“Anything else in here you want to keep?” I ask. Today is the big day. We haven’t gotten up from bed yet, and my hand is slowly trailing up and down his torso.
He looks around for a millisecond and closes his eyes again, “No, we moved it all to the other room and you already packed those things up while I was in the hospital.”
I do a quick look myself, agree, but pause when I spot the empty frame above our bed.
“Can you tell me now?” I ask him.
“Tell you what?” Asher asks, snuggling closer.
“What the empty frame means to you?” I ask. It annoyed me so much the first time I was here.
“Oh, yeah. I guess so.” He laughs to himself and then explains, “It means that life is empty unless you fill it.”
“Really?” I ask incredulously.
“Really. It’s very simple. An empty frame is a life unfilled. I loved how much that bothered you.” Asher smiles, brushing hair behind my ear. My roots are really growing in now. Maybe we can use some of the millions to go to a fancy salon I can afford now. Just once, then I’ll happily go back to normal low-income civilian life.
“I should have figured that out. We talked a little about emptiness, but I didn’t pick up that emptiness implied the need to fill,” I say. It’s a simple and obvious answer now that I know it. It makes so much sense for him.
“You definitely should have.” He pulls me to him and we hold onto each other’s waists. He winces but doesn’t let go. Our lips meet in a gentle kiss.
“My life is full when I’m with you, Kiera,” he says, rubbing my nose with his.
“My life will always welcome your chaos,” I say back.
* * *
I finally get up from the bed when we hear yelling outside the house. I leave Asher to make us food in the kitchen while I investigate and find Rosie arguing with the vampires.
“I can’t believe you, Octavius!” Rosie screams, slapping the vampire in the chest. Cameron stands back, a hand on her mouth to cover a laugh. Rosie keeps slapping his chest, not letting up on her screaming outrage.
“I didn’t mean to become a vampire, Rosie. I can’t help that I was murdered,” the tall vampire says. I’d only met him that one time, but Cameron said he was happy to come back and help today, too.
“You were murdered?! You didn’t choose this like the idiot that you are?” Rosie yells at him, her voice getting higher with every word. She addresses Cameron next, “How about I kill you then, you blood-sucking piece of trash? If you think you can take this choice from people, you have another thing coming.” Rosie’s hands spark with pink flame and she aims at Cameron. I rush forward, looking around to see if there were any people witnessing her powers.
Cameron puts up her hands in surrender. “Hey there, honey. I didn’t kill him. I like my family to come to me willingly.”
Octavius steps in front of Cameron. “It wasn’t her,” he yells.
Rosie snuffs her fires with a booming clap between her two hands. “Who? Who did this to you?”
I stand beside Cameron and we exchange a look. I’ve never seen power like that.
Octavius inches closer and sits his hands on Rosie’s shoulders. “Everything is alright. I’ll tell you all about it once we are done here, okay? Let’s get through today and we’ll talk.”
Rosie’s lips wobble and she nods. “You are not getting away with this, Otto. You should have called me when this happened.”
“I know. I know, Rosie Posie,” Octavius says consolingly.
“I’m not a plague,” she says with a sniff. Octavius’ hands run soothing strokes up and down her shoulders until she pulls away. He blinks and steps back, clasping his hands awkwardly in front of him.
“You both know each other, I gather,” I say stupidly, because what the hell else should I say?
Rosie gestures to Octavius. “That’s my ex.”
“Oh,” I say. “Octavius and Cameron helped me—” I pause, unsure if she wants to hear about her ex murdering people “—with the brother situation a few days ago. I thought it would be good to have extra muscle today, just in case something goes wrong.”
I leave it vague, just in case. Not every blood vampire is a murderer. There is a lot of diet variety in the vampire community.
“I see. Probably a good idea,” Rosie mutters and leans down, opening the duffel bag she brought with her. She pulls supplies out one by one and starts to divvy out instructions. Rosie watches as Cameron and Octavius leave with their handed items to start creating the protective barrier around the house. I follow her lingering eyes.
“Should I ask him to leave?” I ask Rosie when we are alone again.
She snaps out of her stare and turns back to me. “No. It’s good to have additional hands today. I was just startled.”
Asher walks outside and finds me, saying breakfast is ready. I nod and turn, gesturing to Rosie.
“Rosie, this is Asher. The guy I told you about.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard great things,” Asher tells her with a smile, shaking her outstretched hand.
“I’m sorry about earlier, with the yelling,” she says sheepishly. “I swear I’m a professional. I usually don’t yell in front of a client’s house. Or at least I’d introduce myself before yelling or sharing instructions.” She laughs and shrugs, but the tension stays on her face.
I quickly fill Asher in on what caused the situation.
“Don’t worry about it,” Asher says to Rosie. “I would have been weirded out, too, if I found out someone I knew was turned. Especially without their consent.”
“Yeah,” she says and pauses. “That’s the worse part. I’m mad he didn’t tell me. I thought we were closer than that. But I’m even more mad that he didn’t choose this…” Her voice trails off.
“Sooo…” Asher says. “Vampires don’t care about sunlight? That’s a made-up thing?”
I roll my eyes at him. “What kind of demon are you that you don’t know that?” I bicker. “That’s demon 101. Vampires have to have good marketing skills to be around for so long. They made the sun part up so they would always have an easy way to prove their innocence.”
“That’s smart,” Asher says, nodding in approval. “What else is marketing?”
