"My mother?"
"Your mother was Gabrielle. Gabriel. One of the seven Archangels. Only two of them went voluntarily with the cursed, down to earth. To save us. She was the strongest. She was Michael's - that is - Charles Force's twin. His only love. It was her original sacrifice. He only followed out of his love for her. He gave up Paradise to be with her."
So that was why Charles visited her mother. Allegra was his sister. Which meant, he was her... uncle? The tangled Blue Blood family history was too complicated for Schuyler to make sense of it at the moment. Cordelia continued speaking. "They ruled together for thousands of years. In Egypt, pharaohs routinely married their sisters, as the emperors did in Rome. But in the modern world, the practice became increasingly proscribed, and so it became a hidden secret. Twins were still born in the same families, blood-bound to each other like I was to your grandfather; but through a change, one twin would assume the role of spouse, and the Red Bloods never noticed the transition. This way, fortunes were preserved in the same family for generations."
Schuyler thought of Mimi and Jack, of the strange and intimate bond between them.
"Charles and Allegra were blood-bound to each other for eternity. Until she met your father, that is. Your mother fell in love with Stephen. It was her doom. She renounced Charles. In his anger, Charles left the family. He took a new name and forsook the Van Alen legacy. When your father died, Allegra swore never to take another human familiar, to preserve their love. It is why she does not wake up. She exists between life and death. She refuses to take the Red Blood to keep her alive. Charles could help her, but chooses not to."
"My father was human?"
"Yes. You are the only one. You are a Half Blood. Dimidium Cognatus. You must take care. I have protected you as long as I could. There are those who will seek to destroy you."
"Who? Why?"
"It is said that the daughter of Gabrielle will bring us to the salvation we seek."
"Me? How?"
Cordelia coughed. She gripped Schuyler's arm tightly. "You must find your grandfather... my husband... Teddy... an Enmortal, a vampire who has kept the same physical shell for centuries... He and I separated a long time ago. After we were banished from the Conclave, we agreed it was safer to separate... We did not trust the Wardens... We believed one of them harbored the Croatan... Teddy has been missing for centuries... You must search the Repository for his last known whereabouts... He can help you. Try Venice, I think. He was fond of Italy. He might have gone there. Only he knows how to defeat the Silver Bloods. You must find him and tell him what's happened."
"How will I know him?"
Cordelia smiled wanly. "He's written a lot of books. Most of the ones in the library are from his collection, or were written by him."
"Who was he? What was his name?"
"He has many names. You need them, you know, if you're going to live for so long. But when we were together last he was going by Lawrence Winslow Van Alen. Comb the Piazza San Marco. And the Academy. Wait - Cipriani's is most likely. He did love his Bellinis. Tell him, tell him Cordelia sent you."
Schuyler nodded. She wept openly now. There were so many things yet to fathom - Charles/Michael, Allegra/ Gabriel, her human father, her immortal grandfather. She certainly had a strange and varied family tree. Her status as a Half Blood. Who else knew? Did Oliver? Jack? And what did it mean? What did it mean that Gabrielle's daughter would bring the Blue Bloods to salvation? It was too much. It was too big a burden to shoulder. She wanted nothing more than for Cordelia to stop bleeding. How would she go on without her?
Even though she knew her grandmother would never really die - she was still leaving this world for the time being. "Grandmother," she pleaded. "Stay."
"Take care of yourself, granddaughter," she said, reaching for Schuyler's hand. "Facio Valiturus Fortis." Be strong and brave. With that final blessing, Cordelia Van Alen's spirit reverted to a passive state.
CHAPTER 43
The funeral was SRO - Standing Room Only. It was amazing how many people knew Cordelia Van Alen. St. Bartholemew's was packed, and on the seventh night of viewing, there were still hundreds of people who showed up to pay their respects. The governor, the mayor, the two senators from New York, and many other people came to pay homage. It was almost as crowded as Jackie O's funeral, Mimi thought.
Unlike at Aggie Carondolet's funeral, almost every person attending had worn white to Cordelia Van Alen's. Even her father had insisted that the family dress in ivory raiment for the occasion. Mimi had chosen a cloud-colored Behnaz Sarafpour dress. She noticed Schuyler Van Alen at the front of the receiving line, greeting everyone in a slim white dress, her hair held back by two white gardenias.
"Thank you for coming," she told the Forces, shaking their hands.
"We share your sorrow. She shall return," Charles Force said solemnly. He was wearing a suit the color of cream. Schuyler had kept the circumstances of her grandmother's death to herself. If there was really a Silver Blood in the Conclave, she felt it best not to reveal what had truly happened. Instead, she had told everyone that Cordelia had tired of the Expression and was looking forward to resting before the next cycle.
"We await for glad tidings," Schuyler said the traditional reply back. She had learned a lot in the past two months.
"Vos Vadum Reverto," Jack whispered, bowing to the coffin. You Shall Return.
Mimi gave Schuyler a quick nod. She found Bliss arriving through the side door with her family. Bliss was wearing a Sarafpour shift dress identical to Mimi's. The girl from Texas was learning, too.
"Hey, Bliss, maybe after the funeral we can go to a spa. I'm so sore from power yoga," Mimi said to her friend.
"Sure," Bliss said. "I'll wait for you after the service." She walked up to Schuyler, who was standing by herself by the magnificent platinum coffin.
"Sorry about your grandmother," Bliss said.