Tribrid

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Evan asked. “Don’t tell me you don’t love this place? Seriously, Jean. We used to go here all the time.” Their plane landed in Tucson, Arizona, an hour ago, and they’ve decided not to use the school chauffeur, as discussed. Instead, they went for a little field trip to their hometown, the lovely town of Catalina where the famous Catalina Foothills is located. A luxury suburb of Tucson known for its high-end shopping, dining, and golf courses. Tourism never ceases in Catalina. And right now, they've been seated at their favorite restaurant through the years. Maurizio’s boasts the best steak in the state, and it's their favorite hangout whenever they can sneak out of the campus. Both of them have wonderful memories there. Nothing much has changed in Maurizio’s, except the staff and a few tweaks here and there. All in all, it managed to keep its class and grandeur. However, Evan and Jean’s destination is the Sabino Canyon, which houses Harrington School for the Gifted. Amidst rolling canyons lies a sprawling piece of land with castle-like features. Its history goes a long way back, but the Harringtons and their successors remain the owners of the estate. To the world, Harrington is a school for troubled rich kids. A place where filthy rich parents dump their children because they can’t handle their attitudes. Where they can pay other people to do their job for them, and walk away and pretend it was normal to ditch troubled kids rather than caring and understanding them. Though regarded as an elite school, Harrington has this reputation among its fellow academic institutions. However, Harrington is not like that at all. There’s a lot than meets the eye. During their time there, Jean was extremely popular. Her cousin, Evan, was popular too, but not like Jean. Jean is different. She’s Harrington’s most prized possession because of her unique genetic makeup, even today. In their world, she’s a legend. A one-in-a-lifetime freak of nature. Aside from all that, she’s drop-dead gorgeous. With all-natural fiery red hair and delicate features that resemble an angel, she easily stands out in the crowd of what the world thought was a ‘bunch of rich misfits’. “Hi,” a very pretty waitress walks in with an expensive wine in hand approaches. “This one is on the house. I hope you enjoy our service here.” Evan beamed at the sight of wine and a pretty specimen. “Whoa, that’s more like it! Hello there, gorgeous.” The waitress poured their wineglass with what looked like an expensive red wine. Evan, who was an enthusiastic alcohol chugger, accepted his glass when Jean grabbed his hand, stopping him midair. “Don’t.” “What do you mean, ‘don’t’?” Jean’s eyes glowed red for a brief second, her sight fixed on the wineglass. “Wolfsbane. This wine is laced with wolfsbane, you m*ron.” Without letting go of the glass, Evan sneered with disgust. “Jean, if this wine is laced with wolfsbane, I should have known, don’t you think? You’re not the only one who’s special around here.” “Well, if you were practicing your abilities like I told you, you would have sensed it.” Jean shot back, not letting go of her cousin’s hand. “Maybe you should try listening to me for once in your life. Maybe, just maybe, you’d stay alive.” Wolfsbane is lethal for werewolves. Evan is a werewolf, and a small dose of the poison could kill him instantly. Jean could not only sense what the poison was, but she could also sense its potency and calculate damage. Without a proper healer, his life ends right then and there. Evan knew Jean wouldn’t joke about wolfsbane, either. “Fine, I am not drinking this.” His eyes scanned the whole place, finally getting cautious. “But–” “Who wants you dead?” Jean cut him off. “They didn’t just want you dead, Evan. They want us both dead.” Evan chuckled, “wolfsbane won’t kill you, Jean.” That was true. It would take more than wolfsbane to put Jean down. She’s not an easy target. She just couldn’t believe they’d attack her one hour after setting foot back in Tucson. When she left, she had no enemies she could recall. An attack in broad daylight is a very brave move from them. “But it can incapacitate me for several minutes. Whoever did this wants a little head start.” She then turned to the waitress. “You, who gave this to you?” Only then did Evan notice the waitress and the other clients inside the restaurant. They were clearly under a spell, rendering them all immobile. “Nice, you still have the moves, you casted a spell, dear cousin. What a nice welcome home. I wonder who’s behind all this.” “Yeah, while you were so busy drooling over wine and over the waitress, I conjured a simple but very reliable spell. As for the wolfsbane… oh, I’m dying to know myself, Evan.” Jean’s expression drastically changed from angelic to sinister. “And if this pretty little thing right here didn’t give me answers…I’d be forced to be more…persuasive.” The waitress’s face distorts from pain as her lungs are stripped of precious air. Persuasive in Jean’s vocabulary meant something painful and deadly. The door bursts open, and in come two figures. Alarick and Missy Knight. The father and son duo, Jean and Evan, haven’t seen in years. From her research, Alarick solely runs Harrington now, and his daughter, Missy, is a teacher and handles several classes, including the most promising batch. Missy and Jean were not very close, but it was no secret that Evan and Missy had made out in the library when they were students several times. There were even rumors going around at that time that the two dated. “Release her, Jean.” Alarick’s voice boomed like thunder. “What if I don’t?” Jean challenged. “Are you going to engage, Alarick?” “Missy, release them.” Missy tries but fails after muttering a counterspell and chants. “I…can’t. You know she’s way more powerful than I am.” “Disappointing,” Alarick muttered. “And you call yourself the best.” Missy interjects with her usual smile and charm to lighten up the hostile mood, ignoring her father’s snide remark. “Hey, welcome back to you two! Come on, there’s no need for atrocity. I told Dad it was not a good idea, but he’s too stubborn to listen to me and my ideas–” “Spare us the pathetic story, Missy,” Jean glared. “You attack, I retaliate. Easy as that.” Realizing he poked the hornet’s nest, changing his strategy, Alarick grinned and opened his arms. “Won’t you give your old mentor-s***h-friend a good ol’ hug?” “No. Until you come up with a valid excuse for the wolfsbane,” Jean crossed her arms. Not wanting to let the incident pass. “Very well. I want to see if you still got it. If you’re practicing your awesome skill set, even if you’re living a mediocre life among humans,” Alarick explained. “Clearly, you do. However, I am very disappointed with you, Evan. You let yourself go. You need to spend more time with wolves in training.” Jean stood up, not to hug her former mentor but to meet his eyes with the same intensity. “Look, I don’t like your idea of welcoming us back here in Catalina. If you do this again–” “Jason stole the relic from the archives, again,” Alarick stated quickly. “You have to help us get it back before it's too late, Jean.”