We Will Gain Our Fury

by Nicole Thorn

Once I was sure that there was nothing left on the couch, I put everything back and went to the hall closet. We had several blankets of differing designs and Jasmine liked bright colors, so naturally she had a loud one. I grabbed two and draped them over where our guests had been sitting. That way, if they wanted to sit down again, it wouldn’t be directly on the couch and they wouldn’t notice the damp spots before they had dried.

  And we wouldn’t have an awkward conversation.

  With that finished, I finally joined everyone in the kitchen. They were all sitting around a table. The blank look on Kezia’s face was worrisome, but I understood. Something bad had clearly happened and here she was eating chicken and fries in some almost stranger’s kitchen like nothing had gone wrong. At the same time, what else could she do?

  When I stepped into the room, everyone looked up. It had been pretty quiet until then. I grabbed my water bottle and took one of the two remaining chairs. It was next to Kezia and an empty seat.

  “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Zander asked after I had sat down. I was the only one without food in front of them. Juniper and Jasmine both looked at Zander with the same inquiring expression, like they couldn’t fathom why he had bothered to ask that. It looked eerie, since the two of them may have the same face, but otherwise are nothing alike.

  “I’m sure,” I said, taking a sip.

  He eyed me, but didn’t say anything. Instead shoving fries into his mouth.

  “What happened?” Juniper asked again. She stabbed some of the lettuce on her plate. It looked almost completely dry, but she shoved it into her mouth anyway. Her eyes darting between Zander and Kezia, clear worry on her face. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

  “We’re fine,” Zander said. “We heal fast.” Then he took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. “The Furies found us, or at least found where we live,” he finally said, sounding weary.

  Jasmine choked on her fry. She managed to swallow before it became a concern. “What?!”

  Zander pat her on the back and nodded. “Yeah.” He shoveled another mouthful of food in. “That’s kinda how we reacted too. They trashed our apartment,” he said. “Probably because they were pissed we weren’t there. After that they set it on fire, barely giving us enough time to get out.”

  My sisters and I stared at the demigods. There was no other option, because that… was a lot to take in. The Furies had come after them and they risked everyone’s lives so that they could take them out? I didn’t know much about Furies, but something felt off about that.

  They were creatures designed for justice. There was no justice in killing innocents because they’re inconvenient. The demigods—and hell maybe even my sisters--might think that makes sense, but something felt off about it. I didn’t say anything, because I couldn’t put it into words.

  “Did anyone…?” Juniper asked, before she couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “I think everyone got out,” Kezia told her. “We don’t know for sure.” The distant look in her eyes was still there. Shock, I realized. She was in shock that any of this was happening, but surely that it was happening now.

  Most of the meal was finished in silence. It wasn’t until everyone but Jasmine was done eating that someone said something. Jasmine slammed her hands down on the table and said, “Oh my gods! It’s already different!” There was enough excitement in her voice that everyone just stared at her. When she realized we hadn’t followed her train of thought, she fluttered her hands impatiently. “My vision!”

  “What?” Kezia asked, perking up, just slightly.

  “The one that I saw of you guys dying! It happened right outside that apartment building, but the apartment is at least gone, maybe the building as well. I know that’s not a good thing, but that means the vision is different!” She was so excited that it was hard not to get excited with her.

  Which was why we had Juniper. “That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to die still,” she said. At least she sounded apologetic about it.

  Jasmine fluttered her hands again, this time at our sister. “I know that!” She said. “But it does mean that we’ve changed that particular outcome. Furies-0. Seers-1. If you loved me, then you would join in my excitement.”

  Juniper shrugged and tossed her hands into the air, which was her version of excitement. I smiled, because my sisters clearly didn’t realize how silly they were being in front of guests, who were starting to perk up a bit. I guess hearing that the way your future was supposed to be got changed is a good thing.

