Grace was unmoved as tears filled Laney’s eyes and slowly trickled down her cheeks before she spoke. “It wasn’t like that, you know.”
“Oh, Mom.” A small fissure slowly cracked along Grace’s heart as she watched her mother cry. She really didn’t want to see her mother hurt again. “Please don’t buy the BS he’s trying to sell to you.”
Her mother smiled at her. Actually smiled. Not a smile hiding pity for Grace, but one of true and utter… peace. “I know it’s hard to believe. Who am I kidding?” she kind of mumbled to herself and then brought her gaze back up to Grace. “It was hard for me to believe. It really is true, Grace. Your father only left to keep you safe.”
The synapses in Grace’s brain weren’t firing correctly yet, making her feel a little slow despite trying to understand. “I don’t get it. How does leaving keep me safe? Aren’t fathers supposed to stick around so they can protect their families?”
“When you were born, your father and grandfather didn’t know if you were the one or not. Christophe had a feeling, but there was no mark. When you reached your first birthday and the mark still wasn’t there, they didn’t think any more of it.” Laney’s eyes moved to the sheet she was playing with between her fingers, but she kept talking. “By the time you were three, you still barely had hair. I worried you’d never get any and everyone would think you were a boy forever.” Laney laughed to herself from the memory. “I was giving you a bath one night, and I noticed a funny swirl on the back of your head, close to the nape of your neck. When I showed Richard, he called Christophe. That’s when they told me.”
Grace saw the memory skip along her mother’s face and the hurt in her eyes as tears filled them again. “I don’t understand,” she said.
Her mother reached out and wrapped Grace’s fingers in hers. Grace tensed, not sure if Laney was trying to give strength, or draw it from her, as her mother continued. “They said Richard would have to leave, the others knew what he was. If he stayed, they’d eventually realize he had a child. I didn’t know about Fallen or Nephilim or Chosen. When they explained I’d never see Richard again until after Christophe died—” Laney tried to say, but lost her voice between swallowed sobs. “I accused Richard of wanting to leave us, said he was a coward for trying to use such a ridiculous story as an excuse to leave.”
“How does leaving protect me?” Grace asked again, beginning to struggle for air. She pulled her hand away from Laney’s and leaned back into her pillow. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m not Nephilim and neither are any of your cousins, and no one would sense what you truly are until you’re eighteen. But Richard is Nephilim, and your proximity to your dad put you at risk. If your dad was near you and any other Nephilim were in the vicinity, they would know you were Nephilim and possibly Chosen, simply because you were with your dad. The connection between the two of you would be obvious. It would be much worse if those Nephilim also happened to be Fallen. Don’t you see,” her mother begged. “The only way to keep you hidden and safe was to keep you close to Quentin, who was the only one of the three that could sense Fallen. Quentin insisted on guarding both you and your grandfather.”
Grace focused on Laney’s voice. A highpitched, ominous sound started to ring loudly in her ears, making it tough to hear. “But how come I never saw Quentin?”
“He stayed in the shadows, much like he does now. If you had seen him, and realized that he never aged, you’d have known he was different.” Grace looked down at her hands, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. “Others might have suspected you, but we went to great lengths to make sure no one connected you as Richard’s daughter. If Richard had stayed, they would have known you were his daughter, no question, and Quentin said all they would have to do is wait until you were close to eighteen. Many knew Christophe was Chosen, and if Christophe died around your birthday, then they’d know what you are—”
“Wait,” Grace interrupted, stumbling over her words. “Wha… what did you say?”