“It’s a long story, Mom.” I gestured down my body. “I’m tired, dirty, and in need of a long bath.”
Mom wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. “Okay. Go get cleaned up and I’ll make us some coffee. We need to discuss what happened.”
I wasn’t going to get out of explaining what happened easily. “Mom, I need to get some sleep. I have to be up by eight to take care of Renee.”
“You can tell Evan you’re not feeling well.”
I sighed. “Mom, I can’t make Evan miss a day of work. He’s the only provider. It’s bad enough I’ve kept you guys up this late and you both have to report to work by nine.”
“We’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you.”
“I’m fine. Really. I look far worse than I feel. I promise.”
“You’re still explaining to me what happened, so go get cleaned up.”
I turned to Dad for a little support. “Dad?”
“You heard your mother.”
Oh, for Pete’s sake. “All right, Mom. We’ll discuss this over coffee. I’ll be right back.”
I should have known Mom wouldn’t let me off the hook that easily. Naturally, she would worry. If she didn’t, then I’d be concerned about her. I wanted to assume that from now on, when a magical emergency rose, I would have to take care of it by myself, she’d be a lot more concerned since I could no longer count on her 24/7.
Being her only daughter, I imagined it was probably hard for her to learn to let go. But in all honesty, if she were the one gone all night without a call to inform me of her whereabouts, I’d freak out a little, too.
Nevertheless, I made a bee line for my bedroom, searched for clean clothes to wear, and hurried to the bathroom, where I spent at least a half hour scrubbing myself clean. Thirty minutes later I emerged feeling refreshed, dumped my dirty clothing in the laundry room, and sashayed back to the dining area where both Mom and Dad were waiting for me with cups of hot coffee and toast.
“Let’s go over what happened.” Mom gestured to the seat across the table from her. “Sit.”
I did as instructed and reached for the cup of coffee sitting in front of me. After taking a few sips, I settled it back down on the table and looked up.
“You’re not going to like what I’m going to say.”
“I know, but I want to hear it anyway.”
It took about fifteen minutes for me to explain all that happened during the time I was gone. Well, not exactly everything. I hadn’t mentioned anything about what Rhyzel and I talked about but I didn’t lie about him being present or his role in the whole battle with the Rake. I figured it was best to come clean about him once and for all.
Mom was angry over the fact that I’d trusted him enough to take him along, but after I said he’d nearly died trying to help me, her anger died down a bit. Like it or not, he could have walked away, jeopardized my mission, or left me to die, but he did none of those things and she was forced to come to terms about that.
“He brought me straight home and we parted ways.”
Neither Mom nor Dad said anything for a while. We just kind of sat there and stared at each other. After a few deadly silent minutes, Mom finally said, “I’ll keep his actions in mind, but that doesn’t mean I’ll trust him.”
“Funny, I’ve said that to him a lot.” I shook my head. “He’s not expecting either of us to think he’s innocent in any way or form. But after what happened tonight, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“I may not be an expert when it comes to matters regarding magic, but I think your decision is a wise one, Demi,” Dad chipped in. “If this guy went to all that trouble I don’t think we should dismiss his good intentions just because of who he is.”
Mom nodded. “Let’s just wait and see what he does from today on out. His actions will speak louder than his words and if he’s thinking about betraying us, it won’t be long until he does.”
Mom’s words forced my stomach into a painful knot. Now that I’ve finally begun to see Rhyzel in a new light I didn’t want to think about him betraying me in any way. I wasn’t even sure I could handle something like that.
“What about the matter with the police? What are we going to do if they show up here looking for me?” It was hard to be completely content over the outcome with my battle with the Rake when I’d left my blood at the scene of a crime. There had been evidence that I’d been in the house and that could turn around to bite me in the ass.
“If that happens we’ll just have to clean things up with a magical spell.”
“Why can’t you just do it now?” Dad asked. “Demi’s running a huge risk here.”
