by Mary Ting
Kayla’s smile always beamed like a sunray when I was around. “How are your classes, and did you meet anyone interesting?”
Ian came to mind, but I didn’t want to say anything because there wasn’t anything there. Besides, we had run into each other by accident. “No, but you know how I am. I just go to class and mind my own business. Just trying to stay out of trouble.” I winked at Mason because he knew there was an underlying meaning to ‘staying out of trouble’. They were his orders: Go to class and come back home to be safe. “How about you?”
“You know how much I don’t like school, but it beats working at Kelly’s diner,” she snorted.
The conversation halted when the waitress brought our drinks; four glasses of water and two beers for our guys. After getting our dinner orders, she exited the room and we quickly picked up where we’d left off.
“Any plans for Thanksgiving, ladies?” Nick asked, placing his bottle down after taking a sip.
“Skylar and her mom are coming over to my house,” Kayla started to explain. “We go to Kelly’s diner and celebrate there with Jack and Mona. It’s been our tradition. Maybe next year both of you can come.” Shrugging her shoulders, she gave a nervous smile, seemingly feeling guilty for not inviting them, especially since they didn’t have parents of their own.
Nick looked disappointed. “That’s okay. It’s to be expected. How about you both come over on Friday and we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving at our cabin? You think you can spend the weekend there?”
“Sure. That sounds great. Skylar can spend the night, and I’ll drive us up there.” Kayla looked at me to confirm.
“That sounds like a plan. So, why the cabin?” I asked.
“Because none of us can roast a turkey, but our housekeeper can,” Mason said, crossing his arms on the table. “I bet she can bake a juicier turkey than Jack.” His tone was challenging and playful.
“You’re on,” I squealed. “We’ll even bring some just to compare.”
“And the loser has to do whatever we say?” Kayla added.
“What?” Nick chuckled.
“Afraid of a little competition?” I retorted.
“If you’re the prize, Sky, I’ll bet on it.” Mason twitched his brows impishly. “Just so you know, she bakes turkey for one of our restaurants.”
Suddenly, I got nervous. I was sure Jack made the best turkey—after all, he did cater them, but not on Thanksgiving Day since the diner was closed—but now I was unsure. Losing a bet wasn’t a big deal. I trusted Mason and I wouldn’t mind being his prize. The question was, what did he have in mind?
Due to the bad weather, Mom agreed to meet me at Kelly’s diner. The clouds were thick and dark, promising a thunderstorm. Recognizing the cars parked along the curb, I noted I was the last one there. I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the car, hugging my coat tight to my body because of the freezing wind. Practically running, I pushed the door and heard the familiar chime that I missed from working there.
“Hey, Skylar, how’s my girl?” Jack wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.
“Hello, Jack.” I curled my lips into a genuine, heartfelt smile.
“Move aside and leave the poor girl alone. It’s my turn,” Mona said playfully, and hugged me tightly. “Miss you working here. In fact, I miss both of you. I felt young again when you were here.”
Cringing, I held my breath. It wasn’t Mona’s fault that my keen sense of smell made her perfume that much stronger, making me feel nauseated.
When Mona released me, I hugged my mom, my Aunt Kelly, and finally, Kayla. Getting settled, I was distracted by the delicious smell of turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, and other items Jack had cooked. I felt like I was in food heaven, causing my stomach to churn inside out from hunger. Having to cook for myself at the dorm, this was one meal I was looking forward to eating. Someday, I would cook like this for Mason, and I would have to ask Jack for help since I was sure his turkey would win the bet.
“Everything smells so good,” I complimented.
Mom placed her hand over mine, which was resting on the table, and smiled. “Honey, I didn’t tell you, but I hope you don’t mind. I asked Steven to join us for dinner.”
Not that I would’ve protested, but it would have been nice if she’d told me ahead of time, since I’d already figured he would be joining us. Having my dad come to visit and unable to tell my mom was frustrating, but at the same time, I didn’t want to upset her or be the cause of a fight between them.
