Chapter 184: Uncomfortable Encounter
I found myself walking into Johnny's that afternoon to meet Alison for ice cream. Not because I wanted ice cream, mind you. Even I was willing to admit I only went to see if the brothers would show up.
I promised Mom, but if they started something... oh, I'd be finishing their butts right out of town.
Alison waved at me from our usual booth, big glass windows shining sunlight in on her. She wasn't alone and I was almost annoyed to find Pain sitting with her. I got over that pretty quick. Pain needed us, from the look on her face. She smiled a little when she saw me, lower lip trembling.
Okay, supportive friend it was. Hopefully I could maintain the warm fuzzy feeling if the Dumonts made an appearance.
My second shocker came when Beth approached us and handed us menus with a nervous smile, dressed in the flouncy skirt and T-shirt the owner made his staff wear.
"Beth?" I didn't mean to stare or anything. She just hadn't said a word about the job. I mean, I knew people had jobs. That some kids had to work. It just struck me seeing her in our favorite place on the other side of the menu.
Beth actually blushed, her shining bob dipping as she looked down. "College fund," she said softly.
"You make that outfit look good." Alison winked at her.
Beth's shaky smile returned. "Thanks, Alison," she said before pulling a note pad out of her skirt, pencil poised. "What can I get you?"
We ordered our usual: small vanilla bowl for Alison, a mix of bubblegum, butterscotch ripple and peppermint for Pain and a hot fudge sundae with extra fudge for me. Beth diligently wrote it all down, despite knowing it by heart, before turning to fill our orders.
I had slid in beside Pain, and now studied her out of the corner of my eye. She seemed okay, if a little sad. No imminent meltdown, though I knew those days should be over for her. When her power was still blocked, she was pretty nuts and no wonder. Having all that magic contained, but knowing in her heart she was different couldn't have been easy. Years of misdiagnosis from psychiatrists who had no idea what they were talking about meant time in therapy and even in hospital for my Goth friend.
Still, I worried. Just because she had access to her magic now didn't mean all those years of suffering and being told she was crazy were just wiped away. She still had a lot of trauma to deal with. And while I'd been mostly leaving that up to Mom and Gram to manage, I still felt responsible for keeping Pain level.
She looked up at me, her crystal blue eyes meeting mine and for a heartbeat I had a feeling of déjà vu. Where had I seen those eyes before? Hers were familiar, of course they were, but I'd seen someone else with the same eyes lately...
My train of thought was cut off as the door to the diner swung open and the Dumont brothers walked in. This time they weren't alone. Quaid was with them, hand in hand with Ameline, their red haired bodyguard staying by the door.
I felt my temper rise immediately, saw Alison glance over her shoulder to see what pissed me off and heard her gasp.
"Them again," she said. "And is that Quaid? Who's he with?"
She turned back, met my gaze then covered her mouth with both hands, horror in her eyes. "Oh Syd," she said softly. "I'm so sorry."
I shrugged, letting my anger simmer, sending it all at tall, dark and offensive. He didn't look my way, but I knew he felt the animosity I sent toward him because his shoulders twitched like he was trying to shake me off.
Jean Marc spotted me and his favorite smirk appeared. My simmer cranked up a notch.
"Who are they?" I glanced at Pain, saw the look of fascination on her face and at last made the connection.
She had Odette Dumont's eyes.
But that couldn't be possible. There was no way Pain was a Dumont. Mom would have known. Mom would have told me.
Mom was in huge trouble.
The brothers came to a halt next to our table, eyes running over first Alison then Pain. My Goth friend was totally drawn in, I could tell. I felt her magic swell and connect with them though I was sure she didn't know she was even doing it. I gently inserted a wall between her and their power, easing her back while my magic slapped both brothers sharply.
Kristophe bared his teeth at me like an animal, but Jean Marc ignored me.
"I'm Mia." Pain didn't even wait for them to ask. She beamed, all sadness gone. My heart clenched for her, knowing her need and how vulnerable she could be.
"Jean Marc Dumont." He kissed her hand as he'd done with Alison while my bestie sighed next to me. Oh no he didn't. But she was magic free. Just being stupid over a handsome face.
"Kristophe Dumont." Thing two took his place, same nasty hand kissing in action. I wanted to slap him for real. "Delightful."
"You're witches." Pain said it so loudly even the brothers seemed put off. Alison looked confused. Oh crap.
"As are you." Jean Marc's gaze flickered to me. "With the Hayle coven, yes?"
