Dissonance

Sequel to SixSix

Rating: An eventual M for a lot of different reasons. Violence, language, graphic sex, maybe some non-con. Read at your own risk.

Summary: Widow Vivian finds a stranger without a past on a snowy road.

1

Up until that night, Vivian Peace had lived what many thought was a fairy-tale sort of life. Not so much in the wicked step-mother, rescued by magic sense, but she did find her Prince Charming.

She was working her way through college, and learning the skills she would need to be a veterinarian. Vi was a good student, she worked hard and studied long hours to maintain a high grade point average. When she wasn’t studying, she was working – volunteering her time as a vet tech or waiting tables, going and going until she was so exhausted at night she could barely make it to her bed.

Vi loved every minute of it. Her mother Lily had a work ethic that put other people to shame, and it had rubbed off on her. Vi did not know, nor did she care, who her father was. He had left when he’d found out that her mother was pregnant and Vi had never been curious. Lily had been enough. She passed away during Vi’s junior year of college, after having suffered a brain tumor quietly. It was just like Lily to keep that sort of thing to herself, to not want to be a bother to anybody.

Vi wished she could be too busy to mourn her mother, who was also her best friend, her most trusted source of advice, and her own personal cheerleader. She felt lost for nearly a year, plugging forward but feeling as if it was all for nothing.

That was until she met Lincoln Peace.

It was her senior year, and Vi was in the midst of her large animal clinicals. She worked with horses, she worked with cows, on a few occasions there had been exotic birds like emus, and even a llama at one point. Most of the other students spent more time pissing and moaning than learning, but Vi loved it just as much as she loved working with domesticated house pets. She was a natural at it. She possessed something, some quality that put animals at ease, even temperamental horses and bulls. She had a knack for it. It was odd for a person whose only pet in her entire life had been a hamster.

It was during her large animal clinical that Vi was assigned to a veterinary practice that routinely went to various farms and ranches and offered vaccinations. Most of the ranches did their own, but there were always some who were willing to get free medical care for their animals from nearly trained students.

Vi spent that first day listening to her mentor, a vet by the name of Richard Miller. He was older, in his sixties, but it was obvious that he had a soft spot in his heart for the big animals. He was raised on a ranch in Wyoming, and taking care of animals was his calling. They arrived at the first place, an average sized chunk of land by comparison to some. She had noted the small sign posted near the gate that opened on a long curving drive. It said simply ‘Fair View’.

She had to admit that was a vast understatement. Once they reached the house and climbed out of the van, the view was more than fair. The house was at the top of a hill and while the view from the front was pretty enough, it was the vista from the back of the house that took Vi’s breath away. There were hills rolling away in every direction, and she could see the clearings where barns had been constructed amidst dark evergreens. The sky was a flawless blue, and the animals grazing just added something…some quality she could not name. She had never been in love before but she figured this was close to it.

She could have spent all day taking in the view, but there were dozens of cattle to vaccinate. Miller put her to work and soon they were lost in the job at hand. Vi was a bit slower than Miller, but not because she was unsure. She took a moment to rub each cow on the neck, something she did without thinking. After a while she had the feeling that she was being watched. Vi looked over her shoulder and saw two men standing there. That they were father and son was obvious. They both had the same tall frame, the same blue eyes. The older man’s hair was a sandy blonde that was going to white at the temples. The younger man had the same shade, minus the gray. She did not get the feeling that she was being looked at critically, just curiously.

At lunch, Vi learned that they were indeed father and son. Ray Peace owned Fair View, and his son Lincoln was going to inherit it at some point in the future. His wife, Rose, cooked for everyone, including the hands who were helping move the cattle through the vaccination clinical.

And Vi found herself falling in love for a record second time in one day.

She was fascinated by Lincoln; Link to his friends. He was a soft spoken 28 year - old, a bit on the shy side, but smart. Ray had announced with evident pride that Link was the first Peace in his line who had finished college. His degree leaned more toward business management, which would help him with running the business end of the ranch. Vi talked to him through most of lunch, and during the long afternoon of giving shots to animals one after another. They finished just in time for a late dinner with the family, and while Miller had been eager to set out for the next destination, it was not far, and he accepted Rose’s invitation for them to use two of the guest rooms upstairs.

Vi was inwardly ecstatic about that. After dinner, Miller and Ray went into a wood paneled study to look at some of the past records of the ranch animals while Rose went to the kitchen to clean up. Vi offered to help, but was shooed out of the room with a laugh. Rose did not let guests help around her kitchen. Plus she had sensed something between her son and the attractive college student. Ray would call her silly of course, but she knew the signs of puppy love when she saw them.

So Vi had gone out the back door, breathing in the crisp air that had cooled considerably as the sun went down. The view was just as stunning, but instead of the land, it was the stars that caught her attention. The moon had not risen yet, so the stars looked like diamond chips set on black velvet.

“Doesn’t matter how many times I look up there, I always feel like it knocks the wind out of me.” Link spoke from her left. Vi hadn’t noticed him joining her. She did not jump, instead she looked at him and smiled.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful.” She said, looking up again.

“I feel the same way.” But Link wasn’t looking up. He was studying her profile in the meager light. Vi was what Rose would have called an exotic beauty. She had dark hair, a shade of chestnut that missed being auburn by about a whisper. Her eyes were a light green, especially striking when coupled with her deeply tanned skin. It was her looks but it was also the way she was with the animals – even some of their ranch hands who had been doing this for years did not have the touch that she had with their animals. And some of the cattle were not prone to liking strangers. It was odd but true. Usually if they kicked or acted out it was against someone they did not recognize.

They were both quiet for a while. Eventually they talked. About school, about her work with animals, his love of the ranch. Even though they both had an early start the next day, they stayed up well past midnight. Link’s family ties were strong, and this was the only home he had ever known. Vi had been fairly nomadic during her younger years, not settling down until her mother had found just the right town, the right school, the right job.

It seemed only natural that Link would eventually hold her hand. They took a short walk, away from the light of the kitchen. Rose had left the small light over the stove on so that they would not go into a completely dark house. The moon had risen, and it lent a pale glow over the fields. It was in the shadow of the nearest barn that Link kissed her the first time. Fifteen years later, and Vi would still remember it as one of the best moments of her life. The feel of his work calloused hands on her shoulders, and his soft mouth against hers, tentative at first, growing bolder. She recalled every detail down to the soft rasp of stubble when she cupped his cheeks in her hands, to the way he hitched in a breath when she parted her lips for him to deepen the kiss further. It was perfect.

Vi would have been perfectly happy standing there, kissing him for hours. But reality had to win out. She had just met this man, and while she wanted nothing more than to melt into him and do things to him there in the dark in the grass, Vi had some common sense. With real regret she pulled away. Link did not seem to mind, in fact he laughed at himself for getting carried away. He led her, still holding her hand, back to the house and to the door of the room she’d be using. He kissed her again, this time on the cheek, and wished her a goodnight. Vi had sighed dreamily and headed for the shower.

She was tired as she crawled into bed that night, but restless. It took an hour for exhaustion to really take hold and pull her down to sleep, but Vi went with a smile on her face. She did not even mind the five in the morning wake-up knock on the door from Miller. She got up and got dressed, feeling sad to be leaving but so oddly happy at the same time.

They ate breakfast with the family again, and Vi noted happily that Link sat in the chair next to hers. He flashed her a shy, lopsided smile and they spoke a little as they ate. Every now and then he would reach under the table and touch her hand, or squeeze her fingers. Vi could not stop smiling. Especially when they got a moment alone. They exchanged phone numbers, and Link stumbled and asked if she would be interested in seeing a movie with him that Saturday night. Not wanting to seem too desperate, Vi had thought it over for all of a quarter of a second before saying yes.

It was about a year and a half later that they got married. Another decision she did not really have to think about. Link had given her a diamond on a white gold band, and got down on one knee. Vi had said yes almost before he could finish asking the question. And as hard as it was for some people to believe, Vi and Link had waited until their wedding night to consummate their relationship. Neither of them were virgins, but it had been Link’s idea to wait and make it special. Of course after dozens of sessions of making out with no relief he had regretted being a gentleman.

But he had been right. Vi had gone to bed that night nervous as any virgin, and for nothing, because Link had been gentle but passionate. That first year, Vi spent time building a veterinary practice. Not out of necessity – Link and Ray ran the ranch and made money, and had money saved. She just loved the work. She and Link also oversaw the construction of their own house, located a bit closer to the road. It was still within a quarter mile of the main house.

It was their first year in the new house when Vi found out she was pregnant. She and Link had discussed children on occasion, usually in passing. Neither had bothered with birth control. They figured if it happened, it happened. And it did in fact happen. It was in the early morning hours, during a blizzard that dropped nearly two feet of snow that she gave birth to a healthy, squalling, nearly eight pound Josephine. Josie had her daddy wrapped around her finger from the moment he set eyes on her.

And time passed. They were happy together, and content. They dealt with the jokes about Link marrying lucky and finding free care for his animals. They also dealt with finding out that although her pregnancy with Josie had been normal to the point of boring with no complications, more children would be near on impossible. Link and Vi had talked about it, and decided that they were fine with that. Josie was a natural with animals, like her mother, and not squeamish about taking care of them in the least. She was a dynamo, filling the house with giggles and love from the moment they brought her home. She was enough. And again – whatever happened, happened. It became their motto.

Josie got a puppy for her eighth birthday, a mixed-breed pup with pretentions that she – for reasons only an eight year old girl could understand – named Bridger. They’d had good years together, with surprisingly little fighting, a lot of lovemaking, even more love itself. That was why when it ended it was so damned hard on everyone.

It was nearing the first day of summer. Josie had finished up her third year of school with the highest marks, so Vi took her into town on their first free Saturday for a bit of a girl’s shopping trip. While Josie could be a bit of a tomboy, she had a streak that loved shoes and clothes. So they shopped all afternoon and ate dinner at a restaurant near the mall. They were both tired after the excitement so they were quiet on the drive home. It took over an hour. Vi would regret that in the days to come. She had always loved the isolation of the ranch, but on that night the remoteness was a curse.

Josie spotted it first. Something odd, a glowing on the horizon. But not their house. It was much too far back from the road. Horrified, thinking the worst, Vi sped down the driveway, past their place. She did note that Link’s truck was not in its usual spot. He was probably already dealing with what looked like a fire.

Feeling sick, Vi made the final turn and gasped in shock. Ray and Rose’s house was swallowed in flame. Black smoke billowed upward, and ash coated the ground around the house. Vi parked well back from the fire and told Josie to stay put. She got out of her SUV and ran forward, calling out names. She saw something move to her left and ran in that direction, relieved to see her father-in-law, a man who had been like a father to her for more than a decade, laying on the grass and coughing weakly. He was burned, along his arm and shoulder. Some of his white hair was gone on the right. He wheezed and waved a hand at the house.

“Where’s Rose? And Link?” Vi asked, spying her husband’s truck near the house.

“Link…went back…” Ray gasped and started shaking. Vi was frozen for a moment that felt like a year before groping in her pocket for her cell phone. It seemed to take forever to punch in the numbers and even longer for a dispatcher to answer.

Vi rattled off her address, informed them it was the house further back, was informed that help was on the way, and then she tried to go into the house. She screamed Link’s name over and over, but it did not good. It was too hot to get close to any of the doors or windows, and even as she tried she heard the unmistakable sound of the second floor collapsing down onto the first.

Vi sank to her knees next to Ray and held his hand. He was still shaking, and she realized with an emotion she could not name that her father-in-law was having some sort of seizure. She checked his airway, and smoothed a hand over the side of his head that was not burned trying to soothe him as her tears fell.

It took twenty long, agonizing minutes. The fire trucks that finally came wailing up the driveway could do nothing but make sure the grass around the house did not burn or the fire spread. An ambulance appeared and Ray was taken off as fast as possible. Vi heard the paramedics talking and heard the word ‘stroke’ mentioned several times, but it might as well have been in a foreign language. Josie was out of the SUV and the two of them were sitting in the grass in front of the vehicle, the little girl on her lap. She was rocking her back and forth, and humming something under her breath, but was unaware of that too.

It took the firefighters almost four hours to find the bodies.

Josie had fallen into a shocked sleep by that time. Vi still sat, holding her, tears streaming down her cheeks as men wearing so much gear they looked alien ventured into the remains of what had once been a beautiful home. They did not want to show her the bodies, because the fire had been so hot, and it had burned so fast. But the investigator did show her what they had scavenged. A wedding band. White gold, and worn smooth. It was Link’s. The investigator told her it had been found still on the hand of one of the bodies.

Vi only kept functioning because she had Josie to take care of. Ray had indeed suffered a stroke, definitely worse than mild. He lost all feeling, temporarily, in his right side. He was also unable to talk. Vi postponed the funeral, where mother and son were buried in the family plot at the same time, until Ray was well enough to leave the hospital in a wheelchair with a paid nurse to help him.

Josie was inconsolable at first, crying nonstop and taking her comfort from her mother, her dog, the dozens of animals on the ranch. She steered clear of the wreckage that had once been her grandparent’s home, not able to face it yet.

Vi tortured herself with it. She walked their daily at first, and stood where the driveway ended, looking at the burnt remains of the house she had spent so much time in. And she cried to herself, out there alone where no one could look at her and think she was weak in any way. She had to be strong for Josie’s sake, and for Ray. But she felt like she was dying herself. Vi felt as if she had lost half of herself when her husband had rushed into a burning house to save his parents.

The investigator spent some time inspecting. Eventually he filed his report, stating it had been an electrical surge that caused a spark from a malfunctioning outlet. It was plausible, and if Vi had been in her right mind she would have seen the troubled look on the man’s face as he got her to sign the paperwork. He seemed uneasy as well, but she did not notice that either.

After two months, Ray came home. Vi had gotten a few renovations done in that time, and now what had once been their family room was converted to a bedroom for her father-in-law. He could not handle steps, so it worked well. It was right off the living room, and had a separate bathroom. She had a special tub installed so that he could give himself showers and baths, and bought all the things the doctors said she would need.

Eventually Ray got back some of the feeling in his side. He could walk short distances, and did more with his hand as time passed. He still could not talk. He would write notes if he had to, but after a while Vi and Josie got used to his signals and could usually figure out what he wanted without much prompting.

Ray remembered almost nothing about the fire. Vi had asked him to tell her anything and he had written for several minutes on a piece of notebook paper. And it came down to Link’s urge to protect his family overriding his sense of self-preservation. Ray had been downstairs and easy to get out of the house but Rose was up in the bedroom and Link had gone back into the burning house before Ray knew he was gone.

Time passed. And while losing the love of her life was not something Vi ever thought she would get over, the constant nagging pain settled down to a dull ache. Eventually that faded as well, so she would go hours, even days, and not think of what she had lost. But it would come back to her and she would spend an hour at the burned house, crying and mourning again. Ray and Josie both thought it was time to clean it up, to get rid of the reminder. Josie was twelve now, a sandy-haired, blue-eyed dynamo who carried the stamp of her father’s genes quite plainly. Ray was almost his former self. There were times when he would have trouble with his coordination, and he would never be able to comfortably ride a horse again, but he had refused the idea of getting rid of his cattle. He still ran the place, with Vi’s help. And Josie’s, of course. Josie had a healthy love of the land and the work, and Vi knew that Ray was counting on her carrying on in her father’s place.

Things had settled into a sad, somewhat boring rut over time. Four years was not nearly long enough to get over such a loss. Vi wasn’t sure forty years was going to be enough. Every time she thought she was ready to put it behind her, something would happen to rip open the wound and make it fresh again. The pattern held for years – work, Josie, Ray, ranch, cry at the house at least once a week, ho-hum. Repeat.

At least that was the pattern until Vi found the naked man laying in the road.

2

Vi yawned sleepily and eased up off the gas as she rounded a bend in the road. It was well past three in the morning, and it was snowing so hard the visibility was horrible. In ordinary circumstances she would not be out driving in such a mess as an early spring snow storm, but one of her neighbors had a horse who had a foal, and the foal had been breech. Vi oversaw the birth and recovery, delivering a healthy little boy to an exhausted mare. Now she just wanted her house, a hot shower, and bed.

If she had been going the speed limit she never would have seen the man. As it was, all she caught was a flash of something in the snow to her right, at the side of the road, too close for comfort in this mess. She pressed the brake, felt the end of her SUV skid, and eased back off the brake all without thinking about it. She had lived here long enough that driving in this type of stuff was, while not fun, almost second nature.

She hoped it wasn’t a deer, or worse, one of the cattle had gotten out of the fences. Vi thought that was damn near impossible, considering their herd was battened down for the storm in the barns and protected areas. But she had to check. It could have been her tired eyes playing a trick on her but she would not be happy until she’d looked for herself. She blamed it on her inability to let a sick or wounded animal suffer.

She pulled over as far as she could short of going off the road and turned on her bright lights and emergency blinkers. They wouldn’t be seeing a snow plow out this far from town, usually the farms and ranches did for themselves, but a person never knew who would be out driving. Vi zipped her coat to her chin and tugged her gloves on before opening her door and stepping outside.

The wind took her breath and stung her eyes. She had a scarf but it was in the passenger seat where she’d tossed it earlier. She lowered her head and walked, using a hand to shield her eyes from the thick snow. And there it was, the thing that had caught her attention.

Vi’s steps faltered. It was not an animal, at least not the barnyard kind that she had expected. It was a man. He was lying on his side in a drift of snow. Two things registered. One – the man was completely naked. From her angle and with the aid of the fancy LED lights on the SUV, she could see he wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothes.

The second thing was that even lying down and half covered with snow, he was the biggest man she’d ever seen.

Vi shook herself and forced herself to move, slogging through snow and feeling it slip down the sides of her boots. She picked her way to the man’s position and stooped down, stripping a glove off so she could feel his neck. Either her hands were freezing or he hadn’t been in the snow for long, because he actually felt warm against her fingers. She felt a slow steady pulse beating and breathed a sigh of relief.

It was short lived. What was she going to do? Calling an ambulance was obvious enough, except in this weather and their location it would be at least an hour and maybe more to get help from town. That was if the service was even running. The closest hospital was an hour further than that, two in this kind of storm, and…well. Vi could practically spit on her house from here, it was just another couple of minutes up the road. She could get the guy inside, out of the elements and then call for the paramedics. That sounded like a much better plan to her. She’d spent most of her life taking care of animals, and she viewed this as much the same thing as horrible as it might sound to an outsider.

“Hey!” Vi had to raise her voice over the sound of the wind. The guy didn’t flinch, or make any indication that he heard her. So she leaned down toward his ear. “Hey…I’m gonna try to help you, all right? Just…I’ll be right back.” It had been on the tip of her tongue to tell him to sit tight, which struck her as morbidly funny. She looked for a reaction and got more nothing, so all she could do was go as fast as she could back to her SUV. She had blankets in the rear storage area, and a staple roadside emergency kit that Link had always insisted she keep with her. Vi thanked him mentally as she ripped open a few plastic pouches that were labeled ‘instant heat’. She shook them up in one hand and grabbed a couple of the blankets in the other. She probably should have pulled the SUV closer but she didn’t want to risk going off the side of the road. She had four-wheel-drive but she’d learned that it only worked when it wanted to. Mother Nature had a way of negating the best intentions of the manufacturer.

Vi shook a blanket open wondering how exactly she was going to move such a huge guy on her own when her footsteps faltered again. Hell, faltered? She almost went face-first off the side of the road. The guy was now standing up, pretty well ignoring the wind whipping his long dark hair around. And also seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was nude. Vi was already thinking frost bite and hypothermia.

But the guy just stood there for a moment, looking utterly confused but unbothered by the elements. His eyes fell on Vi as she started moving toward him again, but he didn’t move, or speak. Vi thought he might be in shock. And that was sort of obvious by the way he seemed to lose focus almost as soon as he spotted her.

Vi reached him finally and after having the wind work against her for what felt like an hour, managed to get a blanket over the guy’s shoulders. She had thought he was big lying down. Upright he was a downright giant. If he wasn’t close to seven feet tall she’d eat one of the blankets she was carrying. And he was solid muscle. She gave herself another mental shake, because out of habit she had dropped into thinking like the guy was some sort of animal.

Vi grabbed his arm and wrapped it over her shoulder and pulled/led the way back toward her SUV. She kept talking the entire way, which was something else she did with animals. She had been doing it so long she no longer really heard herself. She got the man settled in the passenger seat after shoving her stuff to the floor and sliding the seat back as far as it would go. He went willingly enough. There was that on her side at least.

Once he was seated, Vi reached over and cranked the heat up to the red HI mark, and the fans to full blast. She’d swelter but the guy – who had felt warm just a few minutes ago – was shivering now. She finished shaking the heat packs and tucked them into his blankets, not touching his skin, against his sides.

That done, Vi stood for a moment and studied the guy’s face. He looked normal. As in no visible injuries. He wasn’t bleeding, and his eyes were clear if still unfocused.

“How the hell did you end up out here?” Vi asked softly, using her hands to feel his head and neck. She figured a head injury would maybe explain part of it. But again, there was nothing. Not a bump, lump or scar. His eyes drifted to hers and Vi stared at him a moment. He had hazel eyes, dark in the interior lights, but she got the feeling he was once again actually seeing her. And for some reason, even though she should have maybe had second thoughts – he was a stranger after all, and a humongous one at that – Vi just trusted him. Probably stupid on her part since she had always paid more attention to the good in people than the bad. But still...

His eyes went far away again. Vi sighed and exited the door, shutting it behind her. She turned back to the place he’d been lying and looked around, kicking at the snow with a booted foot. She was just curious to see if maybe he’d had anything with him that fell – maybe even his missing clothes. Surely he’d been wearing something, and not long ago considering he wasn’t a gigantic human shaped popsicle.

There was nothing there. And something else registered after a moment. There were no tracks other than her own and the ones they had made together. So how in the hell had he gotten there?

And then it hit her. Maybe someone had dumped him. Someone in a van or an SUV like hers, someone who could drive in this weather. The road had been used a few times, and snow filled tracks pretty fast. It was possible. Probable even. But why? Didn’t people usually make sure the one they were dumping was dead before shoving him out into a ditch? Or maybe they counted on the cold finishing him off. Then again – he didn’t have any wounds she could see. So maybe he was drugged? She’d have to get him under a better light to check for obvious needle marks, but if it was something that he’d swallowed or…

Vi made herself stop. She was standing in snow up to her knees, staring at a spot on the ground, and had been there for maybe ten minutes while her mind raced with questions that she had no answers to. She turned and went back toward her SUV, climbing inside the driver’s seat with a sigh of relief as hot air washed over her.

She looked at her passenger again. His head was down, his chin against his chest. He might be sleeping or dead for all she could tell in the dark vehicle. Vi reached over, hesitated, and laid her fingers once more to his neck, feeling for the slow bump of his pulse. Her hands were cold, she’d forgotten she had taken off her gloves, and the guy jumped and jerked his head up, shocked awake.

“Sorry… “ Vi pulled her hand back and kept her voice even and low. Out of habit of course. The guy glanced at her looking a bit shell-shocked but that was better than not reacting at all. As she gingerly pressed the gas pedal, the guy let his head go back against the seat and he sighed. She could hear his teeth chattering too. “The hospital is too damn far and my house is right up the road…we’ll get there in just a minute and then we’ll call for help out.”

The guy didn’t answer her. Vi risked a quick look and saw that he’d closed his eyes again. Being cold made a person sleepy, she knew this. With an interior sigh of her own she guided the SUV over the snowy road to the drive that led to the house.

As she turned and slowed for the small hill in front of her, Vi wondered what the hell it was she was doing. Taking a strange man to her house where her daughter was sleeping? What the hell was she thinking? She glanced at the guy again, and he was still out. And Vi wondered again where her mind was. What if he was some kind of psychotic rambler who baited people by playing dead on the side of the road? In remote places, where the nearest help was miles away?

“Shut up, brain.” Vi said that out loud, as she often did. There was nothing wrong with her thought process, but sometimes she wished it would take a day off. She was tired of over-thinking everything. The guy was big, yeah, and nude – but so what? The weather plus the undressed state smelled more of him in trouble than him being trouble. And it wasn’t like Vi was completely helpless. She lived on a ranch, Link had come from a long line of males who enjoyed guns as a collector’s hobby, and he had enjoyed shooting as well. He’d spent hours at least once a month with targets set up, shooting the hell out of marked hay bales with whatever weapon he wanted to play with.

Vi had learned too. And when Josie was old enough to understand how dangerous the guns were, she learned how to shoot them. Link insisted, and Vi had no good argument against it. Some people might think a gun in the hands of a child was a dangerous thing waiting to happen. She believed that if the child was taught the proper respect and precautions there was no harm in it. Josie had taken to it like she had taken to everything else. She wasn’t nearly as interested in the guns as she was in other things, and she practiced more out of a duty toward her father than out of any real urge to shoot something.

The house came into view. Ray had left some of the lights on – living room and kitchen. Vi breathed a sigh of relief and pulled to a stop, cutting her headlights so she wouldn’t disturb her sleeping father-in-law.

She shouldn’t have bothered. As she rounded the SUV to the passenger side, the front door opened and Ray stood there wrapped in a heavy robe. He worried when Vi was out late, especially when the weather was bad. She should have figured he’d still be up. He peered at her through the blowing snow and made a gesture, raising his hands. Vi looked through the window, saw the guy was still sleeping, and went toward the front porch kicking snow out of the way.

“Found a guy…in trouble.” Vi explained, knowing he’d seen the man in the passenger seat. The gesture had been a ‘What’s going on?’ sort of thing. “He’s in a pretty bad way and I was right outside the front gate…” The wind whipped Vi’s hair around her face and she huffed and pushed it back. “I need some help getting him in the house. And then to see if an ambulance can come get him.”

Ray nodded and slid his feet into a pair of boots by the door. Vi hated to drag him out, hated to see him tax himself, but she wasn’t sure she could do this on her own. Sure the guy had helped the first time, but she couldn’t count on that happening again. And what if he did and he collapsed halfway up to the door? Or worse, fell over on top of her because she was too exhausted to hold him upright?

This time her “Shut up, brain” was muttered quietly. She really was tired.

Ray held the passenger door open while Vi climbed onto the step and leaned in past the man in the seat to turn off the engine and take her key. He shifted a little, and when she pulled back his eyes were open again. Open and focused. It was nice to see. Maybe he’d be helpful after all. She wasn’t going to take a chance though. She looped his arm over her shoulders again, and Ray did the same from the other side, and they guided the man through the snow toward the front door. He was walking, and that was good, and Vi got the feeling that Ray was taking too much of the guy’s weight, but she was struggling a bit through the snow. Definitely tired beyond reason. Of course she’d been up for nearly twenty four hours and had not stopped. Hell, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had something to eat.

They made it through the door and Ray looked around the big man’s chest with a raised eyebrow. Vi sighed heavily. “Upstairs for now. We can’t put you outta your room, and I don’t think you’re bed is gonna be big enough.”

Ray smirked at that and nodded. As long as he was holding on, he should be able to manage the stairs, and Vi would help him down when she got the stranger settled in.

He seemed to be more with it than previously, so the stairs were actually pretty simple. All they had to do was guide him. He was fairly docile, and showed absolutely no interest in his surroundings. Vi wondered if he even realized they had switched him from the SUV to the house. If he did, there was no reaction again. Worry gnawed at her, and it surprised her. She didn’t know this guy. Why did she feel he was her personal problem to deal with?

If Ray could talk, he’d make a comment about Vi bringing home strays. She had done it on occasion but only on a temporary basis. She always found them homes. She couldn’t help it. It was her nature. She was a veterinarian after all, what did he expect her to do.

Ray was looking at her again as she managed to hold onto the guy’s arm and yank the covers on her bed back. She had an odd thought pop up out of nowhere, that this was the first man other than Link who had ever slept there not counting the dog that snuck in on occasion. The thought left her with something she could not define twisting her stomach in knots. Ray’s face was concerned, and she knew that he was wishing, and not for the first time, that he had the ability to speak. He could vocalize, there was no problem there. But the speech patterns that formed language were lost to him, too complex for him after his stroke. Someday, with a lot of work, he might gain a few words, but he was disheartened and had not really been putting forth an effort in the therapy department.

Vi shook her head. Her thoughts were really scattered at this point. She got the stranger turned around and onto the bed with no problem, and he stretched out all on his own without prompting so something was obviously getting through. She tucked the blankets and comforter around him, then went to the closet for the other heavy comforter. When she was satisfied he was sufficiently covered, with just his head showing above the blankets, she went to help Ray back down the stairs.

He looked at her again, eyebrow up. His universal “What the hell?” look. Vi waited until they were downstairs to explain what had happened, slower this time, fueled by sips of a soda she was drinking. She needed the caffeine and sugar. It must have shocked him, what happened, because he groped across the kitchen table for the notebook and ink pen that were sitting in the usual spot.

Vi waited while he scribbled. He pushed the notebook toward her and pointed with the pen. Read it. Yes, she understood all his little gestures.

How could a guy just be layin in a ditch?

Wasn’t hurt? No blood or bruises?

Gonna have to call town and get the EMT out NOW. Don’t like how the man’s kind of ‘out’ there. Also don’t like not knowin how he ended up the way he is

Stop frettin. You did right bringin him in

Vi smiled at that last bit. Approval was always good. “Glad you think so. And no blood or bruises or bumps anywhere. I can’t help but wonder if I just brought some kind of clever ax murderer down on our heads.”

Ray grinned at that. If she trusted anyone’s judgment it was Ray’s, and he saw nothing to worry about. So Vi relaxed and reached for the cordless phone on the counter.

She hesitated a moment before dialing the non-emergency number. A 911 call, at this hour of the morning…it wasn’t an emergency really. The guy was all right, just in shock, cold, and probably confused as all get out. Plus she wanted to know who was on duty. The emergency dispatcher wouldn’t know but general dispatch would.

When the phone was answered, Vi felt a lift in spirits. It was dashed after just a few seconds. The man who answered was Pete Freeman, an old high school buddy of Link’s. Unfortunately, the town’s two ambulances were out busy with a car accident that had produced serious injuries and a transport for a man who had fallen and had possibly broken his back. Their small hospital was more a clinic and it wasn’t equipped to handle long term care. Ray had been transferred after being stabilized. It was how they did things.

Pete told her if it were an emergency he could send a police cruiser out. Vi thought it over for a moment but declined. If it came down to it, she could take the man herself. Not that it wasn’t a police matter. Or was it? Vi didn’t know, and wouldn’t know until the guy told her. So she thanked Pete, told him she’d call if she needed the transport, and hung up with a weary groan.

Ray gave her a pat on the shoulder. He lifted his eyes toward the ceiling too. Yes. She should definitely go to bed, to the guest room. There were bunk beds in there, and it was where Josie spent her sleepovers before Vi had a custom bed with a trundle built for her. She hadn’t figured out what to do with the extra room so she left it as it was. Now at least she’d get some sleep in the lower bunk.

“You go to bed too.” Vi told Ray, tossing her empty soda can into the trash. Ray smiled serenely and shook his head. Since the fire, and his rehabilitation, he slept a total of about three hours a day. Apparently he’d already hit that limit. Or he wasn’t yet tired enough to fall asleep. Vi had lost her husband of ten years but Ray had lost his wife, his partner, his best friend of forty. He was outwardly reserved and together, but nights especially were hard for him. After sleeping next to a person for more than half a lifetime, getting used to their absence was something that never quite happened.

Ray pointed upstairs again, then at himself. Vi shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t want you trying to go up and down the stairs too much. What if you fall?”

He smirked and shrugged.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll help you up but you have to promise me you won’t come down again until Josie or I can help you. And you can have the bunk beds, I’ll sleep in with Josie.”

Ray smiled at that. He slept in his hospital type bed because of the height, and the way he could change the angle so he could be comfortable, but he did not mind an occasional foray into a regular bed.

Vi helped him upstairs yet again. He gave her another pat on the arm at the top of the steps and turned toward the bathroom at the end of the hall. Vi stretched and yawned, dragging her hands through her wind tangled hair. She was way overdue for a cut. Shoving her hair out of her face, she went into her room once more, noting that the stranger had not moved at all. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady. Vi hesitated, then reached out to touch his forehead. He was not cold. In fact he seemed sort of warm. He could be coming down with a fever. She wouldn’t be surprised. She’d probably catch a fever too if she took a naked dive into a snow drift.

She peeled off the top comforter and a layer of blankets, leaving him with the regular amount that had been on the bed. He didn’t even shift. He was definitely sleeping. Vi shook her head and wondered just what the hell she was supposed to do now. Leave him here alone? What if the guy woke up in the middle of the night and got wanderlust and murdered them all in their sleep? Or, ok, since that wasn’t really likely, what if he had a convulsion or…Vi had a very clear vision of Ray’s seizure the night of the fire. Something like that while everybody was sleeping. She felt responsible for the big guy because she’d been the one to find him. She…

Vi almost screamed when a hand fell on her shoulder. She’d been so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t heard Ray enter the room. She put a hand to her chest and gave his amused face a sour look. Sometimes he enjoyed scaring the hell of out of her. He claimed it kept her on her toes. At least that was what she took from his expression.

Ray winked, pointed at himself, then at the stranger sleeping away on the bed. She raised an eyebrow and looked to her father-in-law again. He was just looking at her, a sad sort of smile on his lips.

Vi sighed and nodded. “But if you want to sleep…you come wake me up. I don’t want him left alone while he’s sleeping.” Vi thought that was implying that leaving the guy alone while awake would be ok, but she was too tired to care. Ray was still a bit weak on the right side, and the guy on the bed had to be damn near twice his weight, or close enough to it to spit on it, but Vi trusted Ray to watch out for them more than she’d trust the entire US Army. He was tough as old boots, another of her mom’s random sayings that stuck with her through the years. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug before checking on the sleeping stranger one last time.

“He might be running a temperature.” Vi ducked into the attached bathroom and came back out with a bottle of liquid. It was Josie’s and it was technically kid’s medicine, but it was aspirin and it would be all right for the guy to keep his fever in check. “If he gets warmer, make him swallow a few droppers of this. We’ll switch to solid aspirin when he wakes up.”

Ray nodded and took the bottle. Vi watched as he went into the hall, only to return moments later carrying a book. From Josie’s room by the look of it. He turned on one of the small lamps in the corner where Link had often sat to read. A habit he had picked up from his dad, no doubt. It hurt her heart to see Ray there instead of her husband, and she missed Link more in that moment than she had in quite a while.

Vi took a deep breath and pulled herself together before she could start bawling in front of her father-in-law yet again. She was just so tired she couldn’t think straight, that was all. She whispered a soft ‘goodnight’ and grabbed her pajamas on the way to Josie’s room. She’d take a shower in the morning. She just wanted to lie down and close her eyes for a few minutes to try to clear her head.

3

Vi woke up with something heavy lying on top of her stomach. She cracked an eye open and winced at how bright the room was. She’d probably overslept. She was used to getting up by six in the morning so she could get Josie to school, but with last night’s accumulation school had been cancelled for the day. She expected Josie to still be snoozing away but when she looked up at the bed it was neatly made and empty. Bridger was stretched out across Vi’s stomach, taking advantage of her body heat. He was not a small dog anymore by any means, and Vi really must have been tired to not notice the sixty pound dog crushing her.

She pushed him off, got a look of absolute sorrow from him, and sighed heavily. Vi reached over and scratched Bridger behind the ear as she yawned and tried to get her mind in gear. It took a moment to remember the guy she’d brought in the night before, which was funny considering he was the reason she was sleeping in Josie’s room.

Speaking of which…the house was awfully quiet. Vi got up and stretched, glancing at her daughter’s bedside alarm clock. It was just past eight in the morning. Vi walked into the hallway with her head cocked to the side, listening for the sound of the television or at the very least, a one-sided conversation as Josie talked her grandfather’s ear off. There was nothing. Vi peered into the guest room, completely unsurprised to find it empty as well. Ray was an early riser period. He might have dozed during the night but Vi doubted it.

She hesitated before going into her own room. The big guy from the night before was still there, so there was that anyway. He’d turned onto his side and had kicked the blankets down. Vi straightened them, and touched his forehead with her wrist. He wasn’t a bit hot anymore, which was good. Maybe it had just been a reaction to the cold. She would dig up her digital thermometer and check for sure eventually. For now she was content to let him sleep off whatever had happened the night before.

Vi went to her dresser and quietly tugged out some fresh clothes. She hesitated again before deciding to just shower in her bathroom. All her stuff was in there after all, and it wasn’t like she couldn’t lock the door. If he woke up and had to pee, tough on him. She went into the bathroom and locked the door before getting into the shower. She made it a quick one, just in case the guy did wake up and decide it was a potty emergency. She dried off and got dressed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a black shirt. She opened the bathroom door as she dragged a comb through her hair, peering at her sleeping patient. And yes, he was still sleeping.

Vi put her comb up and left the room, heading for the stairs. She saw two things. Her keys were gone from the table by the door. Plus there was a note. She expected something from Ray, but it was her daughter’s careful printing. She and Ray had run to the store. They’d be back as soon as they could.

Well. That certainly explained the quiet. But Ray really should not be driving when the roads were bad, and doubly especially shouldn’t be driving on bad roads with his granddaughter in the car. Vi sighed heavily and dropped the note back on the table. She could lecture him but it wouldn’t do a bit of good, so she kept mental fingers crossed that the morning sun had melted the snow off the roadways.

Vi went to the kitchen and rummaged in the fridge, pulling out bacon and eggs to make for breakfast. She was starving and her stomach rumbled as the smell of bacon frying filled the kitchen. As she buttered some bread for toast she spotted a pan and two bowls in the sink. Ray and Josie had apparently eaten some oatmeal. The thought made Vi smile. Oatmeal was one of those things she absolutely could not stand but everyone else around her absolutely loved it. Plain, with sugar, with syrup, with fruit – it didn’t matter. Ray had said once that it was something else that was also in the Peace family genes, and Vi didn’t doubt it.

She shook her head and filled the sink with warm water and soap so she could wash the dishes after she ate, and turned to check her bacon. And almost screamed in surprise. The strange guy was standing in the archway, looking at her with an expression of mixed confusion and curiosity that normally Vi would have found funny. He had a blanket wrapped around him, so at least he’d thought to cover up before coming downstairs.

“Sorry. I thought you heard me come in…” His voice was a deep rumble. He sounded hoarse, which did not surprise her a bit.

Vi let her hand rest against her chest, feeling her heart galloping away. In the bright kitchen light, she took in his face, the scruff of beard over his jaw, and the long hair that was full of tangles. He looked like someone who had just gotten over a short illness, which also did not surprise her. He color was a bit pale at the moment, and his hazel eyes were still a little clouded but Vi put that down to confusion.

“It’s all right. Uh…” She shook her head. “I’m Vivian. How are you feeling?”

The guy frowned a little and tilted his head to the side. “I guess…ok? I…” He lifted the hand that wasn’t holding the blanket shut and rubbed at his forehead. “A little headache.”

“I have some aspirin. So what’s your name?” Vi went to the cabinet over the sink and pulled down the bottle she kept there. She shook out three pills and turned to hand them over.

He was frowning again. “I…I don’t remember.”

Vi raised an eyebrow and got him a glass of water to wash the pills down with. “Did you get hit on the head?”

“I have no idea. I…where am I?” Belatedly, he seemed to catch up to the fact that he was in a strange place with a strange woman.

“You are in my house. I found you lying beside the road last night during the storm. Um…kind of found you as you are. No clothes.” Vi finished weakly. “There wasn’t an ambulance available and you were sleeping so I figured that we could put off a trip to the hospital until today.”

The man went to the table and took a seat, shifting the blanket to keep himself covered. It was the equivalent of locking the barn door after the horses were stolen in Vi’s opinion, but she kept it to herself.

“I don’t remember…I was…” He frowned again, looking down at the polished oak tabletop. “Well…I think I was walking…” He trailed and raised his hands again, massaging his temples. “I can’t remember anything. Like I just woke up here and that’s it.”

Vi checked her food, processing what he’d said. She started cooking more, because she figured he’d be hungry as well. “Well you didn’t just fall from the sky.” She finally spoke, in a low voice more as thinking out loud.

He made a low sound behind her. Vi looked over her shoulder to see the man had put his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. “I just…can’t remember anything. Just…fog.”

“Fog?”

“It’s a blank. Smooth…nothing there.” He pulled back and looked at his hands thoughtfully. “So maybe I did fall outta the sky.”

Vi smiled at that. He had a slight accent, almost unnoticeable, more a soft southern drawl on certain sounds than a hard twang she associated with the deepest south. So he could be from anywhere.

She finished cooking and piled up a plate for each of them with the food. She considered it for a moment then added a couple of extra slices of toast and a bigger portion of the eggs to his. He was bigger than her and it was hard telling when he’d eaten last, so she was willing to cut back so he could have more. Except for the bacon, which she rarely ate and even less rarely shared.

Vi set his plate in front of him but he’d gone back to holding his head in his hands. He’d tucked the blanket around his chest like a towel. She frowned and turned back to the fridge to pour them each a glass of orange juice.

She sat down and studied him for a moment before picking up a piece of bacon and nibbling on it. “So you can’t remember anything? Not something from your childhood or something from last week?”

He sighed and shook his head, finally sitting back and eying the food in front of him. “I just…woke up. Here. There was a dog licking my hand.”

Vi smirked. “That’s just Bridger. Being a pain. You’re lucky he didn’t try to shove you off the bed.”

“So…I really was out by the road? Like this?” He gestured at himself, obviously meaning the bare chest above the blanket. Vi nodded and took a bite of her eggs.

“Exactly like that.” Vi watched as he pulled the plate closer and picked up his fork.

“And you don’t know me? Never seen me before or…”

“I would remember seeing a guy your size around.” But she frowned when she said it. Vi actually did remember seeing a guy around town who might have given this one a run for his money height wise. And at the school during one of Josie’s seemingly endless plays or pageants or family nights. Maybe even during all of it. Vi had not been the most social creature on the planet for the past several years, but at least she had a good reason.

“And you brought me here? To your house? Weren’t you worried I was gonna go nuts or…maybe I was already crazy and just waiting until your guard was down?” He jabbed a fork full of eggs but paused on the way to putting them in his mouth.

“I didn’t have much of a choice. Besides that…” Vi shrugged. She couldn’t explain it to herself let alone to him. “I just had a feeling it would be all right. And I guess I’m not wrong on that, at least not yet.”

He ate in silence for a minute, lost in his own thoughts again. Or probably trying to remember something, anything. Vi finished her bacon and started to work on her toast when Bridger padded into the room. He seemed to look from Vi to the stranger, than decided the stranger was probably a better bet and went to him, dropping his head on the man’s leg. The big dog startled him but he smiled a little and scratched Bridger behind the ear and slipped him a piece of the bacon off his plate.

Vi shook her head. “He can find the sucker in every room.” She said it with a bit of affection in her voice. And the stranger got another point in the harmless column. Bridger was a bit overprotective of the women of the house, but around this guy he was perfectly at ease. So Vi relaxed a little more. “I guess we’re going to have to find some clothes for you. I’d offer up some of Ray’s but I don’t think they’d fit.”

“Ray?”

“My father-in-law.” Vi smiled again. “He’s out shopping apparently. We’ll figure it out. I really should at least take you to the clinic to get checked. Technically speaking, I’m a glorified horse doctor.”

The man looked at her for a minute, frowning slightly. “I feel ok. All things considered. I just wish I could remember…anything.” He put his attention back on the dog that was looking up at him with sad brown eyes.

“Well maybe there’s a missing person bulletin or something.” Vi shrugged. “I guess a trip to the sheriff’s office would be in order too.”

He nodded, still frowning thoughtfully. They finished eating in silence. Vi was drinking her juice and once more watching the guy scratch at Bridger’s ear as he fed the dog the last bit of egg off his plate. Bridger licked his fingers before turning and walking to his water bowl near the sink.

The stranger dragged a hand through his hair, wincing at the tangles. “Would you mind if I…”

He didn’t get to finish. The sound of a vehicle outside pulled his attention to the window near the table. It opened to the side of the house, and the driveway. A dark SUV rolled to a stop and a blonde-haired girl bounded out. She was talking animatedly to a man who was a bit slower at exiting the vehicle. The girl disappeared around the back of the SUV along with the man.

He heard Vi’s soft sigh and glanced at her. She looked relieved. He wondered for a moment if it was because she was alone in the house with him. And then it dawned on him that she had just been quietly worrying over the kid and the man in the vehicle. He looked to the window again in time to see the girl carrying a large bag through snow that almost reached her knees. In some spots it was a bit patchy, but the wind had caused some big drifts.

Vi cleared her throat. “I guess I should warn you. That’s my daughter, Josie. She’s twelve going on thirty, and she’ll probably drive you crazy asking you questions. It doesn’t matter to her if you can’t answer her.” She laughed at that. The stranger smiled at the sound. “And Ray…he…uh. Well he doesn’t talk. He had a stroke, and it kind of messed with his ability.”

The man nodded and looked down, noticing as if for the first time he was hardly dressed to meet a young girl and her grandfather. “Should I go upstairs?”

“And hide indefinitely? You’re fine. Just uh…try not to flash anybody, and we’ll all get along.” Vi smiled and got up, taking their plates with her. There was talking from the front of the house, and suddenly the little girl was in the kitchen, talking a mile a minute.

“Gosh, Mom, you shoulda seen the grocery store. Granddad said it looked like a bomb went off. There…was…”

Vi snickered as her daughter ran down like an unwound watch. She had finally noticed the big man at the table. They eyed each other for a very long, very quiet minute. Ray appeared in the doorway with a smirk tilting his lips.

“Granddad said you needed some stuff.” Josie finally spoke. “I kinda thought he was joking.”

The man smiled. “If by stuff you mean clothes, and a shower? Then yeah, I definitely need stuff.”

Josie grinned and set her bags down on the table. “Granddad guessed at your size. The woman thought he was joking. About the sizes.” She said, as if he hadn’t figured it out. “So what’s your name?”

“Jos…” Vi finally distracted her, still smiling. “I’m afraid our guest here has a little memory problem. He can’t remember anything, including his name.”

“Really?” Josie looked at him with renewed interest and took a seat across from him. “Does that mean we get to name him?”

Ray made a low noise, and Vi turned to see he was laughing. Sort of. Ray laughing these days was rare, and usually it was only Josie who got him so tickled. He shared a look with Vi and winked.

“He’s not a stray, Josie. I’m pretty sure he’s got a perfectly good name. It’ll come back to him eventually.” Vi said, taking the bag that Ray was carrying. He’d bought some toiletries, and he gestured at the stranger. Vi set that bag with the others. “If you were going to ask to take a shower before, I guess you can do that now you have the stuff.” She said. “Bathroom is upstairs, at the end of the hall on the right.”

“Ok. Good. Thank you.” The stranger smiled at her, and included Josie and Ray in his gratitude before gathering the bags and heading for the stairs. Ray watched him go and reached for his notebook.

Vi was rather surprised at that. He averaged about one written note a week. Here was his second note of the day. Technically speaking. It must be something important.

He scribbled quickly and handed her the notebook. Vi read it with a raised eyebrow.

Saw the sheriff out shopping. He said he’d stop in before lunch.

“Well. Good then. Saves me the trouble of calling.” Vi handed the notebook back and glanced at Josie. “Did you tell him everything?”

“Granddad told me to tell him you found that guy passed out by the side of the road, and that you just wanted to get him checked out.” Josie eyeballed the dishes in the sink and the pan on the stove. “Do I have to do the dishes?”

“No, I’m getting to…” Vi had no more than said the ‘no’ when Josie was up and dashing for the stairs. No doubt to her room to start playing her video games. If it was bad weather, she played non-stop even though at other times she forgot the games existed. She shared another look with Ray. He was still smiling, although now it looked troubled. “Any news in town about our visitor?”

Ray shook his head. He went to the coffee pot on the counter and poured himself a cup from the pot he’d made before they had left. Vi hadn’t noticed. She wasn’t a coffee drinker, so she didn’t bother with it. Ray sipped slowly and looked out the window for a moment before looking at her. She saw the way his eyes went back to the window and smiled.

“I think we’re all right here, Ray. You go on and get to work.” She kissed him on the cheek. “And thank you.”

He gave her a pat on the back and a quick squeeze before heading for the door. He wanted to go out and work with the ranch hands, and that was fine. As long as he didn’t over do it. And of course he would over do it, because Ray threw himself into working around the ranch to ease the loneliness at having lost Rose. Vi understood that if she didn’t anything else.

She heard the shower come on upstairs. With a sigh she went to the sink and washed up the breakfast dishes. She had a day full of nothing ahead. She toyed with the idea of building an actual veterinary practice here, near the house, instead of just waiting for the odd job to come to her. All of her hard work through college and she was barely using what she’d learned. And while she and Josie both worked around the ranch, they did not put in nearly the work that Ray and the other hands did. Sometimes she felt useless, even though this was her home and she was a trusted vet around town.

Twenty minutes later her kitchen was clean. Vi climbed the stairs to check in on her daughter but only had to go about halfway up the flight. She could hear Josie talking, and the deep voice of the strange man answering on occasion. Vi peered along the hallway and saw that the man was wearing clothes, even shoes, which just went to show that Ray really was sharp. She would have forgotten something so simple, had it been her shopping. The t-shirt was a little snug on him but otherwise, he looked presentable. He’d combed out his long hair out too.

Josie was in the midst of the world’s longest explanation for a video game ever when he noticed Vi standing there. He smiled and tilted his head toward Josie’s room. “I got challenged to a match, and I’m not even sure I understand the concept of the game.”

“Josie. Really. Not everybody in the universe wants to play video games all day long.”

“Well it’s not like you people have any plans.” Josie called back. Vi snickered and Josie giggled. The stranger just kept that questioning smile on his face.

Vi went all the way to Jose’s doorway and looked around the room. Bridger was sprawled over the bed, of course. Josie had tucked the trundle back under the bed, and she was sitting on the floor in a beanbag chair looking up at her television. “Do you think it would be possible to pry yourself away long enough to take your mutt out for some exercise? He’s starting to get a gut on him.”

“I guess.” Josie sounded so put-upon that even the stranger had to chuckle a little.

“And then go help your granddad work the herd. It’s time we started looking for the ones who are close to calving.”

That perked Josie’s interest. “You said I could help this year!” She got up and shut off her television.

“Yes. I know this. And you will if we can figure out which one is gonna have the baby so she doesn’t wander off into a corner an do it by herself.”

“I know. I know!” Josie went to her desk and grabbed the gloves and hat she usually wore when she worked around the ranch. “Do you want to come with me?” She directed that at the man who was still standing in the doorway, watching the two of them talk.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked to Vi. She thought it over but shook her head. “I think that we’re expecting company before too long. So maybe later you can give him the grand tour, huh?”

“Sure.” Josie grinned at her mother, then at the strange man. “I still think we should at least name him.”

Vi laughed and shook her heard again. She motioned for the man to follow her so Josie could get her chores done. “So…are the clothes all right? We can make another trip into town later and…”

“They’re fine.” He smoothed a hand down his chest, over the shirt. “I don’t know how I can repay you guys for buying the stuff. Unless I remember I stashed a wallet with money stuffed into it somewhere.”

“Don’t worry about it. You can work it off. There is always plenty to do.” Even though just a few minutes ago Vi had been feeling the opposite she knew it was just griping for the sake of griping.

“Your daughter has a point, though. Not that I need to be renamed, but I don’t like the idea of being called ‘hey, you’.” They had reached the bottom of the stairs.

Vi turned to face him and realized, yet again, just how very big he was. Her eyes were about chest level on him. And she had to actually tilt her head back to look him in the eyes. “Let’s just take this one step at a time, huh? First we’re going to talk to the sheriff. Then I am going to take you to the clinic to get checked out. And we’ll figure out the rest from there.”

He sighed and nodded. “All right. I just…I hate putting you out. You don’t know me. At all. I don’t know how it is you’re so accepting about this.”

“Link and I had a personal motto. ‘Whatever happens, happens’. It’s kind of how I live my life. So I’m generally a pretty accepting person.”

He smiled. “Link?”

Vi’s own smile was sad. “My husband.” She raised her left hand where she still wore her wedding band, and toyed with the band that was attached to a silver chain around her neck. “He passed away a few years ago.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”

“How could you know? Don’t worry about it.” Her smile was more genuine that time. “And did you want to go out on the ranch with Josie? I have no idea when the sheriff will be here. I kind of figured you didn’t want to be dragged from one end of the property to the other already though.”

He looked toward the front windows thoughtfully. “I see your point.” He looked down at her again. “Besides…I think your sheriff is already here.”

Vi raised an eyebrow and turned to look out the window. Sure enough, the vehicle pulling up next to the SUV was a dark brown Jeep with a rack of lights on top. She had figured before lunch meant that he would be there pretty quick, and she hadn’t been wrong.

4

They ended up at the sheriff’s department anyway.

The sheriff himself, Steve Austin, had spoken to both Vi and the strange man, and had admitted he knew nothing about a missing person. As he spoke to the stranger, Vi got dressed and got ready for the trip to town. She couldn’t find a coat big enough for the stranger, so he settled for wrapping a blanket over his shoulders for the walk from the porch to the car.

Once at Steve’s office, the stranger was fingerprinted and Steve scrounged up a jacket that the man could wear. “It’s gonna be at least a couple of hours to get anything back on the prints.” Steve explained to Vi as the stranger washed ink from his fingers at a sink in the corner. “And that’s local. If he’s not local we’re lookin’ at a couple of days on the national registry. Not like they show on TV. We don’t have fancy instant fingerprinting tech.”

Vi grinned. “You wouldn’t use it anyway.”

“I called Jess and told her you were on the way.” Steve went on, flipping open a folder. “Of course you might wanna stop and get that man a coat that fits. We’ve got more cold comin’ at least for a couple weeks.”

“Yes, Dad.” Vi accepted a few papers from Steve. “What’s this?”

“Papers for Jess to fill out. Just in case somebody did report your friend missing, we gotta make sure we get him in all the right databases. Plus she’ll do the DNA swab while you’re there.”

“Right. Ok then.”

“Viv…” Steve was the only person who called her anything but Vi. “You sure you’re all right, with him at your house? I mean you don’t know him…”

“It’s fine.” Vi didn’t let him finish his train of thought. Her new friend was still at the sink, talking quietly to one of the young deputies whose name had slipped Vi’s memory.

“I’ll check in. And I’ll let you know as soon as we get anything back.” Steve got to his feet and gave Vi a rough hug. He wasn’t the demonstrative type when it came to things, so it surprised her. Steve and Link had a longer history than most people in town going all the way back to elementary school. Steve was usually reserved, and it always shocked her when he offered physical contact. “You all be careful.”

Their next stop was the clinic. The store could wait until they were done, at least in Vi’s opinion. Her new friend didn’t protest it either. Steve had called ahead so his wife Jess was waiting on them. She ushered them into an exam room and spent a minute looking over the papers Steve had given Vi.

“I can’t believe you’re still working.” Vi said to Jess as her stranger friend excused himself to use the restroom.

Jess rubbed her belly and smiled. “I can’t just sit at home. Every time I get a muscle spasm, Steve is convinced it’s labor. Better I work right up to it. Besides…if I go into labor here I won’t have to go far.”

“Bet he still doesn’t like it.” Vi said with a smile as her visitor came back into the room.

“Of course he doesn’t. But Steve will get over it. Now…” Jess turned her attention to the very large man who stood there uncertainly. “If you want to sit down on the exam table we’ll go over things.”

The man did as she asked. Vi sat down in a chair in the corner and listened as Jess asked questions and looked the guy over. Of course there wasn’t much he could answer, other than the fact that he felt all right and nothing really hurt.

Jess stopped writing on her chart for a moment and glanced from Vi to the man on the exam table. “Since my friend here found you lying in the snow, you haven’t noticed any discoloration or numb spots have you? Your fingers look fine…”

“Nothing.” The man shrugged. “I did see this…” He started to roll up his shirt sleeve, then changed his mind and yanked it over his head instead. He turned a little so his shoulder was more or less point in Jess’s direction. “A scar. Not that I remember how I got it or how old it is.”

The puckered tissue ran in a diagonal line along the man’s upper arm. From Vi’s seat it looked to be about three inches or so in length. Jess raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, turning the guy’s arm a little so she could see it better.

“It’s not an old scar. It’s still kind of puffy.” Jess pressed on the skin next to the scar and shook her head. “But not really recent. It’s not red at all. Could be a year old or more, depending on how your body heals. If it was older, it would be sunken a little. And probably lighter.” She made another note on her chart. “Any other scars? Birthmarks, moles, tattoos, lumps, bumps or bruises?”

“Nothing.” The guy glanced thoughtfully down at his arm and looked up, meeting Vi’s eyes from across the room. She could not be sure because Jess wandered into her line of sight, but she would have sworn that the guy flushed a little as he pulled his shirt back on. Which made her realize she’d been studying his chest a little bit too closely. Vi smirked to herself and looked at Jess.

“So your verdict?”

“I don’t know. It’s odd…the memory loss with no trauma.” Jess was looking into the man’s eyes again. “Unless you saw something traumatic. But I’ve never heard of complete amnesia before. You don’t remember anything at all?”

“Nothing.” The man agreed, adjusting his shirt around his waist. “I woke up in bed at Vivian’s house. That’s it.”

“Well.” Jess rubbed her belly and studied him. “I’m not quite sure what we can do until we know who you are. You’re healthy as a horse, no sign of even marginal trauma, and besides the memory I don’t see anything else that could be considered wrong.”

He smiled at that. “Good. Not that I was worried. Like I said, I feel fine.” He emphasized the word. “I just wish I could remember something. Anything.”

Jess looked troubled for a moment. He caught it but Vi didn’t because Jess still had her back to the other woman. Something flickered in her expression. He could not explain it better than that. He couldn’t even begin to guess at what it meant either.

“I’ll make a few phone calls, and see if I can’t find some information. Maybe someone else has had some experience with this kind of thing.” Jess finally said. “Will you be staying in town? Steve can probably get you set up in the…”

“He can stay with me. Not like we don’t have enough room.” Vi interrupted her. “Besides that, Caroline and Nick are in California until the end of the month.”

“Oh. I forgot.” Jess laughed and went back to scribbling in her chart. Nick and Caroline owned the town’s small motel. Theirs was not a tourist destination type of town, so closing for the winter months was not unheard of. They did well in the summer when there were travelers. “Ok. Well if you’re sure…I’ll just use your address. And we have to do a DNA swab. So give me just a minute to go grab the kit and I’ll be back.”

Jess practically waddled out of the room. Vi grinned and shook her head.

“You don’t have to put me up. I’m sure I can find something else until we figure out who I am.” The guy said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well you won’t have to, because we don’t mind at all. Even the dog approved.” Vi’s expression turned serious. “If you aren’t comfortable at the house…”

“It’s not that.” He said, shaking his head. “I just don’t want to inconvenience you more than I already have.”

“You have?” Vi looked puzzled. The events of the past day were interesting, yes. But she wouldn’t classify them as an inconvenience. Now if the guy had two broken legs and required 24 hour care, then she might feel put out. “Look…we have the room. And we can always put you to work around the ranch if you feel like you have to earn your keep.”

He opened his mouth, probably to argue, but Jess re-entered the room with a small box in her hand. “Ok. So this is probably gonna take at least a couple of weeks to get back. Probably more. We don’t have the facilities to do it here at the clinic, so we have to send it off.” She explained as she opened the box and pulled out a tube and a long cotton swab. “Just gotta open your mouth.” She swabbed the inside of his cheek then put the swab back into the tube. She labeled it and taped it then put it back in the box. “I’ll get this out of here this afternoon. Other than that…we’re done here. If you have any kind of pain, soreness, dizziness, or just anything out of the ordinary you call me or come in. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The guy smiled. Jess smirked and gathered her things.

“I’ll call you with results, Vi. Unless he stays elsewhere – just make sure you let me know.”

“Ok.” Vi stood up and pulled her coat on. The stranger followed her lead. They were all the way back into the SUV before he decided to break their silence.

“It doesn’t make any sense.”

His low voice surprised her. Vi had been lost in her own thoughts. “What?”

“I can’t remember anything. At all. Shouldn’t I have flashbacks or…” He ran a hand through his long hair in frustration. “Hell. I don’t know. And I’m not hurt. I feel pretty damn good for someone that was almost a human icicle twelve hours ago.”

Vi smiled at that. “That depends on how long you were there before…” She trailed off, her hand on the gear shift.

He looked at her, frown of concern creasing his brow. “What?”

“Well. I was just thinking that…obviously you weren’t there long before I spotted you. Because you’d be in a lot worse shape now.” Vi bit her lower lip. “And a thought occurred to me. That maybe it happened that way on purpose. Maybe you were put there for me to find.”

“But…why?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed and put the SUV in gear. And also shifted the conversation in a new direction. “So I guess in the meantime we’ll go get you more clothes and then head to the house.”

The guy looked down at his borrowed jacket and the jeans and shirt he’d been given that morning. “You have already done plenty.”

“Well, no more running around naked for you. At least not until it warms up. Than you can feel free to wander the roads in the nude all you want.” Vi smirked and noted the redness the crept across the man’s cheeks.

“I’m happy I don’t remember that at least.” He finally said as Vi pulled into an empty parking spot in front of a clothing store that catered to the working people around town.

It took more than an hour to find everything Vi thought the guy would need, and he protested every step of the way, but eventually she was satisfied he was taken care of. A good coat was a priority, also a pair of boots because spring time not only brought snow at the drop of a hat - it also brought mud and rain. Boots were invaluable. A few more pairs of jeans, some work shirts, and gloves and he was set. He still grumbled even as Vi paid and they carried the bags out to the SUV.

“Consider it a loan.” She finally said when he paused for a breath. He just looked at her a moment. “Although like I said you can work it off. I’m pretty sure Steve won’t tell the IRS on me if we paid you under the table, at least until we figure out who you are.”

“Ok…fine.” He smiled a little. “I’ll pay you back. Somehow. And thank you, Vivian.”

“You’re welcome.” Vi grinned. “I don’t think anybody has called me by my full name since I was a kid.” She slid into the driver’s seat once more and waited until the man got himself buckled in. “You can call me Vi. Just about everybody does.”

He nodded, that half smile still tilting the corners of his mouth. “If you say so.”

“I do. And we’d better head back. I have to get supper going and…well there’s a million things I need to do before bedtime.” Vi smiled and drove them out of town back toward the ranch. “I guess this gives me the motivation I need to really get my guest room straightened out.”

The man looked over at her, questioning smile on his face. She explained about the bunk beds, and he nodded. “I don’t want to put you out of your room.”

“You aren’t. You won’t fit in the bunk bed. Hell, Josie can barely still sleep in them.” Vi laughed. “But I think that can be your first job. Helping me get it fixed up.”

“Sounds easy enough.” They shared a comfortable silence until they reached the house and Vi parked the SUV near the porch. Before he could get out, she turned to face him.

“I have to tell you something. Since you are going to be staying here.” She began toying with her wedding ring, spinning it around her finger. “Our family suffered one hell of a loss a few years ago. Josie might act like she’s past it, but…she has nightmares. If she wakes you up at night...”

He reached over and covered her hands with his. Vi noticed for the first time just how big his hands were. She looked down at his fingers for a long moment before taking a deep breath. “I have my moments too. Ray probably doesn’t mind you being here, because Ray is pretty open-minded. But there might be talk.”

“I don’t think a little talk is gonna bother me.” He said, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. “Will it bother you? Are you saying I need to lay low or…”

Vi shook her head. “Not at all. I just don’t want you to be worried about the gossip mill. My mom…well. She would have said ‘small town, smaller minds’. And while that’s not exactly true for everyone in town, there are a few that are going to stick their nose in and try to make trouble.”

“Sounds like you’ve had experience with it.”

“Right up until my wedding.” Vi smiled and shook her head. “Malicious and jealous females was all it boiled down to, and after the wedding it stopped. So don’t let the gossip mill bother you.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.” He smiled and gave her hand a pat before letting her go and sliding out the door. He grabbed his bags while Vi held the front door open for him to head inside and take his things upstairs. She went into the kitchen to wash up and figure out what to make for dinner.

She was in the midst of making meatballs for Josie’s all time favorite meal when her phone rang. Vi sighed and washed her hands before quickly grabbing the phone and answering. “Hello?”

“Hey, Viv.” Steve’s drawl came over the line. Vi smiled and went back to her meatballs.

“Hey. What’s up?” She decided she’s made enough and slid the pan into the oven. Steve let the silence drag out, and Vi finally noticed he wasn’t talking. “What is it? Did…oh. Did you get something back on our guest already?” It was the only thing she could think of.

“Actually…yeah. We did.” Steve didn’t sound too thrilled at the prospect. Vi wiped her hands on a towel and sat down at the kitchen table, worried.

“So…what? Is he an escaped convict or…a wanted murderer or something?”

“No. Sorry Viv, I’m just reading over this stuff again and…” Steve cleared his throat. “His name is Glen. Glen Jacobs. From a little town about a hundred fifty miles away. We did get his prints through a police file but not because he was arrested.”

“Oh really? Was he a cop?” Vi asked, letting the name settle on her for a moment. Josie would be sad she wouldn’t get to name the guy, but that was all right. She was sure he’d be grateful.

“No…I don’t know what the hell to make of this.”

“What to make of what? You’re starting to freak me out a little bit.” Vi laughed nervously.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. I just…I’m confused as fuck right now.” Steve sighed heavily. “He wasn’t a cop and he wasn’t arrested. If these prints are right…and I’ve got a hell of a picture to go with them now that says they are…your house guest is dead.”

Vi said nothing. She wasn’t sure she could have spoken if someone were holding a gun to her head. “Dead?” She finally squeaked out. “That can’t be…”

“It’s crazy. I know. But…it gets weirder.”

“How is that even possible?” Vi asked.

“It’s possible. According to the reports…he was murdered. When he was eighteen years old.” Steve paused for a moment. “That happened about forty years ago.”

“Wait a minute…wait a minute…” Vi shook her head. “That’s not possible. He’s not a kid but he sure as hell isn’t a sixty year old man.”

“Wanna guess as to how old he is?” Steve asked.

“If you forced me to…I’d say mid to late thirties. Forty is pushing it.” Vi huffed out a breath. “I can’t wrap my mind around this. How sure are you, Steve?”

“Pretty damn sure. The prints were an exact match.” Steve must have been flipping through papers because Vi could hear the rustling noises. “I think you need to get down here. And bring him with you.”

“Should I tell him?”

“If you want.” Steve sounded resigned. “Better yet, I’ll come out there. Gotta go home anyway. The uh…I don’t want Josie seeing this stuff if we can help it. Girl doesn’t need more trauma laid at her feet.”

“Is it…bad?”

“It ain’t good. Case is old and unsolved. But a lot of it got hushed up...got a theory about that too but it’ll keep til I get there. Gimme about an hour?”

“Yeah. Or…” Vi felt her stomach roll, nervous about seeing whatever it was Steve wanted her to see. “After dinner might be better.”

“You’re probably right. I’ll be over there in a couple hours then. Ray might wanna be in on this too.” Steve said.

“Of course.” They said their goodbyes and Vi sat for a few minutes, holding the phone and staring out the window at nothing. She was trying to process what Steve had said but obviously Steve had made a mistake. The guy upstairs might very well be named Glen. But he certainly seemed alive and well to her.

She hesitated another minute before the sound of the front door and her daughter’s voice got her motivated. Vi checked her meatballs, tossed some pasta into the boiling pot of water on the stove then headed for the stairs.

The guy – Glen, she corrected in her mind, might as well get used to it – had changed from the t-shirt into one of the long sleeved work shirts they had bought with the cuffs rolled up to his forearms. He was standing at one of the two windows, arms crossed, looking out over the property. While the view wasn’t as grand as the one from the main house had been, Vi knew that it was pretty enough.

Josie was still talking downstairs, apparently excited about something and using Ray as a sounding board. Vi thought she’d better make this quick.

“Hey.” She kept her voice low and got the guy’s attention. He had been lost in thought, and had not heard her come in. He glanced at her and smiled.

“Hey. Sorry…guess I was in my own little world for a minute there.”

Vi smiled back, but it felt sort of pasted on. He definitely did not look like a guy who was pushing sixty. There was no way. “Steve called. He might have found something.”

“Oh, really?” He turned to face her. “Please tell me I’m not on somebody’s most wanted list.”

“No. Nothing like that.” Vi’s smile faded. “Does the name Glen mean anything to you?”

He maintained that puzzled, curious expression but Vi saw something flicker in his eyes. She wanted to write it off as wishful thinking on her part but the guy – Glen, damn it, she had to start thinking of him by his name – tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes.

“That’s my name.” It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t really a statement either. “Glen…something. Something with a J.”

“Jacobs.” Vi supplied it for him, watching as he raised his hands to rub his temples. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t know. I guess.” He made a noise that sounded like a choked laugh. “That’s my name. As soon as you said it, I thought ‘well yeah, that’s me’.” Glen looked at her. “It’s not good is it? Whatever your sheriff found.”

“I don’t know yet. He’s going to come by after supper and we’re going to sit down and talk about this.” Vi heard the sound of her daughter climbing the stairs. “Supper will be ready in about twenty minutes, Glen.” There. She said his name, it sort of made it cement in her mind.

“Ok. Thank you. Do you need a hand with anything?”

Vi was surprised he’d asked. “I don’t know. How good are you are chopping up lettuce for a salad?” Glen smiled and followed her lead as she headed for the stairs. He got the feeling that Vi dreaded the sheriff’s visit and for reasons that she wasn’t comfortable explaining.

5

It was nearly eight when Steve arrived. Vi ushered him into the kitchen, explaining as they walked that Ray and Josie had taken Glen out to show him around a little. It was dark out, and cold, but Vi figured they could all use a break from sitting around waiting. She preferring hearing whatever Steve had to say by herself, and then break the news to the others.

Steve took a seat at the table and accepted a cup of coffee. He had brought a folder with him. Now he set it down on the table and waited until Vi took the seat across from him.

“Go ahead.” Vi prompted him.

Steve shook his head. “Hard to even start. It was like pullin’ teeth to get what little I have, and what I have isn’t close to bein’ all there is. And it’s muddled as hell.”

“Well, maybe we can figure it out.” Vi reached for the folder. He let her slide it away with a sigh.

“It’s not pretty. Apparently they were sleepin’ when somebody broke in, or walked in on a burglary. At least that’s the workin’ theory. Mother was a white female, around forty years old. Kid was eighteen, male. A neighbor was expectin’ the kid to help with yard work and got worried when she didn’t hear from them. She found the bodies.”

Vi listened and flipped the folder open. The first few pages were the official report, but much of it was blacked out. What Steve was saying was basically what was left in the report. She hesitated before turning past the slim stack of papers. And saw a picture of a woman with dark hair and sharp green eyes. She was smiling and looking at something off camera.

The next picture made Vi smirk. It was Glen…the man she’d found in the snow…only younger. There was no doubt it was him. This picture was a graduation photo, taken next to the woman from the first image. It looked like the picture had been damaged at some point – there was a jagged tear along the side. Glen’s hair had been short, but he’d been tall and broad. He reminded Vi of the guys she’d been in school with who had played football. It just struck her that he had probably been one of those guys, once upon a time.

One more picture was under the graduation photo, and in this one Glen was by himself. He was wearing a half-smirk, and had his head tilted to the side, a pose that made Vi think he’d been caught by surprise by the camera. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the guy she’d found by the road. But she couldn’t believe she was looking at a picture that was forty years old.

Steve reached out before Vi could flip that final family picture over. “Gotta warn ya. It’s pretty bad, the two pictures they sent. I printed ‘em out of my email, because they won’t send copies in the mail. You don’t have to look.”

Vi smiled grimly. “Why is so much of the report blacked out?” She asked, changed the subject. Steve let go of the picture and rubbed a hand over his head.

“That’s what I can’t figure. They didn’t have a suspect, the case wasn’t solved. But it was in the closed case files. Which is a damn sight stranger than having an old unsolved murder.”

“So they say it is solved?”

“No. They never questioned anybody. In fact, it’s like it got swept under a rug. Half their shit is missing, and some of the evidence was destroyed because according to the deputy I spoke to there was a fire. But you don’t close a murder case unless you rule it an accident or you find a killer. And this damn sure wasn’t an accident.”

Vi nodded and turned the picture. For a moment she wasn’t sure exactly what she was seeing in the printed photo beneath it. A room, yes. But the walls were a harsh red. “Is that…blood?” She asked softly, leaning down to study the picture closer. She could see a couch, also soaked red. That led her eye downward to what was in front of the couch. “Oh my god…That’s her right? The woman?”

“Her name was Celeste. Yeah. That’s her.”

It was hard to make it mesh in her mind that what was left of the smiling, beautiful woman in the previous pictures was thrown on the floor like a pile of garbage. There was so much blood it was hard to make things out but eventually Vi spotted a hand, the hollow of an eye, a jaw line. The woman had almost literally been torn to pieces. “It’s like a wild animal attacked her or…”

“That’s one of the weird things. I have close-ups at the office. I didn’t wanna bring ‘em because I think seein’ the wide angle is plenty for anybody. But there are claw marks on them both. But not animal marks like I’ve ever seen. More like…” Steve hooked his fingers and scratched his own arm. “Although I can’t think of a single person who could do that amount of damage with just some fingernails.”

Vi studied the picture for a few more moments, trying to make sense of the amount of blood she was seeing. And something else strange hit her as well. “Where’s the picture?”

“What picture?” Steve asked, leaning forward.

Vi tapped her finger on the wall in the picture. There was a framed studio portrait of Glen, obviously taken during his senior year of high school. Next to it there was a blank white square of wall. The square was almost too perfect. As if something had hung there, gotten splattered by blood, and then removed.

“I have no idea. I didn’t even see that. Or if I did I figured it was something the cops took as evidence.” Steve frowned and shook his head.

Vi turned to the last page Steve had printed. And saw immediately that it was a very large man. He was in a corner, covered in blood, his head at an angle that suggested a broken neck. Although the blood made it hard to pick out detail other than red, Vi could see if was Glen.

“You all right?” Steve asked, when he felt that she had stared at the picture maybe a little too long.

Vi looked up and met his eyes. She was feeling rather calm, all things considered, but had to blink a few times because tears had formed in her eyes. “So you said you had a theory?”

“Well…kinda. Not a solid one. And not one anybody would admit to.” Steve hesitated. “Maybe...and this is a long shot…but maybe this is a faked picture.”

“Faked? Why would anybody fake this?” Vi looked down at the picture again. Time and the printer had faded the colors, but it looked real enough to her. In fact, looking too long made her feel a little sick to her stomach.

“Maybe because your friend wasn’t killed. Maybe because he was in some kind of witness protection program.”

Vi raised an eyebrow and looked at Steve for a long moment. “But how would that explain the fact that he apparently hasn’t aged past 40?” She had seen some people, men especially, who looked much younger than their years, but once a person hit a certain age, nothing short of surgery could turn back the clock. “What?” She asked when Steve only looked at her.

“That’s another odd thing. Because I figured along those lines. But Jess tells me the guy doesn’t have any scars or marks besides the one on his arm. And she checked his eyes and ears, she would have seen the surgery scars.”

“Which means…what?”

“Means I don’t have an answer for you. If he was being hidden and protected, I couldn’t tell you why he’d get dropped in your lap now. Although after 40 years it’s an even bet the guy who did the murderin’ is long gone. I can keep diggin’.” Steve added at Vi’s frown.

“That’s not necessary. If this is our new friend, and he doesn’t remember any of this…” She tapped the picture. “Then I don’t think I’ll be refreshing his memory anytime soon.”

“Maybe it would jog somethin’ loose.”

“Yeah. And maybe it would do more harm than good.” Vi flipped through the folder and slide out the family style pictures of Glen and the woman, Celeste. There was a slight resemblance between mother and son, although the woman was pretty small compared to the teenager at her side. “Can I have these? I want to show him.”

Steve shrugged, then nodded. “I can print more if I need to I guess.” He swept the rest of the folder toward him and put everything back inside. “You sure you don’t need the rest?”

“No. Not unless he really presses. And I don’t like the idea of Josie looking at those pictures.” Vi’s face showed her distaste at the idea.

“Still having nightmares?”

“Not as often as she used to. And she’s gotten better when it comes to stopping herself from waking me up even though I keep telling her that it’s all right if she does.”

“That kid is stubborn.” Steve smirked. “And she’ll be all right.”

Vi smiled dutifully. “I think for now I want to keep this between us.” She gestured at the folder. “Like I said…if he presses, I’ll tell him. Other than that I’ll just say…I don’t know.”

“Tell him he got fingerprinted as a kid. And maybe that an old neighbor of his supplied the pictures?” He made it sound like a question. Vi sighed heavily.

“I guess. Thanks Steve.”

“I’ll say it again, because it needs repeatin’. I can keep on diggin’ around. Eventually somebody will spill something.”

“If Glen remembers anything, or decides he wants to know, then I’ll leave that up to him. I won’t choose for him.” Vi rose to her feet and took Steve’s empty coffee mug to the sink. He hesitated before leaving his seat.

“Guess I’ll head on home then. Jess doesn’t like bein’ on her own for too long these days. I wish she’d go ahead on her maternity leave.”

“You know Jess.” Vi said with a smile. “She’ll probably work right up until the baby starts walking.”

“That’s what worries me.” Steve grinned and tucked the folder under his arm. “I’m gonna get outta here. Tell the family I said hi.” Vi walked him to the front door and waved at him as Steve climbed into his Jeep. With a sigh she headed for the kitchen to finish washing up from supper. It would give her something to do with her hands while she tried to figure out how exactly to take the things that Steve had told her.

It was almost another hour before Ray, Josie, and Glen came back into the house, stomping snow off of their shoes. Josie was chattering away, obviously excited over something. Vi wiped her hands on a dish towel and smiled as her daughter entered the kitchen.

“No calves yet. Not hiding cows either.” Josie managed to sound disgusted. She could be impatient. “And Rick says there are only two cows that’ll be calving. They checked them all today.”

Vi nodded. “Figured as much. Most of them calved in January. You want a hot chocolate?”

“Sure.” Josie sat down at the table. “Rick also said he can put Glen to work as early as tomorrow morning if you want. They’re going to go out and patch the fences.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Ray must have filled him in.” Rick was technically their ranch manager. He took care of most of the day to day work now that Ray had to cut back. He lived on ranch, in a small bunkhouse. There were three on the property, one of them with twenty beds. While they were not a huge spread, and did not have a full staff year round, they were busy enough that they needed a few live in ranch hands.

“I guess. I was just tellin’ Mom what Rick was saying.”

Vi looked over her shoulder. Josie was talking to Glen, who had entered the kitchen. He looked at her with a slight smile. “I said I’ll do whatever needs to be done. Got to get to paying you back.”

“No rush. Hot chocolate?”

“Sure.” Glen took a seat next to Josie and Vi saw his eyes drift to the pictures that were on the table. She watched his expression as he picked up the print-outs one by one, studying each.

“Hey. Is that you?” Josie, uninterested in his reaction, picked up the picture of Glen with his mother. “Wow. She’s pretty.”

“Yeah. She is.” Glen looked at Vi. “I get that this is me...” He touched the picture in Josie’s hand. “But who is the woman?”

“You don’t recognize her at all?” Vi shut off the heat under the pan and stirred some chocolate powder into the milk. She added a little cream, a little sugar, and poured the hot drink into three cups.

Glen took her distraction to study the pictures more closely. He was frowning slightly, a distant look in his eyes. “I guess I’ll make the obvious assumption. Is this my mother?”

Vi nodded and set a mug down in front of him, and another in front of Josie. “I’m afraid she passed away…a long time ago.” She finished rather weakly. In her mind she kept looking at Glen and wondering how those pictures could be forty years old.

Glen just shook his head. “I don’t remember her.” He picked up the photo of Celeste by herself. He was quiet for a few long minutes, and even Josie bit her tongue. Vi sipped her hot chocolate and watched as he grew more frustrated by the second. Glen finally sighed and dropped the picture. “Nothing. She might as well be a stranger.”

“You’ll remember.” Vi reached across the table and touched the back of his hand. Glen looked at her with a slight frown on his features.

“What if I don’t?”

“Then we’ll figure something else out. For now, you have a place to stay and a job. And we know your name.”

“I think we still coulda named you.” Josie muttered around her mug of hot chocolate. Glen smiled at that and looked at her, the frown gone.

“I suppose I should be grateful for that, huh?”

“Damn straight.”

“Josephine, really.” Vi said with a laugh. It broke the tension that had fallen over the two adults. So she couldn’t get mad about that. Josie grinned impishly and drained her mug. “Now, smarty pants. Go hit the shower and get ready for bed. You have school tomorrow.”

“Yes, Mom.” Josie rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically before getting up. She set her used cup in the sink and left the kitchen yelling for Bridger. Vi shook her head and sipped her drink.

“She’s got a lot of energy.” Glen stated, cupping his hands around his hot mug.

“That’ll change. She’ll be a teenager soon. Instant energy drain.”

Glen smiled, but it was distracted. He was looking down at the pictures again. “I wish I could remember something. Anything. Did your friend have anything else?”

Vi shrugged. “Not much. Apparently you weren’t a habitual criminal or anything.” She braced herself for questions. He surprised her by pushing the pictures aside.

“I would just as soon not look at those. I don’t remember anything…but…” He shrugged and seemed unable to go on.

“But what?” Vi urged, picking up the pictures and looking at them again.

“I don’t know. They just make me feel…bad. Sort of sick to my stomach, but not really sick. I can’t describe it.”

“You don’t have to.” Vi stacked the papers and tapped them on the table to straighten them out. “I’ll put them away. You can look at them when you want to. No rush. You’ll remember when you need to remember, that’s all.”

“Thank you.”

“And you don’t have to just jump right into the manual labor at the crack of dawn tomorrow…”

“I think I do. I want to.” The frown had returned, momentarily, but Vi’s change in subject caused him to smile. “I owe you.”

“Yes, well…like I said. No rush.” Vi turned her empty mug in her fingers. “I suppose you’ll want to go out when Ray does. There’s an alarm clock. You might want to get a shower tonight, and set it for about four-thirty. Because he likes to start really early.”

“Yeah. I figured that about him.” Glen’s smile faded. “Can I ask a question?”

“Sure.”

“When we were walking…there was a burned out foundation on one of the hills. I would have asked Ray, but I figured he wouldn’t have been able to give me an answer…” Glen trailed off as he finally noticed the way the corners of Vi’s mouth had turned down. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

Vi shook her head and took a deep breath. “No. It’s fine. It’s just…that’s where the main house was. It burned down about five years ago…”

“Oh. And Ray’s wife…and your husband…that’s what happened to them?”

“Yeah.” Vi’s hand went to the ring she wore on a chain around her neck. “It’s not something that I like to talk about. But that’s where they died.”

“I’m so sorry, Vivian.”

“Thank you.” Vi took another deep breath. She wasn’t going to cry. At least not until she was alone. She still did not like condolences. She did not know how to really react to the sympathy. “If you’re done I’ll take that…” She indicated his mug. Glen nodded and watched her curiously as she went to the sink and cleaned up.

He decided it was his turn to change the subject. “We didn’t have time to rearrange the guest room today.” Glen pointed out.

Vi smirked at that. “I forgot. It’s all right. I’ll take the guest room. We’ll deal with the rearranging Saturday.”

“I don’t want to put you out.”

“I already told you, you are not putting me out.” Vi finished washing their cups and dried her hands on a towel.

“I could stay in the bunkhouse. Rick said that sometimes he hires on people who don’t show up and there would probably be a couple of spaces to fill.”

“If you want to stay in the bunkhouse when it warms up a bit that would be fine. But there’s no heat out there. That’s why nobody is in there now. Generally we shoot for the first of April for the ranch hands to get in there.”

“Oh. Well.” Glen cleared his throat. “Thank you, then. I know you don’t have to keep on helping me. But thank you.”

“You are welcome.” Vi smiled and picked up the pictures. “I’m going to put these in the desk in the living room. You can have them back when you’re ready.”

“Ok.” Glen’s eyes didn’t even flicker to the papers she held.

“I’m going to go get ready for bed, then. If you need anything, I’ll be up for a bit reading.”

“Thanks, Vivian. Good night.”

Vi nodded and didn’t bother correcting him on her name again. She went to the living room and tucked the pictures into a folder in the center drawer of her desk before heading for the stairs. She had some work to do herself in the morning, including breakfast duties for everyone. And the night before had left her exhausted. She was still recovering. The excitement of the day had helped keep her going, but now that things had calmed she felt as if she were dragging.

Vi pulled on her pajamas and brushed and braided her long hair. She stopped in Josie’s room, told her she’d be across the hall, and accepted a good night kiss and hug. Josie was in bed already, reading one of her books. She promised to have the light off by ten, which was good enough for Vi. Josie’s sleep pattern, without nightmares, was usually reliable. She’d be snoozing by five after ten.

Vi set her own alarm and crawled into the small bed. She shifted around and tried to find a comfortable spot on the rarely used mattress. She had no trouble sleeping in with Josie because she had really been at the bottom of her energy reserves. Even though she was tired now after the long day they’d have, she had way too much information to process. And none of it made sense to her. How could Glen be dead but not dead? Even if it was, as Steve had theorized, some kind of protection program that Glen had come from…he’d be nearly 60. It just did not mesh. There was something else going on, something even stranger, but she was too tired and too overwhelmed to figure it out.

She contemplated going into her bedroom and snagging her own pillows but the sound of footsteps in the hall, and the soft thump of a door closing, told her that Glen had apparently decided early to bed would be best. She felt sorry for the guy. Here he was with no memory of how he got here, or even who he really was. It was the way he’d looked at the pictures that really got her. It was the same reaction – polite curiosity – that she would expect of a stranger looking at some other person’s family photographs.

Vi just did not know what she could do. He had shown absolutely no interest in the pictures, or even in Steve’s detective work. She knew that she would be spilling over with questions had it been her. Of course with his memory loss there was no telling what his normal reaction would have been.

Vi was so tired she felt like she was thinking in circles. She forced the thoughts away and focused instead on Josie’s birthday which was coming up. It was hard to believe that Josie would be 13. It felt like just yesterday she had been a toddler, tripping over her own feet and getting into everything.

Josie had said she wanted a ‘real’ party this year, which had made Vi laugh and ask for an explanation. Instead of the now annual sleepover when Josie invited five or six of her squealing friends, she wanted Vi to rent out the pool hall in town. It sounded odd to people who were visitors to their town. The pool hall was also the town’s only bar. On occasion the owner would rent the entire place for private parties. For Josie and her friends, it meant that the actual bar part of the place in the corner was off limits. But they would have the run of the rest of the place, which was huge. There was a dance floor, and what the locals called the kid bar. It served soda and basic bar food, mostly deep fried stuff Vi normally didn’t let Josie near. But since it was a special occasion, she supposed it couldn’t hut.

Vi finally drifted to sleep, curled on her side. Tomorrow was plenty enough time to tackle the things that needed to be done. They would figure out what the next step with Glen was, and she would get started on Josie’s party. And things would work out. Things usually did.

6

Instead of working out, things just fell into a pattern.

Not that things were bad. Once Glen got used to the hours and the work he fit right in. The other ranch hands liked him because he worked hard and kept busy. And it did not take him long to figure out Ray’s wavelength which was a plus. Ray didn’t carry a note pad with him through the day and the people who worked for them were accustomed to his methods of communication.

Vi finally got the guest room cleaned out, repainted, and refurnished. This time with a much bigger bed. Glen still protested that he could sleep with the other hands but even Ray was against it. He never actually gave a reason, but Vi could figure it out. Glen was a stranger, sure, but Glen was also a very large healthy guy. Ray worried about Vi and Josie. He figured that Glen was an extra pair of eyes in the house to keep tabs on things.

Vi should have been pissed, but she found it sort of amusing. And a little touching. Eventually Glen gave in and moved his stuff into the spare room. Vi moved back into her own room. He did however still protest the fact that she asked him questions on the decorating of the room. She thought it would be natural that he’d have different tastes than her. He kept saying it was her house and she could do whatever it was she wanted.

And while he did not recover anything in the way of his memories Glen kept proving he had more than just a good work ethic. Vi got to listen, once more amused, as several of the people she’d known since moving to town gushed over how polite he was. Lynn Stewart was an elderly woman whose cat was in Vi’s care and she blushed and was flustered as she complimented him on his manners. Vi was beginning to think that Glen had been the king of all boy scouts before his memory loss. He was polite, he opened doors, he rose from his chair when a female entered the room - she had even seen him help an older woman cross the street.

And he was smart. Not just in a smart enough to figure stuff out way, but intelligent. Vi had been cooking dinner one evening with Josie bemoaning her math homework at the table behind her. And Glen had looked over the book for a minute before he explained things in a way that Josie actually understood. And it wasn’t just the math – he helped her write a paper for English, and another for history. If he didn’t know an answer, he found the answer, usually faster than Josie could on the computer. Another thing Vi noticed…when Glen wasn’t working, eating, or sleeping he was reading. Josie asked him over dinner one night if he could survive without a book attached to his hand, and he’d given her a look of mock indignation that had left the girl giggling.

Josie was already attached to Glen in a way that Vi could not really understand. She was pretty sure a therapist would call it misplaced father figure issues or something similar. And it was hard not to get attached to the guy. Vi had developed a fondness for him and she didn’t try to kid herself about it. He was easy to talk to, he had interests that did not involve the ranch, and he was articulate. He also knew when to talk and when to be quiet, which was a quality she had thought was rather rare.

Everything seemed to fall into place, and things ran a predictable, comfortable course. At least until the night of Josie’s birthday party.

Vi did cave to Josie’s party idea, and had been amused to watch her daughter invite pretty much every kid she had ever made eye contact with. Between getting things ready and doing her normal work around the ranch, time flew by.

Josie’s party was on a Saturday. Ray offered to take Josie and her best friend Grace to the nearest mall to spend the birthday money that was surely burning a hole in her pocket. That gave Vi enough time to get the enormous cake finished and the pool hall decorated, with a lot of help from Glen.

“You sure it’s all right if I don’t stay the whole time?” He asked, for what felt like the millionth time, as Vi drove them back toward the house to get showered and dressed. She grinned and shook her head. One of their ranch hands had pretty much pestered Glen into agreeing to go out with him and his girlfriend – and a friend of hers who was visiting for the weekend. So a blind date. Vi thought it was a pretty good idea, but Glen had been looking for ways to get out of it for the past week.

“I am pretty sure that we will survive. As long as you’re there for the cake.” Vi was repeating something that they’d been saying all week. Josie had pouted but in the end, she would have plenty of other people around to keep her occupied. Glen had no idea how long they would be out. Ray would be spending the night in Rick’s bunkhouse, participating in what was a seasonal get-together of guys playing poker, smoking cigars, and drinking beer. And Josie was going to be spending the night with Grace after the party, because they would be going to the zoo with Grace’s parents the next day. So after all of the activity and craziness of the past month, Vi was actually looking forward to a night of quiet to herself.

Of course she would have to get through the party to get to it, and the clean up after, and she would probably be too tired to do much more than fall into bed when she got home.

Vi had rented the pool hall from 6 until 10 that night. Four hours with screaming teenagers was about the limit that Vi could put herself through. Not that there wouldn’t be adult supervision. Quite a few of the parents would be there.

At 6, Glen held the door for Vi, Josie and Grace as they entered the pool hall. There were already quite a few people there, most of them the kids who went to school with the girls. The girls took off for the back room and the pool tables before Vi could do more than point out the bar that had been set up with food and drinks for the guests.

Steve popped in, but only long enough to get a hug and hand Josie her birthday present. Jess was due any day now, and was in fact a few days past the date set by her doctor. She had finally, with a lot of protesting, taken time off from the clinic. Steve reported that she hated sitting at home with nothing to do but wait.

The rest of the evening was a busy. Vi had hired a DJ, and he played songs that Josie loved, along with requests from her friends. She also regretted agreeing not to bring her camera. Josie thought it would be too ‘embarrassing’ to have Vi snapping pictures through the night.

So Vi let her go with her friends and decided to make herself scarce. Which meant sitting in a dark corner near the dance floor and watching the kids have a good time. Glen eventually sat down with her and set a tall glass of soda in front of her.

“Shouldn’t you be mingling?” He asked, raising his voice a little to be heard over the noise of the music.

Vi smiled and sipped her soda. “Josie’s mingling enough for both of us I think.” And that was true enough. Josie flitted from group to group, talking, laughing. She was a natural born people-person, there was no doubt of that.

To be perfectly honest, it was more than just letting her daughter be the hostess at the party. Vi had been all right until she had sat down. Now she could feel those cold fingers of depression prying at her again. Lately it had seemed to be a daily battle. She was fine during the day when she was busy but as soon she had a minute to herself she just felt like crying. It seemed that lately she just could not pull herself up as far as she could before. It was another reason having time alone would be nice. It would give her a chance to deal with it.

Glen looked at her, a concerned frown creasing his brow. “Are you feeling all right?”

Vi met his eyes and forced a smile. “Fine. It’s just hard when your baby gets older. Trying to digest the fact that’s Josie is officially a teenager. Five years and she’ll be going to college.” Now there was a really depressing thought. But happy as well.

“She’s a great kid. If you think she’s growing up fast, maybe that means you know you’ve done your job right as her mom.” Glen smiled at her. “I’m going to cancel my plans.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Why would you do that for? And you’d better not say because I’m in a mood, because I’ll kick you out.”

Glen smirked. “Fine. It’s not because you’re in a mood. It’s because the thought has occurred to me that I won’t have anything to talk about, because I can’t remember anything.”

Vi smiled sweetly at that. “And don’t forget, you could even be married. Maybe with 5 kids and a mortgage.”

“And thanks for that, Vivian. I didn’t have enough to worry about.” He sat back in his chair and sipped his soda, shaking his head when she laughed. “What if I am? What if I have a wife and a kid or three out there somewhere?”

“Don’t you think they would be looking for you by now?” Vi asked, wondering if he were still joking or if he was seriously considering that. Sometimes it was hard to tell.

“Maybe they just don’t like me anymore.” Glen said with a shrug and a smirk. Vi smiled and sipped her drink, looking around the crowded room. Josie was on the dance floor, talking to a small group of kids. Eventually she wandered in their direction.

“Why are you hiding in a corner?” Josie asked, sitting down next to Vi.

“The better question is…why are you hiding in my corner?”

Josie cast a glance in Glen’s direction before looking at Vi again. “You aren’t thinking about Dad are you? You looked kind of bummed out for a minute.”

Even from across the room, in the dark, Josie had picked up on Vi’s mood. The problem with being close to people was that it was impossible to hide things. “I might have been. For a minute.”

Josie leaned over and laid her head against Vi’s shoulder. They sat that way for a moment, being quiet.

Josie was always quick to recover though. “Can we do cake now?”

“If you want.” Vi gave her a quick kiss on the temple. “Go round up your pals and we’ll get it started.”

Josie wandered away to find Grace and gather her friends. Vi turned to see Glen was studying her with a troubled look on his face. She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine! Stop staring at me. You are going out. Josie’s going out, Ray is going out. I do not need a babysitter.”

“I didn’t say you did, Vivian.” A half smile tilted his lips. “Maybe some alone time is what you need.”

“Finally you understand.” Vi got to her feet. “Let’s go get your cake before the kids destroy it.”

The rest of the evening, Vi put more energy into having a good time, rather than moping in a corner. And in the end Josie had a great night. She spent most of it giggling with Grace about a few of the boys who were in attendance. And while Josie did put up a fuss when first Glen, and then Ray, had to leave, it was most definitely for show. Glen went rather reluctantly, still obviously not wanting to go.

At ten, most of the party-goers were trickling out the door. Josie helped Vi load her SUV with her presents, since she wouldn’t be going home with her mom. Shortly after ten, Josie and Grace gave the remaining people last hugs and thanks before heading out for their sleepover.

With a groan, Vi started cleaning up. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought, especially since quite a few of the guests who were waiting on rides pitched in to help. It took a lot less time to break things down and clean than it had to decorate, that was for sure. Once everything was done and her SUV was loaded with the leftovers, Vi went on a last walk-through of the place just to be sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

And that was when she saw the guy.

Vi had remembered thinking that she’d seen him around town before, that night she’d found Glen beside the road. She was surprised she’d forgotten, because he was also a very tall guy. He had long hair, tied back in a braid. He was sitting on a barstool at the real bar, his back to Vi, drumming his fingers against the top of the bar itself. He struck her as someone who was waiting on someone else.

Vi felt her curiosity getting the best of her. She picked up the light jacket she’d brought with her, and her purse, from the office and went back toward the bar. The guy was still there, with a coffee mug in front of him this time. She thoughtfully looked around, noted that a few teenagers were still hanging around and taking advantage of the pool tables, and decided to get a drink for the road. If they wanted to kick the underage kids out so the adults could drink, Vi was not going to help them. The party was definitely over.

So she went to the bar, smiled tiredly at the young woman who was bartending, and asked for a fresh soda in a to-go cup. She pulled her jacket on as the woman turned to fill her drink. And then she looked to her left, at the guy who was sitting not two feet away. And found that he was looking at her.

Up close, he was of course tall, and big but not big. It was too dim even by the bar to tell what color his eyes were or to really see the color of his hair, but she saw he had a neatly trimmed goatee, and a ton of tattoos visible on his arms past the sleeves of the shirt he was wearing.

The bartender set her drink down in front of her and Vi smiled to herself and dug in her pocket to pay for it, thinking that the guy probably thought she was nuts for scrutinizing him.

“You must be the birthday girl’s mom.”

The guy’s voice was deep, low, and tinged with a hint of accent that Vi couldn’t place. She picked up her drink and looked at him again. “Yup. Did one or all of your kids get sucked into Josie’s invitation vortex?”

The guy smirked at that. He looked over Vi’s shoulder and tilted his head. “That’s my son, Andrew.”

Vi glanced back toward the pool tables and saw a tall kid. A good looking kid as well. And one that was vaguely familiar as one of the many boys that Josie had developed crushes on since third grade. “Drew…Calaway, right?” The name finally came to her.

“Right. I’m Mark.” He offered her his hand.

Vi smiled and shook with him. “Vivian. Or Vi, since that’s what most people call me. Nice to meet you.” She turned to accept her change from the bartender and glanced at the guy – Mark, she automatically corrected it in her mind – one last time.

And knew that it had been a bad idea as soon as her eyes met his.

Vi was no stranger to physical attraction. Even though her husband, her soul mate, the love of her life had passed away it did not mean that she did not on occasion have urges. She had not acted on them though, because that still felt wrong to her in a way she could not explain. And it was not just that she thought Mark was attractive. There was something in his eyes that seemed almost familiar. And it occurred to her it was familiar because she had often seen that expression in her mirror at home, on those days when getting out of bed seemed to require too much energy. It was hurt, loneliness, and pain underneath a carefully constructed mask of calm.

Instead of walking away, which she should have done, Vi sat down on the stool next to Mark. She noticed something else as she took a drink from her cup. He was wearing a gold wedding band on his left ring finger. Which apparently kicked her memory into gear. And she remembered Josie, sad, because Drew’s mother had passed away. That had been almost 2 years before they had lost Link and Rose in the fire. Even at age 6, Josie had a decent understanding of life and death. She was raised on a ranch – they encountered both extremes daily. Of course it had not prepared her to lose her father and grandmother.

Mark must have caught Vi checking out the ring because he looked at it himself and raised an eyebrow. She thought it was more out of surprise – like he had worn it for so long that he forgot it was there. And she figured that might be close to the truth of things.

“How long were you married?” Vi asked, glancing for a moment at her own ring.

“About twelve years.” He met her eyes again.

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. Sometimes it’s like it just happened yesterday. Sometimes it feels like it happened a lifetime ago.” He smiled rather shyly and ducked his head, closing his left hand around his mug of coffee. He sipped the hot drink and sighed. “It was a car wreck. I woulda lost my boy too if…” Mark cleared his throat. “Well. I woulda lost him if things had worked out different.”

“I’m so sorry.” Vi repeated. And hated herself for asking the next thing that popped into her head. “Was it a drunk driver?” She tried to remember what she’d heard about the wreck, but nothing really came to her. She’d been busy, working with the animals and Josie’s brief foray into cheerleading.

“No.” Mark shook his head and finished his coffee. “Drew says a lot of good things about your daughter.”

Vi knew the strategy of changing the subject when she heard it. She let it drop. He was obviously going through the same things she was. Avoiding it in public was always important. “Josie would probably be thrilled to hear that. She’s recently discovered that boys are not all germ infested.”

Mark smirked again. “I think his exact words were that she was one of the few who didn’t giggle his ears off.”

“He said that about Josie?” Vi took another drink of her soda and smiled at the thought. Josie must undergo personality changes when she was at school. She would be sure to point it out next time Josie and Grace kept her up until three in the morning during one of their sleepovers.

“Yeah. Right before I dropped him off here earlier.” Mark motioned to the bartender and asked for a coffee to go. Vi declined a refill. The caffeine was bad enough. She would probably also be up to use the bathroom every 10 minutes as well from drinking so much soda.

“Hey, Dad.” They were interrupted before Vi could say anything else. It was Drew. Up close the resemblance to his father was stronger. “I’m ready to go when you are.” Drew looked at Vi and smiled. “Hi, Mrs. Peace. Great party.”

“Thank you, Drew.” Now that he was closer, Vi had a pretty solid image of him as a little kid in her head. In fact, it seemed he’d been at one of Josie’s earlier parties – maybe her fifth birthday? She would have to look at pictures. Vi also would have remembered meeting Mark back then, which meant that she probably had not. He struck her as the type of person who left an impression. “I should be heading home myself. I have twelve tons of presents to unload.” She shook Mark’s hand again and said goodbye to the two of them before sliding from the stool and heading for the exit.

Vi paused for a minute and took a deep breath of the cool night air. The thump of music from behind her was low thanks to sound proofing, and there was no traffic noise. It was times like this, when she got a moment to herself that she appreciated all that she had. She had lost important aspects of her life, but she had Josie. A beautiful house, a father figure, a job she loved, money, friends…

It was the reason she hated it when the depression really settled its claws into her. Because she had so much to be grateful for, getting down because of something that had happened so long ago seemed almost to be a slap in the face. At least in her eyes.

The music got louder for a moment as the door behind her opened. Vi glanced over her shoulder and saw Mark step outside. “He’s still saying goodbye to his friends. You would think they wouldn’t be back in school Monday.”

Vi smiled at the sarcastic tone of his voice. “I vaguely recall those days.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood there with her, looking around. “Do you need a hand unloading your stuff?” Mark nodded toward her SUV which was not far. And even in the dark it was obviously full of stuff.

“Nah. Thanks anyway. There’s nothing in there that won’t keep until Josie gets home tomorrow.” Vi shrugged. “I’d better head home before I decide to just camp here. It was nice to meet you, Mark.” Vi smiled up at him one last time and headed for her SUV. On the drive home, she thought overall it had been a good night. And it ended on a rather interesting note.

Of course it wasn’t over yet.

She pulled into her driveway and parked, and knew even before she shut the engine off she was not going straight inside the house.

The depression she’d been feeling on and off throughout the past several days was rearing its head again. Vi had been feeling pretty satisfied, and pleased that Josie had enjoyed her party just a few minutes before. Now she felt like crying. And for no reason. Yes, she was still mourning her loss but surely the mood swings would have to stop at some point.

She got out of the SUV and tucked her key into her pocket. With a sigh she headed around the side of the house and followed the narrow driveway. It wasn’t a long walk, and the cool night breeze blowing against her face would help to clear the cobwebs. She got to the burned out remains of the main house, as always surprised by how fast she seemed to reach it.

There was a swing in the yard, a leftover from happier times. Vi sat down, not taking her eyes from the destroyed home. She was leaning against the side of the swing, one foot on the ground, setting the swing into motion. And she cried. Because that was what these trips to the old house were for. It felt like her heart was breaking every time she did this. And even though the trips to the house were fewer and further between, the sobbing just seemed to get worse and last longer.

Vi didn’t really think about anything when she sat there. She just let the swing rock her and cried until she felt wrung out and weak. The walk back to her own house would be hard, because she would be emotionally and physically drained, but that was part of it too. Maybe part of it was punishing herself. For not being home, for not trying to save Link or Rose…for every little thing she could have done differently.

After a while her sobs tapered off to sniffles and hitched in breaths. She dug into her jacket pockets and found a small pack of tissues. She used one to wipe her nose and dab at her eyes. But she’d be leaking like a broken faucet for a while yet. She knew that as well.

It was a noise from her right that drew Vi out of her morose thoughts. She jumped and turned, surprised to see Glen standing not twenty feet from where she sat. He was looking at her with concern stamped across his features as he crossed the grass to where she was sitting. He knelt down in front of her and looked at her for a long moment before reaching out and covering her hands with his.

“You’re freezing out here, Vivian.” Instead of commenting on the tears that still slid down her cheeks or the sniffling, he rubbed her cold hands.

“I’m fine.” She pulled her hands away from him and shoved them into her jacket pockets. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to be out.”

“There isn’t really anything to do around here after one in the morning.” Glen was not put out in the least by her tone or her curt attitude.

“One?” Vi shook her head and looked up. The moon had risen at some point, although for the moment it was nothing but a sliver of pale white in the sky.

“Two now. It took an hour to get back. And figure out that you weren’t in the house. And wonder where you’d wandered off to.” Glen reached out and brushed her cheek, wiping her tears away. “Let’s go back to the house. We’ll get you warmed up and a strong drink. And things will look better in the morning.”

Vi only sniffled at that. But when he held out a hand she did not hesitate to put hers in it. He helped her to her feet and brushed at her cheeks again. She was still crying, but it was tapering off. She hated that he had seen her though. Vi thought that crying, while not a sign of weakness, was something to be done in private.

Glen held onto her hand the entire way back to the house. Vi spared one last glance back at the black rectangle that was barely visible in the shadows. Once they were inside, Glen sat her down on the couch and went to the kitchen. She heard him sliding things around in the cabinet and a few minutes later he came back, carrying a glass with two fingers of dark liquid. Vi wasn’t much of a drinker, but she kept a few things in the house on the rare occasions when she did partake. This looked like it came from the bottle of bourbon she kept on hand. She drank it down quickly and closed her eyes, feeling it burn her throat and stomach, and start a warm tingling through her.

She felt Glen take the glass from her hand, which was good because she probably would have dropped it. Vi sighed and blinked, clearing her eyes. “Thanks. Guess I needed that.”

Glen gave her a crooked smile. “Are you all right now?”

Vi nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” He looked genuinely puzzled at that.

“I just don’t like…crying…in front of people.” Vi made it sound distasteful.

“Well you weren’t in front of ‘people’. Just me. And if it helps you…” Glen shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt anybody. Just get it out and let it go. Now…do you want me to run you a hot bath? You deserve a little relaxing.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “I can run my own bath. Not like my arms are broken.”

“Do you ever just accept somebody’s help or is it always a fight with you?” He asked, but it was apparently rhetorical because he got up and walked away. Glen didn’t sound angry but Vi figured she had pissed him off somehow. A few minutes later she heard the sound of water flowing through pipes. It made her snort a choked laugh out. He was running her a bath anyway.

Vi slowly got to her feet and shrugged her jacket off, dropping it onto the back of her desk chair. And she kicked her shoes off as well. She was still tired, and the thought of the stairs almost made her decide to just pass out on the couch but she slowly climbed.

Glen was waiting for her at the bedroom door. He had a look on his face, like he was daring her to argue with him for taking it upon himself to turn on the water in the bathtub. But he looked rather amused as well, and it took a moment for Vi to realize that her sniffles had dried up. In fact, besides being tired she no longer felt as if she were drowning in her own sorrow.

“Now you are going to soak. I will give you an hour. Then I’m going to check to make sure you haven’t fallen asleep in there.” He informed her as he ducked into the bathroom to check the water level. Another minute and the water shut off. Vi had taken the time to pull her pajamas from her dresser. She had her favorite nightshirt resting on her shoulder when Glen stepped back into the room. He looked down at her and shook his head. “Maybe I should amend that to 30 minutes.” He reached out and cupped her chin, tilting her face. Vi hadn’t realized she still had a few stray tears falling. He brushed them away with the ball of his thumb.

Vi looked up at him, sensing that he wanted to say something. From the way he was hesitating it was probably not going to be something she would like to hear.

Instead of talking, Glen ducked his head and brushed his mouth over hers. Vi was so shocked by that, by the feel of his lips touching hers, that she could not move. He was still cupping her chin. Now he slid his thumb down and brushed the corner of her mouth. Vi parted her lips and he flicked his tongue out, tentatively touching hers.

Vi tilted her head and lost herself for a moment. It had been a long time since she had gotten more than a kiss on the cheek, and while it felt good and part of her wanted to deepen it…another, bigger part held her back.

Glen seemed to sense it. He didn’t try to force a bigger response. When Vi finally got the wits about her to break the kiss, he backed off willingly enough.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” Vi said simply.

“I know.” Glen stepped back another pace. “Go on. Your bath will get cold.”

Vi nodded and hesitated again before she stepped into the bathroom. Before she could turn and say anything else, Glen closed the door behind her. She dropped her nightshirt to the floor and touched her lips with her fingers. Maybe she was just too tired to really process what had happened. The day had been exhausting. She forced herself to undress and slip into the steaming water, deciding that the morning would be soon enough to worry about what the kiss had really meant.

7

Vi eventually managed to stumble down the stairs the next morning. Sunday had dawned bright and clear, and the sun coming through the window had woken her up. She felt hung over, but didn’t blame the one shot of liquor she’d had. It was the crying and the emotional roller coaster. That was also something that happened when she had her moments of wallowing in her grief.

She tied her robe and stepped into the kitchen, raising an eyebrow when she saw Glen standing at the stove, stirring something. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’.” Vi went to the fridge, contemplated a soda, and decided that she’d have to do without. She grabbed the orange juice instead, and a glass.

“Hungry?”

Vi peered around him, saw he was making scrambled eggs, and wrinkled her nose. “Not really.” She was not really a breakfast person under the best circumstances.

“What time is Josie getting home today?” Glen asked, choosing not to harass her for not eating. He figured she’d eat when she got hungry.

“Not til late. They’ll have to drag her kicking and screaming out of the zoo. She loves that place.” Vi sat down at the table and sipped her juice. Glen eventually sat down across from her with his plate of eggs and toast.

He took a bite and looked at Vi thoughtfully. “So about what happened…”

Vi sighed and finished off her juice. “It is way too early to get into that.”

“I just don’t want it hanging over us or…”

“It’s not.” But Vi found she had trouble meeting his eyes this morning.

“It might. I’m not sorry it happened. I just felt like you needed it.”

Vi half-smiled into her empty cup. “That would be a first.”

“I have to get this out in the open. I didn’t sleep for shit last night because I kept thinking about…well. I just couldn’t stop thinking.” Now it was his turn to look down.

“Glen. You are a great guy but…you have your own problems to deal with. You don’t need my baggage on top of it.”

“I think that would be something I could decide for myself.” Glen stated, looking up and meeting her eyes. Vi felt herself flushing. This was the first time she was seeing that particular look from him, a look full of heat. It made her feel so strange she could not pinpoint why. She felt weak. And sad for reasons that went beyond being a widow.

Vi didn’t know what to say to that, either. She’d only known Glen for a month, and she did not really “know” him. How could she get to know a person who couldn’t remember anything before the night she had found him?

Glen seemed poised to say something else, but he sighed heavily instead and seemed to switch gears completely. “I told Ray I’d ride the back fences today, to see what we’d need to start on tomorrow.”

“Stick to the trail.” Vi reminded him, making him smile. The trail was a set of tracks worn onto their property from years of vehicles, horses and cows moving near the fence. The property was big enough that sometimes animals and even a ranch hand or two had gotten lost in the woods that overlapped the fence line.

“Will you be ok here by yourself?” Glen asked, finishing his breakfast.

“I’ll be fine. Believe it or not, on occasion I can handle being alone.”

“I never thought you couldn’t.”

“Besides…I’ll be leaving in a little bit. Got some grocery shopping to do. We didn’t have time yesterday.” Vi glanced at the clock over the stove. “If you really want to worry over somebody, stop by and check on Ray.”

“I was planning on that anyway.” Glen smirked and took his plate and their empty cups to the sink. “I unloaded the stuff out of the SUV last night. Good thing I did since you’re going shopping.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Vi smiled. She had forgotten all about that stuff.

“I put it all up in Josie’s room.” Glen went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “I told you…I couldn’t sleep.” Vi’s smile faded. Glen looked over his shoulder and frowned in concern again. “What is it?”

Vi shrugged. “Nothing. Just sorry if it was my fault.”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was all mine. So don’t worry about it.” Glen dried his hands on a dishtowel and turned to face her. “I do want to ask you a favor though.”

“What favor?” Vi’s tone was cautious.

“Maybe one day this week, would you be willing to take me on a trip to the house where I lived as a kid?”

“The place where…” Vi didn’t finish. She didn’t have to. Glen was already nodding.

“I think it might help. Jog something.” He rapped his forehead lightly with his knuckles.

“Sure. I’ll get the address from Steve tomorrow and we can go on Tuesday or Wednesday.” While Glen drove around the ranch, he wasn’t street legal. Since he had no way of proving who he was, it was sort of hard to get him a license. Vi was working on it though. Steve had been helping but it really was like pulling teeth to get help from the authorities on the other end.

“Thank you.” Glen touched her shoulder and tilted his head toward the door. “I’ll be back in a bit. And I’ll check in on Ray.”

Vi nodded and watched him thoughtfully as he went out the door. And felt sad again, but in a completely different way from yesterday. Any normal woman would have been tickled pink by the fact that a good looking, intelligent, hard-working man showed an interest in her. Vi could not help but wonder if it was just misplaced affection because of everything she had done for him over the past month. And going on his date last night might have somehow triggered it. With a sigh she pushed the thoughts from her mind and got ready to head into town.

Two hours later she was walking through the grocery store, looking at the shelves. She had already stopped and done a few other errands on the way in, so the store was her last stop. It didn’t take her long since she did not have Josie stopping her every three minutes to ask for random items.

She was rearranging her emergency kit and the other things she’d bought to make room for her groceries when someone spoke from her right. Vi looked over her shoulder and saw the guy from the night before, Mark, standing there. His hair was still back in a braid, and he had a pair of dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

“Got your hands full?” He sounded amused.

“As usual.” Vi was trying to shift the big bags of dog food she’d picked up. With Bridger, and the clinic, it seemed like she bought more food for the animals than for the humans in her life. Vi could do basic surgeries, but more often she kept animals overnight – or even for a few days – after they got surgeries elsewhere. She also took in random strays and took care of them until they were fit enough to go to the nearest shelter for placement. With the weather warming up, she expected an influx of animals. It usually started in the spring and kept on through mid-summer.

“Need a hand?” He had a single bag dangling from his fingers. Vi stepped back and shrugged.

“It’s your back. Go ahead and throw it out.”

That got a chuckle from him. Mark handed her his bag and leaned into the storage compartment of the SUV. He shifted the heavy bags around without breaking a sweat. And then he started putting her groceries in. Vi joined in, wondering what was up with these random men she had met lately who always felt the need to help. Was she seriously putting out a damsel in distress vibe? She would have to work on that.

Vi tucked the last bag in and stepped out of the way so Mark could close the door. “You’re a vet?”

“Did the four-hundred pounds of animal food give me away?”

“That. And I think somebody might have mentioned it a hundred or so years ago. I just never put a face to the name, I guess.” He reached over and took his single bag back from her.

“Is that a nice way of saying I look old?” Vi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mark smirked. “Nah. I might have exaggerated a little bit.”

Vi smiled at that. “Well thanks for the help.”

“Anytime.” He stepped out of her way and watched as she got behind the wheel. She backed out of the space, tipped him a wave, and headed for home.

Vi glanced into her rearview mirror once, and saw Mark getting into an enormous black truck. She focused on her driving and headed for home. She was started to feel hungry, and was contemplating what to fix for lunch as she pulled into the driveway.

After the busy month of planning, and having Glen around, and Josie’s birthday, and her own emotional hiccups, it was nice to be doing something so mundane as frying up a few cheeseburgers for lunch. She started unloading her groceries, leaving the dog and cat food, and other supplies for later.

As she was walking outside to grab a few more of the bags, the phone started ringing behind her. Vi hesitated, maybe too long. It only rang three times before it stopped. If it was Josie calling – which was something that only happened if Josie was sick – she would have let the phone ring off the hook. She would check it when she went back in.

Outside, Glen had appeared. He was standing at the back of the SUV, hand resting on the side, looking at the things she hadn’t unloaded yet. He shot her a crooked smile.

“Ugh. You’re gonna offer to help. I know you are.” Vi grouched, reaching past him to grab a few more bags.

Glen made a soft huffing sound. “Not if you keep up that attitude.”

“I don’t have an attitude.” Vi watched him as he hefted one of the big bags of dog food over his shoulder. “So, seriously – do I just look like a helpless female who couldn’t possibly function without man-help?”

“Sure. You’re weak as a kitten.” As it to illustrate how weak Vi was, Glen grabbed another bag. “To your office with these?”

“Yup. But you coulda driven the SUV over to the side and saved yourself a long walk.” Vi could only shake her head at his snort. So she apparently looked helpless, and she’d questioned his manly ability to carry heavy things. Vi grinned to herself and headed for the house.

Twenty minutes later she had thick burgers sizzling on the stove. Glen finished unloading the SUV and kept her company while she sliced tomatoes and onions for their burgers. Vi had just started building her burger when the phone rang again. It reminded her she hadn’t checked the caller ID the first time.

“I got it.” She said when Glen raised an eyebrow. Vi grabbed the cordless phone, glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was a number she didn’t know. She hit the button and propped the phone between her shoulder and ear. “Hello?”

There was a beat of silence. “Hi. Vivian?” It was a male voice, very deep. Vi paused in her burger making to shift the phone to the other ear.

“Yes?” She said it cautiously. She figured it was someone calling looking for vet services. She got a few of those each week, usually from people who knew of her from friends and neighbors.

“Hey. It’s Mark.” He sounded cautious too. Odd. But Vi placed the voice about half a second before he said his name.

“Hi. Did I forget something in the parking lot or…” She left it hanging there, because she honestly did not know why he would be calling.

“Oh. No, nothin’. I uh…” He made a soft noise. Vi realized it was a huff of laughter. “I’m not very good at this kinda thing.”

“What kind of thing?” Burger forgotten, Vi cast a look at Glen and walked into the living with the phone.

“I wanted to know if you’d wanna have dinner with me. Tomorrow or the next night.” Mark finally said.

Vi spent an entire minute unable to answer. She had been asked out a few times since Link’s death, and she’d offered them her usual ‘I’m not ready’ speech along with an apology. It was weird it hadn’t automatically popped out.

“You still there?” Mark asked in a voice still laced with caution.

“Yes. Sorry. I guess I wasn’t expecting a dinner invitation.” Vi tried not to sound too stunned.

“Well I figured if the kids are gone on that field trip…”

“Oh. Shit. I forgot about that.” Vi laughed. “Sorry. That’s tomorrow night isn’t it?” Josie’s science class would be traveling and going for an overnight trip to the local university. Vi wasn’t entirely sure what exactly it was – only that it involved the planetarium at the school and the new telescope the school had just built. She’d signed the permission slip over a month before, and had paid the fees.

“Yeah. Drew’s excited about it. And uh…well. I just figured some company couldn’t hurt.”

Vi thought it over. And could not believe she was seriously considering it. Obviously something was wrong with her. She still had a lot to do, and she would be taking Glen on a trip to his childhood home if it was still there. She had to keep that in mind. There were a dozen other things she could think of right off the top of her head. So it rather surprised her when she spoke again.

“I guess that would be all right.” Mark chuckled at that. Vi smiled wryly. “Sorry, I know I should sound more excited…”

“No worries. Should I pick you up?”

Vi bit her lip. “Where were you planning on going?”

“I hadn’t given it much thought. I could cook something here. Got some steaks I could thaw…”

Under normal circumstances that would have thrown up a few hundred red flags and alarm bells in her head. Vi was surprised again when she agreed that sounded like a good idea. “And you don’t have to pick me up. I’d rather drive myself.” She hoped that didn’t sound too abrupt but she wanted to have her car so she could leave if she had to, without relying on him.

“That’s fine. How about six-thirty?”

“Sounds good.” Vi went to her desk as he told her his address and directions to his house. She had thought she lived in the boonies – he was even further out of town than the ranch. But she knew the general area, and had in fact seen his house a few times when she’d driven past. “Do I need to bring anything? A dessert or…”

“Just yourself. I think I can handle the rest. See you tomorrow.”

They said goodbye and Vi just stood there looking at the directions she had jotted down. She had to have been crazy, accepting a dinner invitation from a stranger. Not only that, she was going to go to the stranger’s house. Alone.

She jotted down the phone number as well, and folded the paper to tuck into her back pocket. She had an entire day to worry about what Mark’s intentions were, and she could just call and cancel if she decided not to risk it. That decided she went back to the kitchen to eat.

Glen was sitting at the table, already digging in. “Something wrong?” He asked as she hung the phone back on the charger and grabbed her plate to add some potato chips.

“Nope. Just talking to a friend of mine. Good thing too because I got reminded about Josie’s trip tomorrow night.”

That seemed to satisfy him. Glen didn’t ask any more questions. What Vi could not figure out is why she felt the need to hide the fact that she would be going to dinner with a guy she’d met the night before. Then again…Glen had shown an interest in her. He had kissed her, after all. And all but admitted that he thought he was developing feelings for her. But Vi did not know if she could trust it. She thought it could have been misplaced gratitude for the things she had done for him. And until he got his memories back, she wasn’t sure she could ever accept that he might like her.

So obviously, she did not want to hurt Glen’s feelings. And it was just a dinner. And it felt as if she would finally have someone to talk to who had been through just as much as she had. Mark was someone who might understand her depressive phases, her mood swings, or her inability to move on. At least that was the chance she was taking, having dinner with him.

Vi forced the thought out of her head. She’d been doing an awful lot of that lately. Sometimes she had to. She was easygoing most of the time, but when she worried she put all her energy into it. She sat down across from Glen and smirked as she watched him take a big bite of his cheeseburger.

“At least I know it’s edible.” Vi joked, picking up her own burger and taking a more ladylike bite.

“It’s great grub. Thanks.” Glen took a drink of the tea he had poured for himself. “So about that road trip…”

Vi looked at him expectantly. “I haven’t forgotten.”

Glen smiled. “I talked to Ray for a minute. He said he’ll be back tomorrow, by the way.”

“A two nighter? Must have been one hell of a poker game.”

“I guess.” Glen smirked. “I’ll be helping with the fence tomorrow, patching a few spots. But Tuesday should be good.”

“Ok. Well, I’ll eat, and then call Steve, and we’ll go from there.”

“I wonder if the house is even still there.” Glen said it in a low voice, obviously more thinking out loud that expecting an answer.

“I suppose there’s only one way to find out.” Vi smiled and took another bite of her burger. “We’ll have to be back by six, so I can pick Josie up from school.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t want to camp there or anything.”

“I never said you did.” Vi said with a smirk. “Do you think going there will really do anything?”

Glen shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve been reading a little…about memory loss. And amnesia. It’s rare to have a completely blank past. And rarer still that I remember how to do a lot of things. I just don’t remember what happened to make me learn those things.”

“Well. We’re going to figure it out.”

“Are we?”

“Of course.” Vi sounded confident. She could afford to sound confident. Maybe all Glen needed was to be in a place associated with his childhood. “So this reading you’ve been doing…any thoughts on why you might have the blank past?”

“Nothing. The books all say extreme trauma – and I’m fine – or experiencing something so horrific the mind just shuts down and hides the memories from itself. But…what could have been that bad? I know you said that my mother died…and I thought maybe I did see it happen. But wouldn’t I remember from then until now? I understand forgetting the actual trauma, but completely losing everything?” Glen took another sip of his tea. “Nothing makes sense.”

“Well, we’ll make it make sense eventually.” Vi smiled reassuringly at him. She only hoped that if they did find something to remind Glen of his past, it was not something that only brought the bad. As horrible as going through Link’s death had been, Vi had so many good memories. They’d had a great life together. She had those good times to pull from when she needed to. And oddly enough, it was those good memories that often caused her depression. That she had lost the best thing that ever happened to her…and that she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to find it again without Link. It was just sad.

“Hopefully, it helps.” Glen said grimly, picking up the remains of his burger. He took a bite and looked out the window as he chewed thoughtfully.

After lunch, Glen offered to wash up the dishes. Vi let him, because arguing with him was usually counterproductive. He would do the dishes while he tried to argue his point, and get them done and it made arguing with him sort of unfair. Vi made her phone calls. Steve was reluctant to give her the address but she wore him down. And he admitted something that was another surprise for her. The day had been full of them.

“House is empty. Hell…that place has been sitting empty since that shit went down. They had a cleaning crew in, and they put it on the market, but it never sold. Got a reputation. I wouldn’t go s’far as to say it’s haunted, but small town, small minds.” Steve drawled out. “I’d offer to go with you, but Jess is having contractions.”

“Finally!” Vi smiled happily.

“Yeah. Fifteen apart. They don’t wanna see her at the hospital until she’s about 5 minutes apart. So we’ll see.” Steve perked up, talking about the impending birth of his child. “You all be careful out there. And take a couple of those business cards I gave you. If you go poking around that house, somebody might call the local cops on you and you’ll have to explain why you’re there.” Steve did not need to explain why that would be a bad thing. Vi could figure it out on her own. If Glen had been in trouble, and had been hiding from something, she shouldn’t be taking out ads in the paper talking about it.

“Good luck with that baby. And tell Jess I’ll come see her in a couple of days whether she has that kid or not.”

“I’ll warn her.” Steve chuckled. “Ya’ll take care.”

Vi hung up the phone and thought that had been a little too easy. She went upstairs to find Glen and let him know that she had the address. She wasn’t too familiar with the town though, so she also wanted her laptop so she could look up the neighborhood. The sound of water running told her Glen was taking a shower. It only took a few minutes to print out a map with decent driving directions.

And at that point there was really nothing more to be done. She could go to her clinic, and take care of some paperwork. But she didn’t feel like it. She heard the shower shut off and a few minutes later Glen appeared in the doorway, long hair dripping onto a towel that was wrapped around his shoulders. She told him the trip was a go for Tuesday and handed him the printed directions. He nodded and smiled gamely.

“Hopefully something comes of it. I don’t want to feel like I’m wasting your time.”

“It is not a waste of time. If it was wasting my time I would get somebody else to take you.” Vi smirked.

“Well thank you anyway.” Glen smiled. “I keep thinking I was pretty damn lucky. You finding me. Taking me in. It could have ended with me dead there by the road.”

“It didn’t.” Vi said softly. “So it’s not worth thinking of things that way. Right?”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so.” Vi nodded. “Want to watch a movie?”

Glen smirked and shrugged. Sundays were not nearly as busy as the rest of the week, and normally Vi didn’t bother with the TV but she felt like making an exception. She wanted to watch something totally mindless that she wouldn’t have to think about. They both went downstairs and settled onto the couch in the living room for a quiet afternoon watching DVDs from Josie’s collection.

Unfortunately none of the movies could fully distract Vi from her thoughts. She’d gone from happy about Josie’s birthday to miserable, confused to amused, all in the space of twenty-four hours. She could only wait to see what the rest of the week would bring. So far it was shaping up to be even more of a roller coaster.

8

Vi almost cancelled her dinner plans a dozen times.

She had a busy morning, and a slow afternoon that seemed as if it would never end. She was updating her paper files onto a computer, which was what made everything drag.

Any other day and she would have already cancelled. But that morning Vi had found that not only was Josie going to be gone, Ray would also be spending another evening and night at Rick’s. And Glen was going out again with the people he’d seen Saturday. He was reluctant but he did not want to be rude so he agreed to go.

So that left her with a night alone to fill. She could spend it moping around the house, eating too much and being lazy, or she could go hang out with somebody. Vi kept debating with herself through the day but in the end decided to go. What could it hurt?

Dinner turned out to be rather interesting. Mark was not much of a talker, but oddly enough Vi never really felt uncomfortable around him. Mostly they talked about the kids. She did find out that Mark worked as a contractor, and he’d had a hand in building quite a few of the houses in the area over the past ten or so years.

She had left without telling anyone she was going. With Josie gone, Ray only stopping in to get clothes, and Glen going out there didn’t seem to be time. Of course she wasn’t sure she would have told Glen anyway. He might think that he liked Vi and she wasn’t sure how he would take the idea of her having dinner with some other guy.

After dinner, they went out to sit on the deck at the rear of the house. Mark had a pool in his back yard, and from the deck they had a view of the clear water and the woods that backed up to the property. It was just starting to get dark out. Vi was thinking she would have to head home soon. For now though she was content to sit and enjoy the quiet.

“Do you want a refill?” Mark asked, noticing her glass of lemonade was empty. He was drinking a beer. Vi had said no to the alcohol since she would be driving.

“No, thanks. I think I’ve hit my limit.” She set her glass aside.

Mark nodded and looked down at the beer in his hand, studying it in the fading light. “You seem a little…happier…than you did the other night.” He said softly. “Maybe not happier. Maybe just not as obviously upset.”

Vi smiled glumly. “Yeah. Well I have my moments.” She had been sort of dreading this conversation. Sometimes she knew it was coming. It was worse when it came out of left field. At least she’d braced herself.

“So…what happened? I know you lost your husband...”

Vi sighed and for a second wished she had accepted the beer. Or twelve of them. Hopefully talking would not dredge up the remnants of the depression. “There was a fire.” Mark looked at her steadily, saying nothing. Vi looked out over the yard, toward the pool. “He was trying to save his parents. He got his dad out. Ray…” Mark nodded at the name. He knew of the older man, and knew the ranch. “He went back in for his mom. But...I guess it was too late. Too much damage, too much smoke, and it was too hot.”

“I’m sorry.” Mark said softly. He was still looking at her, studying her profile in the fading light. “Do you know what caused it?”

Vi shrugged and played with the ring on her finger. “Bad wiring. It was something electrical. That’s all they could figure based on what was left.”

“So tell me….how did you meet your husband?”

The question caused Vi to look at Mark. She haltingly explained about her veterinary studies and how she’d lucked into working at the ranch. As she spoke she smiled more. Because sometimes the good memories were very good, even when they hurt. “How about you? How’d you meet your wife?” Vi asked after she was finished.

Mark smirked and looked at his mostly empty beer bottle. “I kidnapped her.”

He sounded so serious Vi had to laugh. “Kidnapped, huh?”

Mark shrugged, still smirking. “She changed my life. I was in a bad place when I met Rayne.” He finished off the beer and set the bottle aside. “Woulda probably gone back to that bad place if it wasn’t for Drew.”

“Was he supposed to be with her when it happened? Because you said you might have lost him too.” Vi asked, curious.

Mark shrugged. “He woulda been with her. She took him to school usually but that morning I said I’d do it because I had to go take care of a couple of things before I went to work.”

He lapsed into silence. Vi said nothing, just waited him out. She kind of figured he needed to get it off his chest, and she had been through this hell herself. Who better to commiserate with?

“I keep wondering if maybe I knew but I ignored it. Like I knew enough to save Drew, why didn’t I know enough to save Rayne too?”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “You can’t blame yourself for that, Mark.”

“I’m an old hand at playing the blame game.” Mark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I got comfortable, that’s what it comes down to. And I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Vi frowned. He wasn’t making much sense.

Mark looked at her again, and looked surprised. Like he hadn’t expected to see her still sitting there. “I don’t know. I guess I always thought I was supposed to protect them.” To that Vi could think of nothing else to say. The silence stretched out for a few minutes before Mark spoke again. “I don’t worry so much about Drew. He’s a strong kid. He deals with it better than me most of the time.”

“Josie’s the same way. Most of the time.” Vi echoed, smiling rather sadly.

“I’ll be honest with you. Inviting you over for dinner was Drew’s idea. I don’t think he likes the idea of me rattling around the house alone when he’s gone.” Mark said, a note of humor creeping into his voice. It was much better than the sad monotone he’d used when talking about his wife.

“I think Josie is more about spreading her wings. After the fire…I guess I might have been a little overprotective of her. Kept her with me all the time, checked her a hundred times during the night. I even called the school to check in on her. And Ray too, I guess. I worried…worry.” Vi corrected. “I can’t seem to help it.”

Mark mulled that over for a moment. A few lights came on around the pool, controlled by sensors. He finally shook his head. “I think with me it’s the other way around. I want him to be self-sufficient and get out and do things. And he worries about me being alone.” He smirked at that. “I don’t want him going through what I did to get where I am now.”

Vi nodded thoughtfully. She was looking at the pool again, watching as a breeze rippled the water and made the reflected light dance on the surface. Clouds were building up to the west. There would be fast moving storms in the area overnight. Vi hoped the kids got their eyeful of night sky before the clouds moved in.

They sat in companionable silence for a bit longer. When Mark spoke again, he changed the topic to much lighter things. Vi was glad but after talking about things she did not feel upset. While that might still come later, she actually felt…relieved? She wasn’t sure that was right, but it had been nice to get her tragedy off her chest and talk to someone who understood. Mark hadn’t asked prying questions, and he did not act uncomfortable to hear about her past, which was nice.

It was just past 11 that night when Vi told him she had better head home. Mark was a perfect gentleman even to the end – he walked her out to her SUV and gave her a hand in. She rolled her window down and smiled at him.

“Thanks for dinner. And the ear to bend. It was nice.”

“You’re welcome. And we’ll have to do it again soon.” Mark reached through the window and touched her arm. “Thanks for listenin’ to me ramble. Drew doesn’t like to talk about his mom…”

“I know how that is. Believe me.” Vi smiled.

“He has said something a few times that kinda hits home for me. He tells me ‘Dad, you gotta stop actin’ like Mom is gonna come back tomorrow’.” Mark smirked at that. “Which is his way of saying to stop dragging my feet and rejoin the human race.”

“I hate to admit it, but the kid makes sense.” She smiled but it was a sad one. “It never really goes away, does it?”

“Some days are better than others. Some days are worse.” Mark shrugged. “We’re still fine so I must be doin’ something right.”

“Yeah. I tell myself that same thing.” Vi’s smile grew more sure. “Thank you again for dinner.”

“No problem. Next time, bring Josie with you. Drew would love the company.”

Vi laughed and agreed to call him later in the week so they could make more solid plans. And she drove home feeling much more settled than she had felt in a lot time.

The kitchen light was on, as was the light over the front door. Glen apparently had not returned yet from his evening out. Vi went upstairs, humming under her breath. It was nice to actually feel good for a change. She had spent so much time dealing with her loss that she forgot how good it can feel to just talk and relax. She put on a brave face but getting things out in the open had helped. She was still smiling as she crawled into bed and pulled her blankets up to her chin. She had set her alarm earlier than usual for the road trip the next day. And she was just tired enough that sleep came easily.

~~!~~!~~

Glen tilted his head, feeling cool fingers slide under the bottom edge of his shirt. He was sitting on one of the overstuffed sofas in Rob’s living room, kissing Amanda while she tried to urge him to go further.

He didn’t know how he’d been talked into this. Rob worked at the ranch, and it was through his girlfriend Rebecca that Glen had been set up with Amanda. She was definitely a good looking girl, there was no denying that. She had honey blonde hair and deep brown eyes. Unfortunately Glen was pretty sure the hair color came from a bottle. Also, considering how she was pressing herself against him, her hair wasn’t the only thing Amanda possessed that was fake.

Rob and Rebecca had disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Glen and Amanda to fend for themselves. And without the buffer of the other couple, he found out pretty quickly that Amanda couldn’t carry a conversation in a bucket with both hands. She was more than willing to skip getting to know him mentally to get to know him physically, obviously.

So he was kissing her. And she was scratching her nails lightly across his stomach, under the shirt he had on. She did not seem to care that he had no past, and since she would be leaving in a few days they had no future. Even on Saturday she had practically sat in his lap during the movie they’d seen, and she’d taken every opportunity to touch him.

Being left alone she’d gotten more bold. This time Amanda was in Glen’s lap, straddling his legs, pressing her mouth against his. He knew if he wanted to take things further, she wouldn’t say no. Hell, she wasn’t giving him a chance to say no. So he kissed her and tasted her mouth with his tongue, letting his hands grip her blue-jean clad hips.

Amanda broke their kiss and pressed herself closer to him, wiggling herself against him. She was breathing heavily as she leaned back to pull at his shirt. “I don’t know how long they’ll be…” She nodded in the direction of the hallway. “So we’d better make this fast.”

Glen lifted an eyebrow at that. What, he was supposed to do this…here? On the couch where Rob or Becca could wander in at any time? And worry over being caught was being overshadowed by something even more embarrassing.

He did not know if he had ever done this before. Not just the heavy kissing but sex itself. Glen really had no idea what he was doing. He was going on instinct. Apparently he was a good enough kisser because Amanda had her mouth against his again.

For all Glen knew, this could be his first time. Since he couldn’t remember any other time, he figured he might as well face the facts of it. He was as lost as any other guy who’d never slept with a woman. And while Amanda was willing enough, he knew even as her hands stroked his chest, that it would go no further than groping on the couch. If he was going to do this…sex…thing…it was going to be where he wouldn’t feel rushed or pressured into it by an oversexed woman who wanted a fling.

Glen tried to hide his relief when Rob appeared at the end of the hallway. It was midnight, and Rob looked as if he’d been put through a wringer.

Rob seemed not to notice or care that Amanda was trying everything she could to get Glen to do more than just kiss her. “You wanna stay the night here or…”

Glen didn’t even let him finish. “I can’t. Gotta get up early and head out. I’m ready for a ride home.” Amanda made a huff of annoyance. Glen looked at her apologetically as Rob went to get his keys. “Sorry. I do have to go. And when I do this…I want to do it right.”

She smiled at that, and licked her lip thoughtfully. “I could go with you and stay the night at your place. Becca won’t care.”

Glen did his best to hide his horror at the thought of taking this woman to the house. To the room that Vivian had given him. He had a feeling she would not mind him bringing someone home, even if it was just a one night stand, but the thought left him feeling sort of nauseous. He couldn’t do it.

“I have to get up early. I shouldn’t have stayed out this long anyway. But you distracted me.” That came out sounding smooth enough. Amanda smiled and traced a finger over his lower lip.

“How about tomorrow night then? Rob and Becca are going to see her cousin, and I wasn’t planning on going. We’ll have the house to ourselves.”

Glen tried to smile convincingly at the thought. “If I get back into town early enough…” He left it hanging there, not wanting to commit to anything more firm. Because he had to seriously think about this before he did it.

Finally she gave him his shirt back and got off his lap. He kissed her one last time before he and Rob headed to the truck. Rob was in a talkative mood, chattering on about ‘the girls’ and how well Amanda and Glen were hitting it off. Except for the occasional noise to show he was listening, Glen kept his opinion to himself. In a way he would be glad to see Amanda go that weekend. And he sure as hell was not going to let Rob set him up again.

Rob dropped him off in front of the house. Glen let himself in, trying to be quiet. The house was silent, and the only light came from the kitchen. He tiptoed up the stairs and peered into Vivian’s room. She was a vague shadow on the bed, and he could hear her soft breathing as she slept. And just listening to her breathing there in the dark did what all of Amanda’s groping and panting and kissing had been unable to do. He was suddenly, almost painfully, aroused.

Glen closed his eyes and turned toward his own room. No. He turned again, toward the bathroom door. He needed a shower. That was number one. Amanda wore perfume and he could smell it clinging to his skin and clothes. It made him feel like gagging.

He ran the water as hot as he could stand it and soaped himself from head to toe. He rinsed off and notched the water temperature down to a less scalding setting and let it hit him on the back of the neck and shoulders. Now that he’d gotten the smell and the feel of Amanda off of his skin, Glen felt himself relaxing.

At least, most of him was relaxed. At another time he might find it rather funny. He was standing in a shower with a hard-on that would not go away, and he’d been stupid enough not to use the convenient outlet when it presented itself. He was not sure he could dislike himself that much though.

This had happened once before. Saturday. The night he’d kissed Vivian and she’d pulled away. Not that he blamed her…he did not know why he had done it other than it seemed to be something to do. Maybe to force her to think of something other than the ordeal she had been through. And he’d had a sleepless night after that until nearly dawn, when the pressure had been too much. He’d stroked himself to a climax, thinking about the taste of her on his lips the entire time, and he’d had to bite the heel of his hand to keep himself quiet when he came.

As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough…now this. He considered cranking the shower to full cold but decided that if he ever wanted to get some sleep he should just deal with his problem now.

Glen leaned one hand against the shower wall and with the other began stroking the length of his cock. Again he thought it was ridiculous…to do this when a phone call from him would bring a very willing Amanda running. Thinking about that did not appeal to him. So feeling guilty for even considering it, he thought of Vivian.

The appeal was that Vivian was beautiful but she did not know it. Even in her sadness, even at a time when she considered herself to be at her worst, she put women like Amanda to shame. It wasn’t just the fact that she was ‘real’. Vivian possessed qualities that a spoiled oversexed woman like Amanda could not begin to fathom.

He stroked himself a little faster, squeezing the shaft. It was so wrong to think about Vivian, someone who had taken him in with no questions and given him a life when it seemed he had none. But he kept replaying that kiss…the hesitant touch of her tongue against his, the soft sound she’d made when he had urged her mouth open to taste her.

Glen had to bite his lip to keep a moan in as he imagined what would have happened. If she had not put a stop to it after that one unforgettable kiss. He wanted to touch her and taste her and ease the ache in his body that came whenever he thought of her.

It wasn’t a far leap to imagine it was Vivian’s hand stroking his heated skin, her fingers sliding up and down along the hard shaft. And then he pictured her mouth wrapped around the head of his cock and that was all it took. With a shudder and a suppressed moan he came into his own hand. He stood there, head down, breathing heavily for the better part of five minutes. Mostly, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Why was it that he could imagine Vivian in so many ways beyond the friendship she willingly gave him, but no one else? He’d tried. First on Saturday, and now…

Glen finally turned and washed off again. At least now he might be able to sleep without tossing and turning and fighting a libido he did not quite know how to control. As long as he didn’t look into Vivian’s room on his way past or think about her in any way. He shook his head and shut the shower off, as done as he was going to get. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his hips for the short trip to his bed.

He didn’t get far down the hallway. Bridger was standing in the doorway to Vivian’s room making a low, uneasy noise in his throat.

“Shh…you’re gonna wake her up…” Glen whispered thinking, as he always did, that he had picked up Josie’s habit of talking to her dog as if he could understand. He rubbed Bridger’s head trying to calm him down and did what he said he wouldn’t do. He looked into Vivian’s room.

She was still in the bed, but now she was moving a little. Glen’s first thought was that she was having a nightmare. But the low moan that came from the direction of the bed did not put him in mind of a bad dream. In fact, it sent a tingle up his spine that was not the least bit unpleasant. Vivian got quiet and stopped moving, and after a moment the soft sound of her normal breathing resumed.

Glen scratched the dog behind his ear. Bridger was still standing with his head slightly lowered, and he was shivering. Glen frowned and stroked the mutt’s head. After a couple of minutes the dog’s head came up and he started to wag his tail. Whatever it was that had spooked the dog seemed to be over now.

Glen hesitated for a moment before squatting down to look at the dog. Bridger breathed in his face, making him wince. It was like the odd shivering of a moment before had never happened. Glen looked once more to the bed, where Vivian had turned on her side away from the door. “Go on, boy. Back to bed.” He finally shooed the dog into the room. Bridger went willingly enough and stretched out on the floor at the side of the bed, his usual spot when Josie wasn’t home.

Another shiver worked its way down Glen’s spine. This time was much less pleasant. It was more a cold chill, as if something unseen had passed him in the hallway. He finally went to his room but left the door open before he pulled on a pair of shorts and got into bed. If anything else happened during the night, he wanted to be sure to hear it. Even as the thought formed, he was dozing off.

9

Glen was being awfully quiet.

Actually, maybe quiet was not the word. Morose. That was better. Vi had gotten up early as planned and he was already up, and dressed. Ready to go. She asked if he wanted breakfast before they headed out, and his only answer had been to shake his head.

He had not spoken a word to VI through the entire two hour drive. She asked if he wanted to stop for breakfast on the way and he’d shrugged. So he was giving off weird vibes that morning. Vi had woken up in a pretty good mood, considering how early it was and the errand she was running that day. Vi figured he was just worrying over what might happen once he saw the place where he’d spent his childhood.

The house was fairly easy to find. It was on a dead end lane that led through the woods. At about the hallways point the trees were cleared from the roadside and small houses began appearing. Vi slowed the SUV and looked for the correct house number. The houses were all set back from the road, and the one they were looking for was easy enough to spot. It was the only one so far that was overgrown, the gravel track choked with weeds.

Vi turned the SUV onto what was left of the driveway and went at a crawl toward the house they could both see at the end. Aside from the overgrown yard and the fence in the back that was falling down, the house itself just looked a little…dated. Not falling apart or derelict in any way. Even the windows were intact, something that was amazing to Vi. She had seen her share of abandoned buildings in her time and knew that the first thing to go was usually the windows. And usually it was because kids decided to lob rocks through the glass.

The house was all a single story, and smaller than Vi had thought it would be. Tiny in comparison to some of the places they had passed along this road.

Vi parked the SUV as close to the house as she dared. She rolled the windows down and cut the engine and just sat there, looking at the empty windows as if the house itself would speak.

And it was actually Glen who broke the silence.

“Hiding.”

One word. That was all he said. But it sent a chill down Vi’s back. She looked at him and saw he was studying the front of the house with an expression she could not quite define. Slowly he dragged his eyes from the windows and looked at Vi.

She reached over and covered his hand with hers. “You sure you want to do this?” He had been ready before but now he looked almost ill. All the color had gone out of his face, and he was breathing harder than sitting in the SUV merited.

Glen turned his hand over and gripped her fingers with his. “You’ll stay with me?”

“Every step.” Vi promised, squeezing his hand. He nodded grimly and let her go to slide out of his seat.

Glen rounded the front of the SUV and grabbed onto Vi’s hand again before she could go more than a few steps. He shouldn’t have worried. Vi was more focused on his reaction now than the house itself.

“What is it? Do you remember anything?”

Glen hesitated and shook his head. “I don’t know.” He looked at Vi again and she saw that odd mix of emotion again. A mix of fear and anger and such pain that it made her heart hurt to see it.

“We don’t have to go in.” She said softly, gripping his hand and laying her other hand against his forearm.

“But I do. I have to. I have to know.” He’d lowered his voice to a near whisper.

“Then let’s get this over with.” She said, forcing herself to sound more sure than she felt.

Glen nodded and walked with her toward the small front porch. The door was, of course locked. Vi wondered out loud if they should try the back but Glen just pressed his lips together in a tight line and shook his head.

Still holding onto her hand, he stepped to the right. There was a porch light, an old iron relic that was hanging on by one rusted screw. Glen laid his free hand against the wall and slid it down a bit, to the right a bit further, and then hooked his fingers into a loose half brick. He pulled. The brick slid out and he let it drop to the ground to stick his fingers into the hole he’d made.

“What are you doing?” Vi asked, watching as he pulled his hand out. And caught between his fingers was a key. She looked from it to his eyes. He was looking at the key as if he’d picked up a poisonous spider. “How did you know that was there?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember it really…but…I’ve been here before. Do you know what I mean?” He looked at her, his hazel eyes confused.

Vi didn’t have a clue what he meant but she squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Maybe it’s like muscle memory. Sometimes even when your mind forgets how things go, you did it so often your body does it automatically.”

Glen sighed and looked back to the key. He tried it on the door lock. With a little wiggling, it turned and the door opened. “The further we go, the more I think this is a bad idea.” He said softly.

Vi was still looking at him. “It’s just a house. An old empty house.”

“It looks like an old empty house. But something’s not right here.” Glen said, dropping his voice even lower. “I can feel it. Like I have something heavy sitting on my chest.”

“You don’t have to go in there.” Vi said, stepping sideways so she was closer to him. “We can go home and forget this and start building up new memories for you.”

Glen was shaking his head. “I feel like I have to. I don’t want to but I have to.” He looked down at her and Vi sensed his helplessness. It was a bright, sunny, warm spring morning but she shivered.

“Then let’s get it over with.” She said resolutely, not liking that his odd bout of fear was starting to get to her. Vi did not wait for him to lead the way. She stepped resolutely across the threshold and he could either follow or let go of her hand.

Glen chose to follow her. And as soon as he stepped foot through the door he felt as if he’d be hit in the stomach. All the air went out of the room and he could not breathe. Vi looked at him, alarm written across her face.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Glen could not put it into words. For just a second there he had seen…even as he tried to define it, it faded. Red. Maybe blood. And it had been everywhere. Now that Vi had spoken, and he’d blinked, it was just a room. The door opened onto the living room of the small house. It was dusty, and completely empty of furniture, but it had been cleaned, painted, and re-carpeted at some point in time.

He finally muttered a curse under his breath and shook his head. Whatever it was that had weighed on him was gone as suddenly as it had come on. It was just a room. An empty room. An archway to the left led to a kitchen that almost had enough room to turn around in. It was sort of anti-climactic, especially after his reaction to stepping into the place.

It wasn’t until they had gone up a short hallway that Glen had another odd moment of unease. He tightened his grip on Vi’s hand as if worried she was going to run off without him. The first door on the right led to a bathroom that was surprisingly big. It was the door on the left, across the hall that really set off that feeling of familiarity. Glen opened the door to another empty room. This one was a bedroom, small, just a simple square with a door in the corner that led to a closet.

He did not know how he could know. “This was my room.” Glen spoke in a whisper. Up to that moment they had not spoken, and the house had been utterly silent.

Vi had glanced around, but spent most of the time focused on Glen’s face, his expressions. For the most part he was conveying just regular old curiosity. But now, in this room, there was some sort of recognition on his features.

He led the way to the next room and stood there a moment, looking puzzled. As if he had been expecting something else. Maybe an epiphany that would shed light on everything else. When that did not happen, Glen and Vi went through the final doorway. It was yet another bedroom, about the same size as the first. The single window overlooked the overgrown back yard.

Glen stood there for what felt like an eternity. Vi waited him out, not rushing him. He finally sighed and visibly relaxed. His death grip on her hand eased up a bit too. “I thought maybe there was something…but it’s gone now. Whatever it was I might have remembered.” He said softly.

“That’s all right.” Vi mustered up a reassuring smile. “You ready to go out and get some air?”

Glen nodded and allowed himself to be led back through the house. And he did not pause to reconsider any of the rooms. What good would it do? Once outside he stopped on the porch and replaced the key and the brick after locking the door. He did not know why he bothered, but it felt like the right thing to do.

They walked toward the SUV and he opened the door for Vi, but kept a hold on her hand for a few minutes longer. “Vivian…thank you.”

She gave him a puzzled smile and squeezed his hand again. “For what?”

“For bringing me here. For going through it with me.” He shrugged and ducked his head. “For everything you’ve done for me since you found me.” He added, threading his fingers between hers.

“Glen…”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever figure out what’s locked away up here…” He tapped a finger from his free hand against his temple. “I don’t know if I want to figure it out.”

“You don’t have to. It doesn’t matter.” Vi had turned to look up at him. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be such a bad thing…that you don’t remember. You’ve got the chance to start over again from square one.”

Glen reached out with his free hand and cupped her cheek against his palm. “What if…what if I was a bad person? What if I hurt somebody or…”

“That’s a lot of ‘what if’.” Vi said with a slight smile, feeling a shiver go down her spine as his fingers brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Even if you were, what does that matter now? You’re not a bad person now. Do you feel like you’re missing something because you don’t know?”

“Sometimes.” He admitted, tracing the outer curve of her ear with a fingertip. “Mostly I’m just glad you found me. And that you took me in and gave me what passes for a life.”

Vi snickered at that, making him smile. “I’ll assume you meant that as a compliment.”

“I did.” He still wore that troubled smile. “Vivian…” Glen seemed unable to speak after her name. Instead he dipped his head and caught her lips with his.

Vi was a lot quicker responding this time. Glen felt her fingers tighten on his, felt her sway forward until she was pressed close up against his body. Her lips parted and the first moist touch of her tongue on his caused a pleasurable shudder to work its way down his body. He slid his hand around to cup the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her silky long hair.

Vi moaned softly into his mouth, unable to help it. It felt so good to be held, to be kissed, to be wanted. She reached up with her free hand to stroke her fingers along his cheek and down his jaw. Glen was still holding onto her other hand. He moved it so they were holding hands behind her back. When he tightened his grip, it caused her back to arch and her hips to press closer to his.

Glen finally had to break their kiss so he could catch his breath. He dipped his head lower to kiss and suck on her neck, willing the urge to grind himself against her down to a controllable level. He let go of her hand and moaned as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close.

All he could think was that he wanted to touch her. He pulled at the back of her shirt and slid a hand up her back, feeling her shiver at the light touch of his fingers on her bare skin. He let his hand drift, tracing circles across her back. She was pressed maddeningly against him, her breasts against his chest, one of his thighs between hers, and he was not quite sure of exactly how they ended up that way.

Glen lifted his head from her neck and caught her lips again, delving his tongue into her mouth as his hand gave up feeling the smooth skin of her back. He slipped his fingers around her side, and upward, until he cupped her full breast against his palm. Even through the soft lace of the bra she wore, he could feel the hard outline of her nipple pressing into his hand. It made him whimper low in his throat as he once again broke their kiss to lick and nibble his way down her neck.

Vi moaned softly as his fingers caught her nipple, feeling her whole body break out in goose bumps at the sensation. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders as he squeezed her and rubbed her, while his mouth did distracting things to her neck and ear. Every time she moaned near his ear, Glen’s fingers against her breast would tighten, or he would pinch her nipple a little harder, and answer her with soft sounds of his own.

Vi let her head fall back against the side of her SUV, feeling dizzy at the sensations that went through her body. She stroked Glen’s hair and sighed into his ear as he found a sensitive spot right where her shoulder met her neck. Vi was prepared to lose herself completely, maybe to pull him into the backseat and…

A movement from one of the living room windows in the house caused her to jump and suck in a breath.

“Glen…” She sounded hoarse and breathless. The thing in the window moved again and Vi could see it was a person. Someone was in the house – and someone was watching them. “Glen…please…” She pushed at his shoulders and he reluctantly stopped sucking on her neck.

“I don’t wanna stop…” He muttered against her neck. Vi laughed breathlessly, but there must have been another note there besides just lust because Glen pulled back to look into her eyes. He saw the way she stared at the house and turned his head. “What is it?” He asked, letting her go, turning so that he was facing the house, putting himself fully between Vi and the building. Vi peered around him. The figure in the window – if it had ever been there – was gone.

He turned back to face her, still breathing a little raggedly. Vi was looking up at him, her light eyes troubled. “Nothing. I guess. Just…I thought I saw something.”

Glen reached for her hand again. Vi wrapped her fingers around his and smiled, although he could tell it took an effort. “I’m not going to apologize for…”

“Don’t. You don’t have to.” Vi assured him, leaning close to him again. “I didn’t want to stop either.” She whispered it out, like she was telling him a secret. It caused a smile to cross his lips.

“Vivian…” He hesitated a moment before continuing. And he surprised himself by saying the same thing he’d said the night before. “I want to do this. With you. You don’t know how much I wanna do this with you.” He smiled at her soft laugh. “But not here. I wanna do this right.” At least when he said it to her, he meant it.

Vi nodded against his chest. She was glad he was now blocking her view of the house, but it did not stop her from feeling as if they were being watched still.

“I don’t even know if I’ve ever done this before.” He said, sounding both amused and annoyed. Vi laughed and it seemed to break the tension between them.

“You ready to go home?” She asked, pulling back to look up into his eyes.

“Yeah. Home would be nice.” Before she could slide in behind the wheel, he kissed her again. Just a quick press of his lips to hers. Glen pulled back before he got swept up and forgot himself again. Vi reached up to stroke his cheek before getting into the vehicle.

Glen cast a last glance back at the house before going to the passenger side and getting into his seat. He wasn’t quite sure what exactly he had hoped to achieve by coming here, but he was not going to complain about the outcome. Especially when they had reached the main road and Vi reached over to take his hand again.

Vi insisted they stop for lunch, because neither of them had eaten breakfast. They found a small diner on the way and stopped in for some food. They spent an hour, talking quietly about the house they’d just seen, the area it was in, the odd upkeep of the place…anything but what had happened once they’d gone back outside. Vi was still processing it and Glen figured it was best to not dwell on it in a public place unless he wanted to embarrass himself. It was hard though, because he could still feel her pressed close to him, and could still feel the weight of her breast in his hand and the puff of her breath across his ear as she moaned.

Of course reliving that was dwelling on it. He forced his mind to focus on his food and soon enough they were back in the SUV for the drive home.

