The wizard was revolting.
Worse than I’d ever seen him. I couldn’t tell what drugs he was on. Cocaine made his eyes dilate. I recalled how he’d breathe rapidly doing his lines on the coffee table.
Just one more, he’d sniff through the straw.I mean, just one more, he’d repeat scraping a razor blade on the wood, forming the white powder in long, even lines.
But those signs of coke weren’t visible now.
The muscles in his face twitched. It reminded me of when he’d hallucinate onmagic mushrooms. When he’d try like hell to take us back to the Emerald City where he could perform his wizardly acts.
Dorothy, he’d hiss,click your heels.
I’d clicked them countless times. Not once had it worked per his insistence, warranting me a firm punishment.
“Mr. Wizard, what do you want? How long was I out?” If there was any chance of getting Brad and me out in one piece, I had to play this sick, demented game. Pretend I’d do anything he said to please him.
A crooked smile appeared, displaying missing teeth and caked-on plaque. “An hour, I think. Maybe less. Or longer.”
“Longer?” And no one had come to rescue us yet? Maybe they didn’t know.
Don’t be stupid. Storm would’ve found out when he picked up Maddy.
“Or less,” he hissed, eyeballs bulging as he glared at me.
I froze, sealing my mouth shut.
“Earth sucks balls, Dorothy. Ever since your mother passed, a piece of my soul has been missing. I can’t take it here anymore. We need to join her in the Emerald City.”
Christ, I could vomit. He said the very same words right before he left me at Grandma’s house. Ten years it’d been. All this time, I’d wanted to believe he’d abandoned me, tossed me away. But he’d been in prison for murdering Momma.
Rage ignited in my belly, spreading through my arms and legs, making them tingle. The fog in my head slowly dissipated. Clarity replacing it all at once.
I wasn’t a little girl anymore.
He was older, withered and brittle. And clearly fucked up.
I could handle this…
“Okay, Mr. Wizard. Let the boy go first.” My stomach flipped like the Zipper at the county fair. I was playing the part. It fucking scared the living tar out of me, but I’d do anything to protect Brad.
A soft whimper on the other side of me drew my attention. I turned to investigate, finding a girl. Could it be the one Brad had mentioned earlier? Beneath her red knit beanie was long crimson hair, the exact same shade as mine. Luna was held against her chest.
“Who’s that?” I lifted my shaking finger as I tried to work my muscles to regain full movement.
He laughed, clapping his dirty hands. “Dorothy, meet Willow, you’re younger sister. She led me to you.”
“What?” My heart slammed into my ribcage. “No, impossible.” My mom only had one child—me.
“Willow’s the reason your momma had to die, Dorothy. Teri wouldn’t let me be part of Willow’s life after she was born. I wanted two families, but your momma wouldn’t have anything to do with Joy and Willow moving in with us. I only wanted a big family, Dorothy.” He teared up, grabbing his head between his hands. Then he steeled himself, sneering, “I had to make a choice.”
Oh God, was he admitting he killed Momma? Even after Hero had told me he’d been in jail, nothing could’ve prepared me for this moment and how much harder it would hit coming out of his mouth. It was disturbing, traumatizing… a nightmare I frantically wanted to wake from.
“So you chose Joy and Willow?” My mind whirled. This man.
“Had to. Teri was a self-righteous bitch,” he spatted the words. “Weak and pathetic. A lot like you, Dorothy. I couldn’t stand her holier-than-thou rants.”
I bit my tongue, drawing blood. Stupid son of a bitch didn’t know shit about me. He didn’t remember those days as I did. Momma was a sweet, mild-tempered, submissive woman. Perhaps my behavior was the polar opposite because she had taken his shit my whole life.
“So you just what? Killed her?” My heart raced, arms and legs feeling like a billion needles were pricking me as they woke up.