true, well...
Clearing my throat several times, I finally find my voice. “So, you’re telling me that your grandmother—my great-great grandmother is the Empress to the Faerie Realm?”
She nods her head smiling. “Yes, Gemma, not only are we Royal Fey, we’re also from the blood of Luna.”
“Luna…” My eyes enlarge as I shake my head in disbelief. There’s no way that it can be possible. I can’t be related to the crazy Empress of the Faerie Realm, can I? No matter how much I try to deny it, it seems like it’s possible. That also means that not only is Luna trying to destroy me and overtake the world, but she’s my great-grandmother? And if that’s true—Luna is my great-grandmother or whatever—that would make Nicholas… what… my cousin?
“Holy shit!”
Chapter 8
Gemma
I’m speechless. Struck dumb. I don’t even know what to say. I think of Nicholas and the countless times he came on to me. The time he bargained a kiss in exchange for his help. It had felt wrong. It was wrong, but there’s no way Nicholas could have known… or does he?
“Yuck.” I shudder, wanting to take a shower more than I have in my entire life. “B-But, how?” I’m flustered. “I mean who—who knows about this? Does anyone? I know you said it was a secret, but some people have to know because secrets are rarely secrets.”
She scans me over curiously as if she senses my concern is for another reason. “Nobody else knows about it, Gemma,” she assures me. “It’s been kept a secret very well. Your father and I know, though, and now you do. Well, and of course Luna knows, too.”
So Nicholas had… has no clue. “Thank God,” I say out loud and she pulls a confused face. “Never mind.” It was all just an innocent mistake, at least I hope it was. On the bright side, maybe this will make pervy Faerie boy back off.
“Well, Helena knew somehow,” I tell her. “And obviously she wanted the pendant for something.” I eye her over with suspicion because she keeps avoiding eye contact with me. “You still haven’t explained to me how you got the Cornu Lepore pendant.” I walk towards her as she stares at the floor.
She flinches. “Luna offered me the pendant that day,” she reluctantly answers, lifting her eyes to mine. “She told me that although I wasn’t pure Royal Fey, I was still part of the most important line of the Fey blood and that the Cornu Lepore was rightfully mine. And even though it is just a trinket, I should always cherish it, and I have.” Shaking her head, she pushes past me and sinks down into the kitchen chair. “But then Helena stole it from me.” She eyes the pendant in my hand.
I can tell she’s lying, and I quickly close my hand around it as I move around the table. “You’re lying and I want you to tell me the truth. It’s important.”
“Gemma you have to believe me… What I say is the truth. There’s no other reason. The necklace isn’t powerful, just pretty to look at. And sentimental.”
“Helena wouldn’t have stolen it from you if it wasn’t,” I argue, sitting down in the chair across from her. She’s starting to cry, but her tears are plastic—not real. She’s acting like she’s upset, but I can tell she’s not. “There’s no way in hell it could be worthless if she wanted it… It has to have some kind of value… some kind of power.”
A smug look rises on her face. It was an act, just like I thought. “Well that’s the only answer you’re getting from me, Gemma. That is all you need to know.”
I’m getting riled up and fully pissed off. I want Helena to pay for what she did to Alex. To Laylen. To everyone in the world that she hurt. I’ll do whatever I need to get my answers. Rage fires inside me, the kind controlled by hurt. I’m losing control of myself and I don’t care. All I care about is wiping that smug look off Nalina’s face.
“I’m sorry, but if you’re going to refuse to cooperate, then I guess I’m going to have to help you change your mind,” I tell her, realizing how much I’m starting to sound like Alex. With his threats and blunt remarks. I kind of like it. In fact, I love it and I’m going to hold onto it because then I can keep part of him with me forever.
“You’re bluffing.”