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The room was utterly quiet, and I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.
“Does anyone have questions?” I asked.
“You won’t turn us to gray, dusty stuff right?” Crackers said, laughing a little.
“I wasn’t planning on it. I’ve only done that to people actively trying to murder me so far.”
“Good. Because I’ve already got my death planned, and it’s Evangeline stabbing me while I’m stealing her food. I figured it’s a good way to go.”
There were a few more laughs.
“Is everyone good?” Kicks said. “Because if you have any questions or concerns, get them out. Put them on the table for discussion now, because Piper is a full part of this pack, and that’s how I expect her to be treated.”
He put his arm around me, making it crystal clear he wouldn’t accept less.
“Hey!” Buddie said from the corner, pointing at himself and Rastin.
“Yeah, them too,” Kicks said, waving a hand in their direction.
“We save someone from a fiery grave and all, you’d think we’d rate a little higher,” Rastin added under his breath.
The room erupted in more laughter, just as Rastin had probably intended.
“If that’s it, everyone get a good night’s sleep. We head out tomorrow,” Kicks said.
Magnum dropped off Charlie in the suite, and I called him over to the couch.
“Charlie, we have to go somewhere new,” I said, wrapping my arm around his little shoulders.
“I know,” he said. “I heard you talking to Kicks last night.”
“I’m sorry.” I bit my lip, forcing myself not to cry in front of him. I was petrified about what was to come, but I didn’t want him to be.
“It’s okay. I understand.”
I sat there for a few minutes, taking a little breather before I pulled him up with me. I’d put a bag in his room, similar to the pack he’d had when we left New York.
Whenever I’d moved with my mother, it was all taken out of my hands. I’d never felt any kind of control. I’d been a bystander in the choices that ruled my life.
“I thought maybe you’d want to pack yourself,” I said. It wasn’t much more than an illusion of control, but it was all I could give him.
He nodded. “I’ll start now so I don’t forget anything.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” I watched him walk away and begin to pull things from his drawers, already so tough for such a little kid. As proud of him as I was, it killed me inside that he had to be this strong.
I retreated into my bedroom, still trying to hold it all together.
“You’re a good mother,” Widow Herbert said as soon as I was alone.
“Thanks. I hope so. I don’t want to screw him up.” I really hoped I hadn’t already.
“You’re the only reason he’s still alive,” she said.
I nodded. It might be a true statement, but was that the end-all, be-all of parenting? Was I going to hang my hat onwell, he’s still alivewhen he hit eighteen? Could’ve died a decade ago, so I win a prize?
I’d dropped down to the floor to fill up a bag of my things when Kicks walked in the bedroom.
“That went fairly well,” he said, leaning on the bureau.
