Page 18 of Hopelessly Teavoted

Vickie blinked. Her face relaxed, and her eyes filled with tears, listening to voices he couldn’t hear but wanted to so desperately.

He wished for a different world where his parents had survived.

Vickie could see them one last time, but he couldn’t.

Tugging a hand through his hair, Az focused on inhaling. Exhaling. The pain was still there, but he could breathe through it. He ran his hand down his face, and he could feel her concern.

Their concern, really.

“They want you to know that they love you so much, and they’re so proud of you and Priscilla.”

Hot tears ran down the face partially covered by his hand, and he couldn’t bear to see her, standing there in sweatpants, glitter from her hair escaping to her cheeks and hands as the flame worshiped her palms like his lips had, once.

When she put on glitter for Sultry Sundays, it always lasted, and something about that reminded him of his childhood. Of being really, truly happy.

It was too much to have lost Vickie, to have never really had her at all, and then to be without half his family as well.

The universe had bestowed a brutal pounding on his soul, and rivers of sorrow traced patterns on his face, leaking into the collar of his shirt.

He cried with abandon for all the losing. For the heaviness of all the wanting.

It was both overwhelming and a relief to cry like that, finally.

Shutting his eyes tight, he spoke.

“Mom. Dad. I love you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I tried—” His voice broke, and a small sob racked through him again.

“Az,” Vickie was saying softly. “Az.” He knew that with a shaker in each hand, she couldn’t touch him without breaking the connection, and he shook his head.

The sensation that she was standing close was enough, and he needed to get this out while the shades of his parents were still around to hear it.

“I tried to make it in California. I really wanted to. It just wasn’t happening, and then by the time I tried to go home it was too late and flights and portaling were suspended, and I just want you to know that I love you both so much.

I am sorry. For being so embarrassed and so standoffish and never realizing how wonderful you both were. For everything.”

He opened his eyes, and Vickie was crying too.

She still clutched the shakers in her hands, and he walked toward her, thumbing the wet, dark tears away from her cheeks.

Allowing himself the small moment of tracing her freckles and swiping away trails of her mascara as she sniffled, leaning her face into his hand for a moment.

“Az,” she began, voice heavy with emotion.

“Your mother said you have nothing to apologize for. She said she’s so proud of you, no matter what.

That they’ve always carried your love in their hearts and that they will no matter what, just like you will carry theirs, and their magic, even when all the objects are gone. ”

“Mom,” he began. “I…” Vickie shook her head, staring behind him, and he turned to match her view and face the ghosts, which no amount of hopeful longing would let him see.

“Hold on, Az, your dad has something.” Vickie bit her lip, and he could feel, standing close as he was, that the objects were heating up.

They were running out of time. Her eyes widened, and her grip on each trinket tight enough that both edges of her palms went white with pressure.

“We need to warn the Council about the Brethren of One Love.”

She was worrying her bottom lip and nodding, clearly listening to his father.

“The megachurch?”

“Yes. They’re not the first shades to warn me about them.

I actually wanted to talk to you about that.

” She blinked, and her face tensed. “Another ghost mentioned something off there. Your father is not sure what they’re doing precisely, and he doesn’t know who is to blame, but he said to start with what happened to Madam Cleopatra.

He said there are consequences to what they tried to do to her,” she said.

Her brows drew together, and hairs raised on his arms. It was a bad sign that two sets of ghosts had warned Vickie about this church.

He stepped toward her as the flames increased.

She frowned. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything, but fine. I’ll tell him.”

“Madam Cleopatra, the fake psychic? And tell me what?”

“Yes, her. Tell you that I, ah, ran into the devil who made the bargain with my parents. Olexandre. They cut me off, like I said, formally with a lawyer. Your mom says he’s a lesser devil, and his gift should be harmless, but still.

I owe him. Three souls.” She wasn’t quite meeting his eyes, and he noticed that she was blushing , of all things.

“I’ve heard about Olexandre, the heartbreaker. When you told me your parents disowned you, you left out the part where you met a handsome devil to whom you are now legally bound,” growled Azrael. He pressed his lips together, feeling a muscle in his cheek jump. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine , Az. He’s just a lesser devil. They give out nice gifts, really. As I’m sure you know. Like talking to ghosts. Charm. Persuasion. Dream walking. That would have been a cool one, actually. And who says he’s handsome?”

Azrael ran a hand through his hair anxiously. “They are always handsome, Vick. It’s never a deal with an ugly devil. Come on now.”

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Az, it’s about to be over.” The heat next to him was scorching, and he gasped at it, reminding himself that it couldn’t harm her.

“Az, they said to be careful. To stay away from the church until we know more about it. To find Madam Cleopatra. To alert the Council. Anything else you want to tell them?”

The burning licked up toward her elbows now.

“I love you,” he said once more, to the air over her shoulder. Hoping it would land on his parents’ ears as the salt and pepper shakers went up into flames and he stepped back, watching the fire shoot up from her palms and eventually flicker out. The ash remaining fell to the floor.

A small, stubborn part of him that refused to give up also hoped the three words landed in Vickie’s ears.

Even if he had given up on honesty some years ago.