These Lying Eyes (8 page)

With a glance around the familiar room, she couldn’t help but remember all the reasons she’d been here before. She had started coming here when she was a tiny tot dreaming of wolves that chased, witches that cackled, trees that gouged out eyes, and rats that swarmed her friends. Mina hadn’t had those dreams in ages. Maybe they weren’t nightmares; maybe she had always been off her rocker.

Nausea roiled in Mina’s stomach; her heart pounded so hard against her chest she thought it might burst out of her. If she listened hard, she could just hear Dr. Seal’s precise voice murmuring to her parents and the sound of her mother crying. And then Mina didn’t want to just wait for them to pronounce her fate; she was tired of being helpless.

Mina crept across the deep burgundy carpet towards the voices.

“Surely we can do something else,” said her father. “This can’t be our only option.”

Mina thought she might hurl right onto the lush carpet.
Dad
was defending her. What were they planning? And what was happening with Poppy?

“Anything, anything at all?” implored her mom. Mom made the deep hiccup she always did right before she really cried.

Dr. Seal started to speak softly again, and Mina leaned forward towards the crack of the almost closed door. She held her breath as the doc’s voice slid into the office, “Grigg’s Group Home is a very nice facility.”

He continued, “The doctors are very caring. The staff is devoted to those who live there.”

Live there?
Mina thought.
No! No. Please no.

“Surely, Mina doesn’t need that…level of help.” Her father said. “She does her homework…her chores. Sure she doesn’t eat much and sure she’s a little…spacey. But she gets straight A’s; surely, we can do something else.”

“Mina is functioning, yes.” Dr. Seal said. And the way her voice trailed off caused more fear than whatever she wasn’t saying.

Even Mina freaked out a little. The doc might as well have told her parents to expect to find Mina salivating over the corpse of a baby.

The doc continued, “Seeing things. Things that are not there, that are not real. It’s very serious. Can we risk the chance that she’ll decide to follow one?”

Follow one where, Mina wondered. And suddenly she was angry. Furious, with white-hot burning rage.

And as she stood in the light that slanted through the Doc’s garden door, she was utterly certain she wasn’t crazy.

She’d never been crazy.

She was just a witch or a fae or whatever. She was one of that group of The Hidden from her stories and even though it seemed crazy to believe it; she was confident that she’d finally found the truth.

The depth of her heart, the strength of her soul; her eyes…she was finally going to accept what they told her.

“What,” Dr. Seal asked, “if she listens to the advice of one of her little…visions? There’s too much of a chance that she could escalate even further.”

Mina’s eyes narrowed. When had she ever done that? Well, she’d done it all the time. But when had it ever been something that needed to be monitored, to be imprisoned over?

With barely a pause, Dr. Seal continued, “For her safety, for the safety of your other children, Mina must get specialized help.”

Magic words,
Mina thought,
the safety of your other children. I am screwed.

“When would you want to move her?” Asked her dad, voice cracking.

“As soon as possible—today really.”

“Today?” gasped her mother. “Oh, Lucas, this is all my fault. I didn’t realize. I didn’t notice. Maybe if I’d seen, she wouldn’t be like this.”

“No parent anticipates their child being…” Dr. Seal’s voice murmured.

But, Mina didn’t stay to listen. As she tiptoed over the lush carpet, she filled in the thought in—berserk, bonkers, nuts, looney tunes…crazy.

But it was the utter fury that sent her sidling through the glass doors leading down into the beautiful coastal garden. She’d read this book, Mina thought, and seen this movie. It never ended well for the crazy girl after they locked her up. Pretty soon white walls would be closing in. And the orderlies were always menacing.

Carefully, Mina snuck open the door and ran to the garden wall. She’d have to move fast. It’s hard to get out of a little coastal town when everyone is hunting you. Especially if you’re on foot.

Mina ran.

She jogged away from the center of town and towards the national forest. Out of the garden, behind the shops, in the alleys the tourists didn’t visit, Mina raced through Ocean Haven faster than she thought possible. They’d bring the dogs once they realized she wasn’t skulking on the beach or getting a frozen yogurt. Ocean Haven wasn’t that big, so she didn’t have much time.

