Chapter Twenty-nine

I stretch my legs out in front of me and lean back, closing my eyes and tipping my head up to the sun. I’m on the rooftop patio, soaking up the warmth of the day. Pandora is walking along the railing and Binx is stretched out on the chair next to me, enjoying sunbathing as much as I am.

I’m waiting for my lunch to arrive, and then will probably go back inside and take a nap. Lucas looked through the Book of the Beast and didn’t see anything about how to kill demons. There was, however, a chapter that alluded to sending a demon back to Hell. Which would be great if I were able to summon up enough power to crack open the earth and shove the fucker inside.

Pandora softly meows, letting me know the delivery guy is here. I go back inside, hurrying through the large house and meeting the delivery guy at the gate. Opening the front door and revealing that the house is blacked out is a dead giveaway that a vampire lives here. I take my food and go back to the rooftop, watching people walk up and down the sidewalk as I eat.

I’ve been texting Kristy all day, letting her know what’s going on and that I’m still alive. Right now, sitting here in the warm sunshine, I’m not as scared as I was when I woke up in the dark. I’ve never been afraid of the dark, and there are many times when I prefer it. But there’s something about the sun, about the golden light pouring down on me from above that’s comforting.

“Do you want some?” I ask my familiars, opening the pizza box. Usually, they turn up their noses at “people food,” but even they can’t resist a little slice of Chicago-style pizza. “We’ll have to make sure to save a piece for Freya.” I take a slice and go back to the lounge chair. I’m glad Freya is with Kristy, keeping her and everyone with her safe, but I miss her.

I take my time eating, trying to focus on people watching and not thinking about demons. I fail. If I do come face to face with this demon, I’ll at least ask why it’s singling Virgos out. Though I still have this weird feeling that it’s been looking for me the whole time…that the visions I’ve had were shoved into my head by someone—something—as a warning, trying to get me prepared for what’s to come.

“It makes no sense, I know,” I say out loud to my familiars. “But what else could it be?”

I have another piece of pizza and then close the box, taking it inside and putting it in the fridge. Since the bottle of wine is now empty and sitting on the counter, the pizza is the only thing in the fridge.

I rinse out the wine bottle and look around for the garbage bins, finding them in a pull-out drawer next to the sink. There are two, one for garbage and one for recycling. Neither are very full, and I drop the wine bottle into the recycling bin. As I’m closing the drawer, I see the plastic packaging for a pack of batteries in the garbage. I reach in to take it out and move it into the other bin.

“Are you picking through my garbage?” Lucas asks, appearing in the threshold of the kitchen. He’s dressed this time, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt.

“Yes, but this isn’t garbage. This is plastic and should be in the recycling. You can literally live forever. You of all people should care about the well-being of our planet.” I drop the wrapper into the recycling bin and shut the drawer. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who refuses to believe in global warming.”

“I’m not technically a person,” he reminds me. “And I do believe in it. I’ve seen the damage humans have done over the years.” He crosses the kitchen and hands me my phone. “Someone named Abby sent you a text message.”

“My sister?” I take the phone and open her texts.

Abby: I’m really looking forward to seeing you! I told Mom you might show up and she was so happy she started crying. She planned a whole other dinner for tonight when you and your mysterious boyfriend show up. We miss you, Callie. I know Mom might not show it, but she does. I’m sorry again it took me this long to reach out, but I’m excited to see you tonight.

Her text is followed by a couple heart emojis and then a photo of Penny in her birthday dress.

“Fuck,” I mutter. That’s tonight? No, it can’t be. I saw Abby just a few days ago and…shit…she said she’ll see me in a few days. I close the texts and double-check today’s date. Yep. It’s today.

“What’s wrong?”

“My niece’s birthday party is tonight. I forgot about it. I mean, I didn’t completely forget. I just lost track of time.”

“That’s forgetting,” he teases.

“I know. I was just busy trying not to die.”

“Do you want to go?”

I bite my lip and think about it. “I want to see my sister again. And part of me wants to show up just because my asshole brother doesn’t want me to.”

Lucas grins. “There are the petty and impulsive traits coming out again.”

“Also, there’s kind of a good chance I might die trying to kill this demon.” I say it as a joke, but Lucas and I both know it’s true. His face tenses for a split second. “I want to give my niece her birthday present before that happens. But I kind of have to go shopping first to get her something.”

“There are plenty of stores around here.”

