by Danica Rayne
“You have no idea.”
I leaned back against the couch with a huff. “What a day, huh?”
“What a day,” she agreed.
“And I have to go to school tomorrow.”
She threw me a smile. “Life continues. You know you’ll still have to slay at night. Though I think things might be quiet for a little while.”
“Finally, I get a break. Did you learn anything at the precinct?”
She smashed her controller buttons as she took down a boss. “The crime rate has fallen.”
I gaped at her. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“So there’s no record of the portal and the demon anywhere?”
She shook her head. “It’s like it never happened.”
“Whoa. Now we know how the secret of supernaturals have stayed hidden all this time. Because of the witches. They protect the humans just like the slayers do.”
She paused the game and looked at me. “How are you holding up, kiddo? Are you emotionally scarred?”
“Ha.”
“I’m serious, Alivia. You battled a demon lord, one of the strongest in the universe. That’s a big deal.”
I shrugged. “I think I’m fine. How do I know if I’m starting to lose my mind?”
She tapped my nose. “I guess I’ll have to keep a very close eye on you.”
I groaned. “Please don’t.”
She knocked her shoulder into mine. “I’m going to play Mario on Switch. Play with me?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
We played for five minutes before Aunt Bea said, “So you saw your parents, huh?”
I kept my eyes on the screen. “Yeah. I finally got the chance to say goodbye.”
“It must have been hard to let them go.”
Tears gathered in my eyes. “It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life.”
She leaned forward to press a kiss on my temple.
“Mom told me to tell you goodbye. And that she loves you.”
Grief passed over her face. “I wish I could have said goodbye to her, too.”
I hugged her. “I also walked down Memory Lane.”
She raised a confused eyebrow. “What? Crap!”
I laughed as Mario got killed by a goomba. Then the memories Mergarus had accessed floated into my mind, and my heart lurched.
“Alivia?” She paused the game and turned to me. “What happened?”
“He tapped into my memories to try to break me,” I told her. “It was like watching old homemade videos.” I told her about the memories, a smile playing on my lips. “I don’t even remember most of them. Except the ones that happened right before they died.”
She took my hand. “At least you have them with you now,” she said. “You won’t forget them. They’ll stay with you forever.”
I nodded.
We played for another few minutes.
“So about the boys…”
I shut my eyes for a second. “I knew this was coming. I was trying to avoid this…”
“Oh, you’re not getting out of this.”
I sighed, pausing the game. “Are you going to tell me to break up with them?”
Surprise took over her face. “Why would I tell you to break up with them?”
“Because they’re supernaturals?”
She leaned back on the couch and shrugged. “You’ve opened my eyes. I guess I was looking at the situation in black and white. Levi opened my eyes, too. So have your guys. Alivia, I can’t really explain it, but the five of you are good together. It’s like you’re meant to be together. I feel it in my heart.”
“Five parts of one soul?” I asked.
“Sure, I guess. If the whole soulmate thing even exists.”
I gave her a face. “You believe in soulmates.”
“I am a little worried about you having four boyfriends, though,” she admitted. “And the wendigo worries me, too.”
“You don’t have to worry about Finn anymore,” I told her. “He no longer craves humans.”
“What?”
“It’s a long story. A witch gave him a potion. Anyway, he and his sister aren’t a threat anymore. And about the guys?” I raised my chin. “They’re not going anywhere. I hoped you’d learn to accept us—”
“I never said I don’t accept you. It’s unconventional, that’s all, and probably very complicated. I just want you to talk to me, okay? I want you to be honest with me. No more secrets.”
“That goes for you, too,” I said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your love life,” I said. “I know you want to meet someone.”
“Oh, Alivia,” she grumbled.
“What about Dr. Caldwell?”
Her jaw fell open in total shock. “Are you serious?”
“What? I saw the way you two fought side by side. You made a very good team. And…” I bumped my shoulder into hers. “You’d make a very cute couple.”
She groaned. “I am not listening to this.”
She unpaused the game and controlled Mario, not caring that poor Toadette was left behind and ultimately killed.
“C’mon, Aunt Bea. He could be the perfect boyfriend. You’re part of the supernatural world. He’s part of the supernatural world. You don’t have to worry about telling him the family secret because he already knows.”
She hummed to herself as she continued playing.
“And he’s a doctor,” I reminded her.
“I can’t believe my teenage niece is trying to set me up with her boyfriends’ foster dad.”
“It’s not like they’re actually related…”
She shook her head. “That’s not the point.”
I threw my hands up. “Then what is the point? You told me during dress shopping that nearly dying made you realize you don’t want to live in fear anymore. That you wanted to get out there and meet someone.”
She kept her eyes on the game. “I said no such thing.”
I rolled my eyes. “Dr. Caldwell’s just like you, you know. He lost his family and is lonely. He immerses himself in his work just like you immerse yourself in video games.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “I don’t immerse myself in anything. I’m a 90s kid and I grew up playing video games. The best ones, I may add.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumble. “Heard that one too many times.”
