I'll Be Damned (Anna Wolfe Series) (29 page)

I hit the
Answer
button anyway. “Hello?” I say halfheartedly.

“Hello, dear,” my mom responds with worry. “I called to see how you are making out with... everything... and that you're okay,” she states hesitantly.

Okay is the wrong word to describe how I feel, but I don’t have the heart to correct her. I know Jack and she kept this from me for my own safety so I can't blame them for it. I’m not a parent, so how can I judge them? “I'm coming to terms with it. It's going to take a little time… it’s all so different now.” My explanation sounds good enough since no one knows where I go when I’m inside my head. Thoughts jumble together, reason contradicts the truth, and a stack of puzzling emotions continue to pile up like used junk. Everyone promises I’ll be okay and everything will be fine, but their words do nothing to appease my addled mind.

“It's hard, honey, I know. We're here for you no matter what. Please come home anytime.” She pauses, and I know something bad is creeping its way into the conversation. “Now, dear, don’t get mad, but I want to remind you that Cara’s wedding is around the corner. I hate to add anymore stress on you, but she can’t cancel it.”

“She can't or she won't?” I question irritably. “Did you tell her anything yet?”

“Not all of it. We told her Janie’s missing, that’s all.”

“Mom, why didn’t you tell her everything? How could you possible explain Janie’s disappearance?”

She sighs heavily. “I didn’t want to tell her before I spoke with you. Oh dear, I lied for the first time in years,” she says talking to herself. I want to correct her again, reminding her that she’s actually been lying for the better part of her life, but I clamp my mouth shut.

“Mom?”

She softly groans. “I told Cara she ran off with a man she met while staying with you.”

“You have to be kidding me!” She isn't kidding and nothing is funny about it.

“Oh, Anna, I wish I was. I didn’t know what else to say, and you know Cara. She backed me right into a corner. I had no choice, but to think of something on my toes.”

"Mom, Janie is married! Besides she was only here for a week!"

"I know, dear. I told Cara that Janie and Nick were having troubles; and when she met this other man, she knew she had to leave him," she replies.

I exhale loudly. "She's never going to buy that." Cara would never believe Janie ran off with someone she just met while being married. She's too responsible. Can this get any worse? “We’ll figure it out, I guess,” I say, leaning against the wall.

“Please don’t be mad, Anna. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Mom, I’m not mad. Things just got a little more complicated, that’s all,” I say reassuringly.

“Okay, dear, that makes me feel better.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “Oh, Anna there's something else.”

I roll my eyes. I can’t wait to hear this.

“Cara's been acting strange lately, detached almost. When I informed her of Janie’s disappearance, she wasn’t shocked, angry or concerned. Her lack of reaction seemed extremely odd.”

Cara is selfish, but she isn’t heartless. I agree Cara’s lack of response is an oddity, but I have to rationalize my mother's concern. None of this is sitting right. Something corrupt is weaving itself into the picture somehow. Cara would have canceled the wedding as soon as she found out Janie was missing. It took all my strength not to call her and chew her out. She's never been so inconsiderate in her life, but something is warning me not to. I console my mom, explaining Cara must be shell-shocked. The last thing I want is to share my concerns of her involvement. I reassure her that everything will be okay before hanging up. I click the
End
button with fury. Is Cara involved? No way… why would she be? I walk back into the kitchen and sit down at the table.

“I think Cara might be wrapped up in this somehow,” I blurt out. So much for leading into it.

“Oh Lordy,” Martello responds, rolling his eyes.

“What do you mean?” Valen's tone is suddenly serious.

“That was my mother," I respond pointing to the foyer. "She informed Cara of Janie’s disappearance. Or should I say, she told Cara she ran off with another man," I pause. "My mother said she didn't show any emotion."

"Girl, maybe she's not worried about Janie. After all, your mother told her she left with a man," Martello interrupts.

I sigh. "Martello, there's no way Cara would believe Janie just ran off," I say flicking my wrist. "It’s Cara! She would be livid if one of us didn’t show up for her wedding,” I add, disgruntled.

“She’s still havin’ her wedding?” Martello asks, arching his eyebrow.

“Yep, nothing stops Cara, not even a missing family member.”

“It does seem odd,” Valen says, rubbing his chin with his hand. “How could she be involved?”

“That’s what I don’t understand. I mean, does she know about my magic?” If Cara knew about this… about me… she would have undoubtedly thrown it in my face at some point during our lives.

“Janie did,” Martello drops in effortlessly.

“Yes, but my parents made it her business. I doubt she would have known if they didn’t.”

“Netherworlders could have gotten to her long before any of this,” Valen replies.

I shake my head. That's impossible. "What could they possibly promise her?"

“Anna, I’d imagine she’s pretty easy to win over,” Valen answers.

My eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean
easy
?” That's a touchy word to use when describing a woman.

“She's shallow, insensitive and emotionless. Her guardian walls are non-existent. It was only a matter of time before she turned. All a demon has to do is offer her something she can’t refuse.”

“Sounds like Cara, all right,” Martello adds, fanning his face with a napkin.

“Guardian walls?” I question, baffled again.

“They are walls, so to speak, that humans are born with. Years of experiences and troubles break them down or build them up.”

