Altered

by Shelly Crane

  “Devourers aren’t people, and devourers don’t change,” I argued softly. I stared at the green grass. I could hear Franz’s steps stop as he waited for us. He couldn’t hear us talking, but he knew that we were and he was waiting for us to finish. “They aren’t going to believe me.” I knew it was true. “They aren’t going to believe that I’ve changed. They’ll think I’m fooling around or playing some game.”

  “To what end?” she asked harshly, angry for me and we hadn’t even been questioned yet. “Why would they think that?”

  “You don’t know the person I used to be, Fay. I was a bastard. I deserve every bit of menace coming my way. I’ve given enough of it myself, enough harm, enough hurt.” I shook my head, hating the way she still looked at me with such hope. “I know you think there could be a future for us, but—”

  “But you don’t want one.” She nodded. “You’ve made that perfectly and repeatedly clear.”

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  “You’ve said you’re leaving the second you get a chance.” She pulled her hand away gently and let her eyes fall to the ground. “Thank you for saving me. I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t. So thanks. I owe Clara. I need to see her even if she doesn’t want to see me, so… I know you think you’re this awful guy, but you did this great thing for me.” She was biting her lip when her blue eyes met mine again. She looked like she might cry at any minute. I opened my mouth, but she seemed to think it would have been a bad idea for me to speak. She sprinted to catch up with Franz and started to ask him questions. Silly, nonstop questions.

  She was just trying to keep him talking. I groaned and walked faster to catch up. He was telling her that they made the campsite to look as though they had come and gone so people would think they’d left already and wouldn’t stick around. It was pretty clever because it had fooled even me. But on the other side of the river was another campsite.

  “There is a way through the woods around the river, but it’s loud and long and tedious. You can really only get there by boat,” he was saying as he huffed a breath and led the way down a steep hill to the bank, “so it stays pretty quiet. We don’t have to worry about any surprise visits.”

  “You mean like this,” I replied wryly.

  “With you it’s always a surprise, Enoch.” He gave me an equally wry smile as we reached the boats and he handed me the tie-off rope. “Here. Make yourself useful, Thames, and hold this while I help the lady in.”

  I growled an aggravated breath as he lifted her into the boat, one arm behind her back and one behind her knees, while she giggled and laughed. “Why, thank you, kind sir.”

  “Always willing to help a damsel in distress.”

  “That must be a running theme in these parts,” she said and smiled in my direction.

  Franz gave me a puzzled look with a following look that said he was about to ask a million questions, so I nipped that in the bloody bud. “So how is ol’ Elijah doing?”

  He smiled. “Oh, just fine. He and Clara are settling into the rebels smashingly.”

  “Clara?” Fay breathed. “You know Clara?”

  “Yes,” Franz asked and tensed. “Do you?”

  “Franz,” I eased and shook my head at him. He was always on full alert as the leader of the rebels. “This is Fay. Clara’s sister.”

  He smiled, sitting at the back of the boat and pulled the cord to crank the old boat engine. “Nice to meet you, Clara’s sister,” he yelled over the roar. “Why don’t you have a seat and hang on tight, sweetheart. I’m going to get you to Clara lickety-split.”

  I pulled her to my side and put my arm around her stomach to keep her down tight and safe. She shivered again in my grasp and my eyes rolled in my head. It took all I had not to groan. Slowly she looked at me over her shoulder and her lips parted. My fist tightened on her stomach. I was about to haul her into my lap if she didn’t stop being so unbelievably sexy.

  I leaned forward a little and heard her breath catch, her chest lifted with the movement. My lips lifted with a smile. I pressed my lips to her ear and cupped her cheek and jaw to make absolute sure she heard me. “You. Are. Killing. Me.”

  The shivers practically assaulted her, but she leaned back just enough to see my face. If we weren’t in a boat, I knew our breaths would be colliding in between us. It was a crime that I was being robbed of that.

  “Little human?” she finished. I didn’t hear it because she whispered it, but I saw her lips move.

  I smiled, but didn’t answer her. When she smiled back, I’d never wanted to kiss a human so badly in my entire life. I was actually pretty surprised that I’d been able to restrain myself this entire time with her. She was pretty kissable. When my thumb swept across her cheekbone, she closed her eyes like it was too much pleasure.

  Where did this girl come from?

  That’s it. She was getting kissed. She deserved it, even if I didn’t, but before I could really put any action to that thought, Franz was telling us to hang on and was docking us to the river bank. I stood and held my hand out, helping Fay out of the boat.

  But as soon as I saw the group of people coming, I knew that everything was about to change for me. Even as Fay turned to say thank you and smile at me, I knew it wouldn’t last. As soon as her sister saw me, it was all over. As soon as Clara told her what she really thought of me, she wouldn’t look at me like a hero anymore.

  She’d look at me like that bastard I really was.

  I searched the people who were coming to see us. I hadn’t seen her yet, but I knew I would and I knew it would be soon. Enoch was already acting strange, which I got. He said he was different and he thought people weren’t going to understand. Or maybe he had done some things and he was worried that he wasn’t going to be forgiven. Maybe that was it.

  Either way, I was just ready to see her.

  “Franz, can you go and get Clara for Fay?”

  “What about you?” Franz asked him. I didn’t know what that meant—get Eli, I guessed.

  He shook his head. “Later. For now, just let her see her sister.” He looked down at me. “I’m going to go take a walk.”

  I sighed, knowing it was all coming to a screeching halt. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he said, his voice gruff. He groaned, making it worse. “I just don’t want to be here right now, okay? You go see Clara. I got you here, didn’t I? Just like I promised. So let me have some peace.”

  “If they can’t see that you’ve changed, then screw them, Enoch.”

  He laughed humorlessly. “It doesn’t work that way. Besides, it’s like I told you—devourers don’t just change like that. It means something and it’s not good.” He walked backward. “Just leave me alone for a while. You got what you wanted. You’re here. Be happy about it.” He smiled to take the sting away, but I saw right through it.

  “Why are you being like this now that we’re here?” Someone walked up to me and said hello, said their name and asked for mine, but I was still focused on Enoch as he walked away. “Enoch!”

  He kept walking and didn’t look. I looked at the guy who was speaking and tried to smile for him, but it was pointless. Enoch had taken the smile right off my face for the day and I was pathetic for letting him. But we had taken this journey together, hadn’t we? I didn’t know what kind of person, or devourer, he used to be. I know he wasn’t human. I mean he made people have emotions so he could feed so I could imagine the kind of person that would make him.

  But he was different now.

  I didn’t know what to think. Were all my thoughts about him because of his persuasion?

  I said my hellos to the people who met me at the bank as I searched the faces one after another for a dark haired beauty that looked like my sister. And then there she was. Franz was next to her…and so was Enoch. I was so confused. He was giving me whiplash. Why was he being so confusing!

  I ran to her.

  She ran, too, and we met in the middle of the sea of people in a tangle of
arms. People could tell there was a real reunion going on, so some clapping was going on and some “awws”.

  I hugged her so hard and noticed how hard she was hugging me back. We had always been the exact same height even though I was a couple years older. I smoothed her hair and found myself to be a blubbering mess in a matter of seconds. I covered my eyes with my hand around her head, but I just couldn’t seem to stop crying. I finally pulled back and looked at her face. She seemed shocked. Beyond shocked. And that was all my fault.

  “Clara, please forgive me.”

  I yanked her back to me and continued to squeeze her hard. She rubbed my back and gripped my shirt in her fingers. I thought she was just consoling me, but I felt wetness on my neck. I leaned back and held her face. Her cheeks were soaked, but she was so still. “I’m sorry,” I told her. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just—”

  “I thought I’d never see you again.” She smiled and cupped my face, too. “And then here you are, searching the country for me. I didn’t think…you wanted to see me.”

