It's just beginning to drizzle when the front door opens. There's a surprise visitor, in an old black Ford. Jacob and Billie come inside with water on their coats, Jacob taking his hair down and shaking it free. Billie waves at me, going toward Clarice, who is waiting by the stairs.
"I have an elevator set up over here, Ms. Black. Come on, we'll talk in my office. Everyone," she snaps her fingers, eyeballing the three of us, "no listening in. That goes double for Edythe and doesn't count at all for Ezra." As she says that, he prances up behind her, kissing her cheek and vanishing into a cleverly hidden elevator in the wall.
Jacob rushes up to Edythe and me with a smile, his eyes flicking over to Edythe anxiously. "Hey, tall, pale, and creepy."
"Wonderful to see you again, Mr. Black." She says formally, stiffly, her shaking hands set at my hip. I shake my head, heart skipping a beat when Jacob jumps forward and hugs us both. Edythe swallows hard, pressing her cheek to my shoulder.
"I thought Charlie was joshing when she said you'd be here. What's going on?" I rub the back of my neck and hold up my broken hand. "Holy shit, Beau!"
"The rogue vampires, and one might have set its sights on me. So, we're going to ..."
"Kill her," Edythe finishes, "before she can hurt anyone in town. Or on the reservation."
"Are these the same bloodsuckers that have been headed toward us for a while?" He looks at her with wide doe eyes, hands reaching out for her arm. Breaking away from me, she takes Jacob's hand and squeezes it. "Are you sure you can get them?"
"After they ran into Beau, their entire path changed. They aren't going to La Push, and we'll make sure they don't turn back. I assume that's what Billie and Clarice are talking about."
"I think so. My mom doesn't really want to involve me in vampire drama. Says it's why my brothers left us. I don't really believe that, but it's not like I can leave, anyway. Hard to find a decent nurse willing to drive to far out of town."
"I'll have Clarice ask around. Billie deserves some good home care, and you deserve a break." Edythe's body completely relaxes, and she looks over his shoulder. "Why on Earth do I smell fish?" Jacob turns and gestures outside, toward his truck.
"My mom got some fried fish from Harriet Clearwater. We're running it by Charlie's little hiding place on our way home. It's not his normal place, otherwise I coulda taken it myself. She texted Mom with the directions, we'll be there and back before midnight." He pauses and leans in. "Her contact is Honeybun." He glances at me, a brow raised.
"Hey," I raise my hands, "there are worse nicknames out there, little bro." Edythe chuckles, hiding a grin behind her hand. "I'll keep you updated on what happens, I promise."
"Thank you, Beau." Jacob hugs me again, squeezing this time. "I'd hate to lose you before summer. I'm gonna get my motorcycle license and terrorize your old woman."
"Call me before you do that." Edythe doesn't hide her wicked, horrific smile this time. "I want to get Charlie's reaction on camera. With multiple angles. As blackmail material."
"You got it. Gotta keep the old folks on their toes. Speaking of," he looks over his shoulder, to the approaching pair of Clarice and Billie, "the oldest in the room are arriving."
"Billie is a baby compared to me," Edythe jokes, much to Clarice's chagrin.
"Let's not talk about age right now. I felt old the other day when Ezra had to stop me from snapping my smartphone shut." Clarice shakes her head and gestures to Billie. "I was just told the rogues have been spotted closer to the Quileute reservation, so we've changed the plan. We were going to wait until the storm front had settled in, but with them threatening to breach territories, we can't take the risk."
Jacob tenses, his eyes going wide. "Wait, are they going to attack us?"
"According to Alex, not if we act before midnight tomorrow. That gives us just over a day to prepare the plan that Mr. Swan here accidentally gave the girls. The others are setting up now that way there will be no delays." She pauses and looks at Billie, eyes heavy with concern, "If you two want, you can stay here until everything has settled down."
"Personally, I'd rather go home," Billie says with a shrug. "I'm old, I'm in a wheelchair, and my give a damn about vampires is busted." Clarice offers Billie a nod of respect, and in return she gets a dismissive hand wave. "But all things considered, I want Jacob to stay here."
"I'll deliver the food to Charlie, if you like," Clarice offers, looking more at Jacob than Billie. He nods, pointing to the truck. "Alright, where am I headed?"
