The Divine Twelve (Urban-Fantasy)

Chapter fifteen: The New Norm

Sahir entered the attic, scanning the shelves. He located a shelf with jars filled with a variety of things. The boy sucked his teeth as he moved the jars around, glancing at the labels.

"The book mentioned a healing cream..." Sahir continued searching the shelves. "Please don't tell me I'll have to make it..."

Sahir noticed a jar with a greenish cream taking up half of the space in the jar. He turned it slightly to see the label, "regenerative ointment," was wrapped around the jar.

"I'm probably going to need to make more of this," Sahir said before grabbing the jar.

Penelope sat in the backyard, her hands grazing the grass beneath her. She sniffled and whipped her nose on her sleeve, watching as the blades of grass curled between her fingers.

"Hey!" She heard a voice say softly as they sat beside her. "How'd training go?"

"Hey, Lennox," Penelope said softly, shaking her head. "I'm a screw-up."

"What happened?" Lennox asked, noticing the dried-up blood soaked into her clothes.

"We were in the woods." Penelope inhaled deeply, "And these creatures attacked."

Lennox rubbed her back softly, noticing the wound on her shoulder.

"And I ran." Penelope looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red. "and I left her and she got hurt... she almost died because of me."

"It's not your fault." Lennox tried to console her.

"Yes, it is!" Penelope sobbed. "If I wasn't so scared, if I wasn't such a punk, she would've never gotten hurt."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not!" She cried harder. "What happens when it's you, or Sahir? What happens if we can't get help in time?"

Lennox sat quietly. He looked at the hedge maze in front of him, the backyard lights only illuminating a portion of the bush walls.

"I'm going to get someone killed. I don't want to." Penelope pulled her knees to her chest. "I don't want to be the reason everyone had to get hurt or the person everyone has to protect."

"Then don't be," Lennox said flatly. "All you need to do is fight."

Penelope slowly raised her head, her curly hair falling into her face. "I killed someone today." She said quietly. "They looked human enough, I saw the pain in their face as they burned to death, and heard their screams. I just watched it. I felt so scared, so sick."

"They weren't human anymore. Plus, it was either you or them." Lennox shrugged.

"That's not the point." She shook her head. "I've never even really fought a person before, but just like that I was forced to kill?"

"It comes with the powers." Lennox frowned.

"I don't want them then." Penelope lowered her head again.

Lennox sucked his teeth and moved in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.

"So what?" He said sternly. "Give up?"

Penelope opened and closed her mouth, attempting to answer.

"Yeah, Nel. Great job." He continued. "I thought you were stronger than that. So what happens when instead of it being Laura who was in danger it was Sahir? Hm? What about a defenseless bystander?"

Penelope swallowed hard as the tears welled up in her eyes again.

Lennox sighed and let her go, returning to her side. "I'm sorry."