* * *
Since it was usually only the three of us and Sam, my dad’s sentinel—unless Mom’s family dropped in from Georgia—we had small Thanksgiving dinners with a few turkey legs, dressing, and a couple sides of my choice.
Now that we had an additional shifter among us with a huge appetite, Mom went the whole nine yards, dragging me and Dad into the kitchen, because she wanted to impress Gabriel and Liadan.
She pulled out all the “Southern Fixin’s” as she liked to call them, baking macaroni and cheese, two freaking birds, Granny’s cheddar biscuits, and so many potato-based side dishes I facepalmed and apologized to Lia. We had all kinds of flippin’ pies and a few Italian dessert dishes courtesy of Dad. He made the best cannoli, but he’d never dragged out the recipe for Thanksgiving before.
What the hell was up with my parents?
We gathered around the dining table early in the afternoon, and Dad glamoured a miniature place setting for Ama to sit among us. She got her own seat and a special china dish with turkey and some of the raw veggies.
Thanksgiving in my family was never fancy—plentiful, but never fancy. Besides us, my folks had invited a few local fae over, and their sentinels had dropped by.
Usually, dishes were my job at the end of the day. Except this time, my parents excused me from the tedious chore and handled those together with magic. My mom had been on her feet all day, and she looked so tired that when I tried to sneak in to help them, I overheard Dad urging her to go sit down and rest while he glamoured the kitchen for her.
Eventually, Mom, Lia, and I retired to the newly built sunroom with Ama while Gabriel and Dad watched the game on TV.
“This is lovely.” Lia relaxed in a thick-cushioned seat beneath a flowering ornamental tree.
Mom stretched out on the sofa and offered Ama an apple slice. The conure happily remained on her shoulder.
Dammit. Why didn’t Ama like me?
“I swear, you two are spoiling the bird like she’s your grandchild or something. If this is a hint, I am sooo not cranking anything out anytime soon.”
“Good, because I’m not ready to be a grandmother.”
“Phew. The mom thing is not my style yet.”
“What about the big sister thing?”
“You and Dad would have to give me a little brother or sister first.”
Mom raised one brow at me.
I glanced down at her tummy, and suddenly their weird behavior and her fussing over everyone made all the sense in the world.
“Oh my God. Are you…?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I jumped up and squealed. “When, when, when?”
“May, May, May.”
I screamed again and clapped my hands then tossed myself on Mom—carefully—hugging her tight above the waist while Liadan laughed at me.
“That’s excellent news, Mrs. Corazzi. Congratulations.”
“You knew, didn’t you?”
Lia squirmed. “I… suspected. Your mom has been like a buoyant ball of joy since we arrived.”
“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me earlier.”
“We wanted to tell you in person, sweetheart. We haven’t even told Sam and Patrick yet,” she said, referring to their sentinels.
I kissed her belly. “You are going to be the most spoiled baby sister or brother ever.”
21
Some Bonds Trump Rules
A few days wasn’t enough, but I was grateful my friends had the chance to meet my family and be there when Mom shared her amazing news. I even got to see Mindi for our traditional Black Friday shopping. Seeing Lia’s absolute bewilderment at the horde of aggressive shoppers had been totally worth it. Plus, I managed to snag the perfect birthday gift for Gabriel right under his nose.
I called that a win.
To make things easier, Liadan and I packed up that night, which showed how much we’d actually bought during our shopping spree. We stared at our joint pile of presents and laughed as I dragged out another suitcase to charm.
Saturday, we enjoyed some downtime at the house before we had to head out. Mom busted out the old photo albums, much to my friends’ delight and my embarrassment. After that, we watched movies and helped chow down on the bounty of leftovers in the fridge before lying down for naps.
Dad wouldn’t let us leave until Gabriel had gone over every leg of our drive home with him. He wanted to check the probability lines for accidents and roadside mishaps. He claimed it would save us trouble, but he was so adamant about it that deep creases furrowed in Liadan’s brow.
