Chris
A nice cup of coffee so early in the morning was worth going to bed for. I sat in my riphath manifestation on Nick's porch and had no difficulty holding the mug. Putting it to my half-jutting maw and lips, taking a sip was more of a challenge. My fumbling made him hold back his laughter. The coffee ran from the corners, and we both busted a gut.
Someone once said, 'We're in control of our own boredom.' Not for creatures. I had gone home and worked my two weeks' notice. Sita hadn't. She just—up and ran away from her duties. Still taking time to think about our future. Her inability to confront confrontation wouldn't get a job without a reference… What was she living on? Our funds were running low, and we were supposed to move! Would she rack up credit? Come live off her grandfather?
I stared at my phone on the table. Months. No new messages. No point in calling if she didn't answer.
Just after Nick said, "Qadir released his virus in India," a rumble of a car on a gravel road in the far distance came our way. I stood and walked to the gate, thinking it was Jack.
"Did you hear what I said? First, it was Hawaii! Now Asia!"
"Hold on."
A silver SUV came around the corner. Two people in the front and one in the back. I looked back at Nick; he shrugged. They drove straight in. While I closed the gate, they got out.
The three looked around, and when they turned, I flinched. "Charlene?"
"Hey…" she said without taking her hands out of her back pockets.
I stretched out my hand to the couple. We had met before at a parents' evening when she took my class a few years ago. Charlene had done very poorly in school and was voted the least likely to succeed. What in the world were they doing here? "I don't want to be rude, but what's going on?"
The woman manifested into a riphath. My gaze slowly rose with it. Speechless, my eyes flickered over her. In my periphery, Nick hobbled down the steps, asking, "Who are you?"
I couldn't move.
"My name is Satya… This is my human husband, Will, and I'm Chris's mother."
My eyes shot to Charlene. "I didn't know, I swear." Her hands came out to wave around. "And I'm human. I found out yesterday. I'm still freaked out— seeing her turn into some freaking—thing."
"We didn't know you were alive until you manifested and Bertram told us. He moved us closer to where you and Sita settled… We all thought Qadir gave you to Rodrigo to experiment with… Cross-species breeding and all. So when you got married, we weren't sure if we should say something."
"You weren't—" I kept my anger at bay. "Why now? Why are you here?"
"Chris, I want to take you home… Charlene and Will also want to leave… We see how Qadir plans to rule, and this is no place for us."
"What about Sita? I'm married."
"She can come too… It's laid back on our home planet, and you'll both feel right at home."
"How will we get there? Can either of you fly a spaceship?"
Satya bared her teeth. Is that what I looked like when I smiled? Crazy to see another one of me. Surprises sucked. Disappointment may be worse.
"Bertram said you met Marcus… The two of you at least know each other."
"Yes, I'm sure he'll pick up the phone if I call, but I heard he was going back to En-gannim. Our reception is good, but not that good."
"He's funny," she said to Will. "Marcus and Louis come to Earth only every now and then. It's why we're here…"
They stared at me.
"What? Right now?"
"Yes, they're in Paris… Marcus almost killed Qadir, and at some point, he won't come to help his father anymore. We need to get a hold of him today— "
I pulled out my phone, cutting her off. I never wanted to speak to them again. Those two were the last men on— in the universe, I wanted as friends.
While I was busy finding his number, Nick asked—my mother, "How are you alive? We thought—"
"Qadir kept me prisoner. He wanted the teleportation stone… I'll explain later—"
"Does he have it?"
"No! I… It… The thing is, I either lost it or it disappeared—"
Marcus: "Hello."
Me: "Hey, Marcus… It's Chris… Do you have a second?"
Marcus: "Sure. What's up?"
Me: "I was wondering if I could ask you a favor… If you could arrange for me and four others to travel to—?"
I lifted my eyebrows in Satya's direction. She mouthed softly, 'Zoreah.'
"Zoreah… My planet, the riphath planet—" Laughter on the other side cut me off. Taking the piss out of me? No, I definitely didn't want to be friends with them. "Don't even know how it will be possible or if you'll be able to help."
"I can always ask."
"Thanks… I'll—"
"Give me a minute; stay on the line." Marcus was still there, but I guessed busy phoning home. Louis and Marcus talked while I waited.
Marucs: "Do you want to go with them?"
Oh, no. I didn't want them to come. A chaperone? I hated my life all of a sudden. Why did my mom decide to waltz into the yard?
Louis: "Yes, I want to see Zoreah… Ira won't be happy, but maybe if we bring Chris home…"
Marcus: "If Ira doesn't kill us for lying to him. Ahasuerus has to let go of the reins eventually and go to Zoreah."
What was a vamp going to do on Zoreah if species couldn't coexist? What would Sita and I do? Do we even love each other enough to make it work?
Louis: "It will push them both into a corner."
Marcus: "Exactly. Hey, Chris, he replied, I'll read it to you… He says: Yes. I have a meeting with Ira and Brylee in two days. We've finally found Juliet, and there are things to discuss. Does Chris want his wife to go with him, or do I need to tell Brylee she's coming home?"
Me: "Whoa, Marcus, I'm lost. Can you give me a few hours?"
Marcus: "Yip. Talk later." He killed the call.
I looked at Nick because they weren't invited, and Sita wasn't even here. Did I want to go home! He gave me a nod as if I had to do this and invited our visitors into the house.
Charlene and I fell behind. "Who is Juliet? Must be a big deal if he's looking for someone?"
