by Tarisa Marie
“And you’ve worked as guard ever since?” I clarify.
“Sort of. A few years ago, there was an incident. After that I was stripped of my royalty and surprisingly allowed to stay within the Bryxx community. From that day on, I was placed under the direct supervision of one of the councilmen. I lived with him, worked wherever he wanted me that day. Since I was no longer recognized as royalty, I got to work the position I wasn’t allowed beforehand, so I can’t complain. The man who took on babysitting me treated me better than my own father ever did but all my Bryxx rights were stripped. I was treated by other Bryxx as a threat and less than dirt. Garret, as a human Bryxx, was far more respected than I was there. The whole murder accusation situation was bound to happen sooner or later with the lack of trust I had from the community. It was only a matter of time before they found an excuse to get rid of me.”
I want to ask about the incident that he has referred to a number of times, but the fact that he hasn’t expanded on it makes me think that he doesn’t want to talk about it. If he did, he’d have told me by now. “What are you planning to do with your life now that you’re not with the Bryxx?”
He tilts his head slightly to the left then slightly to the right while looking up at the cloudy sky. When his gaze flickers back to me, it’s expressionless. “To be honest I have no idea. You’re the only one I know that treats me like an actual person.”
“And you think that if you told me more about this incident that would change?” I take a leap.
I know I’ve hit the nail right on the head when he doesn’t answer and looks away from me, suddenly fascinated by the tree next to us.
“You’ve saved my life on multiple occasions. I trust you with my life. You’ve been here to help me digest all of this when my own brother just shot me back to Seattle with a new car. You’ve answered my questions and you’ve been patient and truthful with me, not hiding truths because they’re hard or sad. You treat me like a person, not a fragile little human like my brother. You’re a good friend. I respect you and anything you want to tell me that you want me to keep to myself, I will.”
His eyes come back to meet mine. “That means a lot. That’s probably one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me. You’ll understand, though, that I cannot risk ruining what we have because of something that happened before you were even born. It’s history and I want to move on from it. I’ve been given a chance to start over.”
I nod slowly. “Fine, but answer this: did the incident affect you negatively or positively as a person? Sometimes big events, though tragic and painful, can make us better people.”
“Are you a councilor?” he teases.
I giggle. “No, but I’ve seen enough of them that I could be certified.”
He nods, his lips slightly parted. “It was a negative experience, one that changed my life and how I viewed it. It was hard and still is hard, but it taught me just how cold the Bryxx are, how unaccepting of change and differences. It taught me to be a lot more open minded. I have come to appreciate the small things in life more.” He pulls a knee up to his chest and rests his arm on it.
I finish my hotdog and crumple up the paper plate it came on just as Kade does the same.
He stands and then holds out a hand to me. I take it firmly and he pulls me up in one easy movement. I’m not necessarily heavy, but I’m not light either. His strength is mind blowing. “Shall we go get groceries, m’lady?” he asks in gruff tone, pulling the hand he grasps in his up to his mouth and landing a soft kiss on the back of it.
“You’re such a dork,” I respond and let him lead me back to the car.
It doesn’t take long to get groceries. He insists on buying them, saying he’s not paying any rent and he eats the most. There is no arguing with him, so it isn’t log before I drop it and just let him pay.
When we get back to the apartment building, I begin to feel nauseous, probably food poisoning from the concession hot dog.
“You okay?” Kade asks while putting away a box of crackers.
I shake my head. “I feel lightheaded. Dizzy.”
His eyebrows pull together and he’s standing in front of me in an instant. He presses the back of his hand to my forehead. “You’re burning up. Are you getting ill?”
I shrug. “Maybe food poisoning. Do you get fevers from food poisoning?” I realize I don’t even know. Usually if I get food poisoning it only lasts a few hours, so I pray to god that that’s all it is, and I’m not coming down with the flu or something ugly.
