“You wouldn’t . . .”
“I would. And you’d deserve it for corrupting a dear friend of mine.” The hooded cloak wrapped itself into a ball of shame on Mallory’s lap.
“It’s a cape for crying out loud,” laughed Mr. Gruff.
“We don’t know any corruption spells!” Mr. Faizhon interjected. “Who do you think we are?”
“Then explain this!” Mallory screamed. “Explain it!”
“It was that servant of your boyfriend!” shouted Mr. Faizhon. “He was the only one near that thing before the beast showed up!”
“Lies!”
Rebecca tried to calm Mallory down. Mr. Gruff found the whole ordeal funny.
“We have no reason to lie,” he smirked. “A soldier of ours went missing last night. A good one, too.”
“Tommy?”
“You know him?”
“Ohhh,” Mallory bragged, “I know him very well.”
“Tommy Tills? Young man — brown hair — mama’s boy?”
“Let’s just say,” Mallory smirked, “it wasn’t The Bull who feasted on his soul last night.”
“Mallory,” Rebecca interjected, “stop it. Control yourself.”
“They’ve been starving us for so long,” the princess reminded her chaperone. She then looked Mr. Gruff directly in the eyes. “It only made sense to feed on that mouthy boy.”
“Bullshit,” Mr. Gruff grinned. Mr. Faizhon’s jaw was slung open.
“Are you being serious or are you just angry?” the latter asked her. “Do you not remember us warning you about our Timberwolves!?”
“One-hundred and fifty percent serious,” Mallory gritted her teeth. “And I’m not afraid of your ‘Timberwolves’.”
“He was innocent!” Mr. Faizhon yelled back. “That boy was in college! He was paying for his mother’s medical bills! You monsters!”
“Don’t worry,” Mr. Gruff smiled, patting Mallory’s leg, “it’s not true. The royal snob’s just having a little temper tantrum.”
Mr. Gruff’s mocking tone didn’t go unnoticed. Mallory sent a kick to his shin that unlocked a part of him she immediately regretted. He lunged at her — his hair, teeth, and claws growing tremendously within the split second it took to reach her. Rebecca and Mr. Faizhon screamed and hollered as they tried to stop the Stage 1 Lycanthrope from making Mallory his prey.
Behind the limo, Jayce finally stopped recording.
“Do you see that?” he asked his uncle and grandfather. “It’s shaking. The limo’s shaking!”
“Are they fighting?” Todd asked, clutching his handgun.
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Jim warned them. “It could be anything.”
“I’m going in,” Jayce said abruptly.
“No, you’re not,” Jim countered. “We’re safer here.”
“Something’s sketchy,” the teen continued. “I’ll just say I’m a tourist if they ask.”
“No, Jayce—”
The teen had already exited the vehicle. He clutched his pocket knife and ignored the yells from his uncle to return. Grandpa Todd grinned in delight of his disobedience. Jayce inched closer and closer to the limo, feeling sicker the further he adventured. Traffic was at a standstill. It only made the scene seem eerier.
As if on cue, the limousine door swung open.
“Go!” came the yell of Mr. Faizhon. “Go! Go! Go!”
Mallory and Rebecca tumbled out. They were covered in inky blood.
“Help!” Mallory screamed, pushing Rebecca from atop her. “Somebody help!”
Although many bystanders jumped from their cars to help, Jayce pushed them away and brought Rebecca and Mallory back to the minivan. Rebecca was so out of it that her heels dragged along the concrete. On his way back, Jayce saw Mr. Gruff growl at him — brown fur covering most of his face and an enormously sharp set of teeth jutting from his gums — before shutting the limousine door. Without hesitation, the limousine pushed a few cars out of the way, drove along the sidewalk, bumped a few pedestrians, took a left, and then sped off. The move caused mayhem The Enterprise instantly regretted.
After returning to the minivan, the trio of humans took a look at the giant woman. Large chunks of flesh had been extracted from her shoulder, stomach, and leg. The bites were so deep that it looked as if a lion had used her as its chew toy. Jim and the others fumbled to cover her wounds, but Rebecca was waving them off.
