nothing of a wife.”
“I’m looking for Ettie,” Beau said, grinding the words between his teeth.
Ada rolled up into a sitting position on the couch. Her oily dark hair tumbled around her gaunt face as she leaned forward to snub the cigarette out in an ashtray alongside two other butts. Either she didn’t actually smoke much or she emptied the tray frequently. Hunched over her knees, she tilted her head up to look at Beau, then tilted it farther back to take a swig from her bottle.
Beau made a pained, disgusted noise that sounded as if it had torn from his chest involuntarily. I squeezed my eyes shut at the sound, but I didn’t falter any further in front of his terrible excuse for a mother.
“Come for Claudette, have you, Beau?” Ada laughed again. The noise was so grating I actually had to stop myself from trying to brush it away from my ears. “Going to ride her success now?”
Beau sighed, then scrubbed his hand across his face. He half-turned to include me in the conversation. “Ada, this is Rochelle. If you weren’t completely blitzed, you’d smell her magic.”
“I’d have to be at least two more bottles deep not to smell the stink of a witch.”
“She’s an oracle.”
Ada looked at me then, narrowing her eyes as if that would help her see me better.
I didn’t smile. I didn’t offer any pleasantries. But I did remove my sunglasses, so I could meet her stare without wavering.
Shapeshifters didn’t hold each other’s gazes. To do so was a challenge, though not necessarily one of aggression. But I wasn’t a shapeshifter, so I didn’t play by their rules.
One of these days, that was going to get me seriously injured.
But today, it won me Ada’s fear.
Beau’s so-called mother recoiled back from me. Her lips pulled away from her teeth in a terrible grimace as her shoulders hit the back of the couch.
Yeah, my pale gray eyes were freaky. And paired with the declaration of my magical prowess, they were even otherworldly. Though obviously, that was only if magic scared you, as it did Ada. According to Beau, she never transformed if she could help it.
“What … what …” Ada stuttered.
“Where is Ettie?” Beau repeated.
“School,” Ada spat. Her fear slowly melted into anger.
Yeah, we were really ruining her afternoon buzz. Wait until she heard our news about the impending death of her daughter. Though I wouldn’t put it past her to not give a shit.
“When was the last time you spoke with her?”
“A couple of hours ago. She checks in every couple of days. Like a good child should.”
“Still okay,” Beau murmured to me.
Ada’s mounting anger dissolved into confusion. “What do you mean, ‘still okay’?”
“I’m taking care of it,” Beau said. “What school? Did she get into college?”
Ada snorted. “College. Keep up, Beau. She’s at Ole Miss.”
“Which campus?”
“Oxford.”
Beau turned his back on his mother, completely dismissing her. “University of Mississippi. We need to go to Oxford. It’s about an hour and a half from here.”
“What is she doing there now?” I asked. “Summer classes? Will she still be on campus by the time we get there?”
Beau glanced back at his mother, who folded her arms and glowered at us. “She’s taking evening classes through the summer for extra credit,” Ada spat. “On Tuesdays she has elementary organic chemistry.” She raised her chin and her voice. “She graduated top of her year and got a private science scholarship.”
“Yeah, good for her,” Beau said. “Maybe it’ll get her out of this hell someday.”
We’d barely moved into the living room, so it took us only two steps to get back to the front door.
“At least she isn’t some whore!” Ada screamed after us. “With a juvie record as long as my arm!”
Beau faltered, turning back. I threaded my fingers through his and tugged his arm toward the open door. For a moment, I thought he might not follow me. I wasn’t going to be able to
“I’m looking for Ettie,” Beau said, grinding the words between his teeth.
Ada rolled up into a sitting position on the couch. Her oily dark hair tumbled around her gaunt face as she leaned forward to snub the cigarette out in an ashtray alongside two other butts. Either she didn’t actually smoke much or she emptied the tray frequently. Hunched over her knees, she tilted her head up to look at Beau, then tilted it farther back to take a swig from her bottle.
Beau made a pained, disgusted noise that sounded as if it had torn from his chest involuntarily. I squeezed my eyes shut at the sound, but I didn’t falter any further in front of his terrible excuse for a mother.
“Come for Claudette, have you, Beau?” Ada laughed again. The noise was so grating I actually had to stop myself from trying to brush it away from my ears. “Going to ride her success now?”
Beau sighed, then scrubbed his hand across his face. He half-turned to include me in the conversation. “Ada, this is Rochelle. If you weren’t completely blitzed, you’d smell her magic.”
“I’d have to be at least two more bottles deep not to smell the stink of a witch.”
“She’s an oracle.”
Ada looked at me then, narrowing her eyes as if that would help her see me better.
I didn’t smile. I didn’t offer any pleasantries. But I did remove my sunglasses, so I could meet her stare without wavering.
Shapeshifters didn’t hold each other’s gazes. To do so was a challenge, though not necessarily one of aggression. But I wasn’t a shapeshifter, so I didn’t play by their rules.
One of these days, that was going to get me seriously injured.
But today, it won me Ada’s fear.
Beau’s so-called mother recoiled back from me. Her lips pulled away from her teeth in a terrible grimace as her shoulders hit the back of the couch.
Yeah, my pale gray eyes were freaky. And paired with the declaration of my magical prowess, they were even otherworldly. Though obviously, that was only if magic scared you, as it did Ada. According to Beau, she never transformed if she could help it.
“What … what …” Ada stuttered.
“Where is Ettie?” Beau repeated.
“School,” Ada spat. Her fear slowly melted into anger.
Yeah, we were really ruining her afternoon buzz. Wait until she heard our news about the impending death of her daughter. Though I wouldn’t put it past her to not give a shit.
“When was the last time you spoke with her?”
“A couple of hours ago. She checks in every couple of days. Like a good child should.”
“Still okay,” Beau murmured to me.
Ada’s mounting anger dissolved into confusion. “What do you mean, ‘still okay’?”
“I’m taking care of it,” Beau said. “What school? Did she get into college?”
Ada snorted. “College. Keep up, Beau. She’s at Ole Miss.”
“Which campus?”
“Oxford.”
Beau turned his back on his mother, completely dismissing her. “University of Mississippi. We need to go to Oxford. It’s about an hour and a half from here.”
“What is she doing there now?” I asked. “Summer classes? Will she still be on campus by the time we get there?”
Beau glanced back at his mother, who folded her arms and glowered at us. “She’s taking evening classes through the summer for extra credit,” Ada spat. “On Tuesdays she has elementary organic chemistry.” She raised her chin and her voice. “She graduated top of her year and got a private science scholarship.”
“Yeah, good for her,” Beau said. “Maybe it’ll get her out of this hell someday.”
We’d barely moved into the living room, so it took us only two steps to get back to the front door.
“At least she isn’t some whore!” Ada screamed after us. “With a juvie record as long as my arm!”
Beau faltered, turning back. I threaded my fingers through his and tugged his arm toward the open door. For a moment, I thought he might not follow me. I wasn’t going to be able to
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