by Namita Singh
shrugs.
“Why the hell would she try that? Haven’t you guys yet got that we are on your side?” I impatiently snap, taking out my prissiness at Neal, “We are not two separate teams.” I scowl.
“What the fuck are you raging at me for?” Neal snaps, frowning unhappily at me. “I am sitting here, aren’t I?”
I roll my eyes, “Yeah, like you were exactly this compliant a few hours back.” I say in sarcasm.
“Hey!” Neal snaps, “Be in my place and then form judgments.”
“Funny how that is exactly what your aunt says.”
Neal has an unbelievable expression on as he huffs at me. He doesn’t say anything though, choosing to avert his eyes towards some other corner. His silence obviously eats at my conscience. It’s not like I intended to be rude but Neal hasn’t exactly been comfortable with the idea of my family helping him a few hours back, just like his aunt. I just brought the fact to focus.
“Look, Neal-” I start.
“So, what, now I have to prove that I trust your family’s allegiance? Weren’t we on the same team?” Neal mocks, his voice ending sardonically. “And if you’re done with your tantrum then we can focus on Jen aunt instead of me.”
His jibe doesn’t have the usual flare to it, coming out more tiredly than offensively. That immediately has me on high alert. May be he actually is exhausted, to not be ragingly sarcastic. Or I have just managed to hit a sore spot. The last thought makes me squirm slightly but I nod at him to continue.
“She was talking about some chemical.” Neal says, “Something that can mask my aura. Something that can mask anybody’s aura, actually. She very strongly believes that the council of your realm won’t be kind to us.”
I frown, “Jennifer had also said she had instilled Aakir with enough ‘repellant’ when she had left him in the woods. I was wondering what she meant by that.”
“Probably this…whatever this chemical is.”
“She didn’t say a name?”
“No…she just said that she has something that can suppress our auras.”
“Not necessarily a chemical.” I point out.
Neal shakes his head, “The way she was talking, it sounded like a fluid. She did use the term ‘drinking’.”
“And if your auras are suppressed…”
“Then you therians can’t catch us.”
“Dude…therians cannot catch you even if they would want to.” I point out. “Remember what dad said? You can be found only by accident.”
“Exactly!” Neal exclaims, “So, the only reason for which she may require this aura-suppressing-chemical would be to make me escape in the first place. Isn’t it?”
I am silent for a moment. Yes, if Neal doesn’t have his aura radiating off him, he can escape without troubles. It’s not like we are keeping him on a leash. And once he is gone, we may never get a drift of his track. Out of everything, I am surprised by how annoyed I feel at the prospect of my partner not radiating his aura because of that stupid-ass chemical.
“I don’t like your aunt.” I tell him.
Neal sighs and rubs the back of his neck, “I do not find her to be all roses either, Josh.”
I frown at his destitute tone. More so at him using my first name.
“How much exactly worn out is your relationship with your aunt?” I ask him.
He rolls his eyes at me, “Are we getting into a heart-to-heart?”
“Don’t be sarcastic.” I huff at him, “Seriously? Is it that bad?”
Neal suspires, averting his eyes, “I already told you. We are not emotionally bonded or anything. Yeah, she took care of me but by providing material things. She hasn’t even been around me since last four years or so. Apparently, a humongous house and enough cash in my account were the only responsibilities she saw.”
I shake my head, frowning, “But that doesn’t make sense. I am still befuddled that you lived alone. I mean, if Jennifer is so hell bent at keeping you safe, why did she let you put up alone in the first place? In a very remote area of Liepāja, to top off.”
“You had yourself pointed out that maybe she didn’t want attention directed at us. That she didn’t want any risk in case any other therians were keeping track of her.”
“Yeah, that’s a possibility, of course. A reasonable one, in fact.” I say, “But from what you’re saying, the contact between the both of you was almost negligible. I don’t know, it’s just spooky.”
“David used to contact though,” Neal says, “Not frequently but once in a few months. That’s more frequent than Jen aunt contacting me. Maybe he was keeping track of me-”
“Yes, that makes sense. On the contrary, it doesn’t make much sense. They are partners, so it’s understandable if David kept track of you for Jennifer. But at the same time, any other therian looking on will be assured that they are partners and are working together…” I trail off.
