jinn 03.5 - without a map by Liz Schulte Page B

longer.”
    “What?” I said. “But—no. We can’t.”
    She caught my hand and pulled me out of my seat. “Charlie, go. Cut loose a little, I promise you won’t regret it.”
    Yeah, fun really wasn’t what I was worried about. Demons capturing me, now that was concerning.
    Seeming to read my thoughts, as she always did, she shook her head. “I promise you’ll be safe. We’re only a thought away. You can stay with Aunt Maggie, too.”
    Baker wrinkled his nose. “Aunt Femi is cooler.”
    Mom gave him a look. “You’ll stay with Maggie or you won’t go.”
    He kissed her cheek. “You’re the bee’s knees, Mom.”
    She blinked and squeezed us tighter against her. “You’re growing up so fast.”
     
    ****
     
    “They’re not going,” Holden said.
    He tried to stare me down, but I took his hand and his face softened considerably. “The tighter you hold on, the more likely they are to do it on their own,” I said. “This way we know where they are and can make sure someone is there to keep an eye on them. They’re kids, Holden, no matter who they were.”
    His cheek twitched. “I don’t like it.”
    I sighed resting my head against his shoulder. “They’re growing up too fast.” I hadn’t even wanted kids—I know that sounds awful—but Charlie and Baker had changed our lives in the best way.
    Holden’s hand mindlessly rubbed the back of my neck. “If they go, there has to be rules.”
    I smiled, trying very hard not to laugh. “Rules? We can try.”
    “You’re too easy on Baker. He’s a menace.”
    This time I did laugh as I pulled away. “He is not and you know it. Baker’s sweet. Baker has always been sweet, but he also does what he wants. The key is to make him want to do things your way.” As far as I could tell, Baker didn’t really remember anything from the past, but each year more of the old Baker slipped through. The first time the 20’s slang appeared back in his vocabulary almost made me cry. “He called me the bee’s knees today.”
    The corner of Holden’s mouth lifted. “That doesn’t mean he’s ready to fall back into that life. And did it even occur to you that Maggie might not want them to stay with her.”
    I nodded. “I spoke with her this afternoon and she’s excited see them. She’s perfectly capable of protecting Charlie and she’ll keep them as far away from the Abyss as she can…but sooner than later we’re going to have to reintroduce them to that world.”
    Holden shook his head. “I don’t see why.”
    I sighed. I wasn’t going to fight with him about this. I understood where he was coming from. The best way to hide them in plain sight was to make them as normal as possible. Just two regular human kids, but the problem with that logic was neither of them were regular human kids. Baker we wouldn’t have choice on. Once he remembered, he would do whatever he wanted. Charlie, on the other hand, was impressionable. Right now she seemed perfectly willing to follow Holden’s lead, but I wanted her to choose her own path and not follow ours. A weekend in Chicago might be just what she needed.
    “Look at it this way. We have Baker for four more years. When he turns eighteen and remembers who he is, you won’t have a say in his life anymore.”
    Holden crossed his arms over his chest. “All the more reason to keep them with us now.”
    Who would have thought he’d be the one who had trouble letting go. “Charlie should be able to live the life she chooses—not the one you choose for her. No more scaring away boys. She needs to figure out who she wants to be in this life and we need to support her.”
    He scratched his handsome as ever jaw. “One weekend?”
    I pressed my lips to his. “Yep, just one. Consider it a trial run for when she goes away to school.”
    He frowned. “I thought she was staying here.”
    She hadn’t made up her mind yet. I didn’t know exactly what she was thinking, but there was something she had been dwelling on for