The next day was blisteringly cold. So cold that when Rian dragged himself downstairs before school started, the leftover roast and stew that had been stored inside the barbecue was frozen solid. The water in the jugs that had been left in the kitchen was frozen, too.
Fantastic. Well, lesson learned. Store water in the sitting room if we don't want it to freeze, thought Rian, moodily digging through the drawers for the long metal pick buried amongst dozens of various kitchen gadgets that Eochaid had collected over the century and a half. Never thought I'd be grateful for Father's hoarding tendencies…
Hands shaking from how hard he was shivering, Rian broke off several ice chucks, sighing in relief when this revealed that the jugs were only half frozen.
Fuck. What was I thinking? This is torture, thought Rian, watching the kettle impatiently. Curse you, thermodynamics. Screw it. I don't need eggs or tea. No, what am I thinking? Breakfast without gooey eggs and tea? That's not breakfast. That's just sad. Father didn't survive the Great fucking Hunger for me to have breakfast without fucking gooey eggs and fucking tea.
Stomach growling Rian did his best to layer the bread with the butter. As the butter was about as cold as everything else in the kitchen, this was a difficult feat that Rian eventually gave up on. Disappointed, he chewed on the tattered slice of bread while staring at the pot and tapping his foot so fast that it began to crack the air like a whip.
Half frozen waves from the Puget Sound crashed against the beach that was barely a hundred feet from the old, salt-beaten house. It beckoned him. Come. Run away. Race across the water and be free.
Someday, Rian was certain that his stamina would propel him across the country. It would carry him across the ocean Eochaid traveled across just over a hundred and fifty years ago. Both these things alone were not difficult. Rian had run to the East Coast a few times, but it took far more time than it was worth. His stamina was not limitless. Rian could only travel a few hundred miles at a time before he had to rest and recharge for several hours.
But Rian knew he could do it in one go. Just not on purpose. Yet.
Not long before the Moon Base blew up, Pyralis tried to throw him down the stairs because Corey left the bathroom covered in slime and wasn't around to be the target of her rage. Before she could, Rian ran so fast that he thought he saw the back of his own head. After this happened he collapsed, feeling like all the energy in his body had evaporated. When Rian woke up in the hospital, he discovered from Eochaid that he had run all the way across the ocean to Brisbane, Australia in the span of a second and passed out for two whole days.
Eochaid was both impressed that he managed it, and annoyed that he had to come to Rian's rescue.
"Oh, my God. It's so cold." said Lavender, holding her thick blanket close against herself. Shivering, she summoned a horrendously ugly Christmas sweater, complete with mini ornaments and fuzzy reindeer.
"Tea?" asked Rian, pointing to the kettle. Lavender shook her head and dug into the groceries Corey and Theo brought back last night.
"No, but I will make some cocoa," said Lavender, tearing open a packet of hot chocolate powder and dumping it into a steaming mug of water. "Hey, did Corey and Theo tell you about what happened at the underground fight ring?"
"No, I fell asleep after Spiros' battle plan,"
Lavender opened her mouth to speak, but they heard a banging noise from the sitting room, followed by a string of swear words. Zipping out of the kitchen and through the blanket doorway, Rian found Spiros was stabbing at the frozen roast with a knife while Theo half slept on an air mattress next to the fire. A long, wide, green scarf was pulled tight around his neck. Under it, he was wearing a violet hoodie, with one of Eochaid's sweaters poking out from under it. Black kohl ringed his eyes, which were pulled tight with a great deal of stress.
"Spiros?" asked Lavender, concerned.
Spiros set the pot on fire, using a poker to stir the coals around the bottom. "I'm fine. Just trying to get this thawed before-,"
There was a knock at the door.
"Fuck. Both of you weans get out!" Spiros' cheeks flushed once again. Looking alarmed, he pulled his scarf over his head, then ran to the door. In an almost immediate mood switch, he mumbled out, "Hey, Dante…"
Sporting black skinny jeans with a long steel chain hanging from the waistband, Dante Tanaka stood in the entryway to the house. Despite the cold, Dante was wearing a t-shirt and an unbuttoned flannel shirt. A denim jacket was stuffed in his backpack, like an afterthought or an unavoidable request from a deeply worried mother. The knuckles on his hands were pink and looked painfully cold.
