Shifting Heroes

by Francheska Fifield

  She cups her hands and drinks. I start to gag so I turn to see what our demon pal is doing. He is absorbing the energy that really wants to bash our brains in. I doubt it remembers why it had been trapped, or even who it was, but it is pissed. It is still no match for a demon.

  As he absorbs more power he starts to get a real form. First a donkey….cool an animal form. Then a gruff old man appears as he grows even more in power. Then the biggest shock of all. A woman stands there with dark almost black eyes and large grey wings. She turns to us and nods then climbs into the pot with Beth. His…her form shifts and blurs and the sky lights up. It is almost as bright as the noon day sun on a happy spring day.

  Beth opens her arms and they hug melding together. A burst of light that blinds us all, a scream that starts out all Beth, then sounds much more other sounds through the sky. After a few minutes it lessens until it is just Beth. It tapers off into a few whimpers and heavy breathings. Then the leftover contents of the pot turn to steam and Beth inhales it all, pulling it in, letting it seep into not just her pores and lungs but her very soul.

  There is a big explosion and power pushes us all back a few steps. It likely would have killed us had the witches not put up a powerful woven barrier. They were prepared. Still even with them all combining power it knocks us back a bit. That says something about the amount of power Beth will now command. It terrifies me but some part of me, the part that worries about what will happen next, is relieved.

  When the smoke clears I notice the sun is peaking over the horizon. It what seemed like minutes was really hours. Had it been the same for Beth? Had she felt like days passed as she became a new home? Or had it been over in the blink of an eye? Everyone holds their breath as she steps forward. The witches look at her closely scanning for what I have no idea.

  Her eyes swirled grey and I step back. "Beth…" She is supposed to be in power isn’t she? In control?

  Her eyes return to their normal color and one of her sarcastic smiles is thrown my way.

  "You didn’t think a little demon like this would really get the better of me did you?"

  The witches breathe a sigh of relief and drop their shield. Which is good because I am running to her. We hug tight and I can’t get enough of the feel of her in my arms. Her smell is still there. The same, but different…more. It will be like that forever and I couldn’t have care less. She is with me once again. She pulls back and smiles.

  "I should thank the witches."

  I nod and let her go. I don’t want to but she isn’t wrong. We owe them big time.

  She steps forward nodding to Brisa as she does so. Brisa tosses Beth her sword, how had she snuck that in? Then it hits me. The witches wouldn’t have let her unless they know what is happening. I know Beth. Her penchant for guilt and atonement. I leap forward and slam into a wall of air. It forms ropes and holds me in place. I look to Brisa and growl.

  "I thought she was your friend?!"

  "Of course she is. And she thinks this is the right path Brian. It is her life. To live or lose."

  So they had a secret meeting just as I had with Samigina. Damn. I look back to see Beth bow down and hand her sword to the witch leader.

  "I offer my life in atonement for the one lost the day you helped me banish the other demons from this plane."

  I struggle but the ropes get tighter the more I do. I am like the prey of a snake. Tighter and tighter until bones break then I will be devoured.

  "It is not for me to decide."

  "I know. But she is too young to have the burden placed upon her."

  I am trying to decipher what the hell Witchy woman and Beth are talking about when a path clears and the little girl I had been talking to earlier walks over standing in front of Beth.

  "You killed my brother?"

  My stomach drops. I could have ended this earlier. A quick snap of the neck and Beth would have been safe. How stupid and blind I had been.

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  Beth doesn’t look up but even from here I can feel the salt leaking from her eyes. Tears.

  "I do not know. I was not in my right mind. I wish he had been strong enough to kill me instead. You have no idea how much I wish it. I have spent weeks getting electrocuted so the people that supposedly care about me could talk to a sane me for a few minutes. Every time one of them wished to talk to a sane me they did it. If I could have spared myself that pain and you could have kept your brother…I would have given anything to make it so."

  I didn't realize tears were leaking from my eyes until I sniffle. Beth is right. We did that. Over and over. With no care about how she felt about it. Do those that lost themselves really want to come back? Is it not their escape from an existence they can no longer stand? Is it their way of dying when they can’t kill themselves? Is that what Beth really wanted?

  "So you will give me your life since you took his?"

  "It is all I can do."

  The girl grabs the blade, it is almost as long as she is, and slams it into the ground next to her.

  "I know of you. Did you know my brother was scared but excited to meet you? He was happy he, a lowly mage, would be able to work with you. He couldn’t believe someone more powerful wasn’t sent."

  "The witch council chose someone powerful enough to accomplish our spell but expendable if something went wrong."

