Jared shook his head, deep in thought. “Claire didn’t leave any of them alive. Anyone that might have known anything about it is long gone.”
An idea popped into my head, instantly creating a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“What is it?” Jared asked, concerned.
My mind instantly searched for other options. I was desperate to make the name stuck in my throat a last resort, but she was our only choice. “My mother,” I whispered. “Cynthia would know.”
Jared’s brows pulled in for a moment. “Jack left her in the dark.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?” I asked, incredulous.
He peeked over at me, and then relaxed. “You’re right. How to get her to tell us anything is the question.”
“She’ll tell us,” I said, determined.
Chapter Seven
The Perfect Storm
“Isn’t this a surprise,” Cynthia said, fussing with her hair. “I’m on my way to the Komen fundraiser, Nina dear. We’ll have lunch tomorrow.”
I side-stepped, guarding the front door. “This is important.”
Cynthia laughed once, unamused. “Not more important than breast cancer, I assure you.” When I didn’t move, she cocked her head. The expression she used for immediate intimidation lit her face. “You will let me pass this instant, young lady.”
Instinctively, I obeyed. Seeing that she was in no mood for antics, I decided to try the blindside approach.
“Daddy stole a book from someone a few years ago. Do you remember?”
She blinked a few times, my words clearly unsettling to her. “Your father was in shipping, Nina. What interest would he have in a book?”
“He did it, Mother. I’ve seen the book myself. Jared’s held it in his hands.”
Cynthia’s cold eyes darted to Jared, and then narrowed. “I must ask at this point, Jared. Are you
“No,” Jared said emphatically, taking a step toward her. “No, that’s why we’re here. We need to know why Jack took the book. What was inside that he was hoping to find?”
Cynthia relaxed, lifting her chin. “Nina, you’ll find that if you ignore things…they tend to go away. Now, I really must be going….”
Jared’s jaw flitted, and then he took an obstinate step in front of the door.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Grey, but I can’t allow you to leave until you tell us what you know.”
Cynthia stood unaffected, as if she could brush past Jared if she chose, but she was simply too much of a lady to shove her way through.
“What makes you think I know anything?” she asked, a tiny smirk on her face.
I crossed my arms. “Because you know everything, Mother.”
A small grin of satisfaction crept across Cynthia’s face. “Your father underestimated that particular talent of mine for years. It’s nice that someone noticed.”
“We need your help, Cynthia,” Jared said. “Why did Jack think Shax’s book could save Nina?”
“The truth will only hurt you, Dear,” Cynthia said. Her words were meant to be empathetic, but her eyes were devoid of emotion.
I pressed my lips together in hard line, taking her warning very seriously. Before I could make a decision, Jared spoke.
“I'm only going to ask you one more time, Cynthia. What do you know about Jack's reasons for taking the book?”
Cynthia chuckled. “Empty threats rarely compel me to comply.”
Jared leaned against the door. “I have all night, Cynthia. How important is this fundraiser to you?”
“Very well, then,” Cynthia said. She shifted her weight, clearly irritated. “Your father never wanted children. I wasn’t exactly…maternal…so I never questioned him. But when you came along, Nina, it changed him. He seemed to watch you as if he were waiting for something. I asked him, once, why he stared at you that way. His expression was both disgust and shame, but he didn't answer. He simply walked away.”
Her words cut so deeply that I felt physical pain in my chest, as if a thousand needles were boring their way to the center.
Jared took my hand. “Jack adored Nina. He died trying to save her life.”
Cynthia laughed without humor. “You misunderstand. The first time Jack held Nina in his arms, nothing else mattered. There was nothing more precious in his eyes,” she paused. “But he was afraid.”
I struggled to swallow the lump that had developed in my throat. “Of what?”
“You, I suppose,” Cynthia shrugged. Her eyes switched to Jared, then, resentful and accusing. “When your father recognized that you were in love with Nina, he shared a story with Jack. It was a story within the last passages of the book you're so desperate to acquire. About a human woman giving birth to a son of God, and that child would disturb The Balance.”
My face twisted. “You mean the story of the virgin Mary and Jesus? What could that possibly have to do with me and Jared?”
Cynthia sighed. “No, Dear. Sons of God are angels. Hell believes a human woman will give birth to an angel; a powerful angel that will threaten their power here.”
Jared frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why Nina, then? Human women have been giving birth to Half-breeds for centuries. And even if Nina and I had a child, the baby would have just a quarter of divine blood in its veins. Nothing for Hell to be concerned about.”
“A human woman gave birth to Jesus Christ, Jared,” Cynthia retorted.
“He was human,” I said.
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “A mortal man who performs miracles and rises from the dead? That’s some human…now if you'll excuse me….”
Jared didn't budge, still unsatisfied. “Gabe and Jack believed Nina to be the woman in the prophecy, and they stole the book to try to figure out a way to stop it?”
“They stole it twice,” Cynthia corrected. “First, from a family…the Pollocks. They had spent lifetimes protecting it. Shax and his men alerted the Pollocks somehow, and your fathers were detected. While they and the Pollock men were distracted with one another, Shax absconded with his book. It was several months before Gabe located the book again and was able to successfully retrieve it. That’s when it all began.”
“Mother,” I said, impatient. “When
Her eyes widened a bit, and she raised her hands, her fingers flared. “This, Nina! This! When protecting you and your father became difficult for the Ryel’s, when dark things began surrounding our home on a daily basis…his
“Okay. Okay, I'm sorry,” I said to calm her.
She relaxed, and then smoothed her expression. “Now, if you don’t mind, I really must be going,” she said, brushing past Jared.
Jared’s features tightened, instantly metamorphosing to anger. “I’m trying to save Nina’s life, and you’re worried about being on time for a party?”
Cynthia looked back at me with a sad expression. “It’s a mother’s duty to protect her child. But sometimes, we must let them save themselves.”
Her words stung me. Our relationship was never what one may call close, but when the occasion called for it, she extended some emotion. She had never been cruel or unkind, but at that moment, I felt like an orphan.
My mother walked to the waiting car quickly, disappearing when Robert closed the door behind her.
Jared pulled me into his arms, and I let my cheek burn against his chest.
“I can’t imagine how you must feel right now,” Jared whispered against the top of my hair. “But I want you to
