Never Forgotten (Never Forgotten Series) (27 page)

I didn’t want to stay at the Mitchells’, but I had nowhere else to go. It was almost two in the morning. If I called my parents, I’d have to give them an explanation, and I couldn’t.

Evan suggested that I use the room at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s Dad’s office,” he said. “There’s a couch in there.” He made me take the blanket lying at the end of his bed and his extra pillow. It was torture. The spicy scent of his cologne enveloped me. I wanted nothing more than to crawl back and beg for his forgiveness, but he asked for space and I would give it to him.

The leather couch was surprisingly comfortable, but I couldn’t fall asleep. My mind kept playing through the night’s events. I had to know more.

“Ula,” I hissed in the moonlit room. “If you can hear me, I need to talk to you.”

She appeared in the desk chair, wearing bell-bottom jammies. Her curly hair was tied back in a scarf. “At this hour?” she asked through a yawn.

“Oh thank God!” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Who is Kieran?”

She guarded her expression and sat upright in the chair. “Why do you ask?”

“I met him tonight at a club. His friends seduced my friends, and…and…he kissed me.” I blurted it out in a rush.

“What?” Her green eyes widened in disbelief. “You let him kiss you?”

“Did I have a choice?” I wasn’t being facetious. I wondered. Was I under his control or did I have free will?

“Of course you did. Well, at least…I think so.” Her words faded into mumbles, and she frowned.

“Sorry, I didn’t get any of that.” Her non-answer left me even more confused.

Ula studied me, twirling a copper curl around her finger. She bit her lip and mumbled a bit.

“Ula?” I was getting worried.

She tapped her chin with one finger. With her face highlighted by the moon, I noticed that she bit her nails. “You are still human…” she mused. She got off the chair and crossed to me, holding out her hand. I took it and stood.

“Are you willing to try an experiment?” she asked. I eyed her skeptically, and she added, “It won’t hurt.”

“Okay.” I wondered what she was going to do, but I trusted her.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said. Before she finished speaking, the room darkened to pitch black. I gasped. Just as quickly, orbs of all shapes and sizes flared to light around me. I smelled the sea. Each globe held a tiny ocean, churning wave upon wave. Though small, their light was brilliant. When my eyes adjusted, I looked around. Ula was no longer there, but I heard her voice.

“What do you see?” she asked.

“Glowing globes. So many of them. Beyond that, nothing.”

The image blinked out and once again, I was in the office. Ula held my hand, and she gave it a squeeze before giving me an apologetic smile. “You are susceptible. Until you Change, Selkie magic can influence you.”

I swallowed the panic rising in my throat. “Did he use magic on me?” I thought of Kieran’s warm hands, his dark eyes, and my reaction to him. Was it real?

Ula’s eyes were sympathetic. “I don’t know. Tell me everything that happened.”

We sat on the couch, and I repeated the night’s events. It was a little easier this time, though guilt cut through me when I got to the part where we kissed. When I finished, she was scowling.

“Why make your friends forget and not you? What game is he playing?” She stood and started to pace.

Watching her made me dizzy. She held herself in the same rigid manner that she had at the hockey game. I thought of her fight with Kieran before the game. Before I knew who he was. Would she tell me why they were fighting?

“You were fighting with him,” I said. “That night at the stadium.”

She stopped pacing and stared at me. “How do you know that?”

“I remembered,” I told her.

“You weren’t supposed to see him,” she said.

“Why not?”

“I didn’t want you to. I don’t trust him.”

She didn’t trust Kieran. My dad warned me about Brigid. Were any Selkies trustworthy? Or safe? Was Ula? I pulled me knees up to my chest. Might as well get it all out. “I also saw him one other time,” I admitted.

Now she looked alarmed. “Where?”

“On campus, when I was with Evan. He didn’t approach me.”

“But tonight he did.” She started pacing and muttering again. Finally, she stopped and knelt in front of me, resting her hand on my knee. “I’m not trying to scare you, Meara, but I’m worried about you.”

“Can I protect myself from Selkie magic?”

Ula shook her head. Her curls bounced. “I’m not sure how. Tell David. He can help you.”

“Why were you fighting with Kieran?” I asked again.

Ula sat back on her heels with a sigh. Her shoulders sagged. “I was warning him to stay away from you.”

“From me? Why?” I didn’t even know him.

She hesitated before she said, “He wants you.”

My nerves flared, and I swallowed fear. What did that mean? “He doesn’t even know me.”

Ula laughed. The sound was bitter. “It’s doesn’t matter. It’s your power he wants. You are David’s daughter. David is very powerful.”

“How does he know I’ll be powerful? And, you’re one of David’s sisters, aren’t you powerful?”

