I hate it when he talks to me as if I’m eight. He only pulls “sweetheart” out when he pictures me in pigtails. “Then I suppose you’re not interested in the fact that I think I saw an anaconda in the basement a few minutes ago, huh?”
“Was it in Griffin’s pants?” Braden asked.
Dad cuffed him. “Don’t say things like that about your sister. She’s a … good girl.”
“She bounced up and down on Griffin until he woke up this morning,” Redmond said, smirking when I scorched him with an evil glare.
“I bounced up and down on the bed,” I clarified.
“I’m too old for this,” Dad muttered, rubbing the spot between his eyebrows. “I just … why couldn’t I have been blessed with normal children?”
“You would be totally bored with normal children,” Cillian offered. “We all know it.”
“Fine,” Dad said, blowing out a sigh and turning his attention to Mom. “What are you here to tell us, Lily?”
Mom didn’t take his tone lying down. “What do you want me to tell you, Cormack?”
“Well, for starters, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened to you the night you … died,” Dad suggested. “We’ll take it from there.”
Mom made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, but she was resigned to the painful process, so she launched into her story. “There’s not much to tell,” she said. “I left the house and drove to the apartment complex. There was no sign of flames, so I went inside and headed toward the unit.
“You know how fires go,” she continued. “Sometimes there’s a lot of smoke and sometimes there’s open flames. Because there were no flames and only minimal smoke I decided to risk collecting the soul inside instead of waiting hours for the scene to clear. That was a mistake that changed all of our lives, and I regret it.
“Anyway, I found him right away. He’d already succumbed to smoke inhalation,” Mom said. “I absorbed the soul with little preamble. When I went to leave the way I came in, the door was chained … from the outside.”
Griffin reached over and collected my hand, resting it against his heart as his eyes remained trained on Mom. He liked to fancy himself a human lie detector, so I knew he was trying to ascertain whether she was telling the truth.
“I couldn’t understand the chains, but I tried not to panic and moved through the main hallway toward the back of the complex,” Mom said, her voice empty as she recounted her tale. “The back door was chained, too, and that’s when I realized the fire was intensifying. I could smell gasoline.”
My heart rolled. She must have been terrified.
“I knew going up would be a deathtrap. I tried to open a few apartment doors,” Mom said. “I was going to break out a window and escape that way. I was worried about responding emergency personnel seeing me, but anything was better than burning to death.
“I couldn’t get into any of the apartments, though,” she continued. “Then the ceiling started making noise, and I knew the roof would collapse. I tried to make myself small … to hide … but when the ceiling came down I blacked out.
“I remember hearing voices and the pain was … well … it was enough to keep me unconscious,” Mom said, licking her lips. “Those first few days I was out almost twenty-four hours a day. They had me on a morphine drip. I could hear snatches of conversation and knew I had nearly died. They managed to save me, but I had no idea who I was dealing with at that time.
“When I finally did come to, Fox was there, and he made a big deal out of telling me how they saved my life and I should be grateful. I asked about you … I asked about all of you … but he kept saying it was difficult to explain and that I had to rest before hearing the bad news.
“You have to understand, I was still very confused during that time,” Mom explained. “They had me drugged and I had been burned. I had no idea of knowing how bad it was, though. Once I finally felt better – at least well enough to sit up and take solid foods – Fox sat me down for a talk.”
“I already wish we’d killed him when we had the chance,” Redmond growled. He wasn’t the only one.
“He explained that they saw my name on their list and tried to save me even though it was against the rules,” Mom said. “He painted it as some sort of loyalty I should be thankful for, but I knew something else was going on. Fox said that I had no choice but to hide at his place until they figured a way to reunite with me with all of you. I wanted to believe him … I needed to believe him … but part of me knew he was lying. I was too weak to escape, though.”
“When did you meet Genevieve?” I asked, earning a scowl from Braden. “What? It’s a legitimate question.”
