Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell) (17 page)

Did she think I really sat around looking up old stories about her online? I hated to break it to her, but beyond a couple of browsing sessions when I first met Lon, her name wasn’t in my search history. I didn’t need to torture myself viewing photos of her perfect body posed in exotic locales, wondering if Lon took those photos, or what they’d done together when the shoot was finished.

“What are you really here for, Yvonne?” Lon asked. “You’re not getting any more money out of me. I don’t care if they’ve foreclosed on your house again.”

“Why do you have to embarrass me in front of our son? My house is fine. And I’ll have you know that I’m working. I have a new modeling contract. I’ve also been sober for six months, going to recovery meetings. You would know these things if you’d answer the phone.” She glanced around the table. “If
any
of you besides Jupiter would answer the damn phone!”

The table fell into silence, then Adella shot Yvonne a dark, wilting look. “I’ll answer the phone when it’s the coroner’s office calling, asking me to identify your body.”

Dear
God
.

“Adella!” Rose snapped.

Adella glanced at Jupe and mumbled an apology.

“Addy—” Yvonne pleaded.

“Don’t ‘Addy’ me. Don’t waltz in here like you deserve pity. The things you’ve done to this family are unforgivable.”

“That’s enough,” Rose said in a sharp voice. “Jupe, why don’t you and Cady and your Auntie go outside while your dad and I talk to your mother.”

But Adella was fired up, and didn’t pay any attention to this request. “Mama might forgive you one day. Lon and Jupe might forgive you. But I will
never
forgive you for what you did to me.”

What in the world had she done to Adella? Jupe seemed just as surprised by the outburst, so whatever it was, he didn’t know either.

Yvonne’s nostrils flared. Arms went rigid at her sides as her eyes brimmed with tears. “I can’t change the past. I can’t keep saying I’m sorry. But I’m trying to get my life together now. It would be easier if you’d all be supportive. I’m staying at the Landmark Hotel in the Village if you want to contact me. Otherwise, I’ll see you at noon on Christmas Day—this is me officially notifying you, Lon.” She glanced at Jupe. “I’ve got presents for you. I want this to be a nice holiday. I hope at least you’ll give me a chance, baby. I want to be part of your life again.”

As his face contorted with warring emotions, Yvonne brushed a tear away, straightened her shoulders, and strode out of the restaurant.

The ride back to Lon’s house was pretty damn awkward. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own worlds, processing what had just happened. I know I certainly was. My chest felt like it was weighted down by a bowling ball.

Yvonne was sober. Yvonne wanted to be a part of Jupe’s life. Everything inside me said
no no no.
Not now. Anything but this. I’d only just gained a small amount of acceptance from the Giovannis—now I had to deal with her, too?

And if I’d felt jealous of Adella and Rose’s relationship with Jupe, I felt downright threatened by Yvonne. And it wasn’t just because of Jupe. My thoughts were sliding into dark places, wondering if seeing her ignited any feelings in Lon. It was easy enough to hate someone who’d wronged you when they were still doing all the things that made you hate them in the first place. But what if she really
was
making an honest effort to change? Lon didn’t want the old Evil Yvonne, but did he want new Humble Yvonne? They had a shared history. A child together. Could I compete with that?

Logically, I knew I was jumping the gun, but the bowling ball on my chest just got heavier and heavier.

Silence and brooding ruled inside the SUV until the restaurant was a few miles out of sight. Then Jupe broke the ice. “I’m really sorry, you guys. I didn’t call her. She called me. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but I just wanted Christmas to be normal and good. She said she wanted to visit, but you’ve got to believe me—I told her not to come. Listen to my feelings, Dad. You know I’m telling the truth!”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, baby,” Rose said.

Lon stared straight ahead, eyes on the road. “I’m not mad at you.”

That seemed to calm Jupe down a little. After awhile he said, “Do you think she’s really sober?”

