“He won’t let me go,” Norma whispered.
“He’ll have to,” Leeman said tersely. A muscle in his jaw ticked as he spoke. “Pack your things, and I’ll wait for you downstairs. My car is in the driveway. I won’t let him hurt you anymore.”
Norma trembled as she stood up, but listened to Leeman and headed for the stairs. Aspen climbed the staircase ahead of her.
“Bring all of Dad’s stuff with you, especially the dream catcher. Don’t leave any of it behind, Mom.”
Norma nodded her head and felt for the dream catcher around her neck as she walked up the stairs to her room. Aspen was so glad that she’d continued to wear it.
Once she’d grabbed a laundry bag and shoved a few jeans and T-shirts into it, she placed her dad’s photo on top and pulled the drawstring closed. The sound of Stephan’s motorcycle roaring into the driveway made her freeze.
“Keep on packing!” Leeman shouted from downstairs. “I’ve got it covered.”
With a beating heart, she reached for her shoes under the bed. What was going to happen now? She winced as Stephan’s loud voice boomed in the living room. The two men shouted at each other, but she continued to pack.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Aspen nearly keeled over with fright. Miriam stood in the doorway with red cheeks and a scowl plastered on her face.
“We’re leaving,” she said without emotion. Her hands were shaking as she walked over to the chest of drawers and scooped up the Mickey Mouse clock.
“Says who?” Miriam said snidely.
“You can’t stop us. My uncle has come to get us, so I’m not going to be your scapegoat anymore.”
The sounds of the men arguing downstairs became louder, and a sudden bang made the two of them look at the door simultaneously.
“Dad!” Miriam cried out. She left her stepsister and charged down the staircase.
Aspen glanced around her room for the last time and then dragged the stuffed laundry bag and her school backpack behind her. After grabbing her toothbrush and towel from the bathroom, she made her way downstairs.
“What did you do to my dad?” Miriam cried in a shrill voice as she entered the living room. Stephan was unconscious on the floor, and his daughter sat next to him on her knees.
Leeman walked past the two, carrying Norma’s bags out to the car. He grabbed Aspen’s bags as well. “Go and help your mom in the kitchen.” He nodded his head toward the other room and then walked outside.
A low groan left Stephan’s mouth, and Miriam’s face darkened as she rose to confront Aspen. “This is your fault. You’re a useless, skinny piece of trash.” She seized Aspen’s arm and twisted it backward.
Pain exploded in Aspen’s shoulder and she gasped. Without thinking, she pointed her free hand at Miriam and blasted her with a powerful blue current. Her stepsister sailed through the air and landed in a heap on the floor.
Norma chose that moment to enter the room. A perfect O formed on her lips, and her eyes widened.
“It’s not what you think, Mom,” Aspen tried to explain. Her eyes tingled, and she flinched as her mother moved away from her in fear.
Leeman marched inside and snatched a box of kitchenware from Norma’s hands. A panicked look crossed her face and she cringed in fright. “Let’s go,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything later.”
Touching her arm gently, Aspen tried to reassure her. “It’s still me, I haven’t changed.”
“W-what did you do to Stephan?” she stuttered, then looked to Aspen. “And to Miriam?”
“They’ve just had a mild shock. They’ll wake up in a minute or two.”
Stephan groaned again and Norma pressed her lips together, then nodded her head as if she’d come to a decision.
“They’ll be fine, Mom,” Aspen promised. “And so will we. You’ll see.”
“Okay, but you’ve got a lot of explaining to do, young lady,” her mother said as she followed them to the car.
Chapter 17
Second Move
Leeman’s house was bigger than expected. He hadn’t exaggerated about the amount of bedrooms; there were eight in total. Aspen had been told to pick a room, and she’d walked through each one before carefully choosing a large corner room upstairs with massive windows that faced the south. It had plush carpets and pale curtains. The bed could accommodate two people comfortably, and a door led from her room into a private bathroom all her own.
She sank back on the soft quilt that covered the bed and sighed in contentment. The house overlooked the playground she was so fond of visiting.
Warm rays of afternoon sun heated her skin pleasantly, and she could smell the meat stew her mother was cooking for dinner. Her stomach growled in anticipation, and she rolled off the bed to follow the aroma.