Having a new baby on the way brought out the worrywart in both of them.
“Daddy, we’ll be fine.”
He frowned. “It never hurts to plan it out in advance. There may be accidents and construction delays.”
Mom placed a canteen of chamomile tea into Lia’s hands. “Have you three decided where to stop for the night?”
Gabriel grinned and hefted up my suitcase. He didn’t get far before it vanished from his hands, presumably to the trunk. “Thanks, Mr. Corazzi, and no, I plan to drive straight through the night while the girls sleep.”
I glanced at Lia. My zombie friend stood beside the front door with a blanket around her shoulders, canteen clutched between both hands, and red hair mussed around her tired face. “While Liadan sleeps, you mean. I’ll be up alongside you.”
Mom pursed her lips. “Still, if you kids stop, look at any hotels and rest stops through the Twilight. It’ll help you narrow down the good ones from the trash. Places with a good reputation for cleanliness and hardworking staff stand out.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I hope you’ll come visit us again, both of you. And bring the rest of your friends next time.”
Mom hugged each of us then shoved an insulated lunch box into my hands. “Snacks and drinks for all of you. There’s a grape and some veggies for Ama too. And the extra pie.”
“Thank you. I wish we had more time to visit,” Gabriel said.
Dad shook his hand. “We’ll see you again soon, I’m sure.” After helping Lia into the back seat with Ama, he passed me a four-pack of my favorite caramel mocha coffee drink, still ice cold.
“You’re the best, Daddy.”
“Of course.”
My parents watched us from the driveway until we made the corner that took us out of sight.
Five hours later, my kidneys punished me for guzzling three lattes to stay awake.
“I need a rest stop pronto. Those coffees spilled into my bladder all at once.”
Gabriel snickered. “I told you to take it easy on the drinks.”
“Yeah, well, you got an extra two hours of sleep,” I grumbled, not that I could really complain much. I’d used that time to sit alone with my folks and discuss the baby.
“You excited about becoming a big sister?”
“Dude, I can’t wait. I mean, it wasn’t awful growing up an only child, but sometimes I wished I had someone to game with besides my friends. Whenever we went to theme parks, Dad rode every ride with me, even when he was dog-tired, and I was like, man, if I had a little brother, this would be awesome.”
“I have a little brother and a little sister. And an older brother. Growing up in a crowded house sucked most of the time, but… there are times when I appreciated having them around.”
“What’s everyone’s names?”
“Samuel is my older brother. He graduated from PNRU the year Rodrigo and I got here. Jasmine graduates high school next year. Alejandro turned eleven two months ago, and after Mom had him, she shut the baby factory down. She claimed we all gave her heart attacks when we were learning to fly and she couldn’t take anymore of it.”
Conversation about Gabe’s family and life in a household of shifters carried on until he found an exit with a gas station. I hurried across the lot while he topped off the tank, leaving Lia to snooze in the back seat.
&n
bsp; Whether by fortune or because Gabriel had a sixth sense about things, the restroom wasn’t a hellscape. I emerged minutes later and checked out the fresh donut display beside the refrigerated drinks.
A guy perused the contents of the beer in the cold case, the big dude wearing shades and a leather jacket, but something—a flicker of intuition maybe—told me he was armed. He had a kind of feral grace about him, shaggy dark hair streaked brown and gold like a brindle dog.
I realized I’d seen him before, shopping at Hot Topic beside us in the mall.
Remaining composed on the outside, but losing my shit with heart-pounding anxiety, I pulled three glazed donuts from the case and walked to the checkout.
A tense moment passed when the guy walked past me to step outside the gas station. He trotted to the pumps where a lovely older woman with white hair filled their sedan. He passed her a coffee, and she smiled up at him. They pulled away minutes later.
Okay. False alarm. Nothing to fear. Total coincidence.
Life was made of coincidences, wasn’t it?
