Page 1 of Devil's Embrace
Chapter One
Emory
I smoothed the purple satin of Mina's unicorn costume over her tiny shoulders.The costume had cost me nearly a week's worth of lunches, but the way her blue eyes lit up when she first saw it made every skipped meal worth it.Halloween only came once a year, and at five years old, these were the memories that would stick with her long after she outgrew believing in magic.
"Mama, is my horn straight?"Her small hand reached up to touch the glittery purple unicorn horn attached to the hood of her costume.
"Almost, sweet pea."I adjusted the slightly tilted horn so it stood perfectly upright."There.Now you're the prettiest unicorn in all of Havenview."
I stepped back to admire my handiwork.The rainbow mane cascaded down her back in soft fabric strips of every color.The costume's body was a soft purple that matched the horn, with iridescent details that caught the light of our apartment's dim living room lamp.
"Can I see?"Mina bounced on her toes, already reaching for my hand mirror on the coffee table.
"Hold still just one more second."I fastened the last button at the back of her neck, then handed her the mirror."Okay, now you can look."
Her gasp of delight was all the payment I needed.The pure joy on her face made me forget about the stack of bills waiting on the kitchen counter and the extra shift I'd have to pick up next week to cover them.
I reached for my simple costume—a black headband with fuzzy cat ears—and slipped it on without bothering to check my reflection.Tonight wasn't about me.I'd been planning this evening for weeks, making sure I could get off work on time despite my boss's grumbling.At Reynolds & Associates, no one cared about Halloween, but I stayed late three days in a row so I could leave on time today.
"You're not wearing a real costume?"Mina’s brow furrowed in that serious way that always made her look older than five.
"These are my cat ears."I pointed to the headband."See?I'm a cat mama taking her unicorn trick-or-treating."
She considered this for a moment before nodding in approval."Cats like unicorns."
"They sure do, baby."I smiled, checking my watch.It was just after six.We had a solid two hours before her bedtime, which meant plenty of time to hit the best neighborhoods for candy.
I grabbed my purse from the hook by the door, making a mental checklist as I rummaged through it.House keys, cell phone, small flashlight, tissues, band-aids for unexpected scrapes, and a water bottle.Halloween in Alabama might cool down from summer, but Mina would still get thirsty running from house to house.
"Mama, can I bring Sparkles?"Mina held up her well-loved stuffed unicorn, its once-white fur now gray from years of being dragged everywhere.
"I think Sparkles should stay home tonight, sweet pea.You don't want to lose him, and your candy bag will get pretty heavy."I kneeled down to her level."Besides, you're a real unicorn tonight.You don't need a stuffed one."
She seemed to accept this logic and carefully placed Sparkles on the couch."You guard the house, okay?"she instructed the toy seriously.
I checked the clock again—6:10.Perfect timing to hit the streets just as everyone was setting up.I watched as Mina twirled in a circle, the rainbow mane flying out around her.My smile felt both wide and heavy.I loved seeing her this happy, but the constant weight of being everything for her—mother, father, provider, protector—never fully lifted from my shoulders.
"Look, Mama!I'm magical!"She spun faster, her blonde hair, so similar to my own, peeking out from under the hood.
"You sure are, baby."My chest felt tight with love."The most magical girl in the whole wide world."
I glanced around our small apartment while she continued her unicorn dance.Mina plastered the refrigerator with her masterpieces—stick figures of us, rainbows in every color she could find, and enough unicorns to start a herd.The couch had a worn spot on one cushion where I sat every night after putting her to bed, catching up on bills or mending clothes.The coffee table had a small chip on one corner.I'd bought it secondhand three years ago.
It wasn't much, but it was ours.After Tyler had walked out when I told him I was pregnant at seventeen, I'd sworn I would make a good life for my baby, even if it wasn't the one I'd dreamed of.No one was going to help us—not my parents, who'd made it clear they wanted nothing to do with my "mistake," and certainly not Tyler, who'd blocked my number and moved to another state.
"Mama, why do you look sad?"Mina stopped spinning to study my face.Those striking blue eyes—her father's eyes—saw too much sometimes.
"I'm not sad at all.”I shook off the melancholy."I'm just thinking about how much candy we're gonna get tonight."
"Mrs.Johnson at school said some houses give out full-size candy bars!"Her eyes widened at the prospect.
"Well then, we better make sure we find those houses."I grabbed her light jacket.The unicorn costume was warm, but October evenings in Havenview could get chilly once the sun went down.
"Do you think there'll be other unicorns?"she asked as I helped her into the jacket, careful not to disturb the rainbow mane.
"Maybe.But I bet none of them will be as pretty as you."
"What if there's mean monsters?"Her voice dropped to a whisper.
