It was her mother's handwriting. Even after so many years she was positive it was the same she had seen on her notes to school. Was her mother alive? Why had her father left such devastating news on her dresser? How did he have a picture that obviously didn't exist when she wrote the Dear John letter? The questions swirled in her brain, making her dizzy. Tears fell from her eyes and Tessa crumpled onto the carpet.
How could a mother leave six small daughters with a friend and abandon them, never to look back? Had Hannah even known Victor planned to take them the night he brought them to Other World? Did she know that they were in Other World? Did she care?
Slowly, the realization of the time shook her out of her misery. She rose from the floor and went to the ensuite bathroom to wash her face. Choosing her clothing, she became disgusted with herself when she realized she was dressing for Gideon. Putting the letter in her pocket, she left the room to find Victor.
As usual, he was in his study lost in concentration. Tessa stood for a moment, watching him. If she let her imagination run wild he looked almost like a normal father. She'd gotten her black hair from him. He wore a tailored suite. His human form was always pale, but when he was a demon his skin was a deep burgundy. He was tall and gaunt in his human form, but when he morphed into the demon he was much bigger. Her step on a squeaky floorboard caused him to glance up in surprise. When a red flicker appeared in his eyes the illusion of normalcy faded. Tessa took the letter out of her pocket, and with a few angry strides she was before his desk, slamming the paper in front of him.
'What the hell is this all about? You told us our mother was dead! She left us, and you just let her? Why tell me now? She has to be at least forty-five in that picture! How did you get it?'
He was silent for a moment. 'Sit!'
She complied.
'You have been holding on to some idealized version of the woman. I never had the heart to tell you the truth, but if I don't you'll get yourself killed. You, more than your sisters, love her. You remember a life without Other World. I want you to be happy, but that requires you to be alive.'
Tessa didn't know what to say. Her father had never opened up to her like this before.
'I know I failed you. You needed a human softness that I don't possess; but I love you as my kind loves, Tessa. You have always challenged me more, and maybe that is why you are so special to me.
'I will never be human, but I am your father. I could have left the lot of you with that human who thought your father was just a talented psychic. Believe me, the first few weeks I considered returning you all; but I couldn't do it. Even when you looked at me with those big scared blue eyes, I wanted you here. I loved your mother so much that I fooled myself into believing her feelings were deeper than the glamour I used on her.
You have suffered because I was wrong. It was wrong to trick her and also to lie to you. The human had already told you that she died; I honestly believe she loved you; after all, she didn't want you to know she was leaving by choice. I just let the lie stand because none of you ever asked me if she was alive. Now, the truth must come out. The human who tried to kill you was not the first, and the reason they know what you are is because your mother told them. There has always been an organization of humans that know about Other World and want to destroy it, destroy us; and your mother joined those people. She wants to see you dead. I think she has actually gone mad.'
Her mother loved her. She was dead. He had to be wrong. Tessa refused to let the moisture in her eyes become tears. Staring at his blurry form, she continued to listen.
'I only saw her one more time. Hannah wanted to know if I had you. I told her I did and she muttered something about it being harder to kill you now. She never asked if you were happy or how you had been, and my love for her died that day. She told me she would spend her life seeing my kind dead; even my abominations, as she called the six of you.
I had the picture taken so that your bodyguards would know to protect you from her. I never wanted you to know any of this, but you are hell bent on living as a human. You need to know the full truth in order to make good decisions. I want you to stay in Other World; at least until I can get this threat under control. Too many years I ignored it because they can't cross into Other World; but as they grow in power, their threat grows too.
I know holding onto being human has been like holding onto your mother, but it is time you let her go.'
His plea made Tessa hiccup on her caged tears. Could any of it be true? 'You lie! I don't know why it's so important that you keep me here, keep me miserable!'
'Tessa, child; I'm not lying to you. I hate the pain your mother has caused you; but I can't change the past. I've hoped you would come to want this life on your own. Embrace the world that you have rejected, use your compassion and gentleness to help make it a better place. You are my heir and you are the future of Other World and I am sorry my secrets have caused you this anguish.'
For a moment she just sat looking at her demon father. All of the new information was too much. 'Do you want me to tell your sisters about your mother?'
Without thinking she answered, 'Not on Christmas.'
He nodded. 'Now you understand the dilemma I have lived with for the past twenty-two years, there's always an excuse.' Victor's quiet words made her see him in a new light.
Nodding, she pulled herself up by her pride and stood, then turned to leave. Glancing back at her father from the door, he appeared to have returned to his work; but she caught sight of his hand tenderly rubbing against the letter. Obviously, he still felt something for its author; even after the horrible rejection. Quietly, she closed the door and went to find her sisters.
Christmas dinner was in less than an hour. Everything was beautiful; and guilt over her lack of assistance didn't dim the wonder of gazing at her sisters' hard work. They enveloped her in a warm loving hug. Something inside of her cracked and she wept as she shed some of the hatred in her heart. They all held each other and no one spoke until Talia began to laugh. 'Hurry, get Tessa to my room. We have to make her pretty for her boyfriend.'
Huffing, she protested Talia's statement. They rushed her up the stairs to Talia's room. Her sisters attacked her with cosmetics. Helpless against the onslaught she let them work. Giggling, Tara handed her a mirror. They'd done excellent work. Trista laughed as she teased her sister.
'You are going look so cute kissing that vampire under the mistletoe.'
'Stop it! I should hate him. Because of him, I'm stuck here.'
Tabitha pouted when she replied, 'If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have you for Christmas. He's our hero! Is it so bad being here with us?'
Hugging the younger woman, Tessa spoke comfortingly. 'It is wonderful being with you, just not being here. You'll be seeing so much of me you're going to get sick of it. Now, let's go eat; I'm starving.' It was a lie. She doubted she'd ever get her appetite back; but she decided to make her loving sisters happy. Just because her Christmas was ruined didn't mean theirs had to be.
The joviality and life immediately return to them. Smiling through her pain she gave them her best happy act so as not to spoil their Christmas. With her concentration focused on making her sisters happy she forgot about Gideon until she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked across the room. Standing casually near the fireplace, he looked so delicious it took her breath away.
Suddenly, she was very hungry… for him. His grin let her know that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Blushing, she grinned back. Her sisters rounded on him, and Tessa didn't need to be a mind reader to read his terror. No man -demon, human, or vampire- wanted a pack of curious sisters surrounding him and issuing probing questions.
When Victor entered the room, they all took their seats. Gideon sat between Tessa and Victor. Smiling, Tessa remembered the saying about a rock and a hard place. Victor gave him numerous dark looks throughout the meal, and she had to wonder why her father had invited the vampire if he didn't want him there.
Every time Gideon tried to put a bite into his mouth, one of the sisters would interrupt him. Contrary to human
