The Rising King (22 page)

“Gone,” I rasp, “and so is the necklace.”

Mom blinks at us from her seat in the back of the Jeep. You’d think just seeing your only child getting physically abused would bring out the maternal “mama bear” syndrome most women talk about. Not my mom. She looks completely content to stay where she is. Leo helps me inside the Jeep and buckles me in. “What was that all about?”

“I think Kera just tried to kill me.”

“What? You’re not serious.”

“Not her, exactly. The magic.”

A snort sounds from the backseat. “And you thought I had bad taste in lovers. They always blame it on something. Booze. Stress. A bad childhood.”

I lay my head back on the headrest and see her reflection in the sun visor’s mirror. “She’s possessed.”

“Demon possession?” A sick smile tugs at her mouth. “You win. I’ve never had one of mine use
that
line.”

Leo straightens and looks around the rest stop. “Are we waiting for her? Do you want me to go find her?”

“The dark magic isn’t messing around, dude. She’s not the Kera we know right now. We’ve got to get back to Teag. I need someone to tell me how to help her.” If it’s not already too late. “Get us home. Now.”

“Right.” Leo jumps back into the driver’s seat. We don’t move, even though the engine is running and his hands are on the steering wheel. He turns to me. “This is one of those times when things are really serious and the hero gives an uplifting speech.”

“Drive,” I say. “Fast.”

“Short. No room for misinterpretation. I like it.”

I slouch into my seat, exhausted and hurting. “Why I didn’t see her slide into darkness taking over?”

“Love is blind, stupid, and cruel,” Mom says from the backseat. She tucks her legs beneath her as Leo sets out on the road. “And it never lasts. I thought living with me would have taught you that much.”

It did, but I never thought it would apply to me. Now I know. But just like Leo, I need time to absorb what’s happened.

Loyalty isn’t something I’m used to, but with Kera, I assumed she’d always be there. It’s what I tell Leo.

He nods. “I hear you. I thought Lucinda would always be around. She was always the one freaking out when I left, always badgering me to hurry back. I didn’t see it coming.”

“I should’ve forced Kera to give me Baun’s magic as soon as she got it. It’s what pushed her over the edge.”

“Yeah, like that would’ve been a good idea,” he says, a sarcastic tone to his voice. “You had enough problems and she knew it. She wanted to help. She did help.”

“And it ended up hurting her. I could’ve done something.”

“Neither of us saw it getting this bad. No one could’ve prevented it. She kept telling us she had the magic under control. I believed her. We all did.”

“You know what really bugs me? Grandma said the magic insisted on being close to its owner. When we thought Lucinda took it, I couldn’t figure out how she’d managed it without Mom knowing, but it makes sense now because Kera had it. Technically, it was always close. But now, Kera has it and she’s gone. How’d she do it?”

“Bro, logically, none of this makes sense. Magic shouldn’t exist. Teag shouldn’t exist. Even
you
shouldn’t exist, but it all does. I just accept and move on.”

That he doesn’t want to examine it too closely yet is what’s keeping Leo sane. I can’t fault him for that. I just wish I could be like him. Instead, I sit back and roll over every detail again and again, examining every twist and turn until I’m sure Leo would like nothing better than to put me out of my misery.

We’re so lost in conversation, we don’t notice the state trooper come alongside us, or Mom’s sudden interest in him.

Crazy Is as Crazy Does

I’m not sure why I look back. Maybe it’s because Mom’s too quiet, something she’s never been good at, but when I do, I see her writing out the word “help” on the window. It’s then I notice the state trooper rolling along beside us.

“Mom,” I yell. She jumps and drops her tinted lip balm, but it’s too late. The trooper’s lights flash on and his siren screams at us to pull over.

Leo grips the steering wheel and slashes a panicked glance my way. “What do I do? What do I do?”

I’m too weak to do much, but maybe I can convince him Mom’s nuts. “Pull over.”

“Really?” He sounds shocked.

I glance back at Mom and she looks just as surprised. I nod. “It’ll be okay.”