“I wouldn’t know. I can’t get food poisoning. I don’t know much about human illness. Lie down. What can I get for you?”
I follow his instruction and lie on the couch. The room spins erratically like I’ve drank too much alcohol and I’m on the verge of either vomiting or blacking out. This isn’t good. I’m about to tell Kade that I need to go to the hospital, but before I can, everything goes black.
Chapter 10
I hear my heart beating in my ears. I’m alive. It’s dark. I don’t have enough strength to open my eyes. I hear the familiar sound of my bedside clock ticking. Kade moved me to the bed. For this, I am grateful. I don’t hear a motion beside me, but I feel his presence before he touches me.
“May, if you can hear me, stay calm. I’m going to give you a couple drops of my blood. It should help,” he whispers into my ear.
Part of me wants to gag and protest but I have no strength. My thoughts are scattered, and my body feels as though it’s floating.
I don’t know how much time passes before I become conscious again, this time I come alert to the sound of Darrel and Kade arguing. Darrel scolds Kade for not taking me to a hospital. Kade claims he doesn’t know much about human illness and he thought this might be normal but wasn’t sure so that’s why he called Darrel.
“I’m going to look at her,” Darrel warns Kade and then I hear footsteps near me.
I feel Darrel brush away a strand of hair that’s stuck to my sweaty forehead.
“This isn’t good. This isn’t normal. I’m not an expert on human health either, but my gut is telling me this is bad. How long has she been like this?” Darrel asks, sounding worried.
“Almost seven hours. Should I call an ambulance? Should I drive her?” Kade asks, looking for Darrel’s sincere opinion.
Darrel sighs. “Give me twenty. Watch my body and make sure no demon tries to snatch it up. I need to talk to Jane about this. She will know what to do.”
Silence fills the air and I feel someone sit on the end of the bed by my feet. A hand falls to my ankle and rubs it gently. “It’s going to be okay.” I can’t tell if Kade has said this to me or to himself, but I don’t have time to debate this because I phase out again.
When I awaken, this time the darkness seems to gnaw at me. I crave opening my eyes, but the strength isn’t there.
This time I hear a woman’s voice. “We’ve been instructed to find stronger bodies. May is in some sort of transition and that’s all they’ll tell us besides that vampires will be coming at her from all angles. She’s going to be some sort of crack to vampires or something.”
“What do you mean?” Kade asks, sounding frustrated.
“Can’t you smell it? I’m in a human body and I can. She’s sick. She should smell like sweat but she smells sweet like sugar,” the woman answers.
“I can smell it alright and it’s strong, getting stronger. A vampire could probably smell her from halfway across the city,” Kade replies.
“Seattle has an irregularly low vampire population but for some reason there’s been a spike in vampire attacks in the city the last couple weeks. It’s like they can sense something. Her. My superiors are calling in backup. They’re sending in my five-hundred-year-old sister tomorrow.” Darrel sounds annoyed. “They said this should only last a couple days. She should be almost out of it.”
I’m still conscious what must be an hour later. Jane has gone out to get a new, stronger body, leaving Darrel and Kade to babysit me.
>
“I need to get some fresh air,” Kade mutters, sounding almost angry. “I can’t watch this anymore.”
“Don’t go too far in case I need you,” Darrel says flippantly. I can hear the TV in the background. A game show. No wonder Kade needs fresh air. If I’ve learnt something about Kade since he’s moved in, it’s that he hates game shows.
I continue to fade in and out until I finally open my eyes. This is a good sign. It means my strength is coming back. My mind struggles to make sense of the conversations I heard while half conscious. I breathe in deeply trying to smell the sweet scent that they were referring to but all I smell is the candle lit across the room.
“Kade?” I croak out, my voice rough and raspy.
A moment later Darrel comes into the bedroom, a small brown-haired teenager behind him. I put two and two together and realize that this must be Jane, or could it be Darrel’s sister?
“May, girl, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” the tiny girl asks and takes a seat next to where I lay on the bed. Definitely Jane.
