who he’s apparently trying to hook up with,” she shrugged. She was desperately trying to ignore how his words hurt worse than a wasp’s sting. “You know what? I think I lost my appetite.” He spun on his heel and began to storm back up the stairs, shouting back, “Go to one of your precious bars if you want to act like this because I’m not dealing with it!” The sound of a door slamming could be heard a second later, the harshness of it making her flinch in response. “Val, shit,” Jason gasped as he jumped up. He gave a sidelong glance to Sierra as he passed and said, “I’ll go talk to him. Just… wait here.” Soon she was alone, the only other person remaining in the room being David, who had been completely silent during this whole affair. Her skin prickled, and she balled her hands into tight fists. Just like Dad, aren’t you? Fucking everything up. She wanted to hit something, but she’d be damned if she ruined her grandparents’ furniture. Instead, she silently left the house, gently closing the front door behind her despite how badly she wanted to let it slam. She knew the bar wouldn’t be open for a few hours, but it was worth a shot to see if Armstrong would let her in early anyway since the chances were high he was already there. “Hey,” came David’s voice yet again. Irritated, Sierra spun around and spat out, “What the fuck do you want?” He gestured back at the house. “You don’t want to wait? I’m sure Jay’s gonna be able to get your brother to come back down.” She shook her head, her curls barely moving on her shoulders. The humidity never did her hair any favors. “Don’t expect you to understand, but we’re not a family anymore. We haven’t been for a damn long time.” He shrugged. “I kinda get it. I mean, I think it would be pretty hard for me to deal with my sister coming back and seeing me after all these years apart.” He paused for a moment. “Pretty sure anyone would freak out at a charred corpse wandering into their house, though. Point is… At least they’re there, and they want to make an effort to reach out, y’know?” “And clearly that went so well.” She shrugged. “He grew up just fine without me. Pretty sure he doesn’t need me now.” “Then why’d he call you?” “Because he had a wild fantasy that everything would go back to normal. Only that’s not gonna fucking happen.” “Trust me on this, nothing could ever be normal in this city.” He paused yet again. “So. Are you actually gonna go and get a drink?” “Yeah.” Maybe if she got lucky, she’d be able to forget about the day’s events altogether. “If I offer to pay, do you mind if I come along? Because I think I could use a drink myself. Or twenty.” “I drink alone,” she answered bitterly. “I could go sit at a table very far away from you. I just can tell you need a drink, and I’m offering to buy.” She stared at him suspiciously. “Why?” “Because I’m nice, sometimes. Also, my best friend told me that her new little club she joined has a bar downtown, or something like that. You get drinks, I get to scope this place out. Seems like a win-win to me.” “Yeah, problem with that plan. I go to one bar and one bar only.” He raised an eyebrow. “What bar’s that?” “Rhyme or Reason.” David cracked an amused smile. “Okay, you’re not going to believe this, but… the bar I just mentioned? That’s the one.” Muttering under her breath, she swore, “Of fucking course.” “So, hey, guess I can go and make sure these people aren’t going to sacrifice Rika to Satan, and you can get your drink on. And I’ll even sit off in the corner if that makes you feel better.” He winked. “How’s that?” Sierra glanced at the front door, which was tightly shut. She waited for a few long seconds, silently hoping maybe Val would come out, but the door didn’t budge. Eventually, she sighed and gave up. She’d fucked up, and her brothers weren’t going to come after her. Turning her attention back to David, she begrudgingly answered, “Fine. But I’m just gonna warn you, I drink a fucking lot. You sure your wallet can handle that?” “Yes. Cuz I drink a lot too.” She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. “You think that now…” “You’d be surprised how much I drink,” he snorted. “Funny,” she scoffed. “I was going to say the same to you.” “Well I guess this will be a learning experience for the both of us, huh?” She sighed heavily. “Yeah, I guess. Don’t suppose you drive?” “Nope, unfortunately not.” “Guess we’re walking then. Maybe it’ll actually be open by the time we get there.” She stared at his sweatshirt and asked, “You wanna change before we go?” He shrugged. “Nah, I’m fine.” She was skeptical, but she shrugged. “Okay. Whatever you say.” She glanced at the door again, hating how much she wanted her brother to come out, but the harsh reality was it wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t the sister he wanted or needed. She’d proven that long ago. Maybe Jason wasn’t the best person to leave Val with, but it was too late to change anything. What happened had happened. You’re better off without me, she thought miserably before sighing. “Right. Let’s go.” ****** This day could not have possibly gone any worse. Try as he might, Jason could not get Val to come out of his room and talk to Sierra. He knew how Val could be when he got in one of his moods, and he knew it would probably be better if he let him cool down first, but he really didn’t want him to blow his chance to reconnect with their sister. Unfortunately, Val was as stubborn as they come. We all got that from Dad, Jason thought bitterly as he turned away from Val’s door and headed back downstairs. Maybe it was for the best to leave him be; he’d come out when he was ready. He made his way to the first floor to let Sierra know that it was best to give Val some space for the time being, but she was nowhere to be found. Why am I not surprised, he thought sadly as he headed back upstairs towards Anna’s room. He knocked gently on her door. “Hey, popsicle, how’re you holding up?” It was a dumb question, one he already knew the answer to, but he didn’t even know how to begin this conversation. His sister had really gone above and beyond with the insults. Even knowing how snarky and rude she could get, this had been a bit much. From inside, he heard Anna reply, though her voice was quite muffled. “I don’t want to talk right now.” “No one wants to talk right now,” he sighed. “Look, she’s not going to apologize, so I’ll do it: I’m sorry my sister was such an asshole.” There was silence from the other side. He waited a minute to see if she’d reply, and he was about to give up and leave when her door opened. Unsurprisingly, Anna looked miserable. She had a mint green blanket wrapped tightly over her head and around her shoulders. Her eyes were wet and red like she’d been crying. “It’s not your fault,” she mumbled. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” “Neither did you,” he replied. “Sierra’s just… acting too much like herself.” She’d always been a bit crabby, even when they were younger, but she’d become a lot more jaded in their absence it seemed. “She made it seem like I did.” Anna sighed. “Maybe she’s right. Why would you want to be with someone so much younger anyway?” “Way I see it, as long as I wouldn’t go back to jail for dating you and we have a real connection, age doesn’t matter,” he laughed. “Are you sure?” She looked hesitant, almost like she was afraid to believe him. “If I was unsure, I wouldn’t have promised you we’d see what happens after our next mission, would I?” It still astounded him that she was even remotely interested in him. Ever since leaving jail, he’d always had anxiety that he’d be perceived as a scary, intimidating guy, so he had just given up on the idea that he’d ever be able to get into dating again. Raising Val and the whole vigilante thing really didn’t help either. And yet, here was a girl who was into him. It blew his mind. Her mouth twitched, like she wanted to smile, but it was gone quickly when she presented him with another question. “Is your sister going to be around very often? Because, like, no offense, but I don’t know if I can handle that…” He honestly had no idea. Their reunion had been a complete bust, but he knew Val wasn’t going to give up on this. Neither was he. “I… really don’t know.” “Oh.” Even with the blanket covering them, he could see her shoulders sag. “I mean… That kind of complicates things, if I’m going to be honest.” Great. “Well… I’ll do what I can to make sure you two don’t cross paths.” She shifted her weight and gave the smallest hint of a smile. “Did you, um… want to come in?” “Uh, sure. If, you know, you don’t mind some company.” “I don’t mind if it’s your company,” she admitted with a hint of the flirty smirk he’d become familiar with. She led him inside the room, which had been decorated during her short stay with them so far. She had a collection of makeup and brushes sitting on the top of the dresser, a beanbag chair on the floor next to the bed with several stuffed animals haphazardly tossed on, and a few picture frames hanging on the wall. Anna flopped onto her bed and sighed. “I guess things didn’t go as well as Val thought they would, huh?” He gently moved the plushies on the beanbag chair aside before sitting down, placing a few on his lap once he was seated. “He was really hoping things would magically be okay. He’s too idealistic sometimes. But Sierra was never one for fairy tale bullshit. Once Dad got worse, she just… hardened. I can’t blame her. That man was a monster.” “I guess I can’t really blame her either. I don’t know how anyone could deal with that.” “When Val came around, we did it for him,” Jason sighed. “We didn’t want him to ever lose that smile our mom loved so much.” “It seems to have worked. Well, for the most part.” “Yeah… Shit.” He sunk down onto the beanbag, the stuffed animals piled on the floor beside him tumbling onto his lap. “I knew things might get rocky but I really didn’t think it would be this bad.” Anna tried to stifle a laugh, but failed horribly. “Sorry, you just look kinda cute with all my plushies like that.” She sat up and reached a hand out. “Here, I can put them on my bed.” He started passing them to her one by one. “Sorry, didn’t mean to steal their seat.” “I think I can forgive you just this once,” she winked. When all of the animals were neatly set against her pillows, she said, “So, like, why’s she so worried about who you’re interested in? Why is that any of her business?” “She’s already mad I’m fighting crime, so this probably has her thinking I’ve refused to grow up.” It wasn’t like he’d only dated white girls as a teenager, but that’s what most of his girlfriends had been. He’d been more focused on his acting back then regardless, so he really had just dated whoever showed interest in him first. His longest relationship was with a girl named Valerie, who he’d met at a drama competition, and she had indeed been a skinny white girl. She had dumped him while he was in jail, and there were no kind words from Sierra about her after that (not that there were any to begin with). Maybe the lashing out and rude comments were just her being her overprotective self in the worst way possible. “I mean, you seem pretty grown up to me,” she shrugged. “Way more than she is, if I’m going to be honest. That seriously was some high school shit.” With an eye roll, she muttered, “Thought I was done with that crap when I graduated.” “Yeah, well, I’ve come to find high school shit never really ends when you graduate.” “Great.” She flopped backwards on her bed with a groan. “I mean, come on, you had to know that. You work at a coffee shop. You probably get people with high school attitudes all the time.” “Well, yeah, but nothing nearly as bad as when I was in school.” “What was so bad in school that it’s worse than grown women throwing tantrums over coffee?” Anna grew quiet for a long moment. He assumed she was considering the question, which only made him all the more curious. Eventually, she sighed and slowly sat up. “I mean, what have I got to lose by telling you, I guess? I’m honestly surprised Val didn’t recognize me. I think he was a senior when it happened, and it seemed like everyone knew about it.” Jason raised an eyebrow. It couldn’t be that bad if Val hadn’t told him, could it? The man loved his gossip, especially in high school. “Only if you’re okay talking about it,” he replied. She shrugged beneath her blanket. “Pretending it didn’t happen won’t really change anything. Okay, so… Imagine me but with brown hair and only fifteen, right? Stupid naïve little me, a Sophomore who had only, like, three friends and thought she was so cool because she wasn’t a stupid Freshman anymore.” “That sure sounds like a Sophomore to me,” he laughed. “Pretty much,” she admitted with a sly smile that disappeared quickly. “This sounds so cliché and lame, but there was this guy I had the biggest crush on. Zach, hottie with a body on the football team. He wasn’t the quarterback or anything, and he wasn’t, like, a star athlete, but he wasn’t exactly Mr. Unpopular either, you know? Me and my friends…” She rolled her eyes. “God, we’d do anything to get noticed by him. “And then I was. He just came up to me one day during lunch and asked me out. And stupid little me felt like the luckiest girl in the world. My friends were so jealous, and they begged me to tell them everything afterwards.” She paused, glancing at Jason hesitantly. “I swear I’m not just reciting some dumb movie plot.” “Look, I believe this happened. I was in high school, too. I know how it is.” In fact, Lilith had a very similar start to the story behind her scar. He hoped that this story wasn’t quite as dark as that one, but he had a feeling it was heading somewhere pretty bad. “Then you probably already know this didn’t end up a fairy-tale story like dumb little naïve me thought. I mean, the date was fine. He took me to a movie, and we had a good time. Or I did, anyway. But then we got back to my house, and he convinced me that hooking up on the first date was totally normal. He said everyone at school did it, and I didn’t want to be a weirdo. I seriously thought we’d work out and be, like, the next Homecoming king and queen… “It was fun, I guess. As fun as it can be in the back of your date’s dad’s car. I didn’t really know how to feel about it, honestly. That wasn’t the way I wanted my first time to be, but I guess that was my first lesson that life isn’t like a movie.” Anna shrugged and stared at the beige carpeted floor. “My second lesson was when I got to school the next day, and everyone thought I’d begged him for sex. Even my friends believed it. I mean, not that I can really blame them, I guess. We practically worshiped Zach. Of course they trusted him over me. Why would he lie about something like that? To them and everyone else in the school, I was just some cheap slut who wanted to sleep with the first guy who looked my way.” “Shit,” Jason sighed angrily. At least he knew why Val had never said anything about this: the man was a gossip, but he absolutely despised slut-shaming rumors like that. Anna took a deep breath and said, “It probably doesn’t make any sense because it’s not like she really said anything remotely similar to what people in school said, but…” She shrugged once more. “…it reminded me about that part of my life. You know, just someone making assumptions about me without even asking. I know it seems like I’m just some basic white girl who likes coffee, but there’s more to me than that. I act all confident and shit because I want to seem strong with high self-esteem. I don’t want people to see me the way they saw me in high school.” “It’s not stupid. I get it,” he sighed again. “I may not seem it, but I’m a bit self-conscious about how people see me, too. I’m sorry you went through that, it really is bullshit.” She smiled in relief. “I’m really, really glad you understand. And… I don’t know. I just… kind of want this to work? I know we haven’t even been on a date yet or anything, so that probably seems, like, really forward. ” She looked self-conscious again and held her blanket closer around herself. “Well hey, it could. Seems like we get each other, at least.” “But if your sister is going to be around…” “She can just deal with it. She’s not my mom, which would be more obvious if you’d got to meet my mom. She would’ve grounded Sierra for a year for using that kind of language.” Anna gave him a small smile. “I bet I would have liked her.” “Most everyone did,” Jason smiled wistfully. A comfortable silence fell between them for a moment before Anna spoke again. “Thank you for checking on me, by the way.” “Hey, don’t mention it, popsicle,” he grinned. “I’d be a pretty shitty team leader if I didn’t make sure you were alright.” “I guess that’s true. But… I don’t know. I guess it’s nice to know you care.” “I care a lot about other people. Maybe to a fault. That’s what my shrink used to say, anyway.” “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It’s charming, really.” “I agree. It’s why I started going to a different shrink after that,” he snorted. She laughed too, a cheerful one that told him she was in a much better mood than when he’d first come to her room. He was honestly glad to hear her laugh again; after the bullshit with his sister, it was quite frankly music to his ears. With a sly smile, he added, “So, where do you wanna go when we actually do have our date?” “You want me to pick?” she asked in surprise. “I want you to pick your favorite place so that you can have the perfect first date you deserve,” he winked. “God, you are so sweet. Where were you when I was in high school?” “I think I was working some shitty job at the only corner store that would hire someone with a criminal record.” “Shame I never wandered in there,” she sighed dramatically. “Well… I’ll think about it and let you know when I decide. Fair enough?” He nodded. “Works for me.” He was glad he’d been able to turn this day around, even if only a little. Anna was happy at least. After dealing with Sierra’s bad attitude, she deserved to be. Still, rude comments or no, he hoped he could pull his sister back. He knew Val was going to be distraught when he finally calmed down, so he made a mental note to try texting Sierra later that night when she was (hopefully) in a better mood. We’re gonna make this work, he vowed as he looked at Anna’s smiling face. All of this. ****** Lilith sat in her car just outside of Ryker’s apartment building excitedly waiting for him to appear so they could go on a second date. The first had gone way better than expected, not that she was complaining. They’d had a wonderful time; she’d done most of the talking, but he’d eagerly listened to everything she’s said. Overall, she felt happier than she had in a long time. It had, for a time, pushed the anxiety over what might happen with Aiden and Eric out of her mind, though the worry crept back every now and then if she didn’t distract herself. Thankfully, there were a bunch of old Tales from Rhine City episodes she hadn’t listened to yet, and she was doing just that while she waited for Ryker to come out. In the episode she was playing on her phone, they’d had a caller who had once lived in North Tarrytown talking about the village’s history and its association with the legend of the Headless Horseman. “So,” Rita, one of the hosts, asked, “you’re really telling me that the town changed its name from Sleepy Hollow to North Tarrytown because they thought it was cursed?” “That’s right,” the caller said. “People in the town really thought that the name Sleepy Hollow was jinxed, and that’s why there were periodic disappearances… I mean, maybe they were right. Less people vanished after the name change, so hey.” “Well,” the other host, Rue, said with smugness evident in her voice, “are you aware that the equally supposedly cursed town Salem never changed its name even after all those witch trials?” “Of course I know. I moved there a few years ago.” “So you know why they didn’t change it, right?” “Hell yeah I do,” the caller stated proudly. “It’s because people in New England aren’t huge pussies like people in New York!” The uproar of laughter from the two hosts was infectious, and Lilith began cackling to herself in the car. She was so distracted by the podcast that she hadn’t seen Ryker leave the apartment building. Fortunately, he was enough of a gentleman to tap lightly on the passenger side window and smile politely from outside. Excitedly, she straightened herself up and rolled down the window, muting the podcast as she did so. “Hey there. You ready for a fun day away from where you get paid?” “Yeah,” he nodded. It was a simple answer, something she’d come to expect from him, but the way he was smiling told her just exactly how excited he really was. “Well, hop on in, and we can figure out what we’re doing!” She didn’t have too many ideas, but if there was one thing she was good at, it was improvising. He slipped into the car and sat down sans the backpack he had with him the last time. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt with his hair neatly tied back. He closed the door and buckled his seat belt, then looked at Lilith expectantly. “Sooooooo… Any idea of what you wanna do?” she asked. Ryker shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I just want to spend time with you.” Lilith thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. “Aha! I have an idea! Wanna go check out this cute little bakery with me?” With a smile, he simply answered, “Sure.” “Alright, then buckle up! I think you’re gonna like this place a lot. If what I’m remembering my sister told me is true, you actually know someone who works there!” He gave her a curious look as he buckled his seatbelt. Deciding it was to her benefit to drive slower so she could have a little more alone time with him, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove along at a normal speed down the street. “So,” she asked, “do you have hobbies outside of your paintings?” “No,” he quietly admitted. “I don’t get out much.”’ “You don’t do anything at home, though?” she said. “Like, you don’t watch movies, play video games, cook?” “No,” he repeated. