by Tarisa Marie
“His expression, he was smiling but he didn’t mean it. It wasn’t real,” I reply as if it’s obvious.
“Garrett doesn’t get paid for his work,” Clarissa mutters. “Humans in this world are often given jobs without pay that benefit the Bryxx society. Not many Bryxx understand humans and they are treated badly in our society.”
Why wouldn’t Garrett just leave? Why wouldn’t he go off and live a human life? Or why not become Bryxx like the rest of his family?
Daniel sighs and comes to sit in Garret’s spot at the table. “Humans are documented as belonging to the Bryxx if they know about us. Their lives are given to us to serve us. Garrett was dealt a bad card. His life belongs to the Bryxx and since he was born from a Bryxx and grew up to be a human, it is very unlikely that his body would accept Bryxx blood and take the transformation. His body would reject it and he would die a painful death. Not many Bryxx humans survive the change. It’s rare.” Daniel basically gives me my answer. I can’t help but feel bad for Garrett.
“The bad treatment of humans is why we didn’t want you to know about us,” concludes Kai as he saunters over to the sink to wash up his dishes. “Too late now, but since the council doesn’t know that you know anything, you should be able to go back home and forget that this ever happened.”
“Your car is unfixable, but I’ve booked you a flight already and since Kai and Daniel are both off work today, they will drive you to the airport.” Clarissa gathers up the rest of the dirty dishes, including mine.
“I will buy you a car. It will be at your apartment in Seattle when you get there. The keys will be in your mailbox. Kade collected some of your belongings from your car earlier and brought them here. We will mail them to you this week.” Daniel grumbles, “You have to forget about all of this. You can’t tell anyone about any of this. It’s dangerous knowledge.”
“Will you visit?” I ask my brother meekly.
He shakes head. “It’s too dangerous for you. I won’t risk it. I don’t want you to have the life that Garrett does. You deserve better.”
How do they expect me to just up and forget that immortals exist? I sigh in resignation. What else can I do? I don’t want to be like Garrett. I’m scared, shocked, and taken aback by all of this. I’m homesick for my apartment in Seattle and I hate this place, but then there’s my brother. How can I just forget he’s alive and live my life knowing that I can’t talk to or see him ever again?
“The council makes sure that humans turned Bryxx lose contact with their human connections and don’t regain them. It’s wouldn’t be safe for me to keep in contact with you as much as I wish I could,” Daniel finalizes, flipping through the magazine Kai was looking at absentmindedly.
“Wait, did you just say you were going to buy me a car?” I ask, remembering him saying something about a car being at my apartment. “I’m broke. I can’t afford a new car. I don’t know if I can even afford the plane tickets,” I admit with embarrassment.
Daniel cocks his head. “You don’t have to pay me back. It’s a gift. It’s the least I can do. Now that I have bought the land that you inherited, you shouldn’t have reason to come back here. This place isn’t safe. You should never come back here. Ever.” Daniel sighs deeply. “I wish that we could be part of each other’s lives, but we can’t. It’s not safe for either of us.”
“You bought the land? I thought Kade bought it,” I mutter with annoyance.
“I bought it, but I couldn’t very well do the transaction myself, so I asked Kade to help me. He owed me a favor and I cashed in on it.”
“You seem to have a lot of money to throw around,” I observe.
He shrugs. “The Bryxx are well off, and I work a respectable job that pays well.”
Clearly. “Why don’t you like Kade?” I ask him. It was impossible to not see the tension between Kade and any of the others. He was not a welcomed guest.
Daniel cocks a brow. “Well, you’re observant.”
Meredith leaves the room, and I hear the front door open and close. She must be off to work.
Kai continues reading his newspaper as if we’re not even in the room and Clarissa finishes up some dishes.
“Well, Kade’s story is a complicated one. It’s not that I don’t like him exactly, it’s just that he’s very different than me or Kai or any of us.”
