by K. A. Poe
My mom looked mildly amused, but I could sense the hurt inside her at the subtle accusation of not wanting to be with me more. “You need to stay in school. We already talked about this.”
“None of the other witches go to school! They dedicate their time to magic and stopping the Nefastus. That’s what I should be doing! This should be my school.”
She frowned. “Be quiet, Madison,” she said and pointed to Serena who was fast asleep on my bed behind me.
Quietly, I walked to Mom’s side of the room and sat next to her on the bed. This close, I could see the worry lines forming in her forehead, and the dark circles below her eyes; she hadn’t been sleeping well, but I already knew that. The picture was still lying turned over on the nightstand and my heart ached at the sight of it.
“What was he like?” I asked, trying to think of something to discuss aside from school. “Dad, I mean.”
“He was ... brilliant,” she said with a gleam in her hazel eyes. “Sophisticated. Well-versed in different subjects. Quirky, to a degree. He was an amazing man, and I hope that you have more of his genes than mine.”
I pictured the black haired man I’d dreamed of — bedraggled and dirty, yet elegant and beautiful at the same time. “I’d be lucky to have a mix of both. You’re smart and strong, and from what I have been told, super brave.”
She smiled weakly. “I suppose I once was ... but not anymore. Littlehaven crippled that part of me. Now I’m just a faded image of what I used to be. There were so many days that I dedicated to learning about vampires, magic, and hunting, and I can vividly recall each and every vampire I had to kill. But now? The thought of it makes me shiver. I’m inexperienced in every way now, just an old shell of my former self.”
“No, you’re not. You’d be perfectly fine hunting again if you tried, I bet. It doesn’t seem like something you’d forget that easily.”
“I wish that it was. It’s been sixteen years, Madison,” she said with a sigh. “Your father would be proud of you.”
“What for?”
“For choosing this path in life. You are the brave one. You’re a witch, and you have embraced that gift without question. He would be devastated to know the dangers you put yourself in, but proud at the same time. That’s how he was with me ...”
It was hard thinking about him and talking about him, knowing that he was alive somewhere, and suffering. “What kind of things did he like to do ... and you, too, for that matter?”
“For me, it was the piano. Reading and traveling were Salem’s passions. There’s no telling how many books he had made it through even before meeting me — thousands, no doubt. He spent a long time traveling around the world until he found out about me ... I sometimes regret that he found me. I was the worst thing that ever happened to him …” She put a hand to her face and sniffled.
I scoffed. “Mom, really? I’m sure he would say the exact opposite.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said sadly. “If he could. But he’s gone now, forever. He’d still be alive if … if it weren’t for meeting me.”
He is still alive. I wanted — needed — to tell her the truth.
“Mom ... can I tell you something?”
She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and said, “You can tell me anything.”
Chapter Eleven
I contemplated telling her about the dream of my father; that he was still alive … alive and suffering. I opened my mouth as my Mom looked at me without moving. I shook my head and began to tell her about my vision of Serena. I told her how I had seen my best friend on the sidewalk outside of the pizza place, how she had told me almost word-for-word in the dream what had happened, and that I hadn’t bothered to mention it to her. She listened intently as I confessed that I felt like I had betrayed my best friend by not telling her what I had seen. She took me in her arms and brushed a hand over my hair.
“You did nothing wrong, Madison,” she said reassuringly. “You can’t have known that what you saw was real and would come true. Besides, you were attacked almost immediately afterward. I’m sure that Serena would understand that. You have both been through a lot, more than any teenager should have to go through in such a short period of time. Believe me; I know what that’s like.”
I lifted my head from her shoulder and looked up at her. “What do you mean?”
She gestured for me to lie down, so I did. It felt strange at first, curling up beside my mother and resting my head on her shoulder — yet at the same time, it felt right. Normal. I shut my eyes and listened to her voice and tried to keep myself awake for as long as possible.
