Page 118 of Home to the Hollow

“Uh, Teddy? Do you see…?” Wolfie’s question cuts off, but I ignore him as I continue to glare at my nemesis from school.

“You’ve been nothing but trash, Whitley, and I haven’t regretted ratting you out once in thirteen years. Youdeservedyour punishment.”

It feels like I’m floating in space; that’s how infuriated I am. The indignation is like needles poking through my flesh, and I lift my chin as a strange sensation burns its way up my spine into my shoulders. I raise my hands in the air as my vision darkens and the tears continue to run down my face. “Den eísai áxios tou chrónou mou, adýnami.Tha érthei i óra sas kai tha eínai éndoxi. Xekiniménos kléftis!?1”

A giant burst of energy escapes, the sound like a thunderclap inside, and panic sets in when I realize I’m definitely blacking out this time.

What in thehelljust happened?

* * *

“Andrew, she still hasn’t emerged yet. They promised she was special, and she’s useless! We’ll never advance our standing in this godforsaken town if she’s a dud!”

“Have patience, Eloise. Andromeda said some children emerge late—even after college. Those children are usually the strongest and most powerful because they tend to be ones left by higher tier extranormals. She could even be multi-sided. We have to wait it out. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to disown her if she turns out to be without a supe strain, right?”

The silence is heavy as they look at one another. Neither of them heard me creeping down the stairs to find out what their latest fight was about. Unfortunately, like always, it’s about me. Every time I spy on them, all they’re ever arguing about is why I’m not good enough. Or at least, that’s what my mom seems to think. Something I haven’t learned or developed is making her want to send me away, and I have no idea what it is. I’d fix it if I knew. Many things come naturally to me as I learn quickly. I’m sure I could do it if I knew what to focus on.

“We took her in on the condition she would help us further our careers, Andrew. You weren’t supposed to get attached to a mutt. If she can’t help us by the time she turns eighteen, we’ll see her off to college and that will be that. It’s not as if adult children want to spend a lot of time with their parents, anyway.”

Her heels click on the parquet as she walks into the kitchen. My dad follows her, whispering his response in a harsh tone. I’m sure they’re being quieter in the kitchen because it’s below my room, but they don’t know I’m not up there. I guess it’s comforting to know they’re trying not to be cruel to my face, but somehow, it doesn’t keep the tears from falling. I wipe one off of my cheek, frowning when it comes back a brilliant red.

That’s odd. Did I cut myself and I haven’t realized it?

If I’m bleeding, I’ll have to head upstairs and clean up. Mom will be furious if I dirty her floors and blood is impossible to get out. She nearly lost her mind the first time I had my period and stained an expensive set of Egyptian cotton sheets. As if I could have predicted that, right?

Closing my eyes, I smile to myself as I make a dash for the stairs, moving fast enough that it feels like I’m flying. If only I could fly away from here, I’d never come back—not in a million years. Between the mean girls and the elite boys., I hate school and now that I know my mom wants to get rid of me, I hate her, too.

Maybe someday I’ll find a place I belong, but I know in my heart it’s not Whistler’s Hollow. I’m going to travel the world and when I’ve lived the best life I can, then maybe I’ll come back to show them how wrong they were about me.

Someday…

I wake up,sucking in a deep breath and looking around in a panic. The room is all white, and everything looks sterile and clinical. I try to raise my arms, but I can’t because something is tying them down, and it’snotfor happy fun time. This is tight and meant to keep me in place.

Where in the actualfuckam I?

“Hey! Hey, assholes! I’m awake and I am not happy!”

My shouts echo off the walls of the room, and I flop back with a huff of irritation. A red light blinks on a camera on the wall and I glare at it before flipping the lens off. If someone thinks I’ll be an easy victim, they’ve got another thing coming. I’m confused, angry, and worried, so these fuckers are going to be very sorry once I get my limbs free.

Where are my animals? Where are the guys? Who in the hell let some Frankenlab kidnap me?

The door swings open, and I level myself up, preparing for a fight even if I don’t know how I’ll manage it yet.

Jolene Athena Whitley isn’t going down without a fight.

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