Marshall Twins [2 - Twins Series]

4 - A Walk on the Wild Side

Book: Marshall Twins
Chapter 4
Word Count: 4551

Elijah was in the middle of his own workout at the new gym Marcel had set up at St. Anne's church, where he was vigorously punching and kicking a punching bag. After a moment, he got so heated in his exercise that he punched the bag clear across the room, where it knocked over a bench press and hand-weights.

When he turned around, he saw that Avery had entered the room with a small card in her hands. She addressed him with a mocking tone.

"Something the matter, Elijah? There's nothing you want to talk about? Like... The Strix?" Avery read the black invitation in her hands aloud to him. "'I do hope that you can come, old chum. Signed, Tristan.'" She waved the invitation in the air and gave Elijah a look as he walked over to pluck the invite out of her hands to read it for himself. "I was picking up my girls when some random vampire dropped it off. You care to fill me in?"

"This isn't your concern." Elijah muttered quietly. He started to walk past Avery, but she grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.

"Oh, but it is." Avery then vamp-sped them both over to the cage, where she pinned him to the chain-link wall by the throat. "So, why don't you cut the protective macho crap and tell me what's really going on. I'm part of this family, too, Elijah. I thought you of all people would act like it."

Elijah, who looked surprised by her tenacity, spinned them so he was pinning Avery against the wall by her wrists.

"So, what do you want to know?"

---

Freya was in the upstairs study where she was sitting cross-legged on a small purple yoga mat on the floor. After a moment, an unhappy-looking Klaus walked in and seemed surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?"

Freya gave him a look that was both annoyed and amused.

"...I live here?"

"Yes. Obviously." Klaus sighed. Freya stood and started doing another yoga pose. "I just hadn't realized you were back from wherever it is you go to when you leave! Perhaps I was thrown off by the lack of strange gentlemen callers perusing the contents of my refrigerator this morning."

Freya smirked happily and switched poses again.

"Your concern for my whereabouts is touching."

"I simply want to know who is here at any given moment! I hardly think that's too much to ask." Klaus shrugged.

Just then, an annoyed Avery, a tired Hayley, and an amused Elijah walked into the room to join them.

"Well, as long as we're talking attendance..." Avery spoke.

"Oh, good! It's my not-so-loving elder brother, the sister who keeps butting into other peoples' business, and my former one-night-stand! What a nice, normal family gathering." Klaus exclaimed mockingly. Avery rolled her eyes while Hayley smiles sarcastically at Klaus.

"Charming." Hayley snapped.

"Elijah was saying how you have no clue which one of your long-lost buddies you can trust and which one is trying to kill you." Avery mentioned.

"Well, clearly what the situation needs is more opinions." Klaus muttered snarkily. He looked at Elijah. "I assume you told them about the bloody prophecy?"

"I was just getting to that..." Elijah replied.

"Now would be good." Hayley growled.

"See? Butting into everyone's business!" Klaus rolled his eyes. "Well, it appears my old mate Lucien has acquired a genuine seer, and in an effort to prove his good intentions, he got her to show us some rather dire visions of future doom. It's grim stuff, really — not for the faint of heart."