Then Gemma didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t even think about another option. Her body moved automatically, taking the flask from Lexi, unscrewing the top, and putting it to her lips. It all happened the same way that she took a breath. Motions without thought or reason or control.
The liquid was thick, and it tasted bitter and salty on her tongue. It burned going down her throat, almost as badly as the time she ate too much wasabi. When she swallowed, she nearly gagged. It felt too heavy and hot to get down, but she forced it.
“That’s horrible!” Gemma coughed and wiped her mouth. “What was that?”
“My special cocktail,” Penn said with a smile.
Gemma held the flask away from her, not wanting the stuff anywhere near her. Thea snatched it from her hands, moving quickly, as if Gemma would try to stop her. She threw her head back and swallowed it down in a few big gulps. Just watching Thea drink it like that made Gemma gag for real this time.
Penn shrieked. She ran over to Thea and smacked her across the face, sending the flask flying. Dark burgundy liquid splattered all over the walls of the cove, but the waste didn’t seem to bother Penn.
“That’s not for you! You know better!”
“I needed it!” Thea snarled.
She wiped her mouth, then licked her hand, making sure she got every drop she could. For a second Gemma was afraid Thea might crawl over and lick the liquid off the dirt.
“What was that?” Gemma asked, her words already coming out in a slur.
The cove suddenly pitched to the side, and Gemma grabbed on to Lexi to keep from falling over. Everything swayed around her. She heard Penn talking, but her voice sounded like it was coming from underwater.
“That’s not…” Gemma struggled to talk. “What did you do?”
“You’ll be all right,” Lexi said. She got up and tried to put her arm around Gemma, maybe meaning to comfort her, but Gemma pushed her off.
She stood up and nearly tipped forward into the fire, but Penn caught her. Gemma tried to fight her off, but she didn’t have the strength anymore. All her energy had left her body, and she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The world was fading to black around her.
“You’ll thank me for this later,” Penn was saying in her ear, and that was the last thing Gemma heard.
NINE
Lost
“Where’s your sister?” Brian threw open Harper’s bedroom door, banging the doorknob into the plaster.
“What?” Harper rubbed her eyes and rolled over in bed to face her father. “What are you talking about? What time is it?”
“I just got up for work, and Gemma isn’t here.”
“Did you check her room?” Harper asked, slowly becoming alert.
“No, Harper, I thought I’d check your room first,” Brian snapped.
“Sorry, Dad, I just woke up.” She sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. “She went out swimming last night. She probably just lost track of time.”
“Until five in the morning?” Brian asked, the worry in his voice unmistakable.
But Harper knew he’d been through this once before. When she and her mother had gotten in the car accident. They’d left for a few hours in the evening, and Brian didn’t hear anything from them until the hospital called the next morning saying his wife was in a coma.
“She’s fine,” Harper said, hoping to ease her dad’s fears. “I’m sure she just got sidetracked. You know Gemma.”
“Yes, I do, and that’s why I’m worried.”
“Don’t. Gemma’s fine.” Harper ran her hand through her sleep-disheveled hair and tried to calm Brian. “I’m sure she’s with Alex or napping on the beach or something.”
“You think telling me she’s out with Alex will make me feel better?” Brian asked, but he actually did seem to calm a little. Being out with a boy was a much more favorable alternative to being hurt or dead.
“She’s fine,” Harper repeated. “Get ready for work. I’ll go track her down.”
Brian shook his head. “Harper, I can’t go to work when my daughter is missing.”
“She’s not missing,” Harper insisted. “She just stayed out too late. It’s not a big deal.”
“I’ll drive around and look for her,” Brian said and started to leave her room.
“Dad, you can’t miss work. You already missed too much when you sliced open your arm in February. You can’t lose your job.”
“But…” Brian trailed off, knowing she was right.
“I’m sure Gemma is okay,” Harper said. “She’ll probably be home any second. You go to work. Give me a chance to look for her, and if I can’t find her in the next two hours, I’ll come get you. Okay?”
He stood indecisively in Harper’s doorway, looking pale and gaunt. Brian clearly wanted to go track down his daughter, but he knew Harper was probably right. He couldn’t risk his job and being able to support his family just because Gemma stayed out too late.
“All right.” He pursed his lips. “See if you can find her. But if you haven’t heard from her by seven, you come get me. Okay?”