the front door and she leaned in for a kiss. I didn’t want to disappoint her…so I gave her one. It started slowly and built, but before I could really enjoy it, the front porch light flicked on. I gently pulled away.
“Dad,” I whispered.
The door opened and Mr. James stood there. I looked over at him and had every intention of being nice to him…
He stood there, framed by the door, the vastness of his feathered, white wings filled every available inch. His eyes shined blue with inner fire. His normally brown hair, kept in a ponytail, flew free and was eerily white. He stared into the depths of my soul. His mouth opened to speak, but a screeching noise erupted like the cry of a hawk.
“Hi, Daddy. I’m home.”
“Hi, pumpkin. Come on inside before you catch a cold,” he said in his normal voice.
What the hell? There’s no way she didn’t hear him…
“Night, Jess,” I said, playing along.
“Good night, Conrad.”
“Good night, sir.”
I turned and walked back to the limo. Slowly. If her dad was a Chosen…
Clarisse’s explanation of the Cursed came flying back into my brain. Offspring of a human and either a Chosen or a Fallen are doomed to suffering from the time they are born. They shall either pass on or inherit their parent’s form at their death.
The knowledge was a blow to my heart. Jessie’s life flashed before my eyes. Her blindness, the death of her mother, the death of her grandparents…it all made sense. She'd suffered more than anybody I'd ever met. Hot tears started to roll down my cheeks. I entered the back of the limo without even looking at the driver.
“I see you figured it out. I’m sorry, Connor.”
I looked up at Clarisse. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I wanted to. I just couldn’t catch you alone long enough. It sucks, I know.”
“So what happens now?”
“Enjoy spending time with her while you can. The Cursed never live past their second decade. I think her father knows that. It's probably why he’s letting her spend time with you. If she weren’t a Nephalim, you can bet your sweet butt he’d have kicked your ass to the curb by now.”
Even that made sense. If Jess had so little time left…he wouldn’t want to do anything to make her sad. He was probably going crazy wondering when. I know it’s all I could think about now.
“It’s just not fair,” I whimpered and started crying. Clarisse actually moved across the limo and wrapped me in her arms.
“I know, Connor. It’s why they’re called the Cursed. We were never meant to breed with humans. Only the most selfish of us would put our needs and wants over the lives of our children. If anybody is to blame, it’s Jessie’s father. Hate him.”
“If I feel anything for him, it’s pity. I really like, maybe even love Jess, but I can only imagine what he’s going through.”
Clarisse opened her mouth to say something else but ended up snapping it shut. She did say, “Well, you’re almost home. You can think about it all night if you want. If you need me, call me.”
I looked her in the eye. She might be brutal to me most of the time, but I could see she really cared I was hurting. I leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Clarisse.”
She reached up and touched the spot I kissed. “Yeah, well. You’re just lucky things suck right now, or I’d a punched you for kissing me.” She blushed.
“I didn’t punch you when you kissed me. That’s not fair,” I said with a wink. She blushed even more.
The limo pulled over in front of my house. Most of the lights were on. Mom and Dad must have waited up for me. “Goodnight, Connor,” Clarisse said with a tiny little smile.
“Night, my friend. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I didn’t wait for the driver. I just opened the door and stepped out into the night. I put my hands in my pockets and walked to my front door thinking mostly about Jess. I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know what. I really didn’t want to go up to my room and pout or play video games. I should go look for the bad guy. He has to be around somewhere.
The front door opened before I could turn around. A very worried looking female parental unit stood in the door looking like she would start crying any second. “Oh, thank God you’re