Bewitched (Betwixt & Between #2) - Darynda Jones Page 0,12

Into them. Not have them thrust upon you out of the blue. I didn’t realize what that would do to you.”

“It’s not your fault, Ruthie.” And that wasn’t. It was the other stuff . . .

She stilled for a moment, the slightest wince crossing her face as though I’d hurt her. It had meant a lot to her, before, when I’d called her Grandma and then finally Gigi. But either way, she was simply Ruthie at the moment. Delightful and elegant and strong but still Ruthie.

Like maybe she understood that, she recovered with a quick shake of her silver bob. “I think thrusting this upon you was like putting a bomb into a steel box to let it explode safely.”

Not quite following, I frowned at her.

“If the metal isn’t properly conditioned, the bomb will destroy the box regardless. The steel has to be heated, forged in fire, to be able to withstand the immense pressure of the explosion. I think that’s what happened to you. You haven’t been properly conditioned, and we just tossed all that power into you with no fortification and no release valve.”

“Maybe that explains why I’ve never done well under pressure.” My joke fell flat.

She stood and rounded the table. “But you didn’t explode. The magics didn’t destroy you. They nourished you. They shaped you. Just like the fires of a blacksmith, they made you stronger.”

Percy squeezed my hand with the vines as though he agreed.

Ruthie studied me. “I can feel it emanating out of you. You’re like a huge ball of energy seeking an outlet, and—”

“You’re wrong.”

Her gaze returned to mine. “I’m wrong?”

“Yes. You’re wrong.” I pulled my hand away from Percy’s embrace. Lying to her would be harder than lying to Annette. “They’re gone.”

Her forehead creased. “What are gone, sweetheart?”

I bit down, then lifted my chin and charged forward. “My powers. I don’t have them anymore.”

She laughed in disbelief. “Defiance, I can feel them from here.”

Of course she could. She saw things Nette didn’t. “I don’t know what you’re feeling, but it’s not my powers. They’re gone.” Was there a way to hide them from her? I’d have to look into that.

“No.” She shook her head, confused. “No, they can’t be gone. You’d be dead.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” I lifted a hapless shoulder. “They took the midnight train going anywhere. Thus, there’s no reason for me to stay.” And so many for me to go. I saw what my words did to her, the distress they caused, yet still I pressed forward, like the cold-hearted bitch I’d never been. But it had to done. “I’m moving back to Arizona as soon as I can.”

She gaped at me. “But . . . but your dads are here.” Her expression almost broke my resolve. “And Annette. And . . . and Roane.”

“I’ll tell them tonight,” I said.

“You just need to practice. To get stronger.” She lowered her voice. “They will come for you.”

“Oh, right. The big bad wolf.”

“No, he’s next door,” she said, only half teasing.

“Let them.”

“Defiance, you must take this seriously. The most we did by dispersing your aura was buy you some time. You must be ready.” Her voice cracked, and she turned away again.

I fought the sting at the backs of my eyes. “I’ll be gone by the end of the week. But first, I would like an explanation.”

She settled back onto the stool and kept her gaze downcast. “I suppose you’d like the whole story.”

My stomach flip-flopped. I reached down, let a vine wrap around my wrist, tangle into my fingers, and braced myself. “I would like the whys and wherefores, yes.”

Ruthie nodded. “Do you remember the video I showed you of you finding Roane when you were three?”

I nodded. Now we were getting somewhere. “And I was three when my mother died.”

She nodded in turn. “That night we had no idea you’d performed more than a simple reveal spell. We didn’t know, and quite frankly wouldn’t find out for years, that you’d actually transformed a wolf into a boy.”

“Who’s now a shapeshifter.” If we were being honest, I was still in awe over the whole thing.

“Exactly. But you fell asleep that night. We knew instantly you were in a suspended animation. It was the third time it had happened to you, so when a couple of days passed, we weren’t terribly worried. Still, someone always stayed with you.” Ruthie’s eyes glistened in the gaslight. “Your mother insisted she would watch over you when I went to sabbath.” She