I nod. “Good thing, because I didn’t bring a dress to wear tonight.”

“Take my credit card and buy whatever you want,” he says.

“I can’t accept that,” I start.

“You can and you will. I want you to look good on my arm tonight.” He’s joking, trying to get me to agree to go out and have some fun shopping.

“You don’t mind going?”

“I’m curious about your family. They seem like undeserving assholes.”

I swallow hard. If only he knew the whole truth. “My sister isn’t bad. She’s not that much older than me and was the only one who stood up for me.”

“Doesn’t seem like she did enough.”

I shake my head. “We were kids. She was only like thirteen when I…when I started going to Grim Gate Academy.”

Lucas goes into his office again, returning with his wallet. I get a glimpse of his ID when he opens it to give me his credit card. I’ve never seen an Illinois issued vampire ID before. They’re supposed to look like driver’s licenses, practically indiscernible with the exception of having a date of death instead of date of birth. It catches me by surprise to see his looking much, much different, with the word “VAMPIRE” printed on the top in bold red letters.

“Is that a new ID?” I ask.

“It was new about three years ago. Lovely, isn’t it?” Lucas gives me his credit card.

“They’re supposed to look like driver’s licenses.”

“They did at first.” He closes his wallet. “But someone wanted to make sure it was obvious we aren’t human.”

“That seems a little unfair.” I flip his credit card over in my hands. “I mean, the whole point of making you all get IDs and register is so you can do things you couldn’t do without identification, like buy plane tickets and own houses.”

Lucas shrugs, trying not to let me know it bothers him. “I follow the rules that benefit me. Like I said before, I do what I want regardless.”

“Right. It’s worked well for you.”

“It has.” He moves my hair over my shoulder and kisses my neck. “Go shopping now while the sun is out.”

“I will.”

“Can you bring your familiars?”

I smile, feeling a little warm and fuzzy inside from his concern. “I can, but people may wonder why I’m carrying cats around.”

“Rich people are weird,” Lucas says with a smile. “As long as you’re carrying Binx around in a designer purse, no one will question you.”

“Binx is heavy to carry in a purse,” I laugh. Upon hearing his name, Binx trots into the room and rubs against my legs. He likes being carried around and likes the idea of me buying a fancy purse just for him. “They can sense when I’m in danger, though. But I will be fine if I stay in public places and am back here before the sun even starts to set.”

Lucas nods, kissing me once more before I leave.

*

“Do I look all right?” I turn, looking at my reflection in the floor-length mirror in the master bathroom. Lucas steps up behind me, looking very good himself in dress pants and a black button-up shirt. Vampires do have reflections, making me wonder who the hell started that silly rumor they don’t. My money is on vampires themselves, wanting to keep humans from figuring out who they were.

“You are beautiful.” His arms wrap around me and he kisses my neck. “You’re making me want you again.”

“You always want me.” I spin in his arms.

“I always will.”

Not wanting to mess up my hair—it took three spells to get this fancy updo just right—I stand on my toes to kiss him. The fact that I’m about to walk into Abby and Phillip’s house in just a few minutes is starting to hit me, and I’m getting nervous.

“Maybe we should stay here and sharpen weapons or something.”

Lucas tips his head. “You’re already dressed and now you’re having second thoughts?”

I turn back around, stealing another look at myself in the mirror. Instead of black, I went with a dark purple dress. It’s tight around my waist and then loosens around my legs, ending with soft lace that swirls when I walk. I bought myself a new pair of shoes just to match, and Lucas called ahead and purchased an expensive necklace from Tiffany’s for me. He had texted me while I was out shopping, encouraging me to stop and “just look around” at jewelry at the store.

The diamonds were waiting for me when I walked inside.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, it seems really stupid and reckless to take any time away from fighting this demon.”

“You don’t know the demon’s name yet,” Lucas reminds me. “Your friend wasn’t able to see her grandmother until after dark.” He looks past me, out the window above the tub. “And the sun just set.”

“I know. I just…I just…” I can’t stop my hands from shaking. I force my fear away and put on a smile. “I’m hungry. My mother always hires the best caterers, so at least dinner will be good.” I reach up and run my finger over the diamonds decorating my neck. “We should go before we’re later than we already are.”

Not questioning my back-and-forth behavior, Lucas takes my hand. “Would you like to walk or drive?” he asks when we get to the foyer. “We might not find a spot in front of her house.”

“We can drive.”

“Good. I haven’t driven my McLaren in a while, and I want to take it out tonight.”

“Your what?”

Lucas laughs. “You’ll see.”

The McLaren turns out to be a car, and a very expensive one at that. Lucas has two indoor garage spots along with this house, which is probably part of why this place cost so much. The Chevelle is next to the McLaren, and a motorcycle is squeezed in between the classic car and the garage wall. Like the rest of his house, the garage is neat and clean.

It takes only minutes to get to my sister’s street, and a car leaves a parking spot right in front of her house as we pull up.

“Did you have something to do with that?” Lucas takes the spot.

“Maybe. Witches have a way of getting what we want.”

“You do.” He kills the engine. “Ready?”

I look at the house, seeing the lights on, feeling the energies of the people inside. There’s a large window at the front, looking into a living room or parlor. People mill about, talking and laughing.

And then my father’s frame comes into view.

Suddenly, my hands start shaking and I can’t get them to stop. I press my back against the seat of the car and turn my head down, gulping in air.

“I can’t do it,” I pant. “I can’t go in there and see the rest of my family.”

“I’ve seen you face other vampires, a demon, and zombies with not even a quarter of the fear you have right now. What did they do to you?” Lucas asks slowly.

I blink and suddenly I’m back there, in the waiting room. It’s when I knew something was wrong but didn’t want to believe it. My dad told me he was taking me to a doctor who specialized in children with “my condition.” But the waiting room was all wrong. It was stark, empty.

There were no cheerful murals on the walls. No toys to entertain me while I waited for the doctor. Hell, there weren’t even any boring magazines for the adults to look through.

That’s when I knew something was wrong. But my dad…he was my dad. He wouldn’t hurt me, right? After all, I’m his daughter.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I tell Lucas, blinking back tears. “I’ve spent a long time repressing everything and if I talk about it, I’ll think about it. And right now…”

He folds his large hand around mine. “Right now, let’s just get through dinner.”

“Thank you.” A tear falls from my eye and Lucas gently wipes it away. “Okay…I can do this. With you with me…I can.”

“If you need to leave, Callie, let me know and we will.” He squeezes my hand, kisses my cheek, and then gets out, coming around to open the door for me. Hand in hand, we walk up to my sister’s house. Before we get to the porch, the front door opens. Three teenage boys, who I think are Phillip’s nephews if I remember them correctly from their wedding photos, come out and gush over Lucas’s car.

“Is that a McLaren 600LT?” one of them asks.

“It is.” Lucas holds up the keys.

“Shit, man, that’s a sweet car,” another boy says.

Phillip and his brother—Steven maybe? I’m bad with names—appear in the door, just as excited about the car as the boys. I’m not a car person so I don’t get the hype, though it was obvious the 600-whatever cost more than my house when the doors opened up instead of out.

“Callie?” Phillip gasps, seeing me. “We…we weren’t sure if you were going to show up.”

“I said I would.” I look my brother-in-law in the eyes, and he lowers his gaze. He’s always been scared of me, afraid I’ll hold him spellbound like a vampire. Should I feel bad that I’ve encouraged his fear? My pettiness is showing again, I know.

“You came in that?” Steven asks, eyes wide. “That thing is wicked fast. Have you taken it out and opened it up?”

“Not as often as I’d like,” Lucas answers and the guys laugh.

“Boys,” Steven calls, waving for his kids to come back inside. They’re gathered around Lucas’s car, taking selfies with it.

“What’s going on out here?” My sister’s voice comes from the house, and as soon as she sees me, she pushes past her husband. “Callie!”

My throat tightens a bit when I see the emotion in her eyes. Abby jogs down the stone steps and pulls me into a hug.

“I’m so glad you came. I know this is hard for you,” she whispers, squeezing me tight. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Abby.” I hug her back, and the large gift bag I’m holding crushes against her back. “This is for Penny.”

“You didn’t have to get her anything.”

“She’s my niece. And I had fun shopping for her. I might have gone a little overboard.”

“She is fun to shop for.” Abby takes the bag from me and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. I didn’t realize just how much me showing up would mean to her.

“This is Lucas,” I say, taking his hand again. “And this is my sister, Abby, and her husband, Phillip.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lucas says with a smile and I swear my sister blushes just a little bit.