No one answered. Adella was still angry, and like Lon, was keeping herself tightly wound. Mr. and Mrs. Holiday glanced at each other as if they were wondering whether they should jump in. I never knew them to stay quiet about anything, so it was disconcerting that they were holding back.

After a few moments, Rose finally said, “I don’t know.” She put her arm around Jupe’s shoulders and pulled him closer, stroking his arm in one of those grandmotherly ways. I never knew my grandparents, but I always fantasized that they’d be that way, kind and comforting.

It was weird that a few hours ago, I was still angry with this woman. Now I saw her in a different light. God only knew what she’d had to deal with when it came to Yvonne. She could have just let Lon and Jupe slip out of her life. But she stuck around. Jupe thought she was the best thing since sliced bread. So she was a little stubborn. Maybe I’d be stubborn too if I was in her shoes.

“I want to believe her,” Jupe admitted after a while. “Does that make me a sucker? Every time I believe her, she lets me down.”

“Me too,” Rose answered. “Me too.”

Lon remained silent for the remainder of the ride. He was dark and stormy and circled by a solid stone wall and a moat filled with snapping crocodiles. Completely unreachable. I hated that Yvonne had that effect on him. I desperately wanted to talk to him in private, but when we got home, Lon asked the Holidays to take Foxglove out back with Jupe. Once he was out of earshot, we stood on the front walkway with the Giovannis.

“How did you do it, Rose?” Lon asked.

“Do what?”

Lon’s eyes narrowed. “You know damn well what I mean. Resist her knack. How did you do it?”

Rose pushed her glasses up. If I had to guess, I’d say she was almost embarrassed. “Oh, all right.” She sighed theatrically, then reached inside her purse and pulled out an object that fit in her palm. It was metal. It glowed softly with Heka.

“A charm?” I said.

Rose was embarrassed. “Just a little one.”

“Mama!” Adella said, peering into her hand. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged. “I bought it from a magick shop in Portland. The woman who owns it is a witch, and she said she bought it from an estate sale. She wasn’t sure if it would work. But I had it on me last time I saw Yvonne and it worked . . . well, like a charm.”

“Can I see it?” I asked

She handed it to me. “It” was a silver signet ring, the band almost worn through in the back. The front was a flat hammered circle with a magical sigil engraved in the middle. “This is a variation of Solomon’s Seal.”

Lon squinted at it as I turned it in my fingers. “I’ll be damned. I think you’re right.”

“And just what does that mean?” Adella asked.

“King Solomon supposedly had a ring that allowed him to control demons and talk to animals. Whoever made this seems to have adapted it for use on Earthbounds.”

“That’s why I couldn’t hear your emotions when Yvonne showed up,” Lon said.

“When I saw her walk onto the patio, I grabbed the ring from my purse. It only works if it’s touching your skin. That’s what the witch told me, anyway.”

Lon was astonished. “Damn, Rose. Do you know how many hours I’ve spent thumbing through old grimoires trying to find something that would do this?”

“Believe me, I wish I’d had it years ago. More than that, I wish I knew someone who could just get rid of her knack once and for all.” She slid a sly glance my way. “Do I know someone who could?”

“Me? Christ, I don’t know. I’ve never seen a spell that could do that. Plus she’s got—” I gave Lon a questioning look. He told me that, like the Holidays, they knew about the transmutation spell. Yvonne was fond of showing off, apparently.

“She’s got magick in her already,” Lon finished for me.

Magick I never wanted to experience. Her regular knack was powerful enough.

“That would have to be reversed first, I think, and . . .” My words trailed off as I thought about it. Could I? If I could slow time, then maybe I could do this, too. But so much could go wrong. It was like performing a surgery you’ve never done before. Or that’s what I imagined, anyway. Besides, there was no way Yvonne would ever agree to such a thing, so what was the point of thinking about it?

“Just a thought,” Rose said.

I handed the ring back.

“What I’m dying to know is what
you
heard,” Adella said to Lon. “Spill it. Was she lying about any of it?”

Lon glanced around at all of us. My nerves were jumping, buzzing with dread.

