All in all, things have become okay. A year ago I would never have thought that. I still blame myself for what happened to Leighton. I’m still learning how to be afuckingsiren. I’ve mostly adjusted to the weirdness of literally feeding off flesh, but I still haven’t quite managed to control my emotions.
I can feel others’ emotions sometimes, but I’m not adept enough to tell when they aren’t mine. Just last week, I got angry because Evan was angry at a video game, and I attacked Shaun out of nowhere.
He shifted into a wolf and gave me a much warranted ass-kicking, and all was fine afterwards.
But it took me a few days to look him in the eyes again.
It’s also been a year since I’ve seen my family. They think I’m dead, but that’s better than them getting hurt by me.
But I’ve created a new life. I have good friends, and I have my music.
The four of us end up in the nave of the church, scattered around the pews. We all live here in the renovated section of the building. The rest of the church is still in need of upgrades, the sanctuary of the church probably most of all, but even still, it’s turned in to a place where we come to blow off steam or just hang out.
It’s a little drafty in here, especially with how cold it’s turning outside, so I pull the sleeves of my wool sweater over my fingers to help ward off the chill.
Shaun passes me a beer from a cooler he brought in and hands another to Evan. Benny is walking a pew like it’s a balance beam, holding out both arms and putting one foot directly in front of the other. As he passes Shaun and the cooler, Shaun puts out a beer for him to grab and he continues down the aisle.
“We need more artwork in here,” he muses, as he reaches the end and turns around in one graceful movement.
In a blink of an eye he uses his vampire speed to race back the way he came and back towards me. He plants himself next to me.
“How are you not exhausted?” Shaun muses.
“Shows always give me the zoomies afterwards,” Benny replies, shrugging. He opens the beer and takes one long pull from it.
“I always get the zoomies during the show,” I say, opening my beer as well and taking a sip.
“I’ve noticed.” Benny grins.
Evan comes over and nudges Benny’s foot. “What about the artwork?”
Benny shrugs. “I dunno. Can’t we replace that thing?” He points to the massive cross hanging above the altar.
Evan laughs. “I kind of like it, actually.”
“Then let me paint a mural on that wall,” Benny pleads, pointing to our left. “I just think this place needs a bit of color.”
“You can paint one,” Evan finally relents. “But it needs to be something really grand. A masterpiece, okay?”
Benny grins. “All my works are masterpieces.” He winks at Evan and zooms off in a blur to grab his supplies.
Shaun and I look at Evan with brows raised. He hasn’t even let me change the color of my bedroom walls. He shrugs. “We’regonna be practically tearing this portion down to the studs at some point anyways.”
Shaun and I share amused grins. I hear footsteps towards the entrance to the sanctuary and look around, expecting to see Benny hauling in an armful of paint supplies, but instead my heart stammers and I can’t breathe.
Evan, Shaun, and I are all on our feet in a matter of seconds.
“Who the fuck are you?” Evan asks, his voice dripping with violence.
The church is completely locked, so he must have had to break in.
I put myself in between my friends and my cousin, who’s completely ignoring Shaun and Evan and staring at me like he’s seen a ghost.
Which is fair.
“Pisces?” Simon asks, his voice raw. He swallows a few times, trying to get his throat working. “It really is you.”
His shock heats into anger.
