8.30 – Freedom

The Weapon’s POV

The smooth grainy ground against my claws. The cold night air flowing through my brushed hair. My feet slowly swinging back and forth in the hole. This is called freedom.

“You’re free little girl. You should smile more. You are quite the downer for the group.”

This is what the woman had told me on the second sunrise.

People wish for freedom. I do not understand why.

If I were to wish for something, it would not be freedom. I would wish to see the people who have called me…friend.

Kevil.

Lance.

RayRay.

I miss them.

My legs swing back and forth in the empty grave.

With luck I might see them again. But death is a funny thing. It makes people sleep and buries them underground. I’m afraid if I keep being free I won’t have the chance to see them again before they become dead.

Time passes very quickly.

I knew the boy who was in this grave. We shared our imprisonment. Now he is with death.

“Finally. Here we go.” Velor said with a relieved sigh. He dropped the golden object he had retrieved from the corpse into a plastic bag and wiped his red hands on a cloth.

“This would’ve all been done a lot quicker if you didn’t have this ridiculous fear of planes.”

“The exercise did us some good.”

“Hardly. What is there to be scared of anyway? It flies as smoothly as a bird. Planes don’t crash that often.”

“I’m not talking about this with you.”

She sighed. “Where to next vampire?”

“I don’t know why you keep calling me that. You’re one too you know.”

“I’m well aware of that fact.”

“And you haven’t thanked me for that yet.”

“Oh? Was I supposed to thank you?”

“I did break you out. I could’ve left you there to rot.”

“How much would it irritate you if I never thanked you?”

Velor narrowed his eyes.

“You’re very frustrating sometimes.”

“Probably why you insist I tag along with you.”

“Don’t kid yourself. You’re the one begging to be in on the action.”

Legs swinging back and forth.

Back.

And.

Forth.

***

Xavier’s POV

For the following two months James disappeared and Annaliese worked hard to use all my spare time to make me practice my magic. I insisted we practiced in an isolated place. She found that weird, but didn’t question it. I just didn’t want my roommates to find out. I don’t know why since Traz knew so he’d probably already told everyone else.

The first time I showed her what I could do, she couldn’t help herself and laughed. Guess I can’t blame her, all I was doing was waving lights around. It’s really the only thing I’m good at.

I got discouraged easily at first, but then Annaliese started teaching me a few simple incantations. Changing the colors of flowers, giving someone extra luck, and conjuring a simple apple type of spells.

When I was actually able to successfully cast some of them I became an eager student. The more I trained with Annaliese the more I felt like I could control this power and make something of it other than light shows and breaking windows.

After a few weeks, Annaliese agreed to teach me a harder spell, the one she called ‘the identification spell’.

I’d expected to get it on the first try. All the other ones had been relatively easy and my confidence in my powers had grown. But when I’d try the spell it had sizzled and failed. I’d tried again and again and again, but each time I’d get it wrong.

It took me a week before I even got it right, and that’s after I’d given up once or twice.

Even though the frustration of not getting the spell to work was still fresh in my mind, the satisfaction of casting it was overwhelming.

With it, I managed to glance at Annaliese’s profile. I was surprised to see the name on her profile wasn’t Annaliese Lancaster.

When I told her what I saw she said it was normal because she’d given herself that name. She’d been an orphan all her life.

I informed her about her parents, which she said had died long ago, but when I told her I saw a brother her eyes widened in surprise.

So I told her his name: Ryan Benson. She thanked me, and then like nothing happened, she insisted we keep practicing.

Obviously that’s not all I did, I continued my studies, and kept practicing with the band. I also went back to the Talent Troupe website for a second attempt. This time I just lurked around and after reading a few forums I started to get the sense that something was brewing. But no one had the specifics and they all pointed to one particular thread that I apparently couldn’t access.

TicToc35: It’s for special members only.

Whitelight: How do you become a special member?

TicToc35: They have to choose you. It’s a system to prevent ‘spies’ from getting in on what’s going on.

But even if I didn’t have access to it, the rumors circulating the other threads were enough to give me goose bumps. Particularly the ones about supernaturals and naturals alike getting jumped.

All of it stemmed from the news report about a new supernatural creature that had aired. I hadn’t seen it myself, I had to search it up. Some people were outraged that the supernaturals just wouldn’t die out and they just kept coming back in different forms. Others were relieved thinking this would mean supernaturals weren’t going extinct after all. That was me. I thought with this all the conflict would be over with, but then I had a conversation with someone else on the net. Someone I’d already talked to before.

VKBlue: Everyone’s predictions are wrong. That thing on tv’s been alive for a very long time.

