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I got everything I wanted—plus a shoulder massage from Mom, who has magic fingers. After that I had to practically crawl up the stairs. I was just grateful I didn’t have school this week.
I made it to my room, pushed off the pile of decorative pillows and flopped on the bed, groaning when I saw the latest self-defense articles on my other pillow, mocking me.
I promised I’d read or watch something every day. I planned to enroll in some sort of instruction, on the sly, and the articles/videos helped narrow down the plethora of choices.
Sitting up, I grabbed the pile of paper, started reading the top article, one I’d found on knife fighting. It was—let’s just say a little bloody, so I set it aside, queasy from the really visual descriptions.
And the pendant caught my eye.
I’d started leaving it on my bedside table, as a reminder of what was out there, possibly waiting for me every time I stepped outside my house. It looked like a piece of costume jewelry, so Mom ignored it.
And Dad already knew I had it—I couldn’t keep double locking everything in the house without some sort of explanation.
I reached out and snagged the leather cord. The pendant, shaped like the Anglo-Saxon Algiz rune, was made of some kind of dense, unbreakable opaque glass that glowed yellow when it was turned on—somehow. I hadn’t figured that out yet. The Devil just touched it. Maybe if I was wearing it...
Swallowing, I lifted the cord over my head, and eased it down, until the pendant tapped against my ribs. When nothing happened, I unclenched my muscles, and cradled it in my right hand.
“Why won’t you light up? I wonder if it’s set for a particular—” I blinked as it started glowing, the rune pulsing with a brighter, richer yellow than I remembered. Mesmerized by the light, I didn’t hear Mom until it was too late.
“Sweetheart.” She swung open my door, and I froze, waiting for the inevitable questions. Instead, she looked past me—no, through me, like I wasn’t there. “Raleigh, I thought you said she was in her room.”
Dad appeared behind her, and looked right at me. His gaze dropped to the pendant in my hand, and both eyebrows lifted. I recognized that gleam in his eyes—it almost got him killed the last time I saw it.
“She did mention going over to Misty’s, to work on their school project. We’ll leave her a note, Beth.”
“All right.” She turned, and wrapped both arms around Dad, her face pressed against his shoulder. “After you both came home injured last month, I don’t really want either of you out of my sight.”
I could tell by the sound of her voice she was crying. Dad had tried to lie his way out that night—and Mom shut him down, just asking for the truth when we could tell her.
She had been so calm, celebrating Halloween like she always did, at an all-night dinner dance with Dad. Now I saw how much she held back around me. She must have been terrified, seeing both of us limping into the house, looking like we had come back from war. At the best of times a paper cut could freak her out.
Knowing she kept up a brave front for me tightened my throat. Dad nodded to me, and I knew we’d be having a talk later. He held on to Mom with one arm, and gently closed my door, his voice quiet as he led her down the hall.
I stared down at the pendant, understanding now why not one of our gossip hound neighbors so much as peeked out while I was being attacked by the Devil. This glowing piece of glass had something to do with it.
And I got a crazy idea.
I was going to take the pendant on a test run.