When the door chimed, Mom stood up. “Steven,” she gushed and welcomed him with open arms and a kiss. Mom stepped aside for me.
“Hi,” I said quickly, like how I always greeted him—short and to the point. Before I could move away, he grabbed me for a hug, and I was blown away by that unexpected gesture. Then the rest followed to greet him after he’d let me go.
Underneath the long, black trench coat, which looked similar to my dad’s, he wore black dress pants and a black and blue, pin-striped, long-sleeved shirt. Besides his good looks, being a doctor at the hospital, and having tons of money, I didn’t know what my mom saw in him. To me, he was kind of boring. Then again, I didn’t know him that well. I guessed I’d better start getting used to him being around since they were getting married.
After the dinner plates were set on the table, Jack said grace. “We have many things to be thankful for, but I believe what we all should be most thankful for is our good health and that we are under the same stars.”
“Awww…thank you for that, Jack,” Mona said, in a half mocking, half serious tone.
“I didn’t mean you,” Jack joked.
Mona was trying to contain her laugh. Her lips protruded and her hands were on her hips, but her eyes were friendly. “You better watch yourself, or else I’ll squash that turkey you worked so hard to bake.”
Jack chuckled. “If you just breathe on it, or better yet, just sit on it, that would do it.”
They all glanced between Jack and Mona, laughing. Thank goodness for their humor; it lightened my mood. When they’d had enough, dinner was finally served.
“This turkey is delicious,” Steven gushed, chewing. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such tender turkey before.”
“That’s because you’ve never tasted Jack’s,” my aunt said. “Well, now you’ll have it at least once a year. You’re not only marrying into this family, you’ll be married to Jack’s turkey.”
“Lucky me. Not only do I get to marry the most beautiful woman in the world,” Steven wrapped his arms around my mom and gave her a kiss on the lips, “I get to eat the best turkey in the world.”
“Well, Doc,” Jack started, looking proud while taking a bite from his plate, “you can come over any time. I’ll bake you a turkey any time of the year.”
“That’s a deal,” Steven chuckled. “I was going to bribe you, but I’ll take the offer.” He changed the subject to my aunt. “So, Kelly, Gina told me that you’re single.”
My aunt scowled at my mom playfully. “What else did she tell you?”
“Just good things, of course. If you don’t mind, I could set you up with one of my doctor friends. A beautiful woman should never be alone.”
My aunt’s cheeks turned slightly red. “You’re too kind. I’ll think about it.”
I’m not sure if I liked Steven’s comment. I wouldn’t have liked it if Mason said someone else was beautiful in front of me, even if it was just to be kind, but I ignored it since it didn’t seem to upset Mom. Maybe I was the jealous type.
The dinner was delicious and the conversation was mostly centered on Steven, but he did ask questions about Kayla and me. He asked about what classes we were taking, so he scored some more points with my aunt.
Steven was polite, charming, and attentive, and Mom was in awe of him. It was obvious how much they cared for each. Seeing Mom happy, I told myself that I had to be happy for her. After all, I wouldn’t want anyone to tell me not to see Mason. Before I headed home to spend the night at
Kayla’s, I reminded her to pack some slices of turkey for the contest, and to make a mental note to buy a cheesecake for dessert.
Kayla drove us to the cabin just before dark. As soon as we got out of the car, the guys rushed out, grabbed our bags, and brought them in the house like perfect gentleman.
“Missed you, Echo,” Mason murmured, and kissed me tenderly on my lips.
I peered up to see his loving, caring eyes on mine. “I missed you, too.”
After greeting Everett and Amanda, we sat around the table, which was already set with a huge turkey and side dishes—mashed potatoes, beans, salad, and corn. Again, the aroma was a bit overwhelming to me. I wondered if Remus had felt the same, though I didn’t want to think of him at all.
Last time we were here, Everett had tried to kill me. It was reassuring that it wouldn’t happen this time around. After a short thank you speech from Everett, we got ready to compare the turkeys.
