Page 91 of Reign

And the small detail of me accusing him and allowing him to rot in prison.

The squeamishness returns, the nausea and slime of not being blood-related to any of them. Of not being needed.

Except, there’s Ahmar. No blood exists between us, yet he’s my uncle, no question.

At the thought of him, an idea pops into my head regarding the blood I do share. “Check my DNA.”

Ahmar frowns. “Huh?”

“My DNA,” I repeat. “Check it against Headmaster Marron’s.”

“What are you talking about…?” Realization hits, his forehead smoothing. “No fucking way.”

“He was a teacher when Mom went here. They had an affair. I…” I take a breath, weighing my options. “Last night at the boathouse, the last words Chase said to me were that Howard Mason was my real father. That’s Headmaster Marron. I was confused when he shouted it. It was so unexpected that that was what he chose to say when Sabine was holding a knife to his throat, but—now I understand why. There’s no evidence left. Everything I’ve learned, all I’ve collected, was taken by the societies.” I look down at my inner elbow, where an IV drips steady fluids into my body. “All except for this. Me.”

“I’m … I think I’m following you, but I need more information.”

“Marron is my real father. Is that enough evidence to show some credibility that what I’m saying is true? Marron is a high ranking official of the Nobles. He works for Daniel Stone. And he’s aware of everything Sabine’s done for the Virtues. He sanctions it. I have no idea if he knows I exist, but being his secret love child while he was a teacher…” I think of Dr. Luke. “It would disgrace him. He might do anything to keep it from coming out. Including turning into a credible witness for me, explaining to police that I’m not a killer and admitting to them the society exists and Sabine’s been trafficking girls. He’d be heralded as a hero if Sabine goes down, can take all the credit for all I care. This could work. It’s not much, but it’s something.”

Ahmar slow-blinks. Licks his lips. “Calla. You’re scaring me. Think this through. If this is your father, can you be okay using him this way? It would ruin any chance you have to get to know someone you thought you’d never meet.”

I shake my head, my mouth thinning. “He’s not my father. He lost that right when he left my mother to fend for herself. He’s my sperm donor, nothing more.”

“Kiddo.”

“I mean it, Ahmar.”

“Okay. I won’t push it.” Ahmar pauses, studying my heart monitor, then comes back to me. “So this boy. This Chase. You trust what he has to say?”

Marron being my father is yet another secret Chase kept hidden, and while it’s crushing, it makes a sick kind of sense that Chase held it back. It’s not the proud moment of finding my real father I’d always envisioned. It’s a sickening blow of news against my head, and if Marron knew, all this time, yet sicced his actual daughter and her friends on me anyway … Willow. My half-sister.

“Yes,” I say. “I believe Chase.”

“Jesus fuck.” Ahmar rubs the top of his balding head. “Meredith never said a word.”

“Just that he was a random one-night stand,” I supply. “I received the same story.”

“I gotta believe, with all my heart, she was protecting you.” Ahmar leans back. “Considering what you’ve said, what Pete’s told me…”

“She was. Mom didn’t want me to know my father, or for me to be at Briarcliff, because I’m a threat to what Sabine and Daniel have built. Tell Detective Haskins. He may not believe it, coming from me. But he might respect your opinion.”

Ahmar shakes his head. “I’m trying, kiddo. This whole business about a secret bloodline and you being some kind of rightful heir, though … it’s a hard sell.”

“Don’t forget sex trafficking, rigged exams and grades, and tax evasion.” I smile wanly.

“Uh-huh.” Ahmar sets his jaw, thinking. “Haskins is suspicious, but he’s a good man. A smart one, too. These families see him as a small town bumfuck who can be buried alive with enough Benjamins, but—not to get your hopes up—there was a sparkle in his eye when I explained this Noble and Virtue business that Pete threw on me. Haskins wasn’t surprised. I’ll give him this info about Marron. Testing your DNA against his will take a much shorter time than whatever hair you had me pass over to my ex, but Callie…”

“Be prepared for the worst. I know.”

“And I hate that you do.”

Ahmar leans down and kisses me on the forehead. “I’m going back out there. And I’ll make sure Haskins is the only cop that comes in here to question you. We’ll get to the bottom of this, baby girl.”

When he pulls back, I read between the lines in his face. Determination and resolve creep into the cracks, but grief remains the deepest crevice.

Frustration at losing my mother. Not being able to save her.

Desperation to save me, instead.

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