Glen was quiet again, looking thoughtfully out the window and holding Vi’s hand across the center console. She glanced at him on occasion, wondering if she’d finally lost her mind. He was still a virtual stranger, and probably always would be, but it did not change that fact that if not for the odd thing she’d seen at the house, she might have – no, scratch that – she would have definitely let him do whatever it was he wanted to do to her. With her. On her, over her, and under her for that matter, right there in the SUV, or the overgrown yard.

She could not decide if that thought amused her or annoyed her. She did contemplate for a moment that Mark’s son had been right. Link would not be coming home. And maybe it was time she moved on. Or at least try to.

They reached the house a bit after noon. The trip had been quicker than Vi had expected, but that was only because nothing had truly sparked a memory or even a need to learn more from Glen. That was all right though, because what she had told him was true. He had a chance to start again, to build new memories.

They entered the house and Vi looked around for a moment before taking Glen’s hand again. He seemed surprised at that, but smiled as she led him toward the stairs. Before they could climb, she turned and put her hand against his chest.

“I want to be with you.”

Glen seemed even more surprised by that. Maybe he had figured she would back off, considering they were back in her house, the home she’d shared with her family…

But Vi had been thinking of that too.

“I can’t…in my bed. Because that wouldn’t feel right.” She admitted, glancing at the stairs.

“Vivian, you don’t have to…”

Vi didn’t let him finish. “In your bed would be all right. Because it’s yours. Do you get what I mean?”

“Yes. But…” Glen hesitated. “Vivian, are you sure?”

Instead of answering she moved back and went up a step. Then two. When Glen followed she turned and climbed the rest, still holding onto his hand. She did not even spare her own room a glance as she turned toward his.

Glen had barely stepped inside when Vi was pressing up against him again, wrapping her arms around his waist. Of course he wasn’t going to complain either, especially when he felt her run her hands up under his shirt. Much like he had done earlier, she stroked his back and tilted her head back so he could kiss her. He did, deeply, moaning at the touch of her tongue against his.

Vi felt him shaking as he wrapped his arms around her and broke their kiss to lean back and reach up, cupping his face in her hands. She looked into his hazel eyes, so close to him now that she could see the blue undertones. “What’s wrong?” She asked, keeping her voice low.

Glen shook his head and his lips curved in a slight smile. “Just nerves, I guess.”

“You don’t have to be nervous.” Vi pulled him closer and brushed her mouth over his.

“I just don’t want to disappoint you.” He said softly.

“Because you can’t remember?”

Glen nodded and let his forehead rest against hers.

Vi stroked his face with her fingers. “It may not surprise you at all to know that I haven’t been with anybody since Link passed.”

She felt him raise his eyebrows at that.

“Which means I am just as nervous as you are.” Vi went on, still letting her fingers trail over his skin. “But I want this. I want you.” She punctuated that with another light kiss on his mouth.

Glen thought she could not have said anything better than that. He didn’t understand why he felt so suddenly shy or nervous. He’d wanted this to happen, and now it was.

He kissed her this time, lightly touching his lips to hers. He raised his hands and cupped her face, much the same way she was cupping his, and angled his mouth over hers. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip, and his tongue slid along hers to delve into the depths of her mouth.

Vi let her hands slide down his neck, his chest, and his stomach, until her fingers brushed waistband of his jeans. She hooked her fingers into his belt and pulled, walking backward at the same time. The bed hit the back of her thighs and she pulled Glen down with her. For a moment she couldn’t catch her breath as Glen’s full weight came down on her, but he shifted and braced himself on his elbows.

“You all right?” He asked, his voice hoarse. And deeper than normal. It sent a shiver down her back, and in a very good way.

“I’ll be better in a minute, I think.” Vi smirked and grabbed a double handful of his shirt. She pulled, and he lifted his arms long enough to get rid of it. He made short work of getting rid of her shirt along with his. She found his belt again and her fingers worked the buckle. “I’m not trying to rush you or anything but less clothes would be great right about now.” She pointed out when he did not shift to make the job easier.

Glen chuckled and pushed away, shedding his jeans and the shorts under them, and kicking off his boots as he skimmed the jeans down his legs. Vi did the same on the bed, twisting and arching her back to get her jeans off, until she was as naked as he was. He stood there for a moment, looking at her from head to toe, noting that the reality was better than the fantasy he’d had in his head. She was all smooth tanned skin and soft curves.

Vi got her elbows under her and sat propped up, studying him in return. She’d already seen him naked of course, but she’d been more worried about the cold and snow than admiring his well built body. She hated that her mind immediately compared him to Link, but of course her husband had been the last man she’d been with. It might even be normal to do that. But they were different in so many ways it did not seem a fair comparison.

She pushed herself up and took his wrist, pulling Glen down onto the bed. On top of her again. This time though he was ready and watched the landing. Vi wrapped her arms around him and sighed out a soft moan as he slid against her, bare skin against bare skin.

Glen groaned and nuzzled her neck. “You feel so good…” He muttered next to her ear, making her smile.

“Do I?” She grabbed his hand and guided it to her breast. “How about now?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he squeezed her gently, catching her nipple between his fingers. Glen ducked his head and flicked his tongue lightly across her nipple, drawing a louder moan from her. He caught the tight little bud between his lips and sucked, getting rewarded by the feel of her hips grinding upward against him at the sensations. He kissed a wet trail between her breasts and repeated the process on the other side, going back and forth as his hands massaged her.

Eventually, spurred by Vi’s whimpers and moans, Glen kissed his way down her stomach. He chuckled thickly when she jerked and tried to speed him past her ribs and sides. Apparently she was a little ticklish. By the time he got to her lower stomach though, and dipped his tongue into her naval, she’d given up on trying to get away and had her hands tangled into his long hair.

Glen trailed his fingers down her legs as his mouth continued tasting her warm skin with his lips. Vi let go of his hair and once more propped herself on her elbows to watch as he kissed his way down the flat plane of her lower belly. His fingers slid up her thighs, stopping just inches from touching her center.

“Glen?”

“Hmm?” He was nipping at the skin over her hipbone, making Vi jump.

“Sometime today…would be…nice.” Every time Vi tried to talk, he found a new place to flick that tongue across and it was all she could do not to moan.

He looked up at her, slight smile curling the corners of his lips. But Glen let his hands slide up those last few inches. He parted her folds and Vi gasped out a breath as he found the hard nub of her clit with his finger and stroked his fingertip against it. Her hips came up again and she pressed herself firmly up into his hand.

Glen closed his eyes and focused on stroking her, driving her closer to the edge with even the lightest touch of his fingers. He slid down a little further, hesitated, then slid back off the bed, pulling her with him so that her legs were dangling over the side. He ran his hands up the backs of her thighs, stopped for a moment to squeeze her rear, and kissed his way up her inner thigh. Vi tensed herself for the touch of his tongue but still could not hold in the moan of pleasure that came from low in her throat. She let her head fall back, feeling his tongue and mouth and teeth play against her clit, her skin slippery now. He hooked his hands around her hips and forced Vi to hold still while he toyed with her clit, once more driving her right to the edge.

Instead of letting her finish though, Glen would pull back and nuzzle her thigh, or drop hot wet kisses along her lower stomach. Vi groaned in frustration each time it happened. After the third time, she finally reached for him got a handful of hair. She yanked it playfully, and he looked up at her with that lazy, self-satisfied smile once more on his face.

“Are you trying to torture me?” Vi asked, pulling on his hair and forcing him to crawl up her body. She slid backward at the same time, so that she was on the bed again.

“Is it working?” He asked, and the look in his eyes said he knew full well it was. He was poised over her, one of her legs caught between his. Vi reached down and stroked him with just the tips of her fingers and Glen jerked away. “Don’t do that…” He said on a hiss of breath. “I wanna be inside you.” His eyes focused on hers. “And if you touch me too much, I might not make it that far.” He finally said.

Vi laughed breathlessly and pressed her hips upward. He hissed in another breath and closed his eyes at the contact. His erect cock was against her thigh and she bit her lip as he rubbed it against her leg. “I want you inside me.” Vi finally spoke, careful not to move. It was easy to see how very close he was…the way his hips jerked instinctively, the sheen of sweat that had appeared on his brow. He was grinding his teeth too, trying to regain control of himself.

Vi reached up and cupped his face in her hands once more, pulling him down. She looked into his eyes for a long moment before catching his lips with hers. He shifted, his knees between her thighs now, bracing himself on his hands again. She broke the kiss and slid her hands down his chest, around his sides, stroking him lightly with her fingernails.

Glen reached between them and guided his cock to her opening, closing his eyes at the feel of her against his throbbing flesh. This was what happened, he thought, when you spent a couple of weeks fantasizing non-stop and finally get a taste of the reality. He felt like he’d go off like a rocket before he did more than touch the head of his cock to her.

He found her entrance and Vi wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moaning as he filled her inch by slow inch. As she’d pointed out, it had been a very long time for her, and he was a very big man. She felt stretched nearly to the point of pain, and gave a breathless groan when he finally filled her completely, hips pressing tight against her. Her nails dug into his shoulders, making him wince.

“Am I hurting you?” Glen asked, keeping his voice soft. The way Vi held herself and the noise she made kept him from moving, putting the brakes on his sex drive much better than he could through sheer will alone.

“No…” She breathed out the word and rubbed his shoulders where her nails had bitten in. “Just...be careful. You aren’t exactly small.”

He snorted at that and experimentally pulled his hips back. Just a little. Enough to feel the ripple of her interior muscles against his shaft. He pressed inward and Vi moaned, setting off a warm shiver of pleasure down his back. He did it again, fighting the urge to up the pace, letting Vi get used to the feel of him.

It did not take too long though. Vi’s hips finally moved, up from the bed, trying to keep him deep inside her when he pulled back. Glen let her dictate the speed of his thrusting by following her lead. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he felt her nails bite his back again, this time as far from fighting off pain as she could be. He hardly noticed, so intent was he on the friction between them.

He felt her push at his shoulders, and rolled easily enough, taking her with him. Vi ended up on top of him, really in control of things now. She sat up and rotated her hips slowly, closing her eyes at the noises he made. She grabbed one of his hands and guided it toward the place where their bodies met. He did not need any encouragement to begin rubbing her clit in circles as she slowly eased him in and out of her body.

Eventually Vi began moving faster, her breath coming in harsh gasps as his fingers and the feel of him inside her brought her over the edge of her climax. Glen stopped stroking her clit and focused on the way her body gripped him, the wave of muscle movement playing against his shaft, drawing a hoarse groan from deep in his throat as he climaxed at the apex of hers.

Vi braced her hands against his chest and held herself still as the aftershocks sent shivers down her back. Moments later, Glen was pulling her down onto his chest and holding her close, stroking her back with his hand. He felt protective of her, more than he had been before. He figured it was part of the experience, the odd tenderness that settled into him as she got her breathing back under control and dropped a tired, contented kiss on his chest.

10

Penelope heard her sister coming long before she appeared in the doorway.

They all heard her. It would be impossible not to hear Cassandra screaming and carrying on. And she stomped everywhere.

“Where is he?” Cassandra didn’t bother to lower her voice. Not even here, in the room where their father sat and presided over matters in their realm. She was spoiled. Damn near to a fault.

“Cassandra. Surely you have noticed that we are conducting business.” Adam was a tall blonde who leaned against the wall near the doorway. He spoke, mainly because it was often Adam who could calm Cassandra when she got into one of her moods.

“I do not care.” She said through clenched teeth. Her eyes settled on her father. Haden looked back at her with mild dark eyes, a neutral expression on his handsome features. Although Penelope was 30 and Cassandra 28, Haden barely looked old enough to be their father. He had been mistaken as their brother on occasion, by people who should have known better.

“Clear the room. I will have a moment with my daughters.” Haden finally said, nodded at the chair to his left. Cassandra sneered at Penelope, who sat to their father’s right, as she took the seat he had indicated. In moments the three of them were alone. “Now. Calmly. What is the problem?”

“He is gone. I can find him nowhere.” Cassandra still spoke through clenched teeth, but she lowered her voice.

Penelope had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking. She could see how angry Cassandra was considering her dark eyes were nearly completely red. Cassandra’s abilities relied on her emotions. Penelope was grateful, once again, that her abilities were a bit more subtle.

Haden glanced to Penelope. He attempted to read her, something that was so simple he could do it to anyone else without a thought. Trying to read her, or hear her thoughts was like listening to the ocean through a conch shell. “Perhaps he is out hunting.”

“You sent him out?” Cassandra visibly relaxed. It did not last long.

“I have had no occasion to send him anywhere.” Haden turned his gaze back to his younger daughter. “One of the others…”

“They have no business in speaking to him! Or assigning him missions!” Just like that the temper was back. Her eyes flared red again. “He is mine! Mine! You promised me!”

“Cassandra. My promise does not change the fact that he has other uses besides being a plaything for your amusement.” His eyes drifted to the mark on her upper arm. It was a blade, double edged, tinged red with blood. “You are more connected to him than any other. Can you not sense him?”

Cassandra huffed and shook her head. “There is nothing. He is not dead – I would know that. But he is not here!” She thumped the table with her fist.

“Return to your rooms. I shall find out if anyone else had a job for him.” Haden dismissed her, ignoring her sputter of protest.

“Father…”

“Cassandra. I cannot have you charging into my meeting, causing a scene.” Haden spoke as if to one of his servants, which only served to make her angrier. She had always been the favorite and hated to be denied what she wanted. “Adam? Escort my daughter to her rooms and see that she stays inside.”

Adam had appeared in the doorway at the sound of his name. He led a still protesting Cassandra out of the room.

Haden spent another long moment studying Penelope’s profile. “Do you know anything of this?”

Penelope met his eyes. Unlike Cassandra, who favored her father in looks, Penelope favored her mother. It was one of the reasons that Haden had spent less time catering to her whims. Her mother had been beautiful, according to all the stories she had heard. Penelope shared her light copper hair and clear blue eyes. She was Haden’s constant reminder of failure. Her mother had committed suicide shortly after Penelope’s birth. He had been a bit overzealous in his eagerness to have a child.

It irked Haden to no end that not only did Penelope so closely resemble her mother she also shared her mother’s temperament. She did not have the rages that her sister experienced. And her powers were not based in the destructive arts which had long been a trademark of their family. Yet he let her sit in on their meetings because unlike Cassandra, Penelope could plan ahead and she could often see things that none of his other advisers could see.

“Her missing plaything is no business of mine.” Penelope answered with an amused twist to her lips.

Haden peered at her for another long moment before nodding and rising to his feet. “Reconvene the others in one hour, Penny.”

Penelope watched her father walk away, humor fading. She hated being called Penny. He might think he was showing affection when he said it but she thought it was his way of demeaning her. There was a grudge-fueled bond between them but she was his blood too no matter how much she resembled her mother.

The smile returned momentarily. It was so rare for Cassandra to be denied what she wanted. Penelope was not vindictive – she actually did not care that her sister was the favorite. Eventually their father would have to reap what he had sown with his headstrong younger daughter. She walked through the halls of her father’s home and passed along word of the meeting. That done, she decided she would not be rejoining them in their planning.

The only reason Penelope had been in the meeting was due to her father’s far-reaching properties. Many of their people did not trust Haden because he could be cruel when pushed. Most of them liked Penelope. She did not threaten or intimidate. Yet she still got things done. Haden was not sure if that was a burden or a blessing, but he used it if he could.

She wandered outside and headed south, not going anywhere in particular. Of course she knew where Cassandra’s toy had gone – not the exact location, but generally speaking. She’d owed a favor, and the benefits were many in repayment – getting one over on her spoiled sister was merely the icing on the cake.

Penelope glanced up on occasion. For no reason other than she often did. There was no sky here. There was light, but the source was not known by anyone. After about three hundred feet, the air above darkened considerably. Another hundred and it was completely black. She had heard their place called the underground since she was a child, and it was as apt a description as any.

She absolutely hated it.

Penelope had never fit in here. It was the only home she had known, yet it was as if she were among strangers all the time. Of all the things she kept from her father, she knew the secret with the biggest impact, the one that he might actually kill her if he knew about it was simply the fact that she had – on several occasions – ventured out of their realm. The others made it seem hard. And she supposed to them it might be. But for her it was as simple as opening a door.

After nearly twenty minutes of wandering aimlessly through a maze of passages, she came to a familiar door. She had no clue why she felt the need to come here but here she was nonetheless. Penelope knocked softly and waiting only a moment before the door was opened.

The man who stood there looked to be Penelope’s age. In reality he was older than even Haden – why he chose to live in seclusion here in the wastes instead of overseeing his own realm she could not guess. He smiled when he saw her and stepped aside so she could enter the small house.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Penelope?” He asked, gesturing at a chair that was situated next to his dining table. He had been eating lunch.

“It has been several weeks. I wondered if you had checked progress, Jason.”

Jason sat across from her, still smiling rather enigmatically. “Your sister finally noted the absence, I take it?”

“Oh, yes. Five minutes ago.” She smirked at that. “Is it all still holding together?”

“Quite well actually.” Jason picked up his fork and resumed eating. “Although there could be some trouble. He is closer than I would have liked. If I had known before that he lived so close…”

Penelope nodded. “Why protect him?” It was a question she had wondered from time to time, but had not dared to ask. Now it seemed to be prudent to know.

“I owe him a debt. And he made his sacrifice.” Jason offered her a bite of his food. Penelope shook her head and leaned back. He looked at her for a long moment, studying her carefully with his light grayish-green eyes. “Will your magic hold?”

Penelope smirked again. “Of course. Until I say otherwise.”

“Then we have nothing to concern ourselves with. As long as your sister – or your father – do not figure out what we have done.”

“What have we done, Jason?” Penelope asked.

“We have saved some lives. Or many lives if you can look on the bigger picture as I do.” He was referring to Cassandra’s plaything, who was also Haden’s unfailing assassin. “How many did he kill? Humans or others such as us?”

“Dozens.”

“Hundreds.” Jason corrected her. “More than either of us can know about. Because he was also under your sister’s bidding and she is as vindictive as your father.”

“And if they find out?”

“You know the risk as well as I do.” Jason said softly. “Your father probably thinks he’ll be able to call him back at will.”

“He can try.” Penelope said with a shrug. “It does not mean he will be heard.”

“Are you venturing another trip? Is that why you stopped in?”

Penelope shrugged again. “No. Not yet anyway. To be honest, I do not know why I am here. I just needed to get out of the house.”

“They may be too late to call him back anyway.” Jason spoke as if he had not heard her explanation. He pushed his unfinished food away. “All things considered.”

Penelope made a soft noise in her throat but said nothing. She only hoped that things worked out as Jason wanted them to. It had taken him over thirty years to find one particular woman. Penelope had no idea what it was that made this particular woman special – she only knew that Jason had been insistent. And an insistent Jason was nearly irresistible.

~~!~~!~~

Vi woke with a start, for a minute completely unsure about where she was.

Slowly her mind registered the fact that she was on her side, right up against a very large back. And then the afternoon she’d spent with him replayed itself, making her relax. She saw the alarm clock over Glen’s shoulder and raised an eyebrow. It was four o’clock. She would have to get up soon. She had to pick Josie up at six, and get dinner together and…

Glen muttered under his breath and turned to face her. “Time to get up?” He asked, still mostly asleep.

“For me. I have to get a shower and take care of stuff.” Vi closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him for a moment, enjoying the feel of his arm around her and his chest against her cheek. She was worn out, completely sated, languid…she could think of about a dozen other words that described her current state.

Vi extracted herself from his arms, smiling at his noise of protest. She had to get up and get going now, otherwise she’d never move. She slid to the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment, feeling sore in place she’d never felt sore before. She felt Glen touch her back, running a finger down her spine.

She looked over her shoulder at him, taking in his messy hair and sleepy eyes. And she could see red marks on his shoulders – made by her fingernails.

He looked as content as Vi had felt, and she hated to bring him down because…well. Thinking about responsibilities often had a way of bringing her down.

“About this…”

Glen propped himself up on one arm and continued tracing circles over her back. “What is it?”

“As…” Vi almost said ‘nice’. A vast and stupid understatement. “As incredible as this has been…I don’t want Josie to know.”

“You don’t want her to know what, exactly?” Glen sounded amused.

“Ha.” Vi saw how badly she’d worded it, and shook her head. “Whatever there might be between us. And what happened today, and what might happen tomorrow, or next week, or next month. I would rather we keep it just between us. I don’t know how she’d react and even more important, she’s already attached to you. If something happens and she pinned all her hopes on you filling some sort of male role model need in her, and we ended up not working out, it would…I just don’t want to put her through that.” Vi realized she was rambling and shut her mouth, wishing she were better at verbalizing.

“Vivian…”

“If you think it’ll be too hard to keep it quiet, then it might be better if this doesn’t happen again.” Vi went on, ignoring his attempt to interject an opinion.

Glen gripped her arm above the elbow and pulled her back until she was leaning against him. “Vivian, I wouldn’t wanna hurt you or Josie for the world. If you wanna keep this just between us, I can live with that. Josie’s sharp though. She’ll figure it out.”

“Josie figuring it out on her own is better than one of us flat telling her.” Vi turned a little so she could look into his eyes. He did not look a bit put out by her demand, which was good.

“As long as we’re not going to pretend this never happened, I’m ok with whatever you wanna do. I’ve already lost a lifetime worth of memories. I don’t wanna lose this too.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Vi reached out and ran a finger down his jaw-line. “I said we’d get you a fresh start.”

“That you did.” He turned his head and kissed her fingers.

Vi smiled and stroked her thumb across his lower lip. “I need to get in the shower. You coming?”

Glen lifted an eyebrow. “I dunno if you can trust me in there.”

“Oh really? Are you not tired enough?” She started to shift away from him but he caught her and pulled her down, kissing her hard on the lips.

“Plenty tired. But not done. Not nearly.” He said hoarsely when he let her go. Vi grinned and slid to the edge of the bed again so she could stand up.

They ended up sharing the shower but Glen kept his hands to himself. Good thing too, because Vi’s legs hurt. But she felt so good overall it didn’t matter. The hot water helped. Glen washing her back and rubbing her shoulders wasn’t too horrible either.

She hurried them along, because she was really behind schedule. Glen offered to get supper started, and she was grateful for that. At five til six, she was parked at the school waiting for Josie to get off the bus.

On the drive home, Josie chattered a mile a minute. Typical Josie. She’d had a great time and hinted that she might like to own a telescope. Vi did not commit to a yes or a no, because by tomorrow morning her daughter’s newfound love of all things astronomy would either solidify or completely disappear. She had learned that lesson after buying Josie a guitar. And a flute. And an expensive chess set that was now collecting dust in the attic.

Luckily, Josie’s excitement over her trip left her too preoccupied to notice it if her mother was acting a bit strange. Vi did not feel bad of course, but a little guilty? Definitely. She wouldn’t change what had happened but that did not mean she couldn’t fight with herself about it.

Back at the house, Ray had appeared. He and Glen were in the kitchen finishing up supper. Soon enough they were all seated at the table, eating dinner and listening to Josie’s rambling talk about her weekend. Every now and then Glen would look at Vi with a wry smile on his lips. She smirked to herself and tried to keep up with Josie’s news.

After supper Vi set about doing dishes, refusing offers of help. She rather liked the quiet half hour with her hands in soapy water. It gave her time to clear her mind. She was specifically trying not to think about the more physical aspect of their day together. Instead she focused on the house they had visited that morning.

Glen had remembered some things. The key. His room. But the rest of the house he’d looked on as anyone would – it was old, empty, dusty and sort of depressing.

So now the big question was did he want to remember? Did she want him to remember? Vi’s main problem was that she did not like surprises. She liked Glen as he was, but still wondered about what sort of baggage he was carrying that he did not even know about.

Vi drained her dishwater and dried her hands on a towel before turning to wipe down the table. Ray had come back in at some point. He sat at the table, scribbling away in his notebook. She’s been so lost in thought she hadn’t heard him enter the kitchen.

She raised an eyebrow and worked around him, cleaning the table before taking a seat and waiting him out. Finally he looked up at her. He was smiling, but he also looked wary. Vi took the notebook and read over his neat printing.

Vi looked up at him in surprise a few moments later. “You want to move out?”

He smiled again and tapped the notebook. Vi didn’t need to read it again. She got it. He had written that he and Rick got on well, and that he thought it was time he got on with running the ranch full time. And since Rick wasn’t married either, and they were closer than brothers, it made sense. He wanted to remodel the bunkhouse Rick was using and turn it into a home for the both of them.

“If you think you’re ready for that, I won’t try to make you stay.” Vi obviously surprised him in return by not arguing. She smiled at that. Ray reached over to pat her hand. “Have you already told Josie?”

He got a troubled look on his features as he shook his head.

“Well. It’s not like you’re moving to Alaska. You’ll be a five minute walk away.” Vi surprised him again by saying that, she could tell. He reached for the notebook and wrote something else down before turning it back to her. Vi read it over with a slight frown. He’d asked about the old place, the house that had burned down. “I’ll take care of it.”

At that Ray covered her hand again. Vi looked into his eyes and saw sympathy there. It made her feel like crying. “I mean it. Maybe it is finally time to let it all go. Even that.”

He smiled sadly and nodded. And spoke – which was another surprise for Vi. Of course, it came out very slurred and low, as if Ray was speaking through a mouthful of wet cotton but she understood it anyway. “Let him go.”

She smiled grimly. “I’m trying. When are you planning on going?” She asked, turning the conversation back to his move. He winked and help up two fingers. “Two weeks? You can renovate in two weeks?”

Ray nodded and grinned. He seemed happier. More at peace. It was something she had not seen in years. It was strange, but she was so happy for him at the same time…maybe his step forward could help her. She could hope anyway.

They decided to hold off telling Josie, because neither wanted to ruin her current good mood. It was hard to gauge what her reaction to things would be. Part of it was losing her father, but the rest was purely new teenager mood swings.

But for that night, they had a good time. Josie brought out a stack of board games and they played a few games before it was time for her to head to bed. Whether Josie sensed all the changes or not it was hard to say. She was her usual, hyper talkative self. She even went to take a shower and get ready for bed without her usual arguments for a later bedtime. Ray excused himself shortly after that, because they were going to get an early start the next morning working at the bunkhouse. Glen had offered to help – apparently Ray had told him while Vi had been out picking up Josie.

“You need a hand with that?” Glen asked from behind her as Vi sorted the games and put them up. It made her smile.

“Seriously. Stop.”

“Stop what?” He asked, smiling a little.

“Always trying to help me. It’s starting to get a little ridiculous.”

“Well, I was just trying to be nice.” He said, grinning at her tone.

Vi smirked at that and finished stacking the boxes. “Here. You can throw them in the closet. And you’ll get a gold star for helping for the day.”

“Pretty sure I earned that earlier today.” He winked and picked up the games, heading for the closet.

Vi snickered and refused to comment on that. Instead she headed upstairs to get ready for bed. She stopped to give Josie a kiss goodnight before going to her own room. By the time she had brushed her teeth and hair and changed into her pajamas the rest of the house was quiet. She slid into bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin, tired but not sleepy. And lonely. It was odd to feel that way, especially after the day she’d had but there it was. Hell, maybe it was because of the day she’d spent.

She toyed for a moment with the idea of going down the hall and slipping into bed with Glen. Not that she was remotely limber enough for another go-round with him. She had not realized how much she missed sleeping with someone. Actual sleeping, curled up together. Vi smiled sleepily. And thought about Josie’s reaction to that – on top of learning that her grandfather was moving out of the house, waking up to find her mother in bed with their new friend might put the kid into orbit. Vi figure that they should just take it slow, and let things progress as they would without forcing it. Glen seemed willing enough to abide by that, for which she was grateful. Things had definitely taken a turn for the interesting around their house. There was no denying it.

11

He snuck into her room instead.

Glen slept deeply, but not for long. He did not know what it was that woke him up, but it was pitch black in his room. He blinked slowly and his eyes slowly adjusted. It was raining. He figured maybe that had been what had awakened him but it wasn’t a storm. Lightning flickered in the distance but there was no thunder to accompany it. The sound of rain falling was soft and hypnotic. He cocked his head to the side and listened, hearing nothing else.

The thought formed, that he should just lie down and go back to sleep. His days started early whether it was raining or not. Instead he found himself in the hallway without realizing he’d gotten out of the bed. He was in front of the door to Vivian’s room, looking at the crack of darkness that showed the door was ajar. He pushed it open, dread filling his stomach. He didn’t know why.

Lightning flashed again, briefly, but in that flash he saw Vivian lying at the end of her bed. She was on her back, dark red blood smeared across her bare throat, chest, and stomach. As the room dropped back into complete darkness, Glen strode forward, not believing what he had just seen.

The next flicker of lightning was followed by a soft rumble of thunder as the storm drew closer. Glen had reached out a hand to touch Vivian, to check to see if she were still drawing breath. But in the brief flicker of light he saw that Vivian was laying on her pillow, curled onto her side, her blanket tucked around her. There was no blood, and she was fine, just fine. In fact, he could hear her soft breathing.

He frowned and eased himself onto the edge of the bed next to her. Vivian murmured and shifted but did not wake up. Once again, Glen tilted his head to listen, wondering what was wrong with him. Vivian was fine; everything was as it should be. Maybe he’d just had a bad dream and the remnants were still spooking him. He was glad he did not remember it, if that were the case.

He got up and walked toward the door.

And somehow found himself in bed with Vivian.

Not just in bed with her. Inside her. It happened in the blink of an eye. And while he was sure he had been wearing a pair of shorts when he’d gotten out of his own bed and walked down the hall, and he was even more sure that Vivian had been wearing her usual night shirt, now they were both naked and there was the rub of her skin against his, the feel of her bare breasts pressed close to his chest, and her thighs sliding over his hips.

From what felt like a great distance, Glen heard Vivian talking, urging him on, begging him to take her faster, harder. Her nails raked his shoulders and she bucked against him, moaning as he gave her what she asked for.

Another blink, another flash of lightning, and Vivian was screaming at him to stop, hitting his shoulders and back ineffectively as he pounded into her unwilling body. He was hurting her but could not seem to stop no matter how she begged and cried. In fact, every time she screamed in pain it seemed to heighten his pleasure, and that made him slam into her even harder. She squirmed and tried to get away from him but he was too heavy, he had all of his weight on her and in her.

He felt his end coming fast, too fast really, but she was so tight…her voice was breathless as she pleaded with him to stop, just stop, please stop. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to, that was the problem. It felt too good to just take her even if she was crying tears of pain and shame. He ducked his head and ignored her begging, instead flicking his tongue out to taste the tears and sweat that coursed down her face. He moaned at the salty taste and ducked lower, latching onto her neck, sucking, feeling her pulse beat against his mouth and tongue.

He forced his jaws together, his teeth cutting into the soft smooth skin of her neck. Hot blood filled his mouth as he came inside her, his growl of completion muffled by her weak scream of pain and revulsion, muffled by the blood that filled his mouth, muffled by burying his face against her still sweet smelling neck.

She was still begging for him to stop, to get away from her, to leave her. He pulled back, blood dripping from his chin onto her chest. He ignored her protests and stroked his hand slowly, tenderly, across the smooth skin of her chest, over her breasts, spreading the blood. Her neck was still bleeding from the teeth marks that now marred it, but it was slowing. He hadn’t bitten her to kill her. No. That was something that was to be savored just like the release he’d just had. He pressed his hips down, harder into hers, forcing her legs farther apart. Vivian whimpered in pain and turned her head, sobbing wordlessly now. Maybe because he was still hard as a rock inside her. Maybe because the sight of her blood on his face in the flickering lightning had scared her more than the rape he had just committed.

He huffed in disgust. He had enjoyed her fighting too much, this sudden acceptance of her fate set off a chain-reaction of rage inside him. “Fight me.” He growled out, slamming himself into her once again. Vivian blinked and winced but did not make a sound. She did not even look at him. He drew his hand back and swung, hitting her on the jaw, forcing her head to turn toward him. That got a moan of pain from her and a soft sob. He felt a corresponding flutter of lust in his lower belly at the sound.

Vivian fought. Of course she did. Her lack of resistance had just been a lull in the storm so to speak. She took advantage of his weight being shifted to suddenly move, almost too fast for him to grab. She almost got off the bed. He managed to tangle a hand into her hair and jerked her back against his body with a laugh. “You’ll have to try harder than that.” He whispered it in her ear and licked her neck, letting the tip of his tongue draw a line through the blood there.

A boom of thunder, a flash of lightning. Vivian was begging again, this time for him to go harder and faster. Her breathless moaning and the wiggle of her hips made it near impossible for him to keep control. She was wrapped around him, arms around his shoulders, legs around his waist, writhing up to meet his thrusting. “Oh…Glen...” She moaned his name and tangled her fingers into his long hair, holding onto him as he pumped his hips, finding the rhythm and the pressure than she wanted, going by the sound of her moans.

When she climaxed the first time, she yanked his hair and her moan sent a shudder of pleasure down his back. Her mouth was against his ear, her breath sending warm puffs over his earlobe. He slowed his stroking, letting her come down from the high of her release, closing his eyes as her inner walls milked him. He slowly eased out of her, smiling at her noise of disappointment and loss as he moved. He turned Vivian onto her stomach, and ran his fingers lightly over her shoulders, the dip of her lower back, and the curve of her ass. At his wordless urging she was on her hands and knees on the bed, and he entered her from behind, filling her slowly from this new angle.

Vivian loved it, obviously, given her louder moans and her panting breath. He pressed into her as far as he could and held there, feeling her push back against him, his hands gripping her hips to hold her steady. She reached back between her own legs to feel him slide the length of his cock out and in again, repeating the slow process. Her fingers moved to her clit and she mimicked his speed with as he began the process of sending her over the edge again. Given the position, and how deep he could go, and how she squeezed her inner walls around him, it was not long before he could not help but go faster. He was mindful not to hurt her, to let her find her pleasure before he found his.

When Vivian climaxed with a wail of release he slid his hands up and gripped her shoulders to pull her firmly against him. The feel of her was all it took – he came inside her with a satisfied moan that came from deep within his chest. He rubbed her shoulders, squeezing in time with the contractions as the aftershocks of his orgasm ran through him. He blinked at a bright flash of lightning.

And felt Vivian flinch as thunder cracked overhead, close enough to rattle the glass in the windows. He didn’t care. Right now all he cared about was his eminent second orgasm, and the squealing, pleading woman who was pinned under him, her stomach and chest against the bed, his weight forcing her down as he slammed into her from behind. From this new angle he could really hurt her, and he had, growling at her scream of pain and pounding into her faster and faster. He wrapped his hands around her neck, squeezing her as he neared the edge.

Vivian struggled and cried out in relief when he suddenly jerked away from her. The relief was short lived. He straddled her and shoved her onto her back, crawling up her body. “Open.” He spoke in a low whisper. Vivian shook her head and tried to scramble away but he smacked her again, this time with the back of his hand. “Open. Now. And no biting unless you want me to knock your teeth out. Either way, it’s goin’ in your mouth.”

Vivian sniffled but didn’t try to move. He guided the head of his cock to her lips and rubbed it over the bruised, swollen skin. He had hit her a few more times, but that was all blurred in his mind. And it didn’t much matter. Given the other bruises and injuries, a swollen lip was the least of her problems. He found that amusing as he forced himself past her lips. She didn’t suck, and she tried to keep her tongue off the throbbing head and shaft, but it didn’t detract from the hot wet sensations as he fucked her mouth. She gagged and coughed, trying to breathe around him, but he ignored that too.

Another few thrusts and he bit his lip as he filled her mouth. Vivian gagged and coughed more, trying not to swallow any of his spend. He should have made her but what was done was done. She turned her head as soon as he pulled his now sated cock away from her mouth and spit, crying again.

Smiling, feeling oddly pleased with himself, he wrapped a hand around her neck. She didn’t even fight him. The last bit of what he had done had apparently been what had put her over and caused her to lose touch with reality. Interesting.

He squeezed, cutting off the flow of air, the flow of blood. He focused on the moisture on her lips, watching as she tried to suck in a breath. He felt her dying, felt the force of her life leaving her as he choked her to death, his fingers slippery due to the blood on her neck. She weakly groped for the hand that held her and grabbed his wrist, but for what he did not know. It wasn’t like she could fight him off now. She was broken, done, used up. A waste really, because she had been so tight, and so responsive up to that point. And just like that he was mad again, that she’d just give up after showing so much potential. He squeezed harder, putting his weight into it, not stopping until he heard the crack and snap of her neck breaking under his palm.

Glen woke up with his breath caught in his throat, his heart hammering in his chest, and his head pounding sickly. He was shaking as thunder cracked overhead. He looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings of his bed, the dresser, the framed pictures on the walls. He was in his room. In his bed.

And he’d just had the mother of all dreams.

He sat up and swung his legs off the bed to sit on the edge, his elbows on his knees, his hands covering his face. It was a jumbled mess in his mind, the dream. He tried to catch his breath and palmed sweat from his forehead.

He was scared.

Glen would have laughed, had there been in humor in the thought. A dream that realistic that left him feeling like this…he wondered if maybe he had gone wandering in his sleep. And done something. Something bad. Like the dream.

It had been two weeks since he and Vivian had slept together. With the people in the house, the work, the errands, and dozens of other things, finding time to have a repeat was looking to be impossible. He wasn’t frustrated. In fact – he was sort of glad of the distance. Because he had been feeling things and wanting things from Vivian that he did not feel it was the right time to expect. Especially considering he had no past, and that her past was so clouded with memories.

That did not stop him from wanting, though. It seemed like every night, he went to bed with an ache in his body that no amount of attention and imagination could touch. Hell, he had the real thing to base the fantasies on and it wasn’t enough. He wanted her. He wanted her so badly that it was now spilling over into crazy dreams where he got sex and death and about a dozen other things confused.

He slowly got to his feet. He was still wearing the shorts he’d put on before crawling into bed. He ran his hands over his chest and shoulders, feeling nothing. No scratch marks. He sighed in relief at that, because either way the dream went he could clearly recall Vivian clawing at him. He glanced at the alarm clock and saw with a groan it was just past 3 in the morning. He would have to be up in 2 hours. But he could not go back to sleep just yet.

Glen went into the hallway, listening. The rumble of thunder was moving on, becoming softer by distance. Josie muttered from her room, to the left. He turned right and went silently to Vivian’s door. It was ajar, just as he’d dreamed it. Of course. She always slept with the door cracked open, so she could hear Josie if she was needed. He pushed it open and realized he had gotten one thing wrong. In his dream it had been very dark. But Vivian slept with a light on, a small nightlight that worked as a flashlight in case the power went out. There was one in every room of the house, except for Glen’s room. He found he could not sleep with even the dim light from the small bulb.

Vivian was sleeping comfortably, curled onto her side, her arm across her eyes. There was a book lying open next to her, one of her veterinary textbooks. She had said she would go over them on occasion just to keep things fresh in her mind. His relief at hearing her breathing softly and seeing her sleeping trumped his relief at being scratch free. He would never hurt her…and he did not know why he would have such a crazy, mixed up nightmare.

He fought the urge to wake her up. What would he say? He’d had a dream he’d murdered her after raping her but somehow had also slept with her in a way she’d liked? Even to himself it sounded insane, and he was the one who had experienced it.

He shuddered and turned back toward his own room. No. He would not disturb her. Especially because of the content of his dreams. It was not just the fact that he had done those vile things. It was that he felt out of control, a passenger in his own body. As if something or someone else was in control and he was forced to watch. Even when Vivian had enjoyed herself it had felt that way, although he had been more amenable to it. The rape though…and hitting her. Killing her. Being so mad that she would stop fighting him. It made no sense.

He grabbed a pair of jeans and shirt, and headed for the bathroom. He was done sleeping. He could already tell that dropping off would be impossible. He had a few lonely hours to kill before he could start his day, but that was all right. He did not want to risk another hellish nightmare.

Vi yawned and headed down the stairs, wrapping her robe around her. It was cool in the house that morning, the rain from the night before had left a cold front in its wake. The smell of coffee made her stomach growl. She entered the kitchen, and saw Glen sitting at the table, steaming mug in front of him, looking morosely out the window.

“Hungry? Josie put in a request for pancakes this morning.” She asked with another yawn. Glen turned to look at her and the smile that had formed on her lips faded quickly. She frowned in concern. “Are you all right? You look pale.”

“I guess. I’m fine. A little tired.” Glen shrugged and picked up his mug. After his initial glance he looked away, unable to look at her for longer than a second.

“Are you sure?” Vi asked, reaching out to touch his forehead. It was a force of habit really. Between Josie and the animals, fevers were a commonality in her life. Glen’s forehead was warm but not hot. He pulled away from her after a moment and stared down into his mug of coffee. Vi frowned and dropped her hand to her side. “What is it?”

Glen would only shake his head. And he was saved from more questions by Josie thundering her way down the stairs. Vi cast one more worried glance at Glen before turning to make the pancakes she now no longer felt like eating.

The odd aloofness lasted all day. Every time Vi saw Glen, he avoided her. She caught him looking at her thoughtfully a few times, but he would look elsewhere if he noticed her noticing him. It made her feel jumpy. Luckily she had Ray to keep her occupied. He was packing his things and she helped after checking in on the two dogs she was caring for at her office. Josie had been upset, but it had only lasted a day. She understood why Ray wanted to move on, and was happy for him overall. And since he was still almost within shouting distance, letting him go was easier than any of them had thought.

Glen showed up to help Ray move his things. He looked more tired than he had that morning, and unhappy in a way Vi could not define. She resisted the urge to ask if he were all right again, because once more he spent his time avoiding her in every way possible short of telling her to get lost.

All she could figure was that he was mad they hadn’t had another chance to be alone. It wasn’t for lack of trying. She hadn’t done anything too obvious, but it was hard to have a secretive sexual relationship when a person had so many other things to balance. Her practice, the ranch, Josie, Ray moving. It just seemed like the past 2 weeks had been all go and no pause. There had been no time alone.

She would have to remedy that. If only because she wanted the chance to tell him that things would not always be so crazy around their house, and that she had not changed her mind. In fact, Josie was going to spend the night with Grace so the two girls could have what they called an all night horror movie marathon. Vi thought it was more Josie wanting to be gone so she would not have to see her beloved grandfather moving out. She put on a brave face but Vi knew it would take some getting used to.

So she fully expected to spend that night alone with Glen. And she was surprised when she found out, through another ranch hand, that he was going to be going out with Rob and Rebecca. Vi didn’t ask for details but sort of figured it had to do with their friend that Glen had gone out with. Amanda had returned for another weekend and Vi knew she’d called Glen on several occasions over the past few weeks – at first angry that he’d blown her off, then pouting to get together again. He had not even pretended to be interested. So yes, him going out with her again, when he knew full well that they could spend some time alone, did come as a surprise.

The only other words she spoke to him that day were just before he left to take the last of Ray’s things to his new place. Vi had walked onto the front porch as he was putting the last of the boxes onto the back of the truck. He’d glanced at her and his expression – a mix of emotions that defied her ability to interpret – had her looking at him in concern again.

“What’s wrong?” She asked again, not expecting an answer. It would fit the pattern of the day.

Glen went back to not meeting her eyes. “Nothin’. Just tired.”

Vi raised an eyebrow at that. If he was so tired why would he be going out on the town? She told herself it wasn’t jealousy that made her ask that. More like curiosity of the odd behavior he’d been exhibiting that day. She didn’t say another word. Instead she gave him one last long look before turning to go back inside. She heard the noise of the truck engine fade away a few moments later.

The house was way too quiet. She knew that Glen would be back, since he would want a shower and a change of clothes before going out. But since he was acting so damn weird that day, she couldn’t count on even that happening. She went to the kitchen, eyed the chicken she’d set in marinade that morning, and figured she’d just make the whole thing as planned. She could eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. She wasn’t a fan of cooking for one. Her eye fell on one of Ray’s notes, one that asked about the burned remains of the original house. Vi had been putting it off again of course. She did not have to look at it every day so she could afford to. But at least calling around for information would occupy a few minutes of her afternoon.

She pulled the phone book out of the drawer and wondered who exactly she should call. Steve? He would know who could help clean up the remains. She idly flipped the pages and reached for the phone. As she dialed Steve’s number, her eye fell on a familiar name. While they hadn’t gotten together for another dinner, Mark had called her a couple of times over the past few weeks. Once he wanted to know if she and Josie were interested in joining him for dinner. Vi had declined because she and Josie would be spending the day out shopping. The second time had actually been Drew, calling to shyly ask if he could speak to Josie. She tried not to make too many comments about how very adorable that was after Josie had put down the phone.

Hell, what could it hurt? Mark was a contractor, and Vi realized that she hadn’t heard from Steve since Josie’s birthday party. She’d been so caught up in her own things that she had completely forgotten that Steve and Jess had been in labor, and that the baby was probably already here. She would definitely have to make up for that – and figured that the next day would be a good day to get some visiting done.

So she dialed Mark’s number instead. It was Friday afternoon, and nearing on 3, so she fully expected no answer. She got surprised again when he picked up the phone himself.

“Secretary go home for the day?” She asked with a smile after saying their hellos.

“Secretary? I am the secretary around here.” He sounded amused. “What can I help you with?”

She didn’t need much more invitation than that. Vi quickly explained exactly why she was calling, thinking he would know somebody who could deal with her little problem. He listened and was quiet for just a moment before speaking.

“I can take care of that.”

“You don’t have to. I just thought maybe you know of a place that does those clean-ups after a fire or…”

“I do. That would be us.” He sounded amused again. But also a bit sad. Vi knew that not many people would pick up that sad vibe from him, but she knew it well. “When do you want me to come check it out? I’ll need to poke around and see how many people I’m going to need to do the real work.”

“Well. Whenever you want.” Vi said, thinking it over. It wasn’t like she had anything pressing going on.

“I’m going to be dropping Drew off at school at five-thirty. The football team is takin’ a trip to see the spring training camp.” She heard the sound of papers shuffling. “I could drop in after that, if it’s not too late. It shouldn’t take too long either. Not just lookin’ the place over.”

Vi thought it over. Hell, why not? It wasn’t like she would be busy. “That would be fine, as long as you aren’t put out – if you had plans or…” She trailed off, leaving it hanging. It would not have surprised her. Mark was a good looking guy after all, and even if he was still mourning his wife she didn’t expect that would stop him from being social when the mood took him.

“Nah. House is too damn quiet when Drew’s not in it. So I’d rather be out and about. I’ll see you around six?”

“Ok.” Vi smiled and said goodbye before hanging up the phone. That was another thing she could check off her list of things to do she supposed. Ray would be proud. And at least it would give her somebody to hang out with for a bit. She smiled ruefully. How very sad that thought made her - she practically had to hire someone to spend an hour in her company. It was ridiculous; she had a feeling that she could have just as easily called Mark and asked him to dinner and he’d have been just as agreeable.

The rest of the afternoon went exactly as she had predicted. Glen returned and haltingly told her about going out with his friends again. Vi already knew that but he didn’t know she knew. She was in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, when he explained his plans. She smiled and told him to have a good time. Obviously there was something in her voice because he frowned in concern. It was an odd switch after the way he’d been acting all day.

In the end he went upstairs to get ready. He was meeting Rob at the bunkhouse and they’d be leaving from there. Vi once again had a big empty house to herself. She sighed and finished prepping her dinner, the potatoes sliced and boiling, her chicken in the oven roasting slowly. She was in the middle of mixing a salad when the phone rang, startlingly loud in the quiet house. Even Bridger was making himself scarce these days, spending more time outside roaming now that it was warm again.

She picked up the phone and saw a number she did not recognize. With a sigh she answered. “Hello?”

“Vivian…” Glen’s voice. He sounded upset. And annoyed. It was funny how much she could pick up from just the sound of her name.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “Whatever it is, tell me so we can figure it out.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been acting like an ass today and I…I just…” He stumbled for a moment. “I had a rough night. Bad dreams. And I guess I was just processing it.”

Vi sat down, concern stamped on her features. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I would have helped…you know that. If anybody knows about nightmares, it’s me.”

“I know. I didn’t want to bother you though. Gotta eventually learn how to work through stuff on my own.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He hesitated, and in the background Vi could hear the sound of female laughter and water splashing. “I don’t remember much.”

Vi raised an eyebrow, because she could hear the lie in his voice. But why would he lie about something like a bad dream?

“I just don’t need to be taking it out on you. I’m sorry. I…wanted to stay there with you tonight; I really did but…maybe its better right now if I don’t.”

“What are you talking about?” Vi asked softly. She had thought he was too busy ignoring her to notice the fact that she’d be all alone, and now she knew he had noticed. Noticed and decided that he didn’t want to be around her.

“I can’t explain. Not in a way that won’t freak you out, or scare you.” Glen said with evident sorrow. “And even if it doesn’t, it scares me.”

“You’re scaring me now.” Vi pointed out with a shaky laugh. Nervous laughter – how she hated it.

“I’m sorry, Vivian. I really am. I want to be with you, you can’t even imagine how much I want to be with you. But I can’t. I don’t trust myself right now.”

“Glen…”

“I have to go. I don’t know what time I’ll be home…but maybe tomorrow will be better. And we can talk then. All right?” He spoke right over her quiet protest. Vi could do nothing but agree with him. He said goodbye and hung up before she could really digest what he’d said.

12

Mark showed up right at 6. All of the food was ready, so Vi set it in the oven to keep warm while she walked with him out to the burned foundation. If he noticed she was not as talkative as usual, or generally bummed out, he didn’t press her on it.

She stopped by the swing in the yard, not wanting to go any closer. Vi had a feeling that no matter how cleaned up and redone this portion of the land was she would never fully get over what had happened here. Mark didn’t force that issue either. He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and went toward the blackened rectangle.

“Be careful – there’s a basement.” Vi called after him. She wouldn’t walk on what was left of the rubble, because she had actually heard things falling as time wore on and the floors that didn’t burn dropped into the basement. The whole place was sort of spongy feeling as well.

It didn’t seem to bother Mark even though he had to outweigh her by quite a bit. He walked through, peering through cracks and piles of blackened, unrecognizable furniture. He fixated on one spot for what seemed like a ridiculous amount of time, shook his head, and made his way back to her spot by the swing.

“I guess I didn’t realize how bad it was.” Mark spoke softly, turning to look at the ruins one more time. “We can either dig it all out or cave it in and fill it. Depends on how clean you want the spot to be.” He wore a troubled frown on his face. Vi noted it, even in the midst of her own current distraction.

“What’s wrong?” She was getting pretty damn tired of asking that particular question today.

Mark shook his head and lifted an eyebrow. “What was the official cause? Do you know?”

“Electrical fire.” Vi said, suppressing a shudder.

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

He shrugged. “It just looked kind of odd, I guess. But I’m not an expert.”

“What was odd about it?” Vi asked, turning away from the wreckage to look at him.

“I don’t know.” He smiled a bit ruefully. “The basement is burned up too. Maybe when they built the house, fire-breaks weren’t required. I would have to check the code. But that’s not really necessary for what you want to do.”

“What do I do?” Vi asked, refusing to look at the mess again. It just made her feel bad, and it brought up things that should have been laid to rest. “You’re the expert at least in this part, so what do you think?”

“I’d cave it and fill it.” Mark said, eying what was left of the house. “Bring in some fresh top soil and sod maybe. That’s one hell of a view of the property. You might wanna make it a memorial place.”

“A memorial?”

“Yeah. A garden or something. Some benches or another swing…” He must have seen something in her expression because he frowned, concerned again. “If you aren’t ready to do this, don’t do it.” Mark said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“It has to be done.” She took a shaky breath. “Ok. A garden. I can see that. Do you do that too?”

“Not really but I know some guys.” He rubbed her shoulder absently and looked around again. “It wouldn’t take too long to do it. Maybe a week. If you want to do the garden, it’s planting season.”

“Ok.”

“I’ll set you up with the guy I’m thinking. He does landscaping.”

“I would rather not.”

That seemed to surprise him. Mark lifted an eyebrow again. “Well, you should have a say in how it comes out. It’s for your loss…and for the ones who are gone.”

“I trust you. You figure it out. I don’t even want to look at it again until it’s done.”

Mark studied her for what felt like a very long minute. “Ok. If that’s what you want. Shouldn’t take long – a week maybe. I’ll call you on Monday and let you know for sure when we can start.”

“Thank you.” Vi smiled weakly. Now that it was going to get taken care of, instead of relief, she felt sort of sick to her stomach. And she had been so looking forward to her dinner. “So how much will it cost?”

Mark looked thoughtfully back toward the ruins. “Not sure. Have to crunch some numbers.”

At least he wasn’t immediately offering to do it all for free. Vi was grateful he wasn’t going to test her pride on top of her resolve to get this done. She cleared her throat. “So…do you want to stay for dinner?”

His eyebrow went up again. Vi almost smiled for real at that. He had a very expressive face. “I haven’t even started working yet.” He finally said with a smirk.

“Well. This is payback for last time. Plus…I find myself in an empty house with too much food.” Vi started leading him back toward the house. Mark fell into step beside her.

“Yeah. I know that feelin’ all too well.” He still sounded amused. But Vi knew without looking she’d managed to touch a nerve. She should know – it would have bothered her too. “And I’d love dinner. Saves me the trouble of goin’ back to town for a pizza.”

Vi smiled at that. She let him into the house and headed for the kitchen, Mark following behind her and looking around curiously. It only took a few minutes to get everything set out and their plates fixed. Mark sat across the table from Vi and they ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.

“This is really good.” Mark finally commented after swallowing a bite of his chicken.

“Thanks. I made way too much.” Vi smirked and ate a fork full of mashed potatoes.

“Lucky for me.” Mark said with a grin. It was not the slight curve of lips smile that she was used to seeing so for a minute she could just stare at him, once again thinking that he had a very expressive face. He kept himself on a tight rein but she could see flashes of personality that he either reserved for those closest to him or he had forgotten over time how exactly to use. She knew the feeling. Sometimes she felt like laughing was an affront to her memories of Link, because he was no longer able to do so. It might seem an odd way to think, but Vi could not help it. “Thanks for asking me in. I really didn’t want pizza. Actually I was thinkin’ about getting falling down drunk but this is much better.”

“It’s still early. You can always get drunk later.” Vi smiled and took another bite of potato.

“You have a point.” He was looking at her intently. “Is something else wrong? Besides taking care of the other place? Because I keep getting the feeling you’re upset about something.”

Vi shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to go into it. “It’s just been a long day. Ray moved out…I told you when you called that he was shifting to the bunkhouse with the foreman.”

Mark was nodding and studying her closely. Vi would have been uncomfortable had it been anyone else. She didn’t know why it wasn’t bothering her now.

“You sure that’s all it is?” He finally asked.

“I’m sure that’s all I’m going to say about it.” Vi smiled a little. “No offense, but it’s personal. And I don’t feel like talking about it.”

“Ok. Sorry for butting in.” He smiled apologetically. Vi found herself smiling back.

“You didn’t. Much. So how is Drew doing with the football team?” She didn’t even try to be subtle when she changed the subject. He smirked about that but didn’t call her out on it. Instead they spent the rest of dinner talking about the kids, and about Mark’s business and her vet practice. He purposefully avoided the subject of the project she wanted done there on the ranch, because he knew that even if she said she wanted it to happen, it was still a raw nerve.

Mark even helped her wash the dishes after they were done, even though Vi protested it. All in all it was a pleasant evening. It was nearing nine when he decided he’d imposed on her enough and said he would head home. Or rather…

“Guess my beer isn’t gonna drink itself.” Was how he put it, which made her laugh.

“I’d offer you one but I don’t have any around.” Vi said, still smiling. She walked with him out to his truck and stood next to him, looking around. The air was warm after the coolness that morning, and smelled sweet like it usually did after rain.

“You wanna come with me? Maybe grab a drink in town?”

Vi wrinkled her nose. “I’m not much of a public drinker.”

He smirked at that. “Well, I have plenty at the house. You’re more than welcome to come by. I’ll share a little bit.” His smile faded. “Got an anniversary this weekend and I’m glad Drew is outta the house, because he doesn’t like to see me moping. But I don’t mind the company.”

Vi looked at him for a moment, thinking it over. “Anniversary?”

“Yeah. Weekend that changed my life. For a lot of different reasons.” He left it at that but Vi knew it had to do with his wife. Not their wedding, which she had learned had taken place in August, or her death which had been in October.

“I don’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be.” Mark said with a slight smile.

Vi debated with herself. He let her, not speaking, just standing with his hands tucked into his pockets and his eyes turned up toward the stars that were coming out.

“Well. I guess I could go hang out. I can’t drink if I’m driving myself home.”

Mark shrugged. “So stay. I have a guest room. Let’s get hammered. You might need it as much as I do.” As he spoke, his smile got bigger. Vi snickered and shook her head.

“I guess. Since my most pressing plan before your invitation was a hot bath and a book.” She couldn’t believe she was agreeing to this. And agreeing to spend the night? She must have hit her head. No. Actually, she knew she just did not want to be alone. Not after the odd way Glen had been acting, not with Ray moved out and Josie upset and pretending everything was fine.

“I don’t know if I’d be a more exciting alternative but at least I won’t feel like an alcoholic, drinking all by myself.” Mark said with a smirk. “I’ll wait for you while you grab what you need.”

Vi shook her head and went back inside the house. Even as she was thinking about how crazy it was she pulled a small overnight bag from her closet and put in some pajamas and jeans and a t-shirt for the morning. She added her brush and toothbrush and figured that would do her for a 12 hour sleepover. The thought made her smile as she went down the stairs. She paused for a moment at the entrance to the kitchen, looking at the notepad on the counter. She was going to leave a note, but the odd way Glen had acted…and his even odder phone call…replayed through her mind. She sighed and left, figuring she was old enough to not have to inform anybody of her social life.

Twenty minutes later, she parked her SUV behind Mark’s truck and got out, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Just being away from the house made her feel as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders. It wasn’t long after that they were sitting on the deck in the back, each of them with a bottle of beer. Again they had one of those companionable silences, for which Vi was grateful. Sometimes talking was overrated.

Eventually they did talk. Vi kept the conversation light though, because she sensed it would not take much to tip either of them over into the sadder memories they were both trying to avoid. She did note that Mark had not been joking – he was drinking two beers to each one of hers, and on occasion took a shot from a bottle of bourbon that he had brought out with them. Of course he was bigger than she was, and Vi was not much of a drinker to begin with, so she got tipsy faster. Two shots of his bourbon and her head swam pleasantly. It was nice to feel giddy, even if it wasn’t real and the feeling was just the result of impaired thinking.

It was just past one in the morning when she decided she was done drinking. Mark was still sipping his beer. If she hadn’t seen the amount of liquor he had ingested over the last few hours, she would have thought he was sober. He hid it well. But he was more relaxed, and did tell a few of his funnier on-the-job construction stories.

Vi had been staring rather fixatedly at the water of the swimming pool. He had turned on a set of rope lights that ran the length of the pool on either side. The water was completely still because the night was windless. Mark watched her watching the pool, and when she finally noticed him looking at her he gestured at the water with his bottle.

“You can swim if you wanna. Water’s heated. It’s not gonna be warm but your heart won’t stop if you jump in.”

Vi smiled at that. “I didn’t think to grab a bathing suit.”

Mark shrugged at that. “Can’t help ya there. I might have a pair of trunks you could wear.” That made him grin again. It made him look practically boyish. “Be kinda funny to see you try to wear ‘em though. They might not be your size.”

She shook her head. And regretted it. It made her feel dizzy. But that was not a bad feeling at all. She stood up and felt the alcohol hit her full force. She swayed for a moment and laughed at herself. “I don’t know if getting into some water would be the smartest thing in the world at the moment.”

“I wouldn’t let ya drown.” The alcohol made Mark drawl his words. It was the only real difference she could hear in his voice.

“Well…” She looked down and snagged a finger into the collar of her t-shirt. Mark chuckled as she studied the bra she’d put on earlier that day. It was black, and not see-through lace. Just a plain black bra. And matching underwear. “You have to promise not to look though.” She said, tugging her shirt over her head without waiting for him to promise her anything.

“How am I supposed to be a lifeguard if I don’t look?” He asked, even as he averted his eyes. Vi kicked her shoes off and pushed her jeans off her hips, taking them and her socks off at the same time. It wasn’t like she was naked – her underwear was practically modest, and didn’t show off anything that wouldn’t be showing if she were wearing a bikini.

“I guess I can’t argue with your logic.” She finally said, smiling when he shot her a glance. He had a smirk on his lips too. “Are you gonna get in the water too?” Vi asked as she headed for the steps that would lead to the patio and the pool beyond.

“If you’ll wait seven seconds so I can go put on some shorts.” He said, eying her in the dim light from the pool. “I can turn on some more lights too.” He set his bottle down and got up but Vi was shaking her head.

“Leave them off. I wanna look at the stars.” She said softly.

He nodded and turned toward the house. It took longer than seven seconds. Vi was busy, swaying, humming under her breath. She could not remember the last time she had felt so lightweight, and so mind-numbingly relaxed.

Mark finally came back outside. He had stopped to grab a few towels on his way out. He handed one to Vi, and she immediately tossed it onto the chair she’d recently vacated. She was looking at him with interest. He had a lot of tattoos, on his arms and his stomach. And he wasn’t too hard on the eyes, which was nice. Especially in her current state of inebriation.

He was right about one thing. The water was definitely not warm. Vi used the steps and gingerly got in, a little at a time, holding the railing in a death-grip. Eventually she ducked under, deciding to just get the worst of it over with. After that, swimming around was pretty easy. As she adjusted to the water it started to feel warm, and she floated on her back looking up at the stars.

Mark swam out to the deep end and back, then to the side where he’d set his bottle of beer. He took a sip and eyed his guest as she smiled to herself. “Happy thoughts?” He asked, setting the bottle down and wading toward her.

“No thoughts at all. It’s kind of nice.” Vi let her legs drop and stood up, every move exaggerated by the water. Her balance was off. It was pretty funny. “I don’t think I’ve been this drunk since my freshman year of college when I refused to let some boy win a drinking contest.” She admitted, laughing.

Mark grinned again. “You deserve it every now and then.”

Vi moved her hands through the water, letting it slip between her fingers. “Can I ask you something? Personal?”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “How personal?”

“I just wondered...how long after…how long did you…” She couldn’t seem to form the words. He figured that wasn’t just the alcohol talking.

“How long did I what?” He asked, reaching out and cupping her elbow as she swayed again. Vi smiled and let herself be led toward the side of the pool. Her arms were getting cold again so she pulled Mark with her into deeper water. She could touch the bottom and keep her chin out of the water if she was on her tip toes. She felt weightless again.

“How long did you wait…after your wife…before you had…” Vi haltingly spit it out. Most of it. But he figured out what she was getting at way before she could make herself just ask it.

“Ah.” He pushed a hand back through his hair and made a face. “I dunno. A couple of years?” He snorted. “Or three or four. I don’t remember. I know it was a while and I know I felt guilty as hell when it happened. Just a one-night stand.”

Vi nodded and looked up at the stars. “Nothing…serious?”

He hesitated a moment. “No. Nothing.” Mark was studying her again. This close to the edge, the rope lights lit her face pretty well. She looked sad again. “Just…a night every now and then. And not even a whole night. If you get what I mean.”

She smiled. “Yeah. I get it.”

“Have you?” He asked, curious since she’d brought it up. Vi looked at him and for a moment there was such a confusing mix of emotion on her face he thought he had insulted her somehow.

“Have I…slept with somebody?” She asked, able to finally say it.

Mark nodded and smiled. “Feel free to not answer if you don’t want to. But why do you ask?”

“I…” Vi finally reached over and grabbed the edge of the pool. She used it to hold her body up so she wouldn’t have to keep hopping on the bottom. “There was one time. And at the time it felt right, but now…I don’t know.”

“Well, at the time was at the time. Now is now.” Mark shrugged.

Vi huffed an odd sounding laugh. Her at the time technically was still now. It had only been a couple of weeks. The mixed signals and the strange phone call…was Glen trying to scare her off? Did he decide that he’d satisfied his curiosity about her enough and now he was trying to find a way to fob her off without hurting her feelings by making her worry she was causing him some kind of distress?

Her head hurt from thinking so much about it.

“Easy for you to say.” Vi managed to finally get out.

“What’s the matter?” Mark stepped closer to her and reached out to touch her shoulder. “Is that why you’re having a rough time now? Something happened and you’re feeling guilty?” At her unsure nod, he smiled a little and let his fingers slip over her damp skin. “Believe me, I have been there. And I’m still there sometimes. But for a little while it’s nice to be close to somebody again. Even if it means second-guessing ourselves for a while after.”

Vi looked at him again, and found him studying her closely. “Does it ever get any easier?”

He smiled a bit sadly. “I’ve been told it does.”

She nodded and pushed away from the wall, swimming across to the other side of the pool without another word. Mark watched her, a thoughtful look on his face. He ducked under the water and swam to where Vi had stopped against the far wall. When he came up for air he was right in front of her. She laughed at that, because she’d been so lost in her own thoughts she had not noticed him swim toward her. Mark blinked water out of his eyes and stared at her intently.

He ducked his head. Vi felt her breath catch in her throat as his mouth drew closer to her own. He stopped, not even an inch separating them, so close she could smell the light scent of the cologne he wore and the sweeter scent of the alcohol he’d been drinking. She fought the urge to lick her lips and closed her eyes, fully expecting his mouth to cover hers.

It didn’t happen.

She opened her eyes after a moment to find he was still there, as if halted by an invisible wall. He was looking at her through half-open eyes and it made her feel weak at the knees.

But instead of closing that tiny gap, Mark pulled back. He had a look on his face that she could only interpret as confusion.

Vi remembered to breathe again. It was shaky, but she managed. He had almost kissed her. And she would have let him. Did she want him to? Maybe. She did not know. Was it smart? Probably not. Especially not with Glen in the back of her mind. And it didn’t help matters that she felt an attraction toward Mark. It had started as finding someone who could understand her grief. And it was still that, it was still the fact that he could understand exactly what she was dealing with.

Confused, Vi finally waded to the shallow end and climbed out of the pool without saying a word. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her shoulders, shivering. Mark eventually followed her, snagging his empty beer bottle on the way back onto the deck. He dried off absently, mindless of the cool night air.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower.” Vi said. Mark nodded and watched as she disappeared into the house.

Thirty minutes later she was dried off, washed, and ready for bed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. Mark had showed her the room she’d be using and she went inside and tried to settle down. She heard his shower cut off after she stretched out on the bed, and the creak of floorboards as he moved around to get ready for bed.

Eventually it got quiet. Vi lay awake, staring at the ceiling, unable to easily fall asleep in a strange place. She wanted to stop thinking about what had almost happened in the pool, wanted to stop thinking about Glen’s behavior, wanted to stop thinking period. Her buzz was definitely gone.

An hour passed. Still no closer to sleep she kicked the blankets off and got up. Mark’s room was right across the hall and the door was closed so she knocked softly.

“C’mon in.” He kept his voice low, but he did not sound as if he had been sleeping. Vi opened the door and her eyes adjusted to the dark slowly. Mark was in bed, his hands behind his head, sprawled across a king-sized bed. “What’s wrong?” His voice was all concern as she walked across the room.

“I can’t sleep.” Vi felt him grope for her hand and she wrapped her fingers around his and let him pull her onto the bed. “Strange place, strange bed, and I think the alcohol is making me hyper.”

Mark chuckled at that. “That would be a first. You wanna sleep in here?”

Vi hesitated for a moment before answering. “I don’t want you to think that…”

Mark didn’t let her finish. He pulled her down until she was lying on the bed next to him, still holding onto her hand. “Not thinkin’ anything. Except that it’s kind of nice not just listening to myself think for a while.” He shifted, and she felt him pulling the blanket up over her.

“The worst part is sleeping alone.” She said softly with a yawn.

Mark knew that all too well. He held her hand and listened as her breathing evened out and slowed. He finally closed his eyes and followed her lead, soothed by the sounds of Vi sleeping.

13

When Rob was ready to take Glen home, he had no reason to want to hang around. It wasn’t like he could tell the other man about his odd fear of doing something to Vivian that he would regret. Even to himself it was crazy, this fear caused by a stupid dream that was probably brought on by too much working in the sun and too much daydreaming about her when he had a moment to himself.

Staying with Rob meant he’d have to deal with Amanda, and she was still being her forward self. She gave him looks and barely veiled innuendo that even he had trouble pretending not to notice. He did not want her though, that was the problem. It was making him even more confused than when he started. And it had been a hell of a day, when every time he saw Vivian or she asked him what was wrong, his body would react in ways that were way beyond what just looking at a woman should have done.

And it was just Vivian. For all of Amanda’s overtures, and “accidental” brushes against his arm or side, he felt nothing. Oh, he had a feeling if he had to he could use her and get a release, but other than that? She might as well have been an extension of his hand. Relief without satisfaction.

He was just going to have to deal with it. Rob dropped him off and Glen noticed immediately that Vivian’s SUV was not there. He raised an eyebrow and let himself into the house. It was completely quiet. He stopped in the kitchen and got a drink of water, glancing at the notepad. There was nothing there. It was late. He wondered if maybe something had happened to Ray or Josie…

But she would have left a note. So maybe something had come up with one of the animals or hell – maybe she’d gotten tired of being alone and she’d gone out. If he hadn’t felt so damn out of sorts all day he would have taken her out. He went slowly up the stairs, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming. He took a shower to once again get the smell of Amanda’s perfume off of him and went to bed, not bothering with pajamas. Hell, he was lucky he managed to dry himself off. He was completely exhausted.

When he woke up it was nearly ten in the morning. After weeks of getting up before the sun, sleeping in so late made him feel especially slow and tired.

At least there hadn’t been any crazy dreams. None that he could remember, anyway. And even though his head was still aching and his neck and shoulders were sore, he felt much better than he had the day before. He gathered his things and stepped into the hallway, meaning to take a hot shower to work out some of the kinks. And he heard a noise from downstairs. And the sound of Vivian’s voice as she spoke, apparently on the phone. He couldn’t hear what she was saying but something inside him relaxed at hearing her.

Fifteen minutes later he toweled off and got dressed, raking a comb through his hair, before heading down the stairs. Vivian was not on the phone – it was quiet except for the sounds of pans being moved and the hiss of water in the sink. He paused in the doorway and watched Vivian for a moment. She didn’t notice him yet, she was concentrating on mixing some eggs and keeping an eye on the stove where she had bacon cooking. So she’d slept in as well. It made him smile. And feel horrible for how he’d acted the day before.

Vivian turned a little and saw him there and jumped, raising a hand to press against her chest. “You scared the hell out of me!”

“Sorry.” Glen was still smirking. He hadn’t been trying to sneak up on her.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” Vivian asked, smiling a little and turning back to the food she was cooking.

“No. I just got up.”

“Must be a sleep in kind of day.” Vivian observed, transferring the bacon that was done onto a plate that was covered by a paper towel to catch the grease.

Glen went to the fridge and helped himself to a tall glass of orange juice. He poured one for Vivian too and she smiled at him before taking a sip.

“You look better today.” She observed as he took a seat. Glen shrugged.

“I’m sorry. About yesterday and how I was acting…” He trailed off. “Stupid dream. I felt off all day.”

“You were off all day.” Vivian agreed, pouring the eggs into the pan her bacon had been in. “And you don’t have to apologize. Everybody has those days.”

Glen smiled grimly. “Yeah. But I…” He sighed, unable to really complete the thought. What could he say? Vivian had just said an apology was not necessary but he got the distinct feeling she was still upset – she was just hiding it. “I took it out on you and you don’t deserve that. You deserve way better than that.”

Vivian glanced at him over her shoulder. “Did you remember something? Is that what it was?”

Glen shook his head. “I wish. Just…it was a bad dream…and you were in it. And it just left me feeling weird all damn day.”

Vivian turned away from her eggs to really look at him. “You could have told me. You could have gotten me up and I would have talked it out with you.”

“I know. Like I said…I didn’t want to bother you.”

“I would rather be bothered. Seriously.” She smiled. “Sometimes it’s better to just get that kinda thing out in the open and not let it sit and fester.”

“Yeah.” Glen sighed and dragged a hand through his still-damp hair. “Well. Today is better. I slept like a rock last night.”

“Good. You needed it.” She turned and stirred the eggs once more before putting them on the plate with the bacon. She’d made toast as well. She brought everything to the table and they were quiet while they fixed their plates.

“So…” Glen began after taking his first bite. “What time is Josie coming back today?”

Vivian smirked. “Six. Tomorrow night.” She laughed at Glen’s raised eyebrow. “They’re going to the drive-in tonight. The idea is apparently just intriguing enough to make Josie pass up on hauling the grill out of storage and eating some ribs.”

Glen smiled at that. Hopefully this would be a chance to make up for being such a jerk the day before. Instead of saying that though, he picked up his fork and resumed eating.

Vi did the same, although to be honest she wasn’t really that hungry.

She’d woken up at eight that morning, expecting a hangover but actually feeling pretty darn good for somebody who had been drunk just a few hours before. Mark had scooted up to her back and he had an arm over her waist and his face was pressed up against the back of her neck. It had been his breath moving her hair and tickling her neck that had pulled her out of a deep sleep.

She had stretched and that was what had woken Mark up. He didn’t sound as sluggish as she would have expected given the amount of liquor he’d put away. He offered to cook her breakfast and she had been tempted – but she’d also thought that Josie would be home before noon. So they’d laid in bed talking for a little bit. And Vi hadn’t complained when Mark pulled her up against his side with her head on his shoulder. They spent about an hour waking up all the way, and then Vi got up and got dressed. Mark gave her a one-armed hug and one of those rare grins when she said her goodbyes, and that was it. She’d had a good time all things considered, and she hoped that she’d taken his mind off of some of his worries for a bit as well.

“So what do you have planned for the day?” She asked, wanting to just drop what had happened and move on. If he’d had a dream, and it had bothered him, Glen seemed fine now. And Vi had to remind herself that it wasn’t like he had past experience to draw on. His past being a blank meant that these things were happening pretty much for the first time.

“Nothing. I guess.” Glen shrugged and smiled ruefully. Sometimes on Saturdays he worked, but there wasn’t really anything going on around the ranch. The next week there’d be painting to do including the barns, bunkhouses, and fences. This weekend was sort of the calm before the storm.

“Oh. I figured you might go out with your friends again.” Vi said with a half-smile.

Glen grimaced. “I don’t know what Rob is doing, and I don’t think I care. I only went last night to be nice. And…to be honest, Vivian, I wanted to get out of the house for a while. I needed to think.” He sighed heavily. “Am I going too far out on a limb by saying you probably needed time away too? Because you weren’t here when I got home…”

Vi raised an eyebrow. She figured that was his roundabout way of asking where she had been the night before. She did not know why she wanted to keep it to herself. It wasn’t like anything had happened. But her reply was only honest in the most basic sense. “I spent the night with a friend. Since nobody was here, and I got offered a chance to unwind.”

If he sensed an evasion in her answer, Glen did not point it out. He only nodded with a pained expression on his face. “Well – I really don’t want to waste today like I wasted yesterday. Do you want to go out and do something? Or…I don’t know. Watch movies?”

Vi smiled. “Well I was going to go out and lay in the sun for a while. You are free to join me if that’s not the most boring sounding thing in the world. And maybe later we can do dinner and movies and popcorn?” She made the last a question.

Glen smiled at that. “I’d like that. Even the laying in the sun part.”

And overall that was exactly what they did. Vi kept things on a light note, not letting either of them get too serious through the day. There were a few times when it was hard. The first was when Glen spread lotion on her back. It felt so nice that Vi practically purred. And he was being very touchy-feely throughout the day. In other words…he was acting more like the man she’d gotten to know over the past few months and nothing at all like the oddly morose guy who’d made her so uncomfortable the day before.

After dinner they started watching a movie. About halfway thought Vi noticed Glen rubbing the back of his neck with a wince on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Slept weird?” He was sitting on the couch and Vi on the floor. She looked at him with a frown.

“Is your head hurting too?” She saw the way he kept squinting his eyes at the TV.

“A little bit.” Glen sighed and rolled his neck on his shoulders. “It was all right when I was up and moving around. I might have to call it an early night.”

“I have aspirin if you want…” Vi got up and went to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle. She also got him a glass of cold water. He smiled gratefully at her when she handed them over. And instead of getting back on the floor she gestured to him to slide off the couch. “You sit and I’ll rub your neck. I don’t know if it’ll help but it’s worth a shot.”

Glen smirked at that and made himself comfortable on the floor with his back against the couch. Vi watched him take a few of the aspirin then took the bottle and glass back to the kitchen. She came back with a small tube of lotion in her hand. She sat down and got behind him with her legs on either side of him. And then she eyed his shirt.

“You could make this easy on both of us if you’d strip about half your clothes off.” Vi said with a snicker. Glen glanced over his shoulder with a smirk and tugged the shirt over his head. She got an eyeful of his broad back and muscular shoulders and mentally fanned herself. He had been in great shape when she’d found him. Working around the ranch had toned him up quite a bit more.

Vi shook her head and poured some lotion into her hand then rubbed her palms together to warm it. She started with her fingertips against his neck, rubbing lightly, applying more pressure as she worked the lotion in. She felt him relax bit by bit as she kneaded his shoulders and neck, working her way up, her fingers slipping into his hair to massage the base of his skull.

The entire movie passed with Vi rubbing his neck and shoulders with half of her attention on the TV, the other on the big guy in front of her. Every now and then he would moan softly, which to her meant she was doing something right. It made her smile at any rate. Even as she enjoyed the silken glide of her fingers across his smooth skin, she knew that this was about as physical as they would be getting. As attractive as she found him, she knew that it had been a mistake that first time no matter how utterly mind blowing it had been.

She liked a mystery as much as the next person and she was as attracted to Glen for his mysterious past as she was to him physically. And she’d been an idiot. The day before had proven it. He had scared her, and she wasn’t sure exactly why she was scared, or even why she should feel that way. And she had a feeling that it did have to do with his past. Either he had dreamed something that had happened and had somehow gotten her mixed into it, or….

Hell. She didn’t know. What she knew was that she could not let her guard down again, not that way. The real problem was she did want him, but Vi was not sure it was Glen she wanted, or just the sexual contact. He had awakened urges in her that had been dormant for a long time. She was so confused about everything, more confused than at any other time in her life.

Lost in thought she didn’t notice the movie end. By that time it was nearly 11 at night, and the house was mostly dark. They hadn’t bothered with lights. Glen shut the television off but didn’t move away from where Vi was stroking his shoulders again for a few more minutes.

“Thank you, Vivian.” He finally said, reaching up and touching her hand with one of his. Vi smiled and shook her head.

“Better?”

“Lots. You want a drink?” He got to his feet, using the couch to leverage himself up.

“No. Thanks though.” Vi watched as he disappeared into the kitchen with a troubled look on her features. She got up finally and put the DVD back into its case. She popped in the second movie and turned to find that Glen was sitting on the couch again. She sat down and pressed play for the second movie.

He was obviously not interested in watching it. Vi felt him move and turned to see that he’d slid over next to her. Glen ducked his head and kissed her, a bit hesitantly, raising a hand to stroke his fingers across her chin.

Vi went against everything she had been thinking and kissed him back. It just happened, that response, and it felt good. It was nice to be wanted, and it was nice to feel his mouth against hers and his fingers touching her skin.

Glen let his hand drift lower, his fingers tracing a line down her throat. He tilted his head and angled his mouth across her, deepening the kiss as his fingers found the top button of the shirt she’d put on. He tugged and the button opened, giving his fingers room to trace the warm smooth skin of her chest.

Vi would have given in and gone as far as he wanted to go. Except that reserved part of herself, the part that was usually sensible and cautious, finally piped up and reminded her that this was not something she could do. Not right now. Not if she wanted to be able to look at herself in a mirror in the morning.

She put her hands against his chest and gently pushed him back, breaking the kiss, trying to catch her breath.

Glen backed off willingly enough, unable to fully hide the confusion he felt at being rebuffed.

“Glen…” Vi’s voice sounded husky to her own ears. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I can’t. Not right now. I thought…yesterday…I would have. But I don’t feel right about it tonight.”

He looked at her for what felt like an eternity, his expression unchanged. Finally he sighed and raked a hand back through his hair. “I’m sorry. I should have figured you’d want your space after the way I was acting.”

Vi raised an eyebrow at that. Because he didn’t sound like he meant the apology. Even more – he sounded a bit angry. It was in the way he clipped his words.

“Don’t be mad at me. Please. I just…you were acting so weird and I…” Vi cut herself off for a moment and buttoned her shirt once more. “I don’t know enough about you. And you aren’t telling me everything. So even though you don’t have your entire past to share, you’re already hiding things from me. And I don’t particularly care for it.”

“If you knew, you’d probably be even more worried about it.” He said, sounding tired. He rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But I promise you, I only don’t want to talk about it because I honestly do not want to go through it again. It was bad enough the first time. But it was just a dream.”

He sounded more like his normal, soft-spoken self. Vi sighed, a bit relieved. “I don’t want you to think that I’m not attracted to you. Because I am.” She admitted. “But I told you, it’s been a long time for me. And this is not what I would call a normal re-introduction to relationships.”

Glen chuckled a bit at that. “Yeah.” He looked at her and reached over to rub his knuckles along her jaw. “I won’t pretend that I don’t want you. I don’t think I could do that. But I can wait until you’re ready.”

“Thank you.” Vi smiled weakly. “For now I think I’ll go to bed. I’m still a little tired. I was up late last night.”

Glen nodded thoughtfully and watched as she left the room. He wasn’t remotely tired. But he no longer had an interest in the movie that played on the television.

Vi tugged on a nightshirt and crawled into bed, just a little tired but a whole lot confused. She’d had time to think about their first time together, and time to beat herself up over why she’d done it, and that was one of the big problems. As nice as Glen was, as attractive, as overall sweet she could never really know him. Not until they figured out who he was and where he’d come from. And it did not help matters in the least that she’d met another guy in the midst of all of this and that she found herself attracted to that guy for completely different reasons.

She drifted off finally but she didn’t rest well. She was restless. And just when she finally got into a comfortable spot and her sleep deepened, she felt hands touching her. Vi thought she was dreaming it, that her tired mind had been going over and over this so much that it had followed her into sleep. And she enjoyed it for a moment, feeling big hands slide over her body, touching her. She murmured in her sleep as a hand closed over her breast and squeezed. A hot wet mouth closed over her nipple moments later making her moan softly.

Vi convinced herself it was a dream right up to the moment when she felt fingers sliding under the material of her panties and pressing into her center, long fingers that stroked her clit and dipped lower. Her eyes fluttered open as her hips rocked against those fingers without her controlling them. The small nightlight had either burned out or was not working because it was completely dark. She blinked a few times and made out the big man who was stroking her clit and moving so he was on his knees between her legs.

“Glen?” Vi felt groggy and disoriented. She tried to scoot back but he had her hip and was holding still. She noted rather belatedly that she was no longer wearing her panties and that her pajamas were pushed up to her chin. Apparently she’d been sleeping deeper than she’d thought. And his fingers were doing things to her that made thinking very hard.

He didn’t answer her. It was like she hadn’t spoken. He kept on rubbing her clit, holding her down easily with his free hand. He leaned down, using his weight to pin her so his hand was free, groaning a little as her bare chest touched his. Vi felt him shift and felt the hard outline of his cock through the shorts he was wearing against her thigh. At least he still had some clothes on.

Unfortunately he was so heavy that she could not really move. And she couldn’t even pull in a deep breath. “Glen…” She panted his name out, not meaning for it to come out sounding as husky as it did. “I can’t…not here…” It dawned on her that she was in her bed. The bed she had told him specifically that she would not do this with him in.

He still didn’t answer. His mouth latched onto the skin of her shoulder and he sucked while his fingers dipped lower. Vi tried to clamp her muscles down but she might as well have done nothing. He slid a finger easily inside her, then added a second one, his thumb rotating against her clit in small circles.

As scared as she was – had she not told him that this was not going to happen? – Vi felt the familiar coil of heat through her stomach, the tightening of her thigh muscles. She actually fought back against it, trying to ignore the climax that was building. She did not want this. Not now, not here. The thought made her angry, and that helped but apparently her body and her mind were no longer connected as one cooperating thing. She felt Glen close a hand around her breast and his mouth latch onto the skin at the top, sucking harder as his fingers plunged into her over and over. Vi couldn’t help it…she tried to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep in the moan that rose from her throat but found that he had pinned her arms against her sides.

Glen moved slightly and his fingers left her. For a moment. When he touched her again his cock replaced his hand but he did not enter her. He slid the length of his shaft along her slit, rubbing against her clit with the soft skin, making her shake at the sensation. Vi made a noise caught somewhere between a sob and a moan and came, her hips involuntarily arching up to press her clit into closer contact with the throbbing shaft that rubbed her. She heard him grunt in response, and felt his hands clamp down…one on her breast, the other on her hip now, his fingers digging in painfully. He was still sucking on the smooth skin of her upper breast. Her moaning and panting and movements against him were all it took. He came before he ever got close to being inside her, and his teeth closed over her skin at the apex of it.

Vi cried out at the pain of his teeth and his fingernails that dug into her skin. And oddly enough the feel of his spend on her…it caused her stomach to roll in revulsion. She struggled, trying to get out from under him. Glen grunted again as she moved against his now oversensitive cock, but he finally let go of her with his mouth.

“Get…off…of…me.” Vi said it between panted breaths, still not able to suck in enough air because of his weight.

“Vivian?” Glens said it slowly, as if he did not know exactly where he was. She would have laughed. Right. He wanted to pretend he had no clue how he’d gotten into her room?

“Get off me!” She screamed it at him that time, jerking her hips sideways and feeling relief flood her when he went easily enough, backing off to the far side of the bed. Vi pushed with her feet and slid up until she was sitting with her back against the headboard, as far away from him as possible “What the fuck are you doing in here? What…why…?” She was so mad she couldn’t even ask the questions.

“I don’t know. I went to bed. And then I was here.” Glen sounded wounded, upset, and confused all at once.

Vi shakily raised a hand to her breast, the one he’d squeezed. There was a dull ache there, and another on her hip. “I told you…I told you no. Told you not here. Why would you…why…” She still couldn’t get it out. At least not the words. Now tears were spilling from her eyes. She was beyond angry at that point.

“Vivian…” He reached over to touch her shoulder. Vi jerked away like he’d scalded her.

“Get out. Get out of my room.” She said it through clamped teeth.

“I don’t know what…”

“Get out!” She screamed that at him too, knocking away the hand that had paused in trying to touch her.

Glen hesitated and got up slowly. “Vivian I’m sorry. I just…I thought I was dreaming and…”

“Get. Out.”

He went. Reluctantly. Vi followed him but only long enough to slam and lock her bedroom door. She went to the bathroom and winced when she turned the light on. First things first – she cleaned herself up and got the sticky feel of his spend off her lower belly. Her stomach nausea eased as soon as that was done. And then she turned and looked in the mirror. She looked herself over, shocked at the sight of blood trickling down her breast. He’d bitten her hard enough to break the skin.

Not only that. Her hip was also bleeding. Not a lot. Just enough to see where he’d dug his fingernails in. She looked closer and saw the same scratch marks over the breast he had squeezed so hard. It throbbed dully, making her wince. She turned the shower on and got into water as hot as she could stand it.

She scrubbed herself down with soap and rinsed, then scrubbed herself down again. She didn’t know what the hell had just happened, or if it would qualify as some kind of rape type thing but mostly what she felt was anger. At herself. For letting him do that, and for her body betraying her by finding a release in the midst of what he was doing. She did not even realize she was still crying. And shaking. She finally shut the water off and wrapped a towel around her before going into her room. She checked the nightlight and saw that it was on the floor. So she resolutely plugged it in again.

She eyed her door for a moment then went to the chair in the corner. The reading chair. She pushed it and shoved it under her doorknob, not trusting the lock. It was crazy to do it, she knew it but she felt better when it was done.

Vi pulled on fresh panties, a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt. But she didn’t get in bed just yet. First she yanked all the sheets and blankets away to expose the mattress. Then she went to her closet and got fresh bedding out as well, changing everything, even her pillow cases.

She left the bathroom light on. Vi crawled into her bed and pulled her blankets up to her chin and brushed absently at the tears that slid down her cheeks. Sleep was a long time coming, even if she suddenly felt so exhausted she could not move.

She heard Glen moving in the hallway. He did not stop at her door, and he did not bother to ask if she were all right. Instead his footsteps went down the stairs. She heard the sound of the front door being slammed. After a while the faint noise of a vehicle came to her. He had either driven off – maybe around the ranch, or he’d gotten someone to pick him up. Either way. Good. Vi felt herself relax a bit but even that was not enough to make her want to let her guard down with sleep again.

14

Glen took a long swallow from the bottle of bourbon that Amanda handed to him as soon as he got in the truck.

He was angry. Actually angry did not touch what he was. Who the fuck needed somebody like Vivian? She was weak, and she was making him weak in response to it.

He took another drink and handed the bottle to Amanda. She was driving them down a dark country road, her face an odd green in the back-glow of the instrument panel. She took her own shot from the bottle and handed it back. “You sounded like you needed it more than me, hon.” She said with a smirk.

Glen couldn’t argue with that. He drank again, feeling the alcohol burn its way down to his stomach.

“Find a place to park.” He said gruffly, not even looking in her direction. Amanda raised an eyebrow and guided the truck onto a one lane road. She found a spot to pull in between some trees along the side. She shut off the engine and lights and they sat in the dark listening to the engine ticking. She had borrowed Rob’s truck, without really asking to. He was sleeping, and she hadn’t wanted to wake him up.

“Now tell me what’s wrong.” Amanda said, scooting closer.

Glen huffed and drank more bourbon. A part of him – a very tiny, very weak part – wondered just in what the hell he was doing. He liked Vivian. He did…he liked her looks, he liked her intelligence, he liked her way with people and animals and…yes, her way with him. And that part was trying to assert itself, although weakly. Glen once more felt like he was a passenger in his own body.

“Was it your friend? The one you kept blowing me off for?” Now Amanda was running her fingers up his shoulder and neck. “Did she not give you want you wanted?”

“The fuck would you know about what I want?” Glen said sourly, wondering what had gotten into him.

“Big, strong guy like you…you need somebody to take care of you…” Amanda practically purred, not put out by his gruff attitude. In fact, it seemed to excite her. She dropped her hand onto his crotch and rubbed him through the material of his jeans. “You can do whatever you want to me…do anything you want. Anything that she wouldn’t let you do.”

At that Glen turned his head and looked at her. She licked her upper lip and smiled as his eyes followed the movement.

“Do you want to hurt me? Is that it?” Amanda grabbed his hand and pulled it up, putting it against her chest. “Do you want me to pretend I’m her? Will that make it better? Just tell me what she looks like and…”

“No.”

“Oh.” She was momentarily distracted by his voice. Then she smiled and drew his hand upward until his fingers were wrapped around her throat. “Fine then. You can do whatever you want to me. Just tell me what you want.”

Glen rubbed the smooth slim column of her throat thoughtfully as he drank a bit more of the bourbon. “Anything I want?”

“Name it.”

He dropped the bottle and shoved Amanda back, covering her, his hand tightening around her throat. “Fight me off.” He growled out, using his free hand to rip at her clothes. Amanda smiled to herself and did exactly as he ordered her there in the cab of the truck.

Glen blinked and was in his bed, feeling achy, his head pounding. It felt like something fuzzy had crawled into his mouth and died while he slept. Sunlight poured in through the window, making him wince.

He groaned and sat up, blinking at the clock. It was just past eight in the morning. He shook his head and grabbed some clean clothes and headed for the bathroom.

Vivian’s door was shut, which was odd. He glanced at it and had a flash of something, either he had upset her…or…

Glen couldn’t remember. It was weird too because he remembered very clearly sitting with her and Vivian giving him a shoulder rub that nearly put him into a coma, it had felt so nice. And…going to bed? He frowned and shut the door behind him, trying to remember.

He turned on the water and glanced at the mirror. And immediately did a double take.

He had scratches on him. A lot of scratches. Most on his shoulders, a few on his neck, and across his chest and arms. He turned and craned his neck and saw more going down his back.

“What the hell…”

There were other marks as well. A bruise on his neck, and another on his lower stomach. Small, round and…well. Yeah. Probably caused by a mouth sucking a little too hard. Which was strange because he and Vivian had not done anything but watch movies the night before.

He kept telling himself not to freak out. Obviously there was an explanation. He just had to figure it out. He got into the shower and washed off, expecting the scratches to sting. They didn’t. In fact…they did not seem nearly as bad as they had just moments before. By the time he was done in the shower and toweling off the marks had faded until they were barely visible. Except for the bruises. They remained.

He left the bathroom and glanced once more at Vivian’s room. The door was ajar now, and for some reason he got a sense of apprehension just looking at it. She wasn’t in there…at least not in the area he could see through the open door. He headed down the stairs and paused in the doorway to the kitchen.

Vivian was standing at the sink, drinking a glass of orange juice. Her eyes were red and swollen and she looked as if she hadn’t slept well. A concerned frown crossed his features as he stepped into the room.

“Vivian, are you all right?”

Vivian jumped and whirled around, dropping her almost-empty juice glass. Glen caught it, barely, before it could shatter on the floor. His head might be pounding to beat the band but his reflexes were still decent. He set the glass in the sink and eyed her with growing concern as she backed away from him, staying well out of arm’s reach.

Something flashed behind his eyes, something…touching her? Or kissing her? On the couch, yes, he could remember he’d kissed her on the couch when they had started the second movie. But…

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Vivian just looked at him, and he caught something in her eyes…a flash of anger maybe, and something else, something he could not define. It made him feel about three inches tall, whatever it was.

Glen took a step toward her and Vivian backed up, keeping the distance between them the same. “Don’t.” She said. Her voice was hoarse.

“What happened last night? Vivian…”

She laughed. It sounded harsh, as if she were really trying not to cry. “You’re going to act like you don’t remember?” She asked, incredulous.

Glen sank down into a chair and tried to think of anything he could have done…anything at all…but there was nothing. Except for the one thing he did remember. “I kissed you. You rubbed my neck and then I kissed you. And then…then…” He trailed off, frowning again. “I went to bed? We were watching a movie and…” He rubbed his temples, feeling his headache worsening.

“You came to my room.” Vivian said softly. Glen looked up at her and saw she was not even looking in his direction. Instead she stared out the window. “You woke me up…you tried to…you were…”

“I was what? Did I…” Glen swallowed. “Did I hurt you, Vivian?”

She nodded and blinked a few times, and he realized with a sinking stomach that she was trying not to cry. And it made him feel even worse, even if he still remembered nothing.

“God, Vivian. I’m so sorry…I don’t remember anything after the movies and kissing you last night. Hell I don’t even remember getting in bed.” He wanted to go to her and wrap his arms around her but figured she would just run away if he tried it. “What did I…” He trailed off and sighed. That stupid dream from the night before flashed in his mind. “Did I force you? Because…”

Vivian sank down into a chair across from him. She just shook her head as she reached for a napkin that was on the table to wipe her eyes.

“Vivian…” Glen reached out for her and felt like the wind was knocked out of him when she pulled back so he could not even touch her hand. “What did I do?”

“You…you touched me. And…” She hitched in a breath. “I can’t do this. Not anymore. I told you I had one request and that was not in my bedroom. And then you just…after I told you I wasn’t going to sleep with you…you come in while I’m sleeping and…and you touch me…”

“Vivian…”

“And you hurt me…you bit me and you held me down and…” She rattled on very fast, as if saying it quickly would make it hurt less.

“I don’t remember any of this.” Glen said softly, trying to think. “Vivian…what the hell is wrong with me? You know I’d never hurt you. Don’t you?” He asked, a pleading note entering his voice.

“You did.”

Glen bit his lip and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I had that dream and…I bit you?”

Vivian nodded slowly. She was wearing a button down shirt so she undid a few of the buttons and slowly moved the material so he would see the ring of teeth marks he’d left on her. He also saw the edge of a bruise that disappeared under the shirt. His could only sit there with his mouth open as she buttoned up again.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” He finally said in a flat voice. “Vivian…I don’t know how or why I did that. I had a dream. The night before last – and I dreamed I was…hurting you. Biting you. But…then I was…” He was at a loss for words.

“Are you trying to say you maybe sleep-walked into my room, touched me…” She took a shaky breath. “Did things to me. And you don’t remember any of it?”

“I swear to you, Vivian. I don’t.” He cupped his forehead in his hands and leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “Why? Why would I do such a stupid thing?”

Vivian said nothing. She just sat there. He wondered if maybe she were in some kind of shock. His stomach clenched up and he felt ill when he realized that maybe…

“Did I force you, Vivian?” He looked up. Vivian was once more looking out the window. Tears were falling, leaving tracks down her cheeks. “Not just the biting or…or the touching. Did I? Did I actually…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say it.

And Vivian saved him from saying it anyway. She shook her head and sniffled. “You used your hand. And then I…I…you…” She could not seem to continue.

Glen studied her for a moment. “Vivian.”

“You just finished. Not…inside me. You didn’t get there.” She finally said, roughly wiping her tears away. “And then I made you leave. And you left the house.”

“I did?”

At his honestly puzzled question, Vivian finally looked at him. “Are you saying you don’t remember that either?”

“I don’t remember any of this.” He said, meeting her eyes. “We watched a movie. I kissed you. On the couch. Then I’m waking up this morning with a headache and feeling like I got hit by a truck.”

Vivian bit her lower lip and took another one of those shaky, watery breaths. “I meant what I said. Nothing else can happen between us. I can’t. Not after this.”

Glen could only nod his head. “I’m not gonna be able to say ‘I’m sorry’ enough times to make you believe it, am I?”

“For now? No. Because now I feel like I can’t trust you.” She blinked back more tears at that.

“Vivian...do you want me to leave?”

She looked surprised at that. “Leave?”

“I could get a place somewhere else. I’ve got money saved up. Or one of the bunkhouses if you still want me to work around here.” It almost killed him to bring it up. He liked staying here with Vivian, Josie and Ray. It felt like home. “I’ll go if you want me to. Whatever you need to make you feel safe, I’ll do it.”

Vivian sniffled and frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t know. I need to think.” With that she got up and left the kitchen, heading outside to walk. Glen watched out the window until she disappeared over a small rise.

Vi went toward the remains of the original house without even thinking about it. She had to be crazy, to even consider letting Glen stay in her house after the night before. But as much as she hated it, she believed him. He didn’t remember, and he had seemed as repulsed by what had happened as she was. But he wasn’t the one walking around with someone’s bite marks, scratches, and bruises on him to prove it had really happened.

She stood by the swing and stared out over the burned mess, not really seeing it. Josie – her daughter should be her first consideration. She absolutely loved Glen, and Glen obviously cared for her. Even given what Glen had done the night before, she never once questioned that her daughter was safe around him. Should she? Probably. But Vi got the distinct feeling that whatever it was that brought him to her room the night before was focused only on her.

And it was Spring break. Josie would be home all week. Vi felt her stomach knot at that, because even knowing her daughter wouldn’t be home until later that evening she knew there was no way she could cover this up. Josie would sense something wrong.

Well that was easily dealt with anyway. Grace and her family were going to a cabin they had rented a few hours away, something they did every year. In fact, Vi and Josie had gone with them a few times. Josie had been invited, but with the painting around the ranch she had been hesitant. Josie loved the painting – or more accurately, she loved making a mess – but if Vi said she could go to the lake with her best friend…well. She figured it would even out.

So that was settled. Now what about herself? Was she supposed to barricade herself into her room every night just in case? She was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open as it was, could she spend every night as restless, wide awake and listening for the sound of someone trying to get into her room? Because that’s what had happened the night before. Vi had finally fallen asleep as dawn began lighting the sky to the east, and she still had not heard Glen return home.

The hell of it was – Vi blamed herself. She had given in once. But it had been so damned long since she’d been with a guy, and it had felt so nice to be wanted again. And she had been curious of course, especially considering his memory loss and…

Vi dragged her hands through her hair in frustration. Ok. So she had messed up royally. Not by sleeping with him the first time. She would not take that back if she could, because hell…they both needed it. She’d put him off, and when opportunity had come she had told him no and why? Because he’d had a bad dream and hadn’t wanted to talk about so she was taking it out on him?

It sounded plausible in her head. Vi also knew that wasn’t the reason that she’d turned him down. And she got mad at herself all over again, for responding to what he’d been doing to her the night before, for not having the will to make her body ignore what he had been doing to her against her wishes.

She turned and walked back to the house, not feeling better or worse, but getting an idea she thought she could live with. Vi let herself in and saw Glen still sitting at the kitchen table, looking miserable.

“You can stay.” She cut right to the chase. “But tomorrow you go back to the clinic and we get you checked again. Because if what you did was really sleep-walking, then I can’t trust you won’t try it again.”

Glen nodded miserably. “I’ll do whatever you want.” With that he got up and headed for the stairs.

Vi looked after him for a moment before turning to the phone the call Josie and tell her she’d changed her mind about letting her go. Josie heard something in her mother’s voice, because she carried the phone outside where it was quiet.

“Is something wrong, Mom?”

Josie’s concern was almost enough to make Vi cry again. Instead she sucked in a big breath and forced herself to sound cheerful. “Everything is fine. I’m having the old house cleaned up finally and…well. I guess I thought we could both use the break before it happened.”

“Oh.” Bringing up the old house was all it took. Josie knew how her mother felt about it. “I’m sorry, Mom. Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No, no. You go have fun at the beach and please don’t come back fried to a crisp. I’ll drop your things over there after while. I have to go out grocery shopping anyway.”

“Ok. Love you!” Josie was all happiness as they said goodbye. Vi held the phone for a moment and jumped when it rang in her hand.

“Hello?” Vi asked cautiously, still feeling that she would either laugh or cry. Maybe both.

“Hey.” Mark’s familiar deep voice in her ear caused her to smile at least.

“Hey yourself.”

“Are you all right? You sound kind of stuffy.”

Wow. He’d picked that up out of three words. At least she wouldn’t have to hide nearly as much with him. “This has not been a very good morning for me.” She admitted.

There was a pause as he thought about that. “Come over. I’ll try to improve your day.”

That actually made her smile for real. “I’m not sure I need to be around anybody right now.”

“Well consider it an open invitation.” Mark said, sounding a bit concerned but trying to cover it. “Drew is leaving me again – football camp. I kinda miss the days when he wanted to sit around and play video games non-stop.”

Vi glanced over her shoulder at the stairs and sighed. “Does your invitation include another overnight stay?”

That caused another pause in the conversation as Mark processed that. “You wanna stay the night here?” He asked finally.

Vi hesitated and cleared her throat. “Well I want to get out of the house for a while. Maybe I should take a trip this week or…”

“You said you didn’t want to be around anybody. That’s the only reason I asked.” Mark interrupted her. “Consider the guest room yours for as long as you need it. I’d like the company.”

“Not sure I’m gonna be the best company for anybody at the moment.”

“Don’t go sellin’ yourself too short. Come on out. We’ll grill some steaks and talk about the kids.” In other words, he was telling her without actually saying it that he wasn’t going to push her on what was bugging her, for which Vi was eternally grateful.

“Ok. Thank you. I’ll be there in…” She glanced at the clock. It wasn’t even ten yet. The day just seemed to drag on forever. “I have to take Josie her things and pack and take care of a few other things but I’ll be there this afternoon.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” Mark said goodbye and Vi stood there for moment wondering if she’d lost her mind. Was going to stay with Mark again really the smartest plan she could come up with?

She thought of spending the night in her room with Glen down the hall and suppressed a shudder. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him – even considering what had happened. His reaction…he hadn’t remembered a bit of it. And she believed that. She wasn’t trying to force herself to believe it. He was speaking the truth. And that was what scared her. That he could forget something like that, where he could have hurt her much worse than a bite and some bruises.

Vi shook her head and hurried upstairs to Josie’s room to get everything together. She wanted to put this whole thing behind her, and forget it had ever happened. She envied that at least, since Glen didn’t remember it anyway. Maybe a couple of days out of each other’s hair would do them both a world of good. She only hoped that were true as she packed her own bag.

She hesitated at the top of the stairs, trying to decide if she wanted to say something or if she should just go. And she did not know why but Vi put the bags down and went to the door to Glen’s room. It was open, and he was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking out the window.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard her. Vi knew, just in that look, that she was doing the right thing. Because too much of that and she’d really start thinking she had been the one to do something wrong. “I’m taking Josie some things and then I’m going to spend some time with a friend. I really can’t be here right now.”

Glen nodded and went back to looking out the window. “I’m sorry, Vivian.”

“I know you are. That’s why this is so hard.” Vi sighed. “Would you tell Ray when you see him in the morning? I’ll leave a note at the clinic…” Luckily she hadn’t been very busy that weekend. “And I’ll be back when I get my head straightened out.”

“I should be the one leaving.” Glen said softly. “This is your home and I’ve done something to mess it up for you and…”

“Doesn’t matter. I need time. And I don’t need to be here.” Vi said, not letting him go on. “I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. Just…I’ll be back tomorrow.” She stopped herself from saying anything that would mean either of them were off the hook. Glen only nodded again.

Vi turned and grabbed the bags and went down the stairs. She quickly wrote her note and went to hang it on the office door. Then she called down to one of the bunkhouses, and asked for Frank. He was one of their younger hands and he’d helped around the clinic from time to time. Vi asked if he would check in at the clinic during lunch, and be sure that things were as they should be. That taken care of she was set to go.

She dropped Josie’s bag off and decided to take her out to eat before she was gone for the week. The spent a leisurely hour eating hamburgers and drinking milkshakes and being silly together. Josie must have sensed that Vi needed that. Vi felt better just being around her daughter, and found that she wasn’t having to struggle to act happy. She was happy. Josie had that power sometimes.

She dropped her off once more, and made sure Josie had everything she needed. She tucked some money into her pocket as well, just in case. They would be leaving in a few hours with a stop along the way for dinner.

Vi declined their invitation to join them, even though a week on a beach sounded nice. She couldn’t just go on a moment’s notice though, because of the clinic. Just leaving for the day put her behind on a few things. So she kissed Josie goodbye, told them all to have a great time, and got back into her SUV. She glanced at the clock and figured she might have killed enough time. Hopefully Mark wouldn’t mind if she showed up a little early.

15

Vi didn’t think Mark was put out a bit by her early arrival. He’d answered his door, the start of a smile on his face. It had faded when he’d taken a good look at her. She tried to force a smile but obviously her acting ability was wasted.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, holding the door for her to step inside.

Vi could only shake her head. “I really don’t want to talk about it right this second, if that’s all right.”

Mark nodded and studied her closely. Any other time it would have made her uncomfortable. As it was, Vi barely noticed. “Why don’t you go up and lay down for a little bit? You look tired.”

“Is that the polite way of saying I look like reheated hell?” Vi was tired. Her sleepless night had caught up to her on the drive over. It was all she could do to stay upright.

“You just look tired.” He said with a smirk. But there was more concern on his face. “Come on. Take a nap and we can talk after while. I got a few things I can do while you’re out.”

Vi let herself be led up the stairs. She protested when he offered up his own bed, but didn’t have the energy to fight him really. He took her bag and set it on a chair near the door then shooed her into the bed. She kicked her shoes off and stretched out, sighing in relief.

“I’ll come back and get you up for supper.” Mark said softly, tugging a blanket up. Vi made a low noise but did not really answer. She was already drifting off. He frowned in concern and leaned over, brushing some hair back from her face. She did not even move – she was definitely out of it. Mark shook his head and smiled a little, turning to head downstairs.

When Vi finally woke up it was dark. She panicked for a minute, unsure of exactly where she was. She could barely make out the dim shapes of furniture around the room.

A warm hand closed around her wrist and she jerked back, a scream caught in her throat.

“Hey…” A sleepy sounding voice right beside her ear spoke low, and the hand on her wrist let go long enough to wrap over her shoulders. “It’s just me. It’s ok. You’re at my house.” Like he knew what she had thought when she’d opened her eyes.

“Mark?” Vi had to ask. Mostly to cement it in her mind.

“Yeah. You scared the hell out of me, popping up like that.” He sounded amused. He rubbed her back lightly. “I tried to get you up to eat…but you didn’t budge. So I let you sleep. You wanted to come stay…remember?”

“Yeah. Yeah I know. Just…wow.” Vi huffed out a breath and laughed a little. “I really must have been tired…I’m sorry. And I took over your bed too.”

“Well it wasn’t like you were putting me out.” Mark said. He let go of her and shifted, fiddling with something next to the bed. A dim light came on. Vi still had to blink a few times to clear her vision. She caught sight of the alarm clock next to the bed and snorted. “I was asleep for almost twelve hours?”

“Pretty much.” Mark said, wincing at the light. “I saved you some food. Figured you might wake up hungry.”

“I’m good. For now. I do need to use your bathroom and change clothes.” Vi looked down at her t-shirt and felt grubby. She hated sleeping in her clothes. “Sorry I woke you up. I just forgot where I was.”

“You’re fine.” Mark said with a smirk. He lounged back on his pillow and watched as she went to her bag and grabbed it before ducking into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later she was back, this time wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. Vi had also taken the time to braid her hair back away from her face and brush her teeth.

She crawled back up on the bed and stretched out on her own pillow, smiling when Mark drew the blanket up over her again. She turned on her side, facing him, and sighed. He took that as his cue to reach over and turn off the light once more, dropping the room into darkness again.

“You work today?” She mumbled sleepily.

“Only if I feel like it.” Mark said with a smirk. “You gonna go back to sleep?” He sounded surprised at that.

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout it.” Vi felt him shift and drop an arm over her waist, pulling her closer. That was all right. It felt nice actually. She felt warm, safe…given her rotten night she would have thought the mere idea of a guy touching her would make her want to throw up. But apparently not this particular man. She let herself be pulled until she was up against his chest, her head pillowed by his arm, his chin on the top of her head.

As soon as she got comfortable she slept again. Mark smiled sleepily and followed her lead. He wasn’t going to begrudge her an extra long night of sleep, given how she’s sounded on the phone and how she’d looked when she’d arrived. But obviously she had a lot on her mind.

Vi woke up again a few hours later, just after the sky grew light. She blinked slowly and yawned, orienting herself once more to not being in her own bed. Her cheek was pressed against Mark’s bare chest and her hand had snaked around his waist at some point. He was still holding on to her in the same way they’d fallen asleep the second time.

“You’re still up too damn early.” Mark grumbled, his chin hitting her head when he spoke. Vi smirked and pulled herself out of his arms to stretch and move to the edge of the bed.

“So go back to sleep. I’m hungry.”

“Yeah? Help yourself.” Mark mumbled thickly and grabbed her pillow, using it to cover his head and block out the sunlight that was just starting to shine through the window. Vi shook her head and slipped from the room, heading down the stairs.

She was a little out of her element, in a strange kitchen and strange house, but she figured it out. She dug through the fridge and cabinets, grabbing things she’d need. In fifteen minutes she was cooking pancakes. Usually she reserved those for Josie, but she was so hungry that morning she figured it would fill her up.

She was almost done with the first batch when she heard footsteps overhead. Apparently Mark decided he wasn’t going to spend all day in bed the way she had yesterday. When he appeared in the kitchen she saw he’d put on a white t-shirt and was wearing the shorts he’d been sleeping in.

“Sorry I woke you up. Twice.” Vi said as she served up the pancakes. “And took over your bed. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

“No problem. It wasn’t like I slept on the couch.” Mark said wryly, pouring a liberal amount of syrup over his pancakes. He also jabbed a button the coffee pot on the counter to start it brewing. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Vi felt her smile falter. “Not really. I’d like to forget that most of the weekend happened.”

Mark shrugged his shoulders and made it a point not to push her on it. She’d talk when she was ready. At least it wasn’t affecting her appetite that morning. She ate way more than she thought she would, until she felt like she’d pop if she took another bite. Part of it was not having to deal with what was bothering her. Josie was gone, her clinic was taken care of, and Ray was fine. For the first time in a long time she had no responsibilities to keep her in place and she could focus on herself. And she needed that. Especially considering what had happened.

And what had happened? Glen had said he’d had weird and bad dreams, and he’d sleep-walked into her room. It could have been worse. She suppressed a shudder at that – yes he’d hurt her, a little, but mostly he had shamed her by forcing a response out of her body that she had not been willing to give. If he truly did not remember then she could not really hold that against him. She knew there would be risks attached to getting involved with him. She just thanked her lucky stars it had only been the one time, that one moment of weakness.

It wasn’t as if she could just turn her back on him anyway. Vi knew herself too well to even consider that. It was too much like giving up, which was not something she was used to. So Glen had problems, somehow sleep related. They would get him checked again, maybe this time going into the city and getting some specialists involved. It was something she probably should have taken care of already but done was done.

“So I guess you have to head to work?” Vi made it a question. Mark cocked an eyebrow.

“If I feel like it. Right now the only project I’m workin’ on happens to be sort of a personal thing. So my schedule is pretty open.” He smiled.

“Oh. Well I don’t want to keep you from getting your stuff done.”

“That would be kind of hard since the stuff I have to get done is for you.”

“For me?”

“Your garden? Or whatever we’re doing with it?”

Vi snickered. She’d completely forgotten. “Sorry. I have had a lot on my mind these past few days.”

“That’s all right. For now, no rush. I have a couple of guys who are going to go out this afternoon and get some measurements and figure out all the details. And I can get my landscape guy by the end of the week. So it’ll be done pretty quick.” Mark finished off his coffee and sighed. “So I think I’ll just kill most of today hangin’ out with you, unless you had more pressing plans?”

“I’ve got nothing going on.” Vi said, propping her chin on her hand.

“Well we’ll have to change that.”

“We will?”

“Sure. I do have a couple of errands to run but you are more than welcome to tag along. And then we’ll figure out what we can do for the rest of the day.”

Vi smiled. “If you think I won’t be in the way. I can always go home and…”

But apparently something in her voice or her expression when she mentioned ‘home’ gave away the fact that she was just protesting to be protesting. Mark smirked and shook his head. “I’m gonna grab a shower. And get dressed. And then we’ll go. Ok?”

“Sure.” Vi smiled and watched as he got up and gathered their dishes. He stacked them in the dishwasher and tipped her a wink before disappearing up the stairs. She followed his lead, but only to grab her bag from his room. She went into the guest room to take her own shower and get dressed.

Half an hour later they were driving through town and then onto the highway. Vi hadn’t even thought to ask where they were going. She honestly didn’t care. As they left town behind them she felt an odd sort of relief that she could not really define. They spent the morning visiting a few building supply places that Mark frequented. He made a few phone calls and talked to the people in the stores as if he knew them all.

By noon everything he needed to do was done. Mark took her to a Japanese steakhouse, which was a first for Vi. He ordered for them both, and got her to try a little bit of everything from sushi to a spicy chicken and steak dish that made her mouth burn. It was an interesting meal anyway. She’d never had sushi and after the first few tentative bites she’d found that it was actually very good. When they had enough of that, Mark grabbed her hand and led her outside. Instead of going to his truck though he crossed the street and walked with her around the small park that was there. It was mostly green space with a walking/running trail that looped the property and a small playground in the center.

They walked the mile long track twice, Vi very aware of Mark’s hand wrapped around her own and the way he’d rub the back of her hand with his thumb or squeeze her fingers when he found something amusing. It made her smile for some reason she couldn’t have explained.

After their easy morning together, the ride back to Mark’s house was made in near silence. They both seemed to be lost in thought for the trip. Vi was wondering if maybe now she’d head back home but Mark seemed to read her mind.

“Don’t take my not talkin’ too personal, Vi. I’m tryin’ to keep a runnin’ list of what I still have to do this week.” He tapped his temple with a finger and smirked when she laughed.

“Don’t strain yourself on my account.” Vi said, still smiling.

Mark snorted. “Smartass woman. See if I feed you cold-rolled rice again anytime soon.”

Vi’s smile widened at his tone. What was really funny was that for all the serious vibes that Mark put out he had a great sense of humor.

They spent most of the rest of the day hanging out by the pool. Vi had forgotten her suit again, but that was all right. She was content to just let her feet dip into the water and soak up the sun on her shoulders and arms and legs. Neither of them mentioned dinner until almost eight that evening, when it was starting to get dark out.

“I’ve had fun today.” Vi said, interrupting Mark when he was taking inventory of his fridge. He was still wearing his swim trunks, and nothing else. She had never been a fan of tattoos really but on Mark they looked good. Almost like they belonged there. It was sort of weird.

He looked over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow. “Leaving already?”

“What?”

“That’s an exit line.” Mark pointed out. “Usually comes right before ‘don’t call me, I’ll call you’.”

Vi snickered at that. “Get that kind of thing a lot, do you?”

“Believe it or not, I was a teenager once upon a time.” He smirked and went back to the fridge. “Ok. I give up. Nothing looks good in here. How about pizza?”

“Extra cheese?”

“Extra everything. I’m starvin’.” Mark grabbed his phone and ordered for both of them. He was on the phone so long that Vi wondered if maybe he were going to eat leftovers for the rest of the week. She wandered out onto the deck once more and just enjoyed the quiet for a moment. “It’s gonna be about 20 minutes.” Mark stepped outside and grinned at her. “So don’t let me gnaw my arm off or anything.”

“Yeah.” Vi smiled.

“And I’m glad.”

“About what?” Vi looked at him, a little confused.

“That you’ve had fun today. And I have too. So thank you.”

“You think having an emotionally inept woman pop up is fun?”

Mark chuckled. “Upset. Not emotionally inept.”

“Whatever.”

“And I don’t mind you popping up. Or staying. Or whatever.” He mimicked her way of saying the word. “Not to freak you out or anything but I really like being around you, Vi.” Mark was still smiling a little.

“I find that sort of funny. Because I’m a hot mess.” She went to the rail that followed the side of the deck and leaned on it, looking out over the pool and trees. “And I don’t know why I keep dumping myself on your lap. You don’t deserve this.”

“Deserve what?”

Vi could only shake her head. “I thought maybe I was getting over…well. You know. And it’s not that…it’s other stuff that’s happened, and it’s….Ugh.” She couldn’t finish. Not without telling him everything. And she did not want to do that. Because she’d have to think about it again. She’d told herself earlier she could rationalize it but she felt her confusion sinking its claws into her again.

“So tell me.” Mark had moved to stand next to her. Vi glanced at him and shook her head.

“I can’t.”

He looked at her intently for a moment. “Is it…what you asked me about before?”

Vi frowned at that. She had asked him a lot of things. “I don’t know what…”

“Being with somebody again.” Mark said gently. “Is that what it is? What’s going on? Tell me. Don’t make me keep guessing.”

“I don’t even know myself.” Vi whispered.

“Is it over?”

That question caused her eyebrow to go up. “It never really got started. I don’t know what I was thinking. Well…yes I do. I can’t blame anybody but myself.”

“What are you blaming yourself for? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be with somebody. Even if it’s wrong. Sometimes it’s not about right and wrong. It’s about not being alone.”

“Yeah. Well.” Vi clenched her teeth and turned her attention back to the water.

“Is he the one that hurt you?”

She closed her eyes at that. “What do you mean?”

Instead of answering she felt him lightly touch her, where her tank top ended against her chest. She had thought that she’d kept herself covered up but apparently Mark had noticed. That ring of teeth marks…mostly it was a bruise, but a few of Glen’s teeth had punctured her skin and left angry looking marks.

Vi opened her eyes and looked down, seeing without any surprise the upper arc of the bite. “It was my fault.”

“What?” Mark asked, shifting her shirt a little to expose more of the mark on her chest. Vi swallowed against tears that threatened to fall.

“My fault.” She whispered it.

Mark met her eyes. “How can you say that? You manage to bend your neck and bite yourself?” She saw that below the concern and the worry for her there was something else in his green eyes. Anger. And not directed at her at all, at least not that she could tell.

“It’s a long story.”

“What else?”

“What do you mean?” Vi asked, confused.

“What else did he do? Where else did he hurt you?” He kept his voice low and soothing but she still caught that edge to it. It scared her a little bit.

“Don’t.”

Mark looked surprised at that. “Don’t what?”

“Do not go getting all worked up on my behalf. Please. I just want to forget it happened. It will never happen again, and that’s the important thing.”

He seemed to think that over, looking into her eyes for what felt like a very long time. The doorbell rang, breaking them both out of the odd tension that had fallen over them.

Vi let out a shaky breath, unaware she’d been holding it. She looked down again and adjusted her shirt so that the marks were covered again. And she found herself near tears. She blinked a few times and got herself under control again. By the time she was ready to go inside, Mark had reappeared carrying the pizza box, a smaller box on top, and a couple of bottles of beer.

“Here.” He handed her a beer without asking if she even wanted one. Vi thought it was probably not a good idea to go getting drunk again. Of course it was just one beer. “I ran out of hands so I couldn’t grab some plates.” He said with a smile.

Vi shrugged and smiled back gamely. “It’s pizza.” She took a seat and took a deep breath, smelling the mix of garlic and cheese. It made her stomach growl.

Mark ate in silence, chewing thoughtfully. Vivian peered into the second box and saw cheese covered breadsticks. It looked even better than the pizza so she nibbled at one of those first. They both ate their fill and Vi sipped her beer and relaxed in her chair.

“You’re staying here tonight.” Mark finally spoke, and it was not a question.

“Ok?”

“Good. We’re both in agreement about it.” Mark smirked.

His expression made Vi smile again. “I really should get home. I have some stuff I have to deal with and…”

“And...you want me to worry about you?” Mark added. He was still smiling but that edge was back in his voice. “Because I don’t think I’d like myself very much if I let you go right now.”

“Oh. So…I’m a prisoner here?”

“Sure. I hid your keys.” Mark shrugged and smirked.

“But…why?” Vi asked.

“Doesn’t matter. We all need time off every now and then. Tomorrow I will take you home and we’ll take care of what needs to be done. For tonight, you’re stuck with me.”

Vi felt a cold knot form in her stomach. “But…you don’t have to…”

“I think I do. Maybe so I can make sure that you aren’t just saying it’s over with.” Mark set his empty bottle aside. “And maybe because every time you mention going home, you get this look on your face. Like you’re afraid. I might be slow sometimes but I’m not completely dense, Vivian.”

“I never said you were.” Vi said, feeling a little angry now herself. “And it is over. Because…I…” She had no idea how to finish. Mark was still eying her speculatively. And she knew she would have to come clean because as long as she held it inside he was not going to rest easy. “This guy...” She shook her head. “He’s a nice guy. Really.”

Mark snorted at that but said nothing. He toyed with his beer bottle.

“He’s got a problem with sleep walking. And bad dreams. And I’m not saying that to make excuses for him. That’s what happened. He doesn’t even remember…” She touched her chest where the teeth marks were.

“And that’s supposed to make it all right?” Mark asked in a low voice. A deceptively low voice. He was trying to bite back his anger again.

“No. It doesn’t make it right. It makes it so that I don’t blame him for something that was beyond his control.”

Mark made a huffing noise in his throat. “And that’s what you believe?”

“Yes.” Vi did not even hesitate. Glen had been as confused and upset as she was. And really – besides the bite and the bruises what had happened? She had responded to it. That was what made it worse. Because if he had truly been taking what was not his to have, why would she have been so damn receptive to it?

Mark studied her for another of those long pauses. Vi did not feel uncomfortable in the least. He finally sighed and relaxed a little. It was minimal but she could see him letting go of it.

“Ok. If you say that’s what happened, if that’s what you believe, then ok.” He toyed with the empty bottle on the table. “You said it was over now. Was it a…thing?”

Vi shook her head. “No. It was one time and…well. It’s complicated, why it happened. This…” She indicated the bite again. “This won’t happen again. I won’t let it. And he already knows it.”

Mark nodded slowly. He turned his gaze to look out over the water of the swimming pool, and Vi could tell he was biting his tongue to keep from saying more. She sighed heavily and made herself stop from trying to explain it in more detail. There were some things she would keep to herself no matter how angry he got. Because there were a few things that he really did not need to know.

16

Mark hadn’t been kidding. Vi’s keys were definitely gone from her bag. She smirked and shook her head. Obviously he was determined she wasn’t going to up and leave when his back was turned.

“Lose something?” He asked from behind her, making her jump. She had said she was heading upstairs for a shower. Apparently he had known better. Technically she still wanted the shower.

“Besides my keys?” She smiled. “I just realized that I only brought one change of clothes. And pajamas. And…yeah. I expected to go home.”

“Well I can get you a shirt for pajamas. And we can throw your stuff in the wash, just so you can wear it tomorrow.”

Vi bit her lip and shrugged. “That’ll work I guess.”

Mark raised an eyebrow and went across the hall into his own room. Vi could hear him opening drawers, and in a moment he was back with a plain white t-shirt in his hands. “Longest one I have, I think.” He handed it over and looked at her with another one of those lazy half-smiles. “And I don’t know why you’re in here. I said I’d share my room.”

“I know.” Vi sighed. “Shower. Excuse me.”

Mark moved out of her way so she could go into the bathroom, that odd half-smile still on his face. Vivian shut the door on it and smiled herself. She had every intention of actually using the guest room that night. Because oddly enough she thought that maybe she and Mark were getting a little too close. How could she possibly go home and sleep in her own bed all alone if she got used to sharing a bed with him?

Vi stripped her tank top, shorts, and underwear off. She paused for a moment, looking into the mirror at herself. Besides that bite mark, the bruises Glen had left were already fading. They didn’t look nearly as bad as before. In fact, the bruise on her hip might have happened if she’d bumped into something too hard. There were scratches of course but nothing really as bad as the bite.

There was a light knock on the door. Vi glanced that way and grabbed a towel to wrap around herself. “Yeah?”

“Clothes? I’ll throw them in the wash.”

Vi smirked and shook her head as she cracked the door open. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll do it when I’m done.”

“Or I could do it now and save you the trip.” He held out a hand, showing absolutely no intention of leaving her to deal with it. She grabbed her things and handed them over.

“The rest is in my bag.” Vi said. Mark took her clothes and headed toward the guest room once more to get the rest.

Vi took her shoulder, spending a bit of time cleaning the bite mark. She hadn’t noticed it bleeding but apparently it had as there was dried blood on a few spots. Once that was done and rinsed it didn’t look nearly as bad as it had before. She finished washing and toweled herself dry before pulling the t-shirt Mark had given her over her head. It hung to mid-thigh on her. She combed the tangles out of her hair then brushed her teeth before she opened the bathroom door. It was after eleven, and even though she had slept most of yesterday away Vi was a little tired.

She crossed the hall to the guestroom and saw that her bag was not there. She smiled and went to Mark’s room. Of course. He could be insistent when the mood struck him. She dug into the bag and pulled out an elastic band she meant to use on her hair when it had dried a bit more. When she turned around she found herself looking at Mark’s bare chest. Again. He’d taken a shower of his own, and was wearing a pair of black cotton boxers.

“Ready for bed?” He asked, raking his fingers through his hair. Mark was looking at her in a way that made her legs feel a little weak. Vi smiled gamely.

“I am a little tired.”

He smirked and said nothing about her marathon of sleep. Instead he turned off the overhead light. The only light now on was the dim lamp by the bed. Vi crawled under the blanket and got settled, snuggling into her pillow. Mark followed her lead and turned off the light, dropping them into darkness.

Of course now that she was down she wasn’t nearly as sleepy. That figured. Mark was on his back with his hands behind his head, looking up at the dark ceiling. She could just barely make out his profile in what little light that filtered through the windows from the security lights outside.

After a few minutes he rolled onto his side to face her and sighed heavily. “Don’t get mad at me.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Why would I get mad at you?” She asked, completely confused.

She didn’t have to wait long to find out. Mark dipped his head down and kissed her. Vi was surprised by it even though it had almost happened before. She supposed with everything else that had happened she’d just let it go as an alcohol fueled mistake.

She didn’t know why she’d be mad about it either. He kissed her slowly, taking his time, no rushing or grabbing or…it was definitely hard to think though as he brushed his mouth across hers and lightly touched her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. It was enough to make her suck in a breath, which gave him enough room to dip his tongue into her mouth. Vi kissed him back without thinking about it, playing her tongue against his and moaning softly into his mouth when he angled his lips across hers.

Mark wrapped his arm over her waist and pulled her closer, spreading his hand over her back, stroking her lightly with his fingers going up and down her spine. Vi tentatively reached out and put her hand against his chest, sliding it up to his shoulder and neck, feeling smooth warm skin against her palm. He finally pulled back and tried to catch his breath for a moment, and Vi let her fingers trace circles over his skin.

Two things occurred to her. The first was that she should be scared. Maybe terrified. Because of what had happened the other night, yes, but also because she had a feeling that she was getting attached to Mark in a way that there would be no turning back from. She had a feeling it would not ever be just sex with him…which was crazy since she had no idea what he was thinking.

Second – the attraction she felt toward Mark went way beyond the simple curiosity she’d felt when Glen had shown an interest in her. She didn’t like herself much for thinking that way but there it was. Glen might have awakened something in her that had long been dormant but unless something happened, unless he resolved his problems, got his memory back, anything…she would never feel close to him. Truly close. She’d always feel like he was hiding something, even if he did not do it intentionally.

With Mark? She felt safe. That particular cliché occurred to her and made her smile inwardly. And it wasn’t just because what had happened when Glen had come into her room the other night. He had an inner strength, something that she drew on when she was around him.

Mark had raised his hand and was slowly drawing a finger down her jaw and chin, onto her neck. His touch was light as a feather, barely grazing her skin. The t-shirt he’d given her to wear had a V neck. His fingertips went down the V and came to rest there, brushing back and forth on her skin. “You can tell me to stop and I will.” He said, his voice a little deeper than usual. It sent a shiver down her back.

Vi smiled at that. “What if I said ‘don’t stop’?”

He chuckled thickly and moved, covering her body with his, rolling her onto her back to do it. His mouth found hers again, but he still kept his pace slow. She could almost feel the restraint as he held himself back, maybe just in case she said no.

Vi could surprise him too, she supposed. She reached up and tangled her fingers into his still damp hair, opening her mouth for his tongue and kissing him back heatedly. Mark wasn’t going to be rushed though. He kept it slow, bracing his weight on one arm as he used his free hand to roam down her side, back up, his fingers lightly brushing the side of her hip, the swell of her breast.

Mark broke the kiss as his hand finally stopped. He was cupping her breast, his fingers moving restlessly against the outline of her nipple through the cotton shirt.

Vi could not hold in a moan as his fingers caught her nipple and squeezed lightly, making it pucker even more. Even the brush of the shirt against her made her suck in a breath. Mark seemed content to just trace the hard outline, occasionally tweaking the hard nipple between his fingers, completely concentrating on one side before moving to the other.

He ducked his head and kissed her once, quickly, barely giving her time to react to it before he was ducking his head lower, shifting until his mouth was on her through the thin material of her shit. Vi moaned louder and arched her back into him, pressing herself firmly against his mouth as he sucked her through the shirt. When his mouth left to explore the other side, Vi shivered as the air cooled the material that he’d wet with his mouth. Her nipples were so hard they almost hurt at that point.

Mark moved back up and caught her mouth again. Vi tried to haul back her own libido for just a moment, unable to stop from stroking his back and shoulders, and arms. He caught her hands in his and raised them above her head, kissing her until she felt dizzy from the sensation of having him above her, one of her legs caught between his, her wrists held lightly in one big hand.

He pulled his mouth from hers, his breathing harsh, and kissed a line from her chin to her ear. He sucked on the sensitive skin right below her ear, on her neck, making Vi moan. He shifted once more and Vi felt his hand on her leg, his fingers running up the length of her outer thigh as he licked and nibbled his way up and down her neck. He had released her hands to do it, so Vi wrapped her arms around his shoulders and ran her fingers into his hair again.

Her breathing sped up the higher his hand went. Mark did not hesitate, or ask if she were sure, or any of a dozen other things he might have done that could have ruined the moment. She was so focused on feeling his long fingers, now slipping against her inner thigh, up higher, she did not notice he had stopped kissing her neck. Now he held himself still, his mouth near her ear, eyes closed as his fingers finally pressed upward against her naked flesh.

The sound he made, right against her ear, caused her to break out in goose bumps. Apparently he’d forgotten that he had taken all of her clothes to wash, including under things. He had expected to encounter something but all his fingers touched was slick, wet flesh.

He made another low noise, and Vi moan in answer. He did not jump right in to touching her either. Instead he slowly traced a line from top to bottom, front to back, not delving his fingers into her folds, just feeling her response. When he finally applied enough pressure, and his fingertips brushed lightly, briefly, against her clit, Vi’s hips came up from the bed to try to keep him in contact. His breath puffed against her ear again and he let out a low moan himself as he pressed finally, drawing his fingers upward through her center to stroke her clit.

Vi clenched her hands around his hair and tugged. She couldn’t help it. It caused him to grunt against her ear and that set off a whole waterfall of shivers down her spine. He grew impatient, just a little, of the clothes that separated her from him. He pulled his hand away from her, smiling a little at her groan of frustration. Mark leaned back and pulled her, drawing her up into a sitting position so he could tug the shirt over her head. He tossed it onto the floor, and pulled onto his lap so that she was straddling his legs. His shorts were all that separated them now. Vi couldn’t help but moan as he pressed closer to her, holding her tight against his bare chest. And she could feel him, hard already, against her thigh. It made her shiver in anticipation.

Besides getting her shirt off though, Mark seemed to be in no real hurry. From this position his hands were free to roam, taking in the smooth skin of her back, down to the curve of her ass, back up to her shoulders. He kissed her again, this time a little more urgently that before, a little of his control slipping as she moved her hips and slid herself against him.

Mark kissed his way down her neck again, repositioning her so he could duck his head and catch a nipple in his mouth. As nice as it had felt before, having his hot mouth wrapped around her was about a thousand times better. She felt the scratch of his goatee on her skin too, adding to the sensation.

Vi kept her hands moving, along his shoulders, down his chest and stomach, his sides. He was all smooth skin and firm muscle. She found one of his nipples and rubbed her thumb over it, getting a soft moan from him.

“Mark?” As much as Vi was enjoying the feel of him against her breast, and the soft scrape of his teeth over her hard nipple, her body was definitely sending out the signal to speed it up.

“Hmm?” It wasn’t really an answer as he nuzzled the skin between her breasts.

“I want you. Now.” She said it softly, in a near whisper. But he obviously heard because she felt his breath catch.

Mark sat up and raised his hand, tangling it into her hair, pulling her head back. “Why the rush, darlin’? We have all night.”

“You don’t have to rush.” Vi said, panting a little as his mouth kissed a line up her throat. “I just want you inside me.”

“Oh…” He groaned that out. “I’m tryin’ to be a gentleman here. And you’re tryin’ to kill me.”

Vi laughed breathlessly at that. But he shifted under her and wiggled, and finally got his boxers down at least enough to free his hard cock. Vi felt him against her now, moaning at how hot and hard he was.

Mark angled himself and slid against her, wetting the head of his cock in her folds, finding her entrance in the process. He very slowly relaxed, lowering Vi inch by careful inch until he was sheathed. And then he held still, letting her get used to him, feeling her clenching her inner muscles and digging her fingernails into his shoulders.

After a moment that felt like at least a year, Vi moved herself. Just a little. A slight roll of her hips sent pangs of need through him that he had not experienced in quite a long damn time. She moved again, and that was all the encouragement Mark needed. She was ready. He was past ready. He held her hips and guided her movements, first urging her to rotate her hips slowly, then squeezing and riding him up and down, her rear cupped in his hands as he supported her weight to give her leverage.

He felt so good inside her that Vi had trouble keeping to his slow pace. He refused to speed up for any reason, even when she tried to do it herself. It wasn’t frustrating – at least what he was doing felt good. Good. She would have laughed. She could barely remember her own name and he was barely moving, just guiding her along.

Mark slid a hand down her stomach and between them and began rubbing her clit slowly, in time with the rolling movement of her hips, listening as her soft moans grew higher in pitch and closer together.

Just when Vi thought she was going over the edge, Mark pulled his hand away. She groaned and tried to angle her hips to finish herself off against him but he apparently anticipated that as well. Instead of letting her reach her end, he suddenly moved, going up, taking her with him. He put her on the bed on her back, still inside her, now with her legs wrapped around his waist.

And she realized that she didn’t need to encourage him further. Playtime was definitely over as he increased the pace, entering her over and over just short of frantic. She could feel every time he pressed tight into her that he was on the verge, and he was just waiting for her. So Vi took a cue from him…she reached between them and rubbed herself while he continued to plunge into her, their soft moans the only sound on the room.

It didn’t take long. Vi was already overheated from all the slow playing he’d wanted to do. She gasped out his name as she climaxed, her legs tightening around his waist to hold him close within her. For a moment all she could do was hold on to him and moan his name again. Mark closed his eyes at the sensation of her milking him using just her inner muscles, feeling the ways her thigh muscles jumped and squeezed him. It was through sheer force of will that he didn’t finish with her.

Vi took the matter out of his hands anyway. She noticed him holding still and concentrating on that rather than on her, so she took the opportunity to move. She pushed away from him and smiled at his choked-sounding noise of frustration as he was forced to pull out of her. She didn’t make him suffer long. She reached for him and took his cock into her hand, slowly stroking him with her fingers, drawing a deep moan from his throat.

She smiled at that and pushed him, making him lay down, straddling his legs. She replaced her hand with her mouth, sucking the head of his cock into her mouth. Mark groped for her and Vi caught his hand, threading her fingers through his, guiding it to the hard shaft. Apparently the feel of his hand, her hand, and her mouth on him was a bit too much for him to take. A deep moan came from him as he came into her mouth, fingers tightening almost painfully around her fingers and his shaft.

Vi started to move back but Mark grabbed her arms and pulled her up so she was on top of him. She sighed contentedly and kissed the center of his chest, listening to his heart beat against her ear.

“Wasn’t exactly how I wanted it to go, but I am not gonna start complainin’.” Mark said, his voice a low rumble to Vi’s ear. She laughed at that, feeling herself relax completely. She moved so she was lying next to him and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, spooning up against her from behind. He brushed her hair aside and kissed her neck before yawning tiredly. “G’night, Vi.”

She made a soft noise but didn’t really answer him. She listened to the soft sound of his breathing as he fell asleep and closed her eyes.

It seemed like no time at all passed. She opened her eyes and the sun was up. It wasn’t late, so she did not feel like a complete lazy person. Just past eight on a sunny Tuesday morning. Vi stretched and noted that Mark was no longer in the bed. She propped herself up on her elbows and saw a piece of paper on his side of the bed. She picked it up and blinked at it a few times until her eyes cooperated with her. It was simple enough – he had to go take care of something work related and he’d be back way before lunch to eat with her and take her home.

So he was still sticking to his guns on that one. Vi slipped from the bed and stretched again, smiling at the soreness that had settled into her. She found the shirt she’d worn to bed and tugged it on before padding down the stairs to find his washer and dryer and rescue her clothes.

Half an hour later she was again showered and dressed, and unsure of what exactly to do with herself until Mark got home. Of course she could go home and…

Well no. He’d taken her keys. She’d repacked her bag and her keys were still missing. Vi smirked and decided that she could probably trump him on that at least. She went out to her SUV and opened the rear door, feeling under the driver’s side seat near the back. She kept a spare there, also a spare house key. The small magnetic box came free from its hiding spot and she smiled. Until she moved it and nothing rattled.

Vi looked at it for a moment before opening it. There was a piece of paper tucked inside it. She shook her head as she unfolded it, and had to laugh.

-You seriously thought I wouldn’t check for a spare?-

That was all the note said.

Well. He’d outmaneuvered her on that one. Vi went back inside the house after hiding the magnetic box away again. Unless she wanted to walk, she was pretty effectively stuck. Oh she could probably make a few phone calls and get a ride but why bother? Was she really in that big a rush to go home?

The quick answer to that was no. But at least when she thought about going back now she didn’t feel sick. She wasn’t rushing to go back home to talk to Glen about what had happened, because she had a feeling that after her time away it would be top on his mind. He was just going to have to wait until she was ready, that was all there was to it.

So that left her with nothing to really do until Mark got home. She glanced at the clock and decided to just make some toast for breakfast. At least it would kill a few minutes. And then maybe she’d take a swim in the pool, since she was alone and a suit wasn’t really a necessity. She smiled to herself and headed for the kitchen.

17

Glen sat in morose silence as Ray drove them through the ranch. Morose? Hell – he should be pissed. Here he was, worried, and taking an entire day to go to a doctor who could tell him nothing except that he would need to schedule more in-depth testing and all for a woman who was apparently already seeing somebody else.

They hadn’t seen sign of Vivian since she’d left on Sunday. Ray wasn’t worried, because Vivian deserved some time away, probably more than any of them. She’d held them all together when things had reached their worst, and she had asked for nothing in return. He understood that. He really did.

But when they had rolled back onto the property from his doctor appointment Glen had seen Vivian and a strange man he did not know entering the house. Ray hadn’t seemed bothered by that in the least. In fact he had just lifted his hand and waved. The guy with Vivian tipped a wave back. They drove past with Glen too flummoxed to say a word.

Ray parked next to the bunkhouse and Glen tried to get out but the older man’s hand on his arm brought him to a stop. Ray held up a finger, made a face, and then reached over to the glove box for the small notepad and pencil he kept there. He scribbled for a moment then handed the pad to over.

“Construction guy. Vi said she was going to get the old house taken care of finally.” Glen read it out loud. He looked up at Ray to see him smiling in amusement. Had his fretting really been that evident? Apparently so. “You know him?”

Ray nodded. He motioned for the pad. Glen had heard him talk on many occasions but usually just small words like ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He scribbled again. Glen leaned over and read ‘did some work around town – helped us build the big bunkhouse down the hill right before Link and Vi got married’

Glen looked that over again. “Thanks, Ray.”

Ray winked at him and slid from the truck. Glen followed. He glanced up at the house for a moment, thinking he should stay away. Of course he was already walking in that direction even as the thought formed. He didn’t know why. What Ray had told him sounded true, but something in him refused to believe it was anything as simple as hiring some construction guy.

Not that it was any of Glen’s business.

He paused in mid-step and shook his head before continuing on. He just wanted to say hello, and to let Vivian know he had gone to the doctor as she had asked. Nothing more or less than that.

That was easier said than done. By the time Glen got to the house, Vivian and her visitor were gone. So he supposed that meant that Vivian was going to be gone for another night. He didn’t kid himself that she’d come back. He had screwed up and it was his own fault that she was gone.

Glen sat on the couch and rubbed his temples. His headache, which had faded and almost disappeared, was back on full force. Of course. The doctor had spent a long time shining a light into his eyes and asking questions that Glen could not answer. With a sigh he got up and headed for the stairs to take a shower and lay down for a while. He had not been sleeping well at all, and not because of dreams at least. He was restless.

In the bathroom he yanked his shirt over his head and peered into the mirror. It was like looking at a stranger. He blinked and it was just his reflection again. His headache was gone. It was replaced with anger that was bordering on rage.

“Construction guy.” He snorted out. He smirked to himself. “You’re an idiot if you think she’s not fucking him.”

He was talking, of course, to that small weak part of himself that insisted on keeping him from taking what he wanted from Vivian. Oh they both wanted her, but for very different reasons. He grinned. There was no humor in it. He had more and more often over the past few days found it hard to think of himself as a single person. It was like there was two of him, fighting for control. And he let the weak part have control…most of the time. Why not? He had a comfortable place here, the job was so easy any moron could do it, and Vivian…well. She was a perk of the process, even if the weak part had no clue what it was doing. Letting her run off! And why? Because he’d gotten a little bit over-zealous in his attention to her?

And she’d loved it. That was probably why she was so mad about it. She wanted to pretend to be the victim, like he’d violated her by giving her what her body was asking for. That was fine. Eventually the weak part of him would see the truth and then maybe he could just take what he wanted. And he wanted Vivian. Just thinking about her…the feel of her, the taste, the noises she made…

Of course Vivian was hiding from him. That was all right. She’d come home eventually. And maybe he’d let the weakling inside of him have full control for a while and get himself back into her good graces. Although the very idea of such a thing filled him with disgust, he figured that was probably what should happen. If only to shut that part of himself up.

But thinking about Vivian invariably made him angry, mostly because he could not take out his frustrations on her. He went into the hallway and down the stairs looking for the phone. “Come over. Now.” He said at the breathy voice that answered his call. He did not wait to see if she would agree. He hung up and went up to take his shower.

Fifteen minutes later he was drying off when he heard his own voice say ‘don’t do this’. Frowning, he wiped away some of the steam that fogged up the mirror, seeing his own face there.

“Would you rather I find your precious Vivian?”

A pained look crossed his face. “Leave her alone.”

“Then shut up and let me work this out on my own.” Glen spat out and shook his head, taking control of himself once more. Weak as that part was, it still managed to pop up on occasion, like a bubble rising out of deep water.

It might have been amusing any other time, having a conversation with himself. But it happened far too often lately. He dragged a comb through his hair and wrapped a towel around his waist before heading downstairs. He wasn’t going to bother with clothes. What would be the point?

It wasn’t long before he was opening the door to let Amanda come inside. She was wearing a short skirt and a silk tank top that dipped so low her nipples might as well have been hanging out of it. Given the things he’d done to her just a few nights before she looked awfully energetic and happy to see him. She practically purred as he looked her over.

“Lucky you called when you did.” Amanda said, stepping closer to him, taking in the sight of the towel slung low over his hips and his wet hair. “I was just talking about heading home.”

“I’m sure you were.” Glen reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. “You said the other day you could act like somebody.”

A slow smile spread over her face. “You told me no.”

“I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. Maybe today I am.” He stared down at her, waiting for that weak part to throw in its two cents. When that didn’t happen he smiled back. There was nothing good in that smile. In fact, most who saw it would say it was downright predatory. “And maybe you need to tell me how that works before I decide if I want to play with you.”

Amanda’s grin widened. “You really have no clue what you are, do you? I thought maybe it was just an act, an angle. To stay here.” She gestured to the house then brought her hand up to rest against his chest.

“What are you talking about?”

“You are either the world’s best actor or you really did forget your past. I knew it as soon as I saw you.” She rubbed his chest lightly, stroking her fingers across his skin. “I sensed it. And I could tell you, but it might be easier to just show you what I mean when I say that.”

“Then show me.” Glen said gruffly.

“First you have to tell me what you want.”

Glen stared at her for a moment, into her eyes, trying to decide if it would be worth it to say. Hell, why not? Even the crazy night he’d spent with Amanda had not done a thing to calm the need in him to have Vivian. He did not understand the fixation. That was part of the problem. The weak part didn’t want to hurt her, and would not let him hurt her. In fact…when he’d tried to take out his frustrations on Vivian the other night the weakness within had nearly grown a spine. He’d been forced back and subdued long enough to get out of Vivian’s room.

“I want the woman who lives here.” He finally said. He paused long enough for that weak protest he expected but again there was nothing. “Vivian.”

Amanda smiled at that. “Do you have a picture of her? I prefer a full body picture, but I can work with whatever you have.”

Glen eyed her for another long moment. “Upstairs. Right at the top.”

Amanda took his hand and led the way up the stairs. Her skirt was really short. Another quarter inch and he’d be able to tell if she was naked under it. The thought did not do much for him. She paused at the picture he indicated. It wasn’t a studio portrait, but apparently someone had really liked it because they’d blown it up to 10 by 13 and framed it. In it, Vivian was sitting on the top rail of a fence, watching Josie ride a horse to her right. It was a natural picture, un-posed, and Vivian had been completely unaware of the camera until the picture was given to her by one of the ranch hands.

“Ok. I can work with this.” Amanda reached up and grasped the picture. Glen dropped a hand on her shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ll put it back. I need it for a few minutes. I promise…you won’t be disappointed.” Amanda smiled as Glen let her go. “Is there somewhere I can go? A bathroom? I can’t do it if you’re watching…I need to concentrate.”

Glen pointed down the hall. He watched she closed the door, picture held in her other hand. He was frowning, wondering what the hell kind of game she was playing.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. He paced up and down the hall a few times and turned to ask what was taking so long. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the door opening.

Vivian stood there.

Except it wasn’t really Vivian. He knew that. Amanda’s blonde hair was now that deep chestnut color and her eyes had faded from blue to that oddly light greenish-gray. Everything was the same. If he hadn’t seen Amanda go into the bathroom he would have thought Vivian was home.

Of course there was one thing that was different. Vivian was taller than Amanda by an inch or two. And that short skirt that barely covered Amanda’s ass was way too short on Vivian. She was wearing underwear, which was a surprise to him. Another surprise…they were prim and white and completely out of sync with that outfit. Done on purpose no doubt. Amanda dressed for seduction all the time, so she’d planned that out.

“So what do you think?” it was still Amanda’s voice that came from Vivian’s mouth.

“How the fuck is this possible?” Glen moved forward and walked around her, looking at her from every angle.

“It’s one of my many, many talents.” Amanda smiled. “If I could hear her voice, I could sound like her too.”

“Huh.” Glen came to a stop in front of her. “How?”

“You really don’t know, do you?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking.”

“Here. Hang this back on the wall.” Amanda gave him the picture. “So what about the voice?”

Glen went to the hook and carefully put the picture back, looking from the Vivian caught by the camera to the one standing in the hall. “Downstairs. There’s an answering machine. She’s the one who taped the outgoing.”

“Excellent. I’ll be back in two minutes.” She blew him a kiss from the tips of her fingers and went down the stairs, dark hair bouncing behind her.

Glen tilted his head and watched her, simply amazed. Again he gave that weak part of himself an open invitation to speak, and again there was nothing. Not even a twinge. And for some reason he wanted there to be one. So he turned. Not toward his room. Toward Vivian’s. The room she had specifically forbidden him from using with her.

And still the weak part was quiet. It was probably too much to hope that it was gone. It had probably just hidden itself so it wouldn’t have to see what was about to happen. The thought made him smirk without humor. It had happened a few times already, only asserting itself when things had hit a peak.

Just being in her room was enough to get his blood racing. Glen sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath, feeling a certain kind of tension coiling within his body. Anticipation. Of course that also came from doing this in her sacred bedroom. And why was it so damned special? Because a man who’d been dead for five years had once slept there? Ridiculous. It was just a room.

“Ok. What do you think?”

Vivian was standing in the doorway. Glen shook his head and told himself once more that it was not Vivian, it was Amanda, but what he knew and what he saw were two very different things.

“Talk.” Glen said, wanting to gauge for himself how close she’d gotten the voice.

“About what?” She shook her hair back over her shoulders. “Want to hear about my exciting day in the world of caring for other people’s animals? Maybe you want to hear about my kid. Parents talk about their kids non-stop.” She smirked at that.

It was amazing. Even her facial expression…

“How are you doing this?”

“I told you. I have all kinds of tricks.” She moved toward where he sat on the bed and trailed her fingers over his shoulder. “We all do. There are exceptions of course.” She looked at him closely. “I just…it is so hard to believe you don’t know what you are. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on you.”

“So tell me what you think I am.” Glen said, reaching for her. He got her by the hips and pulled her to stand in front of him.

She smiled at him. Even when he sat she did not have much of a height advantage on him. “My grandmother called us ‘magus malefica’ or the dark mage. But we adopted and bastardized a human word for what we are. Demon.”

“Demon?” Glen rolled that through his mind.

“There is nothing biblical about what we are. We are not human. That is what I do know for sure.” She ran her fingers through his hair, lost in thought. He forgot that it was not really Vivian before him, that it was Amanda. That was how powerful the illusion was. “We all have our powers. I can mimic others.” She once more ran her fingers over his shoulder. “And we all have something of a healing ability. You probably noticed that considering I left you bleeding last time.”

“And you’re saying I’m one of you.”

“Yes.” Vivian smiled. “I could sense it the first time I saw you. I can still see it even now.”

Glen’s hands tightened on her hips. “I want to remember.”

Vivian nodded. “I am not sure if I can help you with that. But I’ll see what I can do.” Glen was pulling her closer. She stopped him with a hand held up. “Let me give you some advice before this evening’s festivities, all right?” Glen nodded and relaxed his hold. Vivian’s smile widened but there was a hint of worry there as well. Or maybe it was simply some self-preservation kicking in. “Whatever you do to me, that’s fine. I like it rough. You already know that. But the real woman? Keep your distance from her.”

Glen raised an eyebrow. “Is that a request or an order?” He asked, voice low.

“Neither. A warning. Your…fantasy…is friends with powerful demons. Avoid the sheriff. If he hasn’t seen what you are, he will soon.” She hesitated a moment and took a deep breath. “She’s also befriended one of the ‘malum’…the dark-hearted. I don’t know who it is but you have to be careful. Because he can destroy us.”

“How do you know that? Any of that?” He did not actually believe this. Did he?

“I can sense him. As strong as you are, there has always been this strange…undercurrent…running through town that no one can explain.”

“So who else is like you?”

Vivian smiled. “No one is like me, Glen. We are all different in our ways.”

“I mean…who else is a demon?” He hesitated to use the word, but was unable to help it.

“Nearly everyone you see. This is a town of magus malefica, drawn here to live out normal lives as humans.” She paused for a moment. “I’m only telling you this because you are one of us. You can’t tell anyone else. Not even your friend. The one you think you like.”

“I don’t like her.” Glen said, narrowing his eyes. Part of him did of course. “I want to use her.”

Vivian smiled. Amanda – he corrected it but it got harder to do. The more she talked the more the illusion held. “She’s a human. Pitiful really. You use her, and you might kill her. And that would bring down the wrath of many on your head. She’s well-loved around town to be a human.” She grabbed his hand and brought it up, sliding his fingers over her stomach and onto her breast. “You can, on the other hand, use me. Do whatever you want. You can’t kill me…I can heal fast. Maybe if you take your…attentions…out on me, you’ll be able to continue living here with her. That is what you want, isn’t it?”

Glen said nothing. Actually no, he did not give a fuck one way or the other. It was that weak part of him that insisted. And it was a small price to pay he supposed. He let his fingers trail down the front of her shirt and onto her stomach. “Is there anyone in town who might know why I can’t remember?”

Vivian shrugged. “I’m not sure. I only come here to visit. And until you, I hadn’t really found any of them interesting enough to talk to.”

Glen smirked at that. “Find out.”

Her eyebrow went up. “I’m not sure I can. I’ll be leaving in the morning…”

“No you won’t.” Glen grabbed her wrist and yanked, pulling Vivian onto the bed next to him. “You’re gonna stick around until I say you can go.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“Stop just giving me what I want.” Glen pushed at her shoulders until she was on her back and he was straddling her legs.

“Then that puts us in a problem area doesn’t it?” Vivian smiled and raised her arms over her head, crossing the wrists, letting her shirt ride up. Way up. The bottoms of her breasts were exposed. “Do you want me to put up a real fight this time?” Her eyes were practically dancing as she said it. She saw the riveted way he stared at her exposed skin and ran her hand up her side ‘accidentally’ pulling her shirt up just a little more, exposing just enough of her right breast to flash a bit of nipple at him.

Glen was unable to answer. He found himself lost for a moment in an odd mix of lust and rage that made his head hurt. He wanted her so much…but he didn’t think just fucking her would get her out of his system. No. What he dreamed about, what he wanted, was Vivian...afraid of him, begging him to stop, but unable to keep her body from responding. He didn’t think Amanda could pull it off. And no matter how much he was fooled into thinking it was Vivian with him, just being with her wasn’t enough. He wanted to hurt her. He didn’t know why but it was a stronger need than just screwing her. Although that was an added bonus.

He stared down at her for a moment, watching her breathing, the rise and fall of her chest. And he let himself think about the other night, when he’d had Vivian right where he had wanted her but her blood in his mouth had set off an unstoppable chain reaction.

The Vivian under him sensed his distraction. She smirked and slid herself, faster than he could track, backward and off the bed.

“Hey…”

“You said not to do what you say. Catch me. Take me. Do whatever you want. If you can.” She winked and turned on her heel, heading for the door.

Glen smiled and grabbed her before she could get far. He could move fast too when he wanted to. Without a word he spun her around and threw her back onto the bed. He kept hold of her wrist, pushing it behind her back. And then he grabbed her shirt and yanked, ripping the silk, tearing it off her chest.

And even one-handed, Vivian put up one hell of a fight. She bucked and clawed and hit him with her free hand, catching him with her fingernails on the cheek and neck, his shoulders. Every time he tried to touch her, she pushed at his hand, whimpering and twisting as far out of grasp as she could.

If Amanda were still acting, Glen thought he’d personally put her in for an award. All the sparkle had gone out of her eyes, and she truly looked scared. He squeezed the wrist that he still held under her and uttered a low groan when she whimpered in pain.

His towel had shifted which was good. Less to take off. His erect cock brushed her thigh and Vivian jerked away, trying to push him off and distance herself.

Glen reached down and once more she tried to grab his hand. He knocked her hand away that time, impatient, using his knee to force her legs apart. His fingers hooked into those prim cotton panties and he yanked, tearing the fabric easily. That left Vivian wearing that short skirt with had now ridden up to her hips, and the tattered remains of her shirt.

