"Yes," George said.
"And you're going to let Karen off with a warning," Harper added. "And not because we're doing this for you, but because you believe that she's actually a changed woman. You believe that she made a mistake in consorting with felons, but that she doesn't deserve to go back to jail for it. She needs someone on her side who can keep her off drugs and off the streets and you're going to continue to be that person. Got it?"
George nodded. "I'm going to get her moved away from the boyfriend and into somewhere cleaner and safer."
"There's one other thing," Brittney said. "You're going to talk to your partner and you're going to make sure that you and her on the same page. That page being that you work with us, not against us. Got it?"
"Got it," George said, a genuine smile forming on his face.
"So get us that information and we'll work your case," Brittney said. "Come on, Harper. Let's go."
NINE
Chloe heard a commotion outside her house. She wanted to get out and stretch her legs, rain or no rain, demons or no demons. She grabbed a jacket and skipped out into the downpour.
The first thing Chloe noticed when she went outside was the smoke had cleared out of the air. The wind had taken it away. It made it much easier to breathe. She was glad for this; while she didn't have asthma, she knew plenty of people who did, and she knew what bad air quality could do to people with bad lungs.
The second thing she noticed was the cause of the commotion. There were four children playing outside. Well... three children were playing. The fourth looked miserable. Three of them were tall boys who had a small girl's doll. They were throwing it between them as she ran back and forth, trying to get it back.
Chloe sighed. She remembered being the small one in a large group, but she'd never been picked on like this. The fey would never have allowed their children to treat each other in such a fashion. Sure, there was some teasing that went on behind closed doors but bullying was kept to a minimum. It just wasn't in the fey's nature to make each others' lives miserable.
"Hey!" she called out, running up to the kids.
The boys scattered and one of them dropped the doll right into a mud puddle. He stuck his tongue out at the girl, then at Chloe, and then chased after his friends, disappearing down the street.
The girl went over to the doll and gingerly got it out of the puddle. She held it her hands and then sniffled. "It's ruined," she said.
"No it's not," Chloe said quickly, but that was obviously a lie. The doll was porcelain and the boys had broken it in their game of toss. The face was shattered. The clothes were ruined as well, soaked in mud and gunk.
"Yes it is," the girl said. She looked angrily after the boys and then tossed the doll down. "My mother is going to kill me. She only let me take the doll because I said I could take care of it. It wasn't even mine. It was hers."
Chloe winced and went to pick up the doll. "Hey, it's alright. Your mother will understand. It's not your fault. It was the fault of those boys. Who were they anyway?"
"Just some jerks I go to school with," the girl said. "They're always doing stuff like that to me. It's because I'm small for my age. Everyone says so. I can't defend myself, so they pick on me. It sucks."
"I bet," Chloe said sympathetically. "But you know, you don't have to take that lying down. Even people who are small can learn to defend themselves."
The girl glanced over at her. "No, I don't think so," she said.
"Why?" Chloe said.
"Because kids who are smaller and thinner are weak," the girl said.
Chloe shook her head. "We're also faster," she said. "I'm small too, but watch what I can do."
She ran around the girl in a circle, making sure she didn't run too fast. She didn't want to scare her. The girl still stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes.
"Wow," she said. "You are fast."
"Fast and strong," Chloe said. "Even though I'm small. Why don't you come inside? I'll make a you a cup of hot cocoa. You look like you could use one. Where do you live? I could call your mother and make sure she knows where you're at."
"She won't be home for another two hours," the girl said. "She's at work. She says I'm old enough to be by myself. School is canceled, but I was over at a friend's house playing."
"Do you want to come in for cocoa?" Chloe asked. "I understand if you don't."
"I'd like some hot cocoa," the girl said. "I'm Allie, by the way."
"Hi Allie, I'm Chloe."
Allie followed Chloe back into her house. She looked around and smiled a little. "You're a little messy, aren't you?"
"A little," Chloe said, and laughed. "Okay, I'll make you a cup and we can sit in the living room and talk."
Allie nodded and went to sit on the couch. She took her shoes off and drew her feet up underneath her, admiring the knickknacks around the room.
Chloe glanced at the girl and then took down some pixie dust. She wasn't the best at spells, but she could manage in a pinch. She mixed a little of the dust into the cocoa, and said a few words in the ancient language of the fey. Now the girl would never have to worry about being slow. She'd have the some of the speed of a fairy.
She brought the cocoa out and gave it to Allie. Allie quickly put down the book and took a sip. "This is good," she said.
"My special recipe," Chloe said. "So Allie, listen. You don't have to let them push you around. You can learn to defend yourself. There are ways to get strong, even if you're small. You can exercise and learn self-defense."
"I'm not good at it," Allie said.
"Nobody is until they practice," Chloe said. "I'll tell you what. If you're out of school, come by here a couple times a week. If I'm home, we'll work on self-defense exercises, alright?"
"You mean it?" Allie said. "You can teach me?"
"Sure," Chloe said. "I know the basics. Next time those boys mess with you, they'll get what they deserve, which is a good kick in the ass."
