18. Thea

Chapter 18

Thea

T hea frowned at the drawing, deciding her chalk pentagram looked nothing like the one in the diagram. Which was frustrating because she'd done the same charm hundreds of times.

"You need to drink some more water," Molly said, shaking her head. "You're still super pale."

"I'm always pale." Thea rubbed out a corner of the chalk with the tip of her finger. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

She wasn't, but she wasn't going to admit that to her overprotective sister. Drifting with Ruhne on her shoulder had been a stupid decision, the extra weight too much for her magic to handle. She'd passed out for a few minutes as soon as she'd landed in her childhood bedroom, which was lucky because it could have been worse, like landing in front of her mother.

Molly sighed, flopping down on the bed hard enough Ruhne was launched into the air.

"Watch it!" he cried, tugging down his shirt before flying up to the bookshelf.

"Sorry." Molly grabbed one of the purple pillows, crushing it against her stomach. "Aren't you a proper adult now?"

Thea stopped drawing with the chalk to narrow her eyes at her sister. "Where are you going with this?"

"I'm saying why you can't just buy the charm?"

"Because charms cost money. Money needed for other things." Like dad's treatment, she wanted to add, but didn't. "Anyway, this is easy peasy."

"I think you're doing it wrong," Ruhne muttered. "The circle's more of an oval, and the star isn't pointed enough."

"Is it?" Thea tried to correct the circle, the chalk screeching as she scratched it onto the wooden plank. With a click the chalk snapped, ruining the work she'd already done.

"Just let your hair go natural. I love the colour," Molly said.

Thea dropped the plank with a sigh. "It's white."

"No, it's a pale silver."

Thea shook her head. "I don't like the colour," she lied, pulling a few strands of hair over her shoulder to check the shade. It was still pink, but it was fading fast. In a day or two, the glittery strands would be seen through the glamour, and that was something she couldn't let happen. It had been drilled into her since she was old enough to understand that her hair was something she needed to hide – that it could make her a target.

Ruhne's wings whistled. "Silver hair, huh?"

"I don't like it." Thea climbed to her feet, her legs shaking slightly as her aura recovered from the drift. "Makes me look old."

Molly snorted. "You are old."

"I'm only eight years older than you!" She crossed her arms. "Also, why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be in school? "

"Half day, and I was studying before you turned up." Molly rolled her eyes, and Thea couldn't help but smirk. They may not be blood, but they were definitely sisters. "You going to tell me why you're here? I have to pick Rosey up soon, and mum's taken dad to his appointment so won't be back until late."

"Can't I just come and see my sister?"

"You thought I was at school," Molly said, eyes narrowing behind her glasses. "If you don't tell me, I'll call mum."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Ruhne's laughter tinkled around them. "This is why I'm glad I have no siblings."

Thea smiled, even as Molly scrunched up her face. "It's sad that I'm like your only friend."

"I have friends." Thea shrugged. "I have Roach."

"She's not your friend." Molly snorted. "You don't even know her real name."

Thea wrinkled her nose. "And I have Harper. Plus, Ruhne's my friend."

"You met me today," he said, legs swinging. "And I can't be friends with someone with chlamydia."

"I don't have chlamydia," Thea growled through clenched teeth.

"That you know of." Ruhne nodded, the smugness giving him little dimples.

"I have friends," she repeated, ignoring how her stomach dipped. She did have friends, but no one close. Not since her father's most recent diagnosis. She found out pretty quickly that her friends didn't understand why she couldn't come out anymore – that her priorities had changed. "I just… I needed space from my place."

"Space from what? Your cat?" Molly's lips pursed. " You're worrying me, Thea. You're being reckless, and you keep getting hurt."

"I'm not – "

"No, let me finish," Molly growled, and Thea's mouth snapped closed. "I know you see me as a kid, but I'm the one that's been suturing your cuts so mum doesn't find out. And don't get me started on you being shot."

Thea kept herself quiet, letting her sister get it out.

"I know you're working to pay for dad's treatment, but if you carry on, I'm scared you're going to get yourself killed." Strength burned in her eyes, barely keeping the tears at bay. "I know you're not human like us, but you can still die, Thea."

