I paused my fork and bit my cheek. I hadn’t thought about it, but it didn’t seem like anyone cared about that. They all wanted answers.
“I haven’t gotten much time to think about it,” I said softly.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Mary said, offering a smile. “I heard how powerful your fire was, forcing the hybrid back.”
I glanced at Ilsa, who was focused on her food. But the conversation wasn’t something I wanted her to hear about.
“I still have a lot to figure out about it.”
“You don’t have a lot of time,” Lionel said, his voice coming out pointed. “They are already becoming a problem. You should focus on learning your ability and mastering it so you can be useful.”
Brandon’s fork paused, and I felt a sudden rush of heat, becoming embarrassed at his words. I reached for my glass of water and took a sip.
“Lionel.” Mary’s voice was soft, her eyes pleading. She reached for a bowl and handed it up. “More rice?” I could see she was doing it, trying to divert the conversation, but Lionel didn’t bother.
He waved a hand and kept his eyes glued on me. “Don’t you think it’s important to be useful, Jade?”
I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t have a chance before Brandon spoke up. “Are you implying she hasn’t been?”
The tension was building, and I glanced at Mary, whose lips had formed a thin line now. She looked tired, like she had been fighting something for so long and just didn’t want to anymore.
“I think people can be useful in ways you don’t even know,” I stated simply. “The world is always changing, isn’t it?”
Lionel didn’t respond, and I tried to focus on my food. I was hungry, but I could hardly force myself. The room felt like I was sitting in a battlefield.
“I think over the years, people have grown lazy and forgotten the importance of roles and rules.”
I chewed the chicken, but it now tasted like ash in my mouth. Brandon’s fork went down, and I could see his head turned toward his father.
“Ilsa, do you want to help me grab the ice cream?” Mary said, offering another simple smile.
“I can help her,” I said, needing to step away. I needed a moment to compose myself. Ilsa jumped up, seeming to already know where to go to get it. We walked into the kitchen, and I watched as Ilsa walked toward the stairs to go into the basement.
“It’s in the basement,” she said, not bothering to stop.
I took a few deep breaths in and tried to calm my fast-beating heart. Little had happened, but I felt it all. I don’t know why I thought everything was going to be okay when it was clear that Lionel didn’t like me.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Brandon’s voice was sharp as he snapped. “Did you honestly invite us here so you could interrogate her about her gift?”
“No.” Mary’s voice was soft. “We didn’t invite her for that.”
“I wasn’t talking about you, Mom.”
They were quiet for a moment when Lionel spoke. “She has done nothing useful the entire time she’s been here. She finally has a gift, and she’s squandering it.”
“She gave you a grandchild!” Brandon snapped. “A grandchild that hardly even knows you exist!”
“And I told you not to go near her, and yet here we are. If you had just listened to me…”
I heard something slam onto the table, and I jumped slightly.
“I will never follow in your footsteps. My wife will have a voice. My child will have a voice. They will not live in a world where they think their only job is to be a wife and a mother.”
I heard movement, and I peeked over, seeing that Brandon was getting up.
“Brandon, please don’t leave.” Mary pulled herself up. “We were having a nice dinner.”
Brandon put a hand up, not saying anything to his mother. She paused, her hands dropping to her side. I could see the hurt in her eyes and wondered what she had gone through. How had their marriage been?
