Birthday Plans [North of Moscow]

[Nox]

The tree was barren despite being just the beginning of autumn. Maybe the cold weather knocked them all down, but Nox was pretty sure it wasn't the weather. The whole place felt wrong. The man had been human. He wasn't a monster. At least not that kinda monster -- but he was one.

Nox sat down against the tree and pushed his power down into the earth below. "Hey sis!" He pulled out three beers and handed one to Jacob.

Nox cracked the top off of one and started pouring it on the ground. "Happy Birthday! I don't know how many more I've got left."

Jacob opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. He sat down and started a fire off to the side. He made an assumption of where Aurora was buried. He patted the ground. "Happy Birthday, girl. Miss you."

They sat at the base of the tree well into the night and the following day. At dawn Nox packed up and headed down the long drive and to the highway. He assumed Jacob had a vehicle, but he didn't ask. And Jacob didn't say as they walked away from Aurora another year older.