***
“Who is watching the house?” James barked grumpily at Tonya just coming in after a night’s patrol in the neighborhood. Bradley’s crew was still missing and, as if the patrols weren’t enough and the Andrews weren’t already exhausted from ranging all over the city, they had added checking in with the were network, both local and distant to their duties. They were all trying their best to find out what they could about what was happening with the incoming vamps and Bradley’s coven. It was as if they had up and disappeared. It was pushing everybody to the breaking point.
Tonya snapped back, the strain showing in the lines around her eyes. “Who the hell cares? I just pulled a double and I need some sleep. At least if they hit the house we’ll know where they are.” She threw up her hands and stalked away to take a nap in one of the two spare rooms upstairs. Who could blame her, her house was a good half hour from here and she’d been on her feet for a full day already.
There was some unspoken tension in the house due to Stephen’s current preoccupation. He was being intentionally vague whenever anyone asked him to help out and he wasn’t answering his phone when Henry or James called. His family of werecats and vampires plus one human were all trying to work together to thwart any incoming attacks, strategize for next week’s meeting with the Court and train me up fast to help, should the need arise. We were still hopeful my abilities would come in handy when and where we met up with the other coven.
“This is ridiculous,” I said flipping open my phone. There was nothing I could do to help while I watched my family run themselves ragged trying to save the world; the least I could do was try to see if I still held any sway with one of them.
James watched me dial. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to call Stephen and find out what’s going on with him. Everybody’s fighting and tired and I’m worried someone’s going to get hurt because they make a mistake out of exhaustion. And for what, why won’t he talk to anyone?” I was personally upset with him because I was supposed to be his friend and if he was having trouble with something, I wanted him to feel like he could come to me.
“Claire, I’m surprised. Usually you are his first defender.”
Sighing, I lightened up. “I’m going to try to talk to him and see what is going on. This is just so unlike him. I don’t get it.” Being this tired constantly surrounded by so much tension was making me weepy. I felt the tears gathering behind my eyes. James saw them too and pulled me in for a hug, still careful of my bruises, which were almost gone by now. He and I were amazed at how quickly my body was healing. I was still missing that tooth though. When this was all done, I’d have to get in to see my dentist.
After all that, reaching Stephen was kind of anti-climactic. He answered his phone on the first ring and, giving James a hopeful smile, I wandered away. He said he had been at Troy’s, currently standing vacant with everyone at James’s house. He even seemed eager when I told him we had to meet tonight. As a matter of fact, he offered to pick me up from work after I closed up. Other than sounding tired, Stephen hadn’t seemed any different than normal during our conversation.
Hanging up, I was standing in the kitchen puzzling over my odd exchange when Troy came in to get a drink.
“Troy, is Stephen up to something?”
Closed lipped, he filled a glass with water. “That is a good question. I heard you’re coming back here later, so I guess we’ll all find out then.” He frowned into his water as he took a drink.
I had a feeling Troy was keeping something and his easy attitude about his brother turning up, all of a sudden willing to talk, made me sure of it. If not for the fact that we were all due to talk tonight, I would have pushed. But, in light of Stephen’s offer, I didn’t burn the goodwill between Troy and I that it would have cost me.
His expression lightened as he turned the tables on me. “How about you? I heard your family is to meet your new beau.” I thought I saw a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
“New beau?” I guffawed, “Try only beau. I just don’t know how I feel about him meeting my whole entire family so soon. Especially with cousins, grandparents, the whole shooting match. He’ll take one look at them and run for the hills. Or I’ll crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment if they trot out some awful ‘when Claire was young’ story. It isn’t fair. It’s not like I will ever meet his family and see where he comes from. He has no way to compare.”
“You know, that is hard for creatures like us.” Setting the glass down on the counter, Troy looked at his hands braced on either side of his drink. “I know that you know we are older than we appear. What you don’t appreciate is the cost of that longevity. When we first changed, our ages froze or in the rare case of a younger animal, they become pubescent during their first change and it becomes permanent thereafter.
At first, we enjoy it when we feel the strength, power and speed. Our kind’s amazing ability to heal; we are nearly indestructible and it is intoxicating. It can be very difficult for those who are young souls; it is as though they cannot fully grow and mature mentally. But, over time, we watch those we love age, weaken and die. Some of our kind cannot handle it and their minds twist in sickness. When that happens, our Council steps in to control the situation.”
“You mean Stephen. He can be older than his years one minute, the next he’s off being an infuriatingly immature kid.” It made a lot of sense when put in perspective. What would I do if I froze today but lived on beyond the lifetimes of everyone I knew? “But look at the rest of your family, and Henry and James. You are all such old souls. Why is it so different for you?”
“Claire, enough sorrow will age mortal as well as immortal souls. When you see enough tragedy, part of your soul dies. Have you ever met a human who has seen true horror?”
I had. On base at Miramar in San Diego, Dad had introduced me to one of his heroes, Pat Murphy. Pat had been a boy, serving as an Airman on a carrier during World War II in the Pacific. When he spoke of watching kamikazes fly their planes right into the guns and ship decks, killing themselves senselessly, trying to take as many lives as possible before dying themselves. He had been so sad; it had been physically painful for me to be near him feeling the intensity of the emotion rolling off of him all these years later. I nodded, understanding.
“I have things I must do.” Touching my shoulder as he walked past me, Troy smiled comfortingly. “Don’t worry Claire. You know who he is, that tells you enough.” I wasn’t sure if he was talking about James or Stephen.