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 first,” Brandy said. “I
didn’t see any helmets on it.”
“No helmet law here,” Ember said.
“You’re both under twenty-one,” Brandy said.
“So there is a helmet law.”
Ember opened her mouth but Crystal hurried
to keep her cover. “Oh, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry. Uh, I’ve got
my bicycle helmet. Will that work?”
Brandy snorted and then twisted her head. “I
don’t know. I don’t think
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 first,” Brandy said. “I
didn’t see any helmets on it.”
“No helmet law here,” Ember said.
“You’re both under twenty-one,” Brandy said.
“So there is a helmet law.”
Ember opened her mouth but Crystal hurried
to keep her cover. “Oh, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry. Uh, I’ve got
my bicycle helmet. Will that work?”
Brandy snorted and then twisted her head. “I
don’t know. I don’t think
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