Page 52 of Destined for Eternity
Chapter 20
Cori
Someone was pulling up her driveway. With her enhanced hearing, Cori could detect the sound of wheels crunching on gravel well before a vehicle came into view. She peeked out the window, praying it wasn’t trouble coming her way. So far, no incidents had happened outside of Fairbanks, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t eventually.
She concentrated hard with her senses, trying to determine who was coming. It wasn’t a demon—of that much she felt certain. She still had trouble picking out sups without seeing them, but she usually got a niggling sensation to at least warn her if they were getting close. This time, she didn’t detect anything. They had to be human, but that didn’t mean it was a good sign with all the protests and attacks going on in town. Cori had been keeping her tattoo shop closed for the last week since the riots had broken out. If a business was suspected of being run by supernaturals, it was targeted.
Bambi’s herb shop had its windows broken the day after the protests at the schools. The troll had promptly called Cori and warned her not to open up. The gnarly fae was a testy thing, but if she liked you, she protected you. Cori had gotten Melena and Lucas to board up the windows of her shop to protect it, and they’d gotten a mystic to put a “keep away” spell on it. The trick had worked. No one had bothered her place of business, but it meant she and her employees weren’t earning any money. She hoped the troubles wouldn’t go on too long.
A white Toyota Camry came into view, and Cori cursed loudly. She hurried out of the house and waited in the yard, crossing her arms and tapping a foot.
“Mother, you’re here too early,” she said as her guest got out of the car. Joy was a plump woman in her mid-fifties who stood an inch shorter than Cori at 5’4”. She had shoulder-length, curly, gray hair, a pert nose, and more energy than anyone would expect for her age.
“I had to make sure you took it easy in your final weeks,” her mother replied, pulling a large suitcase from the trunk.
Cori arched a brow. “Do you need help with that?”
It looked like it was filled with bricks the way her mother hauled it across the yard. “No, dear. You shouldn’t be lifting anything heavy.”
“I’m not exactly human anymore, Mom. I can handle it.” She tried grabbing the suitcase, but her mother yanked it away.
“Don’t even think about it,” Joy said, giving her daughter a reproachful look. “You can get the front door open for me.”
“Fine.” Cori sighed.
She opened the door and then followed her mother up the stairs to the guest bedroom. When her cabin had to be rebuilt after the fire, Cori’s mother and Melena took it upon themselves to decorate it and buy new furniture. There were three rooms upstairs, including the master and nursery. This one had a queen size bed with an oak frame and a large window behind it that overlooked the front yard. There were also two nightstands and an armoire. They’d put a blue and white checkered quilt on the bed and matching curtains over the window. Other than a couple of scenic prints hanging on the wall, there wasn’t much else to the room. It was simple but welcoming.
Her mother stuffed the suitcase in the closet, then turned to study Cori. “You look tired.”
“I’m in the last weeks of pregnancy. Of course, I’m tired, Mom, but I’m fine.” She loved her mother, but the woman worried too much sometimes.
“Did you eat yet?” Joy asked.
“I had a banana an hour ago.”
She wagged a finger at Cori. “Shame on you. You’ve got a growing baby in there that needs you to eat a nutritional diet.” She started marching out of the room. “I’m going to cook you a big pot of beef stew.”
She followed her mother into the hallway. “I was going to make a chicken salad.”
“The stew will be better,” Joy replied, heading down the stairs.
“How long do you plan to stay, Mom?”
“As long as I’m needed,” she shouted from the living room. She could move fast when she set her mind to it, and at this stage, Cori couldn’t keep up.
“I’m not sure I have everything you need for stew,” she said as she made her way down.
Joy waved a hand, already at the front door. “That’s why I picked up a few things before coming here.”
Within the next half hour, they’d put the groceries away and Cori sat at the kitchen table helping her mom cut up vegetables. “So how are Brenda and her family?”
“Your sister is fine.” Joy grabbed another potato to chop. “She wishes you would call more often.”
Cori only contacted her sister maybe once a month. Brenda was too much like their mother and would nag her about anything and everything. “She’s busy with her kids. I hate to bother her.”
“She’s planning to visit after the baby is born.”
“That’s great,” Cori lied. The last thing she needed was two overbearing women in her house telling her what to do. “But could she wait a couple of months until things settle a bit? There’s a lot of trouble in town now, and it’s bad enough you came.”
