Read Online Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sarah Beth Durst
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, People & Places, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Performing Arts, Education, Adventure and Adventurers, School & Education, Adventure stories, Multigenerational, Body; Mind & Spirit, Dance, Locks and Keys, Magick Studies, Universities and colleges, College stories, Higher, Princeton (N.J.), Princeton University
Ads: Link
Lily walked faster. "My mom takes care of me. Like any other mom. But I also take care of her. That's how it works. I have to check on her." And if her Legacy Test had endangered Mom, then she'd quit.
Maybe she should quit anyway. The Old Boys were clearly deranged, and Lily hadn't signed up to play head games. She wondered if they'd planted Dad's book to mess with her, too. Maybe he hadn't written it. She wondered if Mom would know.
"No one can fault you for caring about your mother," Jake said. "I'm sure the officers won't penalize you for deviating from the test." He didn't sound confident, and for an instant, Lily wondered if she was being overly anxious. Mom was
69
most likely fine. Grandpa was with her, as Jake had pointed out. Lily tried to imagine how she'd explain to Grandpa that she wanted to quit. It would kill her to disappoint him.
Entering the 50th Reunion tent again, Lily slowed at the registration desk, but Jake flashed the couple a brilliant smile and ushered Lily past. "You know which room?" she asked him as they crossed the tent.
"Everyone was briefed on where you'd be," Jake said.
"Oh," she said. She bet "everyone" would be briefed again if she quit the test, mortifying Grandpa.
As she followed Jake into a dorm and up a cement stairwell, she heard a familiar voice belting out show tunes. Mom, she thought. She's okay. Off-pitch, but okay. Grandpa must have already come and gone; Mom wouldn't be singing like that if Grandpa was there. Lily felt the muscles in her back slowly unclench. She hadn't realized how worried she'd been.
"You don't have to come with me," Lily said to Jake. Introducing Mr. Mayfair's gloriously gorgeous grandson to Mom was not high on her list of things to do.
"I can't guard you if I'm not with you," Jake objected.
"Can't you--I don't know--scan the hall for green monkeys and then wait?" she asked. "Mom won't tell me how she's really doing if you're there." With other people, Mom was all sunshine and cream. If Mom had seen a Feeder, she wouldn't admit it in front of Jake. And she'd never agree to talk about Dad. "Please," Lily said. "I'll be fine. Does that
70
sound dangerous?" She pointed toward the room where the singing was the loudest. "I mean, other than to one's eardrums?"
Jake laughed. "Yell if you need me," he said. "I'll be right here." He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms so that his muscles bulged. Oddly, the obvious I-am-buff move did make her feel safer.
"Thanks," she said, and meant it.
Lily knocked on the dorm room door, but the singing didn't falter. She tried the knob, and it turned easily. She sighed as she opened the door. Honestly, couldn't Mom at least remember to lock the door? "Mom ...," she began. She stopped and stared.
Oh, this was not good.
Mom had dragged one of the spartan metal dorm beds to the center of the room and was standing on the mattress. She had markers and pens and pencils strewn all around her bare feet, and she was drawing on the ceiling as she sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses."
Lily shot a look back at Jake. She didn't think he could see into the room from where he stood. She smiled brightly at him. "Everything's normal," she said to him. "Just a sec!" She scooted inside and shut the door quickly behind her. "Mom!" Mom held a Sharpie. Permanent marker. "We don't live here! What are you doing?"
Holding up one blue-stained finger for silence, Mom added another leaf and then smiled up at her handiwork.
71
Mom had drawn an intricate mural of intertwining black leaves on the ceiling. Flecks of blue danced between the leaves like glimpses of sky.
"Come down from there." Lily pointed to the floor for emphasis. "Where's Grandpa? Did he see this?"
Mom frowned down at her. "Lily! Is that blood on your shirt?" She climbed off the bed and cooed at Lily's shoulder. "Sweetie, are you okay? What happened?"
Lily plucked a fresh shirt out of their suitcase. "I'm fine," she said automatically. She changed shirts and then
Maybe she should quit anyway. The Old Boys were clearly deranged, and Lily hadn't signed up to play head games. She wondered if they'd planted Dad's book to mess with her, too. Maybe he hadn't written it. She wondered if Mom would know.
"No one can fault you for caring about your mother," Jake said. "I'm sure the officers won't penalize you for deviating from the test." He didn't sound confident, and for an instant, Lily wondered if she was being overly anxious. Mom was
69
most likely fine. Grandpa was with her, as Jake had pointed out. Lily tried to imagine how she'd explain to Grandpa that she wanted to quit. It would kill her to disappoint him.
Entering the 50th Reunion tent again, Lily slowed at the registration desk, but Jake flashed the couple a brilliant smile and ushered Lily past. "You know which room?" she asked him as they crossed the tent.
"Everyone was briefed on where you'd be," Jake said.
"Oh," she said. She bet "everyone" would be briefed again if she quit the test, mortifying Grandpa.
As she followed Jake into a dorm and up a cement stairwell, she heard a familiar voice belting out show tunes. Mom, she thought. She's okay. Off-pitch, but okay. Grandpa must have already come and gone; Mom wouldn't be singing like that if Grandpa was there. Lily felt the muscles in her back slowly unclench. She hadn't realized how worried she'd been.
"You don't have to come with me," Lily said to Jake. Introducing Mr. Mayfair's gloriously gorgeous grandson to Mom was not high on her list of things to do.
"I can't guard you if I'm not with you," Jake objected.
"Can't you--I don't know--scan the hall for green monkeys and then wait?" she asked. "Mom won't tell me how she's really doing if you're there." With other people, Mom was all sunshine and cream. If Mom had seen a Feeder, she wouldn't admit it in front of Jake. And she'd never agree to talk about Dad. "Please," Lily said. "I'll be fine. Does that
70
sound dangerous?" She pointed toward the room where the singing was the loudest. "I mean, other than to one's eardrums?"
Jake laughed. "Yell if you need me," he said. "I'll be right here." He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms so that his muscles bulged. Oddly, the obvious I-am-buff move did make her feel safer.
"Thanks," she said, and meant it.
Lily knocked on the dorm room door, but the singing didn't falter. She tried the knob, and it turned easily. She sighed as she opened the door. Honestly, couldn't Mom at least remember to lock the door? "Mom ...," she began. She stopped and stared.
Oh, this was not good.
Mom had dragged one of the spartan metal dorm beds to the center of the room and was standing on the mattress. She had markers and pens and pencils strewn all around her bare feet, and she was drawing on the ceiling as she sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses."
Lily shot a look back at Jake. She didn't think he could see into the room from where he stood. She smiled brightly at him. "Everything's normal," she said to him. "Just a sec!" She scooted inside and shut the door quickly behind her. "Mom!" Mom held a Sharpie. Permanent marker. "We don't live here! What are you doing?"
Holding up one blue-stained finger for silence, Mom added another leaf and then smiled up at her handiwork.
71
Mom had drawn an intricate mural of intertwining black leaves on the ceiling. Flecks of blue danced between the leaves like glimpses of sky.
"Come down from there." Lily pointed to the floor for emphasis. "Where's Grandpa? Did he see this?"
Mom frowned down at her. "Lily! Is that blood on your shirt?" She climbed off the bed and cooed at Lily's shoulder. "Sweetie, are you okay? What happened?"
Lily plucked a fresh shirt out of their suitcase. "I'm fine," she said automatically. She changed shirts and then
Similar Books
