I moved past her, only to walk to the opposite corner of the room where we had another reading corner. I sat down, crossed my legs, and straightened my back.
The problem with knowing the truth about your parents abandoning you and keeping your name was that you could easily track them down and discover if they were truly struggling or not.
My parents ended up making a fortune for themselves, and though they were human, they somehow became the most influential duo in NYC. Many liked to compare me to them, pointing out the similarities but mostly emphasizing the fact that the Thorn duo would have been proud to give birth to a child that was a combination of such talent. Not dash her into the wilderness like they clearly did me.
That's what the human tabloids emphasized on a daily basis.
Their success didn't bother me, for I lived an amazing life without them, just like my supernatural brothers. Did it hurt sometimes to acknowledge it or see their faces in a random interview? Yes, but who was I to butt into their lives? I was a grown-up who could take care of myself and I didn't need them anymore.
It didn't mean the thought never crossed my mind. To walk up to their front door or have that fateful encounter where I could prove to them that I'd already surpassed their standards of me because I'd been taken in by someone who saw all my potential and was willing to raise me.
I felt all six of their stares, and I smiled sweetly as I gestured with my hand for them to carry on. "Please, don't mind me. I'll be over here still listening in while I work on my rune drawing game. Never know when human witchcraft can come in handy."
By the three smirking expressions from Adonis, Tristan, and Dominick, I knew I'd done exactly what they would wanted me to. Meeting Otis's gaze, I noticed the tiny uplift of the left corner of his lips.
Tiny smirk means approval. I'll probably get scolded by Everett later, but at least I defended myself.
They soon carried on with the conversation at hand, discussing ways to ensure they would be safe during public events and during their busy work schedules.
I ended up zoning them out, getting lost in the same symbol I'd drawn over and over again through the years since I could hold a crayon.
Rune magic had always intrigued me, especially now that there was a show on Netflix about a group of cat shifters that used different runes to create various magic spells. A human had yet to crack open the realms of magic through witchcraft, but it was another one of those things I dreamed of doing one day.
I quietly continued to sketch the same thick rune design, secretly hoping to get this tattooed on my arm when I was twenty-one. It was hard to describe, the thick lines reminding me of those tribal symbols some guys got tattooed on them. Almost like I was part of a pack of some kind.
With the new approved age for magic tattoos on human skin now twenty-one, I had one more year left before I could have the reminder embedded on me. Why this symbol meant so much to me was beyond my understanding, but my childhood was full of blanks that I sometimes wished I could fill and restore. Something about this symbol made me think that one day I could.
And yeah, sometimes I do wish I could be supernatural like the rest of the world.
I smirked at the ironic thought, doing my best to show that I wasn't wounded by that grumpy old woman's words. She could kick me down all she wanted.
Supernatural or human, I was someone who'd keep fighting to prove my rightful place in society.
With that in mind, I knew that good family dinner and a cheesecake for dessert would cheer me up in no time.
Whoever these kidnappers were, they wouldn't stand a chance against my bros.
I'm not a worthy target, so I guess this is just a friendly reminder.
Supernatural Society And Surprise Betrayal
"Who thought this was a good idea? My feet hurt."
"Stop whining like a little girl who lost her lightsaber." I rolled my eyes, but continued to slow dance with my anger management vampire.
"What little girl has a lightsaber?" Otis argued.
"You guys bought me one when I was ten." I smirked.
"Yeah, and then you sliced half the house down when I ticked you off."
"No remorse." I gave him an innocent smile as I blinked my eyes. "If you hadn't triggered my BTS, that would have never happened."
"I can't believe that's a legit diagnosis."
"Saved me from making an excuse like 'I was on my period' or some other unrealistic justification men accept."
"We don't accept that."
"Yeah, you do. Remember last time Everett was mad at me for giving him attitude all week? I told him I was on my period and bam, all charges dropped. It's like you guys are scared of us throwing a tampon at you."
"That is scary."
"You're a vampire."
"That doesn't mean I want to be hit by tampons."
"Hmmm." I thought about it. "I guess that's kinda nasty. How did we get to this topic again?"
"I was complaining about why I have to dance with you," Otis grumbled.
"Right, right." I nodded. "That's 'cause you lost Rock-Paper-Scissors."
"Why does everyone think that stupid game is valid enough to make crucial decisions like dancing with you?"
"It's fair and usually means you'll lose." I grinned happily. I didn't know what it was with the easy decision-making game, but vampires sucked at it. Maybe they were cursed or something.
We'd eaten a classy five-course meal at a restaurant near Madison Square, deciding we wanted to be in a busier location but still gain the quiet environment this restaurant delivered.
After the bitc- — ahem, Ms. Widow — took her leave, the guys determined they would have to either get extra security during their live events or start using tracker keychains.
Tracker keychains were these little keychains in various designs that people hooked up to their smartphones. Since their creation, it had become extremely difficult to get kidnapped, but someone must have figured out a way around that system if supernaturals were beginning to freak out.
From what Everett had implied on the drive here, the issue had reached the White House and they were now conducting an emergency meeting.
That must mean this is bad.
The guys didn't seem worried about it, which told me it hadn't escalated to something that we should truly be concerned about, but we'd at least have to proceed with caution.
I could just imagine being kidnapped and having to reveal the sad truth that they fucked up.
That would get you killed Cass...but it would be pretty funny.
Dinner was superb, and we were back to celebrating Tristan getting a job he was actually excited for. This restaurant had a lovely dance floor and after a few rounds of Rock-Paper-Scissors, I got to kidnap Otis — again — for some dancing torture.
"The house is going to be so boring now that Tristan is working as well," I admitted, thinking about the idea of being home for the majority of the day.
I was pretty active, or at least tried to be. Mornings started off with an hour run to keep my stamina up. Breakfast and music while I read another volume of How to Be a Successful Human in a World of Supernaturals.
It was one of the inspirational books that ended up becoming a weekly volume series. I'd collected all the books and was waiting for the author's tour to come to NYC in Feb 2056.