Family Magic (21 page)

“What the…” I could barely speak. From the
light in his dark brown eyes, I knew he was as shocked by the event
as I was.

“No idea,” he answered, voice soft and a
little vulnerable.

All of a sudden he was wide open to me, the
deliciousness of his energy pouring over me like a waterfall of
yummy. My demon instantly started to purr and soak it up, reaching
back with equal enthusiasm. I found myself moving closer to him,
hands pressed to his chest, lost in his eyes and the magic that
surrounded me.

I knew his pain, then, understood his
loneliness and longing for a place to belong. My demon let him in,
gave him what he needed without reservation, accepted the lost boy
inside him even as his own magic stripped away the judgments I had
for myself and the confusion I felt about just being me. I’d never
felt anything like it before and didn’t want it to end.

I think we may have stood there forever if a
passing group of teenagers hadn’t broken the connection with their
giggling and kissing noises. It was enough of a distraction I was
able to snap myself back, pulling against him, feeling a surge in
response. My demon tried to fight me even as his magic recoiled in
a burst of rejection and hurt. When our power let us go, I stared
at him while the pain in his face turned to a dose of protective
anger.

Quaid grabbed me again, his hand blocked from
my skin by the thin fabric of my T-shirt. I could still feel a
subtle vibration passing between us, but ignored it.

“What is your problem?” He snapped at me.

I may have understood him moments before but
my worry for my sister was much more important. “What’s yours,
jerk?” I snarled back. “Let me go, I have to get Meira.”

“Didn’t see you caring enough to help her get
her disguise back up,” he said. “Nice job, Syd. Ruin it for
everybody.” I knew this attack was fed by his vulnerability and the
fact he hated I’d gotten in. But I couldn’t help myself. Even while
my demon begged for more I shoved him away.

“At least I don’t tattle to my parents every
second,” I threw back at him.

“Maybe if you kept yourself under control, I
wouldn’t have to,” he said.

I would have hit him if I thought I had the
time. Instead I said a very bad string of words to his face before
tearing off down the street after my sister while my demon howled
in despair.

While what I told him to go do was physically
impossible, I’m pretty sure he got the point.

I tried to forget the strange exchange of
power between us, the way he now felt inside me no matter what he
did on the outside. I had to focus on Meira. I could figure that
crap out later, but at the moment, my sister’s run for home alone
and in her condition made my heart pound with fear.

I didn’t catch her until the end of the
driveway. Mom ran from the house by then to meet her. Our mother
scooped her up. Meira’s little arms latched on like she would never
let go. She sobbed, barely able to catch her breath, face streaked
with tears, whole body shaking.

I followed them into the house, not knowing
what to say, what to do.

Mom turned on me, face furious.

“What happened?” She demanded.

I was not going to be the one to break our
little truce. I took a deep breath and kept my voice steady.

“We were at the diner having ice cream,” I
explained, “and Meira’s disguise started to fade. She couldn’t get
it back in place so we left.”

“She’s never lost control in her life,” Mom
said. “Why today?”

“I don’t know, Mom, honestly,” I answered, as
stumped as she was. “It was weird. And the strangest part is she
didn’t know it was happening.”

Meira calmed some. She snuffled against Mom’s
shoulder.

“Meira, honey,” my mom said. “Can you tell me
what happened?”

“I don’t know,” she wailed. “I’m scared,
Mommy! It was gone and I couldn’t get it back!”

“Why didn’t you help her?” Mom asked me.

“How?” I said. “Mom, I would have, really,
but Meira didn’t even know what was going on. What could I do that
she couldn’t?”

Mom drew a deep breath and started rocking my
sister who had quieted.

“You’re right, Syd, honey, I’m sorry,” Mom
said, voice tired. “It’s not your fault. Or yours,” she said to
Meira. “Something is going on and I need to find out what it
is.”

“What do you mean?” I asked
her. She gave me a pointed look that said
not in front of your sister
.

“I think someone needs a nice hot bath and a
great bed time story,” she said instead, resting her cheek on
Meira’s hair.

