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that. I don’t know what she was talking
about, but I got a feeling I should tell you.”
    I nodded. “Yes, thank you for letting me know. Give
us a minute alone.” I returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Her
easy-going expression was gone, as if she could feel the tension. “You knew
about Astrid?”
    She reached over and patted my hand. “Of course I
knew about her; I’m your mother. You and her used to sneak off at night.”
    “Why didn’t you stop me?”
    “I liked what she did for you. You never had friends
in school and your father was no role model for you. When you met her, you
started smiling and you gained self-confidence. Your father was a cruel
bastard, so I couldn’t keep you from seeing her.”
    “Was she the one who hurt you?”
    She looked so sad that I wanted to drop it, but Langril’s
words repeated in my head. He suggested that Krechea’s familiar could have
killed Joseph and hurt my mother. Although it wasn’t likely, Astrid deserved
the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t remember what happened, and I thought my
mother hadn’t, either.
    “It was John who hurt me.”
    John had controlled her mind to make her leave
Vincent and tortured her relentlessly for years before she had me and he lost
interest. Vincent and Hunt took us to Joseph Sanders and altered her memories
to make her forget John. I know their intention was to give us a happy life,
but a stranger off the street would have been a better husband and father than
Joseph. Plus, whoever thought it was a good idea to alter her memories after
she suffered years of mind control needed to be slapped.
    I took her hands and leaned closer. “I know he hurt
you, but I’m talking about the night Joseph was killed. Did Astrid hurt you?
Did she do this to you?”
    “John did this. Joseph wasn’t your father. I know I
should have told you, but I… I forgot.”
    “I know. It’s okay, I just want to know what happened
that night. And I’m sorry.” I felt horrible as I did it, but I released my
magic to invade her mind. I didn’t want to control her, but I needed to see her
memories. Having done this many times, I wasn’t expecting her to jump back. Her
chair clattered to the floor, I retracted my magic, and she backed up into the
corner of the room.
    “No, no! Not again!”
    “I’m sorry. That was stupid and I should have known
better. Please calm down.”
    She shook her head violently. “No! I won’t go through
this again!” She grabbed a knife off the counter and aimed it at her own heart.
    I reacted instinctively to take control of her mind.
“Stop!” I demanded.
    She did, but the fear on her face was heartbreaking.
“I don’t want to go through it again.”
    “I’m sorry.” I took the knife from her hand, set it
aside, and released my power. “He’s gone. John is dead. I have the same power,
but I don’t use it like him. I also know about Vincent.” Surprise overcame the
fear and she met my eyes. “I need to see that night, and to do that, I need to
see in your mind. If you say no, though, I won’t.”
    “I can’t see it again.”
    “Okay.”
     
    *          *          *
     
    Henry and I left and drove to Stephen’s coven. There
was a nasty looking storm off to the south, but Henry said it wasn’t heading
for my mother’s house. Even still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something
very dangerous was close. “Maybe we should take Scott and my mother to the
university,” I said.
    “Is your mother prepared to learn about the
paranormal?”
    “No.” Actually, she apparently already knew, because
she was starting to remember what John did to her. Seeing Vincent was the last
thing she needed. “I guess not knowing what Krechea is after is making me
paranoid.”
    Then, as soon as we were out of the city, the
sensation vanished.
     
    *          *          *
     
    It was a comfortable silence throughout most of the
drive. When we reached the estate, Henry parked