by Patti Larsen
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered in my ear. “Mom’s in haughty bitch mode tonight.”
Really? I hadn’t noticed.
The room we entered was some kind of study or library though I doubted much Alison’s mom was a big reader.
Then mentally kicked myself for being so mean.
“You two run along,” Mrs. Morgan said, reaching for a crystal-studded cell phone. “Maybe show your little friend your room, dear?”
She had her back to us already. Alison jerked me away and out the door into the hall.
She looked so mad I wanted to hug her. “It’s okay,” I said.
“No,” she snarled, “it isn’t. But this is my life.”
Okay, now I really wanted to hug her. She finally got her temper under control and offered me a weak smile. “Come on,” she said. “Might as well show you my room. There will be a quiz later.”
I laughed a little, but was pretty sure she was actually serious.
We headed up the right hand staircase, passing room after massive room before coming almost to the end of the hall.
“You’d think we housed an army here,” Alison said. “But nope, just the three of us. And Rosetta.”
Right, the nasty little maid with the hate on for me. Whatever.
Alison shoved open her door. “I picked the one the farthest from her,” she said, and we both know who she meant. “Welcome to Chez Alison.”
“Holy crap,” I whispered.
She grinned and shrugged. “I actually kind of like it.”
What wasn’t to like? Aside from the fact that, like my little sister Meira’s very frilly room, most of Alison’s décor was based on the color pink, that was where the similarities ended.
The room was easily four times the size of my good-sized refuge. On one side was a massive sleigh bed, easily a king frame, with an embroidered satin comforter that looked so perfect I didn’t want to touch it. A matching canopy draped over the whole thing, fixed to the ceiling by a golden cord, tenting over the bed. It looked kind of Asian and very cool.
“Dad brought the fabric back from Hong Kong,” Alison smiled as she ran her hands over the quilt. “Then I designed the rest.”
She obviously felt differently about her dad than her mom.
“Sorry you don’t get to meet him tonight.” She sat on a polished wooden chair, a perfect match for her bed and the vanity taking up another whole corner by itself. The cushion was the same fabric as the gorgeous quilt. “That's why I invited you. Because he was supposed to be home.”
“He’s not here much?” I reached up and fingered the crystals of her familiar chandelier.
Instead of answering, she winked. “Like it? I stole the idea.”
It looked just like the one my mom insisted I have for my room. I laughed.
“You could have had mine,” I said.
The rest of her digs consisted of a giant walk in closet, a massive bathroom with a soaker tub I could have used for a pool and a shower that made me want to take one just to see what all the jets were for.
The final corner was choc-o-bloc full of trophies. Both of my eyebrows shot up, but Alison just snorted.
“These are just the ones Mom thought weren’t good enough for permanent display.” She fingered the ribbon on one gold cup.
“You won a lot.” I peered at the label. “Miss Golden State?”
Alison snickered. “Right, that one. Embarrassing. The other girls didn’t stand a chance.”
I did a double take. My Alison was a beauty queen?
She made a face like she knew what I was thinking.
“I don’t compete anymore,” she said. She slid a binder from the wall and handed it to me. “Not for almost a year now.” She winked. “I decided there were more important things in life.”
I gaped at the pictures, flipping the album open at the beginning. She wasn’t much bigger than a toddler when she started and the last one looked like it could have been yesterday.
That is, if Alison was twenty-five yesterday instead of seventeen.
“Holy crap.” I was saying that a lot lately.
She took the book back, leafing through it before putting it back.
“Yup,” she said, “you betcha.” This time when she laughed, there was no humor in it, just a whole lot of bitterness. She looked more like her mother than ever. “This is my life, and aren’t I lucky? Rich parents, fabulous house, great car. But you try growing up alone with an obsessed mother who turned every friend I ever had against me. That’s what happens, you know.” She spun away, looking around. “When you’re in competition. The only people you really get to know are other pageant girls. And they’re in it to win as much as you are.” She faced me again, tears in her eyes. “Every time you complain about your family, I want to hug you then smack you.” She choked on a giggle. “You have no idea how much I would have given to grow up in a family like yours.”
