I watched Tulya take in her mother and look back to me and then glance at her uncle.
“You’re being taken advantage of, sweet Tulya,” I said, standing up to them. “They’re always telling you to use your powers, or not to, and even have subjected you to being hurt while exhausting them on humans. And yes, I asked you too, but it’s time for us. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.”
“No!I’vehad enough, dear young Malachite,” said the Minister. “Ceci, your boys have made a mess in Rubia, starting with your younger one and ending with this malcontent.” He pointed at me. “We have risked everything, and at the very least, Donovan is right that Tulya was injured helping you with Magnum.”
“I’m abiding by Rubian law!” Ceci tried to argue with the Minister, but it was to no avail.
He raised his hand in the air and the room went black. Then he produced a mirage like Ezza had done earlier, except this time it was of the holiday party. Tulya and I were having a conversation. She was saying she had to go, and we parted ways easily and seemingly forgot about one another in that moment.Magnum was making his way toward Cinder and gathering her in his arms. It was the way the evening should have ended for the four of us. Tulya and I separated, and Mag and Cinder leaving together.
“We will go back to this,” he said in a deep tone, looking at the mirage. “To a time when there was peace and my ruling prevailed and you both listened to your elders, coming and going from parties with whom you are meant to. I am in charge of Rubia, only me, and I demand due process.”
Emelee fled the room, yelling, “Bye. You know what? I don’t want any part of this,” clearly scared of the Minister.
My mother was busy rocking on the balls of her feet, praying and begging for forgiveness, and for the second time recently, Tulya went limp and nonresponsive.
The only positive was the Minister’s mirage went up in a poof of smoke, evaporating before our very eyes.
“Was that supposed to happen?” I asked as I bent down on the floor and lifted a limp Tulya.
The Minister’s silence told me all I needed to know. No—it was not. We were stronger than his bullshit mirage.
Good, I thought to myself before grumbling, “Get out. Your magic is not working here, with us.” I stared at the three assholes in my office, waiting for them to go, then heard myself yell, “Get the hell out! I need to revive Tulya for the second time in six months.”
Finally, they listened. In the moment, all I cared about was my sweet Tulya, shoving all thoughts of the Minister torching my house to the back of my mind. His mirage had evaporated, so it was clear Tulya and I had some collective worth. But first, I had to figure out why she collapsed again.
This time around, Tulya recuperated from the incident in my bed, where she belonged. My mother was banished to her side of the house—no one would dare force me to separate from Tulya now or ever, moving forward, after the immediate action I took. First, I knew Abraham loved a human, so my brother wasn’t the only one. This type of scandal was not exclusive to our family. Second, I gave more thought to the Minister’s disappearing mirage and came to a big conclusion. I called Ezza, who wasn’t happy to hear from me, but I didn’t care.
“Her abilities are greater than yours” was all I said.
“I’m still her mother,” she replied, knowing exactly what I meant. Tulya’s potential was grander than her own.
“Together we could either cancel one another or double the powers, making our houses the strongest collaborative house.”
“It wasn’t meant for you two…”
“Bruno! You wanted it to be Bruno!”
“It still could be.”
Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t believe what I figured out. “You don’t want to be overshadowed by your own daughter. Screw you, Ezza.”
I hung up before she could reply, not caring she could be my mother-in-law. I’d uncovered her weakness, and she wouldn’t want it revealed.
I did text my mother and let her know Ezza and I had come to a mutual agreement. When she asked for details, I left her unanswered. Let her ask her friend.
For two days, I didn’t leave Tulya’s side, holding cold compresses to her forehead, running ice along her lips, kissing her shoulder, and making sure she appeared to be comfortable.I couldn’t stop worrying as to why this happened again, and refused to tend to myself other than taking calls right outside the bedroom door. I hadn’t showered in forty-eight hours, and my feet had traced a permanent path in the carpet. That was exactly what I was doing when Abraham showed up without being summoned. Shock and relief ripped through my body in equal measure.
“What do you want?” I greeted him without any pomp and circumstance, thinking I should be nicer, but I wasn’t in the mood.
“A little thank you, maybe? I was the one who shared the information with you regarding Emelee’s medical diagnosis, allowing you to make some progress with Ceci.”
I felt myself nodding. “Yeah, sorry. Thank you for that, but that sort of backfired. Anyway, that’s on me. Been a lot going on here.” I spoke in short, choppy fragments, waving my hand at Tulya in my bed, her head propped on the pillows, her arms tucked underneath the blankets.
“That’s why I’m here. Ezza visited me—”
“That bitch. She’s the reason this is happening.Again. She doesn’t have her daughter’s best interests at heart.” I didn’t mention my reasons or the torch, unsure if I should or not.
“Shh, we know Ezza is only about Ezza. But she is worried about Tulya, so I’m here.”
