Trust

The relocation took about three days total. We packed up the blood samples, weaponry, and one small personal bag of items each. Eden says I should get use to packing light.

The house we move into is a bit smaller than the last one and many cities over. I decide not to question how we are able to obtain/afford a new home so easily but it does bother me. The home is barely furnished since we mainly focused our efforts on purchasing and placing new fridges and freezers into the basement for the blood collection. 

Frost promises me he is working on selecting comfortable furniture but for the time being we would have to make do. This doesn't bother me too much anyways since I've been use to living in tiny dorms with not so much as a couch to my name.

What does bother me is that I am now forced to share a room with Pepper. I mourn losing a personal room as my mental safe space in this new place but understand I'm in no position to protest. I know that my general comfort is not going to be taken into account with Vicky and Selene calling the shots.

Pepper has barely spoken to me since I've joined the group as she only speaks to me about tasks if she has to. Apart from being stabbed and slapped by her, I haven't had any significant interactions with her. It’s a shame too since back in my university days I thought we could be friends. But I’m pretty sure right now she wants nothing to do with me. 

I’m unpacking some clothes and other items into a dresser when Pepper walks in. I don’t make eye contact. “I left the closet for you,” I say. “I don’t have much of a need for it.”

“Neither do I,” Pepper says. “But I will use it.”

There’s a long break of silence while the two of us sort out our belongings. It doesn’t take either of us much time to sort through most of it since we have so few belongings. But the tension is so uncomfortable that I’m struggling to bear through it. I want so badly to insist I share a room with Eden instead but I know I shouldn’t defy orders. Maybe I could simply avoid interacting with her and only come in the room late at night-

“Jade-“

I freeze. Pepper is staring at me, arms crossed, and leaning against a wall two feet away from me. 

“Yeah,” I try to say comfortably. 

“I-“ Pepper says, she looks away. “Are you worried about rooming with me?”

I don’t answer right away. “Does it really matter who we room with?” I say. “Are you upset about rooming with me?”

“No. I hope you’re comfortable.”

We stay silent for a little while until we inevitably end up finishing unpacking.

“Jade.”

“Hmm yes?”

“I hope you know I have no personal ill intentions towards you. I was scared of what was happening.”

"Happening?"

"Back in the forest. When I - almost killed you."

"You fully intended on killing me. Eden was the one who saved me."

"I was doing what I thought was best for Eden."

"You were doing what you thought was best for yourself. Don't twist things around."

The tone of my voice is stern, serious and very foreign to me. Before all of this I would have never even dreamed of speaking back to an individual with this kind of audacity, especially not someone who tried to murder me. 

“Would you ever consider forgiving me?”

"No."

"Well will you at least try to move past it? I am not the kind of person you want to make enemies with and I've already got a pretty long list of people who want me dead and I don't need to add another name to it."

In truth I am so relieved that Pepper isn’t upset with me. But still-

"How can I trust you?" I say.

Pepper laughs bitterly. "Trust? We don't trust anyone around here." Pepper leans closer to me. "Just trust the simple facts. I don't want to kill you. You don't want to kill me. For now we work together to stay alive. Deal?"

"Okay. Can I ask you something, Pepper?"

Pepper looks to me intently. 

“What do you know about Feyer?"

Pepper looks away and sighs. “Not much more than you,” she says. “He’s an angel of darkness who leads an entire group of angels and other sorts of twisted magical beings. What’s worse is he’s powerful and possesses supernatural abilities beyond your imagination.”

“Like how?“

“I'm not sure. We should ask Frost or Eden. They might know more since they've been around Vicky and Selene longer.”

We make our way to Eden and Frost's new room. Frost is the one who lets us in and I take a quick look around. Their room is a little bigger since they also share with James but I note how they don't seem to have many more belongings and personal items then Pepper and I. Their floors and countertops appear to be freshly clean. Eden is also in the room sat at a corner desk but James is no where to be seen. I close the door behind us.

"Frost and Eden," Pepper says. "What do you two know about Feyer? Do you know what he might be planning? Why he's here all of a sudden?"

Eden looks straight at Frost who returns his gaze, but ultimately neither of them answer right away. Frost looks to the two of us and gestures us to get closer. Pepper and I do as such and the four of us are huddled in a tight circle.

"My guess is that they're after Selene," Frost says. "Maybe Vicky too."

"As in," I say. "He wants them to come back home?"

"Not in the way you're probably thinking where a father is missing the presence of his two children. He wants their powers - or more specifically Selene's."

"Why?"

"What do you know about angels, Jade?"

"Pfft. Nothing," Eden says. I give him an annoyed look. “Listen," Eden says. "Angels in our world is not the same as what you hear or see in pop culture or media. They're magical creatures who possess specific magical abilities. Vicky is what is known as a contract angel, meaning she has the ability to give you anything you want in a written exchange. Some would say contract angels have the ability to grant your greatest wish."

"But for a price," Frost says.

"Yeah I know," I say. "Eden told me this before when he was explaining why he's-" I don't finish my sentence.

Frost sighs. "Well Eden and I are in the same predicament. I signed a contract with Vicky too, giving her full control over me and James and any future vampires I may convert."

"But that's not important right now," Pepper says. "What kind of angel is Selene then?"

"She is the same as her father," Eden says. "She's a fate angel, with the magical ability to alter a person's fate at will. It's a very powerful kind of magic that only few angels are born with."

"I'm not sure I understand fully?" I say. "What do you mean by altering fate?"

"Like imagine you were fated to live a happy full life with a loving family," Eden says. "Selene can take that away in an instant. Everything and everyone you love disappearing just like that and there's nothing you can do."

"That's horrible. She can take away the people you love?"

"She can only take away your future and therefore only the people who love you in your future. She can't re-write your past."

"That’s still terrifying.”

"It takes a great deal of energy to do so," Frost says. "So Selene tends to not use her abilities very often. But it doesn't change the fact that she can at any given time."

"If Feyer has the same ability then why does he want Selene to come back to him?" Pepper says. "Couldn't he simply use his powers for whatever he wants right now?"

"He can and he does," Frost says. "But fate angels are more powerful together. Even just two of them together can do far worse damage than a solo fate angel. Feyer tried for years to produce an heir with the same magic as him and Selene is the only one I know of."

"Do you know for sure if he has others?" I ask.

"I don't."

"Eden?"

"I don't know either," Eden says. "Regardless he will likely keep trying to find more fate angels that will aid him. Wiling or unwilling."

"How do we stop him?"

"We don't Jade-" Eden says, facing me fully. "We just don't want him to find and kidnap Vicky and Selene otherwise we may be forced to do his bidding too."

"But surely it we be good to uncover some kind of weakness of his."

"I'm not too sure he has one."

"He must. Or else we're just spending the rest of our lives hiding."

The three of them don't say anything further. They don't even make eye-contact.

"Is that all we're going to do? Hide?"

"What choice do we have?" Eden says.

I fold my arms and shrug. Then I leave the room. In truth, I'm afraid he's correct.