“I’m helping you sneak out. Remember?” she asked, pulling Lilah up to a sitting position.
She didn’t remember. She couldn’t think. Her mind was a void wasteland. It was like nothing had survived. The last thing she remembered was watching her family outside. She didn’t even know when that happened. It could’ve been days ago.
“Man, they really messed you up. Someone in your family obviously doesn’t want you going anywhere.”
“What do you mean?”
Everleigh was cautious. She didn’t want to tip her hand, but she saved herself. “The bars on your window! Do you remember your name?”
“Yeah, it’s Kara.”
Everleigh’s eyes widened and her grip loosened.
Lilah fell back on the bed with a smile on her face.
“Oh, that’s how you’re playing this? Alright... Alright. Least I know you’re coming around.”
She pulled Lilah up again and helped her swing her legs to the floor. The room started to spin, and Lilah grabbed the edge of the mattress as though she might fall off. “Aunt Meredith said this might happen. It’s an effect of the medicine she gave you.”
“Your aunt gave me medicine?” Lilah was serious this time.
“Oh, Lord. We need to get you out of here.”
Everleigh kept an arm around Lilah while reaching for everything she might need. She draped a coat over Lilah’s shoulders and tried helping her put the arms in the sleeves, but soon gave up. Phone and shoes were all that’s left, and Lilah would just have to put those on later.
She knelt in front of Lilah trying to keep her focused. “We have to go down these stairs as quietly as possible. My aunt is going to make a scene to help us out, but we still have to be careful. The last few feet from the stairs to the porch is the trickiest because we will be in view if anyone looks that way.”
Lilah nodded. She didn’t think they would make it and wasn’t entirely sure why Everleigh was acting like it was a jailbreak. There was no way they could come around the corner in the hall without being seen especially with everyone gathered downstairs.
They made it out of the bedroom with Lilah leaning on Everleigh for support. Whatever it was that Meredith poured down her throat was starting to work. She could remember it now, but only bits that came in flashes. Her legs still felt like jelly, but she could tell even that was slowly improving. If they could only wait a little longer, but Everleigh insisted they not wait.
The stairs were much trickier. They had to take them one at a time. Once Lilah had both feet on a step, she needed a moment before moving to the next one. It always felt like she was about to fall and would give themselves away with the commotion.
It took forever, but they made it to the bottom. There wasn’t much room, but Everleigh bent down and looked through the keyhole. She didn’t see anyone in the kitchen.
“Doing okay?” she asked Lilah quietly.
“Yeah, I think.”
“We have to wait. I’m going to text my aunt.”
Everleigh sent a message on her phone then stood with one arm around Lilah and the other hand on the doorknob. The seconds dragged by like minutes. Lilah could hear her heartbeat as well as Everleigh’s while they waited in the dark for the signal only she didn’t know what the signal would be.
It was unmistakable. Meredith’s voice shouted something, and the fight was in full swing. Everyone was yelling. Everleigh pushed opened the stairway door cautiously at first, but seeing the room deserted, she grabbed Lilah and headed toward the hall. They paused in the doorway to peek out. Lilah’s heart dropped. Not two feet from them was her Uncle Todd, and he was looking straight at them.
Lilah’s mouth fell open. She didn’t know what to say or how to try to explain how Everleigh had got inside. She wouldn’t have to.
Uncle Todd winked at her. He then turned toward the chaos in the living room and leaned against the wall providing them a little more protection against prying eyes.
The two young women hurried down the hall to the porch as quietly as possible. With every step, Lilah was feeling better. She was still weak and at times woozy, but she was more awake. Safe on the porch, Lilah finished putting on her coat and shoes then followed Everleigh outside.
They rounded the house on the kitchen side keeping low to avoid being seen through the windows. There were heavy curtains draped in the front room, so it was smooth sailing from that point. They ran along the drive to where Everleigh’s car was parked on the road.
It might have been the sudden movements that Lilah wasn’t used to after almost the whole day spent in bed. It could have been the medicine Meredith had forced down her throat, or whatever else she had been slipped to ingest. There were also her nerves to take in effect as sneaking out was new to her, and trying to get away so near to everyone had her adrenaline pumping even harder.
Whatever it was, Lilah felt her stomach churn as soon as she opened the door of the car. There was barely enough time for her to turn away before her stomach emptied on the ground. Coffee and the white milky liquid was all she had in her.
She could hear Everleigh making gagging noises from the other side of the car. It only made things worse. When there was nothing left to come up and feeling like it was over, she finally sat in the seat.
“Better?” Everleigh asked, handing her a fast food napkin from the glove compartment.
“I think so.”
“Well, if we had been seen, we would have been caught by now.”
“I’m sorry,” Lilah really did feel awful.
“That’s a good thing,” Everleigh reassured her. “I can take it slow to Jackson’s house. Let me know if I need to stop for you.”
Lilah gave a quick nod. She did feel awful still, but she didn’t feel like she would be sick again.
Everleigh had her phone out. “I’m letting my aunt know what happened. I might have to get you something else since what she gave you is in the ditch.”
