by J. C. Hart
Melody's gaze flicked to the girl sitting opposite her. She looked so normal. Perfectly normal. "Are you magical too?"
"I guess you could say that." Samantha grinned. "It's not all bad, honest."
"You mean not all magical people have crazed ex-boyfriends who want to drain them of their power?" She let out a ragged laugh and sank her head to the table.
"Oh Melody. I'm sorry." Samantha stroked her hair gently. "There are always bastards in the world, unfortunately some of them are magical, which just makes them that much worse."
Melody sat up, feeling tears well again. Hadn't she been crying just this morning? At least now she was safe, and free from him. For now. "I don't know what to do." She wiped her nose on her sleeve.
Samantha grinned. "I'm not much help with that. You might need a real psychic." She winked at Melody, who couldn't help but laugh.
"Thank you," she said, getting up from the table and grabbing her bag. "I feel a little bad. I came in here, ate your chocolate, cried on your shoulder, drank your coffee and didn't even buy anything."
"It's okay. You can come back and buy something another day," Samantha said with a gentle smile. "Where are you going now?"
"Well, I can't go home. I'm not ready yet."
"You can crash on my couch tonight, if you'd like? I'd hate to think of you out there." She nodded toward the window. Melody glanced outside. It was full dark now, and even the streetlights didn't seem to be able to breach the gloom.
She nodded and squeezed Samantha's hand. "Thanks. I owe you one. Or two."
Chapter Five
After dropping Melody off in town, Noah headed straight over to Constance’s. He pulled up into the old woman’s driveway and popped the boot. Before he’d even got the supplies out, she was down her steps and meeting him at the front of the car. It ticked in the cool evening air, the heat from the engine probably higher than it should be. Oh well. He wouldn’t be leaving the bay again for a bit.
“Did you get everything?” She ushered him up the path, her long white hair bouncing on her shoulders as she went.
“Yeah, I did. Like you had to ask, Connie.” He shook his head with a grin.
“Don’t get cheeky with me, Noah. It’s my job to make sure the barrier is maintained.” She opened the front door and waited for him to move past and through to the kitchen. He set the bag down gently on the table.
“I know. And it’s our job to help you with that. It’s not a burden you carry alone. We all want what’s best for the Bay.”
She gave him a smile and patted his cheek. “You’re a good boy. I’m pleased you found your way here because we need a man of your talents.”
Noah didn’t say anything, just gave a little nod. He was lucky they appreciated him, because it could have gone down in a totally different way. Only he knew how long he’d been searching for a place to call home. For a place where he felt like he belonged. He’d travelled all over the world looking for it. Ironic, that he’d finally found it only a few hours from where he grew up.
Constance unzipped the bag and was laying bottles and containers out on the table, mumbling to herself and checking things off against the list. She coughed hard, the force of it making her cave in on herself a little. She dabbed at her mouth with a handkerchief before tucking it back up her sleeve, but Noah noticed the blood on it.
“There was something else,” he said. Now wasn’t the time to talk about how unwell she was, or what they would do when she couldn’t keep the barrier from coming down. “There was a Godchild on the bus.”
She spun toward him, her eyes wide. “A Godchild. Coming home?”
“I don’t think she knows what she is, but I could feel it. She was literally oozing magic.” He could still sense it now, the feel of it in the air.
Constance scowled, eyes dark with suspicion. “You didn’t—”
“No, I didn’t!” He tossed his head back and turned away from her. “I just thought you should know. If they’re coming out of the woodwork, maybe things are going to happen soon. I think we need to get that barrier back up to full strength. If you need some help…”
“I’m fine.” Her words were firm and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I might be old, and I might be sick, but I can still do my job, at least for now. And when I can’t, I’ll bring my grand-daughter here. Alyssa will carry on after me. I am sure of it.”
“We’re counting on you, Constance. Asking for help takes more strength than not sometimes.”
She let out a sigh. “I’ll ask for help when I need it. Okay?” She pursed her lips as she turned back to the table. “Thank you, it looks like you got everything. Now get out of here, I have work to do.” She waved dismissively over her shoulder, her attention on the reagents before her. Noah stayed for a moment, watching as she got out a bowl and started to create a concoction.
It worried him, that she was unwell. She shouldn’t be, not with the power running through her body. Not with her connection to Papatūānuku so strong. But until she asked for help, there wasn’t anything they could do. Constance was an elder here, and one of the most stubborn women Noah had ever met.
He turned away, shaking his head, a sad smile playing on his lips. He could only hope that she did reach out, before it was too late.
Chapter Six
It was 10am before Melody finally dragged herself to the house where she grew up. The pavement was like a magnet under her feet and it took all her energy to keep walking. If she hadn't had a full night's sleep, there was no way she would have made it. Somewhere along the line, the small, one-story villa had been freshly painted smurf blue—must have been cheap at the paint shop because there was no other godly reason for someone to choose that colour—and the gardens looked more in order than they'd ever been when she'd lived here, though roses had never been her thing. It actually looked like someone gave a crap. Bile rose in her throat and she grazed her tongue along her teeth.
