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I take her hand and gasp in surprise. It’s solid and warm, as if she were real. I open my mouth to question how this is possible, but don’t get the chance. Her touch triggers a connection. Flashes of memories assault me like a badly edited film of jump cuts that are almost sickening in their rapidity. That’s not the only thing that’s making me queasy.
From this touch, I know my mom doesn’t want to show me these things, but she needs me to see what happened to her. It’s an info dump. My father beating her, screaming at her, dragging her by her hair out of the house. Cracking her head against the concrete steps out of our backdoor. Blacking out only to wake up in the middle of the very place we’re now standing.
He tied her up and made her watch while he dug her grave. The sick fucking bastard. When it was all done, he snapped her neck like he’d grown impatient with the whole thing and kicked her body into the hole like trash.
“No.” I choke on the word. I don’t even know what it means, what I’m protesting. It’s not that I don’t believe my father is capable of having done something like this. I absolutely believe he is. I think it’s that I don’t want to accept that my mother’s life ended that way. So carelessly, so coldly.
The word reverberates around the clearing. This place where I’ve spent so much time over the years. It’s always called to me, and I’ve found peace here when there was none to be offered anywhere else.
“You can’t go in there.” Ezra’s voice growls in frustration. I hadn’t realized that Archer was fighting against him and Rhys to try to get to me. My physical body is wracked with sobs, shoulders shaking, even though I’m barely making a sound.
“She’s hurting. I need to get to her.” Archer swings his fists like a madman, trying to beat back Ezra, with Rhys, and now Davis has joined the fray to keep him back. My heart cracks in my chest, splitting wide open as I acknowledge that Archer owns a piece of me. He belongs in the space that’s only ever opened for him, that part of me I’ve never exposed or left vulnerable before.
A cool touch grazes my cheek, and I turn back to my mother. She’s gazing at me with love, and there’s a good chance I’m interpreting it to suit my own needs, but I swear it’s like she has faith in me. That we’ll get through this messed up situation and come out stronger on the other side.
She nods to my body, and I know it’s time to leave this place. I don’t belong here.
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling like something has settled into place. Having the knowledge of what truly happened to her is both a burden and a blessing. I needed to know she didn’t abandon us, even if the truth is a dark history.
My mother’s form is already fading when I tighten my fingers around hers one more time. Passing along a silent goodbye and wishing so badly that we had more time together.
The shouting around me jars me into action. It’s a weird sensation sinking down into my body. Kind of like sitting on a chair that’s already occupied. The feeling of coming back to my body isn’t instantaneous; it’s a slow trickle. As if my entire body has gone to numb and the prickle of nerves waking up lights up nerves in a cascade of tingles. It’s not super pleasant.
It takes more than a few breaths before I can open up my eyes, but it is a relief to be able to breathe again. My skin feels strange, like it’s buzzing, and my lips still feel numb. The tea might have done its job and sent me into the veil, but it’s also left me feeling high as hell. I sway a little and a giggle escapes my mouth. Out of nowhere, I can’t stop thinking about this time a bunch of us went out on Davis’s boat and I got so drunk I puked in one of his boots.
“Why is she laughing now?” The scuffle of fighting stops. I crack an eye, cackling when the look on everyone’s faces sets me off again. It’s so not funny but I can’t stop.
“Your boot! I totally yacked in it.”
“Who’s boot?” Miri murmurs and Ruby snorts out a laugh.
“She’s high as a fucking kite.”
“High.” I choke out the word, as laughter steals all my breath. Now I can’t stop thinking about the time Ruby and I ate pot brownies, and she tried to drink ocean water because she had such bad cotton mouth.
“Holy shit.” Archer’s voice cuts through my laughter. Like I'm a fish on his hook, I’m drawn to him. I shift to my hands and knees and crawl through the grass toward him.
“Uh, Lena?” Miri’s laughing somewhere close by, but I can’t see anything except Archer.
“What the hell are you doing, Lena?” Rhys hisses at me, but screw him.
I cross out of the burnt circle in the clearing, totally intending to climb up Archer like he’s a giant man-tree. God, I’m so going to shake his branches and eat his fruit.
“Christ.” Archer coughs out in a half laugh.
“Shit, am I thinking out loud?”
“I think that’s called talking, dude,” Ruby roars with laughter.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Rhys is somewhere in my periphery, but my eyes are locked on Archer. He hooks his hands under my arms and lifts me up. He’s so damn strong. I swear he makes me feel like a dainty piece of fluff. He can toss me all over the place. Do whatever the hell he wants to me.
“Still talking out loud, Luna.” Archer grins down at me. I try to hug him, but something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye.
“Hey. I thought you were a ghost. What are you doing here?”
Heads swivel around to follow my gaze, and then all hell breaks loose.
