“Thanks. I’ll meet you out on the front sidewalk.”
“Kenna?” Mrs. Nixon stuck her head out the door and smiled. “You can come back in.”
Placing my carefully maintained mental barriers back into place, I followed her back inside, standing squarely in front of the judges’ table as I waited for her to be seated.
Even though I was pretty sure I was about to receive good news from all the smiles, I still had butterflies in my stomach.
“Well, Kenna,” Mrs. Nixon began. “You received very high marks from the judges. Overall, they liked your technical execution of the cheers and routine you performed, as well as your jumps and kicks. Many commented on your nice, bright smile and think that the crowds will enjoy watching you.” Setting the stack of papers down, she laced her fingers over the top of them and stared pointedly. “Because this is a late tryout, the existing team members had to vote unanimously in favor for you to join.” My butterflies grew stronger as she glanced over at the girls sitting cross-legged on the floor in two rows. “After conferring with them, we’d like to welcome you to the team.”
A breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding escaped me in a rush, followed quickly by a wide smile. Nodding to the judges, I turned to the girls. “Thank you so much! You have no idea how excited I am to be a part of this.”
Mrs. Nixon came to join us. “As you already know, practice resumes tomorrow. Stephanie volunteered to help you get caught up on all our current routines,” she added, pointing out the girl I’d met at lunch. “
If you don’t mind putting in some extra practice time with her, I think we can get you caught up before the first game in two weeks.”
“Sounds good to me. I promise I’ll be ready. Again, thank you so much!”
The girls all crowded around, shaking my hand, congratulating and introducing themselves. So many names were being thrown at me, I was hopeless to remember them all. I did notice that Megan hung back from the rest of the group, staring at me a bit disdainfully, but I flashed her a smile anyway. I had no problem with her, so there didn’t seem to be a reason why she should have one with me. I was grateful she’d voted for me.
As we all dispersed, I grabbed my things and began making my way toward the door.
“Wait up, Kenna!” I turned to see Stephanie running toward me. “I’ll walk out with you. I wanted to get your number so we can set up practices.”
“Awesome,” I replied, and we continued on together.
“What’s your number and I’ll text mine to you.”
I quickly rattled it off, glancing around for my dad as we stepped outside, but I didn’t see him. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I checked it. “Got it,” I said, staring down at the text with her name and number. “Thanks.”
“Do you need a ride somewhere?” Stephanie asked.
“No, I’ve got one. I thought he’d be here already, but he must be running behind.” Even as I spoke the words, the sound of a loud motorcycle engine filled the air and I smiled. He brought the bike.
Coming into view, my dad pulled up at the curb a few feet away and removed his helmet, smiling at me. “You ready?” he called out over the idling engine.
Stephanie leaned in closer, cupping her mouth. “Holy shit! Is that your boyfriend? He is H-O-T!” she said, spelling out hot.
“Ewww!” I groaned. “That’s my Dad!”
“Your dad? No freaking way! He doesn’t look old enough to be your dad. Are you adopted or something?”
“No.” I sighed. “He and my mom both look really young. I guess they age well.”
“Dude. They must’ve had you when they were like twelve. I swear, I’d date that.”
My dad laughed, covering it badly with a cough. I knew that despite the distance, he could hear us perfectly. It was one of his abilities.
“Can you please stop drooling over my dad? Hello? Awkward.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Shaking my head, I started moving toward the bike.
“Call me later,” she yelled after me.
“I will.” Pausing only to slide my belongings into one of the saddlebags, I climbed on the back and strapped the extra helmet on before wrapping my arms around Dad’s waist. He gunned the engine, pulling quickly away from the curb.
“Cute girl,” he said into my mind.
“Don’t you even start,” I warned him.
“She thinks I am H-O-T,” he mimicked and I groaned loudly. “Yep, I’ve still got it.”
“As if mom’s affections for you weren’t proof enough. You two are like animals constantly in heat.” I rolled my eyes as his laughter burst through my head.
“What can I say? I find your mother hard to resist.”
“I know. Anyone who’s ever seen you two together knows.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. I’m glad you’re both so happy. I just don’t necessarily want to see it.”
More laughter. “Too bad.”
“I’d already resigned myself to that after eighteen years of life with you two.”
“I’m assuming you made the team?” he asked mercifully sparing both of us from this conversation and changing the subject.
“I did.”
“I knew you would. I look forward to coming to watch you.”
We continued on in silence until we turned into the driveway of the old Federal-style brick mansion with its giant white pillars. The seven thousand square foot house had been built in the 1800’s, but had been beautifully maintained, both inside and out.
I loved the feel of the place. It seemed rich with history, but still somehow modern enough to be convenient with its newer upgrades. I’d spent my first few days here unpacking and trying to explore all the different rooms. I had one place left to check out—the attic.
Climbing off the bike, I removed my helmet and stared up at the small window I could see, my breath catching when I thought I saw the curtain flutter. Was someone staring at me through the window? Maybe my mom was up there.
