And before she said a word, bells were ringing and somehow my heart knew. Just knew.
Geraghtys past, present and future... Maegan whispered in my mind.
But I would have known. I would have felt it these last few days. All these years.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The words reached out at me, knotted around me.
“My name is Ivy. I’m your sister.”
The snow was knee deep, my leg hurt, and my sweats were soaked but I was hopped up on painkillers and a huge dose of pissed off so I didn’t care.
“Stacy, wait!” Ivy said behind me, her voice desperate.
I ignored her as I marched into the Geraghty Girls’ House, slammed the door behind me and screamed into the foyer. “Birdie! I need to talk to you right now!”
How could they keep her from me? Why would they keep her from me? A million questions swirled in my head. How old was she? Did my mother know she was pregnant when she left?
“Stacy, don’t, please.” Ivy spoke in a hushed tone. “Listen to me.”
“This is not about you, Ivy. Just back off,” I said.
“No, wait. You don’t understand. They can’t see me,” she squealed in that high-pitched voice that only teenagers can manufacture.
I stopped and turned to her. “What do you mean they can’t see you? Are you invisible? Are you a hallucination?”
At this point, anything was possible.
“Please,” she begged, “come outside.”
“Tell me one good reason right now, Ivy.”
“Mom’s in trouble,” she said quickly. “And Birdie doesn’t know about me.
I wasn’t sure I believed that. Birdie knew everything.
“Please,” she said again.
We locked eyes and as I read her young face, I knew my life was about to change forever.
END
Other Titles by Barbra Annino
Opal Fire - Book 1 of the Stacy Justice Series, available now
Bloodstone - Book 2 of the Stacy Justice Series, June 2011
Circles - short stories, available now
Gnome Wars - short stories, available spring 2011
About the Author
I live in Illinois but dream of escaping to Hawaii, Arizona, the Caribbean or any place that doesn’t get buried in snow for six months out of the year. I have three Great Danes, a cat and a really cool husband. I have a thing for Snoopy, lemon heads and Monk. I’m not a fan of reality television and I can’t whistle.
Website: www.barbraannino.com
Blog: Stacy Justice Gemstone Mysteries
Copyright 2011 Barbra Annino
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.This is a work of fiction. Any similarities between the characters, places or events that take place in this book are strictly coincidental.
Table of Contents
Title Page
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
Opal Fire Page 21