“Stop it!” Mallory cried. “Let us help you!”
“You’re wasting your energy,” Rebecca said, blood gurgling in her throat. “Without — a Bean — or medical attention — I’ll be dead soon.”
“We’re heading to the hospital right now,” said Jim.
“Don’t you dare!” Rebecca snarled.
“Stop being stubborn!” Mallory yelled. “We can save you!”
“We won’t — make it. Even so, it’s a death trap.”
“Don’t listen to her. Go to the hospital.”
“What do you know about death, sweetie?” Rebecca tried to laugh. She began coughing up blood instead.
“Brenden . . .” Mallory began to cry.
“Shhh!” Rebecca insisted, setting her finger on the princess’s lips. “You don’t need to tell me. A mother knows these things.” She struggled to detach the crooked Valkyrie pin. “Here. From me to you.”
“No,” Mallory shook her head in tears. “I would never.”
“Yes, you will,” Rebecca smiled. “Eat my heart out. I want to be with you forever.”
As the minivan sped toward the hospital, Jayce noticed something as the Gothic pair embraced each other in a hug. As Mallory cried in her arms, Rebecca was beginning to fade away. Her head had dropped and her eyes had drooped, marking her departure. But something else was at play. Specks of black were beginning to travel from the large woman’s body to the cloudy skies above them. When it began to rain, Jayce thought he was being pranked.
“You’re one of them,” the teenage boy confirmed. Mallory turned to him with a scowl that sent him backing into the window.
“Shut up! Just shut your mouth!”
“You lied to me!” Jayce shot back confidently. “You’re all aliens! Each and every one of you!” She grabbed Jayce and pinned him to the door.
“It’s none of your business what we are!” she spat, ignoring Jim’s calls and squeezing Jayce’s shirt. “We’re all lonely and crying out for help. What makes us any different from you!?”
“Calm down!” Jim yelled. “We’re almost there!”
“Stop,” Mallory ordered. “Stop the car!”
“We have to get her to the—”
“She’s gone, you fool! Stop the goddamned car!”
The minivan screeched to a halt. They were beside a cornfield in the middle of nowhere. Jim predicted The Enterprise to be waiting at the hospitals in Midtown, so he had been speeding his way to East Gatsby. They were rather close to Hopkins Hospital, but Mallory didn’t care. She opened the door and struggled to pull Rebecca out.
“Don’t go,” Jim pleaded. “We can help you with this.”
“I’m a cloud of bad luck,” she insisted. “I will ruin your lives if you let me.”
“You’re not going,” said Jayce. He held Rebecca’s fading body by the waist.
“Let go . . .”
“I’m sorry for what I said,” he continued, refusing to release his grip.
“Jayce!”
“I saw her disappearing and I threw out my assumptions without thinking. I know you’re not one of them.”
Mallory grunted as she had to play tug of war with Jayce for Rebecca’s body. Jim and Todd jumped out of the car but didn’t know what to do.
“I lied!” Mallory abruptly screamed. “I’ve been a Spern the entire time!”
Jayce didn’t want to believe her.
“Shut up and get in the car.”
Suddenly, Mallory donned her fangs and hissed at the humans. Jayce dropped Rebecca and jumped back so fast he nearly fell out the other side of
the van. Jim fell to the ground, and Todd’s “Oh shit!” was the last thing he said before jumping into the van and making sure his handgun was loaded.
“I’m sorry,” Mallory cried. “I am grateful for the way you’ve invited me into your family without judgment — but I am a monster. And now I am forced to consume one of my dearest friends. If I don’t, then another Goth will.”
The princess knew what Rebecca meant by “Eat me.” If she didn’t suck the Prana chamber from Rebecca’s heart, her soul would be lost forever.
Jim helped Rebecca out of the car without a word. The remaining Coyotes behind them wouldn’t even risk it. Jim hopped back in the minivan and off the humans went — with their minivan, weapons, and shocked faces. Mallory dragged Rebecca’s body to the side of the road, just within the field of massive corn stalks.
