forcing herself to pay attention to the mechanics of driving. Past the corner store with buckets of flowers on the sidewalk. Past the coffee shop and the place with Jamaican food. The neighborhood where they rented a suite was filled with narrow streets and too many suicidal cyclists to let her mind wander.
“Why can’t I go back?” Eden asked.
“You’re that eager to go?” Ashe said quietly. Why are demons easier than kids?
“I just make you feel weird. You don’t like being my mother. That’s why you sent me away, right?”
Ashe gripped the wheel hard, a hot, guilty flush making the back of her neck prickle with sweat. “Of course not.”
“Then why?”
“It was for work.”
“Slayer work?”
“Yeah.”
“Huh, well, hard to know. You used to say you were a giftware sales rep.”
Ashe bit her lip before she could swear. “You were too young for a lot of the details, Eden. I didn’t want to scare you. Slaying isn’t a pretty job.”
“And it’s hard to do with a kid tagging along.”
“It’s dangerous, Eden. The vamps didn’t like me coming after them.”
“Well, duh. Big pointy stick and all.”
“I was worried you’d be hurt if they came after me.”
“Well, why won’t I get hurt now?”
Ashe swallowed hard. “I quit doing that job. I’m hoping they’ll leave us alone.”
She turned onto their street. Huge chestnut trees made a nearly perfect canopy over a road designed for a single lane with a horse and carriage. The century-old houses here had been beautiful once, but these days the owners were opting for funky.
“Why can’t I go back to Saint Flo’s?”
Ashe was irritated. Funny how a kid could make you feel so small. “I thought maybe we could be a family for a while. Y’know, give it the old college try.”
She turned the steering wheel to navigate the sharp angle into their driveway. At the same time, she could almost hear the wheels turning in Eden’s head. Ashe parked, braked, and turned off the motor. There was a sudden bubble of silence.
She unbuckled and turned in her seat to look at Eden. “We’re going to get to know each other, okay?”
Eden looked suspicious. She had those scary-smart eyes kids get when they’ve had to grow up too fast. “I’m getting to know you, Mom. Whatever you’re telling yourself, you put me in boarding school when it suited you and took me out when it suited you. What suits me never crossed your mind.”
Ashe felt her jaw drop. The words were both true and not true in a thousand painful ways. How did this get so messed up? “There’s too much you don’t understand.”
Eden opened the door and grabbed her backpack, pausing only to lock gazes.
“I hate you.”
“Eden!”
This had to be one of those extra-early teenage moments that had started to crop up. Her daughter slouched out of the car, resentment following her like a black fog. Ashe squeezed her eyes shut, looking for the calm that helped her smack down werewolves, and not finding it.
Goddess, I don’t know how to be a mother.
Chapter 6
A she got out of the car too quickly, forgetting the short skirt and high heels. It took her a moment to find her balance and by that time Eden was up the front steps. Ashe followed at the slower pace demanded by the shoes.
Eden slammed the door. The loud, spiteful wham pushed Ashe from guilt toward anger. A hot flush scalded her cheeks. Slow down, deep breath. Don’t make it worse.
She went up the porch stairs and into the front hall. The first floor was divided into two suites. On the left was the English Mrs. Langford, who pronounced the existence of the supernatural “stuff and nonsense” no matter what the television and newspapers said. The tiny apartment on the right belonged to a real estate guy who was never home. Ashe and Eden had the whole upstairs.
Ashe climbed the stairs to the second floor, wishing she were back with Reynard and chasing the vampire. That was simple. Reynard was easy to work with. She
“Why can’t I go back?” Eden asked.
“You’re that eager to go?” Ashe said quietly. Why are demons easier than kids?
“I just make you feel weird. You don’t like being my mother. That’s why you sent me away, right?”
Ashe gripped the wheel hard, a hot, guilty flush making the back of her neck prickle with sweat. “Of course not.”
“Then why?”
“It was for work.”
“Slayer work?”
“Yeah.”
“Huh, well, hard to know. You used to say you were a giftware sales rep.”
Ashe bit her lip before she could swear. “You were too young for a lot of the details, Eden. I didn’t want to scare you. Slaying isn’t a pretty job.”
“And it’s hard to do with a kid tagging along.”
“It’s dangerous, Eden. The vamps didn’t like me coming after them.”
“Well, duh. Big pointy stick and all.”
“I was worried you’d be hurt if they came after me.”
“Well, why won’t I get hurt now?”
Ashe swallowed hard. “I quit doing that job. I’m hoping they’ll leave us alone.”
She turned onto their street. Huge chestnut trees made a nearly perfect canopy over a road designed for a single lane with a horse and carriage. The century-old houses here had been beautiful once, but these days the owners were opting for funky.
“Why can’t I go back to Saint Flo’s?”
Ashe was irritated. Funny how a kid could make you feel so small. “I thought maybe we could be a family for a while. Y’know, give it the old college try.”
She turned the steering wheel to navigate the sharp angle into their driveway. At the same time, she could almost hear the wheels turning in Eden’s head. Ashe parked, braked, and turned off the motor. There was a sudden bubble of silence.
She unbuckled and turned in her seat to look at Eden. “We’re going to get to know each other, okay?”
Eden looked suspicious. She had those scary-smart eyes kids get when they’ve had to grow up too fast. “I’m getting to know you, Mom. Whatever you’re telling yourself, you put me in boarding school when it suited you and took me out when it suited you. What suits me never crossed your mind.”
Ashe felt her jaw drop. The words were both true and not true in a thousand painful ways. How did this get so messed up? “There’s too much you don’t understand.”
Eden opened the door and grabbed her backpack, pausing only to lock gazes.
“I hate you.”
“Eden!”
This had to be one of those extra-early teenage moments that had started to crop up. Her daughter slouched out of the car, resentment following her like a black fog. Ashe squeezed her eyes shut, looking for the calm that helped her smack down werewolves, and not finding it.
Goddess, I don’t know how to be a mother.
Chapter 6
A she got out of the car too quickly, forgetting the short skirt and high heels. It took her a moment to find her balance and by that time Eden was up the front steps. Ashe followed at the slower pace demanded by the shoes.
Eden slammed the door. The loud, spiteful wham pushed Ashe from guilt toward anger. A hot flush scalded her cheeks. Slow down, deep breath. Don’t make it worse.
She went up the porch stairs and into the front hall. The first floor was divided into two suites. On the left was the English Mrs. Langford, who pronounced the existence of the supernatural “stuff and nonsense” no matter what the television and newspapers said. The tiny apartment on the right belonged to a real estate guy who was never home. Ashe and Eden had the whole upstairs.
Ashe climbed the stairs to the second floor, wishing she were back with Reynard and chasing the vampire. That was simple. Reynard was easy to work with. She
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