“Not only had my life been turned upside down when I learned that Janet and Desmond weren’t my parents, but also when I found out that the man I had thought was my uncle was my real dad, as well as a vampire hunter — something that evidently runs in the family. Then I met Salem.” I couldn’t see her face, but something in her voice led me to think that she was smiling. “He revealed to me what he was, and I was terrified and skeptical at first, but eventually came to terms with the fact that it was all true. He told me that we were twin souls — two people destined to be together, and I never doubted that. At least, I tell myself that now. When he first told me, I had thought that it meant we would be together forever ... that nothing could come between us. Not even death.”
She paused and I reached for her hand and gripped it tightly in mine. She squeezed back.
“Janet was killed by a vampire that Salem had assured me was like him — one that fed on animals — but he relapsed when she cut herself and he smelled the blood and killed her. I feared that something like that might happen with me and Salem, but he had the gentlest soul of anyone I’ve ever known, and he wouldn’t intentionally harm anyone unless it was to protect himself or the innocent, regardless of what he was. Your grandpa tried to kill him at one point, but in the end, he realized that Salem was harmless toward me.”
I gasped at the idea of my grandfather trying to kill my dad. “Seriously?”
“Yep. He came to terms with it eventually. Due to what I am … what I was … I lost a lot. Not just friends or family, but a chance at a real life, too. Jason and I had another friend from our childhood. Serena reminds me of her in some ways. Her name was Karen ... if you put the two of us in a room alone together you never would have guessed that we were friends. We were like polar opposites. Yet, somehow, we got along. More than got along. We were like sisters. We met during my fifth birthday party,” she said it with a light laugh that filled me with a brief happiness. “Janet practically forced me to let her come. We didn’t really know each other, we’d just seen each other at school and we were neighbors, and we’d played from time to time as toddlers ... she brought me a present. I still remember her so vividly, after all these years ... ”
A warm tear landed on the side of my head and I fought the urge to rise up to look at my mother.
“It was a stuffed penguin. She told me that his name was Chipper.”
That was when I did raise up. “Chipper?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know why she chose that name. Hey — where are you going?”
I ignored her question and walked quietly over to my dresser. Sitting atop it were the many penguins I had collected over the years. I picked up the first one I’d ever received — a quaint little fluffy gray guy with a yellowed stain on the white of his belly. My mom gasped audibly when I offered the stuffed bird over to her.
“Ch-chipper,” she stammered and ran a shaking hand over the soft material. “How ... ?”
“Jason gave it to me when I was maybe four. He told me to take really good care of it, that he was a special penguin, and that his name was Chipper ...”
There were tears streaming down her cheeks now. “He must have taken this out of the old house in Willowshire before moving up here ... I can’t believe he remembered.”
“Jason loves you,” I said with a pang of guilt — for both Eila’s and my dad’s sake. “He probably remembers
everything he’s ever known about you.”
“You’re right,” she said and smiled. She wiped her eyes and set Chipper on her nightstand beside the overturned picture frame. “That stain on his stomach, by the way, is from spilled apple juice.”
“I always wondered.”
“And speaking of Jason,” she began as I returned to my position beside her, “We’ve been ... how do I put this? We’ve been sort of seeing each other.”
My eyes widened and stared at her in astonishment. “Seeing each other?!” I said much louder than I meant to.
“Shh,” she said and glanced toward Serena who was shifting around in her sleep with Willow nestled beside her head. “It’s nothing serious ... we’ve just gone out a couple of times. It’s not a big deal.”
“It is a big deal!” I exclaimed, no longer caring if I woke my friend. “What about Dad?!”
Mom scrunched her brow and frowned. “Madison ... your dad is gone. He has been gone for over sixteen years. I’ve accepted it the best I can. I have to move on.”
“No. You don’t. You really don’t. Please, Mom ... ”
She shook her head. “You would understand if you were older —”
“Don’t tell me that bullshit! You’re the one that doesn’t understand!” I shouted and climbed down from her bed.
