Briar Rose

by Jana Oliver

  It all went totally emotional. There was no way it couldn’t be with two parents crying and hugging her and Briar doing the same thing back. Even the cat got into the middle of it, figuring it was a great place to score a few scratches.

  Finally Briar prised herself free and leaned back against the headboard, wiping away the tears. The toll on her parents was evident: rumpled clothes, gaunt faces, her mom’s hair in a ponytail – something she never did unless she was sick.

  ‘How long did I sleep?’ she asked. Months, years? Did I miss my junior prom?

  ‘It’s Monday night, so it’s only been a couple of days,’ her father replied.

  ‘Really?’ Briar said, surprised. ‘It felt longer than that. Time must have been different inside the curse.’

  ‘Lily told us you weren’t alone in there. She said Reena and the Quinn boy found a way in. Is that true?’

  ‘Yeah, it is,’ Briar said, smiling now. ‘And Pat Daniels, a guy from my class. But he was kind of there by mistake.’

  ‘I never would have expected the Quinn boy to take that risk,’ her mother said as she dabbed at her tears. ‘Not after . . .’

  Their eyes met and the truth sat between them like an unwanted guest.

  ‘Who put the curse on him?’ Briar asked. ‘Was it you, Mom?’

  Her mother hung her head, which was answer enough.

  That must have been what Reena told Joshua right before they left the village.

  He knows. Now he’ll hate me.

  Briar wiped a final tear away, her emotions see-sawing back and forth. Part anger, part she didn’t know what. At the heart of the matter, she knew her mom wasn’t evil.

  ‘It’s because of the accident, right?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. I didn’t mean it to be that way,’ her mom said, looking up now. ‘I was in the car with Lora that night, and she was driving, because I’d been drinking. We’d celebrated my engagement to your father.’

  Briar’s dad pulled her closer. ‘Go on, Maralee. She has to know all of it.’

  She nodded weakly. ‘We were laughing and joking and then there were these two kids in the road and she hit them. I didn’t realize until we got out of the car that one was . . . Sarah. She’d snuck out of the house. She was always doing that.’

  ‘Who was the boy?’ Briar asked.

  ‘Randy Miller. He ended up with a concussion,’ her dad replied. ‘Your aunt took the full hit. No charges were filed – Lora wasn’t drunk, and you know how dark that road is at night. It was just an accident.’

  ‘Which nearly destroyed two families,’ Briar said. Four, if you counted Pat and Reena’s people. ‘You aren’t into magic, Mom. At least I’ve never see you do it. Who made the spell?’

  ‘A woman in Savannah,’ her mother replied. ‘I . . . swear I didn’t tell her to kill the boy. I just wanted Lora to feel the pain I was feeling, how much it hurt to lose someone you loved. I was so angry, you see. I just couldn’t get over Sarah’s death. She was my favourite sister.’

  Briar waited her out, sensing there was more.

  ‘The woman gave me a bag of some strange powder to put outside the Quinn’s house,’ her mom said. Her eyes met Briar’s now. ‘One night I slipped over and did just like she said. When nothing happened, I forgot about it. Lora never even knew, and we just drifted apart. I didn’t know that she was pregnant at the time and that the curse would go after her son.’

  Lily had said the spell had got out of hand and for whatever reason it had latched on to Joshua and then moved to Briar. Which, in a karmic sort of way, was righteous since her mom had started the whole thing.

  ‘When did you know the curse had crossed over to me?’ she asked.

  Her mom’s upper lip trembled, but she didn’t answer.

  Her father stepped in. ‘Lily saw you at a picnic a couple of weeks after you nearly drowned. She knew something was wrong with you. It took her a while to figure it out. She told Lora what had happened. She was furious that I’d put the curse on her in the first place, and terrified that you would somehow pass it back to Joshua.’

  ‘It was equally my fault,’ her dad added. ‘I never really believed any of this until . . .’

  ‘I fell asleep for forever?’ Briar asked, irritated.

  He nodded.

  They’d both let her down, made arbitrary decisions without telling her what was going on. Parents often did that, but this was bigger than that.

  ‘How did you break the curse?’ her father asked, clearly uncomfortable with her silence.

