The only danger he poses is to darklings or someone possessed by the dusk.
Jaxon closes his eyes for just a moment and takes a deep breath. And in two seconds, he extinguishes the light and the flames.
"Yes, Mother?" he answers.
"I just wanted to give you two the time for tonight," she says. Even though it's not my ear the phone is pressed too, I hear Vivian without any difficulty.
"What are you talking about?" Jaxon asks, clearly distracted by his passed-out brother on the ground.
"Your wedding party?" Vivian asks with annoyed impatience.
"You never said it was tonight," Jaxon says. He crouches down next to Aaron and starts searching through his pockets. Just a moment later, he pulls out a small baggie filled with white powder.
"Well, it is," Vivian continues, oblivious to the investigation Jaxon is currently conducting. "There will be a formal dinner at six o'clock. The reception following will go until ten. Should be an enjoyable time. Dancing, music, gifts. So, take that bride of yours shopping. I want the two of you to find something impressive to wear."
I look down at what I'm wearing currently. It's my standard attire, but I have been wearing it since yesterday morning. I'm certainly not going to complain about a shopping trip.
"Fine," Jaxon says. He’s still distracted. "We will be there."
Vivian hangs up, and even through the phone, I can feel her annoyance.
Jaxon shoves his cell phone into his pocket once more. He finishes checking all of Aaron's other pockets. "How is this going to go?" he asks as he looks up at me from the ground. "Is he going to remember any of this when he wakes up?"
I shake my head. "I mean, I never really stuck around much after the exorcism was finished. But no, from my experience, he won’t remember this. He probably won't remember anything since last night."
Jaxon nods, looking back down at Aaron. "The withdrawal is going to be fun."
I shake my head. "He's going to have a rough couple of days."
I'm surprised when Aaron begins to stir on the ground. He groans, and his hands go to his chest as if it hurts. It isn't as if Jaxon cut a hole in his chest and put his hands inside of it. But there is something that was inside of him that is now missing.
He brings his hands to his head and slowly sits up. "Jaxon? What's going on? Where are we?"
Quickly, Jaxon tucks the drugs into his own pocket. He extends a hand to his brother and helps him to his feet. "What's the last thing you remember?" Jaxon asks, smartly feeling this out before he answers any questions.
Aaron blinks hard and rubs his hands over his eyes. "Uh… I'm not sure. I remember going to some girl’s house. But after that…" he shakes his head.
"You went a little too hard last night," Jaxon says. And he's back again. Lies start coming as easy as he breathes. "Me and Serena went looking for you. It's been my full-time job far for too long now, don't you think, brother?"
Aaron squints as he looks over at his brother. His expression is different now. He looks…guilty. Sorry, even. "I…I'm sorry. I don't know why…don't know why I'm like this."
"How do you feel right now?" I ask as I take a step forward.
Aaron looks me up and down, and he has this look on his face like he isn't quite sure who I am. How much of his memory is altered now that the dusk has been exorcised from him? "I…I don't know. I feel… I have a feeling I've been doing some really bad stuff lately. Jaxon," he says as he looks up at his brother. "I can't stay in this place. I've got to get out of here."
The look of shock on Jaxon's face as he looks over at me says everything. This is not the brother that Jaxon has known for a very long time.
"What do you mean?" Jaxon presses.
Aaron looks around him and turns in a circle as he takes in the scenery around us. "I mean, I need to get out of the city. Mom… Everything she has us doing, it isn't right. It's going to get us all killed. Jaxon, we need to get out of here."
My heart flutters. It worked. No longer is this a man trapped in his mother's clutches. No longer is this the man who is doing things because he was possessed.
He's thinking clearly. He's making his own decisions once again. Finally.
Jaxon takes a step forward and rests his hand on his brother’s shoulder. "I think it's great that you want to change, brother. You haven't been yourself in a long time. It's nice to have you back. But we can't just take off right now. You need a plan, a smart way to escape. And I will help you do that, but it isn't going to be today."
Aaron shakes his head again, looking back toward the city. "I have to get out of here soon. If I stay, mom is going to make me do stuff I don't want to do. I'm sick of it. I need out."
Jaxon nods. "I know. Mom is throwing me and Serena a wedding party tonight. But tomorrow, I will help you make a plan. We will get you out of here, Aaron."
Aaron looks up at his brother with confusion. His brain is fogged right now. "Did I know you were married?"
Aaron thinks he's on some kind of bender. He thinks he woke up in the desert, after having too many drinks and too many drugs. It's understandable he's confused.
"It happened fast," I say as I step forward. "It was just two days ago."
Aaron nods, but he still seems perplexed.
"We need to head back," Jaxon says as he looks back toward the city. "We all need to get ready for Mom's party. Let's get you a hotel room off the Strip. Someplace Mom won’t come looking for you. And then tomorrow I'll come find you, and we will make a plan. Okay?"
He still seems so lost. The look in his eyes is distant and contemplative. But he nods absentmindedly. "Okay."
Jaxon glances over at me just once before he opens the back passenger door for his brother. This just got complicated on a whole different level. Not only do we have to figure out a way to get our separation from his mother, now Jaxon has to figure out a way for his brother to permanently disappear from her radar.
This is his family. Jaxon loves them, despite everything. He'll do whatever it takes to help his brother.
Aaron climbs into the seat and Jaxon closes the door after him. It's not like we can have any kind of a private conversation right now. We can't make any plans, knowing the full truth of what has just happened. So, without saying a word, we both climb back into our seats, Jaxon turns the SUV around, and drives back toward the city.
Thirty minutes later, Jaxon has Aaron checked in to a cheap hotel. He leaves him with instructions to go get some clean clothes and make sure he shows up at the grand ballroom at six o'clock. Jaxon reminds him that if he doesn't show up on time, it will only make more trouble for him than it's worth.
Aaron agrees to it, still seeming a little lost.
Jaxon and I climb back into the SUV. I lean back into the seat with a heavy sigh, feeling tired and heavy, and it’s only eleven.
I look over at Jaxon. “I’m proud of you,” I say. I reach over and take his hand. “This was a heavy, complicated situation, but you handled it amazingly.”
Jaxon looks over at me and manages a small smile. “Thanks,” he offers. “I honestly didn’t expect the change to be so…immediate. It’s like he’s just been a prisoner trapped inside himself for years.”