Chasing Power (39 page)

Amanda pulled away. “You expect me to believe that? You were ‘finding yourself’?”

“I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for so much of your childhood. I am truly, deeply, honestly sorry.” Her eyes were wet, and her voice had so much sincerity in it that Kayla could almost taste it in the back of her throat.

Amanda seemed to hesitate. “I want …”

“What do you want?” Moonbeam’s voice was gentle, motherly. “Tell me.”

“I want you to never speak to me again.”

“You don’t mean that,” Moonbeam said, taking her hands. “I’m your mother. I want to fix this, fix us. We have the chance to learn to be a family again.”
Okay, now that is laying it on too thick
, Kayla thought. After all, Amanda had just tried to kill Dad, whom she purportedly loved.

Beyond them, Kayla noticed Queen Marguerite lowering herself onto the grass. She picked up the stone and then looked at Kayla, as if to make sure that Kayla was watching her. Hidden from Amanda by the folds of her billowy skirt, the queen fit the stone inside the broken garden gnome and then set the gnome upright.

Amanda turned back to Kayla. “I tried to shoot you. Are you on board with all this lovey-dovey forgiveness?”

Kayla shrugged. “Personally, I think you’re a psychopath. Or sociopath. I don’t really know the difference. Regardless of the diagnosis, I think you need years of therapy before we can have a normal relationship.”

“Or you can come with me right now and we can be a team,” Amanda said. She lowered the bench to the ground and took a step toward Kayla, her hand outstretched.

“Exactly what part of ‘I think you’re a psychopath’ was unclear?”

Moonbeam shook her head. “Kayla, you aren’t helping.”

Amanda pivoted to glare at her. Kayla noticed that the hedges were trembling, as if the wind had increased, except that it hadn’t. “At least she’s being honest! At least she isn’t trying to trick me!”

Kayla took that as a somewhat ironic cue. Reaching into the cottage with her mind, she drew the candle flame to the wick in
the oil. It began to burn, and smoke tendriled up. She then yanked the prayer scarves out the window. Snaking them down the side of the cottage, she drew them over the lawn to just behind Amanda.

“Enough talking,” Amanda said. The hedges shook harder.

Kayla agreed. Whether Moonbeam was ready or not, it was time. Kayla flew the scarves up around Amanda’s eyes. As she clawed at them, Kayla guided the smoke out the window and toward Amanda’s face.

The walls of the cottage began to shake, as if in an earthquake.
Crack
. Plaster split. Kayla fell to her knees, landing hard on the quaking grass, but she held the flame to the incense, keeping it from spilling, as she wafted the smoke into Amanda’s mouth.

Both Moonbeam and Queen Marguerite began to chant.

The amulets around Moonbeam’s neck began to glow, as well as the blue-eye necklace that Kayla wore. They were echoed by the protective stones that circled the house—each of them glowed with a soft, moonlike white light. Slowly, the earth began to steady. Kayla kept up the flow of smoke, forcing it into her sister’s mouth and nose. She also kept the scarves over her eyes so Amanda couldn’t see to attack.

Amanda’s knees buckled.

She pitched forward as the earthquake died.

Moonbeam caught her. She sank to the ground with Amanda in her arms. The stones and the amulets ceased glowing. “My poor sweet baby,” Moonbeam murmured.

The walls of the cottage were cracked. The roof had a split in it that traveled across the shingles. In the garden, all the chimes were strewn on the lawn, and the gate had been ripped from its
hinges. Kayla continued to funnel the smoke into her sister’s mouth until Queen Marguerite put her hand on Kayla’s shoulder. “Enough,” she said gently.

Reaching with her mind, Kayla snuffed the flame. The smoke died, and the wisps dissipated into the air. She released the scarves as well.

“I’m so sorry,” Moonbeam said softly. She held Amanda for a moment more and then lowered her onto the grass. Amanda’s chest rose and fell. The scarves had slipped from her closed eyes and lay loosely across her neck. Her mouth had fallen slightly open. She looked so peaceful.

Kayla liked her much better this way.

“You really think
she
can be part of a functional family?” Kayla asked.

“It will take work.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I may have pushed a bit too hard too fast.”

“Did you honestly expect her to hug you and say ‘I’ll forgive you, let’s go shopping for shoes and forget this ever happened—oh, and sorry about nearly shooting my father, drowning my mother, and trying to kill my sister in at least three different ways’?”