Rosie chimes in, “Witches can’t fly. Telekinesis is pretty rare. I can’t do it. Um… let me think if there is anything else. Oh! Crystals usually have five-to-ten meanings each, so you don’t always have to focus on the rare expensive ones. There is probably a more common variety that helps your goal if you know where to look. Intention powers the crystal, but each crystal has a natural affinity to a few feelings. Still, we need the money and mining usually hurts indigenous cultures, so the harder ones to get are upsold by a lot to help make up for it. Our shop has a percent of proceeds going to the indigenous in our city.”
Me and Asher stare at her, taking in her ramble. Asher speaks first. “That is really cool and generous of you.”
She shrugs. “It’s a start. There is more to do, always. Like, apparently, hunt down a vampire siring people without consent. That’s new on my list. Good thing I know slayers.”
“I’ve learned a lot from this conversation,” I say, more to myself than to Asher or Rosie, but Asher still nods in agreement.
* * *
“I don’t want you to do this,” Asher tells his mother. I stand behind him, wringing my hands. This is a private moment I don’t think I should be in. It’s awkward, sad, and I am not good at handling either of those feelings.
“I am the only one who can do this safely, son. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be what stops my immortality,” Marlow says and pulls him into her arms. “Thank you for caring about me.” She fits like a child in his hug, so small compared to her demon sons.
“I’m sorry that me caring seems so foreign,” Asher tells her, voice rough with emotion.
“I pushed you away. I pushed all of you away. I pushed myself away,” Marlow’s voice cracks.
They hold each other as tears roll down their faces. Asher takes my hand when it’s over and we walk to the safe zone where Cameron and Octavius stand waiting. Octavius drops the bag of jewelry we removed from the house in between us, the last bit of luggage from hundreds of years of life.
A few minutes later, Rosie comes out of the house.
“She’s ready,” Rosie says and stands in front of Octavius. He moves a strand of her pink hair behind her shoulder and Rosie turns to glare at him. I cannot wait to ask her all about this relationship.
Rosie concentrates on the house before her and extends her hands. She closes her eyes and starts to hum. She told us this was simply a protective energy she’d be wrapping around us, a precaution should the physical protection spell not hold on the house. If Rosie’s calculations are correct, we will be far enough from the blast. The hum is soothing and a shimmer vibrates in the air before us. We chose a time when most people on the block would be at work, but there is only so much you can predict about magical fires.
We stand in silence for a few moments, listening to Rosie hum, until we hear a crash. A second later, sound, light, and fire explode outward from Asher’s home. Hot air pushes out from behind the barrier and we fly backward. Cameron, myself, and Asher hit a tree a few yards away and fall. I feel splintered and disoriented for a moment before I remember Asher’s wound. I groan and turn my head, looking for him. I see him a few feet away and crawl forward.
“Are you okay?” I wheeze. Asher grunts back but reaches a hand toward his abdomen. I look down and see his bandages begin to redden with blood. Shit.
“Stay here. I’ll get our first aid kit.” I turn to Cameron, who got up from being slapped by a tree like it was no big deal. “Watch him. Don’t eat him.” I’m not sure how strong she is at resisting blood.
I run as fast as I can to the vehicles we parked two blocks over, in hopes of saving them from any possible debris. Should have thought of debris hitting people, idiot. I grab the kit and run back. When I get there, chest heaving, I’m thankful that Cameron apparently has self control and is instead applying pressure to where his stitches burst.
I sit beside them, remove his bandage, do a quick clean up, and use some surgical tape to hold together the spots with loose or broken stitching, and cover him in a new bandage. It will hold for now until I can get him back to the doctor. Asher turns his face toward me with bleary eyes. “Thanks,” he says, throat dry.
I help him stand and he leans into my side. A commotion sounds behind us and I look around.
“I’ll check on them,” Cameron says. I turn and see an arguing Rosie and Octavius a distance away, covered in Marlow’s family jewels, the bag apparently breaking with the explosion.
Asher and I start walking back to the house to see what remains. He puts his arm around my shoulder and I help support his weight. Sirens sound in the distance.
I have Asher sit outside the house while I venture inside what is left. He doesn’t like it, but he can’t go in and inhale all this smoke when he is already injured.
Shards of crystals litter the floor with piles of burning furniture and rubble scattered. Some parts of the structure remain, shells of rooms and door frames leading into open spaces. I work through the destruction, coughing in the smoke, until I find the crystal room. The column was splintered from the inside out, leaving a fractured stump in the center of the room. It smokes, but holds no fire. Every step leaves the sound of crunching glass, the crystal’s integrity broken with the spell.
“Marlow?” I call into the smokey room, coughing into my arm. If I don’t find her soon, I’ll have to turn back.
I hear a grunt and turn, seeing Marlow’s red hair splayed on the ground behind a large chunk of crystal shards. I crouch, pushing it aside, and see her squinting up at me.
“That hurt,” she says with a cough.
“Let’s get you out of here,” I say and help her stand. Her clothes are tattered, which will not work for our pretend story about the events here, but I didn’t think about keeping extra clothing close by and I wouldn’t make it to the car and back with how close the sirens sounded.
“Mom,” Asher calls and limps to meet us at the entrance. They hug each other and he cries into her shoulder.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Marlow assures him, and it’s surprisingly true. Other than the smoke inhalation, which did seem to impact her somewhat, her body is fine and unbroken. As much as her immortality has hurt her, I am thankful for it now.
The firetrucks pull forward and men and women run into the house, while others check on us. Asher and Marlow are given oxygen. Despite the ash and debris covering Marlow, they believe her when she says they were in the front yard and flew back from the blast. Because who could survive being in there?