The Secret of Spruce Knoll (13 page)

Chapter 24

It took Eren half a second to decide to confront her aunt. Her dripping hair and clothes were getting the expensive leather couch wet, but she didn’t care. Later, she’d probably feel guilty about it, but not now. The time for secrets was over. She’d had all she could take.

Sylvia came through the door with a false smile upon her lips. Her cheerful look wilted the moment she laid eyes on Eren. She knew how hostile she looked, sitting there dripping wet with her arms crossed, and eyes narrowed. Sylvia’s face fell into such a look of despair that Eren almost felt bad.

“You followed me,” Sylvia observed.

“Ya think?” Eren said through clenched teeth.

Sylvia brushed the water from her forehead with a shaking hand before meeting Eren’s gaze. There was nothing of her bubbly, fun aunt in those eyes. For the first time Eren was seeing a serious side to her.

“I’ll be right back,” Sylvia sighed in an almost defeated voice.

Eren fought the impulse to run after her and grab her. She was so angry and frustrated that she almost did it. If she did though she was afraid she’d lose her tenuous control over her energy. It was crackling inside her, eager to get out. In an attempt to calm herself she grasped the moonstone necklace her mother had given her and focused. It worked, a little. Before she could stand up Sylvia was back, dropping a towel into her lap. Her instinct was to fling it across the room but she didn’t want to seem childish so she just ignored it.

Rubbing her hair with a towel of her own, Sylvia pulled up an ottoman and sat in front of Eren.

“I owe you the truth,” she said.

That calmed Eren a little. “I’m listening,” she prompted.

“When your mom got engaged to your dad his parents were furious. They had another son who was much younger than your father. They didn’t want him influenced by his brother’s decision to marry outside of their Society so they took him and went back to Ireland. Your mom and dad went after them to try and change their mind. I went with them,” she said.

Eren perked up a bit, interested but concerned that Sylvia may not tell her everything. It didn’t connect so she wondered if she was trying to distract her.

“What does that have to do with Aiden and the Moldovans?” she asked.

“Everything. Please be patient, it’s a long story,” Sylvia said.

An old pain filled her eyes but it was tinged with honesty as well. Her energy felt depleted and discouraged but there was no feel of dishonesty so Eren nodded.

“I met a man there, an amazing man. We fell in love. While in Ireland we befriended an Irish couple who wanted to find a Society in the states. I told them about Spruce Knoll and they decided to go there. I remained in Ireland to be with the man I met. Your mom called me and told me the Moldovans had befriended the Irish couple. And you know the rest of the story,” Sylvia said with a bit of a quiver in her voice.

Halfway through the story she had looked down at her clasped hands and she hadn’t looked back up. It was no mystery to Eren as to why. There was something she was leaving out, something huge.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Eren demanded.

A shocked look widened Sylvia’s eyes and she shook her head.

“You
are
too observant. There are things that would put me, you, grandfather, and other people I love in danger if I told you,” she sighed.

That cut Eren pretty deep. It made it sound like her aunt didn’t trust her. Sure they had only known each other for less than half a year, but she thought Sylvia knew her better than that.

“You can trust me,” she insisted.

“I know honey. But I also know how you feel about Aiden and I know how hard it would be for you to keep a secret from him,” Sylvia said.

“You’re right, it would be hard. But I’d do it because I know Aiden would understand. And I would never do anything to endanger our family. What’s left of it means too much to me,” Eren said, having trouble getting the last part out.

Sylvia appeared to be considering this as she looked long and hard at her. Eren hid nothing, there was no need to.

“The man I fell in love with and married was Alin Moldovan,” Sylvia said.

It took a moment but when they sank in the words hit Eren like a bomb. This, she had not expected. That postcard in the book, it had been from Alin Moldovan. It didn’t take long for her to work out what it meant.

“He’s related to Virgil, Aiden’s adopted father,” Eren said.

“Yes, he’s his younger brother. There are two Societies in Romania. One is very traditional and can trace its ancestry back to those who served Vlad Tepes. The other is different. They are a Society of mixed couples. Alin and I belong to the second Society. Virgil and Camilia used to belong to the first,” she said.

She hadn’t really believed her aunt would come clean, she’d expected to be lied to. When Sylvia said the part about the Moldovans descending from those who served Vlad a terrible chill spread through Eren’s gut.

“Do the Moldovans have other children besides their adopted son?” Eren forced her icy lips to ask.

“Yes. Ironically, they got pregnant with twins after adopting Aiden. Why?” she asked.

“Because a boy named Luke told me he’s descended from the same Society,” Eren answered.

Sylvia’s eyes widened with alarm. “You spoke to Virgil’s son?” she hissed.

