"Jesus. . . Christ. "
The exclamation came from Tohrment, and the snap of his voice shifted the female's iron gray eyes to him. She bowed in slow reverence. "Tohrment. . . son of Hharm. One of my saviors. "
Xhex was vaguely aware of the Brother bracing himself on the trunk, as if his knees had voted to take a holiday on him. But what she was truly concerned with were the features that had been revealed. They were so like her own, more rounded, true. . . more delicate, yes. . . but the bone structure was the same.
"Mother. . . " Xhex breathed.
As the female's eyes swung back, she did the same search-and- memorize routine on Xhex's face. "Verily. . . you are beautiful. "
Xhex touched her own cheek. "How. . . "
Tohrment's voice was full of shock as he demanded, "Yes. . . how?"
The female came forward a little farther with that limp--and Xhex instantly wanted to know who or what had harmed her: Although there was no sense to any of this--she'd been told her true mother had died in childbirth, for godsakes--she wanted no injury to ever befall this sad, lovely creature in the robes.
"The night of your birth, daughter mine, I. . . I did die. But when I sought entry unto the Fade, I was not permitted to pass. The Scribe Virgin, however, in all Her mercies, did allow me sequestering on the Far Side and therein I have e'er stayed, serving the Chosen as penance for my. . . death. I am still in service to a Chosen, and have come here to be on this side to care for her. But. . . in truth, I have arrived unto this plane to finally look upon you in person. I have long watched and prayed for you from the Sanctuary. . . . and now that I see you, I find. . . I am well aware that there is much you would need to consider and have explained and be angered over. . . But if you should be of an open heart to me, I should like to forge. . . an affection. I can understand if it is too little, too late. . . . "
Xhex blinked. As lame as it made her, it was all she could do. . . apart from absorb the female's incredible sorrow.
Eventually, in an attempt to understand something, anything, she tried to pierce the mind of the robed figure before her, but didn't get far at all. Any specific thoughts or memories, like Tohrment's, were blocked from her perception. She had emotional context, but no detail.
She knew, however, that the female told the truth.
And though there had been many times she had felt deserted by the one who had birthed her, she wasn't stupid. The circumstances of her conception, given who her sire had been, could not possibly have been joyous.
Horrific was more like it.
Xhex had always felt that she must have been a curse on the mother who had borne her, and so now, meeting the female face-to-face? She felt no acrimony toward the still, tense figure before her.
Xhex got to her feet, and as she stood, she sensed Tohrment's rank despair and disbelief, and knew some of that for herself. But she would not turn away from this opportunity. . . this gift that destiny had given her on the night of her mating.
She walked slowly across the rug. As she came up to her mother, she noticed the other female was much smaller than she, and thinner of stature, and more timid of nature.
"Whatever is your name?" Xhex asked roughly.
"I am. . . No'One," came the reply. "I am No'One--"
A shrill whistle whipped everybody's heads around to the door. John was standing just inside the room, his sister the queen by his side, a small red bag with MARCUS REINHARDT JEWELERS, EST. 1893 written on it in his hand.
John clearly hadn't gone for a workout. He'd gone with Beth into the human world. . . to pick out a mating ring.
Xhex looked around at the assembled and saw the tableau they all made: Tohrment by the LV trunk, John and Beth in the doorway, No'One by the bed.
She would remember this moment all the days of her life. And though
there were more questions in her mind than answers, she found the strength in her own soul to voice a reply to John's mute question about who her mystery guest was.
And actually, it was because of him she was able to answer at all: Always look forward. There was much in the past that was best left in the annals of history. Here in this room, with these people, she needed to look forward.
Clearing her throat, she said loudly and clearly, "John. . . this is my mother. And she shall stand for me at our mating. "
John seemed utterly nonplussed--but he got over it quickly. Like a perfect gentlemale, he approached No'One and bowed at the waist. After he signed, Xhex translated hoarsely.
"He said he is grateful for your presence on this night and that you are e'er welcome within our home. "
No'One put her hands over her face, clearly overcome with emotion. "Thank. . . you. Thank you. "
Xhex wasn't a hugger, but she was damned good at holding people up, and she clasped her mother's terribly thin arm so the poor thing didn't go down onto the carpet.