AIDAN

After I closed the front door, Nadia yelled from the bathroom upstairs. “The least he could do is tell us his name. I almost get the feeling he doesn't trust us, which makes me not trust him.”

I sat back on the steps with my phone in one hand and bourbon in the other. “I don’t know. He did save our lives."

Nadia was loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “For all we know, he could’ve just saved you to get the stone later.”

“If he wanted the stone, all he’d have to do is kill me.”

Nadia came down the stairs in a towel while holding her bong. “Lord, seems like bad juju follows that necklace everywhere.”

I pursed my lips and nodded. “That it do. Mr. Serious might be a little shady, but the bottom line is that he saved both of our lives. I hate everything that’s happened since this evil piece of jewelry showed up, but he’s the only one helping us. If he can go out of his way to keep us alive, then I already know everything I need.”

“And if not, I can always fry the hell out of him while you rip his guts out. How are you doing with that, by the way?”

I shifted my head from side to side. “I think I’ve gotten most of the panic out of my system. Also, that guy from earlier was definitely trying to kill me, so he had it coming. He deserved to have his intestines ripped out.”

Nadia’s eyes widened as she touched her collarbone. “Okay! Damn, Aidan, that’s cold. I don’t know where that came from but I’m liking it.”

We went back and forth with the horrific details of our experiences. I told her about everything that happened to me from the time I got home the previous night, and she stunned me with the details of her psychotic attackers, Tomas and Sophia.

After running to her room for clothes, Nadia came back in shorts and a tank. “So, tell me more about this man in your wet dreams.”

I sighed and loaded a second bowl into the bong. “I wish they were wet dreams. That would be easier to understand. Every time I see his face, stuff goes nuts and no matter how hard I try, I can never remember what he looks like.”

Nadia applied serum to her hair and brushed it in. “He sounds hot. You said he’s probably someone from your previous life, right?”

I took a monstrous hit from the bong before responding. “Has to be. Originally, I thought he could be the necklace’s previous owner, but not so much now that I know the necklace belongs to that great evil or whatever. Besides, I just found out I’m the spawn of a demon as if that's something a sane person says. So, dream guy is the least of my problems.”

Nadia held the bong for me to light it. “I hear you because my ‘give a crap’ budget is dangerously low.”

I kept the weed burning while she inhaled a hearty toke. “On the other hand, my thirst has been a little too real as of late. I haven’t met a decent guy in so damn long.”

Small clouds of smoke escaped her mouth. "Poor baby.”

I pulled my phone out and scrolled through the ignored birthday messages. “The chances of us making it out of this unscathed are low. Look at the bruises so far. And Mr. Serious made it abundantly clear that I am very much killable."

"What did you say that evil dude’s name was again?” Nadia coughed from another hit. “Amy?"

My eyes widened as she wheezed trying to catch her breath. "Amon. And I’ve told you a million times to take smaller rips. Also, we should probably let Roxy out. She’s been in her room all day.”

Nadia waved a dismissive hand at me before her gaze landed on the Peace Lily next to the television. “I dropped her off with my mom when I went to go find you. Didn’t want her caught in the crossfire.” Pushing herself off the couch, she strode over to the plant. Still staring at it, she lifted her hands to the sides of the pot.

After a minute, I put the bong down and stood. “Uh, what’s going on? Are you mind-melding with the plant?”

“Shush. I’m trying to make it grow. Let me concentrate.” She pursed her lips and clenched her fists. From the frustration building on her face, I was scared to even breathe too loudly. Five minutes later, she yelled and stomped her foot. “Damn it!”

I walked over to the Peace Lily to get a closer look, but the flower was unchanged. “Well, maybe plants are a little harder to manipulate than electricity.”

Nadia paced around the room while gesticulating. “It shouldn’t matter. My past self, Melinoe, or whatever, could make tree roots pop out of the ground at her enemies. I can’t even get a stupid flower to grow. I mean, you can hear animals, move things with your mind and turn into a killing machine.”

I crossed my arms and frowned. “I wouldn’t consider that last one a positive thing. Not until I can control it anyway. Besides, you have that badass electricity thing. That’s awesome.”

