Dance of the Moons

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

            I took a deep breath and composed myself.  I was sitting in my car still, as I had been for a few minutes.  The purple silk top I had worn on the date sat in the seat of the car beside me, having been replaced with a gray and blue striped button down.  I could never wear the purple top in the house—my mother would flip at the low cut style—but I could wear it out again. 

            I bit my lip, reminding myself to stop smiling.  If I walked into the house in an over cheery mood like the one I was in my family would be suspicious.  Topher would be suspicious, and he was already more weary than was safe.  No smiling.  Neutral face, that’s what I needed.

            I had to keep my thoughts off the perfect evening I had with David.  No thinking of his kisses, or warmth, or how jittery and wonderful he made me feel.  No, I had to keep my mind off that.

            Finally feeling ready, I exited the car.  It was dark out, past 9 o’clock.  I had outgrown a curfew when I graduated high school, but my mother was always down my throat when I stayed out too late.  I often thought she enjoyed interrogating me whenever I was out late.  Luckily, it was early enough that I would probably be able to avoid such an interaction.

            The house was mostly dark when I walked in.  The kitchen light was on and I heard voices coming from there.  The stairs were dark, as well as the upstairs.  I knew my sister was asleep by now.

            I turned and placed my jacket on a hook beside the door.  I quietly pulled off my shoes, hoping I could avoid talking to anyone and sneak up to my room.  No doubt someone would ask me where I was, and I was a bad liar.

            “You’re back late.”

            I jumped at the voice.  I hadn’t heard Topher approach.

            “I’m nineteen,” I reminded him in a fake sweet voice, “I wouldn’t call nine-fifteen ‘late’ for someone my age.”

            He shrugged. “It’s late for you.  Where were you?”

            “Out,” I snapped as I moved to go up the stairs.

            Topher stepped in my path. “Out where?”

            “Outside, enjoying the day.” 

            I shifted to the side to move past Topher but he grabbed my arm as I tried to past.  I couldn’t pull it out.

            “Out where?” He repeated in a low voice. 

I felt the air get colder.  Topher’s skin started glowing like it was sucking the light out of the room.  The last time that happened he nearly set the whole house on fire trying to burn the letter David gave me.  I swallowed, reminding myself to keep calm.  I let my muscles relax, preparing for another battle if he chose to attack.

“At a park.  Enjoying the day.  Not let me go.”

His grip tightened and I clenched my teeth to keep from gasping at the pain.  Now was not a time to show weakness.

“Who were you with?” He demanded to know in that dark voice again.

            I felt him trying to edge into my mind and slapped him out.  His grip tightened on my arm and I began to wonder if there was going to be a bad bruise there.  Topher tried to enter my head again and I mentally shoved him out.  I grasped his mind with mine and squeezed.  I heard him make a sort of pained growl noise.