King Series Box Set

by Kandle, Tawdra

  “... she told us we could be unstoppable. She said that we were all her daughters, that she had foreseen that she would come to this place, which was a mystical spot, and that she would pass on her secrets to us... ”

  “But you used that.” I kept my voice low and as even as I could manage. “You used that knowledge, or whatever you want to call it, to lure Nell to you. You played on what you knew was a weakness—you had to have known about it.”

  She was already shaking her head before I finished speaking. “No. I never used them. I might have been mistaken—rushed in too fast before I was certain—but I never intentionally set out to--”

  “It doesn’t matter what you meant to do. What you did destroyed a young girl’s life, and it could have been much, much worse. What if Nell had actually killed Amber, or Michael and me? How would you have justified that?” I stood up and moved toward the door. My heart was pounding.

  “Tasmyn, come back here. Sit down. We’re not finished yet for today. And if you leave now, I will have no choice but to report you to the office.”

  “Oh, really?” I didn’t mean to taunt her, but the words had that effect. “And how will you do that, when officially I’m not even in class with you right now?”

  “Trust me.” Her voice had dropped and was low and dangerous, her accent more pronounced. “I would find a way. I can be very persuasive.”

  I believed it. Bleakly I dropped into the nearest seat, farther away from Ms. Lacusta’s desk than where I had been sitting.

  “I understand that you’re upset, Tasmyn, but we really must get through the next part of the story. It’s very important.”

  I didn’t answer, just gazed at her steadily. Interestingly, I didn’t feel anything ominous or dangerous about her mood; instead, she felt guarded and apprehensive. I wondered if she were in fact more sensitive about the whole Nell situation than she let on.

  “As I said, there was great hope that my daughter would be very powerful. I knew this from the time I was a small child. But in my teen years... I was like any other girl. I was rebellious. My mother had died when I was ten, but my aunts, the other elders, they tried to take special care of me. However, as I just told you, I can be very persuasive. Some might call it manipulative. I was able to invent ways to get around their rules. I used my power in some rather questionable ways.”

  Her voice was sad and pensive, and she gazed at the wall above my head, lost in the memory.

  “And it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. Like many other girls of my age, of my people, I found myself pregnant. The father doesn’t matter. He was useless, a boy who was there at the right time—or the wrong time, depending on your point of view. I was triumphant when I knew I was going to have a baby, because I knew this baby was what the ghicitor had seen. I presented myself to the elders and told them. I was prepared for them to fawn and dote on me.

  “But it didn’t happen that way. They were angry. Beside themselves. The ghicitor said she couldn’t see clearly that this would be the child. I had rushed ahead, gone ahead of the power, of my destiny, and perhaps I had ruined everything. But they would wait and see.”

  I found myself captivated by her story in spite of myself. Ms. Lacusta couldn’t have been much older than me when this happened. I couldn’t even imagine being pregnant at my age, let alone being happy about it. And I wondered with a twinge where her baby was now. I had never heard anything about Ms. Lacusta having a child.

  “I was nearly eight months pregnant when the pains began. It was far too early, and the pain was. . it was horrendous. Not what the elders had been preparing me to expect. We lived a long way from any medical facilities—our women were always delivered by our own midwives. I don’t remember much of those days, but the pain seemed endless, and they told me later that I nearly bled to death. Luckily, a local doctor was passing through and was able to save my life, although it came at a high price.

  “When I awoke, I was very weak. I asked immediately for my baby, but I could tell by the expressions of the women around me what had happened. She had been born dead, and she had nearly taken my life in the process. What the doctor had had to do to save my life meant that I would never have a child.”

  Although Ms. Lacusta’s words and her tone were matter of fact, I could feel the palpable grief emanating from her. Tears filled my eyes, and I struggled to blink them back as she continued.

