Amara was sitting at a well-lit vanity and carefully applying darkening mascara to her pale blonde lashes.
“Mara, did you take your—” Pax turned the corner as she was tying her hair into a ponytail, and she immediately frowned. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Amara snapped. “Damn, you made me talk and now I smudged it!”
“We’re going to train with Uncle Ash. You don’t need makeup. He’s a simpleton from the backwoods; he could never tell the difference between fancy Mara and just-woken-up Mara.”
“He’s not as dumb as you think he is,” Amara said softly. “I seem to recall that a girl from that same remote wilderness hustled through med school without even trying.”
Pax shrugged. “It’s kind of easy to study when you just put your hand on a book and absorb all the words in a matter of minutes.”
“No way!” Amara gasped. “You cheated in school? Does Amelia know that?”
“Grandma is none the wiser—and she doesn’t need to know,” Pax said with a smile. “My point is that if it was so fucking easy for me to get through school, and then other school, and more school on top of that—using my natural abilities—then Ash could’ve done the same thing. That’s all Grandma ever wanted—to see him become successful. He should’ve done it for her at least.”
“So he could sit around with a medical degree he doesn’t ever use like you do?” Amara asked sweetly.
“Exactly. At least it would make his mom happy, and he’d feel a bit better about himself. And by the way, I did use my degree for a while. I only stopped when it didn’t seem to matter anymore.”
“When you killed someone for the first time,” Amara said, reading her thoughts as she applied a gloss to her lips.
“Yes,” Pax said, quickly changing the subject. “For Sakra’s sake, you don’t need to wear makeup to work out! When you get sweaty it will make everything messy and disgusting.”
“I don’t think Para will break a sweat during any of these pathetic, fake training sessions.”
“That’s true. Well, try to remember not to throw yourself at him so obviously this time.”
“I am not obvious!” Amara insisted.
Pax placed her hands on her hips, mimicking her friend by using a high pitched voice. “Ohmigod, stop smoking now, Ash! I can’t bear the thought of such a disgusting object touching your beautiful body! Ohhh, Ash, you’re sooo strong, and sooo fast! Do you work out a lot to build those big, sexy muscles?”
“I do not sound like that!” screeched Amara in a high-pitched voice, in effect sounding exactly like that. She realized it immediately and began to grumble.
Pax laughed. “It doesn’t matter, really. Ash is oblivious. I’m more concerned about the family dinner tomorrow.”
“So am I,” Amara said softly. “I am kind of freaked out that Dad will see Para and immediately know that it’s us. And then punish us for our stupid scam. And whatever he does, you know it’s going to be painful. He’ll break a lot more than our legs.”
“Well, we just have to plan carefully. It won’t be easy to deceive Vincent, but it can be done.”
* * *
The next day, as Para approached the Kalgren compound, she didn’t realize that one member of the household, one with a particularly scientific and suspicious mind, peered down at her through a small gap in venetian blinds. It was a momentary calculated and distrustful glance amidst the chaos of the family within the house.
“The bots have almost finished making dinner,” Rose pointed out sharply. “Where is she?”
“She’s a busy girl, mom. She’ll be here.”
“I hope so. If she doesn’t arrive here in five minutes, I swear…”
“She’s already been shot for dating me. What worse could you put her through?”
“I am a mother, therefore I am an expert at creative torture…”
“Woman, quit your griping. I am hungry, may we begin eating?”
“If you take off your armor and use your hands, I’ll let you start eating, Vince.”
"I will not take off my armor. I am returning to my training immediately after this ridiculous dinner. I have agreed to meet the boy’s new weakling woman, have I not?”
“Father!”
“If she doesn’t show up in three minutes, I swear…”
The doorbell chose that moment to ring.
“Told you.”
Thornton went to answer the door and he greeted Para with a kiss on the lips. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “My parents are a little bit crazy…”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle. They can’t be worse than mine!” she said with a laugh. Really. They can’t be worse than mine, because they are somewhat mine. I crack myself up.
“Boy!” shouted Vincent, “Bring her in here now so we can begin eating.”
Thornton whispered again, “And my father is really rude and a bit scary…”
“And he has great hearing!” shouted Vincent. “So quit whispering and get the fuck in here so I can eat!”
Wow… Dad’s being particularly rude, thought Para, I mean, he’s not exactly a social butterfly, but this is unusually crass. Even for him!
