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She sighs. “That doesn’t mean Gytha was right.”
“I understand how he feels about how I reacted that night, but there’s nothing I can do about my father or Viktor.” My voice comes out in a choked rasp.
“Has he told you anything more about the past?”
“Not much. He told me his mother was killed and that he lived here with her when he was younger, then Denmark, then Russia. That’s essentially all I know about Desmier’s past.”
She searches my eyes. “Then I think maybe the right time has come for me to tell you.”
My spirit lifts at this possibility. “Will you really?”
“Yes. There are things he wanted to keep secret from you, but since he’s promised me he would tell you when the time was right, I think I should do it now. The time feels rightnowbecauseItrust you. I trust what I see in you with regards to how you feel about him and I think you should know. I don’t think you would do anything to put him in danger.”
“No, I would never.” I say that like a vow. “Ehlga please tell me what happened to him.”
She drags in a breath. “He’s had a hard life and experienced terrible things no one should have to go through.”
“What are those terrible things?” What makes a man become as ruthless as him? He’s still so young yet acts like an older man who’s lived through a hundred wars.
“Things that left him with scars that run deeper than the surface.”
At the mention of scars, I instantly think of Desmier’s burn scar.
“He has a scar on his back. Was he caught in a fire?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. It was worse when he first came into my care.”
Confused, I narrow my eyes. “Your care?”
“I became his mother when he lost his. He was twelve.”
Twelve?
My eyes widen.
“I didn’t know that. I assumed he was much older when he lost his mother.”
“No. He was twelve years old. Leif put Desmier in my care.”
“Leif?” That’s even stranger. “Why didn’t he take Desmier in?” That’s the obvious question for anyone to ask. Especially if they know of Leif’s kind-hearted nature. A better question to ask would be about Desmier’s father and Mira.
“Leif and his wife wanted to, but it wasn’t possible.”
“Why not?”
“At the time, it was important to keep Desmier a secret to make sure he was safe. So Leif put him in my care because he trusted me. He and my family go way back.”
“Safe from whom, Ehlga?”
“His father.”
The answer squeezes my insides, and my shoulders go rigid. “Evgeni? I… I don’t understand.”
“Evgeni didn’t know about Desmier’s existence until he was twelve.” Her skin pales, and she pauses for a moment before continuing. “When Desmier’s mother told him, he ordered their deaths.”
“What? Oh my God.” My high-pitched voice bounces around the room, and my brain refuses to process this horrific news.
No way are we talking about the same man who was so nice to me and welcoming, calling me his daughter every time I saw him. “I can’t believe what you’re saying to me.”