Her hand shook a little as she pounded on the buttons of her controller and she gnawed her bottom lip.
“Look, Aunt Bea,” I said in a soft tone. “I just want you to be happy. I know it’s hard to put yourself out there, but the world almost got destroyed. The humans go on in blissful ignorance while we are very aware that we could lose this one day.” I gestured around. “Don’t let your fear ruin your chance at happiness.”
She didn’t say anything, just continued biting her bottom lip.
“Whether it’s Dr. Caldwell or another guy, you won’t lose him like you lost your other boyfriend,” I said, still in a soft tone. “And you won’t lose him like you lost Mom.”
She puffed out her cheeks. Then gave me a wry smile. “You think saving the world turned you into some yoda?”
I returned the smile. “No, I just think we need to make the most of our time here.”
She picked up my discarded controller from the couch and placed it in my hand. “Play. Mario’s lonely without his sidekick.”
We played for another good few minutes until Aunt Bea asked, “When’s the winter formal?”
“This Saturday.”
“Ooh,” she teased. “Your first dance, how exciting! And you have a gorgeous dress. You’ll be the prettiest girl there.”
I rolled my eyes. “Aunt Bea…”
“So…who are you going with?” she asked.
“All of them.”
She quirked a brow. “All of them?”
“None of them, other than Ryker, has ever been to a dance, either. I want to share the special
night with all of them.”
“Sounds fun,” she said, then sighed wistfully. “You know, now that I think about it, it’s pretty awesome to have four boyfriends. More gifts, more late night phone calls, there will always be someone available if you want to talk. Oh, and lots of kissing.”
“Aunt Bea!” I playfully slapped her arm.
Her smile died as her face grew serious. “Right. I need to be the strict parent and not the fun aunt. About the physical thing…I hope you guys will be careful…I mean, they’re supernaturals and I have no idea—”
“Whoa. Where is this conversation headed?”
“I just think it’s important—”
“No! Just focus on the game.”
“Okay, fine. But we’ll have this talk sometime in the future.” She wrapped an arm around me and yanked me close to her chest. “I love you, kiddo.”
“I love you, too.”
***
The guys were waiting in their car the next morning. I scanned my surroundings as I focused on a supernatural scent—one that didn’t belong to my guys. I didn’t sense anything. I guessed it would take a while until I got used to not constantly having to watch my back. Of course supernaturals would always be lurking around, but I hoped we wouldn’t have to deal with another demon lord for a very long time. Or never again.
“There’s our girl!” Ryker waved as he got out of the passenger seat. He gestured toward the seat. “Shot gun, my queen.”
“No way. I’m no one’s queen. Hey, everyone,” I greeted.
They returned the greeting.
Ryker wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “You doing okay, Ryke?” I asked.
“I’m all right,” he said. “Was up half the night thinking about my mom, but I’m hanging in there. I’ll always be okay as long as you’re in my life.”
I stroked his cheek. “I’m here for you. Talk to me whenever you want.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Thanks.”
He closed the passenger door before joining Finn and Liam in the back. After I was buckled in, Kayden stepped on the gas.
“Can you believe it?” I said. “Just a regular day at school.” I leaned back in my seat. “All our days will be normal now. And maybe a little boring.”
“Would you rather fight another demon lord?” Kayden asked with a teasing smile.
“No way. I’ll take the boring.”
“At least now we can just live our mundane lives,” Liam said. “Hang out like normal teenagers for a change?”
“Well, not totally normal,” I said. “I still have to slay at night.”
“You mean, we have to slay at night,” Ryker corrected.
I turned around. “This is a solo job, Ryker. We don’t have to worry about hellhounds and pillars and demons anymore. Slaying will be a piece of cake.”
“Until the next evil,” Kayden said.
“What makes you so sure there will be another evil?”
He shrugged. “I’m not saying there will be one for sure, but I don’t think we should lower our guard. You never know what evil lurks in the shadows.”
“Such a pessimist.” Liam chuckled. “How about we have a positive outlook?”
Finn started signing from the back. I had stayed up quite late last night cramming in some sign language studying. I could pick up bits and pieces, but I was still a little lost.
“He said he agrees with you, Alivia,” Ryker interpreted. “He says we should be cautious, but we shouldn’t live in fear.”
I flashed him a grin. “I can sense how excited you are, now that you don’t crave humans. Did you try eating human food?”
With a frown, he shook his head and signed as he said in my head. Turns out I still can’t tolerate human food. Looks like I’ll have to continue eating human organs once a month.
From his troubled look, I knew how much that killed him. I reached for his hand. “Sorry. That sucks.”
But I don’t crave humans like I used to, he said, some light coming to his eyes. That makes me feel so much better.
I smiled and he returned it.
“Hey, your tooth’s filled in. Your teeth look awesome.”
“Levi took him to the dentist early this morning,” Liam said, studying his foster brother. “I think I liked you better with the sharp teeth.”
We all gave him a face.
