by Rinna Ford
Chapter Four
"Okay, I'm ready," I told my uncle as I walked out of the bedroom and into the living room carrying only a single duffel bag. Dev had cleaned the kitchen while I showered, changed into clean clothing, and packed a bag. He eyed the bag with speculation.
"Are you sure that's all you need? You know you're not coming back here, right?" He raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow as he waited for an answer. It was incredibly hard to talk to him like he was my old friend. The fact that he looked absolutely nothing like the Devlin I knew was just mind-blowing.
"Wait. Why can't I come back when I get all of this stuff under control?" I asked. "I don't want to give up my entire life, Dev."
He scoffed as he bent over to pick up my bag. "Are you really going to miss this life that much that you want to come back?" he chuckled, making me furrow my forehead as I considered it.
"I love working at the shelter, you know that," I replied angrily.
"I know you do, Firecracker, but there needs to be more to life than just work. I'm not going to lie to you, the community your joining won't be easy on you. In fact, you may want your normal, boring, human-although weird- life back before it's all over. But, this life you’re leading right now is not what you're meant for. You're meant for something greater."
I shifted from one foot to the other, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation. Me? Meant for greatness? I’ve always been considered mediocre, at best. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you..." Devlin was cut off by the sound of heavy knocking on the front door.
"Open up, Anne," a deep voice called from the other side of the door. "I need to talk to you."
The voice was unfamiliar and yet, I had the strongest desire to let him in. I didn't want to do anything else but answer the call of the stranger knocking on my door. I took a step around the couch before Devlin caught my arm. I looked at his hand in confusion, then to his panicked eyes. Why did he look so alarmed? I was only going to answer the door.
"We need to go. Now!" he harshly whispered.
"Why?" I asked, a little too loudly. I pulled against his hold, but he didn't let go.
"Please trust me, Firecracker," Devlin said, and before I could respond, it felt as if my body were being sucked through the air.
I fell to the ground as soon as the feeling passed. I gripped the grass between my fingers as I slowly got up onto my knees. Wait. Grass? I picked my head up and looked around to see a lush forest surrounding me.
"What happened?" I asked. "How did we get here from my apartment so fast?" I sat back on my heels and stared up at my uncle. The world was still spinning ever so slightly, so I decided to wait to try and stand up. I was pretty sure I'd end up back on the ground if I tried.
"Teleportation," he sighed, and slung the duffel bag over his shoulder. "Firecracker, we need to get moving, so let me know when you're ready."
He looked around the forest as if he were scanning for threats while I got my bearings. I closed my eyes, and took several deep breaths in and out, calming my still spinning mind. I did this over and over again until I felt calm and stable enough to rise off of the ground.
I opened my eyes to see Devlin standing in front of me, his free hand outstretched in my direction. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked.
I took his hand and pulled myself up. He didn't let go of my hand until he was sure I was okay to start moving. When he was satisfied, he nodded his head once and began walking through the brush. We walked without talking for several minutes, giving me a chance to think about some of the things I’d noticed.
"Dev, why didn't you let me open the door when that man was knocking earlier?" I asked, jogging a few steps to try and catch up with his long strides.
"You felt an undeniable urge to open the door, even though you had no idea who it was, right?"
"Yeah."
"Firecracker, we need to be cautious right now because supernaturals were trying to kill you when you were younger and now that they seem to know you're still alive, we just need to be extra careful." I stopped walking. Trying to kill me? Devlin turned around when he realized I’d stopped moving and sighed, almost sounding exasperated. "My guess is that was a supernatural, by the way, he was using the power of suggestion. Probably another caster, although vampires are known to have that ability as well."
"It could have been someone who wanted to help," I meekly suggested.
He raised one eyebrow. "Do you honestly think someone who was trying to help you would use that kind of power on you?"
I didn't have to answer. He was right and he knew it. My uncle turned back around and continued on his path to wherever we were going.
"Why don't you ever call me Anne?" I couldn't recall one single time he ever called me Anne in the ten years I have known him.
"That's not your name," he said quickly. "I didn't want to slip up and call you by your real name when you didn't know who you or I were."
My heart began to beat faster. I knew it. "What's my name, then?" I questioned.
He was silent for several seconds. "Your name is Emelia," he said softly.
Emelia. I loved it. Emelia. It fit. I had a name that fit me.
"I remember hearing you say that name when we were in the alley," I told him. I didn't realize at the time what he was saying, but it made sense.
"That was the only time I slipped up," he sighed.
"It's understandable," I said reassuringly. "Devlin, what are my parents like?"
As the last words of my question were out of my mouth, we came to a clearing and on the very edge of it stood a small cabin.
"Can we talk more later?" he asked as we walked closer. "I'd like to get settled before we have that conversation."
I nodded. Looking from my uncle back to the cabin I noticed that it looked well kept, almost as if someone had been living there.
"Is this place yours?" I asked.
"Yes, it is." That was the only response I got. Shrugging off Devlin's abruptness, I followed him up the stairs and onto the front porch. He put his hand on the doorknob, and after a moment, I heard locks click, allowing him to open the door.