“She was sincere.”

Godammit. I knew it was selfish, but my heart still dropped.

Lon’s fingers grazed the back of my neck. “Being sincere in a moment doesn’t mean lasting change.”

“He’s right about that,” Adella murmured.

Rose sighed. “I’m going to the hotel to talk to her.”

“Mama—”

“I want to know what her plan is. I’m not going to let her spoil Christmas for Jupe.”

“I thought you expected me do that,” I joked lamely. A second after it was out of my mouth, I wondered if it was too soon. But she waved her hand dismissively, almost as if she was embarrassed.

Adella hoisted her purse higher up on her shoulder. “Here’s the difference. If Yvonne shows up for Christmas, there’s a good chance she’ll put everyone in a foul mood. And apparently the only way
you
could do that is by not showing up, because all Jupe did today was whine that you weren’t with us.”

Ah, crap. I was getting
verklempt
again. It was like some sort of sensitive housewife had taken over my body and was sitting around watching Lifetime movies and Hallmark commercials.

“So you’re stuck with us now,” Rose said. “Which means that Yvonne is your problem as much as she is ours. Be prepared to play defense if she’s planning on showing up Christmas Day. Legally, she has the right. But I’ve got this ring now, which means for once in my life, I’ve got the upper hand, and I plan on using it. You with us?”

The three of them looked at me expectantly, as if it was the most serious request in the world. As if they were asking me to get a pitchfork and join them in pursuit of the village monster. And at that point, to be honest, they probably could’ve asked me to murder Mother Teresa.

I gave Rose a decisive chin nod. “I’m your girl.”

•  •  •

I briefly worried that Lon would want to go along to talk with Yvonne, too. But when Adella relented to drive her mother—“I’ll wait in the parking lot while you talk to her,” Adella told Rose—he didn’t even act as if he’d considered it. I asked him if he was okay. He took a moment to answer, but when he said he was, I believed him.

So while Adella drove off with Rose to the Village to talk with Yvonne at her hotel, the Holidays walked back to their cabin. And after I changed into a less salacious outfit, a T-shirt and yoga pants—which had never undergone a single minute of yoga, just for the record—Lon and I made our way across the driveway.

Connected to the main house, Lon’s three-car garage would make a perfectly nice studio apartment, with polished floors and central air and a couch salvaged from his parents’ place. I’d napped on that couch once, and I have to say it was way more comfortable than Kar Yee’s. It was also where we found Jupe, sitting cross-legged as he squinted at a book of Pontiac engine diagrams. An old TV sat upon a workbench to one side, tuned to a channel that was showing
The Nightmare Before Christmas.
This was Jupe’s little home-away-from-home, as he’d claimed the first empty bay as a hangout area, and his rusted-out ’67 GTO sat on blocks in the second bay. The bay at the far end housed Lon’s silver Audi sports coupe, rarely driven.

“Whatcha doin’?” I asked, plopping down on one side of him.

“I can’t figure out what this is.” He held up a rusted metal disk to Lon. “I found it under the car, like it had fallen off of something.”

Lon inspected it for a few moments. “I think it’s part of the A/C. Four hoses fit inside those holes to draw in fresh air.”

“Oooh. I’ll put it in the pile with the compressor junk.”

Lon handed it back and sat down on the opposite side of him.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Depends,” he said, turning to Lon. “Am I in trouble for talking to her?”

“I told you no already.”

“Just making sure. Where’s Gramma and Auntie?”

“They went to talk to her.”

“Oh.” He stretched out long legs and tossed the manual onto the floor.

“I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Jupe.”

He shrugged. “I know. But it’s not wrong to hope. That’s what you’ve said before—not about her, but it still applies, right?”

Lon made a frustrated noise.

“What do you think, Cady?” Jupe asked, long-lashed eyes looking up to mine.

“God, I don’t know.” What was I supposed to say here? “I guess I’ve heard too many stories about her. She makes me feel angry for the two of you, and a little jealous, too.”