We were heading to the FaeLands to meet my long lost Fomori family, and I was going to kill Tristan. Before I did any of that, I'd have to tell my parents I was leaving for a while and why. Not only that, we were going to have to tell them the why and how behind my little trip. That part in itself wasn't going to bother me.
In a few hours, I was going to have to stand in front of my mother and tell her I was bopping one of her best friends. Lord help me. I felt as if I were going to hurl at the very thought. How in the world was I going to make it through the actual ordeal without throwing up on my father’s loafers?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The ride to my parents’ estate felt more as if I were walking the green mile instead of going home. I leaned my head against the window, willing myself to relax and stared at the foliage as it flew by my window in a blur. I'd rather face an army of Extras, with one arm broken and body full of lead slugs than stand in front of my mother and father and tell them that I'm in a lesbian relationship with a woman my mother had known almost her entire life.. See, when I say it like that it sounds wrong on so many levels, but I've never felt more right in my life.
I reached across the armrest, took Irulan’s hand in my own, and pressed it to the center of my chest. "Feel that, my heart’s going to jump out of my chest if I don't get a grip, but the thought of them not..." I dropped my head as I searched for the words to convey what I was feeling. "I know my father and I have had our moments, but he's never let me down, Irulan. I don't know what I'll do if they don't approve of our relationship."
Irulan held my hand up and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "I'm not worried about them having problems with the relationship, your parents respect courage and honesty, and it's going to take both for you to get through this, if you’re still dead set on saying everything yourself."
She cut her eyes in my direction and waited for a response. I nodded my head yes, in reply. She sighed, "If that's what you want I'll respect your wishes, but telling Anya about Kemet’s manipulations is an entirely different ballgame."
My stomach took a turn for the worse at the thought of telling mother about her true birthright, and the danger I was now in because of it. Less than a month ago, I was an ordinary Vampire, well, with the exception of my eyes, but now I was changing into something new, something no one had ever seen before. Too much was happening too quick.
Irulan drove up the long driveway that lead to the main house and pulled around the back to park. We barely made it through the kitchen door when my mother flew down the back stairs, grabbed me in her arms, and began spinning me in a circle. "My baby, my precious girl, it's so good to see you out and about," she cried. She eased me to my feet, grabbed me by the hand, and pulled me through the house and into the family room where my father was sitting.
My father took one look at me and scowled, "Is this a social call, or business?” Damn that man, I could never get anything past him.
Mother reached over and slapped him across the shoulder. "What does it matter, Hadrian? Really, you need to take that stick out of your ass every once and awhile.” Irulan burst out laughing.
Me on the other hand, I dropped my gaze to the floor. "Actually, daddy, it's a bit of both.” My father looked at my mother with a 'told-you-so' look on his face, which earned him another slap, this time to the head.
"Anya love, would you refrain from hitting me in front of company, it doesn't go well with the image I strive to project," my father said with a slight smile on his lips. My mother was the only person that could break through my father’s tough guy persona and make him act Human every once in a while.
Mother laughed and motioned for us to take a seat as she sat down beside my father. "Tell us ladies, what does bring you here?"
I took a deep breath and started speaking, hoping I could get everything out at once. "Um, about that day in the hospital, when the power surge went through the building..." They both sat straight up in their seats while I pressed on.
"Well, Irulan and I know what caused it, we knew then, but were too embarrassed to tell anyone. You see it was us, or rather me. The blast happened while Irulan and I were...it happened because my emotions were out of control from making out with Irulan. We, I...Mama and Daddy, Irulan and I are together now.” I said the words in one big mash-up of syllables as fast as I could.
My mother fell back into the leather loveseat, her face clouded and unreadable. My father, on the other hand, his reaction was one for the record-books. The unflappable Hadrian Trumaine burst out laughing in a booming roar. My father was laughing so hard, he clutched his side and fell over into my mother’s lap. "Pay up, Anya," he said as he fought to catch his breath. "I told you there was no way in hell the two of them have shacked up for as long as they have and not getting it on!"
My jaw dropped open as I watched my mother reach into her pocket, draw out a fist full of bills, and slap in into my father's upturned palm. He sat up and popped a quick kiss on her nose. "Never bet against a sure winner, love. There isn't a woman alive that can resist a Fae, once they've got them in their sights.” My mother pushed my father away from her, thoroughly irked at having lost a bet to him.
“I know the two of you didn’t seriously bet money on whether or not we were sleeping together!”
My father just chuckled and shoved the wadded up bills into his pocket. My mother scowled at him and folded her arms across her chest. “It’s not about the money, darling, it’s about being right. I hate being wrong.”
I heard the shuffle of feet and turned to see a group of household staff, hurrying away from the door, some with broad smiles on their faces and fists full of money. I looked over to Irulan, who simply shrugged then leaned over to give me a reassuring kiss. "I told you, Val, you were worried for all the wrong reasons."
My father’s laughter faded and his demeanor became serious. "What should she have been worried about, Irulan?"