“Not powerful enough.” She turned her head away, but not before I saw the sadness in her eyes.

“Ula?” I leaned forward and touched her shoulder.

She turned back and gave me a small smile. “Kieran and I? We were once betrothed.” She stood and kissed my cheek. “Talk to David. He’ll know what to do.”

Her eyes filling with tears, Ula disappeared.

***

David picked me up from the Mitchells’ house. I was happy to see him, but my automatic response was, “Where’s Mom? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, just tired.” David glanced over at me. “Buckle up.”

His eyes were shadowed by black circles, and something glinted at his temples. I reached out and touched his hair. “Graying already?”

I meant to tease, but he looked worried. He didn’t say anything and turned his attention back to the road.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t realize you were so sensitive about your looks.”

He smirked. “It’s not that.” He took a deep breath. “It’s my power. It’s draining.”

“Why?”

“It’s taking a lot, Meara.”

His voice was so quiet that I leaned in closer and whispered, “What is?”

“Keeping your mother comfortable.” He stole a glance at me.

“She’s getting worse?” I hated the whine in my voice. She looked so healthy lately.

“Every day,” David said. “It’s taking more of my power to keep her comfortable.”

I stared at him, swallowing the lump in my throat. “What are you saying?”

His eyes filled with tears. “I’m doing the best that I can.”

“I know you are.” I wanted to comfort him, but I didn’t know how. I’d never seen my father cry.

“It’s not enough,” he continued. “Soon, I won’t be able to help her.”

My tears fell as his words sunk in. Mom was dying. Really dying. “Does Mom know?”

“No,” he said. “If I told her, she would tell me to stop. I don’t want to worry her; she already worries about you.”

“Can I help?” If I Changed, could I combine my powers with David’s?

“There is nothing you can do. I’m sorry, Meara,” he whispered. He reached for my hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back.

I cried a little, but felt helpless. I needed to ask David about Kieran, but it was hard to think about that with the knowledge that Mom was dying. I didn’t want my mind taken over by a power-hungry Selkie. I cleared my throat and shifted to the side.

“Dad?” David’s lip quirked at the name. He liked it when I called him Dad instead of David.

“Yes?”

“How can I protect myself against Selkies?”

David looked at me and frowned. “Why are you asking?”

“I, uh, met a Selkie at the dance club yesterday. I’m not sure if he influenced me, but I want to make sure he can’t.”

“Did you get his name?”

“Kieran.”

David sucked in his breath before hissing. “Kieran. I should have known.” He reached across the seat toward me. “Give me your bracelet.”

I took it off and handed it to him. He closed it in his fist and murmured under his breath. I couldn’t make out the words, but they sounded foreign. A green glow seeped from his closed fist. His hand shook when he gave me back the bracelet.

“Keep that on at all times. It will protect you.”

He breathed shallow and fast. He looked pale, too. “Dad? Are you okay?”

“Just tired, Meara,” he said. “I will survive.”

“You shouldn’t have used your power on me. You’re already helping Mom.”

He laughed, although it sounded more like a wheeze. “And what would she say if something happened to you because of my kind?” In a quieter voice, he added, “What would I do if something happened to you?”

My wrist felt warm where the bracelet lay. My father gave his energy to protect us.

“I’d sooner die,” he added after a moment, “than lose either of you.”

Humbled, I could only say, “Thanks, Dad.”

M
onday when Mom dropped me off at school, I hurried inside. Despite her assurance that we had plenty of time, I knew I only had five minutes before first period. I needed to get my book out of my locker.

When I got there, I found Katie, Val, and Jen waiting for me.

“You’ve got to see this,” Val said, thrusting her phone in my face. I stepped back so I could actually see what she was showing me. It was a picture of Katie and Jen from the club the other night. Behind them, I recognized two of Kieran’s friends.

“I don’t remember taking this,” Val said, frowning. “But clearly, we did dance with the guys you saw.”

“And we don’t remember them,” Jen added. “Even after seeing the picture.”

They looked scared, and I didn’t know what to tell them. There was no way I was bringing up Selkies.

“Do you think they drugged us?” Katie asked.

Drugs—a plausible explanation. “I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe?”

“I did feel weird the next day,” Jen said.

“You drank half a bottle of peppermint schnapps!” Katie said. That set them off, and they started arguing about who drank what and how much. I didn’t have time for this.

“Ladies,” I interrupted. “Can we discuss this at lunch? We’ve got about a minute before class starts, and Jen, you’re standing in front of my locker.”

“Oops! Sorry.” Jen jumped to the side.

“We’ll see you at lunch then,” Katie said with a pout. “Come on, girls, let’s go.”

