Creatures

THIRTY-ONE

After the news that Tristan and Christine were taken by James, there was radio silence. Days passed, waiting for something — anything.

Ryn was proven correct. Just after James won his crown he sent soldiers after the Magnolia boys and a few others. Unlike Christine and Tristan, alive capture wasn't required. They made it out, thanks to Ryland and some quick thinking.

In other news, Tristan's mother showed up on Jasper's doorstep twelve hours after his capture. Jasper and Tristan's mother didn't get along, but she insisted on staying in Jasper's house. He used Ryn as a buffer most of the time. They got along much better.

There was nothing to do. No leads to follow, nowhere to look.

They all just vanished.

Jasper threw the landline at the wall and it broke.

Ryn looked over at him. "Babe-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. That's the second one today."

She sighed. "I was going to say maybe you should take a break."

Tristan's mother just eyed him warily.

"Do you need something, Elizabeth?" He finally snapped.

Ryn came over and ran her fingers over his arm, then took him by the hand. He followed her. Ryn took him upstairs, where their bedroom was. Ryn only tolerated sleeping on the floor in the living room for so long. She made him sit on the bed and took off her shirt. He made a few minor complaints, I'm really not interested right now, but didn't stop her. Ryn pulled off his shirt, too. She walked around to the headboard and laid on top of the pillows, beckoning him with a finger and gently tapping her chest. Lie here.

Jasper turned and solemnly moved to her, laid his head on her breast. He wrapped an arm around her waist. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"You should sleep." She told him. He shook his head, but was out in minutes anyway.

*

It took over an hour until Christine was consoled. He forced her to eat, and she did, no complaints.

"We have to get out of here." She finally said.

He didn't know what to tell her. Without his crown, Tristan was an easy target, and one with many enemies.

Chris read his expression. "You don't think we're getting out of here."

"I'm nothing without my crown, Chrissy. I'm defenseless." He told her hopelessly.

She threw out something she'd been considering. "What if I stole the medallion?"

His eyes rounded, he grabbed her strongly. "No, whatever you're thinking — no. Even if it worked and a new contest was ordered, you couldn't win. It's a contest for lykan king, you can't even shift."

Christine didn't say anything else. She curled up beside him, and fell asleep.

*

Another morning, another bucket of cold water.

Tristan stood wordlessly and walked to James.

For six more days she watched this happen. She watched Tristan deteriorate, and every morning it was harder for him to stand up and follow James from the cellar. Every night they would throw him back in, followed by the scraps.