Eternal: Chapter Twelve, Part 1

Chapter Twelve: Working Towards the Future

After I handed control to Caroline, Drei and I returned to the apartment and packed what we needed, leaving the rest. We mailed a key to Caroline, in case there was something she needed from the last two years. Leaving the apartment was my choice, and Drei didn’t ask. I was done here, and continuing to be there…the memories would have killed me more than anything else.

Part of me felt bad for leaving them without saying anything. I could imagine them searching for us afterwards, unable to find us anywhere, confused and unsure why we had disappeared. The news crews that had been at the event talked about how they hadn’t found me to express congratulations or ask questions. Some people on the site mused I had been an angel, only there to show them the way, and gone the minute they could see where they were going again.

But I had done my part, as I had said. Anything that came next was up to them. They had to take control of their own futures, make their own decisions, and find their own way. None of them needed me anymore, no matter what they thought.

Besides, Nick was dead now because of me. I was beginning to understand the pain Caroline must have felt, but this time, she wouldn’t stop. Ian wouldn’t let her. And the note I had left with our apartment key assured her I was fine.

As for Nick, we returned his body to Lily, the only family he had other than Drei and I. I didn’t go with Drei. Imagining how she was handling it tore me apart; I couldn’t even stand to map it. It took her four days to calm down enough to make a decision. His body was cremated and the ashes spread in Winnsboro, where his family died. At last he could be with them again. In that, I found some comfort; little as it was, it was something.

Eternal: Chapter Nine, Part 8

After three months touring and speaking with Nick, I was relieved to be home. Though most days went much like the first, some were more difficult in different ways. I had been felt up at least four times by guys who were chosen to check for wires, but I couldn’t say anything to them until after I was done—and I always did so with a smile. Nick wasn’t always so nice, though. Usually after they left the immediate area, he stopped them and slapped them around a little. I couldn’t agree with his methods, but I wasn’t going to stop him. If I hadn’t been personally against performing actual acts of violence, I would have done it myself.

Because I was revealing who I was and what I could do, it made it harder to be safe. People knew, the government knew, and bounty hunters were out in force. They couldn’t do anything when we were in the middle of the oration, and they typically refrained from trying afterwards given Nick was at my side—the bounty hunters didn't seem to recognize him as formerly one of their own. The point was to make me ‘disappear’ and that didn’t work if there were witnesses. So we manipulated our advantage the best we could and otherwise took every precaution of which we could think.

But after everything, it was great to be able to relax at home and see Drei again. Nick had even chilled out about the Drei-biting-me-because-I-almost-died thing by the time we returned. I think it was mostly because we were both exhausted.

Now we could sleep a little better until it was time for the next tour—this one also three months, though we had three months to prepare. The three months before we began planning the march would be spent on guest visits to anywhere that requested us via e-mail or a form on the site. I was glad to see, when I went online, Mikael and Xenia had successfully added a forum and much of the discussion concerned our speaking engagements. Some of the users also posted videos they had taken for those unable to attend an event. Caroline had been successful with her tour, as well, though it sounded as though people better connected with me—it was the little things.

A few weeks after Nick and I had returned, I was finally done visiting with everyone and catching up with what had happened in my absence. Returning to the apartment after my update with the Council, I sat on the couch, opening the laptop Caroline had bought for me so I could keep up with the website. I navigated to the site and started reading through the comments on the speaking engagements, looking to make improvements, if needed.

The door to the bedroom opened, but I didn’t pay any mind. Nick was out clubbing with Lily—a vampire whom he had been with for a while now; she was visiting for a week. Lily was also from the camp; she had left before Drei and I, but it hadn’t been until a few years ago that I'd learned where she had gone.

I figured Drei was waking up from a nap or something; it was quite late—I'd had to wait hours to see the Council because they were backed up with vampires who had used the holidays as a reason to “splurge,” as Tudor had so delicately explained. It wasn’t until I heard a heavy thump on the floor by the door I looked up. Drei stood there, slowly slipping into his shoes, kneeling to tie them. At his feet was a single bag. A bag I had only seen once before: when we had moved in.

“Where are you going?” I asked worriedly, setting the laptop on the couch next to me.

Without looking my way, he straightened again, taking a moment before he reached for his jacket. “I do not know,” he replied, shrugging into his coat, staring at the wall when he finished.

I was standing before him in a moment, feeling small compared to him, and shrinking. “Then why are you leaving?” One of my hands found his cheek, brushing his shaggy hair to the side.

“Because I am useless here,” he said softly, still refusing to even glance at me. “I need something to do. I cannot sit idly by while everyone has something to contribute.”

“But you’re wrong,” I insisted, needing him to look at me. “You aren’t useless.”

“Not even you need me,” Drei whispered, gently grabbing my hand and lowering it from his face. “Your campaign will be a wonderful success.”

I couldn’t believe what he was saying. He was the one who hadn’t wanted to come with me. If Nick hadn’t been there, I would have failed miserably. I wouldn’t have been able to stumble through the script Caroline and I had written. But if I had had my way, it would have been him there, not Nick.

“I still need—”

“I know when I am needed.” He almost never interrupted me; the only times I remembered him doing so were when things were awful, and I mean so horrendous he didn’t see another option.

Mentally I was kicking myself. I should have seen this coming. He had been distant for a while, strict for the short period after my breakdown but otherwise quiet and somber. I felt colder than I had in some time, responsible for what was happening. If I had talked to him about why he wasn’t an ambassador or in charge of something else, this wouldn’t be happening. But it was because I had forgotten, distracted by other people and things and myself. I couldn’t help thinking that if he left, despite my pleas, it would be my own fault and I would deserve it.

Eternal: Chapter Nine, Part 1

Chapter Nine: Reason to Stay

Good news met me upon my return. The commercial was a success. Within the first 24 hours the website had several thousand hits. That turned into several hundred million after a week’s time. Mikael and Xenia added a comments section to the site after the first day; while some people insisted we were crazy, insane, needed to be locked up for life, there were even more who asked what it was like, how did it feel. They believed; even if there was only a hint of belief, it was enough.

Drei, still worried about me—never straying too far, always looking over his shoulder, watching for signs that something was happening again—and wouldn’t let me hold a group meeting to discuss our budding success and the next set of commercials. If he could have, I think he may have swept me away somewhere new to hopefully forget about everything again—likely a better option than fighting himself. Time and second chances weren’t luxuries we had, though; he eventually compromised on individual meetings with my team.

Caroline was first because she had demanded it. I needed to talk to Ian about the next set of commercials, but there wasn’t a point in arguing.

“Missed you at the party,” she said, sitting down across from me in the living room. “What happened?”

“Long story;” I hoped she would drop it. “I’m better now.”

“Well, at least you’re better.” She waited a moment as though vainly hoping the silence would drive me to reveal my secrets. “Anyway, you saw the numbers, right?”

“Most of them,” I said, nodding toward my notebook. “You won’t show me how much you’re paying for everything.”

Smirking, she said, “Good. That’s how I wanted it. And…we’re ahead of schedule;” she crossed her legs and leaned forward on her elbows. “So we only have two more rounds of commercials and two more additions to the website left before we go live.”

“We’re not going live with broadcasts; we’re going live—”

“As in speaking publicly,” she finished, waving a hand to the side. “I remember. More my point was, with a website, we could put together mini broadcasts that people could download for free. That way people who can’t see either of us speak can still know what’s going on.”

