by Lori Saltis
That changes when I get to the curse. She immediately flicks the turn signal and pulls into the first available parking spot. “Who taught you to curse? Was it Gran?”
I squirm, wanting to say, but not wanting to grass.
She faces me now, her face still calm, though her voice rises. “Was it?”
“Gran taught us both,” Kai blurts out. “Like, for fun, or like a story.”
I daren’t risk him a look of gratitude for saving me from snitching.
Bridie rubs her forehead while muttering, “Selfish gobby cow.” Then she looks at me with no-nonsense eyes. “I don’t know what she was thinking. No – scratch that. I know exactly what she was thinking. Trying to influence you against my wishes. I won’t have it. Curses aren’t for children. You’re the proof of that. Now, you’re going to reverse the curse and bless those girls, right this moment.”
I huff and look out the window.
“Penny…”
“No. Why should I? I bless them and they go back to making my life hell. That’s what you want, right? For me to take it up the arse no matter what so you can have a comfortable life.”
Kai gives a long whistle from the back seat. The tension between Bridie and me feels like a razor’s edge. One slip and someone is going to get hurt.
Her voice is very quiet. “You should have told me about those notes. I don’t expect you to take a load of shite from those toffee-nosed minxes, not for any reason, least of all to spare my feelings.” She’s not hysterical, so I suppose that’s something, but I can’t believe her words. She must know it, too, from her long sigh. “After the Beggars’ Banquet, I’ll work another Charm on Bill and get him to let me transfer you to another school.”
“Really?” I swivel around to face her. This is not what I expected at all.
“My word,” she replies solemnly. “Not until next semester, if you can hang in there that long.”
“I can. I even know another school I’d like to go to.”
She looks surprised. “Well, that’s a change. I’ll find a way, but first you have to bless those girls.”
Gall builds up in my throat again. I swallow it hard. I’m not going to let anything get in the way of getting out. “Which blessing?”
“What are the girls’ names?”
“Dani, Emma and Avery.”
“Repeat after me. Dani: may kings respect you, the devil neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.”
I repeat the blessing three times, once for each girl. It makes my stomach churn, but when I’m finished, I feel better, lighter. The darkness on my soul must be gone. I breathe easier. “So, that’s it?”
“That’s it.” Bridie turns the ignition and speaks over the rumble of the engine. “Curses like that only stick to the darkest of souls. Then, even blessings won’t work because their well is so deep, the blessing is swallowed by the darkness.”
I don’t know about the other two girls, but Dani… something tells me her well is that deep. Kingfisher, too. I’m done with Dani. Kingfisher, though, I’m certain he’s not done with us.
Chapter 15
Paul
I’m hungry all the time.
For the past few days, I’ve had to choose between eating and having a place to stay. My drawings earn more than just asking for spange, but the chalk is almost gone, along with the money I stole from Auntie Sylvia. I’ve scrounged through all of my pockets at least twice and all I can come up with is $7.28. I can spend it on food or chalk, but since I need the chalk to make money, the choice is already made.
My food comes out of the trash. Nix showed me how to dumpster dive behind places that discard unused food at certain times of the day. It’s not as gross as it sounds. Yesterday, we ate expired sandwiches and bruised bananas behind a convenience store. Problem is, lots of people know this trick, so you have to get there first.
A man stops to check out at my latest drawing, a Tyrannosaurus holding a bobbing, pink balloon. I drew it in front of a toy store, hoping the kids passing through the door will get their parents to throw some spange my way.
“Nice.” He drops a dollar into my cup.
Three more dollars and I can buy chalk and maybe afford a burger at McDonald’s. One thing I can’t afford is to bunk with the crew tonight.
The sun beats down on the pavement. I press against the wall to catch the dwindling shade. My scalp itches. I want to yank off my beanie, but I can’t take the chance. Instead, I shrug off my jacket, laying it in a heap at my feet so no one will grab it. Grime streaks my ripped jeans and the Metallica t-shirt looks as bad as it smells.
An Asian mom and her son leave the toy store, smiling and holding hands. She glances at me and quickly looks away. My throat aches. What would Mom think if she saw me? Would she look away, not recognizing me? Or would she be ashamed at the sight of her son living like a bum? And Dad… I swallow hard. I don’t want to think about my father.
