Looking around the line for the roller coaster, I was the only person who wasn't a child. I made a note to self to start drinking more milk. This was just ridiculous.
Sadly, it might be too late for that.
"It looks so scary," Maddie whispered.
I said, "How scary could it be? There's a five feet height limit."
"It's okay if you're afraid. I'm scared too. I have tissues in here if you cry," she said, patting her purse.
"I know I'm small, but you do realize I'm not a kid, don't you?" I said.
"Yeah. You're probably fourteen, right?"
"...fourteen."
She didn't respond because the gates opened and we climbed into one of the seats. Every year, the school rented fair rides for the Halloween Carnival. It was probably the biggest event Thornhill offered. They really spared no expense for their beloved Halloween.
The coaster jerked a little, and I clutched onto the safety bar tightly.
Maddie placed a small, chubby hand on my knee. "Don't be scared, Grace. The ride hasn't started yet."
I wasn't afraid of the roller coaster.
The jerking had reminded me of the accident, and that in turned reminded me of my ability. I tucked my hands beneath me and took a deep breath.
It was a ride for little kids. It should be a piece of cake.
"So what's your grandma up to tonight?" I asked, distracting myself.
She shrugged. "Nothing. I think she was reading when I left."
"Isn't she working tonight?"
"No." She peered over the edge of the ride. "Andrew is a liar. He asked to bring me all on his own. Grandma wasn't really busy."
Deputy Sullivan lied so that no one would know that he was actually a decent human being. For some reason, I wasn't surprised.
"You must know him pretty well," I said.
"Of course! Andrew and I are best friends," she said enthusiastically. Maddie's eyes went round as she caught sight of another kid eating cotton candy. "That looks good!"
"It does. We can get some after the ride," I said.
She gasped. "Do you promise?"
"Promise."
She threw her arms up and yelled enthusiastically as the coaster took off.
I closed my eyes and leaned back into the seat. My hair whipped backwards as we dipped and curved around the tracks. I couldn't remember the last time I'd done something like this, getting on a silly ride with a kid.
I wouldn't admit this to Quentin, but I was enjoying myself. I was glad he convinced me to ride. There were times when I was sure he knew what I needed more than I did.
As the coaster slowed to a stop, Maddie impatiently hopped out. Her braid was a tangled mess. "Cotton candy now?"
"You got it." I gestured to the exit. "After you, Princess."
She flashed a toothy grin before running off.
Deputy Sullivan was leaning against the gate on the other side. "Did you guys have—"
"Out of the way," I said, not letting him finish. "We're on a mission."
He didn't look amused. "What are you talking about now?"
"This way! This way!" Maddie said, pointing in the direction of the snack area.
She led the way, squeezing her small frame through the crowd. Strands of brown hair were coming loose from her braid, I noticed. I resisted the urge to reach out and fixed it, like I had for Paige so many times. She must've sensed me because she turned around and gave me a cute grin that lit up her entire face.
Children had a funny way of smiling with their entire bodies. They had a way of radiating happiness with everything they had.
This kid isn't so bad, I guess.
We finally found what we came for. I saw a man pouring sugar into a spinning tub. The machine spun the sugar into a pink, fluffy cloud.
"Cotton candy!" Maddie and I yelled at the same time.
"You have got to be kidding," Sullivan muttered. But by the time we walked over, he had already pulled a five dollar bill from his wallet. He took the two cones, and handed one to Maddie and extended the other to me wordlessly.
I stared at him. "I have money."
"Take it. I don't like sweets."
"I should've known someone like you wouldn't," I said, begrudgingly taking the cone from him. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me. I just didn't want the change cluttering my wallet," he said.
After learning that little bit about him from Maddie, I wondered if that was true or if he just wanted to protect his reputation as an emotionless jerk.
I gave him a wary look as I pinched off a piece of pink fluff.
The cotton candy melted on my tongue. It was so deliciously sweet and light. This completely made up for the roller coaster ride. I had almost forgotten about my new ability in the midst of the carnival.
