4. Plan #2
“They are unstable at best,” Caemorn argued. “This is hardly the best of times for them. They may feel that they have nothing left to lose so they might as well cause as much damage as they can on their way out.”
“But to my mother?” Grayson asked. “Why her? Their only interest in me was because of Legion.”
“They still view Weryn as one of their biggest enemies,” Caemorn said. “Remember that the War was truly between him and I back then. Or more Roan and him. He won. For a time. He will be smarting from having lost this round. He’ll want to cause Weryn pain and you are the best method to do that.”
“By hurting Mom?” Grayson rubbed his eyes. “Or luring me to save her and then acting against me?”
“That’s assuming he hasn’t put two and two together about you,” Christian said. “Hearing how your stepfather died, especially getting it from the man’s own mouth, so to speak, might have revealed to him that you have the power of telekinesis.”
“Yeah, and I bet that bastard was eager to tell him everything if he thought it would get me in trouble,” Grayson said. “So I am not going.”
“That would seem best,” Caemorn agreed.
And he should have come to that conclusion himself. But he hadn’t because he wanted to jump into action. Likely it was partly because he was feeling so helpless and also… also… it was his mom. His throat felt tight as the memories of her wanted to break into his mind.
He kept seeing her smiling at him. There was a streak of paint on her cheek and another on the side of her nose as she said, “You really want your room to be this shade of purple, Grayson? It’s almost black.”
“I know,” his much younger voice had crowed back. “Isn’t it cool, Mom?”
Her mouth had quirked further into a bigger smile as she gazed around at the darkening walls. It was the bedroom in the last house they’d lived in. Right after they’d moved in. “Well, I guess you’re old enough to make your own decisions about what your room looks like.”
“You think so?” He sounded overly eager. “I mean… yeah, absolutely. Rachel asked her parents to paint her room blue, but her mom was like: white’s best.”
His mom shook her head. “It’s only paint. Easy enough to change for when you want your own white walls.”
“Never!”
“Okay! Okay!” She held her hands up.
He remembered then that he’d grabbed one of her hands, which was rare. He’d stopped letting her cuddle with him the year before because it was embarrassing. But at that moment he really wanted to touch her.
“What’s up?” she asked, confusion drawing her brows together.
“T-thanks, Mom, for doing this and–and everything. Most parents wouldn’t,” he said awkwardly.
Her expression went from confused to brilliantly happy in an instant. But she quickly tamped it down and said, “Yeah, well, you know, I am cool.”
“You’re not! Okay, okay, maybe a little,” he conceded at her outraged look.
She’d then grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. It was brief, which was all he would allow, as she said, “Things are going to be great this year, kiddo. You just wait and see.”
Another memory crashed into him. It was his birthday and he had begged and pleaded for the newest Playstation. But it was expensive on its own, not to mention with the games he’d wanted. He’d pretty much given up on the idea until he’d come home from school that day.
“Mom?” he called. Her car had been in the driveway so she should be home. “Mom?”
“In here!” she called from the television room.
He frowned as he thought he was hearing screaming and a car crash? What the heck? He walked in only to find his mother sitting on the couch with a Playstation controller in her hands. On the television was the game he’d been dying to play.
His face hurt from smiling so big. “You got it!”
She was staring at the screen, but she reached over and found the second controller.
“C’mon, c’mon, Grayson, you’ve got to get in on this,” she said. “We need some of your birthday luck to crack this quest.”
He’d immediately sat down beside her. They’d played all night, eating pizza and popcorn, drinking too much soda.
She’d even let him stay home the next day.
They had to recover. He’d had a party with his friends from school that weekend too, but he actually had preferred that night with just the two of them.
Another memory slid in quickly as this one left.
It was similar to one he’d had of his dad, but very different at the same time.
He and his mom were in the parking lot of a mostly abandoned strip mall.
There weren’t any other cars around, which was good because he was in the driver’s seat and his mother was in the passenger one.
“Are you seriously going to let me drive?” he’d asked her as his hands clutched the steering wheel.