"S'up,"
Ignoring Spiros' command in its entirety, Rian trotted casually to the door to stand behind Spiros. "Hey, Dante,"
"Hey, Dante," mumbled Spiros once again, half hiding behind the door.
Dante nodded, then handed Spiros a motorcycle helmet before putting a pair of black, leather gloves on his hands. "You ready?"
"Father says that motorcycles are dangerous," said Rian, crossing his arms and peering apprehensively at Dante's dirt bike. There were streaks of dirt on the body, giving the impression that it had recently been ridden in the mud, then given a very brief hosing down upon returning home.
"Finn says a lot of things," snapped Spiros, shooing Rian back. "Dante, give me just a moment, yeah? I'd invite you in, but Finn's got some repairs going and everything's a mess right now."
"Take your time," said Dante, easily. "It's barely even cold and the bike's got a sweet radio that my brother put in. Bluetooth, you know? It's hooked up to my MP3 player,"
"Nice," said Spiros, moon-eyed.
Almost as soon as the door was closed, Rian began peppering Spiros with questions. The first being, "Where are you going?"
"To school. Where else?"
"But school doesn't start for over an hour," said Lavender, sitting on the window bench and pulling back the blanket to watch Dante stand by his dirtbike.
"I'm going early. The rest of you weirdos can come at the usual time," said Spiros, running upstairs. When he came back, his backpack was slung over his shoulders, and a pendant with a wooden bullhead that had been painted gold was hanging from his neck. The skin between his eyebrows was slightly pink and raw looking.
Once at the bottom of the stairs, Spiros began adjusting the green scarf in a cracked mirror next to the staircase. Looking stressed, he played with how it sat on his shoulders for a minute before saying, "You don't think I look like a girl, do you?"
"No? Would it be bad if you did?"
"No…" said Spiros, tugging at his upper lip, where the skin also looked raw. "But Dante and I are getting coffee before school. I want to look good. But I also don't want to look like a girl."
Lavender wrinkled her nose, "What makes you think you look like a girl?"
"The scarf. Girls cover their head, not boys,"
"You could wear it around your neck,"
"It helps with my powers," muttered Spiros, still fretting with the scarf. "Bandanas are usually fine, but…"
From thin air, Lavender summoned a furry aviator hat. "What about a hat?"
"I like my scarf. Eochaid got it for me. It's pashmina." snipped Spiros, defensively. Then he shook his head, tugging at the scarf while glaring at the mirror like it personally offended him. "No, it's just… Gender norms are exhausting. I just want to look good and be cozy,"
"Well, you're doing it," said Rian, who thought Spiros was perfectly handsome. "You've got the whole roman emperor thing going on,"
"Yeah?" At this, Spiros cheered up considerably. He tugged at the collar of his purple hoodie while adjusting the scarf so that it looked a bit like something off a roman statue, muttering to himself as he did this. "Yeah… That'll work. Debatably historically accurate, but it's fine. We're fine,"
"Dante sure thinks you're hot, too," snickered Lavender, watching Dante inspect the dark peach fuzz on his upper lip in the dirt bike's side mirror. "Does Becky know?"
"Becky's not my girlfriend. And neither is Dante,"
Rian whispered to Lavender, "She was all over him yesterday- Ow!" A wave of force pushed him into the couch. Laughing, Rian would have continued to tease Spiros, but a ringing phone interrupted him.
Spiros swore when he saw the number on his flip phone. "Shit. It's the school."
"Don't worry. I got it," said Rian, taking the phone out of Spiros' hands. Then he kissed the serpent drawn on his wrist, focusing on the sound of Eochaid's voice, and the sing-song lilt of his rural Cork accent. The serpent on Rian's wrist hissed and released its tail from its mouth. The knot unfurled. The skin on Rian's arm shivered when the serpent began slithering to his throat.
