And don’t get me started on all his solid gold fillings. His mouth is a treasure hunter’s dream. Then there’s the closet full of furs—yes, for him. Enough carcasses abound in his closet, it’s enough to make even those who abhor PETA cry. The pricy membership to the country club, the large donations at charity functions my mother and he are suddenly attending as if they’re the shiny new tokens of the Paragon socialite scene, and they are. And I certainly don’t meantokenin any nice way. And, last, but never least, the gold-plated throne encrusted with real rubies that sits at the end of the dining room table like a shrine to his garishness. It’s really all too much—impossibly too much.
A woman on the screen stands next to a large rotating basket of ping-pong balls and carefully plucks them out, one by one, as the numbers appear at the bottom of the screen, and my eyes widen with disbelief. For a small, brief second, I think this is some errant channel hosting a rollicking bingo game, but judging by that spike in my adrenaline, every last part of me knows better.
“Logan?” My voice wobbles as Tad begins to shriek, and once the final number is called, his primate-like antics take over and he’s hopping up and down on the sofa, on the coffee table, howling at the morning moon—and, honest to God, at this point I would welcome a werewolf transformation. It would only complete the lunacy happening around here.
Mom bursts into tears and laughter all at once as Logan and I take a few unsure steps closer to the oversized television. The numberfive hundred thousand dollarsflashes across it in big red alarming numbers and I hold my breath at the thought.
“Skyla”—Logan hisses it out like a reprimand—“if he’s right, Tad just won a half a million dollars.” It comes out annoyed, and I’m a bit relieved he shares my frustration over a seemingly joyous occasion. Soon, the entire room is whooping it up like a bunch of loons and Chloe is handing out pots and pans to the boys and Beau Geste and Ember to bang as if it were New Year’s Eve all over again. Of course, the ruckus sends baby Ella and baby Mally into a bona fide tizzy, but neither Em nor my mother seems too concerned about protecting little eardrums when the fates just rained down some serious change over this seemingly cursed household.
“Wait a minute,” I hiss right back at Logan. “This family isn’t that lucky.” I glare at the ceiling. “Do you think my mother is up to something?”
He blinks back as if the thought turned his stomach. “If it were so, that would truly mean she has way too much time on her hands.”
The baby gives my ribs a walloping kick as if to sayenough with the racket.
Before I can agree with Logan, Mia and Melissa pour into the room, joining in on the top of the lung festivities, shouting something about finally being able to live in student housing.
I roll my eyes at the thought. Back in the day, Gage shared a dorm with Coop, and quickly thereafter Gage and I rented a flea-infested hovel from Morley Harrison, Ellis’ slumlord of a father. Ellis helped me haul up a used and stained mattress from the alley and both Gage and I promptly got scabies.
I would say that explains a lot, but Gage technically has a new scabies-free body. Come to think of it, he probably got some brain-eating prion due to the fact that new body of his was only meant for paradise and not cozying up next to aparasiteat night. Figures.
But then, Gage lost his mind before he ever took her as his bride, and I guess I’ll never know the reason behind his evolution to evil. I’d like to think he was engineered that way, but that’s just my ego talking.
Logan’s phone chirps and we look down to see it’s a text from Ezrina. She wants us at the lab before noon, and we both nod at the idea. I’d rather sit and stare at Gage’s disembodied head than stare at Chloe’s flawless form any day of the week. She’s miraculously lost all her baby weight and has poured herself into a pair of jeans and a skintight sweater. I hate that she looks so good, and I look like the beast who ate West Paragon High. With my hair sporting a rat’s nest, it’s enough to make even Cerberus run whimpering in the other direction.
Mia staggers up and wraps her arms around me. “Wish me luck. I have a mid-term today. Just because I’m a millionaire now doesn’t change the fact I’m on track to getting my degree.”
Melissa scoffs. “Not me,” she says while manically tapping into her phone. “I’ve already dropped my classes. My daddy’s money is taking care of me now.”
“Good Lord up in heaven,” I grunt. “If you don’t get back into those classes, you’ll be working for that witch Dominique Winters for the rest of your life. You don’t want that, do you?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve seen how much she makes. Just last week, that twin of Gage’s dropped off a check that makes today’s winnings look like chicken scratch.”
My mouth falls open as I look to Logan a moment. “Melissa, do you remember what he was buying?”
“Yeah, something called conium, a hemlock alkaloid.”
“Of course.” I shrug as if I knew what she was talking about, but thankfully Logan is already googling the shit out of it.
Melissa steps in. “Wesley ordered it. Dom said it has to do with hiding the markers, but she didn’t think it would work.”
A sense of relief fills me. If Dominique thinks they’re going in the wrong direction, then it’s probably true.
I glance to Logan and nod, and he flashes his phone my way, exposing the fact he’s already sent the text to Ezrina.
Less than a second later she texts back.
Dead end.
I shoot a sly smile to Logan. Here’s hoping Gage paid a mint for it.
Melissa takes off and jumps onto Tad’s back, spanking his bottom as he races her around the room. There are simply some Landon traditions I don’t want any part of, so I promptly turn away.
Mia jumps in front of me again. “Seeing that we’ve got the Midas touch now, I suppose Rev will be asking for my hand in marriage soon. And since Dad isn’t around, he hinted that when the time came, he’d ask you.” Her lips crimp and she looks so much like me. “You’d better say yes, Skyla. Don’t go ruining this for me just because you think you know better. Don’t be a witch just because everything is coming up roses in your life.”
I clutch at my belly as that sweet baby Logan and I made indeed swims like a rose come to life. Chloe moves into my line of vision and promptly reminds me that roses grow amidst manure.
“Don’t worry, Mia,” I say. “I want to see you happy. And so long as you stay in school, both you and Rev will have my blessing.” I blink a smile along with the scholastic threat, and she takes off for the kitchen, giving me the stink eye.