Para followed Thornton into the room where a smiling Rose greeted her with a handshake.
“Hello, dear. I’m Rose, Thorn’s mom.”
“Medea Meadows. It’s great to finally meet you!”
“What a lovely name. That grunting fellow is Thorn’s grumpy father, but you can just ignore Vince altogether. Thornton has told us absolutely nothing about you, so you will have to tell us all about yourself.”
“Sure! For starters, I brought presents for both of you.” Para handed a gift bag to Rose and walked over to Vince to hand him his. The deva turned his head away from her angrily in refusal.
“Gosh!” exclaimed Rose. “It’s the DVD set of Season Six of The Cold and The Powerful! I love that show. I can’t wait to watch it!”
Para laughed, and turned back to the angry blonde man. “Won’t you accept my gift, Vincent?”
He scowled at her. “Address me with some respect, female! Do you know who I am? Do you have any clue in just whose presence you’re standing?”
Para curiously peered into Vincent’s mind to survey his thoughts: I wonder how much of an asshole I will have to be to scare her away from my son. I do not want my son to end up with some pathetic, sniveling human. He belongs with Pax. The kids will get over their differences eventually, but I can’t allow some creature with the energy levels of a small rodent to get in the way of Thorn and Pax being together. The last thing those two need right now is more obstacles and complications.
Para smiled. She genuinely smiled. Vince, she thought fondly. You’re the best.
“Mr. Kalgren, sir,” she said coyly, holding out the gift bag very close to his face, “I would love it if you would at least look at your gift. I spent a lot of time choosing it.”
A delicate aroma reached his sensitive nostrils and they flared rebelliously.
“I need nothing from you whatsoever!” Vincent growled, snatching the bag away from her hand. “I am the King of Devas! What could you possibly give me that I… is this raspberry amaretto vanilla swirl fudge? That’s my favorite.”
Rose giggled. “What do you say, Vince?”
Gruffly, he murmured a thank you. The fudge was already out of its packaging and in his mouth.
Para concealed her smirk. “My pleasure, sir.” Oh, pops. You adorable big buffoon.
“Medea, please take a seat,” said Thornton, pulling a seat for her at the dinner table. Para suppressed a frown, since Thornton had pulled Pax’s chair out for her. Nevertheless, she sat down and thanked him. Both Pax and Amara had eaten before the dinner so that Para wouldn’t be so ravenously hungry that she revealed herself through her excessive appetite.
The Kalgren family began to eat pleasantly, with Rose and Para making idle chit-chat while the men scarfed down their meals. Para ignored her somehow still growling stomach and tried to eat in a dainty manner.
“I can't believe you’re a fan of that show too!” Rose was prattling on. “Can you believe they killed off Garrick at the end of Season Five? He was such a hunk! What a dreamy man, really, I could just…”
Vincent snarled, a red aura of prana cackling around him. He glared at Rose as he reached for a leg of chicken and ripped at it with his teeth in a manner which was positively bestial.
“Relax, Vince! He’s a character on a TV show. Quit scaring our guest! What’s gotten into you?”
Thornton and Rose had both looked at Para with worry, hoping she wouldn’t be too frightened, but she only lightly giggled at Vincent’s show of anger while she shoveled creamed corn into her mouth at an alarming rate.
She heard their surprised thoughts and she paused, swallowed, and smiled. “This corn is delicious! Rose, you’re a wonderful cook.”
“Oh, sweetie,” said Rose grinning. “I couldn't cook to save my life. But I do make the robots who do the cooking!”
“That’s even more impressive,” said Para as she stabbed a shrimp and brought it to her mouth.
When Para laughed, Vincent paused in his voracious chewing for a second. There’s something about that laugh... He stared at her deep plunge neckline with a frown as he tried to place the sound, but he soon grew distracted. I can see why my son has chosen this new woman. Although she might be weak, her breasts are larger, rounder, fuller and far more appetizing than Pax’s are. If I were 30 years younger…
Para dropped her fork and began to cough violently on the piece of shrimp. It was times like these that reading minds was not such a blessing. Sakra! My father just checked me out! And that son of a bitch insulted my breasts! Well, maybe if he didn’t make me train with him every day I might actually be able to gain some body fat and have a chest to speak of! Damn you, Vince! When did you even take notice of my breasts to begin with? Ew.
