Read Online The Emerald Staff by Alison Pensy - Free Book Online

up how stupid she
felt about her previous retort.
    “You know what I meant.”
    “Let me make this easy for you, shall I? I
will give you one week to make the decision.” The evil glint in
Vivianna’s eyes made Faedra’s blood run cold. “You or Henry, it is
that simple.”
    “You or Henry, what?” Henry said as he walked
out through the back door of the pub.
    Faedra and Vivianna turned their attention to
the newcomer.
    “What’s going on, Faedra?” Henry asked, a
wary look creeping across his features.
    “Ah, Henry, how nice of you to join us.”
Vivianna’s sickly sweet demeanor returned.
    “Dad, please go back inside.”
    “No, Fae I won’t. Will someone please explain
to me what is going on out here?” Henry asked, looking from Faedra
to Faen to Vivianna, and back again, sensing the frosty standoff
between them.
    “Yes, why don’t you tell my father what is
going on, Anna , or why don’t you tell him who you really
are.”
    “If I am to reveal my true identity, I think
it only fair that your father does the same.”
    Henry narrowed his eyes at Vivianna’s sudden
change in character.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Faedra shot
her father a puzzled look. “Dad?”
    “Oh, Henry, you never told her?” Vivianna’s,
oh, so sweet voice would make scratching nails on a chalkboard
sound like a symphony.
    “Tell her what?” He was starting to sound
exasperated.
    “Faedra, darling. Henry is not your
father.”
    Faedra’s face paled and a look of confusion
replaced the one of anger. “What are you talking about? Of course,
he’s my father.”
    The young Custodian’s eyes widened in
disbelief as she watched her dad close his eyes and hang his head.
He didn’t even try to deny it, and blew out a sigh in a show of
defeat. When he looked up again an anguished expression clouded his
features.
    Faedra went cold, icy prickles of panic ran
down her spine. She searched her father’s face but he was avoiding
her gaze.
    “Dad? Why aren’t you denying it?” She could
barely get the words out, her throat felt like it had closed
up.
    “I wanted to tell you. For so long I wanted
to tell you, but I’ve always thought of you as my own little girl,
and when your mother died, I just couldn’t ever find the words.
You’d already lost so much, I didn’t want to risk breaking your
heart even more. As you grew up, it got harder to tell you, until
eventually the lie became the truth, and I was content to leave it
that way.
    You see, your mother was already pregnant
with you when we met and she made it sound as if your real father
were no longer living. I was happy to take you on as my own
daughter. I love you with all my heart, Faedra, that’s not a
lie.”
    Henry brought his gaze to meet hers with his
last words, and looked her in the eye. Faedra was almost floored by
the sorrow and remorse she saw there, and took an involuntary step
back.
    They stared at each other in awkward silence;
even though it was only for a split second, Faedra felt as if time
had stopped. How many times in one year could her world be turned
on its axis?
    Vivianna broke the silence with her smooth
but deadly voice. Faedra hadn’t noticed the princess conjure the
ruby staff but she now had her long slender fingers wrapped around
it. She held her other palm out and mumbled something under her
breath. A small round object appeared in her hand and Faedra saw
her father’s eyes widen in disbelief.
    “Here,” Vivianna said as she tossed the
pebble-like object to Faedra. Faedra caught it and laid it on her
open palm. It was a pebble but smooth as glass and black as onyx.
She looked up at Vivianna, confused.
    “What is this for?”
    “Make sure not to let it turn completely
red.”
    Faedra narrowed her eyes at her foe. “Why?
What happens if it turns red?”
    The princess gave a nonchalant shrug of her
shoulders. “Time is up.”
    Vivianna took hold of Henry’s arm. His
expression changed to one of confusion when he turned to look