Mina heard buzzing over her head. It sounded like a swarm of bees, but she knew that wasn’t what she’d see. With a quick glance, she counted the miniature bodies pacing her with the wings of butterflies, dragonflies, birds. At the head of their flock was Zizi. They egged her on; they warned her when to duck, to run, to hide. And, Mina listened like she hadn’t in years.

At their cry, she darted into the alley near the library just as her Uncle Mike drove by in his old white truck. Crouching next to Grace’s SUV, sides heaving, with sprites covering the vehicle she waited for them to wave her clear of a group of off-season tourists.

“Carousel Park, Mina.” Zizi said from her shoulder.

“Now,” yelled the sprite on the SUV’s antenna. He was mottled shades of green with a shock of black hair.

Mina didn’t pause or look as she plunged across the street and into the trees lining the park’s meadow.

She dodged at one sprite’s command, paused behind a tree at another’s.

“Go Mina,” the mottled sprite yelled, and with laboring lungs, Mina lunged over tree roots and bounced from trunk to trunk using them to propel her exhausted body away from whatever Dr. Seal had in store.

“Watch out!” a sprite called.

Still running, Mina shot a fleeting look over her shoulder. A massive man tore down the path behind her, wearing a crisp white uniform. Head shaved, chin covered in scruff, and built like a line backer, he loped after her, always gaining. Maybe it was the scrubs, for certain it was where she was running from, but Mina was sure he could only be a crazy-house orderly.

How could they know already?

Would Dr. Seal have called them before she even evaluated her and spoke to her parents? Was there an orderly SWAT team? Mina gagged on her fear. She barely evaded the orderly’s giant hands, but he was so close behind her she was amazed to not feel his breath on her neck.

Ducking behind trees, she tried avoiding him by weaving through trees he was too large to squeeze through. Somehow, however, he was able to stay close enough that she felt as if his breath warmed her neck.

She darted to the side, hoping agility would save her. Except, her foot caught the arc of an exposed tree root, and she let out a shrieking yelp as she fell headlong to the ground.

A massive hand clutched her ankle as a voice rasped, “Got you. Freaks like you belong in a nut house. You and all your family.”

Mina jerked away. With a thud she rolled against the tree trunk trying to escape from the undergrowth and the grasping hands.

Free arm flailing, Mina scampered back crying, “No!” as she tried again to evade the hulking man.

She scrambled away, desperately kicking her free leg at his face. Mina yanked her leg with all of her strength, kicking his face and throwing herself back. Her head slammed into something hard. A tree? And all was darkness.

Chapter 6

A
low steady beep woke Mina. Mina shifted; her legs were trapped. Fear spread through her, but Zizi whispered, “Do not open your eyes, Mina.”

Mina stilled.

“Just Listen,” said the soft low buzz.

Mina had barely focused when she heard her mother’s voice, “You don’t understand.”

“No you don’t understand.” The voice was deep, low—unfamiliar. “Wilhelmina is not like your other children.”

“We made this choice
for
our children. All of them. We did it to protect them.”

“Then you shouldn’t have had seven children, Mrs. Roth. Not as a seventh yourself. You shouldn’t have set up your daughter like that.” There was scorn in the voice, anger.

Mina heard her mom gasp just as Zizi huffed, “Finally.”

“Your daughter is a Seventh of a Seventh. Of how many generations? Do you even know?”

Mina froze. She wasn’t…

“I…” her mom’s weak reply wasn’t countering the doctor.

“It doesn’t matter,” the man cut in. “Obviously she is from generation upon generation of Sevenths. You may have trained your abilities to lie low, but your daughter has not. She
can
not. Not any more than you could have.”

“My husband and I…”

“Enough, Mrs. Roth. Your daughter is too thin. She’s dehydrated. For goodness sake, her lips are cracked and bleeding.”

“Just listen,” her mom nearly wailed.

“No. You know the cause of your daughter’s suffering, and you don’t tell her?” His scorn was so thick, Mina felt like she could choke on it.

She was her parent’s fourth child.

And what were they keeping from her? What was going on? Mina wanted to scream. She couldn’t remain still and the rustle of her body against the sheets had both voices pausing.

After a moment, the man continued with a lower voice, punctuated by the beep of the hospital machines, “I don’t know how you can face yourself.”

Her mom’s breath jerked in a painful gasp. Mina’s echoed it.