Three hours later, we’re booked in the town of Happy, California, a place so small and true to its name it only has one jail cell.

The cell door closes and I turn to Leo. “Did you say anything?”

“That your mom’s crazy. So, yeah, I pretty much told the truth. Even I know this isn’t the time to get creative verbally. What did you say?”

“Same thing, and then I asked them to call Grandpa.”

“Did you get to talk to him?”

A sharp laugh bursts from my throat. “Hell no. Call me nutty, but I’m not looking forward to that conversation.”

Since the “kidnapping” crossed state lines, the FBI had been called in. Grandpa was going to have his hands full explaining to them that his daughter thought she was a movie star and we played along to get her to come home. For some reason, I don’t think the FBI’s going to have a sense of humor about all this.

The door to the holding area opens and Mom is escorted inside. “I’m not the guilty one here. They are. That I gave birth to one of them shouldn’t factor into this at all. And are you even looking for the girl? She has my necklace.”

“The magical one?” Got to give him credit. He said that with a straight face.

Leo and I exchange glances. Apparently Mom’s been talking. A lot.

She frowns and turns to face him. “How would I know? It never did anything for me.”

As the officer motions Mom to a chair, he looks at us and rolls his eyes, then says, “We’ll get this all worked out for you, but these things take time.” He calls me forward and I hop up.

Mom flops into the chair as I pass and crosses her arms in a huff, staring at the officer. “If I’d known I was going to be stuck with a backwoods butt-scratcher like you—”

“Mom,” I say, and give the officer an apologetic look.

She didn’t even miss a beat. “—I would’ve waited until we got to a real town before I asked for help.”

“Trust me, ma’am. I wish you had, too.”

I stop in front of him and he leans close. “Your grandfather is here. He’s just signing some paperwork.” He slants a quick glance at Mom. “I’m sorry, but we have to take all signs of distress seriously. You understand?”

“Sure. No problem.”

He leans in even closer. “Did she really think she was a movie star?”

“When we found her, she was living large on the money she stole from her dad.”

“Wow,” he says with a sigh. “That’s got to be rough for your family. I’m really sorry.” He nods and leaves.

Not for a second do I feel guilty about the lie. She’s put me through hell and this is payback time.

As I pass her on my way to the bench she kicks out at me. “Because of you, they think I’m crazy.”

“Yep, though I think you might have helped a little.”

Tears gather in her eyes. “You are a horrible son.”

I sit, lean my head back, and close my eyes. “I can live with that.”

When they let us all out, Grandpa doesn’t say a word. He places Mom in the back of his police car and thanks the officers for doing a good job. When they go inside, he glares at Leo and me. “Do you know how much trouble you put me through?”

Since from the time the officer said he was filling out papers to the moment we were let go it had been three hours, I can guess. “Sorry.”

“Thank God the FBI isn’t pursuing this. It’s a huge embarrassment for everyone concerned, including me.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“You kidnapped her,” he yells and we jump. “No one but a complete idiot thinks that’s a good idea.”

Leo’s eyes grow big. “I told him to leave her.”

“I couldn’t,” I say, not even upset Leo just threw me under the bus. “You should’ve seen how she was living. What she was doing. I couldn’t leave her there and then come home and face Grandma.”

The weight of Grandpa’s stare has me squirming. Finally, he looks away and nods. “Let’s just get home and get this whole mess settled.”

Before he turns away, I ask, “Have you seen Kera?”

“No. And from what I hear, I don’t want to.”

Why would he say that? “Who’d you hear that from?”

“Your mother via an FBI officer who’s now got one hell of a story to share at their national convention.” He tosses the Jeep’s keys at Leo none too gently and growls, “Now get in that car and drive your asses home.”

“Yes, sir,” we both say and jump in the Jeep.

Our conversation is sparse. We’re both exhausted, and I need time to think, but I’m having a hard time putting two thoughts together. I have no idea where Kera is or what she’s doing. I keep playing our last moment together, and the more I do, the more I’m convinced she ran because she wanted to save me from the evil she couldn’t control. I tell Leo what I suspect and he nods in agreement, but I know deep down he’s only agreeing to make me feel better.