“Are you alright, Medea?” asked Thornton in concern.
Vincent had continued staring. And they bounce so delightfully when she coughs. They are rather firm and buoyant. Maybe I should let Rose get that cosmetic surgery she’s been...
Para’s coughing increased, blending with a guffaw of laughter. Mom wants to get a boob job? And she discussed this with Dad? And he refused? This is rich!
“Uh, Medea? Are you okay?” Thornton asked again.
Boob job! Mom wants a boob job! My serious, businesswoman mother! She tried to control her giggles. “Yes, I’m just laughing at my own stupidity! I completely forgot I was allergic to shellfish. Silly me.”
Para sent a cheerful look at Thornton, depositing a piece of steak on her tongue instead.
I see, thought Vincent with sudden understanding, although she may be deplorably ignorant, to the point of not knowing what substances poison her body, she has redeeming attributes. She has no brain, no strength, and no value, but Thorn must be pleased that his new woman is not flat-chested like Pax.
Freezing in the middle of chewing on her steak, Para snapped her head around to glare at Vincent. Flat-chested! Keep calm, Para, keep calm. If you get angry your prana will become apparent and you’ll reveal yourself.
At that moment, Rose noticed her husband’s line of sight and promptly smacked him upside the head. “Vincent!” Rose said sourly. “Please quit staring at her in that manner.”
“Hm,” Vincent responded. “I just can’t get over how much she looks like a younger version of you, Rose.”
“Do you think so?” Para asked, gazing at Rose. Rose looked from Vincent to Para, smiling.
“Yes, Vince, now that you mention it!” said Rose snapping her fingers. “This explains everything! I get it now!”
“Get… what?” asked Para nervously, as she placed a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.
“Why Thorn likes you! I read somewhere that boys always choose women who resemble their mothers. Your blue eyes, your facial structure, and that flawless figure… well! You have a slightly darker coloring, but I can see the resemblance. This is some Freudian thing, for sure!”
“Mom!” Thornton complained with a blush. “That is so not true, and so not appropriate.”
Para laughed. She loved seeing him embarrassed.
Vincent dropped his leg of meat quite suddenly and snapped at Para. “Girl! Who the hell are you?”
Para turned to face him, surprise evident on her face. “What? I told you, I’m Medea Mead…”
“What are you?”
“I’m… a resident doctor.”
“Don’t act stupid,” said Vincent angrily, shoving his empty plates aside in annoyance. “When you laughed your energy doubled.”
“My… I’m not sure what you mean.”
“A very small increase,” said Vincent, leaning forward. “Imperceptibly small since your prana is already so low. But as a proportion of your total energy, it does not make sense for anyone’s strength to double when they laugh. Unless they’re trying very hard to suppress their true power.”
I’m an idiot. I’m an idiot. Please don’t figure me out, Dad, please don’t figure me out. Bullshit time. She swallowed. “I don’t really know what you mean, but I’m quite healthy. I am taking some medication for high blood pressure and I might have an iron deficiency.”
“Hmph.”
“It’s nothing really,” Para said innocently.
“Medea’s really tough,” Thornton said to his parents, having paused in his eating for a moment. “She took a bullet a few days ago, and she didn’t even go to the hospital. She just removed it herself and bandaged it up. I was really impressed.”
“My goodness dear! You should let a doctor look at that,” remarked Rose.
“I looked at it myself,” said Para with a small chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe how many mistakes doctors make on a daily basis. They’re tired and overworked and I’m confident I can do a better job on my own.”
Vincent was still glaring at her. When she chuckled, he noticed the strange disturbance in her energy again. It wasn’t as profound as when she laughed, but he sensed something strange from her. Was it really an indication of illness? Perhaps, but it seemed somehow familiar to him. Where had he felt that before? He concentrated, trying to remember. Well, if he couldn’t figure it out on his own, he would just scare her into giving up information. Perhaps if he tried to bluff or threaten her.
“So girl, do you train?”
“Actually, yes. Ash Burnson has been teaching me a few things, and I’ve just learned the basics of how to manipulate something he calls prana. It really blew my mind.”
“And where did you learn to suppress your prana levels so well?”
