Your Soul to Take (Rise of the Fallen) (12 page)

“I
wasn’t sulking! It was more of a pout,” I added with a wink at Jess.

We
ate and talked for what felt like hours. By the time we were done, I felt
miserably full. I liked it. I felt the world fading as I slowly slipped into a
turkey induced coma. I managed to mumble the word, “Couch,” to Jess
as I stood and waddled in that direction.

“I’ve
never seen anyone eat so much in my life,” I heard Mom say worriedly to my
dad as I left the table.

“He’s
growing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Honey…
He ate a
turkey.
”

“I
used to eat four or five when I was his age.”

“You’re
so full of shit.”

I
ignored their conversation and plopped down on the couch. I thought I heard it
creak a little, but it was probably just my imagination. At least I hoped it
was.

Jess
sat down beside me and the rest of the girls filled up the room.
“Movie?” Cae looked around the room to see if anyone was interested.

“Put
it on,” I said knowing Cae would catch my meaning.

There
were exactly four Sullivan Thanksgiving Traditions. The parade, the dog show,
stuffing ourselves silly, and finally, watching
The Nightmare Before
Christmas.

Cae
grabbed the DVD and popped it in the player before sharing one of the large
chairs with Liz. She hit the play button on the remote and the movie started.
Jessie snuggled in closer and Clarisse plopped down on the other side of me.

“What
movie is this?”

“The
Nightmare Before Christmas,” I whispered back to Clarisse. The beginning
of the movie was my favorite part.

“I’ve
never seen it.”

“Me
neither,” Jessie chimed in, too.

“You’re
in for a treat. It’s one of our traditions. To kick off the holiday season.
Tomorrow we go buy a Christmas tree and decorate the house.”

“Huh.
I’ve never had one of those. We really don’t do Christmas at my house. Dad is
kind of funny that way.”

I
genuinely felt sorry for Jessie. I stroked her hair.

“Me
neither,” Clarisse said.

What
was with the women in my life? I felt bad for Clarisse, too, but I refrained
from stroking her hair. “Well, come over. Both of you. You can help and
join in.”

Both
of them looked at me, smiled, and nodded. “Why don’t they spend the night?
I’ll call their parents and let them know it’s okay with your father and me,
and that they will be spending the night in your sister’s room. Under guard. In
isolation. And that you’ll be spending the night in the locked garage.”

“Gee.
Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re
welcome, sweetie. Jess? Claire? Are you up for a Sullivan Family Christmas?”

“You
bet. But you don’t have to call my folks. They’re both working and leave stuff
like that up to me.”

Mom
nodded in understanding. “Want me to call your father, Jess?”

“He
said he’d call when he was finished. I’ll let you talk to him then.”

“Okay.
Mr. Sullivan and I will be upstairs watching TV. Come get me when he
calls,” she said. “Liz, you staying , too?”

Liz
nodded and never took her eyes from the movie.

We
watched in silence. Jess and Clarisse both were enraptured by the movie and I
actually caught the two of them smiling, even during the musical numbers. If
anyone asked me, I’d deny it, but I had
This is Halloween
on my iPod. It
was one of my favorite songs and always reminded me of my favorite time of
year.

The
movie ended and we switched to some mind numbing TV shows. We looked for
another movie to watch and failed miserably. Jessie’s dad called after a while
and Jess spoke a few words to him quietly before handing the phone to my
mother.

“He
said you could stay, sweetie,” she told Jess before handing the phone back
to her and looking over at me. “He also wanted me to remind Connor that he
has several shotguns.”

Dad
started laughing from his seat in the kitchen where he and Mom were playing
cards. “I’m going to have to get some, too.”

“Don’t
worry, Dad. I was lucky to find Jessie,” I said.

“I
meant for your sister.”

“I
knew that.”

“Connor,
come help me get the sleeping bags and blankets out of storage. The girls can
have a campout in the living room.”

I
nodded. “Good idea.”

“And
if I hear so much as a creak on the stairs,
I’ll
borrow one of Mr.
Sullivan’s shotguns. Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes,
ma’am.”

“Good.
I really wanted to see you graduate high school. It would be a shame to kill
you now.”

Chapter 15

The
pounding on my door woke me up. I glanced over at my charging phone and saw
seven am shining brightly. I groaned inwardly.
We were on a holiday, who the
hell was pounding on my door before noon?

“What,”
I wailed miserably at the door.”

“Come
on, honey. We’re going to get the tree.”

“The
trees are still asleep, Mom. Go back to bed.”

“We’re
doing something special this year. Come on.”

“How
about sleeping in? That was pretty special the last time I checked.”

“Connor
Ryan Sullivan. You get out of that bed this instant. Don’t make me send your
sister up here with ice and water again.”

“She’s
still sleeping anyway. Or she would be if she was smart.” I slid my head
back under the covers. After the parents had gone to bed, we stayed up pretty
late. I know Mom came out every thirteen minutes to make sure I wasn’t being
too huggy with Jess, so I knew she had to be half asleep, too.

“She
is. I’m sending her up.”

I
listened to Mom’s footfalls as she walked back downstairs. I strained to hear
what was going on down there, but I couldn’t make out her voice. I distinctly
heard the words “ice” and “water” as well as the maniacal
giggle of my sibling. I cursed under my breath, got out of bed, walked over to
the door, opened it, and shouted, “I’m up!” I slammed it and wandered
around looking for somewhat cleanish clothes.

Two
minutes later I was in the kitchen with one wide-eyed father, an over-planning
mother, two vampires who were way more awake than they should have been, a
confused looking demon, and Jess, who was as beautiful as ever and appearing
quite amused.

“What
the hell, Mom? What’s going on?”

”We
decided to do something special this year, since it will be more than the four
of us. We’ll drive up to Kildare and cut our own Christmas tree at the farm up
there.

“When
did you decide this?”

“When
your father and I woke up this morning.”

“Old
people are weird,” I mumbled and hugged Jess before grabbing the last of
the coffee out of the pot. Learning my lesson from the day before, I sipped it
slowly. It wasn’t as hot as straight out of the microwave, so I gulped it down
greedily before tossing the plastic mug that said, “World’s Best Dad,”
in the sink. “I’m ready.”

The
seven of us piled into the parent’s minivan and once again, I was sandwiched
between Jess and Clarisse while Cae and Liz got the whole back backseat to
themselves. It wasn’t that I minded the proximity to Clarisse, but some
alone-time with Jess would have been nice. I shot my sister a dirty look,
wanting the backseat for just that purpose.

“Don’t
look at me, Mom said if you and Jess made for the back to kick out your
kneecap. She wants you where she can watch your hormonal ass.”

I
sighed in frustration and turned back around. Mom shot me a smile from the
front seat and Clarisse lost it, laughing loud enough to actually hurt my ears.

The
drive took a little over three hours. My ass was numb and my palm was sweaty
from holding Jessie’s hand the entire trip. Dad finally announced, “We’re
here!” The rest of us began clapping.

There
was no snow on the ground, but we were still in the spirit of the season. The
early-morning air was calm, quiet, and chilly. It couldn’t have been more
perfect as we piled out of the minivan.

The
owner of the tree farm walked out of a large wooden barn to greet us.
“Mornin’, folks. Looking for a tree?”

“Yes,
do you have any here?” I tried not to sound sarcastic, I failed miserably.
Luckily he had a sense of humor.

“First
time I heard that joke. Good one,” he said and winked at me.

I
had the decency to blush. Clarisse still smacked me in the back of the head.

“Thank
you,” Mom said to her appreciatively.

“You’re
welcome. Let me know if you need me to take him out back and kick the crap out
of him.”

“Maybe
later, sweetie.”

I
felt Jess’ quiet giggle more than heard it. I looked down at her and she
refused to make eye contact. “You, too?”

“What?”
She tried sounding innocent.

“I
heard you giggling over there.”

“Love
you,” she said simply and smiled, finally meeting my eyes.

“Love
you, too.”

“You
two are gonna make me barf my nonexistent breakfast,” Cae felt the need to
chime in.

I
kissed my girlfriend soundly.

Dad’s
conversation with the tree farmer was interrupted by dry-heaving noises
emanating from my sister. “Knock it off, both of you.”

“She
started it…”

* * *

The
clouds had rolled in, darkening the bright morning light. A solitary break let
the sun stream through in a cone of brilliant hues that sparkled in the lonely
rows of trees. A shaft of light illuminated a solitary tree, somewhat separated
from the others. It was as if the heavens themselves had picked the Sullivan
Family Christmas tree.

“How
about that one?” Dad sounded almost reverent as he spotted the beauty
before us.

“Perfect,”
Mom echoed behind him.

Dad
hefted the axe the farmer had loaned him, and strode forward, leaving the rest
of us behind. He spit into his gloves, grabbed the handle, and whacked it good
about eight inches from the base of the tree. The axe bounced off after making
a small dent in the bark.

“We’re
gonna be here a while,” I said with a little laugh.

Mom
walked over to Dad. “Is it sharp enough?”

“Yeah.
I checked it before we left. It’s just a tough tree.”

“Let’s
pick another one then.”

“Hell
no. It’s this one.”

She
sighed, rolled her eyes, stepped back, and let him have at it. Thirty minutes
later, he was only a quarter of the way through it.

“Why
don’t you give your dad a hand, Connor,” Clarisse whispered next to me.

I
nodded, the novelty of standing in the middle of a freezing forest having worn
off long ago. “Take a break, Dad,” I said and grabbed the axe in his
hand.

“No
way, kiddo. This sucker is tough. You’ll chop your foot off or something.”

I
rolled my eyes and pulled on the handle anyway. “Just a small one. I’ll be
careful and you need a break. Go warm up.”

He
let go reluctantly. “Chop on an angle. Watch for bounce-backs, and keep an
eye on your shins.”

“Yes,
Father,” I said and waited for him to join the others. I gripped the axe
in both hands, settling the blade in the groove he had made in the trunk.
Slowly, I pulled back until the axe was behind me. I swung with everything I
had.

“Connor!”
I could hear the panic in Dad’s voice as the axe swung in a perfect arc toward
the trunk.

The
axe head hit the trunk, exploding it into shards of wood and bark as it
continued travelling through and embedding itself in the dirt to the left of
the tree. The tree dropped back onto the stump and toppled over, nearly landing
on me in the process.

Everyone
behind me began clapping in anticipation of going home. I turned and saw my mom
and dad standing there with a look of utter confusion and awe on their faces. I
shrugged my shoulders and hefted the axe over my shoulder.

“Jesus,
Connor.”

“Lucky
hit, Dad. You loosened it up for me. Thanks.”

“No
problem, son.

Chapter 16

We
pulled into the parking lot of the family diner with the tree–that was way larger
than it looked while standing upright in the forest–strapped firmly to the roof
of the minivan. We drew a few looks from the people getting in and out of their
cars, but it was worth it. I was still feeling pretty good about myself for
felling it with one stroke of my axe. I sort of felt like Paul Bunyon. Without
the ox.

We
walked inside and the place smelled awesome. Greasy, but awesome. The smell of
bacon permeated the restaurant like a heaven-scented air-freshener. “Mornin’.
How many?”

I
looked up at the ancient waitress in her pink uniform and smiled. She even had
a nametag that read
Flo.
That earned a giggle. The place was my new
favorite restaurant. “Seven,” I replied for Dad, who was still trying
to get inside the door.

“Follow
me, hon.”

“Thanks.”
I took Jess’ hand and followed. She had to be in her late sixties, but she
sashayed with the best of them. Jess smiled and buried her face in my arm.

She
led us to a large round table in the corner. We sat and she handed us each a
sticky laminated, single-sheet menu. “The Porksplosion is the special for
today. Holler at me when you’re ready to order.”

She
sauntered off, refilling coffees and taking more orders. I looked around. The
place wasn’t that small, yet she seemed to be the only waitress in the place.
“Wow. She must be good.”

“Huh?”

I
looked over at Jess. I hadn’t realized I had been thinking out loud. “She
must be good. She’s the only waitress in the place.”

“Oh.”
She looked around, and shrugged, seemingly unimpressed.

I
looked at the menu and my eyes found the Porksplosion, which was a combination
of three eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, ham, and sausage. “Nom
noms.”

“What
is?”

“The
Porksplosion. I’m starving.”

Her
eyes widened at the description. She looked over at me, down at my belly, and
back up to my face. “You’re gonna get fat. I’ll still love you, but you’re
gonna get fat.”

I
touched my belly, which was harder and flatter than ever. There was one good
side to being a demon, unlimited caloric intake. I could eat with the best of
them and not worry about ending up on an eating intervention show.

“Everybody
ready?” We all nodded at Dad and he waved Flo over to take our order.
Everyone ordered smallish breakfasts, except for Dad, Clarisse, and me. We all
went for the gold and ordered the Porksplosion. We all grinned at each other
after Flo left. The rest of them rolled their eyes.

Caelyn
even said, “Men!”

Clarisse
laughed. “Lightweight.”

“I
don’t want to look like a bloated tick.”

“Not
like you ever would…” She trailed off, remembering Mom and Dad sitting at
the table. At least she didn’t make any blood-sucker jokes.

I
glanced over at Jess, who was staring down at the white Formica-covered tabletop,
not really paying attention. I nudged her, gently. “You okay, baby?”

She
seemed to snap out of it. “Yeah. Just feeling a little weird.”

“You
getting sick?”

“No.
I don’t think so.”

“Good.
I don’t like it when you’re not feeling good,” I said and leaned in for a
kiss. She pecked my lips and sat back in the chair.

The
sound of glass breaking drew everyone’s attention. Somebody knocked a glass
onto the floor at the table next to ours. Everyone in the restaurant started
clapping, drawing laughter from all of us. Except for Jess. She sat there with
her hands covering her ears and grimacing in pain. I touched her arm gently.

She
glanced up at me, tears rimming her eyes. Her eyes began darting around the
restaurant. The moved from an elderly gentleman tapping his glass with his fork
to a trucker who was repeatedly rapping is knuckles against the countertop in
the front. I could see the panic on her face. I gently grabbed her arm and
helped her to her feet, leading her out of the diner and into the relative
quietness of the outdoors.

She
calmed as she closed her eyes. The only sounds around us were a few birds in
the trees and the distant sounds of cars cruising down the highway. “You
okay?”

She
nodded. “Must be a migraine coming on. It was too noisy in there.”
She closed the distance between us and rested her face against my chest. I
wrapped her in my arms and kissed her head, slowly swaying in an effort to calm
her.

“I
think Mom has some aspirin in her purse. We’ll get you some in a minute.”

She
nodded, not looking up. Clarisse came outside to check on us. “All
good?”

“Yeah.
She’s getting a migraine and the noise of the diner was getting to her.”

Clarisse
opened her mouth to speak and quickly shut it, shooting me a worried glance. I
scrunched my eyes at her in confusion, raising one eyebrow. She looked around
before bringing her hands up to her shoulders and making flappy gestures.

“Oh,”
I mouthed silently.

She
nodded at my comprehension, bringing two finger tips to her eyes and then using
them to point to Jess. The universal sign for, “Watch her and make sure
she’s not turning into a Chosen.”

I
gulped silently. Jess looked up at me, and then turned around to see Clarisse
re-enter the diner. “I see why you two are friends.”

“Huh?”

“You’re
very much alike.”

I
smiled down at her, actually taking that as a compliment. “Told you she’s
not that bad once you get to know her.”

“I
didn’t say I like her. I just said you were a lot alike.”

“But…”

“It’s
got nothing to do with
her
, sweetie. She’s a girl, she’s disgustingly
pretty, and she’s not related to you. There’s a jealousy issue. It can’t be
helped,” she said and gave me a feeble apologetic smile.
“Sorry.”

“Don’t
tell anyone, but it’s kind of hot when you get jealous,” I replied with a
wink, kissing her lips softly.

“You’re
strange.”

“But
you love me.”

“Most
of the time.” She pulled back a little and smiled, letting me know she was
teasing. “I’m better. Ready to go back in?”

“Hell
yeah. I have a Porksplosion waiting for me.

“I’m
telling you… Fat.”

“That’s
one thing I can promise you will never happen.”

“So
he says now. I’m not buying you new belts though.”

* * *

After
shaving about three feet off the bottom of the tree, Dad finally got it into
the stand without it hitting the ceiling. There still wasn’t any room for the
star, but he said he had a plan. Mom rolled her eyes and grabbed the girls to
help her pull the decorations out of the basement.

“Everything
okay with you and Jess?”

I
looked up at my father in confusion. “Yeah. Why? Doesn’t it seem
okay?”

“Yes.
I don’t know why I asked that. Maybe just making small talk with my son?”

“Jeez,
Dad. Pick a different subject next time. You’re gonna give me a heart
attack.”

He
had the decency to look apologetic before he started trimming stray branches
and shaping the tree. I flipped on the television and switched to the Sounds of
the Seasons on the music channels. There was something important about
listening to Christmas music while decorating the tree. Without it, it was like
decaffeinated coffee. Or turkey bacon.

“Here’s
the lights, hon,” Mom said as she deposited a box on the floor next to Dad
before turning around and heading back downstairs.

“Come
on. Help me check these.”

Thus
began my hour of hell. I silently vowed to myself to buy new Christmas lights
every year when I was older. It just wasn’t worth it. If I weren’t a Fallen, my
fingers would have had blisters from pulling the little green thingies out of
the green pluggy things. I was about three seconds away from snapping.
Miraculously, the last strand Dad and I were working on flickered to life. I
sighed and stood. The lights went out.

“I
quit!” I left amid a chorus of giggles where the girls were sorting
through the boxes of Christmas cheer. I felt like stomping on an ornament.
“I’m taking a break. Want to go outside, Jess?”

She
looked over at my mom, who nodded. “Go ahead, sweetie. Maybe you can put
him in a better mood.”

“Sure,”
Jess said and grabbed my hand. I pulled her to her feet and headed toward the
back door through the kitchen.

The
cold air helped my mood a bit. Jessie in my arms helped a lot more.

“So…
How are you liking your first Sullivan Family Christmas?”

“You
have no idea how perfect you have it, do you?” She looked up at me
solemnly, a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

“Excuse
me?”

“It’s
been just me and Dad for so long, I forgot how holidays were meant to be spent.
Be very thankful.”

“I
am. But I’m more thankful that you’re here to spend it with me, too.”

“You’re
a suck.”

“Is
that a bad thing?”

“Never.
Just don’t stop.”

I
leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. “Ready to go decorate a tree?”

“Yep.”