Mom groans. “Yes, Verus asked my permission to do that. Like a fool, I agreed. I figured some simpleton would crawl out of the woodwork for the title, and that could only deflect attention from you.”
My head tilts to one side. So, Verus set all that up. I’ll have to come back to the topic of her sneakiness later. “I get why you did it, Mom. But the ceremony awakened me, not Adair. My powers should’ve started after that.” I remember the lightning whenever I felt strong emotions for Lincoln. Hey there, I was the one who set off those lightning strikes. It was all Scala power. Excitement balloons in my chest. “And that’s exactly what happened. I think I set off a lightning bolt or two.”
Walker clicks his tongue. “If the ceremony didn’t name Adair, it was an amazing forgery. Her eyes changed blue in front of everyone.”
Mom rubs her forehead with her fingertips. “When Walker told me about it, I hoped there were two Scala Heirs.” She exhales slowly. “Wishful thinking.”
I close my eyes. Think, Myla. My brain nervously churns through facts about Adair. A minute passes before my eyes pop open again. “Gianna.”
Mom leans back on the couch. “Who’s Gianna?”
I scratch my temple, my mind still whirring. “She’s a Great Lady of the thrax who’s a powerful conjurer. The House of Striga is known for witchcraft; they breed enchanted horses. Gianna stood right beside Adair throughout the ceremony, whispering to her. I bet she was casting spells to change Adair’s eyes. And then to fake her Scala powers.”
“So foolish.” Mom’s mouth melts into a disapproving frown. “Lady Adair knew all along that she wasn’t the real Scala Heir.”
“She’s the type.” I stare hard at my palms, trying to think through what’s an already unthinkable morning. A new question emerges in my mind. “Did Verus also ask your permission to send me dreamscapes?”
“Yes, I appreciated that she wanted to help us rebuild our relationship.”
“It was helpful.” I grimace. Here it comes. Time to revisit the whole question of Verus and her sneakiness. I drum my fingers on my knees. “Let’s recap here. Verus talks you into letting me go to Adair’s initiation, but I’m the one who’s actually awakened. Then, she gets you to agree to dreamscapes and, sure, those help us get along, but they also prepare me to become the Scala Heir. What’s up with that?” My stomach churns with anger and frustration. Mom, Walker, Verus…Who hasn’t been lying and manipulating me for years?
Mom purses her lips, choosing her words carefully. “Angels don’t lie exactly, but they do tell just enough truth to achieve their goals. Take the initiation ceremony. Verus said a fake Scala Heir would be falsely awakened and angelbound. She didn’t say you would be awakened as well.”
Walker groans. “Angels. I’ll never understand them.”
Mom rises, walks over to my chair, and takes my hands in hers. “I’ve been so overwrought, I haven’t said I’m happy for you. If you’re angelbound to Lincoln, that means you love him, deeply.” She pulls me to my feet, wrapping me in a warm hug.
“It does, doesn’t it?” I rest my head on her shoulder. “Thanks, Mom.”
Wow…a semi-normal mother-daughter interaction. Sure, it’s about my part-angel demon-fighting maybe-boyfriend, but it’s still progress.
Mom retakes her seat on the couch. I curl back into my chair as well. “Let me get this straight.” I tick off the chain of events on my fingertips. “First, I’m awakened and get some basic Scala abilities, like setting off lightning strikes. Second, I get angelbound to Lincoln. Now my powers are stronger, like how I can create igni around my hand. Then, third–”
Mom finishes my thought. “Once Maxon dies, his powers pass on to you.” She rubs her forehead. “You’ll become the full Scala.”
I inhale a breath so deeply, I feel it in my toes. Full Scala. That means everyone in the five realms will be fully focused on controlling me. Suddenly hiding out doesn’t seem like such a sucky idea. I turn to Mom, ready to say just that, when the igni’s advice reappears in my mind: I need to understand everything before deciding what to do. I press my palms into my eyes, trying to think, think, think. My brain almost hurts from this much concentrating.
I frown. “There are still some things I don’t get. Lincoln said angels invited the thrax to Purgatory; they’d never have left their homeland otherwise. This may sound crazy, but I wonder if they wanted me to meet Lincoln. If they wanted me to be angelbound to him.”
Mom bobs her head. “Could be. Although, it was only a matter of time before you fell for a quasi boy.” She smiles. “I always hoped it would be that Zeke Ryder, but Cissy got him first.”
Okay, I just threw up a little in the back of my throat. Quasi boys? Zeke Ryder?
I shoot a plaintive glance at Walker. He’s biting his lips together, trying not to laugh.