The Darkness of Shadows (12 page)

There was a fierce silence between us.

She glared up at me.

“That was a lame-ass speech.”

“It was worth a shot.”

“Nice touch with the Cripples.com bit, though.”

“I try.”

Her anger melted. “I know you can take care of yourself. But everybody needs help once in a while and there’s no shame in asking for it.” She took a breath. “You’re my best friend. We’ve broken each other in over twenty years, and I’m not starting from scratch trying to find another you. Might end up with someone like Tina.” She shuddered.

I gave her a half-smile on that one. “You never ask for help.”

“And you are too good-looking.”

I rolled my eyes. “The guys at the blind school wouldn’t bother with me. And don’t tell me I’m beautiful on the inside because I will beat you senseless.”

She rolled her eyes in return. “Have I ever lied to you?”

“This coming from someone who could’ve been a model. End of conversation.”

“
Fine
.” She gave me her serious look. “But you have to be really careful now. Your father doesn’t play by the rules.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m just a little overprotective of you.” She shook her head. “You’re a pain in my ass.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re good at something … What’s for dinner?”

A small smile played on her lips. “As Mom says, ‘You will eat what I make and like it.’” A spot-on imitation. “Set the table and tell me what was so interesting at good ol’ Walter’s house. Besides the hideous décor.”

“What do you want to drink?”

“A Mojito would be great,” she said, stirring away at the stove.

I grabbed the ingredients and played bartender.

Dinner was on the table, and it smelled great: cilantro citrus chicken, basmati rice, and a salad.

“Thank you for dinner,” I said.

“You’re welcome. Please don’t do anything like that again. You scared the crap out of me,” she said as she passed the greens.

“I won’t.” Guilt dressed my words.

She took a long pull on her drink. “Oh, that’s good! You know, for a non-drinker, you make a mighty fine Mojito. I might indulge in a few more.”

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. Many years ago, Tina decided that Val and Liam shouldn’t be engaged anymore. The devastation that followed was mind-numbing. After they broke up, Val hit the bottle hard, drinking enough to drown the sorrows of a small country.

“Just messing with you. You know two’s my limit.”

We finished eating in silence, each needing a break from what happened before rehashing it.

“So, what did Walter say?”

I gave her the Cliffs Notes version.

“Holy crap!” Val said. “He said my mom’s a Healer? So she goes around laying hands on people and saying, ‘You are
he-e-e-ealed
!’”

“You forgot to go into a trance and have a seizure.”

“I’ll work on that. And he tried to scam copies? What an asshole. What’s a Protector?”

“And I quote, ‘A Protector is one who protects,’” I said. “Dunno who you’re supposed to be protecting though.”

“Well you, obviously.” She grinned. “Did he tell you what you are? Am I a Protector of a magical dessert princess? Do I bow in your presence? Fell the evil bakers that try to topple your confectionary empire?” She was smiling so much her nose crinkled.

“You’re supposed to be my personal assistant too. So much potential for you.” I thought back to my meeting. “He didn’t tell me what I am.”

“Do you think if we activate our Wonder Twin powers we could rid the world of evil?”

We both laughed.

Val was sipping her drink, belly full, a content smile on her small lips. I stretched and gathered my stuff.

“Where’re you going?”

“To your mom’s. I know I put you behind on some project and you’re itching to get to it. I’m sure the dating dilemma has wound down by now,” I said.

“My staff can handle it. I called them when we left Walter’s house. I trust them to do the work.”

“Uh huh. You’ll be in the office at the crack of dawn tomorrow to check up on them.”

“Nope. Gonna do it from here in a little while.”

“You’re bad. Thanks for dinner.”

“Come on, stay a little while. I made brownies from scratch this morning.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I messed up one time and you’ve never let me forget it. Jeez!”

“Unsweetened chocolate and salt instead of sugar makes an unforgettable brownie, little sister.”

“Yeah, well, these are good. And I have French vanilla ice cream to go with them. Plus,
American Idol
’s on.” She bobbed her eyebrows at me. “The New York auditions.”

It was like dangling a piece of cheesecake in front of me.

“All right, a little while,” I said.

And we headed into the living room to join the judges and a legion of hopeful singers.

Val’s furniture was oversized, overstuffed, and way too comfortable. We took our regular spots on the couch, Val curled up on one end, and me with my legs stretched out on the other. I swear I only closed my eyes for a second as the soft warmth of a quilt floated over me.

I slipped into a restful sleep.

The aroma of coffee and bacon was my alarm clock the next morning.

“You don’t play fair.” I smacked her on the back of the head on my way to the fridge. “You lull me into a false sense of security with food and drink and the chance to watch a few singing train wrecks, then you hit me over the head with a down quilt.”

“Hey! Good morning to you too.” Her voice still deep with slumber. “How’d you sleep?”

“Really good. Thanks.” I poured a glass of orange juice. “But you still set me up.”