Moonbeam sighed. “Honestly, no. But it did distract her, and we’ve bought ourselves some time. For now, until we decide to wake her, it’s over.”

Queen Marguerite coughed lightly. “Not quite over yet. There’s the little matter of your ex-husband. He might not like our plans for fixing his darling daughter.”

“Then perhaps it’s time for him and me to have a talk.” Moonbeam drew herself straighter, and Kayla stared at
her as if seeing her for the first time. She sounded so confident, and she looked so very strong and sure. “Kayla and I can handle him.”

Kayla was fairly certain nothing could shock her anymore. “Mom?”

Moonbeam smiled at her, albeit sadly. “You’re powerful. More powerful than I imagined. And I have been clipping your wings, keeping you caged, all those metaphors and more. I think it’s time I trust you a little, don’t you?”

Nodding slowly, Kayla didn’t know what to say.

“Bring him here,” Moonbeam ordered.

Kneeling next to Amanda, Moonbeam gently unwrapped the scarves that lay across her neck. Kayla joined her, took the strings of prayer scarves, and began to tie them around Amanda’s wrists and ankles. “You don’t need to … ,” Moonbeam began.

Looking at her with her eyebrows raised, Kayla tightened the knots. “I thought you believed that magic is evil. Are you sure about this? You’re sacrificing your future to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.”

Moonbeam studied Kayla for a minute before speaking. “Do you remember when you were little how we used to play on the beach?”

“Sure. We used to go all the time.”

“I’d make you wear sunscreen, and you hated it.”

“Still hate the stuff. But at least the spray is quicker. Why are we talking about this?” Crossing the garden, Kayla uprighted the bench and put it back by the hedges. She picked up one of the broken chimes. It used to have a glass globe in the center. The globe was shattered all over the ground. She scooted the
broken shards into a pile with her foot. “Shouldn’t we be planning for Dad? Queen Marguerite will be back soon.” Maybe she could use the shards of glass as a weapon. She tested lifting one into the air with her mind. It was light enough. Concentrating, she picked up several at once.

“You used to make sand castles, just using your mind, and I let you. You’d make these magnificently beautiful towers with arches and pillars. You’d use shells to be the knights and princesses, and we’d play for hours.”

“You let me use magic? I don’t remember that.”

“It was beautiful, and you were so happy.” Moonbeam pushed herself to her feet. “I’ve made mistakes, Kayla. And I intend to fix as many of them as I can.”

Before Kayla could decide how she felt about this pronouncement, Queen Marguerite returned. This time she had Kayla’s father. He dropped to his knees on the grass beside the unconscious Amanda.

“Amanda!” he cried. “Amanda, can you hear me? Are you okay, baby?” Scooping her into his arms, he cradled her against his chest. “What did you do to her?”

Moonbeam crossed her arms, looking more fierce than Kayla had ever seen her look. “The key question is, What did
you
do to her?”

“Well, I think you three have a lot to talk about,” Queen Marguerite said brightly. “I’ll be inside. Give a shout if you need him taken to Timbuktu.” She headed for the house and opened the door. “Ooh, what a mess. I’ll do a little cleanup while you three chat. I owe Kayla a cleaning.” She ducked inside without waiting for a response.

Kayla held the shards of glass in midair, ready. If he so much as said one word of a spell, she’d make them fly. Crossing her arms, she waited to see what her parents would do.

Moonbeam knelt in front of him. “Oh, Jack.”

“What did you do to her?” he demanded again.

“She’s asleep.” Moonbeam sighed heavily. “How did we come to this?”

“You left,” he said.

Kayla walked closer, bringing the shards with her. “That was a rhetorical question. After seeing the result of your parenting style, I’m pretty convinced she had cause.”

“Jack,” Moonbeam said. “Remember when we were younger? We had all these plans to change the world. Protect the weak. Help the helpless.”

“Of course I remember. You walked out on all of that.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, Jack. It stopped being about that long before I left. You wanted to mold our children into living weapons, not because it was right for them or because you wanted to help anyone. You wanted it for you, to prove you weren’t that scared little boy anymore.”

“They had power!”

“So? They were children who deserved childhoods.”

Looking down at Amanda, he seemed to deflate. “It went wrong. I don’t know where or when. I did my best. I swear I did. I only wanted her to live up to her potential, to be strong, to be someone no one could ever tear down. But Amanda …”

“Taking away her power isn’t going to fix her. It isn’t the power that’s broken; it’s her.”

