Return of the Trickster Eden Robinson (sight word readers TXT) 📖

a prince. Can you stop fucking around? We’re in deep shit here.

There’s more but I can’t think about it or I go all blank.

Goddamnit.

He saw that she was typing something, and it looked as if it was going to be a long message because it blinked and blinked.

But all it said when it landed was, Don’t let her kick you out. Eyes, Shithead. You are eyes.

—

Kota dropped in and took him to a meeting, asking if he wanted to talk beforehand. Jared shook his head but thanked Kota for being his shoulder.

“Did you get in trouble at work?” Jared said.

“I’m so overqualified for what they’re paying me,” Kota said. “They’re lucky I need the money. Welding’s been good to me. Maybe we can get you in some courses.”

“Maybe later,” Jared said. “When I’ve got a couple of sober months under my belt.”

“You sound better today.”

Jared shrugged.

He caught Kota studying him through the meeting. When they got back, Neeka was sitting with Mave in the living room. They both stopped talking as he walked in.

“Excuse us,” Neeka said to Mave.

Jared followed her into his bedroom. She closed the door.

“Wee’git—”

“Was here in your shape, yes. Maggie texted me, and Mave too, but Mave thinks you’ve cracked under the strain,” Neeka interrupted. “It’s all good, Jared. When we’re done with the ogress, we’ll deal with him. Right now, tell me about Mallory.”

“Oh,” Jared said. “Right. She caught me in the hallway and wanted me to go with her.”

“You need to tell me all the details,” Neeka said, gritting her teeth. “Leave nothing out.”

“She had a gun—”

“Mave!” Neeka shouted, then cuffed the side of his head. “Idiot!”

“It was a lame gun! A cheap revolver!”

“Oh, sweet fucking Creator, you are maddening.”

Mave opened the door, hesitantly. Kota and Sarah peeked around her.

“Did Jared tell you my sister pulled a gun on him in the hallway last night?” Neeka said.

“No,” Mave said. “He did not.”

Neeka took out her cellphone. She tapped away and then showed him a mug shot of Mallory.

“That’s her,” Jared said.

Neeka turned to Mave, holding up the picture. “Mallory Donner. My sister. Fresh out of the Fraser Valley Institute for Women. I turned her in for organizing a home invasion of our neighbour’s.”

All of them came and looked at the phone.

“She was the one doing the beating, but she convinced people it was her boyfriend who made her do it,” Neeka said. She’s done worse, but her juvie records are sealed. You’re not her normal choice of victim. She likes kids. Eliza’s age. Or elders.

“That’s the chick that came up to us at Joe’s,” Kota said. “She said she knew Jared.”

“She was sizing him up,” Neeka said. We’ve banished her. All our warnings should’ve gone off. She tortured our elders to learn their secrets. She tortured our children to steal their power.

“But why would she be after Jared?” Mave said.

“She’s looking for a way to get to us,” Neeka said. “Jared’s a trusting, easy mark. We need to warn your neighbours not to let her in their apartments, Mave. She can be very convincing. Especially with the elders and parents with little children. I’ll call the detectives who arrested her the last time. They’ll want to know our little charmer is back to her old tricks.”

I’m going to rip her apart, Neeka thought.

“Send the picture to me,” Mave said. “I’ll go door to door.”

“Take Kota with you,” Neeka said. “I need to go talk to my family. I don’t like that she showed up here, let alone with a gun. I’ll be back soon.”

She stormed out of the apartment.

Then the buzzer rang. None of them moved until finally Mave went to answer it. She came back looking grim.

“It’s my mother,” she said. “And your mom too, Kota.”

“Fuck,” Kota said.

“As always, Mother has impeccable timing,” Mave said.

Jared stood, swallowing. He would almost rather get kidnapped by Mallory than be here when Anita Moody discovered he was a Trickster. He followed them all out to the living room, Sarah holding his hand.

When someone knocked on the door, Mave went to answer it.

“Hello, Mother,” she said.

“Mavis-Anne.” Granny Nita wheeled her walker in, her snow-white curls bursting out from under her hat. She was smaller than Jared remembered, a tiny thing, but her large, dark eyes scanned the room, landed on him and stuck.

A woman trailed behind her, carrying two white buckets that were obviously heavy. She was Kota’s height. Or Kota was her height. She had her long hair clipped back from her face and wore an oversized blue Helly Hansen rain jacket, her black slacks too long for her legs, hiding her shoes. She saw Kota and stopped. Kota glared at her.

“Ah, the gay boy,” Granny Nita said, noticing Kota. “Clarisse, if this is awkward, why don’t you go keep Agnetha company. My faithless daughter will drive me back to the hotel when I’m done here.”

Clarisse dropped the buckets on the floor, turned and left without saying anything. Mave slammed the door after her.

“Mother,” she said.

“What? He’s gay and he’s a boy. Hello, Dakota. Come get the buckets and carry them to the kitchen. That’s brined herring eggs. The good stuff, a blessing from heaven.”

Kota didn’t move, glaring daggers at her.

“Did I offend you? I’m sorry,” Granny Nita said, not sounding sorry in the least.

“Sarah,” Mave said. “This is my delightful mother, Anita Moody.”

Granny Nita turned her attention to Sarah and Jared, her eyes flickering between them before landing on Sarah, who squeezed his hand.

Granny Nita smiled. “Hello, witch.”

“Mother! If you can’t behave, you can leave!”

“Calm yourself, Mavis-Anne,” Granny Nita said. “Sarah’s made of sterner stuff than that, aren’t you, girl?”

She wheeled over to stand in front of Jared.

“Granny Nita,” Jared said.

“I don’t know how I ever mistook you for Wee’git,” she said in a whisper. “I’m sorry, Jared. I was wrong.”

“I’m a Trickster, though,” Jared said.

Mave’s eyes flickered towards him then back to her mother. Kota crossed his arms.

I have eyes. I’m not entirely senile.

Jared stiffened, surprised. Granny Nita had never spoken to him