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shift in his seat. “Well, I think I know what we’re doing for the rest of the day after we get some cupcakes,” Lilith smirked. “I am going to do all sorts of stuff with you. I’ll take you to a movie, I’ll cook dinner with you, I’ll let you come over and play Hideo Kojima’s magnum opus, Silent Hills, on my PS4… We’re gonna have fun, I promise!” She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, “Sounds fun.” “Well, lucky for you ‘Fun’ is my middle name!” She paused for a moment before adding, “Well, actually, it’s ‘Artemis,’ but let’s pretend it’s ‘Fun’ for today!” Ryker laughed. “Lilith Artemis Fun Crowley. I like it.” “Doesn’t roll off the tongue quite how I’d like it, but hey!” She was glad she was seeing this side of him. She’d always imagined what his laugh was like back in school when she was quietly crushing on him in chemistry class. Her mind wandered back to her high school days (something that was rather rare). Why hadn’t she just acted on her feelings and asked him out back then? It was a rhetorical question; she knew all too well that it was because she’d been a painfully shy teenager. Venus had been the popular, outgoing one, while Lilith had been a bit more reserved. She’d never had much nerve to ask anyone out. In the end, she hadn’t even had to; her sister’s girlfriend at the time introduced her to Bruce Butcher, one of the most popular members of the drama club (second only to one Jason Leeds). He’d been sweet, charming, handsome, and paid so much attention to her… How was she supposed to say no to that? Of course, from there her mind drifted to the time she did say no. Her hands clamped down on the steering wheel as she remembered her prom night. It had been everything she’d ever dreamed of during the dance, and she’d finally felt less self-conscious. And then came the car ride after where Bruce had decided to drive her out to a secluded spot in the woods for a makeout session. He’d wanted to take it to the next level, but she hadn’t. The ensuing fight was a blur in her mind. She only remembered when he’d pulled out the knife and cut her eye, then stabbed her and tossed her down a hill. She still had no idea how her grandpa had managed to find her, but she was grateful he had because otherwise she would have bled out in the ditch she’d landed in. The return to school was a nightmare, and not just because her hair had turned snow white from the trauma, making her stick out like a sore thumb. Bruce had started spreading rumors about her being a psychotic slut who tried to jump him and gave him the cuts and bruises he’d gotten from their fight, and half the school seemed to be on his side. Even Venus’s girlfriend believed him, leading to her sister slapping the girl and dumping her. Jason had thankfully had her back. With his friendship and lots of therapy, she’d managed to make it through the school year. Even after all that, she’d never tried talking to Ryker. She’d felt so hurt by what had happened and didn’t want to put him under the pressure and scrutiny that knowing her would bring. It had sucked, but she’d thought it would be better off that way. But now, here she was, finally doing what she should have done all those years ago. She was getting to see the real Ryker, and she was loving it. And he was seeing the real her because after what had happened, she’d become less afraid and shy and was determined to let nothing—not rumors, not her near-death experience, and definitely not a prick like Bruce—from holding her back. Who she was now felt right, and she was happy to show him what she was really like. “Hell yeah,” she murmured as she loosened her grip on the steering wheel. From beside her, Ryker asked, “Excited?” Realizing she’d said that out loud, she replied, “Yeah I am! I gotta make up for lost time, y’know? And our first date went… really well. Better than I thought. So, y’know. Of course I’m excited!” And nervous. Even with all these years of building her self-confidence back up and not taking shit from anyone, she still didn’t want to fuck up her shot with her high school crush. It wasn’t often people got second chances like this, after all. “Make up for lost time?” he repeated. Confusion was evident in his voice. “Yeah, you know, I… wished I’d asked you out back in high school, and all,” she admitted. “I wasn’t as bold as I am now. So this is me not being a wuss this time around.” “I didn’t know,” he replied with surprise. “Well, I didn’t get much of a chance to tell you when I was being awkward and nervous in chemistry class with you as my partner,” she sighed. “But hey, my sister noticed you working at the Den, so I get a do-over! Plus I’m way cooler now!” “You were cool then, too.” She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks and knew that her face was probably almost as red as her hair used to be. “Come on. You’re just saying that. Or you’re thinking of my sister.” “No.” He shook his head. “You.” “Keep saying stuff like that, maybe I can work this red in my cheeks back into my hair,” she laughed. “Why the fuck did you think I was cool? I was so quiet, and nervous, and… dorky.” He laughed again. “So was I. You were smart. You spoke for me. That mattered to me.” It was true. Even as nervous as she’d been, she’d always done the talking when they’d been paired up. She’d wanted to impress him (and apparently, it had worked). “Well… Good. I’m glad. I, uh… Shit! We’re here!” She pulled into the parking lot outside of Whipped Dream and clapped her hands together. “You ready for this, Ryker?” “Ready,” he confirmed as he unbuckled his seatbelt and slipped out of the car. She followed after him and led him to the door, holding it open for him. “After you, my good sir!” He entered inside, and when she followed, the scent of sweet, freshly baked goods lingered in the air like a delicious perfume. “Why hello!” came a greeting from a familiar middle aged Scottish woman. “Welcome to Whipped Dream! Anything I can—” The woman paused. “Ryker? Is that you, lad?” “Surprise!” Lilith said, gesturing towards Morag, who was standing behind the counter. Ryker looked just as shocked as Morag was. “Hello,” he managed to politely (and quietly) say. “Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Morag exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “And at my new job, too! Oh, what a lovely surprise! Ah, and I see you’re with Miss Crowley. I take it your first date went well, then?” Lilith nodded. “He agreed to a second, so I think so!” He nodded as well to agree. “Oh, lovely, lovely! Well, I suppose I should tell you why I’m here. I have quit the Den due to Remy’s constant abuse of other employees as well as myself, but don’t worry! I’ve made sure things will be better if you truly wish to stay! I would not leave everyone in the dirty hands of that man!” “Constant… abuse?” Ryker looked entirely confused, likely having been left in the dark almost completely. Morag frowned. “Oh dear. He’s been up to no good for far too long… But worry not! I took care of him!” She winked. “Still, I know you don’t much care for your job, and I’d hate to see a sweet boy like you deal with the clientele there. So, I will say this: Miss LeBlanc is hiring.” He definitely looked interested, but Lilith could see the uncertainty on his face as well. “Rent… is high,” he quietly mumbled. “I have a lot of extra money,” Lilith blurted out. “If this place doesn’t pay you enough, I’d spot you the cash. I have more than I ever could need, anyway.” He shifted nervously and avoided looking at either of them. “I couldn’t…” “Well, I could,” Lilith protested. “Seriously. You hate your job, so why not get a better one, and I can throw some of my excess funds your way?” “Oh, that may not even be necessary. Miss LeBlanc pays very well,” Morag added. “As well as… them?” He frowned with obvious disgust. “Better, actually,” Morag nodded. “I know, surprising! But true!” This seemed to catch his attention, though he simply replied, “I’ll think about it. Thank you.” “No pressure, dearie. You were always a sweet boy. I just wanted to offer you a bit of help if I could. Ah! But, anyhow… What can I get for you two?” Lilith gently nudged him. “Get whatever you want. It’s on me.” “Oh, um…” He glanced at the glass display, which was full of delicious, brightly colored treats. “A cinnamon roll, please.” “Make that two, please!” Lilith said. Morag grabbed two cinnamon rolls and rang them up. Lilith whipped her card out to pay, then stuffed several bills into the tip jar. Morag’s eyes widened at the amount, but Lilith just gave her a cheerful wink. After they said their farewells, she exited the store with Ryker at her side. “So what do you wanna do next?” “Should we eat somewhere?” he asked. His comfortability with her was growing, which was obvious by how he was talking more. “Great idea! What’re you in the mood for? Sandwiches at Jolene’s? Chinese maybe, Jade Dragon has a buffet this time of day… Oh, Brine O’ Rine has a buffet for seafood! Or—“ She paused and looked at his puzzled expression. “...Oh. You meant the cinnamon rolls.” He laughed and nodded. “I’m okay with whatever you want to do,” he told her with sincerity. “Well, hey, some lunch before dessert wouldn’t be too bad, right?” she winked. “Let’s find a place for lunch and then we can eat our cinnamon rolls at the park after!” “Okay,” he agreed. He hesitated before quietly admitting, “I’d like somewhere quiet. If that’s okay.” “I can make that happen,” she winked. He seemed relieved when he nodded in response. Her confidence swelling, she led him back to the car, and soon they were off. Thankfully, she knew just the place for quiet eating this time of day: Marian’s, a cozy little cafe and sandwich shop tucked away in a corner of the city. She’d made a few deliveries there on behalf of Vinny, and she figured it would be the perfect spot for a quiet lunch date. Things went by far too quickly after that. Their lunch had been awesome and though they hadn’t talked up a storm like she did with others, she relished in the comfortable silences they were able to share. After they ate, they headed to Rhine City Park, found a nice spot in the grass, and laid on a blanket she’d grabbed out of her trunk. They ate their cinnamon rolls and watched the clouds, sharing another quiet moment together. After that, they headed back to her parents’ house and went into the living room. I definitely think I should make a move, she thought as she sat next to him on the couch. But is it too soon? Wait, fuck no! It’s been several years! Fuck it, I’m going for it! “So,” she began, turning towards him with a sly smile, “you wanna play a game, watch a movie…? We’ve got the house to ourselves for now! We can do whatever!” “What kind of game?” “Shit, any kind. We’ve got Playstations, Xboxes, Nintendos… We could even do a board game if you want. Or maybe even Twister.” She wiggled her eyebrows in a way that hopefully conveyed she was (mostly) kidding. A delightful laugh was his response. “I think I’d beat you. I’m taller.” She opened her mouth to say “I’d probably just collapse to the mat as soon as you had to climb on top of me,” but decided to show some restraint and instead she just nodded her head in agreement. “Yep. You’d have me beat for sure.” “What would be more fun?” he asked. “A video game? Or a board game?” “Well, hey, you’re the guest! What’s in your comfort zone?” Sheepishly, he admitted, “I don’t think I’ve ever played a video game.” “You wanna learn?” she asked. “Sure,” he answered with a shrug. “Fuck yeah!” she cheered as she leapt up and began looking over one of the shelves of games by the television before setting her eyes on an PS3 title. She pulled it out and held it up triumphantly. “Here, it’s not like the best game ever, but I’ve got Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. That might be fun to ease you into fighting games! You at least know, like, Spider-Man and Wolverine right?” He nodded to confirm the question. “Well then,” she continued, “let’s start there!” She popped the game into her PS3 and turned it on, then sat back down next to Ryker and passed him a controller. “I promise I’ll go easy on you since it’s your first time.” He nervously stared at the controller as he took it. It was almost funny to see his confusion, which clearly explained that he’d never touched one before, much less played one. “Don’t worry, you got this! Just do what I do and keep pressing random buttons until you either win or lose!” Lilith laughed. Once the game started up, she picked a mode where he could easily learn the controls. “Alright, here, I’ll let you practice by beating me up!” He leaned back against the couch and started doing exactly what she’d recommended. It was obvious he had no idea what was going on as he randomly pressed the buttons. His character on the screen moved around awkwardly at times, occasionally attacking the air several feet away from hers. Lilith instructed him as best she could, giving advice and taking it nice and slow. She honestly didn’t mind; she was just happy sitting there spending time with him. This is way better than the shit I imagined when I was a teenager, she thought happily. Eventually, Ryker laughed and said, “I don’t think I’ll get better than this.” “Aw, come on, practice makes perfect! You never played this before. You should have seen me the first time I played a fighting game. I got fucking massacred by the CPUs in Street Fighter II.” He lifted an eyebrow and smirked. “Are you sure that won’t happen to me?” “Practice. Makes. Perfect,” she repeated, wagging her finger to emphasize her point. “But, if you want a break, there is something else we could do.” “Okay.” She laughed internally. He’s so agreeable. Maybe this won’t be so hard after all. “Wow, you don’t even wanna know what it is?” she teased. “Aren’t you going to tell me?” You can do this, Lilith. “Mmm, I think I’ve gotta show you.” Ryker was most definitely interested by now, with a cocked eyebrow and a curious expression on his face. Well, here it goes, now or never. Lilith shifted on the couch, put her hand against his cheek, then leaned in and kissed him. It only took a second or two before she felt his lips pressing back against hers. His arms snaked around her neck. Amusingly enough, he was more confident kissing her than he was talking. She pulled away for a moment and leaned her forehead against his. “Having more fun with this than the games?” “Maybe,” he shyly replied. “You up for round two?” she asked coyly. “If you are.” She didn’t need any more invitation than that. She launched right into a makeout session, this time more confident than ever. She didn’t want to go further than this right now; she wanted to try to take her time with Ryker and have a fairy tale romance like in the movies. But she knew that waiting to kiss him was a fool’s errand and if she tried not to, she might chicken out on the next chance she got. But she’d done it, and she was perfectly happy to keep doing it for the rest of the day. ****** Jerrod stared out over the treetops from where he stood leaning against the edge of the chemin de ronde at the top of Dracula’s old castle. Every now and then, he took a swig from the glass bottle of whiskey in his hand. He was plagued by an odd feeling, as though he’d been there before… That couldn’t be right, could it? This was the first (and likely last) time he’d ever be up here as he’d been failed out of the Silverwings and was soon going to slink back home to Florida. His brother and Roxy had passed the initiation tests with flying colors. He, on the other hand, did not. To make matters worse, Drake McAllister had almost seemed to personally single him out during the procedures just to make his life miserable. “Condescending prick,” Jerrod muttered as he leaned back and poured more alcohol down his throat, enjoying the pleasant burn it left on the way down. McAllister had been one of the single most insufferable people he had ever met; the man was irritatingly smug and had an air about him like he thought he was the smartest person in the room at any given time. Jerrod hated people like that. Always had, and always would. Charlie had tried talking to him. So had Roxy, but he didn’t really want their pity right now. The fact of the matter was, even after everything (including promising that he’d do all he could to keep her safe), he’d still ended up letting Roxy and her system down. Nothing was ever going to make him feel any less pathetic than failing miserably after spending his teenage years and his early twenties training to be her protector. “Did I really expect anything differently?” he muttered as he chucked the now-empty bottle off into the distance. It sailed far over the horizon, which was rather peculiar as he was fairly certain his throwing arm was not that good. With a shrug, he turned and stumbled back towards the door. Maybe he’d at least see if he could get a glimpse of Dracula’s reclusive daughter before he headed back to Florida. He’d heard tell from some of the people taking care of the castle that there were at least two very big reasons he’d want to run into her. As he approached the door, he heard something from around the corner. His head was already buzzing from the alcohol, but he decided it was better to investigate the source. Whatever it was couldn’t make his day any worse. With any luck, he’d slip and fall off of the castle, plummeting to his “untimely” death on the ground below. That would solve all my problems, he thought bitterly as he slowly made his way towards the sound. What he witnessed was not nearly as exciting as he thought it would be. A child was playing on the roof and walking along the walls. Jerrod almost felt his heart skip a beat watching the kid, but even with how intoxicated he was, he still had enough sense to try and approach the situation gently. “Uh… Hey there, kiddo,” he slurred. The child stopped and stared at him curiously before he continued with, “What… Whatcha doin’ up there?” “Walking,” the child replied simply before continuing along the edge. “Shit, isn’t that fuckin’ dang… danger… Not good?” The child simply shrugged. “I’m fine. You don’t look fine. You look rather sick.” “I’m fine,” Jerrod retorted. “I’m jus’... tired, is all.” “Are you one of the new servants?” the child asked. “The fuck does that mean?” “The Silverwings,” the kid replied. “They’re the servants of my family. That’s what Mummy says.” “Servants my ass!” Jerrod growled, forgetting he was conversing with a child. “You’ve got a naughty mouth, mister.” “Well… I know you are, but what am I?” Jerrod retorted lamely. “I’m—” A nightmare scenario unfolded before his eyes. The kid lost their footing and began to flail helplessly as they teetered over the edge. Jerrod immediately barrelled over and grabbed the child’s hand just as they were about to fall off the side of the castle. “Shit!” he exclaimed as the child’s weight pulled him down a bit. “Fuckin’… Hold on, kid!” The absolutely terrified child gripped his arm with incredible strength. They looked like they were trying desperately not to cry (which he wouldn’t blame them for doing, all things considered). Mustering all his strength, Jerrod finally pulled the kid back up over the edge. He was shocked he had the muscle for this as he’d never been very strong. However, as he stumbled back with the kid falling on top of him, he realized he’d had some help. Standing over him was none other than Mircalla Karnstein, the royal advisor for the Von Kaiser vampire coven. Her golden masquerade mask glittered in the light as she stared down at him. “Uhhh… hi,” Jerrod muttered. He felt really embarrassed being drunk in front of a hot older woman like her. The regal woman turned her gaze to the child. “You have done me a great service,” she spoke softly. “Well… Fuck. I’m not gonna let a kid die.” “Master Tara is not simply a ‘kid.’ They are the child of Lord Von Kaiser.” “Oh.” This was pretty unexpected. He glanced over at the kid, who was clinging to Karnstein’s robe and shaking. Royalty or not, trauma was trauma all the same, and being a dhampyr definitely didn’t make it any easier to deal with mortality at that age. Poor kid. “I owe you a great debt. If it is within my power, you may have whatever you wish.” Jerrod lit up. “Can you, uh, make me a Silverwing?” Karnstein sighed. “I am sorry. That is not within my power.” Jerrod’s heart sank almost as quickly as the hope had dared to ignite just a second earlier. He knew it wouldn’t be so easy to get in, but it still stung. “Well… There an expiration on this? I might need to… to think on it.” Karnstein shook her head. “My life is eternal. I will remember what I owe you until it is paid.” “Uh… Okay. Sure.” He shakily got to his feet and extended a hand. “I’m Jerrod, by the way.” “Cock-a-doodle-doo, Jerrod!” Karnstein replied in a voice that sounded less like a European noblewoman and more like a country-fried Southern boy. Oh, I’m dreaming, Jerrod thought miserably as the castle faded away. He slowly opened his eyes to see Levi standing at his bedside. “Mornin’, sleepyhead,” Levi laughed. “Rise an’ shine. We’ve got a busy day today.” “Ugh, we do? Why?” He was a bit annoyed he’d had his dream interrupted, but it wasn’t like his memory got much more exciting from there. It wasn’t like he scored with Karnstein (not that he could have anyhow as he had later found out that she was gay). I sure have a type, he grumbled. “Sure do! Got to start gettin’ ya trained and ready for anythin’.” The cheeriness of the country boy was irritating so early in the morning. Jerrod glanced around the Silverwings barracks that he’d been allowed to sleep in. There was hardly anyone left save for an older guy snoring away a few beds down. “I know this is Rhine City and all, but isn’t a pissed off angel the worst ‘anything’ we could deal with?” He knew this wasn’t true. He could think of at least one thing worse than Eve being here, but he wasn’t going to bring that up. “Is there even any way to prepare for that at all?” Levi laughed heartily. “That’s a no to both. But ain’t it better to be sorta ready than not at all?” “I guess,” he sighed as he rolled out of bed, realizing this was a battle he wasn’t going to win. “But it’s really just her and Moore you gotta worry about. Angel aside, I’d be pretty shocked if even the Silverwings couldn’t handle a bald rapist.” “I think the real question here is can he handle us?” Levi laughed again. “Moore will probably go down like a bitch, and boy do I hope I can see it. I’m just glad the creep he was schmoozing up to in Germany isn’t here.” This caught Levi’s attention, and he raised his eyebrow. “Who’s that?” “Jack Fairchild. Pretty sure I don’t need to explain why it’s a good thing he’s not here.” Even being a gun for hire in the supernatural community, Jerrod was very well aware of the most wanted criminals among hunter groups. Fairchild was the second most wanted supernatural criminal of them all. This was likely why Levi’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I’d say it’s a darn good thing he ain’t here. Why anyone’d wanna impress him, I ain’t got a clue. Ya think she’s gonna call him in?” “Look man, I was there in Germany early mingling with the angel’s coven, and if there is one thing I can tell you it’s that no one likes him. That kid, Jojo, was flinching every time Jack turned his head his way, the Frankenstein girl was glaring daggers at him across the field, and Amon and Marianna both spent the plane ride here talking shit about him.” He shrugged. “As for why Moore wanted to impress him, well…” Jerrod made a crude jerking off motion and arched an eyebrow. If there was any question about whether or not Levi understood, the visible disgust and involuntary gag he made told Jerrod they were on the same page. “Some folks prob’ly’d say what Mara and I get up to is weird, but that’s too much for me, ya know?” “Feel bad for the poor bastard in the room next to Jack’s. Guy was already getting ignored by the staff and the rest of the coven, and I think the hotel tried to put someone new in his room three times. And then on top of it all, he had to deal with Moore moaning like a walrus in heat next door.” Jerrod let out a sigh. “Fuck. If that freak was here, I honestly wouldn’t hesitate to call in my big favor for you guys. I’m still considering it.” “Guess we gotta hope she don’t get him, huh?” He rolled his neck from side-to-side, loud pops sounding from the movement. “Definitely gotta get ya trained up, just in case. Ya know where the gym is?” “No man, I just got out of your prison yesterday and spent the night drinking. Why would I know where the gym is?” “Guess I gotta show ya the way,” Levi laughed. “I’ll be in the hallway, so don’t take too long.” True to his word, he left the room to presumably stand nearby and wait for Jerrod to be ready. Jerrod didn’t have to do much as he’d passed out in his clothes after drinking. He brushed himself off, grabbed his scorpion jacket off the side of the bed, and made his way to the door. He walked out into the underground hallway to find Levi starting to lean against the opposite wall. “That was fast,” he said in surprise as he straightened himself. He gestured to himself. “Didn’t have to do much to be ready for whatever the fuck we’re doing.” “Training,” Levi reminded him as he began leading him down the hallway. “Not sure what that entails, cowboy,” Jerrod sighed as he followed after him. They passed by a few curious Silverwings as they made their way through the halls. Jerrod gave each of them a very tired look as he saw their stares. Now that he was sober and more attentive than the day before, he noticed both the runes etched into the walls and the sparse decorations and came to the realization this was a repurposed base belonging to the New England hunter group, the Sons of Salem. They couldn’t even afford to make their own base and had to get leftovers? Fucking Christ. He’d known when he’d tried to join back in Germany that the Dracula guard was incredibly underfunded and was where they basically exiled people to, but he hadn’t known the exact extent or even where they were located before all this. Maybe I dodged a bullet not getting in, he thought for a moment before shaking the thought out of his head. His brother and Roxy were proud members; even if the Silverwings were a shadow of their former selves, he would never want to disrespect them or their work. Levi eventually led him into the Silverwings’ personal gym. It was pretty spacious, all things considered, though it mostly seemed that way because there was very little actually in it. A few treadmills, some workout equipment, and a couple of punching bags were placed strategically around the room, but that was about it. It was no wonder there was barely anyone in there aside from a woman beating up a punching bag and an Asian girl in dark clothing watching her intently. The members would get more out of an actual gym membership than this sad excuse for a workout room. Being the nosy man that he was, Jerrod listened in on what the girls who were in there were saying as Levi started getting whatever they were going to do ready. “Enjoying the show?” the woman at the punching bag snorted. “You’re weird, Marina.” “I’m gay, Talia,” the girl, Marina apparently, replied. Something clicked in Jerrod’s head when he heard that name, and he recognized Talia Ishtar almost immediately. She was another Silverwing his brother had a lot of good things to say about. “I’m not, though. Why not go for Prim again?” “Eh, I think that was just a casual fling,” Marina shrugged. “But boy was it fucking good.” “Lucky you. I wonder if anyone else has hooked up yet.” “Why didn’t you? Carlos is horny as hell, isn’t he?” “Carlos didn’t need another conquest, he needed a friend. Besides, he only has eyes for Sakura. He’s just… He has some issues he has to work through.” “Don’t we all?” Marina cast her gaze to the side. “Hey, that weirdo they brought in the other day is listening to us.” Talia whirled around and glared at Jerrod. He hadn’t realized he was being so obvious and awkwardly stammered, “Uh… Sorry. I was just, uh… Shit, Levi, help me out, man.” “Hard not to hear what y’all are talkin’ ‘bout,” he nodded as he returned with two pairs of black boxing gloves. “Ok, fair, the acoustics in here are insane,” Marina admitted. With an amused grin, she added, “Maybe I should record that rap album I was telling Eric about in here.” “Fine, whateve,” Talia huffed, “but he doesn’t have to watch me! I don’t know why you want to babysit that deadbeat, but make sure you keep him on a leash, Levi.” “Ouch,” Jerrod grumbled. “Can you maybe go back to punching the bag and not my feelings? That’d be swell.” With another huff, Talia turned around and began beating the