He folds his large hand around mine. “Right now, let’s just get through dinner.”
“Thank you.” A tear falls from my eye and Lucas gently wipes it away. “Okay…I can do this. With you with me…I can.”
“If you need to leave, Callie, let me know and we will.” He squeezes my hand, kisses my cheek, and then gets out, coming around to open the door for me. Hand in hand, we walk up to my sister’s house. Before we get to the porch, the front door opens. Three teenage boys, who I think are Phillip’s nephews if I remember them correctly from their wedding photos, come out and gush over Lucas’s car.
“Is that a McLaren 600LT?” one of them asks.
“It is.” Lucas holds up the keys.
“Shit, man, that’s a sweet car,” another boy says.
Phillip and his brother—Steven maybe? I’m bad with names—appear in the door, just as excited about the car as the boys. I’m not a car person so I don’t get the hype, though it was obvious the 600-whatever cost more than my house when the doors opened up instead of out.
“Callie?” Phillip gasps, seeing me. “We…we weren’t sure if you were going to show up.”
“I said I would.” I look my brother-in-law in the eyes, and he lowers his gaze. He’s always been scared of me, afraid I’ll hold him spellbound like a vampire. Should I feel bad that I’ve encouraged his fear? My pettiness is showing again, I know.
“You came in that?” Steven asks, eyes wide. “That thing is wicked fast. Have you taken it out and opened it up?”
“Not as often as I’d like,” Lucas answers and the guys laugh.
“Boys,” Steven calls, waving for his kids to come back inside. They’re gathered around Lucas’s car, taking selfies with it.
“What’s going on out here?” My sister’s voice comes from the house, and as soon as she sees me, she pushes past her husband. “Callie!”
My throat tightens a bit when I see the emotion in her eyes. Abby jogs down the stone steps and pulls me into a hug.
“I’m so glad you came. I know this is hard for you,” she whispers, squeezing me tight. “Thank you.”
“Of course, Abby.” I hug her back, and the large gift bag I’m holding crushes against her back. “This is for Penny.”
“You didn’t have to get her anything.”
“She’s my niece. And I had fun shopping for her. I might have gone a little overboard.”
“She is fun to shop for.” Abby takes the bag from me and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. I didn’t realize just how much me showing up would mean to her.
“This is Lucas,” I say, taking his hand again. “And this is my sister, Abby, and her husband, Phillip.”
“Nice to meet you,” Lucas says with a smile and I swear my sister blushes just a little bit.
“Come in, come in,” she says to us, and that’s all the invitation Lucas needs. “Dinner will be served shortly. We have drinks and appetizers now. Penny just went down for the night,” she says almost apologetically. “The party really seemed to wear her out today.”
Keeping a steady hold on me, Lucas walks with me into the house. There are more people here than I thought. Phillip comes from a large family. He’s the youngest of six children, and I think most of his siblings are doctors as well.
Soft music is playing, and I can tell most of the adults have been drinking. My eyes dart around, looking for my father or brother. But they’re not here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they avoided me most of the night.
Mrs. Real Estate agent—whose name is escaping me now as well—is here, along with one of the other moms I saw walking with Abby. They all come over, acting as if they know me.
“Callie, you look amazing!” Mrs. Real Estate gushes.
“Thanks,” I say, feeling awkward.
“She’s always been in amazing shape,” Abby agrees. “And I’ve always been slightly jealous.”
“For real,” Mrs. Real Estate agrees. “I’d kill to have your figure! What is your secret?” She laughs, hand landing on my shoulder. It takes everything inside me not to shy away. I don’t like being touched like this.
“I don’t have a secret. It’s just part of my job to be in good shape,” I say without thinking.
“Oh, interesting! What do you do?” Mrs. Real Estate asks.
“I, uh, own a bookstore.”
Mrs. Real Estate opens her mouth but just nods instead. Then she looks at Lucas. She definitely blushes. “And you must be our mysterious neighbor.”
