Page 22 of The Beginning (Covert Moon, #1)

Marigold

The Human Realm

* * *

I drove through the winding countryside, the trees blowing by, weaving the car in and out of traffic with a laser focus.

It was like I was sixteen again, reliving those years but this time I imagined I'd made different choices and rebelled the way Calyx had.

Stealing Dad's car and racing off... My God.

.. I'd never done anything like that when I was her age.

Even in the years since then, I tried to recall doing anything at all to upset my parents intentionally. I couldn't think of anything.

The freedom that Calyx had, the feeling that she could make this kind of choice–was that what it meant to have grown up with love? Or at least the idea of love?

I shook my head. I didn't want to go there right now. Nope. Nope. I needed to focus, stay on task, and fall apart later.

But my mind kept drifting to my family and all the thoughts that had come today, unbidden and unstoppable.

Anymore, I felt like we were just orbiting each other, like I was placed here by some whim of birth.

My parents, unable to send me back to wherever, tolerated me.

I was the bruised apple in the bunch, the lackluster, tarnished piece in the shiny set of silver.

Pulling over, I opened the map app on my phone and cued up the church's location. Even if I flew at top speed, I wouldn’t get there until after dark.

I set my phone on the console and settled in, leaning back in the seat, letting the leather upholstery mold to me as I drove back out onto the road.

I smiled as I imagined Mother's face when she realized I'd left.

That I had, for once, defied a direct order.

I hoped Karissa wouldn't receive the brunt of that.

The media would have a field day. What could it possibly mean? Were both Blaine daughters in danger? They would ask questions and Mother would do everything she could to keep them from reporting it; attempt to deflect any kind of innuendo or hidden meaning to be gleaned from my behavior.

I sometimes wished our family were not famous, were not Founders in our corner of the world.

That was just the human side of things, not even counting my mother's standing in the magical world.

I definitely wished my mother was not running for office.

It was exhausting. Everything we did came back to her, and that meant she was always wanting to know what I was up to.

I knew I sounded like a spoiled brat. It was easy to say I didn't want something when it wasn't going to happen. Whatever. Right now, the only thing in my mind was the vision. The priest. The man with the emerald-colored eyes. And the animal... What the hell was that about?

I had no idea what I'd find at this church, if anything.

But I knew that after this, nothing would ever be the same again.

For the first time in my life, that notion seemed like it could be a good thing.

Even better, I wasn't afraid. That was also a good thing. I'd spent a lot of my life afraid, even after I'd moved away. Afraid of upsetting Mother. Afraid of getting into trouble somehow. Afraid for Calyx. Not anymore.

Definitely a good thing.

Taking a tighter grip on the steering wheel, I took a deep breath, readying myself for whatever was ahead.

* * *

T he scene from the church kept going through my mind.

How did it fit in with my sister leaving?

Calyx had always been a party girl, not one for taking things seriously.

A socialite, she regularly made headlines in the gossip page of the paper.

Or the top of the latest social media site.

Famous for being famous. For being a Blaine.

Not doing anything worthwhile on her own.

But at seventeen, I didn't blame her. Who wouldn't take advantage of that opportunity at her age?

Granted, I never did. I didn't see the appeal.

The truth was, I didn't like people very much.

I had no desire to participate in the popularity contest. Part of me wondered if that was because even ten years ago, the people around us could see that I wasn't the favored child, that I was the unwanted Blaine.

I definitely did not want to go anywhere where the paparazzi could take my picture and misconstrue a story the following day. No, thanks.

But for all her party ways I knew something had changed the moment Calyx came home after meeting her current boyfriend. Something about her had shifted. She was clearly smitten with the guy. She came home, and as she told it, ran upstairs, texted me, demanding that I call her right away.

Though I'd moved out the moment I turned eighteen, I still had a room at the family home.

It was expected to make appearances for family dinners, and political events.

On those occasions I would usually spend the night, not wanting to make the drive across town to my place in the city.

I wasn't there the night Calyx met her new guy.

But as she texted me about him, I knew she was in deep.

