I stare at the closed door. Mom doesn’t do parties. She’s always been the type to work tirelessly on one project before moving on to the next, rarely taking the time to revel in her achievements.
Growing up, I could count the number of times my parents celebrated an anniversary on one hand. It’s not that they didn’t love each other, but they were too obsessed with their careers, leaving little room for festivities. Wilder and I had to plan our birthday parties in high school, and we considered ourselves lucky if our parents shared a slice of cake with us.
I finish twisting the key in the lock, and as I do, the door swings open, revealing Juliette’s blazing blue eyes. She folds her arms, her sleek green dress hugging her small curves.
She meets my gaze. “Oh, it’s you. I thought you were the delivery guy.” Her bored gaze then roams over Jaxson behind me. The heat of his body against my back comforts me.
“What are you doing at my house?” I ask. More laughter erupts behind her. I attempt to peer inside, but she blocks my view with a smirk.
“Celebrating,” she says. “And I don’t recall either of you being on the invite list. So, bye.” She attempts to close the door in our faces, but I wedge my foot in the door. “Desiree, please, know when you’re not wanted.”
I stifle a vicious snarl for propriety’s sake. This is my mom’s house.Julietteis the one who doesn’t belong. I need to get into Mom’s apothecary. Curating those protection charms to raise the Balam rules out my former friend’s self-importance.
“Move, Juliette. I need to grab something,” I say in the most amicable tone, though it still comes out as a sneer. Her knuckles turn white the harder she grips the door. Fine, it’s time to use the big guns. “Mom!” I yell.
“Stop that.” I open my mouth to scream again. “Fine, but be quick,” Juliette says, as if she has authority in my house. Juliette steps aside, and I gesture to Jaxson to follow me.
As Juliette closes the door, she sighs. “I’m having dejá vu seeing the two of you together. All that’s missing is Wilder.” She gazes toward the street as if she might find my twin standing there. Except if he were here, he would have bulldozed past her the second she opened the door.
“You’re lucky Wilder isn’t here. After what happened the last time you set foot in this house, he wouldn’t hesitate to make you leave,” I say, and she blanches.
Juliette was here the day of Wilder’s Emergence. They were hooking up, and he set her on fire—accidentally, of course. When I asked her to leave so Wilder and I could cover up the evidence, she got violent. I was used to her cruelty, but Wilder wasn’t. That was the end of their relationship and the continuation of Juliette’s vendetta against me, which lasted throughout school, and the years after at Hebe.
I leave the foyer to head toward the downstairs apothecary in the cellar beneath the stairs but pause as I pass the party. Hebe staff fill the family living room, all dressed in fancy attire instead of their usual scrubs. I hardly recognized them.
Mom notices me and breaks away from her conversation. My eyes land on a fancy script sign that reads,“Congratulations on Funding for the Cure.”My nostrils flare.
It better be about the cure for some rare, exotic disease.
Despite my poor efforts to dissuade her, it seems Mom has continued her research for a treatment. Little does she know that the answer to her prayers is in this room. My blood is the cure for vampirism, but that’s a secret I will take to my future grave.
“Desiree?” Mom asks. Her maroon dress, which I told her to buy last year on one of our rare shopping trips, shimmers under the soft light.
Jaxson halts beside me. He locks eyes with a few guests, who take in his faded jeans and hooded sweatshirt. He smiles at them as if his street clothes were as expensive as their suits.
“I’m sorry, honey, but what are you doing here?” Mom kisses my cheek, and I smell alcohol on her breath.
“I apologize, Doctor Dunn. I tried to stop them, but they didn’t listen,” Juliette chimes behind us with false sincerity.
Mom’s features soften toward Juliette, and her green eyes fill with a mix of surprise and something else I can’t quite decipher. Praise? “That’s quite all right, Juliette. Desiree and Jaxson are welcome to be here. It’s because of Desiree I began researching a cure.”
I exhale, crossing my arms. Mom’s wasting her time.
“Chiara, congratulations on your achievements. You look radiant,” Jaxson says.
Mom, who has always loved Jaxson, blushes. “As pleased as I am to see you both here,” she begins, and I peek at Jaxson from the corner of my eye.
He winks when Mom isn’t looking, a small gesture of support that warms my skin. Jax is the only person who has ever made me feel like the most important person in the room.
“I wasn’t expecting you. You should have called. My research isn’t public knowledge. Sorry, Jaxson, but I must ask that you keep it a secret.”
“I texted,” I say through my teeth.
Besides, Vyvyan and Vane already know about her research—Vane is the Secret Keeper—but they’ve been too preoccupied to deal with it.
Mom purses her lips. “Well, since you are here, let me introduce you to some people.”
Mom reaches for my hand, but I pull it away. I have no desire to let her parade me around the party as if I’m okay with this—as if she’s doing this forme. Mom is doing this for the clout. Her career took a nosedive after Dad’s arrest. She’s trying to regain what she lost and pretending it’s for me to win brownie points.