“Ready to be defeated and do what we say?” Kayla challenged while her neck did a funny twirl.
“Bring it on, babe,” Nick chuckled, tilting his head back a bit.
Placed in front of Everett and Amanda was a plate of two different slices of turkey. As we stared and watched them take a bite of each slice, we waited for the verdict. And, of course, they chose the turkey made by their housekeeper.
“That’s not fair,” I protested. “Your taste buds are biased.”
“Biased?” Mason chuckled. “I see your point, but….” Mason drew me into his chest. “Don’t you want to be my prize?” He started to nibble my neck.
I twisted and jerked from the tickling sensation. “You win…you win,” I giggled.
“Gross. Get a room,” Amanda scoffed, rolling her eyes, but I knew she was teasing, especially when she made an effort to look at me with a smile.
“Now that we got that stupid contest out of the way, let’s eat. I’m starving,” Everett grumbled.
After Mason sliced the turkey, we all filled our plates with the delicious food and ate. We enjoyed each other’s company and the conversation. It seemed like we ate for hours. It was nice getting to know Everett and Amanda better. And through this dinner, our level of friendship had grown a little bit more.
“Let’s clean up and bring out the dessert,” Everett said, grabbing a few plates to carry to the kitchen. “I’ve been eyeing the cheesecake the girls brought.”
“I second that.” Amanda followed behind Everett with a couple of big plates of her own.
I turned my attention to the tall windows that practically covered one side of the family wall while gathering the empty plates. When I spotted something flash, like a flashlight flickering on and off, I kept my eyes there. When it did it again, I placed the plates back down and headed toward it. It sparkled from the outside. Being that it was dark, I knew for sure the yellow lights flashing were not my imagination. When I saw a dark, shadowy figure of a man that looked like my dad with a long trench coat, I ran toward it.
“Dad?” I questioned. When I couldn’t see a thing, I pressed my forehead on the glass and squinted my eyes to get a better view.
“Hey, Sky, I found the wishbone.” I thought that was what Mason said. He had no idea I was near the window. When he realized what was on the other side, Mason shouted my name in sheer panic. “Sky!”
“Sky!” Mason desperately called again. It was all that I heard before the crash of shattering glass. It came splintering down on me like rain, but before I could react, I was pulled through.
Everything happened so fast. I wasn’t sure who held me captive until I got a whiff of the most dreadful stench, like something had spoiled. Recalling how badly the vultures smelled, I knew I was clutched in one of their hands. As my body bounced from the vulture’s running steps, my arms and feet dangled. Being carried away face down, all I could see was the darkness. I imagined there was nothing but dirt and twigs beneath me from the sounds that surrounded me.
After a short pause, the group of vultures surrounding me took a sharp turn. I felt water splashing my face and soaking into my clothes as they ran through a low stream. I never knew there was one here since I hadn’t ventured to this side of the woods before. Then I heard a lot more splashes, indicating more vultures behind us.
My heart pounded and the intake of my breath was short. I tried to think of ways to escape, but from its strength and the speed with which it moved, there was no hope for me. Not only that, I felt sharp, excruciating pain throughout various parts of my body from the shards of glass that had cut through my clothes. While my body shook to the rhythm of the vulture’s pounding steps, the agonizing pain was too much to bear. However, seeing two glowing lights and lightning bolts flashing across space, gave me hope that it was Mason and Nick.
“It has Sky!” Mason shouted. “Don’t shoot her!”
“I know!” Nick yelled.
“It’s difficult to see.” I heard Everett’s voice, too.
“The one in the middle!”
Their voices were near, yet they seemed far away. Hearing grunts and loud screeching sounds from the dying vultures—and flashing lights from the Grand boys—made me believe I could be rescued soon, but maybe not soon enough. There were more obstacles for them to hurdle. Hearing the trees splitting and loud thumps as they fell to the ground, I could only imagine them having a difficult time getting to me. Not only that, there was another flash of light flaring toward them, and I wondered if it was from a friend or a foe.