Quentin was definitely right. Being here was really helping me loosen up.
Wait.
I had been so hypnotized by the idea cotton candy, I hadn't even realized he was missing.
"Where are Quentin and Fiona?"
"You mean Fifi?"
I wrinkled my nose. "Who the hell is Fifi?"
"I'm guessing not Quentin's cousin."
"Where'd they go?" I asked again.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "She ran off because someone thought they recognized her from TV—" My stomach dropped to the ground. The last thing we needed was for a rumor to start that there was a celebrity in disguise at the carnival. "—and then your friend ran after her, and they both disappeared."
I touched my purse. I had Quentin's phone, but Fiona had hers. Without wasting another second, I pulled out my cell and dialed her number. After several rings, I reached her voicemail.
"Damnit!"
Sullivan gave me a dark look and yelled "Hey!" while Maddie giggled and pointed at me.
"I have to go look for them."
"No." His voice was firm. "You were just released from the hospital. I'm not going to let you walk around by yourself, especially since it's starting to look like this creep is a stalker. Speaking of which, I've put together a list of potential suspects matching the description you've given. I'll need you to stop by the station to identify—"
Maddie blew a raspberry at him, "No work talk! Let's go on the Ferris wheel."
Deputy Sullivan said, "I don't like heights."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Jesus, do you like anything?"
"You shouldn't go—" He was cut off by Maddie, who began shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and back again. "What are you doing?"
"I need to pee, Andrew."
"Now?"
She nodded vigorously. "Now."
"You take her to the bathroom before she wets herself," I said. "I'm going to—"
"We'll find a restroom first, and then we'll go together. Plus, would you even be able to find them in the crowd? You're like three feet tall."
I flared my nostrils in anger. "Oh my God. Did you just make fun of—"
"Andrew," Maddie cried in anguish, cutting me off.
Sullivan looked at me. "Come on."
I was just about to protest again, but I remembered Quentin's vision.
Deputy Sullivan was there when I found the blonde girl, whoever she was.
I sighed. "Fine. You could be right. Let's go."
He looked surprised. He was probably expecting more resistance. If it was any other day, I would've rather stuck pins in my eye than pretend I need someone to accompany me around the fair, but this wasn't one of those days.
The first bathroom we found had a line out the door.
Maddie guaranteed us that there was no way she'd be able to hold it that long. She hopped around like her bladder was seconds from bursting. Deputy Sullivan picked her up and we hurried to look for another one.
He carried her easily, like she was made of feathers.
I felt my cheeks warm a little. It reminded me of how he'd picked me up after the accident. I shook the memory from my head.
There were more important things to think about right now.
We were able to find another one just in time.
Maddie handed Sullivan her large stuffed cat and ran in. There were less people around this one since it was near the back of the fairgrounds. Along the fence and to the side of the bathroom entrance, a dozen barrels had been stacked in a tall pyramid. Haystacks and jack-o-lanterns surrounded the structure.
Someone must've dropped their drink earlier. There was an overturned plastic cup and the melting remains of an orange slushie next to the barrel pyramid.
I glanced at Sullivan from the corner of my eye. He had the large cat tucked under one arm and was using his free hand to scroll through his phone. He was surprisingly patient yet firm with Maddie. Kind of like an older brother. I found myself wondering if he had any siblings.
He caught me staring and I cursed myself for not looking away sooner.
"We'll go look for your friend once Maddie comes out," he said, not looking up from his phone.
"I can just go ahead. Maddie should be enjoying herself."
"You were just released from the hospital. You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself."
"What a gentleman," I said, teasingly. "Maddie told me that Sheriff Moore never asked you to bring her. I think it was nice, what you did."
He looked confused for a second, and then the tips of his ears turned pink when he finally understood my meaning. "Of course she did. Maddie just wasn't there."
"I just said you were nice. Why is that a bad thing?"
