by Amanda Perry
Remy opened her mouth to argue, but paused, thinking back. Well, hell. Her brother had a point. Sure, she had a matchstick fuse, easily lit but tempered quickly when blown out. But in her defense, she usually had provocation. Bigoted idiots overflowed the world, allowing fear and uncertainty to lead to hatred and animosity. It wasn’t Remy’s fault if she took exception to their limited worldview and called them on it. Her dad teased her constantly about her lightning-fast temper, saying if her reflexes were half as fast, she would be unbeatable in a fair fight. Remy usually scoffed at him and replied back with something equally cheeky.
“Huh, I guess you're right for once.” Remy shifted on her feet, uncomfortable with the revelation. “I’m an adult. I should be setting a better example. I’m sorry, Todd. I’ll try to tone it down as well.” She held out a fist, “Deal?”
Her brother looked at her offered hand for a moment before bumping it with his. “Deal. Now, let’s go show these Shifters how we humans like to play. They may learn a thing or two.”
Remy waved her hand, gesturing in front of her. “After you, oh young one.”
Todd snickered and walked to the blue double doors that led into the interior of the center. “Come on, old one. Try to keep up. You don’t need a walker yet.”
“Brat! I’ll show you old!” Remy bellowed before taking off after her younger sibling. She caught him as he was going through the doorway. She misjudged her momentum, fully expecting him to take off running, not stand his ground. The two siblings went flying through the door, arms and legs askew as they stumbled a few feet into the entryway, landing in a tangled pile on the floor. Recovering first, Remy quickly gained the advantage. Her brother ended up flat on his belly, so she took the opportunity to sit astride him. As he yelled, she used her fingers to tickle along both sides of his torso, causing him to roar with laughter.
Remy tortured him for a few more minutes before releasing him, allowing him to catch his breath. His chest heaved up and down from the lack of oxygen, but his cheeks were flushed with pale pink splotches and his eyes had lightened. He reminded her so much of their mother at that moment. Wistfully, she wished her mom was still alive to see her little brother grow up. Even though she and her brother squabble like toddlers, she loved him fiercely.
Settling down, the two siblings ignored the stares being directed at them and walked up to the reception desk. A woman a few years older than Remy manned the oversized desk. She turned towards them, sniffing the air. “Oh, you must be the Stevens. I’m Ophelia, the activities director. Your father, Clive, called and asked if we could use a few extra sets of hands today. Of course, we always welcome more volunteers. We’ve never had humans work here before, so this will be a pretty interesting experience for all of us."
Her dark eyes scanned over Todd and lit up. “I’ve seen you in the computer room before! You haven’t checked out the whole center, though, right? I don’t remember seeing you anywhere else.”
Todd's cheeks heated as he shook his head. Remy had guessed correctly when it came to his motives in coming to the center. He clearly had a thing for Ophelia by the way he couldn't even speak to her. Remy considered teasing him, but remembered she was supposed to be behaving.
Waving a polished set of painted nails, Ophelia gestured for them to follow her further into the building. Colorful walls, decorated with a type of graffiti paint, enhanced the otherwise boring corridor. Green doors with inlaid frosted glass sat closed at the end of the hallway. Ophelia ripped them open, slamming the doors back into the wall. The sound of the impact reverberated into the large room on the other side of the doors. Both Remy and Todd jumped at the loud bang. “Alright, hellions. I’m coming in.”
Sounds of scurrying feet, muffled laughter, and snorts of derision echoed so loudly even human ears had no trouble picking it up. “Welcome to hell. This section of the center is reserved for adolescent Shifters. They’re more aggressive due to the increase in testosterone and estrogen. Once a Shifter reaches sixteen, those aggressions are easier to manage and a Shifter then moves to the other side of the center to train with our adult mentors.”
They walked further into the room. On one side was a large sitting area complete with three couches and a large television with various gaming systems sitting on the entertainment console. A half kitchen with a microwave, refrigerator, and sink was against the far left corner. A large printed sign hung on the side of the fridge, “Please do not leave raw meat unwrapped. If you do, you get to clean the blood out of the crevices.” Pool tables, dartboards, and a foosball table took up the rest of the room.
