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“I’m not really in that place right now, Dad,” he insisted. “Give me a couple of days to process, all right?”
Lucas winced as he shifted his weight. Jay looked down and seemed to notice his condition for the first time. Of course, because all he ever thought about was himself. Why should I be surprised?
“Maybe we can celebrate,” Margo suggested, like they were one big happy family.
“Mom, I’m not—” Lucas started
“That’s a great idea,” Jay interrupted. “Why don’t you come by for dinner tomorrow night? Bring your girlfriend. Your mother can make that famous clam chowder she’s so well known for.”
It baffled me why he would suggest such a thing. A few days ago, it sounded like he was ready to disown Lucas. But that was before our verdict was read.
Lucas looked at me, and I saw sadness in his eyes. It seemed that all he wanted was approval from his parents. I squeezed his hand tightly and told him, “I’ll go wherever you go. It’s up to you.”
Lucas turned back to them. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jay looked pleased as he walked away with his wife. Lucas turned to me and wrapped an arm around my waist. He kissed my forehead and closed his eyes as he pulled me close.
“I wasn’t sure you’d tell them yes,” I said. “Why did you?”
Lucas looked thoughtful, like he wasn’t really sure. “I guess I figure my parents must feel remorse for how they treated me. Now that they have a clear answer from Mother Miriam, it seems they want to make amends. I just wished they would’ve believed me sooner. Part of me wanted to tell them to fuck off, but the child inside of me still wants their approval. I want to hear an apology.”
“Will that really make you feel any better?” I wondered. “It won’t change the past.”
“No, but… maybe that’s not the point,” Lucas said. “I can’t explain it, but I need to do this. I’m ready to move on, and if I’m going to do that, I have to say goodbye.”
“Thank the Goddess! I thought you were dead!” a voice came from nearby. I looked up to see Verla rushing down the courthouse stairs.
She was followed by the others—Talia, Grant, Miles, and Professor Warren. They’d all been set free.
“You’re alive!” Talia cried.
Grant took in our sopping wet forms. “What happened to you?”
“Let’s get them someplace dry and warm, then we’ll talk about it,” Verla suggested.
We took separate cars and drove to Verla’s, where we’d be safe for the night. Lucas and I rode with the headmistress. She kept a blanket in her car, and Lucas wrapped it around the both of us. He kept his arms around me as we climbed the front steps. I couldn’t stop shivering.
The three of us entered the door, and my stomach dropped out of my abdomen. Everly lay on the ground in the front hall, gasping for air. The veins in her neck had turned black, and it looked as if the magic was choking her.
“Dear Goddess!” Verla rushed to her side. Everly began to thrash, like she was having a seizure.
“What’s going on?” I demanded. “You gave her the antidote, didn’t you!?”
“Of course I did!” Verla cried. She checked Everly’s airways, and when she didn’t find anything blocking them, she ripped open Everly’s shirt to inspect the magic. My guts clenched when I saw the black lines all over her chest.
I quickly knelt beside her and placed my hand on her chest. My magic wasn’t a hundred percent yet, but I could feel bits and pieces of the curse working its way through her system.
“The scaleweed must’ve been fake!” Verla panicked. She rushed to a hutch in the hall filled with alchemy ingredients. She frantically searched for something to help, tossing boxes and canisters to the floor. Potion ingredients and bottles rolled across the hardwood where Everly lay.
Everly grabbed my wrists and yanked me toward her. She gasped in my ear, but I couldn’t tell what she was trying to say. “D—do…”
Her voice faded, and her hands went limp. Her head tilted to the side, and her eyes stared ahead lifelessly.
“Everly!” I screamed. I shook her to get her to wake, but she didn’t move.
Lucas knelt beside me and curled me in his arms. “It’s too late,” he whispered.
I curled into him. How could this happen? After everything Lucas had risked to get her treatment, how could it fail?
