July 6, 2002 – 01:20
"Really??" said Coralis.
"Really. They are all piled up in some dungeons in London and they still look the same as they did when you froze their blood vessels. Alfredino and his cronies may not know you made that replica, but you're the one who told them where to find the Vase of Crimson Sky. I bet that they want you dead now. You need to stay away from them."
"You sound like Sebastian. That's what he thought when they sent me to fight your war back in February."
"Hendrick has been trying to locate other vampires who mysteriously collapsed that night, and guess what? We found quite a few around Chicago. Between us, he started referring to the replica as the Vase of Blue Sky. A few clan members came to us, asking us if there was a new disease affecting vampires after their friends or roommates collapsed and never woke up."
Frank started laughing again in Coralis' neck.
"Damn! Well, Plurio was an old vampire, he probably got more spawns across the UK and the US. I was hoping it'd work but we mainly wanted the people who were after your family heirloom to steal a fake one. Do you want them to stay unconscious or to wake up?"
"My dad wants you to let him know if anyone at the EBEE threatens you. He doesn't care enough about the unconscious ones, and I think he wants to see how long they'll stay like that. Interestingly, their eyes are wide open. It's creepy and funny all at once."
"I will. I bought a mobile phone today, it will make it easier for you to reach out to me if there is anything. The number is untraceable."
"It's about time, welcome to the modern world, sis!"
Coralis and Frank barely slept that night. When he woke up, a little bit before 8, Coralis wasn't in bed next to him. He hoped she didn't get called in somewhere on an emergency. He smelled coffee as soon as he walked out of their bedroom and saw her making breakfast. He went behind her, put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her neck.
"Good morning, luv."
"'Morning!"
From the corner of his eye, Frank saw the ivory sculpture still sitting in the middle of the kitchen island. He turned to face it and put both hands on either side of it, palms flat on the counter.
"I guess we'll need to get some floating shelves, something like that. I don't know why, there is something creepy about that sculpture, but I like it."
"It's coming from a very old family of vampires. I'll introduce you to them eventually. There are a lot of people I wouldn't trust around you or want to know about you, but I trust them, they're good people."
"The Vase of Blue Sky, I'll need to remember that one," he said while going to the coffee machine to pour himself a cup. "Remember what I asked you the night I went to a flyball game for the first time? I think the story behind that cherub sculpture in our apartment beats the one you told me, by far."
"Speaking of flyball, I made some calls while you were still sleeping. Like the first time you came to a game, Hector will vouch for your sister and Victoria will vouch for you. Audrey is an elemental, so I didn't need to find someone for her. However, she is too young to be allowed to vouch for anyone. Sebastian's dad will do it for your mom and Lydia's sister will do it for your aunt."
"Sebastian's dad will take my mom in? Fitting considering their kids are dating. That's an interesting matchup, I'm sure my sister will love it."
"You think? I thought so too when I was considering options. It was an obvious choice. I spoke with your sister, but she didn't comment on it, sadly.
"I see you're having a productive morning so far," said Frank, leaning on the countertop by the coffee machine.
"Wanted to get it done before you woke up so we'd have some time to check for furniture before I have to leave for practice. I mean, I can give you money for that, but you said you wanted to wait for me," she said as she plated breakfast.
A few hours later, the practice ended. She called Audrey.
"Ready? I'm about to leave the field to pick you up."
"YES!! You're really picking me up by flying stick?"
"Yes, you're getting the full elemental experience tonight. You'll learn to fly on your own at school and we'll get you a stick when we go shopping for your supplies, but you wanted me as guardian, and tonight is also about what I primarily do."
Sebastian and Lydia were behind her when she disconnected the call.
"We'll meet you two at The Barn?" said Lydia.
"I reminded my dad and Hector about tonight's plan. I'll give my phone to my brother, and Stephanie will call him when they get here. They'll meet them by the main entry."
"Yes, and awesome!" said Coralis before taking off.