I tug at the blond tufts sticking out from my beanie. Carl bleached my hair in exchange for me touching up his roots. The extra camouflage can’t hurt and I enjoy the bitter pleasure of knowing Head Elder would shit bricks if he saw me.
I shade my eyes as I stare at the bright blue sky. Hey, Jade Dragon. Would it hurt to send some clouds my way?
No answer. Is he ashamed of me? Who gives a shit? Not Jade Dragon. Where was he when Mom and Dad were being murdered?
Thanks for nothing. I flip the bird at the sky, hold my breath and wait.
Nothing.
Maybe Jade Dragon isn’t real. Maybe the whole summoning ceremony is a big hoax that Dad was going to let me in on eventually. Between learning the Dragon Shout and hiding from Head Elder, my chi had gotten all messed up. Maybe what I’d heard and felt in the ancestral hall had been a weird fantasy. I’d rather believe that than believe Jade Dragon is real and doesn’t care enough to help me get revenge. I squat by my drawing for another hour, using shards of chalk to clean up what’s stepped on and smeared. A few more people toss in their spange. As I rub the last bit of green into the T-Rex’s body, a pair of familiar boots comes to a stop beside me.
“How’d you do?” asks JJ.
The others circle me and look down. “So cute,” says Nix wistfully. Amethyst looks sad. So does Carl. They know.
I shake my head.
Sway smirks. “You don’t gotta spend the night outside, y’know.”
I shrug.
The smirk tenses into a frown. “You think you’re too good to hustle?”
I want to tell him, yeah, I am too good to hustle, but under the anger, there’s so much pain in his eyes. “I’ve never had sex, okay? Not with anybody. I don’t want to start by doing it like that.”
Maybe they get it now. Or maybe they think I’m even more of a twerp than they thought. Doesn’t matter. I stand and pocket my spange. “I’ll come by later to get my sleeping bag.” I bump fists with Carl and manage to smile at Nix and Amethyst’s little waves before walking away.
“Hey, Lennon,” JJ calls out. I stop and turn. “You can stay one more night.”
“We ain’t runnin’ a charity,” Sway protests.
“Okay, let’s put it to the vote. All in favor?”
Nix, Amethyst and Carl raise their hands along with JJ. Sway shoves his hands in his pockets, but doesn’t protest when I rejoin them.
“Just tonight,” JJ says.
“I know.” My stomach relaxes a little. I can eat, buy some chalk and maybe make enough for tomorrow night. If not, I’ll have to find a doorway to squat in.
At McDonald’s, I reluctantly hand over enough change for a cheeseburger. I should dumpster dive to save money, but I’ve got to stick with the crew. I’ll allow myself the luxury of one more night indoors. After that, I’ve got to figure out a way to make enough money to leave San Francisco and head someplace Tony won’t think to look for me. Not Los Angeles. The Two Dragon Clan has a large presence there. Same with Seattle. Maybe Portland. Lots of runaways there and the clan has no chapter
in Oregon. Yeah, Portland will work, except I heard a bus ticket costs about a hundred bucks. I should’ve stolen Auntie Sylvia’s credit cards, too.
We leave McDonald’s, but instead of getting on the bus, we cross the street and head into the park.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Party on Hippie Hill,” JJ replies.
Hippie Hill? “Will there be a hippie drum circle?”
Carl drapes his arm across my shoulders. “What do you think?”
It’s weird. A few weeks ago, I would’ve squirmed if a gay dude put his arm around me. Now, it doesn’t bug me at all. Carl isn’t trying to hit on me. He’s lonely. I get that. If I were to stop and think about how alone I am, I’d probably curl into a ball and cry.
The distant sound of tribal rhythms gets louder as we go deeper into the park, until we get to a bench where a bunch of adults are pounding on drums or playing other instruments. One has a didgeridoo and sits cross-legged while blowing through the long tube. Most look too young to be real hippies, even though they’re dressed in tie-dye and fringe. We head up a grassy slope where people are lounging on blankets, passing around bottles, pipes and joints. Dancers dot the hill, eyes closed, swaying and flailing their arms as if in a trance.