The thought of having to drink anymore of it made Lilah’s insides do a somersault. Instinctively, she reached for the door, but it passed.
“We good?” Everleigh put the car in the drive.
“Yeah.”
She stayed true to her word and took it slow. Well, she kept to the speed limit anyway. They pulled up to Jackson’s, and he was already outside waiting for them.
“Nothing yet,” Everleigh said, looking at her phone screen. “They’re probably still fighting.”
“How did she start the fight anyway?” Lilah asked curiously.
Everleigh knew she couldn’t tell her honestly what bomb her aunt had dropped in the house that night. “Oh, my aunt can get under your skin when she wants,” she tried to play it off like it wasn’t anything real important.
Jackson rushed to put his arms around Lilah as soon as she stepped from the car.
“You may want to rethink that approach,” Everleigh warned him.
“Why? What’s going on?” he asked nervously, looking back and forth between the two of them.
Lilah could tell he was extremely worried. “I don’t feel well,” she explained.
“I bet not! I’d be sick too if my family was drugging me!” He went from worried to being pissed off in an instant.
“Wait. No one tried to drug me.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Lilah had a hint of a memory play hide and seek in her mind. It was almost there. She could almost grasp it, but she couldn’t get the whole picture.
She looked at her friends confused, and they both looked like they didn’t want to be the messenger.
“Let’s get inside,” Jackson shivered. “It’s pretty cold.”
They headed to the house as Lilah toyed with the broken fragments of the day. Her family was outside, she was in the kitchen, and then she thought Meredith was attacking her. That was basically it. She couldn’t remember much before leaving with Everleigh except for a few picture like flashes that didn’t make sense.
Inside, they took off their coats and headed to th
e kitchen. “Anyone hungry?” Jackson had his head in the refrigerator.
“I’m good,” Everleigh was still waiting for a response from her aunt.
Lilah didn’t answer because she hadn’t heard them. All of her attention was spent on figuring out what happened during this day that was almost over.
“What Meredith gave me,” Lilah didn’t finish the thought.
“It’s a counter medicine used in overdose situations whether they be accidental or otherwise.”
“And it worked.” She was thinking out loud now.
“Yeah, well, I mean you’re awake at least.”
Jackson set some leftovers on the counter and walked over to Lilah. He put his hands on her shoulders gently rubbing them.
“It wouldn’t have worked if I,” her voice cracked and tears were stinging to break free. She pulled away from him and wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hands. It was too painful to finish the sentence.
“My aunt text back and said not to give you anything. Just keep you awake, and let her know if you get worse.”
Lilah sat at the kitchen table and slumped over. ‘It couldn’t be true, could it? Why would anyone want to harm her especially in her own family?’
“Listen. I can’t imagine how you feel, and I don’t want to make you feel worse. But there’s only one reason the counter meds worked,” Everleigh laid it all out in the open.
“But why would they do this to me?”
“I thought the bars were to keep you inside, but this…I don’t know.” Jackson was struggling to figure it out too.
“Are you sure it was a family decision?” Everleigh asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Who could have done it? Luke saw a man installing the bars while your family was busy with something near the barn.” Everleigh had to catch herself from saying anything specific about what her family had been up to in front of Jackson while Lilah was around.
“It doesn’t mean they didn’t know.”
“You’re right,” Everleigh agreed. “Do you remember anything at all? Who could it have been?”
Lilah tried to remember. She wanted this more than anything at that moment, but she couldn’t. She shook her head and put her head back down.
“You’re still a little out of it. Maybe when you feel better,” Jackson was doing his best to be positive. “Anyone hungry?” he asked again.
Both women shook their heads. Lilah was feeling famished, but was still afraid she may get sick again. Jackson set to work heating up enough food for everyone at the table which he piled high on a plate in front of him.
“You’re really going to eat all that?” Everleigh was disgusted.
“I’m a growing boy,” Jackson replied, imitating a little child’s voice.
It was enough to make Lilah want to smile at least. She sat up straight still trying to make heads or tails of what happened. “Let’s say it was one person, or even one person who had the go ahead from the rest of them. Why?”
Everleigh looked at her friend with sympathy. It had to be a hard blow to take. Her own family had some issues, but they would never do this secretly. If someone did anything against another in her coven, you knew what was going on and the reasons for it.
“What happened after you went home last night?”
Lilah looked away shrugging. “What if I told you I don’t remember?”
“It started then!” Jackson said with a mouth full of meatloaf.
Everleigh held up her hand. “What are you? Two years old? Mouth closed.”
He swallowed. “I’m sorry, but it’s just that you were fine last night when you were here.”
“Yeah, but then she went home and doesn’t remember now,” Everleigh pointed out blankly.
“No, I remember being here. It’s just I blacked out a little before I went to bed.”
“Could anyone have slipped something in your drink?” Jackson asked.
“I didn’t have anything.”
“And you still blacked out?” It didn’t make sense to Everleigh. Everything pointed to Lilah being drugged, but this could mean it was something else entirely.
