Page 29 of Relentless Charm

“You can’t keep me safe,” Bailey said, her voice betraying her, cracking with emotion. “Maybe for other people this has worked, but my father is different. You don’t understand the things he can do.”

“Explain them to us,” Gloria suggested. “We want to see the full picture.”

“He can bend time. My father has a relationship with the earth that you could never understand. Moving from one place to another without any effort at all. He can hear my thoughts. He knows the future. That prison cell won’t hold him.”

“Did he foresee any of this?” Carmen asked, waving around the plane. “Was he shocked to be arrested and find out you were the one who helped make that happen?”

Bailey’s brow creased deeply as she thought this over. “He did seem surprised.”

“And he’s been in jail for more than a week now?” Gloria pressed.

“Yes.”

Carmen nodded. “And he’s not been able to leave prison with any of his powers? Perhaps they don’t work there. That means he won’t be able to track you down wherever you are. So maybe we can keep you safe. I know this is heavy shit—”

“Careful,” Bailey winced. “You swore.”

Gloria drew in a deep breath. “What do you think happens when you swear?”

“It’s a sin. A dangerous—”

“What did they tell you happens if you swear?” Gloria asked again, this time more gently.

“Fire,” Bailey whispered. “Your skin will burn. The flesh will—”

Gloria held out her arm. “My skin is fine. I’m a little cold actually.”

Tears welled in Bailey’s eyes as she reached out and touched Gloria’s cool arm. “My father said...”

“That will become a familiar refrain,” Gloria replied, putting her hand over Bailey’s. “And the only thing you can do is prove some things right or wrong. When nothing happens, you’ll know what the truth is. We aren’t here to tell you everything you believe is a lie. That won’t help. Where we’re going, you’ll have professional people who can help you navigate all of this. But mostly it’ll be what you can sort out in your own heart.”

“I don’t want to find out things he told me were untrue.” Bailey whimpered. “What does that mean for me? For everything I believe?”

“Nope,” Gloria said, reaching into the bag by her and handing over a piece of rich chocolate, “you don’t have to do that. We’re not here to implode everything you know. It’s not one day at a time. It’s one moment at a time. And this moment is for chocolate.”

Carmen smiled. “It’s okay to be scared. You can do hard things even when you’re afraid. I already can see that in you. The only thing you’ve got to do is breathe. Eat. Drink. Keep existing. The rest doesn’t have to happen all at once.”

Bailey nodded, nibbled on the luscious chocolate, and closed her eyes as the plane continued to cut a path through the clouds. Everything below looked so small. Her eyes scanned the endless sky beyond the window. She was still in shock, her heart racing as she tried to process what had just happened.

The land below was a patchwork of green and brown, dotted with clusters of buildings and roads that snaked through the landscape. She’d always known the world was bigger than just Cinderhill and the little towns around it she had visited, but this perspective was almost overwhelming as the clouds cast long shadows on the ground below.

As the jet continued its ascent and she savored the chocolate melting in her mouth, Bailey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt the rush of adrenaline and the weight of her past slowly falling away. She knew her journey was far from over, and there would be many more challenges and obstacles to overcome. But for now, she was content to simply be in the moment, to savor the feeling of being alive and free.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

King

The conflict raging in him was like the push and pull of the tides. One minute he was a wave crashing to the shore, certain he should call Carmen and alert her to the pending danger here in Cinderhill. Then, just as quickly, those waves were sucked back out to sea and he knew he’d be betraying Bailey and her trust in him if he did that. There was no right answer here.

“I really thought he’d help us,” Bailey said somberly as they walked toward the gardens of Cinderhill. “He was so instrumental in getting me safe and my father charged.”

“It looks like the last few years have been hard on him,” King replied, trying to sound connected to Bailey’s words and not show how distracted he was by the turmoil he was feeling.

“You’re back,” Mrs. Tully cried out breathlessly as she crossed the courtyard, waving her arms. King’s stomach twisted instantly into knots. This was not going to be good.

“They were here,” she exclaimed. “Three of them. All wild and angry. They were asking where you were and then went in to talk to your mother. When they came out, they started raiding the winter supplies. All the stockpiled food is gone. They said the only way we’d get any of it back was when they moved back in, making Cinderhill holy again.” She covered her mouth in horror and couldn’t continue for a moment.

“Did they hurt anyone?” King asked, his heart jumping wildly.