“I’ll talk to Mikael and Xenia about it.” I liked the idea; I had already planned to discuss making the commercials available on the site with them, and this tied rather nicely into that. My primary goal with the website was to keep the message accessible, especially as it evolved.

“Also, did you plan on keeping the apartment as your office?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Shrugging, she replied, “Nothing wrong with it. I was just wondering.”

“You didn’t buy something, did you?”

Caroline stood, denying it. I couldn’t help but feel she had, or was looking to, at least. “I’d best be going,” she said, giving me a hug before heading toward the door. “I’ll see if I can find any of my old research and bring it over. You can look through and see if anything’s useful,” she explained over her shoulder. “Take care, Abs.”

“You, too.”

I was surprised Caroline hadn’t thrown a fit, but that might have been because she’d already thrown it to Drei or someone else. She was behaving strangely, though, more secretive than usual; she also didn’t try to make me talk about it like she usually would have. How much did Drei tell everyone, if anything at all? Or was this something else entirely?

Eternal: Chapter Six, Part 7

It wasn’t difficult to track down to where Jake had disappeared; he had left in a terrible mood with a unique mix of emotions trailing behind him: disappointment, anger, hatred, self-loathing, and a touch of sorrow. The trail he left traversed campus and through the park nearby, down to the river on the edge of the field just beyond the park. He wasn’t much better off than when he’d left; if anything, he had just started bottling it all up again.

“Jake?” I asked, standing a few feet from where he was sitting on the bank. He stiffened, keeping his back to me and curling into himself. “Could you talk to me? Like a person who isn’t being purely defensive?”

When he didn’t respond, I sat next to him and waited a moment. He wasn’t running, which was a good thing, but something was definitely wrong. All of his bitterness wasn’t from normal circumstances. Something over the past few years had changed him. Never could I have imagined him so cold and hard.

“What’s wrong?” I tried, wanting him to open up to me. He’d feel better if he did, I was sure of it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, staring fixedly at the water as if it was going to give him the answers he wanted. I would have told him it wouldn’t if I had thought it might help. “I don’t even know you, Leirba.”

Leaning back on the heels of my palms, I sighed. True, he was being a pain, but it was also true he wasn’t necessarily himself. Besides, anger wasn’t going to help me with this; it would only worsen things. “You do know me, so don’t even pretend.”

“Then why are you going by a different name, Abriel?” His eyes met mine; the brightness I had seen before was just a trick of the light. They were dull and lifeless; I wondered if the hint of childishness in his smile had also been an illusion. It was difficult to tell anymore. “It’s sketchy.”

“Drei wants me to go by Leirba for now. It’s really long and complex and I’m not really supposed to talk about it,” I said, having to look away from him. I wanted him to trust me, but I couldn’t even give him sufficient reason to. “Now what changed you?”

“Why are you here?” he asked instead. “Why now? Why not before?”

“Before what?” I inquired, hoping he’d say something to let me pry further.

No such luck. “Before now.”

It amazed me I could even be talking to the same person from all those years ago. The others, I could still see them, who they had been beneath who they had become. But every trace of who Jake had been…it was like it had all been erased.

“Before now I’d been figuring things out. I’ve been learning about myself and my movement, and some other stuff—”

“That you can’t talk about,” he finished bitterly. I winced at the daggers in his voice. “Well, while you were off doing whatever it was that was more important,” he spat, facing me, his face red and splotchy, contorted in a nasty combination of heartache and fury, “I was shipped from relative to relative until I was dumped into foster care, and then shipped from family to family.”

I was speechless for a moment, my mind absent of any response. “What happened to your mom?” I asked, remembering how he had told me she’d sent him to the camp for his protection. In his relation of it, she had promised to be there when he returned to her.

“The fucking government happened!” he screamed, tears coursing down his cheeks as his bottled emotions spewed forth. I tried to clear them away as best I could while letting him still go through the sensations. He needed to; he needed to feel again. He’d been making himself numb for too long and it was alienating him. “By the time I got back they’d picked her up.  My dad blamed me for everything; said if I’d never been born she’d never have been caught. He told me get the fuck out before he killed me. So I went to my grandparents, who sent me to one relative to another and to another until the last one didn’t want me either. I was dropped in their fucking system!” he yelled, pulling his knees to his chest and running his hands through his hair. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide in their fucking system?”

I pulled him into my embrace, knowing it wasn’t the foster care system he was angry at; it wasn’t even me. He felt like his father had told him the truth. It was his fault; he was the only one to blame.

“Jake,” I whispered, cradling him in my arms, rubbing his back and trying to limit how much of his pain he had to go through. There was so much and it was still so raw, as if he had avoided feeling any of it before now. “It’s okay. You’re okay. It isn’t your fault.”

He pulled away from me, his bloodshot eyes revealing how unworthy of my help he felt he was. “But it—”

“Your mother loves you,” I told him sternly. “She told you that, and she meant it. Nothing changed that,” I said, taking his hands in mine. He stared at me blankly, unsure how to respond; he wanted to believe me, but he had also spent so much time believing he was to blame. What I said seemed only like a happy pipe dream. “Nothing changes her love for you. Okay?”

He nodded slightly, wiping away his tears.

Eternal: Chapter Five, Part 6

 “All of you are elementals?”

“Not all of us,” he corrected, sitting back in his chair. “Just most of us. It’s why Valetta chose the school. We’re not supposed to use our gifts unless it’s necessary.”

“How can they even tell if you do?” It didn’t seem likely such a rule could be enforced.

“It’s why Margie and the teachers like me.” He smiled proudly, tenting his fingers as his dark eyes glowed. “I’m not strongly gifted myself…I can do enough small stuff to avoid teasing, but my real talent is in what the earth tells me about other people.”

“You can tell when people use their gift?”

Nodding, he elaborated, “Just water and earth, though I don’t know about fire. I never could tell when you did. It also tells me who is an earth elemental.”

“Really? That’s incredible, Mikael.”

“I know, right?” Leaning forward, he said, “Now about why you’re here, A—”

“Leirba,” I said. “It’s a long story, but Drei wants everyone to call me Leirba for the time being.”

“Okay. I’m not one to argue with Drei.”

“Mikael…are you sure you wouldn’t rather talk about your family?”

He sighed heavily and sat forward on his elbows. “There isn’t anything to say. They left. That was their choice. But family isn’t just the people who bring you into the world. Besides, here we have Margie. And Valetta and Mitchell come every now and then to check on me. I have brothers among the other students. I have siblings among those from the camp, even if we’re far apart now. I have family, Abri—Leirba; you included. Mine is unconventional but loyal.”

I didn’t know what to say. There was a rawness of emotion to his words, as though this was a mantra he reminded himself of daily. I wanted to prod, but I stopped myself. That desire was fueled by my own guilt in abandoning my family and never looking back. In not demanding Drei ignore my mom’s wishes and rescue her as well; in causing my father unknown pain by disappearing because I was terrified and mortified. I hadn’t been Mikael; I had been his parents. To some extent, I wanted him to validate the way I felt about my own actions through anger and resentment. Instead, he coped through redirection.