I can tell by Daniel’s tone of voice that he’s leaving something out, but I decide not to pry if he chooses not to tell me. What’s the point anyway? It’s not like I’m ever going to see he or Kade again. The thought causes my eyes to swell with tears as the reality of this all starts to really sink in.
“Don’t cry, Mayflower. It’s better this way. The less you know, the safer you’ll be. If I could take the memory of all this away, I would, but you seem to have some kind of immunity to influence.”
“You can really brainwash people?” I ask him through a sniffle.
He chuckles. “I can persuade people to do something or forget something. I can implant false memories.”
“You shouldn’t do that without people’s permission you know,” I scold him. “It’s not fair.” I wipe my tears onto the sleeve of my borrowed shirt.
Daniel glances to the clock above the table and snaps his fingers. “Kai, we have to get going if we’re going to make that flight Clarissa booked.”
Kai sets down the newspaper he’s reading on the table and glares at Daniel. “You’re really ruining my day you know. I had plans this afternoon. Relaxing in front of the tv without clothes to start. Now I’m playing taxi for your human sister.”
Daniel glares back with pure anger in his gaze. “Kai, what is with you today? You’re being a complete dick.”
Kai seems to cower at Daniel’s scolding and grits his teeth before standing. “I’m sitting in the back seat and napping for the ride.”
Daniel rolls his eyes at him and Kai heads to the porch and throws his shoes on.
“He doesn’t really have to come does he?” I ask Daniel in a whisper.
Kai is the one who answers. “Yeah, I do. As soon as a Bryxx leaves the protection of the community, the demo-”
Daniel presses a finger to his lips and a growl escapes him. “The less she knows the better. May, for safety purposes, it’s better that we both go.”
I sigh heavily and part of me wants to protest but I don’t.
“It’s just a precaution. We will be fine but you just never know is all,” Daniel finishes and leads me into the porch where he pulls out a pair of runners and hands them to me. “Your shoes are wrecked. Clarissa will give you a pair of her’s, god knows she has extra.”
“I feel bad for troubling you so much,” I admit and slip on the shoes. “I’ll have to repay you somehow. I’ve caused a lot of trouble.”
“That’s an understatement,” Kai grumbles and Daniel punches his shoulder hard enough that Kai almost tips over. “Well, it is.”
Daniel appears about to explode but settles down slowly and tosses me a jacket from the closet.
“Safe travels, May. You boys take good care of her. Here is your plane ticket and what Kade found left of your wallet.” Clarissa hands me an envelope. “I wish you all the best.”
I thank her and then I’m ushered through the front door into the chilly outskirts of the house. It’s surrounded by trees and greenery.
Daniel opens the passenger side door of a blue truck with windows so darkly tinted that they’re barely see through. Is this even legal? I hop in and squint through the glass.
“Uh...” I trail off as Daniel jumps in.
He looks to me questioningly and sees my confused expression. “Light sensitive. We can see in the dark, our pupils let in more light than a human’s. Mid-day is uncomfortably bright.”
“Well, how do you drive at night with this on here?” I wonder.
Daniel shrugs. “We don’t usually drive at night. We go on foot. This is mostly for the odd day trip we take around the community.”
“You’re going to get
pulled over in the city,” I warn him.
He laughs. “Were not driving this the whole way. Just to Kai and I’s house so we can grab the car. The sun is on its way down and we have no need for the tint anymore. When Clarissa called to tell me about you, the sun was still high in the sky.”
“Are you saying that you can’t stand the sun at all? Like you don’t go out in it?”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t kill us. It’s just annoying. Anyways, Bryxx thrive during the night. It’s when we work most of our jobs. Most of us sleep during the day while it’s safest.”
“You say that like you’re always in danger or something.”
“Something like that. I don’t want to go into details the less you know- “
“The safer I am. Yeah, yeah I get it,” I murmur with annoyance.
Kai snorts out a laugh from the back seat as we pull out of the yard.
