Chapter 13 ∣  She's Such a Brat

-Maverick

Someone could have snapped their fingers. That is exactly how quick the small group of necromancers vanished along with Rook, Lucette, and...Tamsin.

Sitting in my chair, the silence that was unnerving between my grandfather and Killian passed with each second. Rubbing my forehead, I'd learned a lot. Despite their presence interrupting me from the only thing I wanted to do this entire time since we came back to the sanctuary, now nothing would stand in my way.

Who would have thought that vampires were once slaves? Now that's a story I'd love to hear.

Though, one question still remained.

"Why was Tamsin so upset?" The shattered silence had both pairs of eyes on me before I could look from between the two of them. In my heart, I was happy for her. She had discovered who her beloved was and even though he was technically human, the power he possesses will no doubt be in his favor for protecting her. Interestingly enough, I didn't understand how the bond between an assassin worked with anyone else, though it appeared that Kenzie and Killian somehow managed.

It helped that he stayed present for the most part as when he dematerialized, we could physically see the hurt that came over Kenzie. We all felt it, but no one as deeply as her. Her love for him must be incredibly strong to withstand that type of broken bond for the time being he was nowhere in sight.

My grandfather appeared thoughtful but remained silent except for the look he threw Killian's way. It was another few seconds of awkward silence before Killian breathed out slowly, "Tamsin was born human...though born with the assassin's gift. A human body cannot withstand the tear between planes, destroying the body in the process. She was getting really sick..."

"Wait..." my voice dwindled away, standing to my feet as I recalled a time when I was not allowed to see Tamsin. I'd known of her existence, a mask of many scents covering hers and she was never allowed to roam the halls of the coven. "Mother said, that it was safer for her to remain hidden and that I might get the chance to meet her...this is what you were hiding from everyone? You were afraid of what the coven would think having a child born human? And you had the fucking nerve to single me out for how different I was," I scoffed at Killian, turning to my grandfather for affirmation.

My grandfather sighed, "Your mother turned Tamsin. She tried to kill herself..."

Breathing in slowly, my heart skipped a beat.

"Tamsin was lucky enough to sustain the bite of a pureblood, turning her into the vampire she should have been born as," my grandfather finished, standing to his own feet. His thoughts were recollecting, walking toward the other end of the parlor.

"She wanted to die..." I was beginning to realize what was going on, "You never gave her a choice. She was in pain and you all took it upon yourselves to attempt to turn her. What if she'd rather have stayed human and tried to fight through the pain? What gives you the right to determine someone's fate?"

Killian was the one at my throat for the startling comment that I couldn't believe left my mouth. It was true, but it wouldn't have stopped them from doing what they thought was right. He walked toward me and hissed, "When you're a parent, you do everything you can to protect your child. She may not have had a choice, but I'm damn well sure she would rather live then die as a human who was barely older than two!"

"I'm sorry," I raised my hands, knowing I should have just kept my mouth shut. My grandfather's icy blue orbs peered at me from the corner, turning to the parlor doors.

"What about you Maverick?" He asked, the tables turned, and I hadn't even known it yet.

"What about me?" I asked, unsure as I stepped away from Killian, wanting now more than ever to find Eris.

My grandfather arched an eyebrow and asked, "What happens when Eris is the one faced with that same decision? Are you going to make that one for her?"

"That's different..." I grew angry at his comment, but he just shook his head.

"Entirely the same thing," he sighed.

The doors to the parlor were pulled open, my mother standing between them. She looked us over, wondering exactly what it was we were discussing but decided not to ask and leave well enough alone.

"Mav," her light voice directed at me, "you better go see Eris...she's about to kill your father."

"And...that would be a bad thing...?" I chuckled when she glared at me and I stated, "I was just joking!"

Or was I?

Yea, water isn't all under the bridge, but I'm trying to forgive him for being such an asshole and the worse father of the year. He should have been up for that nomination every year, considering all the horrible things he did to me, destroying my sanity and my emotions wrecked.

Leaving Killian and my grandfather behind, my mother stepped to the side, allowing me to move out into the entryway. When I reached the bottom landing of the marble staircase, my mother's hand reached out and grabbed onto my forearm. I brought my eyes to hers, something in those depths told me that she understood all the pain I'd gone through and more than likely, everything that I was about to go through.

"She's remembering," her words made my blood run cold. This was a good thing, maybe she'd realize everything that happened and remember the love we shared. That all came to a sudden halt when she continued, "I don't know everything, but I think she's seeing events in her life out of sequence."