“I know that’s not why you’re here,” he said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“I’m starting my movement,” I said, reorienting myself from my distraction. I studied the young man before me. “I won’t say what it’s for just now because I’ll share when I have everyone together. What I will tell you now is that this shouldn’t interfere with school, because school will come first. However, I want you on my team for opinions, help, organizational things. The downside, we have two years.” I had a feeling Mikael would agree to help even if I only had 18 months.

“Sounds easy enough,” he joked, looking away as he thought it over. “School won’t be an issue. It sounds like there’s plenty to be done, and I’m guessing there’s going to be a lot of us from camp working together.” I nodded and he smiled joyfully. “Then count me in.”

“You don’t have any concerns or worries?”

“You make it sound like you want it to be hard,” he teased, smiling in much the same fashion as Mitchell did.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of concern over the two-year time span so far,” I said seriously.

“Ab—Leirba, I’m actually beginning to find I enjoy entertaining the possibility of making the impossible possible.” The happiness dripping from his words filled the air to the point of contagiousness.

“I’m glad you’re seizing the challenge.”

“Anything to see some old faces again,” he said, hugging me once more.

I couldn’t have asked for a better reception of my request. I still had two more to recruit, but I hoped both Xenia and Jake were as welcoming of the challenge as Mikael had been.

Mikael and I chatted a short while longer before we parted ways and I was en route back to the city and Drei. Hopefully, Valetta had returned in my absence with Jake’s and Xenia’s locations so I could finally bring everyone together and share the plan. If I was lucky, Caroline and Ian would already have finished the timeline of events and I could start them on commercial story boards. Perhaps even Drei would be done with whatever business to which he was attending; if he was, I’d postpone my recruitments a night to spend some time with him. I was starting to miss him again and we hadn’t been apart that long. Someone—Caroline, more than likely—might suggest something was wrong with me.

And maybe there was. Whatever it was, it had bought all of us time in different ways. That was worth something.

Eternal: Chapter Four, Part 2

Her tears subsided, but she still hid her face. Even with the thick knot of emotions released, she must have felt obligated to still be apologetic and culpable.

“I don’t blame you for anything.”

“But it’s all my fault. I brought you back into it and endangered you because of it,” she said, lowering her hands from her face; her cheeks glistened and her eyes were bloodshot.

“And this isn’t you. I need the old you, Caroline. The confident, almost-arrogant fighter who could be nice.”

Sniffling, she took the napkin and blew her nose. “For what?” Then before I could begin to explain, she said, “God you look so different. You’re so pale…but still beautiful. What happened to you? And why the hell did it take you so long to let me know you were alive?” There was the Caroline I knew and wanted, needed. I loved how she could change gears so quickly.

Smiling, partially because she was now, I said, “I am different, and that’s a really long story; but I can’t go into any of that right now.”

She nodded. “So long as you tell me sometime.”

“Sure;” I wasn’t certain that was a possibility, but I could discuss the likelihood with Drei.

“God, Abs, I just can’t get over that you’re not dead;” she laughed to herself. I wasn’t sure if she was going into hysterics, really happy, or if she was losing it altogether. I hoped it wasn’t the latter. “What’s with the different name, anyway?”

“Caroline,” I said, sitting forward on my elbows, “it’s my turn to run the show. I’m preparing to start a revolution—more a movement. I want you on my team.”

Her bronze eyes grew large and she seemed to restrain herself from dropping her jaw as well. “Really? I-I mean…I never figured you to be one for something like that.”

“Well, I am. And that’s also the reason behind the name.”

“So I’ll have to call you Leirba from now on?” When I nodded, she smiled and admitted, “I’m still going to call you Abs from time to time. But I’ll try to remember not to in public,” she promised, grinning.

“Will you be on my team?”

I watched as she sat back, wrapping her arms around herself and rubbing them. “Abs—Leirba,” she sighed, shaking her head and looking away. “I don’t know if I can do it. Thinking you died really made me think about things. And I decided I don’t want—oh how do I put this?” She stopped speaking, rubbing her temples as she searched for the answer she was seeking. “I don’t want to be part of that scene if people die because of it.”

“Caroline,” I said, drawing her attention and taking one of her hands in mine. “People will die whether or not they participate. Now, what I have in mind is less incendiary than yours was, and I’m going to do my best to ensure people aren’t hurt. But there’s no guarantee and I won’t promise you that it’ll all be okay, because it might not be.” Her eyes darted away and she hugged herself again. I could relate to her internal conflict, but when I’d been there it was in regards to my own safety. “What I can promise you, is that I will do everything in my power to keep this as safe as possible. I would hate to lose anyone I’m bringing into this.”

“And what about yourself?” she asked, staring at me. “Because I really don’t think I’m strong enough to lose you again.”

Holding both of her hands in mine, I said, “No worries, I’m considerably harder to kill.”

She nodded her head. “I’ll do it. I’ll be on your team.”

“Great;” I couldn’t stop smiling. Caroline was in. That was one of six, possibly seven if I found another fire elemental.

“If you’re going for more of a peaceful approach, you’ll want Ian, I’m guessing;” how did she know me so well? Both of us smiling made it seem like no time had passed, like we were scheming all over again. Only, this time our roles had changed.

Nodding, I added, “And lawyers. Good ones. I don’t have time for legal issues and I’m not doing this quietly. Don’t have time for that either.”

“I have the perfect lawyer,” she said, bobbing her head and pushing her crimson locks behind an ear. “What kind of timeline are we looking at anyway?”

“Two years,” I replied, finishing my chai latte.

“For what? Planning, initiating—”

“Everything.”

Her eyes were huge disks again, this time her jaw hanging open as well. “You’re insane.”

“I didn’t have much choice.” Before we could blow this into an entirely different conversation—one I didn’t feel like having six plus different times—I suggested, “How about we find Ian?”

“He’ll be excited to see you.” Caroline let the timeline topic drop, but her eyes sparkled in such a way as to say she was still going to ask about it. “He’s missed having you around, even though he handled it better than I did.”

Eternal: Chapter Four, Part 1

Chapter Four: Light My Fire

Valetta and Mitchell searched for a few people I had met at the camp whom I knew would be assets to the project if we could find them. I had absolute confidence in their ability. The only restraint I gave them, however, was not to approach them regarding the movement. That was something I needed to do personally.

Drei helped me find the one person locally I knew would be the most difficult to approach. Then, after insisting I adjust to introducing myself as Leirba, he disappeared, claiming he had something he needed to do. I didn’t know what he was doing but I trusted him, so I tried not to let the worry overrun my thoughts.

The day had been overcast but I had arranged a rendezvous after dusk, not wanting to risk frightening my guest with an unanticipated injury. We were meeting at a café. It had been forever since I had had a cinnamon chai latte and I couldn’t help breathing in the scent every few minutes to luxuriate in it; it smelled like heaven.

I had to wait quite a while for her to arrive—granted, I had been extremely early. When she walked through the door, I couldn’t help smiling at her. Her long red hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was wearing her classic skinny jeans paired with rainbow flats to match her tie-dye tee. Fashion aside, she wasn’t how I remembered her; her lips smiled, but sorrow and guilt made her cautious, tentative. Sleepless nights left dark circles under her eyes that showed through her concealer; she looked thinner.

“Caroline,” I called, catching her bronze eyes.

