“Sorry.”
27
Danica
Islept for twelve hours, and then I went to Evie’s. She was waiting outside for me when I pulled up, and her eyes narrowed on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Bad dreams. I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh.”
I scowled at her disbelieving tone. “I need a favor from you.”
She eyed me warily and I couldn’t help but laugh. “You can say no.”
“Let me hear it.”
I reached into Samael’s car and pulled the cat carrier out. The car would be going back, but I’d needed to come here. Needed to see Evie and simply breathe.
Lia let out a tiny squeak of a meow and my sistermelted. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes went wide, and then her gaze darted between me and the cat. “Are you serious?”
“I’m never home.” My eyes were hot, and several razorblades had somehow gotten stuck in my throat. “It’s not fair to her.”
The razorblades cut me to pieces as I said the words, and Evie’s face softened. She threw her arm around my shoulders.
“Of course I’ll take her. I’ve been thinking about getting a pet for a while now. You can visit her any time you want,” she vowed. “And if you have some time off work, you can take her for a few days. We’ll share cat custody.”
“You’re a great sister, you know that?”
“Hey, you’re the one giving me a pet.”
We strode into the house and sat at the kitchen table, where Evie put a plate of cookies in front of me. “I bake when I’m stressed,” she said. She crouched down and opened the cat carrier. “Hello gorgeous.”
Lia purred and batted at my sister with her paw, her claws tucked away.
“She likes to bite,” I warned her. “They’re not hard… I call them love bites.”
Lia narrowed her eyes at me. I stroked her soft little head. “I’ll miss you, cat.”
She let out a low meow and rubbed her head against my hand.
Evie looked up at me. “I’ve missedyou.” I frowned at her and she laughed. “I mean over the past few years. I’m sorry for everything.”
“I’m sorry too.” I heaved a sigh. “Look. What happened to us sucked. We were kids. We loved each other, and no one told us why we couldn’t be together. They ripped us apart and left us lost and confused. We trusted the adults in our lives and they stole our chance to grow up together.” I reached for her hand and squeezed it. “We deserved better.”
Evie’s huge aquamarine eyes were wet. “Wediddeserve better. I’m glad you’re here. I know it’s hard dealing with the coven, but I’m glad you’re here.”
Lia bit her gently on one finger and she laughed, stroking her some more. “Do you want to… hang out next week? Gemma and a few of the other coven leaders are going to meet with a coven in New York and she’s put me in charge while she’s gone. I’ll be hanging around here most of the week, but you could come stay. We could watch movies in the attic like we used to.”
I smiled. While I had been desperate to get out and see the world, my sister loved this house. Loved it so much that I’d once teasingly told her she’d spend the rest of her life in it.
“That sounds good. Oh, before I forget, these are for you.” I reached into my utility belt and pulled out the diamond studs. Evie’s eyes darted to my ears, and I filled her in about Harriette and mom’s jewelry box.
Evie carefully placed the earrings on the table, obviously with no intention of ever wearing them.
“Mom built protection spells into them, Evie.”
She could feel them, I knew she could. Could feel the love mom had for us. She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about her.”