I opened my mouth to say something when Pain shook her head. "I haven't sworn to a coven yet."
That floored me all the way down to the ground. She hadn't? But she felt like... wait a minute. She felt like us, but only on the surface, from interacting with the family magic. But hers was still her own and I was actually hurt by that.
"Our coven is always on the search for such powerful young witches," Jean Marc said, while Kristophe snickered at me. "We are hosting a family dinner this evening, at the Hillcrest Hotel. We would adore for you to join us. 8pm."
"She can't make it," I snarled between clenched teeth. No way was I letting them sink their nasty hooks into my friend.
But Pain had other ideas. She glared at me before smiling at the brothers. "I'd love to," she said. "I'll be there."
Kristophe laughed out loud and said something in French. Jean Marc smiled but there was only animosity in it and, naturally, it was aimed at me.
"Tonight then, mon cher." The brothers moved on, leaving Quaid and Ameline to pass us. They didn't even pause, though Ameline met Pain's gaze and smiled a little, letting her eyes drift over me as she left my view.
"Wow," Pain said, "they are amazing, aren't they?" She was a totally different person all of a sudden, perked up completely, all traces of her sorrow for Blood gone.
"If you like jerks," I said. "You have no idea who they are, Pain."
She shrugged. "So you say."
"I have a question." Alison looked back and forth between us. "What's with all the witch and coven business?"
Pain just stared at her, as if suddenly realizing what she'd done. Which left me to clean up the mess.
"It's a game," I said. I was taking lame to a whole new level. "Role playing, you know? Online." I kicked Pain's foot under the table. "Stupid, right? But I play sometimes. You too, right, Pain?"
She shrugged, looking over her shoulder at where the brothers, Quaid and his little tart were sitting in the booth at the back wall, two away from us.
Alison made a face like I'd just told her I loved broccoli. "I hate those games," she said. "Too much thinking."
Tell me about it.
"Yeah, well," I said, "some people take it way too seriously."
Once more the door opened, but this time I groaned out loud. Page and company. Delightful. The head cheerleader at Wilding Springs High had a hate on for me, though I had no idea why. There was a time when we were actually friends, back before she was reinstated onto the squad.
To think I'd let her hang out with me.
Ever since she'd taken over as leader of the bitch club at school, Page had made it her mission to make my life miserable if possible. I rarely paid attention to her efforts. Unlike Alison who had been a master, Page could barely wrangle annoyance out of me, let alone tears and despair.
I think she knew it, too. Maybe that was why she hated me so much. I'd seen her at her weakest and couldn't bring myself to fear her.
I watched her spot first me, with an evil grin and whispers to her friends, then the group at the table behind us. Suddenly I wasn't interesting, I guess. She and her handful of cheerbots walked right past us without a word, heading directly for the Dumonts. Within moments, she and her friends were seated at the table next to them, laughing and chatting like they were old friends.
"That should tell you what kind of guys they are right there," I said. "No accounting for taste."
Alison snorted and tapped glasses with me. "True that."
Pain didn't say anything, just kept looking back with a soft frown on her face.
Beth arrived in a hurry, delivering our ice cream. I forced myself to smile at her despite my mood.
"Sorry," she said quickly, "have to run. Busy day!" She headed immediately for the growing noise behind us.
I took one mouthful of my dessert before shoving it aside. I just couldn't sit there and listen to them, their stupid French accents, the way the girls giggled at everything they said.
Ten dollars found its way out of my pocket and onto the table. "I have to go."
Pain met my eyes. "Are you all right?"
"Fine." I slid out of the booth. "I just need some air."
I turned to leave, knowing I was abandoning Alison and Pain to the mercy of the cousins. I'd warned them, hadn't I? But if I tried to convince them to leave, there would be a scene and if I stayed much longer, there would be an even bigger scene.
And I'd promised my mother.
Before I had a chance to take one step, I felt a surge of magic. It spun me around, my rage roaring forward, demon in a frothing fury, to see the group of assholes with Beth pinned in the middle.
There were tears on her face. How dare they tug on her skirt, tease her, use magic to push her around? And Quaid, sitting there, head turned to the side, looking out the window, refusing to do anything about it.
Alison was on her feet, staring. Even she looked angry at last. I grabbed her hand.
"Let me take care of this," I said. I strode forward, almost to them when Beth broke free, sobbing, heading right for me. Kristophe's magic leapt out and tripped her, sending her flying toward me.
***
