Enemy Mine

Chapter 57

I accepted Deidra's challenge Monday night. This happened after a particularly successful training session when my endorphins were raging, and by Thursday, I had not missed a day in the rec room. Vincent had me on a sparring schedule with Rizzo, using his injured arm as my handicap. I started my P90X workout again, reduced my coffee habit by one cup, and in my attempt to embrace my inner gollum, I reread the stuff on the Valentino's cloud account. If Deidra had any smarts at all, she would use more than muscle to do battle with me.

I hadn't heard from Christoph since he left for the hive, and nobody had heard from Willem, which meant I hadn't stopped thinking about either of them. According to the Valentinos, I shouldn't start worrying about my errant grandfather for at least five days, which I had been reminded of each day for the past five. As I stood at the coffee maker, debating on whether to make a second cup, I heard Vincent ending a conversation as he left his office.

"When have I ever turned down your holiday invite? I'll see you in thirty." He walked around the kitchen counter, jingling his keys as he slipped them into his pocket. "I need to run out and handle a situation with a board member," he said, grabbing a protein bar from the pantry.

"Okay. I'm leaving for Trinity in fifteen minutes. Who should I take with me?"

"Ask Jonathan. Amelia says he's been moping around the house."

"He has? Alright."

Although my answer came out tentative, giving away my concern for Jonathan's well-being, Vincent's mind appeared to be on other things as he leaned down and kissed me without noticing. "Catch you later, beautiful."

He wore a smile as I watched him stride purposefully to the door with a lighter than normal skip to his step, and when he disappeared behind it, I couldn't help speculating about this board member and the situation Vincent needed to handle. Could it have something to do with Christmas? Gollums didn't celebrate the holidays the same way humans did. So, why was he so damned chipper?

When it came time for my photo shoot, Jonathan had no problem being my escort, and on our walk to the church, chit chat turned into me prying into Jonathan and Amelia's personal life. But, truth be told, he started it.

"I think we've both hit a wall that we feel powerless against," he said. "We will always love each other, but for different reasons. Right now, we're just going through the motions."

"That kind of guilt can kill you, Jonathan. And I would give the same advice to Amelia."

"I know, but I want her to be happy, and it seems like the only way to give her that is to set her free." Jonathan ducked into his jacket as the wind howled down the street. His skin and hair looked paler than usual, which may have been the traffic dust. "I expect Amelia will stay until Griffin is sixteen," he went on. "Then she can return to battle and rediscover herself. She misses that more than anything."

"Does she spar in the underground arena?"

"She used to, but she was banned from non-essential fighting until Griffin comes of age. Females are discouraged from taking risks on the battlefield. Amelia can continue to procreate into her sixties... if she finds someone who excites her in the bedroom."

Shaking my head, I slipped my arm through his. "That battle rule is a real stinker. How great is a gollum's risk in the arena? Is there a statistic on mortality rates?"

He chuckled and a billow of steam shot from his mouth. "The risk is so low it's laughable. Every arena abides by certain rules to protect the fighters, but one death decades ago prompted them to adopt an addendum stating that no female of fertile age with an offspring younger than sixteen shall put herself at risk in battle."

"How many times have you recited that?"

"Me, about a thousand. Amelia, about a million."

I nodded soberly, and we continued our journey thinking our own private thoughts. Once on site, Jonathan followed me through my shoot, impressing me with his knowledge of the church's scalability.

"With your training, I bet you could make a pillar to pillar jump without taking out any light fixtures," he offered as he pointed at the decorative globes.

"Your confidence in me won't get me to scale anything inside this church. I'd be more worried about taking out a window."

"You underestimate yourself, Reese," he said, patting my shoulder.

"I could say the same about you." I offered him a raised eyebrow just as Charles rounded the corner and caught us mid-banter.

"Hey, Reese," Charles said as he eyed Jonathan suspiciously.

"Hi, Charles. This is Jonathan, Vincent's brother."

"Another Valentino? How many are there?" Charles asked as he shook Jonathan's hand.

"There's just the three of us," Jonathan offered.

"Well, it's nice to know Reese has you all looking out for her." Charles graced me with his boy-next-door smile, prompting Jonathan to stifle a smirk. "Just as a heads-up, it looks like the project will be completed ahead of schedule... about another week and a half."

"I had a feeling," I said. "Everything looks great."

Charles nodded before saluting Jonathan with a wave. "Nice to meet you, Jonathan."

"Same here." Jonathan offered a full smirk as soon as Charles left. "He's the one you met on your flight to DC, isn't he? The one Vincent took issue with?"

"Vincent takes issue with everyone. But yes, I met Charles on that flight. He's also a really nice guy, which Vincent has come to recognize. Do you want to see where we found the hidden door?"

"Sure."

I led Jonathan to the font wall, and we stood in front of it for a minute, waiting for a pair of construction workers to pass. When the coast was clear, I pointed at the ankh-shaped stain. "When I touch the wall where the font used to be, a trap door opens up in the floor. But, as soon as I step away from the wall, it closes."

"Freaky." Jonathan walked up to the wall and pressed his palm against it. Nothing happened, but I almost expected it to. "Clearly, I don't have what it takes. What else is new?" He shrugged, and I punched him in the arm. "Hey! What was that for?"

Jonathan's voice reverberated inside the church, startling us both, and we decided it was time to make our exit. When we stepped outside, Jonathan continued his retaliation.

"Why'd you hit me?" he grumbled, rubbing his shoulder and pretending to be in pain.

"For being such a putz to yourself. And I'm going to punch you every time you do it, because that's what seems to work with gollums."

He looked at me crooked, like he didn't know what I meant. I took the opportunity to give him some advice.

"If I've learned one thing from my brother's death, it's that each of us has a chance to influence other people. I did everything to help Theo get sober. I went sober with him. I spent gut-wrenching nights with him. I rescued him when he relapsed. I helped him see reasons to live, which I think prolonged his life by a good five years. You may not be suicidal, but negative self-talk is a warning sign. So, here's a little tip. Make a list of the things you can control, decide which of those things make you the happiest, then do them."

A smile grew on his face. "Words to live by. Thanks, Reese. You know, you should talk to my mom about the hidden door. She's done a lot of research on hybrids. She might help you find a way in."

"I don't know if I want in. I've already attracted demons and gangsters to the Valentino's door. To be perfectly honest, I'm glad that whole amulet business is behind us."

"I get it. I just thought you might like to learn about your unique gifts. Being able to conjure the eternal flame sounds pretty cool."

"I know how to grow fangs and wings," I said as I nudged him into foot traffic. "I think I'm all set in the supernatural department."