Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell) - By Jenn Bennett Page 0,10
way too much tape. Her face relaxed when she read the sloppy, hand-printed label. “A present from Jupe?”
“He says you can’t open it before Christmas.”
She shook it near her ear and grinned. “What is it?”
“Not telling, but it’s pretty sweet.”
“I have to know. Don’t tell him I opened it early.” She tore into the wrapping and pulled out a small wooden box. Inside sat a small figurine carved from wood: a beautiful but strange female with long robes and a gold and silver mask painted over her face. “It’s a traditional Chinese opera character,” she said in small voice. “My mother loves the opera.”
“Jupe said gold and silver would be someone supernatural. A demon.”
She turned it in her hands, seeing the green disk that had been placed over the crown of the figure’s head. “It represents me.” As she grinned, two deep dimples appeared in her cheeks.
“He ordered it from someone in San Francisco who makes them.”
“I love it! What a nice gift.” Her smile faltered. “Now I have to get him something?”
“It would be the polite thing to do, yes.”
“What do I know about teenage boys?”
“Enough to encourage this stupid infatuation, apparently,” I complained.
“He realizes I’m teasing about the ‘boyfriend’ comments.”
“You know he’s using one of those pictures he took of you on the boat last month as the screensaver on his laptop? God only knows what else he’s done with it. Probably photoshopped your head onto some porn star’s body.”
Her thin lips tilted in a slow smile.
“It’s not funny,” I said. “Get him a movie gift card. His feelings are going to be crushed if you don’t do something.”
She dropped Jupe’s present inside the pocket of her gold and black coat. “Technically, my dad is Jewish, you know. I am under no obligation to participate in this holiday.”
“I thought Judaism was passed down through the mother.”
“Well, my mother is a Taoist, so I’m covered either way.”
“You said your mother always puts up a Christmas tree in Hong Kong!”
She sighed heavily. “Can’t you just put my name on a gift you’ve already bought? I’ll pay you back.”
“Maybe if you tell me more about this ‘surprise.’ ”
“No can do. I’m the official secret-keeper. Jupiter trusts me.”
I muttered to myself, but was reminded about a certain secret of my own that I needed to spill. I had no idea how she was going to react; even if Lon thought she’d accept my real history, I wasn’t completely convinced. I’d been lying to her for years. Had plenty of chances to come clean, but never did. I was worried that she’d hate me for keeping the lie alive so long, but I was terrified that she’d be so disgusted by the truth that she’d want nothing more to do with me.
But I couldn’t risk Dare telling her first. And, you know, since I’d conjured that vision of my mother on the beach—if it really was a just a figment of my Heka-soaked brain—maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me to stop running.
To move on.
“Hey, I need to talk to you about something,” I said, a little nervous.
“Oh?”
“Maybe after closing, we can go grab some food at Black Cherry . . .” I began, but my words trailed away when I noticed the Santa’s Village rejects had stopped at the end of the bar. The big-eared elf boy had a pale green halo and was anxiously looking around while his reindeer friend—who sported a military buzz cut under fuzzy antler head boppers—hoisted his backpack onto a barstool and unzipped it. Looked like he had a big metal can inside.
“What the hell is that smell?” Kar Yee said. “Is something burning?”
Shit. My new protective wards around the door. The sigils were glowing like embers. Not exactly a blaring warning. Guess that’s what I got for experimenting with unknown magick.
My focus flew to the costumed kids. Reindeer Boy stuck a small metal bar at the edge of the can. He was prying a lid off.
A paint can? Panic raced down my spine.
“Hey!” I shouted, striding toward him. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Hurry!” the elf said as he unzipped his coat and pulled up a pair of bulky black goggles hanging around his neck.
The silver can floated up from the open backpack into the air. Telekinesis. I saw it all the time in the bar, but most Earthbounds who possessed this knack were only able to lift the toothpick umbrellas out of their Mai Tais—not heavy cans of paint.