She stomped her foot again and ran her hands through her hair. “But it’s not enough! If Mr. Serious hadn’t shown up at the cathedral, I would have died because I wasn’t strong enough to kill Tomas. I used to be a super powerful nymph but instead, was a damsel in distress. I felt weak and helpless. Do you not get that?” Nadia took a deep breath and sat back on the couch.

Joining her, I rubbed her shoulder and kept my voice soft. “The point is, you’re alive. That’s the most important thing. And maybe you can’t do everything your past self did yet, but you will, eventually. We can even practice every single day if you want until you can do anything you want to a plant. Hey,” I placed a hand on her head and she turned to me, “you wanna try growing weed? It’ll save us a pretty penny.”

She laughed and nodded her head. “I do. I really do.”

“There she is.” I ran my hand down her hair to smooth it out but something was poking through the strands. “Uh, Nadia. There’s something in your—are those flowers?”

“What?” She picked up her phone and turned on the front-facing camera to get a look. “Huh. Not what I meant to do, but it’s progress.”

I tugged one and Nadia winced before slapping my hand away. “Ow! What are you, nut?!”

With a heavy sigh, I sat back on the couch. “We are a mess. I have homicidal rage issues and you’re becoming a weed. Was it really too much to want a normal birthday? You know, get some drinks. Dance to ridiculous songs. Maybe kiss a boy or two.”

"You know what?" Nadia rolled the flower stems between her fingers. “Your birthday isn’t over yet. Let’s go out. We can call Lana and Chris, get lit and perk you up from this severe depression because it looks contagious.” She slapped my shoulder in the same spot she did earlier.

I scowled at the sting. "Nadia, you have a garden growing out of your scalp."

Her words came through clenched teeth as she pried the flowers from her head. “Not--ow—for long. We need to—ugh—drink enough to forget--son of a—the last twenty-four hours.”

I raised my fists above my head. “Yes, please. Douse my synapsis in booze so I can forget about this wretched day.”

With all the flowers removed, Nadia ran her fingers through her hair. “Now, get upstairs. Ain’t nobody gonna buy you a drink if you don’t get pretty. Myself included”

In my room, I was sitting in a squat pose to stretch out my loosest pair of black jeans. With grit and upper body strength, I managed to get them comfortably snug. Victory was mine. Once zipped, I shoved the necklace deep within my pocket, securing it. When it came time for a top, I settled for a t-shirt before walking to Nadia’s room. I found her taking pics in front of her massive mirror wall.

She was wearing her black bra-top with rhinestones encrusted cups and thin silver chains crisscrossing underneath. In her white jeans were tiny strands of silver reflecting whatever light was near. I shook my head and knocked on her door. “And what would your dance class say if they could see you now? Besides asking if anyone else smells yeast.”

Nadia gave me a warning glance. “They’d probably ask why I left you alive after a comment like that. I must be close to sainthood being best friends with yo--um, what are you wearing?” She stared at me from the mirror while applying mascara.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the door frame. “Give me a break. I had to squat for like 10 minutes to make these jeans loose enough.”

Nadia's tone matched her questioning gaze. “I'm not talking about the jeans. You can’t wear a plain tee. It’s Mardi Gras.”

“All of my tanks are dirty and none of my nice shirts fit anymore.” I was moving around to show her how limited my options were when I sneezed followed by the sound of my shirt tearing at the back. “Damn it! What’s the point of stretch cotton if it doesn’t stretch?”

Nadia grabbed something from one of her suitcases and threw it at me. “Take the shirt off and put that on.” I picked up the black heap to find a vest with a collared lapel and three buckles instead of buttons. “I was gonna resize it and give it to you later. Large was the only size left, but since it looks like you’ve been roiding, it should be fine.”

It was a little tight, but still loose enough to breathe. "Kinda diggin' the sleeveless thing. My arms and shoulders can breathe again and I won’t have to worry about pit stains. Although, it’s still a little tight in the stomach. I’m gonna have to wear it open." I looked at Nadia, her mouth slightly open while she stared at me. “What is it? Does it look weird?” I anxiously moved around to look at myself in the huge mirror.

“No. It looks great. It looks really great. Really, really great.” Nadia batted her eyes and puckered her lips.

“Stop it, Nadia. You know I get so wet when you talk to me like that.” We simultaneously erupted with laughter.

***

After locking the house, Nadia and I drove downtown to our usual parking lot. It was a few blocks from The French Quarter, but an easier spot on a Friday.

