Thief: X

by E. I. Jennings,

I dove deep into his very essence and started changing it. I manipulated his cells from the inside, creating ash were there should have been blood. Stone were there should have been skin. Immortality was an illusion. There was only one person truly immortal and Clockwork wasn’t him. The change was nearly complete and I started pushing, making myself bigger, expanding my form. First there was one crack and then another until Clockwork exploded. I’d wanted more blood for what he’d been responsible for but seeing his broken body made me smile. Or rather, I thought I smiled, it was hard to tell without a mouth.

  I was floating and felt at peace until I saw Marshall, Adram and Father Thomas appear,

  “It looks like she did something to Clockwork.” Adram said kicking at a piece of rock that looked like a hand. I tried to roll my eyes because he was clutching bags filled with merchandise. He’d obviously come to find me via the souvenir shop.

  “I’ll collect all this up and make sure it’s locked away, just in case.” Father Thomas said.

  “But where is she?” Marshall was looking for me. I tried to tell him I was here but yet again not having a mouth was a problem,

  “Wait, don’t move any of you.” Adram sniffed and then licked his finger. He walked around the room pointing it and stopped directly under me. “Oh Xan, I told you not to do that.” Adram sounded mournful.

  “What are you talking about? There’s no one here.” Marshall stormed up to him,

  “She’s directly above us. I told her not to manifest into air but she’s gone and done it anyway.”

  “There has to be a way to bring her back?” Marshall said looking directly at me but not realising. I wanted to reform, I tried. I had the knowledge but it seemed I didn’t have the will,

  “Maybe you’re wrong? Maybe she is gone.” Father Thomas sighed,

  “Xan if you can hear me, come back. We have unfinished business.” Marshall pleaded,

  “Plus you still have Dorian to kill, the Elk is still out there and the Librarian needs a slap again.” Adram did have a point and I laughed,

  “Did you hear that?” Marshall said,

  “Was that someone laughing?” Father Thomas smiled,

  “If you can laugh, you can get your arse back down here right now.” I laughed again and I felt myself coming back together.

  Molecules began to attach. I started drifting down and then I felt the cold floor underneath me,

  “Is she meant to look like a puddle?” I could see Father Thomas looking over me,

  “Give her a minute.” Adram said pushing him out the way, “Xan, seriously, if you don’t pull yourself together, quite literally might I add, I’m going to molest the cowboy because you obviously don’t want him and he’s obviously too hot to waste.”

  “I can’t believe she still has that cigar in her mouth!” Father Thomas laughed. Apparently Adram’s little talk had worked. “Is she dead?” He leaned over me to check if I was breathing,

  “You…ex…comm…un…icated…me.” I whispered in his ear,

  “She’s ok.” He sighed.

  “Is everyone out? Alive? Mom? Cam?” My throat was sore and I couldn’t move. I felt my flask hit my mouth and the bitter taste of vodka and sin slid down my throat.

  “Don’t talk. Your death wish took a lot out of you.” I looked at Marshall and smiled. I didn’t even argue when his arms wrapped around me and he carried me home.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  It took me two weeks to recover. The first couple of days I hadn’t been able to move and Adram had sat with me. Talking had been a problem because I hadn’t had enough energy to reform my vocal cords properly. This also meant I couldn’t tell Adram to shut up or change the TV channel when he decided to put The Wizard of Oz on repeat. Oh and did I mention he did it all in various costumes and sang along. By the end of that day I wanted to choke him in his ruby slippers. By the second week I had my voice back and could move a little more.

  I could finally tell Marshall to stop stalking outside my door and come in. He told me that all the girls were safe, tired and broken but safe. My mom and Cam couldn’t remember a thing after the trackers had attacked my house. I was so glad because my mom was a drama queen at the best of times. I was happy Marshall had his daughter back and they’d decided to stay a little longer. My dad, in his ultimate wisdom, was allowing them to rent a little cottage the other side of the village.

  He didn’t mention the kiss but I did. I couldn’t deny I had feelings for him but I wanted to take things slow because of how I felt. I didn’t want to rush into things with him because when I did, shit happened. Dorian was a good example of that. And talking of that twat, Dorian had disappeared. Kibble had sent out a warning to all his contacts that if they spotted Dorian he wanted to know and then I’d go hunting. Even the Elk was laying low. He had probably locked himself away in his amusement park. With all the changelings popping up he’d soon have a battle on his hands to keep his throne.

  I also kept my promise to Bernie. She was now part of a pack again and enjoying every minute. What I hadn’t told her was that I had to pay her father for her release from his pack. Adram thought I was going mad and my brain hadn’t formed properly. What was two million between friends? Maybe Cain was right and I did have soul after all? Margot was staying with Father Thomas who visited me everyday, wanting me to talk about Cain. Cain had been strangely quiet. He hadn’t appeared in my dreams since I’d killed Clockwork, which meant I’d actually slept properly.

  Today was the day I finally managed to get out of bed. Peeing had been a logistical nightmare for two weeks, so the first thing I did was run to the loo and then I soaked in the bath until I felt human again, or whatever I truly was. My mom had even made my bed and laid out my clothes when I came out of the bathroom. If only she did this everyday. As I got dressed something felt wrong. I could hear banging and people shouting. I grabbed my Glock and crept down stairs. As I turned the corner into the living room, my mom jumped out and I nearly shot her,

  “Surprise!” Everyone yelled. I put the gun down and looked puzzled,

  “You’ve forgotten your birthday again haven’t you?” My mom laughed. I looked around the room and everyone was there, except for one person.

  “Marshall will be here in a minute. He’s taken his daughter to enroll at university, so stop looking all doe eyed.” Adram slapped me on my back and snorted, “Your mother was telling me how you used to blow snot bubbles when you were a baby.” I glared at my mom and she shrugged. “Don’t worry I’m using a rather nice glamor with your mom. Apparently I’m quite handsome.”

  “Don’t you dare hit on my mom.” I whispered in his ear when I hugged him,

  “It’s not my fault your father’s working and she’s all alone.” He teased and I punched him in the arm.

  There was a knock on the door and I literally ran out of the room to answer it. What was my libido doing to me? I opened the door and instead of a face was a massive bunch of flowers.

  “Happy Birthday.” Marshall said handing me the flowers,

  “Oh my god, I think I’m in a Body Form commercial.” I placed the flowers down and pulled him closer. This time I was the one doing the kissing. The thing about lying in bed for two weeks made me realise that I shouldn’t always isolate people and I was making sure in this moment Marshall knew I wasn’t pushing him away,

  “Yuck you two!” Chloe pushed through the door heading for the living room.

  I had no idea if she liked me or not. Marshall hadn’t dated much and she’d never really known her mom, so I had no idea how she’d react to another woman in his life. Luckily, I knew one person she liked and she headed straight for my brother. She looked so much like her dad and Cam had the same trouble I did with green eyes. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was the first time in years I hadn’t seen him with some electronic device in his hands. My brother was in love and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Wow, I thought you wanted to take things slow?” Marshall panted,

  “I
do but it’s my birthday.” I smiled,

  “Great, I’ve forgot the other part of your present. I’ll just run and get it. I promise I won’t be long.” He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and ran towards his house.

  “Are you coming to your own party or what?” Adram said poking his head into the corridor, “I mean your mom is getting mighty flirty!”

  “Don’t you bloody dare Adram.” I was marching after him when there was a knock on the door again,

  “That was quick.” I yelled and opened the door wondering what my other present was. The second I opened the door I felt the bottom fall out of my world, “Cain.”

  “Happy Birthday Alexandra.”