What would Head Elder and the clan think if they knew I was here, surrounded by people who are drunk and high? Disgrace. My lip curls. Yeah, they kill my parents, but I’m the disgrace. The thought makes me want to grab a joint and inhale.
At the top of the hill, a hairy hippie has a Styrofoam cooler full of Pabst Blue Ribbon. JJ pays and hands out cans to the crew, including me.
I shake my head. “I can’t afford it.”
“My treat.”
I’ve already admitted I’m a virgin; I don’t want to say I’ve never had a drink. We clink cans before tipping them back. Bitter, sour bubbles sting my mouth and it takes all my willpower not to spit it out. My eyes water as I force myself to swallow.
JJ cocks his head. “What are you doing out here, bro? I mean, you look like you belong in prep school.”
“I don’t belong anywhere.”
“What about your family?”
“Don’t have one.”
“Yeah, well, what about what about a shelter? You’re clean. They’ll take you in.”
First place Tony would look. “I don’t want to stay in a shelter.”
“You might change your mind if it gets cold enough.” JJ starts to take another swig when the can is grabbed out of his hand.
A man with a sunburned face, greasy hair and a scraggly beard shoves JJ aside before draining the can. I recognize him. One of those hardened bums who prey on the younger runaways, knocking them around and stealing their spange.
JJ shoves him back. “Fuck off, asshole. You owe me a beer.”
The bum reaches into his grimy jean’s pocket and pulls out a balisong. With a flick of his wrist, the knife slides from the handle. He holds it out so the blade gleams in the setting sunlight. His lips curl back, revealing a jagged grin. “C’mere, bitch.”
I shove JJ out of the way. My front snap kick connects with the bum’s wrist, jerking the knife from his grasp. I follow through with a sidekick to the groin. He doubles over, cupping his dick as he screams in agony. A left uppercut sends him rolling down the hill. When he reaches the bottom, he curls into a fetal position and rocks back and forth.
I grab the balisong and flick my wrist, watching the blade whisk in and out of its sheath. As I slide it into my pocket, I realize the drumming has stopped. Everyone on the hill is staring at me. My face heats as whistles and cheers fill the air. My crew stares as if seeing me for the first time. Then the girls clap their hands, while Carl and Sway make kicking and chopping motions while yelling, “Hi-yah!”
JJ rubs his chin. “I just thought of something.”
I shove the knife in my pocket. “Yeah?”
“A way you can contribute.”
The next night, I stand with JJ, Carl and Sway at the north corner of Buena Vista Park.
“You sure you know what to do?” JJ asks for the fifth time.
I nod.
“We’ll follow. If it goes down wrong, give the signal.”
I take a deep breath and tense as a car slows to a stop. The driver peers out the window. He’s an older guy, at least thirty, with a long nose, beady eyes and pasty skin. He looks like he spends all day staring at a computer.
Carl groans, “Ah, shit. It’s Moby.”
“Moby?” I ask.
JJ answers, “We call him Moby because he’s such a dick. He pays good, but he’s rough. No one wants to go with him.”
Carl tugs my shoulder. “Better pass on this one.”
Sway smirks. He still believes I can’t handle myself on the street. Time to buy him a clue. “I can do it.”
“You sure?” asks JJ.
“Yeah.” My stomach clenches as the passenger side window unrolls.
JJ struts over and leans in. “Wanna date?”
Moby juts his chin toward me. “He new?”
“Yep.” JJ turns and whistles.
I climb in and my feet slip on something long and round. Empty bottles cover the floor mat and I have to hunch my knees to settle on the seat. I close the door and Moby rolls up the window. Immediately I gag on the smell of old wine and stale semen. I’ll bet he lives with his mom and uses the car to jerk off to pornos on his phone. He doesn’t look at me. He’s a mouth breather and his chest rattles with something I hope isn’t contagious. So this is the kind of guy who picks up homeless kids for blowjobs. I guess he doesn’t care I haven’t brushed my teeth in a week.
