“This is a subject of crucial interest to all shifters, all across the world,” Maroulla explained. Her voice softened. “Not to worry, I’ll also make it clear to the Councils that their research is not to be an obtrusive factor as you move forward with your life. It won’t hurt them to coordinate their research and share information. There’s no need for you to be dragged over the same ground again and again for no reason.”
Her sister was still looking stunned. “I can’t believe they killed Neil…killedhim! For no other reason than to make me believe I was a murderess.”
Concerned, Naomi looked at Liam, who rose to his feet. “I think she’s a little shocky. Let me get her something hot to drink.”
“Thank you,” she said gratefully. She turned her attention to Maroulla and Flora. “I don’t understand it, either. They had nothing tangible to gain. I mean, why should they care so much whether Beth and I went around killing people? It makes no sense.”
Maroulla sighed, reaching over to pat her hand. “We may never know,” she admitted.
Liam returned with two cups of steaming tea, one for each of them. “You’re a little shocky, too,” he told Naomi, pressing a cup into her hands.
She took a sip, and sputtered. “Did you empty the sugar bowl into it?”
“It’s hot, strong, and sweet,” he said, with a marked lack of apology. “Drink it. It’ll do you good.”
She drank some, and felt herself settle a little. She looked at Liam. “Did you know? About Lady Flora, I mean?”
He nodded. “Maroulla told me she had asked Flora to look into your heart. That’s what unicorns do. Well, part of what they can do. There wasn’t any other way that you, and Beth, too, could ever be really sure.”
Well, she couldn’t argue with that.
Liam tapped her cup with one finger. “Keep drinking. You need it.”
Beside her, Beth was halfway through her cup. From the faint smile she sent Naomi, apparently it was already helping. Beth leaned close to ask in a soft whisper. “Should we ask about our father?”
Naomi considered, looking a bit doubtfully at Maroulla. The older woman waited patiently, brows raised. Finally Naomi nodded at Beth, and took a deep breath.
“Mom always said that our father got away from her. We’ve always assumed he found out what she was. Anyway, he disappeared before she could… you know.” She grimaced, swallowing hard as she thought of it.
“Wait.” Flora held up a hand, and every eye turned to her. “There is more for me to relate. Before I came here, I stopped by the Sanctuary. I wanted to get a feel for the known Rogues.” She paused, and her gaze, warm with sympathy, rested on Naomi and Beth. “There is no easy way to say this. Valerie is not your mother. You are no relation at all to any of them.”
There was a stunned silence.
Finally, Liam managed to say, “A-a-and, it looks like our nature versus nurture debate just swung heavily back to nature. What the hell?”
“B-but how?” Naomi stammered. Beside her, Beth clung tightly to her hand, looking every bit as lost as Naomi felt.
Flora shook her head. “We may never know. It’s possible she was clearing out her territory, killed your mother, and took you girls in as babies.”
“Why?” Beth asked, clearly on the verge of tears. “Why would she do that?”
“Hmm.” Maroulla pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Now you bring this up, Lady Flora, it makes me think back on the events of earlier this year. Beatrice went after Melanthe Kazakis first, when she was close to giving birth. And Melanthe is not only a twin, she was carrying twins herself. Beatrice would have known that, with her shifter senses.”
Naomi exchanged a horrified look with Beth. “That’s…. horrible! You mean, they wanted another set of sisters to raise to be killers?”
“It’s possible,” Flora said gently. “Again, we may never know. Beatrice is unable to Change to human now, and although Valerie should be able to Change, and to talk to us, it is my belief she would never tell us, even if she could.”
“We might have family,” Beth said, groping for Naomi’s hand and squeezing it tight. “We don’t know she killed our mother, perhaps she is alive, and our father, too.”
Naomi frowned in thought. “That’s another thing that needs explaining. Our mother… that is, Valerie… always said that our father had escaped her, that he’d fled. Why bother to tell us that, if it was not true and they had kidnapped us? Valerie was so proud of being a Rogue, why not just tell us that she had killed him, as she had her other lovers, even if she didn’t? I mean… she might not have, right? Why make up a story?”
“And if we were kidnapped, and still have at least a father out there, or maybe a mother, why has no one looked for us?” Beth’s question was reasonable, but no one had answers.
“The Council will put out the word through our Grand Council.” Maroulla’s crisp tone was reassuring. “I’ll get inquiries started right away. Clouded leopards tend to be in small, insular groups, once we contact one of those groups, the news will spread among them more quickly than you might think.”
Beth looked hopeful. “We might even find we had other relations. Aunts and uncles, and cousins.”
“We might have siblings,” Naomi felt the springing of hope as well. “Brothers and sisters. Maybe even a grandmother and grandfather.”