Nadia put her heels back on and exited the vehicle. "Aidan, I know you have this whole 'any parking spot is better than no parking spot' theory, but if you’re going to park so far from the bar, drop me off first.” Nadia adjusted her rhinestone-encrusted bra top while moving toward the sidewalk. “Now, I gotta run across this street trying not to get hit by cars.”

I checked the street before crossing it. “A little exercise couldn't hurt, especially since it looks like the buttons on your jeans are really straining to keep all that booty in. Did they not serve anything other than pasta in Italy?”

Nadia stopped and looked at me with her mouth open and eyes wide with venom. “Do you want to keep your testicles?”

I kept a step behind her as we walked into The French Quarter. When we were outside the bar, 700, Nadia stopped and spun me around. “One sec.” She dug out a pencil liner from her purse. “I’m gonna apply a little mystery to your eyes.”

“Please don’t. The last time I let you talk me into eyeliner was for Halloween when you knew I had to meet with my English professor the next day.”

Nadia didn’t look away from her clutch. "And?"

I waved my hands in front of her. “It took four days for me to get it off and I had to wear sunglasses the whole time. My professor looked at me like I was a total douche.”

Nadia used her body to block me from moving past her. “Don't care. Not only is it your birthday, but also Mardi Gras weekend. You will be the only person without something on their face. Now, stand still.”

“So? Just cause everyone else is do--" She slapped my shoulder so hard, I had to use all my self-control not to roar. For a moment, my nails turned into claws but quickly changed back. “Oh, god. Please don’t do that again.” I seethed through my teeth to keep from catching the attention of people passing by.

Upon walking in, we were greeted by Matt, the owner. “Oh, shit. Bring it out. Bring all the liquor out. Tweedle-diva and tweedle-dumb are here.”

Nadia sashayed towards Matt. “Please. You know you love us.”

I rolled my eyes and hugged him. “Hey, Matt, it’s good to see you too.”

He returned my embrace by squeezing my arms. “Happy birthday, big boy. What happened to you? You're busting out.”

Sadly, Lana had given me the perfect excuse. “Steroids! Yep. Tons and tons of steroids. Trying to get bigger.”

He shrugged and waved around the dark, empty bar. “You look good. Anyway, the two of you have the place to yourselves until the parades end and the hoards come back. Plus, Brad could use the company.” Matt waved over the bartender and then walked to his office in the back.

Brad looked concerned behind his thick-framed glasses as he reached us. “Hey, guys. I didn't see y'all come in. Is Chris not with y'all?”

Nadia shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Your boo is gonna meet us at the parade. Something about something is gonna make him late, or something. I don't know. He was stressing and my battery was dying.”

Brad looked disturbed as he scanned me. “Uh, Aidan, you look well fed. Who is your supplier?”

I sighed. “Yep, I’m juicing. Using all the steroids. Mmhmm.” Turning away from them, I headed to the restroom.

While washing my hands, the mirror caught me off guard. Staring back at me was my reflection with glowing red eyes and a face full of fury. I froze and watched as my reflection’s skin blackened before its body expanded and face contorted into monstrous features. When huge leathery wings erupted from his back, I stumbled away from the mirror and fell. I rubbed my eyes and breathed deeply to get a hold of myself. Crawling towards the counter, I carefully peeked over the surface.

My reflection was unchanged. Sweat built on my forehead and my skin burned. Looking at my hands, I watched in horror as they blackened. Shutting my eyes and taking deep breaths, I ran to a bathroom stall tried to calm myself. Once the panic subsided and my arms reverted to normal, I sprinted out of the restroom, careful not to see my reflection in the mirror.

Before walking back to the bar, I waved Nadia over to the bathroom door. She jumped off her stool and strode over. “Hey, poodle, what’s up? You look all kinds of freaked out.”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bathroom. Keeping my eyes shut, I pointed to the mirror. “Do you see it? My reflection?”

“Yeah. Am I missing something?”

That was a relief. I opened my eyes and yelped. My monstrous form stared back at me. I used my hand to block my line of sight. “Oh, god. Help me out of here.”

When I heard the door close behind us, I stopped covering my eyes to see Nadia was disturbed. I ran my hands through my hair and focused on staying calm. “Whenever I look in the mirror, all I can see is me in monster mode.”

Nadia furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. “Is it every mirror or just that one?”

