Page 44 of Facet

He dragged a hand down his face in frustration. Then he stared me straight in the eye. “The night your mother called me, while we were out here talking?”

“Yeah?” My stomach started to churn, and I hadn’t even heard him out yet.

“Your mother had Willow enraptured. I could scent her magic. That’s why I disappeared. I got there just in time. She admitted to me that Willow wasn’t good enough for you and that she was going to kill her and let you believe Willow died of a drug overdose,” he explained. His jaw ticked rapidly.

A feather could’ve knocked me over. Stunned, I fell back into my seat. Words eluded me and my heart hurt so much I had to glance down to make sure there wasn’t a gaping hole there.

“My… mom… was going to kill her?” I choked out. My face went tingly, and I thought I might pass out. Acid burned in my throat and my stomach knotted. Then the rage took over. Denial burst free. “What kind of shit are you trying to spew?”

Séamus inhaled deeply and slowly let it out through his nose. “And that right there is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

My shoulders dropped as I thought about what he said. Despite the fact that I’d only known him for mere days, I also had to think about what Iknew. My whole life, my mother was absent—physically and emotionally. I pretty much raised myself.

What I couldn’t understand was why she would want to kill Willow. My mother didn’t even know her. Willow was no threat to my mother. Why would she even care whether Willow was or wasn’t good enough for me?

“How soon can we do the spell to call my mother back here?” I demanded, finding renewed purpose.

“Tomorrow night?”

“Good. And before I forget, I’ll need your number.” I kept forgetting to get it.

We exchanged numbers, and the back door of the clubhouse opened, music and light streaming out into the dark evening. Chains came out holding a piece of paper. He took a seat by us.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

He didn’t say anything, he simply held out what appeared to be a drawing. I took it from his outstretched hand and studied it. “Who’s this?” I lifted my gaze to meet his.

“I felt bad that I couldn’t touch Willow—that I couldn’t do more. I got to thinking about it and I realized Isawthe guy. So I drew him for you. That’s the guy—that’s the guy who stabbed Willow and threatened us,” he murmured.

I saw red.

“Whoa. Dude. What was that?” Chains was staring at me with his head tilted.

“The eyes?” Séamus asked, and Chains nodded.

“And that rumble of whatever the fuck it was,” Chains added.

“It is a surge of power. Can be brought on by extreme emotion of any kind. Once we figure out exactly what he’s capable of and he learns to harness those powers—I’m pretty sure he’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” Séamus explained.

“Goddamn, brother. Remind me not to piss you off,” Chains teased.

“Can I see?” Séamus asked, motioning to the sketch.

Stretching my arm out, I handed it over to him.

He went preternaturally still, and as if we were in a vacuum, everything around us quieted. No crickets, no frogs, no night sounds at all. Then he looked up, and he slowly blinked. In a deadly calm tone, he asked, “This is the man who stabbed Willow? You’re sure?”

“If she said it was the same guy that was there the other night, then yes,” Chains said with a nod.

“That’s what she said,” I verified.

“Get everything your mother used for the spell together. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Séamus got to his feet. Before I could ask him who the guy was, he was gone. All that remained was a small curl of black smoke that quickly dissipated.

“What the fuck?” Chains muttered.

I huffed a humorless laugh. “You get used to it—at least I hope so. Reminds me too much of the freaky way Squirrel and Ghost disappear. Except after the way he just stared at that picture, then poof! Well, suffice it to say, I have even more questions now. Did you tell Venom about that drawing?”

Chains nodded. “He took a copy of it on his way out the door. Said we’ll all discuss it at church tomorrow to make a plan.”

---