I’d been so stressed out that I couldn’t concentrate, and freeing the bat’s spirit had taken…a while. But I did it. And I was glad I’d checked. Now I could relax…or so I thought.
“You should sleep,” Liz said after I’d lain there with my eyes open for almost an hour.
I glanced at Tori, but she was still snoring—hadn’t even stirred since I’d come back.
“I’m not tired,” I said.
“You need to rest. I can help. I always helped my nana sleep when she couldn’t.”
Liz never talked about her parents, only her grandmother, and I realized how little I knew about her.
“You lived with your nana?”
She nodded. “My mom’s mom. I didn’t know my dad. Nana said he didn’t stick around.”
Considering he’d been a demon, I supposed that was how it worked.
Liz was silent a moment, then said quietly, “I think she was raped.”
“Your mom?”
“I heard stuff. Stuff I wasn’t supposed to hear, Nana talking to her sisters, her friends, and later to social workers. She said Mom was wild when she was young. Not
really
wild, just smoking and drinking beer and skipping classes. Then she got pregnant, and that made her different. She got older. Pissed off. Things I heard—I think she was raped.”
“That’s awful.”
She pulled her knees up and hugged them. “I never told anyone that. It’s not the kind of thing you share. Kids might look at you funny, you know?”
“I’d never—”
“I know. That’s why I told you. Anyway, for a few years, everything was okay. We lived with Nana, and she looked after me while Mom worked. But then Mom had this accident.”
My gut chilled as I thought of my own mother, killed in a hit-and-run. “What kind of accident?”
“The cops said she was at this party, got drunk, and fell down the stairs. She hit her head really hard and when she got out of the hospital, it was like she was a whole different person. She couldn’t work, so Nana did and Mom stayed home with me, but sometimes she’d forget to feed me lunch or she’d get really mad and hit me and say it was all my fault. Blaming me because she wasn’t happy, I guess.”
“I’m sure she didn’t—”
“Mean it. I know. Afterward she’d cry and tell me she was sorry and buy me candy. Then she had my little brother, and she started getting into drugs and getting arrested for stealing stuff. Only she never went to jail. The court always sent her to a mental hospital. That’s why, at Lyle House, I was so scared—”
“Of being sent to one. I should have helped. I—”
“You tried. It wouldn’t have mattered. They’d already made up their minds.” She went quiet for a moment. “Mom tried to warn me. Sometimes she’d show up at my school, high on dope, going on about experiments and magic powers, and saying I had to hide before they found me.” Another pause. “I guess she wasn’t so crazy after all, huh?”
“No, she wasn’t. She was trying to protect you.”
She nodded. “Okay, enough of that. You need to rest up so you can find the guys. Nana always said I was good at helping people fall asleep. Better than any pills. You know why?”
“Why?”
She grinned. “’Cause I can talk your ear off. Now, let’s see, what can I talk about that’ll bore you to sleep? Oh, I know. Guys. Hot guys. I have this list, see? The ten hottest guys ever. Actually, it’s two lists, ten each, ’cause I needed one for real guys—guys I actually know—and one make-believe list, for guys in movies and bands. Not that they aren’t real guys, because of course they’re real…”
I finally drifted off and didn’t wake until the roar of a truck sent me jerking up, limbs flailing.
Light streamed through the windows. I checked my watch. Eight thirty. No sign of Liz. Was she on patrol? Or had she left already?
Tori was still sound asleep, snoring softly.
I shook her shoulder. “It’s morning. We need to search for the note.”
Tori opened her eyes, muttered that there
“You should sleep,” Liz said after I’d lain there with my eyes open for almost an hour.
I glanced at Tori, but she was still snoring—hadn’t even stirred since I’d come back.
“I’m not tired,” I said.
“You need to rest. I can help. I always helped my nana sleep when she couldn’t.”
Liz never talked about her parents, only her grandmother, and I realized how little I knew about her.
“You lived with your nana?”
She nodded. “My mom’s mom. I didn’t know my dad. Nana said he didn’t stick around.”
Considering he’d been a demon, I supposed that was how it worked.
Liz was silent a moment, then said quietly, “I think she was raped.”
“Your mom?”
“I heard stuff. Stuff I wasn’t supposed to hear, Nana talking to her sisters, her friends, and later to social workers. She said Mom was wild when she was young. Not
really
wild, just smoking and drinking beer and skipping classes. Then she got pregnant, and that made her different. She got older. Pissed off. Things I heard—I think she was raped.”
“That’s awful.”
She pulled her knees up and hugged them. “I never told anyone that. It’s not the kind of thing you share. Kids might look at you funny, you know?”
“I’d never—”
“I know. That’s why I told you. Anyway, for a few years, everything was okay. We lived with Nana, and she looked after me while Mom worked. But then Mom had this accident.”
My gut chilled as I thought of my own mother, killed in a hit-and-run. “What kind of accident?”
“The cops said she was at this party, got drunk, and fell down the stairs. She hit her head really hard and when she got out of the hospital, it was like she was a whole different person. She couldn’t work, so Nana did and Mom stayed home with me, but sometimes she’d forget to feed me lunch or she’d get really mad and hit me and say it was all my fault. Blaming me because she wasn’t happy, I guess.”
“I’m sure she didn’t—”
“Mean it. I know. Afterward she’d cry and tell me she was sorry and buy me candy. Then she had my little brother, and she started getting into drugs and getting arrested for stealing stuff. Only she never went to jail. The court always sent her to a mental hospital. That’s why, at Lyle House, I was so scared—”
“Of being sent to one. I should have helped. I—”
“You tried. It wouldn’t have mattered. They’d already made up their minds.” She went quiet for a moment. “Mom tried to warn me. Sometimes she’d show up at my school, high on dope, going on about experiments and magic powers, and saying I had to hide before they found me.” Another pause. “I guess she wasn’t so crazy after all, huh?”
“No, she wasn’t. She was trying to protect you.”
She nodded. “Okay, enough of that. You need to rest up so you can find the guys. Nana always said I was good at helping people fall asleep. Better than any pills. You know why?”
“Why?”
She grinned. “’Cause I can talk your ear off. Now, let’s see, what can I talk about that’ll bore you to sleep? Oh, I know. Guys. Hot guys. I have this list, see? The ten hottest guys ever. Actually, it’s two lists, ten each, ’cause I needed one for real guys—guys I actually know—and one make-believe list, for guys in movies and bands. Not that they aren’t real guys, because of course they’re real…”
I finally drifted off and didn’t wake until the roar of a truck sent me jerking up, limbs flailing.
Light streamed through the windows. I checked my watch. Eight thirty. No sign of Liz. Was she on patrol? Or had she left already?
Tori was still sound asleep, snoring softly.
I shook her shoulder. “It’s morning. We need to search for the note.”
Tori opened her eyes, muttered that there
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