She smiled a little more warmly as she strolled up to the table. Cocking her head to one side and furrowing her brow slightly, she asked, “Have we met before? You look…familiar.”

“I’m Leirba,” I said, shaking her hand.

She gasped and grimaced; “Your hands are freezing.”

Folding my hands in my lap, I nodded my head in the direction of the empty seat. “Please…sit.”

“I’ll just get something—”

“Mocha chai?” I interrupted, motioning to the girl at the counter. I had already ordered and paid for it, but I didn’t want it cold by the time she arrived. The guy working brought her drink over a moment later, smiling flirtatiously at the two of us before returning to work.

After taking a drink, she set her cup down and stared at me a moment. “How’d you know?”

“I have my ways,” I replied cryptically, still holding her gaze as I sipped my own drink. Her brow furrowed in confusion and I could see the allure Mitchell found in puzzling me. True, I hated when I was the one being puzzled, but there was something about a good secret that made riddling another person entertaining.

“I really think I’ve met you somewhere before. I’m almost certain,” she insisted, sitting forward on her elbows. “But it doesn’t make sense because she—she…never mind.” Silence fell between us as she watched her finger run along the rim of her mug.

“She what?” I asked gently. “Died?”

Her bronze eyes shot up at me, surprised but also horrified and hurt. “Yeah;” she studied me carefully as if I were the devil. What I was doing was somewhat evil, I’ll concede, but it probably would have gone a lot worse if I’d come straight out with it from the start—the most likely outcome would be her yelling and storming out, and I couldn’t waste time chasing after her. She needed to arrive at her own conclusion about my identity if I was going to be able to bring her and the others into the fold within the month.

“Are you sure?” I tilted my head to one side, staring at her.

“I was there,” she replied softly, daring me to prove her wrong.

I sauntered to the counter, picking up a napkin on the way there. Using one of their pens, I wrote out Leirba in capital letters and drew an arrow from the A to the L. After thanking the guy at the register, I returned to our table and slid the napkin across its surface so she could read it.

At first, confusion flitted across her face as she tried making sense of it. She even glanced up at me a few times in disbelief. Disbelief and confusion quickly transformed into a bittersweet joy which was tossed aside by grief and guilt, her face disappearing into her hands as silent sobs wracked her body.

“Caroline?” She worried me. I hadn’t any idea she was this shaken by it. No, that’s a lie. I did know. Her entire revolution fell apart because she thought I was dead. Because she blamed herself.

“I’m so sorry, Abs,” she murmured into her hands. “I never meant for any of that to happen; I was trying to prevent anything like that. You weren’t supposed to get hurt. I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”

Laying a hand on her forearm, I said, “You have nothing to be sorry for; you aren’t responsible for what happened.” As I spoke, I worked at untying the knot of sorrow and guilt inside her, pulling the emotions surrounding the event away from her and setting them adrift into the sky; only then was I able to loosen and release the pain of the event. All of it floated through the ceiling in blue and decaying black ribbons; it was almost as beautiful as when I had done the same for Nick upon our first meeting. Of course, then, I hadn’t really known what I was doing. I was just hoping my crazy idea would work.

Eternal: Chapter Three, Part 5

“How are you handling your hunger?” the woman asked after a long, breaking the long pause.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on me and I wished we could skip to what I wanted to discuss. “I’m handling it well, though the lack of fresh air around here isn’t helping anything.”

“Elaborate.”

Speaking with my hands, I did my best to simplify what wasn’t so simple. “My element finds nutrients in energy—mostly sounds, people’s thoughts, emotions, so on—and my vampire is sated by those nutrients.”

“How, though?” the presiding vampire asked, sitting forward on his elbows.

Shrugging, I admitted, “It’s really complicated, and I only understand the basics of it aside from it works.”

“Interesting.” After a moment, he sat back again. “We cannot leave you in Mr. Valmoritim’s custody, as he has disregarded Council rulings and has proven himself a poor role model. Instead, we would like to place you in the temporary custody of Councilmember Emaline Walters until another vampire has been found to raise you,” he said in a way that made it clear he didn’t see my opinion of the option as mattering. It did; he just didn’t know it yet.

“May I offer another option?” I asked, holding his eyes steadily, despite my exhaustion.

Leaning forward, he amusedly inquired, “What would this other option be?”

“The way I understand things,” I said, “personal dealings with an elemental are against your rulings because it will interfere or alter our destinies. Am I correct in this understanding?”

“Yes,” he said slowly.

“So then, by that logic, if I’m still able to accomplish what I’m destined for, none of this should be a problem. Is this an accurate assumption?”

The seven vampires below him glanced up, intrigued and concerned. Whatever he said now would become law. “In a large part, yes.”

“Then I propose you suspend any rulings on these events for three years, allowing me to do what I’m supposed to do,” I said, looking at all eight of them in turn, ending with the presiding vampire. “If, at the end of that time, there has been significant advancement in the direction my movement is supposed to go in, all charges are dropped. If, however, I fail, or have been unable to make significant progress, then you can press any and all charges. How does that sound?”

He was pensive at first; he didn’t look at me, though several of the others did between watching him, trying to guess at his reaction. “We shall confer and when you return with the others, you shall hear our verdict.”

“Very well, then.” It was better than no.

Eternal: Chapter Three, Part 4

“Abriel Jones,” the voice summoned, yanking me from my plotting. I hadn’t realized Drei had exited.

Drei stood before me, a hand outstretched to help me stand. I took it without hesitation, allowing him to pull me into his arms for a brief moment. His touch was assuring, though pain and fear washed from him. I was used to feeling pain from him, but I couldn’t remember him this afraid. There had been times where he had felt fear, but not this strongly. It was unlike him. I squeezed his hand, realizing all I could do was hope this worked.

The room hadn’t changed, not that I had expected it to. But it almost felt like sunlight should be filtering in through the shuttered windows. I was greeted, however, by the same flickering lamp light and gloom.

“We shall be asking questions regarding your relationship with Miss Bevinston, Mr. Jameson, and Mr. Valmoritim,” the one woman—sitting to the right of Tudor—explained in a clipped voice. “When and how did you come to acquaint yourself with Mr. Valmoritim?”

“Drei? I’ve been acquainted with him for six years Valentine’s Day this year. He stopped two thugs from mugging and raping, and possibly murdering, me,” I replied, hoping I didn’t sound as defensive as I felt. If they wanted me to put him in the light of a villain, they weren’t going to succeed. Not even Valetta, or Drei himself, could make me see him that way.

“When did you become acquainted with Miss Bevinston and Mr. Jameson?” she asked, her fingers laced and resting before her on the table. She sounded impatient, which didn’t help me to remain calm. If I wasn’t careful, I could be as snippy as she seemed to be.

“At the elemental safe camp Drei led. That’s where he took me after I lost control at school. Both Valetta and Mitchell worked under him,” I elaborated, unsure how much or how little to say. “We’re friends.”

“When did you leave this camp?”

“Just over three years ago, February.”

“Did anyone accompany you?” she pressed, leaning forward slightly.

“Drei did. He left Valetta in charge of the camp,” I said, staring at her. My heart was racing because I didn’t want to lie, but the truth sounded so incriminating, especially considering how she asked each question.

“Was there anything Mr. Valmoritim did to seduce you, appear dishonorable, or the like?”