  “It was devastating to all of us. To me, certainly; the grief of losing a child, even one you’ve never known, is nothing that anyone can imagine or describe. And to know that I would never have another chance to be a mother was one more blow. The elders... they were heartbroken, too. For them it was not only a child but the hope of that child... all those years of trusting and believing, and for what? Nothing left but ashes of that dream.”

  I found my voice at last. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Lacusta. I had no idea.”

  She looked back at me then, seeming almost surprised to see me in the room. “Well, how could you know? This is something I never shared with anyone, not even Nell.” She looked at me pointedly.

  “I am sorry for you. But I still don’t understand what it has to do with me.”

  She smiled, widely, and the atmosphere in the room changed again. The grief was gone, and in its place was a speculative hope.

  “That, my dear Tasmyn, will have to wait until next week. The bell is about to ring, and I think we’ve both had enough for today. Think about what I’ve said, please. We’ll meet here again, next Monday.” With that she turned from me. Evidently I was dismissed.

  I left the classroom shaken and wondering. I had seen a side of Ms. Lacusta that I never suspected. But how much of it could I trust? I was still no closer to any answers.

  Sighing, I went to lunch.

  It was a quiet week, blessedly so. I went to school, worked at the nursery and did my homework each evening. The routine was easy and welcome, and I appreciated the break from all the drama and tension that had surrounded me for the past few weeks. My sleep was deep and uninterrupted by any dreams that I could remember in the morning. Cara had begun talking to Amber and me at the lunch table again on Monday, her thaw unexplained. I listened to her mind cautiously, but she was mainly preoccupied with schoolwork and things going on at church. She still harbored a little resentment toward me, but it was nothing she showed openly.

  I saw Rafe now and then in passing. He would lift a hand in quick greeting when we passed between classes, and he joined us at the end of lunch one day, but he kept his promise to me. His manner was friendly without being flirtatious, although his thoughts were not in line quite the same way. Those I could ignore.

  The only worry of my entire week came from Michael. He was preoccupied and almost absent-minded during our nightly talks. I knew he was feeling guilty about missing my birthday on Friday that week. Before he left for college, we had talked about him coming home to celebrate with me that weekend, but when his classes began, it turned out that he had a huge exam on that Monday after my birthday. I was disappointed, but I knew that the drive back and forth over the weekend would keep him from studying—and that while we were together, neither of us would want to concentrate on anything but each other. So I had worked hard at keeping a cheerful tone in my voice when I mentioned my birthday; the last thing I wanted was for him to feel torn about his decision.

  But still... I worried when he kept our conversations vague and short. I was concerned enough to mention it to Marly on Wednesday.

  “Oh, no, Tasmyn, I just think he’s busy getting ready for this test,” she assured me. But then I felt a quick flash of something in her mood—was it guilt? Or worry? Before I could probe further, a loud humming filled my mind. It was coming from Marly.

  “Marly, are you... humming in your mind?” I asked her suspiciously.

  “What? Oh, sorry. I’ve had this song in my head all day, and it just won’t go away... ”

  I wasn’t exactly excited about my upcoming birthday, but I
was trying to be upbeat. Marly insisted on giving me the day off, and she and Luke were joining my parents and me for dinner at our house that evening. My mother was baking my favorite double chocolate cake.

  That morning at breakfast, both my parents were seated at the table, beaming at me. It was much too early for that much cheer, I decided grimly, regardless of how special a day it might be.

  My mother had the table set—unusual in itself—and there was a small, wrapped box at my place. I looked at it in surprise.

  “I thought my cell phone was my birthday gift,” I said.

  “Oh, it is, but this is just a little something. You don’t turn eighteen every day, after all.” My mother smiled widely.

  I sat down and sipped my juice, eying the gift speculatively.

  “Well, go ahead, open it,” my father encouraged.

  I tore at the paper, revealing a worn blue velvet box. It looked vaguely familiar. I opened it, and tears filled my eyes. Inside was a perfectly matched strand of pearls, with an antique sheen to them.

