by Fabio Bueno
“Jane, do you realize that what you’re asking—”
She stares at me. “Listen to me. I won’t touch Mona. It’d be like killing a unicorn.” She sees my fake-shocked look and answers my mental question. “No, unicorns don’t exist. It’s a figure of speech, stupid.”
“Why would I trust you? I want to believe you. I really do, Jane, but give me a reason.”
She scoffs. “Nobody trusts me anymore, Drake. No one. You can be suspicious and do just what you think is safe. But I swear to you: my brother is in danger. I just hope he’s still alive. Wouldn’t you do anything for Mona? It’s the same with me and Jason.”
Chapter 35: Skye
Priscilla and I are watching one of the classics, “When Harry Met Sally”, and gorging on gourmet popcorn when the doorbell rings.
“Pause, pause,” she says. “I need to get the door.” She stands up, knocking the bowl over.
“I’ll clean it up,” I offer. I get down on my knees and collect the popcorn off the floor, from between the cushions, and from under the sofa.
I’m so distracted that I don’t see who comes in.
“Hey,” Drake says.
I freeze, still kneeling, a handful of popcorn in my hand and probably a shocked expression on my face.
Behind Drake, a distressed Priscilla mouths, “I’m sorry.”
He says to me, “Not looking good. What happened?”
My free hand touches my face where the swelling is at its worst. I finally come back to Earth and stand up. I turn to Priscilla, “Would you mind—”
“Not at all. I’ll be in my room,” she says. She climbs the steps in a hurry.
I sit down on the sofa, knocking the bowl over again, but this time I don’t bother. Drake sits by my side.
“Are you okay?” His voice has no warmth.
“Yes. It’s not as bad as it seems.”
“It looks pretty bad to me.”
“How did you know?” I ask.
“We’ll talk about that later. First, tell me what happened.”
I’m ashamed. I look around as if asking for support, but the only friendly face in the room is Meg Ryan’s on the screen. Worst of all, Drake seems angry. He hasn’t even touched me.
There’s no point in lying now. I tell him everything.
When I’m done, he stays silent. Then he snorts, but not in an amused way. “We keep having the strangest conversations, don’t we?”
I don’t answer.
He looks at me. “So to recap: you were drugged by the Weird Sisters—supposedly, your friends. You trusted a guy you had met only once before to give you a ride and ended up kidnapped. Then you refused Jane’s help. Finally, you didn’t tell me any of it. And you lied to me. Again.”
“You’re twisting it a little bit,” I point out.
“Don’t you think you have a problem? Why do you always trust the wrong people?”
I don’t like being accused. “Am I supposed to trust Jane now?”
“For what it’s worth, this time she tried to help you. And she’s the one who told me what happened to you.”
“What?”
“She showed up at my house last night, bleeding badly. We stopped the blood loss with potions and stuff, and then she told me the weirdest story. She has a brother, Jason, who’s a prisoner of the Night covens. They were blackmailing her into finding the Singularity and stealing her power.”
“And you believed Jane?”
“There’s no excuse for what she did, but it’s a good explanation.”
“The woman who beat me up, Miranda, mentioned something about Jason. She wanted to kill him. But don’t you see? Miranda and Jane might have created this story to fool us.”
Drake stands up. “No, they didn’t. Why would they do that? They could just get Mona and be done with it.”
I look down, inadvertently staring at the fancy, fluffy white carpet. Priscilla’s house, so accommodating a few minutes ago, doesn’t look that cozy anymore. I’m getting tired of being the bad guy in this conversation. “You talk about trust. What are you doing entertaining Jane? Why do you trust her now?”
“Why? To be honest, I had every motive to throw her out. But I believe her story.”
“You’re too trusting, Drake. It’s just who you are. Remember when you gave your coffee money to the homeless man? I saw that. That’s the same thing. Too trusting. Couldn’t it be a scam?”
“That’s possible. But then I think: if it is, I’m just losing five or ten bucks to a con. But what if it isn’t? I may be helping him to get one more meal, one more warm night. It could make a difference. It’s a bet, and I prefer to bet on the good side.”
“Even with Jane?”
He paces the room. “Especially with Jane. If there’s a chance we can turn her around, it’s our responsibility to try.”
“Even with Mona’s life at stake? If you’re wrong, it’s not ten bucks you’re going to be losing.”
His confidence is shaken, but he recovers soon. “But what if she is telling the truth and holds up her side of the bargain? Mona would be safe.”
“Oh, Drake…”
“Terrible things happened to Jane when she was a kid. She was acting desperate.”
“I’m sorry for her, but so what? Terrible things happened to you, and you don’t try to kill people.”
“It’s different. And she doesn’t have a friend, not even someone to use as a sounding board. Come on, Skye. I believe she’s being honest, but we can still be careful. Have a failsafe. We can help her.”
“That’s the smart move too.”
“What do you mean?”
I hate the practical, calculating thought I’m about to voice, but he needs to be aware of it. “Imagine she’s telling the truth and that she loses her brother because we didn’t help. She’ll blame us. Can you imagine Jane’s wrath then? Even if she couldn’t hurt Mona, she’d expose the Singularity for sure.”