“Let your mother tell her story in her own time, Aisling,” Dad said softly. “We owe her that.” I could tell he was moved by Mom’s ordeal.
Griffin squeezed my hand to reassure me and then turned back to Mom. “Did you know everyone thought you were dead at the time?”
“That’s a good question,” Dad said, rubbing the back of his neck as he took everything in.
“Why does he get applauded for asking questions and I get shushed?” I challenged.
“Shh.” Dad pressed his finger to his lips to silence me.
“Fox said everyone believed I was dead, but that didn’t make a lot of sense to me because reapers have to turn in a set number of souls each day,” Mom said. “It wasn’t until later I realized he substituted someone else’s soul for mine, and to this day I have no idea who that was or where they found this individual.”
“Just so I’m clear, that means the Grimponds murdered someone to steal a soul, right?” Griffin asked.
Dad nodded. “Correct.”
“Well, now I wish we had killed him too,” Griffin muttered, releasing my hand and slipping his arm around my shoulders so I could rest my head on his chest.
“I was at the Grimpond home for a long time – months, I’m sure – when I first met Genevieve,” Mom said. “I had no idea who she was at first. I thought she was some Goth faith healer Fox brought in. He claimed she could heal my burns.
“In truth, I missed you all a great deal,” she continued. “I didn’t want you to see me like that, though. It was … not good.”
I swallowed hard as Griffin rested his lips against my forehead and gave me the occasional kiss to keep me still.
“Genevieve took to giving me treatments with a scepter,” Mom said, casting her gaze to the ground, embarrassed. “She fed me souls to keep me alive. I was told they were souls of murderers and rapists, but I can’t confirm that. They eventually healed my burns and made them passable, although my skin is still sensitive to light and will never fully look the same again. Each treatment was supposed to make me stronger … more immortal.”
“That’s what Genevieve wanted,” Cillian mused. “She wanted to live forever. That’s why she partnered with the wraiths. She let them eat as much as they wanted and protected them as long as they supplied her with fresh souls.”
“Exactly,” Mom said, nodding. “It took me time to realize that there was no way Fox was going to let me contact any of you. He made sure no phones were within reach – even going so far as to force anyone entering the room to leave their phones outside so I couldn’t steal one and tip you off. If I wanted to escape, I needed help.”
“So you decided to befriend Genevieve,” Dad said, rolling his neck until it cracked. “You thought she was your only chance of getting away from Fox.”
“I knew Fox’s ultimate plan – he wanted me and a tie to the Grimlock lineage to cement his station in the reaper world – and I would’ve killed him before letting it happen,” Mom said. “It didn’t take me nearly as long to get Genevieve on my side as I thought it would. In fact, she was the one who suggested we run.
“So, one night months into my captivity, Genevieve had wraiths attack the house and we escaped in the melee. I thought once we were safe and away Genevieve would let me go. I had no idea whether I could survive without the souls, but I thought
I could at least see all of you again and say my goodbyes. Genevieve had … other … plans.”
“I’ll bet,” Braden said, shaking his head.
“She was my new captor for … a long time,” Mom said. “She had a house on the city’s west side for several years, but when they started tearing down ramshackle homes we moved to the mausoleum. Genevieve was always fearful about discovery.
“I spent a long time trying to get Genevieve to trust me,” she continued. “I spent years trying to get her to believe I was on her side. I don’t think she ever truly did, but then she started letting me go out with wraith watchers, so my plan worked – to a certain extent.
“I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to see all of you so desperately, but so much time had passed, and I wasn’t the person you remembered. You were right, Aisling, your mother died in the fire. I still loved you, though.
“Genevieve tasked me with collecting artifacts,” Mom said. “She was happy she found a way to live forever, but she thought she could find a way to do it that wouldn’t involve eating souls and the limitations that places on your physical well-being. It leaves you … stretched … for lack of a better word. Instead of ingesting souls, she needed to steal one from a living host and let it co-inhabit her body.
