“She didn’t cheat,” Aric shot back, taking me by surprise as he rested his hand on Sami’s shoulder. “She fired the arrow just like you. Unlike you, however, she’s powerful.”
“And magical,” I said, meeting Sami’s sheepish grin as she chewed her bottom lip. She was coming into her own. Finally.
“I … .” Sami was at a loss.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, hopping to my feet. “I thought it was neat. We should celebrate with ice cream.”
“That’s always how you think we should celebrate,” Sami said.
“So it shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
“I think that sounds like a good idea,” Aric said, moving toward us. “Ice cream for everyone.”
Fifteen
“You seem to be really enjoying that ice cream.”
Tate’s smile was lopsided as he watched me lick my afternoon treat. We sat on a picnic table outside of the ice cream shop. We’d been mostly quiet after Sami’s impressive power display. I was mildly disappointed Tate insisted on coming with us because I wanted to talk to Sami about what happened, but I kept my ire in check.
“I love ice cream.”
“She does,” Aric confirmed, shifting his contemplative eyes to Sami. “How do you feel?”
Sami seemed surprised by the question. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“I’m just wondering,” Aric replied. Apparently he had no problem discussing Sami’s new ability in front of Tate. “That was something new you did today. Did it … hurt?”
Sami shook her head, her long dark hair swishing back and forth. “It hurt before I did it, but when it happened I felt better.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I said it didn’t hurt.”
“No, you said it hurt before you did it,” I said. “What did you mean by that?”
“Oh, um … I just felt like this tightness in my chest before it happened,” Sami explained. “I’m not sure how to describe it.”
“Did it feel as if something was inside of you and trying to get out?”
Sami nodded. “Yes. Is that how it feels with you?”
“Sometimes,” I replied, my mind busy. I’d felt the exact same way right after I absorbed The Archimage. The idea that Sami’s powers would somehow be greater because I absorbed the book shortly before becoming pregnant with her had been floated before. “Did you have trouble controlling it when it broke free?”
Aric leaned forward, legitimately interested in the question. I think he knew what worried me.
Sami chewed on her lip as she considered the question. “No. I didn’t even realize it was going to happen until it did. I just … let go of the feeling at the same time I let go of the arrow.”
“Okay.”
“Did I do something wrong?” Sami’s brown eyes clouded. “Am I in trouble?”
“You’re not in trouble,” Aric said hurriedly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That was amazing,” Tate said, his tone encouraging. “I don’t think Claudette will be willing to take you on anytime soon after that display.”
That was the least of my worries. I could handle Claudette with one hand tied behind my back and an ice cream cone in the other. I was more troubled by the thought of Sami being swallowed whole by her urges.
My powers didn’t manifest until I was already an adult. Er, well, eighteen. That’s kind of an adult, I guess. It was still traumatizing. Of course, part of that was because I had no idea what was happening. Aric and I decided a long time ago to make sure Sami was aware of who and what she was. I didn’t want her to be caught off guard. Because she was at such an awkward age, I couldn’t help but worry that her emotions would get the better of her and take control of her powers. That was always a fear.
When she was about five she started throwing tantrums. Aric was so convinced she would turn into a fire starter he bought ten extinguishers and put them all around the house. She’d never displayed the feared penchant for fire before today, though. Well, that’s not exactly true. She did burn a woman who tried to hurt her, but there were no flames. It seemed flames were finally making an appearance, which was intriguing.
“Sami, you didn’t do anything wrong,” I said, adopting a soothing tone. “We’ve been waiting for something like this to happen. It’s okay. You didn’t hurt anyone. You didn’t lose control.”
“But … I started the target on fire.”
“Your mother has set a lot more things than that on fire,” Aric said. “I once caught her trying to burn a beehive when she thought I wasn’t looking. She almost started a forest fire.”
That was a gross exaggeration. “I set a bush on fire … and I was not aiming at those bees. You made me promise not to aim at those bees.”
“No, you were aiming for the branch above those bees and got overzealous,” Aric argued. “When the branch fell, it didn’t take out the bees. It took out the bush.”
“Now is not the time for this.”
“You’re right,” Aric said, shooting me a wolfish grin. “If you’d just admit to trying to murder those bees, we could let this argument go once and for all.”
There was no way I was going to own up to that. “I’m pretty sure you’re mistaken.”
“Of course you are,” Aric said, shaking his head before turning back to Sami. “I’ve gotten off point. All that matters is that you didn’t do anything wrong. You controlled what happened, and were fairly impressive during the entire demonstration.”
“Are you proud of me?” Sami looked hopeful.
“Sami, I’m always proud of you,” Aric said, resting his hand on top of hers. “You’re a good girl.”
“As long as I don’t try to burn the bees like Mom, right?”
“Exactly.”
I was being attacked on all sides here. I didn’t like it. “We just need you to do us a favor, Sami,” I said, drawing her attention to me. “If you get that feeling again … the one where you think something is trying to come out of you … please tell us. We’re here to help. I don’t want you to be afraid of asking for help.”
