The Divergence

───

Adelaide laughed brightly as she lifted her brother from the floor.

"Addie!"

Marcus barely had time to tighten his arms around her before she turned with him, half spinning in the doorway while his laughter filled the hall.

Her long pale green hair swept outward with the motion, and the hem of her dress flared around her legs before she came to a smooth stop.

"There."

She set him carefully back on his feet and rested both hands on his shoulders.

"I told you I'd visit."

Marcus grinned up at her, then finally seemed to notice that his sister hadn't come alone.

Adelaide stepped aside.

Six vampires stood in the hallway behind her.

Their appearances differed enough that none could be mistaken for another.

Golden, orange, silver-white, blonde, teal, and vivid red hair framed six beautiful faces, while six pairs of crimson eyes without pupils settled upon him.

They were all smiling.

Some smiles were playful.

Others were gentle or shy.

All were friendly.

Marcus' own smile became smaller as his heartbeat began thumping faster.

He looked from one vampire to the next, seeming unable to decide where his attention should remain.

They were all short compared to most adults, yet there was something about the way they stood that made the hallway feel smaller around them.

Adelaide gently patted his shoulder.

"It's alright."

Marcus swallowed and nodded.

"I know."

He glanced at the six vampires once more before straightening as much as a boy his age could.

"I'm Marcus."

Gwendolyn stepped forward first.

She placed one hand elegantly against her chest and dipped her head with such exaggerated grace that Lavinia immediately narrowed her eyes.

"My name is Gwendolyn."

Her voice came out soft and composed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Marcus."

Valerie stared at her.

Then bumped her shoulder.

"Since when are you composed and elegant?"

Gwendolyn's careful expression immediately cracked.

She pushed Valerie lightly in return.

"I'm trying to establish a respectable persona!"

Valerie snorted.

"Bit late for that."

Marcus laughed quietly, some of his nervousness fading.

Gwendolyn looked back at him and cleared her throat.

"As I was saying..."

She straightened again.

"I am very respectable."

"No, she isn't," six voices said almost together.

Gwendolyn gasped.

Marcus laughed more openly this time.

Valerie stepped forward next and gave a small wave.

"I'm Valerie."

She tilted her head toward Gwendolyn.

"I apologize for her."

"You are worse than I am."

"That hasn't been proven."

Lavinia smiled and introduced herself after them, followed by Evelyn, who spoke quietly but gave Marcus a warm smile.

Celestine inclined her head with gentle composure, while Rosaline leaned down slightly and introduced herself with enough enthusiasm to make it sound as though they'd been waiting all night specifically to meet him.

Finally, Adelaide placed one hand proudly atop Marcus' head.

"And now you've met everyone."

Marcus looked up at her.

"They're all your friends?"

"They are."

Adelaide's smile softened.

"All six of them."

Marcus looked at the gathered vampires again, then smiled shyly.

"They're nice."

"Of course we are," Rosaline said immediately.

Valerie glanced at her.

"He spoke to us for thirty seconds."

"And reached the correct conclusion."

Adelaide laughed before giving Marcus' shoulder another affectionate pat.

"Have you eaten yet?"

He nodded.

"Yeah."

"What did you have?"

"Sandwiches."

Adelaide's expression tightened slightly.

"Only sandwiches?"

Marcus shrugged.

"There were chips too."

Lavinia looked down at her empty hands.

"I should've stopped at a store."

Everyone glanced toward her.

She tapped one finger against her cheek.

"I could've brought snacks."

"Or a toy."

"Or..."

She looked at Marcus.

"What do boys your age like?"

Marcus opened his mouth, though Adelaide answered first.

"It's fine."

She smiled reassuringly at Lavinia.

"You didn't know we were coming here until tonight."

"I still feel unprepared."

"You came to visit."

"That's enough."

Marcus nodded in agreement.

Lavinia smiled.

"Next time, then."

The seven vampires entered the apartment together.

Even after everyone stepped inside, the space didn't feel crowded so much as occupied in a way it had never been before. Black dresses rustled softly while long hair shifted around shoulders and backs, bringing seven different sweet scents into the otherwise ordinary home.

Two heartbeats immediately stood out.

Fast.

Uneven.

Coming from the closed bedroom farther down the hall.

