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dream, and it's the same night when Billy got hurt. Elizabet's making me another cup of chocolate,
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and then . . . Elizabet reached for a small box of Mexican chocolate and broke off several pieces,
setting them in the pot to melt.
That yellow and red box . . . Roberta . . .
Kayla felt something tighten inside her, and tears blurred her vision. She rubbed at her eyes, which only
made it worse, as she thought about Roberta and Luisa, and Fernando, and Jose . . .
Elizabet turned. Kayla? What's wrong?
It's, it's just . . . that's the same chocolate that Roberta made for me. Roberta, she's dead now. . . . I
thought she was such a bitch, but she was nice to me, and they killed her, she's dead now. . . . It was
hitting her all at once, all the shock and anger and terrors of the last few days, falling down on her like a
wave. She couldn't keep from sobbing. And Ramon, they tried to kill him, they shot Fernando right in
front of me, I couldn't do anything to help him . . .
Elizabet knelt next to Kayla, putting her arms around her. Kayla felt her tears soaking into Elizabet's
blouse. Elizabet didn't say anything, only held her.
I'm . . . I'm okay, Kayla said, after a few minutes. Really, I'm okay.
Do you want to talk about it?
Kayla thought about everything that had happened and nodded. She told Elizabet what had happened
from the moment that Carlos and his friends had broken into Elizabet's house to get her, and what had
happened to her with the homeboys. And the strangeness of the Unseelie's world, and how she'd saved
the life of their Queen though, thinking about it, she wasn't certain that anybody except the Queen
herself was going to benefit from that. And how the T-Men had come after them at the apartment, and . .
.
I should tell her. I should just tell her what happened.
What is it, child? Elizabet asked, as though reading her thoughts which she probably was,Kayla
reflected wryly.
Something happened tonight, Kayla began hesitantly. Something really awful.
Elizabet listened as Kayla told her what had happened earlier that night at the apartment. She felt her
stomach turn over and took several deep breaths as she described what she had done to the young man,
the T-Man who had nearly died.
Elizabet was silent for a long time after Kayla finished the story. I should be saying I told you so, she
said, but you know that already, don't you? The magic within you doesn't have a conscience of its own.
You can hurt people or help them. You're the one who has to decide which.
Yes, but . . . But I couldn't stop it, Kayla said. I couldn't do anything about it.
You'll have to learn to control it, Elizabet said. The magic isn't going to go away. It's a part of you
now, a part of what makes you yourself. Right now, your magic is as dangerous as a loaded shotgun in
the hands of a three-year-old. But we can change that. She glanced up quickly. Oh Lord, the chocolate
is burning! Elizabet moved quickly to the stove, turning off the burner as the room filled with the smell of
Page 110
burnt chocolate.
So much for the hot cocoa, she said, returning to the table.
What do you mean, we can change that? Kayla asked, wrinkling her nose at the burnt smell. She
yawned and rubbed at her eyes.
Elizabet smiled. My grandmother, she was the one who taught me. Of course, my talent isn't anything
compared to yours, but I should be able to teach you a few things that she taught me. Gram was an
amazing lady. I wish you could have met her. She looked up at the clock as Kayla yawned again. It's
definitely past your bedtime, though, she said. We'll talk more about this in the morning.
Kayla hesitated for a moment at the open door to the spare bedroom. She stood there, toweling her hair
dry and wiping the last of the water from her face. Looking into the bedroom, it really did feel as though
the last few days hadn't happened at all. There was the bed, still slightly rumpled from when she'd been
reading a book the night that Carlos and Ramon had come to the house. In a way, it feels like a dream,
she thought. Like I'm waking up from an awful nightmare. But now it's okay, I'm home. She
stopped short at that thought.
Home? I guess that's what this is now. It feels like home. And Elizabet? I don't think she'll ever be
like my mother. I don't think I'll ever feel she's my parent, but my friend, definitely my teacher.
Someone who can help me figure all of this out and make sense from my life.
She put on a pair of pajamas and, on an impulse, moved to the bookshelf that lined one wall of the small
bedroom. Just as she'd hoped, there it was: the book about the dragons. Smiling, she took it back to bed
with her, opening up to the page where she'd stopped reading before.
She awakened with a start at some noise she couldn't identify. The room was still dark, with only a hint
of light filtering in through the closed curtains. She reached out, and her hand brushed against the novel on
the pillow next to her, lying where she'd left it before she fell asleep. She heard another sound, a rustling
of the bedsheets. Someone was in the room with her no, someone was sitting on the edge of the bed. .
. .
She picked up the book and threw it hard in the direction of the noise.
She could see the person now, a dim outline in the faint light. The book flew through the air and then
through the person, bouncing off the far wall.
Oh no . . . it's something magical again, I know it, it's something magical . . . can't I even get a
night's sleep without something weird happening around me?
That ain't very polite, girl, the person said with a laugh, in a woman's low, rich voice, heavy with a
Southern accent. I would think that Elizabet might've taught you better manners. Then again, you ain't
been Elizabet's ward for very long now, eh? Just a couple days? She stood and moved closer. Kayla
blinked.