“Just kidding.” He held out his hand to Finn for a fist bump. “I’m happy for you, dude. You should smile more often.”
With another smile, Finn bumped his fist.
“I’m with Liam,” I said. “I love your smile.”
Kayden turned into the school lot and parked. We got out of the car and stared at the high school building. Yesterday, half the building was destroyed it was swarming with supernaturals, including the demon lord. Now it stood in one piece like yesterday never happened.
The kids headed toward the building, some shuffling their feet like zombies, others overly excited, and some indifferent. Like a typical day.
The guys and I gathered at my locker. We were a bit early, but the hallway was already crowded with students.
“How’s your sister doing?” I asked Finn as he took out his math book from the adjacent locker.
He signed.
“Really?” I asked. “She chose a name?”
With a nod, he signed the name Meggie.
“Meggie? I love it. It suits her.”
He signed again, and I glanced at the guys to interpret. “One day I’m going to be fluent in ASL.”
“He said she always liked the name for some reason,” Ryker said. “He likes it, too.”
“And can she tolerate human food?”
Levi’s not sure yet, Finn signed as he spoke to me in my mind. He’s a little hesitant to give her human food right now. But she hasn’t displayed any signs of hunger, so it’s possible she may survive on eating human organs once a month like me. We’re taking it one day at a time.
“What about school?”
He doesn’t want to overwhelm her. One day at a time. He smiled to me. I’ve dreamed of having someone like me in my life for so long. I can’t believe it actually came true.
I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, then looked around to see if anyone noticed. I still wasn’t sure about PDA in public. Would kids give me crap if they saw me sharing kisses with all four of them? They didn’t really pay much attention to us, though. I guessed we’d continue figuring things out over time.
Just then, Lawrence passed by, his thumbs tapping on his phone.
“Hey, Lawrence,” I said.
His head lifted and a hesitant smile spread across his lips. “Hey.”
“You still joining us for lunch, right?” Ryker asked.
His eyes moved warily between all five of us. “Uh, sure. If you guys want me to.”
“We do,” Liam said.
Now a real smile conquered his face. “Cool. I’ll see you then. And um, I want to apologize to Alivia, Ryker and Kayden. Sorry for being such a jerk during PE.”
I waved my hand. “It’s okay. You were in a bad place. But things are better now, right?”
He nodded. “I’m thinking about moving in with my grandmother.”
“That’s good,” I said, maybe a little too encouragingly.
“Well, see you guys at lunch.” He walked off.
I caught sight of Chase talking with some of his buddies across the hallway. From the pompous way he pushed out his chest, I wondered if he had been affected by yesterday like Lawrence was. He and the other humans weren’t manipulated with false dreams like Lawrence was, they just blindly followed a cause they didn’t fully understand. Lawrence’s whole outlook changed because of what I showed him in his mind. Maybe he wasn’t aware of it, but it must be in his mind somewhere. Was it possible it somehow passed on to the other humans, giving them hope as well?
Chase’s eyes met mine. With a lazy smile, he marched over. “Hey, gorgeous. Caught you checking me out. I don’t blame you, I wouldn�
�t be able to keep my eyes off me, either.”
“Do you remember anything from last night?” I asked.
His eyebrows dipped so low they touched his eyelashes. “Last night…? Are you saying we hooked up? Oh, man. We hooked up last night and I don’t remember it? No big, you free tonight? How about—”
Ryker got in his face. “No, you didn’t hook up with her last night. And if you don’t back up this second—”
I placed my hand on Ryker’s massive chest and gently pushed him back. “Let me handle this.”
Narrowing his eyes at Chase, Ryker reluctantly stepped away.
I pinned my eyes on Chase. “I wouldn’t get together with you even if you were the last guy on the planet.”
He stared at me for a few seconds, then scoffed. “Oh, if I was the last guy on the plant you would definitely get together with me.”
“You haven’t changed since my aunt and I bailed you out, have you? You promised us you’d treat women better.”
He shrugged. “Girls love me just the way I am.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Walk away, Chase. You’ll get what you deserve. Life has a way of working itself out.”
With one more glance between me and the other guys, he stormed off to a group of cheerleaders.
My arms still folded, I watched him play around with the girls. “I guess some people are just rotten through and through.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kayden texted me during last period, asking if I wanted to check out the new library with him. They had just opened it a few hours ago.
Sure, I texted him.
He was waiting outside my classroom, and his face lit up when I walked out. A warm feeling settled in my limbs. It seemed like forever since I’d last seen a decent smile on him. With the stress of trying to stop the portal from being opened, a demon lord actually coming through, and then what went down with his mom, there was no time for smiles. But all the stresses were gone now, and I could spend my days grinning like a dope as I watched my boyfriend’s lips lift into a sweet smile.
“Ryker’s going to drive the others home,” Kayden said as we headed toward the door. “I thought we could walk to the library. The weather’s pretty decent.”
“I know. It’s almost like the Earth is making up for the icy cold that took over it yesterday.”