Page 172 of House of Roots and Ruin
“Because of who?” he persisted. “Tell me. I want to hear you say it.”
Gerard let out a pained sigh. “Your brothers.”
The two men stared at each other in heated silence but I could feel the words each wanted to say, to scream, piling up on either side of the desk.
“Brothers,” Alex finally spat out. “I have brothers. Brothers you kept from me.”
“Brothers I keptyou from,” Gerard said, emphasizing the difference. “I can’t imagine how angry you are at me, Alexander—especially having only heard their version of the story—but I did the right thing. I will always swear I did the right thing.”
Alex barked out a burst of bitter laughter. “The right thing? You sent your sons away. You exiled them. Children.”
“Monsters,” he amended.
“They were boys!”
Gerard turned to me. “You’ve seen what they can do?”
Reluctantly, I nodded.
“Then you know what I did was right. I was right!”
“But you made them,” I began, trying to stop the rising tension from drowning us all. “If you think them monsters…why did the experiments continue?”
“Experiments?” he echoed innocently, sweat beading across his brow.
“I was in that nursery. I saw those babies. And Constance,” I added with grim finality.
Gerard’s eyes darted to Alex, registering his expression. When he finally spoke, he kept his voice carefully restrained. “I took care of that before she ever got to you.”
“I saw them.”
“You did?” A wondrous smile crept over his lips and my insides tightened, feeling sick. I’d just confirmed he’d been right about me. I was as every bit as different as he’d hoped. As he’d dreamed.
I wanted to wipe the look of reverenced awe from his face.
Before I knew it, I was on my feet and across the room.
“I’ve seen this too,” I snarled, pushing aside the false bookshelf and revealing the rows of jarred babies.
The room fell silent.
“What…” Alex cocked his head, trying to understand what he was looking at. “What is that, Father?”
He pushed himself toward the shelves.
“Alexander, don’t!” Gerard protested. He stood but made no further motion to approach his son.
Alex picked up one of the jars, gently turning it around until the baby inside faced him. I saw a flash of teeth and too many eyes before looking away.
A noise of disgust escaped from Alex. “How could you do that, Father? How could you do any of this?”
Gerard’s face fell, smoldering with disappointment. “If I’d notdone that,” he replied, echoing Alex’s tone, “I wouldn’t have you.”
Alex tucked the jar back into the case, shaking his head. “I’m nothing like that. Nothing like any of these.”
“You’re right. You’re more. So much more.” He pushed back the waves of his hair. “You are my greatest achievement, Alexander. And you don’t even know it.”
I shook my head. “No. Julien. Viktor. They have their talents. Alex has—”