Allie laughed. "I don't know. I'm not really a fighter."
"You don't have to be a fighter to stand up for yourself," Chloe said. "Trust me on that, I learned that when I was young."
"Did your parents teach you?" Allie asked.
Chloe hesitated and then shook her head. "No, I had to teach myself. I wish I hadn't had to, though. It would have been nice to learn from someone who knew what they were doing."
She was quiet for a moment, remembering. She had learned to fight from going on her vampire killing spree. She had killed just under three hundred of them before meeting Alec and learning that not all vampires were evil.
"But you have to promise me something, Allie," Chloe said.
"What?" Allie asked.
"You won't use what I teach you to do stuff you shouldn't," Chloe said. "You won't use it to pick on people who are weaker than you. Because, Allie, you might not always be the smartest, or the strongest, or the most important person in a room. But you can always be the kindest. And in being the kindest, you can change the world."
Allie nodded. "I won't," she promised. "I won't use it badly, I mean. I'll just defend myself."
"And others," Chloe said. "If you see someone getting picked on, you can defend them too, because someone has to stand up for the little guy, right?"
Allie nodded. She looked to a statue of a wizard on a shelf. "I like your wizard," she said, pointing at it. "My mom wouldn't like it, though. She says witchcraft is bad. She's really religious, my mom."
Chloe nearly laughed. She wondered what Allie's mother would say if she knew her daughter was consorting with a supernatural creature. Or that she had spiked her daughter's drink with a spell that would make her unnaturally fast.
"I should go," Allie said, finishing up her cocoa. "Thanks for the drink. I'll stop by tomorrow if that's okay? Maybe you can show me some of those ways to fight then."
"You do that," Chloe said. "And Allie? Be careful out there."
Allie got up, put her shoes on, and then stopped on her way to the door. "
I saw something out there," she said. "I haven't told anyone because I didn't want them to think I was crazy or something. But you won't, will you?"
"No," Chloe said.
"I saw a creature with horns," Allie whispered, as though saying it louder might make it more frightening. "I didn't know what it was. Do you believe me?"
"Yes," Chloe said. "And Allie? If you see something like that again, I want you to run, okay? Run as fast as you can and hide. Because creatures like that aren't like the boys in your class. They won't stop at breaking your doll, and they won't disappear just because an adult comes out. So run. Run and hide and don't look back for anything. Can you do that?"
"Sure," Allie said. Her face cleared up. "Thanks for the cocoa, Chloe. I'll see you tomorrow."
TEN
"Thanks again for dinner," Conner said to Janice. "The potatoes were really good."
He'd just finished stuffing himself on home cooked ham and roasted potatoes. She had sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese, basil, and olive oil. He couldn't have done a better job himself.
"You're welcome," Janice said. "I'm just glad you could stop by. I wasn't sure if it was too short notice to call you or not."
"You can call or text me anytime," Conner said. "If you ever need anything, just give me a ring and I'll be here."
"I'll keep that in mind," Janice said with a smile. "Now, can I interest you in an after dinner beverage? You still like your favorite beer right?"
Conner grinned. "You know me so well," he told her. "That's the perfect way to finish off a meal like this. Sure, I'll have one."
"Or two," Janice said. "You always had two after dinner when we were living together. Said a meal never felt right without two."
"Right," Conner said. "Just remember that I have to drive."
"In this weather?" Janice said. "This late at night? Oh, no. You're staying in the guest room. I have it all set up for you. You can have as many as you want and sleep them off right here. It's better that way. I picked up a six-pack for you. Then I don't have to worry that you got in an accident on your way home. Unless you have other plans tonight?"
Conner shook his head. He was surprised at how accommodating Janice was being. It pleased him, because it meant that co-parenting would be easier, but he felt more guilty for how he'd left her before.
"Nope," he said. "No other plans. Just to drink some beer and maybe watch a game later."
Janice smiled.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Conner asked. "When you called, it sounded pretty urgent. As much as I like coming over for dinner with you and James, I assume there was a reason beyond offering me my favorite beer and your empty guest room?"
"Well, yes," Janice said. "I had ulterior motives. Come on to the living room while I make James start his schoolwork. Even though they're out of school, I've been printing out math and reading sheets so he can get ahead."
"Good call," Conner said. "How's he doing in school anyway? He's not behind or anything?"
"No, he's very bright," Janice said. "I actually thought about moving him up a year, but decided against it in the end. He can be top of his class rather than struggling to fit in with older kids."
Conner nodded.
"Go ahead to the living room," Janice said.
Conner went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and then went to the living room to wait. While he did, he pulled out his phone and texted Harper that he wouldn't be over tonight after all. He let her know that he was staying at Janice's because it was late, and he was having beer, and didn't want to drive afterward in the rain.
He didn't know what he expected; perhaps for her to send back something angry, but she just texted back that she was going to be busy working on a new case anyway and to have fun. He smiled and slipped his phone back into his pocket and opened his beer.
