Wow, that was unexpected. I tried pressing my lips together, but the words rushed out of my mouth on their own. “I take it things aren’t good between the two of you.”
Victor laughed, and it wasn’t an amused tone. “Aren’t good? They have been terrible.” He paced. “First, she takes me off that mountain without my permission and leaves you alone with that demented Mitrus against hundreds of demons. After all the bad things she had done and the people she killed, I was sure I could have included that act to the list. But then the Fates found us and said you were okay.”
I snorted. “No thanks to them. I was lucky Micah and Morgan were there with me.”
“I’m sorry about leavin—”
I raised my index finger. “Don’t go there.”
He stared at me, and I averted my eyes. “Anyway, Ceris and I talked—well, argued really. We can only argue—and we decided to start working toward finding my scepter. That’s what we’ve been doing for the last three months.”
Of course. Finding the scepters was priority.
“No success?”
“None. We have no idea where to look for it. In addition, we had to deal with the demons and run from Omi and Imha more than once. Ceris can fade her aura completely, but only lessen mine. The demons pick up my aura often, and that makes it hard to look for the scepter because we can’t stay in one spot for long.”
“Unfortunately, I know nothing about The Everlasting Circle’s lore and power or whatever. I can’t help with that. I also don’t have visions anymore and can’t lead you where you need to go. What I can help with is healing, which isn’t what you need right now.” I turned to the taxi. “Please, only call me when you need my healing.”
He rushed toward me. “Nadine—”
“I beg you, Victor. Don’t involve me in this mess more than I need to be involved.” I slipped inside the taxi. “Good luck.”
“Ready to go, Ms. Sterling?” the driver asked.
I closed the door and turned my back to the window. “Yes, please, take me back.”
The rest of the day was uneventful.
I returned home in time to have lunch with my mother. Then she asked about my plans, and I said I didn’t have any. Which wasn’t a complete lie. After the kids had gone to bed last night, I had thought about what to do, but my mind kept going to Victor and his call, and I lost my train of thought. Now that I had seen him, I was in a bad mood because I had been away for two hours for nothing and because I had seen him.
I told my mom I would probably try to find a job while applying for scholarships to other universities, preferably closer to home this time. That part of the plan was true, but what I didn’t tell her was I would be leaving in two or three days. I wasn’t sure exactly to where. At first, I had thought I needed to stay in a big city because they had more soldiers and protection, but my options weren’t many. I wanted to stay no less than five hours from here. Minneapolis was too close to home, and Des Moines was only three and a half hours away.
However, now that I had talked to Victor and he mentioned having to move around because the demons could sense his aura, I wondered if that would happen to me too. I was afraid of attracting them here, wasn’t I? So what would stop them from sensing me in Des Moines or any other place I decided to move to? Then demons would attack the city, and people would die because of me. I couldn’t live with that.
The solution was to move around.
But how would I help my family if I didn’t stay in a place long enough to get a job and make some money? If I couldn’t be in school?
At three thirty, Mom picked up the kids from school, and I went grocery shopping. Mom almost had a heart attack when I came back with more than I could carry, but it was the least I could do. Once inside the house, the kids surrounded me and we played on the side patio until Dad came home from work. After dinner, I put the kids to bed, singing the lullaby song for them, and then came back to the living room where my parents sat. My father cleaned his work boots, and my mother organized the kids’ toys.
I knelt on the floor and helped Mom.
“Nadine,” my father said. “Your mom and I need to talk to you.”
I stopped and looked at him, worried. Could he know something? “About?”
“About you and your situation right now.”
“Oh.” I put the toys in my hands in a box, and then sat beside him on the couch. “I know things aren’t easy and I’m sorry for being a burden, but—”
“A burden?” my mom asked, her expression appalled.
Dad shook his head. “You’re not a burden, dear. On the contrary. You’re the one that actually kept this family up for so long.”
“I’ll do it again,” I said. I had to believe I would. There had to be something I could do. “I’m not sure how yet, but I will.”
“You don’t have to do this. It’s not your responsibility.”
“But I want to help.”
“I know. But I think finishing your education is more important.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure about that. Right now, I just had to work anywhere so I would stop being one more mouth to feed and maybe help with feeding the others. Regardless, I was convinced I couldn’t stop in one place for long. How would I finish school like that?
“Yeah, but that is gone. I am thinking about going back to school, but I don’t know where and how yet,” I lied. Guilt filled me, but what could I tell them? They sounded so hopeful and thankful that I was here, that I would stay here. I couldn’t break their hearts. Not yet.
My father narrowed his eyes. “If you’re not in a rush, I could talk to the mayor and see if he has a job for you.”
“Work on the construction of the wall?” my mother asked. “That isn’t a place for a woman.”
“I know,” my dad said. “But I can ask him if he has anything else.”
I pressed my lips together. My leaving would be hard on them, maybe harder than I thought it would be.
“Yes, Dad,” I said. “Talk to him.”
I probably wouldn’t stick around until a job came up, but I couldn’t tell them that. Not yet.
Dad patted my hand. “Good.”
10
I rolled on the couch. Sleeping here would break my back, but there weren’t many options. My mom had insisted on giving me their bed, or having Nicole sleep with them so I could have her bed, but I declined. I was already disturbing their lives and routine as it was.
I brought the comforter to my chin and tried adjusting the pillow. As if the couch being uncomfortable wasn’t enough, the cold was bad too. The forecast was for three feet of snow tomorrow. Ugh, I wasn’t happy about that.
At one thirty in the morning, I reached for a book in my tote. I might as well read and hopefully it would make me sleepy enough that I wouldn’t feel the hardness of the couch.
I read two pages and felt my eyes droop. Hmm, this was working.
I was turning the third page when the siren of a fire truck blared outside.
What the hell?