  “All right! Family vote!” Jasmine said. “All in favor of the demigods having a massive sleepover here until further notice, raise your hands!” She threw her hand into the air. Juniper paled a little, but raised her hand anyway. No doubt, she was trying to figure out how to keep everything running with two extra people. I went ahead and raised my hand as well, even though all three of us knew that if the demigods didn’t want to stay here, they wouldn’t.

  Zander grinned and put his hand in the air as well.

  Jasmine patted his arm. “It was a family meeting and though I like you and Kizzy just fine, I cannot declare you part of the family without the consent of my brother and sister. Not that it matters, because it’s been settled! The demigods are staying here. C’mon Juni, let’s go get their rooms set up. Jasp can do the dishes.”

  Juniper’s shoulders slumped slightly in relief. I doubt either of the demigods noticed. The girls disappeared and Kezia seemed to break from whatever shock had been holding her in place. “We don’t have to stay here,” she said, jumping to her feet when I got up to collect dishes.

  I looked at her. “We don’t mind,” I said. “Besides, where else are you going to go?” When she didn’t immediately say anything, I grabbed the last of the plates and moved over to the sink. “If it makes you feel better, think of it like giving my sister peace of mind and therefore giving me and Juni peace of mind too.”

  Zander picked up the glasses and came over to the sink. “Jasmine would be worried?”

  I nodded. “Jazz is… Well, she loves hard,” I said. “You should see her with the beta and that’s a fish.”

  He smirked. I turned the water on. When Zander went to help, I shooed him away. He was just trying to be nice, but there were things that he would hopefully never understand about my family and for that to happen, I needed to do the dishes. “Why don’t you guys go wait in the living room for the girls to get your rooms finished?” I asked.

  Zander and Kezia looked at each other. There was some kind of silent communication between the two of them and then they left. It took me nearly twenty minutes to get the dishes done and put in the dishwasher the way that Juniper preferred. I started it up and went to join our guests in the living room.

  Only, I had to pause before entering. The two of them were having a whispered argument. They didn’t sound mad with each other. They were just talking. I stepped back down the hall, so that they wouldn’t feel like I was eavesdropping. I couldn’t hear them, so that helped.

  Another few minutes passed and then they stopped talking. I took that as my cue to head into the living room. They were sitting on the couch, on the blankets, I noted thankfully. Kezia was slumped against Zander with her head resting on his shoulder. I guess he won whatever the argument was about.

  “Hey,” I said. They both jumped. Nothing like sneaking up on a demigod to make you feel cocky. “You guys look exhausted. Let’s go see what the girls are up to, huh?” I started towards the stairs, trusting that they would follow me. They did not disappoint. I think they had entered that stage of exhaustion where they were just blindly listening to orders.

  I found my sisters in the room between theirs. They both felt it was important that they had some space between them, so that was a guest room. Juniper was making the bed, while Jasmine was arguing, strenuously, about putting mints or chocolates on pillows. “It sounds like a great idea!” She shouted.

  “It does not,” Juniper said. “Jazz, I love you, but if I have a
chocolate stained pillowcase, I’m going to have to hurt you and nothing will stop me. Not your begging, not Jasp holding me back, not the gods themselves. And then what will I do with a chocolate stained pillowcase and an injured sister?”

  “I think I can take you.”

  Juniper made an indelicate sound. “As if. You almost cry when Nemo hits the sides of the tank after you give him too much beer.”

  The demigods were starting to look amused.

  “He hits his little fish head!” Jasmine shouted. “How can you not feel sorry for him!?”

  “Because he’s a fish and you gave him beer!”

  “You have no soul!”

  Now the demigods were trying not to laugh. I cleared my throat before this could go on any further. My sisters looked over. Both of them blushed, which made them look even more similar than they usually did. “Oh… Hi,” Jasmine said. “Didn’t see you guys standing there.”

  Zander grinned. “Tell me, what other shenanigans does your fish get up to when he’s drunk?”

  Jasmine smiled.

  Juniper rolled her eyes. “Okay, Zander you’ll be staying in this room, since it has the larger bed. We never really anticipated company, but the rooms looked wrong without furniture. Tell me if they aren’t comfy. The bathroom is down the hall and you’ll be sharing with Jasmine. For that, I am truly sorry.”

