“Erwan?”
Backtracking, she glanced up the staircase. A light came on. It shone from the landing. Her heartbeat quickened, sounding loud in her ears as her footsteps fell softly on the wooden floor. Erwan was a little deaf. She called out his name again, louder this time, but when there was no answer, she climbed the stairs slowly, carefully, listening for another sound.
On the landing, she hesitated. There were no blood stains to mark the spot, but this was where Joss’s father had killed his wife. She recalled Joss’s twisted expression when he’d told her the history. Finding his mother like that… She shivered. No wonder the burden still weighed on him.
Forcing the image from her mind, she took a deep breath and skittered around the outskirts of the landing, her back pressed against the rail. It somehow felt wrong to walk over that spot, like walking over someone’s grave.
She glanced down. The visual of the open front door gave her a sense of reassurance. She wasn’t trapped. She wasn’t locked in. She opened her mouth to call for Erwan again when something shuffled behind the first door. Her breath caught.
Erwan.
All trepidation forgotten, she reached for the knob, but before she could turn it, the door opened in her face. She gulped in stale air. Her chest caved.
Staring at the man who stepped out, she frowned. “You?”
He gave her a charming smile. “We meet again.”
This was wrong. The journalist wasn’t supposed to be in Joss’s house. Where was Erwan? She reiterated. “What are you doing here?”
“I was waiting for you,” he said, as if it were something she should’ve known.
“I don’t want to talk about the fires.” She gripped the rail behind her. “I already told you.”
He tilted his head. “All right.”
His easy agreement felt off. The last time she’d run into him, he’d pushed her to the point of being rude. “If you’re not here to talk about the fires, then what do you want? Where’s Erwan?”
His smile looked painted on. “Which question shall I answer first?” He tapped his chin. “Let’s start with a proper introduction. I believe you’ve heard about me.” The gleam of excitement in his eyes was cruel as he held out a hand. “I’m Lupien, and I’m so pleased to finally meet you.”
She gripped the rail harder. Her chest constricted until it hurt to breathe.
Dropping his hand, he regarded her with cold interest. “Did you really not expect me?”
Her knees shook. His name got stuck in her brain. She was facing the man who had every intention of killing her, and she had no means of defending herself. A drop of sweat run between her shoulder blades, tickling her spine.
“Come, now,” he said. “Don’t look so shocked. Aren’t you going to give your daddy a kiss?”
The words hit her like a punch, taking what little breath she had left. Her effort at keeping a stoic face failed. She stumbled a step sideways.
A maelstrom of thoughts assaulted her. Her father. Her mother’s rapist. The man Erwan had warned her about, who’d said he’d be back for her when the fires started. Cain’s opposition. Joss’s enemy. Many questions floated in and out of her head, but she couldn’t formulate one. She could only stare at him in horror.
“You look like your mother.” His lip curled. “She was such a pretty thing, but she put up a very disappointing fight.”
Her voice scraped. Her throat felt raw. “Why?”
“You have to be more specific with your questions. I’m a firestarter, not a mind reader. I believe that’s Cain’s level of expertise.”
The question tore from her chest. “Why did you rape her? Why destroy her and everyone she loved?” Even as her lips formed the words, the reason became painfully clear. “Was it because you needed a new firestarter whose power you could steal? There weren’t enough on Earth, so you decided to create one?”
“You catch on fast. Your mother’s art was powerful, enough to enhance mine beyond compare, but I saw another opportunity. If I could plant my seed in her womb, combine our genes, and create someone with a gift stronger than hers and mine together, I could come back when that gift was mature and harvest it.”
She swallowed bile. “You made her pregnant so you could come back and kill me?”
He smiled. “Exactly.”
She looked around, panic making her feel sick. “Where’s Erwan?”
He cracked his neck. “Are you concerned about an old fisherman who isn’t even related to you?”
“Should I have been concerned about you?” she asked with venom.
He studied her. “You’re very emotional, just like your mother. You have to admit, my plan was ingenious. I had it all worked out to the last detail, even to the date of your mother’s ovulation. I could smell the bitch in heat from a mile.”
She balled her hands. “Her name was Katik.”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
“She died giving birth to me. You killed her.”
“Of course she did.” He arched an eyebrow. “Didn’t you know? All mothers of gifted babies die during birth.” He flashed his teeth, too white and straight to be natural. “That’s why they’re called forbidden babies.”
She dug her nails into the wood. Grief lashed at her. It left a deep, aching scar on her heart.
Lupien’s pupils danced with cruel excitement. Instead of allowing him to see how the revelation had shattered her, she forced her mind to go elsewhere.
“Where’s Erwan?” she asked again.
He lifted his arm to indicate the room he’d excited. “After you.”
She stared at the frame. Out here, with the open front door downstairs, she had a better chance than being trapped inside a room with him.
“If Erwan is really in there,” she said, battling to keep her voice steady, “bring him out here.”
He flashed more teeth. “Getting brave, daddy’s little girl? I like it. Dare suits you better than the sickly submissiveness I sniffed on you the first time we met.”
Turning abruptly, he entered the room. The movement made her jump. She needed to breathe and focus.
When Lupien
