face.
I don’t say anything, but my shoulders slump. I should try, but I’m so afraid of never getting my life back, or even anything close to it. I didn’t know about the deal when I wrote Clay a goodbye letter, so as far as he knows I’ve just gone away indefinitely. To Paris. Tawny and Aunt Louise got the same story, so technically our former lives are in ruins, never to be recovered.
So what am I fighting about? I have to be here for a year, and I don’t want to spend it hidden away or giving myself ulcers and bad skin by being all stressed out. I square my shoulders and heave a sigh. “OK. Show me this wonderful town, Angelo. Lead the way.”
He doesn’t do anything at all for a second, though, and when he does it surprises me. Instead of walking on down the tree-shaded sidewalk, he reaches out a hand and cups my chin, gently making me look him in the eye. “Thank you,” he says. “I promise it will get better.”
And then I’m all warm and trembly again. And twice as ashamed of myself.
Eight
I spend the rest of the walk to my new office smiling at everyone we pass. Just a polite, friendly, practice smile, the kind strangers give each other on a particularly nice day, but it feels odd to me. First of all, I’m not used to being near so many supernaturals. Most of the people we pass are shifters, but I also sense a few witches and even one sorcerer in the mix.
I’ve grown used to keeping my head down, rushing around, and never making eye contact with strangers. Raleigh is a friendly city, but it’s a city. Lots of crazy people mixed in there, too.
I’m going to have to fit in here, for Bilda’s sake if nothing else. As much as she frustrates me, she’s my mom and she deserves to be happy, too. Hopefully she can find new friends who will distract her enough to keep her out of trouble. Hopefully. She might even love it so much that she doesn’t want to come home. I’m not sure how I feel about that, even though twenty-four hours ago I was contemplating putting her in a home.
I just need to keep my eye on the ball, get her settled, and get through this year as quietly and quickly as possible. Also, until this problem landed in my lap, I didn’t realize how suspicious and closed off I’ve become, so I can maybe work on those things while I’m here too, and go home a better person. At least it’s a plan, and I always feel better with a plan.
Angelo walks along with me, quietly pointing out interesting places and people. In spite of that small affection, I feel like he’s pulling away from me. Which is a surprise, because I didn’t realize I felt close to him in the first place. I guess it makes sense, because he’s been the one constant in the turmoil of the last two days.
I look over at him and he gives me a smile, pointing off to our left. “That’s Killswallow Park,” he says. I look to see a tree-lined open area that’s tucked in between a candy store and a bookstore that seems to specialize in ancient grimoires. Two halflings are having a picnic in the shade of a huge oak tree. One of them, with lovely long white-blonde hair, looks up and waves when she sees Angelo.
“You seem to be a celebrity here,” I remark.
“I like to think I’ve helped people,” he says quietly, waving back at her.
“How so?” This isn’t snarky, I’m genuinely interested.
“Most of the people here were sort of lost when the Agency found them. They were using their magic, but not to be devious. They just wanted to...spread their wings, I guess, but it was causing all sorts of unintended trouble.”
“Sort of like how people with mental disorders self-medicate? They were...what? Self-magicating?”
He smiles at my joke. “Maybe. It’s hard to be a supernatural in the modern American world. They didn’t fit in where they were, but here they’ve found a place to be themselves. I like to think they are happier now.” He looks me dead in the eye. “Contrary to whatever you think about me,
I don’t say anything, but my shoulders slump. I should try, but I’m so afraid of never getting my life back, or even anything close to it. I didn’t know about the deal when I wrote Clay a goodbye letter, so as far as he knows I’ve just gone away indefinitely. To Paris. Tawny and Aunt Louise got the same story, so technically our former lives are in ruins, never to be recovered.
So what am I fighting about? I have to be here for a year, and I don’t want to spend it hidden away or giving myself ulcers and bad skin by being all stressed out. I square my shoulders and heave a sigh. “OK. Show me this wonderful town, Angelo. Lead the way.”
He doesn’t do anything at all for a second, though, and when he does it surprises me. Instead of walking on down the tree-shaded sidewalk, he reaches out a hand and cups my chin, gently making me look him in the eye. “Thank you,” he says. “I promise it will get better.”
And then I’m all warm and trembly again. And twice as ashamed of myself.
Eight
I spend the rest of the walk to my new office smiling at everyone we pass. Just a polite, friendly, practice smile, the kind strangers give each other on a particularly nice day, but it feels odd to me. First of all, I’m not used to being near so many supernaturals. Most of the people we pass are shifters, but I also sense a few witches and even one sorcerer in the mix.
I’ve grown used to keeping my head down, rushing around, and never making eye contact with strangers. Raleigh is a friendly city, but it’s a city. Lots of crazy people mixed in there, too.
I’m going to have to fit in here, for Bilda’s sake if nothing else. As much as she frustrates me, she’s my mom and she deserves to be happy, too. Hopefully she can find new friends who will distract her enough to keep her out of trouble. Hopefully. She might even love it so much that she doesn’t want to come home. I’m not sure how I feel about that, even though twenty-four hours ago I was contemplating putting her in a home.
I just need to keep my eye on the ball, get her settled, and get through this year as quietly and quickly as possible. Also, until this problem landed in my lap, I didn’t realize how suspicious and closed off I’ve become, so I can maybe work on those things while I’m here too, and go home a better person. At least it’s a plan, and I always feel better with a plan.
Angelo walks along with me, quietly pointing out interesting places and people. In spite of that small affection, I feel like he’s pulling away from me. Which is a surprise, because I didn’t realize I felt close to him in the first place. I guess it makes sense, because he’s been the one constant in the turmoil of the last two days.
I look over at him and he gives me a smile, pointing off to our left. “That’s Killswallow Park,” he says. I look to see a tree-lined open area that’s tucked in between a candy store and a bookstore that seems to specialize in ancient grimoires. Two halflings are having a picnic in the shade of a huge oak tree. One of them, with lovely long white-blonde hair, looks up and waves when she sees Angelo.
“You seem to be a celebrity here,” I remark.
“I like to think I’ve helped people,” he says quietly, waving back at her.
“How so?” This isn’t snarky, I’m genuinely interested.
“Most of the people here were sort of lost when the Agency found them. They were using their magic, but not to be devious. They just wanted to...spread their wings, I guess, but it was causing all sorts of unintended trouble.”
“Sort of like how people with mental disorders self-medicate? They were...what? Self-magicating?”
He smiles at my joke. “Maybe. It’s hard to be a supernatural in the modern American world. They didn’t fit in where they were, but here they’ve found a place to be themselves. I like to think they are happier now.” He looks me dead in the eye. “Contrary to whatever you think about me,
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