Three
The sounds of kids playing and fussing came from under the heavy door. Erin sat at her small, file-stacked desk, wishing she had the time to go play with the children for a few minutes. Their precious voices spurred her to focus on the paperwork. The faster and harder she worked, the better chance she could give them to be adopted quickly.
The light coming through the window was intense as the day come close to ending. The colors of the sunbeams began to change to the deep jeweled tones of evening. She glanced up, realizing it was already past quitting time. But she ignored the time and bent her head to her task. She was close to finishing reviewing the file, and it wasn’t like she couldn’t desperately use some overtime anyway.
A soft, familiar hand touched her shoulder. She looked up into the magenta eyes of Journey.
“It’s time.”
“I know,” Erin said. “I’m almost done.”
“Leave it, honey. I’ll finish it. You run home and have dinner with your father…is he feeling better?”
Her heart sank at the question, but she didn’t have the strength to answer it fully. “Somewhat. He doesn’t get enough blood to stay strong. Insists he doesn’t need it. He’s looking old beyond his years, and he’s starting to act like a cranky old man to go with it.”
Erin stood and got her bag from the peg on the wall. She turned to the door and stopped with her hand on the knob, looking back. Journey smiled knowingly at her. Years ago, she’d given Journey permission to openly read her heart at any time. As a Storyteller, Journey could see right into you and hypnotize you if she wanted with nothing but her voice. Unnerving at times, but she never would use it against you, only for your good.
“Thank you so much for my job. I know I’m a slow learner. I’ll get the hang of everything in the next few days. Promise.”
Journey chuckled and shook her head. “No such thing. You’re learning very quickly. You only started three days ago. Stop acting like I’m doing you a favor; I want you here. You’re like a daughter to me. And you have the heart for this work.”
She stepped forward and wrapped Erin in a warm hug. Erin closed her eyes, absorbing the love the Storyteller had always given her. After her mother had died, Journey stepped in and guided her into womanhood. Erin worshiped her and didn’t know what she’d do without her.
She gave Erin a gentle shove toward the door. “Go on home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She hurried out of the Onyx Castle and down into Halussis to the closest hub where she could grab a portal to Anue. She got into the line, crossed her arms, and looked down.
“Hey, Red.” A guy behind her called. “Hey you, girl. Halfling.”
She looked up then and glanced over her shoulder.
The guy smiled at her and waved. “What’s your name?”
“Tired from a long day at work and not in the mood. That’s my name.”
He came closer. “Sorry. That was dumb to yell at you. I just wanted to meet you. You’re really beautiful.”
She rolled her eyes. “Beautiful for a Halfling?”
“I only called you that to get your attention. I’m not prejudiced. I agree with Maddox— Halfling girls are the prettiest.”
Erin turned on him then. “You’re quoting Maddox? Wow. Let me just melt into a puddle right now.”
The guy frowned, scanning her face, then he smiled. “Oh, you’re special. You obviously don’t have Maddox fever like every other girl I know. Run away with me now! What’s your name?”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Okay,” he persisted. “I’m Jaris. I usually catch this portal. If I see you again, and I promise not to quote Maddox, will you tell me your name?”
Erin’s lips twitched and she almost smiled. “Maybe.” The line moved.
“Since we’re stuck here for a moment, would you tell me your thoughts on the whole social phenomenon?”
“What? Regia’s most famous family?”
“Yeah.”
“I think all of them are amazing, except him. I mean, what has he done? His sister and brother-in-law saved the world, his father has trained the most decorated and revered masters of the Blood Kata, and his mom is Forest…so yeah, she’s the coolest thing ever, and she’s humble and does such great work for Regia. And then there’s Maddox, who never does anything except seduce feather-brained girls and wear that signature look of disdain for everything. And yet everyone falls all over him and hangs on his every word, even though he never has anything good to say.” The line moved up. She was next.
“Have you met him?”
“No. And I don’t want to.” She snapped.
Jaris blew out a breath. “I repeat, run away with me.” He smiled broadly.
He was cute she decided, even if he had started with the most ass backward approach she’d ever seen.
“What’s my name?” he asked.
“Can’t remember,” she lied.
The portal opened behind her. He put his hand theatrically on his heart like she’d wounded him.
“Jaris,” she said, smirking as the end closed over her. She giggled to herself in the rushing blackness before it dumped her out in the center of Anue, only a block from home.
She strode up the path to the front door. The house was starting to look worn down since her dad’s health had begun to decline. No one could seem to figure out what was wrong with him. Something beyond his constant depression was causing him to deteriorate fast and he didn’t care to fight. The bills were piling up, and it was her responsibility now to take care of paying them, since he couldn’t. The stress of watching her father dying and trying to hold everything together sewed tight stitches around and around the edges of her heart.
“I’m home,” she called as she came through the front door.
“You don’t have to shout,” Nathan grumbled from the kitchen table. “I might be ill, but there’s nothing wrong with my hearing.”
She put her bag down, came over to him, and gave him a kiss on the head, testing his temperature along with showing him affection. His red hair was streaked with white, and the lines on his face seemed to deepen every day. He shouldn’t look so old, he was still a fairly young vampire. She was going to lose him soon. That was reality, despite how hard she might hold on, how much she struggled to work hard and to show a brave face. Death was starting to crouch in the corners, getting closer. Erin had no weapons to battle against it, and death was deaf to her plea.
“Did it happen today?” he asked the same question every time she came home.