He shoved her legs apart and let his body weight fall onto her, pinning her. He heard the whoosh of her breath as he knocked the wind out of her. It stunned her long enough to probe at her with the head of his cock. He let go of the hand behind her back and tangled it into her hair, getting a handful and jerking her head to the side. Glen thrust into her and latched his mouth against Vivian’s neck, forcing his way into her unwilling, unready body, groaning at her scream of pain as he began slamming his hips in short sharp strokes against her.

He felt her hitting his shoulders and clawing at his back as he rammed himself home. Even winded, Vivian was still like a bag of snakes under him, twisting, bucking, trying everything to get him off her. And when she told him to stop, when she began begging and crying…that just spurred him to fuck her faster, harder, and deeper.

Glen took her in every way he could, including a few that he was sure even Amanda would have objected to. Although she had cried throughout this staged rape, it wasn’t until he forcefully and painfully entered her rear that he felt he was really getting through to Amanda. The hurt was no longer an act at that point. She was bleeding, not only from being raped. He’d bitten her. Her blood was on his chin, and his neck. And still she tried to hit him, or elbow him, anything to distract him from doing anything to her that he wanted. She screamed and cried and…it was like music to his ears.

The real humiliation for her came when he pounded brutally into her rear and reached over her hip to rub her clit with a firm stroke of his fingers. He could feel Vivian fighting against it, and she screamed at him and cursed him when she came. Hurt or not, blood or not, her mind had no control over what her body did.

He wrapped his hands around her throat and finally growled out at his own release, jerking free of her body so he came across the curve of her ass and onto her hip. His cock spasmed against her and made her squirm in tired revulsion.

Glen finally collapsed against the pillows, unable to catch his breath. For the first time he felt at peace, as odd as it sounded. Whatever sickness that festered in him was content to have this version of Vivian, one who had fought him to the end and had not disappointed him by giving up.

“I’m gonna take a shower.” He said, propping himself up on his elbows and looking down at himself. There was blood smeared in quite a few places over his chest and stomach, and he figured his face was probably covered by it.

Vivian made a low noise but didn’t move. She was still trying to catch her breath. Just looking at her, lying on her side with his spend drying on her ass, blood smeared between her legs…he felt himself stirring again. And the bites…he did not know what it was about having her flesh in his mouth, or her blood on his tongue but he could not stop the compulsion to bite her.

Glen went into Vivian’s bathroom. He’d just violated the fuck out of her sacred bed, might as well make it a home run and wash the aftermath away in her probably equally sacred shower. The thought made him laugh as he washed off. In ten minutes he was toweling himself dry. His headache was completely gone.

“I hope you’re happy now.”

Ah. Weakness decided to finally show his cowardly face. Glen looked into the mirror and saw what looked like an image on top of an image. He looked perfectly satisfied and content, and also depressed and disgusted, as if another face were superimposed on his face in the reflection.

“Happy enough. Vivian is safe from me this way. Surely even you can see it.”

“Then get out.”

“Not quite yet.” He smiled and turned away from the mirror. “Watch or go away, weakling. You can have control back when I’m done.” Glen actually felt the weak side turn away. It was such an odd feeling, as if he had just turned his back. Yet he was standing still. Interesting. Maybe he would find out just what the hell was going on with that.

Then again…maybe he would do as he said. The weak part could take over for a while, so he could rest. And Amanda would do some research for him. In a few days he’d come back, stronger, and maybe by that time the weak man inside him would have won his way back into the real Vivian’s good graces. The thought brought a chuckle from deep in his chest. The next few days were bound to be interesting.

18

A loud commotion from the hallway brought Penelope out of a deep sleep.

She was at home. Or as at home as she would ever be, in the house that she had grown up in. She did not have a room – or rooms – in her father’s house. Haden insisted that she stay on occasion but Penelope had never made it her goal in life to give him what he wanted. The big house where her father and sister lived always felt as if it were closing in on her.

Of course, this house was also feeling rather small when Penelope realized the racket she heard was her sister’s high pitched voice, followed by the deeper tones of someone answering her.

Penelope got up and pulled on her robe only seconds before Cassandra was throwing open her bedroom door, looking for all the world as if she’d been sleeping as well. Which was odd, considering Cassandra had never once stepped foot in this particular house. It meant she’d come over as soon as she had been awakened.

“What is it? What’s happened?” Penelope asked, spotting Adam following closely on Cassandra’s heels. Her first thought was that something had happened to Haden – maybe someone more powerful had finally risen against him or…

But no. Of course not. If she had been a bit more awake she would have known.

“What did you do to him?”

“To who?” Penelope watched as her sister stormed her room like she owned the place.

“Who do you think?” Cassandra turned and Penelope saw that her eyes had gone over completely red. “I felt him. I was sleeping and it woke me up.”

“Ok.” Penelope raised an eyebrow at that. “So what?” She thought she had been pretty clear in her distaste for Cassandra’s little arrangement.

“Obviously he’s alive. And it occurred to me that only one person might be able to block him from me.” Cassandra practically snarled. “That person is you.”

Penelope smiled. It was absolutely humorless. “Right. Because I would have something to gain from manipulating your errand boy?”

“Then help me find him.”

“Why would I help you?” Penelope asked, adjusting her robe a bit. She looked at Adam, who stood in the doorway with a worried expression on his face. “Were you told to babysit my little sister?”

“I was told to follow her.” Adam said with a nod.

Penelope smiled inwardly at that. Obviously Cassandra was upset, and obviously it was aimed at her, so their father had picked up on it. And chose to send someone to protect them from each other. How sweet. Penelope knew it was more for Cassandra’s benefit than her own. Just Haden, protecting his investment.

Cassandra shook her hair back and glared at her sister. She seemed on the verge of saying something, probably something scathing, but bit it back. “If I find out you had anything…at all…to do with this, you’ll pay for it. Eldest or not.”

“You barge into my home, wake me up, and threaten me?” Penelope kept her voice low. Calm. She refused to let Cassandra get to her. “And then have the nerve to say I should help you somewhere in the midst of all of that? What is wrong with you? Are you really that out of touch with reality that you think that everyone is going to give in to your childish temper tantrums?”

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed. “You might think you are hiding your true powers from Father but I know what you can do, Penny.”

“Oh, really Cassie?” Penelope threw in the same sneering infliction her sister had used for the nickname.

Instead of answering, Cassandra turned on her heel and stomped out in much the same sort of huff she’d stomped in. Penelope gazed at Adam for a long moment.

“I couldn’t stop her.” He finally said, wincing as the heavy door downstairs was slammed shut.

“Of course not. She’s too hard-headed to let anything stop her.”

Adam hesitated a moment. “She plans to ask permission to go above. To seek him out. She thinks he’s off realm.”

Off realm, in their way of speaking, was anywhere outside of Haden’s properties. “She means to go near humans?” Penelope asked, processing the way Adam had said ‘above’.

“I hope that Haden knows better than to do such a thing. But…he does not deny her much.”

“Or anything.” Penelope rubbed her temples. If Cassandra was going on a trip, then she was going too. Only earlier. To be sure that things were still holding together. “You’d better catch up with her before she starts burning the town down around our ears.”

Adam smirked and went, being much quieter about it than Cassandra had been. Penelope dropped her hands from her temples and sighed heavily. Cassandra had been raised with an unhealthy loathing for humans – mostly because she thought them all to be weak.

Penelope laughed to herself, thinking that it might not be so horrible if Cassandra were to meet up with one of the asurim, the demon-natured human, it might even been rather amusing. Cassandra thought the stories were no more than the fairy tales told to human children and Haden assured her that such a thing were not possible.

So why did Penelope believe differently? She had heard all the same stories, and even more stories about how ridiculous it was that someone like them would lower themselves to lay with a human woman only to produce a child that could destroy them. Of course Penelope took most of the stories with a grain of salt, because there had only been one incident that could remotely come close to the stories, and that had happened many years before, when she was just a child.

And actually, Penelope thought that Cassandra was jealous of humans in general. There was no reason to envy them really but Cassandra did. She considered them weak but she was jealous of their world. Penelope could go and visit that realm at will but Cassandra had to get permission. Even then she could not stay there long. She was not strong enough.

Penelope smiled at that. For all her destructive magic, Cassandra was as weak as any of the humans she claimed to the. Maybe being Haden’s favored, spoiled daughter had crippled her. It was an interesting thought anyway.

She debated whether a visit to Jason was required or if she should just let Cassandra flounder her way around the human realm. If her sister had sensed her plaything, then it could mean trouble. It would mean that something had happened and he had remembered where he was meant to be. Penelope had never had anyone break through one of her spells before, so she was unsure how to proceed. A trip to the human realm was a definite must.

She finally got up to get dressed. Penelope wasn’t fool enough to believe that Haden would calm Cassandra down. In fact, their father trying would likely make the situation worse. She figured she was in for a very long day.

~~!~~

It was after midnight. Mark was dozing, propped up by a few pillows. Vi was using his shoulder as her pillow, and was playing with his fingers, tired but not yet sleepy. After Mark had come in for lunch, he’d brought out a notepad and started going over his plans for the memorial garden with her. After the trip to her house, and a few phone calls she’d made, they had come back here to his house. They’d cooked dinner and Mark had gone into his office, a small room off the living room, to make some phone calls about starting the actual work at the ranch the next day.

Vi was more than happy that she wouldn’t be there to see the work itself. She knew it had to be done but just thinking about it made her heart hurt. She knew she wasn’t going to forget Link or Rose just because they cleaned up the mess, but what her head knew and what her heart felt were two different things.

And then they’d spent the evening not doing much except talking and watching brainless shows on TV. Vi thought that was more for her benefit than his. And it worked. She felt herself relaxing and just enjoyed hanging out. She enjoyed it even more when he’d given up on the show and turned his attention fully on her, touching her and kissing her. Eventually they ended up in bed.

So that brought Vi to where she was now as she ran her fingers along Mark’s and stroked his palm with her fingertips. There was just enough light to make out the long line of his fingers and the place around his wrist where his tattoos began. She thought it was odd how fascinated she was by the contrast of smooth unmarked skin to tattoos.

“Ya know, sleepin’ works better when you close your eyes and try.” Mark said it in a deep, drawling voice. He was still mostly asleep. Vi smiled and snuggled closer, sliding her fingers between his to hold onto his hand.

“Sorry. “

“Don’t have to be sorry ‘bout it.” Mark shifted a little, getting more comfortable.

“I was just admiring your hands.”

“Were ya?” He suppressed a yawn as he spoke and squeezed her fingers.

“I were.” Vi mocked his sleepy voice and brought their joined hands up. She kissed him on the side of his hand near his wrist and let him go. “I can’t sleep. I’m tired but I just can’t stop thinking long enough to drop off.”

“What’s on your mind?”Mark shifted and rolled onto his side, spooning up to her back, wrapping his free arm around her waist.

“Nothing. Well…nothing specific.” Vi sighed and tried to relax and find that halfway tired place she’d been just a few minutes before. It wasn’t happening. “I don’t want to keep you up. You…”

“I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’m the boss.” Mark said, sounding amused as well as sleepy. “But you don’t have to stay in bed if you aren’t sleepy yet. I’m not holdin’ you hostage.”

Vi hesitated. Maybe some more mind numbing television. Or a book – there were a couple of bookcases downstairs, she could find something to look through until she got tired enough to fall asleep. Mark was obviously done for the day. She should have been as tired as he was but for some reason sleep just kept eluding her.

“Ok. I’ll be back in when I’m sleepy enough.” She said it softly. Mark made a soft noise but didn’t really talk. He was sleeping again. Vi smirked to herself and slid out of his arms. She hadn’t bothered with pajamas earlier – neither of them had, of course they hadn’t, it wasn’t like they had been worried about sleeping then. Now was a different story. She went to her bag and dug to the bottom, finding her silk nightshirt by feel. She tugged it over her head and quietly slipped from the room, careful not to disturb him as he slept.

She skipped the TV and the book, instead opting to go out on the back deck. The wind had picked up a bit since earlier, and the only sound was the soft lap of water from the pool and the whisper of the wind through the trees. It should have been relaxing. But for some reason Vi felt more awake now than she had upstairs. Even though it was warm out she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as she leaned against the deck rail and looked up at the clear night sky.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Mark come outside until he put his arms around her and pulled her back to lean against his chest. It startled her and made her laugh nervously.

“You’re jumpy.” Mark said softly, resting his chin on her head.

“You were sleeping.” Vi pointed out instead of remarking on his comment.

“Yeah. Well.” He didn’t elaborate. They were quiet for a few minutes. “What is it?” Mark finally asked, his voice low.

Vi took a deep breath and shook her head. “I wish I knew.”

Mark did not know what to say to that. They stood in silence just watching the dark trees sway. Eventually Vi turned around in his arms and looked up at him. He thought she was going to say something but she only shook her head and extracted herself from his arms. She headed into the house and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving him looking after her with a frown of worry crossing his features.

Vi probably could have worried him even more if she’d told him that when she had looked up at him, for a moment there she had felt like crying. And there was no reason for it. She took a few minutes and splashed cool water on her face, trying to figure out what exactly the problem could be. There was nothing. Well – nothing that she hadn’t been dealing with for the past five years.

Whatever had gripped her – maybe panic, maybe just sadness, hell sometimes Vi didn’t even know what her mind was thinking – passed. And she felt tired again. Drained. She looked into the mirror for a moment and pushed her hair back from her face, thinking that maybe she was just coming down with a cold or something. It was as plausible an explanation as anything else.

When she exited the bathroom, she saw that Mark had come back into the house. He was in the kitchen, standing at the sink, drinking a glass of water. He cast a look in her direction and she managed to dredge up a smile.

“I think I can probably sleep now.” She said, smiling more naturally when that worried frown faded from his face.

“You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I just felt sort of off for a minute. Now I’m just sleepy.” Vi smiled and took his hand as he walked over to her. Mark brushed her hair back behind her ear and looked at her intently.

“If you’re sure.” He finally said, apparently deciding it really had been nothing to worry about. Mark led the way back up to his room and they both crawled into bed. And she hadn’t been joking. As soon as Vi had settled into a comfortable spot with her head against his shoulder and her arm over his waist she was asleep. Mark smirked and shook his head, closing his eyes.

Mark got up before Vi again and got out of bed without disturbing her. The day had dawned cloudy and gray. He figured it was a good thing that his guys would be collapsing that foundation rather than trying to haul it off when it was pouring rain. He showered and toweled off, smiling as he walked back into the bedroom. Vi had curled onto her side with the blankets up to her chin. He’d let her sleep. It wasn’t like they had pressing plans.

They were in the midst of breakfast the next morning, strange incident from the night before all but forgotten, when they heard a vehicle on Mark’s gravel driveway. “Guess I’d better go see who it is.” Mark said, putting his fork aside. Vi guessed he thought it would be some person from his crew who would be working at the ranch that day. When she looked out the window a few minutes later she was surprised to see that Mark was standing in the driveway near her SUV talking to Steve.

Steve didn’t look particularly happy, and even though Vi couldn’t hear them she got the feeling they were exchanging some heated words. She debated on whether or not go out there and in the end decided that if Steve was upset that she was here then she’d deal with it rather than leave it to Mark.

By the time she stepped out onto the front porch, Steve was leaning on her SUV with his hands hooked into his pockets. He gave Vi a lazy smile as she joined them.

“Mornin’.” He said with a nod. Vi smiled and looked from Steve to Mark.

“Hey, Steve. How’s it going? And how’s that new baby? I keep meaning to call or stop in but it keeps slipping my mind…”

Steve’s smile didn’t waver but Vi saw the way his eyes, usually so direct, flicked to Mark for a moment before he answered her. “We’re all doing good for ourselves, Viv. Got me a pretty little girl. She keeps us both up half the night though.” He chuckled at that. “And you know that Jess would love to see ya, but you should call first. She’s gotten a bit picky about people just poppin’ in.

Vi nodded at that. “Overprotective mommy. Got it.”

“Yeah.” Steve rubbed his head thoughtfully. “Mark here says you’re finally clearin’ out the old house.”

“Well I’m not. They are.” Vi looked at Mark again. And saw that he had an amused look on his face.

“Gotta meet with the landscaper today. Don’t forget.” Mark reminded her.

Vi smirked and ignored that. “Tell Jess I’ll be calling her sometime soon, please.”

Steve grinned and said he would. They both watched Vi disappear back into the house. As soon as the door was closed Steve immediately grew serious.

“What the hell is she doing here?”

“I invited her.” Mark said with a shrug.

“You haven’t told her?”

Mark hesitated. “No. I don’t see a reason to. At least not right now.”

Steve only stared at him for a full minute. “Thought we all agreed that…”

“I know what you agreed to.” Mark said.

“So…what? Are you just that bored now with what you can have over what you shouldn’t? You know there are some that won’t like the idea of you and Vivian.”

“Yeah. About as much as they liked the idea of me with Rayne.” Mark stared at him pointedly. Steve held up his hand to stop an argument before it could really happen.

“That was before my time, so don’t go blamin’ that on me. You know I woulda stopped it if I could have.”

“I wasn’t blaming you. I was saying that it’s none of your damn business.”

Steve sighed heavily. “You’re gonna have to tell her.”

“I might. Eventually.” Mark relaxed a little, and leaned against the SUV after glancing over his shoulder at the house. “Not yet though.”

Steve studied him closely. “What about the others? And the agreement to not…”

“That was before I met her.” Mark said, interrupting him. Yes, he knew what others had agreed to concerning certain people around town. Did he care? Not really. Their laws never really touched him, mostly because they were still afraid of him. He’d never given them a reason to enforce that, and he hadn’t denied it either. He honestly didn’t care what they thought. Never had, never would.

“She’s kinda special around here. I don’t know how some will take it when word gets out.”

“I know.” Mark raised an eyebrow. “So what about that fire?”

“What fire?”

“Wasn’t any damned electrical fire. Or was that before your time here too?”

“I’m the sheriff. Not a fire marshal.” Steve muttered. “And what good would knowin’ the truth be for her? It doesn’t change shit.”

“Yet you want me to tell her what we are.”

“Don’t twist my words.” Steve said, keeping his voice low. “I meant about what happened. Half her family is dead and gone. Why raise the ghosts? Especially since it looks like…well…” He gestured. “Viv deserves some good in her life. She’s been through enough hell.”

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult.” Mark said, relaxing a little and smiling. Steve didn’t mean it as an insult, he was sure. Steve liked Vi, and felt protective of her. “I’ll tell her. Soon. I’m not going to make the same mistakes again.”

Steve nodded. “Good.”

“What about the baby?” Mark asked, since Vi had reminded him.

Steve smiled but it was troubled. “Good. Like I said. But…I don’t think Jess will be wantin’ to take her out on the town just yet.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “So it’s obvious?”

“It’s something.” Steve’s smile was more genuine. “You want me to check on that fire?”

Mark thought it over. He was curious about it but what good would come from it? Of course it wasn’t really him that might need to know. He once more looked back at his house. “Yeah. Better do it. And make it fast. They’re going to start caving it in this afternoon.”

“I’ll get it done.” Steve started to turn away, but he paused long enough to level Mark with a knowing smirk. “Tell her. You could do a hell of a lot worse than Viv.” He smacked Mark on the arm and turned to get back into his Jeep to head to the ranch.

Mark watched until he turned onto the main road before heading back inside. Vi had stacked their dishes in hot water in the sink and was no longer on the first floor. He saw her on the back deck with a glass of juice in her hand, looking out over the trees. He hesitated a moment before opening the door and stepping out.

Vi smiled at him over her shoulder. “I didn’t get you in trouble did I?” She laughed at his look of confusion. “Steve – almost makes me feel like a teenager that got caught out of the house when she’s grounded.”

Mark grinned at that. “He was surprised but I don’t think you’ll have to worry. Want to take a walk with me?”

“Where are you walking to?” Vi asked, taking his hand when he offered and setting her empty glass on the table as he led her past it toward the stairs.

“Just around the woods. Work off some of breakfast.” He winked at her. “Maybe get started working off lunch.”

Vi laughed at that. He threaded his fingers through hers and headed for the gate at the back of the yard that led into the patch of woods behind the house.

19

Vi had to head home on Thursday. Mark had been against it of course, but she really did need to check in on her clinic, and deal with some things at home. The only reason he let her go was because she promised she’d be back that evening to eat dinner with him.

Also the fact that she no longer sounded so panicked at the thought of going home probably had a hand in swaying him as well, although Vi did not know it. Plus he had some things to take care of. At lunch the day before they had sat with his landscaper, a man named Joseph who Mark had worked with before on many projects. After telling him what was needed, he started jotting down notes. The only thing that Vi offered by way of what she would like was only that there be no roses of any kind. Even though she had been given the name Rose, Vi’s mother-in-law had not particularly cared for the flower.

And to be perfectly honest, Vi was tired of hiding. It was her house, her clinic, part of her ranch. So what if Glen had done something odd? It wasn’t as if it had happened before, and he had even said he’d been having nightmares and…well. She kept thinking that he had truly seemed bothered by it, as bothered as she was. A few days away had given her some perspective at least.

The first thing Vi did was go to her office. She listened to all the messages on the machine and called back to the few who could not wait. The two puppies that had been there had been taken care of and released thanks to Ray and the ranch hands. It had been a fairly quiet week, for which she was grateful. If she’d come back to chaos she would have felt guilty.

Before she left her office, she typed and printed out a new sign that she taped over the front door, informing people the clinic would be closed until Monday and offering up phone numbers and names of vets who were nearby enough to be able to cover it. Technically speaking, this was the first real vacation she’d had in over five years.

Vi locked up and went into the house. And even though she hadn’t been home and the place was still neat as it was when she left it, she started cleaning and doing laundry. Generally the stuff she would do throughout the week if she’d been home. She even opened up all the windows to air the house out a bit since there was enough of a breeze to make it worth it.

She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t hear Glen come in. So when he said hello, Vi almost dropped the basket of clothes she was carrying from the basement to Josie’s room.

“I swear…I am gonna make you wear a bell around your neck.” Vi said, resetting her grip on the basket and smirking.

“Sorry. Thought I was being noisy enough comin’ in…” Glen smiled at her. “You need a hand with that?”

“No, no. I got it.” Vi raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing home so early? Ray must be slacking.”

“Nah. It’s lunch time. Breaking a little late today because we wanted to finish the section we were working on.” Glen motioned to his shirt which had splotches of black paint on it

“Oh. Well if you can wait a couple of minutes I can find us both something to eat. I’m kinda hungry myself.” Vi glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was nearly 2 in the afternoon. It seemed like she had just gotten home. She went upstairs and dropped off Josie’s things then back down to leave the empty basket near the basement door. Glen had disappeared into the kitchen. She walked in and found him scrubbing the paint off his hands.

“I was just gonna throw a sandwich together.” He said, spotting her over his shoulder. Vi shrugged and went to the fridge, pulling out everything they would need. A sandwich sounded good to her. She hadn’t eaten much that morning for breakfast.

Once they sat down she took a moment to study him. He looked a lot better than he had the last time she’d seen him. More well rested, not nearly as pale, and somehow at peace. He wasn’t doing that strange wincing/frowning thing either, the little tic that indicated he had a headache.

“So how has your week been?” Vi asked after she’d taken a bite of her sandwich.

“Good. Busy.” He gave a wry smile. “I went to the doctor. They want more tests.”

“Oh.” Vi had completely forgotten she’d asked him to go. Of course she’d been occupied but that was a horrible excuse. “You kept saying you had headaches…and…”

Glen shrugged. “It’s been better. I think maybe it was the messed up sleep schedule.” He looked at her for a moment, meeting her eyes. “I think a lot of what happened was sort of because of my sleep problems. And supposedly the doctor is going to figure that out too.” He hesitated and finally shook his head. “He gave me a prescription for some sleeping pills. I don’t know what good they’ll do but he said if I start feeling like I did…then I should use them. We’ll see how they work.”

Vi nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t go with you. I know I said I would…”

“I don’t blame you. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, or doing…” Glen shook his head. “I wish I could remember what made me do…what I did. Then…well.” He looked away from her, and she took it as embarrassment. “I can’t argue it with you. It’s probably for the best that nothing else happens between us.”

Vi made a face and took another bite of her sandwich. She chewed slowly, lost in her own thoughts.

Glen kept stealing glances at her, because Vivian seemed so preoccupied. His decision to not pursue a relationship with her was the right choice. He did not know why but that was what he felt.

What he couldn’t bring himself to say was that he thought it all had something to do with Amanda. He wasn’t sure what. In fact, it was downright strange that he could remember either calling Amanda or getting a call from her – and then the rest was a blank. As if whatever happened from the time they spoke on the phone to the next morning just was not there. From the scratches and bruises he had spotted on his own skin, he figured it was more than just a trip to a movie theater.

He’d worried at first, that maybe he would hurt Amanda in the same way he had been determined to hurt Vivian. But each time he spoke to the woman she’d been eager to see him; that much he did know. Also the headache that had felt more or less constant for the past several weeks was gone finally. Glen felt as if he were thinking clearly for the first time in a very long time. And part of that thinking was to back away from Vivian. The thought of not being with her aggravated him, and no doubt would come back to bite him in the ass at some point, but he didn’t want to completely lose her either. He’d missed her that week, and not just sexually – the house felt so damn empty without her around it was ridiculous.

As long as he was feeling good, as he was now, and things were going well between then, he wasn’t going to rock the boat. Glen liked Vivian, he liked Josie, he liked the house, the ranch, most of the guys he got to work with. He could see the bigger picture and that was he had a home here. He did not want to mess that up.

“Josie will be home Saturday night.” Vi said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “And I was thinking maybe we should get a swimming pool.”

Glen lifted an eyebrow at that. He’d seen the people working at the original house, and had watched them for a bit the day before as they’d gone about caving in the foundation and filling in the hole. Ray avoided it, and in a roundabout way Glen figured that was one of the many reason Vivian had made herself scarce. “Is that what all the sudden construction is about?” He finally asked.

“No.” Vi smiled. “That’s a completely different thing. I don’t know if I want one permanently, but Josie has asked for one for the past few years and…maybe one of those above ground things will do for a start. To see if we’ll actually put it to use.”

“Ah. And you want to get it picked out and done before she gets home?” Glen caught on fairly quick.

“Well it would be nice, even if it’s not possible.” Vi smirked. “If you don’t already have big plans for Saturday, maybe we could go into town and hunt around for one I can live with. And the rest of the stuff to go with it.”

Glen smiled. “Supposedly we’ll be done painting by tomorrow afternoon. So sure…I’d be happy to.” His smile faded slowly. “Does this mean you’ll be home tonight or…”

Vi raised an eyebrow. Now would be a good time to tell him everything but something still held her back. Maybe she was just selfish. She wasn’t completely sure. “I’ll be back Saturday before lunch. We’ll go grab a bite and shop. I’m only here today because I had some stuff to do. And it doesn’t have anything to do with you. I just need the break.”

“Ok.” Glen finished off his sandwich. Vi watched closely to see if he would be upset, but it seemed that he relaxed a bit more. He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “I guess I’d better get back out there. I want to get a head start.”

“Want me to drive you out?” Vi asked, taking his plate and her own to the sink.

“Nah. I have Ray’s truck.” He drank what remained of his tea and put the glass in the sink as well. “See you Saturday, Vivian.” He gave her a smile and turned to head out the door.

Vi stood there for a few minutes staring after him, sort of surprised by how easy that had gone. Maybe it really had been a lack of sleep or some kind of exhaustion that had caused what had happened. It was as plausible a reason as any other. Now that she’d eaten, and their plates and glasses were washed, Vi found her energy for cleaning had evaporated. She grabbed her cordless phone and went out the door, stepping onto the smooth stone patio that lined the back of the house.

She scrolled through the phone’s memory until she found Steve’s house number, and dialed. Jess picked up with a sleepy sounding ‘hello’.

“Hey, it’s Vi. Just through I’d call and say congratulations.”

“Thanks. If I wasn’t so tired I’d take all the credit.” Jess said with a wry chuckle.

“Is she keeping you up at night?”

“And in the daytime. She’s been a little fussy the last couple of days. So I try to nap when I can.”

‘I’m sorry. I’m disturbing your sleep.” Vi said with a laugh.

“No, you’re all right. I wasn’t sleeping. I have a few dozen things to do since the baby is sleeping. She won’t stay down for long.”

“Well you need to rest too, Jess. Do you want a help cleaning around your house or taking care of the baby?”

Jess hesitated. Vi figured it was a bit of exhaustion mixed with pride. She remembered that combination pretty well from the days when Josie was new and she hadn’t wanted help from anyone.

“I think we can handle it. Steve is only working half days and…well. I’m a little nervous about people going in and out of the house.” Jess finally said.

“Ok. That offer is out there. Even if you just want a hand running a vacuum or cooking. You shouldn’t be putting too much on your shoulders. Taking care of a baby is hard work.” Vi laughed. “And what’s her name? I keep calling her the baby…”

“Robin. Steve wanted to name her after his grandmother. Robin Grace.” Jess sounded so darn proud it made Vi smile.

“Ah. Precious. I can’t guarantee I won’t make some food and send it to you. But I’ll send it through Steve.”

“Thanks, Viv. And as soon as I feel up to it we’ll bring the baby by. Going to do rounds eventually and visit everybody I’ve told to stay away from us. You’ll be our first stop.”

“I feel special.” Vi laughed and they said their goodbyes. She turned back toward the house and dialed Mark’s number. “Hey. Just seeing if you were home. I’m about finished here.” She said when he answered.

“I’m about done here. You can go ahead in. There’s a spare key…” Mark was obviously doing something physical because she heard him grunt followed by the sound of something metal falling. “Sorry ‘bout that. Anyway…I keep a spare key around back, in the box where the pool lights turn on.”

“I’ll try not to rob you blind if I beat you there.” Vi said with a grin.

“Well you could try. But I know where you live.” There were more metallic banging noises. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Vi shook her head and hung up before returning the phone to its charger. She went around the house, closing and locking the downstairs windows while leaving the upstairs windows open a few inches to keep the air circulating. She scribbled a note to Glen asking him to shut the windows when he got in and that was it. She figured she’d done enough for the day anyway.

She went back to Mark’s and used his key to get inside. She also put the key back in its hiding spot because she was sure if she didn’t she’d forget about it. Vi headed inside wanting to do nothing more than find something to read and relax on the deck until Mark got home. She changed into her swimsuit and settled her sunglasses on her forehead then went into Mark’s home office to find something to read. He had a couple of bookshelves that were packed full of the most random collection of books she had ever seen in a person’s house.

She finally settled on a paperback and turned to leave the office. And stopped dead in her tracks.

This was technically the first time Vi had been in Mark’s office. Oh she had stood in the doorway a couple of times, but she had not actually gone inside. She just was not nosy enough to go rooting through someone’s house even if they have given her permission to make herself at home. Which was why she had never seen the picture that hung beside the door.

She didn’t think it was possible for a simple picture to cause the sort of reaction she felt. Vi had seen the picture before. Of course she had, it was one of the pictures that Steve had printed and brought to the house.

In this one, a beautiful woman with dark hair and eyes so green they looked unreal. On her left was a young man who had just graduated – and if she had to guess Vi would say high school. That much she remembered from the pictures that Steve had dropped off. She also recalled thinking that the picture had been torn at some point, because in this one there was another person, standing to the woman’s right. A kid not much older than the one on the left. Glen had obviously gotten his mother’s hair but Mark had inherited her eyes.

She wasn’t even going to try to kid herself about who they were. Of course it was Glen and Mark. They bore a slight resemblance to each other but it was not really striking like some siblings. Even looking at a picture of them together she had to really study it to find similarities.

There was a scraping noise from the living room as the front door opened. Vi jumped and dropped the book she’d picked, not realizing she had been so intently studying the picture. Mark appeared in the doorway, eyebrow up, slight smile curving his lips.

“Hey.” The smiled faded. “You all right? You look kind of pale.”

“Huh? Oh…I’m fine. Dropped my book.” Vi bent and scooped it up, purposely not looking at the picture again. “And I thought I would at least have enough time to sit outside before you got back. You musta been closer to being done than you thought.”

Vi thought she did a good job of covering her surprise. Not just at him popping up – it was his house, he could pop in and out whenever he wanted to. It was the shock of seeing that picture…after things that had happened…

“I’m not done yet.” Mark leaned in the doorway and looked her over, reminding Vi that she had put on her swim suit. She’d forgotten. “But I can’t get done until the rest of my parts come in, and my parts aren’t going to be in until tomorrow.” He flashed a lazy half-smile. “I was gonna suggest we go back to your place to see how things are progressing but now that I’m here I think that can wait til tomorrow.”

Vi smiled back at him, mentally deciding to once more keep to herself the presence of Glen. Mark had never mentioned family beyond his wife and son, and she wasn’t about to drag his brother out. Especially considering the things that had happened.

She was going to have to say something…eventually. Vi figured she and Mark were in some odd type of relationship, even if it was based largely on mutual loss and convenience. She hated to think of it that way, but she was old enough to realize that just because they had spent the past week practically living together did not mean they’d spend the rest of their lives doing the same.

For a few minutes she forgot all about that. Mark reached out, grabbed her hand, and pulled her close to cover her mouth with his. Vi grabbed a handful of his shirt and kissed him back. When he finally pulled back for air Vi had trouble catching her own breath.

“Unfortunately, I need a shower.” Mark said, his voice low and husky. It sent a pleasurable shiver down her back. He trailed his fingers up her arm, over her shoulder and tugged at the material that tied her top on. Vi smirked and caught it before it could fall very far though.

“Then go take one. I’ll be outside when you’re ready.” Vi smiled at his frustrated groan and watched him go up the stairs. He grumbled the whole way. She spared one last glance at the picture on the wall, and wondered if maybe she was wrong, maybe she should just tell him about everything…

Vi shook her head and went toward the door to the back deck. She had nothing to really gain by keeping things to herself, and she thought if someone had told her that her sibling had shown up randomly somewhere she’d be happy to hear the news. But something held her back. She didn’t know if she would call it intuition or maybe she just dreaded a possible confrontation between the two men, considering what had happened with both of them.

Vi went down to the pool and sat down on the steps, her feet in the cool water, frowning thoughtfully. She thought for a few moments of Glen’s reaction to the pictures, to the house that had been his when they were younger…

“Younger?” She said that out loud. Neither one of them looked to be pushing 60. How the hell had she managed to forget that? In the midst of everything else…it was just one weird thing too many.

She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, feeling the sun on her face, ignoring the fact that her top was still undone and hanging down. Vi cleared her mind, pushing away everything, wanting to get back to the same mindset that wanted nothing more than to relax for a few hours. She would tell Mark…and Glen. Everything. She would have to. Vi felt she was horrible at keeping secrets, always had been, and was surprised she’d kept her mouth shut this long. But it wouldn’t be that day. She wanted to enjoy Mark’s attention and his company before she dropped a very large bomb into his lap.

Vi relaxed a little and smiled as she felt fingers stroking a line along her shoulder. She cracked an eye open and looked back at Mark, who was giving her a heated look that really chased her errant thoughts out of her head. Mark smirked at her, peering pointedly at her bare chest, and then he stepped into the water, grabbing her hand as he went, pulling Vi to her feet. And right up against him. He’d put on his shorts but that was it. The cool water made her skin slip against his and sent little flashes of heat racing through her every time they brushed together.

“Ever messed around in a swimming pool?” Mark asked, brushing his mouth over hers.

Vi snickered. “Once. In college. Maybe twice. I used to be adventurous.”

Mark grinned at that. “Ok. I’ll amend that. Have you ever messed around in my swimming pool?”

“I don’t believe the opportunity has ever come up.” Vi said with a wink, pressing herself closer to him. Mark groaned as she brought her thigh up between his and rubbed him through the thin shorts he was wearing.

“We’re gonna remedy that, I do believe.” He said, pulling her. Vi let herself be led, wrapping her arms over his shoulders when the water got deeper.

It became apparent all too soon that his idea of ‘mess around’ meant just that. He touched her and kissed her and sucked water off her skin until Vi thought she’d go crazy at the sensations. Mark was in absolutely no hurry to take it further either, smiling enigmatically but keeping himself maddeningly out of reach when she tried to wrap her legs around his waist or touch him too aggressively.

When she figured that out, Vi smiled to herself and started to do the same, staying just out of his reach, going back toward the shallow end. He watched with an eyebrow up as she went up the steps and sat down, legs trailing into the water. He had taken off her suit so she was completely naked, lounging there with the sun flashing off the water beading on her skin. And she started touching herself, watching as his eyes were riveted by the movement of her hands and fingers against her damp skin.

That was all it took. Vi was so lost in what she was doing that she was surprised when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand up to his mouth to suck on the fingers. That hungry look said that playtime was definitely over. Vi felt butterflies in her stomach as he moved on top of her, recognizing that look of intensity and utter focus as he finally entered her and gave her what she wanted, hard and fast and utterly mind-blowing there in the heat of the sun.

When it was over, Vi held onto his shoulders, feeling the heat coming off his skin. He was leaning over her, catching his breath, laughing when his hair dripped water on her upturned face.

“You ok?” Mark finally asked, sounding like he’d just run a marathon.

Vi smiled. “Well…I’m pretty sure my knees are sunburned and my back is probably permanently embedded with concrete dust, but other than that I feel great.”

Mark laughed and shifted, pulling away and giving Vi a hand to her feet. Her legs were shaking but figured that was a small price to pay for what they’d just done. “I bet you’ll get in the shower with me now.” He said, eying her appreciatively.

“I wasn’t aware you had asked me to get in with you before.”

“I guess I need to work on my signals then, huh.” He grabbed her before she could walk away to get her suit and kissed her breathless. “You wanna get in the shower with me?”

Vi laughed. “It’s a start. And yes. But one of us needs to stay focused because all this fresh air and sunshine is making me hungry.”

“Fresh air? All my hard work, nature gets the credit. It figures.” He kissed her one more time, gave her rear a squeeze and then sighed and let her go. “All right. A friendly shower, and then dinner and then…you can parade around naked the rest of the night.”

“I wasn’t parading.” Vi said with a laugh as she snagged her suit and went up the stairs. Mark followed, shaking his head.

“You weren’t hidin’ it either.” He said wryly.

Vi only smirked at that. And found that now that the physical need had been taken care of her mind wandered back to the picture in Mark’s office and what exactly it meant. She needed time to think…and until then she would just have to push it from her mind and worry about it later.

20

Vi made it a point to not venture back into Mark’s office.

On Saturday morning they ate breakfast together, but Mark seemed preoccupied. He kept up his end of their conversation but Vi could tell his mind was only half on it. By ten she was packed and ready to head home. Mark would be leaving to make the trip to pick Drew up not long after she went home.

Vi climbed into the driver’s seat and rolled her windows down. Mark leaned in the driver’s side door and kissed her. It was almost enough to make her change her mind about leaving early. But then she reminded herself he had other things to do and she had some thinking of her own to take care of.

When Mark pulled back he gave her an unreadable smile. “Guess we won’t be doing anything like this again for a while, huh?”

“We’ll figure it out.” Vi reached out and cupped his face with her hand, feeling the scratch of beard stubble against her palm. “You’d better hit the road. You don’t want your kid the only one standing around waiting.” She reminded him, making him smile more naturally.

“Yeah. He might go all teenager on me.” Mark leaned forward, kissed her one more time, and then backed away. “I’ll call you later.”

Vi smiled at that. “I’ll be home. Be careful.” She put her SUV in reverse and backed away. Once on the road she waved in answer to his and headed for the house.

It was sort of depressing, going back. She missed the closeness already, not only the sex but just the feeling of being with someone who could understand why she might sometimes act odd or say odd things. Vi had never once had to explain herself to Mark. She hated explaining herself to people, because she always felt they would not understand her.

To take her mind off of the loneliness she was sure would come crashing in on her at any moment, Vi once more let her thoughts go toward that picture. She was going to get the photos that Steve had given her and look through them again, just to be sure. She snorted. Of course she was sure – it hadn’t been that long ago that she’d seen it the first time.

So what did she do with what she knew? Should she tell Mark? Or Glen? Or get them both together so they could meet for the first time or…

It made her head spin, just thinking about it.

Glen was already at a disadvantage too. He had no memories from his life before she had found him by the road. Mark might very well just be another stranger to him. Or a distant possibility – Mark might be the catalyst to make Glen remember his past. She wondered if such a thing were possible.

Vi had, in a very roundabout way the night before during dinner, asked Mark about his family. She would’ve had to have been blind to miss the way his jaw tightened and his eyes left hers when he said that his parents and his only sibling had died a long time ago, even before he’d met his wife, and it wasn’t something he liked to talk about.

Obviously it was an off-limits topic, at least at that moment. But he thought his brother was dead too. Vi thought it was all starting to feel very soap-opera. And she had absolutely no clue what she was going to do about it.

She did push it to the back of her mind when she got home. She…or rather Glen, being his helpful self…took her two bags into the house and then they were off – heading for the larger city because Vi was pretty sure they wouldn’t find anything she was looking for in town. They stopped and ate lunch and picked over the selection of swimming pools in four different places until Vi found one she thought she could live with. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be delivered until Monday, and it…along with all the things that went with it…was too big to fit in her SUV. So she made arrangements for it to be delivered and assembled on Monday while Josie was at school.

They stopped in town once more, this time for groceries and just random things that Vi thought they’d need during the upcoming weeks. And it struck her that it was strange how much fun it was. Glen obviously did feel better, he looked better, he even joked around and was more talkative than he had been over the past several weeks. Whatever dark cloud that had hung over him had apparently lifted.

And it was not a matter of if they had to know. Of course they had to know. She would have to tell them both. But Vi had no idea how to go about it, other than just blurting it out and maybe causing trouble. Especially considering how angry Mark had been when he’d caught sight of the bite on her chest. Scary angry. And he hadn’t really done anything to act out. It was just a feeling she got from the way he talked.

That was another funny thing. That bite. The bruises. Both were gone. She had even checked out her reflection after lunch in the bathroom mirror at the restaurant. There wasn’t even a scratch on her chest. So it must not have been nearly as bad as it had looked at first, since it healed up so fast.

When they got back to the house, Glen stayed outside. Vi watched him, amused for the moment, as he walked around slowly with a box-level and a can of spray paint. Every now and then he would stop to set the level down, trying to find a mostly flat area for the pool. Apparently there were a few as he put down X’s in green paint in a few spots.

Vi took him a glass of iced tea and looked around. “Hope that paint isn’t going to poison random birds or something.”

“It’s non-toxic. And green. I don’t think Josie’ll notice it. And it’ll wash away in the rain.”

Vi thought he had a point. Even this close it was hard to see the marks. “Well. Good. Ok then.” She turned and went around the side of her house toward her office. They did not have a garage – instead Vi had turned the back part of her office into storage. That was where she had stored their grill months before. She had to rearrange boxes of Christmas decorations to get to it of course. It seemed like an every year occurrence.

She spent almost an hour cleaning it and getting the grill set up. There was something very soothing about doing it, something she had done every year for the past…ten? At least the past ten. Even when Link had been there, she had been the one who dragged the grill out and got it ready. And it wasn’t something she had to put much thought into. That was a bonus.

Glen came to find her with the phone in his hand. “Josie.” He said, smiling and handing it over.

Vi grinned and said hello. And immediately got overrun by her daughter’s familiar excited babbling. She was at Grace’s house, where the family was unloading the car, and she wanted to know if Vi would be picking her up or of one of Grace’s parents should bring her home.

“I’ll come get you. I’m sure they want to get settled in. Give me about thirty minutes?”

“Ok Mom. I have to get my stuff…I’ll be outside waiting!”

Vi hung up, still smiling. “Guess they got back earlier than they thought.” She said to Glen, who was tinkering with the grill. He smirked over his shoulder at her.

“Bet she’ll be glad to see you. You go on and get her. I think I can figure out how to light a fire.”

“Well it’s still kind of early to be eating…” Vi glanced at her watch and saw it was nearly 5. “Or not. Today has flown by. You can start the charcoal going if you’re going to be hungry soon…”

“I’ll take care of it. You go on and get your girl.” Glen waved her off. Vi went willingly enough. As interesting as her week had been, she’d missed Josie. As she pulled onto the main road she wondered exactly how she was going to handle Josie heading to college in five years. Even scarier - high school next year. The thought was both happy and sad.

Josie was waiting on her. She hefted her bag and threw it into the back seat before climbing in. They both waved at Grace and her mother, who stood on the porch and watched the go. Vi took a moment to look at her daughter. “Sunburn…I knew it.”

“Just on my nose. And my shoulders.” Josie smirked. “Nobody said we had to put the sun-block on again after we went swimming.”

“It says it on the bottle.” Vi said with a laugh.

“Who reads a bottle of lotion?” Josie asked. “Did you miss me? Did you have fun while I was gone and you were kid free?”

“Yes. And yes. Did you think I’d sit around moping and counting the hours until you came home?”

“It would be nice.” Josie grinned. “Did Granddad get moved all right?”

“Sure. And some other stuff is changing too.” Vi glanced at her daughter. “The old house, for one.”

“Oh. Finally getting rid of it?” Josie was still smiling although it was smaller.

“Turning it into a garden.” Vi said, thinking that the two of them could walk out together after dinner to see the progress for themselves. “Somewhere we can look at and remember in a good way.”

“Good. I hated that place. It always made you sad.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure I’ll still have my moments, hon. Getting rid of the foundation isn’t going to make me forget your dad or your grandmother.”

“I know, Mom. I’m just saying…going out there and seeing what was left didn’t help things.”

“Yeah. Well. It doesn’t matter now. I haven’t looked yet, but I heard it’s going to be nice when it’s done.”

Josie chewed her lip thoughtfully. “Then…can I wait to see it when it’s finished? I’d rather not look and see it all…messy.”

“Sure. No rush.” Vi smiled and saw Josie relax a little. She steered the conversation back to the week Josie had just spent and they chatted easily until they arrived back at the house.

Vi found herself paying close attention to Glen around her daughter. There was not one moment where she felt uneasy about Josie being around him, which helped to settle her nerves. Of course she wasn’t just going to let her guard down completely, she wasn’t that crazy. But things between then three of them were pretty good that evening.

Of course when it was time to go to bed, Vi found herself nervous for some reason, and unable to wind down. It wasn’t that she was afraid of…something…happening. She just felt unsettled. She checked on Josie twice, saw she was sleeping deeply with Bridger right beside her.

Vi had climbed into bed with a book but could not concentrate on it. And even with the house quiet and all as it should be she still felt out of sorts. When her cell phone started beeping from the bag she had not yet emptied she jumped and laughed at herself before going to dig for it. She should have put it back in the SUV, but it had completely slipped her mind.

“Hello?” She kept her voice down and peered out her bedroom door. Apparently the ringing phone hadn’t awakened anyone else. Even Bridger refrained from investigating.

“Hey. I didn’t want to call your house, wake up everybody.” It was Mark. Vi smiled and went to her bed, crawling between the blankets.

“I don’t usually have my cell with me. Lucky for you, I’m forgetful.”

“Guess it’s a good thing I went with my gut on this one then.” He said, speaking in tones as low as hers. “Drew was fallin’ asleep in his supper tonight, so he went to bed early. And I’ve had too much time on my hands since then.”

“Oh?” Vi got comfortable.

“Yeah. Kinda got used to being distracted this week.”

She snickered at that. “Ah. So the truth finally comes out. I’m just a distraction.”

“And a good one.” Mark corrected her. “At the risk of sounding like a complete sap, I sort of miss having you here.”

Vi laughed softly at that. “Sort of?”

“Just a little bit.”

“You’re too sweet.”

“Too bad I usually ruin that by opening my mouth.” Mark said, the joking note going out of his voice. “I have some things that I need to tell you about. And you’re probably not going to like most of the stuff I have to say.”

Vi had no clue what to say to that. They were both quiet for a few minutes. She finally cleared her throat. “Mark…is it about me or…”

“No.” He didn’t let her finish. “No, not you. Me. Stuff about my past and...I don’t want to do it over the phone.”

“You’re starting to worry me a little bit.” Vi said, curling onto her side with the phone against her ear.

“I worry myself sometimes.” A touch of humor entered his voice again. “I like you, Vivian. And I wanna see what it is we might have between us if you feel the same. But there is some stuff you have to know up front.”

“I thought it was rather obvious that I like you.” Vi pointed out.

“Then maybe I’m rustier than I thought at this. I don’t want you to worry…but we do need to talk. Because I promised that I’d tell you some things before we got more serious and I guess I agree with that. I know I’m not making a whole lot of sense right now…”

“You don’t have to make sense right now.” Vi said, smiling.

“How about tomorrow afternoon?”

“But…”

“You can bring your daughter. I’m sure Drew would be happy to keep her company while we talked. And then we can grill some burgers or…” Mark heaved a sigh. “I hope I’m not rushing this.”

“Rushing what?” Vi was a bit confused.

“Rushing you. Into this.” He said it as if she should know what “this” was.

“Ok. Look. How about Josie and I will be there tomorrow at about 2-ish. After lunch. And the kids can have the pool and we can attempt to make sense in person.”

“All right.” Mark chuckled. He sounded tired though. “I might change my mind. And decide not to tell you just yet.”

“Well. That’s ok too. As long as it’s not…you know…something illegal or whatever.”

He actually laughed at that. “Depends on how you define ‘illegal’ I suppose.”

She debated, for a moment, telling him about the picture and the big man who was quite possibly his brother, sleeping right up the hallway. But Vi held back. Whatever was on Mark’s mind, she did not want to add to it. So instead of bringing it up, she reached over and turned her light off and got comfortable.

“Is this one of those things where you try to scare me off or something?” Vi finally asked.

“No. Not at all. I promise you, the last thing I wanna do is scare you off.” He hesitated. “I haven’t been too close to anybody since…well…it’s been a long time.”

“Yeah.”

“Did I wake you up?” He switched conversational gears rather suddenly. Vi smiled at that.

“Nope. I was wide awake, trying to wind down.”

“Oh.”

Vi’s smile widened. “Although I was in the bed when the phone rang.”

“Oh really?”

“Did you call with the hope that I would talk dirty to you before you fall asleep?” She asked with a laugh.

“I would never.” But he laughed when he said it. “But since you brought it up…”

“It is so not happening.” Vi said, still grinning.

“Ok, ok. Keep it clean then. What are you doing right now?”

“Laying down. Talking to you on the phone in the dark.”

“Huh. Well how about I talk dirty to you then?”

Vi cracked up again. She kept it down though because people were trying to sleep. “I can’t take that seriously. Not that it isn’t tempting. Maybe just talking without the dirty stuff for now.” She said once she had her giggling under control.

“I had to try.” Mark mused wryly. She could hear him shifting and smiled to herself. He was also in bed, and trying to get comfortable. “So what do you want to talk about then?”

“Anything.”

He was more than happy to oblige her. They spent an hour talking softly, sticking to neutral topics. When Vi finally got sleepy enough they said their good nights and she hung up with a smile on her face. She could not remember feeling so good about a person in a long time.

And he wanted to talk.

For a moment, a ripple of worry went through her. But Vi pushed it away. She had an idea she already knew what he was going to be talking about. His family…his mother and brother, both thought to be dead. Maybe Mark felt guilty? She knew how that felt. Of course it didn’t explain everything. But she was too tired to really give it the thought it deserved.

Halfway between being asleep and awake, drifting, Vi blinked slowly and saw someone standing by her bed. It startled her out of the relaxed state she’d reached and she gasped and jerked upright and back. But another blink and the figure was gone.

So much for sleeping. Vi’s heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She gingerly reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, looking around to assure herself she was alone. And then, not feeling too good about it, she got out of bed and looked into the closet, the bathroom, and the hallway. Nothing. There was no one there.

Even as she went up the hall to check on Josie, Vi told herself not to be crazy. She had obviously started dreaming even as she was falling asleep, it was odd but it happened. But it had scared her badly, especially considering what else had happened.

Josie was still in the exact same position with Bridger that she’d been in when Vi had checked her before. That helped Vi to relax again. She eased Glen’s door open and saw he was also still sleeping, curled onto his side.

Feeling like the world’s biggest idiot, Vi went through the rest of the house even though she knew better. Everything was still locked up tight, and all was quiet. Shaking her head, she climbed the stairs and once again got into bed. This time she left the bathroom light on. And felt like a kid doing even that much. At least sleep was faster coming for her that time. She found her comfortable spot and dozed off almost immediately.

Glen woke up before anyone else. He stretched and got up slowly, gathering his things together. After a shower and some clean clothes he felt more awake. By that time Josie was awake. They debated waking Vivian but Glen convinced her that the two of them could make breakfast without her mom’s help, which made Josie laugh.

He actually felt pretty good. There had been no need of the pills he’d been given, because he had slept like a rock. He got out the things they would need and put Josie to work scrambling eggs and buttering bread for toast while he fried bacon and sausage.

Josie was in the midst of telling him one of her stories from her trip to the lake when Vivian walked into the kitchen. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, and she’d pulled a thin robe on but hadn’t belted it. She still looked sleepy. Glen smiled at her over Josie’s head.

“Good morning.”

Josie looked over her shoulder and grinned. “Mornin’ Mom.”

“Mornin’ to both of you. Something smells good.” Vivian peered around Josie and smiled. “I’m starving.”

“Me too.” Josie said, stirring the eggs again. “I think Bridger has a girlfriend.”

At her seemingly random comment, Vivian laughed. “Bridger has been fixed, hon. His girlfriend days are way behind him.”

“I know. But he wanted out as soon as I got up. And he didn’t even wait to inhale his food.” She pointed to the two full dishes of dog food and water on the floor near the back door. “And as soon as I let him out he took off.”

Glen smiled at that. “Maybe he’s off hunting rabbits or raccoons or something.”

“Gross.”

“Well not all dogs like to eat just crunchy processed dog food all the time.” Vivian pointed out. She reached over and stole a piece of bacon from the plate where Glen was setting the finished food. She also smiled up at him. “He’ll come back when he gets too hot or tired. He always does.”

Glen tried to hold onto his smile but it faded. He had felt good the day before, great actually. They’d had a very peaceful night. But now…for some reason…

He felt something stir inside him, something that was reaching out toward Vivian. He had thought he had it under control. For now it was just a pulse beat in his head, a weak one. He could handle it. He was not going to ruin this again.

By the time breakfast was over, Glen knew he was in trouble. His head was starting to hurt. Every time he looked at Vivian, even if it was just to glance past her out the window, he felt his insides tighten almost painfully. As soon as Vivian went upstairs to shower and get dressed, and Josie went outside to see if she could find Bridger, and to go say hello to Ray, Glen grabbed the phone and called Amanda. It was all he could think to do as his headache slowly worsened when he thought of Vivian, upstairs and in the shower.

Amanda was more than happy to hear from him. In fact, she said she had turned down Rebecca and Rob’s offer of a late brunch out and shopping because she had a feeling she’d be needed elsewhere that day. “I can be there to get you whenever you want to come over. We’ll have the house to ourselves here.”

“I have a couple of things to do. Pick me up at 11.” Glen hung up and sighed in relief when the shower shut off upstairs. A bit of his tension eased, not only because of Amanda’s continued willingness to help him out. His head still hurt, a dull faraway pain. That was good. Maybe he’d be able to head it off before it got too bad this time.

Vivian come back downstairs to tackle the breakfast dishes and Glen told her that he was going to go out to lunch with Amanda. She raised an eyebrow at that and smiled.

“So you guys are getting along, huh?” She asked, scrubbing at their plates.

“Yeah. I’m trying anyway. She’s been very…helpful.” He shied away from the topic. “I don’t know when I’ll be home.”

“Take your time.” Vivian smiled at him. “We don’t have anything too pressing to get done today.”

Glen nodded and headed upstairs to get ready. He did have a few things to do before he left. Number one was getting a few of his pills and tucking hem into his pocket. If being with Amanda didn’t take the edge off of what he was feeling, he would have to resort to the medications. He had been absolutely fine until Vivian had appeared that morning looking sleepy and a bit rumpled. Whatever it was in him that wanted her for the wrong reasons seemed to have woken up at the pang that went through him that morning.

So it was for Vivian’s good as well as his own that he had to get out now. He wasn’t sure exactly why or what he expected Amanda to do, he just knew he had to call her. The more he tried to reason it out the more his head hurt. It scared him, that headache. He’d felt so good the last few days…

At least he felt it coming this time. There was that. He considered it something of a victory. Although he did purposely avoid looking in a mirror as he headed outside to wait on Amanda when it neared on time. He did not know why but sometimes mirrors gave him the strangest feeling, as if he was looking at someone else.

He shook of those thoughts as an unfamiliar car pulled into the driveway. Glen smiled gamely. He would forget…whatever he and Amanda did for the entire day. It was something else he knew he should tell the doctors the next time he had an appointment. For now it did not seem to really matter. He didn’t want to hurt Vivian - that was the important thing.

21

After going through Josie’s version of the third degree about where they were going, Vi was exhausted before they ever pulled into Mark’s driveway. What struck Vi as funny was that apparently Drew and Josie were a lot closer than she had figured – the two of them shared grins and started talking video games almost before Mark could get the door all the way open.

Mark smirked and raised an eyebrow at Vi. She smiled in return before saying hello to Drew and nodding when Josie asked if it was all right if they went out to the pool.

“That was way easier than I thought it would be.” Mark said, draping an arm over Vi’s shoulders and giving her a one-sided hug as the kids disappeared through the door to the deck.

Vi let him hug her for a moment then extricated herself. As nice as it was she really did not feel right thinking that Josie might see. Not that there was anything wrong with showing affection toward another person. It just felt…weird. She was pretty sure she’d get used to it eventually. Mark didn’t seem to be put off by her moving away. He still had that amused eyebrow raised.

“Get you a drink?”

“Sure.” Vi followed him to the kitchen, and accepted a glass of lemonade before heading toward the door to the deck. They took a seat at the table there and watched as Josie and Drew swam around the pool. “It’s a totally different vibe with the kids here.” She mused softly, smiling to herself.

“Not bad, I hope.”

“No, not at all.” Vi shook her head. “You said you wanted to talk.” She pointed out, curious now that they were here and Josie was occupied.

“I know.” Mark ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back from his forehead. “Now I’m wonderin’ if I might have said too damn much already.”

Vi frowned at that. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah. That’s part of the problem.” He sighed and picked up his own glass, looking thoughtfully at it. “I’ll get around to talkin’. I promise. Just…give me a little bit to work around to it.”

She shrugged and eyed him for a moment. He seemed resigned as if whatever it was he had to say held weight. Vi worried for a moment, trying to imagine what it could be. Short of him saying he’d committed a murder or something of that nature, she could not fathom what it was he was so disinclined to tell her.

Vi tried to put it from her mind as the afternoon wore on. Mark hardly spoke – no shocker there. It made her uncomfortable, even though she got the feeling his silence wasn’t because of her. Eventually the kids came out of the water and Vi found herself caught up in the midst of a conversation concerning high school. It reminded Vi all over again that her daughter, who she still saw as a scrawny kid with pig-tails and scraped knees and elbows, only had four years left of school before college reared its head.

At least the kids seemed to bring Mark back into the moment. He and Drew cracked jokes at each other’s expense and he was more talkative generally. But Vi could still see something just under the surface, something he worried over.

She had just started to get comfortable with it when Drew asked Mark if he and Josie could head over to his friend’s house for a while before supper. Vi saw Mark look in her direction and there must have been a look on her face that he interpreted as worry. He smiled reassuringly.

“It’s fine with me. They can cut through the woods - there’s a path and it’s only about a 20 minute walk. If you think it’s all right for Josie to go. Drew’s been through there a few million times.”

Josie was looking at her, a familiar smirk on her face. Vi rolled her eyes. “I have the feeling I’m outvoted in this.”

“Thanks Mom.” Josie jumped up and gave Vi a kiss on the cheek before bounding down the steps after Drew. They disappeared through the gate that led to the small patch of woods.

“Be back before supper!” Mark yelled after them. Drew yelled back an ‘all right’ and that left Mark and Vi to look at each other in amusement.

“Did you plan that out?” Vi asked, watching as Mark got up and held out a hand. She let him pull her to her feet and into his arms, tilting her head to accept a deep kiss.

“If I had planned it...” Mark said, once he pulled back. “It never woulda worked. We’ve got a couple of hours.” He ducked his head and nuzzled her neck, making her sigh.

“I thought you wanted to talk?” Vi asked, a little breathless, sliding her hands up his arms and onto his shoulders.

“Talkin’ is overrated sometimes, darlin’.”

She moaned as his mouth found a sensitive spot under her ear. “Is this your way of putting it off? Because I can’t help but get the feeling you’d rather take a broken-glass gargle than talk about whatever it is that’s on your mind.”

“At least it’s not obvious.” Mark said wryly. He paused in trying to distract her to pull back and meet her eyes. “I wanna tell you. A lot of stuff. I kinda made a promise, and…the more I talk about it the worse it sounds, right?”

“Yeah.” Vi laced her fingers together against the back of his neck and pulled him down so that she could brush her lips over his. “Is it that bad? And who would you have to promise anything to?”

Mark let his forehead rest against hers. “It’s a long story. And now that you’re here…” He sighed. “When you aren’t around, it seems like the only thing to do is to tell you some things that…I’m horrible at this. Obviously.”

Vi let go of his neck to slip her hands over his jaw to cup his face. “You’ve stumped me because I honestly have no clue what the hell you’re talking about.”

Mark chuckled at that. “I’m sorry. I thought I could tell you some things…and I will tell you. Just not right now.” He pulled back once more to look at her. “Soon. I promise you that.”

“It’s not horrible is it?” Vi asked, meeting his intense gaze and looking for any sign of…well, anything.

“It’s just hard to talk about.” He smirked but it was completely without humor. “Especially for me. I’m not the talkative type.”

“I knew that already.” Vi brushed her fingers across his cheek. “I’m not going to twist your arm. As long as it’s not something like you have a bomb and you’re going to explode in the next five minutes I think whatever it is will keep until you’re ready.”

Mark smiled, but it was grim. The problem was that it would keep. Hell, it would likely keep for as long as people would keep their mouths shut. But Steve’s visit from earlier in the week had reminded Mark that he was no longer living in his own little world, and his relationship with Vi might rub some people the wrong way.

He didn’t care about that. The people around town were still mostly wary of him, mainly because he had the kind of reputation that refused to die no matter how much time passed. If he told a few people to mind their own damn business and to spread the word, then they would do it. So it wasn’t really the fear of repercussions that held him back.

It was the fact he was unable to tell what Vi’s reaction would be.

At best? She wouldn’t believe him. He would have to prove what he said, and that would be simple enough. It wasn’t like there was a lack of power to draw on.

At worst – and what he truly worried about – Vi would believe it. And then want nothing to do with him ever again.

That was the reason that he let Rayne, who he had loved more than he ever believed was possible, go on believing she’d dreamed up how they had met. She had made herself believe it, and eventually it faded as all dreams do. Mark could have told her the truth but…they were happy. Things were going so well for them he’d been afraid to say anything. And he knew Rayne rather more intimately since he’d actually been inside her head on more than one occasion. Knowing the truth would have sent her running because deep inside her she was still harboring fear and distrust, although Mark did not think it was aimed totally at him.

He had tried, very unsuccessfully, to know Vi in the same way. Whether he had lost the knack or she was blocking him somehow, he did not know. Mark only knew that he hadn’t been able to insert himself into her dreams. Which was why he hesitated at telling her what he was.

Of course that all fell under the umbrella of things he could not say to her unless he wanted to risk losing her. Mark didn’t bother kidding himself – it wasn’t just the sex. He could have as many one-night-stands as he wanted, that had never been an issue. It was being close to somebody again. Vi was the first woman since Rayne had died that he wanted to be around for more than the time it would take to get their clothes off. And maybe it was that they had shared a similar loss. Or maybe he’d drawn lucky for the second time in his life and found a woman who could make him whole again.

Vi had pulled back a bit and she grabbed his hands, tugging him along with her toward the door. “As much as I love the great outdoors, the thought of the kids coming back and catching us on the deck here doesn’t really do much for me.”

Mark had to agree with that. Although he could also tell her that Drew probably already had the idea that his dad was more than a little fascinated by Vi. His boy had never had a problem reading his old man that was for sure.

They went upstairs and Vi turned to him and set to work tugging his belt loose. “So…a couple of hours huh?” She said, finally freeing the buckle and turning her attention to the button fly of his jeans.

“At least. He’ll call first before they head back.” Mark said, catching her hands and bringing them up to press her fingers against his lips. He felt the shiver go up her arm and smiled as he nipped her fingertips with his teeth. Mark pulled her close and pressed his mouth against hers, feeling everything else slip away from him. There would be time enough to worry later. For now he wanted to lose himself, for what little time they had before they were interrupted.

~~I~~

“I’m starvin’. Maybe Dad will order some pizza.”

Drew and Josie were picking their way back through the patch of woods after spending over an hour visiting with Collin, someone they both knew from school. It had been fun; the boys hadn’t left her out of their conversation. Even if all they talked about was football Drew made sure that Josie was involved.

She had been thinking that Grace would absolutely freak out when she heard that Josie had spent the day with Drew. Josie thought he was cute, and yes she’d crushed on him pretty hard but it had passed, just like her mother had told her it would. At some point it seemed that every girl in their class had developed a crush on him. The best part was that he didn’t act like a complete jerk like a few of the other guys in school did.

Josie was grinning as she walked beside him. “You just ate a slice of pizza at Collin’s. My mom would ask if you have a tapeworm.”

Drew smiled and glanced at her. “My dad says I’ve got a hollow leg.” He paused and shook his head. “Would it freak you out to know that my dad kinda likes your mom?”

Josie raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. “I didn’t even know Mom knew you guys until today.”

Drew paused to pick up a stick. He toyed with it, rolling it between his fingers. “Does it bother you?” He finally asked.

“Bother me?” Josie mulled it over for a moment. “Why would it bother me?” She didn’t feel bothered or upset about it at all. Just curious really. She was a kid but she wasn’t blind or dumb. Josie knew her mom was beautiful and she had seen the way random men had often looked at her mother. Her mom hadn’t noticed or had ignored it.

“I don’t know.” He looked at her again and smiled a bit shyly. “It bothered me the first couple of times Dad went out on dates.”

Josie made a face and laughed. She wasn’t bothered. Of course that was now. Later when she had time to think it over in the quiet of her room she might feel differently. It wasn’t that she thought her mom had to be a nun or anything. Josie missed her dad and would give anything to have him back, but since that wasn’t possible…and she knew it…she did not see the harm in her mom dating.

“Is that what today was for them? A date?” She finally asked, still smiling.

“Sort of. I guess.” Drew shrugged. “I’m just happy when Dad isn’t moping around feelin’ sorry for himself.”

“Does it bother you? That my mom and your dad are hanging out?” Josie asked, curious.

“Nah. I like your mom.” He was still smiling but Josie thought he did not realize it. He seemed to be lost in thought. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

Josie made a mental note to actually pay attention to how her mom and Drew’s dad acted around each other. She thought her mom would try to hide it from her for as long as possible. It had always been that way. Josie didn’t feel upset by that either, she knew her mom was just trying to protect her.

It was just odd thinking about her mom with some guy. Josie had loved her dad completely, and still missed him of course, but after five years he had faded a bit in her memories. She didn’t dwell on it. Of course she went to the cemetery to pay her respects, and she cried every time because she had lost him, but she didn’t torture herself with it the way her mom had. And that’s what it felt like to Josie.

“Your dad is the one that’s in charge of redoing our place, where the old house burned down.” Josie finally said.

Drew nodded. “It’s what he does. Sort of. Construction and stuff like that. I’ll be working with him all summer.”

“Do you not like it?”

“I dunno. I guess it’s all right.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Dad isn’t trying to force me to take it over like a family business. He’s just wants to make sure I don’t turn into pudding over the summer.”

The mental image made Josie laugh again. Through the trees ahead she caught a glimpse of Drew’s house. She thought for a moment how odd it was, how everything seemed to be changing all at once. Her mom being more sociable, her grandfather moving out of the house, even having Glen living with them…

“When it rains, it pours. At least that’s what my mom used to say a lot.” Drew said, bringing her focus back to him. He was still walking, slowly, and he’d picked up another stick. This time he was snapping pieces off the end of it.

Josie frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“When a lot of stuff goes on all at once and everything changes and it just keeps on going.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“How did you know I was…”

“I heard you. Kind of.” He finally tossed the stick away and looked at her. Gauging her reaction, she figured.

“You heard me. Sure.”

“Not clear like you were talking.” Drew said, looking away. “I can’t always read things clear, but the stuff at the very top…yeah. I can pick that up sometimes.” He had stopped walking, and Josie stopped too, but only because she thought he was pulling her leg. “You were thinking that stuff was changing, and something about your mom and someone else…I didn’t catch that part.”

Josie only looked at him. The silence stretched out for a full minute, then two. Finally she found her tongue. “How is that possible?”

“It’s just something I was born with.” Drew ran a hand through his short hair. “Dad said it would be all right to tell you about it, if I wanted to. But you have to promise not to tell anybody else. Not even your mom.”

“She wouldn’t believe it. I’m not sure I believe it.”

“Test me.” Drew smiled and glanced at her. Josie grinned back.

“How?”

“Picture something in your head, and I’ll see if I can tell you what it is.”

Curious to see if he could do it, Josie thought for a moment before picturing Bridger - stretched out on her bed, his tail dangling over the side, his usually napping position.

“That one’s easy. A dog.” No sooner did the image come to her than Drew was speaking. “Your dog, because it’s an awfully clear image. Dark fur. Sleeping on a bed with white and yellow blankets.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s not always.” Drew said, once more looking at her. “Sometimes there is stuff that people think about that I would rather not know.”

“Is that how you know that your dad likes my mom?”

Drew smirked. “Nah. He’s just never invited anybody over when I’ve been home. Usually he’d go pick them up and go out and then come home alone. I figured this time was different. I can’t really read Dad. Sometimes I get flashes but they don’t always make sense.”

“What about my mom?” Josie asked. “Can you read her thoughts?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t heard a thing. Sometimes I can’t pick up anything. Sometimes it’s like turning on a radio.” Drew smiled again but it was bashful. “You’re the only person I’ve told about this outside of Dad. Mom didn’t even know. Dad said it would be better if she didn’t.”

Josie frowned again. “That sounds kind of weird. My mom would be the first person I would tell if anything like that happened to me.”

Drew hesitated. Josie was no mind reader, but she could tell he was debating with himself over whether or not to go into details. He seemed to finally come to a decision. “There were some things that mom didn’t know to protect her.”

“To protect her from what?”

“People who were after my dad.” Drew shook his head. “But not just that. Mom was special too.” He looked down the path toward the house again. “Dad’s gonna be expecting us back.”

“But…”

“I’ll tell you but it’ll have to be quick. Dad’s got a little bit of what I have.” Drew tapped a finger to his temple.

“He can read minds too?”

“Well. No. Sort of.” He made a face. “He can do other stuff. We were born with it. Mom wasn’t. But since Dad could do it there were some people who were after him. I’m not sure exactly how it all goes together because there is stuff that Dad won’t talk about.”

“Should…is my mom in trouble? If your dad likes her…”

Drew shook his head. At least in that he did not hesitate. “Whatever happened back then ended back then.”

“Ok.”

“I just wanted you to know because I can’t always help that I can read people’s thoughts.”

“Right.”

“We’d better go.” Drew looked at her again. “You promise you won’t say a word?”

“Yeah, I promise.” Josie smiled although it felt forced. She was confused. But Drew was worried so she put a lid on her questions. Except for one. “Are you not supposed to tell? Anybody? Is that way you want to swear me to secrecy?”

“Some people know.” Drew resumed walking. Josie fell into step beside him. “Dad said it would be best if we didn’t make a big deal out of it around…well, we just can’t make a big deal about it.”

“Yeah. I can see why.” Josie sensed there was more he was not telling her, and she didn’t have to be a mind reader to see that.

“There is more. A lot more. I have to make sure it’s all right to say anything else though.”

“What do you mean?” It was sort of odd, him knowing what she was thinking. But not necessarily scary or freaky. It wasn’t like he was digging into her brain.

“I’ll tell you later. Ok?” They had reached the gate that led to Drew’s yard. He paused to look at her. “Tomorrow at lunch?”

“Sure.” Josie half-smiled and thought that once again Grace would have a heart attack when she found out. She laughed as a blush crept across Drew’s face. So he had picked that up too. “Better put on a game face. My mom isn’t psychic but she can tell when somebody is upset. She claims its working with sick animals. Believe me it is as fun as it sounds, to be compared to a cow.”

Drew laughed at that. It seemed to drain the tension out of the air. Josie smiled serenely back. She would keep what they had talked about to herself. For now. She didn’t like to hide things from her mother as a general rule, but this time she would until she found out the rest. And she would make up her own mind whether her mom needed to know or not.

“Dad is going to tell her.” Drew said it in a voice that had dipped to a near whisper. “Better she finds out from him. If she gets mad or freaks out he wants it to be on him, not on me or you or anybody else.”

“Ok. It’s starting to get annoying.” Josie grinned.

“Sorry. I’ll try to put a lid on it.”

“And as long as your dad is going to tell her…”

“He will. He’s working up to it anyway.” Drew gave her an unreadable look. “That’s the other part of me knowing that he likes her. If he didn’t he would have already told her or he would have said to keep everything to ourselves.”

Josie nodded at that. “Right. Ok. Better go on or else they’ll send out a search party. And you’d better not forget lunch tomorrow.”

“I won’t.” Drew smiled and she could see him take a deep breath before pushing the gate open.

Josie looked up at the deck where her mother sat with Drew’s father. They were sitting on opposite sides of a small table, and both were facing the pool. Drew shot Josie one more look before he grinned and bounded up the stairs. “I’m starving, can we order pizza?”

Josie smiled when Mark chuckled, but she kept her attention on her mother. She looked distracted, as if she had too much on her mind. At least she didn’t look sad. Josie hated to see her sad.

~~!~~

Glen sat on the little scrap of beach, watching as Amanda and Rebecca splashed in the water. Rob and Rebecca had wanted to come here for a cookout and picnic on the small beach. And even though his head was pounding, Amanda had insisted.

She walked toward him, dripping water and smiling, her bikini hardly enough to cover her. “You could get in the water too.” She said, settling on the towel that was spread next to him to let the sun dry her skin.

“I’m hardly dressed for it.” He looked down at his jeans. “And maybe I can’t swim.”

“I wouldn’t let you drown.” Amanda stretched and rolled onto her stomach. “You’re ready to go.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’ve been ready.”

“Head hurting again?” She asked, propping her chin on her hands, a slight smile curling her lips.

“A little.” Glen looked at her, taking in the long line of her back.

“We can go whenever you want. I rented a place.” Amanda looked at him. “It’s not much but it’ll do.”

“Then why the hell are we sitting here?” Glen asked, trying to keep control of his anger. It was one thing when he was feeling all right to put up with these people. But Amanda knew that he needed release, and she’d dragged him out here to what? Parade him around like he was her prize bull?

Amanda started laughing. “I prefer this version of you over that other, nicer version.” She said between giggles. She moved smoothly, rising to her feet with a show of skin that would have gotten her arrested had they been in a public setting. “Bye ‘Becca! We’re leaving!” She called, waving at her friend and grabbing her bag and towel. Glen got up and followed her along the path that led to where Amanda had parked her car.

She had rented a small house about a mile outside of town. Her nearest neighbors were far enough away that he didn’t worry too much about noise. Amanda walked in and turned to face him, mischievous grin on her face. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to change.”

Glen watched her disappear down a short hallway, flexing his hands into fists, then opening them. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. He gave her to the count of sixty and she was lucky he managed that. That weak part of him went willingly enough this time, maybe having finally realized that this was the only way to live with himself.

He went into the bathroom just as Amanda turned on the shower. She had changed all right. She once again looked just like Vivian. In that skimpy bikini with sand still clinging to some spots of her skin it was like all of his circuits fried at once.

“Should I try to fight you off?” Vivian’s voice was amused, almost teasing.

“Not this time.” He said, yanking his shirt over his head. She arched an eyebrow as she watched the play of muscles as he shed his clothes.

A smile slowly formed on her lips. “You want me to take advantage of you?”

“I want you to use me.” Glen said, reaching out to tug the material of the bikini top away from her breasts. “The rest can come later.”

22

Glen listened to Amanda’s breathing as she dozed beside him. It was full dark out, past midnight. He would have to be up early the next morning to work, and even though he should be worn out from the evening spent with Amanda he wasn’t tired.

He was restless but the cause was not as simple as wanting something he could not have. That part of him, the part that wanted Vivian, was quiet, sated. This was something else entirely but he could not figure out what.

“It will stop being enough for you. I thought it would take longer though.” Amanda’s soft voice dragged him from his thoughts. He said nothing. She rolled onto her side and reached out, stroking a finger from his naval up to his chest. “Even though I can look and sound just like her, a part of you still knows it’s me.”

Glen huffed a breath instead of answering. Her fingers were moving in slow circles over his chest, pausing for a moment to flick one of his nipples. Amanda smiled and propped herself up on her elbow. Her voice kept changing, going from her own to Vivian’s, making him wince.

“I can’t hold this form much longer.” She said, grabbing his hand and moving it to press against her chest. He could feel the skin shifting under his fingers. It was not the most pleasant feeling in the world. But Amanda seemed to need assurance of some sort, so he kept his hand there, feeling her pulse against his palm. “There is a limit to it. There are ways to extend it…” She trailed a finger up his arm. “And ways to make it permanent.” She dragged her fingernails down his arms, scratching him lightly.

“What would be the point?” He asked, frowning at the stinging on his arm.

“The point...” Amanda leaned forward. She shifted again, and once more she was entirely Vivian. “Is that eventually these little get-togethers won’t be enough for you. You’ll want more. More than she’d ever give you for sure. More than I can give you disguised as her.”

“Do you not like our arrangement?” Glen tightened his fingers around her breast, feeling her squirm against him, a low fury running through him at her words. “Is that what this is?”

“Of course not.” Amanda hissed out in a voice mixed with pain and pleasure. “I won’t deny that I want more of you. You’re the first one I’ve found who can keep up with me. Who can use me how I like to be used.” Her hand drifted up his arm and over his chest. “She’ll never let you do what I let you do.”

“Don’t talk about her.”

“I have to. You want me to be her. You need to hear this.” Amanda pushed his hand away and sat up, leaning back against the headboard of her bed. “I don’t know her. And it’s getting harder to hold onto her form. I need to meet her, talk to her, at the very least bump into her in the store.”

“And that extends it?”

“It makes it easier for me to hold onto it. Especially when I’m being distracted.”

Glen settled back against his pillow and tucked his hands behind his head, staring up at the dark ceiling. “And how do you make it permanent?”

Amanda hesitated before answering. She was back, fully herself. He turned his head and could see her blonde hair in the darkness. Her voice had smoothed out too, become her own. “I would have to kill her. I would need her blood and…”

He didn’t let her finish. Glen moved fast, much faster than a man his size had any right to move. Amanda blinked and there he was, in her face, his hand wrapped around her throat, cutting off her words along with her airflow.

“You will not touch her.” Glen spat out, his voice a low hiss.

Amanda gagged and wheezed but she didn’t try to get free of his grip. She saw the way his eyes, usually such a mellow hazel, now flared with red light.

“I…just…” She tried to talk, and got a few words out. “Telling you. Not going to kill her…”

Glen relaxed his hand. Just a little. Enough that she could suck in a deep breath. “You will not even talk about that.” He yanked his hand back but stayed there, inches from her face.

“You asked. I answered.” Amanda rubbed her throat. “I wouldn’t hurt her anyway. I told you…she’s made powerful friends.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know their names.” Amanda flinched back, expecting him to react violently. He only stared at her, his eyes still swirling with red light.

“Stay away from her.” Glen warned Amanda. He blinked and the light was gone. Just like that.

Amanda was breathing heavy but it wasn’t fear or exertion. Glen’s anger…that rage that bubbled right under his surface sometimes…it called to her in a way she could not explain. She was turned on, even if they had spent the better part of the day in bed. She was sore in places that had no business being sore. That would fade with a little rest. It did not mean she didn’t want more. It was part of her nature, and the reason she was the way she was.

“What a contradiction you are.” She finally said, watching as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “You want to degrade her, hurt her, rape her, tear her to pieces, bite her, mark her…yet a part of you wants to protect her.”

He said nothing. From the way his shoulders were set she could tell he was angry again. That was all right. Amanda did not worry too much about his rage. She found it to be another turn-on that it was something he could barely control.

“Time to go.” He said, rising to his feet. He grabbed his clothes from the floor, leaving Amanda to stare after him. While she did not care if he went home angry and took it out on his obsession, she did not want to risk losing him. Not when they were having such a good time.

“If you go home angry, you might do something you’ll regret.” She called to him through the open bathroom door. She could see him tugging his jeans up. Glen shot her a dark look and reached out to slam the bathroom door shut. She shook her head. “Pretending with me won’t be enough.” She raised her voice so he could hear her. “Eventually you’ll have to do things more drastic than playing pretend.” There wasn’t even a thump or grunt.

Amanda sighed and swung her legs over the side of the bed. When he came back out, he’d be in control, the soft-spoken sweet version that she did not care for. Much like the way she had to be alone to change into other people, he had to be alone to concentrate on willing himself to his different personalities. She smiled at that. It was just as apt a description as anything else.

She got up and got dressed herself, knowing that he would be angrier if he came out and found her still lounging. It was a different anger. This sexual anger that burned through him was one thing, a good thing. But annoying him meant he might find another outlet and Amanda was not tired of him yet.

Just as she thought, he was a different person when he came back into the room. He was quiet during the drive, looking thoughtfully out the side window. Amanda was used to that too. She had the distinct feeling that this side of him, the nice side, did not really care much for her. It made her smile at the absolute craziness.

He got out of the car with his usual “I’ll call you” and left her to head home alone. Amanda watched as he disappeared into the big house, wondering when it would reach a point where he could no longer sustain this double act and which side would win out. She knew they could not go against their nature; that type of thing never worked out.

~~!~~

The call came in at 4:30 that morning. The shift deputy, at a loss, had called Steve. He hadn’t wanted to go into details over the phone, but from the tone of his voice it was bad.

Fortunately he’d grabbed the phone before it could really ring and wake the baby up. She was sleeping deeply, on her back in the bassinet next to a sleeping Jess. He hated having to wake her up…it seemed like neither of them had slept more than an hour at a stretch since Robin had been born.

She gave him a sleepy kiss and rolled over, not even waking up all the way. Steve smirked and left as quietly as he could not wanting to disturb the baby. He got dressed in the bathroom, wondering what in the hell was so important it couldn’t keep until he had to get up at 6:30.

He headed out, wondering sleepily if he should have made himself a pot of coffee. It wasn’t until he saw flashing red and blue lights that he woke up all the way. They were near the county line, almost out of his jurisdiction. Another half mile and it would have been someone else’s problem. Steve sighed and pulled along the shoulder, putting the Jeep in park while snapping on his own lights. It would warn other drivers to get over. Not that there were many out at this hour. The only people who got up that early were the people who ran the local farms and ranches.

His deputy stood at the back of his car, looking pale even with the flashing lights shooting color across his face.

“Mornin’ Mike.” Steve said.

“Sheriff…” Mike was new to the force, having only been a deputy for the past 8 months or so. He’d moved into town two years before that. He was definitely wet behind the ears, but Steve thought he had potential. Now that lack of experience was showing. He made a sort of retching/gagging noise in his throat and bent down to put his hands against his knees.

“Take a deep breath and spit it out, son.” Steve slapped the younger man on the shoulder.

Mike nodded and straightened up, sucking in a deep breath of the cool morning air. “I came out to the line to look for breakdowns…” Breakdowns were a way of life in the area, where there was so much ground between houses. Old trucks would run out of gas or decide to stop working. Their town was quiet, so the most exciting thing most deputies saw was the occasional breakdown that blocked too much of the road. They would call for a tow or take the unlucky driver to get gas and get them off the road. Mike gestured to the opposite side of the road where the trees crowded nearly onto the blacktop. “I saw something…sticking up. Not a branch. I thought maybe somebody hit a deer, so I got out to see if I needed to call a cleanup.”

Steve felt his stomach tense up, waiting for the rest. There was of course more. A dead deer wasn’t something that made a man turn green at the gills especially one who had grown up in deer country.

“Hell sheriff…it’s a girl. A dead woman over on the other side of the road.” Mike finally got it out, swallowing a few times.

Steve said nothing for a solid two minutes. He turned his head and squinted against the flashing lights of the two vehicles. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I didn’t touch her or check her…” Mike sounded mad at himself for not being able to do that much.

“Damn good thing. Fuck.” Steve spit it out. “Get on the line, and get me John and Eli down here. And get Sharon outta bed and on dispatch. Gonna need the coroner and maybe the state cops.” He hesitated. “Scratch that. Let me get a look at her first. This might be our business.” He did not have to elaborate on what “our” he meant. Mike nodded and walked slowly around the car to get his cell phone.

Steve drew in a deep breath and went back to his Jeep. In the back he kept a simple kit of random odds and ends he used a lot for his job. Now he pulled out a flashlight, checked the batteries, and picked up some thin latex gloves. He went to the glove box and grabbed the digital camera he kept stowed there. He checked the battery on that, glad he’d gotten into the habit of charging it every time he used it.

He turned and swept the beam of hi flashlight along the opposite side of the road. And there it was, just like Mike had said. That side of the road had its share of weeds and scrub bush but the trees were too thick to allow much growth. There was a drainage ditch though, a trench that ran for at least a couple of miles that caught spring melt offs and heavy raid and directed it off the road.

In the strong beam of light, Steve could see a hand, the fingers curled, pale white against the darker shadow of trees behind it. The gloves weren’t completely necessary. He knew just by looking at that one hand, reaching up into the air, that whoever the girl was there was no point in rushing.

But he had to look anyway.

Steve reached the roadside and saw that there was blood. A great deal of it. Although the arm and hand that were visible were clean the rest of the body was not. Her dark hair was matted and dirty, as if she’d been rolled through mud. Her face...he had to force himself to look. There wasn’t much left. She’d been beaten, severely, maybe with a weapon of some kind, a hammer, a branch from the trees. Where he body wasn’t bloody it was discolored with bruises. She was naked, and he scanned the area near her body but saw nothing that would constitute clothing.

Grinding his teeth, looking at the battered remains of the woman’s face, Steve felt himself getting angry. That someone was bold or stupid enough to come into his county, and do something like this…

Their kind knew better.

He turned and saw that Mike was looking at him. “Get the coroner. Skip the state guys. This is our problem.”

Mike nodded in understanding and made the requested call. Steve went back to studying the woman, taking pictures from all angles. He heard a siren approaching and looked up at Eli pulled to a stop.

“Get up the road about an eighth a mile. Pull across. Block it.” Steve ordered. He looked at Mike and raised his voice to be heard and gestured. “Get back an eighth and pull across. At least until John gets here. I don’t want anybody comin’ down this road that isn’t a cop or the coroner.”

He turned his attention back to the body. Steve walked around one more time, noting how she was laying, half in the ditch, on her side, her arm trailing up a slight incline. Almost as if she had been stuffed into the slight depression. She was slim and average height – maybe five-six. It was hard to tell.

Steve glanced around one more time before leaning down to touch her. His fingers went to her throat, feeling for a pulse he knew wouldn’t be there. He muttered a curse and stepped back onto the road, pulling the now bloody gloves off his hands. He went to his jeep and tossed them into a small garbage bag, then picked up a small notebook and pen. He started jotting down some notes, including an timeline of what he had done.

It took nearly twenty minutes, but the coroner finally showed up. “Heard you had some work for me, Sheriff.” He said as he ambled up to Steve.

“Tom. Hate to drag you out of bed.” Steve shook his hand and went through everything that had happened thus far. Tom listened and nodded, going through his own ritual of gloving up and getting his bag ready. He was driving the white van that the county insisted the coroner use on official business. Steve went to the back and opened the doors, helping the older man pull a stretcher and a couple of black body bags from the rear. Unfortunately Steve knew this drill all too well. Even small towns had their share of car accidents that ended in fatalities.

Tom clucked over the body for a moment, moving around it in much the same way Steve had. He pulled a small voice recorder out of his pocket and spoke into it quietly for a moment. Then he looked at Steve. “You said you checked her pulse?”

“Yeah. Nothing there.”

Tom nodded and kneeled down, using his own small penlight. “Quite a mess. Blood isn’t coagulated. And she’s not in rigor yet. If I had to guess from that, she’s been dead less than three hours.”

Steve reached up and rubbed his head thoughtfully. “Was she tossed? Out of a car or…” He didn’t wait for Tom to answer. “No. Not thrown out of a moving vehicle. There’d be signs on the road, blood at least.”

“She doesn’t have any scrapes or road grit that I can find.” Tom said, leaning over the body to look closer at the ravaged face. “Whatever happened to her, it happened right here.”

“Fuck.” Steve groaned and heaved a sigh. “We gotta get this road open. You gonna examine her here?”

“I just need her temperature here.” Steve left him to it, going back to his truck for another set of gloves. By the time he got back, Tom was ready to bag the girl and get her into the van. “Any idea who it is?”

“By what? Dark hair and average everything else? Half the county’s women qualify.” Steve said, making a face as he eased the girl’s legs into the bag. Tom notated the date and time and they hefted her onto the stretcher. “Maybe she’ll have prints on file.”

They loaded her into the back of the van, and Tom slammed the doors shut and looked at Steve. “I’ll get her processed.” He pulled his gloves off and shook his head. “She’s not one of us.”

Steve looked at Tom solemnly for a moment. The sun was coming up. No flashlight was required to see the confused look on the other man’s face. “She’s human?”

“Yes.”

“How could you tell?”

“I can always tell.” Tom said with a shrug. “It’s why I still have this crazy job. I take it you want the state cops left out of the loop?” He made it a question.

“Yeah. This is a county problem. Let the state boys deal with their own shit.”

Tom smiled. “I’ll call you as soon as I get her taken care of. Go home and get some rest Sheriff. Town’ll go on without you for a couple of hours.”

Steve smirked and watched as Tom climbed into the van and headed toward town and the clinic. The closest morgue. One that hadn’t been used since an elderly woman had passed away almost three months ago when she’d had a heart attack but could not get to the bigger hospital in the city.

As much as the idea of going home and back to bed appealed to him, there was still plenty to be done there by the road. He and his deputies formed a line and walked the woods, looking for anything – clothes, a shoe, hell after an hour passed Steve would have settled for a candy wrapper. There was nothing.

He finally called them back to the road. He looked to Mike, who was falling asleep on his feet. “Head on home, Mike. We’ll call if we need anything else.” He looked to Eli and John and gave them directions, sending them walking the road to see if they could find anything. He was going to head to town and watch Tom do his exam, mostly because he had to know. He didn’t like waiting. Not for something like this. He had a stop to make on the way though. An important one.

~~!~~

“What does that have to do with me?”

Steve had explained as much as he could, standing in Mark’s driveway. He’d caught Mark as he walked outside to get in his truck.

“Nothing. But you said you wanted to know about weird shit, and I’m tellin’ you…this is some weird shit.”

Mark still had his hand wrapped around the door handle of his truck as he eyed Steve. He was going to give Drew a lift to school, order some supplies, and head to Vi’s place to check the progress of the garden. Now this. And Steve was eying his thermos of coffee like he wanted to swallow the whole thing like a pill.

“Ok. Run it by me one more time.”

Steve did, explaining everything. As much as he knew, anyway. Mark listened thoughtfully and toyed with his key ring.

“And you’re sure she was a human?”

“I’m not sure of shit.” Steve griped. “Tom’s sure though. He said he can tell.”

Mark glanced at the house. Drew would be out any second, and he didn’t need to hear any of this. At least not with the level of detail Steve insisted on sharing. “I’ll meet you at the clinic after I drop Drew off.” He pushed the thermos into Steve’s hands. “You look like you need this way more than I do.”

“Thanks. I’ll call Tom. Probably going to be a while before he starts. So if you were going to work…”

“I’ll be there. Give me a time.”

Steve glanced at his watch. It was just past seven. “Ten? Tom won’t let you in to watch the post, doesn’t matter who you are to the town. But he might want you there after it’s done.”

“Great.” Sarcasm dripped from that one word. Mark heard the door to the house shut and watched his son walk in their direction. “I’ll have my cell phone. Call if you need me before then.”

Steve nodded. He grinned and ruffled Drew’s hair affectionately. “Hey, kid. How’s the football team treatin’ ya?”

Drew smiled and took it good-naturedly. “In for a long season according to the coach. I have to get there early, Dad. Team meeting before school.”

“I know.” Mark smirked and looked at Steve. Steve got the message. No shop talk around the kid.

“I’ll catch you later. Keep your nose clean, Drew.” Steve said his goodbyes and climbed into his Jeep, pausing to take a drink from the thermos. He needed all the caffeine he could get to face the rest of the day.

Mark dropped Drew off and used his cell phone to cancel a couple of meetings he had planned for later in the day. The one thing he refused to skip out on was going to Vi’s to check on the progress. And yes, he was using it as an excuse to see her for a little bit.

When he got to the ranch he drove past her house and went directly to the work site. A couple of his guys were there, putting the finishing touches on the place. He was assured it would be completely finished by that afternoon, since the only thing left was to put together a couple of benches and a swing. It would take time, but eventually the family would want to come out here, to sit and to remember. He knew that feeling all too well.

That taken care of he got back in his truck and drove back to Vi’s house. He parked near her office door, since he could see it was propped open to catch the breeze that was blowing. He stepped inside and saw Vi sitting at a desk, scribbling in a notebook. It took her a full minute to realize someone was staring at her. She glanced at him and jumped a little, making him grin.

“You scared me.” She said with a laugh.

“Yeah. I was tryin’ to that time.” Mark went to stand behind her and put his hands on her chair to lean over her and glance at her notes. “Busy?”

“Playing catch up.” Vi looked up at him and smiled when he kissed her. “What brings you out? Planning to adopt a kitten?”

He made a face. “I look like a kitten person?”

“Everybody likes kittens.” Vi said with a laugh. “It’s the adult version that people have trouble with.”

“Oh. Well. No. I came to check progress on your project. And it will be done by this afternoon.” Mark let go of her chair and turned so that he could lean against the edge of her desk.

“Really?” Vi smiled but it was forced. He could tell that too. “That was fast.”

“I told you, it wouldn’t take long.” Mark reached for her hand. “I know it’s hard but…”

“Had to be done. I know.” She took a shaky breath. “It’s not something I like to think about. When it’s totally done and I see it and it’s different, it will finally sink in.”

“I wanted to be here when it was done but something has come up and I have to go take care of it.” Mark stroked the back of her hand and sighed. “Actually I was gonna try to talk you into coming home with me for a couple of hours but that has also been tabled for the day.”

Vi laughed at that. “Better luck next time. I have too much to catch up on today anyway. Tomorrow might be better.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Mark brought her hand up and kissed her palm. “I’ve got to get going. Got an…appointment.” For lack of a better word, he used that one. Vi sensed something in his voice because her smile turned into a concerned frown.

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. Consulting on something that I’d rather be left out of.”

Vi closed her fingers over his. “So say no?” She made it a question.

Mark smiled. “I could. But then I’d have a guilty conscience.”

“Well…if you need to talk about it…” She left it open.

“Thanks. I’d better get going.” But instead of getting up, Mark pulled her until she was standing in front of him. Vi only grinned and shook her head. At least until he ducked his head and kissed her. When he pulled back for air he had to laugh at himself. “Easier said than done.”

“I can make it easier for you. I have a lot of stuff to do and you distracting me won’t get it done.” Vi laughed at his groan. “But we’ll figure something out. Call me when you’re done with your business and we’ll see how much I’ve got left.”

“Guess I can’t distract you.” Mark raised an eyebrow and kissed her again, just a quick press of his lips to hers. “I’m gonna go get his over with. One of the guys will stop in and let you know when they’re all finished.”

“Ok. Good.” She only said it because it seemed like something needed to be said. He could see she clearly did not like thinking about it still. But time would help that.

“I’ll see you later.” Mark squeezed her hand and let her go. Vi walked with him as far as the door and waved at him when he turned the truck around and headed to the road. He had the feeling that his brief visit with Vi would be the only bright spot in the day ahead of him.

23

Mark leaned up against the wall, watching as Steve paced back and forth. Tom hadn’t allowed either of them into the room while he worked on the body, which was fine by him. He still didn’t know why Steve had thought to drag him into this.

When Tom finally joined them, he had a grim look on his face. He looked from Mark to Steve, an eyebrow up, carrying a folder in his hand.

“Figured it couldn’t hurt. What do you have?”

Tom shook his head. “Come on into my office.” He gestured and walked down the hall, leading them into the office that he hardly ever used. Once they were all seated, Tom opened the folder on the desk in front of him. He shuffled the pictures he’d taken and printed out, and put them at the bottom of the pile. They would get to those. “First we got her cleaned up. We got samples of the blood that covered her, plus some scrapings from under her nails.” He slid a couple of papers across the desk to Steve.

“How long until we get that back?” He asked, scanning the list. Everything from hair to dirt to the girl’s fingerprints was included.

“Too damn long. At least seven days, and that’s if we can get some locals to run some of it. Your wife could do some of it, if she’d be willing to come in.” Tom smiled tiredly at the face Steve made. “You wanted to leave the State boys out of this, and they are the ones with the big lab.”

“Let me know what you need exactly and I’ll get it for you. The state cops are out of this. This one is ours.” Steve said, setting the papers aside.

Tom nodded. “I completely agree. I put her age between 24 and 30, and I’m leaning unofficially toward 24. Dark brown hair, blue eyes. I found a scar…” He shuffled his papers again. “Right leg, just below the knee. That’s the only mark I could make out. This girl didn’t even have pierced ears. I was hoping for at least a tattoo – it would make ID a little simpler.”

Mark was still trying to figure out where he would fit in with all of this. “So what killed her? Do you have a guess?”

“Better than a guess. But I’m getting to that.” Tom said with a shrug. “She had multiple contusions, multiple bone fractures in her ribs, her wrist, her clavicle. Her jaw was also fractured. The sinus cavity was completely caved in.”

“So blunt force trauma?” Steve asked.

“Extremely blunt.” Tom rubbed his eyes for a moment. “All the damage came from being beaten with bare hands. Or bare fists.”

“There’s no way.” Steve shook his head. “I saw her. I’ve seen enough bar fights and hell…there was that kid that killed his cousin a few years ago but it didn’t look like that.”

“This is why I said it was definitely a case for this county. She was human. Whoever did this to her wasn’t.” He hesitated before pushing some more papers across the desk. “She was raped. I found samples orally, vaginally, and anally. DNA would have to confirm one contributor.”

“Shit…” Steve didn’t even look at the papers. He stacked them with the others. Mark leaned forward and snagged them, glancing through the detailed list of injuries the girl had suffered.

“She had bite marks on her?” He asked before Steve could unleash a string of questions.

“Several. One on the back of her neck, two on her left hip.” Tom shook his head again. “But they don’t look like regular teeth marks. I have a picture of the neck…it’s the clearest one with the least shredded skin.” He flipped through quickly and handed Mark the printout.

The picture showed the pale line of the girl’s neck, her dark hair damp and pushed aside to expose the bite. It was not just a ring of teeth marks – there were several punctures. The lowest part of the bite was torn away, the skin a mottled red, the exposed tissue underneath darker.

“Almost like a dog bite. The punctures. But dogs don’t bite like this, and not the back of the neck. The front? Sure. I’ve heard of quite a few injuries even a few deaths.” Tom watched as Steve peered at the picture.

“So we have a Jane Doe, beaten to death, face pulped by bare fists, rapes, bitten, bruised…” Steve paused for air. “And then fucking left by the road for us to find.”

“That’s the way I see it.” Tom nodded. “She wasn’t killed there. There wasn’t a sign of a struggle, or enough blood. She was dropped there, partially pushed into the ditch.”

“Staged.” Mark muttered it, more to himself than to the others but Steve looked at him and Tom smiled grimly again.

“My thought exactly.”

“How do you figure that?” Steve asked.

Mark sighed and ran a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “She was posed. Just enough showing, enough of a recognizable human part showing, to get attention. You said this morning that she hadn’t been dead long. Someone wanted her found, and found fast. Given how much open space there is around here, it’s not a coincidence.”

“Everybody and their mother knows my deputies run a patrol out along that road every mornin’.” Steve said, feeling anger twist through him. “This is somebody from here. Not an outsider.”

“If it’s somebody from here, we’ll know. Everybody is on file.” Tom said, calming Steve down. “You’re going to have to get the story straight with your deputies first though. State cops are gonna get wind of this, and try to butt in because it was so close to the county line.”

“Yeah. I know it.” Steve groaned. “Gonna be hard to keep it quiet. I’ll bet half the fuckin’ county knows already, and they’re all on the phone talkin’ to the other half right now.”

“I’ll draw up a dummy report.” Tom offered.

“Say she was hit by a car.” Mark said. “Or a truck. And don’t call her Jane Doe. Give her a name, like the town knows her. If they think it was just some kid hitchin’ a ride that got a little too close to the road they won’t have much of an interest.”

Steve nodded. “I’ll have to call the boys in to get them all on the page, and start spreading it around. Was there anything else?” He asked Tom.

“Wasn’t that enough?” Tom asked, a bit of dry humor entering his voice. “I’ll call you when I start my testing.”

“Do that. I’ll see about getting the rest. You have copies of all this?” Steve indicated the folder and the pictures.

“Yeah. These are yours.” Tom scooped everything together neatly and tucked it all into the folder. Steve and Mark said their goodbyes and left, neither of them speaking until they were outside.

“I wasn’t wrong bringing you into this.” Steve said as if Mark had argued.

“I wish you had been.” He looked distastefully at the folder. “But I’m in it now whether I want to be or not.”

“Sorry, man. I know you said…”

“Doesn’t matter. This isn’t like stupid drunks running their mouths.” Mark dug into his pocket and got his keys. “Call me if you find anything else out. I have to take care of some stuff.”

“Sure thing.” Steve watched Mark get into his truck and drive away. He squeezed the folder reflexively. He had no idea where to start. He honestly did not want to bother Jess with this, not now, not when she had the baby to worry about. He headed for his Jeep to call in his deputies and get the rumor mill shut down as soon as he could.

~~!~~

It had been a busy morning.

Vi shut off the lights in her office a little after 2 that afternoon and locked the door behind her. She could hear the phone ringing inside but did not bother going back in to get it. She had a machine to do that. It would just be someone else calling to gossip about the news of the day – the body that had been found.

It wasn’t long after Mark’s visit that morning that her first patient of the day – a puppy that had gotten a little too inquisitive exploring and ended up with burrs and snags on his long coat – when she first heard about it. Cammie Johnson was the owner of the puppy, a waitress at the town’s one diner, and as usual the purveyor of gossip. She was full of theories and ideas, not letting Vi get a word in edgewise. It was a relief to see her go, brushed and trimmed puppy tucked under her arm.

The rest of the day was spent taking care of a dozen small animals that needed surgical follow-ups. Will Johnson, Cammie’s father and owner of the largest farm in the county, had called and asked about Vi taking care of his larger animals that could not be transported as easily as a dog. She wasn’t adverse to making house calls, and Will was a good friend to Ray so Vi had no problem setting up a time to meet him later in the week.

It had been a little too busy, and she contributed most of that to the body that was found. People wanted a chance to get out and talk about it.

Vi could have gone all day without knowing. She’d seen her share of death of course, human and animal. She wasn’t fascinated, intrigued, or curious about what had happened. She’d talk with Josie about it, because surely Josie would hear about it at school and she’d be full of questions, but that was it.

She took a few steps toward the house but the arrival of Steve’s Jeep brought her to a halt. Vi waited, smiling when he came toward her. He looked exhausted and was carrying a folder and the biggest cup of coffee Vi had ever seen.

“Busy day, Steve?”

“Probably not as busy as some of the gossip-mongers around town. You got a minute?”

“I might even have two or three. What’s up?” She motioned toward the house. “You want to come in?”

“Sure. If I sit for more than a minute I might fall over.” Steve smiled but it hardly touched his eyes. “Got a favor to ask.” He followed her into the house and took a seat at the kitchen table while she got herself a soda.

“Uh oh. What favor?” Vi watched the way his fingers toyed with the folder. And she knew it would be something she would not like.

“If I showed you a picture…let’s say a picture of a bite mark…would you be able to tell me if a dog did it?”

“Depends on how good the picture is.” Vi said warily, sitting across from him. “And how clear the bite is.”

“It’s pretty clear.” Steve pushed the folder across the table to her. The only picture inside was the one of the back of the girl’s neck. He figured he’d save Vi the nightmares from looking at the rest.

“Am I being asked to be a consultant?”

“Unofficially.” Steve smirked and watched as she steeled herself and opened the folder.

Vi said nothing for a few long minutes, as she studied the bite mark. Finally she shook her head. “That’s not a dog bite.”

“You can tell? Just like that?” Steve asked, a little impressed.

“Well it’s not rocket science.” She turned the picture so he could see what she pointed at. “A dog might go for the back of the neck, but this is small. No sign of resetting the teeth. A dog usually goes for soft tissue – where it can get a good grip with its teeth. Plus…” She tapped a finger on the picture, where the girl’s hair was. “See her hair? All nice and even. A dog wouldn’t have pushed her hair out of the way to get to the neck underneath. It would have taken a mouthful of hair with it.”

“Fuck. I didn’t even notice that.”

“You’re tired.” Vi hesitated. “The shape is wrong, and the size is wrong. Is this…the girl from this morning?”

Steve nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. I got to ask that you keep this between us. We have…we’ve had problems with the state cops trampling our cases. So we’re trying to do this all in county.”

“Sure.” Vi went back to looking at the bite mark. She should have been sickened by the fact that she was looking at a dead girl, but she was focused on the wound. It helped that all she could see was the back of the neck and head. “This is not an animal bite. Unless you want to count humans as animals.”

“But there are seven punctures on the top arch.”

“And some people think filing their teeth into points looks good.” Vi said with a shrug. “If it was an animal with teeth sharp enough to puncture this girl would be missing a lot more skin. It would look a lot worse too. Animals tend to gnaw at meat. Humans want to take a bite.” She closed the folder before she delved too deeply into it, before the picture and the thought of why she was looking at it could really sink in.

Steve was looking at her with wide eyes. “So...let me get this straight. Somebody with filed teeth bit a piece out of this poor kid, then dumped her by the road?”

“Well. Somebody with filed teeth bit her on the neck. The rest is for you to figure out.”

Steve nodded. “Thank you. I know it’s a pain in the ass and you’d probably rather look at anything but…”

“It’s not a problem, Steve. Not like I had to actually go look at the…at her…at it.” Vi stumbled her words. “Want more caffeine?”

“No thanks, any more and my heart is liable to explode out of my chest.” Steve sighed. “I have a few dozen calls to make then I’m going home to crash for a couple of hours before I get back at it. I should head out.”

“Ok.” Vi smiled and walked with him to the front door. She watched him drive off and her smile faded slowly. So much for the rumors she’d heard about the girl being a local who had been hit by a car. It seemed like there was way more to it than that.

The phone rang, making her jump. Even in the house she couldn’t escape the calls. Smiling sarcastically she went inside and picked up the cordless. “Hello?”

“Hey.” At least it wasn’t another rumor seeker. Mark sounded tired too. It must be an epidemic.

“Hey, yourself. Busy day?”

“Busier than I thought it would be.” He said, and she heard about eight different meanings in the short sentence. “Did the guys pack up and leave?”

“Yes. About an hour or so ago. One of them stopped in to say it was all done.”

“Have you seen it?”

“No. I just got done in the office.” Vi paused for a moment. “I might wait for Josie. Or wait until tomorrow.” Or wait forever she added mentally.

“I wanted to be with you when you went out the first time. Just to see if you like it.”

“Because I can’t just tell you?”

“You’d be too tempted to just say you liked it without actually liking it. I have to see the reaction to know for sure.” He said with a low chuckle.

“So when do you want to give me the tour then?”

“I was hoping today. But some stuff has come up. How about in the morning?”

“I think I can pencil you in.” Vi told herself it was not disappointment she felt as she said goodbye to Mark and put the phone back on the charger. She stood there a moment and shook her head. She didn’t try to kid herself. She was falling for him. She was out of practice, of course, and she hadn’t gone through anything like this in fifteen years, but there it was. She liked him, maybe a little more than liked him.

And since she did find herself falling for him…she had to tell him. She went to the desk and pulled out her own folder, the one with the pictures Steve had dropped off what felt like a lifetime ago. She would have to show him. For some reason she didn’t want to tell Glen first – maybe because she had no idea how he would react to it. Vi thought it might be better, telling Mark and letting him decide what to do about it.

She slid the pictures of Glen and his mother out of the folder and left the others. There were some things he wouldn’t have to see, including those awful bloody pictures. Vi tucked the folder back in the drawer and took the pictures with her as she headed for the stairs. She still had a lot to do before Josie got home from school.

Josie of course did not want to wait. Now that it was finished, she wanted to go and judge for herself what had been done. Vi didn’t mind but she did not want to go out there herself, especially since she had said she’d wait for Mark. Glen was in a quiet mood that evening, but he offered to go and get Ray so he could go with his granddaughter to the old house site.

While Josie went upstairs to grab the shoes she had kicked off, Vi looked at Glen closely. “You feeling all right? You look sort of pale.”

Glen shrugged. “Yeah. I’m fine. Stayed out too late last night.”

“Maybe you’re getting too much sun.” Vi said, eying him. She had been reading when he’d gotten home the night before a bit after midnight. And then she’d heard him get up at 5 that morning. No wonder he wasn’t looking rested. At the moment he did look pale but it was subtle under the ruddy complexion he now sported.

“Probably.” Glen agreed. “Going to go to bed early tonight.”

“Well. I’ll go get Ray and you can just relax, ok?”

“It’s all right. I was sort of curious about what was up out there myself.” Glen smiled and Vi shrugged.

“If that’s what you want.”

“You sure you don’t want to go with us?”

Vi shook her head. “I’m not in any hurry.” She felt the stirrings of her old pal, depression. Glen was looking at her with a frown of concern on his face. Vi forced a smile. “I’m all right. It’s just going to take some getting used to, that’s all.”

“Ok. If you need anything…” He left it hanging there. After a moment he smiled and excused himself from the room. Vi heard him talking to Josie, both of their voices low, and then the sound of the front door closing.

She did the dishes and started for the stairs but the phone rang, stopping her. Vi picked it up, thinking – not for the first time – that it would be nice to just throw the gadget out the window. “Hello?” She tried to keep her aggravation out of her voice.

She should have saved herself the effort. There was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. “Hello?” That time Vi dragged the word out. More nothing. She glanced at the caller ID and saw with no surprise that the call was from a private number. She hung up without another word and left the phone on the desk as she headed up the stairs for a soak in the tub.

After a short soak and changing into her pajamas, Vi went to the chair in her room with a notebook and a pen. She started jotting down the rest of her week, a bit of a schedule to build her week around.

What she tried not to think about was how Mark would react to what she had to say, and exactly how much she was going to have to tell him. Vi was pretty sure she should – for the moment – keep the incidents between her and Glen to herself. She normally was all for full-disclosure, but she did not see how knowing that Vi had slept with his brother, even just the one time, would help any of them. She also could not deny that the night Glen had tried to force himself on her would be a sore spot. She would just as soon keep that to herself.

Glen was back to his sweet self. Vi tried to keep her guard up around him but he made it impossible to keep her distance. Not that she had any sort of interest in him. Once had been fantastic, he had reminded her that she was still a desirable, passionate woman. But then he’d lost control or he’d had a case of sleep-walking or something…whatever it was, Vi had not forgotten. It almost felt like she had because it seemed as if it had happened to someone else, or in a dream. Hell…she didn’t even have the bruises or the marks anymore.

Vi looked down and pulled her pajama top out a bit. She could see her chest, smooth and unblemished. No sign of any trauma. She did not even have the physical evidence to prove that she hadn’t had the mother of all nightmares.

And thinking of those marks led her to thinking about the marks she’d seen in Steve’s picture that afternoon. Vi shook her head. She wanted to try to keep that as far from her mind as possible, unless she wanted to invite real nightmares to haunt her.

One thing had nothing to do with the other. Glen’s teeth weren’t filed to points. They were just teeth. And yes, while he had managed to bite her, it had been a regular old human bite, done more for a pain/pleasure thing than biting to try to tear a piece of skin off. Maybe she was letting him off too easy, or maybe she was trying to ease her own mind, but that felt true. What was in that picture from Steve – it just felt different. She couldn’t put her finger on why it would be, she wasn’t an expert by any means.

She heard the door open downstairs and Josie’s voice as her daughter climbed the steps. “Mom?”

“Yeah?” Vi called back automatically. Josie appeared and the smile on her face faded into a concerned frown.

“What’s wrong?”

Vi shook her head. “Nothing. Just trying to play catch up.” She tucked her pen into the notebook and put her wayward thoughts out of her mind. “So…”

“It’s pretty.” Josie’s smile returned. “And so quiet. Like a totally different place.” The smile saddened. “That’s not a bad thing, is it? I mean I know we’re supposed to remember and…”

“Well. We will remember who we lost. It’s supposed to be a way to honor them, not to make us forget.” Vi scooted over and Josie squeezed into the chair with her, something that she hadn’t done since the time right after they’d lost Link. Josie had been strong but she had clung to Vi as if afraid she would lose her mother if she got too far away. They were both quiet for a few minutes.

“It’s really nice.” Josie said with a sigh, resting her head against Vi’s shoulder.

“I’m glad, hon. Maybe we can take care of it together. I don’t see hiring a landscaper to take care of a little garden every week.”

“I’d like that.” Josie was smiling again. “I guess I’ll go get ready for bed. I’ll be glad when school’s out.”

“I will too. I’ll get my cheap laborer back in the clinic.” Vi said with a smirk as Josie groaned good-naturedly and went out of the room.

Vi got up and went downstairs to find Glen sitting on the couch with the phone to his ear, speaking quietly. She shook her head and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water to take to bed with her. It was not late by any definition of the word but she was going to lay down and read until she passed out.

“Hey.” Glen’s voice stopped her before she could go back up the stairs. “Your pool didn’t come today.”

Vi huffed a laugh. “I knew I was forgetting something today. I’ll call them in the morning. “

“I’ll write you a note.” Glen said with a smirk as she snickered and continued up the stairs.

“And then go to bed!” Vi said over her shoulder as she reached the top. She could hear the shower running and Josie’s voice as she sang some random pop tune. Feeling good that things seemed to be changing for the better, she picked up one of the novels she had bought and settled in to read for an hour before time for sleep.

24

Vi got up the next morning, saw Josie off to school, and ate a light breakfast of just cereal. Glen had left before she’d gotten out of bed, so she figured he’d managed his own breakfast. She smirked when she saw the note he’d put up on the fridge. It was a wonder Josie didn’t notice it.

At eight-thirty there was a knock at the door. Vi thought it would be Mark, but it turned out to be the pool guys – saving her a phone call. She spent fifteen minutes showing them the spots Glen had put a green X over, and the two men started measuring and prepping the ground. They decided on a spot right off the stone patio, which was fine by Vi. She left to them it when she saw Mark’s black truck pulling up to the side of the house.

He smiled at her, and gave her a kiss that curled her toes, but Vi could see he was tired and something was eating at him. “You all right?” She asked, wrapping his hand in hers and squeezing his fingers.

“Yeah. Restless night.” Mark rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “Nothin’ to worry about though. You ready to head out to your garden?”

“No. But I’ll go anyway. Do you mind if we walk?”

Mark shrugged. “That’s all right.”

“Good. I’ll be right back. I need to grab something out of the house.” Vi let him go and went inside. She picked up the folder, the one with the pictures of Glen and his mother before whatever had happened to them, and went back out. He looked at the folder curiously but she only smiled and shut the door behind her.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Vi did not complain a bit when he reached over and took her hand again. They rounded a slight curve in the drive and Vi came to a halt, surprising him.

“Something wrong?” He asked, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Vi shook her head but she did not start moving again. From where they were, she used to be able to see the blackened, broken frame of the lower floor of the main house. Now there was a rolling hill, leading up to a splash of color. “I don’t think I’m ready.” She finally said, eying those blue and yellow and red flowers as if they were a snake poised to bite her.

“Too late now. You’ve already seen it.” Mark mused, pulling her until she was in his arms. “I’m gonna start feelin’ insulted if you back out now. I might think you don’t like it.”

“Don’t try to guilt me.” Vi said, mindful of her folder. She let herself be held for a moment before pulling back. “Ok. It just hit me…”

“I know.” Mark touched her cheek, brushing dark hair back out of her eyes. “It’ll do that for a while. But it’s not a bad thing.”

Vi nodded and closed her eyes, leaning into his hand. “Can we get this over with?”

It made him chuckle. “Sure. I kinda hoped it would be more than just a get it over with kind of thing but whatever you wanna do…” He let her go and went back to holding her hand.

Vi looked everywhere but at the garden, at least until they reached the top of the hill. She knew the moment her feet touched a certain spot that she was now standing where the porch had been, then the front door…

Without the burned husk of a house to concentrate on, Vi saw the view that she had fallen in love with the moment she had stepped foot onto the ranch. And then it really hit her, that the old house was gone. All around her were flowers, young trees, low shrubs. And benches…she saw four of them tucked into corners out of the way. Right in the middle was a swing, much like the old one she had spent so much time sitting in and staring at the ruins. This one was more rustic though, wooden and low so that when the plants around it were fully grown it would be almost invisible.

Vi turned in a circle, taking it all in. She didn’t see Mark’s satisfied smile. Apparently he was seeing on her face more than she could say in words. She walked slowly around, looking at all the flowers, at the newly laid sod and the crushed rock that had been put down as a path.

“I can’t believe this is the same place.” Vi said softly, even as her mind conjured up an image of how it used to be. Not the fire, not the ruins…but the house. She blinked back hot tears and turned to see Mark watching her, the smile gone, his expression one of complete seriousness. Vi went to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her to the swing where they both sat down.

“It’ll take some getting used to.” Mark said when Vi did not speak. She could only nod at that. “Are you all right?”

“I’m…good. It’s just so different. That’s all.” Vi looked around and then met his eyes. “I love it. I really do. It’s beautiful.”

He was still studying her closely. “Do you need something else added out here? A monument or…”

But Vi was shaking her head. “No, no. It’s perfect. You won’t have to change a thing.” She leaned against him, letting her head rest against his arm. They were quiet again, Mark letting her take it all in at her own speed as he pushed the swing into motion with his foot.

Eventually Vi moved, sitting up straight, her expression completely unreadable. “I have something to show you.”

“Oh yeah?” His lips curved in a smile. “Something good?”

“You’ll have to tell me.” She got up, even though all she wanted to do was spend a couple of hours sitting with Mark and taking in the new garden. She would have plenty of time for that later. Right now she had something more important to take care of. She took his hand and led him along the drive that snaked its way to the first of the bunkhouses. A few ranch hands were working on the fences near one of the barns. Vi halted before they got into the range of being noticed. She hesitated for a brief moment and handed Mark the folder she had nearly forgotten she’d been holding.

“What’s this?” He asked, not looking at it yet, studying her closely again. Under other circumstances his direct gaze might have made her squirm, but now that Vi had decided to tell him…she wasn’t going to change her mind.

When she didn’t answer, he finally opened the folder ad looked down. And Vi watched as the color drained from his face, leaving him pale. “How…where…” He studied the picture of his mother, unable to form a sentence. He flipped through the others, pausing at each one. He finally looked at Vi, who was looking at him with that unreadable expression once more on her face.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before. But then I saw that picture that was in your office…”

“Didn’t notice what?”

“A kind of resemblance. Not strong but there. Or maybe I just didn’t want to see it.”

“Didn’t see what? Vi…where did you get these? How did you…”

“This is your brother.” She ignored his questions and reached out to touch a finger to the picture of Glen by himself. Mark could only nod. Vi turned to the next picture, the one that Mark had in his office, only this one was missing a younger Mark. The jagged edge of the photo…it meant the picture had either been cut or torn apart.

“Vivian…” Mark started to speak but apparently could say nothing beyond her name.

“I have something else to show you.” She said, closing the folder in his hands. She turned to look at the ranch hands, men who Mark had not really paid any mind to. She nodded in the direction of the barn and Mark followed her gaze.

Even from a distance it was impossible not to notice the very tall man who was working next to a couple of the other ranch hands.

“He just showed up one night. During the last snow we had. I was coming back from something…birthing a calf I think…and he was by the road.” Vi said, keeping her voice low. Mark watched the other man, and if it were possible he was even paler than he’d been looking at the pictures. “He doesn’t remember anything before that. Not even this.” She tapped the pictures again.

“This isn’t…” Mark stopped himself. “You know what happened to my family then? You have pictures…”

“I didn’t realize they were your family until I saw that picture in your office.” Vi said, hearing the edge of anger enter his voice. She knew it was more out of surprise than real anger though. “And then I didn’t know what the hell to do about knowing anything.”

Mark only looked at her, too shocked for words.

“So…I took him in. He’s been staying here and working here.” Vi looked down the small hill and saw Glen helping Rob open the doors to the barn.

“If he doesn’t remember anything, how did you find out who he was? Or get the pictures?” Mark asked, his voice strangely soft.

“Steve. Ran his fingerprints and found a partial file.” Vi said with a shrug. She saw the way his jaw tightened at the mention of the other man’s name. “What is it?”

Mark shook his head. “I need to go.”

“But…”

He didn’t give her time to say anything else. He was walking away, up the hill and back toward the house. Vi could only watch him as he disappeared around the bend.

That hadn’t gone entirely as she had expected. In fact…Mark seemed rather pissed off. If it had been her, and someone had said ‘hey, we found out you have a brother who isn’t dead that you thought was dead’ she would be surprised sure, but she would also be happy.

A soft noise from beside her made Vi jump. She turned to see Ray standing there, concerned look on his face. He cut his eyes to the hill where Mark had disappeared then back to her face. Vi could read that without half trying.

“I think he just realized he had something to take care of.” Vi said with a tired smile. “How’s it coming down there?” She tilted her head at the barn. Ray smiled and rolled his eyes. He also hugged her to his side. “I’m all right, Ray. I promise.”

“Good.” That was almost clear. He winked at her and ambled back down the hill. Vi smirked and glanced around one more time. Glen was still busy with Ron and another one of the hands. The rest of the men were gathering around a couple of trucks, preparing to ride out into the ranch to hunt for stray heads of cattle.

Vi turned and slowly went back up the hill, pausing to once more admire the new garden. It really was beautiful. She wanted to go and sit and just soak it in but for the moment she had more pressing things to take care of. By the time she got back to the house, no surprise, Mark’s truck was gone. She stood there for a moment feeling disappointed for reasons she couldn’t even begin to understand.

~~!~~

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Steve was sitting at his desk, going over the results they had gotten back on their dead body so far, steaming mug of coffee in front of him. Jess had taken pity on him and had let him sleep for a straight eight hours but he knew it was going to be a long day. Especially now with Mark towering over him and tossing a folder down on top of the desk.

“I wasn’t aware I had to run all the day to day shit past you for approval.” Steve said, reaching for the folder.

“Anything weird. I said anything weird. You drag me into it when there’s a dead body but you don’t think to mention the fact that my brother has managed to reappear?”

“Your brother?” Steve shook his head. “Thought you said you didn’t have any family but your boy.”

“I don’t. I didn’t.” Mark ran an aggravated hand through his hair. “Does it not qualify as weird, having a strange person show up in the middle of a snow storm with no memory?”

“Well. Yeah. But…” Steve looked into the folder at the pictures with no surprise. “I had a lot of other stuff going on too.” He frowned, looking up at Mark. “You wanna hear what’s weird?”

“Weirder than this?”

“It’s like he showed up, we figured out a name, and then we just forgot about it. Like he’d been here all along or…something.” Steve’s voice trailed off as he thought it over. He’d been kind of worried about leaving the stranger there with Viv and Josie but he didn’t know why.

Mark’s eyes narrowed as he watched Steve think it over. “She never mentioned it either.”

“Viv?” Neither of them was a mind reader. It was obvious to Steve where the pictures in front of him had come from. “Maybe she didn’t think it mattered. Or maybe – like me and anybody else around here – she didn’t know shit all about your family.” Steve leaned back in his chair. “Does this mean you finally told her about all of us?”

Mark shook his head. “Not yet.”

“But…”

“I’ll tell her.” Mark said, anger entering his voice. “Especially if this is my brother. I don’t know where he’s been or what he’s been doing…but we can’t trust him.”

“So he’s like you. But he doesn’t remember anything. And we haven’t had a problem yet.”

But Mark had a feeling that there was a problem. Whatever it was would not come to him. He had too many other things to worry about. The most pressing one was under the folder on Steve’s desk. “You don’t know what it’s like trying to control both sides.” He said, heaving a breath in a tired sigh.

“You don’t seem to have a problem.”

“I had help.” Mark reminded him.

“So what are you going to do about this?” Steve held out the folder and Mark took it automatically. Steve felt bad for him. It was no secret that his own sister had passed away when they were children – she’d been sick, and there had been no helping her. He didn’t understand how finding a long lost brother would be a bad thing.

“I have no fuckin’ idea.” Mark admitted. “How can it be him? I saw him die when I was a kid. I saw my father kill him.”

“You died and came back. Nothin’ surprises me anymore.”

Mark couldn’t argue against his point. “Rayne pulled me back. She used the last reserve of my powers that she had and did that because…even then…I think she tried to make herself believe it was all just a dream.”

“If you hadn’t tried to save her life, it wouldn’t have worked. Self-sacrifice. At least that’s how I’ve heard that kind of thing works.” Steve watched as Mark paced the room. “Go and talk to him. Hell maybe you can jar his memory loose. At the very least it might put your mind at ease about who he is.”

“I’m not sure making him remember anything would be very beneficial.” Mark said, stopping to look at Steve. “What if he’s like I used to be? There was a time when I woulda killed you as soon as look at you.”

“Yeah, but…”

“There is no ‘but’ to it. If I was who I used to be, the whole town would be wiped off the map. You have no idea what it’s like, having two parts you have to try to force to live together. No idea what it’s like to not be in control of yourself.”

“You have a handle on it now.”

“Now.” Mark spit the word out. “It’s taken 20 years get this far. And don’t think I don’t still have…thoughts. Bad ones. Shit that would make even the worst one among us run for the hills.”

“But you’ve got a handle on it. Now.” Steve refused to budge from his perspective. “I thought he was a human. Didn’t get any kind of inkling otherwise. Jess either, and she’s the one who would notice.”

“Then maybe him not having a memory is a good thing.”

“You don’t believe that.” Steve swept his papers together and straightened them. “Fuck. If someone told me my sister was alive somewhere I think I’d be too fucking happy to see straight. And you come in here mouthin’ off about what? I don’t even know. Nothing has happened. If he thinks he’s a human, and you want to keep him thinking that, then that’s fine by me. I’ll keep my mouth shut. But you’d better tell Viv. Stop dickin’ around and tell her all of it. Because your brother is staying there. Even more reason she should know about us.”

Mark said nothing. He had stopped pacing to stare out the window that had a view of Main Street – or what passed for the main street of the sleepy little town.

“You’re worryin’ about how she’ll take it.” Steve said, smirking.

“Wouldn’t you?”

“No. But then I’m not the one that’s got a thing for her.” The comment earned Steve a dark look, which had him grinning. “Viv’ll be more pissed off if she finds out from somebody else. Take my word for it. Hell she might be a little freaked at first, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders and she’s smart. She’ll understand.”

“Hope you’re right.” Mark said gruffly. He sighed and turned toward the door. “I have to go. She probably thinks I’m pissed at her at the moment.”

“Send her by the house.” Steve said, before Mark could leave.

“What? I thought you guys…”

“I’m sayin’. After you tell her. If she’s worried about it…send her to talk to Jess. To see the baby.”

Mark nodded. He felt as if he were cornered. And he was in a way. If it really was Glen, if his brother was somehow alive...

Mark knew all too well how unpredictable someone like him could be. And the fact that the guy couldn’t remember, was apparently human...there was no way he could no the danger he was in, or the danger he was putting Vi and her family in. And not even just from himself. If word got out that the man was one of the half-humans, there would be certain members of their kind that might try to kill him. Especially if he was weak or didn’t know…

He headed out to his truck without another word spoken to Steve. He hated the feeling that he was being pushed to do this, and hated even more that it felt like he was dragging Vi into it. If she had managed to live here this long without noticing something odd was going on, then he hated to ruin that illusion for her.

He parked his truck behind her SUV and got out, leaving the folder in the passenger seat for now. The truck that had been there earlier was still there, and he could hear the sound of metal hitting metal from around the back of the house.

The door to her office was propped open to catch the breeze again, so Mark checked there first. She wasn’t there, but the side door was also open. He saw that she was standing near the corner of the building, talking to one of the men who had come to install the pool. Actually it looked like she was being flirted with by one of the pool guys.

She saw Mark over the guy’s shoulder and smiled although it was a little reserved. He didn’t blame her a bit. He also put a lid on the little jab of jealousy that passed through him. That was something he hadn’t had to deal with in a long time.

Mark nodded his head toward her office and watched as Vi sent the other man back to work before she turned and followed him through the doorway.

“Sorry I took off. I just needed some time.” Mark said, sitting on the edge of her desk. He reached out and caught her arm and pulled her close.

“I know. I shouldn’t have just thrown it out there. I forget how the ‘tact’ thing works.” Vi let herself be maneuvered to stand between his legs with his arms wrapped around her.

“Not a question of tact. It was just…a shock. I haven’t talked about my brother, or my family before Rayne and Drew, in a long time, to anybody.” Mark said, closing his eyes and feeling her arms go around his shoulders. “We have to talk. I can’t put it off anymore. I was hopin’…no. I was thinkin’ that I could get by with the same shit that worked before. And I can’t.” He pulled back so that he could look into her eyes. “You might not like some of what you hear. You might not believe it. Hell, half the time I feel like I shouldn’t believe it.”

“Well…tell me and let me decide.” Vi said, lacing her fingers together behind his neck. He looked at her a moment longer before he brushed his mouth across hers, needing that contact with her before he began speaking. He figured if she took it the wrong way at least he’d have that to keep him going.

25

Josie sat on a low stone wall that ran the length of the school building, snacking half-heartedly on some cheese crackers. Mostly she was thinking. It was her free period, which her mom still jokingly referred to as recess, and instead of spending the hour getting a head start on her homework or gossiping with Grace, she was sitting alone on the side of the school watching the younger kids of the elementary school next door run around.

Mostly, she kept thinking about what Drew had told her the day before at lunch. And whether or not she really believed it. And the changes that seemed to be going on with her mom, and the house, the family…Josie wasn’t afraid of things changing. In fact, she sort of liked not knowing what was going to happen. It kept things from getting boring.

But that left her with the problem of everything Drew had told her. She knew she shouldn’t believe it, because it was just too crazy. But he had said he could show her proof. Josie had told him to let her think on it for a while first. She had to process everything. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what kind of proof Drew would be able to come up with.

“Hey.”

Josie smiled to herself. Speak…or in this case, think…of the devil. “Hey, Drew.”

“Why are you sitting out here?” He sat down next to her, facing the opposite direction.

Josie shrugged. “Seemed like the place to go.” She held out the small pack of crackers and he took one with a smirk on his face.

“Coach sees me eating this stuff he’ll give himself a heart attack screamin’ at me.” Drew said and popped the whole snack into his mouth. “You’re brooding.”

“No I’m not. I’m just sitting here.”

“Brooding. Believe me - I know what brooding looks like. My dad is practically a professional.”

“I was just thinking stuff over.” Josie said, going back to looking at the younger kids. “Shouldn’t you be in class right now?”

Drew shrugged and finished off the pack of crackers. “We had a team meeting. And Ms. Barnes won’t let us back in class while she’s in the middle of talking. She says we disrupt her too much.” Ms. Barnes was one of the school’s English teachers.

“Oh.” Josie brought her knee up to rest her foot on the wall, her arms around her leg, her chin on her knee. She felt sort of…bummed out. Down. She couldn’t describe it. She didn’t know why either. She’d been all right the night before, great this morning, she and Grace were going to make plans to talk their parents into another lake trip at some point. “Drew…when you said everybody. Did you mean…everybody?”

Drew was looking at her profile, studying her closely. “Just about.”

“What about my Granddad?”

The question surprised him for a moment. “No. He’s human. So was your grandmother and you dad. You and your mom.”

Josie mulled that over. If he was being honest, and she saw no reason why he wouldn’t be, that meant that the best friend she had known for as long as she could remember had hidden this from her. She didn’t know how Grace could do that…she had gone to Grace with everything from her tears when she’d lost her father and grandmother to her fear about her grandfather moving out. And Grace had used Josie’s ear in the same way. But this…how could she hide something so huge?

“Nobody’s allowed to talk about it. Not to humans. Outsiders.” Drew balled the empty wrapper in his hand. “You and your family are different. You aren’t outsiders. You’re part of this town. And people like you guys. That’s why…” He trailed off and frowned a little.

“That’s why what?”Josie had turned her head to look at him.

“My mom was human. And she knew what we were but…she forgot. Or she let herself forget. Dad says…” He paused again, that troubled look still on his face. “He said that he let her forget because of some things that happened. Some stuff she probably couldn’t live with if she knew it was true. But…there were some people who didn’t like Dad. Or they were afraid of him. I’ve heard different stuff. And Dad thinks that Mom dying wasn’t an accident.”

Josie lifted an eyebrow. He had said it in a matter-of-fact voice but the look of hurt that crossed his face nearly brought tears to her eyes. “He thinks someone caused the wreck?”

Drew nodded. “Somebody who wanted to get back at him for all the stuff that happened a long time ago. The stuff that brought them together. I don’t know all of it because Dad doesn’t like to talk about it much. At any rate…you’re family is liked around here. Respected. So everybody agreed to just act normal and make a place where they could live in peace. And part of the deal was that if there ever came a time when your family had to know…then someone would tell them.”

“And now is the time?”

“Past time, according to a couple of people.” Drew smiled a little. “My Dad really likes your Mom. Maybe more than likes her. He’s not like the others around here. He’s different.”

“Different? Different bad? Different good?”

“Just…not the same. I guess I’m not either.” Drew looked morosely at the six-year olds who were heading back toward the elementary school building. “I didn’t know until Mom died. But I’m not different than anybody else even if I can do weird stuff.”

From behind them came the sound of the bell. Josie sighed, knowing it meant she had five minutes to get back into the building to her locker to grab her books before the next class started. But she didn’t get up just yet. “I don’t need proof. I believe you.” She finally said before getting up and walking toward school. She didn’t bother looking back to see if he was following her.

~~!~~

He was trying to figure out exactly where to start. The beginning, middle, even now…it all seemed like something a lunatic would talk about. Probably about five minutes before electroshock therapy was prescribed.

Vi was still looking at him expectantly, and for a moment Mark was tempted to once again just push it all aside and forget it. The phone on the desk rang and it gave him a couple of minutes to try to get his scattered thoughts in some kind of order.

Mark let her go so she could answer the call and paced to the other side of the office. At least it bought him another couple of minutes to think as she spoke quietly behind him.

“Sorry about that.” Vi said, brining him out of his thoughts. She had hung up the phone without him noticing.

Mark turned to look at her and smiled a little. “Nothin’ to be sorry for. Business hours.”

“Well I don’t necessarily have to keep to any set hours. Want to go in the house instead?”

“I could use another walk, if you’re up to it.”

“Sure.” Vi smiled a bit uncertainly and closed the doors to the office, not wanting anyone that might drive up to think she was there. She also checked on the pool guys once more, who were in the process of setting up the wooden outer walls of the pool. “Where do you want to walk to?” She asked, taking Mark’s hand as they set out along the driveway again.

“Anywhere.” Mark let her lead them and he figured it was now or never. At least if they were walking around he would not be staring at her to gauge her every reaction. “I don’t know where to start.” He admitted.

Vi didn’t ask what he meant. “First thing that comes to mind.”

Mark raised an eyebrow at that. “Do you remember how I said I met my wife?”

Vi glanced at him, enigmatic smile on her lips. “You said you kidnapped her.”

“Right. Well. That’s not really an exaggeration. I did. I kidnapped her.” Mark expected a reaction but Vi just kept walking with that same smile. “Mostly for her own good. But really for mine. I was a different person back then.” He paused for a moment. “It was my…father…who killed my mom and brother. I saw him do it.” He tightened his grip on her hand, not for the first time absolutely hating what he was. “I saw it but I couldn’t stop it.”

“Mark…” Vi was looking at him, the smile gone and replaced with a worried frown.

“I’m only going to be able to go through tellin’ this once, Vi. As screwed up as it all is in my mind. But I’ll start before that. And I’ll start by telling you that…well…I’m not necessarily human.”

They had stopped walking at that point. Vi was still looking at him, now with her eyebrow raised.

“Part of me is. My mom was human.” He went on, ignoring the look on her face for the moment. “But the thing that was my…father…wasn’t human. There are some who have convinced themselves that they’re some kind of hybrid of a human, no different from a regular person in every way except for some kind of power. I’m not making any sense, am I?”

“You’ll get there. Come on.” Vi turned and pulled him. Mark went willingly enough, following her through a narrow field and into the line of trees away from the driveway where they had been walking. It was much cooler under the shade of the trees. She apparently had been there before. After walking in silence for a few minutes, they came to a tree that had fallen over during some storm in the past. Instead of clearing it – which was the usual practice, for firewood or just to get it out of the way so the ranch animals wouldn’t hurt themselves – the log had been trimmed and flattened into a place to sit. There wasn’t anything spectacular about the view of trees but it was quiet, and cool, and oddly enough not haunted by memories like so many other places on the ranch.

Vi sat down on the fallen log, and Mark followed her lead. “Did you do this?” He asked, forgetting for a moment why they were there.

“Yeah. About a year or so after the fire. I needed somewhere to go that was quiet.” She smiled, more to herself than for his benefit. “And where the ranch hands wouldn’t see me sitting for hours staring at nothing. I was not in a very good place for a long time.”

Mark reached over and took her hand again. “You haven’t asked.”

“Asked what?” Vi looked at him.

“The obvious question when I say something like ‘I am not a human’ is usually ‘What exactly are you?’.”

“Oh.” But she didn’t ask. She kept looking at him and waiting for him to get around to it in his own way. “Just tell me whatever you want to tell me.”

Mark sighed and looked down at their joined hands. “My mother was a human. My…father…” Again he almost choked on the word. “He was a demon.” He paused and waited for a reaction, then risked looking up into her eyes. And he was surprised to see that she had no reaction at all. Just a look of curiosity on her features. “Ok. Why are you not freaking out? Do you not believe me? Maybe thinking I’m a little unstable or…”

“No.” Vi squeezed his fingers when he started to pull away. “I’m not freaking out because I kind of…already knew.”

“What?”

“Well – not from any of you. From Link.”

“Your husband.”

“He only acted like a dumb cowboy. He was actually very smart. And observant.” Vi smiled wistfully. “Before we got married he told me that I had to be sure I wanted what he wanted…and that was this ranch. Not because of the work. He loved the work. Not even because of all the animals – I wouldn’t have become a vet otherwise. It was the town. He wasn’t afraid of anyone in town. In fact, he said he’d always felt pretty damned secure knowing that there were certain kinds of people who were watching out for the town and the people who lived around here. He didn’t know if it was everybody or just a few people or…well.”

“You already know?”

“I know what Link told me. And I know that I was a little…put off…at first. He didn’t know what to call you but I guess when somebody says demon most people wouldn’t picture puppies and kittens.” Vi made a face. “But we talked about it and if he didn’t have a problem then I didn’t have a problem. I was a little worried at first no matter what he said but…nothing happened. And – I don’t know. I just feel so damn safe here.”

“You already know.” That time it was a statement, and Mark did it more for himself than for her benefit. “You know some. Not all.” Now he was talking to her again. “Like me. I’m not like the others.”

“What are you like then?”

“I’m sort of like a mutation.” Mark said it without humor. He’d had plenty of time to think about it. “But that’s not true either. There are some who think that what we call ‘demon’ is really a genetic mutation. Usually those are the demons that were brought up to act as human. There are those of us who know better though. Even if there is some kind of twisted genetics going on, it all started with a real fire and brimstone, straight from hell demon.”

“And you’re different because you’re half human?”

“Very.” Mark let his thumb slide over the back of her hand. “Demons and humans can’t have children. Most of the time. There are a few humans who are considered special. They have to be because it’s not the easiest thing in the world. The way that most of the higher demons get a woman pregnant...it isn’t pleasant. And the birth is even less pleasant most of the time.” He heaved another sigh. “I thought that telling you about what I am would be the hard part. But it’s all hard.”

“Does that mean your wife was one of those special women? Since you have Drew?”

“Yeah.” He smirked a little. “She was. But I guess I need to start at the beginning. The deal in town was that if anyone got involved with you…they would have to tell you. Because you have to help us protect our community here. We don’t want to hurt anybody. We just want to live in peace, even if some of us are different. Since you already knew about that…” Mark gave her a pointed look that made her smile. “I have to tell you the rest about me. So you’ll understand that I’m different. And so you’ll see why…when you showed me those pictures…why it threw me.”

“Your mother was one of the special ones too.” Vi prompted him when he was silent.

Mark nodded. “It’s hard to explain it. But here goes. There are different kinds of demons. Some of them are like the ones in town – they were raised here, they were brought up to blend into the human world. Nobody would know the difference unless they were told…or if they were observant.” He shot her another look that made Vi smirk. “But there are other worlds. We call them realms. And there are doorways in between them. Some demons can go through those doors. That’s why there are demons right here in town. Because they went through, liked it here, and decided to stay. My father hated this human world. But he needed it if he ever wanted children. And he found my mother. I am not sure how that part of it works, the finding. It isn’t something that I cared to learn. He kidnapped her. Took her with him to his realm. And kept her there for years, raping her until she produced a child. Me.”

“Oh.”

“I guess he could have found another willing demon. It’s not unheard of. But there were stories about what the mix would produce, the power. And he wanted it.” Mark shook his head. “After I was born, he should have killed my mother. Other demons wanted him to kill her. It wasn’t right, to them, to have a human living there in that realm. But he was obsessed with her. And she got pregnant again two years after I was born. That was my brother Glen.” He used his free hand to push his hair back from his forehead. “And still, he wouldn’t let my mother go. So some other demons intervened. Sort of. I was young – maybe five or six. We were sleeping and then Mom was waking us up, panicked…half hysterical. I’d seen her for six years being used by my father and I never once saw her like this. There was a couple there, people I didn’t know. They got us – Mom, my brother, me – and snuck us out. It took all night to find a place where we could cross…”

“Cross?” Vi repeated as a question.

“A doorway from that realm. I don’t remember much. I know it seemed to take forever but I was little and tired and scared half out of my mind. I fell asleep. When I woke up we were in a house. Everything was so bright...that was what took the longest to get used to. Where I was before was always dark. Or the next closest thing to dark.” He shrugged. “The demons who helped us ended up being the parents of someone who ended up being a close friend of mine. They got Mom into our house, set her up with furniture, a job, some money. My father could not follow us, at least not for a while. I guess they hoped he would either lose interest, or he wouldn’t be able to find us.”

“Why couldn’t he follow you?”

“Because he was old and set in his ways.” Mark said with a bitter smile. “He was raised and lived believing something and could not go against that. He could only come here to the human realm once every 20 years. The doors were closed to him any other time.”

Vi studied him for a moment, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. “And he showed up.”

“Yeah.” Mark shook his head. “I was 20. Dropped out of college – not because I wasn’t smart enough, I just got bored with it. I was going to leave…Mom didn’t want me to. There were things that happened. Things that I could do that I hadn’t quite figured out how to control. She wanted me to stay home until I could figure it out. My brother and I were not like anybody else, human or demon. We were stronger than both in a lot of ways.” He trailed off before finding his train of thought again. “I was going to head out with a couple of friends, work on a few construction jobs; pretty much drift around until I found what I wanted to do.”

“My mom used to call that the spinning compass of youth.” Vi said when he did not immediately go on. He smiled but it was automatic. He was too much in the past at the moment for more than that.

“Whatever you would call it. It never happened. One night, after Glen had gone to bed, my father showed up. There wasn’t any warning, not even a knock on the door. He just appeared there in the living room. And I froze. He was threatening me – but not really threatening me. Threatening Mom. And he wanted me to kill her to prove my powers. When I wouldn’t do it…”

This time Vi waited him out when he stopped talking. As he spoke his voice got lower, dropping to near monotone levels.

“When I wouldn’t do it he said he was going to make me watch. Because I was the older son. I was the one he wanted. Mom couldn’t fight him off. He had her, scratched her and hit her. And still…I just sat there. The noise woke Glen up. I saw him stop in the hall and there wasn’t a hesitation in him. He had been too young when we’d left, he didn’t remember much of what happened before we got out of the realm we were in. He just saw someone hurting Mom. He ran in and knocked my Father away, damn near tackling him through the wall. But…Glen’s powers weren’t all the way there yet. He was strong, he was fast, but our Father had things to draw on. He pushed Glen away and started taunting him…taunting us both, Glen for being a Mama’s boy, me for being weak.”

“Mark…”

“He killed Glen. I watched. He made my mother watch as well…and I won’t go into detail. I can’t. I just know there was a lot of blood. He did it in a rage, to prove that he could, even his own son didn’t mean anything to him. Watching Glen die…it broke mom. We could both see that. She just shut down. He got bored trying to get a rise out of her. I don’t know what he did to her…he had her, and just stared into her eyes for a few minutes. He went into a rage and killed her, for no reason other than what was in his own head. And still I just sat there and watched. When he turned around to face me, he was calmer. He said that I would have to go with him, the rest of them were worthless, and I could learn. And then he kicked Mom’s body and started laughing.”

He blinked and looked at Vi, almost as if he were seeing her for the first time. “I make it sound like it happened fast. It was damn near all night that my father spent torturing and murdering my brother and my mom. And he was trying to break me. So I would go with him. See what had set him off…he looked into Mom. Somehow. And saw that she’d made herself worthless for him. She’d been so terrified of another demon finding her, even though my Father had staked a claim, she paid a private clinic to give her a hysterectomy.”

“But…wait. How old was she when all that happened?” Vi had thought that if Mark’s mother had been in her twenties, then in her forties getting pregnant would have been a long shot.

Mark apparently got the direction of the question. He smiled but it was shallow. He actually looked pale. “You already know when this happened. You know how long ago it was. Age was not a consideration.”

“So you don’t age?”

“Sort of. We age a lot slower than humans. And since I’ve got both sides I age slower still.”

“But your mother was human.”

“Yes. But she had absorbed some of the power from my father. A human can’t survive a trip to the deep realms without something for the travel to feed from. It makes no sense. I can’t explain it because I am not even sure how it works. I just know that it kept her young. “

Vi thought of the pictures she had seen. Mark’s mother had looked young, barely 30. “He would have taken her back with him, had she not had that surgery.”

“Yeah.”

“And she could have had more children?”

“That’s what I figured.” Mark scratched his chin thoughtfully. “The people who helped us get out the first time showed up. I was wavering. You have to keep in mind I was still a damn kid myself. Full of strange thoughts and…well. I had spent two years in college feeling out of place, hating it, actually starting to hate the people I saw. I didn’t know it was this other side of me. None of us knew.” He stretched his legs out in front of him, pulling Vi a little closer to his side. “It was like I was hypnotized. He was telling me about what I was. What I had gotten from him. He kept talking about how weak humans are, how pitiful. And I started to see his point. For a few minutes I could see exactly why he had killed my brother, my mom. And then the door pretty much exploded off the hinges and those people came in. I hadn’t seen them since I was a kid but I recognized them. They did something. I don’t know…I couldn’t really tell. For a while I was sick, out of my head. When I finally got myself together I was in a different house with those people, they pretty much adopted me. They fixed things. They pretty much wiped my existence out of the house, and managed to get rid of any sign there had been another person there.”

“So that’s why the picture was ripped? And the police didn’t want to talk about it not even to Steve?”

“Yeah. A lot of favors were called in.” Mark smiled, and it was more natural than it had been. “Those people who took me in…they gave me time. A couple of years. I got to know their son, a kid named Randy. But eventually I had to leave. I was angry all the damned time. At my father mostly. I wanted to kill him. I think I had already decided that when he came back…it wasn’t an ‘if’ it was a ‘when’…I would be ready for him. I was going to set a trap and I was going to kill him. I spent years damn near killing myself, learning what I could do. People had said a hybrid like me should be stronger, and have more powers. And I did.”

“What kind of powers?”

“A lot of different stuff.” Mark shrugged again. “Most demons are a one trick pony. They might be able to read minds, maybe levitate something. A few have a base power that feeds on other powers – there is a power we always called the touch, where the demon who had it could just touch a person and be connected to them. It involved a bit of mind-reading. But it seemed like every other day I was learning how to do something new.”

“And eventually, your father came back.” Vi prompted him again. The half-smile that had formed on Mark’s face faded.

“Eventually. Right when I thought he would. I don’t think I was part of his planning. He thought I was weak, too human to do him much good.” He huffed in disgust. “He was looking for another woman who could bear him a child. There were others…other demons…who did not want to see that happen. In fact in demon realms there are laws against that happening. I know it sounds crazy. He didn’t care about that though. He only cared about his own little agenda. He wanted a child to use against other, more power demons.” He hesitated a moment. “Rayne was one of the women who would have been a choice for him. I found her first.” Again he hesitated, but figured he might as well be completely honest. “At the time, when I took her, I was just going to use her to get my father. But something happened. She woke me up. Up to that point I was pretty damn single-minded. And I would have done whatever I had to do to make sure my father didn’t get away with it again.”

Mark risked looking at Vi again. She was looking at him, studying him, completely serious. But not disbelieving. And thankfully not disgusted or scared.

“I fell in love with her. I fell hard. Of course I didn’t figure that out until after it was all over.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. She got the feeling he was holding something back. But considering all he had told her already, she decided not to press him on it. “So you stopped him?”

“Yeah. We did.” Mark squeezed her hand again. “I’ve told you all of that so I can tell you this. When Rayne died…it wasn’t an accident. It looked like an accident, the investigators all said it was an accident…but I knew better. My father wasn’t liked, he was barely tolerated – but he was one of the elder demons. He was respected and feared. And because of what I am they never wanted to see me with someone like Rayne. By the time it happened, it was more about hurting me and punishing me for what I’d done. There were others involved, a few demons who wanted to kill Rayne to keep my father from getting to her. And I protected her. I turned my back on all of them.”

“Are you trying to say that I should be worried about being involved with you?” Vi asked softly.

Mark shook his head. “No. They got their point across. I don’t know who did it. Or even if someone did it. It could have been an accident but…it doesn’t feel that way to me. It felt like a message. They let me have her but I paid the price. There are some people who won’t like the idea of…you and me…together. But that’s because for a lot of them, humans are strictly off limits. It’s too risky.”

“I’m risky.” Vi sounded like she was talking to herself.

“You already knew. About us.” Mark said it again, still surprised. Most people in town had spent a lifetime perfecting their human habits.

“Link knew. Like I said he was observant. And he was…open minded. Maybe that’s not the right way to put it but…yeah. He said I had nothing to worry about.”

“You don’t.” Mark brought her hand up and kissed her on the fingers. “Did your husband’s family know?”

“He said they didn’t. I don’t know how he knew because I never asked. The only thing Link didn’t know was how many. I didn’t ask for specifics because I was afraid if I knew which particular person was not like us I would manage to screw it up somehow.”

Mark smiled at that. “You can know now. You have to promise to keep it secret. If your father-in-law doesn’t know, keep it that way.”

“What about Josie?”

Mark gave her a guarded look. “Drew wanted to tell her. He said he talked to her yesterday.” Vi blinked at that. “He needed someone to confide in. Because he’s like me…a hybrid. He’s different than me though, in ways I can’t really explain. But he needed to talk to someone human. He needs a friend to balance him out.”

“It’s all right.” Vi said, a little impatiently. “I think I get it.”

“You’re taking this all a little too well.”

Vi laughed. “Maybe it’s just my nature. Link and I had our unofficial policy – whatever happens, happens. I got told on more than one occasion that we were impossible to ruffle. Sometimes I think it’s a good thing, sometimes maybe it’s bad. But it’s how I’ve always been.”

“You really are…ok…with all of this?”

“All of what?” Vi asked, still smiling a little. “Until you give me a reason to not be ok with it, then I am ok with it.”

“Good.” The relief on his face made her smile widen. “There’s one more thing.”

“More?”

“Something I have to show you. Steve kind of insisted.”

“Oh really?” Vi leaned her head against Mark’s shoulder.

“I guess to him it’s important. That you know. If you need proof or…”

“I believe you.” Vi said softly.

“I think maybe you need to see anyway.” Until that moment Mark had not thought it was important. But he could see that it was. It would make it real for Vi. And show her why they all needed to keep their secret.

26

Jess was not surprised at all to see them. Steve must have called her to say they’d be stopping in.

“Jess…you look exhausted.” Vi skipped tact. She was surprised at how tired the other woman looked.

“I know. It’s horrible.” She led them toward the living room. “When I can sleep I’m too nervous to sleep. I never thought it would be so hard to have a baby around the house. Can I get you guys a drink or some coffee?”

“No. Why don’t you sit down and let me get you something to drink.” Vi ignored Jess’s sputter of protest and pushed her gently down into a chair before turning and going into the kitchen. She had been there on many occasions, so she knew generally where things were. She poured the three of them glasses of iced tea and carried them into the living room.

Jess smiled tiredly and took hers. “Thanks. I take it since you’re here and not kicking or screaming that you took the news well?”

Mark smirked at that. “She handled it.”

“I’m glad.” Jess grinned at Vi but it was an effort.

“So where is the baby? Robin.” Vi corrected herself, wanting to see the baby and get a cuddle.

Again Jess looked toward Mark. Vi caught his nod. As if the other woman had sought his approval. “I’ll go get her. She’s been napping but it’s almost time for a bottle anyway.” She was up and out of the room before Vi could offer to do get the baby for her.

“Is there something…wrong…with the baby?” Vi asked softly, not wanting Jess to overhear. Mark set his tea aside and reached over, taking Vi’s hand.

“She’s fine. Healthy and pretty demanding on Steve and Jess.” Mark smiled but it did not quite reach his eyes. He interpreted the look Vi was giving him and sighed. “Even babies born to demons look human. Usually. Sometimes there are…” He shrugged. “I don’t want to call it a mutation. But something obviously not human happens. The common thing is red eyes. I’ve seen that a few times. It usually fades after a couple of months. I heard a story once that there was a baby born with horns.” He used his free hand and picked up his tea again, taking a sip.

“You’re joking about that one.” Vi said with a disbelieving snort.

“Yeah. I said it was a story. Doesn’t mean it’s true.” He shot her another look. “Whatever the differences are, usually they fade by the time the baby is a few months old. Because we have to blend in. It’s a survival thing I guess.”

Vi nodded at that, smiling when Jess entered the room with the baby cradled in her arms. “She’ll probably be hungry in a few minutes. You can almost set a watch by her.” Jess’s smile widened when the baby made a soft cooing noise. And she did not hesitate to put Robin into Vi’s arms.

Vi looked down at the tiny little girl, who was wrapped in a pink blanket. Her eyes were open, and the baby stared back with a little frown creasing her forehead. She was sporting hair but it was so light blonde it was almost white. “Oh my…she’s too precious.” Vi said, smiling down at the baby.

“Thanks. She also has her days and nights mixed up. And lung power equal to a jet plane.” Jess laughed and picked up her tea. “She’s certainly made life more exciting.”

“Kids have a way of doing that.” Vi smiled and traced a finger lightly over the baby’s head, stroking her soft hair. She glanced at Mark, who was watching her with an amused expression on his face. “Do you want to hold her? I’ve been accused of being a baby hog…”

Mark held up his hand. “She’s all yours, darlin’. I’m not really a baby person.”

“Everybody is a baby person.” Vi rolled her eyes and turned, handing the baby over whether Mark wanted her or not. He took her willingly enough and got her settled into the crook of his arm.

Mark looked the baby over for a moment, slight smile on his face. “Good thing you favor your mama, little bit.” He observed, stroking the baby’s cheek with one finger.

“Babies turn everybody to mush.” Jess observed with a yawn. “Sorry. I wasn’t made to run on 4 hours of sleep a day.”

“If you need a hand you know you just have to call.” Vi admonished her, taking the baby back from Mark.

“I would have. But…”

“But nothing.” Vi waved her off and kissed Robin on her forehead, getting a whiff of baby powder and soap and just the baby smell that made her smile. “Even if you have that new mommy distrust of everybody else on the planet, I wouldn’t mind helping out around the house.”

“Well, we had to consider that you didn’t know about us. About Robin.” Jess said with a smirk. “You haven’t said anything. I know you can tell there’s something a little off.”

