A bloody family reunion.
Chapter Nine
Manuel marched me down to the basement of the manor, following the click, click, click of Silvia’s six-inch heels. I’d never been down here, but I’d heard of it. It was basically the dungeon. A place to dispatch and hide away the undesirables, like in ancient times. The Nephilim never used it, but it was always there in case the need should arise.
Expecting iron bars and dingy stone walls, I was surprised to see that the basement matched the rest of the manor. Cream colored walls, antique wooden trim, and bright recessed lighting above. It resembled a tiny home, with a main gathering room and separate bedroom suites. The only signs of a dungeon were the lack of windows and the lock on the heavy metal door that screeched when Manuel pushed it open for us.
“She doesn’t need to stay here. She’s not a danger.” Luke had continued arguing all the way down to the dungeon. His voice was becoming strained. “My daughter will not be locked up.”
“I appreciate your passion.” Silvia smiled, her teeth perfectly white except for one little yellow spot on her right eye tooth. “But you’re no longer running things around here. We need to make sure everyone is safe. I doubt you will argue that goal.”
He shook his head. “No, but I want it known that I absolutely disagree with your methods.”
“Noted.” She smiled again and my eyes went directly to the yellow spot.
Manuel led me to a solid wooden table and indicated that I should sit.
“Please, remain calm for this session,” he whispered in my ear. “It is in your best interest. I will be here the entire time to help.”
At that moment, Oscar waltzed in with Granny right behind him. Despite the fact that I knew Granny distrusted the Nephilim, she looked amazingly calm and assured with her head held high and her shoulders firm. Her dark eyes swept across the room, settling on me for the briefest of seconds. Although her face barely twitched, I could feel the hatred coming off of her in waves. My own hatred for the woman who had raised me flared up, raising the hairs on the back of my neck.
Manuel put his hand on my arm. “Calm yourself.”
I wanted to yank my arm away from him, but resisted. His story about his brother had unfolded a new layer in our relationship. A layer of trust. I wanted to follow his instructions.
Taking a deep breath, I expanded my diaphragm into my stomach just like he’d taught me, and let it go through my clenched teeth. It worked, at least a bit. I wasn’t launching myself across the room at Granny, so I counted it as a win.
“What am I doing here?” Granny’s voice was harsh and cold. “I want nothing to do with that girl, do you hear me? She made her own bed and now she has to lie in it.”
“My own bed?” My voice strained against my eardrums. “My own bed? You’re the one who tried to sacrifice me to a demon! I’d say you chose my bed for me.”
Granny shrugged. “An oversight. One that our town has paid for many times over.”
She was referring of course to the victims of Margaret Thatcher. When the demon couldn’t find me, it started plucking off Hanna’s residents one by one in order to get to me. I couldn’t imagine how the town elders had responded to their precious deity killing them off. The absurdity made me want to giggle.
“Sit down,” Silvia said to her, pointing at the table with one long manicured fingernail. “We have much to discuss.”
Manuel’s hand on my shoulder and Luke’s pleading look were the only things that could’ve persuaded me to stay at the table with the European invaders and the one woman I hated more than anyone in this whole world. I kept my eyes on Granny, wishing my gaze was like a laser so that I could cut right through her. She ignored my glare and instead, straddled a chair, pulled a cigarette from her pocket, and lit it up.
“So, I’m guessing this impromptu meeting is about the return of my daughter, Elizabeth,” she said with the cigarette between her lips.
Luke smacked the table, causing me to jump. Rage burned bright in his icy blue stare. “You knew she was still alive?”
“Of course I did. Kicked her out of town myself. Should’ve killed that girl, but it was years ago and I was softer then. Should’ve taken the rifle to her temple and...”
Luke hissed, but it didn’t seem to bother her. She took a long drag and blew the smoke out her nose.
“We need to know what information you have on Elizabeth Redding,” Silvia said coolly. “The whole story. Don’t hold back.”
Granny’s eyes narrowed as she stared her down from across the table. “What’s in it for me?”
Silvia’s nostrils flared. “What do you want?”
I thought about all the things Granny could want. She could ask for money to fix up that broken down two bedroom house that I’d grown up in. Or, maybe her granddaughter’s head on a pike? I wouldn’t put it above her to ask. Silvia was a tough one to crack, though. A Nephilim with a real case of ego. She’d resist giving anything to a human without a fight.
Granny leaned forward, blowing another puff of smoke. “Protection. Protection for the boundaries of my town.”
“Don’t you have people for that?” Silvia asked with a dismissive flick of her wrist.