“Lucas King,” he introduces himself. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Ricci,” she says, voice all breathy as she takes Lucas’s hand. Then she blinks and pulls herself together. Abby introduces us to a few more of her friends and Phillip’s family members. I grab a glass of wine and find a spot on the couch, sitting as close to Lucas as I can without it looking obviously inappropriate.
A thin woman with short brown hair makes her way over, stopping to talk to every single person she passes by. Her dress is designer, and I’m sure she got her hair and makeup professionally done for tonight. For her, image is everything.
“You’re about to meet my mother,” I say, feeling all nervous again. I tip the wine into my mouth, downing half before Mommy Dearest looks my way. She knows I’m here, yet has waited this long to come over. I think she’s always worried I’m going to call her out for being such a shitty mom. I’ve dreamed of it, even planned out a speech, but haven’t been around her long enough since I moved out to actually deliver it.
She grabs a glass of wine on her way over and takes a sip. Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“Callie, my darling,” she coos. Her eyes flit between me and Lucas.
“Hello, Mother.” I don’t get up, don’t offer her a hug. And she makes no move to hug me either. She perches on the edge of the armchair next to us.
“You look beautiful as always, dear.”
I clench my jaw. This was a terrible idea. Terrible. Terrible. Terrib—
“Hi, I’m Lucas.” Lucas takes his hand out of the death clamp I have on him and offers it to my mother. “I’m Callie’s boyfriend. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
“It is very nice to meet you. Abby tells me you live just two streets over on Orchard? That’s quite an impressive street. And did I hear correctly you two pulled up in some sort of sports car the boys got excited about?”
“Why don’t you just ask him for his net worth,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. Lucas puts his arm around me.
“I’m just trying to make conversation,” Mom says quietly. Maybe she is. I automatically take anything she says or does personally.
“Yes, I do live just a few streets over. It’s a very nice neighborhood.”
Mom smiles. “It is. I was excited when Abigail moved in. Such a good place for raising children.” A few seconds of silence pass by. Mom apprehensively leans forward and pats my leg. “I’ve missed you, honey.”
I look into her eyes, surprised to see the tears she’s holding back. “You know where I live.”
“I do, but it’s…it’s far. And I’ve been so busy with campaigns.” Finding something to brag about, Mom puts on a smile and turns to Lucas. “Did Callie tell you her father and brother are in politics?”
“She’s never mentioned it,” Lucas says, even though I did. “Neither of us have much interest in the subject.” He rests his hand on my thigh.
“So, how did you two meet?” Mom asks.
Lucas meets my eye and gives me a small smile. “At a bar. One of the many I own.”
Mom laughs again, liking Lucas more and more. If only she knew…I finish my wine and set the glass on the coffee table in front of me. Abby and Phillip come over, sitting on the love seat next to the couch.
“Do you want anything to eat?” my sister asks. “The appetizers are to die for. I’ll go with you to get something.”
I am hungry. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“What about you?” she ask
s Lucas. “Can I bring you anything?”
“No thanks.”
“Lucas is on a special no-carb, no-sugar, dairy-free, low-fiber diet,” I say seriously.
Phillip pats his stomach. “Maybe I should try it. Though with no dairy, sugar, carbs, and low fiber, all you eat is meat and some vegetables then, right? Like a super intense version of Keto?”
“Something like that,” Lucas tells him. He gives my hand a squeeze before I get up, going with my sister into the kitchen where a gorgeous spread of appetizers has been laid out.
“I’m so glad you came,” Abby goes on. I think she might be a little tipsy. “I plan to have another baby soon, and all I can think about is if I have another girl and Penny has a sister... I hope she can be a better sister than I am.”
“You’re not a bad sister,” I tell Abby.
“I should have done more. Once you left…I just let you leave. I didn’t try to reach out and I’m sorry, Callie. I really am. Part of me was just so ashamed and I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me, which I realize is me making an excuse again.”