“Come in, come in,” she says to us, and that’s all the invitation Lucas needs. “Dinner will be served shortly. We have drinks and appetizers now. Penny just went down for the night,” she says almost apologetically. “The party really seemed to wear her out today.”

Keeping a steady hold on me, Lucas walks with me into the house. There are more people here than I thought. Phillip comes from a large family. He’s the youngest of six children, and I think most of his siblings are doctors as well.

Soft music is playing, and I can tell most of the adults have been drinking. My eyes dart around, looking for my father or brother. But they’re not here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they avoided me most of the night.

Mrs. Real Estate agent—whose name is escaping me now as well—is here, along with one of the other moms I saw walking with Abby. They all come over, acting as if they know me.

“Callie, you look amazing!” Mrs. Real Estate gushes.

“Thanks,” I say, feeling awkward.

“She’s always been in amazing shape,” Abby agrees. “And I’ve always been slightly jealous.”

“For real,” Mrs. Real Estate agrees. “I’d kill to have your figure! What is your secret?” She laughs, hand landing on my shoulder. It takes everything inside me not to shy away. I don’t like being touched like this.

“I don’t have a secret. It’s just part of my job to be in good shape,” I say without thinking.

“Oh, interesting! What do you do?” Mrs. Real Estate asks.

“I, uh, own a bookstore.”

Mrs. Real Estate opens her mouth but just nods instead. Then she looks at Lucas. She definitely blushes. “And you must be our mysterious neighbor.”

“Lucas King,” he introduces himself. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Ricci,” she says, voice all breathy as she takes Lucas’s hand. Then she blinks and pulls herself together. Abby introduces us to a few more of her friends and Phillip’s family members. I grab a glass of wine and find a spot on the couch, sitting as close to Lucas as I can without it looking obviously inappropriate.

A thin woman with short brown hair makes her way over, stopping to talk to every single person she passes by. Her dress is designer, and I’m sure she got her hair and makeup professionally done for tonight. For her, image is everything.

“You’re about to meet my mother,” I say, feeling all nervous again. I tip the wine into my mouth, downing half before Mommy Dearest looks my way. She knows I’m here, yet has waited this long to come over. I think she’s always worried I’m going to call her out for being such a shitty mom. I’ve dreamed of it, even planned out a speech, but haven’t been around her long enough since I moved out to actually deliver it.

She grabs a glass of wine on her way over and takes a sip. Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

“Callie, my darling,” she coos. Her eyes flit between me and Lucas.

“Hello, Mother.” I don’t get up, don’t offer her a hug. And she makes no move to hug me either. She perches on the edge of the armchair next to us.

“You look beautiful as always, dear.”

I clench my jaw. This was a terrible idea. Terrible. Terrible. Terrib—

“Hi, I’m Lucas.” Lucas takes his hand out of the death clamp I have on him and offers it to my mother. “I’m Callie’s boyfriend. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

“It is very nice to meet you. Abby tells me you live just two streets over on Orchard? That’s quite an impressive street. And did I hear correctly you two pulled up in some sort of sports car the boys got excited about?”

“Why don’t you just ask him for his net worth,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. Lucas puts his arm around me.

“I’m just trying to make conversation,” Mom says quietly. Maybe she is. I automatically take anything she says or does personally.

“Yes, I do live just a few streets over. It’s a very nice neighborhood.”

Mom smiles. “It is. I was excited when Abigail moved in. Such a good place for raising children.” A few seconds of silence pass by. Mom apprehensively leans forward and pats my leg. “I’ve missed you, honey.”

I look into her eyes, surprised to see the tears she’s holding back. “You know where I live.”

“I do, but it’s…it’s far. And I’ve been so busy with campaigns.” Finding something to brag about, Mom puts on a smile and turns to Lucas. “Did Callie tell you her father and brother are in politics?”

“She’s never mentioned it,” Lucas says, even though I did. “Neither of us have much interest in the subject.” He rests his hand on my thigh.

“So, how did you two meet?” Mom asks.

Lucas meets my eye and gives me a small smile. “At a bar. One of the many I own.”

Mom laughs again, liking Lucas more and more. If only she knew…I finish my wine and set the glass on the coffee table in front of me. Abby and Phillip come over, sitting on the love seat next to the couch.

“Do you want anything to eat?” my sister asks. “The appetizers are to die for. I’ll go with you to get something.”

I am hungry. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“What about you?” she asks Lucas. “Can I bring you anything?”

“No thanks.”