  Again, the demigod just grinned. He and Jasmine started talking. Juniper stepped away from them and smiled at Kezia. “Jasp, can you show her where her room is? It’s the one across the hall from yours.”

  I nodded. Kezia hesitated before leaving. She clearly wanted to protest something and I waited, giving her ample opportunity to do so. Instead, she ducked her head and shuffled out of the room. I took her across the loft, to the other side of rooms on this floor. We had more downstairs and then an attic that had been outfitted as a room. In my hall, there were three more bedrooms.

  I tapped one. “This is mine,” I told her, just so she wouldn’t wonder. Then I opened the door to her room. The room had been done in shades of blue. A queen bed was pressed against the far corner and a matching chair was next to a lamp. Kezia shifted her feet back and forth.

  “The bathroom is right next to my bedroom,” I told her. “Do you need anything?”

  She shook her head, but didn’t say anything.

  “All right. I’ll let you get some rest. If you need anything, I’ll be down in my studio,” I told her.

  She blinked. “Aren’t you going to bed?”

  “Eventually.”

  She was giving me that odd look again, the one that I couldn’t quite interpret. I stood there for an awkward moment trying, before giving up. I cleared my throat. “Well, good night.”

  “Night,” she said. I closed the door behind me.

  Ψ

  The next morning, Juniper left early. I only knew because she had come down to my studio to check on me. Around three, I admitted that there was no keeping my eyes open and crashed on the couch I had down there. She woke me up around five and told me that she was going shopping and would be back shortly.

  I had just nodded. I got up, showered, changed and came back down to finish what I had been working on. Juniper came back before anyone woke up. She had one bag in her hand. She had been twitchy the entire time. “I thought Zander and Kizzy could use some clothes, but I don’t know what they like, so I got them these. Are they okay?”

  She had gotten a giant t-shirt and jeans for Zander and a sweater and jeans for Kezia. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure if they would appreciate this either, but it was better than wearing their torn, smelly clothes, so I nodded. Juniper then trotted up the stairs to deliver the presents. An hour later, all of us were in the kitchen while Juniper made oatmeal. Zander and Kezia were in the new clothes. Jasmine nursing a hangover by covering her head with a towel.

  “Shouldn’t have done that… Should have just stayed home,” she moaned. “Bars are not worth it.”

  Zander rubbed her back.

  When my sisters both stared at me, I accepted one scoop of oatmeal from Juniper and even let her add some blueberries into it. I had finished half the bowl before the doorbell rang. We all looked at each other. Pretty much all the people that we knew were already in the house, because we didn’t know many people.

  I got up to answer the door. On our porch was a man exactly my height. He had sharp features, most of which had nothing in common with my or my sisters, but his hair was the same dark brown. He looked fifteen years older than us, which was impressive because he was twenty-five years older. He was bulkier than me by at least twenty pounds, most of that muscle. He smiled when he saw me, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “Jasper!” he said.

  “Hello, Dad,” I said, offering him a wan smile. I stepped out of the way and let the man in.

  It wasn’t the first time he’d been to our house. Hell, it wasn’t the tenth time he’d been here. Still, he looked around like it was the first time he saw it and like he needed to pass judgement. He waited until everyone else came out to investigate to say anything. Both my sisters paused upon seeing him.

  “Hi, Daddy,” Jasmine said quietly.

  “Dad,” Juniper offered.

  He smiled at both of them. There was a mild hesitation, then my sisters stepped forward to offer him the hug he was waiting for. When they pulled away, he glanced at the demigods, then around the house again. “I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said, like he did every time he came over.

  “Thanks,” Juniper mumbled.

  “Who are your friends?” he asked.

  “This is Zander,” Jasmine said automatically, gesturing towards him. He stepped forward when my father offered his hand and they shook. “Zander, this is our dad, Brock.”

  “Nice to meet ya,” Dad said, sounding like he meant it.

