I dont know, I said, thinking about what Danica had told me in the hospital. Danicas messed up so badly that she cant have kids. Ever. And now Im wondering whether her case is a rarity, or just another awful part of the pattern. I turned to Alec as he swallowed another bite, and Sabine and Nash followed my gaze.
Thats pretty typical of an incubus miscarriage, and it would have been worse a couple of centuries ago. Alec shrugged without setting his fork down. Before modern medicine, your classmate would have bled to death. At least this way shes still alive.
Yeah. Im sure Danica will be thrilled to hear how lucky she is. I pushed my own plate away, untouched.
Damn, Sabine swore softly. I have to feed to survive, but I never did anything that messed up. I swear.
I tried not to remember how hard shed tried to break up me and Nash, which Id personally found pretty messed up.
Is that how you think about me? she demanded softly, like she might not really want the answer. Like some kind of monster?
No, I said, and she pretended to believe what I pretended was true. But she looked more wounded than Id thought possible.
The internal damage is an unfortunate side effect for women not strong enough to carry an incubuss baby to term, Alec said, obviously trying to draw us back on track. Thats why they usually target younger, healthier women, who are more likely to survive the pregnancy.
Which is why hes teaching high school, Nash said. But that rationalization did nothing to soften my horror.
Alec shrugged. The age thing probably doesnt mean anything to him. A couple hundred years ago, girls in his target age range were considered marriageable.
I crossed my arms over my chest. Yeah, well, now were jailbait.
That wont matter unless hes a complete idiot, Sabine said. And if he were an idiot, wed have heard about him hitting on students before one of them miscarried in his class. And anyway, if Danicas any indication, hes picking juniors and seniorsgirls at or past the age of consent. Which is seventeen, in Texas, in case you were wondering.
I scowled at her. I wasnt wondering.
My point is that even if he was scared of the human justice systemand hes not. Hell, Im nothes not doing anything illegal, technically. He could get fired, but I seriously doubt he gives a shit. He wants a son, not a pension.
Okay, so we agree that hes going to try to spread his seed beyond just Emma, I said, thinking aloud.
And the next girl will probably be a junior or a senior, Nash said, glancing at Sabine to acknowledge the agerange shed provided.
Shell be one of his own students, the mara added. Someone having enough trouble in math to warrant personal attention, which will make his interest in her look like legitimate academic concern.
And opportunity, Nash said, pushing his empty plate away. Hell be looking for someone whose parents arent going to get in the way. You said Farrahs dads a trucker, so hes gone a lot, right? And didnt you say her mothers dead? And Danicas moms been in the hospital for a while, so she wasnt there to notice anything going on.
Yeah, but Mrs. Sussmans only been in a coma for four weeks, and Danica said she spent one night with the babys father about a month ago, I said. So its entirely possible that Danica got pregnant before her mom got sick. Or at least right around that time My voice trailed off as another possibility clicked into place in my head.
What? Sabine called when I pushed my chair back and headed for the living room, to grab my laptop from my bag.
I set the laptop on the table and turned it on as I pulled my chair closer. Danicas mothers brain-dead, according to the nurse, and Farrahs mother is just plain dead.
You think thats more than a coincidence? Nash asked, scooting his chair closer so he could see the screen as I opened my web browser.
What have we learned about coincidence, boys and girls? I typed the keywords: Combs, Farrah, obituary and Crestwood, Texas into the search engine and hit Enter.
Theres no such thing, Nash mumbled as results began to fill the screen. The third link led to the Dallas Morning News online obituary page entry for Lynne Combs. There. Nash pointed and I clicked, and Sabine and Alex got up to look over my shoulder as I read aloud.
Lynne Erica Combs, 38, passed away in her home on August 29. She is survived by daughter Farrah Combs and husband Michael Combs, of Crestwood, Texas, and sister Emily Meyers of Dallas, Texas.
August, Sabine said, as I pressed the print screen button. Almost seven months ago.
Lydia said Farrah was twenty-eight weeks pregnant. I closed my laptop without bothering to shut it down. Thats seven months, right?
Nash nodded. Are we all thinking the same thing?
He fed on the mothers and bred with the daughters. My stomach pitched with disgust, and suddenly I was glad I hadnt eaten anything. I twisted in my chair to face Alec, who looked as grim as Id ever seen himwhich said a lot, considering how hed spent the last quarter of a century. Is that proof enough for you? Has he earned a permanent end?