“Madison, wait,” she pleaded. I turned hesitantly toward her. “I know it’s not going to be easy for you, and it’s not easy for me either ... I wish your dad was still here. More than you could ever understand ... but ... please understand that this is something I need in my life right now. And ... let’s just say that school is off for a few days so you can get Serena situated in here, see what Artemis says about her staying. I’ll call the school.”
“You’re not going to convince me to change my opinion by bribing me.” I scoffed. “But you’re right. School is off for a few days.”
Turning on my heel, I headed straight for my own bed and lay opposite of Serena. Willow climbed over the pillows and snuggled up next to me. Sleep was nearly impossible as images of Jason and Mom flooded my mind — them kissing, them holding hands, them laughing and talking together and being happy — that was my dad’s position that Jason was trying to fill, and I wasn’t going to let that happen if I could help it. I was ready to turn back over and tell her everything, but then I remembered my aunt. I would talk to her first … but she better damn well be convincing ...
The scent of coffee woke me initially, followed by Willow kneading frantically against my ribs. Nudging her aside, I rubbed my sore side and patted her on the head. Serena was in the kitchen area holding a cup of coffee and she smiled meekly at me. I rose up and stretched, wishing I could just fall back against the plush mattress and go back to sleep. Mom was gone again, but Chipper the penguin was sitting on the nightstand ... the frame, however, was gone. I gritted my teeth. I had to stop this.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked and forced myself toward the bathroom and away from the comfort of my bed.
“I actually slept pretty well, surprisingly ... but I guess all of that stress wore me out.”
“I’d say so. You were out of it almost instantly.”
I stepped into the bathroom and quickly readied myself for the day with a newly summoned pair of clothes — a long-sleeved lavender top and black jeans. When I came out, Serena offered over the remainder of her coffee and I gladly accepted it. My mind and body were drained of energy and the caffeine was bound to help at least a little bit. I downed the warm beverage and tossed the cup in a small wastebasket in the kitchen.
“Your mom said to let you know she was sorry. So … want to tell me what all that’s about?”
I shrugged and tugged on a pair of leather boots over some plain white socks—which were boring in comparison to Serena’s one neon green and pink striped sock and her other bright blue polka-dotted sock. “She’s ... kind of going out with Jason.”
“What? Oh, my god what about your other mom … Eila? Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Nope.” I sighed, then looped my arm through hers. “Come on; let’s go meet the rest of Haven.”
Serena always came prepared — even when she didn’t plan to go anywhere; she kept a spare brush and makeup in her purse. Her eyelids were painted a pale pink that looked somehow natural, and a sheen of pink sparkled on her full lips. She had apparently raided my limited closet and chose a bright red turtleneck sweater, knee-high black skirt and some tights. She was lucky that we were practically the same size. Her strawberry hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail that bounced when she walked, and despite everything — she sort of looked happy.
The halls were empty when we stepped out but I could hear voices from the lobby. It was still fairly early — eight thirty according to my cell phone — so I figured some of the Clan was still asleep. We went into the lobby and I spotted Noah lounging on the sectional with an overfull bowl of cereal. He scooped out a big spoonful and dribbled milk onto his legs — it was then that I realized he was only wearing a T-shirt and boxers.
“Did you know that such a thing called pants exists?” Serena asked, looking him up and down.
Noah glanced up from his cereal and nearly jumped. “No one else seems to mind,” he replied, indicating the other three people in the room — Elijah, Lydia, and another girl I’d never met before.
“That’s shocking,” I teased.
“Who’s your friend?” Noah asked, wiping at his leg.
“This is Serena ... I don’t know what the rules are about letting non-magical friends stay here, but she needed a place to crash last night.”
Elijah looked over at us. His blonde hair was disheveled and he looked like he’d just woken up. “Don’t worry about it. Artemis is pretty lenient about things.”
