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"Your mother--"

"Please don’t call her that"

Rivkah nodded, understanding my horror of the woman "Emily and this Josef fellow kidnapped your Aunt Ellen and forced you to co of theirs Then they trapped you so that they could attempt to use your power and your connection to the line to coly exposing the line, in your atte Your Peter stu the hold Emily had on you two" She paused "How did Peter know to come when he did? Oliver and Iris obviously would sense the disturbance of the line, but him?"

"His mother" I came up with the lie on the spot I could not let Rivkah know of the connection he shared with the baby I could not let her learn that Peter was Fae "Claire has the sight She told him she sensed I was in trouble That he should come"

Rivkah nodded "Good You think well on your feet That’s the story we’ll go with" So E Peter’s true identity It felt odd that rather than lying to her as I’d intended, I was colluding with her

"Why are you doing this? Covering for us? For me?"

"Well, my dear, there has been a lot of talk, foolish and reactionary talk, floating around the fa most loudly and most foolishly are your own cousins A few of the Ryans have been caainst your whole immediate family even They want the Savannah Taylors laid low I, on the other hand, have always felt a strong affection for your fa"

"Are they all against us?"

"Oh, no, darling You haveTaylor woman, oh, what is her name? Abby"

"She always calls herself a white-trash Taylor," I said and s sense of apprehension

Rivkah laughed "Well, the ‘white-trash’ Taylors are all strongly in your corner However, the fact that Ened herself with the three rebel faive even your staunchest supporters pause when the story gets around"

"What can I do?"

"There now," she said and sirl, because it really all does come down to you now Your next few steps are critical, if you want to protect your fa you will need to do is make a public abjuration of your mother Express your horror about her actions and the choices she has h"