"Small cabin not far from here. If you head north, you'll meet her scent in about ten miles, give or take." Clarice nods, reaching and shaking Billie's hand, both women lingering enough for the fear between them to become thick in the room. And with that, Clarice vanishes from sight, the only evidence of her moving being the air around us shifting, and the sound of the front door shutting. Billie goes over to the fireplace and sighs.
"D-don't mind her," Jacob whispers, "she's just ... she's tired. She's scared."
"We'll make sure nothing happens to the reservation, Jacob." Edythe lays a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, I'll take you to one of our spare rooms. We should hit the hay soon."
"I'll be up in a second," I back away, pulling out my phone. "I'm gonna call Charlie. I want to make sure she's safe." They nod and start off without me, my shaking hands hitting his quick dial picture. "Pick up, Mom... pick up..."
"Hello?" She answers, breathless.
"Ma! Has Clarice been by yet?"
"Been and gone, said there was a change of plans before taking off like a bat outta Hell. What's the problem?"
"The nomads are sticking too close to La Push, if we don't act now, there's a chance they'll attack the Quileute. The plan is happening tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow? No, hell no, this is too soon! I'm coming over."
"Mom, no. If she smells you nearby, she'll run. I'm sure even you teasing the notion is messing with Alex's visions. Just hang tight, I promise things will be okay. I promise." I hear her hesitation, her gun shifting on whatever table is in front of her, and a curse under her breath.
"You better text me before you go. Promise?"
"I promise, Mom." I make a soft kissing sound on the microphone. "I love you."
"I love you too, Bo boy. Try to get some rest." The call ends, and I stuff the phone in my pocket.
A soft sigh catches my attention. "She isn't going to come." I turn, spotting Alex a few feet away. He's shuffling in his shoes, smile wide and eyes almost sparkling. I can't even imagine how his innocence must shatter when he's in full sunlight ... "She trusts you."
"I-I'm glad to hear that." I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "You didn't go with the others?"
"No... Emma said I should stay here and focus on watching the Nomad's movements. Last I checked, they're sleeping in the forest canopy." He shrugs, bouncing on his toes. "I wanted to ask if you were feeling alright. I can't see your future, probably for the same reason Edythe can't read your mind, but Jasmine kept you calm during the practice session a bit, so I just ..."
"Want to be sure my emotions are in check?" With a grin, I watch as Alex hesitates, and nods again. "To be honest, I just want to lock myself in the closet and scream. But I can't. There's no time for that."
"Seems like a normal thing to want in this situation. I suppose." His eyes flick to the side, red irises seeming to fade. "It makes the most sense when I think about it." He rubs his wrists, movements almost mechanical. A compulsion.
The closer I look at his wrists... the more it looks like there are faint scars on them. Like friction burns... I wonder.
"Beau!" Jacob's voice makes me jump, Alex's body language changing when he faces the stairs. His shoulders rise, his eyes brighten, and his smile returns. "C'mon, it's almost midnight."
"You should get some sleep." Alex hugs me lightly, letting me return the gesture with a squeeze. "Sweet dreams, Beau."
"See you tomorrow, Alex." I climb up the stairs, with stars dancing sleepily in my eyes.
Ice water races through my veins, rooting me in the corner where I find myself curled up in, back against the uncomfortable V the damp brick makes. Someone's crying in the dark, the only light coming from a buzzing lamp that won't stop swinging above my head. The sobs are soft, are echoing, are from just a few feet away. A door creaks open, and I see him.
"Alex...?" He doesn't hear me. He stays curled on himself, his plain clothes muddy and tattered. His feet are bleeding. His shoulder-length, dark hair in a tangled knot on his head. There's a bed beside him, the frame made of metal, and a sink at the end. He protects his head with his arms, much fuller than they look in the real world, and a woman in a long, white coat approaches him.
"Michael Alexander Brandon, do you know why you're here?" She says in a monotone, flat voice.
"He tried to kill me...like he killed my Papa..." His voice is different, more childish and with a strong Southern drawl. "I tried to warn him..."
"Michael, these delusions of yours are why you're here. Your step-father wants you to be safe."
