situation, and it was very bothersome.
“What’s wrong with me?” Lena asked.
“David told you more than you were ready to hear,” She reached toward the nightstand, opened a drawer, and tossed a box of tissues onto the bed. She waited for Lena to finish wiping her face and blowing her nose before continuing. “And he apparently saw fit to leave you out in the snow and unconscious for several hours.”
“Why would he do that to me?” Lena felt a pang of disbelief run through her; David could be cruel, but he wasn’t dangerous. She had trouble believing he would leave her to hypothermia.
Ava looked down at the sleeping gown she had been wearing since that morning, using her palm to smooth it against her thigh. “If he had told people you were out there, it would have raised questions. Howard can’t know that he’s the one who told you, Lena, or he’ll be in a lot of trouble. As things currently stand, no one knows why you were outside, and you don’t remember, either.”
“Why?” Lena asked. “I could have died…”
Ava smiled pathetically. “Because Howard would make him leave. And while your immune system hasn’t quite developed yet, a little cold hasn’t hurt you. Some extra durability comes with the territory of the…changes, I guess, that you’ll be experiencing. The information you received was actually far more worrisome to your health.”
“The information?” Lena repeated.
“Your mind wasn’t ready for everything you were told, and it made you very sick. What were you told, Lena?” Sitting forward in her chair, Ava looked more concerned than she had at any previous moment.
“By who?” Lena rolled her eyes. It seemed everyone currently residing on the Waldgrave property had their own version of things. Her head was pounding.
“I see. I know you’ve been getting some mixed messages here, and probably some straight lies,” Ava pursed her lips and took a deep breath, “All I can do is say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. I’m sorry for everything, and I promise that I will never lie to you. I’ve lost a lot of time with you, and I want to make it up to you—“
We’ll see about that, won’t we?
Ava stopped speaking immediately and a troubled look spread across her face; Lena’s eyes went wide as she realized the yard boy wasn’t the only one reading minds anymore.
“I—I’m sorry. It just sort of… I can’t believe anyone here. Everyone lies to me, and nobody cares.” A significant pile of used tissues had grown in her lap, but the tears were finally fading. Both mother and child were silent until Lena remembered she was supposed to be answering a question.
“He told me that you were alive, and that Howard was hiding the fact that I’m a member of some sort of secret royalty, or something like that. Um… My grandfather lives in the attic; and David can read minds, and he’s lying to Howard about why he’s really here.” Lena watched her mother’s face as she said all this. Ava’s worry seemed to weigh against her outrage for a moment, but the former won out.
“At least you have questions, then?”
“Is it all true?”
“Yes. I think the term ‘royalty’ is overstating it, but according to your grandfather, yes—you are descended of a noble lineage.”
“What’s your name?”
“Avalon Daray.”
“It says Sarah Collins on my birth certificate.” Lena had regained her footing. She wanted control of this conversation, and was going to get the answers she needed now that she had been offered the opportunity.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if you haven’t actually seen your real birth certificate; at that time though, I was going under the name Sarah Collins.” Ava was tired; it was going on eleven, and she had been up early that day searching for a missing person.
“Why were you going under a fake name?”
“That’s a very complicated question, and as I’ve said before, I’m afraid of giving you more than you’re
“What’s wrong with me?” Lena asked.
“David told you more than you were ready to hear,” She reached toward the nightstand, opened a drawer, and tossed a box of tissues onto the bed. She waited for Lena to finish wiping her face and blowing her nose before continuing. “And he apparently saw fit to leave you out in the snow and unconscious for several hours.”
“Why would he do that to me?” Lena felt a pang of disbelief run through her; David could be cruel, but he wasn’t dangerous. She had trouble believing he would leave her to hypothermia.
Ava looked down at the sleeping gown she had been wearing since that morning, using her palm to smooth it against her thigh. “If he had told people you were out there, it would have raised questions. Howard can’t know that he’s the one who told you, Lena, or he’ll be in a lot of trouble. As things currently stand, no one knows why you were outside, and you don’t remember, either.”
“Why?” Lena asked. “I could have died…”
Ava smiled pathetically. “Because Howard would make him leave. And while your immune system hasn’t quite developed yet, a little cold hasn’t hurt you. Some extra durability comes with the territory of the…changes, I guess, that you’ll be experiencing. The information you received was actually far more worrisome to your health.”
“The information?” Lena repeated.
“Your mind wasn’t ready for everything you were told, and it made you very sick. What were you told, Lena?” Sitting forward in her chair, Ava looked more concerned than she had at any previous moment.
“By who?” Lena rolled her eyes. It seemed everyone currently residing on the Waldgrave property had their own version of things. Her head was pounding.
“I see. I know you’ve been getting some mixed messages here, and probably some straight lies,” Ava pursed her lips and took a deep breath, “All I can do is say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. I’m sorry for everything, and I promise that I will never lie to you. I’ve lost a lot of time with you, and I want to make it up to you—“
We’ll see about that, won’t we?
Ava stopped speaking immediately and a troubled look spread across her face; Lena’s eyes went wide as she realized the yard boy wasn’t the only one reading minds anymore.
“I—I’m sorry. It just sort of… I can’t believe anyone here. Everyone lies to me, and nobody cares.” A significant pile of used tissues had grown in her lap, but the tears were finally fading. Both mother and child were silent until Lena remembered she was supposed to be answering a question.
“He told me that you were alive, and that Howard was hiding the fact that I’m a member of some sort of secret royalty, or something like that. Um… My grandfather lives in the attic; and David can read minds, and he’s lying to Howard about why he’s really here.” Lena watched her mother’s face as she said all this. Ava’s worry seemed to weigh against her outrage for a moment, but the former won out.
“At least you have questions, then?”
“Is it all true?”
“Yes. I think the term ‘royalty’ is overstating it, but according to your grandfather, yes—you are descended of a noble lineage.”
“What’s your name?”
“Avalon Daray.”
“It says Sarah Collins on my birth certificate.” Lena had regained her footing. She wanted control of this conversation, and was going to get the answers she needed now that she had been offered the opportunity.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if you haven’t actually seen your real birth certificate; at that time though, I was going under the name Sarah Collins.” Ava was tired; it was going on eleven, and she had been up early that day searching for a missing person.
“Why were you going under a fake name?”
“That’s a very complicated question, and as I’ve said before, I’m afraid of giving you more than you’re
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