Cecilia smiled kindly. “Yes. That should’ve been changed too, but Santiago wanted you to keep some part of him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely, patting my hand. “Your father loved you so much. He was positive that whomever was after him would kill you as well. That’s why he went to such great lengths to hide you. He wanted to make sure that no one would discover you. If he had it his way, you’d still be in Los Angeles, oblivious of who you really were. He felt that was the only way you’d avoid the tangled mess he was in, and the siren’s curse.”
Belatedly something she said clicked. “You didn’t want me to be a part of the supernatural community?”
“That’s right.”
“I assumed you were the one that told Peel Academy of my existence.” My head was hurting. Why weren’t these pieces of my life fitting together?
Her eyes looked sad. “My dear, I have no idea who did that. Someone must’ve figured out your identity. I thought we were thorough,” she shrugged, “but I guess we weren’t thorough enough.” That was a riddle for another time.
Outside the sinking sun seemed ominous. My time was nearly up. I needed some answers. “Cecilia, two people have already tried to kill me.” My voice shook. “Do you have any idea who’s behind the attacks? My dad’s letter said you could help.”
She looked out the window. Her eyes were distant as she spoke. “I saw the attacks in the paper, and I read about your attackers. It could be anyone—the House of Keys, a hate group, or perhaps individuals acting independently. But,” she said, turning back to me, “I think it’s most likely an insider. A vampire. No hate group is that persistent, and the House of Keys would be more discreet—and more successful.”
“No, that cannot be,” I said, immediately rejecting her theory. There was one obvious flaw. “It can’t be a vampire. They wouldn’t risk killing themselves as well as rest of the vampire population. Andre said so himself.”
“Andre?” Cecilia looked frightened. “You should trust him the least.”
“What?” Why was she acting this way? “He’s helped me since my Awakening.”
Cecilia crossed herself. “That long ago fire? Other than your family and me, Andre was the only vampire who knew the location of Santiago’s safe house, the same house you were raised in and that burned to the ground. Your father trusted him, but I fear he put his faith in the wrong man.”
My heart plummeted. Dread flooded my system, and my pulse beat loudly in my ears. That couldn’t be true. Please let it not be true.
Dizzy from the adrenaline and the awful tightening in my stomach, I barely managed to voice my next question. “But why would Andre try to kill me?”
“My guess? Because you were born a vampire, and that calls into question the very foundation of his authority.”
“That seems unlikely.”
“Not when you’re quite comfortable with killing humans.”
The only sound in the room was the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. I sat there, trying to comprehend her words.
Had last night been a lie? Nausea rolled through my stomach at the thought. I trusted him. And he might’ve played me this entire time. I almost had sex with him.
I begged myself not to cry.
“So, you think Andre killed my father? And now he’s trying to kill me?” I held my breath.
She sighed. “I don’t know. But even if he wasn’t responsible, he’s not completely innocent. Just be careful.”
Too late for that.
Andre might be trying to kill me. The realization finally sunk in, and it felt worse than dying. Worse than getting stabbed or shot. It felt like betrayal.
But could I trust Cecilia? I didn’t want to. My heart screamed that she must be lying. It was easy to jump to the conclusion that Andre was guilty. He’d already admitted to me that he’d killed before. But hell, I’d killed someone as well; that didn’t mean I’d do it in cold blood. What made Cecilia innocent?
“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” I said, “but why did my father choose you to hide me?”
She considered my words. “One, because I was random,” she said. “No one would guess the nanny could wield that kind of power. And two—and more importantly—because he trusted me completely. He knew what I was.”
“What are you?” I asked, looking out at the twilight sky.
She smiled. “I am a fate.”
Chapter 21
Why did I never make the right choices when it came to men? Why did I have to let Andre in? These thoughts ran through my mind as I sat in the taxi heading to the airport.
My body felt weary and my heart hurt. The sadness tugged at the corners of my eyes and mouth, pulling them down.
Once I left Cecilia’s, I’d called a taxi and booked a flight back to the Isle of Man through my phone. I couldn’t go back to Andre. Not now after what I learned.
I’d tried so hard my entire life to keep people at arm’s length, and when I finally let someone in, he ended up being a prime suspect in my attacks.