Incubus

Eight

"Does the blood thing happen a lot?" Luna asked as they turned onto her street.

"In the beginning it does but it goes away as you get stronger. My nose bled a lot in the beginning too."

"Do you know about all this stuff?"

"'Course I do! It's in my blood, in your blood." she said as she pulled into the driveway.

"You said you used to know my mother....is she a witch too?" Luna asked right as she cut the engine. She wasn't sure if she used the right word to describe what she was. Afterall, television hadn't always left the best representation of witches. So she kept a mental note to check for warts and changes in skin color when she got to her room.

Evie sat there with a hard lump in her throat. She wasn't expecting all the hard questions first but she was after all her father's daughter.

She smiled at Luna as she opened the car door and got out, "I'll help you inside."

"You know you promised that you would answer my questions. You're not doing a great job." Luna got out as well and slung her bag over her shoulder.

They fell in step together towards the front door. "I said I would answer your questions as best I could but it's hard trying to decide what's my business to tell and what isn't."

The front door swung open and Luna's mother Evelyn stood in the doorway. "None of it is really your business."

The two of them stood there staring each other down. Luna faded into the background of what was about to be quite the verbal battle.

"What are you doing here?" Her mother demanded.

Evie stood tall with a polite expression on her face, "Evelyn, nice to see you and I offer my condolences. To answer your question, I'm here to see my niece."

"I thought it was clear that you weren't welcome." She said through nearly gritted teeth.

Her face went from polite to serious. "You can't keep me away forever, Luna is nearly an adult now she can--"

"Nearly being the key word here Evangeline. I made it clear that I didn't want you around my daughter."

"Yes and now I know why. You were never gonna tell her were you?"

Her mother folded her arms. "What I do with my child is my business, not yours. If I never told her it would make no difference to you."

"You know it makes all the difference in the world! Keeping the secrets you've been keeping from her is dangerous for her and everyone around her! You can't run from this Evelyn...you've run enough."

"It's not your decision, Evangeline, you're putting my whole family in danger!" she whisper-yelled because she didn't want Tyler overhearing anything.

"You're putting the whole world in danger!"

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Oh stop being so dramatic."

"Stop acting like you don't know what this is! You may not be who you used to be anymore but you remember everything they taught you."

Evie took a step towards her. "You know damn well that it just might kill her if she doesn't learn to control it. Can you risk your daughter's life like that?"

Her mother stood there with a solemn look on her face.

"This isn't chicken pox, you can't just wait it out until it goes away. She was born with it and you know firsthand that we can't change anything about it. Don't let your fears risk everything my brother sacrificed for."

Luna wanted to chime in, to ask if her mother was really keeping this from her the whole time but she knew better never to enter a grown up conversation even if she was on the cusp of adulthood herself.

She just watched the two women standing there, eyes never leaving one another in a battle of will. Evie's face was the first to soften. "Look, I don't want to fight you. I'm not here for that. I'm here to help Luna, you too if need be. We were friends before all this and I never forgot that."

Friends? Luna tried to picture the two of them having a girls night out and she had to admit it didn't look right.

"The woman that you were friends with died a long time ago. The woman I am now just wants to protect her daughter." her mother replied in a pained whisper.

"Then let me help."

Evelyn acknowledged her daughter for the first time, looking deeply into the face that resembled her father so much. She was hit with so many different emotions all at once, it sent her running away from the door and up to her room.

"Mom, wait." Luna went to go after her but Evie stopped her.

"It's okay, honey. Give her a moment." She hugged her and rubbed her hair in a soothing manner. "Why don't you take a hot bath and relax? I can make some dinner?"

Luna looked at her, unsure of the advice she offered.

Evie took the opportunity to bring in some humor. "Hey don't doubt my cooking skills, I can put my foot in a thing or two."

Luna chuckled at the statement and it calmed her enough to realize that she was right. All her mother needed was a moment. So she headed inside to introduce Tyler to the newcomer.

Evie walked inside and closed the door behind her then followed her niece into the living room.

Tyler got up from the show he was engulfed in and ran to hug his sister before noticing the strange woman smiling down at him. "Who's this?"

Before Luna could answer Evie said, "I'm your auntie Evie! Duh!"

"I have an auntie Evie?"

She nodded with confidence. "Yep and you're lucky you do. Not a lot of people are blessed with an awesome aunt such as I!"

Tyler smiled wide, a sure sign of his approval as he came forward and hugged her.

When he pulled away he bounced up and down, "Did you bring presents?"

"Tyler!" Luna scolded but her aunt waved her down.

"Now, now I admire a young man who doesn't beat about the bush. I may or may not have something stored in the trunk of my cool Caddy." she said with a wink. "Why don't we check it out and get some dinner cooking while Luna get upstairs and washes the school stink off her?"

"Hey!" She said instinctively smelling her pits. "I didn't even have gym today."

Evie giggled as she scooted her brother out towards the front door and Luna headed on upstairs for a relaxing bath.

I hope that everyone is having a Merry Christmas! My little ones loved their gifts and they've still got more coming courtesy of an awesome family! I'll be updating my other stories in honor of the holidays and I hope that everyone had a safe and amazing time, regardless of religion or practices because we're still in a pandemic and we all deserve a wonderful holiday!