The Half-Giant's Guide to Seeing the Future

The Day I Got My Own Room

The lobby of the building was simple. A plain black rug covered the hardwood floor. The walls were painted a pale cream. There was a couch, and a man no older than twenty-two sat at a desk monitoring a dual screen set up.

 He had dark, messy hair and yellow-green eyes. A pattern of runic tattoos covered his light brown neck, and there was a ring through his eyebrow.

The man looked up from the monitors. He grinned, revealing a bright smile and one silver tooth in the front of his mouth.

Moreno smiled back, but not as big. "Cullen Bruno, meet Terri Oakeley."

Cullen's voice was unnaturally deep for someone so young, and he had a slight drawl. "Well, this is a sight. Commanders approved this?"

Moreno's smile widened. "They will."

"Oh, you're going to burn," Cullen's laugh caught me off guard. "Well, if you weren't so well.... You're lucky, Moreno. Being an Ethesis is going to save your butt again."

Cullen tapped his wrist, and the big screen attached to his arm like Moreno's lit up with a hologram. Moreno smirked as he read what Cullen showed him. 

"I didn't make the wrong call," Moreno said.

"Oh, I've been chatting with Kimmy over the server for a few hours, and if Kimmy is agreeing with you, I bet things were dire," Cullen said. "But it's your name going on the chopping board before Doc. We all know Doc's been looking for an opportunity to hang you."

"Except Doc can't," Moreno said. "I'm Doc's best connection with the future queen of Jontun."

He'd mentioned that one of his Ethesis cousins was engaged to the future king of Jontun. I needed to remember to ask more about that later. Maybe some of my mother's relatives weren't crazy. It was possible that I could get some sort of protection from them as well. 

The main door opened, and Petra walked through. Her wings were gone, and she cleared something on the screen on her arm. 

Then she walked straight past me and over to Cullen. The fiery redhead grinned and hung her arms around his neck. I could see a lovely engagement band around her finger made of swirling gold filigree studded with a large, deep purple stone.

"Terri, this is Petra Watkins," Moreno said. "She and Cullen are engaged."

"If things ever get less crazy, we'll tie the knot," Petra said. "But I suppose since you're here, that means things are gearing up."

"Don't postpone your wedding on my account," I said. 

"She doesn't mean anything bad," Cullen said. "We like it busy. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a long engagement. We're happy and together, and that's what matters."

I believed them. There was genuine joy on Petra's face as she looked into Cullen's eyes. He whispered something in her ear, but they broke apart as the door behind Cullen's desk opened, revealing a new figure. 

Another young woman walked into the lobby. If someone were about to tell me vampires were real, too, I would have believed them just looking at her. Her skin was milky white like it had never seen sunlight. Her short, bleach-colored hair barely touched her ears and was spiked about her head with gel. Her eyes were a violent shade of violet lined with piercing white liner, making the only bit of color on her face pop.

"Terri, this is our illustrious temporary commander, Alana McDonald," Moreno said. 

The pale girl glared at Moreno. If I had to guess, I would have clocked her as no more than a year my senior. She was tall and as thin as a rake. Her dark, leathery uniform showed off her almost flat chest. Petra, in comparison, was all curves under her uniform and nothing but smiles.