Reality Check

Mom closes the door to the washroom and after letting me pour out my pain and guilt she helps clean me up again. She sits me on the toilet and daubs my eyes and cleans my cheeks. I felt wrung out emotionally but also so much better. I hadn’t let myself think about the dark deed I had done since it happened back in that creek. I held it in as long as I could but eventually the dam had to burst, I was just glad that Mom was here when it happened. As she tussles my hair with her fingers I look up at her rosy skin, her amber eyes, her sharp teeth, her curled demon horns, and her overflowing maternal affection I am filled with a warm sense of being blessed with such a mother.

Seeing I was myself again she leans down and kisses my cheek, careful not to knock me with her horn. “You are still in trouble.” She says as she lightly pinches my chin.

“I know.” I nod. “I deserve it.”

“Are you ready to face your father? Are you ready to talk about what happened?”

I nod again. “I feel better now.” I stand and take her in a loving embrace. “Thank you.” She hugs me back with her arms and long tail. Letting out a long breath I feel the fear and tension in me drain away. “I should go help Lucian. I shouldn’t have left him to deal with that alone.”

In that doting way of a mom she looks me over, smooths out my clothes here and there, and teases my hair to make it look better. She pats my chest. “Come on then.”

Arm in arm the pair of us leave the washroom and head back out to the front of the manor. The mood had lightened immensely in the intervening time. Everybody stood relaxed and the threat of a fight seemed a distant possibility. Dad and grandma were both standing by the celestion and giving it a very thorough inspection, looking at its fur, checking its paws, even prying open the side of its mouth the study the teeth. Sloopy looked about as excited by all of this any family pet during a visit to the veterinarian, but it stood still and let these strangers do their thing. Lucian stood in front of her cooing calming words. The arrival of my mother, a pure demon, didn’t seem to phase the beast at all.

We walk up to stand beside Bron, who was in human form, to watch.

Blunt as ever my brother just blurts out. “Lucian says you killed an angel.”

“Bron!” My mother scolds.

I squeeze her arm to tell her it was okay. “Yeah. She was already dieing though, I just hastened the end. She sent this thing after Lucian and I had to do something to stop it.” I pause then add. “I’m pretty shook up about it honestly.”

“Huh.” My big brother grunts. “Wish I’d been there.” He then adds ominously. “Never got to taste an angel.” He nods with approval. “Well, ya did what ya had to.” Glancing my way. “You’d make a good werewolf ya know. Ya got balls on ya like an alpha. We could really tear some shit up you and me.”

“You leave him alone.” Mom says firmly as she pulls tight into me. “He’s perfect just the way he is.” Her eyes lock on Bron. “And YOU shouldn’t be talking about eating angels. That’s not how I raised you.”

Bron bows his head with guilt, even a werewolf was powerless against a mother’s disapproving gaze. “Yes Mom.”

My mother excuses herself a moment to approach the gleaming metallic beast. Father readies himself for the worst but nothing follows other than a friendly lick to Mom’s hand. The pair of them speak in low tones for a time, I notice Dad glance over to me more than once, then she kisses his cheek and whispers something in his ear. She returns to stand between Bron and I, looping her arms into ours. I wished Trixie and Devany had been here, the former was in school and the latter sleeping, as I believe Lucian and I might have more allies had they been.

Dad is deep in thought as we watch grandma pull one of Sloopy’s wings to fan it out wide I notice her mood had become downright jubilant. She leans in very close to see the wing and pets the soft platinum feathers then looks to Lucian with a beaming pride.

“You clever boy. In all my days I never thought I’d see such a thing. A real celestion here on the estate. Incredible!” She cackles.

“So, can I keep her?” Lucian asks with growing hope.

Dad crosses his arms and watches the winged creature as he weighs up the request. It is subtle but I notice him give a brief glance toward my mother and her return an equally subtle nod. Approaching his youngest he looks Lucian up and down, his eyes linger on the thin black choker around my brother’s neck.

I speak up, my voice loud and proud. “Yes, that’s our token. I’ve taken Lucian as mine until he can find another.” I look around. “Everything you think we might have done, we did. Lucian and I are lovers now.”

There is a gasp. Grandma and Bron look horrified at my confession, Mom lets out a soft sad sigh and shakes her head, Lucian is smiling a big warm smile, but Dad’s stoic demeanor barely flinches.

“Lucian I can understand, but I thought you were stronger than this Jacob.” He says, his disappointment in me palpable. I accept it, all of it. This was about as messed up an issue as a family could confront. If our roles were reversed I’d be pretty damned pissed at me too. But I could tell he was more angry at himself than at me. I consider also professing my love for Ves too right then but decide this was more than enough family drama for now. He laments in a low voice. “We didn’t prepare you. We didn’t protect you enough. I had too much faith in you, I thought the taboo would be enough. Again you prove me the fool. We never should have let that enchantment end.”