Continuing to stare at the curtain, I didn’t see it move, again. “What’s Mom doing?” I absently asked Dad, wondering if my eyes had been playing tricks on me.
“Right now? She was starting to make some bread to go with dinner when I left to come get you. Why?”
“No reason,” I mumbled, casting another glance toward the attic window. “Bread sounds delicious.” Gathering my books from the saddlebag, I followed him into the house.
Chapter Five
“Hey, cutie pie! How was your first day of school?” My mother’s sweet voice filled the kitchen, mingling with delicious aromas coming from both the oven and the stovetop.
Placing my books down on the counter, I went over to where she was stirring a large pot and gave her hug and a kiss on the cheek. “It was interesting. Not really what I was expecting, but I met some nice people and . . .” I glanced back and forth between my dad and her, “I sort of have a date tonight.”
“A date?” My dad asked, not looking very pleased, at all. “Already? It’s the first day of school.”
I shrugged. “Well, I met a really nice guy and he asked me out to dinner.” It wasn’t a lie. Seth had asked me out to dinner, just not for tonight.
“Wow.” Dad sank down on one of the barstools. “I don’t think I’m ready for this.”
Snorting, I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. I’m eighteen and I’ve never been on a date before. Most girls have been dating for at least a couple of years, by now.”
“She has a point, Vance,” my mom said, smiling at him. “You really have no room to complain.”
“I guess I just tricked myself into believing she really would wait until she was thirty.” He winked at me.
“Because we all know you and Mom waited that long. Do you realize, if I were like Mom, I’d have already been married for two years?”
He groaned. “Don’t even start talking about marriage. You’re too young.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” I re
plied.
“I always knew that choice was going to come back to bite us in the butt,” my mom said with a laugh.
“Besides,” Dad added. “There were extenuating circumstances that led to us getting married so young. Otherwise we would have waited, not that I would’ve enjoyed that very much.”
“Save it, Dad,” I said, raising my hand. “I really don’t need or want an explanation. I’ve heard the stories a thousand times. Basically, all your evil family had disastrous plots to take over the world and it was up to you to stop them. I’m thrilled you were successful, and very happy I don’t have to know any of those people—well, except for Grandpa Sean. I would’ve liked to know him and the others who died trying to help you, like your guardian, Marsha.”
I wasn’t a complete jerk. I felt very sympathetic to my parents’ story of their past together. I couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like for my dad to have constantly been on the run, hiding from his own father, who was trying to kill him and steal his powers. Nor could I imagine what it must’ve been like for him to be kidnapped and have people drinking his blood while turning him into a dark and dangerous creature like them.
Yet, through it all, my mother stood valiantly beside him, at great risk to her own safety. She protected him, and eventually helped lead him to a place of stability as he overcame the demon attributes that controlled him. Even when her family had begged her to leave him, my mom had never given up hope for the man she loved. In the end, those choices led her to her own forced demon conversion—something that almost destroyed her. In order to save her life, my dad had to suck all the magic from her body, leaving her mortal.
In all the years I’d been hearing this story, I never once saw regret in my mother’s eyes. She seemed happy and content with how things had worked out. It seemed that all she needed or wanted in her life was my dad and me. Our family was everything to her.
But when I looked at my dad, his eyes were haunted and filled with regret. I knew he blamed himself for everything that had happened. I also knew he missed the magical connection he used to share with my mom. My great grandma, Milly, said it was a connection so strong that it was like nothing she’d ever seen before.
“They were good people, your Grandpa Sean and Aunt Marsha,” my dad said, drawing me back into the conversation. “Wherever they are now, I’m sure they watch over us with love.”
“I think so, too,” my mom said softly, a bit of pain etched on her face. “My dad would’ve loved you so much, Kenna. One of my greatest regrets is that he never got a chance to know you.”
A sad, strained silence filled the air between us for several moments.
“What time is this supposed date taking place?” Dad asked, changing the subject with a heavy sigh.
“Seth is coming to pick me up after football practice. I’m sure he’ll run home to shower and change, first. I’m not exactly sure what time since it depends on when practice gets over.”
“Okay. But you need to have any homework done before you leave.”
“I’ll go do it right now,” I replied, grabbing my books and leaving the room.
“Crazy kid.” My dad’s voice floated after me and I paused to listen to what he had to say. “Gets asked out on the first day of school. That does not bode well for my blood pressure in the future.”
Mom laughed. “She’s a beautiful girl. What did you expect?”
“It’s because she looks too dang much like her mother.” A tiny squeal from my mom pierced the air, followed by a growl from my dad. “I got hit on by one of her new cheerleading companions at the school.”
“I imagine that was a huge boost to your confidence level,” my mom replied with a laugh, not sounding upset about it at all.
“The girl called me H-O-T, she spelled it out just like that, and said she’d totally date me—even after knowing I was Kenna’s dad.”
Mom laughed harder. “I might have to go talk to this girl. I can see all this has gone straight to your head.”
“Just nice to know I still got it.”
“I tell you that all the time.”
“True, but I’ve had you duped from the moment I met you.” He chuckled.