"Dia duit? May I ask who's callin'?"
"Oh how lovely hear from you, Emma," said Rian, casually hopping up onto a couch and pressing the speaker button on the phone. The serpent hissed. It coiled around his neck. Counting his breath, Rian focused on the beating of his heart and the absolute glee he took in getting to play dress up as Eochaid. "Erm… This is Finn speakin', Rian's father,"
"I suppose I've got a minute I can give ya. What sort of trouble has that devil Rian been after now?"
"Ehm… Just a moment, le do thoil-," said Rian, hopping off the couch and pacing like Eochaid often did when he was angry or stressed. Anxiety began filling him, and Rian had to focus on continuing to speak in English. "Well, I d'be very concerned about their absences. Gettin' our children educated is truly the most precious gift we can give them,"
The words came out quickly. Barely any time existed between the sentences.
"A meeting now?" Rian threw his shoulders back, standing tall, with his chin held confidently in the air. Miming Eochaid, Rian pretended to check a pocketwatch. "Ehm, well, love, I've come to be out of the country so. Meetin' in person might be a wee bit difficult. And, erm…"
Rian's tongue stopped, trying to find the words in English as his anxiety rose. The spell wouldn't last much longer. Almost two hundred years old… Does he really still have to translate everything in his head? No wonder he doesn't like talking… After a moment of thought, he continued in an accent that was thick and fast enough in pace that the words began to slur together, "Erm… Unfortunately I've had my minute. Now, I don't have my calendar on me; but I d'be thinkin' I can give ye at the school a call once I go and find it now?"
Emma paused. Then she said,
Forcing himself to speak slower, Rian repeated himself. As Emma took her sweet time to drum up a response, he moodily watched the crows outside in the backyard garden. Two were pecking the ground for bugs. Another lurked on a branch in a nearby tree. Still another cawed at him from the roof. A single white feather could be seen from its wing.
"Of course. Slán,"
Rian hung up.
The wall shuddered. New cracks formed in the plaster. In extreme frustration, Spiros kicked the staircase bannister before pulling the blanket back and yelling into the sitting room. "Theo!"
Quivering under his blanket, Theo groaned and refused to answer.
"Did you and Corey skip school?"
"We had to," said Theo, deeply upset. "It took forever to get up to Seattle!"
"Damn it!" Spiros growled, then spun on his heel, walls rattling when he marched outside. "Dante, I need coffee! Let's ride!"
…
At school, Rian nearly ran head first into Shiloh Wyatt. This was unusual, first because of Rian's heightened senses, but also because Shiloh Wyatt was nearly as perceptive as he was.
"Watch where you're going," said Shiloh, irritably. She looked run down, and her nose was puffy and red. Her white blonde hair that was normally shiny and neat, was pulled back in a messy bun, with stray hair frizzing in every possible direction.
Holy shit. Obscura might not get the perfect attendance award she's gunning for at her graduation, thought Rian, darting out of her way.
"I will if you will," said Rian, glancing at the classroom door they were near. It was a freshmen history class, which Rian was positive that Shiloh didn't take. "Do you take this class?"
"No," said Shiloh, using a tissue to wipe her nose. Groaning, she dug around in her backpack. "Lavender is living with you guys, right?"
"Why are you asking?"
Rolling her eyes, Shiloh coughed hoarsely and shoved a bag of clothes at him. On top was a scarf knit with shiny yarn and bangles at him, as well as a bedazzled denim jacket. Rian reeled back.
"Why are you giving me your plague clothes?"
"It's not mine. It's Lavender's,"
"Why are you giving Lavender your plague clothes?"
"Because we're entering a cold snap, the temperature is in the twenties, and Lavender hasn't come back for her clothes at the mansion. Dean forgot the bag in his car when he picked her up this morning." Then, without warning, Shiloh sneezed. Wholly distracted by the shiny material of the scarf, Rian did not react with his usual speed.