  ‘I fought it on my terms,’ Briar said. ‘It was . . . hell.’

  The high colour on her mother’s cheeks faded, as if she were trying to imagine that hell.

  ‘There’s some good out of this – I’m not dead,’ Briar said, which was kind of obvious. ‘And . . .’ Just tell them. ‘Joshua and I are . . . a couple now.’

  She waited for the reaction, so tense her back ached in protest. If her parents tried to ruin this, she’d lose it. Not after all she and her guy had been through. ‘We . . . really like each other,’ she added. ‘I know how you feel about the Quinns, but you guys owe us this one. We’re together now.’

  Her father’s instant frown told her she was skating perilously close to a reprimand. She didn’t care.

  ‘I’m not the same Briar that fell asleep. While I was in the curse, I learned things about myself. I fought monsters and I kicked butt.’ Briar took a deep breath to give her time to get her thoughts in order. This was so important she had to get it right.

  ‘Since there’s no more curse, my life is no longer on pause. I want to get my driver’s licence, go to Disneyland, do all sorts of stuff you never let me do before. I’m not your little girl any more. I’m . . . a new me. I can handle it, really.’

  With a thick sob, her mother fled the room.

  Briar groaned and thumped her skull against the padded headboard. ‘Oh man, I just want a life. Why is that such a big deal?’

  Her father stared at her. ‘You are different,’ he said, and from his tone she wasn’t sure if he liked that or not. ‘It’ll take a while for us to adjust to this new . . . Briar. Especially your mom. She’s spent so many years trying to keep you safe from imaginary threats.’

  ‘Some of which were totally real.’

  Her dad nodded ruefully. ‘Give her some time. She made a huge mistake, grieving too long for a sister she loved so very much. She never meant to hurt either of you.’

  Briar quirked an eyebrow. ‘So do you guys get grounded when you screw up? I mean, it’d only be fair since I get nailed when I do.’

  Her father blinked and then a faint smile curved up the corners of his mouth.

  ‘Sorry, no. Part of being a parent. You’ll find that out some day.’ His eyes misted. ‘God, now that’s a possibility, isn’t it? Boys and college. Maybe even a wedding.’

  She thought of Joshua. Would they still be together after high school? College? Could this whole curse thing have set them up for a life together?

  ‘Yeah, I get all that now,’ she said, smiling.

  Her father bent over and kissed her forehead. ‘Come downstairs when you’re ready. We’ll make you some food. What do you want?’

  ‘Breakfast. Lots of it. I’m starving.’

  ‘Coming right up.’

  When he reached the door, Briar called out. ‘Tell Mom I still love her, no matter what. But no more magic, OK?’

  ‘I think you’ll find she’ll be a lot better now.’

  ‘Only if she makes peace with Joshua’s mom.’

  He sighed, his smile fading. ‘I know. That will be harder than you can imagine, for both of them.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Briar took her worries to the shower and made the water hotter than normal. Slowly her muscles came back online, so that by the time she was dressing she could move around with few twinges or aches. Fortunately there were no bruises, nothing other than the feeling that she’d been in bed too long.

  As Briar towel
led off, she checked her cellphone – no call from Joshua, but then he wouldn’t have her number. Just chill. You’ll see him soon.

  As she dressed, quiet conversation floated up the stairs from the kitchen, the kind that only allowed you to catch every tenth word or so. Parents were masters at that. When she heard Joshua’s name, it made her smile.

  Her parents were waiting for her at the kitchen table, and from the heavenly smells, the covered dishes promised a feast. Briar loaded up her plate with eggs, bacon and pancakes, and began eating faster than was wise.

  ‘Whoa, you must be hungry,’ her dad said.

  ‘There was lots of peasant food,’ Briar explained with her mouth full. ‘It was pretty good. You guys should make some mead. That stuff rocked.’

  ‘Maybe some day,’ he said, clearly ill at ease. At his side, her mom’s eyes bored holes in the tablecloth.

  Briar cleaned up the last strip of bacon and then took a huge gulp of milk. Feeling the resulting moustache, she wiped it off. ‘Thanks, Mom, that was good. I missed your cooking.’

