“What, she wanted a vacation from Hell?” She snorted. “I don’t think the Diabolical mind works that way.”
“He was being his usual dumb self, but who knows? Maybe immortal creaturesdoget bored.”
“Losing a bet makes more sense than boredom. I’ve seen people do some ridiculous things as a consequence for losing bets.” She paused, then asked, “Was your dad as handsome as you are?”
“You think I’m handsome, pretty girl?” I teased her with a small smirk.
“You know you are. Was he?”
“I could be his twin.”
“Hmm,” was all she replied.
“No,” I shook my head when I realized where her thoughts were going. “Don’t even suggest she took one look and fell in love. I can accept any theory, even Spin’s, overthat.”
She laughed, then went quiet. I took a quick look over at her. She didn’t seem disgusted, only thoughtful.
“Was she good to you? As a mom?” she asked after a while.
“Of course. She was great.” I smiled. “Baked cookies, took me to soccer practice, made me do my homework and eat my vegetables. I was a happy kid with two parents who loved me. When I lost them both at once, I was devastated. It was worse when I found out it was all a lie. I shut down. Just stopped and couldn’t get started again.”
“I can see the scars from that. I can also see that you—” She cut herself off.
My happy mood disappeared in a heartbeat.
“Go ahead and say it,” I said through gritted teeth.
She only shook her head.
“That I was heartbroken to find out my mom was a Fallen? Or I don’t know what that says about me?” Heat flushed my face, and my hands tightened on the steering wheel. “That I’m worried there’s something fundamentally wrong with me because the little boy inside me loves ademon?”
“Stop it!” she growled. “There is nothing wrong with you! The little boy loves hismother, and that’s the way it should be. Your soul is as pure as the day you were born, and your capacity to love is to your credit, not detriment.”
I was silent for a moment, my throat too tight to talk.
“Thank you for that, honey,” I said finally.
“It’s only the truth, but you’re welcome.”
The SUV purred along and, when I saw signs for a rest stop, I asked if she needed or wanted to stop. She shook her head.
“Tell me about how Rome and Spin came to the Sanctuary.”
“Oh, Rome’s story is simple.” Relieved to move to an easier topic, I prattled on. “He lived with his grandparents after his mom dropped him off as a baby. He never met her. Hiswarden pretended to be his father so he could keep close contact with the family. Once Rome finished middle school, his warden told the grandparents he wanted his son to go to his alma mater for high school and college.”
“Very well done on his warden’s part. A good solution to that situation.”
“I always thought so, too.”
“And Spin?”
“Spin’s story is not as bad as mine, but it’s not nice. His mother was—”
I didn’t want to say raped, not when I was almost positive Chessie was a victim of some kind of sexual abuse.
“His mother was attacked by a Fallen and later realized she was pregnant.”
“She didn’t get an abortion?”