His head shoots up, pie eyes wet with tears. "He sent that man to kill me because I knew. I saw it coming. I'm not a liar, I'm not insane." With a sigh, the doctor leans out the door.
"Bring restraints, we need to transport him to treatment." Alex looks up at him, and his eyes widen, his face paling close to his vampiric state. "Now Michael, we're going to go down the hall and..."
"No! I won't let you do it! You won't shock me!" He stands, taking the bed and flipping it on its side, hiding behind the metal frame. It's useless. It's pointless. It's something that a kid would do...and that's when it hits me. I approach where Alex is hiding, everything slowing to a stop.
I crouch to see him face-to-face, taking in his soft, round face and dark brown eyes. The peach fuzz on his cheeks, the straight shape of his body. I fall to my knees, and the scene plays out with my eyes locked with his. Alex is pixie-like because he's still a kid. Eternally a kid. Clarice didn't do this to him, right? She wouldn't turn a child into a vampire. That would be cruel.
As he's ripped away from me, the room shifts. The bed is on the other side. The walls are covered in charcoal sketches of rooms and people and places. And Alex is sitting on his bed, with a smile not quite reaching his eyes, sketching absently on a notepad. His thick hair is gone, shaved down, with slight cuts along his scalp. His bones are protruding slightly. I don't know quite how much time has passed, but he is a bit older visibly. There is a knock at the door, and someone unknown to me walks in, lowering the temperature greatly.
"Michael Alexander Brandon?"
"Alex. Please, just Alex." He sets the notepad on his lap and smiles up at the vampire, her wrinkled face and silver hair doing nothing to mask the unnatural beauty present in these predators. "Is it time for my treatment?"
"I'm afraid so, Alex. Doctor Brown assures me it won't be like last time. No more electroshock, just some tablets and an injection. But I do have some questions for you, if that's alright."
"Alright, I'm ready," he beams up at her, and she returns his happiness.
"When is your birthday?"
"April 7th, 1901. I'll be 12 this year!"
"Oh, that's wonderful! I'll be sure the other nurses bring you your favorite treat. What is your father's name?"
His smile falters. "Ah … Andre. Andre Brandon." She nods, writing on her clipboard. I stand and look over her shoulder. He was wrong, kinda. Andre is listed as his step-father on the sheet, surname "Evans". She writes a note by the name Lionel.
He's forgotten his father... what is going on here?
"Siblings?"
"Cindy! He's my baby brother. He has pretty blue eyes, and yellow hair like corn." This time it's the nurse's turn to frown. We both look at the small photograph of Cindy — Cinder —on her board. The photograph is black-and-white, but his hair is clearly dark, same with his eyes. She whispers to herself, and Alex gasps. "Oh, no..."
"What is it, Alex?"
"Doctor Brown's still going to shock me. Because of what you wrote. He...he likes that I'm forgetting Cindy. He wants me to forget Papa. He and Mama and... that man. They all do."
"Why would you say that, sweetling?" He curls up and sets his chin on his knees.
"You know why I'm here. I don't know why you're asking. But even if I forget them, I'll still be crazy to Doctor Brown. Because I'll still see things. Like him." He looks at the drawings on the wall and points to one. "She's still choosing, but I see her almost every night. She's slowly getting closer. She'll choose soon."
"Choose what, Alex?" At that moment, another doctor appears — the same from before — and the vampire jumps. "Doctor Brown, I'm not quite finished with Patient Brandon here..."
"The patient is late for his sessions, Move along, Nurse Vance."
"Just give me one more moment with him, please." She approaches Doctor Brown, keeping their eyes locked. Brown sneers and nods, closing the door. Instantly, Doctor Vance is kneeling in front of Alex and grabbing his shoulders. "What choice, Alex? Please, tell me."
"My death, of course. If she chooses so, she'll kill me."
Everything crumbles. Alex. Nurse Vance. The room. Until the walls are covered in nothing but drawings of the same woman. There is a desk now, and a longer bed. And there's Alex once again, looking nearly identical to the one I know. His shaved hair has gotten fuzzy, but maintained, and you can see a slight bit of physical development. He's in slacks and a button-up, swinging his legs as he fills yet another page with a charcoal sketch of whoever is stalking his visions and dreams.