He scoffed. "That's rich, coming from you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I was told that you are actually pleasant deep down. As hard as that is to believe."
I scowled. "Quentin has a death wish."
Maddie made her way out of the restroom. She was straightening the front of her dress with the utmost concentration and not watching where she was going.
I took a step towards her. "Hey, watch out for the—"
She made a surprised sound as her feet slipped over the spilled liquid. She tried to grab onto a barrel to stop herself from falling.
I watched in horror as the barrel was pulled out from under the rest. Maddie shrieked as the rest came tumbling down above her.
Without a second of hesitation, Sullivan dropped the cat and sprinted over to her. He threw himself between the falling barrels and Maddie, using his entire body to shield hers.
I raised my arms, like it was a reflex, and watched as the falling barrels parted around Sullivan and Maddie. They crashed and broke around the two. It was like they were protected by an invisible force field.
When it was over, wood was splintered all over the ground. Maddie was in tears even though she was unharmed. She was terrified.
I dropped my arm. My breathing was shallow. I didn't realize I was out of breath.
Deputy Sullivan was staring right at me. I could tell from the look on his face that he knew what I did.
* * *
I didn't give him a second to question what had happened. I took two hesitant steps backward before turning my back to them and running away.
"Grace, you idiot." I tugged at my hair out of frustration. "Stupid!"
If he wasn't already suspicious about what happened, I just gave myself away by running off.
I had to find Quentin. We needed damage control, and I couldn't think straight right now. I couldn't get a good grip on my phone because my hands were trembling so badly. And now my head was pounding from a mixture of adrenaline and nerves.
The only thing I could think of was how I'd exposed myself to Deputy Sullivan, of all people!
How could I possibly get myself out of this one?
I took a few breaths and tried to calm myself down. My hands felt clammy, but I managed to call Fiona's cell. Again, it went to her voicemail.
I wanted to throw my phone to the ground.
What was the point of having it if I couldn't reach anyone?
A hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me away from the crowd. Deputy Sullivan ignored my angry protests as he dragged me into a security tent. He told the two men who were already inside to give us a few minutes.
"What is your problem?" I snapped.
"How did you do it?"
I glowered at him. "Do what?"
"The barrels. I saw you put your hand out, and suddenly they were parting around us like the Red fucking Sea."
"It was clearly just a well-thought out stacking design," I lied. It sounded so ridiculous, I was sure there was no way he'd buy it. "But if you want to give me credit..."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
I tried to change the subject. "Where's Maddie? Is she okay?"
"I had someone watch her so I could find you and get an explanation," he said. "How did you stop the barrels?"
"What makes you think I did anything? I was ten feet away!"
"You did—you did something," he said, not backing down.
"You're right. I stopped the barrels with my mind. Is that what you wanted to hear?" I rolled my eyes. "I know it's almost Halloween and all, but you need to get a grip, Sullivan. You're sounding a little out of touch with reality."
He watched me.
I didn't realize until now that his eyes were a striking shade of green. I was too busy staring because he caught me off guard by lunging at me.
"Get away—"
I tried to stop him with a quick block to redirect his momentum, but I ended up sending him hurtling halfway across the tent.
"Uh oh," I said.
His clothes were specked with dust and dirt. His posture was defensive as he pushed himself up.
A few seconds passed as we both sized each other up.
He spoke first. "So you did stop the barrels."
"I can't exactly deny it now, can I?" I said dryly.
"How...?"
"It's a long story."
"Does this have anything to do with why you've been attacked so many times?" he asked. "Is this the motive of the attacker, this...?"
"Wow. You've just seen a display of supernatural ability and your first thought is your case." I sighed. "You need to get a life."
He gave me a dark look. "You just dropped a bomb on me. I need a familiar way to process it, or I'm going to go crazy." His expression lost its hard edges as he said in a low voice, "Thanks. For not letting Maddie get hurt. I owe you."
