Chapter 74

-Ignatius-

“Ignatius.”

I just wanted it to stop. The sudden influx of memories was too much to bear. They poured into my head at a rate I couldn’t keep up with and filled my ears with the sound of her voice.

“Ignatius?”

I covered my ears, forcing my eyes tightly shut and wishing it to be over.

A hand on my shoulder wrenched me from my dream state and looked up to see Carly staring down at me with concern written across her face.

“Ignatius, are you okay?”

1 gawked at her for a moment, looking around at our campsite in the woods and the worried faces of my tear. I sank back into the clarity of reality and turned to look at Plato who was still in the same place, tapping his fingers together in distress. “Was it something I said?”

I pressed my palms against my eyes and fought to clear my head. “No, yes, it’s complicated.”“

Everyone was staring at me quizzically and I cleared my throat. We didn’t have time for emotional breakdowns. I didn’t have the luxury of being upses.

“You said she had long white hair!”

“Yes?” Plato co cked his head to the side. “Why?”

1 braved out a large sigh. “There is a very good chance that I know who that woman is.”

I looked around at all of their confused faces. Things had just become slightly more complicated. The Lady Tally is my mother.”

That news went down like a ton of f u cking bricks.

-Dorothy–

I felt Ignatius’ sudden influx of emotional turmoil before I heard his voice in my head.

Dorothy.”

My heart leaped with joy, relieved to hear his voice and enthralled with the distraction from my own m ental unrest.”I’m here. Where are you?”

“Still hanging around the camp. We have a lead but.. It’s not what we expected.”

“What do you

He was silent, hesitant. I felt his unease like a weight on my own chest.

“It’s about the Tally leader. I think, no I know, that it’s my mother.”

I sat bolt upright in bed at his words, “What? Are you sure? But how, I thought Moirah disappeared years ago.”

“Well, she did. It seems she’s done well for herself since then, all things considered.”

1 pinched the bridge of my nose in confusion, scrunching my eyes shut. “Do you think Elliot knows?”

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Chapter 74

“Honestly, I doubt it. He would have gone to war with the Tally a lot sooner if that had been the case”

I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could hold my mate in person. “So what now? Are you still

going to

I didn’t want to say what we were both thinking. If the mission was to go on as planned, Ignatius would have to take out the magic-wielder of the Tally Pack. That person being his own mother.

I didn’t doubt that he would do what was best for his people. But this was a showdown that none of us had seen coming

His tone was grim.

“We stick to the plan. Maybe I can reason with her, replace out why she’s doing all of this. Maybe she thinks she’s taking revenge on my father. If I can convince her that we are no longer associated with Elliot, maybe I can get her to back down. If not, well. We stick to the plan nonetheless.

I realized he had no reason for telling me any of this, there was nothing I could do from my end. Ignatius wanted reassurance. He needed to be reminded of what exactly he was fighting for.

1 swallowed my panic and spoke to him as gently as I could manage. “I know you’ll do the right thing. This is an impossible situation but you’re right. Maybe there is a way out of this mess without even more bloodshed.”

“I love you, was all he said, and then his presence was gone from my mind and I was alone with my thoughts once again.

I sat among the churned-up sheets. With the amount of tossing and turning I did every night, the bed looked like it was caught in a perpetual windstorm and most of the pillows ended up on the floor by the morning

Isniffed and stood up, shuffling towards the door. Angie was already waiting on the other side with a steaming cup of tea and a forced smile. “How are you doing today?”

“Oh you know, just dandy.” I muttered and immediately felt bad for my sarcasm when her face fell.

Tin sorry, ignore me. It’s just been a tough few days.”

“It’s alright. Dorothy. I understand

She turned to leave but I put out a hand to stop her. “Um, Ang? Could I ask you something? It’s about Ignatius’ mother.”

“Moarah? Sure.”

Angie followed me back into the room and we both perched on the unmade bed. Any other day I would have been embarrassed about the mess, but my mind was distracted by everything else going on.

I folded my hands over my stomach. The kicking from inside had become something of a comfort to me as the days went on. I was never completely alone these days, I had the company of my children, tapping away inside my belly, I wondered if they too missed their father’s voice.

“Ignatius has never spoken much about his mother. All he ever told me was that she was beautiful but odd and she ran away when he was very young”

Angie was twisting the sheets in her hands and her mouth was set in a grim line as I continued, “You’re a few years older than Ignatius right? And he said you guys have always been close. Do you remember anything of Moirah?”

She looked uneasy when she answered me as if she expected the woman to jump out from behind the curtains at any

“Moirali was strange. She was moe enough, I guess. And she seemed to really care about Ignatius. But not enough to stay by his side it would seem. I don’t think he ever truly forgave her for leaving”

“Why did she leave?”

Angie hung her head. It was pretty clear that Elhot wasn’t treating her very well. She never spoke about any of it but I can remember my family talking about it behind closed doors. Everyone knew bruises are difficult to hide. I think it eventually

11:00 Fri, Jan 26

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Fri Jan 26

Chapter 74

ch for her?

She knit her brows together “Why

She took the newsammutally well. While tematis

could

I’m corpsed te dn’t lie that it be a powellity or she weng

( in queeren ber a little more but saddenh, Angie interned and her eyes gland

And a hand to fresh me and an applek washed over her features After are often Ange Hoked at me. Tent flashed in her eyes and she gripped my hand tightly “Tally soldiers have been spoed the permetes My grander post warme me

What Right now that we not ready mata sunt even back get he would have warmed us

Ängir was already standing up and rushur

ethe door” “Dorothy: T

“How can I belje” I can helge” I said beetsly) as die stene hest spenthe front ilser. “Let me trip

oth her and put her hands

kerpoor 1.

shoulders. “I needy

Str plated a insan my cheekand

cot the door. “11 vr you okay? Lack the doors?”

after line as she speed.

ach “Boka whispered “prot you

dyes and feeds prongga damg my nishing thosights

1 slanik ini barat, Bandung my mustad thoughts and trying again. “Ignatius. “They at here’

den. I got nothing in response, į šega irking for a good long wide, my identitetin shanty morphing on desperatan seduci 1 jam, je imajte “Tpatia Whrer are you?

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