The outside of the cabin was very deceiving. I walked into the cottage thinking I would be sleeping on the couch or something because it was so small looking from the outside. Once I stepped inside, it looked like a completely different place. The living room and kitchen were big and open. A giant fireplace was situated off to the left and there was a set of wide stairs to the right that led to a second floor. The ceilings in the open living room stretched all the way up to the next floor so you could see the hallway that led to more rooms. I could only describe it as beautiful, and definitely a work of magic. There was no way that this house fit inside the cabin I saw from the clearing.
"Wow," I whispered as I took it all in.
"Make yourself comfortable," Devlin told me as he headed for the stairs. "I'll set your bag in the first room on the left. That'll be yours while you're here." I was so busy looking around that I barely paid attention to what he was telling me. Devlin must have realized, because he yelled, "Firecracker!"
I quickly turned toward him, smiling. "Sorry."
"Do you want to see your room? So you know where it is?" Devlin was halfway up the stairs, waiting for my answer.
"Sure." I joined him on the stairs and he continued walking up.
He turned left once he reached the top. "You know, you don't have to call me Firecracker anymore, Dev."
"I know," he smiled. "I started calling you Firecracker from the moment I first saw you. It's what I've always called you. Is that okay?"
I nodded my head unable to answer verbally. He was my uncle. The only family I've ever known, and he loved me enough to give me that nickname. It was his name for me, one that no one else used. As far as I was concerned, he could call me that for the rest of my life. I didn't realize how starved I was for a family until that moment.
His smile got even bigger as he realized how emotional I was getting
over it all, and silently opened a door that led to a quaint, but absolutely beautiful bedroom. All the furniture was made of wood and looked rustic, but there were feminine touches throughout, from the bedspread to the curtains, to the vase of fresh flowers on the nightstand. It was the most incredible bedroom I have ever had the opportunity to use. At least since I could remember.
"What do you think?" Dev asked. "Will it do?"
I couldn't speak, so I just nodded and wiped away the tears that wouldn't dare fall. My uncle put the duffel bag on the bed and turned back toward me. Before he could get his bearings, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tight. I knew I’d caught him off guard because he didn't return the hug right away. But when he did, I melted into him.
"Thank you, Dev. For everything," I cried, burying my face into his shirt and letting the tears fall. I had always felt like Devlin was family, and I was right. I could feel it in my soul. I had a family.
"When you were born, your mother asked me to look out for you," he said. I stopped sniffling so I could hear everything he was telling me, but the tears wouldn’t stop. “But, she didn't need to do that because you had me wrapped around your little finger from the very first time I held you. Firecracker, I couldn't love you more if you were my own daughter. I'm so sorry you had to go through everything that you did, but know that I've always been there in one way or another, watching over you and making sure you were alive and safe. I didn't do it because I promised your mother; I did it because of how much I cared for you and I needed to make sure you were okay. It killed me to see you bounce from home to home when you were a kid and I'm so sorry you went through that."
By the time he was finished, I was sobbing into his chest. No more words were spoken for a long time while I cried. He did the best he could. I knew that. He didn’t protect me from everything though. People consider shifters and vampires to be monsters, but I knew that humans could be real monsters too.
Eventually, I lifted my face up to look out the window, and I saw that the sun was going down. I pulled away and looked around the room for a tissue. Devlin found a box on the nightstand and handed it to me.
"I'm sorry about that," I told him while I wiped the tears from my face. "I don't think I've ever cried like that."
"Well then, I think you were due." Dev gave me a small smile and I loved him a little more. It seemed he knew just what to say to make me feel less embarrassed.
"Thank you, Devlin," I said, and I meant it.
"You're very welcome," he replied, turning his upper body to the left and pointed to a door. "That's your bathroom. Make yourself comfortable and I'll call you for dinner in about an hour. Is that okay?"
"Sure," I didn't know what I was going to do for an hour, but I was grateful for the chance to be alone to collect myself. I needed to wrap my mind around everything that happened over the last twenty-four hours.
Devlin left the room with a backward glance and a smile, leaving me so I was finally alone with my thoughts.
Chapter Five
After Devlin left, I walked into the bathroom and washed my face. Looking up at my reflection, I noticed how much I looked like my uncle, making me wonder what my mom looked like. Did I look like her too? What about my dad? Did I look like him at all? I didn't even know his name. I had so many questions, and Dev promised to tell me about them later. I’d definitely be holding him to that. The hour passed quickly, and as promised, Devlin called me for dinner.
He was setting a large bowl of salad onto the table as I made my way down the stairs. It looked as if he had prepared a feast. There was so much more food than what two people could eat alone.
“This looks great,” I commented as I pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
Devlin gave me a small smile as he sat in the chair to my left. “Dig in before it gets cold,” he told me and picked up a dish filled with what looked like pork chops.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I filled my plate with a little bit of everything on the table, Dev doing the same, and we still didn’t put a dent in the amount of food that was left.
I finally had to ask about it. “Dev, why did you make so much food for just the two of us?”