It’s past midnight when we get back to the ranch. Mom is dragging. Grandpa must have chewed her out because when Grandma steps out onto the porch, Mom bolts from the car and starts crying all over again.

The light from the front porch barely extends to where Grandpa stands. He leans on his police car and crosses his arms over his chest. “You happy now, woman? She’s back and these two knuckleheads aren’t going to a federal penitentiary. Obviously, there is a God.”

Grandma tucks Mom against her shoulder and gives him a watery smile. “I had every faith you’d fix the problem. You always do.” She then pulls Mom into the house, telling her everything is going to be all right. I wish I had her confidence.

Leo hands the keys over to Grandpa, and happily leaves me alone with a man who I have no doubt can split wood with his bare hands. I wait for the yelling to commence, but he only stands there staring at me.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” I cringe, expecting him to lose it just from me saying that.

“Boy.” His voice is calm. Tired. “You got more trouble on your plate right now than most people will have in their entire lives. I’m not planning on adding to it. You look like hell. Get some rest.”

“I can’t.” He must know that. “Kera’s out there. Alone. Scared. And she has what I need to help Teag.”

“You’re no good to her like this, but…suit yourself.” He pushes off his car and goes inside.

I throw my head back and breathe deeply, looking up at the stars as if they have answers. “I have to find her.” Not just to get the magic back, but to help her.

I sway on my feet, trashed, light-headed. It’s like I’m sleepwalking already.

Lightbulb moments are few and far between for me, but I have one standing there in the front yard. I have to go to sleep. It’s how I’ve always found her before when I needed her the most.

I drag myself up the steps and into the house. All I need is a few hours to find her, talk to her, and convince her to come back. Once in my room, I rake off my shirt, set the alarm, and fall into bed. Concentrating on Kera is easy. I do that most nights, but this time I do it with a desperation I’ve rarely felt. I breathe deeply. Once. Twice. Three times and darkness enfolds me. An awareness of time and space vanishes as I plunge into sleep.

The alarm sounds, and it takes me longer than it should to struggle out of sleep. I lie there, confused for a moment, and then panic drives me upright. I didn’t dream of Kera. I didn’t dream at all. “Damn!” I glance at the time. Five thirty a.m.

The summer sun slowly rises outside my window, painting the misty morning air with touches of gold. All that time…lost. I bolt out of bed, still tired, and now I’m starving. I can’t believe I slept. As I find a clean shirt, one question flies through my mind. Why didn’t I find her? Now more than ever I want to turn back time and help Kera before the dark magic got to her.

“With all the stupid powers I have, why can’t I have that one?” I mutter as I wrench my bedroom door open.

I go to the kitchen expecting to see Grandma, but there’s only Grandpa, reading his paper and stirring his coffee. He doesn’t look up when he asks, “Feel better?”

“No.”

“Well, you look better. Sleep has a way of clearing the mind. Sit down.” He points to the chair opposite him. “Toast and coffee will help.”

“Help with what?” I rub my aching stomach. “I think I’m getting an ulcer.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised with all that’s happened. You’re empty. A man can’t think when his belly’s scratching his backbone.”

There’s a sound outside the window. When I look, Blaze presses his hot nose to the glass and breathes out a puff of steam. His image is obscured for a second, and then he sneezes, rattling the pane.

Grandpa gets up and shouts at Blaze to move away. The dragon finally obeys and Grandpa mumbles, “Snotty windows and a dug-up lawn. That dragon is a nuisance.” He plops a plate with a scorched piece of toast in front of me, followed by a strong cup of black coffee. “Eat.”

He takes his seat again and the only sounds are those of me gnawing at the burned toast and him turning his newspaper pages.

“Magic.” The single word, spoken very clearly, startles me.

I lift my eyes and stare at him. But he doesn’t say anything else. “What?”

“Magic. That’s how you should find her.”

I’m not stupid. “Tried it already.”

