by Nicole Thorn
When I had everything the way that I wanted it, I left the studio. Juniper stood in the kitchen while Zander made breakfast. She had her arms crossed, scolding him. “You’re getting bacon grease everywhere!”
“It’s not my fault you don’t have a proper bacon pan,” Zander said.
Juniper covered her face. “I do have a proper bacon pan. You’re just not using it!”
“That’s not a bacon pan! That’s a wok, and I’m not going to use a wok to cook bacon. I’m not a psycho,” Zander shouted back.
“Did you just call my girlfriend a psycho?” Verin asked from the living room.
“He did!” Juniper said. “You should come kick his ass for me!”
“Oh, all right,” Verin said, and he came into the room a second later. “But you have to play interference when Jasmine finds out I did.”
“I can do that,” Juniper said. She kissed his cheek, and said, “I will also retrieve your drumsticks now, because you have earned them back.”
“What, bringing you back from the dead didn’t earn them, but this did?” Verin asked.
Juniper’s face grew serious, and she nodded. “Yes. Yes, it did.”
I left them to their fight, hoping that Zander came out of it alive. If he had just been up against Verin, then I would’ve assumed that he’d be fine. My sister, on the other hand . . . I wished him luck and hoped that he cleaned up every bit of bacon grease before the day ended.
Upstairs, I found Kezia curled up in our bed, still sleeping. I laid down next to her, and put my hand on her hip. She stretched, blinking her eyes open until she could see me. “Hey there,” she said, offering me a smile.
“Hey to you too,” I said, running the tips of my fingers down her side. “You should get up, because I’m lonely.”
Kezia smiled and ducked under the covers. She peeked at me from the edge of the blanket, and I thought about skipping breakfast to have some naked time with her. I would’ve too, if I hadn’t been on a mission that morning.” I stood up, and Kezia climbed out of bed. She showered and dressed while I waited for her come out. She had sleepy looking eyes when she came over to me.
“Breakfast!” Zander called up the stairs. “I almost died to serve you this, so you all better like it!”
Kezia frowned. “What’s he talking about.”
“There was a pan-slash-wok incident,” I said.
“I don’t want to know,” Kezia said, and left the room. I followed behind her, and we got downstairs to see a veritable feast laid out before us. Zander had gone all out. A plate of bacon sat next to one filled with eggs. Biscuits waited in a bowl to the side. Orange juice and coffee had both been set out. He’d made sausage and pancakes as well.
We all sat down to eat, enjoying the food that Zander had almost lost his life over. Jasmine sat in his lap, while the rest of us had the decency to use chairs. “So,” Jasmine said. “Have you guys noticed anything weird?”
“No, why?” I asked.
She shook her head. “It’s stupid, but I keep waiting for something else to go wrong, you know? I’m sure that something will.”
“I don’t know if the gods will bother us any time soon,” Juniper said. “Considering how we all want nothing to do with them right now, and they brought us back to life so that they could have more allies.”
“How bad off are they, that they need us as allies?” Jasmine asked.
“Let’s not think about that right now,” Kezia said, putting a piece of bacon in her mouth. “I don’t want to worry about how much trouble we’re in. Right now, our mortal enemy has been killed, we know exactly who our friends are, and what they’re willing to do for us. I think that’s a pretty good victory.”
“Agreed,” Zander said.
We finished breakfast in peace, and then I helped Juniper with the dishes. Afterward, she and Verin went out to do something. Jasmine and Zander disappeared up to their room, and I hooked my arm around Kezia’s middle.
She smiled over her shoulder at me. “What do you want to do today?” she asked. “We can go shopping for another bed, since ours isn’t exactly in working order anymore, and I need more clothes . . . ”
“No,” I said. “We’re going to work in the studio.”
Kezia stiffened.
“I know that you don’t want to go in there,” I said, tucking my face into her shoulder, and breathing in her scent. “I understand why. If I found you hanging in there, I wouldn’t want to go in either, but I’m still alive, Kezia. Or, alive again. And that’s our space in this house.”
“I need some more time,” she said.
“If I keep giving you more time, then you’ll never go in there,” I said, pulling away from her. Kezia turned around to stare at me, and I hated the look in her eyes. The haunted look that came from remembering what it had been like to touch my dead body. To hold it. I couldn’t imagine the horror having to live through that, and knew that my wife would always be stronger than me for not crumbled immediately. I almost backed down, but I wanted to go into my studio. I wanted to start my life up again, and I couldn’t do either of those things without Kezia.
“Come on,” I said.
She followed me to the garage door, and I pushed it open. I stood behind her, while the two of us looked inside. “I’ve cleaned everything up, and once we replace that shelf, it’ll be like nothing ever happened in here.”
“But it did,” Kezia said. “I opened this door, and you were hanging right there, and I’ll always remember that. I’ll always remember running in here and grabbing you. I’ll always remember the sound your chest made when I tried to give you CPR.”
“But you shouldn’t be afraid to come into this room,” I said, stepping around her. I cupped her face, and tilted it up, so that she had to stare at me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, frowning.