“How do you know? We have no idea what’s going on so I don't want to jump to fast conclusions,” I say with a protective attitude. If she is involved, I would like to believe she's doing so under duress.

“Guardian walls are not tangible objects... they're more like a moral gauge, revealing an individual’s strengths and weaknesses. I knew her capacity for evil the first time I saw her."

“You never met her,” I retort in anger. Did he?

“Anna, I've seen Cara..." he pauses, gaining courage to continue. “I saw you and your family long before we met.”

“That is some stalker-type stuff,” Martello states, pointing to Valen.

Knowing Valen had me under his surveillance makes my skin crawl. I don’t find it flattering one bit. “You’ve been following my family and me?” I spit.

“Anna, I didn’t have a choice. Rumors of your powers burned like wildfire through the Netherworld. It wouldn’t take long before demons noticed, and Micah’s strong interest this early in the game is surprising.”

I throw up my hands in frustration. “I barely have any powers or whatever! How could they know before I did?”

Valen shakes his head. “They sense your powers. Magic, in some forms, is traceable,” he hesitates. “Or an informant might have tipped them off.”

“I think he’s on to something, girl,” Martello speaks up. “I means Cara was always different. Her feelings was never genuine; get my drift? Sometimes I wondered how she was related to you and Janie.”

His last sentence breaks through a window in my mind. Cara always lacked normal emotional tendencies, so this might not be too farfetched. Am I crazy for questioning my sister's loyalty? If Cara gave me a reason to believe, maybe I wouldn't have to question it in the first place. What if she isn't related to us? Could it be possible?

“I know what you’s thinkin’,” Martello interjects, “but your parents would know if she was or was not their child.”

“Unless she was adopted, and they never told you,” Valen adds.

I delicately knead my temples, hoping to work out the tangled kinks in my brain. There are endless questions floating in the realm of possibilities. I can't stomach another lie from my parents, or face the likelihood that Cara might be involved in Janie's disappearance and my demise. Even Cara isn’t that ruthless.

“Anna, think about what we discussed. We need to find out how involved she is, if she is at all. Your next step is to study the
Book of the Worlds
to learn how to harness your powers and draw them out,” Valen states.

I let out a defeated moan. “I was thinking of closing the shop for a while. I can’t split my time and energy between this and having to run a business... plus, Kristy can't constantly cover for me either.”

Valen and Martello nod in unison. “I'll take care of your expenses for the time being,” Valen responds gladly.

I start to open my mouth when he interrupts me. “There will be no discussion. It's final.” His jaw is tight and determined.

“I’m paying you back,” I answer, irritated.

Valen grins, knowing he defeated me. After a round of goodnights, I retire to bed, worn out, bewildered and annoyed. I can't control anything in my life and it bothers me more and more each day. Now, my business is slipping through my tenacious fingers. Frustrating thoughts collect around me, pissing me off more. I hate relying on people. I have always been proud of my independence, which is slowly being stripped from me and all I can do is watch. I grumble, dressing in my PJs and sliding into bed. Finally, I close my eyes, gladly welcoming the darkness.

With a sigh, I dangle another
sheet of plywood against the outside of my shop's window. I step back, surveying the condemned building before me. I staple a bright orange sign to the thick piece of wood covering my front door.
Please Excuse Our Look… Renovations
. I let the hammer fall to my side as my heart drops, and wipe my arm across my forehead, clearing the mid-afternoon sweat. The sky blushes in various shades of pink as the sun slides behind the horizon.

“Girl, don’t look so glum,” Martello says, walking around the corner.

I don’t reply. What’s the point? Martello wraps his muscular arm around the back of my shoulder, adding to the imposing weight already resting there. I let my head drop into the nook of his arm. A single tear falls from my eye, a tribute to the days before my new life. Easing out of his grasp, I wipe my cheek and plop myself on the porch. Martello joins me and we sit in comfortable silence.

He places his hand over mine. “It’s gonna be all right,” he says, his voice nearly a whisper. “You’ll be up and runnin’ again before you knows it.”

“It’s just hard to…” Before I can continue, a sharp pain spreads itself through my abdomen like a meteor shower. If I didn't know better, I would have thought my appendix just burst.

“Anna, you okay?” Martello asks with a panicked expression.

I’m incapable of responding. The excruciating pain rolls me onto my side in its sharp grip. Martello lifts me in his arms, whisking me into the alley in the blink of an eye. He gently leans me against the uneven siding, and paces in front of me.

“Anna, should I calls an ambulance?” he asks urgently.

I breathe deeply, over and over, until I’m capable of speaking. “No,” I pant. “There’s nothing they can do…. have to wait… it out,” I reply, gasping between breaths.

Only a few more unbearable bursts of cramping, and it should be over. I slam my eyes shut as waves of pain crash into me with no signs of abating. After a few excruciating jabs, I slink my eyes open, and stare at Martello’s hot pink flip-flops. Pebbles on the pavement stick into my cheek, piercing it with their jagged edges. I crane my neck and catch a glimpse of his face. He’s transfixed on something, but it's not me. I twist my neck to see what's capturing his attention, only for my eyes to land on Micah. I move my arm, hoping to swat Martello’s leg, but I’m paralyzed.
No, no
. My cramps worsen, peeling my muscle fibers away from each other, strand by strand, like skin slowly splitting open.