She'd never thought this would be a happy reunion, but obviously, they were better off without her. Too bad. She may have left, but this was her home too.
Shaking out the tension in her shoulders, she marched up the path and knocked on the door. It felt like several minutes before she heard a noise on the other side, but then the door was dragged open and Melody had to do a double take.
"Jake?" Her little brother wasn't so little anymore. He'd already been taller when she left, but he'd put on muscle now and his arms were writhing with tattoos. He also had a hoop through his nose, and lip, and ears, and...
"Melody, is that you?" He cocked his head and frowned. "What did you do? You look like crap." A grin slid across his face. He dodged the punch she automatically threw, and then swept her into a hug. "Long time no see, Sis."
"Too long. I'm sorry." She pulled back and ran a hand down his face, avoiding the piercings. His chin was peppered with stubble. "You've grown." A tear slid down her cheek and she gnawed at her bottom lip, regret threatening to overwhelm her.
"You haven't." He shook his head, still smiling. "I'm just pleased to see you. Thought you might have been dead or something."
"Still kicking," she said, giving him a half-hearted grin. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah." Jake shrugged and moved towards the kitchen, pulling her behind him. "Coffee?"
"Black, two sugars." Melody tried to take everything in. Outwardly it didn't seem like a whole lot had changed, but it still felt overwhelming. It was tidier, perhaps, though maybe Jake had grown out of discarding his belongings all over the floor. He'd been the messiest child; not that she'd been much better.
"Where's Mum?" she asked once they'd settled at the kitchen table. Melody kept glancing at the hallway, expecting to see her there.
"Work."
Melody just about choked on her coffee. "Since when does she work?" Her mother had never had a job, not even in the evenings. Not even to escape what she had to have known was going on under her roof.
"Since not long after you left. I think she realized that if
she sat at home all day wondering when you'd come back she was going to go crazy." Jake didn't look at her as he spoke.
"I'm sorry," Melody whispered. His words hurt, though she should have expected it. He always forgave, but he never forgot. She placed her hand over his. "I just... I had to go."
"I know." He did look at her then and she could tell that he understood. Their father had never lifted a hand to Jake, but there had been no hiding the punishment he'd meted out on Melody.
"Do you think she's still mad?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "Don't feel bad about it though. I know why you did it."
"I didn't do anything for her, I did it for me." Melody glared at Jake.
"No, no, I didn't mean that, Sis. Calm down. Jeepers. You grew a temper while you were gone, huh? You used to be such a mouse."
"I grew something. Not sure what though." She shrugged. "I guess we've all changed." They drank their coffee in silence for a minute, but when she couldn't handle it any more she said, "So what happened to your face?"
Jake's hand moved to his chin, and he quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Melody rolled her eyes. "The piercings. Do you get food stuck in that lip ring? And the tats. I mean, I know your boss has them but—"
"Noah?" Jake's forehead furrowed even deeper. "How do you know him?"
"I met him on the bus." She shrugged it off. Jake didn't need to know about the lift, or the promise, or the weird feeling she got from Noah. "So what are you doing these days? I disappeared for a couple of years and you grew up and got scary."
Jake put his arms across the table, shoving the sleeves of his shirt up further to expose even more artwork. "This is what I'm doing."
It took a moment for his message to get through. "You're tattooing? Jake! What kind of career is that?"
"A good one. One I love." He scowled. "I don't need your judgement. Noah gave me a chance when no-one else would. He took me under his wing at a time I could have easily gone off the tracks."
"And this isn't considered off the tracks?" Melody raised an eyebrow. "You can't tell me Mum likes it."
"Noah's like family now. Apparently she's a little less narrow minded than you." Jake pursed his lips as he considered her.
Melody snorted. "So what do you do for him?"
"Help out around the shop mostly. I've designed a bunch of tattoos, but I'm still getting to grips with actually inking them."
"So all that doodling you did when you were a kid is paying off, huh? Well, I guess it's good you're passionate about it. Noah seems like a decent guy."
"You've mentioned him a few times. Got the hots for my boss?"
"What? No way," Melody said, perhaps too quickly. "I'm just curious, about your life. It's been too long." She paused. "I am sorry."
"You've already said that." Jake tutted at her. "And I've already said that I understand. The old man—"
"I really don't want to talk about him." She didn't even want to think about him.
Jake nodded slowly. "Come on, let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand and dragged her from the house without another word.
Chapter Seven
Jake led her into the café and bar on the main drag and parked her in a corner booth. "I'll get us some food. Don't go anywhere." He gave her a grin and a pointed look before heading to the counter.
"Yeah, okay." Melody shrugged, her head still too full to think about what she wanted to eat, anyway. She let her eyes wander over the scene, all chrome and leather, it looked far too swanky for Kotahi Bay. It had been a bar when she’d left, so she'd never set foot in the place before. Somehow it felt strangely exhilarating to be here now.
When Jake came back he was followed by another figure. Melody didn't recognise her for a minute, and then it hit her.
"Mum?" She'd lost about a hundred kilograms and her thick brown hair was done in a pixie cut. "You look amazing." Melody stood and reached for her mother, but the other woman just plonked the tray on the table and looked her up and down.