Sami knit her eyebrows as she considered the statement. “Okay. That sounds fair.”
“Good.”
“The thing is, I don’t think it was the magic trying to come out,” Sami said. “It’s not as if I feel the magic inside all of the time. Ever since I did … well, you know … at the house that night, I haven’t felt anything.”
“What did you do?” Tate asked, intrigued.
I ignored him. “I think that you’ve tried to bury your magic since that night,” I explained. “It’s not that the magic hasn’t been there. You’ve been too afraid to use it because I got hurt. I’m okay, though. I’m fine.”
“But Dad was so upset.”
“I was upset because your mom got hurt, Sami,” Aric clarified. “I was not upset because you used your power. You protected yourself that night. Your mother just … got in the way.”
That was an interesting way of looking at it, but I had no intention of arguing. “I healed myself, Sami. I need you to stop worrying about that. Don’t be afraid of the magic. It’s always going to be a part of you.”
“But … if I don’t use it … .”
“That won’t be an option for you,” I said, opting for honesty. “I wish it was different, but I don’t think that’s the case.”
“We’d much rather have you learn how to control your powers than pretend you don’t have them,” Aric said. “We want you to be you. We simply need you to be careful. Do you understand?”
Sami nodded. She seemed happy with our responses. “As long as I don’t kill the bees I’ll be fine.”
Aric winked. “Exactly.”
Ugh. I’m so sick of hearing about those stupid bees. They ended up winning anyway and the forest is still standing. What do they want from me?
“WHAT DO you really think?” Aric asked a few hours later as we stood next to our picnic table and prepared steaks for th
e grill. Sami was off with her grandparents and Trouble, the trio laughing on the other side of the circular common area. “You haven’t said much since it happened.”
That was an understatement. Of course, the fact that Tate refused to leave us alone for more than two minutes the entire afternoon was the biggest reason for my silence.
“I think that she’s excited and worried,” I replied, dragging my eyes from Sami and focusing on Aric. “I think that she’s thrilled she finally displayed some magic that didn’t result in anyone’s death. I also think she’s terrified of losing control like she did that night.”
“She almost killed you that night.”
“She didn’t mean it,” I said. “Stop harping on that. It makes her feel bad.”
“I’m not harping on it,” Aric said. “I’m merely … you’re my wife. I love you. The idea of losing you is too much for me to bear. I want Sami to be proud and powerful, but I don’t want to sacrifice anyone else – especially you – for that to happen.”
The sentiment was sweet and I rested my hand on his chest to soothe him. “I have no intention of dying. I have visions of you and I living until we’re a hundred and still having naked Sundays in the hot tub.”
Aric barked out a laugh as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
“I won’t hesitate to die for her, though,” I added. “I know you won’t either. We just have to be smart and work together as a family.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Aric pressed a kiss to my forehead before turning back to the steaks and potatoes. “Do you want to tell me what your problem with Tate is?”
I glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping, but we appeared to be alone. A couple of women – most notably Claudette – stared from across the bonfire ring, but none were in hearing distance.
“I don’t have a problem with Tate.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” Aric said. “I can see the way you look at him sometimes. It’s as if you’re trying to feel him out. You don’t entirely trust him.”
“That’s not it,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t dislike him. He’s been friendlier to me than almost anyone.”
Aric cocked an eyebrow. “And that’s a problem?”
“It’s not a problem. It’s … weird.”
“Why is it weird?” Aric asked, handing me the potatoes and pointing toward the foil. “Wrap all of those and then poke them with the big fork so they don’t explode.”
“Ugh. You want me to cook? That sucks.”
Aric smirked. “I don’t want you to cook. I’m not keen on food poisoning. Wrapping potatoes is not cooking.”
“It’s close enough.”
“Stop trying to distract me,” Aric admonished. “I want to know why you don’t like Tate.”
“I don’t dislike him,” I argued. That was mostly true. “It kind of bothered me that he refused to leave us this afternoon. I wanted to talk to Sami alone – you know, not spread our private business amongst the rabid wolves so they could enjoy the gossip – and he didn’t appear to want to let that happen.”
Aric tilted his head to the side, considering. “I … that’s not the feeling I got. I thought he was trying to offer us support. If you don’t think that … .”
“It’s not that I don’t think that,” I clarified. “I had this claustrophobic feeling while he was around. He seemed really eager to hear about all of the magical things in our house. He wanted to know what Sami did that night we were attacked by the shades, for example, and I don’t think we should be sharing that information with anyone.”
“I have no intention of sharing that information,” Aric said. “That’s nobody’s business. What happened at the weapons pit was public, though. Everyone knows. I thought by talking in front of Tate that everyone would realize we have the situation in hand.”