Thats pretty typical of an incubus miscarriage, and it would have been worse a couple of centuries ago. Alec shrugged without setting his fork down. Before modern medicine, your classmate would have bled to death. At least this way shes still alive.
Yeah. Im sure Danica will be thrilled to hear how lucky she is. I pushed my own plate away, untouched.
Damn, Sabine swore softly. I have to feed to survive, but I never did anything that messed up. I swear.
I tried not to remember how hard shed tried to break up me and Nash, which Id personally found pretty messed up.
Is that how you think about me? she demanded softly, like she might not really want the answer. Like some kind of monster?
No, I said, and she pretended to believe what I pretended was true. But she looked more wounded than Id thought possible.
The internal damage is an unfortunate side effect for women not strong enough to carry an incubuss baby to term, Alec said, obviously trying to draw us back on track. Thats why they usually target younger, healthier women, who are more likely to survive the pregnancy.
Which is why hes teaching high school, Nash said. But that rationalization did nothing to soften my horror.
Alec shrugged. The age thing probably doesnt mean anything to him. A couple hundred years ago, girls in his target age range were considered marriageable.
I crossed my arms over my chest. Yeah, well, now were jailbait.
That wont matter unless hes a complete idiot, Sabine said. And if he were an idiot, wed have heard about him hitting on students before one of them miscarried in his class. And anyway, if Danicas any indication, hes picking juniors and seniorsgirls at or past the age of consent. Which is seventeen, in Texas, in case you were wondering.
I scowled at her. I wasnt wondering.
My point is that even if he was scared of the human justice systemand hes not. Hell, Im nothes not doing anything illegal, technically. He could get fired, but I seriously doubt he gives a shit. He wants a son, not a pension.
Okay, so we agree that hes going to try to spread his seed beyond just Emma, I said, thinking aloud.
And the next girl will probably be a junior or a senior, Nash said, glancing at Sabine to acknowledge the agerange shed provided.
Shell be one of his own students, the mara added. Someone having enough trouble in math to warrant personal attention, which will make his interest in her look like legitimate academic concern.
And opportunity, Nash said, pushing his empty plate away. Hell be looking for someone whose parents arent going to get in the way. You said Farrahs dads a trucker, so hes gone a lot, right? And didnt you say her mothers dead? And Danicas moms been in the hospital for a while, so she wasnt there to notice anything going on.
Yeah, but Mrs. Sussmans only been in a coma for four weeks, and Danica said she spent one night with the babys father about a month ago, I said. So its entirely possible that Danica got pregnant before her mom got sick. Or at least right around that time My voice trailed off as another possibility clicked into place in my head.
What? Sabine called when I pushed my chair back and headed for the living room, to grab my laptop from my bag.
I set the laptop on the table and turned it on as I pulled my chair closer. Danicas mothers brain-dead, according to the nurse, and Farrahs mother is just plain dead.
You think thats more than a coincidence? Nash asked, scooting his chair closer so he could see the screen as I opened my web browser.
What have we learned about coincidence, boys and girls? I typed the keywords: Combs, Farrah, obituary and Crestwood, Texas into the search engine and hit Enter.
Theres no such thing, Nash mumbled as results began to fill the screen. The third link led to the Dallas Morning News online obituary page entry for Lynne Combs. There. Nash pointed and I clicked, and Sabine and Alex got up to look over my shoulder as I read aloud.
Lynne Erica Combs, 38, passed away in her home on August 29. She is survived by daughter Farrah Combs and husband Michael Combs, of Crestwood, Texas, and sister Emily Meyers of Dallas, Texas.
August, Sabine said, as I pressed the print screen button. Almost seven months ago.
Lydia said Farrah was twenty-eight weeks pregnant. I closed my laptop without bothering to shut it down. Thats seven months, right?
Nash nodded. Are we all thinking the same thing?
He fed on the mothers and bred with the daughters. My stomach pitched with disgust, and suddenly I was glad I hadnt eaten anything. I twisted in my chair to face Alec, who looked as grim as Id ever seen himwhich said a lot, considering how hed spent the last quarter of a century. Is that proof enough for you? Has he earned a permanent end?