"Don't tell anyone about what you just saw and we can call it even," I said.
"I wouldn't have told anyone, so I still owe you."
"I don't really care. I just didn't want to see Maddie get hurt. It has nothing to do with you."
"I'm responsible for her. If something had happened, it would've been on me, so it does have to do with me."
I almost snorted. "Don't be so dramatic. You rushed in to save her. She would've been fine, even if I hadn't done anything."
"You don't know that."
I sighed. "Fine, if it's such a big deal to you, then help me find Quentin."
"I was already going with you to—"
I made an exasperated sound. "I'll think of something later. Let's just go look now."
"Fine. Let's go."
Sullivan had moved to Thornhill about a year ago. His grandparents were born and raised in Thornhill, but moved to Boston to give their daughter, Sullivan's mom, a life in a bigger city. After his grandmother passed, his grandfather became ill and wanted to move back to his hometown. Sullivan came with him.
That was the extent of what we knew. The deputy didn't divulge much, and I didn't really care for gossip anyway. I never had any burning curiosity, although I've heard plenty of girls at school wondering about him.
How old is he? He looks too young to be a deputy.
Andrew Sullivan is so mysterious. I wonder what he's like once he opens up to you.
I wonder if he has a girlfriend back in Boston. He probably does and that's why he's not interested in anyone here.
Speaking objectively, I supposed Sullivan was not too hideous.
I peeked at him from the corner of my eye.
Okay, maybe he was a little better than not too hideous if I had to be honest.
He was tall, which was a plus. But who was I kidding. To me, everyone seemed tall. He looked like he had soft dark hair, but then he didn't really do much with it. I could tell he doesn't really put much thought into how he looked.
I glanced down at my own outfit. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
And his scowl and hard stares added an edge to his face that could be appealing if you liked that sort of thing.
I could probably get used to something like that.
I froze.
What the hell was I thinking?
Sullivan looked over his shoulder at me. "Why'd you stop?"
His eyes scanned my face. I was sure my cheeks were betraying me and turning a dark shade of red. "Nothing. Uh, nothing."
"Come on. Let's keep looking."
We combed through half the fair ground and found nothing. I kept my eye out for anything that looked like the place Quentin described in his vision. The place Fiona was attacked.
I paused when I smelled something.
"What now?" Sullivan asked.
"Okay," I said, tapping his arm several times. "I know how you can pay me back for helping Maddie."
"What? Do you see something? Is it the stalker in the mask?" he asked seriously, reaching for the radio clipped to his belt. I didn't even realize he had it. He saw me staring, and said, "I grabbed it from the security tent. I thought it might useful."
Resourceful too.
I felt somewhat bad for noticing, but having Sullivan around was turning out to be more useful than Quentin and Porter put together.
Well, the other two were a lot more fun, so I guess that was the trade-off.
"Not the masked guy. Kettle corn."
He stared at me without saying anything for a few seconds. "You're trading in your favor for kettle corn?"
"It smells really good."
He looked like he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind. "Fine. Whatever. If that's what you want."
"We'll just get it really quickly, and then keep looking," I said happily.
We joined the short line. The man behind the counter was dressed in a vampire costume.
"A large bag of kettle corn, please," Deputy Sullivan said, reaching for his wallet. He glanced at the list of food with prices taped to the glass. "And, I guess, a corn dog."
After getting my kettle corn, I imagined that was how Maddie felt after Sullivan won the black cat for her. No one was going to take this from me. They would have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.
"Thanks," I said.
"Let's keep looking."
I was in the middle of opening the bag when I felt eyes on me. I looked up and glanced around. I had a strange sensation in my gut.
Someone was here.
"What's the matter?"
"Someone's watching us," I whispered.
He didn't move his head, but I saw his eyes sweep the area around us. We both looked toward the haunted house at the same time. The entrance was shrouded in darkness besides for the flashing red sign reading ENTER IF YOU DARE.