Dressed like a normal human, Coralis was about to ring Lizzy's doorbell when Audrey opened the door.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't expecting you'd be looking like normal," said Audrey.
"We need to blend in. I can't be walking around in my team's cloak, and with an unnatural eye colour… except maybe on Halloween night. Come, you'll see. I promised you a full elemental experience and you'll get that. Don't worry."
"Have fun, I'll see you later!" said Lizzy, leaning on the doorway frame.
"First rule: never talk about what we are, or hint at it, when we're in the middle of a human environment. Never know who's listening," said Coralis as she led Audrey toward her landing spot.
"Got it."
"You see that shaded corner behind that chunk of trees?"
"Yeah."
"We will take off from there. When we reach that corner, I need you to touch my arm so that I can extend the invisible glamour to you."
Audrey did as she was told, then saw Coralis pulling a set of keychains out of her purse and turning them into a cloak and a stick.
"Oh wow," she said, her hands still on Coralis. "Didn't you say that you'd do an invisible glamour?"
"I did it. You can see me, cause you're part of it, but no one else can. However, keep in mind that even if we are currently invisible to people, our surroundings aren't. You pick up a branch and kick a rock, people will see a branch floating and a rock bolting away seemingly on their own. Always be aware of your surroundings and what people see."
Coralis positioned herself on her stick from the ground.
"Now, get behind me and hold me tight. Think of it as if you'd be riding a motorcycle as a passenger," she continued. Audrey got behind her and wrapped her arms around her arms. "Ready?"
"Yes."
Coralis took off and headed toward The Barn.
"I have always been afraid of heights. I don't know why, but I'm not afraid right now."
"Because you feel safe. Not all elementals like flying, some prefer portals. You're afraid of rising above people, you don't want to be above anyone or be under the spotlight, it's that type of height that I think you're afraid of. Flying like this… is part of who you are and there is a freedom to it."
A few hours later, Victoria pulled in front of Molly's apartment, and Frank climbed onto the front passenger seat, while Molly, Lizzy and Stephanie climbed on the backseat.
"I'll admit, there is a part of me that isn't too sure about riding backseat in a car driven by someone who isn't human… but I trust my kids."
Frank looked at his mother.
"We can trade seats if you want."
"No, it's fine. You asking me that only reinforces the idea that we aren't in any danger, you're lucid. I trust you, son."
"My dad's family doesn't know about what my mom is, I'm kind of jealous right now. I wish my dad's family would be like yours, Frank."
"Maybe they're like mine, but you won't know until they have someone they love being a part of your world."
"Is it bad if all I want to do right now, is to call Coralis and tell her 'I told you so'?"
Victoria parked her car next to an off-road vehicle and looked at Stephanie.
"Now is the time to call Sebastian's cellphone."
"Aren't we in the middle of nowhere? Where's my daughter?" said Lizzy, looking around, trying to find something that made sense to her, besides the parked cars.
"We are, but we aren't at the same time. You'll see," said Stephanie, as she slid Sebastian's phone back into her purse and got out of the car. "Just make sure that you have a hand on Vic until you see it. You'll know."
"Audrey is with Coralis. She'll join us in the box before the game starts. She's fine," said Frank.
Molly and Lizzy reacted the same way Frank did when he first went to a game, a few weeks prior. They met with Jennifer, Lydia's sister, Ralphonse and Hector. While the elementals spoke with the security agents, Molly and Lizzy looked at what was in front of their eyes, speechless. Stephanie looked at her brother.
"Is it just me, or Audrey turning out to be an elemental happens to be the best news ever."
"It's not just you," said Frank while looking at his mother and his aunt.
They made it to the box and Ralphonse introduced everyone as they sat down. Ralphonse looked at Frank and Victoria, who sat to his right.
"I've been hearing odd accounts regarding the Vase of Crimson Sky, which contradicts information we have on file regarding that object. I know Blue Thunder was involved in the Chicago's vampire war. Did she know that the information she gave the EBEE wasn't correct?"