“. . . there was a little girl who loved her father very much.”
A Cinderella story, huh? Bet I can guess which of us is the ugly stepsister in this scenario.
“Her father was often away. To be a Guardian in the king’s army was a high honor. One of the most talented Shields of his generation, Tiernan Archer was not a man to be trifled with.”
So I’ve heard. I peer at Ky, still ignoring me. What kills me is that he’s not angry Tiernan is—was my dad. No, the blame falls to me alone. Because I didn’t trust him enough to share the truth.
I wish he could read my mind.
I’m sorry, Ky. I’m so, so sorry.
He twitches, swivels his head a fraction of an inch.
What the—No way he actually heard what I was thinking.
Right?
“When his wife, Isabeau, could not conceive a second child—a son to carry on the family name—Tiernan made his bed elsewhere.”
Isabeau?
Isabeau.
Her desire for Mom’s unborn child becomes clear. Mom was Tiernan’s mistress.
I think I’m going to be sick.
Drawing my attention back, Ebony struts across the dais as if it’s her personal runway. “While Isabeau was nearly thirty, Tiernan was younger. Wilder. He was twenty when he left. I was three.”
I blink, my heart softening. I almost feel bad for Ebony. If I had a mother like hers, I’d be bitter too.
“Your whore of a mother seduced my father.”
Never mind the softening part. “If anyone seduced anyone, it was Tiernan. My mom would never take another woman’s husband.” I rise and cradle my wrist, uncertainty wobbling my knees. Mom didn’t refer to this in any of her journal entries. She couldn’t have known Tiernan was married.
“He left my mother. Left me.” The steadiness in Ebony’s cool tone wavers. “When he learned your mother was with child, he hoped to gain the heir he so desired. And then you were born.” A pause. A sneer. “Funny how things work out, isn’t it?”
Jasyn watches her, glee lighting his brown eyes. Is that genuine affection I see? “For so many years I wondered what I had done to compel my Elizabeth to run.” He stands beside Ebony. They make quite the pair. His arm wraps her shoulders. “When all along it was Tiernan who scared her off, not me.”
I hate that I have no rebuttal. Mom’s journal mentioned nothing about Jasyn aside from his obsession with the Void. She never said he harmed her, or even that he tried to turn her Soulless. Tiernan truly was the reason for Mom’s disappearance.
“It did not take long for me to connect the dots,” Jasyn says. “I had no knowledge of Elizabeth’s pregnancy until Tiernan confessed a few years ago. Naturally, I planned to have him executed for treason. How dare he, a meager Guardian, touch my daughter, only sixteen at the time. However, I was not required to lift a finger. Kyaphus disposed of him for me.”
Ky bristles. The side of his face is visible, the bulge in his jaw clear. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for him to stay calm as Jasyn speaks. Are his efforts to protect Khloe? And me? The timeline falls into place. Ky defending his sister. Killing his adoptive father. How long had Ky been a rebel Guardian before Jasyn dug his claws in?
“Once I found Elizabeth,” Jasyn continues, “she confirmed what I could only speculate. Strong willed, your mother. It was much more difficult to extract information from her than it had been with Tiernan. She had many years of practice, of course, defending her mind against my façades. But I was able to draw it from her eventually.”
So Jasyn isn’t as all-powerful as he appears. The stronger the mind, the harder it is for him to fool his victims. I file the note away, storing it for later. Poor Mom. No wonder she didn’t know what to believe when I rescued her. Jasyn had been playing with her head.
“She believed Tiernan would kill you, so she fled, sought a man named Nathaniel Archer. Does the name ring a bell?”
I clench my jaw. I solemnly swear to tell nothing, and nothing but nothing.
“Unfortunately, that is where her trail ended. Try as I might, I could not breach the wall surrounding her memory after that. Even I am no match for a Kiss of Accord.”
Mom made a promise sealed with a kiss? To whom? “I don’t understand. How did you find us in the first place?”
“Have you not figured it out yet?”
Duh.
“As providence would have it, Elizabeth’s photo turned up in a newspaper a few months back. What is it called, my dear?” He flashes a sweet smile at Ebony.
She flips her hair over one shoulder, a classic Quinn move. “The New York Times.”
“Ah yes.” Jasyn beams. “That is the one.”
No. All those years Mom insisted on privacy. Her no-photo policy. Her rule I stay off social media. It was all because, “The picture for the art contest. That’s how you found us.”
“Indeed,” Jasyn says. “It was easy to trace her whereabouts then. A few simple phone calls made by my darling assistant”—he squeezes Ebony’s shoulder—“and Elizabeth’s coordinates were made known. I did not act right away, of course. Delicate situations require patience. It was not until two months later that I finally brought Elizabeth home. Meanwhile, Ebony watched over you both.”
Quinn was his assistant. No wonder he knew—knows so much about me. The constant questions from Quinn when we met. I thought she was trying to get close to me. Because that’s what friends do. I was so blind.
“However, there was another surprise waiting for me. I knew of your existence but had no idea just how valuable you would turn out to be.”
I touch my marked cheek. I might as well have “I’m connected to the Verity’s vessel” written in neon across my face. My head spins. I press the heels of my palms to my eyes. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t entered Mom in that contest, maybe none of this would have happened. We’d be in New York. Joshua and I might not have this chasm between us.
Except, even if I hadn’t been dragged here kicking and screaming, the rebels would still be trapped, waiting for their hero to swoop in and save the day. If Jasyn never discovered us, my birthday would have passed without a hitch, but then I never would have known another world—another Reflection—existed. I never would have met Ky. My life would be normal, but it would also be a lie.
And Joshua. After my birthday he’d have no reason to stay in New York and guard me. What then? I’d spend my life wondering why he left, what had become of him. At least here I know he’s okay. Even if he doesn’t love me, that’s enough.
I drag my hands down the sides of my face, let them rest at my thighs. The pain in my injured wrist becomes more pronounced by the minute. I don’t care. My left hand opens, rotates toward the wall. Come here, you stupid blade. The words form a melody in my head.
“I always wondered”—Jasyn straightens his tie—“what was the Verity’s vessel waiting for exactly? Why allow me to unleash the Void and rule all this time? But when Ebony described your mark to me, I thought to myself, ah”—he lifts one finger—“here is the reason.” Extends a palm to me.
Scrape. Is it working? Is the knife moving?
“Ironic how these things work out.” My grandfather descends the steps, crosses to the marble column, and scoops up Ky’s knife. “Aidan and Ember have been dead these twenty-one years. If Aidan lived, I never would have been able to release the Void from its prison. He was the one keeping the Void at bay, you see.” He holds the weapon up to the light.