The princess hadn’t witnessed a friend die before yesterday night. Now, two of the closest beings she had ever known has passed away. The rain washed away her tears as she wept for mercy.
“I’ll kill her,” Jayce swore. “She lied to me. She lied to God. She lied to herself.”
“Calm down,” Jim said, looking back at his nephew in the rear-view mirror. His nephew was staring out the window, his eyes piercing everything that followed the road back home. Jayce was devastated.
“She’s the reason behind it all. The deaths. The monsters. We were punished for her lies.”
“Cut her some slack. We all mistakes.”
“Oh, shut up, Uncle Jim,” Jayce shot back. “You’re the one who brought her in. That’s the biggest mistake of all. You’re lucky nobody died because of you.”
After reminiscing on Mallory’s fangs, Jayce had a point. Jim stayed quiet the rest of the ride home.
When they arrived home, they were met by visitors. Two police officers — Officers Liu and Officer Allen — of the Gatsby Police Department were speaking to Abby inside. Officer Allen was a slender, middle-aged man with dark skin and swagger. Officer Liu was a young woman who glared at people as if everybody was a suspect. A man in a trenchcoat was there, too.
“There they are,” the man in the trenchcoat said, rising from one of the family room couches. He shared another handshake with Jim. “Pratt. We met a couple hours ago.”
“I remember,” Jim confirmed. “What’s this all about?”
“It’s not safe here anymore,” said Officer Allen. “Detective Pratt convinced the Chief to mark this house as ‘high priority’. His evidence must’ve been strong.”
“It was,” said Pratt. “You’re all in danger of becoming victims of a war you know nothing about. I’d suggest you pack your essentials and leave Gatsby for a while.”
“Pack?” asked Jim. “What’s the issue?”
“It’s classified.”
“Come on, man. How can we leave knowing we did the right thing if we don’t even know why we’re being kicked out?”
“You’re not being kicked out. This is a friendly warning.”
Jim and the others looked confused.
“Excuse me?”
“Leave Pennsylvania,” Pratt continued. “You’ll be sorry if you don’t.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“This has nothing to do with you and I. Here, take my number. Call me and I’ll inform you when it’s safe to return.” Detective Pratt handed Jim a work card. It looked sketchy, but it had a number.
“I feel like we’re being scammed. At least tell us something.”
Detective Pratt turned to the officers.
“A little taste wouldn’t hurt,” Officer Allen concluded. “They’re leaving anyway.” The detective turned back to Jim.
“A trusted source of mine within The Enterprise says that this place is prone to a raid. They’ve confirmed that one of their enemies has been living here, and so have we.”
“Mallory?” Jayce interrupted.
“Correct,” said Pratt. “She and her friends have been marked for death.”
“Then why move us?” Jayce continued. “They’re the ones ruining everything. Lock them up.”
“It’s not that easy. It’s very hard to displace a beehive — especially when none of us are beekeepers.”
“What?”
“There are things going on in Gatsby that you’ll never understand.”
“Like The Bull?” Jayce shot back. The detective and the officer turned to each other.
“Bull?”
“Stop acting like you’re clueless. You know about The Bull.”
Officer Allen was about to speak, but the detective stopped him.
“We should get going. We’ve done our job and warned them. If they don’t want our help, then so be it.”
“We do,” said Jim. “We’re going home.”
“I’m not leaving,” said Abby.
“Me neither!” yelled Jayce. “This is bullshit!”
“Watch your mouth,” Officer Allen and Jim said in unison. Jayce looked the officer directly in his eyes.
“Get out — you cowards. All of you. Get the fuck out.”
“Our pleasure,” said Pratt. He tipped his hat. “Have a nice day.” The officers were absolutely livid. It wasn’t his place to kick them out! Especially not with that language! He was a kid!
“Let me find that boy outside,” Officer Allen muttered to his partner. “I’ll teach him a thing or two about respect.”
“I’d ask for your badge number if your entire department weren’t corrupt!” Jayce shouted despite Jim trying to hold him back. “Gatsby pigs!”