“As you can see, we have plenty of indoor activities for the kids to do. There’s even a reading nook through that door.” Ophelia pointed to a single door on the back wall.
“Where did all the kids scamper off to?” Remy asked, saddened by the thought that they ran because of her and her brother.
“Kids should be outside, especially Shifter kids. They know when I throw open that door, it's time to vacate the indoors. We have organized activities outside most times of the day. We allow them a small break to relax in here during the hottest part of the day.”
“Todd, I’m going to have you help our younger members today while your sister assists with the older ones. Our older members mentor the younger ones as part of their training. Let’s go outside and I’ll introduce you to some of the other volunteers.”
Outside the back door of the center was a large field. Music boomed loudly from speakers attached to the side of the building. Kids of all different heights played in various areas of the field. Some had musical instruments in the far left corner and it appeared they were writing music with each other. A few of the guys had a touch football game going on at the far end of the field. On the opposite side was a large pool with multiple kids swimming laps and a few sunbathers lying around watching their friends. Various other games of volleyball, catch, and tennis were happening in other areas, reminding Remy very much of a human facility.
“Samuel, come here. Xavier, you also,” Ophelia demanded loudly. Two teenage boys, both tall and skinny, trotted over from the outfield. They’d been standing around, watching the football game in progress.
“Both of these young men volunteer with the thirteen and fourteen-year-olds. They’re in college and help us out during the summer months. They attend Huntington University, Remy. Guys, Remy will be starting there in the fall. She’ll be in her senior year. And this is her younger brother, Todd. He’ll be assisting both of you today. Introduce him to some of the more responsible ones around his age. I’ll take Remy over to Chrissy and get her situated.” Ophelia looked around as she spoke, “Where is that Vampire at? She’s been here less than a month and disappears at the most inconvenient times.”
“Maybe she got hungry and snatched one of the little ones off the playground to feed,” Samuel joked, earning a glare from Ophelia. Remy coughed to cover up a snort.
“You shouldn’t joke about that, Sam. It’s not funny and it’s disrespectful. Chrissy has done nothing to warrant that type of attitude. Besides, Vampires only drink from their mates. It’s taboo to drink from anyone else and you know that.”
Todd finally decided to speak up, luckily for Remy. He voiced her burning question. “Really? What do they do before they meet their mates?”
Ophelia sighed heavily. “They blood bag it or drink fresh blood from donors out of a cup. Drinking from a vein is seen as unseemly, and heavily frowned upon in their society. If caught violating this moral code, a Vampire could be ostracized, banished from the safety of their community.”
“How do Vampires know when they’ve found their mates then? I thought it had something to do with blood?” Remy was surprised Todd was showing so much interest in the subject. He’d never wanted to learn about anything supernatural before.
“A Vampire is drawn to their fated mate, an instinctual need to be with that person. It’s true they need to taste each other’s blood to know for sure, but that can be done with a smal
l nick on the wrist. If a Vampire suspects a bond exists, they will exchange a minute amount of blood, a taste test of sorts. This is usually done in full view of family members. A small celebratory tradition but nothing in their laws dictate how it must be."
“Weird,” was Todd’s only remark.
Remy, always fascinated with learning more about the supernatural species that lived around them, wanted to continue to interrogate Ophelia and learn everything she knew about Vampiric society. The woman showed herself to be a wealth of information and Remy knew she could possibly gain a lot from her.
Remy opened her mouth to ask a few more questions but was quickly cut off by Xavier. “There’s Chrissy.”
A woman around Remy’s age exited the back door, holding it open for two smaller girls to pass through. The woman, tall and willowy, the total opposite of Remy, smiled at the group. “Hi, guys. What’s going on?”
“Chrissy, this is Remy and Todd, the human councilor’s children. They’re here for the day volunteering. Todd will be working with these two,” she gestured to the two men, “and Remy will be assisting you.”
