Kate Evangelista - Til Death

“Where’s the body?” Caroline asked Dillan.

“My partner brought him to Rainer.”

“Good.” David shared a look with his wife when she turned around. “We will need to extend our condolences to his parents.”

She nodded, on the verge of tears. Dillan’s chest tightened. Selena was right. He had a weakness against the waterworks. He stifled the urge to comfort and stayed on topic. “Why does everything lead back to Selena?”

“That’s not important anymore.” David crossed his arms over his chest. “Right now we need to concentrate our efforts on finding the Maestro before the conjurer uses someone else to kidnap her.”

Dillan leaned in, not letting the old man off that easily. “If I know what’s going on then maybe I can help you. I want to protect Selena as much as everyone else in this room.”

“Dillan,” Caroline said in the gentlest of voices, “please trust us when we say it would be better for you not to know. Considering your connection with the Council—”

“What about my connection with the Council?”

“What my wife is trying to say is” —David glanced at his wife— “if we tell you, we have no guarantees the information will not make it back to your grandfather. You are the first son of the first son, in line to take your grandfather’s seat in the Council. You two are irrevocably connected. We can’t risk it.”

Dillan had to pick his jaw off the floor. “What does Granddad have to do with this?”

“He will want Selena,” David replied. “Trust me on this.”

“But why? What’s to stop Granddad from finding out anyway?” he challenged even if it seemed like a losing battle.

All three looked at each other before Caroline answered, “We have safeguards against your grandfather and the Council.”

This conversation got Dillan nowhere, but still he fought on. “What about Selena? Doesn’t she have the right to know?”

“It’s not that simple. Despite what Rainer wants her to do.” Caroline’s tone was filled with worry.

“Bowen just threatened to kidnap her. He was behind all those dog killings. And the Maestro is still after her,” he insisted. “What more do you need? Back me up here!”

“Don’t drag me into this,” Kyle answered.

“What of it, pup?” David grunted. “You were still in your mother’s belly when we settled here. We reserve the right to keep our secrets.”

“David, keep your voice down. You’ll wake Selena,” Caroline said.

Needing to move before he punched someone, he pushed his seat back and moved to the counter. He leaned against it and crossed his arms. “Does Granddad—”

“Dillan.” Compassion entered in the way Caroline said his name. “Our life here is outside of the Council’s control. And we would like to keep it that way.”

“What she means is, I will personally break every bone in your—”

“David!” she gasped.

“I think we’re moving off topic here.” Kyle finally spoke up.

“You must understand.” Caroline sighed heavily. “James and Lara didn’t want this life for her.”

“What life?” Selena asked.

Dillan’s heart dropped when he saw her standing by the doorway.

Selena

Truth, Set Me Free

They all turned to look at me like they couldn’t believe I stood there. When their initial alarm wore off, a range of expressions formed on their faces. Gramps turned grim. Grams covered her mouth with both hands, tears brimmed her eyes. Kyle snorted and shook his head. And Dillan stared directly at me, his brow forming a brooding knot.

I didn’t know how to react, so I stayed still in the clean pajamas someone—I assumed Grams—changed me into, waiting for an answer to my question. Four sets of eyes on me was no joke. The silence weighed on my shoulders, threatening to crush me. But I held my ground.

“Dillan, let’s go.” Kyle pushed away from the table and stood up. “We’ll wait on the front lawn.”

I moved out of Kyle’s way. When Dillan crossed my path, I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. He pulled me closer and planted a kiss on my lips.

“I’ll be right outside.” His breath ruffled the curls that fell across my forehead.

I gathered up my courage for what was to come. I looked into his blue eyes then nodded. He returned the nod and trailed Kyle out of the house. I blinked and focused on the two people I thought I could always trust. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

“Come, my dear.” Gramps pointed at the chair Kyle occupied before. “Let’s have a talk.”

My stomach twisted in nervous knots. When I thought I could move without falling over, I took a deep breath and crossed the room.

Kyle’s chair still felt warm when I settled on it. I spread my hands on the table and waited. My heart beat a wild tempo in my chest. I was a little girl again, listening to my grandparents explain why my parents would never come back. My life crumbled in this kitchen many years ago. Now, maybe, it wouldn’t be as bad. Maybe that day prepared me to hear whatever they had to say.

Or, maybe not.

For long minutes, we did nothing but stare at each other. No one wanted to break the tense stillness in the room. Annoyance crept up on me like an unexpected visitor. What were they waiting for?

“Are you going to tell me what you were all talking about or what?” I finally asked.

Grams sighed. “Rainer told us Dillan shared information about the Illumenari with you.” At my nod, she continued, “Your parents were both Legacy.”

My stomach flipped. “And you?”

I didn’t hesitate to ask. If my parents were part of the Illumenari, and if the Sullivan family tree meant anything, my grandparents were, too. Gramps confirmed it without flinching.

“We were Council,” he said.

“Were?”

“We left a long time ago.”

The million dollar question: “Why am I getting the feeling they didn’t die in a hurricane?”

The first stab of betrayal went through my chest like a rusty knife. I curled my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. I promised myself I’d listen, so I would.

“No, my dear, I’m sorry.” Gramps shook his head.

The second stab of betrayal rattled my insides. “What part of my life isn’t a lie?”

Grams let out a startled breath.

“Now, Selena, that’s not fair.” Gramps wrapped an arm around Grams. “We were only doing what your parents wanted. They didn’t—”

“Want this life for me. I heard.”

“Then you should understand that we thought keeping you in the dark about all this was for the best.” Gramps slapped the table with his free hand.

I winced. I was more confused now than when this conversation started. Forget turning my life upside down. They placed everything I thought was true into a food processor and pressed the puree button. Mr. Sloan has been right.

“David, please.” Grams lay her wrinkled hand over his scarred one. “This is too much for her to take in all at once.”

“Why?” I asked through my teeth, moving my now trembling fists to my lap. “Why didn’t they want me to know?”

“They risked everything so you could have a normal life,” Gramps said.

“As if. I have visions of the future, and creatures I didn’t know existed until now are after me. Well, one. Bowen’s…” I choked on the word. “Did you know about him?”

Grams nodded sadly. “He was a good boy. We didn’t expect him to—”

“Well, if you told me about him then maybe he wouldn’t have had to…” I still couldn’t say it. “I feel like Dillan’s the only one on my side in all this.”

Gramps scratched an eyebrow with his thumb. “That’s not fair, Selena.”