I shrugged my shoulders before she dug into her purse and pulled out a compact. For a brief moment, I looked into the tiny circular reflector and quickly shut it. I bit my lip and handed it back to Nadia. “Yep. Every mirror.”

Nadia nodded her head. “Well, I guess you’re just going to have to avoid your reflection.”

I leaned against the wall and ran my fingers down my face. “No kidding. Especially since I can feel myself wanting to transform every time.”

Grabbing my hand, Nadia pulled me towards the bar. “Then we need to make sure you remain nice and relaxed. Brad.” She waved at the bartender. “Let’s shoot some birthday shots.”

I furiously nodded in agreement as he lined some glasses in a row, pouring two different bottles into each. “Alright. What I am gonna do is kick this birthday into high gear with a small amount of liver damage.” He lifted the bottles above his head. “All made possible with help from your local liquor distributors. Here’s to your parents being horny twenty-one years and nine months ago.”

Nadia popped her tongue at Brad. “You so nasty, which is what I told your daddy last night.”

When my phone vibrated, I pulled it out to see Lana had texted she was on her way. “Crap. We were supposed to wait for Lana before doing shots.”

Nadia adjusted her bra-top. “That chick is probably drunker than us by now. She's walking to us from the freaking parade.”

Ten more minutes passed and Lana finally made her drop-dead gorgeous entrance. Wearing a black skirt and low-cut spaghetti halter, she tripped on her own heels after walking in.

Nadia smiled ear to ear. "I told you the bitch would be wasted.”

Lana reached us with a loud, “Tell me no one saw that.”

I returned Lana’s grin and gave her a lopsided hug. “Finally, we have been waiting forever. If you’re running late from work, we can always meet you at your street corner.” We finished hugging and Lana slapped my shoulder. I pursed my lips to keep from yelling. My shoulder was taking a beating.

She laughed, oblivious to my pain. “Ass! You know med school isn’t cheap.” Lana took out a credit card from her cleavage and hopped on a barstool to hug Brad over the counter. “Hey, Brad. Can you give me a Porn Star and keep my tab open, please?”

Brad winked at her as she sat next to Nadia. "Whatever you want, darling."

I repositioned my stance between the two girls. “I can't believe you're still drinking those.”

Lana took out her phone, pulling Nadia and me in for a quick picture. “What else would I drink? It’s my signature cocktail.”

Lifting my hand to block her phone’s camera, I stopped when I realized I looked normal on her screen. Wide-eyed, I turned to Nadia but she was discreetly signaling Brad to pour another shot.

After a few rounds with Nadia and Lana, the bar was spinning. At least I knew it was the alcohol this time. I did my best to get a grip on my dizziness.

I glanced at the girls and noticed Lana scratching hard at her lower back. “Everything alright, Lana? Fleas again? Cause we have shampoo for Gypsy back at the house.”

She glared at me but still smiled. “My lower back has been itching all day and I can’t seem to get the right spot. I might be going crazy but I think my tattoo looks a little different.” Lana was trying to see it in the mirror behind the bar, but her heels weren't high enough to compensate for her vertically challenged self. “Seriously, does it look different?”

I waved a dismissive hand at her lower back tattoo. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it looks different. Maybe a little bigger. It’s probably the skin on your back stretching. You know, from cellulite.”

Lana nearly lost her footing. Her head turned so fast; I was amazed she didn't get whiplash. “Did you just say I’m getting fat?” She threw an empty cup at me before joining Nadia for a picture.

Brad flagged me down as he wiped my end of the bar. “So, Aidan, how’s school going?”

It could've been my booze-soaked synapses, but I felt confident I wasn’t slurring too bad. “That’s a good question, and I will get back to you after I pass this semester, or after I start therapy for not.”

Brad handed me a bottle of water. “Aidan, you have got to take better care of yourself.” He grinned and slapped my shoulder. At least, the continued pain to my shoulder helped distract me from my spins. "You are much too young and hot to wear yourself out with school. That comes after landing a career."

My intoxicated words spilled out. "I need this for myself, you know? It's like, I need to at least get this to know things are not totally out of my control, you know? Like, I just need it."

Brad held back a laugh. “So, honest drunk tonight then?”

I downed the bottle of water and gave him finger guns for another bourbon. "You know it."

He made my drink a double.