“You can’t promise me that,” she said angrily, pushing away from the counter. Her eyes snapped at me, furious and terrified. “You can’t control what They do, if They want you to stay...there. What am I supposed to do while you’re gone, Ethan? I waited for Meghan to come home for a year, only to lose her to Them for good! How long am I supposed to wait until I’m sure you’re not coming back?”
“I’m not Meghan!” I snapped. “I’m not part faery. I’m not going to fall in love with one of Them, fight Their wars and become Their king. I hate Them and I hate what They’ve done to us. After all this time, you should know that!” At a sharp look from Dad, I stopped, getting control of myself again. Even if I was discussing faeries and the Nevernever and things he didn’t understand, he still wouldn’t let me talk to Mom like that. I took a deep breath and continued in a calmer voice. “But I am a part of that world, especially now. Even if I stay on this side of the Veil, They won’t ever leave me alone.”
“There’s a difference between Seeing Them and rushing headlong into Their wars, Ethan. You were doing so well, keeping your head down, not getting involved.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t do that anymore.” I swallowed and hoped that the universe would forgive this one small lie. “Meghan needs my help. This is something I have to do.” Mom gave a choked sob and turned away, making my stomach contract, but I kept going. “I’m tired of being afraid, and I’m tired of pretending. I’m not running from Them anymore.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed,” Mom protested, a little desperately now. “Or taken away, just like Meghan. I won’t lose another child to Them. I will not watch Them drag you into that world. You can’t go, Ethan. I refuse to see that again.”
“I’m almost eighteen,” I said softly, watching as she stalked to the dishwasher and wrenched it open. “You can’t protect me forever.”
Mom didn’t answer, but Dad finally spoke up, his voice low and controlled. “And if we directly forbid you to go?” he asked. Not challenging or angry, just seeing where I stood. How serious I really was. I took a deep breath.
“Then I’ll go anyway and face whatever punishment you give me when I get back.”
“That’s what I thought,” Dad said. He checked his watch and frowned, then glanced at Mom, still standing over the dishwasher but not moving anything from it. “I’m calling in tonight,” he announced, backing away from the counter. “Let’s continue this talk in the living room, and Ethan can tell us exactly where in New Orleans he’s going and what he plans to do while he’s there.”
“Luke!” Mom whirled around, aghast. I blinked in shock, too. “You can’t be serious! He can’t go to New Orleans by himself! What if They find him?”
“He’s not going alone,” Dad said. “I’ll drive him up myself.”
“Uh.” I blinked. “What?”
He gave me a stern look. “You heard me. I realize this is something you have to do, but you’re certainly not going to New Orleans alone. At least I can be there if you run into trouble.”
“That’s not a solution, Luke,” Mom broke in. “So, instead of forbidding him to go, you’re going to drive him up and deliver him to Their doorstep? How is that better?”
“Melissa.” Dad faced Mom wearily. “The boy is going, whether we like it or not. He’s been fighting Them since he was a kid. I might not be able to see it, but I’m not blind.” He sighed, looking much older now, grizzled and tired. “We’ve always known it was only a matter of time before something like this happened, before They came for him. I’d rather have him know he can turn to us for help, instead of thinking we’re oblivious to what he’s getting into.”
“But...” Mom blinked back tears. “Meghan...”
“Is gone,” Dad said quietly. “And we have to accept that, just like we have to accept the fact that Ethan is involved in her world, too. Or we’re just going to be fighting this for the rest of our lives.”
Mom stood there, staring at both me and Dad, before she walked stiffly out of the kitchen without looking back. We heard her climb the steps to the upstairs bedroom, and then the door slammed with a crash that rattled the house.
I winced. Dad looked at me, haggard and grave. “When do you want to leave?” he asked in a resigned voice.
“Tomorrow,” I replied, hoping my voice wouldn’t betray me, let him know what I was thinking. Because there was no way he could come with me. Dad was only trying to help, to keep me safe, but he couldn’t find out about Keirran or the very dangerous thing I was planning tomorrow night. “I thought we could get on the road after lunch, if that’s okay.”
“Is anyone meeting you there?”
Damn. “No,” I said, hating that I had to lie, again, but I wouldn’t rat Kenzie out and possibly get her in trouble. And I didn’t think even Dad would be okay with me meeting my girlfriend in New Orleans, unsupervised. “Just me.”
He nodded and glanced to the door of the upstairs bedroom as if steeling himself. I took that to mean the conversation was over and began to slip away to my room.
“Ethan.”
I paused in the hall, looking back, as Dad scrubbed a hand across his face. “You’ll be careful, right, son?” he asked, sounding uncertain now. “I know I don’t understand much about this...other world, but your mother has never been the same since Meg left. You have to promise you won’t go the same way. It would kill her.”