“You are alive because of what I did!”
“Well, I can’t exactly help that, can I?”
She clenched her fists. “Do you know what my family was like?”
“You never told me.” I knew. I had done my homework.
“I was the youngest of seven children. I was beloved, Catalina. I was the baby with parents who adored me, five older brothers and an older sister, and in the span of three years, all of them were ripped away from me.”
My great-grandmother had had difficulty carrying a child to term. It ran in that side of the family. She’d had one failed pregnancy after another, until her first husband demanded a divorce. She ended up marrying for a second time. Her new husband was a widower with six children, whom she’d loved like they were her own. When she gave birth to baby Victoria, it was a huge and joyous surprise. Victoria was the baby of the family. She was wrapped in love and affection until her family was destroyed.
My grandmother’s voice was raw. “I was twelve years old when I had to kill for the first time. My sister sacrificed herself so I could live. I saw her die in front of me. House warfare took everything away from me. My parents. My siblings. My health. My happiness, my security, everything!”
The circle flashed with rapid pulses of white, reacting to her magic. I took a step back.
“All I ever wanted was to resurrect a little bit of that warmth. I wanted a baby, Catalina! A child I could love and raise. A family! Is that such a horrible thing? Yes, I wanted him to carry on our House name, because it would mean we won, but most of all I wanted him to be happy and safe. I had to sacrifice so much to bring your father into this world, and yes, I committed an atrocity, but I have been punished for it in the worst way possible. My son ran away from me. I loved him so much. I tried to make him strong because he had no magic. He was defenseless and I couldn’t bear to lose him like I lost everyone else. But he hated me for it, and he ran away, just like Linus. I was all alone, always looking for him, always hoping for a tiny crumb of a hint that he was alive somewhere. I never saw him marry. I never got to hold you or your sisters when you were babies. That was the only thing I wanted, and I didn’t get it. I will never get to hug my son again. He died without me by his side, and his daughters hate me. I know what you call me behind my back. You call me Evil Grandmother.”
Tears wet her eyes. Oh, dear God, what do I do now?
“You think Linus is this sweet old man, but the things he has done would make you wake up at night screaming. He’s worse than me! Somehow, he can swim through a lake of sewage and come out smelling like roses, and I ended up as this wretched witch whom everyone despises . . .”
The connecting door swung open, revealing Linus. He was slumped over, holding on to an IV stand to keep himself upright.
“Vicki,” he said. “Baby . . .”
“Don’t you call me that, you horrible shithead!”
My mouth refused to close. Was this even happening? What was happening? What . . .
“We had a deal,” Victoria said, her voice bitter.
“I never meant to hurt you,” he started.
“Spare me your bullshit! You knew what I was doing.”
“I never thought you’d go through with it,” he said.
Somewhere off to the side my brain processed the fact that Linus was awake and dispassionately noted that he was deflecting the responsibility off himself.
“Well, I did,” Victoria snarled. “I spent years trying to atone for it. I took care of her family, I relocated them, I hid them, I supported them, I saved her sister from being kidnapped. I have done everything they’ve asked of me in that contract. None of it wipes the sin off my soul, I know, but I’ve tried. But how did you treat me, Linus? How did you treat your son?”
“Your granddaughters love you,” Linus said. “Look, Catalina has been setting a trap for you for two years and she threw it away just to keep you safe.”
“Don’t patronize me.” Victoria blinked. “Wait. Why are you here?”
“He was attacked and took an overdose of Styxine.”
Victoria glared at him. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
It was my turn to drop a bomb. “Also, he is the Warden of Texas. I am his Deputy. Where else would he be?”
The room went as silent as a tomb.
Linus raised his right hand. “Vicki . . .”
“You bastard! You dirty sonovabitch!”
Oh-oh.
“Let’s be rational about this . . .” Linus started.