“It’s okay.”
“But it’s not. We lost a lot of time. You’re my sister, and I want to be friends.”
“I think we can be,” I say with a smile. “I’m here now, and I’m having a nice time.” I pick up a plate and start filling it with food. I could feast on appetizers alone and be too full for dinner.
“Your boyfriend is so handsome,” she laughs. Yep, she’s definitely tipsy. “How did you meet him?”
“I stopped a vampire from draining a human dry in the basement of his bar.”
Abby whirls around, gripping my arm. “Are you serious? How did you not get killed in the process?”
“Vampires aren’t really threats for us,” I say with a shrug. “At least not for me.”
Abby swallows hard. I know she’s terrified of vampires due to our own father feeding her lies about how they want nothing more than to sneak into your house and drink the blood of your children while you sleep.
“How?”
I chew the inside of my cheek, not sure how much to tell her. If Abby wants to start a new relationship, then she has to be okay with me being myself.
“I can conjure energy and throw it. A strong enough energy ball will kill just about anything, really.”
Abby’s eyes are as wide as saucers. “Can I see?”
I look around, making sure we’re alone in the kitchen. I pick a piece of cheese off my plate, pop it in my mouth, and then hold out my right hand, I rub my thumb over my fingers, conjuring up a string of glowing pink magic. I twist my fingers, and the magic weaves around them. I release it into the air, where it breaks apart into a million little balls of light that get absorbed into the world around us.
“Oh my goodness,” Abby whispers.
“Think I’m a freak still?”
“I never did. And no. I think it’s beautiful.” She takes my hand and smiles. “I really do.”
Now tears are springing to my eyes. “I can also telekinetically pull a cork out of a bottle of wine.”
“That’s amazing.”
“It’s come in handy a time or two.” Shaking my head, I go back to the food, filling my plate and getting another glass of wine before going back to Lucas. He’s talking to Phillip and his brother about cars.
“Are you doing okay?” Lucas rests his hand on my thigh, inching his fingers up under the hem of my dress.
“Yeah, because you’re here with me.” I smile, feeling dangerously close to falling completely in love with him right now. He puts his arm around me and leans in for a kiss, not at all shy of showing a little PDA.
“Gotta love the beginning phases of a relationship,” Steven laughs. “Wait until you’ve been married half as long as I have. It feels like an eternity.”
“It’s not about the length of time,” Lucas says, bringing his hand up and cupping my cheek. “It’s about finding the right person.”
Steven says something else, but his words are lost when Lucas kisses me again. I settle back against him, finishing my plate of appetizers. I get up to use the bathroom, taking my purse with me so I can touch up my lipstick. As I’m standing at the sink, my phone buzzes with a text. I put the lid back on my lipstick and reach inside my purse. The text is from Naomi.
“Please have a name,” I whisper as I open her message.
Naomi: Gran freaked out when I showed her the sigil. She wouldn’t tell me a name because she dares not say the name of a demon in the Third Hierarchy. This is serious shit, Callie. Even for us.
I close my eyes, on the verge of hyperventilating again. The hierarchy of demons was discussed briefly in school. There are lower-level demons, like the ones I hunt and kill. They live on earth, hiding in abandoned buildings and caves. They’re dangerous, of course, but aren’t much of a match for those of us with magic.
Then there are demons in the Fourth Hierarchy, similar to lower-level demons but have the power to possess victims, much like the one we dealt with in the woods. They are dangerous and rare to encounter and have the ability to move from earth to their demon dimensions and back.
And then there’s the Third. These are the demons that possess people. The ones strong enough to kill you from the inside, the ones that require an exorcism to send them back to Hell. Who have the power to open the Gates of Hell. In its true form…I don’t know how I’ll fight it.
I drop my phone into my purse and grip the sink, leaning forward and taking in big, deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. Somehow…someway…it’ll be okay.
