was clearing a path with strategically placed laser-like shots of death powder. People were sneezing and turning ashen with indeterminate fear as they stumbled back from the nightmare they couldn’t quite put their finger on.
Her mom answered on the first ring. “Tell me he got there in time!”
“We need a relocation. Now.”
“Oh, Trinity!” Olivia sounded heartbroken. “You didn’t kill someone, did you?”
“I didn’t. Dad did.”
“Dad?” Her mom’s voice was incredulous. “How in the world did he manage that?”
“Mom!”
“Right, for later. Well, thank God it was your father who did the killing today. I’ll be there in three minutes. Find a patch of grass, and I’ll come get you. Bye, hon.” Trinity’s mom had an intimate relationship with Mother Nature, and using plants to travel was one of the more handy benefits. Unfortunately, Trinity hadn’t inherited it. Hadn’t inherited Olivia’s ability to refrain from murdering either. Oh-for-two.
Reina tossed her an amused grin as they hurried down the hall past the screaming patrons. “Your family is too cool. I just love them.”
Trinity grabbed Reina’s arm. “I won’t risk anyone anymore. Call your boss. Tell him we’re going to the cabin in Minnesota. No more deaths.”
Reina let out a sigh of relief. “Good call, girlfriend. That’s the smartest choice. You’re doing the right thing.”
“I know.” But it felt so awful. It was an admission that she was a failure, but she wouldn’t risk any more lives just so she could love herself. Today had been too close, and even if Martin was a lying, thieving bastard, it wasn’t her role to decide when he got his permanent tropical vacation. “Call him.”
“As soon as I get your dad outside—”
Elijah suddenly lifted his head and slid out of Reina’s grip. “I don’t need to be carried.” He landed without a whisper of sound on his feet, then stumbled.
Trinity caught him as he tried to right himself, frowning at his weakness. “That was foolish for you to kill for me. You know how badly that affects you.” It would take him several years to heal even the small scratch on his forehead. Even accidentally stepping on a bug depleted him severely. Taking a person’s life? It would take him at least six months to be able to walk normally again. And his pottery… she shuddered. He’d be sculpting some seriously scary things for a while.
Elijah laid his hand on her cheek. “Oh, Trinity, if you had any idea what your mother and I owe you. I’d kill a thousand times to keep you from doing it.”
The heavy guilt in his tone made her stiffen. “What are you talking about? What do you mean, you owe me?” She was the one who owed them. Her parents had put their lives on hold to help her beat the curse. She owed them so much, and they were part of the reason she’d had to test herself.
She had to be worthy of what they’d sacrificed for her.
And apparently she wasn’t. And that felt really, really good. Not.
Elijah glanced at Reina, as if debating whether to speak in front of her. “There’s something you should know about your curse.”
Trinity stopped walking. “What else could there possibly be?” Things were even worse than she’d thought? Hallelujah. Just when she’d thought life was boring, nothing like a little unexpected bomb to juice things up. “What have you not told me?”
Elijah winced. “When you were a baby—”
The front door burst open and in walked a wizened man with cinnamon-colored skin. He was wearing faded jeans, a battered T-shirt, and an ancient fedora. His beard was ratty and gray against his dark complexion, and he was so hunched he could barely lift his head enough to make eye contact.
And he smelled like overripe banana.
Reina stopped. “Did you catch a whiff of that?”
“Oh, yeah.” Trinity averted her gaze, praying for him to walk past them into the dining room in search of someone else.
But he didn’t.
He looked right at
Her mom answered on the first ring. “Tell me he got there in time!”
“We need a relocation. Now.”
“Oh, Trinity!” Olivia sounded heartbroken. “You didn’t kill someone, did you?”
“I didn’t. Dad did.”
“Dad?” Her mom’s voice was incredulous. “How in the world did he manage that?”
“Mom!”
“Right, for later. Well, thank God it was your father who did the killing today. I’ll be there in three minutes. Find a patch of grass, and I’ll come get you. Bye, hon.” Trinity’s mom had an intimate relationship with Mother Nature, and using plants to travel was one of the more handy benefits. Unfortunately, Trinity hadn’t inherited it. Hadn’t inherited Olivia’s ability to refrain from murdering either. Oh-for-two.
Reina tossed her an amused grin as they hurried down the hall past the screaming patrons. “Your family is too cool. I just love them.”
Trinity grabbed Reina’s arm. “I won’t risk anyone anymore. Call your boss. Tell him we’re going to the cabin in Minnesota. No more deaths.”
Reina let out a sigh of relief. “Good call, girlfriend. That’s the smartest choice. You’re doing the right thing.”
“I know.” But it felt so awful. It was an admission that she was a failure, but she wouldn’t risk any more lives just so she could love herself. Today had been too close, and even if Martin was a lying, thieving bastard, it wasn’t her role to decide when he got his permanent tropical vacation. “Call him.”
“As soon as I get your dad outside—”
Elijah suddenly lifted his head and slid out of Reina’s grip. “I don’t need to be carried.” He landed without a whisper of sound on his feet, then stumbled.
Trinity caught him as he tried to right himself, frowning at his weakness. “That was foolish for you to kill for me. You know how badly that affects you.” It would take him several years to heal even the small scratch on his forehead. Even accidentally stepping on a bug depleted him severely. Taking a person’s life? It would take him at least six months to be able to walk normally again. And his pottery… she shuddered. He’d be sculpting some seriously scary things for a while.
Elijah laid his hand on her cheek. “Oh, Trinity, if you had any idea what your mother and I owe you. I’d kill a thousand times to keep you from doing it.”
The heavy guilt in his tone made her stiffen. “What are you talking about? What do you mean, you owe me?” She was the one who owed them. Her parents had put their lives on hold to help her beat the curse. She owed them so much, and they were part of the reason she’d had to test herself.
She had to be worthy of what they’d sacrificed for her.
And apparently she wasn’t. And that felt really, really good. Not.
Elijah glanced at Reina, as if debating whether to speak in front of her. “There’s something you should know about your curse.”
Trinity stopped walking. “What else could there possibly be?” Things were even worse than she’d thought? Hallelujah. Just when she’d thought life was boring, nothing like a little unexpected bomb to juice things up. “What have you not told me?”
Elijah winced. “When you were a baby—”
The front door burst open and in walked a wizened man with cinnamon-colored skin. He was wearing faded jeans, a battered T-shirt, and an ancient fedora. His beard was ratty and gray against his dark complexion, and he was so hunched he could barely lift his head enough to make eye contact.
And he smelled like overripe banana.
Reina stopped. “Did you catch a whiff of that?”
“Oh, yeah.” Trinity averted her gaze, praying for him to walk past them into the dining room in search of someone else.
But he didn’t.
He looked right at
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