My hearbeat picked up as I looked from the popcorn machine to the corn dog in Sullivan's hand. "It's her."
"Who?"
"You can come out," I said loudly. "We know you're there."
"Who are you talking to?" Sullivan asked.
I didn't need to answer him.
Slowly, a figure creeped out of the entrance and took timid steps toward us. Her head was haloed by frizzy blonde hair. She had on a ratty coat and blac pants with a huge tear in them.
Quentin had been wrong. It wasn't a blonde girl.
It was a blonde woman.
She stopped several feet ahead of us.
I noticed that Deputy Sullivan had taken a protective step towards me. It wasn't necessary though, because I knew who it was. When she looked up at me, staring with familiar blue eyes, my guess was confirmed.
"My mother."
* * *
There were so many hints.
I couldn't believe I didn't see this coming.
The woman standing in front of me was my biological mother.
Sullivan leaned in to whisper something to me in a dead serious tone. "I don't mean to offend, but does your mother have a drug addiction problem? Or is she in costume and a part of the haunted house cast?"
"I wouldn't even be able to tell you."
He cleared his throat. "Good evening, Mrs. Yearwood."
"That's not her name," I said.
We had the same eyes, I realized. She was short. She looked a little insane, but a little pretty, in a crazy way. I had imagined her older. She was definitely younger than my real parents. How old was she when I was born?
"I see where I get the height from," I said, folding my arms across my chest. "Or lack thereof."
"That attitude too," she said, matching my tone.
She hadn't looked away from me once since coming out of the haunted house.
I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. She looked like she was soaking up every detail of me with her eyes, trying to memorize every little thing. I thought it was unnecessary, considering she's been following me around and sneaking pictures for years.
"This is really your mother?" Sullivan asked. He looked skeptical. "Are you sure?"
"Like I told you before," I said. "It's a long story."
"I didn't think the day would come that I would get to talk to you," she said.
"Up until two days ago, I didn't either."
"Two days ago?" Sullivan asked.
"I never meant for you to find out. I wasn't happy living outside of your life, but I accepted it to keep you safe. But now, things are complicated. We need to talk about the attacks."
I felt my anger flare up.
"The attacks?" I repeated, raising my voice. "I just learned about your existence two days ago and you want to talk about the attacks? Are you kidding me right now?"
"Ava—"
I glared at her. "Don't you dare call me that. My name is Grace. Ava Sutherland doesn't exist."
She visibly flinched. "There wasn't any other choice. I had to do what I did to protect you."
Sullivan stood there, looking around awkwardly. His corndog was still untouched. I felt bad for dragging him in the middle of this, but I couldn't hold it in. I've never been one to hold back what I really thought and this conversation wasn't the place to make an exception.
"No apology? You just drop this on me from out of the blue, and carry on like it's no big deal," I said. I didn't care that people were looking at us. "You were just hanging around for the last, what, seventeen years? And you never said anything? Am I even seventeen? Or is that just a lie too?"
"You have the right to be upset," she said.
"You're damn right I get to be upset!" I practically yelled. I wiped at my cheeks.
I didn't even realize I was crying.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Sullivan looked at me. He was reminding me that I wasn't alone. Even though he didn't understand what was happening, he was still behind me.
I tried to be tough most of the time, and act like nothing gets to me, but right now, I really needed someone to be there for me. My whole world felt like it was crashing down around me. I felt like everything I had been through the past few weeks couldn't compare to what I was feeling right now.
The woman in front of me was my mother.
I was adopted.
I had powers.
And she knew about everything.
My mother looked over her shoulder, then back at me. "I want to explain all of it to you, but right now, we don't have time."
Her indifference stung.
I didn't realize it would matter to me so much. For starters, I didn't even know her. Just because she was the one who brought me into this world doesn't mean she deserved anything from me. Even though I was still pissed at my mom and dad, they had been there for me all my life.
They weren't a complete stranger.
So then why did I want her to care that she was finally able to speak to me?