Shaking my head, I replied, “No. He set things up so I could work with Caroline and see how to run a revolution; he made sure I stayed healthy because I have problems with insomnia; he was even patient and encouraging when I was impatient and frustrated that I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing.”

“There is no need to be defensive, Miss Jones,” the presiding vampire interrupted, lightly tapping his fingernails on the desk before him. “You are not the one on trial.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the rash reply begging to escape. I might not have been the one on trial, but I might as well have been.

“May I continue, sir?” the woman asked in her clipped, impatient way. When he nodded, she inquired, “From the previous interrogations, it has been understood that you and Mr. Valmoritim were separated for a time. How long were you separated and why?”

“Almost eight months.” I didn’t want to go into the why because it really was complicated. But I didn’t want to be rudely reminded to answer the question, either. I’d need them in a decent mood if my bargain was going to work and that, unfortunately, meant playing nice. “It was because he thought I was lying to him about my involvement with Caroline and her project. The situation might have been avoided if we had communicated with each other better,” I added. What happened wasn’t entirely his fault. A great deal of it was mine and Caroline’s, though hers was more indirect than anything else.

“What were the circumstances, as you understand them to be, surrounding your turning?”

“I was shot;” I shrugged. How much of an answer did she want? When she didn’t say anything, I added, “I was already dead. Or maybe I was still dying and just thought I was dead. Either way, I woke up and that’s when Drei told me what he had done.”

“What was his reason behind the act?” she asked, her eyes glinting as if this was the answer that would make the case against him.

“He loves me,” I replied softly, diverting my gaze downward—not from embarrassment or shame, but because it felt like I had betrayed him. The truth here wasn’t setting anyone free. It was condemning us all. “Because, he said, he couldn’t imagine living without me.”

“What are your personal feelings for Mr. Valmoritim?”

Catching her gaze, wanting to ensure she received my answer and wasn’t going to twist it to suit their cause, I responded, “I love him with all of my heart.” She opened her mouth as if to say that it wasn’t love but I interrupted her saying, “And it is not some effect of seduction, or attraction, or anything he’s done intentionally. It was my decision to love him long before I ever knew he loved me.” Tears pressed at my eyes. I doubted they were moved at all, but I couldn’t contain my feelings when I was starving or guilt-ridden, trying to be polite and hoping against odds they would take my suggestion.

“It is entirely possible you have imagined loving—”

“It isn’t,” I interrupted the presiding vampire. Not smart, I know. And not playing nice, either. But this was one thing I knew for sure, and they didn’t. Nothing they said could convince me I was wrong in this. “And I know because I spent a year trying to convince myself not to love him;” I cried, any restraint I had over my emotions lost. “I know what happened, and we both tried not to love each other and to no avail.”

Silence flooded the room as they stared at me, either shocked or indignant I had interrupted and refused to go along with whatever they said. My hands worked to clear the tears from my eyes as I struggled to regain some sense of composure. This wasn’t over yet.

Eternal: Chapter Three, Part 3

It seemed hours passed before she came out of the room, followed by a voice demanding Mitchell enter. She glanced in my direction and then retreated into a corner of her own, defeated. Whatever happened hadn’t gone well. It had exhausted and drained her.

Though I could have asked what had transpired, I resolved to plot, to find a solution to this new predicament. I didn’t want to be the ingénue and Drei the villain. Valetta and Mitchell didn’t deserve to be punished. At least, I didn’t want them to be punished. I wanted everything to work out well. I needed Drei; and although I didn’t know what they would do yet, I needed Valetta and Mitchell as well.

I was determined to find some solution. There had to be one.

Mitchell exited after another extensive period of waiting. He moved as if to look in my direction, but changed his mind and leaned against the wall a few feet from Valetta. The demanding voice summoned Drei.

He didn’t seem to see anything as he disappeared into the room again; he just stared ahead as if indifferent to these events. Watching him leave, I felt hurt. Not because I was afraid for him, but because he didn’t look at me. Once I had told him lying hurt more than it helped. Right then, all I wanted was for him to lie to me. Tell me it would all work out, or not to worry; I’d even settle for a convincing smile. Anything to make the situation seem better than it was.

There was a crack in the wall across from me. I stared at it, wondering. I wondered what was happening in that room; why, when I tried to listen in, I couldn’t keep my focus; what would happen to me; why they would leave this crack in the wall. It wasn’t a very interesting place to look. Occasionally, a spider or two crept in or out but, other than that, it was just a black slice of void. It gave me somewhere to look, I supposed. Somewhere that wasn’t completely hopeless. Valetta and Mitchell were so worn and defeated it made me feel worse to look at them. Something about this place suggested speaking with them would be entirely inappropriate and punishable by some obscure Council ruling.

As I stared and thought, occasional ideas popped up that had nothing to do with what I was thinking. All of them, I realized after a while, were related to the Council and my movement. Studying the hole in the wall as if it held the answer to how these two were connected, I began to see how I might be able to spare all of us from punishment. Might being the key word. I’d have to do a ton of smooth talking and hope the Council bought into it.

Eternal: Chapter Three, Part 2

“We shall begin the proceedings on this first night in May, of the human year 2015,” the presiding vampire, the one seated above the rest, stated in a dramatically disinterested voice. His dark eyes were scanning over a document before him, then they glinted at us as he continued, “We shall begin with the reading of your charges. Step forward when your name is called.”

“Valetta Bevinston,” the centermost councilmember began; Valetta took a step forward, her head up but her eyes diverted. “You are being charged with conspiring against Council rulings and being an accessory to unlawful conduct. Do you understand the charges brought against you?” His dark eyes bore into her.

“I do.”

“Very well, then,” he said, monotonously. “Mitchell Jameson.”

He stepped forward, changing places with Valetta. The vampire read the same list of charges, to which Mitchell agreed he understood. I watched, everything feeling as though it was happening in slow motion. This was happening because of me. They encouraged us, kept our secret, and now they were being charged as felons. It wasn’t right; I wanted to make this go away, to plot a way to fix things. But the vampire’s silky, monotonous voice demanded absolute attention and any attempt to do otherwise was thwarted the moment he spoke again.

“Drei Valmoritim.” My eyes followed Drei as he stepped forward, my plotting forgotten. Unlike Mitchell and Valetta, he didn’t look down, but stared at the vampire, awaiting the list of charges he faced. He knew, already, what rules he had broken, and the consequences. He wasn’t going fight them; he wouldn’t deny any of it. Despite the situation, that thought delighted me briefly. Drei wouldn’t deny me; even if that was our undoing, it was the greatest thing he could have done. The feeling, though, disappeared as the vampire began reading the charges.

“You are being charged with conspiring against Council rulings, jeopardizing an elemental’s purpose, seducing a mortal, seducing an elemental, feeding on a mortal, feeding on an elemental, and two acts of high treason: turning a mortal and turning an elemental.” My heart sank with each item. “Do you understand the charges brought against you?”

“I do,” Drei replied stonily, his face set like marble. Shadows didn’t dance across his features, but he appeared just as menacing as the others. I wished I could appear strong like him in this place; I’d even settle for the subdued guiltiness of Valetta and Mitchell. But all I continued to feel was ill and crushingly guilty.

“Abriel Jones.” Drei stepped back to the far side of Mitchell as I took his place, glancing down the line of shadowy figures before me before diverting my eyes to my feet. “Sir,” he said, turning to face the presiding vampire. “You wished to handle this one?”

