Scion

by Kelly Oram

  I tried to mentally prepare myself before having to see her again, but I’d never felt anything less than absolute hatred for her, so eventually I just had to come out of the bathroom. I found her looking out the window. She was still dressed in yesterday’s clothes. Her hair, wet from the shower, was pulled sloppily up into a loose ponytail, and she had no makeup on. I’d never seen her look so casual. It made her appear less frigid and uptight. It was a good look for her.

  I’d always thought Clara was gorgeous, and I hated my attraction to her. It pissed me off that I appreciated her looks. And it especially made me mad that I couldn’t stop thinking about how it had felt to touch her. Her power was incredible, and my body craved it. As I watched her, I felt a pull to her that I’d never felt before. It was as if I wanted to be closer to her. As if I was drawn to her.

  “What are you staring at?” she snapped, letting the curtain fall closed.

  The strange feeling had me disconcerted, and I was starting to get really grumpy. I gave her a hard smirk and said the rudest thing I could think of in an attempt to get things back to normal. “Most times I think a girl looks better without her makeup, but in your case…” I shuddered.

  “You are such a jerk.”

  Yup. Back to business, as usual. Much better.

  Testing out my magic, which I was more than thrilled to have back, I cast a simple locator spell and found the cash my dad had mentioned in his letter. It was in an envelope stuck to the fridge right next to where the letter had been, hidden beneath a cloaking spell. I shook my head and laughed, imagining burglars entering the house, finding the note, and tearing the place apart for a stack of cash that was right in front of their faces. “Dad may be a bit evil, but no one can knock his sense of humor.”

  Clara didn’t appreciate it as much as I did, because she called me an idiot again and stomped out the front door. She was waiting for me on the driveway next to the motorcycle she’d stolen yesterday. The thing was just as cool as it had been then, and as much as I was itching to ride it again, I shook my head and pointed up my street. “There’s a place to get something to eat just two blocks that way.”

  I started walking, and she followed my lead without a word.

  My gut hurt as we walked down the street. I’d spent nearly every single day of my life since I was three in the tiny town of Carmine, Pennsylvania. I loved the place more than life itself. Being back was like having my heart ripped out all over again. I got to the end of the street, when I realized where I was, and couldn’t take another step. I also couldn’t breathe anymore.

  “Russ? What’s wrong with you?”

  I couldn’t answer Clara. I couldn’t do anything except stare at the house in front of me. Dani’s house looked exactly the same. I didn’t know what I’d expected. It’s not like the house had changed in the thirteen years I’d lived down the street from it. Why should the last five months have been any different?

  I stared for a few agonizing minutes, and then forced my feet to keep moving.

  A new voice broke through my thoughts. “Russ?”

  At the sound of the familiar voice, I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. Dani’s mom was the only mother I’d ever known until Ethan loaned me his. I missed her so much, but I’d never come back until now, because I didn’t know how I’d ever be able to look her in the eyes when I knew that her daughter was alive and well, and was choosing not to contact them.

  A hand slipped into mine and I squeezed it as if it were a lifeline. “Russ, who is that?”

  When I remembered Clara was with me, I tore my hand from hers. “That’s Dani’s mom.”

  At Clara’s soft gasp, I glared at her, a part of me wishing I could kill her with a look. “Dani’s parents are human,” I whispered. “They don’t know anything about the supernatural or how it applies to their daughter. The only thing they do know is that Dani vanished without a trace. They also think my father moved me away five weeks after she disappeared because I was too devastated to stay when she was gone.” It was sort of the truth. Kind of. “So don’t say anything. And don’t…” I looked her over head to toe, trying to figure out what I wanted to say, and finally went with, “Try not to be yourself.”

  “Russ?” Rachel called again. A screen door opened and shut, and I braced myself as I slowly turned to face her.

  “Russ, is that really you?” Her voice hitched with emotion.

  “Hi, Rachel.”