“Because tampering with people’s memories is very dangerous. We’ll have to erase the memories of all those involved and this could turn out to be an even bigger mess. Do you imagine what would happen if they forgot other vital information from other cases they took in during a twenty-four hour timeframe?”
“So we can’t do it unless we have no choice? Even if I become a suspect of breaking and entering and…possibly…even attempted kidnapping?”
Mom shook her head. “We can’t risk losing our powers, Demi. Our charges would die without the guardianship we provide. But if push comes to shove, I’ll do what I have to do to keep the law off your back. I promise.”
Everyone in the room was tense. I, for one, was worried I’d end up in jail. Unfortunately, Mom was right. Just because our powers were considered to be God given gifts, that didn’t mean we could use them however we wanted. They had to be used for good and protection only. Those who went rogue usually ended up losing their powers, unless they found a way around that. And many had over the years.
“I trust you, Mom.”
“Demi?” Mom tapped the tips of her fingers on the table. “Since you’ve made it clear that you have a responsibility with Renee, I think you should watch her here today. I’ll call off work and help out.”
“What? No, Mom. I’ll be fine. I can take care of things on my own.”
“I can see you’re exhausted. I’m not saying this because I think you’re incompetent, but a witch has to be well rested in case of emergencies and you’ve gotten very little sleep. Bring Renee down and that way you can nap when she does and catch up on some sleep. I’ll be keeping an eye on you both.”
“No offense, Mom, but I don’t need a babysitter.”
“It’s not babysitting. I’m just a backup plan in case you need it for today only. I promise. The last thing I want is an emergency to pop up and you having to deal with a supercharged demon with little energy of your own. That can turn into a very bad situation quickly. Have you thought about what would have happened if you hadn’t been rested when you had to fight against the Rake?”
I didn’t want to think about it because I was pretty sure the outcome would have been very different. As rested as I was, I still had trouble vanquishing it. And I ended up passing out in the end.
“You’re right, Mom. I’ll get a couple of hours sleep for now and rest some more later when Renee goes down for her nap.”
Mom finally smiled. “It’s settled then.”
I popped to my feet. “I’m heading to bed now. I’ll see you guys in a little bit.”
Mom and Dad both nodded. They stayed behind talking and sipping coffee while I hurried off to my bedroom, shut the door, and curled up under my covers with only sleep in mind.
Chapter Seventeen
The Mirror
I woke up at exactly seven thirty when the alarm went off. I slept for a total of two hours but it felt as if I’d only shut my eyes for two minutes. I was tired, sore, and still very sleepy. But none of that would have kept me in bed knowing I had Renee to take care of. I had responsibilities that could not be put off until later.
It took me about thirty minutes to wash up, get dressed, brush my hair, and make my bed. I found Mom in the kitchen cooking breakfast when I walked in, and after letting her know I’d only be gone for a few minutes while I ran ups
tairs and picked up Renee, I hurried out of the apartment and out to the hall.
I didn’t even bother counting the amount of steps it took me to get from my apartment to the double staircase since I was too tired to care.
In no time at all, I was inside Mina’s apartment, arriving just as Evan was getting ready to leave.
“Hey, Demi.” Evan picked up his suitcase, fixed his tie, and smiled. “Do you have any plans for Renee today?”
“Actually, I was hoping to take her to my place today. I’m a little tired and Mom agreed to help keep an eye on her, too. If that’s okay with you, I mean.”
Evan shoved his hand in his left pocket, took out his house key, and handed it over to me. “Take my keys in case you need to come up later to get something. I don’t think Mina will stick around long enough to open the door for you.”
I took the keys and jiggled them in my hand a bit. “Thanks.”
“I just wish I could trust Mina to take good care of her, but after the last few times…well, it’s unfortunate that I have to inconvenience you.”
He really didn’t have to say it. I knew first-hand how much disdain Mina felt for her little sister. What I didn’t know was the reason behind it. Mina would never tell me what went on in that head of hers.
