Infinity Chronicles (Infinity Chronicles #2) - Albany Walker Page 0,97
on Rosa’s leg. “Leon had somehow managed to strip Wyatt of his abilities. Apparently, it killed Wyatt in the process, and Leon was injured as well, that was when Amanda came to us.” The information isn’t exactly new, but it’s still shocking to hear.
“Leon hadn’t given up looking for Amanda, he went to her family—your grandparents.” He pauses and then cautiously continues, “They think it was an accident, that things got out of hand, but no one knows for certain. There was a fire, but it wasn’t any normal fire, it was elemental fire. All we know is when the fire finally stopped burning, there wasn’t anything left of your family home. Nothing. Just ash.”
“How did you know it was Leon?” My voice is flat. Some unnamed emotion is simmering under the surface of my calm.
“The fire was unnatural, had to be investigated. Leon didn’t make it a secret he was coming to visit the Carmichaels. Everything unraveled as soon as the Council looked into him. He had several norms working for him,”
Dante interrupts his father and informs me, “Norms, normal people like Mia.” I figured, but it was nice of him to clarify.
“Leon had isolated himself from any other Infinities. No one had any idea that Amanda was missing or that Leon had already killed Wyatt. It was a simple matter of having someone with the right abilities questioning his employees. You can’t keep secrets from someone who can get inside your head.” William glances at Ares but looks away quickly.
“That’s crazy,” Ollie mutters from the floor near my legs.
Rosa’s eyes are rimmed in red and she sniffles a few times before clearing her throat to speak. “Mal works with the Council; that’s the only reason we know so much, and she was… is my friend. We looked for her after they presumed Leon was dead, but…”
“Presumed dead. You mean no one knows if he’s actually dead?” I blurt before Rosa can finish.
William shakes his head slowly. “No one could have made it out of that fire, Laura. No bodies were recovered, but everyone involved is confident that Leon is dead.” His eyes lower, and what he’s not adding is that my grandparents died with him.
I let my back fall against the chair behind me, feeling tired even though it’s not even noon yet. “My mom never stopped running.” The words just start to fall from my lips. “She either didn’t believe Leon was dead, or she didn’t know.” I drop my elbows to my knees, cradling my head in my hands. “She never once mentioned her family, she didn’t talk about the past at all, not even my dad.” I look over at Rosa, and William has his arm around her while Mal has both of her hands folded in his. She doesn’t look weak for taking their support, they look stronger together, a united front. “Was Leon my dad?”
Rosa flinches, but that’s the only sign of discomfort she shows. “It had to be Wyatt. There are no other possibilities.”
“But you don’t know or can’t tell which?” It’s horrible to think, but I’d much rather Wyatt have been my father than Leon, he’s a monster.
“It wouldn’t matter.” Ollie turns so he’s kneeling in front of me. His clear green eyes search mine as he reaffirms, “Even if he were, it doesn’t matter.” I tip my lips in a sad replica of a smile.
“I don’t know, bella ragazza; I never met Wyatt. But Oliver is correct,” Rosa tells me.
Shaking away the thoughts of which of them might be my dad, I focus on what we need to do now. I still don’t know what happened to my mom, and if Leon truly is dead, where would she have gone?
I peer up at Ares. “Something isn’t right. My mom didn’t just leave. They never even found Leon’s body. I’m not so sure I’m ready to accept that he’s dead, and he’s not the reason my mom is gone.”
“Me either, Cara.”
Chapter 21
I’m staring at the television in Ares’s room, but I’m not paying attention to what’s on. Dante told his parents we needed a little time to ourselves before shuffling me out of the fancy living room. Milo wrapped his arm over my shoulder while Ollie trailed behind us. Ares caught up with us in the hallway a few moments later.
I’m not ready to talk about what I learned, and I’m grateful that Dante got us out of there when he did. I’m even more thankful that none of them are pushing me right now. I need time to deal with everything I learned this morning before adding anything else.
Ollie and Milo have taken up residence as my constant companions. The mood isn’t quite somber, but Ollie definitely isn’t his normal, flirty self.
I let out a sigh for what feels like the hundredth time this morning. Milo’s hand finds mine without taking his eyes from the TV. In truth, I don’t think any of us are really paying attention, but the distraction is welcome.
Dante is having a hard time sitting still. He’s gone to the kitchen no less than five times, and every time anyone even clears their throat, he offers to get a drink, a snack, anything to get out of the room for a few minutes.
I squeeze Milo’s hand but release him. I feel like I need to be doing more than just sitting here. Scooting toward the end of the bed, I make my way over to Ares. He’s been on his phone or laptop the entire time we’ve been back in the room. I don’t know what he’s working on, but it has to better than sitting here and wallowing in self-pity. “What are you doing?”
Ares turns to look at me, not answering while he takes his time running his eyes over me. Satisfied with whatever he sees, he says, “Now that I know who and what I’m looking for, I’m running down a few leads.”
I settle next to him with my arm on his shoulder, so I can see the screen of his laptop. He has several windows open, each with a different search running. The one in the top left corner is for the State Police of South Carolina. I glance over at him, wondering, not for the first time, what exactly Ares does?
The name Leon Whitmore is in the search bar, and the window has lines of text scrolling faster than I can read. Another window has the name Amanda Carmichael running a similar search. “Find anything?”
Ares wraps his arm around my hip and pulls me against his side. “Not yet, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that easy. You doing okay?”
I open my mouth to tell him I’m fine but stop myself and take a moment to actually think about how I’m feeling. “A little numb, actually,” I tell him honestly. I feel like I should be feeling more, especially considering the guy that killed my grandparents has a fifty-fifty chance of being my father.
Ares's eyes soften as he looks at me, and he tugs me closer so I’m draped over his lap, facing sideways. Without any false promises or trying to placate me, he lowers his chin to the top of my head and just holds me. I inhale, bringing the scent that is uniquely his within me. I’m more comforted by his presence than any words he could utter. None of us know what tomorrow might bring. But I know Ares, Dante, Ollie, and even Milo, will be with me every step of the way.