A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

“Want me to come in with you?” Carrick asks as we both just stare at the boat.

“Yeah,” I reply, having already considered this. “I think they should see you right away to know our fences are mended.”

“What exactly did you tell them about me?”

I turn his way with a shrug. “Just that something bad happened, and I thought it was best to cut you out of my life. Obviously, I couldn’t tell them the truth.”

But I intend to do that tonight.

As we were walking up to the boat, I’d firmly made up my mind that Rainey and Myles need to know the full truth, along with the potential danger they would be in just by association with me. I’m terrified, of course, about revealing this to them. They could choose to believe I’m crazy and not accept my offer of the eye drops Veda gave me.

“Let’s do this,” I murmur. I step up onto the boat’s back platform, which is well lit with floodlights for safety, although the interior is fairly dark.

I push the doorbell, hearing the faint chime inside. Right now, I imagine Myles’ eyes popping open. He’s a light sleeper. Rainey loves sleep more than Chanel, so she won’t rouse.

Sure enough, within moments, Myles is at the door in nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt. His hair is a mess, and his eyes are heavy with sleep as he peers out the glass door.

When recognition hits, he jerks the door open. “Finley… what are you doing here at… what the hell time is it? Is everything okay?”

“It’s a little after two,” I reply softly, then shake my head sadly. “And no… everything isn’t okay. I need you to get Rainey up.”

Myles doesn’t have time to comprehend something bad might have happened as his gaze moves over my shoulder to where Carrick stands behind me. “What in the hell is he doing here?”

“It’s fine,” I assure him. “Now go get Rainey and come to the living room.”

“Okay,” he mutters before disappearing up the stairs. After entering, I turn on the living room lamps and settle onto one of the chairs adjacent to the couch where I’m sure Rainey and Myles will sit together. Carrick moves to the island counter that separates the living area and kitchen, but he doesn’t take a seat. He merely leans up against the end, crossing his arms.

Not sure what Myles said to get Rainey motivated so quickly, but they return hand in hand down the stairs in no time at all. Rainey sees Carrick, but she doesn’t seem surprised, which means Myles filled her in, then her gaze comes to mine with concern.

Releasing Myles’ hands, she pulls her blue robe tighter around herself and runs over to me. I stand. Perhaps sensing I’m here with some devastating news, she throws herself at me. Arms wrapping around my back, she squeezes the breath out of me, whispering, “Whatever it is, we can handle it together.”

My heart lurches because she couldn’t ever begin to imagine the intricacies of horror I’m here to tell her. I hope she’s right, and we’ll get through it together.

Pulling back, I nod toward the couch. “You and Myles sit… I’ve got something to tell you.”

Once again, Myles is by Rainey’s side, taking her hand as they sit close together on the couch. Their gaze is riveted to me, Carrick ignored for the time being.

I had practiced what to say for the last few miles in the car on the way here, but I can’t remember a damn thing at this moment.

Taking in a breath, I let my head drop, my gaze going to my hands, which are clasped so tightly my knuckles turn white. I’ve never had to deliver such horrible news.

It’s like a slap in the face when I realize Fallon has. She and I were both in high school when my dad died by suicide. He didn’t want either of us to find him, so he called 9-1-1 before completing the act. Walked out onto the deck, down the steps, and through Mom’s ratty old rose garden that we kept but couldn’t quite get to grow right, then continued to the edge of our property.

He never left a note, but he didn’t need to explain why he shot himself so far from the house. He didn’t want the house itself to be tainted for Fallon and me.

Yes, both Fallon and I were in school, but the assistant principal was the one who got the news, and he pulled Fallon from her class first and told her. Then he came with her to my class, and she’s the one who told me. My older-by-just-a-few-minutes sister, who always acted like a mother in so many ways, told me the grave news that our father was dead.

Once again, tears come to my eyes, not only for the news I’m about to deliver, but also for the pointed reminder that my sister has been in this position, and my sister is also no more.