“Can I sleep with you, Syd?” My sister’s huge
amber eyes were undeniable. Mom and I exchanged a moment over her
mass of curly hair.

“Sure, Meems,” I said. “But you’ll have to
run it by Sass first.”

Mom set Meira on her feet and patted her on
the bum.

“Run up and find your jammies,” Mom said.
“I’ll be right there to draw your bath.”

“'Kay,” Meira said. She came to me. I picked
her up.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to eat your ice
cream,” she said.

“Are you kidding?” I rolled my eyes. “Can’t
stand the stuff.”

She leaned in, her lips almost on mine. “That
boy thought I was in a Halloween costume,” she whispered, fresh
tears welling.

“Meems...” I felt so bad for her, knowing how
that one innocent statement from an admiring boy could scar her for
the rest of her life. “He thought you were cool.”

“Really?” She sniffed and pushed at the
tears.

“Yup,” I said. “He even said so, didn’t
he?”

She thought it over for a second and smiled
at me.

“He liked it,” she said.

“What’s not to like?” I asked.

Meira hugged me hard. I caught my mother’s
silent swipe at her own tears.

“Go on,” I said, “faster you tub, faster we
get a story. Hit it.”

Meira tore off for the stairs, repaired,
recovered and a happy kid again.

If it were really only that simple, this
world would be a much easier place to live in.

“So,” I said to Mom as she rose to follow.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Mom paused and turned to me, face creased in
worry.

“I wish I knew,” she said. “But I don’t, Syd.
I have no idea. And that scares me. Too many things have been
happening for them all to be a coincidence.”

“Since there’s no such thing...” I trailed
off. “I take it there was no evidence at the Vegas’?”

She shook her head.

“You are way too smart for your own good
sometimes. Ignorance can be bliss, Syd. But if you really want to
know...”

“I do, Mom. If I’m going to be taking
responsibility for my power from now on, I think I deserve to be in
the loop.”

“Fair enough,” she said. And laughed. “I’ve
been wanting to include you in coven business for years and you
refused. Now that things are getting dangerous, you decide to poke
your nose in. I’m glad, Syd.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I said.

“Story in fifteen,” she smiled at me and left
the kitchen.

I sat back in my chair and heard the rustle
of the paper in my pocket. I pulled out the crumpled invitation and
smoothed it out on the tabletop. Seriously, did I need any more
trouble? Who knew the real reason Page invited me? Even if her
motives were pure, were Suzanne’s? Did I want to risk humiliation,
torment or worse yet, their attempts to make me one of
their—gag—BFF’s?

I dismissed the orange and black bit of
paper. I climbed to my feet and pulled open the closet door. I
tossed it on the trash before going upstairs.

Guess I’d rather hear a bedtime story.

***

By the time Mom whisked Meira in and out of
the tub, dried off and in her pajamas, more than an hour had
passed. Shadows deepened and lengthened, sighing into darkness as
night took its turn. It didn’t take much convincing to prop my
sister up into her own bed. I curled up next to her in her big pink
four-poster in her frilly pink room that always made me feel
slightly nauseated in daylight. We listened as our mother told us a
fairy tale. Even Sassy joined in the fun, finding a comfy place for
himself on the satin bedspread between us. Meira blinked slowly,
worn out from the earlier excitement. It didn’t take long for the
rhythmic sound of our mother’s voice droning out a story to bring
on huge yawns.

Mom folded up the book and bent over Meira,
planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Night, sweet one,” she said.

“Night, Mommy,” Meira answered. Mom gave me a
steady gaze full of meaning before leaving the room.

I slid down the bed, almost missing Meira
sneaking her hand under her pillow and to her mouth.

“Meems,” I said, “tell me you don’t have
chocolate under there.”

Meira grinned, teeth covered. I shivered a
little. It reminded me of Gram. What was it about Hayle women and
chocolate?

“Meira,” I went for the candy and took most
of it. “You know not to eat sweets after you brush your teeth.”

She made a face at me. Meanwhile, Sassy pawed
at her, humming under his breath. She handed the impatient cat a
piece. He dove on it, tongue swiping it over and over, contented
purring rumbling out of him.

