Page 106 of Summoned
“I haven’t seen him this angry in a long time. I think the Deliberovs might’ve pulled out of the deal…” A dark surge of satisfaction spreads inside me. “Please, Nicole. Pack a bag and disappear. Wait for the storm to pass.” She reaches into the pocket of her robe and pulls out my ID and a wad of cash.
I lower my gaze to her outstretched hand. Is my mother…trying to help me?
“I’m sure he’ll calm down soon, but it’s better if you stay with a friend for a while…”
Is she really worried about me?
I glance at the crumpled bills.She still thinks money can save me.How could I ever tell her that even if I escape my father, nothing can save me from the Black Joker?
“Please, Niki…” she whispers.
My mind drifts to the illusion in the cave—my father humiliating me; my mother trying to protect me.Did I feel her support in my heart all along? Or had I only been hoping for it?
She presses the money into my hand. “Where will you go? To Boyana’s? No… It’s better you don’t tell me.”
My heart stirs for a second. I don’t know why, but I say, “Mom… Boyana’s not my friend.”
A flash of surprise crosses her expression. Perhaps the same confusion I also feel. I step closer than I’ve dared in years. Shadows from Gaetano’s castle flit through my mind. My throat burns with all the words I’ve never spoken. “If I leave now, I probably won’t come back.”
My mother closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again, they’re red-rimmed but clearer than ever. “I understand. I knew it was a matter of time. You were never the type to give in. You’ve always been so strong…”
My breath catches in my chest. She thinks I’m strong?
All this time, I’d believed she saw nothing in me, that I was just part of the stage my father directed. Now, her words flicker through my mind like fireflies in the dark.
Without saying a word, she hugs me. Her touch is tentative at first, then her arms wrap around me with resolve. Her presence eases the tension in my throat. She smells familiar, a scent that takes me back years, when her embrace used to feel like home. She holds me tighter, then pulls away. “There’s no time. I’m afraid if you stay, he’ll force you to marry thatrevoltingDaniel…”
How do I tell her he can’t force me, because I won’t exist a week from now? I can’t.
“Take a taxi! He’s having your car watched.”
Her unexpected warmth lingers on my skin. For a fleeting moment, it overpowers my need for pain, for thecruel comfort of my father’s contempt.
At last, I let my emotions break through the dark shell around my soul. I rush to the wardrobe and grab a small duffel bag, hands trembling as I stuff it with whatever clothes I get my hands on. I scan the room, looking for anything else I might need. My phone’s probably still with my father.
I shift my focus to the desk, pausing for a moment. Holding my bag, I hurry over and crawl underneath it. Pushing aside the hanging fabric, I find it: the dagger I threw earlier. Without letting my mother see, I slip it into the bag. I don’t know exactly what this object is, but I can’t risk leaving it behind for my mother or one of the maids to stumble upon and somehow end up teleported to Gaetano’s castle.
On my way out the door, I touch my mom’s shoulder. “Thank you, Mom.”
She nods. My strength has left me, and I can barely move my legs. Yet, I sprint down the stairs, each step echoing through the quiet house.
Outside, the blazing sunlight hits my face, blinding me for a moment. I pause in the middle of the street to catch my breath, while the world keeps moving. I glance back at the house. There, behind the sheer curtain of my bedroom window, my mother stands.
I can’t escape, but let her believe I have. Let her feel she made a difference, that I disappeared by choice,with strength, not fear. It’s better this way than leaving her as a mother grieving for a daughter lost to shadows.
As I walk down the street, an idea comes to mind. Mom’s determination could actually help save a life. Pain has clouded my judgment for too long to see it until now.
* **
Daria opens the door. “Nicole! You’re driving me crazy, girl! You haven’t answered your phone in two days. I was about to head over to your place. You said you’d made it through the second trial, and then I heard nothing—” Her gaze flicks to the duffel bag in my hand. “Niki…” she whispers. “Come in. We’ll grab some ice cream, and you can fill me in.”
I swallow the lump rising in my throat. “I’m not here for support, but to apologize.”
“Apologize? What are you talking about?”
I have to say it. “You can’t beat the Black Joker, Daria. It’s not possible. By the end of the year, he’ll take your soul.”
Maybe more than that. I picture him dragging her into the castle. I envision her in his arms, eyes full of naïve trust. The thought of him doing to her everything he did to me sparks a hot, poisonous jealousy in my chest…
