Love Struck (15 page)

“I guess maybe you don't have to be an adult to be ready for powers,” she said. “Even though yours have obviously been acting up on you—you have been trying to take responsibility,” she said. “And I respect that. I was trying to bind Lance's powers. To keep him a regular human being for as long as possible. But I may have been wrong. You showed me that.”

“Have you all lost your minds?” Lance asked.

His mother reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. “No, you'll understand everything soon.” Lance looked like he was on a practical-joke show. Or like he thought his mom had accidentally sniffed some paint fumes.

“I promise,” she said, “it will all make sense.” Then she turned her attention back to me. “Now you have to get back out there. Clean up the mess you made.”

“Don't make me go. You finally admitted I needed help. So help me. I can't go back out there. Lou's using a spell to make everyone adore him.”

“I sensed that,” Harmony said. “He sent the power across the globe. I can feel a surge like that. But it's over now. You can walk out there—you won't be affected.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Lance asked. He looked like he needed a seat. Or maybe even a padded room.

“Angel,” Harmony said. “It's time for you to go. I need to talk to my son.”

“But what am I supposed to do? I tried to stop Lou, but I couldn't. I don't know how to fix this.”

“Yes, you do,” she said. “The way you got into this mess is the way you'll get out.”

She didn't say anything else. And I didn't have a chance to. Before I could open my mouth, Harmony blinked her eyes, and I was back outside.

What was with that message? Talk about vague. I could get out of this mess the same way I got into it—what was that supposed to mean?

Was she telling me I needed to help Gabi? It had all started when I tried to get Lance to like her. But I had a feeling Harmony wouldn't be encouraging me to try to fix her son up. Maybe I just needed to get Gabi's soul back. But Harmony didn't even know that Gabi's soul was traded. I guess it was nice that she—and Gabi—believed I could fix everything, but I was having serious doubts. I was more clueless than ever.

I made my way back to Lou. There was a lot of noise coming from that direction. But the sound was nothing compared to the sight.

Lou had erected two huge chairs that he and my mother were perched on. It put them about ten feet higher than the crowd. My parents looked like the king and queen of the mall sitting there on their thrones. Especially since people were shouting about how they'd do anything for Lou and waving pieces of paper at him.

I nudged my way to Gabi and Cole. They didn't even notice me. Not until I grabbed the piece of paper from Cole's hand.

“Hey, I need that,” he said. “I'm supposed to sign it and give it back.”

“Do you even know who it's for? Who's asking you to do this?”

Cole looked at me like I had just asked him if he knew who Mara's Daughters were. “Yeah, only the greatest guy in the whole world. I hope he lets me be a part of his group. He's so cool. I want to work for him.”

“No, you don't.”

“Angel,” Gabi interrupted. “It's okay. I felt just like you, but I came to my senses. Lou is amazing. I wish he was my dad.” Gabi seemed to know all about Lou. All except that he was evil.

“Dad?” Cole asked. “He's practically our age.”

“Umm, yeah, right,” Gabi sputtered.

I didn't need to hear them talk about Lou anymore. Or sing his praises. It was too much. I tore up Cole's contract.

“Whatcha do that for?” He immediately knelt down on the ground and tried to collect all of the tiny pieces.

“You'll thank me later.”

He didn't even answer me, which was probably for the best. Cole did not look pleased at all. If he had opened his mouth, it probably would have been to dump me for ripping up his precious piece of paper.

I elbowed my way to the front of the crowd. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I hoped something would come to me.

“Lou,” I yelled out.

“You're back,” he said. “Come to tell me how much you adore me?”

“Not quite,” I said. “Your little spell didn't work on me. I'm here to stop you.”

“You're becoming quite the little pest.” With a wave of his arm, Lou sent his admirers away from him. They crashed backward against the wall. But instead of being spooked, they were grateful. Grateful that the man they adored had touched them with his powers. He then jumped off his chair and stood right in front of me. He glared down at me, making me feel super-short. But I stared right back up at him.

“You know the best way to handle pests?” he asked me. “You squash them.”

“And you know the best way to handle a power-obsessed devil?” I countered, channeling the fear and anger I felt into confidence. “You make everyone revolt against him.”

“How about we start with her?” I said, pointing to my mom, who was staring at Lou like he was chocolate chip French toast with caramel syrup.

I concentrated on those thoughts until I saw Mom leap down from her chair.

Then she started sprinting. She darted down the hall, then back up, like she was doing laps. I hadn't meant to make her literally run! Was I ever going to get this power thing down?

Lou snapped his fingers and Mom was by his side.

“Maggie,” he said.

But as he spoke, she covered her ears and started running again. It wasn't exactly what I was going for, but it worked. Mom wanted to get far away from Lou. So much so, that she ran to the end of the hall, rounded the corner, and took off out of sight.

I thought Lou would use his powers to stop her. To bring her back again.

But he didn't. He turned his focus to me. “You think you're clever? Well, you're not. I don't like being messed with. And I'm going to make you pay.”

“Lou, calm down,” I said. He meant business. His eyebrows furrowed. And his hands clenched into fists. Electric currents began to appear above them and took the form of energy balls. They hissed and sizzled and completely freaked me out.

“Pretty,” someone in the crowd said. They didn't get it. He wasn't putting on a show. He was going to put a stop to me and my plan to save their souls.

“I warned you not to get in my way.” Every step Lou took toward me, I took one back until I was up against the wall.

“Don't, Lou. We're related, remember? And I'm a lot more fun when I'm not barbecued.”

The energy ball got bigger. My words weren't helping.

“You'd really do this?” I asked. “Here? In front of everyone?”

