Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell) - By Jenn Bennett Page 0,98
erase everything from my old life.”
A slow breeze fluttered his curls. “How long has my dad known?”
“Since before I came over that first night and met you.”
“He knew, and he still let you come over here?”
I nodded.
“If he trusted you and he barely even knew you,” Jupe reasoned, “then he could tell you were okay.”
“I suppose.”
“You told me your parents were dead in college,” Kar Yee said. “Then you told me a few months ago that they’d died when you went to San Diego. Now you’re telling me that they faked their deaths?”
“I really did think they were dead a few months ago,” I argued. “A powerful Æthyric demon took them into the Æthyr. I thought it was safe to assume she’d kill both of them. She killed my dad, but my mom is still alive. Alive there.”
“Alive on the demon plane?” Jupe said.
“Yes. And there’s more, unfortunately.”
I told them everything about the Moonchild powers. The things I could do. About the tail. Jupe listened earnestly, elbows pressed tight against his ribs, every muscle in his jaw flexing. Kar Yee was silent and unreadable at first, but became increasingly distressed. I didn’t stop talking until I’d spilled everything. And then I waited for their reaction.
No one said anything for a long moment.
Kar Yee stared at the ground, unable to meet my gaze. “You lied to me all these years. I gave you a million chances to tell me the truth, but you jump into bed with some guy and tell him?”
“Lon’s not ‘some guy,’ and—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” she shouted, finally looking me in the eye. “I don’t need your excuses.”
My chest tightened. “I know.”
“You could’ve trusted me. Why didn’t you trust me?”
“I’m sorry. It was hard for me to trust anyone. I thought I was protecting them. Me. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
She threw up her hands and paced in a circle. “You are living with an illegal name? We share a business! If you get in trouble with the law—”
“I’ve been careful.”
“I don’t care.” Tears brimmed. Hers hands were fists. “Partners don’t lie to each other. If you can’t trust me enough to confide in me, then you shouldn’t be running a business with me.”
“Kar Yee—”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She spun around and marched back toward her car.
“Please stay,” I called after her. “I need to talk to you about it.”
“And I need to go to Tambuku, because one of us has to get it running again.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t bother.” She got in her car and slammed the door.
That didn’t go well. Not that I thought it would, but it still stung. And it wasn’t over. Jupe stood silent, staring at the dust Kar Yee’s wheels kicked up as she sped away. When he turned to look at me, he wore a pained expression. He almost looked like he was about to cry.
“Please don’t be scared of me,” I said. “I’m still me. I still care about you as much as I did yesterday.”
“I’m not scared,” he said.
I nodded, hoping that was true.
“I’m not,” he insisted. “I guess I feel like Kar Yee. I just wish you would’ve told me sooner. It sort of hurts my feelings that you didn’t. I mean, you could’ve trusted me.”
“It’s not that. I was afraid and . . . I was ashamed of it.”
“You were?” He considered this for several moments. “I guess I understand. That’s why I never talked about my mom much before, well”—he waved a hand—“all of this happened over Christmas. Sometimes I wish I could erase that part of my life, too.”
“At least your mom is trying. She’s a very sad person, and she’s selfish. I don’t know if she’ll ever be okay or stop making stupid mistakes. And I don’t know if you should give her any more chances—”
“I’m not,” he said firmly.
I nodded. “That’s up to you. But I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s a whole different thing with my mom. My mom is just evil. And really, really dangerous. She is beyond redemption.”
“Wow.” He turned away from the wind and kicked at a knotted cypress tree’s roots that bulged above the dirt. “This is the biggest secret anyone’s ever told me,” he said thoughtfully.
“I trust you.”
He gave me a funny smile, tight, but honest—as if he was surprised I would trust him, pleased I did, but still in shock about the whole thing.