The house is dark, and Eliza is sleeping when we get to the house in Lincoln Park, and the living room is set up for her guinea pigs again. Lucas left a few things in his office here that he’s going to take back with us tonight since we’ll be able to move it into the new house. My little brick house could only take so much, so a lot was left behind.
I sit in the living room reading until it’s time for me to go, and take an Uber into downtown Chicago so I don’t have to deal with parking. I get to the restaurant early and walk around the block to kill the time.
The sun is out today, helping take some of the chill out of the day. I have my coat zipped up, protecting me from the wind. Another trip to somewhere warm and sunny needs to happen sooner rather than later. The city is busy today, and the upcoming holiday buzz is in the air. I used to love seeing the Christmas decorations up in the city when I was a kid. It was always so exciting…and a beacon of hope.
I’d get my reprieve as soon as the parties started.
My mind wanders to the new house and how I’ll decorate it. I’ll be in the second trimester by Christmas, and Abby said she’d somehow pull off an off-the-record ultrasound for us. She’ll be able to tell us if the baby is a boy or girl…and if everything is normal. There are accounts of humans carrying half-angel babies to term, but there’s nothing about angels carrying half-human babies. My body isn’t fully human. I have no idea if I can even carry a baby to full-term.
“Callie Martin? Is that you?” a guy calls out.
I slow, but don’t stop. That voice is familiar…why?
“Callie?”
The guy behind me speeds up, and I make the mistake of turning around to see who it is. And now I know why the voice was familiar. Dammit.
“Shit, it is you!” Damon Ward, one of Scott’s childhood friends, exclaims. “You…you look good.”
For a second, I think he’s hitting on me. I consider being petty and flashing my huge engagement ring…until I see the way he’s looking at me. Right. Once the story of me going off to serve others in a third world country fell apart, Scott started telling people I’d been committed to a state hospital.
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“Do you remember me?” Damon asks, talking loud and slow. I’m crazy, asshole, not deaf. “I’m Damon. Your brother’s friend.”
“Brother,” I scoff.
“He’s here,” Damon starts, jerking his thumb behind him, pointing to a store. “I’ll let him know—ah, there he is.”
Scott and his fiancée step onto the sidewalk holding hands. Scott’s eyes widen when he sees me, and Ella lets out a little shriek. The last time I saw him, he was in Thorne Hill probably hoping to rain on my parade. But all the twat-waffle saw was me in my element, standing in front of my successful business with my husband, passing out candy to the citizens of the town, who just happen to love me.
I’m sure he’s still bitter about it.
“What are you doing?” Scott demands, pulling Ella closer.
“Didn’t you hear?” I flash a smile. “They let me out on good behavior. I promised not to start any fires or stab anyone. Again.”
Damon shifts his gaze from me to Scott, clearly thinking I’m mentally unstable. He might not be wrong about that.
“I know what you did, and you won’t get away with it,” Scott spits, eyes glowering.
“You’ve got to be more specific. Are you talking about the body I buried in the woods, dug up, and buried again, or the one I had sent straight down to Hell?”
Scott lets go of Ella and grabs my arm. “You invited Abby over for Thanksgiving,” he says through gritted teeth, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Ohhh, how dare I invite my sister over for a family dinner. Better call the cops and report me.” I jerk my arm back, noticing Ella quiver. But she’s not looking at me in fear, but Scott. He’s quick to get physical with me—and he knows I can kick his ass any which way I want. I can curse him and have powerful allies. But Ella…she’s just human.
I’ve wondered how anyone can be with as asshole like Scott. Ella lacks judgement, but I never got the reading on her that she’s a complete waste of human breath like I do with Scott. Maybe she’s with him because she’s afraid to leave.
I look at Scott with a whole new level of hatred. I’ll never forgive him for what he did to me, but I don’t live in fear of him. Not anymore. He’s an annoyance, not a threat.
Because I have magic.
But Ella…Ella is defenseless, and I’m overcome with the desire to hurt him. To put the fear of God into him and watch him squirm. To punish him.