She crossed her arms and leaned against the elevator wall. 揑t doesn抰 matter. I抣l figure it out.?
I thought it did matter, but whatever she抎 seen wasn抰 changing her mind about what we were trying to do. I wondered if it was something that might have changed my mind had I seen it with my own eyes. The sound of Atropos抯 scissors clanging in the dark stuck in my head, but no. Nothing would stop me from trying to get my mom back. Fates be damned.
When we pulled into the drive it was almost five in the morning. The sun was just beginning to warm the sky, and I could barely keep my eyes open, but as Marie and Circe climbed the front steps, I hung back.
揧抋ll go ahead,?I said. 揑 need a minute.?I turned and headed toward the rear yard.
揃riseis,?Circe called.
揑抦 okay, I just need a minute.?
I broke into a jog and didn抰 stop until I found myself alone at the high point of the rear yard, right before it sloped away into the tree line. My heart raced, and my palms were slick with sweat. I lay down in the overgrown grass, spread my arms and legs out, and stared up at the deep purple sky. The moon still hung there, like it was waiting to be crowded out by the encroaching marigold glow of dawn. Blades of grass arched toward me, and little puddles of white sprang up in the waning moonlight. Ipomoea alba, the moonflower. The star-shaped blossoms bloomed all around me. Another beautiful, impossible gift. I touched their velvety petals as their vining stems intertwined and made for me a crown of flowers that bloomed in the dark條ike the Heart but without the numbing pain. I felt like I could breathe for the first time in hours.
I lay there until Marie抯 gentle steps sounded on the ground near my head. She didn抰 speak. She just stood watch. I realized I must have looked like I抎 completely lost it, but she didn抰 smile or joke about it. She simply extended her hand, helped me up, and walked me to my room, where I curled up next to Mo and fell into a restless sleep.
CHAPTER 9
The next morning, as Mo went to chat with Circe, I got up and showered, washing bits of grass from my hair. I put on a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, doused my hair in leave-in conditioner, and pulled it into a slicked-up puff. I didn抰 have the energy to do much else, and I fully didn抰 care how busted I looked. Mo was sitting on the edge of my bed when I came out, staring at her phone.
揅irce gave me a rundown of what happened last night.?She didn抰 look up as she spoke. 揑 don抰 even understand half of what she was talking about, but she抯 concerned.?
揑t was梐 lot,?I said.
揧our auntie Leti called. I let it go to voice mail, but she抣l call back. She抯 been calling your mama抯 phone every few hours.?
揥hat are we gonna do??
揥e have to tell her something. Her and Mom are so close. If we keep avoiding her, she might pop up on us. Your granny, too, and I can抰 deal with her right now.?
I pictured my auntie and grandma showing up on the front step. I couldn抰 blame them if they did, but that抯 the last thing we needed. We抎 have to come up with a convincing lie, but the harder thing to think about was what we抎 have to tell them if we couldn抰 get Mom back. I pushed that awful thought out of my head.
揑抣l figure something out,?Mo said. When she looked me over, she smiled. 揑 guess I should probably get myself together, huh??
I sat next to her and put my head on her shoulder. 揂 shower helps a little. And I know you like to keep things all natural, but maybe shave your pits? Looks like you got a German shepherd in a headlock.?
揘ot the look I was goin?for,?she said. She was so completely worn down, and it put an ache in my chest.
I wrapped my arms around her, and we sat together in the quiet as the plants sitting on the hearth outgrew their pots and crawled their way over to me. Mo held out her hand and I willed the vining plants to braid a few of their curled tendrils together. They encircled her wrist then gently broke off, leaving her with a bracelet of folded leaves.
A chorus of angry voices carried up from downstairs.
Mo sighed. 揟hey were arguing while you were in the shower. There抯 something they抮e not telling us, but I don抰 know exactly what it is.?She twisted her locs up on top of her head and massaged her neck. 揂nd I gotta be honest, love. I keep asking myself if this is all some god-awful nightmare. I抳e seen so many things, and it抯 all a little桰 don抰 know梪nbelievable??
揑 get it,?I said, leaning against her shoulder. 揈ven with this power棓 I pointed to the plants vining their way up my leg. 揟he stuff I抦 finding out is even more unreal.?
揥ho you telling??Mo huffed. 揈verybody抯 some kind of immortal? The Heart??She took a deep halting breath. 揑t feels like too much.?