Brad's movements were much more relaxed now that he'd fed. We walked through the forest, edging along the estate, and passed the cluster of houses. It was there that I felt my heart drop.
In the distance, I could see a group of people, and Kannon was one of them. Audrey wasn't with him, but I saw the woman I'd tried to get a picture of.
"Hey, Anzide, can you zip back and get my camera, please?"
"Sure."
Brad stood next to me, looking at the view of treachery.
"How many in that group?"
"They're all there, the four remaining out of the five and a few extras that are clearly worth taking out."
"Kannon?"
My mind twisted with thoughts of how lovely it would be to repay his efforts with death, but I had bigger plans.
"I'd rather torture him first," I muttered curtly.
Brad chuckled softly.
The cool wind brushed past us, and Anzide appeared at my other side with the camera in hand.
"Thanks."
Once it was ready to go, I lifted the camera, zoomed in, and took lots of happy snaps. Hopefully, these will be enough for Harlwood. Flicking through the images, I ensured they were all usable and then turned the camera off.
"Let's go. The sooner I get these to Harlwood, the happier I will be."
Leaving the horrid view behind, we trekked through the forest and returned to the caravan. I quickly printed the pictures and then grabbed my things.
"You still can't drive," Brad grumbled.
"Neither can you unless you'd like to look like a cooked lobster all the time. I got to the school on my last attempt. All I need to do is avoid Larry."
"Perhaps it would be wise to note the movements of the town's only cop."
Brad huffed, shaking his head.
"Don't encourage her."
Giving him a doe-eyed look, Brad shook his head.
"Fine, go. Try not to have an accident, please."
Grabbing the keys, I smiled sweetly at him.
"It's all fine. Third time driving, I'm good for this."
"If Larry turns up, I'm telling him that you did not have permission just so that we're clear."
Waving him off, I skipped down the metal steps and onto the grass. Anzide was beside me, looking happier than I'd ever seen.
"What's going on in that mind?"
"Just appreciating everything."
We got into the car, and Anzide watched everything that I did. I knew what he was up to, learning as always.
I was nervous about driving, still new at it, and still unsure of what to do, but there was little choice at the moment. Brad could not drive me. Anzide didn't know how and it was better that I didn't walk to the school. After my last attempt, I would not make that mistake again.
The drive was slow, I was cautious, and I checked the roads and surroundings constantly. There was traffic but being a small town, it wasn't a lot.
Once I'd pulled into the car park, I turned off the engine and realized how tense I was. My hands were shaking, and my entire body was tight.
"You did well, Evelyn."
"Thanks."
"We arrived without issue, be pleased with your efforts."
"Yeah, but what I'm doing is illegal. I've driven twice before this, and I am inexperienced. It's not just illegal. It's highly dangerous."
Anzide gestured to the world beyond the windscreen.
"Life is dangerous. You, however, are vastly different from anyone out there. What you learn in one moment will be retained, and it will thrive within you. Haven't you ever noticed how you just seem to soak in information?"
"No," I said softly.
"But you do, and that's my point. As an Eternal, this is how we learn about the world around us. We experience things, we focus, and we draw them in. This is what I've said to you in the past. I am learning about this world now that I am completely immersed in it. You are doing the same."
We looked at each other. Anzide must have figured it out because he smiled, leaned in, and kissed me softly. I might be able to do this easily, but that doesn't mean I won't freak out because of it. Being full of eagerness was not always a good thing.
When we entered the office, Jane frowned as she looked up at me. Her lips parted to say something, but then Harlwood walked into the office. It was like he knew that I was here, which was highly likely considering he was a demon.
"It's alright, Jane. Evie visits us now for social reasons, and I have no issues with her being here or venturing beyond the door without my prior knowledge."
"Of course," she said softly.
Harlwood moved to the door and opened it, offering a smug smile as he looked at me.
"I trust that you come bearing gifts."
"I do. Does that please you?"
"Absolutely."
Taking the pictures, Harlwood flicked through them as he ambled to his desk. His face was plain, offering no hint as to his thoughts or his mood. I was oddly curious, wondering what was going through his mind.
Sitting down, Anzide and I patiently waited. There weren't a lot of pictures to go through, but Harlwood was taking his time and studying each of them quite intensely. Taking a deep breath, he aligned them into a neat stack and then tucked them into the inner pocket of his jacket. Then he smiled at me.
It was a little unnerving, more so when he tilted back in his seat. I don't think he was trying to intimidate me, but that's how it came across.
"I agree with your selection, and it will be done. Do you have a time frame in which you would like the task completed?"
"As soon as you can manage."
"Of course. Any particular vampire first?"
I shook my head. Harlwood was still smiling at me.
"And finally, is there any request for the manner of their death?"
That was certainly a good question, and I wanted to consider it before answering. How horrible could I be? These vampires taunted Niko. They murdered him and stole him from me and this world. This was his land, and they had done all they could to take it from him.
"Nothing, but I request that you are absolutely positive that they are dead, and it meets with whatever is necessary for a vampire to die, and I'd like for you to know that these vampires taunted Niko before they murdered him. The blade they stabbed him with was soaked in holy water from the Vatican. Keep that in mind when you take their lives."
