Page 75 of Blood Bond (Dark Witch Chronicles 2)
I glance up at Tarnley, who offers a curt nod in support.Might as well rip the bandage off. “No. Unfortunately, I don’t know of an immediate way out of this. I do, however, have firsthand experience when it comes to the brutality of the Witch Council.”
“You were on it for a time, weren’t you?” Willa questions.
“Yes. Briefly. But that’s not what I’m referring to.” I take a deep breath. “I am acutely aware of how murderous they are because my mother was executed by them when I was a kid. No trial, no evidence. Just slaughtered while she was kneeling on the floor of our living room.” Just the mention of it sends me spiraling headfirst into grief, the weight of it bricks upon my soul.
Deissy gasps and covers her mouth with both hands.
“Shit.” Cole shakes his head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Always the comforter, Rainey crosses her arms and asks, “Why? I can’t imagine she was simply executed for no reason, not that I’m saying she deserved it,” she adds quickly. “I’m not, I’m just curious as to what they charged her with.”
“I know what you meant.” I smile to let her know I’m not angry at her question. “She’d had an affair with a man not in her faction.”No one says anything. “He was a hunter. From one of the oldest bloodlines.”
The entire room descends into complete silence. I’m pretty sure you could hear a drop of blood hit the floor, even without enhanced hearing to aid you. As I glance around the room, I search the expressions of my friends for any sign that they’ve put the pieces together.
“No,” Delaney whispers. “You’re saying she had an affair with—”
“Great, great grandfather Astor,” I reply.
“Your mother had an affair with an Astor?” Elijah questions, brows drawing together. I see it, the moment he puts two and two together. Eyes wide, he stares at me. “You’re an Astor.”
“Wait a fucking minute.” Rainey whirls on him then back to me.
“It’s true. My biological father was Joaquin Astor.”
No one makes a sound. I’m pretty damn sure both Rainey and Delaney stop breathing for a moment. In a show of support, Tarnley presses his palm to my lower back as I await their responses.
“How long have you known about this?” Delaney questions.
“Since the night my mother was murdered. I overheard arguing between her and the man who raised me, so I came running downstairs. He told me that my mother was a whore and that I was no child of his.”
“Sweet,” Rainey retorts dryly.
“No kidding. The council showed up shortly after and executed her.”
“You saw it?”
“I did.”
Rainey’s angry expression morphs into something akin to horror. “How old were you?”
“Young.” I clear my throat. “Had I not shown magical tendencies after my nineteenth birthday, he was going to kill me as well. I imagine the council would have taken it upon themselves that same night had he not been a member of the Immortal Council at the time. I spent my entire childhood ingesting tonic after tonic in hopes that it would prove to him whether I was a witch or not.”
“What about Jane? One of her lives was as your sister, right? Was she an Astor?” Rainey’s jaw tightens at the mention of the woman who’d been her best friend.
“She was not. My mother’s affair didn’t last long and only resulted in me.”
Everyone falls silent, likely processing everything I’ve told them. And aside from Deissy, who keeps staring at Z, no one looks pleased at my revelation.
“You’re telling us,” Rainey starts, “that not only are you some kind of great aunt to us but that the man you knew as a father was part of the Immortal Council?”
“Yes.”
“Is he still?”
I shake my head. “He retired to Scotland about seventy-five years ago.”
“Fucking-a.” Rainey turns away from me.