“Lucas is on a special no-carb, no-sugar, dairy-free, low-fiber diet,” I say seriously.

Phillip pats his stomach. “Maybe I should try it. Though with no dairy, sugar, carbs, and low fiber, all you eat is meat and some vegetables then, right? Like a super intense version of the Keto diet?”

“Something like that,” Lucas tells him. He gives my hand a squeeze before I get up, going with my sister into the kitchen where a gorgeous spread of appetizers has been laid out.

“I’m so glad you came,” Abby goes on. I think she might be a little tipsy. “I plan to have another baby soon, and all I can think about is if I have another girl and Penny has a sister... I hope she can be a better sister than I am.”

“You’re not a bad sister,” I tell Abby.

“I should have done more. Once you left…I just let you leave. I didn’t try to reach out and I’m sorry, Callie. I really am. Part of me was just so ashamed and I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me, which I realize is me making an excuse again.”

“It’s okay.”

“But it’s not. We lost a lot of time. You’re my sister, and I want to be friends.”

“I think we can be,” I say with a smile. “I’m here now, and I’m having a nice time.” I pick up a plate and start filling it with food. I could feast on appetizers alone and be too full for dinner.

“Your boyfriend is so handsome,” she laughs. Yep, she’s definitely tipsy. “How did you meet him?”

“I stopped a vampire from draining a human dry in the basement of his bar.”

Abby whirls around, gripping my arm. “Are you serious? How did you not get killed in the process?”

“Vampires aren’t really threats for us,” I say with a shrug. “At least not for me.”

Abby swallows hard. I know she’s terrified of vampires due to our own father feeding her lies about how they want nothing more than to sneak into your house and drink the blood of your children while you sleep.

“How?”

I chew the inside of my cheek, not sure how much to tell her. If Abby wants to start a new relationship, then she has to be okay with me being myself.

“I can conjure energy and throw it. A strong enough energy ball will kill just about anything, really.”

Abby’s eyes are as wide as saucers. “Can I see?”

I look around, making sure we’re alone in the kitchen. I pick a piece of cheese off my plate, pop it in my mouth, and then hold out my right hand, I rub my thumb over my fingers, conjuring up a string of glowing pink magic. I twist my fingers, and the magic weaves around them. I release it into the air, where it breaks apart into a million little balls of light that get absorbed into the world around us.

“Oh my goodness,” Abby whispers.

“Think I’m a freak still?”

“I never did. And no. I think it’s beautiful.” She takes my hand and smiles. “I really do.”

Now tears are springing to my eyes. “I can also telekinetically pull a cork out of a bottle of wine.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s come in handy a time or two.” Shaking my head, I go back to the food, filling my plate and getting another glass of wine before going back to Lucas. He’s talking to Phillip and his brother about cars.

“Are you doing okay?” Lucas rests his hand on my thigh, inching his fingers up under the hem of my dress.

“Yeah, because you’re here with me.” I smile, feeling dangerously close to falling completely in love with him right now. He puts his arm around me and leans in for a kiss, not at all shy of showing a little PDA.

“Gotta love the beginning phases of a relationship,” Steven laughs. “Wait until you’ve been married half as long as I have. It feels like an eternity.”

“It’s not about the length of time,” Lucas says, bringing his hand up and cupping my cheek. “It’s about finding the right person.”

Steven says something else, but his words are lost when Lucas kisses me again. I settle back against him, finishing my plate of appetizers. I get up to use the bathroom, taking my purse with me so I can touch up my lipstick. As I’m standing at the sink, my phone buzzes with a text. I put the lid back on my lipstick and reach inside my purse. The text is from Naomi.

“Please have a name,” I whisper as I open her message.

Naomi: Gran freaked out when I showed her the sigil. She wouldn’t tell me a name because she dares not say the name of a demon in the Third Hierarchy. This is serious shit, Callie. Even for us.

I close my eyes, on the verge of hyperventilating again. The hierarchy of demons was discussed briefly in school. There are lower-level demons, like the ones I hunt and kill. They live on earth, hiding in abandoned buildings and caves. They’re dangerous, of course, but aren’t much of a match for those of us with magic.

Then there are demons in the Fourth Hierarchy, similar to lower-level demons but have the power to possess victims, much like the one we dealt with in the woods. They are dangerous and rare to encounter and have the ability to move from earth to their demon dimensions and back.

