The Triad of Finity (24 page)

But Lythia huffed, turned to say something to her friends, and they spun and walked out. It was just as well. Someday not too long from now, Lythia would likely get her demon, and then Dean would need more protecting from her, but for the moment, she knew to stay away.

They finished their burgers, chatting about the myriad other high school dramas that were so normal to Emalie and so new to Nathan. When Dean was done, satiated and able to speak coherently again (it took five more burgers, Dean just yanking out the patties and devouring them in single bites), they headed outside.

Nathan paused on the sidewalk.

“Hey, bus stop’s this way,” said Emalie, tugging on his hand, but then she saw his expression and stopped. “Uh oh, there’s the no-face. What’s up?”

“Sorry,” said Nathan. “It’s just, um, I think I’m going to walk home.”

“Oh.” Emalie’s face scrunched. “Is something—”

“Nothing,” said Nathan. “It’s just, you know … birthdays.” He sighed. “A lot’s changed since my last one. I just feel like thinking it out for a bit. You don’t mind, do you?”

Emalie frowned. “Of course I mind, you jerk,” she said, but then she stepped over and wrapped her arms around him. “But only ’cause I’ll miss you.”

Nathan kissed her. Both their lips were warm now, and Nathan felt the world slip away so there was only the feeling of Emalie, her skin, her scent, her arms. Just a kiss, no fate of the world at stake, no danger, just the two of them, finally. However good Nathan had once thought a kiss was, it was a thousand times better when you were both alive. And every one only made him ache for another. To pull Emalie closer to him, to kiss her longer, all night, until the sun rose and warmed both their faces …

“Ugh,” Dean huffed after a minute.

Nathan pulled away. For now. “I’ll miss you, too.”

Emalie rubbed his shoulders and grinned. “Guess being alive is only going to make you more broody.”

Nathan returned the grin. “Guess. See you guys tomorrow.”

“Later,” Dean called.

Emalie gave a little wave and turned to leave.

Nathan watched her go, then headed off alone.

He crossed streets until he reached Seattle Center. He wandered around the fountain and glanced up at the Space Needle looming high overhead, glowing in the murky fog. He remembered being up there, the fate of the universe at stake, and swinging to safety. … The memories already seemed distant, like they were part of another existence.

He left the Center and headed up Denny Way. He was turning on Fifth Avenue when he first heard the footsteps behind him.

He kept walking, making his way over to Westlake Center. Here were more memories: the long rectangular fountain, dry in the winter, where he’d first agreed to take Emalie and Dean down into his world.

Here too was the large Christmas tree that the city put up every year. Where his life had once ended … Nathan stopped beside it, looking up at the red and white lights, each creating a tiny halo in the fog.

The footsteps paused nearby.

“Oliver.”

He turned, feeling a burst of nerves.

“Hey,” he said.

Phlox and Sebastian stood together, in long coats, arms intertwined.

“Sorry,” said Phlox. “Nathan.”

“It’s okay.”

A moment of silence passed between them.

“Happy birthday,” said Phlox.

“Thanks,” said Nathan.

They stood there. Nathan didn’t know what to say. He wondered: Where had they been this last month? Or, why were they here now? And it almost made him laugh to realize that he was having that same thought he’d had with them so many times before: What were they thinking?

“We wanted to give you time,” said Sebastian, as if reading his thoughts. “It must be an … adjustment.”

Nathan nodded. “It’s different.”

Another moment passed.

“Well,” said Phlox, “we wondered if you might join us. I—I made a cake.”

For a moment, Nathan wondered if he should be nervous. He was a human, after all, going to a vampire’s home … but he felt nothing like that. And Phlox’s cake would no doubt be delicious. “Okay,” he said.

Phlox nodded. “Good. Come along, then.”

Nathan walked between them. It was a long walk to Twilight Lane, and they spoke little. Just the old clicking of Phlox’s heels, and the new sound of Nathan’s quick breaths.

“Your grandmother and the rest of the family in Morosia were quite pleased that you saved the world,” Phlox said at one point.

“Oh,” said Nathan, “that’s cool.”

“You were very brave,” Phlox added quietly. “Your father and I were quite proud.”

“Thanks,” Nathan mumbled, feeling a squirm of nerves at hearing this. He was pretty sure it was a good feeling.

