We were walking side by side, with me unsure of where we were going. It was just mindless wandering, heading toward nothing in particular.

Adrian wasn't himself. I hadn't known him all that long, but I'd grown accustomed to him acting a certain way. Livelier. Less tired. Less angry. But now there was little to him other than a silent, simmering rage.

"Do you have any other family?" I asked.

"An aunt on my mom's side. But she hates him. There's no chance she would help him." His teeth sank into his bottom lip for a brief moment before he spoke again. "I-I hope my mom's with her. I don't think... the only grave I saw when I came back was mine. So, she must be okay."

"I'm sure she is. We can look for her too. Maybe call your aunt?"

Adrian shook his head. Any concern for his mother seemed to be forced aside for the time being. "After we find him."

"Okay. Is there nobody on your step-father's side at all? If there is, he might be staying with them."

"No. That bag of dicks is all alone. Rightfully so."

I linked my arm with his. "Let's go get some cocoa."

"We're busy."

"Going where? Until we figure out where he could be, there's no use in being out here. We may as well go to Opalescent's and figure this out over hot cocoa instead of getting sick in the cold."

"It isn't that cold."

"Not all of us have burning hatred to keep us warm."

Adrian snorted, looking over at me for the first time in a while. "A jacket might have had the same effect."

"Well, I don't have one, and I want hot cocoa."

"I get the feeling you drink too much of that stuff."

"If I am going to die, it will with me laying in silk sheets and hot cocoa in my veins."

"I don't think we've got peaceful deaths waiting for us, Neith."

What Anubis had shown me the other night certainly confirmed that, but I wasn't about to tell him that. As we walked to the cafe, I sang showtunes under my breath, trying not to think of the bloodlust and murder that plagued us.

When we got there, Adrian waited at the table while I got our drinks. I'd offered to pay, thinking maybe it would somehow affect his mood for the better. It was stupid. I knew it as soon as I said it. Something like this wasn't going to make him feel any better. His suffering wasn't the sort to be remedied with a hot drink and pastry. I didn't think it could be remedied at all. If it did come to killing his step-father, would that help? Or would it just make everything worse somehow?

Would killing Jake help me? It would quench my bloodthirst, sure, but would it make me feel the way I did when everything was normal? Or would I go all CW-brooding-hero mode and drown in my own guilt?

I joined Adrian at the table when our drinks were ready and handed him one of the cups. "If you waste it, I'm going to kill you."

He just shrugged, took a sip, and turned his head to look out the window.

"Does he talk about any coworkers?"

"He doesn't work. All he does it drink."

"Could he be with one of his beer buddies then?"

Adrian stared.

"What?"

"I'm a dumbass."

"I know. You won't be getting an argument out of me." I pointed to what I'd just bought for him. "We'll go after you finish."

"I can eat it on the-"

"Finish the pastry."

Adrian gave his head a shake, but started to dig into it anyway. He ate it fast and washed it down with cocoa. Standing up, he pulled on my wrist. "Done, let's go. He has a few beer buddies so we'll have to make a few stops."

It took an hour. We walked all the way to his town, weaving in and out of several neighborhoods on our quest.

"They'll be here," Adrian said, as we walked into a trailer park. He led the way to a particularly rickety one in the back. But he didn't go to the door.

"What is it?"

Adrian pressed the palms of his hands together, his fingers locking together. "He won't answer if he sees me. Can you..."

I nodded, moving forward to knock on the door.

It opened almost immediately, and a woman stood at the threshold, her brown hair frizzy, bag under her eyes. Before I could get a word in, her gaze found Adrian, and the door slammed shut.

I turned to look at him, dumbfounded.

Adrian's face had lost its color. There wasn't any anger in his eyes. Just hurt.

"Adrian?"

"My mom. That man killed me, and she's still with him."

A u t h o r ' s N o t e

Stream Hope World. That is all. Toodles.

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