I slip from my mother’s arms to walk up and stand beside Lucian. I put my arm around his shoulders as he slips his around my body and rests his head on my chest. I lean down to kiss the top of his head. “You are not a fool. I’m sorry Dad. I’m sorry everyone. I realize how fucked up this is but it happened. And its going to keep happening. This is a thing now. Our contract is sealed and the token given and accepted.” I see more confusion than revulsion on their faces. None of them were happy about this though I get the sense none were shocked by it either.

Dad looks at us together. “He is half human, there may be a way to break this. Or can we do it the normal way? What are the terms?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I reply.

“Contract or no we’re still going screw around.” Lucian says. “You can’t stop us. You have no right to stop us.” He stands up taller. “I am my own man now and so is Jacob.”

“Yet you act like selfish children.” Dad shoots straight back. “You live under our roof. Eat our food. Drive cars that you didn’t buy. You attend, or will attend, college without paying a dime.” His eyes shift to Lucian. “Your mother worked with you for years in preparation of Jacob’s 21st birthday. You couldn’t even last a month? Do you think this is what she wanted for either of you? A man needs to consider others too, not just himself.”

I feel my brother shudder. Dad was hitting Lucian where it hurt most. Mama’s boy that he was there was nothing worse to him than disappointing her.

My father looks back to me. “And you. Do you plan on moving out? Are you going to support your…boy? Your brother? Are you going to live together? You realize there is a resemblance between you, questions will be asked no matter where you go.” He tilts his head as he studies me and chooses his words. “You brought Vespera back into this family, for that I will always be grateful, but you go too far Jacob. You could have been killed out there.” For the first time real emotion cracks through his hard words, not anger but relief for his two sons safety. “You can’t do whatever you want. Life doesn’t work like that. There are consequences.”

I look down at my right hand then back up again. “You’re right. I know.”

There is long quiet moment as we stare at one another. At last he nods. “Alright, you two want to be treated like men, then I’ll treat you like men. Whatever it is you two have going on, that’s your business. I won’t approve of it and I will advise you to end it as soon as possible, but I won’t stop it. You are consenting adults.” He addresses Lucian. “And you want Snoopy to be your pet?”

“Sloopy.” Lucian corrects him in a low voice.

“Sloopy.” He nods. “The creature seems tame enough. Its presence will be concealed here on the estate. I see no harm in keeping it. I’ll leave the choice to you then Lucian.” There is moment of joy from my brother but Dad wasn’t done. “Of course you won’t be able to go to Ohio State.”

“What?”

“Or even Harvard.” Dad says. “A celestion is not a dog or a cat you can hand off to others to care for. It will be a part of you Lucian, for your whole life or until it dies by some other means, it cannot stay away from its master for long periods of time. Days perhaps but not weeks or months. And you certainly cannot hide a creature like this with simple illusions. It has no place in a city. If you accept Sloopy you are condemning yourself to a rural life. I can arrange for schooling here and in town but it won’t be like what you could get out there in the world. And a medical degree? It might be impossible out here.”

Luci looks up to me, lost as to what to say. This was not something he had considered. To accept Sloopy would be to give up on his dreams, or change them drastically at least. I pull him close and squeeze his shoulder. This was one hell of a decision.

Father’s hard gray eyes then shift to me. “And you. Those night classes you play at, I’m done supporting them. You’ve never taken your studies seriously. You are wasting your time and your gifts there. Time to stand up Jacob, on your own two feet. You may stay here of course, Devlin Manor will always be your home, and you can wallow away your time in leisure if you wish, but I doubt you will. You’re a man of action and I respect that. You and Bron are similar that way. It’s about time you found a job son. About time you found a purpose.” He pauses to let his words sink in. “Food and lodging will be provided and you can keep your car but you’ll have to earn your own money from here on out.” Another short pause before he speaks again, this time his voice a bit less stern. “You can go out there and find one or, if you truly want an education, a real education, I can find a job for you. In my company or another. There are opportunities for humans who are in the know.”

Well…shit. I thought I had few years yet before getting a job was going to be a concern.

He gives us each a long hard look before turning and walking over to his succubus wife. “We’ll need to talk more.” He says to the stunned pair of us. “But I’ll give you two some time to think about things.” The couple turn as one and slowly walk back to the house together. Bron and grandma give us a look but say nothing as they too walk back together.

Sloopy, glad to be free from being studied like a lab rat, trots up beside us as we stand silently pondering the reality check Dad had just laid down upon us.