Storm: a Salt novel (Entangled Teen)

by Danielle Ellison

  “I can make all this better,” Connie smiles, “with laser tag.”

  “I’m not interested.”

  “Come on, Penelope. This is supposed to be my day because I failed my test. We didn’t watch the movie because of everything with Taylor. You said whatever I wanted, and I want a break.”

  Connie is leaning halfway across the table, trying to coax me. “Come on. Let’s do something besides sit here and mope. Laser tag or pedicures or a movie. We still have to pick up the pizza for Gran.”

  “Fine.” I give in and throw away my ice cream. It’s a sad day when a girl can’t eat her ice cream.

  I follow Connie out the door. Lucky us, pizza and ice cream and laser tag all on the same block. She’s practically skipping, she’s so happy. Laser tag has never made her this happy. I doubt it would cheer her up after she failed her exams—yet there she is smiling. Almost free.

  I freeze. “You did it on purpose.”

  “What?”

  “You blew the test. Why would you do that?”

  Connie crosses her arms slowly. “You won’t get it.”

  I lean into her, and pull her around the corner. “Try me.”

  Connie stares at me, eyes wide like they usually are when she’s nervous. “Being an Enforcer was your dream, Penelope, not mine.”

  Our conversation about what I’d do without being an Enforcer repeats in my head. I should’ve seen it then. I knew then that she was having doubts, but I never asked her. I should’ve followed up. “What happened?”

  She huffs. “You never asked me what my dream was. No one has. We’re the Grey girls. Obviously we’d be Enforcers like our parents,” she pauses. “I knew you needed me to be one, so I went along with it. I thought I did want it. But then you got Carter and you didn’t need me,” she says, the words rushing out like she’d been holding them in all this time, about to burst. “I was waiting for the exams to come, and I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I don’t have to be an Enforcer. I’m happy being a regular witch.”

  We walk down the back street toward the laser tag and those words sit on my chest. Something else I can never be. Not an Enforcer and not a regular witch. Silence fills the space between. I sort of admire Connie for what she did. I could never walk away like that and go find an entirely new plan.

  “What would you like, then?”

  She laughs. “No idea! I’m not even seventeen yet, Penelope. You’re older than me. Can you say being an Enforcer is what you want to do forever? Risk your life for other people who will never know that you’re doing it, even if you die for them?”

  I can’t say that because it’s not my life anymore. Can I even say I felt that way before? My goal was to get my magic back, and that was it. Did I ever really want to do the job, or just to feel like I had a purpose? Those are different things, aren’t they?

  “I don’t know,” I respond. Connie looks surprised by the answer, and there’s so much more she’d be surprised about. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that I was pushing what I wanted on you.”

  Connie smiles, her hair bouncing as she hugs me. “I didn’t, either. When I did, I decided I would fail. Then I’d be able to get where I wanted to go. Wherever that is.”

  She’s more understanding than I am. My sister is so much smarter than me.

  “I do get it,” I say. Connie looks surprised. “I mean, I’ve always tried to be more than I was.”

  “You were pretty fantastic before too, you know,” she says to me.

  “You too, little sis. You get it from me.” I wrap one arm around her elbow and shove my other hand in her face like a microphone. “You won the superbowl, what will you do next?”

  She laughs as we walk. “Go to Disneyworld. Or maybe I’ll go crazy and do college with Nons. That could be an adventure.”

  “It’s definitely an adventure,” I say. In that moment, I feel like I should tell her everything. That I’m as lost as she is, and why I’ve been so moody. “Connie, something happened.”

  The high-low-high notes ring from her phone. Immediately, Connie’s is already in her hand, and I huff. “Oh my gosh,” Connie says.

  “What?” I ask. I reach for my phone from my pocket out of habit, but Connie grabs my arm. “Smell that?”

  I freeze. A demon is nearby. For a second I wonder if it’s Lia, but I don’t think she’s so desperate that she’d make two appearances in such a short time span. Connie squeezes my arm, and then a demon appears in front us, bright red and teeth bared. Definitely not the mauve demon. Or friendly.