“Where is Kade?” I ask. “How are you feeling?”
She giggles lightly. “How am I feeling? I’m perfectly fine. The real concern right now is you. Kade is outside the building.”
I wasn’t expecting him to be so far away while I was so sick. “Why?”
“May, you’ve been really sick. Your blood is changing. We don’t know why, but it’s becoming a bit of a problem,” Jane explains, I can tell she’s tip toeing around something.
Darrel rolls his eyes. “I told you, Jane. She knows. May, we have a problem. We have vampires flocking in from all over the city trying to eat you. Kade is outside making sure none of them get in here. He’s our first line of defense, but we’ve already had one get passed him and Jane had to take care of her.”
I swallow hard. I already knew some of this from overhearing their conversation. I don’t know how to respond.
“Darrel has to go find a new body, but when he gets back, I will switch off with Kade, so he can come in and see you alright?” Jane asks and rubs my shoulder gently. It’s strange seeing her in a different body.
I nod. I don’t have enough energy to argue. I’m so tired. At least the spinning has slowed down.
When Darrel returns in the Bryxx body of a tall, muscled bald man, Jane switches out with Kade. Kade knocks on the bedroom door before letting himself in. I reach for the remote to turn off the tv beside the bed that Jane brought in, but before I can wrap my hand around it, Kade has already shut the tv off.
“How are you feeling?” he asks and leans against the dresser.
I try to sit up but fail to do so. “A little better. I guess I don’t have food poisoning.”
I thought he’d find my joke funny enough that he’d at least crack a smile, but his expression remains somber. I’m reminded how serious this problem really is.
“We have to get you out of the city,” he explains briefly. “We need to go where there aren’t many vampires. You can’t live the rest of your life stuck in this apartment being guarded by immortals.”
“What’s happening to me?” I ask quietly, almost to myself.
His expressions softens slightly. “I believe...I know, actually. Although it’s illegal with the punishment of death for all parties involved, two human Bryxx having a child together leads to an offspring with strongly scented blood. It’s only happened a few times that I know of and usually that person dies by death penalty dealt from the Bryxx or by a vampire killing them. It’s said that ingesting all of the blood of this offspring can revert a vampire back to their primary species. The demons must be protecting you for a reason, but I don’t know what that is yet. I don’t even know if you’re a first generation or a tenth. The gene flaw carries on indefinitely through generations, but no one knows if it fades at all, because like I said, they don’t seem to live long.”
I recall the letter I found from my dad in his safe. It makes sense now. When I don’t reply, Kade shifts slightly.
“I want to hide you from the demons. Jane and Darrel agree. The demons want you and probably not for good reasons. If the Bryxx found out what you are, they’d want you. Curing a vampire would be an asset for them, a large asset. If word gets out amongst vampires about you, which it will sooner rather than later, there are only three of us, four when Darrel’s sister shows up. We stand no chance against a herd of hungry vampires. I want to take you to Canada.”
“Canada? Like by the mountains?” I ask. I don’t know much about Canada.
“No. East of the mountains. Saskatchewan. They have an extremely low human population, so there’s not many vampires either, especially out in the country away from humans. There are no Bryxx communities in Saskatchewan either. What do you think?” he wonders hopefully.
“Well, you’d know better than I would. I don’t really want to die. You’ll come with me, though, right?”
“Of course, but the others won’t be coming. They can be tracked too easily.” Kade rolls up the sleeves of his plaid button up.
Makes sense. “Won’t they get in trouble for losing me?”
“Yes, but demons are tough. They shouldn’t have entrusted two young ones with such a hefty job. Obviously, they weren’t too terribly concerned about keeping you safe or they would’ve sent in older, more experienced guards. They’ll tell their boss that a vampire got you.”
I cringe at the thought, imagining my blood splashed upon the walls.