“Suppress my…”
“Do you take me for a fool?!” Vincent roared, slamming his palms down on the table and causing every dish and glass to crack and splinter. The table itself gained a new crack running down the center, and it began to buckle under the weight of the dishes. Rising to his feet, Vincent allowed a silver aura to instantly surround him, transforming his body with fierce flames. Waves of searing heat emanated from his body, filling the entire room as he marched toward Para. He made a fist and moved to punch her in the face, but Para gasped and flinched, hiding her head in her hands.
When she did not move to skillfully block the attack, anticipate, intercept, or reciprocate, Vincent immediately slipped out of Silver Form and resumed his normal human composure. He frowned, feeling guilty for guessing wrong about there being something suspicious about this girl.
“Father,” Thornton said angrily. “That was uncalled for and impolite. I think I should take Medea home now.”
“I’d like that,” she said softly.
“Oh, Vince,” Rose said with a sigh as she wiped her hands on her napkin. “Not everyone is a demon sent by your enemies to kill you.”
Para stood up shakily, feeling a hollow spot in her chest from actual fear. If he had punched her, he would have known that she was not human. She was thankful that he had only been bluffing. “Could I use your bathroom?” she whispered.
Once she had been pointed in the direction of the room, Para locked herself in and opened her purse. She pulled out a syringe and quickly filled it with a dose from a vial before tucking the container back in her purse. She took a deep breath and lifted her skirt, holding the needle at the side of her thigh with a trembling hand. I knew I shouldn’t have come near Vince. He’s not an idiot like the boys. Come on Para. Come on. Get a grip! She looked in the mirror, searching her own foreign deep blue eyes for strength.
“You can do this,” she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and jabbed the needle into her leg, making a small fearful squeaking noise. Were the tranquilizers losing effect? Should she administer larger doses? She unloaded the liquid into her bloodstream slowly, hoping that it would be enough to lower her prana from Vincent’s suspicion. Enough to keep it down, even when she lost concentration on suppressing it during the milliseconds of her laughter.
“Aha!” shouted a male voice, and a loud clattering noise was heard.
Para turned and screamed.
“Bree. Bree!” The robot bounced triumphantly. “Pax in disguise! Girl is Pax. Pax scared of needles!”
“No! Bree, it’s not me!” she spat out as she tore the needle out of her thigh. Her words came out in a panicked, muddled mess. Then she realized that she had basically admitted her identity and she hit herself in the face with the hand that wasn’t holding the needle.
“Bree has Pax’s data downloaded. Bree computes all data. Girl’s movements match Pax’ data. Girl is…”
"NO!" shouted Para, letting the needle fall from her hand as she grabbed the puppy and clamped a hand over his robotic mouth.
She held him close to her face and whispered, “Listen, Bree. Please keep this a secret. Please, if you love me don’t…”
The bathroom door opened to reveal a frowning Rose. “What's going on here?”
As Rose assessed the scene, she found that Para had a terrified expression on her face as she held the little robot in a stranglehold while a syringe was spinning on the floor.
“Heavens, Bree! What are you doing in the bathroom, frightening the poor girl?” asked Rose with annoyance. Then her eyes settled on the syringe and she bent over to pick it up. “What’s this?”
Vincent and Thornton had arrived on the scene, and Para glanced at them both nervously. She knew she should let go of the puppy’s mouth, but the robot had figured out her identity, and if he spoke…
“Bree, you can’t spy on girls when they go to the bathroom!” Thornton chastised. “Medea is our guest and she deserves her privacy. Here, let me take him away from you…”
“No,” exclaimed Para rapidly, tightening her clamp on the robot’s mouth. “I mean, he startled me at first, but he apologized and now we’re on good terms. Right, Bree?” She slowly released him, holding her breath and hoping the robot’s artificial intelligence would be accompanied with artificial tact.
In a mechanical voice, the little dog simply spoke, “Bree. Bree. Strange girl whom Bree has not met. Bree does not know strange girl. Bree made mistake, scared girl. Bree sorry.”
Para smiled at him appreciatively.
“You still haven’t explained this,” said Rose, waving the syringe in Para’s face angrily.
“Isn’t it obvious, woman?” Vincent snorted. “The girl is a druggie. Trust our son to be attracted to a heroin addict.”
“It is not heroin!”
“Father!”
“It’s times like these, Rose, I almost wish he was gay. You know how we used to worry about Thorn and Ash spending too much time together when they were hormonal pre-teens? I wish for those days back. I would rather have a gay son than a stupid son who wastes his time on human drug addicts because of their nice breasts.”