“Only for a little bit. We were fighting,” she glanced at Jackson. “I mean my parents and I were.” She wondered how long it would be until she slipped up and said something she shouldn’t. “And I was really upset.”
That was all the information Everleigh needed. It all clicked now. The whole charade of keeping things from the boy who already knew was becoming tiresome, but that was Lilah’s call. And Jackson’s. They both had secrets. It would be so much easier to talk to them both at once, but she was going to have to do it the hard way again.
“Jackson,” Everleigh’s voice was as sweet as possible. “Would you be a dear and run to the coffee shop to get us girls some hot cocoa.”
Jackson waited till he swallowed his mouth full of food. “There’s cocoa in the pantry.”
“You know the coffee shop has the best cocoa in the world.”
He had stabbed a fork into a sausage link. “I’m eating,” he shoved the entire link in his mouth.
“You’re always eating,” she was getting annoyed. “Now, scoot.”
He continued with another bite then said, “When I’m done.”
Everleigh reached under the table and pinched his leg. Hard. He dropped his fork and jumped up. “Or maybe I’ll go now,” he said, glaring at her.
It was easy to tell Everleigh just wanted him gone. As soon as the door closed behind him, Lilah asked, “What is it?”
“There was a storm last night.”
“Yeah.”
“A wicked storm.”
Lilah continued to sit with a blank stare on her face.
“An unexpected storm,” Everleigh’s voice was growing louder and more pointed.
“Fine. I caused the storm. Happy now?”
“You did all of that? There was damage for miles.”
It was something she hated owning up to, but it was true. She reached for the last sausage link off of Jackson’s plate feeling brave enough to attempt to eat when he wasn’t around to see her if she got sick. “I didn’t meant to,” she said before nibbling.
“Wow. I’m impressed. I never knew you could do that.”
“Me either. I don’t remember doing it, but I know they were upset about it.”
“Your family?”
Lilah’s head snapped up, and she looked at Everleigh. A saddened comprehension set in her eyes.
“Took you long enough,” Everleigh raised an eyebrow.
“I guess they would have reason then. They didn’t want me out of control again.”
The sausage went down easy, and her stomach didn’t protest. Lilah pulled Jackson’s plate to her and began munching on what he had left. “What do we tell him?”
“Tell him your parents fought with you about sneaking out, and they probably just gave you a bit too much to knock you out until you calmed down.”
Lilah continued to eat without responding. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she wasn’t ready to come clean either.
“I just heard a door. He’s here. I’ll tell him,” Everleigh could easily see Lilah wasn’t up to carrying out a convincing lie right yet.
Jackson carried a drink tray filled with hot cocoa to the table before taking off his coat.
“Four?” Everleigh eyed the cups.
“Yes,” Jackson called from the front hall.
“Why did you get four? Someone joining us?” She took two of the cups from the carrier and handed one to Lilah.
Lilah took it and slid the plate back to where Jackson had been. She had absent mindedly munched on most of it until only the green beans remained. Luckily her stomach was back to normal because she had been hungrier than she thought.
He appeared from the hall and crossed his arms. “I told you,” his voice filled with an irritable tone from having to repeat himself.
Everleigh said nothing. She watched as Jackson removed the last
two cups and sat down.
“I’m a growing boy,” he repeated in his little kid voice grabbing the cups in each hand.
The girls laughed at him. “Goofball,” Everleigh called him while giving Lilah a look that said this is who you’re stuck with for eternity.
Jackson took the lids off both cups to help them cool quicker. “Hey!” he cried out. “Where’s my food?”
There was a knock at the door, and everyone jumped. They hadn’t been expecting company.
Everleigh looked at Lilah worried that her family realized she had gone and had come to get her.
Lilah knew the people on the porch were Elementals only because she couldn’t get a fix on their energy. She wouldn’t be able to tell who or what they were. There was nothing she could say in front of Jackson that would make sense, so she quickly shook her head to answer Everleigh’s concerned look.
A second knock followed even louder this time. Jackson slowly stood up, and Lilah reached out and grabbed his arm. She was afraid not knowing who might be outside.
“I’m just going to look,” he told her gently, trying to soothe her mind.
Just then, the door swung open, and Meredith stepped inside. “Honey, I’m home!” she called out.
The others were with her. Matt, Rita and Luke all followed her inside.
“What? How? I know I locked that door,” Jackson looked like he thought he was going crazy.
“You did,” Luke said with as the corner of his mouth quirked up.
Jackson put his hands on his head and his eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you busted the lock. I’ll have to fix it before my dad gets back.”
Meredith walked into the kitchen looking at him like he was a child which he was in comparison to her years. She gently patted the side of his face like she was talking to a five year old. “Oh come now, sweetie. I’ve been doing unlocking chants since before this country had its first war.”
Relief filled Jackson’s face instantly, but he lay his hand over his chest pretending he was in pain. “You can’t do this to me,” he said, leaning on the counter for support.
He fell down to the floor continuing his charade. Gasping for air, he reached out to those closest to him for help before turning his head to the side to feign death.
Air: The Elementals: Book One Page 21