punching bag even more intensely than before. I think I can guess who she’s pretending that is. “Dunno,” Levi laughed, handing one pair of gloves to Jerrod. “Don’t think yer a leash kinda guy.” “Absolutely fucking not,” he said as he slid the gloves on. Once they were both ready, Levi held his hands up with a toothy grin. “Think ya can talk and dance at the same time?” He shrugged, holding his hands up. “I think I can handle it, cowboy.” “Show me what ya got, then.” The two started eyeing each other, both poised to strike. Before Jerrod could even try to determine how to hit first, Levi’s left hand darted towards his face. Jerrod just barely avoided getting hit by leaning his head out of the way. “So what’s ya story?” Levi asked as he pulled his arm back. “I can tell ya got more to ya, like yer hidin’ somethin’.” Jerrod kept his guard up this time. “I do, but trust me man, you don’t wanna fucking know.” “Then why am I askin’?” he laughed, shaking his head. He sighed. “Okay, fine. You know my brother, obviously, but did you get to meet Roxy?” “Once or twice,” he confirmed before throwing another punch Jerrod’s way. Jerrod ducked once more, then went in with a punch of his own. “Do you know about her condition, or were you not around her enough?” With a laugh as his hit barely connected with Levi’s shoulder, the Southern man answered, “Think I’d be a pretty shitty Silverwing if I didn’t know.” That’s a relief, less explaining. “So who else did you meet, then? Moze? Bottles? Stewart? God I hope you didn’t meet him, he’s an annoying bastard.” Levi blinked in confusion. “Don’t think I know any of them.” Jerrod returned his look of confusion. “But you just said you knew Roxy’s a host!” Their sparring stopped completely as the two stared at each other perplexed. “A host? For what?” “She… She has DID, man. What the fuck did you think I was talking about? You made it sound like you knew.” Levi looked a bit sheepish at this news. “Naw, I thought ya meant her bein’ a vampire.” “I mean… fair?” Jerrod shrugged awkwardly. “I just never think about that, or not as much. It’s not like it’s much of a secret.” “Think ya might have to explain this DID to me.” Thankfully, this was something Jerrod had constantly made sure to keep up to date on in order to accommodate Roxy. “Ok, so DID stands for Disassociative Identity Disorder, and basically it means that she has multiple distinct personalities brought on by childhood trauma. She’s got five alters, that’s what they call them, with Roxy as the host for a total of six personalities. Moze, Bottles, Dolores, Frances, and Stewart are the others. All their own distinct identities with their own thoughts and feelings, they just share the body and take turns at the wheel.” He’d watered it down and simplified it a bit, but hopefully Levi got the gist. The thoughtful nodding from the man gave him his answer. “Guess ya learn somethin’ every day. So what’s this gotta do with ya story?” With a sigh, Jerrod said, “It’s my fault she went through what she did. That she got traumatized.” Levi held his gloved hands up again. “How’s that?” “That’s the story I was trying to tell in the first place.” He took a deep breath as he held up his own hands and readied himself. It had been a long while since he’d talked about this, but if there ever was a time to talk about it, it’s while he was being punched in the face. “My brother, Roxy, and me… We all grew up together, in the same neighborhood in this little town in Oregon. “My parents and the Sumners—Roxy’s parents—had settled there when they were doing investigating into some weird arcade cabinet thing in the early 80’s, so we were always pretty close, y’know? Charlie and Roxy were especially, but I looked up to the both of them a lot. They always included me even though they were two years older.” Levi nodded, indicating he was following along as the two carefully watched each other, bouncing on the balls of their feet. It was interesting how the man wasn’t eagerly throwing punches anymore. Was he holding back? Or was he waiting for Jerrod to make the next move? “Then came the summer of ‘91. I was seven, she was eight, my brother was nine. We were all hanging out, trying to stay cool… It was a hot fucking day.” He kept his eye on Levi as he plotted on whether or not to strike or to prepare to block. “We were out at the park, and I was thirsty as Hell. I was whining up a storm, bitching and moaning, because I’d forgotten to bring anything to drink. So Roxy said she’d run to the nearby corner store and get me something. The thing is…” Jerrod stepped forward and swung a punch at Levi. “...she never came back.” This bit of information was enough to distract Levi, letting Jerrod’s hit connect. The cowboy grunted, but shook it off quickly. “What happened?” Jerrod paused for a second, praying he wouldn’t have to explain the next part too much. Slowly, he asked, “They tell you about Sebastian Darke yet?” “Heard the name, but don’t know much. Somethin’ ‘bout bad magic.” Fuck. “The fucking worst, cowboy.” Jesus, they don’t teach these kids this shit? They’re way too specialized. Shaking his head, he continued, “He’s the most evil wizard in history, and saying his name to even the most hardened criminal in our line of work will make them break into a cold sweat. Man leads a secret cult with members everywhere, likes to make golems out of human flesh, and he’s after the pages of the True Necronomicon. And that’s just the cliff notes. You should have seen the size of the dossier they have on that bastard back in Germany.” “Damn.” He shook his head and readjusted his stance. “What’d he do to Roxy?” “His cult took her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they abducted her.” He readjusted his own stance, but he could feel himself shaking slightly. “I don’t know what exactly happened while she was kidnapped, but she was in there for three weeks with the man himself before a local hunter group was able to pull off a rescue. When she came back, she was… Fuck. She was quiet, stared ahead all the time… We didn’t realize back then, but that was when we first met Frances.” He went in for a swing, but he knew he was going to miss almost as soon as he threw the punch. Adding insult to injury was how easily Levi avoided it, barely making any effort to move. “Damn… Can’t even imagine what she went through.” “I can’t either, and I don’t think either of us want to,” Jerrod huffed as he bounced back. “She’s good now, obviously. Took years of therapy but she’s happy, gets along with the others in her head, and she and Moze share Charlie. Plus she’s a vampire and the personal bodyguard of the head of the Silverwings. So at least she’s living her best life, right?” “I’d say so with what she went through,” Levi nodded. “Can’t say I’m followin’ how yer at fault for any of that.” “Then you weren’t paying attention,” Jerrod snapped as he stepped to the side and went in for another punch. Had this guy seriously not been listening at all? His hit connected again, and Levi stumbled backwards. “Good one. And I was payin’ attention. But ya ain’t force her to get’cha somethin’.” “Well, if I hadn’t asked, she wouldn’t have ended up seeing shit she wasn’t supposed to!” “Ya didn’ know,” Levi said gently. Jerrod snorted before letting out a defeated sigh. “No, I didn’t know, but that doesn’t make this shit any easier for me to accept. I fucked up, got her hurt, failed her and my brother, and then on top of it all, I took a job that goes against everything the only two people who care about me stand for.” “So why did ya?” Jerrod opened his mouth to reply, but as he did, he completely froze. Why had he done this? There had to have been a good reason because there’s no way he would have betrayed his brother, no matter how miserable he was. He racked his brain, trying to recall what Amon had actually said the night he’d come to recruit him, and he suddenly realized he only remembered Amon showing up and Amon leaving with those parting words about having a great purpose. He couldn’t remember anything that they’d actually discussed. “I… Shit,” he muttered. “I don’t even… What the fuck.” Levi gave him a knowing look. “Sounds like a good reason to put it all behind ya.” “I… I guess so.” This was absolutely bizarre. He hadn’t thought about why he was here at all ever since reaching Germany, so it had never occurred to him that he didn’t even remember why he’d agreed to this. Things definitely weren’t adding up because he knew he wouldn’t have done this without a good reason, but what was the reason? What had Amon done? Levi lowered his hands. His face was serious, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “If yer as half as good as I think ya are, we need ya alive. Ya got the strength, but ya fight sloppy. Ya need to sharpen up yer skills if ya wanna show what ya got.” “He’s right,” came Talia’s voice from nearby. Jerrod glanced over to see her watching them with her arms crossed, Marina standing beside her. “Your form is absolutely atrocious.” “Oh, well, look who’s eavesdropping now!” Jerrod snarked. “This is completely different,” Talia huffed. “Acoustics, man,” Marina nodded. Shaking his head, he turned back towards Levi. “Look man, I’m not even sure what’s going on anymore. But… I’ll try my damndest. I guess now really isn’t the time for fucking around.” “It sure ain’t,” he agreed, tucking one boxing glove beneath his other arm and pulling his hand out of it. “We start tomorrow, bright an’ early! Take the rest of the day off. Ya did good.” “Alright, fine,” he mumbled in irritation. “Uh, thanks for the pep talk, I guess.” With a laugh, Levi answered, “Anytime.” ****** Drumming her hands on the steering wheel, Akina bopped her head along to a catchy rock song while she waited in the parking lot of Brightside’s. Rita’s shift was nearly over, so Akina was playing lookout in addition to chauffeur. She didn’t see anything suspicious other than a homeless man stumbling on the sidewalk nearby, but that was a typical sight to see in Rhine. He was probably wasted and looking for more alcohol. Poor guy. Though it wasn’t particularly her favorite job to do for Minerva, it was more entertaining than buying groceries or picking up takeout orders. At least I’m actually important now, she grumbled. Plus, it came with an added bonus: She’d befriended Rita and her friends. It was nice to actually have people she could hang out with, which was something she hadn’t realized she’d missed doing. Even if she did feel a little odd among the rest of the group, she still appreciated their willingness to include her. Soon enough, Rita walked out of the side door with Iris and Allen not too far behind her. Rue hadn’t been kidding the first night Akina had hung out with all the girls; Allen was indeed quite weird. Akina had met him a few days prior and between his fashion choices (why would someone wear thick black jeans and fishnet sleeves in the middle of July?) and his odd demeanor, she didn’t particularly get what Iris saw in the guy. Still, Iris seemed to light up whenever she was with him, so it was hard for her to judge too harshly. All weirdness aside, Allen was incredibly friendly and polite. Rita tapped on Akina’s window excitedly as she came up to the car. “Akina!” she started with a big grin, her voice slightly muffled by the glass. “I think something big has happened!” Akina unlocked the doors, and Rita bounced around to the passenger side. As soon as she was inside, Akina asked, “Something with Jemima?” “I don’t think so,” Rita admitted. “But I know it’s a big deal.” “Rue texted Rita a while ago saying she had just hit the jackpot!” Iris added as she slid into the backseat. “She specifically mentioned this was about Secret Squirrel stuff! This could be your big break, you guys!” “Hello, Akina!” Allen greeted as he, too, slid in beside Iris and fastened his seatbelt. “Sorry to impose ourselves on you… Rue apparently wants all of us there. Even me.” She could see him smirk in the rearview mirror. “What were her exact words, Iris?” Iris let out a long sigh. “Bring Iris’s dork-ass mall goth boyfriend, too, I guess.” Akina tried not to laugh as she locked the doors. “Okay, so we’re headed to Liquid Heaven instead of the Inn?” “I guess so!” Rita chirped. “Maybe we can grab some coffees while we’re there!” “I could use a coffee after what I had to put up with today,” Iris sighed. “That one old guy… I think I had to remake his coffee seven times. And he was apparently leering at me? Eugh.” “It was kinda funny when he fell asleep right in his waffles, though,” Rita snickered. “That was funny!” Iris laughed. “Didn’t you think it was funny, Allen?” There was a sort of knowing playfulness in Iris’s voice, though Akina wasn’t entirely sure why. “Oh, absolutely,” Allen nodded. “Perverted old men are some of my least favorite people.” “Guys like that are exactly why I like women,” Akina snorted as she shifted the gear into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. “Oh, I don’t know, I think some guys are okay,” Iris said. “I agree with her,” Rita replied. “After my last boyfriend, I think I’d rather be with a girl this time around. I feel like, with a girl, there’s just more of an opportunity for connecting. Like a girl is gonna get me on some level, no matter where she comes from, because women have a lot of universal experiences.” Laughing, Akina added, “Like period pain. God, that shit sucks.” “Agreed,” Iris and Rita said in unison. “See?” Akina briefly glanced in the rearview mirror at Iris.. “A girl would understand everything. Guys have no idea what we have to go through.” She grimaced and returned her focus to the front as she pulled onto the street. “Like childbirth. I haven’t even gone through it, but I know it hurts like hell. Thank fuck I don’t want kids because there is no way I’m putting myself through that.” “Aw, you don’t want kids?” Iris said. “Not everyone wants children, darling,” Allen replied. “I for one respect that. I honestly wish my father had your mindset. I have far too many older siblings.” “Honestly? I don’t much want kids either,” Rita shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to bring any kid up in Rhine, that’s for sure. If I could magically make the world better I’d consider it, but I’d be happy just finding someone I love, settling down, and devoting my attention to them.” “Isn’t that the dream,” Akina muttered sadly. That’s what she wanted with Debra, but the woman wouldn't give her the time of day much less even look at her as more than just someone in Minerva’s crew. “A dream is a powerful thing,” Allen said. “And you two have one that could easily be made real, provided you keep your eyes open to possibilities.” “Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, Allen,” Rita laughed. “But what about you, Akina? You keeping your eyes open, or are you set on you-know-who?” She shrugged sheepishly and cranked up the air conditioning, suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm. She knew exactly who she wanted, but she wasn’t going to admit that out loud. “Oh, it’s chilly in here,” Iris sighed. “Will you hold me, Allen?” “You need only ask, darling.” “Good job on helping them out,” Rita whispered to Akina with amusement. “You’re a true wingwoman.” Akina peeked in the rearview mirror. “Oh, uh, yeah. Of course.” It hadn’t exactly been her plan, but at least it seemed to be benefiting someone. As soon as Akina pulled into the coffee shop’s parking lot a few minutes later, she spotted Rue leaning against the wall outside. Almost as soon as Rue spotted the car, she dashed right over and tapped on Rita’s window. “You’re not gonna fucking believe who I saw today!” Akina rolled down the window, figuring she was too excited to actually wait for them to get out. “Who?” “Rika Amano,” Rue hissed excitedly, her eyes darting from side to side. “What?!” Allen exclaimed a bit louder than Akina had ever heard him get. “That’s what I said! But it was definitely her! She had some cute white boy with her! I’m pretty sure they’ve got something going on!” Akina could barely believe what she was hearing. “Does Minerva know?” “See, that’s the thing,” Rue grinned, “I decided I’d wait and tell you all so we can all get in on the glory. Now that Iris and I are honorary Secret Squirrels, figured I’d get her in on it. Oh, and Allen’s there too I guess.” “Stop being so mean to him,” Iris huffed, clinging to her boyfriend’s arm. For his part, Allen didn’t seem to pay Rue any mind, but he seemed completely shocked by the news, his stunned expression frozen on his face. “What?” Akina teased, turning around in her seat to face Allen. “Shocked that she’s including you?” He shook his head. “No, I… I’m just… Yeah, I suppose that’s it.” Iris looked at him with concern, gently hugging his arm. Akina exchanged confused expressions with Rita before shrugging and turning back to Rue. “Okay, so what’s the plan, then?” “Well, I gave her my number and told her to call soon or. So we go back to your boss, get on the phone with this girl, and set up some time and place to meet her.” “Sounds like a plan! Might mean we have to skip on getting coffees if we want to make it back though,” Rita winked. “Damn,” Akina swore under her breath. Though, truthfully, it was probably a blessing in disguise she couldn’t get any. The last time she’d brought Debra a coffee, the woman had seemed confused and aloof (though she’d guzzled it down right away). Rue slid into the car next to Allen. “I’m not hugging your arm, sorry.” “Alright, ladies and gentleman! Let’s do this!” Rita cheered. “Hit it, Akina! We’re about to hit the jackpot!” Akina saluted her front seat companion before shifting the gear into drive again and speeding away from the coffee shop. She was mindful not to go more than five over the speed limit as being hindered by a cop (if they even bothered to do their job) would set them back. They arrived at the Inn fairly quickly, pulling into the drive with a cautious screech. Once she’d parked the car, she announced, “Last stop: Secret Squirrel base!” “Oh shit, it’s catching on! Sweet,” Rue grinned. “Alright, let’s head in and tell Minerva about this!” Rita said. The group quickly piled out of the car, which Akina dutifully locked before following them inside. The sound of the TV softly emanated from the living room, and they found Debra and Cora sitting on the couch watching the first Mercenaries film (which Akina recognized almost instantly since she’d seen it several times before). Minerva was seated in an armchair nearby reading a book with a mildly perplexed expression on her face. She glanced up as the five crowded the area and looked rather surprised. “Miss Bright!” Rita exclaimed, causing the other two women to turn their heads towards her. “My friend, Rue, has some news!” “So, uh, you know how you’re looking for Rika Amano?” Rue began. “I found her. And she’s gonna call soon.” Minerva slammed her book shut and stood up. “You’re certain of this? Absolutely certain it was her?” “One hundred and ten percent sure,” Rue nodded. “Barely gave me a chance,” Debra grumbled from her spot on the couch. “Sorry, lady,” Rue replied sheepishly. “Well, how long until she calls?” Minerva asked. “What if she doesn’t call?” Akina asked, glancing hesitantly at Rue. There was always that possibility, which meant they’d be back where they’d started. “I mean, she said she would! I don’t see wh—“ The soft vibrating of a phone accompanied by the cheerful sound of “Barbie Girl” cut Rue off. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, staring at the screen. “Oh shit. It’s her.” Debra once more grumbled. “Of all the songs…” “Let me enjoy myself, god,” Rue grumbled herself as she answered the phone. “Hello?” A few tense moments passed before Rue said, “I’m putting her on speaker.” With a tap on her screen, the sound of a young woman’s voice came through the phone’s speakers. “Uh, hello. So, who are you people exactly?” “Hello,” Minerva began slowly. “Miss Amano? My name is Minerva Bright. I’m not an enemy.” “What’s with all the secrecy, then? Why are you trying to contact me like this?” “There’s a lot to explain, and little time over the phone to do so… Perhaps I can arrange a safe meeting for you to discuss with my right-hand woman?” “Me?” Debra exclaimed in disbelief. Akina perked up at this. Maybe she’d be asked to drive Debra there. Finally, she’d get a moment alone with her! “Absolutely you,” Minerva winked. There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone before Rika finally said, “Ok. I think agreeing to this is the right thing… When and where?” “Please somewhere with coffee,” Debra groaned, flopping her lavender-haired head against the back of the couch. “Actually…” Iris interjected, “Why not Brightside’s on the 30th? We close up early that day, but we could sneak Debra and you in so you can talk.” “I guess that would work,” Rika replied. Akina glanced at Minerva, trying to seem nonchalant while buzzing internally. Would she ask her to drive Debra there? She almost didn’t want to hope for it in case she was given other directions. “Alright,” Minerva nodded. “6 P.M. on the 30th, Debra and the girls will be there. And from there, hopefully I can give you some answers. But please, I want you to know that I want to keep you safe.” “I think I can trust you,” Rika said. “I’ll be there, don’t worry.” The phone went silent as Rika hung up. Minerva took a deep breath. “Akina?” “Yes?” she asked maybe a little too eagerly. “I’m going to need you to be ready to drive Debra to Brightside’s on the 30th. And I need you to be extremely cautious, do you understand?” Fighting back the urge to grin gleefully, she nodded. “You got it!” Minerva nodded and turned to Debra and Cora. “Debra, you take the necessary precautions. I can get you in touch with Sasha and Roman to get you a disguise. Cora, I need you to get eyes on Brightside’s that day, I want you to ensure things go smoothly with no interference from Jemima.” Next, she turned to Rita and the others. “The rest of you...I won’t ask you to help more, but sincerely, thank you.” “Don’t mention it, Miss Bright!” Iris chirped. “I kind of have to help more since I’m closing, eheh… But I’m happy to be there!” “Then I’ll be there too,” Allen said. “I’d be there if I could, but Liquid Heaven doesn’t close early,” Rue sighed. “Maybe I’ll drive over after and hope something is going on when I get there.” Akina was giddy with happiness. Finally, she would get to be a part of something big. Plus, even better, she’d get to be alone with Debra for a few minutes. If she did well, maybe she’d be put on more missions with the woman. And maybe she’ll finally notice me! ****** “I can’t believe we got pulled away from home and sent on some clandestine murder mission only to end up stuck inside watching TV,” Vincent huffed. Flynn was once more hanging out with the Quinceys in the living room and watching The Handy & Ydnah Show as he’d decided to give Gabby and Jojo some space to have alone time. The episode they were currently viewing was about the two titular hands trying to act as wingmen for their neighbor, Pooka the giant purple penguin, who was having some trouble confessing his feelings for someone due to his crippling insecurity and self-esteem issues. For some reason, this particular episode was resonating quite a bit with Flynn. “C-C-Come on, bro,” Randall mumbled, “you didn’t even have to come here. You ch-ch-ch-chose to, probably because you w-wanted to spend more time with H-H-H-Ha-Ha—” Randall gave an impatient snarl and slammed his fist against his leg. “Shit!” “Hey, Randall,” Vincent replied gently, “don’t hit yourself. Take it slow. And, uh. Well… She is kind of the reason I’m here.” Flynn was hardly surprised by this revelation. Whenever Hannah had flirted with him during their first few days in Rhine City, he’d noticed Vincent had seemed rather unamused. This alone clued him in that Vincent had likely come along solely to spend time with her. “Ha! I kn-knew it!” Randall exclaimed smugly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I knew you didn’t actually come to keep an eye on me!” “I mean, that too,” Vincent protested, “but we haven’t seen Hannah in years. I, uh. Wanted to get close to her again.” Randall turned towards Flynn. “If y-y-you haven’t noticed, Vincent has a crush on Hannah, and he has since we were kids.” “Thanks, Randall,” Vincent grumbled. “Well, why don’t you spend some time with her then?” Flynn asked. “It’s… awkward,” Vincent mumbled, sinking deeper into the armchair. “I mean, we haven’t really spent much time together since she started getting homeschooled and then here there were… things.” He cast a sidelong glance at Flynn. “Oh, so did you know about the thing with her parents? Well, I’m not interested, man.” Vincent seemed to ease up, if only slightly. “I guess I knew that. You seemed a lot more interested in the Suicide King anyway.” Ignoring how Vincent was blatantly calling out his unspoken crush, he asked, “Why is he called that?” He’d been wondering about Rex’s odd nickname for a while, but he hadn’t found any answers so far. “I th-think it’s cuz his name is Rex Hart. You know, like king of hearts, wh-which is called the Suicide King since the k-king looks like he’s st-st-sta-stabbing himself,” Randall explained. “Huh,” Flynn muttered. None of this had ever really occurred to him before, though the fact he didn’t really play cards wasn’t much help. Still, that didn’t seem like the whole answer. “So, did