Page 187 of Change
She frowned, glancing over to the doctor in question. Dr. Kohler, in the meantime, was watching the two of us in astonishment. Then she looked back to me. “Why do I have to go to Trinity?”
“Because—” I raised my finger in the air, ready to lecture the same way she’d done for me for the last ten years. “She’s in your quintet, and she also knewher.” My thoughts drifted over the many arguments they’d had in the past—most of which were regarding me. The only reason my adoptive mother had won was because she had the legal interests. And because she liked to protest loudly from a distance. “I think she’ll hold you accountable to work on things.”
“She’s a necromancer,” she grumbled under her breath. “I’m a witch. I’m not scared of her.”
“That’s not true,” I argued. It was obvious in the way she practically flew across the room any time my doctor had ever entered. “But that’s because you have no control over your abilities.” She sucked in a breath at my words. “You shouldn’t be intimidated by her. If you want to helpme, then you need to help yourself.”
I reached in my pocket, pulling out the stone. It felt warm and vibrated in my palm. There was no hesitation as I grabbed my mother’s wrist and slapped the stone into the center of her palm. “Kathleen gave this to me—I’m giving it to you to hold for a while. I think you need it more.”
She held her hand open in front of her, staring down at her palm, and my father stepped up behind her, looking over her shoulder.
“My mom gave that to you?” he asked. “I knew you met her, but I didn’t know the details. She was always generous and wise. Did she have any messages to pass on before she died?”
“Um…” I was suddenly nervous under his scrutiny. “No.”
I wouldn’t exactly consider ‘He’s such a fucking asshole’ and an inane fear of prophecies to be a pinnacle example of generous wisdom. Especially from someone her age.
Titus choked, and I had to turn my warning glare on him. He better not say anything either. They were still staring at the stone with a reverence that I didn’t want to shatter.
But the dragon ignored me, saying to Uncle Gregory, “Seems like she was angry at Michael. She was focused on him and prophecies.”
“Ah,” Uncle Gregory said in understanding. “Michael did have a way of getting under her skin.”
Father’s forehead wrinkled before he finally shrugged. “Makes sense,” he said finally. “She had the biggest fear of fortune telling. If she had it her way, she would have just stayed hidden in a small hut in the woods—she never wanted to be an officer. I’m glad that she was able to live in peace, at least for a little while.”
He dropped his arm from mother and moved to me, touching my shoulder. “Thank you, Bianca, for making sure she wasn’t alone.” His attention moved to the side and his words were softer when he added, “I wouldn’t have blamed you for leaving once you found out who she was.”
I blinked rapidly, looking to the floor. There was a bloodstain in the middle of Damen’s worn carpet, and I wondered if the man had any idea.
But that wasn’t important right now. “I wouldn’t have left.” My voice was a near whisper. “It’s fine.”
And with that, the tight noose around my heart loosened, and being in the presence of my adoptive parents no longer caused my anxiety to rise.
They were just normal people, like everyone else; people who made mistakes, bad decisions, and should still very much be held accountable for them. But maybe, I also didn’t understand their reasoning either.
Even so, I didn’t think I would ever be able to see them as my ‘parents’ the same way—in a way that I never really did because they’d worked so hard to keep that distance between us. It made sense, now. It was obvious that they didn’t want to step into roles and cross boundaries that theyknewbelonged to someone else—another family.
And that still hurt because, to me, they were all I’d even known.
Hating them for it though? I had a better use for my time and energy. Even though I had no idea what my future relationship with them might be.
They no longer had any control of my life.
I stepped back from them then, searching for and finding Bryce. Brayden was there too, no longer a nervous ball of energy as he looked between us.
These men were my family now, and these were the relationships I needed to focus on.
