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  Esme saw this as her opportunity to vent. ‘Yep, hate to say it, but your dad’s right. Can’t you see Ryder’s playing you like a pretty pawn in his chess set?’ She pointed her finger at me as if she wanted to emphasise her point.

  ‘Leave it, Esme, I don’t need it from you too.’ I was angry at Ryder for the way he had treated me, but I didn’t want to hear any more.

  ‘Amelina, Kyle’s so much cuter. Why don’t you drop Ryder and hang out with Kyle more? That would be the smart thing to do.’

  ‘Hmmm, I get it. You don’t like Ryder. But you like Kyle?’ I giggled, cupping a burst of unexpected laughter with my hand.

  ‘Whoa. Oh. How did you, um… guess that?’ she asked, blushing a bright scarlet.

  ‘Ha!! You’ve got to be kidding? It’s obvious.’ I stepped closer to the mirror to see whether she would tell me more.

  ‘All right. I admit it. I do. Or at least I think I do. I’ve only just met Kyle, but he looks hot.’ Esme’s eyes gleamed like two fireballs of excitement.

  I couldn’t believe my ears. ‘You and Shadow should form an “I love Kyle fan club.”’ I shook my head in disgust at the course of the conversation. Toby lifted his head at that remark. He didn’t bark in agreement. Instead, he lowered his head back down to his paws.

  ‘I’d be happy to join Kyle’s fan club. But just so you know, Ryder is a pleasing piece of poison.’ Esme got the last word in before Dad returned. I heard his laborious shoes clunking down the hallway coming toward the lounge.

  Before I responded to Esme’s remark, Dad walked in and joined the conversation. Dad exhaled a lengthy moan as he sat down, and I knew it was coming. He inhaled, and I heard it rattle in his chest. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. Before continuing, his voice echoed in his ribcage, ‘I’ve nothing against Kyle; he seems a decent enough lad. But I’d be careful if I were you, Amelina. My instinct tells me there’s something about Ryder that doesn’t quite add up.’

  Anger flared in my heart at Dad’s words. I kept silent. Annoyance had replaced misery. First, the curse. Now this, Dad’s instinct. What did he know? Half the time Dad didn’t even voice his opinion about anything that happened in my life. In fact, his overblown reaction made me even more determined. I gritted my teeth. I had no intention of backing off with Ryder. No way. Dad would have to accept my decision. I wasn’t his little girl anymore. I could make my own choices.

  As far as I could tell, Ryder deserved the benefit of the doubt. My emotions swirled as I tried to reason the situation out in my mind. All right, so Ryder had left with Emily, and he’d been out with her before and hadn’t shared that fact with me. But that didn’t mean he was a cheating rat. If what Kyle said was true, then Ryder was acting like a good friend to Emily and looking after her. So that left Kyle. Maybe as a friend, Kyle would help me in gaining Ryder’s affection.

  I knew nothing for sure, and it certainly wasn’t black and white. My head hurt. Yet, I needed to figure out a way to squash the curse, restore my dad to the way he used to be, and reactivate my mum’s happy mode. More than anything, I wanted to become a normal teenager again. In the meantime, kisses—even weird ones—made the curse a whole lot more bearable.

  Puzzle Piece 25:

  Aunt Karissa’s Night Out

  Grown-ups staggering,

  Leads to the craziest fight,

  I’m picking my way,

  Through all the smoke and the flames,

  No way out? No, I’m weeping.

  There was a great commotion when Mum and Aunt Karissa came traipsing in after their girl’s night out. My aunt stumbled into the lounge, tripping over Toby. She didn’t even notice her poor dog yelping and limping away. Instead, Aunt Karissa swayed and slurred, ‘Well, how was the handsome Ryder? Was he a good kisser?’

  The alcohol seemed to have little or no effect on my mum. She stood rigid, like a starched shirt. I grinned. There was nothing new there.

  ‘Really, Karissa, you’ve had one too many glasses of wine. Leave Amelina alone. I’m sure she’ll tell us about Ryder when she’s good and ready.’ Mum gave me a look that hot-wired to my brain, dissecting and probing my thoughts.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Dad got there first. ‘Well, she came home with a nice young man called Kyle, a vast improvement on that other lad, Ryder, if you ask me.’ Dad put down his crossword puzzle on the side table.

