“I don’t have any questions for you,” I sliced off. “You’re not my mother. You’re a fake who looks like her. You’re probably Lucifer.”
She laughed softly. “If I were Lucifer, then you naming me would’ve broken the glamour. Is the glamour broken?”
Nope. The impostor was still wearing my mother’s face.
“That doesn’t prove anything.” I turned my head away. “Just means there’s someone else under that disguise. You’re not my mother,” I said, clear and firm. “My mother is not a murderer.My motherwould never hit me over the head and abandon me at a crime scene.”
“Ah, yes...” Regret dared to leech into the fake’s voice. “I’m truly sorry about that, sweetie. I hope I didn’t hit you too hard.”
I squawked when the fake brushed her hand across my temple.
“But it was just as I said. You came down too early,” she said. “I couldn’t have you interrupting my work, and I certainly couldn’t stop and explain it to you all right then. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Why should you care if I forgive you? I don’t even know you, and you don’t know me.”
She laughed as we reached a staircase, and descended into the darkness. Where were we going that not even candles wanted to light our way?
“You always were a stubborn one,” she said, chuckling. “When you were five, you announced you wanted a puppy and there was no talking you out of it. Even when your father and I told you pets were too expensive, you turned around and said you’d get the money all by yourself.
“The little rascal you were, you went around to all the neighbors, telling them that your mommy and daddy were poor, so you needed money to buy what you needed. My goodness, when you walked through the door, proudly holding a jar stuffedwith over five hundred dollars, we almost had a heart attack,” she cried. “We had to go around the whole neighborhood, tell them we werenotpoor, and give the money back.”
She chuckled. “But in the end, we were so impressed with your hustling, we got you a rescue dog. Do you remember her name?”
“Of course, I remember my dog’s name,” I snapped. “But you don’t, Madam Impostor, because whoever fed you that story didn’t.”
Another freaking laugh floated through the darkness.
I craned my head around, unease filling my chest. “Okay, seriously, who are you and where are you taking me?”
“I am your mother, Charlie. I know it’s hard to accept, but it’s me. As for where I’m taking you,” she said. “I’m taking you to the reason you came here.
“I’m taking you to Adora.”
She snapped her fingers, cutting off what I’d been about to say.
Light flooded the narrow staircase, beckoning us into a room with high ceilings held up with dusty rafters clinging with cobwebs. She shut the door behind us and then left me parked in front of it as she drifted away. I couldn’t see anything but the door, part of the wall, and the ceiling.
“What are you doing?” I wiggled under my unseen binds. “Let me out of here.”
“In a moment.”
Clink. Clink. Ting.The sounds of her messing around with something reached my ears.
“First, I need to explain how we came to be here,” she said, “and I need you to listen without overreacting. All of this will make sense if you just listen.”
“Just listen?” I strained harder. “Look, Fake, I don’t care about your reasonings. You said you would bring me to mysister, so where is she?” I twisted my neck trying to see the rest of the room. “Is she here?”
“I will bring you to Adora,” she replied. “She is safe and unharmed, and you have my word on that. And yes, I know you’re thinking the word of a putrid demon is worthless. You’re thinking I’m vile and disgusting, and to even be in the same room with me is sickening, but—”
“No, I’m not thinking that! What is up with you? Keep your self-loathing to yourself, lady! I’m not prejudiced against demons or anyone else.”
“No, you’re not.” There was an odd note in her voice. “I really did raise a wonderful young woman.”
I rolled my eyes again. “Will you quit it with that, already? I know you’re not my mother, so try that scam on someone else,” I said. “Tell me whatever it is you think I need to hear, and then take me to my sister.”
“Thank you, sweetie. I appreciate you trusting me.”
I heaved a gusty sigh—irritation crawling under my skin. What was with this weirdo? Why won’t she give the pet names and tender voice a rest already?