“They are not partners.”
I look at Neal who has a set expression on his face, his forehead crunched up in determination.
“What?” I say.
“They are not partners.” He repeats, still frowning, “Both of them haven’t found their partners. They are friends, have been so since childhood.”
I contemplate this, “They are not together romantically?”
“I don’t think so…” Neal’s frown deepens, “I didn’t ask for the gory details.” He snaps suddenly, “Jen aunt was anyways reluctant to talk about it. She didn’t sound very enthusiastic when I asked about her partner. She doesn’t have one, so I guess I can understand her sour stance.”
I scoff slightly, “She has a sour personality in totality.” I quip childishly.
“She doesn’t like you either.” Neal reveals.
“Yeah?”
“She thinks you’re lying.”
I frown, “Lying about what?”
“About me being your partner.” Neal says in a careful tone, alertly observing my reaction.
I roll my eyes. “Why would she think that I am lying about having a partner? A male partner at that?”
“That’s precisely why she thinks you’re lying.” Neal sighs, “Jen aunt says that…it’s impossible for me to have a male partner.”
I frown, “Why?”
Neal awkwardly clears his throat, “She just thinks that you’re trying to keep me with you guys…to take advantage of my abilities.”
For some reason, I am entirely sure that Neal is not speaking the full truth regarding what Jennifer said for my apparent mendacity. Moreover, this doesn’t seem enough fit reason as to why Neal can’t have a male partner.
“And?” I ask him. I do not try to grovel and justify that his aunt is wrong in assuming that I will use him for his abilities. Neal is aware of how much I despise his abilities being used for nonchalant things. Also, he knows that I’m aware of him being my partner before being aware of him being the vaticinator.
Besides if he was even slightly in agreement with his aunt then he wouldn’t be sitting here.
“That’s it.” Neal says, innocently blinking at me.
I give him a challenging look, raising my eyebrows at him.
He lets out a puff of breath, pursing his lips together tightly, “She just explained to me this whole ‘partner’ thing.” He acquiesces, immediately turning to look at something else.
Sour personality or not, if it’s a female, she is bound to insinuate romance between partners; they be of same gender or not. I can vaguely guess what Jennifer must have told Neal.
“Neal,” I start, exasperatedly running a hand down my face, “I didn’t lie to you, not about anything, when I explained you the theory of partners.”
“I am not saying that you did.”
“Yeah, so whatever your aunt is telling you…that’s what people conveniently adopt in their lifestyles. If I had a girl for a partner, even I would find it the easiest to marry her than anybody else.”
“And now that you have a guy for a partner?”
I give
him an ‘are you kidding me?’ look. He just stares impassively.
“Of course I won’t marry you.” I snap.
Neal chuckles, “That’s not what I meant. I am asking, what now? So, you have a guy for a partner. Now you’re not going to get married at all?”
“Of course I will get married.” I say, but the slight reluctance in my voice doesn’t go amiss. I feel bad for the uncertainty in my voice but I appease myself by reminding that I am not sure as of yet if I am capable of marrying someone else or not.
“You’re lying.” Neal states.
I sigh, “I am not lying…I am just not sure. I am seventeen, for Christ’s sake. I don’t sit back and think about marriages.”
“You must have thought something. Where do you expect both of us to stand when you get married?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug, “I must be on the pedestal and I’d like you to be beside Aakir, as my second best man or something.”
“I am serious.”
“So am I.” I tell him. I shake my head in exasperation, “Why the sudden twenty questions? I thought we were done with the awkward talk.”
Neal suspires loudly, “Jen aunt says that if you’re my partner then it’s very well a possibility that my lineage will not stow forward. That I am most probably the last vaticinator. Because she is convinced, that if my partner is a male, then it’s highly unlikely, for whatever reasons, for me to have sex with a girl. Hence, no kids and no more vaticinators.”
“That’s bullshit.” I say, entirely taken aback by such absurd theory.
“I am more than happy to agree with you.”
“Yeah, okay.” I say. It dawns on me why he would be happy to agree with me. Not only it eliminates the impossibility of him