Something horrifyingly wet landed on Rian's face.
"Oh, God," said Shiloh, distraught. Looking like she was close to bursting into tears, Shiloh handed him a tissue. "I am so sorry. I can't- I don't- Rian, I'm so, so sorry,"
Gingerly, Rian wiped his face with the tissues. "Should you be at school?"
"I have three and a half years of perfect attendance. I refuse to give that up for a stupid cold," said Shiloh, leaning tiredly against the lockers. Behind her, Dean Harrison began approaching them.
Oh, thank God. Boring, predictable, and straight-edged that he was, Dean could be depended upon to convince Shiloh to stay away from the healthy population.
"Shiloh, please. Let me take you home," said Dean, urging Shiloh away.
"Dean, just wait-,"
"Don't listen to her, Harrison!" Rian zipped to them, the resounding gust of wind rattling the lockers. "Shiloh is sneezing on people and spreading her plague germs. Do your civil duty and take her home,"
"It was an accident, Dean," said Shiloh, her reflective amber eyes wide enough that Rian could see the edges of her contact lenses. "A terrible accident,"
"A crime most foul was committed against me. I demand justice," said Rian, pointing down the hall to the exit door. "Obscura is clearly ill and not in a right state of mind. Kindly take her home,"
"Kearney, just stop being weird and butt out of it. Go take some zinc and Vitamin C. You'll be fine," said Dean, shoving past Rian. He put his hand against Shiloh's forehead, who glared at him in a way that violently reminded Rian of Niamh whenever Rian was being smothering.
"Shiloh…"
"Dean, I know. I just wanted to make sure -,"
"You feel feverish-,"
"Just give me a minute. Lavender needed her scarf, and…" Shiloh cleared her throat. "Um… I don't really know how to ask this without it being weird… Human social niceties are so-," Shiloh pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Just spit it out, Obscura,"
"Um… Ms. Vex wanted me to ask you if…" Shiloh bit her lip with an overly sharp canine tooth, then nervously dug her long, sharp nails into the straps of her backpack. "If you and the rest of the Obsidian Assembly were… warm enough? We're going into a bit of a cold and stormy snap, and she's concerned?"
"We're fine," said Rian, icily. When Shiloh did not respond beyond studying him with large eyes that would have looked more in place on a cat's head than a human, had it not been for her colored contact lenses that hid the vertically shaped irises. They were hypnotic and terrifying.
"Trust me, I'm trying. Your head is like a hive of angry bees," said Shiloh, grimacing and rubbing her head. Then, she sent him a look that reminded Rian of an annoyed cat. "Whatever. Just… Ms. Vex wanted you guys to know that the Vanguard's mansion is open to you guys so long as you don't pick any fights."
Dean wrinkled his nose, evidently disapproving of this arrangement.
"What? And be part of your weirdo Vanguard Squad?" said Rian, his stomach churning at the idea of how angry Eochaid would be if he ever found out he went to the Vanguard, of all people. It didn't matter that Eochaid was supposedly dead. There was no doubt in Rian's mind that Eochaid would claw his way back from the Underworld with the sole intention of beating Rian's ass for the betrayal. "No thanks. We're managing just fine."
"C'mon, Shiloh. He says he's fine,"
"I said we're fine," repeated Rian, zipping close to Shiloh, feeling his own sense of betrayal. So this is why Becky's been tutoring Spiros after school… The Vanguard is plotting against us. Spiros is going to leave. "Stay out of my head,"
"I don't want to be in your head!" said Shiloh, bristling as she stepped away from Rian. Quickly, she looked for onlookers. When she saw that there were no students save for them left in the hall, Shiloh turned back to Dean.
"This form is revolting. Dean, you can take me home now," muttered Shiloh, taking her contacts out and revealing her beastly, vivid amber eyes. With a flourish, Shiloh transformed into a small white cat that immediately jumped into Dean's arms. "But stop by the pet store on the way home. I want pinkies,"
Rian ran away before he heard Dean's response.