  “And that was my fault. I’m a stupid girl. I’m sorry. Can you ever, ever forgive me for,” I choked on a sob, “leaving you? Not being your sister when I should have been your sister the most?”

  Her face crumpled. “Fay, I missed you so much.”

  I looked over at Enoch and smiled. “Changed your mind, huh?”

  He squinted and smiled. “Uh…”

  I moved to hug him around his waist and sighed at his warmth. “Look,” I whispered. “It’ll all be okay. People change and so can you. I think maybe you’re not giving people enough credit.” I leaned back to look at him and he was smiling at me, but it was this really cute, uncomfortable way.

  I sighed. “Fine.” I started to move back but behind us in the woods, coming towards us, was…Enoch. I looked up at his face and over at the one walking towards us. The one I had my arms around caught on and looked back. He tensed and then sighed. “Oh.” He looked over at me as I moved away. “You thought I was Enoch.”

  “You’re not Enoch?” I said, stating the glaringly obvious.

  “You thought he was Enoch?” Clara screeched. “And you were hugging him? Why? How do you even know him?”

  “He brought me here,” I muttered, still not removing my eyes from the man who shared a face with Enoch. It was eerie and creepy and completely embarrassing that I’d just been hugging him. But now I could see he was different, yet the same. They were identical, like identical, but Eli had a little eyebrow piercing. And his clothes were obviously different now that I was paying attention.

  “Sorry. I’m Eli.” He held his hand out. “Enoch’s twin brother. Clara’s husband.”

  “Yeah, sorry,” Clara spouted, “but manners go out the window when you talk about hugging the spawn of Satan.”

  Wow, Enoch wasn’t kidding. Clara did hate him. He was almost here so I was going to nip this in the bud before he was within ear shot. “Clara, he brought me here. He saved my life.” She gasped. “More times than I can count. And he didn’t have to. I didn’t beg him. He did it out of nowhere before he even knew who I was, so lay off the Enoch is evil crap. He’s changed. Like really changed. I’m sure he doesn’t really want to hear it, and I for sure don’t.”

  “That’s all right, Fay,” I heard so close in my ear that I had to hold in the shiver. So much for him being out of ear shot. “You don’t have to fight my battles for me, but I appreciate it.” I felt his warm palm on the inside of my wrist. I waited and prayed he would slide it down to connect it to my hand, palm to palm, but he didn’t. “Eli.”

  “Brother. You came back. I didn’t think you would.”

  Enoch moved away from me and put his hand on Eli’s shoulder. “We…have a lot to talk about.” He looked over. “Clara.”

  She looked at me and reached over, taking my hand. “Take off the persuasion, Enoch.”

  He scoffed and licked his bottom lip with a laugh. “Because there’s no way that a woman would want to be friendly with me otherwise.”

  “I know you put persuasion on her!” Clara yelled and I was surprised and how hateful it sounded.

  “Clara,” I hissed.

  “Fay, you don’t know him.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “No, you don’t.” This was from Enoch. He smiled evilly and self-deprecating. He came toward me and looked down at me. “The funs over, princess. Time to go back to the real world.”

  “Take it off, Enoch,” Clara said through gritted teeth.

  “Clara,” I scolded. “Will you just—”

  “You’re under persuasion. You have no idea what you actually think or feel right now.” She glared over at him before looking at me. We had a small audience gathering. I glanced over at Eli to see what kind of faith he had in his brother and it didn’t appear he had amassed any in that corner either. I glared at him and rolled my eyes.

  He seemed to get the message and stepped in. “CB, come on. They’ve had a long trip. Let them get settled in.”

  “After he takes the persuasion off,” she seethed. “I know he put it on her.” She looked at him, her eyes orbs of hate. “Didn’t you?”

  “Yes,” Enoch answered easily.

  She gasped and looked at me as if that answered everything. “See!”

  “I knew that, Clara.” I sighed in exasperation. “He told me all about it and explained what it was and why he put it on me.”

  She squinted and looked between us. “What?” She stared at me. “How…much do you know?”