Lavinia's crimson eyes drifted in that direction.

She tilted her head slightly, then looked toward Adelaide.

Adelaide was still smiling at Marcus as she asked him about school and what he'd done since she left. She gave no visible indication that she cared about the heartbeats beyond the bedroom door.

Lavinia lightly tapped her chin.

Adelaide had said she didn't get along with her parents.

Judging by the way their hearts raced merely from hearing her voice in the apartment, that description had been generous.

Much more generous than the truth, perhaps.

Still...

If Adelaide hadn't shared more, she had her reasons.

Lavinia let the thought go.

Nothing could happen without the vampires knowing.

Every breath in the apartment was audible.

Every heartbeat.

Every footstep.

If someone so much as shifted strangely in another room, seven pairs of ears would hear it.

Rosaline had already claimed Marcus' attention.

She dropped into a chair at the small dining table and placed one hand flat against the surface.

"Do you know how to play rock, paper, scissors?"

Marcus stared at her.

"Everyone knows how to play."

Rosaline placed a hand over her chest.

"Such confidence."

She raised one fist.

"Prepare yourself."

They played.

Marcus won the first round.

Rosaline accused him of reading her mind.

He won the second.

She narrowed her crimson eyes suspiciously.

By the fifth round, the rest of the vampires had gathered around to watch.

"You cheated," Rosaline said.

Marcus grinned.

"You kept picking rock."

"I thought you'd stop expecting it."

"You picked it four times."

"It would've worked eventually."

Adelaide laughed from beside him.

"She's terrible at this."

"I am adapting."

Rosaline looked around the table.

"New game."

She planted one elbow against the surface and held out her hand.

"Arm wrestling."

Marcus looked from her slender arm to his sister.

Adelaide smiled.

"Go ahead."

Marcus sat opposite Rosaline and took her hand.

His fingers looked small wrapped around hers, while her skin was cool enough that he shifted slightly upon contact.

"Ready?" Rosaline asked.

Marcus nodded.

"Go."

Their hands remained centered.

Rosaline adopted a dramatic expression of effort despite using almost no strength at all.

"Oh..."

She leaned forward.

"He's strong."

Marcus' smile widened.

Lavinia appeared behind Rosaline and rested both hands on her shoulders.

Her crimson eyes opened with theatrical amazement.

"Rosaline."

"What?"

"He's making you struggle."

"I know!"

Rosaline's hand dipped slightly toward the table.

Lavinia gasped.

"Marcus, you're so strong."

Marcus laughed while pushing harder.

Rosaline's wrist tilted another inch.

Adelaide watched with obvious amusement, one hand covering her smile.

The other vampires began encouraging him.

"Just a little more," Lavinia said.

"You've almost got her," Valerie added.

Gwendolyn clasped both hands together.

"Do it, Marcus!"

Rosaline made a heroic sound of resistance.

Then her hand tapped lightly against the tabletop.

The vampires erupted into applause.

Marcus pulled his hand back with a delighted smile.

"I won!"

"You did," Rosaline said solemnly.

"I've been defeated."

She flexed her fingers.

Marcus watched her hand with curiosity.

"Your hand was really soft."

Rosaline blinked.

"And cold."

He added.

Rosaline smiled.

"Thanks to you, it warmed up a little."

She held her hand up and examined it.

"So I feel much better now."

Marcus laughed.

The warmth of the moment lasted until the bedroom door shifted.

Seven smiles lessened at once.

The sound wasn't loud.

A lock turning.

A hand gripping the knob.

Footsteps moving with deliberate weight.

All seven vampires turned before the door had fully opened.

An older man stepped into the hallway with anger already written across his face.

His mouth opened.

Then stopped.

Seven pairs of empty crimson eyes stared directly at him.

The words caught in his throat.

His heartbeat lurched violently.

He looked at one vampire.

Then another.

Then another.

The confidence with which he'd left the bedroom seemed to drain from him as he realized there were seven of them inside his apartment.

Adelaide slowly removed her hand from Marcus' shoulder.

Her father exhaled through his nose and forced himself to look at her.

"What are you doing?"

His voice wasn't as strong as he'd likely intended.

Adelaide tilted her head.

"Visiting my brother."

"You're endangering him."