I sighed and dragged my thumb across her cheek. “All right, you’ve given me no other choice. If this doesn’t entice you to come into this room, then I’ll let it drop. Promise.”
“What?” Kezia asked, watching me.
I stepped into the studio and went over to the table. I felt her eyes following me as I did so. When I reached the table, I turned around, and held my hands out. “You willing to come in yet?”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“What about now?” I asked and pulled my shirt off. Kezia’s eyes took in my body, and her jaw worked slightly. “Because there’s a couch right over there, and you and I haven’t properly broken the thing in.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you bribing me with sex?”
“Trying to,” I said.
“What kind of girl do you think I am?” Kezia asked.
“Hopefully one that likes to see her husband without any clothing on,” I said, and unbuttoned my pants. Kezia’s eyes followed the movement, and her mouth fell open slightly. I left my pants on, just unbuttoned, and made my way over to the couch. “I would understand if this wasn’t enough for you, though.” I sat down, and leaned back against the couch, just out of Kezia’s sight.
She peeked around the corner, watching me. “I hope you know that this isn’t fair,” she said.
I shrugged.
“You should just come inside, and we can see if the bed can break some more. That sounds like more fun to me,” Kezia said.
“Nah. I’m good right here.”
“You’re evil.”
“And patient,” I said. “I’ll stay here all day, just like this.”
My wife cursed and stepped into the room. The door swung closed behind her, and she crossed her arms as she made her way over to me. “I want it to be noted that this isn’t fair, and I’ll be getting you back somehow. Someday, when you least expect it, know that I will be there to be avenged Or get you back.”
“I look forward to it,” I said, and lounged further back against the couch.
Kezia smiled, and I watched all the tension leave her body. Her eyes traveled down my torso, and then back up to my face. Sh
e climbed onto me, straddling my lap, and then leaned in to press her mouth against mine. “You’ve won this round, though.”
My hands bit into her hips, and my mouth worked against hers as well. “If you keep kissing me, then I certainly have.”
Kezia laughed as she pulled her dress off.
EPILOGUE
The Calm After the Storm
Kezia
“I MAY OR MAY not have guilted Dad into doing this,” my sister said, staring up at the perfectly blue sky. “It was supposed to rain all week, but that sounded like a bummer. Apollo helped me out too.”
As I bobbed in the pool and Persephone lounged in a floating ring, I watched the sky too. I woke up to her poking at me in my sleep, trying to wake me up to inform me that I was not only lazy, but getting a barbeque. She kept her word, and Medusa stood at the grill, making enough food for fifteen people.
“The cooler needs more ice,” she called out. Then she went back to poking meat with her tongs.
The girls dressed up for this occasion, with my sister going full hula girl, complete with a baby blue bikini and grass skirt. She took the skirt off for the pool, but still rocked a white floppy hat that matched Medusa’s. She also had on sunglasses in the shape of flowers, as she sipped on some fruity drink. Medusa looked like something out of the fifties, wearing a red dress with a halter top, and no shoes as she cooked for us all. Zander tried to help, but she kept batting his hand away.
“I got it,” he said, hurrying into the house.
Nemo floated over, and he laid his head on Persephone’s stomach so that he could get some attention. The goddess had mercy on him and started cooing at the baby hydra. He loved it, chirping at her as he got his belly rubbed.
My husband sat on the edge of the pool, dangling his feet in as he watched me. I swam over, needing attention as much as Nemo did. I hopped out of the pool and sat beside Jasper.
“Having fun?” I asked him.
He looked me up and down in the bathing suit I wore, and he smiled. “I am. You?”
“It’s nice to get a little time with my sister. Being in foster homes made it tricky.” She’d tried to visit before, but I had been underage. That meant the rules tended to be harsher, and most people decided I was a troublemaker. That came with freaking out when people touched me, and my keeping to myself. I didn’t get to hang out with a person that no one knew.
“She looks like she’s having a good time too,” Jasper pointed out.
I saw my sister as she fell in love with Nemo, who chirped a lot louder with all the praise she gave him. That poor baby needed more attention.
Jasmine came barreling out of nowhere, her eyes on the pool. She jumped, and did a cannonball right in the center of the water. It soaked her sister, who innocently stood with Verin on the outside of the pool. Juniper gasped, glaring at Jasmine.
“What?” the girl asked.
“Was that needed?!” Juniper yelled.
“Um, yeah. This is a proper pool party, so diving moves have to happen. If you would just get in the pool, you would know that.”
Juniper sighed. “I don’t wanna get in the pool.”
“Do it,” Jasmine deadpanned.
“No.”
“Do it.”
“No.”
“Now, or Verin won’t have sex with you anymore.”
“Yeah right,” the couple said together. Then Verin grinned at his girlfriend and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Juniper blushed, and Jasper got sad all of the sudden.
I bumped him with my arm. “Would you like me to say something that would embarrass your sisters? It’s only fair.”
“Thanks, but I don’t need to have it backfire and hurt me more.”
