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I notice he doesn’t even touch on my comment about how his forced make-shift Axis messed up half of my friends’ parents permanently. I have so many questions I don’t even know what to focus on. Anthony takes the decision from me, apparently ready for his super villain monologue moment.
“James Radford was barely even capable of being a good underling. If he wasn’t passed out in his own vomit half the time, then he was already well on his way to that end. I’m surprised he managed to get into your house without busting down the front door.” Anthony shares a smile with me, like I should find this as amusing as he does.
“James Radford was the one who broke into my house? Why?”
“Because I asked him to.” Anthony inhales deeply, reveling in a victory that I don’t understand. He tips his head to the side, looking down at me with condescension before he sweeps over to sit on the chair opposite me. His back is to the front door, which is a ballsy move. Is he really that confident? “I wanted you to know that you aren’t safe here.”
“I think the curse proved that point.” If eyeballs could stab someone, I’d be covered in blood right now.
Anthony waves my comment off like it’s nothing. “You and your bonded needed a push. You were taking too long, and you both needed some nudging. The curse worked exactly as it was supposed to. It forced the two of you to accept your feelings and open yourself up to the inevitable bond that will start forming the Axis. The connection forged is so much stronger when there are true feelings between you both. And because I’m so giving, I thought to offer a present to my daughter’s future bonded.”
“What did you do?”
“Oh, Davis will tell you soon, I’m sure.” Anthony’s head tilts as his eyes dance over to the door before they land on me, full of anticipation. My stomach churns with nervous energy.
“Your mother had real potential. Out of all the losers I gathered to form an Axis all those years ago. Each of them had some small percentage of Fae blood in their veins, but Evelyn’s was the strongest. When it was obvious that the Axis was an abysmal failure it also became clear who the real power was in that group.” He leans back, steepling his fingers and tapping them against his lips as they curl up in a smirk. “In retrospect, I believe your mother was already pregnant with you. And that’s what was giving her such an extra power boost.”
I suppress a shudder, because what the hell was my mom thinking? I really don’t want any of those images in my head, but was my mom so easily charmed by some good looks that Anthony was able to, er… nope, I’m not going there. No point in traversing that mental minefield when I’ll never know the truth of it.
“By the time I would have found out about you, she was already packing up her bags to leave. I spent the next sixteen years hunting her down.”
“Why?” I gasp as a phantom knife slices through my heart. I’m not even totally surprised but hearing him so casually admit he was stalking us for years is disturbing. I always knew we were being chased by someone, something that kept my mom from ever getting comfortable in one place. But why was he chasing her down? And when he found her… my throat closes up, and I can barely get a breath in. Why?
“Simple. I deserve to go home. I never should have been sent to this festering cesspool of a realm. The Axis should have had enough power to get me back, but the feeble magic of those pathetic humans could barely make the wind blow. When that failed, your mother was my next best option. I suspected she might have enough magic to thin the veil enough for me to get through. Granted, it wouldn’t keep it open for any measurable amount of time, but I didn’t need but a moment.”
His smile morphs into a scowl. His eyes grow glassy while he falls into a memory. “It took me years to find her. Chasing her all over this godforsaken country only to ever find the crumbs of a life left behind. Until she wasn’t clever enough.” His vile smile taints the air with malice.
“She was clever enough to keep me from you.” I snarl at him and grit my teeth, fighting against the magic that’s holding me strapped down. What has he done to keep me immobile?
Anthony narrows his eyes. “Yes, until you came waltzing right back into my life. An offering from the gods, don’t you think?”
I’ve memorized my mother’s letter, having read it so many times the paper is soft from handling. I never fully understood the meaning of her words, but now I get it. Whatever Anthony thinks he’s gaining by having me here, the possibility of forming an Axis. My mother thought he was wrong.
“Are you going to kill me?”
“I am nothing if not capable of learning from my past mistakes, Miriam. It turns out your mother’s death wasn’t enough to open up the veil between our two worlds. I doubt yours will be either.”
I knew. I knew my mom was dead. I’ve known since those first days at Dani’s house when I never heard from her, but hearing Anthony acknowledge that he killed her—no, crow about it like it was a real achievement—makes bile rise in my throat and tears bite at the corners of my eyes. I refuse to let him see any of my pain. It doesn’t belong to him. Screw this dick.
The door crashes open, wood and glass splintering all over the floor as it breaks. My heart stutters in my chest as Davis comes barreling in. Relief is quickly overtaken by fear because whatever Anthony wants, it starts with having Davis and me here together.
