The man removed the hood of his cloak. He had a gentle demeanor, but his eyes told a different story. He was cunning, and it was starting to become obvious that he didn’t play for any team. Perhaps he weighed his judgments according to his own compass, or maybe he was working for Severin in secret. Killian chose to keep an open mind, since a closed one never served him well in the past.
“Shh, keep your voice down. They will hear you,” he whispered. His eyes lowered to the flame. The wax melted down the shaft, falling against his palm, but he did not flinch from the heat.
He continued. “The entirety of my life has been dedicated to supporting Ruby,” he said, turning to eye Rae. “Your sister.”
“You know her well, then?” Rae asked.
The old man nodded solemnly. “Known her since birth. Severin rescued her, but I was the one who taught her.”
Confused, Rae clutched the end of the cloak he had so kindly offered her. “Why didn’t she mention you to me? Was I too shocking a discovery?”
“When it was clear that the coalition built enough support to reform the Republic, she came to me with reservations. First and foremost, she did not love Severin. Second, she could not bear children. This didn’t have to be a problem. After all, she was the one calling the shots. But emotions can tumble an empire. She panicked and lost a bit of herself every time she tried to conceive with him,” he said.
Rae snorted. “Forgive my laughter, but my sister is a cunt.”
He smiled as if exhilarated by a distant memory. “Your sister was the most wonderful woman I knew.”
“So what the hell happened?” Killian asked.
“I urged her to move forward with the rebellion. She took the city and lost sight of what she set out to do. She was told she had a sister—Severin’s doing, of course. And when it sank in that you were pregnant, she became a different person.”
“She wanted to kill me. Didn’t she?” Rae finally asked.
The man quit smiling. Finally, it was silent above their heads. “What makes you think she’s dead?”
Sharp shivers ran throughout Rae’s body. “No,” she whimpered. “Are you certain she isn’t?”
The man glanced at the rifle draped over her shoulder. “I am never certain of anything,” he said.
Killian lurched forward until his lips were barely hovering over the flame of his candle. “Who are you really?”
“I am Virgil. I was once a preacher, although I don’t deal in the ways of God anymore. These days, I spend most of time in the basement. It’s where Severin prefers me to reside,” he said, sneeringly, lifting his disfigured hands.
She pointed rudely. “What happened to them?”
He didn’t even attempt to hide the gnarled knuckles and bent fingers. “If anyone were to ask, and you were the first one to do so, I’d tell them that I have been treated exceptionally well by the minister.”
Rae did the only thing she was good at. She showed empathy. “I’m sorry. I do feel your pain,” she said, throwing her arms around Virgil’s shoulder. She kissed his cheek tenderly.
The three alphas were quiet as usual. Years ago, this kind of behavior wouldn’t have gone unchallenged, but Rae had softened their hearts quite a bit. Even Virgil seemed to be put off guard. Affection was worth more than the clothing on their backs.
Virgil raised a brow. His eyes lit up against the flames. “I didn’t expect you to be like this,” he said.
“Like what?”
“A mother. Not a real one, at least. I suppose there are plenty of mothers around still,” he said. “But there is something different about you. Perhaps, they’ve set you up for a great success.”
“I highly doubt that,” Rae said. “I simply follow my heart.”
The man carefully stood and pointed toward the long stretch of tunnel. At the end of the nearly endless shaft, there was the shape and sound of flowing water. “Then, follow your heart forward. From here on out, it’s not going to be easy. But, on the other side, you will find what you’re searching for.”
“Nothing has ever been easy for me,” she said, proudly. “I’m ready.”
“Good,” Virgil replied. “Then, I will take you to your children.”
Chapter Eight
“Where the fuck is she?” Severin screamed, face as red as the blood he’d seen pour from Ruby’s skull onto the operating table. “Do you hear me? I demand you find the bitch who ruined my fucking wife!”