“She conducted loads of research,” Mom explained. “Finally, she decided that the soul she needed had to come from a reaper. She knew who she wanted to use right away.”
“Aisling,” Dad growled, shaking his head. “I … why?”
“I don’t know why she fixated on Aisling,” Mom answered. “Perhaps it was a test for me. Perhaps she saw Aisling as a strong enough individual to bolster the spell she wanted to cast. Perhaps she merely wanted to torture me. I honestly don’t know.
“Genevieve was obsessed with Aisling, and followed her,” she continued. “I managed to convince a few of the wraiths that Genevieve didn’t have their best interests at heart because she would stop feeding them when she didn’t need souls to survive any longer. That allowed me more freedom, and I started following Genevieve. One night I followed her to Royal Oak and saw … Aisling.” Mom’s eyes were glassy when they locked with mine. “You were storming out of the house and screeching about your eyes being on fire and … my heart broke.”
“That must have been the night you came home and found Aidan and me on the couch together, Bug,” Jerry said, excited to have a part – however remote – in the story.
“Genevieve’s wraiths attacked,” Mom said. “I had no idea she would try to collect you that night. Aidan fought them off, though, and you guys went back inside.
“Before then I had no idea where you lived. I took to watching you every second I could, even after you killed Genevieve. I’d left by then, you see, disappearing in the night. I wanted to warn you, but you fought off Genevieve on your own and I thought it was over.”
“Why didn’t you come home?” Braden’s voice was weak.
“Because you didn’t deserve your memories tainted and I didn’t want to ruin your lives,” Mom answered. “I was going to leave and never come back, but each day I found myself following Aisling. I told myself I would leave the next day. It never happened.
“I watched Aisling go to the spa with Jerry … and fight with Aidan … and make up with Aidan … and cry with Redmond … and laugh with Cillian … and fight with Braden … and then I watched her fall in love with Griffin,” Mom said. “I was an outsider looking in, but I could still see you. I didn’t see the harm in watching as long as you didn’t know I was doing it.”
“What about Fontaine?” I asked. “He said you were after me.”
“Fontaine was working with Genevieve,” Mom clarified. “They had an arrangement for souls. Genevieve had access to money because she spent more than a century accruing it. Fontaine had access to souls because of his position as a rogue reaper. I did deal with Fontaine once or twice at Genevieve’s behest, but I never ordered him to go after you. If that’s what he said, he lied.”
I wanted to believe her. I wanted to announce that all was forgiven and hug her. Instead, I remained in Griffin’s protective embrace and listened.
“I found myself in the middle of certain gossip circles,” Mom said. “I heard things, whispers really. I tried to help when I could. Otherwise I stayed hidden until I realized Fox was going to make a move on Aisling.
“After I left his care, Genevieve told me what he had planned for me,” she continued. “I thought he would give it up when I left. I never dreamed he would turn toward Aisling to meld the families.
“I knew he was amassing an army of wraiths and gargoyles to wipe out everyone, so I sent Bub to watch Aisling,” Mom said. “He was never supposed to get involved – or talk to her – but when the wraiths attacked he intervened and set us on this course.”
Something about her story bothered me. “Why not kill Fox before he came after us?”
“I was going to, but you all managed to take care of yourselves quite well before I could do anything,” Mom replied. “I did the best I could. It’s not easy living underground. I’m not always privy to the gossip from your circles. Everything I heard was from eavesdropping on the lot of you and, no offense, you often talk utter nonsense.”
“She’s talking about us,” Jerry said, beaming.
Mom shot Jerry a fond smile. “Even when you talk about nonsense, Jerry, your love and loyalty for my daughter is most welcome. She adores you, and you’ve taken remarkable care of her.”
“That doesn’t explain what you’ve been doing with John Anderson,” Dad interjected. “You’ve been watching the house, making bold pronouncements about coming home and still following Aisling.”