  “Nana’s pearls!” I exclaimed. “Really? Oh... ” In my memory, I could see her, dressed for church or for any special occasion, wearing the pearls my grandfather had purchased for their first wedding anniversary.

  “She always wanted you to have them,” my mother said, dabbing at her eyes. “I’ve kept them set aside for this special birthday. I wish she could be here herself to give them to you.”

  “Me, too,” I sniffled. “But thank you. This is the most perfect gift you could have given me.” Standing, I leaned to hug them both. “And wouldn’t you like to top that by giving me today off from school? We could all just hang out together and enjoy my big day... ” I looked at them hopefully, and my father laughed.

  “Nice try, but I don’t think so. I’m heading to work now anyway. And we wouldn’t want to rob your friends of the opportunity to celebrate with you, right? Amber would be really disappointed.”

  I made face. It was hard for Amber to keep a secret around me, since she seemed to think it extra loud whenever I was near. I knew she had planned to bring in a plate of brownies and make a fuss at lunch. I really was not the make a fuss type, but I wouldn’t hurt Amber for the world.

  “Okay... ” I sighed.

  The day actually was fun. Amber and Cara had decorated my locker, and they met me there with smiles. Rafe passed us and slowed to see what we were doing.

  “It’s Tasmyn’s birthday,” Amber explained happily.

  “Seriously? Cool. Happy Birthday, Tas,” he said, grinning. “You know in my family we have a tradition on birthdays... ”

  I heard what was coming and hurried to circumvent it. “I don’t do birthday traditions,” I informed them all, deftly moving to put Amber between Rafe and myself. “I appreciate you all, but you know I’m a low key kind of girl.”

  They all rolled their eyes at me in unison, and I merely smiled.

  Rafe joined us for lunch; Amber had invited him for brownies. I caught him gazing at me several time, and I struggled to close out the thoughts I heard. They reminded me too vividly of our ride home, and I remembered that I never had researched his family. I put it on my mental to-do list for the weekend.

  After school, I drove home at a leisurely pace, the top down and my music as loud as I could reasonably allow it while driving through town. My mother was working on dinner when I got there, and she seemed very distracted.

  “Tas, why don’t you go lie down and have a nap before dinner?” she suggested.

  I looked at her in astonishment. A nap?

  “Are you planning on keeping me up late tonight? What kind of party do you and the Sawyers have in mind, anyway?”

  “No, silly, but I have a lot to do. I want everything to look nice for your birthday dinner.”

  A suspicion began to form in my mind. “Mom, you didn’t do anything crazy, did you? No surprise party or anything like that?”

  She heaved a sigh and looked at me impatiently. “Tasmyn, I know you don’t like surprise parties. And do you really think I could pull something like that off around a person like you, with your abilities? You’d hear it in Amber instantly. Or in Marly. No, I just want to have a nice dinner, and I want you to have some time to yourself. Shoo now.”

  I gave up and shooed. In my room, I straightened my desk and found a book to read. When my cell phone rang, I grabbed it in anticipation. Michael hadn’t called me all day, which wasn’t unusual, of course, but I thought maybe on my birthday... at any rate, the readout showed an unfamiliar number, and I answered cautiously.

  “Happy birthday, Tas!” A familiar voice sang out the words.

  “Anne!! Well, hello, stranger!” I teased.

  She giggled. “I know. My mom says the same thing. I never call. But I’ve been emailing you!”

  “I know, and I appreciate it. It sounds like you and Jim love school?”

  “I really do. We’re both crazy busy all the time, and my aunt keeps me jumping, but it’s totally worth it. We’re together, you know, and that’s all that really matters.”

  A lump formed in my throat, and I struggled to push it down. “I’m so glad to hear it, Anne.”

  “But that’s enough about me. This is your day! Tell me what’s been going on!”

  I hesitated only briefly, considering what I could share with Anne and what I couldn’t. In the end, I told her about my classes, about Cara being moody, and about Rafe Brooks.

  “Brooks? And you said he’s from an original carnie family? Hmmmm... oh, I think I know his grandparents.”