There were tears in his eyes. Actual tears. “I didn’t mean to break her.”

“But you did.” Her voice was soft, kind. She looked up at Kayla. “Kayla, I am so very sorry. I should have told you the truth. At first, you were too young to understand. And then, I’d lied for so long that I didn’t know how to tell you the truth.”

“I’ll forgive you eventually. But what do we do with him?”

“We don’t do anything.
He
leaves us alone,” Moonbeam said. There was steel in her voice, the same as when she’d grounded Kayla. “Won’t you, Jack?”

“But Amanda needs me!”

“She needs anyone but you right now. You won’t come near us ever again, Jack. Do you understand me? Don’t seek us out. Don’t find us. I intend to fix what you broke.”

“Let me help,” Jack said.

Firmly, Moonbeam said, “No. It’s my turn now. Your idea of fixing things involves guns and knives. That doesn’t work for me.”

“I’ll find you,” Jack said. “I’ll always find you. I still love you. After everything. We’re meant to be together, Lorelei. We can work through this.”

Kayla came closer to them. “See, you think that sounds romantic, but it’s just crazy stalker talk. Moonbeam said no. So did I. We don’t want you in our lives. And if we catch you near us … Scratch that, if
I
catch you …” She guided the shards of glass toward him, grazing his skin—not close enough to cut but close enough for him to feel the tickle of the sharp edges. “Amanda may have brute strength, but I have precision. And I’m much smarter than she is. You’ve pissed me off too many times already. Don’t do it again.”

“Are you threatening your own father?” her dad asked.

“Yes, absolutely. Weren’t you listening? Honestly, I thought I
was being pretty clear.” Kayla looked at her mother. “You’re threatening him too, right?”

“Yes, indeed.” Moonbeam reached toward him. He flinched, instinctively turning his head away. She plucked several strands of his hair. “I will be making a doll with this. And not for your protection. I will use it if I have to.” She tucked the hairs into the pocket of her dress.

“You wouldn’t—”

“You went too far. You always do. But I’m done being afraid of you, Jack,” Moonbeam said. “And I’m done with you.” She called to Queen Marguerite. “You can take him away.”

Queen Marguerite came outside, the door banging behind her. It half hung off the doorframe. The entire house was tilted, shifted off its foundation. It looked as if a stiff wind would blow it over. “Gladly! Where would you like me to take him?”

“Tikal,” Kayla suggested. “Tell the archaeologists that he’s the one who’s responsible for the cave-in, and he’s offered to pay for the damages to their national treasure.”

“Delightful,” Queen Marguerite said. “I like how your mind works, child.”

“Wait, that’s it?” Jack said. “You’re sending me away just like that? No further discussion? But … I can change! I have already changed!”

“Oh, Jack, you haven’t changed,” Moonbeam said sadly. “You’re still that little boy who’s afraid his daddy will hurt him again. Only now, the monster you’re afraid of is one you created, your own daughter.”

His jaw clenched, and his face reddened. He opened his mouth to reply, but Moonbeam cut him off.

“You made your choices, and I made mine. We can’t erase
what’s happened between us, or what we’ve done. We have to live with it. And I choose not to live in fear anymore. Come for us again, and I won’t flee. I will fight you.”

“But my daughter—”

“Needs help,” Moonbeam said. “You know I won’t hurt her, Jack. I want to help her.”

“You’ll turn her against me! Like you turned Katie.”

“You did that all by yourself,” Kayla said. “You told Amanda to cause that cave-in, didn’t you? And you left me in that tomb in Peru, not knowing whether Daniel would live or die, not knowing whether I’d survive. Then to top it off, you kidnapped my mother and Daniel’s mother and were perfectly content to sacrifice either one of them because you thought you were right—you thought the stones would fix Amanda and grant you your dream all in one shot, never mind the price, which, by the way, would have affected me too. Did you ever even ask me if I wanted to lose my magic? It’s part of me, who I am! Even if Moonbeam forgave you, I think I have plenty of my own reasons to decide you’re evil.”

Dad’s face paled more with each word she said. “But I didn’t think you—”

“Exactly. You didn’t think of me. You thought of yourself. Your fear, your pain, your mistakes, your solutions. And this is the cost.” Kayla looked at Queen Marguerite. “I’m done with this conversation. Please take him away.”