Xhex was vaguely aware of the Brother bracing himself on the trunk, as if his knees had voted to take a holiday on him. But what she was truly concerned with were the features that had been revealed. They were so like her own, more rounded, true... more delicate, yes... but the bone structure was the same.
“Mother...” Xhex breathed.
As the female’s eyes swung back, she did the same search-and-memorize routine on Xhex’s face. “Verily... you are beautiful.”
Xhex touched her own cheek. “How...”
Tohrment’s voice was full of shock as he demanded, “Yes... how?”
The female came forward a little farther with that limp—and Xhex instantly wanted to know who or what had harmed her: Although there was no sense to any of this—she’d been told her true mother had died in childbirth, for godsakes—she wanted no injury to ever befall this sad, lovely creature in the robes.
“The night of your birth, daughter mine, I... I did die. But when I sought entry unto the Fade, I was not permitted to pass. The Scribe Virgin, however, in all Her mercies, did allow me sequestering on the Far Side and therein I have e’er stayed, serving the Chosen as penance for my... death. I am still in service to a Chosen, and have come here to be on this side to care for her. But... in truth, I have arrived unto this plane to finally look upon you in person. I have long watched and prayed for you from the Sanctuary... and now that I see you, I find... I am well aware that there is much you would need to consider and have explained and be angered over... But if you should be of an open heart to me, I should like to forge... an affection. I can understand if it is too little, too late... ”
Xhex blinked. As lame as it made her, it was all she could do... apart from absorb the female’s incredible sorrow.
Eventually, in an attempt to understand something, anything, she tried to pierce the mind of the robed figure before her, but didn’t get far at all. Any specific thoughts or memories, like Tohrment’s, were blocked from her perception. She had emotional context, but no detail.
She knew, however, that the female told the truth.
And though there had been many times she had felt deserted by the one who had birthed her, she wasn’t stupid. The circumstances of her conception, given who her sire had been, could not possibly have been joyous.
Horrific was more like it.
Xhex had always felt that she must have been a curse on the mother who had borne her, and so now, meeting the female face-to-face? She felt no acrimony toward the still, tense figure before her.
Xhex got to her feet, and as she stood, she sensed Tohrment’s rank despair and disbelief, and knew some of that for herself. But she would not turn away from this opportunity... this gift that destiny had given her on the night of her mating.
She walked slowly across the rug. As she came up to her mother, she noticed the other female was much smaller than she, and thinner of stature, and more timid of nature.
“Whatever is your name?” Xhex asked roughly.
“I am... No’One,” came the reply. “I am No’One—”
A shrill whistle whipped everybody’s heads around to the door. John was standing just inside the room, his sister the queen by his side, a small red bag with MARCUS REINHARDT JEWELERS, EST. 1893 written on it in his hand.
John clearly hadn’t gone for a workout. He’d gone with Beth into the human world... to pick out a mating ring.
Xhex looked around at the assembled and saw the tableau they all made: Tohrment by the LV trunk, John and Beth in the doorway, No’One by the bed.
She would remember this moment all the days of her life. And though there were more questions in her mind than answers, she found the strength in her own soul to voice a reply to John’s mute question about who her mystery guest was.
And actually, it was because of him she was able to answer at alclass="underline" Always look forward. There was much in the past that was best left in the annals of history. Here in this room, with these people, she needed to look forward.
Clearing her throat, she said loudly and clearly, “John... this is my mother. And she shall stand for me at our mating.”
John seemed utterly nonplussed—but he got over it quickly. Like a perfect gentlemale, he approached No’One and bowed at the waist. After he signed, Xhex translated hoarsely.
“He said he is grateful for your presence on this night and that you are e’er welcome within our home.”
No’One put her hands over her face, clearly overcome with emotion. “Thank... you. Thank you.”
Xhex wasn’t a hugger, but she was damned good at holding people up, and she clasped her mother’s terribly thin arm so the poor thing didn’t go down onto the carpet.
“It’s okay,” she told John, who was obviously freaking about having upset the female. “Wait—don’t look over there, you can’t see my gown.”
John froze with his eyes halfway across the room. Gown, he mouthed.
Yeah, hard to know what the biggest shocker was: her mother showing up for the first time in three hundred years. Or the fact that, yes, it appeared she was jacking her ass into a mating gown.
You never knew where life was going to take you, did you.
And sometimes, the surprises were not bad, not bad at all.
One... John.
Two... a gown.
Three... her mother.
Tonight was a good night, a very good night, indeed.
“Here, we’ll go down the hall,” she said, heading over and shutting the dress in. “I’ve got to get dressed... don’t want to be late for my very own mating.”
As she hustled the wardrobe out of the room, turning down help from the males, she asked No’One and Beth to come with her. After all, when it came to her mother and John’s sister, they all needed to start getting acquainted... and what better way than to get her well and properly dressed for her future hellren.
For her male of worth.
For the love of her life.
Tonight was actually the very best thing that had ever happened to her.
SEVENTY-FOUR
John Matthew was forced to stand aside and watch his shellan heft a trunk the size of a Chevy off down the hall with his sister... and her mother?
He was thrilled about the latter two females; not so much about the former deadweight. But he knew better than to play he-man with the muscles. If Xhex needed his help, she’d ask for it.
And what do you know, she was strong enough to do it all by herself.
Right, for reals... that was hot—he wasn’t going to lie.
“Have you got your duds?” Tohrment asked gruffly.
As John glanced over at the guy, it was clear the Brother had just been rocked to his core. He was absolutely reeling in his shitkickers. Except, given the hard line of his brow and his jaw, he was not going to go into it.
Ah... I don’t know what I’m wearing, John signed. A tuxedo?
“No, I’ll go get you what you need. Hold on.”
Bam—the door was shut.
John looked around his room, and when he saw the closet, that clown smile he seemed to wear all the time came back. Walking over, he put the little red bag he’d gotten at the jewelers on the bureau and paused to admire the display of their coupledom.
Oh, man... she’d moved in. She’d really moved in. Her clothes and his were hanging together.
Reaching out, he touched her leathers and her muscle shirts and her holsters... and felt his flush of pride and happiness dim a little. She was going to fight in the war. Side by side with him and the Brothers. The Old Laws might have expressly forbidden it, but the Blind King had already proven he wasn’t a slave to the ancient ways—and Xhex had already proven she could more than handle herself in the field.
John headed for the bed and sat down. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her out in the night with the slayers.