“Yep.” She smiled over her coffee mug. “And it worked beautifully too.”

I
t was meeting time at casa de Guerrero. Val had let it slip that we’d gone to check out Walter’s store.

“I would like to discuss Walter Young,” Mrs. Guerrero said.

“What about him?”

“I believe your parents and Mr. Young had some dealings in the past. I wanted to share my concerns with you about visiting him again.”

I breathed out a bit of apprehension. “Yes, ma’am, but he said a few things.”

Val rolled her eyes and I kicked her under the table.

“Such as?”

“That my mom was a Healer—and you were too. He called my father a Necromancer.” What a mouthful of weirdness. “He talked about magic like it was real … is he telling the truth?”

It came out lamer than I thought possible.

A small smile curved Mrs. G’s lips. She tried to hide it behind the tea cup.

“I know Mr. Young from some charity events that we have chaired together. He makes his living selling fantasy.”

“He was really adamant,” Val said.

That must’ve hurt Val’s sensibilities big time. With the exception of her chick flicks, her life was rooted in the tangible.

“He lives in another world, one that is not always grounded in reality,” Mrs. G said.

I know what I saw at my apartment. It was real. Wasn’t it? Or was the mere sight of my father enough to send me to a padded room?

Val changed the subject, and the conversation drifted. I let my mind wander while the Guerreros debated film versus digital cameras.

“If you took the photograph properly in the first place, you would not need all that fancy equipment you use to alter your work,” Mrs. G said.

“But, Mom, if you’d just
try
the camera I got for you—”

“The only thing that is being tried is my patience.” She stood. “I am going to the gallery. We have some photographs to hang. And Natalie, it is time for you to take your medication.”

The door opened, and in walked Tina with a basket full of laundry.
Great.

“Hey,” she said.

“Laundromat not good enough for you?” Val said. “Or is it time for your dutiful daughter routine?”

“I was coming for a visit.” Tina glared as she walked down the hall, past the guestroom where I was staying, to the laundry room.

“I’m going to help Mom.” Val smiled as she headed to the door. “Try not to kill each other.”

I nodded and went to my room for the meds.

The door was open a crack.

I always close doors. It was something my parents beat into me. A place for everything and everything in its place. Tina must’ve bumped into it on her way past. Go figure—even when she wasn’t physically present she found ways to piss me off.

When I got back to the kitchen, Tina was sitting at the table, flipping through a magazine with one hand, twirling her hair with the other. It got really hot, really fast. My vision started to tunnel. Gravity joined in and I fell against the counter.

“Mom! Val! Hurry!”

“Oh my!” Mrs. Guerrero said.

“What happened?” Val said.

“I-I-I … lost …”

She left my side and went straight for Tina. A torrent of Spanish filled the kitchen, explosive words I didn’t recognize.

My head tilted with the room and I slipped into darkness.

Someone was touching my stomach and it hurt a lot. I tried to sit up, but the pain and gentle hands prevented me from doing so. Focusing my eyes was a task. Val was beside me, holding my shoulders down. Mrs. G and someone else were working on my stomach. Nurse Helen to the rescue! At least I wasn’t in the hospital. Thank God for small favors. I looked at Val, questioning with my eyes.

“Mom and Mrs. Carey are fixing you up. You’re going to be fine.”

“Rita, she should really go to the hospital,” Nurse Helen said.

“Please, no,” I said. “Just stitch me back up and I’ll leave.”

“You are fine here,” Mrs. Guerrero said.

I tried to get up again. Val vetoed my efforts a second time.

“You must lie still,” Mrs. Guerrero said. “We cannot help you if you move about.”

“She’s right,” Nurse Helen said.

I relaxed into the softness of the bed. My T-shirt and jeans were gone. Towels covered my bottom half and upper chest. The pain was like an unwelcome houseguest—it didn’t know when to leave. I started to shiver.

“Val, can I have some water please?” It was getting hard to take a breath.

“Sure, be right back.”

“Helen, something is terribly wrong.”

“She’s hypotensive—flush—rapid heart rate …”

“Helen?”

Was I dreaming? What the hell was going on? My confusion and panic deepened.

“Where are her meds?”

“On the dresser.”

“The label’s right but the medication’s wrong—this is penicillin.”

“She is allergic—”

“She’s going into shock! Natalie, this is very important. When did you take your medication?” Nurse Helen said.

Between the coughing and trying to breathe, I wheezed, trying to answer her, but couldn’t.

“She needs a shot of epinephrine.”

“Do you not have it in your bag?”

“I don’t have anything that can help her. We’ve lost too much time. We need to send Valerie out—you have to start or we’ll lose her.”

“We must call the others.” Mrs. Guerrero’s voice floated away from me.

Val came in with a glass of water and a bendy straw. “Here you go.”

The cold wrapped around me. A coughing fit ensued. Little bits of air swished in and out.

“Valerie, Mrs. Carey needs you to go to the store,” Mrs. Guerrero said.