Katie caught my eye and mouthed, “Sorry” before turning back around. It wasn’t much of an apology, but it was something. I regretted my impatience. I didn’t mean to be abrupt with them this morning, but seriously, I didn’t need to get in trouble while they bickered. Frankly, I was getting tired of petty fights. There were usually at least one or two every week. I grabbed my book and headed off to class, so not looking forward to lunch.

***

I wanted to ask David more about Selkie powers, but he managed to evade me all week. Either Mom would be in the room, or I’d look for him once she went to bed and he’d be gone. I thought for sure that I could catch him on Saturday.

“Where’s David?” I asked my mom. She was sitting on the couch with a magazine in her lap. Her coffee cup steamed beside her on the table.

“Your dad,” she said, stressing the word ‘dad,’ “had a business trip. He’ll be back tomorrow night.”

She was getting tired of me calling him by his first name. I was trying to get comfortable with saying dad. Sometimes it felt okay, other times, just weird.

“Oh.” I tried to cover my disappointment that I lost another opportunity to talk to him. Was he gone on Selkie business?

I flopped down next to her and asked, “What are we doing today?” It had been a while since we had hung out alone.

“Your grandparents invited us over for dinner,” Mom said.

“Really?” I hadn’t see Grandma and Grandpa since my birthday. After living with them for over half a year, I missed them. I missed my grandmother’s cooking, too.

“We’ll head over around four,” Mom said. “I’m just going to do some housework and laundry in the meantime.”

“Do you need help?”

“No. I’m fine, honey.”

“Mom, are you sure? I can help.” She looked pale. Had she started losing weight again?

She sighed. “Okay, Meara. Can you take care of the kitchen and bathroom? I’ll start the laundry.”

I kissed her cheek. “Sure, Mom. No problem.”

It took about an hour to finish my chores. When I found my mom, she was folding towels. “Anything else?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I can finish this. Thanks for your help.”

“Okay, then I’ll get my homework done, I guess,” I didn’t want to do it, but it was better to get it out of the way.

“How’s Evan doing?” Mom frowned at me. “You haven’t said much about him lately.”

“He’s good. He’s been, uh, busy. Big project,” I lied. I hadn’t told my parents about our fight. The truth was that I barely spoke to Evan all week. I texted him after lunch on Monday and told him that Katie thought it was drugs. I forwarded Val’s picture to him, too. His replies were curt, but at least he replied. I was trying to give him space, but I was getting worried.

I hugged Mom before I went to my room, pulled out my backpack, and threw it on my bed, spreading the contents. I had a paper due on Wednesday and a Calculus test on Thursday. Neither prospect interested me, but I decided to tackle the paper first. I threw on some music, fired up my laptop, and started writing.

My stomach rumbled, and I was surprised to see that it was after three. Why didn’t Mom come and get me? I saved my file, pleased that I only had the summary left to write. Walking down the hall, I heard the drying running, but the rest of the house was quiet.

“Mom?” I checked her bedroom first. The light was on, but she wasn’t in it. I walked through the living room and peeked in the kitchen. Nope. Empty.

The basement door was ajar. She had to be folding clothes downstairs. I called down the steps, but she didn’t answer. Maybe she couldn’t hear me over the tumbling of the dryer. It was kind of loud. I started down the steps. When I got halfway, I could see my mom’s feet. That wasn’t right. Why was she laying on the basement floor?

“Mom!” I took the rest of the steps as quick as I could. She was ghostly pale. I shook her shoulder gently, calling her name. She didn’t respond. Frightened, I lifted her wrist and felt for a pulse. Thank God, it was there. Weak, but there.

I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket and called 911.

I wiped at my tears, and my hands shook. Could I move her? I didn’t like that she was lying on the cold cement. The basket of folded towels sat nearby. I grabbed a few and covered her. I left her head alone. If she was injured, I didn’t want to make it worse. I couldn’t see blood, but she was freezing to the touch. Who knew how long she was on the basement floor before I found her?

I sat next to her and held her hand while I called my grandparents. My grandma answered, and the words tumbled out. I couldn’t disguise how frantic I was.

“Do you need us to come and get you?” she asked.

I shook my head before I realized she couldn’t see me. “No, I’ll ride in the ambulance.”

“We’ll meet you at the hospital.” The line disconnected. I texted Evan and asked him to tell his parents. That left my father, and I had no way to reach him. He didn’t have a cell phone, and I had no idea where he went.

“Ula,” I said, “if you can hear me, tell David my mom’s unconscious. We’re going to the hospital.”

Her voice came back, clear but faint. “I’ll tell him. Take care of her.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. I didn’t know why I had a connection with Ula, and not David, but I was grateful for it.