  Rachel’s eyes filled with tears. With a startled cry, she ran down her driveway and grabbed me up in a desperate embrace. The moment her arms went around me I melted, clinging to her like the time I fell off my bike and she carried me into the house to fix up my bleeding knees with Clifford Band-Aids.

  I’d been through hell in the last five months. I’d lost everything and everyone I’d ever loved, but somehow I’d still held it together. I’d survived. Stayed strong. But when Dani’s mom broke down in my arms, sobbing, I almost lost it with her. “I’m so sorry, Rachel,” I whispered. “I wanted to bring her home to you. I did everything I could.”

  Rachel’s embrace went from desperate to fierce. She couldn’t seem to find any words, but she kissed my forehead. I soaked up the affection like I’d never known love before. We stood there a minute longer, until Rachel’s body went rigid. “You just go back inside your house, Margret Price, and mind your own business!” she shouted over my shoulder to her neighbor.

  Anger surged through my body. “Everyone still think I did it?”

  “Did what?” Clara asked, reminding Rachel and me that we had company.

  I sighed, but explained. “Dani and I had a big fight right before she disappeared. She even went with another guy to the Homecoming dance because of it. Everyone in town knew we were having problems. When she disappeared, the town began to talk. They all assume I killed her in some kind of jealous rage. I was even questioned by the police in her disappearance, but, of course, without a body there was no proof of anything.”

  “Of course he didn’t do anything so absurd!” Rachel said fiercely. “The people in this town are a bunch of shallow-minded, gossiping idiots. None of them knew how much Russ loved Dani. He would never hurt her.”

  She squeezed me again and kissed my head, holding me as if she planned to never let me escape from her again. I was more relieved by this than I care to admit. I never gave a crap about what the people in town thought of me, but I couldn’t have lived with myself if Dani’s parents had ever believed the rumors. I’d have dragged them to the consulate myself and forced Dani to tell them the truth.

  Thankfully, John and Rachel knew how much I loved Dani. They never once considered the possibility that I had anything to do with Dani’s disappearance. I cleared my throat and muttered, “I’ve missed you” as I pulled back.

  Rachel smiled and had to wipe at a new wave of tears. “I can’t believe you planned a trip back to town and didn’t call us. You and Alex had better be planning on having dinner with John and me tonight, or I will march over to your house and drag you both back by the ears.”

  I smiled at the threat. “I’ll talk to him about it, but I’m not sure when he’ll get here. It might not be until after dinner. We were just heading over to the Fairchild’s to get some breakfast. No groceries in the house yet.”

  “Well, that’s because you’ve been gone way too long. Forget about the Fairchild’s. Come inside, and let me make you a nice breakfast while you introduce me to your friend.”

  “Don’t you have to go to work?”

  “I’ve got some things to do over at the Historical Society, but that can wait until later. Please come in.”

  Rachel smiled at Clara, who surprised me by answering with a very timid smile of her own. “We wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “Nonsense.” Rachel steered me into the house, motioning for Clara to follow. She still hadn’t let go of me. “Russ is family, which makes his friends family by default.” She kissed me on the head yet again, and then laughed. “I’m sorry. I
’m just so happy you’re here. Let me guess: strawberry crepes and sausage?”

  A huge grin split my face in half. I felt like a kid again. Rachel had that effect on me. “With whipped cream?”

  Her eyes glossed over. “Have I ever served you crepes without it?”

  “And coffee?”

  This time Rachel rolled her eyes, but she still chuckled and said, “Caffeinated and full of sugar, just like you like it.”

  “You okay, Russ?”

  Rachel’s concerned voice brought me out of my daydream. I was surprised at how hard being back in the Webbers’ home was, even knowing that Dani wasn’t really dead. I nodded my head, but couldn’t force a smile to come no matter how hard I tried. “I expected it to be different somehow,” I admitted. “I’m not sure why.”

  “It is different without her,” Dani’s father said, coming into the kitchen in his boxers and bathrobe. “The life has been sucked out of it.”