The old woman, her wrinkled black face creased with a broad smile, was only an outline of pale blue
Page 111 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
dream, and it's the same night when Billy got hurt. Elizabet's making me another cup of chocolate,
Page 109
and then . . . Elizabet reached for a small box of Mexican chocolate and broke off several pieces,
setting them in the pot to melt.
That yellow and red box . . . Roberta . . .
Kayla felt something tighten inside her, and tears blurred her vision. She rubbed at her eyes, which only
made it worse, as she thought about Roberta and Luisa, and Fernando, and Jose . . .
Elizabet turned. Kayla? What's wrong?
It's, it's just . . . that's the same chocolate that Roberta made for me. Roberta, she's dead now. . . . I
thought she was such a bitch, but she was nice to me, and they killed her, she's dead now. . . . It was
hitting her all at once, all the shock and anger and terrors of the last few days, falling down on her like a
wave. She couldn't keep from sobbing. And Ramon, they tried to kill him, they shot Fernando right in
front of me, I couldn't do anything to help him . . .
Elizabet knelt next to Kayla, putting her arms around her. Kayla felt her tears soaking into Elizabet's
blouse. Elizabet didn't say anything, only held her.
I'm . . . I'm okay, Kayla said, after a few minutes. Really, I'm okay.
Do you want to talk about it?
Kayla thought about everything that had happened and nodded. She told Elizabet what had happened
from the moment that Carlos and his friends had broken into Elizabet's house to get her, and what had
happened to her with the homeboys. And the strangeness of the Unseelie's world, and how she'd saved
the life of their Queen though, thinking about it, she wasn't certain that anybody except the Queen
herself was going to benefit from that. And how the T-Men had come after them at the apartment, and . .
.
I should tell her. I should just tell her what happened.
What is it, child? Elizabet asked, as though reading her thoughts which she probably was,Kayla
reflected wryly.
Something happened tonight, Kayla began hesitantly. Something really awful.
Elizabet listened as Kayla told her what had happened earlier that night at the apartment. She felt her
stomach turn over and took several deep breaths as she described what she had done to the young man,
the T-Man who had nearly died.
Elizabet was silent for a long time after Kayla finished the story. I should be saying I told you so, she
said, but you know that already, don't you? The magic within you doesn't have a conscience of its own.
You can hurt people or help them. You're the one who has to decide which.
Yes, but . . . But I couldn't stop it, Kayla said. I couldn't do anything about it.
You'll have to learn to control it, Elizabet said. The magic isn't going to go away. It's a part of you
now, a part of what makes you yourself. Right now, your magic is as dangerous as a loaded shotgun in
the hands of a three-year-old. But we can change that. She glanced up quickly. Oh Lord, the chocolate
is burning! Elizabet moved quickly to the stove, turning off the burner as the room filled with the smell of
Page 110
burnt chocolate.
So much for the hot cocoa, she said, returning to the table.
What do you mean, we can change that? Kayla asked, wrinkling her nose at the burnt smell. She
yawned and rubbed at her eyes.
Elizabet smiled. My grandmother, she was the one who taught me. Of course, my talent isn't anything
compared to yours, but I should be able to teach you a few things that she taught me. Gram was an
amazing lady. I wish you could have met her. She looked up at the clock as Kayla yawned again. It's
definitely past your bedtime, though, she said. We'll talk more about this in the morning.
Kayla hesitated for a moment at the open door to the spare bedroom. She stood there, toweling her hair
dry and wiping the last of the water from her face. Looking into the bedroom, it really did feel as though
the last few days hadn't happened at all. There was the bed, still slightly rumpled from when she'd been
reading a book the night that Carlos and Ramon had come to the house. In a way, it feels like a dream,
she thought. Like I'm waking up from an awful nightmare. But now it's okay, I'm home. She
stopped short at that thought.
Home? I guess that's what this is now. It feels like home. And Elizabet? I don't think she'll ever be
like my mother. I don't think I'll ever feel she's my parent, but my friend, definitely my teacher.
Someone who can help me figure all of this out and make sense from my life.
She put on a pair of pajamas and, on an impulse, moved to the bookshelf that lined one wall of the small
bedroom. Just as she'd hoped, there it was: the book about the dragons. Smiling, she took it back to bed
with her, opening up to the page where she'd stopped reading before.
She awakened with a start at some noise she couldn't identify. The room was still dark, with only a hint
of light filtering in through the closed curtains. She reached out, and her hand brushed against the novel on
the pillow next to her, lying where she'd left it before she fell asleep. She heard another sound, a rustling
of the bedsheets. Someone was in the room with her no, someone was sitting on the edge of the bed. .
. .
She picked up the book and threw it hard in the direction of the noise.
She could see the person now, a dim outline in the faint light. The book flew through the air and then
through the person, bouncing off the far wall.
Oh no . . . it's something magical again, I know it, it's something magical . . . can't I even get a
night's sleep without something weird happening around me?
That ain't very polite, girl, the person said with a laugh, in a woman's low, rich voice, heavy with a
Southern accent. I would think that Elizabet might've taught you better manners. Then again, you ain't
been Elizabet's ward for very long now, eh? Just a couple days? She stood and moved closer. Kayla
blinked.
The old woman, her wrinkled black face creased with a broad smile, was only an outline of pale blue
Page 111 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
