A Crown Of Smoke And Ash - Sloane Murphy Page 0,49
been back a week, and you’re already preparing to leave us.” Mom sits on my bed beside the bag I’m packing and sighs. “Talk to me, sweet girl. I can’t help, if I don’t know. You’re gone so much these days.”
I look at her, sat there and contemplate telling her all of it, everything I’ve remembered, but the fear of seeing disappointment in her eyes makes me hesitate.
“Mom… I…”
“You can tell me anything Remy. I’m your mom, I’m not going to judge you,” she says, her eyes kind and her smile warm. Maybe just maybe, she won’t judge, like she says. Maybe she’ll keep my secrets.
“I’ve been remembering stuff Mom, stuff that just isn’t what the Hunters are about.”
“Like what, sweetheart?”
“Like the fact that a Dracul saved my life,” I tell her, holding my breath waiting for her to say something.
“Well, that certainly is different to what you’ve been told they’re like.” Her eyes sparkle at her words, a smile toying with her lips.
“I love him, Mom. I know, I know it goes against everything, but I love him. At least, I did in that life. And the others I knew him in. But I also met Roman Knight, in my last life, and Mom, the Lycans aren’t what people think either. The way they live, pack life, it’s amazing. The love, the loyalty, the way they care so deeply for each other… It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”
“And you loved him too?” she asks, no condemnation or judgment in her eyes.
“I did,” I say, and sit down next to her.
“Well, my Remy girl, like I always say. Love is love. It is a force much powerful than any we are guided by. If they have proven themselves to you, to be more than we think, then maybe, just maybe, that is the unknown truth that should be fought for.”
I sit, speechless, never having imagined that my mom would support my decisions, not judge me for them.
“Have you found either of them, in this life?” she asks, and I nod.
“The Dracul. Kain Michaels,” I tell her, and she blinks, the only sign of what I can only assume is shock.
“Well, you certainly know how to pick them, Remy girl.” She laughs and shakes her head. “The King of the Dracul, and the Alpha of Alphas. Pick them indeed.”
“I didn’t pick them Mom, I didn’t mean for any of it I don’t think, but I can’t stay here, listening to the lies spouted by the Elders or the other Hunters. I can’t slay the other factions knowing what I know. The guilt I already feel for the actions I’ve taken when I was as ignorant as they are will haunt me for eternity.”
“Oh, my Remy girl. Your heart is the purest I have ever known. Do not let your guilt weigh you down. Follow your heart, it will keep you true. And who knows, maybe you will make the world a better place for us all one day.”
“I don’t know about all that…” I shake my head lightly. “I just know that I can’t stay here, see the horror of it all, without saying something. Much as I want to, I can’t change anything if I’m dead.”
“No, Remy. You’re making the right choice. Staying here, that’s not what will help, not here, not in this life. Go out there, experience it all. Make friends with people who think as you do. One day, you will find, that is your actions in these lives, that will help you change the world. I just know it.”
“Thank you, Mom,” I say, hugging her tight. “Thank you for being who you are, and for trusting me.”
“Always, Remy girl. Now you finish packing, I’ll distract your brothers, and come up with something to tell your dad once he returns in a few days. Be safe my girl. Be the best of us all.” She hugs me tight, and a lump rises in my throat. I never thought I’d have her, or any of my family, on my side. “Know that in this life, in every life, I will always support you, support your love for those who are different from us, even against your father. Love is love, Remy. Never, ever forget that.”
She leaves, calling my brothers as she heads towards the front of the house. I hear her asking them to head to the market to get bits for her, for the next week. Clearing the way so I can leave easily, without question.