“No,” Marcus sighed and shook his head. He sat on the first step of the staircase that led up to his childhood bedroom. “You’re not understanding.” His mother stood in front of him, his family, sans Nick and his twin sisters, along with Victoria and Ophelia dotting the floor and couches behind her. “Ma, the question here isn’t whether I’m going to do something. It’s what to do and how to do it.”
His father tried desperately to hide the grin threatening to rip his cheeks in twain as his mother’s fury turned on him. “You’re not going to take on an entire corporation, Marcus. It’s lunacy.”
“They tried to kill me, Ma.” The anger he’d felt about the fact had faded, leaving only determination behind his eyes. Ordinarily, the wrath of Cassandra Tenneson would have him tucking tail and running for the hills, but not this time. “They tortured James. Stole Ophelia and Victoria’s agency.” He stood up and placed his hands on his mother’s shoulders. Leaning in, he kissed her cheek softly, putting the final nail in her opposition. “I’m not going to take on a corporation. You’re right. I’m going to burn the whole fucking thing to the ground.”
She gnawed on her lip. He could see the urge to argue with him rising in her, but she didn’t speak. No one did. Silence filled the room, all eyes locked on him. Reactions to his bold proclamation ranged wildly. Fear and concern from Ophelia and Calliope. The prideful grin on his father’s face. Confusion from his brothers. The only one to surprise him, though, was James. The normally soft-spoken man shared a steely look that matched Victoria’s. All quiet fire and resolve.
Marcus wet his lips and looked down at the floor. “I’m not going to pretend that this isn’t insane. I know it is.” He ran his hand through his hair and cranked on the back of his neck. “If ya’ll don’t want anything to do with this, I understand. I don’t blame you. If you do want to help, just know I am probably going to ask you to do some seriously unhinged shit.”
His eyes flicked to his father, then back to his mom. “You taught me not to back down from anyone. I know at the time you weren’t talking about multi-billion dollar corporations, but the principle is still the same, isn’t it? The bullies just got richer.”
It remained eerily quiet for a long time. He knew he could count on Victoria and James. The look on his father’s face was honestly a little terrifying. He couldn’t help but imagine a young soldier staring up at a commanding officer with a deranged grin on his face, waiting to go into battle. The rest of them were all questions.
“So…” Harold broke the silence. His younger brother’s face spread in a smirk. “My job’s gonna hate this if they find out. You giving us hazard pay?”
It started small. Just an involuntary snort from Carven, who immediately covered his mouth as if he’d committed an unconscionable sin. When his mother closed her eyes, tears spilling from the corners, and her frown curled into an uncontrollable laugh, it spread like wildfire until the room filled to the brim with a mirth that felt…incredibly out of place.
Once things calmed down, Marcus moved over to Ophelia, sitting between his brothers on the couch. “I don’t know a delicate way to say this…So I’m just gonna do it.” Marcus sat down on the coffee table facing the three of them. “I want you to convince your dad I’m dead.” He spoke, locking eyes with Ophelia.
“What? Why?” Ophelia shook her head, brow furrowing. “You’re fine. Isn’t that a win?”
“It is.” Marcus nodded. “But it’s a win I don’t want him to know we got.” He folded his hands and leaned in, elbows on his knees. “It’s not fair of me to ask this. I know. If you can’t do it, I promise that’s okay. I can figure something else out.”
“No,” she shook her head at him. “I want to help… I just…” She took a deep breath and paused. “I don’t understand why he’s doing this.”
“It’s just money, isn’t it?” Carven raised an eyebrow.
“Dude!” Harold leaned around Ophelia, slapping the back of Carven’s head.
Marcus shook his head and sighed. “I’m not going to pretend to understand his motivations. All I know is what he’s doing, and we both know it’s not right.”
“If I could just go and speak with him..” Ophelia started.
“And get shot again?” Marcus shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“They shot at me because I broke into his office and stole the contract. I don’t even know if they knew it was me.” Ophelia looked up at him, pleading with her eyes.
Marcus nodded. “Sure. What did your dad say when you told him?”
She looked down to the floor, not answering.
“You didn’t tell him?”
“No.” She answered quietly.
“And I’m guessing he hasn’t said anything about it either?” Marcus raised his eyebrows at her.
“Why would he? He doesn’t know it was me either.”
“Ophelia…” He closed his eyes and sighed. “That place is drowning in cameras. You’re too smart to think they didn’t check them.”
“Marcus, come on. Take it easy.” Carven rested a hand on Ophelia’s back.
“I’m sorry.” He cast his brother a thankful nod, then looked back to Ophelia, leaning forward a little further toward her. “I don’t want to pressure you into anything. If you want to take some time to think about it, that’s fine. In the meantime, just try not to mention I’m alive. To anyone.”
“Okay.” she spoke so softly he barely heard her.
He reached out and covered her hand with his own, giving it a little squeeze before standing up again.
“What have you done to my husband?” Calliope growled at him, jerking her head to the kitchen where James was in full tactical mode with Victoria and his father.
“You know better than anyone that he just looks unassuming.” Marcus waved a hand dismissively at her.
Calliope rolled her eyes, “You come over here to give me some assignment, Captain Deathwish?”
“I don’t have a death wish, Callie.” Marcus rolled his eyes at her.
“You’re certainly acting like it. We just ripped you out of the grave and you’re already planning your next vacation to it.” She snapped at him.
