Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway Read Free Book Online

elbows leaning heavily on the counter, her head buried in her hands. Her shoulders trembled. I reached out a tentative, awkward hand and placed it on Mom’s back. I wanted to say something that would make Mom stop that pitiful sobbing, but all I had were questions that I was sure would upset her.
    Mom sniffed deeply. Lifting her glasses, she scrubbed at her face to wipe off the tears. “What an awful night.”
    And the smell coming now from the oven could only be my cake burning. I rushed over to switch off the heat. The fire alarm started beeping. I wrenched open the door with the oven mitts.
    “Oh, no,” Mom sobbed, looking at the blackened heap I pulled from the oven. “Your cake.”

Five
    “S urprise!” I said with a little smile, setting the mess on the burners.
    “I’m so sorry,” Mom said. “For everything.”
    That sounded awfully meaningful, so I waited for the rest. Mom sat down dejectedly on the nearby stool and said nothing more. I leaned against the counter. The room had gotten hot and stinky. I wiped my brow with the quilted cotton mitt. “We could skip the Initiation,” I suggested. It was going to suck anyway. “I mean, if you’re not up for it. And Dad said—”
    Straightening suddenly, Mom shook herself out and stared at me fiercely like she might deny that the man at the door was, in fact, my father.
    I held my breath. Maybe I’d finally get some answers.
    Instead, Mom sniffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. The Initiation is more critical than ever now. You should eat. You can’t do magic on an empty stomach.”
    “Look, Mom, I can’t do magic at all.” I wasn’t hungry anymore, but I knew better than to argue when Mom was in a mood like this. I followed her back into the dining room to sit. “I’m not sure eating is going to help.”
    “Don’t be silly. Your teachers say you’ll do fine if you apply yourself.”
    “I apply myself plenty,” I said, wanting to talk about what had just happened, not this. I pushed the congealing curry sauce around the edges of my plate. “I work really hard, Mom. The fact is I suck.”
    “Don’t use language like that. And stop tearing yourself down. You’re just experiencing a little stage fright. It’s very natural,” Mom snapped. Then softening, she smiled. “It’s never as bad as you think. I remember my first time performing magic in a public circle. . . .”
    Shamelessly, I tuned out. Mom was making an effort to mend bridges and all that, but I’d heard this particular story more times than I could count, and honestly, it wasn’t helpful right now. What I really wanted to talk about was Ramses. I glanced out the window, secretly hoping to see him skulking around. Alas, in the darkness, all I could really see was the reflection of the interior, and my own wistful expression.
    Seeing myself, I thought maybe I did notice a hint of familiarity in our features. Mom tanned easily. My own face was as ghostly pale as . . . Ramses’.
    Who was he? And what had he meant by “princess” ? It sounded kind of romantic, like some sort of special inheritance. Or was he being metaphoric? He couldn’t really have meant to imply I was some kind of royalty, like with a castle and stuff, could he? And with an army? Was he a lunatic or . . . what?
    A vampire.
    Did vampires have kids? Was that even possible?
    I desperately wanted to ask Mom, but I knew I’d only get stonewalled. So, for the moment, I satisfied myself with eating the curry. It was quite good. The apples had gotten a bit soggy and the sauce chilled, but the spices were delicious sweet-hot. Exactly right! In three bites, my nose started to run.
    “Are you even listening? ” Mom asked after I failed to laugh at some joke or other.
    “Not really,” I said with a little smile to soften the truth. “I was thinking about that guy. Ramses? My dad? You know, the one at the door that you blasted into next week? That I wasn’t supposed to have invited in? Why was that again?”
    “All our