Page 54 of Gilded Lies

Cold washes over me. I have family? Rune’s arm around me keeps me from sinking into the floor. My heart clenches and releases. My chest expands and I don’t know what I want to do first—cry, scream, or faint.

Oh, my God, I have a sister! All those nights I spent wanting a family, praying for one and wishing someone was listening has finally come true.

Rune takes my weight when my knees finally give out. “Easy, petals. I’ve got you. We’ll figure this out.” His love surrounds me, and I hold onto that energy as he steadies me.

Mia looks as excited and scared as I do. She has the same color of eyes as me, the same jawline, and slight frame.

“Sister?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’ve known Madam Celeste my whole life.”

“You two girls were your mother’s joy. I hate what happened to her.”

I pluck out one of the million questions swirling in my head and give it a voice. “ My mom. Is she still alive? Where is she? And my dad? What happened? Why were we separated?”

“Madam Celeste?” Mia looks to the older woman with a load of her own questions. “Why didn’t you tell me I had a sister?”

Madam Celeste pulls us both over to a low table and we all take a seat. “Baby girl, I made a promise to your mother. She couldn’t afford a doctor and she couldn’t risk your father finding her.” Memories cloud the eyes of my mother’s old friend. Her voice becomes quiet and the way she stares out over my shoulder tells me what we are about to hear will leave scars on our hearts.

“I knew when she came to me the birth of you girls would leave her body too weak. I saw it in a vision. I tried to tell her but she wouldn’t hear any of it. She refused to let me take her to the hospital. She wouldn’t have it.”

Madam Celeste takes a deep breath, the pain in her words affecting the energy in the room. “She was in labor for hours. Hours. But I swear it was the stress and fear of your father finding her that took its final toll on her. You both came fast, like your little souls knew you didn’t have long to be with her.”

Another pause. Another deep breath.

I reach across the table and take the other woman’s hand while my sister does the same. All three of us sit there for a long moment absorbing and lending each other the strength it seems we all need.

“She held you close. Both of you. And while she cried over your little heads she made me promise to keep you hidden. I was young and I just couldn’t take care of one baby much less two so I put you in a foster home. I wanted to keep you together, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

“It wasn’t up to you, Madam Celeste.” Mia pats the lady’s hand, offering comfort.

“No, you’re right. But still.”

Dark brown eyes turn to me, pleading for forgiveness. Why I don’t know. It wasn’t her fault our mother died on her birthing bed.

“I’m sorry, baby girl. I couldn’t protect you. I cried and cried for days but my tears did nothing for you.” She grabs my handtightly. “I feel the pain you suffered through the years. It runs through you like the blood in your veins.”

Rune’s arm comes around me protectively. “She’s no longer alone. She has people around her now. No one will hurt her again.”

“Hmhm. You’re right. Thank the gods for that.”

I push up from the table and wonder how rude it would be to go out for some fresh air. Mia must be thinking the same because she is standing and moving toward the front of the tarot shop.

When I think she’s going to leave, the woman who shares the same colored eyes as me and the same shape of lips turns and throws her arms around me. I do the same and we just stand there for a long moment breathing each other in. Madam Celeste’s words don’t sink in right away but when they do, I turn around and have to ask a burning question. “Are we twins?”

“Hmhm, child you were born thirty-five seconds apart. You were both racing to be the first. Your sweet momma was in tears the whole time.”

“And our father?”

I don’t know if it is instinct or habit, but Mia places her hand on her weapon before she asks, “And our father? Why did our mother fear him?”

“He was a bad card, baby girl. A bad card. He loved violence as much as he loved drinkin’ and drugin’.”

“Where is he now?” Rune has vengeance on the brain and I can already see the wheel of a murder plot coming to life in the calculating look he shoots Madam Celeste.

“Dead last I heard. He met his end at the mouth of a hungry gator.”

The way Madam Celeste runs her hands over the table in front of her working out invisible wrinkles says she might have more information on that particular event than she’s letting on.