The Psychic Legacy

Chapter 24: Friend

Tory and Ethan stayed behind, opting to stay with Ethan's grandmother. It was for the best, anyway. Lillian didn't think that her friend would appreciate a whole party showing up on her doorstep.

Polly offered her Jag for the trip and Lillian insisted on driving. I sat in the metaphorical backseat, zoning in and out of my own head as Lillian commanded my body. Detached from myself, it took a moment before I realized that the surroundings were beginning to look familiar.

I knew this street, these houses, this neighbourhood.

I shot a look at Polly. She had gone quiet, but her expression told me she remembered this place, too.

We had been here, once, many months ago, back when we were first looking for a way to stop the Beast. Our search had led us to a little house, deep in the suburbs, where we finally found some help...

It couldn't be...

Is Lillian's friend the same person who helped us?

Lillian was too focussed on driving to notice my thoughts. It was weird to be split like this, to be present in my head but not in my hands. She was focused on the winding streets that led us deeper into the run-down neighbourhood. It had been too long for me to remember the exact directions that led us to our one-time savior, so I didn't know if we were going in the same direction... But it felt the same.

Before I had a chance to ask, it appeared—the shabby little house, near the end of the street. Like before, it seemed to shine out for me, like a beacon.

Lillian finally felt my recognition. "You know this place?"

"We've been here," I explained. "Polly and I, when we were first fighting off the Beast—the Malix, I mean. We ended up here, looking for help.

"Yeah, the woman who lived there wasn't too pleased to see us," Polly added. "She was the only one who knew there was something wrong..."

Lillian smirked with my lips. "Of course she did."

"So, she's your friend?" Polly asked.

Lillian's smile flattened out, pressing my lips together as she pulled Polly's car into a gap on the side of the street, a few doors up. "Sort of. We used to be friendly when we were with The Gathered."

Polly went stiff, freezing halfway through unbuckling her seat belt. "She's one of them?" she cried.

Lillian shook my head. "Not anymore."

Polly narrowed her eyes at us. "Did she get kicked out, too? What did she do?"

"I don't know the details. I was already dead by then," Lillian said, slipping out of our seat belt. She popped open the driver's door and we climbed out.

Polly scrambled out after us. "Wait a second. Are you sure she's even going to want to help us?" she asked, speed-walking to catch up, as Lillian was already striding down the sidewalk. "Last time she slammed the door in our face."

Lillian didn't say anything but I felt as she pressed my lips into a line again. She wasn't sure, then.

"Maybe we should've called?" I suggested.

"No," Lillian said, her pace picking up. She was a really fast walker. It felt weird to have my short legs take these long strides. "We need the element of surprise."

We were approaching the house now. If anyone were looking out one of the narrow windows, they'd see us coming.

"Wait—" I said, trying to stop her.