It was an interesting thought. “But we don’t have it in hand. We still don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
“You asked her the question about something trying to claw out of her,” Aric said, his eyes somber. “That’s what happened to you after you absorbed the book. You’re worried she might lose it like you did that day.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth and nodded. That was the only time I ever truly worried about hurting Aric. He never showed fear that day, and I know he would’ve gladly died to keep me safe. I never would’ve forgiven myself if I hurt him, though. I knew Sami felt the same way.
“Baby, you reined in all of that power and controlled it,” Aric said. “You learned how to control it. That’s what we have to do with Sami. We need to teach her to control it.”
“You hated it when you tried to teach me.”
“That’s because you inherently knew how to use your powers and didn’t need training,” Aric said. “You also don’t do well with authority figures. Sami is a child. She’s used to us as authority figures.”
“You have a point,” I conceded, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m kind of curious to see what else she has in her bag of tricks. She’s been trying to tamp down her magical urges. Things might start happening fast now.”
“We’ll watch her.”
“It’s not just the magic,” I said. “What if the wolf thing happens now, too? She’s been so afraid she climbed inside of herself. She’s opening up now. She might finally shift.”
“That’s my job to handle if it happens,” Aric said. “It’s going to be okay. She’s hardly the first child to shift.”
“Yes, but … there might be biological stuff that I don’t know how to handle.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, glancing around. “She’s a girl. She won’t want to be naked in front of her father when she shifts.”
“Oh, did you have to bring that up?” Aric was annoyed. “She can shift wearing a T-shirt or something. Mine are large and she’ll be small for a few years yet. We’ll figure it out.”
“Okay, what about shaving her legs?” I asked. “If she starts shifting, will her leg hair grow really fast? That would totally freak me out.”
“You are a total pain,” Aric said, taking me by surprise when he wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me a kiss. “Don’t ever change.”
That’s it? “I’m serious.”
“I know you are, but your questions have made me realize I don’t know the correct answer. I’m not a girl, and I didn’t have sisters.”
“Oh.” Great. Now we were both operating in the dark. “Maybe we should ask your mother.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“You should probably get on that.”
Aric made a face. “Why do I have to ask her? You’re the mother.”
“Yes, but she’s your mother,” I said. “I had the menstruation talk with Sami. I also had the sex talk. You have to talk to your mother.”
“Fine.” Aric huffed out a resigned sigh. “You should probably put together a list of questions for me to ask in case it does happen.”
“That’s a good idea.” I handed the unwrapped potatoes back to him. “I’ll do that while you cook.”
Aric scowled. “You’ll do anything to get out of cooking, won’t you?”
“I’m a dedicated mother.”
Aric wasn’t convinced. “And?”
“And I don’t like cooking,” I conceded.
“And there it is.” Aric lowered his cheek and tapped it. “Show me how much you love me.”
I kissed him in the spot he indicated and grinned. “I do love you.”
“Right back at you.”
Sixteen
“I think he’s cute.”
Aric made a face as he regarded Sami from across the picnic table, our dinner devoured and only dirty dishes remaining. He was eager to keep Sami engaged after her power display, so he listened as she talked about some of the other kids she’d met. When the discussion turned to Joshua, he tensed. “He is not cute. He’s too old for you.”
Sami made an exaggerated “well, duh” face.
“He’s two years older than me. How much older than Mom are you?”
“I … .” Aric worked his jaw and narrowed his eyes. The question caught him off guard. “That’s not important,” he said finally. “Your mother and I were much older when we got together.”
Sami shifted her eyes to me. “Is fourteen too old for me?”
I shrugged to buy myself time. I had no intention of playing into her game. “I don’t think so,” I replied after a beat, ignoring Aric as his eyes flashed and he opened his mouth to argue. “But Joshua lives in Traverse City, which is three hours away from where we live, so there’s probably not a lot of hope for a great romance.”
“You could drive me to see him every weekend,” Sami suggested.
“That’s not going to happen.”
“We could text.”
“You could text,” I confirmed. “Just keep in mind that if you text, your father will go insane and figure out a way to go through your stuff to spy on you and make sure they’re not dirty texts.”
Sami made a disgusted face. “Who would send dirty texts?”
I had a phone full of them because Aric liked to send me thoughtful suggestions when he was working in the yard, but I didn’t think now was the time to bring that up. “I’m just saying that now probably isn’t the time to focus on one boy. You’re young. You should play the field.”
“Or she should become a nun,” Aric interjected, causing Sami and me to offer him twin eye rolls. “Oh, that was cute. Both of my girls making fun of me at the same time without saying a word. I’m such a lucky man.”
I snorted. “You are lucky to have me.”
“I say that to myself every day,” Aric said. “As for my Sami getting a boyfriend … not until she’s thirty.”
“Oh, whatever,” Sami scoffed. “Mom was eighteen when you first made a move on her. I’ve heard all of the stories.”
“That is not entirely true,” Aric argued. “I met your mother when she was eighteen. We didn’t hook up until she was nineteen.”
“Oh, big whoop,” Sami deadpanned. “There’s a big difference there.”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 40