adopted sister Andromeda.”
Manny raised his eyebrow. “Adopted? From where?”
“It’s a long story,” I told him. There was no need to elaborate.
“Dro’s asked for us to help find out what she is, and Constance wants to be a demon slayer.”
Suddenly, I was the more interesting one. “You want to kill demons?” Manny asked me.
I nodded once.
“Why on earth would you want to do that?”
I kept all emotion off my face. I didn’t let him see the deep, dangerous anger that built up when I thought about the monsters and the way they had destroyed everything we’d ever known. How they’d broken down all the walls of safety we’d built with our parents. How they’d forced me to do things that had stained my soul so darkly that no amount of redemption would save me from the pits of Hell.
I didn’t let him see that I was tired of being afraid of the monsters, the Blood Thorns, life on the run. Of Dro’s hidden nature.
“I have my reasons,” I said flatly. “And they aren’t your business.”
Max shrank back a little, and Manny regarded me as a threat. Which I was. Manny was probably getting ready to kick me out of his house, but Dro came to the rescue.
“What my sister means to say is that these demons, have been hunting us for years.” Her ice blue eyes were haunted. “There have been times where they’ve almost killed us. She needs to learn how to fight them as best as she can, and I need to understand what I am and why they’re after me.”
Dro looked at Manny. “I don’t know what we can offer you, but we need any help you can give. We can’t do this alone. Please.”
I hated hearing Dro beg. It pulled at my heart and made me feel like less of the protective, providing sister I was supposed to be. It wasn’t my fault, or hers. It was our lives. Still, I couldn’t help but look back at everything that had happened to us, and wondered what might have happened if I had done something differently. If I could have kept us both from starving and begging and fighting a little while longer.
There was a long silence after Dro’s request. I didn’t like it. It gave them too much time to think rationally and throw us out. It was going to happen. Nobody wanted to take in strays like us.
Or so I thought.
“Dad, they came here because no one else would help them,” Max explained. He looked at Dro and me. “Right? No one else believed you or took you seriously.”
I did nothing, but Dro nodded. Max looked at his father again.
“Besides, Dro can help with your research. She’s something the world hasn’t seen before. She can–”
“Whoa, hold on a second,” I spoke over him. “My sister is not going to be a Guinea pig.”
Max narrowed his eyes at me. “That isn’t what I was trying to suggest–”
“Then you shouldn’t have said it.”
Tension built in the room. Manny moved closer to his son, ready to defend him if I decided to get meaner.
“I’ll answer any questions you have, Manny,” said Dro.
I looked at her. “Dro…”
“They aren’t going to hurt us, Constance. I can feel it.”
Meaning she’d used her powers to take a peek into their minds. But she’d only seen what they were thinking now, at this single moment. When she wasn’t looking, anything could change. Smart people knew how to hide their true intentions, saving them for when they would do the most damage. I’d experienced it a thousand times over back in my cartel days. Everyone looked out for themselves first. The rest of us were left to choke on the dust they kicked in our faces.
I must have been scowling fiercely, because Manny’s shoulders tensed when he looked at me. Dro turned her sweetest smile on him.
“You’ll have to forgive my sister,” she said. “She’s very defensive. But I’ll be more than happy to work with you.” She paused. “I need to understand what I am.”
Manny regarded her with interest, becoming more and more intrigued by her. He didn’t look at her
Manny raised his eyebrow. “Adopted? From where?”
“It’s a long story,” I told him. There was no need to elaborate.
“Dro’s asked for us to help find out what she is, and Constance wants to be a demon slayer.”
Suddenly, I was the more interesting one. “You want to kill demons?” Manny asked me.
I nodded once.
“Why on earth would you want to do that?”
I kept all emotion off my face. I didn’t let him see the deep, dangerous anger that built up when I thought about the monsters and the way they had destroyed everything we’d ever known. How they’d broken down all the walls of safety we’d built with our parents. How they’d forced me to do things that had stained my soul so darkly that no amount of redemption would save me from the pits of Hell.
I didn’t let him see that I was tired of being afraid of the monsters, the Blood Thorns, life on the run. Of Dro’s hidden nature.
“I have my reasons,” I said flatly. “And they aren’t your business.”
Max shrank back a little, and Manny regarded me as a threat. Which I was. Manny was probably getting ready to kick me out of his house, but Dro came to the rescue.
“What my sister means to say is that these demons, have been hunting us for years.” Her ice blue eyes were haunted. “There have been times where they’ve almost killed us. She needs to learn how to fight them as best as she can, and I need to understand what I am and why they’re after me.”
Dro looked at Manny. “I don’t know what we can offer you, but we need any help you can give. We can’t do this alone. Please.”
I hated hearing Dro beg. It pulled at my heart and made me feel like less of the protective, providing sister I was supposed to be. It wasn’t my fault, or hers. It was our lives. Still, I couldn’t help but look back at everything that had happened to us, and wondered what might have happened if I had done something differently. If I could have kept us both from starving and begging and fighting a little while longer.
There was a long silence after Dro’s request. I didn’t like it. It gave them too much time to think rationally and throw us out. It was going to happen. Nobody wanted to take in strays like us.
Or so I thought.
“Dad, they came here because no one else would help them,” Max explained. He looked at Dro and me. “Right? No one else believed you or took you seriously.”
I did nothing, but Dro nodded. Max looked at his father again.
“Besides, Dro can help with your research. She’s something the world hasn’t seen before. She can–”
“Whoa, hold on a second,” I spoke over him. “My sister is not going to be a Guinea pig.”
Max narrowed his eyes at me. “That isn’t what I was trying to suggest–”
“Then you shouldn’t have said it.”
Tension built in the room. Manny moved closer to his son, ready to defend him if I decided to get meaner.
“I’ll answer any questions you have, Manny,” said Dro.
I looked at her. “Dro…”
“They aren’t going to hurt us, Constance. I can feel it.”
Meaning she’d used her powers to take a peek into their minds. But she’d only seen what they were thinking now, at this single moment. When she wasn’t looking, anything could change. Smart people knew how to hide their true intentions, saving them for when they would do the most damage. I’d experienced it a thousand times over back in my cartel days. Everyone looked out for themselves first. The rest of us were left to choke on the dust they kicked in our faces.
I must have been scowling fiercely, because Manny’s shoulders tensed when he looked at me. Dro turned her sweetest smile on him.
“You’ll have to forgive my sister,” she said. “She’s very defensive. But I’ll be more than happy to work with you.” She paused. “I need to understand what I am.”
Manny regarded her with interest, becoming more and more intrigued by her. He didn’t look at her
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