  Before either of us can move, it runs toward us faster than I’ve seen a demon move. It’s almost a blur. I call on the magic, and I almost feel it all moving inside me, building up. When I try to release it nothing happens. The mark keeps it from coming. Stupid.

  Connie’s face grows fierce and then she zaps magic toward the demon. It growls at her and I jump out of the way. Connie calls on the wind to push it away from us—and I can’t do anything. Great. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I scan the area for an object to use against it, but I don’t see any iron. It’s worthless to try, but maybe if I keep trying to use the magic then it will work.

  My sister screams as the demon tosses her down the street and she slides across the cement.

  Screw this. You do not mess with my sister.

  I hurl myself at the demon, and kick it in the head. It stumbles backward. Even if I don’t have magic at all, I still have my ninja moves. My fist flies into the demon’s stomach, and it doubles over. I kick it again, bringing it to its knees, and then run toward Connie, who’s getting up from the ground. I don’t make it far before the demon draws me toward it. My whole body feels like it’s on a string, and I try not to move, but the demon magic is stronger. How the heck is it doing this? It jerks its hand, and I land hard at its feet.

  The demon bends over me, drool falling onto my face, which is less than appealing. When it’s close enough, I kick up my legs and wrap them around its neck, dropping it to the ground. I punch toward it, but the demon grabs my leg and hurls me down. I toss whatever salt I can pull from my necklace toward the demon’s face. It howls and covers its ears, backing away slowly. It recovers quickly, thanks to my pitiful amount of salt, and its eyes narrow at me in anger. It takes a step forward and then stops, immobilized, and looks up at the sky, arms stretching back away from its body.

  I look up and Connie’s hand is out in the air. I don’t know what magic she’s doing, but the demon hates it. I move as quickly as I can to stand by my sister.

  Connie drops her hand and the demon stumbles forward. “Let’s kill this thing,” she says. It growls at us and Connie takes my hand before I can protest. I start to pull my hand away but it the stupid mark will stop it. I can go along with it and she’ll expel the demon all on her own.

  My sister takes charge of the whole situation and I stand there watching. In a normal situation, I’d feel her magic stirring mine. I don’t feel anything. It’s the first time that the marking feels real, even though I haven’t had magic for days. I don’t have anything, not even the little stir from Connie. The Triad has taken away the only piece of myself that made me a witch. Without magic, what am I?

  “Virtute angeli ad infernum unde venistis,” Connie yells into the air, her hands pointed toward the cowering demon.

  As soon as the words are said, I feel magic. My skin is on fire, insanely hot. I feel the burning under my skin, the same way it felt when I was in the testing, and a small cry escapes my mouth.

  A bright light fills the small space and the demon howls, the worst sound I’ve ever heard. Nails on a chalkboard mixed with white noise mixed with that note the fat lady sings in all those operas. Connie drops my hand and covers her ears, but I can’t move. My whole body is on fire, exuding a bright white light and I have no idea how to stop it. The void is pouring from me—and I can’t contain it. It’s a tsunami escaping through a keyhole. It hurts, but it feels good at the same time. Release. Like pent-up energy
and emotion finally expressed.

  Connie yells my name, and I look at her, but it’s hard to see her in the brightness of the light. What the hell is happening? She moves closer toward me and I open my mouth to yell no. As soon as I do, her body is tossed across the parking lot—by me—and into the brick side of the building.

  “Connie,” I yell, but the white light doesn’t stop. I can’t make it stop. My sister isn’t moving. Why isn’t she moving?

  The world starts spinning, and I feel like I’m floating. I see my sister on the ground.

  The slight blue of the sky beyond the rooftops.

  Demon guts covering the sides of everything. When did it die?

  Gray concrete.

  And then I see nothing.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Carter

  The heart monitor is a constant steady beeping. That sound has become this soothing noise. As long as it’s beeping then she’s breathing. Breathing means alive. Alive means I stay right here. I run my hand over Pen’s hair. I expect her to wake up and demand a cookie. Whatever happened to her, I just want her to wake up. It’s been thirty-six hours since those Nons found her and Connie behind the pizza place, and I want her to wake up.

