Page 132 of Prodigal Son

“Cybil’s blood is different,” the bishop explained. “There are similarities, but there appears an unusual antigen that is causing a disease in her platelets. Our technology is limited, but so is the technology of the modern world. Without risking exposure, we can’t investigate as deeply as we would like.”

Dane frowned. “Was this from the transition or was her blood always like this? Maybe she’s…” He glanced at the door, his confidence flagging as sadness stole across his face. “What if we aren’t actually siblings or maybe she has a different father. There’s still another journal I haven’t found. We don’t know—”

“We believe the mutation in her blood was caused by the transition.”

Cain’s body sank into the nearest chair. He did this to her. He knew better. This was why they weren’t permitted to change mortals that were not chosen by God.

In that moment, he silently admitted that he’d been questioning if he could change Destiny. But he would never do anything to risk her safety or sanity. She was born a mortal and she would die a mortal. That meant he only had a short time left with her and he was wasting it here. Sooner or later, he would have to choose between her and his life on the farm.

“So that’s it?” Dane snapped. “The parents I knew weren’t actually my parents, and I get to lose another set all over again? My dad is some immortal psychopath, and I have a half-brother who looks at me like some sort of mutt. And my sister is gone to some disease we don’t have the technology to figure out? That’s what you’re telling me?” He raked a hand through his hair and paced in the crowded examination room, his voice growing louder with every declaration. “I just want to be real fucking clear that I have all the details. I’m a goddamn human hybrid and the only family I have left is a bunch of crazy fucking Amish vampires!”

Cain sensed he should warn him to calm down, but what was the point? He was right. The kid had no one, and with their limited technology, they would never have the means to cure Cybil, even if a cure was possible.

“Might I make a suggestion?” Adriel asked, stepping around the catatonic doctor. “Why not speak to Vashti and Caleb’s great-niece?” When everyone stared at her blankly, she huffed. “Does no one recall what happened to her twenty-some years ago?”

“Magdalene.” The bishop nodded. “Excellent suggestion, Adriel.”

Cain frowned. “What happened to Maggie?”

“It happened to Elizabeth, her mother,” Adriel explained. “When her buggy broke down, she was attacked by an English mortal.”

“How is that possible?” Dane asked. “You guys are insanely strong. I’ve seen what you can do. Even the women—”

“She was badly injured and in need of blood. When we’re weak, we’re at our most vulnerable. Had Elizabeth been mortal, she would have died that day. She only survived because of how our bodies can recover once we feed.”

Dane’s lips parted. “So, when you say she was attacked, you mean…”

“She was raped.”

Cain had been a young boy and unaware of Elizabeth’s story at the time. Maggie was younger than him and he knew of her, but they had never shared a regular friendship. He wasn’t sure if that was Elizabeth’s doing or because their kind maintained a closed-minded intolerance for anyone who lacked distinct bloodlines.

He studied Christian for a moment, wondering how he could cast aside any interest in a half-brother when he himself had been branded “The Bastard Schrock”. He was only an elder on The Council because his mother had come over on The Charming Nancy and been forbidden a seat due to her gender.

“Was the man ever caught?” Dane asked.

“Amish do not involve themselves in English law,” Christian coldly explained.

“They also don’t do a damn thing when one of their females is brutalized.” Adriel’s expression hardened. “Elizabeth was an innocent. She knew nothing of the evils of the world. Someone should have been with her that day.”

“She shouldn’t have left without a chaperone,” Christian argued. “We set laws to be followed, Mother. Capricious females who act impetuously reap their own misfortunes.”

Adriel glared at her son. “Is that it, then? Karma? I raised you better than that, Christian. Don’t you dare try to blame the brutality of a male on the female victim simply because your position gives you the right to pontificate, and this relic of a patriarchy permits an astounding amount of ignorance whenever the truth gets too complicated. You sound like a fool.” She turned to the bishop. “Eleazar, if this boy is in our care, it’s our responsibility to care for him properly. We should visit the Esch property.”

Cain smirked, as Christian Schrock got semi-publicly spanked by his mommy.

The Elder glared at him, once more trespassing in Cain’s thoughts.

Cain’s grin widened. It was good to see some of The Council members taken down a peg. Lord knew they had enjoyed his humiliation in the past.

They readied a buggy and rode in silence. The Esch homes were similar to all the rest of the houses on the farms, each boasting a wraparound porch and shuttered windows. They parked outside the picket fences. Laundry rippled on the line and Magdalene appeared, holding a basket to her hip.

“Whoa,” Dane rasped. “Is that Maggie?”

“That’s her.”

The wind tousled her tight blonde curls as she shaded her eyes and tried to identify who was paying them a visit. When she saw the bishop, she yanked a bonnet out of her apron and rushed to tug it on her head.

“She looks like Marilyn Monroe,” Dane whispered.

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