Yeah! Why was she missing? The last time I was there— Kubra and I had gone to their window after the auction. We were halfway to the barracks when I told him to turn around. So, afraid she would be going to a house she didn't fully understand… My fears weren't unfounded. Her husband did hurt her. Did she run away? I should've done something. Picked her up and disappeared.
"A girl your age. She lived on the vampire compound—"
"My mother—our mother says it's impossible to get in or out of the place."
I smiled and met her eye. "Weird."
"It is… I'm sorry for what it's worth."
"You've had time to get used to it. With the world going crazy, our lives will never be the same."
For the hour it took Sita to arrive after Nick called her, he tried to prepare me with empty platitudes. 'You have to understand, Chris. She's scared. All the wolves are.' Sita appeared friendly. Happier than I've ever seen her. Kissing me and apologizing for leaving for so long. Months and months? She was willing to undergo a treatment to make her able to carry a child and go with me to Zoreah. Her chatty mannerisms irked me. She never would've come back if she didn't have a ride off the planet… Satya and Sita got along right from the start, and as they chatted in a corner, Charlene held herself stiff and gave me a look. Yeah. I was being manipulated—again.
***
Marcus and Louis shook my hand as if we were besties. My body reacted and tingled all over like the night of Juliet's auction. A slight inner tugging told me to turn around. An iffy feeling. Where to, though? I didn't like them, and I wanted off Earth.
Our group teleported to Shumaan. The platform inside the cave was surrounded by riphaths, weapons drawn. I was teleported to the back line of their defence the second we appeared. The rest were threatened to leave. Satya and one man had a good reunion before she decided to follow her husband to Earth.
The man let me go. "Thank goodness," I said with a sigh.
"You didn't want them to stay?"
"No! Sita showed her true colors. Marcus and Louis are psychotic. My mother knew I was alive, yet left me alone in the world? I'm a bit pissed! My sister… might be the only one I'd miss… You have no idea what I'm talking about."
"I do. Charlene could stay; should I ask Satya?"
"Nah! Clean break. Why do I get to stay? Who are you?"
***
Half a year later
I pulled up my pants and tied the straps, watching the woman with me get dressed. Out of my league? Completely. She walked out without a word while I was still breathing heavily. After sleeping with as many women as I liked, this little ritual would still be awkward only for me… Leaving right after, without another word. No words were exchanged.
This had to heaven, I thought, sitting in the chair outside. No responsibility. For anyone. No doubt. No commitments or issues to care about. Retiring at thirty-five was not overrated. Unless you had a kid. I groaned, watching another man with a child. Slaves, all of them. The only thing riphaths cared about… Like me. Able to do nothing until I was older. So, I sat and waited for my next lay. Sexed myself to life.
I ran my fingers over the leather piece of cloth my mother left me at birth. What was it? Ira didn't share. All he said was not to use it unless I wanted the person I did use it on to be stuck to me like glue. Super glue was his exact words. The corner of my mouth lifted. A woman I would want so much that she could cling to me and I wouldn't want her to ever leave… Hmm.
Instead of wondering who I could see in that role, I decided I was hungry and got to my feet. Sex and food. A proper alternative. I headed for the restaurant, as I called it, and chuckled, enjoying life for the first time. I chose one in the far corners of the city, where it took me hours to walk from one side to the other. We did have a lot of feeding stations and pens with livestock, but I needed the exercise.
I pointed and asked what he wanted in return. He laughed. Children didn't need to pay. I teleported to our hut with my groceries and feasted in the road, walking back and forth. Silvanus appeared with a woman in his arms and set her on her feet.
"Charlene."
"Hey. Earth is a war zone, so my mom decided to send me here for safety. I'm still one of her children, so she hoped the elders wouldn't have an issue."
"Our mom."
"Eh, still weird."
"Well, I'd offer you some food but—" I held up a long string of entrails.
Her mouth pulled. "No thanks! I'll have mine cooked. Have you tried to fry anything?"
"Here?" I laughed. "No… At least we'll have something to keep ourselves busy with… Figure out where to get oil."
I glanced at Silvanus. He shrugged.
Charlene and I went on our mission. The only ones who'd know were the elders. "You're going to get really bored here. "
"I'm twenty-one." Charlene looked a guy up and down, walking into the watering hole. Naked, ready for a bath. "I think I'll manage."
"No drinking allowed."
"Pfft. You can teleport. How far can you go? Mom says she still trains to stretch her travels."
"I can train to travel further?" I pitched my voice.
She didn't miss the joke. We'd get along just fine.
"You've been busy, brother. With other things?"
"Yes… I wasn't as popular as you in school."
"Did you want to sleep with a student?"
"That's not what—"
She laughed, "Anyway, we can hide alcohol… Borrow some. Will they ever know?"
"Ira let me see a beating last week… Yes, whips."
"It will be worth it."
Before I could think better of it, I asked, "Hey, did you ever find out more about Juliet and what happened to her?"
"Who is this girl? Why is everyone so interested in her? My boyfriend kept going on and on about her."
"Your boyfriend? How could you leave him?"
"You left your wife!"
"So she didn't go home?"
"No. I did see Marcus and Louis on TV a lot, and the wolves live in their own compound now." I whistled. "Qadir's attacks are getting worse."
"So?"
"Oh, Juliet." Charlene's finger wagged under my nose. "She's married. Leave her alone. You've got enough to keep yourself busy with. And she's a vamp. Why do you care— no, I don't want to know. Come and introduce me to him." She pointed at a rather good-looking guy.
"I don't know all their names. And you don't need an introduction."
"Oh, Mom told me all about the rituals."
"Gross!"
"Don't tell me you're going to have double standards and lock me up."
"Ha! Here?! No, by all means, I'll even be your wingman."