chapter six

Being around Este Devereaux was a bit of a challenge depending on who you are. If you were her twin brother, sure, she could be a challenge but she wasn't entirely heartless. She could make jokes and be helpful, and she'd die and kill for you. If you were the other two demigods, Kaz and Titus, who had become her adoptive brother's since the moment they started traveling together... She was pretty tame. Sure, she could threaten you a little and seem a little hard on the outside, but yet again, she'd joke with you and keep everyone on their toes. Not to mention she'd die for you.

If you were mortal friends, like Elijah and Elyse, she could throw around jokes that seemed offensive or make blunt remarks that would create awkward silences. But she was a person and would genuinely offer advice or help when needed. And if you were Finn Carnehan, then may the Gods have mercy on your soul when she is finished with you.

Eurydice Devereaux was impulsive and riddled with anger from her past. That same anger fuels her and keeps her running, like a truck running on diesel. She didn't show anyone how she felt other than the sharp remarks and quick glares. She'd established the image of the angsty teen long ago, and she lived by it. She was considered a ticking time bomb by many, causing them to watch closely and tread lightly around her in hopes to evade her rage. Because if anyone in her inner circle ended up hurting or betraying her... then they'd wish to have Tartarus as a punishment when Este would be finished with them.

Death was a commonality of the demigod lifestyle. Even more so when you were a child of the big three. Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Most of the twins' friends had learned that early on and kept that in the back of their minds.  After all, there was never a moment in their lives where they weren't being hunted down to be killed. Yet, because of who fathered the twins, being around the two... it was common for you to die soon. They knew that and they made that known to all. Like a warning label on foods that you get from sketchy places.

Este knew in the back of her mind that it was only a matter of time before things went south. That soon, someone would be likely to become gravely injured. Though, she tried not to dwell on this as much.

The brunette's hair was in her face, falling out from its placement where it had been tucked behind her ears. Her head tilted ever so slightly as her fingers twisted and fiddled with the charms on her bracelet. Her blue eyes trained on the white board as Dr. Moore as he continued to scribble furiously on the board. He seriously needs to take a handwriting class.

The class was so quiet that you could hear each little streak of marker that passed over the board. Or maybe that was how quiet it felt to Este was. Maybe the others were talking and talking loud but she had tuned it out. Why had she tuned it out? Her mind was racing. And that feeling was back and rooting her in yet another awful plastic chair.

In a way, her mind was racing. Dates being repeated and the information from Dr. Moore as she attempted to process her life like a tricycle going down the hill before one wheel would break off. In another way, there was not a single thought in her head except for the slowed down version of her life before her. The only thing happening was the same dates and sinking feeling keeping her tied down like a prisoner.

She continued to fiddle with her bracelet while attempting to focus on her breathing. Maybe that would bring her some comfort? Sure, what says comfort like knowing I'm still alive. Hilarious, Este. Keep listening to your heart like a lunatic. She scoffed at herself before inhaling sharply. Her steely eyes glancing back into her peripheral to catch sight of the same golden-eyed Hale she'd been infuriated by the class period prior. His eyes still locked on her. He's got a serious staring problem.

Her eyes cast back forward as she refused to return the eye contact. Her eyes resting on the board or her desk as she shifted in her seat, and her right leg bouncing up and down in some sort of nervous tick. She wasn't sure what the Cullen's were, but she knew they weren't mortal. Monsters, maybe? What kind of monster gives off the feeling of death. None of them. Este was making a mental checklist as she tried her hardest to decode the Cullen family.

They were dead and as far as Este knew, no monsters had a death date. When monsters were slain by demigods they erupted into gold dust and disappeared into the depths of Tartarus before they reformed in the world again. None of them felt like this before, and Este wasn't sure if there was a monster like this. But she knew that if they had existed, it would be somewhere in the books that resided under the Ancestors home. Something in the archives had to have something on creatures like this.

Stupid Ancestors home. Stupid Forks. Stupid Demigod life. Can I have one moment worrying about figuring out lineage without having to run away from another monster? Or feel like I'm being dragged through death myself? Seriously, give a girl a break.

Thankfully, Dr. Moore didn't keep all of the lights on. He only kept lamps on, which made the room pretty dim. This left the class in a comfortable amount of light and not a migraine inducing amount of light. Este gathered her pride and adjusted herself in her seat, ignoring the way that Jasper Hale's eyes were still locked on her back as she chewed on the inside of her lip. Maybe she should've taken another quest.

The other good thing about the darkness was that it allowed Este to feel less overwhelmed. The twins shared abilities to move through the shadows, but Este was more inclined towards the darkness than her brother. It was a comforting place, cold and quiet, where she could re-charge in a sense.

Este's eyes lingered forward to catch sight of Elyse Adair in the class, the girl was half asleep against the wall and clearly not paying attention to the lecture. Este was sure she'd be asked for lecture notes later - which she wouldn't mind giving if her notes said anything except the repeated statement of Jasper Whitlock. July 3, 1863. El Paso, Texas. Written line after line on the sheet of college ruled notebook paper.

