“What passed between us might be lost to your memory, but nonetheless, I swear we came together, made vows in our own way, and created a life.”
She shook her head. No. Although, if she was going to be honest with herself, her body had been remembering from the first moment he had her pressed up against that awful gate. And Talia had confirmed as much last night.
“A life?”
Something clicked in her mind. Talia had said, Welcome to the family. Layla had thought that Talia was being kind, putting her at ease. Was there more to it than that?
If so, Layla didn’t want it. All her life family had been a dirty word, an empty promise. A joke. She was all grown up now and still hadn’t been able to find her way into one.
Cold anger replaced disbelief. She was so stupid. How had she let herself be conned? All the weird shit yesterday, then Talia’s compelling explanation. Now she was related? No. Suggesting it was cruel and twisted. Take an orphan and pretend she’s long-lost family, except some upside-down creation where the lost one was the mother? Come on. She wasn’t falling for it. What were they trying to do?
Manipulate her and her story. Had to be.
From inside the painting, Khan reached her way. A current of Shadow emerged from the canvas, rippled through the air like a smoky arm, to stroke her cheek.
She reeled back.
“Believe it,” he said.
Of all things, she thought of the gate. If she listened hard enough, she could still hear its rattle, kat-a-kat, calling her. She had placed her hand on the lever. And then Khan was there, looking at her with such terrible joy and yearning. He’d known her. Had asked her how she’d found him. He’d called her . . .
“Kathleen.” Layla’s heart tripped. “You think I’m Kathleen.”
And when she’d recoiled from him and explained who she was and why she was there, he’d obligingly filled her head with his illusions. He’d said everything she wanted to hear, promised a prize interview with the elusive Talia Thorne. And after one conversation with Adam her welcome at Segue was assured, when Adam had been so vehement only moments before about getting rid of her.
Kathleen O’Brien. Talia’s mother.
No.
It was ridiculous.
They were trying to control her.
“Stay away from me.” She swatted at the Shadow still hanging in the air.
“Why do you think you were drawn here? Why endanger yourself for the wraiths when there are so many other things you could do with your life?”
She wasn’t going to listen. “You guys are screwed up.”
Layla gathered the stack of books. She was going back to her room, where she would think of what to do next.
“Layla!”
She walked briskly down the hallway. She’d seen and experienced enough in the last twenty-four hours to know that the paranormal existed alongside this world, and that she was involved somehow.
But this was too much. This was personal.
The hallway grew dark, but she ignored it. Ignored him. Was it even possible to have a relationship with that . . . creature?
She turned the corner to the elevator just as Talia stepped out. A bright smile lit her face. “You going somewhere?”
“Forgot something in my room,” Layla mumbled. The soul ache flared, and not even holding her breath would dampen it. Talia. Her daughter from another life? Riiight.
“Then I’ll see you back here . . . ?”
“Yeah, sure,” Layla lied and punched the button.
Little lines of worry formed between Talia’s brows as the elevator doors closed. Well, Talia would just have to deal. Better yet, she could ask her father what was wrong. As far as Layla knew, he was still down there.
Or, oh, God, maybe he was in the elevator.
She hugged herself tight.
She had to find Zoe. Zoe hated the Thornes. Everyone could see that. If anyone would give her a straight answer, it was she. Although . . . she had been the one to tip her off about Khan. Did she even have a sick sister?
When the elevator doors opened she took the right-hand hallway, not the left. To the west wing.
Layla would see for herself.
“What did you do?” His daughter slowly turned to address the Shadow in the corridor. Her pale hair whipped in the churn of her panic.
Do? I told her the truth.
“She just got here!”
And Fate is conspiring at this moment to take her away.
A human man exited his office, blanched in fear of the gathered storm, then darted right back inside.
Talia jabbed a finger in the air and spoke through clenched teeth. “This is family business. I’m going back to my apartment, and you will meet me there. Because I’ll be damned ”—her voice rose, took on the shattering quality of a banshee—“if I’m going to let you screw this up for me.”
She turned to the elevator and slapped the button, then waited, glowering in Shadow, for the vehicle to come.