“My mom taught me how to drive when I was twelve. She thought it was important that I know how well in advance of getting my license in case…” Here, she paused and then said, “In case there was an emergency and something happened.”
“Like with Grandpa Carl?” he asked softly.
Her father had a heart attack when his mother was only five.
Her mother, his grandmother, had called the ambulance, but there’d been a mix-up and they’d taken forever to come.
And forever had been too late. She believed that if she’d driven Grandpa Carl to the emergency room herself that he’d have been saved.
But his grandmother hadn’t known how to drive.
But she’d learned after that and taught his mother.
“That’s right. Just like with that. We have to be self-sufficient, Grayson,” she said quietly. “The world helps those who help themselves.”
“And we help, too,” he said, adding that part.
She nodded. “We do, but we don’t expect others to help us. So! You are going to start to learn to drive. Now, you’re tall enough to reach the pedals and look over the steering wheel so it seemed time to start.”
Thinking back on those words, Grayson realized that she sounded a lot like he did. Like Ashyr did. Almost as if… Well, almost as if she’d been chosen to bring him into the world to learn those concepts again. To remember them.
“Now put your hands at ten and two,” she said. “And let’s get this party started.”
He had learned to drive. He’d also known how to use buses and trains.
He’d been taught budgeting and how to cook.
She’d made sure that he knew everything he needed to know in order to survive on his own.
Even on the streets, her words and the things she had taught him had been the ones that he’d counted on to get him through. They’d likely been why he had survived.
“Grayson?” Balthazar’s eyebrows were lifted. “You all right there?”
Grayson slowly nodded. “Yeah, I… I think…”
“What do you think about using your mother as bait?” Christian asked.
His father’s eyes were pleading. He wanted Grayson to go get his mother and bring her here, out of danger, right now.
He didn’t want her to be used. This man had given up nearly two decades of his afterlife to keep Grayson safe.
Or as safe as he could be. How could he go against what his father wanted?
He owed the man something, didn’t he? There had to be another way.
The world helps those who help themselves.
And we help, too.
Yes, we do.
“I think she has to be asked,” Grayson said. “If she agrees to it, that’s one thing, but I don’t want her to be a sitting duck out there.”
“Will she agree to it though, Grayson?” Caemorn asked. “And will knowing make this easier or harder for her?”
And we help, too.
“I think she will help,” Grayson said. “She’s really brave. She made a mistake with my stepfather. She tried to fix it. So hard. But she’s incredibly capable and strong and… yeah, she’ll do it.”
“Grayson, she’ll be in danger!” his father cried.
“Yeah, yeah, she will. But she’ll be in danger no matter what,” Grayson told him. He stepped towards his father. “Just like you’ve been by staying here with me. But you wanted to stay. If she wants to do this–”
“Of course, she will!” His father shook his head. “To help you if for no other reason!”
“I know. And I’ll make clear that she doesn’t have to because of that,” he assured his father.
His father lifted an eyebrow. “Do you really think she’ll believe you? And will you really mean it?”
Grayson stepped back, surprised at his father’s words. “I…”
“Son, I know how angry you’ve been,” his father said. “I understand why, but–”
“I know it’s not her fault what happened. But she did let him in,” Grayson said tightly. “And there are consequences to that.”
Consequences we both paid for. Her and I. But me most of all.
“She didn’t want to be alone anymore and she hoped that he would be a good role model for you,” his father pleaded. “She waited a long time after I died.”
“I know.” Grayson shook his head. “I know. But it doesn’t change the fact that if Roan has an interest in her now that interest won’t go away simply by bringing her here.
Until all the Roans are gone, she’s in danger.
We’re all in danger. So if she can help end that danger, shouldn’t I give her a chance to do so? ”
“Will that make up for what happened with your stepfather?” his father asked. “Will you forgive her if she does this?”
Grayson was sticking out his chin again. “She made a mistake. It’s done and over. Hardly a blip on my radar. She’s only human after all.”
“Grayson, please listen–”
“Fiona, bring my mother here,” Grayson said as he turned his back on his father. “We need to get her briefed on the plan. If she wants to be a part of it.”
And if she doesn’t? Well, then we’ll see where that leaves us.