Marian glanced at Macon before she answered. “She decided to stay in tonight.”
Aunt Grace caught enough to add her two cents. “Well, that just ain’t American. Did you invite her, Ethan?”
“Liv isn’t American. And yeah. I mean, yes, ma’am. I invited her.”
It was nearly true. I had asked Marian to bring her. That was an invitation, right? Marian unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap. “I’m not certain she felt comfortable coming.”
Lena bit her lip, like she felt bad.
It’s because of me.
Or me, L. I didn’t exactly invite her myself.
I feel like a jerk.
Me, too.
But there was nothing more to say, because right then Amma came in, carrying the green bean casserole. “All right. It’s time to thank the Good Lord and eat.” She sat down, and my dad pushed in her chair and took his own seat. We all joined hands around the table, and my Aunt Caroline bowed her head to say the Thanksgiving prayer, the way she always did.
I could feel the power of my family. I felt it the same way I did when I joined a Caster Circle. Even though Lena and Macon were the only actual Casters here, I still felt it. The buzz of our own kind of power, instead of lubbers chewing up the town or Incubuses ripping up the sky.
Then I heard it, too. Instead of the prayer, all I could hear was the song, thundering into my mind so loud I thought my head would split.
Eighteen Moons, eighteen dead
Eighteen turned upon their head,
The Earth above, the sky below
The End of Days, the Reaper’s Row…
Eighteen dead? Reaper’s Row?
By the time Aunt Caroline stopped praying, I was ready to start.
Six pies later, pecan—and, as usual, Amma—had been declared the winners. My dad was falling into his customary post-turkey nap on the couch, wedged in between the Sisters. Dinner was cut short when we were all too full to sit upright in our hard wooden chairs.
I didn’t eat as much as usual. I felt too guilty. All I could think about was Liv, sitting alone in the Tunnels on Thanksgiving. Whether it was a holiday to her or not.
I know.
Lena was standing in the kitchen doorway, staring at me.
L. It’s not what you think.
Lena walked over to the counter, where the leftovers were piled up. “What I think is that you should pack up some of Amma’s pie and take it down to the Tunnels.”
“Why would you want me to do that?”
Lena looked embarrassed. “I didn’t understand how she felt until the night Ridley Cast the Furor. I know what it’s like not to have friends. It must be worse to have them and lose them.”
“Are you saying you want me to be friends with Liv?” I didn’t buy it.
She shook her head. I could see how hard this was for her. “No. What I’m saying is I trust you.”
“Is this one of those tests guys don’t understand and always fail?”
She smiled, covering the leftover pecan pie with tinfoil. “Not today.”
Lena and I hadn’t even opened the front door when Amma caught us. “Where do you think you’re goin’?”
“We’re going to Ravenwood. I’m going to take Liv some of your pecan pie.”
Amma tried to give me the Look, but somehow it was just a look to me. “What you mean is you’re goin’ down into those Tunnels.”
“Only to see Liv, I promise.”
Amma rubbed her gold charm. “Straight there and back. I don’t want to hear about any Casts or fires, Vexes or any other Demons. Not a one. You hear me?”
I always heard her, even when she wasn’t talking.
Lena lifted the Outer Door cut into the floorboards in Ridley’s room. I still couldn’t believe she was letting me go down alone. But, then again, if you could sense it when your boyfriend was thinking about kissing another girl, it wasn’t that big a leap.
Lena handed me the pie. “I’ll be in here when you’re finished. I’ve been meaning to look around.” I wondered if she had been in here since the night we found John. I knew Lena was worried about Ridley, especially now that she was powerless.
“I won’t be long.” I kissed her and stepped down onto the stairs I couldn’t see.
I heard their voices before I saw their faces.
“I’m not sure this is a proper Southern Thanksgiving, since I’ve never had Thanksgiving dinner anywhere. But it’s quite posh, what with the frozen dinner and all.” Liv. She sounded suspiciously happy.
I didn’t have to hear the next voice to know who it was.
“You’re in luck. I’ve never had one either. Abraham and Silas weren’t big on holidays. Then there’s the whole not-needing-to-eat thing. So I have nothing to compare it to.”
John.
“What, no Halloween? No Christmas? No Boxing Day?” Liv was laughing, but I could tell it was a real question.
“None of the above.”
“That’s a bit grim. I’m sorry.”
“It’s no big deal.”
“So this is our first Thanksgiving, then.” I heard her laugh.