  Aha! Here could be my opening.

  “Do you remember which carnie they came from?” I tried to keep my voice casual. Anne was mostly clueless about the present day activity of King’s first families.

  “I think... maybe the magician? I’m not really sure, though. There was a guy who some people got upset about—they accused him of being a thief. Said that he would do his tricks and then they would realize their wallets were gone. But I don’t know, I might be thinking of someone else.”

  This seemed to fit. If Rafe had the ability to manipulate people’s minds, as it felt he had done with me, perhaps his ancestor had used the power for less than honorable purposes.

  Anne and I chatted for about half an hour, and she promised to be better about keeping in touch. After we hung up, I lounged on my bed with my book and enjoyed a couple of hours of peace. Maybe my mom had a point, I mused. It was nice to have some downtime.

  Shortly before dinner, I got dressed, putting on a simple black and white cotton white dress that my mom and I had bought this summer. Nana’s pearls looked perfect with it, I thought with a smile.

  I wandered into the kitchen. Good smells were everywhere, and I lifted a pot lid.

  “Watch it there, miss!” My mother scolded, coming up behind me. “You look so pretty. Don’t get anything on your dress.”

  “Can I help?” I asked, looking around at the prettily set table.

  “Nope. Daddy should be here shortly—oh, that must be him now!” We heard the door open, and my father ducked his head into the kitchen to say hello before he went to change his clothes.

  “What time did you tell Marly and Luke?” I perched on a chair by the table and nabbed a cracker from the plate of crudités my mom had set out.

  “Oh—six-thirty. I imagine they’ll be here--” The ringing doorbell interrupted her, and I felt a jitter of nerves spike through my mother. I raised one eyebrow. It wasn’t like my mom to stress over a little dinner like this, and Marly and Luke had been our guests frequently over the past year. She was just acting odd.

  “Tas, why don’t you get the door?” she suggested, reaching into the oven to pull out a tray of rolls.

  I slipped from the kitchen through the living room and reached for the door. As I did, I picked up that same odd humming that I had earlier in the week. I giggled a little, thinking of poor Marly with that song still stuck in her head.

  I threw open the door prepared to tease her abo
ut it. And instead, I stood there open-mouthed and breathless.

  On my front porch, behind a large bouquet of pink roses, stood Michael.

  To my utter mortification, I immediately burst into tears when I saw Michael.

  Luke laughed and shook his head at me, but Marly clucked sympathetically.

  “Oh, stop laughing, Luke! The poor thing, we took her by complete surprise--” And then she grinned, too. “I can’t believe we pulled it off! I was sure I was going to slip!”

  My mother, who had come into the room behind me, was beaming at us all.

  “I know! I was a nervous wreck all afternoon. I was so sure she’d hear something I thought by accident. Well, come in, all of you, don’t stand out on the porch!”

  Marly and Luke followed her, but Michael and I remained where we were. He pulled me into his arms as I continued to sniffle.

  “Are you really surprised?” he whispered into my ear.

  I exulted in the feel of him against me. “Can’t you tell? I’m not that good an actress.”

  He chuckled and his lips moved over my hair. “That’s true.”

  I realized suddenly that we were still standing in the open door, and I took Michael’s hand, leading him to the porch swing and closing the door behind us.

  “Okay, tell me everything! When did this happen? How long have you known you were coming?”

  He laughed again and tugged me closer. His arms were wrapped around me, and I leaned against his chest in contentment.

  “Let’s see... well, last week, I got to talking with my botany professor—the one who’s giving the test on Monday? I mentioned that I had been planning to come home for your birthday, but that now I couldn’t. I’m doing pretty well in that class, and I think the professor likes me. So then Monday, when I came into class, he called me up front and asked me if I thought I could possibly be ready to take the test on Friday morning—today, he meant. I said I thought maybe I could be, and he told me that he was willing to let me take it today so that I could come spend the weekend with you.”