That was exactly how Paul felt, like his life had become a nightmare, and one he’d brought on himself. The man had then said something about Livy not being herself at the moment and still being in the turn. That she probably wasn’t even really conscious, and once the turn was done she’d be the girl he remembered. “Mostly.” But Paul didn’t find that very reassuring. What had the man meant by mostly? He kept asking himself that, as well as wondering what he had done to his daughter.
The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he glanced to it, expecting it to be Jeanne Louise. He was actually relieved when it was her father instead. Paul didn’t think he could face her right now. He was too upset, and was wondering if immortals were as human as they seemed.
“We’re human,” Armand Argeneau said dryly and then glanced to Bricker and said, “Go have your sandwich. I need to talk to him.”
Bricker stood at once and left the room, leaving the two men alone.
Paul waited until the door had closed behind the Enforcer before glancing to Armand, who was moving around to take the Enforcer’s vacated seat. Once the man was seated, he said, “Let me guess. I’ve been found guilty of kidnapping and sentenced to death.”
“No,” Armand said quietly. “You’ve been found guilty of kidnapping and sentenced to live.”
Paul stared at him, knowing he should feel relieved but he was just numb at the moment, his thoughts so full of horror and confusion he couldn’t feel anything else. “So what are they going to do? Take Livy away from me to be raised by immortals?”
“Is that what you want?” Armand asked.
Paul turned to peer at his daughter. She looked as sweet and innocent now as she had from the day she was born, like the same child he’d been willing to give his life for as recently as that morning. The scene in the front yard had taken him aback though. He wasn’t sure who or what she was anymore. Except that she was his daughter, his little Livy. He hoped.
“No,” he said finally.
Armand relaxed back in his seat. “Lucian was telling the truth when he said what you saw in the front yard wasn’t her. She’s still in the turn. Her brain is scrambled at the moment. She wouldn’t have been capable of cognitive reasoning or even realize what she was doing. Once it’s done she’ll be your Livy again.”
“Mostly,” Paul muttered bitterly.
“There will be some differences, of course,” Armand allowed. “She’ll be stronger, faster, resistant to illness and even death. And she’ll need to feed like the rest of us do.”
Paul grimaced at the word feed.
“On bagged blood,” Armand said dryly. “Though she’ll need to be trained in feeding off the hoof too so that if there’s ever a situation where she has no access to bagged blood and needs to feed from the source, she can do so without unduly harming or even killing her donor.”
“Right,” Paul said wearily.
“But there won’t be any change in her personality,” Armand said quietly. “She’ll wake up liking the same things she did before and she’ll still love you.”
Paul swallowed and nodded, relieved to hear that.
“So, Lucian decided you wouldn’t be punished,” Armand said solemnly. “He’s arranging for you, your daughter, and my daughter to be flown back to Toronto once the turn is done, and taken to Marguerite’s.”
Paul blinked at this news. “Bastien’s mother, Marguerite?”
Armand nodded. “My sister-in-law. The three of you will stay with her while Livy is trained.”
“And then?” Paul asked.
Armand hesitated and then said, “That depends on you and Jeanne Louise.”
Paul’s eyes narrowed at the words. “What do you mean?”
“Whether you decide to stay together or not,” he said solemnly.
“I love her,” Paul said simply and it was true. While he was confused about the difference between immortals and mortals right now and worried about how it would affect Livy, he did love Jeanne Louise.
“And she loves you,” Armand said. “But sometimes love isn’t enough and this could very well be one of those times.”
“Why?” he asked at once, anger beginning to stir in him at the very suggestion.
“Because you’re mortal.”
“So I’m not good enough for her,” Paul guessed.