We drive down the gravel road about four miles before taking a left turn and driving another two or three miles and then turning down an old beaten path through a field full of trees. We stop at a no trespassing gate and Daniel punches something into his cell phone before the gate swings open and we are able to head on through it. After a bend, we stop in front of a large, blue two-story house. Daniel shuts off the truck and both he and Kai get out of the vehicle and begin heading towards two matching cars parked on the left. One is neon blue and the other dark red.
They choose the red one and soon were backing out of the driveway we just entered. The interior of the car is slick and modern, a car that I’d never be able to afford. Unlike the last vehicle we were in, this one doesn’t sport tint on every window. Instead, Daniel pulls out a pair of sunglasses and I hear Kai do the same.
I keep quiet as we speed down the gravel road, stewing in my scattered thoughts.
Daniels cellphone chimes and he picks it up and answers it. “Daniel here.”
He listens intently to the voice on the other line before nibbling the inside of his lower lip and releasing a mumbled ‘ok’. Then he ends the call and reaches into the backseat. I glance behind me to see what he’s doing. He plucks two ear buds from Kai’s ears.
Kai scoffs. “Seriously? What now?”
Daniel gives him the finger before handing him his cellphone. “That was Darla. There’s a mandatory meeting that everyone is to attend at sun set. It’s regarding this.”
Kai takes his phone and looks at the screen briefly. “He has an alibi.”
“Not one he can tell the council without getting us killed or banished or in some sort of shit,” Daniel argues.
“I knew this would come back and bite us in the ass. It hasn’t even been 24 hours,” Kai rants and shoves his earphones back into his ears.
Daniel takes his phone back and types in a number. “You alone?” he asks the person on the other line. There’s a pause. “Good. You’re under investigation. A body was found by the authorities and I bet you can guess how the vic died.” Another pause. “Yeah. Exactly.”
Daniel runs his hand through his hair before putting it back on the wheel. “Yeah, that is what I’m wondering. If you’re going to say something, then you know we have to get out of town and quick.”
I try to put the puzzle together but I’m missing too many pieces.
“Okay, I owe you another one. More than that. Good luck,” Daniel says finally and puts his phone away.
Kai takes out one earbud. “You trust that monster?”
Daniel debates this. “What choice do I have? He did just opt for saving a human’s life over killing her. By telling the truth about having an alibi he’s going to get into just as much trouble as he would if he took the blame. This way, at least the rest of us are okay.”
“This is about Kade helping me, isn’t it?” I determine. “He’s being blamed for a crime but his alibi—saving me—isn’t valid because it’s just as illegal?”
Daniel and Kai both stare at me before Daniel nods. “You’re quick.”
I shrug. “You’re not that great at speaking in code. I’m not a child. Wait, did you say there was a victim that died? They think Kade murdered someone?”
“Someone is coming down the road. May, duck down so they can’t see you,” Daniel instructs.
Sensing the urgency in his voice, I do as he says.
After the vehicle passes by, Daniel clears his throat. “Okay. You can come up. We’re almost out of the general community range, then we will be in the clear. To answer your question, yes, they think he killed someone but that’s all I’m saying about the matter. It’s not your concern. He would’ve been blamed for it if he’d been saving you or not.”
I’m not sure what to say. When I start to ask if there’s anything I can do, Kai clucks his tongue and snorts out a laugh. Neither one of them will talk about it any further, they ignore any attempts I make.
Chapter 5
We pull up to a gas station roughly an awkward hour of silence later. What do you talk to your long missing, immortal brother about? Kai goes inside the store to get a snack and Daniel begins filling the tank. Kai returns with a bag of chips and stops at the pump to chat with my brother. It isn’t until then that I realize something strange. I can’t hear what they’re saying. At all. In fact, I can’t hear anything happening on the outside of the vehicle. Is the car soundproof?
I close my eyes and focus on hearing anything but I hear nothing. It is sound proofed. How strange. Could it be for privacy sake since Bryxx can hear so well? It makes sense I guess.
Before I know it, we’re on the road again.
