Page 83 of Tidal Creatures

Isabella is already at the start of her grieving. She’ll do what she can to keep Luis from starting his before he’s ready.

Artemis flashes him a smile as bright as summer and rings the doorbell, the sound echoing through the house and not quite fading before the door opens and Erin is standing there, looking starkly unsurprised by the assembly on the porch.

“Guest room’s down the hall, last door on the left before the bathroom,” she says. “Just ignore the books, and the boxes. Dodger shoves anything she doesn’t want left out in the open in there, says it’s unrealistic for us to have a basement in this part of California, and since I live in the attic, she’s trying to respect my privacy.”

“How many rooms does this place have?” asks Isabella, stepping inside and gesturing for Luis to follow.

“How many does it need?” asks Erin philosophically. She looks to Luis as he crosses the threshold, her gaze startlingly like a hawk’s. It’s sharp, and predatory, and pins him in place. “Who are you?”

“This is my—” begins Isabella.

Erin shifts that sharp, predatory look over to her. “Did I ask you?”

“No,” says Isabella.

Erin looks back to Luis. “Just checking. Who are you?”

Luis swallows hard. “I’m, um. I’m Luis Diaz? Anna and my mom said we had to come here for a while. I’m in sixth grade and your eyes are really blue. I’ve never seen eyes like yours. Are you wearing anime contacts?”

“No,” says Erin. “These are just my eyes. But that’s a good question, and it’s always a good idea to look at people’s eyes. You can tell a lot of things from eyes. Are you going to be okay sharing a room with your mother for a few days?”

Isabella holds her breath as she awaits the answer. She’s sure if he says “no,” Erin will nod and casually mention another guest room, keeping to her promise that they have as many rooms as they need. But she doesn’t want him in a different room. She’s a widow so recent that she doesn’t even have a death certificate yet, and she doesn’t want to be alone.

“Oh, yeah,” says Luis. “We share a hotel room when we drive to LA to see my grandparents. It’s fun. Like sleepaway camp, only my parents are there.”

“Very well, then,” says Erin. “Enter freely, and be not afraid.”

Luis giggles. “You’re funny,” he says, and heads down the hall. Isabella follows.

Artemis is the last of the three to step inside. She waits until Isabella and Luis pass out of earshot, then sighs heavily and shakes her head.

“You were right,” she says. “I needed to be there. I just needed to be there a little sooner than I was, that’s all.”

“Her husband’s not going to join them, is he?” asks Erin, as she looks at Bobby, who has settled at Artemis’s feet, sitting as politely as any long-trained show dog.

Artemis shakes her head.

“Well, shit.”

“Yes, that sums it up nicely.” Artemis sighs. “I need to go check on my—on Kelpie. Can you handle them from here?”

“Can she tell me what happened? Because I’d like to know before you go if you’re not sure she can.”

“One of the alchemists who’s been sniffing around the place recently got hold of someone Isabella knew, and used them as the basis for making an auf. Then they set it loose, and it followed Kelpie’s trail back to Isabella’s apartment complex.”

Erin frowns. “She said she’d put up wards.”

“Well, something took them down.” Artemis shrugs. “The creature was in the process of breaking down the apartment door when Isabella’s husband came home and interrupted. The auf backed off to let him undo the locks, and then ripped out most of his internal organs through his back.”

Erin’s frown becomes a grimace. “Oof. That’s a nasty way to die.”

“At least it’s a fast one. He went down, the auf broke the door open as I was getting there, and I shot it before it could get to Isabella.” Artemis pauses, looking at Erin. “I pulled my bow before moonrise. I pulled it, and it was solid and real and when I shot the auf, the auf went down. During the day. I’ve never been able to do that before.”

“It’s almost the eclipse, and you found your Hind,” says Erin. “Both those things turn your power up. She’s out back, by the way. Máni is out there with her. Chang’e came inside when she finished checking out the peach tree, thanked me for letting her look, and then she did that funky trick you people do, where she stepped back and let someone else take over. The human chick she’s time-sharing with. Judy? She’s in Roger’s office now, probably quizzing him on verb tenses or something.”

“I hope they’re having a nice time?” says Artemis uncertainly, glancing toward the kitchen door. “Do you mind if I…?”

“No, go ahead. I’ll stay here and deal with the sad human and her son.”