Moby drives up Buena Vista Avenue to a turnout surrounded by trees, and parks in the City Vehicles Only zone. He fumbles with his pants, pulling down the zipper. Show time. I reach into my jacket. He grabs hold of the scruff of my neck. Using both hands, he forces my head toward his erect dick. I’m afraid he’s going to poke me in the eye with it.
I jam my elbow into Moby’s ribs. He cries out and loosens his grip. I yank free and thrust my elbow at Moby’s chin, knocking him back against the headrest. I pull the knife from my jacket and spin out the blade.
“Don’t! Don’t!” Moby’s beady eyes bulge. Fear sweat dampens his forehead. “What do you want?”
What a stupid question. “Your wallet.”
Moby reaches into his pants and I poise the knife under his ear. A moment later, the wallet is in my hand. Without looking back, I fumble for the door handle. It won’t open. It’s got one of those childproof locks. This Moby guy really is a dick. I look at him. He looks at me. I touch the point of the knife to his neck. He does something with his left hand and the door unlocks.
I jump out of the car and inhale the fresh cold night air. The crew is standing on the sidewalk, laughing and flipping off Moby. The headlights go on. He turns them too bright, blinding us. The engine revs, roars and jerks, like he punched the gas pedal, but forgot to take off the emergency brake. I have no doubt he’s about to mow us down.
We dart into the park. A door slams and his shouted curses follow us as we scramble through the dense foliage. Night training in the forest surrounding the Two Dragon Clan compound prepared me for worse than this. I duck around the branches that catch and snag the other guys, and soon run past them to lead the way. When we reach a clearing on the other side of the park, we stop. I bend over, grasp my knees and pant like the other guys, even though I’m not winded. After some high fives, I toss the wallet to JJ.
He holds it up to the light from the nearby tennis courts and hoots gleefully over the contents of the billfold. “This’ll last us a few days.” He pockets the cash and rifles through the credit cards.
“What about the cops?” I peer through the trees. “Isn’t he gonna call the cops?”
The other guys laugh. Sway makes a hand phone and presses it to his face while speaking in a deep, pompous tone. “Hello, 911? Yeah, I’d like to report that while engaging in, uh, sexual intercourse with a, uh, child
prostitute, I got robbed.”
I’ve got to admit, that’s pretty damn funny.
JJ plucks out Moby’s driver’s license. “I know a guy who’ll give us good money for this shit.”
“What about the credit cards?” I ask. “Can we use them?”
“Nah, too risky. Store clerks can finger us to the cops.”
JJ tosses the wallet into a clump of bushes and we make our way out to a path.
After buying pizza and beer, we return to the hotel, where Amethyst and Nix greet us like heroes. Nix finds a hip-hop station on the clock radio she’d rescued from the trash. Everyone digs in, dancing to the beat as they chow down. I eat little, my stomach tied in knots. So, now I’m a thief. But that Moby guy got what he deserved it, right? I can rob guys like him and still be a righteous Xia. Maybe not as Paul, the Dragon Son’s heir, but as Lennon, I can walk whatever path I choose. I close my eyes, leaning my head against the wall, and reach out, though there’s no one left to hear me.
Mom, Dad, I’m walking the Wayward Way now. Forgive me if this disappoints you, but this must be my path until I can avenge you.
Something touched my mind… fuzzy… distant… familiar…
Paul?
Tony.
I bolt upright as I clamp my mind shut.
“Damn, you’re jumpy, bro,” JJ says as he hands me a beer.
I take a long swig, grimacing as the bitter liquid fills my mouth and burns my chest. The after buzz slows the pounding of my heart. Tony must be using another person’s chi to boost his power, seeking the opening I had just given him. Now Tony knows I’m still in the city. Shit.
After paying the rent, JJ divided the loot among the four guys. It’ll take a few more robberies before I can make enough to head for Portland. Until then, I’ll lay low and keep my thoughts to myself.
Chapter 16
Penny
The bell rings as I’m about to head out the door for school. It’s a postman, who hands me a priority mail envelope addressed to Bridie. It’s from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This could be it. Once she gets her green card, it’s official. We’re here to stay. I get a weird feeling in my stomach. I’m so tempted to hide it or throw it in the trash.