As much as she didn’t know the whole story about my particular family, I was finally being allowed into the truth of Alison and was humbled by the experience. I looked around me with a new appreciation, not for the things she had, but for the prison her life was. I may have spent my whole life wanting to be free of my own particular jail cell, but I had been free to explore all my options without reprimand.
Alison never had my choices. In fact, from the way her mom treated her, Alison hadn’t had a choice since the moment she was born.
“Wow,” I said. “She must have been pissed when you changed, huh?”
My friend laughed out loud and dabbed at some tears. This time she was really amused.
“You have no idea,” Alison said. And hugged me very hard. “It was the first time I ever stood up to her, Syd. And it was all because of you.” She kept smiling. “Man, she was so furious I was sure she’d rupture her facelift.”
We giggled together. It was nice to know by hurting Alison the day I challenged her and tumbled her from her head bully position I’d actually done her more good than I expected.
We were still giggling when Rosetta came to fetch us for dinner.
***
Chapter Ten
The dining room was massive like the rest of the house. We sat at one end of the table that could have seated at least twenty-five. Mrs. Morgan sat on the end while Alison and I were seated across from each other. There were so many forks and spoons and knives and even glasses I had no idea what I was doing.
This was shaping up to be a disaster.
But Mrs. Morgan was on the bottom of her second glass of wine by the time the appetizers arrived so she was in a much more forgiving state of mind. In fact, she actually smiled and laughed a little which helped me relax, but made Alison all the more tense for some reason.
I sat there, eating course after course as Mrs. Morgan told me all about her life as first a beauty queen then a model, traveling all over Europe and the US before meeting Roger.
“He wasn’t much to look at, I’ll admit,” Mrs. Morgan slurred slightly as she leaned toward me, her refreshed glass of red sloshing to the rim of her glass. “But I could tell he was going to be rich.”
Alison’s face scrunched up in anger, her fingers tapping on the table.
“Wow,” I said, wracking my brain for something to diffuse the situation, but coming up empty and relying on my big mouth as usual. “Sounds like an easy choice.”
Alison made a face at me while I winced, but Mrs. Morgan nodded, eyes overly bright. “Exactly.” She sat back and glared at her daughter. “Remember that lesson,” she took another sip of her wine before finishing. “You’ll thank me for it someday. At least you’ll thank me for something.”
I wanted to crawl under the table. Alison was right. I’d take my mom any time, hands down. I felt fascinated too, in a creeped out kind of way. I was so used to powerful women, surrounded by my mother and Erica. Celeste. Even my crazy grandmother seemed stronger than Alison’s mom, and she was one scoop shy a hot fudge sundae. It was amazing to me that a gorgeous woma
n who had everything she could ever want could be so shallow.
“Sydlynn, dear,” Mrs. Morgan said. “Alison tells me you’re dating Bradley.”
“Not anymore,” I said. “He decided he wanted the summer to himself. Before college.”
Sounded weak to me, saying it like that.
But Mrs. Morgan nodded. “Men, they’re all the same, putting their freedom first. You have to snare them, girls. Make sure they can’t leave you. That’s the only way you’ll make sure you’re there when they hit it big.”
“Like you did, Mother?” Alison’s voice cut like a knife. Mrs. Morgan was by now so tipsy she barely noticed.
“That’s right,” she said, gesturing with her glass. “Just like I did with your father.” She turned her attention back to me. “Just as well about Bradley, dear,” she said. “Professional athletes are never the ones you want to marry. Go for a nice banker. Or a broker. Someone like that.” She hiccupped softly and drained her glass. “The uglier ones are always in the market for a pretty girl to show off.”
I was horrified and amused all at the same time. “I’ll remember that,” I said, wondering what Mom would make of this tragic woman and her ideals.
Alison obviously disagreed with my assessment of the situation. She stayed silent through the rest of that very informative and eye-opening dinner as Mrs. Morgan’s pronouncements grew grander and more embarrassing.
By the time I choked down dessert to her sharing a story about a young male model she met in Milan, Alison was so red in the face I thought her head might explode.
“That’s enough, Mother.” She lunged to her feet, her chair scraping on the marble so loudly the sound echoed around the room.
Mrs. Morgan looked up with a mildly shocked expression through her drunken haze.
“You don’t speak to me like that, young lady.” At least, that’s what I think she said. Most of the words were slurred so it was hard to tell.
“Whatever.” Alison looked at me then away very quickly. “Coming, Syd?”
I got to my feet instantly. “Thanks for dinner,” I said to Mrs. Morgan.
She smiled at me like nothing was wrong, her glass swinging in her hand. “Such a pleasure to have you, dear,” she managed. “Oh!” One manicured hand went to her mouth, eyes enormous. “Alison, sweetie, I just had a great idea.” Her pronunciation was in and out, but this part I caught, no problem.
So did Alison. “What is it now?”
“You should bring Syd with you on the last day of school,” Mrs. Morgan gushed, “to the lake house.”
Lake house? I had no idea Alison went away for the summer. The idea of her going away made me sad all of a sudden.
Alison hesitated and looked at me, her blue eyes full of anxiety. “We’ll see,” she said.
“I insist!” Mrs. Morgan slammed her glass down on the table, shattering it. Glass flew everywhere. Rosetta was there immediately to clean it up while Mrs. Morgan muttered that she must find better quality glasses.
“Sydlynn,” she said, blue eyes focused on me. “Tell me you’ll come. Keep Alison company. It will be splendid.”
Before I could catch myself, I found myself saying, “Thanks. I’ll ask my mom.”
Alison shot me a look that was half grateful and half accusing. “I’m taking Syd home now,” she said.
Mrs. Morgan had already forgotten us. “Rosetta!” There was a shrieking edge to her voice. “Where’s my refill?”
Alison stayed totally silent all the way to the car. She climbed in, hands immediately white-knuckling on the steering wheel. I didn’t know if she was mad at me or just her mom and didn’t want to screw anything up so I just stayed quiet.
She gunned the engine, squealing her tires as she took the corner of the circular driveway too fast. I’m sure we were doing over fifty by the time she hit the straightaway.
I held on and hoped she wasn’t mad at me.
“I’m sorry,” she finally blurted into the wind, voice full of tears. “Syd, I’m so sorry.”
Okay, so not mad at me. “Don’t be, Al,” I said. “It’s not your fault. You’re Mom’s just…”
“A total selfish bitch.” Alison slammed both hands down, her anger shoving her sadness aside. “I can’t believe she embarrassed me like that. Getting drunk…” Alison wiped viciously at the moisture on her cheeks with alternating hands. “She wouldn’t have done that if Dad was home.”
I guess therein lay the problem. “I’m sorry, too, Al,” I said.
“For what?” Her eyes flickered to me and back to the road. Her speed slowed a little as she calmed. I was very grateful.
“For all the times I was mean to you,” I said, feeling real regret. “You didn’t need anyone else to hurt you.”
Her lower lip trembled and one hand found mine. “You’re the sister I always wished I had,” she said. “And your mom is the mother I always wanted. Can I live with you?” She laughed around her tears. “Your mom would be okay with that, right?”
Funny thing was, Mom would take her in on a moment’s notice, especially if she found out what Alison’s mother was like.
“Sure,” I said. “She’d probably be happy to have a girly daughter.”
Alison fell quiet for another moment. “You don’t have to come to the lake house,” she said at last. “Mom probably won’t even remember inviting you.”
I knew it too. But Alison sounded almost hopeful.
“If my mom says it’s okay,” I told her, “I’ll come with you. But only if you want me to.”
She flashed me a smile. “It might be fun,” she said. “Just the two of us. Mom will be busy with her socialite friends.” She sighed deeply, sinking back into her seat as she pulled into my driveway. There were a ton of cars parked around, making my stomach tighten. I’d forgotten about the coven meeting in all the interesting interaction that was Alison’s mother.
“You’re parents having a party?” Alison checked out the driveway. I knew immediately she was looking for Quaid’s motorcycle. Matter of fact, so was I.
Stupid head.
“Something like that.” I scowled at the house as if that very act could make Mom feel the hurt I did. I felt the first drop of rain on my face as a flash of lightning lit everything followed by a bone-rattling roll of thunder.
I knew what it meant, now. The sudden rainfall, the rumble of unhappy nature.
The Wild Hunt was waking up and I couldn’t do a thing about it.
Alison jumped and giggled, pressing the close button on her retractable roof. Just in time. The seals sighed closed just as the sky released its wet burden, the sound so loud it muffled Alison’s voice.
“Are you okay?” Alison looked worried. I can only imagine the look on my face. I undid my seatbelt and hugged her. She didn’t need my crap on top of hers. Not like I could tell her much anyway.
“I’ll see you on Monday.” School seemed a long way off. Only three days left and I was free for the summer. If there was a summer when the Wild Hunt was done. Or a world, for that matter.
“I’m excited about the trip.” She smiled again and I almost retracted when I realized what I’d agreed to. What was I thinking? I couldn’t leave the family now. I was such an idiot. But I didn’t want to tell her yet. Not while she was feeling better about the whole Mom incident.
She smiled. “Text you the deets?”
The rain stopped as quickly as it started with one final clap of sound that shook me to the core. I got out, waved, watched her go.
Tried not to lose my mind as I shifted modes and headed into the house to have a face-off with my own mother.
***
Chapter Eleven
Even powerless as I was, I could tell something huge was going on the moment I crossed the threshold and entered the kitchen. An immediate shudder traced down my back as I passed through an icy barrier, every hair on my body standing at abrupt attention. I rubbed my arms and caught my breath, stolen by the sudden pressure of so much magic.
I guess
I wasn’t totally blocked off after all. Though the longer I stood there and struggled to get my anger back, the more the protective net in my mind tightened and the less I was affected by the weight of the collective coven.
The basement. I saw candlelight shining from the crack under the door and headed right for it. I eased it open and listened. Mom was talking, her voice was so low I missed what she said. My feet made little sound on the steps, and soon I was standing behind the closed circle of family witches.
The moment I touched down, I felt a thrill of something I’d felt before. And for a moment, the protective force around my magic unfurled, letting in a thread of green energy before slamming shut again, tighter than ever. As if that thread fed the spell keeping me blocked.
It made no sense. Green magic came from the Sidhe, the fairy folk. What did it have to do with me? I was half demon, or had been. And would be again. Better be. Not letting that negative thought take over. But except through Mom and her stolen Sidhe magic, I had no connection to the Fay as far as I knew.
I had about as many answers to that question as I did to everything else so I let it go.
Mom was in the middle, as usual, with Dad right next to her. I spotted Erica and headed straight for her, knowing Gram and Meira would probably be with her. No one noticed me, looked up or paid any attention. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or if I should be insulted.
When I reached Erica’s side, she glanced sideways at me before doing a double take. Her eyes widened, one hand clamping on my arm as she pushed me back away from the circle.
“What are you doing here?” It came out in a near silent hiss.
I was so stunned by her question I didn’t say anything for a moment. By the time I gathered myself enough to snap back, she winced and turned away from me.
Mom was talking, but it wasn’t really language. More murmurs of words as she focused her power. It was visible now, a sheet of flickering blue laced with white, green and amber, all of the gathered magics making their presence known. I stepped back once and hugged myself, wishing not for the first time I hadn’t been such a jerk and kept my demon with me.