Vi shrugged. She had but she hadn’t wanted to be the one to bring it up. “What is it? I can feel that she’s got something on her back…”

Jess smiled. “She does. She needs to be changed before she gets fed. I’ll show you.” She got up and led Vi back toward the baby’s room. Jess hovered for a moment, acting like she was going to step in and take over as Vi started to unwrap the blanket from around the baby.

“Believe it or not, I have done this a couple of times.” Vi said with a laugh. Jess only shook her head.

“Maybe I wasn’t nearly as ready for mommy-hood as I thought I was. I can’t seem to relax.”

“It’ll pass. She’s still new.” Vi deftly unsnapped buttons and got Robin out of the wet diaper, wiped, powdered, and into a fresh diaper. “The secret is to never get peed on.” She said with a smirk.

“Oh. She nailed Steve the other day. That’s what he gets for dozing off when he’s holding her.” Jess laughed. “Go ahead. You can take the sleeper off her. She’s probably hot. I’ll re-dress her later.”

Vi carefully maneuvered the baby, pulling off the tiny outfit until Robin was laying there in just her diaper, her big blue eyes comically wide. Vi would have to be blind not to see what Jess wanted her to see. In fact, she had sort of figured it out before she’d gotten as far as the outfit’s sleeves. Robin was a perfectly normal, adorable, tiny little newborn.

Except for the wings.

Vi didn’t try to kid herself. The baby in front of her looked absolutely normal from the front but had a set of wings that seemed to come from above her shoulder blades. They were short and flexible, almost curling around Robin’s shoulders like a shawl. She was without the words to describe what they were made of – not feathers, not cloth, not even the leathery membranes that bats had for wings. Whatever it was, it was almost as soft as the baby’s skin and shimmered a little in the light. The wings were iridescent, flashing different colors depending on how Vi tilted her head to look at them.

“She’s amazing.” Vi said it softly and picked the baby up again to cradle her against her chest. Robin snuggled into the curve where her neck met her shoulder, and Vi slowly stroked her back, touching her wings again.

“She can hide them.” Jess said, smiling and reaching out to lightly touch her daughter’s hair. “But she’s too little to really control it. And nobody has ever seen anything like this before.”

“Hide them?”

“She curves them flat. Like now.” Jess pointed out that the wings were once more curled over Robin’s shoulders. “And sometimes they disappear. Kind of. You saw how they change color?”

“So she can camouflage them?”

“I think so. Time will tell.” Jess smiled, equal parts happiness and exhaustion. “Do you see why we have to hide her? Not from our kind…but from outsiders. Humans. Most of them would never understand.”

“I do see.”

“Not that I’m calling you an outsider.” Jess said, as if Vi had argued. “You’re different. I don’t know why…I don’t want to sound like I’m putting you down or anything like that, but you aren’t like them.”

“Maybe I’m just too accepting.”

“Or maybe you’re special.” Jess grinned. “Steve kind of hinted that there was something between you and Mark?” She made it a question.

“There’s something. I’m not sure exactly what yet, though.” Vi smiled and rubbed the baby’s back one last time before moving her to lay her on the changing table once more. She was making smacking noises, indicating she was getting hungry. Vi picked up a clean sleeper and dressed the baby again.

“I’m glad.” Jess took the baby when Vi was finished buttoning her up. “Ready to eat, Babydoll?” She asked Robin and kissed her on the forehead as she led the way out of the room.

Vi and Mark stayed for another hour, taking turns holding the baby, not letting Jess do anything but sit and relax. When Robin fell asleep again, they decided to head out so that Jess could try to catch a quick nap.

Outside Mark reached for Vi’s hand and stopped her before she could climb into the passenger seat of the truck. “You’re taking all of this a little too well.” He said, smiling down at her.

“You probably shouldn’t question it.” Vi smirked.

“I’m thankful for it.” He ducked his head and brushed his lips over hers.

“So all of this just brings us back around to what I told you earlier.” Vi said, ignoring the urge to deepen the kiss. They were still in Jess and Steve’s driveway after all.

Mark nodded and heaved a sigh. “That’s gonna take some thought on my part.” He hesitated a moment, absently running his hands up and down her arms. “My brother died a long time ago, Vi. I learned to live with it I guess.”

“I know.” She looked at him for a long moment. “I think he should know though. He doesn’t remember anything about his past. There were a couple of things…” She trailed off, not really wanting to discuss the road trip she had taken with Glen, at least not there in her friend’s driveway. “I’ll keep it quiet until you decide what to do about it. But I think the sooner you sit down with him the better.”

“I’m not sure…maybe I need to make myself a little clearer. What I am is not necessarily all sunshine and happiness. There is a side to me that is dark. And I am not saying that to be melodramatic. It isn’t as bad as it used to be, but I was lucky that I found somebody who could balance me out. That’s why my kind doesn’t last long on either side.”

“You think he might be the same way.” It wasn’t a question.

“You’ve been around him. Have you seen anything odd? Like mood swings…or maybe a violent temper of…”

Vi frowned at that. “Everybody has mood swings.”

“Not like this.” Mark reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. “It might be better if he doesn’t know. If he thinks he’s human…or doesn’t know what he might be, maybe it’s for the best.”

“You don’t want to tell him.”

“I think I have to let it settle first.” He sighed again. “I don’t know how to explain it without sounding like I’m crazy. But it’s like having two people living in my head. There was a time when the darker side pretty much ran things. And then…well. Rayne made me learn how to balance it out.”

“I’ll do whatever you want to do about Glen. He’s your brother after all.” Vi finally said after thinking it over for a moment.

“You didn’t really answer my question.” Mark pointed out.

“I know.” Vi had hoped he’d drop it. Had she noticed Glen having mood swings or temper problems? He might as well have asked if she thought maybe the sky would still be blue tomorrow. “He’s mostly quiet. And helpful and polite and sweet. But every now and then he has…I guess…spells where he’s short tempered.” She hoped that would be enough. She really did not want to get into the details.

“And he doesn’t remember anything.”

“Nothing before I found him.”

“I’ll need to ask around to see if that’s maybe a...uh…demon thing.” He obviously had problems just saying it out loud. “Forgetting like that without some kind of trauma…first I’ve heard of it.”

“But you don’t want him to remember.”

“Not if I can help it.” Mark shook his head. “I don’t know what he was like before you found him. He doesn’t know. I don’t even know how the hell it’s possible he’s back. But I don’t want to take a chance that he was…that he followed his demon side.”

“Ok. I’ll keep it quiet.”

“I don’t mean you should be afraid of him or…”

Vi only waved that off. She should have been afraid of Glen, all things considered, but she wasn’t. Much like the acceptance she felt toward Mark and everything he had told her, it probably would have surprised him. She wondered if maybe there was something wrong with her, that she was just accepting things that a normal person would think was insane.

She glanced over at the house, and thought of the baby. Robin was living, breathing proof that people here were more than they seemed. She would have to keep that in mind.

Mark apparently was ready to drop the entire thing for now, though. He glanced at his watch and raised an eyebrow at her. “Want to grab something to eat? I have a couple of things I have to do before Drew gets home from school…”

Vi tilted her head to peer at his watch as well. It seemed like the day had just flown by. “I might have to take a pass. Got those people working at the house, remember?”

“Well we can go by and check on ‘em.” Mark said, helping her into the truck. He went around and slid behind the steering wheel before continuing. “But if you need to get back, I’ll take you back.”

“You could just eat lunch with me at the house.” Vi said as he guided the truck toward the road.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

She raised an eyebrow. “If you’re worried about Glen…”

“I am. A little.” Mark admitted. “Only because until I know what I’m dealing with I don’t want to force it.”

“Ok.”

He must have heard something in her short answer because he glanced over at her. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you when I can.”

Vi shook her head and smiled. “I’m not too worried about that.”

“Then what are you worried about?” Mark asked as he turned into her driveway.

Vi didn’t answer him. Instead she slid across the seat as he pulled to a stop, leaned up and kissed him. “I’ll talk to you later.” She pulled back before either of them could get too distracted, grinned at his expression, and slid out of the truck before he could do more than sputter. She waved at him and watched him turn and leave before heading into the house. She was going to grab a sandwich and go over paperwork and try to clear her mind.

~~!~~

Vi woke up with a start, heart pounding. She had been in a deep sleep, completely oblivious to everything. So when Josie shook her it scared her half to death.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Immediately Vi was worried. Josie’d had her share of nightmares after her father’s death, and there were still occasions even now that she woke up from dreams she didn’t want to talk about, crying. This was different though.

“Glen’s gone.”

Vi frowned and pushed to a sitting position, glancing at the alarm clock by the bed. It was after 1 in the morning, late by Vi’s standards. She’d gone to bed early, as much a victim of information overload as she was tired.

“Glen went out with what’s-her-name.” Vi said, feeling slow.

“He came back. And then he left again. I heard him talking and it woke me up.” Josie sat down next to Vi on the bed. “It was kind of weird. Like he was talking to himself.”

“Maybe he was on the phone.” Vi shifted so that Josie could crawl into bed with her.

“Maybe.” But Josie sounded unsure. It had been so odd, hearing Glen talk. And the oddest part was that it was almost like someone else was there too, talking. But she didn’t want to bring that up because her mom might think she had dreamed it up or…something. “Can I sleep in here?”

“Sure.” Vi snuggled down onto her pillow again. “Get some sleep. You’ve got school in the morning.”

Josie snorted softly and listened to the soft sound of her mom breathing as she fell asleep once more. She could not immediately drop off though. She hadn’t slept well that night at all, and it seemed like every little noise had brought her awake. Usually Josie slept like a rock once she was out, so she couldn’t figure out why.

Eventually she did drift off. But Josie woke up again sometime after four and heard footsteps climbing the stairs. She saw Glen pass by the open door, heading for his bedroom. Josie turned onto her side and felt as though she barely had time to close her eyes before he mom was shaking her awake.

Josie practically slept through her shower and got dressed. Her mom took pity on her and instead of juice handed her a can of cold soda. Glen appeared a few minutes later and sat down across from Josie. He smiled at her but it changed to a look of concern.

“You all right, Josie? You look kind of tired.”

Josie shrugged. “I didn’t sleep so great last night.” She looked at him for a moment. He didn’t look tired for someone who had been gone half the night.

“She heard you coming and going.” Vi said, cracking eggs into a pan. “Don’t forget to feed Bridger.”

Josie sighed and got up, hauling out the bag of food. She set down a fresh bowl of water too. The dog must have heard his food because he appeared in the kitchen, practically knocking Josie aside to get to his food. She spent a moment rubbing his head before sitting once more at the table.

After breakfast, Josie felt slightly more awake. She finished her soda and went upstairs to grab her backpack. Vi was taking her to school that morning, so the two of them said goodbye to Glen and got into the SUV. They were quiet, with only the soft sound of music from the radio breaking the silence. That was until Vi cursed under her breath. Josie snickered at that but it was cut short when she saw what her mother was looking out.

There were police cars blocking the road. Josie could see the sheriff’s Jeep pulled onto the shoulder, along with a white van. As Vi slowed to a stop, Josie saw that one of the deputies who was blocking things on their end was Eli Smart, her school’s safety officer that year. He smiled grimly and waved when he saw who had stopped before turning around to speak to one of the younger officers, then into a cell phone. After a few minutes, Eli jogged over to their SUV and went to her Mom’s side of the vehicle.

“Mornin’, Vi. Josie.” Eli tipped his hat, a gesture that never failed to make Josie smile. “We’re gonna have this blocked for another half hour or so.”

“Was there an accident?” Vi asked, peering through the windshield. All she could see was Steve’s Jeep and that white van.

Eli sent a cautious look in Josie’s direction before looking to Vi again. “Steve wanted to know if you’d walk up to his vehicle for a minute. He wanted to talk to you.”

Vi lifted an eyebrow. “All right. I guess.” She looked to Josie. “You sit tight for a few minutes.”

“And then can we turn around and go back home to bed?” Josie asked hopefully, grinning.

Vi laughed at that and shook her head before climbing out of the SUV. Josie watched as she went to stand next to the Jeep, hands tucked into her pockets. After several long minutes Steve appeared. There was also another man with him, a tall thin older guy that Josie could not place. Steve glanced up the road toward the SUV before turning to Vi and speaking.

Whatever it was, Josie was pretty sure her mom didn’t like it. It was in the way her brows drew together in a frown mostly. From this distance it was hard to tell anything other than that. Steve was gesturing, pointing to the other side of the road, and Vi was shaking her head. That was pretty much it. They spoke for another few minutes before Vi walked back toward the SUV.

Josie waited for her mom to get settled into the driver’s seat before raising an eyebrow. “Well? What happened? Did one of the cows get out again?”

Vi snorted at that. It had happened plenty of times before, a cow wandering off to roam and block traffic. She wished it was that simple. Josie could almost hear her mom’s hesitation as she worked out exactly what to say. “It looks like something similar to what happened the other day. The girl that was killed in the hit and run I guess. Looks like we’ll be taking the back way into town.”

“We live on the back way into town.” Josie said, smiling grimly, feeling a little queasy. There had been some wild stories at school about the girl who had been found, ranging from the mundane to the extreme. “Mom…”

“Nothin’ to worry about, Josie.” Vi said, reaching over to pat her on the leg. “At least not right now. Steve and the guys are going to take care of it.”

Josie nodded absently, quiet as Vi managed to turn their vehicle around to head back toward a one-lane farm roam that would cut around the road they were on. It was a bumpy ride, and normally Josie would have enjoyed it but her thoughts kept drifting to the girl, to the police cars blocking the road, and to her mom’s too pale face.

Vi dropped Josie off and watched as her daughter disappeared into the crowd of kids going into the school. She had to do a couple of errands before heading back to the ranch, but sat there for a moment gnawing worriedly on a fingernail. She could have gone all day without Steve telling her that they’d found another body, once again with bite marks that weren’t necessarily animal in nature, and he had asked if she would compare the bite marks to see if they were maybe made by the same person.

Vi wasn’t sure how she could help with that. She was a glorified country vet, not a forensics expert. It was all over her head. But he had been so baffled she had agreed to look at more pictures whenever he was able to bring them by.

Her cell phone chirped from the center console, making Vi jump. She laughed at herself and picked it up after glancing at the caller ID. “Hello…”

“Hey.” It was Mark. He sounded as if he had just gotten up, with a rough edge to his voice. “Tried you at home but I guess you’re out and about early.”

“I have things to do. You’re calling awfully early. Did you miss me or something?” Vi asked with a laugh.

“Yeah. Is it obvious?”

“Well it’s obvious you’re checking up on me for some reason. So let me take a shot in the dark. Steve called you and told you about what they found, and now you’re just checking in.”

“Pretty much.” Mark admitted, chuckling a little. “Just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“I’m fine. Dropped Josie off at school, on my way to take care of some stuff.”

“Want some company?”

Vi raised an eyebrow at that. “Company?” She wasn’t completely dense. She figured it out pretty quick. “Do you mean a babysitter?”

“Why would you need a babysitter?” From the way Mark’s voice changed, Vi knew she’d hit the nail on the head.

“Probably because you’re a male and you have that whole mindset that a damsel is in distress somewhere. I don’t need “company”, Mark. I’m just going to go across town, pick up some bedding for recovery animals, and then go home. So your house is already out of my way. And believe it or not I know better than to stop and talk to strangers along the way.”

“Ok, ok. Thought I’d offer. Some people might get a little freaked out about what happened.”

“I’m sure I’ll freak out later. For now I just have to run to the store.” Vi glanced over her shoulder, making sure she was blocking anyone who was trying to get out behind her. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“The other woman who got killed…and now this one. Steve has obviously put you into the loop.”

“Yeah. And that wasn’t a question.” He sounded amused. He also sounded like he’d just had a good stretch.

“I realize that. My question is…these women…are they like everybody else around town?” There was a moment of quiet and Vi could almost hear Mark trying to decide how much he wanted her to know. “Because it strikes me as odd that you’d offer to be my bodyguard in a roundabout way. Which makes me think they were both probably human. And also that someone that isn’t human is the one doing the killing.”

“You’d be thinking right.” Mark admitted, although he did not sound too happy about Vi figuring it out.

“So am I in trouble? Or Josie?”

“I don’t know.” At least he was being honest. “I don’t think so. Because nobody knows who these girls are. Not even the one from this morning. They’re outsiders.”

Vi sensed there was more. Normally she’d let it drop and figure that he’d tell her eventually. This time she pressed. “So what is it? Is it some kind of message or something?”

“I don’t know. I wish I did. Because so far all we have to go on are two dead bodies that were gnawed on.” Mark cleared his throat. “I have to ask, and I don’t want to because the thought of it still kinda pisses me off, but…you were here staying that night and you had bite marks on you. Do you think…”

“No.” Vi didn’t let him finish his train of thought. In fact she had hoped he’d forgotten the whole thing. No such luck. “That had nothing to do with this.”

“You’re sure? Because a person who bites is a person who bites.”

“And the person who bit me didn’t have pointy filed teeth. And I would rather not talk about it.” What was Vi supposed to tell him? That his brother had done it in the midst of some weird sexually motivated sleep walking?

“All right.” But he still sounded unsure. And a bit angry. Although once again Vi knew the anger wasn’t aimed at her. “Sorry but I had to ask.”

Vi knew better but she let it drop. “I have to go. I want to be back at the house before 9 so I can open the clinic.” And the only reason she had told him that was so he would not feel the need to constantly check on her through the morning. It was sweet but damn near annoying, having someone think she needed to be watched over like a four year old.

“Ok. How about lunch then?”

Vi laughed at that. “If you want. Come to the house around twelve-thirty or so.” Again he hesitated. She knew why. It was funny really. “You don’t have to worry about bumping into Glen – he won’t be back until eight or so tonight. Ray took him and a couple other ranch hands out to pick up some equipment and they were going to stop and eat at some steakhouse or other.”

“Right. Then I’ll see you at twelve-thirty. Be careful, Vi.”

She was oddly touched by that. “I will. Bye, Mark.” She hung up and plugged the phone back into the charger in the console. With a sigh she put her SUV in gear and pulled into traffic, refusing to dwell on thoughts of dead bodies or bite marks. At least for now. She had too many other things to do.

27

“I’ve got a theory.”

Steve was sitting at his desk, head in his hands, trying to massage away the headache that had formed behind his eyes. The body they had found that morning was more mangled that the first, but the girl’s face was left untouched. She so closely resembled the first victim that they all had wondered if she was somehow related to the girl they’d found the other day.

“Spit it out, son. I ain’t got all day.” Steve finally said when Mike did not continue.

They were the only two in the office. Eli was out on patrol. Their people never really panicked about anything since they weren’t necessarily as weak as a human – but they were worried. Mostly they were worried that this would bring in outsiders who might figure out that something was off in their small town.

“Whoever is doin’ this…he’s one of us. But not one of us from town here.”

“How do ya figure?” Steve asked idly, rubbing a hand over his goatee thoughtfully. He wasn’t against having theories tossed around. It helped him think.

“Because people around here know better than to draw attention to the town.” Mike shrugged. “And it seems like…whoever it is…he’s doing it to leave some kind of message.”

“You get all that from two dead girls we found layin’ by the road?”

“No.” Mike looked embarrassed. “I was thinking about the biting. Like Ms. Peace said, it looked like those happened after the girls died. Because they weren’t as messy as they could have been.”

Steve had gone to visit Vi with the pictures. And she had said before Tom could even look at the newest victim that it looked like the bites happened post-mortem. The girl was dead when her killer had taken a taste of her, but from the autopsy report Steve was looking at she hadn’t been as lucky when she’d been raped.

“So what does that have to do with anything?”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “It feels like this guy is lookin’ for somebody. And he’s got some impulse issues. Like he wants to kill some random girl and then as an afterthought maybe thinks she coulda been the one he was looking for.”

Steve was quiet for so long after that Mike began to shift uncomfortably and curse himself in his head. He should have kept his mouth shut.

“I think I follow ya.” Steve said tiredly. “So what, he’s lookin’ for somebody by taste?”

“Maybe. But…like I said. It feels like a message too. The way the victims were found, out in the open and only a few hours after the murder…he wants someone to go after him.”

“And the bites? How do they play into it?”

“I don’t know. For sure. But…it feels like somebody is baiting a trap.”

Steve sat back in his chair and eyed Mike curiously. “But a trap for who? These girls are both outsiders. We haven’t ID’d either of them, so they were brought in from out of town. I woulda heard if they were passin’ through.” The fact that no one had sensed these two particular humans left Steve and everyone else thinking that the girls had been killed out of their range and then dumped on their doorsteps.

“We don’t always hear the humans. I haven’t been here long and even I have started to tune them out.” Mike was one of the rare demons who had a version of the touch, the ability to sense and manipulate others. “I can tell the difference between some humans just out driving that happen to stop at the diner and those who are here on business. But only when I think about it. Otherwise I just…tune them out.”

“Don’t go beatin’ yourself up, kid. It ain’t gonna do anybody any good if you’re feelin’ like you shoulda felt this coming.”

“I think we need to keep a close eye on Ms. Peace.”

Steve lifted an eyebrow. Mike looked steadily back at him, meeting his stare straight on. “What makes you say that?”

“Couple of reasons. She’s human. She’s got dark hair. And she’s got something going on with Mr. Calaway. Plus we found that body this morning right up the road from her house.”

“I understand the human and dark hair. But tell me what makes you mention Calaway. Are people around town pissed he’s seein’ her?”

Mike shook his head. “People around town like her, and they like him. Generally. He doesn’t make trouble, and trouble stays out of town. But we aren’t the only demons in the world. And there are still some that don’t want to see him with someone, especially a human.”

“So why not go after him, or her? Why dance around it and kill outsiders?”

“I don’t know.” Mike admitted. But the way he hesitated led Steve to believe that his youngest deputy had a theory about that too.

“Let me toss out an idea of my own. Based on yours.” Steve sat forward and tilted his head, popping his neck. “Maybe this guy is lookin’ for somebody in particular. And since our resident half-and-half has already had issues, we’ll say that it has to do with him. So either our murderer is baiting Calaway by purposely findin’ human women to kill that very faintly might resemble his current lady friend. Or maybe whoever it is doesn’t know who he’s after and that’s why the victims get bit after they’re dead. Like an afterthought.”

Mike was nodding slowly. He glanced out the window, a little nervous, and Steve could take a better guess at that. A demon didn’t get a reputation like Mark’s by being a good guy. Nobody wanted to cross him. Not even if he seemed like any regular guy they’d meet around town.

“Maybe somebody is testing him.”

Now that Mike had said it, he visibly relaxed. Steve frowned thoughtfully. “Testing him? Testing Calaway?”

“Yeah. Sort of like…seeing how far they can push before he pushes back.”

“But why would anybody besides us know that we involve him in town business?”

“People talk. Hell, I don’t see how anybody around here keeps anything a secret for more than 30 seconds.”

Steve sighed. Mostly because out of all the scenarios that played out in his mind since they found the first body, what Mike was saying made a weird kind of sense. The problem with Mark being one-of-a-kind in their world meant that eventually someone would get a hair up their ass and try to challenge him.

And he had to correct the thought. Mark’s dead brother was alive and living at Fair View. Steve knew the whole story, and he knew that Mark’s brother was another hybrid. The hell of it was, he couldn’t talk to Mark about it, because Mark would in all likelihood get mad. There were certain topics that were off limits unless he brought it up himself. His family was one. Hell, his whole past was a minefield of taboo topics.

“I think for now we’d better keep this to ourselves.” Steve finally said.

“No problem there.” Mike said, smirking.

“We don’t have the people to watch Fair View all the time. And I don’t think I could get one of you out there without everybody findin’ out why. Who do we have that works at the ranch that we trust to keep his mouth shut?”

“Rick. Ranch manager. He’s got that small bunkhouse, sharing with Mr. Peace now.”

“Good. So he’s there all the time.”

“Want me to tell him to keep his eyes open?” Mike asked.

“No. I’ll deal with it myself.”

“Are you going to tell Ms. Peace?”