“You seem to be getting along all right at school,” Sebastian noted. “I get reports from Clarence, the janitor we have there.”

“It’s okay,” said Nathan.

They dropped into the sewer at the base of Twilight Lane. The jump down was a little harder for Nathan than it had once been, but not too bad. As they walked up the tunnel, he noticed that the low-lit sewer didn’t feel as warm to him as it used to. And yet, it smelled like it always had, like oil paints and candle wax, and he was glad for it.

They entered through the sewer door and headed upstairs. Nathan glanced down the hall into the crypt and could see that his coffin was gone. Only Phlox and Sebastian’s remained. It made the room look big, and kind of empty.

In the kitchen, Phlox immediately moved to the counter and pulled foil off a rectangular cake. Three plates were arranged on the kitchen island. There were heavy goblets beside two. At the place where Nathan used to sit was a Coke and a glass.

“I know it’s a school night, so we can keep it brief,” said Phlox, putting the cake on the table while Sebastian filled their goblets from a lead pitcher.

Nathan slid onto his usual stool. He watched as Phlox opened the fridge, its door hissing upward, revealing the hanging bags of crimson fluid, like what was inside him now, and he wondered, did his parents smell his blood? Did they sense his heart beating?

Phlox got out a bowl of whipped cream and closed the fridge.

He hadn’t expected this, but sometimes Nathan had imagined being here again, and had wondered what it would feel like. He found that it felt normal, or maybe a little odd, or both.

Phlox placed the whipped cream on the table but didn’t sit down. She glanced at Sebastian.

“We have something to show you, first,” said Sebastian.

“Okay.”

“This way.” Sebastian and Phlox headed down the hallway. Nathan followed, passing the living room, and stopping at the door to the office.

Phlox and Sebastian had stepped inside. Nathan looked in and saw that Sebastian’s antique desk was gone. In its place was a twin-sized human bed, fully made, with a crimson comforter on top. Beside it was Nathan’s old dresser, and a table with a small magmalight reading lamp.

“Do you like it?” Phlox asked quietly.

Nathan didn’t know what to say. “I—” but he couldn’t finish. He felt himself welling up inside.

Sebastian ruffled his hair. “It’s okay. Just … something to consider. Let’s go eat.”

They walked back to the kitchen and sat down. Phlox served pieces of chocolate cake. “No infusions,” she said of the cake, “just a raspberry sauce, and I went light on the spice.”

Nathan slapped a spoonful of whipped cream on top and took a big bite. The cake was still wickedly spicy to his new human senses and he almost coughed, but he also maybe loved it. Margaret’s birthday cake may have been nice, but Phlox’s blew it away. “It’s great,” he said.

They ate quietly.

“I had quite a good time,” said Phlox, after a while, “shopping for that bed. So interesting, these human stores. … I did lots of research about coils, thread counts: all fascinating.”

Nathan smiled at this.

A few more bites passed before Sebastian finally said, “We know you’re mostly human now . …” He was looking into the center of the table, like he was searching for words. “But you still need real parents. And as far as we’re concerned, you’re still our son.”

Nathan took another bite of cake. A sip of Coke. He felt his insides knotting up as they had so many times at this very table, but this was different. There was a lump in his throat. What could he say to this? How should he feel?

Except he knew how he felt.

But still … “You guys are vampires, though,” he said. “I mean, I have to sleep mostly at night, and, my food is different, and—”

“We know,” said Phlox, “that things will be different. And we have no idea how to deal with a human; well, not in
this
way, anyway.”

Nathan looked at her oddly. Her mouth turned slightly, and he realized that she’d just made a joke. He smiled.

“But …” Phlox’s gaze turned serious again. She reached over and took his hand. And though it felt cold to him now, it was still Phlox’s smooth white skin, still the slight scratch of her perfect burgundy nails. When Nathan looked up, he found her eyes glowing their wonderful turquoise. Sebastian’s began to glow their fiery amber, and though Nathan didn’t realize it, his living but slightly-more-than-human eyes had lit up as well, a warm crimson, as Phlox finished her thought:

“We will learn.”

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 by Kevin Emerson

Cover design and illustration by Connie Gabbert

978-1-4976-0207-6

Published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com

FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA