to the front door, which Kastros has already unlocked. And then my demons walk inside, not bothering to hide their wings, letting their horns erupt from their foreheads as soon as they clear the front door. Van and I shuffle inside last, as though my parents are some kind of physical threat.
They’re not. Their threats are the emotional kind, and when I see Mom’s hand holding tightly onto Adam’s as he clutches a brand-new, light up Godzilla toy in his hand, I can’t help but feel like that stupid Japanese monster is stomping through my life and wrecking it. A bribe? Is that all it takes?
Next to them, Zolroth is leaning against the wall, fury shooting from his eyes, but he still can’t even stand upright. I’m shocked he delayed them long enough for us to get here. It looks like it took everything out of him to do so.
“Katty, we’re going home! Mom and Dad got a new house!” Adam grins, trying to separate himself from our mother and run over to give me a hug.
My parents’ eyes drift over the man’s T-shirt that I’m wearing on top of my school uniform skirt, and their lips both thin, drawing conclusions. For a second, my cheeks flame, and shame and humiliation boil my insides.
But then Van whispers in my ear, “I love you.”
And that shame and humiliation turn into anger instead. How dare they judge me when they left me with Adam after the fire, left him in my care for over a week without a single word, without caring? They didn’t do anything to ensure our safety, just let me take care of Adam so long as it was convenient for them.
So, why are they here now? Why did they go talk to Adam at the daycare? My eyes flit between my parents in their dark power suits. They’re scoffing at us.
“Really, Katrina? What is this, some kind of death metal band who pretends to be vampires? You’re a groupie now?” Mother’s tone is scathing as she eyes my demons, dismissing their wings and horns as costumes.
That makes me want to laugh.
Oh, how little she knows.
My guys say nothing, giving me the opportunity to take the reins, I suppose. What I want to do is spit curse words and vitriol at them, and tell them I hate them and they’ve fucked me up permanently and they should never have been allowed to procreate.
But I can’t. Because Adam’s here. And if I’m the only damn example of decency he’s got, then I’ve got to hold all that shit in that’s clawing like a feral tiger inside of my chest, just begging for a chance to go for the jugular.
So instead of my tongue lashing out like a whip when I open my mouth, what comes out is, “You’re taking Adam and leaving me?” And fuck me if my voice doesn’t crack on that last word.
My dad’s expression is utter annoyance. “You’ve chosen your path. We won’t let you take your brother down the same road.”
That does it.
Any delusion I had about remaining mature and grown up pops like a soap bubble. “Oh, you’d rather he end up like you? Heartless and oblivious? Someone who can just abandon their children for weeks at a time—”
“She’s getting hysterical. Let’s just go,” my mother says, interrupting me, and bends to pick Adam up.
“No! You’re not taking my brother!” I shriek.
My mother glares at me, and Adam starts to wail. “See what you did,” she hisses. “You’re making him cry.” She shushes him and gets him to start playing with the sound effects on his toy.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
They’re going to take Adam from me. My little brother, my only family, the one person who’s been my whole world for years. I feel like the assistant to a magician who brought a real saw to the show and is cutting me in half in front of an audience. Pain. So much pain, I can hardly see.
Raz’s low, gravelly voice reaches me through the shroud of agony I’m in. I hear him say, “Felony child neglect is a pretty serious charge.”
I blink away the tears that have formed on the bottom rim of my eyes to stare at him. He’s not attacking. None of my demons are fighting like I thought they would.
But Raz’s words immobilize my parents.
Kastros signs something, and then Raz speaks again.
“Abandonment. I’m pretty certain the Bar Review Board would like to know about that.” Raz’s lips curl into a furious smile.