“We’re fine. How many times have I told you not to worry. You know I hate to think of you frowning so much.” Anj made sure to lay the charm on thick. It would keep her away for longer.
His mother laughed. “Oh, you take such good care of me. I only ask because I feel bad, not being able to see you boys settle in for break. The good news is, I’ll be home early. My last meeting was canceled, so I can leave today instead of tomorrow. I should be home between ten and eleven tonight.”
“Great!” There was a lot of forced enthusiasm in his voice. Not that she’d catch on. His mother was more than a little oblivious to anything he wanted or needed.
“So everything has been okay? There haven’t been any problems? Did Cheyenne get settled in as well? You should take her out and…”
While his mother rambled on about some kind of great date idea for him and his brother’s girlfriend, Anj pulled the phone away from his ear. She used a loud voice whenever she spoke to him, as if she thought he was deaf too. Sometimes it gave him a headache over the phone.
When she finally took a break, Anj said, “I think she and Zes already have plans for the rest of today. And I have other things to do.”
“Right, of course. Just a thought since she’s still fairly new. It would be a nice gesture to give her a more thorough tour of the area.”
“I’ll suggest it to Zes, then, since he knows his way around better than I do. Besides, I have other things to do here.” He didn’t, but sometimes it was better to play up the helplessness for his brother’s sake.
“Is she there too?”
“Yes, Mom, Jewl is here too.”
“It’s a good thing I’m coming home tonight then. Leaving you unsupervised with a girl is not a good idea.”
Yet if it was Cheyenne, you’d practically shove us into a closet and demand we procreate. “I promise you, everything is staying G-rated.”
“It’s the principle of the matter. I need to go now, but I’ll see you later tonight. Love you.”
“Love you too,” he said, then hung up the phone. He felt around for the base charger, missed it, and decided to just let the phone sit on the end table for the time being. There was time to fix it later.
Jewl was playing with his fingers, touching their tips and outlining his hand with her index finger. He loved it. She had to know how it made him putty in her hands. “Mommy dearest?”
“Yeah, she’s coming home early.”
“I figured that out since I could hear about ninety percent of the conversation.”
“The other ten wasn’t all too interesting,” he said.
“Does she still think I stole your innocence?” Jewl laughed, and he couldn’t help but smile when he heard the sound. She didn’t do it often, but there was something about it he loved. Maybe because it meant she was genuinely happy, and in a way, he could see it.
He laughed with her. “She has a vivid imagination and probably thinks she interrupted us doing something X-rated that’s illegal in thirty countries. If only she believed the truth.”
“That we aren’t there yet in our relationship?”
“Right,” he said, and swallowed. How long would it take for them to get there now that their biggest hang-ups were being resolved?
Anj had made a decision a long time ago, before he’d met Jewl, that he wouldn’t ever have sex unless he was in a long-term relationship with someone he loved and trusted. He had what he was waiting for now, but did she? Not something we should rush anyway. The last thing I want to do is jump the gun. We need to make this last. Hopefully forever. I just hope she kept waiting like I did.
He was pretty sure she had. Neither of them had dated anyone else on any of their breaks. A few girls had tried to take advantage of his single status, but he had brushed them aside. There hadn’t been any rumors of Jewl with anyone else, but he did notice things. Like how some days she was awfully close to Denver, and he’d said something about them exchanging blood on multiple occasions. What did he mean by that? And of course there was her friendship with the new boy, Teague. Anj had been jealous of him for a while too, when they first met. Jewl didn’t make friends with the new kids often. There must have been something about Teague for her to make an exception even before she found out they were related.
But she said he’s her brother, and I need to believe her. He hadn’t gotten a good enough look at the boy to see the family resemblance yet.
“So,” Jewl said, filling in the silence for him. “I suppose this means cuddle time is over?”
“Yeah, I should probably let Zes know so we can do any cleaning.” Anj sat up.
“The house is spotless, hon.”
“I’m sure it is, but you know how she is. One thing out of place, and I could ‘break my neck.’ We need to be sure.”
“Mommy meltdowns are bad, I know. I’ll help make sure everything’s up off the floor for you.”
He leaned down to kiss her face. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Anj stood and took a moment to mentally familiarize himself with the room again before making his way downstairs, counting the steps as he went. Four, five, big landing, turn left, one, two… He hated the basement, mostly because it was his brother’s domain and messy. It was the one place in the house that didn’t need to be spotless, which meant there were a number of potential hazards for Anj to maneuver around. He couldn’t complain about it, though, or his mother would take away the haven Zes had built for himself. He needed his own private space to escape to as well.
The twins had made a deal. Anj would have a clear path to the laundry room and Zes’s bedroom door, and he would stay out of the basement and not say a word about its pig sty state. He only went down there for those two things anyway. Anj had learned a long time ago to not try to socialize with his brother whenever Zes played his video games. Instead, they spent time talking out on the patio where it was quiet.
The movie was still playing, but Anj had a sneaking suspicion it was the end credits because he could only hear music. There weren’t any other ambient noises, only bass thumping through the subwoofers accompanied by some kind of rap song. Whatever it was, it was giving Anj a headache, another reason he didn’t like to go downstairs into Zes’s lair. His brother liked everything loud.
