Jael pushed soggy crunch berries around the cereal bowl with her spoon. She didn’t have much of an appetite, especially since her mom had uncharacteristically stayed in bed late this morning and now she was forced to eat junk food cereal.
Another week of school had come and gone since their return, without incident, other than Shadow circling Brianna like earth around the sun. He always stayed far enough away to avoid getting burned. If only he knew the sun was just as intimidated by him as he was of her, thought Jael. She took a bite of the sugary mush and grimaced.
Her mom trudged into the kitchen, yawning, still wearing her robe. “Good morning,” she said, bending to kiss the top of Jael’s head. She eyed the coffee pot. “I see someone was wise enough to start the pot brewing.”
“Jesse is turning into a wonderful house husband, isn’t he?” Seth teased.
“Least I’m good looking enough to have a wife.”
“Boys,” her mom said, hands on hips, “no fighting at the table.” She turned to get a cup out of the cupboard. “Not until I’ve had my coffee.”
“So what exactly do you think will happen when I turn sixteen tomorrow?” Jael asked. After all, that’s really what everyone was thinking about. They may as well get it out in the open.
Seth and her dad had kept her busy all weekend, sparring, lifting weights, and sharing what little they knew about the Amish community they’d left behind all those years ago. Her head was full of facts that would probably be worthless once she set foot in Loon Lake. Stories of barn raisings, family ties, and one silly argument between her dad and Seth about the pros and cons of having one of those triangular, orange, slow-moving vehicle signs attached to the back of a buggy.
“Well, honey…” her dad said, but was rudely interrupted.
“It’s been a long while since the last descendant of Jael actually turned sixteen,” Seth said, his mouth full of toast. He waved the rest of the slice at her to punctuate his point. “You’re lucky you have people looking out for you.”
“Seth.” Her mom spoke his name like a warning.
Jael narrowed her eyes, glancing around the table. “What are you saying?”
“There hasn’t been a slayer who has survived her sixteenth birthday since the 1800’s,” her father explained, holding her gaze.
Silence lengthened at the table like a puddle of spilled milk and her stomach took a dive. “I’m the only slayer to survive childhood?”
“The only recent one.”
“In over a hundred years!” She couldn’t believe this bit of info had been left out of her lessons. No wonder they were so quick to take off and leave town at the first hint of trouble.
“Something like that,” Seth said. He shrugged, flashing her a grin. “So, if we don’t know all the answers it’s because we’re flying by the seat of our pants, kiddo. The Bishop has managed to destroy historical documents and kill anyone with information that dates back that far. That’s one reason the members of the Order were murdered after you were born.”
“Terrific.” She sat back and crossed her arms.
The clock on the wall ticked, counting. She watched the second hand move one click at a time and tried to dispel the gloom in the room with positive thinking. “So I just have to stay alive for twenty-four more hours and then I’ll have super powers and can defeat the bloodsuckers with one hand tied behind my back.”
Her mom reached out and stroked her fingers over Jael’s cheek. Her voice was soft. “Nineteen and a half hours, to be exact. You were born at 2:36 in the morning, honey.”
“Even better.”
She stood up and pushed her chair back. “This is a photo opportunity, Mom. You better take a picture for my baby book.” She posed with her hands up as though ready to stake a vamp. “Last day of school before I’m a full-fledged slayer.”
“Honey, you can’t go to school.”
“What?” she breathed out a laugh. “Last week you were telling me that even The Chosen one needs an education and now you’re banning me from learning?”
“Your mom’s right, Jael. This is their last chance to take you out and I’m willing to bet someone will be in town to see to it. They may not know where we live but they know the last place you were tracked.” Her dad set his fork down and wiped his face with a napkin. “I just hope the trust you have in that boy is deserved.”
“Shadow would never sell us out.”
Seth snorted. “Everyone has a price, kiddo. Even bad-ass teenage rebels.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Jael said, hearing the rev of the bike just as Bruno started barking.
Her dad jumped to his feet so fast the chair flew backwards and smashed against the wall. He grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the hallway. She glanced around and saw her mom yank open a kitchen drawer and hand Seth a big old honking butcher knife. What the…?
She wrenched her arm away. “Dad, stop! Seth, put the knife down! It’s only Shadow. I told him to come by and introduce himself. I didn’t know you would all go into apocalypse mode.”
“You actually thought it would be a good idea to invite a tracker to our house?” Seth bent over the sink to peer out into the yard for a better look.
There was a knock at the front door and Jael hurried to answer it. Her family moved behind her in the hallway, Seth still holding the knife in spite of her explanation.
“Really, Uncle Seth?!”
He shrugged. “You’re a vampire slayer, not a teen tracker slayer. Thought you might need some help.”
She shook her head and pulled open the door.
Shad wore a dark red biker bandana to keep the hair out of his face, his usual t-shirt, leather vest and boots, and jeans so faded they resembled the desert sky in the heat of the day. He was stroking Bruno’s head and the big dog nuzzled against him like they were long lost friends.
“Hey,” he said, a crooked grin lifting one side of his mouth.
“Hey.” She sent Bruno a scathing look. Traitor.
“Everything okay?” Shad asked tentatively, peering over her shoulder at her parents and uncle hovering like avenging angels behind her.
She lowered her voice. “As okay as it ever is around here.” She stepped back. “Come on in and meet the inmates.” She pointed to each one. “Shadow…meet my mom, dad, and Uncle Seth.”
Her father moved forward, and shook Shad’s hand. His steely gaze bored into Shadow’s as though he could read his mind. “Nice to finally meet the young man who allegedly pulled one over on the Bishop’s men.”
“Allegedly?”
Jael rolled her eyes. “My family is not big on love at first sight. They have trust issues.”
“I see,” Shad said, following her toward the kitchen.
“Do you?” Seth leaned against the refrigerator, his arms crossed and the knife prominently displayed in his right hand. “Have you had to live your entire life looking over your shoulder, knowing that the boogie man is real and he’s coming for you?”
“No, but I’ve seen what fear did to my grandfather. It’s made him act like a servant to those animals.” He expelled a frustrated breath. “Look, I know you don’t trust me,” he said, putting one hand up like he was in court, “but I swear I’d never do anything that would place Jael in danger.”
Her mom picked up the chair that had been knocked over earlier and nodded for Shad to sit. “I believe you, son. The problem is, you don’t really have any control over the danger that is destined to find my daughter.”
Her dad paced to the kitchen window and back to the table, absently cracking his knuckles. “Have you heard anything since Officer Wallace chased the bloodsuckers out of town?”
Shad shook his head. “My grandfather was really mad when they accused him of being too old. He told me he’d never work with them again.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I have no reason not to.”
Jael inched toward the hallway and gestured for Shad to follow. “We better go. Don’t want to be late.”
>
“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” her mother demanded, hands in the pockets of her robe.
Jael grabbed Shad’s arm and pulled him toward the front door. “To school!”
The screen slapped shut behind them with a loud whack. They hurried down the steps and were just climbing on the motorcycle when her dad caught up to them.
“Get off the bike, Jael,” he said, his voice low and calm. Exactly the way he always sounded right before an explosion. Good thing Bree wasn’t around to witness it. She would have more proof for her abuse theory.
Shad glanced back at her. “I thought…”
She shrugged, feeling heat rise in her cheeks, and slipped off the seat. “Sorry. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Sure.” He kicked the bike into gear and pressed the start button. The engine revved to life. He grinned. “Look what you’re missing!” he said over the chugging of the pipe. Then he spun out in the gravel and tore off down the road leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
She glared at her father. “Over-protective much?”
His features softened little by little as he looked back at her. “I can never be too over-protective when it comes to you, kiddo,” he said.
“I beg to differ. You really think the vamps are going to come to the school in broad daylight to look for me? I don’t think so!” She crossed her arms and stared off into the distance. She’d felt more and more isolated as her birthday drew near, and now they were going to cut her off from her friends completely. When would she see Brianna again? They hadn’t said it in so many words, but being Chosen to take out Amish Bloodsuckers obviously came with a move…to Minnesota.
Her dad scratched his head. “Maybe you’re right.”
“What? Can you repeat that please?”
He grinned. “I’ll drive you to school, if you insist. It’ll give you a chance to…” he broke off and glanced away.
“Say goodbye to my friends? That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it?” Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked hard to keep them in. “Tomorrow I become the slayer and everything changes. The Chosen One can’t afford friends, can she?”
Bruno trotted up and rubbed his head against her side as though he sensed the emotional turmoil within her. She hugged him and scratched behind his ears, hiding her face in his shaggy coat. At least she would have one friend beside her through all of this.
“I’m sorry, honey.”
She sniffed and straightened, managing a half-hearted smile. “No need, Dad. I understand this is the way it has to be. I’ll get my book bag.”
Jael hurried to her room and closed the door. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared toward the window. Morning light spilled in, chasing shadows back into corners and under furniture where they belonged. Keeping darkness at bay – that was her job now.
She lifted the strap of her book bag and placed it beside her on the bed. Unzipped the top and reached in. She pulled out her science notebook with her drawings and silly doodles of vampires and dripping blood. Folded inside were the notes Brianna had given her for their project. She opened and smoothed them out on her lap. The familiar handwriting, all curly with cute little heart-shaped dotted i’s made her smile. They were so polar opposite. If lives were fairytales, Brianna would reign supreme as a Walt Disney princess, while Jael would live in the darker Grimm Brother’s version where survival meant slaying dragons on a daily basis.
There was a tap at the door. “Can I come in?” her mother asked, opening the door a crack.
“Sure.”
She moved into the room and closed the door behind her. “Your dad told me you were going to school after all.” She fidgeted with the jewelry box on the corner of Jael’s dresser. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
Jael stuffed the notebook back in her bag and zipped it shut. “Mom, don’t worry. If they come for me, it will be tonight, not in the light of day. Besides, I can’t just drop out of sight without speaking with Brianna. She already thinks I’m a victim of child abuse or something.”
Her mom’s eyes grew wide. “What?”
“Doesn’t matter.” She stood up. “She’s my best friend and I can’t disappear off the face of the earth without saying goodbye.”
“It’s not the face of the earth, Jael. It’s only Minnesota.” Her mom pulled her in for a hug. “But I understand. Just be careful.”
Chapter 24
Truth and consequences