Page 78 of The Curse of Eternity
Blinking to clear my eyes, I glimpsed the bit of moisture building along my father’s salt and pepper eyelashes. Johann’s gruff nod seemed to be all he could manage, but Uncle Alaric smoothly turned to me. “We’re glad to have you back, kid.”
“It’s good to be back,” I said, and meant every word. Olivia finally pulled away, her blue-gray eyes wide.
“Where have you been? We’ve been so worried! Was it another bender, or—”
Unreasonably afraid that she was about to suggest another rehab center, I took her hands in mine, giving them a shake for emphasis.
“It’s not like that, Ipromise.” I looked around the room, meeting the gaze of everyone in my family. “That’s not what happened.”
“Then whatdidhappen?” Ethan folded his arms and leaned back against the couch that Andrew had taken up residency on again. “Because I had a bet going with Andy about which drugs you were on, and if I’m right, I get a hundred bucks, so—”
“I don’t think now’s the time, Ethan,” Andrew muttered under his breath, glaring daggers at his youngest sibling. Unaffected, Ethan shrugged and raised his eyebrows. Nobody acknowledged the accusations. Everyone was waiting for me to say something.
Suddenly, I was at a loss for words.
“I don’t know where to begin,” I stammered, drawing a blank until Aunt Susan placed her hand over mine. Releasing Olivia from my grasp, I let my aunt lead me to the nearest recliner where she suggested with a wave that I sit. Then she knelt beside me.
“Well, dear, the best place to start would be the beginning.”
Raking in another breath, I stared down at my hands in my lap and told them everything. It started out alright, with the first lie revealed being where I’d actually been during those hours they couldn’t find me after our hunt. From there, things became more emotional. I laid my guilt bare and raw, admitting how I’d felt, like they were always walking on eggshells around me, and I didn’t want to disappoint them again.
So I’d tried to find Drake on my own, only to end up on the wild ride that started the second I realized I believed him. Judging by the wary glances Johann and Uncle Alaric exchanged, it didn’t make them feel better to know Drake had been the one to help me escape the Cneaz’s manor. Not to mention the rude awakening that the underground vampire government we’d long thought dismantled had risen from its grave undetected.
I left out Winston’s name on purpose, but the gist of our crossing the Summerland was enough of a distraction to keep them from grilling me for more details. By the time I reached the fortress, remembering the guards I’d killed, I finally broke. Ethan left the living room once he seemed to realize I probably wouldn’t stop crying for a while.
Uncle Alaric handed me a tissue. Johann’s expression had frozen in shock minutes ago. Harsh as the truth was, I couldn’t stop once the floodgates had opened. From the horrible mirror allowing passage only to the undead, or anyone that’s consumed their blood, to the bizarre magickal dominion I held over Dracula’s shadow castle.
Describing the Domnitori had been hard, but necessary. Attentive caution shone from everyone’s expressions as they glanced at one another. All of them understood what the repercussions could be, that the undead might want vengeance, and Albuquerque could become a target.
“We won, though.” Clearing my throat, I raised my right hand to reveal the shining golden ring. My face stretched tight from drying tears when I forced a smile. “They can’t find me now—or Drake. So it’s okay. Even if they wanted to launch a full-on assault, it would go against all of their secrecy goals. They don’t want to come out to humanity, and without a sorcerer’s magick—”
“You should have told us, Maria.” Johann’s deep voice struck me silent, and I looked down to my rough-worn boots, the only piece of home to have survived with me. My mouth dried, but I managed to say one last thing.
“I’m so sorry.”
The apology was for everyone in the room, but especially Johann. In the following silence, I picked at my fingernails and watched my trembling digits. Then Johann’s arms were around me as he knelt on the floor beside the recliner. Surprised, but glad for the comfort, I held him tight. The memory of hugging my dad when he came home from a hunt resurfaced. Back when I was a small child, and still thought this legacy meant the world.
“I’m just glad you’re safe now.” The broken edge to his voice cut deep, but it was a reminder of why things had gotten this bad in the first place.
All I’d wanted was their trust, respect, and most of all, understanding. Maybe I’d gone about getting it in all the wrong ways, but—held snug by my only living parent—I could only hope change was coming for the better.
−Epilogue−
The Prophecy of Everly Nice
“Jerk!” I swerved around the oversized SUV taking an illegal U-turn. Thank the goddess my Chevy Malibu was small, or I’d have been hit by that dingus. I huffed through my clenched teeth, shaking my head until my frizzy red hair shifted across my shoulders. With a glance at the rearview mirror, and a hasty pass of my pasty fingers, my bangs laid straight again. At least, as straight as I’d managed to blow out my curls this morning.
My freckled hands gripped the steering wheel as I smoothly merged into thelegalU-turn lane to wrap back around Montgomery Boulevard. The building complex I called home was only another two turns, and I breathed a sigh of relief once parked in front of my apartment door.
Stomach growling, I hopped out with my canvas tasseled purse in tow. Sunshine beat down, and sweat trickled down my neck as I hurried to unlock my front door. Bast’s welcoming mews greeted me as I slipped inside. The rotund black fuzzball did a cute little trot across the tile toward me, before immediately circling her food bowl.
My shoulders dropped.Gods, I was battered, but happy to have my independence. Which of course came with workingseven days a week to get my psychic business going. With a resigned sigh, I strode into the kitchen to crack open a can of soft cat food while heavy metal chords drifted down the hall from the closed door at the end.
So, Addison was home. Once Bast was contentedly lapping at her dinner, I bent to give her a quick scratch behind the ears before getting my own.Leftover guacamole and tortilla chips would have to do.At least I’d bought the avocados myself and squeezed the organic lemons from the farmer’s market without having to resort to pre-made plastic wastage.
The dining table was empty and clean, a perk of living with Addison, but I bypassed it. Headed straight for the couch on aching feet. Even my back was sore from sitting in that awful lumpy-upholstered chair I’d thrifted for the shop. A heavy sigh deflated my chest as I plopped onto the couch, picked up the game controller, and booted up Addison’s console attached to my outdated television.
I flicked for the juicy Turkish drama a client recommended, and since the rock music pounding out down the hall made it impossible to hear anything over the TV’s crackly old speakers, I turned on the subtitles while crunching down on guac-dipped chips. The typical hetero-pairing being showcased on the screen was in the middle of a mushy declaration, and I rolled my eyes, but grinned.