I rocked a bit as I sat by Mom’s side, listening for the siren. Please be okay. Please be okay. The chant rattled through my head. When I finally heard the siren, I raced up the stairs to let them in and lead them down to Mom. They prepped her, checked her vitals, and loaded her onto the stretcher.

I went to find her purse, then decided to grab my purse and both our coats as well. She wouldn’t need hers now, but she’d need it once she was released.

I sat in the back corner of the ambulance, trying to stay out of everyone’s way. Mom’s breathing was shallow and irregular. Her pulse, I learned, was super low. They were worried about a concussion. From what they could tell, she fell from a standing position and hit her head on the cement. The dryer was running, so she couldn’t have been there too long before I found her. Thank God I found her when I did.

When we got to the hospital, they took her back right away. I knew from the last time that I couldn’t go with her. I went to Admissions in the emergency room. The woman behind the desk raised kind eyes to me. Her nametag read Nancy. I explained that my mother had just been admitted by ambulance. She asked for my mom’s identification and insurance information. On the ride over, I had already found it all in Mom’s purse. I gave it to Nancy. Once she had all the information she needed, I walked over to the waiting area and sunk into a chair.

Grandpa must have floored his truck, because ten minutes later, my grandparents bustled into the lobby. I stood up, and Grandma pulled me into one of her big hugs. Her shirt was slightly damp, but she was warm and soft. I hugged her back, putting my head on her shoulder. She patted my back gently, and then stepped back, holding out a package.

“I brought you something to eat,” she said. “I’m sure that you are famished, and this hospital food is just horrendous.”

“It’s not that bad, Mary,” Grandpa said. He hugged me next. Not quite as exuberant as Grandma’s hug, but it was nice. “How are you holding up, kiddo?”

“I’m okay,” I said. “It was just such a shock. I mean, Mom’s been doing much better, but she did look pale this morning…”

I trailed off as my voice cracked. “If I hadn’t been so focused on my paper, maybe I would have known something was up sooner. I just can’t get over seeing my mom lying cold and pale on the basement floor.”

“Shhh…” Grandma soothed. “Don’t blame yourself. You did everything you could, and she’s in the best of hands now.” She patted my knee and nudged the container closer to me. “Eat. You’ll feel better.”

I opened the lid. It was chicken and dumplings, the dish she made the first night we were here. My throat constricted again. So much had changed, and yet, Mom was still sick.

“Jamie,” Grandma said, “why don’t you get Meara something to drink.”

“I’m okay,” I said.

“Nonsense!” Grandma waved her hand at me. “You can’t eat without something to wash it down with. Maybe they even have milk in that god-awful cafeteria.”

“You want me to walk over to the cafeteria?” Grandpa asked. Grandma gave him a look. His shoulders slumped, but he walked off without another word.

I tried to eat slowly, but I was starving. I finished before my grandfather returned. I hated milk, but I resigned myself to drinking whatever it was he brought me. The cafeteria was on the other side of the hospital. I was touched that he went there to get me something, even if my grandmother strong-armed him into it.

She brushed a few hairs off my forehead. “Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said. “It was good.”

She smiled at me before picking up a magazine off the side table and flipping through it. Apparently, it didn’t interest her, because she snapped it closed and offered it to me.

“No thanks, Grandma.” It was Reader’s Digest. I hated that magazine. Why couldn’t they have teen magazines in hospitals? I didn’t think to bring along a book, either.

The minutes turned into hours. There was no news on Mom, and it was after nine. I knew my grandparents were tired and worried. So was I. David hadn’t arrived yet either. Lydia called, but I had nothing to tell her. I promised to call when we knew something.

“Meara!” Evan crossed the lobby and pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured into my hair. “Did you hear anything yet?”

“No,” I said. “Nothing.”

“I came as soon as I could.” He looked around the waiting area. “Where are your grandparents?”

“They went to get some coffee,” I said. “Did you go by the apartment?”

“Yeah.” Evan shook his head. “It was dark. He’s not home yet. I left a note on the door to call when he got back.”

“Okay,” I said. “I guess that’s all we can do. I don’t know why he doesn’t have a cell phone.”

Evan was about to respond, but I grabbed his forearm and he stopped. Dr. Riley had just walked into the waiting area and was heading our way.

“Meara.” Dr. Riley stopped in front of me. I was impressed that he remembered my name. He looked tired, and although he tried to smile, it came off as more of a grimace.

“How’s my mom?” I asked. Dr. Riley looked at Evan, so I added, “This is my boyfriend, Evan Mitchell.” When he hesitated, I said. “It’s okay to talk in front of him.”

“Is anyone else here with you?” Dr. Riley asked, and I felt my stomach tighten. If everything were okay, he would have said so.

“My grandparents are here,” I said slowly. “They’re in the cafeteria right now.”