He shakes the paper straight and clears his throat. “Sometimes, when I’m trying to find someone, I don’t look for them, I look for something they need or have, or even a place. Addison keeps whining about that necklace. You could start with that.”

And then there are times when I feel stupid, because…I’m going to blame this on lack of sleep. “Yeah.” I bob my head. “That was my next choice.”

“Good.” He puts down his paper and looks at me expectantly. “Go ahead.”

“What, now?”

“Women aren’t the only ones who can multitask.” He takes a big bite of his toast and points it at me. “Eat and do your thing.”

Under his watchful eyes, I feel a bit like a performing monkey, but I take a big bite of toast, close my eyes, and concentrate on the ancient magic I want and demand that it come to me. Minutes pass. Over and over again, I call its name, Álainn.

I stop and look at Grandpa. “It feels close, like I should be able to find it easily.”

“Maybe Kera is close by. Try again.”

I home in on the feeling and call, but the sound of Grandpa’s name being shouted interrupts me. Standing, I look outside and see someone running toward the back gate.

“Grandpa,” I say. The worry in my voice has him peering out the window.

I go to the kitchen door and hold it open. Grandma darts inside; her face is flushed, her breathing labored. She goes directly to Grandpa. “It’s Addison.” Her voice is colored with fear. “We were walking and talking…just like we used to… I was showing her the field of rose angels and baby blue eyes, you know how she’s always loved them… She’s hurt. She fell. Blaze is with her.”

Grandpa presses her into a chair and tells her to stay put. We rush outside and into the woods. I follow him to a field filled with white, blue, and pink wildflowers and find Mom, lying among the flowers, breathing rapidly as if she’d just run a four-minute mile. Blaze stands guard over her.

I drop to my knees beside Mom. “What happened?”

“My side,” she moans. “It feels like it’s ripping apart.”

“Like it did at the casino?”

“This has happened before?” Grandpa asks. She nods and lifts her shirt and all we see is the tattoo scrawled low on her right hip and dipping beneath her waistband over her belly.

Grandpa rolls his eyes. “When your mother sees that, she’s going to have words for you.”

“I’m not twelve. I can have a tattoo if I want.”

“She tried to get it removed.” I don’t know why I tell him, like I’m trying to make her seem more responsible in his eyes.

“Not all drunken mistakes can be easily erased.”

She bristles at the tone of his voice. “Who said it was a drunken mistake?”

He hitches his eyebrow up. “I know one when I see one.” He lowers his gaze to the tattoo. It’s oddly red, and I wonder exactly what Augustus did to try to remove it. Grandpa presses on it. “How’s that feel?”

Her voice gives a little catch. “Stings, but that’s all. The pain comes and goes.”

“Could be her appendix.” Grandpa helps her up, and we take her back to the house and settle her on the couch in the living room where Grandma can fuss over her while she fixes a nice big breakfast. I call Grandpa into the den and whisper, “She’s going to be okay, right?”

“If you think you have to stay, don’t,” he whispers back. “Your mother’s always been high-strung. I suspect she’s a mite stressed out about everyone thinking she’s crazy. And that it could be—though I’m not saying it is—it could be partly my fault. I wasn’t the kindest to her on the way back.”

“I gotta find Kera.”

“I know.” He walks toward the kitchen and then pauses. “If you think she’s close, I’d try your mojo one more time. See if anything comes of it. Don’t worry about your mother. We’ll tend to her.”

He leaves to go sit at the kitchen table and I plop down on the couch in front of the television. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve sat and done something as mundane as watch a TV show.

I can’t let myself get distracted now. I shake myself. Roll my head back and forth and generally loosen what muscles I can before I settle in to call the magic Kera took one more time. Its name pops into my head and I concentrate on it. Suddenly I hear Mom screaming from the other room about her abdomen burning. I stop and see Grandma drop whatever she’s doing and run into the living room with ice wrapped in a dish towel. After a while, Grandpa glances my way and mouths that she’s fine. I may get angry at Mom, but I don’t like hearing her hurt.