"I can deal with that," I figured I would be able to help rearrange those thoughts.

My mother's fingers tightened on my forearm when I attempted to pull away and ascend the stairs. She shook her head and said lowly, "No, Mav. She saw a memory and consider the possibility that you were the one who raped her."

"What?!" I growled, "I'd never do something like that!"

"I know son," my mother's temper was even, her words calming me gently when she whispered, "We've already explained that she was hurt by very bad people, but she wasn't entirely sure and wouldn't completely accept the fact. Though, she asked to speak to you."

Eris asked for me.

She thought I was a monster, what changed her mind to actually speak to me? Confront me about her memories?

There was only so much I knew as well, but I'd do anything if there was a small chance, she'd remember that love. I don't want to lose her again. I want to show her how much I care for her because she deserves every wonderful and beautiful thing in this world. Those memories...maybe they will help. If she thinks I did those horrible things to her, I don't know much more I can say to convince her she has the wrong person...until the right, but at the same time, wrong memory strikes her.

"I'll be fine," I returned my mother's whisper. She gave my forearm a squeeze before releasing her hold, allowing me to make my way up the marble staircase.

"Just...be gentle with her," my mother's voice rang out from the bottom landing, "she's very confused and hurt, please don't hurt her."

"I'd never intentionally hurt her," my honesty was enough for my mother to move away from the landing and work her way down the hallway leading to the living room. Trying to clear my thoughts, I reached the top landing, the lights burning bright on the wall next to me as I continued down the hallway that led to my room and the one Eris' was now occupying across from me.

I think I was hearing what my mother was talking about, though it sounded more like yelling and cursing.

Once I reached her door, I noticed that the lock was stuck in the halfway position, like she had attempted to leave the room. Unlocking it the rest of the way, I took the handle into my hand and slowly edged it open, glancing around the room. I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting, but I'm one hundred percent sure it wasn't Eris punching my father in the face and then running in the direction of the ajar door.

"Fucking brat!" My father glowered, clasping the back of her shirt, and yanking her small form back to him.

"Let me go ass-hat!" She slammed her fists against his arms that wrapped around her waist, restricting her from moving anywhere.

"I don't get you! First your crying and in pain and then you're trying to beat me to death to escape!" My father's voice lowered, and Eris exhaled forcefully and for a second, I thought he was seriously hurting her. But her fists slacked, and her arms released the tension she held, falling to her sides slowly.

Stepping completely into the room, my father's eyes found mine and I asked, "Father? What are you-"

"She's not hurt," he sighed, his firm hold on her loosening until it released completely. She moved away from him, now caught between the two of us. She touched her stomach, where my father had been holding her.

"How did you do that?" Her voice was in awe, but it quickly turned angry again.

Before she could speak, I asked, "How did you manage to not cause her physical pain?"

"I know my strength with humans," my father replied simply, "even the bratty ones that don't deserve to be treated gently."

"Fuck you too," she sneered at him and I held back the chuckle that wanted to leave my lips. I saw her, a glimpse of my loving, sarcastic and blunt Eris. Maybe she really wasn't that far off from the original as it appeared, she had a whole lot of fire within her soul and it was directed at my father as of the moment.

My father breathed in calmly before stating, "I have no idea how you put up with that mouth of hers..." his voice trailed off as he began to walk toward the bedroom door, stopping when he was next to me, "seriously...I don't know how you didn't lose it."

"Teasing her worked wonders," I finally let it slip and chuckled as Eris' face glowered at me, my father sharing in the amusement before he came to the bedroom door, sighing for a moment before exiting and shutting the door solidly behind him.

Eris' pale green orbs looked up into mine, her breathing returning to a normal rate from when she was all riled up with the confrontation between her and my father. When I gazed back into hers, I just saw the life we had and desperately feeling the need to pull her into my arms and not let her go. Even from where I was standing, I inhaled her sweet scent of rosemary and it eased the tension in my shoulders.

Her long black hair was down and brushed back behind her shoulders.

Stepping up to her and closing the space between us, she flinched. Bringing my right hand up, her breathing quickened and it only continued to become uneven when I brushed her cheek with the back of my knuckles.

"You're still so radiant," sighing as she allowed me to touch her.

That didn't last long.

Knocking my hand away from her cheek, Eris stated bluntly, "You better start talking...before I decide this was a mistake."

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To Seduce a Mortal by K. A. Young and Laisha C. Gardner

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