Ruhne floated, his wings silent as he dropped to stand on the end of the bed.

"I'm being careful," Thea said, and Molly snorted a forced laugh. "Seriously, I promise you."

"Then why are you hiding out over here? Are you in trouble?"

"Of course not," she said without hesitation.

Molly shook her head. "You're hiding from something."

"Yeah, from her stalker," Ruhne added, his pearlescent wings catching the light.

"Stalker?" Molly asked before Thea could reply.

"Ruhne," Thea barked. "Shut up!"

He simply stuck his tongue out, glitter gently falling around him. He was leaking too much. Surely not all pixies oozed glitter constantly?

"Thea, what stalker? Is it Jax? You know, the boyfriend you didn't tell me about?" Molly threw the pillow to the side, hurt flashing across her features before she disguised it beneath worry.

A seed of guilt bloomed. "I'm sorry, I should've told you about Jax. It just happened so suddenly." Which wasn't a lie. She shared everything with her sister, well, as much as she could tell a seventeen year old.

"Are you scared of him?" Molly asked.

"No, of course – "

"She wants to fuck him," Ruhne interrupted. "And he definitely wants to fuck her."

Thea closed her eyes, praying for patience not to squish him like a bug.

A weight settled on her shoulder, and she fought not to dislodge the bloody pixie.

"Thea, if you're in trouble, you need to tell me." Molly frowned at Ruhne. "I can help."

"I'm not scared of Jax," she said, and it was the truth. He'd had multiple opportunities to hurt her, and he hadn't. For some strange reason, she trusted him, but that didn't mean she'd allow him control over her.

"Then why are you hiding?"

Because he's overwhelming, she thought. Because teasing him is the most fun I've had in forever, and when I'm with him, the crushing guilt at our father's cancer lessens.

"I think it's some weird foreplay," Ruhne answered before she could think of a more appropriate answer.

Molly's face wrinkled in disgust. "Okay, too much information."

If looks could kill, Ruhne would topple off the bed with a dramatic thump. "It's complicated," Thea said instead. "But you need to trust me that I know what I'm doing."

Molly pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled a slow, controlled breath. "Okay."

"Good, because I need a favour." Thea glanced towards her old, empty wardrobe. "Actually, two favours."

Her childhood bedroom was like stepping inside a rainbow. The walls were painted in splashes of purple, blue, and pink, contrasting against the pale white of the ceiling. Star-shaped lights hung above her bed, long enough they began to wrap around the frame.

Even her wardrobe was colourful, the wood hand-painted by her mum when she was little. She didn't know why her parents kept it exactly as it was, considering she hadn't lived there in years.

"I need to borrow a dress."

"A dress?" Molly raised an eyebrow. "You realise you're built like a giraffe, right? And I'm more of an otter."

"As long as it covers the important parts, any dress will do." Thea smirked. "And I also need you to take Ruhne for me."

"What? You're not even taking me?" Ruhne jumped into the air, hovering. "You're going to fuck up without me. Just you watch."

Molly ignored him. "So you need a dress, and for me to take the irritating pixie?"

"I resent that comment," Ruhne growled.

Thea smiled. "Pretty much."

"And do what with him?" Molly eyed Ruhne warily. "Can I take him back to yours? What if Jax is there?"

Thea shrugged. "He probably won't be."

"How do you know?"

She didn't. "Look, if he's there, just ignore him. He's not much of a talker, anyway."

Molly fiddled with her glasses. "He's kind of hard to ignore."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you, younger sibling of my captor." Ruhne landed on Molly's shoulder.

"Not your captor," Thea muttered.

"What do I get in return?" her sister asked.

Thea crossed her arms. "My continuous love?"

Molly snorted. "I have that anyway."

"My undying gratitude? "

Ruhne whispered into Molly's ear, her sister nodding at whatever he suggested.

"Well?" Thea prompted. "What do you want?"

"I want a new stethoscope, the fancy one that I've been saving for," she finally said as Ruhne tugged on her hair. "Oh, and Ruhne wants pizza."