“Yes, Tudor,” he replied before turning his attention away from the document before him. “Miss Jones, how long has it been since you were turned?”

“Roughly a year and a couple of weeks,” I answered, looking up at him as he leaned forward, more of his face coming into the lantern light.

“Were you given a choice in the matter?”

“Will it change anything?”

“In the case of your charges and the outcome in regards to you, it will,” he said, his black eyes studying me carefully. I was about to glance over my shoulder at Drei when he snapped at me to answer him. Yeah, they definitely knew how to be delicate about this sort of thing.

“No,” I whispered, unable to return my gaze to him.

“Miss Jones, you are then free of charges as an innocent, for the time being. If our interrogations to follow should find you otherwise, the charge will be of falsifying information and seduction of a vampire,” he said before sitting back again. “Should your status remain that of an innocent, during your interrogation, we will also deliberate what shall be done about you.” Was I really so much of a burden something had to be done about me? If I were in a better state I probably would have argued with him. I was their burden because they deemed me so, not because I had to be. “Do you understand your situation?”

“I do.”

“Adjourn to the hallway,” Tudor instructed. “You shall be summoned one at a time for your interrogations. We shall begin with Valetta Bevinston.”

In the hallway, Mitchell paced anxiously, glancing towards the door, concerned with how Valetta was faring. Drei leaned elegantly against a wall, his hands buried in his pockets, his eyes closed in meditation. Between Drei’s resignation and Mitchell’s nerves, I didn’t have focus enough to figure out how I was feeling amidst this mess. By now, I was fairly certain my nerves were shot and I was faintly worried about how Valetta was doing, how Mitchell would do next, and Drei after him, but I had no clue as to what the vast majority of me was feeling.

I sat curled in the corner, my head resting in my arms. This whole experience was tiring and the lack of fresh air wasn’t helping my hunger—now a fairly large part in my distraction. If anything, it only starved me faster.

Mentally shaking myself, I pried my mind from thoughts of my hunger and tried listening to whatever was happening to Valetta. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to concentrate long enough to pull the conversation to me. Their emotions were drawing too much of my element’s attention, seeking anything that resembled what it usually relied on to satiate me.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 5

“Why are you with her?” Valetta demanded when we stepped through the door. Her anger flooded the room as she stood, glaring at him.

I could feel Drei shrinking beside me under her fury. Our talk earlier hadn’t completely settled him, and he still hadn’t decided the answers for himself. But I didn’t want her bullying him when it was my fault and I was around—I didn’t want her being hard on him even when I wasn’t around, but that was slightly harder to control.

Slipping my hand into his, I stared back at Valetta. “It was my idea,” I stated, determined not to fold under her ferocity. “I asked him to come with me because I wanted to be with him.”

She was completely taken aback—not expecting me to speak on his behalf, apparently—but it wasn’t long before she recomposed herself, her anger still obvious but not nearly as strong. “Why?”

“Because I love him, Valetta, and I enjoy spending time with him,” I explained gently. I knew she had once felt the same way, but somehow she seemed to have forgotten that.

“But he was not there to protect you, and he turned—”

“We were both responsible for what happened, and we’ve come to terms with it already.” I was trying to remain patient. She didn’t know the circumstances and seemed reluctant to even attempt understanding them, but that didn’t give her an excuse to completely ignore their existence. “We went over the whys and the hows and we’re past it. We just want to be happy. Just like you.”

Mitchell took Valetta’s hands and pulled her aside. They argued a moment over whether or not to trust what I was saying, if they were really my own words or somehow Drei’s influence. He eventually talked her down, taking our side, and explaining how he saw it to her. We weren’t trying to spite her; Drei wasn’t trying to take advantage of me. We were simply making the best of our situation and living our undead lives the way we wanted. And for once, Mitchell was speaking straightforward and, instead of hitting him, I kind of wanted to give him a huge hug.

“Apologies are in order,” she said when Mitchell finished and they had approached us again.

“No they’re not,” I said, crossing the space between us and taking her hands in mine. “You were just standing up for what you felt was right. There’s nothing to be sorry for in that.”

“But—”

“You are worse than Abriel when it comes to arguing about everything.” Drei was unsure yet about whether he was still in deep with her or not, but not so uncertain as to remain silent. “She is right, though. There is no reason to apologize.”

“I yelled at you,” she persisted, her dark eyes wide and befuddled. “I was cruel and judgmental; I separated you, and—”

“We needed that,” Drei finished for her, steadily growing surer of his position in this. “At least I did. It gave me time to contemplate how much I do value her;” he met my eyes and held them. A faint warmness spread through my body and my lips upturned slightly. “How I have made mistakes in the past, and renewed my resolve not to repeat them.”

“I do not recall mushy messes being on our itinerary,” Mitchell teased, successfully coaxing grins from all of us—even an eye roll from Valetta. I was grateful he was breaking up the cycle of reassurances that was bound to follow, but it didn’t stop me wanting to hit him for his teasing.

“Do you always have to be insensitive to the moment?” I asked, my hands on my hips.

“Only when you are around,” he taunted jovially, hugging me.

“Of course. So what should we do now that all this drama is done with?” I asked as Drei slipped an arm around my waist, his other hand disappearing into his pocket.

We all looked at each other, hoping someone had an idea. “What if we just talk?” Valetta suggested after a while. With no other suggestions, we sat in the living room and talked.

It was entertaining, as we covered recent events—both serious and frivolous—debated about different places in town, and discussed what I had come up with for my movement. From their reactions, I really had figured it out—all of them had known since before meeting me, but none of them would ever tell me what it was.

It was well into the afternoon before Drei insisted I should sleep. Mitchell and Valetta agreed, despite my arguments, but then Valetta suggested we all retire for the day, as if to ensure they weren’t just treating me like a little kid. Mitchell even proposed we go out as a group the next night before we parted ways. Things were somewhat back to normal for the time being. Valetta didn’t even say anything about Drei and me sleeping in the same bed again. That was probably the best thing, too. I felt like I was actually able to fall asleep.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 4

Drei left and, a short while later, Valetta and Mitchell followed suit. Not long after I watched them disappear around the corner, I left Drei a note requesting he meet me on the roof. The night was unusually chilly for the end of spring, but it was still beautiful—almost perfect in some ways.

It didn’t feel like I had been waiting long before Drei showed up. I heard him before I saw him, and I could tell he was uneasy about this. Valetta and Mitchell may not see us leaving together, but he was more concerned about if they saw us return together.

“Don’t worry,” I said as he pulled me into his arms.

“I do not want to cross her,” he said, the caution and the longing competing to be dominant in his voice. “The last time I did, it was rather terrifying.”

“Do you trust me?” My eyes searched his, hoping the answer I thought I knew matched the one his features revealed.

“Of course;” his brow furrowed, his eyes were shocked and incredulous I even had to ask.

“Then don’t worry about it.” When he nodded, I asked in a lighter tone, smiling, “Are you ready?”

“I do not even know for what to be ready.”

Laughing, I began pulling my usual breeze of strings. “Don’t be scared, Drei. I’ll be with you the entire time,” I assured him, stepping onto my breeze.

“You have been busy experimenting again, I see.” His eyes followed me as I moved in slow circles before him. “Now how do you suggest I join you?”

