I refused to let it stand there. I think Dad knew it because he was waiting for me just on the other side of the door and reached for me too late. I felt his fingers slide over my arm as I stormed into the house.She wanted wild? I'd give her wild.I found Mom in the basement, naturally. She spun on me as I marched down the stairs and confronted her. "This is stupid," I said. "If you would up the search for Demetrius and the Chosen so I could get my demon back, I could just help you instead of being banished like some bad six year old.""We have been looking." The tightness around her eyes told me she was being honest, but still felt guilty. In other words she'd been looking, all right, just not with any amount of focus.I wanted to tear my hair out."It's been six weeks." I struggled to keep my temper and the bitterness from my voice. That kind of attitude only ever started a fight and I needed her on my side. "You're a powerful witch. It can't be that hard."Yeah, okay. So I
I stand before the court. I see my parents watching over the proceedings, neither willing to help me. Even my truest love, he whom I swore eternal faith, orders my death.And Cydia, raven hair flowing, glowing blue eyes the clarity of flawless crystal, stands with her finger pointed, her beautiful face flushed with fury and hate."Death!"My love, my darling Gwynn, he of the golden hair and emerald eyes, skin as smooth and perfect as any flower petal, he stares at me with that same look of hate as she who is my sister."Death!"Heart shattered into nothing, I allow it, allow him to descend on me, to use his bright, sharp blade, calling the strike of lightning through my heart to end my life.***It couldn't be a coincidence. Not the same dream twice. I shuddered under the covers, most of my quilt and top sheet on the floor in a puddle where I'd thrashed them off in my sleep. My dreaming self took her punishment, but my unconscious body clearly hadn't gone down so easily.I
I was so speechless I stood there for a minute like an idiot while Mom swept to her feet with a strained smile on her face. At first I was sure she'd told Pain everything and was grateful I wouldn't have to do it, only to realize her look and the slight shake of Mom's head meant she hadn't. In fact, was ordering me to keep my mouth shut.Fine. At least while she was in earshot."Thank you, Mrs. Hayle." Pain smiled at me a little, the tension in her face easing somewhat. "I've been getting headaches," she explained to me. "Your Mom gave me an herbal remedy. It seems to be doing the trick."Herbal my butt. More likely Mom used magic and gave her oregano out of the cupboard. But whatever worked."I'll leave you two to talk. Syd," Mom hugged me fast and hard, just long enough to whisper 'Don't' in my ear before vanishing with a swirl of her long skirt down the basement stairs.We'd just see about that."I'm sorry to just drop in like this." Pain shifted in her chair, as if uncomforta
I sighed and flipped over my English exam. Last one of the semester, thank goodness. And my least favorite. Ms. Fiat looked at me over the rim of her glasses as I stood up and walked the line of desks to her.Was that a smirk on her face when I handed in my paper? Likely. Which meant I'd not be receiving the best score from her. I was just happy to be done.When I arrived at school and again found no Pain in sight, my worry notched up another gazillion levels. Blood quickly assured me she was fine, however. Had a touch of the flu. Her exams were already over, so it wasn't like she had to be there anyway. But he did promise she said she'd be there for her party so that was something at least.The rest of us huddled, exam weary over our lunches. Simon looked particularly harried though I knew he'd have the highest marks in class of anyone."Quite the hurricane heading our way." He wiggled his nose, his glasses working their way back up the bridge only to slide down again when he stop
It wasn't long before I realized someone was crying. Not me for once, what a miracle. I followed the sound out my door and down the hall to Meira's room. We hadn't spent much time together since the whole demon thing went down. Like everyone else in the family, my little sister seemed to be avoiding me. Considering how close we'd always been, it hurt me almost as much as losing Quaid had.I knocked softly, hearing heavy snuffling from behind her door. "Meems? Are you okay?"Silence. No more crying at least. I hated being ignored."Meira, what's wrong?" I tried to turn the knob, but she'd either locked it or was using magic to keep me out."Go away!" Something soft but solid impacted the other side of the door. I'd thrown enough objects at my own door that it was easy to identify the sound of a pillow hitting its mark.Fine. Whatever. Be that way. I turned to go back to my room, temperature rising as my frustration turned to anger. She had no right to be mad at me. None. It wasn't
Their beautiful faces are masks of anger as Cydia points at me and declares, "Death.""Death," comes the echo."Death," my beloved says.The skies darken at once, the rage of the elements called down on me for the most hideous of crimes, the very one I did not commit."My love," I whisper as thunder rumbles, chasing giant forks of lightning across the sky."Befouled one," he snarls, no joy or happiness in his face, his love for me gone. "Death is too good for you."Of all of them, he is the last I would believe could order my death and yet there he stands, Cydia beside him now, her hatred twisting into a secret smile as she calls down the lightning, guiding his hand, my darling Gwynn, to deliver the killing blow.I feel it strike my body, the sudden rush of agony cut short as I rise above my body, my soul free of its substantial form. As I rise I hear them gasp, see their horror, his most of all. In my love, I see the understanding in his face, in his eyes, that I am innocent of
The last day of school for the year was supposed to be fun. Just a half day where some teachers showed movies and the cafeteria made real pizza instead of the cardboard they usually served.Not so much this year. I should have been enjoying myself. I'd made it through a whole year with friends and everything. I was even pretty sure I'd passed my courses despite all the interruptions in my life in the last nine months. For the first time ever, the last day of school was going to be as fun for me as I always imagined it was for everyone else.Maybe if my friends weren't totally bummed out over Pain. Or if the whole town, heck the whole eastern seaboard, wasn't about to be demolished by a 'hurricane'. It was all everyone talked about. Not their plans for the summer or what their marks were like, but just the stupid storm.It grated on my nerves. Mostly because I moved past being able to worry about everyone else and focused on my family. I could barely look at my friends without a spik
I gave Mom the silent treatment after I hung up, running to my room for a few extra things. By the time I returned downstairs, she was conspicuously absent. I waffled between angry and hurt while I glanced down at my suitcase, the hateful thing, and wished I had options.It turned out I didn't have time to decide which one suited my mood the best. Just as I stuffed my favorite T-shirt into the front of the bag, a big black car pulled into the driveway. A limousine.Seriously? Now I needed to get away without my parents noticing. I knew Alison's mom was pretentious, but a limo?I unkindly wondered who she was trying to impress. This was going to be one hell of a stay.The door slammed shut behind me, the wheels of my overnight bag humming on the pavement. The black suited driver was out of the car, holding the back door open for Mrs. Morgan as she climbed out.What? Why? Alison was right behind her, making a terrible face like this wouldn't end well and she was already sorry.Uh-o