Irulan turned her attention to my father. "The reason behind the blast, or should I say, how she was able to accomplish it in the first place," she answered. My mother and father both looked at us with worried expressions.
I took Irulan's hand before I spoke up. "Something's happening to me, I'm changing, developing new powers, powers unnatural to a Vampire."
I looked directly into my father eyes as I spoke. "It seems the blood Irulan gave me while I was in the hospital gave me a power boost."
My father stood and walked over to a window, while my mother looked from Irulan to me, totally confused. "That's not possible unless you're blood kin, Vampires and Sidhe don't mix," she said.
Irulan squeezed my hand as she spoke, "No, Anya, Vampires and Sidhe don't mix, but Sidhe calls to Sidhe, and that's what my blood did when it was introduced to her body.” She turned to my father, "Isn't that right, Hadrian?"
My mother stood and looked between my father and Irulan with hurt in her every movement. "What's she talking about, Hadrian? And don't dare give me some bullshit answer to placate me. I want the truth."
My father turned and took both my mother’s hands. The wild look of fear in his eyes was so foreign to him, that for an instant I didn't recognize him. "You've got to believe me when I say, I had no idea until after Constantine was born and grandfather came to see him for the first time."
My mother jerked her hands away from him and slowly backed away. "Tell me what's wrong and stop procrastinating!" My mother's eyes went black, and her nails began to elongate and harden into a wicked set of claws. My mother has always been fiercely protective of us, but I never thought that I would see that day that she'd draw on my father.
My father took a step back and squared his shoulders. "Sweetheart, your mother's not a full Vampire. Kemet knew, and he and my father arranged our marriage when we were both still children. They hoped that our children would benefit from the combined bloodlines. My grandfather has been manipulating the entire family for hundreds of years. I'm just as much a victim as you are, that's why I severed all ties with that damn Djin
years ago."
My mother's head cocked to one side as she flashed to my father, hoisted him up off the ground, and threw him into a nearby bookshelf sending an entire row of books careening to the floor. "The same Djin that almost got my daughter killed with the half-assed job that he did? I love you, Hadrian, but I love my children more. If something you..."
Irulan walked over to my mother and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let him down, Anya. If you hurt him, you'll hate yourself for it later. Hadrian had no control over your grandmother. She made the decision to consort with a Sidhe prince long before Hadrian was ever born.”
My mother dropped my father, and then turned on Irulan, "What are you talking about?"
Irulan held her ground as she pulled the same crest from her pocket that she showed me yesterday. "Your mother is half Sidhe, the daughter of the Fomori prince, Mikilos, which in turn makes you and your children part Fomori. The Fomori blood within you is dormant for the most part, but my blood awakened it in Valeria."
Mother looked at the crest as if she were staring at a shrunken head, instead of an ornate piece of metal. She turned it over and over in her hands as she shook her head in disbelief. "Does my mother know this?"
"No, only Valeria, and now you, but she and the boys will need to be told along with your siblings. They need to know the potential danger this poses to them," said Irulan.
Mother’s nails shrunk and her eyes returned to normal. "What danger?"
Irulan cast a quick look back at me before she continued. "One of the things that's unique about all Extras is, when we reproduce with different races, none of the power of the parents is lost. The attributes combine and instead of diluting, they become stronger, like the strands of a rope. We may have to access the power differently, but it’s there. If the wrong person finds out about this, you, your children, your mother, any offspring connected to Mikilos, could be hunted for the potential power within your veins."
At that moment, a sharp pain cut through my body and I doubled over, crying out in pain. Mother gasped and flew to my side. Irulan knelt on one knee in front of me. "Is it the same feeling, baby?” she asked.
I nodded yes as best as I could, as another wave rocked me. I held my hand up in front of my face and saw that I could see right through it. It was even worse than last night. "What's happening to me, Irulan? This is different than last night." I hated feeling so weak and dependent someone else. I bit my lip trying to hold in the cries of pain that were desperate for release. If I could face it, that meant I was strong, right?
“I can’t let you feed from me so soon but this should help.” Irulan quickly grabbed my face and crushed my lips to hers, forcing her tongue into my mouth as she fed me her power. The charge spread through me, filling me completely until I thought I would burst. Once she was satisfied, Irulan pulled away, leaving me gasping for air but solid once again.
My father jerked Irulan up by the arm. "What the hell just happened to her and what did you do?"
Irulan pulled away from my father and pushed him back with a regal air about her. "I just saved her life, Hadrian. Don't you ever put your hands on me like that again. Familiarity has made you forget who I am."
Daddy huffed, "don't play that card with me," and prepared to step forward when mother stood, and pushed them both apart.
"Now is not the time!” She turned to Irulan and pointed at me. “ What's happening to her, Irulan?"
"The Fomori blood inside her is awake, but it's starving. Anya, you know I have to go home on a yearly basis or I'll fade. That's what's happening to Valeria. That, and the fact that her powers are developing all at once. She's gaining the powers of an adult Sidhe, but her body isn't adjusting."