“Step up here with me.” I increased the number of strings and their thickness for added strength. “I’ll help you find your balance.”

Cautiously, he took my offered hand, jumping up to join me and nearly falling off again before taking my other hand and catching himself. I couldn’t help but laugh; I had never seen his eyes so wide before.

“You enjoy tormenting me,” he said, the corners of his lips curled upward and his eyes glowing.

“Only when you let me,” I returned, adjusting my balance so I wouldn’t fall with him. “Tell me when you’re used to it.”

“Not when I am comfortable?” he asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if I wait for you to be comfortable, we won’t have time to go stargazing.”

“And where do you suggest we do that?”

“Are you used to it?”

“I would assume so.”

Turning my back to him, I announced, “Then we can go,” taking off over the rooftops beyond the city limits, but not too quickly—I didn’t want either of us to fall. Drei held onto my hands as he readjusted his balance to match mine. He was coping better than I had expected, but that might have been because he could use me to help him balance and I would adjust my own footing to accommodate both of us.

Neither of us spoke, but that was probably because neither of us knew what to say to the other. II didn’t mind much; I was just happy to be with him.

“We’re here;” I stopped us in the middle of an old, disused highway. The stars were brilliant here, practically lighting everything on their own. I stepped off of the breeze and Drei followed clumsily; I tried to hide my giggling behind my hand but he still glared playfully at me.

“If you were just going to mock me all night, I should not have indulged you;” he slowly approached, wrapping me in his arms.

“How can I make it up to you?” I asked, sinking into his embrace. I can’t begin to explain how wonderful it felt. It was almost like I was whole again. Almost, because I knew he was holding back, uncertain if this was appropriate or not considering the current situation.

The playfulness racing across his features disappeared to be replaced with a seriousness I was hoping wouldn’t rear its head tonight. “Do you think I deserve you?”

Sighing, I couldn’t help feeling I knew this had been coming. I knew it had been on his mind the past week, ever since Valetta first said it. “Drei, what happened was both of our faults. I don’t want you feeling discontent because someone else thinks you should;” I stared at him, taking in the sorrow just under the surface of the seriousness. “We’ve talked about this; we’ve both come to terms with it. We’re past it.”

“But do I deserve you?” he repeated slowly, painfully.

He really needed this answer, and I couldn’t help but feel obligated to say something. I had been there, after all, needing an answer I didn’t have, hoping it would make things better—feeling unable to move on or make a proper decision without it.

“I think so. Do I deserve you? How do you even measure that?” The question was confusing. How does anyone determine who has a right to be with whom? People make mistakes; just because they know better doesn’t mean they can’t be forgiven.

“You deserve the world, Abriel,” he whispered into my ear, holding me closer to him.

“So do you;” and I meant it. He hadn’t made nearly as many mistakes as I had. The only difference was I always had other people to help me fix them—or just fix them for me in some cases; he didn’t have that leisure or luck. Valetta might have held that against him, but I wouldn’t. If I did, there were a lot of things they should be holding against me and weren’t.

I turned in his arms so we could stargaze, deciding that was enough of that conversation. To be honest, I’m not sure how much stargazing we actually did. It seemed more like we stood together and stargazing was our excuse. When Drei suggested we head back, I created our breeze and waited for him to adjust before flying us back to the apartment rooftop.

Even if the whole rendezvous had been shaky from the start, at least we had spent some time together. I wanted him to be the way he had been—loving and confident, if not still somewhat penitent—but I wanted to be with him more. I didn’t care if that made me selfish or naïve. It’s what I wanted.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 3

It had been a couple of nights since I had fallen, and I decided I wanted to take Drei with me. I wasn’t sure if he’d be willing, but during the day, after I was sure Valetta and Mitchell were asleep, I slipped into the living room.

“Drei, can we talk?” I whispered, sending the words on a breath of air to his ear. He stirred in my mapping, carefully leaving the room so he didn’t disturb Mitchell.

“Yes?” he asked, standing before me a moment later.

I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder for a moment, breathing him in. It wasn’t until then I realized how much I did miss him—his faint flowery scent, and, when he held me closer to him, his touch.

Kissing the top of my head, he murmured, “You wanted to talk?”

“I miss you;” I didn’t want to let him go for anything.

“I miss you, too,” he said slowly, sadness lacing his voice. “I did not think it would be appropriate for us to—”

“I don’t care what Valetta said to you; I don’t even care if she supports us, Drei.” I held his faintly violet eyes with mine. “I love you, and that’s worth everything.”

His lips found mine for a moment, leaving me breathless—quite a feat considering I didn’t have to breathe anymore.

“I want you to come flying with me.” Drei gave me a look that suggested I hadn’t had enough sleep or enough nutrients or something. “I’m serious. Will you?”

“I am not sure that is possible,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“You can leave like you always do, but come back after an hour and they should be gone. Then we can go. They won’t know,” I promised, practically begging. Now that the question was put forth, I wanted him to say yes; I wanted him to promise we could do this together after he had left alone and hurting for the past week. “Say yes, please.”

He smiled wryly. “I spoil you too much.”

“You don’t spoil me nearly enough,” I teased, kissing his lips.

“Tonight, then?”

“Of course.”

“You should sleep now. I am not sure I want to fly with you exhausted,” he said, smirking.

Nodding, I left his embrace, feeling better but still somewhat empty without him near me. I had spent nearly a year alone with him, falling asleep in his arms. This broke habit, and he was a wonderfully terrible addiction.

“Abriel,” he called from his bedroom door. Turning back, I widened my eyes at him questioningly. “I cannot wait.” We smiled at each other, joyous and secretive, before parting for the rest of the day.

Sliding back into bed, I decided my next request of him would be about switching our sleep schedules so we’d be awake during at least part of the day. After all, you can’t run a movement in the dark. Then no one knows what’s going on.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 2

The next night, Drei went out to some meeting or another. He wouldn’t look at me as he left; Valetta’s words still rang in his head, filling him with undue guilt. Mitchell and Valetta were going out in search of entertainment and invited me along, but I didn’t feel much like spending time with them currently. I couldn’t figure out if it was because I blamed them, or if I was shamed and embarrassed. Either way, I wouldn’t have been much of an asset to their plans as I didn’t feel like smiling.

I sat, staring into space for the longest time. Eventually I stood and went to the window. There was still one experiment I had never tried, and now was as good a time as any. Besides, I hoped it would take my mind off of everything else.

Opening the window, I slid out onto the narrow ledge, concentrating on how I wanted to do this. It was similar to some things I had done in the past—like sending messages to people on a breeze. I just hadn’t done anything like this with a person. I had made the air into shapes and used those to move people, but never on a breeze. In my mind, it would be something like flying if I could pull it off.

I started pulling a gentle stream of air below my feet, part of my brain wondering if I should maybe start this closer to the ground instead of five stories up. Ignoring that questioning part of my mind, I jumped onto the breeze, pulling more air into it to accommodate my weight. Slowly going in circles, I practiced balancing myself; unlike before when it was more like standing on a solid object, this was akin to standing on a collection of strings. I could see the wispy strands beneath my feet and tried centering myself on enough of them I found some stability.

