Page 37 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
“You’re the reason I’m upset!”
“No, Amy, I’m not.”
“Then who’s responsible for this shit show?” I’d place my bets on Uncle Neel. “And why does us getting together matter so goddamn much?”
So much that Briar had abandoned his first love.
His silence was answer enough.
“You’re not telling me something.”
Briar slumped, then exhaled. “I’m not the one who should do this, but I have no choice.” He sandwiched my hands between his. “Amy, we Dananns—we’re different—as I think you’ve always known.”
I sulked, regretting that my insecurities glared as brightly as my flaws.
“And there’s a major reason for that. We’re not from this place.” He paused, debating his words. “Some might say we’re from an entirely different world.”
A whimsical ringtone pealed above the pop of a log in the wood burner. I was willing to ignore it, needing further clarification on Briar’s outlandish metaphor, but he wasn’t.
“You should get that.” He gestured at my MulBerry on the nightstand. “I promised your uncle I’d have you home by dinner. It’s past nine now; he’s probably worried something’s wrong.”
The ID display on my phone read Olivia, but I figured someone else was calling.
“Amy!” Ace exclaimed when I answered. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you all day. Every time—right to voicemail.”
“I—uh—I’m still at Avalon Green, cleaning up. My phone’s glitching, remember? I never heard it ring.”
Briar shook his head. It really hadn’t rung.
“Get it fixed already!” Ace ordered. “How else can we reach you when things happen?”
I stiffened. “What’s going on? Is Dad all right?”
“Dad’s fine. It’sVi. She spaced out this morning, and her eyes glazed over. She was unresponsive for two minutes!”
Memories of Vi as a child resurfaced. Her laughing. Her in mid-jabber. And then suddenly blank-eyed, vacant, lost to me. Over and over, this had happened. It couldn’t be happening again!
“But she hasn’t had a seizure since she was nine,” I said, more to myself than Ace.
“Well, she did today, and Uncle Neel won’t let us take her to the doctor. Aunt Aylie rushed us out of the house, and now we’re locked in Ash Loosestrife’s basement.”
“What?” I gasped. “Is Vi all right?”
“She seems fine now, but she’s got to see a doctor. Right? I’m not overreacting!”
“Take her to the ER! Where’s Aunt Aylie? Put her on the phone.”
On Ace’s end, a brief, muffled argument ensued. Jumbling followed. “I’m okay, Amy,” Vi assured me. She’d stolen Ace’s phone; he now griped in the background. “Honestly.”
She sounded fine, thank Danu. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She exhaled. “Listen, this will sound nuts, but I had—I had a vision.”
“Huh?”
“Like a premonition. An omen.”
My willies swiftly rebounded. “Yes, I know what you mean, Vi.”