“Vince!” snapped Rose.
“Father! You thought I was gay?”
“That syringe is filled with industrial strength painkillers,” Para explained in a voice that she hoped was solemn, “for the bullet wound. It’s embarrassing, but I’m not magically impenetrable like you people. Being shot hurts.”
She turned to walk away and leave the house, but Rose placed the syringe down on an accent table and ran after her. Thornton glared at Vincent for a full minute as the two men were left standing in the hall. “Dad, you know Mom is human too. You shouldn’t be such an ass to my girlfriend. She was injured because of me.”
“Boy, are you serious? How many weeks ago did you propose to Pax in front of all of us? Is she worth nothing to you? You would cease your pursuit of a deva woman to frolic with this worthless, gold-digging bitch?”
“Do not talk about her that way, Father.”
Meanwhile, Rose was crooning to Para, “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry!” She placed her arm around the girl and guided her onto the sofa. “You should have taken the vial of Sakra’s water that Thorn brought you.”
“No, no,” Para insisted. “That’s unnecessary. I might drink some to save my life, but not to relieve pain.”
“We have an infirmary downstairs…”
“No, it’s fine. I will heal eventually, naturally. I just needed the morphine for the pain,” she said. Seeing that Thornton and Vincent had entered the room with Bree, she stood up. “I think I’ll go now, but it was nice meeting you all. Thorn has a lovely family, and an adorable little robot dog.”
“Bree like strange girl! Bree. Bree.”
Para sent the robot a special knowing look, and clutched her side as she raised herself from the sofa and exited the room.
“Wait, Medea!” called Rose running after her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were in so much pain. You’re so brave to try and hide it from us like that. I would be honored if you would accompany my son to the Charity Ball.”
“I wouldn’t want you to feel ashamed of him lowering himself.”
“Oh, no! God, I’m so sorry if we implied that. You’re as sophisticated a girl as I could ever imagine my Thorn being with. I didn’t mean to give you such a hard time, sweetie. I just love my son more than anything and want the best for him,” said Rose gently. “You must understand that, don’t you? We’re very protective of him. He’s my first child; my baby. And… well, my daughter’s going through some issues and she’s hardly around these days, so I have no one else to fuss over but Thorn. I’m just becoming a miserable old woman.”
Para couldn’t resist reaching out to hug Rose when she saw the sad look in her eyes. I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll spend some time at home soon, I promise.
Rose returned the hug in her natural motherly way. “Please, Medea, don’t let us separate on bad terms. I’m sorry that my husband called you a drug addict, but Vince really has no manners.”
“It’s fine. It was kind of funny,” said Para with a smile. “I’m so glad you don’t disapprove of me. I thought for sure you wouldn't like me.”
“Nonsense. How could I not like you? You brought me Season Six of The Cold and the Powerful.”
The two women laughed together lightly.
“Well, I'm glad you like the gift, Mrs. Kalgren. I think I need to go.”
“Take care, dear.”
Rose turned and walked back into the house as Thornton exited to say his goodbyes to his new girlfriend. Sighing at what a mess dinner had become, Rose reached up and ran a few fingers through her hair.
“Why are you condoning this?” asked a nearby voice, startling Rose. She turned to see her husband standing right behind her, staring at her intently.
“What do you mean?”
“Woman. You have always been the one trying to maintain and strengthen the connections between our family and the Burnsons. You have always insisted that we treat Pax like our own daughter…”
Rose reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, Vince. You know we can’t control him. I just don’t want to alienate our son.”
“And I don’t want to humanize him,” growled Vincent, using his hands to encircle Rose’s waist. “Why are you tolerating that girl? If I know you at all...”
“Let’s just be patient, darling,” Rose whispered. “They’ll find their way back to each other.”
“Aren’t you supposed to help it along?” he asked quietly. “Doesn’t this call for some of your good, old fashioned meddling and manipulation? Isn’t that what you do, woman?”
Just then Thornton walked in and made a disgusted noise as he saw his parents in a romantic embrace. Rose abruptly sighed and pulled away from Vincent, walking back into the dining area. She groaned as she observed her broken table, and dozens of broken dirty dishes piled on top of each other, which seemed to tower halfway to the ceiling.
I guess I should start cleaning this place up.