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.”Nash’s lips twitched.“Okay, so hanging out with Celeste for the day isn’t top of my list, but then again, seeing you get pulled in all directions isn’t much fun, either.Besides, I said I’d do anything I could to help, and I meant it.And in return you need to promise to try not to drive yourself crazy with this.”“I won’t,” she promised, even though they both knew she was lying.Because seriously, how could she ever figure out which brother was good and which was bad? The way she was feeling, both of them were bad.Once Nash had gone, she wandered back down the hallway.She could hear her mom puttering in the kitchen and was just about to slip past when her dad’s head appeared in the doorway.“Ah, there you are.I was starting to think that you’d run away and joined the traveling circus,” her dad quipped as Cassidy widened her eyes.“Dad, what are you doing? I thought it was Mom in here.”“And if you can’t tell the difference between the delicious smell of my waffles and the store-bought ones that your mom uses, then I’m deeply offended,” he informed her as he leaned against the counter to stay steady.“Unless, of course, you don’t want my waffles.”“Are you crazy? I love them.You used to make them every time I was”—she let out a groan— “upset.Every time I was upset you would say that ‘misery loves waffles,’ which must mean that you’re worried about me.Is this because of Travis?”“Actually, your mom was worried.She said you tried to talk to her, and she wasn’t much help.I guess she’s feeling guilty that she doesn’t know the right things to say.”“Yeah? So why isn’t she here making me waffles then?” Cassidy wanted to know, and immediately regretted it when her dad’s face darkened.“Sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she hastily added.“Try to give her a break.I know you’re still mad at her for going to Boston—”“She left for five years, Dad, and now she comes back.”For a moment her dad paused.“Cass, there’s something you should know.Your mom never wanted to go to Boston.But there were things going on that she felt she needed to help out with.”“What are you talking about?” Cassidy wrinkled her nose.“Remember when your mom’s pop died and there was all that talk about his mismanaging some funds?”“Yes, but it was just a mistake; it blew over in a week.”He shook his head.“It blew over in the media in a week.And it wasn’t shareholder funds, it was pension funds.The life savings of ordinary workers.Your mom’s spent the last five years trying to get those people their money back, and the job still isn’t done.”“What?” Cassidy stared at him for a moment, as if he’d just told her that polar bears were pink or that Elvis was still alive.“Why didn’t I know about this?”“There was no particular reason.It certainly wasn’t a conspiracy.At first you were too young, and then you were too mad and your mom didn’t want to use it as an excuse.She still doesn’t.I’m just telling you because I think you should know.She’s not as bad as you think she is.” Then, without warning, he suddenly shrugged his shoulders.“Now, are you going to tell me what happened with Travis?”For a moment she stared at him blankly as she tried to think of her mom as doing some cool, noble thing, but then, with the mention of Travis, her more immediate problems came crashing back into her mind.“I wish I could.” Cassidy used her fingertip to draw a circle on the bench she was sitting on.“He just wasn’t who I thought he was.” Neither was his brother.“And no matter how much I want it to be different, it’s impossible.Does that make sense to you?”“I’m afraid it does.” Her dad nodded before limping over to give her a hug.Then when he finally broke away, he shot her a weak smile.“Now, about those waffles.”TWENTY-EIGHTAfter the waffles Cassidy and her dad spent a couple of hours chilling out before one of his friends came around to watch a tennis match on television.Her mom had gone to the office, and after Cassidy had roamed around the house far too many times, she finally put her sneakers on and decided to go for a jog.Not that she normally liked jogging, but right now she felt that if she didn’t find some way to get rid of her excess energy, she would go crazy.It was still light out, but the sun was partially hidden behind a cloud and the street was virtually deserted as her feet pounded along the pavement.She purposely turned left at Turner Road so that she wouldn’t go near the woods, and after ten minutes the houses had given way to an open field.Still energy poured through her veins, and she picked up the pace, so busy concentrating on the rhythm of her feet that it wasn’t until the owl was flying next to her that she even realized it was there.“Go away, Thomas,” she yelled, keeping her gaze firmly in front of her.The owl ignored her as it continued to fly beside her.Cassidy increased her pace, going so fast that she doubted her PE teacher would even recognize her.However, the owl matched her easily, its dark brown feathers making a swooshing noise as it flew.Finally, Cassidy realized that even with the superstrength of the grimoire, she was never going to outrun the bird, and so she reluctantly came to a halt by the side of a field.The owl landed several feet from where she was standing, its large amber eyes solemnly staring at her.Demon eyes.Why hadn’t she made the connection sooner? She stamped the damp grass in annoyance
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