I practically had a heart attack when Skylar was taken. My heart dropped so fast, it felt like it jumped out of my chest. It happened in the blink of an eye and I couldn’t save her. What was the point of being able to move with super speed when it was useless to protect her?
Nick followed right behind me, but Everett lagged behind. I knew he’d gone to grab the sword that was safely hidden inside the fireplace. It was difficult to spot the hideous creatures, but I could smell them.
When Everett finally caught up to us, Nick and I lit up like two bright flashlights. After that it was easy to spot the vultures, but in turn, they knew we were on their trail. The one in the middle held Sky. She dangled like a rag doll as he jumped over the broken trees that Nick and I knocked down with our lightning bolts. They were meant to knock him out, but it didn’t work.
There was no way we could have zapped the one holding Sky. There was a possibility that she, too, would feel the electricity and get fired up, and I couldn’t take the chance. I had to let my brothers know, just in case they didn’t see who held her captive.
Running as fast as we could, a speed at which only a god’s descendant could move, we zapped the vultures that surrounded Sky. Retaliating, these vultures knocked down trees and threw lightning at us to slow us down, but we hurdled over and under them. Suddenly, I saw a bright light flash across the space in front of us, which was not fired from the vultures. It seemed to have been meant for the vultures, but it worried me when some came straight at us. Confusion filled my mind. Who would be bold enough to shoot their rays at us? Unfortunately, it was too dark and I couldn’t see that far. My vision was limited to only see within the range my own light projected.
Going after the vultures was bad enough, but following them through the stream was even worse. Their heavy steps disturbed the sleep of the water, but it turned out to be a good thing; it would slow them down. After we crossed the stream, we slipped into another forest.
Suddenly, a group of the vultures jumped in front of us. Little did we know some of them had been hiding up on the branches waiting for us. Damn! I was so pissed. I needed to get to Sky. I also needed to control my anger. It only made the lightning worse, and there was a possibility that I could set this forest on fire if I wasn’t careful.
At first, it seemed as though the vultures didn’t know who to attack since there were three of us. These ugly creatures didn’t have much of a brain. I wasn’t going to stand there and wait for them to decide, so I made the first move. With both of my hands, I jumped and grab
bed the first vulture’s shoulders and gave him a jolt of lightning. When Nick saw me in action, he did the same. The vultures convulsed like crazy, sizzled, and turned into ashes.
Apparently, these vultures didn’t have the same powers as us, so we had the upper hand. That was good for Everett. When a vulture went for him, Everett swung his sword for its legs. Instead of swinging all the way, he stopped and diverted his sword to its neck. The stupid vulture had no idea what was happening. It tried to grab Everett while black blood gushed out from its neck, but Everett got away safely.
Thinking we were in the clear, we dashed forward, but suddenly ad to halt when more came at us. This group was a bit more advanced. They, too, shot out lightning. This was going to be bad for Everett. It also meant that Sky would be out of my reach.
“Everett, stand behind us,” I ordered. I didn’t mean to sound forceful and demanding, but his life was at stake. The vultures could seriously hurt him with their bolts. As Nick and I stood side by side and fought back with our lights, Everett managed to stay behind us.
I could tell from the way they maneuvered and worked as a team that this group of vultures was smarter. Not only that, their lights moved like whips. Whack! Whack! Shit! One lashed across my shirt and burnt through it. Then I wondered if I could move my light like them. Before I could try, the five vultures joined their bolts into one, and it was coming straight for us.
“Shit!” Nick yelled, combining his light with mine. “Theirs is so much bigger and brighter. Can we take them?” Our light hit theirs, creating a massive spark, blinding our vision. The impact caused individual lights to shoot out.
“Hell, yes.”
Feeling like more distance was between Sky and me, I became desperate. I didn’t care if I burned down this forest. I was going to get to Sky…now. What I was about to do next would drain me, but it was the only thing I could think of.