“Oh, great. I’m separating the younger girls today and holding a special class on making blood candles. You can help me with that. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do it on my own.”
Remy blanched. “Blood candles? Is that really a thing?”
The Shifters around her laughed and Todd just shrugged. Chrissy offered a small sardonic smile. “Making blood candles doesn’t involve real blood. It’s just a name because the candle goes from white to blood red when lit. We place a special pigment within the wax. Once it heats, it turns colors. The longer the candle burns, the darker shade of red is produced.”
“Oh.” Remy released a relieved breath. “That sounds interesting. I’ve never even made plain candles before. What are the ages of the girls we’ll be working with?” Remy hoped they were old enough to be trusted around hot flames.
“It’s a group of ten girls between the ages of twelve and fifteen. They’re waiting in the building we dubbed ‘the science lab.’ It’s the smaller building over there.” She pointed over Remy’s shoulder and Remy turned around, finally noticing the building. She’d seen it when they had first exited the main structure but thought it to be a utility shed of some sort.
“While you two go play with the girls, us men are gonna do manly stuff. Come on, Todd.” Samuel slapped Todd on the back, making him stagger forward a step. Her brother glared at the Shifter, but didn’t say anything as he followed behind them, heading back across to the field.
“Alright, ladies. I’ll leave you to it. I have some paperwork to complete. Have fun and I’ll be manning the front desk if you need me for anything.” Ophelia walked off, her heels swaying her hips suggestively. More than a few nearby men paused in what they were doing, watching her with appreciation in their gazes, Remy’s brother included.
“She sure knows how to make an exit. Wish I had that talent.” Chrissy said wistfully, drawing her arms up, crossing them over her chest.
Remy snorted. “Right? Same, girl. Same.”
A relaxed silence descended as the two women walked toward their destination. By the time they reached the outer door and glanced inside, it was clear the younger girls had been busy waiting for them. Two long tables were set up in the middle, girls lined up on each side. Bunsen burners, handheld propane tanks, wax and other assorted materials were spread out evenly across both tables. Angelic expressions all turned towards them when as they approached.
“Alright, ladies. Are you ready to have some fun?” Chrissy asked and each girl nodded with eager expressions.
12
Remy
Two hours later, the girls were in the back of the room cleaning up, trying to scrub off all the wax that coated their hands. Ten girls fighting over two tiny sinks wasn’t a pretty sight. Remy and Chrissy remained towards the front, cloth in hand, staring at the mess. The candles, while easy and fun to make, created a disaster when mixed with rambunctious preteens and teenagers. The two women would be lucky if they ever got all the wax off the table.
"Hey, Uncle Noah!" Chrissy called, looking over Remy's shoulder towards the open door. Remy spun around and locked eyes with a man walking towards them. Even dressed in old jeans and sneakers, the man exuded sex. A t-shirt, pulled taut against his broad shoulders, defined a well-chiseled chest. But what caught Remy’s attention was the look of deep sadness that seeped from the depth of his dark grey eyes. Chrissy threw her cloth down and circled the table, smiling widely at the man. “This is my Uncle Noah. Uncle, this is Remy. She helped me out with the candles today.”
He watched Remy silently, his eyes roaming over her body, leaving her overheated in their wake. She couldn’t find the will to move even an inch as Noah took his time checking her out. Remy’s heart raced, and her hands turned clammy. She tried to find her bearings and look away from him, but something held her captive. Noah finally met her stare again, making the breath leave Remy’s lungs at the look in his eyes.
The heated gaze he carried suddenly turned to one of surprise. “You’re not a little girl.”
The odd trance-like state snapped, leaving Remy fuming at Noah’s unexpected and completely rude comment. “I am not fat, you prick! I have curves.”
Chrissy attempted to intercede, but Remy’s fuse was already lit. She closed the three-foot gap between the two of them and smacked the smirking Vampire upside the head. “Learn the proper way to speak to a woman, asshole! Say anything else about my weight and I’ll pry those fangs of yours outta your mouth with a pair of pliers.”