Mama came, took my sweaty palm, and rubbed her hand across my forehead, "So what can we do to stop these changes?"
Irulan sat down, and dragged a hand through her hair, "Nothing can stop them, it's a part of who she is. I have to take her to the FaeLands to renew her powers. Once we're there, she'll stop fading, and her powers will grow to what they should be but it won’t be enough. A power transfer is a temporary patch. Because she’s a Vampire she needs an influx of blood to stabilize her. Strong Fomori blood. I'm taking her to the UnSeelie High King. Your great-grandfather, FaeVar."
My mother nodded, "Ok, so when do we leave?"
Irulan shook her head softly. "I'm sorry, Anya, you can't go.” Mother jumped up and began protesting.
"The hell I can't, that's my daughter! Just because you wormed your way into her pants doesn't mean you call the shots now."
Irulan sighed, "That's not fair, and you know it, Anya. I'm a Seelie Princess walking into the court of the High King of the UnSeelie with a Vampire. It's going to take every trick I learned at court to not to get us killed by the royal guards before we get to talk with FaeVar."
My father moved to lay his hands on Mother’s shoulders, but she slapped his hands away. "Keep your hands off me, Hadrian. You knew, you knew this entire time, and you never said a word. You need to leave...I can't be around you right now.” The look on my father’s face as he walked away caused my heart to clench in my chest.
After he was gone, mother focused her gaze on Irulan. "How long have you known?" She asked solemnly. Irulan ran her palms down the front of her face and cut her eyes towards me. Faeries are unable to lie without repercussions but she could skirt the truth with the best of them. We both knew that she wouldn’t though, even as she realized that her answer could be the end of a two hundred year friendship. She knew my mother deserved the truth.
"I knew before I ever came to Tire Nam Beo. Your grandfather came to me the day I was preparing to leave home and asked me to watch over his children here.” Irulan pointed to the crest that was still in my mother’s trembling hand. "Mikilos gave me that crest as proof of your family’s Sidhe heritage, should you ever have to look for help from the Dark Court.”
"If you've only been here for two hundred years, what about the memories I have of you from my childhood?" mother asked quietly.
"A spell." Irulan admitted. "One crafted by Mikilos so your family would accept my presence without question, but I swear the love I feel for the Gregorys is true."
My mother looked defeated as she handed the crest back to Irulan. "Then I guess you'll need this back if you're going to get anywhere with FaeVar."
Irulan accepted the crest and put in back into her pocket. My mother brushed by Irulan to take me into her arms. "Are you sure this is what you want? Irulan and all that comes with her?"
As I tried to fight the tears that were pooling in my eyes, I nodded yes. "I've never wanted anything more, mama."
My mother nodded and brushed the tears away from her eyes that were threatening to fall. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you, Irulan. You kept this from me all this time. You pretended to be my friend."
Irulan gently pulled my mother away from my arms, "Anya, I never once had to pretend to be your friend. I love you. Please believe I never had a choice. If I could have, I would have told you years ago. Mikilos made me give him my word that I wouldn't tell unless it was a life or death situation. You know a Faerie's word isn't just for show. Once I made the vow, it was iron clad. Every time I tried to find a way around it, I got headaches that lasted for days. Valeria's illness is what broke my vow."
I could see my mother fighting to hold onto her anger, and the slump that settled into her posture when she accepted Irulan’s explanation. "It's still going to take time for me to forgive you, no matter what the reason. I'm sorry.” The friendship was sound, shaken, but ok nonetheless. They had known each other for so long, I can't think of a pair of sisters that were closer.
My mother walked to a window and pressed her hand against the glass. "How soon will you leave?” She asked, too hurt to turn and face us.
Irulan closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards. I felt her aura wash over me for the tiniest of seconds, and then it was gone. "The doorways to the FaeLands change locations according to ne
ed. I feel the pull of one not far from here, a mile, if that. If it's alright with you, we'll leave the car here and walk."
Mama came to me and began straightening my clothes the way she used to when I was a child. "Come back to me, baby girl, OK?" I threw my arms around my mother and crushed her to me as if it were the last time I'd ever see her. Who knows, if the blood infusion didn't work, it very well may be. My mother kissed me on the forehead and turned to leave the room. "Take care of my daughter.”
Irulan and I made our way back through the house to the kitchen. When we got there, my father was waiting for us holding an ornately jeweled, Scottish claymore. "I see you don't have your usual set with you. I thought that maybe you could take this. It belonged to my father. He won it in a game of chance long before I was born."
As I took the long sword from my father’s hand, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "The sword’s name is Bas, it means death in Gaelic. You're a Trumaine first. Remember that. Use any weapon you have to your advantage if you need to.” He pressed his hand over my heart as he spoke. "Even if it scares you, use it anyway. It doesn't change who you are right here."
Crimson Dawn Page 21
