You Must Fall In Love

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rob had known he was different ever since he was old enough to pick at the mark on his chest.

It was obvious. Not everyone had feathers and scales and fur on their bodies; not all children shifted homes every six months or so. It was part of being a ward of the state of Virginia, and a child with the chimera curse.

"Bestiary," said the lady from the Conclave. "The technical term is Bestiary. Chimerae are multiple creatures put together, and sometimes they breathe fire."

"I know that," said Rob. "How can I stop being one?"

"Why, you don't have to stop being anything. You're perfect just the way you are."

"I don't think I believe you," said Rob.

"You don't have to believe me, Rob," said the lady from the Conclave, looking terribly understanding.

"If I was perfect, then you wouldn't be taking me back to Silverfawn."

Other grownups would have stuttered or tried to evade, like Marlene and John had when he'd asked them why they were sending him back. But the magic people from the Conclave of Virginia never stuttered. He had a feeling that they were much smarter than him, even at his age.

"How old are you, Rob?"

"Eight. It's my birthday today."

The lady from the Conclave brushed her hair back. She was big and a bit puffy all around, and there were wrinkles on her face, but they seemed like nice wrinkles. Her teeth were crooked and her face was round and her hair was bright red, like an orange in a fireplace.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go get you a present. Are you going to say goodbye to Marlene and John?"

Rob turned back to the kitchen, but Marlene shrunk back, like she was too afraid to look him in the face. The bandages were still on her face, and her eye was still swollen.

John cleared his throat.

"Well, Rob," he said, "it was lovely having you at our place. I hope you'll have the best of futures. Good luck, young man."

Just seven months ago, John had welcomed him into his new home, patting him on the back and ruffling his hair. Marlene had shown him his new room, filled with children's books and those weird tourist puzzles, exactly the types that the records said he liked. She had kissed him on the cheek and tucked him into bed, even though he didn't want it. Calling him a gift.

He hadn't meant to hurt her, because he knew that normal people didn't heal like him. He had just been irritated, and his curse had turned his fingers into claws when he had moved to swat her hand away.

"Goodbye," said Rob.

Marlene turned her face to the wall and began to sob. Rob took the Conclave lady's hand and led her out the door, but slowly, so that it would look like she was doing it.

He was quite good at this by now.

"I forgot," he said, once they were in the car. "What's your name?"

"Patricia," beamed the Conclave lady, putting down her phone and wobbling pleasantly in the mirror. "Call me Pattie. What do you want for your birthday, Rob?"

Rob shrugged. He didn't think of birthdays as anything special, and didn't understand why anyone needed to celebrate them. It was just the day you happened to be born, right? What was so special about that?

"A book," he said, because it was what he always asked for. Grown-ups were usually happy to oblige, mostly because they didn't read themselves, and getting a little poor foster-child a book made them feel like they were really smart.