take a couple of minutes to do it, so it's a weapon of stealth, mostly. They're always busy. The last time I saw Henri and Gervais they looked exhausted, and vampires don't normally get that way. Same with the mindspeakers. Anthony, Robert and Albert are constantly in demand."
"Will he be able to go to college? Do the things he might want to do with his life? Will he?" That question had bothered Adele of late. Was destiny herding her child into a life of complete concealment? At least she could open a business and run it as human, without fear that anyone would hunt her for the most part. Ashe deserved that anonymity. He deserved the right to go to college and work at something he enjoyed instead of slinking in the shadows. Even vampires appeared human when they walked among mortals.
"I don't know. Certainly he can take courses online."
"But that's not the same. I loved going to college, Aedan. I had friends among the humans and we had fun. Ashe won't get that, will he?"
"I doubt it," Aedan winced uncomfortably. Adele studied her husband's face, afraid to voice her concern. It wasn't time, yet. Ashe would turn sixteen on Sunday. He had two years, she hoped. Perhaps a few beyond that. What happened then might determine many things in Adele's (and Ashe's) future.
"I guess I won't be taking Ashe on that shopping trip, then, since you grounded him," Adele walked away from Aedan. "I have no idea what he wants for his birthday, and don't tell me that Wynn, her parents and Mr. Winkler don't owe him, Aedan. A lot of people do." The front door slammed behind Adele Evans, leaving Aedan in the kitchen cursing softly.
* * *
"Dori, Ashe has been grounded. He won't be doing anything until Sunday." Adele had decided to walk around the neighborhood. Dori, sitting on her front porch, had gotten up to talk with Adele as she wandered past.
"Cori will be here on Friday," Dori said. "She knows Marco is here, and she wants to see Ashe, too."
"She won't see Ashe until Sunday, Dori. Nobody will."
"Mom said she'd take us to the beach on Saturday," Dori was still trying to get around Ashe's punishment.
"Dori, don't ask. Ashe got in trouble and now he's being punished."
"All right." Dori trotted back to her yard, leaving Adele to walk alone again.
* * *
Ashe heard the phone ring, and then listened while his father answered it. He'd heard the front door slam moments earlier and was learning now which parent had left the house. "Sali, Ashe has been grounded until Sunday. You may not call or visit until then," Aedan said. The phone was hung up seconds later.
Ashe sighed as he unpacked his suitcase, tossing dirty clothes into his hamper and putting the rest in drawers or hanging it inside his new walk-in closet. He'd gotten the second-largest bedroom, which had its own bath and a small walk-in closet inside it. Nothing needed to be cleaned yet and he had nothing new to read. Sighing, Ashe pulled his battered copy of The Fellowship of the Ring off the shelf and flopped onto his bed to read it again.
"Ashe, are you coming down for dinner?" His mother poked her head inside his bedroom door an hour later.
"Not hungry," Ashe turned a page.
"You have to eat something. I know they didn't serve lunch on Winkler's jet."
"Don't mention that name to me, Mom." Ashe still hadn't looked at his mother.
"Honey, I understand you're upset. You have to eat and Mr. Winkler is doing what he thinks is best for you. He's not a bad man, Ashe. Besides, I wanted to talk to you about what you want for your birthday. I have soup and sandwiches downstairs. Come and eat."
"Not hungry, and I don't want anything for my birthday."
"Son, you will get up now and go downstairs to eat." Aedan stood in the doorway beside his mother, his eyes red and power in his voice. Ashe blinked at his father. Was he trying to place compulsion?
"Nice try, Dad. I'm not hungry and I don't want anything for my birthday."
* * *
"Nathan, I gave him the strongest I had on the second try,
"Will he be able to go to college? Do the things he might want to do with his life? Will he?" That question had bothered Adele of late. Was destiny herding her child into a life of complete concealment? At least she could open a business and run it as human, without fear that anyone would hunt her for the most part. Ashe deserved that anonymity. He deserved the right to go to college and work at something he enjoyed instead of slinking in the shadows. Even vampires appeared human when they walked among mortals.
"I don't know. Certainly he can take courses online."
"But that's not the same. I loved going to college, Aedan. I had friends among the humans and we had fun. Ashe won't get that, will he?"
"I doubt it," Aedan winced uncomfortably. Adele studied her husband's face, afraid to voice her concern. It wasn't time, yet. Ashe would turn sixteen on Sunday. He had two years, she hoped. Perhaps a few beyond that. What happened then might determine many things in Adele's (and Ashe's) future.
"I guess I won't be taking Ashe on that shopping trip, then, since you grounded him," Adele walked away from Aedan. "I have no idea what he wants for his birthday, and don't tell me that Wynn, her parents and Mr. Winkler don't owe him, Aedan. A lot of people do." The front door slammed behind Adele Evans, leaving Aedan in the kitchen cursing softly.
* * *
"Dori, Ashe has been grounded. He won't be doing anything until Sunday." Adele had decided to walk around the neighborhood. Dori, sitting on her front porch, had gotten up to talk with Adele as she wandered past.
"Cori will be here on Friday," Dori said. "She knows Marco is here, and she wants to see Ashe, too."
"She won't see Ashe until Sunday, Dori. Nobody will."
"Mom said she'd take us to the beach on Saturday," Dori was still trying to get around Ashe's punishment.
"Dori, don't ask. Ashe got in trouble and now he's being punished."
"All right." Dori trotted back to her yard, leaving Adele to walk alone again.
* * *
Ashe heard the phone ring, and then listened while his father answered it. He'd heard the front door slam moments earlier and was learning now which parent had left the house. "Sali, Ashe has been grounded until Sunday. You may not call or visit until then," Aedan said. The phone was hung up seconds later.
Ashe sighed as he unpacked his suitcase, tossing dirty clothes into his hamper and putting the rest in drawers or hanging it inside his new walk-in closet. He'd gotten the second-largest bedroom, which had its own bath and a small walk-in closet inside it. Nothing needed to be cleaned yet and he had nothing new to read. Sighing, Ashe pulled his battered copy of The Fellowship of the Ring off the shelf and flopped onto his bed to read it again.
"Ashe, are you coming down for dinner?" His mother poked her head inside his bedroom door an hour later.
"Not hungry," Ashe turned a page.
"You have to eat something. I know they didn't serve lunch on Winkler's jet."
"Don't mention that name to me, Mom." Ashe still hadn't looked at his mother.
"Honey, I understand you're upset. You have to eat and Mr. Winkler is doing what he thinks is best for you. He's not a bad man, Ashe. Besides, I wanted to talk to you about what you want for your birthday. I have soup and sandwiches downstairs. Come and eat."
"Not hungry, and I don't want anything for my birthday."
"Son, you will get up now and go downstairs to eat." Aedan stood in the doorway beside his mother, his eyes red and power in his voice. Ashe blinked at his father. Was he trying to place compulsion?
"Nice try, Dad. I'm not hungry and I don't want anything for my birthday."
* * *
"Nathan, I gave him the strongest I had on the second try,
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