  I glance up and Dad’s face appears in the window on the door again. He stares in, and I stare out. I haven’t talked to him much since Pen got put in the hospital, but the last we spoke he’d asked if there was something he should know about her. I said no. I had him agree the Triad wouldn’t tell Pen’s grandparents that she had been marked. And then he said, “That girl is trouble.” As much as I’d wanted to, I refrained from flipping him off.

  After a few seconds, he walks away from the window. The Triad has been here since yesterday. They don’t know what happened out there, either, or why. Was it a demon? Was it Connie?

  Or was it something else?

  Given all that I know about the mark, she shouldn’t have magic. But the demon had said the void would still be working with the mark. If Pen does have magic, even though she’s completely separated from the essence, then she’s using the void. I can’t use the void that way. I can’t even access it, but Pen can. If Pen was involved in what happened out there, if she used the void to do all this, then it’s a game-changer. Not that I’m even sure what game we’re playing anymore.

  The door opens and Frank comes in. “Any change?” I ask about Connie.

  “Connie is stable, finally,” he says. He looks down at Penelope and I see the exhaustion in his eyes. I can’t imagine what it’s like for him to have both of his granddaughters in the hospital without explanation. “This is really hard on Deb,” he says. He’s not looking at me. He’s probably talking to himself, but I listen anyway. “She’s in there with Connie now. You watch your kids go after these impossible things, and you worry about what could happen to them, but then it happens. When it was Genevieve, we didn’t even have this moment of wondering. She was just gone. I don’t know what’s worse…”

  “Pen and Connie aren’t going to die,” I say, still holding Pen’s hand. She won’t die. Neither of them will. They can’t. Frank looks at me. “They won’t. They’re strong girls, and Penelope’s too stubborn.”

  Frank cracks a smile and rests his hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good boy, Carter. I’m glad she has you.”

  “I couldn’t imagine not having her.”

  “Penelope’s always been guarded, but not with you. Ever since you came around, she’s been more open. Less afraid. Almost as if she feels safe.”

  I don’t know what to say to that so I don’t say anything.

  “Can you tell me one thing?”

  “What’s that?”

  Frank nods toward the door. “Why is the Triad parading outside in the hallway?”

  His eyes are dark, narrowed in on me. He’s suspicious because this isn’t typical of them. I look from him and out the tiny window. Sabrina’s face is there for a moment. Even from the other side of the door I can sense her attitude problem. I look back toward Frank.

  “Maybe they’re worried.”

  He puts his shoulders back. “About my granddaughters when there are Statics dying?”

  I don’t move my gaze away from his. We both know it’s more than what I’m saying.

  There’s a pressure in my hand. The monitor beeps next to me and Frank and I both look down. Pen’s eyes are wide open.

  “Penelope,” Frank says, laughter seeping through his smile. He kisses Pen’s forehead softly. For a moment, I feel like I’m intruding, but then she looks at me, too. That’s all I need to break into a smile. She’s awake. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I’d lost her, and now I’ll never have to.

  “What happened?” she asks in a whisper, looking between her grandpa and me.

  “Let’s get the doctors first,” Frank says. He kisses her cheek and bounces out the room. One less thing to worry about for him.

  Pen looks at me, waiting for me to tell her. She tries to sit up in the bed, but barely moves an inch. “Some Nons found you and Connie behind the pizza place two days ago.”

  “Two days?”

  I nod, forcing down the feeling in my throat. “There were demon remains on the scene. You and Connie were both unconscious. You don’t remember it?”

  She scrunches up her nose. “Not really. Connie—where is she?”

  “In a room next door. She hasn’t woken up yet,” I say. Pen nods her head slowly. “I thought you…we were all worried.”

  She squeezes my hand. “I’m too stubborn to leave yet.”

  “That’s what I said,” I say with a smile.