“In Jane’s defense, she has never threatened to do that.”
“She doesn’t need to, Drake. We know what’s she’s capable of, right?”
“I like to have faith in people,” he says.
I lose my patience. “Drake, I have no idea what’s going on with you lately.”
“Me neither. All we’ve been through, and you still don’t trust me!”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“We’re together! We’re supposed to worry about each other. That’s the whole point.”
It’s my turn to stand up and pace the room. I stop by the mantel, play with the Tiki trinkets on it. “What about these arguments? Are we supposed to be having them too?”
For the first time since he has arrived, he approaches me. “We’re just having different opinions, Skye. Come on.” He caresses my face. His touch is so soft; it doesn’t hurt my swollen cheeks.
I lean my face against his hand, welcoming his gesture, but I’m not convinced. “Okay, sweet-talking guy. But you need to go. We’re having a girl’s day in. We’ll talk later. I still cannot appear in public like this.”
Drake kisses me, but this time, there’s no spark. He leaves.
It’s like I don’t know him anymore.
Drake and I have been disagreeing a lot lately. We’ve been at odds not about little things, like places to eat or movies to watch, but about important matters: the Veil, his Sister’s life, maybe even ours.
Shouldn’t we be on the same page? Not about everything, but at least on those crucial issues? If we aren’t, maybe we’re not as close as I thought. Maybe we’re too different.
Chapter 36: Drake
Another day, another visit to the hospital. The updates the doctors give us are all starting to sound the same: Boulder is stable, but still critical. Some days he’s slightly better; some days he gets a bit worse. As long as he’s not much worse, I’m glad. He just needs a chance.
Jeff sees me and comes in my direction. I’m tall, and he still towers over me. When Jeff puts his hand on my shoulder a
nd asks me to have a private conversation, I’m intrigued.
We go to a corner of the ICU’s waiting room. His wife, Diana, is nowhere to be seen. Odd, because she is always at the hospital. Always. I start to dread the chat.
“How are you, Drake?”
He keeps his hands on my shoulders, his arms outstretched. I’m not sure if I’m supporting him, or if he is steadying me. Probably both.
“I’m well. Any news on Boulder?”
Jeff looks at me with a pained face. “That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
“Please don’t tell me he’s getting worse.”
“Drake, do you know what hospice care is?”
Is that it? That’s not so bad. Why is Jeff so worried? “I’ve heard about it. Are you taking Boulder home? That’s good news, right?”
He hesitates before answering. “It is. Usually. Drake, Boulder’s situation is unchanged. He is not getting better. He…will not get better.”
Jeff’s eyes don’t let mine look away. He waits for the message to sink in.
“No. You’re mistaken. If he’s unchanged—”
“No progress, Drake. No mental function. Even if his body recovers, he will be…gone.” Jeff chokes up. “We talked about it a couple of times. He was concerned about football, concussions, and paralysis. He told us—Diana and I—that he’d like us to—”
I press my hand against my head, as if trying to expel the thoughts. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Drake, you deserve to know. Diana and I like you very much. You always were a good influence on Boulder.”
“Don’t do it. There’s still time!”
“It pains me more than anyone else. He’s my son. At the time, Diana and I thought he was being dramatic. We couldn’t fathom that a healthy, strong boy would be in this situation. But now it’s real.” He looks away. “I’m not saying we’re doing it. I just want you to be prepared for when the time comes.”
I shake my head and push Jeff’s hands off of my shoulders. I want to punch something or someone. At the same time, I don’t want my words to hurt Jeff. His pain is immense; I can’t add to it.
“So the hospice care?”
“The doctors have cleared him to be moved. We want him at home. We have the space, the resources. Nurse care every minute of the day, plus hospital equipment. But he’ll be home.”
“You’re not…” I force myself to say it “You’re not taking him so he could…die at home. Are you, Jeff?”
Jeff just stares at me. “We just want him at home, so if the worst happens, he’ll be surrounded by family.”
I feel like screaming. Instead, I say. “Please don’t give up on him, Jeff. A miracle could happen. Please hang on.”
He nods, but his eyes have no sign of hope.
Chapter 37: Skye
I’m at Drake’s house. The living room feels formal, alien. This time, neither of us suggests going to his bedroom. What a change from a few weeks ago.
“I’m glad you are back to normal again,” Drake says.
I touch my face involuntarily. No more swelling, no more cuts. Once again, my Allure Charm came through. That, and a bunch of Healing potions. Thank you, Goddess.
“It feels okay.”
“Does it still hurt?”
“Not anymore.”
He nods. “Let’s get some air.”
We walk by Greenwood’s shops. A bakery. An art gallery. A tattoo studio. The gray clouds above us promise rain is on its way. People on the street look down and walk fast. By contrast, the cars on the road move at a lazy pace.
Drake is distracted, but after a while his expression goes dark.
I don’t say anything. When an ambulance passes by, its sirens disturbing the peace around us, Drake wakes from his reverie.
He turns to me. “Skye, Boulder is not getting better.” He looks devastated. His eyes are sunken; his voice is low.
“I know.”
“I don’t think the doctors can do much more for him.”
