Chapter 22 Elijah #2
‘I can’t talk about it, really. But I’ve been working with a witch, Samara. She’s fucking brilliant, Elijah, an extraordinarily talented sorceress with a keen and innate understanding of old magic.’
A light smile flicks over my sister’s lips, and I wonder if my care for Molly is so evident when I speak of her.
My chest aches for Jellie for the ways in which her obvious love for this witch is doomed.
Witches can’t become vampires, and though some live for a long time, preserved by their magic, their lifespan is typically no more than a couple of hundred years.
‘Can’t you tell me what it is?’
Jellie presses her lips into a tight line, then shakes her head. ‘Please, Elijah, trust that it’s better if I don’t.’
It’s in my nature to needle her until she tells me, press and pester until she relents–it’s the ancient sibling relationship; old habits never die, it seems–but I refrain. I know how it feels to want privacy, though I do wish she’d let me bear some of this burden.
‘You’re brilliant, Jellie,’ I tell her. ‘Whatever it is you’ve done, allow me to say congratulations.
’ I put on my best impersonation of the pompous, self-important voices most council members seem to have.
They follow a script when Jellie is recognised for another discovery.
‘Your contributions to the sciences do not go unnoticed.’
Jellie joins in, grinning. ‘And the worlds both natural and paranormal are grateful,’ we finish in unison, then burst into a fit of laughter.
I’ve heard one of the council members say those words to her at many recognition ceremonies, always the same, always met with the same polite applause from the other members, and boisterous whooping and cheers from our family.
‘I mean it, Jel. You’re one of a kind. The world is better with your brain in it.’
‘The world’s better with you in it, too,’ she says. ‘I’m thrilled you’ve re-entered it.’
‘Me too,’ I admit.
‘Are we going to talk about the human, or what?’
‘Or what,’ I decide and she snorts.
‘Elijah.’
‘Fine, fine.’ I shake my head and shrug. ‘When I was hired, Molly was assigned to train me so I could do my IT job better.’
‘Oh my God, Dylan mentioned your job is in IT. What the hell were you thinking?’
‘Job market is rough!’ I defend. ‘Dylan had a connection, and I took the opportunity that presented itself to me.’
‘All right, and how’d you convince Molly you’re supposed to be there? Same way you got the job?’
‘Funny story about that, actually. Have you ever heard of a human who isn’t affected by compulsion?’ I ask.
Evangeline’s eyes go wide. ‘How do you mean?’
‘I can’t get her to do anything.’ I shrug. ‘Either by compulsion or by asking very nicely for that matter.’
‘You got her to come over for dinner,’ she remarks, and I can’t help the smile that tugs at my mouth.
‘Probably only because she’s curious about vampires.’ ‘She looked pretty charmed to me,’ she says.
‘Well, that wasn’t from compulsion,’ I say. ‘I tried a few times and she just laughed at me. Told me I was a loser once.’
Jellie tips her head back and cackles at this idea. ‘Brother, she’s perfect.’
‘She’s human,’ I say, sobering. ‘I meant what I said, we’re just friends.’
‘The kind of friends who have romantic candlelit dinners followed by cosy chats on the couch?’
‘That kind, yes.’ I grip the railing and hang my head between my shoulders for a moment. ‘She’s assured me that she’s not at risk of falling for me.’
‘And you?’ My sister bumps her arm against mine then leaves it there, comfort in the touch. ‘What’s your risk level?’
‘I’ll be fine,’ I assure her (or me, I’m not sure). ‘We won’t–it can’t be anything.’
Jellie rests her chin on her fist. ‘You know, some people want to be vampires. What’s to say the same wouldn’t be true for Molly?’
It’s like pouring ice-cold water over me, the way my body shuts down. ‘No.’
‘Elijah.’ ‘No, absolutely not.’
‘Thousands of vampires have been made successfully, including the pair of us. It’s not so outlandish to think that it could go right! Ada was—’
‘Don’t,’ I cut her off, my voice cracking on the word. It’s enough to silence Evangeline, and I can’t look at her face for the pity and heartache I know will be strewn across it.
‘Will you ever forgive yourself?’ she asks.
I shrug. I don’t say that forgiveness is not something I deserve, even over a hundred years past. As a human, Ada would be long dead by now but, as a human, she might have lived, might have had children and grandchildren and grown old.
Instead, on the precipice of immortality, her life was cut short.
Jellie assures me it wasn’t my fault, but if not mine then whose?
‘I’ll look into the compulsion question. Your Molly is a new mystery.’
My Molly.
I don’t correct her. She does feel like mine.
Mason family group chat
Mom: Molly girl, the cutest bookstore just opened by us. I wish I could take you there. They put up a sign that they’re hiring booksellers and baristas and wouldn’t you just love it???
Dad: Yes…..I read something about a job shortage in NYC in the last year…….lots of jobs here.
Molly: good thing I have a job already!
Molly: store sounds cute though. We can go when I come to town in December. I get in on the 20th.
Caleb: stop the presses! Molly is coming to town. Worried my kid was going to forget you exist
Caleb: miracles are real
Molly: careful, my flight can be refunded at any time
Molly: and I FaceTime Hazel every week, don’t be such a dramaaaa
Mom: They do book clubs! I think you should work there and host a book club for your book!!
Dad: Might give you good feedback.
Molly: hmmm bring my unpublished, unedited, unbound manuscript for local book club?? Brilliant idea if you want Caleb to be an only child because I would literally pass away on sight
Caleb: Who are you calling dramatic?
Caleb: Mom, I for one think it’s a great idea
Molly: mom don’t listen to him, he just wants cheap babysitting
Caleb: I will not confirm nor deny my motives
Caleb: But would be nice to see the prodigal daughter return for a holiday for once…
Molly: as I said, dramatic ass
Caleb: What’s the refund period again on that flight??
Molly: Mom avert your eyes
Molly: