“It’s that bad?” I asked in surprise. “What about Claire? Doesn’t her participation in Thornhill help?”
Hugh snorted, looking up at me. “She doesn’t mean as much to them as she wishes she did. They only asked her back to be their servant. For all I know, she might be actively working against me now that we’re not living together.”
“Would she actually do that?” My mom could be cruel, but she certainly wasn’t completely heartless. And she loved my dad—or, at least, she had at one time.
“The old Claire would. The one I thought was long gone before she started back with Thornhill. I don’t really feel comfortable telling you, but your mom used to be something of a backstabber.”
“So what do we do?”
“I’m working on getting us out of town. You can come live with me, until you get into college.”
“But wouldn’t I have to switch schools?” I asked.
“Possibly. I thought you hated it at Hawthorne.”
“Yeah, well, I do…” I stalled. “But all my friends are there.” Not to mention Henry. And Jenna couldn’t leave Hell; if I moved, she’d be alone, exactly what she’d been afraid of.
“Well, at least you can come live with me now. Here.” He gestured to the modest apartment like it was a palace.
“You say that every time I come and visit you,” I said, shaking my head.
Inside, I was truly considering his offer. But I stubbornly wanted to stay in my house. Even if I was mad, part of me hoped I could convince him to come home. Moving out had been a rash decision, no matter what had caused it. Without him there as a buffer, Claire and I could barely stand to be in the same room.
No matter what his excuses were, I was mad at him for leaving us. For leaving me.
###
I drove Theo up to the gallery one afternoon on her request She hadn’t seen my father in a while. She wasn’t feeling great because she still had painter’s block. The schedule at her job was harsh and she kept having to pick up extra shifts. Between Jenna’s still sullen mood and Theo’s absence, I was getting lonely.
“I was supposed to have a couple of new sketches done for him,” Theo confessed. “But I have zip.”
“He’s not going to care,” I told her. “He’s got bigger fish to fry. He knows that you’ve got big responsibilities now.”
“I know, but he gave me my start,” Theo said, rubbing one red eye. She seemed to be having trouble adjusting to the contacts; her glitter kept getting on the lenses.
“How about your dad? Is he doing any better?” I asked as kindly as I knew how.
Her face suddenly went cold and I regretted asking. “He’s doing about the same. I’m just trying to keep up enough with what he needs without lingering around.”
“Look, I’m sorry for confronting him at that dinner….”
“Please don’t apologize,” Theo said emphatically, holding up her tiny hand. “I’m in no way mad. I was hoping you wouldn’t have to see that side of him.”
“Hey, I no longer think my dad is a prince, either,” I said with a wry grin.
“I still think your dad is a good guy,” Theo said. “There’s something I haven’t told you about my dad. It’s not just his personality. He’s bipolar and he has to take medication. Well, he’s supposed to take it. But he doesn’t. When he’s off his meds, he can do okay for weeks and suddenly drop into a storm like that. He’s actually been fine ever since that dinner. You wouldn’t recognize him.”
I felt like a jerk. How did I not see it before? I should have known she was trying to be careful about the issue. “I’m sorry I was so harsh.”
“How were you to know? And you’re right, he is an ass. Sometimes. And sometimes, he’s a great dad. He has these mood swings a few times a year, like bad storms. Hurricanes. We weather them and then he goes back to normal.”
When we walked in through Erasmus’ open door, I saw Hugh dangling up on a ladder. I was about to make a comment on his lack of balance, when I noticed with a shock that Callie was standing below him. Each was holding one end of a poster advertising an artist’s showing. Both of them were talking and laughing, in a manner I could only interpret as flirtatious. Did they have to be so obvious?
“Your balance is terrible. You need to get your ears checked,” Callie said, giggling. Stealing the joke, too. My stomach twisted and I felt a wave of nausea. If Theo hadn’t been there, I would have left that instant.
Callie’s hair was braided down almost to her waist. She was a good fifteen years younger than Hugh, though they both looked like teenagers caught in a fogged-up car to me.
Callie spotted us first. “Hi, girls!” she crowed, finished with her side of the poster. She was completely oblivious to the fact that her presence made me unhappy. Hugh arched his head around, noticing us.
“Why are you here?” I blurted to Callie. I knew it was rude, but I didn’t care.
“Ariel,” Hugh said, looking surprised at my tone.
“I offered to work here for a while to help Hugh. So, we’re going to be seeing more of each other,” Callie said cheerfully.
“What about Gwen?”
Hugh had finished pinning his side of the poster and hopped off of the ladder, folding it together.
“Gwen’s doctor told her she needs to be on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy. I can’t keep up with all the bills and paperwork alone. So Callie is going to be here for a while.” His eyes seemed to be pleading with me, as if he thought I was going to make a scene.
I lingered while Theo explained her lack of art to Hugh.
“The job isn’t helping. People try to bargain a sale on stuff that is less than a dollar! I’m running out of inspiration,” Theo said.
“You and me both kiddo,” he said, patting her on the shoulder. “It’ll be better once you’re back in the city. Your muse will come knocking.”
“As long as I don’t answer the door with a shotgun,” Theo muttered.
I was still watching Callie. She strolled casually behind the front counter, flaring my irritation. No one was supposed to go behind there except for Gwen and Hugh. I didn’t care if she was on the payroll; she was trespassing. She flipped through their folders, already acting at home with the job.
A new painting hung on the wall behind the desk. A black tower stood in the middle of a flat field of blood-red poppies. Menacing clouds swirled in the dark sky.
“Did you paint that?” I asked Hugh. It reminded me of his style, but not exactly. There was something feminine about it.
“I sketched out the shapes, but Callie finished it for me. She’s quite talented.”
“If I were a person to say shucks, this would be the moment,” Callie beamed. I wanted, irrationally, to throw something heavy at the painting and bust their creation. Or barf. Barfing might be more destructive; I could aim it right at my dad’s mistress.
I looked away, and for just a moment, I thought I saw the girl in the gingham dress lingering by the poster. Her permanent scowl was fixed on me. Then I realized it was an illusion, the way the shadow from the light fixture was falling.
Theo gave me a sympathetic look, her eyes flicking to Callie, who was sipping some tea and shuffling through an art book. Resentment flowed freely in me and I had to squeeze it inside myself.
She went to the employee break room, and Theo wandered off into the galleries, sensing I wanted to be alone with my father.
“So, Claire was right,” I said bitterly to Hugh.
“What? Callie is my employee, Ariel. I’ve never cheated on your mother in our entire marriage. I needed help and I don’t exactly have a surplus of friends in this town anymore.”
I searched his hazel eyes, so much like my own, for the truth. But I was too shocked and hurt to completely trust him.
When it was time to go, I bolted for the door.
Callie’s head shot up. “Hey, Ariel!” she called.
I turned back to her, regarding her coldly. “What?”
“Befor
e I forget, when you next get a chance, I was hoping you could drop by the library sometime this week. I have a surprise for you.”
Theo stiffened beside me, and I could tell she was gauging my reaction. Callie still seemed cheerfully oblivious to her effect on me.
“I’m pretty busy. But if I get a chance, sure.” Yeah, right.
“Great. I’ll see you soon then,” Callie said.
I had no intention of visiting her. The library was fast becoming the most ominous spot on the map.
###
I tried to avoid the library from then on, but with Henry working full time helping his father and Theo working, I didn’t want to sit in the house ruminating. I would drive myself more crazy than I already was.
The necklace was still safely buried in my jewelry box. A few times, I had pulled out the little yellow box that contained it, feeling heat emanate from inside. The heat was almost enticing enough for me to slip off the lid. Almost. Then I’d slip it quickly back into hiding, paranoid someone would see.
It’s evil, Jenna’s voice would echo in my head. And sometimes she would reiterate it in person.
Despite my distaste of Callie, I was really curious as to what her big surprise could be. Probably something to win me over.
All I could think about was their apparent affair. My dad didn’t seem like the type of person to do that, but how much impulsiveness did it take? A young, beautiful woman, floating around, laughing at his jokes and paying him compliments, hanging on every word he said. I could easily see him falling for her, even if he didn’t realize he’d lost his footing.
I drove to the library through sticky, warm rain. This summer hadn’t been quite as hot as the last, but it had still been sweltering. I parked on the street and ran up the steps. It was late, and the library looked like it might be empty. I had told Callie I was coming but I hadn’t thought about the fact that it was a Sunday, when the library closed early. Sure enough, the little sign was turned to Closed. The outside lamps flicked on to combat the approaching dusk.
Hard droplets of rain stung my skin, and I pulled up the hood of my coat. A few lights still glowed inside the frosted glass, but I couldn’t see much. I banged on the door and waited, but didn’t hear anything. The door was locked. Maybe I’d taken too long. After all, I had dawdled for several minutes before getting in the car, wondering if I should have changed my mind.
I turned around and peered down the stairs at the sidewalk. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the time I’d been chased down that very sidewalk by a hooded figure. Heavy rain had started falling that day, creating a blinding sheet that wrapped around me. An intense feeling of desperation had swarmed inside me.
I didn’t chase you, Warwick had said, even though I’d been convinced it was him. Still…
The door creaked open and Callie stuck her head out. “Come in out of the rain, stranger.”
I cast one more glance at the road. I smiled tightly, annoyance starting to run back through me from Callie’s appearance. Brushing my shoes on the mat, I pushed away the morbid thoughts.
The library was blessedly warm to counter the chill I’d developed outside. It was also quiet enough to hear a pin drop in the back room.
“I’m surprised you’re working both here and at the gallery,” I said stiffly, standing in front of the desk. Now that I was here, I felt very uncomfortable and didn’t know what to say. I had no idea how to talk without snapping and accusing her of trying to steal away my dad.
I wandered over to Cheryl Rhodes’ display cases. Objects gleamed within the spotless glass. The largest of them was the ceremonial dagger, surrounded by leather-handled tools. I shivered and stepped away.
“I’ve been working alternating weekends. I like to keep busy,” Callie said with a gleaming smile. “You can get closer, I won’t bite you.”
“Is that okay if I go behind the desk? Seems kind of against the rules.” I meant it as a jab because of her own invasion behind Erasmus’ desk.
She waved a hand to dismiss the idea. “Eh, no big deal. Who’s here to stop you?”
I went hesitantly behind the desk to stand by her. Her personal effects were neatly piled next to the computer. She pulled up her bag and unzipped it, rifling through the contents. Then she pulled out a book.
“Do you know what this is?”
“A book? In a library, how shocking.”
She didn’t get the snottiness in my sarcasm and just shook her head at me.
“I looked around for that book you wanted forever ago—that Other Worlds book? The one that got lost?” Callie asked. “I couldn’t find a copy, but I did find out a little about the publisher. A little company in the early 1960s that only put out three or four books, with a 200 copy print run each. This is another book from the publisher. I had a hell of a time even finding it. It will probably go down as the bitterest eBay war of all time.”
She held the book out and I took it from her, my shocked eyes darting back and forth between her and the book. Other Worlds had been the one to explain much of what I was seeing, but one day had gone missing.
I inspected the cover quickly. It was the same unique, fat shape as Other Worlds, the silver lettering on this one declaring Spirit Metals & Stones on the front cover. But this was a much more beaten-up book, the cover held together with yellowing packing tape.
“Happy two-months-early birthday.”
I couldn’t believe she would remember something of mine for so long ago. “Why would you do this?” I asked her.
“Because I’m your friend,” she said, smiling again but this time with confused eyes. She searched my face and I knew I wasn’t hiding my emotions well. “You know that Hugh and I are just friends too, right?”
That was out of the blue. I almost choked on my own spit. Now I really wanted to run.
“You are?” I croaked, raising my eyebrow. “Because that’s not the impression my mom got.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock and she put her hand to her chest. “Oh my God. Ariel, I promise, we are not dating. Not romantically involved at all. I have a boyfriend, he lives out of town. Why didn’t you just ask me?”
I shrugged, shocked myself. “Didn’t know how. Things have been bad with my parents for a while. She said she found text messages from you.”
“We text all the time because I’m a chatterbox,” Callie said, with tinkling, clear laughter. “I’m really sorry that is the impression that you got, honey. I wouldn’t want to hurt you or your mom.”
I felt torn. She had only ever been nice to me, helping me through some of my worst emotional moments. And to care enough to search for some obscure book that I only mentioned once?
I sat back in awe for a second with my new present, flipping through the pages again.
“You should read through it, see if there are any metals that would be beneficial to you,” Callie said. “I mean, it’s probably all poppycock, but I think it’s pretty fascinating. I was combing through it and it said my amethyst ring could house mischievous spirits.”
Well, I could do one better. I had an evil necklace sitting in a jewelry box, waiting for me to crack its secrets.
CHAPTER 16
SPIRIT METALS & Stones was written in the same hippy, new age style as Other Worlds had been. But the information was a lot more dense and less direct. Every single metal and stone seemed to have a different purpose. Table salt was good for warding off demons, pearls were good for protection. There was a sort of alchemical nature to the book, rather than magical spells.
I bit my fingernail and flipped to the index, finding the entry for copper. I’d dreamed of a copper symbol related to Thornhill, like a bundle of sticks. The symbol kept popping up—on the trapdoor down to the shed’s tunnels, on the yearbook from the display case.
When I turned to the copper entry, the hairs on my neck stood up. A rusty brown bundle of sticks symbol was printed right on the page. It was the alchemical symbol for copper. In the entry for copper, it read, Copper is the symbol of
the soul, representing Venus. The element is considered an energy conduit, allowing the flow of energy through the metal, but also used for binding spiritual energy. Used primitively to mark the territory of sects. Copper is seen upon liquefaction to have a body and a soul.
That all made sense, and was simpler than the complexities I’d given it. I’d thought maybe the symbol stood for the devil or evil incarnate. A seemingly harmless metal was not what I had been expecting.
I wondered about the necklace next. I flipped to emerald. Claire had told me it was costume jewelry, but that might have only been a guess. The entry for emerald was boring, though, that it promoted healing and emotional balance like an herbal supplement.
I read farther into the next chapter. It was talking about different types of stone, sometimes shaped into pendants, rings or headpieces. There were some color illustrations in the center. One was of a olive colored pendant that looked a lot like mine, but underneath it said ‘peridot.‘
Once considered more valuable than diamonds, peridot is imbued with traces of iron and can aid the wearer in clairvoyance and divination. If a wearer possesses the Sight, peridot has the ability to channel them into the Other Worlds for periods of time. There is also the chance for direct spirit communication and contact. Beware, for peridot is a strong stone not without drawbacks—because it involves the mind, blinding pain and stomach troubles can result from too much use. Also absorbs Dark energy, and ideally should be stored in a lead-lined box.
I shut the book and set it aside to pull out the necklace box again. Carefully, I removed the top. Staring down at the twinkling green facets of the necklace, I knew I couldn’t put off using it any longer.
I tipped the box over and dropped the necklace on my bedspread. I hovered my hand just close enough to feel the heat. As my hand moved closer, electrical sparks shot out and bit at my fingertips. I yanked back, taking a moment to recover. Then I attempted it again, holding my hand just close enough to feel heat without the electricity snapping at me. I held my hand still for what seemed like ten minutes, until my wrist ached.
Luminosity (Gravity Series #3) (The Gravity Series) Page 13