Page 144 of House of Roots and Ruin
Alex remained silent as I explained how I’d met Constance, how I’d assumed her to be one of Gerard’s mistresses, how I’d learned she was a ghost. He stayed still as I told him of her strange children, of the diaries and folders, of the lists of other women. Only when I mentioned the jars in the study did he stir.
“I…I can’t believe it,” he murmured slowly. “It’s too terrible to be true.”
I pressed my lips together, wishing I could spare him from further painful truth. “There’s more.”
Alex’s eyes rose, meeting mine. I’d never seen him look so exhausted. “How could there possibly be more?”
“Yesterday…” I paused, squirming. “Yesterday, I met your brothers.”
Alex opened his mouth but nothing came out. He tried again. “I don’t have any brothers,” he said carefully.
“But…you do.”
From deep in the woods behind Alex, there was a stir of movement. Viktor poked his head around a tree, offering me a little wave. Julien stepped out from behind a bush. They must have followed Alex to the garden. They’d been watching him, listening in on our conversation. Waiting until the moment was right before revealing themselves.
“Two, in fact,” Julien spoke up, startling Alex.
He turned and stared dumbstruck at the approaching figures. “Is this some sort of joke?” He glanced at me. “Who…who are these people, Verity?”
I stood up, unable to respond.
“There’s no reason to look so horrified.” Viktor leaned over the chair, invading Alex’s space as he studied him intently. “Incredible.”
Slowly, as if entranced, Alex reached out and touched Viktor’s face. “You look just like me,” he murmured.
“Youlook likeme,little brother. Andwelook likehim.”
Alex shifted his attention to Julien, who hung back, watchingthe reunion play out with flat, impassive eyes. “Triplets.” His voice was awed and wondrous.
“Alex, this is Julien and Viktor,” I said. “Your brothers.”
“I don’t understand. If they…if you,” Alex self-corrected, looking back to include the interlopers. He shook his head as the words dried up. “I don’t remember having brothers. How could I not remember?”
“We were little more than boys when Papa sent us away to Marchioly House,” Julien allowed. “Just after the accident.” He looked at the chair meaningfully.
“Marchioly House?” Alex blinked. “No one has been there for years….”
“There was a reason for that,” Viktor said in a singsong voice. “Us.”
“But why? Why would Father have sent you away?”
Julien and Viktor eyed one another and I could feel their hesitation.
“Just show him,” I said, ready to have everything out in the open. “We said we were going to tell him everything.”
With a sigh, Viktor clapped his hands and the walkway in front of Alex’s chair burst into flames. Alex let out a startled cry and the wheels struck the railing as he tried to back away from the blaze. Without reaction, Julien stamped the fire out. A small circle of soot and ash remained on the wooden planks and an acrid tang charred the air.
“What was that? How did you—”
Julien knelt beside the chair, fixing his stare on Alex. “Papa’s experiments. Miss Thaumas told you about them, yes?”
After a moment, Alex nodded.
Julien’s jaw tightened. “We were the first of them.”
Undeterred, Viktor ignited a series of cattails along the edge of the pond. Their downy heads crackled with every flick of his fingers.
Alex watched in horror before turning to Julien. “So…you can do that too?”
