Page 26 of The Stone Survival
Her dark brows furrowed. “They took my baby and were going to simply send me home?”
“I don’t condone what they did, but you need to know that they acted in fear. They acted selfishly.”
She shook her head sharply. “I don’t care about them. I just want to know where my baby is. Can you find her for me? Please. If I could see her once, then I can finally be at peace. Will you help me find peace?”
Curi took my hand and squeezed. “She’s waited long enough, don’t you think?” Was he saying I should tell her? “I don’t see how it can hurt, and even if the room isn’t secure, I trust Yarrow.”
He was giving me the green light to reveal the truth, and god I wanted to…needed to.
Melanie took a step toward us, her hands clasped to her chest, dark mournful eyes filled with expectation, because she could probably sense something was about to be revealed.
I swallowed past the tightness in my throat. “Icanhelp you, Melanie. In fact…I know where your daughter is.”
She exhaled shakily. “Where is she? Please, bring her to me.”
Do not cry, do not cry… “You already know her. You made her coffee most mornings, and you kept her company at night. You watched over her and helped her when she was in need…”
Melanie’s eyes welled. “What…Are you…You’re saying…”
I blinked back tears and nodded. “Yes. It’s me.I’myour daughter.”
We moved toward each other, both stopping as we realized that we couldn’t hug.
Spectral tears slipped down her cheeks. “I wish I wasn’t dead, simply so I could hold you. I never got to hold you…”
A sob shook my chest, followed by another as regret for something I hadn’t even realized I was missing rolled through me. “I’m sorry. So sorry for what happened to you.”
“No…no, sweetie. Don’t be. It’s done, and you’re safe and…What happened to you? Where have you been? Who raised you? I have so many questions.”
I took a moment to collect my thoughts. What should I tell her? How much did she need to know? “I had a mother, and she loved me. She died when I was ten.” I told her about Romi and Lionel. Then I told her about Ivor, and she went as still as stone.
“You…You found him?”
“He found me.” I filled her in quickly on what we’d discovered and how we’d deduced that Lionel was responsible for taking me from her, which meant he must have been Travani and Carter’s blackmailer. I spoke in hushed tones, words coming fast, and her eyes grew round, her chest heaving with quick breaths. But she didn’t interrupt me again. “No one can know any of this. Not yet.”
“I understand,” Melanie said. “I understand everything now.” Her spectral form flickered then bloomed with color. Her wishy-washy gray eyes took on depth till they were the same slate gray as mine, and her dark hair lightened to a dark blond shade. “I feel…different.”
“I think you’re free,” Curi said. “Can you see a light? A doorway to the beyond?”
“No,” Melanie said. “Not yet. I’m not done yet.”
Of course she wasn’t. “You need to see Ivor, don’t you?”
She tipped her head to one side. “No, sweetie. I can’t leave until I knowyou’resafe. Truly safe. Let me help you. Drop the wards on this room, and I can be your eyes and ears.”
Curi and I exchanged glances. She could be invaluable to us, but… “I don’t want to stop you from moving on.”
“You’re not. Iwantto do this. Please let me.”
I hadn’t had a chance to get to know my father, but maybe…maybe I could get to know my mother. “I’ll speak to Flora and get you out.”
I’d hopedto take Melanie with me, but Yarrow had set up the ward on the room, and only he could drop it. We left her with a promise to see her soon. Yarrow’s classes ended at six, so he’d be back to let her out then.
“You did the right thing in telling her the truth,” Curi said as we neared the tower.
“Thank you for encouraging me to do it. And for coming with me.”
“Anytime. We’re a team.”