  I don’t think that is the right thing to say, but the little girl doesn’t even flinch. She has hardened too much too soon.

  "Then my anger at you is misplaced since they chose to send him thinking him expendable."

  "Many of us share blame, but it was my hands that performed the deed."

  Everyone looks away in guilt, fear, self-loathing. So many at fault and only one of them brave enough to accept the consequences.

  "I should be mad at fate. All this came about because your brother made you wake the demons. Which came about because your partner betrayed you. The witches, the Fae, even you did what you thought was right. If I kill you for something you had no control over with it wouldn’t be vengeance it would be murder. I don’t want that and he wouldn’t either."

  She looks up and turns walking away. Beth rises and sheaths her sword. She bows to the witch leader and turns summoning Brisa. I am kept trapped and floating along behind. I can't even speak right now. Which is the safest option because I have a lot to say…a whole lot.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "What the hell were you thinking?!"

  Jason is in the back taking up half the cushions sleeping while I am squished into a corner pressed close to the door. Brisa drives and Beth lounges in the front seat one knee on the dashboard.

  "It was the right thing to do. The little girl needed this. She could spend her entire life bitter and angry and destroy her potential turning to the dark side or she could learn that life isn't fair but you hang in there until its good again. She needed this."

  Beth never had that option and knowing she could give this chance to another little girl treated unfairly by fate I know it wasn’t even a choice for her. I sighs but the fight leaves me. Beth is like that. She infuriates you but you can’t dispute her goodness. It is what made me fall in love with her so thoroughly.

  "Someone could have warned me."

  Power flushes into the car and I straighten despite being pinned.

  "The host…Beth…didn’t think you would agree. So she met Brisa in secret and made her swear it. When we merged she saw our conversation when I was in her brother and knew she did the right thing."

  "So you can pop up whenever huh?"

  "The host she is tired. The ceremony is draining. She was awake by sheer force of will only."

  "Won't you using her body exhaust her?"

  "No. I will care for the body while she rests her mind. It has been over a year of fighting. She needs rest. She will return when she is ready."

  A mental rest. I can understand that. In fact I wish I had that option too. Someone to steer my body while my mind just sleeps.
Then again I can go into a vampire healing sleep and I will be out for who knows how long. Problem is I want to be aware when Beth comes to. So for now I will have to deal with a nap.

  I wake up later and it is gray in the sky. I trudge to the fridge, grab some blood, and down it without even bothering to smell and make sure it hasn't expired yet.

  It feel like lightning zips through me. I know how Beth felt getting electrocuted because I sure as hell had. "Brisa!"

  "It's just a snack. You are dead on your feet…almost literally. I have to say I expected you to smell the difference and basically throw it at me."

  My shoulder is knitting itself back together. And it hurts like hell. I drop the bag but Brisa's magic catches it. Catches it and holds me still as she forces my mouth open and dumps the rest in.

  "Sam and I decided this was the best way. Did you know her blood is descended from angels? That’s why her final form has wings. She donated some blood too. We figured this would fully heal you. Or nothing ever would."

  They are not wrong. I feel like I am being kicked by a thousand horses…or dragged by them. I swear energy courses through my veins in its purest form. I am being double whammed here. What the hell were they thinking?

  "Listen Brian life will not be easy for Beth just because her sanity is no longer in question. She has a lot of feelings she cannot deal with on her own. Not to mention the extra power. And her determination to make amends to all she wronged. She is going to need you and you are going to need to be in top form. Besides we cannot let her see your chunk of missing flesh every time she goes to make out with you. It will kill her from the inside out. So for both your sakes just deal."

  It is not like she is giving me a choice to agree or not. Then again as the pain dies down and I feel more like my old self but way, way better, I understand what she means. I didn’t think about how the wound causing Beth distress. I moved on and assumed she would too. But this is better. I hold my mouth open and the chains, so to speak, come undone.

  "Better."

  I nod and stand. Well I am not tired anymore. Or hungry. I am just powerful.

  "Now get to work. You need to be financially stable so Beth can ease back into life without worrying about money."

  When Brisa makes a point she kind of piles them on. So I do what I am best at. I work my ass off day and night getting used to Sam's prescience in Beth's body. I have been told that is the name he or she will go with. Makes sense. Gender neutral name (Samuel or Samantha) and that way we don’t have to call him or her an it. This is definitely easier. No difficult thinking involved.

  "Sam how much longer until Beth comes out again?"

