Chapter 258: Like Nothing Happened
To my shock, I slept the whole night through, waking when my alarm clock screeched its annoying song. I smashed the snooze bar aggressively, just wanting five more minutes, before the memory of yesterday intruded and drove me out of bed.
Mom's door was open when I peeked in, she and Dad missing. I felt around as cautiously as I could, not wanting her to think I was spying or anything.
Come down to breakfast. Her mental voice was tired but firm.
Okay then.
I grabbed a quick shower and threw on my usual T-shirt and jeans for school before pounding down the stairs to the kitchen. School. Was I nuts? I slowed as I spotted the neatly folded sheets piled on the couch, heard voices coming from the kitchen. I eased down the hall, watching as Mom turned and handed Dad a cup of coffee.
Like nothing happened. She even smiled at him. For a precious moment I latched onto the hope maybe she'd fixed it after all, that Sassy was his furry self again, Dad had his power back and we could forget everything and just be our happy, abnormal family.
But one look in her eyes as she met mine told me everything I needed to know. A farce, this façade she'd created. For my benefit? Maybe. But more likely for her own sanity, and maybe for Meira who sat very quietly and ate her cereal without looking at anyone.
Especially not at Sassafras who was seated next to her, picking over two slices of very burned toast.
"Good morning, dear." Mom handed me a glass of orange juice and gestured for me to sit, sliding a plate of my own decimated bread in front of me, the edges so black they curled upward. The stench of seared wheat filled the kitchen. I looked up, caught Dad frowning into his cup, gaze far away. He seemed all right at least, if still mortal. Aside from a slight shake in his hand as he set the mug down, he appeared recovered from the incident.
The incident. I couldn't even think of it like what it really was-the end of my father's chances to go home.
I choked on the few bites I attempted while Meira snuck out to get on the bus. I chased after her, half way out of the kitchen door before catching her and turning her around to face me.
"Disguise." I kissed her cheek as she blushed, her human appearance sliding over her demon face. "It's okay, Meems," I said. "I'll see you after school."
She didn't say anything, just turned and climbed the three steps, the doors sliding shut behind her. School. We were both crazy.
But I went, backpack over my shoulder, leaving Sassafras behind, just needing to get away from my family, from the grief and guilt and the weight of our new reality if only for a little while.
Why did days I wished would last forever seem to be the very ones that flew by? At least I had Liam to eat lunch with, both of us quiet as we picked at our food in the sunshine, the grass of the hill behind the school cool underneath me.
I told him everything, of course I did. I needed someone to talk to. And I was lucky I had one friend who already knew I was a witch.
"Syd," Liam said as I ground to a halt, "I'm so sorry. Can I do anything?"
His sweet nature was one thing I loved about my Sidhe friend. He cared so much, really cared. I just wished I could take him up on his offer somehow.
"Any news from Quaid?" Liam asked me every day, another wonderful thing about him. I'd almost forgotten.
"No." I tossed the remains of my sandwich away, watching as a handful of birds and one brave squirrel helped themselves.
Liam broke what he had left into bits and tossed the pieces one at a time. "Maybe you could bring Sassy by later," he said. "We could have a look in the library. Who knows, there might be something there to help."
I perked, turning toward him. "That's a great idea. If Mom will let him out of her sight."
"If not, I'll look anyway," Liam said. "There's so much information there, not just about the Sidhe, I'm sure there has to be something."
When I arrived home with Liam's suggestion on my lips, Mom hesitated.
"I'll be with Sass the whole time," I said. "And Liam's right. There might be something in the records."
She continued to hum and haw until Sassafras appeared at the entrance to the kitchen.
"Please, Miriam," he said. "I need to help Harry, if I can."
"If anything were to happen to you." She wrung her hands, reaching for him, but he dodged her as he circled, coming to my side.
"Nothing's going to happen," he said. "Please, I have to get out of here." Was that panic in his voice? "I can't stay trapped in this house anymore." He scowled, hands twitching while he shoved them in his pockets. "Even when I was just a cat I had freedom."
Mom's eyes filled with tears. "You were never just a cat, dear," she said. He didn't respond, twitch, nothing. Mom finally sighed, shrugged. "Be careful," she said. "And be home soon." Her eyes drifted upward, as if she could see through the floor. Dad had to be in her room, probably resting. "I want to try again tonight."
Sassafras's scowl deepened, but he nodded. I led him out, tried not to feel offended when he drew a deep breath the moment we passed out of the wards, grinning at me like something was funny.
"You have no idea," he said. "That place is like a tomb or something. Thanks for springing me."
I spun on him, lashing out, slapping his shoulder. He flinched back, rubbing at it like I'd hurt him, the baby, frowning at me.
"Don't be such a jerk."
"You were able to leave," he snapped back. "Go to school and forget about this for a while. I was stuck with it, with them, all day. Trade you."
Not much I could say to that, but I was still pissed.
So was he. "Besides," he said, turning away from me, heading for my electric blue Cooper Mini. "It's not working, Syd. And it won't work, what she's trying. But she won't listen to me."
"Why won't it?" I jerked open the driver's door as Sassy slid into the passenger's seat.
"Because," he said at his most annoying, a tone I remembered very well from his days as my snarky cat, "if it was going to, it would have by now."
Hard to argue with that logic.
"Then what? You have an idea?" I backed out of the driveway, my anger making me hit the brakes a little harder than normal, snapping him forward. He glared at me in anger.
"Maybe," he said. "But I can tell you witch power isn't going to cut it."
Of course. My anger drained away. "We need to use demon magic," I said, feeling like a total idiot.
"Duh." He rolled his dark eyes and sat back, arms crossed over his seatbelt. "At least someone in this family gets it."
I drove off, teeth clenched against the need to shove him out the door and keep going without him, shortly after running him over with my car.
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