Harlwood's eyes lit up with delight, and the smile that I thought could not get any creepier increased dramatically.
"Agreed."
With that, our mini meeting was over. We left Harlwood and returned to the caravan. Now that Harlwood was dealing with my vampire problem, Anzide suggested that I learn how to focus my mind so that going to the portal would be less of a drama the second time around. Mother insisted that I reached a certain level before I was even granted an audience with the passage master.
The passage master was the guy that watched over the movements in, out, and around the portal area. He answered to another guy who watched over the area to ensure that it remained structurally sound. If someone like me, who was a complete novice, went into the portal and started wandering around aimlessly, I could hit something. According to Anzide, the portal would tank big time.
So, I had to learn.
Brad was asleep in the caravan which was now fully air-conditioned thanks to a portable unit that we'd picked up after he sent a message to me saying that he was swimming in his own sweat and that he'd had another shower.
It appeared that Brad was about to become a night owl which was only natural if he was a vampire. When I looked at him earlier, he seemed like the guy he was a month ago. It was so strange.
"There's no other reason for the sudden change?"
"It's not sudden," Anzide said.
He was desperately trying to make me meditate with him. We were seated under a large tree at the back of the property. It was shaded and quite pleasant. The neighbors could not see us. Anzide had placed several things to block their view.
Cracking an eye open, Anzide huffed. Opening both eyes, he shot me an exasperated look.
"Did the lesson with the sugar mean nothing to you?"
"I just didn't think it would dissolve that quickly."
"Nothing dictates the time, nor does it follow a pattern. It is what it is, nothing more, nothing less."
"But what if he wasn't here?"
"Then he would have figured it out wherever he was when the body settled, as it would have with your mother and your grandmother."
Closing his eyes, Anzide rested his hands on his knees, stretching his back as straight as he could manage.
"Stop smiling at me and get on with it."
"Do you think that my mother and grandmother were shifters?"
Slowly, he exhaled, and that serene look on his face was gone.
"It would appear that is the case. However, we will never know unless someone comes forward and offers evidence that contradicts it. Now would you please do as I ask of you?"
Rolling my eyes, I copied the pose and waited for some form of serenity to find me. It was difficult when I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind.
"You know,"
Anzide groaned loudly, then dramatically flopped backward, landing on the soft grass. His legs kicked out, and his arms fell wide.
I giggled, then moved closer, sitting on his lap.
"I wasn't meditating when it happened."
The silent one looked at me. I smiled and shrugged. Before I knew it, he pulled me down and rolled me onto my back. I shrieked and howled with laughter.
"You are an absolute pest," he muttered from his position above me.
On hands and knees, Anzide looked down at me. The mocking smile said it all. He didn't think that I'd ever be able to concentrate, and therefore, I would not be going back to the portal.
"Do I really need to go to the portal?"
He silently nodded.
"Why?"
Settling onto the grass beside me, Anzide lay on his side, keeping me close.
"Because it has regenerative properties. You are a phoenix. Out of every Eternal being that is here, there or in the beyond, they are the one creature that absolutely needs to maintain their regeneration levels. If you let them get low at this age, it's not that bad, but once you get closer to the hundred years, you'll need those levels to be at the highest to bring down the change over time. If you don't keep the levels up, it will take longer, and you'll be weaker because of it. That puts you in a lot of danger and this is not the place to be toying with fate."
"But I'm immortal,"
"Yes, that is true, but what if Brad is seriously hurt and you are the only one that can help him? What if you could have been in your transition phase for a week, but because you faltered, you take a month and that extra time just happens to coincide with Brad's issues? You would not be able to help him. In fact, you'd be in a worse state than he would be. Transitional phases are like a deep sleep. You will wake here and there, but the majority of the time is spent in your sleep chamber."
"My bed?"
"No," he said as he shook his head. "Closer to a coffin. So, does this explain the necessity of going to the portal, or will this be another lesson that passes through and does not sink in?"
For a moment, I thought that being a good girl was the best idea, but I decided against it. Being cheeky was much more fun.
"Does what sink in?"
His eyes narrowed as the scowl tightened. Anzide was seconds away from tickling me to death when a woman called out.
"Hello?"
We both sighed, looking across the lawn at the figure walking up the driveway. It was the woman that Brad was talking to at the real estate office.
"What's her name again?"
"Playtime interrupter," I murmured. "Otherwise known as Hannah."
We got up from the grass as she approached. Hannah was all smiles as she crossed the grass, aside from the few times when her heel sank into the ground. Flicking away the pest at my side who was digging his finger into my ribs, I smiled and hoped that I was being pleasant enough for Brad's desperate needs.
"Hi, you must be Evelyn. I'm Hannah."
"Hey," I said, then gestured to the annoying one. "That's Anzide."
Her eyes turned to him, pressing a thin smile.
"Nice to meet you. Is Brad around?"
"He's asleep."
"I'll go wake him," Anzide muttered quietly.
That was curiously odd.
Anzide crossed the lawn quickly and entered the caravan. Looking back at Hannah, I got a smile that was definitely uneasy. Was it because she wanted to date my uncle, or was it something else?