“Nope. Didn’t find my destined life mate today. Maybe tomorrow,” she said as she brought him a blanket and covered him up. “I did meet a guy at the hub just now though. I might see him again. He wasn’t half bad.”
He smiled warmly and grabbed her hand. “Not half bad, huh? That’s something you can build on.”
She snickered. “None of my friend’s fathers want them mated, and you’ve been pushing me toward it ever since I began growing breasts.”
He looked at her intently. “I’m not going to be around much longer, Erin. I want to know you’re taken care of.”
She shook her head. “So old school. I can take care of myself. And you’ve got lots of life left to live.”
“I want you to know the ecstasy of the first eye contact, the gravity of the first touch. You don’t understand the singular joy of finding your destined life mate, sweetheart,” he said emphatically.
Or the agony of losing them. She bit her tongue so she didn’t say the words aloud. She patted his arm. “Okay, Dad. But you know it will happen when it happens, or not at all. I might not have a destined life mate. Not everyone does.”
The door burst open, making both Erin and her dad jump in alarm. Her best and oldest friend, Selena, came running in, a storm of giddy energy coming all from her.
“Erin! Oh my gosh, I have to talk to you!” She rushed up to her and grabbed her arm.
“Sheesh! Okay, calm down.”
Selena bounced up and down. “I can’t calm down! Please! I need to talk to you in private!” She dragged Erin to her bedroom and closed the door.
“Okay, what the hell is it?”
Instead of answering, Selena put her hands over her mouth and squeaked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“What?”
“Okay,” Selena said as though she couldn’t catch her breath. “All of my dreams are coming true!”
“Really. Wow, that’s news,” Erin said dryly.
“This morning I ran into Kendrick.”
“Who?”
Selena waved her hand. “His dad and my dad worked some contracts a long time ago. Haven’t’ seen him in years. Honestly, if you kept up with current events you’d recognize his name.”
“Why? Who is he?”
“Only Maddox’s best friend!”
“Oh, hell. I think I see where this is going.”
“Erin, he called me! Maddox called me! Kendrick said he’d introduce us and then only a few hours later, Maddox called me! He asked me to be his date to a party tonight! Can you believe it? I never…What? Why are you looking at me like that for?”
“If it didn’t violate some kind of unwritten friend code, I’d slap the shit out of you! Have you lost your mind?”
“I thought you’d be happy for me. He’s all I’ve ever wanted, and I never thought I’d get the chance. You have to help me decide what to wear.”
“He’s all you’ve ever wanted for the last six months. Can’t you see what a jerk he is? I don’t care how good-looking he is, he’s an asshole.”
“You’re wrong. He’s just misunderstood.”
Erin laughed humorlessly. “What happened to my smart best friend? I’d like her back now.”
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve stared into his eyes?”
“What are you babbling about?”
“His picture. I can see there’s more to him. He’s good. Everyone just wants to put him into a little box and make him what they want him to be.” Selena argued.
“Do you hear yourself? You’re doing exactly what you’re accusing other people of doing. You’ve created some imaginary version of who you think Maddox is, and you’ve never met him. You see a prince who will give you a happy ever after. I see a spoiled, self-satisfied punk who will trample your soft heart under his designer boots. But regardless of either of our perceptions, he’s a real person and you don’t know him. You’ve painted him as the hero when he’s probably the villain.”
Selena put her head in her hands and exhaled. “You’re right. I’ve lost it, but…how can I not go? I want to go. Maybe I’ll be the one.”
“No, honey. You’ll just end up as one of the many.”
“But if I show him my heart…”
“He’ll just break it.”
Selena began pacing back and forth. “You’re my best friend. Don’t you see more value in me than all those other girls?”
Erin came up to her and cupped her face with both of her hands. “You are special, Selena. I don’t want you hurt. We promised each other as girls, remember? We promised to always protect and look out for one another. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
She nodded and looked down. “I see what you’re trying to do and I appreciate it but—“
“But Maddox has asked you out, and you’re going with him?”
Selena shrugged and nodded.
“I figured as much…Fine, I’ll help you figure out what to wear.”
Selena’s eyes lit up, and she kissed Erin on the cheek.
Erin pointed sternly in her face. “Will you at least promise me you won’t have sex with him? Please?”
Selena looked away.
“Promise!” Erin demanded. “You can’t have a real chance with him if you’re so easy.”
“Okay. You’re right. I promise.”
Syrus came up behind Forest, wrapped his arms around her waist, leaned down, and kissed her shoulder. “Come on. He’s not coming back. He forgot.”
She nodded slowly and sighed. “Yeah. I know it’s silly for it to hurt my feelings that he forgot. I know it’s not a big thing. He’s in a dumb time of life. A selfish time. It’s not a big deal.”
She toyed with edge of the ribbon on Maddox’s graduation present. She pushed the long thin box to the center of the table and turned in Syrus’ arms. He stroked the back of her hair.
“He’s going to be all right,” he reassured her.
“How do you know?”
“I just do. He’s still the same Maddox we raised under this mask he’s wearing. He won’t wear it forever…Come on. Let’s go. I need you, Forest. Just you and me for a while.”
She looked up into his handsome face and smiled. “Why do I still like you so much after all these years?”
“I get better with age.” He grabbed her ass with both hands and hauled her up so she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Now, we’re leaving. I will carry you if I have to.”
“You don’t have to, but I kinda like it.”
He kissed her deeply and then set her down. They picked up their luggage and the portal Tesla gave them to use for their vacation. Before they left, Forest made sure to leave the light on for her son.