Project: Nephilim

Chapter 2: Faye's Approach

I awake to someone shaking my shoulder. "Faye? Faye, wake up."

"Huh?" I mumble. Very slowly I sit up as to not jostle Mirin. She sleeps again, though fitfully, brow furrowing like she's in pain. A pair of green eyes in a small, round face stare up at me as my sleep-blurred eyes clear up.

"Carson? No, Tobi." I note the tiny scar on his chin and rub my forehead. "What's wrong?"

A large clap of thunder rattles the window. Tobi squeaks and edges closer to the bed. Ah. Now I see.

With a small sigh I swing myself out of bed and gather the trembling boy in my arms. "I'm guessing you didn't want to wake Carson 'cause he would make fun of you?" I say softly, remembering the last time.

He nods. "Sorry."

"Don't be, kiddo." I run a hand through his rumpled brown hair. "It's not your fault."

We sit on the floor for a while, Tobi flinching at every boom of thunder. "I'm not a crybaby, am I?" he says with wide eyes.

"Of course not. You're still young. It's perfectly fine to be afraid of things, even when you're older." I look up at the ceiling and sigh. "Look at it this way. Remember when Carson got a pea stuck up his nose and Kendal had to get it out?"

"Uh huh," Tobi giggles. "He wont eat them now."

"Exactly." I smile and rumple his hair even more. "So don't beat on yourself, okay? I'm sure you wont be scared of storms forever."

"Yeah..." Tobi's eyes drift to the window, occasionally illuminated by the flashes of lightning. With a yawn he leans his head against my shoulder. I rest my cheek against it and rock him slowly, and moments later he's fast asleep.

"Everything all right in here?" says a low, quiet voice.

Through the darkness I see Kendal leaning against the door frame with one arm propped above his head. Lightning reveals his face for a brief moment, turning his dark eyes currently trained on me silver.

B-bump. B-bump. B-bump. Good lord, get a grip on yourself, Faye. "Yeah," I reply with a smile. There, that's it. Nice and relaxed...calm...

Kendal takes a few steps into the room  and crouches beside Tobi, who lays peacefully in my arms. "I figured he's come in here," he murmurs softly as to not wake him. He rubs a hand over his faces and smothers a yawn. "He could have woken me."

I shrug. "Us girls are more understanding."

"I suppose," he concedes, and I can't help but smile.

"Kendal?"

"Mm?"

"Would you mind taking him, please? My legs are starting to go numb."

He scoops Tobi into his arms very gingerly, and I rise to my feet with a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

"Sure." He turns to the door, then pauses. "'Night, Faye."

"'Night, Kendal."

Once he's gone I return to bed, still cautious of Mirin. Across the room, Nana too tosses and turns. Her face is drawn, tense, and she suddenly appears much older than seventeen. Then again, I suppose it's fair to say that all of us have suffered as much.

I fall asleep with rain in my ears, crooning its steady lullaby.

***

"Happy birthday, Macky!"

The now twelve-year-old opens his eyes with an exclamation of surprise. When he sees the six of us crowded around his bed, a wide grin splits his face, radiating happiness.

Nana ruffles his white blond hair. "Come one, big guy, we got breakfast waiting."

With Macky leading the way we pile into the kitchen. "Grapefruit! Yes!" he exclaims.

I smile as he eats. For reasons unknown to us, Macky has a passionate love for grapefruit. Kendal, Nana, Mirin and I raised enough money to get a pretty big supply, enough to keep him happy for at least two weeks.

"All right!" Nana claps her hands together. "Time for presents and then Faye and I have to go to work."

"Aw!" Macky pouts. "You guys can't stay home on my birthday?"

I ruffle his hair. "Sorry, kiddo."  Then I lean close and whisper, "But we'll bring a cake back."

That perks him up significantly. One by one we hand over our gifts: from Kendal, a small pocket knife ("If I see that out around the twins, it's gone," he warns); from Mirin, a digital watch ("It's waterproof, too."); from Tobi and Carson, a large hand-colored card; and from Nana and me, the first two volumes of Naruto. ("He's twelve, too," I say. "Well, at least in the first part.")

Macky beams, surveying his haul. "Thanks, guys!"

"You're very welcome." Nana leans down and pecks his forehead. Then she and I grab our jackets and wave goodbye to the others before heading out.

"Be safe," Mirin calls after us.

Outside the sky is gloomy overcast; the air smells heavy with rain. The breeze blows my red hair across my face as we walk.

"My shoulders itch." Nana rolls them around, scrunching her nose.

"Yeah, mine too." Normally we go out at night to fly, but last nights rain made that null and void. And judging by the current weather we'll be missing out on tonight as well. Fabulous.

Nana's green eyes study me. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you're hiding something from me."

I sigh. Nana's uncanny sixth sense strikes again. "What could I possibly be hiding from you?"

"You tell me," she replies with an arched eyebrow. "You're oddly quiet. And coming from you, that's cause for worry." Her lips twitch up at the corners. "It wouldn't have anything to do with Kendal, would it?"

"No." I try not to respond too quickly, and force as much conviction into my tone as possible. "Why would it?"

"Oh, I don't know...Maybe because you look at him like--"

I guess I'll never know how I (apparently) look at Kendal, because at that moment a loud shriek splits the air. Nana and I freeze immediately.  Our eyes lock for the briefest instant before we tear off down the slick sidewalk, footsteps pounding against the concrete.

Another scream sounds, closer this time.  Nana pulls ahead of me and makes a sharp left down a dank alley, past a row of dumpsters. At the very end a young girl stands backed up against the fence wall, held around the neck by a boy who, from behind, looks no older then Kendal. The other's flank him.

Abruptly Nana slows and drags me behind a trashcan. "Okay," she whispers. "Stay behind me while I talk to them. If things get nasty, run for it. No buts," she orders as I open my mouth to protest. "I want you to run."

With that she stands, and I obey to stand behind her as she approaches the group of strangers.

"Hey!" She says loudly. "What gives?"

The guys with his hand around the girl's neck doesn't release her as he turns to look at us. "Who the hell are you?" he demands.

"That's none of your business," Nana replies coolly.

"Yeah? Well, neither is this."

The three other boys move toward us. Nana shoots me a look that screams run! but when I turn around the way is blocked by two more. Both wield knives.

"You go nowhere."

Shit, I think to myself. If we make it out of this, we are so fired.