Chapter 39

October 20, 2001

"Are you going to be able to pass by later on?" said Frank, while 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 really have no idea when this meeting will end. I'm not even supposed to be here, but for some reason, elders here are requesting my presence at this meeting. For how long are you going to be at your mom's?"

Coralis stood by a payphone in the middle of a shopping plaza. Eva was next to her. She was still refusing to use her hologram in satellite phone mode to call Frank, to make sure 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. If you travel by private flight, I supposed that I don't need to check for the next flights between Winnipeg and Montreal, just to have an idea of what time you could possibly be here?"

"You don't need to do that. Tell your mom Happy Birthday from me, just in case I can't make it."

Frank walked back inside after hanging up the phone.

"Is she going to come?" asked Molly, his mother.

"Probably not, she's still in Winnipeg. Hopefully, she can make it for dinner, but I don't know."

"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.

"No no, please don't," said Stephanie, looking at them both, "I saw her at work a couple of times. I don't know how to tell you this, but she is not lying, she does work the classified stuff, so please, don't take it personal."

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 also saying that. 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. Vic also said that Coralis saved her life once or twice. I just wish she would tell me more. We've been together for more than 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 while thinking about what to say next, about how to explain to clueless humans his link to Coralis and what she was into. "I do work with her, as you know, but the reason she's in Winnipeg now 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 for which Eva and I are following an internship. Lately, she is being sent to all kinds of nasty cases."

"If I can ask, because I am really 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 genuinely 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 a different one. Our contract is temporary and we both have 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 into 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 while in high school."

"I remember the night she saved my life. I didn't stay to watch her fight, I was running for my life, but I will always remember how she just stepped in, with no hesitation, 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 actually love her?" said Sebastian. "I don't mean to prey, but I don't think she realizes that, to be honest."

"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 well, we work together and lately, we've been leaving work often 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. With everything going on, 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 it pulled it out. It was Emery, Eva's mentor from the CMMA.

"I need to take this, I'll be right back," he said as he got up to walk to 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 was having a nightmare. 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 light 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?" she said 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 details, but apparently, they were still out for lunch when they got sent there. CMMA think they'll need backup, so they're also sending me and Emery."

"Emery is Eva's mentor, right?"

"Yes, but he's mine now. I'll tell you more when I get back," he said while kissing her. "Please make sure your brother doesn't do anything stupid. Honestly, Blue needs him more than she knows."