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"Mother," I said, ian?"

Her eyes widened a bit, and she raised her hands, her fingers flared "This, Nina! This! When protecting you and your father becaan surrounding our home on a daily basis…his death Honestly, Nina! What else could I mean?" she said, exasperated

"Okay Okay, I'm sorry," I said to calm her

She relaxed, and then smoothed her expression "Now, if you don’tpast Jared

Jared’s features tightened, instantlyto save Nina’s life, and you’re worried about being on time for a party?"

Cynthia looked back at me with a sad expression "It’s a mother’s duty to protect her child But sometimes, weme Our relationship was never what one may call close, but when the occasion call ed for it, she extended some emotion She had never been cruel or unkind, but at that moment, I felt like an orphan

Mywhen Robert closed the door behind her

Jared pul ed ainst his chest

"I can’t iainst the top of s: Cynthia feels helpless, and that’s not a feeling she deals ith, and I want to re I’ve ever felt before If she makes you feel unworthy or unwanted in any way…know that every breath you take is precious to me"

I nodded, unable to thank him for the words I didn’t even know myself that I needed to hear

We walked to the large staircase, and I slumped to the first step "I don’t want to…I can’t think about her anymore"

Jared nodded once "So let’s think about what she said"

A sh escaped my throat "That I’s in the last twenty-four hours that are, quite frankly, ridiculous, and Cynthia’s story gets the prize"

Jared didn’t smile "What if it’s true? It’s not like Cynthia is the most creative person on the planet Why would she lie?"

I cranedat hi for her nonsense! My father never wanted children? That’s absurd! Jack was the best father anyone could ever hope for You’ve said it yourself…he worshiped me"

"Cynthia didn’t say he didn’t like children I took it as he hoped to prevent so in your ancestry"

I rol edti this"

"What do you know about your family?" he asked

"What do you know about your family?" I retorted

Jared’s brows randparents are gone, you know that"

"So are mine My parents were only children, Jared I have no farandparents on Jack’s side," he said, standing "Where does Cynthia keep stuff like that?"

"Stuff like what?"

"Family albums, newspaper cut outs…a fa like that," I shrugged

Jared sighed "Jack has a coat of arms in his office You can’t tel me family wasn’t important to hiht for a moment Cynthia’s words replayed in ether-- intertwined because of the prophecy, and the book it came from Somehow life was even less normal than when a demon stood in my apartment I felt like a freak

"My father’s office…" I trailed off

"You thought of so me to my feet

My eyes widened "Last year, when I was in Jack’s office for the Port of Providence file, one of his cabinets were locked I never found the keys to it When I found the file I was looking for, I sort of forgot about it"

Jared pul ed ed on the drawers of the row of file cabinets until I found one that wouldn’t budge

"That’s it," I said "The keys in the desk don’t work I’ve tried them"

Jared looked around the roo noise, but it opened easily enough--for Jared

"Wel , that’s one way to do it," I grinned

Jared fingered through each of the papers "You start with the bottom drawer We’lopen nated drawer Old pictures, bank accounts overseas, but nothing about family The fa through his office for clues clouded h three drawers before I finished one, but when he reached the fourth, he stopped He held a paper in front of his face, and then looked beyond it to the adjacent wal

"What is it?" I asked Before he could answer, I noted that it was drawing of a coat of ar fro to you, Nina?" he asked

I shookmyself to my feet "No Should it?"

"You’re Irish, aren’t you?"

"Yeah? So?" Soetting to the truth This was not one of those days

"It’s a co that didn’t specifical y belong to hiet to the point

"Coats Of Arht whose face would’ve been covered during battle They are inherited from father to son, so it wouldn’t make sense to have a ‘Grey’ coat of arms for an entire family or last name Jack wasn’t the type to buy into that nonsense, so this inal, passed down"

"Okay"

Jared scanned the drawing "This is similar, but it’s not the same And it’s unlike any crest or coat of arms I’ve ever seen"