Page 28 of Prodigal Son

She took his hand, walking him to the porch and tugging him toward the quilt.

“Do you like your new clothing?” Last he saw her she wore English street clothes.

She curled her lip to one side and stuck out her tongue.

He chuckled again.

Her expression grew serious, and she pointed to his chest and then slowly opened her fingers and lowered her palm toward the ground and held it still. She looked at him again and made two fists, with her thumbs and pinkies pointing outward and thrust them toward the ground. He tried to understand what she was saying.

“Am I staying?” he asked, and she nodded. “For a bit, yes.”

An unguarded smile transformed her face, and she threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tight.

She was part of the reason he left. After the attack and murder of her mother, Cybil stopped speaking. Cain had hoped she’d find her words by now, hoped he’d have news of justice to share, but he was wrong on both accounts.

Someone obviously found a different solution and taught her sign language. That was good, he supposed, but he wanted more for her. Dane and Cybil Foster were Clara’s grandchildren, and Clara was his father’s mate. Cain had promised to watch over them for as long as they needed watching.

After Clara passed away, his father reunited with his mother. His father claimed they needed time away from the farm to reconnect. He left Cain in charge of the children. When duty called Cain to the woods, he passed the responsibility to his grandparents.

Clara hadn’t survived the bonding, but had completed part of the transfer. Cain often wondered if his father truly felt normal or if he struggled with the aftermath of losing a mate the way Cain did. Their situations were different but shared enough similarities for Cain to hope they might be able to share some insight as to why life was so unfair.

Regardless of Clara’s fate, his father had made a vow to watch over her grandchildren. Cain was a part of that promise, and like his father, he did more than keep his word. He moved them to a safe home and tried to avenge their mother. It was too early to say he failed, but for now, he could not tell either mortal that he’d succeeded.

Dane understood more than Cybil and sometimes showed a defiant, oppositional side, but it was healthy for a young man to question his circumstances. Cybil likely had questions, too, but she lacked the words to ask them.

Eventually, they would realize what Cain and the others were. He just hoped they were wise enough to realize that they weren’t anything like Isaiah. They were a gentle, immortal species. Isaiah was vampire.

Dane had likely figured out what they were by now. The boy had impressive intuition for a mortal. Beyond instinct, he had telepathic gifts. Nothing like immortal telepathy, of course, but Dane could read innocent minds, mostly children’s. Adult thoughts were lost to him. Still, it would be enough for him to glean the children of The Order were different than he and his sister.

“Cybil, where is Dane?”

She shrugged.

He wished he could visit with her longer, but it was getting late and he needed to return to Gracie and Destiny. “I’m glad I got to see you, but I have to go now.”

She frowned and gripped his arm.

“I’m not leaving the farm. I can visit you again in the morning.”

She rapidly signed several gestures and he laughed.

“You’ll have to teach me how to do that.” Righting her cockeyed bonnet over her messy blonde hair, he grinned. “No more growing. Understand?”

She smiled up at him, her eyes laughing.

When he returned to his parents’ home, he halted at the sight of a buggy. It was getting late for visitors, and he wasn’t sure how to explain the presence of another mortal on the farm. He rushed up the walk and called for his sister as soon as he entered the house. “Gracie?”

“I’m right here.” She appeared, carrying a trough of dough to the counter.

He searched the kitchen floor. “Where is she?”

“I moved her to your bed.”

“Who’s here?”

“Larissa.”

Cain inwardly cursed. He loved his sister, Larissa, but she was mated to the bishop. He didn’t need Eleazar involving himself or The Council with Destiny. He just needed someone to feed her, fix her up, and wipe her mind. Then they could take her to the nearest town and dump her.

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