Chapter 14
Koda leftto confront the bounty poster, and a part of me wished I’d gone with him, not because he truly needed my help but because I found myself wanting to be by his side. My lips still tingled—as did other parts—and I found myself excited to see what would happen next with him. Did we have a future? I kind of wanted to explore that, but first, I had to deal with the fluttery fear and excitement at finally getting to meet my mother.
Would she have a good reason for having abandoned me? Would I hate her on sight? Burst into tears? It should be noted, I rarely cried. I tried to not let things get me down, but at the same time, part of that forced determination to be if not happy but content came from my messed-up childhood. Would the answers I might get today help or worsen my mental state? Guess I’d soon find out.
My inner musings got shelved as Kowalski entered the room looking tense.
“You okay, boss?”
“Yeah, but I’m rethinking my invitation to Hekate’s pets. I thought they’d be housebroken,” he complained. “My roses are delicate.”
“I’ll have a chat with them.”
He waved a hand. “Don’t worry about that. We have more important things to attend.”
“You really think you found my bio mom?” I asked.
“The DNA doesn’t lie,” Kowalski chirped.
“It’s not the chimera, is it?” I cringed as I voiced the fear aloud.
“What makes you say that?”
“Just some oddities I’ve come across from my childhood. The guys seem to think there’s a possibility.” I shook my head. “But that’s just crazy. I mean the chimera has been in the system for decades. Someone would have made the connection before now.”
“Then I guess you’ve got your answer.”
“How did you happen to come across my mother? How did she get added to the cryptid DNA database? Is she a criminal?” It would be ironic considering I’d gotten a career in law enforcement.
“Why don’t we get going first, and I can explain on the way.”
I glanced at my outfit, crumpled and somewhat grimy. “I don’t suppose you have anything in my size to borrow?”
“I doubt she’ll care about your appearance.”
“Assuming she cares about me at all,” I countered as I followed him outside. He didn’t bother locking the door, most likely to allow Koda and the dogs entry when they returned. “Maybe she doesn’t even remember me.”
“Oh, she remembers,” his low drawl as he got into the driver’s seat.
I popped in beside him and clipped by belt before questioning, “So she’s aware she has a daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Did she say why she left me?” I asked as he put the car into gear and reversed from his driveway.
“She had no choice because she went to jail.”
Ouch. It stung to find out my bio mom was a criminal. Ouch. “What did she do?”
“A bunch of things. Grand larceny, murder, arson.”
I flinched with each charge and started to wonder if I really wanted to meet this woman. Maybe it would be better not knowing her. “Guess her being arrested explains why she never came back for me. But prisoners still have rights. Didn’t she ask to see me?”
“She never told anyone of your existence.”
One thing did perturb. “I’m kind of surprised it took this long to make the connection. I mean, she would have been arrested thirty-some years ago, meaning when they ran my DNA they should have gotten a match.”
“Mistakes happen. Turns out the DNA we had on file for her belonged to someone else.”
“Seriously?” A technical error was to blame for me living my whole life in the dark?
“These things happen more often than you’d think. Vials get mixed up or contaminated.”
“I wasn’t aware you knew about my past,” I stated. It wasn’t something I hid, but I didn’t go out of my way to tell people either.
“I made it a point to research all the staff before coming on board.”
Kowalski took the on-ramp for the highway, and I clued in we weren’t heading for the precinct. “Where are we going? I thought we were meeting my mom at the office.”
“Not quite. I had a feeling you wouldn’t want your first moment with her to be a spectacle for everyone to spy on, so I arranged a different spot that would provide more privacy. One that you might even remember from your time with your mom.”
“Don’t be so sure. I lost all my memories of that time.” Except in my dreams, which I couldn’t remember but for the flames. When I woke, for a second, I’d feel as if I knew, and then it would slip away.
“Guess we’ll soon find out.”
Because of his cryptic replies, I half-expected our final destination. There was only one place that Kowalski would have known about that might have once housed me and my mother.
The house that burned down. The one where I’d been orphaned.
I’d never once visited it, not even as an adult, since I’d never known the address—not until I’d found my file. I wondered if things had been different, if the file hadn’t been lost, would I have been able to visit and trigger memories? A part of me recoiled from that idea. Considered it the place where I lost my life. Where I had to become someone new. Little orphan Marissa.
I didn’t realize my hands shook until I emerged from the car and surveilled the ruined lot. No one had rebuilt on the site, the concrete foundation all that remained, cracked in spots with weeds sprouting. The houses on the street all appeared condemned, boarded over and forlorn.
The housing shortage and lack of rentals made me wonder how this area could have been allowed to fall into such disrepair. “What happened?”
“After the fire, people just started moving out, and none ever returned. Some claimed the place had a curse.”