  I exuded fury. It took everything I had for my brain to not explode. I forced my breath to slow, and I glared at Dad with red-rimmed eyes. How could he?

  Aunt Karissa pounced like a cat staggering to drag off a recent kill. ‘Really? Sounds fascinating! Come on, Amelina, tell us all about it. What happened with Ryder?’ My aunt swayed on her feet but stood rooted to the ground awaiting my reply.

  I fidgeted and glanced down at my shoes. ‘Ryder had to help Emily with some schoolwork. Kyle’s just a friend, Aunt Karissa, that’s all.’

  ‘What a romantic-sounding name for just a friend—Kyle, you say?’ Karissa wavered back and forth with a dreamy expression on her face. She paused, her brows wrinkled in deep thought. She turned to Dad. ‘Why our parents called me Karissa and you Mark, I’ll never know. Although, you’re marked by... oh, I’m saying too much. I mustn’t ramble on like this.’ Aunt Karissa hiccupped and covered her mouth with her hand.

  Dad’s face turned stony, reminding me of a frightening sculpture I’d seen in an art gallery. He frowned. Without saying another word, he stood up and shuffled off to his computer room.

  Mum spun around and growled at my aunt. ‘Really, Karissa, now you’ve upset Mark. You always put your foot in it. I think you’re doing it on purpose.’

  Karissa adopted a guilty expression as she hung her head. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I say the first thing that pops into my head. Most unfortunate habit, one I must try to change.’

  I coughed to hide a smirk behind my hand but knew I’d failed when Mum glared at me with an unpleasant expression. ‘Amelina. Don’t stand there gawking; go make us a cup of tea.’

  Aunt Karissa spoke up. ‘No, I should do it. I’ve been rude enough for one day.’ Staggering to her feet, my aunt climbed up the stairs unsteadily to Dad’s office. ‘Do you want a cuppa, Mark?’

  ‘I’m OK.’ I heard the pain in Dad’s voice and sat on the settee. I knew this conversation wasn’t over. I closed my eyes to drown out the sounds of my family arguing.

  ‘Oh, dear, I think he’s dreadfully cross with me,’ whispered Aunt Karissa to Mum as she stumbled back into the lounge.

  ‘Well, that’s no surprise.’ Mum’s voice rose to a shrill decibel like a pneumatic drill that had lost all hope of finding its controller.

  ‘You know I don’t mean it.’ Aunt Karissa looked sharply at Mum.

  ‘Of course.’ Mum turned her back on my aunt and sat down in a chair.

  I could tell by the sound of Mum’s voice she didn’t believe a word that Aunt Karissa had said. I watched my aunt teeter out of the room.

  ‘Well then, I’m off to make the tea.’

  ‘You sure you can manage?’ Mum rubbed her eyes in a tired gesture.

  ‘Of course, I will, but I shall have a shot of espresso first, to sober up!’

  I sat in silence with Mum while Aunt Karissa disappeared into the kitchen. My aunt was gone for a ridiculous length of time. Finally, she careened her way back into the lounge, clutching two fragrant mugs of Earl Grey. I knew it was her way of giving a peace offering. The women sipped their tea in silence.

  After Aunt Karissa’s magical concoction had warmed their bones, Mum’s attitude changed, and she cheered up. It was a miracle.

  Mum smiled at my aunt. ‘Thanks for the excellent tea and the superb dinner, Karissa. Much appreciated.’

  I nearly gasped in surprise but stopped myself in time. Instead, I sipped my cola to keep my mouth shut.

  ‘My pleasure; we should do it more often.’ My aunt gushed. She turned in her chair and smiled at Mum and gulped her tea.

  What did my aunt put in the
tea? Magic bergamot leaves, perhaps?

  Mum glanced at the clock on the mantel. ‘It’s getting late.’

  Since the change in our fortunes, I couldn’t remember a time that Mum hadn’t gone to bed at eleven o’clock. The only exception was New Year’s Eve when she stayed up to two minutes past twelve.

  ‘Off to bed already, Eleanor? Oh, I hope I can find my book when I trot off to snooze land. I wanted to read tonight,’ said Aunt Karissa, frowning.

  Mum set her cup down and looked at my aunt. ‘Where did you leave it?’

  ‘Next to my reading glasses on the bedside table, but they’ve vanished too. You must have a residing ghost with impeccable taste that likes to steal them.’