"What brings you back?" Her mother's words cut ragged lines in Melody. She'd expected a hug, or something, some kind of welcome. Not this cold glare.
"I thought I'd been away for long enough. I wanted to see you all," she lied and dropped back into the seat, abandoning hope of contact. How could the woman who gave birth to her act so coolly? She had expected anger; indifference was so much worse.
"Well, you should have called first." Her mother wouldn't even look at her, instead she glanced at Jake, whose jaw twitched in response to some unspoken conversation. "We don't have room for you in the house, but your grandfather's caravan is still in the backyard. You can use that while you're in town."
"Um... Thanks?" Melody frowned, then forcibly smoothed the creases from her brow in case her mother thought her inconsiderate.
"Are you home for dinner, Jake?"
He swallowed hard and Melody felt a momentary stab of guilt that she might come between mother and son. "Not sure yet, I'll give you a text."
"Okay." Their mother gave him a quick kiss on the forehead—only possible because he was sitting—and left.
"You could have told me she worked here," Melody said through gritted teeth.
"I thought it was better to get it out of the way." Jake gave her an apologetic half-grin. "Sorry. I didn't think she was still that mad."
"Well, I guess when your oldest child runs off without leaving a note or calling home, after the sudden death of your husband, one might get kind of pissed off..."
Jake laughed. "Don't worry about it, Sis. Gramps’ caravan is probably nicer than being in the house anyway, right? You didn't want to be in with us."
"It's not like that." But it was. She had come home as the only alternative she could think of, not because she wanted to be part of the family again. Not yet, anyway.
"I know." Jake gave her a pointed look and then nudged a plate towards her. "Eat up. Your stomach is growling, in case you hadn't noticed."
She hadn't. "Sorry."
"And quit apologizing. Seriously."
"Fine." She poked her tongue out at him and dug in. The food felt good in her stomach, made her feel more solid somehow. It tasted like...home. Maybe her mother had cooked these eggs. They were just like the ones from her childhood. She did have some good memories, they were just tainted by the less good ones.
"So what are you doing here, anyway?" Jake asked between mouthfuls. "Must be some reason you came back, and don't feed me any lines about missing us."
Melody reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "I did miss you, and that's not a line. Some nights I couldn't sleep for the guilt. I never stopped wondering how you were doing."
"You still didn't answer my question," Jake said. He lifted a finger and pointed at her neck. "What happened?"
Melody pulled her jacket closer, hoping to cover the marks. "My boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—wasn't a very nice guy. I needed to get away from him and so I came back here."
Jake gave a derisive laugh. "Because here is so much better? Jeez, Mel. You go straight from an abusive guy to your abusive family home?"
"Shit, Jake, shut the hell up." Melody leaned across the table and glared at him. "Don't go saying stuff like that." She glanced side to side, but no one was taking any notice of them.
"What, you don't think the whole town knows? Seriously, Sis. Rumours spread far and wide when the old man died and you skipped town. People started talking. You know how small towns love gossip."
Melody buried her head in her hands. She hadn't thought this through, and maybe, just maybe, it wasn't worth it to stick around after all. It sounded like being home was going to be just as much of a mess as being in the city. She was a fool to think anything would have changed between then and now. A fool.
"Maybe I should keep moving." She glanced up at Jake, gauging his response.
"Or maybe it's time to stop running. Is he going to find you here?"
"I don't think so. I never mentioned this place. Hell, I was doing eve
rything I could to forget it existed." Her lips curved in a wry smile. "What would you do?"
He paused for a moment, licked his lips and then replied, "Why, I'd stick around and reconnect with my little brother." A smile spread across his face, and she felt her own grin change from wry to happy. At least he wanted her here. That counted for something. "Come on, finish your eggs and I'll show you around. Some things haven't changed, but some have."
"The highlights of Kotahi Bay?" Melody rolled her eyes, and pushed her plate away. "I've kind of lost my appetite, let's go now." She looked over at the kitchen but their mother hadn't shown herself since their encounter. Oh well, Melody thought. What did she really expect?
Jake held the door open for her and Melody had just made it outside when she heard her mother.
"Wait, Melody."
She turned towards her mother, propping the door open with her foot, unable to keep her irritation at bay. "What, Mum? You made it pretty clear that you weren't interested in talking."
Her mother showed a moment of remorse before she shut her emotions down. "You left under difficult circumstances, Melody. You never called. I'm sorry if you're hurt by my reaction, but I didn't know how to handle the situation."
"Better than that, would have been nice," Melody quipped, though she regretted the words immediately.
"There are things we need to talk about. Important things."
Whatever the underlying message she was trying to pass to Melody, it wasn't getting through. Melody wasn't ready to listen. "Maybe later. I'm busy right now. I'll make sure to call or write a letter before dropping in on you next time." Melody took her foot out of the door and watched as a gust of wind caught it and slammed it shut. Unfortunately, the look on her mother's face gave her no satisfaction.
Chapter Eight
Noah put the tattoo gun down and gently swabbed the butterfly before grabbing the mirror and passing it to his client, Becca.
