“Come now. It’s not the end, even though it might seem that way.” She coaxes me to turn back and begins to play with my hair once again. “Yes, Cain is your half-brother, and Aaron was the man who was able to trick me into believing I was lying with Delvin. It wasn’t until later that I learned what he really was.”
She pauses, and I turn to look over my shoulder, finding her eyes are focused on her body in the stream.
“It’s one of the reasons I was taken from you.” Her voice sounds haunted as her hands move in my hair, but I can tell she’s not really with me. She’s away in another memory. “It was Aaron who came to me and told me what they truly were: Skinwalkers.” Her voice takes on a haunting melody as a scene unfolds before my eyes.
Aaron shows up along the bank in all black, with a cocky smirk, while another Liliwen stands proudly with fire in her eyes and glares back at him in the scene.
“He proudly announced they were the only two Skinwalkers in the world, and he didn’t want me, nor my child, ruining what he had planned. He wanted my power and needed to be the third Fate. So he asked for the power,” my mother narrates behind me, horror and disgust displayed across Liliwen’s face inthe scene at his question. I can’t hear them, but the visuals are enough.
His brow pulls down in anger as he spits out his words, taking menacing steps towards her.
“At least he asked first before deciding totakewhat he wanted,” Liliwen says before the images disappear. “I’ll spare you how I died. It wasn’t pretty, but the main point is, he did get power, just notthepower he was hoping to get, but he doesn’t know that.”
“He didn’t?” I turn once again and look up at her.
She cocks an eyebrow and smirks, and I totally see where I get it.
“Is he using the Sulks to do his bidding?” she asks, and it hits me.
“He wouldn’t have to if he truly had all of your power, would he?”
“No, in fact, if he did, he could drain and kill the Sulks for good,” she tells me.
So Anwen in the living room wasn’t really Aaron in disguise. She was the real deal? Thank the Fates.
“If that’s the fucking case, why aren’t the other Fates taking care of all of this?” I growl, getting angry at them fucking with everything in my life except what would really help out the world.
“I understand you’re upset, but as we were created, we had limits we were bound to. You, on the other hand, are not. You have mates, and through them, you are connected to the Four Horsemen, and to Heaven and Hell. Your constraints are practically non-existent. You have a different course to follow and will reshape the world as it once was. This is the reason why Cain is insistent on getting you on his side.”
She finishes with the last braid, and I bite my lip before asking, “Why’s that?”
“It’s because you’re the only one that can defeat him, sweetie, even with that mark. But not with any normal weapons.”
Yeah, that doesn’t paint me as a big target. Who decided this for me? I want a refund!
CHAPTER 35
The Fate of the Fates
Rez
Idon’t know how long I sit there trying to catch flies with my jaw dropped, but Mom finally gets tired of waiting for my brain to restart.
“Bless Jillian for dealing with all of your dramatics. Please tell me you at least went into drama and didn’t waste your talents,” she says, leaning over and closing my mouth.
“Sorry to be a disappointment,” I snap. “I only gave my performances to Jillian, Lynx, and my grandparents.” I pause and tilt my head. “Or I guess I should say, the Pathmakers,” I say spitefully.
“Ahh, so you have been told some things.” Mother sucks on her teeth.
“Yeah. Let’s just say, it hasn’t been the most uplifting soul-searching experience lately.” I roll my eyes.
“I am sorry, sweetie.” She climbs down and sits down on the ground in front of me. “I honestly didn’t want you to live this life. If I could have prevented all of this, I would have. As it was, I did what I could to preserve what I could.” She gives me a sweetsmile and grabs my hands. “My time is almost up with you,” she tells me, and my heart starts pounding.
No. I’m not ready.
“I know, sweetie,” she says, running the back of her hand down my cheek. “It’s not enough time for me either, but I’m forever grateful to my sister for preserving my power to give to you and for giving us this time. There is something you need to know that no one else knows. The brothers together, no one will be able to tell them apart, except for one thing. Aaron, my killer, I marked him. No matter what skin he wears, he will always wear my death scratches.”
I scrunch my face, and she smiles at my confusion.
