LILA
The smile slipped from my face like melting ice cream on a hot summer day. Beatrice's eyes, wide and earnest, bore into mine with an intensity that made my skin prickle. This wasn't a joke. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless.
"Do you not have a gift, honey?" Beatrice drawled, her southern accent thick as molasses.
I forced out a chuckle, but it sounded more like a strangled hiccup. "I don't really get what you mean," I managed, my voice trembling slightly.
Beatrice's forehead creased, worry etching lines around her eyes. "Rocket," she called out, her voice echoing in the suddenly too-small room. "Show yourself."
The shadows in the corner seemed to ripple and shift. My heart leaped into my throat as a small, furry form emerged from the darkness.
