But Kylie was here to fix that. She held tight to her sword as she quietly turned the knob.
In the bed was a familiar shape. A nightlight cast a glow onto her mom. Kylie recalled all the nights as a kid that she'd walked into her mom's bedroom with nightmares, or a stuffy nose. Not once had her mom gotten angry. She might not have been the biggest on offering affection, but she had always been there. The anger Kylie felt over the whole Brighten situation suddenly seemed irrelevant.
Moving in, she got to the side of the bed. "Mom?" she whispered.
Her mom didn't budge, and for one second Kylie panicked, then she saw her side shift with an intake of air.
Looking at the dresser, she saw a wineglass. The nightlight shined on the glass and showed tiny flecks of something filming the bottom. Picking it up, she held it to the spray of light, and sure enough, it appeared something other than wine had been in her mom's drink-like crushed pills. John had drugged her mom?
Putting the glass down, feeling another surge of protectiveness moving through her veins, she gripped the sword and leaned down. "Mom," Kylie said.
Her mom stirred a bit, but barely.
Reaching for her shoulder, she gave her a slight shake. "Mom, I need you to wake up."
Her mom's eyes popped open. "Kylie? What are you...?" She looked around as if she couldn't concentrate. Was it because she was she still asleep or the drugs? "Where's..."
"John?" Kylie finished for her mom.
Taking a deep breath, Kylie realized she hadn't taken the time to figure out exactly what she was going to tell her mom. With no time to come up with something clever, she knew it would have to be the truth.Was it time to spill everything? Could her mom handle the truth? Or maybe just part of it?
"John?" her mom called out.
Kylie pushed two fingers over her lips, praying she hadn't been loud enough for him to hear. "No, you can't..."
"My God, what is that?" Her mom lurched back, looking at the sword, which was now gleaming, it was so bright. Her mom made a face. "This is a dream, right?"
"Mom." Kylie tried to speak calmly. "John is not what you think. He's not a good guy and we need to leave."
Her mom looked away from the sword back to Kylie. "You need to stop thinking that. I know it hurts that your dad and I-"
"Mom, I really need you to be quiet and just do what I say, okay?"
Her mom's brow wrinkled and Kylie felt certain she was partially drugged. "How did you get in here?" Her mom gave her head a little shake as if trying to wake herself up. Then she glanced at the sword again. "It has to be a dream."
"Come on." Kylie pulled her mom up.
Her mom rose to her feet, but then fell back to the bed. Kylie pulled her up again and this time noticed she wore a sexy nightgown. But she didn't have time to worry about that. She had to get her out of here.
She took her hand and started walking her to the door. Right before they got there, it swung open.
John stood staring at Kylie. Then, as if out of an evil dream, Mario appeared beside him.
Kylie pushed her mom behind her and held out her sword. "Get out of our way."
Mario's answer was a devilish smile that spoke of evilness. "I told you that you would come to me."
"Who are you?" her mom asked, and tried to move in front of Kylie.
Kylie caught her mom by the arm and held her back.
"And look what you brought." Mario motioned to her sword. "A toy for us to play with."
Chapter Forty-two
Kylie wasn't sure what to do next. But she went with the first thing she thought of. Tightening her hold on her mom, she willed herself and her mom invisible. Her mom screamed, obviously from not being able to see herself or Kylie.
Unable to give in to her mom's panic, Kylie didn't hesitate and bolted for the door, dodging the two men. Unfortunately, her mom was yanked from Kylie's hands. Swinging around, Kylie couldn't see her, but she heard her mom gasping for air and she knew Mario had gone invisible and now had her.
"Let her go!" Kylie seethed, and willed herself visible.
Mario appeared seconds later with her mom. His hand gripped her mother's throat so tight her face looked blue.
Kylie brought up the sword.
Call him a coward! The spirit's voice rang in Kylie's ears at the same time the cold shot down her spine.
Insist he fight you like a man.
"Don't be a coward. Stand up and fight me like a man!" Kylie bit out and prayed it worked.
Mario, his hand still around her mom's throat, stared at Kylie, his eyes growing tight. "Fine." He threw her mom at John.
Her mom fell at John's feet gasping for air. He picked her up, none too gently. Everything in Kylie wanted to attack. To forget the sword and use her bare hands to rip these two men apart. The only thing that stopped her was the spirit standing there repeating the same words over and over again.
The power you have is in the sword. The power is in the sword.
The moment her mom got air into her lungs, she yanked free of John and charged at Mario. Her mom might not be supernatural, but a mother's love was pretty damn powerful.
Just not as powerful as the magic of these two. John snagged her back by her hair. "Stop fighting, you fool!"
Her mom's eyes went wide and she cut them toward John. In her expression, Kylie knew she saw John for who he really was for the first time: someone evil, someone who had used her.
Kylie's heart ached for her mom and she prayed that this wouldn't be her last moments of life. For no one should die thinking only of their mistakes. Consumed with regrets.
Mario waved a hand through the air and a sword appeared. "I will kill you slowly, and your mother will get to watch. How much fun will that be?"
"No!" Kylie's mom screamed.
John pulled her mom's arms behind her back and held them there, making her struggles useless.
"Not here," John said. "I paid over fifty thousand for this rug."
Her mom screamed again and John yanked her against him. "Shut up or she will die sooner."Mario looked at his son. "The blood would add to its worth!"
Her mom looked at Kylie, tears spilling from her eyes. The spirit stared at John. You will rot in hell for all you've done.
Kylie could only pray the spirit was right and his trip to hell would come soon.
"But then again, a little more room to play would be appreciated." Mario moved to stand in front of John and put the tip of his sword to her mom's chest, looking at Kylie. "We will walk out of here. If you choose to not follow, or try anything foolish, I'll kill her. And with pleasure."