“It’s ok,” Zizi whispered, “it’s ok. Just listen.”

Mina swallowed and then held her breath.

“Our laws might prevent me from telling your daughter myself, but I will tell you now that whatever lies you and your husband are telling yourselves…”

“You don’t understand…” Mina’s mom cut in.

What Mom didn’t say hovered at the back of her mind. She didn’t say Mina was her fourth child.

“What I understand is that your daughter needs help. Do you? Do you understand that? Your excuses are the reason your daughter suffers.”

“I…” her mom’s voice caught on tears.

The whole of Mina’s consciousness focused on her mother. Willing her for an explanation…

“I need to talk to Lucas.”

Mina heard Zizi’s disgruntled huff. Mina squeezed her eyes tighter, grit teeth to keep in the demand for an explanation.
I need to talk to Lucas.
Flipping typical Mom. Why didn’t she counter the doctor with Mina’s placement in the family? What did it matter anyway?

What
was happening?

Mina wanted to yank out her IV and throw something at them. How about some concrete terms? Something to google? Some name so Mina could show up on the doorstep with dramatic tears in her eyes. She’d break her own finger to make those tears come through. But Mina knew it wouldn’t do any good. Her mom might be soft-spoken and mild, but Mom was intractable whenever she and Dad had a pact.

“Feel free to quote me.” The man’s voice cut into Mina’s surge of frustration. There was a slam at the end of her bed, and Mina cracked her eyes just enough to see that a doctor had slapped a clipboard into its slot on her bed.

Mom hiccupped, and with a glance towards Mina, slipped into the bathroom where the sound of her sobs leaked into Mina’s room.

Mina and Zizi stared at each other, shot a scoff at the bathroom door, and Mina sat up.

“Seventh of a seventh?” Mina whispered.

Zizi cocked her head, licked her lips, and stared, unblinkingly, at Mina.

“How is it my parent’s fault I’m dehydrated?”

Zizi shrugged.

“Why are there laws that keep that dude from saying anything? Do they keep you?”

“Pfft,” Zizi snapped her wings open to dagger points.

“No?” Mina asked, and then she grinned at the sneer on Zizi’s face.

“Why are you smiling?” Zizi asked, butterfly wings relaxing. Her bright blue eyes sparkled.

“Because I have someplace better to start than an out of print book.”

“They did not say much.” Zizi words were contradictory; her face challenging. She flicked her wings open.

“They didn’t have to.” Mina’s mouth spread into a wicked smile.

Zizi rubbed her palms together with an evil chuckle.

“Exactly. I only need to know that there is something to
know.
” Mina lay back as she heard water splashing in the bathroom. Her eyes snapped closed as the bathroom door opened, but she felt Zizi return to her spot on the pillow next to Mina’s face.

Through their lashes mischievous eye met mischievous eye, and they both fell asleep with a curve to their lips.

* * *

When she woke again, it was dark. Her room was empty except for Zizi. But Mina’s jerky yawn woke the sprite who stretched next to Mina.

Mina grinned; Zizi echoed it.

“Is Poppy ok?” But Mina knew Poppy must be. Otherwise Zizi wouldn’t be here.

Zizi nodded, placing a gentle hand on Mina’s cheek. “She will be.”

“What happened?”

“I do not know. That girl was,” Zizi’s voice faded.

Mina waited, but it was her who finished.

“She wasn’t right. She wasn’t…”

“She had to be a kid from your school. She smelled…familiar. But I couldn’t find her.” Zeez scrunched her nose.

“Since when do you have a super powered nose?” Mina sat up, pulling her legs to her chest, and resting her chin on them.

“I’m not talking about that.” Zizi shrugged before saying, “Her magic smelled familiar. But, sprites aren’t the same as the fae.”

“What?” Mina said.

“Whoops.” Zizi said dryly.

“There were fae in some of those books.” Mina said.

Zizi shrugged.

“You’re starting to bug me.” Mina slid off the bed to pull the blinds open. The sunlight flooded the room, bathing Mina and Zizi in its warmth.

Mina sat down on the window ledge. The two of them looked out, watching cars come and go, seeing people with smiles and balloons and those with tense, pale faces. They untangled their hair with their fingers and let their thoughts run free.