Page 50

AVERY

“Well, that could have gone better,” I said, but my attempt at sarcasm fell flat.My mom still had tears in her eyes and Saint looked like he didn’t know what to say.The messenger cloud from his father had said some pretty awful things too, but I guess they were the kinds of things you’d expect from a Drake.My dad was different—or at least, I hadthoughtthat he was.Now I thought he was probably as homophobic as Saint’s Sire—maybe even more so.

There was silence for a minute and then Emma and Kaitlyn and Megan all came and crowded around me.They hugged me as they had the night before, not saying a word but lending their strength.I could feel it flowing through me and it made the awful situation I found myself in at least a tiny smidge more bearable.

“Thank you, girls,” I said, hugging them back.Then I gently disengaged myself and turned to my mom.“Mom, I’m so sorry,” I said.“This is all my fault.”

“Don’t say that.”She sniffed and swiped at her eyes.“Noneof this is your fault.You know, your father always was stiff and way too serious—I thought I could lighten him up after we were married.But over the years, he’s just gotten more and more intolerant.”She shook her head.“I’m so sorry he said such terrible things to you, Avery.You know I’ll always love you.”

“I know,” I said and hugged her.“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry he wouldn’t help you.I can tell you’re in kind of a tight spot.”She cast a glance at Saint and I knew that she’d felt his Drake when he caught her.She might be a Null, but my mom isverysensitive to the magic of others.

“It’s all right, Mrs.Conner,” Megan said.“We’ll find a way to help Avery.”

“Yes, we’ll be there for him no matter what,” Emma put in and Kaitlyn nodded agreement.

My mom sniffed again but this time she was almost smiling.

“I’m so glad Avery has friends like you!”she told them.“And I’m glad he has a special someone, too,” she added, looking at Saint.“I know he’s been wanting one for a long time.”

“Mom!”I said.

She laughed through her tears.

“All right, all right.I’m sorry if I embarrassed you—I’m just glad you have someone, honey.”

“All right—I’m glad too,” I confessed and took Saint’s hand again.“Well…should we go now?I mean, in case Dad comes back?”

Mom shook her head.

“I don’t think he’s coming back, sweetie.And please don’t feel like that’s your fault—it’s been a long time coming.Those papers I was talking about?I had them drawn up quite a while ago.”

She must mean divorce papers I thought and felt my stomach twist in knots.Divorce isn’t super common among the magical community and it was probably going to make my mother something of an outcast.Still, she seemed determined and if she said she’d had divorce papers drawn up and waiting for a while, I believed her.There was more than just me wrong with their marriage, though I had a feeling I was a big part of it.

“Come back to the table and finish your lunch—if you don’t mind,” my mom said to us.“I apologize for the scene but I’d hate to let you leave unfed.”

We all wandered back to the table, although I don’t think any of us had any appetite left.I sat down and was just beginning to pick at the lemon square my mom had put in front of me when she gave a little cry and jumped back up from her chair.

“Mom?”I looked at her in alarm.“Are you okay?”

“Yes!But I just thought of something!”she exclaimed.“Wait right here—I’ll go get it!”

She ran off upstairs while we waited and traded confused looks around the table.But before anyone could say anything, she came back down, carrying a huge, heavy book that looked like a family Bible.She blew the dust off its ornate front cover and thumped it down on the table, right beside my plate.

“There!”she said, smiling at me.“Maybe this will help.”

I opened the book and looked inside.What I saw there made my eyes grow wide.

“The Conner family Grimoire?”I exclaimed, looking up at her.“How in the world did you get this, Mom?”

“Great Aunt Zelda left it to me in her will,” my mom said, smiling brightly.“I think she did it out of spite—she knew I was the only Null in the family so she gave it to me because she didn’t want to give it to anyone who might actually get any use out of it.”She made a face.“She was a spiteful old cat!”

“And you never told Dad?”I asked, arching my eyebrows at her.

Mom shook her head.

“I was waiting for a special occasion.But somehow, it just never felt quite right to give it to him.Now I know why—I was saving it foryou.There’s a whole section on curses and how to break them in there.”She thumped the book with her knuckles.“It should help you with your boyfriend’s problem.”