Fierce Winds and Fiery Dragons (Dusky Hollows: Book 1)

by Nan Sweet

  * * *

  Ivy pulled the seatbelt across her lap and watched while Carrie's dad turned on the car. Feeling particularly brave, Ivy said, “Are you and your wife going to get together again?”

  Grumbling a bit, he said, “Not last I checked. Did Carrie put you up to this?”

  “No. I'm just wondering how much damage control I'll have to do next time I see her. You know, she saw your car here and thought it was a miracle. I don't understand why you can't just talk it out. That's what you tell me and Carrie to do when we get into a fight.” Ivy wouldn't have long to talk. They were already halfway to her house. The drive was only five minutes. She'd never actually talked to an adult the way she talked to Carrie. She felt brave and a little sick to her stomach all at once.

  “Look, it's complicated adult stuff. We're not getting back together. That kid you don't like, David? Are you ever going to talk it out with him? I mean to a point where you'd want to spend a lot of time with him.”

  Ivy groaned, “No way.”

  “Well, that's the way I feel. So where were you and Carrie?”

  Whoa. Now that's quite a change of subject. Ivy had no idea what to say. He had the father look on his face, one she'd be getting any time now from her own father. Finally she sighed and said, “It's complicated kid stuff.”

  No one was more surprised than Ivy when Carrie's dad looked at her with a puzzled expression and started laughing. And not just friendly little ha ha's.

  “Sorry, we've been worried sick for days. It's not funny. And you should be grounded.” His eyes watering, he laughed harder, “Complicated kid stuff. This is really not funny.”

  He pulled up to her house laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks, and the conversation was over. She unbuckled her seatbelt and bolted out of the car, stopping to thank Carrie's dad before shutting the door.

  Her dad was already halfway down the stairs and pulled her into a big bear hug.

  “Where have you been?”

  “Dad. I don't think you'd believe the truth and I'm too tired to make up a lie.”

  “You can tell us the truth tomorrow. Right now it's bed time for you. No television. No computer or internet games. No phone. No sleepovers. No nothing until the end of the year. And I haven't decided whether I mean the actual year or the school year.” His hand was on her shoulder and he squeezed it even while he was telling her of all the ways her life was going to stink for the next several weeks.

  “What about Christmas? I wanted a cell phone for Christmas and if I get one, I'll want to use it?” It was never too early to start bargaining with the parents, and besides her parents were softies at Christmas time. They even filled her stocking with chocolate, all the while bemoaning the evils of high fructose corn syrup.

  “No cell phone. We already told you that you'll be getting another of the presents on your list.”

  It was the DAD voice. The great and mighty, the all-knowing, all-powerful firm and final DAD voice. No, Ivy would not be getting a cell phone any time in the next decade, not unless she paid for it herself. Sometimes it was a bother having hippie health-concerned parents who didn't want her to grow up with her nose stuck in a screen. Okay, so Plan A failed. Time for Plan B.

  He still had his hand on her shoulder while they walked up the stairs, she decided to pour on the charm and snuggle. It worked a lot better than crying. Then she said, “Daddy” which reminded him of when she was much younger and had the baby cuteness parents couldn't resist, well, except when the babies started screaming, then they weren't so cute. So she started with “Daddy,” and then said, “I'm going to be REALLY bored, you know, when I don't have anything to do. Maybe I can use the computer on weekends?”

  “Ivy, you'll be lucky if I don't lock you in your room until you're eighteen. I'm too relieved to be angry, but underneath that relief, I'm upset. I don't understand why you snuck out of the house, why you left with Carrie, or how you expect to get away with it without consequences. You are grounded, young lady. And I mean your wings are severely clipped. Feel lucky that I'll let you out of my sight long enough to got to school.”

  They were through the door and in the front hall. Ivy was ferociously working on Plan C, but for now, she'd settle for a nice hot bath and bed. Suddenly the house seemed empty.

  “Where's Mom?”

  “Picking up your grandmother. You know she always flies in the night before. I called and let her know you were home. She's been a basket case.”

  “Wait a minute. Are you telling me tomorrow is Thanksgiving? Is that why all of Carrie's relatives were hanging around?” Ivy stared at her father with shock and dawning horror. No, her father would not let her do anything for a long time. She'd be lucky if she wasn't sitting at the kitchen table with her mother cutting out coupons for the rest of her life.

  For his part, her dad was also surprised, “You mean you don't know what day it is?”

  “Not really. I mean I knew we were gone a long time, but I kind of lost track. Dad, we didn't just leave town, we left the planet. I don't know where we were, but it was a strange world with dragons and huge birds and people who lived underground.”

  Ivy told the whole story starting with the egg. Before she had finished, her mother and grandmother returned even though it was a two hour trip to the airport. Her mother looked terrible. She was pale with huge dark circles under her eyes, and she just kept clinging to Ivy and wouldn't let go.

  “Mom, I'm okay.”

  After an eternity of hugs and tears, Ivy told her story again. She watched her mother and father and then her grandmother and mother exchange glances. The kind that said, Our daughter/granddaughter has gone crazy or is making this up. She told the truth even if they wouldn't believe her. She was too exhausted for anything else.

  Ivy didn't want to go to bed dirty. She took a long shower, feeling warm and clean as she shampooed her hair. Instead of blow drying her hair, she grabbed a towel and folded it so that her pillow wouldn't get wet. She fell asleep as soon as she curled up under the covers. And this time, she didn't have any strange dreams.