“I think we get away with a little too much at times,” Forrest said as he came into the room, climbed over the side of the couch, and sat next to Elijah. He kissed him on the cheek and smiled over at me. “Your friend knows about ... what we do here?”
“Yeah. I do know,” Serena said with an air of annoyance. “You can speak directly to me, you know ... unless you think you’re somehow more important than me because I’m just a normal girl —”
“He didn’t mean any offense,” Elijah interrupted. “He’s only being cautious.”
Serena frowned. “I’m sorry. I’m just kind of tense right now.”
“I could fix that for you,” Noah butted in with a grin.
“Don’t you even think about it, Noah,” I warned. “She’s got a boyfriend.”
“So? That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Well, it does for her,” I said and glanced over at the other girl I’d yet to meet. “I’ve never seen you around before.”
She looked up at me with almond-shaped hazel eyes. “Iris Abbot,” she said. “That’s my name.”
“Oh! You’re Castus Abbot. It’s nice to finally meet you.” I held out a hand to shake hers. Reluctantly, she took my hand in hers and shook it. “I haven’t really been told much about you, aside from your gift being telekinesis. What’s that like?”
Her short dark brown hair was worn in a pixie cut with a flash of dark red in the front, and it suited her well. There was a tomboyish look about her that conflicted with her blue eye shadow and clear lipgloss. “It’s ... convenient,” she said with a laugh, revealing a barbell pierced through her tongue. “Watch this.”
I followed her gaze over to the TV remote sitting on the edge of the coffee table. Her eyes flashed a golden orange color and the remote hovered in the air, floating directly to her outstretched hand and landed in her palm. Serena’s eyes practically popped out of her head and her mouth hung open.
“Okay, where can I get a gift like that?!” my best friend asked. “That’s amazing!”
Iris laughed again and her eyes returned to their natural hazel. “It’s taken me a long time to accept that I’m a witch, but like I said — it comes in handy. And you’re that Young girl, I’m guessin
g?”
I nodded. “Yep. Has anyone seen Mathias today?”
Noah spoke up first, “He doesn’t usually get out of bed for another hour or two if he doesn’t have to.”
“Oh, okay ... and what about —”
“Alan? He’s out.”
“Actually, I was going to ask about Artemis.”
“What am I, the hotel secretary? Check his room.”
I furled my eyebrows in his direction, but decided not to retort. It was pointless. I took Serena by the arm again and led her back down the hallway. “It was nice finally meeting you, Iris,” I said as we walked away.
I was surprised to find Artemis’s door wide open. I knocked against the wood anyway and waited for a response, but no one replied. Glancing at Serena, she gave me a shrug and pushed me forward. I hesitantly stepped into the room and was surprised by how empty it was. There was a large desk pushed against one wall, with a bookcase on both sides — each one full of ancient looking volumes — stacks of paper and other knick-knacks covered the surface of the desk. On the other side was a twin sized bed, neatly made and empty. There was a clean aroma in the air and I heard the sound of trickling water.
“Oh!” I said with a gasp, pushing Serena behind me and stumbling out of the room. “I think he’s in the shower.”
“Well ... let’s wait for him to get out?” she suggested.
We stepped back outside and I quickly shut the door to his room, wondering why he’d left his door open — maybe it had been a mistake or someone had been here before us. Now was as good a time as any to practice my gift and see if I could hear any thoughts — from her or Artemis; although, if Lydia and Mathias were right, I wouldn’t have a good chance of getting through to his mind. Serena leaned against the wall beside the door to the Clan leader’s room and I shut my eyes tightly, forcing out all other thoughts and sounds. I listened to everything around me — the subtle sound of Serena inhaling and exhaling; floorboards creaking inside the room ahead of us; voices coming from the TV in the lobby mixed with the sound of Clan members talking and laughing. Forcefully, I shut those noises out and tried to focus on deeper sounds — the sounds within the minds of those around me.