  Mum sighed. ‘What an unlikely explanation!’

  I smiled faintly. Aunt Karissa had a habit of losing things. I was sure they were somewhere around the house.

  Mum stood up and gathered her things, ready to begin her night-time ritual. I watched through half-closed eyes as she wished everyone good night. Tired, I followed Mum. When I reached my room, I shut the door, hoping to escape my mother’s critical eyes.

  But Mum saw the closed door as a flashing neon invitation to come barging in. ‘Amelina! Look at your room! How could you leave it in such a state?’

  I surveyed the mess. ‘I’m sorry, Mum. I was rushing to get ready and didn’t have time to tidy up. I’ll do it now.’ I walked over to my bed and grabbed a dress I had discarded earlier.

  ‘You always say that, but then you never keep your promises. No, I’ve had enough. This time I’ll do it!’ Mum grabbed a black refuse bag from the top wardrobe shelf and stuffed my precious things into the bag in a fit of temper.

  I backed off and watched Mum have her adult tantrum from the side of the room. All I could think of was that those bergamot leaves had worn off. I watched in horror as she opened my camphor-wood chest and tipped my crystals into an empty box I had been saving for an art project. Next, Mum grabbed my precious dreamcatcher, which I hung up every night above my bed.

  What is she thinking of? Hyperventilating, I hopped from foot to foot, doing a very wretched jig as if I was walking on fire. Tears threatened to overflow, and I struggled to control myself. ‘Mum, don’t touch my crystals and dream catcher, I promise to keep my room tidy. Please don’t take them.’ Mum’s face set hard, a statuesque, no chance. She wasn’t about to listen. Anger was etched in the lines around her mouth.

  ‘It’s too late. It’s all too late, I’m confiscating your things to teach you a lesson,’ shrieked Mum, as she tied the bag up and walked out of the door.

  My mum did scary like no one else I had ever seen. She gave off this strange vibe like she was about to combust into a fireball of uncontrollable anger. That was it! I lost it, and tears streamed down my face. The more I wailed, the more all my pent-up emotions poured out of me. I felt like a volcano erupting in a fury, a hot lava flow of emotions and words. Poor Aunt Karissa stood motionless at the door watching, a silent, motionless, observer.

  Still wearing my dress from my date with Ryder, I crawled into bed and sobbed, my heart broken by Mum’s cruel attitude. At some point, I fell asleep. Later that night, I awakened and listened to Mum and Aunt Karissa arguing. I could hear my aunt urging Mum to return my things, but if anything, my aunt’s pleas made Mum more determined to keep my trinkets hidden.

  I slept off and on that night. I would hear a noise and wake up startled, my unhappiness overwhelming me. Mum didn’t go to bed for hours, and the sound of her cleaning the house, angrily banging brooms, moving furniture, and scraping the floor, set my nerves on edge. I could swear I heard a droning noise coming from the electricity sockets. It sounded like a hive of bees lived within the walls. Shadow hid under my bed, seeking shelter from the awful atmosphere.

  Near dawn, I crept downstairs and ran towards the patio door. Esme watched me open the door and shouted after me. ‘Whoa. Where’re you going, Amelina?’

  ‘Out.’

  ‘That pretty much sounds like what I want to do, but I can’t.’ She peered at me through the glass of the mirror, a wistful expression in her eyes.

  ‘Wish I could take you.’

  ‘Yeah, me too. You’re coming back, aren’t you? I know we’ve got the weirdest friendship ever, but if you go, who in the heck will I talk to, apart from my own tragic self?’

  I shrugged. At that moment, I felt a shitload of pent-up frustration and anger boil over inside me. It was a cesspit of ugly. I wanted to escape and never come back even if it meant abandoning Esme to her solitary prison and leaving Mum and Dad to their miserable fate.

  I stopped and thought for a minute. To give Esme credit, she wasn’t one for giving up. As I watched, Esme extended her right arm and leg as if she was ready to run in a sprint. Without hesitation, she raced toward me. Esme’s head hit the glass walls of her prison, and she bounced backward into the blackness behind the mirror. I stepped closer to the mirror and peered inside to see if Esme had hurt herself. I could see her hazy silhouette, and she appeared to be okay. I waved. Esme touched her eye and wiped away a tear. A tiny quartz crystal appeared in her palm. This time she got lucky. She kept it. She waved back as I left. I noticed Esme’s wave was an uncertain wave and given reluctantly.