you tell him?” Vincent asked. “Wh-What?” Flynn responded with confusion. “Tell him what?” “Th-That you l-like him,” Randall said. Flynn could feel his face turning red. “I… Well, no. Why would I do that?” “Gee, I wonder. Why on Earth would you tell someone you like them?” Vincent snorted. “It’s not that easy, man,” Flynn sighed as he sunk into his seat even more. Flynn’s mind wandered back in time to his childhood. After his mother had taken him away from his dad—a natural reaction to finding out your child’s parent had nearly killed them— he’d moved in and lived with her at Loch Morar. It was during this period of time that he’d first developed feelings for someone else. One of the few people he’d interacted with there had been a boy named Dubhghlas Wake. They’d spent many a day hanging out, playing, and swimming in the loch. He only realized now, with hindsight on his side, that he had been smitten with the boy. He recalled how, when Dubhghlas had to move away, he’d wanted badly to say something that he couldn’t quite find the words for. He knew what he wanted to say now, and it was the same thing he wanted to say to Rex. Yet his nerves, doubts, and fears were holding him back. Vincent seemed to pick up on this hesitancy. “I know it’s not,” he said softly. “I did it once before and… Yeah. It can be hard to take that chance, especially if you feel such a strong pull to someone. You don’t want them to turn you down. But fuck’s sake, Flynn, are you really going to just… not try?” “Well…” “I-I-I heard he at least w-wants to hook up,” Randall nodded. Flynn stared at him in surprise, his face turning even redder than before. “Who the hell said that?” “Rhapsody.” Flynn was annoyed, but before he could express that annoyance, Vincent interjected with, “Well there you go, Flynn. You’ve got the perfect opening to spend some quality time with the guy. He wants to, uh, get some. I think with a guy like that, you should probably start there and work backwards. Sounds crazy, but Rex was probably an incubus in his past life. Gotta play the game by his rules.” Flynn turned to stare at Vincent. “You’re… telling me to go have sex with him.” Vincent shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, if you want to. I’m sure Mina would be happy to fill in in your stead. Can’t fucking get any sleep when those two are going at it. Why’d I have to pick the room right near theirs?” He let out a long sigh before slumping down yet again. “You don’t sleep anyway, Vincent,” Randall said softly. “Let me blame those horny bastards for it,” he grumbled before casting a sideways glance at Flynn. “What are you still doing here? Go!” With an amused nod, Flynn nervously stood up from the comfortable armchair he was sitting in and strolled out of the living room to make his way up the stairs and towards Rex’s room. “You’ve got this, Flynn. You’ve got this,” he muttered as he headed down the hall. It was probably a good thing these two were pushing him to go talk to Rex; he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about kissing the man since their encounter in the kitchen. Then, when they’d been in the pool the previous day, it had seemed like Rex couldn’t keep his hands off of him. Yet, at the same time, the man had felt a bit aloof and distant. It was like he always wanted Flynn close, but not too close. Well, he’s about to get me awful close, just like he wanted, Flynn thought with a mixture of amusement and nervousness. Finally, he stood before Rex’s door. With a deep breath, he lifted his hand to knock, only to freeze when the door swung open to reveal Rex. For once, the man was wearing a shirt—a pink one with a big red heart on the chest—but it did nothing to help Flynn’s nerves. “Hey, Red,” Rex said, blinking in surprise. “Uh, what brings you to this neck of the woods?” The man looked him up and down, a small smile forming on his lips. “I’m really hoping you’re here to take me up on my offer from the other day.” “Oh, um, well,” Flynn stammered, mentally scolding himself for losing his cool already. He straightened up, then continued with, “I was just wondering if maybe you… wanted to hang out.” Rex shrugged, his smile growing slightly bigger. “Sure.” Okay! I’m in! Flynn quietly celebrated as he walked into Rex’s bedroom. Now we’ve just got to… yeah. “You know, Red,” Rex said as he closed the door behind him, “I’m starting to think you might actually like me.” He quickly moved across the room to his bed, sitting down on the edge and gesturing for Flynn to sit next to him. Flynn made his way over and sat down as well, feeling extremely small and vulnerable just as he had in the kitchen the other day. “So,” he replied cockily, trying to hide how utterly out of his depth he felt, “what if I did like you? What then?” Rex wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. “What then, indeed. I mean, I know what I’d like to do.” Flynn’s face turned bright red for what must have been the millionth time that day. “Oh? And what might that be?” he asked coyly. Rex leaned in close. “Well, obviously I want someone to talk about Fleetwood Mac’s discography with.” He let out a laugh, feeling a bit more at ease than he had previously. “Well, if you’d like.” “Oh I’d love to!” Rex exclaimed. “People always act like Stevie Nicks is the mastermind there, but let me tell you, she didn’t write or sing ‘Everywhere.’ That was all Christine McVie, and that is easily their best song.” He waved an arm dramatically. “‘I want to be with you everywhere…’ Fuck. It’s so fucking good.” “Maybe I’ll listen to it sometime,” Flynn snorted. “Good!” Rex laughed before shooting a sidelong glance. “So, you doing okay? I can fucking feel how on edge you are. This helping things any?” “I’m not really on edge, I’m just… nervous, is all.” With a surprisingly gentle smile, Rex said, “Let me tell you something, Red. As much as I like women—and God, do I fucking ever like women—I have always, always preferred men whenever possible. Pretty sure my dad knew that, which is why he arranged my marriage with that gold digging cunt, Eloise.” He shook his head in amusement. “She hopped on my dad as soon as she got a chance.” Flynn’s face scrunched up in disgust. “Yuck. I’m sorry.” “Don’t be,” Rex laughed. “I dodged a bullet with that one. The point is, I like men, you’re a man, and I’d really like to show a man a good time. If you want me to, anyway.” “What about Mina?” Flynn probed. He was aware they weren’t a couple, but he still wanted to hear it from the man himself. “What about her? You want her in on this, too? I mean, threesomes are pretty fucking fun.” Rex’s smile was as big as ever, but there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes for a moment. “No!” Flynn said, perhaps a bit too loudly. “I mean… I’d rather it just be the two of us. I’m, er. Not really… experienced.” “Aww, look at you, a little romantic!” Rex laughed. “It’s up to you, man. I’ve made up my mind. You make up yours.” Apprehension once more washed over him. This was the moment of truth; he’d wanted this for sure, as his boner in the kitchen the other day had certainly told him, but now that he was here with the finish line in sight, he was finding it challenging to reach it. What if he disappointed Rex? What if he wasn’t good enough? So many other “what if” scenarios started running through his mind, but he immediately shut them all out as he recalled the missed opportunity from so many years ago. He wanted this so badly. He especially wanted to make up for his inability to take a chance as a teenager that had cost him the experience of being with another man. Taking a deep breath, he replied, “Yeah. Let’s do this.” “Well then, give me a fucking kiss and let’s go from there.” Flynn didn’t feel like denying him (not that he really wanted to hold back any longer). He climbed onto Rex’s lap and wrapped his arms around his shoulders before leaning in and kissing him. All of the fear and anxiety and doubt he’d had moments before washed away as his lips pressed against Rex’s. It was wonderful, amazing, and beautiful. He could feel his breath catch a bit as Rex’s hands ran down his back, stopping at the edge of his shirt before sneakily sliding under it. The feeling of the man’s skin against his own sent joyful shivers through his body; he was certain that the problem that had arisen the day in the kitchen was going to come up again, but he didn’t care this time. This is what he wanted, and it was what Rex wanted, too. Rex eventually pulled away and held Flynn close to him. “You ready for this?” “One… One thing first,” Flynn breathed. “Bite me, Rex. Go ahead.” He tilted his head, exposing his neck to the man. It was a fantasy that had occasionally floated into his mind ever since being assigned as Gabby’s bodyguard, but until now, it wasn’t one that he’d been willing to indulge in openly. Sure, there had been the night he’d let Gabby feed from his wrist, but that wasn’t the same thing as this. Asking Rex to bite his neck was more intimate. Besides, if he was going to have sex with a vampire, what point was there in not going all the way? Rex seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then leaned in and bit down. Flynn winced at the pain, but was surprised to find that it was a rather enjoyable feeling having Rex sink his teeth into him. He groaned in pleasure as the man sucked hungrily at his neck. He could feel a warmth spreading throughout his body as he fed. When the man withdrew his fangs a short moment later, Flynn let out a groan of pleasure. Almost immediately after he was done feeding, Rex pulled him close yet again, their faces inches apart. “So… You wanna fuck now, Red?” Wordlessly, Flynn nodded. The sheer bluntness was incredibly hot. He wouldn’t have been able to say no to that if he tried. “Look, this is your first time, so I’m going to make it real fucking good, alright? You deserve it. Just… relax.” Rex gently pushed him down on the bed and leaned in to kiss him yet again. His lips trailed down Flynn’s clothed body, causing him to shiver in delight. He knew where this was going, but it still felt unreal to him. Was he certain he wasn’t dreaming? Rex reached Flynn’s groin and pulled down the zipper, and Flynn prayed this was not just a dream. He nearly lost himself when Rex’s fingers wrapped around him. Holy shit… His whole body was wracked with pleasure as Rex began giving him head. The man knew exactly what he was doing, which was evident by the way he was making Flynn pant and groan. Unfortunately, with this being his first time, he didn’t last very long. His back arched as he came, a loud moan echoing through the room as verbal proof. Rex dutifully swallowed, then lifted his head and licked his lips. “I’d ask if you liked that, but fuck, with the amount I just had to swallow, I think I have an answer.” “Christ,” Flynn breathed, the high from what Rex had just done still coursing through him. “I’m not gonna ask you to choke me down this time,” Rex laughed, “so do you want to just skip right to the main event?” He gave a slight nod, and after a few minutes of preparation and undressing, Rex had Flynn’s legs over his shoulders and was poised to enter him. With a deep breath, the man slowly pushed himself in. Flynn winced at first and clutched at the bedsheets. Even with lubrication, this was still not an easy fit. His body eventually adjusted to Rex’s size, and he felt an overwhelming sense of bliss. This was exactly what he wanted. Rex was a lot more gentle and patient than Flynn had imagined he’d be, occasionally (and nervously) asking him if it hurt at all. It was rather sweet and almost romantic, something that was almost unexpected from a man who was so casual about sex. Perhaps he would have read more into it if it wasn’t for the fact that he could barely muster a single coherent thought about anything other than what they were doing at that moment. And the moment lasted much longer than he would have guessed. Rex had stamina, which was likely because of all the sex he’d had in his lifetime. Still, no matter how much experience he had, he responded to encouragement, which Flynn quickly discovered. Whenever he moaned Rex’s name, the man went faster and harder, which then only caused Flynn to moan his name even more. Unfortunately, as all good things had to come to an end, Rex reached his climax and gripped Flynn’s hips tightly. The feeling of the man cumming inside him was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome or unwanted in the slightest. He felt a sense of elated exhaustion. Sure, he was sore, but never had soreness ever felt so worth it. Rex was still inside him, his hands loosening their hold on his hips as the man panted. “Shit, Red… That was…” Flynn felt Rex slowly pull himself out and winced slightly, but whatever pain he felt was offset by Rex leaning down and kissing him. The kiss wasn’t like the intense lustful ones from before. This one was shockingly gentle, tender, and desperate. The man’s bare body pressed up against his own as he gently caressed Flynn’s face. When Rex finally pulled away and looked down at him, there was a soft, melancholy look in his eyes, quite a departure from his usual rebellious attitude. “I… Fuck. I’m sorry, I just…” Flynn saw tears well up in the man’s eyes, and without a word he reached up and caressed Rex’s cheek. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Rex,” he murmured. “This was good. I liked this a lot; you don’t have to apologize. Hell, this was… this was something I’ve always wanted, I think.” Rex laughed softly. “God, no, it’s not that. Just…” He closed his eyes. “Don’t leave, okay? Stay here with me, at least until Gabby calls you out.” “I promise.” They cuddled up together in bed. Surprisingly, it wasn’t long before Rex was asleep. Flynn watched him intently, noticing the almost terrified desperation with which the man was clinging to him. He gently ran his hand through Rex’s short dark hair. You’re so strange… So intense, Flynn thought. But I like you nonetheless. I really do. The question now in his mind, though, was would it go anywhere? Would he and Rex ever be more than just a fling? He supposed he didn’t mind just having casual sex with the man, but how could he not want for more when he looked at him like that? Kissed him like that? He supposed he would worry about that later. For now, he was content to settle into the man’s embrace and fall asleep himself. ****** Lately, anytime Gabby was with Jojo, she felt a sense of belonging and deep, unexplainable happiness. No matter what they were doing, she was content just to be with him. Even something as simple as lying in bed all day and snuggling under the covers, like they had been doing that afternoon after Gabby finished spending time with her mom and grandma, made her grin from ear-to-ear. “You’re warm,” she murmured softly, lying next to him with her head on his chest. He had an arm wrapped around her shoulders to hold her close and was indeed keeping her quite toasty. “You’re warmer,” he teased. “Nuh-uh.” “You are, liebling,” he murmured, nuzzling the top of her head. “I’m so glad we have this chance to relax, you know. I relish little moments like this.” “Me too,” she agreed. “I like spending time with you.” And she didn’t have to feel guilty anymore about being alone with him and excluding Flynn. He’s probably with Rex, anyway, she thought bitterly. He gave her a gentle squeeze, snapping her out of her negative thoughts. “Oh, ja, did you give your mother and grandmother their gifts yet? They weren’t mad we snuck out, were they?” She shook her head again. “Mom said she would take us next time. They really loved their gifts. I saw Amon using his mug this morning, too!” “Good,” Jojo grinned. “I’m glad that despite everything you have a nice relationship with your family.” “Me too.” She felt a little guilty knowing that he couldn’t spend time with his own family anymore. Wait, Mom said his sister turned him, though. Did that mean his sister was still alive? She wanted to ask, but would it be too invasive? The last thing she wanted to do was pry into Jojo’s business and upset or offend him. Ultimately, however, her curiosity got the better of her. “Um… Mom told me your sister is your sire. Do you still talk to her?” Jojo went quiet for a long moment before whispering sadly, “I haven’t heard from her in a long, long time. I don’t know where she is or even if she’s still alive…” “I’m so sorry,” she whimpered. “I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject. We can just talk about something else.” He shook his head vigorously. “There is nothing for you to apologize for.” After a few moments, he gave her a small smile and added, “Would you like me to tell you about her?” She sheepishly admitted, “Yes, if that’s okay with you.” She did genuinely want to know about her, especially since his sister was likely the only family he had left. “Her name is Seraphina Faust…” he began, his voice wistful. “I called her ‘Sera’ for short. She is my eldest sibling, eight years my senior, and I was her favorite brother from the moment I was born. She’s the one who gave me my nickname, which is why I prefer being called ‘Jojo’ and not ‘Johan.’ “Growing up, she was my very best friend. She was adventurous, mischievous, fun-loving… She was the only one I entrusted with the knowledge of my relationship with Heinrich. She accepted me unconditionally and was so kind and supportive.” “She sounds like an amazing person,” Gabby smiled. She could tell by the way Jojo spoke about her that he loved his sister dearly, which made Gabby ache for him. “She is… She is also the only reason I am here today, in more ways than one,” he sighed. “I told you she was adventurous, and she went off to travel before the war. She would write to me often. It was all I had to look forward to after Heinrich went off to fight… and then it became everything to me when Heinrich did not return home. Those next few years were miserable for me. I felt so alone… I had never been particularly close with my two older brothers, and my parents tried their best to console me, but just couldn’t. I… thought many times about ending my life. “But then, when I felt at my lowest, Sera returned. She seemed so much more radiant, so much more confident… She had a fire burning in her eyes and that playful smirk on her face. She was back and was unchanged, and I felt at least a little lighter. One night, she took me out to a bar, and that is where I poured my heart out to her, how broken and lost I felt without Heinrich, how the world felt so dark and miserable without him, you know… “And she put her hand on my shoulder and she told me this: ‘Sweet little Jojo… There are so few souls in this world like you. You are a beautiful, shining star in a world that is grim and dark, and the world always deserves a person like you ‘ And that is when she offered me the gift of vampirism.” “She saved you,” she whispered with wide eyes. If it wasn’t for Sera, she wouldn’t have Jojo in her life. A life without him was not one she wanted to imagine, particularly because he was such an important part of it now. “She did,” he agreed. “I didn’t argue with her. I said yes, because I knew if I had forever at my disposal, I’d be able to find happiness again… And now I have.” He smiled gently at Gabby. “She would love you a lot, you know.” “She would?” “Ja, she would. You make me happy, and that’s all she wanted for me.” He sighed. “I wish I knew where she was… When I contacted my brothers in their old age, they told me she had been despondent for weeks after I disappeared… And then, one night, she walked out the door and never returned. They never heard from her again. I know she must have blamed herself. I just… I wish I could reassure her that what happened was not her fault.” Gabby frowned, feeling rather confused. “What do you mean? What happened?” “She introduced Jack to me,” he said quietly. “She saw him watching me in a bar and thought he might be interested. He seemed so nice at first… He fooled us both.” Dread sat heavily in the pit of her stomach; she knew what the outcome was. “She couldn’t have known. It’s not her fault.” But even as she said this, Gabby understood how Sera could have blamed herself. She probably would have done the same in his sister’s shoes. “I wish I could tell her that… ” “Maybe we can find her? She should know you’re happy now.” “Once I’m free, perhaps we can search for her together. Well, if your mother allows it, I mean.” “I’ll help you,” she promised. “I know how important it is to you so it’s important to me, too.” “You truly are a blessing, Gabby. I bet we’ll find her easily if we’re together.” “I know we will.” She gave him a big smile. She’d do anything to keep him happy. Jojo returned her smile with one of his own, making her feel warm inside. As he opened his mouth to reply to her, though, a knock on the door sounded. “Yo, Gabby, you in there?” came Rhapsody’s voice. She sat up, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. She felt like she’d been caught doing something even though she wasn’t doing anything wrong. “Um, yes!” “You and your boy want to come and meet the rat guy?” “Oh, yeah!” Gabby grinned at Jojo. “Wanna come with?” “I think I was invited already, ja?” he laughed. She crawled out of bed with Jojo, and the two walked towards the door. Unsurprisingly, when they opened it, Rhapsody was waiting patiently on the other side. “Hey you two,” the woman yawned. “This guy seems cool. I was talking to him earlier before Rhiannon did that thing with his pet rat. Can’t believe the angel picked him. Thought she only made bad decisions these days.” Gabby’s smile disappeared. “Bad decisions?” “You know, like coming to Rhine on her little vengeance quest, somehow hiring the exact people Dracula needs to come back, generally being a bit psychotic…” She waved her hand. “Ah, but you don’t wanna hear all this. Come on, follow me, I’ll talk you to the rat guy.” Rhapsody slowly began to limp off down the hallway. Closing the bedroom door behind her, Gabby and Jojo followed Rhapsody at a slow, even pace. As Rhapsody hobbled along, she called back, “Oh yeah, you never asked me what happened with that Jojo I painted. Had a pretty funny payoff! But I get it. You two were busy, sneaking off and making out and whatever you couples do.” “Oh, um, haha, uh…” Jojo said nervously. “Well, uh… what did happen, Rhapsody?” “I just added a few little tricks so that when Moore decided to be Moore, he had a really bad time. I just needed the Jojo to look perfectly like you before I threw in some artistic flourishes, you know?” “It must have worked,” Gabby quietly commented. “I haven’t seen him try to do anything recently.” Though whether that was Rhapsody’s doing or hers by helping hide Jojo, she wasn’t sure. “Well, yeah, after the first time you get your penis bitten off you don’t try shit again, I imagine,” Rhapsody snorted. “I mean, I’ve never had a penis, so I wouldn’t know.” She tilted her head backward a bit and asked, “Have you ever experienced that, Jojo? You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal. Just curious.” “Thankfully, no,” he muttered sheepishly. “I suppose I should be glad Jack is not into such things…” “Ah Jack… I hate that guy. I don’t feel comfortable going barefoot around him. I think he’s weird about feet, you know? I don’t usually judge, but he’s Jack the Ripper after all. I think I’m allowed to judge.” Gabby found Jojo’s hand and tenderly linked her fingers through his, squeezing it for silent support. It won’t be long now, she thought. You’ll be free really soon, and you’ll never have to worry about Jack again. “Anyway…” Rhapsody yawned. “Do either of you know sign language? Or how to speak rat?” Gabby felt a twinge of guilt. She should have taken time to learn the language so she could speak better with Juno, but writing messages (or texting as they rarely actually spent time in-person together) always seemed to work just fine. “No, but he can write what he wants to say, can’t he?” “Oh, yeah, sure, but I mean… Shit, I figured you’d know some sign language since you’re friends with Giorgio’s kid. You know, the stretchy one, what’s their name, I think it starts with a…” Rhapsody trailed off, shaking her head with a laugh. “Sorry. I’m a bit out of it. I had a smoke before coming out to find you.” “Oh.” Rhapsody wasn’t bad per say, but Gabby wasn’t entirely a fan of her drug use (especially since her mom had apparently been participating in it, too). Rhapsody stopped in front of a door near the end of the hall close to the door where Gabby’s grandmother was staying. “Who wants to knock?” she asked. “I guess I will,” she offered, stepping forward and rapping her knuckles gently on the door three times. A moment later, she heard what sounded like scratching at the base of the door. “Ok, I’m guessing that means ‘Come in,’ so you’re good,” Rhapsody said. Gabby timidly opened the door and peeked inside the room cautiously. The last thing she wanted to do was to intrude on Piper if he wasn’t ready for guests. A small squeak caused her to turn her eyes downward. She saw a large rat sitting up and sniffing its nose at her curiously. Elated at how cute it was, she let go of Jojo’s hand before bending down. “Hello!” she greeted quietly—she didn’t want to scare it, after all. The rat gave a cheerful squeak before returning to all fours and trotting leisurely into the room. “Should we follow him?” Jojo asked. “Duh,” Rhapsody snorted. “He’s inviting you in. Probably. I don’t speak rat. Piper does, though. Sort of.” With a giggle, Gabby led them further into the room, following the little rat’s lead. He strolled across the room, going slowly so they could keep up, before clambering up the bedsheets and onto the shoulder of a man sitting quietly on the bed. He looked tired and scruffy, but he gave her a warm, kind smile as she approached. “Hey Piper, I brought the lovebirds to meet you and maybe entertain your little rodent pal,” Rhapsody said as she limped in. “I know you’re still tired from… You know.” Gabby glanced at Rhapsody in confusion, though she wasn’t sure if the woman would pick up on the social cue and explain what she meant. Thankfully, Rhapsody glanced back and said, “Turning. It’s exhausting.” Piper nodded from where he was sitting on the bed, his rat nodding along with him. “Oh, yeah,” Gabby nodded sympathetically. Even if it had been around forty years since she’d gone through it herself, she remembered how spent she’d been. “I don’t want to bother you too much if you’re still tired.” Piper shook his head, then signed something at her. “He says he wants to get to know the rest of the coven, and he wants to make sure you guys are okay with Toby,” Rhapsody explained. Stunned, Gabby turned to Rhapsody again and asked, “You can speak sign language?” “Yeah, sign language, Latin, Serbian, Welsh, Hebrew, Cantonese… What’s the point of living forever if you don’t try everything?” She tapped her head. “I’ll translate him for you, don’t worry.” She turned back to Piper and signed something to him that caused him to crack a huge grin. His rat, Toby, squeaked happily. Shifting nervously from one foot to the other, Gabby glanced at Jojo. She felt a little left out since she couldn’t communicate very well with Piper. Maybe Rhapsody could teach me a little bit of sign language while she’s here. If the woman didn’t mind, anyway. Gabby made a mental note to ask her later. There isn’t really any excuse not to anymore. Especially with two coven members who spoke the language. It was time to step up to the plate. Piper once again signed something and once more, Rhapsody translated. “He wants to know if you’d like to hold him. Toby, I mean. He’s clean, don’t worry.” Gabby lit up with excitement. “Can I?” Piper nodded enthusiastically and held his hand out. Toby quickly scurried down his arm and sat upright in his palm, squeaking eagerly at Gabby. “What a cute little fellow,” Jojo chirped. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rat so well-behaved!” “That’s cuz Rhiannon used her magic to make Toby like a witch’s familiar. The little guy’s like… ten percent magic or something. He can’t die as long as Piper’s alive. I think. I wasn’t really paying attention when Rhiannon was talking… I was remembering this one guy I met in Amsterdam with a really…” She trailed off once more, then shook her head. “Oh yeah, but anyway, Toby’s cool, Piper’s cool. He plays guitar in subway stations or something.” Holding out her right hand for Toby to crawl on, Gabby grinned and glanced at Piper. “You play the guitar? That’s so cool!” Piper nodded as Toby crawled into the palm of her hand and scurried up her arm to her shoulder. He gestured over to the corner where there was indeed a guitar leaning against the wall. She reached her opposite hand back towards where Toby sat to gently pet his head. “Can you play something for us?” He signed and once again, Rhapsody translated. “He said he’s a bit too tired, but he’d be happy to once he’s fully recovered from turning.” Gabby nodded and smiled reassuringly at him. “Do you want to rest a little bit?” He nodded, then paused and signed at Rhapsody. “Okay,” she began, “he says he’d like to know your names and also, he’d like to know if you could keep Toby company while he sleeps.” “I’d be happy to! My name’s Gabby.” She gestured at her boyfriend and introduced him. “This is Jojo.” “Hallo! Pleased to meet you!” Jojo waved. Piper waved back and with a nod towards Toby and a tired smile, he sank back down into his bed. “Guess you guys are babysitting,” Rhapsody nodded. “I don’t mind. We can watch a movie, maybe?” She glanced at Jojo with raised eyebrows, silently asking him for his input. “Do we have Ratatouille?” he laughed. “I think our new little friend might like that one.” Toby let out a soft squeak in response. “I don’t think so,” she replied apologetically. “But I have lots of movies. You can pick what we watch, Toby!” She quietly led them out of Piper’s bedroom so he could sleep. “Aww, that’s so sweet! You’re letting the rat pick the movie!” Rhapsody teased. “I doubt it’ll actually be a problem, though. Don’t worry. That little guy is smart as hell. But I guess familiars are supposed to be, or what’s the point?” Jojo gently closed Piper’s door on their way out, and the group started back towards Gabby’s room. Not wanting to be rude and exclude her, Gabby asked, “Do you want to watch a movie with us, Rhapsody?” “Sure, why not? I’m finally starting to come down so might as well,” she shrugged. “I might just draw though. Maybe I’ll draw something in the movie. Maybe I’ll draw Toby. He’s pretty drawable.” Toby squeaked in approval at this. “I bet Piper would like that,” she encouraged with a smile. “Well then, drawing the rat it is! Think he could use a welcoming gift anyway. I know Namor would appreciate me making the guy feel at home.” Namor was a nickname Tony Sugar gave Amon a long time ago, though Gabby didn’t quite understand why. Apparently it was starting to catch on now since Rhapsody was calling him that as well. “Well, he’s family now,” she agreed as they reached her room. She lifted her hand to gently pet Toby’s head with a laugh. “That means you are, too.” Toby happily nuzzled against Gabby’s hand as she pet him, squeaking with delight. As promised, she let her new rat friend pick out a movie to watch. If it had been her choice, she probably wouldn’t have chosen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles until much, much later as there were other movies that sounded more interesting. Still, she had agreed to make him the guest of honor, so she and Jojo sat together on her bed leaning against the wall while Toby sat in her lap. Rhapsody sat cross-legged on the floor just below them sketching on a pad of paper. This isn’t so bad, Gabby thought to herself with a small smile. Sure, she hadn’t foreseen that she’d be watching a movie with a rat when she woke up that morning, but it wasn’t particularly something she was opposed to. She had two new friends and was finally getting to know Rhapsody. It was a pretty good day and soon, things were going to be even better because Jojo would finally be free. ****** As often was the case since meeting Gabby, Jojo’s day had quickly become rather interesting. He didn’t expect to be watching a movie about ninja turtles in New York—a movie a rat picked out, no less!—with his girlfriend and Rhapsody of all people, but here he was doing just that. “You know,” Rhapsody piped up as they watched the turtles fight crime, “I might have to draw some extra pictures of Toby and send them in. I think the folk who commission me might appreciate adding some pictures of a rat to their show.” Her voice riddled with confusion, Gabby asked, “What do you mean? What show?” “Oh, The Handy & Ydnah Show. They’ve been commissioning me for years. I’m in the credits, if you pay attention. They’ve been buying my art since they started. Isn’t it wild how long they’ve been on air? And nobody knows a thing about who makes it. Weird.” “Wow,” Gabby whispered with amazement. “But you know who they are, right?” “Not really,” came Rhapsody’s reply. “I’ve talked to the actors over the phone before, but they stayed in character the whole time. Such dedication! Anyway, I figured a long time ago it’s none of my business as long as they pay me and give me something to watch when I’m stoned.” Jojo snorted at her comment as he processed this interesting revelation. He’d spent a bit of time with Rhapsody in the past, but that usually only involved smoking marijuana with both her and Rex. He hadn’t ever really thought to ask about what she did for work. Even if he had, he never would have imagined she made art for the ridiculous hand show. He paused and briefly wondered if Flynn knew this bit of trivia. Flynn… A dull ache coursed through him. He loved alone time with Gabby and how warm, cozy, and intimate their cuddling was, but there was something wrong about Flynn being absent from watching a movie with them. Where is he? Ah, probably with Rex, Jojo thought with a bit more annoyance than he would have liked. He mentally shook his head; he had no idea where this bitterness was coming from, and he certainly didn’t want to deal with it while he was having such a good day. “You couldn’t work on a show that’s… less insane?” Jojo asked, doing his best to push aside the weird irritation he’d felt a moment ago. “They pay well. They don’t ask me any weird questions, either. And it’s useful, I guess. Namor had me send in a letter he wrote for the annual fan mail special. I didn’t even know he watched it. Doesn’t seem the type, does he? But he was insistent.” Gabby giggled. “Amon watches Handy and Ydnah?” Once more, Jojo could only sit in utter bewilderment. As mysterious and impenetrable as Amon was, Jojo never would have guessed in a million years that he watched a show where talking hands got coconuts dropped on their heads by a flying cat. The only thing that could possibly have shocked him more is if he found out Amon liked My Little Pony. “I dunno,” Rhapsody yawned. “Maybe? He’s a strange one. I guess when you’re that old, you’ll get a little weird. Wonder what I’ll be like in a couple thousand years…” She held a sketch of Toby up over her head for them to see; it was clearly unfinished, but it still had a lot of detail and shading which was all the more incredible since she was doing it entirely from memory. “How’s it looking?” “I love it!” Gabby chirped, the sincerity evident in her voice. She lifted Toby up in her hands to look at the drawing. “What do you think?” Toby gave a cheerful squeak, which seemed to indicate he was satisfied with the result. “Glad the subject approves. You better be glad I like you, Toby, otherwise I’d take my time instead of using my power to speed this up.” “What is your power?” Gabby asked. Jojo was a little surprised she didn’t already know, but he quickly recalled that Rhapsody preferred not to travel because of the hassles her disability brought. With this in mind, it wasn’t much of a surprise Gabby hadn’t been around Rhapsody enough to see her powers. It certainly didn’t help that the one time he knew for sure they’d been in close proximity before during the 70’s (after the incident with the Cullen twins), Gabby was likely comforting Bea, Stella, and Dawn. Rhapsody slowly pulled herself to her feet, turning to peer at them from behind the tinted lenses of her glasses before giving a slight nod. “Right, you weren’t here when I made the anatomically correct Jojo that tricked Moore.” Jojo’s face immediately turned red and he glanced over at Gabby, praying she wouldn’t ask her to elaborate. Thankfully, Rhapsody continued on without waiting. “I can draw things and have them come to life. But since that would be kinda lame if it took me a normal amount of time, it also helps speed up the drawing process. I promise the talent is all me though.” A grin broke out on Gabby’s face. “That’s so cool! How come I’ve never seen you do it before?” “You never asked.” Rhapsody gave her a wink before pushing her glasses back up. “So why not ask now?” She excitedly glanced at Jojo, her joy and enthusiasm so infectious that he felt himself getting excited as well. In a whisper that wasn’t very hushed at all, she asked, “What do you think? What should I request?” “Anything you want I imagine, ja?” he laughed. Truly the sky was the limit here. “But there are so many things to choose from!” she sighed. “I’ve got an idea,” Rhapsody interjected, “why don’t you pick someone in the coven. Anyone at all. Giorgio, Bea, Nestor, Dallas, Kane, Dee, Kristoph… Just name someone and I‘ll show you something funny I do to entertain myself.” Gabby’s face lit up again as she enthusiastically answered, “Nestor!” “Nestor! Not a bad choice,” Rhapsody nodded. She flipped to a new page of her sketch pad and began to quickly draw something, her hands moving at blinding speed. A minute later, she set the pad down on the edge of the bed, and a miniature Nestor emerged from the page brandishing a tiny machete and a sawed-off shotgun. “Pretty neat, huh?” Rhapsody asked. “I’m not done yet though.” She picked up the pad once more and after a few minutes of furious scribbling, she set it down again. This time, a miniature version of Jack crawled out of the page. He looked just as he always did when he was on the prowl, eyes wild and hands full of knives. “You truly captured his essence,” Jojo muttered, flinching in fear even though he knew it was surely harmless to him. “I try my best.” With a sweeping gesture to the miniature vampires, Rhapsody asked, “So, do you kids like fighting games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat?” Sheepishly, Gabby admitted, “I don’t know what those are.” “They’re video games, fighting ones,” Jojo explained. “I’ve played them with Rex before.” “Well, I like to make my own fighting game… One where people beat the crap out of Jack.” She nodded down to the tiny Nestor and said, “Get him.” The tiny Nestor charged the miniature Jack, slashing him with his machete before delivering a roundhouse kick to Jack’s torso. Gabby grinned brightly as she watched Nestor lay into Jack. Apparently she has a violent streak when it comes to Jack, Jojo thought happily. Just another reason to love her. Then again, considering everything she knew about him, it would be shocking if even someone as sweet and peaceful as her wasn’t crying out for the man to suffer some consequences for his crimes. “You know, Rhapsody, I might have to hang out with you more if this is what you do for fun,” Jojo joked. Rhapsody grinned back. “I’ve barely met the guy, but I’m friends with a lot of people he’s hurt. Considering what he’s done to you, Rex, Marianna, those Cullen girls… I’ll have Jack get beat up by Barney the Dinosaur for a laugh.” Gabby’s glee seemed to fade and for a moment, she was quiet. When she finally spoke again, she asked, “If he hurts so many people, why does Grandma let him stay?” “I dunno,” Rhapsody sighed, “I thought for sure she was going to kill him after what he did to Bea’s kids, but she just seemed to seize up… God. Pretty sure even Namor’s stumped on that one.” Jojo watched Gabby as she silently turned her attention back to the ferocious battle between mini Nestor and tiny Jack (which could go either way, but he was pretty confident Nestor would win). What is on your mind, liebling? he thought. Was she torn by how her grandma could allow that man to stay in her coven? Things seemed to be improving with Eve; maybe he could convince her to finally rid the coven of the blight that was Jack Fairchild. “Hey,” Rhapsody said, cutting through his thoughts, “where’s that redhead? I bet he’d love this.” Gabby slumped slightly, and she seemed even more unhappy than she had just seconds before. “I dunno. I haven’t seen him all day,” she muttered. “I saw him moping in the living room with the Quinceys,” Rhapsody yawned. “I can watch Toby if you wanna go get him so we can beat up Jack a few more times… Can’t do too much more. I’ve been fasting.” Gabby snapped out of her funk for a moment as her brown eyes widened in worry. “Why?” Jojo shot her an incredulous look that she didn’t seem to notice. Surely she knew Rhapsody fasted so that she could experience the full force of her drugs without her healing factor flushing them from her system immediately? It’s not like Rhapsody made any attempt at being subtle. She’d even explicitly stated she’d gotten high that very day. Rhapsody just gave her an amused smile and said, “I self-medicate because of my leg, and my medication doesn’t work if my healing factor pushes it out of my system too quickly.” “Oh, I guess that makes sense,” she replied thoughtfully. With genuine concern in her voice, she gently inquired, “Does it still hurt?” “Yeah, a bit. Nothing I’m not used to, though. Wish I’d brought my wheelchair, but that brings even more issues. The world’s not really kind to people like me.”’ “Why is that?” “You see any ramps or elevators in this house? Or in the Black Forest? I don’t think I would have made it in time if Mr. J hadn’t offered to carry me. What a gentleman.” Gabby shook her head and frowned deeply. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to suffer.” “Nobody should, but it’s just part of being a vampire,” Rhapsody sighed. “It’s a beautiful high at first, but you’ve gotta find a way to get blood to stay strong, you’ve gotta find ways to forge your identity, you can’t stay in one place too long, you’ve gotta watch mortal friends and family die, and you’re stuck one way forever…” She shook her head. “Suffering’s what we do. But it’s not all we do, you dig?” With a wave of her hand, she added, “Go on, go find that friend of yours. I’ll be okay for a few minutes. And I guess I wouldn’t be too opposed if you grabbed some of Moore’s blood from the fridge.” Gabby crawled off of her bed and stood up, handing Toby to the artist. “Don’t worry! We’ll be back soon.” The two made their way out of Gabby’s bedroom and into the hallway. It was quiet, though he could hear private conversations from behind closed doors they passed. Not wanting to pry into the personal business of others, he continued on his way with his girlfriend at his side until they reached the kitchen downstairs. Jojo went over to the fridge, swinging it open and letting out an impressed whistle. “She wasn’t kidding! There are a lot of thermoses in here.” He snatched one out and unscrewed the top, breathing in the sweet scent of Moore’s blood deeply before letting out a contented sigh. “Mmm… It’s pretty fresh, too. Do you want one, or do you want to share, liebling?” She quietly replied, “We can share, if that’s okay with you.” “I’ll try not to drink too much in one go,” he winked before taking a swig. It was sweet and delicious, though whether that was because this was revenge after a fashion or because he was genuinely that hungry, he could not say. As he swallowed, he stepped to the side to allow Gabby to grab a thermos for Rhapsody just before the fridge door swung shut. With a nervous glance in his direction, she asked, “Where do you think we should look for Flynn?” “Hmm,” Jojo hummed thoughtfully as he lowered the thermos from his lips. He could feel the slight tickle of a small drop of blood trickling down his chin. “We could go check in with the Quinceys. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was watching that ridiculous hand show with them… I didn’t want to say anything in front of Rhapsody… I’m sure her work on the show is stellar, but what do those men like about it? It’s so inane!” Gabby giggled and nodded in agreement. “But it makes them happy, so I guess we can’t complain too much.” She reached her free hand up to his face and gently wiped away the blood. “There. All better.” “Danke, liebling,” Jojo said gently, his heart fluttering from even the briefest touch from her. She grinned brightly. “Of course!” Happily skipping across the kitchen, she grabbed a paper towel and wiped off her finger. Jojo closed the thermos and stuck it into a small navy blue insulated cooling bag. After she tossed the paper towel into the trash, Gabby rejoined him and placed the blood she was holding in the bag as well. Jojo zipped it up, and Gabby offered to carry it. Swinging it happily in her left hand, she led him into the living room. Unsurprisingly, Vincent and Randall were both seated and watching The Handy and Ydnah Show just as Rhapsody said. Flynn, unfortunately, was missing. Vincent turned his head, apparently spotting them, and gave them a slow, tired wave. “Well, if it isn’t the two lovebirds,” he yawned. “Come to watch this tripe?” He gestured at the TV; the fairy cat, Blue, was sitting next to a gigantic bean, crying about her life. Hanging in the background of the scene were a couple of paintings that Jojo immediately noted were Rhapsody’s work. Jojo lost focus on the task at hand, getting sucked into the nonsense unfolding in the episode. How was the show so mesmerizing even to those who didn’t care for it? “Um, no,” Gabby responded, her voice sounding timid and nervous. “Actually… Do you know where Flynn is? We wanted to ask him if he wants to watch a movie with us.” “He’s p-p-p-p-probably still with Rex,” Randall stammered with a snort. “I’m guessing he took my advice. Good for him,” Vincent nodded. Jojo suddenly snapped to attention, turning his gaze to his girlfriend just in time to watch as the color seemed to drain from her face. “Your… advice?” she asked shakily. “I told him to just play by Rex’s rules and. Uh. Fuck him,” Vincent shrugged. “Considering he’s been gone this long… Jesus. He must have some stamina.” Jojo felt like he’d just been punched in the gut. His hand quickly grabbed her free one beside him; he needed to get out of there right now. “Gabby,” he whispered, praying she understood. “Please.” “Oh.” Her eyes seemed to instantly brim with tears. Was she feeling what he was? Vincent seemed completely oblivious to their reactions. “So, uh… Did you want to watch this until he gets back? Please say yes. I can’t take much more of this.” “Why must I constantly be betrayed by those around me?! Meow meow meow…” Blue the cat whined on the TV screen. “Um…” Gabby glanced at Jojo. He silently pleaded with her not to overreact and thankfully, she seemed to get the message. “We should… We should get back upstairs. Um, Rhapsody is waiting for us.” “Oh. Um. Well, tell her we said hi, okay?” Vincent muttered. “Ja, we will, sure,” Jojo replied with a nervous quickness. “Come on, Gabby, let’s go.” He pulled her out of the room and back towards the stairs. When they were a safe distance away in the foyer, he slammed his fist onto the wall and leaned against it. “Scheisse!” he growled as the maelstrom of feelings churned in his stomach. He was angry, he was sad, and he was jealous, but he just didn’t understand why. He was so happy with Gabby and yet here he was, getting angry and upset over hearing Flynn had slept with Rex. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly from behind him. She squeezed his hand reassuringly even though she didn’t know what was going on. He turned around to face her. When he saw her wide, frightened eyes, guilt washed over him. “Ah, I… I don’t know, liebling. I’m just… upset.” “Why are you upset?” “I don’t know!” he exclaimed, his eyes welling up as he desperately tried to make sense of what he was feeling. “I can’t be jealous, can I? I’m too happy with you to be jealous… So why does hearing that bother me?” “Jealous?” she echoed in confusion. “I loved Rex for a long time, you know,” he said miserably, trying his best to vocalize what exactly was eating at him. “We had something. And it didn’t bother me because I want him and Flynn to be happy, ja? But seeing how upset you were getting… it made me realize this upsets me, too.” Before he even realized what was happening, Gabby started crying. She bowed her head, her auburn hair falling in front of her face as tears rapidly ran down her cheeks. Not even a moment later, his arms were around her, and he pulled her close against his chest. Making her upset was the last thing he’d wanted to do. Did she think he loved her less, or that they were falling apart? He would never let that happen, but maybe he hadn’t done a good job at conveying that. He mentally kicked himself for dumping his feelings on her with so little care for her own. “Rhapsody was right. Vampires, we never have it easy, do we?” “No,” she wailed, hugging him tightly, the cooling bag in her hand bumping gently against his hip. She let herself cry for a short moment longer before sniffling to a stop. “Does this mean we can’t be together anymore?” “Gabby, no,” he reassured, squeezing her gently, “I love you too much. I would do whatever it took to keep us together.” Which makes what I’m feeling so much more confusing. Lifting her head from where it had nestled on his chest, she beamed at him. “I love you too, Jojo.” “I wish I had saved that for a more romantic occasion, but I think we both need to hear that right now.” “Yeah,” she agreed, letting out a small laugh that was followed by a sigh as a frown made its way onto her face. “So, do we go back upstairs without him?” “That doesn’t feel right, does it?” Jojo replied. “But can I even look at him right now? I want Flynn to be happy. Him and Rex both. But it hurts, even if I’m happy for them.” Gabby’s eyes widened, and a small gasp escaped from her mouth. “That’s how I feel, too. That’s why I keep getting so angry even though I want Flynn to be happy.” What were the chances that they both felt the same way? Jojo was more confused than ever. “What does this mean? I’ve never heard of anything like this…” “Anything like what?” “I am certain we are meant to be, liebling. Are you certain of me in that way, too?” Gabby nodded in response. She looked so confused, but he could see in her eyes that she did love him, which told him all he needed to know. “Then why are we both so confused about our feelings towards Flynn and Rex? Why is there uncertainty there?” Nervously, Gabby withdrew her arms from around him and dropped them to her sides, staring at the ground again. “I don’t know. Flynn is so important to me, and—“ “What about me?” came the familiar sound of Flynn’s voice from behind them. Speak of the devil, ja? Jojo thought to himself as he took in the sight of his friend. Flynn was wearing a pair of pastel pink sweatpants and a white tank top he immediately recognized as he had pulled them off their owner many, many times before. He bit his tongue, going quiet. He knew he might actually snap if he opened his mouth now. Unfortunately, his girlfriend was not quite as good at holding back. “Nothing,” she snapped. Flynn jumped a bit at her harshness. “Oh, alright… Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.” He ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Uh, are you going to the kitchen, or did you already go? I was headed there myself.” “We’ve already been there.” She held up the cooler in her hand for emphasis. Jojo could feel the frustration emanating from her like a blazing heat and linked his fingers through hers to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Oh,” he mumbled. “Well, I… Er.” Flynn was having trouble looking at her which only seemed to make her more irritated if the way she narrowed her eyes was any indication. “You know, just call me if you need me, then. I don’t want to be a third wheel on your alone time with Jojo.” Jojo stayed quiet. He hated the weirdness between them, and he knew Gabby hated it doubly so. What exactly was going on? “You’re not a third wheel,” she mumbled with a frown. “I know, I just… I guess, as much as I want you safe, you have a right to be together without me watching you. I don’t want to keep you from anything you might want to do is all. I care about you both too much for that.” He gave them a small smile. “You both mean a lot to me. I don’t think I’ve ever had friends like you two before.” Jojo felt even more frustrated and anxious than before. Flynn had no idea what was going on with them or how they felt, yet he still loved them both despite how distant and cold they were being. Surprisingly, it was Gabby who made the next move, stepping forward and hugging Flynn tightly. Their friend gently hugged her back, and Jojo once more felt a mix of conflicting emotions that he couldn’t begin to sort through. “I’m not mad,” Gabby whispered. “Okay,” Flynn sighed, relief evident in his voice. “What about you, Jojo? You’re being kind of quiet.” “I’m not mad, I promise,” Jojo said. “I have a lot on my mind is all.” Specifically you, Rex, and Gabby. “I get it,” Flynn replied gently. “There’s a lot going on. But I’m here for you. Both of you, okay? It’s not fair that only I get to feel better than I have in ages, you both deserve that too.” “We do,” Gabby promised, squeezing a little tighter. “We all deserve a little happiness, ja?” Jojo said, resting his hands gently on her shoulders. He silently hoped maybe she’d let him in on this hug. Somehow, Gabby seemed to sense this because she released her left arm from where it had been wrapped around Flynn’s middle and held it open with an inviting smile, the bag still dangling from her hand. “We’re a team, and we always will be.” “Come Hell or high water,” Jojo added. Flynn grinned. “That’s all I want, really.” He squeezed the two of them close for a moment before clearing his throat and saying, “Well, I suppose if I’m not being a bother, I can come and hang out with you two again.” Sounding sheepish, Gabby admitted, “I think we’d both like that. If you don’t mind Rhapsody and Toby being with us.” Flynn raised an eyebrow. “Toby? Who’s that?” “You’ll see soon enough,” Jojo laughed. “Now come along, the movie’s probably going to be right up your alley and Rhapsody has something fun to show you.” As they all made a quick stop into the kitchen so Flynn could get a snack, Jojo suspected that things would settle into normalcy for the time being despite the emotional roller coaster he’d just been on. Still, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was going to have to confront these odd feelings he and Gabby shared to try and sort them out. But for now, he would simply enjoy this time with his friends, and deal with the drama once he was finally free from his collar. After all, what was the point of ruining a lovely moment such as this? ****** If spending time with Rhiannon was how Marianna was to repent for her past sins, she would gladly accept this punishment. She had tirelessly tried to help the woman figure out Jojo’s collar situation in her free time; she owed it to both Jojo and Gabby after so many years of doing nothing. Unfortunately, making progress was not happening as quickly as Marianna would have liked. “Blood magic is tricky and complicated,” Rhiannon had explained when they’d begun brainstorming, “and it’s the nature of my magic to ensure my enchantments don’t unravel.” What little Marianna knew about blood magic definitely reaffirmed that. All living things had a bit of aether (the magical element) in them, and blood magic allowed spellcasters to draw from their aether to create spells far stronger than what was normally possible. It was far more complicated and dangerous than normal magic but thanks to decades of practice and the innate strengths of her cambion nature, Rhiannon’s crafts showed that the results spoke for themselves. And that was precisely the problem they were facing since Jojo’s collar was a needlessly intricate piece of work. The spells that Rhiannon had considered using were not intended to unravel the powerful blood magic within the collar. Marianna wished she could be more of an assistance to the enchantress, but she only had the most basic of knowledge on the subject despite her abilities technically being a sort of blood magic as all vampire abilities were. Thankfully, she’d found a way to make herself useful: Cheering the woman up with countless stories she hadn’t shared in their correspondences over the decades. She’d already regaled her with many of her wild adventures—storming the Enigma compound and recruiting Kristoph during World War Two, avenging the murder of Kitty Genovese, and the encounter with the real Bloody Mary, which had gone from violent to amorous in record time. Currently, she was recounting the events of her mother’s return to her original body as they sat at the table in the dining room. “—and then I said, ‘Let Yorick’s power aid in her return!’ or some such rubbish,” Marianna laughed. “No! Truly?” Rhiannon giggled. “Mary, I’m sorry, but I simply cannot imagine you giving such a ludicrous speech.” “I gave it, but I didn’t write it,” she scowled. “The author of that nonsense was Jack.” Rhiannon shook her head. “I still can hardly believe it… Jack Fairchild, the Ripper of Whitechapel… It’s my own fault for staying in isolation, I suppose. The circumstances of my birth are no reason to not stand beside you and fight if this is the outcome of my cowardice.” “Oh, don’t blame yourself,” Marianna said. “You have your reasons, yes?” “Aye, that I do,” Rhiannon sighed. Marianna was well aware that the nature of Rhiannon’s father—namely, that he was a demon—caused her to isolate herself out of fear of persecution as well as out of fear she may have inherited negative traits from the man. “You’re not like him,” Marianna reassured her. Rhiannon gave her a grateful smile, one that soon turned into a more amused one as she asked, “So, you think he helped? Yorick, I mean?” “Of course not,” Marianna scoffed. “The whole story about Yorick is nothing but a load of nonsense if you ask me, fabricated by the miserable little witch coven that skulks around in those woods.” “What, don’t believe in fairies, Mary?” Rhiannon teased. “Vampires, werewolves, angels, and demons, but Fae are just too much?” “Oh no, I definitely believe in fairies even if I’m fairly certain I’ve never met one. But Yorick trapped under the tree, able to be resurrected after all this time… It’s unbelievable nonsense.” She wagged her finger at the enchantress. “Amon checked, you know. The Black Forest is no more magical than any other forest, and what magic there was lingering in the air are just the typical results of witch activity. Yorick, the tree… It’s all just literal fairy tales, either concocted out of some desperation for purpose or to try and scare off the Silverwings. Why Jack is so obsessed with it and why Mother indulges him, I’ll never know.” “It is silly, isn’t it? If he was under there, he’s truly dead after all this time. When you’ve passed on, you’ve passed on.” This was a truth of magic every spellcaster learned early on in their magical education. When a person died, unless they had a sense of desperation so great that their spirit clung to the mortal world, they passed on into whatever life came after for them and were no longer able to communicate with the world of the living. Even Amon could not break this rule, and his power allowed him to bend the rules of magic as he saw fit. Some rules just are not meant to be broken, Marianna thought before replying with, “Whatever the case, the speech I had to give was just utterly embarrassing. Thank goodness Gabby was so engrossed with Jojo, otherwise I’d be too ashamed to look at her. Although I do think I saw Wayne crack a smile. It’s always nice to brighten his mood, especially since him being happy makes Mabel lighten up.” “Well, a bit of good out of a rotten situation is better than nothing, isn’t that right?” Rhiannon grinned as her moth familiar, Heulwen, landed gently atop her head. Marianna’s heart fluttered much like Rhiannon’s little insect friend. The woman’s smile was stunning. She turned away quickly and said, “Yes, I do suppose you’re right.” “Mary,” Rhiannon said, gently taking hold of her hand, “what’s got you so sheepish, hmm?” “What? Me? Sheepish? Come now, I’m not… sheepish…” She was a terrible liar, and she knew it. Were it not for Nadia and the hope she might find some way to be with her again, she would likely not be able to resist even this slight touch. She ached to be with another woman again, but the rational part of her mind was drowned out by that desperate hope she could be reunited with the woman who changed her life so long ago. Damn you, damn you, damn you, she berated herself. Rhiannon’s other hand brushed against her cheek and turned her face so they were looking each other directly in the eyes. The enchantress’s moth was still perched atop her head unmoving and seemed to be watching Marianna curiously. “Haven’t I told you before you need not be afraid with me? You can tell me anything, you know. So… why are you so nervous, hmm?” Marianna leaned forward a bit, her cheeks burning hot. She was inches away from Rhiannon’s lips now. “Well… I…” “Talk to me, Mary,” Rhiannon purred, leaning in closer. Her breath was hot against Marianna’s face, yet she shivered with joy. Just let it happen, she told herself. You need this. You need to let go, move on, and do it with her. You know you want to. Before they could lock lips, a knock sounded on the door to the kitchen, and Marianna snapped back in her seat. Faster than Rhiannon had torn down her mental walls, they built themselves back up, locking Marianna back into her quiet, desperate hope that Nadia might find it in herself to forgive her. She glanced nervously at the enchantress, the look of disappointment on her face filling Marianna with a silent profound misery. Turning her attention to the door, Marianna called out, “Who is it?” “Uh, Miss Cross?” came Hannah’s voice. “I was, um, wondering if you and Rhiannon were busy…” “Oh, no, of course not!” Rhiannon called out. “Come on inside.” Hannah entered wearing a rather cliche moon-and-star patterned purple witch robe. Marianna was fairly certain it was some sort of designer brand, but she could not place which one; it had been a long time since she’d frequented any sort of wizarding fashion boutiques. “Well, uh, what can I help you with, dear?” she asked. “Well, I know you’re trying to get that collar off of Johan. Er, Jojo.” “Ah, you wish to help, do you?” Rhiannon chirped. “Well, the issue is I’m not entirely certain what can be done. Normally one would be able to use a simple unbinding spell to remove such a thing, but my blood magic works in such a way as to prevent that. Blood magic of my sort isn’t meant to be unsealed painlessly. Not to say it can’t be done, but such a spell would have to be even stronger than mine.” Hannah put her hands on her hips and grinned confidently. “Well, that’s why I’m here. I have an unbinding spell that might actually do the trick.” The two women stared at Hannah in surprise. “Truly?” they said in unison. Hannah nodded excitedly. “It’s one I learned from something in my parents’ private collection on an old page from a spellbook. I stumbled across it the day Amon visited me, and I just now remembered seeing it. The text on the page said it could ‘unseal the unsealable’ and I know it’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try, right?” “Do you know the spell? Off the top of your head?” Rhiannon asked excitedly. Hannah nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely! I have a photographic memory, something I take great pride in! I never forget anything!” With utmost confidence, she took out a pen and paper and began writing the spell down. When she was finished, Rhiannon looked it over. “Fascinating. This is simply fascinating.” “What is it, Rhiannon?” Marianna asked nervously. “I’ve… not seen this spell before,” she replied incredulously. “But considering the incantation is written in Arabic, I can wager a guess as to what tome that page came from. This will absolutely be strong enough to free Jojo.” “Ha!” Hannah exclaimed. “I knew it!” “Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, though,” the enchantress said. “First, let us test it on a non-living target! Follow me!” Rhiannon waved her hand, gesturing them to follow as she grabbed her staff and led them out of the dining room, into the foyer, and out of the house itself. Once outside, Rhiannon turned and stood before the door, a dagger materializing in her staffless hand. “I’m going to use the same sort of blood magic lock on this door as I used with the collar, then test the new spell on it. If it works, excellent! If it does not, there’s going to be quite a bit of a breeze on this side of the house.” She glanced towards Hannah. “If your stomach is weak, Miss Starr, I recommend looking away.” “I’ll be alright,” Hannah nodded, though Marianna sensed a bit of apprehension from the young woman. Even with her extensive education in all things magical (something her parents had bragged about for days back in Germany), it was likely Hannah had never actually seen blood magic performed in front of her. As Rhiannon drew the blade across her wrist and began to cast the spell, a pang of guilt shot through Marianna. She recalled how, when she was still mortal, she’d asked Victoria if she’d like to learn magic with her so that they might bond and become closer; she had wanted a good relationship with her future mother-in-law. After all, what could bring a pair closer than learning to cast spells together? Unfortunately, this had only been a short time before the tragedies that befell them all, and Marianna had never again bothered to try learning spells, even though Amon could have easily taught her. Her shame ran too deep to even allow herself to consider such a thing. Frustration growing within her, she pushed her pity and self-loathing aside. Today was not about her. If Hannah had really given them what they needed, Jojo’s freedom was finally at hand. That’s all that mattered now. “Alright,” Rhiannon said as she flicked aside what blood remained on her wrist, “time for me to give this new spell a go!” Rhiannon tilted her staff towards the door and began reciting the spell. As she continued the incantation, sparks of pale blue electricity danced down the length of her staff, up her arms, and across her body, growing in intensity as the spell continued. Marianna gently took hold of Hannah and pulled her back, positioning herself in front of the girl. She was far more likely to be able to come back from being grievously injured from magical discharge than the mortal was. As the enchantress finished the incantation, a burst of magical energy shot forth from her staff accompanied by a pleasant blast of warm air that ruffled Marianna’s short hair. A loud, resonant click echoed from the door as the spell shattered. They watched in awe as it swung open from the force of the breeze. Marianna’s eyes widened in excitement, but before she could voice it, another click made her freeze. This one came from deep within her mind, creating an aura of peace and calm that washed over her. She stared in awe as Rhiannon slowly turned her gaze towards her and was shocked by a sudden, overwhelming urge to take the woman in her arms and kiss her. But what of Nadia? she thought. She still felt a small ache for Nadia deep inside, but it was growing more dull and numb each passing second. What she felt now was raw, hot, and powerful; she wanted to act on it as soon as possible. Rhiannon’s arms trembled, and her eyes were wide. “I… I think… I think it worked.” “Oh… Oh, good,” Hannah mumbled, her face utterly pale. “I… Why did I forget… How did… What…” “Are… Are you alright?” Rhiannon gasped. Hannah gave a tight-lipped nod before softly asking, “May I be excused? I… need to talk with Vincent.” Rhiannon gave a slight nod and with a swish of her robe, Hannah darted inside with blinding speed, leaving Marianna alone with Rhiannon once more. The tension in the air was thick. There was so much she wanted to say to the enchantress and so much she wanted to ask. It was Rhiannon, however, who finally broke the silence. “I… I remember.” Marianna looked at her in confusion. “Remember? Remember what?” “How I was turned,” she whispered. “All these years I’d blocked it out, sealed it away deep inside… but now, I remember. I don’t think that spell merely breaks physical locks, Mary. Hannah said it unsealed the unsealable, and that’s just vague enough to mean anything. Perhaps I should ask if her parents may be willing to loan me the page. I’ve always wanted to study the Nec–” Before she realized what she was doing, Marianna’s lips found their way onto Rhiannon’s, instantly silencing her. Rhiannon seemed shocked at first, but she eventually kissed back with a desperate force that matched Marianna’s. Eventually, after several minutes of hungry kissing, the two broke away. “Mary,” Rhiannon murmured, “do you really want to do this? If this is the work of the spell, I don’t want to rush you after aching for Nadia for all this time. I can be patient, Mary. I’ve waited this long, I can wait a bit longer… I could wait forever so long as I could be near you. Your presence is intoxicating, you know.” Marianna could feel her face burning. “Rhiannon, come now, could you not find a better woman?” She knew it was stupid to say. After all, she knew very well how the attraction of vampires worked. She could feel it just a moment ago in how Rhiannon had kissed her. Rhiannon loved her as desperately as she had once loved Nadia long ago. “You are the best woman, Mary. I’ve known it since I met you. I’ve known it even when you didn’t know it yourself.” “Then… Then I’m not going to make you wait a moment longer,” Marianna stated firmly, surprising even herself. “You need this. I need this.” Rhiannon didn’t protest further, and the two very quickly rushed inside to Marianna’s room. As soon as the bedroom door closed, their lips were pressed together yet again. Somehow, they managed to waddle together to her bed, falling onto it with Marianna on top. She wasted no time sliding her hand up Rhiannon’s smooth leg and under her robe. She could feel a familiar electric tingle she hadn’t realized she’d missed as her fingertips danced across the enchantress’ skin and found their way to their destination. Her thoughts were as far from Nadia as could be as soon as the first moan escaped Rhiannon’s lips. Marianna sent a silent thanks to Hannah’s parents for finding that spell. Finally, she was free from the shackles of her pain. Her inhibitions were unlocked, and she felt a hundred years younger. The stress her mother was constantly putting on her was nothing but a distant memory. All that mattered was this moment with the enchantress. For hours, she gave Rhiannon every inch of her, letting the woman explore her body in ways no one had in a very long while. In return, she did all she could to pleasure her partner. She felt incredible joy in dazzling Rhiannon with the prowess of her tongue. Marianna wished for nothing more than to eternally hear the moans of pleasure that Rhiannon gasped out with each stroke her tongue lovingly gave to her. Eventually, even with their vampiric stamina, they collapsed in exhaustion, their bare bodies pressed together in a tender embrace as they lay wordlessly basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Best of all was that the pain of Nadia’s absence felt more distant than it ever had before. Perhaps… Perhaps this truly can be a fresh start for me… Marianna thought happily as she held Rhiannon close. ****** As skeptical as she had been about acting out a budding relationship in the public eye, Jemima could sense within a few minutes of her first staged date with the Countess that the evening was going to be far more pleasant than she’d originally imagined. The two were seated at a circular table dressed by a black tablecloth in a secluded corner at Gusto del Paradiso slowly sipping glasses of Rivata Casa Rossa. If her ex-lover does not buy this, she thought to herself as she felt the sweet red wine trickle down her throat, then I’m unsure what will get to her. She was dressed in the very outfit the Countess had picked out for her the day before: A lacy knee length black dress and black ballet flats with a white pearl earring and necklace set. Her graying hair was pulled back neatly in a bun at the top of her head. As good as she looked, the Countess looked even better. complimenting Jemima’s attire perfectly with a long, glittering red dress that suited her figure. “Such a wondrous establishment, I must say… The architecture in particular is stunning. It brings to mind restaurants I myself visited when last I was in Italy,” the Countess mused. “I do hope their decor appears authentic,” Jemima replied, cocking an eyebrow beneath her glasses with genuine curiosity. She had, unfortunately, never been to Italy and merely relied on what photos and videos she had seen in her lifetime as a reference of the country’s culture. “I suppose it is as true as you can get without being in Italy itself… It does amaze me how America is such a mashup of cultures that you could find a place like this.” Jemima gave a short nod. “It is a melting pot as they say. The city is full of many cultures.” She sighed forlornly. “Ah, I remember before crime became rampant, there were many festivals throughout the years celebrating various heritages. I attended quite a few with my parents as a young girl. Unfortunately, the citizens are too afraid to host such events anymore. Ah, but of course, there is a myriad of ethnic cuisine to look forward to.” She paused for a brief moment before adding, “Perhaps we may find ourselves at another such restaurant on one of our scheduled dinner dates.” “I would be overjoyed to partake in more dining with you, Miss Mathers,” the Countess replied before leaning back in her seat. “Now… I wish to know more about you. If that is agreeable, of course.” “I suppose I can accommodate such a request,” she replied thoughtfully. “Shall I focus my attention on something specific, or do you wish to know a potpourri of knowledge?” “Oh, a potpourri, if you please…. I would like to know as much about you as you will permit.” Jemima lifted her glass of wine and pondered silently as she sipped the beverage. It was a broad request. What to pick from? Should she launch into a story from her childhood, or share simple facts (such as her favorite color or season)? A part of her wanted the Countess to know who she truly was, the real Jemima Mathers so to speak. She set her glass gently back on the table and started at the beginning. “I was born an only child to rather wealthy parents, perhaps giving me more of an advantage in life compared to my peers. I believe we share that in common, Countess.” The Countess nodded. “Indeed.” “Life was pleasant and simple. Naturally, my parents held high expectations for me, but I believe it helped shape me into the woman I am today. Ah, but alas, I’m sure you know well such privilege is no true armor against misfortune.” “I know all too well.” With a sigh, she asked, “What tragedies befell you?” Sorrow immediately filled Jemima’s heart as it always did when she recalled such memories. “When the crime in the city increased drastically nearly twenty years ago, my parents became the targets of a local gang. They were held for ransom in their own home. The criminals received their money, yet my father was killed regardless as a message to the citizens of Rhine that none were safe.” Jemima closed her eyes, an old painful wound ripped open anew. “My mother could not recover from her grief. Losing the love of her life stole her happiness. She was buried beside him less