The door opens, and Nurse Vance walks in, watching as he moves almost mechanically over his sketch.
"... they did it again." She says under her breath. "What else can they take from him? His personality? His will? They already forced amnesia onto him. Poor child..." She slowly approaches him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Alex? Alex, do you recognize me?"
No reply, just absent, happy drawing. She looks at his drawings, her body starting to tense.
"Another one... getting closer. I can't let her kill him. I can't." She sits on his bed, her unnatural face creased by wrinkles of age and exhaustion. She has darkness around her eyes, and the red of her irises are muddy, like spilled blood. She rakes her hair from her face and plays piano on her leg.
"Nurse?" Alex turns and tilts her head, taking in his uniform with slight recognition. "It's not time for my treatment, is it?"
"No, Alex. You're done with treatments. You're being released soon." Nurse Vance straightens her back, patting the bed. "Sit here, I have something for you." He complies, looking up at her with a soft smile up to her eyes. "Do you know what today is, Alex?"
"I-I don't know..." he rubs his arms and looks away, not wanting to meet her gaze. she reaches into his coat and pulls out a file, about an inch thick. The rustling makes Alex turn back, his eyes lighting up. "What is that?"
"It's your birthday present, Alex. You're 14 today. That means you have been here for three years. And this," she taps the file, "is everything you've forgotten. And I want you to promise me you'll read it only when you're somewhere safe." She sets it on his lap, his little hands caressing the worn material.
"I thought people were let out when they turned 18, ma'am."
"Ah... usually, yes. But you have a special circumstance." She chews her lip and looks out the window, nostrils flaring. In her first outward sign of vampirism, she growls, eyes narrowing. Alex isn't frightened by the unnatural outburst. He takes her hand and pulls on it.
"You made an awful choice. I can't see you anymore. Why would you choose something that would kill you?"
"Because some things are more important. Close your eyes and try not to scream." Nodding, Alex closes his eyes, and Nurse Vance takes in a deep breath before lunging at his throat. A roar rips through the air, but it isn't the small shriek from Alex — it's from the widow, and the shadow that is violently trying to break the bars off.
"You bitch!" Oh god, that voice... "He's mine! Mine!" The blonde nomad breaks into the room, snarling and pushing Nurse Vance onto the wall over the bed, letting Alex fall to the ground. Vance licks her lip and spits Alex's blood on the nomad's face, a shit-eating grin on her lips.
"He's already changing, he's strong enough to survive. You lost, Jane. You can't kill him now." Her eyes trail over in my direction, and her face falls. "The game is at hand..." Her eyes flutter closed right as the Nomad — as Jane — tears the head off her shoulders.
I spend the entire day thinking about what I saw. I spend the entire day making small glances at Alex, noticing youth that I was blind to before. His fae-like appearance is all because he was changed in the throes of puberty, and will never finish it. He's frozen as a child.
Forever. God, what level of Hell would that be for a man his age?
"Beau, are you feeling alright?" My head pops up, and I realize I'm sitting alone in the library, my homework spread out before me. Has the school day already ended? What did I even do all day? Angel sits beside me, Jesse behind him. "Jess told me you're staying with the Cullens for a while. How're you holding up? Is your mom safe?"
"Yeah, Mom's fine. She's been sending me random emojis and gifs all day. I'm waiting for Emma and Jasmine to get done with assisting the middle school coaches." I roll my eyes, remembering how Edythe and the guys just vanished on me after a quick whisper of needing to get supplies.
You're vampires. You can get them at the last damn second. Literally.
"Sounds like what my moms do." Angel says with a small giggle. "But um … well, we've noticed you acting quieter than normal. Which is pretty bad considering you're almost as quiet as Edythe half the time."
"And you kept looking at Alex like he could break at any second. Which, I mean," Jesse raises his hands, "I do it sometimes too, because he looks like a literal baby in some lights, but you looked like you were about to cry. We're … we're starting to worry about you. You don't pay attention to shit anymore."
"You're always zoned out or picking at your arm brace." Angel gestures to my broken wrist, his eyes narrowing. "Meanwhile, you never even told us what happened to it."
