Page 99 of Hidden
“But what about her?” My voice echoed in my ears. “Won’t she miss it?”
The following silence was so heavy that, for a moment, it took precedence. My attention turned to them.
Bryce was staring at me, his jaw slack and expression pained. And Brayden… He’d gone so pale that I thought he might faint.
“What?” I asked.
“Oh, Bianca.” Brayden was the first to snap out of his stunned state. He leaned forward, closing his hand around my fist. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know.”
“Mother is dead.” Bryce gazed at the dusty glass walls. “She’s been gone for nineteen years.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Bianca
Chasm
Dead?
The warm room turned suffocatingly warm even as goose bumps broke out over my arms. The light drifting in from the glass ceilings darkened, and Bryce’s wary figure was the only thing I could focus on.
I couldn’t breathe.
It was stupid that I’d be surprised. I’d always known my parents might not be alive. Growing up, I imagined a tragic accident had befallen them, which had given authorities no choice but to leave me in the care of the state.
The alternative was harder to accept.
But then, after learning that my family was alive… I had siblings, and they had mentioned my biological father. I didn’t know whyexactlythey’d given me up. But I was an idiot for assumingshewas there, too.
I should have known better. I’d expected this possibility.
So why did I feel lightheaded?
“How did she die?” I asked, although the answer was obvious. It had been nineteen years. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together—after all, I was nineteen. My birthday had just passed while being institutionalized. “What happened?”
Bryce and Brayden glanced at each other for a moment, expressions unreadable, before Brayden returned his focus to me.
“Why don’t we talk about this later?” he said. “You should lie down.”
I jerked from him, holding my fists against my chest. “I can handle this! Tell me.”
Brayden was still reaching for me, and he blinked. “I’m not…” He glanced at Bryce again, almost pleadingly.
Bryce sighed. “She died when you were born,” he said, confirming my earlier suspicion. “But we never learned how…”
“How is it not obvious?” I snapped. “Women can die in childbirth.”
“She didn’t die giving birth to you,” Bryce replied. “The circumstances surrounding her death were strange, and Father suspected foul play.”
“What?”
“It happened so fast…” Bryce’s gaze returned to the glass walls. “When a Xing is born, the family is the first to see them. After that, your quintet members visit.”
“But because of everything, Father didn’t even get a chance to hold you.” Brayden leaned forward again. “Despite what you believe, he cares about you. He’s been searching for you your whole life.”
“It was only supposed to be temporary.” Bryce nodded.
My pulse raced. I was going to be sick. “Whatwas supposed to be temporary?”