* * *
I woke up after a short snooze and swiped my mouth out of habit. The subtle glow of the vehicle displays cast a pale green light against Gabriel’s face.
“’Sup, sleepyhead?”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to pass out on you.”
He grinned. “It’s cool. Get all the sleep you can now before we’re back on campus.”
“You make that sound so ominous.”
“You’ve never enjoyed a post-holiday workout with Bregman.”
I groaned, able to imagine what tortures awaited us as our coaches beat off any pounds we gained gorging on turkey and sweet potato pie. Gabriel laughed and laid a hand on my leg. The warmth from his palm seeped through my leggings.
“You’ll survive, I promise.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t splurge as bad as I did last year.”
“I probably shouldn’t say this, since I should be encouraging you to get fit, but those five pounds you packed on last year at Christmas did wonders for your ass.”
“Are you saying my ass isn’t nice now?”
“It’s still awesome. It was just worthy of a few rap bars by Sir Mix-a-Lot then.”
“I love that you actually know that reference.”
Without disturbing Lia, I reached back and snagged the lunch box from the floorboard. She had sprawled across the back seat with her My Little Pony blanket drawn up to her shoulders. Ama didn’t stir either, the parrot fluffed up inside a little fleece hammock. The rear seat appeared wider than it should be, but I chalked it up to faerie magic, because my dad was always casting spatial glamours.
“Now to see what my mom packed. Ooh, what do you know, cookies. I should have looked in here before I bought donuts.” The small container held more than was physically possible. I pulled out a can of LaCroix sparkling water and offered it to Gabriel. “Want one?”
“Shit tastes like someone ate fruit and breathed on an open glass of water. No thanks.”
“Heathen.” More for me then.
Some more digging rewarded my uncultured boyfriend with a Red Bull. I managed to resist the cookies and settled on nibbling jerky instead to occupy my hands and keep me busy.
“Hey, Gabriel? Call me crazy, but I think we’re being followed.”
“It’s the highway, Sky. Everyone is going the same direction.”
“Yeah, but that gray sedan hasn’t passed us even once. They’re always two cars behind us.” It was a trick we’d been told about in class.
He didn’t even bother to look in the rearview mirror, but he did give me a quick glance. “It’s our escort, for lack of a better word.”
“Excuse me? You knew about this?”
“Think about it, Sky. Someone tried to kill you. You’ve had a guard on your townhouse. Did you think they wouldn’t arrange the same protection over the holiday?”
“Isn’t that an insult to you? You’re my sentinel.”
“I’m a sentinel-in-training, and right now, we aren’t on campus.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Did you forget I have to pass a battery of tests after graduation to receive my license and become an official sentinel?”
“Well, no. I just figured if you were good enough to guard me in Chicago, then you were good enough for a cross-country drive.”
“I am, but backup never hurts. Besides. There’s two of you here.” He nodded over his shoulder toward Lia. “Twice the fae to protect if someone wants to capitalize on us being away from PNRU.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry for not telling you when I noticed. I guess I didn’t want you to worry.”
Suddenly, the guy I’d seen at the last stop made total sense. Hell, I should have pegged him for a wolf or bear straight off.
“So back at the gas station, did you talk to them at all?”
“Talk to who?”
“Our escorts.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Nah. I noticed them, but that’s about it.”
The sun was on the horizon before Gabriel pulled over at a nice rest stop that glowed golden in the Twilight. Liadan groaned from the back seat and raised her head.
“Potty break time?” she asked.
“Yup. I think I’m about to burst.”
“You two go on first. I’m going to sit with Ama for a little bit and rest my eyes,” Gabriel said.
“Your bladder must be made of steel. When we get back, I can drive for a while, and Lia can sit up front with me while you give Ama some attention.”
“Sounds good.”
A short walk down a narrow stretch of pavement brought us to the well-lit building. While Lia was in the stall, I splashed water on my face.
“You going to be okay to drive?” Lia asked while washing her hands.
