"Easily," he said before turning back to Cassidy. "Mom and dad would find out what you did."
Cassidy's mouth dropped as she worriedly looked over at Willow and Julian. "We only climbed a tree! There's nothing wrong with that!" she protested.
"After those two dared you!" he snapped, shooting a censuring look at Willow and Julian. They didn't look remotely ashamed as they stared unabashedly back at him.
"Forget it, Ethan, you're fighting a losing battle," Isabelle told him. "Kyle, scoot to the branch below you! It's a pretty clear drop from there.”
"I'm scared!" Kyle wailed. "I don't want to let go."
"What kind of immortal is scared to fall from a tree?" Julian taunted.
"The smart kind!" Ethan retorted.
"I think you're going to have to go get him," she told Ethan.
"I'm too old for this crap," he muttered as he angrily tugged on his shaggy black hair.
Isabelle grinned at him, not deterred by his sour expression. "You're only twenty-five; just think how you're going to feel in a hundred years."
He turned away from her and grabbed one of the thick lower branches. Isabelle shaded her eyes against the sun as he climbed to their brother. Kyle slid his small arms around Ethan's neck and climbed onto his back; he clung to him for dear life. Isabelle stifled a laugh at the sound of Ethan's choking. She knew he would be annoyed if he heard her laughing at him, but it took all she had not to. A lot of curses, scratches, and mumbled threats later, he slid safely back to the ground. The minute he hit the ground, Kyle hopped off his back and raced over to join his siblings.
"Not so fast!" Isabelle yelled as they turned to bolt down the path. "There will be no more climbing trees! And if I find out the two of you dare them to do something stupid again, I'm going to tell mom and dad, and you'll be grounded for a month! Understand?"
"Yeah, yeah," Willow and Julian mumbled.
"Don't you yeah, yeah me, or I'll go and tell them right now."
"No don't!" they both yelled. "We'll be good."
"Good, and you two," she continued as she turned to her younger siblings. "I want your promise that if they do dare you to do something, you will not do it."
"We promise!" Kyle and Cassidy vowed in unison.
It was a useless promise; it would only be a matter of time before they were back into some mischief or another. "Go," she said wearily.
They turned and bolted down the path, disappearing easily into the woods. "How long do you think it will be before they're in trouble again?" Ethan asked as he absently pulled a twig from his shirt.
"Before they hit the end of the path," Isabelle answered with a small smile.
"Most likely. So, what's going on with mom?"
Isabelle started back down the path. "Nothing really, she's been quiet since you told her about running into her friend Karen last month."
"Kathleen," Ethan corrected.
"Whatever," she replied absently. "Plus, with Aiden going to college this fall, she's a little upset."
"Starting to get empty nest syndrome?"
Isabelle laughed as she pushed against his shoulder. "I don't think this nest will ever be empty."
Ethan grinned back at her. "Not with the two of us here. She was that upset about Kathleen?"
"Yeah, she was," Isabelle replied sadly. "She's been talking about her a lot since then, reminiscing and stuff."
Ethan frowned thoughtfully. "I know Kathleen seemed to miss her."
"Mom feels the same way. Every time she mentions her name, she gets this distant look in her eyes. It's sad."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it."
"I know," Isabelle whispered.
"Hey, don't get all glum on me now!"
Isabelle grinned at him as she shoved his arm. He smiled as he playfully pushed her back. Out of all her siblings, Ethan was the most like her, and the one she was closest to. Neither of them had much use for the human race, other than food, and Isabelle didn't even bother with them for that.
The idea of actually going out in the world, and living amongst people, didn’t appeal to either of them. Unlike the two of them though, Ian was already attending the University of Oregon, and he loved it. Aiden was thrilled about going away to school in the fall, and although Victoria and Abigail were only fifteen, they were already flipping through college brochures.
However, she and Ethan were content to stay here. Isabelle rarely went out into the world, rarely even left her yard. Ethan went out more than she did, but not nearly as often as The Stooges did (as they referred to Mike, Doug, Jack, and David), or Ian, Aiden, Vicky, and Abby. Isabelle wasn't particularly fond of humans as it was, and the idea of actually living amongst them didn’t appeal to her.
She liked her life here, the peace and security it offered. She supposed it was cowardly of her to stay hidden away when there was a huge world she could easily explore. However, she harbored a secret fear, and the possibility of her fear coming true was enough to make her never want to leave.
She glanced over at Ethan to find him smiling, his hands in his pockets, and his black head bowed. "What are you thinking about?" she asked teasingly.
Ethan instantly wiped the grin from his face. "Nothing."
She cocked an elegant eyebrow as she smiled at him slyly. "Girls?"
"Hardly," he retorted.
She laughed as she tossed back her hair. "Don't lie, Ethan, I know you."
He scowled at her as they stepped out of the woods. "And what about you?" he demanded.
She frowned as she looked at him. "What about me?" she retorted.
He grinned at her as he slung his arm around her shoulders. "Boys?" he taunted.
Isabelle laughed as she leaned against his side. "I wouldn't waste my time or my energy."
"Speaking of time and energy," Ethan groaned as a pickup, laden with wood, pulled into the driveway.