  “I need to be here to make your life interesting.”

  “A little less interesting wouldn’t be a bad thing,” I say. I run my hand over her cheek. She’s so beautiful, and she’s right here. “Whatever happened, whatever happens, I love you.”

  “Why are you talking like I’m in trouble?”

  “Because we have some questions,” Rafe Ezrati says. He stands in the doorway of Penelope’s doorway with Sabina and my dad. Pen’s eyes widen.

  I cross my arms but don’t move from her bed. “Right now? She just woke up.”

  “We’ll only be a moment,” Sabrina says.

  I shake my head, about to protest. How can they come in here right now? She’s been awake four seconds. Pen puts her hand over mine and holds her head up high.

  “What’s your question?”

  “Do you remember what happened out there?” Rafe asks.

  I study Pen’s face as she thinks, nose scrunched up, eyes wide and then a sigh. “I remember a demon. Connie and I were going to play laser tag and get pizza and it came out of nowhere. I fought it. She used magic on it. Then, I was waking up here.”

  Sabrina crosses her arms, and exchanges a look with my dad and Rafe. “That’s all you remember?”

  She nods. “That’s all.”

  “You didn’t try to do magic?” Dad asks. He doesn’t even look at me. His gaze is totally focused on Penelope.

  “I don’t have magic, remember? You marked me. It’s probably the reason my sister and I are in hospital beds right now. It’s like you’re against me when I did nothing wrong.”

  Rafe shakes his head. “Miss Grey, we are not against you.”

  “Then give me my magic back.”

  I look between Penelope and the Triad. If they are trying to get her on their side, they’re doing a shitty job of it.

  “We can’t do that yet, Miss Grey. Not until our investigation is concluded.”

  Pen looks away from them as Frank comes back in with the doctor. He looks at the Triad and then at Pen. That look is in his eyes again. The one from earlier, where he seems to know more is happening. “Can you give my granddaughter a moment before you berate her?”

  “We are finished here,” Sabrina says.

  A noise from across the hall fills the awkward silence. It’s Deborah yelling for a doctor. Pen’s doctor leaves the room, followed by her grandpa and Pen squeezes my ha
nd. “What’s happening over there?”

  “She’ll be fine,” I say.

  Pen shakes her head, tears in her eyes. “Are you sure?”

  No, but I don’t tell her that. Connie was stabilized before Pen woke up. The last two days have been this constant back and forth for her.

  The tears slide down on her red face, this new determination there with the worry, and in all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her that angry. She looks at the Triad. “You took my magic. You made it so I couldn’t help my sister when that demon came, and if she dies, I will never forgive you. I will make sure that her death haunts the three of you forever.”

  “Remember your place, Miss Grey,” Dad says.

  “Oh, I have not forgotten,” she says, and shakes her head. “You can get out now.”

  Before he leaves, Dad tosses me a look. The Triad’s not even close to finished with this. Whatever they are looking for, whatever the reason for being here, they’ll be back.

  …

  “I want to see Connie,” she says. Pen’s been awake and Connie’s been stable for the last ten hours. Deborah and I sit on each side of Penelope’s bed. Her color is back.

  “You’re not strong enough to be up,” Deborah says.

  “Please,” her voice cracks. “Just a minute. I need to see her.”

  “I’ll have to check with your doctor,” Deborah says.

  Penelope nods and Deborah kisses her cheek before leaving.

  “I have a question,” I say, looking down at Pen’s hand. She hmms. I hold up her hand. “What’s this spot?” Her eyes widen as she looks at her fingernail. Her whole pinky fingernail is covered in black. “I’m pretty sure that’s new.”

  “Maybe I stubbed my finger?” she whispers. I run a finger over the spot but it doesn’t seem swollen. A bruise would at least be sensitive.

  “You feel okay?”

  “I feel fine,” she says. “Stop worrying about me.”

  I shrug. “That’s hard to do.”

  “When’s the last time you went home?”

  “I don’t want to go home.” My dad is there, and she’s here. It’s hands down no contest for where I want to be.