Page 2 of Ellie 3

“You’renot, Aurora,” I hissed. “You’re not property. They’ve been breaking the law for overfifty years. You’ve had a choice in everything forfifty fucking yearsnow.”

Tears overflowed her eyes in a way I’d never seen. “The only choices I’ve ever made were so wrong and cursed that I don’t deserve to make anymore. And yet I still don’t regret them because you were born. I know I’ll end up in hell for my sins, but you were worth it, and this world needs you, Ellie.”

Well,shit. What did someone say to that?

I wasn’t sure, but I still didn’t understand what was going on, my mind spinning. “Why are you here then, Aurora? Why did you take your one portal to come see me? Why are you so down on nutrients?”

She waved off the last question. “I’ve been this way for hundreds of years. Ever since I tried to escape to find you and Theresa to make sure you were safe. I didn’t bring anything into the family to deserve real meals or blood. Besides, I’d already been married, and that was a huge strike against me, so I needed to keep my beauty and figure to be resold.”

Jesus Fucking Christ. How had I never—the mind really forgot things. Or maybe it was because so many women talked like this hundreds of years ago that I didn’t notice.

But to hear her speak of herself like this now killed me.

It really did.

“Why me and not Theresa?” I pushed.

“Because you got your wish and she hates me for ruining her life,” she said but then frowned, seeming confused. “That’s true but not why you first. I don’t know where she is and I do you.”

“And you need my help whereas—”

“I didn’t come for help,” she corrected. She nodded when I studied her but then sighed. “Ellie, you’re too kind for your own good. You’re going to offer it. We both know that. I didn’t come here for your help. I came to… You were right. I was selfish and horrible. I…” She frowned again and was quiet as she seemed to collect her thoughts. “I thought it wasn’t so bad.”

“Now?”

“Now I know I’m a monster, but I’m conflicted because the world needs you,” she whispered. She shook her head when I argued that was an excuse. “You cured cancer in vampire children. You did that. You—how many children have been saved from that death sentence? It was an automatic death sentence! You did that.”

I swallowed loudly, knowing the signs of trauma well. “You knew someone.”

Aurora let out a slow breath. “My younger sister. She was five. I was eleven. It wasn’t called cancer back then but the childhood blood sickness. People thought it might be contagious.” She wiped her eyes. “They locked her in a tower to die. Months later, servants carried out her rotten corpse and she didn’t even get a real burial. Why bother for a girl who caused problems?”

“Most do not know I was the one who did it—made that advancement in medicine,” I muttered. “I would appreciate you not boasting about it now that you’re free.”

Because most knew it was the founder of ASH who had developed the treatment for curing childhood vampiric leukemia.

“Of course.” She studied me several moments. “I shouldn’t have done what I did. I understand it was wrong on many levels now instead of being so young and misguided thinking protecting a maid was better than the horrors that happened to them at my family’s castle. That should never have happened. That was the real answer. None of it shouldeverhave happened.”

“But if you say you regret it, you say you regret me being born,” I surmised, comprehending the speedbump we were going to keep hitting.

“Yes, and I won’t ever do that. I do and havealwaysloved you too much for that,” she whispered. “I know I failed you in so many ways and you are valid to doubt everything, but Ilove youlike my own, Ellie. I always have.”

Part of me believed that and I hated myself for it, deciding to get my other answers. “Is my mother alive?”

“I have no idea. I doubt it,” she said too fast, looking horrified.

“What was she? What amI?” I pushed.

“She said her mother was one of the last—” Aurora slapped her hand over her mouth… And slowly looked at the iced tea. She covered her face and cried when she fully understood what I’d done.

And I felt like the monster. I swallowed loudly and felt horrible.

“I will tell you,” she choked out. “I just wanted to tell you better than blurting it. Please, please don’t take my choices from me when I’ve never had any free will.”

Shit. Now I really was a rat bastard.

I waited until she calmed down, studying my own untouched drink. “You wouldn’t ever tell me, and I couldn’t trust that you didn’t have an agenda. Showing up here right after Kenneth and now he’s in prison for so long…”

“Don’t you ever apologize to me for anything,” she whispered when I opened my mouth again. “I don’t deserve it. I just can’t—I’m also confused because I thought you would have found out the first time he found you. I know you couldn’t use the aura gift when you lived with us, but you had to have figured that out.”

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