My eyes water. “Oh, Drake. I’m so sorry.”
He looks at me. “But…”
“Yes?”
“But maybe we can do something for him.”
“What do you mean?”
“You saved me, Skye. Twice. You know how to heal people.”
“Oh, Drake. I’d love to. But it’s different. With you, I only stopped your bleeding. I still have no idea how hurt you were. I lucked out. It was an advanced spell for me, but not a powerful one. It could even have backfired.”
“But you can try.”
How do I explain it to him? “It’s not like that. If the Sisters could heal at will, we would be all over hospitals and emergency rooms. I mean, that would be worth breaking the Veil for, I agree. But we can do only minor things. Stop bleedings, soothe a burn, that kind of stuff. Even the Sisters who choose to be doctors, even the ones with Healing Charm, they have limited powers. We don’t have the energy to do much more.”
Drake gives me an intense stare. “Mona has the energy.”
It is as if the ground vanishes beneath my feet. “You can’t be serious!”
“I am. It’s a desperate situation, Skye.”
“You would risk your sister’s life for your friend’s? How would that work, Drake?”
“Are you concerned about Mona or the covens?”
“How can you even ask that?”
“It’s a valid question!”
I want to slap him. “Drake, I betrayed my coven so Mona could have a normal life. You’re going to make what I did all in vain. And ruin her life.”
“If you want to look at it that way, I—”
“It’s the only way to look at it!”
“Really? Because when I look at it in a few—no, many—years from now what I’ll see is something different. I’ll remember that I could’ve helped Boulder and I didn’t! Five, ten, fifty years from now, what’s going to stay with me is that I had a chance to save my friend.”
“It’s a long shot. You’d be risking a lot for an outside chance to save him.”
He puts his hands over mine and says in a calmer tone, “Not if we use Mona’s powers. With her energy and your knowledge, you can do it. At least, you’d have a better chance, right?”
“Drake, it’s too risky! There’s a difference between obsession and righteousness. You’re so blinded by your loyalty to him that you will put Mona in danger.”
“A while ago you said that the Singularity decision was not yours to make, or mine. You said it was Mona’s.”
“No, in this case, it isn’t. I know what could happen. If we do this, there’s no way of telling if Boulder will get better. The only sure thing is that Mona will be exposed! She cannot control her magic. Worse, it could even backfire.”
“Backfire?”
“It may backfire and damage him or make it impossible for him to recover.” I try to calm down a bit and use a soothing voice. “Of course we know what we’re doing when we use the Craft, but there’s always a chance it can go wrong. Even though it’s second nature for us. And Mona is not trained at all; the risk is huge.”
“You and Mona can do it. You did it to save me and Brianna. Mona controlled her powers then.”
“It was a desperate situation, Drake. We had no choice. You and Brianna would have died. And Mona is not controlling her powers as well now.”
He looks into my eyes. “Boulder needs our help.”
“But Boulder is taken care of; everything modern medicine can do for him will be done.”
“It’s just not enough. We can help, Skye. It’s our duty to help.”
“I love that you think like this. But we also have the duty to protect Mona, don’t we?”
He breaks eye contact with me and takes his hand off mine. “I can’t believe you don’t agree with me. You risked a lot to do the right thing.”
“That’s exactly why we need to protect Mona.”
“I’ve got to go.”
“Drake?”
&n
bsp; “I’ll talk to you later. You have your big interview with Connor tomorrow, right?”
“No, that’s in three days.”
“Still, you have to be sharp to lie convincingly.” He leaves me without a goodbye kiss.
I want to go after him, but something glues me to the spot.
***
“I’m glad you came, Pain,” I tell her. “Should I call you Pain?”
She doesn’t smile. Somehow her green lipstick doesn’t clash with the piercings on her lips, or the purple hair with the right side shaved. “My name is Rebecca, but only authority figures call me that. You know, parents and teachers.” She rolls her eyes.
“Pain it is, then,” I say.
A seedling of a smile sprouts. “Cool.” A gust of wind blows her hair over her face, but she doesn’t brush it away.
We’re at the top of the bleachers of the Aqua Theater by Green Lake. It’s yet another cloudy, chilly day, and our privacy is assured here. Only die-hard joggers venture onto the track behind the theater. A man kayaks alone in the lake.
“Do you understand why I called you here by yourself?” I ask.
“So you didn’t want Mona to know?”
“Kinda. I wanted to give you the option of choosing what you’ll tell Mona. You’re a Knowing now, which is special in itself. But the Sister you’re close with is the Singularity. So you have responsibilities now. You need to understand them.”
Her eyes narrow.
The wind makes me shudder. Sometimes being a goth has its advantages: Pain wears a long black trench coat and black leather gloves. I envy her warm clothes.
“I know you’re best friends,” I say. You care for her, right?”
Her spine becomes straight. “Yeah.”
It’s hard to broach the subject. We’re not close. First, I need to lay the groundwork. “None of us planned this. But now that you know she’s a Sister, you can never—ever—tell anyone about it. You, like us, have to guard it with your life. I know you didn’t ask for it, but that’s how things work.”
Despite my straightforward words, she relaxes and says, “I’m cool with that.”