Lou shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care. Not about what anyone saw
or
what happened to his very own daughter. “I'm not going to cook you, I'm going to move you. Somewhere far, far away.”

“Where?”

“I don't know,” he said, studying the balls. “Maybe the desert, or an igloo in the middle of Alaska, or maybe I'll just make you the star of my very own fish tank.”

He was really going to do it. He was really going to send me away. My breathing got extra fast. I couldn't help it. My whole body was heaving. I was terrified. Instead of feeling sorry for me, Lou laughed. “Don't feel so powerful now, do you?”

He tossed an energy ball higher in the air and caught it. It didn't hurt him, but I was pretty positive I wouldn't be so lucky. He tossed it up again. Then he sent it toward me, just inches above my head. It hit a lighting fixture. The thing disappeared. Was I next?!

I screamed, which was exactly the reaction Lou wanted. He laughed even harder. “Next one hits you.”

There was nowhere to run. That teleporting trick sure would have come in handy. But it wasn't working. I couldn't make myself leave. I was stuck. About to be destroyed by my very own father. How could he do this? How could he not remember me? He said he loved me.

And then it hit me.

Love!

That's what Harmony was talking about when she told me to get out of this mess the same way I got in. Love was the answer. It got me into this mess, and it was going to get me out.

I could bet my soul on it.

“Say good-bye, Angel,” Lou said, sending the energy ball into the air.

“Wait,” I said. “If you get rid of me, you can't get my soul. I never signed a waiver or made a deal or anything. Give me one wish, and then you can do what you want.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I want a final wish,” I told him. “I deserve it.”

Lou put the energy ball out. He rubbed his chin and didn't speak for a minute. “I won't allow a wish that will affect me. I'll deny it.”

“Fine,” I said.

“And you can't wish yourself out of this mess, either.”

“All right.” I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Lou wasn't stupid. He was just evil. “You can have final wish approval.”

“I still don't get why you would want to sign your soul over to me. What's really going on?” He didn't trust me.

“I messed up some things and I want to fix my mistakes while I still can.”

Lou snorted. “Trying to be all noble, are we, before you're banished from life as you know it?”

I wasn't trying to be noble at all. I was fighting for my life.

“What's the wish?” he asked.

“I used my powers a lot today, like when I made Mo—Maggie run away from you. I feel really badly about that. I know how much she liked you.” I hoped Lou's feelings for my mom would cloud his judgment—make him grant my wish without realizing what I was really up to. “Look.” I pointed as I saw her run past us again. Mom was still doing laps around the mall. “I can't leave her like that. Running for eternity. I want to undo it all. Any magic I used today, I want it gone. My soul for everything going back to the way it was before. Okay? Deal?”

He didn't say anything. Then a smirk crossed his face. “Deal.” Lou snapped his fingers and a piece of paper and a red pen appeared in his hand. “Sign here.”

This was where faith came in. Faith that old Lou meant it when he said he loved me. Because I was about to sign over my soul to him. If he meant it, I'd get my soul back when this was all over. If not, there wouldn't be anything I could do. My destiny was in Hades.

As I crossed the last
T
in
Garrett
, a plume of smoke appeared and engulfed my parents. Right in front of my eyes, I watched them turn from teens to adults in a matter of seconds. Their faces thinned out and little creases formed. The gray in their hair returned and that cocky, defiant stance Mom had was replaced by a more rigid, in-control one. When it was all done, they looked old.

Thank goodness they were back.

I was ready for a happy, huggy family reunion. But it was going to have to wait. Because I kind of forgot that turning my parents into teens wasn't the only spell that needed to be reversed. I had buried a tornado into the ground. And since I had Lou reverse everything, that twister was emerging from below and heading straight for the mall.

The dust clouds were forming again and the wind was kicking up. I buried the thing once, I could do it again. If I could get to it before it crashed into the building.

I raced to the door. But the tornado was faster. I wasn't going to make it. The glass from the windows was going to shatter and fly straight at everyone in the room. I turned away to shield my face from any sharp shards. I waited and waited, bracing myself for the pain, but it never came.

Because with a twist of his hand, Lou made the tornado disappear. He didn't even have to go outside to do it.

“Thanks,” I said.

The mass of people standing around applauded. I had forgotten they were there. Lou had forced them up against the wall, and they hadn't budged. They didn't dare disobey him. They worshipped him. They were still under the influence of his powers. It made no difference to them that he aged faster than a kid on a soap opera. He was their idol.

“Lou, that was brilliant,” Mom said, moving closer to him. She actually hung onto his arm. “You are a remarkable man. But I've always known that.”

Shoot. When my powers were undone, Mom no longer felt the need to run away. But the powers Lou used on her, and everyone else, were still fully intact. If he didn't fix her, I was totally going to make her bolt again. Because watching my mother fawn over Lou, or anyone for that matter, was icky. “You're going to put her back to normal, aren't you?”

He hesitated for a second. He seemed to like having her there. “Yes.” Lou waved his hand over her head.

Mom let go of him superfast.

“Welcome back,” I said and plastered a smile on my face. I wasn't sure if they'd be angry because of the problems I caused or proud of the way I handled them.

“We have some serious talking to do,” my mother said. She was shaking her head, and the look she was giving me accentuated the crease in her forehead. The one that wasn't there when she was a teen. Whoa! Did worrying about me cause Mom's wrinkles? It would explain why she liked to punish me all the time. Payback!

Great. She was angry. She could have at least thanked me for my brilliance in figuring out how to make her an adult again. She sure seemed to like acting like one. She was already bossing me around.