He turned left three steps after the last stair, kept going straight until he felt the cool metal of the washing machine with his hand, and then turned left again. Zes’s door was closed. Anj knocked.
“Give me a minute,” Zes called back. There was some shuffling going on in the room, no doubt cleaning so Anj could enter without having to worry about tripping over something.
Waiting about a minute, Anj slowly opened the door. “Is it safe now?”
“Should be,” Zes said from his bed. “What’s up? Shouldn’t you be all cutesy and cuddly with Jewl right now? Don’t even pretend you aren’t together again, because Chey and I saw you two making out in the kitchen.”
“We weren’t making out. We kissed. There’s a difference, and I’m not denying anything. I came downstairs because Mom called and she’s coming home tonight.”
“Oh.” The disappointment in his brother’s voice was obvious, because his tone became low and his volume quiet. Anj almost didn’t hear it over the music of the movie.
“That’s how I felt as well. At least we had one day, right?”
“Yeah… I’ll be upstairs soon. I just woke up from a… nap, so I need to take a shower.”
“Kind of sweaty and gross in here,” Anj said. He’d noticed the smell right away. Zes’s room always had a kind of peculiar smell to it since he let his dirty clothes linger all over the room for a while. Sometimes there was old food in there too. But something was different this time. More sweat? More something was in the air.
Anj shook his head. “When was the last time you washed your bed sheets?”
“Um… a while.” There was shifting in the bed, a lot of movement actually.
“Speaking of being couplish, where is Chey an
yway? Why aren’t you with her?” Anj asked with a frown.
“She fell asleep on the couch. I came in to read then fell asleep too,” Zes said.
Doesn’t quite make sense to me. Anj stood in the doorway, and he wondered if maybe it was time to go. He turned around so he could head back the way he’d come.
“You don’t need to rush. The house isn’t messy anyway. I just wanted you to know so you could mentally prepare yourself for Mom being, well, Mom,” he said on his way out.
“Thanks, I’ll be up soon anyway to start on dinner,” Zes said.
Anj went back up the stairs. The instant his foot stepped onto the linoleum of the kitchen floor, he could see colors. What he saw wasn’t his kitchen floor, however, but the thrones of the Elders. He wasn’t using any magic either. He was having a vision.
Not now. I’m not even sleeping. But the Elders appeared before him anyway, as real as if they were physically standing in front of him. Never before had he had a vision while awake, so he wasn’t quite sure what to do. If he moved, would his physical body react too?
“What’s going on?” Anj asked, hoping the Elders would answer. All three stared straight ahead. Footsteps could be heard from behind him, and someone passed through his body — his dead father. Startled, Anj stumbled backward and was grateful to find a wall for support.
Neil sat up straighter at the sight of Anj’s father. “Ilo, hello.”
“Don’t act so surprised to see me. You invited me,” his father said.
“Yes, we did. We have been discussing everything. It’s time.”
“He’s way too young for this. You know most Fates do not come into the gift until they’re at least fifteen. It’s part of the ethics code, to not put the burden on someone who’s so innocent.”
“Unless circumstances allow for it,” Neil said. “Which they do. The Divine council is having another meeting as we speak to discuss the situation regarding the heir of Hades.”
“I’m sure they are, but what does this have to do with my son Anj?” his father snapped. Anj blinked with shock. The memories of his father were all filled with the image of a peaceful man who hardly ever raised his voice. Plus, the boldness he exhibited toward the Elders was astonishing. None of the other Fates Anj had met had ever been so disrespectful toward them. What was even more amazing was how afraid the Elders were of his father.
Neil took in a deep breath and held it, before slowly letting it go. “The boy is powerful.”
Ilo rolled his eyes. “Of course he is. Ninety-nine Fates were murdered the day of his conception and filled him with their power.”
“And one hundred will be within him when his power comes into its full manifestation. The sooner we teach him how to harness these abilities, the better it will be for everyone,” Francis said calmly.
“I know this, but there’s no reason to rush,” Ilo insisted.
“Actually… ” Kale glanced at the other Elders before continuing, “… there are things going on in the Divine council that make it necessary for him to have his full power. The events he will see could help us protect the normal humans better.”
“Our purpose is to make sure the Divine do not abuse their power. It’s why we can spy on them, learn from their past mistakes, and see their future ambitions. Without this check and balance, the Divine could do a number of different things. Like, for example, make deals with the demons,” Francis said.
“Oh wait, they already did that,” Kale added.
Ilo closed his eyes. “He’s only seven years old.”
“Which gives us ten years of lessons instead of only three. Not to mention the time it will take for him to adjust to the gift,” Neil said. “I know—”
The vision faded, and Anj was brought back to darkness.
“Anj, are you okay? Please, answer me!” Zes pleaded, his hand on Anj’s shoulder. Somehow Anj had ended up on the floor with his back resting against the wall.
He blinked a few times, then Anj slowly nodded. “I’m fine. Low blood pressure. Nothing serious.”
“I don’t have low blood pressure,” Zes said.
