Page 5 of Shadow & Stars
My temples throbbed.
“I heard he likes football.” Grandma kept talking, trying to sell the baker to me.
“Wake up,” I said, testing the waters of my possible new ability. “Wake up and go back to the frozen beach.”
Nothing happened.
“I demand to be awake.”
Nope. Nothing.
“I want Xavier and Darcy. Now. Give them to me.”
Another round of nothing.
Maybe I had to be awake for it to work. Which was all well and good, but I felt anchored here with no sign of an exit.
Shit.
I got up, inspecting the familiar surroundings of her living room. The ornaments, the mahogany furniture, the salmon pink chairs and sofa, the cream-and-pink wallpaper, the photographs of our little holidays over the years. I picked up a picture of us on the pebble beach in Brighton.
Looking at the picture only made me want to stay here forever.
“Not helpful,” I grumbled.
I put the photo back, clenching my fists. Man, I couldn’t wait to meet the one with the baseball bat again so I could kick their arse into next week.
“I told her to pop over for the recipe,” Grandma continued. “Caramel can be tricky…”
A sharp pain attacked the back of my skull, the room flashing around me. On and off it went as if a kid were playing with a light switch, showing me glimpses of a dark place. I couldn’t quite make it out, but there were others there. I felt their breath on my face.
What the hell?
I staggered forward, steadying myself against the wall. The pain in my head didn’t let up, getting worse by the second.
“Fucking hell…” I muttered.
“I must remember to get apples for the crumble tomorrow,” Grandma said.
I hunched as the throbbing rolled through my entire skull, attacking the roots of my teeth. The room flickered with each pulse of agony, a face close to mine, waving something smelly in my face. I was… What? Sitting up? Huh?
“Ten… I will… Supposed to rain…” Grandma’s words came at me randomly, crackling with static energy.
Fading.
Breaking.
Leaving me.
“He’s coming to.” A gruff voice assaulted my ears.
My stomach twisted from the rising pain. I slid to the floor, landing hard on my knees. Cracks spread out from beneath me, splitting the carpet, running up the walls.
Ammonia in my nostrils.
“Slap him.”
“Not yet.”