“Fine,” I said, “whatever, you two. Enjoy.” I
went to the door and reached for the light. I turned back, watching
them slurp up the last of it.

“Oh, Sass,” I called to him.

He continued to lick the chocolate, ignoring
me completely.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “When you puke,
try not to do it on Meira’s bed, okay?”

His huge yellow gaze focused on me.

“I’ll be in your room by then,” he
purred.

Nice.

I walked the hall to my mother’s door and
knocked.

“Come in,” she said.

I eased the door open and found her sitting
very still in her wrought iron vanity chair waiting for me. I took
a seat on the black satin comforter, shadowed by the canopy of the
huge bed, reverting to childhood for a moment as the scent of
lilacs embraced me. I collected a small clump of silver cat fur
from the silver embroidered runner and rolled it into a ball. Mom
was the picture of poise, legs neatly crossed, hands still in her
lap. Whenever my mother went into coven leader mode, it made me
nervous.

“So?” I said.

“So,” she answered.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
No way was I letting her off the hook.

“Nothing Louisa or Martin did caused what
happened,” Mom told me. I saw a flicker of something in her face
most people would miss. But she was my mother, and I knew when she
was worried.

“So it was an attack,” I said.

“Not necessarily,” she rubbed her eyes with
one hand. I saw how tired my mother looked. I hadn’t exactly been
helping the last few days. Sudden guilt and a surge of
protectiveness washed over me. This was bigger than my whiny
self-absorption. If my family was in danger, I needed to suck it
up. Being in constant battle state with Mom wasn’t helping either
one of us.

Time for change.

“What does that mean?” I asked. When she
hesitated, I made a face. “Mom, come on. Be straight with me,
please. If we’re in danger…”

“I don’t know, honey,” she said so softly I
had to lean forward to hear her. “And it worries me.”

Okay, now she had said it. Way worse.

“Can I do anything to help?” I wanted to go
to her and put my head in her lap like I used to when I was little
so she could stroke my hair and make me feel better. Having the
most powerful witch around confused and afraid wasn’t comforting at
all.

“I don’t know, Syd,” she said. “Tell me again
about what you felt at your grandmother’s door.”

We spent the next hour dissecting every event
I had been involved in. When I mentioned the two times the green
tinted magic affected me, she took a moment to have another peek in
my head but admitted quickly she couldn’t find any trace of it and
had no idea what it meant. By the end of her exploration, neither
of us had any answers despite the fact I felt like I just wrote a
killer final exam. Part of me was pretty sure I failed.

Mom finally sent me off to bed with a hug, a
kiss and an "I love you". As I scrunched under my covers in the
dark and quiet of my room, I poured over and over the last week,
struggling to come up with something that might help Mom figure out
what was going on.

In the middle of it, I must have fallen
asleep.

***

I dreamed about fire and a desolate place of
rock and heat. The sky burned yellow and orange, faint light
flickering over the horizon. I walked a long, narrow path at the
top of a cliff of dull, black rock, looking down over a chasm so
deep there was no bottom in sight. The rift made me very afraid. I
didn’t know why except whatever waited at the bottom was my deepest
fear and greatest hope and I wasn’t ready to face either.

I felt someone close by. A demon stood next
to me, dressed in a black robe, her ebony hair pooling around her
in a curtain of gloss. Her amber eyes flashed fire. I realized with
a start she was me, or the demon me. We stared at each other. Her
face had no expression. That total blankness terrified me. I
reached out for her, wanting to touch her, to make sure she was
real.

As I raised my hand, she pushed me.

I stumbled back toward the edge of the
chasm, fear driving my heart’s pounding so fast I was sure it would
burst. I reached for her but she simply watched, still emotionless,
as I lost my balance and fell.

and fell and fell and fell

***

And woke up, gasping. I hated falling
dreams.

Something close to me growled. Disoriented,
still overwhelmed by the dream, I located Sassafras at the bottom
of the bed. He hissed and spit at my door, fluffy tail twice its
normal size, thrashing and thrashing against the quilt.