To my surprise, Kai offers me a chip, but I decline. So far, I’ve gotten the impression that he doesn’t care for me much.
The sun disappears below the horizon shortly after we leave the gas station, and we continue on the final leg of our car trip. It’s another hour until we reach Billings where the airport is stationed.
Daniel and I converse lightly about growing up before talking about our shared love of a cop comedy drama on tv. Even Kai chimes in a few times, and I finally see the bond between the two of them as Kai opens up and relaxes his walls. They joke and tease one another.
“Remember when we were hunting deer last fall and you fell right out of the tree stand and onto your ass? Are you seriously telling me that you have better balance than I do?” Daniel demands incredulously, attempting to put a comment from Kai about his lack of balance to rest.
Kai whistles. “Well, at least I can drive. Do you remember what you did last hunting season?”
Daniel squeezes his eyes shut momentarily in a cringe. “Kind of hard to forget.”
“You should’ve saw him.” Kai laughs so hard I think he’s about to suffocate. Once he calms down he continues, “He drove the four-wheeler right into the creek, the front tires got lodged in the mud and the thing stopped but he kept going and I swear he flew twenty feet! He landed head first in a patch of thistle!” Kai chuckles. “I’ve never met someone so prone to accidents. You’re lucky you’re immortal, Dan!”
Daniel shakes his head back and forth. “It wasn’t that funny. You’re exaggerating.”
“You didn’t see it! You just felt it!” Kai snorts and I can’t help but giggle at both Kai’s uncontrollable laughter and the story.
“Yeah. I was injured, and you were too busy laughing to help me push the four-wheeler out of the damn creek,” Daniel mutters in a growl.
I interrupt. “I love how you guys can laugh about the types of normally tragic stories that would have a normal person like me killed.” Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry so much about death every day of your life?
“There are perks to this life for sure, but it’s not all good,” Daniel reminds me. “I’d rather be what I am now than dead, but if I were to choose between being human and being Bryxx, I would choose being human in a heartbeat.”
I am about to ask why but we’ve parked in front of the airport and there are cars behind us ready to drop off passengers like myself. I wish we had more time.
“Thanks for everything. It was really good to see you again, both of you,” I tell them honestly. I reluctantly gather my plane ticket and driver’s license so I can get on the plane.
“I wish you the best,” Kai says with care. “I hope that you got some closure seeing Daniel again, finally learning what really happened, and knowing that he’s alright.”
I smile softly and nod in thanks. “I wish you two the best as well.” I reach over and hug Daniel over the center console awkwardly and shake Kai’s hand. A car behind us honks for me to hurry up.
As I climb out of the car, a single tear slides down my cheek.
“Stay safe and have a long, happy life, May,” my older brother asks of me. “I’ll see you again in another life.”
With that, I close the car door behind me and head into the airport without looking back.
Two weeks later
“May, do you have to go? You know you can stay here.” Jane tucks the apartment key I just handed her back into my jeans pocket. “Keep it. In case I go out of town and need you to check the place or...you want to stop by for some wine and girl talk.” Her face pinches. “Girl, it’s going to be so weird without you,” Jane, my best friend and now ex-roommate whines.
“I know, but it’s time I grow up and get my own place.” I sigh. “You know I loved living with you, but this apartment is small, and I know you can easily afford it without me. I can afford my own place, too, now.” I embrace her in a tight hug and kiss her cheek. “Anyways, I’ll just be a few miles down the road,” I assure her and pull away before lifting the last of my belongings, a clothes basket filled to the rim with towels.
Jane gives an unsure nod, still not too keen on the idea. She’s been trying to convince me to stay ever since I made the decision to move out two weeks ago. “I guess you’re right. It’s just going to be different. We’ve lived together for over four years now. I’m going to miss you so much.”
I smile. “You and that man of yours are probably dying for some alone time. Maybe he can officially move in now that I’m leaving. Change is for the best. We’ll still see each other a lot. It’s not like I’m moving to Australia.”