“We fly out tonight on a private plane I’ve rented, before Darrel’s sister gets here. Jane will help you pack.” With that, he leaves the room. I’ve never seen him so somber. I know this is bad, really bad. His concern doesn’t even compare to the concern he showed while the vampires were attacking because of him. Whatever is going on with my blood, it isn’t good. Not at all. I wonder when, if ever, my parents were going to tell me about my heritage.
Soon after he leaves, Jane prances into the room with a duffle bag and starts sorting through my drawers and tossing stuff in. She whistles as she works. She pulls out a red top and blue top that are identical besides colour. “Which one?”
“Blue.”
She continues hand picking my wardrobe. Next, she pulls out a pair of white granny panties and scowls glancing at them then to me. “Really? Have you not learned anything from me? I’m tossing these.”
“They’re comfy,” I argue, glad to have Jane back.
“Sexy isn’t comfy and if you want to snag that badass, buff Bryxx man outside, then those are a no go,” she babbles flippantly and continues packing.
Confused for a moment, I’m silent. When her words hit me and fully process in my mind, I gasp.
“What? You don’t like him?” she asks with a pouty lip. “He’s hot. I could eat him up if he wasn’t my mortal enemy, and he sure does like you.”
“He does not. We’re just friends, Jane,” I argue with an eye roll.
She sighs dreamily. “He looks at you like you’re his queen. He’s been worried sick about you the past few days, never taking the slightest break since I’ve been here.” I realize how easy it is to get used to her new body. Jane is still Jane, it’s just like she’s gotten...I don’t know...a lot of plastic surgery?
“He does not. You know he can hear you right? He has super hearing,” I shush her.
She cackles. “He can’t hear us. Bryxx have good ears but not that good.”
My eyebrows pull together. She’s wrong. I know Kade can hear things from blocks away sometimes. I don’t argue, though. One thing I’ve learnt about Jane is that she always has to win the argument.
“You can’t tell me you’re not interested in him,” she states and wrinkles her nose at a t-shirt with a boy band plastered on it. She tosses it in the no pile.
“He’s nice,” I whisper quietly, knowing she will hear me but hoping that Kade won’t. “And attractive,” I add in a quieter whisper.
“And?” she encourages in a singsong tone.
“I like him, but it’s
not like we would ever work out. He’s immortal. I’m not,” I remind her.
She giggles. “There are ways around that.”
“No offense, but I’m not about to get myself turned into a Bryxx or a vampire or something just to be with some guy I’ve known for a few weeks,” I scold her dramatically.
She sighs. “Well, that’s not what I meant. If you ever did that I would kill you myself. Just because I’m a demon who has feelings doesn’t mean that I don’t also have a psychotic side. May, you’re too sweet to be a part of my world, so for your sake, I hope Kade’s plan works out and you can have a happy life.”
I’m not sure how to respond so I remain quiet.
She finally finishes, zipping up my bag and tossing it on the bed before plunking down beside me. I have to admit that her new look is a little strange. At first, I wasn’t completely sure that my Jane was in there but now it’s clear she is.
“What’s it like being a demon?” I blurt. Jane and I have always been extremely close, and I hope that hasn’t changed now that I know about her. How much of our friendship was fake?
She smiles kindly. “It’s hard, but it’s all I’ve known.”
“What is hard about it?” I ask her, pushing.
She nibbles her bottom lip. “You know how vampires have this innate urge to drink blood, so strong that they can’t control it? Well, for demons like myself, we have an innate urge to cause pain. Other demons have the urge to murder or others to taunt humans. There are demons who live to cause jealousy or infidelity or lust so extreme that it makes humans or Bryxx do terrible things. We feed off the negative emotion we cause. We don’t need it to survive I don’t think, but we’d never know because it’s almost impossible to suppress the urge for long. Even if that means I stick in ten snide comments in a week that hurt your feelings. Maybe I didn’t cause major pain all at once, but it adds up and it’s still enough to cause major pain.”