  It looked like the life had been sucked out of him. John Webber was so worn out he was practically unrecognizable. He smiled at me, but it was with dead eyes. Dani’s disappearance had destroyed him.

  Rachel’s smile fell the tiniest bit. “John! Look who’s here! Russ, and his friend—”

  “Clara,” she supplied quietly. She seemed subdued, being in Dani’s home and seeing how torn up Dani’s parents were over the loss of their daughter. I was glad she was being respectful of the situation, even if she hated my guts—and probably Dani’s guts by association.

  “Russ and Clara are going to have some breakfast. Russ said Alex might even be here to join us for dinner tonight.”

  John looked at me again, this time with a spark of recognition. The flash only lasted a second before he shrugged. “I’ll be in my study.”

  John grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and then disappeared into his study. I flinched when the door slammed shut behind him. Rachel had to compose herself before she could look at me again. “He means well,” she said softly.

  “What happened to him?” I swallowed thickly. A sick feeling had settled in my stomach, accompanied by anger and resentment for the council. “He wasn’t like that when we left.”

  Rachel’s eyes fell shut for a moment, and she took a deep breath. “The police gave up looking a few months back. They believe she’s dead. John…he…he never really recovered from the shock.”

  My gaze drifted back toward the door John had just slammed. The image of Dani’s father would haunt me for a long time to come. “Maybe we should go. I don’t want to upset him even more.”

  “No!” Rachel cried. Fresh tears sprang in her eyes. “Don’t go, Russ. Please. You know you were always a part of this family. When you and Alex left, it was like I’d lost both my kids.”

  When I couldn’t speak, Clara broke the deafening silence by offering to help with breakfast. Rachel forced out a bright smile and held up a carton of strawberries. “Want to wash and chop?”

  I sat down at the dining table in the place that had been my official spot practically my entire life and watched, somewhat in horror, as the only mother I’ve ever known, the mother of the love of my life, bonded with my archenemy.

  “So, Clara, let me guess. Your last name is Laroche, and you’re from New Jersey.”

  I’m not sure who was more startled—Clara or me. “How did you know that?”

  Rachel grinned. “The red hair was a bit of a giveaway, and the fact that you are one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen. The way Alex has always spoken of your mother, I just assumed you had to be Simone’s daughter.”

  Clara’s cheeks turned red, and she chewed on her bottom lip as she went back to chopping strawberries. “Mr. Devereaux talked about my mom?”

  “She was the only woman he ever talked about, aside from Russ’s mom.” Rachel playfully nudged Clara in the side. “And you.” She laughed at Clara’s shock. “He was smitten with you both. I think he would have moved back to New York to be closer to you, if not for Dani and Russ. He didn’t have the heart to separate them.”

  Clara glanced over at me, but I wouldn’t meet her gaze. I’m not sure why I felt so embarrassed. The fact that Dani and I were raised inseparable wasn’t a secret by any stretch. I hated that Clara was getting this highly personal account of my life from Rachel, but I wouldn’t dare hurt Rachel’s feelings by interrupting her or asking her to stop.

  “So is that where you guys ended up, Russ?” Rachel asked, pulling me from my thoughts. “Back in New York? Are Alex and Simone finally dating?” Her smile became forced again, and she focused on pouring some batter into a hot pan. “At least some good could come of Dani’s disappearance, huh? If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s Alex.”

  My sorrow turned to anger again. If the Supreme High Councilor who was responsible for taking Dani in the first place weren’t already dead, I’d go find him and kill him myself for what he’d done to Dani’s family. “Don’t say that, Rachel. No good came of what happened to Dani. And you know my dad would take Dani back in a heartbeat over any woman.” Under my breath I muttered, “Especially Simone.”

  “I’m sure he would.” Rachel sighed. “But I have to try to see the good things, you know? I have to believe that she’s gone for a reason. That there was purpose in losing her. I have to believe that. Otherwise, I’ll start to hate God for taking my baby, and I need Him right now.”