  “About what?” I smirked. “About devourers? About witches? About Enoch feeding on people’s emotions? About the Horde chasing us? Should I go on?”

  “The Horde is chasing you?” She glared at Enoch extra hard. “You suck!”

  “He saved me,” I reminded her. “Over and over again. They were looking for me and would have found me if not for that devourer. Right there, the one you’re glaring at.”

  She huffed. “Take. The. Persuasion. Off.”

  Enoch uncrossed his arms and left his brother’s side. He came my way and seemed uneasy about this, which made me uneasy about it. “What’s the matter?” I whispered.

  He smiled where no one could see but me.

  “Are you afraid once you take off the persuasion she won’t like you anymore?” Clara taunted and crossed her arms, tapping her foot angrily. “You afraid that your persuasion was the only thing keeping her around, Enoch?”

  Enoch licked his lip and sighed, his breath hitting my cheek. “Yes,” he said. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

  He sounded so wounded that even Clara had the good sense not to go any further. She stayed quiet while he took my face in his hands. He swiped his thumb over my lips once and let his smile shine through just barely.

  “Look in my eyes, princess.”

  “I hate when you call me that,” I said, but I felt my smile.

  “No, you don’t,” he whispered. “Fay, I want you to feel your mind as it’s freed from my persuasion. Feel it slip and be free, knowing that your thoughts are your own, your feelings are your own. Everything that happens or has happened is real and you have to deal with it, okay? Everything’s going to be all right.”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  I felt so light. His hands on my cheeks were so warm it was ridiculous. And then things started to click. Things weren’t normal. There were demons and witches and…devourers. He had fed off my fear… I looked up at him and knew that right now…this moment, how I handled this, would be the catalyst for everything to come after. I took a deep breath and tried to smile.

  “Thanks for saving me. Again.”

  His mouth actually dropped open and he looked completely shocked. His mouth formed words several times, but nothing came out. But then Clara had to ruin it in typical Clara fashion.

  “Excuse me!” she shrieked. We turned to look at her. “What the hell do you mean ‘thanks for saving me again,” she mocked me in a weird voice. “You don’t expect me to
believe that Enoch Thames put persuasion on you and didn’t take advantage of you in some way.”

  I glared. “Yes. I’m telling you that’s what happened.”

  “No, no, no. Look at him. He’s as shocked as I am. He thought you were going to hate him, too. There has to be a reason for that—which means he thought when you came out of the persuasion you’d be angry with him for what you remembered and felt.” She looked at me expectedly. “So, what do you remember?”

  The first thing I did was grip Enoch’s arms so he couldn’t run away. I wanted him here. He had put persuasion on me, yes, but it had been to protect my mind. I had been angry at him when he told me but I could see that now.

  “I was coming to find you,” I told her, but my eyes were on him. “I didn’t have enough for a hotel so I was sleeping in my car. A man…” Without Enoch’s persuasion to keep me from crumpling, it all came rushing back as I told her, just as if it were happening. I felt a sob bubble up. “A man attacked me in the parking lot. He was going to…” I shook my head and felt Enoch wipe a tear from under my eye with his thumb.

  “Don’t, love,” his voice rumbled.

  I let my gaze swing over to Clara and she and Eli both were staring—gaping—at the scene Enoch and I were making. I didn’t know why, but I had to keep going. I had to finish. It was like word vomit. I had to get it out.

  “Enoch was passing by and he stopped the man from…hurting me. And then he got me food and a place to sleep that night.”

  “Yeah,” Clara scoffed, “for a price, I’m sure.”

  “It was for a price,” I agreed and Clara came forward.

  “She’s my sister, you bastard.”

  “I had to help him find someone to feed from.”

  She stopped, or rather Eli stopped her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He pressed his face to hers from behind and tried to soothe her.

  “Baby, just wait,” he whispered in his lilting tone. But even he seemed so confused. He looked at Enoch, who had moved back from me a little, but still held my arm in his hand as if he needed to protect me at any moment. “You didn’t feed from Clara’s sister?”