  I stormed ahead alone, and in my pent-up anger, the pounding of my shoes on the slabs echoed in the cold air. I pulled my cardigan closer and paused to think. How could I bear to be without my crystals? Without them, all the light had gone from my world. Before me, the garden lay cloaked in blackness, full of eerie shadows. Overhead, clouds drifted in the sky as if they couldn’t find a peaceful place to rest. I felt like running forever, never turning back, and sprinting until my heart burst with the freedom of it all. But I didn’t. I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t abandon my family, Esme, or my mum and dad.

  I sat cross-legged on the lawn, my thoughts racing as they followed the path of the drifting shadows. Why was my mother such an almighty bitch? As soon as the word bitch crept into my mind, I regretted it. In my heart, I knew Mum had changed that strange day Dad had evaporated into thin air. I pushed my guilt away. If only I could turn back time, perhaps then everything would be as it was.

  Mum and Dad would be happy again, and Dad and Aunt Karissa would get on. There were just the two of them, yet they couldn’t bear the sight of each other, which seemed harsh on my aunt’s part. The strange thing was, Aunt Karissa knew why my father, her only brother, had changed. Whatever it was, it had driven a wedge between them. I sensed my aunt could never forgive him for whatever hurt he had done.

  Raindrops gently fell on my head. The angrier I felt, the harder the rain appeared to fall. In my angry stupor, I realised that the rain felt as if it was washing away my feelings of desperation. I sat in the rain, wondering what my dad could have done to deserve such a life sentence. If only I could figure out the secret, but no one would tell me. Subconsciously I knew that I would never solve the mystery without my precious crystals. I was lost. Useless.

  My aunt found me. It must have been a half an hour later. I felt like I’d been out in the garden all night. I was soaked through and shivering. Aunt Karissa extended a comforting hand to me and spoke in a hushed whisper as if she feared that her kind words would be stolen by the wind.

  ‘Come, Amelina, you’re drenched through. Poor dear. It’s creepy out here in the dark; you never know who may be lurking in the shadows.’

  I hesitated for a moment. ‘Tell me, Aunt Karissa, why is Dad the way he is?’

  Karissa didn’t reply. This was a first. Instead, she sighed. I thought she intended remaining silent, but then she spoke.

  ‘He was such a rascal as a boy, always getting into trouble, making friends with the wrong people, and trusting dodgy characters. Sometimes younger sisters get fed up helping their big brothers out of scrapes. This time he went too far. I tried, but I couldn’t help him. You see, the curse states that it must be a firstborn child of his blood with pure, uncompromised abilities that will restore him. As
a second-born Krystallos, all I can hope to offer is a few magical gifts to help you increase your skills, dear Amelina. You must act before you turn sixteen. A younger sister will no longer do.’

  Sixteen? I felt the panic rise in my throat. Oh, my God! No pressure then. It would be my sixteenth birthday in a few months’ time. My hand flew to my throat. I was really shivering now.

  ‘Can you tell me what to do, Aunt Karissa?’

  ‘I wish I could, Amelina, but sadly I don’t know. However, I sense that you will figure it out, and be the one to save him.’

  ‘How? I’m just an ordinary girl. I have no idea how to do that.’

  ‘You are so much more than you realise; you are no ordinary girl! They say that on the day you were born the stars aligned in a brilliant pattern prophesying that in time you would solve a great mystery and become a receptacle for good magic, able to receive the magic of the crystals.’

  Aunt Karissa’s words acted upon my uncertainties, driving them away. She wrapped her arms around me. My tears flowed freely and mingled with the rain. I reluctantly allowed myself to be drawn back into the house. Esme greeted me with a relieved smile. She used her hands and made the shape of a heart. Shadow welcomed me with a meow and rubbed his head on my leg. It was quite the homecoming. No tears were spared.

  Puzzle Piece 26:

  The Nightmare of Loss

  Nightmares pick your brain,

  Like a hungry bird feasting,

  On wriggling worms,

  You have to puzzle through it,

  To pick the fact from fiction.

  That night I had a terrible time staying asleep. I tossed and turned for hours, thinking about what Aunt Karissa had told me. I had to help my dad. I didn’t understand how to even begin.