October 20, 2001
"Are you going to be able to pass by later?" said Frank, speaking on the phone with Coralis.
He stood on the back porch of his mother's apartment. His sister Stephanie had just arrived with Sebastian, and they were still waiting for his brother Raymond. They wanted to do something for their mother's birthday without their extended family, so the siblings agreed to meet at her apartment for lunch.
"I don't know, I'm still in Winnipeg with Eva. I'll call you before I leave, but I have no idea when this meeting will end. I'm not even supposed to be here but for some reason, the elders here are requesting my presence. For how long will you be at your mom's?"
Coralis stood by a payphone in the middle of a shopping plaza. Eva was beside her. She was still refusing to use the satellite phone mode on her hologram to call Frank, to ensure that none of her elders could ever intercept her calls to him. It was lunchtime, so they decided to go to a human town nearby to grab some junk food.
"We will probably stay here for dinner as well."
"I'll let you know when I leave here. Tell your mom Happy Birthday from me, just in case I can't make it."
Frank went back inside after hanging up the phone. His brother had arrived.
"Is she coming?" said Molly.
"Probably not, she's still in Winnipeg."
"Winnipeg? I don't even think she's supposed to be there," said Sebastian.
"That's what she said, but she didn't elaborate on it, she never does, so I don't know what's going on."
"Are you doubting what she's telling you?" said Raymond.
"I hope not," said Stephanie, looking at them both, "You know I saw her at work a couple of times. She is not lying."
Frank looked at his sister. He wanted to trust Coralis, but he was still looking forward to the day when she would let him in. He knew she was holding back on him, and her lack of availability didn't help.
"I'm sure she is telling me the truth. My friend Vic is saying the same thing. I mean, I don't think she saw her at that work, but she said she was there when Coralis got recruited for both of her jobs, and she also said that Coralis saved her life twice. I just wish she would tell me more. We've been together for over a year, and sometimes it feels like I barely know anything about her."
"I don't know why she is in Winnipeg, and to be honest, that's not reassuring. Was she with Eva?" said Sebastian.
"Yes, all she said was that the elders requested her presence there. Do you think she is in trouble or something?" said Frank, suddenly worried.
"No, not per se," said Sebastian, thinking about what to say next, how to explain the situation to clueless humans. "I do work with her, as you know, but the reason she's in Winnipeg today relates to our side job. Well, it's supposed to be a side job for us. Technically, she's not even affiliated with that agency, but she's been partnering with the agency where Eva and I are working as interns for almost 2 years. Lately, they're being sent to the nastiest cases."
"If I may ask, because I am genuinely curious, how did you both get into that line of work? I mean, you both seem very young to be working that kind of job," said Raymond.
Raymond was curious, but he was also concerned about his younger siblings.
"Head hunters recruited us in high school for the job we primarily work together. We both went to a boarding school but to a different one. Our contract is temporary and we both have less than 3 years left to it. My dad works for the agency I have an internship with, and that's how I got in, for something to switch to once my contract ends. Coralis, however…," Sebastian turned his eyes to Frank, "she will tell you in time, but it has to do with the mess her parents were involved in before they died. It caught up to her when in high school."
"I will always remember the night she saved my life. I didn't stay to watch her fight, but I glanced back once as I was running for my life when I heard them scream for theirs. I will always remember how she stepped in and engaged against them as if she'd done that her entire life. She was so fearless. I honestly thought she was around 16. Oh God, I was so worried for her, but that girl is very skilled for her age," said Molly.
"I do trust her, don't get me wrong, I just wish she'd let me in. I mean, I love her, I really do, and that's why I find it difficult sometimes to deal with her overly busy schedule. I don't know if she feels the same. Lately, she's available when I'm not, and she rarely is available when I am."
"Hold on, does she know that you love her? I don't mean to prey, but I don't think she realizes that, to be honest," said Sebastian.
"Did she tell you anything?" said Frank, looking at Sebastian. "I think she does, well she knows I'm serious about her."
"What she knows is that you have a problem with her working all the time. She isn't much of a talker, but we often leave work together to meet with you and Stephanie. She thinks that at any point, you'll end things with her because you can't handle the fact that she's not available when you want her to be. She wouldn't still be with you if she wasn't serious as well. I think that if you want her to let you in on what she does, you should tell her how you truly feel about her."
"Sebastian is right. She does want to tell you more, but think about it, why would she if she thinks that she isn't what you want?" said Stephanie.
Sebastian felt his hologram vibrating in his inner vest pocket. He reached for it and switched it to satellite phone mode before he pulled it out. It was Emery.
"I need to take this, I'll be right back," he said as he got up to go on the back porch.
"I don't know what it is about her, but don't worry, I am not even considering dumping her. I remember one night about two months ago, she had a nightmare, and I woke her out of it. Between the moment she woke up and the moment she realized what just happened, I swear, her eyes seemed silver for a second. I'm sure it was the reflection from the moonlight filtering through her curtains, but damn, that was beautiful."
Sebastian walked back in.
"I'm sorry everyone, but I need to go. Work called. I need to leave for Halifax."
Stephanie followed him outside.
"Side job?" said Stephanie after closing the front door of her mother's apartment building behind her.
"Yes, it was Emery. We need to meet with Blue and Eva in Halifax, something about a war between vampires and goblins. I don't have the details, but they were still out for lunch when they got sent there. Some CMMA elders think they'll need backup, so they're also sending me and Emery."
"Emery is Eva's mentor, right?"
"Not anymore, he's mine now. I'll tell you more when I get back," said Sebastian before kissing her. "Please make sure your brother doesn't do anything stupid. Blue needs him more than she knows."