“Hell no. We’re going to keep this quiet for a bit. I hope we’re wrong and it’s just some random asshole that thinks he’s bein’ funny. I don’t think I wanna be around if somebody tries to tangle with Calaway or people he cares about.” Steve had to wonder who would be so stupid. Even if Mark hadn’t had to put on a show of force in 20 years, their kind wasn’t stupid. At least the ones who liked living a peaceful, human existence.

~~~~~!~~~~~

Things fell into a sort of pattern.

It had been nearly a month since the second body had been found. School was coming to an end for the year, with just a few days before summer break. Josie was so ecstatic over the swimming pool that Vi expected her to spout gills, and Grace was even more of a regular fixture at their house. Josie’s hurt at having been kept in the dark did not last long, especially when Grace – and everyone else she was friends with – continued on with their lives as normal.

A few times a week Glen would go out with Amanda. Sometimes he would be gone overnight. Often they just went to dinner or a movie. He did spend an entire weekend with her which sort of surprised Vi but she encouraged it as much as she could. He seemed to have settled back into the sweet guy he had been before his sleep walking incident.

Vi fell into her own pattern too. She ran her clinic in the mornings until lunch. Most days she would lock things up around noon and head out to lunch with Mark. Sometimes they actually went out to eat but more often than not they would just spend a little time together at his house. Of course there were quite a few of those lunchtime get-togethers when food was the last thing on either of their minds. That day was not an exception.

They were on the couch, Vi laying on top of Mark, both of them catching their breath. She kissed him on the center of his chest and sat up, smiling at the soft groan that came from him. It had been a few days since they’d seen each other, and as soon as Mark had opened the front door Vi knew that food was off the menu. They hadn’t even made it anywhere near the stairs, instead they’d spent the past hour on the couch, half-dressed and urgent.

Mark put his hands behind his head and smiled sleepily up into her eyes. “I guess that was my way of sayin’ hello.”

Vi laughed and pushed her hair back from her face. It was true, they hadn’t said a word. He’d just pulled her toward the couch. “I can live with it.” She settled herself more comfortably, straddling him with one foot on the floor. “So how are we going to get away with these little afternoon visits when school lets out?” She asked, because so far they had kept their physical relationship to themselves. She had not spent another night with him, because the opportunity had not presented itself.

They made do with their “lunches”. And it wasn’t just all sex, although when it was sex it was all sex. Most of the time she would either bring lunch with her or he would have something ready and they would sit, eat, and talk for a couple of hours. And then there were days like today when they felt like they couldn’t get naked fast enough.

It was sort of fun. Most of the time. But Vi was not used to sneaking around, and this went beyond protecting Josie.

“We’ll figure somethin’ out.” Mark watched her through half closed eyes. “Maybe the kids wouldn’t be too freaked out if we spent more time together.”

“I know it’s not the kids you worry about.” Vi pointed out. Mark still refused to acknowledge Glen in any way. He did not want to see him, and he definitely did not want Vi to talk about him. She knew that Mark was just stewing on it, rolling things around in his mind, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. It did not change the fact that it was a pain in the ass.

At any rate, Vi did not mention Glen’s name because she saw the way Mark shut himself off every time she had brought him up. But that didn’t prevent her from prodding him from time to time.

Mark raised an eyebrow and that sleepy look left his face. He looked aggravated for a moment, but it passed. Almost before Vi could register it. She was getting better at reading him too.

“I’ll get there eventually.” That was all he would say on the matter. She sighed and ran her fingers lightly up his stomach, over his chest. “You seem different.”

Vi looked into his eyes. “I do?”

“Yeah.” Mark caught her hands and brought them up, pulling her until she was once more lying down on top of him. She went willingly enough. He brushed his mouth over hers and looked into her eyes, studying her closely. “I don’t know what it is though.” He admitted, half-smiling.

Vi made a face at that and wiggled to get more comfortable with her head against his shoulder. “I’m the same as I ever was.” She said softly, stroking his chest lightly.

“Hmm…” It was more a noise in his throat than an answer. They were quiet for a few minutes. “Come stay the night with me.”

Vi snickered softly. “It’s a school night.”

“We’ll work around that.”

She sat up again, looking down at him as if he’d lost his mind. “And I would tell my daughter what, exactly?”

“The same thing I’d tell my son. Grown-up sleepover.”

Vi started laughing. “That would go over well.”

“I don’t think the kids would be too upset. About us.”

“They haven’t been so far. As much hiding as we do, they probably still have a good idea what’s going on. But thinking it and seeing it are two different things.” Vi pointed out.

“So we just keep stealing time here and there?” Mark asked. “If you wanna hide this from the kids it’s gonna be a long lonely summer. And probably that’s gonna be for nothing because they probably already have a pretty good idea that there’s something between us.”

“And your only suggestion is an “adult sleepover”.”

Mark smiled at the scorn in her voice. “Then you come up with somethin’. Because I don’t much care for the thought of sneaking in an hour here, an hour there.”

“Well at least we agree on that. But even if we did stay tonight, it would still just be sneaking in time.”

“Then don’t sneak. We’ll come clean and get it out in the open.”

“Mark…”

“If this was just about getting laid, I’d keep my mouth shut as long as you wanted. But it’s more than that.” Mark went on as if she hadn’t spoken. Vi only looked at him, a bit confused. He sighed and sat up, scooting so his back was against the arm of the couch, keeping her firmly on his lap. “Don’t go pretending you don’t know what I’m saying either. You know. I’ve done everything but say it.”

At that Vi could only look at him, almost afraid of what he was saying. Mark could see that in her eyes. Hell he sort of felt it himself. It had been a long time since he’d felt anything remotely like it.

“Don’t say it.” Vi finally found her voice.

“I’ve got to. It’s getting harder and harder to keep my mouth shut.” Mark smiled at that and reached out, pushed her hair back from her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Instead of talking, he kissed her. Vi wrapped her hands around the open edges of his shirt and held onto him, kissing him back. When he pulled back his eyes had darkened, and that made Vi feel weak all over. But he didn’t get a chance to speak and say what was on his mind.

Someone started pounding on the front door.

The sound made Vi jump and Mark ran a soothing hand over her back before he regretfully gave her a hand to her feet. She turned her back to him and began righting her clothes, smoothing down her shirt and tugging her shorts back on. He pulled his jeans back up his hips and zipped them as he walked to answer the insistent pounding.

Steve was standing there, looking pissed off, sick, and at the end of his rope all at once.

“What’s wrong?” Mark asked stepping aside so Steve could come in. Vi had taken a seat in the kitchen and was sipping a soda.

Steve looked from Vi to Mark and back again. “We’ve got trouble.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “What kind of trouble?”

“Another girl.” Steve heaved a shaky sigh. “We were too late. She was alive when they found her this morning. Died on the way to the hospital.”

Now Mark knew why Steve kept shooting pointed looks in Vi’s direction. “She knows you tell me stuff. So tell me.”

“It was a couple hours ago. Out near my house. Somebody called it in. Wouldn’t give their name, called from a blocked phone number. I sent Eli out to check it because we thought maybe it was a prank. Then I got another call from Jack Roberts…he owns that farm on the south side of town.” At Mark’s nod Steve went on. “He was driving and saw her. Said she was half on the road and was trying to crawl out of the ditch. He stopped and called us then tried to get her into his truck. Guess he figured he’d drive toward town and shorten the trip. But she was just layin’ there at that point, still breathing…”

Steve stopped for a breath. Vi had been watching him, keeping quiet, thinking that it looked as if Steve had aged overnight. Mark gestured for him to continue.

“By the time Eli got there she was having convulsions. She was talkin’ too, according to him. He recorded some. It’s…you can’t understand most of what she’s sayin’. The medics showed up and bundled her into the ambulance, but they said she died before they’d gone more than a half-mile up the road toward the hospital. Cause of death – multiple stab wounds. She was…”

Steve stopped talking again. Mark had not even seen Vi move but she was suddenly there, with her arm looped around Steve’s waist, looking up at him in concern. He looked at her as if he did not know who she was.

“The asshole didn’t wait til she was dead this time.” Steve muttered. Vi did not have to ask what he meant, she remembered all too well the last set of pictures he’d asked her to look at.

“Why don’t you sit down? I’ll make you some coffee.” Vi said in a soothing voice.

“If I drink anymore coffee my heart is likely to explode.” Along with the worry in his voice, Vi caught something else – anger. Steve was pissed and trying very hard to hold it back. “This was by my house. Spittin’ distance from my mailbox.” He was looking at Mark.

Mark sighed, resigned to having to hear the details. He only wished Vi wouldn’t have to hear them as well. It was one thing to consult her on those bites – although if Steve had bothered to ask Mark’s opinion he would have been told to keep his pictures away from Vi – this was something else entirely. “Start at the beginning. Tom work her up yet?”

“He’s working on her now. Finishing. When I said multiple stab wounds, I mean it in the realest sense. She was stabled twenty-two times.” Steve flicked his eyes toward Vi pointedly. “There was…mutilation this time.” He chose his words carefully. “The bites were worse. Tom thinks it’s because the girl was still alive and trying to fight her attacker off. And those are pictures you are not ever gonna see, Viv.”

“Thanks for that at least.”

“I think we’re gonna go talk outside.” Mark said to Vi. She nodded, happy enough not to have to hear any more gruesome details. Steve gave her a pat on the shoulder and she went back to the kitchen to finish her soda while the two of them stepped outside.

“So what is it? You were holdin’ it back for Vi’s sake.” Mark spoke as soon as they walked off the porch.

“The fucker bit off parts of her.” Steve paled a little. “Her ear. A chunk off her throat.” He traced a finger in a circle over the center of his own neck. “Her left nipple. Another chunk from beside her belly button. And a bite taken out of the back of her thigh. Also…she was missin’ a couple of fingers and toes. I’ll have to read the report because by the time I noticed that I couldn’t stomach lookin’ anymore.”

Mark felt a little queasy himself. Of course given who he used to hang around with he had seen a lot. It was still a shock, especially after so many years of quiet. “Get home to Jess and the baby, Steve.”

“I can’t. Got to start…”

Mark held up a hand and cut him off. “You can and you are. You’ll just be distracted worryin’ about them. Get home.”

“We have to try to ID…”

“She’s dead. She’ll still be dead tomorrow.” Mark said it in a flat voice.

“We were too late by minutes. Seconds.”

“And the guy isn’t done yet. Not by a long shot. Go home and get some rest. I’ll get the word out and we’ll make sure from now on your wife and daughter are watched.”

“That’s kinda funny. Since I got word out and I’ve been making sure your woman in there is watched.”

Mark cocked an eyebrow at that. Steve had never mentioned it. “Have there been threats or…”

“No.” It was Steve’s turn to cut Mark off. “A theory. Since the last one was right up the road from her. We didn’t put a deputy out there, just asked that Rick keep a close eye on things.”

Mark visibly relaxed. “Fine. Ok. Get home. I mean it.”

“I’m goin’.” Steve went toward his Jeep. “I’m gonna call Mike and get him to bring you a copy of that phone call, and the tape of the girl talkin’. It’s weird. Maybe you can figure it out.”

“Yeah. Doubt it.”

Steve shrugged and got behind the wheel. He tipped a salute in Mark’s direction and drove off. For a moment Mark stood there and stared off into the woods across the street. He was clearing his mind, but mostly he was doing what Drew often called sensing. Mark’s powers weren’t emotion-based, so he wasn’t an expert on reading other’s emotions by any stretch of imagination. He could get a general idea though. Right now town overall was carrying on with business as usual. The worry level was low. And there was no sense at all of the kind of sickness that something like this required. Whoever their killer was, he was either making runs into town to dump bodies, or he was adept at hiding himself. Neither notion sat well with Mark.

He turned to go back into the house finally. Vi was still in the kitchen, standing and looking out the window. Mark stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

“I should head home.” She said, rubbing his arms lightly.

“I wish you wouldn’t. If I said I was worried about you because of this stuff, would you stay here?”

Vi smiled at that. “If I actually thought that you thought I was in some kind of trouble? Maybe.”

He snorted at her inability to make a decision. “I want you to stay.”

Vi turned in his arms and looked up at him. “I can’t tonight.” He made a face and groaned, disappointed. Vi smiled sweetly. “I was thinking maybe Friday. Last day of school. We could let the kids celebrate.”

Mark smiled back at her. “You of course know I’m going to push for you to stay the whole weekend.”

“I figured.” She smiled again when he bent down and kissed her. He angled his head but she pulled back, still laughing. “You are not going to distract me. I really do need to head home.”

“Can’t blame me for tryin’.” Mark griped, helping her up. She was looking at his open shirt and his messy hair with a smirk on her face.

Vi was almost swayed into staying without him trying. But she was worried, and she wanted to go home and worry to herself. If she stayed, even for another hour, he would pick up on it and push her to tell him and she did not want to put it into words.

She gave him one more kiss goodbye before grabbing her keys and heading for her SUV. She climbed in and smiled when she saw Mark standing on the porch. She blew him a kiss and with real regret headed for home. And maybe a little relief? She had to admit that to herself. Because she knew exactly what Mark had been working up the nerve to say to her when they’d been interrupted. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it spoken.

28

Mark was running late to Drew’s graduation ceremony.

He’d gotten tied up doing about a dozen other things, trying to play catch-up and ignoring Steve’s repeated pleas for help. Mark could not seem to make the other man understand that there was nothing he could really do. Except for wait. Eventually whoever was making a nuisance of himself would mess up. It was a matter of time. Of course they could only hope that happened before the outside world got wind of the murders.

That was neither here nor there. It took a while to find a parking spot the school was so packed. And then the ceremony had already started so Mark just stood in the doorway and watched from the side of the school’s gym. He could not for the life of him figure out exactly why it was they felt the need to have such a thing as a graduation for the 8^th grade kids. Mark was proud of his boy, there was no doubt of that, but the ceremony itself seemed rather pointless. Drew made a lot of jokes about getting a real job with his diploma though. The thought made Mark smile as he listened with half an ear to the school principal’s speech.

He picked Drew out of the crowd of kids sitting in chairs right in front by the stage. It was easy considering that Drew took after him and was at least a head taller than the nearest kid his size. A little more scanning and he spotted a few of Drew’s friends, including Josie who was looking up at the stage with such a look of concentration on her features it was almost funny.

She must have sensed him looking because Josie blinked and turned her head in his direction. She smiled and waved. Mark lifted a hand in return and went back to scanning the crowd, this time looking over the bleachers in the back where the parents, grandparents, siblings, and people who had nothing better to do were crowded in watching.

His eye was drawn almost immediately to where Vi was sitting. Not because of Vi herself – Mark was pretty sure she would have blended in a little better if not for the very large man who sat beside her. Glen - or the man who they thought was Glen, Mark was still on the fence and didn’t want to even consider it – was like Drew and easily the tallest person sitting in the audience.

Mark watched as Glen turned to Vi, nudged her with an elbow, and said something that made her smile and cover her mouth with her hand.

And he tried to get a handle on the ripple of jealousy that went through him at that. He didn’t try to kid himself – he knew it for what it was. He put a lid on it though. This was definitely not the time or place to go into that. Although he had to wonder exactly why Vi would feel the need to bring Glen with her tonight. Ray was sitting on her other side, watching the crowd with an amused smile on his face.

For reasons that Mark could not even rationalize to himself, he backed up a little so he was not directly in Vi’s sight line. He glanced around again and saw that Drew had noticed him and was smiling – although it was troubled. Yeah, the kid could read him even if he wasn’t getting a loud and clear signal like he did with some people.

Finally the principal stopped talking and they began letting the kids line up to file on stage to receive their certificates and congratulations from their teachers. Mark had to smirk when they announced Drew’s name and a chorus of girls screamed and clapped. The kid was popular too. He only grinned and blushed red before ducking off the side of the stage.

The kids did not have to return to their seats. There was going to be a dance – 8^th graders only – that would occur for the next few hours. There was only one day of school left too, so the kids were all celebrating. Eventually Drew made his way over to where Mark stood, still grinning bashfully.

“Hey, Dad.”

Mark smiled and ruffled Drew’s hair. “Kid. Ready to move out of the house now and be a contributin’ member of society?”

“Not hardly.” Drew rolled his eyes and handed his certificate over for Mark to see. “I’ll get my schedule for next year in the morning.”

“And a report card.” Mark prompted, smiling and carefully rolling the certificate up as it had been when Drew handed it to him. “Not that I’m worried.”

“I did all right.”

“Probably better than that.” Mark dropped an arm over Drew’s shoulders and hugged him.

“Yeah.” Drew leaned his head against Mark’s shoulder for a moment. “I wish Mom was here.”

Mark raised an eyebrow at that. He knew that Drew missed Rayne, of course, they both did. But it was rare for the boy to bring her up, especially in a public place where he didn’t want people to see him upset.

“She woulda loved it. She’d be proud of you, Drew.”

“Yeah.” Drew said it again. “Do I have to stay for this stupid dance?” Until that moment, Mark had thought that Drew was excited about hanging out with his friends for the evening.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t wanna do.” Mark said, smirking when one of the girls from Drew’s class said a shy hello to his son. “Probably disappoint all your fans though.”

“Right.” Drew said with a snort. He waved at Josie, who was picking her way through the crowd headed for the bleachers. Mark could see that Vi, Ray and Glen were still sitting down, waiting for the crowd to clear out a bit before they attempted to exit. Josie gave up fighting the crowd and instead walked toward Mark and Drew.

“Hi. Gosh…you’d think we just graduated college or something.” Josie said, stepping next to Drew so she was out of the way of the crowd that came through the doors.

Mark smiled at that. Drew glanced at him and then turned to Josie. “Are you staying for the dance?”

Josie wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I’d rather not but I promised Grace I would. I just gotta say bye to Mom and Grandpa and Glen.”

Mark kept his expression carefully neutral. “Friend of yours from the ranch?”

Josie grinned impishly. “Kinda. Mom would say she’s got a knack for taking in strays. It’s been kind of cool having him around. He helped me get an A on my English final.”

Mark smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Josie was looking around trying to spot the end of the rush of people. “He’s the guy that doesn’t remember anything, right?”

“Yeah. Except he’s really smart.” Josie’s attention was still wandering. “And he’s quiet. Most of the time I forget he’s in the house.”

“He’s in the house?” Mark echoed her. Josie looked at him and shrugged.

“Yeah. He’s been staying with us since Mom found him. Grandpa called him break-in deterrent.” Josie grinned and Mark smiled back but it was weak.

“Dad…dance is starting in a couple of minutes.” Drew spoke, and snapped Mark’s attention back to where they were.

“So you decided you want to go after all?”

Drew was now studying him intently. Mark had never been on that end of scrutiny until his son was born. It made him wonder if he did the same thing to people.

“I could go home with you.”

“Nope. You can stay and have a good time.” Mark tipped his head in Josie’s direction and smirked when Drew shot him a dirty look. “I’ll be out front around nine to pick you up. Go on with Josie and say hi to her mom for me.”

He gave Drew another hug and joined the dwindling crowd as they exited, wanting to get out before Vi spotted him. What was it he’d felt earlier? Right. Jealousy. She had managed to leave out the fact that she was letting this man who they believed to be Mark’s brother stay in her house.

Mark slid behind the wheel of his truck and sat there for a moment, staring at the entrance to the school. This was not something he should be angry over, but he was. Angry was maybe not the best word. Of course it suited better when he saw Vi and Glen walk out of the school. It was completely innocent of course, Ray was there walking between them. But they paused on the sidewalk and Glen said something that had Vi laughing sharing a look with him that made Mark’s blood boil.

“Stop. You are not doing this shit.” He said it out loud and wrapped his hands around the steering wheel, holding onto it in a death grip. It had been a long time since that ugly side of himself, the half that his father had been bastard enough to pass down to him, had stirred. Whatever had happened that weekend that he’d met Rayne, the changes that had happened, and the power he’d shared with her…all of it had put Mark’s demon side into a sort of hibernation period. On occasion he had familiar dark thoughts, and more often than not he would have disturbing nightmares in which he killed and hurt those he cared about. But he controlled it. Rayne had done that for him. She had loved him and taught him to love, and she had healed him.

He went long stretches of time when he felt normal. Or as normal as he could feel under the circumstances. Knowing that he was the only one of his kind that had escaped a dark realm and death had been as much a deterrent as anything. His demon side understood self-preservation. It wasn’t much of a comfort to his human side.

Now though Mark felt that side of him stirring. Mostly because he had lately started to think of Vi as his. At first it had just been companionship and yes, he had seen that she understood what it was like to lose the other half that made them both whole. And then he’d gotten to know her. And to like her. And as he went in deeper he did not fight it because all things considered Mark thought he deserved something good. He’d had Rayne, but she’d been taken away from him. Retribution for things that had happened so long ago, and proof to Mark that his demon side was truly sleeping deeply. Had he been fully there he would have sensed it. And he could have stopped it. He had spent 8 years beating himself up over that very fact.

He still had Drew. For a while he had dreaded the thought of Drew aging, going away to school, growing up and not needing him. It wasn’t just the fear of the empty house either…for years Drew had been what kept Mark level. There had been times when grief and even outright rage about Rayne’s death had damn neared pulled him under. But he’d think of his son and that settled him. And he was not using Vi as a buffer…as time had passed he’d gotten control of it all, and he was comfortable. He could do it without her…it would not be impossible. But he did not want to.

Mark hated himself for doing it. He could not help it though. He watched them walk across the parking lot to where Vi had parked her SUV. Ray got into the backseat and Glen gave Vi a hand into the driver’s side door. It was all Mark could do to sit and watch the other man touch her, even something so innocent as a hand on her arm. He could picture himself going across the parking lot, grabbing the other man – his brother, maybe – and ripping his throat out with his bare hands.

He blinked and realized that Glen had gotten into the SUV as well. Vi backed out and headed toward the exit. From this angle Mark could no longer see any of them, and he was grateful for that. He looked down at his hands and saw that he had gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white and tendons stood out on his arms. It was a small miracle that he hadn’t ripped the steering wheel off of the dashboard.

He hated himself for what he did next as well. Josie had said that Glen was living with them. Mark had no reason to think the kid would lie to him but he would not be happy until he saw it for himself. By the time he got out of the parking lot and onto the main road the SUV was already well ahead of him. In fifteen minutes he watched Vi make the turn into her own driveway and slowed his speed. He timed it, not wanting to be seen, just needing his curiosity satisfied.

There was a slight curve in the driveway. Once the SUV disappeared around it Mark pulled in behind it and came to a stop. He could see the front of Vi’s house. He watched as they stopped and got out. They spent a few minutes talking there by the vehicle, Ray doing his usual version of charades. Eventually Ray walked away, going down the drive and toward the bunkhouse that was now his home. That left Vi and Glen. They were still talking. Another few minutes and Vi walked toward the house. There was a moment when Mark felt a bit of relief wash over him. It was short lived. Glen turned and followed Vi into the house.

For a full minute Mark could only sit there. He should not be mad about this. Vi was a big-hearted woman, of course she would give someone a place to stay and help out as much as she could. But now that he knew that she had withheld this bit of information he wondered what else she wasn’t telling him.

Like where she’d gotten those bite marks from.

He tightened his fingers on the steering wheel again. While she had explained them away and wanted to forget, Mark could not. She had been upset that day but more than that…she had been downright terrified of the thought of returning to her house.

And Mark figured he finally knew the reason for that.

He replayed everything she’d said in his mind, feeling his anger go up another notch. Some ‘nice guy’ with a sleep-walking problem. Mark thought it was more likely a demon with a biting fetish. And Vi had let him stay there, in her house. He remembered other things as well. How confused she had been about a physical relationship, and how it was a one-time thing that would never happen again. And he knew just like that exactly who she was talking about. Now things made sense. Things also made him mad.

What he should have done was turn the truck around and go home and sit and just think things through. Mark was beyond caring about what he should do. He reached for his cell phone and punched in Vi’s number, squeezing the gadget so tight in his fist it was a wonder it didn’t get crushed.

“Hello?” Vi’s voice in his ear. She sounded at ease, calm, happy. For some reason that made his temper flare another notch.

“Vivian. Why didn’t you tell me?” He didn’t bother with niceties. He was beyond that.

“Mark?” She sounded confused.

“You didn’t tell me you were letting him stay with you. And you didn’t tell me that you slept with him either.” Mark growled out. There was a small part of himself that was enjoying this. He hated that feeling too.

“What…”

“Don’t fucking ‘what’ me. You moved him in, you fucked him, you let him stay there even after he hurt you...and you weren’t gonna tell me any of it?”

Vi could only sputter for a moment. “I didn’t see how you needed to know…that part.” She finally said when the silence had dragged on for a minute.

Mark’s laugh at that was derisive. “You don’t even know what he is, Vivian. Do you know now? I’ll bet you don’t. I’ll bet you he’s bein’ pretty fucking sweet to you right now because he’s trying to get back into your bed.”

“Why the hell are you going on about this?” Vi asked. Her voice had dropped and all traces of emotion were gone out of it. “It was just a one-time thing and I was fucking confused. Does that make you feel better about it? I hadn’t been with a man since my husband died five years ago and I needed to feel something other than tired and invisible. Ok? It didn’t mean anything…I’m not fucking perfect, I don’t pretend to be, and I wish it hadn’t happened but it did. And what happened after…maybe I’m as much to blame as he is. I was still fucking confused.”

“You lied to me.”

“No. You didn’t ever want to talk about it, about him. When would it have been a good time, Mark? When was I supposed to say ‘by the way, I slept with your brother once and it kind of kicked my ass out of my pit of fucking despair’?”

“You had chances.” Mark pointed out. “I would have listened. What else is there? What else aren’t you telling me?”

“What the fuck else do you want to know? Positions? Technique?” Vi shot back at him, angry in response to his anger.

“You didn’t fucking deny it.”

“Deny what? That I slept with him? Why would I deny it…I didn’t do anything wrong, Mark.”

“That he bit you. Attacked you and pretty much scared you out of your home. What was I, the convenient safety net? Or just somebody to fuck to knock the dust off?”

Vi could not speak for a full minute. He could hear her taking in deep breaths and letting them out, trying to rein in her anger. Finally she spoke, and her voice had gone back to monotone. “I thought you were my friend, you bastard.”

Cold fury twisted through him at her words. “You…” He didn’t get to finish. There was a soft click in his ear. Vi had hung up on him. He stared at the phone as if he did not know what it was before smashing his finger on the redial button. It went to voice mail. “I wasn’t done talkin’ to you, Vivian. Not by a long shot. I want him out of your house, you hear me? If he is who you think he is, then you’d better get him the fuck out of there before he does something you’ll regret. He might not know what he is but eventually it’ll wake up. And you’d better hope that what he was before is the same as what he is now. A little love bite and some bruises will look kinda pleasant next to the things he probably wants to do to you.”

Mark jabbed the cut off button and tossed the phone into the passenger seat. He sat there for five minutes, then ten, watching the house through the trees. He was damn near tempted to wait for her to come out. She would have to eventually, to pick up Josie. He wanted to grab her and make her see sense. Another part of him wanted to just grab her and throw her on the ground and work out this mindless anger he felt toward her. It had been a long time since that side had reared its head. Mark had not missed it a bit.

He had to get a handle on it. He had to pick Drew up, and while Drew could not really read him, he made some pretty damned good guesses. Mark slammed his truck into reverse and backed out of the driveway, not bothering to watch for traffic. He headed away from town, needing to get out for a moment, hoping some speed might satisfy this crazy anger.

At nine he was parked at the school. Mark was still angry but he a firm hold on it. He felt as if Vi had lied to him, and he felt a bit betrayed, although once again a small part of himself tried to reason him out of that. He saw the familiar SUV pull into the lot about ten minutes after he had parked and once more had to grip the steering wheel in both hands to stop himself from getting out of the truck. Vi was by herself and she seemed to be in her own little world, not noticing Mark’s truck when she passed it.

Drew and Josie came out of the doors at the same time, talking animatedly. Mark saw Drew scan the parking lot and saw his steps falter for a moment. As much as he tried to hide and relieve his anger, Drew was still picking up some of it. He cast a troubled look in Mark’s direction and walked with Josie to the SUV. A few minutes later and Vi and Josie were pulling out as Drew got into the passenger seat of the truck.

“You all right, Dad?” He asked, buckling his seatbelt. Mark nodded, thought about it a moment, then shook his head. Why lie? It was what had caused all this trouble.

“Not really. But we’ll deal with it.” Mark said, keeping his tone neutral.

Drew nodded but he still wore that troubled frown. Mark guided the truck out of the lot and toward home. The anger that simmered below the surface did not fade a bit. He had a feeling it wouldn’t until he could make Vi see reason when it came to the man who had taken up residence in her house.

He focused on the biting. The biting that Vi had sworn wasn’t related to the deaths of the women around town. Mark wasn’t the kind who gave the benefit of the doubt to anyone. Steve would investigate Glen, Mark would see to it. Beyond just giving him a name. it was too convenient, that women were showing up around town with bite marks and there just happened to be a stranger with no memories who liked to bite.

For a moment…very brief, very quick…Mark paused to wonder exactly what had happened for Glen to do that. He pushed the thought away. Vi had said it was not as bad as it could have been. Of course Vi had also lied and omitted quite a few things. If he found out that Glen had forced himself on her…if he had done more than just get a little overzealous…

Mark did not see the way Drew was looking at him. Mark also did not see the way his eyes had shifted color from calm green to flame red. Drew had only seen it happen on a few occasions, usually when his dad was at the end of his reserves of patience and something was really pissing him off. Drew figured the last time had been a couple of years before, when one of their kind had taken an interest in children, particularly young girls who had not reached ten years old. Steve had gotten his dad involved, and all Drew knew was that it had pissed his father off to the point that he had done something. Something that he never wanted to talk about, remember, or relive.

Mark blinked and the red was gone. Drew let out a relieved breath and sat back in his seat. His dad was trying to wrangle his temper, and that was good. He really did not want to see what would happen if he ever lost control.

29

Vi spent that night feeling rather numb.

Mark’s reaction had come out of left field. Yes, she had expected he might be a little upset by the fact that Glen was living in her house but to completely freak out…

Josie noticed her preoccupation and tried to cheer her up, but Vi would only offer a faint smile. She felt ill. She also felt like her heart was broken. She had expected a reaction but not the one that had happened.

Vi was going over things in her mind, thinking over everything she had told Mark. She could not find one instance where she had actually lied to him. Omission, yes, but only because he had not let her talk about anything concerning his brother. Every time she brought it up Mark would cut her off, change the subject, or just tell her that he did not want to hear it because he was still trying to think it through.

She realized that she was washing her hair for the third time. She also realized that she was crying. Not a lot. Just enough to make her mad all over again. She was hurt. Mark had hurt her, she had trusted him and he had just gone nuts without really having a reason. If Vi had still been interested in Glen – yes, she could see where Mark would have a problem. He acted like she was stringing him along. She wasn’t of course.

Vi thought she was probably in love with him.

She felt sick just thinking about it. She wasn’t a wimp, she could argue her point, but when Mark had judged her and then passed on that judgment it had crushed her. She got mad back because he could hurt her without half trying and it scared the shit out of her.

She finally shut off the shower and dried off, still sniffling. It was after midnight, way past her bedtime. The house was quiet. Josie had gone to bed at ten, Glen soon after that but not before asking if Vi felt all right. Actually Vi felt like getting sloppy drunk and crying her eyes out but she settled for a long hot shower instead. Getting drunk could wait. She was happy she had not told Josie about their plans for the following evening, considering what had happened. When Josie asked if she could go out to eat with Grace and some other kids from school, Vi had agreed before she could even finish the question.

She pulled on a pair of shorts and tank top and stood there, eying the cell phone on the bed. She had listened to Mark’s hateful message, and then had deleted it and cursed him under her breath. Like she really needed him to scare her all over again. Screw that. She picked up the phone, powered it on and saw more missed calls and four more messages. She paced her room and dialed her voice mail and deleted each one before actually listening to whatever venom Mark was spewing. The last call had been just half an hour before so Vi shut her phone off. Any vet emergency could just go elsewhere. She wasn’t up to talking to anyone at that particular moment.

It seemed to take forever to fall asleep. She kept twisting and turning, unable to find a comfortable spot, feeling the immediate anger fade into a dull hurt. She’d been an idiot to get involved with Mark, Vi knew it, she’d been even more an idiot to fall for him.

She blinked and found herself standing in the memorial garden where the old house had stood. Vi knew she was dreaming…she had to be dreaming, because on some level she could still feel stray tears drying on her face and her pillow was damp under her cheek. But here she stood. It was dark, either a new moon or the moon had set. There were lights on around the property but they seemed far away. Overheard there were billions of stars and it twisted her heart to stand there and look at them and remember the first time she had stood here and taken in the view.

She became aware that she wasn’t alone. Vi looked to her right and Mark was standing there. He looked different. She had just seen him the day before, and it was dark, but the difference was obvious. His hair was darker. And longer. His facial hair was different too, more a beard than a goatee. He was looking at her with no expression on his face at all. It was like he was seeing a stranger.

“Even in a dream I wouldn’t conjure you up right now.” Vi said, feeling her anger well up again.

Mark lifted an eyebrow at that. “Should I apologize?” He asked. Even his voice sounded different. Rougher. Like he’d just gotten up from a deep sleep.

Vi huffed a laugh. “You should go the fuck away and leave me alone. That’s a good start.” With that she turned on her heel and started to walk back toward the house.

And Mark was in front of her again. He was eying her up and down, taking her in, making her feel uncomfortable and just…weird. He held out his hand and Vi looked at it in disgust.

“I don’t know what the fuck kind of dream this is but you can keep that to yourself. I don’t make it a habit of rewarding assholes with my fawning affection.” Vi stepped around him and walked in the direction of the house.

And she felt him grab her arm and pull her, turning her back to face him. Vi yanked her arm out of his grip. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

“Come here.” His voice was still rough. He didn’t seem angry. He seemed a little confused. Like she should be reacting a certain way to him.

“Like hell.” Vi stepped back, out of arm’s reach. He matched her. “Go away, Mark.”

“I don’t think so.” He gave her another slow once-over. And held out his hand again. Vi raised an eyebrow and snorted.

“Fuck off.” She said it slowly, carefully enunciating each word. And she backed away again. Mark looked down at his hand, then back to face. Now she saw a shadow cross his features.

“Vivian…” He said her name like he was tasting it, a concept that made Vi shiver a little for reasons she could not understand. “Sweet, beautiful Vivian.” His hand came up again. And Vi found she was actually starting to reach for it. She caught herself and stumbled back out of his reach once more. “Come, Vivian. I won’t hurt you.” He spoke in that rough, deep voice as if he were calming a wild animal. Or charming a snake. That mental image is what made Vi shake her head in aggravation.

“You seriously think I’m going to forget everything you said? Everything you accused me of? Get the fuck out of here. Get off my property, get out of my head, get out of my dream.” She spun and stalked off, once more angry beyond words.

“Stop.”

Vi kept walking. She didn’t care if he followed her, dropped dead, or turned cartwheels in the garden. Even in her sleep she wasn’t going to be easily ordered around. Especially not by this asshole.

“Vivian.”

“Can it.” She didn’t turn. She kept walking. And found herself standing in her spot in the woods. The fallen tree was in front of her. It was so dark she could barely see her hand in front of her face but she knew where she was.

“Why are you resisting me, Vivian?” Mark’s voice whispered from the darkness directly in front of her. She sensed movement and something brushed across her cheek. And then he was there. Either her mind had adjusted for brightness or maybe she hadn’t wanted to see him. He was looking down at her, all intense and broody and if circumstances had been different Vi would have been tempted to go with whatever the hell this dream was trying to do.

He apparently seemed to think that her silence meant something. A slow smile curled his lips. She did not like the look of it. It was almost predatory. His eyes raked her from top to bottom again. The hand that had been stroking her cheek lowered and hooked the cotton of her tank top and he yanked, ripping it. Vi shook her head and smacked his hand away before he could touch her.

“Are you deaf? I’m pretty sure I told you to go away.” She held the torn ends of her shirt together.

“It might be more interesting this way.” Mark said, seemingly at random. The absolute nothing in his voice made Vi feel a shiver of fear go down her spine. She didn’t know why though.

“What the fuck are you babbling about?” She eased herself backward, away from him. He just watched her, his tongue licking his upper lip thoughtfully.

“Never had one fight before. Could be fun.” The smile was back. Mark’s eyes went from her face to her ripped shirt, up and down, as if he could not decide which was more interesting.

“Whatever it is you’re thinking…stop.” Vi said, hating that a tremor had entered her voice.

“Don’t want to stop, Vivian. I want you. “ Mark took a step forward.

She uttered a shaky laugh. “Go to hell. This is just a dream, a stupid dream, you pissed me off and now I’m dreaming you all….weird.”

“Are you?” He took another step. Vi felt her legs hit the fallen tree when she tried to match his forward progress. She almost fell. But Mark caught her. He had her shoulders in his hands, his fingers stroking the skin that they touched. “You can tell yourself that if you want to.”

The hell of it was he felt so real. Vi knew she was sleeping, dreaming, she could still feel her blanket that was tangled up around her legs and the soft puff of air from the air conditioning kicking in.

Mark once again took her silence for submission. He slid his hand up her shoulder and cupped the back of her neck, his fingers tangling into her hair and yanking her head back roughly. Vi gasped at the sharp pain that went through her scalp. She was caught though, she knew it. She couldn’t run from him if he had a chunk of her hair in his fist. He seemed to sense that too. His smile widened.

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen here. Whatever it is, forget it. You’re just something my subconscious is throwing at me because of what you said earlier.”

“Is that what you think?” Mark knocked her hands away from her shirt and seemed to be transfixed by the sight of her breasts rising and falling as she breathed.

“You tell me, you son of a bitch.” She had figured even in a dream, a guy would focus on bare breasts. She was right. Of course it was her dream, so it shouldn’t have surprised her but still…she took his momentary distraction to do something that until that moment she had never had occasion to do.

Vi jerked back and brought a knee up and caught him right in his most sensitive area. She figured it was the least she could do for the shit he had said, and what he thought he was going to do now.

Whatever her rationalizing, it worked. He doubled up in pain, letting go of her hair with one more sharp yank. Vi didn’t wait to see if he’d recover. She turned and ran.

And found herself out in the open sooner than she had thought. The dream again. She glanced back once, thinking she would see Mark chasing her. There was nothing. Breathing hard, trying to keep her shirt together, she turned back toward the house and ran nose first into Mark’s chest. He had once again managed to get in front of her.

He didn’t give her time to prepare a defense. Mark grabbed her and took her to the ground, letting his body weight fall on top of her, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Vi tried to suck in a breath and wiggled, gaining an inch, sensing how much he was enjoying her fighting. Feeling it too because he was hard as a rock where he rubbed against her leg. Apparently getting kneed in the balls was really not that effective a defense in dreamland.

So Vi changed her defense. Why not? It seemed that he had wanted her compliant, then he wanted her fighting. She didn’t really give a damn what he wanted. So she stopped moving and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, yanking him down and meeting his mouth with hers. That stopped him better than a kick to the balls. Vi forced her tongue into his mouth and he was either too stunned or…she did not know. He did not kiss her back, nor did he respond to her in any way.

She pulled back and grabbed at his shirt, yanking it so his bare chest was against her bare chest. And she felt him try to pull back. Vi held on, digging her fingernails into his shoulders and planting her feet. She pressed upward, grinding up against him.

Vi damn near laughed at the look of shock on his face. She caught his mouth with hers again and once more he did not respond. It was like he did not know exactly how to respond. She tangled her fingers into his hair and yanked, making him jerk his head away from her and look at her with a dark expression on his face.

“What are you doing?” He asked as she once again pressed up into him.

“This is what you wanted, right?” Vi took advantage of his confusion and let go of his shoulders, getting her hands between them and fumbling at his belt. He tried again to move away but she wrapped her legs around his and got the belt open, the zipper down, and worked on shoving his pants down his hips without letting him get up.

“Stop this.”

“Make me.” Vi shot back as her hand wrapped around his hard cock. The rest of him might be confused but the part that was important still understood its job at least. Vi squeezed him and lightly ran her fingers up and down his shaft. “You wanted to fuck me. So fuck me. Get it out of your system.”

He seemed sort of…shocked…at that. Vi was giving him permission to take her and he could only stare at her. Now she did laugh. She wondered exactly how screwed up her thinking was that she would find this amusing, that she’d want to even touch this man who had, just a few hours before, ripped her heart out and stomped it pretty damned flat.

“Let go of me.” Mark’s voice was strained.

“This is what you wanted.” Vi repeated it, rubbing him. “I’m ready. I want you inside me.”

He jerked like her words had scalded him. Vi was so amused she let him go, watching as he scrambled to his feet. She looked up at him, running her fingertips lightly up and down her bare stomach.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want me now, Mark? Or maybe you think I’m just using you again.” Vi sighed dramatically. Mark refused to look at her as he righted his clothing. She would have said more but she heard someone say her name.

“Vivian?”

It sounded like it was coming from a distance. Vi jerked and opened her eyes. She was in her bed. Of course she was. She had been dreaming. A pretty weird, crazy, out there dream that had been sort of funny and scary all rolled into one. Her emotions were all over the place.

She blinked and saw that her bedside lamp was on. Glen was standing next to the bed, leaning over and lightly shaking her shoulder.

“Wazzit?” It was Vivian’s sleepy way of saying “what is it”. Glen smiled down at her, the concerned look fading away.

“You were dreaming I guess. I heard you talking. And then you started laughing.” He shrugged. “It was sort of weird so I thought I’d make sure you were ok.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m just so stupid tired.” She rolled onto her side and snuggled her pillow. “Sorry I woke you up.” She snorted a laugh again, unable to help it.

Glen only looked amused. “That’s all right. It’s almost four. I’m gonna go ahead and get ready. You want me to get Ray to take Josie to school so you can sleep in?”

Vi yawned and blinked a few more times. “That would be great. Thanks.”

“Go back to sleep, Vivian.” Glen said with a smirk as he snapped the light off. Vi didn’t need to be told twice. She was out before he could walk to the door.

~~!~~

The rest of her sleep was dreamless. Vi woke up once, briefly, when Josie gave her a kiss goodbye. She knew her mother had been upset, and figured she deserved a morning when she could sleep in. The house got quiet. At least for a little while.

Vi frowned in her sleep when the pounding noise started. Confusing, she fumbled for her alarm clock and was surprised to see it was after 9. And it was not her alarm clock making the noise. Someone was beating on her door like they were going to tear it down.

Grumbling, Vi got up and grabbed the short cotton robe that was draped over the chair in the corner. “Hold on a freakin’ minute! Geez!” She yelled when the pounding started again. She ran her fingers through her hair trying to dislodge some tangles as she threw the door open.

Steve was standing there. So was Eli. In uniform with identical serious ‘official business’ faces on.

“Hey, Viv.” Steve said. He looked at her for a long moment, and Vi wondered what he was seeing. Somebody that was still half asleep with swollen red eyes and crazy hair? Probably. She’d had a rough night. “We’ve got a problem.”

“O…k.” She dragged it out. “What can I help you with?”

“Is your houseguest here?”

“He’s out working with Ray. Why?”

Steve shared a look with Eli. “We had another one this morning. Another dead girl.”

Vi frowned. “And that would have exactly…what…to do with Glen?”

“We just want to talk to him.”

“Why?” Vi felt slow. “He didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“I gotta do it Viv. It’s my job. We just wanna talk to him. He’s sort of an outsider…people are gonna start distrusting him because they don’t know him.”

“And by questioning him you’ll make that all better?” She couldn’t keep the scorn out of her voice.

“I don’t have a choice, Viv.” Steve adjusted the ball cap he wore with the sheriff’s department logo on it. “Where they workin’ today?”

“I’ll call down and get him to come up here. You don’t need to embarrass him and drag him off in front of all the guys on the ranch.” Vi said, walking away to find her phone. She dialed Frank’s number and asked him to send Glen back to the house as soon as he could. Once that was done she turned to see Steve still standing in the doorway. Eli had walked back toward the Jeep.

“I’m sorry for havin’ to do this, Viv.”

“No you’re not.” Vi shook her head. “Mark put you up to this, didn’t he?” Steve had a good poker face but he wasn’t quick enough on that occasion. Vi saw the truth before he clamped a lid on it. “This is ridiculous. You’re going to question Glen because Mark thinks you should? Or more likely because Mark is mad at me?”

“I gotta agree with him. We don’t know your friend all that well. We just wanna talk to him. That’s it.”

Vi only shook her head and went to the kitchen to get a drink. Five minutes later she heard a vehicle pull up outside. She went to the porch and saw that Glen was looking at Eli and Steve with confusion on his face.

“What’s going on?”

“Hey. We’ve met, remember? I’m the sheriff, Steve Austin. This is my deputy Eli West. We’d like you to come with us into town so we can talk to you for a bit.”

“Ok. Sure?” There was a questioning tone in his voice as he looked to Vi.

“In town?” Vi asked. “Why would you have to take him into town just to talk to him, Sheriff?” She made it a point to use the title.

“Formality.” Steve said gruffly. “Let’s just not make this harder than it has to be.”

Glen shook his head. “It’s all right. I’ll go. I don’t know what you want with me but whatever it is I guess I’ll deal with it.”

Steve nodded and turned to Vi again. He lowered his voice so only she would hear. “We’ll call if you wanna come pick him up in a bit.”

“You’d better.” Vi said. Glen went into the house for a moment to use the bathroom and wash his hands. Vi stopped him on the way through the living room. “I don’t know what the hell is going on Glen. But I’ll figure it out. Ok?”

He looked surprised at that. “Sure, Vivian. Do you know what’s going on?”

She shook her head, glanced at the open door, and decided what the hell – Glen deserved to know. “They found another dead girl. They want to question you.”

“Me?” His look of absolute incredulity told her more than hearing him say he didn’t do it.

“I know. It’s stupid. We’ll get it straightened out.”

“Am I being arrested?”

“At this point I wouldn’t put it past them.” Vi spat it out. Her anger was coming back. Mark needed a swift kick to his ass to make him see just how ridiculous he was being. “Go on. I’ll come down in a bit and we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Sure.” He smiled but it was troubled as he walked out the door. Vi watched as Steve got him situated in the back of the Jeep before heading to the driver’s seat. He tipped her a wave. Vi simply shut the door, feeling sort of numb.

She went upstairs and took a shower, got dressed, and combed out her hair. She felt marginally better. Good enough to turn her phone on. She saw a few missed calls and two messages. Dreading it, she punched the button and put it on speaker so she could pin her hair back into a braid.

“Vi…” Mark’s voice sounded a lot different in this message than in the first one he’d left the night before. She could tell in just the sound of her name. “Vi…I’m sorry. I flew off the handle and…and honestly I don’t know what the hell I was so mad about. I just…call me. Please.” The robot voice said the call was ended at 7:14 that morning.

“Yeah. That’ll happen.” Vi’s voice dripped with sarcasm. It was wasted on the empty room of course. The second message played. Mark again. “You’re probably gonna hate me even more for what’s going to happen this morning. I wanted to warn ya. They have to question him, Vi. Since I know about the...biting.” He stumbled on the word a little. “I’ll explain why if you’ll ever speak to me again.” He sighed and broke the connection. Her phone beeped and marked the time as 7:44.

Vi finished her braid and picked the phone up. She wanted to call him. She wanted to get everything out in the open, she wanted to actually be able to tell him her reasons for letting Glen stay. But she simply set the phone aside after closing her voicemail. She was still hurt. A 30 second voicemail wasn’t going to fix that and Vi did not trust herself to call him or see him. She might be tempted to knee him in the balls and make her dream a reality. The thought made her smile anyway.

30

Vi didn’t bother going to her office. At 11, she was fed up waiting to hear from Steve so she grabbed her keys and headed for her SUV. There was already a truck outside, a black pickup, and she hated herself for the way her heart skipped. Of course it was not Mark’s truck, he was surely in town interrogating his brother. Or more likely feeding Steve lines to interrogate his brother since he was so terrified of actually meeting with him.

It was Rick’s truck, a new model that Ray had picked up for the ranch the past fall. Vi was still dealing with what had happened otherwise she would have noted the difference. Rick was standing near the back of the truck with Ray and four other men that Vi did not know.

“Heya, Vi.” Rick spotted her before she could do more than step off the porch. “Got some extra hands for the next few weeks. Auction time is here.”

“Oh. Right.” Vi smiled but wasn’t really feeling it. They always hired a few extra guys when it came time to load up cattle and take them to auction lots. Ray and Rick would also pick over other breeds and decide when and how to incorporate them around the ranch. Vi had been around it for fifteen years and the point was still mostly lost on her. Josie probably had a better grasp on the dealings.

“They’re gonna be moving into bunkhouse at the creek. Wanted to bring them up so you could meet them and not wonder who they were if you saw them out and about.” Rick continued. Vi’s smile was more natural. It seemed like she heard this very speech every year.

So she did her duty and got introduced to each of the four men. She spent a moment committing faces to her memory, because there was really nothing scarier than walking outside to see a strange man standing there. And then later finding out that you were actually paying him to work for you.

“So this is Jim –“ As Rick introduced them, Vi got her hand shook. Jim was young, maybe high school aged, tall and scrawny but she wasn’t fooled by that. “David –“ The second guy dwarfed Jim. He was huge, deeply tanned, with dark hair and eyes. His hands were rough and calloused.

Vi smiled at him and noted he was eying her intently. “Now Jim I think has been around here before hanging out with Rob and their friends. You, I think I’m at a loss.”

“I haven’t been here long. Actually I just came to visit some friends and my car bit the dust. I was told some of the ranches were hiring for pick up work.” He said.

“I don’t know if you’ll get a new car out of it.” Vi said, smiling cautiously. David shrugged.

“Got divorced recently. She managed to clean me out pretty good, so every little bit helps.” He smiled but it was bitter. Vi patted him on the arm and turned to the next guy.

“John –“ Number three was nearly as big as David, and she had seen him around town.

“You worked for the Elliot’s farm last summer when they brought in all their horses.” Vi recalled. John smiled and nodded.

“Yes ma’am. They’re loanin’ me out so I can make a bit of extra cash. Girlfriend is expectin’ our first baby.”

“Congratulations.” Vi grinned at him and meant it. It was always nice to hear good news even from a stranger.

“And this Chris –“ Rick finished. “But you already know him too.”

“Yeah.” Vi shook his hand anyway. Chris had worked for them a few times, but it was always random and he would disappear for months…even a couple of years…at a time. His blonde hair was shorter than she remembered and he was missing the facial hair she thought he’d had before. “Good to see you again.”

“Hey, Vi.” Chris grinned at her, showing off dimples that most girls would kill for. “Long time no see. That kid of yours is probably in college by now.”

“Has it been that long? She starts high school in the fall.” Vi said with a laugh. “Welcome to Fair View. Are all of you staying at the bunkhouse?”

There were nods. Even from Jim, who Vi thought was a local. Maybe his parents just wanted him out for the experience. She would have to check into it later. Right now she had other things to take care of.

“I’ve got some things to take care of in town so I’m going to have to go.” Vi said. She grinned at Ray and gave him a hug. “I’ll pick Josie up from school. Thanks for taking her in this morning.”

Ray nodded and smiled at her. Vi said goodbye to the others and got into her SUV. It was a reminder that life around the ranch went on even though she thought the world should stop for her problems for a minute. Now she had a big one to deal with. With a sigh and reached for her sunglasses and started the engine.

Of course by the time she got to town she wanted to turn around and go home. Mark’s truck was parked in front of the sheriff’s office. Of course it was. She had known that would be the case. This town relied on Mark for everything, why would this be different? She just wanted to go in, get Glen, and grab some lunch before taking care of her errands.

Vi knew nothing could be that simple though.

So she braced herself as she parked and went into the office. The young deputy, Mike-something, was sitting at the main desk. It was very quiet. No one else was in the main room.

“Heya, Ms. Peace.” Mike smiled at her, all boyish charm. She didn’t trust it a bit, but that was mostly because she was annoyed at this whole damn process.

“Deputy Mike.” She really needed to remember his last name. “I’m here to pick up.”

“I know.” Mike’s smile faded. “I think they’re still talking to him.”

“They?”

“The sheriff and Eli.”

“Uh huh.”

“You want me to tell them you’re here.”

“Please.” Vi said it in a strained voice. Mike got up and disappeared through the door that led to the inner room where they had a few cells and what Steve jokingly referred to as solitary confinement. It was actually a conference room where most people who got questioned spent their time.

Vi paced a circle around the floor, impatient. Five minutes passed, then ten. Mike didn’t come back. She was tempted to just go on into the back room…what could they do, arrest her? When the door finally opened.

And instead of Mike, Mark walked out.

Vi crossed her arms and refused to acknowledge him. She turned and looked out the window at the street instead. She was still pissed, even if he’d calmed down, and she’d had some weird ass dream thanks to him. He would be lucky if she didn’t throw stuff at him.

“I get that I deserve the cold shoulder.” Mark said from behind her. Vi didn’t budge. “You should have told me.”

Like it was her fault he would not listen. Vi clenched her teeth to hold back the comment.

“Vivian…talk to me.” His voice had dropped lower. She knew he was right behind her and she braced herself for it, but when he put his hands on her shoulders she still jumped and jerked away from him.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” She said, keeping her voice low as well.

Mark huffed. It could have been a strained laugh. “Well. It’s a start.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Vi. I should have maybe been a little clearer myself about what I am. There’s a part of me that I can’t control, and that part’s been quiet for a while but every now and then it comes back. Usually when I’m mad. Or jealous.”

Again Vi said nothing. She felt like crying though. She went to the window and rested her forehead against the glass instead.

“I think you might have scared it off though.” Mark said softly. It sounded as if he were just thinking out loud. Vi fought the urge to look at him to see his expression. “You had a dream last night. Right? About me? I can’t see much of it, I just know that something happened. Not what it wanted to happen. I know what it wants, that’s always been the same. But you stopped it. Somehow.”

When she still did not reply he could do nothing but go on.

“And then I woke up and it was like all the anger from yesterday was just…gone. And I thought – damn it. Why didn’t I just ask? You’ve been trying to tell me for weeks and I kept pushing you aside because I was afraid to hear what you would say about him. Glen. Maybe I just don’t want to accept that my brother survived what happened. Maybe I just don’t trust him because I don’t fucking trust myself. And maybe I’m afraid I’ll find out that I could have changed shit if I had been stronger back then.” He sighed. “I know what lonely is. I can’t blame you for wanting to be with somebody. Hell I can’t even be mad about who you did it with, or question the circumstances. I just…”

He trailed off because the door behind him had opened again. Mike walked into the main room with an apologetic smile on his face. “Sheriff said he wants to talk to Ms. Peace.”

Vi ignored Mark, not even looking at him as she turned and walked past him to follow Mike into the back of the building. Steve was in the hallway, looking morosely into the empty cell across from him. The place might go down in history as the least used jail in the world because it was rare that anyone was locked up. They knew their own kind.

“Viv.” Steve greeted her with a tired smile. He also glanced over her shoulder, which led Vi to believe that Mark had followed her. She refused to acknowledge him.

“Are you done yet?” She didn’t even try to be polite about it. She just wanted to go home.

“Well that’s the thing…”

“What is?” Vi prompted when he did not finish. He was looking to Mark again and Vi tried to control the flare of temper that caused.

“We’re gonna keep him overnight. Maybe for the weekend.”

“What?” Vi felt her mouth drop open. “For fuck’s sake, why?”

“Precautionary?” Steve said with a shrug. “Look…he doesn’t remember his past, he doesn’t have alibis for any of the murders except for saying he was probably sleepin’, and I’ve got a thousand people in this town that I gotta protect from the outside that wouldn’t understand fuckall about what we are.”

“This is so much bullshit. You can’t arrest him for nothing.” Vi said, shaking her head.

“Well…around here I kind of can. Sometimes I have to.” Steve rested his hand on Vi’s shoulder and she shook him off. “Look, it’s inconvenient as all fucking get out, and for the record…” He shot another pointed look at Mark. “I don’t think he had a damn thing to do with any of it. But whoever is doing it is escalating. Two girls this week, Viv. Now I’m having my deputies out around the clock but the fucker still managed to drop some dead girl into our laps. If it happens again we’ll know. At least that’s a positive.”

“Isn’t that nice that you have a silver lining?” Vi fell back into sarcasm. “What’s the time of death for the one this morning?”

Steve sighed and pushed his hat back to rub his fingers over his temple. “Best guess from Tom was between 4 to 5 this morning. She was still pretty damned fresh.”

Vi finally looked at Mark. He was watching her, worried look on his face. She looked back to Steve and shook her head. “Then it wasn’t Glen. I was talking to him at 4 this morning, and Ray picked him up to work the ranch at 4:30. He was with Ray all morning, until Ray took Josie to school and for all I know he went with Ray to do that. You could have just asked.”

“That’s just one. What about the others?” Mark asked.

“I don’t know. Should I sleep with him shackled to my leg to make sure he’s not running around at night murdering unsuspecting women?”

Mark raised an eyebrow but Vi had already turned back to look at Steve. He was surprised she’d bothered to respond at all considering the anger he could feel coming off her in waves.

“You’re going to keep him here anyway.” Vi said flatly. Steve could only nod. “This is such total bullshit. It’s because of him, isn’t it?” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder in Mark’s direction. “I’d bet money he still hasn’t talked to Glen either.” Vi made it a point to talk about Mark like he wasn’t in the hall with them.

Steve would only shrug. “It’s not just the murders.”

“Don’t even try to say it’s for my own good.” Vi said softly. “I want to talk to him.” Steve glanced at Mark again at Vi’s request. “I’m not asking him. I’m telling you.”

“Fine by me. We’re not gonna treat him like he’s a criminal, Viv. Hope you realize that.”

“You are already.” Vi assumed Glen was through the door next to Steve so she went on inside. Glen was sitting at a table with a bottle of water in front of him. Vi shut the door behind her before Steve or Mark go the bright idea of following her. She half expected Glen would be handcuffed or something but he was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He smiled when he saw Vi.

“I already know. They want me to be a guest of the town for a couple days.”

“At least you have a sense of humor about it.” Vi sat down across from him. “When I get back to the house I’ll pack you some things. Do you want anything in particular.”

“Just clothes. A toothbrush. Maybe some books?”

“Books, plural? Planning on staying for a while?”

“Got a feeling they want me to stay as long as it takes for whoever killed those girls to do it again.” Glen looked troubled. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“I can probably yell at Steve and…”

“No. Not this. This is a pain in the ass but I can kind of understand the reasoning behind it.” Glen shook his head. “I don’t like you being home by yourself.”

“I’ve been home by myself before.” Vi pointed out.

“Yeah, but something feels…wrong. I can’t explain it.”

“I’ll be fine.” Vi smiled but she was sure it looked fake. It felt fake. “I’ll sleep with a gun under my pillow.”

“Might not be a bad idea.” Glen said. “Maybe they’ve just made me paranoid.” He nodded toward the door.

“Steve and who else?”

“That other deputy. West?”

“I figured as much.” Of course she had been right. Mark was calling the shots but not face to face. He had wanted her to get Glen out of her house, and now in a way Mark had done it himself. That did not surprise her either. “I’ll be back later with your things.”

“Thanks, Vivian.” Glen reached out and patted her on the hand. “You didn’t ask any questions about what they wanted.”

“I don’t have to.”

“Even after what happened?”

“One thing has nothing to do with another.” Vi smiled and took his hand and squeezed his fingers before getting to her feet. “I’ll be back in a while.”

She went to the door. Talking to Glen had made her remember something at any rate. She stepped out of the room and Mark and Steve were still standing there exactly where she’d left them.

“I’m going to bring him some clothes and stuff later.” Vi said to Steve, who nodded. Mark she ignored. She still didn’t even want to look at him. “And it strikes me as odd. The first dead body was weeks ago. And you said you got some lab samples. And you tested Glen’s DNA already, remember? Did you even bother to see if they matched?”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “We’re checkin’ it. Eli went to the clinic to get Jess’s files. And even then I gotta get somebody from the clinic in to look ‘em over. I wouldn’t know what the hell to look for.”

“It won’t match.”

“I hope it doesn’t.” Steve said.

“I’ll be back after I get Josie.” Vi turned to walk off. She had to step around Mark to do it and was once again unsurprised when he followed her.

“Vi…”

“No. I am not talking to you. I don’t even want to look at you right now.” Vi noted that Mike had left the front desk. It was like they’d rehearsed it.

“I know. I know it’s my own damn fault.”

“Then just leave me alone.” Vi felt his fingers close around her arm but this time he held on when she tried to pull away. He forced her around to face him.

“I can’t. I wish I could. Hell…I wish I didn’t have two sides to me that make me a complete fucking mess. But I do.” Mark ignored the indignant look on her face and traced a finger along her cheek. “I love you, Vivian. Seeing you yesterday…and figuring out what happened…”

“And punishing Glen for it now? We must have different definitions of what love means.” Vi said, refusing to budge an inch. Even when he said that he loved her. That almost hurt worse than his phone call the night before. “Don’t pretend it’s for the good of the town. Or for anybody else. You made yourself very clear last night, Mark.” She yanked her arm out of his grip. “And you can tell your demon side to stay the fuck out of my dreams from now on if he’s not going to finish what he starts.”

Mark frowned at that, confused. Vi turned on her heel and stomped out of the office not giving him time to respond.

~~!~~

Penelope sat in the booth at the diner, hands wrapped around a hot mug of coffee, watching people come and go without letting on that she was watching.

It had taken some time, and a lot of maneuvering, but here she was. The human realm that her father detested. She’d been here before of course, but not for such an extended stay. This time she had told her father truthfully that she was making the trip. Haden had been outraged at first. Until Penelope spun him a story about finding a mate of her own. A human one. Something that Penelope had shown no interest in until that moment. Haden had been surprised but she got the feeling he was actually more curious about what she planned to do to some unsuspecting human male once she brought him back.

The only reason she’d even mentioned this trip was because she knew she’d have to stay longer than five minutes. Their problem child was acting up. He was not completely throwing off her power but enough of his base nature had come back. It was obvious given the gossip that Penelope listened to that morning, when the talk of the town was the dead women who had been found around the county. She had the advantage over these humanized demons – she understood what the pattern meant. She had seen it before.

It was impossible to track him. She had sensed nothing when he had killed meaning he was probably doing it elsewhere and then returning here. That coupled with the fact there was a sort of undercurrent…something that Penelope could only describe as background noise…that ran through the town. Penelope had never felt anything like it. Someone powerful was upset or angry. And he was broadcasting like a radio tower. The whole town seemed rather uneasy. People kept looking over their shoulders as if they expected to be attacked at any second.

It made for an interesting breakfast.

Penelope lingered as long as she thought was appropriate before paying her tab and wandering outside. She had bumped into one deputy the night before, when she’d arrived in town. He had been talking to the owner of the small motel at the front desk. When she walked in, both men had stopped speaking and stared openly at her. She was not only a stranger in this town where strangers were rare, she was beautiful. She wasn’t vain. She understood that how she looked played into her powers as much as anything else did.

The deputy had been young. Penelope favored him with a smile and he smiled bashfully in return. And in that moment she knew all she needed to about the three murders that had occurred. The young demon was broadcasting as well, as open for reading as any book. She sighed inwardly at how sloppy these humanized demons were. Of course they did not have to deal with the things that occurred in other realms.

She reserved a room for a week and asked the owner about the area. That she was a demon should have been obvious even to these people. But why she was there…they could not figure it out. Penelope hinted that she was looking to settle into a place that fit her, and that seemed to ease them somewhat. She was one of them after all. They were standoffish of strangers, even more so now with the murders, but Penelope was a beautiful young woman and did not fit the profile of the murderer who was stalking their town.

She didn’t fit the profile of the victims either, which probably came as a relief to the deputy who had openly studied her as she signed the ledger and handed over her money for the room. She had spent that night resting. She knew that a gathering was taking place at one of the small local schools, she could feel the energy it created, and she understood why it was that these demons had come together here. But that underlying hum of anger…frustration…something she could not put a name to, it had soured the experience for her. Obviously it had soured the town a bit since they all seemed so jumpy.

Now she walked the meager downtown area, looking into shop windows, trying to get a sense of the town around her. There were so few humans within her range, it surprised her. Penelope had gotten used to the assault that a mass of humans caused on her senses over her years of visiting. Not have to block that out was sort of nice.

She looked like any other person who was new in town and was getting the lay of the land. If anyone tried to read her, they’d get that idea for their efforts. In reality Penelope was watching. She was marking faces, committing them to memory. So far she had only seen low level demons, the kind that Haden would have used to train the more powerful of their kind. Weak. Although by human standards they were special of course.

She drew a lot of curious glances, especially from the males she encountered. It was something she’d gotten used to. She could have her pick, and occasionally she enjoyed companionship but that was as far as it went. Penelope refused to attach herself to anyone like her sister had, and she refused to let it define her.

Penelope reached the center of town and eyed the building across the road curiously. Obviously it was the local law center, given the cars that were parked out front. A woman, visibly upset, stepped out the door and walked to one of the civilian vehicles. Penelope tried to read her, and got nothing. Interesting. Not everyone could block her, and even if they thought they were blocking her they usually left openings. Trying to see into the woman’s mind was like looking into a dark room. She shifted her eyes and felt as if something had punched her in the stomach.

A man had followed the woman as far as the door. He was holding it open, watching as the woman left. Penelope took a deep breath and purposely looked away. She had found the source of that odd undercurrent. Looking at him was the equivalent of standing under high-powered electrical lines. At least to her senses. She had never seen another of his kind, although there had been stories. And now she figured she knew why.

She made herself as invisible as possible, shielding her thoughts. She had no idea of the man could sense her, or read her, but better safe than sorry. He was preoccupied by the woman who had left so that probably helped. When the vehicle disappeared around a corner, the man finally went back into the building with a grim set to his face. Interesting.

Penelope turned to walk back to her room. She would have to get a vehicle, that would be her top priority. She had all the fake paperwork she would need to get it taken care of. She wanted to drive around, learn the lay of the land so to speak, and see if she could sense something…anything…that would give her a clue as to where to look. She also had to establish contact with Jason. The man had disappeared, his small house empty when she had tried to speak with him again. She had not worried. He was nomadic at the best of times, and she would not be a bit surprised if he found her before she could find him. It was entirely possible that he was already here somewhere, blending in. It was just a matter of tracking him down.

31

Vi tried to relax that night with a hot bubble bath. The day had seemed to drag on forever and now that it was after ten she felt like it was finally coming to an end. Every now and then she would hear a rumble of thunder, or lightning would flicker through the window over the tub. It had been a hot clear day but the weather reports had severe storms moving into the area overnight and a soggy day tomorrow. The weather matched her mood.

Josie had been upset that Glen was – for all intents and purposes – arrested. She wanted to visit him too and it was a good thing that Mark had made himself scarce by the time they had packed Glen a bag and gotten back to the station. Josie was upset to the point of tears. Vi refused to speak to Steve, merely staring at him and watching as he got more uncomfortable. Good. Steve should have known better. Whatever stroke Mark had around town, it did not change the fact that Steve was the authority. He should have done something.

At least they hadn’t locked Glen into a cell. He told Vi, out of Josie’s hearing range, that he’d be locked in at night but during the day he could roam the station freely. Vi didn’t think it was much consolation. She handed over his bag and the smaller bag she had packed – snack food mostly, and a few bottles of flavored water that he and Josie seemed to enjoy. He seemed to be in a great mood, which went a long way toward soothing Josie. They spent an hour until Vi pointed out that Josie was going to miss her pizza party celebration of school ending.

Josie was reluctant to go but Glen talked her into leaving. He made the whole thing seem like a joke, and Vi was grateful for that because she wanted to scream at Steve and his deputies every time she caught sight of them. They left with Vi promising to return the next morning. In five minutes they were at the restaurant. Vi had only meant to drop Josie off but Grace’s mother was waiting for them and caught her in a conversation while the girls whispered together in front of the SUV.

“Normally I would say no, but Grace managed to pull straight A’s and her father promised her.” Liz spoke but Vi might have only heard every other word.

“You would say no to what?”

“Dan wants to take Grace, Josie, and Megan to a theme park tomorrow to ride some roller coasters. Good grade reward.” Liz said with a smile. “Are you all right? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine. Just tired.” Vi smiled gamely. “And if Josie wants to go I don’t mind a bit.”

Liz looked at her for a moment. “If you want, Josie can just spend the weekend with us. It would give you time to rest.”

“That’s…actually that would be great.”

“Grace will be happy. And in a few weeks it’ll be our anniversary and you can return the favor.”

“Oh. Going on a trip?”

Liz’s eyes twinkled. “Nope. Wasn’t planning on it. Just need some kid-free time.”

Vi laughed at that. She knew that feeling. Josie offered a token protest but the lure of coasters was all it took. Vi did point out the weather and Liz told her that they had already checked, the park was almost a four hour drive away, and they were calling for partly cloudy and dry. The storms would not be going that far north. So Vi went home and for the second time that day packed a bag. She included a huge bottle of sunscreen. She went back into town and dropped the bag off, hugging Josie tight before turning to head back home for the last time. ‘

Through all of that she had pointedly ignored her cell phone. Mark had tried to call her a few times, but he didn’t leave any messages. Eventually he might get the point. Vi figured the problem was that so few people had ever told Mark no that he forgot what the word meant.

She kept her phone handy though. She had told Josie if she needed to call to use her cell phone number. With the storms moving in, Vi thought Josie would check in on her. She did not like for her mother to be alone.

So here she was. She had eaten dinner – sort of. Mostly she had pushed food around on a plate, taking small bites on occasion but not tasting it. She had tried to watch the TV, tried to read, and tried to work on a blanket she was quilting out of some of Josie’s old baby clothes. It was slow going because Vi was no expert. She’d been working at it off and on for years. Her heart definitely was not in it though. So she decided to treat herself to a glass of wine and a bubble bath, two things she had not done in recent memory.

When her water started to cool off she added more hot water. She soaked for an hour before having to top the tub off though. Vi sipped at her wine and let her head rest on the wall behind her and tried to clear her mind. Her phone rang twice while she was in the tub. She had it near at hand. Both times it was Mark and both times she hit the silent button before the ringing could really get on her nerves. It was nearly midnight by the time she’d had enough soaking. She drained the water and turned on her shower, lowering the temperature until it was just a hair past cold. She quickly washed her hair and got the soap and bubbles off her body before shutting off the shower and wrapped herself in a thick towel.

The house was too damned quiet. That was Vi’s thought as she rubbed dripping water from her hair and ran a comb through it while it was wet. She dried off and pulled her robe on. No reason to worry about pajamas since nobody else was around. It was something else she had not done in a long time. Feeling marginally better, Vi focused on the quiet and went to get her cell phone. Glen had put an idea in her head and even though she was not an alarmist it made sense to be cautious. She headed downstairs, and into the basement. There in the corner, in the opposite side of the big room from the washer and dryer, were two large gray safes. There was a smaller safe set into the wall itself, and that was where they kept what Link had always called ready-cash. There was five thousand dollars in hundred dollar bills, some of Vi’s more expensive jewelry – she was not a jewelry person by nature, but Link had been almost obsessed with giving her something gold or platinum every anniversary- copies of all their important papers like the deed to the house and property, their wills, Josie’s birth certificate. The big safes though…that was what Vi had ventured into the basement for.

She went to the safe on the left and punched in the combination code. Link had replaced his old spin-dial safes with these because he said it was quicker to get in and out. Vi could not think of a reason to argue the point. She got the door open and looked at the guns that were stored there. Link had not been obsessed but he did like to collect. He had a couple of rifles that had belonged to his grandfather, a shotgun that he said Ray had given him for his thirteenth birthday, horrifying Rose but tickling Link to death, rifles he had picked up at auction, there was even a crossbow in the safe and that was because he had been fascinated by the construction of it.

But all of that was in the second safe. Those were the ones that he only took out to clean, and when Link had died first Vi, then Ray, had been cleaning them. No. in this safe were the guns that Link called his ‘everyday shooters’ – the ones he and Vi and even Josie had taken out and shot targets with to get used to them. It had been a while since Vi had looked at them and for a moment the old depression/sadness washed over her. In that moment she missed Link all over again.

Vi took a deep breath and looked over her options. There were shotguns of course, Link had a preference for them. A couple of rifles, one for hunting deer, the others strictly target shooters. She ignored those in favor of the handguns that were at the bottom, each of them in their own foam lined metal box. She ran a finger over them and stopped, smiling as she pulled out the gun Link had given her for…her birthday? She was pretty sure it had been the year after they’d gotten married, right after she had told him that she was pregnant with Josie. Some women might have been offended but Vi knew the gesture for what it was…Link wanted to protect her and he wanted for Vi to be able to protect herself.

She pulled the metal case out and opened it. Link told her it was called a Bodyguard, a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver that was small and made of black metal. Vi had practiced with it for hours, until she worried that all the noise would bother the baby, and then more after Josie was born, until she could load, unload, clean, and shoot it without half thinking about it. There was a box of ammo with the gun. She opened it then rolled the cylinder to load the gun. She put the metal box back into the safe, shut and locked it, then tucked the box of ammo under her arm. The gun she carried. She made sure the safety was on as she went up the basement steps. She was going to put the gun in her nightstand drawer, where she could get to it if she needed to but where it would be out of the way.

At the top of the stairs she heard someone knocking on the front door. Vi raised an eyebrow and glanced at the clock near the door. Nobody – except for Ray with an emergency – had any reason to be visiting her at nearly one in the morning. Vi dropped the box of ammo on her desk and went to the door with the gun in her hand. Thunder cracked overhead, louder than it had been, and she jumped. She hadn’t been paying attention and of course the basement muffled sounds so she had not noticed the storm gaining strength. Warily she unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door an inch to peer out into the dark.

She should have been absolutely unsurprised to see Mark standing there. He had his hand raised to knock again, worried frown on his face, and when lightning flickered overhead she could see it was maybe more than worry. She pulled the door open and saw his eyes drop from her face to the gun. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

“What a happy coincidence. I knew there was a reason to get this out. Why the fuck are you banging on my door in the middle of the night?”

“You wouldn’t answer your phone.”

“And most people would understand that meant ‘fuck off I’m not talking’.” Vi leaned against the door and spun the cylinder of the gun idly with her thumb. “I ask again…what the hell do you want?”

“I was worried.” Mark pushed a hand back through his wet hair. He had gotten drenched on the dash from his truck to the porch. “They said the storms are worse than they though. And...Drew and I ran into Josie with Liz and Dan earlier and I got to thinkin’ that you were out here by yourself...”

“Gee. Wonder whose fault that was.” Vi said dryly.

“And the more I thought about it the more I felt like something bad was going to happen.” Mark went on, ignoring her sarcasm.

“Well here it is. Something bad has happened. You’re standing on my porch.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” Vi shook her head. “For somebody who called me a liar and accused me of using him, you sure are making a nuisance of yourself.”

“Tell me how to make it up to you, and I will.” Mark said, completely serious, looking at her earnestly. “I was mad. I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying.”

“And you have a convenient other side to blame it on. I know.” Vi wished she’d thought to bring her glass of wine with her. She could use a drink.

“It’s not convenient.”

“Isn’t it? You do something wrong and you can act like the wounded party and blame it on some part of you that can’t be controlled. I think it’s bullshit.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to question what I am?”

“No. I’m going to call bullshit on you using it as a fucking excuse to hurt me.” Vi said angrily.

“Then tell me what I can do to fix this.” Mark pleaded with her. Thunder cracked overhead and he did not even flinch though it was loud.

“What you can do?” Vi repeated. She even laughed a little, but completely without humor. “You can leave me the hell alone.”

“I can’t.”

“Sure you can. Because it’ll always bother you.” Vi went back to spinning the cylinder on the gun. “What pissed you off more? That I let Glen stay here? Or that I fucked him?” Mark blinked at her blunt question. Vi wasn’t remotely finished. “Or maybe in your head it’s the other way around, and I let him fuck me. Right? Devil’s in the details and all that horseshit. Hell for all I know you’re probably scared that I was comparing the two of you, and you were coming up short.”

“You…” Mark groped for words. She couldn’t have shut him down better if she’d slapped him across the face.

“Is that what it is? A little worried that I’ll say ‘Sorry, Mark, your brother just hits all the right buttons, so it’s a damn good thing I took him in. That makes him convenient’.” She practically spit the word out.

“Vivian…” He was practically talking through his teeth, his jaw was clenched so tight.

“No. Mark. Just…no.” She stepped back and shut the door on his now red face. Had she made him angry again? Good. At least she’d gotten him the same way he’d gotten her the night before.

Before she could twist the deadbolt, Mark was pushing the door open and crowding her, forcing her to back up as he came into the room.

“Get the hell out of my house.” Vi said, even as he reached back and locked the door.

“I don’t think so.” He was eying her and Vi felt a little shiver work its way down her spine. He was angry, yes. But his eyes had taken on a dark tone that she recognized and felt herself responding to.

She didn’t have time to move. He grabbed her, catching the wrist of the hand that held the gun in one hand – not wanting her to get any smart ideas about that – and locking his arm around her waist. Vi sputtered and tried to push him away with her free hand, trying to dodge him when he ducked his head and sealed his mouth over hers.

It helped that he was way stronger and she was at a height disadvantage. Mark forced his tongue past her lips and clenched teeth and sucked her tongue into his mouth, squeezing her tighter, making it hard for her to breathe. He squeezed her wrist too, forcing her to drop the gun, figuring better safe than sorry. She was mad enough she might try to shoot him, and he wasn’t going to underestimate her.

She flinched when the gun hit the floor. And she started twisting, trying to get loose, to push him away...but she might as well have saved her energy. He did not budge, just dragged his mouth away from hers and buried his face against her neck. He sucked at her skin and let go of her wrist. But he managed to get his arm around her and trap her arm by her side. She still wiggled, trying to get loose.

Vi was panting right next to his ear, trying to suck in a lung full of air. Mark had stopped thinking by that point. Part of him felt challenged – who wouldn’t, considering what she’d said? – and part of him just wanted her so much it was like a physical ache. Especially when she stopped fighting. When she stopped it was all at once, one moment she was pushing him, then next she had looped her free arm around his neck and pulled him up, dragging his mouth back to hers to kiss him fiercely.

She didn’t necessarily give in. Mark could practically feel her anger coming off her in waves. Plain dark need was winning out. He loosened his hold so she could get her arm free, using his tongue against hers and moaning at the feel of her under his palms. Her robe slid under his hands and he felt nothing under that, which really only kicked his lust up another notch. He hadn’t come here for this but he wasn’t leaving without it now.

He pushed her back toward the stairs, and then decided to hell with it. There was a time for finessing, and playing, and gentle. And then there was a time for whatever was happening right then. He pushed her down onto the steps, keeping his body over hers, listening to her harsh breathing against his ear again as he fumbled with his zipper. He groaned in relief he finally got his jeans opened and shoved down his hips enough to free his cock.

He paused for just a moment, looking down at Vi. Her robe was still tied, but it had fallen completely open. She was flushed and breathing hard and still looked like she was spitting nails in his direction. But she contradicted the image when she reached out and grabbed him to pull him down with her.

It was awkward as hell, but neither of them cared. Mark shoved her legs apart and got between her thighs and after probing her with the head of his cock, testing her, feeling how wet she was, he gave up all pretense of controlling himself and plunged his body forward, burying himself in her. He didn’t give her time to adjust. In fact he didn’t give her time to find his rhythm. He pounded into her over and over, aided by the fact that the angle she was sitting on the stairs prevented her from dodging him.

Vi’s nails bit painfully into his shoulders even through the shirt he was wearing, and she tried unsuccessfully to meet his thrusting. It was hard to do on the stairs because she had no leverage. Instead she let him set the speed, the depth. He moaned when she whispered a breathless ‘harder’ next to his ear and obliged her, mindlessly slamming into her over and over, lost in the feel of her. It was all he could focus on with his clothes still fully on, the slide of his shaft into her, the way her body tightened around him, the heat she put out…his eyes rolled back in the effort of holding himself back, waiting until Vi jerked under him and moaned loudly as she climaxed. He didn’t need any more invitation than that…Mark let himself go, groaning against her mouth and jerking his hips into her harder, making the most of the contact, feeling her shake at the feel of him finishing inside her.

He semi-collapsed on top of her, feeling completely drained. Hell he wasn’t even mad anymore. If not for the awkward angle and the fact that he was still fully dressed, he might have considered falling asleep there on the stairs.

Vi nudged him in the ribs. “I can’t feel my butt. Seriously. I think my spine is bent too.” She was still out of breath, and there was still an edge to her voice, but Mark paid it no mind. He pushed back just a bit, so he could look down at her, into her eyes. She would probably be mad at him still, but for now she just looked satisfied.

“I want to stay.” Mark said it softly, reaching up to brush a strand of dark hair back from her face. Immediate need was gone, now he felt oddly tender toward Vi. The last few days he had been all over the place with his emotions and he did not like it. He wasn’t used to it.

Vi blinked a few times at that. She should tell him to get lost again. She was still mad at him but at the moment she had lost track of why. It was hard to hold onto anger when the man she was mad at was currently still inside her. She shifted and he hissed in a long breath. He was still hard, but oversensitive. “Why? So we can be right back in the same place tomorrow?”

“No. Tomorrow we can talk. We can talk about anything and everything you wanna talk about.”

Vi raised her eyebrows at that. “Even your brother?”

“Especially him.” Mark said with a serious nod. “I don’t want it hangin’ over us. Over me.” He corrected before she could. “And I don’t wanna talk about him when I’m lookin’ at you and I’m inside you. Seems kinda wrong.”

Vi snickered at that. She was still hurt, a little bit anyway. She definitely did not want to be alone. She thought it over for a minute, mindless that she was running her fingers up and down his neck in a soft caress.

“You can stay.” She finally said. She fingered his wet hair and noticed for the first time that he still had his clothes on. And she surprised herself by pulling him down and kissing him softly, quickly on the lips. “But you’re going to have to help me up the stairs. I can’t feel my legs.” She muttered into his mouth.

Mark chuckled at that and pulled back from her with real regret. He helped her up and sighed when she threaded her fingers through his and led the way up the stairs. Belatedly he remembered something she had said to him before. “Wait…” He pulled her to a stop at the top of the stairs. “You told me a while back that you hadn’t shared your room with anybody since your husband. You sure you’re all right with this?”

Vi nodded slowly. “It had to feel right. This feels right.” She stated simply.

Mark thought that was a vast understatement. It felt more than right. It seemed that they were meant to be, as corny as it sounded even in his own head. He pushed the thought out of his head and pulled his shirt off as he followed Vi through the bedroom and into her bathroom. She turned to Mark and took the shirt, tossing it toward the sink. Her fingers went to work getting the rest of his clothes off.

32

Mark kept his word. After a very late breakfast he and Vi sat at the kitchen table and she told him everything. Not the more intimate details, because there were some things that she would keep to herself. She started with finding Glen by the road in the snow storm, about his memory troubles, and their trip to what they thought was his childhood home. Mark was carefully blank-faced during all of this, only raising an eyebrow when she mentioned the house and Glen finding the key. Obviously it was something Mark knew about too.

Of course that led to her telling Mark that she had slept with Glen – just that one time, after the trip. He stopped her there and tapped his fingers idly on the table for a moment before asking her a question. It sort of surprised her too.

“You said when you were at the house, you saw something…”

“Yeah. Like somebody was inside watching us while we were leaving.”

He nodded and motioned for her to continue. Vi did, but there wasn’t much left to tell. Mark knew by her hesitation that she did not want to bring up what he considered the elephant in the room.

“The bite marks Vi. You left that out.” He said when she wound down.

Vi smiled but it was without humor. “I know. It’s not something that I like to think about.” She took a deep breath. “I guess something else might have happened between Glen and I…if I hadn’t met you. He was acting weird. He said he had some bad dreams and it made him feel out of it for a day or so. And then…well. I kind of shot him down. And later that night…” She shook her head. “He woke me up. He was touching me. And it was kind of like he was there but he wasn’t really there, you know? I can’t explain it.”

Vi stopped when she saw the way Mark was clenching his teeth. His hands had balled into fists as well. He slowly made himself relax by sheer force of will. “Go on. Sorry. Residual jealousy.” He made it into a joke. Vi was not amused. She had tried as best she could to put the whole sorry thing behind her and this was just short of torture to talk about it. Mark noted her serious expression and reached over to cover her hands with his. “You said it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”

“It wasn’t. And I really wish you’d let it stay at that.”

“But he bit you.”

“He did. I don’t know why or if he even meant to do it that hard…wasn’t thinking too clearly about asking at the time.” Vi shook her head. “And then he didn’t remember doing it.”

Mark made a low noise at that but did not immediately speak. He rubbed the back of her hand lightly, tracing her knuckles with his thumb. “He didn’t remember like it was a blank, like his past? Or he didn’t remember the why but he remembered the what?”

Vi thought about it for a moment. “He didn’t remember at all. He was…I guess…just shocked by it.”

Mark nodded slowly. “You don’t want to say exactly what he did, and I guess that’s because you wanna protect him for some reason. I’m takin’ a shot in the dark that he didn’t force himself on you, because I think you’d have kicked him out by now. And be grateful that I’m guessin’ that because if I thought otherwise right now we wouldn’t be havin’ this discussion. I’d probably be the one in jail, and he’d be in intensive care at the minimum.”

“I gathered as much. Thanks anyway.” Vi sighed and let Mark thread his fingers through hers. “That’s it. Pretty much. He went back to the doctor, this time at the main hospital, and they said they couldn’t find anything but thought maybe it was sleepwalking caused by stress and exhaustion. They gave him some stuff to help him sleep when he feels wound up and that’s pretty much it.”

“Pretty much.”

“Glen did not do what you people are accusing him off.” Vi said softly.

Mark lifted an eyebrow. “That’s what we have to figure out.”

“I don’t have to figure it out. I know.” Vi met his eyes and held his gaze for a few moments.

“Wish I could have your faith in him. Since he might be my brother.”

“Might? Are we back into our denial again?”

“Not denyin’ anything. I’m saying that there’s always room for error.” Mark smiled but it did not reach his eyes. “Even if he is my brother…it might be best if he stayed dead to me, Vi. I’m not too damned proud of what I let my father do to them…and I don’t know how he survived if it really is Glen. I spent a long time bein’ mad and a longer time getting over it.”

“Mark...if he is your brother, and I believe that he is, you have a second chance. Do you know how rare that is?”

He squeezed her hand. “Actually I think I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of what it feels like.”

Vi smiled at that. “You have to give him a chance. Forget whatever happened before. Start now.”

“I wish I had your optimism, darlin’.” Mark sighed. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was not a good person. That other side of me…it’s strong. And it’s mean. And it doesn’t give fuck one about anything other than itself. If this guy is my brother…he’s the same way. Which actually might explain some things.”

“What things?”

“Well…demons are demons. They act a certain way. But some of them act human because they were brought up to act as humans. Make sense?”

“Not really.”

“Take…Steve and Jess. Steve was born in Texas to demon parents. He didn’t know what he was until he was old enough to control it. Until that point he was just like any other human kid. His parents probably taught him to blend in with humans. Jess is the same way. There are others…some were born in the demon world and were moved, or chose to move here because they identified more with humans. I know it’s confusing. Hell it’s downright crazy.”

“You’re different though.” Vi had dropped her gaze to their joined hands. She used her free hand to lightly stroke the back of Mark’s fingers.

“Very. A hybrid. Nobody had ever seen anything like me before. I had demons who wanted to stomp the human part and turn me evil, and humans and humanized demons that I cared enough for to hold onto my humanity. But it was tearing me apart. It was like I was two people inside one body, one head. One minute I’m almost totally human in every way, the next I’m threatening to kill somebody just to get revenge against my father. I threatened Rayne, you know. I told her…my father wanted her. Because she was one of the special humans, she could have children with a demon and produce another one like me. So I told her that the only way I would be sure that my father didn’t win would be to kill her. And I meant it.”

Vi raised an eyebrow at that and looked up at him again. Mark smiled grimly at her.

“I told you. I wasn’t in a very good place at the time.”

“I believe it.” She smiled a little. “Obviously it worked out.”

“It did. I took some loses. But I found Rayne and it made it all seem…maybe not so much worth it as how it was supposed to be.”

“So you think Glen’s…sleepwalking…or whatever it is….you think that’s his other side? His demon side?”

Mark nodded. She understood. “It makes no sense if you only think of him as a nice, sweet human. It makes perfect sense if you know he’s got two sides and he might be fighting for control.” He pause for a moment. “If his demon side was after you before, it might have fixated on you. Demons don’t like to be told no, and they are possessive.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” Vi said wryly.

Mark smirked. “If he was fixated on you maybe that’s why he was confused. Because it really wasn’t him. Or all of him. It was his demon side controlling things.”

“Fabulous.”

“Not the most pleasant thing in the world. You said it was just the one time.”

“I think that he’s got another outlet.” Vi said softly. “A girlfriend…I think. He doesn’t talk about her much, but he goes out with her every now and then.”

“Then that’s a good thing for you. Because it’s shifted his focus.”

“I can’t just kick him out.” Vi said, feeling that she had to make that clear. “I won’t ask him to leave. I found him. He might have died. And even after everything else that happened, I promised I would help him.”

“I know you did.” Mark sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t. Because I don’t trust him. I know what the other half is like…and I don’t trust it.”

“You need to do something then.”

“What can I do?” Mark asked with a weak laugh.

“Talk to him. Tell him. Help him figure it out. Maybe that’s why he’s here. You might have lost your wife but you’ve lived, Mark. You’ve got a good business, a great kid, the respect of an entire town of people. Help him find that too. Or his own version of it.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“It’s a start.” Vi pointed out. “Please. For me. You did say to tell you what you can do to make things better.”

Mark looked at her for a few minutes before nodding his head. “Ok. For you. Since I acted like such an ass.” He pulled her and Vi got up and walked around the table, smiling when he tugged her to sit in his lap. “It’s not gonna be today though. Monday when Steve lets him out, I’ll go pick him up and then I’ll talk with him. All right?”

“Better than nothing.” Vi said, laying her head against his shoulder. “I’m still going to go down there sometime today.”

Mark made a noise at that but said nothing. Instead he stroked her back and nuzzled her ear. “You haven’t brought up something else.”

“What’s that?”

“What I said yesterday.”

“You said a lot of stuff yesterday.” Vi pointed out with a smile as she kissed him lightly on the neck.

“Mm hmm.” Mark shut his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her lips against his throat. She was still only in her robe, and he hadn’t bothered with more than his jeans when they’d come downstairs to eat, so his mind was wandering in all sorts of naughty directions. “I think you know what I’m hinting at.”

“I was very angry when you said it.” Vi stopped teasing him and leaned back so she could look up at him. “And that’s not the kind of thing you should just throw around when you’re pissed off. It can be taken the wrong way.”

“Sorry.” He reached out and ran his fingers over her cheek, smiling when she leaned into his hand. “Still meant it though.”

“I know.” Vi shook her head. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”

“Do about it?” Mark asked, confused. “What do you mean? I tell you I love you and you don’t know what to do about it?”

Vi smiled at that. “Besides telling you that I feel the same, that is. Also…if you piss me off again I’m probably going to shoot you for real. I have guns for a reason.”

Mark smirked. “So what do we do about it?” He asked, ignoring her threat.

“That’s what I don’t know.” Vi admitted. She laid her head on his shoulder again. “It’s been a long time. I don’t remember what comes next.”

“Well for starters…” He leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “I take you upstairs. We spend a couple more hours in bed. Everything else can probably wait.”

Vi laughed at that. She thought she was maybe too tired for a couple of hours of anything more active than taking a nap. But she got serious quickly. “You hurt me the other day.”

“I know. And I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s just scary that somebody has that kind of power over me.” She said softly.

Mark heaved a sigh. “I wish I could say I won’t do it again. Sometimes…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Vi poked his side.

“Maybe you’ll have better luck controlling it.” He said with a chuckle. “You chased it off once. Which I still don’t know what happened. I don’t always see what it does when I’m sleeping. Usually it’s one particular dream that I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I’ve had that one so much that I don’t even bother paying attention anymore.”

“Are you saying that you…it…whatever…somehow managed to get into a dream I was having?”

“Yeah. One of my little ‘gifts’.” The words could not possibly hold more scorn.

“Huh.” Vi started laughing.

“What’s funny?”

“Do you jump into people’s dreams often?” Vi asked instead of answering.

“Not really. Got plenty of bad shit of my own in my head. Don’t need to add anybody else’s. I’ll admit…I tried to get into yours once but you blocked me. I don’t know how. Could be that I’m rusty and my demon half didn’t feel the need to help out.”

“Or…maybe you’ve just never bumped heads with a lucid dreamer?” Vi asked, still grinning.

“Is that what you are?”

“Well. Not all the time. Sometimes though, I’ll be dreaming and I’ll know it’s a dream and I can make things happen. Or control it. And that’s what happened I guess. You…it…whatever it was, kept trying to control things and couldn’t do it.” Vi shrugged.

“So what happened? Or is it another one of those off-limit things?”

“Nothing happened…or not much happened anyway. You…he…ok it’s annoying to not know what to call it. I think it wanted to hurt me. But I think it expected me to just…go with it? I don’t know. When that didn’t happen, it wanted me to fight it off to see what it was like. Instead of fighting it…I guess I kind of turned the tables? Might have made for some interesting dream sex anyway.”

Mark could only shake his head. “At least I can’t gripe about it if you had. Technically it’s a part of me.”

“Wasn’t meant to be. I groped you…it, whatever…and it backed off. And then Glen woke me up because he said I was laughing in my sleep. I found it highly amusing.”

“It might not surprise you to know that nothing like that has ever happened before.” Mark said, running his hand in slow circles over her back. “A long time ago I sort of had to ride-along with my demon side. I saw everything it saw. Then it was like I figured out how to let it have its play time while I was sleeping without having to see it. The same damn dreams over and over every night, the same thing happening. And not near as amusing as you find your dream. I kind of got to where I could shut it off. Now if it wanders…I don’t even realize it I guess.”

“Well it’s not like you can really hurt somebody in your sleep. Or can you?”

“I have more powers than just that…dream…stuff.” Mark still had no name for it. “Haven’t had the need to use any of it for a long time.” He said that thoughtfully.

Vi raised her head to look at him again. “Maybe you should practice.”

“Practice?”

“Whatever is going on around town…they’ve gotten you involved whether you want to be or not. So maybe you should be prepared for…whatever happens.”

“Yeah but too much trying to draw on these powers of mine might wake up a sleeping beast.”

“And? It’s not a separate part of you Mark. It is you. Control it.”

“Don’t try to make it sound easy.”

“It’s as easy as you make it.” Vi pointed out. “But whatever it is, it’s you. So use it.”

“I got a feelin’ I might not have a choice.” Mark said, thoughtful again. He sighed and ducked his head, brushing his mouth across hers. “I can’t guarantee how I’ll be, if I wake it up fully and try to control it. You saw the other night when it sort of took over. It can get worse. It probably will get worse. My demon side doesn’t have the same sort of principles that my human side does.”

Vi cupped his face in her hands. “Then you make sure you let it know who the boss is.” She said, all serious. But it made him smile anyway. “I need to get dressed and go visit Glen.”

“Thought I had you talked into at least two more hours upstairs.” Mark said with a smirk.

“You do. But not at this very moment. Reality calls.” She smiled sweetly. “Of course if you hadn’t had the bright idea to throw him in jail, it would cut down on your wait time.”

Mark groaned and let her get up. “I obviously did not think of all the angles when Steve and I discussed it.” He said when Vi paused to adjust her robe. It had come loose.

“Pity for you.” Vi winked and walked out of the room with that smile still on her face. Mark figured it was just another challenge. Maybe to see if he could talk his way into her shower with her. Grinning, he got to his feet and followed her.

~~!~~

They took separate vehicles. Mark had to go take care of a few things, and since Vi refused to be distracted he decided to get his errands done while she was at the sheriff’s office.

The stop by the jail was sort of anti-climactic. Glen was hanging around out front with Eli, sitting at the front desk, actually answering phone calls when Eli was busy. Vi hung around for half an hour, until Glen pointed out that he was going nowhere and that she should just go on and enjoy her weekend.

It made her laugh as she left. In truth Vi had nothing else to do at that moment. Except for wait until Mark got done with his errands. Josie wouldn’t be home until the next day, and Mark had told her that Drew was also staying with friends that weekend. She did stop in at the store and picked up a few things, glad they had a working generator anyway. Then she headed back to the house.

There were a couple of trucks parked to the side near her office. Vi eyed them as she grabbed her two bags of groceries and went toward the front door.

“Hey. Need a hand?”

A voice from her left made her jump. Vi turned to see one of their new hands, David or Dave – she already forgot how he’d been introduced. She smiled and shook her head. “I’ve got it, thanks. What’s going on?” She nodded toward the trucks.

“Rick had a few of us ride up to check the trees around the house. He found a few blow-downs this morning. He also said there were a couple of extra chainsaws up here in storage we could get. And gas cans.”

“Yeah. They’re in the storage behind the office.” It seemed like every Spring, Ray or Rick would buy things like chainsaws or mower blades, and every year they got used a handful of times and then disappeared. Some of the guys took them home, some got left in barns or store buildings and forgotten. Sometimes they got thrown out. It happened. Ray just accepted the loss with good humor.

“A couple of others were cleanin’ out your pool.” He shook his head. “Blew a lot of branches around. Nothing too close to the house though.”

“Well that’s good. Thanks.” She finally got the door open. “See you later.”

He grinned and waved before walking back toward the corner of the house. Vi shook her head and shut the door. At least somebody thought to check storm damage. Of course she’d been preoccupied. She smiled and carried her bags to the kitchen to put her groceries away.

The smile stayed until she headed upstairs a few minutes later. She wanted to make her bed and lug laundry down to be washed the next day. As she reached the top step though her footsteps faltered and she came to a halt.

Vi looked around the upper hallway. All the doors were open, just as she’d left them. Everything looked fine. But she felt almost…watched. It made her skin crawl. Like someone was standing in the hall or through one of the half-open doors.

She whistled under her breath, but there was no sign of Bridger. Vi hadn’t seen him since the evening before when she’s put food in his dish. Of course he had the doggy door so he came and went pretty much as he wanted.

She debated. The gun that she’d gotten from the safe was downstairs, on top of the fridge. She was rooted to the spot, unable to decide if she should check or go back down to grab the gun.

Common sense won out. After a solid five minutes of standing still, listening to the muffled sound of guys outside driving away, Vi finally got her feet to move. She checked every room, the bathroom, all three bedrooms, all the closets, her own bathroom. She even looked under her bed, something that made her feel equal parts terrified and ridiculous. There was nothing. No one.

She went back to the hall and down the stairs. Now she went to the kitchen and got her gun. She poked through the entire first floor of the house with the same result. Nothing. No one. The same went for the basement.

Back in the kitchen she tucked the gun against her back, into the waistband of her jeans. She would carry it with her at least until Mark got back. And then she’d put it where it would be handy. After a few moments of staring out the window at the gray sky, she turned and headed for the basement once more. She liked to be prepared. She thought maybe it would be for the best if she got another gun…maybe even two…from the safe. She could hide them easily in the house. Just the thought made her feel slightly better as she went down the stairs toward the safes.

33

Monday before lunch Vi and Josie headed into town. Although nothing had happened that weekend, Steve and of course Mark could think of no real reason to hold Glen at the jail. Vi understood that he would be watched without anyone saying a word about it to her. They didn’t trust him, no matter how many times she personally vouched for him.

Josie’s indignation about the whole thing struck Vi as funny. She dropped her daughter off at the town’s small library where she would meet up with a few of her friends until Vi was ready to head home.

Vi went to the sheriff’s office. She noted that Mark’s truck wasn’t there. It figured. He had said he would pick Glen up and bring him to the house but Vi’d had a feeling she would need to be here. She went into the office and saw Mike once more sitting at the desk. He smiled at her but it was wary.

“Mornin’, Ms. Peace. Sheriff and Mr. Calaway went over to the clinic for a few minutes. Said to tell you that you can go on back if you want.” He nodded in the direction of the door that led to the holding cells.

Vi raised an eyebrow. At least they were expecting her. “Did something happen? Another body or…”

Mike’s smile faltered. That was really all the answer that Vi needed.

“It happened again?”

“The sheriff said he’d want to talk to you about it, ma’am.”

“It’s not a hard question.” Vi said, frowning a little.

“I think it’s a little more complicated than just finding another one.” Mike said. He hesitated. “Yes. We got a call this morning around 5. Near the county line, but nowhere near any of the other ones. Same basic set-up though. I can’t tell you anymore. I’ve been here on desk duty all day. Dispatch. This time it was one of our own. Sharon Wilson.”

Vi processed that for a moment. Sharon had been the sheriff’s daytime dispatch officer for ten years, since she’d graduated high school. Vi knew her of course, everyone did, Sharon had been active in a lot of programs through the school, sort of as an honorary deputy. She fit the profile Steve and Mark had spoken of - young, dark haired, pretty.

Mike nodded at her as if she’d spoken. “You can go on back and visit your friend. He was reading and I think he’s bored.”

“Right. Ok.” Vi sighed and went through the doorway to the holding cells. She was just…stunned. She had no idea what it meant, that whoever was doing it had taken one of the townspeople instead of an outsider. Which meant one of them rather than a human. Which meant maybe the message was getting more personal. Vi did not know.

Glen was in the small conference room again, leaning back in a chair, feet up with a book in his hand. He glanced at the door when Vi walked in and grinned. “Hey.”

“Mornin’.” Vi took a seat. “I hope you’re ready to get the hell out of here. I’m not the one locked up and I’m sick of the place.”

“All packed and ready to go.” Glen said, still smiling a little. “It happened again right? Everybody took off early this morning and I’m pretty sure they left me all by my lonesome for a few hours.”

Vi could only nod. Other than that she could tell him no details. She wondered why Mark or Steve had not called her. It seemed like one of them should have. “Well I can take you home. Or we can sit around and wait to see what all the excitement is about.”

Glen smirked. “Is it really safe for me to leave? Since the sheriff is gone and left that kid in charge…”

“I honestly do not give a damn if Steve is ok with it. He said Monday morning. It is Monday morning.” Vi dredged up a smile. “Besides that. If I go to pick up Josie and you aren’t with me, I think she’d be more pissed off than I am about all this.”

“There’s nothing to be angry about. I understand where they’re coming from. I’m a stranger. Hell you can’t get much stranger than me. If this is what it takes to put some minds at ease…” Glen shrugged. “Small price to pay. And I’m ready whenever you are.”

Vi followed him out the door and across the hall. The cells here looked like small rooms. No iron bars. No windows either. There was a small bunk bolted to the wall that looked uncomfortable to Vi; she couldn’t even begin to imagine Glen fitting on it. Glen’s bag was sitting on the bunk. Vi looked at him with an eyebrow up, amused because she could tell that Glen had cleaned the room up.

“Maybe I have obsessive-compulsive disorder.” He didn’t even have to ask what the raised eyebrow was for.

“I’m sure most guests of the county don’t bother dusting the walls.” Vi said by way of agreement. Glen shouldered his bag, still smiling.

Vi led the way back to the front room. Mike was reclined back in his chair, feet up on the desk, looking morosely at a picture on the wall over his head. It was all the deputies, Steve, and Sharon, taken right after the sheriff’s office had been finished in the middle of town. Years before it had been on the outskirts.

Vi watched as Mike looked at the two of them, and could actually see the thoughts that went though his mind. He wanted to protest Glen leaving because Steve wasn’t there. Then again he knew that Glen was only in until that morning. Instead of a plea to wait for the sheriff, Mike smile instead. “You all be careful out there. And I’ll be waitin’ for my rematch.” He aimed that last to Glen, who smiled ruefully at Vi’s bewildered expression.

“Hearts. We had a little tournament this weekend.” Glen explained.

“At least you had something to occupy yourself with.” Vi said rolling her eyes. “Let’s go. Got to pick Josie up. I promised her lunch that didn’t involve the diner. Bye Mike. Tell Steve if he wants to discuss this I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”

Mike nodded and lifted a hand in a wave as they left. Glen climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV with a sigh. “It wasn’t too bad but it sucked being stuck inside the whole weekend.”

“You’ve gotten used to working outside.” Vi commented as she backed up and turned to head for the library.

“I suppose.” Glen made himself more comfortable in his seat. “Mike said it was someone he knew this time. That woman who ran dispatch.”

“Yeah. That’s what he told me.”

“Maybe I should move out of your house.”

Vi braked to let a couple of kids cross the road in front of her and took the opportunity to look at Glen. Talk about random.

“We’ve been over this.”

“I know. That was before.”

“Before what?”

“Vivian…it’s nice that you took up for me. Great actually. You believed me even when none of these other people would and you actually have a reason to not be on my side. But it struck me that nobody knows me. Maybe what’s happening around here is because of me…indirectly. Nothing like this ever happened before I showed up.”

“Are you serious?” Vi snorted. “Even if it was related to you in some way, I don’t think you leaving would solve anything. And I’m not kicking you out. I was told that something like this hadn’t happened in a long time, and maybe it was just…due.”

“I’m trying to be realistic.”

“Ok. So what if it is directly related to you? Why would some psychopath who murders women do it because you are close by? Or do you think maybe someone is trying to bait you? If you don’t remember anything, then how would you know? None of it makes sense.”

“It was a thought.” Glen said, smiling a little at her annoyed tone.

“Well stop thinking it. At least until there is an actual reason to think that way.” Vi gave him one last look and started driving again. She wasn’t aggravated with him, even if he thought that way. Vi was more frustrated that Mark wasn’t here, doing what he had told her he would do.

Vi pulled to a stop in front of the library and Glen offered to go in and get Josie. She nodded and watched him disappear into the small building. And she wondered what exactly Mark was up to. He’d left the day before, saying he had some things to take care of, promising that he would be there at the jail this morning. Of course she couldn’t be mad that he wasn’t considering someone else had been killed but it still…he could have at least called.

She was thinking that over when Steve went past, headed toward the sheriff’s office from the clinic. He didn’t even glance in her direction, which meant he was really mulling something over. He was also alone in his Jeep. Vi looked around half-expecting Mark to be following behind but no. No other cars were driving past.

She glanced at the library and saw that Josie was practically dragging Glen back to the SUV. They climbed in and Vi looked at her daughter with a smirk. “What? He wanted to poke around in some old books. I’m starving.” Josie said as she buckled herself into the back seat.

“I like old books.” Glen said gruffly, smiling a little.

“Probably because you’re old.” Josie joked and grinned at her mom. “Can we go to that steakhouse we went to for your birthday?”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Sure. I guess. A little out of the way for a lunch date.”

“I don’t care. I’m starving and they have that buffet.” Josie said, her voice nothing but serious.

“Yeah. I’m starving too.” Glen piped up, glancing at Vi. “And I’ve been eating take out fast food stuff for a couple of days.”

“So what you’re saying is I’m outvoted, and you two are going to bankrupt a restaurant.” Not to mention it would be nearly a forty minute drive. Vi wondered at that as she guided the SUV down the road. Usually Josie liked the diner in town for lunches out, mostly due to the fact that she and her friends found the short order cook adorable - Vi could not recall his name - and because they always got Josie’s food right. She no longer really had to even tell them what she wanted because she always got the same thing.

Josie kept up her usual chatter through the drive, but when Vi snuck glances at her through the rearview mirror her daughter looked troubled. It wasn’t until they had reached the restaurant, and Glen excused himself to use the restroom before they began eating, that Vi had a chance to ask her about it.

“So what’s wrong kiddo?”

Josie made a face. “Nothing. Why?”

“You passed up a gigantic greasy diner-burger and an hour of giggling over the cook to come out here to a place we’ve eaten at exactly once, one county over. Where none of your friends would be around in most cases. So what gives?”

Josie sighed and glanced around. “It’s not about people we know seeing us. I just…felt weird.”

“You felt weird?”

“Yeah. The whole time at the library. Like somebody was watching me.” Josie shook her head before Vi could even begin to question her. “I think I’m just…weirded out…because they found another dead woman. And Grace said it was Deputy Wilson” Josie fiddled with the napkin holder on the table. “It wasn’t like it was real before. Now it’s somebody we all knew.”

Vi put an arm over Josie’s shoulders. “I know, hon. But you know that Steve and his deputies will find whoever it is and stop them.”

“Yeah.” But Josie sounded unconvinced. She seemed about to say more but Glen was returning to the table. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just thinking too much about Dad.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Jos…”

“I know. One thing has nothing to do with the other.” Josie blinked a few times and Vi realized that she was close to tears. “I think I’ll go wash up too.” Josie spoke quickly and got up before Glen reached them. She hurried away, leaving Vi to frown worriedly after her.

“What’s wrong with Josie?” Glen asked as he sat down. Vi could only shrug.

“I wish I knew. I could probably blame it on new teenager hormones.” She said with a smile she did not feel.

“I wouldn’t believe it. So should I just pretend I didn’t see her crying just now?” Glen asked, looking at Vi in concern.

“Yeah. Unless you want to make it worse. It’s…” Vi sighed. “She’s thinking about her Dad today.”

Glen nodded in understanding. Vi was glad that explanation was enough. She hated to admit that she had no clue what Josie had been hinting at.

~~!~~

They got back to the ranch after two. Vi had thought Josie would immediately run to get into the pool - the day had warmed considerably since that morning. Instead Josie morosely went up the stairs and disappeared into her bedroom, shutting the door. That worried Vi more than her strained humor and what she had said at the restaurant.

“Guess I need to go track down Ray and the others and get to work.” Glen said, after taking his bag upstairs. Vi was on the couch, head back, massaging her temples.

“This late? You’d hardly have time to get dirty. Just relax and get back to it tomorrow morning.”

“I wasn’t lazy enough all weekend?” Glen asked with an eyebrow up and a wry smile on his lips.

“That was enforced laziness. This is recovery laziness.” Vi yawned. “I could use a nap.”

“So take one.” Glen poked her on the shoulder and went into the kitchen. Vi heard him talking for a few moments but his voice was too low to make out what he was saying. He reappeared with a glass of ice water that he handed to Vi. “I’m going to head out for a bit anyway. Amanda is going to pick me up in about 10 minutes but I should be back before supper.”

“How can you even possibly think about supper?” Vi had only eaten a tiny bit compared to what Glen had packed away at lunch. And even though Josie claimed to be starving she had pushed her food around more than chew it.

“Because it’s far off into the future.” Glen smirked. “See you in a bit.”

“All right.” Vi sighed and drank from the cold water as he left. She heard the faint sound of a vehicle a few minutes later. It seemed far away though. She kicked her shoes off and stretched out on the couch after setting her half-full glass on the coffee table.

It seemed like she only closed her eyes for a minute. Vi snapped awake at the sound of Josie’s voice.

“Mom…” Josie was laughing. “Dang. You were out cold.” She was leaning over Vi, all trace of worry from earlier in the day gone.

“Sorry.” Vi sat up slowly and blinked a few times, dragging a hand through her hair. She caught sight of the clock near the door and had to do a double-take. It was nearing on six in the evening. She’d been sleeping nearly four hours.

“Would it be all right if Grace came over for dinner and slept here?”

Belatedly Vi noticed that Josie was holding the phone. She winced and thought about it. “Isn’t she coming over to stay this weekend?”

“No.” Josie laughed. “That’s in a few weeks. She wants to come over and watch some movies with me. I walked down to Grandpa’s and he said they’ll be doing loading and unloading for the rest of the week and I’d just get in his way.” She rolled her eyes at that. “So is it all right?”

“Sure. Yeah.” Vi gently pushed Josie out of her way and stood up, stretching. She felt slow still, sluggish. She wasn’t used to taking such long naps. Hell, she wasn’t used to napping period. “Guess we’ll be eating late tonight anyway.” Vi said but Josie was already back on the phone talking to Grace to finalize their plans.

Vi went into the kitchen and started pulling things out of the refrigerator. She’d planned on making lasagna, another of Josie’s favorites. She glanced the clock again and figured they would just be eating later than usual. Eventually Josie wandered in to put the phone back into its cradle. She also pulled up a chair and chopped up lettuce and tomato for a salad. She chatted with Vi and it was as if her unease from earlier had never happened. Vi could sense no trace of it in her daughter’s demeanor now.

Vi decided not to push the issue. It was true - it wasn’t like the other women who were strangers. Josie had known Sharon Wilson quite well through her work with the school. It should come as no surprise that her death would bring up memories of Link’s death, even if there were no similarities between the two.

Grace showed up just as Vi was sliding the pan of lasagna into the oven. Glen arrived soon after that. It was after eight when they all sat down to eat. Vi noted that Josie was eating like food were going out of style which did more to calm her about her daughter’s state of mind than her joking.

Vi thought overall it was a pretty fun evening. The girls made things lively anyway. Josie pleaded and it did not take Vi long to agree to let them sleep in the living room, where the bigger television was. Glen said goodnight and went to bed just after ten, wanting to get an early start the next day. Vi reminded the girls to try to keep their noise level down and went up herself not long after that. She wasn’t tired after her big nap, but she could remember all too well slumber parties when she’d been a child, which the presence of a grown-up had derailed all the fun. Or at least it seemed that way at the time.

Smiling to herself, Vi ran herself a hot bath and poured some bath oils in. She was going to soak for a bit then crawl into bed and read until she was sleepy. She’d just gotten settled when Josie knocked on her bathroom door.

“Mom? You have a phone call…” Josie said it in a low voice, mindful that Glen was most likely sleeping.

“Bring it in…” Vi took the phone from Josie and waited until she had shut the door behind her before putting the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Vi.”

Vi smiled. “Well. Calling a little late aren’t you? I was expecting this way earlier in the day.”

“Yeah. I know.” Mark sounded sheepish, as well he should. “Mike said you picked up…Glen…and he told you what happened.”

“That’s right.” Vi noted how once again Mark seemed to have trouble saying the man’s name.

“I suppose I deserve the ‘I told you so’ that’s sure to come soon.”

“I suppose you do too.” Vi said, getting more comfortable and sliding her free hand through the water. “I’m more interested in why you just left Glen there. Since you promised you would talk to him today.”

“I know. I’m sorry Vi. I had a lot on my mind.”

Vi said nothing to that. She felt hurt, for reasons she could not quite define. Maybe because he’d left her out of the loop. Or maybe she was hurt for Glen’s sake. Maybe it was the fact that he’d said he would do something then had not done it, which was a pet peeve of Vi’s.

“I’d be more than happy to take care of it in the morning.” Mark ventured. He sounded like he would rather do anything but confront the man who might be his brother.

Vi snorted a laugh at that. “Don’t go straining yourself on my account.”

“I was trying to be enthusiastic.”

“You failed. And Glen plans on working in the morning. So you might have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.” Vi sighed and leaned her head back against the wall of the tub.

“But can I still come see you in the morning?”

Vi smiled. “You could. And I have two teenage girls sleeping in my living room that would probably die from giggling so much at the thought of you coming to visit.”

“We really need to make this public.”

“One thing at a time.” Vi reminded him. “Do you want to talk about what they found this morning?” She brought the conversation back around. Much as she wished not to know, she could sense something from him, an uneasiness.

“Not really. I’m tryin’ to forget so I can get some sleep.”

“You knew her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Everybody knew Sharon.” Mark sighed heavily. “Should have done something before it came to this.”

“What could you do? You don’t even know who is responsible for this.”

“Doesn’t really change the fact.”

“Sure it does.” But Vi let that subject drop. He didn’t want to talk about it and that was fine. Talking about dead women wasn’t really conducive to sleep anyway. “I have an idea. You sneak out of your house, come over here, climb up the wall and into the window - avoiding the giggling teenagers - and jump into the bathtub with me.”

Mark chuckled at that. “Don’t tempt me, woman.”

“Well then go to bed and get some sleep. I am going to finish my bath and get to bed myself.”

“You’re killin’ me. Thought maybe you’d changed your mind about talkin’ dirty over the phone.”

“Not in this lifetime.” Vi said with a laugh. They said their good nights and she set the phone on the floor. She dipped a clean wash cloth into the water and wrung it out, then leaned back and put it over her eyes sighing at how nice it felt. Everything lately seemed so complicated. She wondered if anything would change , or if she would get back into the habit of simplifying things to make life easier. It definitely wasn’t like before, when she and Link and been so simpatico they were like two halves of the same coin.

~~!~~

At eight-thirty the next morning Vi went down the stairs to make breakfast for the girls who would sleep until noon if she let them. They were stretched out on the living room floor in sleeping bags, empty water bottles, soda cans, and the remains of a bowl of popcorn around them. Vi smirked and headed for the kitchen but paused when she spotted a movement outside.

Steve’s Jeep was pulling up next to her SUV. Vi glanced once more at the girls, and decided to step outside so Steve wouldn’t wake them up. She pulled the door closed behind her just as Steve got out of his vehicle.

“Mornin’, Viv.” Steve was carrying another one of those folders. Vi felt her stomach twist at the thought of having to look at more pictures. Pictures of someone she had seen nearly every day.

“Steve. How’s that baby?”

“Perfect as always.” Steve smiled but it was weak. He gave her a questioning look. Vi motioned to the rocking chairs at the end of the porch.

“I’d offer you some coffee but I just woke up.” Vi said, sinking into the rocker and watching as he did the same.

“That’s all right. I’ve about had my limit of coffee for this lifetime.” Steve sighed and shook his head. “Look…I’ll get right to this. I don’t know how to say it, and I sure as hell don’t know why I think you can help. It’s not bites again.”

“Thank goodness.”

“We got DNA back from our first victim.” Steve opened the folder. Vi glanced over and saw the folder was full of computer images and data.

“I still can’t help you. I’m not a doctor, or a tech. I might be able to pick human DNA out of a lineup but that’s about it.”

“It’s complicated.”

“When is it not?” Vi asked. She held out a hand. Obviously Steve thought it was important enough for her to know what the papers said. He handed them over but continued talking.

“At first we just ran to isolate hers from his. And then we ran hers to see if we could put a name to her. Got nothing. Female, unknown.”

“And the male?” Vi scanned the first page, then the second. It might as well have been a foreign language.

“Not a match to your visitor.”

“No surprise there.” Vi said, looking up. Steve was not amused. In fact, Steve looked downright sick.

“We found a match to his partial here in town though. Would have had it yesterday but took a bit of time to run it out to get it double checked.”

“Then…that’s good right? So you know who did it? Or at least the sexual assault part of it…”

“That’s kind of why I wanted to talk to you first, Viv.”

“Me? Why?” She felt sick suddenly. “Not somebody here. One of the hands or…”

“No.” Steve sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. “The partials we got so far match Mark’s. Close enough that the lab boys are giving it over a 90 percent chance.”

“Mark?”

Steve smiled a bit at the incredulity in her voice. “Three different samples, all of them point back to him. Close enough that I don’t know what the fuck to do about it.”

“You can’t seriously believe that Mark had anything to do with this.”

“There’s something else too.”

“What else could there possibly be?”

“Your friend. Glen. He’s not a match for Mark’s DNA either. They’re related, from what I’m told, but not direct siblings. More like half brothers. Same mother, different fathers.”

“But how is that possible?”

“I don’t know. But I need your help on this. Were you with him during any of the murders? Any of them, even for a minute.” Steve wanted reassurance.

“I…” Vi thought it over. “No. But…” She hesitated. “I don’t remember.”

“I don’t know what the hell to do.” Steve took the folder and opened it, flipping to the last page. It was a comparison all the DNA samples. “We’ll get more results later in the week. From the second and third victim. Right now though…it’s pointing right at Mark.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve got to go over and tell him.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Viv you don’t have to…”

“Yes I do. You want me to anyway. That’s why you showed up here first.” Vi pointed out. “And I’ll go. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and let Josie know I’m leaving.”

Steve nodded as Vi got up and disappeared into the house. He dreaded confronting Mark with this. Mostly because even if he had mellowed over the years, he was still not like anyone else. And Steve had no clue what his reaction would be.

34

There was quite the buzz around town. After a full weekend of nothing much at all happening, now there had been another body. Once again Penelope had sensed nothing. It set her nerves on edge. These humanized demons had diminished senses but hers were still sharp, and she should have felt it when the girl had lost her life.

She had felt nothing. Not even a small flicker. Either he was truly killing them far away and then risking bringing the bodies back to set them up in some sort of calling-card type pose…or…she did not know. How he managed to slip around unseen, undetected - it was why Haden had kept him so long as an enforcer, and why he had been so willing to allow Cassandra to use him as a plaything. He could not hurt Cassandra in the way he could hurt others.

Penelope thought for a moment of the last time she had seen him. Not when she’d wiped out his memories - he had slept through that, not even waking up when she’d sent him through a portal to this realm on Jason’s instructions. No. It was at her father’s house, several months before. He had stared at her. Penelope was used to it. Cassandra’s toy was oversexed, heartless, and single-minded. From the beginning he’d watched Penelope, mostly because Penelope was so different from his Cassandra.

Of course he’d never tried to approach Penelope. Haden would have never allowed it. In fact - Haden may have ordered his death. She did not delude herself that it was any sort of feeling for her on his part; Haden merely wanted to keep Cassandra happy and to do that he had to keep her plaything in line.

She knew it had to be him doing these things. Especially with the biting. No one was supposed to know about the biting save a select few people but Penelope had no trouble gaining that information. There were quite a few demons who bit, who were animalistic. But in this case it was a telltale sign. There may be hundreds of bite wounds, some of them gory as anything a person could see in a horror movie. But he always bit them only once on the back of the neck, high on the nape, near the hairline. It was his calling card, something that he did to prove his kill to Haden and Cassandra. And something that wiping his memory out had done nothing to erase. Some things were just too ingrained in a person - or a demon - to completely let it go.

Even with the discovery of another victim, the town had still calmed considerably. Their center had apparently gotten past his anger. Penelope could very nearly pinpoint the moment it let go, all at once, like a balloon that had been popped. She’d never felt anything like it. It had pulled her from a deep sleep and had left her wondering what was wrong - in a few short hours she’d gotten used to that undercurrent of unrest.

Penelope was at a loss trying to figure out what to do next.

None of her usual tricks were working. She had used her particular gift to erase her sister’s connection to her toy, but that power should have connected Penelope. Even if by the thinnest of margins. But there was nothing there at all.

She was almost to the point of seeking out the powerful half-demon she had spotted her first day in town. She hesitated at that though. He would no doubt want answers that she would not be willing to give, and even humanized there was no denying how very powerful he was. She had experienced it for herself.

She toyed with her coffee cup. Penelope was once again seated at the small diner. She ordered food. As many times as she’d popped into the human realm she had never ventured to eat or drink anything. Her visits usually last only a few moments. The light - the sun, high in a flawless blue sky on most of the days she’d visited - still dazzled her. She had to fight not to stand in the middle of Main Street and stare up at the sky, the sun, the clouds. Even more than the landscape, all of that open, nearly endless sky took her breath.

And the food - Penelope did not know how it was possible, but the food was downright addictive. In her realm food was merely fuel. There were large amounts and it was hot and filling, and it served their needs. Going back to that after sampling a few human dishes might be even harder than giving up that beautiful blue sky and warm sun for her gray realm of existence.

She was so lost in thought she did not see the man approach, and so she was startled when he took a seat in the booth across from her.

“Jason?” Penelope finally found her tongue, taking him in. He did not look like the Jason she knew - he looked a little younger, his hair a bit shaggier. His eyes were the same though, that soft green color that were uniquely his.

“Any luck?” He didn’t answer. He was studying her thoughtfully.

“No. He’s left no trail that I can find.” Penelope lowered her voice so the few others in the diner would not overhear. “I’ve tried to find you…”

“I know.” Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It is not safe for me to stay in the open.”

Penelope nodded but did not understand. “I have felt things the past several days. Powerful things. But nothing to do with our problem child.”

“He masks himself.” Jason said simply. “You are already much too involved in this Penelope. Do you not worry about your father’s anger?”

“No.” Penelope didn’t hesitate.

“You choose to stay here?” Jason raised an eyebrow.

“I have not decided yet.” But that time she did hesitate. Would it be so bad? Living here among humanized demons, enjoying the sun, the food, the shockingly stimulating company of the demons she had encountered? They were nothing at all like Haden had claimed.

“You would be welcome here.” Jason said.

“And you?”

Jason smiled but it did not touch his eyes. “My stay is temporary wherever I am.”

“What of the half-demon?” Penelope asked. “You said you owed him a debt. Would he be helpful now? Sending Cassandra’s toy here with his memories gone might have worked in theory but he is killing again. He must be stopped. That is why I am thinking that I cannot go home again. If I help to destroy my sister’s pet…”

“I understand. And as horrible as it is for a few young women to lose their lives…you have to imagine the lives we are saving. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. He must be stopped now. There is no going against his nature, even with his memories completely gone. He was trained at too young an age and has lived his way for so long that it is his nature.” Jason waved off the waitress when she approached and paused as she walked away. “The half-demon may help. But I think he’s going to have his hands full for now. I will send someone to talk to him.”

Penelope looked at him for a long moment. “Someone?”

“Someone he will listen to. My presence might not be welcome. If he remembers me at all.” Jason’s smile was sad. “If you need me…” He reached into the pocket of the light jacket he wore and pulled out a slip of paper. Penelope took it and noted the numbers written there. “Call.”

“But what about…”

“Just…wait.” Jason said and slipped from the booth. He paused for a moment and touched her on the shoulder before heading for the door. Penelope watched him disappear around a corner and could only shake he head.

“Wait? For what?” She spoke softly, to herself. The waitress was passing and she stopped and smiled uncertainly. Penelope sighed and asked for her check. What was she supposed to do now? She could not just sit and wait for something to fall into her lap.

She exited the diner and paused, thinking. Across the street from her, a few teenage boys were headed toward the town center. Penelope knew from her explorations there was a park nearby and that was probably their destination.

One of them glanced at her. And Penelope stumbled back as if she were hit by an invisible fist in the stomach.

The boy frowned in concern and broke formation with his friends, pausing to look at her from across the street. Penelope straightened up and realized she could hear him. Almost as if he were speaking right into her ear.

But it was a whisper she couldn’t really make out. The boy smiled and lifted his hand in a half-wave. Penelope waved back weakly. She understood - even if his voice had not been clear. He’d apologized. It hadn’t been an attack - which had been Penelope’s first thought. The boy had just been stretching his powers a little bit and she’d been unprepared. Since none of his friends had reacted, Penelope assumed they had experienced it before and had gotten used to it over time.

She watched until the boys disappeared around a curve in the road, still feeling out of sorts. The boy had been powerful. Nearly as powerful as the half-demon she’d spied on her first day in town. Wondering over the similarities, Penelope turned in the opposite direction the boys had walked and headed back toward her room at the motel to think things over.

~~!~~

Steve did not need any help tracking Mark down. Vi figured he had already known where Mark would be, which made things easier. The owner of one of the larger ranches, this time horses, was replacing a few outbuildings that had been damaged over the course of the previous winter.

Steve did not waste any time either. As soon as he had led Mark away from his crew, he’d turned to him and cut right to the chase.

“DNA’s back. And it says it’s yours.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “Mine?” He flicked a glance at Vi, who kept her expression carefully neutral.

“Almost a perfect match.”

“Almost isn’t certain.” Mark said slowly.

“No. But it sure as hell doesn’t look good.” Steve handed over the same folder he’d let Vi look through. Mark glanced at it but did not bother to open it.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

“You tell me.” Steve spent a few minutes going through the things he’d told Vi that morning, about Glen not fully matching him, about the hospital lab running tests to rule out locals. “Right now we’re the only ones who know about this. And the lab tech. And he knows not to say a word until we get this shit straight.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

Vi thought Mark was taking this rather well. She and Steve had both expected a flash of anger, or at least some heated denials. He seemed calm though.

“You tell me.” Steve repeated. He was at loss. Sometimes one of their kind needed to be put in line, and he could handle that. This sort of thing…it was over his head. He knew it. It wasn’t a feeling he particularly cared for either.

“I have a suggestion.” Vi said. To that point she hadn’t spoken.

“I’m all ears.” Steve said, taking off the sheriff’s department cap he’d put on to shade his eyes from the sun and rubbing his head.

“Maybe you should lock Mark up in a cell for a couple of days. Just to be sure.”

Vi smiled sweetly Steve smirked. Mark rolled his eyes. “This is not the same thing.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Well. Maybe a little.” He sounded amused. Vi wondered if he’d maybe been hit on the head.

“Can you tell me where you were during any of these murders?” Steve asked.

“Sleeping?” Mark shrugged.

“Do you even want to try to alibi yourself?” Steve asked, exasperated that Mark seemed so unbothered by the information.

“How? Should I make something up?”

Steve looked from Mark to Vi and back. “This is one hell of a mess.”

“I can alibi him one.” Vi said. “Forgot about it. On top of everything else.”

“Going to share?” Steve asked, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming behind his eyes.

“Well yeah. The last one…the one from last week. I wasn’t technically with Mark so much as part of him decided to pay a visit.”

“Ok. I don’t follow.”

It was Mark who answered. “I told you before, sometimes my demon side would step out…and go do things in other people’s dreams. Or just screw around in my own if it was bored enough. That happened the other night.”

“And that alibis you how, exactly?”

“I have to be asleep for it to happen.”

“Right. And how do I know that half of you isn’t running around while you’re sleeping killing innocent girls?”

“Because it doesn’t control me. It can manipulate people’s dreams when their defenses are down. But only when I’m sleeping. It’s never happened when I’ve been awake, and nothing real-world physical has ever happened.” He paused thoughtfully. “At least nothing I haven’t participated in. I told you before, I haven’t always been the nicest person.”

“Yeah. But that isn’t going to necessarily wash with some folks around town.”

“I don’t really give a damn. It is what it is.” Mark said with another of those shrugs that seemed to annoy Steve so much.

“We’ve got to do something. Because it’s one of our own. That makes it different.”

“I agree.”

Steve heaved a sigh. “I’ve got to get back to the office.” He looked at Vi. “Ready to head back home?”

“I’ll get her home.” Mark said before Vi could answer for herself. She nodded agreeably. Steve raised an eyebrow but turned to leave.

When he had driven away, Vi turned to Mark. “This is really getting to him.”

“I know.” Mark draped an arm over her shoulders. He absently brushed his fingers through her hair.

“What about the rest? Glen?”

That seemed to bring Mark’s attention back fully to her. “Maybe it’s a mistake. If he is my brother…” He paused for such a long moment, Vi began to wonder once again if he’d been hit on the head. “There’s no way he would have had a different father. Dominic would have never allowed it. He wouldn’t have let Mom live long enough to have him, let alone a couple years afterward. And nobody would take something that belonged to him.”

“But…” Vi did not even know how she would complete that thought. “So if Glen doesn’t fully match your DNA but a match to your DNA was found on those women, what does that mean? Are you being set up? Could you be?” She shuddered to think of exactly how such a thing would be possible.

“Maybe. It was almost have to be. Or somebody wants me to think they are.”

“That’s even more confusing.”

“It’s convoluted. I’ll give you that. But we don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Up to that point, the almost-amused tone of his voice held. But now he grew serious. “I don’t think it’s a set up at all. Because our kind doesn’t think that way. Most of us are a little more direct.”

“Us?” Vi looked up at Mark with a frown on her face.

“Demons.” He supplied. “It doesn’t make sense. The DNA thing.”

“Steve said you and Glen were close enough a match to be half-brothers.” Vi pointed out. “So he is still your brother.” She hesitated before bringing up something else that had occurred to her. “Mark…could it be your father?”

He snorted at that. Again Vi thought he was amused rather than annoyed. “Not hardly. He’s dead. Gone. Vaporized. I saw it with my own eyes. Rayne used my power. It was the only thing that could have killed him.”

“Ok. Not to rain on your apparently awesome mood, but have you swallowed some happy pills today or something?” Vi turned, slipping out from under his arm so she could look at him closely.

“No. No drugs.” Mark studied her for a moment. “I feel like I’m all the way awake.”

“I don’t think I follow.”

“My demon side. It’s been hiding. Sleeping. Resting. I don’t know what. I say hibernating and that’s pretty close to the truth of it.” Mark made a face, trying to gather his thoughts. “Before I met Rayne…I hated it. I hated that there were two sides to me. Because of the way I was raised. Not that I fault my mother…it wasn’t her fault that I am what I am. I thought I was normal. And then it changed. I was having all these thoughts…but it was like it was someone talking inside my head, not my own thoughts at all. And when Mom and Glen were murdered…I can’t even begin to explain what it did to me. In my head.”

He trailed off and looked past her, and Vi got the feeling he wasn’t seeing the rolling hills or the half-demolished barn that was nearest to them.

“I had help. Mom’s friends. They tried to teach me. And I tried to live with it. It worked for a long time but it was like a tumor. I was angry all the time. But I got good at hiding it. Or hiding it enough. Eventually I fell in with some bad demons. Not like the ones who helped Mom escape. And for a while I guess I sort of…lost myself. My human side anyway. The demon side pretty much ran things for a while. I was aware of it but I didn’t care. It seemed to help with the anger.”

“And then you met your wife.” Vi said when he had paused again. He shifted his gaze to meet her eyes.

“Eventually. Before that happened, my human side reasserted itself. I don’t know why. But I felt…or sensed…trouble for somebody I knew. My demon side could care less but it was enough to bring me back. And for a few years I held a balance. Because somebody needed me more than I needed to feed my anger. I refused to let my demon side control me anymore. I was actually sort of afraid of what it would do. The more I thought about those years it was in control…” He trailed off again. “That was when I met Rayne. And it took everything I had in me to not kill her as soon as I found her. Because that was how angry I was…at Dominic. If it meant he wouldn’t win again, then I would have killed her and not thought twice about it.”

“What does that have to do with this?” Vi asked, still frowning. When Mark reached for her hand she took it without hesitating which seemed to surprise him.

“Nothing. Or everything.” He drew her closer. Vi went willingly enough.

“Ok the whole inscrutable thing was amusing but it’s really mostly annoying.” She pointed out.

“I’m not trying to confuse you. I’m trying to explain.” He reached out and stroked her cheek with his thumb, his fingers sliding into her hair. And then he kissed her. Vi was as surprised by that as he had been when she hadn’t shied away from him at his admission that he’d have as soon killed his future wife as look at her.

When he pulled back, it took a moment for Vi to catch her breath. “Now I’m really confused.”

Mark nodded. “I know. It is hard to explain. To put it in the simplest terms I can think of…my demon side is awake. It’s awake and it’s not…the same.” He finished rather lamely. “That is the hardest thing to explain. The urges…they were stronger before. The thoughts. Now it’s like…the two sides of me are like siblings that decided to actually get along for a change.”

“I expected your demon side to be sort of a downer. I didn’t think you’d be so upbeat about it.” Vi said, smiling when he smiled.

“It’s still just as dark as it ever was. I won’t try to pretend it isn’t. But…something is different. With Rayne…she drained a lot of my powers and put it into a dormant state. I’m stronger than other full demons because of my human side. But I still wasn’t really sure about what I was doing. And my demon side just sort of…went away. I still had occasional thoughts. Nightmares. But nothing like what had happened before.”

Vi thought that over for a moment. She had been the one to suggest that maybe Mark would need that side of himself. She just hadn’t expected he’d do something so soon. “Do you think that it’s going to help with what’s been going on here?”

“Maybe.” He sounded unsure for the first time. “I need to work on it. I’m a little rusty at using my powers. The full range of them anyway. All this time I’ve been telling Drew to practice and get stronger and I let myself slide.” Vi watched as he clenched his jaw briefly before continuing. “If hadn’t let it go…if I hadn’t been so damned happy to play full human…”

“Don’t do that.” Vi said softly. She knew what he was getting at. He did not have to say it.

“I have to. It’s been eating at me since Rayne died. I should have stopped it. I could have if I hadn’t been so fucking…complacent.” He practically spit the word out.

“You couldn’t have known.” Vi pointed out.

“I would have sensed something.”

“You did. You saved your son.”

Mark blinked at that.

“Maybe she was meant to die. People kept saying ‘everything happens for a reason’ when Link and Rose were killed in that fire. It got to the point where I wanted to punch people in the mouth every time I heard it. Sometimes there are no reasons and shit just happens.”

“Vivian…” Mark still had his hand at the back of her head, buried in her hair. He pulled her closer and bent his head. “I want you.”

“Is this what being one-hundred-percent awake does to you? Does it make you completely random?” A pleasurable shiver worked its way down her spine at his words though, no matter what smart comment came from her mouth.

“No. This is me listening to you and being in love with you and wanting you.” He brushed his mouth across hers.

“This is hardly the time or the place.” Vi said, dodging him before she forgot where they were. It would have been so easy to forget especially with the heated look he was giving her at the moment.

“Then let’s make time and find a place.” He persisted, making her laugh.

“Well it can’t be my house because Josie and Grace are there. And I’ll assume that Drew is at your place. Short of getting a motel room, there’s nowhere to go.”

“A motel, huh?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Vi managed to step out of his arms, noting that he was still smiling. “That would look really good huh? Like we were sneaking around.”

“I told you…I’m getting tired of being sneaky. The novelty has started to wear off.”

“And I told you. Straighten out things with your brother. Then we can try to work on us.” There was real regret in her voice but she meant it. Because it was something that would continue to hang over them.

“He busy today?” Mark’s question was even more surprising than his unusual positive mood.

“Glen’s just doing some things around the ranch. Most of the guys are off shifting cattle to the auctions.” Vi said, watching as Mark thought it over.

“All right. Let’s go. I’ll drop you off then I’ll track him down. And I’ll tell him everything.”

Vi could only stare at him.

“Don’t look so surprised. I can’t put it off anymore. I shouldn’t have put it off to begin with. It was just…the shock.” He reached out and took her hand, turning to lead her toward the place where he’d parked his truck. “I might have an ulterior motive too.” He admitted.

“And what would that be?” Vi asked as he helped her into the passenger seat.

Mark leaned in and kissed her once more. “I’ll tell you about it later. It’ll keep.” Vi raised an eyebrow as he shut the door and walked around the truck to get behind the wheel.

35

Josie sat on the front porch swing after Grace was picked up, Bridger’s head on her leg, glancing every now and then at her mom’s office. Vi hadn’t said much when she’d gotten home, but Josie had seen Drew’s dad drop her off and then head back along the drive. Thirty minutes or so later, he drove out, and Josie could plainly see that Glen was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck.

Vi hadn’t said a word about that either. She’d fixed lunch for the girls before heading out to open up her office for a few hours.

Josie idly stroked Bridger’s soft furry head and glanced around again. It wasn’t just that she wondered why Glen had gone with Drew’s dad, or about her mom’s relationship with the guy. Josie figured if her mom and Mark weren’t already together it would just be a matter of time. What was wrong at the moment was that she felt something…off.

She couldn’t figure out what it was. Throughout the day she’d gotten the distinct feeling that she was being watched. At one point it was so bad that she’d been sure someone was in the room with her, even though she was alone. It was another reason she was sitting on the porch. The odd feeling had only happened in the house, and only when she’s been inside alone.

She was debating with herself on whether or not to tell her mom. There was no real reason not to say anything - Josie knew that Vi wouldn’t make fun of her, and she wouldn’t dismiss it as nothing more than imagination. Her mom had just seemed…happier…lately, and Josie did not want to do anything that would hurt that.

She glanced at the door to her mom’s office and saw Vi coming out, a troubled expression on her face. Josie stopped stroking Bridger’s head and waited as Vi locked the office door before joining her on the porch.

“Work free day, and you’re sitting here on the porch instead of locked in your room playing a game? Something must be wrong.” The troubled look had disappeared. Vi smiled at her daughter and sat down next to her on the swing, idly scratching at Bridger’s ear.

“Just don’t feel like doing much I guess.” Josie said. She hesitated and looked at her mom. “Is something wrong?”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Something like what?”

“I don’t know. You kinda looked worried or something.”

Vi smiled again. “Not worried. It’s been a long day. I had three different ranches cancel vaccinations this week.”

Josie made a face. Vi usually helped around town at a very reduced cost because they had the luck to be living on a profitable ranch. She didn’t need to charge much, and in fact had tried to charge nothing at all. Most of the ranch owners paid her something anyway.

“Did you have a good time with Grace?”

“Sure.” Josie smiled at her mother’s not-too-subtle change of topic. “Where did Glen go? Saw him ride off with Mr. Calaway a while ago.”

Vi shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know where they went. But I do have to tell you something about Glen. And Mark. They had some testing done. It looks like they might be brothers.”

Josie smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah. Half-brothers actually.” Vi draped her arm around Josie’s shoulders. “Mark is supposed to be telling him.”

“That’s awesome.” Josie considered it for a moment. “Drew told me they thought that his dad’s brother died a long time ago.”

“Apparently there was some kind of mix-up.” Vi said. “Or a cover-up. Nobody really knows. Hopefully they’ll work it out.” She sighed. “I guess we have some stuff to talk about.”

“Stuff?” Josie repeated. A slight smile curved her lips.

“Lots of stuff.” Vi corrected.

“Like…you and Drew’s dad?” Josie looked at her mom and grinned.

“Among other things. Yes.” Vi cocked an eyebrow. “We’ve been…seeing each other.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Vi repeated. “I was expecting this to be way more awkward.”

“I kind of figured it out for myself. But I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you thinking I was just asking because of Dad.” Josie frowned. “If that makes sense.”

“It makes plenty of sense.” Vi took Josie’s hand in hers. “It is very complicated, what is happening between us. And I don’t want you to think that I’m forgetting your dad…” Josie made a face that brought Vi’s voice to a halt. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong really.” Josie said. She had felt fine a moment before, now she just felt like crying. “It’s just…sometimes I don’t remember Dad. What he looked like. What he sounded like. Every now and then I do. But it’s like he’s fading away.”

“Babydoll…” Vi squeezed Josie’s shoulders and pulled her close for a hug. “I think that’s how it’s supposed to happen.”

“I still love him. I miss him. A lot.” Josie sniffled.

“I do too.” Vi ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair. “That’s what makes all of this so complicated.”

“Do you…are you…” Josie rubbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m not upset about you and Mr. Calaway. We kind of figured it out a while back…Drew and I.”

“You can be upset, hon. I know it’s not the easiest thing in the world to deal with. But with things happening…finding out that Glen and Mark are related especially…I thought it was time to come clean about it.”

Josie nodded and was quiet for a few minutes. Vi waited her out. “Glen’s not going to like whatever he gets told, is he? Is that why he left?”

Vi shrugged, a little surprised at the shift in conversation. But only a little. Josie’s way of dealing with things was to ask a few blunt questions then work her way around to it from other directions. “I’m not sure, Jos. I think that might have been more for Mark’s benefit than Glen’s.” Although Mark had not said he was taking Glen off the ranch, Vi had not worried when she saw the two of them driving off.

Josie stewed a little more. She had already known - sort of - about her mother and Drew’s dad. That had not been too shocking, to have it admitted that something was between the two of them. And finding out that Glen was related to Mark seemed to Josie like the kind of thing that could only happen in a movie. Josie knew that she should be asking a ton of questions, but her mind was too much on the weird vibe she’d been getting in the house, her home, a place that had always felt safe.

She was debating whether to bring it up, even if her mom said she was being silly, maybe especially for that reason. But still she hesitated. “I guess I just need to think it over.” Josie finally said.

“I know it’s a lot to take in.” Vi said. Now she hesitated, but only for a few moments. “Mark and I…care for each other. But if you aren’t comfortable with it or…I don’t know…if you don’t feel right about us seeing each other, I would understand completely. I don’t want to force you accept it if you aren’t ready, and we have all the time in the world.”

Josie looked surprised at that. “I guess it’s kind of…weird. But I want to see you happy. As long as you’re happy, I’m all right.”

Vi smiled at that. “I am. Oddly enough. You know…my mother, your grandmother, never dated anyone. At least not until I was in college, and even then I don’t think she saw anyone at all. She had a couple of friends, but not men in her life. I always thought it would have been nice for her to have that, but at the same time the idea was just too strange to even give it much of my mind.” She shook her head. “Actually, it still seems strange. Guess I was used to being her main focus all the time. Probably I was spoiled rotten.”

Josie smirked. “I thought you said she was strict.”

“She was.” Vi sighed. “But it was out of love, and I never doubted it for a minute. I wish she had gotten to meet you. I think you might have blown her mind, Jos.” Vi glanced at her watch. “I have to head out to the barn to see if it’s time to order up some vaccinations. You want to come with me?”

“Sure.” Normally Josie would have taken the opportunity to hide in her room and jump into one of her video games but she still didn’t want to be alone in the house. It would be inevitable eventually, she knew that, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t put it off as long as possible.

They spent a relatively quiet afternoon and evening. If Vi thought it strange that Josie had been nearly glued to her side all day, she didn’t mention it. Mark called before dinner to tell Vi that he would bring Glen back but he didn’t know how long they’d be gone. He hung up before she could really question him about what was going on.

After dinner it started raining, putting a damper on Josie’s plan to float in the pool for an hour or so. She settled on the couch to watch a movie while Vi read a book, feeling as if the night was going to drag on forever.

When the phone rang a few minutes past nine, it made Josie jump. Vi, who had been studying her daughter more than reading her book, saw it and frowned. Josie had been jumpy all day, and had been almost unwilling to let Vi out of her sight. She watched as Josie got up and went to the kitchen to get the cordless phone. It only took a minute before she brought it in and handed it to Vi.

“It’s Don Campbell.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. Don and his family lived on the other side of town, on a small farm. She knew them well enough to say hello on the street, and had fixed up one of his mutts when it had gotten clipped by the bumper of a car. “Hello?”

“Ms. Peace, it’s Don Campbell. I’ve got a bit of trouble. Missy is plenty freaked out right now and I dunno if we can wait til your office hours…” He was rambling, almost tripping over his own words.

“Don…slow down. What happened?” Vi remembered that Missy was Don’s wife, a short chubby woman who had been room mother at school more times than Vi could count. One of their sons was in Josie’s class but the boy’s name escaped her for the time being.

“Wild dogs. Had to be. Ain’t a damn coyote or wolf anywhere near these parts.” He sounded angry. “We got the kids off to camp for the month, came home and I was in bed and there was a crazy ruckus from one of my barns. Missy was worried it was the dogs or a fox maybe goin’ for one of her chickens. Wouldn’t be a big loss, she’s got a few dozen of the damned things…” He caught himself rambling and took a deep breath to calm himself. “Wasn’t the chickens. It was my dogs. Had ‘em bedded down in the barn for the night except for Buddy, the Rottie mix you gave those booster shots too. Had him penned by the house because Missy likes him to be close. He was throwin’ himself up against the fence, foamin’ at the mouth, damn near barkin’ his head off. Tryin’ to get out. I grabbed my shotgun and leashed him and ran out there.” He finally stopped for a moment.

“What happened?” Vi repeated, her tone calm.

“We didn’t see whatever it was that did it. Buddy kept yankin’ on the leash, wantin’ to go chasin’ across the west field. I wasn’t gonna let him til I saw what happened in the barn. Got around to the door and it was standin’ wide open. Two of my dogs are dead…Kody and Max.”

“Oh no.” Vi might not recall Don’s son’s name, but she knew his menagerie pretty well. Kody was another Rottweiler mix, and probably the biggest damned dog Vi had ever worked with. Max was breed unknown, smaller. “What about the rest?”

“That’s why we need ya. All of ‘em are pretty messy. Cuts and scratches, lots of blood. I’m standin’ outside my barn door right now, and they’re all too scared to come out. Missy came and got Buddy, dragged him howlin’ back up to the house. “

“Ok.” Vi glanced at her watch again. “I can be there in ten minutes.”

“I can wait. Drive on back to the barn, you’ll see me standin’ here.”

Vi hung up and looked at Josie, who looked pale and worried. “I’ve got to go. Going to come with me?”

Josie hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t really wanna stay here by myself, but it sounds like you’re going to have your hands full.”

“Great time for your Granddad to be stayin’ overnight at the auctions.” Vi reached for her shoes, deciding that the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing would be fine. In her head she kept a running list of the things she’d have to grab from her office.

“Crap. I forgot.”

Vi snickered and tugged her shoes on. “I can drop you off with Grace, I’ll be going right past. Call ‘em quick and see if it’ll be all right.”

Josie grabbed the phone and dialed. It only took a minute to get an affirmative. She ran upstairs and grabbed her overnight bag and a set of clean clothes, just in case she ended up staying overnight with her friend.

Vi dropped Josie off and hurried to Don’s farm. The rain had gotten heavier and there were rumbles of thunder in the distance. With the rain it would be nearly impossible to find tracks to figure out what had attacked Don’s dogs, unless there were some in the barn. Although Vi worked with animals and loved most of them, she knew the risks. All it took was for one infected fox or even a feral dog to spread rabies. It was the first thing that had jumped into her mind, even though she had personally given each of Don’s dogs and cats their rabies shots. If an animal went to a farm and attacked a pack of dogs, the animal wouldn’t hesitate to make a play for a larger animal. Or heaven forbid, a person.

She lifted a hand to Missy, who stood on the front porch with a barking Buddy on a leash. Around the back of the house about a hundred yards she could see the barn and Don, who stood just inside the doorway with the shotgun cradled in his arms. Vi pulled to a stop and went to the back of the SUV to grab the bag she’d thrown together.

“Thanks for comin’ out. Hell of a night for this shit.” Don said as she walked through the muddy barnyard.

“Any night would be a bad night for this.” Vi said, smiling sadly as she spotted the big body of Kody inside the barn. Don had moved him to the side using an old blanket. “How many are there?”

“Six.” Don reached over and took her bag, hefting it easily. “It’s bad.”

His simple statement and the look on his face was enough to prepare Vi for the worst. Although bad was not the word. Horrific. That seemed a more suitable word. She forced herself not to dwell on the blood, which was no small feat since it seemed to be everywhere. Either the thing that attacked had taken time to spread it around or the dogs had put up one hell of a fight because the blood started at the door and went down the length of the barn in streaks and splatters.

Vi focused as she came to the first of the dogs. And refused to be distracted, even when she heard the familiar drawl of Steve’s voice. This was not necessarily business for the sheriff, but Vi figured if she said rabies was likely he would make it his business.

It was a good thing Josie was with Grace. Vi assessed the damage, noting that all of the dogs suffered injuries to some degree. And she cried a little when she broke the news to Don that two of his mutts were beyond her help, and were beyond even the help of a fully staffed clinic. He held them one at a time while she euthanized them, a part of her job she despised but endured as a necessary evil. She would rather they go peacefully than suffer longer than necessary.

As for the other four dogs…Vi spent several hours cleaning wounds, stitching, soothing, wrapping bandages. Even Steve pitched in. He was not the most talkative person on the planet but he was quieter than usual as he helped hold the dogs while Vi got them prepped by cutting back their fur.

It was three in the morning when she finally came to the last of the wounds. Steve was still there, as was Don of course. Don had taken the two dogs they had lost to lay them with Kody and Max near the doors. Vi stretched and sighed.

“If you’re waiting to hear if I think a mad dog with rabies did this…”

“It was a possibility. Happened before.” Steve said, stroking the head of the dog Vi had just finished with.

“Not even a rabid dog is going to bust into a barn full of a farmer’s guard dogs. These mutts are used to protecting the animals. Don was just using them as an alarm systems kind of. So whatever animal it was, why not go after the horses that are still outside? The cows?”

“Maybe they were too big?”

“I’d sooner take on a sleepy cow than 8 mongrel dogs.” Vi pulled the gloves she’d been wearing off and tossed them into the garbage bag that she’d brought in her kit for the waste. “And how in the hell did it get in? The door was shut, and latch locked. More to keep the dogs in because of the weather. But still, a lock is a lock.”

“That’s what I was wonderin’.” Steve said, shaking his head.

“These don’t look like claw marks anyway.”

Steve looked at her, his eyes intense. “What do you mean?”

“Well most animals have more than one.” Vi held up her hand and hooked her fingers. “These? Singles. Either it’s an animal that is missing some of the basic equipment or it’s an animal that knows how to use a knife.” When he didn’t speak, Vi looked at him again. “What? It makes sense, as much as anything can possibly make sense. It was a person. Somebody walked in, got into a fight with all the dogs, and ran off when he heard Buddy coming. Maybe figured that Buddy would be bringing someone with him.”

“But…why?”

“I’m not really up on my psychology, Steve.” Vi muttered. She reached over to lay a gentle hand against the side of the dog that Steve still pet absently. “But I noticed that Don is wearing shoes. And so are you. So am I.”

“And?”

Vi gestured to her left. “Somebody left tracks in the blood. And they were apparently barefoot.”

Steve waited a beat, then gently eased the dog away so he could stand and look where she was pointing. Sure enough there were prints. Definitely human. Most likely male, because of the size. Some were distorted, as if the person had slipped but quite a few were as clear as if the man had stood there just to make an impression in the mess.

“Fuck-fire.” Steve spit out. As if he needed something else crazy to happen around his town. “I gotta call this in. You need any more help here?”

“No. We’re good.” Vi checked the dressing on the last dog one more time before heading to the doorway to speak to Don. Missy had ventured back to the barn, and Buddy was once more tucked into the dog run next to the house. He was pacing back and forth, back and forth, restless. For a moment Vi was reminded of how Josie had acted all day. Don had been taking care of animals since he was old enough to walk, he understood what he would need to do for his remaining dogs. Vi offered to take any or all of them back to the clinic but he declined, and so did Missy.

Vi hesitated with her hand on the door of her SUV. She finally turned and trudged up the muddy hill to the dog run. Buddy stopped pacing when she got close and whined, letting his head drop. Vi felt like crying again, for no good reason, as she opened the gate and stepped inside with him. She rubbed his head and soothed him for a few minutes, lost in thought until the flashing lights of one of the deputies light the side of the house.

“You had him, didn’t you Buddy?” Vi said, giving the big dog one last scratch on his head. He thumped his tail and went back to pacing when it was obvious that Vi was leaving the dog run.

She paused again near her SUV, not paying attention to the rain. Steve had exited the barn and stood under the overhang out of the elements. Vi walked toward him. “I don’t know how much good it’ll do, because of the rain…” She began when she got close enough. “But you might want to get Don and Buddy and see if he can track it. Him. Whoever did this.”

Steve nodded slowly. “Yeah. Gonna have to. Take care driving home.” He hesitated and cleared his throat. “Guess I don’t need to tell you to lock your doors and don’t stop for anything along the way.”

“I wasn’t planning to.” At that late hour, odds were Josie was already asleep. Vi said goodbye to Steve and finally got into her SUV and reached for her cell phone. She sent a text to Liz, Grace’s mother, letting her know that she was finished. She didn’t want to call and wake the house up. Liz was awake, probably working - she was a freelance photographer, and had said on more than one occasion that she did her editing at night when it was quiet. It only took a minute to get an answer, that the girls were sleeping and she would drop Josie off the next day.

Feeling more tired than she could recall in recent memory, Vi finally drove off of Don’s farm and headed toward home. She wanted a hot shower and her bed, followed by about 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

She pulled up to the house and noted that all the lights were off. That was odd but not unheard of. Usually she left at least the dim light over the stove in the kitchen burning, and she should have seen it from outside through the window. All of the windows were dark. “Fabulous.” Vi muttered as she climbed out of the SUV into the rain for what she hoped was the last time that night. She left her bag in the SUV, not wanting to bother with it until in the morning, and headed for the house.

Vi opened the door and flipped the switch to her right but nothing happened. Shaking her head she turned to her left, toward the kitchen, where she kept a flashlight for random power outages or - more likely in this case - a breaker getting tripped. It happened on occasion. The house was so dark she could only make out vague shapes but she could have navigated blindfolded. At least that was what she thought before she whacked her leg on one of the chairs that normally sat pushed against the table itself.

“Josie…” Vi muttered her daughter’s name, figuring she’d forgotten. She groped along the counter for the small flashlight that sat in a charger. And it wasn’t there. Vi frowned and felt along the whole length of the counter but there was nothing.

Which made her realize something else.

Every room, except for the kitchen, had a nightlight. The light was both solar and electrical powered - even if the power went out, the lights would have still been on. That had been whole reason for buying them after all. The one in the living room hadn’t been on. Neither was the one on the stairs.

Vi blamed it on being tired. Any other time she would have noticed right away. Without wasting time trying to find a flashlight that was no longer there, Vi turned to the refrigerator. She rose on her tip-toes and felt along the top until her fingers brushed cool metal. She felt slightly better with the gun in her hand than without.

She paused before leaving the kitchen. Something else was missing as well. She hadn’t registered it. The cordless phone usually sat on the counter right next to the flashlight. And it was no longer there.

She’d left her cell phone in the SUV. Vi cursed herself for that as she slowly stepped toward the door. Instead of traipsing back through the dark living room, she could just duck out the side door, and around the corner. She opened the door and once again paused. It had not been locked. While they were in the country, and she knew what seemed like every man, woman, and child in the entire county, Vi was not in the habit of leaving doors open when she wouldn’t be home. In fact, she remembered checking it before she and Josie had left earlier.

Vi could not recall a time when she’d ever felt so scared. And she was grateful Josie was with Grace. If someone had gotten into the house while she was gone, and Josie had been there alone…

She refused to let the panicked thought get a foothold. Vi moved quietly, quickly out the door, keeping close to the side of the house, heart pounding in her ears. She ran through the rain to the SUV and fumbled her keys out of her pocket. Once she had the door unlocked she slid inside and hit the door locks again, feeling only marginally better. She groped her cell phone out of the passenger seat, breathing a sigh of relief that it was still there.

She brought up Steve’s cell phone number and pressed call. While she waited for it to ring through she studied the dark house through the rain. Besides the lack of lighting it all looked as it should. So why was the skin on the back of her neck crawling?

“Yeah?” Steve’s voice finally came through the phone. Vi opened her mouth to speak and felt her breath catch in her throat. Although the house was dark, there was a darker shadow standing in the living room window. “Viv?” Steve asked when she said nothing.

“Steve…somebody’s in my house.” She finally manage to get it out. She reached for the button that would turn on her SUV headlights, meaning to flood the front of the house with light.

“Right now? Where are you?” The tired drawl became filled with sharp concern.

“Locked in my SUV.”

“Good. Stay locked up. Is anybody else around? Ranch hands, Ray?”

“Maybe. Not Ray, he took a bunch of people out to the auctions…and Glen’s with Mark.” Vi swallowed and hit the switch. Bright light splashed the front of the house. The figure in the window jumped out of the light before she could get a good look at him. “It’s a male. Tall. Big. That’s all I can tell you. I can’t sit here and wait for him to decide to brave the rain.”

“Get off the ranch. Head to my house. Don’t even bother goin’ back to the bunkhouse.” Steve’s voice became muffled as he spoke to someone on his end. “I can be there in fifteen minutes.”

“He’ll be long gone by then.” Vi said, starting her engine anyway.

“That might be, but maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll drop his wallet or somethin’.” Steve sounded out of breath. She had the feeling he was running for his car. “Get gone, Viv. I’ll deal with it.”

“Ok. Yeah. But won’t I be…”

“Just go, Viv.” Steve repeated. Vi didn’t need any more convincing than the worry in his voice.

36

Vi felt ridiculous as a wide-awake Jess ushered her into the house. “I take it Steve called ahead.”

“He didn’t say what was going on. Just that there was trouble.” Jess led her into the kitchen where she pulled a couple of cans of soda out of the fridge. “You know Steve, he’s a man of few words at the best of times.”

Vi took a drink of the cold soda. “I think somebody broke into my house while I was out on a call.” She looked down and realized she was still wearing her jeans and t-shirt, although both were filthy with a combination of mud and blood. “I didn’t even get a chance to change.”

“I have some clothes you could wear. And a hot shower, which would be my priority if roles were reversed.” Jess smiled. “I might even have a few sets of scrubs hiding in my closet that I may or may not have accidentally stolen from the hospital. For pajamas.”

“I am definitely going to take you up on that.”

“If I thought someone had gotten in here…” Jess visibly shuddered. “You seem to be holding it together pretty well. I’d be a mess.”

“I’m in shock.” Vi finished off her soda. “And then I’ll probably be pissed off.” She sighed heavily. “I have to get in touch with Liz and tell her not to drop Josie off in the morning, and I once again left my cell phone in the car.”

“You can use mine.” Jess crossed the kitchen to the counter where her phone was on its charger. She sent Liz a text telling her that Vi would pick Josie up the next morning instead of having her dropped at the house. She and Vi then went toward the rear of the house, where she poked through her closet until she found a set of scrubs that would fit Vi.

Vi took the hottest shower she could stand and scrubbed herself until she felt as if she should be glowing red. By the time she had toweled off, dressed in the scrubs, and combed the worst of the tangles out of her hair she was nearly asleep on her feet. She heard Jess’s voice as soon as she opened the bathroom door. She was apparently talking in on the phone. Vi started to head in the direction of the kitchen but got distracted by soft noises from the baby’s room. She detoured, noting that Robin was awake, sucking at a fist, and probably working up the energy to start yelling for her middle of the night feeding. Vi picked her up and cradled her close, and took her toward the kitchen.

“I don’t…hold on.” Jess spotted her with the baby and grinned. “Feeding time. She’s out of the shower, you can ask her yourself.” She said into the phone before swapped the phone for the baby. Vi didn’t think it was much of a fair trade.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, Viv.” It was Steve.

“I take it that whoever it was disappeared?”

“Yeah. Back door was wide open…”

“I did that when I left.” Vi supplied.

“Front door was open too. Now I can’t say for sure that nothin’ was stolen…”

The way he hesitated made Vi frown. “But…” She dragged it out when he did not immediately continue.

“But…it’s weird. I’m not here enough to know where every little thing goes, but it looks like shit was moved around in every room.”

“Moved around?” Vi remembered bumping the kitchen chair but had put that down to Josie being forgetful.

“One of your kitchen chairs is in the middle of the living room. Another one’s in the upstairs hall. Your couch is damn near turned around backward, and all the doors upstairs to the bedrooms and bathrooms were locked.”

“Wait a minute…so some random person broke into my house and rearranged furniture? Why?”

“Hell if I know, Viv. But seems to me since whoever it was took the time to go down in your basement and shut off your breakers, he might have been hopin’ to trip you up by changin’ shit you know like the back of your hand.”

Vi felt her temper swell again. The thought of some random person in her house, touching her things…and if Josie hadn’t been so skittish she’d have been home by herself. “Does that mean it’s safe for me to go back?”

“You could but I’d prefer if you stayed where you are. At least until later.”

“I can tell you that putting in an alarm system has just jumped to the top of my priority list.” Vi said with a weary sigh.

“Good call. Try to get some sleep. I’ll lock up here, and we’ll keep an eye on the place. Got any clue who you have left on the ranch? I know you said some of the guys were gone for the auctions…”

“I have no idea. Ray keeps the roster sheets, so it’s probably hanging in the bunkhouse. Rick is still there, he’s in charge when Ray is out.”

“I’ll be havin’ a talk with them about keepin’ an eye out then. You go on and rest up.”

Vi hung up and went looking for Jess. She was in Robin’s room, rocking the baby and feeding her from a bottle. “Did he catch the bad guy?” Jess asked softly.

“No. Unfortunately.”

“Damn it. Well…you’ll be happy to hear that Robin is on a more regular schedule, so you can probably get a good solid 4 hours of sleep before you hear her screaming for breakfast. Unless you crash on the couch instead. At least it’s further away than the guest room.”

“At this point I’m so tired I probably wouldn’t hear a tornado come through the room.” Vi said with a weak smile. “I’m going to pass out. If the baby doesn’t wake me up, will you? I have to make some calls and work on some things in the morning…”

“Sure. Goodnight, Vi.”

Vi headed into the spare room and crawled into bed, collapsing wearily. It was going to be a very long day. She could already sense it.

She didn’t hear Robin crying, and it took Jess a few tries to rouse her from sleep several hours later. Steve had gotten home at some point in the night, and Jess was letting him sleep in for a bit. He left a phone number for Vi to call though, to a security company that he recommended.

She was back at home by 9. Everything on the outside of the house appeared normal, as it should be. But once she let herself inside she had to fight back her anger again. Steve had not been joking. Things had been moved, not just kitchen chairs or the couch. Family pictures were removed from the walls, knickknacks were missing from their normal spots, even the television was in the wrong spot. And that was just the living room.

“You’ll have to make a list if you notice anything is missing.” Mike, the deputy, spoke from the doorway. Vi had nearly forgotten he was there. Steve had called him in early to watch the house and to walk through with her when she got home, more to put Vi at ease than because they thought whoever had been there was still there.

“A lot of stuff is missing. But probably not gone. Just moved around.” Vi said, grabbing the kitchen chair and sliding it toward the side of the living room, out of the way. Then she stood there with her hands on her hips and surveyed the room once more. “I can sort of get putting stuff out of whack and shutting the lights off. The confusion thing. But I don’t get the rest. Why take down pictures?” She went to the couch and grabbed an end, yanking it so it slid a few inches from the wall. Mike joined her and helped turn it so it was back in its usually position.

“Could be a few things.” He said, straightening the cushions on the couch. “Could have done it just because he was bored and it’s a psychological thing. You know…not only is all your stuff moved around but some stuff is missing completely.”

“And what else?” Vi had moved to the desk, which was in its usually spot but shifted slightly out from the wall. She peered behind it before pushing it back.

“Maybe he took stuff for souvenirs.” Mike grabbed the kitchen chair and took it into the next room before continuing. “But that would be kind of a load to carry. Maybe he saw something that set him off.”

“Like what?” Vi looked around once more. Besides the missing pictures and random odds and ends, the living room was fixed. She felt marginally better.

“Maybe he had a bad childhood, saw one of your pictures of your family, and it pissed him off. Or maybe the moon was just in the right place in the sky at the right time. I agree with you. The moving furniture around, yeah, that’s planning and thinking. The rest of it…it’s just weird.” Mike hesitated. “Like locking all the doors upstairs. Whoever it was wanted to make sure he could corner you. Maybe he didn’t pay attention to the multiple exits, or maybe he thought you would do what most people would do…feel their way to the breaker box to check to make sure they were all working.”

Vi chewed her lip thoughtfully and nodded. She had been planning to do that very thing the night before, except she had gone for her flashlight because the breakers were in the basement, and the basement had no windows to let in even a little ambient light from outside. “Has that happened before?”

Mike half-smiled. “Not in practice. But I do believe they teach it in criminal-101.”

Vi smiled dutifully. It faded when she considered the guns. There were the safes downstairs, but she didn’t worry much about those. But besides the gun from the top of the fridge, there were the other two she had tucked away to be easily accessible. One of them was in the desk drawer. She checked and it was still exactly as she’d left it.

“Damn lucky he didn’t snag that.” Mike said, peering at the gun. “Or maybe he just doesn’t like guns.”

“It’s weird. Everything is out of place, stuff out in the open got moved around, but it doesn’t look like he bothered going through drawers or anything.” Vi checked to make sure the gun was still loaded and the safety was on before tucking it back into the desk drawer. “I put another one upstairs.”

“We got your doors open so they should all be unlocked.” Mike said, peering up the steps.

“Great.” Vi headed in that direction. All of the doors were open, and one of her kitchen chairs was sitting there in the middle of the hallway. She looked at it for a moment before going into her room and to the bedside table. It did not appear that anything in the room had been touched but Vi still knew she’d be stripping it down to the bare mattress and probably washing every item of clothing that was in the drawers and closet, even the comforters that hadn’t been used in a couple of months. The room…the entire house…would not feel clean until she had taken apart every room.

The gun was exactly where and how she had left it. In fact, everything upstairs was how it had always been. Except for the chair in the hall, and the locked doors, nothing was out of place. But she finally found all of her missing items from downstairs.

Vi was in Josie’s room, poking around, with Mike leaning in the doorway. She happened the look out the window and down at the stone patio below. And she sucked in a deep breath that brought Mike out of his thoughts.

“What is it?” He moved fast, across the room, his hand on the butt of the gun on his hip.

Vi didn’t answer him. She turned and hurried down the stairs, almost scared at the pure rage she felt at that very moment.

Seeing the few breakables she’d kept around…a couple of vases, a few small sculptures…broken to pieces on the patio had been bad enough. She crunched through the glass to the pool. And there was everything else. The phone. The flashlights. All of the pictures that had disappeared from the downstairs of the house…all of it ruined in the water.

Vi did not give a damn about the electronics, or the few art pieces that were purely decoration. There were family pictures there as well, pictures of Josie as a baby, of Vi and Link on their wedding day. Even through the glint and shimmer of water she could see the pictures were torn, the frames they were in busted, the glass cracked.

All at once Vi couldn’t breathe. It was like a hot ball of lead was sitting on her chest, and she could not draw in a breath. While she could not condone it, she could understand stealing something, even stealing things that would have no value to anyone but the family. But this destruction of personal items...it went beyond anything she could comprehend.

Mike touched her shoulder and Vi realized she had been about to climb into the pool to try to save something, anything. Some of those pictures were irreplaceable, taken before digital cameras or computer storage, and their negatives were destroyed in the fire.

“Ms. Peace…” He said, looking at all of the torn and broken items in the pool. “If you jump in there, you’re about as liable to cut yourself open as save any of that stuff. Plus…”

“Plus?” Vi provoked when he didn’t immediately continue.

“Fingerprints.” He finally said, meeting her eyes. And it was his concern and sorrow that she could see that caused that heavy weight on her chest to let go. She did not know why he was sad for her, or even how he knew how much those pictures meant, but it was in his eyes. “The guy might have left fingerprints on some of it.” He hesitated. “I saw some show on TV about guys who restore pictures that were in floods and stuff. Maybe we can find one who can check this out. I don’t know if the chlorine will make a difference but it’s better than intending to save somethin’ and comin’ out with nothing.”

Vi took one shaky breath. Then another. She blinked back tears. “Ok. Yeah.” She said it more for her benefit than his as she stepped away from the pool. Her cell phone rang, making her jump. She fumbled it out of her pocket and when she answered, she had her voice mostly in control once more.

It was the security company. Steve had apparently gotten up, and had called them to light a proverbial fire under their asses. They would at Vi’s house in an hour to do an assessment and go over their ideas with her. She numbly answered that it would be fine. She had no plans to go anywhere for the foreseeable future.

“Sheriff said he’ll be here around noon.” Mike said after Vi had hung up. She was trying to decide if she should call Liz and get Josie home, or if she should ask her to keep Josie another night. Vi wasn’t entirely sure she would be able to stay in the house, she wasn’t even going to try to guess her daughter’s reaction.

In the end, Josie decided for her. She was outraged, and that was putting it mildly. She wanted to be home, with Vi, and Vi could not tell her no. Josie also wanted to survey the damage herself, and to reassure herself that her room was still as it should be. Liz dropped her off at the same time the security company van showed up, and Josie disappeared into her room. Vi peeked in at her once, and saw Josie doing what she herself had started…she was stripping things down and cleaning. The two guys who were with the security company stayed out of their way. They consulted each other on occasion, must mostly they wandered around, jotting down notes and looking over the house and immediate property.

It was Mike who finally found someone that might be able to salvage some of the pictures in the pool. The woman he spoke with had not wanted to offer false hope, but she seemed confident that if the damage wasn’t too bad and the photos hadn’t been in the water too long, she might be able to at least reconstruct and copy them. It was good enough for Vi. The woman’s name was Angie Weathers, and she promised to be there by three that afternoon. She also warned Vi not to let the police touch anything in the pool.

“I know they want to get their evidence and whatever else, but if they pull those photos out without preserving them, they’ll ruin them. Tell them I’ll take care of it. I’ve worked with other police. They can call and check on my references.”

That was good enough for Vi. She passed the message along. Eventually Steve showed up, looking slightly more rested than the night before. He still was a long way from his normal self though. Vi offered him a soda. Her coffee maker was one of the items that had been throw into the pool.

“Gonna take more than caffeine to get me goin’ today I think, Viv.” Steve took a seat. “Anything missing?”

“Not that I’ve noticed. Even the ruined stuff is accounted for I guess.” Vi sat across from him at the table. “Are you feeling all right? You really don’t look well.”

“I feel like hell. But it’ll pass.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “All this crazy shit is wearin’ on me. Everything that’s happenin’ around here. The baby. Thought I could handle just about anything, but I guess this is provin’ me wrong.”

Vi smiled and patted the back of his hand. “It gets better. Eventually. Robin will have to go to school at some point.”

Steve groaned at that. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Mike told me you contacted someone about getting the stuff out of the pool?” He made it a question.

Vi filled him in, even reminding him not to touch anything out there so it wouldn’t be ruined. “Other than that, and scrubbing the house from top to bottom and back up, I am kind of at a loss as to what’s next.”

“What’s next is we get your security system worked out. Until then we can get a deputy to…” But Steve didn’t get far in that line of thinking.

“No. There is no way I would want or expect one of your deputies to watch us all the time.”

“Viv…”

“Absolutely not. You guys have enough to deal with already. Babysitting seems a bit beyond the call of duty.” Vi shook her head. “I will get the alarm, and whatever else these guys recommend, and I will sleep with a gun under my pillow if I have to but I don’t want to feel like some kind of prisoner in my own house.”

“I didn’t expect you’d wanna hear it.” Steve said with a smirk. “Didn’t stop me from offerin’.”

They were interrupted by one of the security men entering the kitchen. He carried a notebook with him, full of notes and drawings. Steve offered his recommendations and Vi settled on a system that would not only monitor all of the entries and exits, but also her office, with motion sensing lights outside. She was more iffy about the lights than she was about anything else.

“I work late sometimes, and if I’m constantly setting them off…plus…what if the power gets cut again? The guy threw the breakers right?”

“It runs off its own power source.” Steve assured her. The security people agreed. Other than that there was really nothing more they could recommend short of a few armed bodyguards. Fortunately they were locals, and they promised they would at least have the downstairs windows and doors connected before nightfall. The lights and office might have to be put off until the next day when they could get more equipment from their office.

Josie wandered into the kitchen, looking a combination of sullen and angry that Vi would have found funny under other circumstances. She sat next to Vi and rested her head against her shoulder. “Why would anybody want to come in the house and ruin a bunch of pictures?”

Vi smiled inwardly. The way Josie spit out each word was pure Link. On the rare occasion when something could rile his temper, he had spoken in that same clipped way. “I don’t know hon. I wish I knew.” Vi glanced up and saw that Steve was in deep conversation with the security guy. She lowered her voice. “Later on we’re going to go out and get some shooting practice in.”

She felt Josie nod against her arm. “Where’s Bridger?”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him today. Hiding from all the busy, or maybe he went to the bunkhouse after we left.” They had let him out, and normally Bridger would doze on the porch until they got back. But he hadn’t been there the night before.

Josie made a noncommittal noise in her throat. “Do you want me to clean the bathroom up there?”

Vi was surprised at that. “You’re offering to clean? Should I check your temperature?”

“Ha. I just…it feels weird. That somebody was here messing with our stuff.”

“I know. And sure. You can tackle the bathroom, and I’ll get the laundry going, then we’ll take care of the living room and kitchen together. How about that?”

“Sounds ok to me.” Josie got up and grabbed a soda for herself before ducking out of the kitchen.

Vi excused herself from the kitchen shortly after that as well. She wanted to get a start on the laundry before the woman came to try to rescue her pictures out of the pool. She saw Josie’s hamper already sitting at the door to the basement. Vi went to Glen’s room first, meaning to grab his hamper. She figured she might as well throw his things into the wash as well. She wasn’t sure he would be nearly manic about washing everything so she wasn’t going to bother anything else in his room.

Glen’s room was almost always military neat. It wasn’t that Vi had told him to keep it spit-shined, but he always made his bed in the morning and was neat to almost the point of fastidious. Vi noticed for the first time that the bed was made wrong.

Anyone else might not have noticed. Vi did. He’d been staying with them long enough that she had gotten used to the way he did things, and it didn’t take a genius to see that the top blanket, the one that he normally kept folded down because he slept under just a sheet, was pulled up and tucked under the pillows.

Vi didn’t even think about it…she pulled the blanket off the bed, meaning to toss it in with the rest of the laundry. She came up short of tossing it toward the hamper though when she spotted the picture on the bed that had been covered by the blanket. She frowned and tilted her head, trying to figure out who it was she was looking at. It wasn’t one of her pictures. It wasn’t Josie. As far as she knew Glen didn’t have a picture of his friend Amanda, and Vi was fairly sure that she was a blonde anyway.

The woman in the picture was a brunette, smiling, her arm looped over the shoulders of someone who stood outside the range of the camera lens. Vi had the feeling that she knew this woman, had in fact seen her, but she could not place her.

“Steve?” Vi went to the door and called his name out. A few moments later he appeared in the doorway. She’d had time to notice that while the picture was still in a frame, and it wasn’t shredded or ripped like some of her photographs had been, there was still something not right about it.

“What is it?” Steve stepped in. His eyes fell on the photograph on the bed. “Wha…” The word died before he fully spoke it. Vi watched as Steve pulled a bandana out of his back pocket. He gingerly used it to pick up the picture, avoiding touching it with his fingers.

Of course he didn’t have to hold it to see what Vi had already noticed. The glass was missing from the frame. Except for one sharp triangular piece. It stuck straight up, embedded in the picture, right through the woman’s chest. The glass wasn’t clear. It was red.

“He cut himself.” Vi said, making a face as Steve tilted the picture.

“Looks like it.” He looked up and met Vi’s eyes. “This is different than the other ones. It feels different.”

“I agree.”

“I tried to call Calaway.” Steve said, seemingly at random. Vi raised an eyebrow. Mark had been about the furthest thing from her mind since the day before.

“Ok.”

“He’s not gonna like this.” Steve sounded resigned. Vi snorted.

“This wasn’t done to him. This was done to us.” Vi pointed out.

“You don’t know who this is, do you?” He gestured at the picture, where the sliver of glass was conspicuous by the fact that it was the only one. Someone had done that on purpose, someone had purposely busted the glass but saved a piece of it to drive through the paper.

“I have no idea. Glen only kept one picture in here.” Vi felt a little ripple of unease go through her but pushed it aside. She pointed at the dresser, where a framed picture of Glen and Josie sitting on the open tailgate of Ray’s truck sat. Vi had taken the picture herself, and like other personal things on the second floor it had not been touched.

“You probably didn’t know her that well. This is Rayne.” Steve looked at Vi intently. “Mark’s wife.” He pointed at something in the background of the picture. “Looks like it was taken when they were building their house.”

“Why the hell would there be a picture of Mark’s wife in my house?” Vi asked, confused as she looked at the picture in Steve’s hand.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if it’s one of Mark’s.” Steve shook his head. “He doesn’t keep many around. I don’t think I’ve seen this one. Glen wouldn’t have…”

“Why…or how…would it be his? He showed up here with nothing, not even a pair of socks on.” Vi gingerly finished stripping the bed down to the mattress. Whether or not Glen was bothered by someone going through his stuff was a moot point. She was going to clean whether he wanted her to or not. “It feels like it was left as a message. But I’ll be damned if I can guess what kind of message it is.”

Steve could only sigh and head for the stairs. He had some bags in his car. He would bag this and get it fingerprinted, and hope that Mark would not go too ballistic when he found out about this when they finally got in touch with him.

37

It was an uncomfortable start.

Finding Glen hadn’t been a problem. Guys their size stuck out like sore thumbs in most situations. He was standing with a couple other guys watching as lumber was unloaded from a truck.

Mark nodded at them and looked at Glen. “Got a minute?”

Glen lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the guy next to him. Mark couldn’t place him, but he assumed the guy was in charge since everybody else was gone.

Mark had led him away from everyone else, mostly because it was no one else’s business. He still wasn’t quite sure where to start. Mostly it was the very idea that this man could be - or more honestly, was - his brother.

“There’s no easy way of doin’ this, or getting around it.” Mark said as they neared his truck. He turned and saw that Glen was looking at him, his expression one of polite curiosity. There was no recognition, and no other obvious emotion. “They did some tests. And according to those tests, you are my brother.”

Glen raised an eyebrow. “Your brother.” He said it as a flat statement.

“My brother, who has been dead for more years than I can to remember.” Mark supplied. Glen only looked at him with that same expression on his face. “Everybody says you can’t remember anything.”

Glen nodded at that. He was still looking at Mark, although now Mark got the feeling he was actually paying closer attention instead of just humoring him. “I remember Vivian picking me up. Kind of. Everything starts there.”

“Kind of?” Mark repeated.

“It’s fuzzy. Like I was half asleep or…I don’t know.” Glen shrugged and frowned. “And we’re related.”

“Yes.”

“That’s…one hell of a coincidence.” Glen said slowly.

“I don’t believe in coincidence.” Mark said. “Not in this lifetime anyway. Especially not when it concerns me. You’re obviously here for a reason. We just have to figure out what that reason is.” He sighed and looked around. “And this is not the place to do it. Come on. We’re gonna try to get things straightened out.”

“But…” Glen started to offer a token protest.

“I promised Vi that I would talk to you. I think she’d understand if I stole you for a little bit.”

Glen took a deep breath and shrugged. “Fine. If you think it’ll help.” He hesitated. “Is it true. What I…we…are?”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “What are we?”

“Not human.”

“That’s complicated.” Mark turned and went to his truck. Glen followed, although it was reluctantly. “I can explain it. Most of it. We’re gonna start with a trip to my place. And we’ll figure out where we need to go from there.”

Glen reluctantly followed his lead and slid into the passenger seat. Mark glanced at Vi’s house as they went past, and saw Josie sitting on the porch. Vi must have been in her office because the door was propped open.

“So where are we going?” Glen finally asked as Mark guided the truck through town.

“My place. I have some stuff you can look through.” Mark shrugged. “And it’s better than talking out there in front of everybody.” He glanced at Glen before returning his attention to the road. “I’ve seen my share of shit, but nothing like having your memory pretty much erased. That’s a new one on me.”

Glen nodded and looked at Mark again, that expression of curiosity on his features once more. They reached Mark’s house without speaking, and Mark led the way into the kitchen where he turned on the coffee maker. “I have a son. Andrew. He’s spending a couple of days with some friends of his, going camping, otherwise you’d be meeting him too.” When Glen did not acknowledge that, Mark looked over at him. “Do you want something to eat? It’s almost lunch time.”

Glen shook his head. “I just want to know what the hell is going on.”

Mark nodded and poured himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip before setting it aside. “I didn’t keep much…after everything happened. A picture or two. Friends salvaged a little more but I haven’t really bothered with it. You lost your memory maybe and I wish I could forget. Hell of a thing. Wait here.” With that Mark left Glen sitting at the kitchen table while he ducked through the basement door. It didn’t take long to find what he was looking for - he didn’t keep things around that had no use, so the few things stored there were easy to get to. There was one box, fairly decent sized. He hefted it and took it up the stairs.

Glen watched warily as Mark set the box on the table. But he didn’t open it just yet. Instead he went across the living room, into his office. When he came out moments later he carried a framed picture between his palms.

“I’m not sure what good any of this is going to do.” Mark set the picture down so Glen could see. He could tell by the way the other man frowned that he had seen the picture before…the picture that had been cut. Mark opened the box and started pulling things out. There were a few photo albums…one for each of them, and then a family album. Their mother had not begun to really accept their lives for a few years so there were no pictures of Mark or Glen younger than 6 years old.

While Glen flipped through the photos, Mark told him everything he could remember. Right up to the night when their father had come back and destroyed everything that they’d built together.

“This is not the first time I have heard that I was…dead. So how was I dead then but alive now?” Glen asked, looking up from pictures of what he could only assume was him, the man across from him, and his mother.

“It doesn’t make sense. But you know what we are.” At Glen’s reluctant nod, Mark continued. “There are certain times a death can be reversed. It takes a lot of power…and maybe self-sacrifice. Nobody is really sure how it works exactly but...one thing I am sure of is that you are not able to bring somebody back who has been dead for 20 or 40 years. It has to be within minutes of their death.”

“So my memory loss can’t because I was dead and somebody brought me back a few months ago.” Glen said, looking at a picture of the woman who was his mother.

“That’s right. You had to be somewhere. We might age slower too but you don’t age when you’re dead either. You don’t look like an eighteen year old kid to me.”

“Then why can’t I remember anything?” Glen ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“That’s what we have to figure out.” Mark looked at him thoughtfully. “So you know what you are, knew even before I told you?”

“Sort of. Yeah. This girl I’ve been seeing told me some stuff.”

“Has she been helping you?”

Glen raised an eyebrow. “Helping me?”

“Does seeing her help keep you in control?”

“I…yes.” Glen thought about lying but decided he had nothing to lose for telling the truth. “If you want to call it helping.”

“Tell me.”

“I can’t. Because I don’t understand it.” Glen turned a few pages in the album in front of him, not really seeing the pictures. “I kind of already figured out that you and Vivian…you have…something…between you.” He struggled to put it into words. The hell of it was, Glen had no idea how exactly it was he could know it. It wasn’t as if Vivian were running around advertising it. “A couple months ago…hell. A month ago a part of me would be sitting here plotting out ways to ram a sharp object through your eye or something. If I hadn’t done it already.”

Mark nodded, not looking surprised at all. “It won’t last.”

“What won’t?”

“Whatever it is that she gives you that’s keeping you stable. It can’t last. It might be all right for a while, and if you’re lucky for a long while, but it’ll fall apart.”

“You act like you know.”

“I do. I’ve had a lot more practice than you at this.” Mark finally sat down. “Mostly I was just mad all the time. Only mad doesn’t quite cover it. Rage. I fell in with the wrong kind of demon, and for a while that was all there was. Just rage. Probably would have kept on going too if they hadn’t let it slip that our…that Dominic…was planning on coming back again. It was the only thing that kept me from completely losing my mind. And even then it wasn’t necessarily the sanest point in my entire life.” He reached for his cup of now cold coffee, took a swallow, and grimaced. “Whatever you’re getting from this woman now, don’t count on it lasting. I tried. Both ways really. I lived as a demon, and that was a special slice of hell, then I lived as a human and got a little slice of heaven. Now I’m just tryin’ to figure out how to hang in the middle. Maybe it’ll work out better for me this time.”

Glen looked confused for a moment. “To be honest…it’s weird because it’s not like it was. When it first started happening. I was taking a lot of anger out on her.” But the way he cut his eyes away told Mark that there was a lot more to it than merely anger. “Now I feel like I’m just playing along with her, instead of the other way around.”

“Maybe it’s cyclical.” Mark said thoughtfully and rubbed his hand over his eyes. “That’s not unheard of even for full blooded demons who live around here. They are perfectly normal for weeks or months at a time, then one day get a wild hair up their ass and act crazy for a while. And we’re not like them. We’re more powerful because of what we are but…I think maybe we’re too powerful. And that side needs to rest every now and then.”

Glen mulled that over for a moment. “If I could remember…” He did not elaborate the thought. Mark waited but Glen could only shake his head.

“I’m still not entirely convinced that you remembering would be a good thing. Because we don’t know where you’ve been. Or what you’ve been through.” Mark finally spoke when it seemed Glen could not.

“I think it would be better to know.” Glen finally said. “Even if it’s bad. Especially if it’s bad. I don’t like not knowing what I’m capable of. From what I’ve seen so far…” Again he trailed off. “I’m already pretty sure I’m not going to like it.”

“At this point I’d say it’s a necessary evil.” Mark pointed out. “It just strikes me odd how all of this is happening all at once.”

“All of what?” Glen gave up on the album and pushed it aside.

“You showing up. The random murders. Even everything that’s happened with Vi.” Mark scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Both of us liking her.” He added. He looked at Glen. “What do you make of it? The fire and what happened to her husband and his mother?”

Glen looked surprised at the shift in conversation. “Am I supposed to make something of it other than it was hell for them?”

“You’ve been out where that house used to be. Before and after, I’m sure. What did you think? What did you feel?”

Glen shrugged and studied his hands for a moment, thinking it over. “I guess…” He began, then stopped, frowning. He had only gone out to the original house before they’d cleared it a couple of times. The first was the night that he had gone looking for Vi. The second was right before they had started the garden. He didn’t know why he had been compelled to go there; it was late, no one else was awake, and he had been tired himself. He had simply stood near the old swing and looked at the ruins. “Nothing at first.” He finally spoke, voice low. “Because I was more worried about Vivian than I was about the house. She was upset and…reliving it…I guess. Later…” He shook his head. “The only other time I was up there it was like I was waiting for something to happen. But it was like waiting for something that had already happened at the same time. If that makes any sense at all.”

“It might.” Mark said slowly, using the same low, thoughtful tone of voice. “I…or we…didn’t start developing any kind of powers until we were in our teens. Nothing obvious anyway. Given the way things turned out…I guess you would say we’re mostly based on destructive powers. It was a long time ago, and Mom didn’t want us using our powers.” Mark turned his empty coffee mug in his hands and looked into it speculatively, as if he were seeing the past. “She said that it would draw the wrong kind of attention. I didn’t know what she meant at the time but I guess word would have gotten around about flash fires or teleporting people, and the wrong kind of demon would have hunted us down.”

Glen had looked up from him hands to study Mark’s face as he spoke. “So what does that have to do with anything now?”

“It wasn’t all destructive. I had other…things…I could do. Rare stuff for the demon world. Astral projection, dream control, healing…”

“I thought we could all do the healing thing.” Glen interrupted, thinking of Amanda.

“To a certain extent, sure. But we heal faster than they do.”

“But you got killed.” Glen pointed out.

“Only because Dominic punched a hole through my chest and pretty much ripped my heart out.” Mark raised an eyebrow. “In retrospect maybe if I had been a little less about revenge and a little more about protecting people who couldn’t protect themselves, it probably wouldn’t have happened. Thought it was a lesson learned.”

“But not really?” Glen asked.

“Oh I learned it. Then I kind of forgot it. Complacency is a bitch.” Mark snatched his coffee mug up from the table and went to the sink to rinse it out.

“It wasn’t an accident, was it?”

Mark leaned back against the sink and looked at Glen, his expression carefully blank. “It’s like the fire at the ranch. Surface story sounds good enough, but something about it doesn’t ring true.”

“Then maybe you aren’t the only complacent one.” Glen said it in an offhand way, thinking out loud.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Or I shouldn’t know. But the whole set up around here, the town full of demons or whatever they want to call themselves…it’s like there’s a bubble around the town. And everybody has taken it for granted.” Glen paused for a moment and shook his head. “Like the whole town is asleep.”

Mark thought it over, a frown on his face. “I’m as guilty of that as the rest of them.” But was it still true? That was the big question. It didn’t feel true. Sure he had questioned Rayne’s death, mostly to himself, mostly to blame himself. Now when he thought about it he felt a spark of anger. It didn’t take a genius to figure out which part of him would get the most pissed off about it. He finally huffed out a sigh and crossed back to the table where he peered into the box of photo albums. “There’s not going to be anything here to help you. Whatever was done to you is beyond my skill set…obviously.”

“So what now?”

“Now? I have no idea.” He pushed the box away and walked to the sink once more to look out the window. “Another year or two…Drew maybe could do something. Drew’s got something different. I don’t understand it. Hell nobody I’ve bothered to talk to can really understand it.”

“Do you have a picture of him?” Glen asked softly. Mark looked over his shoulder then pointed toward the stairs. Glen rose to his feet and walked across the living room, frowning as he looked over the framed portraits that hung on the wall that led up the stairs. There were not a lot of family photos in Mark’s house compared to Vivian’s, but Glen noted that the pictures were placed in areas where he would see them multiple times a day. The fact that there weren’t many just drove that point home.

The kid wasn’t familiar, but Glen hadn’t expected him to be really. Other than a couple of Josie’s friends, he hadn’t really noticed many of the younger crowd. He bore a strong resemblance to Mark, there was no denying it. Same dark hair, same green eyes. It wasn’t until Glen let his eyes shift to the woman in the picture with the kid that he felt his breath catch.

The woman was familiar.

It was obvious she was Mark’s wife. She had her arms slung over the kid’s shoulders, light brown hair up in a ponytail that made her look about sixteen, and was smiling at something off camera to the right. And it was an odd doubling sensation in his head, one he had felt before. He had never seen the woman before, but at the same time he felt he had seen her before.

“Which one is it?”