A shiver went through me, and I hugged myself. I understood their dislike of the area. I wanted nothing more than to run away. It took effort to not get back in that car and demand we leave.
“When is she supposed to meet us?”
“Soon. I wanted to get here early and set the stage for the reunion. After all, it’s been decades. You’re a grown woman now.”
As I moved up the overgrown walkway, the concrete slabs cracked in spots, I found myself asking, “When was she released from prison?”
“She wasn’t. She escaped.”
At the admission, I whirled. “Wait, is this a trap to arrest her and send her back?”
“I’m not planning to arrest her. I have other plans.”
My newest shiver had little to do with the location and everything to do with the sly smile on Kowalski’s face.
A creepy-as-fuck smile.
And suddenly, a memory unlocked. Just as I had at Lorena’s, but this time without the dogs amplifying my magic, I pulled out the memories of this place, combining it with my own past that had been locked up and hidden inside my own mind.
And I plunged us into a nightmare.
The popcorn smelled so good. I watched Mommy as she pulled it from the microwave, the bag inflated with crunchy, salty goodness.
I clapped my hands. “Yay.”
Mommy tossed me a bright smile. “It won’t be long, baby. Let me get a bowl and then we can snuggle and watch a movie.”
Mommy rented Jumanji, and I couldn’t wait to see it. I loved our snuggle time.
“Why don’t you grab us each a can of cola?” A treat reserved for our movie nights.
“Okay.” I went to the fridge and heaved hard to open it.
I heard a clatter and turned around to see the bowl upside down on the floor and popcorn strewn everywhere.
“Oh no,” I exclaimed.
Mommy looked horrified as well. “Baby, you need to hide.”
“Why?”
“The bad man is here.”
Instantly, I froze. Mommy had told me stories about the bad man. How he would hurt us if he ever found us. Every house we lived in, Mommy taught me where to go and hide. We even practiced with Mommy hugging me after and whispering, “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
Why would someone hurt me? I’d asked my mommy, and she always looked sad when she said, “Some people are just plain evil.”
“Quickly,” Mommy exhorted. “He can’t find you.”
“But—” Tears welled and threatened to spill.
Mommy grabbed me in a tight hug, squeezing me close before whispering, “I won’t let him hurt you. Now go.”
I sniffled and sobbed as I went to the cubby she’d built for me under the stairs. I had my hand on the latch when I heard a voice booming.
“I know you’re in there. Come outside, Calliope.”
“Why can’t you leave me alone?” Mommy sounded angry.
“You know I can’t do that. We were meant to be.”
“You’re deluded,” she exclaimed. Despite her warning, I crept to the window and peeked out. A man stood there, tall but skinny. He had long hair tied back in a ponytail and a mean face. A scary face.
“I don’t know why you insist on making this so difficult. Or is it that you love the chase?”
“Fuck off,” Mommy snapped, and my eyes widened. Mommy never cussed.
“Such language,” he huffed. “I’m thinking some time in solitary might be just what you need to adjust your attitude.”
“Go to Hell,” Mommy stated and flung out her hands. To my shock, blue fire emerged from her fingertips, but it didn’t hit the man. An invisible shield stopped it.
The man offered her a nasty smile. “My turn.”
I didn’t see what he did, but it made my mommy scream. I almost ran out. I had my hand on the doorknob when I heard her in my head.
Hide, baby. Hide before he hurts you too.
I ran for my cubby, this time getting inside and shutting it tight, placing my hands over my ears to avoid hearing my mommy’s cries of pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Fear made me pee my pants.
Mommy’s voice spoke again inside my head. Don’t be afraid. The flames are your friend. The flames will help you forget. The flames will hide you.
I didn’t understand what she meant until the cubby got hot and smoke seeped inside.
Fire!
In my panic, I tried to get out of the cubby, but I couldn’t get the latch to work. Couldn’t get the door to open.
Sleep, baby. Sleep and forget.
At her command, I closed my eyes, and when next I opened them, I was alone.
I snapped out of the memory and gaped at Kowalski.
“You were the bad man my mom was trying to hide me from.”
“And she did a good job too. Her last act before I captured her was not just to burn down the house with evidence of your existence but to enchant the smoke from it with a spell of forgetfulness. I never knew you existed until I saw your agent profile picture. You’re the spitting image of her, you know, minus the hair and eyes. It was then I knew. Knew she’d come for you when she escaped.”
“You’re using me as bait.” My stomach clenched.
“Surprise!” Kowalski smirked. “She surrendered to me once before to save your life. Wanna bet she’ll do it again?”
She would. I finally remembered. Remembered the love she had for me. The sacrifice she made to protect.
Now it was my turn to protect her. I just wished I knew how. My hand shoved into my pocket as if it would suddenly have a gun, but all my fingers found were a sugar packet.
But did Koda have the matching ketchup one?