His gaze moved toward the others, never settling on any one vampire for long.

"Bringing these..."

He gestured sharply.

"...things into this apartment."

The other six vampires exchanged glances.

None spoke.

They were guests.

This was Adelaide's family.

For now, they left the response to her.

Adelaide sighed.

Her hand returned to Marcus' head, fingers gently smoothing his short hair.

"Am I a thing too?"

Her father glared.

He didn't answer.

More footsteps sounded from the bedroom.

Adelaide's mother emerged a moment later.

Perhaps she'd heard that no one had screamed.

Perhaps seeing her husband still standing emboldened her.

She stopped beside him and looked over the seven vampires with visible disgust fighting against fear.

"He's not wrong."

Her voice was sharper.

"The news said you drink blood."

"They said you can't go outside during the day."

She pointed toward Adelaide.

"If you aren't monsters..."

"What else could you be?"

Lavinia quietly caught one lock of golden hair around her finger.

She twirled it slowly while observing the older couple.

Sorrow settled faintly inside her.

Not for them.

For Adelaide.

Only minutes earlier, Adelaide had laughed while holding Marcus.

Her confidence had seemed effortless.

Now her smile remained, but there was no warmth behind it.

Adelaide took a measured breath.

"What did you come out here to tell me?"

Her mother folded her arms.

"You should leave."

She glanced toward the phone sitting on a nearby counter.

"All of you."

"Or I'll call the police."

Adelaide blinked once.

Then again.

Her crimson eyes moved slowly between her parents, as though she were giving them one final chance to change what they'd said.

Neither did.

She nodded.

"Alright."

Her father seemed to find more courage in her agreement.

"And don't come back."

Adelaide's gaze shifted toward him.

"You're not welcome here anymore."

He pointed toward the other vampires.

"And don't bring those things here again."

Valerie's lips twitched.

Rosaline's expression sharpened.

Gwendolyn's ears angled slightly backward.

None of them moved.

Adelaide turned toward the group.

"Wait outside."

Lavinia studied her for a moment.

Then nodded.

"We'll be right there."

One after another, the six vampires moved toward the door.

Rosaline gave Marcus a small wave, though her smile had faded.

Gwendolyn looked as if she wanted to hug him before leaving, but she followed the others.

The door remained open.

They stepped into the hallway and waited close enough to hear everything inside.

Adelaide lowered herself onto one knee.

She looked Marcus directly in the eyes.

Tears had already begun gathering there.

One slipped free.

Adelaide reached up and wiped it away with her thumb.

Her smile returned.

This one was genuine.

Gentle.

"I'll still visit you."

Marcus shook his head quickly.

"They said you can't."

"They don't decide everything."

She brushed her knuckles across his cheek.

"I'll call you every day."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Marcus' lower lip trembled.

"Can I go with you?"

Adelaide's smile strained for the first time.

She shook her head.

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"Because you're different from me."

Her gaze flicked briefly toward their parents before returning to him.

"And you're still young."

She took both of his hands.

"When you get older, you'll be able to decide where you go."

"And who you stay with."

Marcus squeezed her fingers.

"I want to stay with you."

"I know."

Adelaide leaned forward and pressed her forehead gently against his.

"I want that too."

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then Adelaide stood.

She looked toward her parents.

Every trace of warmth left her face.

"I expect you not to touch him."

Her mother stiffened.

Adelaide's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"No hitting."

"No threats."

"No punishing him because you're angry with me."

Her father clenched his jaw.

"This is our home."

"And he's my brother."

Adelaide's voice remained perfectly calm.

"If he tells me either of you hurt him..."

She let the unfinished sentence linger.

They remembered what she'd said before.

Their heartbeats made that clear.

Adelaide looked down at Marcus one last time.

"I'll call."

He nodded despite the tears still rolling down his face.

Then she turned.

Her dress shifted around her legs as she walked out of the apartment and pulled the door softly shut behind herself.

The six vampires waited around her.

Nobody spoke immediately.

Adelaide stared at the closed door for several seconds.

Then she straightened.

Her confident expression returned, carefully rebuilt piece by piece.

Lavinia stepped closer and quietly took her hand.

Adelaide looked down at their joined fingers.

Then toward the six vampires surrounding her.

She gave them a small smile.

"...Let's go."