"And you look like you haven't slept in a month!" Jesse punctuates his frustration with a point in my direction, accusing me of something unstated, but obvious. "We aren't going to make you talk, but we will stare at you until you're uncomfortable." I blink for a couple seconds and slowly lay my head down. "Hey, no! Sit back up, I refuse to be blocked out."
"I'm not blocking you out, I have a headache." I sigh, sitting up straight. I pyramid my fingers and consider my options. None are good. I can't tell them the truth; not only will they not believe me, but it would put the coven at risk. And I don't want to lie to them. I'm a shitty enough person for simply keeping it from them. It's a long shot, but I think I know what to do. I close my textbooks and look at them both. "I … I can't tell you."
"What do you mean you can't?" Angel's hand covers his mouth. "Beau, is someone hurting you?"
"It isn't like that," — kinda — "but I literally can't tell you what is going on. It's ... it's bigger than I am, and I don't want to make the situation any worse than it already is." They look at each other, completely confused, a little angry. And judging from Jesse's glance at my necklace ... a touch of suspicion. A little too aware, that one is. "I will tell you one thing. Would you be content with one thing?"
"One thing is better than absolutely nothing, Beau." Jesse snaps, crossing his arms.
"That's true... there's a chance that... I could be gone for a while. I don't know how long, but I'm going to get hurt. Bad. But it's all for a good cause. I promise. Will you accept that?"
"I ... I don't like this," Angel says softly, growing smaller in his chair. Jesse, on the other hand, loses tension in his shoulders and nods. "Jess, you're taking this a little too well."
"What else can I do? If it's this big of a thing, then I don't know if I even want the details." He rubs his temples and looks at his watch when it vibrates. "My dad's here. I have to get going. You just be safe, Beau. Okay? Okay. See you." They both stand, waving their awkward farewells before vanishing behind the door, leaving me with a brick of ice in my stomach.
That's when Jasmine appears at my side and pats my shoulder.
"Don't worry about them, chico. They're better off not knowing the truth. C'mon, Emma's got the jeep ready. We're getting you some dinner before heading out." Though still robotic around me, Jasmine's tone almost soothes me. I gather my belongings and we slowly walk to the parking lot. "You know, I can still tell what you're feeling."
"What?" I glance around, double checking the completely empty hallway just to be safe.
"Edythe can't read your mind. Alex can't see your choices. But I can experience your emotions. Because they aren't just in your head, they're in your body. In how you hold yourself, in how you emote. In your eyes." She puts her hands in her pockets, slouching slightly. "You aren't scared, not that I can tell. You lack the jitteriness of one in mortal danger. Instead, you're worried for everyone else. The mother who is far away, the friends who feel shut off from you. And Edythe." She looks down at me. "Am I right so far?"
"... p-painfully so." I look at my shoes, watching the raggedy Chucks walk in time with her boots. "If I wasn't here, none of this would be happening..."
"Oh, the nomads would have come, anyway. We probably would have just ignored them or sent Charlie and Clarice to run them off. But now, it's more serious. And who knows if the one would have gone after another young man."
"That's true..."
"Now then, let's just keep our chins up." With her shoulders squared, Jasmine opens the door to the parking lot. "It's three against eight, there's no possible way of any of them doing any lasting damage to you or anyone else. Not unless something freakish happens."
"Who are you calling a freak, Jas?" Emma whaps Jasmine on the back, her bright smile making the world seem a bit lighter. "Hey Beau, you ready to kick some vampire ass tonight?"
"I guess so, yeah. I wish it could have been tomorrow, so we'd have the weekend. But hey, maybe I'll get to miss my Trig exam."
"Always look for the positives. Let's get in before it drizzles." The girls go to the front seats of Emma's silver jeep, and I climb in the back, ready to strap in. Only ... there are way too many buckles back here.
"Hey, uh... what's all this?"
"It's an off-road harness. Just use the waist belt for now, we won't be headed into the woods for a few more hours, and Edie can strap you in then." She winks and snickers. "She acts like you're made of glass sometimes, it's so weird."
"Oh, come off her, Emma. You know perfectly well how awkward you were when you first met Roland."
