The ledge crumbled beneath their feet.
Rose made the executive decision to bring the brothers with her and Jessie. Otherwise, they would follow Eduard's path. They still had important parts to play in the future. She grabbed the remaining brothers', Jessie's, hands. Wings erupted from her back. "They're still alive. Barely. As for Eduard, he knew what would happen when he jumped with the sun rising."
Thorn's own wings erupted from his back as he steadied her, Jonah, and Jessie who still held the children in their arms. "Meaning?"
Jessie sighed. "We'll find him. He'll have horrible scarring from all the wounds due to salt water being a permanent agent to keep them on his skin." She shook her head angrily. "Eleanor assaulted him. He knew she meant to kill him and the babies tonight."
Well that just burned, literally, everything that Jonah and Thorn believed about that female. They glanced at each other warily. "Will she return as well?" Neither of them fancied running into her in the future again.
"Not likely, but if she does reincarnate, it won't be as female again." Rose murmured. "She's too nasty to be human in the next life." She sighed. "For now, let's see what we can do about saving the children." She frowned at the brothers. "Are you sure you two aren't blood related?" She eyed Jonah's hair that slowly turned white. His brown eyes flickered.
"We won't ever know." Jonah shrugged with a faint smile. "The Lord Sire was murdered in cold blood. We don't know if it was Eduard as initiation into becoming a vampire or someone else making sure he couldn't sire any further offspring."
As it was, no one remained from the old man's original family. All died of early age and odd misfortune. Since they technically were the last ones left. With this fire, they wouldn't be thought of as living and declared deceased.
Rose frowned at them. "You two don't seem too concerned."
Thorn smiled faintly. "Eh well, certain people in the world knew of our odd family circumstances and deemed us demonic entities."
Jonah nodded. "If we hadn't left to track down Eduard, we would've died in some other horrible execution."
Overall, fire wasn't the worst way they could go. Similes of their actual bodies, all six, would be found there. Jonah took care of that. Thorn gave them realism that wouldn't be discounted.
Rose and Jessie grimaced. "So, we'll be counted among the deceased?" Clearly, they hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Well, there might be a way to change that." Jonah and Thorn exchanged glances. "However, since you were seen leaving with Eleanor and Jonah earlier." Thorn shrugged. "I'm not sure how to make things easier to change."
Neither of the girls were happy with that fallout. However, they merely chose to go along with that decision. In the end, they received unexpected freedom that otherwise would've been denied due to their family rank and the fact that they'd been merely commodities to their respective parents. Fortunately, they had other siblings much more suitable to the scenario of marrying to raise their parents' rank and wealth in the society at large.
"Well, here we are." Rose began descending and Thorn adjusted his trajectory. Between the two of them managed to drop down without problem. Then Rose and Jessie walked forward with children in arms.
The two brothers followed at a slower pace. Neither of them felt comfortable entering the brightly lit building. It wasn't a place either of them were willing to enter without permission. That came with knowing some of their heritage that might well also be vampiric if they weren't mistaken.
Rose stopped and looked back at them. "You're welcome." She stated shortly, cutting them no slack.
The two brothers grimaced but followed without protest. They likely would need to provide explanation for what happened.
This situation was as far from what they predicted. As they walked toward the entrance, doors opened without warning and benevolent warmth enveloped them.
*
An older man, with graying black hair, black eyes, and dark tanned skin glanced up at their approach. His gaze fastened on the babies barely alive in the arms of Rose and Jessie. "What is this that you're bringing back here?" He questioned before regarding Thorn and Jonah grimly. "Oh, you two survived, I see." His tone was not welcoming as he motioned for them to come inside. "However, since you assisted Rose and Jessie, you are welcomed to rest and recuperate until such time you decide what to do with your lives." He dismissed them from his attention.
"Grandfather Ramon, these two children came from the traitor Eleanor." Rose informed him. "The two men were also infected with her craziness."
Ramon grunted. "Infected, I think not." He did scrutinize Jonah and Thorn closer though than before. "Huh, if they're still alive, they're much stronger than their appearance would suggest."
Rose sighed. "She succeeded in sending Eduard over the edge."
"He still lives." Thorn muttered.