“It’s no inconvenience at all. I love Renee.”
Evan rubbed his chin. “You girls do seem to get along great.”
I laughed. “Are you kidding me? We’re inseparable.”
He grinned. “You’ve been a real life saver.”
“It’s not a job when you like what you do. Or so I’ve heard.”
“I agree.” He spared a quick glance at his watch. “Well, I have to get going. I’ll pick up Renee on my way up.” He started for the door. “I should be back around five. Call if you girls need anything.”
“I’ll see you then.”
When Evan left, I made my way to Renee’s bedroom but found that she wasn’t there. Knowing her routine by heart, I knew she was already in the bathroom, washing up. So I went in search of an outfit for her to wear. After I had lined up a pair of Capri pants, a Princess t-shirt, and a pair of white sandals, I decided to pack up some of her favorite things. I chose carefully and placed them inside her Barbie backpack.
I glanced around the room, feeling as if I was forgetting something, when a blur of movement on the right side of the room caught my attention. My gaze immediately settled on the full length mirror. On the upper right corner of the glass there appeared to be a round smudge of some type.
I found this to be very strange since Evan did a great job at maintaining Renee’s bedroom in optimum condition most of the time. That mirror had always been impeccable. Curiosity getting the best of me, I ambled over to the mirror to investigate but got the shock of my life when the smudge moved. It actually shot from the upper right corner down to the middle and disappeared.
To me that was weird, but it was even weirder that the smudge, which I was beginning to think wasn’t a smudge at all, had been just below the surface of the glass. It occurred to me that I could have possibly been able to touch it had I reached out, but that couldn’t be possible. The mirror was just that. A mirror. There was no possible way it could have anything behind its surface at all.
It just wasn’t possible. Or was it?
Recapping, I quickly came to the conclusion that something could very possibly be going on with that mirror. I’d been feeling a little jumpy around it since Renee showed me that picture of the face with hollow eyes. And I’d seen her talking to it once. What if whatever was out to get her was using the mirror to make it happen?
“Oh, God.” I took several steps back and looked at my reflection in the mirror. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. There was nothing visible that could spark any suspicions but something wasn’t right. I could feel it in my bones.
Using Renee’s absence to my advantage, I concentrated on a few well-chosen words for a truth spell that could work on the mirror itself where images could be revealed through it. I recited them and waited to finally have facts shown to me.
The words were murmured and the magic departed my skilled hands and got a hold of the mirror. Instead of penetrating the depths of its mystery however, it bounced off and sought its permanent home in my body in a rapid flash, leaving me breathless and startled as the force of the impact cracked the glass down the mirror. The sound was so loud it was almost deafening.
“No!” The sound of Renee’s distressed voice forced me to spin around. I found her standing a few paces behind me, staring at the mirror in horror. “What happened? Demi, my mirror broke!” she cried, her face a mask of unhappiness.
“I…don’t know what happened.” I hurried to my knees and took her in my arms.
“It’s broken. My mirror is broken. Demi, fix it, please,” she cried. Tears ran down her chubby cheeks as she gazed up at me with hope.
“I don’t think I can.”
“What’s going on?” Mina ran inside Renee’s bedroom. “Why’s she crying?”
Renee wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and buried her face in my left shoulder.
“The mirror broke.” I used my thumb to indicate behind me.
Mina scrunched up her face. “How? That thing was solid as a rock. I should know. I threw a shoe at it once and it didn’t break.”
I had a very good theory as to why it had broken, but it was something I couldn’t share with her. “I’m not sure. No one was touching it when it split down the middle.”
Renee pulled her head back to look up at me. “Now I won’t be able to talk to Azuel.”
“Who?” Mina asked.
“Her imaginary friend,” I provided.
“You’re upset over that?” Mina placed both hands on her hips. “Geez, what’s wrong with you? Getting all upset—screaming over an imaginary friend? Grow up, will ya?”