"I was a newborn vampire who got my life saved by what I thought was a forest god. Excuse me for not using my feminine wiles right off. Edythe's over a hundred, she should know humans are sturdy." We head into town, Emma and Jasmine bickering over who had the weirdest pre-Cullen period. Jasmine takes the lead while discussing running naked across a body of water to scare a bunch of campers in the 1930s. Though Emma pretending to be her own twin sister in the seventies is funny as hell.
We run through the local Burger King, Jasmine and Emma laughing over my choice of sandwich, but getting the Red Velvet Oreo shakes just because they agree it looks disgusting. While I eat, I watch the two vampires enjoy their shakes with the occasional wisecrack or direction correction. I'm still not entirely sure what happens to food when a vampire eats it. Edythe went to the bathroom once. But that doesn't necessarily mean she was being honest. Maybe they throw it up, or maybe it digests with no nutritional value to it.
Do they even understand what happens inside their body?
We pull into the Cullen driveway and Emma turns around, "Edythe will help you get buckled in, we're going a partial way to our destination in the jeep. The rest of the way is running." I perk up at that, feeling Edythe's body temperature before I see her.
"How'd the hunt go, nerd?" Edythe rolls her eyes, muttering too low for me to hear as she straps me to the seat. Feeling like a child on a roller-coaster, I lurch back when Emma hits the gas, Jasmine whooping at the top of her lungs.
"The hunt went well," Edythe says, taking off her jacket and squishing herself into my side. I wrap my arm around her. "I got you a jacket to wear at the field, but I do warn you," she prods my chest, "I will want it back. Do don't destroy it."
I take the zip-on hoodie and manage to burrow inside it, my arms warm in its confines. If it were possible, I would be purring. I settle for laying my cheek on Edythe's head.
"... you know, I don't remember my mother saying men were this snuggly." She says to the air. Emma laughs.
"Trust me, men always find a way to surprise you. I learned that lesson long ago with Roland."
"Aren't you two, like, married though?" I pipe in, and Edythe flushes red immediately, hiding in my side. Jasmine chokes on her shake, coughing violently until the sound is a deep, somewhat cruel laugh. "Am I wrong?"
"No, you aren't. Roland and I have a wedding every decade. I think it makes him feel like a king. I know it makes me feel like a queen, seeing him in a golden suit waiting for me with that gorgeous smile of his..."
"Oh my god, please don't start gushing, I've had enough of it." Jasmine flicks Emma's temple. "You two and your fairy tale romance is so cheesy."
"If you want cheese, look into Clarice and Ezra's love-life. It took me forever just to get Roland to go on a date with me." From her eyes in the mirror, Emma has quite the evil grin on her face, her red irises shining with mischief. "At least I have better luck than some people around here." Edythe kicks the back of Emma's seat right as we come to a somewhat sharp stop.
"Fuck! Ah, man, I got milkshake on my shirt." Jasmine hops out and strips from the waist up, exposing a collection of scratch and bite marks on her back. I scoot toward Edythe, my hand grabbing and squeezing her tight. Jasmine hides herself in her checkered over shirt, throwing rocks towards Emma and shouting at her in Spanish.
"Edythe..."
"I didn't know her then. Jasmine the second oldest of us, and her past hasn't really been a discussion point beyond Alex bringing her to us a few decades ago. Something about the Mexican Revolution... I can only assume," Edythe helps me get detached from the seat and opens my door, "that it wasn't a pretty sight."
I hop out onto Edythe's back, my legs and arms tightening until I would end up breaking the bones of a normal woman. I feel rain hit the hood of the jacket and toss my head back, letting the hood fall so I can feel the cool droplets on my cheek. Edythe snorts under me.
"I thought you didn't like cold, wet things?"
"Well, cold is growing on me. I might as well try to adapt to wetness." There's a heartbeat of silence between us. "L-let's get going before we get left behind." I press my face to Edythe's shoulder and take in a deep breath. We're off in a snap, and the air whips around me with a soft, cutting sting from the rain on my cheeks and neck.
I dare to open my eyes, taking in the green blur of the world through the curls of Edythe's hair. Panic fills me every time we approach a tree or large stone, but it's like she can predict where everything is and will be, dancing over every obstacle, landing with more grace than a trained ballerina. I close my eyes again, unable to see through the tangles of her red hair. My brain screams that I need to see, but it's okay. She won't let me get hurt. Especially not something as stupid as a tree.