After circling for a while, I directed my breeze upwards over the rooftops of the apartment buildings and worked on balance while moving faster, turning, swerving, and even while changing position on my strands of air. I tried to keep over the rooftops, not too far off in case I fell. I did fall, quite a lot. But it seemed all too soon I heard Valetta and Mitchell on the street heading back to the building, so I followed suit and slipped through the window.

Taking a quick shower, I exited the bathroom to find them sitting on the couch, Valetta’s head resting on Mitchell’s shoulder, her eyes studying their linked hands. He was whispering something to her, though I doubted she heard a word of what he said. She just had that look about her suggesting her thoughts were elsewhere.

As I walked past them, she glanced up and asked. “What have you been up to all night?”

“Nothing much,” I said, forcing myself to come up with something more solid than that. “Thinking mostly.” I really wasn’t good at this.

She nodded, though, turning her dark eyes from me again. Mitchell smiled hopefully, obviously unsure what was wrong with her. Reading her thoughts, I found she still fought with herself over what was the best thing to do: reward Drei to my benefit or punish us both. She also struggled to find something for Drei to do to prove he deserved the former.

I shrugged to Mitchell. He didn’t really need to know if he didn’t already; it was one of those things she had to figure out for herself, despite how difficult it might be.

The next few nights followed a similar pattern: Mitchell and Valetta went out after I declined the offer to join them, Drei went out somewhere—I wasn’t sure where or what for, but he kept his distance from me, much to my dismay—and I would take my breeze and improve with what I would call flying.

My mom named every trick she learned and discovered, and I had picked up the habit over the brief time I had spent with her. Shortly after I was born, the government had taken her to one of their testing facilities, and she’d been there ever since. While working under Caroline, I had taken one for the team and been temporarily reunited with her and Nick. Then Drei came and took me away from that dreadful place and the crazy specialists, but she had opted to stay behind. I couldn’t begin to understand her logic; her mind wasn’t in the best of conditions, but that wouldn’t stop me being grateful for the time I had been given with her.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 1

Chapter Two: Fearful Truths

“Drei, we really should talk,” Valetta calmly said when we reached the apartment, though it was more a demand disguised as a suggestion. I wished all of this hushed discussion would be finished; I wasn’t a child and I knew what was happening. There wasn’t any reason I could see to keep me out of the loop when I was in the center.

He nodded as if expecting this. Kissing my cheek, he said, “You and Mitchell should wait for us out here. We shall return to join you shortly.” His eyes didn’t meet mine and I wanted to tell them to just have it out here. They wouldn’t, though; they’d probably just pretend they didn’t know what I was talking about and leave anyway.

Mitchell kicked back in one of the armchairs and I sunk into the middle of the couch. I didn’t want to eavesdrop on their conversation—I could guess it was only a continuation of earlier—but I wanted to know what kind of mood they’d each be in when—if—they returned.

“Go ahead and listen,” Mitchell said, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. “I am.”

“But—”

“It is good to know what mood to expect him in, and Valetta as well. As you know, no harm ever came from eavesdropping;” he tilted his eyes in my direction a moment, a content and mocking smile playing across his lips. “We know. It was almost expected of you.” And here I thought I was doing a fair job at not looking shocked. But I wasn’t going to argue with an open invitation.

“Do not drag me away if you are not going to say anything,” Drei was saying as I tuned in. Splitting my attention further, I mapped the room so I could watch them.

Valetta stood a few feet from Drei, biting a fingernail. “Are you not even ashamed of what you have done?” Her hand batted away a tear on her cheek.

“I am ashamed, and many days I loathe myself for what I have done to her,” Drei answered softly, his hands in his pant pockets.

“You do not act ashamed,” she replied humorously. “No, because if you were ashamed, you would not kiss her in front of us, or hold hands in public, or any number of things that you may be doing with her—sharing a bedroom, for another.”

“I see nothing wrong with any of those. Despite what I have done, I still love her,” he said softly, keeping a firm grasp on his stoicism.

“And turning her is how you show that?”

“I have told you she was dying. What would you have me do?”

Valetta threw her arms up in frustration. “Prevent the situation in the first place? You promised to protect her, to be with her. Where were you?”

“It is complicated.”

“Everything is complicated, Drei. That does not mean you leave her to die and then decide you want her to live.” She turned her back to him, crossing her arms. Soon, one hand flew to her mouth and she chewed her nails again.

“Valetta—”

“It does not even suggest that you take advantage of her. It takes years to control one’s vampire, especially the lust.” She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling heavily to steady herself before turning to him. “Swear you have not taken advantage of that, too.”

“I have not taken advantage of her, at all.”

“But you have,” she argued, advancing on him, pacing circles around him. “First you took advantage of her humanity, and took her mortality from her. Then you take advantage of her love and flaunt that as if you deserved it. Who knows what else you have taken advantage of before that, or even after,” she spat angrily. “So have you, or have you not, taken advantage of her vampire’s lust?”

“No.”

“Do you want to?” she continued, stopping in front of him. “Because wanting to is just as disgraceful as the deed.”

Drei looked away from her, walking past her to the bureau.

“Drei;” she sighed, shaking her head. “I should never have encouraged you. She might very well have been better off with Nick.”

“Do not say that,” he shouted, a few tears tumbling down his cheeks. He clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists atop the bureau. “Nick would not be able to care for—”

“Nick would have been there to protect her,” she shouted back at him, her voice strong despite the tears filling her eyes.

“You do not even know the circumstances,” Drei said through gritted teeth, turning back to her.

“I know you promised to protect her, and you obviously failed.”

I didn’t like that they were fighting, but I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt them. They needed to have it out, as much as it hurt both of them; it was even hurting me. Valetta was making several good arguments, and I almost wanted to stop listening. Drei was right, though, she didn’t understand the circumstances. I had forgiven Drei for not being there because we were both responsible for it. But I had never before thought about if he had failed. Dying meant I failed, because I couldn’t change anything if I wasn’t alive. Hearing Drei had also failed pained me; I didn’t want it to be true. Even as I realized it was.

“I cannot decide if I want them to take her from you,” Valetta whispered, breaking the silence that had filled the room. “You do not deserve her…but she still needs you.”

“Valetta, I love her. Ten—no, ten thousand times the world over. What do you want me to do to prove I deserve to stay with her? I will do anything.”

“I shall think on it.”

Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I looked up at her as she entered the living room. She had recomposed herself and dried her tears.

“Come, Abriel; you should sleep. Today has been far too…exciting.”

She didn’t sound remotely excited and I wasn’t tired, but saying that wouldn’t have been in anyone’s best interest. Mitchell gave me a quick look as if wishing me luck, or perhaps it was pity; then he stood and went to console Drei. At least, I hoped that’s what he was doing. I would hate for him to have to face Mitchell after Valetta had torn him apart; I wouldn’t listen, though. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to withstand another argument if that should occur, or put words to the pain swirling around me.

“How long has it been?” she asked, sitting at the foot of the bed, staring at the curtained windows.

“A year,” I replied, staring at a wall. I really wasn’t tired and it was strange to be falling asleep without Drei. It felt like missing a part of myself, or having forgotten something important. It was a dark and deep feeling of loss, of desolation.

She didn’t say anything after that, some part of her hoping if I thought she was asleep, then I would follow suit. Valetta should have known better though, especially with her emotions as turbulent as they were. I wasn’t the only one who wouldn’t be sleeping that day.