A wistful smile crossed his lips. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, you know?”
“Yeah, Ophelia would have taken you to a hospital where they would have no idea what to do with you.” She huffed at him, refusing to make eye contact.
“That’s probably true, but not at all what I meant.” Marcus gave a little chuckle. “You’ve always been there to support me. No matter what. I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you for that.”
Calliope sucked at her teeth and let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m trying to be pissed at you. Knock that shit off.” She grumbled, wiping her face with her sleeve.
“I’m serious.” Marcus bumped her with his hip. “You’re the best big sister a guy could ask for.”
“Yeah, well.” She cleared her throat, finally looking up into his eyes. “You have always been a huge pain in the ass. Somebody had to watch your back. Just tell me what you need me to do before I start bawling in front of everyone.”
Marcus breathed out a laugh and nodded. “I just need you to get with Dr. Monroe and get as much of that cure made as you can…” He paused, scratching at his stubbled chin. “Actually, I do have one special request. Do you think you could make like a vaccine for dogs? Really, really, big dogs?”
“Do I look like a veterinarian, Marcus?”
“No…” He paused and eyed her. “You look like a genius woman who would do anything for her little brother?”
She glared at him for a moment before shooing him off. “I’ll work on it, go away.”
“Love you too.” He said, backing away from her.
Marcus turned, seeing his mother sitting on the stairs alone with her head in her hands. He swallowed hard and tentatively stepped toward her, sitting down beside her.
“Hey Mama, you alright?”
She huffed out a quick fake laugh and shook her head. “No.” She turned her head slightly to peer at him out of the edge of her palm.
Marcus slid an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her to his side. “I know…” He whispered. “It’s gonna be alright.”
“That’s my line.” She mumbled, dropping her hands to lean into him.
“Seemed like a good time to steal it.” His thumb rubbed her shoulder as he continued.
“I feel like this is my fault. If I would have just perfected that ritual before putting you through it…”
“Ma, this road started way before that.” Marcus interrupted. “Besides, that ritual is the only reason I can even talk about any of this. Even if it broke me a little.”
“A little.” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Okay, a lot. But I’m better now…for the most part.”
Silence took them. They sat and watched the family for a few minutes, all of them united in one cause. If it wasn’t such a shit show, it would almost have been beautiful.
“I have a really morbid request for you, Ma.” Marcus finally broke the silence. He wanted to look at her, but he wasn’t sure he could with what he was about to ask.
“You want me to plan my son’s funeral.” It wasn’t a question, and that made a lump form in his throat he struggled to fight off.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again. “Just promise me it won’t be anything extravagant. It’s just for show, after all.”
“What about Nicky and the girls? Are you going to tell them?”
His stomach twisted at that. He hadn’t even considered what he was supposed to tell the kids. Nick would not take his death well. “I’m not sure. What do you think?”
His mother shook her head. “It would be cruel, but if you want it to look real…”
“No…” Marcus shook his head, “it’s the smart thing to do, but I can’t do that to them. I’ll use someone else’s phone and call and talk to them.”
“Thank you.” She pressed tighter to his chest, wet tears seeping through his shirt. “I’m so proud of you, Marcus.”
He spent a little more time with his mother, just sitting with her in comfortable quiet until he saw Ophelia get on the phone. He started toward her, but Carven waved him off. Her eyes were already welling up.
“No, daddy, I took him to his sister, and there was nothing she could do.”
He froze, watching her a moment longer before heading in the opposite direction.
To say that the vibe in the kitchen was violently different would be an understatement. His father had created a map of the United States out of cutlery and was currently jabbing a thick index finger at spoon Florida.
“Miami first. It’s closer, so if your boy with the plane doesn’t get here in time, we can still get there without a problem.” His father looked up at him as he entered.
“We have a plane?” Marcus asked, looking between the three of them.
“Hank.” Victoria affirmed. “He’s leaving in the next couple hours.”
“Bridgette coming?”
Victoria nodded and said, “figured we could use a medic.”
“Well, looks like nobody in here needs a pep-talk.” Marcus leaned against the counter, looking down at the silverware map. “I know I’m dead, but how hard will it be to get into the reserve?”
“Why do you need in the reserve?” Victoria raised an eyebrow at him.
“Glimmerfangs.” He shrugged.
“What about glimmerfangs?” James piped in, skeptical.
“I figured we could use some rat catching dogs.” Marcus hooked his thumb over his shoulder toward the living room. “Calliope and Dr. Monroe are going to work on a way to make the dogs immune to the toxin.”
“And you’re just gonna train a pack of glimmerfangs to hunt blightshrew on a time crunch?” Victoria chuckled in disbelief. “I know you think you’re friends with them, or whatever, but they’re still wild animals.”
“Don’t need to train them all. Just one.”
“Kane?” James asked.
“You think the pack is just going to kowtow to the runt? There’s no shot.” Victoria shook her head.
Marcus pursed his lips a moment, peeking over his shoulder at the inhabitants of the living room. Scanning each of their faces and their range of emotion. It varied, but there was one thing he didn’t see.
Doubt.
He turned and looked back at Victoria. “You’re all following me, aren’t you?” For the first time, the weight of the situation really hit him. Sure, there was an injustice being done, and no one here liked it. When it came down to it, all these people, his family, were here for him.
Victoria’s deep brown eyes flicked back and forth between his for a few moments before the crease in her brow softened and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “The Mundane and the runt. How can we lose?”