Page 86 of Midnight Whispers

“Was that your mom?” Cinder asks.

Something in her tone has me turning to face her. All the color has drained from her face, and her mouth hangs open as she looks at the screen.

I hit Pause on the video. “Princess, what’s wrong?”

“Nero, was that your mom?” She turns and looks at me with an urgency to her voice.

“Yeah… why?”

“I know that voice.”

My forehead wrinkles. “How could you know that voice?”

Her eyes widen. “The night you found me at the basement door… the night I found you in the aviary… the night I was shot…” She swallows hard.

My chest tightens. She’s worrying me now. I have no idea what the hell is going on.

“I thought I was sleepwalking all those times. There was this mist I couldn’t see through, but there was a voice beckoning me forward, saying my name over and over again. Nero, that was the voice. It was your mom’s voice!”

“Are you sure?”

She nods frantically. “Absolutely. I’m telling you it was her.” Tears gather in her eyes. “Nero, what do you think that means?”

A swell of emotion fills my chest, and I struggle for a breath. “I think it means my mom knew before I did how right you were for me.” I cup her face, kissing her gently.

When I pull away, her eyes are full of tears. “I wish I could have met her.”

I lower my forehead to hers. “I do too.”

We sit like that for a few minutes, breathing each other in. I don’t always feel close to my deceased mother when I think of her, since I was so young when she passed away, but between the videos we’re watching and what Cinder has just revealed, I swear I feel her spirit here with us.

I sigh and pull away. “Should we watch some more?”

“Of course. I want to know her as best I can.”

Smiling, I give Cinder a quick kiss then shove my hand in the bowl with the popcorn and M&M’s mix. Then I toss some in my mouth.

“Well?” Her eyebrows rise.

I chew, rocking my head side to side. “Not bad. Better than I thought.”

With a smile, she rests her head on my shoulder. I click Play and the video starts up again.

The longer we watch the videos, the more a feeling of peace comes over me. I may have lost the love of my mother, but she helped me gain the love of the most amazing woman.

The door to the theater room opens, and I straighten up and look over my shoulder. Kol stands at the entrance, hands in his pockets, staring at the screen. I hit Pause.

“Jesus. I haven’t seen these in… shit, I don’t know how long,” he says, not letting his eyes stray from the screen.

“We’re taking a trip down memory lane.”

“Did you come across the one where Mom tried to make macarons?” He chuckles, and I smile.

“Oh yeah. Cinder and I were laughing over how Mom didn’t believe smoke was coming out of the oven when you first told her. Remember how disappointed she was that they didn’t turn out?”

“And then she placed an order for some from that fancy bakery in New York.” A sad smile crosses his face.

We’re all quiet, and Cinder takes my hand.

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