Page 45 of The Stone Survival
“I’ll get the door,” Levi said.
I mopped up the spill on my hand and the floor, heart pounding, mouth dry.
“You’re going to be okay,” Curi said, his dark eyes warm with compassion. “We’re all here with you.”
Serath took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “One step at a time.”
I closed my eyes and reined in the tumultuous emotions racing through my body. “You’re right. One step at a time.”
I blew on what was left of my tea and took a tentative sip. “This is good tea.” I was making small talk. Great.
Levi returned followed by Lionel, who swept the room quickly before zeroing in on me.
“Cameron…” He hurried over, stopping himself from hugging me when he realized that I was holding a mug of tea. His brow furrowed slightly when he spotted Selas on the sofa at the back of the lounge. “What is going on here?”
And in that moment, faced with his confusion and panic, I was suddenly completely calm.
“Sit down and I’ll tell you. Everything.”
CHAPTER 23
We moved the conversation to the dining table so that everyone could have a seat, and Curi and Touron carried the sofa with Selas on it closer so that she could be involved if need be.
By the time everyone was settled, I’d had a chance to gather my thoughts. I fixed my attention on Lionel, seated opposite me, and began. “When we said that we hid in the tunnels, we lied. We were taken by the graynites.”
“What? But how?—”
“They saved us. You know their leader. His name is Ivor Basque.”
All the color drained from Lionel’s face, and I could see his mind working, putting together the pieces, probably wondering how much I now knew about our true relationship.
He wouldn’t have to wonder for long. “I know you’re not my father.”
He swallowed hard. “Cameron, you don’t understand, I?—”
“I understand perfectly now. You’re my brother, and Ivor is my father. He told?—”
“You can’t trust him! He’s a soulless monster who killed my mother and?—”
“No. He didn’t. But you killed mine, didn’t you?” This wasn’t how I’d planned to bring up Melanie’s death, but the words were out now and couldn’t be taken back.
He flinched, eyes flaring. “How…” He swallowed hard and sighed. “It doesn’t matter how. Tell me what you know, and I swear to you I’ll fill in the blanks.”
“You blackmailed Carter and Travani into kidnapping my mother and holding her hostage at the academy. You had them take me from her, then you had them poison her.”
The temperature in the room dropped, and a chill swept up my spine.
He squeezed his eyes shut. “The drug was meant to wipe Melanie’s memories, not kill her. She had an allergic reaction to something in it, and…I didn’t intend to kill her.”
“But you did intend to take my child,” Melanie said from the kitchen island.
Lionel’s face froze in shock, then he slowly turned his head to look at her. “Oh…Melanie…How…” Comprehension colored his features. “You’ve been here…all this time?”
“You didn’t know?” I stared at him in confusion. “Didn’t you ever hear about the resident ghost?”
“I did, I just…I didn’t realize…”
Melanie’s smile was brittle. “I would say it’s good to see you again, but that would be a lie.”