And then there’s the Third. These are the demons that possess people. The ones strong enough to kill you from the inside, the ones that require an exorcism to send them back to Hell. Who have the power to open the Gates of Hell. In its true form…I don’t know how I’ll fight it.

I drop my phone into my purse and grip the sink, leaning forward and taking in big, deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. Somehow…someway…it’ll be okay.

It has to be.

I spend another few minutes forcing myself to breathe and wait until my heart slows to normal before leaving the bathroom. On my way back to the living room, I spot my brother. My heart skyrockets back up, and all I want to do is turn and run away. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and remind myself I’m about to face a demon—of the Third Hierarchy of bloody Hell at that—soon enough. My brother is nothing.

I smooth my hands over my dress to keep them from shaking. We’re in the dining room, separated from the living room by the foyer.

“Hi, Scott.”

My brother, who noticed me the second I walked into the room, looks up, pretending to have to look for the source of my voice.

“Callie.” He tips his head. “I’m glad you took my advice on coming to the party.” A pretty blonde woman is at his side, and she looks me over, a bit confused.

“I came for our sister. She invited me.”

With his light brown hair and hazel eyes, he looks so much like our father it’s unsettling. His eyes narrow for a second before he puts on his fake smile. “At least the birthday girl doesn’t know who you are. You missed her, which is funny considering you came to her birthday party hours late.”

“I’ve already met Penny,” I say slowly, realizing his petty insults have no meaning in the grand scheme of things.

“She’s your sister?” the blonde woman asks, looking at Scott. “You never said you had another sister.”

“I’m Callie,” I say, trying to be nice. Just the simple fact this woman is dating my brother makes me not like her.

“I’m Ella. Nice to meet you.” She shakes her head. “Sorry. I’m just shocked. We’ve been dating for two years and I never knew about you.” She trains her blue eyes on my brother.

“Callie was living abroad doing mission work.” The lie rolls off my brother’s tongue so smooth you’d never know it wasn’t the truth. It’s the same lie my father has told over and over. I’m such a model citizen, such a good girl. There’s nothing witchy about me at all.

“That’s not true,” I say with a sweet smile. “I live in Indiana, about an hour or two away depending on traffic. I own a bookstore and have lived in Thorne Hill for quite some time now.”

Scott’s jaw falls open and he flashes a how dare you look my way. I cross my arms and cock an eyebrow. Two can play this game, asshole. And I am. Not. In. The. Mood. He recovers fast, laughing and patting my shoulder.

“My sister has always been the humble one. Yes, she resides in the countryside but spends most of her time traveling and helping the less fortunate.”

“Stop lying, Scott.” I feel magic burning at my fingertips. Ella looks back and forth between my brother and me, not sure what’s going on.

“Stop being so humble.” He grips my shoulder so tight it hurts. “Tell her. Tell her, Callie, how much of an angel you are.” I jerk out of his grasp and every light in the house flickers all at once. He looks up at the lights and back at me, nostrils flaring. “Tell her, Callie,” he says through gritted teeth. “You don’t want your halo slipping now, do you?”

“My halo?” I echo, and the dining room lights flicker again. He’s trying to threaten me, trying to force me into submitting into the role of the good girl everyone has painted for me. As I stand there, heart racing and sweat breaking out along my brow, I realize I have two choices.

I can let my brother keep bullying me around. Using the past as a weapon, knowing just how deep the cuts run when he wields it.

Or I can put the past on like armor.

I’m tired of this. Of feeling ashamed. Of the fear and dread, just the sight of him brings up in me. I’m proud of who I am, and it’s time I take a stand.

“Silly little boy.” I take a step closer and the lights above us start to dim. “Don’t you remember? I traded my halo for a motherfucking crown.” I let out a breath, almost unable to believe that I finally stood up for myself.

“Watch your mouth,” Scott snaps.

“I’m so confused,” Ella says. “She’s really your sister?”

“Yes,” Scott says, putting on another act. “I should have told you about her, but we try to respect her privacy. Callie, my dear sister…she’s been struggling.”

“I have?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “With what?”

Scott lets out a sigh, acting as if this pains him. He turns toward Ella, shaking his head. “She’s always been mentally unstable. She’s been institutionalized the last few years and we—”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I snarl. Magic sizzles at my fingertips. Scott looks down, seeing the blue energy swirling around my fingers. I bring my hand up, trying to release the energy without hurting anyone.

And then Scott hits me hard across the face.