Page 54 of Midnight Reign
Blackthorn’s expression is unreadable, but I can see the conflict in his eyes. He’s weighing his words carefully, and I brace myself for whatever he’s about to say.
“Yes,” he finally admits. “I know your mother. And Addy... she’s not what you think she is.”
I feel Corvus tense beside me. His hand finds mine and squeezes it gently. The others are silent, watching this exchange closely.
“What do you mean?” I press.
“She’s not human.”
My mind reels at this information. If she’s not human, and not a vampire, and by her own admission, not a witch either, then what is she? “Go on.”
Blackthorn takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what he’s about to say. “Your mother, Addy, is a being of pure light. A celestial, if you will. One of the most powerful beings in existence.”
The world seems to tilt on its axis at his words. A being of pure light? A celestial? It sounds impossible, and yet... it makes a strange kind of sense. My mother is the kindest, most generous, selfless woman I know.
“You mean like an Angel?” I stammer.
“Not exactly. She is beyond that. It’s hard to explain. She is lightness itself. Inevitable.”
Wow. Okay. I was not expecting that. I wasn’t expecting any of this. I’m staggered, but at the same time, I know Blackthorn isn’t lying.
“Who is she to you?” I know the entire Academy is listening in on this conversation, but I don’t really care. They need to know. We all do. This affects all of us.
“My daughter.”
Time stands still. Murmured conversations that were going on around us halted.
“What?” I bleat.
He smiles in that grandfatherly way, and now I know why. Heismy fucking grandfather.
“Jesus Christ,” I snap and turn from him, seeing him cringe at my blaspheme, but I don’t give a shit. “This is insanity.”
“Maybe, but all true.”
“And Randall? Did he seek her out to create me?” I hold back the gag.
Blackthorn’s expression darkens at the mention of my father’s name. “Randall Black has always craved power. So yes, he sought out your mother, believing that a union between darkness and light would create a being of unimaginable power. You, Addy.”
“So he bred with the world’s ultimate darkness and then her opposite?”
“Pretty much,” he mutters, looking a bit green around the edges. I get it. I think I’m going to be sick.
I shake my head, trying to process all of this information. “But why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why all the secrecy?”
“Because you weren’t ready,” he says gently. “And because knowing too much too soon could have been dangerous. There are forces at work here, Addy, that go beyond anything you can imagine. Your mother is part of a cosmic balance, a force of light that stands against the darkness. And now, with Crimson awakening inside you, that balance is more precarious than ever.”
I feel Crimson stir at his words. “So, what does this mean for me? For us?” I ask, unsure if I’m speaking for myself or for both of us.
Blackthorn’s gaze is intense as he looks at me. “It means, Addy, that you have a choice to make. A choice that could shape the fate of not just our world, but many others. You can embrace your dual nature, find a way to balance the light and dark within you. Or...”
“Or what?” I press, dreading the answer.
“Or you could reject one side of your nature entirely. But doing so... it would have consequences beyond anything we can predict.”
I feel the weight of his words settle on me like a physical burden. The fate of worlds, resting on my shoulders. It seems impossible, and yet... I can feel the truth of it resonating within me.
“So freeing Crimson is the right thing to do?”
