Darkmoon(49)

Even then, though, I knew they wouldn’t be forgotten forever.





9





Gone





As I’d expected, the next morning Connor tried calling Marie again, still with no response. He set his phone down on the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area and let out a brief gust of breath. “Okay, that’s it,” he announced. “We’re going over there.”

I put down my cup of green tea. Even though I’d been trying to avoid coffee anyway, over the weekend I seemed to have developed a sudden aversion to its smell. Poor Connor had tried to make himself some French roast, and I nearly vomited at the aroma. Strange, because otherwise I really wasn’t experiencing any morning sickness. But now — at least for the time being — if he wanted to get his caffeine fix, he’d have to go to the coffee house down the street and drink his venti before he came home.

“Do you think that’s such a good idea?” I asked in dubious tones. “For all we know, Marie’s not answering the phone because she’s shacked up with the pool boy or something.”

Connor didn’t crack a smile. “She doesn’t have a pool. And I’ve never heard of her being with anyone, let alone a pool boy, so there goes that theory.”

“Oh, now I’ve figured it out,” I said. “Her main problem is that she just needs to get laid. She’d be so much more relaxed.” Then again, probably the real reason she always acts hostile around me is that I’m the child of the man she wanted to marry….

Not bothering to respond to my remark, he went on, “Do you think you can be ready to leave by eleven?”

It was ten-thirty now, and although I’d showered, I was still roaming around in yoga pants and a tank top, with no makeup on. “No problem,” I said blithely. Thank goodness my “beautifying” routine was pretty basic.

And, sure enough, we were out the door at five after eleven. I’d eschewed my jeans, which were starting to feel a little tight, for one of my flowing sequined skirts — thank the Goddess for elastic waistbands — and a camisole. It wasn’t even that hot in Flagstaff, but I thought the outfit was a good kick-off for the start of summer.

As before, we walked the few blocks to Marie’s house, letting the mild breeze be our companion. Connor and I didn’t talk much; I could tell he was still brooding over her silence, and attempting to figure out the reason behind it. Well, we should know in a few minutes, one way or another.

Her house didn’t look much different from the last time we’d seen it, only a few days earlier. The irises still bloomed, although they were starting to look a little dry around the edges, as was the lawn. Well, maybe she was big into water conservation.

Connor went to the front door and rang the bell. We waited, the breeze picking up and pulling at my spangled skirts, causing a brief swirl of reflections around the front stoop, like a drift of falling stars.

Nothing.

“She could be out shopping or something,” I suggested. “I mean, even Marie has to replace the toilet paper sometime.”

A brief twist of his mouth, and Connor shook his head before ringing the doorbell once again. We could hear it echoing in the house, but there were no answering footsteps, no Marie coming to the door and giving us that look of quiet disapproval she’d mastered so well.

“I’m going to open it,” Connor said, after we’d waited another minute.

“I don’t think she’d be too happy about us breaking and entering.”

“I don’t care. I’m the primus of this clan — what’s she going to do about it?”

To that I had no answer, so I merely lifted my shoulders and watched as he laid his hand on the latch. A pale glow seemed to drift from his fingers, surrounding the dark metal piece, and then he pushed down, and the door swung inward.

“Wow,” he said, lifting his hand and staring at it as if he’d never seen it before. “She had it warded, but I just pushed with the power — the primus power — and the wards…disappeared.”

“You haven’t used it very much,” I said. It was not a question.

“No. Except that time in Indio, with you. It sort of…well, it scares me a little. I saw what it did to Damon, and I don’t want to be anything like that.”

Again I couldn’t really find the words to reply, to reassure him that he would never be anything like Damon. Instead, I slipped my fingers in his, pulling him gently into the foyer. After all, if he’d gone to the trouble of using the primus powers to unlock the door, then we might as well go inside and see what’s what.