  Rachel took a breath and then slid a plate in front of me. I got choked up at seeing the fresh strawberry crepes with a mountain of whipped cream on top, and sausage and eggs. She’d even made a smiley face in the whipped cream with chocolate chips. I’d been happy the last few months with the life I’d built in Washington, D.C., but as much as I cared about Ethan and Grace, it wasn’t the same as the life I’d had here. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be around people that knew me so completely. I missed it.

  Breakfast was pretty quiet, and after we were finished she dragged us into the den to show us the reason John hardly ever left it. The office was trashed. I was a little startled by the number of boxes that sat around wearing a blanket of dust as if they hadn’t been moved in ages. John sat in his chair with the coffee table pulled up to his knees. Piles and piles of pictures, papers, projects, and videotapes were scattered all around him.

  “He’s compiling every memory of Dani we have and putting it in chronological order.”

  Considering Dani’s parents were both local historians, the documented evidence of Dani’s life was a lot more than your average photo album. John had been muttering to himself, but suddenly looked up at us with shining eyes. “I was starting to forget her.”

  Clara took a seat next to him and scanned all the photos spread out on the table. John proudly handed her an album that was already filled. Again, I was disturbed that Clara was getting such a private glimpse into my life, but John looked as if he’d break at even the smallest hint of contention, so I said nothing and watched Clara flip through the pages of Dani’s life.

  “Are there any pictures of her that don’t have Russ in them?” she asked, causing both Rachel and John to laugh.

  “Not many,” Rachel admitted. “By the time they were seven, we even started including him in our family portraits.” She pointed to a framed picture of the four of us above the computer desk. It was the last family photo we’d taken together, just months before Dani was taken by the council. “We always took one of just the three of us, too, but they never felt right without Russ in them.” She hugged me to her side. “He’s my son as much as Dani is my daughter.”

  I waited for Clara to say something rude—some comment about me leeching onto a family that wasn’t mine, the way she always did at home, talking about Ethan and Leslie. But she didn’t say anything. She continued to look at picture after picture of Dani and me with an expression that contained a million emotions—sadness, wistfulness, confusion, jealousy, bitterness… It was the first time I’d ever been curious as to what she was thinking. I wanted to know why those pictures were causing her to fall ap
art emotionally.

  John looked down at a picture lying in front of him and brushed his fingers over Dani’s six-year-old face. He whispered to the girl in the photograph, as if none of us were in the room with him. “I won’t forget you, baby girl. I promise.”

  I could hardly stomach the sight of the drunken, withered man crying over memories of his dead daughter. There was nothing left of the man I grew up with. He was so broken.

  Rachel was just as heartbreaking. She was functioning, but she had an emptiness to her that scared me. Her daughter was gone, and now her husband was gone, too. No wonder she’d been so terrified I might leave before breakfast. She was trapped in the world’s loneliest, most depressing life.

  It was all I could do to hide my rage. Dani’s parents’ lives had been destroyed. I knew Dani cared—she’d been complaining to the council when we left about not being able to visit her family—but she’d not had the guts to ever defy the council and come home. She’d never been brave enough to explain what happened. Then again, neither had I.

  Rachel and John were two of the best people I’d ever known. They loved Dani more than life itself. They were the best parents in the world. They deserved to know the truth. They deserved to have their pain eased. Rachel said she needed to know that Dani left for a purpose. Well, she did. She’s the Chosen One. She left to save the world. And she’d succeeded. She’d brought down the Angel of Death and saved who knows how many lives. Rachel would love to know that. She would embrace the truth, scary as it might be, if she knew how important her daughter was, how special, and that she was simply needed. Rachel was strong.

  “Rachel, Dani isn’t dead,” I blurted suddenly.

  Clara dropped the scrapbook in her lap, and gaped up at me with wide, startled eyes. I knew what she was thinking, but I didn’t know why I’d said that. It came out of nowhere. I guess I just couldn’t stand to see Rachel and John this way. Dani’s parents were good people. They deserved to know the truth, even if it did drive them to insanity.