worthless ass alive, so you do what I tell you, when I tell you.”
Crystal opened her mouth but Ember thrust a finger at her. A finger with a nail that looked a little longer and a little more curved and pointed than it should have.
“You don’t ask questions. You act and then later, if you’re still alive, you can try to figure out what’s going on,” Ember explained. “Now, why I’m older than you but I look better? I changed when I was sixteen.”
“ Changed?”
Ember fixed her with a stare and then clamped her teeth together. Crystal winced. “We age, but not as fast. It’s a fountain of youth. We’re stronger, faster, heal quicker, can see and smell better, and pretty much can run circles around any norm in the world.”
“ Norm?” Crystal asked. “What’s that?”
“ Normal person.”
“ Oh. So, uh, that sounds pretty good. But you live in dingy trailers. Are you guys like gypsies or something?”
“ We have to,” Ember said. She turned and looked around the room and focused on a lava lamp. She reached over and turned it on and watched it as a red light radiated from the liquid while it warmed up. She turned to look at Crystal and finished her explanation. “We’re monsters.”
“ Monsters? You make it sound like a gift.”
“ You can return a gift,” Ember said.
“ What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ember shrugged. “You don’t need to worry about it.”
“ I don’t? Seems like I’ve got a lot to worry about, if what you and your friends tell me is true!”
“ Of course it’s true.”
“ How do I know? Maybe you’re just trying to scare me.”
Ember glowered at her. “Yeah, because scaring kids is our thing. We get off on it.” Ember shook her head and narrowed her eyes into slits. “Do I need to shift again to remind you how real this is?”
Crystal leaned back until she touched the wall. She shook her head and forced her heart out of her throat. “No,” she squeaked. She winced and forced herself to prove she wasn’t as scared as she really was. “Then I’d have to explain to my mom why a dog shed all over the floor.”
Ember ’s fists clenched at her sides and trembled. In a menacing tone, she growled, “You’ve got balls, but you’re stupid. I’m the only person between you and a fate worse than death. You should show me some respect.”
Crystal swallowed and nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just not much of an ass-kisser, I gue—”
“ Nobody’s saying kiss my ass. Just don’t be so catty. You know what wolves do to cats, right?” Ember asked with a glint in her eyes. “And if you even think about turning the ass-kissing line into a joke about me licking myself, I swear to whatever god you worship that you’ll need to be more afraid of me than you do what’s waiting for you out there.”
Crystal grimaced. “Heard that joke before?”
“ I’ve heard them all.”
She nodded. “Okay, um—”
A knock at Crystal ’s door interrupted her. Her mom stuck her head in and smiled. The smile faded when she saw how Ember was standing. “Is there something wrong, girls?”
Ember relaxed while Crystal shook her head. “No, just a misunderstanding. We’re cool now.”
Brandy tilted her head. She saw the smiles on both girls ’ faces and pursed her lips together. “Okay, well, if there is, I don’t want any trouble in here, okay? And speaking of trouble, I didn’t realize the motorcycle I heard was yours, Ember.”
Ember turned to face her. “Oh, sorry. Is that a problem?”
Brandy frowned and looked at Crystal. “You rode on it with her?”
“ Kind of had to get home somehow.”
She shook her head. “I’ve seen a lot of people hurt on motorcycles.”
Ember stiffened and then relaxed. “Brandy, I’m a good driver. Very defensive—it’s almost always the people in cars that cause accidents, so I know what to look for. I’ve been riding my whole life and never laid my bike down once.”
“ There’s always a
Crystal opened her mouth but Ember thrust a finger at her. A finger with a nail that looked a little longer and a little more curved and pointed than it should have.
“You don’t ask questions. You act and then later, if you’re still alive, you can try to figure out what’s going on,” Ember explained. “Now, why I’m older than you but I look better? I changed when I was sixteen.”
“ Changed?”
Ember fixed her with a stare and then clamped her teeth together. Crystal winced. “We age, but not as fast. It’s a fountain of youth. We’re stronger, faster, heal quicker, can see and smell better, and pretty much can run circles around any norm in the world.”
“ Norm?” Crystal asked. “What’s that?”
“ Normal person.”
“ Oh. So, uh, that sounds pretty good. But you live in dingy trailers. Are you guys like gypsies or something?”
“ We have to,” Ember said. She turned and looked around the room and focused on a lava lamp. She reached over and turned it on and watched it as a red light radiated from the liquid while it warmed up. She turned to look at Crystal and finished her explanation. “We’re monsters.”
“ Monsters? You make it sound like a gift.”
“ You can return a gift,” Ember said.
“ What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ember shrugged. “You don’t need to worry about it.”
“ I don’t? Seems like I’ve got a lot to worry about, if what you and your friends tell me is true!”
“ Of course it’s true.”
“ How do I know? Maybe you’re just trying to scare me.”
Ember glowered at her. “Yeah, because scaring kids is our thing. We get off on it.” Ember shook her head and narrowed her eyes into slits. “Do I need to shift again to remind you how real this is?”
Crystal leaned back until she touched the wall. She shook her head and forced her heart out of her throat. “No,” she squeaked. She winced and forced herself to prove she wasn’t as scared as she really was. “Then I’d have to explain to my mom why a dog shed all over the floor.”
Ember ’s fists clenched at her sides and trembled. In a menacing tone, she growled, “You’ve got balls, but you’re stupid. I’m the only person between you and a fate worse than death. You should show me some respect.”
Crystal swallowed and nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just not much of an ass-kisser, I gue—”
“ Nobody’s saying kiss my ass. Just don’t be so catty. You know what wolves do to cats, right?” Ember asked with a glint in her eyes. “And if you even think about turning the ass-kissing line into a joke about me licking myself, I swear to whatever god you worship that you’ll need to be more afraid of me than you do what’s waiting for you out there.”
Crystal grimaced. “Heard that joke before?”
“ I’ve heard them all.”
She nodded. “Okay, um—”
A knock at Crystal ’s door interrupted her. Her mom stuck her head in and smiled. The smile faded when she saw how Ember was standing. “Is there something wrong, girls?”
Ember relaxed while Crystal shook her head. “No, just a misunderstanding. We’re cool now.”
Brandy tilted her head. She saw the smiles on both girls ’ faces and pursed her lips together. “Okay, well, if there is, I don’t want any trouble in here, okay? And speaking of trouble, I didn’t realize the motorcycle I heard was yours, Ember.”
Ember turned to face her. “Oh, sorry. Is that a problem?”
Brandy frowned and looked at Crystal. “You rode on it with her?”
“ Kind of had to get home somehow.”
She shook her head. “I’ve seen a lot of people hurt on motorcycles.”
Ember stiffened and then relaxed. “Brandy, I’m a good driver. Very defensive—it’s almost always the people in cars that cause accidents, so I know what to look for. I’ve been riding my whole life and never laid my bike down once.”
“ There’s always a
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