Devlin put his fork down and gave me a sheepish look. “Someone will be joining us. In fact, he lives here too. His name is Ainsley and he’s a wolf shifter. Shifters eat a lot, a lot more than other paranormals, hence the immense amount of food.” He gestured toward the table to emphasize his point.
I was part shifter, part dragon shifter according to Devlin. What did that mean for me? Would I eat this much food in one sitting? Would I change into a dragon? How big would I get? I had so many questions and I was tired of waiting to ask them.
“Dev, what are my parents like?” I had already asked that question once, and I thought that would be a good place to start. Not too invasive or accusatory, but Devlin still seemed startled by my question. He dropped his fork onto his plate, making a bit of mashed potatoes shoot across the table.
“Your parents?” he asked as if to clarify.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, I can’t remember them and I figured you could fill in the gaps. Is that alright?”
“Of course. I just didn’t expect you to ask about them during dinner.”
“Sorry,” I told him, not backing down. I wanted answers, I needed them, especially if I was who he said that I was. “I just have a million questions and I’m getting a little anxious about it all. I’m sure you can understand that.” He stiffly nodded his head. “Dev, my entire life is a lie. At least what I can remember of it. You’re telling me that I’m a paranormal creature, no, that I’m made up of a couple of paranormal creatures, and I need to know what that means.” I loosened the grip on my utensils and put them beside my plate when I realized how tense I had gotten.
“I said I understand, and I do,” he reassured me. “I promise, I will answer every single one of your questions, in detail if you want, but Ainsley will be here any moment, and I’m sure he’ll want to introduce himself. It would only frustrate you to get interrupted in the middle of a conversation.”
I sighed. He knew me too well. I just hoped it wasn’t an excuse to delay the conversation. Just as I was about to boldly tell him that, the front door flung open making me almost jump out of my seat.
“Damnit, Ainsley!” Devlin cried and gave him an angry look.
“Oops, sorry guys!” Ainsley’s smile was light and mischievous as he shut the door and sat down across from me at the table. “You must be Emelia,” his eyes dancing with joy.
I nodded and gave him a smile back. His attitude was contagious. “And you’re Ainsley.”
“The one and only!” He reached over the food on the table to shake my hand. As I took it, he turned my hand over and playfully kissed the top of it. “Lovely to meet Devlin’s long lost niece! He talks about you all the time!”
I turned my attention to Devlin with my eyebrows raised in question. How often did he come here? Was this where Devlin spent most of his nights when he wasn’t pretending to be a homeless man at the shelter? The questions just kept piling up, I hoped that my uncle had time blocked off in his schedule to answer them all.
“That’s enough, Ainsley,” Dev told him and handed him the salad as a hint.
“Okay, okay,” he laughed and without further pushing, began piling food onto his plate.
I watched in awe as Ainsley did, in fact, eat almost every single bit of food that was left on the table, and with gusto. It was an amazing thing to watch, and for a second there I felt like an underachiever with my single plate of food. But, then I remembered that my time was probably coming.
I was a little frustrated with my uncle, so I decided to try a different approach to get the answers I was looking for. “Ainsley, what is it like being a shifter?” I asked. We were in the process of clearing off the table, and both men paused looking at each other. Ainsley seemed to be asking Devlin what he should do. Finally, Dev continued with what he was doing without say
ing a word, while Ainsley laid the empty dish beside the sink and turned toward me, leaning against the counter.
“Well, I assume you’re asking what it’ll be like for you,” he said. I nodded my head and sat down in one of the empty chairs. “Honestly, I don’t know.” My heart sank. “Dragon shifters are very different from wolves, in size, temperament, and abilities, and you’re not a full shifter so I’m really not sure what that means for you. But, I can tell you about full dragon shifters and shifters in general, if that’s what you want.”
“Yes, please,” I replied.
“Okay. Well, most shifters have their first shift around the time of puberty, so girls shift earlier than boys do. But we all feel our beasts from the beginning. In fact, one of my earliest memories is feeling my wolf urging me to run.” Ainsley chuckled and I joined him. I could easily see a young, wild Ainsley doing just that. “Shifting is incredibly painful the first handful of times, but the pain lessens the more you do it. Shifters eat a lot, as you just saw,” he nodded his head toward the table and then the sink to point out the number of dishes, “and can live around 500 years naturally.” My eyebrows rose up on my forehead in surprise. “We can die before that, but we don’t get illnesses like humans do. The only way to kill us before our time is suicide, murder, accident… and it takes a lot to do the deed.”
“Are there a lot of things like that happening?” I asked, concerned.
“Not a lot of suicides or accidents, although because of our long lives, shifters can get lonely if they isolate themselves from their pack or they aren’t with their mate for some reason.”
“Mate?” I shifted in my seat, feeling a little uncomfortable with the thought.
“Yeah, all shifters, actually all paranormals have…”
“Why don’t we go into the living room so we are more comfortable while we talk,” Devlin interrupted. He walked ahead and sat down on one of the chairs without seeing if we were going to join him. Ainsley gave a thin smile as he pushed off of the counter to follow. He took one end of the large couch leaving the other end for me.