than a year later.” The Countess reached across the table, gently placing her hand on Jemima’s. “I am so sorry such a thing befell you and your family…” The feeling of the Countess’s smooth, warm skin on her own gave Jemima pause and caused her eyes to flutter open. For the smallest of moments, she’d forgotten about the loss of her parents. “It was my awakening,” she slowly continued, willing her mind to focus on the tale at-hand rather than becoming distracted by a pretty face. “The city needed a heroine, and who else but one who was personally affected by the rampant crime?” “Your efforts to better this city I did know,” the Countess nodded. “It is likely why I was instructed to seek you out for assistance… Oh, it does so pain me that you have suffered so. My heart aches for you though this makes me feel, perhaps, that we are kindred spirits in a way?” “Perhaps we are,” she murmured thoughtfully. It would explain why she suddenly felt very at ease around the Countess, someone she has only known for a few short days. Could that also be an explanation as to why she wanted the woman to know her better? “You know, the world often seems bleak and cruel. But I do believe that no matter what, there will always be people who make the world a better place regardless of the suffering they may have faced. It is simply in our nature to hope for better, and some of us have the drive to seize that hope and make something of it. You are one such person, yes? I wish to be such a person as well.” The Countess gave a tired, mysterious smile. With a polite smile in return, Jemima said, “The world certainly would benefit greatly from it.” “I agree…” She trailed off, before quietly adding, “In a world as filled with forces beyond our comprehension lurking about… There must be more like us lest those who cannot defend themselves be preyed upon.” Before Jemima could respond, their waiter quickly came their way with an air of professionalism that she admired. “Are you ladies ready to order?” he asked, holding a black pen in one hand and a notepad in the other. “Yes, I believe so.” Jemima sat up straight in her chair. “I will have the Oak-Grilled Strip Steak. Medium rare, please. Hold the sauce.” “An excellent choice, Miss Mathers.” He quickly scribbled this down before turning to the Countess. “And what can I get for you, Miss?” She tapped her menu. “This… squid ink spaghetti. I wish to try it.” Their waiter quickly wrote this down as well with a satisfied nod before gently taking their menus. “Wonderful! I’ll put those both in for you now. Would you like another glass, Miss Mathers?” “One for each of us, please. Thank you.” Jemima waited until he had left the table, presumably to put their order in and grab the bottle of wine, before resuming conversation with the Countess. “A curious entree choice, I must admit.” “I wish not to come to such a place and order something simple and pedestrian,” the Countess replied. “I wish for something bold and intriguing… It has been a long time since I was able to partake in seafood, you know. Silberstadt is a ways away from the ocean, after all… Fresh seafood is scarce to nonexistent, and river fish do not quite have that same flavor.” “I could, perhaps, arrange for our next dinner date to take place at a seafood restaurant, if you so wish,” she offered. She was almost surprised by her eagerness to please the Countess but immediately brushed it off as simply wishing to ensure they could remain close allies once their mission was complete. “Truly?” the Countess asked, her hand gently alighting against her chest. “I would greatly appreciate that… I have been told New England is peerless when it comes to seafood in North America… Lobster from Maine, clam chowder from Boston, fresh fish from New Innsmouth… Although, the man who told me was from here so perhaps he was merely speaking with bias?” She let out a soft, polite laugh. Jemima nodded and agreed, “He very well may have been.” She made a mental note to instruct Macavity to find the finest seafood establishment in the city and ensure a reservation for them. “I always find it best to trust the natives when it comes to cuisine… He is from Bedlam, a town in Maine… So at the least, his opinion on lobster is trustworthy.” They continued talking about food, a simple topic that surprisingly entertained Jemima. Their lighthearted conversation seemed to make time tick by rapidly as before they knew it, their waiter was heading their way with a tray held high. They both patiently waited for their warm plates to be set in front of them and their wine glasses to be refilled before digging in. Curiously, Jemima peeked at the Countess’s meal. It looked rather unappetizing with noodles that were stained a pitch black, but the odd color didn’t seem to phase the woman in the slightest. On the contrary, she seemed rather pleased by it, an observation that brought a sense of long-forgotten happiness to Jemima. “Mmm…” The Countess slurped up a strand of the ink-stained spaghetti. “I must say… this restaurant was an excellent pick. You outdid yourself, Miss Mathers… A more glorious start to our partnership there could not be, yes?” “I do hope I can uphold my stunning reputation on our future dates,” she laughed, cutting into her steak. “I have absolute faith in you, Miss Mathers.” With a sly, teasing grin, she commented, “No pressure, hmm?” “None whatsoever,” the Countess playfully retorted. “I do believe our next, scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, shall be excellent for publicity. I have planned for us to venture on a walk which I believe would serve well for catching the city’s attention.” She lifted a piece of meat on her fork to her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Ah, an excellent opportunity to show me off, yes?” The Countess twirled a strand of spaghetti around her fork. “And I shall be able to take in the sights of the city as well.” Jemima nodded as she swallowed her food. “Indeed. The park is rather marvelous during the daytime. It is also often teeming with people. As it is not unusual to see me with another at a dinner since I often schedule such meetings, I believe it will serve our purpose well to be out and visible as often as possible. The sooner the city takes notice, the better for your cause, yes?” The Countess nodded. “Truly…” With a content sigh, she added, “I must admit, I was rather skeptical when I was told you could help… but there is no doubt in my mind now. I can feel it, that this is meant to be. I can only hope I will be able to give you something worth what you are giving me.” “I’m sure you will,” she replied absentmindedly, bothered by how little she suddenly cared about what she would receive in return. All of her business deals were simply just business, but deep down, she sensed genuine care for the Countess beginning to blossom. It is simply a transaction, Jemima, she reminded herself. Use your influence and resources to assist her, and she shall give you something invaluable in return. It was simply business, nothing more. “I pray I can… I’d love to offer my assistance, my considerable power, to any matters you need attending to. I do so love to help others. With Marianna, I helped her get away from her abusive parents. And with my dear old friend Rex, I helped him to articulate his feelings to his old lovers… My mother and father did a good job instilling a desire to aid in me.” “A trait your parents must be quite proud of, I’m sure.” “It is, indeed. And my friends have provided interesting feedback to me as well…” The Countess leaned forward with an amused smile and whispered, “Would you like to hear what Rex once had to say about me? It is a bit… risqué and irreverent if amusing, but I do not wish to discomfort you. He is a rather bawdy man, you see.” She cocked an eyebrow. It was likely to be much more lewd than she was comfortable with, but she didn’t wish to offend the Countess. “I believe I can handle it.” “Very well,” the Countess giggled. “He once told me, ‘The only thing bigger than your breasts is your heart.’” Jemima awkwardly shifted in her seat as she felt heat rise to her face. While not seemingly untrue, it wasn’t something she’d ever dare to think. “That is… quite an observation.” The Countess gave her a playful grin. “My dear Rex, he was always as observant as he was blunt and profane… I do miss him. He was one of the few men I have met who did not treat me differently because… Well…” She gestured down to herself with a knowing arch of her eyebrow. “It is such a source of frustration for me how I am… ogled. Particularly by men, but I see women cast looks my way as well. There is more to me than my bosom.” “I wholeheartedly agree,” she replied, her eyes firmly fixed on the Countess’s. She had no intentions of gawking at someone of such status. “I hope I have not… flustered you with such talk.” “Of course not,” she reassured her, though she actually did feel a bit flustered. “That is good. I do not wish for my first outing in… a very long time to be riddled with faux pas on my account.” Jemima smiled. “No need to worry. I am having a lovely time.” The Countess gave a warm smile in return before pausing to slurp up yet another strand of spaghetti. Then, she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Let me ask… Has your excitable friend given you any ideas for what we can do after our outing in the park tomorrow?” Her mouth twisted into a frown as she realized with slight worry that she had not heard from Mr. Amano in several days. “I’m afraid not,” she answered slowly, choosing her words carefully so as not to alarm the Countess. “But rest assured, the plan is still fully set in motion with or without his assistance.” “Ah, very well. Hopefully he will join us at some point… As forward as he was, I must admit I find him compelling in a way… Almost as if I know him from somewhere. How odd, yes?” With a dismissive wave, Jemima suggested, “Perhaps he has a familiar face.” “Perhaps,” the Countess nodded nonchalantly. The two women continued to make pleasant conversation while they dined, sharing childhood stories and briefly discussing wardrobe plans for their upcoming dates. Jemima found herself truly entertained by the Countess, leaning towards her with interest as she listened with restrained enthusiasm to her tales. The Countess, in turn, seemed enthralled with what Jemima had to say, her brown eyes twinkling with energy. As their date began to come to a close, Jemima was surprised to discover she was disappointed that it was ending. “I believe that went rather well,” she commented as she dabbed at her face with her white cloth napkin. “As do I, Miss Mathers. I had forgotten what it was like to share a pleasant meal with another woman like this… The last I can recall was with Miss Karnstein a few Christmases ago. She has sadly been too busy to visit me as of late, as I told you.” “I’m quite honored to have been such pleasant company.” “It is a shame to part ways… but we have much preparing to do for our next outing, yes?” “Quite true,” she agreed. Grabbing the bill off of the table, which was nestled inside a black leather booklet that their waiter had left for them just moments earlier, Jemima stood from her seat. The Countess did the same, and the two made their way through the restaurant to the front. The hostess cast quick, curious looks their way as Jemima paid for their meals but said nothing. Once they were outside, Jemima announced with an internal twinge of sadness, “I believe this is where we say our goodbyes for the evening, Countess.” “I believe so as well,” the Countess noted, her voice tinged with a hint of dismay. “I do look forward to tomorrow, something that was a rarity until recently… So that is something, yes?” She gave a slow wave as a car pulled up to the curb in front of them, adding, “My ride is here, Miss Mathers. If you have need of me, you have my number… or perhaps if you just wish to chat with me all night?” The Countess blew her a kiss and walked past her, calling back, “Sleep well, Miss Mathers.” Jemima watched her “date” climb into the car and drive away before walking down the street to her own vehicle parked just a few feet from the restaurant’s front doors. As expected, Macavity sat in the driver’s seat patiently waiting for her. Jemima slid into the backseat, the Countess’s farewell teasing her. Was she simply making a joke about their unusual arrangement, or did she wish to spend all night talking on the phone like a lovestruck teenager? Certainly the former, Jemima scolded. You find yourself at one dinner with a beautiful woman and you practically forget the reason for your celibacy. The Countess was surely tempting her, though whether intentionally or not, Jemima couldn’t quite say. “So, how was your date?” her bodyguard inquired. “It went just as planned,” she replied, fastening her seatbelt and shoving her prior, foolish thoughts to the dark forgotten crevices of her mind. “Don’t you love it when a plan works out all nice like that?” he chuckled. “I will love it if and only if all our scheduled dates are just as perfect.” “I saw how you two said your farewells. I think you’re both in for a good time with this.” Her gaze shifted to the rearview mirror in the front where he was watching her. She narrowed her eyes at him. “It is simply business, Macavity.” She said this sternly but deep down, she wondered if she was trying to convince him or herself. “Right, right,” he chuckled. “Say, got a bit of news, by the way. You want the good or the not-so-good first?” With a sigh, she answered, “I suppose it shall be best to begin with the bad news.” Macavity cleared his throat nervously. “Tried getting in touch with Ryo. Didn’t go so well. Didn’t answer at all. I tried Kenzo, and after about a dozen calls he just texted me ‘She’s here’ and then nothing else.” Jemima frowned in utter confusion. “She who?” “My guess is Miss Dawn, one who recruited us. She was a friend of Ryo’s mum and gets him all his staff. And if she’s there, that means Mr. Cold’s probably there as well. Bloody creep.” She let out a long sigh. She had absolutely no idea who either of these two people were but if they were preventing Ryo from assisting her, then they were trouble as far as she was concerned. “And what is the good news?” “Oh! Heh, well, was listening to this local podcast, Tales from Rhine City, and they did an episode on Silberstadt. Found some interesting bits of folklore to strike up conversation with the Countess. Real wild stuff, honestly.” This piqued her interest. “Very well. Forward it to my email, if you would.” Anything to assist her with impressing the Countess and furthering their partnership was worth the time and effort. Macavity nodded and started the car. Jemima settled into the backseat, staring out of the window as the sights of the upper district passed by. She couldn’t help but let her mind wander to Ryo again. It was quite unlike him to go dark for days without so much as even a phone call. Perhaps a visit is necessary, she pondered. If someone was really keeping Ryo cooped up in his home, then surely he would appreciate her stopping by to politely remove the pests from the premises. Clearing her throat, she said, “I believe tomorrow morning, we shall visit Mr. Amano.” “Heh. I was hoping you’d say that. I’d pay good money to see you stare down my old recruiter and her creepy butler.” He paused, before adding, “Getting to see that for free’s even better.” With a small smile she was sure he couldn’t see as he was driving, she scolded, “See to it you restrain your enthusiasm. I expect professionalism from you at all times.” “And isn’t that always what you get?” In a light manner that she only could get away with because of their semi-personal relationship, she answered, “Sometimes.” Macavity chuckled in response, and a comfortable silence fell inside the car. Jemima’s mind wandered back to her arrangement with the Countess. She was slightly bothered by how much she was looking forward to seeing the woman again the next day. It was troubling, but she supposed it was normal considering she hadn’t been on a date in many long years. It was only natural to be emotionally confused. But it is simply a business arrangement, she told herself again. Nothing more. ****** Sierra had been right. By the time she and David had reached Armstrong’s bar, it was late enough for it to be open to the public. She usually was the first one inside, so it was almost strange to her to walk in and find others already seated. Thankfully, however, her seat at the bar was empty. She was hot and exhausted. The walk had been extremely long, not that she didn’t have the stamina for it. What surprised her the most was how she didn’t exactly hate David’s company. She would have preferred to be alone, of course, but he wasn’t exactly the worst person to get stuck with. “Come on,” she sighed before making a beeline for her stool. No one was behind the bar so she assumed Armstrong was in the back cooking up food with Mack for their customers. Chances were she had an order of buffalo wings nearly ready to dig into, too. David slid into the stool next to her and turned around, leaning on the bar and staring out at the tables. “I’m definitely singing. I’m in the mood tonight. I promise I’m at least average at singing so your ears shouldn’t bleed.” “Starting to regret letting you come along,” she grumbled with the smallest of smiles. The karaoke machine was the worst part of the bar in her honest opinion. She knew Armstrong just wanted people to have fun, but it irritated her to no end. She neither cared for the sport of karaoke nor for the way her ears rang with irritation from the loud music. “Well, what a surprise!” came a familiar voice as Mack slid into the stool on the other side of Sierra. “Fancy seeing you here, Sierra. And you have company, hm?” Mack eyed David up and down, a small smile forming at the corner of their mouth. “Where’d you find him?” “At my brothers’. Apparently they all hang out in some fucking little street gang.” “Yeah, it’s real cool. I got to fake dying of a heart attack, it was a blast. Wanna join?” Mack shook their head in amusement. “Thank you, but no thank you. I’ve had plenty enough experience with gangs in my time. Don’t need much more.” They turned to Sierra. “Probably wondering where Armstrong is, eh? He’s helping out a new barmaid get all situated. She’s new to my household, and all.” “Oh shit, have you met Rika yet? I know she decided to join up with your secret clubhouse,” David grinned. “Can’t say I have. Must not have popped in while I was around. I’m sure I’ll run into her eventually though.” Sierra was quiet as she processed this information. Rika was a vampire? Is that what was being unsaid here? Fucking great, she swore, any trace of a good mood completely eradicated. Did Jason know? Did Val? Would it make a difference to either of them if they did? “You want me to go let him know you’re here?” Mack asked gently. “I can already tell you need a drink.” “Please,” she grumbled, leaning forward on the counter and resting on her elbows. Her fists were in tight balls. Maybe tonight she’d finally drink enough to feel just a little bit relaxed. “Be right back,” Mack said, strolling behind the counter and into the back. David shot her a concerned glance. “You alright? Usually people have a few drinks before they look that sick.” “I’m fine,” she shot back. “I’m just really fucking pissed. Get used to it.” Even if it wasn’t fair to take out her bad mood on him, she didn’t particularly care at that moment. Her whole day had been absolutely miserable, and all she wanted to do was forget about what a colossal screw-up she was. “I will. Nice to see a woman who’s not afraid to get fucking furious at the world.” He yawned. “But hey, maybe a few drinks will make you feel better. It’s all on my boss’s tab, too. He’s good for it so drink all you want.” She was stunned at how easily he took her crankiness, but didn’t think much of it. “You’re gonna regret offering to pay,” she snorted. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” “The only thing I regret in life is not being fireproof,” he retorted. Armstrong burst through the kitchen doors a moment later, Mack trailing behind him. “Sorry, Goldilocks. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, but the new girl… Shit. She’s having the roughest time imaginable. I’m trying to make sure she’s comfortable and all before I send her out to the floor.” “Who the fuck did you hire?” Sierra asked with a raised eyebrow. “Her name’s Chastity,” Mack explained. “She’s a sweet girl. She’s just in a bit of a rough spot right now, but aren’t we all?” “Some of us live in a rough spot,” David added. “That’s Rhine City for you,” Armstrong grumbled. “Now, just tell me your drink orders because I know you’re ordering a massive plate of buffalo wings.” “You already know what I want,” Sierra sighed, laying her arms down on the bartop and resting her head on them. “Double it, though.” “Coming right up,” Armstrong nodded before turning towards the shelf. “I’ll have what she’s having,” David called out. “I feel like she knows what’s good here.” “Smart man, that one,” Mack snorted as they returned to the stool. “Don’t think for a second sucking up to me is gonna fucking work,” she warned David with a growl. “The only thing I’m going to be sucking up is several beers,” David nodded. Sierra snorted. “Of all the goddamn comebacks, and you hit me with that one.” “I’m really fucking bad at comebacks. Well, at least until two hours after the fact. Ask me on the way home what I came up with.” “Yeah, sure.” Armstrong returned and set their drinks down on the counter. “I’m gonna check on Chastity. I’m going to have her bring out your wings once they’re done. I know it’s your night off, Mack, but make sure these two don’t cause any trouble.” With an amused smirk to himself, he once more walked away and vanished into the kitchen. “Bit of a busman’s holiday, this,” Mack chuckled. “But I figured you’d be here tonight, and I don’t have much else going on in my life… Plus, I have to stay close to my bodyguard.” “Your what?” Sierra asked deadpan, lifting her head to stare at them. “Armstrong’s the Silverwing looking out for me with this whole vampire killer business.” They sighed dreamily. “It’s nice to have a man like that watching out over me…” “So much for being subtle,” she grumbled, feeling irritated that Mack dropped the v-word so casually. How long would it be until someone spilled the beans and he found out she was one too? Mack waved their hand. “If he knows his friend went to Hawthorne, he’s already well aware about her nature.” “Yeah, Rika’s not exactly secretive about it. Loud and proud, that one,” David added, taking a sip of his drink. So Rika was a vampire. Great. Even more reason to hate what her brothers were doing. Whatever. They’re not my problem. She clenched her fists again. Mack blinked at her. “Sierra, are you alright? I’ve known you long enough to know something’s eating at you.” “I’m fine,” she shot back. “I’m… just hungry.” It was absolute bullshit, even if she was hungry. She could tell Mack saw right through this because they replied, “Well, I’m not going to push it, but I’m here if you want to talk. That’s why I decided to come in tonight, after all.” She snorted. “To talk to me? Who the hell would want to do that?” Mack raised their hand. “Me too,” David added from her other side. Sierra rolled her eyes. “You’re both insane.” Before she could say anything else, the delicious smell of hot Buffalo sauce filled the air, and she lifted her head in the direction of the kitchen. A skinny blonde girl, whose hair was tied back into a bouncy ponytail, strolled across the bar holding a navy blue basket full of fresh chicken wings. “That’s the new girl?” She rolled her eyes. Did he seriously hire a peppy blonde white girl to work for him? “The hell is he thinking?” David leaned in and whispered, “Do you want my best guess, or is that a rhetorical question?” It had been rhetorical, but she was admittedly curious about what he thought so she answered, “Hit me with it.” David opened his mouth to speak but before he could give his answer, Mack interrupted with, “Hello there, Chastity. You getting accustomed to this place alright?” “As best I can,” she replied with a polite smile. She set the wing basket in front of Sierra. “Sorry for the wait. Armstrong says this is your favorite food.” “Yeah,” she answered shortly. “So get used to making them.” “Sierra’s a regular,” Mack explained. “Not a night goes by without her popping in. She’s basically a permanent fixture. We ought to put her in the ads at this rate!” “Then you’d never get any business.” She grabbed a wing caring very little about how hot it was and took a bite. “Oh!” Chastity smiled brighter. “Well, it’s nice to meet you!” “Uh-huh,” she grunted, irritated by her energetic attitude. What was she so happy about? “You know, it’s your first night. I ought to make it a bit exciting for you as a ‘welcome to the family’ gift,” Mack grinned. “Would you like to hear a song I recorded back in the day?” Chastity’s blue eyes widened. “You recorded a song? Yeah! I’d love to hear it!” “Goddamnit, not this again,” Sierra grumbled. Couldn't she get one day of peace? “Yes, back in the 80’s. Don’t know if you’ve met Charlene yet, but her and I got drunk and decided to record a song so I could impress a handsome man who had just moved into town… I don’t think he got the hint, but he liked it enough to send to his friends.” They turned to Sierra with a smirk. “It’s one song, and it’s not too long. Thought you liked the sound of my voice, anyhow.” Having demolished the first wing already, she tossed the bone into the basket. “I’ve had a shitty fucking day, and I just want to pretend like drinking twenty beers will actually do anything to help me forget it.” “That’s a lot of beer,” the trainee noted worriedly. “Yeah? Well, I can fuckin’ handle it, so mind your own business!” Sierra snapped back, glaring at the blonde. Chastity looked both stunned and confused at the same time. Nervously, she glanced at Mack, seemingly at a loss as to how to respond. “Sierra,” Mack said, their smile gone and their voice uncomfortably even, “I love you dearly, but I’m only saying this one time: Do not ever take that tone towards one of my coworkers.” “Whatever,” was her lame reply as she shut her mouth and grabbed another piece of chicken. She’d ruined things with her brothers already, so why not ruin things with Mack, too? Seemed like the imperfect ending to her miserable day. “I can tell you’re hurting,” Mack said, their tone far gentler now, “but don’t take it out on her. She’s hurting too.” They then turned to Chastity and smiled. “Don’t worry, love. Sierra may seem a bit prickly on the outside, but she has a heart of gold under it all.” With that, they slid off the stool and made their way up to the stage. Sierra glared warily at Chastity. Why was she supposed to care about some white girl’s problems? Still, even though she was beyond pissed off and upset, she knew Mack was right. Damnit. David squinted at Chastity. “I swear I’ve seen you before… Did you ever go out with an asshole named Brad who worked at the corner store on Kennedy Street?” Looking perplexed, Chastity shook her head. “No, wasn’t me.” “She’s blonde,” Sierra pointed out. “They all look the same.