Valor | Marcel Gerard

Chapter 22

She went clubbing with Freya every weekend. It was obvious to her that Rebekah's absence was taking a toll on her. She wanted a sister so badly, and Andra had been more than willing to befriend her. Freya was kind and full of life, and it was thanks to her that Andra was able to work through her grief. She would always miss what Mikael had given her but he didn't define her; no one did. Andra Clarke was who she was entirely of her own volition. Mikael may have trained her but she made herself a warrior. Not anyone else.

Because of him she'd gained a second sister. And after letting go, she was left with a truly wonderful thing.

Cami sometimes joined them, mostly whenever she needed to blow off some steam. Working two jobs was a lot for anyone to handle, and it didn't help that Klaus sought her out constantly to rant about the attitude his siblings were apparently giving him. Cami had suggested he apologize. He hadn't taken it well.

It was obvious to Andra that Ryan being gone hurt Cami, too. He'd made such a strong relationship with her and calls weren't enough. Cami had lost a brother and gained another, just for him to leave her, too.

That was how Andra gained a third sister. She wished dearly that Hayley could be back, to allow them all to spend time together. And if Rebekah came, too, perhaps Andra could have four sisters.

She was selfish for wanting that.

Hope was thriving, though Andra could tell that she felt empty without her mother. She saw her fairly often, given Freya took care of Hope the most and would like for the two babies to play while she got a chance to speak with Andra. The little girl was growing and becoming sweeter each day (Landon didn't seem to think so), and it ached to think Hayley was missing so much.

Marcel had become the champion of taking lengthy videos and many pictures that he'd send to Elijah for when he went out into the Bayou each full moon. It pleased Andra to see how he would come over just to sit with the two babies and let them crawl all over him. Hope adored him, and was trying her best to say his name. So far, she could say 'Mar,' which he was satisfied with.

(Landon liked to show off the fact he could say 'Marcel' fully, which often made Hope very annoyed. She bragged in return by saying 'Frey' while Landon couldn't yet make 'f' sounds properly, and only blew raspberries to refer to Freya. Andra was their common ground, both able to call her by her name with ease.)

Marcel was at Andra's apartment every single day without fault. Landon would grow fussy if Marcel wasn't there to tuck him in at night, perhaps a fan of how the vampire would tickle his chin and call him 'little buddy.' If he didn't get his way, fire would burst out of his back and he'd singe his blankets. It was for the best that Landon be treated like a prince.

"It's happening more often," said Andra, examining another burned onesie. "He hasn't flown again but he keeps sneezing or being pissed and letting it out. Ryan did some research and he thinks somehow, Malivore absorbing a phoenix gave Landon these powers. He had to find a way to make him immortal like us and he couldn't do that through him being born from a human so he infused parts of the phoenix in him... which I guess is a good thing, it means Landon is like us. But Ryan is worried. We were created as adults, so each time we die, we come back the same. Landon is actually growing. What if he dies and whatever state of being he's in that first time... it becomes the default? Will he continue to develop after death? If he falls off a bridge at the age of five, will he be five forever?"

"Hey," said Marcel, taking her hand, "I don't think you need to worry, because he's going to be just fine. Malivore made you and Ryan to be the same age, right, just at different timepoints. Maybe Landon will age until he's at about the same physical level and that's what he'll get stuck at. The whole point is for procreation, right? It wouldn't be ideal for him to at any point get stuck as a kid. I bet there's a set point. Maybe once he reaches twenty he'll stop aging and then if he dies he'll come back to that. If death happens before that set point, he will age just to get there."