Whitelight: she looked pretty young

VKBlue: You must be pretty young too if you’re going to judge based on appearances. Magic can do really weird things. Like, oh I don’t know, make someone immortal.

Whitelight: Really? Is there a spell for that?

VKBlue: I doubt it, but I’m a vampire remember? I don’t know much of anything about witches and spells. But I do know that the girl is hundred if not thousands of years old.

Whitelight: How? Have you met her or seen her?

VKBlue: Personally? Nope. But I do know of a few people who have.

VKBlue: I’ve answered quite a few questions! My turn? How about…

VKBlue: Did you know your username is someone I know’s last name?

Whitelight: Oh really? Who?

VKBlue: XD

VKBlue: A whole lot of people.

While I made some interesting friends on the website, I had to watch some of my old friends go through some stuff.

Namely Xenia and Teo. In the first month Teo tried to win Xenia’s trust back and for a moment there I thought it was working…but then he messed it all up by making out with Samantha, the drummer in my band.

Xenia got inexplicably angry and the fight this time made it clear that there was no way their relationship was ever going to be salvaged, let alone their friendship. Even Teo got the message this time that he’d gone too far.

Now it’s pretty much impossible for them to be in the same room.

And then of course there was my oldest friend who called to give me the wondrous news.

She’d given birth.

I didn’t hesitate and drove back home on the weekend that followed to meet the baby.

***

No one’s POV

Erin’s finger traced the lines on the ever so familiar book. She read the words she’d already read several times before. This time however, she used a permanent marker to block out all the things that were impossible for her to do in this time and age.

And she marked the pages of potions she could do that could be worth looking into.

Getting back into potion making was the best idea she could’ve had.

“-and like it’s not like I could’ve known it was her muffin. Not like her name was on it or anything. It was on the table! Rona makes such a big deal out of nothing now that she’s a teen. Really it’s so ridiculous. You know she brings friends home and I want to play with them because Fatima just likes playing with her dumb blocks and what does Rona do? She chases me out! Calling me baby a like I’m not cool enough to hang out with her and her friends. But I think it’s cause she just wants to make out with that boyfriend of hers and she thinks I’ll tell mom and dad. Which I did by the way. They didn’t care, they just laughed. They’re all treating me like a baby! And I’m obviously not a baby because that’d be like saying I’m like you Maxwell and obviously I’m a lot bigger.” Lia vented out to the little boy.

Maxwell didn’t answer, he just squirmed in his bed trying to see Lia who was in his blind spot.

“You might want to head on home soon Lia.” Erin said as she flipped another page.

“What!? How come? Why? I wanna stay! It’s sooo boring at home. Dad won’t let me watch anything other than his weird boring discovery channels and Rona is always painting or hanging out with her friends, and mom…well everyone is just boring boring boring! Maxwell is the most interesting! Can I take him with me?” Lia asked. She had friends, but her favorite people to hang out with was her big brother’s girlfriend and her nephew.

“Sorry hon, but no. I have an old friend coming over to see Maxwell and you’re due home for supper.” Erin replied as she let the book close shut.

“Fine…”

“You be good now. Try not to complain too much about your mum’s meal okay?” Erin asked nuzzling the top of Lia’s head.

“Okay! Okay! I will be very nice!” Lia exclaimed. “And that means I can come again tomorrow right? And the day after that? And after that?”

“When you don’t have school.” Erin said, hugging Lia tightly before sending her off on her way.

Erin picked her son up and observed his little face, his mouth drooping open in an almost bored way while his eyes scoured around curiously often halting to stare back at her.

He was already two weeks old and Erin could already see Maxwell’s personality shining through. She hadn’t expected to see her son as an individual human being until he at least started to walk and talk and express himself properly.

Another thing she hadn’t expected was to love him to bits. She hadn’t really thought farther than the birth and when Maxwell was born she turned a rather cold shoulder towards him. But being stuck for a whole day in the hospital with him she’d slowly warmed up to the little being.

And in that sense, she already saw some of his father in him.

The front door opened and closed as Erin finished taking care of Maxwell’s needs.

“Look at you being all motherly.”

A smile formed on her face and she put her boy down to go glomp her friend.

Even though he’d been gone for only a few months and they’d relatively kept contact she’d missed her best friend. A lot could happen in a few months.

“So…glasses? Didn’t know you needed them…” Xavier said once they separated.

Erin smiled. “It’s just for the look.”

Erin introduced Xavier to Maxwell who took a liking to the little boy as quickly and easily as Lia had. Erin happily told Xavier a lot about Maxwell’s little adventures and the near death experience he had when Lia had tried to hold him.

And then the two friends sat and exchanged stories. Talking to each other face to face and via the internet were two very different things.