  Her mother’s puffy eyes rose. ‘What happened inside the curse?’

  That wasn’t where Briar wanted to go, mostly because it was only going to make her mom feel worse, but when her father gave her a nod of encouragement, Briar told them the full tale, leaving out only the really cool kissing parts with Joshua. She told them about Ruric, the regent, the sleeping princess and the monsters. How in some ways the curse had mirrored the story she’d written when she was little, and how it kept trying to find ways to kill her.

  Halfway through the tale, her mother’s mouth formed an O.

  ‘You actually saved a kingdom?’ her dad said. In any other situation that would have been a really weird comment.

  ‘Yeah, I did.’ Briar allowed herself a smile. ‘All four of us kicked butt. I wouldn’t ever want to do that again, but . . . it was . . . amazing.’

  The look traded between the parents was one of astonishment. And pride.

  ‘I’m not sure Lora is going to allow Joshua to see you. You have to know that going in. She’s very angry at me,’ her mother warned.

  ‘Then we have to convince her it’s a good thing,’ Briar said. ‘Because it is.’

  He’s mine now. I’m not letting him go.

  Her phone rang, and she didn’t recognize the number. It had to be Josh. He must have scored her number from Reena.

  ‘It’s him. I gotta take this.’

  Briar raced up the stairs and plopped on her bed as she answered the phone.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Briar?’

  ‘Hey! I’m back! Can you believe it?’

  ‘Yeah, I can,’ Joshua said. There was no joy in the voice. In fact, she heard something that made her body stiffen.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You lied to me. You knew your mother cursed me and you didn’t tell me,’ he accused.

  ‘No, I figured it out right before I woke up. Joshua, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Your mother tried to kill me!’ he shouted. ‘Sorry doesn’t cover it.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘I should have known it was her all along. Now my mom and dad are talking about getting a divorce because of you people. Are you happy now?’ There was a knock on the door, and Reena poked her head into the room.

  ‘Josh—’ But she was talking to a dial tone. ‘Oh God, he hung up on me.’

  ‘You’re surprised?’ Reena asked as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

  Briar’s hurt found a new target. ‘You told him, didn’t you? Right before you poofed them all home. I saw his face.’

  ‘He said he wouldn’t leave unless he knew.’

  ‘You ruined it all! How could you do that to me?’ Briar flopped back on the bed, staring upward at the faint stars. ‘He hates me now.’

  ‘Josh is just upset. He’ll chill out.’

  ‘But what if he doesn’t?’ Her whole happy ever after was disintegrating like one of the regent’s monsters.

  Around her, all the trappings of a naive childhood mocked her clueless innocence. Infuriated, Briar launched off the bed, yanked ‘Sleeping Beauty’ out of the bookshelf and hunted for the page where the prince arrives to wake the sleeping princess. When she found that scene, she ripped it apart, the colourful illustrations falling from her hands like tattered dreams.

  ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ Reena asked, moving closer.

  In a rage, Briar reached for another book and tore it to pieces.

  ‘Happy ever after? It’s a lie!’

  Reena caught her, embracing her before she could continue her vicious literary destruction. Briar struggled, then let the tears roll free. She sobbed, her heart emptying out.

  ‘He said he loved me,’ she said. ‘One minute I’m his beautiful princess and then I’m the ogress. How does love just stop like that?’

  ‘It doesn’t. He still loves you – he’s just hurting.’ Her friend guided her to the bed and they sank on to the mattress. ‘Josh is facing something really ugly and he’s afraid.’

  ‘His parents? He said they were getting a divorce.’

  Reena issued a long sigh. ‘It’s more than that. You need to be there for him.’

  She did not want to see that face again, see his lips, remember what they felt like when he kissed her. Remember how bad it hurt when he threw her away like she was nothing.

  ‘No, I’m not crawling to him. Joshua Quinn can go to hell,’ Briar exploded. ‘I don’t ever want to see him again.’

  ‘What would that prove?’ Reena asked. ‘All it would do is move this mess into another generation. Maybe if you or Josh get mad enough, there’ll be another curse and then one of your kids will find themselves inside some nightmare.’