“I have followed all of my children so I can see them when they’re happy,” Mom said. “If you expect me to lie or make excuses, I will not do it. They don’t smile when they see me, and I want to see them smile. Even this morning, just listening to that ridiculous conversation about deviants and snakes was one of my happiest moments in ten years.”
“And John Anderson?” Dad wasn’t about to let it go, and I was thankful for his diligence.
“John Anderson is another problem entirely,” Mom said. “He approached me a few weeks ago wanting to carry on Genevieve’s work. He has a brain tumor and won’t live out the year. He needs a way to survive … and he believes Genevieve’s work is the way to get what he wants.
“I pretended to work with him to get what he wanted, all the while undermining his efforts,” she continued. “He’s sloppy and doesn’t think through his actions. It will be his downfall.”
“You knew he was going after Griffin,” I argued. “You told him to go after Griffin to get to me.”
“Griffin can take care of himself,” Mom said. “He’s a police officer. He knows what he’s doing. I didn’t think things would go as far as they did. I have made tremendous mistakes. I’m not omnipotent, though. I honestly didn’t think John was a threat to Griffin. It appears I may have been mistaken.”
“You could’ve come to us and let us help you,” Cillian pointed out. “If you told us the truth from the beginning Griffin wouldn’t have been hurt, John Anderson would already be out of the picture and Aisling wouldn’t still be in danger.
“From what you said, I believe he thinks Aisling’s soul is key to his plans because Genevieve thought that,” he continued. “My problem is that John Anderson would have to know Genevieve’s plans, and to do that he would need more ties than you’re suggesting.”
“That’s a very good point, son,” Dad said. “How does John Anderson tie in to Genevieve Toth?”
“He’s her blood.”
I stilled. “But … is that possible?”
“Genevieve had a daughter,” Cillian reminded me. “We found the records when she first surfaced. It’s not inconceivable that she has numerous blood relatives wandering around who have no idea who Genevieve is.”
“How did John unearth his ties to Genevieve?” Griffin asked.
> “I have no idea,” Mom answered. “He will have to answer that for you. Genevieve would seek out relatives during the centuries if she thought they were open to her way of thinking. None of them ever stayed on for more than a few weeks or months, if her stories are to be believed. Perhaps she sought John out. I simply don’t know. I’ve done everything I can to dissuade him, but he feels he’s running out of time.”
“And that means he’s desperate,” Dad said, shaking his head. “He’s desperate to get his hands on my daughter, and I won’t let that happen.”
“We can work together on this, Cormack,” Mom urged. “We can make things right.”
“Oh, you’re going to help us,” Dad agreed, nodding. “I just haven’t decided whether we can trust anything else you say. Either way, it doesn’t matter. That decision won’t be made today.
“Aisling’s safety is the most important thing,” he continued. “I won’t let anyone take another member of my family away. You’re going to help us, Lily. I don’t care whether you don’t want to get involved. You’re already involved … and we’re doing things my way. There will be no more of this half-assed maneuvering you’ve been conducting.
“You’re going to help or you’re going back in the dungeon,” Dad said. “I will not let this … animal … touch my daughter. Make up your mind now, Lily. Are you in, or are you out?”
Mom rested her hands on her knees and licked her lips. “I’m in.”
28
Twenty-Eight
“Be calm when you’re talking to him,” Dad instructed an hour later. “Don’t let him know we’re planning anything.”
The look Mom shot Dad was priceless. “I never would’ve thought of that myself, Cormack. Thank you so much for telling me not to freak out and scream at him. Your help in this matter should be invaluable.”
Dad frowned. “Now I remember where these children got their fresh mouths.”
“Yeah, you,” Braden said, shaking his head. “I’m sure she knows what to do, Dad. She’s been dealing with these people for a really long time.”
Grim Reunion (Aisling Grimlock Book 4) Page 24
