His father looks shocked. “You know?”
“Yes, we talked to a member of the Oracle Council. They told us everything,” Veda replies, stomach twisting.
Barrett focuses on Hiram. “They told you? That must mean the oath—”
“Is broken,” Hiram finishes.
His father looks relieved. “Then you understand why your grandfather suppressed the news.”
Veda wasn’t expecting that revelation. Her wide eyes slide to Hiram, only to find him frowning. “Why would he do that? Ariadne—”
“Is your cousin.She’s Phillip’s daughter. Not officially—he would never admit to fathering a Seer, but it was bound to come back to us the moment she started talking. The family would excommunicate him, cut him off. It wouldn’t be a good look for the family.”
A heaviness visibly settles on Hiram. It fills the room, tugging at Veda’s emotions and bargaining with her empathy, but that doesn’t stop her inner thought from slipping out, unfiltered: “Well, this is fucked up.”
“I thought you figured it out?”
“Not the part about why you wanted me to stay out of it. Thanks for the evidence. It’s shone a light on our fucked-up family,” Hiram replies coldly. “Who’s her mother?”
“One of Phillip’s ... I don’t know what to call them, but he’s fathered more children than I can count because of his obsession with having a Seer child. When he found out Ariadne manifested Sight, he challenged her mother for custody and won, then brought her to the boarding school with all the other Seers. He told her that he was her father and made her the star of his case studies.She’sthe one who’s being chronicled in the records. When they caught her after she caused the Great Vanishing, Phillip didn’t claim the girl as his own, and your grandfather spearheaded the cover-up. We all were part of the oath to keep it a secret. I covered all traces of her case studies and carried the truth in silence. My retirement wasn’t an accident; it was a choice. I thought it was over until Phillip told me the truth in April, including—”
“The fact that she’s the one whose Sight he wanted to steal?”
Barrett nods.
“And what am I supposed to do with that?”
“Whatever you want. Release it to the media. I no longer care. I’ve covered him for years and refuse to protect him anymore.”
The talisman goes off again.
Veda jolts and Hiram swears, but bravado flees Barrett’s face, leaving behind pure terror. This time, when Hiram answers the door, Veda is behind him, both of them relaxing at the sight of Khadijah, who doesn’t at all look happy to be there. She peers around him at Veda, eyes narrowing curiously. Theywilltalk later, Veda is sure of it, but to Hiram, her friend says, “Peter’s with my uncle, and I’m here to babysit.”
“What?”
Hiram’s phone rings. He grits his teeth before answering. Whatever is said sobers him instantly. He steps aside to let Khadijah in. “Apparently, Idoneed a babysitter.”
“What’s going on?” Veda asks.
“We need to go,” Hiram replies. “Good news: Everett was spotted near the school grounds. Bad news: Ariadne got to Moab.”
Veda feels sick thinking about his family. They’ll never be the same.
“You need to leave” is the first thing Hiram says to Barrett when they return to the great room.
The tension skyrockets as Khadijah comes around the corner and sees him. “What the—”
“I’m leaving.” Barrett stands, but before he leaves, he looks back—not at Hiram, at Khadijah. “Tell your uncle I’m sorry I never spoke up for him.”
Everyone is speechless when the door shuts behind Barrett.
Hiram starts the car and pulls out of the driveway. The ride is silent, tense, and uncomfortable. To Veda’s surprise, he is the one who breaks it.
“I planned for a more relaxed morning. Sorry.”
“You don’t owe me an apology.” Veda returns to looking out the window, thinking about what she witnessed before leaving: Hiram telling a sleepy Antaris that he’s coming back. “Do you tell him that you’ll always come back every time?”
“I do. It comforts him.”
