“What circumstances?” Olivia put a hand protectively over her belly. She was still in her first quadmester and wasn’t showing yet, but her mothering instincts were already in high gear.
“Your husband didn’t tell you?”
“Tell us what?” Liv frowned. “First tell us why you aren’t dead. No offense, but that’s what our mom told us before…before she passed away.”
Aunt Abby closed her eyes for a moment as though holding back tears. “Yes, I heard about that. I can’t believe I never got to say goodbye to her. I always thought there would be time but I was afraid, so afraid she wouldn’t want me back in her life. And now it’s too late. She’s gone and Lauren is gone…I’ve lost everything. Everyone.”
“What do you mean ‘she’s gone’ and ‘Lauren’s gone’? Lauren was our mom’s name,” Sophie protested.
“And it was the name of my daughter too. The one who disappeared. Look.” She pressed a button and suddenly her face was replaced with the image of a lovely girl with creamy mocha skin and eyes the same amber color as Aunt Abby’s. The girl was laughing, her long silky black hair being whipped in the wind and the sun shining through palm trees behind her. She was wearing a pink striped bikini top and shading her eyes with one hand. There was something about the picture that bothered Sophie but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“She’s beautiful,” Liv said when their aunt reappeared again. “She has your eyes.”
“And her father’s skin,” Aunt Abby said grimly. “Which is why your grandparents decided to kick me out when they found out I was pregnant. I didn’t know they’d told your mom I was dead, though.”
“They said you died having her—having Lauren.” Sophie spoke through numb lips. “Mom never liked to talk about it much. It made her too sad.”
Aunt Abby shook her head. “Your grandfather paid me a great deal of money to sever all ties with my family. I took it and did well with it—I’m a wealthy woman now, for all the good it does me. I was carrying twins, you know, when I first got pregnant with her. And then I lost Lauren’s sister when I gave birth. But I told myself as long as I had Lauren…” Tears began to leak down her cheeks. “And I don’t even have her now. I don’t know where she is or even if she’s alive.”
“Oh, Aunt Abby, I’m so sorry!” Sophie wished she could give the woman a hug. “What happened? Is there anything we can do to help?”
“I hope so.” Their aunt wiped her eyes with a tissue. “I only tracked the two of you down a month or so ago. I was going to contact you first and see if you were interested in having some kind of relationship before I told Lauren. She always wanted to have more family.” She sniffed. “But I’m contacting you now for a different reason. I was hoping that since you’re both with the Kindred, maybe you might be able to help locate her in some way.”
Sylvan and Baird had been standing quietly in the background but now Sylvan stepped forward. “Tell us about the circumstances of her disappearance and we’ll see what we can do.”
“All right.” Aunt Abby sniffed again. “She disappeared from her shop almost a week ago. It’s the strangest thing—the police can’t find any blood or hair or fibers that might lead to the…to the attacker at all.” She cleared her throat, obviously forcing herself to continue. “In fact, there was nothing but a pile of clothes in the bathroom. But the way they were layered on top of each other, the clothes on the shoes… It wasn’t like she’d taken them off—more like she’d just…disappeared right out of them.”
Sophie felt her breath catch in her throat and she saw Sylvan’s face tighten. The molecular transport beam. Could it be? “Aunt Abby,” she said. “Could…could you show us that picture of Lauren again?”
“Of course.” Their aunt’s image disappeared to be replaced with the laughing picture of Lauren in the pink striped bikini top.
“There,” Olivia said, striding up to the viewscreen and pointing. “Right there. Do you see it? Between her breasts?”
“The star shaped birth mark,” Sophie breathed. That was what had been bothering her about the picture. She looked at Liv. “The prophesy,” she whispered, aware that her aunt could still hear them if they spoke too loud. “The Scourge prophesy.”
“Lauren is the one.” Liv’s face was pale and she was whispering too. “Oh my God, the poor girl!”