Mark’s voice, right beside him, made Glen jump a little. He looked at his brother for a moment before shrugging. “What was your wife’s name?”

“Rayne.” Mark was studying him carefully.

Glen looked at the picture again. “Rayne.” He repeated the name but it had no meaning. The odd feeling of recognition had faded too. “For a second there…”

“Yeah. I noticed.” Mark sucked in a deep breath. “How would you have known her? You were dead way before I ever met her.”

“I don’t know.” Frustrated, Glen turned away from the pictures. “You said that she forgot…or didn’t want to remember…what really happened.”

“It’s not the same as whatever happened to you.” Mark said. “It was how she wanted to deal with it. With what she saw and went through.”

“So you don’t know of anybody with some kind of power that could wipe out a person’s entire memory and leave them with nothing.”

“No.” But Mark hesitated when he said it. “I knew somebody a long time ago that could manipulate a person’s thoughts to a point. But not…just erasing everything. At least not at the time when I knew him.”

Glen had turned to look at Mark once more. “Is he dead too?”

The question was so blunt Mark could only look surprised for a minute. “I don’t know. The short answer would be yes. He died. Killed by another demon. But when Rayne pulled me back, it’s possible she got him too. If she did…I never heard from him or saw him again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be. It was the risk we took.” Mark looked troubled though. “You said you and Vi went to the old house. How about another trip out there?”

“You think it might do some good?”

“It couldn’t hurt.” Mark shook his head. “if it doesn’t, we’ll come back. I’ll talk to some people around town, see if I can’t find out anything.”

“The girl I’m seeing said that she’d been asking around and hadn’t found much of anything.”

“She’s an outsider.”

“But she’s like you. Or like everybody else around here.”

Mark smirked at that. “Still doesn’t mean people will talk to her. They’ll talk to me though. Let me make a couple of phone calls, then we can head out. Never know until we try.”

Glen nodded and sank down onto the couch while Mark went to get his phone. He hoped maybe this time they would find some answers. He really could not figure out any other options. Mark spoke into his phone for several minutes giving Glen a chance to think things over. He waited until he heard him put the phone away.

“What about the murders?”

Mark had picked up his keys from where he’d set them on the counter. “What about them?”

“Do you think they have anything to do with me being here? Since things were…fine…before I showed up.”

“I don’t know. Do you feel like it’s something meant for you? A message or something?”

“Not really. What kind of message would I get from having people I don’t know killed in a town full of strangers?”

Mark sat on the arm of the couch and toyed with his key ring. “I can’t for sure say that it’s not connected. It’s maybe a little too convenient, that it’s happening now after you made an appearance. Then again I can’t say for sure it’s not just some nut job that’s been moving from place to place and this place’s number came up.”

“But you don’t believe that.”

“No.” Mark didn’t hesitate. “Whoever it is, they are good at shielding themselves. Like they know they have to be shielded to get away with it. That is something that not a lot of humans can do. It’s got to be one of us. Not all of us can be humanized. Some are better than others, but there are some that hate pretending to be what they aren’t. They think it’s more of a weakness than a strength. They get resentful.”

“You’ve dealt with it before.”

“On a few occasions. I’m not proud of it.” Mark said as if Glen had accused him of something. “Our kind started building around here because of me. Because they thought I could be some kind of…protection…or…leader. I don’t know. And we have a good thing here. I do what I have to do to keep it that way.” He smiled without humor. “Even when I don’t particularly want to. You ready?”

“I guess.” Glen rose to his feet again, fairly certain this trip was going to be another dead end. Still there was nothing to be gained from sitting around waiting for the next thing to happen, or for his next episode of mindless anger at something he could not control. He tried to keep that in mind as he followed Mark out to his truck.

They were both lost in their own thoughts for most of the trip. And Glen was surprised when they got there and Mark pulled a key out of his pocket to unlock the door.

“I still own the place. In a roundabout way.” Mark said by way of explanation. “It went on the market after…what happened, and I bought it. Couldn’t tell you why it was important. I’ve been back here maybe a handful of times but not since Drew was born.” He pushed the door open and shook his head. “Maybe it’s sort of like my own version of beating myself up with something.” It was Vi he thought about, and the burned shell of the original house.

Glen followed him into the house and even with Mark there, talking about things, pointing out where things had been, telling stories about their mother, Glen still felt nothing. According to Mark, Glen had been the more outgoing kid and better in school while he had been more into sports and girls. The more aggressive the better on both counts.

Eventually even Mark got discouraged. Reminiscing about the past was not something he did well on a good day, and thinking about his family…even if Glen did not remember it was stirring up emotions that Mark thought were probably better left alone.

“I think we should find somewhere to get some supper. And then we’ll take another little road trip.” Mark finally said, glancing at his watch. It was almost eight. He had made arrangements for Drew to stay at his friend Collin’s house that night, and possibly the next depending on how things went, so there was no worry in that department.

“Another trip where?” Glen asked morosely as he climbed into the passenger seat once again.

“To a place I haven’t been in about 20 years.” Mark said. He put the truck in gear and backed out of the driveway. “I don’t know if it’ll help. But it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

Glen could only nod on confusion as Mark guided the truck alone the country roads. He only knew they were heading further from the small town they’d left behind, suddenly uneasy. It wasn’t for himself, he was sure. He thought about it and knew it was Vi. Their leaving was a mistake but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. And he had no idea how he could know that.

38

Vi spent a couple of long, sleepless nights. Even with the new alarm system installed and working, she still jumped at every little noise, and constantly got up to check on Josie. Josie had been too exhausted to do much more than drag herself into bed. She slept like a rock.

She had turned down offers from several of the ranch hands to come stay in the house. She knew they meant well, she appreciated it, but she didn’t think it would make a difference. As it was, several of the hands had taken up a sort of rotational watch, driving or walking up to the main road at least once an hour, always with an eye on Vi and Josie’s place as they passed. It was sweet in a way but also nerve-wracking. Every time she heard an engine Vi was compelled to get up and check it out. The same for the couple of occasions the guys had been walking and she had heard them talking, or in one case just coughing with the onset of a summer cold.

The night before had been just as bad. Josie had been restless as well as Vi, and they’d both been short-tempered and out of sorts. It had caught up to Josie the second night. Vi wasn’t so lucky. She could not stop thinking about the past few days. They had gotten things cleaned up, and as back to normal as they could get. A couple of trips to town had replaced the phone, the flashlights, the smashed frames. Angie, the woman who restored damaged pictures, had clucked her tongue over the mess in the pool but had been optimistic. The photo paper had been good quality, and the pool’s chlorine had been diluted by the heavy rainfall the night before. She went about carefully collecting pictures into air-tight bags, still covered in water, promising Steve for what seemed like the hundredth time that she would preserve fingerprints or any other evidence that might still be there. It would take a few days to really map the damage, and as much as a couple of months to fix what she could but Angie seemed to think that there wasn’t anything that wasn’t salvageable.

That was a relief to Vi, but a hollow one. After the initial shock had passed, and the initial fury at someone entering their home and destroying their personal items had faded, she was left with a dull kind of hurt. This sort of violation made what had happened with Glen seem silly, on the level of getting groped while drunk at a high school keg party.

Speaking of Glen…he was not back yet. Neither was Mark. Vi knew that Drew was staying with friends, and Josie had spoken to him and learned that he had no idea where his dad had gone, only that he’d be back as soon as he could. There had not been a word from either of them since Mark had picked Glen up.

Vi almost hated to admit even to herself just how much she missed having one, or in this case, both of them around. It wasn’t so much that she needed someone to lean on. It was just nice to not have to worry alone.

It did not help things that Josie was glued to her side, as if terrified something would happen to Vi. She refused to talk about it, which was not like Josie at all. The same went for Bridger when he finally reappeared. Josie kept him in her room most of the time, and when he wanted to go outside she made him suffer the indignity of a leash on his collar. After the first few times, Bridger seemed to get it. He hadn’t attempted to run outside or move further from Josie than a few feet.

It was just past six in the morning when Vi had finally given up on the thought of sleeping. She’d managed to doze off a few times but real sleep alluded her. If she was lucky, she’d be able to take a nap after lunch. Which would probably only make her feel more tired but that was fine too. Eventually things would go back to normal. She checked in on Josie, who was sleeping with one arm draped over Bridger, and let her be. She knew that Josie should be helping out around the ranch, she did it every summer, but after the week they’d had she wasn’t going to force the issue and drag her out of bed.

Instead, Vi headed downstairs to make breakfast even though she wasn’t a bit hungry. There was soda in the fridge though, and she grabbed a can for the caffeine she figured she’d need. She had just popped it open when someone knocked at the front door.

Vi frowned and looked at the clock. There was no reason for anyone, barring an emergency, to be showing up this early in the day. Of course she was tired and out of sorts so that would be the time something would happen. She set her soda on the counter and went to the door, expecting one of the ranch hands.

What she got was a complete stranger. He was tall, sort of boyish looking in a way that she couldn’t put her finger on, especially given the way he was grinning when she opened the door. He had close-cropped dark hair, and the scruffy start of a beard but even that didn’t put his age anywhere over 30.

“Hi.” He said the word as if he expected Vi would know who he was. The grin also widened.

“Hel-lo?” Vi dragged it out, for a moment a bit mesmerized by the guy’s eyes. She’d thought they were hazel at first, but now they were blue. When he shifted his gaze they went from dark to light blue and back.

“A guy by the name of Mark Calaway wouldn’t happen to be here, would he?”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “No.” Again she dragged the word out. “Why would he be here?”

“Because he’s not at home. Nobody has seen him for a couple of days. And it’s kind of important that I speak to him.” Again, the guy smiled rather boyishly and stuck his hand out. “I’m an old friend of his. Name’s Randy.”

Vi found herself half-smiling in return and reaching out to shake his offered hand but she stopped and narrowed his eyes. “Wait a minute. That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here, looking for him.” Something, some interior voice, told her that she’d heard the name Randy before and recently. She just couldn’t place it. From Mark, maybe? It had to be. And then it struck her. “Ok. You’re Randy? The Randy that helped Mark do whatever it was he did to his father? The one who died?”

“Yes. Yes, and yes again.” He was still smiling although it was more troubled. “Except I didn’t really die. Or if I did it wasn’t for long.”

Vi let him take her hand and shake it. And she noted he watched her closely as if gauging her reaction. He might have expected a bigger one. She shook his hand dutifully and released him. “So why is a supposedly dead friend of Mark’s on my doorstep at six-thirty in the morning?” The alarm pad that had been put in next to the door started beeping and VI reached over and punched in her code to shut it up before turning her attention back to the guy on her porch.

“A friend wanted me to talk to him. And he said it was urgent.” Randy glanced over his shoulder as a truck rattled by the house on the way to the back of the ranch.

“And this friend of yours sent you here?” Vi asked when he’d turned back to face her.

“No. He sent me to Mark’s.” Randy was back to studying her intently. “I followed a hunch here. Sort of. I take it that you know what we are, since you know about what happened with Mark and his father.”

“I do.”

“Good. Then that makes this easier. I couldn’t always get a read on Mark, usually looking at him and trying to pick up on his thoughts was like trying to tune into a radio station that’s out of range, but after he got more humanized, I could read him better. It’s like a song you haven’t heard for years, but as soon as you hear a verse the rest of it pops into your head.” He tapped his temple. “That kind of brought me here. He’s either been here a lot or he’s thought of this place…or you…a lot. You’re Vivian, right?”

“Right. You picked that up. From Mark.”

“Kind of. Some people leave an imprint…especially where there are strong feelings attached. He never used to do that.” The smile flashed, but it was short lived. “If he’s not home, and he’s not here…then he’s off the grid. Because from what I can tell these are the only recent places that have held any kind of meaning for him. If I leave you a number…” He reached into the pocket of the jeans he was wearing and tugged out a cell phone. “Can you have him call me? I’ll be in town, close by.”

“I…sure. Yeah.” Vi hesitated for a moment. “Does this have anything to do with what happened here the other night? Or Glen? Or whatever’s happening around town?”

“What happened the other night?” Randy’s voice took on a tone of concern. Then he raised his eyebrows. “Glen?”

“Well we had a…”

“Glen as in Mark’s brother, Glen? That Glen?” Randy interrupted her.

“Yeah. I…” Another truck rumbled past. The guys in front waved and Vi waved back, noting that they had slowed down to peer at her visitor. “You know what? Why don’t you come in? Otherwise the whole ranch is likely to show up on my doorstep wanting to know what’s up.” Randy nodded and stepped in when Vi held the door open. She gestured toward the kitchen. “My coffee maker got destroyed but I have soda and juice, or water. If you’d like a drink.”

“No thank you. I’m fine.” Randy took a seat at the table and waited until Vi sat down across from him. “You know, I haven’t seen Mark in…20 years?” He had to think about it. The number seemed to surprise him. “And I got the gist of what happened…with his wife…from my friend.”

“So you didn’t know anything about that?” Vi asked, sipping her soda.

“No. I didn’t have contact with him after what happened. I woke up…” Randy frowned and shook his head. “It wasn’t waking up because I wasn’t asleep. I was told I was in a coma for a few weeks. I came out of it in some tiny little house, with some strange old woman caring for me. I have no idea how I got there. But she was like us. She knew what I was. I stayed there for a while to get my strength back, then I started…wandering. Not staying in any one place for too long.”

“Were the two of you close? You and Mark?”

Randy smirked. “As close as anybody could get to him at the time. He was still trying to come to terms with his humanity sharing a body with his demon side.”

“I would venture a guess that he’s past that now. Mostly.” Vi said with a smile.

“Sounds like it. I heard that he has a kid too?” That came as a question. Vi nodded.

“A son. He’s thirteen.”

Randy smiled thoughtfully. “I guess I’m just…a little surprised…that he married Rayne. Of course I know that would be the only way he could have a kid at all, but…it doesn’t mesh with the Mark that I knew I guess.”

“So even though he’s not entirely like you, he still couldn’t just have more kids with a regular human woman?” Vi asked out of curiosity.

“No. I’m not sure why. I don’t think anybody knows why there are only a few human females that can have children by demons either. Although if I stop to think about it I guess it’s a good thing, considering what Mark’s been through.” Randy shrugged. “You mentioned Glen.”

“Yes I did.” Vi finished her soda and got up to toss the can into the garbage, explaining how she had found him on the side of the road, how she had let him come to stay. And eventually how they had figured out he was Mark’s brother. Or half-brother, as the DNA testing suggested.

“And he doesn’t remember anything at all.” It wasn’t a question.

“Nothing. Although every now and then he might have a…I don’t know what to call it. Like something is trying to get through but can’t.” It put her at a loss to explain it. She had seen for herself, those little bursts Glen had when something struck him as familiar for a brief moment before it was lost again. “And that’s where Mark is now. I guess. Somewhere with Glen, trying to help him. I haven’t heard from him since the day they left though.”

“If I had known…” Randy shook his head. “Did he tell you about my powers?”

“If he did, I don’t recall.” Vi smile ruefully. “I’ve had information overload the past few months. My brain may be fried completely. Probably is, as I am sitting in my kitchen so early with a strange man talking like we’ve known each other for years.”

“I have that effect.” He smiled back at her. “I have what we call the touch. I can touch someone and…sometimes manipulate them. Or read their thoughts. Sometimes I can plant thoughts in their head.”

Vi thought that over for a moment. “Does that mean sometimes you can make them forget?”

“I don’t think I could wipe out a person’s entire memory. But a single memory here and there? Sure.”

“Are you the reason that Mark’s wife thought the whole thing was a dream? The stuff that happened back then?”

“Partially. The rest was all her. Not wanting to believe it. She might have forgotten without any help from me, and I’m not entirely sure I actually did anything in that direction. She might have done it herself. The thing about those few special women who can carry a demon’s child…they have to be able to absorb some of the powers from the demon otherwise they can’t survive it. An older demon might want to take her to a deeper realm, but they could just as easily do it here. And the woman wouldn’t make it through the pregnancy.” Randy paused. “But that’s way off the subject. How can Mark’s brother be alive? My parents…they were there that night. They saw it. There was no way he could have been brought back.”

“Apparently somebody found a way.” Vi said with a sigh. “So would you be able to do anything about his memory loss?”

“I don’t know. If he were a full human or a full demon, probably. But he’s both. It makes them stronger, and different in a lot of ways.” Randy leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “I can’t read you. I tried at the door, when we shook hands.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know. It’s never happened before. Even with Mark…he could shield himself pretty well, but I still knew he was there. You though...I don’t know. I know you’re there, I could probably find you in a crowded building, but it’s just like a spark on my radar, not a signal beamed into my head.”

Vi nodded and was quiet for a few moments. “So why are you here then? If not because of Glen or whatever else?”

Randy shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

“More complicated than what’s been going on around here?”

“What’s been going on around here?” Randy shot back at her.

“Besides Glen? And my…relationship…with Mark? Those murders? The break-in here at the house? Take your pick. There’s no shortage of weirdness going on.”

“One thing at a time. Someone broke in to your house?”

“Yeah. Couple of nights ago. I’m a vet. I was out on an emergency visit and when I got back somebody had cut the power in the house and was waiting for me. I got out before anything happened but he trashed a few hundred bucks worth of electronics and destroyed some family pictures.” Vi felt a spark of anger but it was not nearly the level she’d felt before. “I’d be more pissed off but I’m tired.”

“I would imagine.” Rand ran his fingers lightly over the top of the table. “Did he touch anything specific?”

Vi shrugged. “He touched everything pretty much. Moved stuff, broke stuff. I don’t know specifics, because I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Especially when I thought I saw him still in the house.”

“You saw him?”

“His shadow. In the front window.” Vi hooked a thumb in the direction of the living room.

“Mind if I take a look?” He was already rising to his feet. Vi could only watch as he approached the window and ran his fingertips over the sill, the frame, not touching the glass but everywhere around it. “It was raining.”

“Yeah. Big storm that night.”

“I don’t know who he is. He just feels kind of…cold.”

Vi had gotten up from the table and followed him into the living room. “You can tell that. Just by touching the window?”

“Sure.” Randy said it like it was an everyday thing. Of course to him it probably was. “Not much else though. Whoever it was, he’s pretty closed off.” He shook his head and seemed to realize Vi was standing there. “I should go.”

“But…”

“If you see Mark, tell him I’m looking for him. Do you have pen and paper? I want to leave you my number.”

“I…sure.” Vi went back to the kitchen and grabbed her notepad and a pen off the counter. She handed them over and Randy jotted down his number.

“If you need anything. Or if anything else weird happens here...you give me a call yourself.” Randy said, giving her the pen and paper back. “Just in case.”

“O…k…” Again Vi dragged the word out. “You never said exactly why it was that you were here and looking for Mark.” She said as she held the door open for him. Randy paused on the front porch and smiled at her.

“Technically I think I was supposed to give him a kick in the ass to get him going. But I think I’m probably a little too late for that. See you around.” He winked and headed toward the car that was parked near Vi’s SUV.

Vi frowned, confused, and shut the door behind him. Odd. Everything was so odd. It seemed like the longer she knew these people, the stranger they got.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she’d been planning to cook breakfast. Now she thought she might actually be able to eat. Before she went to the kitchen though she picked up the phone and dialed Mark’s cell phone number. Much as it had over the last two days, the call did not even ring. It went straight to voicemail. Vi didn’t bother with a message. She preferred to keep her worrying to herself.

~~!~~

“You should have called me.”

Steve hadn’t been wrong. Mark was so angry he could hardly get the words out past his clenched teeth.

“I tried.” Steve refused to let Mark’s anger rattle him. “Not like I have a supernatural line straight to your head is it? And what exactly could you have done that we didn’t?” It was Friday afternoon. Mark had been out of contact since earlier in the week, when they’d gotten the DNA results back.

It looked like he was back though.

“You can get as mad as you wanna get. Nobody’s been hurt. Had a couple more break-ins but no murders. Got Viv a fancy alarm system, deputized eight of our best guys, and we’re doing more patrols.” Steve said, calm even if he could feel Mark’s anger through the phone.

“I’ll be back in town by midnight.” It was as if Steve hadn’t talked. “Earlier than that.”

“Don’t go flyin’ off half-cocked.” Steve advised, pretty sure it was falling on deaf ears. Or no ears. Mark had hung up. Steve wondered if the man’s last comment had been a promise or a threat. Mark was the one that had been out of touch for the past few days, the one who had missed all of the craziness. Steve hoped he’d be so damned lucky the next time he took a vacation.

He set the phone down and tugged his ball cap down over his eyes, shading them from the sun that slanted through the window. He had stopped by his house the night before, to check in, and had almost literally passed out as he sat on the couch holding his daughter. His lack of rest had finally caught up to him. Jess had let him sleep til nearly eight that morning, and while he was grateful for the rest, he realized he’d spent ten hours snoozing while all of his new deputies rambled the county without a leader.

The fact that nothing happened was little comfort. Steve had called them all together at lunchtime, and they’d worked out a watch roster. And he still didn’t think it was enough. Their county was a lot of ground to cover for so few patrolling. He’d started making calls, and word had gotten around. People had to start setting watch. He couldn’t deputize everyone.

Steve pushed his hat back and squinted up at the clock on the wall. It was four. He should go home, spend some quality awake time with the girls while he could, and then head out for a night of patrolling. He added a stop at Viv’s house to his list. The woman who had taken all of the pictures from the pool had called earlier in the day to say she had found a few fingerprints. None of them were more than a partial, and almost all of them were smudged. She had collected them anyway and Steve expected them to arrive in the morning. He didn’t expect it would do much good. While most people in town had been fingerprinted at some point - mostly for the town’s peace of mind rather than a real need to do it - Steve knew this was not merely one of the townies blowing off steam that had been building up over time. No. He’d seen that before. Usually it was the newer demons that cracked, that showed their true colors. He could deal with that. This was something different.

And there were new people in town. Normally that would not be a cause for worry because they had to let some people in on occasion, otherwise they were no better than their realm-dwelling demon counterparts. It was hard not to be suspicious though. His deputies were especially keeping an eye on anyone who had been in town less than one year, including seasonal workers who only showed up for the summer before drifting away.

A few had caught Steve’s attention. The first was a woman who was staying at the motel. He had not learned her name, he had only heard from Mike that she was a knockout. And Steve had seen her around a few times, usually at the diner, once at the library where she had been sitting on the steps out front and taking in the sleepy scenery around her. She sparked curiosity but not suspicion.

The rest were males, all of them of the transient variety. One of them was working at Viv’s ranch but he had been with Ray at the auctions when Viv’s house was broken into. It was not an alibi in Steve’s estimation, but he had to focus on the more pressing suspects first and work his way down list of maybes.

He got up and stretched with a groan. The sleep last night had done him a world of good, but he didn’t bank on it happening again until things settled around town. Steve shifted the hat once more and lifted a hand in a wave toward the front desk where an older woman named Franny had taken over dispatch duty for the foreseeable future. She had run dispatch before, and it freed up his deputies to actually go out and patrol. She and her sister Emma had settled themselves in and set up their own schedule without a peep out of Steve. He was just grateful to have the extra hands around the station.

He went outside and climbed behind the wheel of his Jeep. He let the air conditioning run for a moment, cooling down the interior before shifting into reverse to back onto the road.

And that was when he noticed the woman in the passenger seat.

Steve should have seen her when he was walking toward the vehicle for sure, and definitely in the few minutes he’d fiddled with the controls on the dashboard. One second the seat had been empty, the next there she was. Except she wasn’t really there. Steve realized he could see through her.

He also realized that he knew her.

He didn’t know her name. Their town was small but it wasn’t like he knew every citizen by name. No. He knew her though, he had seen her before. Even as he thought it she faded and the seat was empty once more. “What the fuck was that?” He asked out loud. There was no answer of course. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to remember the woman and where he had seen her before. She was young, early twenties. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Even as he tried to call up details the memory of her was fading.

He grabbed his small notebook and pencil and scrawled out some notes to himself before it faded all together. It was possible if he could describe her that Jess would know her, or maybe one of his deputies. Steve tucked the notebook into his pocket then carefully checked the passenger seat and backseat before finally pulling out onto the road.

39

For lack of anything more pressing to do, Vi treated herself to a night out and away, driving for nearly an hour to reach the nearest place that could be called a city. Josie had surprised her by asking if she could spend the night with Emma, another friend of hers from school. It was surprising that Josie hadn’t wanted to stay with Grace, but Vi had not pressed too much with questions. She was just glad that Josie had finally decided Vi wasn’t going to disappear in a puff of smoke if she wasn’t within shouting distance.

Vi dropped her off and then hit the road, not really wanting to go back to the empty house. She’d spent the better part of the day dealing with animals and fending off well-meaning ranch hands who offered to help every time she turned around. It got to the point where Vi was almost afraid to venture outside.

So that made it even better that she could get away for a little while. Vi treated herself to dinner and a movie, not minding a bit that she was alone. It was nice to get out of town and not see anyone she recognized, even better to not be recognized and constantly asked if she needed anything.

Vi wasn’t exactly sure why everyone was suddenly being so damned solicitous. It was possible it had always been this way and she just had not noticed it. But when she thought about it she knew that this was beyond living in a town with generally helpful people. The past few days she had felt like a kid subjected to various over-attentive babysitters. She kept telling herself they meant well but it didn’t do much to help her nerves.

After the movie, Vi got behind the wheel of her SUV and toyed briefly with the idea of staying in a hotel. While the thought of room service, maid service, and possibly even spa service - there was a hotel right up the road that had a day spa directly off their lobby, she and Josie had gotten manicures there the summer before - but she had hardly come prepared for a night away. Besides that, she was tired of feeling as if she were walking on egg shells in her own house.

Before she could put her SUV in gear her cell phone beeped from the passenger seat. She’s forgotten to take it with her which was just as well. Vi sighed and picked it up, glancing at the missed calls. She played the short message that waited on her voice mail.

“Hey Viv.” Steve drawled out. “Mark called. Said he’d be back in town tonight sometime. Thought I’d let you know.” He paused. “Do me a favor.” Another pause. “If you see him before I do, be careful telling him about that picture we found. Sometimes it’s hard to tell how he’ll react to certain things. And make sure you lock up and set that alarm.” The message ended.

Well. That was nice. Mark was back from wherever he had disappeared to for the past few days. She could only assume that meant Glen was back as well. Which really solved the question of whether or not to stay in the city - Glen didn’t know about the alarm, and he was liable to set it off going into the house. If he hadn’t already.

Vi had to smile when she turned into her own driveway a bit later and rounded the curve. Mark’s truck was parked in front of the house, and he had let the tail gate down so he could sit on the back. He was swinging his legs, which made him look like the world’s biggest kid in Vi’s opinion. But it was endearing. And she realized she’d missed seeing him the past few days, not just because of what had happened but in spite of it.

Mark smiled and raised a hand in a wave as Vi pulled to a stop next to his truck. She got out and smirked at him. “Been here long?”

“Nah.” Mark slid from his seat on the tailgate. “Long enough to worry about where you might have disappeared to.”

“I didn’t disappear. I was perfectly visible.” Vi grinned when he wrapped his arms around her.

“Ha. Smart ass.” He kissed her quickly on the lips. “Had me worried you mighta gone out on a date or something.”

Vi laughed. “I did. Took myself to dinner and a movie.” She looked up at him for a moment. “So…”

She didn’t have to ask. Mark shrugged and shook his head. “Nothing. Whatever was done to Glen, I can’t crack it. Not even…” He stopped himself.

“Not even what?”

“I took him somewhere. A place that holds a lot of meaning for me, but it’s a place where I’m a little more in touch with my power. He still doesn’t remember anything. I’m going to have to dig around and find out what the hell kind of power was used on him.”

“So where is Glen?” Vi glanced at the house, noting that while the small light in the kitchen was on, none of the others were. Just as she’d left it.

“My house. He wanted to look through some old albums and stuff one more time.” He smiled absently and reached up to brush Vi’s hair back from her forehead. “Plus he maybe thought I would want to see you alone first.”

Vi lifted an eyebrow. “So you told him?”

“Sort of. Most he figured out for himself.” Mark grew serious. “So tell me what happened here. I got the short version from Steve.”

Vi ran through it for what felt like the millionth time, starting with the call about the injured dogs and ending with the installation of the alarm system. To her credit she held her temper, even when she talked about the pictures that had been ruined. Which led her to that odd picture that they’d found in Glen’s room. Steve had said to be careful, but Vi was not sure exactly how careful she could be about it.

“There was something else I found. Later.” Vi spoke slowly, choosing her words. “When Josie and I were cleaning up, there was a picture. It wasn’t one of mine.”

“If it wasn’t yours, whose was it?”Mark asked softly, rubbing a hand lightly over her back.

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Yours maybe.”

Mark frowned. “Mine?”

“Steve wasn’t sure. I didn’t even recognize the woman in the picture but he said it was your wife.”

Mark looked down at her, not speaking for several long minutes. “Why would a picture of my wife end up here?”

“I was hoping you’d know.” Vi sighed. “Steve took it to the police station to get it printed and…” She trailed off. Mark looked at her expectantly. “There was a piece of glass stuck through it. There was some blood on the glass. He said they would get it tested.”

Mark made a low noise in his throat. “He managed not to mention it.”

Vi smiled. “I’m sure you probably didn’t give him a chance.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips again before extricating herself from his arms. Mark caught her hand before she could step away.

“I’m not angry.” He said, misinterpreting her withdrawal. “Just a little confused.”

“And I’m tired. It’s midnight. I haven’t gotten what passes for decent sleep in almost a week, and tonight is probably going to be more of the same, especially with Josie out of the house.” Vi pointed out.

Mark smiled at that. “Well…I was thinkin’ I could stay here tonight.”

“Were you?”

“I’ll even sleep on your couch if it would make you feel better.” He tugged her and Vi went willingly enough back into the circle of his arms. “Though if you’re gonna be awake half the night anyway…” He caught her lips with his in a slow deep kiss that left her breathless. “I can work with that too.” He kissed her lightly along her jaw, then nuzzled her ear.

Vi felt a pleasant shiver work its way down her back. “We still have some things we need to talk about before you get too distracted.”

Mark huffed against the side of her neck. “Life or death? Because unless somebody is getting mangled by a bear, it can wait.”

Vi laughed at that. “I don’t know what I would classify it as. Come on in the house before you really forget where you are.”

Mark reluctantly pulled back but kept his grip on her hand as they walked toward the house. She paused to put in her code on the alarm, noting his amused expression. “Steve insisted.”

“Damn good thing. Do you feel better having it?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Vi shrugged and headed for the stairs. “I always thought this was the kind of place you really didn’t have to lock your doors, and now I have a fancy alarm system.”

Mark caught the edge in her voice. She was angry yes, but sad at the same time. He stopped her forward motion before they reached the top of the stairs. “Do you think it’s because of me? Us? Because none of this really started happening before we got involved with each other.”

Vi looked back at him, surprised. “No. Why would I think that? It probably would have happened anyway. Some things are inevitable.” She shrugged. “If everything happens for a reason, as I have been told so many times, it would be nice on occasion to know what the reason actually is.”

Mark studied her for a moment, frowning. “Then what is it? Something is on your mind, even if it’s not right on top.”

Vi shrugged again. “Honestly? If it was just me, it wouldn’t be so bad. But I have to think about Josie too. And I’m scared.” She sighed tiredly. “I hate feeling this way. I hate even more that I feel like it’s only when Josie’s around me. When she’s out…like tonight…I feel like she’s perfectly safe.”

“Vi…” Mark reached out and took her hand, squeezing her fingers.

“Don’t try to tell me I’m being irrational.”

“I wasn’t…”

“She knew. I might have forgotten to mention that in the very abbreviated version I gave you outside. And I surely didn’t mention it to Steve or his deputy or anybody else that’s made it their life mission to check up on us constantly.”

“What do you mean? She knew?”

“I mean that Josie knew something was wrong. All that day she was acting weird. At first I thought it was because I told her about us. But she was acting…off…before that too. I can’t describe it. And I can’t stop thinking about it either.” Vi ran her free hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “If I thought she’d go, and if I had somewhere to send her, I’d be tempted to pack Josie up and get her out of town for a while. Until whatever is happening is done happening.”

“Vivian.” Mark was still studying her closely. “I am not going to let anything happen to either of you. And I am not going to leave you again. Not until this…whatever this is…is done.”

“You can’t…”

But Mark cut her off. “I’ll offer even though I already know your answer. You and Josie can come stay with me until this is done.”

“I…we couldn’t do that. This…”

“Is your home. I know. Then from now until we figure out what’s going on and stop it you are not going to be here alone. I’ll be here. Or Glen. One of us will be here all the time.”

“I wasn’t implying that I need a babysitter.” Vi said, frowning.

“I wasn’t accusin’ you of needing one.” Mark matched her tone. “You’re going to agree to it for Josie, if not for yourself. We can protect you both. I can protect you.”

“You make it sound like I don’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice.” Mark said softly. “You just have to let me.”

“I don’t think I understand.” Vi said, confused.

“You know what I am.” Mark said slowly, picking his words carefully. “Demons can bond with humans, even if they are not one of the special ones that can bear children. The human has to be willing, has to willingly accept it or ask for it. Once it happens…it’s for life. Demons can bond with each other too, we consider that a legal marriage, but to bond with a human is different.”

“Are you trying to say you want to mark me somehow? Like property?”

“I know that is sounds that way. But it’s a protection from other demons.”

“Is that what all this is? A demon or demons doing all the weird stuff?” Vi asked.

“If I had to guess, yes. A human would have been caught. There’s no getting around it. They wouldn’t be able to hide for long, especially if they were an outsider who was just coming into town to make trouble. It’s like…throwing a stone in a pond. There are ripples. Eventually the ripples make waves.”

Vi took several slow, deep breaths. “I can’t.”

Mark blinked at that. “Vivian…”

“I love you.” She interrupted him yet again but at least it was with something that he enjoyed hearing. “But I can’t let you put some kind of mark on me just because I’m scared. Especially since I don’t even understand it really. I can’t decide to do it just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

“The offer is there.” Mark said softly. “Think about it. I’ll protect you as best as I can, and we’ll get through this.” He reached out and stroked her cheek with his fingers. “Maybe it’s best for now if I really do just crash on your couch.”

Vi looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. It made Mark smile, and broke the tension that had risen between them. He was not hurt, necessarily, that she had rejected his offer. He wasn’t even surprised that she’d said no.

“I want three things right now. None of them involve the couch.” Vi said with a half smile.

“Do I have to guess?” Mark asked, moving up a step so that they were closer.

“Should be pretty easy to figure out.” Vi’s mouth was still curved in that enigmatic smile as she put a hand on Mark’s chest to stop him from ducking down to kiss her. “We still have a lot to talk about.”

“I know that. I also know that in the mornin’ is soon enough.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that. Now…I’ll give you the first one. I want a shower with you in it.” Vi let go of his hand and let her fingers go to the buttons on her shirt. He watched as she popped them open, exposing smooth tanned skin in slow increments. “Want to take a guess as the second thing I want?” She took a step back and up, leading him into the upper hallway.

“Darlin’ I am hopin’ it involves you, your bed, and me in it.”

“Very good.” Vi shrugged the shirt off her shoulders as she went into her bedroom and tossed it onto the chair in the corner. “Care to guess number three?” She kicked off her shoes, and shed her jeans so she was standing in front of him in only her bra and panties.

“You’ve stumped me. No fair that you’re distracting me from thinkin’ it over.”

Vi smiled at that and watched as he tugged his shirt over his head. She reached over and ran her fingertips lightly up his stomach, his chest, making him jump as he tossed his shirt to the floor. “I think after one and two, number three would be sort of boring. Decent sleep.” She laughed at the look on his face as he tugged his belt open.

“I’ll do my best to put you into a coma.” Mark said with a chuckle. He got his jeans off and looked at Vi. While he’d fiddled with his clothes, she’s managed to get rid of the bra and panties. He could not remember a time when he’d felt the wind knocked out of him by the sight of a naked female but she managed to do it every time.

~~!~~

“…can’t tell her…don’t wanna keep it from…on top of everything else.”

Vi was dreaming. She knew it was a dream because when she opened her eyes she was looking at the familiar room that she had shared with Link when they’d lived with Rose and Ray while their house was being built. Lying on her side, still mostly asleep even in her dream, she could see twinkling lights through the heavy frost that coated the window. Christmas Eve. She knew it without knowing how she knew it.

It had been voices that had brought her out of a deep sleep. But she couldn’t make out everything that was said. Vi rolled and saw that the other half of the bed was empty. She blinked sleepily, the faint sound of someone speaking in a low tone coming from the living room below.

“…no reason she’s got to…” It was Ray’s voice. Vi had not heard him speak more than a handful of simple words in a long time but there was no mistaking his voice. She snuggled into Link’s pillow and closed her eyes, smiling to herself. Content. Happy.

“…doesn’t feel right. Maybe I was…” The second voice belonged to Link and had her opening her eyes again and sitting up.

And she was confused.

Vi was in her bed. Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows. She looked around for a moment, raising an eyebrow at the digital clock. It was after ten. Mark had not been joking. After their shower and the time spent together in bed, Vi had barely had the energy to mutter a goodnight before she’d fallen asleep.

She frowned and shook her head. The dream was already fading, but it had been the sound of Link’s voice that had pulled her out of sleep. She had not heard his voice in so long it had shocked her awake. What had it been? Something about Christmas…

She couldn’t remember. She did know they had spent a few months living with Ray and Rose, and it had been fun for all of them. Rose particularly had enjoyed having Vi in the house, and the time had strengthened their relationship from in-laws to actual friends.

Sighing she slid to the edge of the bed and started to get up. Voices from downstairs made her pause. It was definitely Mark’s deep rumble that she heard, followed by a laugh that could only be Josie. She raised her eyebrow at that and dragged a hand through her messy hair. She spent ten minutes making herself presentable, pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before heading for the stairs.

Mark and Josie were in the kitchen. One - or both of them - had been cooking. There was toast and bacon, eggs, and coffee. Vi frowned at the coffee maker that was sitting on the counter before noticing that Mark had finally spotted her in the doorway.

“Mornin’ Vi.” He smiled and nodded toward the food. “We figured we’d let you sleep in. Since you’ve had a hard week.”

“Hi, Mom.” Josie spoke around a mouthful of bacon and egg. She looked more rested than she had all week as well.

“Hey. Have a good time at your sleepover?” Vi went to the fridge and got a soda before she sat down to fix a plate. “I thought I was picking you up later.” Vi said, after she’d gotten settled. It was so odd, to have Mark sitting there, but Josie didn’t seem a bit put out by it.

“Me too. Emma’s dad got called in to work, and her brother had to leave early this morning so I called to see if you could come get me.”

“I never even heard the phone.” Vi said with a smile. She really had been sleeping deeply if the loud ring of the phone hadn’t even registered.

“Mark came and got me. He said he had to go out anyway and buy you a coffee maker.” Josie grinned at him. Vi raised an eyebrow.

“We agreed to do away with the ‘Mr. Calaway’ stuff.” Mark said, interpreting the look. “Seemed a little formal for so early in the mornin’.”

“And why were you up so early, buying me a coffee maker? I don’t even like coffee.”

“Because you have company that likes coffee. And because I could.” He smiled. “Since we have some things we still need to talk about, I thought maybe Josie would want to go over to my place to keep Drew and Glen company. Or we could all go. Spend the day by the pool. Cook out on the grill.” He shrugged.

Josie looked to Vi hopefully. Vi sighed without malice. “Outnumbered again.” It made Josie laugh. “It’s fine by me. As long as I don’t have to cook.”

They chatted as they ate, and eventually Josie excused herself to wander off for a visit with Ray before they left. Vi had nearly forgotten that the ranch hands had come back from the auctions.

“Hope you don’t think I overstepped a boundary, picking her up.” Mark broke the silence that had formed between them.

“No. I don’t mind. She didn’t mind. I’m kind of surprised at that.”

“You shouldn’t be. She had a lot of questions.” Mark smiled, a bit uncomfortable. “Almost felt like getting grilled by a girl’s parents on prom night. Then it occurred to me that you did mention you had told her about us.”

“I did.” Vi nodded. “It was time.”

“I’m glad.” Mark reached over and covered her hand with his. “The hiding was getting to be annoyin’.”

“We do still have some things to go over.”

“I know. I’m not putting you off. For long.” He said, making her groan. “Let’s just wait til we get to my house. Then we can fill Glen in on what’s going on. You won’t have to go through it more than once.”

“Ok.” Vi hesitated. “Is he…upset…about us?”

Mark shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“You’ve accepted it, haven’t you? That he’s your brother.”

“Yeah.” Mark idly rubbed at his chin. “Can’t deny it. I don’t understand it, but it’s really him.” He looked at her for a moment before getting to his feet. “I’m going to see if Steve and Jess want to join us too. Might as well expand the circle a little more. Plus I have some questions for Steve too.”

“I know.” Vi watched as Mark started clearing their dishes from the table. “Look at you. You show up, you knock me out, you cook, you clean…I might not let you leave.”

Mark chuckled. It was nice to see Vi with a little more fire in her. It was a definite improvement over the night before, when she’d admitted to being scared. She had just been tired and worried. He knew it and he wished that she hadn’t gone through that. If it were up to him, nothing like it would ever happen again.

40

Before Josie came back, Vi knew she had to at least tell Mark one important thing that had happened. She didn’t want to spring it on him when others were around, and to be honest she didn’t care for the evasive way he put things off. She knew he was deliberate to a fault sometimes, and that he liked to go at things in his own way, at his own speed, but she had also seen that very quality backfire too many times in the span of their relationship.

As soon as they had the kitchen back in order, she grabbed her notepad and handed it to him.

“What’s this?” He asked, looking at the number that was written there.

“I had an…interesting…visit the other morning. Supposedly from an old friend of yours.”

“A friend of mine?” Mark frowned. “Why would any ‘old friend’ leave a message for me with you?”

“I asked that same question, pretty much. He said his name was Randy.”

“Randy?”

Vi nodded, watching him carefully as he looked down at the number again.

“Randy died twenty years ago.” Mark said slowly, looking up at Vi again.

“Then he was an extremely lively ghost. He said he went to your house first, and then he followed some kind of trail to here.”

“So he was here? In this house?”

“Yes. I have no idea…”

“You shouldn’t have let him in.”

Vi blinked at his tone. “Why?” She finally asked.

“Several reasons. Vivian, your house got broken in to. There was somebody here waiting on you. And you just can’t let any stranger come walking in.”

“Mark?” Vi drew his name out. He frowned at her.

“What?”

“I think you’re missing the point.” She refused to be drawn into a debate on who she allowed into her home. “You should call him.”

“And say what exactly?”

“I don’t know. But he made it sound important.” Vi reached over and took Mark’s hand. “Don’t put it off. Please.”

Mark could be stubborn if he wanted to. “Do you not find it strange that first my dead brother, then my dead friend show up on your doorstep? And you just want me to call and what? Just say hey, thought you died, my bad? I don’t know what’s going on here, Vivian. But I want you to promise me that you won’t let anybody else that you don’t already know in here.”

“Thought we were past this.”

“I can’t get past it. It could have been anybody. You were tired. Your defenses were down. What if…” Mark shook his head. “I don’t even want to think about it. Just another reason why you won’t be staying here alone anymore.”

“Great. Practically a prisoner in my own home.” She waved off his attempt to grab her hand as she stood up. “I know you mean well. And I appreciate it. Especially since Josie’s here. But can we please try to stay focused on what is really important here? Like the fact that some guy you thought was dead has just wandered back into your life? Same as your brother. You want to focus on the fact that I answered my door when there’s a bigger elephant in the room.”

“I worry.”

“Well knock it off. I’m not completely helpless all the time.” Vi gave in and let him catch her hand, and went willingly when he pulled her to sit in his lap.

“You aren’t helpless any of the time.” He mumbled against her ear as he hugged her. “This is beyond me. Dead people don’t come back 20 years later.”

“Then maybe they weren’t really dead.”

Vi said it in an offhand way but Mark’s head came up and he stared at her. “If they weren’t dead…” He shook his head. “No. Randy was dead. You didn’t see what was done to him. I wish I hadn’t.”

“You said the same thing about Glen.” Vi pointed out, resting her hands on his shoulders and rubbing lightly.

“I feel like I’m losing my mind.” He said slowly, making her smile.

“I’ll help you find it if you do.” She kissed him quickly on the lips, smile widening at his sound of annoyance when she pulled back too quickly for his tastes. “I’d rather not have my daughter wander in and find us making out at the kitchen table.”

“Probably wouldn’t be nearly as shocking as some strange guy answering her mom’s phone at 7 in the morning.”

“You could have got me up.” Vi pointed out, still smiling.

“You needed your sleep.” He sighed. “We should get ready to head out. Before I decide to get distracted and take you upstairs.”

Vi smirked and reached for the phone. She set it on the table beside the notepad with a thud. “Call. For me. Please.” She repeated it before turning and leaving the room.

Mark stared at the paper as if it were a snake poised to bite him, then turned his eyes upward when he heard the shower come on upstairs. What he should do was ignore the phone number, ignore the phone, and go upstairs and share her shower. She might protest for a few seconds but he could be persuasive as well as stubborn.

Then again. So could Vi. He smiled inwardly and picked up the phone. He pushed the first three numbers but stopped and hit the ‘end’ button before he could go further. He hadn’t been joking. What exactly could he say to the man on the other end? Was he supposed to be happy that he was alive? Or worried about what kind of news a dead man thought was so important?

Frustrated he dialed again, this time punching all the numbers and pressing the phone to his ear. He hoped for voicemail. Instead he got a voice that even after 20 years was as familiar to him as his own.

“I was hoping to hear from you.” Instead of a hello, Randy spoke in an amused tone that said he’d been waiting for Mark’s call.

~~!~~!~~

Glen had plenty of time to think things through.

After Mark had dropped him off, he’d spent an hour or so flipping through page after page of pictures, willing his brain to recognize something - anything. The harder he tried, the more his head pounded. So he had to shove the albums back into the box and go outside for some air. He paced around the pool for a while, just thinking over the past few days.

Where had he and Mark gone? Glen still wasn’t exactly sure. Some old house in the middle of nowhere. Mark said it was important because it wasn’t necessarily part of the human realm, and considering they had been there for what felt like two weeks or so and he had not seen a sign of life other than Mark…he did not doubt the claim.

Even there, where Mark was completely comfortable and a bit more in touch with his powers, they’d still had no luck in cracking the shield that surrounded his memories. Frustrated, Glen had put forth the idea that maybe there was nothing to unlock - maybe he had died, and had been dead, up to the moment that he’d been dropped in the snow by the side of the road.

That had given them both something to mull over on the trip back. Mark didn’t know how it was possible. Then again he didn’t know how it was possible he was still alive either.

At first Glen had thought it would bother him, that Mark was going to stay with Vivian. He was surprised that he wasn’t upset. Not even a little bit. Actually he was relieved that Vivian wouldn’t be alone, especially after Mark’s short conversation with the sheriff. It gave him time to come to a decision, anyway.

Amanda. She had been a help but now she was like something weighing him down. When things had been bad, yes she had been useful but now that he felt more…in control…he thought that continuing to see her was doing more harm than good. Even that darker side of himself had lost interest, and he’d mostly kept it going as a crutch. Unneeded. Whatever pull he’d felt toward Vivian had faded. Maybe not completely, maybe it never would be completely gone, but he felt oddly happy that she had found someone. Even if it wasn’t him.

So that left him with the only conclusion he could come to. He’d called Amanda, unmindful that it was almost three in the morning. She of course had been up, almost anticipating his call. What she hadn’t anticipated was hearing that he would no longer be seeing her.

Amanda had been pissed to say the least. But there was an odd quality to her voice too as if she had been expecting it. Maybe she just hadn’t expected it so soon.

She’d hung up on him before he could explain, which in a way was good because he really could not explain it to himself. He felt as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders. He’d also had no problem crawling into Mark’s guest room bed and had fallen into a deep sleep until the sun had awakened him that morning.

And it had been an interesting morning anyway. Glen ignored the box of photo albums and instead played nosy through Mark’s house. Not to the point of looking through drawers and medicine cabinets, but wandering from room to room to look at the more recent pictures that were hung on the walls. There weren’t many but they obviously all held some meaning. There were only a couple of pictures of his wife. One was in his son’s room, and was the closest thing to a family portrait that Glen had seen. Mark, his wife, and his son were sitting on the front porch steps of this house, Mark with an arm over her shoulders, the kid with a grin that reached ear to ear sitting between them. He favored Mark, but Glen could see his mother in the shape of his face, in the smile.

The other picture was also in the kid’s room, on a desk. It showed Mark and his wife sitting on a picnic table. He had his hand on her visibly swollen stomach. She had been pregnant at the time of that one. Most of the other pictures were either the kid all by himself or the very rare picture of Mark with his son. Given all of the things Mark had told him about his past, Glen thought he looked happy, at peace, in the pictures. It wasn’t so far-fetched to think he’d have the same thing someday, in some form or another.

Just before noon he heard vehicles outside. Glen was sitting on the deck, reading a book he’d found in Mark’s office, soaking in the quiet. He got up and walked through the house to open the front door, grinning when Josie hugged him like she hadn’t seen him in years instead of simply days.

“Hey, kiddo.” Glen gave her braided hair a tug and laughed at her huff of annoyance. “Miss me?”

“Duh.” She jabbed him in the side and looked over her shoulder where Mark was handing Vivian a couple of grocery bags. Drew had also joined them and was in loading up as well. “We’re going to have a cookout.”

“For an army?” Glen asked as he eyed all the food. He poked Josie on the nose and headed out to lend a hand, smiling at Vivian when she looked his way. “Are we under siege or something?” Glen asked looking at all the stuff in the bed of the truck.

“Ha. Yes.” Vivian handed Glen her bags and pushed her sunglasses up to the top of her head. “You look a little red. How long were you sitting in the sun with your nose in a book?”

Glen snickered and hooked a few more bags, refusing to answer. Could he help it he got lost when he was reading? He didn’t think it was a particularly bad quality. It wasn’t like he did it while walking on a busy road. It wasn’t until they’d hauled everything inside the house than Glen finally got to meet his nephew. Drew had eyed him a bit ruefully, but apparently Glen passed inspection. Mark had told Glen about Drew’s ability to read thoughts, and he could almost feel the kid poking around in his head. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, really, but sort of disconcerting to know it was happening and why.

Vivian and Drew were putting groceries away while Mark went outside to set up his grill. Glen followed only because he felt like he needed to be doing something. “So what is going on?” He asked, watching as Mark started cleaning the grill.

“We’re going to have us a cookout. And talk about stuff that’s been happening. I called Steve. He’ll be here.” The way he paused had Glen looking at him sharply. “I don’t wanna go into it. We’ll be covering all of it later.”

They decided to eat first. Steve showed up with Jess and the baby, also with a small stack of folders and a case of beer. It was baby Robin’s first official outing and she got passed around, cuddled, and loved on until she couldn’t stay awake. Jess left before the food was served. She was taking the baby to go visit a few of her family members for a few days, leaving Steve on his own. She wanted to be on the road while Robin slept.

It was Steve who kept their talk to more neutral subjects, which was fine by everyone else. Luckily the kids kept things interesting. Especially Drew, practically grilling Glen, trying to get a handle on the fact that his long dead uncle was sitting next to him at the table. There wasn’t much Glen could tell him but Vi got the idea that it was more Drew stretching his power a little than having any actual hope of cracking Glen’s memory loss.

After everyone had eaten, Mark shot Drew a meaningful look. Drew looked at Josie. “Dad said we have to get lost after food so the old people can talk.”

Josie snickered at that while Vi would only shake her head. “Where are you sending my kid off to this time?”

“Just over to Collin’s house for a bit.” Drew answered for his dad.

“She’ll be perfectly safe.” Mark said covering Vi’s hand with his.

“I expect them back way before dark.” Vi said, including Drew.

“We’ll only be gone a little while.” Drew said, still smiling. “And we’ll call when we get there and when we’re leaving.”

Mark squeezed Vi’s fingers but she didn’t say anything else. He nodded at Drew and the kids excused themselves, heading through the yard and out the back gate.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty I’ve earned a beer or 10 for the week I’ve had.” He got up and went into the house where he’d stowed his beer in the fridge earlier. He came back with one for each of them, although Vi pushed hers back toward him on the table. “So where do we start?”

Mark looked at Vi. She sighed and once again - and hopefully for the last time - ran down the events of the past week. She ended at the picture she had found and looked to Steve to pick up story from there.

“Funny thing, that picture.” He’d put his stack of folders under his chair, out of sight out of mind, but now he reached down and pulled them out. “No prints. Mostly the only prints we found belonged to you Viv, or Josie. A few of Ray’s.” He flipped through the folders until he pulled out the one he wanted. “No prints on the picture, the frame, or the glass. And the blood? Tested female.”

Mark took the folder and looked down, bracing himself. He found himself looking at a picture of Rayne but not a picture he’d ever seen before. “It’s not one of mine.” He said softly, before anybody could ask. There was a reason he didn’t keep many pictures around. He had a tendency to dwell on the past, and having the pictures out where he was constantly reminded would not have helped.

“You sure?” Steve asked. “It was framed. That’s what makes me wonder.”

“I would remember. I don’t have any pictures from when we built the house. After it was done, sure, because we agreed it would be good for business showing what we’d built. But no…not during.” Mark looked at the picture.

“If the blood tested female…” Glen said softly. “Then whose was it?” He cut his eyes toward Mark. Steve read the look and shook his head.

“Not Rayne’s. We checked against her hospital records. Doesn’t match Viv or Josie either. We’re running it through DNA right now but I gotta tell you, I doubt it’ll come back with anything.”

“But it was a man Vivian saw at her house.” Glen looked to her for confirmation.

“Unless a ‘roided out female bodybuilder broke in, then yes, it was a guy. Dark hair. Either really tan or just a dark skin tone. It was nighttime, so that’s as good as I can tell.” Vi said, propping her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table. She looked thoughtfully at the open folder in front of Mark then toward the pool.

It was important, what they were discussing, but Vi tuned them out. She may have caught a word every now and then but she remained silent throughout. Mostly Steve was walking them through the things that had been collected from her house, plus the effort they’d put in to tracking whatever had attacked the dogs at the farm that night.

Vi thought they might as well be talking in circles, but at least they were talking, throwing ideas around. Even Glen got involved in it, asking questions. Steve finished his first beer, plus the can meant for Vi, and was well into his third by the time they noticed Vi hadn’t said a word.

“You all right, Viv?” Steve asked, bringing her attention away from the water. She blinked at him, a slight frown forming on her face.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bein’ awful quiet.” Steve sipped his beer.

“Gonna arrest me for it?” Vi asked. “I just don’t see what good all the talking is going to do. I guess it’s good that everybody wants to get together on it, but nothing is going to change.”

“If we could just get a break. A sense of the bastard that’s doing this…” Mark muttered it, mostly to himself. “It’s got to be some kind of release, something that someone should be able to pick up.”

Vi frowned thoughtfully. “Or maybe you should try to focus on whoever his victims are.” All three men looked at her without speaking for a moment. “What? It only makes sense. You can’t ‘sense’ whoever the guy is, so why not try to track or tune in or whatever the hell it is you do…to his victim. You know there will be another one.” Vi finally broke the silence with her explanation.

“Could you do that?” Glen asked, looking from Mark to Steve. “Sense whoever is getting hurt?”

“I don’t know.” Mark shook his head.

“You do know.” Vi corrected him. “You said last night, if it was a human it would make ripples and waves. Well…wouldn’t the same be true for someone who was being hurt?”

Mark had to admit she had a point. “But it’s not an exact thing. If we knew who the next victim was, then maybe we…I…could sense her. And it’s a big if and maybe. I told you, I’m rusty at this.”

“I think I might know who she is.” Steve said softly. It had occurred to him just moments before, when Vi was talking about waves. “I had a vision. Kind of. In my car yesterday. Didn’t think much of it because even when I’m controlling it I still get random shit popping up from time to time.”

“You saw someone?” Mark asked.

“Yeah. Young girl. Maybe 25. Dark hair…” He nodded in Vi’s direction. “Darker than hers. Dark eyes.” Steve closed his own ice blue eyes and frowned thoughtfully. “A scar. Kind of. On her right eyebrow.” He opened his eyes and shrugged. “That’s it. She was there and gone pretty fast.”

“You have visions?” Vi asked, interested in spite of herself.

Steve flashed a crooked smile at her. “Every now and then. Not reliable enough to win me the lottery but I do all right catching criminals.” He looked to Mark once more. “She fits the profile. As much as any of the others did.”

“What profile?” Glen asked, leaning forward.

“So far the victims have been female, dark hair. Eye color varies. Age varies but it’s not varied enough. The guy is trolling for a particular kind of woman. The fact that there are human victims and one of us…I don’t know what it means. He’s a demon. Got to be. But not like one we’ve seen around here before.”

“So Vivian fits his profile.” Glen said flatly.

“Yeah.” Steve admitted, finishing his beer three.

Glen and Mark exchanged a look. Vi caught it and shook her head. “I already know that I’ll be under non-stop surveillance from now on.” She pointed out. “Even though I am not the only dark haired female in this county.”

“All we can do is warn people.” Steve said. “And protect the ones we can. Including you.”

Mark had followed the conversation but he was still considering Steve’s earlier admission. “You said she had a scar on her eyebrow. The girl you saw in your vision.”

“Yeah.” He pointed out an area on his own forehead above the eye. “Old eyebrow piercing maybe, one that healed over.”

Mark thought that over for a moment, rubbing his own eyebrow. It wasn’t much to go on, considering just about every female in the county between 15 and 35 had some kind of facial piercing. Ears, nose, lips, eyebrow. He sat up and tapped his fingers on the table.

“Has anybody seen Cammie Johnson around recently?”

Steve almost knocked his empty can over. “Fuck. I knew she looked familiar.” He glanced at Vi’s bemused expression. “Pardon the hell out of my language. But I haven’t been to the diner in a while. That’s usually where I’d see her.”

“She had a puppy that I vetted. But that was a long time ago.” Vi felt queasy suddenly. “She has that scar on her eyebrow. Sure. She said her little brother yanked her piercing out when she was in high school and she never bothered to get it redone.”

“Steve…” Mark looked at the other man. Steve held up a hand.

“Gonna borrow your phone. Get Mike and Eli over to the diner to check on her.” He looked at the empty beer can with real regret. “So much for a relaxing evening of getting drunk off my ass.” He muttered as he got up and headed inside the house.

They didn’t have to wait long for him to come back. “Mike was patrollin’. Dean told him that he hadn’t heard from Cammie since she got off Wednesday night. Got Eli heading out to the Johnson place to check on them.” Dean was the owner and manager of the diner. “I gotta go. Gotta get out there.”

“You’ve been drinking.” Vi pointed out worriedly. Steve smiled.

“Three beers ain’t gonna slow me down a bit. You save the rest of ‘em for me. I’ll be back to get ‘em.” He pointed at Mark, who nodded.

“Let me know.” Mark said as Steve left. He turned his attention to Vi. “And this is why you won’t be alone again anytime soon. When the kids get back…” He aimed this at Glen. “I want you to take Josie and Vi back to their place and keep an eye on ‘em.”

“But what about you?” Vi asked, confused.

“Darlin’ I don’t think I’m the kinda target this asshole is lookin’ for.” Mark smiled but it didn’t touch his eyes. “I’ve got something to take care of tonight. Meeting with Randy later. And I have a bad feelin’ that I’m gonna have to help Steve out.”

“You don’t think that Cammie’s…dead…do you ?” Vi asked, jumping when Glen touched her shoulder reassuringly.

“I don’t know. I hope not. She was alive when Steve saw her…or that vision of her, if it was her. He only sees the living.” Mark said, getting to his feet and pacing the length of the deck.

Vi glanced at Glen, who was looking at his brother with concern on his face. “Glen. Please. Go get Josie.”

Glen brought his attention to Vi and after a moment nodded slowly. “If you want. Through the woods right?”

“There’s a trail. Should go right to that kid’s backyard.” Vi reached up and covered his hand with hers for a moment. “I just…I’d feel better if she was here right now.”

“I understand. I’ll be back soon as I can.” He squeezed her shoulder once more before getting up and walking toward Mark. They spoke for a moment before Glen was going down the deck stairs and through the gate.

“Josie’s safe.” Mark said after a few moments of quiet.

“Define ‘safe’ just to humor me.”

“Whoever this is, she doesn’t fit the profile. Her hair is blonde. She’s too young.”

“Humoring me isn’t working.” Vi said with a shaky sigh. “I just want her where I can see her. Forget what I said last night…today is completely different.”

“Drew wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Mark stooped down so he was at Vi’s eye level. “I’ll offer. I already know your answer. You can stay here tonight. You and Josie, and Glen.”

“If you already know the answer, then you shouldn’t even ask. I can’t keep hiding out over here.”

“You could. But you refuse.” Mark smiled, a bit more naturally than before, and kissed her lightly. “So go home. Lock up. And I’ll see what I can dig up tonight.”

“What about Drew?”

“He’ll be with me.”

“And what about you?” Vi asked softly.

“Going to tell me you’re worried about me?”

“Are you really meeting that Randy guy later?” Vi asked instead of answering.

“Yeah. I called him.” Mark shook his head. “Even over the phone. I know it’s him. I don’t know how or why…and it doesn’t matter. He’s coming over later.”

“Good. Be careful.” Vi reached up to cup Mark’s face in her hands. He took that as his cue to kiss her, letting his mouth linger over hers. He figured he’d have a busy few days on his hands, who knew when he’d get another opportunity like this.

41

Mark opened the door and just stood there for a minute, looking at a man he had not seen in 20 years.

Randy was a bit leaner, and his face had lost a little of that boyish edge that had fascinated women - demon and human alike - but there was no denying who he was.

“Even after the phone call, I was kinda hoping my mind was just playin’ tricks on me.” Mark held the door and let Randy into the house. Drew was not back from Collin’s yet - Mark had decided to let him stay the night, which was just as well. There was so much going on that week that Mark didn’t know where exactly to start explaining it to his son, let alone anyone else.

“What, no hug?” Randy grinned at Mark’s snort.

“How about a beer instead?” He was sure Steve wouldn’t miss a couple out of his case. Mark led the way to the kitchen where he grabbed a couple of cans before taking a seat at the table across from Randy and handing him a beer. “I’m still in shock here.” Mark said after taking a long swallow from the can.

“Not as shocked as I was. Believe me.”

“So what happened? How are you even here?”

“I figure it’s the same way you’re here.” Randy opened his beer and took a sip. “I don’t know. I was dying. I do know that. It didn’t even hurt, really. I felt like I was just going to sleep, my eyes got so heavy. Last thing I remember was Dominic grabbing Rayne.” He paid no mind to the way Mark’s eyes narrowed at the mention of his father. Even after 20 years, he still knew all the buttons to stay away from. “I came to in a strange place. There was this old woman leaning over me, talking to me. At first I couldn’t understand her. Sounds were pretty jumbled up in my head. And I was hurt…” He ran a hand over his chest and stomach. “It was a mess. A lot of healing wounds. Took a while to realize it was my power, sort of going nuts. I was in some kind of coma - which is their best guess, and I agreed with it - and wasn’t controlling it. So it was like waking up to the world’s loudest radio broadcast.”

“But why would you wake up in a strange place?”

“I don’t know. What happened after I…died?” For lack of a better word, Randy went with that one.

Mark explained it to him quickly. How Rayne had used the power he’d given her to virtually vaporize Dominic. And how he himself was dealt a fatal blow, only to wake up moments later in Rayne’s bed, at her house. That had taken some doing on her part. It surely had not been his because he had been so drained of power that he shouldn’t haven’t been able to do more than squeak a time or two before dying.

Of course that led to the story of his courtship with Rayne, how they had gotten close, how eventually they had married, built the house, had Drew. And how things had settled into a pleasant, quiet life. At least until the day Rayne had died in a car accident on her way to town to run some errands and pick up some things for Mark’s growing business.

“You don’t believe it was an accident.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. I think it was retaliation.”

“For Dominic?” Randy asked with an eyebrow raised. “Because his fan club had exactly 1 member in it and that was him.”

“I’m thinking it was more along the lines of Pandora’s people. They’d set out to kill Rayne in the beginning. We were pretty well hidden here. Or at least we blended in here.”

“She did this right? Brought us back?” Randy gestured at himself, then Mark. “Had to have been. We died protecting her.”

“But I had never heard of such a thing at the time. And two of us?” Mark shook his head. “It had to be something else. We missed something or…”

“Or what?” Randy asked with a snort. “Things were mostly straightforward.” He looked at Mark pointedly. “For a while I thought it was kind of strange, all of it happening at once. Like Pandora and her buddies were there to distract us while Dominic took Rayne. But then why the hell would Pandora have killed the others? None of it made sense.”

“Coincidence.” Mark said with a sigh. “Pandora thought she’d waltz right in because of the rain, and Dominic saw his chance. You weren’t around her much. You didn’t see how much they hated him.” He smiled without humor. “How much they hated me. There was a time when I found it funny. To be so hated but feared at the same time. Pandora knew if I bonded with Rayne I’d be weakened, at least for a while. That’s why she risked it. She wanted me dead just as much as she wanted Dominic stopped.”

Randy nodded slowly. “Ok. I’ll buy that. I’m sorry about what happened to Rayne.” He offered his condolences.

“Thanks. It was a long time ago.” Mark smiled grimly. Of course it had seemed a lot closer before he’d met Vivian. “There is a lot of crazy shit going on around here. Is that why you’re here?”

“I guess in a roundabout way.” Randy shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly what’s going on around here, other than a few dead bodies were found.”

On that Mark was prepared. He got up and went to his office, where he had his own copies of Steve’s files in his desk. He handed the stack of papers to Randy to flip through and sat once again to finish off his beer.

“A biter.” Randy muttered, mostly to himself. Mark lifted an eyebrow and waited him out. “Was he biting before or after he killed them?”

“Medical examiner says after. Because the wounds are pretty clean.” Mark studied his now empty can of beer morosely.

“Hmm…” Randy went back to looking at the pictures, running his fingertips lightly over the paper. “I wish these were the actual photos. Actually, if I could maybe see one of the bodies…”

Mark made a face at that. “You sure you have to do that? You never did have the stomach for that kinda thing, if I recall correctly.”

Randy smirked. “Shit changes. My powers have evolved a bit.”

Mark nodded thoughtfully. “I can call down to the clinic. I know that the first couple of bodies haven’t been claimed and nobody wanted to rush into dealing with them before we find the families…” He trailed off, not wanting to think about it. With a sigh he got up and went to get his phone and the book of numbers he kept handy. A couple of phone calls told him that the only body still in the clinic was the body of Sharon Wilson, the former dispatcher. Steve had not yet released the body for the family to deal with, which might be the only positive thing that worked in their favor. “You wanna go now?”

“No time like the present.” Randy said before finishing his beer. He climbed into Mark’s truck and it took a few minutes before Mark finally spoke again.

“You said your powers evolved. How?”

“That’s kind of hard to explain. Way easier to show you.” Randy said. He half smiled. “Although I don’t want to try it while you’re driving. Not that it would work. I’ve always had a hard time getting a read on you.”

“More than just the touch? The thought manipulation?”

“Quite a bit more.” Randy looked at him thoughtfully. “I couldn’t read your lady friend. Not even a little bit. That’s…rare. You - you’re more open than you used to be, but still a little reserved. Stop the truck for a second.”

Mark humored him and pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to ask what the problem was when Randy reached over and gripped his arm right above the wrist.

It was the equivalent of getting an electric shock. Randy jerked his hand back with surprise on his features. “What…the fuck…was that?” Mark asked, rubbing his wrist.

“Bridging a gap. Although with you there’s only so much bridge I can build before I hit a wall. Or get hit by what feels like a tank.” Randy shook his hand. “Demon half still alive and well, I assume.”

“It’s recently become more active.” Mark shook his head and put the truck into gear again. “So what just happened?”

“Not much. I get that you’re worried for your friend. Her kid. And I’m still trying to understand how your brother is still alive. It is your brother. I got that much.”

“Yeah. He’s…” Mark shook his head. “It’s extremely complicated. But he doesn’t remember anything. At all. His memories of everything before Vivian found him are completely erased. Have you heard of such a thing?”

Randy shook his head. “No.”

“Do you think you can do something about it?”

“I…don’t know.” Randy said slowly. “He’s like you. Half human, half demon. You know my powers are weak on you at best. But I guess I could try.”

“We’ll deal with that. After we deal with this.” They’d gotten to town. The streets were deserted with struck Mark as odd. It was a Saturday night, summer, there should have been people out wandering and enjoying the warm weather. Instead there were no cars, no people, and only a few businesses still open. He parked near the doors of the clinic and led Randy inside.

One of Tom’s technicians had already been called. He let them into the tiny morgue and indicated the sheet covered body that occupied the room’s only exam table.

Mark had absolutely no desire to see the body. It had been bad enough seeing the pictures. Randy had no such hesitation. He went to the body and the technician - who had introduced himself a Eric - peeled the sheet back to reveal the body.

Randy didn’t see the injuries. He reached out and touched the woman’s arms, feeling the cool skin under his fingers. He closed his eyes and felt a sharp pain in his back, between his shoulder blades. “She was stabbed?”

“Fatal blow. A double edged blade, about eight inches in length. Entered her back near the spine, puncture her lung and heart.” Eric said, looking nervously at Mark. Randy smiled to himself. Even when Mark wasn’t throwing his weight around these humanized demons were still a bit leery of him. It never failed to amuse him, and that had not changed a bit.

He forced his mind back to the task at hand. The problem with trying to pick up information from a demon was that they did not register things in the same way humans did. There had been many occasions where a human had passed and Randy had touched them and knew everything about them. Their life would pass in front of his eyes, no matter how long the person had been gone.

It was a bit different with a demon. This was no exception. Still he could pick out the odd thing. “It wasn’t someone she knew.” He said softly, frowning a bit. “Definitely a stranger. Can’t see his face…just a shadow. She turned her back on him.” He sighed and opened his eyes. “That’s it. There’s nothing else there.” Randy looked at Mark. “Where are the others? There are more right?”

“Yeah. Clinic didn’t have the space so they got moved to the actual hospital. They’re still hoping to get some ID on at least one of them.” Mark said with a shrug.

“Then I’ll need to go there.” Randy went to the sink in the corner and washed his hands as Eric covered Sharon’s body and gently pushed her back into the refrigerated drawer where she would remain until Steve released her to her family.

“That’s gonna be a little trickier than getting you in here.” Mark pointed out. He looked at Eric. “Do you think Tom can get them to send at least one of the bodies back?”

“I don’t see why not.” Eric said. “He was talking about releasing Sharon so the family could take care of her. Sheriff was waiting on some labs to come back, but I think we can probably get them by Monday.”

Eric agreed to call Tom about having one of the other bodies brought back in. So Mark gladly led Randy out of the clinic, and inhaled a lungful of fresh air.

“Now what?” Randy asked.

“Shit. I was hoping you’d know.”

Randy snickered. “I’ve stepped in about halfway through this production. Do you know where the bodies were found?”

“Yeah. You wanna go see where they were?”

“If you have time.” Randy smiled. “I get the feelin’ you’d rather be somewhere else.”

Mark made a low noise in his throat. Yes, he had been thinking that it was getting late, and that if it weren’t for this he would probably be at Vi’s house, but this was important to. Stopping this before someone else got hurt…he doubted that would happen. But he’d be damned if Vi was added to the list of victims.

“I’ll make time. I want to know something too.”

“If the killer is the same guy who broke into Vivian’s house?” Randy asked. “I wasn’t reading your mind. I was thinking that would be my main worry, were our positions reversed.” He gave Mark a light slap on the shoulder. “I’ll try to figure that out too. For now let’s go on a tour of the countryside.”

Mark could do nothing but agree. Although he would rather be home or better yet, with Vi, he felt good finally doing something. And it felt right having Randy back at his side. Like the 20 years between them had just disappeared. He mulled that thought over as they climbed into the truck and he headed to the closest spot where one of the victims had been found.

~~!~~!~~

Cammie had disappeared without a trace.

Frustrated, Steve threw down his notepad and pen and probably would have had himself a tantrum if there hadn’t been deputies present. He was reaching the end of his patience. Mike was sitting on the edge of the desk, talking on the phone, trying to rouse more people for the search. They were going to grid the entire county, have someone ride every road, until they either found Cammie’s body or Steve was satisfied she wasn’t there.

“Get back out there.” He finally said. “Check every ditch, every pipe, every fuckin’ crack in the road. I want her found.”

His deputies disbursed. He was left alone with Emma, who was sitting at the main desk with the headset on, quietly directing the deputies to different areas and marking them on a map.

Steve was busy kicking himself. He should have known better than to ignore Cammie when he saw her appear in his passenger seat. Should have, but he’d had so much on his mind it had not even occurred to him that maybe she was in trouble. And when he allowed himself to really think about it, maybe she had been getting killed at that moment, and had reached out to him in her final moments.

That had happened before. It was one of the reasons people liked having him as the sheriff. It wasn’t good detective work on his part. At least most of the time. He was damn near methodical to a fault, he was bullheaded, and drunks didn’t give him shit. But he also could see flashes every now and then that kept the rowdier element in line.

Steve filled up a travel mug with Emma’s highly caffeinated coffee, reminded her to lock the door, and headed out to his Jeep. He wanted to get in on the hunt because sitting around waiting was not his style. He thought, not for the first time, that it was a damned good thing that Jess and Robin were off visitin’ relatives. She’s be worried sick, up all night pacing the floor, exhausting herself with worry.

He passed a few of his deputies, called in on his radio, and Emma assigned him his own stretch of road. He sipped coffee and rolled the four miles he was given, never going more than 10 miles an hour, keeping his eyes glued to first one side of the road, then the next as he rode back out to the start point. Nothing. He went to the next section on Emma’s grid and repeated the process.

It was slow, painstaking work. The night dragged on. They still found nothing. At least, not Cammie’s body. He did bump into Mark and a strange man he’d never seen before. They were in Mark’s truck, pulled to the side of the road, in deep discussion. Steve realized with a nasty little jolt of acid indigestion that they were standing near where the first body had been found.

“Kinda late to be out.” Steve observed, getting out of his Jeep.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Mark gestured at his friend. “Randy…this is the sheriff, Steve. Steve, Randy. Old friend of mine. One of us. He’s got the touch so brace yourself for the handshake.”

Steve smirked and shook hands with the guy anyway. Oh he knew who Randy was, Mark had told him only because Mark had needed someone to confide in. And as the sheriff made sense that Steve should know about Mark’s past. And Mark had not been kidding about the handshake. The bolt that ran up his arm put the acid indigestion to shame.

“Sorry. Sometimes it just happens.” Randy said. He gestured to the grassy slope that was bathed in light from Mark’s truck headlights. “So this is where the first body was found?”

“You’re pretty much standing in the exact spot.” Steve said with a grimace.

Randy only nodded and looked around before stooping and running his hands lightly through the overgrown weeds at the shoulder. “Just like the other ones we found. She definitely wasn’t killed here. She was dumped. And not just dumped but posed, so someone would be sure to see her.”

“You’re getting that from touching the grass?” Steve asked, looking from Mark to his friend.

“Yeah. Any living thing pretty much has memories.” Randy said softly. He rose and brushed idly at his hands.

“It was news to me too. I remember when you had trouble reading somebody in the same room. Now you’re talkin’ to grass and trees.” Mark said, sounding amused but strained. The long night was wearing on him too.

“People. Demons. Flowers, trees, animals. If it’s got a life cycle, I can get a reading.” Randy sounded less amused. “It’s not always as fun as it sounds.”

“Animals…” Steve muttered, frowning down at the ground where the body had been left. “Animals like dogs. You can get a read off of dogs? That kind of thing.”

“Sure.” Randy nodded and joined them on the shoulder once more. “Why?”

“We had a thing. Well. Viv had a thing a few nights ago. Emergency call. Somebody broke into Don Campbell’s barn, killed a couple of his dogs, injured the rest. One of the dogs…” Steve struggled to remember and it came to him. “Buddy? Yeah he kept that one near the house. That dog was just going nuts. It was Viv’s idea to take him out tracking. We didn’t get far, too much rain and mud, wrecked the trail.”

“If the dog saw something, I should be able to figure out what.” Randy said. “Do you know where this Don Campbell lives?” He directed that at Mark.

Mark held up a hand. “Yeah but we’re not going there right now. It’s 3 in the mornin’. I’d rather not get Don or Missy riled up with a middle of the night dog whispering session.”

“I’ll call Don in the morning, see if he’ll be home and let you know what time to go out.” Steve offered. “I wanna be in on it too. Because those dogs…” He shook his head, remembering Viv’s face as she’d cared for them. Equal parts indignation and anger and sadness. Like she was caring for her own children. And the dogs themselves, the whole pack of them, torn to bits like they were pups fresh off the teat. Steve didn’t know anybody crazy enough to take after a couple of farm dogs used to protecting a herd, let alone a whole gang of them, all riled up from the storms. “I just wanna be there.” He finished.

“Then maybe I can help you with your current project.” Randy said. “Looking for a missing woman? Mark told me about it. If you had something she’d touched…or something she owned…maybe I could get a bead on her. It’s harder if she’s a demon, but it’s not impossible.”

“Shit. I don’t know. We’d have to go back to town to the diner or out to her place. She still lived with her parents.” Steve shook his head. “Although bets are good they’re still up. Worried sick. I probably need to stop by there anyway. You’re welcome to tag along if you think it’ll do any good.”

“Never hurts to try.” Randy said with a shrug. Mark agreed to follow Steve out to the Johnson farm, and the three of them headed out. It wasn’t until they were a few miles down the road that Randy spoke again. “Your lady friend. Vivian? She must be something special.”

“I think she is.” Mark said with a half smile.

“Your sheriff was worried about her too. I take it she’s a vet?”

“Yeah.”

“That would explain it. She vetted the dogs that got hurt. He helped her. Or tried to.” Randy paused for a moment. “The same night that her house got broken into. I wish I could read her. She’s the center of something, but I can’t tell exactly what.”

Mark felt as if a hot ball of lead had settled in his stomach. “She’s not in danger is she?”

“I wish I could answer that.” Randy said apologetically. “Nothing immediate. There are too many people worrying about her. There’s too much heat. If something or someone wanted to do something, he ruined it by letting her go when he had his chance. Now he has to bide his time. Maybe this girl that’s missing was his backup plan or something.”

“I hope you’re wrong.” Mark muttered. “About all of it.”

“Me too. But…it’s been a while since I’ve been wrong about something like this.” Randy said. He fell into silence as Mark drove them grimly toward the Johnson’s farm.

42

There was nothing to report the next day. Mark, Randy, and Steve’s trip to the Johnson’s had netted them Cammie’s ring of keys. It was an object she touched nearly daily, up until she’d disappeared and left them behind. Even though Randy picked up a wealth of information from them, there had been nothing to lead them to Cammie herself. It put Randy in something of a blue funk, not being able to pick information out of the air. Unless they found something that had been with Cammie when she’d disappeared, he wasn’t sure he would be much help there.

Their planned excursion to Don Campbell’s to check on the dogs had to be put off a couple of days as well. Don and Missy were both upset, and Missy had been too upset to care for the injured dogs. They’d moved them into a kennel and were driving to visit with their kids to break the news instead of telling them over the telephone. It was Missy who had carried a cell phone, and she had told Steve that the two of them would be back no later than Tuesday morning. They couldn’t leave their farm longer than a couple of days without falling too far behind.

So Mark, at his request, left Randy to explore town on his own. Randy wanted to get a feel for the place. Mark gave him a key to the house and free reign to use the guest bedroom as long as he was in town. He spent the day with Drew, trying to clear the past few days from his mind. And when Mark suggested that Drew go with him the next morning, Drew had been more than agreeable. So both of them went to bed early and got up just past three-thirty in the morning to head over to Vi’s house.

He had not been kidding about not leaving her alone. Glen was going to work around the ranch with Ray, and Ray wanted to get an early start. Mark and Drew arrived as Ray pulled in to pick Glen up, prepared for a trip into town to pick up some supplies. Drew went into Glen’s room and was asleep again before he had really had a chance to wake up. So Mark had gone into Vi’s room, kicked off his shoes, pulled off his shirt, and crawled into bed with her.

“What…” She was still mostly asleep, but not enough to not notice someone getting into bed.

“Just me. Shift change. Go back to sleep.” Mark mumbled, pulling her closer.

“Shift change?” Vi yawned sleepily and blinked at the alarm clock. “Tell me you did not seriously show up here at 4 in the morning just because Glen went to work. You know there are ranch hands everywhere…”

“I also know I told you that you wouldn’t be alone. Now shush.”

“Mark…” Vi turned over to face him.

“What part of ‘shush’ did you not understand?” He asked, keeping his voice low. He’d shut her bedroom door but didn’t want to wake the kids.

She laughed softly at that, and snuggled closer. He closed his eyes, not sleepy in the least, just enjoying her warm body pressed up against him, the soft sound of her breathing, the way her body fit up against his. And then she slid her hand up and down his chest. He didn’t know if she even knew she was doing it. He only knew it felt good.

He had honestly only wanted to doze off for a little while, at least until it was actual sunrise, but his body was telling him something completely different as he ran his hand over Vi’s hip, her side. He skimmed her breast, her neck, until his fingers stroked her chin and he angled her head up so he could press his mouth against hers.

Vi sighed softly and he took advantage of her parted lips, lightly tracing the opening with his tongue before angling his head and encouraging her response. There was nothing rushed or rough about it as he kissed her until he had to pull back to let her catch her breath.

Mark let his mouth trail hot kisses along the point of her chin, her neck. Vi moaned low in her throat when his teeth nipped her collar bone, and his tongue soothed the spot. He slid a hand down her side and caught the hem of her tank top with his fingertips. He pushed it up, letting the material bunch over his hand as his fingers slid up the smooth warm expanse of her side, her stomach, her breasts. He murmured softly and Vi sat up a little so he could tug the tank top off, leaving her bare from the waist up. He rolled them so she was on her back, his body covering hers, one of his legs between her thighs. His jeans were in the way but that was all right. He wasn’t in a hurry.

He shifted his weight so that he was on his knees, his hands resting easy on her shoulders. He ran his fingertips lightly against her neck, down over her chest, just feeling the sleep-warmed texture of her soft skin. He felt her shiver under him when his fingers skimmed her breasts, her nipples getting hard as he lightly touched her. He didn’t stop just yet, even though it was tempting. Instead he kept moving, just touching her lightly on the stomach, her sides, her lower belly. He hooked his fingers into her shorts and slid them down and off, and started exploring against, this time from her feet, up her legs, a whisper from touching her center, back up her stomach.

Again he ended up with one blue-jean clad leg between her thighs. That was all right. He bent low and felt her warmth first, then the firm peaks of her nipples against his chest, the softness of her breasts, lower until his stomach was pressed against hers. She sighed in contentment at the feel of him, sending a shiver down his back at the soft moan that accompanied it.

Mark kissed her again, still keeping it light, slowly playing his tongue against hers. Vi reached up and cupped his face in her hands, her fingers brushing the corner of his lips. When he pulled back she traced his mouth with one finger, panting a little as he slid down her body to press his mouth once more against her neck.

Mark felt Vi’s fingers tangle into his hair as he kissed his way down her chest. He braced himself on his knees once more and cupped her breasts in both hands, letting his thumbs slide up over her nipples, making her draw in a gasp. Fingers stroking one nipple, he used his mouth to surround the other and sucked slowly, curling his tongue around the firm little bud. She tugged his hair, harder, and her breathing got a little faster as he switched sides to tease the other nipple. His hand never stopped moving either, squeezing, touching, stroking. Vi finally had to let go of his hair and cover her mouth to contain a louder moan that escaped her.

He felt her relax when he lifted his head away from her breasts, but it was short lived. He moved down her body, dropping open-mouthed kisses along her stomach, dipping his tongue into her naval. His hands were still moving, now on her thighs as he shifted so that he was between them. His hand moved up, and he felt her jump as his fingers brushed her center, the tips sliding against her folds. Vi once more had her hand over her mouth, trying to stay quiet as he stroked her, as his fingers spread her folds to his probing tongue and his hot mouth found the hard nub of her clit. Mark held her down with his hand, fingers spread against her lower belly, feeling her muscles jump with every swipe of his tongue against her.

“Mark…” Her voice was barely a whisper. He didn’t stop what he was doing, instead he increased the effort, sliding his fingers once more through her folds as his tongue flicked her clit, finding her opening. He slowly probed her with a finger, moaning at the way she clenched around him, at her heat. He added a second finger and turned his hand, curling his fingertips against her inner wall, closing his eyes at the feel of her. She gave up on trying to stop him and instead had both hands over her mouth as she arched on the bed. He felt her shake and tremble as her orgasm took her, felt her stiffen up as she tried valiantly to stay quiet.

Vi suddenly jerked her hips sideways, oversensitive. Mark smiled and pulled back, easing his fingers out of her, kissing his way back up her stomach. She had moved her hands away from her mouth but her breathing was harsh, heavy.

“That…wasn’t…fair…” She managed to gasp out. He chuckled and reached down to unsnap the button at the waistband of his jeans.

“But it was fun.” He whispered back. For a moment there was just the soft sound of his zipper, the rustle of heavy cloth as he pushed his jeans down. “This time I’ll help you keep quiet.”

Vi smiled at that. It changed to a soft moan when she felt the head of his cock sliding against her. He’d pushed his jeans down enough to free it. Mark reached between them to guide himself and eased slowly into her. Vi reached up to wrap her arms around his shoulders as he sheathed himself completely. His mouth found hers as his hips started moving, still slow, barely shifting his cock inside her. But she felt every single ripple of movement, moaned into his mouth when he pressed down into her, grinding against her, gasped when he pulled back.

Mark grabbed her hands and raised them over her head, pinning her beneath him so that only his lower body moved. Vi wrapped her legs around his waist as he found an easy rhythm, short slow strokes that had them both panting into the other’s mouth. It felt almost dreamlike even as Vi wiggled against him, climaxing for the second time under his slow methodical thrusting, moaning into Mark’s mouth. She relaxed completely, suddenly, her body jerking involuntarily away every time he entered her fully. That was the only cue he needed. He let himself go, let go of his control and it was his turn to moan as his came inside her, his hips snapping against her one last time, overwhelmed by the feel of her trembling under him.

He lay there, braced on his elbows so Vi could breathe, trying to catch his own breath as he came down from the high of his release. He hadn’t meant for it to happen but he wasn’t going to second guess it. He lightly dropped a kiss on her lips, hearing her satisfied little sigh. “Love you, Vivian.” He whispered softly. “Gonna complain again about changin’ shifts?”

Vi laughed breathlessly. “Love you too. And if that’s what I get for complaining, I’m gonna keep it in mind.” She whispered it back, hugging him around the shoulders before letting go so he could shift away from her and stretch out beside her on the bed. “Are you at least going to take your jeans off now?” She asked before he could doze off. He chuckled and worked them off his hips and kicked them to the floor before pulling up Vi’s blankets to cover them both. They both fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

~~!~~!~~

It was a good thing Eli was driving so slowly, otherwise he would have never seen the flash of color at the side of the road in the pre-dawn hours of that Monday.

He wasn’t searching for Cammie. The sheriff had then scour the entire county, or as much of it as they could, every major road, back road, and dirt road, and there’d been nothing. He’d called off the search reluctantly, and had told Eli it was only because he was getting the strong feeling that they were being laughed at.

Eli could tell the sheriff was pissed about it. Steve didn’t do angry, and it didn’t sit well on him. Eli had seen him annoyed on many occasions, and short tempered, but full-fledged angry? There had only been one time, years before, when one of their kind had admitted to killing and brutalizing a 9 year old girl.

As odd as it was, Eli had to admit it was much more satisfying patrolling his own kind. Justice was most definitely swift. No sitting in jail for years, no retrials, no appeals. Outsiders would be outraged, but it was how they kept such a low profile.

So even though Steve had called off the active search, and had pulled most of his deputies back toward the town limits, Eli was out cruising the sticks on his own time. He’d lost two wives to his puzzling insomnia, neither of them (one human, one demon) understanding how someone could go for days without a wink of sleep. He got restless, that was all. He would often pace the house, or his yard - and thank goodness there was distance between his house and the nearest neighbor because he really didn’t want to be gossip fodder. The second wife, a demon woman named Megan, had loved him. She’d even said so as they’d broken their bond. It was the constant pacing, and moving, that had gotten to her. She had equated it to living with a caged animal that was intent on getting out.

He would have been insulted if he didn’t feel it were true. Not that he had the urge or inclination to harm someone. But ever since childhood he’d had cycles of energy. Things would be normal, or as normal as anything could be with a teenage boy in the house. He’d sleep in, he’d eat whatever was put in front of him, he’d do his chores but with very little investment on his part. Then he would go a week or so without sleeping, refusing food unless it was sugary sweet, drinking coffee and soda, endlessly running the trails around the lake where he’d grown up. His father had tried to cut out the caffeine and sugar, thinking that was only feeding the strange energy bursts, but that had seemed to make it worse. Megan had said there were times when she felt as if she were sitting next to a power transformer, one that vibrated and hummed and set her nerves on end. There wasn’t an ounce of malice in him. He just did not know what to do with the energy when it built up.

He was thinking about that, contemplated his complicated relationship with his ex-wife - they still saw each other on occasion, and had in fact slept together just a few nights before. Megan hadn’t like his excess energy but she didn’t complain about it when they were having sex. At least it came in handy there.

It was in the midst of thoughts about his ex-wife that he saw something shiny on the roadside. Something shiny and red. The headlights picked it out easily. Another fifteen minutes and the sun would have risen enough to lighten the landscape and it might not have been so glaring.

Eli’s first thought was road kill. But even as his mind whispered it, he pushed the thought aside. Here recently the only road kill in the county had been of the female variety. He braked to a halt and turned on his hazards lights, and the rack of lights on top of his car. If a sleepy farmer didn’t see all the flashing lights, then he would probably deserve the crash that happened, at least to Eli’s way of thinking. He gingerly climbed out of the car and checked his surroundings, realizing with almost no surprise he was less than a quarter mile from the spot they’d found the first body.

And his stomach sank when he saw what he presumed would be the sixth. Or was it seventh? He was a cop, he should know, but the deaths had all become so linked in his head, and only Sharon’s really stood out. Because he had known her. In fact he had slept with her during one memorable night when there’d been a blackout and the magnetic locks at the sheriff’s office and activated, pretty much trapping them inside.

Eli got close enough to see that the object that had caught his eyes was a hand. It was covered in blood. “Fucking fuck.” He muttered, double cursing, something that would have cracked Mike up had he been there to hear it. He started to turn back to his car to call in on his radio when he saw the hand move.

His heart, until that moment beating pretty steadily, seemed to stop and then leap up into his throat. Without thinking, Eli dashed the short distance and saw her. A girl…or a woman. She was covered with blood from head to toe, so that no skin actually showed. But she was trembling. Alive. Eli fumbled his cell phone out of his pocket and called the sheriff’s office. Franny was on dispatch, and he quickly explained what he’d found and where he was. She was already on the radio, calling for an ambulance, for the sheriff, for anybody who was patrolling to head in his direction.

That done, Eli slid down the slight embankment and dropped to his knees beside the girl. His lights didn’t quite make it over the drop off but he could see well enough that she was naked and covered in bite marks, cuts, scratches. Even as he gingerly touched her, feeling her throat for a pulse, she moaned and jerked away. His fingertips came away from her skin dripping blood.

“It’s all right, honey. Help is comin’.” He kept his voice low, soothing. It was not something he was used to, or good at, the comfort thing. But it was part of the job. He did it more by training than by actually feeling empathy. He couldn’t help it. It was the way he was made.

The woman moaned softly and tried to curl into a ball, exposing her side where a deeper wound gaped. A stab wound. Maybe the killing blow? But the girl was still alive. Eli had no idea what else to do. He wouldn’t leave her to go back to his car for the blanket he kept in the trunk. Instead he peeled off his t-shirt and used it to over the woman from her shoulder to her hip. She shook and began to sob softly.

The sound of an approaching siren was like music to his ears. He rose to his feet and waved his hands, flagging down Steve’s Jeep even though he knew his cruiser was more than adequate for showing the sheriff where the trouble was. There were other sirens in the distance, and Eli’s ear picked out the one he wanted even more than the Sheriff’s - the ambulance.

“What do ya got?”

“Another girl.”

“Cammie?”

“Hell Sheriff, it’s hard to tell. She’s alive though…” Eli stooped down once more, listening as the girl muttered something. The sound was chilling. Her voice was flat, but somehow full of pain.

Steve bent down and shined a flashlight at the woman, careful to keep it from blinding her and sending her into a panic. But the back-spill of light was enough. He could see what looked like a woman who had been dipped in red wax. Even with the shirt covering her, she was shivering.

“Fuckin’ ambulance needs to hurry up. She’s in shock.” Steve observed, pulling his own jacket off and using it to give the woman more warmth. “Did you see anybody or anything? A car or…”

Eli was shaking his head. “Been out here driving for at least a couple of hours. Only other car I’ve seen tonight was the other patrol car, out by the edge of town. People are stickin’ close to home.” Eli looked up at the squeal of tires as the ambulance braked in the center of the road. Two paramedics from the clinic hopped out, hustling because this time the woman wasn’t dead. Losing the human who had been barely hanging on when they’d found her over a month before had put determination into them.

Eli and Steve were all but shoved away from the woman as the medics went to work. “I want her at the clinic. Can they take care of her there?”

“Yeah.” One of the medics, the older of the two, was opening up a bag and digging through to find a needle to start an IV. “We’ve had a couple of people on call since the last one. Since Jess isn’t off maternity leave, we’ve got Doc Ridgeway and Doc Sterns on the way to the clinic now. Should be there within 10.”

Steve felt a bit of relief at that. Both doctors were like them, demons. And Sterns as a trauma surgeon, very well versed in emergency practice. They could keep this one in town. “Get her going. Don’t lose her.”

“Not gonna happen.” The medic said, expertly jabbing the woman’s arm. She flinched but the other medic was there to hold her down and soothe her. “Get the board off the back of the bus. We’ll carry her up.” The older medic said.

Eli didn’t need to be told twice. He jogged to the ambulance and grabbed the long piece of stiff plastic. Sometimes it was easier to carry the board than to push the gurney. He ran it back to the medics before he turned to the ambulance once more and pulled the gurney out anyway. They’d have to put her on it for the ride to the clinic.

It only took a couple of minutes to get her strapped down and into the back of the ambulance. The younger medic got behind the while the older guy climbed in back. He’d gotten a bag of IV fluids going and set to work cleaning blood from a few areas of skin so he could attach various monitors.

“We’ll meet you at the clinic.” Steve said, shutting the doors. The ambulance siren came on as they turned in a wide circle and sped back toward town. Steve eyed Eli critically. “Did you bring another shirt?”

“Wasn’t expecting to lose that one.” Eli said, feeling a kind of shaky relief. “Fuck. I was just driving. Lost in my own little world. And there she was.”

“Yeah. Like somebody wanted her found.” Steve shook his head. “You on duty?”

“Not yet. Wasn’t scheduled until 8. But I couldn’t sleep.” Eli said. Steve was well aware of his deputy’s energy issues.

“Well you’re on the clock now.” Steve went to his jeep, rooted around the back and found one of his uniform shirts. He hardly wore them. When he did it was usually because someone from out of town was coming in for no reason other than to aggravate him. “Get this area roped off. Start sweeping. Pick up anything. A fucking wad of chewed gum at this point is more of a lead than what we’ve had. I’m gonna go to the hospital so I can keep track of what’s happening.”

“Sure.” Eli tugged the shirt on, winced at the blood that was on his bare stomach, and buttoned it anyway. He’d get cleaned up soon enough. “There was so much blood…was that Cammie? Had to be, right?”

“Hell. I don’t know. Didn’t see her face. Don’t wanna assume.” Steve adjusted his hat and shook his head. “Keep this off the radio. Call my cell phone when you’re done. I wanna be updated every fuckin’ chance you get.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Eli went to his car to get his kit from the trunk. There was police tape and evidence bags, even plastic gloves which - after looking at his bloody hands - seemed the equivalent of locking the barn door after the horses were stolen. He watched Steve pull away to speed after the ambulance before motioning at the other deputies - the ones that had only recently been picked - to come closer. “I want the road blocked either end for 50 yards. Park your cars to block and walk back. Stay on the road but look in the ditches. If you see anything, mark it.” He handed them both a handful of orange plastic flags. “Even if it seems like nothing. Got it? Get to it.” He watched them head off and shook his head. It was definitely going to be a long day.

~~!~~!~~

“So exactly how long does this babysitting service last?” Vi asked, watching as Mark sipped his coffee. It was 7, early yes but Vi had to open her clinic that morning. She was expecting a few rescue animals from the county shelter that needed a little quiet time to acclimate and they would be there by 8 or so.

“As long as it needs to.” Mark smiled at her and raised an eyebrow. “I know nights are harder, and I know that you aren’t alone for long after Glen heads out, but humor me this one time.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Vi turned back to the stove and continued making breakfast. The smell must have finally permeated the house because she heard the thud and clatter of Bridger’s paws hitting the floor as he headed for the stairs. It was followed by the softer sound of Josie moving around.

“Gotta admit you enjoyed it, anyway.” Mark said, smirking in self-satisfaction. Vi threw a dish towel at him as Josie blearily walked into the kitchen.

“I smell bacon.”

“Feed your dog, then you can have some.”

“I’m gonna invent an autofeeder.” Josie grouched. She belatedly realized Mark was sitting there at the table and smiled. “Mornin’.”

“Mornin’ yourself, kiddo. Pretty sure autofeeders have already been invented.” Mark said amicably.

Josie made a face at her mother. “Then why do we not have one?”

“I do have one. I call it Josie.” Vi said, cracking eggs into a bowl.

Josie laughed and fed the dog. Mark finished his cup of coffee and stood up. “Guess I should go drag Drew out of bed.”

“Drew?” Josie asked, looking at her mother as Mark headed for the stairs.

“Don’t ask me. They showed up when Glen left to help your granddad.”

“I have got to start sleeping lighter, apparently.” Josie swiped a piece of bacon off the plate Vi had set up for the finished product and ducked when Vi took a playful swing at her. The phone on the counter started ringing, causing Vi to shoot it a sour look.

“It’s awfully early.” She said as Josie grabbed it and answered with her usual energetic hello.

Her daughter made a face, confused for a moment but it cleared. “Sure hold on.” She covered the mouthpiece of the phone and looked at Vi. “It’s the sheriff. He said he needs to talk to Mark.”

Vi raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing as Josie left to take Mark the phone. She returned with Drew a few moments later.

Steve calling this early in the morning, and calling at Vi’s, must mean they had found Cammie. Vi’s good mood of only moments before faded and she felt dread settle into her. It would crush them, they’d scoured the county from top to bottom without finding Cammie but…

Vi forced herself to get a grip. It could be nothing. Probably was nothing. Steve liked to keep Mark in the loop. She picked up her dish towel from the table where Mark had left it and broke into Josie and Drew’s conversation to tell her daughter to keep an eye on the eggs that were cooking on the stove. Then she walked out to the living room. Mark wasn’t there but the phone was on the couch and the front door was open. He’d keyed in the alarm code, which she had given him, so it was currently off.

Vi stepped outside and he was standing on the porch, leaning on the porch rail, looking out across the front yard. She wasn’t the only one who had lost their happy thoughts. It was on his face, in the way he stood. Almost as if he were braced for a punch.

“What is it? What happened?” Vi asked softly, standing beside him and reaching up to rub his shoulder lightly. “Did they find her? Did they find Cammie?”

Mark shook his head. “No. No…it’s…they…” He finally looked at Vi and the shock she saw in his eyes hurt her to the core. “It wasn’t Cammie. It’s Rayne, Vivian. Steve said it’s Rayne they found layin’ by the road.”

“But how…? What…?”

“She’s alive. If Steve is right…Rayne’s alive.” He looked down at her with tortured eyes. Vi could say nothing as he struggled to wrap his mind around it.

43

Obviously Steve was mistaken. He had to be. There was no way Rayne could be alive. Mark told himself that over and over as he paced the floor in the hallway of the clinic, waiting to hear from the doctor who was currently in the room.

He’d left Drew at Vi’s house, not wanting him to find out about this. Not unless he had to, because he would not put his son through this mess if he could help it. The door opened and Steve stepped out, followed by a tall man with graying hair and dark eyes.

“Mark…” Steve started to speak then seemed to lose track of his thoughts. He looked at the doctor. “This is Doctor Ridgeway.” He finally said, gesturing.

Ridgeway nodded. “Whoever she might be…” At this he looked pointedly at Steve. “She lost a lot of blood. She’s unconscious. Not quite in a coma, but might as well be.”

“Wanna tell me what happened?” Mark asked, looking from the doctor to Steve.

Steve ran down the morning’s events, as much of them as he knew. Once they’d gotten the woman to the hospital they had cleaned her up to assess the damage. Ridgeway picked up the story there.

“She’s got multiple cuts, contusions, scrapes, abrasions, and bite marks. Several stab wounds as well. None of them serious alone. But the sum of all the parts…” The doctor shook his head. “The nurses lost count of the stitches once we got past three hundred. She’s was awake very briefly when they got her off the ambulance, but she’s been out since then. She’s stable…but in shock.”

“So she survived. That means we have a witness. Somebody who can tell us who it is that’s been doing the killing.” Mark said, avoiding what he could see in Steve’s eyes.

“After she’s rested. Yes. I won’t have either of you disturbing her more than necessary. The girl’s been through hell. The least you can do is give her a day or so to rest.” Ridgeway glanced at his watch. “I’m due for rounds. The nurses were told that nobody goes in except for you and the sheriff.” He aimed that at Mark. “Keep it brief if you go inside. No more than ten minutes. At least until tomorrow.” With that he headed off down the hallway.

Mark was left staring at Steve, “You won’t believe me until you see for yourself.” Steve finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

“It can’t be her.”

“It is. It’s not just the resemblance.” Steve shook his head. The woman had been nothing but a mask of blood until the nurses had started pouring sterile water over her. But it was before that, when they’d taken her off the ambulance, when she’d been awake and terrified. Those eyes, that strange shade of indigo that looked nearly black, they were the giveaway. “We can do blood testing, compare her DNA to Drew’s. Unless she had a twin sister, it’s her.”

“It’s not possible. I buried her.” Mark said, keeping his voice down even though he wanted to yell it at the other man. He’d been the one who had tucked a picture of Drew into Rayne’s coffin, he’d closed the lid. It was eight, nearly nine years in the past but he remembered as if it were yesterday.

“Your brother. Your friend. Now…possibly…your wife?”

“She wasn’t one of us.” Mark pointed out. “She was fully human. Special yes, but no resurrection magic works on a human. You now that as well as I do.”

“Go see for yourself.” Steve gestured at the room. “And then come tell me that it’s impossible. I only met her a handful of times, I didn’t know her as well as some people did.”

Mark hesitated. He finally steeled himself and went to the door, pushing it open. Steve nodded and leaned against the wall, arms crossed, not wanting to go in the room where they’d disturb the woman who was resting. The door closed softly, leaving Mark in a room that was lit only by the sun coming through the window. A monitor beeped steadily in the corner. Mark found it easier to focus on that for the moment, to watch as a video screen tracked each breath, each heartbeat, than look at the woman.

But eventually his eyes had nowhere else to go. Mark took a deep breath and looked at the woman who lay in the bed.

And wasn’t braced nearly enough.

He felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Because laying in the bed, all visible skin covered by bruises or bandages, was Rayne. He took one shaky breath, then another, looking at her sleeping form. There were so many cuts and bruises that it hurt to look at her, that it was hard to picture her as he remembered…healthy, happy. Alive.

Mark sank into the room’s only chair and reached over to lay his hand on top of hers. Her fingers were cool, but they twitched under his. He expected something. He wasn’t sure what. When nothing happened he let her go and slowly got to his feet. He left the room as silently as he’d entered. Steve was still in the same position, waiting patiently.

“How is this possible?” Mark finally asked when the silence between them stretched out.

“I was hoping you could tell me.” Steve shook his head. “She was attacked. Whether by our killer or someone else. Sort of hard to ignore she was dropped near one of the other dump points. She was bitten too.”

“Back of the neck?” Mark asked, trying to find his mental footing.

“There. Other places.” Steve frowned. “Not biting like the others though. Ridgeway got Tom some dental impressions so he could compare but it’s different. He was biting when she was alive. And he dumped her before he was sure she was dying.”

“Rushed? Maybe he got interrupted?”

“Possible. Got no way of knowin’ until she wakes up and I can get her side of it.” Steve scratched his chin. “Tell me I’m crazy and that it’s just a resemblance.”

“I wish I could.” Mark rubbed his temples and pushed his hair back. “What the fuck is going on Steve?”

Steve wished he had an answer. It seemed to him that things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

~~!~~!~~

Vi worried quietly to herself as the day went on. Drew was no trouble at all. In fact, after he and Josie had wandered the ranch for a bit that morning he had insisted on jumping in and helping - some of the hands were cleaning out the barns and bunkhouses, and he pitched in hauling things in or out.

They wandered back in at lunch time, Josie grumbling good-naturedly. Vi had three young dogs to care for that morning, it had helped take her mind off things. For a while. At least until lunch was over and the kids decided they were going to tackle cleaning out the pool. Vi had already cleaned it twice, one of the ranch hands had cleaned it, but Vi hadn’t wanted anyone in it because of all the glass. It was Drew’s idea to drain it, scrub it, and refill it.

He was troubled by his dad leaving. Vi didn’t need any kind of psychic power to know that. Drew knew that something was wrong. He worried quietly to himself, but Josie provided a good distraction. They were still in the pool, with scrub brushes, when Glen wandered back to the house. He jumped in and joined them while Vi made supper. By the time she called them in, Glen had the hose in the pool so that it would fill slowly over the next few hours. They had a pretty lively dinner thanks to the kids, and Glen, who had read Vi’s worry without her having to say a word.

Mark didn’t call until after seven. Glen had taken Josie and Drew back outside to mess around the pool some more. She wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing. The phone ringing jarred her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry it took me so long to call.” Mark said when Vi had answered.

“I didn’t put you on a schedule.” Vi went out on the front porch and leaned her hip against the rail. “So what happened?”

“I wish I knew.” He sighed heavily. “She’s still out. The doc says she might sleep the better part of a couple of days because they’ve pumped her so full of pain killers. We’re just waiting to see if she’ll come out of it at all.”

“Is it…” Vi hesitated. “Is it your wife? Was Steve right?”

“I don’t know.” Mark made a low noise, and Vi realized it was a choked laugh. “It’s hard to tell with all the bruises and bandages. Then again it’s hard not to see it. I can’t describe it.”

“But you don’t believe it?”

“I can’t let myself believe it.” Mark corrected. “This resurrection stuff does not work on humans. They aren’t made the same way. And resurrection magic only works within minutes of a death, not years later. There are limits.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Nothin’ I can do but wait.” He was quiet for a moment. “Vivian…it’s all about me.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “What is?”

“Everything that’s happening.”

“Where is this coming from?” Vi asked, frowning a bit.

“I’ve thought it over. My brother. My friend. Now this woman who looks like my wife? All the murders. And nothing ever happened to you until you started seeing me. Even the stuff that happened between you and Glen didn’t happen until after we met.”

“Don’t forget there was a tornado in the next county and Rick Taylor’s creek flooded during the last thunderstorm.” Vi said in exasperation. “Does the world always revolve around you and what you do?”

He didn’t miss the sarcastic note in her voice. He chose to ignore it though. “DNA on one of the victims that matched mine. How about that? I know it wasn’t me that hurt those woman. To be honest with you Vivian, when I was younger and more confused I was a complete asshole but I’ve never been a biter. My aggression was aimed at demons because of the things that happened when I was a kid.” He wound down, sounding tired.

“Mark…are you coming back?” She chose to not even try to talk him out of whatever mood he’d gotten into after he’d left. The day had started off so good too.

“I…yeah. If you want.”

Vi snorted. “It’s not what I want. I can and will hold your kid hostage though.”

“Then yes, I would like to come there.”

“Ok. We can talk when you get here.” They said their goodbyes and she tapped the phone thoughtfully on the porch rail.

“So what’s going on?” Glen’s voice from behind her made Vi jump.

“A big mess, to put it in simplest terms.” She looked at him, noting the amused little smirk on his mouth. “Where are the kids?”

“Went down to Ray’s. I might have mentioned to Josie that he picked up some fireworks while we were out.”

Vi rolled her eyes. It was barely June. But Ray had always had a weakness for things that exploded colorfully. “I have to go check these dogs. Come with me. I’ll tell you what I know.”

~~!~~!~~

Mark had stopped by his house to pick up a change of clothes for himself and Drew. It was after ten when he finally got back to VI’s. Steve had wanted to run through things one more time and Mark had finally told him that he had to leave. It was bad enough that something like this had happened. But he was worrying his kid and the woman he cared for, so he needed to get back to them.

And really the reason it was so late was because Mark had waited for Randy. There wasn’t much Randy could tell him either even with his stronger powers, except that whoever she was she was in a lot of pain, and it made getting anything else from her nearly impossible. Most of her wounds were superficial, including the stab wounds.

Some of it fit the profile for their killer. Some of it did not.

Steve put forth that maybe the guy was evolving a bit, changing his methods because he was getting bored with what he’d been doing. It made sense but at the same time it didn’t feel right. None of it felt right.

And even though he had seen her and had reacted, a part of Mark refused to believe it could be Rayne. He accepted that demons could be resurrected if the conditions were right. It was a known power, something that was talked about and analyzed.

Randy’s resurrection fit the pattern. He’d died helping Mark, helping Rayne; he’d fought knowing full well he could die. That it had taken him weeks to fully wake up, and he’d woken to a strange place that was not unheard of. The point was he was resurrected almost immediately.

Mark was too for that matter. He’d played along with Rayne’s dream idea because he knew she would never be able to handle the truth. She’d never accept him for what he truly was. He was stronger than Randy, his resurrection hadn’t been nearly the ordeal, but the fact was Mark had no idea how it had happened. As far as he knew, it was not one of his powers. Neither was it one of Randy’s. He’d met only one demon with the power to resurrect another - at the time she’d used the name Rue - and she had refused to use her power unless the circumstances were extreme.

He made a mental note to find her - if anybody could answer some questions about this stuff, it would be Rue. Or Ramla. She’d briefly operated under the name Sybil as well. All the different names meant finding her would be a challenge unto itself. As if he needed to add that on top of everything else.

Mark forced his scattered thoughts from his head and smiled tiredly at Vi when she opened the door for him. The kids were upstairs, engaged in a very quiet session with Josie’s video games. Glen had already turned in for the night. He set his bag down and pulled Vi into a hug before he even spoke a word.

“Rough day at the office?” She asked, going for a light tone.

“I wish.”

“Hungry? I saved you some leftovers from supper…”

Mark shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt less like eating.” He let her lead him to the couch and sat down with a sigh. “It’s not possible. Even considering everything else that’s happened.” He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head, unable to put into words the frustration that he was feeling.

“There’s nothing else you can do tonight. Why don’t you try to relax, and in the morning maybe things will start making sense.”

“I hope so. But I doubt it.” Mark rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his forehead in his hands.

Vi reached over and rubbed the back of his neck. “I wish I could do something to help.”

“You’re helping.” He reached back and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers. “Just being here.” He kissed her fingers and pressed the back of her hand to his cheek.

She could say nothing to that. Instead she leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder.

It was a long night for Mark. He couldn’t sleep. After midnight he found himself pacing the house for no real reason.

Drew was sleeping in Ray’s old room, on the first floor. If he knew something was wrong he kept it to himself which reminded Mark that his kid was getting better every day at hiding what he was feeling. He was still debating with himself on whether that was good or bad when he climbed the stairs and went into Vi’s room. She had checked on her temporary patients, and while he’d been tempted to crawl into bed with her, something held him back. He’d stayed until she fell asleep, but was too restless - he was afraid he’d wake her up.

Of course seeing her curled onto her side on the big bed tempted him to wake her up anyway. And Mark knew even though he wanted to, even though a repeat of that morning would probably help ease his nerves, something held him back.

And it was the woman in the hospital.

It could not possibly be Rayne. But she resembled her closely enough that Mark could not stop thinking about her. They’d built a life together, and it had been hard going at first. She hadn’t truly wanted to trust him at first, because of what she’d seen. The deeper she got into her denial over what had happened, the closer they’d become.

It was easier because his demon half was completely drained. Mark found he could still tap into some of his powers if he concentrated enough - the dream stuff especially. But it took an effort. Eventually he and Rayne reached a point where he knew her thoughts almost as well as he knew his own - so even mind reading or dream visiting was obsolete.

He had loved her with all of his humanity. With most of his heart. Mark knew that sentiment would sound cold, maybe even self-serving, but it was true. And it was enough. He’d had to hide what he was, and by extension the entire town had done the same. And then the deal that they’d agreed on, because of Vivian.

Mark sat down in her room, in the chair in the corner, and frowned thoughtfully. Whose idea had it been to keep the silence about what they were from Vivian? He could not remember. It hadn’t been his - he’d had very little to do with the rule setting because, as with other things, he’d felt completely on the outside of it.

It struck him now, simply for the fact that he had heard that it was Vi specifically to keep their secrets from. When her husband had been alive it hadn’t seemed as important. It was only after he’d passed on that it seemed the rule had grown in importance.

Mark blamed it, once again, on the fact he’d grown complacent over the years. It was a bit late to question it now but why was it that only Vivian was mentioned? Why not the whole Peace family? As far as Mark could remember, they were the only truly human family still in the area. Not to say there weren’t humans - there were of course. But they were mostly the transient variety who came in to help the ranches and farms in the summer months, and drifted off in colder months to warmer places.

They kept their secrets from Rayne because Mark had insisted. She had worked to forget the events that truly brought them together, until the lies he’d agreed to became her truth. And why? Because he had been happy. He had deserved it. He had earned it.

Frustrated again, realizing that his thoughts were doing nothing to aid him in sleeping, he got up and quietly exited Vi’s room. He went back down the stairs and into the kitchen where he leaned against the sink and looked out into the darkness. There was just enough light from a waxing moon so that he could see the pool and patio.

There was a movement reflected in the glass. Mark jerked his head and saw Glen entering the kitchen behind him, still mostly asleep, fully dressed.

“What’s wrong?” Glen asked in a thick voice.

“Nothing. Go back to bed.”

“Nothing. Nothing has you up pacing around the house like a caged tiger at 4 in the morning?” Glen went to the coffee maker and jabbed the button, eying it blearily to make sure it was set up and ready. He hadn’t needed the alarm clock that morning, Mark’s ceaseless movements around the house had prevented him from sleeping too deeply. It definitely put a strange energy into the air when Mark was upset. “And I can’t go back to bed. I’m going with Ray to pick up about 3 tons of treated lumber. We’re building an add-on to one of the barns.”

“Sorry I kept you up.” Mark muttered, eying the coffee.

“No big deal. You have a lot on your mind.” Glen poured himself a travel mug and added sugar. “So what will you do?”

“Do?”

Glen pointedly looked up at the ceiling. “Hypothetically speaking, if that woman in the hospital is your wife. What happens then?”

“I don’t know.” Mark had honestly been trying not to think about that part of it. It was not simply a question of where his loyalties were, or his heart. He wasn’t human. He’d taken a bond. He was forced by what he was to honor it. Again it struck him, how very cold that thought was, even when it pertained to someone he cared so much about.

“Seems kind of like a no-brainer to me.” Glen said after taking a careful sip of his coffee.

“You don’t have a lot of experience to base it on.”

“True enough. I also know that your past picked a hell of a time to come back to haunt you. Myself included, I suppose. But especially where Vivian’s concerned. Be careful.” Glen’s voice turned serious. “She deserves good things now.”

Mark nodded and went back to staring out the window. He knew that Vivian deserved good things, great things, including a relationship that didn’t involve any sort of supernatural elements. Normal. She deserved way more normal than he could give her.

“That’s my roundabout way of saying not to hurt her. Ironic, I know, coming from me. But it seems to me you have way more power to hurt her than I ever did.” Glen picked up his mug and turned, leaving Mark alone in the kitchen.

Mark could only stand there a moment, contemplating his own reflection in the glass. He finally sighed and headed for the stairs. He was going to give in to the urge to get into bed with Vi, because he needed at least a little sleep. More, he just needed to be with her. He was a little more careful this time, getting into bed and snuggling up against her back without her waking up. That was all right too. He wrapped an arm over her waist and just held on because he could not think of anything else to do.

44

Mark was there when the woman woke up.

He and Drew had eaten breakfast with Vi and Josie, and had headed home shortly after that. Vi knew Mark had to deal with this business, and Drew knew something was wrong but did not press him. Mark wasn’t sure what exactly he would say to his son anyway.

So they had gone home, and Drew headed for Collin’s while Mark made some phone calls to take care of some actual work-related issues. He was the boss, he could take all the time off he wanted. It didn’t mean he did not have to check in on occasion. After that Mark headed to the clinic.

Steve was already there, standing in the hallway, in deep discussion with one of the nurses. He spotted Mark and waved him over. “They cut back the pain meds. She should wake up any time. Ridgeway is in with her right now.”

“Ok. Good.” Mark didn’t try to sound enthusiastic. He took a seat on one of the hard plastic chairs that lined the hall and waited.

This time it was a short wait. He didn’t know if that was good or bad. Twenty minutes after he’d arrived, Ridgeway opened the door to the room and looked from Steve to Mark.

“She’s awake. Groggy, in a lot of pain, but awake.” He shut the door behind him and flipped his chart open. “She’s showing signs of memory loss, but now that some of her swelling has gone down we can see she’s suffered quite a bit of trauma to the head. Fairly typical in a case like this - a few hours, or days, and it’ll all come back. We scanned her this morning, and found that she also has a wrist fracture.” He pulled a bag out of his pocket and handed it to Steve. “Not sure if it’ll help but the nurses collected some random fabric and scrapings from under her fingernails. Rape kit came back negative. And…she’s asked for you.”

He looked at Mark as he spoke the last. He lifted an eyebrow. “Is she lucid enough to answer questions?”

“Don’t expect a lot of detailed answers about her attack.” Ridgeway said, pulling a pen out of his pocket and scribbling in the chart. “I didn’t press her there, I figured I’d save that for you. I do insist that a nurse is present during your questioning. She may have had a seizure this morning - nothing to worry about there either, if it was a seizure it was very petite mal. I’m going to order a CT scan just to be on the safe side.” He looked pointed from Steve to Mark once more. “And keep in mind she’s recovering from a trauma. Fifteen minutes. That’s about the limit you need to see her right now. After that, let her rest and then this afternoon we’ll see how she’s holding up.”

“Fair enough.” Steve waited until the doctor had walked away before turning to Mark. “You sure you wanna go in there? All the color is gone outta your face.”

“Not gonna pass out, if you’re worried about it.” Mark grouched, standing up. “Can we just get this over with?”

“Yep.” Steve adjusted his hat and led them into the room. The nurse was sitting in the corner, writing in yet another chart. The television was on some morning news show, but the sound was muted. The woman on the bed had her eyes closed, making Mark wonder if she’d fallen asleep again in the time it had taken the doctor to explain what was going on.

Steve moved one of the extra chairs to the side of the bed and the woman opened her eyes, startled. She looked from Steve to Mark, panicked, until she registered who it was.

“Mark?” Her voice was hoarse. As Mark stepped closer he realized he could see a dark ring of bruises around her neck. She shifted and he let his eyes drift from those angry marks to her hand, which she was trying to raise off the bed. He took her hand, because it seemed that was what she was trying to do, and looked into her eyes.

And had to stop denying who she was. Rayne’s one very distinctive feature had been her indigo eyes - a dark shade of blue that could look purple in some light, black in others.

She squeezed his hand weakly and let out a pained sigh. “The doctor wouldn’t tell me if you were here or not…or even where I am…”

“You’re at the clinic.” Mark said softly. He glanced at Steve, who nodded. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Rayne frowned, thinking it over. “I…I don’t know really. I was leaving. I was supposed to take Andrew to school?” She puzzled over that for a moment. “But I had to take care of something instead. I remember driving…” Shook her head. “After that…just a lot of pain. It was dark. I could hear someone crying.” Her voice cracked at that and she went quiet. “Then there was screaming. I don’t know if it was me or if someone else was there.” She squeezed his hand again. “I don’t remember much beyond that…moving. I was hurting all over. And then waking up here, with someone shining a light in my eyes…”

Her voice faded. Mark shot Steve a look, confused. “How long do you think you were out?” Steve finally asked.

“I don’t know…a few days? A couple of weeks?” Rayne frowned and winced. “Why? Is something wrong? Besides…” She tried to gesture at herself, winced and muttered a low moan, and pushed away Mark’s hand when he tried to calm her down. “Is it Andrew? What’s the matter?”

Mark made a face at that. Steve caught it, even though it only lasted a moment. “He’s fine. At a friend’s house right now.” He nodded at Steve. “Sheriff needs you to answer some questions for him, if you feel up to it.”

Rayne visibly relaxed. “I’ll try.” She attempted a smile and winced instead as she felt a cut on her lip protest the movement. She gingerly touched her mouth. “How bad is it? I feel like I’ve been put through a wringer.”

“You’re alive.” Steve wasn’t one to mince words. “That’s sayin’ a lot considerin’ what’s been happening around here. Before we get into that, I’m gonna ask Mark here to step outside with me for a minute.” Steve looked at the nurse before standing and leading Mark back out into the hallway. “What was it?”

“What was what?” Mark asked, confused.

“She said something. You ticked. I saw it.”

“It’s nothing. Not really.” Mark scratched his chin thoughtfully. “It’s just that she was always the one that called Drew…well…Drew. Said Andrew was way too formal for a kid. Hated Andy with a passion. It just…I don’t know.” He shook his head. “How is it she thinks it’s only been days?”

“Trauma?” Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. I do know that I need to question her, and I wanna do this part of it alone. Less likely they’ll run me out if I’m by myself.”

“Yeah. I get it.” Mark sighed. “Go ahead. I’m gonna find the doc, see if he can tell me anything else.”

Steve nodded and stepped back into the room. “Sorry about that. Mark is going to talk to your doctor, but he’ll be back in a few minutes. In the meantime…” He took his seat again and pulled a small notebook out of his shirt pocket. “Let’s start with the basics and go from there. Lisa?” He aimed that at the nurse who was still sitting and working on her charts.

“Yes?”

“I’m going to ask that you be an official witness in this questioning. Sounds a lot more serious than it is but at least we’re on record. Ok?”

“Sure thing, Sheriff.” Lisa smiled and went back to her charts.

Steve hated formalities, and figured that was about the limit he’d have to deal with. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Is this a neurological thing? The doctor already did it.” Rayne said tiredly.

“No. This is a police thing. So humor me and I’ll get out of your hair and let you rest.”

She nodded slowly. “Full name? Rayne Melissa Calaway, maiden name Waters. Yes I know, Rayne Waters, my mother thought she was being cute. Birthday is January 19th. Married August 16th, one son born September 3rd. Does that about cover it?”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty two.”

“Your son?”

“Six.”

Steve looked up from his notebook. “You sure?”

“Well…yes. His birthday wasn’t that long ago.” Rayne frowned. “Why?”

“Just a second. Let me ask you my questions first, all right? Take me through the morning again so I can get the high points.”

Rayne did, speaking quietly. Steve took notes but not out of any real hope of learning anything they could use. It only took a few minutes, and by that time Lisa was looking pointedly at the clock.

“All right. I’m gonna go, let you rest up.” Steve got up from his seat. “If you remember anything else, anything at all, you get word to me. We’ve had a mess on our hands here, and I’d kind of like to get it cleaned up.”

Rayne nodded slowly. “If my head wasn’t hurting so much right now…” She trailed off.

“Get some rest. Lisa - call me if anything changes.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff.”

Steve tucked his notebook back into his pocket as he left the room. He shut the door behind him and sighed tiredly. Mark was sitting once more in the chair against the wall. He looked up at Steve with a frown on his face. “So?”

“Couple of strange things.” Steve took a seat next to him. “First - she thinks hardly any time has passed. When I asked her how old her kid was, she said Drew was six.”

Mark raised his eyebrows at that. “He was when she passed.”

“I know. Also she thinks his birthday wasn’t that long ago.” Steve shook his head. “It gets weirder.”

“How is that even possible?”

“Her story didn’t change.”

“So?”

“Not a word of it changed from what she said to you to what she said to me.” Steve waited a beat before going on. “It might mean nothing. It might mean everything. Usually when you have a trauma like this, I don’t care who the hell you are, when you talk to a cop you tell a different story. It’s almost like it was rehearsed. Right down to the part where she gets choked up mentioning hearing someone else cry.”

“You think it was scripted?”

“It’s a possibility. Like brain washing. Enough pain, enough training, people will remember what you tell them to remember and do it exactly how you say.” But Steve looked troubled. “The third odd thing - or maybe the fourth if we count Drew’s name - she had no idea who I was. I know I was only a lowly deputy when the accident happened, but I’d been over to your house more times than I was at my own. Hell…she’s the one that introduced me and Jess.”

“So she remembers that morning. Kind of. She remembers details of her life. But she doesn’t remember you? You were at Drew’s sixth birthday party.” Mark mulled that over.

“I was talkin’ to the doc earlier, and he said that barring any kind of infections or complications, they’d be releasing her in a couple of days.” Steve said slowly. “I called Jess. She’ll be home in time for that, and will probably be in here to do the actual exit exam. There’s no way she’d not remember Jess - they were best friends.”

“I know.” Mark dragged his hands through his hair yet again. “There’s no way I’m gonna be able to protect Drew from this.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t.”

Mark looked at Steve, surprised. “I’m don’t think I catch your meaning.”

“I mean that your kid’s powers are starting to spark. Maybe this would be a chance to stretch ‘em out a little bit.”

“You want me to let him experiment on his…mother?” He forced the word out. He had seen her, spoken to her, touched her, and still could not make himself believe it truly was Rayne.

“It’s gonna be tough on him. I give you that. And if she’s not who she says she is…it’ll be worse.” Steve heaved a sigh. “If you wanna get him out of the way for a while, until this is all figured out, we can send him to stay with some people out of town.”

Mark was shaking his head before Steve could finish speaking. “No. I won’t send my son off to live with strangers. Not now, not when we don’t know how his powers will turn out. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”

“Then maybe ask him what he thinks you should do.”

“Tell him?”

“He’ll find out sooner or later. Better he finds out from you.” Steve shrugged. “Make him part of it, maybe he won’t take it so hard.” Mark mulled that over as Steve rose to his feet and thumped him on the shoulder. “I could use some coffee. Wanna go grab one?”

Mark shook his head, hardly hearing him. He had too much to think about, and needed time to do it.

~~!~~!~~

Several weeks passed.

They were slow weeks. Summer was just getting underway and it started off hot. As the fourth of July approached, things around the ranch settled into a routine. Glen would get up at five or so, and didn’t leave to work the ranch until Vi was up for the morning - usually around six. It was true that she and Josie were not alone at night anymore. What had changed was that Mark no longer showed up early so Glen could leave.

Vi understood he had his hands full. After a week in the clinic. Rayne was deemed well enough to be checked out. Mark had debated with Steve, with Jess, and even with Glen, but eventually had moved her back into their house. She was in the guest room. Telling Drew had been the hardest part, because Mark expected there to be more of a reaction.

Drew had surprised him by being stand-offish and suspicious. Rayne was more shocked at seeing her now teenaged son where she expected a first-grader to be. Vi had learned all of that from Jess when she’d managed to escape the ever watchful eyes around the ranch to go visit Jess and Robin on her day off.

Rayne did remember Jess, but Jess confided to Vi that instead of feeling happy that someone she was close to was - for lack of a better way of putting it - back from the dead, something was off. She did not know what. She told Vi, while Vi held Robin after feeding her a bottle, that it was like a shell that looked and sounded like Rayne - but whatever had made the woman her friend was no longer there.

Vi had only spoken to Mark a few times, all on the phone, and each time he had sounded so distracted that Vi was not sure he was actually hearing her. So she backed off, giving him space. She knew it was what she would have wanted, had their positions been reversed.

Even Randy still had a hard time getting a read from Rayne. Not for lack of trying, really. He explained to Mark that it was like hearing a lot of background noise rather than any actual clear thoughts. It troubled him but he could do little about it.

And they still had not found a sign of the missing Cammie Johnson. It was as if she had fallen off the face of the planet. Some of the deputies still searched, off road, in their free time. They had to. She was one of their own, it was the least they could do.

The fourth dawned hazy and hot. Ray and Vi were hosting the ranch’s annual fourth of July cookout and fireworks spectacular (the spectacular part added by Josie, who sensed the moodiness of the adults - especially her mother - and tried to lighten it up). All the ranch hands and their families were invited. They’d finished the addition to the big barn, the one where Ray stored farm equipment, the one by which Vi had shared her first kiss with Link. The equipment was moved, the barn was cleaned. They invested in a couple of portable air conditioning units, which would at best lower the temperature in the barn by 5 degrees and move the air around. They set up tables and chairs, and a few of the ranch hands volunteered their grills from home. By noon there were more than a hundred people seated here and there, eating grilled burgers or chicken, hot dogs, and corn. Vi had bought ten inflatable toddler pool and Josie and Glen had turned purple blowing them up the night before. They were just the right size to fill with ice and cans of soda or beer.

More people showed up as supper time neared, even as many of the early arrivers left. The barn made a good spot to cool off, but the ice in the inflatable pools was more used. Eventually one of the ranch hands showed up with a stereo system and the barn became a sort of dance hall.

Mark and Drew showed up just as the festivities in the barn were really picking up. Vi was explaining, not for the first time, to a group of children that the fireworks - including sparklers - would have to wait until at least sunset. Eventually they wandered off and she went back to picking up empty cans, empty plates, empty cups - people were messy, especially when they weren’t at their own home. She didn’t mind though. Between the screaming kids outside, and the music from the barn, picking up garbage from the tables was actually sort of soothing.

She paused to watch Josie drag an apparently heavy garbage bag in the wrong direction. Vi had to laugh when Josie pulled a water balloon out of the bag and tossed it with decent aim right at the back of her Grandfather’s head. That was enough to distract the younger set as they divided up the “ammo” and set about soaking each other.

“Hey.”

Vi hadn’t seen Mark arrive, with so many coming and going it was hard to keep track. The sound of his voice right behind her made her jump. She looked at him and smiled. “Hi. You made it.”

“Would have been here earlier but I got tied up.” Mark had his hair braided back from his face, and a pair of dark glasses covering his eyes. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets and half-smiled when Josie nailed Drew with a water balloon for daring to sneak up on her. And Vi knew, in that moment when all should have been right, that something was very wrong. “Think you can escape for a minute?”

“Maybe.” Vi glanced around. Everyone was busy, which was good. Ray and Rick had stoked the grills once more and were cooking more hot dogs and burgers for the late eaters. “Do you want something to eat? Fresh should be ready in about five minutes…”

Mark was shaking his head. “Just a walk would do me.”

Vi turned and walked with him, falling into step beside him. He nodded toward the wooded area where Vi’s fallen log was and she went along, waiting him out, not trying to break his silence.

It wasn’t until they’d reached the little clearing that Mark took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I haven’t called enough, or even kept you in the loop about things…”

“You’ve had other things on your mind.”

“That’s no excuse.” Mark sat down on the log and pulled his sunglasses off, setting them on top of his head. He finally reached for her hand and pulled Vi to sit next to him, keeping her fingers threaded through his. “It hasn’t been really fair to you either.”

“Fair?” Vi was a little confused. Had she been worried about him being fair? She didn’t even know what he meant.

Mark shook his head and turned to look at her. Vi felt as if the air was sucked right out of her lungs at the mix of emotions she could read in his eyes. Pain...confusion…definitely regret.

“I love you. Before I even try to say anything else, I want to say that. I love you, Vivian. I gave up on ever feelin’ that way again. Didn’t wanna risk it. I wasn’t even remotely interested in anything beyond a one night stand until I met you.” He squeezed her fingers. Vi could only frown in confusion. “I can’t do this to you. I can be a downright selfish bastard when I feel like it, and every time I think about you…I feel like it. But I can’t put you through this. I’ve thought about it every direction I can and even though I love you, and I wanna be with you…” He trailed off, losing the thread of his thought.

Vi waited a moment, feeling sick to her stomach. “What do you mean, about being selfish? You haven’t been…”

He snorted, a half laugh full of scorn. “To be honest, Vivian, I thought maybe we could keep on seeing each other. Even with Rayne coming back, I don’t want to give you up.” He looked at her, his eyes holding her. “Which is exactly why I have to give you up.” Mark huffed another of those strange humorless chuckles. “I make myself sick, thinking that I can be persuasive. Part of my charm you know. If this is Rayne, and we’ve come to think that it is, then she can be home and you can be here, and I can have both. How much of a bastard does that make me?”

“Mark…”

“I don’t even want her. I want you. You’re all I can think about.” He went on without letting her speak beyond his name. “Which is why I can’t have you. Not now. Not when Drew’s mother, my wife, is back. We’ve been given a second chance, Vivian. I don’t know how or why, but I can’t just throw that away.”

She sat there stunned for a minute, just looking at him. “So…you’re breaking things off with me?”

“I have to.”

Vi could say nothing once again. What could she say? She had suspected this would happen. Because she could put herself in his shoes, and could imagine her reaction if Link were to somehow come back to her. But it hurt. He couldn’t have hurt her more if he’d stabbed her and twisted the knife.

“I don’t want to.” He finally spoke when she couldn’t. “That’s what I’ve been fighting myself with. If you were a lesser woman, or if I didn’t care about you, I’d tell you that I’d still be willing to sleep with you but that would be the end of it. Hell I thought about that anyway and realized it wouldn’t be enough. Just sex would never be enough, not with you. I can’t do that to you. Or to R…my family.” He shook head. “I wanted to find a way to tell you, but I can’t just take you off somewhere alone. Because I’d give in to what my heart wants.”

Vi frowned again. And surprised herself. “So why don’t you?”

Mark gaped at her.

“What? Didn’t expect I would be the selfish one?” She pulled her hand from his and got up, pacing around the small clearing. “She was dead Mark. You had eight years to mourn her and get on with your life. And you’re saying that you basically choose to pretend those years, and the people - namely me - that were there aren’t worth you taking a chance?”

“What would you do?” He asked, tilting his head, frowning at her anger.

It was Vi’s turn to snort a laugh. “Do? Mark, I loved Link. Loved. Past tense. He’s been gone almost six years, and my heart still hurts but I can’t keep on loving just a memory. Even if he came back, even if he showed up right now on our doorstep - I would be happy to see him, yes, freaked out? No question. But I love you. The present - the now.”

“And I’m not you. I can’t think that way.” Mark said softly. Vi felt tears prick her eyes at that and could only shake her head and turn to walk away.

She only got a few steps into the trees when he was grabbing her arm and turning her. Vi sputtered and he covered her mouth with his, cutting her off with a kiss that left them both panting for breath. Vi pulled herself out of his arms and wiped angrily at her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Just go away, Mark. You made your decision. Don’t make it harder than it already is.” She didn’t wait for him to say anything else. Instead she turned and walked away through the trees, not looking back.

45 - (2 months later)

Vi knew she was dreaming. It was that same feeling of being in two places at once, in her bed and here, that proved it. Although she had no clue what this place was. Outside, yes, but not anywhere she’d ever been. There was a house in the distance. The only reason she could see it was because all the lights were on. Otherwise it was completely dark, without even a sliver of moon to provide any light.

She was on a slight rise, a hill that was just high enough to see over the tops of the trees. There was a trail too, which was another thing that screamed dream to her. It was dark but she could still see. Vi looked both ways along the trail, figuring the house with the blazing lights would be off the trail that led down. The trail up…who knew? She turned in that direction and started walking, curious about where she was.

As the hill crested, the trees opened up. There was a clearing at the top, roughly shaped like a circle. It wasn’t completely clear. There were a few stumps of trees that had been cut down along the outer edge. So someone had made the clearing bigger? It seemed that way, not that it mattered. Vi let her eyes scan the open area and felt her breath catch in her throat when she realized that someone was standing in the center.

Not just someone. Mark.

He wasn’t looking at her. In fact, Vi wasn’t sure he was even aware of her presence. He was looking up at the sky, at the uncountable stars above them. Vi stepped closer and he blinked and slowly looked toward her.

She realized this was not the Mark that she knew. It was the other part of him. As she got closer she could see that his hair was longer and darker. And he was still sporting that full beard. It was trimmed neatly but still…it wasn’t the goatee that she was used to seeing.

“Paying another friendly visit?” Vi asked, very aware of the slow once-over he was giving her. It made her feel almost naked, even though she was wearing her usual tank top and shorts. Or maybe she had just missed him. That was probably closer to the truth of it.

“I think it is the other way around.” He said slowly, thoughtfully. “I was here first, after all.” His voice still had that subtle rough edge that made Vi think he’d just woken up from a deep sleep. And in a way she supposed that were true; his demon side had been dormant. It might take time to wake him completely.

“And where exactly is ‘here’?” Vi stopped less than three feet from him, very aware that she was alone in the middle of nowhere with a version of Mark that should be giving her nightmares…yet she felt perfectly safe.

“You saw the house.” It wasn’t a question.

“It was hard to miss with all the lights on.” She said with a nod.

“Yet you turned away from it and followed the dark part of the trail.” It wasn’t a question. In fact, Vi thought he was speaking more to himself than to her.

“Yeah. Well. Something told me to come this way. So I came this way.” Vi shrugged. “What is this place?”

“For lack of a better way to put it, you are inside my head.” Mark sighed. “Sometimes it is different. A building in a dark city. A campsite in the desert. A ship on the ocean. The meanings are all the same. When I…or he, if you prefer…is sleeping, this is where I wake up. If all the lights are on it means that I, he, is sleeping deeply. When the lights start going off, he is waking up. Or watching.” He looked in the direction that Vi had come, and she followed his gaze, seeing with no surprise at all that the house, while still at a distance, was perfectly visible among the trees.

“So why am I here?” Vi asked.

Mark shrugged. “You tell me.”

“I would if I knew.” Vi looked up at the stars for a moment. “Maybe I just missed you.”

“You mean…him.”

Vi smiled sadly. “You aren’t two separate people.”

Mark grunted instead of answering that. “So go to him.”

“I can’t.”

“Because of her.” The way he said the word made Vi look at him.

“Well, yeah. She’s his…your…wife.”

“She is dangerous.”

“Why?” Fascinated in spite of herself, Vi turned to face Mark.

“I do not know.” He had such a look of frustration on his face, of confusion, that Vi reached over and took his hand. It seemed to surprise him. He started to pull away but she threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hand lightly. “I am weak with her near.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I.” He held himself stiffly, not relaxing, uncomfortable with her show of affection. “I…we…took something that did not belong to us, and it was not ours to take. We paid for that mistake. Several times.”

Vi still didn’t get it. She probably never would. Who could really understand Mark but Mark? He was unique. “Is that what makes her dangerous?”

Mark nodded, paused, then shook his head. “He…I…” Frustrated, he made a low noise in his throat. “I will become complacent again. Weak. A shell of what I really am. And it comes at a time when no one can afford that weakness.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”

“Someone sent her. Someone knew the effect she would have. Someone wanted me - this part of me - out of the way.”

“But why would you be out of the way? You aren’t two separate people.” She repeated the thought. “And who would gain something by sending her back? If it were even possible.”

Mark smiled but it was without humor. “Because she never accepted me. Only him. The human half. And they let her forget. We have fought, near constantly, for control, but on this issue I was outmatched completely before it ever really got started. I will be put away again. Because she will refuse to remember, and he will refuse to risk her turning away.” The smirk faded. “As for who could gain by weakening me? There are possibilities. The human half loved her, that is true enough, but she was also his cross to bear.”

Vi frowned thoughtfully at his tone of voice. “You…this part of you, you don’t really like her do you?”

He looked at her for a long moment before slowly nodding. “It is not an active or fair dislike. And it is not because of what she made him…us. She will lead him to our death. He will have no power against her.” Mark sighed heavily. “He will deny it to himself, to everyone around him. But I know. I see.” He trailed off and stood silent.

“So do something. Tell him.”

That brought a humorless smirk. “And that side would listen to me? After a lifetime of denying me, of fighting me?” He suddenly pulled Vi, bringing her closer, until she was pressed against him with their linked hands behind her back. She jumped but let herself be held. It was sort of scary but nice at the same time, a combination she found rather dizzying. “He would not even listen to you, if you were to tell him the same thing. There are some things, situations, where a person turns a blind eye and a deaf ear, no matter who is sharing the information. No matter the feelings involved.” He brought up his free hand and brushed his fingers lightly along Vi’s cheek. “I will not deny that I wanted her. But not in the same way that the other half wanted her.”

“I’m not sure I know what that has to do with me.” Vi said softly, torn. She wanted to lean into his hand and enjoy his touch. She’d be crazy not to want that. It had been almost two months after all. Two months of not seeing him, of hearing nothing from him after his first few attempts were rebuffed. But this was not Mark, at least not all of him. She knew she would have to remember that.

“It has everything to do with you.” He let his fingers slide down her neck, her shoulder, then her arm before catching her free hand and pulling it up to rest against his chest. Under the dark shirt he was wearing Vi could feel the steady slow thump of his heart. “This is what I was missing. This is what I should be.”

“I don’t understand.” Vi whispered. “I haven’t understood a lot since all of this started happening. I thought I did.”

“Whole, Vivian. Alive. With her I am a shell.” He slowly let his fingers slide back up the length of her arm. “With you I feel complete. Both sides, together.”

Vi felt hot tears sting her eyes. “But…she’s your wife.”

“No. She was the stolen property of someone else, and the wife of a human. Does that sound cold hearted?” He asked, voice somber.

“A little bit.” Vi admitted. “I don’t want to be someone’s property.”

“I want to be yours.” He stated simply. “It is something that the human half would never admit to. The bonding works both ways. She did not honor her part. She wanted to forget. He let her forget. She sealed their fate. If he blames himself then so be it.”

Mark reached up and brushed at her cheek with his fingertips, wiping away tears that Vi had not been aware of. “You didn’t kill her.”

“No. Neither did the other half. But I was put into a position where I could do nothing to stop it either.”

“Would you have?” Vi asked, fearing the answer. He had already admitted, this dark side of Mark, that he had not cared for Rayne as much as his human half.

“I would have done what I could.” He seemed fascinated by her tears, drawing a finger lightly against her damp skin. “I am not self-destructive enough to want to destroy her for the sake of being obstinate. If saving her meant something to that side, it would mean something to this side.”

“He wouldn’t let you out.” Vi said, thinking it over.

“He was afraid she would turn on him. Break the bond, take our child.” Mark shook his head. “She was already broken, you see. Broken by my father so that when he came to claim her, she would not fight. Rayne tricked him. Us.” He admitted, making a face. “She knew that the human side wanted her, beyond my own reasoning. She used that to forge their bond. He gave everything up to her, to protect her, when he could just have easily let me come forward. He was so afraid of our power that he refused to believe we were capable of more. I could have ended it.”

“But…then you wouldn’t have your son.” Vi ventured.

And was rewarded by the slight softening of his expression. She had noted it moments before, when he had mentioned the child he had sired. “No. Maybe not. But maybe so. Who is to say what would have been different? Except that when he…I…forged a band with her, we did so knowing full well that we were taking what already belonged to someone else. And his human half enjoyed that feeling. He may think that it was this half that felt that way. Human denial and blame. He - the human side - wanted to take something away from his father, and he did. Protecting her after that was merely an act of duty.”

“Did you ever love her?” Vi asked, smoothing her hand against his chest.

“Eventually.” Mark nodded. “Although it was the human side that fell for her. I was dormant. Recovering. I had been drained nearly empty of power because he could not control it.”

Vi nodded, biting her lower lip. She felt so heartbroken at that moment, so tired, so…done. How could she compete with a ghost who had come back? She couldn’t. How could she compete with a woman who had meant so much to a man that he had denied everything he was to have a life with her?

Again, she couldn’t.

Vi started to pull away from him, wanting at that moment nothing more than to wake up and cry into the pillow she could feel, dimly, against her cheek. Mark held on though, once more putting her hand against his heart. “Before you leave, there is something else.”

“What else could there be?” Vi asked with a sniffle.

“She is not the same as she was.” Once again he seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “He puts it down to being dead…or the equivalent of being dead. The experience was bound to be traumatic at the very least. And while that side might want to give her the benefit of the doubt, I cannot.” Mark sighed. “He has forgotten the mark. The mark that was on her back that cemented their bond.”

“I don’t…”

“The mark is no longer there.” Mark shook his head. “Even if he cannot see it because of his humanity, I should be able to see it clearly.”

“So…what? Does that mean they aren’t bonded anymore?”

Mark shrugged. “It could mean many things. That would seem the most likely explanation.”

“But?” Vi had heard the doubt in his voice.

“But nothing in my life has ever been so simple.” He frowned. “I am not sure she is who she says she is.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “And I think a part of him knows that.”

“But if he…”

“Something holds him back. You hold me back.”

“How? He said he couldn’t be with me because of her. He called it his second chance.” Vi’s voice broke on the last word. Because hadn’t Mark also called her his second chance? It hurt her to remember that.

“He cannot be with you while his loyalties are tied to this woman. He is honor-bound by the bond they made. But he. We. I have not stopped loving you, Vivian.” Mark took a deep breath. “There has been no contact between them. The human side and the woman.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that my human side, no matter how briefly happy he may feel at having her return, cannot bring himself to consummate their relationship. She has tried.” Again he frowned. “It has become worrisome, the effort and time she puts into her attempts at seducing him. But he will not. He cannot.”

“Are you holding him back?” Vi asked, disbelieving.

“If I could, I would. No. His reluctance is all of his own doing.” Mark tapped himself lightly on the temple. “Here, he sees his wife, the mother of his child, the woman he lost and mourned. But here…” He dropped his hand to cover hers, once more letting her feel the slow beat of his heart. “He sees only you. He aches for you.” When Vi opened her mouth to protest, he laid a gentle finger against her lips. “I have never had the need or the urge to say the things I am about to say to you, Vivian. I need you to understand that.”

Vi could only nod. He took another of those deep breaths, gathering his thoughts.

“I am the cold side to his warm. I have not been a saint, and I do not care to try to be one now. For so long when I wanted something, I took it. I could manipulate, control, and force myself into and out of situations. My hands are not clean. The things I have done…if you knew even half, you would not be standing here in front of me, you would not be hurting for the part of me that you fell for.”

Vi shook off the hand that still traced her lower lip. “It wasn’t a part of you. It’s all of you.” She said softly.

“And that stuns me.” Mark admitted. “I have never felt anything, Vivian. Not in the human way of feeling. I had always taken what I wanted, when I wanted it. I cannot do that with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even she was weak when I entered her dream.” He said thoughtfully. “Unable to fight back. And I took her. Maybe because I am selfish and wanted her for myself, or maybe because in my more enlightened moments I hoped to show the other half that she was just as weak as any other woman he had contact with and used or ignored. It was not all me doing the using. The human half will admit he fully planned to kill her if it meant my father did not get what he wanted.”

Vi felt a shiver run down her spine at his words. He was talking about raping Mark’s wife. His own wife, really. In a dream, yes, but given how very real things felt she had no doubt it had been horrific.

“If I felt nothing then there would be nothing to stop me from controlling you right now, from laying you down here and taking what you would not be willing to give. Even if I am part of a greater whole, a whole that you love, if I felt nothing I would try to break you because I could.” He had let go of their hands so that Vi stood there freely, nothing preventing her from running. Yet she still kept her hand against his chest, feeling that slow thump against her palm. “I am as in love with you as my human side, Vivian. For this first time in my lifetime, both sides are in agreement on that. I could not hurt you if I wanted to. I could not want to if I tried. This…” He placed his hand over hers, once more drawing attention to his slow heart beat. “Is yours. It started when you made me whole again.”

Vi felt her breath catch in her throat. “But you aren’t whole are you? You’re here.”

“Here. Where we can talk. There…” He nodded toward the house. “Is where I must hide so that she does not learn the truth. He still insists on keeping our secret, on pretending.” His voice dropped low. “I have never felt anything like this before Vivian. I have never wanted to be with someone so much that it occupies my every thought. I have never wanted to be bonded with anyone so much as I want to have that with you.”

“I can’t do that. I can’t be property.” Vi said, shaking her head.

“You misunderstand me.” He reached out and brushed her hair back from her forehead. “I want to be yours.”

“Mine?” She said in a whisper.

“All of me. Both sides. I want to belong to you fully, Vivian.”

“I can’t own someone. I…the thought of it just sort of freaks me out.”

“Then think it over. I am here, at night. If you call me, I will hear you.” He hesitated before ducking his head and brushing his mouth over hers. Vi felt her lips tingle at the light touch of his. He pulled back after that brief contact. “I have never done this before. I have never wanted to.” He let his fingers slip down to tilt her chin. “You have to go. Before he wakes fully.”

Vi blinked and looked away from Mark, down at the house. One of the lights had gone out, leaving a black square where it had been.

“Maybe he senses you.” Mark said, regretfully stepping back. Vi looked at him for a moment before reaching up and putting her hands on his shoulders, pulling him down. She kissed him, deeply, angling her head and urging his mouth open so she could taste him. It made her heart hurt because she had missed it, missed him, so much. She knew it was a dream, that while it felt real it wasn’t real, but she couldn’t help it.

When she finally pulled back they were both breathless. Mark looked stunned. There was something in his eyes, equal parts lust and regret, that had Vi backing away before she was tempted to do more. She glanced at the house again, noting that several more lights were out. “I need time to think.”

“Take it.” Mark said. “I love you, Vivian.”

She had already started walking away but turned back to look at him one last time. The look on his face was enough to make her feel like crying all over again. “I love you, too…” She said it in a low whisper and regretfully turned back to the trail.

And opened her eyes in the darkness of her own bedroom.

Vi sat up and rubbed her eyes, wiping away tears she’d cried in her sleep. Her stomach rolled and she had only a moment to register it as nausea before she got up and stumbled to the bathroom. She made it, barely, and felt only marginally better for having been sick. She rinsed her mouth out and, shaking, she grabbed a washcloth and ran it under cold water, then wrung it out and folded it to rest against her head. She felt hot, cold, feverish. On top of everything else she could not afford to get sick.

She slowly got back into bed, noting that it was almost 4 in the morning. Not quite dawn. She shivered and tugged her blankets up, going from hot to cold, back to hot. She should get up and take a couple of aspirin just in case she was developing a fever. The thought barely formed before she was dozing off again.

Vi was still sick when Josie roused her the next morning. Her daughter was all concern as she went to get Vi’s aspirin and a thermometer. She was running a mild temperature and she felt weak. That was the extent of it that morning. Eventually she shooed Josie out of the room, declined Glen’s offer to carry her downstairs so she could lay on the couch and watch television while she recuperated, and fell asleep again.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that she finally got herself up out of bed. She still felt shaky, but her temperature was normal and her stomach had settled. Vi took a long cool shower and pulled on her clothes before carefully going downstairs, holding on to the rail the whole way just in case she got a sudden dizzy spell. That was all she needed in her life right now, a broken leg or arm on top of her broken heart. She expected to see Josie hanging around, but instead found Glen sitting in the kitchen, reading a book.

“Wouldn’t the living room be more comfortable?” Vi asked, smiling when he jumped. It was so rare to sneak up on him that it never failed to be amusing.

“It might. But the kitchen has better light.” Glen eyed her. “You look better.”

“I feel better. Why are you not out working?”

“Because I was worried.” He smiled. “And because Ray and Josie went to go look at horses. Nothing much doing today.”

“Horses.” Vi shook her head and went to the fridge, feeling her stomach clench at the sight of food. Lucky for her, and her stomach, she only wanted a bottle of cold water to sip from.

“Want me to heat you up some soup or something?” Glen asked, watching as she took a very tiny sip of water.

Vi groaned. That was all the answer he needed as she took a seat across from him. She watched him work the book in his hands, bending it. She glanced up and saw he was trying to build up the steam to ask her something. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what.

“Glen. If you want to go visit your brother and your nephew, feel free.”

He blew out a breath. “I had been thinking it’s been a while. And they’re family. I don’t want to lose that connection.”

“You won’t.” Vi smiled gamely. She reached over and gave his hand a pat. “Go on.”

“I won’t be gone long.” Glen said, as if she had mentioned it.

“Glen. It’s fine.” She didn’t know if she should be amused or annoyed. “Hopefully I’ll feel better in time to make supper. Otherwise we’ll have to brave Josie’s cooking.”

“She’s got to improve sometime.” Glen said with a laugh. “Mind if I borrow your car?”

“Go right ahead. My plans to drive cross-country at 140 miles per hour have been cancelled by a stomach virus.” She smiled when he bent down and kissed her forehead, a gesture that was equal parts apology and just plain goofiness on his part. Vi watched him drive off with a sigh. It really did not bother her that Glen wanted to visit with his brother. How else would he relearn who he had been? She just didn’t want to see him herself.

Of course that was something of a lie. She did want to see Mark. That was the problem. She missed him. But he had made his choice, and Vi understood it even if she hated it. She had thought she spent too much time living in the past. Apparently she had met her match in that department.

She was glad that Glen stuck around, even if he didn’t have to. Steve and Mark had finally gotten enough paperwork together to make Glen legal, including a driver’s license, and a birth certificate. Vi didn’t ask how that was possible. But he chose to stay here and work. And she didn’t kid herself. He was keeping an eye on her. Mark had said one of them would always be around. Glen had worked it out with Ray so he didn’t start working until at least sunrise, which meant that Vi was usually up and around when Glen left. He rarely left the ranch, and was always back before supper if he did.

It all seemed a bit overcautious now. Nothing had happened, at the house, at the ranch, in town, in the county, since Cammie Johnson’s disappearance and Rayne’s reappearance. The optimistic consensus was that whoever it was had escalated to the point of taking on two women at once, had only managed half the goal, and the sickness that caused it had faded. Or had gone dormant. Things had gotten back to some semblance of normal.

Or as normal as things could ever be in a town full of demons. Vi drank her water and stared idly out the window, wondering if she would ever stop hurting. Not just from that morning’s fun with a stomach virus, but from Mark’s rejection. She couldn’t even think about him without feeling fresh raw pain in her heart. And angry beyond her ability to describe.

46

After a day of taking it easy, Vi felt better. She and Josie made their yearly trip into the city to shop for new clothes and things for school. Josie bemoaned the fact that she only had a few days of summer break left before having to go back - not only back, but into high school.

Vi took the complaining with a smile. Because Josie had spent the past several months being even angrier than she had been. Vi was just better at channeling it and focusing it. Josie was pissed off for her, which was nice but unnecessary.

It saddened Vi that her failed relationship with Mark had caused Josie to stop speaking to Drew. He had called a few times, and Josie had hung up on him. Eventually Vi had explained that she was just upset about things not working out and that she’d make her peace with it. He sounded unhappy but understood.

She had tried to talk to Josie about it, about how she shouldn’t take it out on Drew, that it had nothing to do with the kids but Josie had simply looked at her, nodded, and gone about her business. It was so rare to see her serious about anything that Vi was stumped on how to fix it. So was Glen. Even Ray couldn’t seem to talk her out of it.

They spent an entire day at the mall, going from store to store, not rushing. It was fun, one of the best days Vi had spent since the start of summer. She spent way too much money but her daughter would only start her freshman year of high school once.

Josie even talked her into buying a few new things for herself, although Vi had no idea why. She really didn’t have any use for clothes that weren’t jeans or tees, or her preferred button-down short sleeved shirts she’d taken to wearing.

They stopped on the way home and picked up a couple of pizzas and cheese sticks for supper. By the time they got to the house, Josie’s stomach was growling and it made them both laugh. Glen took one look at all the bags in the back of the SUV and snorted a laugh.

“So…this is all school supplies?” He asked, peering into the nearest bag.

“I got some pencils.” Josie said in her defense as she handed the pizza boxes to Vi. She and Glen loaded up on bags of clothes and took them inside. Vi went to the kitchen, smiling to herself as she listened to them griping back and forth. She pulled out some plates, then chopped lettuce and tomato for a quick salad to go along with their pizza. By the time she was done with that, Glen and Josie were done with the SUV.

Vi managed to eat and keep track of their conversation while keeping to herself. She had a lot on her mind, but for a nice change it was mostly positive. She planned to take Glen out the next morning, Saturday, and find him a vehicle. She and Ray were going to pay for it, and they hadn’t told Glen because he would of course refuse their offer. But they often bought what Ray used to jokingly refer to as “company cars” and let ranch hands drive them around. Every few years, Ray would trade old for new and it seemed to work well.

So it wasn’t as if there wasn’t plenty to keep her busy. In fact, Vi was pretty happy with the way things were going in most areas. The ranch was doing well, and Josie had planted the idea in her grandfather’s head that maybe they should invest in horses. Horses and maybe trails. Their property was big enough, with enough woods and hills, to make for interesting day rides for people looking for something to do outside. Josie had pitched guided tours, maybe a few overnight camping trips for people who liked to rough it, and eventually would allow horse rentals for more experienced riders to tackle trails on their own. She was excited about it, unlike anything else that they’d tried to distract her with that summer.

Vi wasn’t sure how the town would cope with an influx of outsiders wanting to play cowboy for a day but she couldn’t fault Josie for trying. She loved horses. Unlike the cows, that she had named when she was younger but learned quickly that it only made it harder to let them go, horses were animals she could bond with.

Vi had worried over it for a bit but Ray had been pleased that Josie, who loved the ranch and the land, was showing some initiative regarding the place. It would eventually be hers, so he was open to her suggestions. And Vi thought he rather liked the idea of having people come to look at the land that he loved so much, to make use of it.

After dinner, Josie set about cleaning up without being asked. That was another thing that was new as well. She didn’t go through her normal mundane chore theatrics anymore. Vi almost missed it. Almost. It had taken some getting used to.

“So are we going to the fair tomorrow?”

Josie’s question brought Vi out of her thoughts. She shrugged and thought it over. “I didn’t know you even wanted to go.”

“We always go.” Josie scrubbed the plates they’d used before stacking them to rinse. “And tomorrow night’s the rodeo.”

“And…” Vi dragged the word out.

“And I kinda already told Grace we would go and meet her there because she wants to perv the cowboys.”

Vi laughed at that. “I recall a time when you guys wanted to go look at animals and ride the rides, now it’s all about the cowboys. And I guess we can go.”

“Good.” Josie grinned. “You can wear your new stuff that you said you’d never wear.”

“Because a county fair is such a grand occasion.” Vi shook her head but was still smiling when Josie set about rinsing their dishes. Vi actually didn’t mind the fair. It was crowded, and nine times out of ten it was hot, but it would take her mind off things. And Josie especially needed a bit of fun. “You’ll not be dragging me onto any spinning rides this year. Just the thought…ugh.”

“You used to like the rides.”

“I’m getting old. I’m going to take a little walk. When you’re finished there, you can go up and unpack all your new stuff, and start trying things on.”

“Yes, Mom.”

Vi grinned, practically hearing Josie’s eye-roll in her words as she went out the door. It was hard to believe, considering it was still almost 90 degrees, that they had officially entered September. Vi didn’t mind the heat as she walked across their yard and followed the drive. The garden’s summer blooms had faded, and she wanted to look it over to see what, if anything, she would need to do for the upcoming colder weather.

And really she just wanted a few minutes to think over that weird dream thing from the other night. She took a seat on the swing and frowned thoughtfully. It had not faded, not the way dreams usually did. She had purposefully put it out of her mind for a few days, not only because she hadn’t felt well the day before, but because she knew she had a tendency to overanalyze things at times. So she forced herself to forget it for a while so that maybe she could come at it from a different angle.

But it was still more like a memory than a dream. Vi didn’t know how that could be possible. She remembered all of it, from the oddly lit trail she could see even in the dark to the way Mark’s mouth had felt when he’d kissed her. And it was funny. She had been mad at him for the better part of two months, but now that was gone, replaced by dull hurt and just a general feeling of sadness.

Vi thought it was mostly because she didn’t know what he wanted her to do. He - or rather, his demon side - had said that Rayne was not who she said she was. Was he leaving that up to Vi to prove? She had no idea how to even approach that. She hadn’t been particularly friendly with Rayne when she’d been alive and the kids had been in class together. The real problem was that Vi did not feel she could really talk to anybody about it, about the dream or what she was told. Because word would get back to Mark. People were loyal to him and kept him informed.

So that left her in a strange spot. She couldn’t even talk to Glen because she didn’t want to risk coming between the two of them. Vi knew good and well that some problems were way too big for her to figure out on her own. But finding someone who could help or at least advise and keep their mouth shut would probably be near impossible.

She also couldn’t figure out why Mark had been so bound and determined to bond with her, whatever the hell that meant. For his human half, yes, that had been easier. He was worried and had offered it wanting to protect her in some way. But the demon half? That had come out of left field and had confused her even more. Because that had not felt as if it were coming from a sense of duty on his part. There had been something else there, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

Vi finally shook her head and got to her feet, looking around at the fading blooms. The view was still enough to take her breath away, all of those rolling hills and endless blue skies. It was the first time she had actually felt at peace looking at that view since before Link passed away. She went to the driveway to walk back toward the house but paused when she heard a vehicle approaching. It turned out to be Rick. He slowed to a stop when he saw her walking.

“Hey, Vi. I was just coming to drop some papers off with you.” He leaned over and grabbed a folder from the passenger seat. “Returned checks.”

“Must be that time of year.” Vi took the folder and shook her head. Every summer it never failed. There were always a couple of their temporary summer hands that took off without picking up their final paychecks. The checks were then mailed to the address that had been provided at the start of the summer. In the rare case when the checks came back, Vi kept them in her office so she could keep them on file in case the guys came back or contacted the ranch. Eventually she’d take them to the bank and let the bank deal with hunting them down.

Vi opened the folder and flipped through the papers. There were three of them that year. That was about normal. It looked like more because there were several envelopes pinned together with a paper clip. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Want a ride back to your house? I’m going right past it.” Rick said with a grin. Vi shook her head.

“I’m good to walk. Have a good night.” She watched him drive off and headed for the house once more. She stopped in her office first, to lock the checks up in her desk. All three names were vaguely familiar but none were their usual workers. That was also typical. That done she locked up and headed into the house.

Of course the next morning Glen grumbled and complained, but in the end Vi and Josie got him into the SUV and on the road. Josie was especially helpful because she knew the longer it took them to get back, the longer it would be to head out to the fair. Glen commented on that specifically as Vi drove them out toward the dealership that Ray had always used.

“Girl has her priorities.” Vi pointed out with a smile when he muttered under his breath. In truth, Glen’s griping was more for Josie’s benefit than his own. It had been a rough couple of months and she’d spent most of it angry. It was nice that she seemed to have settled back once again.

The actually purchase of a truck for Glen went a lot quicker than Vi had thought. Ray - or rather Rick - had called ahead and the salesman had a few options waiting for them. Glen really only had to pick one, and when he dragged his feet, Josie picked for him. Eventually he had no choice but to take the keys, even though he kept telling Vi he would pay for it himself. She only frowned at him at that.

“You know, you used to offer to help me every 3 seconds like clockwork. Now protesting when people try to do things for you, you gripe every 3 seconds like clockwork.” She observed as he finally got behind the wheel and set about adjusting his seat, his mirrors, and pressing all the other buttons.

“I’m a man of consistency.” He said with a grin. Vi had to laugh at that as she shut his door and got into her SUV. Josie was already there waiting for her, eager to go. Vi reminded her they still had lunch and most of the day to get through, which got her a groan.

In the end Vi did wear something new. A dress in fact, that Josie had insisted she buy. It was a pale green sundress, strapless, tight on top, flowing on the bottom, knee length. Vi thought it was more suited to July than nearly fall but it was still hot enough out to get a wear out of it before packing it away for the winter. She slipped into a pair of flat sandals, pulled her dark hair back into a French braid, and called it good enough. Of course Josie wouldn’t entertain the idea of dressing up herself - she planned to ride every spinning twirling ride on the Midway so cut off shorts and a tank top were all she required.

When Vi went back downstairs after getting ready, smiling when she saw Glen raise an eyebrow.

“Wow.”

“I’m overdressed.” Vi looked down and smoothed the material over her hips.

“You’re insane. You look great.” Glen grinned at her.

“That’s why half the boys in my class think she’s hot.” Josie came down the stairs and grinned at Vi, ducking her mom’s half-hearted attempt to swat her. “The other half haven’t hit puberty yet. Can I wear your red earrings?” Josie asked that over Glen’s snickering laugh. Vi only rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to grab her purse and a bottle of water for the road.

The skipped dinner at home, which was a tradition going back to before Josie was born, Vi liked splurging and eating at the fair. She couldn’t imagine doing it every day, or even once a week, but the one night a year the deep fried food was actually a treat. They got there are six, with plenty of time to eat and to wander around looking at everything before the rodeo started at eight. Josie accepted money from Vi and took off with Grace to explore the rides.

“You don’t have to babysit me if you want to go wandering around.” Vi told Glen, smiling when she caught him looking around in interest. “I’m just going to go over to the arena. See the flags?” She pointed, where a sluggish breeze made the material flap listlessly. It was still hot out, but the sun was slowly sinking. The temperature would go down a little with it.

“Why do you assume when people want to spend time with you that you’re being watched over?” Glen asked, looking at her.

“Because that’s what it feels like.”

“Well I’m not babysitting. I’m hanging out. We don’t do a lot of that anymore.”

“Glen. We do that all the time.”

“Yeah but not when you’re dressed like that. I’m the most envied guy at this place.” He winked at her with a grin.

“And the most hilarious.” Vi deadpanned. “So are you going to come watch the rodeo? It’s nothing big but it’s fun.”

“Yeah. But I think I wanna grab a drink and maybe another one of those candy apples…” He glanced around once more. “Want me to get you something?”

“A drink would be good. And maybe some popcorn?” Vi was full but it sounded good. “Extra butter. I’ll be across from the grandstand at the arena. I’ll save you a seat.” She watched him walk away. It was easy to track him through the crowd, he was so tall.

Vi turned and picked her way through the crowd toward the arena. So far it had been a pleasant evening, and she felt relaxed and comfortable and happier than she’d been in a while. All things considered she was in a decent place, with her family, her friends, she had plenty to keep herself occupied. She really could not complain.

The arena was just starting to draw a crowd when Vi made her way around to her usual spot. The area around the grandstand tended to fill up first because it was closest to the entrance. She took a seat and watched a couple of local high school boys practice throwing ropes around the top fence post.

“Hi, Ms. Peace…” The voice behind her hand Vi turning her head. She smiled at Drew, thinking that a couple of months made a lot of difference when you hadn’t seen someone around much. Apparently he’s spent his summer outside because he was tanned dark brown and his hair had lighter highlights from the exposure.

“Hey Drew.” She nodded toward the arena. “Not going to rope a calf or play cowboy?”

He grinned and shook his head. “I wasn’t ever much for playing cowboy. Saw you sitting over here and thought I’d see how you were doing.”

Vi bit back a grin. She interpreted that to mean he wanted to see if Josie was around. “I’m doing fine. Although I thought we agreed to lose the ‘Ms. Peace’ stuff.”

“Sorry. Habit.”

“Josie and Grace were attempting to break the record for number of times they could get spun in a circle without getting sick.” She didn’t wait for him to ask. She provided the information. He smiled at that.

“We just got here a few minutes ago. I haven’t walked around the midway yet.” He looked past her and his smile widened into a grin. Vi glanced around and saw Glen coming their way, carrying their drinks, her popcorn, a small brown paper bag, and he had a candy apple caught in his teeth. He handed the drink over to Vi and crunched through the apple once he got a free hand to hold onto it.

“Obviously I need to grow another arm. Heya kiddo. Didn’t know you were gonna come out tonight.”

“I sort of insisted.” Drew shrugged and declined Vi’s offer of some of her popcorn. “I should go. I don’t know how late we’re staying and I want to find Collin before he spends all his money.”

They watched him walk away before Vi looked at Glen and saw his amused expression. “Code for he’s going to pretend to find his buddy but really go try to talk to your daughter. He’s persistent. I’ll give him that.”

“You’re sharing my brain wave.” Vi stood for a moment to shift seats as more people joined them on their side. Someone began tapping the microphone from the grandstand, signifying there were just a few minutes until the show started.

Vi was no expert but she knew enough to be able to explain some of the process to Glen. It was fun - the crowd was really into it, stomping and cheering and clapping for their favorites. Glen realized soon enough exactly why Vi always chose a seat across from the grandstand. The sun was sinking behind their backs, and he noticed the people across the arena shielding their eyes and putting on sunglasses to cut the glare.

There was an intermission after an hour of the more junior competitors had a turn. Glen once again offered to make a refreshment run but Vi declined any more food. She had just about hit her limit. She stood up so he could get past her and was turning to sit down again when she got the distinct feeling that she was being watched.

It was ridiculous really. In a crowd this large - well over one thousand people, the arena was packed - she shouldn’t have been able to sense that. But she did. The sun was definitely to her advantage. Near the grandstand, not sitting but standing out of the way of the people who were stretching their legs or going to get a snack, she spotted him. Mark. His sunglasses were on top of his head, and his arms were crossed over his chest, but Vi knew as sure as she was breathing that he was looking at her.

It really had been a long time. In a town as small as theirs it had been a sort of challenge to manage not to bump into him randomly. She had succeeded without really trying because honestly she could avoid the places she knew he would frequent. She hadn’t even considered he’d show up here, even though she had just spoken to Drew.

For a moment she couldn’t breathe. Then she blinked and sucked in a breath like a drowning woman. Her first thought was that she was going to be tortured by having to see him with his wife, wouldn’t that put the cherry on an otherwise fun night, but he was apparently alone. If Josie had not called her name at that moment, Vi was almost sure she would have made the trek around the arena just to say hi. Maybe to throw herself at him. Hell, possibly to drag him off under the bleachers.

“Mom…can we get t-shirts?” Josie asked excitedly, cutting through people like they were water.

“T-shirts?”

“Yeah. They have a booth where they put pictures on shirt and Grace and I wanna do matched shirts.”

Vi frowned, trying to focus on her daughter. “And I assume you’re asking me because you spent all of your own money?”

Josie grinned. “Consider it a high school welcome gift?”

“Josie. You are a manipulator and a half.” Vi laughed and reached for the small purse she carried with her. “How much?” Josie rattled off the price and Vi handed her enough to pay for both girls. Why not? They’d only start high school once. Before she could say anything else, Josie and Grace both said thank you and turned to head back toward the midway. She smiled and shook her head, letting her eyes drift once more back to the grandstand.

Glen had found Mark apparently. The two of them were talking while Glen ate an ear of corn. Vi had to smile at that too. He would make himself sick eating all that food but far be it from her to put a lid on it. At least the urge to go over there herself was gone. Vi picked up her drink and took a sip before sitting down to wait for the second half of the show.

By ten-thirty it was over. The crowd scattered - some back to the midway, which would remain open until 1 in the morning, and others heading home. Glen had rejoined Vi and they were waiting for the crowd to thin before heading to the midway to find Josie. Vi noticed Glen was looking at someone rather intensely and followed his gaze through the crowd. She thought maybe it would be Mark but he had apparently moved along with the crowd.

Instead there was a woman standing near the fence that separated the bleachers from the arena itself. She had very striking hair. It was the red-gold of a new penny, even under the harsh lights that were around the arena. It was full dark now, so it was impossible to see any of the woman’s features clearly but apparently something about her struck Glen. Vi nudged him, making him jump.

“Why don’t you go introduce yourself?” She asked with a smirk when he blushed.

“I was just crowd watching.”

“Sure you were.” Vi laughed. “Go on. Before she gets away.” But the woman made no indication of leaving. She was leaning with her forearms resting on the fence, one foot propped on the lowest rail, waiting the crowd out. “Don’t make me do it for you. I’ll embarrass you even more.”

Glen grumbled but got up. He shot Vi a sour look before slowly making his way around the arena. Vi snickered to herself and gathered up her garbage, not wanting to be a spectator to this. Cute as it was, she was ready to wander the midway and maybe partake in a funnel cake.

She had walked toward the back end when she started paying attention to the booths and tents around her. Vi found the t-shirt place that Josie had been so interested in but the girls had already been there and gone. There were games, a few food stalls, and even a fortune teller. It made Vi grin. She hadn’t seen one of those since she was a kid, and her mother had nearly pulled her shoulder out of its socket dragging her away from it. Lily had not been fond of things like that, claiming they were for people who had too much money and too little brain to back it up.

Apparently she was studying it just as intently as Glen had been eying the woman at the arena. She slowly became aware that she was no longer standing alone. Vi turned her head and saw a woman standing next to her, looking at her with an enigmatic smile playing along her lips.

“You wish to know your future?” She asked, voice sweet. She was a petite blonde with a pixie haircut and a very Greek-goddess style dress.

“Uh. No. I’d rather be surprised.” Vi eased away from the woman.

“Oh. Maybe your past then?” The woman was looking at her closely. Vi noted her eyes, which were so dark they were nearly black.

“I’ve had enough of that too.”

“We can never know too much about where we came from.” The woman held out a hand. “Idola.” Vivian dutifully shook her hand but didn’t get a chance to speak. “And you are…Vanessa? Veronica…” She made a face, then it smoothed out and she smiled. “Vivian?”

“Good guess. Who told?” Vi pulled her hand back.

“You did.” Idola smiled sweetly again.

“Are you one of them?”

“If by ‘one of them’ you mean am I a dark mage, a demon, a purveyor of the dark arts - then yes.” Idola raised an eyebrow. “You are not, however.”

“No.”

“The offer stands.” She gestured at the tent. Vi looked at her for a moment, frowning lightly.

“I was told I’m not very readable.”

“You weren’t told that by me.” Idola smiled again and motioned Vi to follow her. Feeling a little bit out of place, Vi did. She was curious. Who wouldn’t be? But she had a bad feeling too, as if she were going to be told bad news. Resigned to it she ducked inside the tent where Idola had set up shop.

47

Josie leaned against the barrier fence, t-shirts over her shoulder, her hands full. She’d bought a gigantic cone of cotton candy and was slowly working her way through the sticky sugar. Grace was currently riding one of the rides with another friend from school, pouting at Josie’s insistence on finishing her food before she jumped on again.

It had been a fun but tiring night. Grace and Josie had watched the first half hour or so of the rodeo, but even the novelty of kids they knew from school participating was not nearly as enticing as the bright lights of the midway. Especially now that it had gotten dark.

Josie pulled another piece of the spun sugar from the cone and popped it into her mouth, letting it melt, grinning when she heard Grace screaming in mock terror as the ride spun her around.

“Hey.”

Josie looked to her left and saw, without much surprise, that Drew was standing there. Grace had spotted him earlier, wandering around with his group of friends, so Josie had almost been expecting this to happen.

“Hi.” She offered the cotton candy. He gave a half smile and tore himself a piece off.

“Staying til they close?” He asked before popping it into his mouth.

Josie shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“I’m sorry. If you’re still mad at me.”

“I was never mad at you.” Josie said.

“I can’t help that my dad…” Drew stopped himself.

Josie looked at him, frowning. “What?”

“It’ll sound horrible.” He wrapped his hands around the fence rail that separated them from the ride, just to have something to do with them. “He made a mistake, that’s all.”

“What are you talking about?”

‘I’m talkin’ about what happened.”

Josie’s frown deepened. The ride was coming to a halt, and unless Grace was extra persuasive she’d be joining them shortly. “I’m sorry that I made you pay for what your dad did. But he hurt my mom.”

“I know.” Drew sighed. “He shouldn’t have just taken her back.”

“Your mother?”

Drew made a face. “Yeah. Sure. Her.”

“What?” Josie gave up pretending to watch the ride. She turned to face him.

He pushed a hand through his hair. “I was little when mom…died. I mean I have pictures of her and I remember some stuff about her. Not a lot. I was too young I guess.” He shrugged.

“And…” Josie prodded when he didn’t seem inclined to go on.

“I can’t explain it. But it’s not right.”

She could only look at him. Before she could even begin to ask, Grace came running up and threw an arm over her shoulders.

“That was fun!” She either did not notice or chose to ignore the serious look on Drew’s face. Grace grinned at him and shot Josie a look. “Guess you’ll be sitting out the next ride too.”

“Ha.” Josie fake-laughed and ate another piece of her cotton candy without really tasting it. She’d lost her appetite for the treat. She offered it to Grace, who took it and began picking at it. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Grace, for a wonder, read the situation. She smiled sweetly. “Well if you guys are gonna be talking for a while, I’m going to go find my mom over at the pavilion and see what time she’s going to get done. Want to meet here or somewhere else?” She asked, accepting her shirt that Josie had been holding.

“I’ll be around here somewhere.” Josie smiled and watched Grace saunter away, knowing full well that her best friend would be grilling her for details as soon as was humanly possible. She looked back at Drew and saw he was more amused than serious now.

“So tell me.” Josie said, leaning on the fence. Drew sighed and shrugged.

“What’s to tell?” He finally said. “I don’t trust her. Maybe because I don’t really remember her. Maybe because it doesn’t feel right. I dunno.”

“Have you told your Dad?”

Drew snorted. “I can’t. What would I say? That he needs to kick Mom out or something?”

“Or something.” Josie agreed. “Can you not use your powers on her or…I don’t know.”

“I’m not supposed to. She’s not supposed to know what we are.” He sounded so frustrated that Josie gave in to her impulse and reached over to take his hand in hers. “I don’t even know what kind of power I’d use anyway. Read her mind? It’s worthless.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not? It’s true. What good is it to know what people are thinking?”

“I’m sure it has its use.”

“Right. I’m just constantly aware that Dad is miserable. That’s pretty much it.”

“If he’s miserable…” Josie began.

“He won’t do anything about it. He feels like he can’t. He made a promise, he takes that kind of stuff pretty serious. Even if it means he had to give up what he really wanted.” Drew shook his head helplessly. “I don’t know why I need to know that. I don’t know what I can do about it.”

Josie sighed and said nothing for a couple of minutes, just thinking things over. “Maybe you should tell my mom.”

Drew frowned at her. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Because she’s been miserable too. But she’d listen to you. If you have doubts about your mom…” Josie shrugged. “Maybe she’d talk to your dad. He’d listen to Mom.”

“Do you think so? He tried calling your mom. She hung up on him.”

“I know.”

“So what good would it do?”

“I have no idea. Maybe it wouldn’t do any good at all. But it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

He considered for a moment. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

“And Glen’s there too you know.” Josie reminded him.

“Yeah.” He smiled at that. Unlike his mother, whose reappearance had caused him to have a lot of doubt, a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot of suspicions, Drew actually loved having his uncle around. It had been good to go through old photo albums, seeing how his Dad had grown, because it was something that Mark rarely wanted to talk about. “Would you be all right with that? If I came over there tomorrow and talked to your mom?”

Josie half-smiled. “Why would I care? Everybody likes talking to my mom. Plus…I can’t stay mad at you. Who’d protect me from the seniors on Monday?”

Drew laughed at that, and it settled them both somehow. Josie really wasn’t angry at him, she wasn’t angry at Mark or her mother, it was just the whole unfair situation. “So do you wanna ride?” He gestured toward the ride in front of them.

“Not particularly.” Josie smiled. “But a walk around would be good. I think I ate too much.”

Drew grinned and fell into step with her, letting go of her hand to snag the t-shirt that was still on her shoulder. He held it up and shot her a look, eyebrow up. “Nice.”

“We thought so.” Josie snatched her shirt back and once more slung it over her shoulder. The stall had taken a picture of Josie and Grace, both of them looking silly, making faces, and they’d put that picture on the shirt. She was sort of surprised when he reached over and took her hand again, leading them around the biggest part of the crowds that wandered the midway. They did end up riding a few of the rides anyway and mostly stuck to the subject of the imminent start of school.

It was nearly an hour later when Josie finally glanced at the watch that Drew wore. “I’m probably gonna have to go soon. Track Mom down, or Glen. Usually she’s already found me.” It was almost midnight.

“Grace hasn’t hunted you down either.” Drew pointed out. Josie laughed and pointed through the crowd, which had thinned somewhat as the younger children had left with tired parents. Grace was waiting in line for one of the rides with her dad.

“That happens just about every year too.” Josie said wryly. She saw Drew’s smile widen as he spotted somebody in the crowd and waved. Josie glanced in the direction he was looking and saw a man she didn’t know heading their way. “Who’s that?”

“Friend of my dad’s. He’s pretty cool.” Drew grinned as the man reached them.

“Hey kid. Havin’ a good time?” The stranger asked, tousling Drew’s hair and flashing a smile at Josie.

“I was.” Drew emphasized the word.

“Smart ass.”

“I know. This is my friend, Josie. Josie this is Randy.”

“Nice to meet ya.” Randy offered his hand and Josie shook with him, smiling back because the guy had a kind of contagious grin. As soon as he touched her hand though she saw the way his eyes widened, and saw confusion ripple across his features.

“Hi.” Normally not shy, Josie didn’t quite know how to react to his strange reaction to her.

Randy let go of her hand and seemed to mentally shake himself. His smile returned though it wasn’t nearly as broad as before. “Well uh...Drew. Is your dad around? Thought I’d see if he wanted to hang out sometime this week.”

“Yeah. He said he’d be hanging out close to the grandstand, around the arena. He had some friends in the rodeo.” Drew glanced at Josie. “Saw your mom over there when we first got here.”

Josie made a soft noise in her throat and shook her head. “She likes the rodeo.”

“You’ve met her mom I think.” Drew aimed that at Randy. “She was seeing Dad before…” He trailed off, not needing to complete the thought.

Randy’s eyebrow went up as he looked at Josie again. “Vivian…Peace?” He had to grope for the last name.

“That’s right.”

“Small world.” Randy smiled again but he still had a troubled sort of look in his eyes. “Who is your dad, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Josie made a face. “Lincoln Peace. He passed away a few years ago.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that.” Randy reached over and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “You sort of looked familiar but I don’t think I knew your dad. And I just met your mom not that long ago.” He finally explained.

As far as explanations went, Josie thought it was weak. He’d had some kind of reaction either to seeing her or touching her, and he was trying to cover it up. She listened as Randy and Drew chatted for a few more minutes before Randy left to go hunt down Drew’s dad.

“That was weird.” She finally said once Randy was out of earshot.

Drew looked at her. “What?”

“The way he acted. After he shook my hand.”

“Oh. That.”

“You know what that is?” Josie asked, curious.

“Yeah. It’s some kind of power. They call it the touch - you touch somebody and you have some kind of connection with them. You can read them a little, sometimes you can manipulate them a little. I don’t understand it really but Dad said every now and then people with the touch would run into people who gave them something like a shock.” He smirked at that.

“He looked shocked all right.” Josie studied Drew thoughtfully. “Is that what your power is?”

“Nah. Mine’s different.” Drew smiled a bit sadly. “To be honest I don’t know exactly what it is I have yet. I’m not like anybody else.” Josie thought she’d never heard a more loaded statement in her entire short life. And she wasn’t sure Drew was even aware of the weight he had put behind it.

~~!~~

Glen didn’t know why he was bothering approaching this woman. Just because he’d been sort of…struck…by her from a distance didn’t really mean anything. Well. It meant he wasn’t completely brain dead maybe, but that was about it.

Up close the woman was even more striking. It had been her hair that had caught his eye at first, of course, being such an unusual shade of golden-red. She eyed him warily when he approached, which was enough to make Glen smile affably.

“Hi.” He joined her there be the fence, leaning against it in much the same way she did.

“Hello.” She was eying him curiously.

“This is going to sound completely stupid but…I kind of was struck by your hair. And my friend wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I didn’t come over and at least say hello.”

The woman smiled at that. It lit her face. “It’s not completely stupid.” She put emphasis on the word, making Glen’s smile widen.

“I’m Glen. Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand.

She hesitated, just a beat, but long enough so he picked up on it. Finally she reached over and took his hand, sliding her fingers into his. “Penelope.” Her smile faded and a confused frown settled on her features, there and gone so fast Glen wasn’t entirely sure he’d seen it.

“Penelope. Do people ever call you Penny because of your hair?” He smiled again.

“Not if they expect to continue speaking to me.” Penelope said wryly.

Glen chuckled at that. “Good thing I’m not a fan of nicknames. Are you uh…waiting on somebody?”

Penelope raised an eyebrow. “No. Not really. Just…talking everything in.”

“You’re new around here.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’ve actually been in town for a bit. But I tend to keep to myself.” To Penelope that was the understatement of the century. Besides the random service types that she bumped into when eating or buying something, she hadn’t spoken to any of the townspeople. There was something odd going on, there was no doubt about it, but it was as if they had all closed ranks. It was strange after so long of being able to guess the direction of peoples’ thoughts.

And now this guy. Penelope was well aware of the looks she got, not matter how closed off the town had been. Men could not seem to resist looking at her, especially her hair, which she understood was an unusual color. She had never understood the irony of the ‘penny’ nickname until she’d come here and had actually seen a penny with her own eyes. Her father was not so whimsical as to name her after her hair color. It was just an annoying coincidence.

Penelope shook herself out of her thoughts and studied the man in front of her. He was quite possibly the biggest guy she’d ever seen, human or demon. Good looking, muscular, tan. She’d mistaken him for the rare human that she’d come across during her time, but that had faded as soon as her hand had touched his. He was something else entirely. But what really caused her to study him was that she could sense a wall within him. If anyone knew anything about walls, it was her. It was what she did after all.

“Well…I don’t wanna keep you from it.” He gestured at the midway, where the lights were going full force and the high pitched squeals and screams from the rides floated to them in the night air.

“You aren’t.” Curious in spite of herself, Penelope turned around, leaned back against the fence, and hooked her foot over the lowest rail.

Glen smiled down at her. “Then maybe you’d let me buy you an overpriced lemonade?”

Penelope grinned, flashing dimples, flooring him. He had no idea what it was about this woman in particular that was so fascinating but he wanted to figure it out. “All right. I’d like that.” The grin faded too quickly, and Penelope grew serious. “You aren’t like the others.”

Glen cocked an eyebrow. He had figured she would be a demon - he couldn’t sense it in her like some could but it did not surprise him to hear her speak of it. “No. I’m an island unto myself.” That earned him another grin.

“Then we should definitely talk. But later.” Penelope met his eyes, studying him thoughtfully. “For now I’d be perfectly happy with a lemonade and a walk.”

It was interesting. For the next several hours, they walked the fair, from the midway, back over to the grandstand, to the stages that had been set up for contests and shows. She asked questions - a lot of questions. Glen could answer most of them. It was amazing, everything he had learned over the six months he’d been there. Penelope didn’t ask about any person in particular, which probably would have stumped Glen anyway.

Glen spotted Josie and Drew, waiting in line for one of the rides, and smiled to himself. If the kids were talking again it might mean there was still hope for their parents. He was also amused when a very lost-in-thought Randy almost ran into him.

“Sor…hey.” The automatic apology turned into a smile when Randy was who he was. He still looked troubled though. “I was just gonna track down your brother.” He seemed to notice Glen wasn’t alone. “Oh. Uh. Hi.”

“Hello.” Penelope smiled sweetly and eased back a step as she took a sip of her drink.

“It’s a person I actually know…” Glen said as an aside to Penelope, whose smile got bigger. “Randy, Penelope.”

“Nice to meet you.” Randy smiled but still…that confused, thoughtful frown never really left his face.

“Something wrong?” Glen asked.

“No. I don’t think so. Maybe?” Randy looked at Penelope then around at the crowd. “And I don’t think this is the time or place to get into it. Now that I’ve had three seconds to think about it, I’m not sure talking to your brother would be all that helpful either.”

“You aren’t really making a whole lot of sense.” Glen said. “Come on. Let’s find a quiet corner and maybe you can tell me whatever it is.” Belatedly he remembered he already had company. “Penelope…”

“Lead the way. I don’t think I’d want to miss this.” She was looking at them both with interest in her eyes.

Glen and Randy exchanged a look. “How much does she know?” Randy asked.

“Practically nothing. But probably more than she’s letting on.”

“She’s standing right here.” Penelope said, amused. When Randy turned to look at her again she conspicuously took a step back. Out of arms reach.

“You know what I am.”

“I figured it out.” Penelope said with a nod. She’d heard of people with the touch, had run into a few over the years. She honestly did not need him poking into her thoughts however inadvertently it would occur.

“What about Glen?” Randy asked, curious.

“Glen I’m still working on. In a roundabout way.” Penelope flashed her dimples again, looking up into Glen’s eyes. “Although I can tell you he’s missing a huge chunk of memories.”

“Ok. Let’s go somewhere quiet.” Glen said, nodding in the direction of the parking lot. There was a picnic area next to it, with covered shelters. Currently none of them where in use. At least not that he could see from this distance. He led the way, not bothering to see if the others were following. It took ten minutes and by the time he got to the first covered pavilion Glen had a feeling that he was going to hear things he probably wouldn’t like. It was a pity too - Penelope had sparked his interest, but she was hiding something.

He sat on top of one of the picnic tables, watching as the others sat down nearby. “Ok. Somebody talk. What the hell is going on?” Glen asked when no one else broke their silence.

“You start.” Penelope said. “Then maybe I can fill in some blanks. Maybe.” She stressed the word.

After getting a nod from Randy, Glen spoke first, telling for what felt like the millionth time the story of how he’d just shown up one night with no memory of his past. He had his story down to a science, editing out a few things because there were some things he would keep to himself no matter who he was speaking to. When he got them both up to speed, he looked from Randy to Penelope, waiting.

“Before I go, I have to ask…who are you?” Randy pointed that at Penelope.

“Nobody important.”

“Whether or not you’re important is not the point. You knew what I was. But that’s easy enough around here, when most people are more than just people. You actually knew what my powers was without me having to lay a hand on you. In fact, you kind of avoided letting that happen.”

“Very astute.” Penelope said. She finished her lemonade and thoughtfully swirled the remaining ice in the cup. “I’m just here visiting. Sort of. Although I like it. I may stay. I haven’t decided yet.” She looked from Glen to Randy. “I’ve seen some with your power. The touch. I’d rather not have that sort of prying into my thoughts.”

“Do you have something to hide?” Glen asked, curious. Fascinated - he could admit that to himself.

“Not from you.” Penelope met his gaze directly. “There is a lot involved in my being here, I’d prefer to leave it at that for now. What I will tell you is that…I could sense a wall inside you.” She reached over and touched the back of his hand, running her fingers lightly over the skin as her eyes closed. “Holding back your memories.”

“And how is it you sense that?” Randy asked, watching as the woman opened her eyes to look at him. “I don’t sense anything from the part that’s been locked away.”

“Because it’s one of my talents.”

“Sensing memories?” Glen asked, confused.

“No. Blocking them. Erasing them. Implanting false memories.” She said it in a no-nonsense tone. “Sometimes just changing little details. An eye color here, a hair color there.”

“So you know what’s been done to Glen?” Randy asked.

Penelope hesitated. “Yes. And no. Someone partitioned off his entire life. Either they are very powerful…or they didn’t know what they were doing.” Her hand still lightly rested against Glen’s wrist. “You’re one of the half-made. Human and demon hybrids. There are a hundred ways to describe it.”

Glen nodded. “Near as we can tell, yeah.”

“Then it would have taken an older, powerful demon. Someone you trusted. Because you dual-natured demons don’t react well to mind-bending demons such as myself, or your friend here.”

“Wait…” Glen held up his free hand. “So you think, what, I let someone I know erase my memories?”

“For it to be as complete as you say it is, as complete as it feels…yes.”

Glen looked to Randy, who could only shrug helplessly. “Can you undo it?” Randy finally asked.

Penelope raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. But I may do more harm than good. It’s not a simple process, especially since I didn’t know you before.”

“But his brother knew him.” Randy pointed out. “They grew up together. Until their late teens.”

Penelope nodded slowly. “But does he have any mind-bending powers? The touch, telepathy, enchantment…” At Glen’s confused look she trailed off. “That’s a fairy tale word for demons who can seduce you just by touching you. They control your reaction.” Glen nodded thoughtfully.

“It’s complicated, the powers that Mark has. Mostly…it’s destructive. Strength and some elemental proclivities.” Randy answered her. “But there’s other stuff mixed in. That dream stuff…”

“Dream stuff?”

“Yeah. He used to…or he might still…we always thought it was kind of like astral projection. He could disappear, usually when he was sleeping. He didn’t actually go anywhere - you could still hear him breathing, still touch him and he was solid enough. And the dream stuff…he could pull people into his dream, manipulate them, play with them. On occasion he could go into theirs.”

Penelope frowned and twisted a lock of hair around her fingers, a nervous habit that usually appeared when she was thinking deeply. “It’s not a power I’ve heard of. Illusion magic would have been my first guess but that doesn’t really apply here. Because you said he could pull people in. How strange. It could be the birth of a new power.”

“Or just the re-emergence of an obscure one.” Randy noted.

