Read Online Goddess of the Night by Lynne Ewing - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynne Ewing
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, People & Places, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, supernatural, Los Angeles (Calif.)
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worse.
"I
practically live in here," Serena explained. She seemed nervous
to have Vanessa visiting. She picked up a pile of papers. "This
is Wally."
The raccoon
stood on its hind legs, then climbed off the table and scuttled
flat-footed away from Vanessa.
"I got him
on a camping trip. His mom deserted him, same as my mom deserted me,
so my dad let me keep him. Have a seat."
102
Vanessa sat
down.
Serena went to
the counter next to the sink. Wally followed on her heels, his bushy
ringed tail in the air like a flag. She tossed the raccoon a cookie,
then brought a plate of chocolate chip cookies to the table. "Here,
have one. I just made them."
Serena didn't
look like the kind of person who would bake. Vanessa picked one, had
a moment's hesitation wondering what might be in the cookie, then saw
Wally chomping daintily away and took a bite. It was rich and
buttery. The chocolate melted in her mouth.
"It's
good." She wished she hadn't sounded so surprised.
"I'm glad
you like it." Serena smiled. "Sometimes I think about
becoming a chef. Well, if it weren't impossible."
"Anything's
possible." Where had that come from? She sounded like her
mother. Standard Lecture No. 9.
Serena shook
the spangled bracelets on her arm. "I guess my life is pretty
much planned for me.
103
Vanessa felt
sorry for Serena. Too many kids at school had parents who drew road
maps for their lives.
"It's not
what you think," Serena added quickly. "Dad's pretty cool.
It's other things."
Vanessa started
to ask like what, but before she could ask, Serena spoke.
"What do
you want to drink? Soda? Coffee? I'm having milk."
"That
sounds good."
Serena poured
two glasses, then came back to the table and sat down across from
Vanessa. She shuffled her tarot deck, then placed it in front of
Vanessa. "Think of your question while you divide the deck into
three piles with your left hand."
Vanessa took
the worn deck and shakily separated it into three stacks. She
wondered if the cards would be able to tell her who was following
her. When she glanced up, Serena had a peculiar look on her face and
her eyes seemed dilated the way Catty's became before they
time-traveled.
"What?"
Serena shook
her head. "Sorry, I was
104
daydreaming."
She took the deck, gave Vanessa a sly smile, then turned over the
first card. "Ace of cups. Love affair. Don't worry about
Michael. He likes you. It's genuine."
Vanessa tried
to smile, but worry kept pulling at her. Did she dare ask Serena
about her real problem? An odd sensation rippled across her mind. It
wasn't unpleasant, but it felt peculiar, almost like the feeling she
sometimes had after completing a difficult algebra problem. She
glanced up. Serena was staring at her again.
"You
know," Serena began carefully, "if you have other problems,
I might be able to help with those, too. I mean, we could ask the
cards."
"I've got
a problem," Vanessa whispered.
Serena clicked
her tongue piercing against her teeth and waited. "You want to
tell me about it?"
"I cant.
Serena
continued to stare at her. Why did her pupils seem so large? She
blinked and her eyes looked normal again.
"Well,
maybe the cards can help you if you just think about your problem."
Serena turned
105
over the next
card, but she didn't seem to concentrate on it--her eyes kept
returning to Vanessa.
"Do you
see something bad in the cards?" Vanessa asked nervously.
Before Serena
could answer, the back door opened. The salty smell of the ocean
drifted into the room. A boy walked in, his sandals flapping against
the back of his heels. His face was sunburned, his nose peeling, and
his lips still had traces of white zinc oxide. Lines from dried salt
water traced around the back of his deeply tanned neck. His
sun-bleached hair fell in his blue eyes and down his back in a shaggy
ponytail.
"This is
my brother, Collin," Serena said. "Vanessa's a friend from
school."
"Hey,"
Collin nodded, but he barely looked at Vanessa.
"Hi."
Vanessa could see how Morgan would
"I
practically live in here," Serena explained. She seemed nervous
to have Vanessa visiting. She picked up a pile of papers. "This
is Wally."
The raccoon
stood on its hind legs, then climbed off the table and scuttled
flat-footed away from Vanessa.
"I got him
on a camping trip. His mom deserted him, same as my mom deserted me,
so my dad let me keep him. Have a seat."
102
Vanessa sat
down.
Serena went to
the counter next to the sink. Wally followed on her heels, his bushy
ringed tail in the air like a flag. She tossed the raccoon a cookie,
then brought a plate of chocolate chip cookies to the table. "Here,
have one. I just made them."
Serena didn't
look like the kind of person who would bake. Vanessa picked one, had
a moment's hesitation wondering what might be in the cookie, then saw
Wally chomping daintily away and took a bite. It was rich and
buttery. The chocolate melted in her mouth.
"It's
good." She wished she hadn't sounded so surprised.
"I'm glad
you like it." Serena smiled. "Sometimes I think about
becoming a chef. Well, if it weren't impossible."
"Anything's
possible." Where had that come from? She sounded like her
mother. Standard Lecture No. 9.
Serena shook
the spangled bracelets on her arm. "I guess my life is pretty
much planned for me.
103
Vanessa felt
sorry for Serena. Too many kids at school had parents who drew road
maps for their lives.
"It's not
what you think," Serena added quickly. "Dad's pretty cool.
It's other things."
Vanessa started
to ask like what, but before she could ask, Serena spoke.
"What do
you want to drink? Soda? Coffee? I'm having milk."
"That
sounds good."
Serena poured
two glasses, then came back to the table and sat down across from
Vanessa. She shuffled her tarot deck, then placed it in front of
Vanessa. "Think of your question while you divide the deck into
three piles with your left hand."
Vanessa took
the worn deck and shakily separated it into three stacks. She
wondered if the cards would be able to tell her who was following
her. When she glanced up, Serena had a peculiar look on her face and
her eyes seemed dilated the way Catty's became before they
time-traveled.
"What?"
Serena shook
her head. "Sorry, I was
104
daydreaming."
She took the deck, gave Vanessa a sly smile, then turned over the
first card. "Ace of cups. Love affair. Don't worry about
Michael. He likes you. It's genuine."
Vanessa tried
to smile, but worry kept pulling at her. Did she dare ask Serena
about her real problem? An odd sensation rippled across her mind. It
wasn't unpleasant, but it felt peculiar, almost like the feeling she
sometimes had after completing a difficult algebra problem. She
glanced up. Serena was staring at her again.
"You
know," Serena began carefully, "if you have other problems,
I might be able to help with those, too. I mean, we could ask the
cards."
"I've got
a problem," Vanessa whispered.
Serena clicked
her tongue piercing against her teeth and waited. "You want to
tell me about it?"
"I cant.
Serena
continued to stare at her. Why did her pupils seem so large? She
blinked and her eyes looked normal again.
"Well,
maybe the cards can help you if you just think about your problem."
Serena turned
105
over the next
card, but she didn't seem to concentrate on it--her eyes kept
returning to Vanessa.
"Do you
see something bad in the cards?" Vanessa asked nervously.
Before Serena
could answer, the back door opened. The salty smell of the ocean
drifted into the room. A boy walked in, his sandals flapping against
the back of his heels. His face was sunburned, his nose peeling, and
his lips still had traces of white zinc oxide. Lines from dried salt
water traced around the back of his deeply tanned neck. His
sun-bleached hair fell in his blue eyes and down his back in a shaggy
ponytail.
"This is
my brother, Collin," Serena said. "Vanessa's a friend from
school."
"Hey,"
Collin nodded, but he barely looked at Vanessa.
"Hi."
Vanessa could see how Morgan would
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