Noah, not expecting the physical and verbal assault, stumbled backward a few steps. His hip bumped into the table behind him that held a row of burning candles in various shades of red. Remy watched helplessly as three of the candles tumbled off the table and onto the floor. She sighed in relief, as the first one flashed out and then the second. The third one continued to roll, fully lit, until it hit the wall, right under the window with the long curtains. Within seconds, both curtains were blazing. Before anyone could react, the fire jumped from one set of curtains to the other adjacent window.
“Everyone out now! Fire!” Noah hollered, his voice deep enough to reach the ears of everyone in the building. He urgently directed the Shifters out of the building as they ran for the exit. Remy and Chrissy jumped into action, counting everyone to ensure no one got left inside. The smoke drifting towards them became too much for Remy and her lungs burned as she coughed and wheezed.
Chrissy grabbed her arm and pulled her toward Noah and the exit. “That’s everyone, let’s go!”
The two Vampires waited to leave the building last with Remy. She noticed they weren’t affected in the least bit by the smoke and sent Chrissy a frown. Chrissy smiled sheepishly. “We can hold our breath for a lot longer than most humans and even Shifters, remember?”
Understanding dawned and Remy nodded. “Right, I forg—” Her words were cut off by another coughing fit. Stupid smoke. A loud warning siren went off. Within minutes, all activity had stopped and a total evacuation was underway, just in case the fire spread from the smaller building to one of the larger ones. Once everyone was rounded up a safe distance away, they all stood around, waiting for help to arrive.
Chrissy sighed heavily. “Well, on the bright side, we don’t have to clean up all the candle wax now.”
“What the hell happened here?” a demanding shout sounded from just inside the main building. Remy leaned around Chrissy to find multiple fingers pointed in her direction. The girls who had been making candles clearly blamed her for the incident.
The same man she’d seen at the skunk’s house stood in the doorway, glaring at her. Shit. The Alpha was here and he looked pissed.
Marching towards her, she noticed instantly he stood at least a foot taller than her, easily dwarfing her in size. His eyes narrowed, accusing her with just a look. The Alpha sniffed and then wrinkled his nose. “I can’t smell anything but smoke. Who the
fuck are you?”
“I’m Remy. Remy Stevens.”
“The human girl?” The Alpha looked confused for a second but shrugged it off. “No fucking wonder. I should’ve known it would be you. You’ve caused nothing but trouble since the day you arrived. I’ve never had so many complaints against one person in such a short time until you crossed the border. I could forgive most of it because I believed you to be a child but now, I’m rethinking the decision of allowing any humans into our territory. You’ve caused nothing but destruction and mayhem.
Tell me, Remy. Was that your plan all along? Are you one of those humans who believe Shifters and other supernatural species should be hunted and killed off? Does the thought of seeing us lying dead excite you?”
“N-no.” Remy’s voice shook hard. Her chest felt constricted and each new word that left the Alpha’s mouth, made the restraints tighten further. Her eyes watered with unshed tears as the man continued his tirade.
“Did you purposely burn down that building?” He pointed to the burnt remains, still smoldering in the distance. “What were you hoping to accomplish? When I made the suggestion for you to help out at the center, I never believed you would put our young in danger!”
Tears seeped out from the corner of Remy’s eyes, falling rapidly down her cheeks. The accusations stung. Not because she’d purposely tried to hurt anyone. No, it was the fact she did almost hurt children by losing her temper. Her temper had always been a problem but never this bad. She’d never had to work so hard at controlling it. Generally, when her fuse was lit, there was good reason, but lately, she fired up at the slightest things, which wasn’t normal for her.
Not having anything to say in her defense and unable to face any more accusations, Remy ran, aiming to skirt the larger building and go around the side so she wouldn’t encounter anyone else. Her eyesight blurred from the tears that refused to stop. Remy wiped them with her hands before reaching over and starting the ATV. She just wanted to get back to the cabin where she could hide out and nurse her wounded pride.