“Whatever. You forget I used to be able to see into that crazy head of yours. I know you better than anyone.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” Dad hesitated and I listened in avid interest, waiting to see if he’d continue.
“Tell her.” I prompted mentally. “This is the perfect opening for you.”
Dad didn’t give any indication he’d heard me, but I knew he had by his next words. “I have a confession to make, but I don’t want it to upset you.”
“That doesn’t sound good. Are you trying to tell me you accepted the offer of this teenager?” I knew Mom was teasing, but there was a hint of worry in her voice.
“You know that would never happen. You’re the only one for me. If I live to be a thousand, there will never be another woman. Only you.”
“You’ve been saying that since we were teenagers. Are you sure you mean it still?” Again the humor was laced through her voice.
“My love for you grows stronger with every breath I take. You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing.”
“Yet, you’ve been keeping secrets from me.”
“Only because I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it and I didn’t want to risk upsetting you. Ever since you lost your powers, it’s been so much harder for me to read you. All these years, and I still feel like I’m guessing most of the time.”
“Welcome to the real world for most men.”
“I don’t like it.”
There was a small clattering sound, as if Mom had set her spoon down. “I think I know what your secret is from the direction of this conversation.”
“Just hear me out, okay?”
“Vance, we’ve been over this a thousand times. I’m good with how things are. I don’t need you trying to figure out a way to give me back my powers. I’ve made my peace and learned to deal with it.”
“Well, I haven’t!” My dad snapped, his frustration showing heavily. “Every time I look at you, Portia, I just feel so blessed to have you in my life. But I can’t help thinking of how different your life might have been if you’d never met me. I’m the one who screwed everything up for you. I just can’t take it anymore!”
“Vance, listen to me. You did not screw my life up. I love my life! I have you and my beautiful daughter. I have my family back in Sedona, and I’m not some blood-crazed demon witch, hell-bent on killing everyone around me. You saved me from that life, don’t you see? You didn’t take my life away! You gave it back! I wouldn’t have any of this if it weren’t for you.”
“But the fact remains, none of it would’ve even been necessary had you not known me in the first place.”
“You can’t know that. I could’ve been attacked by any demon anywhere. One could’ve found me walking down the street and changed or even killed me. You wouldn’t have been there to stop it from happening.”
“You didn’t even know about demon witches and warlocks, or the dark side of magic, until you met me. I brought that into your life. I’m the one who seduced you—who repeatedly drank blood from you until you were forced to make the change, as well.”
I seriously wondered if there was a magical therapist, somewhere, that I could call for an intervention. Because, in spite of the intense love my parents had for each other, they sure had plenty of unresolved issues they managed to sweep under the rug instead of dealing with them. I knew my dad needed to work this out, though. It was a heavy burden I’d sensed inside him on many occasions. This was something he couldn’t move past, despite all the years he’d been trying.
“And you did that because your father had you changed into a demon. If he’d not discovered you and been so greedy about the things he wanted for himself, then neither of us would’ve had to change. Lay the blame where it’s deserved, squarely in front of your dad. I swear the world has ne
ver known a more sick and evil bastard than Damien Cummings.”
There were several moments of silence, and I began to wonder if they were going to talk anymore.
“Is it bad that I thank the Universe every day that he was destroyed? Even though my dad had to die so the rest of us could live?” The sound of a slight sob entered my mom’s voice. This wasn’t good. Dad couldn’t stand to see Mom cry about anything.
“Baby, stop,” my dad crooned. “This is why I’m always hesitant to bring this stuff up. I know it’s touchy for you and I don’t want to cause you pain.”
“I know.” More muffled sniffles. I was sure she was wrapped in my dad’s arms, by now. He’d never let her cry without comforting her.
“Don’t you miss the connection we had?” Dad asked softly.
“I still feel like we have a connection.”
“We do! Of course we do. I’m not trying to belittle that.” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a jerk.”
“Just say it, Vance. You know you can tell me anything.”
Another long pause stretched on before his words came quietly. “I miss my witch, Portia. Damn, I sound like such an ass. I know I still have all the important things with you, but I’m lying to both of us. That magical connection between us—I want it back. I want to feel your thoughts and emotions swirling around inside my head, again. I want to be with you physically, and have that connection wide open between us. I want to feel the tug of our binding spell, tying us together so tightly that it hurts to be apart. When I sucked the magic out of you, I lost such a huge part of what I love about you.” Another pause. “Shit. I sound like a first class idiot. Just forget I said any of this. You’re enough for me the way you are right now. None of this is coming out right.”
“Don’t walk away from me,” my mom said. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re speaking from your heart. And if it makes you feel any better, then yes, I miss all those things with you, too. But if the choice is to have my magic or have my family, for me the choice is clear.”
“And I understand that. All I’m saying is that I want your blessing to keep looking for a way to get that back. Kyle has been helping me do some research and we’ve come up with some ideas. But I need some of your blood to test things on first. If your blood overreacts to the magic, we will know we can’t reintroduce it to you.”