I open the door. Step into the room.
Chapter Sixteen
Mom’s tired gaze follows me into the room. She is awake and sits partially propped up with pillows.
“Belle. Mirabelle,” she says. “Why are you doing this to me? Is this the person I raised you to be?” She looks and sounds like my mom. But then, the devil is a trickster. So is Caleb.
“Mom?” I ask and circle deeper into the room.
“Of course. Who else would I be?” She wiggles against her bindings.
“Caleb.” I lean forward, as far as I dare, and study her features. She rolls her eyes but chooses not to comment on my accusation. “To answer your question,” I continue. “You raised me to be smart, resilient, and caring… for myself and the ones I love.”
Her gaze flickers up to me, yet she appears less than loving. There is something. Something unsavory lurking behind her green eyes.
I stand straight and try to wipe all emotion from my face. I pin my piercing stare on my mom and refuse to blink. “Your boss requested I give you a message.”
Mom’s head jerks, and her tight glare flies to me. The edge of her lips twitch.
My lips pull tight. The knowledge firming within me. Caleb is still very much present.
“He says he wants, or maybe it was needs, more batteries.”
A wide and wicked smile spreads across my Mom’s lips. My face tightens and skin warms. I spin and march for the door.
“Please, Belle.” Mom’s voice calls at my back. “Don’t leave me like this. Untie me. Let me go.”
My hand grabs the door handle.
“Michael was here earlier today,” she continues. “He knows this is me, and that I’m fine. Why can’t you see that?”
Tricks and lies.
I throw open the door and step out of the room.
Go make myself some lunch and camp out in front of the television.
When the streetlights flicker to life, I grab my jacket and sneak out the back door. Jump on my bike and head to Luna’s. It’s a bit of a ride, but I don’t mind. It allows me plenty of time to untangle the web of thoughts clouding my brain.
Humans being used as batteries for what? So that a witch… or voodoo priest… can tap in, crank up their magick, their power? Is that the destiny set for Luna’s dad? What if it is? What could I do to stop that from happening?
And dang it, if Caleb’s presence in Mom doesn’t seem as strong now as it did yesterday.
Caleb.
I jolt.
Damn. I was supposed to ask Phillip to check on Mom’s old boyfriend’s incarceration. How could I have let the time slip past me? That was like a top priority action. I clench my teeth. First thing tomorrow, I promise myself. I’ll definitely talk to Phillip tomorrow.
Dusk slips into full night, and the lights of the city burn bright. My pace varies between racing and taking my time. After all, I don’t want to show up on her doorstep completely out of breath and panting. It takes me a little less than thirty minutes to bike across town. At the edge of her house, I jump off my bike, lean it against the gate, and slip up to the window. The blinds are cracked and the interior lights ablaze. Several members of her family are present, sitting around the table, commiserating.
I lean against the front of the house and drop my head. My insides are at war and the pain is stifling. I shouldn’t be here. Not after this morning. I breathe deep and raise my gaze. But I told Luna I would come.
I extract the small lipstick from my front jeans pocket, remove the cap, and reach toward the bottom corner of the window, making every effort to keep my body out of view.
A small X or circle, she’d said would be our signal. I draw a heart. It’s better.
The front door flies open and my gaze snaps to the man stepping onto the front porch.
“Hey you.” He points in my direction.
I jump. Clutching the lipstick in my hand, I turn and dash down the street, slip along the side of one of the houses. Catch my breath.
Thankfully, he doesn’t follow. He mumbles and goes back inside. I peek around the corner but choose not to leave the safety of my location. A minute later, the front door opens, and Luna steps out, descends the stairs and walks my way. Her gaze shifts to the lipstick heart I left on the window, then shifts to my abandoned bike.
I sidestep into the open and wave. With a warm smile in place, she jogs the distance to my location. “Did my uncle scare you?” she asks, stopping in front of me.
“If you mean the angry, yelling man, then yeah. He didn’t exactly warm his way into my heart.”
She giggles and takes my hand, leads me to the front steps of the nearest house.
“Hey,” she says, lifting my arms out wide. “You’re wearing it.” She motions to the apron she made me. Not only am I wearing it, but I have it fully stocked with my magick spices, thanks to the other night.
“Sure am.” I beam. “I love it. Thank you for making it for me.”
She smiles wide, swings our clasped hands, and pulls me to a sit on the steps. “Thanks for coming. I know it couldn’t have been easy after the way my mom treated you this morning.”
“I kind of deserved it,” I say. “My timing was the worst.”
“It wasn’t great, I’ll give you that.” She sighs and lays her head on my shoulder. My body stiffens, then gradually relaxes. “This has been a crap day if there ever was one.”
“I’m really sorry about your crap day,” I say and weave my hands together. Drop them in my lap.
“My dad’s family is still hanging around. My mom’s parents went home several hours ago. But not my dad’s. Maybe they’re just too sad to end the day. Like it’s too final, leaving them nothing