Eren realized it was more than just alarm, it was fear. Suddenly she felt sick to her stomach. If Luke was Virgil Moldovan’s son then that meant he was Aiden’s adopted brother and Elisabeth was his sister. Why hadn’t either of them ever mentioned that? All this time Aiden had been missing they’d never said a word about him. Something was really wrong here.

“Only because he approached me, him and his sister. They’re the only kids at school who are nice to me. I didn’t know who they were and I didn’t trust them,” she was quick to reassure her.

“Good, don’t. Chances are they’re up to no good. The Spruce Knoll Moldovans are dangerous, you should stay away from them,” Aunt Sylvia warned.

She gave Eren a hard look before going on.

“When I met Alin in Ireland, he was apologizing to a Society for Virgil and Camilia killing an Irish man. Your mother called me and told me about Aiden’s parents coming to Spruce Knoll and befriending this new Romanian couple. I realized it was Virgil and Camilia and tried to warn her, but it was too late,” Sylvia explained.

She used the towel to dab tears from the corners of her eyes.

“My parents left to protect me from Virgil and Camilia didn’t they?” Eren asked, trying not to let pain choke her voice.

Oh God, Aiden really was living with the very people who had murdered his parents. They had killed before, in Ireland. It made their guilt that much more obvious. The room swayed a bit and Eren was afraid she might throw up.

“Yes. And it’s why I stayed away. Virgil and Camilia don’t know that Alin and I are married, and they don’t know that we have a son,” Sylvia said very softly.

Another bolt of shock shot through Eren and she idly wondered how much she could take before exploding. It felt like there was a storm building inside her, a very bad one.

“I have a cousin?” she asked as she leaned forward on the edge of the couch.

“Yes. Fane is fourteen and looks just like his father,” Sylvia said with a proud, dreamy look in her eyes.

That look told Eren that she loved her family very much and it explained why she’d go so far to protect them. Having lost her own parents to that sadistic couple, Eren understood and couldn’t bring herself to be mad any longer, at least not at her aunt.

“They have to be stopped or they will keep hurting people,” Eren insisted.

“There’s never been enough evidence,” Sylvia said with a shake of her head.

“Even after what they did to my parents, and Aiden’s?”

Sylvia gave her another long look that made Eren want to shake her. Just because they lived five life times didn’t mean they should have to wait forever for justice.

“This won’t be easy to hear, but I think you can handle it. Our justice is very harsh. Exiled, servitude, or death, there are no other choices. Our kind cannot go to prison. That’s why it takes so much evidence. There was no witness to your parents’ deaths so that makes it hard. Since the deaths were deemed an animal attack the coroner in California cleaned the bodies before they were brought here. Any evidence on them was lost,” Sylvia said.

“Do we even have any way to find evidence?” Eren asked.

“Of course. We have a forensic lab. We’re not stuck in the stone age you know,” Sylvia said with a small smile.

Eren tried to life an eyebrow. A deep weariness had settled over her and it made even that small expression difficult. Suddenly she felt way too young to have to deal with this. But what choice did she have? Oh yeah, none.

“You promise you won’t say a word of any of this to anyone, not even Aiden?” Sylvia asked as she stood.

She offered Eren her hand and helped her to her feet.

“Don’t worry, I promise. And Aunt Sylvia, thanks for what you did for Aiden,” Eren said as she drew her into a hug.

Sylvia smiled weakly as she pulled away.

“Go get out of these wet clothes and I’ll pop something in the microwave for us,” she said.

Getting out of the wet clothes sounded like a very good idea though Eren wasn’t sure she could stay awake long enough to eat anything.  Turned out she could. In fact, she had trouble sleeping at all.

Chapter 25

Monday started out like any other day at school. Luke and Elisabeth met her on the steps and escorted her in. Elisabeth practically skipped along, chatting excitedly about how much she loved October. Even if she wanted to listen, it was impossible for Eren to concentrate while she was trying to dodge Luke’s arm. He’d already tried to put it around her once and she had to bend down to tie her shoe to avoid it. The friendliness was definitely going too far now.

She didn’t judge them for what their parents had done. She wasn’t that shallow. What bothered her about the two of them was much more personal. Elisabeth’s smile always looked a little too big and her laughter usually sounded a bit forced. Her feigned interest in anything Eren had to say was completely transparent. On the other hand, Luke’s interest in her seemed genuine enough, but in a way that made Eren’s skin crawl. When he didn’t know she was paying attention she caught him looking at her like she was something to eat.

As she was getting her books, Elisabeth leaned on the locker beside her. She was so cheerful Eren feared she may burst into song. That would be way too much, she’d lose it.

“Don’t you love all the colors this time of year? The trees look amazing. You should go for a walk with us after school,” she said.

Closing her locker with her foot, Eren stood up and tried to smile back at her.