"Oh, it's fine. Maybe you can pencil it into your calendar for a more convenient time to have this discussion," I said scathingly.
"If you're anything like me, you'll use your sarcasm as your best defense," she said, "but I can't get into that with you right now. Your friends will need your help. The Keepers are here and—"
"The what?"
"—they're looking for the one with the mixed blood. She can't control it yet. You need to have the initiation in Salem on Halloween to save her from herself."
I was losing my patience. "It doesn't help when you're being so vague. Who are you talking about?"
"I have to go," she mumbled. She reached for my arm. I tried to pull away, but she had a firm grip. "Everything is in the box from my house. All the answers you need. You must be careful, Ava."
"Don't call—"
She was fast. She vanished into the crowd, blending into the darkness like a shadow. It was like she was never there at all.
I could still feel the residual heat from her hand on my skin.
She really disappeared.
"I'm sorry for listening in," Sullivan said gently. "If it helps, I didn't really understand anything."
"I don't really care," I whispered. "Let's just find Quentin."
We walked together silently. I wasn't really looking. I didn't feel like I was completely there. A part of me was still back there by the popcorn machine, wishing I hadn't been so defensive. I didn't even know what her name was.
I didn't give her a chance to explain.
There was a reason why she had stuck around.
"I never really knew my mom," Deputy Sullivan suddenly said. "Well, I knew who she was, but she was never around. I have absolutely no idea who my dad is."
"You don't have to—"
"She was pregnant with me when she was sixteen. That's why my grandparents moved to Boston. It was to give me a life in the big city, but it was also to get my mom away from being an unmarried pregnant teenager in a small town," he said. His voice was even, but I picked up a hint of a strain. "Thornhill was more conservative back then."
I didn't say anything, and waited for him to continue.
"I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather is the closest person to me. After my grandmother passed and he started getting older, his only wish was to come back to the town he grew up in. That's why we moved back."
"So you sacrificed a life in Boston to move back with your grandpa," I said. "I don't know if I would be selfless enough to do something like that."
"You would be surprised at the sacrifices you're willing to make for those you love," he said. "But that's not the point. I just wanted to tell you that families are complicated things, and the definition of a 'parent' isn't just someone whose direct DNA you share."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks." I swallowed. "You know, the long story...if you ever have time and want to hear it, just let me know."
"I'll take you up on that offer. Especially if it will help us track down the stalker," he said.
I rolled my eyes. "You're unbelievable. You can't go ten minutes without worrying about work..."
I thought I heard someone yelling my name.
"Maddie," I said, pointing.
Sullivan had dropped her off with the girl from the balloon booth. She didn't look too happy that Sullivan had dumped her with the little girl and then ditched her.
Maddie's face lit up when she saw him. "Andrew! Where have you been?"
She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Sullivan knelt down and scooped her up in his arms. "Sorry I had to disappear for a bit, kid. I still have one more thing I need to help Grace with, and then you can choose something for us to do."
I watched Sullivan listen attentively as Maddie told him all about what she'd been up to since they've been apart. I found myself smiling despite everything I was feeling.
There was a whole new side to him whenever Maddie was around. She softened all his hard edges and made him almost human.
I felt something in the pit of my stomach. The smile fell from my face.
It was like a flutter.
It was so faint, it felt almost like nothing. Like a small butterfly. A brush of wings behind my ribs.
I touched a hand to my stomach.
Oh God, no.
I was in trouble.
* * *
A/N: Thank you so much for reading!!! I can't believe we've passed 17k reads on this book. You guys are so amazing and supportive and I can never thank you enough. <333
As usual, this chapter is unedited. Please do point out any mistakes or typos you find. Also, my life is super hectic now so please bear with me and my erratic updating schedule. I will try to have the next part written and posted soon. Fingers crossed!
A photo of Deputy Sullivan above :)
This chapter is dedicated to fixyouwithlove_ for all the support for this story. <3