“Neither do I, normally, but the weather sometimes messes around with it. I think there’s another cold front coming through.” It was probably the lamest lie Anj could have come up with to cover the truth, but he panicked.
Zes was frowning; Anj could tell because his brother’s hand tensed on his shoulder.
He clearly didn’t believe Anj, but he let it go. “Are chicken nuggets okay for dinner tonight?”
“Sure,” Anj said, and felt Jewl’s soft skin slide against his hand. She gave it a squeeze, and both she and his brother helped him stand again.
“Let’s go back to the couch,” Jewl said, and led him to the living room. She put a hand to his chest and gently used it to force him to lie down.
“What happened?” she asked.
Anj shook his head, closing his eyes. “Ask me again later.”
Chapter Four
Just as Zes expected, when his mother came home from whatever business trip she was on, she made sure to keep him away from his girlfriend. After all, Anj was the one who should be dating the Divine girl, not him. So Zes spent most of his time over the next day in the basement with his video games, and Jewl was by his side. She made for a good partner, but it was a bonding experience he’d rather be sharing with Cheyenne. Yet saying no to his mother was hard. Anj had some kind of plan, per usual, and it was to appease the woman until Christmas Eve night.
When it came to holidays, Zes loved Christmas the most. All of the relatives came over, but he also got to spend time with his mother, and he felt rewarded for all of the work he put into the house. He was reminded that he was worthwhile. It was silly but important to have, all the same.
Christmas Eve came a lot faster than he expected. The doorbell rang, and he ran up the stairs to answer it, leaving Jewl behind to save their game and turn off the console system.
“Grandma!” He gave the sixty-year-old African American woman a huge hug, and then did the same to the older African American man standing next to her.
His grandmother stroked his dark hair and played with the small satyr horns hidden in it before kissing his forehead. “You are such a man now, even more so than at Thanksgiving. Will you ever stop growing up?”
Zes laughed, feeling his cheeks get a little hot, because he was more of a man since Thanksgiving. Not something he wanted to broadcast, though. “Come on in. I’ll take your coats.”
While he hung up everyone’s winter wear, Anj stood and waved everyone into the living room to get comfortable. Both grandparents gave him hugs and kisses as well before greeting Cheyenne, who was sitting on the couch. Jewl had come upstairs by now and also sat down on the couch. The festivities would begin soon. Zes could tell Cheyenne was nervous, so he gave her an encouraging smile. She’d already won the family over during Thanksgiving break, so he wasn’t quite sure why she was shifting so anxiously where she sat.
“Zes, can you please go to the kitchen to work on dinner?” his mother asked.
“Sure thing.” He smiled although he couldn’t help but be disappointed. Christmas Eve dinner was always one of his duties. In the morning, Anj would help their mother with breakfast. That was how they divided up the cooking for the holiday.
Zes did most of the cooking in the house, period. Somehow he’d inherited his mother’s natural ability to work around the kitchen. He could make just about anything he had a recipe for, which was not a talent Anj had been given. Not that his brother was bad, but his culinary skills were limited because their mother had a tendency to hold him back so much.
Zes went into the kitchen, not interrupting his brother, who was busy telling some kind of a story. He didn’t want to leave Cheyenne alone, but otherwise, he didn’t care too much. His extended family gave him a lot of attention, and he loved them for it, but sometimes he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Unlike his brother, Zes didn’t enjoy being in the spotlight. Getting away to
put the final touches on dinner was a good thing.
“Want some help?” Cheyenne asked softly, and touched his arm with her hand, startling him. She’d slipped in quietly without him noticing.
“I think I’ve got a handle on everything. There isn’t a whole lot to do outside of use my magic touch,” he teased, and wiggled his fingers at her. “But I wouldn’t mind the company. I know you don’t do too well with strangers.”
“Thanks,” she said, and watched as he stirred a pot, turned down the stove, and then checked on everything in the oven. The way she played with her hands in front of her suggested something was on her mind.
Glancing over his shoulder at her with a smile, he made eye contact. “Yes?”
“No, it’s nothing. Not my business.” She shook her head.
“Sure it is. If you want to know something, ask, okay?” He pulled the serving dishes out of the cupboards.
“I just noticed your grandparents on your dad’s side of the family are, well… and the pictures from when you were little. I mean, he’s—”
“Black? It’s okay, you can say it.” He laughed and kissed her on the cheek.
“Right, but you and your brother aren’t, like at all. And your mom is white, so I get that you look like her too, but usually there’s some kind of mix? So I was just wondering if, like, I don’t know, you were adopted or how that worked?”
“Dad wasn’t our biological father,” he said casually, then added, “but Mom is our actual mother. I’ll try to keep the story short. Basically, Mom was attacked by a satyr, and that’s where we get most of our genetics from. She’s a sprite of many elements, which is where we get our magic. I guess he was out of control. Sometimes satyrs can get drunk on their emotions, and it makes them do some not-so-great things. Can’t say I know a lot about the guy outside of, he went to jail. I’ve never seen a picture, and I don’t think I want to. We pretend he doesn’t exist. Anyway, Mom and Dad were already married when that happened, had been for a few years.”
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