  Jason is visiting again. We are going to need a freaking addition. Jason needs a room if he is going to live here. And Sam needs one for when he or she is in the driver's seat for long periods of time. Beth's body it may be, but it is not sleeping next to me. A week on the floor while Jason takes the couch makes for interesting mornings when we all race to the bathroom. It makes me realize just how much we need more bathrooms and so they get added to the list.

  Luckily we have enough to buy the house outright. So I have. Then I get a loan from Charlotte and hire contractors to add on. Our bedroom is getting a master bath and three bedrooms are being added on, as well as two more bathrooms. I am using the spare we have now as my work room and everyone comes in to sit annoying the hell out of me.

  Everyone needs their own space and Jason refuses to return to the shifters after finding out they betrayed his sister even more thoroughly than he thought before. Brisa visits off and on…more on than off it seems. Then the bedroom for Sam. It will also work as a guest room since Sam won’t be in charge a whole lot. She is okay with the neutral room that others can sleep in as well.

  The kitchen is being remodeled to Jason's specifications since he will be our resident cook, he is a professor now and no more world travelling means he only eats exotic food if he makes it. So basically another house is being added on. It is going from one story to two.

  Despite my never wanting a houseful of annoying family getting in my way I can’t say I hate this. It is not like my family had been. It is…louder, more annoying, infuriating, joyful, tearful, wonderful togetherness. Especially once Beth comes back.

  "Brian I cannot believe how much has been done to the house. How is everyone not dead yet? You swore to never live with anyone but me…like ever!"

  I snort at Beth as I give her the tour. She’d been gone for three weeks recouping. I wanted construction over with so I paid them for extra men and to work almost around the clock. Also werewolves are stronger, faster, and make for better house builders.

  "You are seriously going to let Jason live with us?"

  "He won't go back to the shifters and I understand why."

  I am not sure if Beth knows everything the demon does or not so I stop there. If she wants details let her ask Jason. I am not going to break any bad news to her.

  "The place looks great."

  "I made the rooms large so Jason could put most of his ancient crap in cases around his room. He has a few things in storage that will stay there, but mostly it will be transferred here. Brisa has the room of windows and skylight. And Sam will use the guest room when she comes around. Though she loves the window and skylight thing so Brisa agreed she can stay in there if she herself isn’t.

  "The guest room likely won't get used, but better safe than sorry. And there is a full bath down here for everyone…and two more upstairs. Yup. Plus we have a master bath now. I got this deep soaker tub with jet streams. Sore muscles are common with my work. Sitting in one place so long."

  "Being a vampire heals that up mostly doesn’t it?"

  I shrug. I’d been hoping to segue into her job, but I am not pushing anything. I make enough to pay our bills and Charlotte didn’t put a time limit on the loan. I can take my time, miss a payment if needed.

  "My job leaves me with a lot of soreness though so it was a good idea."

  "You are still going to hunt?"

  She shrugs giving me a pained smile.

  "It's why I exist isn't it?"

  So she does know. I hoped she didn’t. Hell.

  "It's not like they are strong enough to follow through on their threats."

  "It's not me they threaten. It's Jason. He is even weaker now. Not even a real shifter. Basically a human with autoimmune disorder."

  "I think between Brisa, Sam, you, and myself he is safe enough."

  She shrugs.

  "It's all I know. Besides I like keeping people safe. Better than killing them any day."

  Awkward silence ensues. I can’t let this get all melancholy.

  "We need to find Rick then. So he can train you back up and get you in shape. You haven't taken a punch in too long."

  She looks at me slightly shocked before laughing.

  "I suppose not."

  We hug and the doorbell rings. The painters are early. They are supposed to come tomorrow.

  "Damn workers get nothing right…"

  I open the door but instead of painters is the witch leader, the sister of the man Beth killed, and lots of luggage.

  "What the…what is going on?"

  "Brian?"

  Beth comes around the corner and looks at the sight that has me frozen in shock.

  "Normally a witch or mage couple takes in an orphaned child, but she refuses to stay with the witches after we….well the circumstances of her brother's death and our part in it…"

  "I heard you redid your home so there should be room for me now."

  We both stare not moving and not really getting it. "Wait you are going to live here…because?"

  She smiles and steps forward hugging us.

  "Fate has been unfair to all of us. I need a family and you need atonement. So from now on I am your daughter. My name is Hope. Please take care of me from now on."

  She walks inside and her luggage floats in behind her forcing us to move. The council leader looks a bit sorry…but
not enough to stop what is happening.

  "If it doesn’t work out you can file an appeal with us in two months. Good luck."

  She walks away and Hope turns smiling.

  "So where is my room?"

  "So much for an unused guest room."

  Beth says nothing more just starts the same tour she had just received. Life just got even more insane.