“The clan has all kinds of people working behind the scenes. Not all of them are warriors.”
Cody stepped inside, and his gaze locked on hers. “Did you pack your things?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He frowned and reached in his pocket. “Here’s one more thing. I just remembered it this morning. I’m not sure how you got it.” He pulled out a necklace and handed it to Shay. At first she thought it was a gift. “I found it in the truck.”
Shay examined the necklace, a silver cross. “It’s not mine.” Had there been another woman in his truck?
“You found my necklace,” Bree said. “Thank God. I thought I’d lost it.”
“This is yours?” Cody asked, his brows drawing into a frown.
“Yes, it was my father’s.”
“This belonged to Edward Rodgers,” Cody said.
Orla gasped.
“There must be some mistake. My father was Robert Kirkland,” Bree said, staring at the necklace.
Marcas entered the room, and he examined the necklace as well. “He’s right. That’s Edward’s necklace. See that emblem on the back? That’s his family crest.”
Faelan joined the little circle. “I found the necklace under a floorboard in Bree’s house. I thought the emblem looked familiar.”
“Grandma told me it was my father’s.” Bree turned to Orla for an explanation. “Mother?”
Orla was slumped against the counter, feet splayed, face pale as her daughter’s. She closed her eyes. “Oh God. Not like this.”
“I don’t understand,” Bree said, clasping the necklace to her chest.
“He did it for you,” Orla said.
“Did what?” Bree whispered.
Orla pressed her hands to her cheeks. “I knew it was going to come out, but not here. Not now.”
“Were you married to someone else before Daddy?”
“No. There was no one before your father—before Robert.”
Shay’s head was swirling, knowing where the conversation was headed.
“Robert wasn’t your father,” Orla said.
“Not my father?” Bree slumped into a chair. “Was I adopted?” she asked, her green eyes wide with shock.
Orla’s face crumbled. “He was your… uncle.”
“Oh my God.” Bree stared at Orla. “You’re not my mother?”
Orla gave a little sob. “I
“Did you give birth to me?” Bree asked, her voice stiff.
“No. Technically, I’m your aunt, but we did it to protect you. He brought you to Robert and said you were in danger. He needed Robert to protect you, and he did.” Orla dabbed at her cheeks and crossed to Bree. “He protected you his whole life. We loved you as much as if you’d been born to us.”
“Who? Who brought me?”
“Edward Rodgers.”
Shay’s breath caught. If Edward was Bree’s father, then that meant— She felt Cody move next to her. He reached for her hand.
“That explains the birthmarks,” he muttered.
Bree shook her head. “My mother…”
“Layla is your mother. Edward Rodgers is your father.”
Shay gripped Cody’s fingers. “I have a sister?”
***
“You realize the awkward position this has put the Council in?” The chief elder folded his hands across his ceremonial robe. It was gold with a red border, and Cody idly wondered if the red represented the blood of warriors who broke the rules. “Not once, but twice, you’ve revealed information that wasn’t yours to give. The clan decided it best to keep Shay’s identity hidden from her, for her safety, as well as ours. We gave you only a warning the first time.”
Only a warning, Cody thought. It had felt like more than a warning when the brand touched his wrist.
“But this time,” the elder continued, “even though the Council recognizes your valor and your service, what you’ve done here has put us all at risk. For all intents and purposes, she was an outsider. Now you’ve revealed secrets that we’ve protected for thousands of years. Not only that, but you’ve brought her here, in our midst, to our clan seat. If you are correct, and there is a demon hunting her, if they follow, you’ve endangered the entire clan.”
