Chapter 265: Alison's Return
Sassafras sulked the whole way back to the house, refusing to talk to me about whatever it was that came to him. Which actually suited me at the time, considering the bomb Liam dropped on me.
Alison was home. What did that mean? Was she home for good? For a visit? I wanted to see her, but I didn't, too. I had a lot on my mind, on my plate, without Alison coming back into the picture. And depending on how she was, if she'd healed and was doing okay or not, I knew I didn't have time for her otherwise. I simply couldn't take on brittle, broken Alison again.
Couldn't.
I guess that made me a really bad friend, huh?
Sassafras disappeared down into the basement when we arrived home. I still had a little time, so I ran upstairs, passing Mom's closed door on the way to my bedroom. I'd left my phone home, not having much use for it since Alison left. But yes, there it was in black and white, a hand full of texts from the girl who had been my worst enemy and my best friend.
Hm 2 sty. Mss U.
U there?
Plz dnt B mad!
Lv U
Each text felt more and more desperate, like the new, damaged Alison and not like the old, bitchy Alison.
Crap.
I debated a long moment, fingers hovering over the keys to respond before I set the phone on my desk and turned my back on it. I'd deal with Alison later. Demonicon and my father had to be my focus.
The soft buzzing sound of it as another text came in chased me out the door.
I paused outside Mom's room, teeth gritted as I knocked. I heard the soft shuffle of feet before the door swung open. Mom looked exhausted. I glanced over her shoulder, spotted Meira lying next to Dad. They both looked terrible.
Before I could say anything, offer help, Mom moved out into the hall, forcing me to back up, pulling the door closed behind her. "You're ready to go?" She reached for me, smoothing my hair, touching my cheek with her fingertips, a lost and horribly sad smile on her beautiful face.
I swallowed past the huge lump in my throat. "I'll fix him, Mom," I said, my demon's ferocity pouring out. "I swear it."
She let out a low cry and embraced me, whispering 'I love you' in my ear over and over. I hugged her back, suddenly feeling like she was the child and I was the grownup, incredibly uncomfortable with the fact, but unwilling to let her down.
When Mom finally pulled away, she seemed better, stronger. Even stripped of her power when Batsheva took the family magic away from her she'd seemed more solid than she did right now. But at least the horrible failure was gone from her eyes.
"I know you will." She returned my insistence with a snap of her own magic. "I know it."
I left her there, determined to do whatever it took to save my dad.
Whatever. Including. You know.
Blood magic.
If only I could think about it without wanting to hurl.
I made it to the kitchen with my stomach contents intact and counted it a win. The pull of the basement was balanced with the push of my sudden nerves. What if I failed? I couldn't afford to think like that, but it was hard not to considering the odds I was up against.
I stood there a long time, breathing deeply, trying to gain control over my fear and nerves when someone knocked on the door. I actually squeaked out a little shriek, hands clutching my pounding heart as all the blood rushed from my face in fright. I was so dizzy from it I had to grasp the back of a chair to hold myself up, forced to catch my breath for a moment before I went to see who it was on the other side.
I shouldn't have been surprised by my visitor, but with the combination of events pulling at my attention I suppose my little slip of short-term memory was to be expected. I found myself gaping at the lovely blonde girl on the doorstep. Alison smiled at me, a fragile thing, the edges of her lips fluttering even as her chin seemed to vibrate with pent up emotion.
"Al?" I snapped out of my trance.
She lunged forward and, for the second time in a very short period, I was being hugged. But hers, despite being less desperate than Mom's, felt somehow more needy, grasping. I sighed inside, understanding now all the perkiness she'd offered in her emails, the smiles and laughter at Christmas, had been a mask, Alison faking being okay.
She wasn't okay. And I wasn't sure if she ever really would be.
I hugged her back anyway, wishing there was something magical I could do to help her, to heal her heart. But Mom told me I couldn't and I knew she was right. I couldn't fix my friend. In fact, right now, I could barely fix my own problems. I had to let her go.
I think she felt my reluctance because she pulled back suddenly, wiping at her face, her same false smile back on her lips.
"Silly me!" She rolled her eyes, blue contacts making her gaze brilliant. "I'm just happy to see you. Sorry to go all emo." She winked, long lashes fluttering. "Might as well plaster on a load of black makeup and buy some army boots."
I laughed with her, but only on the outside. She'd gotten very good at hiding, at least. I'm sure her parents had no idea how shattered she still was.
"Sorry I didn't answer your texts," I said. "I forgot my phone home. I just got back."
"No problem." Her perky laughter put my teeth on edge. "I've only been home a few hours. I thought we could run to Johnny's. Catch up."
Talk about the worst timing in the history of the planet. "I can't, I'm sorry." I watched her spirit collapse inside her eyes while her veneer of happy slipped only a little. "But I promise we will later, okay? I just have some family stuff I have to take care of right now."
"You got it." She reached out and clasped my hands in hers, fingers as cold as ice. They felt like bones barely held together with paper-thin skin, as if a skeleton held my grip. I realized then how sunken her cheeks were, how thin and frail her wrists and forearms, the way her collarbone stuck out. She'd lost more weight, weight she couldn't afford to shed.
"Al..." What could I say? There was nothing to say. I hugged her gently, feeling every rib, the tremor in her body as she hugged me back. "I'll call you, okay?"
She backed off slowly, waving, not turning away, all the way to the driver's door of her red convertible. I watched her climb in, still waving, and only closed the kitchen door when she finally drove out of sight.
I sighed deeply, pressing my forehead to the cool metal frame, just wanting everything to go away. When I finally turned, I found Sassafras watching me.
He was smart enough not to say a word, silent as he followed me back down into the basement.
***