“True enough.” Penelope smiled as Glen looked confused again. “Demons evolve over time. There are shifts, just as with any living thing. Some powers become less important. Eventually they fade out or evolve into something else. But you…” She squeezed his wrist lightly. “And your brother. You’re different. You’re unique because you aren’t supposed to exist at all.”

“So do you think Mark can help? Unlock my head?” Glen asked.

“I don’t know. It is possible. Your friend here with the touch may also be helpful because we don’t know what we’re dealing with. We should definitely have a word with your brother.” Penelope paused. “The sooner the better. I take it the other power source that I’ve felt around town has been your brother’s child?”

“Drew? Sure…he’s a power source?”

“A strong one. He doesn’t realize how strong yet. But he’s young still. There is plenty of time to learn.” She quickly told them about nearly being knocked over by him the first time he’d seen her, because he’d been projecting his thoughts and she hadn’t been prepared for it.

“He isn’t sure about his powers either.” Glen said, choosing his words carefully. “Plus some stuff happening has made him kind of…back off using his powers.”

“Is it the other?” Penelope asked.

“The other?” Glen echoed, looking at her.

“The other half-demon. The girl.”

Glen frowned. “No clue what you’re talking about. There’s Mark, myself, and Drew - although I suppose Drew is still different because his mother was fully human and his dad is half.”

Penelope looked to Randy, who was looking back at her with a surprised expression on his face. “You could sense it?” He asked.

“First time I saw her. At the library.”

“I only realized it tonight but…it’s the first time I’ve ever met her. And I still wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t shook my hand.” Randy looked at his hand for a moment.

“Does somebody want to clue me in here?” Glen finally asked.

“I don’t know her name. Only that I’ve seen her around town.” Penelope said.

“Vivian’s daughter.” Randy supplied. “Josie.”

“But…that’s not possible.” Glen frowned and shook his head. “Vi is a human. Josie’s dad was a human. His family. They were here before the town grew up around the ranch, and even Vi said that her husband was only guessing about people in town being different.”

“Then she was lied to. Maybe by omission.” Penelope said, voice dropping a little. “But that girl is a half-demon. I’d stake my life on it.”

“Mine too.” Randy said. “I felt her. I felt it. That other side. Nothing like yours or Mark, nothing like Drew’s - although I don’t think there is anything else in the world remotely like Drew. She’s different.”

“She’s been angry the past few months?” Penelope made it a question.

“Upset about things between her mother and Mark.” Glen supplied. Penelope was nodding.

“I had thought it was your brother. Now I am wondering if this odd - pressure - that covered the town didn’t come from the girl.” Penelope shook her head. “Like a thunderstorm in the distance.”

Randy was nodding in agreement. “The murders stopped when Josie got mad.”

“Could be a coincidence.” Penelope said but her voice belied the fact she did not believe that for a second.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Glen asked, rubbing his free hand at his temple. Penelope still had his wrist and he wasn’t in a hurry to pull free. It was sort of calming.

“It means that, most likely, our homicidal demon is sensing the presence of someone who is extremely pissed off - and he doesn’t want to risk a mistake.” Randy answered him. “I was going to tell Mark - that’s why I was going to find him. Because he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know that Vi is one of the special ones, and he doesn’t know about Josie. He’s never had the touch, and the only reason he found Rayne was because I led him to her.” All of the animation seemed to drop from his features. “Fuck…I…we…”

“What is it?” When Randy couldn’t seem to go on, Glen prodded him.

“We thought that whoever was doing the killing was maybe just doing it randomly. Because he could. But if Vi is one of the special ones, maybe he really was looking for her. Maybe he doesn’t have the touch either. Maybe that’s why he’s compelled to take a bite. There are all kinds of ways to get a read...blood would be a sure bet.”Randy’s face had paled considerably.

Glen looked back to Penelope, who had tightened her grip on his wrist as Randy spoke. “It’s a good theory. But if we’re talking about the same thing I might be able to help there.” She finally said. “It is the reason I’m here, after all.”

48

Vi wasn’t sure what exactly she expected to see on the inside of the tent. There wasn’t a single beaded curtain to be seen, which was sort of a disappointment. No crystal ball either, and she had thought those were standard issue.

Instead what she got was a decent sized open space, which felt much larger than it had looked from outside, ground that had been first covered with boards, then a tarp, then a large area rug, and a low square table in the center of it. Along the far wall there was a set of low shelves, holding bottles of different colors. Light was provided by string lights - Christmas lights - at regular intervals on the roof.

“Have a seat.” The woman, Idola, gestured toward the table. Vi noted that there were pillows provided as seating. With a good-natured sigh she stacked a couple and sank down onto them, adjusting her skirt around her legs. Something bumped her ankle, making her jump as Idola sat across from her.

Vi looked down and saw a cat. Black of course, with golden eyes. It rubbed against her leg before bumping the back of her hand, demanding attention. Smiling a bit she stroked the cat’s silky head for a moment before looking at the woman across from her.

“Abra likes to introduce himself.” Idola said, smiling at the cat.

“Abra?”

“As in Abracadabra.”

“Ah. So does he partake in hokey stage magic or is he just a Steve Miller Band fan?”

Idola laughed at that. “You are going to be interesting. Abra likes you. He’s very discerning about people.” The cat had hopped onto Vi’s lap and curled into a ball. She continued rubbing his head lightly.

“So how does this work, and what exactly is this?” Vi asked.

“You were expecting a more elaborate stage setting?” Idola asked with a smile. “I have never needed all the smoke and mirrors. Obviously I do have powers. Everything else would just get in my way. Not that I don’t have tools - I prefer to start simple and work my way from there.”

“So why exactly am I in here?”

“Only you can answer that. There are many reasons a person might turn to a seer. Maybe they just want clarity. Maybe confirmation. Or maybe they are hoping for a light in the darkness.”

“But you’re the one that brought me in. I didn’t come knocking.” On her lap, the cat started to purr and closed his eyes when Vi scratched behind his ears.

“And here you are. You said you have no interest in your future.”

“I don’t think you can know your future. Because you can change it.”

“You can change some things.” Idola corrected. “Sometimes, some events, will happen no matter what choice you make to try to prevent it. These are the turning points that occur in every life. It is from these points that who we are is built.”

“Defining moments.” Vi said softly.

Idola smiled again. “Yes. Sometimes so small they would seem insignificant. Sometimes large and obvious. Some people have a fear of those moments. Of making the wrong choices. They like to know it’s coming so they can prepare themselves I suppose.”

“I think I’ve done all right so far without knowing ahead of time.” Vi said with a smirk. “So why would I want to know my past? I lived it. It wouldn’t necessarily be a revelation to me.”

“But you’d be wrong. We all have things hidden in our past. Maybe things we locked away. Or things we couldn’t face.” Idola’s smile faded and she grew serious. “I have the unique ability of being able to read those who have touched you as well. So while you may think that you are ‘unreadable’, I have my ways.”

“Fine. You can try I guess. It’s not going to cost me an arm and a leg is it?”

Idola smirked. “No. Actually this one is on me.” When Vi began to speak, she held up a hand. “It’s not very often I run into a blank. It’s good practice for me. Plus I don’t do this for money. Too many people have touched money, it messes with my concentration. I suppose first I should prove that I can read your past…”

“You knew my name.”

“That was easy enough. You have a lot of friends.” Idola reached across the table and took Vi’s hand in hers, putting their palms together. “So let me see what I can read.” She was quiet for a moment, dark eyes searching Vi’s. “There is a lot on the surface. You have a very close circle of family and friends.” She frowned slightly. “The trick to reading you is to reach out to find the people who know you.”

“How does that tell you my past?” Vi asked, interested in spite of herself.

“They form a part of a picture. They have their memories of you.” Idola’s forehead smoothed out, the frown disappearing. “I can interpret the dead as well. Your husband. Your…husband’s mother.” She hesitated at that and nodded firmly. “Your own mother. You have had a lot of close relationships with many people, and I can form a picture based on that.”

“So this isn’t going to be a thing where you try to contact the deceased and the table floats?” Vi asked, trying to ignore the lump that had formed in her throat when the other woman had mentioned Link.

“A séance? Not likely.” Idola laughed. “That is hokey stage magic. Plus - even if you could conjure up a departed loved one, there is no guarantee it would be the departed loved one you’re looking for. It could be anything, disguised. Abra and I don’t stoop to that level.”

“Then I don’t know how this is supposed to work.”

“It’s easy.” Idola pressed Vi’s hand between hers. “I want you to close your eyes.”

Vi did, playing along, more amused at this point than anything.

“There are times when the past should be examined. To know where you came from can be more important than knowing where you’re going.” Idola’s voice took on a soothing note. “Normally I would ask you to set aside your current worries, because in anyone else that would be coming through. So we’ll have to do things just a little differently. You have so many who care for you, who are worried about you, who are missing you right now. But I need your help to focus. I want you imagine a room full of people. People you know, people you care about. Even the dead can be in this room, because it is outside of time.”

Vi frowned slightly and managed to focus on what Idola was saying. A room. In her mind she pictured a dark room, almost a theater. The ones she felt closest to stood near the front and were the clearest. The others were blurs in the crowd. Link stood near Rose at the front, but off to the side. Josie was, as always, front and center. Ray in the space between his granddaughter and his family. On the other side Vi could picture Mark. And Glen. The handful of people she considered closer than just acquaintances. The room filled, slowly, with people she knew.

“Very good.” Idola’s voice seemed to come from right beside her. “For now we want to remove anyone that isn’t in your past. They have their place in your past of course, and some in your future, but for our purposes we need them gone. It will help clarify.”

Before Vi could ask how she could make people leave, she watched as Josie turned and made her way up the aisle to the exit. Others began following her lead, first Ray, then Glen, many of the faceless room-fillers. It was eerie that their leaving was completely silent. Mark was one of the last to go, and Vi did not know if that was because she was reluctant to see him leave or if somehow he was reluctant to go. In the end he did, shutting the doors behind him.

That left only a few people in the huge room. Some remained faceless - friends from the past that Vi had not thought about for years. If she wanted to though she was sure she could conjure them up in detail. She figured she was in a hypnotic state, that somehow Idola had done it with just the touch of her hands, the sound of her voice, maybe even the warm weight of the cat on her lap.

“We often call those who remain faceless the shadow people.” Idola said softly. Vi turned her head and saw, with no surprise at all, that the woman had joined her. “They are unimportant to our business, they were merely characters who helped define some part of you. That they remain faceless means their importance is lost to us.”

Vi nodded and saw with no surprise that the faceless people were filing out, silently, much as the known people had done. That left her with only a few people. Link. Rose. And Lily, her mother, who Vi had not even noticed because she had been so shocked at seeing everyone else. There was a man there too, one that Vi personally could not remember ever knowing. He stood near Lily but detached.

“It will be explained.” Idola said. She motioned Vi forward and they sat down in seats that appeared. It really was like a movie theater. There was a large screen in front of them, much larger than a normal theater screen. Vi watched as her mother climbed the steps, followed by the man that she did not know. She felt Idola touch her arm and the questions that formed in Vi’s mind subsided. She understood she was merely an observer to this. Whatever this was.

She watched her mother - who looked so young, much younger than Vi remembered - as she walked into the screen. The man followed. A moment passed, then bright light flashed forward. It was almost like watching a movie. It skipped around, jumping from one moment to the next, her mother as a child, her mother graduating from high school…things that were connected but obviously not important as the images flew by so quickly.

The images stopped moving. The movie - memory - resumed a more normal speed. Vi watched as her mother sat in a grungy diner, the strange man that Vi did not know across from her. He was tall, slender, with dark hair and light eyes.

The audio jarred into place, making Vi jump.

“I only need this one thing from you. And nothing after that.” Lily had picked up a napkin and was tearing it to shreds, a nervous habit that Vi more than recognized. She could gauge her mother’s moods by the amount of destruction she caused.

“You expect me to just walk away then?” The man said, reaching over to try to take Lily’s hands, to still them as she ripped another napkin. “You ask me to help with this but you won’t trust me with anything else?”

“I can’t trust anybody.” Lily said helplessly. “It’s now or never.”

“What makes you so sure this will stop them?”

“Because it will make me worthless to him.” Lily said heatedly. “I’m nothing more than a…a…a warming oven to them. It’s the only way, short of killing myself.”

The man made a pained face at that and finally snagged Lily’s hand, stilling their restless movements. “Lily…don’t you know you mean everything to me? I couldn’t tell you no if I wanted to. I love you. Let me help you.”

Lily took in a shaky breath. “I know you think you love me. But I won’t risk you too. I don’t know how angry this will make them. And they might not kill me, but they would definitely target you.”

“So I’m good enough to father a baby with you but not good enough to protect you?” The hurt was evident.

“You’re too good. If anything happened to you because of me…” Lily could not finish. She broke down into a heartbroken weeping that Vi had never seen come from her mother. The man looked uncertain but it only lasted a moment. He moved, sliding into the booth next to Lily and taking her in his arms.

“What if…what if it doesn’t work?” He finally said softly.

“It has to work. He won’t want me anymore if I’ve had another’s child. There may be some sort of retribution…” Lily held on to the man tightly. “But only against me. And only if they can find me. Once I break this hold…once I’m pregnant...he won’t be able to find me.”

“You’re asking me to give up the only thing I care about.” The man said. “And to father a child I’ll never know.”

“If there was another way out, I would take it.” Lily said firmly. “I won’t risk you. They already killed my brother. If you can’t do it…if you won’t do it…”

The man shushed her and gently pressed his mouth to hers. “I can do it. I will do it. If it’s the only way…if you’ll be safe. It will have to be enough.” Lily nodded and sniffled, and the screen flickered as the movie took another of those fast-forward jumps.

Vi was still trying to come to terms with what she’d just seen. And wondering if it could have possibly been real. The images slowed, slowed, stopped. The memories, if that was what they were, resumed.

This time Vi recognized herself. But it was a much younger version of herself. Three years old. Wearing a deep navy dress and shiny patent leather shoes. Vi had seen pictures of herself wearing this exact outfit. What she did not recognize was the setting. A cemetery. It could have been any cemetery in the world for all she knew. Lily held onto little Vi’s hand and led the way around various grave markers, pausing to get her bearings. Eventually she came to a halt and looked down at her daughter.

“Sit right here and be good for just a few minutes, all right sweetie? Mama has to pay her respects, then we’ll go get something for lunch.”

Vi had nodded. She carried a well-loved, very tattered teddy bear with her and took a seat on the neatly mown grass, patiently playing and waiting for her mother. Lily turned her attention to the grave next to Vi and stood there for a few long minutes, silently reading the headstone. Curious, Vi had looked at it, but at 3 had lacked the ability to read what was written. The adult Vi, watching these memories play out, had no trouble.

“Thomas…Wade?” She whispered it softly and felt Idola’s fingers touch her arm again. On the screen Lily took one shaky breath, another, then squared her shoulders and looked to her daughter with a smile.

“Come on, sweetheart.” Lily reached her hand out and Vi took it. For a moment, both the small child and the adult felt the exact same rush of love and devotion to this woman. It was amazing. Vi felt tears falling, wetting her cheeks, but didn’t move to wipe them away.

The screen jumped. Sped up again. Now Vi recognized more of the memories, because she had been there for many of them. The moving around. The new houses, new schools. But from her mother’s perspective there had always been a little fear. Vi had always assumed that it was the worry of not providing for them both, being a single mother was hard enough, the constant moving was harder.

The screen suddenly went dark. Vi waited, breathlessly, for something…anything to happen. Eventually Idola spoke.

“Your mother protected her memories and kept them close.”

“She kept a lot of things close.” Vi said. “Was that…I mean I don’t understand what we just saw, not really but…was that my father?”

“She hid him from you. And you from him. For good reason.”

“You’re obviously getting more out of this than I am.” Vi said, finally reaching up to wipe her tears away.

“Because I can read the rest. The fast parts.”

“She loved him.” Vi whispered that part. “All this time I thought…I don’t know. She never talked about him. Never wanted his name spoken, didn’t want me to know about him. I thought you know - maybe it had been just a random thing, a mistake. Something she was ashamed of.”

“She was never ashamed of you.” Idola gestured toward the side, where Link and Rose waited patiently. “There is more.”

“But I don’t even know what this was…not really. Not what it has to do with anything.”

“First we get all the pieces. Then we put it all together.” Idola nodded. Rose and Link ascended the stairs and disappeared into the screen, much the same way that Lily and her companion had done.

This time the skips forward were faster. The first scene that played out showed Link speaking to Rose, both of them in the kitchen, sharing a slice of pie. Vi should not have bothered wiping her eyes. She was crying again.

“I’m not going to ask you if this is what you really want because I can already tell…this is what you really want.” Rose was saying, smiling at her son. Link smiled back and nodded happily. “You know what they say about…”

“They don’t know about us. They still think we’re different.” Link interrupted his mother. “I’d like to keep it that way if I can.”

“So you won’t tell her?” Rose asked, shaking her head. “It is a big secret to keep.”

“I know. But…I can’t lose her. Not because of this. If the time comes when Vi’s got to know, I’ll tell her. But for now I just want to be happy.”

Rose smiled and reached over to cup his cheek in her hand. “You will be. How will you explain not being able to have children?”

Link sighed heavily. “I don’t think that’ll matter.” He smiled, trying to brighten up again. “We can always adopt.” He started to speak again and the movie-memory sped up, abruptly cutting him off. Jumping forward.

And it was a night Vi knew well. Christmas Eve. Their house was nearing the end of construction so they were staying with Rose and Ray. Vi was six months pregnant at the time, blissfully unaware of the anomaly she represented.

She watched as Link and Ray brought out a few wrapped gifts they’d hidden, a tradition that Vi had always loved. Even without younger children around they still liked to surprise each other. Link finally went outside and brought in the largest gift, a cradle that he and Ray had handmade for the baby Vi was carrying. She had forgotten that it had been a surprise gift for the baby under the tree.

The two of them admired their handiwork before sharing a bottle of beer. “Hard to believe there’s gonna be a little one running around here again.”

“I know. Am I doing the right thing? I feel like I can’t tell her but a part of me thinks she has to know.”

Ray eyed his son thoughtfully. “There’s no reason she’s got to know anything other than what she knows now. You know what the town thinks about telling people.”

Link sighed and rubbed a hand through his short sandy hair, pausing to knead the back of his neck. “It just doesn’t feel right. Maybe I was wrong, thinking we could stay here.”

“We’re not going to let anything happen to you, to Vi, or to that baby.”

“But not knowing that we’re all part of it…”

“Nobody knows. And we’ll keep it that way as long as we can.” Ray clapped Link on the shoulder.

“They’d never believe it. That it was…fate…or something like fate, that brought her here. They’ll all think I tracked her down.”

“Then we won’t tell anybody. Your mother agreed too. If you’re happy, Link, then that’s what matters.”

“I am. We are.” Link grinned. Vi felt her breath catch at the sight of it. The memories sped up again but that was all right. That flash of grin…it was well worth the tears. Remembering how it had lit an entire room and could make her heart flutter.

The picture stopped once more. And Vi realized, feeling ill, that it was the last night. The night of the fire. “I don’t want to see this…” She muttered softly, watching as Link spotted smoke on the horizon. He’d just pulled up to their house and didn’t even get out of his truck, merely pulled around the house and carried on, worried frown on his face.

“It’s important.” Idola said, once more touching her arm.

Of course it was important. Vi watched, unable to look away, as Link saw his parents’ house ablaze. He never even thought twice - he jumped out of the truck and ran inside, kicking the door open, mindless of his own safety.

Ray was laying on the living room floor. He was coughing weakly and trying to crawl toward the stairs. He fought Link, not wanting to go outside without Rose, his words nearly incoherent amidst the coughing.

Ray managed to suck in a breath of clear air as Link dragged him far enough away from the house. “They…they were…” He coughed again. Link looked at him for a moment, frowning, before standing up. “Wait…no…”

“I’ve got to get Mom out of there.” Link said, face set with determination. “Sit tight. I’ll be back…”

“Lincoln…” Ray started coughing again. “She’s dead…they killed...” But to Link the choked words were nothing more than a harsh mutter of sound. He was already running back into the house, raising an arm against the heat of the flames. The walls were burning, but the stairs were clear. He took them two at a time, shouting for his mother, unable to hear much besides the hungry whoosh of flames as they ate through the house.

He found her, in the bedroom she had shared with Ray for their entire married life. Rose was lying on the floor on her back, eyes open, unseeing. Vi felt tears prick her eyes once more as Link fell down on his knees next to his mother and he tried to gather her into his arms. He had just set his grip, lifting her easily against his chest, and turned toward the door when a shadow seemed to leap out of the corner. The screen went dark with a finality that left Vi feeling cold.

She looked to Idola, wiping her eyes once more. “Are you done torturing me?”

“Was it torture?” Idola said softly.

“It is to me.” Vi gestured at the dark screen. “What did it mean? Besides the obvious.”

“You seek an interpretation?”

“It would be nice, since you went to all this trouble.” Vi felt her temper spark. She was as emotionally wrung out as if she’d lived through that horrible night all over again.

Idola nodded. “In the first set of memories, yes. That was your father. A man your mother loved deeply. A man who returned her feelings. She asked him to help her conceive, and he did. Because she was one of the few humans who possessed the ability to have a child with a demon. She knew of this - how she knew, we may never find out. The memory is not here within you.” Idola touched Vi’s temple. “But she was chosen. And instead of letting the demon break her, she instead chose to outsmart the demon. She conceived you with a human. It rendered her incapable of having a demon child.”

“And she kept us apart to protect us both?” Vi asked.

“Yes. That is another memory that is missing.”

“How did he…”

“How did he pass?” Idola completed when Vi seemed unable to. “Unknown. But you know his name. It would be a simple enough matter to find out.”

Vi could only nod at that.

“So your mother hid you away, moving you from place to place, sure - and rightly so - that you would be hunted. Because the trait that allows a human to conceive with a demon is passed down if it isn’t used.”

“But…wait…” Vi held up a hand. “Are you saying that I was one of those who could have a kid with a demon?”

“Absolutely. Although I am not sure if your mother knew about that. She may have merely kept moving because she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.”

“And then I met Link.” Vi said thoughtfully.

Idola smiled. “Special in many ways. Your memories of him are so very strong and clear. Even if I can’t read you I can sense that much especially here. He fell for you, and fell hard. Your announcement of your pregnancy came as a great shock to him and his family. Because they did not know what you were. They did not have the ability to sense what you were.”

“At the end…the fire…” Vi sighed. “It wasn’t just an accident was it? Someone else was there. Someone jumped out at him.”

Idola nodded sadly. “Yes. Senseless death and destruction. And unless I find someone who was there during that time, someone with memories of the fire, or what came before or after, we might never know. Retrieving memories from the dead is difficult, and often incomplete.”

Vi frowned at that. “I think I’ve had enough for now. How do we get out of here.”

“That’s the easy part. Just close your eyes and count to ten.”

Vi did. She reached 7 and understood she was back, but finished the count and opened her eyes. The cat was sleeping in her lap. Idola sat across from her with her hands folded together on top of the table. Vi wiped the tears from her face, shaking her head in confusion.

“How can I be one of those special people and not know it?” She asked, unbelieving. “And Link was a demon. Link was one of them?”

“Yes. But not powerful, at least not actively powerful. It is possible he had a more passive power - something subtle that could be used unnoticed. Even the demons in town did not realize what he was, what his family was.”

“It’s like winning the lottery or something. What were the odds of us finding each other?”

“Astronomical.” Idola commented with a smile.

“I need time to think.”

“Of course.” She rose to her feet and went to the shelves in against the back wall. Vi watched her shuffle through some papers before finally pulling out what looked like a postcard. She held it out and Vi took it, looking at it curiously. “My number. You will have questions. I’m always available to answer them when I can. Or if you decide you’d like to know more…” Idola shrugged and spread her hands.

“What if I do know somebody that was there? The day of the fire?” It was Ray that Vi thought of.

“Then we could attempt a similar reading. If you want to know more.”

“I’ve asked him. My father-in-law. I asked what happened and he said he couldn’t remember all of it. He had a stroke.”

Idola nodded. “We can work around that as well. I’m in town for at least a few days. I have a few friends to visit. You need time to think things through.” She looked at the cat. “Abra. I swear. Move your furry butt.”

Vi had to smile as the cat blinked its eyes open and looked up at its mistress. It slowly stretched before hopping down to the ground. She accepted a hand to her feet and smoothed her dress down again. “I don’t even know what to do with all this stuff that you’ve told me.”

Idola smiled. “You don’t have to do anything. That’s the beauty of free will. Focus on the good. Focus on the bad. Pretend it never happened, or elaborate as your imagination might demand. I think your daughter is looking for you.”

That last bit was completely random. Vi frowned and glanced at her watch. It was nearly 1, which meant the midway would be closing soon. “Ok. I…uh…thank you. I think.”

“You are welcome, even if you are confused.” Idola smiled and took her hand once more. “Call me.”

Vi nodded once before turning and ducking out of the tent. Idola was left to look after her a moment before looking down at her cat. “You were right. We stepped right into the middle of it, Abra.” She said affectionately. The cat merely looked up at her, golden eyes glowing under the twinkling lights.

49

It had been a long, rather tense summer for all of them.

Contrary to what Drew and a select few others thought, including the darker side of him that had recently been awakened, Mark knew that what he was doing was probably an exercise in futility.

Rayne had been dead and gone too long, there was no bringing her back, no falling back in to what had been. He’d come too far for that, at least he thought so. But what he thought and what he felt he had to do were two different things.

Drew was reserved around her. Drew was also pissed off with Mark, and Mark had no one to blame for that but himself. By cutting things off with Vivian, he had done also severed Drew’s contact with Josie, who he had grown to be pretty close to.

Not that Mark hadn’t tried to take it all back. He’d called Vi, twice, with the same result. She had hung up before he could do more than say hello. He got the point. And what had he hoped to accomplish in a phone call? Even two months later he did not know, he could only say for sure that he knew he had made a huge mistake almost as soon as he had voiced his decision.

So it was a miserable summer. He had brought a stranger into their house, a stranger that he had known and loved at one point. Rayne did not act surprised when he had shown her to the guest bedroom. She’d merely thanked him and taken her small bag to unpack it before lying down for a nap.

She acted lost. On the recommendation of the doctors, and Jess, Mark had asked Rayne about what she could remember, and each time it amounted to the same thing. She had been shocked to learn that Drew was a teenager, but had not even voiced one question as to how that could be possible.

Mark had been leery before that. After that, he was downright suspicious.

He tried to explain to Drew, to make him understand, that the bond was stronger than what Mark wanted for himself and he had to honor it. Drew had nodded but he’d remained standoffish, more often than not finding reasons to stay with friends, or in his room.

Mark found himself doing something similar although for entirely different reasons.

He missed Vi. With every single cell in his body, he missed her. It was worse than anything he’d been through before, maybe because he knew she was so close and that he had actively chosen this path rather than risk being with her. So he threw himself into work, going to jobs, staying away for most of the day, coming home in the evening bone-deep weary and tired but unable to stop thinking about her. It made him feel like he was losing his mind, to have his wife sleeping fifteen feet away but to be pining away for a woman across town.

And the dreams. No matter how tired he was, they were happening more often. He dreamed about Vivian nearly non-stop, normal dreams where they talked, erotic dreams where they did things that had Mark waking up with a deep ache in his body that no amount of self-manipulation could quench, and sometimes nightmares. The nightmares of course were the worst part. Usually Vi was in trouble and Mark was minutes, and often seconds, too late to help her.

Drew had maintained his level of scorn toward his father but after those nights with the nightmares, he had eyed Mark with a worried look in his eyes. He could sense some if not all of it, and Mark had no way of hiding anything from him. He’d never been good at hiding things from the boy.

It was after the third bout erotic dreams/horrific nightmares, nearly three weeks after Mark had moved Rayne into the guest room, that she had attempted to do more than squeeze his hand.

Drew was staying at Collin’s and Mark was tired of tossing and turning, tired of feeling so out of sorts. He gave up on sleeping and went to the living room to watch TV until his mind grew tired enough to finally let him get some decent sleep.

At some point he dozed off. It only lasted a few minutes, and didn’t deepen anywhere close to real sleep. One moment he was dozing the next his eyes were snapping open at the feel of hands touching his bare shoulders.

It was Rayne of course. She’d come downstairs and was behind the couch, lightly rubbing at his shoulders without saying a word. Under normal circumstances, he might have enjoyed the impromptu massage. But he was in no mood for it really. He’d pulled away and stood up, turning the TV off. He’d muttered an apology for waking her up and that was it. He’d locked himself in his bedroom.

That wasn’t the only time. She seemed uninterested in discussing their past together, or what had happened to her before she’d been found by the road. Instead she began to practically fawn over Mark, in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. It was ridiculous, this was his wife after all, but the constant batting of eyelashes, the flirting, and the barely concealed attempts to initiate intimacy began to wear on him.

Jess’s reasoning for the behavior was that maybe, to Rayne, she’d only been gone briefly. For Mark it had been longer. But it did not sit well with Mark, because Rayne had never acted this way. Not that she hadn’t been affectionate during their marriage, but she was way more reserved then than she was now.

It happened again, sort of, the next time Drew was out for the night. Mark had gotten home late, had taken a hot shower, and all he wanted was to fall into bed and sleep for about 10 hours before doing it all again the next day. But Rayne had been sitting on the bed, looking at him, when he’d opened the bathroom door. Mark had been wearing a towel at the time. She had been wearing a skin tight cami top and a matching pair of skimpy panties that hardly covered her. Before he could ask what she wanted, or what she was doing there, she was standing in front of him, running her hands up his chest to his shoulders.

And he had let her pull him down, hadn’t he? Of course, why not? Seeing her there had surprised him, had taken him off guard. Her mouth pressed against his and for a moment he had allowed it, because he had wanted to feel something. Anything.

He might as well have been kissing a stranger.

Mark gently but firmly pushed her away, ignoring the hurt look on her face. “I can’t. Not yet.”

“I don’t understand why.” Rayne had said - or practically whined, which was something else she had not done before. “Is there something wrong with me?” She had looked down at herself, at all her bare skin. She’d healed rather nicely from her ordeal, with only a few light marks to show anything had happened.

“No. There’s something wrong with me. And I can’t. Not now.” And probably not ever, he had added silently as she had huffed and left the room.

Her slight bit of temper at his refusal only seemed to make her more determined. She did anything and everything she could to spark his interest, from constantly touching him to sitting in his lap to slipping into bed with him one night after he’d finally fallen into a deeper sleep.

And had it not been for that other half of himself, the half he kept so carefully hidden, something would have happened. Because Mark had been dreaming about Vivian and had not noticed his door opening or closing, or the bed shifting with added weight. He only knew that his dream of merely talking to Vi had turned into something more, as cool hands began sliding over his body, as a hot mouth began kissing his chest, his stomach. It wasn’t until those cool fingers slipped under the waistband of his shorts and had wrapped around his growing erection that he thought it felt a little too real.

And that was when his demon half had intervened. It was odd, that feeling of being shoved aside, but Mark had found himself falling out of bed, jerking himself away from Rayne, who had climbed in beside him while he’d slept.

“What…the hell..are you doing?” He was so mad he almost couldn’t get the words out. She had only sighed and slipped to the edge of the bed.

“Trying to make love to my husband.” She finally said. And that was it. She rose and left the room. Mark got up and resolutely locked the door. And then he’d taken yet another shower because he felt oddly…dirty. He’d smiled ruefully as he’d scrubbed himself with soap. His nerves were shot all to hell, and he could not figure out exactly why it was that his demon side would choose that moment to be assertive. Mad, mindless sex was one of the things that part of him enjoyed the most. It made no sense.

Randy would pop in on occasion, just to touch base. He had taken another stab at reading Rayne, without her knowing, but had once more come up empty. He had put forth the theory it was some sort of trauma that prevented it from working, and Mark had agreed, but it did not sit well with either of them.

Glen still came by too. Mostly just to hang out, to get to know Drew and Mark. On those occasions Rayne made herself scarce, staying in her room, or as the summer went on, finding excuses to get out of the house. Mark wasn’t sure why but his brother seemed to make her nervous. It was strange considering that he didn’t think Glen had spoken more than a handful of words to her.

It had been Drew’s idea to go to the fair. Mark hadn’t given it any thought, because the idea of playing friendly and pasting on a smile for people he was acquainted with did not really feel like a good time. But he could see that Drew had his heart set on it. He asked Rayne if she wanted to join them but had done it only out of duty. He’d been relieved when she’d declined, claiming she wasn’t feeling well.

Normally that would have caused Mark to rethink their plans, but not this time. He and Drew headed out and after wandering around for a little bit they’d split up. This was normal as well. Drew had been more relaxed, and more himself, in the short time they’d been out of the house than Mark had seen him all summer.

Mark ended up by the grandstand, which was fairly normal when they traveled to the fair. The high school kids were just finishing up and intermission was announced. And it was while the crowd was busy moving and shifting that he spotted Vi.

It shouldn’t have surprised him the way it did, most people in town turned out for the fair at least one night during the weekend. But seeing her, with the sun sinking behind her making her hair and skin glow, and then all the skin she was showing in the strapless dress she wore…he felt like he’d just taken a couple of sucker punches to his stomach.

He could even pinpoint the moment when she realized someone was looking, the moment she looked over and spotted him. In that moment, when he was sure her eyes were meeting his, he wanted nothing more than to go to her, to sweep her up and take her away and forget for a while that the entire summer had ever happened.

Josie and her friend had appeared to break the spell. Which was just as well, Mark thought. Vi had been very clear on where she stood on his decision. Did he want to risk a more public scene just to get close to her for a few seconds?

“Hey, Mark. Why are you hiding out way the hell over here?”

Glen’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Mark turned and saw his brother standing there, huge ear of corn dripping with butter, wrapped in foil in one hand, drink in the other.

“I’m not hiding. I’m out in the open when anybody can see me.” He eyed the corn. “How can you eat all that grease?”

“It’s pretty easy, actually.” Glen took a huge bite. “Why don’t you at least pretend to be neighborly, mosey over there, and say hello?” He didn’t have to point or indicate who Mark should say hello to. Mark already knew.

He didn’t answer. He merely frowned at Glen.

“Ok. Sorry.” Glen was smirking though as he took a drink. “You don’t want to even talk about her. Strikes me as odd. Especially since I live with the woman.”

“What good would it do?” Mark asked, feeling helpless.

“It might get that ‘my best friend just died’ look off your face.” Glen observed. “You two make quite a pair. Although she’s slightly better at hiding how miserable she is. You could use some work.”

Mark’s frown deepened. “Nobody asked your opinion.”

“That’s the beauty of it. Nobody can stop me from giving it.” Glen grinned and finished his corn. He looked around for a garbage can and tossed it, using a napkin to wipe most of the butter from his hands before rejoining Mark. “Saw Drew earlier. Does that mean that your…Rayne…isn’t with you guys?” Glen still wasn’t entire sure how to address the woman. He’d only caught a glimpse of her a few times, that was pretty much it.

“She didn’t wanna come.” Mark could not mask the relief in that statement. His frown smoothed out too. “Maybe it’s because I’ve changed since before…but it’s not the same. Not even close. It’s like everything she does is wrong somehow.” He finally admitted, feeling slightly better for having said it to someone. “Even when she does stuff that I know she used to do, it’s not right. It’s like we’re putting on a play, and I don’t know who is benefitting from the performance.”

Glen listened to this and nodded thoughtfully. “The first part is easy. Everything with her is wrong because everything with Vivian was right. And you aren’t who you were eight years ago. Hell, from what I’ve heard, you aren’t who you were last summer.” Glen tipped his head in Vi’s direction. “I give her the credit for that. Since it seems everybody thought it was a positive thing.”

“Thanks.” Mark muttered sarcastically. But it was true. When was the last time someone had accepted him for all that he was? The short answer was never. But Vi had. She had no reason to, but she did it.

“Welcome.” Glen let the sarcasm go right past him, unfazed. “Gonna get back over there while I can. You wanna come with? I’ll play referee if need be.”

Mark could not help but smile a little at that. “No. Let her enjoy her night. I don’t wanna ruin it.”

“Your decision.” Glen said with a shrug. “Eventually you two are going to have to talk. She’s still angry, I get that but you…what are you afraid of?”

Mark would only look at him. Glen finally sighed and clapped his shoulder before turning and walking away. Mark watched him, stealing another look at Vivian, who seemed to be engrossed in watching the cattle roping. What was he afraid of? That was a good question. One that he needed time to think about.

He tried to focus on the action in front of him but his concentration - what little of it there was - was shot. He gave up. After another long look at Vi, feeling like a man dying of thirst who spotted an oasis in the desert, he finally pushed away from the grandstand and walked toward the midway.

It was at times like this, when there were crowds of people, many of them that he knew, that Mark was halfway thankful he had the ability to blend in. A guy his size, sporting as many tattoos as he had, would usually draw attention. Nobody even really looked at him as he made the rounds though and that was the way he wanted it.

He spotted Drew though, in deep conversation with Josie. It made Mark smile - hopefully the kids would make better work of ironing things out than the adults could. Mark knew that it was strictly because of his actions that Josie had cut ties with Drew, and he was sorry for it but could not seem to deal with that on top of everything else. He was aware, from Glen, that it had been Vi herself that had spoken to Drew when Josie had first turned her anger on him.

It made Mark pause in mid-step, thinking about it. It shouldn’t have surprised him because that was just the kind of person Vi was. She took time. Even if she was angry at Mark, she had seen Drew was upset and she had tried to make it better, at least as much as she could without betraying her own daughter.

He was starting to get the feeling that maybe Vivian was too good for him. Maybe he was just putting her on a pedestal, much the same as the standard he’d once held his wife to. Maybe even a level higher, if such a thing were possible.

Mark shook his head. He had to stop thinking about Vivian. At least for a few minutes. Day and night she was all that he could think about to the point that half the time he wasn’t sure how the hell he functioned through the day. He could be a professional when it came to obsessing, he knew it, but this was beyond his usual level of focus.

He glanced at his watch and saw it was nearly midnight. It illustrated his point. It felt as if he’d only just left the grandstand, and here is was over two hours later. He sighed and made his way back in that direction, knowing that was where Drew would look for him when he was ready to go. Mark didn’t want to risk seeing Vi any closer than they’d been earlier. He wasn’t sure his heart could take it, as cheesy as that sounded even to himself.

Eventually Drew found him. He was upbeat for most of the ride home, chatting easily, but the closer they got the quieter he became. Mark would normally think his son was just tired but figured that having his mother waiting back at the house had something to do with it. It saddened Mark to see that light fade out of his son’s eyes, but he didn’t know what to do about it. Short of kicking Rayne out and wouldn’t that be the epitome of being a bastard? Telling his wife who was long thought dead to pack her bags and fuck off. He would laugh if it wasn’t so appealing.

He wondered as he climbed the steps behind Drew and they said their goodnights, if there was a way to break the bond between them. It wasn’t as simple as lawyering up and getting a divorce. Mark had never heard of anyone breaking a bond that had been forged, and he would not even be entertaining the idea if Vi wasn’t so much in his thoughts.

Of course that wasn’t always a horrible thing. Mark stepped into his shower and scrubbed himself clean, getting the usual fair grime off of him - mostly dust from the arena and midway. And his mind drifted to Vivian, standing there in that dress, all that bronzed skin on display. At least he was alone, he could let his mind linger on her. He didn’t touch himself, at least not yet. He knew how ridiculous it was, wanting her so much his only outlet was his own hand when he could just as easily go to her house, tell her he’d been wrong, and ask for her to help him. Yes with sexual matters, of course, that was a given, but with everything else as well. He missed just talking to her.

Annoyed, wishing he could shut off his thoughts as easily as he could the shower, Mark grabbed a towel and slung it around his hips, then another towel to rub his head. He dragged his fingers through his hair, getting most of the tangles before giving up and dropping onto the bed on his stomach. He didn’t bother with anything else. He was exhausted, and for good reason. He expected to dream about Vi again, because it had happened more and more recently, especially when he didn’t give himself a quick release. He knew it was just another way to beat himself up, so to speak. He chuckled to himself without much humor, falling into a deep sleep quickly.

He didn’t dream. Not that he remembered. What happened was that he had once again forgotten to lock his bedroom door. He blinked his eyes and peered around his pitch black room, aware that he was not alone, that he was now lying on his back, and that the towel he’d word to bed was gone. Someone was touching him, a cool hand wrapped around the base of his cock, fingernails scratching lightly as his lower belly, his thigh.

The hell of it was…his body didn’t care if it was his own hand, Rayne’s, Vi’ s, hell even one of the nameless one-night stands he’d taken after Rayne had died…he’d wound himself up thinking about Vivian. That’s all there was to it. It was the only reason he let the touching go on as long as it did, which really was only a minute after his eyes had opened and he realized what was happening.

Mark reached down and grabbed Rayne’s hand, feeling groggy, out of sorts, and yes…angry. It was the anger he held on to because he hated that he wanted what he couldn’t have, and he could only have what he didn’t want. “The hell are you doing in here? I locked the door.”

“No you didn’t.” Rayne said softly, leaning over him. And Mark felt her bare breasts brush against his arm, his chest, as she moved. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this. Let me make this better…” She squeezed him lightly before he could pull her hand away from him.

Disgusted, Mark pushed her hands away and then sat up, forcing her to retreat across the bed. “Get out.”

“Mark…”

“Out. Now.” His voice was nothing but a low growl. He felt the bed shift as Rayne left it and heard the soft rustling noises of her pulling her pajamas on.

“When are we going to stop pretending that we’re strangers?” She asked, voice full of tears. There had been a time, long ago, when tears from Rayne would have caused him to comfort her, to rage with her, to try to make it better. Not now. Fundamentally everything had changed, including her.

“I don’t think we’ll ever not be strangers.” Mark said, tone final. “Out.”

Rayne went, sniffling. Mark waited until he heard her bedroom door shut before standing up and going to his own door. He resolutely clicked the lock, eyed it, and decided that he would be installing a new doorknob. One with a keyed entry. Maybe even a deadbolt.

The thought brought a humorless snort. Shaking his head he turned toward his bathroom to take yet another shower. He needed to take time and think, and plan, about what exactly he was doing. He couldn’t keep living like this, hiding from this woman while the one he really wanted was within reach. He’d spent two months trying to do what was right for everyone else. It was time to figure out how to make things right for him.

50

Vi tossed restlessly from side to side, trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep in. It was not happening. After the drive home, and Josie’s animated conversation the entire way, she was exhausted but even after a hot shower and reading for an hour Vi still wasn’t able to relax enough to fall asleep.

It was another case of information overload, pure and simple. She kept turning everything over in her mind, trying to find ways that it couldn’t be true. But it was impossible. Everything fit. Like a puzzle from hell. Vi had finally gotten up and retrieved her laptop from Josie’s room.

Josie had no problem sleeping, even with the oddness of having someone strange under their room. She was on her stomach, one arm hanging off her bed, Bridger stretched out across her legs. Vi could only shake her head and silently leave the room, pausing to look through Glen’s open door.

That was the other odd thing. Not that Glen wasn’t there - he was a grown up and could go wherever he wanted when he wanted to. But it had been just minutes after they’d gotten home that there’s been a soft knock on the door. It was Randy and the woman from the fair. Glen had talked to them for a few minutes before tracking Vi down to let her know he’d be leaving with the woman and that Randy had agreed to spend the night.

Vi was too tired to even begin to make another babysitter joke. She’d nodded and smiled as much as she could, and he’d been just distracted enough not to question her on it. Randy apparently wasn’t sleeping either, as Glen’s room was empty. That was all right too. Vi took the laptop into her room and crawled into bed once more before logging on to the internet.

A quick search brought her thousands of hits on the name Thomas Wade. Vi bit her lower lip thoughtfully, picturing the headstone in her mind. And it was there, almost like a photograph. The name, etched deeply in stone. Vi thought it over for a moment before adding the date of death and birth, which she had glimpsed but paid no attention to. If this was her father, he’d died right before his thirty-fifth birthday, making him ten years older than Vi’s mother had been.

It narrowed the field. There was an obituary. Vi clicked it and was taken to what she could only assume was a small town newspaper archive site. And there was the obituary, with a picture. Although it was black and white, and grainy from being scanned from actual paper, she recognized the man from her visit to Idola. The obituary itself was short and to the point.

Thomas Ian Wade, age 35,

will be buried at Maple Grove

Cemetery at 1 PM on

Saturday August 3rd.

His family asks that mourners

obey his last wishes as he is

laid to rest during a

private graveside service.

A public reception and

remembrance will follow at the

Forrest Lake Clubhouse at 3 PM.

Vi read that over three times, frowning a little bit. Someone had been skimping on details. But a glance at the paper’s archives, and a search proved why. Thomas Wade’s death had made front page news.

Vi settled back against her headboard and read through the articles in chronological order. There were a couple dozen, a few of them just repeating details. Apparently Thomas Wade had been a prominent business man in his hometown, and had come from some very old money. He had been investing in real estate, building up the town’s main street in a revitalization program, feeding money into their economy, putting a lot of people to work in construction and retail. He was even referred to as an eligible bachelor in a few articles, and it made Vi smile. Over thirty years ago, a statement like that in a local paper would have been like a mating call.

It was the second article when Vi spotted her mother’s name. It made her heart jump into her throat, seeing her name in print. She ran her finger over the screen and took a shaky breath, reading out loud. “Lily Elliot, 19, a recent recipient of the Wade-Holmes Scholarship, was chosen as a student representative to the renewal project involving off-campus housing.”

That was news to Vi. She had known of course that her mother had gone to college, but she’d never completed her degree. Vi couldn’t even remember what degree it had been - she was almost sure it had been accounting but wouldn’t bet money on it. But as some kind of go-between in a revitalization? Vi smiled. Yes, that she could picture. Curious, she opened a new tab and looked up the scholarship. It was still apparently active, and came from trust funds established by Thomas Wade’s family and Jack Holmes’ family - the two of them had apparently been best friends from childhood, and Jack had passed away when the boys were in their early teens from an unnamed infection.

Interesting. But that was neither here nor there. Vi went back to her articles, scanning them, getting a mental picture of the man who might very well have been her father. He was dedicated to his town, and while the term ‘billionaire playboy’ was probably pushing it, he had money and prospects aplenty. He was also good looking in a casual way, as if he couldn’t be bothered to fuss with his image. No $500 haircuts for Tommy, as he was affectionately referred to by several of the people interviewed in various articles. He lived small compared to what he spent on fixing up the area, his only nod to his status an imposing fence around his modest property and a security system that to that time had been unheard of.

The small community college had been the focus for many of the articles. Thomas Wade had made the tiny school a personal crusade, pushing money through, demanding higher standards of learning, until the small school turned from being a joke to being considered prestigious.

Vi’s mother had conceived at 22 years old. Vi knew that much. And she noticed that while Wade’s committee’s still serviced the town and school, the man himself became something of an enigma. He rarely did interviews, and when he did there would only be one usable quote instead of the overflow of information that had been available earlier. While the stories did not outright say he’d become a recluse, it was the mental picture that Vi got as the town continued growing and his role was downplayed.

It wasn’t until the night he died that he got big coverage again. And it wasn’t the fact that he had died. It was the how of it. Locked in his house, with no signs of forced entry, the places had been ransacked from basement to attic. The newspaper had not skimped on detail there - they described furniture that had been slashed and broken, glasses and dishes that were shattered, papers that were shredded, even the mattresses on the beds had been sliced and yanked apart. The porcelain toilets and sinks were broken, shattered like the glass. There had even been holes in the walls.

And of course there was blood.

Thomas Wade had not died peacefully in his sleep, that article made sure to point it out. Either it was because it had been a different time, or the newspaper really wanted to scare people, Vi didn’t know. The police had broken down the door after the maid service Thomas employed could not get in and did not get an answer to their repeated calls and knocks. They’d found blood in every room, pools of it, splashes, streaks, spatters. There had been blood in every room, on the floors, walls, even ceilings. As if Thomas had been chased from room to room.

Vi blinked away tears at that and forced herself to keep reading. Not only had Thomas been murdered, his body beaten and broken, his personal bodyguard and friend had also been killed. That body had been found in the basement, practically stuffed behind some pipes near the hot water tanks. The man had stood over six and a half feet tall, and had weighed over three hundred pounds, but the newspaper’s description made it sound as if he’d been folded in half and manhandled as if he were without substance.

Police of course were baffled. Even with all the destruction and signs of violence in the house they had no fingerprints, no blood, not even a single stray hair that hadn’t come from Thomas or the bodyguard.

There was one more article several days later, detailing that the autopsy for Thomas Wade and his bodyguard had been completed. The bodyguard had died of a single traumatic injury, a broken neck. All of the other abuse had occurred after his death. Thomas however was not so lucky. He’d been stabbed with a small instrument over 100 times, none of the wounds fatal, but all of them enough to cause heavy bleeding. He had broken bones, all of them occurring before death. Actual cause of death had been strangulation, with the article hinting that more mutilation had occurred.

Vi rubbed at her eyes and looked away from the computer for a moment, crying lightly. It was odd, to cry for a man she had never known existed. He had not just been killed though. He had been tortured. She was only surprised the newspaper hadn’t pointed that out.

Apparently Thomas Wade’s family put a lid on the media information. Money could buy silence, and they wanted to put the incident behind them and get on with mourning Thomas’s death. The very brief obituary made sense in a way. Vi could see that Thomas had been well liked in the community and the family had wanted privacy with their loved one before facing the rest of the town.

Vi idly tapped her fingers against the case of her laptop, shook her head, then once more opened a search engine. In less than a minute she had the directions from her town to the town her presumed father had lived in. It was almost a thousand miles away, much more than a simple day drive. It would take a minimum of fifteen hours to drive it.

And honestly what did she hope to learn by going there? The man was long dead. It wasn’t like he could tell her anything. Such as why her mother had hid their relationship, or even how they came to have a relationship. Had he known anything about Lily’s life after she’d left him? Had he known about Vi at all?

She rubbed her eyes again before doing one more search of the archives. This time it was a bit simpler. Thomas Wade’s father, Logan, had passed nearly eight years after his son, and his obituary was nearly a full column in itself. He had gotten rich after developing mining equipment and finding pockets of natural gas. Logan Wade had been married three times, with only the first marriage producing children. There had been Thomas, the baby and only boy, and a set of twin sisters who were two years older.

Vi saved the page so she could go back to it later, once more feeling a headache forming behind her eyes at information overload. Enough was enough. She couldn’t even classify that as a walk down memory lane because they were not her memories.

And she had bigger problems on her hands anyway.

Josie was number one of course. Josie, who was so much a typical teenage girl that the very idea that she might be something more just seemed - insane. And what could Vi do with the information? Should she tell Josie? Hide it? Ship her off to a Swiss boarding school? Would her daughter be forced to fight against a side of herself she didn’t understand like Mark?

And Mark was her other problem. It went beyond just missing him. She needed him. It was hard for her to admit even to herself that she needed another person but there it was. He was making a mistake, yes, even he probably knew it. But was she making a bigger mistake in pushing him away? Pushing him right toward the mistake?

It made her want to bang her head against a wall until the world made sense.

She was no closer to sleeping than she had been before getting the computer. Vi set it aside and got up and pulled her short robe on, then headed for the stairs. She’d sit outside for a little while; maybe the night air would clear her head.

She had no more than keyed in the code to disarm the alarm when Randy cleared his throat behind her. The living room had been dark, she had assumed he was in the kitchen, so he managed to scare the living hell out of her.

“Going somewhere?” He asked sweetly.

“To the emergency room after that, thanks to you.” Vi said with a laugh. “Why are you sitting down here in the dark?”

“Because I think better in the dark.” He said it as if that should explain it. Vi shrugged and opened the door.

“I wanted some air. The walls are closing in.” Vi decided to at least be honest before she stepped outside. She wasn’t too surprised when he followed her, standing in the open doorway while she took a seat on the porch swing.

“Worried about Glen?” He asked, smiling a little.

Vi snorted. “As if. Who’d mess with him? I just…can’t turn the brain off.”

Randy nodded but said nothing. That something had happened to Vi earlier was clear, but not what. Nothing horrible, or threatening. She wasn’t putting off a scared vibe. She just had a lot on her mind.

After Penelope’s insistence that she knew things that could help them, she had refused to talk further. More people had drifted toward the picnic area, and she had eyed them uneasily. She was hiding from something as well, Randy did not need the touch to tell him that. It was sort of funny though that Glen seemed kind of...taken…with her. They’d only just met, and Glen was missing quite a large chunk of himself behind that memory block, but what was readable was pretty much clear as day.

So they had decided they’d get together on Monday. That would give Penelope time to get information that she thought they would need. It would also give her time to study on breaking Glen’s mental block. Randy had offered to talk to Mark, to get him involved, since it seemed maybe he could help but he wanted to broach the subject with Vi first. It was her house after all, and she was involved, or entangled, in more ways than way.

Not telling her what they’d figured out didn’t sit well with Randy either. It had been Glen’s idea that they wait and tell Vi everything when they were all together. The few people that knew, the safer Josie was, and since Josie wasn’t in any obvious danger they wanted to keep it that way. But to Randy’s thinking Josie wasn’t in much danger from anybody if she truly was a half-demon. Regular demons feared them because they didn’t understand them. And whether she realized it or not, Josie was carrying around a power that was beyond what any of them could comprehend.

Vi sighed, bringing Randy out of his thoughts. “If I ask you about some things…would it stay between us?”

Randy lifted an eyebrow at that. “If you want it to.” He conceded. “Unless you’re going to tell me you’re going to go do something illegal, then I might have to get the cops involved.”

Vi laughed dutifully. “It’s not that. I’m just wondering about this whole…bonding thing.” She had no idea what to call it, other than that. “How it works, what it means.”

The raised eyebrow turned into a frown. That was random, and not at all what he’d been expecting. Then again she was a person he couldn’t read - being surprised should have been the least surprising thing of all.

“A bonding…like a marking?” At Vi’s nod, Randy rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. “It depends. To some demons it’s a way to mark territory. That’s usually the older demons though, the ones who aren’t very humanized. And they mark anything that isn’t nailed down, and some stuff that is.” He thought it over a moment. “I guess for the younger set - of the humanized demons - it’s the equivalent of a commitment ceremony. Sort of like being married. Only the bond is deeper because there’s a swap of power. Usually just a little bit. Enough that there’s a part of the other person that becomes a part of you. You’ll always be connected. You can sense them. Can sense their moods. Sometimes if it’s a deep bond you get a slight bit of telepathy and location tracking for lack of a better way to describe it.”

Vi nodded and mulled that over. “But…how…does it happen?”

Randy smiled at that. “It’s been a very hot minute since I’ve taken sex ed.”

“So it’s a sex thing?”

“Yeah. Well. An intimacy thing really. Someone willing to give, someone willing to accept, sometimes if you’re really lucky you give and take at the same time. A bit of a transfer between two people. You have to go into it knowing you are going to bond, and give in to the bond when it happens. Some people don’t feel it. Some people do.” Randy shrugged. “I’m only going by what I’ve been told though.”

“And then what?”

“And then you have a piece of the other person…uh…inside you. So to speak.” He chuckled at that double meaning, making Vi smirk. “You might get a physical mark as well. A lot of the older demons have them. They look like tattoos but fundamentally they are different. They are the skin, they aren’t under the skin. And only other demons can see them. It’s a hands off thing - and while it shows a certain kind of ownership, really it’s pretty much the same as putting on a wedding ring.”

Vi was quiet for a few minutes, thinking that over. “So would that work even with somebody like me? All of you keep saying I’m not readable…or whatever it is.”

Randy nodded. “Of course. It’s harder to explain but when you bond you take a piece of the other person and it becomes a part of you. Maybe some power. Like if I bonded with you - my base and strongest power is the touch. You’d have a bit of that, but it would be diluted. Extremely diluted. If someone were feeling very emotional you might be able to hear it clearly but generally it would only work on me, because it came from me. And since you technically were carrying a bit of my power, I would be able to read you. Maybe not as clear as someone else but more than I am able to now.”

“And that would go both ways?”

“Definitely.”

“Hm.” She pushed the swing into motion and ran her fingers through her hair, just thinking for a moment. “This is the part that you can’t tell anybody about.”

“Ok.” Randy crossed his arms.

Vi took a deep breath and sighed it out. “First - does it matter the reason you ask somebody to bond with you?”

It wasn’t what he had expected. “What do you mean?” He asked, confused.

“Let’s say somebody thought you were in trouble, and they offered to do it to protect you.”

“Oh.” Randy thought that over. “Sort of like a business arrangement.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. Exactly.”

“Well sure. It could happen that way. As long as both parties are willing. But the bond isn’t very strong when it’s just…all business. You know. There has to be intimacy involved because you get to know the other person on a very deep level.” Randy pushed away from the door and went to the porch rail, leaning on it to look up at the sky. “There are also the forced bonds. The older demons, the ones I would consider the really bad ones, they believe the only way to bond with another is to break them mentally first, to force their mark on them, and then to take what they claim as theirs. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t still happen…but it’s rare. Very rare. Most demons don’t have that kind of mental power to break someone that doesn’t want to be broken.”

Vi waved that off. It didn’t interest her because it had nothing to do with her. “Here’s my second issue. Mark asked me to bond with him.”

Randy looked over his shoulder at her, mouth open.

Noting his stunned expression Vi shook her head. “That was a few months ago, after the break in. The thing is...I guess…” She didn’t know how to put it into words. “He just offered out of duty I guess. Or I don’t know. Like a business arrangement like you said. Then I had this dream…”

“A dream?” Randy said when she didn’t immediately go on.

“About Mark. But it wasn’t, you know, Mark.”

“His demon side.”

“Yes. And he said it too. That he wanted to bond with me. But he said he wanted to do it because he wanted to belong to me.”

Randy could only stare at her. “Wait. His demon side said that to you?”

“That’s how I’m taking it.” Vi muttered. “But there aren’t two of him. There’s only one of him. So how do I know if he’s just doing it for the business agreement kind of thing or…or for more?” She was at a loss as to how to finish.

“Vivian, I probably don’t have to tell you this but if the guy’s demon half wants to ‘belong’ to you…then that’s beyond just a business arrangement. That’s damn near a soul mate kind of thing.” Randy turned and leaned against the rail again. “If Mark had trouble asking you, if he made it sound business-like, it’s just because…that’s his nature. You know. He’s all business most of the time. To a fault usually. He can’t seem to help it.”

“I know.” Vi smiled sadly, thinking about him. About his oddball sense of humor but mostly about that quiet seriousness that surrounded him.

“Does this mean you’re seriously considering a bonding with Mark?”

“I don’t know what I’m considering.” Vi said. “I didn’t know who to talk to. It’s like…his reasons for asking were all wrong. Like a teenage kid, asking his girlfriend to marry him because he knocked her up in the back seat of his car or something.”

That made Randy laugh quietly. “He can come across like that. But…” Unfortunately he had to sober up. “His wife…”

“I know.” Vi looked troubled at that but Randy knew it wasn’t for the reasons he was probably thinking. If it were anybody else talking, he’d think it was an inherent objection to being ‘the other woman’. With Vi it was something else all together. Something he could not even begin to analyze. She yawned sleepily and got to her feet. “My problem is that I think entirely too much. But I feel like I can sleep now anyway.”

Randy followed her back inside, shutting the door while she punched in her code to arm the alarm. Vi bid him a goodnight for the second time and climbed the stairs. Talking with Randy had made her feel slightly better - at least she felt more informed. She only wished there was a way to talk to Mark. Tired, she collapsed into bed after shrugging off her robe and moving the laptop.

She let her mind drift back to the research she’d done earlier, on the man that might be her father. Vi admitted to herself that she would actually consider a trip - if there were something she could get out of it. She wondered idly if either of his sisters were still alive. The thought that she might have a couple of elderly aunts, maybe uncles, maybe cousins, floating around out there made her feel so strange. She had family of course, she had Josie and Ray and the ranch hands, some of whom were as familiar to her as anyone else she’d ever known.

Would it be worth it? She did not know.

As for the problem of Mark…Vi was tired of thinking about it. Ok. That was a lie. Vi was tired of worrying over him. Thinking about him wasn’t bad. In fact, she could conjure up a pretty decent mental image of him. Long hair tied back in a braid, wearing his swim trunks, water dripping off him. It made her think of that day when she’d first seen the family picture in his office, when they’d spent time in the pool playing before he’d gotten tired of playing and teasing and had taken her there in the sun.

Thinking about that sort of thing was a special kind of torture. She curled onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to will the image of him away, wanting nothing more than to sleep for a bit. It was hard but she was exhausted, and eventually her tired mind finally let her rest.

51

Penelope knew the real reason that Glen accompanied her back to her motel room was strictly for information purposes. And maybe to ascertain that she was staying where she said she was. They didn’t know her, she didn’t blame them for being cautious.

Everything else that happened she could only blame herself for.

Penelope told herself that even as she shivered under the light touch of his hand under her shirt. He wasn’t doing anything but stroking her side and back as his mouth sealed over hers, and his tongue slipped between her parted lips. There was something very intoxicating about having the big man’s weight pinning her down, pressing into her, making it hard to catch her breath and corral her thoughts.

Glen had brought a small overnight bag with him, even though he hadn’t decided if he’d be staying or not. She wasn’t too worried about that. Her room was a single but she didn’t have much use for sleep and she didn’t have much with her. Even though she had been staying at the motel for the better part of three months the room was pin-neat, as if she’d just checked in that morning. She had a closet full of clothes - otherwise Penelope didn’t need much else.

She did have notebooks though. Eventually she figured she would have to break down and buy a computer of some sort but for now her notebooks were fine. Mostly they were full of notes about the people she’d met - she was nothing if not meticulous. She was also documenting their powers if she got the sense of them.

So while Glen excused himself to make use of the bathroom, Penelope sat down and jotted down his name, along with what she’d learned that evening. It was like a diary of sorts but more than that - it gave her a platform to focus her own powers. If she knew the name and the particular energy of someone in town, she could concentrate on them and find them.

When Glen came back into the room a few minutes later, showered, wearing a pair of drawstring shorts and looking for all the world like he was there to stay, Penelope excused herself to take her own shower. She tugged on the oversized shirt she used for pajamas before combing out her wet hair as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Glen was idly flipping through her notebook. Penelope would normally be bothered by the invasion of privacy, but it was not as if he could know what she was doing in the books.

“Sorry. Curiosity got the best of me. What exactly is ‘asurim’?” He asked, pointing to the last entry she had made.

Penelope sat on the end of the bed and ran her fingers through her wet hair. “That is what you are. Or what I’ve always heard you called. Asurim is the name for demon-natured humans.”

“Is that what I am?”

“That is the word for it, although it is close it isn’t necessarily true. You are neither human nor demon, but a little bit of both.” As she spoke, Penelope reached for her own small bag. She didn’t carry a purse, so most of her things ended up in the bag for when she needed them. She dug through the random items until she found what she was looking for - a small address book. There was only one name inside. “This is why I wanted you to wait. Because I think it’s important we include one more person.”

Glen nodded and watched as she went to the room’s phone and picked it up. It gave him an opportunity to study her long bare legs. It wasn’t nearly long enough to do much more than that though. Apparently her call went unanswered.

“Of course he’s not the most reliable person in the world when it comes to tracking him down.” Penelope tried to ignore the way Glen’s eyes followed her as she dropped the book back into her bag. “So what do we do now?”

“Now? I don’t know.” Glen got up and went to the bed, stretching out with his back propped against the headboard. “Tell me about you.”

“Me?”

“Sure. Like…where are you from?”

“Specifically?” Penelope asked, eying him warily. “What does that matter?”

“Because I’ve asked you several times about where you come from and you keep dodging it.” Glen pointed out. “So are you in trouble or something?”

Penelope snorted a laugh. “I suppose I might be in trouble but probably not for the reasons you’re thinking.”

“Oh? And what am I thinking?”

Penelope sighed. “You want to know what I’m doing here specifically and what it is I know about what’s wrong with you. And maybe what’s going on around town.” She smiled without humor. “But that’s in a very indirect way. You want to know about me because you’re curious.”

“I am.” Glen admitted. “So why would you be in trouble?” He wasn’t going to let it go.

“Maybe I ran away from home.” Penelope said, completely serious.

“So what, you’re really like thirteen or something?”

“No.”

“Then why are you in trouble?”

“I might not be in any trouble. It’s entirely possible that nobody knows I’m even gone.” Penelope said, knowing it was true. Her father may or may not have noticed her absence but on occasion she did go months without contacting him. The problem was that sometimes he sent someone to check on her. That was his wording. Penelope knew it was more to his benefit than hers, and he was merely keeping tabs.

“So tell me.” Glen persisted, lacing his fingers together behind his head, watching as she paced around the small room.

“We’re not here to solve my problems.” Penelope pointed out.

“Well we’re obviously not going to solve anybody’s problems right this very second.” Glen said wryly. He was unfazed by her restlessness. “You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet if you keep that up.” He pointed out as she made another circuit of the room.

“I don’t understand why you have this need to be here, that’s all.” Penelope said, ignoring his attempt at a joke.

“I don’t either. But I’m not crazy enough to try to fight it.” Glen sighed. “And believe me, I might not remember my past but I’m pretty well versed on crazy.”

Penelope stopped pacing and looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I have had some trouble…controlling…whatever it is I am. And that’s putting it very nicely.”

Intrigued in spite of her sudden nerves, Penelope sat down on the empty half of the bed, studying him closely. “I don’t think I understand.”

“I can try to explain. The trade off is that you talk about you. No dodging.”

Penelope bit her lip and nodded. It sounded fair enough, and honestly she had nothing to hide. It was just a reflex really.

“So I had no idea what I was, after Vivian found me.” Glen began. He sighed and shifted, making himself more comfortable. “I started feeling pretty strongly about her. Sexually. I wanted her.”

Penelope had only met Vivian briefly, when she and Randy had gone by to get Glen, but she could understand why. She was a striking woman but more than that; Penelope had no way to describe it but in her mind Vivian practically glowed. She wasn’t sure if it was knowing she was one of the chosen few, or if maybe the woman was projecting a massively strong aura, but it was there nonetheless.

“Eventually we did sleep together.” Glen said, continuing. “It was only one time. Because something inside me kind of snapped. I still wanted her. But I messed it up. I felt like there were two of me. One side just wanted her and wanted things to go on as normal. The other side…was obsessed I suppose.”

“Fixated.” Penelope provided in complete understanding.

“Yeah. And I met this other woman, who I didn’t even like really. But she’s one of you. And she became kind of my outlet. When it got to where I felt like I would lose my mind, I’d call her and…we’d do stuff. Most of it the kind of stuff that would get a normal person castrated and tossed into prison. I don’t like to think about it because it’s almost like it wasn’t me doing it. It was that other side. And eventually the fixation on Vivian faded.”

“You aren’t telling me all of it.” Penelope pointed out. “Like the ‘stuff’.”

“I know. And that is probably going to be something I take to my grave. I don’t particularly like myself for what I did, even if it was just…acting.” He looked at her, his face the picture of seriousness. “Your turn.”

Penelope smirked because she had forgotten her agreement. Oh well. She was stuck. “You wanted to know where I’m from.”

“It’s a start.” Glen said with a nod.

“A different realm from this.” Penelope said, thinking about how to describe it. “There are parallels. Every world is the same. But different. This realm - this is the only human realm.” Glen was frowning thoughtfully. She saw it and smiled. “I know. It’s hard even for someone who has seen different realms to understand. So let’s just say that I belong to a realm that, if they were stacked, and this human realm were the top, was maybe three levels down.”

“I’ve been to another realm.” Glen said, running his hands through his hair. “It was like this but remarkably empty.” He was thinking of the trip he and Mark had taken to that house in the middle of nowhere.

“There are some that think the realms are infinite.” Penelope spoke softly. “I come from a realm that belongs completely to my father. He’s an elder, but he’s not set in his ways like some of the older demons. That’s not to say that he’s sympathetic to humans. He’s just as soon kill them as look at them I think. I could never understand why.” She trailed off there, lost in thought. “The time came when I had to leave. I believe my father may have had bigger fish to fry so to speak, but…it is hard to know his mind. He could be looking for me. And if he knows I’m in the human realm, then it could mean trouble for anyone I come in contact with here. He doesn’t trust these humanized demons, and you asurim especially leave him nervous even though he’s never seen one of you up close.”

Glen chose to change the subject, because she was pulling away from him as she spoke. It made her nervous, speaking of her father. Almost as if she feared her father could hear. “So your powers...” He reached over and picked up her hand, almost absently caressing her fingers. “Are they all sort of mentally based?”

“We call them passive powers. Because they are like parlor tricks with no real use.” Penelope said slowly. “Not nearly as dramatic as the destructive arts, like fire or wind. They take longer to hone as well, to learn. I’m still learning.” She indicated her notebooks, sitting on the desk. “I practice. I challenge myself. I keep notes. Maybe I am too…focused. Maybe I just fear being here I’ll lose what power I have.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. My father believes that humanized demons were weak because they chose to play pretend instead of following their nature. But…I have been here for several months. I have observed. And while it might not be scientific - it’s very obvious that he is wrong. Even the girl..Josie?” She asked and Glen nodded. “She doesn’t even know what she is, but she has projected her emotion to the entire town.”

“But she’s one of us. Asurim.” Glen tested the word.

“Yes. But completely humanized to the point of not even knowing there could be another side to her. The untapped power…it’s amazing. And a little frightening at the same time. My father thinks…” She trailed off again, this time pausing for so long that Glen squeezed her hand and offered an encouraging smile.

“What does he think?” He asked.

“He thinks that he could come here. And take you all.”

Glen frowned at that. “Take us all?”

“Kill you. He thinks the humanized demons are weak. And even if you are asurim, and your brother, and those kids…He would consider them lower humans, beneath him. Because you’re here, humanized. I worried over that. For years I worried especially…” She didn’t just trail off. She snapped her mouth shut and shook her head. “I can’t talk about that part for now. Even if we are trading information. That part will have to wait. I won’t take it to my grave…” She looked at Glen pointedly. “But it might have bearing on what’s been happening here.”

Glen nodded and gently pulled her hand, surprised but not unhappy when she came willingly. He wrapped an arm over her shoulders, hugging her to his side. Penelope held herself stiff though, not able to relax.

“Your father would be in for one hell of a fight.” Glen said finally.

“I know. I had no idea just how it was here until I came here.” Penelope sighed. “I’ve been here before. Not to this particular town but the human realm. It wasn’t until this time that the thought of living here became more than just an idle thought. The thought of going back…” She shook her head.

“So don’t go back.” Glen stated simply.

“I hope I don’t have to.” Penelope said honestly. Although I can see why so many in other realms have forbidden this one. It is hard to imagine going back. There’s no sunlight there. That’s what I keep thinking about.”

“I couldn’t imagine it. The place that I was taken too…there was no sun there either. There was daytime and nighttime but it was like every day was overcast. It even rained a few times but the clouds were always there regardless.” He absently rubbed her arm, lost in thought.

That was something else Penelope had noticed as well, during her short stay here. Either because they had picked it up from the humans they chose to live around or maybe it was simply because they were at peace where they were, these demons had no problem being affectionate. They showed real honest affection, which to Penelope was practically unheard of. She of course knew that demons used each other sexually, there was no real emotion involved other than self-gratification. But here there was constant touching, hugging, back-patting, kissing…her father would probably rant about it for years if he knew. Even Cassandra as the favorite was more likely to receive a backhanded blow rather than an encouraging pat on the back.

She shifted, turning so she could look up at Glen. And knew it was a mistake as soon as she did it. Because he was already looking down at her, hazel eyes unreadable. One second she’d been about to speak, the next his mouth was covering hers. The angle was awkward, and Penelope was too surprised to do more than sit and wait until he pulled back, slight frown on his face as he studied her.

“Sorry. I can be a little pushy.” The frown smoothed out. Glen half smiled down at her.

Penelope raised her hand and touched her mouth. “It would probably shock you to know that’s the first time that has ever happened.”

Glen’s eyebrow went up. “Maybe not so much shocked as disbelieving. So…kissing is a new thing for you?”

Penelope shrugged. “It’s a sign of affection. Not something I’ve been exposed to.”

He was frowning again, looking at her, that serious expression once more on his face. “Ever?”

She smiled at his tone. “It’s not something that’s encouraged. Some demons think that it is weak to show affection. Even toward their partners - or mates - or whatever you would call them.”

“Huh.” It was just a small perplexed noise. He shifted, and Penelope followed his lead, until they were lying down, stretched on facing each other on their sides. “I think maybe I can do a little better than the last one.” He finally said once they were settled. Penelope had time to raise her eyebrow before he dipped his head and his mouth covered hers again.

This time Penelope let her eyes slip shut and concentrated on the feel of his mouth against hers. She felt the tip of his tongue touch her lower lip and tentatively parted her lips to touch her tongue to his. And suddenly what she had thought was just a small show of affection turned into something to toe-curling and pleasurable it was beyond her ability to describe. The more he invaded her mouth with his probing tongue, the more she wanted to feel it happen. Without realizing she was doing it, Penelope slid her hand up his arm and over his shoulder, onto his bare back, pulling him in closer, pressing herself against him.

Glen groaned against her mouth and shifted again, rolling so that he was on top of her straddling one of her thighs between his. He kept kissing her, keeping his weight off her somewhat by leveraging himself on his elbows. He slowly lowered himself, letting her feel the length of his body against hers, feeling her breath catch when he pressed his lower body tighter against her leg.

Penelope reached up and tangled her fingers into his hair, angling her head so that his mouth was more firm against hers. Even as he kissed her Glen pulled back from her body, giving her space to breathe. He tore his mouth away from hers, his own breathing ragged, when he felt her grind herself upward. Her shirt had ridden up a little, exposing a pair of black lace panties. She rubbed herself against his thigh without realizing she was doing it.

He kissed her again, gently, feather light presses of his mouth against hers. His hand lowered, stopped to rest on her outer thigh, and slowly moved upward, fingertips brushing soft smooth skin. She shivered as his hand went under her shirt, pushing it up, applying more pressure so it wouldn’t tickle. He stroked her belly, her side, her hip, inch by inch pushing the shirt upward.

When his fingertips finally brushed the underside of her breast, Penelope moaned breathlessly and he took that as his cued to kiss her deeply again. He held her, felt the weight of her breast against his palm, squeezed her lightly, and let his fingers stroke her nipple until it grew to a hard point. He repeated the process on the other breasts, breath catching every time she moaned into his mouth.

He finally pulled back, panting harsh breaths in and out, his mouth sliding down onto her neck. He sucked lightly, his hand once more squeezing her breast, fingers catching her nipple and pulling it, making her cry out at the sensations.

“Glen…” Her voice was so breathless, Penelope almost did not recognize it as her own. He was pushing the material of her shirt, meaning to lift it up and off or rip it away, he hadn’t decided, when she spoke.

He paused in touching her, in kissing her, looking down into her sky blue eyes. They were dark with passion, but some caution remained. It caused Glen to reel in his libido for the moment, moving his hand from her breast to touch her face, to cup her cheek.

Penelope turned her head and kissed his palm, then grabbed his hand and pressed it closer to her cheek. “This feels so good…all of it. But...”

He waited for a moment, carefully holding himself away from her. “But?” He encouraged, rubbing her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“I’ve never done this before.” She finally said, all in a rush, as if trying to get it over with.

Glen raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never done this before?” He repeated.

“That’s not to say I haven’t had interested men.” She went on, speaking faster because she was nervous. “And I’ve done…things. Oral things. But no…penetration.” She stumbled over the word but finally got it out.

“And you’ve never…” He was trying to wrap his mind around it. “Never?”

“Not even a finger.” She said, laughing at the look on his face. “I could have had more. I could have had all the rutting that a demon could take, there have been no lack of attempts.” She sobered. “But I do not want to end up as my sister has. I do not want to be like my mother.” Penelope hadn’t known her but she’d heard stories. Of course there were stories. The wild parties, orgies, and her own conception which had occurred when Haden had felt like trying to have a son and he’d raped her mother repeatedly to achieve a pregnancy. Of course, her mother being a demon, she’d enjoyed it. In fact she’d let the raping go on long after she’d caught pregnant because it meant that Haden was completely focused on her. There was no love involved. There wasn’t even lust. Haden had wanted the power of having a child, an heir. At her birth he’d been so infuriated that he had killed Penelope’s mother for not producing the boy he had been anticipating.

She supposed in retrospect that the hands off rule was damn near a reflection of her mother’s own habits. There was no touching, not that demons did much of that anyway. No kissing. No caressing. On the rare occasion when Penelope had sought out male companionship she allowed herself to only be touched by their mouth and only where it counted. She would reciprocate. She never wanted more than that.

Until now anyway. Glen had lit a fire in her that she’d never felt before, one that she wouldn’t mind exploring because so far it felt amazing - but she held back. Penelope felt as if she had given herself some sort of complex, wanting to be the exact opposite of her mother, letting no man - or demon, to be truthful - do more than fuck her mouth. Even that was clinical, cold, a business arrangement. And she hadn’t done it often - usually once she had reached orgasm, she was done with whoever had supplied it. No one really questioned her. She was Haden’s daughter after all, they didn’t want to risk his wrath by pissing her off.

Glen was still looking down at her, processing what she’d said, maybe trying to decide if she were telling the truth of if it were merely a way to scare him off. He surprised her though.

“Then I guess I’ll control myself. For a while.” His thumb brushed over her lips. “Because if this is your first time it shouldn’t be with some strange guy in a motel room. We should at least go out to dinner first or something.”

It made her laugh. Glen gave her a crooked smile, leaned down, and dropped a warm kiss on her lips. Before it could deepen and get them both into trouble, he pulled back and regretfully reached down, tugging her shirt so that it once more covered her from neck to thigh.

“You don’t have to stop.”

Glen groaned at her soft words, carefully keeping his hands from touching her, easing himself back onto the pillow beside her. Once more they were lying facing each other.

“I do have to stop.” He said, regret in his voice. “Because if I don’t stop now, if I just take what I want, then I’m no better than any other guy you’ve known.” Glen studied her, his eyes intense on hers. “But it will happen. When you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now.” Penelope sighed out. He groaned again.

“You’re killin’ me.” He said, shaking his head. “No. You’re not ready. Your body is definitely ready.” He reached up and ran the tip of his finger across her forehead. “Here? Maybe here you need a little time.”

Penelope hesitated then nodded. Maybe. He wasn’t the only one dealing with his past. Penelope knew that she shouldn’t rush in, just because it felt good. If she did that it would make her no better than her mother, her sister, her father - every demon she’d ever known. And here was a man willing to take his time. “So what do we do now?” She asked.

“Now?” Glen shifted and got more comfortable, moving his arm to rest his hand on her hip. “We get some sleep. In the morning I’ll take you to breakfast. We’ll figure out the rest from there.”

Penelope nodded again, closing her eyes, feeling every frustrated part of her body cry out at being denied. Glen moved and clicked off the lights, dropping them into darkness. She was so intent on ignoring the way she felt with his body so close to hers that she was not aware of falling asleep, of snuggling closer to his warmth. Glen hooked an arm over her waist and closed his eyes, following her lead. It was no small feat considering the way even the smallest movement from the woman cradled in his arms sent pangs of need through him.

52

Vi paid for her restless night by sleeping until nearly noon the next day. She woke up feeling groggy, disoriented and more tired than when she fell asleep. She shoved her messy hair out of her face and took a shower, feeling marginally better. The night before seemed almost like a dream, as if it had happened to someone else. As she combed her wet hair, then braided it, Vi looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head. It wasn’t as if she’d be forgetting it anytime soon.

She got dressed slowly, listening to the muted voices from downstairs. Whatever was happening, whatever Glen and Randy and that strange woman had been talking about, Vi hope it could wait a day. Or two. Or a week. She wasn’t sure she could process much more information, and she would love to spend some time focused on her daughter and the first day of school that was imminent. No matter what else was happening, it wasn’t like their life could come to a complete standstill.

Vi was surprised when she got to the bottom of the stairs. Josie and Drew were sitting in the living room, watch TV, talking and joking around.

“Hey, Mom.” Josie grinned at her.

“Hey. Why did you let me sleep so late?” Vi cast a pointed look at Drew. Josie got it.

“Because Randy said you were up really late, and he said to leave you alone. And he and Glen went to town to pick up something for lunch. He brought Drew with him when he came back this morning.”

“Glen?”

“Yup.”

Vi nodded and went to the kitchen to get something caffeinated. She had a feeling she was going to need it. She chugged half a can of soda before Josie walked into the kitchen.

“Don’t get mad.” Josie said , keeping her voice low. Vi lifted an eyebrow.

“What did you break?”

That made Josie smile. “Nothing. Yet. Drew wants to talk to you. About his dad. Actually we were talking last night and I said he should maybe tell you some of the stuff he’s told me.”

“I knew there was a reason you let me sleep in late.” Vi said, eying her daughter.

“That too.” Josie said with a sigh.

“Well you guys come in here while I get myself something to eat. Unless the return of Glen and Randy is going to happen before I starve?” Vi made it a question. Josie shrugged.

“They’ve only been gone half an hour. And I’m pretty sure they were going to go by the police station to talk to the sheriff if he’s there too.”

“Great.” Vi went back to the fridge, eyed the eggs with her nose wrinkled, and instead opted to just make a sandwich. The kids were both sitting at the table when she turned around, being uncharacteristically quiet. Especially Josie, who could almost always be counted to fill in silences. Vi took her sandwich, drink, and a bag of chips to the table before sitting down and taking a bite. “So what, exactly, did you want to talk about?” Vi asked once she’d swallowed.

Drew looked at Josie for a moment, and she gave him an encouraging nod. “I don’t even know what it is exactly that’s bugging me. But Josie said I could try to talk to you about it.”

“Sure.” Vi agreed, wondering where he was going with this.

“I guess…mostly…it’s about…Mom.” He finally got it out, hesitant. And he practically had to choke out the last word. Vi looked at him with an eyebrow up before glancing at Josie.

“What about her?” Vi asked when Drew seemed unable to go on.

“It’s just…I’m not sure she is who she says she is.” He looked so frustrated that under other circumstances Vi might have found it funny. And it struck her again, how very much like his father he could be. It was the expressive face, definitely. “Not that I have a lot to go on because I don’t really remember her. I know that sounds crappy, she was my mother and I should remember her.”

Vi reached over and covered his hand with hers, squeezing lightly. “Honey, you were practically a baby when you lost her. Nobody expects you to have perfect recall.”

Drew seemed rather stunned by that. He thought it over for a moment. “I do remember some stuff. Like…little stuff. She used to read to me every night. I can remember that. She’d sit on the bed with me and she’d read real books - not kid’s stuff.” He sighed and blinked a few times, shaking his head. “We had a routine. I got a bath, Mom took a shower, and then she’d read to me for a while before bedtime. I can remember that. I can remember how she smelled. Is that weird?” He didn’t give Vi a chance to answer. “She doesn’t smell the same now. That’s the weird part.”

Vi frowned thoughtfully at him. “What do you mean?”

Drew shook his head again. “I don’t know what I mean.” Again frustration all but dripped from his voice. “She’s not the same. I don’t know how or why but she’s not.”

“Of course she isn’t the same.” Vi said, keeping her tone even, calm. “Because you aren’t the same. You’re not that little boy anymore.”

“It’s not just a time thing.”

“Oh?”

“There’s other stuff. Like…” He shot a glance at Josie before he resumed looking earnestly at Vi. “Dad locks himself into his room at night when he’s sleeping. To keep her out. And she’s just…there. She doesn’t do anything like she used to do. And that’s not coming from me. I’m getting that from Dad. Mostly she lounges by the pool or hangs out in the house, every few days she goes into town to ‘reacquaint herself’…” At this, Drew did air quotes, spitting the words out. “Nobody knows where she goes when she does it either. It’s like she disappears for a few hours. And I know I’m not supposed to use my powers around her, but I can’t help it.”

“Is that how you know that she disappears?” Vi asked.

“Yeah. She said the other day she was going to the diner in town to talk to Gayle, the woman who runs the breakfast shift. When I went through town later I kind of…poked at Gayle a little. Just to see. And she hadn’t seen her. Not the whole time that…mom…has been back.”

Vi frowned at that. “So what do you think is going on then?”

“I wish I knew. Not that it would do much good.”

“Let me guess. Your dad wouldn’t listen to you anyway?”

Drew half-smiled without much humor. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Maybe you underestimate him. Maybe he’s just waiting for you to give him a good reason to do something.” Vi offered.

Drew was shaking his head before she could finish. “I’ve tried. He listens…but then he says that he made a promise, he took a vow, it’s something he has to do.” He pulled his hand back from Vi and dragged it through his hair. “And he doesn’t like having her there. It’s more than just locking the door when he’s sleeping. He’s better at hiding this part around me, and I can’t go prying too much because he would feel it, but…he doesn’t trust her. He doesn’t trust who she is. But he won’t do anything about it.”

Vi mulled that over, nibbling on a chip, not tasting it. “Have you tried reading her? Or whatever it’s called?”

Drew sighed heavily. “That’s another weird thing. It’s like she’s blocked off.”

“Blocked off? Like Glen is, or like me?”

“Kind of but not really. There’s something there, but it’s wrapped in some other stuff. I can’t explain it. If I touched her, then maybe I’d be able to get more.” Drew rubbed his eyes for a moment, thinking. “That’s something else funny too. Not funny like a joke, but funny weird. I don’t need Dad to tell me that Mom could be the most touchy-feely person on the planet. I can remember that. She was big with hugs. But now…” He shook his head. “She backs off. Not that I really wanna hug her or anything…she’s like a stranger. But she’s careful about who touches her.”

“What about Randy?” Vi asked, curious.

“He’s tried reading her too. But he didn’t really know her before. And it’s been a long time since he had any contact with her. So she really is a stranger to him.”

“Ok.” Vi crunched another chip before speaking again. It bought her a minute to think anyway. “What do you want me to do?’

That surprised him. He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know if you can do anything. Dad’s kind of…he can be stubborn when he wants.”

Vi smiled sadly at that. “You don’t have to tell me that. I know.” She looked at Josie. “And you. Being conspicuously quiet. Makes me wonder if I’m about to be ganged up on. Which makes me wonder what it is you kids are wanting me to do.”

Josie smiled sweetly. “We were hoping you would maybe talk to Drew’s dad.”

Vi couldn’t help but snort a sarcastic laugh at that. “Because he would listen to me for some reason?”

“You’re the only one I think he would really listen to.” Drew confirmed, smiling half-heartedly. “I don’t know how I can know that, since he’s hard to read, but I do.”

“But what do you want to come of it?” Vi didn’t understand, not really.

“I just want…” Drew sighed again. “She’s not my mother. And I’m kind of…scared. I don’t know why. It’s nothing I can put my finger on.”

“How sure are you about that, Drew?” Vi asked, sobering. “How sure that she’s not who she says she is?”

“One hundred percent. Even if she’d been dead…” But he shook his head, unable to complete that train of thought. “You’ve met Randy. Dad says that Randy was dead for a while too. And he came back pretty much the same. Yeah he’s stronger than he was, but it’s been a long time. This…my mom…she’s not the same. I know it. Dad knows it, but whatever bond they had is stopping him from admitting it.”

Vi let that sink in for a minute. “Let me think about it for a little bit, all right?” She said softly. In her head, her mind was already made up though. It hadn’t taken much. It had been Drew’s admission that he wasn’t just uneasy or uncomfortable - he was scared with that woman in his house.

Drew was nodding, resigned. “At least she won’t be at school in the morning. She’d leaving to go on one of her ‘visiting’ trips. It’s like an every week thing. She says she’s going to see some friend of hers in the city…I don’t remember the woman’s name but she’s usually gone most of the day anyway.”

Vi nodded absently at that, still thinking it over. “Maybe you should be locking your bedroom door too.” She said, trying to offer him a more convincing smile.

“Believe me, I already do.”

“Well. I need to go out to the office for a few minutes to check my messages and take care of a few things. And I am not putting you off. I promise. I just have to think.” She aimed that at Drew, who nodded and smiled more naturally than he had been. Satisfied, Vi got up and cleaned up what little mess there was before heading out to her office.

Josie and Drew sat in silence for a few minutes. Josie finally grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Do you feel better now?”

“I don’t know. Should I?” He was too morose to notice how funny Josie was finding this whole situation.

“Sure. Because Mom will be going and having a talk with your dad. Maybe not today. Probably not today. But tomorrow? Yeah. I’d bet money on it.”

“I don’t know if it’ll do any good.” Drew said.

“Sure it will. You said the magic word.” He frowned at her, confused, making Josie grin. “You said you were scared and didn’t know why. That kind of thing drives Mom crazy. She’ll talk or maybe even beat some sense into your dad for that alone.”

Drew snorted. “Yeah. We’ll see. And please don’t tell your friends about this conversation.”

Josie looked hurt at that. “Like I would.”

“Not even Grace?”

“Especially not Grace. You demon types aren’t the only ones who can keep secrets.” Josie pointed out the window. “Glen’s back.” The truck had just pulled to a halt next to Vi’s SUV.

“Good. I’m starving.” Wanting to just drop the whole issue, Drew let Josie change the subject to lighter things. He only hoped she was right about her mom, because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could put up with living with his own mother.

~~!~~

Steve only listened to Glen and Randy with one ear. Unfortunately for them, that Sunday had presented him with bigger fish to fry. He had been on the way out when they’d come in, and he was in something of a hurry.

“Ok. I get that you all have some big things going down. Just let me know when you’re gonna get everybody together and I’ll be there. Til then I have to go.” He led them out of the station.

“What’s going on?” Randy asked, noting the way the sheriff’s jaw clenched in anger every few seconds.

“Fuck all if I know.” Steve reached through his Jeep window and grabbed his hat, jamming it onto his head. “Got a call from the next county over. They say they picked up a girl walking around town, half naked, stoned out of her mind, bruised from head to toe.”

“And what does that have to do with you? Sounds like their problem.” Glen said, feeling uneasy.

“Normally it would be. Today it’s mine because they ran her fingerprints and she’s a match to Cammie Johnson.”

“But…wait…that’s good news. Right?” Glen was confused. Cammie had been missing for months, people had all but given up hope on finding her alive. It should have been cause for excitement.

“It would be. If it had happened here.” Steve yanked his keys out of his pocket. “Now I gotta deal with outsiders, and try to get her transferred into town here without them being complete fuckheads about it. On top of finding out just what the fuck happened to her. They found her this morning, early. She hadn’t talked yet. I’m hopin’ it stays that way til I get there.” He saw the confused frown on Glen’s face and shook his head. “She’s hurt pretty bad. I don’t want her sayin’ something that might reflect back on the town, that’s all. Gonna have to scramble like hell to get her moved here, and do it as fast as we can before some nosy bastard from their end of things gets involved. Or worse…the state.”

“Got it. You need anything, let us know.”

Steve nodded and got behind the wheel. He lifted a hand in a wave before pulling out and heading out of town. He had a long drive ahead of him. He dialed home, hoping he wasn’t waking up the baby. Very quickly, he explained to Jess what was going on, getting her to agree to prep the clinic and set up a room for Cammie. Steve’s mind was set. The girl would be coming back with him one way or another.

The hospital in the city was crowded, and it rubbed his nerves raw. Steve hated the city with a passion, only venturing outside of his own more sparsely populated county when he absolutely had to. It was unreasonable, yes, but he had a distrust of large crowds of people. It took nearly 20 minutes to make it through various hospital checkpoints, which did nothing to calm his temper. It was a wonder anybody got treated, since it seemed everyone spent most of their time getting searched or proving their identification in the place.

He finally made it up to the fourth floor. The hospital made a rough T-shape, with the ICU and recovery rooms taking up the short wings, and the surgical center commanding the larger wing. He went there first, because he had been told that Cammie would be going through surgery. She had a few fractured bones as far as the doctors could tell, and many of her wounds were superficial but some were infected. They wanted to put her under anesthesia and clean her wounds.

Steve was directed back to the recovery room. Of course. He grumbled to himself as he went in that direction, showing his ID for what felt like the thirtieth time in under 30 minutes, before being ushered to the back of the room. There were two rooms set up with actual walls and doors instead of just a section curtained off. Jess had told him that they were isolation wards, usually used for patients who needed extra attention but not ICU attention, or those who were beyond help and needed a quiet place to die. Either way - it creeped him out.

He spotted a man he recognized through the glass door. John Layfield was the sheriff of this county, and he and Steve shared a decent working relationship. That was where it ended though. Layfield was plenty sharp for a human. It was hard enough keeping their existence quiet without the sheriff of a neighboring county getting playing nosy.

Steve let himself in, shutting the door in the curious nurse’s face. Cammie Johnson lay in the bed, skin pale - at least the parts that weren’t bruised or bandaged. There was no doubt who it was. Steve had personally seen her almost every day since she started working at the diner.

“Glad you could get here so fast.” Layfield said, shaking Steve’s hand. “Her parents are working on getting her transferred back to your clinic.” A troubled shadow crossed his face. “What’s wrong, they don’t trust her here?”

Steve could only shake his head. “She been awake at all yet?”

“No. Well…” Layfield pulled a notebook out of his pocket, flipped it open, and nodded. “She was in and out in the ambulance. Fought the medics until they restrained her. The only reason she’s off now is because she’s heavily sedated. That was about two hours ago. They said she’ll be out the better part of the day.”

“Wanna run down what she’s got?” Steve didn’t bother with taking notes. He’d be getting his own reports soon enough.

“Cuts, bruises, burns galore. She’s marked on every part of her body.” Layfield shifted on his feet, visibly uncomfortable which was a first for Steve. He’d never seen the man ruffled. “There’s signs of rape. Scratches, bruises, tearing, bleeding. We did a kit, but whoever did it cleaned her up.”

“Any bite marks?” Steve asked, reaching over the safety rail of the bed to touch Cammie’s hand.

“Old ones. Mostly healed. How’d you know that?”

Steve heard that hint of sharpness in the man’s voice. It reminded him of a bloodhound that had caught a scent. “We figured she ran off with a boyfriend. Piece of shit kid that thought biting her was kind of a turn on.” Steve lied smoothly. Cammie’s parents would as well. It would keep Layfield busy, if he wanted to be involved, searching for Cammie’s invisible boyfriend. “Figured when she ran off it was with him. But if the bite marks are healed up, guess she wasn’t with him recently.” He felt Cammie’s fingers twitch in his hand, and bit his lip to hide a smirk. Some - maybe all - of what he’d said had gotten through. If Layfield or another outsider questioned her, she’d use the same story. She was still there, still with them. Weak but aware.

“They’re still running toxicology tests on her blood. Girl was on something serious. She’s got a few needle marks.”

“So tell me again how she was found.” Steve prompted, taking a seat, still holding onto Cammie’s hand.

“At three-forty this morning a call came in from a woman who works at one of the all night laundry places downtown. Said she saw a girl who looked like ‘death warmed over’ wandering the parking lot, missing half her clothes. I got there five minutes after dispatch. The girl was unresponsive to me, just kept walking, mumbling under her breath. So I called for the medical transport.” Layfield had tucked his notebook back into his pocket. “You wanna tell me why it’s so all-fired important to move her back to your county, to that piddly clinic instead of here? She’ll get the best damn care in the state right where she is.”

“I’d say that’s something her parents want.” Steve said after pretending to think about it. This was part of a long-standing script for his kind. “They’re farmers. It’s not like their work will wait for ‘em while they drive back and forth and spend all their time up here. And that ‘piddly clinic’ is run by my wife, so you might wanna watch your tone. She’s the best damn doctor in the state.” He threw Layfield’s words back at him.

“Sorry. Didn’t meant to step on your toes.” But Layfield was only saying it to say it. There were no contrition in his voice. “We’ll have to investigate the rape and the apparent assault.”

“Good. You do that.”

“I’d prefer she stay here.”

“And that’s not up to you or me. That’s up to her parents.” Steve pointed out. He could practically feel the other man’s eyes boring into him, prying at him. It was not the world’s most comfortable feeling but Steve bore it well because Layfield was not a threat. Whoever had hurt Cammie, that was the threat.

Layfield eventually excused himself to go talk to Cammie’s parents. Probably to try one last time to get them to let their daughter stay here. Steve was left alone to watch over the sleeping girl.

With no one there to observe him, Steve got up and leaned over, gently turning Cammie’s head and brushing her hair out of the way. There was a bandage there. He carefully picked away a corner and lifted it, unsurprised to see the ring of teeth marks high on the back of her neck. The bite had been cleaned, and a few black stitches closed the deeper lacerations made by the incisors and canines.

It proved to Steve that she’d been with their murderer.

But for two entire months? Was Steve supposed to believe that Cammie had been kept for two months and then just…let go? The fact that she was still alive was a miracle, yes, but up and walking around with the amount of damage she’d been through it must have been hell. Had she escaped?

He was denying that thought before it could fully take hold. There was no way the murderer would let anyone escape him. He had kept her, used her, and then he’d let her go, alive. But why? It stood to reason that at some point during the past few months that Cammie had seen her attacker, seen his face, seen his build. He couldn’t have been just a shadow for that amount of time, and Steve refused to believe that were possible.

So why would the guy who had killed so many already show mercy here? Or was it mercy at all? Steve had a bad feeling, a sinking sensation in his gut that said that this was not right. It was like he were being led away from the real issue, which was sort of crazy considering the poor hurt kid on the bed in front of him.

He couldn’t shake it though. Cammie had been given up as dead and unfound. Yet here she was, alive and - while not well, at least somewhere safe where she could recover. Steve wanted to know why. He wanted to know if their killer was announcing he was still around or if he was slipping. Most of all, he wanted to know who the hell it was so he could stop him once and for all.

53

Vi had no idea what he had meant by “calling” him. It wasn’t like she could just pick up a phone and dial a number.

After the trip to the fair, after talking to Randy, and to the woman who had called herself Idola, Vi had not known what to do.

How could it be possible that Link was one of them?

She pondered that thought restlessly. Her entire life with Link, everything she had built with him…and suddenly it seemed all of it was based on a lie. A lie he’d told with good intentions but a lie nonetheless. She could not believe it, that the man she had trusted with her heart, her mind, her life, had kept something like this from her. Had he really thought she’d reject him?

But it made sense. All of it made sense. Their constant moving as Vi was growing up. Her mother’s absolute distrust of males. The insistence that it was not important for Vi to know or even acknowledge her father. Her mother had merely been protecting her, without telling her why. And Vi had gone along trusting without question.

And then she’d met Link. She didn’t doubt her feelings, nor his feelings for her. And she realized it had been her that had brought up children first, and that he’d been downright blasé about it. She had put it down to his general laid back attitude but he had not known that she could even have a child with him. And he’d been just as surprised as she when she’d taken that pregnancy test and it had shown up positive. It had been that Christmas Eve, when she’d been six months pregnant, that Link and Ray had roused her from sleep with their voices. They had been discussing something, and she’d caught bits and pieces, but with the construction of their house and the holidays and the general business of carrying the baby she had been too tired to really make sense of it.

She’d forgotten. Hell, it hadn’t been worth remembering. Link had been a wonderful husband, a fantastic father, her best friend. She had no reason to think he was something more than what he represented. She was just hurt that he hadn’t told her, that he would go to the trouble of telling her about the town and the people in it…but had let her go on thinking they were perfectly human and normal.

And without quite knowing how it happened, Vi realized she was there.

Wherever ‘there’ actually was. She still had no idea. It was different this time, the trees more spread out. Instead of a hill and a trail, there was a lake to her right. A dock cut through the glass smooth water, impossibly long but visible as if lit with inner light. At the end of the dock, distant but perfectly visible, there was either a house or a boat - the shape was lost in the darkness. Light blazed from every window though. Vi turned away from it, walking along the edge of the water, feeling cool grass under her bare feet and a light breeze lifting her hair from her forehead. The breeze caused the water to ripple lightly against the beach-less shore, a sound that she found soothing all things considered.

Vi looked down and saw with no surprise she was wearing the same pale green strapless dress she’d worn the night before. It made her smile, because she’d seen the way Mark had looked at her when he’d spotted her.

The smile faltered when she looked up and saw him standing at the edge of the water. Mark had changed again, fundamentally the same but slightly different. His hair was a little shorter, brushing his shoulders, still darker than it appeared when she was awake. The dark beard still covered his jawline. Vi could see he was wearing a pair of jeans and a black shirt, but it was unbuttoned. Every now and then the breeze lifted the material and blew it back. He was also barefoot, and once again it struck her how very much he reminded her of waking from an especially long nap, slightly rumpled, a little grumpy maybe, but awake.

This time he sensed her coming. He turned his head and watched her come toward him, his expression completely unreadable in the darkness. She could see but at the same time things were veiled. Vi could not explain it even to herself.

“It’s different this time.” She said instead of offering a greeting.

Mark grunted and let his eyes roam her from head to toe. “It usually is.” Vi came to a halt several feet away from him and waited while he took his inventory. “You are beautiful.” He finally said, raising his eyes to meet hers.

Vi smiled shyly. “Did you put me in this?” She brushed a hand over the dress.

“It suits you.” It wasn’t really an answer but she figured one was not needed. He nodded toward the building in the distance. “He sleeps deeply. For the first time in weeks, he is resting easy. Dreaming of you.”

That gave Vi pause. That technically put her in three places at once, which was another altogether odd feeling. And she realized that it was true, in a way. On one level she was aware of the weight of her blanket, the coolness of the pillow against her cheek, the soft click and hum of the air conditioning that was running. The second level was here, in this dream, standing on cool grass near the edge of a vast black lake, so real that the breeze ruffled her hair and the material of her dress against her legs. And that odd - veiled - feeling. Vi concentrated and sensed that yes, part of her was somewhere else as well, but she either did not have the ability or Mark did not have it so that she could fully see it.

“Does that mean it’s safe to talk?”

“If you are asking if the other half will overhear - no he will not. He cannot. He has gotten quite good at detaching himself from this side.”

“Then if I talk to you about some things…does that mean he won’t wake up knowing what was said? I don’t know how this works.”

“I am compartmentalized. He chooses not to know what I know.” Mark was still drinking her in, his eyes moving from hers to her bare shoulders, the soft swell of her breasts, down to her bare legs. “But you are talking to me. Make no mistake about that.”

“I wasn’t.”

“What is it you wish to discuss?”

“Several things.” Vi sighed, not knowing where to even start. “Why is it so important to mark me?” She finally asked.

“You are important to me.” Mark stated. “It is as simple as that.”

“Nothing is ever that easy.”

“In the human world, things do get more complicated.” He nodded slowly. “I want the bonding with you because I care for you more deeply than I have ever cared for anyone else. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours.”

“Are you speaking for both sides?” Vi asked, not sure she wanted to know the real answer.

He did not have to think about it. “Yes.” A slight smile curved his lips. “Although it is harder for my human half to admit it can be that simple.”

“I found out some things. Things that might change everything.”

“Such as?”

“That my husband lied to me. That he wasn’t what I thought he was.” Vi felt tears prick her eyes and angrily blinked them away. “That I’m not what I thought I was.”

“And does that change how you feel about him? About yourself?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know.” Vi shook her head. “How can I be mad at him? He’s been gone for six years now. I just…I can’t go through this kind of thing again. Thinking one way then finding out things are another way. I can’t make it make sense, not even to myself, but it hurts that he didn’t trust me.”

“I trust you, Vivian.” Mark surprised her by reaching out and taking her hand in his. “I have not lied to you. You know more about me, about what drives me, than even those who were closest to me.”

“I know. It…” She shook her head again, frustrated. “Tell me what I have to do. To set everything right. Because for the life of me I can’t figure it out. It’s not as simple as just knocking on your door and demanding that you pick me over your wife.”

“But maybe it is. You were the one that wanted this part of me to wake up, to become a part of the world again. Maybe the same could be true of the human half. Maybe this woman is really forcing him into a dormant state.”

Vi mulled that over for a moment. “I saw you the other night.”

“I know. As I saw you. In the sun.” His voice dropped an octave. “I am weakened by her but the other half is weakened by you. I was joined for a moment, whole, when I saw you standing there.”

“Drew doesn’t like her either.” Vi said, shivering a little at his words, his tone. “He’s afraid to tell you. To tell that half. Because he doesn’t know why.”

“His powers are still building.” Mark said thoughtfully. “The human half would keep my son’s power a secret too. It will be impossible to truly do it at this point. He has already had the option of using it freely, of not holding back. Trying to rein it in now would be nearly impossible.” A hint of pride touched his voice. “Talk to him. The two of you together might be able to persuade my human side that I am making a mistake.”

“Because I make him weak.”

“That is to our advantage.” Mark reached up and touched a lock of her hair, letting it slide between his index and middle finger. “Although I admit that you make me feel weak as well, Vivian. It is not an unpleasant feeling at all.”

His voice had dropped again, and Vi thought just listening to him speak in that tone would be enough to turn her into a puddle. She had been crazy to let him walk away from her. She should have fought for him. She had convinced herself that Mark had let her go but the reality was that she had not even tried to keep him with her. She’d pushed him away, hurt and afraid that his rejection had more to do with her than his sense of duty toward the woman who could be his wife.

Vi reached out with a trembling hand and laid her palm against his heart. She closed her eyes at the feel of the slow steady beat, the soft warmth of his skin. It was too real to be anything but. “There’s more. A lot more. But I can’t talk about it now. I have to come to terms with it first.”

“I understand that, Vivian. When you are ready, I am here.” He slid his fingers along her arm and covered her hand with his. “I want more than just a discussion. I want to be with you.”

He said it so bluntly that Vi opened her eyes and looked up at him, surprised. “Here? Now?”

“Here. There. Everywhere. Anywhere.” He stepped closer, closing the distance between them. “Now is preferable to later. Although I will wait until later if you wish.”

Vi smiled, feeling a warm tingle spread through her at his words. He could patent that voice of his as an aphrodisiac. It was certainly working on her. But she regretfully had to be the responsible one. “When I have you again, I want all of you. Not just this side or that side.”

“You have had all of me. Several times.” Mark pointed out, lips curled into the beginning of a smile. “It is your dream, Vivian. You are in control.”

“Does that bother you? Aren’t you used to running things on this end?” She asked, lifting her palm to lightly trace her fingers down his chest. He didn’t try to hold her hand still, just let his rest on top of hers.

“It is definitely…different.” He admitted softly, meeting her eyes. His voice dropped low again. “Different but powerful.” He let go of her hand to run his fingers up her arm, along her bare shoulder. He dipped his head low, holding her eyes with his.

“Mark…” Vi put her hand flat against his chest and gently pushed him back, before he could close the gap between them. It was close though. She couldn’t remember ever wanting anything more than she wanted to be with him right then. But her mind and her heart were warring over exactly what it was she thought it would accomplish. Sexual gratification? No doubt about it. But it wasn’t enough.

He seemed to sense that reluctance, the direction of her thoughts. “I want to show you something.”

“That sounds like a line.” Vi said, smiling a little.

Mark chuckled and reached up, lightly touching her forehead with his fingertips. For a moment that odd feeling of being in three places at once strengthened and the veil lifted, and she could see Mark’s dream. It was actually almost identical to this - the lake, the grass, the object in the distance. Only the lights were off there. It was daytime there; so bright she was dazzled by it. Vi blinked a few times, seeing Mark in front of her as an image imposed over an image. The Mark she had always known overlaid against the dream version. She blinked again and it was gone as soon as it came.

“I dream of you. Of this. You are reluctant here, there.” His fingers slipped along her temple, down her cheek. “It is all of me that wants you. If I cannot have you when I am awake, then I have to be with you when I dream. If that is all of you that I can have, for now it will have to be enough.”

Vi sighed dreamily. His voice had gotten lower yet again, deeper. It was so hard to say no to him. She looked up at him for a long moment, hesitating, before reaching up to cup his face in her hands. She pulled him down and brushed her mouth against his, aware on so many levels that it felt real. Everything she did in this dream happened in the human Mark’s dream. She understood it but was confused by it at the same time.

And it didn’t matter. Not at that moment. It felt too good to touch him, to feel his mouth open against hers, to feel the first hesitant thrust of his tongue between her lips. She angled her head, lightly touching his cheek, that beard that she found so oddly compelling, down his neck. She pushed the shirt from his shoulders and he lowered his arms so it would fall away, leaving his chest, back, and arms bare for her hands to explore.

Mark deepened the kiss, holding her at the waist, pulling her closer to him. Vi gently scraped her fingernails along his biceps, his shoulders, feeling him shiver a bit at the light touch. He finally pulled back, panting, his eyes dark as he looked down at her in his arms.

“I have missed you.” He said softly, stroking her back with one hand. “Your touch, your smell.” His hand cupped the back of her neck, slid into the silky fall of her hair. He made a fist, lightly tugging. “Your voice.” He murmured when she moaned at the sensation. “Night after night I have stood here. Or in similar places. Remembering how you feel.” He ducked his head, nuzzling her neck, her ear. “How you taste…” His tongue flicked out, tickling her earlobe.

It was all Vi could do to hold herself upright. The combination of his hands on her, his mouth, his hoarse whispering…she was lucky her knees hadn’t buckled completely. Mark’s hand left her hair to slide down her back, fingers finding the zipper that held her dress in place. For a moment the only sound was the rasp of the zipper being lowered, the soft rustle of fabric as the dress slid down her body. Then Mark’s moan when he pulled her close and felt her bare breasts press against his chest.

There was definitely nothing dreamlike about the way he gripped her, pressing her tight against his body. Vi held on and moaned softly as his lips slid up and down the column of her throat. He kept talking too, his voice low, and Vi knew it was not so much the words as the tone he was using.

“You know…” Vi finally gasped out, pushing him back just a little so she could catch her breath. “You don’t have to try to lull me. I want you just as much as you want me.”

Mark smiled at that and Vi felt her stomach do a slow, pleasant roll. “Do you?” He asked, dipping his hand between their bodies to trail his fingers lightly up her inner thigh. Vi shivered as he touched nothing but bare skin, closed her eyes he parted her folds, and sucked in a breath as he stroked her lightly. “Mmm…” He made a low noise and pulled his hand away, making Vi open her eyes with a whimper. He brought his hand up and put the finger into his mouth, sucking lightly at the moisture there.

“Ok. That’s it. I’m officially putty in your hands.” Vi said with a breathless laugh when he raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe not yet. But you will be.” Mark backed her up, and Vi went willingly enough wondering what he was up to. She felt something bump her legs and fell backward, scared she was going to fall and crack her head. Instead of landing on the ground though, she found herself lying on a bed with Mark above her, holding his weight away from her. “Your dream. But I suppose I can help you out every now and then. Unless you would prefer we do this on the ground?”

Vi reached up and tangled her fingers into his hair. “I wouldn’t have cared either way, as long as I’m with you.”

He looked down at her, studying her face, licking his lips thoughtfully. “Vivian - until you I have never had a reason to want to do this in any way other than to take what was not offered. I want you to understand that. Not the human half of me, that half would not permit that no matter what the circumstances. If I lose control…if I forget…”

`

“You won’t.”

“I do not want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” Vi repeated. She smoothed his hair back and ran her fingertips along his jaw line. “You said I was in control right? So you can’t do anything to me that I don’t want.”

The slow smile that curled his lips sent a little shiver through her. It was amazing that such a simple thing could have that affect but it did. Vi pushed herself up onto her elbows and watched as he slid away from her, shedding his jeans. There was more than enough light to make out his muscular frame.

He rejoined her on the bed and Vi slid herself back, making him follow her. “I’ve missed you.” She said softly. “Not just this part.” She reached up and held his shoulder, pulling him down until he was pressed against her. “Although I missed this too.” She said breathlessly as his skin slid against hers.

Mark looked down at her, his eyes darker than Vi had ever seen them. “I am not sure that this…” He pressed himself firmly against her, letting her feel how hard he was against her leg. “Will make the waking world better or worse.”

Vi laughed at that, gasping when he shifted and slid a hand between them to stroke her side, to cup her breast, to squeeze her lightly. “You’ve got me talked into it. Now you wanna change your mind?” She asked, arching, rubbing her thigh upward against his erection.

“No.” He said it on a soft sigh, ducking his head to nuzzle her neck once more. “I want you, Vivian. I only wonder if there might be consequences…”

“Consequences?” She managed to ask as he shifted and kissed his way along her chest, the upper curve of her breasts, the combination of his hot breath and the scratch and tickle of his beard making her shiver.

Mark paused and looked up at her, face a mask of seriousness. “This is only a dream. Even if it feels real.” He squeezed her breast again, fingers catching her nipple, to illustrate his point.

Vi caught his hand and pressed it against her breast, stilling his restless movements. She eyed him for a moment, noting that his hair was a little longer, a little lighter. The facial hair had changed as well. “What…” Instead of finishing her question she looked over her shoulder at the structure in the distance. While they had been occupied, the lights had gone out. She could see the outline of the structure but no lights burned. “Mark?”

“I can’t do this.” Even the way he spoke was different, more informal. “I can’t just have you here and be happy with that.” He slowly pulled his hand away. “I wish that I could. Every part of me wishes that I could.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Vi asked, holding herself still. She wasn’t sure exactly how it had happened, or when, but this was the entire Mark here with her. That odd feeling of there being a veil was gone, and in him she could still sense that other half although now the two sides were in agreement.

“I don’t know.” He sounded so hopeless that Vi felt her eyes water. She pushed herself up and wrapped an arm over his shoulders before he could pull away. He held himself still for a moment, looking at her once more. “You’re really here, aren’t you?”

Vi shrugged. “I’m really sleeping in my bed. But yes, I guess part of me is here.” She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. “Would you please just stop fighting with yourself? I want the whole you. I don’t want to settle for half.”

“I wish I could explain it.”

“Then explain it.” She said, stroking his cheek with her fingertips.

“I made a promise.” He stated simply.

“So you’ve said.” Vi shook her head. “And yet here we are. Wonder why that is.”

He huffed and smirked, although it was without much humor. “Because I love you? Because I don’t want to be without you? Because I guess I’m a selfish bastard that thinks this is a good way of getting around the whole messy morality thing? I can come up with a dozen reasons.”

“I kind of like the selfish bastard part.” Vi said with a smile. “When I’m mad at you, anyway.”

“I deserve it. I don’t always do the right thing, and when I try doing what I think is the right thing it ends up being wrong.”

“Then maybe I’m the selfish one. Because I know you think you’re doing the right thing. And I hate it.” Vi toyed with his hair, feeling the texture between her fingers. “I love you. I’m lonely and I’m scared and I miss you.”

“Scared?” Mark frowned darkly.

“I can’t get into that now.” Vi shushed him. “I found out some stuff. That’s all. I’m just…worried.”

“Worried and scared are two different things.”

“I know.” Vi trailed her fingers along his bare shoulder. “I have a lot I need to think about.”

“Tell me.”

“I can’t. At least…not right now.” At least his demon half had been right. Mark didn’t have any idea that she’d already talked a little bit. “It’s all complicated in my head and I need to get it worked out for myself.”

“Vivian…I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” Mark said, reaching out to brush her hair back from her face.

She smiled gamely at that. “You know what’s wrong. Tell me what I can do. What I can say. I’ve never thrown myself at a person before and this is about as close as I’m ever going to get to doing it, but damn it - how could you just…choose…without even giving me a chance?”

“I didn’t mean for it to…”

“Yes you did. You picked. Her over me.”

“She saved me.”

“No. She used you to save herself.” Vi said it bluntly. And saw the way he flinched back, his hand dropping from her face. “The rest was incidental. You don’t have to prove you’re human enough anymore, Mark. You don’t have to be less than what you are. I don’t understand why you can’t see that.”

“You haven’t had to live with what I’ve been through.” He said. Although his tone was low, his voice was laced with anger. Vi had touched a nerve obviously.

“Oh please, let’s trade stories about our own personal tragedies and see who scores more points.” Vi said with a sneer. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Start owning what you are. If nothing else comes of all of this, of us, at least do that much. I don’t give a damn if your wife can take it or not. You won’t be happy until you can do that, until you can accept that you are never going to be like anybody else.”

“Is it so wrong to want to be normal?”

“It is when it’s not you.” Vi slipped away from him, to the edge of the bed. Even though she understood it was a dream, she still took the time to yank her dress on. “I love you.” She said when she finally spoke again. “I love all of you. Human side, demon side, selfish bastard side…I want all of you or none of you.” Vi didn’t wait for him to speak. She walked away, willing herself to wake up, this time feeling the moment when she dropped back into herself and her eyes opened in her room.

She sat up and blearily looked at her alarm clock. It was just past five in the morning. Vi braced herself, wondering if she would get sick again but she felt fine. A little angry. Way more awake than she had any right to feel. And sad of course, but oddly content. She’d said what she had needed to say to Mark, and he’d gotten it even if it was just a dream. With a sigh she threw back her blankets and got up, putting the dream aside to focus on the task of getting Josie up and ready for her first day of high school.

54

Vi watched Josie disappear through the doors of the high school, feeling sad. Of course she’d expected that. To Vi’s way of thinking, high school represented the last phase of childhood. She had offered to go in with her, earning a scathing stare from Josie. Vi would only smile sweetly at her reaction. She wouldn’t purposely embarrass her daughter but she liked to let it be known that she certainly could.

The place was a bit of a madhouse, so getting out of the parking lot was taking some time. Vi inched forward whenever there was room but was prepared to spend at least the next thirty minutes in the parking lot. Every now and then she saw someone that she knew and would wave at them but the place was chaos. Of course the first day of school usually was.

It gave her time to think anyway. Vi sighed and absolutely refused to ponder the weird - dream - thing from that morning. Except for wishing there was an actual name for it. Instead she replayed her conversation with Drew. Of course the one before the kids had lunch, but later as well. Even with Josie’s joking around and Glen’s attempts to draw him out, Drew still wasn’t able to completely come out of his brooding mood. So after supper that evening, Vi had offered to be the one to take Drew home. Glen hadn’t been able to hide his surprised and Vi hated to burst his bubble but at that moment Mark had been the last thing on her mind. She’d wanted to see what else was on his son’s mind.

They’d barely gotten onto the main road before Vi decided to take the direct approach. The drive wouldn’t take long, after all. “So. How long have you known about what Josie is?”

Her blunt question caused Drew to jump a bit, and his eyes widened as he stared at her. Vi glanced at him and gave as encouraging a smile as she could muster up, given the circumstances.

“Honestly? Since her birthday party.” Drew finally said. “She’s like me. But she’s different.”

“You could sense it.”

“Yeah.” Drew looked at her thoughtfully. “Dad doesn’t know.”

That seemed to take a weight off Vi’s chest. She had worried, had gotten the thought that maybe the reason Mark had been so intent on being with her was because of what she was. “How sure are you about that?” She asked, hating herself for it. But only a little bit. Because she had to be sure.

“Positive. If a demon is projecting, then Dad can pick it up. Some of them do. It’s kind of like they’re wearing an invisible bell. You know what they are. Josie doesn’t project but I can tell. Because I can hear her. I wish I had a better way to explain it.”

“You’re fine.” Vi reached over and gave his shoulder a pat. “For now, let’s just keep it between us. Ok?”

“Sure.” Drew nodded. They were nearing his house at that point. “I think Uncle Glen might know.”

“What? How?” Vi asked, wondering if she should be worried.

“I don’t know how. Unless it was Randy - he’s got the touch and it’s strong. And Josie said last night that he acted like he got a shock when she shook his hand.” Drew smiled thoughtfully.

Great. That gave Vi something else to worry about. No wonder Glen and Randy had been acting so odd.

Drew had spoken again but Vi had been so lost in thought she had missed it. “Sorry. Woolgathering.” She tried to smile.

“I said that they won’t say anything until they tell you they know. And they’d prefer to get everybody together all at once. You, them, us, Dad. The sheriff?” That came out as a question but Vi knew it wasn’t meant for her. “A few other people that I don’t know.”

Vi nodded, unsure of who exactly he meant. That woman from the night before possibly. She didn’t have time to question him about it anyway. They had reached his house.

Ignoring the way just pulling in to the driveway made her feel, Vi grinned and said goodbye to Drew and watched him until he was in the door. Her smile faded as she backed and turned, heading home.

And then that weird dream - thing. She didn’t think she could truly classify it as a dream because it had really happened on some level. Vi could still feel his hands on her, his warm skin against her fingertips. Even the craziest dreams she’d had through her life had not lingered with her like this. The really odd part for her was that after thinking about it that morning, she realized that with each dream she’d had like this, it got more real and stayed with her longer. She had no clue what that meant really.

Vi impatiently clamped a lid on her thoughts. They seemed to get more random as time went on. And of course she knew the real reason for that. Odds were good that if she looked around this mess of a parking lot she might catch a glimpse of Mark’s truck or, heaven forbid, Mark himself.

She knew she had to talk to him and tell him everything. Drew had given her the perfect opening, which seemed almost too convenient. His dad would be at home, because traditionally he took the first day of school off from work to take Drew to school and pick him up in the afternoon. His mother would be gone, most likely until late that night, visiting friends.

It was the equivalent of being handed Mark with a ribbon tied around him. Vi smiled at the absurdity of it, knowing full well there was no manipulation involved. Drew was worried about his father. But before she could go talk to him, or even look at him, she had to take a side trip first.

Eventually traffic started to move. Vi finally made it onto the road and headed across town, weaving through the traffic that had formed around the other two schools in town. The first of the younger kids were arriving, their school start time a bit later than the high school. Once she was past that, it was only a five minute drive to the cemetery.

She turned onto the one lane drive and headed toward the eastern edge of the property. The cemetery wasn’t huge by any means, but there were rolling hills that made it seem much larger. Vi parked the SUV and got out to look around. This section was marked off by a low rock wall, one barely ankle high. Ray and Rose had, after the death of her parents, purchased an entire section and he had built the border wall himself. He or one of the ranch hands would come out to take care of their area. It was their version of a family cemetery, which was not unheard of in the rural areas.

Link and Rose were buried side by side, in the center. There were empty plots on either side. Rose’s parents, Ray’s father, and an uncle that Vi had never met were buried in a row at the back. Besides the old burned out house that was no longer there, this was where Vi actually came to talk to Link, as crazy as it might sound to anyone else. Not that she actually had to speak out loud; mostly it was internal.

Vi sank down and sat on the grass that covered Link’s grave, looking at the inscription on the headstone. There was no scripture, no poetic last words, no flowery declarations. It simply listed Link’s name, date of birth and death, and under that an etched picture of rolling hills - representing the ranch. Rose’s headstone was similar. They liked to keep things simple.

For a few minutes Vi just sat there, quiet, studying Link’s name. It still hurt - but in a far off, distant kind of way. She’d started her healing process finally. She understood that. She also knew that this was something she had to do to move forward.

Vi reached up and pulled her necklace out of the collar of her shirt. Link’s wedding band swung from the end of it. She pulled it over her head and wrapped her fingers around it, squeezing it, closing her eyes. She remembered picking it out, and how very nervous she had been sliding it onto his finger during their wedding ceremony. She had been calm to that point - the jitters, butterflies, and nausea hadn’t really sunk in until the ceremony was underway. Even her nerves were laid back. It had been something of a joke between them.

She sighed and tugged her own wedding band off. It felt strange - she hadn’t taken the band off for any reason in fifteen years. Her engagement ring was still at home, tucked into the small safe in the basement, more out of fear of her losing it than fear of it getting stolen. She opened the clasp of the necklace and slid the end through her wedding band, so that it jingled against Link’s. That done, she closed the clasp and once more wrapped her hand around the two rings.

Vi had decided that morning, while she’d sat in the quiet kitchen before either Glen or Josie got up, that it was time. She had studied her wedding band for a while, feeling sad but not as if she were planning something wrong. Someone else, in light of recent events, might hold on to the hope that he could come back. Hadn’t Glen, and Mark’s wife? The second was debatable but about Glen there was no discussion.

Vi refused to hope. It felt like the set up to the world’s most cruel joke. Her only hope was that Link was at peace, because she was ready for that as well. No more mourning. She would still love him - there was no getting around that - but for the first time in half a decade Vi felt as if she had truly accepted that he was gone.

Taking a deep breath, Vi leaned forward and dug her fingers into the ground, several feet below the headstone. Hopefully near where Link’s heart would have been. She pulled up a small chunk of sod and set it aside. Then she dug a little deeper, carefully scooping out dirt, until her hand and wrist could fit inside. She brought the two rings, joined by the necklace, up and kissed them before gently lowering them into the hole.

Vi blinked back tears and started filling the hole in with the dirt she’d put into a little pile. Then she carefully replaced the sod, pressing it down a little so that it was flush with the surrounding grass. It blended right in. No one would notice it had been messed with, not that she worried. She was only doing what felt right, even if it held a certain finality to it. Vi let her hand rest there for a moment, on top of the grass, then slowly got to her feet. She brushed the dirt from her hands before stepping forward and letting her fingers lightly touch Link’s name.

She didn’t feel so much free as she felt that a chapter of her life had just closed. Vi finally turned away and headed back to her SUV. She definitely had something to do that day, and finally felt like she could do it with a clear mind.

~!!~

She almost changed her mind a dozen times, especially when Mark didn’t answer his door.

Vi knew he was home - his truck was in the driveway right in front of her SUV. Most of his windows were open as well, letting in some of the breeze. While it still did not feel like fall as of yet, their stretch of hot weather was finally breaking.

So, feeling like an intruder, she tried the door. It wasn’t locked. Vi let herself in and shut the door behind her. She took a moment to look around. Everything was exactly the same. She wasn’t sure why that surprised her, or what exactly she had expected. The house was quiet - no television, no music. But she heard a soft scraping noise coming from the rear of the house so she made her way to the door that led to the deck.

Mark was completely engrossed in cleaning out the pool. Vi supposed it was necessary winter preparation. He didn’t notice her as she halted by the steps that led down to the pool. And he gave no indication of noticing as she studied him thoughtfully. Mostly his back. She wasn’t going to complain. He was wearing a pair of tight jeans, and an even tighter black t-shirt, and Vi found herself fascinated watching the ripple of muscle under the material every time he moved.

When he finally noticed he wasn’t alone, Vi had to grin. Mark turned around, reaching for a hose that was stretched on the ground behind him. His eyes went right past Vi, and he had nearly turned back to the pool when it must have suddenly hit him that she was there. Vi had read the term double-take in countless books, but it was the first time she’d seen it happen in real life.

He looked at her in disbelief for a moment. “Vivian?” Mark walked slowly toward her, stopping at the base of the stairs. Thanks to the steps she had the height advantage.

There were about a million things that she wanted to say to him. And Vi thought she had actually put her thoughts into order before she’d gotten out of her vehicle. But now that she was standing in front of him…her mind had gone completely blank. Except for the important part, the reason she was here now instead of at home counting down time until Josie got out of school.

“I’ve changed my mind.” Vi finally said, voice barely more than a whisper. She didn’t doubt that he’d heard her though. The look of surprise on his face was replaced by a slight frown as he processed what she’d said.

“Vivian…”

“I want to bond with you. Or whatever you call it.” That time her voice was a little stronger.

She expected an argument, or maybe a discussion about how it was impossible with his wife showing up alive, but it was apparently her turn to be surprised. For a moment Vi could see that other part of him, the part she’d come to know as his demon half. It was in his eyes. She couldn’t explain it, and she didn’t care. Even as she thought it, Mark was pulling her into his arms and crushing his mouth against hers.

Whatever nervousness that she’d felt up to that moment disappeared as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him closer. Vi finally pulled back for air, breathless, meeting his eyes and feeling her breath catch at the emotion there.

She slid her hands over his shoulders and up, cupping his face between her palms. “I don’t know how this works.” She said, her voice husky.

“I’ll show you.” Mark said softly. Vi nodded and brushed her lips against his before backing away and catching his hand in hers. She pulled and he went willingly into the house and toward the stairs.

Vi led the way into his bedroom. Mark pulled her close again as soon as he’d shut the door behind them. Vi let herself be pulled. He had such an intense look on his face that she felt her nerves jump again.

He ducked his head to kiss her and Vi stopped him by pressing her fingers against his lips. “This isn’t going to hurt, is it?” She asked. And felt him smile against her fingertips.

“No.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers, her palm. “It won’t hurt.” He met her eyes and Vi felt her knees weaken at the look he was giving her.

She nodded at that and stepped back, gently pulling her hand out of his grip. He raised an eyebrow but it changed to that slow smile when Vi reached down and raised the material of her shirt, pulling it over her head. She kicked her shoes off and pushed her jeans down her hips, wiggling to get them off. Aware she had Mark almost mesmerized, she shrugged her bra off slowly, watching his eyes as he took in every inch of her he could see. She slid her hands down her sides, meaning to add her panties to the pile of clothes on the floor but he stopped her.

“Leave them on.” He had stepped closer and grabbed her hands.

Vi frowned at him in confusion. “Why?”

“A few reasons. First bein’ you look so damn sexy with nothin’ else on.” He ducked his head and lightly kissed her lips. “And second, if there’s not somethin’ between us to remind me to go slow this will be over way faster than I’d like.”

Vi laughed at that. It changed to a moan when he pulled her close and once more covered her mouth with his. She parted her lips for his invading tongue, stroking her fingers lightly up and down his arms. He was rubbing her back slowly with one hand, damn near making her purr. His hand was warm. Actually he was warm everywhere she touched. She broke his kiss and leaned back, gently stroking her fingers up his neck, once more across his face.

“You’re hot.”

“Is that a compliment or should I take that literally?” He turned his head and nipped at her fingers.

“Both I guess.” Vi smiled but it was troubled. Mark was almost radiating heat. The windows in the bedroom were open, the room was cool, but Vi felt next door to sweltering in the circle of his arms.

“I’m not sick.” He assured her. Mark moved his hand and traced his fingers up her stomach, between her breasts. His fingers were hot but it seemed to radiate from him and across her. Vi shut her eyes and felt her skin tingle as the heat seemed to grow everywhere their skin touched. “This is what happens when you bond.” He continued, keeping his voice low. He took half a step back so that now the only contact between them was the brush of his fingers over her skin. She couldn’t see what he saw of course…she wasn’t a demon. She could feel it though.

In Mark’s eyes, his fingers were leaving trails on her skin, almost the angry red of scratch marks. But they faded as the heat sank in, leaving her unblemished. That more than anything, even her words, told him that she wanted to bond with him. She wasn’t just saying it, she wasn’t doing it for a reason other than she wanted to be with him. It left him unable to articulate what was happening because he had never felt anything like it before. He had bonded with Rayne of course, but that had seemed almost like work - even if she’d asked for it, he had still had to break through her defenses to get it done.

He looked up and met Vi’s eyes as his fingers drifted across her chest, resting for a moment against one hardening nipple before moving to the other, barely applying pressure. Her eyes, normally light green bordering on gray, had gone stormy, darker.

Mark realized something else as well. He could feel her. Not just Vi’s physical presence under his fingers, of course he could feel that. In his head. While he could not hear her thoughts - he doubted that he would ever be able to do that, she was somehow blocked in that area - he could still sense her there. It was not unlike having a song stuck in his head.

And he was experiencing something else he’d never felt before. Vi was watching him, her breathing shallow, as he stroked her. She was also letting her fingertips slide over his face, down his neck, over his shoulders, back up. Almost absently. She went no lower because she didn’t want to block his slow explorations. It wasn’t that she was touching him, which was a sensation he thought he might tire of in about a thousand years. It was that everywhere her fingers drifted there was a cooling sensation. If he was warm, then she was cool. It was not unpleasant or uncomfortable. Vi wasn’t like him, so of course she couldn’t transfer power but she was transmitting something - maybe a bit of her laid back nature, maybe just her calming influence.

When she finally let her fingers slip down his arm, Mark could see that her touch also left a trail behind. Hers were light blue, nearly white. And much like the red trails his fingers left, hers sank into his skin. Instead of cooling him off though it was setting off little sparks of tension inside him. He didn’t fight it. He wanted this just as much as she did, if not more.

He stopped toying with her for the moment. Mark let his hand drift upward, reaching until his fingers tangled into her hair and he cupped the back of her head. He kissed her again, slowly, sighing at the taste of her against his tongue. Vi balled her hands into fists against his chest, tugging on the material of his t-shirt.

Mark broke the kiss and nuzzled her neck, using his teeth to nip her skin lightly. He eased her backward, one step, two, until she felt the bed bump her legs. Vi let go of his shirt and sat down, then slid backward onto the bed, leaning back and using her elbows as he crawled along with her, only stopping long enough to yank his shirt off over his head and toss it to the floor. Vi sighed as he moved over her, pressing down so that his chest rubbed hers as he kissed her again.

She had thought the touch of his fingertips warm. All of his bare skin against her was almost overwhelmingly hot. Vi felt like she’d stepped into a steamy shower. Every time he moved, or shifted, or touched her, it seemed to set off more of that heat until she was writhing beneath him, panting as his mouth closed around her nipple, moaning when he sucked the sensitive flesh.

Mark nuzzled the skin between her breasts and let his hand slide down her stomach, over her hip, down her outer thigh and back up the inner part. He was of course impeded by her panties being in the way but that was fine - he pressed his fingers against her and rubbed, closing his eyes at the feel of her grinding up to increase the friction. He kept rubbing even as he moved down her body, dropping hot kisses along the trail his fingers had blazed moments before. At the same time he eased his fingers under the edge of her panties, slowly pulling them down.

Vi shifted and raised her hips, watching as he pulled the skimpy material off. She could almost feel heat coming from the way he looked at her. He slid his hand once more to up the smooth skin of her inner thigh, closing his eyes at the feel of her under his fingertips, and the soft whimper that came from her as his fingers moved through her folds. She was already wet. It was all he could do not to yank his jeans down and take her. He had thought something about not rushing but damned if he could remember why it was so important.

Mark held himself poised over her, ignoring his urge to hurry, focusing on stroking her slick flesh. Every time his fingers brushed against her clit Vi would moan, her hips rising and falling rhythmically in time with the movement of his hand.

Vi reached for him and let her hands slide across his bare skin. If she could reach it, she touched it, and it wasn’t nearly enough. He held himself far enough out of reach. She understood he wanted to take it slow. She loved that he wanted to take it slow. But after two months, and even refusing a bit of dream-world release, Vi was way beyond the point of needing to be teased and coaxed.

She jerked away from him. He was momentarily surprised but went along amicably enough when she pushed at his shoulders, turning him onto his back. She straddled his legs and pushed her hair back over her shoulders before leaning forward to trace her fingers over his chest. Mark reached for her but Vi pushed his hands away, wanting to focus her attention. He finally settled for linking his fingers behind his head and watched through half-closed eyes as she bent and pressed her mouth against his chest, his upper stomach. Her fingers still moved over his skin, making the muscles in his stomach jump at the light touch.

Vi smiled hearing him suck in a breath every time her mouth closed over his skin. Her fingers brushed the waistband of his jeans, and she used her thumb to pop open the button fly. She felt him tense under her and moved before he got any ideas about stopping her. Vi went backward, skimming his jeans down his legs, adding them to the rest of their clothing on the floor. She slowly crawled back up his legs, careful not to touch him except for her inner thighs rubbing against him. At least until her chest was level with his thighs. She lowered herself a little so that her breasts brushed against his legs and his erection slid between them. He shuddered at the feel of her, trying to hold himself still, groaning when she kept going, letting her stomach press against him, all the way up until she was straddling his hips. Her center was so close he could feel the heat coming from her, but she didn’t lower herself just yet.

Vi sat up and slowly ran her hands up her sides. She watched as his eyes followed the movement of her hands as she cupped her breasts, squeezing them and brining her nipples back to hard peaks. It was amusing in a way to watch as he started breathing faster, and she could see him struggling not to move his hands from behind his head. She let one hand drift down her stomach and moan softly as she parted her folds and pressed against her heated flesh.

She saw that he wasn’t going to let her continue this for long, so Vi turned her hand and caught his hard cock between her fingers instead. She felt it throb and an answering throb went through her center. She slowly lowered herself, not letting him enter her just yet, merely sliding the length of him against her folds. He wanted to tease, she could tease. She didn’t mind it now that she was more or less in control.

Vi slowly rolled her hips, hissing in a breath he rubbed against her clit. She did it again, then a third time, before shifting far enough forward so that the head of his cock probed at her entrance.

He finally couldn’t take not touching her. Mark grabbed her hips and held on to her as she eased him into her body, inch by slow inch. When he was fully sheathed Vi tossed her hair back again and rotated her hips, grinding herself against him.

It was all he could do to grit his teeth and let her ride him at her own pace. To his credit, Mark didn’t try to control her speed or movement. He only held on to feel the way her hips flexed, and the heat of her skin. She found a steady rhythm, rolling her hips in a circle before raising and lowering herself easily against his hard member. Then she would do it again, moaning softly at the friction.

He kept his control. It slipped when she shifted, leaning back so that she could slip a hand between them to rub her clit in time to the slow gyrations of her hips. Mark tightened his grip on her and moaned, struggling to rein himself in.

Vi edged closer to her climax. She also saw that what she was doing was putting Mark in dangerous territory. She stopped moving, pulling her hand back, and leaned forward. With her hands braced against his chest she changed her movements, taking him into her body in long strokes.

It was still too much, too fast. Mark growled and grabbed her roughly, rolling until Vi was pinned under him, buried deep inside her. Now he truly was beyond the point of teasing. Vi wrapped her legs around his waist and that was all the encouragement he needed to move his hips, faster than she had been going, unable to help himself. She felt too good. And it had been way too long.

Vi shifted under him, angled her hips and moaned against his ear when he slammed into her harder. There was no stopping her climax when it happened. She dug her nails into his back and cried out his name, unable to do more than that she was so lost in the sensations. Shuddering, Mark’s own moan of completion drowned hers out as he let himself go and slammed into her one last time.

Shivering at the aftershocks, he held his weight on his knees and elbows but did not move away. Not just yet. It felt too good to have her there, under him. Connected to him.

Vi took in a shaky breath, then another. She idly ran her fingers over his back, soothing the spots where her nails had bit in. “So…that’s what all the fuss was about?” She asked in a husky voice, when she trusted it enough to talk.

Mark chuckled sleepily. He had, when he considered bonding with Vi, expected there would be regret. There was none. It felt too right. Like everything else in his life had merely happened to lead him to this point, to this woman. He didn’t have to question whether the bonding had worked; he could still feel her, inside his head, a spark of blue-white light. She was tired, she was satisfied, but most of all she was completely utterly content. No regret on her part either. He was grateful for that much.

55

He was starting to feel a bit ridiculous.

Glen was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to relax as he'd been told every two minutes for the past hour while Randy and Penelope spoke to each other in low tones from either side of him. They were trying to decide how to best attack the mental block that was in his mind, especially since they didn't have Mark to help guide them a little through the older memories. Glen had tried calling him but he hadn't answered. Penelope had not wanted to wait. She did not explain why it was so important to try this now.

And so far it wasn't working.

"We're obviously missing something." Randy said, breaking into Glen's thoughts. For the most part he'd tuned out their talk about their powers because a lot of it was over his head. They might as well have been speaking a foreign language.

Penelope tapped her fingernails on the tabletop and frowned. "Maybe we're going back too far." She spoke more to herself then to either of the men who shared the table. She eyed Glen thoughtfully. "Or maybe we can go around the mental block instead of through it."

Randy raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Penelope shrugged and reached over, taking Glen's hands in hers. "For starters, we should focus on what we do know about your past. There has to be a crack in there somewhere."

Glen nodded but had no idea how he could help. How could he focus on something he couldn't remember?

"The trauma event." Randy spoke softly. "You want to start with the night he supposedly died?"

Penelope squeezed Glen's hand and nodded. "If anything left an impression…roots…that would be it."

"But…that's dangerous. Focusing on a trauma event…" Randy was shaking his head.

"If you think it will help, go ahead." Glen spoke up when Randy could not seem to finish his thought.

Penelope smiled at him. "The point Randy was trying to make is that if you focus on an event that was traumatic mentally, it can sometimes cause you to get stuck in that moment. If we tried to break through at the point where you were killed, you could be stuck reliving that for the rest of eternity. Give or take."

"Sounds risky. Go ahead." Glen said again, not much caring one way or the other.

Penelope looked to Randy. He held up a hand. "I only know what Mark told me about it. Which wasn't much."

"I know some stuff." Glen said. "He told me. I dragged it out of him. I don't know if it's all of it, or just the tip of the iceberg…"

"It's a start." Penelope said. "Now…close your eyes." She still had his hands in hers. Now she turned them so that her hands rested on top of his on the smooth surface of the table. Glen sighed and obediently closed his eyes even though he considered it an exercise in futility. "Since it's a night we sort of know the details of, that's what we'll focus on. Small details don't matter. They don't leave impressions. So what do we know about that night?" He felt Penelope's fingers slide across the backs of his hands and frowned thoughtfully.

"I was sleeping." Glen said slowly. The frown deepened. He pictured the house, the one he had visited first with Vivian, then with Mark. From the pictures he knew generally the layout of the living room. From Mark he knew his bedroom was the first room off the hallway. The one that he had reacted to, however briefly, with Vivian. It didn't have any defining features. It was a small square with a closet near the door and one window that overlooked the front yard.

Frustrated again, Glen opened his eyes and blinked in confusion. Instead of Vivian's sun-filled kitchen, he was in a dark room. Instead of sitting in a chair he was laying down, flat on his back. For a moment he no longer felt Penelope's fingers stroking his hand. He craned his neck, wincing at the way his head pounded, and saw with some effort that he was strapped down – thick leather bands ran across his chest, his hips, and he had cuffs around both wrists.

He blinked again and Penelope was looking at him with concern on her features. "What…the fuck…was that?" Glen managed to say, breathing heavily. He felt as if he'd just run a marathon, and he was still sitting in his chair.

"Our foothold. Although I don't know where exactly it's coming from." Penelope said, glancing briefly at Randy before meeting Glen's eyes again. "What did you see?"

Glen shook his head. "Not much." He paused for a moment, thoughtful. "How do we know what I see or remember is really a memory and not just my head filing in gaps because everybody expects me to?"

She smiled at that. "Because there's a difference between a real memory and a creation from your mind. You can't embellish a memory. It's just there. If you picture something and I tell you to add a lime green elephant, and you're able to picture a lime green elephant, then it's not a memory. Now focus. You saw something obviously. Even if it was 'nothing'. You're jumping on the defensive, trying to evade."

Randy was nodding even as Penelope spoke. "That could be part of the block. You'll back away from anything that might compromise your memory loss."

Glen mulled that over for a moment. "It wasn't much. Really. I was laying down. Strapped to a table or something. I didn't see anything else."

"It's a start. Although we were going for a trauma moment. Why would you have been strapped down to a table?" Penelope asked, although more to herself than expecting an answer.

She didn't see the look that passed over Randy's face. But Glen saw it. "What? What is it?"

"Maybe nothing." Randy didn't sound convinced. "But…you said you were killed. Or they told you that you were killed. Maybe your trauma event came after that. When you were brought back."

Penelope's was nodding. "Not everybody wakes up, stretches, and goes on with their life."

"You've seen this before?"

"Until now I didn't even know resurrection spells worked. It was just…fairy tales."

"I know at least a few cases where it worked." Randy said, not without humor. "I woke up and stretched. And had to go through what was pretty much the equivalent of rehabilitation. What happened to me took some time to get past, even with all of my powers." He glanced at Glen. "From what I understand, Mark didn't have that problem. He just woke up, stretched and got on with his life. Kind of like Penelope's fairy tale."

"Every demon is different." She said it almost primly. "And he'd had time to prime his powers. To build them up. Plus…maybe he knew that sacrificing himself might have been an option."

Randy looked troubled at that. "There were times…" He shook his head. "Mark was hard to read on a good day. But every now and then I kind of got the feeling that after it was all said and done…he was going to end himself one way or another. It wasn't like he was suicidal – not completely. I mean he felt like he had a purpose. But I don't think he had much after that to keep him going." He winced at that.

"Well obviously he found something because here we all are." Penelope said, again in that same prim tone that made Glen smirk. "And just because we're talking doesn't mean we're done with you." She poked him on the arm.

"I know." Glen grew serious. "I just don't see how any of this is going to lead anywhere."

"It won't." Randy said, shaking his head. "We may have found a crack in your mental block, but I don't feel like it would be a good idea for use to pry into it. Not without your brother here. Or someone who knew you from the past. And since he's the only one…"

"I can break thought it." Penelope said.

"I don't doubt that you can. But do we want to risk breaking him?" He gestured at Glen. "Because I've seen that happen too. I don't feel comfortable doing this without some kind of guide."

Penelope sighed. "And I already know how you feel about it." She was looking at Glen when she spoke. He simply raised an eyebrow. "Ok. Then we wait. But all this waiting is not a good thing."

"It's the only thing right now." Randy pointed out. "So do you think this has anything to do with the murders that have happened?"

"Maybe. Probably." Penelope leaned back in her chair. "If I had known…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"If you had known what?" Glen asked, glad to have the attention shifted away from him. And whatever it had been that he'd seen, however briefly. It had left him feeling oddly out of sorts, uncomfortable, strange. But he could not figure out why.

"My sister. No. Actually. It's complicated." She seemed to grope for a way to begin. "Before I was born, my father collected on a debt that another demon owed him. I don't know who it was, my father refused to talk about it. But they spent years turning this demon into a monster. He was feared by my father's enemies because he was unstoppable. Fast healing, strong. If my father ordered him to kill someone, another demon, that demon was as good as dead. He was sort of a personal assassin I guess. But he was hard to control. It wasn't until later that my father really found a way to control him, and that was through my sister."

"Did she have mind control powers or something?" Randy asked, curious.

"No. Cassandra's powers are strictly destructive. Had she been born a male, our father probably would have had no problem killing me to focus entirely on her…or him. He wanted a son. But Cassandra was just enough like him, with just enough of his traits, to appease him. And when she got older – the hold she gained over my father's pet assassin became invaluable. She was the only one who could get close to him without fear. My father used her to control him, to take out his enemies. Everyone feared him except for Cassandra. He followed along behind her like a puppy."

She paused and turned her gaze to focus on the window. "He had certain appetites. He was driven to kill, and to kill often. It is what made him so very dangerous. If my father hadn't sent him out regularly, he would snap and kill those in my father's house. And women…he used them and broke them and discarded them. Except for Cassandra of course. Cassandra kept him under her thumb. She thought it was funny, on occasion, to basically feed him other people. Other women. Sometimes women who had wronged her in some way. Sometimes just strangers. Cassandra liked to watch." Penelope paused again for a moment. "I'd had nothing to do with him. I wanted to keep it that way. But the last year or so that he was in my father's house, I got the feeling that his attention had turned toward me. It was nothing concrete. But I would catch him watching me. Eventually it got to the point where Cassandra was also watching me. It is no secret that Cassandra and I do not see eye to eye. I've always thought her to be spoiled, and too immature to handle the demon that our father felt compelled to give her reign over. Her control over him was slipping. I could see it. There were others who saw it as well but would not speak out, for fear of retribution. My father refused to do anything about it, refused to believe that Cassandra's hold would falter. His pride, I suppose, got in the way of his rational thinking."

"And if her control slipped completely?" Glen asked.

Penelope smiled without humor. "Then there would be no way of stopping him. He was programmed to kill, to hurt, to destroy. And while he preferred to use his hands, he had powerful destruction magic on his side. More power than Cassandra's. I'm not sure exactly what powers he possessed because he so rarely needed to use them beyond healing himself. My father said that it was fire-based, and I had no reason to doubt him." The smile faded. "I admit what I did was more out of a sense of self-preservation than any misguided attempt at protecting anyone else. I met someone. Another demon who knew about the one my father kept. He wanted to stop him too, but he never told me the reason why it was so important. Only that it would save a lot of people. And he needed my help. Because I have this power to erase things, memories."

"I can only assume that the demon you are referring to is not me. Otherwise I don't think we'd be sharing a table." Glen pointed out.

Penelope smiled again, more naturally. "No. You are definitely not him. Besides that…I said I erase memories. I don't just block them."

"Wait. You erase memories? Like wipe them out, gone?" Randy asked.

"Yes. Sometimes I can manipulate memories, make it seem like things happened differently, or get rid of certain people's presence. My father thinks it is a worthless talent, so he discouraged me from using it. That doesn't mean I listened to him." Penelope shrugged. "Anyway…I'm sure that we both had our reasons. So one night when my father and Cassandra were occupied I drugged their pet demon. I'm sure that I could have just told him to follow me and he would have. His attention was on me, like I said. But I didn't trust it. So I put enough tranquilizers in his food to down an elephant, and once he was out my friend and I took him to an out of the way place. We kept him drugged. I also worked on his memory. Since we couldn't kill him or control him, we thought we could erase whatever it was that made him…do the things he did."

"And it didn't work?" Randy asked.

"Oh…it worked." Penelope snorted a laugh. "But I had to wipe out everything. It took almost a week. By the end of it I was so drained I could barely move. Even drugged he fought it. Eventually I wore him down. Went all the way back to his earliest memories and…well. Like a computer, you can wipe out the hard drive. That's what I did." She sighed and frowned. "Or that's what I thought I did. It seemed to work. It was like someone starting with a blank slate. My friend took him away, and said he was going to put him somewhere off realm. Where my father and sister couldn't get at him. My sister had been bonded with him, you see. I had to break their bond, otherwise all that work would have been for nothing."

"So he was put here?"

"I assume so. Or close enough that he found his way here. There is something about this place that draws us in." Penelope said. "The erasing should have fixed things. But that part of him that likes to kill, to hurt others…especially women…" She trailed away and once more looked thoughtfully out the window. "His nature was stronger than his mind in a way. That part of him is so much of him that I might have had more luck getting him to forget how to breathe than kill."

"Your friend…the one who helped you…or the one you helped since it seems he had an agenda here. Do you think he put the guy here on purpose? Or for a reason?" Glen asked.

Penelope lifted an eyebrow and looked at him. "Maybe. Probably."

Glen shot a look in Randy's direction. "Because of Mark right?"

"Mark?"

"Sure. You said…" He looked back at Penelope. "That this demon couldn't be stopped or killed by any of you. But Mark isn't like any of you. He could kill a demon. He's done it before."

"Maybe. Probably." Penelope smiled but it hardly curved her lips. "We knew about him of course. Most demons do. Your brother kind of developed a legend around himself whether he wanted it or not. To be perfectly honest I always thought my father's dislike of this realm had more to do with the risk of butting heads with your brother than any real hatred of humanized demons."

"That still doesn't explain what's going on in here." Glen tapped his forehead.

"No it doesn't. Your memories haven't been erased. They've been blocked off. Somebody wanted to make you start over with a clean slate but they didn't want you to lose your past. So it's in there. We just have to get it out."

"And that's not what your powers do."

"No. Well. As far as I know. Powers can evolve especially through use. But mine haven't evolved that way. I can erase memories and implant false ones if I have enough information. But to block them and leave them protected? No. It is not a talent that I have. Although it seems like more than a coincidence, finding you here with a mental block that acts as memory loss."

"Have you seen him around town? The other demon that you sent back?" Randy asked, pulling Penelope out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. "No. The problem with wiping his memories out was that now he's basically a stranger to me. I could have maybe picked up on something from him before…stronger emotions, especially when he kills. But I sense nothing from him. Obviously erasing his memories didn't work."

"If it's him." Glen pointed out.

"I tried to think that way. But it's him. The biting is the giveaway. I told you he had certain appetites. Although you couldn't necessarily label him as a cannibal. He wasn't particular about whether he was biting a human or a demon. Part of it was leaving a mark that could be interpreted as a job completed. A calling card. The other part – he just enjoyed it. One bite would have been sufficient to prove he'd accomplished a task. But biting parts off…" She sighed. "He enjoyed torturing his victims. So mostly the biting was done when they were still lively enough to get the impact of it. That was to his benefit. He enjoyed their pain."

Glen frowned and rubbed his hands together. "There were sort of a few incidents…with me. And biting." When no one spoke he looked up and met Penelope's eyes. "I couldn't figure out why. I still can't…when I let myself think about it."

"You found an outlet for it." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

Penelope shrugged it off. It surprised him. "You talk like it's in the past. Maybe you were picking up something from the other demon. Maybe you have some kind of empathy powers?" She made it a question but the tone was rhetorical. She wasn't expecting an answer. "Maybe that's why you were only blocked and not erased. Which is why we have to break that block."

"I think you're expecting a lot out of somebody you hardly know." Glen said, shaking his head. "You could be making things worse instead of better."

"Such an attitude about it. Are you afraid of what's in your past?" Penelope asked, curious.

"Maybe. Probably. I shouldn't be but there's always fear in the unknown." He pushed away from the table and stood up. "I'll try calling Mark again."

Penelope looked to Randy, who could only look back. He looked amused though, as if he were in on some joke. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You are being conspicuous in your silence."

"I've been talking." Randy lounged back and laced his fingers together behind his head. "Mostly I have been thinking. You'd been here in town for a few months now. You haven't seen any sign of this demon?"

"Not at all." Penelope made a face. Glen rejoined them with a sigh.

"Still no answer at Mark's. Maybe he had to go out and deal with his business. You never told us his name." For a moment Penelope could only look at him, confused. Glen smirked. "The demon. The one that's doing all of this."

"Oh." Penelope smiled weakly. "I don't say his name because speaking it is like conjuring him up. I can be…superstitious." The smile faded. "His name is David."

Glen's frown deepened. "What is it?" Randy asked, catching it. The name meant nothing to him – he'd known his fair share of 'David's and 'Dave's but none that would be in this town, committing these murders.

"Nothing. Probably nothing." But it was something. He clenched his jaw and huffed out a breath. "There was a guy. Worked the ranch for a month or so this summer. I didn't have much to do with him actually, I'm usually with Ray and he was with the other temp workers doing clean up and trail work around the ranch. I don't even remember talking to him. Just seeing him a couple of times. His name might have been David. Or…Daniel. Shit. I don't know. Now that I think about it, I can't really remember."

"We should check into that." Penelope held up a hand before Glen could protest. "Because I for one do not believe in coincidences. What did he look like? Do you remember?"

Glen shook his head. "He looked like a guy. Hell I don't know. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Dark complexion."

"Tattoos?"

"I don't think I was ever close enough to see for sure." Glen said, thinking it over. "So what does your guy look like?"

"Dark hair. Dark eyes. Dark complexion. Pretty much like half of the men I've seen around town." Penelope met Glen's eyes. "He can blend in. That's what makes him dangerous. He's not like other demons but no one would know that unless he wanted them to. Wiping out his memories apparently didn't stop his base nature from coming back out apparently. And if it is him, we've got to start warning people. I don't know what good that will do, but…it feels like it's something that we have to do."

"We can talk to the sheriff. Maybe that girl that showed up is well enough to talk now too." Randy said. "Maybe she'll remember him better."

Penelope hoped so. She hoped it would do some good to warn people. She had a feeling that it wouldn't though. This realm was nice enough, comfortable. Maybe too much so. People wouldn't believe anything could shatter that quiet. Not even with the murders laid on their doorstep.

56

At some point Vi had dozed off. She figured she was possibly making up for the sleep she'd lost the night before. She smiled to herself when she felt Mark's arm tighten around her. She cracked an eye open and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. She would have to leave soon to pick up Josie from school.

Downstairs, Mark's phone was ringing for what seemed like the hundredth time. He mumbled something and Vi had to grin. "Maybe it's something important."

"No. If it was important they'd be beating my door down. It's somebody who can't take a hint." He didn't try to hide the grumpy note in his voice.

Vi shook her head and pushed his arm away, sitting up with a groan.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get cleaned up and dressed. Then I have to go pick up Josie." Vi dodged his groping hands and got up, grabbing her discarded clothes as she headed for his bathroom. It was already nearing on 3 o'clock. The afternoon had flown by. Of course they had been pretty occupied but still…

Vi wasn't surprised in the least when Mark eventually got into the shower with her, although he did behave himself. They were both quiet. It wasn't until VI grabbed a towel and started to dry off that Mark broke their silence.

"We still have a lot to talk about." He sounded distracted and was looking at her hip. Vi glanced down but didn't see anything.

"Don't I know it." Vi left the bathroom and started pulling her clothes on. She smiled when she felt Mark's hands go around her waist before she could do more than pull her panties up. He pulled her so her back was against his chest and just hugged her for a moment. "You should come stay with me tonight." She said, patting the back of his hand so he would let her go. As nice as it was, she didn't want to leave Josie waiting for her.

"Ok."

Vi had been in the process of pulling her shirt on. She paused and looked at Mark. "Ok? No argument?"

Mark smiled. "No. Well…as long as it's all right if Drew comes with me."

"No you have to leave him in your truck." She finished dressing and sat down to tug her shoes on. "This sudden agreeable attitude is kind of freaking me out."

He shrugged and bent to pull on his jeans. "I've just got to quit fighting this, that's all. I make everything a struggle."

"You can say that again." Vi smoothed her shirt and ran her fingers through her hair. "Are we gonna talk about it?"

He didn't have to ask what 'it' she was referring to. "Definitely."

"I still don't really wanna hear it." Vi smiled when Mark caught her hand and pulled her to stand close to him, his arms around her.

"Not even an apology?"

"Ugh. Spare me." Vi rolled her eyes.

"I told you I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time." Mark pointed out. "Especially when it comes to relationships. I've only really ever had one."

"That's not true, but you can go on thinking what you want." Vi let her hands rest on his shoulders as she met his eyes. "So what does this really mean?"

"The bonding?" At her nod Mark sighed. "It means we're connected. Mentally, physically, emotionally…you're mine and I'm yours."

Vi's lips tilted in a slight smile. "It almost sounds romantic."

"It should. Most bonds are lifelong things. You aren't regretting it already, are you?" Although he tried to keep his tone light, Vi understood he was asking her very seriously.

"No. I don't regret it. Please don't make me regret it."

He breathed out a sigh, this time of relief. "I hate that I hurt you." He said it softly as he stroked her back.

"Well…knock it off then."

He smiled at that. "Consider it knocked."

"What are you going to do about…" Vi made a face, unsure how to address Mark's wife.

He understood the direction of her thoughts. "I'll move her into town. Get her a place. Try to get her some help. But whatever there was between us…it's just not there anymore. I thought maybe, with time, that I'd go back to feelin' how I used to but…hell. That way doesn't even feel real anymore. This does." Mark shook his head. "I feel horrible saying that too. Because I feel like I owe her."

"You don't owe her anything."

"I know. I said I feel like I do. I get it. Maybe it was just misplaced loyalty because she let me be human. I thought that was all I wanted to be."

"You were not meant to be normal." Vi pointed out. She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him down, kissing him breathless. "I really do have to leave. First day traffic."

"Ok. Yeah. Uh…" He glanced at the clock. "I'm picking Drew up after practice – so around 6. So we should be over around 6:30."

"Sounds good to me." Vi gave him one last quick kiss and extricated herself from his arms. She led the way down the stairs and out the front door. That morning's sunshine and cool breeze had turned into a cloudy afternoon. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Storm's coming. Official start to fall." Mark observed, opening the door of her SUV so she could slide behind the wheel.

"Eighty today, forty tomorrow. I know the routine." She smiled at him and felt sad for some reason she could not pinpoint. She should have been happy, in fact she was happy. "I'll see you tonight."

It wasn't until his house was out of sight that it hit her. It wasn't her own sadness she had been feeling, it was his. He was sad to see her go, even if it was only briefly – but there was another deeper sadness in him. He had lost so much throughout his life that it was as much a part of him as his eye color. If this was what the bonding did, Vi wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it. She slowed down to a crawl and concentrated, and realized that while she couldn't necessarily turn it off, she could tone it down. The sudden bout of sadness was gone, replaced with a contentment that made her smile. He'd had a moment, that was all. She could fully understand that.

~!~

They had fifteen minutes after the final bell of the day before Drew had to be in the locker room. Instead of taking the opportunity to goof around with the other guys on the team, he walked Josie out front to see if her mom was there to pick her up. It was as much a mess in the afternoon as it had been that morning. The first day always was. By the end of the week it would settle down and run like a well-oiled machine.

The cars to pick up the students were lined up bumper to bumper, and wrapped around the school and back out to the road. They walked slowly along, chatting idly about their first day, Josie glancing at the vehicles from time to time. His friends would give him hell when they found out he'd decided to walk her out to her ride rather than hang out with them, but it was ribbing he was willing to put up with. He liked Josie. She wasn't as confusing or as flighty as a lot of other girls in their class. Plus he liked the way she thought – she was quick-witted, but when she was serious she actually analyzed things. It was a trait that struck him as being older than her years. He understood it because he felt the same way. Ever since his mom had died he'd been quiet. He remembered one of his teachers requesting a conference with his dad 2 years after she'd passed. She had said that Drew wasn't emoting. His dad had just told her that he was just handling things in his own way. Which was true. People forgot, because of the tragic loss of his mother, that Drew had always been an introvert, and serious to a fault. It took an effort for him to come out of his shell. He supposed he took after his dad that way.

He and Josie were sharing a rare period of quiet as they walked through the departing teenagers along the sidewalk that surrounded the school. For once Drew had no clue what Josie was thinking. Either she was getting better at blocking him or there was too much going on around him to tune into her specifically. He wondered if he should use it as an opportunity to practice, and realized that if Josie knew he had thought that she'd probably get offended. She didn't mind it when he read her, because at times it just came to him. But if she thought he was using her as a practice dummy then she'd probably shut down all together.

Lost in his own thoughts and really only looking for Josie's mom with half an eye, it took several minutes to notice that someone was calling his name. Josie finally shot him a look and elbowed his stomach gently. "Hey. Do you know her?"

Drew looked at Josie in surprise, then turned his head to look at the line of idling vehicles. He didn't recognize the car – his dad had bought a small car for the woman who might or might not be his mother to drive around town in. This was definitely not that car. It was a deep blue Charger, all sparkle-flake paint and shiny chrome. The kind of car his dad would have test driven just to say he'd tried it before buying something more practical.

And there sat his 'mother' in the driver's seat. Even in his head, Drew put it in quotations because a part of him still could not accept her. It probably never would. Too much time had passed.

She was looking at him expectantly and waving, indicating he should get in. He frowned and held up a finger to Josie, not seeing the look on her face before stepping toward the car.

"What?"

"Hop in kiddo." Rayne patted the passenger seat.

"Dad's picking me up. After practice." Drew pointed out. She pouted at him.

"Your father would understand that I want to spend some quality time with you. And so will your coach. Now I've been sitting here for at least half an hour. Humor me and get in so we can go for a ride before I have to take the car back."

He came close to reaching for the door handle. It was almost like being hypnotized. And he couldn't seem to help himself. It seemed like he was watching someone else reach for the handle to open the door.

At least until Josie grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm back. "Don't."

It was one simple word but it jarred Drew back to reality. He looked from Josie to the woman in the car, who was doing her best to look amused. Instead she could hardly disguise her anger.

"Andrew…"

"Gotta go. See ya." He muttered it and turned, letting Josie pull him back onto the sidewalk. He heard the car rev but the crowded parking lot made it impossible for the woman to make a screeching exit. She did however come close to running down several teenagers on her way out of the lot. Drew shook his head and looked at Josie. "I don't know what she was doing here."

"All she was missing was a piece of candy." Josie said, sounding disgusted. "Who was that?"

Drew made a face. "My…mom. I guess. I told you what was going on."

"I know. I thought your mom hard dark hair though." Josie was turned to continue walking when Drew grabbed for her arm. "What?" She asked, surprised at how hard he gripped her.

"She does have dark hair. You saw pictures. I showed you a couple."

"Yeah. That was a long time ago. Now that I think about it…that woman didn't look anything at all like her pictures."

Drew frowned at her. That wasn't true. She looked uncannily as she had in the pictures in Drew's room. It was as if time had stopped, leaving her perpetually 30. He knew that his dad could slow down his aging – actually he knew that it wasn't really a voluntary thing, that all demons aged slower. Mark had been able to manipulate himself to the point where he could age himself a few years, or make himself appear younger. It was one of those talents he had told Drew was basically worthless, because it did not work on anyone but himself.

"What do you mean?" Drew asked it slowly.

Josie shrugged. "Blonde hair. Blue eyes." She gestured at the spot where the car had been sitting. "Unless I've had some kind of sunstroke or something, I know what blonde hair looks like Drew." She indicated her own sandy blonde shade.

Drew's frown deepened. He was on the verge of questioning Josie's eyesight when he thought better of it. She was doing that serious thing again, and just like that he could read her clearly again. And he could see what she had seen – the exact same car, but the woman behind the wheel was a complete stranger.

"I don't get it." He finally said slowly, backing out of Josie's mental picture of the woman in the car. It was almost like physically stepping away. She didn't indicate whether she had felt him do it, but he didn't have to read her mind to get that she knew. She had allowed it.

"I don't either. There's my mom."

For a moment Drew had no idea what she was talking about. He followed her gaze and saw Vi's SUV. "Ok. Good. I gotta go." Football practice was the furthest thing from his mind. Calling his father had just taken priority, and he didn't even know why. Drew just knew that the hair on his arms was standing up. It was like being caught in some sort of static field.

"See ya tomorrow." Josie grinned and the feeling left as suddenly as it had come over him. In fact it was hard to define exactly what he had felt. Unease, maybe. Fear? Possibly. He just didn't know why. She looked down and Drew once more followed her gaze. She was looking at his hand, which still had a hold on her wrist. Drew smirked and let her go, feeling a flush form on his face for no reason at all.

"See ya." Although he still needed to go call his dad, he watched until Josie had climbed into her mom's vehicle, feeling a bit protective toward her. She didn't really need it. They had three classes together – the first class, English, also had Grace and Emma, two of her closest friends. Drew had stayed as far away from them as possible because he didn't think he could handle the giggling speculation. The other two classes – a study hall and a science class – they'd paired up. He'd dealt with the knowing looks from his own friends all day long. He could try to explain but they wouldn't understand. His friends thought Josie was cute, he knew it. But it had nothing to do with that.

He could probably stand around all day trying to figure it out himself. With a sigh he turned and headed back toward the school. His dad had offered to get him a cell phone, and Drew had turned him down but now he was wishing he'd been more open to it. He just didn't see the point in having one. That was of course until he needed one. He almost made it to the front office but felt a hand drop onto his shoulder. He turned and met Coach Taylor's eyes.

"Calaway. Running behind today?"

Drew sighed inwardly. He could point out that the coach was also late but that would probably equal running about 12 miles. Instead he smiled grimly. "Got stuck in traffic, sir."

Coach Taylor grinned but it was predatory. He took his job almost too seriously and it showed. But most of the team loved him. He was hard but fair, and he'd churned out enough winning seasons that he'd had colleges scouting him with interest. Of course outsiders wouldn't get that their team's losses were almost as carefully planned as the offensive and defensive plays. It wouldn't pay for them to go undefeated every season, and they had the unfair advantage of being able to read each other, the other team, and the officials. Coach Taylor could read his team almost as well as Drew could, but he had the added advantage of precognition. He sometimes knew what they'd be thinking before they ever had a chance to think it. Which was probably why he'd collared Drew before he could skip practice.

Resigned to it, Drew followed his coach toward the locker rooms. Josie's reaction had been weird, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. He would think it over and tell his dad on the way home. Maybe by then he'd be able to make sense of it.

~!~

Glen started to feel strange as soon as he got back into town.

After Randy and Penelope had called it quits for the day, Glen had seen them off and had gone off to find Ray to see if there was anything he could do around the ranch. Ray handed him a list. Glen had taken it ruefully, noting that he would be spending much of the afternoon driving. That's what he got for trying to be a gentleman and sending Penelope on her way alone. After Randy had gone she had tried to talk him into 'exploring things a bit further', a statement that held about nine different meanings. He wanted to. He hoped she didn't doubt that. But he held back because she still did not get it; she didn't really understand why it was important to wait.

And he wasn't actually equipped to explain it. Which was probably the best reasoning behind waiting that he could possibly come up with.

He was thinking about that, trying not to think about their attempt to break through his mental wall, when a wave of dizziness hit him. One moment he was fine, the next he was so lightheaded that his vision doubled, then tripled. He felt the truck's tires move onto the gravel shoulder of the road and heard rocks ping against the underside, and he stomped the brake to pull up short. He rubbed his forehead, getting a palm full of sweat for the effort.

Glen forced himself to take a few slow, deep breaths. Five minutes passed, then ten. He was glad he had chosen to get home the back way, avoiding school traffic. This stretch of two-lane country road was deserted. He could have swerved in front of a busload of kids. The thought would have made him break out in a cold sweat if he wasn't already. He felt hot and cold at the same time too.

His eyes were weird too. Not physically. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that even though he was sweating, and he seemed to be a bit too pale around his mouth and eyes, the eyes themselves were the same mellow hazel as they always were. But there was a kind of creeping grayness around the edges of his vision. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear it.

When that didn't work he pressed his hands over his eyes and rubbed. And got hit by a wave of nausea that had him scrambling out of the truck, trying to suck in some of the cooling air. The first few drops of rain struck him on the forehead and he sighed at the feel of it. And he felt fine. The nausea and the dizziness and that strange bit of tunnel vision had gone as fast as they'd come on him.

He waited anyway. No sense in taking a chance. He felt a bit cool but it was just the growing breeze drying the sweat on his body. Glen wondered if it could have been something he'd eaten. Or even if it was some kind of aftereffect of what Penelope and Randy had tried earlier. He had no idea how that stuff worked.

When he finally felt like he was in control of himself, Glen climbed back into the truck. He shut off the air conditioning in favor of rolling the windows down so he could take advantage of the cooler air.

He didn't get far before he got hit once again by nausea. There was no warning. He was fine and then he wasn't. He slowed his speed and groaned, once more palming sweat away from his forehead before it could get into his eyes. He also grit his teeth and kept driving. If he stopped every time something happened he'd never get home. And he still had a few miles to go to get there.

Of course, Mark's house was closer. Glen saw a familiar farm house to his left and realized that his brother was less than half a mile down this road. He could stop there, and take a rest. And if something weird was happening then Mark would be able to tell him what it was. At least he hoped so. He had slowed the truck to the point that he could have gotten out and walked faster than it was driving, but didn't care. He was relieved when he saw Mark's house appear through the trees and he pulled into the driveway.

Apparently no one was home. Mark's truck was gone, and Glen realized he was probably picking Drew up from school. That was all right. Mark had told him where the spare key was – he could get into the house if he needed to. He thought he would probably sit on the porch but a crack of thunder in the distance made up his mind for him. He got out of the truck and waited until he felt steady on his feet before heading for the gate that led to the back yard.

By the time he got the key and went in through the back door, the dizziness had returned. Glen picked up the phone and dialed Vi's but the call got dumped to voice mail. She hadn't gotten home yet either. Glen gave up. Ray would just have to wait on his supplies that Glen had picked up. He thought about going upstairs but Mark's guest room was occupied. The couch was good enough for now. He stretched out and sighed in relief as the nausea let go and he was left feeling weak and dizzy.

He didn't fall asleep. At least – Glen didn't think he did. He did close his eyes. When he opened them again the room had gone completely dark. The couch was no longer cool leather against his back. Instead he was in a bed, with a pillow under his head and a thin blanket pulled up to his waist. He was wearing a pair of shorts, but he was bare-chested. And he found himself thinking about school as he drifted toward sleep.

Not just school. College. Unlike Mark, Glen wanted to go to school. He liked school. He liked the structure, and the classes, and was beginning to think he might enjoy being a teacher. He had tutored quite a few kids in his high school class, and even a couple of people in college. His size made it hard for them to judge his age, and the older students didn't believe he was just a senior in high school.

Being smart had its privileges though. So did playing football, and Glen did both. He wasn't like his brother – Mark had not been a team player although he had been athletic. He preferred being solitary. Glen liked team sports. He didn't necessarily want to be the center of attention but it hadn't been a hardship. He'd had his pick of girls too, some of them only interested because he was the proverbial school jock, others fascinated because he was intelligent. And a few because he just possessed some quality they were attracted to but couldn't define.

For a moment he fleetingly wished his brother were more like him. Mark was almost too intense, too serious. He'd had his share of female company, and Glen could tell that it bothered their mother that Mark refused to really connect with any of them but she was powerless to do anything about it. And Mark wasn't necessarily using the girls he brought home – at least not in a malicious way. He was restless, unsettled. And he overanalyzed everything, not committing himself until he had every available bit of information and even then he might not make a decision. It wasn't fear of being wrong. Glen didn't know what it was – neither Mark nor his mother would explain it. Something that had happened when they were small was all Glen could make of it, something that he couldn't remember but something that Mark obviously did.

Now that graduation was behind him, Glen could focus on his future. He'd gotten offered a few scholarships, one of them a full ride if he played football. But the school would have been too easy for him. He didn't want to coast through, he wanted a challenge. So with his mother's blessing he had turned them down and had accepted admittance into a much smaller college, one with a reputation for being tough. From what he'd read, only four out of ten students made it to graduation because the curriculum was so difficult. To him it sounded damn near like paradise. He liked the idea of beating those odds; not only graduating but finishing at the very top. He could have done that in high school but he'd held back slightly, smart enough to know that people were intimidated enough by him without tacking the term 'genius' onto him.

College would be different though. He smiled to himself and figured that within the next couple of weeks he'd take a couple of days to drive to his new educational facility. He could walk around the summer-quiet campus and get a feel for the place. Plus there would be summer students there – the students who were intent on making it. Those were the people he wanted to talk to. As close to peers as Glen would ever get.

And hell, maybe he could talk Mark into going with him. Not to school. Mark was smart but school held no interest for him. He'd gotten through high school and he'd done well but only because their mother had insisted. They could not deny her anything if it was in their power to give it – so Mark had stuck it out. And Glen knew even if his mother didn't that Mark planned to leave. He wanted to basically drift around until he figured out what it was that he wanted to do with his life. Their mom would never understand that. Glen understood that to their mother, Mark was the problem child, the one that worried her the most. He also understood that most siblings might resent that – it represented a sort of favoritism. But he was not most siblings. He was smarter than that. Mom worried about Mark because Mark needed her to worry about him. She wanted the best for both of them and Glen had no intention of letting her down. Mark wouldn't either, Glen knew that, but still their mother worried about how the past was affecting him and if she could do anything to change things.

Lost in thought, more than half asleep, it took him several moments to realize that he could hear a voice whispering. Glen frowned and blinked his eyes open. It was still dark but his eyes had adjusted a bit. He could make out the shape of the dresser, the lighter square of gray on the wall that was his window, the bookcase that overflowed with paperbacks in the corner and the chair which was currently stacked with more books and clothes. Glen was usually neat but he had been going through things and packing away some of his high school stuff earlier. His mom had tried to help but had gotten the sniffles at the thought of her baby leaving the nest.

He figured maybe he'd had some sort of waking dream, a concept he had learned about recently. Normally people didn't dream until they were in deeper sleep stages but on occasion the mind would start early. The dreams could be ultra-realistic, including hearing voices that sounded as if they were right in the room. He settled once more and shut his eyes again but it was short-lived. A voice had him sitting up, his heart slamming in his chest.

"Get up." That was right beside him. Glen looked around and there was nothing. But he swung his legs off the side of the bed and waited, head cocked to the side. "Get dressed." The voice was male. It was whispery, but male. Without questioning it, Glen grabbed a pair of jeans and shirt from the pile on the chair and pulled them on. When he turned, there was a man standing in the middle of his room. In the dark it was impossible to make out details of his features.

Oddly Glen wasn't worried. He was easily a foot taller than the guy, and outweighed him by a hundred pounds. The guy didn't seem to be phased by the size of him – which was a normal reaction most people had. "You have to go. We don't have time to go into it now."

"Go where?" Glen asked, tugging his shoes on because it seemed to be the next step.

"Away. To hide from him. I would save you all if I could but…" There was a thud from the other room. And a deep male voice spoke. Glen couldn't make out the words but he knew it was not his brother's voice. "Hurry. Now."

"But…"

"I said there is no time." The man hissed out. He grabbed Glen's arm and a light flashed, but it was inside Glen's head. He grabbed his forehead and stumbled but it was gone almost as soon as it had started.

He found himself in a room that wasn't his. The floors and walls were rough wood. It was small, maybe slightly larger than his bedroom had been. The only furnishing was a table and two chairs. "What the hell is…"

The words died in his throat. Glen had turned around to confront the man but drew up short as he came face to face with himself. Only it was himself as he had been just a few minutes before. Wearing a pair of shorts, his hair a bit messy from laying on the pillow. It was odd, seeing himself in something other than a mirror. It hit Glen that he was only eighteen, technically still a kid. The voice that came out of the other version still belonged to the man who had been in his bedroom.

"Stay here. Stay quiet. I'm going to save you but I have to do it now." Without another explanation, he disappeared. Glen stood there staring at the spot where his double had been, mouth open. Save him from what? He didn't understand. The only thing he could do was wait for the guy to get back to tell him what was going on.

57

It didn't take long but it seemed to take forever.

The thought didn't even make sense. Glen paced the small room, running his hands through his hair over and over in agitation. Something was happening. That was all he knew for sure. What had the guy meant, he was going to save him? And why not Mark or their mother?

Ignoring how that thought made his stomach tie into knots, Glen kept moving, circling the table. He felt like he would eventually wear a hole in the floor. There was no exit from the room he was in, no door or window. The walls were all the same vertical rough wood with no breaks. Even a hidden door would have left clues to its existence.

He was almost to the point of picking up one of the chairs and smashing it against the wall, just to see if it would do anything other than break the chair. Panic was gnawing at him by that point, because Glen hated not knowing what was happening. He was inquisitive by nature and it drove him crazy when he couldn't break a problem down into parts and solve it.

Right when he reached the point when he thought he would start tearing his hair out in frustration, the guy reappeared. For a moment he still looked like Glen, only covered in blood. Glen blinked and the guy was just a guy – normal looking to the point of unnoticeable. He was shorter than Glen, older, his hair a light brown, his eyes a pale green. He had a look of utter sadness on his face though and Glen immediately felt his insides turn to ice.

"What…" He couldn't even finish his question. All the strength seemed to run out of his legs and he sat down on one of the hard wooden chairs.

"I'm afraid your mother is dead." The man said it with a trace of sorrow in his voice.

"No…"

"I couldn't stop it. I wasn't meant to. But hopefully what I did was enough." The man took the seat on the other side of the table.

"What you did? What did you do? What the hell is going on?" Glen felt his temper ignite. Just a little. He had a slow fuse.

"I wish I had found you sooner." The man said, almost to himself. "You have never met me. My name is Jason." He met Glen's eyes. "And I am your father."

"You're…no. My father died when I was a baby." Instant denial formed. Hadn't he been told, on the very rare occasion when he'd asked his mother, that his father was dead? Although he had sensed there was more that his mother wasn't telling him, he had never pressed her. It had never seemed to matter to the bigger picture. His mother never wanted to talk about his father, and that suited Glen just fine. He had an older brother that he looked up to after all, it wasn't like he was totally without a male role model.

"I had wished to meet you under more pleasant circumstances." Jason said, smiling sadly. "But it is true. I am your father. Your mother sought my help to escape from the man who fathered your brother. And I fell in love with her." The admission seemed to sadden him even more. "She escaped. She disappeared even from me."

"I don't understand."

Jason sighed. "I know. I know that she kept everything from you. To protect you. Your brother may have been old enough to remember some of it but you…you were just a baby. I can explain but we have to be fast. We have to go deeper so no one suspects anything. And I still have work to do in your home."

Glen frowned. None of that made any sense at all. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you don't. You will though. There just isn't enough time to explain everything right now. The one who killed your mother is still alive. I had thought maybe your brother was ready and could have ended it. I never took into account that he is still so young." He said it with a bitter twist to the words. "Dominic thinks he's killed you. That gives us time to hide you away from him. Because if he found out that I fathered you there would be no way to describe the hell he would put you through. Your brother lives…but your mother…there was nothing I could do."

Glen felt tears prick his eyes. He pictured his mom for a moment, teary-eyed when he mentioned packing away high school things and rose to his feet. "I want to see."

"I don't think that's a good idea…"

"I don't give a fuck what you think." Glen wasn't normally the cursing type. Generally he was soft-spoken. Mostly he let his size do the talking for him. But his slow fuse was burning and he wasn't sure where to direct it. "I want to see my mother."

Jason sighed and nodded. "I can't prepare you for what Dominic has done. Even if I tried, you would still not be ready. But if you insist, if it will speed things along…" He trailed off. Glen said nothing, only stared at him. The man finally stood up and reached over to touch the back of his hand.

Again that flash of light happened, behind Glen's eyes. He blinked and they were back in his bedroom. Everything was still as it had been. He ignored Jason and yanked the door opened, not hearing the other man call his name.

The living room was a slaughterhouse.

He stood there for a moment, breathing through his mouth, trying to ignore the coppery smell of blood that permeated the air. His eye fell on a body that lay near the couch and he forgot the blood, forgot the smell. "Mom?" Glen went to her, slipping a little in a pool of blood, and got down on the floor. He knew she was dead before he ever touched her, but it didn't stop him from pulling her into his arms and giving in to the tears that had threatened. He realized he was speaking to her but he couldn't make sense of what he was saying. The pain that hit him was worse than anything he'd ever felt before. He hugged his mother's broken body and cried for her, for all of them.

Jason laid a hand on his shoulder and Glen shoved him away. "Don't touch me."

"Glen…we do not have time to…"

"We're going to fucking make time." Glen had no clue what the guy had been going to say. This was his mother, not some stranger or stuffed doll. "You said you were in love with her. How can you stand there and be so fucking cold-hearted? How could you have let her die?"

"I didn't. I…" Jason swallowed and for a moment the composure was gone and he too struggled with tears. "I am weaker than Dominic and do not have the power to kill him. I couldn't protect her. Not then, not now. And I will have to live with that."

Glen tried to smooth his mother's hair back from her face but the damage was too much to make it easy. Even though she was broken, battered, and covered with blood he could still see her beautiful face. Maybe his mind just refused to acknowledge what was right in front of him. He bent and kissed her on the cheek, holding her for another long moment before gently easing her to the ground.

He glanced around and saw the body in the corner. At first he thought it was Mark but…no. Mark sported a few tattoos on his forearms, a habit that his mother did not necessarily approve of but didn't forbid him. If it made him happy, then she let him do it. The body in the corner had no tattoos. In fact, once Glen noted that he also noted that it was wearing the same shorts he'd been wearing earlier.

"What…how…?"

"A discarded shell. No more and no less. The police will want a body."

"How the hell did you manage to do that?"

"It's a power that I have. It may very well be a power that you have. You are humanized but there's time to train you, to wake you up. And you may need to be awakened. Dominic was fooled, I believe. But he may not stay fooled. And your brother lives because my…friends…got here just in time. Dominic will be his to finish. But you must be ready because while your brother will be powerful he may not understand what is truly at stake."

Glen only listened with half an ear. Mark was alive. Mark survived this. Glen looked intently at the man in front of him and saw him shake his head.

"I can't tell you where your bother is. I do not know where they have taken him."

"I'll find him."

"You can't." Jason held up a hand to stop Glen from speaking. "It is for your protection, of course, but for his as well. I want you both to survive. For Celeste."

Glen realized that Jason had not once looked at his mother's body. It was as if he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Then tell me what the fuck is going on." Glen said through clenched teeth. He would find his brother, no matter what this guy said. They were family, and the family bond was more important than anything else in Glen's estimation. Celeste had taught them that.

"I will. But first we need to cleanse this house."

"What are you talking about?"

"Since you insist on being here, we might as well make ourselves useful. The police will come. I can shadow things, make it so they don't dig too deeply into this and find out what we are. But not if they think someone survived."

"I don't understand."

"I know. I wish I could explain it better. You will be declared dead. As will your mother." Jason sighed heavily. "Your bother needs to disappear. Does he have a room?"

"Yeah."

"We'll have to get all of his personal belongings that weren't taken. Pictures. Mementos. They should have cleared it out but I don't want to risk it."

Glen felt as if he were sleep walking, but he complied. Since he knew his brother better than anyone, he went through his room and the rest of the house. There wasn't much to find. Mark had been in transition, a term even he had liked. The childhood things his mother hadn't saved for nostalgia were already gone, and his bedroom was utilitarian at best. There were a few pictures, a few books, and some clothes but nothing that screamed Mark's name was left behind. Even their mom's bedroom had been raided it seemed. Nothing had been left behind to indicate Mark's presence.

The last thing Glen took was the picture on the living room wall. Ignoring Jason's increasingly anxious attempts to speed him up, he took the time to clean the blood off the frame and glass. It was the only thing left that showed the three of them. He tucked it into the bottom of a large bag and filled it with clothes. He debated the books and decided he'd leave them behind. Jason at that point just wanted to leave, and Glen didn't know where they would go or what they would do. He figured books would probably just weigh him down.

He walked through the house one last time before nodding to Jason that it was done. Glen took another moment with his mother's body, saying his goodbye, and Jason allowed it because he understood that Glen could be stubborn if he wanted to. By the time they were ready it was falling down night again. They'd spent the whole day in the house.

"I can't hold them back any more." Jason said. "They're coming." Almost as if he had conjured it up, there was a siren in the distance. Glen had no idea who would have called it in, unless it was Mark. The idea made sense. Mark wouldn't want them to lay unfound in the house.

For a moment he missed his brother with a level of sickness that was terrifying. They'd never been separated, and their mom had even referred to them as twins on a few occasions when they popped up dressed remarkably alike, or dated girls who were eerily similar. It happened more often than either of them could explain.

"You will see him again someday." Jason spoke softly, letting his hand rest on Glen's arm. Glen could only nod and wait for the flash of light that would take them away from this house of death.

~!~

When Vi told Josie that Mark and Drew would be coming over, the silence in the SUV was absolute.

Vi turned to see her daughter looking at her in surprise with her mouth hanging open. It made her laugh. "What?"

"So you guys made up? Just like that?"

"Well…I wouldn't say it was that easy. But yes." Vi sobered and went back to looking at the road.

"And you adults call us weird."

"Mm hmm. I'd tell you to wait until you're older, and you'll understand but the most honest thing I can say is that when it comes to the people you care about, sometimes what makes sense and what's right are two different things."

"It does make sense. You two." Josie pointed out as if she needed to remind her mother who she were referring to.

"Josie…I know that you've been mad enough for the both of us the last couple of months. I appreciate that you love me that much that you took it on yourself. I would do the same for you in the heartbeat. But…Mark and I…" Vi slowed to a stop behind a school bus and glanced at her daughter. "It's hard to just walk away from it." She finally finished.

"Is it like what you had with Dad?" Josie out asked of pure curiosity.

"Yes and no." Vi smiled wistfully. "What I had with your dad was a lot less complicated, and a lot simpler. It doesn't mean I love him less though."

"I know that." Josie said in exasperation. "Ok. If you guys made up then I can go back to getting to know him. He seemed nice enough before."

Vi snorted a laugh. "He'll probably be shocked if he ever hears you refer to him as 'nice'." The thought brought another laugh. "How are things with Drew? Saw you two walking circles around the school."

"Fine. Friends again I guess." Josie said with a sigh. She debated telling her mother what she had seen, hesitated on the verge of keeping it in, then remembered the day their house had been broken into. She'd had this same feeling about telling someone and look at what had happened. "I saw his mom. Kind of."

"Oh really?" Vi kept her tone carefully neutral. "Kind of?"

"Well. He thought it was his mom." Josie hesitated again. "I don't think we saw her the same way."

"What do you mean?" The bus was moving. Vi was forced to pay attention to the road.

"We never talked about what people in town are." Josie pointed out instead of answering.

"I know, sweetheart. I also know that Drew told you. His dad told me. In a way."

She was quiet for a moment. "Ok. Well Drew can kind of read my mind. Except that today I figured out how to block him out. It's sort of like having background noise in my head."

"I know about Drew's power." Vi assured her. "If you don't want him prying in your thoughts…"

"I don't care really. I was just curious to see if it could be done. And that's what I was doing when we were walking around. And his mom was there in a car. Except it wasn't his mom. At least it didn't look like the pictures of his mom I've seen."

Vi mulled that over. "What did she look like? I've only seen a couple of pictures of his mother myself. If I knew her before she passed…I don't remember her."

