Reading my thoughts, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine. “Ah, now you finally understand.”
I lounged on the couch, trying to concentrate on reading a book while nursing a cup of coffee. Stefan sat with my feet in his lap as he scanned his e-mails on his iPhone, occasionally sighing or tightening his lips in aggravation as he would read and then quickly type out a response. It was just another moment that made me realize how truly lucky I was. His golden hair gleamed in the sunlight, his pale skin almost appearing dewy. He was dressed only in tight, faded jeans and was shirtless and barefoot. He felt my eyes on him and he smiled, not looking up from his phone.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?” I asked, wiggling my feet on his lap.
“What is it you say to me?” He looked up and tapped a finger on his chin. “Ah, you are biased.”
Snorting softly, I nudged him with my foot. He resumed tapping away on his phone for a few minutes until he suddenly stopped, glancing up from his phone and raising an eyebrow. “Nigel is here.”
Seconds later a knock sounded on the door. Tossing my book on the ottoman, I jumped up to answer it. Nigel stood on the other side, looking embarrassed. If a vampire could blush, he would be. He averted his hazel eyes to look at something over my left shoulder to avoid my gaze.
“Come in, Nigel.” I fully opened the door to let him enter. He nodded and entered, standing silently with his hands clasped. I pushed the door closed and leaned against it for a moment. Suddenly I was a bundle of nerves as I anticipated what information he had about my mother.
I watched his obvious discomfort grow when he saw Stefan reclining on the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him, his ankles crossed casually.
“Come sit with me, vackra.” He patted his lap with his large hands in an enticing invitation.
I crossed the room to rejoin him on the couch, curling up in his lap and resting my head against his shoulder. Stefan’s finger ran up languidly up and down my spine, causing me to shiver and settle closer against him.
“Nigel.” Stefan greeted him with a slight nod of his head.
“Stefan. Josephine. I apologize for the earlier interruption. Your progeny assured me you were only sleeping.”
Stefan waved his hand in dismissal. “Lukas is impetuous and makes it his mission to annoy me, and in extension Josephine. It is one of his gifts.” He motioned towards the chair across from him. “Please sit. You have information for Josephine about her birth mother, yes?”
Nigel nodded and ran a hand through his tousled, shoulder length brown hair. “Before I go any further, I need your assurance that this information will not leave this room.”
Stefan glanced down at me, giving me a knowing look. “He is risking everything coming to us with this information.”
I gave him a swift nod. In other words, Nigel would meet the final death if Kian found out he spilled the beans.
“Consider our lips sealed,” Stefan assured him.
Nigel took a deep, unnecessary breath. His heavy Australian accent was hypnotizing to listen to. “I met your mother 40 years ago. She was barely 16 and was newly married to your father. I was captivated by her gentleness and beauty. I admired her from afar.”
“What was her name?” I questioned, my voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak.
His face went blank as he lost himself further in his memories. “Her name was Armes. She had long brown hair that hung in waves. Her eyes were the deepest blue I’d ever seen. She was very much in love with Kian then…”
Stefan’s fingers twitched against my back as he interrupted Nigel. “Armes. Prophetess in Welsh. Did she have any abilities?”
“Yes. She could see the future and read minds.”
Gasping, I covered my mouth with my hand. No wonder Kian had watched me from afar for so many years. I had the same ability as my mother and would be a valuable asset to him. Stefan patted my leg and gestured for Nigel to continue.
“Kian coveted her abilities. It only took 10 years for Armes to tire of him and his manipulations and games. He flaunted others in front of her,” Nigel swallowed, his Adams’s apple bobbing in his throat. “One day she came to me and I will admit that didn’t refuse her advances. I loved her and had been in love her for many years. We made plans to disappear and she confronted Kian. I never saw her again after that day.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the room. I didn’t breathe until Nigel began talking again.
“Kian informed all of the Council that Armes had left him and abandoned her family. You were just a baby, Josephine. He thought it best if you were raised by a human family. He claimed he wanted you to have a chance at a normal life.”