Read Online Crystal Caves by Kristine Grayson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kristine Grayson
Tags: Fiction
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afraid she’ll see how I’m feeling.
I didn’t want things to go this way. I didn’t . I had hopes…
I swallow hard, but don’t say anything. Mother is doing all the talking.
“So,” she continues without changing her tone, “now that we have our cards on the table, let us agree that we will get through these next few months and then go on our separate ways, all right?”
I’m dizzy. Lightheaded and dizzy. Maybe I’m not breathing. I make myself focus. In. Out. Yes, I’m breathing. But I’m still dizzy.
“ Crystal .” Mother’s voice sounds like the snap of a towel. “Let’s make an agreement—”
“I heard you the first time,” I say, and dammit, I sound tearful and miserable. I don’t want to, and if I still had my magic, I’d spell my voice so that it would sound normal.
Hell, I wouldn’t do that. I’d turn my mother into—what? What was the worst thing she could be?
I let out a sound. I don’t even know her well enough to know what kind of shape-shift would horrify her the most.
“Oh.” Mother breathes that word out, and she sounds disappointed, like I’ve done something wrong. I find it ironic that I recognize that tone in her voice already.
She sighs heavily, like I’ve put her out or something. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
People mean that when they say it, and they sound concerned. She doesn’t sound concerned. She sounds annoyed. I’ve put her out by being “upset.”
“I know we agree here,” she says, “and I’m sorry if I’m being too blunt, but—”
“How do you know we agree?” I’ve raised my head. Something runs down my left cheek, but I’m not going to swipe at it. “I actually thought we had a relationship—”
“We do, darling,” Mother says. “I’m your mother.”
“You’re not my mother,” I snap. “I’ve seen dogs be better mothers than you. You’ve turned me away at every chance. Why? Because I’m a girl?”
She tilts her head. “I forget sometimes how young you are.”
But of course she hasn’t, because she just accused me of being a difficult teenage girl.
She sighs again. I’m beginning to hate that sound.
“My sons, Crystal, come from love. They’re a part of a great relationship, and even though Ethan’s father is no longer in the picture, I adored him when we made Ethan. You’ll understand that one day—”
“So I’m worthless because you didn’t love my father?” I ask.
“I didn’t say that.” She’s frowning. “You’re twisting my words in quite an ugly fashion.”
“You did say that.” I stand up. “Repeatedly. I’m not a person to you. I’m a mistake, a burden, something you don’t want, and have repeatedly rejected. I get the message. No matter how hard you try to get rid of me, you can’t. So why don’t I just move out and save you the burden of dealing with me?”
“And do what, Crystal?” Her voice is dry, her expression flat. “You have no idea how to survive in this city, and I’m legally responsible for you.”
“You just said you weren’t.” I’m trying not to sound desperate or confused or even angry, but I’m failing at all of it.
“Actually, I am,” she says. “I’ve given you a home here, and we’ve made certain your identification lists me as your parent, and I’m on your birth certificate, after all. The City of New York would look askance if I let you live on your own, with your level of knowledge and your ability to survive in the real world.”
“You mean the paparazzi and the press would have a field day,” I say.
She inclines her head. “That too.”
“Maybe I should go to them and just tell them everything.” I know that threat has worked in every movie I’ve ever seen.
But Mother doesn’t look too concerned. “Darling, they’ll just think you crazy. You’ll be the crazy child of the Wright family, and then the rumors will start that no one has seen you because you’ve been institutionalized, and when they try to track you down,
I didn’t want things to go this way. I didn’t . I had hopes…
I swallow hard, but don’t say anything. Mother is doing all the talking.
“So,” she continues without changing her tone, “now that we have our cards on the table, let us agree that we will get through these next few months and then go on our separate ways, all right?”
I’m dizzy. Lightheaded and dizzy. Maybe I’m not breathing. I make myself focus. In. Out. Yes, I’m breathing. But I’m still dizzy.
“ Crystal .” Mother’s voice sounds like the snap of a towel. “Let’s make an agreement—”
“I heard you the first time,” I say, and dammit, I sound tearful and miserable. I don’t want to, and if I still had my magic, I’d spell my voice so that it would sound normal.
Hell, I wouldn’t do that. I’d turn my mother into—what? What was the worst thing she could be?
I let out a sound. I don’t even know her well enough to know what kind of shape-shift would horrify her the most.
“Oh.” Mother breathes that word out, and she sounds disappointed, like I’ve done something wrong. I find it ironic that I recognize that tone in her voice already.
She sighs heavily, like I’ve put her out or something. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
People mean that when they say it, and they sound concerned. She doesn’t sound concerned. She sounds annoyed. I’ve put her out by being “upset.”
“I know we agree here,” she says, “and I’m sorry if I’m being too blunt, but—”
“How do you know we agree?” I’ve raised my head. Something runs down my left cheek, but I’m not going to swipe at it. “I actually thought we had a relationship—”
“We do, darling,” Mother says. “I’m your mother.”
“You’re not my mother,” I snap. “I’ve seen dogs be better mothers than you. You’ve turned me away at every chance. Why? Because I’m a girl?”
She tilts her head. “I forget sometimes how young you are.”
But of course she hasn’t, because she just accused me of being a difficult teenage girl.
She sighs again. I’m beginning to hate that sound.
“My sons, Crystal, come from love. They’re a part of a great relationship, and even though Ethan’s father is no longer in the picture, I adored him when we made Ethan. You’ll understand that one day—”
“So I’m worthless because you didn’t love my father?” I ask.
“I didn’t say that.” She’s frowning. “You’re twisting my words in quite an ugly fashion.”
“You did say that.” I stand up. “Repeatedly. I’m not a person to you. I’m a mistake, a burden, something you don’t want, and have repeatedly rejected. I get the message. No matter how hard you try to get rid of me, you can’t. So why don’t I just move out and save you the burden of dealing with me?”
“And do what, Crystal?” Her voice is dry, her expression flat. “You have no idea how to survive in this city, and I’m legally responsible for you.”
“You just said you weren’t.” I’m trying not to sound desperate or confused or even angry, but I’m failing at all of it.
“Actually, I am,” she says. “I’ve given you a home here, and we’ve made certain your identification lists me as your parent, and I’m on your birth certificate, after all. The City of New York would look askance if I let you live on your own, with your level of knowledge and your ability to survive in the real world.”
“You mean the paparazzi and the press would have a field day,” I say.
She inclines her head. “That too.”
“Maybe I should go to them and just tell them everything.” I know that threat has worked in every movie I’ve ever seen.
But Mother doesn’t look too concerned. “Darling, they’ll just think you crazy. You’ll be the crazy child of the Wright family, and then the rumors will start that no one has seen you because you’ve been institutionalized, and when they try to track you down,
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