Page 95 of The Howl
“I did not starve her or myself. Don't judge what you don't understand.”
I could hear the threat in my mother's voice.
“I'll stay. Whether under your terms or my own will depend on your interference, Adira. I suggest you leave my daughter to me.”
Backing away from the door, I hurried down the hall.
“Some secrets are best left unheard,” Elbner said softly beside me.
I couldn't have agreed more.
After dropping him off at Megan's, I drove aimlessly for a bit and ended up parking in front of Ashlyn's house. She must have seen my car because she opened the door as I walked up the sidewalk.
“That looks like an I-need-chocolate-and-a-friend face.”
“It is. Do you have a few minutes?”
“I have loads of them. Come in.”
She took my jacket and led me to the kitchen. While she dished up some dessert, I talked.
“Piepen’s gone. I handed him over to a good family this morning, thanks to Fenris.”
“That's great news, right?”
“It is. So is my mom's name being cleared for the troll murders in New York.”
“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”
“Adira asked Mom to stay because they still think something's wrong with me.” I lifted my arms. “Do I look more sickly since the last time you saw me?”
She considered me for a moment.
“No. You actually look a little better. More mad, but less pale. It might be related,” she said with a small smile.
I returned it, appreciating her effort to cheer me up. If only a smile would fix everything.
“Do you think your mom's going to stay?” Ashlyn asked. “I mean, she left you here once because you wanted her to.”
“I don't know. She is pretty excited to be here.”
I thought of all the times she'd stood up to Adira for me. How protective she was. How supportive. Would she walk away from that? She didn’t love me any more or less than she had when she’d left me the first time. She might leave if I asked her to, but I wasn’t naïve enough to think things would go back to the way they were. Despite Mrs. Quill’s offer to feed me, I knew Adira wouldn’t allow that long term. I needed a way to deal with both Adira and Mom.
Sitting back in the chair, I sighed.
“It all comes down to their belief that something is wrong with me because I’m not behaving like all the other succubi my age. To reassure them that I’m fine, they want me to start feeding. Which I won’t do. Not the way they want me to do it.”
What if there was another way to reassure them? What if I proved I’m healthy? But how? If I were a human, it would be as easy as bringing me to a doctor.
I grinned and stood.
“Thanks for giving me a quick place to think. I’ll text you with how everything turns out.”
I was out the door before she moved.
Back at the Quills’, I raced upstairs and knocked on Mom’s door. The moaning and music inside continued uninterrupted as the door opened. Mom stood there in her typical robe. When she saw it was me, she smiled.
“Baby, I was hoping I’d see you soon.”