The brunette sighed heavily before she let her eyes drift out towards the window. The skies were as clear as they'd usually be, the regular gray cast falling over the town. The trees rustled from the wind that would blow every few seconds. Her eyes fell back on her desk, on the lined paper that she had filled with a plethora of notes that repeated the same statement. Over. And. Over.

Este quickly flipped the page, taking in a deep breath as she attempted to finally copy the notes down. Her lips pursed in a thin line as she let out an annoyed huff. Okay, Jasper Whitlock. I get it. You died a super long time ago - get out of my head. Or my school for that matter, holy cow.

The brunette wanted nothing more than to let the tension vanish. For the cold embrace of death to become a long forgotten memory. Yet, she couldn't seem to let go of anything. That was her fatal flaw. Grudges. Este would never let anything go and it would cause her to end up in a handful of situations that could be classified as sticky. But she always found her way out - so she never changed anything. Because for as long as she lived, she was too hard headed to let anything go.

The strident sound of the bell brought Este out of her thoughts. She flipped her notebook shut and tossed her pencil back into her bookbag. Her entire body tensed as the Hale boy walked quickly out the door, passing by her with a small breeze. I hate high school already.

Este's gaze went up as Elyse stepped in front of her desk, Este shifted her notebook into her arms as she slung the bag over her shoulder as she suddenly felt liberated.

"We've got lunch now," Este spoke first as she flashed Elyse a small smile, the most anyone would ever really get out of her, "You looked like you were going to fall out of that chair and I was trying so hard not to laugh at you." Not a total lie, Este had spent a majority of class amused by her friend's exhaustion - but she wasn't the one on her mind, "Least you've got Elijah at lunch. Just don't start making out at the table. I'd pay to miss the lovefest."

"Have I mentioned just how much I've missed seeing you?" Elyse nudged Este's arm, smiling brightly at the girl, "Your bluntness and shining sarcasm never fail to make my day brighter. Besides, you want to talk about love fest? You've got no room to talk, you hold so much tension with every guy and girl you talk to. It's like a rom-com, now let's head to lunch before we're late for our grand entry as contestants one and two."

"I've missed you too," Este simply remarked to Elyse as she walked out of Dr. Moore's door with the other girl, "You've got to fill me in on anything I've missed."

"Really, you've only missed the arrival of the Cullens. They've been the hot new topic," Elyse explained as they walked side by side down the hallway, "Dr. Cullen and his wife moved here with their adoptive kids the year you left, if I remember correctly."

Este simply nodded her head along as her mind flashed back to the amber-eyed teenagers she'd encountered numerous times today, "They seem different."

"They are different. But I'm sure they're nice," Elyse shrugged as she walked through the door first, before holding it open as Este walked through, "They tend to stick to themselves. Can't say I blame them, given the attention that was drawn when they first came. Since they've been in the system I reckon they've had a lot of trouble."

    They've definitely had trouble, alright. Considering two of them have to be dead since I can tell you a date and a location. And their names are slightly different from the ones that they happen to go by right now.

"I bet you could relate on that front. Can't imagine it's easy for any of you," Elyse hummed as they walked through the fog, "Moral of the story - Forks, Washington hasn't changed."

"Good to know," Este kept her response short because she wasn't sure what else to say.

Elyse glanced over at her friend as she ran a hand through her hair, "How's your first day back going? Half-way through the day, it can't be that bad yet."

Este let out a small laugh before responding,"First day back at school, and here I thought it wouldn't be as hellacious as I remembered. It doesn't seem like anything has changed. Except for people's sex drives and you know..."

"Yeah," Finn seemingly appeared from out of nowhere as they reached the cafeteria, causing pieces of the blonde hair to fall into his face once again while he stood taller than most, "And the fact you've actually shown up. Not just little bits and pieces of you."

Este let out a huff of pure annoyance at the sudden appearance, and Elyse simply seemed confused as she glanced between the two, "Where did you even come from?"

"Trig," Finn simply responded to Elyse, "I came from Trig."

"He came from the depths of hell," Este retorted as she opened the glass doors to the cafeteria, "Go ahead. Ladies first, Carnehan."

"You're always such a..." Finn trailed off when Elyse sharply hit him with her binder.

    Finn walked through the door first, Este closed her eyes so that she wouldn't roll them before opening them as Elyse walked past her. She let go of her grip on the door and slipped inside as well.

"Yooo! Look who finally returned to school, she's definitely hotter than freshman year... dammnnn!" Mike Newton couldn't help but mutter loudly to his group of friends as Este rolled her eyes, "What a girl."

    Then that feeling washed over Este again, causing her movements to pause as she stood in the doorway with Elyse and Finn. That cold and unforgiving feeling sunk back into her. Everything seemed so much clearer and moving so much slower.

"Six o'clock," Finn mumbled quietly.