For right now, there's nothing to be afraid of, so I grip her shirt and enjoy the small piece of peace in the cool wind. And then we stop, and I swallow, knowing that in just a few minutes there's a chance that my life could very well end. Edythe stops, and my feet hit the ground. I rise to a stand, somehow not falling from vertigo.
A cold hand fluffs my hair, and my eyes finally open. "You doing alright, Beau?"
"Yeah," I wipe the moisture off my face, "yeah, I'm fine. So, what's the plan?"
"The plan is yours." She purses her lips, eyes rolling into the back of her head. "And of course, Emma decided to take it a little too far."
"I did not!"
As if reading my mind, Edythe gestures to the surrounding structure – freshly built – twice the size of any baseball stadium without the massive seating that touches the clouds. From fences to a small section of bench seating and even a dugout, she silently calls out Emma's bullshit.
"Okay, maybe I did..." Emma pulls her locks back into a tall bun, fixing her tank top so it isn't caught in her jeans. "Live a little, old maid."
"Now girls, please try to behave yourselves," Clarice emerges from the dugout, tucking her braid into a baseball cap. She turns to the mountains around us, the Olympic peaks, and takes in a deep breath. "Ezra, you couldn't have picked a better place to play." He drapes himself over her shoulder and kisses her cheek.
"You and Jasmine agreed that we should be somewhere where humans wouldn't. And the view is just heavenly."
"Only an angel could have found this, my love. Alright, gloaming is at hand," she raises her hand toward the setting sun and turns on her heels. "It's time to get this show on stage. Alex, you're the pitcher. We go in reverse age order. Edythe is up first with me batting last. Questions?"
"What does Beau do?" Roland asks, plopping a cap on my head.
"He can be umpire with Ezra. Call them as you see them." Edythe appears with a bat beside us, hitting her heels with the metal toy.
"They think we cheat." She sticks her tongue out at Ezra, who crosses his arms.
"We know you cheat. I'll stand in front of you, sweetie, in case the kids miss the ball." I nod, crouching with him just to be safe. Alex dances to the mound and looks to the sky, his shriek of delight coming just seconds before a lightning bolt crashes through the sky.
"It's time!" The thunder rolls deeply, causing me to shiver.
"Eerie, isn't it?" Emma says with easy familiarity, smiling at me.
"Are you ready for some ball?" Edythe asks with bright eyes.
"Go Bats!" I cheer, causing Clarice to cackle from second base. Ezra looks at me from over his shoulder and mouths something that makes Edythe turn back to the game and race to her place. Ezra takes my hand to walk with me to first base.
"You don't like to play?"
"No, I prefer to referee. Keep these kids honest and make sure they don't hurt themselves. Honestly, we used to play all the time. Not baseball specifically, but just sports. You should have heard the arguments they would have." He snickers, shaking his head. "You'd think they were raised by wolves."
"You sound like my father," I say with a laugh. His face falls a bit, and he worries his lip between her teeth.
"Unlike Clarice, I developed parental instincts before my change. Did Edythe ever tell you about my daughter, Grace?"
"She didn't, no," I say, looking over and Edythe and Jasmine tossing a ball back and forth faster than light.
"She was my first baby, and my only one. We lost her a few days after, and my wife and I couldn't get over it. Then she left me, ran off with God only knows who." He sighs, laying his hand over his chest. "It broke my heart — so, I took my own life." He says it like it's nothing, like it's just a matter of fact. I choke on my breath.
"Edythe just said you were hurt... Ezra, I-I'm so sorry..."
"She doesn't like telling about our pasts unless we let her. She's always been a lady about mine. For a while, Clarice and I masqueraded as her parents." Ezra smiles, looking at Edythe with a gentle sigh. "I know she's older than I am, just like Alex is, but I think of them all as my kids. After all, I'm the only one of us to get past thirty." He faces me and cups my cheeks. "That's why I'm glad she found you. You brought my daughter back."
"And you don't mind that she's dating a human?"
"No," he says thoughtfully. "I know it will all work out, one way or another. Besides, I'm starting to think that worry may not last very long." His brow raises, but before I can ask what he means, thunder roars overhead, and he is done talking. We've reached first base, and Edythe is ready to strike whatever Alex throws at her.