  “And this is Kizzy,” Jasmine finished. She had maneuvered herself so that Kezia couldn’t easily get to Dad and therefore he couldn’t offer to shake her hand. We were all figuring out that Kezia didn’t like being touched and we wanted to spare her.

  “Very nice to meet you, too,” Dad said, turning back to me. “I take it you’re not back with that other girl?” I shook my head. “That’s a shame. She was a nice one. Pretty as hell, too.”

  “If you ignore the fact that she probably ate kittens in the dead of night, I suppose,” Jasmine said.

  Juniper smirked. “I always thought she stole children’s souls.”

  “She could have done both.”

  I sighed. At this point, there was nothing else I could do when they started in. Nor could I really blame them.

  My father waved his hand. “She wasn’t that bad. Right Jasper?” He asked, shoving my shoulder. He didn’t bother giving me a chance to say anything else before turning back to Juniper. “Well, as pleasant as it was meeting your new friends, this isn’t a social call I’m afraid.”

  “Oh?” Juniper asked.

  Zander and Kezia were still in the room, but they were also as removed from the conversation as they could get. That didn’t stop me from feeling their eyes. The mood in the room was off. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but I could still feel it.

  Dad nodded. “It’s October ninth, sweetie,” he said. “I still haven’t gotten my check from you. It’s over a week late.”

  Juniper flushed deeply. “Oh. Oops. Sorry, Dad. Give me a second. I’ll write it out for you now.” She bustled out of the room, going into the office down the hallway, where we kept all that stuff. It was the most organized room in the house, so it wouldn’t take her long.

  Our mother took off when we were barely old enough to remember her, but she left us with the family finances, set up in trust funds that our father wasn’t allowed to touch, for some reason. When we turned eighteen, we got those trust funds and we used it to buy this house and move out of our father’s house. About a month after we left, he showed up for the first time, to check the place out.

  He asked us to lend him some m
oney, because things were a little tight now that we weren’t living with him. It seemed reasonable, so we just gave him some at the beginning of every month. It kept him from drowning under debt and it barely put a dent in what we already had.

  Juniper came rushing back into the room, checkbook in hand. “Again, sorry, Dad,” she said, opening the little book and writing in it.

  Dad smiled and ruffled her hair. “Feeling a little scatterbrained, are you?” He asked.

  Juniper’s back tensed, but relaxed again when Jasmine smoothed her hair back down. Her pen scratched across the check and Dad watched what she wrote from over her shoulder. He nodded when she apparently wrote the right number and date. She ripped the check free and handed it to him. “Here ya go,” she said, cheerfully.

  “Thanks, sweetie,” he said, disappearing the check into a pocket.

  “You’re welcome,” she said and went in for another hug. He didn’t return it, but didn’t pull away either. She released him. Jasmine wrapped her arms around our father and he squeezed her tightly, until she squeaked. Through all of this, Zander and Kezia hadn’t said anything and Dad barely acknowledged them.

  Now, he looked over at the two and waved. “It was nice meeting the two of you,” he said. “I hope my children are treating you well.”

  Zander nodded solemnly. “Yes sir. It’s been great spending time with them.” I noted, absently, that he didn’t say anything about it being nice to meet my father. I eyed the two of them, but they were just standing there. Nothing to be overly concerned about.

  “Good,” Dad said. “I didn’t raise them to be rude.” He smiled again, turning back to look at me. “All right, I have to get going. I’ve got a lot of things to do. You be nice to that young lady, okay?” His blue eyes were very serious when they locked onto mine, but again, they didn’t match the emotion on his face.

  I nodded.

  He smacked the back of my head. “Jasper?”

  “Yes, of course,” I said, rubbing the sting away.

  He smiled. “Good enough. Bye.” He waved and then was out the door. I locked it behind him and peeked out the curtains to make sure he got into his car okay. He pulled away from the curb at breakneck speeds and then peeled out of the neighborhood. When I turned back, Juniper looked miserable, holding the checkbook. “I didn’t mean to forget,” she told Jasmine.