I took her to lunch the following day so we could talk. She was so excited she practically vibrated with tension, brought on by the thrill of new love. And all I could think was, Damn! You got it bad, Calyx . And she did. She was all in, and there was nothing anybody could tell her otherwise.

I'd asked her all kinds of questions, but she wouldn't tell me anything about him other than his name was Silas and she met him at a party. That wasn't like her at all. Usually she gushed, and we pored over every single detail. But when it came to Silas, she was tight-lipped and secretive about him, preferring instead to talk about her feelings. There was nothing about him on Calyx’s social media. It was as though he didn’t exist.

At first, I thought it was because he might be famous.

Some celebrity bad boy that while well known, wasn't the type Mother would encourage.

The tabloids would have a field day and Mother would lose it if Calyx started making headlines for anything that would harm Mother's political run.

But one night, I happened to be at the house when Calyx got home.

She'd hurried to her room and slammed the door.

I heard her banging doors and drawers, and bumping around her closet.

I knocked on her door. “Calyx? You all right?”

“What? Marigold? Hey, didn't know you were here.” She opened her door and let me in. “Sorry, I thought you were Mom.”

“She's not home yet, the Governor's thing is running long.” I looked at my watch. It was almost ten. “You just got home. Where are you going this late now?”

“What? Nowhere. I'm just…” She glanced at her closet and grabbed a denim jacket from a hanger.

“I promised Daphne I'd drop off my jacket for her. I totally forgot.” She spritzed her awful perfume into a cloud in front of her and then stepped through it.

The smell of the perfume clashed horribly with everything else in the room. Was she trying to cover something? Ugh.

And that's when I first suspected something was up. Calyx was lying.

She hurried back to her closet and dug around the pile of shoes on the floor.

“Okay. Well, I'm heading out,” I said. I'd been summoned, hadn't been needed, and had stuck around to see Calyx. Now that she was going back out, there was no reason to be here any longer.

“Bye Marigold!” she called from the closet, not turning around. “See you soon!”

I left the house and got in my car and drove away, thinking.

Then I backed into the neighbor's driveway, turned off my headlights, and waited.

I didn't have to wait very long before my sister’s little white VW bug flew past. “What are you up to, Calyx?” I muttered as I pulled out of the driveway and followed her car.

She drove downtown. Daphne lived in our parents' neighborhood. Okay. Not totally unexpected, so where was she going?

Following a few cars behind, I grabbed my necklace and held it between my fingers and whispered my sister's name. Ten seconds later she texted me.

what's up?

how long until you get home? wanted to talk to you about something.

There was a pause before she replied.

let me ask daph

Another pause.

sorry- d needs help with homework

will be a while

bummer ok. tomorrow?

sounds great

I tossed my phone on the passenger seat. Well, that settled that. If she wouldn't even tell me, it was probably not a good thing.

I followed Calyx further into the city, careful to keep a few cars back. Between the regular traffic, the headlights, and my black car, I didn't think she'd seen me.

She'd driven down to The Factory, a restaurant that had been built into an old reclaimed industrial building.

I pulled my car into the far end of the parking lot and waited.

Calyx parked and hurried inside. The Factory was only a few blocks from my place.

This wasn't where Calyx normally spent time.

My worrying ratcheted up. A little while later, Calyx emerged with a guy who I presumed was Silas.

They left the restaurant with a group of people.

He was tall and dark, with slicked-back hair and a scruff of beard shadowing his face.

He draped himself over my sister, making it clear that she was his.

He stepped under the beam of a lamp in the lot and I got a good look at his face.

Now I knew why she was hiding him. Silas was way too old for her.

He was mid-twenties. My mother would have a fit.

There were three other couples, all of them with hands intertwined and arms over shoulders, lots of leather.

They piled into a pair of cars and pulled away.

I slid down in my seat as they exited the parking lot.

Driving right by me, I could see them clearly.

Calyx sat in the passenger seat, her eyes on Silas.

She was completely focused on him. I waited for them to pass me before I followed.