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the trainee flinch and deflate a little. “I dunno, you don’t look much like her,” David smirked teasingly before turning back to Chastity and shrugging. “Guess it was someone else. You look like you have enough standards to not date someone who harassed homeless people. No idea where Brad is now, but I’m hoping he’s in Hell.” “I’d like to think I have some standards,” the blonde shyly joked. “That’s hard to believe considering your name,” Sierra snorted. “The hell kinda name is that? You a stripper or something?” Chastity’s smile faded, and she was quiet for a few seconds before replying, “I’d love to ask my parents, but they died when I was too little to even know what my name means.” Sierra’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she quietly lamented, “Sucks, don’t it? Losing your parents. They’re supposed to always be there for you, and then… one day, they’re not.” “Yeah…” she whispered back. “And I don’t even remember them. So…” She shrugged, but one look at her face told Sierra exactly how she felt. “Sometimes remembering is worse,” David added quietly. “You don’t know what you lost.” “Yeah, that’s probably true,” Chastity sighed, leaning against the bar top. “I just wish I could remember something, though. A hug or… You know. Something.” “Sometimes I wish I didn’t remember anything,” Sierra grumbled, though she specifically meant that about her father. Her memories of her mother were some of her most treasured ones. The sound of guitars and synthesizers emanated from the speakers by the stage, interrupting the moment. Mack had the microphone in their hand while a guitar solo played. When it was over, they lifted it to their mouth and began to sing: “Like the wind You came here runnning Take the consequence of living There's no space There's no tomorrow There's no sent communication.” “Jesus,” David whistled, “what a fucking voice on that one.” “Wow…” Chastity’s eyes were wide with wonder. With another snort, Sierra warned her, “They’ve got their eyes on someone else.” Almost confused, Chastity turned towards her. “Oh, no, I… It’s not like that. I have a girlfriend.” She grunted in reply and resumed eating her buffalo wings while Mack sang. A moment later, Armstrong came out of the kitchen, an amused smile on his face. “Heh, haven’t heard Mack sing this in a long while…” he chuckled. “They recorded this back after I first moved to Rhine, you know. They were so excited to show it to me, and then I sent it to my sister. I think she ended up getting it played on some radio station out in Germany.” “And suddenly, I understand everything,” David snickered as he chugged down the rest of his drink. “He’s oblivious, ain’t he?” Sierra agreed with a smirk. “Who’s oblivious?” Armstrong asked obliviously. She simply shook her head in reply and chugged about half of her beer down. “Okay, this place is a blast,” David said as he put down his empty mug. Chastity grabbed his glass and headed to the back. Whether she was being serious about keeping the place clean or was looking for any excuse to disappear, Sierra couldn’t be sure. Lowering her own glass from her lips, she swallowed her last gulp and asked, “So what, are you a fuckin’ regular, now?” “I might have to be. I’m sold. It seems like this place is a fun time.” “You should see it on nights where there’s actual business,” Armstrong snorted. “Me and Goldilocks make bets on the other customers.” “He almost never wins,” Mack chimed in as they returned to their seat, their song over. “What can I say?” Sierra smirked. “I’m good at what I do. Usually get a discount for it, too.” “Someday you’ll pay full price,” Armstrong grumbled, though there was an amused expression on his face. She glanced at him skeptically. “And I’m sure someday you’ll end up mayor of this shit hole we call home.” “You know what? Maybe I will.” Armstrong laughed. “Can’t do any worse than the guy who’s been running it. Maybe if I had power, I could convince the higher ups in Germany to actually send support. We can barely do anything right now. It’s why I never leave the bar… Gotta have a safe spot ready to go, and there aren’t many.” Sierra shifted her attention to David. “Guess this ain’t the worst place you can pick to be a regular at. Least it’s safe.” “I can’t think of anyone of sound mind who would fuck with this guy,” he replied, tilting his head towards Armstrong. “They’d be insane to try,” she agreed. She’d seen him rough up rowdy patrons now and then, putting even her own fighting skills to shame. “If anyone tried, I could always take care of them, you know,” Mack said, batting their eyelashes. “I know you could,” Armstrong nodded. “Hell, you could probably take me out.” Under her breath, Sierra snorted, “That’s exactly what they want.” David choked on his second drink, and Mack gave her a very stern look while Armstrong just raised an eyebrow. “Am I missing something here?” Armstrong asked, as oblivious as ever. “Oh, you’re missing a lot, boss,” Mack sighed. Sierra shot them a cheeky grin before emptying her glass of beer. She knew it wasn’t particularly nice to tease Mack about their crush on the bartender (something she’d only recently been clued into herself). David turned his eyes to the stage. “I am so tempted.” He glanced cautiously at Serra. “Unless it’s gonna annoy you. I’d hate to overstay my welcome.” “Gonna be fucking honest with you.” She glanced at the karaoke machine with an intense glare. “I hate that goddamn thing.” “We get it, Goldilocks. You have no taste,” Armstrong said dryly. “Though the fact you eat all that spicy chicken every night told me that.” Sierra grimaced and flipped him off. “Oh, come on, I’m kidding,” he snorted. “Mostly. I prefer sweet stuff. Got me in trouble when I was a kid, actually.” “Sweet stuff, hmm?” Mack mused to themself. “Yeah, it’s one hell of a story. Involves a witch and my dumb ass falling for her tricks…” Armstrong shook his head. “Maybe some other time. Anyway, Goldilocks, it’s nice to see you making friends. Maybe I can actually get work done and stop having to give you free food every night.” “Hey, don’t you pretend like you don’t like having me around. The fuck else you gonna do when it’s empty in here?” “I can think of something,” Mack muttered. “Nah, she’s got a point,” Armstrong nodded. “I think I’d be bored to tears if she didn’t show up.” Mack scowled at this and fell silent, staring out over the bar. How the hell is he so damn stupid? she thought, internally shaking her head. Then again, how long was Mack going to stay silent about how they felt? Fuck it. None of my damn business. “Hey,” David said, “you know what I think? I think, after you close up for the night, you should, uhhh… I dunno. Take your MVP here out to get a fresh drink, if you know what I mean.” He nodded in Mack’s direction. “They came in on their day off and hung around, after all.” Armstrong blinked and glanced at them. “Huh. I mean… Would you li—“ “Absolutely!” Mack exclaimed, jumping up off their stool. “I’d love to, very much. Maybe a late-night stroll through the park?” Armstrong shrugged. “That works. It’ll be a nice change from taking you home right away. I promise, I’ll keep you safe no matter what, Mack. No one’s gonna hurt you.” Their face flushed as they turned away. “Anyone else said that to me, I’d tell them to piss off. But it’s you, so I’ll allow it.” Sierra stared at David in shock and amazement. Somehow, on the first night, he’d managed to give Armstrong a much needed (but polite) kick in the ass. Damn. Nice one. David said nothing, but did give her a sly wink when he was sure Armstrong wasn’t looking. “You know, maybe this will be good. My sister always tells me I work too much,” Armstrong said as he went back to work polishing the countertop. “I always tell her, ‘Well, look what happened to our teacher. He stopped working, and he became a lazy moocher.’ She just laughs at me and calls me a hosenscheisser because that woman still acts like a child even when she’s over two hundred years old.” He paused for a moment before sighing. “But she might have a point. I just hate admitting she’s right.” With a shrug, Sierra replied, “Yeah, well, as long as you’re open on time, might be good for you.” “Don’t worry, I haven’t opened late once since I came to Rhine,” Armstrong said. “Gotta keep you off the streets anyway. You’re not part of the coven, but I still take your safety seriously. Right now, Rhine has the potential to be the worst shitshow I’ve been involved in in decades. And trust me, I’ve seen some shitshows in my time.” Sierra casted a cautious glance at David. He wasn’t the type to be oblivious as far as she could gather, so there was no way he didn’t pick up on the fact that Armstrong basically outed her as a vampire. Really? Did you have to talk about that damn coven in front of someone I barely know? she grumbled. If it had been her choice, she would have prevented him from finding out yet (or at all). “Couldn’t keep your damn mouth shut, could you?” she muttered under her breath. “Huh?” Armstrong asked before pausing, glancing between her and David. He slammed his fist into the counter. “Fuck! I’m sorry. I thought he knew.” “Oh. I figured it out already,” David shrugged. “Wasn’t gonna say anything, though. It’s none of my business.” She clenched her teeth. “Fucking fantastic.” “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna tell anyone,” David said. “Again, it’s none of my business. At any rate, you might actually be able to keep up with how much I drink, which is great!” “Yeah, it’s real great,” she snapped. “I fucking love not being able to get a night of sleep anymore.” David went quiet, his smile fading away. “Shit. I'm sorry. I get it.” Armstrong ran his hand over his face. “Fucking hell. Just… I’m going to the back. I’ll send Chastity out; you need anything, just ask her. It’s all on the house.” Before anyone could say anything, Armstrong whirled around and stormed into the kitchen. Way to go, moron. You fucked shit up again. She knew very well that he still felt guilty about how she had been turned. All the shit he’s done for you, and you keep throwing in his face. “I’ll go talk to him, alright?” Mack said gently from beside her. “Yeah,” she grunted. She heard the sound of Mack’s heels clicking against the floor as they walked off. The gentle swinging of the kitchen doors, which were located just a few feet from the karaoke stage, could be heard a few seconds later. What felt like an eternity of silence followed, one which was broken by David. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” “You don’t even have a fucking clue, do you?” she snorted. Then, with a shake of her head, she muttered, “Never mind.” The last thing she wanted to do was revisit her shitty past. “I never do have a clue. Story of my fucking life,” he sighed. An awkward silence fell between them. Unsure really what to say, Sierra grabbed another chicken wing and slowly ate it. A couple sitting in one corner of the bar was discussing starting a family, a conversation she very much didn’t want to be hearing but was having trouble tuning out in the strangely quiet establishment. Yet again, she was reminded why she hated being a vampire. Her eyes flitted to David sitting beside her. Oh, right. He knows now. With a snarl, she snapped at him, “If you ever tell either of my brothers what you found out about me tonight, I will beat the fucking shit out of you and leave you in an alley. Got it?” “As tempting as it is to get all my bones broken, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. That’s your family; you get to decide if they know or not.” She felt herself physically relax and realized she’d tensed up without even realizing it. “Well… Thanks.” With a sigh, she emptied the full mug of beer she hadn’t realized Armstrong had filled at some point before he had left. Sierra heard the kitchen door swing open before Chastity wandered behind the bar again with an unsure smile on her face. “Can I get either of you anything else?” Sierra glanced at her empty glass. Typically, she’d have several more before she reluctantly called it a night. However, considering what a shitty day she’d had, she was ready to call it a night. “Nah. Tell Armstrong to get me the damn bill.” “Oh, um, of course.” The blonde glanced at David. “How about you?” “If she’s done, I’m done. And get me the bill. I already said I’m paying.” “Sure thing!” Chastity seemed all too happy to hurry away. The silence between them returned. Sierra threw the devoured chicken wing into the basket and grabbed a napkin to wipe off her greasy hands. All she wanted was this day to be over, not that the next would be any better. She was so consumed by her miserable state that she didn’t hear Armstrong approach a few minutes later. “So I hear you’re insisting on paying tonight.” His voice sounded a lot more melancholy than she was used to hearing. Sierra’s hands clenched into fists as she desperately tried to ignore the guilt jabbing her stomach. “Actually, that would be me,” David yawned, pulling out his wallet and handing his card to Armstrong. With a sigh, she said, “I’m going to walk home. Not like staying here is doing any good.” “You want me to walk with you?” David asked. “I walk home every night,” she shrugged. “What’s the worst that can happen? Someone shoots me?” She snorted at the thought. “Right, right, you can just shrug it off,” he nodded. “Well hey, can’t say I didn’t try to be a gentleman.” “You know it still hurts though, Sierra,” Mack chimed in as they click-clacked their way, apparently following Armstrong like the lovesick puppy they were. “Trust me, even being a vampire doesn’t make the cold steel of a knife hurt any less.” With a shrug, Sierra stood up, glancing at David again. “So you coming with me or what?” He stood up as well, stretching dramatically before taking his credit card back from the barkeep. “Sure, I could use the exercise anyway.” Sierra hesitated and awkwardly glanced at Armstrong. She knew she should say something, but what? It wasn’t fair to upset him and leave without a word, but she wasn’t great with apologies. “You make sure she gets home safe,” Armstrong grumbled at David. “And, well. Stay safe yourself.” David saluted him and gave a cheery, “Yes, sir!” He glanced at Sierra and gave a slight gesture of his head to the bartender. It irritated her that he’d known her for only a few hours and was already trying to tell her what to do. Still, as much as she hated it, she knew he was right. Shoving her hands into her pockets and staring at a nondescript table a few feet away, she awkwardly mumbled, “It’s not your fault, Armstrong. I should’ve fucking watched what I was drinking.” She was, of course, referring to the night she’d been turned. They’d never really talked about it, and maybe that’s why things were tense between them at the moment. “Don’t you dare say that,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s my bar so I’m responsible for what happens in here. If I’d just been more vigilant…” He clenched his fists. “Don’t put it on yourself, Sierra. I’m the one who failed both of my jobs that night.” “I’m not a damn child,” she argued. “I drank too much, and I paid the price. It ain’t your damn fault.” “I’m the one who runs this place, it’s my responsibility. I should be able to handle things around here myself without my customers or other employees having to worry. This is why I can’t rest, I can’t take breaks, I—“ “That’s your bloody problem,” Mack interjected, their hand resting gently on his arm. “You need to take breaks… You’re not Atlas, love. You don’t need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.” “My friend Rika has this saying her dad taught her,” David said. “It’s ‘everything happens for a reason.’ Sounds like the world’s shittiest sympathy card and yeah, it’s not gonna magically make you two feel better. But maybe you were meant to come here and eat chicken every night.” He gestured at Sierra, then continued, “And you Armstrong, maybe this happened as your wake-up call to not spread yourself too thin, y’know?” With a snort, she sarcastically replied, “Yeah, trying telling my brother I’m destined to come here and drink all night every night. I’m sure that’ll make him feel so much better.” “Well…” Armstrong grumbled. “I’m glad you come every night, Goldilocks. You certainly make some shifts a lot more bearable.” “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered. “Just a little bit of community service.” “Well, this community thanks you,” Mack said cheerfully. Sierra rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t fight back a tiny smirk. “Well, I’ll be back tomorrow, same time as usual.” “I’ll also be back, if your favorite customer deems it okay,” David added. “Right, right… Maybe we can do a bet or two. Tomorrow ought to be busy,” Armstrong grumbled. “Maybe… I can see if my buddy, Luna, would be willing to help out. So I can take a break.” “Drink with me for once,” Sierra teased before casually waving and heading out of the bar with David following right behind. They were only outside for a few seconds before a yelp of pain could be heard in the distance. She sighed in disgust. “Fucking city…” “The music of the night!” David exclaimed, the edge of bitterness clear in his voice. “Gotta love it in Rhine. I told my family we should have moved to Bedlam. Or Provincetown. Or fucking Dunwich, literally anywhere else in New England.” “I could have moved years ago, but my dumb ass stayed put.” “I think I have an idea why you stayed. I’m guessing there’s two big reasons.” Her head snapped in his direction, and her eyes narrowed. “You’re way off.” Though she wasn’t sure how true that was. Did she stay because she thought her brothers might still be in the city? Or because she lost herself in the mundane nightly ritual she’d created? He shrugged. “Well, guess psychic powers aren’t my forte. Still… no one really stays in Rhine cuz they want to. The only people who stay here when they could leave do it because they’re chasing ghosts.” “Yeah,” she quietly mumbled, her attention pulled from the conversation at hand to the buzzing in her right pocket. A phone call? She thought in confusion as she pulled out the device. Jason’s name was clearly displayed on the screen. For a second, she considered ignoring it, but what if it was something serious? What if Val had gotten hurt? The mere thought sent icy chills through her body. Reluctantly, and almost afraid, she tapped the green phone at the bottom of the screen. Her hand was trembling slightly as she held the phone to her ear. “Yeah?” “Hey,” came Jason’s voice. Masking her concern with irritation, she asked, “What do you want?” “I just want to make sure you’re doing okay and that you didn’t take what happened today to heart. Val, he…” There was a long sigh. “He’s holding a lot of pain in. And guilt. He’s been afraid to talk to you all these years cuz of it. But… he really does need you.” “Seems like he’s doing just fine with you and your dumbass little gang.” “Just cuz he can put on a smile doesn’t mean he’s ok.” “He’s lasted without me this long. Can’t have needed me that damn badly,” she grumbled. “There’s a lot you don’t get, Sierra,” Jason sighed again. “He won’t talk to me about it, you know. And he refuses to go to therapy. He thinks fighting crime will be therapeutic; kid reads way too much Batman.” “News flash: I’m not a damn therapist. The fuck am I gonna do?” “Be his sister.” “Because that went so well last time, right?” She hated how tight her throat felt. Were her walls made of paper? How did he know what to say to strike her exactly where it hurt the most? “You gotta be patient,” Jason replied gently. “You were always his favorite sibling, you know. I think he just wanted it to go right back to how it was, pretend like everything that happened… didn’t. But I don’t want you to give up on him, and I know you don’t want to either.” With a snarl, she snapped, “You have no idea what the fuck I want.” “Maybe not. But I know you want Val back, and I know you don’t want to let him down.” Sierra swallowed hard and softly admitted, “I already did.” “You didn’t. I promise.” Her phoneless hand tightened into a fist. “How the fuck am I supposed to believe that after today?” “He just needs to cool down a bit. He’s upset about what happened, barely left his room. He’s only talked to Rika since this morning.” “So then why don’t I do him a favor and disappear again? Cause all I do is fuck shit up.” “Because disappearing from each other’s lives hasn’t done shit for us. We’re all the family we have left. We can’t keep hiding from each other.” Sierra was painfully aware of the wetness brimming at the corners of her eyes and even more aware that David was still walking beside her and hearing at least her side of the conversation. She squeezed her fist again, feeling her muscles tense as a result. She swallowed hard once more. As calm as she could, she quietly asked, “What exactly do you expect me to do?” “Just be in our lives again. That’s it.” Her jaw tensed for a moment. She wanted to say no. Life was much easier when she could pretend like she was completely alone. But as much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. Val needed her, and she needed him. With a long and heavy sigh, she answered, “Fine. But I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for him. Got it?” “Loud and clear.” She took a deep breath and consciously relaxed her muscles. Chill out. There’s no reason to be so defensive right now. “So am I showing up tomorrow or what?” “Yeah, I’ll let Val know, that way he can plan something fun. He’s just like mom, loves to keep his day organized but his room is a disaster.” Sierra felt a small smile appear on her face as her mind conjured up childhood memories of her mom. She could still remember the way she beamed with glee whenever she took Sierra and Jason somewhere, whether it be a simple outing to the grocery store or to the Fordlandia amusement park for a day of fun. “Sounds just like her.” “It’s amazing how much he takes after her even when he only knew her for a few years…” Jason let out yet another sigh, then said, “Well, I guess I should let you go. I know you go out to bars, so just… stay safe. There’s shit in Rhine City you wouldn’t believe.” “Yeah. I know.” She glanced at David as she added, “I can take care of myself.” “I know you can. You always were the toughest one of us,” he laughed softly. “Don’t know about that.” She shifted her gaze away, staring at the sidewalk passing below her as she walked. “I’ll be there tomorrow.” “Alright. See you then. Take care, Sierra,” She ended the call and hastily shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Guess you’re going to be seeing me lots more now.” “Oh, the horror!” David snorted. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She gave him the side-eye, but she didn’t say anything. Just like in the bar, silence fell between them as they walked, though this time it was a comfortable one. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have someone to drink with. There were certainly worse people to have in her company. Since when were you so damn social? she chastised herself. But was that really so awful to not feel completely lonely for once? Guess not. But she knew it was only a matter of time before she fucked everything up again and ended up alone. I always do.
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AuthorsMichael & Tierney Ford Archives
July 2023
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