“Oh yeah. I can give Gabe a few hours’ sleep at least. What’s gonna suck is getting back into schedule for class after the past few days of resting when I want. Thankfully, we only have to endure next week and finals before Christmas break. Ready?”
Cool morning air greeted us beyond the restroom door. Lia paused on the path and stretched her arms above her head. “It’s so nice out. I thought I’d need my coat.”
“Next stop, we probably will.” Still, I chafed my hands up and down my arms, a chill creeping up my back. The breeze rustled through the tall pines and maples.
Then the nearest lamppost flickered and went out.
Liadan moved closer to me until our hands brushed together. “We should get back to Gabriel.”
“Yeah, we should.” I took her hand and started down the path away from the building. Somewhere to our right, a twig snapped and the grass rustled.
A tingle danced down my spine, and anxiety made Gabriel’s car seem a mile away at the edge of the parking lot. Before I had the chance to speed into a run, the earth exploded beside us.
I lunged forward into the Twilight with Lia’s hand gripped firmly in mine. We were halfway across the lot between the restroom and Gabe’s car when bony fingers clawed down the back of my shirt.
In the mortal realm, my sentinel had jumped out of his car and sped toward us, but there was nothing he could do for us, because shifters couldn’t cross the Veil.
Shit.
Igniting Faerie Fire in my left hand, I thrust Lia away from me to the right and spun to face my attacker while wielding the flames like a blowtorch. She would have towered above us if not for her crooked spine, like an emaciated giant carved from sodden wood. Rotting, blackened bark covered her withered body, and whatever beauty she’d once had as a dryad was long faded.
My fire sizzled over her torso but didn’t catch aside from a few sparks where it ignited sap oozing from fissures in her thick exterior. Tristal was right. I didn’t have enough power in my Faerie Fire to cause true harm, but our assailant gave me wide berth, salivating dark spittle from her crusty lips.
When dryads went bad, the darkling corruption defiled everything about them, not only their personalities, but their beau
ty too. If not for Professor English’s slideshow, I would have never recognized the creature in front of me had once been a fae.
Hags delighted in pain and destruction, drawing strength from the blood they spilled over the roots of their trees and the human carcasses fertilizing the soil. Most people didn’t know it, but the tale of Hansel and Gretel was a true story based on a German forest hag. Using what remained of her dryad powers, she’d sprouted trees of peppermint candy and other delights to lure the children, only for them to get the upper hand.
Man, too bad an oven wasn’t handy now.
A salvo of blush-tinted flames soared past me and struck the ground at the hag’s feet. She recoiled from the attack, her earsplitting screech making me cringe. During the distraction, Lia and I lunged back to the mortal plane.
Gabriel was at my side in an instant, but hard fingers jerked me back by the hair, bringing tears to my eyes. “Lia, get to the car!”
I threw my elbow back into unyielding wood, sending an unexpected jolt of pain through my funny bone. Skipping into the Twilight wouldn’t work again—she’d only move with me—and Gabriel had his gun aimed at us. The darkling gave my hair another sharp jerk and put one of her jagged talons against my side, pressing through fabric into my skin.
“I take the faerie.” Her voice sounded like a hundred raspy whispers, dry and brittle against my ear.
“I don’t think so.”
“Then I leave her corpse.”
Even though I knew what to expect, I still flinched when Gabriel fired. The bullet whizzed past me, so close I felt the air stir, and struck the hag. She howled in pain and steam arose from the leaking, ragged gouge the round punched through her shoulder. Rotten sap instead of blood congealed around it. I threw myself aside and rolled back to my feet in a move Coach Bregman had beat into me over the course of weeks.
Then Lia was suddenly there with her arms around me, a Prismatic Barrier surrounding both of us that would have made Dain proud. I funneled my glamour into it too, until it glittered like diamonds under the rising sun. We fell to our knees, embracing each other to decrease the size of our dome, giving Gabriel a clear shot.
The Scary Godmother: The Paranormal University Files: Skylar, Year 2 Page 21
