human side of the headache.” She hopped off the bed and disappeared in the hallway. I was still staring after her in disbelief when she returned with a bottle and water in a glass.
“You think over-the-counter meds will cure me?”
“What do you have to lose?” She read the label, opened the bottle, and removed two pills. She pushed them in my hand, then offered me water. “Take them.”
I stared at the oval-shaped gel. “They look like miniature hellgels.”
“These have chemicals that stop headaches and whatnots. Swallow them whole too, no biting or chewing.”
I chuckled, then placed the gels on my tongue and washed them down with water. “Now what?”
“Now let human technology work its wonders. It will be absorbed into your body. Could I, you know, see them?” She indicated my back.
“Why? They look like tattoos. No big deal.”
“Thanks for spoiling the surprise for me. Now turn around.”
For such a tiny girl she could be so bossy sometimes. “I swear to Goddess, if you say anything mean…” I stood, turned and lifted my shirt.
For a moment, Kylie didn’t speak. Then she said, “Uh, Lil, there’s nothing on your skin.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? They cover my spine, from the base of my neck to my lower back.”
“Not anymore. See for yourself.”
My heart pounding, I pulled off my top and studied my back through the mirror. Kylie was right—there was nothing on my back. Not sure what it meant, I pulled my shirt back on. “That’s weird.”
“Weird good or weird bad?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
She sat back on her bed and continued to study me like I was some alien she was trying to figure out. For a brief moment, I was tempted to read her thoughts, but I resisted. I had a rule about not getting inside my friends’ minds.
“Tell me what we did this summer,” I said instead.
She chuckled. “Funny, I’m usually the one with the questions. Okay, don’t give me that look. I’ll answer you, but first, do you really think Gavyn is behind this?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think.” I scowled at the ceiling, remembering the look on Bran’s face when he’d told us about a possible connection between his brother and the Summoners. “What matters is Bran and what this would mean to him if it’s true. Sometimes, I wish I had the power to spare him pain.”
“Having Gavyn for a brother totally sucks. Makes me appreciate mine.”
It didn’t seem like that a few minutes ago. “Makes me happy I’m an only child,” I said.
“Uh, you’re not an only child.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” Solange’s perfect face, gorgeous hair, and body like a swimsuit model flashed in my head. She was only my half-sister and about as evil as Gavyn. “Every time I think Gavyn has changed, wham, he does something stupid. If he deliberately summoned these powerful demons to stop Bran from canceling his contracts, we’ll have to deal with him.”
“Send him to Tartarus?” Kylie asked.
Bran would have to let go of his brother before we could do that. “I haven’t thought that far yet, but yes.”
“What if it’s not Gavyn? Don’t look at me like that,” she added when I scowled. “What if it’s…Solange?” She raised her hands in mock surrender. “There’s that look again. You told me Solange vowed to come after you.”
I scowled, trying to remember. “I did?”
“Yes, the night of your party. You know, after Jarvis Island and the mortal combat. You came back and threw a killer party. The students talked about it the rest of the semester. You’re officially, the party—”
“Yeah, that’s nice,” I said impatiently. “Tell me about Solange.”
“You told me you called the number Valafar had given, but she was the one who answered it. She vowed to make you sorry.”
I sat up and scrunched my face. “Why would I call Valafar?”
“You wanted proof that he was dead or something like that.”
“Tell me everything I told you. Bran tried to fill me in on what we did, but that only covered what
“I helped with his birthday party, so if he said the cake you baked was scrumptious? He lied. It was terrible.”
I threw her a disgusted look. “He told me the same thing. Now back to filling in the blanks.”
She talked about everything I’d told her about Valafar and my doubts about whether he was really in Tartarus or hiding somewhere until he healed, then she moved to the party, our mutual friends, and the things we’d done together since school closed. McKenzie, my other human friend, was visiting relatives in England. Basically, when I wasn’t out with the Guardians or with Bran, I spent time with Kylie watching reruns of her favorite TV programs online or went shopping at the mall, except for the weeks she and her mother visited her aunt in L.A. and went to the Celtic Arts Center. A door slammed shut somewhere in the house, followed by laughter. I looked up and frowned. “Your parents are home.”
Kylie shrugged. “So? They love you. Mom thinks I’m discovering my Celtic roots because of you and your Gypsy background. According to her, you are the perfect friend.”
Perfect? If only she knew. “So you’re never going to tell her about your special ability?”
“No way.” She shook her head. “Not until I have to. Despite her excitement over all this,” she waved to indicate the Celtic symbols in her room, “she’d freak out.”
There was a light knock at the door. “Sweetheart, are you asleep?”
“Still up, Mom,” Kylie yelled.
Her mother said something, then her dad’s deeper voice answered. “Can we come in?”
Kylie looked at me and cocked an eyebrow in question. I shrugged.
“Sure,” Kylie responded
The door opened and her mother peeked inside the room. A smile lit up her heavily made-up face when she saw me.
“Hey, Lil. I didn’t know you were visiting. Jim, look who’s here,” she called out and opened the door wider. Kylie’s dad moved from Jesse’s doorway to his wife’s side. He was the lumberjack type, tall and big-boned with a hearty laugh. He topped his petite wife by at least a foot.
“Howdy, Lil,” he said with a broad grin. “We haven’t seen you around lately.”
“I’ve been working. I mean, I have a summer job,” I fibbed, my face warming up.
Kylie rolled her eyes. “Daddy, I told you she works with her grandfather.”
“So you did.” He looked around the room and frowned. “Did you two move the furniture around on your own?”
“It was nothing,” Kylie said.
“Jim,” her mother scolded, giving her husband a censuring glance. “You didn’t move it for her? They shouldn’t carry such heavy things on their own. They could have gotten hurt.”
Kylie smothered a giggle.
“They’re fine, Charlene.” He dropped a kiss on her temple then leveled us a stern look, “No hauling heavy things behind my back, you two. I didn’t see your truck outside, Lil, so if you need a ride home, let me know.” He whispered something to the wife, turned and ambled down the hall toward the living room.
Kylie’s mother smiled at us. “Do you girls want something to drink or eat? We brought some takeout.”
Kylie glanced at me. I shook my head. She grinned at her mother. “Thanks, Mom. We’re fine.”
“Then I’ll leave you alone.” She glanced around and smiled. “The room looks amazing.”
“I know,” Kylie called out before the door closed.
I groaned and gave her a resigned look. “I can’t teleport home now and Bran is still not back to pick me up.”
“Leave it to me,” was Kylie’s mysterious response.
We hung out until a truck pulled up outside their home, music blaring and disrupting the tranquility of the