Xavier told her all about him meeting his father, joining a band, and finally learning to use his magic properly.

Erin told him all about her search for a job while she was still pregnant with Maxwell, and when that didn’t turn out very well she’d turned to potion making again. At first it was a great way for her to pass the time and not think about things, but then she met some of her old buyers from high school and she got back into making and selling potions. This time her stock was a lot more varied. She was slowly starting to get known.

When Tina came home, hugging her son welcome, the two young adults left Maxwell in her care and went out for a much needed walk because a sore subject had been broached.

“You still haven’t gotten any news from him?” Erin asked.

“No. And at this point I doubt I ever will.” Xavier replied, clenching his jaw.

“Ah come on Erin. I don’t feel like it.” Xavier complained turning to leave, but Erin brought him back around.

“Nonsense. This is going to be your one and only chance to snoop. The new people are moving in next week.” Erin said with a grin.

“Snoop? There’s nothing to snoop. The place is empty.” Xavier said rolling his eyes.

Erin said nothing and dragged Xavier along.

With a little trick she’d gotten in exchange for a potion, Erin opened the door and gestured for Xavier to go in. As reluctant as he was, he eventually gave in. Since he’s already here might as well take a quick look around.

“I never did see the inside of his house…”

“I know.” Erin said. “Come on, show me where his room was.”

“This is where it was. I’m pretty sure. I remember he used to complain on how he had too much space for what he used his room for. All he did was sleep, do homework and write stories. He’d joke that he’d be just as fine in a broom closet or something.” Xavier said, smiling a bit at the memories of their conversations, no matter how dull some of them may have seemed.

It didn’t take much for his smile to turn upside down.

Xavier looked back at Erin’s knowing face and then back in front of him, staring out the window at the sight Edmund must’ve been looking at all the time.

“I miss him.” Xavier admitted in a quiet voice.

Though Xavier was angry, very angry at having being left behind by Edmund that way, it didn’t change the fact that he missed him.

“I know you do…” Erin said quietly, walking over and cupping Xavier’s face. “Just as I thought…you never dealt with this did you?”

Xavier chuckled humorlessly.

“Hard to feel sorry for myself when yours died.” Xavier let out, catching himself almost immediately. “Ah geez sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Erin looked away, resisting the urge to bite her cheek.

“I’m sorry, I’m a jerk. Forget I ever said anything.” Xavier said.

“Xavier, it’s fine. I’m not going to break down because you mention Oliver.” Erin said and Xavier let out a small sigh. “We both loved and lost in the end Xav. We can feel sad about it.”

“But we can also move on.” Erin added with a smile. “We can find other people to love.”

Xavier narrowed his eyes at his friend, sensing something brewing.

“Did you meet someone Erin?”

“Not the type you’re thinking of. But you did, am I right?”

“What?”

“What did you say he was called? Traz?” Erin teased.

“Woah! We’re jumping to conclusions a little too quickly here!” Xavier exclaimed and Erin giggled.

“I’m just kidding. All I’m trying to say is we both need to move on and stop getting mad at the past.” Erin said. “And this is the part where I tell you I’m going on a trip to find how I can move on. And I’m leaving Maxwell with Oliver’s family.”

Xavier’s reaction was instant.

“What? Erin you can’t abandon Maxwell!”

Erin flicked Xavier’s forehead. “Don’t you have ears? Did I say I was abandoning him? I said I was just going on a trip. I’ll be coming back stupid.”

“Oh…where are you going?”

“I don’t know.”

“When are you coming back?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you going to call-”

“I don’t know! The point of this trip is for me to have some…me time. I don’t really know who I am right now Xavier. After the deaths of my parents and Oliver…I lost myself.”

“Can’t you find yourself in the comfort of your home? With your son?”

“First off, it’s not my home. It’s yours. And second off that’s what I tried to do when I was pregnant. But it didn’t work. It was suffocating. I need a breath of new air.” Erin said. “You are aware that I’m not telling you this to get permission right?”

“Yeah…”

“I’ll try and call from time to time. That way you won’t have to worry about me. I don’t think I’ll be gone very long-”

“But Erin, you just gave birth to Maxwell. Can’t you stay and watch him grow a little?”

“That’s exactly why I’m leaving now.” Erin said, offering no further explanation. “Now give me a hug so we can head back home.”

“It sounds like you’re about to get into some serious stuff,” Erin said as they hugged. “So in case I don’t get to give you this in time, here’s my advice for everything. Don’t trust your instincts.”

Xavier snorted and Erin grinned.

 

 

For those of you wondering, here’s cute Maxwell as a toddler.

 

He’s got his mama’s eyes and his daddy’s daddy’s hair.