Eden

“Fine,” she said in a huff. “I’ll put it away so you don’t pee your pants, big Special Forces man.”

Ryan relaxed and stood up straight, and then charged her again. Claire rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the throat, stopping him in his tracks. “All you do is run at me. I’m bored.”

Ryan took a swipe at her, making strange hacking noises.

I walked over to them, glaring at Ryan, and then at Claire. “He’s turning blue.”

Claire raised her other fist like she was going to punch him, but then turned it over, casually picking at her nails.

“Claire,” Jared growled.

She looked at Ryan and narrowed her eyes. “Tap out.”

Ryan struggled to make a noise. “No,” he choked. His eyes fluttered as he lost consciousness.

I frowned. “Okay, that’s enough. Jared, please make her stop.”

Jared took a step, and Claire pointed at him. “Jared Gabriel, don’t you dare.”

“Claire—” he began, but she held her hand palm-out to her brother.

I glanced at Ryan and then back at her. “It’s not funny anymore.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s kinda funny.”

I grabbed Claire’s wrist with one hand and wrapped my arm around Ryan with the other. It was futile, but I hoped Claire would snap out of her rage and realize what she was doing. As if it were nothing, they separated.

“Thank you,” I said, helping Ryan to the floor. “Ry,” I said, patting his cheek. “Deep breaths.” I looked up at Claire to send her a look of disapproval, but her expression took me off guard. “What?”

“I didn’t let go,” she said, stunned.

Jared’s eyes darted between the three of us. “What do you mean you didn’t let go?”

Claire’s eyes widened. “She pulled me off him.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes,” I said. “You went too far.”

Claire shook her head. “How did you do that?”

She was serious. I had pulled Ryan from her grip without effort. I had barely tensed, thinking Claire had simply decided to let go. “I…I don’t…know,” I said. I waited for Jared to offer an answer, but he stood speechless.

Ryan stirred. “Did I win?”

Claire frowned. “Of course not, stupid. ‘Did I win’,” she said, mocking Ryan’s deep voice. She rolled her eyes, and then her face brightened. “Stand up, Nina.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

I stood, and Claire took a defensive crouch. In the next moment, Jared was between us. “You have lost your mind!”

“Just one time!” Claire begged. “I bet it won’t even hurt her!”

“What are we talking about, here?” I said, my eyes dancing between the two of them.

“I’ll do it,” Jared said.

“Do what?” I asked. Jared led me to the center of the room, standing directly in front of me.

“What is he doing?” Ryan asked Claire.

“Sssh. Pass out again,” she said, impatiently waiting for something to happen.

My eyebrows pulled in. “What do you plan to do?”

Jared steadied himself and squared his shoulders. His eyes darkened, and then he lowered his chin. In the next moment his body relaxed, and he threw his head back. “I can’t,” he sighed, looking at the ceiling.

“What a wuss!” Claire laughed.

The front door opened, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the painful shrieking of my mother. It never came.

“Uh…what happened here?” Bex said. I opened my eyes, seeing Bex stood frozen in place in the doorway, a half-eaten apple in one hand.

“Nina pulled me off Ryan,” Claire said, her voice trembling with excitement.

“Okay. So what are you doing, Jared?” Bex said.

“Nothing,” Jared replied, clearly embarrassed.

“He’s going to test the theory,” Claire said.

Jared shook his head quickly. “No, I’m not.”

I crossed my arms. “And how were you going to do that, exactly?”

Jared rubbed the back of his neck. “I was just going to throw it. I wasn’t going to….”

“Punch her?” Bex said.

Jared frowned at Bex, and then looked at me apologetically.

“What?” I wailed.

Jared held out his hands. “I wasn’t going to land it! Just to see if you would catch it.”

Claire puffed, unimpressed. “I was going to punch her,” she mumbled.

My mouth fell open.

Bex walked casually across the room, stopping a couple of feet from me. Jared reclaimed my attention when he reached for me again. “Come on, Nina. You don’t think I would punch my pregnant wi—”

Before Jared could finish his sentence, Bex’s fist hurled toward me with lightning speed. My body reacted, and suddenly his fist was in my hand.

“I’m not holding back,” Bex grunted, still pushing his fist toward my face.

Jared’s eyes widened. He tried to talk, but the only result was his jaw flapping about.

Bex relaxed and lowered his hand, and then bent down to kiss my forehead. “She’s been like that for months. You couldn’t tell?” he asked Jared.

“I uh…I could tell something was different. I assumed it was the baby.”

“It is the baby,” Bex smiled. “Bean is sharing angel juice with Nina. I haven’t taken it easy sparring with her for weeks.”

“What?” I said.

“What?” Jared repeated.

Bex rolled his eyes. “Remember that time she threw me on my back?”

Jared’s eyes dashed to mine. “She really did that?”

Bex frowned. “It hurt, too. I just didn’t say anything because I assumed you knew, and this was one of those things you didn’t want to talk about.”

“He is so like that.” Claire said.

Jared was instantly angry. “You were sparring with her on your level? She’s pregnant, Bex. Are you insane? What if you hurt the baby?”

I looked down at my protruding belly and gingerly rubbed it with my fingers. “Bean is giving me abilities?”

Bex shrugged. “Bean’s full-on angel, Nina. You’ve got more power than we do, I bet. That’s why you could hover during your dreams and climb the walls and stuff. You were pregnant then, weren’t you?”

Ryan laughed once. “What? She’s Spider-Man, now?”

“That’s what I said!” Bex beamed. “Love Spider-Man.”

Jared frowned. “You should have said something.”

Bex laughed once without humor. “She’s your Taleh…not to mention your wife. I thought you knew!”

“You didn’t think I’d mention it if I had?”

“No! That doesn’t sound like you at all!” Bex snapped.

“He’s right,” Claire said. “Being forthcoming isn’t your strong suit.”

Jared turned on his heels, crossing his arms. His biceps bulged over his hands. “I guess you knew, too?”

“Obviously not!” Claire said. “It was my idea to punch her!”

“Well, let’s brag about it,” I said flatly.

Silence overcame the room while the new knowledge set in. Jared’s eyes bounced around different points on the floor while his brain processed a million thoughts a second.

A loud bang sounded from across the room, followed by a vibration in the floor. Claire was lying on her back,