glistened, but the anger and triumph on his face made my heart sing.
“Screw that wo man. She’s not allowed to have that type of power over me again.”
He was so full of confidence and verve that he shone. It was almost more than I dared hope.
“Do you…do you actually believe me? About the demons?”
Seth’s eyes locked into mine. “I spent my whole life trying to explain everything away. The nightmares you had as a little kid. Dad talking to ghosts, and trying to convince us they were real. You were all ‘demons, demons, demons’ and it was…it hurt my heart, you know? To think you were experiencing the same symptoms as Dad. I tried so hard to be so normal. Afraid insanity was contagious. Maybe a little jealous that it wasn’t, because then at least I’d feel like a real part of the family. But the way that I felt in there? Handing Lydia over to a woman who never cared about her, not in the least? Lydia was screaming, Luna. You should have heard her scream. Like her heart was being torn out, and I just hand her over like a good little ex-husband, leave the room and try to die? I don’t think so. It’s not happening. I don’t know how to explain it, except to say something happened there. If you say it’s a demon, then, sure, whatever, it’s a demon. I’ve been afraid for too long, and what did it do? It lost me my daughter.”
I’m sure my eyes were absolutely starry. They began to feel strange and prickly, and I realized they were filling with tears. Finally, my brother believed me. It was about time.
“Hey .” Seth’s voice brought me out of my happy little reverie. Seriously, I was lost in a land of bunnies and rainbows, where Reed Taylor and Seth and I held hands and danced around together. It was beautiful.
“Wait, what?” I blinked. “What were you saying?”
Seth’s eyes were harder t han I had ever seen. “I just handed my baby girl over to Sparkles.”
“Right.”
His eyes were fairly glowing with their intensity. It was like he had his own little touch of demon. It was absolutely delightful and a little bit terrifying.
“They won’t let me out of here. That means you have to go get her.”
I stood up. “I’m on it.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Reed Taylor, I need to talk to you.” I was nothing if not polite and gracious on the phone. A thing of beauty. An absolute queen of decorum.
“Uh, not right now, Luna. I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
I felt my eyebrows rise. “Really? But Seth believes me and needs our help.”
“Not now. This is important.”
“What could be more important than helping me get Lydia back?”
He made a sound, and I could tell he was getting exasperated. Was I really being that forceful? Well yes, yes I was. But I needed him, and he knew it. At least, I thought he knew it.
“Reed Taylor?” I asked.
His voice was definitely strained. “Nothing is more important than getting your niece back. That’s precisely what I’m trying to do, but I need to deal with this right now, all right? Later, bye.” And he hung up.
He hung up, just like that.
I stared at the phone in shock. It looked properly apologetic. “I have no idea why he would possibly act in such a dastardly manner.” It seemed like it was trying to say, “I am really most appalled. Please accept my sincere apologies.”
A scaly demon shambled in front of me. It stared at me for just a second, licked its lips, and then ambled on. I was extremely relieved. I didn’t have the strength to fight all of these little demons, especially if I was going to take on the big one. Besides, I wasn’t even sure exactly how to find Sparkles. Nobody knew where she had run off to. She was still listed as living with Seth.
As if.
Truth was, I needed Reed Taylor. I’m a strong, independent woman, but even we strong, independent women need a friend when the going starts getting as rough as this was. Seth couldn’t help me. Reed Taylor would have to.
I hopped onto the bike
“Screw that wo man. She’s not allowed to have that type of power over me again.”
He was so full of confidence and verve that he shone. It was almost more than I dared hope.
“Do you…do you actually believe me? About the demons?”
Seth’s eyes locked into mine. “I spent my whole life trying to explain everything away. The nightmares you had as a little kid. Dad talking to ghosts, and trying to convince us they were real. You were all ‘demons, demons, demons’ and it was…it hurt my heart, you know? To think you were experiencing the same symptoms as Dad. I tried so hard to be so normal. Afraid insanity was contagious. Maybe a little jealous that it wasn’t, because then at least I’d feel like a real part of the family. But the way that I felt in there? Handing Lydia over to a woman who never cared about her, not in the least? Lydia was screaming, Luna. You should have heard her scream. Like her heart was being torn out, and I just hand her over like a good little ex-husband, leave the room and try to die? I don’t think so. It’s not happening. I don’t know how to explain it, except to say something happened there. If you say it’s a demon, then, sure, whatever, it’s a demon. I’ve been afraid for too long, and what did it do? It lost me my daughter.”
I’m sure my eyes were absolutely starry. They began to feel strange and prickly, and I realized they were filling with tears. Finally, my brother believed me. It was about time.
“Hey .” Seth’s voice brought me out of my happy little reverie. Seriously, I was lost in a land of bunnies and rainbows, where Reed Taylor and Seth and I held hands and danced around together. It was beautiful.
“Wait, what?” I blinked. “What were you saying?”
Seth’s eyes were harder t han I had ever seen. “I just handed my baby girl over to Sparkles.”
“Right.”
His eyes were fairly glowing with their intensity. It was like he had his own little touch of demon. It was absolutely delightful and a little bit terrifying.
“They won’t let me out of here. That means you have to go get her.”
I stood up. “I’m on it.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Reed Taylor, I need to talk to you.” I was nothing if not polite and gracious on the phone. A thing of beauty. An absolute queen of decorum.
“Uh, not right now, Luna. I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
I felt my eyebrows rise. “Really? But Seth believes me and needs our help.”
“Not now. This is important.”
“What could be more important than helping me get Lydia back?”
He made a sound, and I could tell he was getting exasperated. Was I really being that forceful? Well yes, yes I was. But I needed him, and he knew it. At least, I thought he knew it.
“Reed Taylor?” I asked.
His voice was definitely strained. “Nothing is more important than getting your niece back. That’s precisely what I’m trying to do, but I need to deal with this right now, all right? Later, bye.” And he hung up.
He hung up, just like that.
I stared at the phone in shock. It looked properly apologetic. “I have no idea why he would possibly act in such a dastardly manner.” It seemed like it was trying to say, “I am really most appalled. Please accept my sincere apologies.”
A scaly demon shambled in front of me. It stared at me for just a second, licked its lips, and then ambled on. I was extremely relieved. I didn’t have the strength to fight all of these little demons, especially if I was going to take on the big one. Besides, I wasn’t even sure exactly how to find Sparkles. Nobody knew where she had run off to. She was still listed as living with Seth.
As if.
Truth was, I needed Reed Taylor. I’m a strong, independent woman, but even we strong, independent women need a friend when the going starts getting as rough as this was. Seth couldn’t help me. Reed Taylor would have to.
I hopped onto the bike
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