“Hopefully, I don’t have a lot of homework, that sounds like fun,” she lied.

During the sleepless hours of last night she had thought long and hard about this. Adults said and did a lot while they thought their kids weren’t paying attention. There was a pretty good chance that either Luke or Elisabeth had heard or witnessed something from their parents. Though she knew their friendship with her was a charade, she didn’t know why. Maybe if she pretended to go along with it, she could figure that out and hopefully more.

That’s why she leaned against the locker next to Elisabeth rather than go running off to sit in an empty classroom waiting for the bell. Her skin crawled when Luke put his hand on the locker next to her and leaned close. Turning to him, she gave him the most charming smile she could muster. It must have been convincing enough because he beamed like he had just scored the winning touchdown for the homecoming game. Eren’s stomach turned and she did her best to ignore it.

The bell rang and it made her squeal in surprise and jump. Luke got a hungry look in his eyes and laughed as he put his arm around her shoulders. It took every ounce of control she had not to flinch and pull away. She couldn’t help stiffening, but she hoped he wouldn’t notice.

“Eren, is that you?’ A voice said that stopped her heart.

It was Aiden. Tears of relief sprung to her eyes but that relief was washed away by the burning feeling of Luke’s arm around her. There was no way this could look good.

Aiden was standing at the end of the lockers staring at her in wide-eyed horror. There were dark circles around his slightly sunken eyes, but it still couldn’t reduce the beauty of their alluring hazel color. There was a magnetic pull to them that drew her in. His cheeks were sunken and his clothes hung upon him as if he was malnourished, but he still looked amazing. Anger pulsed out from him, making him look dangerous and enticing at the same time.

The moment was frozen for Eren. She wanted to throw off Luke’s arm and go running to Aiden, but she couldn’t. The look of betrayal on his face kept her rooted to the spot. It was more than that though. His power pulsed so hot that it felt like an inferno. That combined with the betrayed look in his eyes worried Eren that he might take a swing at anyone who got near him. She wanted to say something, but ‘it’s not what it looks like’ seemed completely lame and nothing else would come to mind.

“How could you, Eren? He’s my brother!” Aiden practically screamed.

Before she could stutter out a response he turned and ran, disappearing around a bend in the hallway. The shock shattered like a broken window and Eren took off after him. She rounded the turn to see the doors at the end of the hallway easing their way closed. Seconds later, she was sliding out with only inches to spare between the door and the jamb. The sidewalk and parking lot were empty. Aiden was nowhere to be seen. Rain which had been such a blessing before was a curse to her now. There was a trace of Aiden’s energy signature just outside the doors, but then it disappeared into the rainy gloom.

“Aiden!” she screamed, his name ruined by the sob that escaped her halfway through it.

There was no answer. Crying uncontrollably, she sank to her knees on the concrete and buried her head in her hands. She knelt there until her knees began to ache. Realizing she had to blow her nose before going back to class, she rose stiffly and went back inside.

The halls were blessedly empty and silent, with no sign of either Luke or Elisabeth. Some friends. Oh well, nothing Eren wasn’t used to. People bailed on her when things got hard, that appeared to be just the way life was. She hadn’t really expected them to be there anyways. Part of her wondered if Luke had put his arm around her knowing that Aiden would see it.

Eyes still blurry with tears, she made her way to the bathroom and blew her nose. There was someone in one of the stalls so she tried to hurry so she’d be gone by the time they got out. When she looked in the mirror though, her reflection stopped her. Mascara ran in streaks from her eyes, making her look like a cross between a clown and an emo. She dabbed at the mess with a wet paper towel.

“They aren’t your friends you know,” a girl said as she emerged from the stalls behind her.

She was an Irish girl with pretty blond hair and kind eyes. Eren thought maybe she’d seen her in calculus. Eyes on the mirror, the girl rearranged her curls as she walked up.

“They were high fiving when you ran off. They’re dangerous, be careful,” she whispered through pursed lips as she reapplied her lip gloss.

Eren stared at the girl’s reflection in the mirror, too shocked to respond. They had done
what
? If their intention had been to drive a wedge between her and Aiden it had worked. But why would they want to do that? It didn’t seem likely that Elisabeth would help just because Luke had a romantic interest in Eren. There had to be more to it.

The girl turned and headed for the door, glancing nervously at Eren out of the corner of her eye.

“Thank you,” Eren said before she could slip out the door.

The girl nodded and was gone. That nervous look Eren had seen in her eyes stuck with her. It made her wonder if people treated her like they did because she was mixed blood, or because of the Moldovans. Even if she didn’t hang out with them, she was dangerous to be around because of the way their family felt about hers.

Eren shivered as a chill raced down her spine. This was a very dangerous game she was playing, and she had a feeling it was about to get a lot worse.