  Briar couldn’t imagine that happening. Joshua wouldn’t hurt her. Would he? ‘No . . .’

  ‘All things are possible,’ Reena said. ‘That’s why feuds last. No one wants to be the first to say they’re sorry and make it right.’

  While Briar stewed on that, her friend made a trip to the bathroom, and returned with a handful of tissues. ‘Here.’

  She took them and blew her nose. From downstairs she heard voices. One in particular.

  ‘Lily’s here?’

  ‘Yes. Josh needs you tonight. He’s facing something very dangerous.’

  ‘What do you mean? The curse is history.’

  ‘My gran will explain. I just need to know if you’re willing to be there for him.’ Reena paused. ‘Like he was there for you.’

  ‘Is he really in big trouble?’ Briar asked.

  ‘Yeah, you could say that. A matter of life and death.’

  Briar blew her nose again, weighing all that Reena had told her and what she hadn’t. Her friend was nervous, spooked even. Whatever Joshua was facing was truly nasty, and she didn’t think it had anything to do with the now-defunct curse.

  It was time to set her wounded heart aside, at least for tonight.

  ‘OK, even if he hates me, I’m there for him. Let me know what I need to do.’

  Briar fixed her make-up, because if she was going to see the boy who had once loved her she refused to look bad. This time she used waterproof mascara just in case she lost it when the former love of her life blew up in her face again.

  Which he will. Joshua had said he wanted payback and now he had a target. When they entered the kitchen, her mother looked marginally better, as if somehow Lily’s presence had helped. The adults were at the kitchen table, along with cups of coffee and a plate of brownies. The latter hadn’t been touched.

  ‘Mrs Foster,’ Briar said politely. As the old woman’s eyes checked her out, she felt as if she’d just undergone a full body scan.

  ‘I’m pleased to see yer up and goin’, girl.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am. Thank you for helping me get through that.’

  ‘Ya did most the work.’ Lily creaked to her feet. ‘Yer folks have allowed ya to come with us tonight. I have some things I want to do to make sure that cur
se is gone for good. Ya all right with that?’

  Reena had coached her on this part. ‘Yeah, I’m good.’

  ‘Don’t stay out too late,’ her father said. ‘We’ll be waiting up.’

  ‘I’ll have her back as soon I’m done,’ Lily added.

  Remembering Reena’s warning that tonight could be dangerous, even as she refused to give her any details, Briar took the opportunity to hug both her parents. Her mother’s embrace told she didn’t want her daughter to leave.

  ‘I love you, Mom,’ she said.

  ‘I love you too. Be careful, OK?’

  ‘I will.’ Or not.

  Then they were headed down the front stairs towards Reena’s car. It was slow going because Lily moved at the same speed as an arthritic turtle.

  As she waited for her to catch up, Briar paused by the front rose garden. She bent and broke off a rose, a pink one that was just beginning to bloom. It reminded her of the ones on the tarot card and the bud’s scent filled her with hope.

  ‘How long were you asleep?’ she asked her friend.

  ‘One day. The parents freaked when I didn’t wake up, even though I left them a note. Lily settled them down.’

  A humpf came from the old lady.

  ‘You knew what I was going to do,’ Reena said, opening the car door for her great-gran. ‘You left the spell right out where I could see it.’

  ‘Me?’ Lily said, all innocence. ‘Must be getting senile in my old age.’

  ‘Riiight.’

  ‘I made sure to go to the Quinns so I could tell them why their son was sleepin’ so long. His momma didn’t take it very well, him going in to help you. I didn’t know about the Daniels boy.’

  ‘His folks were out of town anyway,’ Reena said. ‘He lives out there on his own during the remodelling.’

  At least Briar’s parents watched over her, but it seemed that Pat didn’t have that kind of love in his life. ‘No wonder he’s a jerk sometimes,’ she said.

  ‘Reformed jerk. He is starting to see the light, as they say,’ Reena replied.

  ‘Is he going to be here tonight?’

  ‘No. This isn’t his battle,’ Reena said. ‘He already did his thing inside the curse.’

  At least one of us ended up with a good guy.