About ten minutes passed before Janice joined him. She didn't like beer, he remembered that well, so she was sipping a glass of white wine. He recognized the brand; it was an expensive one that they served at the Afterlife. He was glad she was doing well for herself. He imagined how he would have felt if they were living in poverty.
Janice sat down next to him, and they clinked their drinks together.
"He didn't want to do his work," Janice said. "He wanted to play on his computer more. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gotten it for him at all. He's addicted to playing games now. And watching these videos... they're weird. It's mostly people unboxing toys and playing with them."
"You mean, he'd rather watch people play with toys then play with them himself?" Conner asked. "Well, he must get that from your side. I'd rather be playing."
Janice laughed.
"So what's up?" Conner asked.
Janice's laughter faded. "I saw him transforming."
"What?"
She nodded. "I was watching him the other night when he didn't realize it. He was in the bathroom, in front of the mirror. He was transforming into his incubus form."
Conner let out a low whistle. "So he's got control of it already. I didn't even even change for the first time until I was a couple years older than him. He's going to be powerful someday."
Janice nodded. "I think it's partly my witch's blood too," she said. "I think it's amplifying the demon blood. But if he's already gaining the power to control when he can transform, I hate to think of how he's going to be using it, or what he thinks of it."
Conner nodded. "You want me to talk to him about it."
"Please," she said. "I mean, that's part of the reason you came back around, right? You wanted to be here for him for this part of his life. You wanted him to know that he's not alone. I don't want him growing up using these powers badly, Conner. He's a good kid, and I'd hate to see him go down the wrong road."
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," Conner promised. "When do you want me to talk to him? Now?"
"When you're ready," Janice said.
Conner finished his beer, threw the bottle in the recycling bin, and got another. He nodded to Janice and then went to knock on James' door. There was a moment of silence and then James shouted for him to come in.
He was sitting at his desk, filling out a math packet. Conner glanced at it; he was doing double digit addition already. The kid was bright!
"Hi, James."
"Hi, Conner," James said cheerfully. "Don't worry, I'm not playing on my computer. I'm doing my math like my mom told me to. And I'll do my reading after."
"What are you reading right now?" Conner asked.
"All kinds of books," James said. "Some of them are kinda scary, but I like the ones where you can make a choice and then turn to a different page to see what happens. Those are my favorite. Because if you make a mistake, you can just go back a turn and try again."
"Those were my favorite when I was a kid too," Conner said.
"Really? They had those when you were a kid?" James asked.
"Yeah," Conner said. He sat down on the bed and said. "But you know life isn't like that, right James? You know if you make a mistake in real life, you can't just go back and try again another way? There are consequences for every action you take."
"I know," James said.
"Sometimes it's easy to see yourself one way and then behave that way," Conner said. "Especially if you don't quite understand what it is you're seeing. Do you know what I'm talking about, James?"
For a moment, James said nothing. Then he defiantly shook his head. "What do you mean?"
Conner shifted on the bed and then stood, setting his beer on the night stand. He transformed into his incubus form. He thought it might scare the boy, but James just looked at him with wide eyes.
"Wait, you can do it too?" he asked.
"I can," Conner said. "That's why you can, because I'm your father. You have my genes."
"Oh," James said.
"You might have noticed after learning how to do this you can make people do what you want," Conner said. "Have you noticed that?"
"Sometimes," James
said slowly. "I can make people like me if I want to."
Conner nodded. "That's natural," he said, .It's natural that you might want to use your abilities to change the way people think or act, but you can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's wrong," Conner said. "If you want people to care about you, it needs to be real, and it needs to be because of the kind of person you are. You want people to like you because you are kind, and smart, and thoughtful. Does that make sense?"
"Yes," James said.
"If you ever get the urge to try and make someone behave a certain way toward you, I want you to call me, okay? Because it's wrong, James, but it's natural that you'd want to do it. It's part of your genetic makeup. But I can help you learn to control it."
"You can?"
"Yes," Conner said.
James nodded.
Conner shifted back to his normal, human form and approached his son. He put his arms around him. "I care about you, alright? So does your mother. That has nothing to do with what you can and can't do. Remember that, okay? When all else fails, remember that we love you, and you're not alone."
"Thanks, Conner," James said. "Now... can I go back to my math? Soon as I'm done with my schoolwork, I can play on my computer."
Conner laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Sure, James. You can go back to your math now."
ELEVEN
The following evening, Alec sat in the conference room of Afterlife, looking over the monitors. He was mad. He didn't like being threatened. Now his team had been threatened by Akain, Rebecca Stanley, and the police who'd harassed Chloe. He couldn't believe Harper and Brittney had agreed to help them out after they'd threatened to out the team.
The monitors showed the empty dance floor and the empty tables. He was angry about that too. Because of Akain's power play, his club was empty. From a financial standpoint, it didn't matter; he had plenty of money from the people who assigned them cases, but he liked seeing the club full. He could open it back up if he wanted, but who would come, especially after what happened the other night?
Make it Rain (Afterlife Book 10) Page 5