Jasper Whitlock. July 3, 1863. El Paso, Texas. Mary Alice Brandon. September 24, 1920. Biloxi, Mississippi. Edward Anthony Masen. October 8, 1918. Chicago, Illinois. Rosalie Lillian Hale. April 13, 1933. Rochester, New York. Emmett McCarty. June 10, 1935. Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

    Este blinked as the dates, names, and locations repeated over and over in her mind. Her breaths slowed down just a tad as her blue eyes cast over to the Cullen table before immediately darting back away as her converse padded against the cafeteria floors as she continued her movements.

"Este," Elyse started walking again with her best friend, glancing over at her from the side, "You okay? What's up?"

"Nothing, probably just my anxiety," Este lied to Elyse as they made it over to their lunch table, "I'm not that hungry anymore."

    Holy cow, are all of these people freaking dead?

    Este sunk into the seat next to her brother. Her blue eyes casting over to his face as she gave him a strange look. Dropping her bag to the floor before writing down the rest of the information being repeated in her head into her notebook before sliding it into her book bag.

"I know you can feel it," Este muttered to Newt, "And we need to talk about it later. Seeing as we've got a... deadly situation to handle."

"Mhm," Newt responded before glancing at Finn and then finally back at his sister as he re-directed the conversation, "Misdirected anger or annoyance, did you take your meds this morning? You know how heightened your emotions get with ADHD let alone when this entire thing took place. It's affecting me pretty badly and I know that it is affecting you too."

She resisted the urge to huff again as she crossed her arms, leaning back as she glanced over towards the doors, "I didn't take it this morning, I forgot and I was busy. I'll take it tomorrow," She muttered every bone in her body locked as a pair of golden eyes met hers, and suddenly her heart was pounding out of her chest.

And not in a giddy way. In a way that told her she needed to run or get out of the room.

"Someone's staring," Titus retorted in a teasing tone as he nudged Este's foot under the table causing her to harshly kick his shins, "Jeez! Dios, I won't say anything next time. You're like zoning yourself out. And we don't need you to zone out, Ghostie."

"Don't tell her that, that'll just set her off more," Kaz chided as he moved his face in front of Este's as he was sitting on the other side of her, "There she is. You're fine, ballistic woman with balls bigger than mine. Hey - did I ever explain to you what happened in Cabin Eleven?"

"No, you didn't," Este looked back down at the table as she started coughing, causing her to place her hands over her mouth as she went further into the table, "Sorry. Uh, swallowed the wrong way," She continued to cough.

"Swallowed the wrong way? Good one," Kaz retorted as he looked over at Newt, leaning even further in front of Este causing her to roll her eyes, "What'd you think about that excuse, Ole Newtie?"

"What did I tell you about calling me that," Newt's face was a clear indication of how he felt about that nickname as he looked over at Kaz in pure disgust before looking at his sister, "Don't get any bright ideas of repeating that nickname because I'll have your head, Este."

    Este after regaining some of her composure after her coughing fit, pulled herself back together as she turned to look at her brother. Easily slipping back into her ways even if she felt like she was melting into a puddle of death.

She picked up the milk that had been on her brother's tray before taking a sip of it, "What do you mean, Ole Newtie?" She retorted before clearing her throat, "You're an absolute menace. You wouldn't take off your own sister's head," She mimicked a chopping motion, "What a historical tragedy." She pouted.

"Can't our entire life be considered a historical tragedy?" Newt couldn't help but ask before wincing at his own comment, "Nevermind. Refrain from answering that one, I don't think that was very bright to ask."

"Maybe not," Elyse shook her head as she looked at Elijah who shrugged his shoulders, "But then again it isn't uncommon for one of you two to say something like that and just not care. So, we've all grown weirdly accustomed to it. In some circumstances."

    Elyse and Elijah had been dating since their freshman year. Elyse was a pretty girl, she'd moved from California back in middle school. She was smart and never let anyone put her down, and like Este she tended to speak bluntly. Elijah on the other hand had grown up in Forks and had played on the football team all four years, he wasn't as bright as his girlfriend but he always had a flirty remark or joke to tell those around him to spread some cheer.

"I thought you just said circumcision," Elijah couldn't help but comment, as he laughed while leaning back in his seat, looking over at Elyse before pretending to mock her actions before laughing more, "You really need to learn how to pronounce words more clearly."

"If you make fun of the way my brother speaks your football career will be permanently benched," Este retorted not even a second later.

"And you need to learn how to lay off the alcohol but no one repeats that to you, do they?" Elyse smarted back to her boyfriend as she rolled her eyes, adjusting herself in Elijah's grip, "Sometimes I just want to lean right across the table and smack you across the face and see the look on your face when I do it."

"No ones stopping you," Elijah shrugged before he winked at her, "Maybe your moral code is, but I surely am not. I don't believe that there'll be any power in that little slap of yours that you can try and call a punch. Besides, I'll claim domestic violence."

    Este flashed a grin over at her friends, trying to act as if she were in the conversation but there was a distant look in her eyes. The cold chill that seemed to keep running down her spine kept her in her thoughts as the same five things kept repeating in the back of her mind. And as the same pairs of amber eyes remained locked on her, as if they knew what she could feel.