Page 249 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

“So you greased a few palms and climbed the power ladder. What does that have to do with what Kiarra is?” Axel asks, glaring at him.

“One of the rules I was to follow was to keep an eye on Reyna Erebouse and her daughter,” Draven tells him before focusing back on me.

“Why would you have to keep an eye on my mother and me?”

Mom wasn’t even a supe. Not that I knew of. We both thought I just got my abilities from my father’s side. Whoever that was.

Draven shifts in his chair, looking uncomfortable. “I thought the same thing. But when I inquired about it, I was told that if I wanted to find the truth, I’d have to go to the Underworld to find out.”

“That makes no sense. My mom was never in the Underworld,” I tell him. He must be confusing her with someone else.

Draven frowns. “Your mother was from there, Kiarra.”

“What?” I shake my head, “No. Do you know how crazy you sound right now? My mom wasn’t from the Underworld. I would have known something like that.”

Draven sighs, his frown deepening. “She wasn’t only from there; she was a Guardian as well. One of the good ones, from what I hear.”

“No.”

Jazmyn takes my hand, giving it a squeeze, but all I can focus on is Draven as he tries to make me believe something that can’t possibly be true. She would have said something to me… Right?

“I’m sorry, Kiarra, but I wouldn’t have told you this unless I was absolutely positive.”

Jax and Luka walk over to me. I hear Jazmyn sigh as they take her place by my sides.

“Say I believe you… Then why was she here instead of the Underworld? Why didn’t she ever visit it if it was herhome?”

“She grew tired of her duties and role. She wanted more and went to hersuperiorsfor change, a new life. She wanted the chance to bring another life into this world. She wanted to experience what mortals had: love and a mortal life with its fragility.”

No. Draven is wrong. My mom never talked about anything to do with the Underworld. Surely if she was thisGuardian, she would have had powers, abilities of some kind.

I saw her bleed from a paper cut, and she complained about getting gray hair, so I know she was ageing. So how can any of what he is saying be possible?

“I doubt her request was met with approval,” Kai says, his soft eyes meeting mine.

“It wasn’t. Her request was denied. But she found another way.” The tone in his voice fills my stomach with dread.

“How?” Rion asks, briefly glancing down at me before focusing back on Draven.

“She went to the deepest part of the Underworld. The very bottom level of hell itself and sought out someone or something that could help her.” “Shit,” Jazmyn whispers.

Jax narrows his eyes on her and she winces.

“She went missing from the Underworld soon after and eventually showed up pregnant with you on earth. She was no longer immortal, nor did she remember anything from her life before that.”

“How are you so sure it was her?” There’s no proof that any of this is real.

“Our father was one of the demons who looked into it.” He sighs, sharing a look with Kane. “He found out everything I told you and more.”

“Whatmore?” Kai demands.

But Draven looks right at me, and I can tell from the look in his eyes that whatever he’s about to tell me isn’t anything good.

“You weren’tbornKiarra. Not in the normal sense.”

“What the hell are you talking about now?” Jax inches closer, ready to gut the lunatic.

“You were created…made.”

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