I rubbed his back, and put my head on his shoulder to try and make him feel a little better. One day, these monsters would realize that Jasper deserved better than to hear the personal things that they let fly.
My brother came back outside with a bag of ice, and he filled the soda cooler up. When he finished, the boy oh so casually slid up to Medusa’s side. “You sure you don’t want me to take over?”
She pulled her sunglasses down to look at him, cocking her hip. “Little boy, you better step off right now. I have this handled. I’ve been cooking for eons longer than you’ve been alive.”
“So?”
She snorted. “If you want to help, you can be in charge of the dessert table. We’re lacking, and I’m sure you can come up with something.”
He rubbed his hands together. “You bet I can. I can have a whole assortment of stuff that would make your brain melt.”
“Then by all means, melt my brain.”
He ran back into the house, excited with the busy work Medusa cleverly threw to him. It would keep him mostly tied up for long enough to let Medusa finish her work. No one else dared to offer up help, lest we get turned to stone.
Persephone paddled over to us, letting Nemo play with Jasmine for a while. She set her drink down, and put her sunglasses on the top of her head. “How’s married life treating you two?”
I grinned. “It kind of feels the same as before, but I get to call him my husband now.”
“Same,” Jasper said.
She nodded. “Yeah, pretty much covers it. I had to be the bastard to do this, but I feel obligated to ask if you see babies in your future. I only ask because I want to make sure you name at least four after me.”
I laughed. “Let’s talk after this war is over. I feel like I can barely keep myself alive, let alone a kid.”
“Fair enough. Still name one after me though.”
When my sister floated away, I saw Verin with Juniper’s hand in his. He tried very hard to get her to go into the water, and I thought he had at least a small chance of pulling it off. He got her to the edge of the pool, and made her dip her toe in the water.
“It’s warm,” she said. “Not bad.”
“Exactly. I think you would enjoy swimming just a little. If you hate it, I’ll never ask you to do it again. You can shower before lunch.”
She sighed, and threw her head back. “Fine, but you owe me for this.”
Verin smiled wide. “Anything you want.”
Juniper psyched herself up, and full on dived into the pool. Jasmine screamed out her approval, and Juniper surfaced again. She pushed the hair out of her face, and looked up at Verin. “Are you coming?”
He went in next, belly flopping and making the rest of us cringe. He didn’t seem bothered by it, but the sound would haunt me for the rest of my days. Verin grabbed Juniper, and insisted she get on his back. He then swam her around the pool, pushing off of the wall for top speed. I swore I heard Juniper giggle a few times.
I waggled my eyebrows at Jasper. “I can bribe you too if you want.”
He smiled back at me. “You want me to swim that badly?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I might just want to grope you under the water where no one can see. I feel like that would be lots of fun.”
“We can all hear you,” Persephone called.
I felt no shame. “We’re newlyweds. We’re supposed to be on each other all the time.”
“True,” Medusa said. “And underwater groping is a lot of fun.”
Jasper finally gave in, tossing his shirt aside before slipping into the pool. He floated on his back, watching me. “Well, you going to join me?”
Far too excited, I jumped in after him. While I tried to find a way to lay on him without sinking us both, Juniper tried swimming away from Verin. It turned into a full-blown chase that I didn’t have the power to guess the winner of, but they both looked like they had fun. Juniper kept just barely getting away from him, just the way she liked it.
“I think you’re making Nemo wanna play,” Jasmine pointed out. The hydra had his eyes on them, like he thought he could join in if he waited for the right moment.
Jasper watched the whole thing, and quietly said, “I’m glad we got all the blood out of here. Juniper would probably scream if she fou
nd any.”
I winced. “Oh yeah, a bunch of murder happened.”
As Persephone drifted by, she said, “Details.”
Zander walked out of the house, a plate of goodies in his hand. They looked like little balls of chocolate, and he presented one to Medusa. “Tell me these are not perfect.”
She tried one, and her eyes got wide. “Oh wow. You have more of these?”
“I can.”
“Good, make a hundred.”
He saluted her, and then marched over to the edge of the pool. “All right, everyone come try one so I can get the praise I deserve.”
Juniper and Verin kept up their chase, but the rest of us did as Zander asked. We each tried one of the treats, and I sat on Jasper’s lap outside of the pool while I ate another three of them. The day felt so human, and I wanted to keep it that way as long as I could.
About the Authors
Sarah Hall has been writing since her early teens and plans to continue long past her death, via robot body. She spends her days daydreaming about conversations between fictional characters and ignoring the condescending looks she gets from her cats when she does so. During her day in the unforgiving Arizona heat, she juggles her pets, writing, and her neurotic sometimes writing partner. She has no problems with said juggling, as the Force is with her.
Nicole Thorn is a writer in her twenties who spends her days discussing fictional characters with her writer friend, and having very serious opinions about which house she would want to be sorted into at Hogwarts. Spending most of her life in sunny California and now trapped in sunny Arizona, she likes to write about rainy towns that are infested with the things that go bump in the night.
Nicole Thorn:
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