"Batter up," Ezra calls in a soft, clear voice that reaches the ears of everyone, even though the ones standing on bases look like blurry sticks to me.
Alex stands straight, holding the ball in both hands at his waist. He stands still for a solid minute and then, without warning, his right hand flicks the ball out and it lands in Ezra's hand with a smack.
"Strike one!" I call out, sticking my tongue at Edythe.
"Shut it." She teases, readying herself as Ezra makes the ball sail back to Alex. He grins for a moment and the ball goes soaring once again. Somehow, the bat follows through, smashing into the invisible ball with a shattering, thunderous crack, echoing into the mountains with an unnatural ring.
Well, at least I know that we won't completely melt into the storm. I cover my ears and wince, looking at the unaffected Ezra. He takes one look at me and gasps.
"Shit!" He vanishes and returns with a set of ear covers that make his voice muffle slightly. "Sorry about that, honey. We came prepared, but my brain still registers you as one of us." I watch the ball shoot like a meteor about the field until it vanishes into the forest. Edythe takes off around the massive diamond, the others going after the ball.
"Home run?" I ask Ezra, and he shrugs.
"Chances are, yes. They already have the ball, but it hit the ground. And Edythe is extremely fast." Dust flies at us and Ezra covers my eyes with his hand. Laughter erupts and Ezra lets me see Edythe, one foot just inches away from the base, with Jasmine shoving the ball onto her cheek. "Call it, Beau."
"You're out, pretty girl!" She stands, pushing Jasmine away and flicking the bird, a smile on both their faces.
"Aww, he thinks you're pretty. Pronto se casará contigo y vivirás feliz para siempre."
"Vete al infierno, Jasmine." She trades spots with the teasing blonde, Jasmine flipping the bat in the air and readying herself for a left-handed swing. Every strike of the bat, I see Alex peak towards the forest, and Clarice tense in preparation.
And yet, knowing our mission, we all have fun with it. The crashing of the bat and the occasional thunderous strike of body against body, mostly Roland or Jasmine purposefully running into Edythe. I can't help but wonder if there is a bit of a power play at hand. If they can be so forceful with each other, how much damage can they do to an enemy?
"Safe," Ezra says to Emma's face, planted on the now destroyed home plate. I reach down and dust off her shoulders, earning a playful scowl when she stands.
"Hopefully they get here soon, Clarice keeps cursing at us in some weird Scottish slang."
"I'm gon' ta skelp yer wee behind!" the good doctor cries, throwing the ball back home, Emma catching it with ease.
"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again," I say, nudging Ezra. "I may even get my mom to come out here to gawk. She's a much bigger fan than I am."
"I agree, I'd love to see her face when Clarice sends the ball three miles out." He shakes his head, watching Edythe gain two bases before Emma can even get the ball back in play. "I've actually got the best arm, but I knocked Jasmine's jaw off once, and only she ever mentally recovered from it."
"Seriously?" I look Ezra over, his stature and demeanor not at all reflecting the strength that would have taken. And how horrific that must have been to see. "That's amazing."
"All in a day's work for Ezra Andrew Cullen." He wiggles his shoulders. Then his head snaps toward the forest, eyes wide. "Footsteps."
Instantly, Edythe is at my side, pulling at my hoodie. "Take it off. Our sounds got their attention, but we need your scent exposed." She pauses for a second and sighs. "I wish there was a less creepy way to phrase that." She takes the jacket and ties it around her waist, fluffing my hair almost painfully fast. "Alright, once they show, the predatory one should out herself quickly. Just stay back with me, the mixed scents will throw her off for a while."
"Hey," I grab her hands, holding them steady while she breathes and calms her nerves, "we've got this. Far as I know, only one of them will give us trouble. And if the other two do, we'll kick their asses too."
"Ezra, switch with Alex," Clarice breathes, taking the bat. "If anything, you can knock one out with the ball if it comes to a fight. Everyone else, keep playing like normal. If they want to play, then we'll let them. We're only after one."
Edythe and I stay off the field. She crushes herself into my side right as three shadows emerge from the foliage.