Dark Promise (Between Worlds #1)

  Chapter Nine

  There was a tentative knock on my door. “Honey, can I come in?”

  “Sure,” I grumbled. I didn’t care if she could hear me through my pillow or not, so I didn’t bother to lift my head.

  The door clicked open, and I heard Mom’s soft steps crossing the room. When her weight sank onto the edge of my bed, I finally looked over at her. She held a dark purple box wrapped in a pink bow. I sat up to face her, wiping dried tear streaks from my face.

  “I thought you might want this before your party,” she told me, holding the present out like a peace offering.

  “Is she gone?” I asked numbly.

  My mother nodded, her face drawn.

  Even when I wasn’t in a festive mood, I still loved presents, so I reached for the gift and settled the light-weight box on my lap. I tore off the bow and opened the box. Inside was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen. I drew it out and held in front of me. It was strapless and sea green, short with asymmetrical layers that gave it a wavelike appearance. It reminded me of the ocean.

  “Oh my God, Mom! It’s incredible.” I ran into the bathroom to try it on, but stopped short as reality hit me in the face. Staring back at me was a faery. “Oh, hell no!” I spun around so I couldn’t see the mirror anymore, clutching the dress to my chest as I fought to breathe through more tears.

  “Rylie! Language,” my mother called from outside the door.

  I rolled my eyes. If there was a time to use bad language, this was it. What was I thinking? I couldn’t have a party looking like this. Supposedly nobody else could see me like this, but I could, so I would know. How was I going to be able to act normal with wings? What if I somehow lost the glamour and everybody could see me?

  “I can’t have a party, Mom.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I took a deep breath, trying to stop myself from shaking.

  She appeared at the bathroom door, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Of course you can, sweetie. Nobody else can see what you see. When I look at you, I see Rylie, the same girl I’ve seen every morning for the last sixteen years.”

  “How am I supposed to enjoy myself when my world is crumbling around me?”

  “Oh, honey.” She pulled me into the circle of her arms and held me. “This is just a new adventure.”

  I didn’t want an adventure. I wanted to be a normal sixteen-year-old. “Why are you so calm about this?” I asked her. “Your daughter is a faery. Not only that, I’m not even your biological daughter.”

  She was silent for a minute, her hands drifting lazily over my back, comforting. “I guess I feel that if I don’t freak out, I can handle it better. I need to be here for you.”

  “Do you think about her…the other baby?”

  “I haven’t had a lot of time to process, but yes. It makes me sad she died, and I didn’t even get to bury her.”

  At least she was honest.

  “But, Rylie…” She cupped my face, looking me in the eye. “You are my little girl, even if you aren’t made of my flesh and blood.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “What do you have to be sorry for?”

  “That Azura did this to you.”

  She stroked my hair. “Don’t you dare be sorry. This isn’t your fault. Besides, if she hadn’t come into our lives I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of raising you. Now, c’mon and get ready for your party.”

  Taking a shower was the weirdest experience I had yet. If I left my wings expanded, they were too big to fit in the shower. I had to keep them directly behind my back. I wasn’t sure if I could even get the wings wet, so I had no idea how to wash my hair. Sighing, I turned around, letting the water hit my head, back, and wings. Nobody was around to tell me otherwise, guess I had to learn on my own.

  The water beat down on me, drops running down my wings. It was like someone was running a soft feather down my bare back. I closed my eyes, enjoying how it felt. The sensation was like a deep massage combined with Adam’s soft fingertips trailing on my skin. I could get used to this…

  I finally dragged myself out of the shower. As soon as I stepped out, my wings expanded showering the mirror and bathroom walls with water.

  “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” I whined. Cleaning up would be fun. I grabbed a towel and started wiping down the walls.

  When I was finished, I brushed out my hair and pulled the sides back into a clip. I didn’t have to put on makeup, which was weird. Then I slipped on my dress, thankful the back was low enough I didn’t have to worry about my wings.