Renee wiggled free and turned an angry scowl to Mina. “Azuel is not imaginary. He’s real and he’s a better brother than you’ll ever be!” She lashed out some more by shoving Mina so hard her head bumped against the wall.
“Hey!” Mina lifted her right hand as if to hit Renee but I put myself in between them.
“Don’t you dare, Mina,” I warned. “She’s just a little girl.”
“She started it.”
A burst of hot air rushed out of my lips. “You’re more than double her age. Are you going to stoop down to her level? She acts like a child because she is a child. When are you going to act like you’re about to turn eighteen and not like you’re some bratty, arrogant teenager that feels the world should be handed down to her on a silver platter just because she was abandoned by both parents?”
Mina scoffed. “I—”
“Evan suffered the same fate and you don’t see him moping around twenty-four hours a day. He works hard and provides for you even though you don’t deserve it. You’re old enough to get a job and provide for yourself but instead you mooch off your brother and don’t even help out most of the time. You make his life miserable whenever he stands up to you, which is often.” I pushed Renee behind me. “Mina, I may be your friend but I don’t have to sugar coat things for you. You can’t change the past, but you can make a better future for yourself. You’re just too lazy to do even that.”
Mina straightened her back and lifted her chin. Her eyes burned like cinders as she glared back at me. “I don’t have to take this crap.”
Before I could form a reply she stormed out of the room and the apartment, slamming the front door loud enough for the windows to rattle.
I regretted my harsh tone, but at the same time, I was kind of glad I’d finally gotten a few things off my chest. No matter how much I cared for Mina, she wasn’t exactly pleasant to be around half the time. And the moment she made that split second decision to put her hand on Renee, she’d practically become my enemy.
The disdain Mina held for her little sister put her on the top of my suspect list. It wasn’t clear to me why she seemed to hate Re
nee, but it was oddly suspicious. She didn’t get along with Evan either, but aside from a few shouts, she’d never threaten to get aggressive with him. With Renee it was a different ball game.
It hadn’t been the first time she’d lifted a hand to Renee, but it had been the first time she’d done it with me present. The other times Evan had intervened. And now it had been up to me to do so. As much as I cared for Mina, Renee was my responsibility.
Renee was to be protected, even from her own flesh and blood. I needed to keep that in mind at all times.
A quick tug on my top brought me back to reality. “Yes?” I glanced down and found Renee staring up at me, her eyes glistening with tears. “I’m sorry I lost my temper, Renee.”
“It’s my fault. Because of me, Mina and you fought.” She glanced down to stare at her bare feet.
I picked her up. “That’s not true.”
Renee buried her face in my left shoulder again. “Yes, it is. I pushed Mina and she was going to hit me.”
I placed Renee on the bed and sat down next to her. “That reminds me…” I tugged on one of her red curls. “You can’t fix anything with violence.”
She wiped away tears. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one you have to apologize to.”
She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her left hand. “I’ll say I’m sorry to Mina when she comes back.”
I nodded. “That sounds like a plan.” I popped to my feet. “Now let’s get you dressed. I thought I would be nice if we spend the day downstairs with my mom.”
Renee hurried to her feet. “Can we play Candyland?”
“Sure. And we can pretend to let Mom win again.”
“Yeah!” Renee bounced up and down on the mattress. “Can we build a fort with the couch cushions like we did last time?” She turned hopeful eyes to me.
“I’ll be the dragon this time.”
She screamed in delight.
“But first you need to change out of your pajamas.”
Renee jumped off the bed. “Okay.”
I managed to get her dressed and brush her hair into two pigtails at the back of her head within fifteen minutes. Once her sandals were on, I grabbed her Barbie backpack and we walked out of her bedroom and picked up Mr. Snuggles on our way out of the apartment. I made sure to close and lock the front door to Mina’s apartment before taking a hold of Renee’s hand and descending both flight of stairs to the second floor.
Keeper of the Innocents Page 20