of man Seth was soon after they got married. She severed
all contact with you in order to protect you. Your grandparents
knew the reason, but she asked them not to tell you. She knows Red
Cliffs blames her for Hal and Brian’s deaths.”
When he realized that Rowena couldn’t give
him a child, Jack continued, Seth lost his interest in her as a
woman and wife, and his affection turned into hate. “Although Seth
and your mother separated, he didn’t let her leave him. Darius was
four years old when Rowena came to Copper Ridge, and since then
she’s been like a mother to him. You already know that.”
“A mother without her child and a motherless
boy,” Astrid said softly. “No wonder.”
“They love each other deeply, Astrid. You
should see how Darius talks about her. He calls her ‘mother’, he
adores her. Of course, James wasn’t ready to hear something like
that, and when he showed his doubts, Darius almost attacked
him.”
“She’s been living in a constant fear and
danger,” Astrid whispered.
Jack sighed. “She’s been living like that for
twenty-odd years. James didn’t want you to know any of this, not
for the time being, at least, because he thought you would be
upset.”
“Upset doesn’t cover it, Jack!” Astrid said.
“For my entire life I believed my mother abandoned me. What do
Arnaldur and Ella know? Why didn’t they tell me anything? How could
they hide that from me?”
“Your mother made them. To protect you. She
couldn’t do too much for herself, but she’s been shielding you the
whole time.”
“So you believe Darius?”
“I do. That’s why James and I argued. He also
wants to protect you. I think you have the right to know the
truth.”
Astrid buried her head in her hands. “Hold
me, Jack,” she whispered through tears.
Jack closed his arms around her. “Rowena
regained her wizard skills. Nobody except Darius and their allies
know about it. The resistance is stronger day by day. Seth’s
totally out of control and his people are tired of his madness. It
was your mother who tipped off Tristan when Seth sent his people to
look for you. And about the vampires who attacked us. That’s why
Liv and Tristan came so fast.”
“He’ll kill her if he figures out what she’s
doing.”
“She’s a werewolf, Astrid. We are not easy to
kill. And she’s a full-fledged wizard again. She’s survived all
those terrible years. She knows how to take care of herself. And I
bet she wants to be able to see you, so she’s very motivated to
stay alive.”
Astrid closed her eyes and rocked gently back
and forth. “Mother… Mother…” she chanted quietly. For the first
time in her life, the word had a meaning. It wrapped around her
heart and melted away a tiny, icy splinter that had been hurting
her all her life.
Jack kissed her forehead and brushed her
tears away. “It’s going to be okay, you’ll see, baby. Now you have
to promise me you won’t do anything reckless, like trying to
contact her. Do I have your word?”
Astrid nodded weakly.
JACK STAYED with her all night. Long after
he fell asleep, his head buried in her hair, Astrid lay awake,
staring into the darkness, thinking about her mother on the other
side of the Great Orme.
How many nights in the past twenty-five years
had Rowena lain awake like this, thinking about her daughter while
she’d been living an ordinary life, growing up sheltered and
protected, going to school, traveling? Did she think Astrid hated
her? Had anybody ever told her anything about Astrid? Did she dare
to ask? Did she dream about her little girl?
Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes,
dripping on Jack’s shirt. She pressed her hot cheek on the cool,
damp patch. Jack stirred and tightened his grip around her.
“It’s okay, baby, everything’s going to be
fine. I promise,” he murmured into her hair. “Try to sleep a
bit.”
Jack wasn’t a man who’d make empty promises,
she thought and smiled weakly. She closed her
all contact with you in order to protect you. Your grandparents
knew the reason, but she asked them not to tell you. She knows Red
Cliffs blames her for Hal and Brian’s deaths.”
When he realized that Rowena couldn’t give
him a child, Jack continued, Seth lost his interest in her as a
woman and wife, and his affection turned into hate. “Although Seth
and your mother separated, he didn’t let her leave him. Darius was
four years old when Rowena came to Copper Ridge, and since then
she’s been like a mother to him. You already know that.”
“A mother without her child and a motherless
boy,” Astrid said softly. “No wonder.”
“They love each other deeply, Astrid. You
should see how Darius talks about her. He calls her ‘mother’, he
adores her. Of course, James wasn’t ready to hear something like
that, and when he showed his doubts, Darius almost attacked
him.”
“She’s been living in a constant fear and
danger,” Astrid whispered.
Jack sighed. “She’s been living like that for
twenty-odd years. James didn’t want you to know any of this, not
for the time being, at least, because he thought you would be
upset.”
“Upset doesn’t cover it, Jack!” Astrid said.
“For my entire life I believed my mother abandoned me. What do
Arnaldur and Ella know? Why didn’t they tell me anything? How could
they hide that from me?”
“Your mother made them. To protect you. She
couldn’t do too much for herself, but she’s been shielding you the
whole time.”
“So you believe Darius?”
“I do. That’s why James and I argued. He also
wants to protect you. I think you have the right to know the
truth.”
Astrid buried her head in her hands. “Hold
me, Jack,” she whispered through tears.
Jack closed his arms around her. “Rowena
regained her wizard skills. Nobody except Darius and their allies
know about it. The resistance is stronger day by day. Seth’s
totally out of control and his people are tired of his madness. It
was your mother who tipped off Tristan when Seth sent his people to
look for you. And about the vampires who attacked us. That’s why
Liv and Tristan came so fast.”
“He’ll kill her if he figures out what she’s
doing.”
“She’s a werewolf, Astrid. We are not easy to
kill. And she’s a full-fledged wizard again. She’s survived all
those terrible years. She knows how to take care of herself. And I
bet she wants to be able to see you, so she’s very motivated to
stay alive.”
Astrid closed her eyes and rocked gently back
and forth. “Mother… Mother…” she chanted quietly. For the first
time in her life, the word had a meaning. It wrapped around her
heart and melted away a tiny, icy splinter that had been hurting
her all her life.
Jack kissed her forehead and brushed her
tears away. “It’s going to be okay, you’ll see, baby. Now you have
to promise me you won’t do anything reckless, like trying to
contact her. Do I have your word?”
Astrid nodded weakly.
JACK STAYED with her all night. Long after
he fell asleep, his head buried in her hair, Astrid lay awake,
staring into the darkness, thinking about her mother on the other
side of the Great Orme.
How many nights in the past twenty-five years
had Rowena lain awake like this, thinking about her daughter while
she’d been living an ordinary life, growing up sheltered and
protected, going to school, traveling? Did she think Astrid hated
her? Had anybody ever told her anything about Astrid? Did she dare
to ask? Did she dream about her little girl?
Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes,
dripping on Jack’s shirt. She pressed her hot cheek on the cool,
damp patch. Jack stirred and tightened his grip around her.
“It’s okay, baby, everything’s going to be
fine. I promise,” he murmured into her hair. “Try to sleep a
bit.”
Jack wasn’t a man who’d make empty promises,
she thought and smiled weakly. She closed her
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