Read Online Mind Games: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Lillim Callina Chronicles Book 6) by J.A. Cipriano - Free Book Online
Authors: J.A. Cipriano
Tags: Fantasy
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into her seat as I approached.
“Okay. It was only about two thirds satisfying.” I eyed her with mock annoyance as I got into the car and buckled myself in.
“Well, next time don’t be a brat,” she said, reversing out of the driveway. “And maybe you won’t have to fear the mother tax. Although I make no guarantees where sausages on a stick wrapped in blueberry pancakes are concerned.”
I harrumphed and looked out the window. She had won this round, but I wasn’t about to let her know that. Instead, I watched the street passing by in a blur of color. It was weird because it seemed to be going by really fast, but when I glanced at the speedometer, it made me think we weren’t going very fast even though I couldn’t quite make sense of the numbers.
“Remember, honey, tonight is family dinner night,” my mother said, and I turned toward her, expecting her to be looking at me, but she was staring out the windshield, watching the road like she was supposed to be.
“We have a family dinner night?” I asked, arching one eyebrow.
“Yes, your father and I talked about it. We’re going to have a special family dinner night. We’re going to have pizza tonight.” She smiled, but still didn’t look at me. “I bought all the stuff so we can each make our own pizzas.”
I tried to say something, but instead my mouth salivated, which was probably due to a combination of my stomach not being satisfied by the breakfast corn dog and my secret weakness for all things covered in cheese and pepperoni.
“We’re here,” my mom said a second later, and I realized we were parked in front of the school again. “Have a good day, Lillim. I love you.”
“I love you too.” I leaned over and wrapped her in my arms and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m glad we get to spend this time together,” I added, hoping not for the first time, that she was real and everything else was fake. Because if it wasn’t real, and I figured out how to oust the thing using my body like a puppet, I was never going to see her again. The thought hurt more than I thought it would as I turned and got out of the car.
I stood there, watching her drive off until she disappeared from view. I spun on my heel just as the first bell rang. Charlie was approaching. Instead of waving to him, or even acknowledging his presence, I ducked behind a large eucalyptus tree, took a deep breath, and darted to the far side of the schoolyard.
By the time I reached my math class and threw myself into my seat, my chest was heaving from exertion. Ian sat a few seats away, staring straight ahead, a puzzled expression on his face. His hair looked like it had in my dream. He must have seen me staring at him because he glanced in my direction, and instead of hiding my gaze and looking away sheepishly, I kept staring. Why not? If this was all a made up world, what did it matter?
He nodded to me and looked away. A moment later, he glanced back at me again. When he saw me still looking at him, his lips quirked into a grimace. I smiled sweetly at him. His face hardened into a mask as his ice blue eyes searched my face. Then he turned pointedly away from me and stared straight ahead as our professor approached the front of the room.
Only he wasn’t the same guy from yesterday. No, this was the milk-white male from the baseball game last night. He was wearing a black and red checkered dress shirt and slacks. He rubbed his bald head with one boney hand and smiled out at the classroom.
“Hello,” he boomed, and the sound of his voice stirred something deep inside me. The image of a huge reptile shifting very slightly in its slumber filled my brain as I stared ahead. “I’ll be your substitute for the day.” He spun on his heel and wrote something across the board I couldn’t make out. It all seemed like gibberish. Why was I having so much trouble reading lately?
I blinked, rubbing my eyes with my fists. The words on the board still made no sense at all, and the
“Okay. It was only about two thirds satisfying.” I eyed her with mock annoyance as I got into the car and buckled myself in.
“Well, next time don’t be a brat,” she said, reversing out of the driveway. “And maybe you won’t have to fear the mother tax. Although I make no guarantees where sausages on a stick wrapped in blueberry pancakes are concerned.”
I harrumphed and looked out the window. She had won this round, but I wasn’t about to let her know that. Instead, I watched the street passing by in a blur of color. It was weird because it seemed to be going by really fast, but when I glanced at the speedometer, it made me think we weren’t going very fast even though I couldn’t quite make sense of the numbers.
“Remember, honey, tonight is family dinner night,” my mother said, and I turned toward her, expecting her to be looking at me, but she was staring out the windshield, watching the road like she was supposed to be.
“We have a family dinner night?” I asked, arching one eyebrow.
“Yes, your father and I talked about it. We’re going to have a special family dinner night. We’re going to have pizza tonight.” She smiled, but still didn’t look at me. “I bought all the stuff so we can each make our own pizzas.”
I tried to say something, but instead my mouth salivated, which was probably due to a combination of my stomach not being satisfied by the breakfast corn dog and my secret weakness for all things covered in cheese and pepperoni.
“We’re here,” my mom said a second later, and I realized we were parked in front of the school again. “Have a good day, Lillim. I love you.”
“I love you too.” I leaned over and wrapped her in my arms and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m glad we get to spend this time together,” I added, hoping not for the first time, that she was real and everything else was fake. Because if it wasn’t real, and I figured out how to oust the thing using my body like a puppet, I was never going to see her again. The thought hurt more than I thought it would as I turned and got out of the car.
I stood there, watching her drive off until she disappeared from view. I spun on my heel just as the first bell rang. Charlie was approaching. Instead of waving to him, or even acknowledging his presence, I ducked behind a large eucalyptus tree, took a deep breath, and darted to the far side of the schoolyard.
By the time I reached my math class and threw myself into my seat, my chest was heaving from exertion. Ian sat a few seats away, staring straight ahead, a puzzled expression on his face. His hair looked like it had in my dream. He must have seen me staring at him because he glanced in my direction, and instead of hiding my gaze and looking away sheepishly, I kept staring. Why not? If this was all a made up world, what did it matter?
He nodded to me and looked away. A moment later, he glanced back at me again. When he saw me still looking at him, his lips quirked into a grimace. I smiled sweetly at him. His face hardened into a mask as his ice blue eyes searched my face. Then he turned pointedly away from me and stared straight ahead as our professor approached the front of the room.
Only he wasn’t the same guy from yesterday. No, this was the milk-white male from the baseball game last night. He was wearing a black and red checkered dress shirt and slacks. He rubbed his bald head with one boney hand and smiled out at the classroom.
“Hello,” he boomed, and the sound of his voice stirred something deep inside me. The image of a huge reptile shifting very slightly in its slumber filled my brain as I stared ahead. “I’ll be your substitute for the day.” He spun on his heel and wrote something across the board I couldn’t make out. It all seemed like gibberish. Why was I having so much trouble reading lately?
I blinked, rubbing my eyes with my fists. The words on the board still made no sense at all, and the
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