Ramon stiffened and stared at him. "After everything he's gone through, and he still lives?"
Thorn inclined his head. "He'll have no memory of us, but he'll survive." He shrugged. "Just as one of them predicted." He gestured at Rose and Jessie. "Though I cannot remember since we were attempting to escape from a burning ledge at the time."
Jonah grunted. "He was right below us the entire time." He glanced at the girls. "I was going to grab him, but then Eleanor pulled her little arson stunt." He sat before the fire and rested his face in his palms.
Weariness enveloped the brothers.
Ramon glanced at Jessie and Rose who appeared ready to unleash wrath on them for that dereliction. "Girls, I need you to bring me the potions brewed yesterday morn." He distracted them just in time. "Give me the babies. Wash before you retrieve the potions." There was enough time for that. "Gentlemen, I would ask you to wash up as well." He motioned to a nearby buck of water that stood filled to overflowing with water and cloths waiting.
Pleased that he'd gone with his intuition and prepared earlier in the day, Ramon watched as the somber brothers followed his directions without protest. The two females glowered at the young men and then at him before they exited the room.
"they're well-meaning girls." Ramon murmured. "They just don't think things through sometimes before making executive decisions in the heat of the moment."
Thorn finished washing. He avoided removing any clothing other than a cloak. He eyed Ramon. "I'm aware of the impropriety of us coming here at such an hour." He shifted uncomfortably. "Once the children are tended, I will make my departure." He didn't include Jonah in that statement.
Ramon frowned because he sensed tension emanating from the two men. He glanced at Jonah. "What about you, young sir?"
Jonah glanced at him. "I've reason to believe they are sired by me. I would remain to raise them until such time that they'd survive with you and the girls sufficiently without me." He bowed. "That is if you would allow me to remain?" His sincerity impressed Ramon.
"I will discuss your proposition with the girls before making any decision." Ramon refused to make any final decisions.
After all, the girls owned the building. He tenanted it through prior arrangements made with their parents that they honored even after their unplanned and very early passing. He sighed. That probably was Eleanor's doing as well. That was one venomous wench.
*
Rose who'd listened to the conversation glanced at Jessie. "What do you think about Jonah's declaration?" On one hand, she didn't want either man staying, but she admitted that Jonah's steadfastness impressed her quite a bit.
Jessie shrugged. "We'll have a time of it, convincing people we aren't witches after what happened earlier." She pointed out a fact that Rose hadn't considered.
"We just passed through a portal back to our time when the children can live in the present of 2019." Rose pointed out sourly. "Our parents are dead, but our grandfather still lives."
"Oh." Jessie frowned. "Do you think they will be able to adjust?" She referenced Jonah and Thorn. "Neither of them are aware of what happened when we returned."
Rose shrugged. "Don't know and don't care." She wasn't in the mood to deal with them right then. Rather, she wanted to focus saving the children. After all, they would need to survive to return Eduard's sanity once he regained all his memories.
"Do you think we'll find Eduard in this present?" Jessie's skeptical tone made Rose sigh.
"Only one way to find out." She reminded Jessie. "We check for any strange sightings that're straight out of a tabloid." Not her favorite way of searching for an elusive vampire.
Jessie rolled her eyes. "Yeah right." She grumbled. "I'll find out another source to check." She finished washing up. "I'm also going to let the boys know about what time frame we've switched into."
Rose shrugged. "Do whatever you want." She didn't care what Jonah and Thorn did to adjust. That wasn't her priority right then. She knew Ramon hadn't appreciated their appearing on his doorstep without warning. How could she have predicted that Thorn was a winged demi-deity of some kind? She sighed wearily. That was a complication no one could've predicted.
She finished washing up and returned to the main room where Ramon awaited her, Jessie, and she remembered to retrieve the potions as well. She could tell that Jessie was sweet on one of the men, but wasn't likely to act on the impulse, at least not yet.
When that happened, the family unit would disperse. Rose didn't look forward to the separation but knew it would happen eventually. For now, she simply focused on the present. "I've the potions. Where do you want me to put them?" She knew they'd discussed something while she was absent. Judging from their startled expressions, none of them knew what to say. "Now what has happened?"