“Can it wait?”
“No, I don’t think it can.”
I stopped in my tracks.“Isaac, we need to take a detour.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
We headed up the next flight to where Zander’s room was, and I knocked on his door and told Isaac I would be a few minutes after Zander opened it for me.
“What’s so urgent and secretive that I had to come here?”
“You need to read Alex’s journals.”
I blinked.“What are you talking about?”
“I just read them, Kristin, and you need to read them.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and studied him hard.Zander was anxious and keyed up.“How do you even know about them?”
“Garrett told me about them, suggested that I might want to read them.”
“Then that is between you and my son.”
“No, Kris.You need to read them.There is a lot of information in them that you don’t know.”
I rolled my eyes.“Oh, come on, Zander.I was with Alex for a long time.I know what those journals say.They talk about our history.”
“You do not know what is in there.I’m serious.You need to read these.”
I sighed.“I don’t have time for leisurely reading right now, Zander.What do you think is so important in there that I would need to know?”
“Well, first of all, it talks a lot about Joseph Portage and all that he knows about him, and second”—he paused and stared at her—“he knows who my parents are.”
That got my interest slightly.“Who are your parents?”
“My mother is a woman named Celeste.Does that ring any bells?”
Celeste?I had heard that name before, but where?I thought for a second.“Yeah, I think that was a woman that Alex knew.”
“Oh, yeah, Alex knew her well.Like really well—in the biblical sense.”
I frowned.“What are you talking about, Zander?”
“I’m saying that Alex and Celeste had a child.Celeste was killed two months after the baby was born.She died trying to protect her child.”
A shiver ran down my spine.“Zander, what are you trying to tell me?”
“Alex was my father, and there is more.”
Zander was Alex’s son?He had another child that none of us knew about?Another male child?If that were true, then Zander would have the right to being master over Garrett.Why would Garrett tell Zander that?Did he not want to be master?
When I didn’t respond, Zander continued.“Alex also suspected that I was Julian reborn.”
The air left my lungs in a whoosh, and I stumbled back slightly.Zander was at my side, taking hold of my arm.“Come take a seat.”
We rounded the sofa, and then I sank to the cushion.“There is no way.”
“There is.I was conceived on the day that Julian died.Alex knew this.When I was born, he had my blood tested, and it came back similar to yours.”