It has to be.
I spend another few minutes forcing myself to breathe and wait until my heart slows to normal before leaving the bathroom. On my way back to the living room, I spot my brother. My heart skyrockets back up, and all I want to do is turn and run away. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and remind myself I’m about to face a demon—of the Third Hierarchy of bloody Hell at that—soon enough. My brother is nothing.
I smooth my hands over my dress to keep them from shaking. We’re in the dining room, separated from the living room by the foyer.
“Hi, Scott.”
My brother, who noticed me the second I walked into the room, looks up, pretending to have to look for the source of my voice.
“Callie.” He tips his head. “I’m glad you took my advice on coming to the party.” A pretty blonde woman is at his side, and she looks me over, a bit confused.
“I came for our sister. She invited me.”
With his light brown hair and hazel eyes, he looks so much like our father it’s unsettling. His eyes narrow for a second before he puts on his fake smile. “At least the birthday girl doesn’t know who you are. You missed her, which is funny considering you came to her birthday party hours late.”
“I’ve already met Penny,” I say slowly, realizing his petty insults have no meaning in the grand scheme of things.
“She’s your sister?” the blonde woman asks, looking at Scott. “You never said you had another sister.”
“I’m Callie,” I say, trying to be nice. Just the simple fact this woman is dating my brother makes me not like her.
“I’m Ella. Nice to meet you.” She shakes her head. “Sorry. I’m just shocked. We’ve been dating for two years and I never knew about you.” She trains her blue eyes on my brother.
“Callie was living abroad doing mission work.” The lie rolls off my brother’s tongue so smooth you’d never know it wasn’t the truth. It’s the same lie my father has told over and over. I’m such a model citizen, such a good girl. There’s nothing witchy about me at all.
“That’s not true,” I say with a sweet smile. “I live in Indiana, about an hour or two away depending on traffic. I own a bookstore and have lived in Thorne Hill for quite some time now.”
Scott’s jaw falls open and he flashes a how dare you look my way. I cross my arms and cock an eyebrow. Two can play this game, asshole. And I am. Not. In. The. Mood. He recovers fast, laughing an
d patting my shoulder.
“My sister has always been the humble one. Yes, she resides in the countryside but spends most of her time traveling and helping the less fortunate.”
“Stop lying, Scott.” I feel magic burning at my fingertips. Ella looks back and forth between my brother and me, not sure what’s going on.
“Stop being so humble.” He grips my shoulder so tight it hurts. “Tell her. Tell her, Callie, how much of an angel you are.” I jerk out of his grasp and every light in the house flickers all at once. He looks up at the lights and back at me, nostrils flaring. “Tell her, Callie,” he says through gritted teeth. “You don’t want your halo slipping now, do you?”
“My halo?” I echo, and the dining room lights flicker again. He’s trying to threaten me, trying to force me into submitting into the role of the good girl everyone has painted for me. As I stand there, heart racing and sweat breaking out along my brow, I realize I have two choices.
I can let my brother keep bullying me around. Using the past as a weapon, knowing just how deep the cuts run when he wields it.
Or I can put the past on like armor.
I’m tired of this. Of feeling ashamed. Of the fear and dread, just the sight of him brings up in me. I’m proud of who I am, and it’s time I take a stand.
“Silly little boy.” I take a step closer and the lights above us start to dim. “Don’t you remember? I traded my halo for a motherfucking crown.” I let out a breath, almost unable to believe that I finally stood up for myself.
“Watch your mouth,” Scott snaps.
“I’m so confused,” Ella says. “She’s really your sister?”
“Yes,” Scott says, putting on another act. “I should have told you about her, but we try to respect her privacy. Callie, my dear sister…she’s been struggling.”
“I have?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “With what?”
Scott lets out a sigh, acting as if this pains him. He turns toward Ella, shaking his head. “She’s always been mentally unstable. She’s been institutionalized the last few years and we—”