After they left, Jim closed the door and turned to Jayce and Abby.
“They’re looking for revenge,” he began.
“They’ll be looking for their heads if they show up anywhere around here,” said Jayce. “We have enough weapons to go to war.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Jim asked him.
“Have you? I mean, come on, you saw the same shit I saw just an hour ago.”
“Which makes our decision easier.” Jim motioned for The Coyotes to move it. “Help me pack up. We’re going back to Florida.”
“I’m not leaving . . .” Abby repeated herself.
“I can’t force you and Jayce to come, but you’re making the wrong choice, Mom. I know you love the house and all but these guys are serious. Something happened earlier that—” Suddenly, Todd put two and two together and interrupted his son.
“Woah, Woah, Woah!” the grandfather began. “You said you can’t force her and Jayce to go. I’m not going either.”
“Yeah, you are.”
“No the hell I’m not. And you can’t make me, boy.”
“Fine, you can stay. But we’re taking the guns.”
Todd immediately gave in.
“I’ll be waiting in the van.”
“Grandpa, seriously!?”
“What can I say, kiddo!? You saw what that monster boy did by the cornfield. I’m too old to stay somewhere without my guns.”
“Gramps, Mallory’s a chick.”
“It’s a boy — and I ain’t budgin’.”
“Just when I thought we were getting along . . .”
Todd knew how hard it was to win Jayce’s attention. Their political differences had kept them separated for the longest, but their belief in conspiracy theories brought them back together. The grandfather turned to his son.
“C’mon, Jimbo! We’re like Rick and Morty!”
“No, Dad — you two are more like a crazy old man and a homicidal maniac.” Todd gave up again. He lowered his head and grumbled his way to the front door.
“Sounds like Rick and Morty to me . . .”
“You’re a sorry excuse for a father,” Jayce shot at Jim.
“Excuse me!?”
“You heard me. You’re giving up on her.”
“Who?”
Everybody was hoping he didn’t say it, but he did.
“Lily.”
The Coyotes had to hold Jim back from Jayce. Even Abby finally stood up to quell the situation.
But nothing would settle this. The words stung.
An hour after returning home, Jim, Todd, their guns, and the Coyotes were gone. The entire house was left to Abby and Jayce. Abby was sipping tea, settling down from the increased stress these new revelations placed upon her. The one thing she would NEVER do is leave her house to some faraway place for an extended period of time. There was no talking to her about it.
Jayce wouldn’t leave because he was too determined to take down The Enterprise. When the other Coyotes tried talking sense into him, he told them to “fuck off.”
Jayce spent some time in the basement searching for evidence of the Sperns he could hold for safekeeping. Nothing. He tried playing back the video he recorded on his phone. Everyone but simple pedestrians was M.I.A.
What the fuck?
He couldn’t believe it, but he had to. Because if that were true, then so was his wand. And with no barrier between them, he was sure he’d have one last blowout to force his grandmother to open the box. He felt sick even thinking of cornering his own grandmother into such a situation. The dreams he had begun to receive were too satisfying. All that power. All that magic. If it turned out to be real, he’d have Mallory, The Enterprise, and every other “Spern scum” bow to him — a common human. He would live on his own. He would fight to enact policies — and actually force them to move ahead. Everything he dreamed of could finally come true if he got Abby to open the box.
Shit was about to go down.
14
The Timberwolves
Mallory had finally finished eating the rest of Rebecca’s heart. All she had left of her chaperone was her soul and the Valkyrie lapel pin she gifted her. Mallory buried her clothes deep in the dirt under which Rebecca’s remnants disappeared. Her foster mother would be as devastated as she was.
She remembered that Jim didn’t like W-sitting, so the princess quickly stood up. She left the cornfield, took off her boots, and began walking down the road — hoping another family as nice as the Fletchers would pick her up. But it would be tough to attract attention on this rainy day. Her hair was frizzy, her outfit was haggard, and she couldn’t stop crying. The princess would even throw herself out of any vehicle in which she had to put up with her constant sniffling.
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