"The pictures all show her with dark hair and dark eyes. Really dark blue. The woman in the car was a blonde. She had blue eyes but they were like…normal blue I guess. She didn't look old enough either. When I tried to explain it to Drew, I felt him poking at my thoughts so I showed him what I'd seen. And I think it freaked him out a little bit."

"I would be freaked out too. Ok…well." Vi was at a loss. This was beyond her. "We'll talk to Mark when they get there, and you guys can tell him if Drew hasn't already."

"That's the other odd thing."

"What is?"

"I heard him."

"You heard who?"

"I heard Drew. In my head." Josie tapped her temple. "He said 'oh shit I have to call my dad'."

Vi couldn't help it. She snorted a laugh. "Josie. Honestly."

"It's what he said. Or thought." A frown of confusion crossed her face. "How did I hear him? I'm not psychic."

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming from him somehow?"

"But that's not how it works, right?" Josie turned in her seat and looked at Vi. "For the past couple of weeks I've been hearing other stuff too. Thoughts that aren't mine. At first I thought maybe I just had random bits of music stuck in my head or something because I couldn't understand any of it. But now I can and it's starting to freak me out a little bit. I spent more time in school today trying to block it out than I did listening to my teachers!"

"Josie…"

"What's wrong with me?" She asked, feeling tears prick her eyes. "You know. I can't hear you, but I can see something. Or sense it."

"It's a long story, babydoll. And I don't even fully understand it myself. But your dad…he was like the others in town."

"Dad was one of them?" Josie asked, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"As far as I can tell." Vi glanced at her. "I would have told you but I just found out myself. They never said a word. Not your dad or your grandparents. They let me go on thinking we were normal."

"If this is what they have, then they can keep it." Josie said, rubbing her temples. "Granddad knew? And he didn't say anything?"

"I think your granddad is one of them too. It's kind of how it works."

"And you?"

"I'm just a regular old person. But your dad and I found each other and we had you."

"So I'm like Drew then…some kind of weird mutant."

"Drew is not a mutant and neither are you. And if I had to guess I'd say you were more like Mark than Drew. Drew is apparently the only one of his kind."

Josie sniffled. "That's so sad. No wonder he's so serious all the time. I wish someone had told me before."

"I know sweetheart. I wish I had known. I wish I knew how to tell you to handle it. But I don't. Maybe Mark can help. Or Glen if he ever remembers his past. You aren't alone. And you still have me, although I don't know how much consolation that is." Vi wanted to pull over and cry with Josie. She had hoped to now more herself before telling Josie what she was, and Josie had gone and figured it out for herself. Her daughter was constantly surprising her.

"I just wish people would stop lying to us." Josie said.

"Honey it was for their protection as much as it was for ours. It was best we didn't know. Plus…we don't know what would happen to the town and the people in it if the wrong kind of people found out what they could do, what they are."

"You always said not to believe in government conspiracies." Josie pointed out, ghostly smile on her face.

"I wasn't worried about the government so much as I would worry about other people like the ones in town who don't like humans. Or the people that associate with them." Vi pointed out. "But who knows, the government probably has some mad scientist types that would like a few specimens to dissect."

It made Josie grin. She had read obsessively about government conspiracies over one long boring summer, to the point where Vi threatened to cut the internet cable. Josie understood that it wasn't real but it had fascinated her nonetheless.

"Ok. I get that I'm maybe just mad at nothing."

"It's not nothing." Vi pointed out. "What you feel is never 'nothing', Josephine. It's yours. People can either deal with it or shove off."

"All right." Josie was still smiling although it had turned sad. "I'm glad that you and Mark worked stuff out. I don't like it when you're sad."

"Believe me, I don't like it either." Vi said, poking Josie in the arm. This was something she was going to have to bring up to Mark, and sooner rather than later. Josie was going to need help to get through this, especially since it was apparently time for her powers to start emerging. Vi sighed inwardly hoping she was ready for it.

58

"Again."

The look Glen shot in his direction would have scared anyone else. Jason was used to his rare shows of temper by now. They had been traveling together for ten years, Glen at first reluctant, dragging his feet. But he improved when he finally got it through his head that he had nothing to go back to.

"I've got it." Glen finally said when Jason merely looked at him calmly.

"No. What you have is the base. What you need is to learn to control it. I can't protect you forever, Glen. You have to be able to protect yourself."

Glen grit his teeth and pointedly looked away from Jason. They were in a field in one of the upper realms, right next door to the human world that Glen had called home. It was mostly deserted which suited Jason just fine. Especially since Glen's powers were still erratic at times. He didn't know whether to blame the human side or the demon side for that.

At 28, Glen had matured into his full growth. The last bit of childish naiveté was gone. What Jason now had was a sullen young adult, too often lost in his own head, too much wondering if he could have saved his mother. Jason knew without having to ask. And Glen was angry with him all the time. Angry and unable to accept the fact that Jason was his father, his real father.

The only reason he agreed to these training sessions was because the powers that had been dormant in the human realm had run rampant in the demon world. As much as Jason tried to shield him, to protect him, Glen still got into fights with other young demons. They didn't know what he was so they didn't know what they were getting into.

And he'd killed already. Jason regretted it, in the offhand way someone would regret a large purchase that they really couldn't afford. It had hit Glen harder. He had brooded for weeks, completely inconsolable, refusing to believe that he'd had no choice, that his hand had been pushed in the matter.

In a way it was a blessing in disguise. Glen had begun to listen to Jason, had started to explore his powers so he could control them. He was more worried that he would snap and hurt someone again than any other reason though. That suited Jason just fine. He had no intention of letting Glen scrap with hotheaded demons anymore.

Of course that all changed when Glen met a young female demon named Anise. He had fallen and fallen hard, that human half of himself needing companionship beyond just Jason's instruction. Jason had reluctantly allowed it. The trouble was that they could not tell Anise what Glen was; it was too much a risk.

Anise was a bit of a contradiction in and of herself. She was a demon almost as rare as Glen's kind – a healer with a base power in resurrection magic. She kept that hidden and for good reason. Demons with her powers were hunted and kept caged, forced to practice magic to keep elder demons young, to bring favored allies back from the dead. Often they were bred ceaselessly to try to replicate the power in future generations. But it wasn't like human genetics. Demonic powers truly came from a roll of the dice, not passed down through parental lines.

Against his better judgment Jason had agreed to let Glen have his woman – so long as she did not jeopardize their position in the demon realms. It came as no surprise when Glen announced he meant to marry Anise. What was surprising was that Anise was pregnant. Jason met this announcement with stunned silence, unsure what his reaction to that should be.

Glen would not be budged on his relationship. Anise joined them in their travels, giving the men plenty of space and privacy. Currently she was keeping house for them in this realm, only a month from full term. Jason's unease was not founded in anything concrete. Anise was a beautiful, warm demon from parents who probably would have been humanized had they been able to travel into the human realm. She loved Glen – it was obvious. Glen reciprocated, Jason could not deny that either. He remembered looking at Celeste that same way and it hurt his heart but he also felt better for it. Jason did not want to crush Glen's human side – he knew his son would need that strength, that emotional outlet.

Jason understood that Anise gave Glen a sense of normalcy somehow. After spending most of his life as a human, she somehow kept him connected to that part of himself.

And he had to admit – he was sort of fascinated at the thought of being a grandparent, even if Glen refused to acknowledge that Jason was his father.

Glen was looking at a line of trees in the distance, a frown of concentration on his features. Using his powers was surprisingly easy. Controlling them however was another story entirely. He was getting better though. Jason watched as the frown deepened, and Glen's normally calm hazel eyes took on a red tone. One of the trees in the distance did not so much as fall as it exploded, shooting limbs, leaves, and bark in all directions. Even though they were at a safe distance, Jason still ducked back as debris fell from the sky.

Glen blew out a breath and the red went out of his eyes. "That's it. I'm done for the day."

Jason sighed. Glen had a stubborn streak a mile wide. But the fact that he'd managed to destroy one single tree and leave the rest untouched…he was getting better. "Fine. But we have to start early tomorrow."

"Why?" Glen rubbed his neck and turned to face him.

"All of this time and you still refuse to see." Jason said. "There are people who would see you dead if they knew you still lived. You must protect yourself. And now that you've brought a woman and child into it…"

Glen's jaw clenched. "I know. I have to protect them too."

"Keep it in mind." Jason spoke softly but knew that Glen had heard. He let him walk ahead, wishing not for the first time that things between them were different. Glen tolerated him because he was the only person that he knew. Jason understood that. If Celeste hadn't taken him and run away thing might have been different.

Then again, Dominic might have managed to control Mark, which would have put them all in danger. Celeste had been right in getting them away, in humanizing them. It was another tool they could use to fight the inner darkness that would eat at them.

He was lost in thought and didn't notice the way Glen came to a halt in front of him. Jason nearly walked into his back. "What…" He did not get to finish the question. Glen's momentary inability to move turned into an all-out run at the same moment that Jason saw what had caught the younger man's eye. Smoke. And in the direction of the house they shared with Anise. "Glen…wait!"

But he should have saved his breath. For a person with size, Glen could move fast when the mood struck, and it had struck him now. He outdistanced Jason quickly, mindless that he could be heading right into a trap.

In a way, Jason was almost glad it had happened.

Oh he mourned the loss of his unborn grandchild in his own way. Not to the level that Glen mourned of course. He sunk into a depression that left him mute, uncommunicative, and unwilling – or unable – to use his powers for a period of time.

In retrospect Jason should have seen it coming. Glen wasn't hot headed but with his demon side awakened he was not as he had been. Six months after the deaths of Anise and the baby, Glen had disappeared for 2 weeks. When he returned Jason knew just by looking at him what had happened.

The fire had not been an accident. Jason knew that Glen could tell that. The house was nothing but ashes and it had taken the better part of a full day to search through the still hot cinders to uncover Anise's remains. A knife had been driven through her stomach, effectively ending her child's life as well as her own. The house had been burned.

But why? As far as Jason knew, no one had any clue who Glen was. And the realm was so rarely used that being found had seemed impossible. Someone had. Jason thought it may have been random; a rogue demon finding an easy target. Anise's body had been too damaged to be sure there had been no other assault.

When Glen returned there was a resolve on his face that had not been there before. Resolve and something else, something Jason could not name.

"You found him." It wasn't a question.

"No. But I know who he is. I found some of his accomplices."

"Accomplices?"

"Yeah."

"And the one that's responsible?" Jason prodded.

"Untouchable." Glen paused. "For now."

After that brief exchange he would say no more on the subject no matter how much Jason pushed. He did some digging on his own time and was a bit more subtle than Glen had been.

In his rage over the loss of Anise, Glen had killed four demons. One of them was of a much higher level, aged and full of power. He should have known better but Glen had killed him easily – even though the demon had suffered before Glen had ended his misery.

The real responsible party, the one who had used the knife and planned the attack, was hidden in a dark realm, the plaything of one of the elder demons. Glen had shown remarkable restraint in not pursuing him.

At least for a time.

Jason knew it was temporary at best. Anise's death had done what all of Jason's lecturing could not accomplish. Glen had fully accepted and become one with his powers. It seemed that overnight he could manipulate things, destroy things, and even conjure things, a power that Jason had never even heard of. His demon side was powerful but tempered by the human side.

It was years before Glen even looked at another woman. Jason understood his grief; he had lost the love of his life and did nothing but think of her every day. Glen was still young though, and half human to boot. His heart wanted to mend even if his demon side tried to fight it.

And that was when Jason met Penelope.

Glen never met her, not face to face. But he had seen her. And Jason had noted his interest in the woman with smug satisfaction. In a perfect world he would have seen that Penelope and Glen had every chance to be together. Penelope was nothing like her father, and even less like her mother. She was rare, an anomaly of the demon world in that she was not cruel like those around her and in fact had managed to nurture a decent sense of right and wrong, something that was considered humanistic and weak.

But to Jason it played right into his hands. Because while Glen's brother had managed to put an end to Dominic there was still trouble. And he owed Mark a debt for not saving his mother, for letting him believe his brother had been dead all those years.

It ate at Jason. He had done what had felt right at the time but he should have done more. His demon nature only allowed him to consider what was his – Glen. His son. Not that an innocent woman and her other son would be victimized. He thought maybe some of Glen's human side was wearing off on him; it made sense. Jason no longer saw things in black and white as he once had. It was no longer his way or no way.

He'd had a vision. A vision he had shared with Glen. A vision of a child who was more powerful than even Glen. Jason thought it must be another hybrid but the vision was not clear enough. He only knew that Mark was involved and that must mean his son was involved.

Jason had kept tabs on Mark through the years. It was almost an obsession, popping in the human realm for information and getting back before Glen knew he was gone. As far as Glen was concerned the human world was closed to them. That had suited Jason for a time but now he needed to do something to protect this child from his vision. The sight was not an active power, and it rarely worked – when it did, Jason knew to heed the information even if he didn't fully understand it.

Other visions were clearer. The one who had killed Anise for instance. Penelope was well acquainted with him. In fact it was her father who had kept him on a tight leash. He had a lust for females and for Penelope especially since she consistently told him no. It was a simple matter for Penelope to lure him out of Haden's stronghold, to distract him long enough for Jason to use the touch on him and knock him unconscious. He had been so focused on Penelope that it had been almost too easy.

Penelope had erased his memories. It had been surprisingly simple, and much easier than either of them had thought. And Jason had a chance to use one of his tricks on Penelope.

He copied her power.

It was something that he had kept well hidden. And for good reason. Mimics were as rare as resurrection demons, and more useful. Penelope had not even known he had done it. She'd been concentrating on erasing the memories from their mutual enemy when he'd touched her arm.

In retrospect, it had been that touch that had probably caused the problem. Jason had known as soon as Penelope voiced her doubts about her powers. She was stronger than she realized, but had not made peace with it. He had used his power and it had caused some sort of loop in their demon's mind, a pocket of memories that should have been erased but were still there, festering.

That came later. Once Penelope was done, she and Jason had sent the hateful demon into the human world. There were two reasons for that, neither of which he had fully disclosed. The first was to protect Glen. Glen wanted to kill the demon and Jason had no doubt he could, but being a soldier in Haden's army meant that his death would be avenged. Glen could take on powerful demons but an entire realm of them? Even Jason doubted his powers extended that far.

The second reason was that he thought he could get a message to Mark, and Mark would deal with the demon himself. That he had defeated Dominic was still talked about in the demon realm. Some of Dominic's equals had hated him but had ordered retribution, in accordance with their old ways. Mark's wife had paid the price.

But Jason understood that her death had also been a test of sorts, to ensure that Mark's demon side was dormant. He had not been able to see her death coming as he should have, which settled many minds. They feared him. He would have lived his life happily as a human and the demons in deep realms still feared his power.

The problems arose when Jason encountered an odd circle of protection around Mark. And it came almost entirely from his son. Jason could not get close to him without his son being alerted. He was forced to do something he had kept in the back of his mind, a plan B he had hoped he would not have to call upon.

He blanked Glen's memories. Glen had been willing, sort of. Halfway through the procedure he had tried to fight Jason back, because Jason was taking away Anise and his rage. It was what had kept Glen going. In the end he was already weakened by the loss of so much of his mind that Jason was able to complete the process. He had not counted on the demon side being so strong, so focused on self-preservation. It went against the Glen he had grown to know over the years. But the demon side had hidden and Jason had only managed to partially erase it. Had he known about the urges Glen had faced before Anise…

Jason had sent Glen into the human realm. This time with a specific goal in mind. He'd had a vision, and in it he had seen a woman who would need protection. A woman who had already felt the power of the other demon. But she was human and had not realized it.

He had sent Glen to protect her. Because he still felt as if he owed Mark something for not being able to protect him or his mother from Dominic all those years ago.

What Jason had not counted on was Glen's dormant demon awakening to urges that were not tempered by a more knowledgeable human half. He had fixated on the woman, had gotten his rage and his lust confused…but the human side had stopped it from getting out of hand. Somehow. Jason knew it was too much for him to understand.

Jason had known Penelope would go to the human realm, just as he had foreseen that Penelope and Glen would eventually meet. There were some parts of fate that could not be changed, some paths that were written in stone. He had added a trigger in Glen's memory block, that when Penelope found him and used her power on him the walls around his memories would crumble and he would understand. If he found out who he was, or found his brother in the meantime, so be it. Jason could not stop that from happening. He wasn't sure it was a good idea, wasn't sure how Glen would take seeing his brother for the first time in 40 years, but it was out of his hands. He had let go, hoping that Glen and Mark would be able to stop the demon once and for all.

Jason knew it would probably take both of them. Because their demon was no normal demon. He was one of the human-natured demons, a creature whose humanity was trivialized in favor of the demonic half that lived within him. Jason realized that he could not have stopped him if he wanted to, and Penelope had been lucky he had been so fixated on bedding her that he had allowed his control to slip. Otherwise they would all be dead.

He only hoped he had done the right thing. The memory erase had to happen. Glen had to forego ideas of vengeance and instead focus on saving those who were still living. He might never forgive Jason – but Jason would live with that. He had already accepted that Glen would never recognize him as his father, that he was at best barely tolerated as a link to his old life. Celeste had made sure that Glen would not need a father figure, and Jason could not fault her for that.

It did not stop him from worrying though, and from hoping that things would turn out. He knew the woman was in trouble, but not how things would end. His powers would not show him that particular path.

~!~

The memories, if that's what they were, went dark. Glen was left gasping for breath, feeling as if he had run a marathon. His chest hurt and he rubbed at it for a moment before realizing it was pent-up emotion. Anger, grief, even a sense of betrayal. How could the man who professed to be his father take away everything he had known just to send him here to help a brother that for 40 years had been all but dead?

Glen sat up and swung his legs to the floor, cupping his forehead in his hands as he leaned his elbows on his knees. The illness was gone as quickly as it had come on. Of course it was – the blocked memories were lose now. And he could remember everything. His confusion and fear. Accepting that there would be no going back. Meeting sweet, beautiful Anise.

He had known that Jason did not approve fully of the relationship. But Glen had been smitten from the beginning and had loved her wholly with both sides of his dual-natured heart. That was what made losing her so hard, and their child…the baby, the life she carried that he had felt kicking and moving under his hand…

In his anger he did not hear the front door open and close. Glen rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair, trying to reel in his jumbled thoughts. It was for Vivian that Jason had sent him here. Jason had known that Vivian would be with Mark. He had seen it and wanted to protect her because he felt guilty about the past. But Glen's demon side had wanted her, and Glen finally understood it wasn't simply because she had been willing. She had been Mark's even then, and he was angry at his brother for not being strong enough to save their mother when Dominic had attacked their house that night.

His demon side, in other words, had fixated on Vivian as a vague act of revenge against the older brother who he had worshiped as only a little brother could.

He slowly became aware that he was no longer alone. Glen looked around and saw Rayne standing near the door, eying him curiously.

"Hi. Uh…where's Mark?"

Glen squinted at her. He could not have been out long, because it was still light outside. The storm was still building and the light was murky and gray. She was in the shadow by the door but he knew something was off before she ever stepped forward.

"Not home." Glen shook his head slowly. "I don't know where he is."

Something odd was happening. He could feel something inside him coiling, like a snake. And his eyes were…weird. At first he thought he was going to experience tunnel vision again but no – the room seemed to get a little brighter as his eyes adjusted to the gloom.

Rayne walked toward him, smiling. She sat down next to him, which surprised him. So far she had kept her distance. He was even more surprised when she put her hand on his arm. "Are you all right? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine." He picked up her hand and lifted it away from him, not caring if it was rude. And it was like being struck by a zap of electricity. He hid the reaction well because she only smiled as if him removing her hand had been part of her plan. In that moment he had seen and understood all he needed to about the woman next to him. "But you have got some explaining to do, Amanda."

59

Josie was reserved at first but her personality wasn't made to hold grudges.

Mark was uncomfortable for a bit, but eventually seemed to relax. All they were missing was Glen, but he was out running errands for Ray and they didn't know when he'd be back.

They had enough time before supper for Drew and Josie to run down to Ray's to see if he wanted to join them. Which gave Vi just enough time to fill Mark in on the things she had found out. It didn't take long. Of course it was the abridged version, starting with finding out that her mother had apparently been in trouble and the man who had helped her, Vi's father, had been killed. She only stumbled when she talked about Link, about what he had been and had hidden from her. It surprised her, how much it hurt to admit that he could hide something like that from her.

"Did you know?" Vi finally asked when she had reached the end and Mark had not commented.

"Which part? Darlin' I had no idea about any of this." He gestured and reached out, grabbing her hands. "I didn't know about your husband. Or you. Is that what you think? That the only reason I want to be with you is because of that?"

"No." Vi answered him. The thought had never entered her mind actually.

"If he was a demon, then he must have had a very neutral power. Because as far as I know everyone believed he was human." Mark frowned thoughtfully.

"Can you help Josie?" Vi asked him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Mark looked at her for a moment before nodding. "It's waking up, isn't it?"

"I don't know." Vi felt like crying for a moment. "She said something happened today, and she knew something was wrong."

"What? What happened?"

"Drew didn't tell you?"

Mark shook his head. "On the drive over here he was being quiet, but I figured he was just tired. School and practice you know."

"I don't know if I can explain it myself. It had something to do with your wife. And Josie said she could feel Drew poking around in her head. But I think that was secondary. She said the woman in the car didn't look the same to her as she did to Drew."

Mark frowned at that. "What…" Before he could finish asking his next question the phone behind him started ringing. Vi made a face and got up to answer it. She looked at Mark and showed him the caller ID, which showed his own home number. Mark raised an eyebrow and took the phone, answering before Vi could. "Hello?" Vi watched as his frown went from thoughtful to thundery. "Wait…slow down. Are you sure?" He listened again before shaking his head. "Don't do anything. I'll be there in ten minutes." He hung up and look at Vi. "That was Glen. Something's going on over at my house. I have to go check into it."

"Ok." Vi took the phone and put it back on the charger.

"Is it all right if Drew sticks around here?"

"Of course." Vi smiled up at him. Mark took her by the arms and pulled her close, kissing her quickly.

"This shouldn't take too long." He said when he pulled back.

"Good. I'm starving."

"Don't wait on us." He let her go and headed for the front door. The rain that had been threatening all afternoon had begun to fall. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Ok. Be careful." Vi watched him climb into his truck and drive off, wondering what was happening. He was in too big a hurry to explain, so obviously it was something big. She stood on the porch for a few minutes watching the cold rain fall before heading back in to finish supper.

Twenty minutes later and the kids still hadn't come back from Ray's. Vi was starting to think they'd forgotten about supper when there was a knock on the front door. She wiped her hands on a towel and went to open it, expecting Josie and Drew. Instead she got a vaguely familiar man who was rubbing rainwater off his short hair.

"Yes?"

"Hi." He looked at her with mild brown eyes. "You don't remember me. I'm David. I worked here for a little bit over the summer." He indicated a car behind him. "I was driving through and thought I'd stop and see if you still had my last check. I haven't been able to get back this way to pick it up."

"Oh. Sure. Hold on just a minute." Vi shut the door and went to the kitchen to pick up her office keys. She also grabbed her jacket because the wind had picked up and the rain had definitely turned colder. "Sorry about that." She said as she went out the door. "I put them in my desk out in the office." She led the way, picking through the keys until she found the right one. It only took a minute to get in and sort through the stack of mail that she'd put in her desk drawer. She pulled out the envelope with David's name on it and handed it to him. He tucked it into his pocket without looking at it.

"I would have come back sooner but some things kind of came up." He said, half-smiling.

"That's all right. Happens a few times during the year." Vi relocked her desk drawer and let him precede her out the door. She locked up behind her and turned to see he was still standing there, getting soaked. "If you're ever looking for temp work again, just come back and talk to Frank or Ray. We're always looking for a few extra hands."

David smiled again. "Thanks. But I doubt I'd be welcome to come back here to work. Especially if things go well tonight."

Vi frowned at him. It barely registered when he moved, he was that fast. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her backward, slamming the back of her head against the wall of the office. It did not knock her out but it was enough to stun her and make her see stars. She felt him lift her over his shoulder and felt the wind knocked out of her as his shoulder dug into her midsection. He had turned back toward the house and was carrying her in the direction of the front door.

Vi tried to pull in a breath and couldn't. She also tried to fight him but her head throbbed sickly. She felt as if she were really exerting herself when she was probably doing nothing more than barely inconveniencing the big guy who lugged her through the living room and to the basement door. "Calm down. You behave yourself and I won't have to take my anger out on that pretty little daughter of yours."

Vi went still at that. Just minutes ago she had been looking for Josie to come back, now she hoped her daughter would stay away.

The basement stairs were a tight squeeze but he managed them. Once at the bottom he dropped her to the ground, winding her again. David stood over her, looking down at her. His dark eyes still showed no emotion other than mild interest. "Where did they go?"

"Wh…who?" Vi managed to get out, holding her stomach.

"Everybody else."

"Gone." She tried to roll onto her side but David kicked her, forcing her onto her back.

"Good. Because I have some things I need to take care of right here." He bent and wrapped a hand through Vi's hair, jerking her upright. She yelped as he sharply yanked her head to the side and tried to pull away when she felt his mouth close over the skin at the back of her neck.

Even though she knew it was coming, the sharp bite of his teeth made her cry out in pain and try to get away from him. She understood something else as well – this would be minor compared to what he wanted to do to her. But he wanted to bite her first to test her. Vi had no idea for what though.

Apparently she passed. Or didn't. It was hard to tell. David dropped her to the ground and smiled grimly. Vi felt her stomach lurch at the sight of her blood on his mouth. He slowly licked his lips, his smile widening. "Just like I thought. We definitely have a winner."

Vi pressed her hand against the bite on the back of her neck. She felt blood trickling through her fingers and a wave of dizziness washed over her. "I don't think you'll want to be here when Mark and Glen get back." She managed to say, fighting against tears of pain and panic.

"I think they have their hands full enough." David knelt next to her and grabbed a handful of hair again. He didn't pull though. "And we'll be gone way before they get a chance to get here. But first you're gonna tell me where your kid is."

"No I'm not."

His hand tightened. "You are. Because the longer it takes me to find her, the worse it'll be for her when I do."

"You leave Josie alone."

"Believe me, I would. She's a little too young for me. Another couple of years and I might change my mind." He rubbed some of Vi's blood off his lip with his thumb, then sucked the blood off his skin. "Where is she?"

"Gone."

"She didn't leave with your boyfriend."

"I didn't say she did."

"That means she'll be back. I have time to wait."

"Maybe less time than you think." Vi shot back at him, wincing when he yanked her hair again.

"You think just because you bonded with him, he's going to come and rescue you?" David chuckled. It sounded cold and hollow. "He couldn't even save his own wife. How useless can you be? I did everything but leave him a fucking billboard and he still let her die."

"What are you talking about?"

"I killed her." David said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I was told it had to be done, and to do it in a way that would end up looking like an accident. Which I did. But I had my fun with her first." He was smiling again. "It had to be fast of course, since it had to be done before she was noticed missing. She never saw me coming." He chuckled again. "And he did nothing at all to stop it. My only regret was her brat wasn't with her. I would have skinned him alive if I'd been given half a chance." David looked down into her eyes. "You're different. And you can't call him for help, can you? I can't sense you…" He tapped his forehead, leaving a smear of her blood there. "Which means he probably can't either."

"You might be surprised."

"Oh I hope I am." David mused softly. He was smiling again. "Because I have a job to finish. And I'm not leaving here until I get it done."

It was on the tip of Vi's tongue to ask what he was talking about when he hit her. She had been so intent on figuring out what he was saying that she didn't notice him swinging his arm. Sharp pain filled her head briefly before she lost consciousness. Her last thought was for Josie and Drew. She hoped for their sakes that Ray would keep them in the house until the rain let up.

~!~

Mark had almost reached his house when his cell phone started ringing. He'd left the damned thing in the truck, forgetting it. He spared it a glance but didn't reach for it. It would keep until he dealt with the insanity that Glen had bumped into.

The phone stopped and started ringing again immediately. "Fuck's sake." He muttered and screeched to a halt in the driveway behind Glen's truck. He grabbed the phone and punched the call button, aggravated. "What?"

"Finally." It was Steve. In that one word, Steve did not sound very Steve-like. In fact, he sounded downright rattled. "I've been trying to get you all day."

"I've been busy."

"Too busy for this? Remember when you asked me to check into the fire at Viv's ranch?"

"Yeah." It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I finally got the files back from Jon Philips. He was the lead on the investigation. Retired now, moved way the hell and gone up to Canada."

"The point?"

"The point is that there's a lot of shit he didn't put in the official report that he's got in his notes. He was told to trim it because of keeping the town safe and not raisin' eyebrows."

"What kind of shit, Austin?" Mark went to the porch, mindless of the cold rain that soaked his shirt.

"The kind of shit that would give somebody nightmares. Rose was bitten. Back of the neck. Body was too burned to get any kind of detail but it was an obvious bite mark."

"Are you fucking serious? And nobody thought we should know?"

"They didn't know what it meant. Not back then." Steve sighed. "Ray couldn't talk, remember? And his memory was pretty spotty. We didn't know anybody that could have read him either. Haven't had one of us come along with the touch in a while."

Mark mulled that over. "So this started back then? Or is there more?"

"There's probably more. I'm gonna dig around some more though. You know our kind. Nobody talks. And unless I find a demon who isn't totally humanized, I doubt I'll find out much."

Mark was silent for a few moments. "I have to go. Glen ran into some trouble here at my house, and I gotta see what's going on."

Steve groaned. "Hope you're plannin' to leave me out of it. I have enough on my plate."

"I'll let you know. Keep diggin' I'll call you back later." Mark ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket before opening the door to his house. He found Glen sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. "What's going on?"

Glen looked up at him. For a moment Mark nearly didn't recognize him. It was obvious he had been through something. "I remember." Mark waited him out. Glen seemed to need a few minutes to gather his thoughts. "I remember everything." Glen rose to his feet. "I need to show you something."

"Ok." Mark followed Glen up the stairs, to the guest room. Rayne was lying on the bed, presumably sleeping.

"She's not asleep." Glen said, as if reading Mark's mind. "I knocked her out. She wouldn't shut up."

"Glen…"

"It's not your wife." Glen was looking at Mark. "You still see her as Rayne right?"

"Well…yeah…" Mark studied the woman on the bed, who showed no outward sign of being injured.

"It's why she avoided me. Because she couldn't hold on to it around me. I didn't have the attachment to Rayne that you did."

"What are you talking about?"

"Watch." Glen went to the bed, picked up Rayne's hand and indicated the wedding band that she wore. "Was she buried with this?"

"Yeah." He watched as Glen pulled the ring off and tossed it to him. Mark caught it and looked at it for a moment, eying the date inscribed on the inside of the gold band. When he looked up again, Glen was no longer sitting next to Rayne. Instead there was a blonde woman that Mark had never seen before laying there. "What the hell?"

"Her name's Amanda." Glen said, looking at the woman with a faint grimace of disgust on his face. "And I think I'm probably the reason she did this."

"Why?"

"That's what I was trying to figure out." Glen shook his head. "When I started having my…sleepwalking issues…she helped me. I guess. Of course she got something out of it too, somebody like her doesn't just help anybody out of the goodness of her heart. I don't even think she really has a heart."

"You said you remember everything." Mark rolled the ring between his fingers and frowned at the woman on the bed.

"Yeah. It was like…whatever was hiding in my head just broke down. That's why I'm here. It was closer than Vivian's." Glen shook his head. "I thought maybe I was getting sick. Guess it was just the side effects." He heaved a sigh. "I know who was killing those girls. I know because he killed my wife. If I hadn't listened…"

"Your wife?"

"Well. My fiancé." Glen's voice took on a sad note. "She was pregnant. We were going to be married. And she was killed. I should have taken him down when I had the chance."

"When did you have a chance?"

"According to the man I was with? I didn't." Glen huffed a short laugh. "I should have tried. Because losing Anise, I lost myself. I was already dead. It wouldn't have mattered if they hunted me down for it."

"You've lost me." Mark admitted. He was uncomfortable seeing the other man so upset.

"Yeah. I could have risked my neck and taken out the piece of shit that's been killing those girls years ago. Instead I listened to a man who claimed he was my father and bided my time." Glen shook his head. "And then it hit me."

Mark raised an eyebrow. Amid all the other things he'd said, something had stood out? "What would that be?"

"My trouble. The sleepwalking. The…biting. It wasn't me doing it. It was that other half of me, trying to warn me. Or to make me remember." Glen looked at Mark with haunted eyes. "Because it couldn't all be erased. I wouldn't let them take it all away."

"How long will she be out?" Mark indicated the woman on the bed.

"Until I let her wake up."

Mark stared at him for a moment. "Part of your powers?"

"A very small part."

"Good. Then we need to talk. I need to hear everything."

"I'll tell you what I know. What I remember." Glen looked at the woman on the bed once more. "I could use a drink."

"That makes two of us. Come on." Mark led the way downstairs. He pulled a couple of beers out of the fridge and handed one to his brother. "So you said the man who claimed he was your father?"

"Yeah. His name was Jason." Glen drained half the bottle in one deep drink. "The night that our mother got killed, he showed up in my room and took me away."

Mark was shaking his head. "No. You were there. I saw you."

"You saw him. Dummied up to look like me. He wanted to fake my death, wanted to protect me. Because I was his."

"That's not possible. Dominic wouldn't have let our mother live if he thought she carried another demon's child."

"I know. That's what I didn't understand. But…he didn't know. He didn't give a shit about me. You were the only one that he wanted."

Mark wanted to argue the point but he held his tongue. He knew it was true. Dominic had set his sights on crushing his human half. The only real reason that his mother was kept was because Dominic hated to give up what he considered his property.

"How could he not know though?"

"Jason never explained it to me. And to be honest, I didn't care. I hated him. I hated her for a while, I even hated you. Because you got to keep going. I was stuck in some kind of limbo, cut off from everything and everybody I knew. Had to give up on everything I wanted. And to top it off, the guy who dragged me away sounded like he was a raving lunatic on a good day." Glen finished his beer. "I didn't have much of a choice. It was do what he said or…well. There was no choice. I learned about the other side of me. The one Mom never told us about. How to use it, how to control it. Jason had some kind of point, I guess. Even though he never told me exactly what it was."

"Dominic would have killed you." Mark said. "The only reason he let me live was because he thought he'd be able to change my mind. That if he told me what I was that it would eat away at what our mother tried to make us into." He shook his head. "And it worked for a while."

"Not long enough." Glen tossed his empty bottle. "I met Anise, against Jason's wishes of course. But I didn't care. She was the only one who came close to understanding what I was going through, because she was different too. Because of her powers. The baby was an accident but…a happy one. At least I thought so. Jason disagreed. He said it was a distraction that I couldn't afford. But he never said exactly what I was being distracted from." He went to the window by the kitchen sink and looked out. "She was killed. Murdered. The house was burned down. Jason thought maybe it was to hide what they'd done but I knew better. It was just some asshole wanting to destroy everything we'd had. So I hunted them. And killed them, one by one. Except for the last one." Glen looked down at his hands. "I should have finished it then." He said, his voice so low Mark almost didn't hear him.

"Why didn't you?"

"He was protected. Somehow. And I saw someone that distracted me." Glen snorted at the irony. "Jason worried so much about Anise being the distraction that he didn't count on Penelope."

"And who is Penelope?"

"A demon." Glen looked over his shoulder at Mark. "I forgot, you didn't meet her. I just met her the other night. Or so I thought. It turns out that I saw her a long time ago. And fell into…I guess…infatuation. I never met her, not that I remember. And she never met me. What happened was Jason had the power to mimic powers that were used around him. And he basically stole hers and used them on me. That's why it was flawed. He didn't know how to really use them to block my memories. And a piece of what I was stayed on this side of the block."

"You said you knew who it was."

"Yeah." Glen frowned darkly and looked out the window once more. "Thanks to what my so-called father did to me, I didn't realize it. Hell…I practically worked next to him for a month."

Mark set his barely touched beer on the counter. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he worked at Vivian's ranch. Briefly. Hired on as a temp hand, left before the summer really got going. I was going through my own shit so I didn't question it. Hell, why would I? Ray and Frank and the others said it happened all the time. People wandered in, they wandered out. Some stuck around for the long haul." He looked at his hands again and clenched them into fists. "I could have ended it. He was there. Right there."

"We've got to get back to Vi's." Mark said, sick feeling settling into his stomach. It wasn't from the beer. As a matter of fact, he had no idea where it was coming from. Which made it all the more strange. Until he considered that he had bonded with Vi just a few hours before, and the bond was still new – and it would take some getting used to.

"Amanda?"

"We'll deal with her later." The feeling was getting stronger. And he realized with a start that it wasn't Vi he was sensing. It was Drew. Drew was in some kind of trouble. "We've got to get back there. Now."

60

Ray declined their supper invitation because he'd already eaten. Josie and Drew hung out for a while though, mostly to wait for the rain to let up. Although Josie started getting antsy after a while. She couldn't sit still. Finally she couldn't wait anymore and they headed back toward the house, not making an effort to hurry too much. They were going to get rained on regardless of how fast they moved.

"I'm starving." Drew said after they walked for a few minutes in silence. Josie grinned.

"They're going to put that on your headstone. You always want to have food in your hand."

"Not true." But Drew was smiling. "I'm a growing boy. What do you expect?"

Josie merely shook her head. And her smile faded. As they neared the house she slowed to nearly a standstill.

"What?" Drew asked, looking from the house to Josie. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." She rubbed her stomach. She had felt fine just a few minutes ago, now she felt nauseous. "Your dad's truck is gone."

Drew peered through the rain and sighed. "Probably something came up. He's always having to run off and do stuff."

Josie finally stopped. They were near the patio, protected by the overhang from Vi's office from the rain. Josie wrapped her arms around herself. "Just got a case of the weird."

Drew was eying the house. "Why are all the lights out?"

Josie had not noticed. She had been too busy trying to figure out why she suddenly felt so strange.

"Power outage?"

"The lights worked at your granddad's."

"Different circuit. Or system. Or whatever."

"Maybe we should wait for Dad to get back." Drew said uneasily. Josie looked at him, wanting to agree.

"But…my mom…" She didn't finish. Instead she closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath of the cold damp air.

"Hey…" Drew put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't freak out just yet, ok? Maybe a breaker tripped."

"Or maybe something is really wrong." The low grade nausea turned into something worth. "Do you not feel that?"

Drew shook his head. "No. But I'm not connected to your mom like you are." Josie opened her eyes and looked at him. Drew had shoved a hand into his jeans pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "But it doesn't hurt to double check." He held the phone out. Josie took it with a shaking hand and dialed the house number. It rang. And rang. The answering machine didn't pick up. She let it ring, hearing it through the cell phone's speaker and faintly over the soft sound of rain on the patio from inside the house.

"This isn't right. Mom would have called Granddad if she had to go somewhere." Josie said, ending the call.

Drew took the phone and dialed Mark's cell phone. It rang twice and went to voicemail. "I think he's turned his phone off."

"Great." Josie's voice was all sarcasm. She had been leaning against the office wall, now she stood up straight. "I can't stand out here and wait for somebody. What if my mom is in trouble? What if she's hurt or…"

"Or?" Drew frowned. "We should go back to your granddad's."

Josie wiped rainwater from her face and looked at the house once more. "You go. I'm going to stay right here."

"Not by yourself."

"I wasn't planning on going inside"

"Yes you were." Drew frowned at her.

"So what? It's my house." And if Josie were perfectly honest with herself, she was sick and tired of all the things that had happened lately to make her afraid of what she had always considered a safe place.

Thunder cracked overhead. Drew ducked and looked up in confusion. "Josie?"

"What?" Josie followed his gaze. Even thought night was falling, and the light was failing rapidly, it was still easy to see the way the clouds moved overhead. "Oh no…"

"It wasn't like that before." Drew pointed out. The wind picked up, blowing his hair across his forehead. He pushed it back impatiently. "It's too cold for it. You have to stop Josie. You have to calm down."

"I am calm!" She had to raise her voice over the wind.

"This is coming from you!" Drew shouted right back. "Pull it back or you'll blow us both away!"

Pull it back? Josie had no idea what he meant. She slid down the side of the office, until her elbows rested on her knees, and put her hands over her ears to block out the sound of thunder. She closed her eyes as well, trying to get control over her panic. And that's what it was…she was panicking because she was worried about her mother.

She felt Drew put an arm over her shoulders and leaned against him, shaking her head. "I can't make it stop!"

"You're doing it already." He stroked her wet hair and laid his head against hers. "Pull it back."

Josie nodded and focused on breathing. Her stomach still hurt, and she felt like she had two winters before when she'd had a spectacularly horrible virus that had laid her out for almost two weeks.

"Feverish. That's the word you're looking for I think." Drew said, keeping his voice low and steady.

Now that he said it, that was it exactly. Josie started shaking, suddenly cold. "I think I'm going to be sick." She moaned, trying to breath in cool and breathe out whatever it was that had caused her sudden illness.

"No you're not." Drew continued stroking her hair. "You're going to get a handle on it. Just give it a minute. Calm down."

"I was…" Josie trailed off. Because all at once she realized she and Drew had not actually been speaking out loud. She had been thinking – and she had heard him answer her. She opened her eyes and shifted so she could look at him. He was looking back steadily.

"I don't know why you're so surprised." He said it without moving his mouth. But it was like he was talking. She risked glancing up at the sky and noted that it was just that. Sky. A cloudy, rainy one but not the churning mess it had been.

"I'm new to this…crap. All right?" Josie spoke out loud. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to go back to your grandpa's." Drew said resolutely. "And we're going to get my dad back here."

"How?"

"Leave that to me. He's good at blocking but I can throw him some signals." Drew rose to his feet and held out his hand. Josie let him pull her up. She saw him look over her shoulder, saw his eyes get wide, and started to turn, confused. Before she could see what he had seen something flew out of the deepening darkness and knocked Drew to the ground. Before she could do more than gasp, Josie was roughly snatched off her feet and carried toward the house. She fought…or tried to. The guy was huge, she could barely move, and once she got an arm free she realized she might as well save her strength. The guy was built like a tree, and ignored her feeble attempts to slow him down.

She closed her eyes and tried to reach out to Drew but he was no longer there. She hoped he was only unconscious. Belatedly she opened her mouth to scream – there were still ranch hands around, surely someone would hear. But the guy slammed a big hand over her mouth, covering her nose as well so she could no longer draw in a breath.

"None of that now." He said, kicking in the kitchen door and carrying her inside. It was even darker in the house than it had been outside. It wasn't until the guy dropped her in the living room that Josie realized why. He had taken the time to cover all the ground floor windows so that absolutely no light came in from outside.

She tried to scramble backward but the guy grabbed her by the ankle. Josie kicked out and caught him in the shin, but it didn't seem to bother him. He moved fast – again. In the dark house she couldn't really see him. Just a glimmer of red from his eyes. He wrapped her hair around his hand and yanked. "Listen up, brat. You want me to hurt your mom, the you keep on fighting me. Otherwise we are going to sit here and wait."

"For…what?" Joie couldn't stop herself from asking.

"For the fun to start." The guy laughed and yanked her hair, making her cry out. Josie blinked back tears of pain as he let her go and moved back. She had no idea where he'd gone – it was too dark to even make out his shadow.

He turned on one of the lights that usually sat next to the couch. Josie blinked in the sudden brightness and put her hand up to shade her eyes. He had taken the time to move furniture around again. Everything was against the walls, leaving the floor of the living room bare and open. She finally looked at him and frowned.

"I know you." She said, and recalled seeing him working around the ranch.

"I'm memorable." The guy sounded almost – happy – that Josie recalled seeing him around. "You are even prettier than your mom. And more special. Do you know why?"

"Because I'm an Aries?" Josie ventured, unable to help it. She was scared but oddly calm. She pushed her wet hair back from her forehead.

The guy smiled. It did not touch his eyes though, which still swirled with hazy red light. "I don't think you'll be joking so much in just a little while." He put a finger to his lips and rubbed them. "Have your powers awakened yet? They haven't, have they?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Josie said.

"I think you do, sweetheart. I think you do." He repeated it slowly. He had been pacing now he stopped and looked at Josie in a way that made her uncomfortable. It was creepy. As if he were there but not there. And she felt something – even creepier – it felt like bugs were crawling along the back of her head. She shuddered.

"I'm not your sweetheart." Josie said, willing herself not to give in to the urge to blubber like a baby. She kept trying to reach Drew, to connect with him again, but he wasn't there. At least not that she could tell. He wasn't answering. She sensed something though. It was faint but there, like a pulse behind her eyes.

"But you will be. First though I'm going to have a little fun with your mom." He ran his tongue out and licked his lips, making Josie feel queasy. "Then I am going to take you away."

"Like hell."

He smiled. "Brave now? You were afraid to come in the house. Did you suddenly grow a backbone?"

"I've always had a backbone." Josie spoke slowly, feeling that pulse in her head a little stronger. She even started to smile. "I've also got a functioning brain."

The guy's smile faded. "You may want to watch that smart mouth, sweetheart."

As his smile faded, Josie's grew. "Why? At least I'm smart. I'm not the fucking moron who locked a woman in her own basement with a couple dozen guns to choose from."

He frowned. And his eyes glowed a brighter red. "You think a gun would scare me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. My mom's a good shot though. She'd find places to make it hurt even if it didn't kill you." Josie felt that pulse again. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, practically screaming in her mind for Drew to wake up.

The guy stopped pacing, stopped moving. He hadn't heard her, Josie was sure of it. But he was sensing something. He turned to face the basement door, took a step, then stopped.

"Go ahead. Open it." Josie said, laughing hollowly as she pushed herself more into a sitting position.

"Shut up." There was no emotion in his voice. He seemed to be fixated by the door, his head cocked to the side as he seemed to listen. In an eerie way it reminded Josie of Glen. She'd seen him do the same thing on occasion, especially when he was concentrating or trying to puzzle something out.

"Open it." Josie repeated. "Better yet, I'll open it!"

"You move from that spot, I will snap your pretty little neck."

"I doubt it. I don't think you have the sack."

That got his attention away from the door. He turned to face her, fury on his features. It hadn't taken much to make him mad. Josie found that she wasn't nearly as afraid as she should be. Because…she could sense other things now. Someone was coming. She didn't know who but she hoped whoever they were they hurried.

He stared at her, once more with his head cocked to the side. "Who are you calling?" He finally asked.

Josie looked at her empty hands. "Do you see a phone?"

"They'll be too late. I'm going to take you somewhere that they can't follow."

"I don't think so." Josie cut her eyes toward the basement door and had to laugh when he turned his head quickly to follow her gaze. "Jumpy?"

"Shut up." He repeated it. Apparently he didn't like what he perceived to be Josie making fun of him.

She had to get him outside. Josie knew that even if she didn't know anything else. If she had controlled the storm earlier – somehow – then maybe she could do it again. She had to at least try, otherwise this crazy man was going to kill her mother and do heaven knew what to her.

The pulse happened in her head again. And Josie's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait. I'll slow him down." She heard the words in her head even though they were not spoken out loud. And it wasn't Drew's voice. It was Vi's. "Get him in front of the door…" The voice faded out. But Josie understood what her mother meant to do.

The guy – she couldn't remember his name – was looking at her again, frowning deeply, trying to pry into her thoughts. Josie stared at him in return, meeting his eyes. "You're gonna be sorry doing this."

"I doubt that, honey. I don't think your little boyfriend would be up to the fight."

"It's not him I'd be worried about if I was you." Josie said ominously.

"I'm not worried about any of you pitiful sympathizers." He glanced at the basement door. "I'll prove it to you. And then we'll go. You'll have to see this because you'll need to be broken before I take you through." He lectured as he moved slowly to the basement door.

"I'd be careful if I was you." Josie warned. She also sent that thought to Vi, hoping she could hear.

"I'd shut my mouth if I were you." He looked at her for a moment, controlling his anger through sheer force of will. He hadn't expected Josie to be unafraid. He definitely had not expected her to get smart with him, or to try to goad him on.

"Suit yourself, dumbass." Josie braced her hands as he turned back to the door. She saw that the deadbolt on the front door was turned, but he had kicked the back door open so it was her best shot. She had to run – possibly to her granddad's. But out in the open would do for a start. She didn't trust trying to control the storm again because she had been panicked and upset the first time and wasn't sure she could actually do it again. But she had to buy some time.

She expected it, but still jumped when the blast of a shotgun filled the house. The bottom half of the basement door wasn't just punched through – it was obliterated. The guy caught shrapnel and buckshot from the waist down and wailed in pain as he was thrown backward against the stairs.

Josie, her ears still ringing from the shot, got herself up and took off, not looking back. She paused once, briefly, at the corner of the office on the patio and saw that Drew was no longer there. She hoped that meant he was all right. She still didn't hear him in her head.

Another blast from the shotgun sounded from behind her. There was another one of those pained wails but this time the guy sounded enraged rather than strictly in pain. Josie stumbled and almost fell, the urge to go back and help her mom overwhelming…

"No." Drew was suddenly there. It was still raining, and full dark had fallen but there was enough light for her to see that he was sporting a bruise along the side of his face. He had been shoved into the wall of the office and it had knocked him loopy for a while, but he had managed to come to and figure out what had happened. "Dad's on his way. We have to hide. He wants you, Josie. We have to hide you somewhere."

"My mom…"

"Dad's coming." Drew repeated. He grabbed her hand. "You know the place better than I do. We have to…"

Another boom from the shotgun and they both heard the guy roar in pain and anger. He sounded like a wild animal. Josie took a step in that direction and Drew almost went with her but his hand tightened on hers.

"Josie…we can't fight him." Drew said. "He's not like any of the others."

"I can." She said, for the first time feeling like a spring was tightening inside her. Coiling. She understood it for what it was – her power. The one she had either inherited from her dad or had been granted because of what he was.

"You can't control it yet." Drew informed her, looking at her with troubled eyes. "Don't let it control you, Josie." The utter sadness in his voice stopped the power from building any higher.

She blinked and looked at him in confusion. "I don't know what that means."

"It means don't be like Dad. He had to pick a side. Human or demon. He's walked both sides of it you know. Now he has to learn how to live with both." Drew shook his head slowly. "If you let the demon side control you, you won't be the same Josie you've always been."

"That's a load of crap." But even as she said it, Josie understood it was true. It was hard to deny the pull that came from knowing she had something inside her that was different, that was powerful. She'd always been so normal, the thought was damn near intoxicating.

"That's why you have to fight it. And learn to use it instead of letting it use you." Drew pointed out. "We have to get to a safe spot."

"Ok." Josie agreed finally. She cast one last glance back at the house and sent her mother a mental 'love you'. It almost broke her heart to do it. Then she steeled herself and ran with Drew along the road that led deeper into the ranch.

~!~

It was Josie's voice that brought Vi up out of the odd gray-out she'd been experiencing. She had no idea how long she'd lain on the cold basement floor. Long enough for her body to stiffen up anyway. Or maybe that was because David had hit her. She couldn't remember.

Josie was looking for help. That was all she did know. Vi tried to talk to her mentally but it was more for her own benefit than thinking Josie would actually hear her. Hadn't she been told a million times that she was unreadable? She pushed herself to her feet and gingerly touched her neck. Her fingers came away sticky with half-dried blood from the bite wound. She hurt in too many places to count, and for some reason the guy had been too eager in his work to really deal with making sure she could do nothing to defend herself.

She limped to the safe in the corner, the tall one that housed Link's rifles. It took three tries to key in the code because her hands were shaking so bad. Vi finally got it though and picked up the first good defense gun she saw. Link hadn't bothered with many shotguns but he had liked this one. It reminded him of some movie or other, Vi had forgotten which one. It was a pump action shotgun with a shorter barrel – more for home defense than hunting. The buckshot would spread more, doing more damage. They'd spent enough time playing with it on the target range for her to know that it would mess up someone in interesting ways if they were the intended target.

She fumbled out some ammo and loaded it, carefully, keeping an ear on the noise from upstairs. She could hear someone walking, and then voices. One was low – David. The other was a higher pitch, one that was as familiar to Vi as her own voice. Josie. She closed her eyes and felt tears burn her eyelids. Vi sniffled and wiped a hand over her eyes. She would cry later. Right now she had to get Josie away from the crazy man.

She concentrated, trying to picture what was happening. What she got was an image of Josie, making a break for it and getting out through the kitchen door. Vi jumped a little because it did not feel like her own thought. And then she realized she could hear Josie in a way she hadn't before. She was faint but there, a whisper in the darkness. Thinking about her options.

"Wait, I'll slow him down." Vi whispered it and thought it at the same time. "Get him in front of the door." She waited, listening with her ears and her mind somehow, before slowly and quietly going to the steps that led to the living room.

She stopped four steps from the top and aimed the shotgun at the lower part of the door. It was flimsy hollow core wood, about all that could be expected for an interior door that led to a basement with no outside exit. It would be easy enough for the ammo she was using to go through. But she didn't want to hit Josie. Which meant her instincts had better not fail her just when she needed them most.

She closed her eyes again and breathed in slowly, trying to get another flash of inspiration from Josie. And she had it. David was moving toward the basement door. He stopped and she could hear him speak from two different places. It was dizzying. She opened her eyes and made sure the gun was resting against her shoulder. It was going to hurt like hell especially after being beat up, but if she sat the shotgun just right she could minimize it.

And just like that she knew it was time to fire. Josie sent her a signal – or her instincts were in high gear. Maybe both. She pulled the trigger and winced as the gun bucked in her hands. In the enclosed basement it was like a stick of dynamite had gone off. Her ears rang as the blast echoed.

But she got her target. She heard him before she ever saw him. There had been nothing wrong with her aim – she'd aimed low on purpose and the guy's previously pristine jeans were not soaked with blood and covered in holes both from the buckshot and the flying door splinters.

"You…fucking…bitch!" David gasped out as she stepped through the busted door. Vi didn't bother to reply. She racked the slide to ready another round and pointed it at his stomach. She heard – mentally, because physically her ears were still ringing – Josie running away. Good. At that moment Josie was the only thing that mattered. "Don't you…"

Vi didn't listen to that either. She pulled the trigger, belly shooting the son of a bitch. It might not kill him but he was damn sure going to suffer. He was also pissed off. She didn't have to hear him to see it on his face. His eyes were dancing with red light. Vi had no clue what that meant but it couldn't be good. He was like the others, maybe he had powers and that's how he used them.

She wasn't going to give him time to do anything. She racked the slide again and pointed it at his head. He tried to speak but all that came out was a gurgle and a spray of blood. Vi braced herself for it and pulled the trigger, unloading buckshot point-blank into David's face.

That time his roar or pain was audible even to her ringing ears. She had time to rack the slide again before he was suddenly there, blood dripping everywhere, his hands around her throat. She dropped the shotgun and tried to pry his hands off her neck, whimpering in disgust as his blood poured down on her.

But he was healing already. The wounds were closing, although they were doing it slowly. Vi could not breathe. She did the only thing she could think of doing. She stopped fighting his arms and dropped her hands to his stomach where the buckshot had torn his skin to shred. She fumbled and found holes in his shirt, and in his skin, and sunk her fingers in, gagging and coughing as he howled in renewed pain and let go of her throat.

That was all well and good but she was too damned tired to run. And she hurt. She couldn't suck in a deep breath and she couldn't seem to move she was so sore. She had only seconds to try to figure out something when she heard Josie in her head. It nearly made her cry.

"Fucking…whore…" David panted. It was garbled but she could understand him now. He started laughing. "You're way more fun that your bitch mother-in- law. She was so scared she just laid there and took it. She didn't want her husband to hear." He chuckled without humor. "Maybe she liked it too. Sometimes they do even if they won't admit it."

"Eat shit and die." Vi said, her voice already hoarse from being choked.

"I see where your daughter gets her smart mouth from." He stumbled closer and practically fell on top of her, dragging her onto the floor. "Don't worry. When I'm done with you I'll take really…special…care of her." He tore Vi's shirt down the front when he paused in his speech and eyed her hungrily. Even covered with blood and riddled with holes, he still had a one track mind. Vi knew she had to find the strength to fight him off. For Josie's sake if not her own. The longer she gave her daughter, the better chance she had of getting away. She only hoped that Josie didn't get any bright ideas about coming back to help her.

61

Mark pushed the truck as fast as it would go, swerving around the few other vehicles on the road. Glen thankfully didn't try to tell him to slow down. It would have been a waste of breath anyway. He was lucky when Mark waited long enough for him to grab Amanda and throw her into the bed of the truck. It was the least of what the woman deserved in his estimation.

"Holy shit. Do you see that?" Glen asked, gesturing out the side window. In the distance the clouds were swirling together. Even over the rumble of the truck's engine they could hear thunder cracking.

"Yeah. Wish I didn't." Mark muttered. Dark was falling fast, so he cut on his headlights but that was mostly to warn other motorists of his approach. "Pretty sure that's right over Vi's house."

Glen nodded. Even as he watched, the clouds stopped their slow movement. "It's gone."

"We've got to hurry." But he was already pushing the truck to the limit of its speed.

By the time they pulled up in front of VI's house, full dark had fallen. Mark slid to a stop and was out of the truck before Glen, feeling who wrong it was around the house. It felt like he had bands around his chest, restricting his breathing. Plus the hair on the back of his neck was trying to stand up. The blast of a gun reached them, making Mark pause in his steps.

"Something wrong with the windows." Glen pointed out from beside him. "They're covered up."

"Doesn't matter." Mark looked at his brother once before he covered the short distance between the truck and the porch. The gunshot could have come from anyone, and been shot at anyone. Now that he was close to Vi's house, she was all he could think about it. Drew was safe. He had been hurt, and it made Mark see red to consider it, but he was no longer in danger. In fact, if he could read Mark at all he would be putting some space between himself and the house at this very moment.

He hesitated for a moment, considered the door, then kicked it open.

All of Vi's furniture had been pushed up against the walls, leaving the living room with empty space in the middle. The door that led to the basement was fragmented, with wood everywhere.

And blood.

There was so much blood that it damn near looked like Vi had re-carpeted the room in red. "What the fuck…" Mark muttered, stepping over the largest puddle. A shotgun lay discarded on the floor. He looked through the kitchen and saw the back door standing open but only gave it a momentary glance.

"They're gone." Glen said softly from the entrance to the living room. He was looking down at the blood with a slight frown on his face. "It's not her blood."

"How can you tell?" Mark's voice was low. Dangerously low. Glen knew that his temper was at the breaking point.

"Because it can't be." Glen said, as if that were explanation enough. "He needs her for something. I don't know what."

"Then where are they?" Mark asked. He didn't wait for Glen. He answered himself. "He took her over. Into his realm."

"Buying time" Glen said. Then he frowned. "Or baiting a trap."

"I don't care. I'm going after her."

"Mark…"

"He can't have her." He said it slowly. "We bonded."

"You did?" Glen was surprised by that.

"It's…too new. She's different from other people. If we'd had some time to figure it out…" Mark was looking around again. "But I'm going after him. Trap or not. He's dead when I get my hands on him."

"Then I'm going with you."

"No. The kids…"

"Are fine. As long as he's gone."

"And your friend in the truck?" Mark asked.

Glen made a disgusted face. "Get Steve to pick her up. I can keep her knocked out indefinitely. Steve can find the kids too, and keep them safe."

"I'd prefer it if…"

"You are not doing this by yourself. You haven't been there. I have." Glen looked at him steadily, calm in the face of Mark's anger.

"Fine. Make the call. But hurry the fuck up. We don't know how much time she's got."

Glen nodded and went to find the phone. In less than five minutes he was back. "It's taken care of."

"Good."

"He opened a doorway here. That's why the furniture is all screwed up."

Mark nodded. He remembered at the beginning of summer, when Vi had come home to find someone in her house, all the furniture had been moved then too. He hadn't even given it a thought. He was kicking himself for that now. "Then we'll open one too." He looked at Glen. "Do you remember how?"

"Yeah. I remember everything." Glen was eying a spot on the floor that was miraculously bare of blood. "It's him. The one that killed my Anise." He sighed. "But you realize we're walking into a nest of these assholes, right? If he took her to what he considers to be home then it's a well-fortified place."

"Really? Because I doubt they'll be ready for anybody like us."

"I hope not. But…"

"There's no time to discuss this." Mark said impatiently. He waved his hand and a doorway shimmered into existence. Glen watched this with no surprise. It was exactly what he would have done. Some demons needed a visual aid to move between realms, that was all. A doorway was the logical choice. "You lead the way though. You know where we're going."

Glen nodded grimly. He grasped the doorknob and opened it, then stepped through without giving himself time to form another protest. He didn't know why he was protesting, other than it still felt like a trap. And he had just recovered his memories – he had no idea how he could possibly know that.

It was good it had been sort of dim in Vi's house because it meant they didn't need to let their eyes adjust for long. There was enough light from unseen sources but at best it just showed vague shapes. To see detail a person would have to be very close.

"I didn't miss this place at all." Glen observed. "If he brought her here, they'll be in the middle of town. There's a house." He made a noise. "Well. More like a mansion. Run by an old demon. That's where he lives. He's like…their pet. Or guard dog. Too crazy to be running around free all by himself. They kept him on a short leash. I owe him for what he did to Anise. Anise and the baby."

"Why didn't you get retribution when it happened?" Mark asked, still looking around. Time was short. He knew it. Vi could be anywhere, and she could be in serious trouble. If the demon managed to bring her through into this realm then it meant she had been seriously hurt in some way, mentally broken at least temporarily. It sent rage through him.

"Because he wasn't ready."

The voice from behind them caused Mark and Glen to turn quickly. Glen raised an eyebrow. "Jason."

"I was hoping you'd have more time." Jason said, looking between the two of them.

"We're out of time. David…"

"I know. I saw."

"You saw. And you didn't try to stop him?" Glen asked, feeling fresh anger wash over him.

Jason looked back at him steadily. "You still don't get it do you? The reason why you couldn't have faced him years ago. The reason it was so important to wipe his memory."

"I don't get it. But you obviously know everything. And you're still holding out." Glen said. He looked at Mark, who stood there looking angry and clenching his fists.

"You have time to listen."

"No we don't." Mark said, finally speaking up. He had listened about all he could stand.

"They won't kill the woman." Jason looked at him steadily. "Not as long as it's a way to lure you in."

"But they'll do other things to her. Not just kill her." Glen said, feeling his anger at this man increasing.

"That can't be helped."

Glen put his hand on Mark's chest, stopping him from grabbing the smaller man. "Smooth. You still can't motivate a person for shit."

"I'm not trying to motivate you. I'm being honest. Best be prepared for it." Jason sighed. "Even with the two of you I don't know if you can take down Haden and his demons."

"Is that what all this is about?" Mark asked through clenched teeth.

"No. Yes." Jason corrected himself. "It's part of it. If you can't stop them all, eventually they'll go to your realm. They'll wipe out your entire town."

"As if it would be that easy."

"For them, it would be."

"You underestimate the town." Mark said, his tone deceptively low. He could feel time slipping away from him and tried not to focus on what Vi might be going through. It was hard though. He wished he could read her – a little more time and they could have figured out how to really connect.

"I hope I do." Jason said. "And he's a problem for later. The demon you're dealing with is like you. Human born."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Mark asked.

"No. Not at all." Jason shook his head. "But he's more than that. He's your brother."

Mark and Glen looked at each other. "No he isn't."

"Yes. He is." Jason kept his gaze on Mark. "Your mother had three sons. The only one your father was interested in was you. The oldest. What he considered to be the purest form of demon and human power. The second was David. The third was Glen, although…Dominic was not his father."

"It's why that DNA test showed that we were only half-brothers." Glen mused. He glanced at Mark. "And it would explain why they found a DNA match for you on that girl."

Mark nodded. "I don't remember another kid."

"I know you don't. You were too young yourself. Just a baby when your mother took you away. She left him behind when she escaped to the human realm."

Mark was shaking his head. "She wouldn't do that."

"She had to do that. She had to make a choice. She took you because you were the one that posed the most threat, the one that Dominic truly wanted. She took Glen because he was not Dominic's child and she did not want to see him killed when it was found out. She left David. Dominic would still have a son, just not the elder son. The power was always strongest in you." Jason pointed at Mark. "Dominic knew it."

"It doesn't explain what he's doing here. Dominic is dead."

"Yes. You…or rather, your powers, killed him. But not before he sold his other son to Haden."

"He sold him?" Glen asked, disbelieving it.

"For services provided by a few of Haden's elite hunters. A temporary deal that turned permanent when Dominic was vaporized." Jason almost sounded amused. Almost. "If David has rejected the mental block, then he knows who you are. And he knows how you're connected. He won't stop until one of you is dead." He said to Mark. "And when it comes to killing, he's got quite the track record."

"I'm not worried about him or his track record. I'm going to go and get what's mine." Possessiveness had entered Mark's voice.

"And if you get her out alive? Then what?"

"Cut to the chase." Mark said shortly. He hated this – discussing – while Vi was in danger.

"Even if you get through the defenses, and get past David, you'll still have to deal with Haden hunting you down. For going into his house, his realm. You might be safe – but not her. She'd never be safe. What happened to your wife would happen again."

"Are you trying to make him mad?" Glen asked when Mark said nothing.

Jason shook his head. "No. I'm trying to make him understand. If you insist on going forward, on invading what is essentially a fortress, then you had better be prepared to wipe out everyone inside. Everyone." Jason spoke with finality.

"Why do you care?" Mark couldn't help but ask.

"Believe me. I wish I didn't. Life was simpler." Jason made a face. "I care because Celeste cared."

"How would our mother know anything about this?"

"Because she was here. This realm is parallel to the one where you were born." Jason paused for a moment. "Years ago, Haden sent David to your human realm to bring back someone. A woman. A human woman capable of bearing a demon child."

"You mean Vivian." Glen said softly.

"She wasn't home." Jason said with a nod. "Thank whatever gods were looking out for her that night. She wasn't home but her family was. And he was angry that he missed his chance."

"Why didn't he ever go back?"

"Because he couldn't. He didn't know how to cross into the human realm. Haden found a window to put him through."

"Seems like he's learned since then."

"Yes. And it makes him even more dangerous." Jason shook his head. "Your brother has always hated the human side of his nature. Because it made him different. He presumed it made him weak." He shrugged. "So he enjoyed destroying humanity. I'm telling you that so you'll know that you have to destroy him. Think beyond helping your woman."

"No. Because right now she's all that matters. Time's up for talking." Mark had used all the patience he could muster. He turned on his heel and walked toward what he presumed was the center of the realm, a building that stood much taller than the others around it.

Jason looked surprised by that. Glen gestured him to follow along. "You're going in as well."

"Me? I'm a glorified empathy."

"No. You're a mimic." Glen said. He tapped his head. "I remember now. A lot of this shit would have been avoided if it hadn't been for you playing with powers that weren't yours."

"It was necessary. You will never understand. We had to hide what you really were for as long as we could. To protect you, and others."

"I'd say it backfired." Glen said, thinking of Amanda. Of how it had been him that turned her against Vivian to the point where she had helped David kidnap her, or at least distracted them long enough to get it done. Glen watched as Mark walked on, not caring if his brother and the strange man followed or not. Whether it was a trap or not, Mark would not be stopped.

Glen cast one more look at Jason before he followed Mark. Hell, he'd done it enough as a kid. He only hoped that Mark was still as indestructible as he'd always been.

~!~

Josie had her arms crossed over her stomach and was shaking like a leaf. She was freezing. The rain had gotten colder. They were in the tree line, a good distance from the house. Josie had planted her feet and refused to move further. They were both out of breath and her teeth chattering was the only sound other than the fall of rain and their harsh breathing.

A siren rose in the distance. Drew peered through the trees and saw red and blue lights. "It's the sheriff."

"Good." Josie intoned although her voice was flat. The spark that had been in her mind, the one where her mother had spoken from, was no longer there. She felt oddly empty. She wanted to lay down on the wet ground and cry.

"Don't. Come on. We have to tell him what happened."

"I don't think I can."

"You can." Drew took her hand and squeezed. "Come on."

Josie reluctantly let him pull her along. The siren had stopped but the lights still flashed. Soaked, and more tired than she could ever remember being, Josie winced when Steve stepped around the corner of the office with his gun drawn and almost fell down.

He managed to catch her. "Whoa darlin'. Steve wrapped an arm around her and felt her shivering. "Come on. Let's go sit where it's warm."

"I'm not going in there." Josie said, meaning the house.

"My car'll do for a start." Steve held onto her and got her settled in the passenger seat. He got behind the wheel while Drew slid into the back. Steve cranked the heat up to high and reached back between the seats to grab the heavy jacket he'd put there just in case the weather got cold. He laid it over Josie and shared a look with Drew.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" Steve asked, picking up the foam coffee cup that was in the holder between the seats. He held it out for Josie. She took it but was shaking so much that she spilled it on herself.

"I didn't see what happened inside the house. I got knocked out." Drew spoke up. "When I came to, Josie was running and somebody was shooting a gun."

"Mom. Mom had one of the shotguns from the safe downstairs." Josie finally got the coffee to her mouth and took a small sip. She went through what happened, trying to keep it all straight in her mind. It had happened so fast though. She glanced out the window at the house. The front door stood open. And she noted that Mark's truck was back. "Drew…"

"I know. They aren't here though."

"Where are they?" Steve asked.

"Off realm." Drew spoke softly. "Going after him. And Josie's mom. He took her."

"How? She shot him. I saw it." Josie's voice was flat and unsurprised even though she felt outraged at the thought of the guy just getting up and walking away.

"Fast healing. That's why you have to be pretty fast to kill a demon." Steve pointed out. "There's no way for us to help them. I can't go off realm. Been here too damned long."

"There has to be something we can do." Josie was getting her equilibrium back. Mostly she was getting her anger back. She couldn't recall the last time she'd been so angry. And then she did. It had been two days after her Dad had passed away, the day before his funeral. She'd slept entirely too much and for no real reason had gotten angry at her mother, at her grandfather, at the world in general. She wanted her Dad. No one else in the world would do.

And she remembered something else as well. The weather that day. It had been warm and sunny but storms had moved in. And hadn't there been talk of a tornado Josie couldn't but totally sure but she thought yes. Considering what had happened earlier it made an odd kind of sense.

"What about Randy?" Drew asked.

"What about him? Kiddo, he's as humanized as I am."

"Yeah but not the woman that was with him. The one that Glen likes."

"What woman?" Josie asked.

"I wouldn't know how to find her." But Steve hesitated just long enough to indicate that he might have some idea.

"Some woman that came over from another realm. I've seen her around town." Drew paused. "Plus I've seen them together."

Steve had his cell phone out. He dialed and spoke quietly for a few minutes before hanging up. "Randy said he'd find her and meet us here."

"Good. We have to hurry though." Now that Josie was warming up, she found her reserves. Her fight hadn't completely left her either. "The guy said I was the one he wanted. But he took Mom. Why?"

"Change of plans? Maybe he meant to come back for you." Steve mused out loud. He realized belatedly it wasn't very comforting to the girl. "Sorry. But who knows how the hell his mind is working."

"Maybe it was a safer bet. Taking you mom." Drew said. Josie and Steve both looked back at him and he grinned sheepishly. "You didn't see what she did to the weather."

"What did you do to the weather?"

"I don't even know how I did it." Josie ignored Steve's question.

"But you did. It came from you. I could feel it."

"What did she do to the weather?" Steve repeated, looking at Drew. He shrugged.

"Controlled it. Right over our heads."

Steve looked at Josie again. "Damn. You sure it wasn't Drew?"

"I'm positive it wasn't me." Drew answered. "My powers are more…mental." He finished not sound the least bit enthused about it.

"Ok. I have got some serious catching up to do here. Explain to me again what happened, this time include the part where Josie has some powers of her own."

Drew and Josie shared a look. He finally cleared his throat. "Josie's dad was one of us. A humanized demon. And her mom was like my mom."

"Josie's dad was human."

"No. They just hid it really well." Josie said softly. She had started to cry again, although she didn't notice it. "They wanted to be human, or to be indistinguishable from human. So that's what they did. They lived like humans, and none of the demons here could tell the difference."

Steve mulled that over. He couldn't deny that as far as families went, Ray and Rose, Link and Viv were the most normal, most human family he'd ever met. Of course, in this town things were hardly ever what they seemed.

He glanced at his watch and then up at the house. The door standing open was ominous. He remembered talking Viv into ordering the alarm, for all the good it had done. He glanced at Mark's truck, where he had already seen the woman lying in the back. She had been sleeping so deeply that for a moment Steve had thought she was dead.

If only Cammie had been able to remember anything. If he'd put it together sooner. There were so many what ifs that Steve didn't know if he was coming or going. What he did know was that he was seriously considering resigning as sheriff. All of this had taken its toll, and damned if he wasn't feeling inadequate to the job.

Drew dropped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "It'll work out."

"Hope so, kiddo." He glanced back and saw a car approaching. Good. The cavalry had apparently arrived. "You guys sit tight. Let me talk to them."

Josie and Drew nodded and Steve stepped out into the pouring rain. She pulled the coat tighter against her and met Drew's eyes. "I'm going after them."

Drew frowned. "What do you mean?"

"To get my mom back."

"Josie…"

"I shouldn't have run off. I should have stayed and helped her."

"There wasn't anything we could have done." Drew dropped his eyes from hers. "I told you. My powers are worthless. They're diluted or something."

"Stop saying that!" Josie smacked her fist on the driver's seat, making him jump. "If your powers were so worthless you wouldn't have them."

"But I can't really do anything." Frustrated, Drew smacked his fist into his palm. "Dad got all the usable powers that actually manipulate things." He made a noise. "Even you got some kind of weird weather thing."

"Allegedly."

"We both saw it."

"And? Girls mature faster than boys. Maybe you haven't grown into it yet." Josie was smiling but it was automatic. She was watching Steve talk to Randy and the woman that was presumably Penelope. Josie was sure she'd seen her around before but she didn't care to waste time to place her. She looked at Drew once more before pushing open the door and stepping out to get soaked for the third time that night.

62

If there was a part of her body that didn't hurt, Vi could not figure out where it was.

Her neck and side were the worst of it. She couldn't seem to draw in a deep breath. And the place where David had bitten her was throbbing sickly. It would be a miracle if she didn't have a fractured rib or two. She vaguely recalled him kicking her as she lay on the basement floor.

She wasn't in the basement now. In fact, she had no idea where she was. A small room, no windows, one very locked door. There was a light, weak but still bright enough to sting her eyes. She kept shivering too although it wasn't really cold. She blamed it on being in shock.

Vi could barely remember what had happened. Shooting the guy repeatedly had slowed him down but hadn't stopped him. At least Josie had gotten out. That was all that mattered.

She finally risked a glance down at herself. Her shirt was ripped – David had wanted to do more but something had spooked him into grabbing her and taking off. What was left of the shirt was potted with blood although she didn't know if it was hers or his. Her side was a mess of colorful bruises though.

Vi pushed against the wall and was still too weak to find her feet. The room was just an empty square; no furniture, nothing she could use as a weapon. Not that she had the strength to take advantage anyway.

She could not remember how she had gotten in there. That part of things was a smooth blank. David had grabbed her and she recalled nothing else until she wake up with her head pounding and too many things hurting to really focus on any one of them.

Vi refused to think about home, and Josie in particular. She could feel the panic just waiting to take over and thinking or wondering if her daughter was in trouble would only set it loose. She couldn't afford to panic and she definitely could not afford to waste the energy panicking would require.

It didn't help that she kept getting odd pulses in her head. She at first thought it was from being knocked around but realized she was sensing something else; anger, worry, other emotions that did not belong to her. It didn't feel like Josie either. She had no way of knowing how she could know that but it was true.

She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, as much as her aching head would allow. And she felt something. Almost heard it. It was Mark. He was looking for her. Vi nearly cried in relieve but would not give in to that either. Not yet. Because he was in danger too. She wondered if he could hear her. Josie had – somehow – when she had needed to.

Plus she was bonded with Mark now. Surely that had to count for something. Pushing her pain aside as much as she could, she concentrated again and pictured him. Vi had to have a visual. And she realized that she needed the demon side of him more than the human side. She had reached him before that way. It just seemed it would be easier to connect with him again.

She frowned and tried to remember exactly how he'd looked, the last time she'd talked to that side. Black hair. Black shirt, unbuttoned, the sleeves rolled up. And the full beard. And she remembered thinking that he looked like he had just woken up from a heavy nap. And just like that, she had him in her head, almost as if she were looking at a photograph.

"Mark…" She whispered it out loud. And could almost sense him turning to look at her. And there was something else about him too – something she had never seen before. His eyes had taken on a red glow. Vi hesitated, unsure, and realized he was angry. But not at her.

"Vivian?" Although the mental picture was clear, his voice was coming from very far away. Again panic bit at her. Vi ignored it. "We…for you…" It faded in and out like a weak radio signal.

"Be careful." Vi managed. She felt tears slip from her eyes but ignored that too.

He was still talking but she couldn't hear it. She opened her eyes and the mental image of him was gone. That feeling – the pulse in her head – was also gone. She had no time to contemplate it thought. There was a scraping noise and the door was opened, letting in a flood of light from a hallway. Vi winced and tried to shield her eyes with her arm.

She expected David. Instead she got another man, one she'd never seen before. It took her a moment to realize that there were other people standing behind him – David was one of them. A woman was next to him, her arm linked possessively through his. And another man with shaggy blonde hair.

"How sure are you, David?" The man who opened the door spoke, not acknowledging Vi.

"Very. Her blood." David showed no signs of taking a few shotgun blasts to the face and body. As a matter of fact he'd taken the time to clean himself up and change clothes. "She's carried, but she's carried a hybrid. She's still able to produce."

Not a bit of what he'd said made sense to Vi but the other man smiled. "And Penelope?"

"I haven't seen her." David said, sparing a glance for the blonde woman at his side.

"She's had a part in this." The man said, almost to himself. "Although it doesn't matter. Adam – see to our guest."

"There may be…" David tried to speak but the other man held up a hand to stop him.

"If there are complications, then I trust you will deal with them."

David nodded. A smirk had formed on his features. He looked at Vi and she felt her skin crawl as his eyes moved over her. The guy with the shaggy hair moved forward and Vi tried to push herself away from him but there was nowhere to go. The others had turned to leave the doorway, the leader shutting the heavy door behind them.

"It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you."

Vi made a face and smacked away his hand when he tried to lift her up. She'd used that exact same phrase, and exact same tone, with injured animals.

Adam knelt in front of her and wisely kept his hands to himself. "I can heal you. But you have to calm down."

"Don't touch me." Vi managed to speak even though it hurt to force the words out.

"Suit yourself. It'll only make things worse. Haden has plans for you." He said it as if merely stating a common fact. "And while I don't think it would be pleasant even if you were healthy, at least you would have a sporting chance at surviving."

"Fuck…off." Vi was careful to enunciate the words.

"As you wish." Adam shrugged. "Haden is impatient. Expect him to return very soon to begin."

"Begin what?" Vi asked in spite of herself. It was out before she could stop it.

Adam lifted an eyebrow. "Trying to produce an heir, of course. A hybrid. You are one of the special ones. You've carried another demon's child – which means you are still usable. If it had been a human's child then you would be worthless and your daughter would be here now." He watched her for reaction. Vi kept her face carefully blank. "Although that's not to say we won't still go fetch her. She's young yet. She can be broken, retrained, made into what Haden wants."

"You're crazy." Vi said, shaking her head even though it hurt.

"Am I? It is not my plan. I merely follow orders."

"Really? And did any one of you geniuses think of checking my medical records?" Vi asked, unable to keep from smirking.

"Why would we bother?"

"Because, you fucking idiot…when I had my daughter there were complications. And I had to get a hysterectomy because of it."

Adam eyed her but said nothing for several long minutes. "That's not possible."

"It's not only possible. It's true." She held her side and tried to shift to a more comfortable position.

"Haden is not going to like hearing that. You may have just erased whatever petty usefulness you would have had."

"Oh fucking well." Vi grimaced and bit back a moan as pain shot through her side. "You may not have to worry about it too long anyway."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Adam was smiling but she could see the worry behind it. And he was scared of telling this Haden person what she had just told him.

"Meaning that I think you people are in for a big fucking surprise."

Adam refused to respond to that. He got to his feet and went to the door and opened it. He gestured and a woman with dark hair appeared. "Get some water. And a change of clothes. Clean her up."

The woman hurried off to do as she was told. Vi closed her eyes and wished he'd go away and shut the door again. The light was so bright out there it was killing her head. She must have dozed off. It seemed only a moment passed before someone was touching her. Vi tried to fight them off but did not have the energy. She'd used it all talking to Adam.

The woman had brought water, washcloths, and a long robe. She cut VI's clothes away and began cleaning the blood and smudges of dirt from Vi's skin. She didn't realize that Adam was still watching until she heard him curse under his breath at the same time the woman gasped in.

Vi opened her eyes and saw they were both looking at her. Or more specifically looking at her hip. She glanced down and saw nothing but bruises. The woman dropped her washcloth and backed away. She shared a look with Adam. They spoke to each other but in a language Vi had never heard before. The woman was panicking, and to a degree so was Adam. He finally pushed the woman toward Vi. She went reluctantly and picked up the robe, wrapping it over Vi's shoulders. With that done she backed away and practically ran out the door. Vi could hear her footsteps fade down the hallway.

Adam said nothing. He looked at her for another few moments before hurrying behind the woman. The room's door slammed behind him. Vi could only frown in confusion. She had no idea what had spooked them. She didn't care either. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on Mark again, on finding out where he was, if he was close, and if he were being careful.

~!~

Glen almost ran into Mark's back. He managed to catch himself in time.

Mark had set a quick pace, weaving through the dark alleyways of the town. When he stopped it was without warning. His head was cocked to the side and he appeared to be listening, although Glen could hear nothing but the muted sounds of other people in the distance.

"Fuck…" Mark muttered the curse under his breath. "Vivian?"

Glen raised an eyebrow and looked over his brother's shoulder. There was nothing, and no one, ahead of them. Just more dark alleyway. "Mark?"

"I can hear her." Mark said softly. He closed his eyes. "We're coming. Just hold on. We're coming for you." He repeated it. A frown formed on his features. "Vivian? Stay with me…I can't find you if you fade out…" He sighed in frustration. "Gone. She either passed out or she cut the tie."

Glen frowned. "How?"

"I don't know." Mark shook his head. "I've never heard her in my head before. She's always been shut off. Maybe it's defensive."

"And maybe it'll come in handy for her if they've got her in that house." Jason spoke from behind them. Glen had forgotten his father had come along with them. He had wisely been keeping his mouth shut since they'd first run into him. "Everything for a reason." He pointed out.

Mark grunted an answer. "She's alive. She's hurt but alive." He looked over his shoulder at Glen, who looked back steadily. "I'm going to burn every single mother fucker in that house."

"Yeah." Glen said it in agreement.

"Nobody lives."

Glen nodded.

"And this David person." He flicked his eyes toward Jason. "He's mine."

"I have my scores to settle too." Glen pointed out.

"I know. We both do." Mark turned and dropped a hand on Glen's shoulder. "But he's mine. For Vivian. For Rayne. For Anise."

Glen nodded again. There would be plenty of destruction to appease whatever it was in him that wanted it. He would defer to Mark, if only because it was Vivian in trouble now, and they both cared for her, but he reserved the right to step in if it was needed.

"How far are we?" Mark directed that to Jason. The other demon looked around, got his bearings, and pointed.

"Not much further. Half a mile. You don't honestly believe you're just going to walk in there, do you?"

"Yeah. I do." Mark leveled the man with a 'shut the fuck up' look if Glen had ever seen one. Jason had, for whatever reason, been part of the cause of this mess. And now he was showing hesitation? It made no sense. Mark eyed him a moment longer before turning to Glen. "We have to hurry."

"I know." Glen could feel it. The urgency to just go was like a hand pushing at his back.

"There's another problem though."

"What now?" Glen asked, exasperated.

"I can sense Drew."

Glen could only stare at Mark. "Ok."

"He's here. In this realm." Mark looked to Jason. "I don't know why my son is here…"

Jason held up both hands. "I never involved him in any of this. I swear it."

"So you'll go back and find him. And whoever he's with. You take care of him until we come out." Mark pointed a finger at Jason, pressing against his chest. "If anything happens to my boy, it's going to be you that pays for it. You get me?"

"Yes." Jason tried to mask the fear that flashed in his eyes. He almost managed it. Glen was impressed. This was not at all like the same demon who had taken him from his bed all those years ago. Mark had reduced him with just a look. "Haden's house is the center of town. That's where he would have taken her. He's got holding cells in the lower levels. Basement and sub-basement." Jason hesitated. "She's one of the special ones. She may have been taken to his quarters. On the top floor."

Glen didn't miss the way Mark's eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists at the thought. "I don't need you to piss me off more than I already am." Mark pointed out.

"I'm not. I'm telling you that's where he's most likely to keep her." Jason backed up two steps. "Haden is a creature of habit, just like everyone else. You'll stand a better chance going in the front because he won't be expecting it. All of his attention will be focused on protecting his own sorry ass. David will be trouble. He's powerful like you but his human side is basically destroyed. I don't know if that makes you equals, or if one of you is more powerful. He's got destruction magic – from what I understand. And so does Haden's daughter Cassandra. She's full demon…but she's also completely insane. Haden would sacrifice her to save himself."

Mark did not look a bit worried. Glen thought it over and decided that he didn't much care either. Unless one of the other demons got extremely lucky and managed to knock his head off his shoulders, he could heal. And so could Mark. "Go. We'll deal with this."

Jason nodded. He spared Glen one more glance before turning and disappearing into the darkness.

"Is Drew really here?" Glen finally asked after a minute had passed.

Mark nodded slowly. "I don't know why. I'll worry about that after I get Vivian out of that place." He turned to look at Glen. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Glen considered it. It did not take long. He merely had to picture Anise in his mind – pregnant, that sweet smile that always made him feel like he was, in a strange way, her hero – and his resolve was set. "More than. Let's deal with this shit and go home."

Mark nodded and turned to continue leading the way. He only hoped his own powers were there enough, awake enough, to do what needed to be done to protect what was his.

~!~

"Hurry up!" Josie didn't bother orienting herself. As soon as they'd passed through to this realm she took over, leading the way. Even Penelope had to hurry to keep up.

Unlike Mark, whose bond was new and untested, Josie's bond with her mother was deep and complicated. And she felt her mother more now than she had at any other point in her life. Her mom was in a great deal of pain. To Josie it felt like a toothache in her mind, an odd way of thinking of it but an incredibly apt description.

"Josie…" That was Drew. He was doing better at keeping up but even he sounded out of breath. "Stop. Wait…" He grabbed her hand and forced her to stop running.

"There's no time for this!" Josie said, yanking her arm away.

"Just…hold on." Drew leaned over, hands on his knees. He'd been playing football for roughly six years and he was winded. When they got home he was going to tell the coach to sign Josie up for the team. "Let the rest of us catch up."

The rest was Penelope. Neither Randy nor Steve had been able to cross over into another realm; they were both too humanized. Josie and Drew did not have any trouble whatsoever – both were motivated by something beyond demon rules.

They had tried to talk Josie out of it. Tried and failed. It had been Steve who had tentatively taken her side. Vi was hard to read, and Josie was her daughter. They might need her to find her mother. Penelope had been game at that point. Only Randy protested, and he only did that because of Drew's involvement. But Drew was not going to let Josie go alone. He felt oddly protective toward her. She might have a new kind of power he'd never heard of before, and he was at best a glorified empathic, but he knew the feeling for what it was.

"Where's your dad?" Josie asked, mostly to stall herself from taking off again.

"Ahead of us. Almost there." Drew shook his head. "I can read him so clear in this place. He's pissed."

"Good. I'm glad." Josie grinned and for a moment Drew's breath caught in his throat. It was like taking a sucker punch to the stomach. He had a flash, a mental image, something that happened from time to time, of Josie as an adult. Maybe in her early 20s, wearing that exact same grin. The image didn't last long enough to really figure out what was going on but it was powerful. It was the realm. For some reason it seemed to amplify their powers.

"You kids need to slow down." Penelope finally reached them. "You aren't known around here, but I am. And if Haden knows I'm back then it's going to put a spotlight right on you."

"I don't care. Let 'em." Josie looked around. There was absolutely no curiosity in her eyes. She was merely getting her bearings.

"Listen little Rambo. I know that you hybrids are supposed to be like the ultimate weapons or something but this is not some kind of game." Penelope could not help but admire the girl for her gumption. And her outright devotion to her mother.

"Isn't it?" Josie asked. "All of this plotting and dramatics, and for what? They had to know that people would come for Mom."

"No. They don't understand that some demons…or half demons…can cross the realms at will." Penelope corrected. "David probably believed he was buying time."

"Good. Then let him go on thinking it." Josie was rocking on her feet now, ready to run again. "Your dad and Glen need to wait for us."

Drew frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because I have an idea. And they'll need you to do it."

"They won't wait. Mark can't wait." A male voice said from behind them. All three turned to see that they were no longer alone.

"Jason. What are you doing here?" Penelope asked.

"I was sent back by the brothers to find you." Jason said, catching his breath. His eye fell on Josie. "He and your mother are bonded. There won't be any holding him back."

"Drew can do it." Josie eyed the man distrustfully before turning her eyes on Drew. "Go on. Send out your psychic whatever it is."

Drew shook his head and did as she asked, closing his eyes so he could concentrate. It wasn't hard at all to find his dad, who was moving quickly through a maze-like area of the town. "Dad…" He didn't realize he was speaking out loud.

Mark stopped and turned, as if he had heard him. Drew focused on him. "Wait. You have to wait. Let us catch up."

"Can't wait. You need to go home. Let me deal with this." Even the return communication was loud and clear. Drew had never been so far into his father's head before.

"Josie said you have to wait. You'll need us." Drew shook his head. "She says you'll need me."

There was nothing for a moment, just a series of what seemed like random images. Drew realized he was actually watching his father think, a process that made him feel dizzy. "You have to hurry. Vi's in trouble."

Drew blew out a breath. "We will. Just wait." He opened his eyes and looked at Josie, who nodded. "He's waiting. But he won't wait long. I don't think his demon side is very patient."

Josie grinned again. Then she looked at Jason and Penelope. "You'll just slow us down."

"You have no idea where you're going." Penelope pointed out.

"Sure we do. Drew has GPS in his head." Josie gestured. "Besides that, if that Haden guy does sense you then you need to create a diversion somewhere else. Preferably at the back of the place. We can get Mark and Glen inside…" Josie gestured from Drew to herself. "But there has to be a distraction."

Penelope raised her eyebrows and looked at Jason. "Very well. Jason?"

"We can't leave them to roam." He protested but they all knew it was more for show than for effect.

"They aren't going far. Besides, she's right. Haden isn't going to be happy to see me. Better he not know about these two until the last possible moment." Penelope looked to Josie. "Go. Hurry. We'll head in from the rear. Fifteen minutes. I'll send a signal."

Josie nodded and turned, jogging off. Drew followed. Penelope stood there a moment longer, watching the two disappear into the darkness. She shared a look with Jason. "You expected this?"

"No." He shook his head. "Not the girl." He half smiled. "She's got a powerful personality."

"You aren't lying. We should go. We'll have to hurry before they decide they don't want to wait." Penelope led the way, trying to figure out exactly how they were going to draw attention to the rear to give the others a chance to get inside with as little fuss as possible.

63

It became obvious after only a few minutes that Josie really did not need Drew to guide her anywhere. She did not look back at him once, did not ask if they were on the right trail, and did not hesitate at any of the intersections they came to.

Drew knew his dad was waiting but he could feel his impatience. It was growing. Probably because Vi was not fully connected to him. He couldn't tell if she was all right, so he was in a hurry to get to her. Oddly enough, Drew was not the least bit worried about his dad, Glen, or Josie. He probably should have been but the more time passed the more he was sure that she was doing the right thing.

She led them through a maze of alleys, seeming to take lefts and rights at random. Drew just kept up with her. It was funny though – every now and then he got a flash of something, something he couldn't describe. Like he was seeing things from another perspective.

Josie finally slowed down. "Up ahead." She wasn't even out of breath. Drew looked over her shoulder and yes, there was his dad, waiting but impatient, rocking back and forth on his feet as if he wanted to take off running. Glen was leaning against a nearby wall, keeping a wary out on their surroundings. The place was still eerily deserted. Drew knew there were others around them but they were hiding.

"You kids…" Mark was geared up for a lecture. Josie cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Grounded for like 20 years." She looked around.

"Wanna tell us why we had to wait?" Glen asked.

"Sure. Because you're going to need Drew." Josie frowned. "Now where did he go?"

"Who?" Mark was confused.

"Bridger."

"Your dog?"

Josie nodded. She appeared to notice Mark and Glen for the first time. "I knew he wasn't just running around outside on the ranch. He's here. He's been here before."

"How the hell would Bridger manage to cross between realms?" Glen asked.

"Beats me. But he's around here somewhere." Josie blew her bangs back off her forehead. "He's looking for mom. Following her trail. And here I always thought he was the world's laziest mutt."

"And you're following him?" Mark asked.

"Kind of."

"So that's what that weird thing is in my head." Drew said, pressing his palm to his forehead. A different perspective. And he'd been right in that description. He was seeing things from a dog's point of view.

"So tell me again why we had to wait." Mark brought them back to the problem at hand. Josie wasn't put out by his surly attitude.

"You're going to need Drew."

"Darlin', trust me. I've done a lot worse than this on my own."

"No doubt. But you'll need him anyway. Think of him as…" Josie groped for the word. "An amplifier."

"A what?" Drew frowned in confusion.

"You have to let them draw some power from you." Josie said it as if it made perfect sense.

"How do you know that?" Mark asked.

"I don't know how I know it." Josie looked directly at him, met his eyes. There was nothing confused or unsure in her expression. "Just like I don't know how I know Bridger has been crossing over into whatever this place is. And I don't know why it is that I can feel Mom in my head when I never used to."

"You can feel her? Is she all right?" Mark's frown melted into concern.

"No. She's not all right." Josie took a deep breath, the first outward sign of being shaken that she'd shown since they'd sat in Steve's Jeep. "She's hurting. And she's pissed off. If we're going to go get her, that's not a bad thing. I can use it."

"Use it for what?" Glen asked.

"To power me up." Josie leveled her gaze at him. "She's going to be guarded."

"All the more reason why the two of you aren't going in there." Glen said.

"I don't have to go in." Josie shrugged. "You two might eventually find her. Of course if you want her found fast then…"

Mark snorted a surprised laugh. "You're actually going to use your mom to blackmail us into letting you go in there." There was a touch of admiration in his voice.

"Not blackmail. I'm just being honest." She looked at him for a long moment. "You bonded with her. But it's new. And it's…she hasn't figured out that she can use your powers."

The humor dried up. "How did you…"

"I don't know!" Josie finally lost a bit of her control. "I was just sitting there, scared out of my mind, and all of this crap just came to me. And I know that if you had time to strengthen your bond, then you'd feel her just as strong as I do right now." She took a slow, steadying breath. "I can take you right to her. But she's too hurt for me to move."

"We'll take care of her." Mark said. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "And then we're out of here."

"You have to stop that David guy though." Josie met his eyes again. "Because if you don't he'll keep coming back."

"Consider him stopped."

Josie nodded. "Good. Then let's go."

"Wait. You still haven't…" That was Glen.

"You'll figure it out. Drew is projecting like crazy. It's why everybody is hiding." Josie looked at him. His eyebrows were up. "Amplified. If you didn't have so much human in you, it probably wouldn't be so strong. You're like a battery."

"If he's projecting, then won't they know we're coming?" Glen asked.

"Who cares if they know? They were bound to figure it out sooner or later." Josie didn't seem to be bothered. "We have to go now though. Just stick close to Drew. I'll lead you to Mom. Then we can get the hell out of there." She looked from Glen to Mark. Both of them nodded.

Mark had done stranger things in life; deferring to a teenage girl actually seemed somewhat normal by comparison. Or maybe it was just Josie's personality. She was projecting even more than Drew – except rather than a warning broadcast, it was all confidence. They followed her because unlike Mark, who was running on pure instinct, Josie was actually connected to her mother. And to the dog that was still following the same trail they were on.

He found he wasn't nearly as worried about Drew or Josie as he was about Vi. Maybe because Vi was the only totally human one out of the group. The demons of this realm were not human friendly. Very few demons in deeper realms were. Humans might get brought here but it was purely to torture them or for entertainment as sick as it was. Women especially. Mark had heard – and seen – human men treated in much the same way as females. It was not something that he liked to dwell on or remember. He'd spent a long time putting that part of his life to rest. Being here was dredging up things better left undisturbed.

He was surprised by how focused he was. There was no fight for control. His demon half was as focused on finding Vi as his human side. That had never happened before – there had never been that sort of unity inside his mind. The last time he'd ventured into a realm this deep, his demon half had been fully in control. He was pretty sure he'd still been screwing around with Pandora at the time.

He pushed those thoughts aside and focused on following Josie. They were almost there. He didn't know how he could know that but he did. They rounded a corner and a house loomed before them. Mansion may have described it better; it was so big and the realm was so dark that it was hard to really gauge its size. More than four stories, longer than a city block – that was about as far as he'd venture. There were lights on in a few of the windows but it didn't seem to penetrate the darkness outside.

Josie paused and whistled, low, under her breath. There was a low answering bark and the sound of claws on concrete, then Bridger was there, jumping up excitedly to get a rub on the head from Josie.

"Good boy." Josie scratched his ear and smiled. "How long did you know about this huh?"

"He mapped the place." Drew said, leaned over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath again.

"How…or maybe the better question is…why?" Glen asked.

"Because he could?" Josie's smiled faded. "Maybe he knew we'd need to know. Mom said that animals could sense stuff. Weather, people's moods…maybe he saw it coming. At this point I won't question it." Bridger sat in front of her, looking up at her with nothing but adoration in his eyes. Josie held his head between her hands. "Find Mom. Can you find her?" Bridger issued a low bark again, and bounced back to his feet. He looked at Josie again, seemingly for approval. She repeated 'find Mom' and Bridger was off, running through a gap in the fence that surrounded the house. "Give him a minute." Josie said softly.

Mark and Glen exchanged a look. If Vi was in the house, Mark still was not picking up anything from her. She wasn't dead. He refused to even let that thought into his head. She was somehow closed off to him. Maybe she thought it was protecting him, somehow. She had told him to be careful, which meant she was more worried about him than herself. Which was typical of Vi.

There was another of those low barks from further away. Josie tilted her head. "Ok. He's found a way in. If you're interested in being sneaky. Or you can just go in the front door." She looked at Mark and Glen. "It's like they don't even see Bridger."

Mark nodded. Glen only looked confused. "Lower animals. Non-human. Not a threat. Unless he runs into a demon that just doesn't like dogs in general, they'll ignore him. He's not readable." Mark paused. "At least, he shouldn't be. Different kind of brain, different way of thinking. He's your dog though, so you have a connection. Just like you have with your mom."

Josie nodded. "He's coming back. He can't get to Mom. She's upstairs. Second floor. They have guards at the top of the stairs. And something dark is surrounding it. Bridger doesn't like it so he won't go any closer."

"Magic protection?" Glen asked, looking to Mark.

"Either that or this David person is there." Mark shrugged. It didn't matter to him either way. "I don't know if they realize that their magic won't work on us. We're not fully demonized."

"Never believed in it, myself." Glen said with a smirk. "I'm all for going in the front door."

Mark thought it over for a moment. "Yeah. It'll get their attention." He looked at Drew and Josie. "You two need to stay out here though." Josie opened her mouth to protest but Mark cut her off. "Your powers are just waking up. You haven't tested them or even trained with them. It means you can't rely on them working. And these demons will know what you are, and they'll try to kill you to stop you from getting any stronger. Better to stay outside. Let us deal with it. We'll find Vi."

"Fine." Josie shrugged and immediately backed down. Mark eyed her for a moment longer. Her attention was taken by the dog returning, his head low as if he were ashamed. Josie got on her knees and hugged him around the neck.

"Dad…"

"I'm not kidding Drew. Stay out here."

"I will. But I think I can help." Drew looked to Glen. "You put that woman to sleep. The one that was in the truck." Glen nodded. "We can take out a lot of the weaker demons. I can help." He looked to Josie, who was nodding her head in confirmation.

"Do it then." Mark said, ready to go. The urgency was not nearly as pressing as it had been. Either Vi wasn't in current danger – which was unlikely – or Drew was exerting some influence on them. He would have bet money on that.

"Do you know how many of them are in there that I can manipulate?" Glen asked, looking at the building. "Because it's not really my strongest power."

"That's what I'm for, I guess." Drew said. He closed his eyes and made a face. "There are a lot of them. I don't think they know we're here. They still think they have ti…" He trailed off and shook his head. "No. They're distracted. Penelope and that guy are at the other side."

"Penelope?" Glen frowned.

"She came in with us." Josie rose to her feet and kept her hand wrapped around Bridger's collar. "If you're going, go now. Because I don't know how much time she'll be able to buy us."

"All right." Glen looked at Drew, who had opened his eyes. "I have to get my hands on one to knock the rest of them out."

"There are a few inside the doors. Weak ones." Drew pointed out. Glen nodded and looked to Mark.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Mark asked. His eyes had taken on a red cast again. For once Drew was glad to see it. His dad might hate his demon half, but for what they were getting ready to do they were definitely going to need it.

~!~

Penelope eyed the door for a long moment, familiar feeling of distaste in her mouth. She could sense the others, vaguely, waiting at the front of the house. Surely they weren't going to just bust in the front doors and…

Then again. That was actually not a bad idea. Haden might believe his followers were on alert but since no one had dared to test him, they did not believe a challenge really existed.

"You need to stay out here." She finally spoke to Jason for the first time. He frowned darkly.

"But you can't go in alone."

"I can. But I can't protect you while you're inside." She looked at him. "Stay here. Do not let anyone leave."

"Penelope – you don't have the destructive magic like your sister, your father."

"No, but I'm not afraid of them either. Why are you against this? You're the one who set this in motion."

"I know. I was trying to save my son."

She said nothing to that for a minute that seemed to stretch out much too long. "Is that what you believe?"

Jason merely shook his head. His intentions had been good. But things had gotten away from him. Penelope eyed him again, wondering what had happened to him in the past few weeks. He had been so strong. Now he seemed weak. Maybe it was more her perception had changed. She had been around some very powerful demons after all.

"It's time." She said. She had no idea how she knew. Penelope realized she would have to get her father's attention. It would not take much. She knew he was angry that she had disappeared. And he knew she had been off realm.

"Be careful." Jason said. He stepped back into the shadows, becoming nearly invisible.

Penelope took a steadying breath and went up the walkway to the door. She opened it and was immediately confronted by several of her father's guards. Rough hands grabbed her as the door was shut behind her.

"Hey!" She managed to sound surprised and yanked out of the guy's grip. She didn't know his name. In her head she'd always thought of door guards are generic demons. Generally they were good for projecting thoughts to more powerful demons.

"Penelope."

Her sister had been nearer than she had expected.

"Cassandra." She shook off someone else's hands and looked around. The rear entrance was not nearly as open as the front, but there was still plenty of space. Twelve men stood around her. Cassandra stood on the stairs in front of her, halfway between floors.

"At the risk of sounding concerned, where have you been?" Cassandra slowly moved down the remaining stairs until she stood just a few feet from Penelope.

"Off realm." Why deny it? She was sure that everyone had already figured that part out. "Then I come back to this." She motioned to the absurd number of guards in the hallway.

"It is a special occasion." Cassandra smiled and tossed her hair back over her shoulders. "I am so glad you will not miss it. Although I am not sure if Father will allow you to live long enough to see the end result."

Penelope frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Honestly, Penny. Running around with humans." Cassandra practically spit the word out. "Haden will not forgive that type of behavior."

"Right. Well. It isn't like I crave his approval. I leave that for spoiled bitches like you, Cass."

The smiled disappeared from Cassandra's face. It returned although it was weakened. "We shall see if you have the same smart mouth when I allow David to have you as part of your punishment."

"Oh. So your toy has come back home finally? Too bad he didn't come to his senses while he was gone." Penelope refused to be shaken. She was calculating in her mind what she would have to do to get past Cassandra. She cursed herself for not having any destructive powers. They would have come in handy.

"Like you had no idea what happened." Cassandra rolled her eyes. She looked to the guards nearest her. "Take her to Father's meeting room. And watch her. But do not let her touch you."

"I don't need to be escorted, Cass. I know my way around pretty well."

"Ah, Penny. Let's not pretend you are anything but a prisoner now."

Penelope smiled. There was no humor in it. "That may be. But I think of the two of us, I have the better chance of walking out of this untouched."

"Do you honestly…expect…" Cassandra didn't finish. The guards, the ones she had ordered to take Penelope upstairs staggered and dropped to their knees then onto their sides. The others followed suit. Penelope's smile widened. She had no idea who had used a power but it was strong. She could feel it pulsing in her mind, sliding over her.

Cassandra felt it too. She frowned and shrugged it off although it did make her stagger. And that was enough for Penelope. She grabbed her sister's bare arm and flexed her powers, pouring more into it than she had even when they'd erased David's memories. It was too much – even an elder demon would have been staggered. Cassandra was not an elder. She often forgot that even though she was blessed with destruction magic that Penelope was the oldest and therefore would always be the stronger of the two.

Penelope did not even try to control it. In fact there was something in her mind that she drew from and actually increased the power that flowed from her into her sister. And she understood, clearly, that it was the boy Drew. He was somehow feeding her energy.

Cassandra screamed once but it was all she had time for. Penelope's power filled her mind, erasing everything. Memories. Thoughts. And then functions. She gurgled and drooped, falling to her knees as she forgot how to stand, struggled weakly on the floor as the part of her mind that controlled autonomous functions forgot how to breathe, how to make her heart beat. Penelope held on to her arm long after Cassandra was dead, making sure that there was no function left in her body.

She finally pulled her hand back and gasped, trying to catch her breath, feeling as if she'd run a mile. The amount of power was staggering. She had never felt anything like it. She knew that her own power was weak at best – to do the type of damage she had just performed was something she had never heard of. She was shaking too as she backed away from her sister, stepping over the guards who were laying in various poses. She saw they were still breathing. They were asleep or in a deep fugue state. Either way, they were removed from the equation. It had not worked on Cassandra. Penelope calculated quickly; other than her sister, father, and David there might be a two dozen demons in the house who were at least as powerful as Penelope. If the sleep spell had not worked on them, then there would be a fight.

She still felt that pulse in her mind. Drew was still projecting. Good. Because Penelope had a feeling she might need it. Bracing herself, she began to climb the stairs, intent on reaching Haden's rooms before he could come looking for Cassandra.

~!~

Vi could barely stagger, she was hurting so much. But if she didn't keep moving then one of these people would be compelled to touch her, and the thought of it was enough to keep her moving.

David had appeared in the room she'd been locked into, along with four other men. He had eyed her for a few long minutes, and Vi did not for a moment pretend not to notice that hungry look in his eyes. He knew that she had bonded with Mark – and for some reason it made him want her more than he had. It hadn't taken a genius to figure that out. He'd been the one to mention it.

"We're going upstairs." He finally spoke and nodded to the others who were with him. Vi got shakily to her feet before they could touch her. "And I have to say that I hope what Adam said is true. Because then you'll be mine to do with as I please."

Vi refused to speak to that. Someone grabbed her elbow and she jerked away, forcing herself to walk so that they wouldn't have a reason to grab at her. The other men didn't act as if they wanted to touch her anyway. In fact, they acted almost as if they were afraid of her. Vi had no clue why.

She had trouble with the first set of stairs. She had to use the rail and pull herself up. On the third floor David led them away from the next set of stairs and down a long hallway. Vi could hardly see anything it was so dark. She didn't know what these people had against lights. Even though she could see lamps at regular intervals, they barely put out any light.

David motioned for one of the others to open a door at the end of the hall. He then looked at Vi with a smile that made her skin crawl. For a moment she recalled the sight of her blood on his mouth and it made her stomach churn too. And the hell of it was, she was pretty sure he knew that was what she was thinking about. It seemed to amuse him.

There was another set of stairs. Vi frowned and braced herself for the climb. She had only gone up the first few steps when something strange happened to the men who accompanied them. They just…fell. They didn't trip, nothing touched them as far as she could see. But they sort of crumpled in place, one moment climbing, the next they were dropping to the floor.

Vi stood motionless with a surprised look on her face. It took David a bit longer to notice something had changed. He turned to see Vi standing and his four guards laid out around her. He frowned and went back down the stairs.

"What did you do?" He asked, prodding at one of the men with his foot.

"Me?" Vi realized belatedly she should have taken the opportunity to run. And then she had to mentally laugh at herself. She couldn't breathe, she could hardly walk, and she had no clue where the hell she was. Where would she run to?

David's jaw tightened. Hazy red light swirled in his dark eyes. He reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. Repulsed, Vi tried to pull back but all she managed to do was send another pain through her side as she pulled at her bruised ribs.

He ignored her feeble attempts to get away. Instead of going up the stairs he pulled her roughly back out into the third floor hallway. More guards were lying on the floor. It took less than a second for him to take it all in. His eyes were practically spinning with light now. Vi had a moment to wonder if it was pure rage but she realized that fear was also a part of it. This guy had never been challenged. As full of himself as he appeared to be, he had never expected to be challenged. Some dark part of herself hoped that Mark would rip the guy's head off just on general principles. Vi wasn't sure if that was a real thought on her part or just a by-product of being scared and in pain. Maybe a little of both.

David suddenly turned on her, reaching out with reflexes too fast for Vi to track. He got his hand tangled into her hair and yanked, getting a surprised yelp of pain out of her before she could stop it.

"You know something."

"No…I…don't." He was pulling hard, tilting her head back, forcing her to stand taller. In essence he was pulling at her already injured ribs. And the bite mark on her neck was burning again. She felt something trickle down her back and realized he had probably torn it open again.

"Do you think it'll save you?" His hand tightened in her hair and he lowered his face until it was inches from hers. "Haden wants you to produce an heir. But I think he's going to have to wait his turn."

Vi was filled with repulsion at his words. Did all of these assholes have a one-track mind? She barely asked herself that before she answered herself with a yes. She should have learned that from Mark and Glen. They could be stubborn. They could also obsess.

The odd way the guards had been knocked out seemed to have snapped something inside David. He wasn't panicking – at least not outwardly. Instead he seemed to forget any sort of loyalty he had toward the one he had referred to as Haden. Keeping one hand tangled in Vi's hair, forcing her to keep up, he hurried her down the hall and through a small door. There was another flight of stairs, much darker than the others. They were also very narrow and seemed to only go down. There was no door on the first floor. When they reached the bottom David touched the wall. There was still no door, no discernible handle, lock, or hinges. But a door appeared and opened.

They were in some kind of a basement. More guards were lying on the floor. He seemed not to see them as he stepped over them. The basement was a big central chamber with several doors set into the walls. He led her toward one and practically threw Vi inside, sneering as she hit the far wall and the wind was knocked out of her again.

He didn't give her time to catch it either. He entered the room, grabbed her by the hair once more, and shoved her toward a low bed in the corner. Vi hadn't seen it. Of course it was hard to take in the features of the room when her body was hurting so much that tears were continually forming in her eyes. And it was still so dark she could hardly see more than the outline of things.

When she didn't move fast enough to suit him, he spun her around and backhanded her, making Vi's head snap. She dropped to her knees and saw stars but fought against a wave of darkness that tried to overtake her. Her mouth was suddenly full of blood too. David bent and once again tangled his hand into her hair.

"I'm not gonna lie, sweetheart. I'm gonna kill you. But first I'm going to make you wish I'd killed you faster."

Vi said nothing. She did however lean back and spit into his face, clearing her mouth of the blood. He flinched back and for a moment his red eyes brightened. Then he smiled.

"It's always more fun when you fight." He said in a deceptively low voice as he brushed the blood away with his fingertips. She couldn't track his movements as he hit her again, once more across the face, sending her over on her side on the floor. She coughed and wheezed and then cried out weakly when he kicked her, getting her square on her already injured ribs. After that she couldn't seem to pull in enough air to even try to scream as he grabbed her roughly and threw her against the wall once more.

Vi tried to block it out. Not from herself. From Josie. Because she somehow knew that Josie was the one who was the most tuned into what was happening. She had to shield her as best she could. David hit her again, sending her reeling into the wall where she heard a low popping noise from her shoulder. It didn't hurt, at least not yet. But her forehead slammed into the concrete and she could not stop the gray from overtaking her that time. She felt herself falling and heard what sounded like the labored breathing of a wild animal. She could not tell if it was coming from her or David and at that point did not care. She hurt in too many places to be able to make sense of anything else.

64

Bridger issued a low howl.

The sound caused the hairs on Drew's arms to stand on end. He looked at Josie, who was staring at the big house with a look of intense concentration on her face that under other circumstances might have been funny.

His dad and Glen had gone inside. Whatever he had helped Glen to do it had worked. Drew had, for the first time, actually felt his power surge as he used it to amplify his uncle's sleep trick. He'd had no clue he could do it but it had worked. Even Glen had been surprised by the force behind the power surge he had sent out. He hadn't tried to pull it back though; if one of these demons in the house died because he'd been overzealous, so be it. They shouldn't have taken Vivian.

Josie was stroking Bridger's head, seeming not to hear the odd whining.

"It's not right."

Josie's voice sent another chill down his back. Drew frowned at her in concern. She had sounded detached, robotic.

"What isn't?"

"Mom's not upstairs anymore. They moved her."

"How do you…"

"I wish I knew." Josie didn't let him finish. She raised her free hand and rubbed her temple. "It's like somebody is talking to me. But from far away."

"Are you picking up your mom?"

Josie hesitated before she shook her head. "No. She's blocking it. Because somebody is hurting her." A big silent tear slipped down her cheek and she brushed it away absently. "Your dad and Glen are going the wrong way. She's not upstairs." Josie took a step toward the house.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked, alarmed.

"We have to tell them."

"Dad said not to go in." Drew pointed out. He tapped his head. "Plus I can send him a message without actually going inside."

Bridger howled again. "Ok. But tell him to find Bridger, and follow him. Bridger will show him the way." Josie sank down to her knees, eye level with the dog. "Find Mom, ok?" The dog issued a low bark as if he understood. Josie held him for a moment longer before letting him go. Bridger took off running toward the big house, and Drew lost sight of him as he blended in with the shadows.

Drew did as she asked, sending the thought to his father even as he worriedly looked at his friend. The expression of concentration was back on her face. He might very well not be there for her. He glanced once more at the house and closed his eyes, zeroing in on his dad. He'd gotten the message about Bridger. He and Glen were almost to the third floor but now Mark was turning back to go down the stairs to find the dog. Glen hesitated, torn between following his brother and finishing what he had started so long ago.

He knew that Penelope was still inside as well, moving toward the top floor and her father. He would be difficult – especially when he learned that Penelope had killed her sister. Drew nudged Glen in that direction. Penelope's powers might have gotten a boost from the signals Drew was sending out but it did not mean that she could take on her father. Especially if he had higher level guards with him. Drew did not know him, so he could not get a fix on the guy or his followers. He knew there were still a dozen or more demons that were awake, either immune to the sleep spell Glen had cast or powerful enough to shake off the effects.

Mark and Glen could have been walking right into a trap. But Drew could sense that there was more confusion than anything else.

"They need to hurry." Josie said softly. Drew merely nodded and shared that thought with his dad, who was already approaching the first floor again.

They stood in silence, both trying in their own way to follow what was happening. Neither heard someone approach from behind. It wasn't until a male voice spoke that they noticed they were no longer alone.

"I thought I sensed something out here."

Drew turned to see a guy standing there. And that's what made it strange. It was just a guy. He looked like a teenager, barely old enough to drive a car. He had a thick mop of blonde hair that probably would have been more at home on a surfer than here in this dark place. The smile on his mouth did not reach his eyes though. They might as well have been painted on for all the emotion that showed.

"Who're you?" Josie sounded bored. It seemed to annoy their new arrival.

"The better question is, who are you honey?" Again he smiled although instead of being empty it became shark-like. There were a lot of straight white teeth showing.

"For starters, I'm not your honey." Josie didn't seem bothered by the guy's sudden appearance or the underlying current of hostility he was sending out. "And unless you wanna get broken in half I'd suggest you get lost."

The smile didn't waiver. In fact it seemed to become more genuine. "Weaklings making threats." He glanced at Drew.

Josie raised an eyebrow. And suddenly their new friend was lifted off his feet. She held him there seemingly without effort, her expression calm. Her eyes had taken on a familiar red cast though. The guy didn't even have a chance to scream for help. Drew didn't see exactly what Josie did, and he was grateful for that. There was a low crunching noise and the guy was suddenly gone, flying up into the darkness overhead.

Josie leveled her eyes at Drew. The red was gone. He could almost convince himself it hadn't happened if not for the fact that he'd seen it with his own two eyes. How long had he wrestled with what he was? And Josie had not only accepted it in a matter of days, she had also far outpaced him as far as learning to use it went.

"Don't take it personally. I'm motivated." She said and smiled. It was her usual grin and Drew felt himself relax. He'd worried for only a moment that the sudden surge of power would do something, tip her toward being one of the bad demons that his father had dealt with over the years.

"I wasn't gonna. But damn. Remind me to stay on your good side." He tipped his head and made a face. "Dad found Bridger." Josie nodded and turned her attention once more to the huge house in front of them to wait.

~!~

Finding the dog was the easy part. He was sitting at the base of the main stairs, patiently waiting for Mark to get to him. There were no other demons around. All of them Mark had seen were next to comatose thanks to Glen's handiwork.

Mark paused for a moment and rested a hand against the dog's head, giving him a scratch. "C'mon boy. Where's Vi?"

Bridger let out a low bark and jumped up as if he'd understood. He kept glancing back to ensure Mark was following as he ran up the stairs. Mark was confused. Drew had said that Vi was downstairs but the dog was leading him upward.

The place was maze-like. He had to put his trust in the animal. Maybe he could scent Vi. Mark had been trying to sense her, but there was nothing. Even the faint blip from earlier was gone. He refused to harbor the notion that she was dead. That was not possible.

Eventually Bridger let him to a small door that could have been another closet. The dog pawed at the doorframe, panting, whining. Mark tried the knob and found it locked. That didn't surprise him in the least.

He wrapped his hand around the knob and called on things he had not had a reason to use in years. The knob grew hot under his hand, but the heat didn't touch him. Eventually the wood smoldered. It took less than thirty seconds for the interior locking mechanism to melt and the door to pop open.

There was a narrow flight of stairs that led down. Bridger once more led the way. There was no light but Mark could still see – somewhat. His demon half always had better eyesight than the human half and since they were in a demon realm it was even better than normal. The stairs turned back on themselves several times until they dead ended at the bottom. There was no door, merely a blank wall in front of him.

Bridger once more scratched as the floor in front of the wall, whining so high that it hurt Mark's ears. He narrowed his eyes and laid his hands against the wall, feeling the cool flat surface under his palms. And he realized there was a door here. Hidden. He pulled his right hand back and focused his power, once more calling on his fire magic. His hand glowed as the heat gathered in his palm. He slowly waved his hand across the wall, and watched as the heat from his hand revealed the edges of the doorway.

There was a switch somewhere. But damned if he wanted to waste the time to find it. "Bridger…back." Mark ordered the dog away from the wall. For a wonder, he went, moving to sit behind Mark. The dog trembled all over although Mark had no idea if it was fear or the excitement that had already occurred.

Mark took three steps back and focused once more on the wall. He didn't need heat. This time he conjured up a physical flame, compacted into a small ball that resembled a miniature sun. He held it until he judged it to be powerful enough and then flicked it toward the wall.

It was the equivalent of throwing a grenade. There was a flash of light and an explosion as the fireball met the wall. Debris, bricks, and wood flew into the now open chamber. If there were guards standing on the other side of the door, Mark had no doubt they would have been obliterated.

The only guards were sleeping. He stepped over the worst of the destruction and heard a low growl behind him. Bridger had spotted the open doorway before Mark.

The dog ran past him like a shot, the growl rising. Mark rushed to keep up but the dog moved as if possessed. He wouldn't have thought the mutt had that kind of energy in him. Bridger disappeared into the open doorway and there was a roar of pain from inside followed by an earsplitting volley of barking.

Mark reached the doorway in time to see Bridger lock his jaw over the forearm of a large man in the center of the room. The man was the one who had howled in pain. Blood dripped from his arm around Bridger's mouth. It took Mark less than a second to realize that this was the half-demon, the one who supposedly was his brother. And Vi was here as well, curled into a ball on the floor near a bed. The clothing she wore was shredded and barely covered her, which let him see way too much of the damage that had been done.

And all rational thinking stopped.

The man, David, managed to shake Bridger off his arm. The dog was thrown aside and hit the wall with a yelp of pain. He was still growling though, still intent on damaging the man who had hurt Vi. The dog's head was down and he was braced to take another jump when Vi made a low noise of her own and distracted him. Bridger moved to stand between the man and Vi, baring his teeth whenever David so much as glanced in that direction.

Mark could see that the dog's bite marks were already healing on the man's arm. But Bridger had bitten deep, some of the punctures poured blood before sealing over.

David looked distastefully at his arm before looking up into Mark's eyes. A slow smile spread over his face. "Well. If it isn't Mother's favorite son."

Mark raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"Of course I know all about you." David slowly stepped to the side, away from Vi. Mark did not match the step. It seemed to confuse David that he was not trying to talk to him. "You try to use your power on me, I kill her."

Actually Mark hadn't even thought of using his powers. He wanted his bare hands wrapped around this piece of shit's neck. He flexed his hands, a gesture the other man picked up on.

"Doesn't take much to get you angry. Guess that runs in the family." David stepped closer. Mark merely waited. "So what was it like? Being Mom's golden boy? Because I gotta tell ya…" He let out a hollow chuckle. "Being Dad's only option sure as fuck didn't work out too well for me."

Mark sighed. "You think I give a shit?"

"You should. He was your father too."

"Only by blood." Mark surprised himself by sounding calm. If the guy took two more steps he'd be within reach.

"I never even knew who you were and I was always in your shadow."

"Cry me a fucking river." Mark's voice got cold. "Have you gotten it out of your system yet? Or do you want me to stand here and listen to this bullshit for a couple of hours?"

David's eyes narrowed. "I would think you'd wanna try to talk me out of killing you. And her. I've killed enough human weaklings to know that the begging is usually a lot more entertaining than the killing." He smirked. "She hasn't broken yet. No wonder you like her." He flicked his gaze in Vi's direction. "But she's just as weak as the rest of them. And you." He took another step. "Humanized and as weak as they are now. You killed our father, so points for that. Or rather…your wife killed him. Some of us know the truth. But you rode the legend of it for a while, didn't you?"

Mark refused to speak to that. But David knew he'd touched a nerve.

"She broke. Pretty easily actually. It helped you deluded her into thinking it was all in her head." The smile returned. "She was sweet. Hardly broken in at all. Proof that you're nothing but a weak human that got lucky once. By the time I was done she was screaming for you. I'll bet you didn't know that. That mark and that bond didn't mean shit to you. You didn't hear her. I waited to see if you'd come and you didn't." David sighed. "So far I haven't found another one like her. Too bad really. But once I'm done with you, I'll handle this one." He gestured at Vi. "She'll be interesting. Because she's stronger."

It took all of his will power to stand still and keep his face neutral. Mark could feel his demon side's rage. Normally it would have scared the hell out of him, feeling it that strongly. Now though he needed it. It wasn't just what had happened to Rayne. What had been done to her was done. There was no going back and changing it. And Mark accepted that it was his fault for letting her forget. For wanting to be normal.

This was not going to happen to Vivian. She'd already been through enough and whether it was because of him directly or indirectly, Mark did not care.

His blank expression changed into a cold smile when David took the final step that separated them.

~!~

Glen waited until Mark had disappeared down the stairs before turning and resuming his slow progress to the top floor. The place was huge, and eerily silent. Especially since every demon he saw was passed out on the floor.

He reached out mentally and found the kids were still outside. Mark was untouchable for the moment. Trying to read him was like touching a block of ice. He had a moment of worry but realized that was probably Mark's demon half blocking others from reading him.

He could even sense Penelope. He wanted to get to the end of the hallway to meet her at the top of the stairs where she approached but not knowing who or what was behind all of the closed doors had him pausing every few steps.

He sensed nothing behind the doors he passed which could mean they were empty. Or it could mean that the demons were good at shielding themselves. There was no time to check every room. Once Mark had Vivian they would need to clear out fast.

Glen had almost reached the end of the hall when a hand come from the darkness to his right and grabbed his arm. He almost threw a punch – but he caught himself just in time. Penelope stood there, looking surprised to see him.

"Hellfire, woman." He muttered it low as he let her pull him into the darker shadows. The room was small, and there were no windows which made it perfect to hide for a moment to get their bearings.

"Sorry."

"I thought you were on the stairs."

"I know. I was projecting it." Penelope kept her voice a whisper. "The kid outside is feeding us his power. I don't know how. But it's scary strong."

"Yeah. No kidding." Glen peered down the hallway. It was still empty. "I don't get it. Where is everybody?"

"Haden's war room." Penelope made a face. "It's a conference room but that's what I call it. It's where he plans stuff. It's where he feels safe. There might be a dozen of them."

"All hostile, no doubt."

"Loyal to my father." Penelope sighed. "Except for maybe one of them. He's kind of borderline. He might help us to save his own ass."

"Then it's the kind of help we don't need. How many can you take out?"

"Probably not as many as you. I have to actually touch them to use my powers." She thought of her sister. "But I'm probably your best bet for a distraction."

"I don't need a distraction. But thanks for offering." Glen gave himself a moment to reach out and cup her face in his palm. "I just need to know where they are."

"I'll show you."

"I'd prefer…"

"I don't care what you prefer. It would take you forever to find the room even if I drew you a map. I know this place."

Glen heaved a sigh. "Fine. Lead the way. But you stay behind me. Don't waste time trying to get your friends on our side. If they're in the room they die. If they run…then they take their chances. Got it?"

"Yes." Penelope nodded against his hand. "We have to hurry though. Haden's a fast thinker. Every minute you give him gives his snake of a brain a chance to think of a way out."

"Is there a way out from up here?"

"No. He'd have to use one of the stairwells. That's the point of the conference room. Enough of his personal protection demons in there and he's all but impossible to get to." She paused. "But David isn't with him. He would be the only one to give you any real fight."

"Mark's dealing with him." Glen hoped. As much as he wanted to kill the man who had taken his wife and unborn child, Glen could be satisfied with the rest as long as Mark made him suffer. "Let's go."

Penelope nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him back into the hallway. Glen had a strange sensation in his head of Penelope being in two places at once and understood she was still projecting herself elsewhere to try to give them as much time as possible to get close.

It took several twists and turns. They finally reached a long hallway with no doors on either side. Floor to ceiling double doors stood at the end. She nodded and gave Glen a look. He took up the position in the front and now he could sense others. A few were trying to block him. He couldn't read their thoughts but he could still feel them. A dozen.

Given his current state of mind, it would be child's play.

Glen tapped into his powers, drawing on them. The door was blocked by three demons. He could sense them standing there. A slow smile spread over his mouth as he looked at the door. Penelope actually saw the heavy wooden doors flex in their frames before they exploded, shooting large wooden splinters into the room. It was a calculated explosion – a particularly large sliver of wood, almost a spike, hit one of the waiting demons in the eye, killing him instantly as it penetrated his brain.

A familiar kind of tunnel vision overcame Glen. He hadn't felt it in so long…since Anise's death and his hunt for the ones responsible. It actually felt good, slipping back into that role. There were no decisions to be made, just action.

The demon to the left had been knocked off his feet. The one on the right actually rushed Glen with a knife in his hand. Glen would have laughed. He easily caught the demon's hand, twisted it until it snapped back on itself, and drove the knife into the demon's screaming mouth. Just to make sure he was down and out, Glen also hit him with his own version of a fire spell – the demon combusted in hot blue flame.

The demon on the left had second thoughts about attacking. Glen could see them as if written across his face. But he was in the zone and there was no room to back down. He lifted the man easily off his feet and threw him toward the wall, hearing the crunch of plaster and bone as he connected. A moment later he was a pile of ash as the flames burned his body.

Glen had a moment to register Penelope's surprised expression. He would have found it amusing under other circumstances. She had known he was powerful but not how powerful. "Stay back. Sometimes I can't control it fully." She nodded in understanding but remained close behind him, trusting that he'd watch his aim.

The conference room was surrounded by other rooms. Glen could see the doorways. There were other demons here, guarding doors. "The actual entrance is through there." Penelope pointed to the left. Glen nodded.

"I think I'll just make my own." Glen said with a half-smile. He looked at the wall on the far side of the room and once again the wall seemed to ripple and bulge before exploding inward in a cloud of dust and debris.

There were six demons waiting. Older and more experienced but no match for Glen and his power. Especially since he was motivated. The low level rage should have been scary but a part of him liked it and actually seemed to feed on it to produce the power he kept using.

One of them got past him but Penelope managed to grab a hold of the guy and put him under. He was the only one that Glen didn't take out with concentrated firepower.

There was nothing left but a few smoldering piles of ash. The room was huge, the middle dominated by a long table. "Your father?"

"Not here." Penelope felt the beginnings of panic. Haden had to be here. Had to. Because they could not let him escape. He would hunt them down. And while he might not be able to stand against Glen or Mark, the rest of the demons in their humanized town would not be so lucky. Haden thrived on retaliation. And he would find followers. It was one of his strong traits as a leader.

"We'll find him." Glen assured her. "He can't hide from me."

Penelope could only nod as Glen picked a doorway at random and blew it open. They would clear the house room by room if they had to. She had to accept that they could not risk leaving anyone alive, especially Haden.

They completed the circled of rooms around the conference room. Penelope was flummoxed. Would Haden hide in his rooms? They were at the other end of the house and nowhere near as easy to defend. And she realized something else as well. His most trusted guards – Adam, Christopher, and William – had not been in any of the rooms they had cleared.

"He wouldn't give up the house." Penelope said under her breath. "We're missing something."

Glen concentrated for a moment and picked up Drew's thoughts easily. The kids were getting anxious because of the continued silence. "Hey kid. We gotta find the main guy." He was quiet as he listened, the nodded as if he'd been answered. He turned his gaze to Penelope. "He's still in the house. In the middle. Second floor."

Penelope frowned. "Oh no. Does he know how many?"

"Five or six. Including your father."

"They're going to concentrate their magic." Penelope said softly. "Haden knows he can't beat you or your bother alone so he's going to draw on the powers he's got left."

"He can do that?"

"It's his thing. He'll steal their power. It'll only work for a few minutes, and he might kill himself in the process if he takes more that one but he'll take all of us out with him." She looked troubled. "You might be safe. Your brother. Half a dozen donors might not be enough. But the rest of us are dead including those kids outside. They're too new, they won't be able to shield. And if he decides to focus on them instead of you guys…"

"Yeah. I get it." Even outside the kids were in danger. It didn't matter that they were probably stronger than Glen and Mark combined, they were young and had not real experience in fending off magic attacks. "We have to hurry. Do you know how to get to the center?"

"Yes." She led the way. Penelope practically ran for the stairs. Because Haden had already had plenty of time to prepare to sacrifice his loyal demons. And they were probably headed right into a trap.

65

The center of the second floor was much darker than the rest of the house. There were no windows and no lights were on, even if there were lights to turn on. They saw no one else. Glen had lost all sense of anyone else in the vicinity. He couldn't even touch Drew outside. Something was blocking this part of the house, maybe as a way to prevent interruption.

Penelope still led the way. She knew the layout. She also had a better chance of picking up on someone she knew being nearby. At least he hoped so. It might be their only real advantage.

"This time you definitely need to stay back." Glen said in a whisper.

Penelope nodded but she had a bad feeling. Whether it was worry for Glen – an emotion as alien to her as a foreign language – or for herself she had no idea. The closer they got to the center, the worse the feeling became until she almost could not breathe because she was so anxious.

All too soon they reached the double doors that led to Haden's center chambers. Penelope had only been inside once – the day she was born. The basement was where they housed prisoners but it was here that Haden practiced his demonic arts.

Glen dropped a hand gently on her shoulder. Penelope looked at him expectantly, surprised when he ducked his head and kissed her quickly on the lips.

"I'm not leaving." She said when he pulled back.

Glen grinned. His teeth were very white in the dark hallway. "I figured. I can't guarantee I can protect you."

"I know." She sighed. "This has been a long time coming. I can't run and hide. I've done enough of that already. If I had done something about him sooner…"

"You did just right. Stop beating yourself up." Glen touched her cheek lightly. "I can deal with whatever is in here. You could go help Mark."

"Is he all right?"

"As far as I know. It's Vivian I'm more worried about."

"I'm not a healer." Penelope said regretfully.

"All right." No one could say Glen hadn't tried. He carefully pushed the doors open and led the way into the heart of the house.

The short hall was darker than the one before it. Dull red light glowed around a single door at the end. Glen felt Penelope thread her fingers through his as they crept down the hall, expecting the door to be thrown open at any moment. He pressed his free hand against the door and reached out cautiously with his mind, a trick that did not always work when the demons were older and experienced.

This time he got the dim picture of a man – he assumed it to be Haden – using a doubled edged knife to slit a man open. There was some kind of alter in the middle of the room where the man was laid and was cut open. He put up no resistance, merely looked at the man standing over him with blind loyalty in his eyes as he died.

The guy Glen was using to was not nearly as eager to die for his master's cause. To Glen it did not matter, the demon could die or run. His only goal was to deal with the demon who was now eating the dead man's heart.

Glen gave Penelope's hand a squeeze before letting her go. He waited as she backed up a few steps before focusing on the door. One brief shove of his power and the heavy door was ripped from its hinges. It flew through the center room and managed to knock down one of the demons that remained awaiting his turn to be sacrificed.

Haden had finished the heart. He looked from Glen to Penelope and smiled. "Your sister. Dead by your hand. And all this time I thought you were the weak one with useless powers."

"Yes. Well. You've been wrong before." Penelope said in a flat voice.

The smile faded from Haden's blood-stained mouth. "You are still no challenge for me, daughter." He shifted his gaze to Glen. "And you've brought another one of those abominations into my house. Perhaps you and your sister were more alike than I thought."

The demon that Glen had used to see into the room shifted. It was Penelope who stopped him with a raised hand. "Adam."

"I have no argument with you. Or your friend." Adam spoke slowly and ignored Haden's glaring red eyes.

Penelope glanced at Glen, who shrugged. "You can leave. But you won't get far. There are guards outside."

Haden snorted. "Two children and an old weakling I should have killed long ago." He scoffed. "Run, Adam. But remember. I will find you."

Adam looked calmly from Haden to Glen and noted that this one also had red light swirling in his eyes. But it was different somehow. Adam may have served Haden but he was not stupid. Self-preservation had kept him alive for a long time. He saw no reason to go against it now.

"I don't believe I will have to worry about that." Adam turned so he was standing next to Penelope.

"Then you will die with them." Haden's eyes narrowed. A force, invisible but powerful, tried to knock the three of them off their feet.

Glen felt nothing but the slightest of breezes even as the alter went flying and smashed against the far wall. Someone – and he would bet money it was Drew – was protecting them. The power was damn near scary. He had toned it down somehow maybe to protect Glen and Penelope's approach but now Glen could feel him, almost as if the boy were in the room with them.

Haden seemed to pick up on it. "Kill them!" He shouted it as an order but as far as Glen could see the man no longer had an army to command. He was on his own. He had sacrificed a few but nowhere near enough; he was strong but no match for Glen who was tapping a vast power source in the form of the two young ones outside.

Glen focused his power. Instead of his explosive magic, he reversed it, imagining invisible bands wrapping around Haden's chest, arms, legs. The man roared, enraged, but could do nothing as Glen lifted him into the air without touching him.

He paused to look to Penelope. "You may not want to watch this. He is your father."

"He's never been a father to me. Just a figurehead, hungry for power he can't have."

Glen eyed her steadily before once more looking to Haden. The man had thought he could put up a fight. Too bad he had underestimated the one who had come for him. Glen had been expecting more of a challenge. It was almost disappointing.

He imagined a fist closing. Instead of blowing up, Haden's body was crushed by the invisible force holding him, putting pressure on his body from every direction. Even an elder demon could not have stood against the power that surged through Glen at that moment, could not have healed fast enough to save his own life. Haden screamed once, the rage replaced by bewildered pain, then a gush of blood flew from his mouth as his internal organs were crushed.

Glen was aware of Penelope turning away. It was too late to stop though. He applied more pressure, closing his eyes now as Haden's bones snapped, as his eyes fell from their sockets when the pressure built up. Glen did not stop until Haden's body broke and crumbled apart, every last drop of blood squeezed from it. He let what remained of the man go and it fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

~!~

David thought he had Mark off balance, distracted by Vivian.

So it was a real shock when he found himself thrown like a ragdoll across the room, his head slamming the brick wall so hard that the wall cracked and dust drifted down.

Mark didn't give him time to recover. He wanted to end the guy, even if he was his brother. To protect Vi, Josie, Drew…

But another part of him wanted to make David suffer. One glance at Vi's slumped form and Mark gave up all control to that other side, the one he tried so hard to hide, to kill, to get rid of.

And suddenly Vi was there, in his head. He felt her pain, and it only made him angrier. And Mark realized even as his hand once more closed around David's throat, that maybe Vi's blocked mind hadn't been blocked after all after they bonded. Maybe his demon side had intervened so that the human half wouldn't do something stupid – like try to take on an equally powerful demon without drawing on his own well of strength.

David fought back. And Mark let him – to a point. No one could accuse him of not giving the guy a fair chance. He didn't need to use his power, he funneled it into increasing his strength, something he hadn't even known was possible. David kept healing himself. He never healed all the way back to fully healthy though, and he did not have the resources, the deep undercurrent of human emotion, to fuel his powers. He was strong when he was dealing with lesser demons and humans. Against Mark? It was damn near child's play.

Mark tossed David out of the room, smiling in satisfaction when the man's body hit one of the support posts that lined the center of the main room. The post snapped in half as David fell to the floor in a heap, using his palm to wipe blood away from his mouth. Although Vi wasn't talking, he could still sense her. She was too hurt to do more than show him confused and broken images. But Bridger stayed with her, moving to sit beside her with his head on her drawn up knees. She put her hand on his head and he stared at her with what might have been comical canine concern any other occasion. He whined softly as well and VI managed to give his head a pat before she went back into the fog.

He let David regain his feet. If he thought that the man would have a chance to reach Vivian, he would end it quickly. But what David still did not understand was that he would never have the upper hand when it came to a battle between them. A year ago? Possibly. When he was with Rayne? Probably. But since he'd fallen for Vi and she'd made it all right for him to be whole again David's withered human side stood no chance against what drove Mark.

David was smiling as he palmed more blood away from his face. "Is that the best you can do?"

"No. But why break a sweat? You are not worth the full effort."

That seemed to enrage the other man. Mark expected him to rush forward, maybe even to try to summon up some power of his own. Instead David glanced in Vi's direction.

"You will always wonder what happened." He said it in a low voice. "She won't tell you. She'll try to shield you." David sneered. "Your bond with her is new and weak. And as useless as the bond you shared with your wife."

"Are you done? I am bored with this already." Mark refused to let any emotion show on his face. "You think you can provoke me into ending you quickly so you will not suffer. You will have to try harder than that." Although David did not know it, Vi would have recognized the change in Mark's voice, the way he shifted into a more formal way of talking. His demon side was fully in control now, although David did not know it.

"You can't end me. I'll always be somewhere." The sneer became a smirk. "More for her than for you. And you'll have to live with it."

"Yes, yes. I have heard all of this before in some form or other." Mark raised a hand and formed a ball of fire in his palm. He slowly moved his fingers, letting the fireball drift from one side to the other, playing with his power. "I lived with it, and quite well, for many years. You took something that belonged to me. I already owe you a death for that. But sometimes death is too good a punishment. That is something that an idiot like you will never understand."

And David looked confused. Of course. It almost made Mark laugh.

"It would be so easy to just end you. To leave nothing but a pile of dust. It would certainly make life simpler, easier. But I have never really liked simple or easy." Mark closed his fist and the fireball disappeared. "And death is more than you deserve."

David only looked confused. "You mean to let me go to hunt me? Is that your idea of an eternal torture?"

Mark smiled. It did not reach his eyes, which were a flat blood red color. "No. You forget I was not always the human Mark, content to raise a family in the human realm. And you are not the only one with access to other realms."

David sputtered for a moment, wondering what exactly his brother meant by that.

"It would be so easy to kill you right now." Mark continued. "But there would be no satisfaction in it. And until Vivian is healed and well enough to understand what I am asking of her, I believe I will just put you away for safekeeping. Safekeeping – to a point."

David's eyes narrowed. Mark flicked his hand sideways, and a shimmering doorway opened into darkness. David looked at it and did not see Mark move toward him. He suddenly couldn't breathe.

Mark wrapped his hand around David's throat, sent Vi a mental message that he would return shortly, and disappeared into the doorway. It closed behind him with a soft puff of air.

~!~

"Dad's gone."

Drew's voice was flat. Josie settled a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "He'll be back."

"Yeah." He drew in a deep breath. "Glen's done with Haden. They have another demon with them, some guy that Penelope knows."

"Good." Josie started to smile but it turned into a grimace and she fell to her knees. She groaned as sharp pain spun its way through her head.

"Josie?" Now it was Drew's turn to put a hand on her shoulder. She grabbed him and squeezed, trying to gasp in a deep breath. It hurt.

"It's Mom. Oh…god…" She tried to suck in a breath again and couldn't do it. Her mother had been a muffled presence, there and gone, faint. Now Josie could practically hear her screaming even if Vi was in no condition to do it.

"What about her? Josie?"

"She's hurt. She's hurt bad." She managed to speak between gasping sobs. She looked up at Drew for a moment then finally pulled in a deeper breath. "Something was blocking us. Now it's not." The pain had faded. It had been the initial psychic rush that had done it. But her mom was hurt in so many places that Josie felt like crying.

"Glen…" Drew muttered it. Josie understood he was talking to his uncle again. "Yeah. Dad's gone. Off realm. I don't know! Listen…" Instead of speaking aloud, he closed his eyes for a moment. Then he nodded. "Hurry!" He finally opened his eyes and looked at Josie. "Glen and Penelope are headed down to get her out. I don't know where Dad went but there's no telling when he'll come back. Glen wants us to clear out."

"No."

"Josie…"

"Not until it's done!" Josie used his hand to pull herself back to her feet. "They still need you to boost them."

"Ok." Drew widened his eyes at her sharp tone. "Someone's coming."

"More than one someone." Josie reached out with her mind. The demons in the realm hadn't worried them because they were not in Haden's inner circle. But both Drew and Josie had heard Haden's order before Glen had finished him off. Maybe he had some control over the townspeople after all, and not all of his guards and loyal servants lived in the big house with him.

"It doesn't matter." Neither of them had noticed Jason joining them. "We can hold them back. They are without a leader now. It will be simple to wipe them out."

Josie eyed him steadily. "I thought you were watching the back."

"No one is coming out of that house that isn't related or friendly to you and yours." Jason said, his tone low. "I can't say the same for the rest of the town."

"Then we'll wipe them out." Josie echoed his sentiment.

Jason merely looked at her and nodded. This child did not have to deal with moral right and wrong. She knew what needed to be done and would do it. It was something that even seasoned demons had issue with from time to time.

"You have power to draw on?" Josie asked him.

"Yes. I can mimic powers too."

"Through touching?"

"Yes."

"I don't want them close enough to touch." Josie said.

"Then I will use what I have at my disposal." Jason smiled but she was already turning away from him to look down the dark alleyway behind them.

"Save your power if any of them get past." Josie finally spoke. It was on the tip of Jason's tongue to ask exactly what she meant when he felt the hair on his arms stand on end. Drew once more stood next to Josie. He looked calmly at Jason for a moment before laying his hand on Josie's back.

Electricity crackled from overhead. Although the sky was dim, there were no clouds but there were still flickers of lightning. Instead of the blue-white of the human realm, these bolts were red. Jason instinctively ducked even as the first bolt shot downward. There was a whiff of ozone, the smell of a summer thunderstorm in the distance, and then someone screamed.

The first strike was the only one that Jason could track. The rest of the lightning came down so fast, in bunches so close together that his eyes could not register them or even get used to the bright flashes of light that were thrown out.

It took a few minutes to notice when Josie finally stopped the onslaught. The bright afterimages were burned momentarily into his eyes so that when he blinked he saw flashes of light.

Drew had his head down, eyes closed. He trusted Josie completely to protect him while he boosted her power. It was something Jason had never seen before in his long life. Josie was serene, standing there, breathing slowly in and out, her eyes the only part of her that seemed to be moving as she scanned the area around them, seeking survivors – or any demon dumb enough to try to attack them again.

"We're clear for now." Josie finally said. Drew raised his head and looked over his shoulder at the house.

"They're in the basement." He did not have to elaborate to Josie. She turned her attention back to the house.

~!~

After Drew's hurried message, Glen found himself once more following Penelope through the mazelike house. Adam stayed close with them, but he was also good for another purpose. He could sense the other awake demons in the house well before Glen or Penelope because he was more connected to them. Glen made short work of the demons that they found. There was no sense in leaving anyone awake alive. It helped that he had no doubts that the killing was necessary.

They piled down a narrow flight of stairs and at last reached the basement. The damage was obvious. The wall had been blown apart. Part of the ceiling sagged where a support post had been broken. And they all looked immediately to the one open doorway, where Bridger could be heard barking low in his throat.

As Glen crossed the room his steps faltered at one spot in particular. There had been a doorway there, to a deep realm. One that he himself probably could not get to because he had never had that sort of darkness inside him. His vengeance for Anise and the baby had allowed him to use rage as a motivator to kill those who were responsible. He hadn't had to travel far to do it. This doorway though…

He finally stepped away from it, getting an odd look from Penelope and Adam. They had both stopped to see what he was doing. She reached out and drew her hand back quickly as if she'd been burned. Then she whispered something so low that he did not pick it up. Apparently Adam did. His eyes widened and he stepped back as if afraid the spot would swallow him whole.

"Did your brother do this?" Penelope finally asked.

"Yeah." Glen had no idea how Mark had managed it. No human, as far as he had learned from Jason during his earlier years, had ever been able to set a foot inside the realm where the truly elder demons were house. Not even a powerful hybrid had ever been noted as traveling that far. They did not try to reproduce with human woman, and they very rarely ventured out of those deeper realms. Jason had been under the impression that like some deep sea animals, the differences in the realms higher up might actually cause them pain in some way.

Plus he also believed that the elder demons in the lowest levels were the same as biblical demons; demigods who had fallen out of favor, who had fathered their entire race of magic producing realm dwellers.

He finally shook his head and moved toward the open door. He almost did not see Vivian because she was curled into a ball on the floor. Bridger still stood sentinel over her. He got to his feet and barked excitedly when he saw Glen though.

"Good boy." He gave the dog a scratch behind the ears and winced as he finally noticed just how bad Vivian looked. "Get me a blanket off the bed." Whatever she was wearing – it looked like some kind of robe – had been shredded. What he could see of her skin was bruised, red, swollen, and sometimes bloody. She had lost consciousness at some point, but he could feel her breath against his neck when he wrapped the blanket around her and gently lifted her into his arms. "Bridger – go to Josie." The dog seemed reluctant to leave them but once Glen started moving toward the door he turned and took off, bounding through the doorway.

"Let's get out of here." Glen said, cradling Vivian in his arms. He was careful not to jar her too much but every now and then she still moaned softly in pain. Some of it was getting through even though she was out of it.

It took a real effort to stop the rage from taking him over again. He loved Vivian. He wasn't in love with her, not the way Mark was, but she had meant so much to him since she had found him. Even though he had fixated on her. Even though his demon side had wanted to hurt her because of the connection she had to Mark, to Glen's past, hell, he still wasn't quite sure. That urge was gone now. Maybe because she belonged to his brother. Glen felt nothing but protective toward her.

He gestured for Penelope and Adam to lead the way out of the house so he could focus on not hurting Vivian more than she already was. He wished for a moment that he could do something for her, heal her. Even though his powers were strong the healing arts were not among the talents that he carried. He could heal himself. But he could not pass it along to someone else. Neither could Penelope although she had a version of the touch. Adam was a destruction demon as well – Glen did not have to ask to know it was true. Unless Jason had somehow picked up someone's ability to heal they would have to get Vivian back to the human realm to get her the help she really needed.

66

It took several minutes for Mark's eyes to adjust.

Although this was the deepest realm, where the oldest demons lived, it was so like the human realm that the sudden flash of sunlight after passing through the back door blinded him momentarily. And just as it always happened, he had to orient himself to the fact that he was not in the human world but in a deep place, full of artificial sunlight, that replicated the world these demons had been banned from.

He had been here numerous times, back when he'd denied his humanity in favor of the power of his demon half. Why not? He'd been a compass without a magnetic north, looking for something to do. The elders were more than happy to use his blooming powers for their own purposes. He had done it willingly, and when he had stopped there had been no falling out, no declarations of coming back to get revenge for being used as a tool of death. Instead it had been more like an amicable split, putting in a decent notice before quitting a job to pursue something else. It was only the demons who thought of themselves as higher levels that resorted to petty revenge plots; these demons could not be bothered with that sort of thing.

Mark had crossed Pandora and her group when he had gone rogue and taken Rayne out from under them. It was because of his relationship with these elders, and his short-lived affair with Pandora, that he had not had an immediate target painted on his back. He had won favors with these elders, which made him especially dangerous in some ways. He fell under their protection to a point. If Mark had made it a habit to hunt and kill other demons for fun or sport, they may have thought differently. But he had, after finding Rayne, just wanted to live his life. They were willing to allow that.

And now to find out his own brother – a brother he had never known existed – was the reason Rayne was dead. Again Mark found himself at the center of a petty child's tantrum. Whether it was the human side that tempered that thought or something else, he had no idea. Demons thought they were superior, and often spoke of doing things that would teach others a lesson, or show their power. In truth they were all a bunch of schoolyard bullies, taunting the weak in order to hide their own shortcomings.

Given the sheer amount of power he had inside him, and the effects of his son's boosting power that Mark could still feel, he could have probably gone realm to realm and taken out so many of them that there would not be enough demons left to populate a high school football field. Oddly enough, for the first time in his life, he did not want to. All he wanted was the same as he'd ever wanted – to be left alone to live how he saw fit, without having to deal with business that had nothing to do with him or those he cared for.

David had stopped fighting. In fact, David was nothing more than a breathing bag of meat by the time they had crossed into this realm. He was strong in his way but had not been prepared mentally or physically for the trip this deep. Mark had seen it before. It was the reason that demons took pains to mentally break down someone before attempting to cross them over. It was the only way that they could survive the trip without turning into a vegetable.

He did not want to think about Vi, but he had to. Vi wasn't broken. Not even close. Physically she was hurt. Mentally? No. She was strong. It was the reason she had been able to block all of them for so long. It would take more than what David had done to her to break that wall. She had been moved between realms but she was still Vi. It was unheard of but Mark knew it was true. Her ability to block herself off – whether or not she realized she was doing it – had probably done more to save her life than anything he would be doing here.

Mark dragged David across a courtyard full of neatly mown grass. No matter what door he went through he always ended up here first. The place looked like a hotel, all white columns and bricks. The courtyard was very formal and was rarely used. A waste really because it was so beautiful. The demons here did not care about enjoying things with beauty though; just possessing it was enough.

A set of glass double doors marked the entrance to the building. A tall, thin man still in front of the doors, eying Mark with interest. "It has been a long time." His low voice had a snakelike quality that Mark still could not quite describe. It wasn't that he dragged out letters or hissed. When he spoke, Mark was always reminded of the way a snake would coil right before striking.

"Not nearly long enough, Samuel." Although not afraid of the other demon – a true demon in every sense of the word – Mark nevertheless had respect for him. For all of them actually. The same respect anyone would have for their ancestors if they could trace them back that far.

"Bearing a gift as well." Samuel looked to David's limp form. He was curled up much the same way that Vi had been. Mark actually found it amusing in a way. "For Aliah?" Samuel said, a bit of a smile tilting his lips. His eyes also sparkled. They were pure black, unrelieved by white or any change in iris color. It had been unsettling but Mark had gotten used to it over time. He also knew they could be just as expressive as any eyes he'd seen in the human realm.

Mark smirked at the comment and shook his head. Aliah was another demon, although she would probably be closer considered a succubus than a demigod. She liked the occasional power mad lesser demon to break and use at her whim. She'd had an army of them at one point, each of them nothing but a living, breathing sex toy for a woman whose appetite for sexual conquests could not be conquered. Mark had been tempted, at one point. But Aliah, unlike Samuel, had actually scared him. Because a dark part of Mark, deep on his demon side, actually responded to her in a way he had not liked. He preferred to be in control, and to lose control when it was his prerogative.

"I think those days may be behind this one."

"Your brother." Samuel stooped low, bending gracefully at the knees. Once more he struck Mark as being snakelike even in his movements.

"Only by virtue of genetics. He is nothing to me."

"But he means something." Samuel looked up at Mark. "Otherwise you would have killed him and been done."

"He has violated someone under my protection." Mark chose his words carefully.

"Violated." Samuel repeated. The unspoken question was there.

"He did not break the bond. It would take more than he did to do that."

"But you bring him here?"

"He does not deserve to die. Not yet."

Samuel nodded and reached out. He laid a hand against David's head and closed his black eyes, his face taking on the expression of someone in deep concentration. "Not just once but twice. So this is the demon who killed your human wife."

"Yes."

"That alone is punishable by death. What you want is revenge for what has been done to your new mate."

Mark sneered at that but wrangled it in. Samuel had not meant anything by that. It was just a term they used. "Not revenge so much as I want the suffering to equal the crimes."

"Then it is Azrael that you wish to speak to."

"If you think that is best. I defer to your judgment."

Samuel smiled. "Of course." He rose to his feet slowly. "He is strong of body but weak of mind. He has not had to go through the trials that you have had to endure as a hybrid of human and demon."

"Yes. I know."

"I cannot guarantee his safety or his continued existence."

"I do not care. If he dies, he dies."

Samuel studied Mark for a long moment. "I sense Broden's influence." It made no sense for a moment. Mark had to consider the name. And then it occurred to him.

"I had no help from…"

"I was not implying that." He reached out and laid a hand on Mark's forearm. Mark held himself still, not pulling away even though he wanted to. "The power of storms, or wind? That is Broden's line. He will be pleased about that. His line had faded for a bit."

Mark nodded slowly. He must have been talking about Josie. He remembered how the storm clouds had boiled over the house when they had been approaching. That had not been Drew's handiwork. Josie was apparently equipped with powers to control weather, wind, possibly water. Talents that had been fading in the higher realms. The resurgence meant that Broden's line of loosely related family members still continued.

"Come, inside. We will speak to Azrael together. You may leave that here." He let go of Mark's arm and waved his hand dismissively at David. "I will have him removed."

"Thank you." Mark said with a nod. He cast one final look at David before following Samuel through the glass doors and into the cool interior.

Inside the hotel feeling was even more enforced. They were in a humongous lobby, complete with a trickling multi-story fountain and more white marble and columns than Mark could truly take in. Sweeping staircases led to various levels and wings. He had learned the hard way not to take the layout for granted. The place could twist, turn, and rearrange itself at the whim of the demons who resided inside.

He followed Samuel through silent hallways, down a set of stairs. Into yet another basement, although given how bright it was that was easily forgotten at times. At the bottom a heavy wooden door led to a suite of rooms, which in turn led to what looked like a high-end laboratory. Azrael was not a doctor or scientist but he had a healthy curiosity and often tried to his hand at making potions, testing theories, and even dissections in order to try to understand how their powers were passed down, how they developed, and how each demon drew upon them. Azrael and Mark had not had much interaction; Azrael was an intellectual and preferred to avoid anything that had to do with the human realm at any cost. He had once questioned Mark though, over the course of several days, about his conception, his formative years, his awakening powers. He had been troubled but curious. Mark had told him what he could.

Now, Azrael was seated at a high metal table, writing into a notebook, concentrating so hard that he did not notice he was no longer alone. "The only demon in the entire building who would rather chew on a pencil than the soul of a lost wanderer." Samuel said with a snort. Mark recognized the joke; in some mythologies Azrael was a figure of death. To some demon in other realms, he was a mystery because of his intellectualism – the rare dissection had led some of the more superstitious demons to spread the word that Azrael cut apart demons to find the source of their power to eat and make himself stronger.

Mark doubted that anyone who actually met him would believe that. Azrael could be dangerous, Mark understood that. He had access to a vast library of knowledge he had collected not just over centuries but through millennia. The sedate mind that worked behind mild blue eyes and unremarkable brown hair was sharp, worked fast, and was often ten or more steps ahead of the other demons in the room.

Azrael paused in his writings and gave Samuel a sour look. Then he noticed Mark and a puzzled smile formed on his face. "The hybrid. It has been years since you have been here." He spoke, completely ignoring Samuel.

"Believe me, I would have kept it that way if I could."

"Mark has brought you a gift." Samuel finally said.

"Oh really?" Now his attention was fully on the two demons standing in his doorway. He even set his pencil down.

"Yes. Really." Samuel turned and saw two demons, servants that the house used, were carrying David in their direction. "Just put him on one of the tables for now. Thank you."

They were quiet until the two demons were gone, silently back up the stairs.

"A half demon?" Azrael spoke softly as he rose from his stool.

"Because you have never had the opportunity to experiment fully with one." Samuel spoke as if an explanation were needed.

"He is already broken." But Azrael was just making an observation. He was walking around the table where David was stretched out, pulling on a pair of gloves. "Docile." He looked at Mark. "I take it this trip was not to his knowledge or permission."

"You would be taking it correctly." Mark said. He moved until he stood next to the table and watched in silence as Azrael brought a pair of sharp scissors out of a nearby cabinet. He cut David's clothes away and tossed them into a waiting garbage can.

"He is in remarkable shape, otherwise." Azrael bent low and stared into David's unseeing eyes. "Still in there, screaming. Poor thing does not realize yet what has happened." He looked up at Mark once more. "What price do I pay you for this?"

Mark was not surprised by that. These demons were often offered sacrifices in return for favors. "No price. I would consider it a repayment for favors I performed a long time ago."

Azrael's mild blue eyes had sharpened, turned more intense. Mark could almost feel the man probing into his mind, looking for the truth. And he let him. He could not have stopped him anyway. "You fear for your family."

"Yes. He had already hurt some of them."

Azrael nodded. "Then consider him a null threat. He will never leave this realm."

"I want him to suffer." Mark said softly.

"He will. For a very long time." Azrael took no pleasure in saying it, because he took no pleasure in the truth of it. He needed his specimens to stay alive as long as possible because they were worthless once they were dead. It meant they could suffer for years and even decades under the care of some of their talented demon healers.

"Then that is all I want."

"No." Azrael's eyes had resumed the mild blue. He was done rifling through Mark's thoughts. "There is more. Name it."

"I want nothing. Just for my family to be left alone. They have been through enough as it is."

"Consider that done as well."

Azrael's simple acceptance surprised Mark. He had expected a debate. Then he remembered – the demon had just read his mind. "No retribution."

"There will be nothing left to avenge." Azrael spoke slowly, carefully. "The descendent of Broden is going to make sure of that."

"How?"

"She will make him very proud." Azrael shared a put-upon look with Samuel. "We may not heard the end of it for decades."

Samuel smiled and his black eyes actually twinkled with amusement, hard to believe but true. "She is a force."

Azrael had turned away from the table. He looked through a cabinet and finally pulled out a small glass vial. The amber fluid looked like perfume. He handed it to Mark.

"What is this?"

"A parting gift. You may need it for your mate." Azrael looked almost embarrassed by his sudden concern. "For healing. Humans can be hardheaded, she will not allow any of our descendents to heal her. Slip this to her. A drop in her water every day for three days. She will heal."

Mark smiled at that. Because he knew that no matter how much Vi was hurting she would absolutely refuse to be indebted to one of his kind for help that she could not somehow repay. She would suffer but she would do it her way. He looked at the fluid and wondered how angry she would be with him for using it, then decided it did not matter. The faster she healed, the faster they could rebuild their lives and get this behind them. He would take her anger and love her because of it. He tucked the bottle into his pocket.

"I am going to tell her what is happening here." Mark said. This was the part that he had to truly consider. Because Vi may not feel secure not knowing what was happening to the man who had put them all in danger. "And give her the choice. If she says she wants him killed for her own peace of mind…" He gestured at David.

"Then we will take care of him." Azrael agreed. He smiled. "Do not look so surprised, Mark. By the time she comes to that decision I will have had centuries to pick him apart. There may be nothing left to kill once she decides he is better off dead. Time is different here."

"I know."

"She is human. With the immediate threat removed she may not even like that you have done this much."

"I think you are wrong. You do not know her." Mark said with a half-smile.

"True." Azrael looked to Samuel. "Your terms are acceptable. Consider your family under our protection for this gift." He nodded. Samuel touched Mark on the arm once more. There was a brief pain, a heat, there and gone so fast that he barely registered it. But when Samuel removed his hand, Mark had another tattoo added to his collection. Most of them he had gotten at various tattoo parlors over the years but a few of the special ones denoted his standing in the demon community. Another skull had appeared on his arm. It blended right in, but demons would notice it.

"Take a moment." Samuel said and nodded in David's direction. Azrael heard and reluctantly exited the room with Samuel leading the way.

Mark shook his head. Was he supposed to say goodbye? Fat chance. He did not care what happened to the man on the table. He had never existed as far as Mark was concerned, so his death was not really that big an issue. Glen on the other hand would have been harder. They had grown up together. They had a bond of brotherhood.

He leaned over the table and studied David's dark eyes. There was still nothing there, but Mark could sense somewhere that what remained of the other man was still lost in confusion. "Do not worry. You will not be confused for long. Enjoy eternity. I know I will." He had no idea if what he was saying would get through and did not care. He pushed away from the table and turned to leave the room. He would check in on occasion – but rare occasions. Coming this deep took a toll even on someone with his power. Plus it left a signature. He wanted no one else to risk a trip this deep.

He nodded a goodbye to the two demons who talked quietly in the sitting area and opened a doorway once more. This time he closed his eyes to prepare for the darker realm he would be rejoining.

~!~

"We've got to get out of here." Glen finally said, shifting Vi's weight to settle more comfortably against his chest.

"Without Dad?" Drew asked, not wanting to voice it but unable to stop it from coming out.

"I don't think I have to tell you that he's pretty capable of taking care of himself." Glen looked pointedly at the unconscious woman in his arms. "The longer we're here, the harder it's going to be on Vivian." Jason had tried to help her but it was the only time since they'd found her that Vivian had put up a fight. She would not let him touch her. Whether it was because she did not know him or if she was just fighting to be fighting none of them could tell.

He also didn't like the way Josie looked. She had taken one look at her mother and had grown pale, and withdrawn. But she was still watchful. If Glen hadn't be distracted by everything else he might have noticed it for what it was. Josie worried about her mother of course but there was more anger in her expression than anything else.

"We at least need to head back the way we came." Josie finally spoke although her tone was flat. "We don't have to leave without your dad, Drew but we might want to get out of the middle of town."

Even though he hated doing it, Drew had to agree that she had a point. He could sense others here now and could also sense the panic that was growing. Their leader was dead. Even with what Josie had done earlier there were still those willing to stand up to the intruders. Drew knew that they were just trying to gear themselves up to avenge Haden's death.

Josie wasn't too worried about them, which would have worried Drew if he had been paying attention. Without Haden or any of the other leaders, they were a rowboat without a paddle as far as she was concerned. The demon who had come out with Glen had so far stuck close to Penelope's side. She did not seem overly concerned about him. Josie trusted her judgment. He would be her problem to deal with if he decided to try anything.

She let her eyes fall on her mother's face for a moment, and felt a bolt of pain shoot through her. After trying to contact her to find her, now Josie was doing all she could to block most of her mother's suffering. She wished she could do something, that healing her or at least helping her was part of the power that she had.

She could only do what she could do though. Josie led the way through the maze of streets and alleys, back the way they had come. Bridger walked beside her, seemingly at ease. She glanced at him from time to time because so far he had proven to be a better tool than all of their powers combined.

The trip back was quicker, maybe because they were not in a hurry. And Josie had to smile at Drew's relieved laugh when his dad appeared from thin air right in front of them as soon as they left the town behind.

"Dad…" Drew ran to him and hugged him, unselfconscious. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so glad to see his father.

"Kiddo. You all right?"

"Yeah. We're…" Drew hesitated and glanced at Glen, who still held Vi. Mark followed his gaze and felt his insides clench. He had not forgotten; but seeing her again was the equivalent of being hit when he wasn't ready for it. Mark ruffled Drew's hair and smiled at him in distraction before stepping in front of his brother and taking Vi from his arms.

Glen let her go willingly enough, watching as Mark got her settled. She did not seem to notice or care that they had switched, but she did not fight against Mark as she had Jason.

"What happened?" Glen asked softly.

Mark raised an eyebrow. "It's taken care of. We should go. I've had about enough of this place."

Glen studied him for a moment and nodded finally. "We're bringing extras." He indicated Jason and Adam.

Mark eyed them calmly. It was funny how all the rage was just gone now that he was back. "We'll deal with them when we get there. I…"

Belatedly Mark realized that Josie was not with them. She had distanced herself, wandered back in the direction that they'd come. Not far but far enough to be able to see the first buildings that marked the edge of town.

Drew frowned in concern and lifted a hand to his temple, idly rubbing his head. "Josie?"

She ignored him. All of them felt the force coming from her – it would be impossible to ignore it. Mark thought the air was damn near electrified. And it happened so fast there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Then he realized something else as well. Vi's eyes were open and she was looking at her daughter, a slight smile on her lips. Josie was not merely pulling from Drew to boost her powers. She was feeding off her mother's pain and boosting herself, somehow.

Red lightning flickered in the distance. There were booms of thunder as well, and it took Mark a moment to realize he could also hear screaming. Josie was using lightning to set buildings on fire. When that wasn't enough she closed her eyes and muttered under her breath. Her eyes slowly opened revealing nothing but red.

And that was when Mark saw it.

Since there was no sky, there were no clouds. But the shape that was tearing through the distant houses was impossible to mistake. Josie had conjure up a tornado.

"Holy shit…" Glen said, more to himself than to anyone else. Penelope moved to stand beside him and took his hand, watching as another funnel appeared, and another. The three tornados shredded everything in their path, leveling wood and brick structures, lifting demons into the air and tossing them into the overhead lightning storm. More structures caught fire and burned. Now there was a light in the distance – it was orange from the glow of the flames.

The screaming faded, replaced only by increasingly loud thunder, the crack and snap of buildings, and the howling wind. Remarkably, the place where they stood was untouched and not even a breeze blew to ripple their clothing.

The destruction only lasted for fifteen minutes but it felt eternal to Mark. Knowing that Josie was systematically wiping out an entire realm of demons and being unable to stop her…

But did he want to stop her? The demon side of him gave a resounding hell no. Mark could be vindictive but this level was well beyond anything that he had ever done in his life.

The wind slowly dropped. The tornadoes pulled back into the dark sky. The quiet was almost as loud as the storms had been. Josie was not even breathing hard. She was looking into the distance where fires still burned and lightning occasionally streaked down from the sky. Mark understood she was picking off stragglers. He tore his eyes away from the destruction and looked at Vi but she had apparently fallen unconscious once more. Whatever Josie had taken from her had drained her.

Drew as well. He stumbled and accepted a hand from Jason. No one spoke as Josie finally turned around to look at them, her eyes once more their normal pleasant blue.

"What? Have I grown a second head?" She was uncomfortable that they were staring. But not shamed at all at the use of her powers.

"Remind me not to piss off the teenage girl." Glen said, letting out a shaking breath. He shared a look with Mark. Both of them had felt it then, the way Josie had drained power from Vi and Drew. "Can we get out of here now? This place has lost all its charm and tourist value." He tried to inject a light tone but it was hard.

"I'm ready now." Josie looked at her mother for a moment, and seemed somehow to shrink, to go more into herself. "Mom needs a doctor."

"I think we can arrange that." Mark said. He cradled Vi closer and watched as Drew reached out and grabbed Josie by her hand. "Let's get out of here." With that he turned and opened the way into the human realm and home.

67

Word had a way of getting around.

Mark worried at first that Josie had painted a rather large target on her back. But she surprised him. She did not care; neither did she let what happened effect her usual disposition. He guessed it had to do with her parents, her upbringing. Josie owned what she was without a qualm. Her envied her the ability to accept it. Maybe it was her human half's influence.

She had left none to seek retribution anyway. Mark had heard whispers, rumors. But one things was known throughout their kind. Josie was not one to be messed with. Neither was her family.

Penelope had come to Mark and told him of Josie's "realm destroyer" nickname. She found it amusing. So did Mark actually but he tried not to show it.

Vi spent almost eight weeks in the clinic's care. She refused to go to the larger hospital just as she refused to be healed by a demon's power. She would not even discuss it after initially refusing. She wasn't denying their powers – which had been Mark's mistake with Rayne. The elders had been right. Vi cold not pay them back and refused help no matter what.

Jess had gone over Vi's injuries with Mark. "Extensive." She was near tears. It hurt her, not being able to use her abilities as a healer to help her friend. "Besides the bruises and scrapes she's got 119 stitches, four cracked ribs, a fractured wrist, dislocated shoulder, fractured ankle…" She could have gone on but Mark's pale face brought her to a halt. "She got beat up, but that's all. No sexual trauma." She knew that had worried him the most, especially considering what David had told him about Rayne's final moments.

Mark had stayed with Vi around the clock the first few days but Jess had put her foot down eventually.

"You aren't helping by being a pest. Go home. She's in good hands here."

Mark had agreed. Reluctantly. Someone was always there with Vi so she was never actually alone or vulnerable. They had instigated a watch roster over Vi without a second thought. It wasn't necessary but the gesture meant a lot to all of them.

Josie did not want to go back to her house without Vi. After checking the destruction once more, Mark had completely understood why. She could have stayed with Ray but Mark moved her into his guest room. She settled in pretty well. Other than worrying about Vi, Josie's behavior was so normal it was almost eerie. It even confounded Drew who told Mark that he could no longer read Josie as well as he had before. He had better luck with Vivian now that her mental block was no longer in place although her thoughts were often muddled or incomplete. Mark figured it would take some time to really break through all those barriers.

Glen had a lot to take care of before he could settle down again. It started with Amanda. She was still sleeping when they had returned. Glen had waved Mark on to the hospital with Vi and the kids, Steve and Randy. He, Penelope, and Adam were left at the ranch. Mark had not asked for details but he knew some anyway. Amanda could heal herself quickly but Adam was used to tormenting demons with abilities like hers. It was not quick. She suffered for her part in the things that had happened. When it was over Adam had cremated her with Penelope as a witness. Amanda never said why she had done any of the things she did, or how she got involved. None of them cared. She was the last loose end.

Glen was the one who addressed the house and started the rebuilding process. He replaced the doors, the carpet. He painted the walls. Everything got deep cleaned. He and Penelope stayed there for the time being until Vi was able to decide what to do. Adam moved into one of the bunkhouses. He was used to hard work and oddly he fit in with the ragtag group of demons who worked for Ray. Mark and Glen did not fully trust him but Penelope did – Adam would not do anything to risk his own neck unless forced into a corner. It made him loyal to a point but it also made him flexible. Haden had only been a leader of the realm, not a role that made Adam consider revenge. He was just glad to be out. And the human realm seemed to suit him.

Vi did not want to spend Halloween in the clinic but her ribs were slow to knit and she could not do much on her own without excruciating pain. Mark found out from a reluctant Jess that Vi was refusing all but the weakest of pain meds.

"You have got to stop." He finally told her one afternoon.

"Stop what?" Vi asked. She was in bed, carefully breathing. Her ribs were very sore that day.

"Stop refusing help. The meds are for your own good."

"How will I know I'm getting better if I can't feel it getting better?" She had thrown back at him. She was grumpy with Mark. A lot. He didn't blame her. He realized he really could be a pest.

God help him, he liked being a pest when it came to Vivian.

"Then let Jess…"

"No." She didn't let him finish the thought.

"You'd never have to pay it back, Vi. It's what she does."

"And good for her. But no." She looked at the cast on her left wrist. "I can't."

Mark raised an eyebrow at that. And decided she could be mad at him if she wanted. When she wasn't looking he used the first drop of Azrael's potion in her water.

The elder was smart. It didn't work overnight but the process sped up. By the end of the week, Vi's aches and pains had faded. By the end of the second week the only problem she had came from her ribs, which were still sore.

Vi did not trust it, of course. "What did you do?" She asked Mark when he brought the kids to take Vi home, two days before Halloween.

"Nothing." At least he could be honest about that. It hadn't been his magic.

She made a noise of disbelief and stared at him for a long moment. He often forgot that the bond worked both ways. She could read him a little as well.

Instead of going to her house, Mark to her to his. He got Vi settled in his room and had to admit it felt so right it was damn near tangible. She took a long hot shower while he unpacked her things. When she came out he was still moving things in his closet.

"I have so much to do at the house." Vi said, sitting on the bed in a towel and watching him.

"It's not going anywhere." He pointed out, eying her wet hair and bare shoulders.

"Obviously." She finger-combed her hair to get the tangles out. "I know Glen cleaned up but the clinic…and I don't even know if I could drag Josie back in after this. I have to help Ray go over the fall books, pay out the fall bonuses…that's from my expense account…"

"Plan a wedding." Mark added when she paused to breathe.

"Plan a…what?"

"A wedding. Ours."

"Oh. Well. I wasn't aware I'd agreed to actually marry you."

Mark smirked at her tone. "You will though." He shut the closet door and turned to look at her.

"Captain Confidence." Vi remarked.

"Josie said Glen can be your flower girl." Mark said with a grin. Vi actually laughed at that, then groaned and held her ribs. The grin turned to concern.

"Don't. I'm just stiff from lying around the clinic for two months." Vi held up a hand.

"Maybe I can help with that a little bit." He sat beside her and tugged at her towel. It was Vi's turn to grin.

"Finally. The real reason you wanted me here."

"And I thought I was being obvious." The towel fell. Mark looked her over, taking in every bare inch of her. She still had a few marks, a few scars. They would heal with time. He honestly didn't care about the scars though. The sight of her was enough to put everything else out of his head.

At least until he reached for her and tried to kiss her. Vi pushed a hand against his chest to stop him.

"I have one question first."

"Yeah?"

"Did you have anything to do with this?" She moved her hair and exposed the back of her neck. Mark saw nothing but smooth skin. He frowned.

"With what?"

Vi sighed and let go of her hair. "I might have blocked out some of what that asshole did but I clearly remember him biting me. And it should have left a scar worse than these…" She traced one on her shoulder. "But it's gone."

"Then that's a good thing."

"Mark…"

"Vivian. Whether you want it or not, these demons like you. They wanted to help you. If one of them snuck past you to get rid of that thing's handiwork then good! I'll give them a fucking medal. Stop looking for ulterior motives."

"I wasn't."

"You are. You don't own anybody anything. They wanted to help because they care. And it's not because of me. This town has always thought that way about you, way before I came into the picture. Besides that, I don't know any healers that can take away a scar. That's advanced work. They can heal but there would still be a scar especially on a full human. Skin trauma is different for demons. Some of them can zip wounds closed like it never happened. Depends on the kind of injury." He made a mental note to ask Samuel next time he checked in. Maybe the potion had done it. Or someone had gotten to Vi, past her defenses. He was curious to know who as well.

"Believe it or not, I know." Vi said with a sigh. "Now, before I so rudely interrupted…"

"You were agreeing without an argument to marry me." He leaned close and kissed her, feeling her smile against his lips.

"Was I?"

"Sure."

"Why would I do that" She said, her breath catching when his hands lightly touched her.

"For starters, because you are madly in love with me." He brushed his lips over hers again. "And you know I'll never let it rest until you do."

Vi snickered. "Ah yes. That's true."

"As soon as you're feeling up to it we'll go pick out a ring and get things going, get it over with."

"Gosh. Romantic and practical." Vi batted her eyelashes at him. "How lucky can a gal get?"

"Your daughter suggested I kidnap you and run off to Vegas. Be happy I only took her half serious."

Vi smiled at that and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him close. "Are we going to talk about what happened?"

"Yes." He didn't hesitate. He knew better now.

"Good. Because I don't remember much."

"I'll fill you in." He half-smiled. "As much as I can anyway. Everybody had a hand in it."

"One piece at a time." Vi said softly. "I know Josie…did something."

"Yeah."

"Is she safe?"

Mark snorted. "Safer than the rest of us. You won't have to worry about her. Especially if she's got people around that she cares about." He pressed his lips against her throat. "Now can I please seduce you before we get into all of that? I'm starting to feel like I've lost my touch."

"If you must." Vi said with a smirk. She slid her hands along his shoulders to tangle her fingers into his hair as he gently sucked on the sensitive skin of her neck. He let his hands roam her smooth skin, lightly touching her sides, back, stomach. For the past eight weeks he'd been unable to convince himself she was here, that they had made it. This was what he needed to make it real.

His whole body ached for her. It was so intense it as almost scary. It wasn't just almost losing her. Mark had realized that for him there could be no real living without her. She was too much a part of him, too far under his skin, and too entrenched in his heart.

"I actually heard that." Vi said softly, her voice hoarse.

"Good. It would be embarrassing to have to say it out loud." He slid a hand up to cup her breast.

"You really are nothing but a giant marshmallow." Vi said with a laugh. "Though to be honest what I do remember from before…it was kind of hot when you went all Incredible Hulk on that guy." Mark pulled back, surprised. "What? Did you think I'd be all shocked and put off by your brute nature? It's not something I'd want to see every day but it's nice to know it's there if I need it, ya know?"

"It wouldn't be the first time somebody was scared off when they saw what I really am." He resumed his slow exploration of her body.

"Welp, I wasn't scared off. In fact, I'm pretty turned on." She linked her fingers behind his neck and pulled him down to kiss him.

Mark didn't treat her as if she'd break. She gave him points for that. But he was careful with her, avoiding her sore spots, letting his hands touch every inch of her before following with his mouth.

~!~

"Practice makes perfect." Josie muttered under her breath. She was at the ranch. So was Drew. Giving her Mom and Mark some time together before they crowded her. Drew was helping Glen and Ray clear exhaust fans for the heaters they used in the barns. Josie was supposed to be making a list of repairs for them to start on next week but she had distracted herself.

This late in the fall, the trees were in full color. The sky was a beautiful sharp blue, a color that seemed to be exclusive to clear October days. She walked into the garden that memorialized the old house and sat on the ground near a row of fall flowers. They were fading but there were still spots of orange, red, and yellow here and there.

Josie was making whirlwinds.

Not big ones. Not the tornadoes that had leveled that other realm. Tiny ones. Only big enough to ruffle the flower petals and knock the dead leaves loose.

The way she figured it, it took more skill to control these small wind-devils than it did to conjure up a huge on. That was all emotion. This was about control.

The funny thing was, she could feel the power trying to get away from her. It wanted to be used. She didn't have to ask the others to know that was a bad thing. Lucky for her, she had her mother's self control. As fun as it would be to whip up a storm, she played with the small whirlwinds instead.

She could control water too. Josie had figured that out on accident when she'd taken a bath instead of a shower one night. She'd been lost in thought, soaking, and had finally noticed the water moving. Not just on the surface but under as well. She had ventured outside during lunch at school, away from the others, and had gone to a small stream that marked the rear of the high school's property. A little flex of power and the water actually reversed direction, flowing uphill instead of down.

It was small potatoes as far as Josie was concerned. She had rolled her eyes at the phrase "untapped potential" numerous times but now she finally understood it. She had more power. She just had to figure out how to unlock it. And control it of course. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this sort of thing could grow to become an addiction worse than any drug. And she realized she'd better get a handle on it quickly. She knew that she could affect a lot of innocent people if she wasn't careful.

The mini wind-devils faded out. Josie breathed a soft sigh and a light breeze once more ruffled the flower petals. It made her smile. If only she had figured this out sooner, she could have saved her mother hundreds of dollars in gifts. The wind ability was pretty entertaining all by itself.

"What are you doing?"Glen's voice made her jump. She had been so lost in thought she had not seen him approach.

"Nothing. Taking up some space."

Glen smiled and sat next to her, dropping a hand on her shoulder. "Playing with your power, you mean."

"That too."

"You should. You don't have to hide it, Josie. Everybody around here understands. And you should learn your limitations."

"I guess." But so far it felt limitless to Josie. "I think I should probably keep some of it from Mom."

Glen snorted. "Right. Because she'd let you? Better she knows all of it."

Josie nodded slowly. "I probably could have done it without Drew."

Glen mulled that over thoughtfully for a moment. "Maybe. Probably. But you might not have been able to shoulder all of the responsibility."

Josie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"How many were killed? Ballpark?"

"Six, seven hundred."

"You think a lot of people can kill that many and walk away without a twitch of conscience?"

"I don't know. Does that make me a sociopath or something?"

"No. Your demon side understood what your human side wouldn't normally consider. Us or them. Black and white. Drew took some of that on himself when he helped you."

"Oh. He hasn't said anything."

"He doesn't need to. He's so much like his dad sometimes it's scary. He'll work through it, same as you will. And he'll learn. Same as you."

"Gonna teach me?"

"Me?" Glen scoffed. "I'm not sure I'm teacher material anymore." But there was something in his voice. Josie caught it and smiled again.

"Maybe you'll surprise yourself."

"I'll think about it. You gonna sit up here and mope or are you gonna do some work today?"

"It's Saturday." Josie sighed. "What about the other one? Jason?"

Glen got to his feet and gave her a hand up. "What about him?"

"He's your dad right? When are you going to deal with it?"

"He's not my dad." Glen made a face and looked past the garden, taking in the view. "Never was. Probably never will be."

"If Mom and Mark get married, he'll be my dad. Technically speaking." Josie smiled and looked thoughtful again. "And I'm ok with that. He's pretty cool."

"He'd be happy to hear that." Glen said with a smirk. "You never fail to amaze me, you know it? You and your mom. All this open acceptance."

"It's how she raised me." Josie said with a shrug, giving credit where it was due.

"I'll talk to him. But no promises. There's a lot of water under our particular bridge." Glen finally said, returning to the topic of Jason.

"That's all right. Water keeps on moving."

"I'm not sure that's good or bad."

"I read it in a fortune cookie." Josie admitted with a grin. Glen chuckled.

"Then it must be true either way." He wrapped an arm over her shoulders. "Come on. Let's get finished and grab some lunch. A diner burger would hit the spot today."

Josie's grin widened. Glen was right. There was no sense in moping. And no hiding from what she was either. There had been enough of that in town to last all of them a lifetime.

Epilogue

"We might have a problem."

Samuel was in his private suite of rooms, meditating. Or trying to. For weeks an odd sort of unrest had been on him. He could not find the inner peace he had taken for granted until recently.

It was Azrael's voice that interrupted him this time.

"Another of your experiments gone wrong?" Samuel asked, opening his eyes. Azrael looked positively flustered. Unusual.

"If only. No. It is the half-demon."

That got Samuel's attention. "He hasn't escaped, has he?"

"Of course not." Azrael looked horrified at the thought.

"Then what is the problem?"

"He knows a descendent of Kristoph."

Samuel snorted. "Impossible. The resurrection line was wiped out centuries ago."

"Yes. So we thought. But residual power…"

"Fades. It's as useless as a parlor trick." But a seed of unease had formed in Samuel's stomach.

"It's worse."

"How?"

"Our half-demon test subject does not have mimicry or the sight, but he knew a demon that did."

"What does that have to do with…"

"Everything!" Azrael shoved his hands through his hair. "She saw the truth. She knew what the half-human was before he did, the one Mark knew as a brother. Even when it was hidden from others she saw it."

"You aren't getting any clearer."

"I know." Azrael groaned in annoyance. "Years ago our experiment was sent to kill a family and take the woman for his master."

"Yes. Mark. Vivian." Samuel was well aware of the circumstances. Mark was one of his descendants after all.

"He failed, only because the woman was not there and his powers were weakened by his handlers." Azrael paced across the room. "He admitted that to me. From the other demon he learned there was a survivor…"

"Yes. The elder family man."

"No. Yes." Azrael looked frustrated. "He thought so. But one of them wasn't just a regular humanized demon."

"The father?"

"No! The husband!"

"But…"

"That's the trouble. He is a transmutation demon. A body snatcher." Azrael went to a small table in the corner and poured himself a stiff drink from the supply that Samuel kept on hand. "He let himself be killed to do it. And his father was the only demon within range."

"So he jumped into his father's body, took it over…"

"The force he used caused the old man's stroke. But it also produced a convenient side effect. He couldn't speak. It made taking him over that much easier."

"So this whole time her husband was alive in another body." Samuel said, not without a hint of wonder in his voice. It was unheard of.

"You miss the point. The girl."

"The daughter." Samuel lifted an eyebrow. "Descended of Broden."

"Maybe partially. But it had been so long it never occurred to me. Water. She can control water."

Now both of Samuel's eyebrows went up. "You believe she's a resurrection demon." He paused. "A true resurrectionist?"

Azrael nodded. "The darkest of the dark arts. If she figured out that she has the power to bring back the dead…"

"Then we'd better hope she doesn't figure it out." Samuel said softly.

"But with her other powers…" Azrael looked sick. "It's her. It has to be. She already controls air and water."

"You believe she'll embody them all?"

"Yes. A hybrid. You know what that means."

Of course Samuel know. All of the elders knew. It was the reason that hybrids were forbidden. They were powerful, yes. Their demonic force was compounded by human emotion. But they had foreseen the emergence of a hybrid that embodied all of the true powers. Elemental powers. And the power of life over death.

"Do we warn them?"

Samuel was horrified at the thought. "No. Absolutely not. With luck no one but us will know. The other demon, the one with the sight, she's dead yes?"

"Yes."

"And the body snatcher? The father?"

"Apparently he's only there to observe and protect. Although he can't do much without exposing the truth of what he is."

"He's a problem."

"No. He understands he's dead. But they still needed him."

"He called to Mark, didn't he?" Samuel asked, knowing it was true even as he spoke it.

"I believe so. He knew Mark would protect her with his life." Azrael thought it over. "Both of them."

"Good." Samuel sighed. "Now we have to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Azrael knew. He just needed to hear it spoken aloud.

"For war." Samuel closed his eyes. "The one that will wipe all of us out if we allow it to happen. If she uncovers her powers of resurrection then none of us are safe no matter what realm we inhabit."

Azrael said nothing more to that. He could not. They could only hope that the girl never discovered what she truly was, that she would be happy controlling the wind and water. But he knew from his experiments that humans were curious by nature. And since she was half demon she would be driven to understand and know about the powers she possessed.

"A resurrection demon." Azrael muttered. In the darkest part of his mind a part of him was interested in spite of the potential danger. Wiping out the resurrectionists had been no small feat. The only point in their favor was that there were few of them. While some demons had a spark of resurrection power – the ability to bring back the freshly dead, and then only if they were intimate acquaintances – a true resurrection demon could raise the dead and command entire armies of them. The thought of unleashing that sort of power on the human realm…

Azrael suppressed a shudder and gulped the whiskey he'd poured, mindless to the taste or the burning sting in his throat. He could think of nothing else to do to stop the rising panic in his mind.

The End