Page 26 of Silverproof Damsel

“And our mother was a sadistic bitch who got off on helping her father rape and torture their mother! If it were your mother, what would your reaction be?” Winchester’s entire face went blank before she burst out with a loud clap of laughter.

“Clap? Cheer them on? That’s not something I can answer, considering who my mother was. I doubt you or any of our siblings could give you that answer.”

“That’s . . . Okay, yeah, so that’s fair,” I snorted, slowly releasing a deep groan from my lungs. “I nearly regretted my actions toward her. Luckily, Rhys’ rejection hurt too badly to have remorse for the wicked bitch.”

“You shouldn’t regret your actions. Remington, you think this child is rare, but so is its mother. You’re not merely a Silversmith. You are your father’s daughter. He always knew how to make you smile, even after Roslyn had done her best to extinguish the beautiful spitfire. A child who, according to her, laughed too loudly, smiled too much, and refused to be tamed.”

“Do you think he’s still alive?” I asked quietly, as if voicing my hope loudly would hex the chances of it being true.

“I don’t know, honey.” The lines on her forehead strained as she looked at me. “It’s more likely he’s dead. I think if he were alive, he’d have moved heaven and earth to come back for you. Honestly, I spent as much time praying that he’d come for you as you did. Not because I didn’t want you, of course. I merely prayed he’d save you from Mother.”

“She did a number on everyone she pretended to care about.” Winnie nodded in agreement. A knot formed in my throat atlosing the hope I’d clung to that I had a father somewhere out there.

“That she did.” The strained tone she spoke with exposed her own emotions running the gamut alongside mine.

“Rhys isn’t a bad person, though. The man I fell in love with was a true gentleman. He had his moments, but our relationship wasn’t black and white. Rhys and I lived outside the two. Somewhere in the gray. I was his prisoner, even though I never truly felt like one when I was with him. He ensured I was safe while under his roof.”

“He also took advantage of you, Remington.” When I parted my lips to argue, she held her finger up in the air. “You won’t convince me otherwise. He took you to his bed during Lá Bealtaine. You were the May Queen, he the Forest King. By declaring you his queen, then lighting the candle to strengthen the union, Rhys ensured it would be you who became pregnant with his child.” At my wide eye stare, she exhaled. “Damn, Remi. I forget how young you are sometimes.”

“You know, the more people say that to me? The more it begins to sound like a polite insult.” Chewing my lip as I considered what she’d stated, I had a sinking feeling fluttering through my belly.

“He was the Green Man, or as he termed it, Forest King. He planted his seeds. Rhys didn’t plant those seeds of his in the ground, though. You were the May Queen, who received the seeds to grow. Hence, you’re now growing his seeds. He bathed you in the right herbs to appease the old and new gods. He’d already begun feeding you the right food to ensure his garden would be fertile. That meant he wouldn’t have plowed it before that night. Rhys would’ve refrained, ensuring the gods noted his sacrifice in doing so. Then, he’d have played hard to get with you, seemingly just out of reach, no matter how much youwished it otherwise.” As she watched my complexion turn ashen, Winchester slowly shook her head.

“With your hope devastated, you’d have gone to bed alone. Only, you wouldn’t be there alone. At that moment, you realized he was there in your room. The gods felt that, too, promising Rhys Van Helsing a child.”

“How do you know what happened? You weren’t even there!” Her description of the night’s events, right down to me leaving the celebration alone, had shocked me. It left me flabbergasted, without an answer to how she’d known what occurred between Rhys and me. “Answer me, Winchester!”

“Because people have used that ritual since the first Beltane celebration was held. The Green Man tricked the May Queen into birthing new life into the world. Metaphorically or not, Rhys used the same steps to lure you to that bedroom. Then, he renounced any ties to you or the child he created through less-than-noble means. You’ll excuse me for not being his biggest fan, right?”

I deflated as confusion and a bevy of other emotions enveloped me. Words refused to escape my lips as the shame of being played by Rhys sank in. He’d known we would create life. It left me believing I was foolish to have blindly let him lead me through the entire celebration, clueless about his true intentions.

“Could I finish my bath . . . alone?” Emotions threatened to choke off my words. Words that caused Winchester’s face to fall in regret.

“I didn’t tell you that to hurt you, honey. Few realize it’s the dance of the Green Man. Hell, I didn’t know it either until I spent an entire year in Ireland, chasing after who would be the Green Man that year.” One eyebrow shot up higher than the other on my forehead. She continued talking. “In my defense? I was piss-face drunk. Hey, did you know how that term came to be?”

“I will throw up on you if you continue speaking. I’d like to get out of the bath before I turn into an actual living prune.”

I adored my sister, but I didn’t want her to see me in my birthday suit. Hell, half of the time, I didn’t want Rhys to see me in it, and we’d been intimate with one another.

“Unfortunately, we’re not that close, Winchester.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I stuck up my finger. “I don’t give a rat’s ass how many times you changed my diapers. Things are not the same anymore!”

“Good chat. We’ll discuss how best to manage your safety once you come down for lunch.” The hopeful note in her tone had me nodding in agreement.

I had to eat if I intended to keep myself safe. That wasn’t something I could do, no matter how much she’d diminished my appetite by telling me Rhys had intentionally knocked me up.

“Right after my nap, I’ll come downstairs.” Because that asshole had some explaining to do. I wasn’t waiting for those answers, either.

Chapter Ten

Ididn’thavetimeto nap before Nyx’s high-pitch scream forced me out of my room. Not bothering to wait for my siblings to argue against it. I sailed down the staircase and threw open the front door. Rushing onto the porch, I was met by a hysterical Nyx.

“I thought you fuckingdied!” she howled as she threw herself on me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. “The house. Holy fuck, Remi, the houseiscompletelygone. Like, it’s not evenstandinganymore. Itfellover. I thought you were trapped beneath the mess. Acyn finally told me you were okay after he watched me dig in the rubble for you!”

“He’s a bastard.” Nyx sobbed louder, if even possible. Clasping her tightly, I felt my own emotions intensify. The moment I tried to pull away, she squashed me until the air no longer reached my lungs.

“Never again. You’re not leaving my sight again. Do you understand me?” she babbled as she pulled back, swiping angrily at her tears. “You and I are going to need to get closer.You’ll probably need to get a lot less prudish rather quickly. It’s fine, though. You’ll adapt.”

“That’s never going to happen.”

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