Broken Promises (The Brianna Lane Series) (13 page)

“You’ll get all your questions answered, Bri. I needed to make sure you were okay first before we start talking about everything and introduced you to everyone. I’ll also take you to Noah. I’ll just be outside so take your time. Holler when you’re finished.”

I was already reaching for my phone. Liam headed toward the door and paused before leaving.

“I hope you don’t mind but I had your phone recharged while you were sleeping. Your battery was practically dead.” He handed me the device and I smiled with gratitude.

“Thanks I appreciate it.”

“Everything will work out. You’ll see,” He added.

I nodded, wanting to believe.

I hope so.

Chapter Thirteen

My grandmother picked up after the third ring. “Brianna?” Even the sound of her worried voice made me relax.

“Yep, it’s me. I’m here at the address you gave me, and once I’m done talking with you, Liam’s taking me to see Noah.”

“Good, good. I can rest easier now knowing you’re with people I trust. They’ll be able to help you with everything I’m about to share.” I heard her heavy sigh over the phone line. “I wish there was a better way to do this . . . in person where I can comfort you properly because this will be a lot to digest.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, not liking how ominous everything sounded.

“Just remember I never wanted to keep this from you but I’d promised your parents I’d leave the discussion to them. They wanted to protect you from all this.”

“Promised what?” Then it hit me what she’d just said. “My mother
and
father?” I’d never met my father before; both my mother and grandmother were strangely tightlipped whenever I raised the subject. There were a few times my grandmother would look at her daughter with question—only to be answered with a quick head shake. They had kept secrets, and although it hurt, I loved them enough never to push too hard. It had always been a sore point in our relationship, and I realized early on they weren’t going to tell me anything. The idea I might finally know now was overwhelming—the family secret revealed.

“It’s unavoidable now, so hopefully your parents will forgive me,” she mumbled. “You need to hear me out. Even if you don’t believe what I’m saying, let me tell you everything before you jump in. Okay?”

“But I want to talk about my father first. Who was he?” Now she’d opened that can of worms I wasn’t going to ignore it—the time for evasiveness was over.

“We’ll get to him in a moment—he’s a part of the story. There’s so much I need to tell you and only a short amount of time. Just promise me you’ll keep an open mind.”

My curiosity was completely piqued now, and I settled back to listen. My questions were put on hold.

“I don’t know how else to start this so I’m just going to jump in.” She took another deep breath before she continued. “From almost the beginning of time, there has been an extremely delicate balance between this world and others . . . and great importance was placed on keeping them as separate as possible. Leaders from each of these realms were placed under strict oaths to stay within their own realms.”

My grandmother’s voice had taken on a storytelling cadence and it reminded me of all the nights she’d tucked me into bed and read from my favorite books. Not knowing where this was going, I closed my eyes and focused on the tale she was spinning.

“It swiftly became obvious, however, there were some who wouldn’t honor the vows they’d pledged and began making invasion preparations. Our world has always been seen as an easy target, and so an order of warriors were formed called the Guardians of the Grove. It was a sacred duty to protect the portals that granted access to our world and keep these invaders out. Over the centuries, this commission has been handed down from mother to daughter, father to son, to families in tune with the earth and the magic it holds.”

So enthralled by what I was hearing, I failed to notice my grandmother had paused and I scrambled to remember what she’d just said—something about magic.

“Magic? You mean like witches and warlocks, toads and cauldrons?” The idea seemed so farfetched I couldn’t believe she was referring to that.

“No. That’s Halloween nonsense. I’m talking about real power that comes from channeling elements found in nature. Now pay attention.” I heard the slight scold in her voice and I mumbled an apology.

“For the most part, Guardians have kept invaders from coming through the portals, but every now and then they’ve been surprised and had no other option but to fight the interlopers. After each battle, the safeguards were replaced with the hope if there should be a next time, we would have more warning. For the last few centuries those reinforcements have held. But recently, those among us have noticed signs of something stirring beyond the portals, and it’s worried us.”

I jolted back to reality when I realized my grandmother had started using different terms, making it a personal account by joining herself with the story. “We? What do you mean we? Grandma, you’re talking like you’re one of these . . . Guardian thingies.”

“Guardians of the Grove.” She interrupted my questioning long enough to correct me.

“Okay, Guardians of the Grove. How does this story have anything to do with what’s happening? Are you saying we’re being invaded?” I couldn’t help the disbelief that coated my words. I’d heard some pretty crazy things—I’d seen crazy things, but this was a lot to take on.

“Which question do you want me to answer first?”

“I don’t know. Take your pick. They both sound incredible.”

“Then yes.”

“Yes to which question?” I was quickly becoming confused and for once I wished someone would be straight with me. Her next words reminded me I needed to be careful what I wished for.

“Yes, I’m a Guardian of the Grove and yes, we’re being invaded.”

I began to stutter out an answer as I searched for words. “So if you’re a Guardian that means my mother was . . . and that I’m . . .” I was speechless.

“A Guardian of the Grove as well.” She finished my sentence.

“Grandma, I hear what you’re saying, but I’m having a difficult time wrapping my head around all of this.” My thoughts were jumbled as I tried to make sense. I’d seen so much in the past few hours, things that made this no stretch of the imagination. Something told me the two strange men I’d seen weren’t human—they were “alien-like” and definitely didn’t belong. 

I was glad I was sitting down because what she said next floored me.

“Fae, Brianna, we’re being invaded by the Fae.” The simplicity with how she answered told me my grandmother believed wholeheartedly what she was saying and something inside confirmed it. “Remember those men you saw earlier this evening? Those were Fae men, and if what you heard was correct, we’re in a lot of trouble.”

I pictured the Fae males I loved reading about in my romance novels. Even though I was more partial to vampires and werewolves, there was something appealing about the ethereal creatures. It was strange to hear they were actually real.

“So what does this mean?” I asked, thinking strategy. Considering my grandmother had never lied to me before, I needed to accept she was telling the truth.

“It means the Guardians must gather and start planning how to stop the invasion. If the Fae get a tight hold on Earth, it would mean catastrophe.”

“So they really hate us?” I shivered as I remembered the cold look the General had—of the hatred burning in his eyes as he spoke about extermination. My stomach churned repeatedly as I tried to curb the panic that was rising. This was bad.

“Not all Fae hate us, but some are greedy for authority and filled with a need to dominate and control. They look on us as easy prey, and unfortunately they’re in powerful positions within their hierarchy. With that kind of authority, there’s no doubt they have a formidable army.”

“That scares me, Grandma. I can’t imagine adding an army to all the madness. With everyone attacking each other and not themselves, we’re sitting ducks.”  It made sense—no more charm equaled goodbye evil Quinn. It meant no more violence for anyone and people could get their loved ones back.

“I know. There are things we can do and once you meet Noah, he’ll let you know how you can help.”

“I just want to understand right now. I’m so confused. I thought I was going out on a date with my boyfriend and now everything is in chaos. One minute he’s himself, the next he’s hurting me. One minute it’s a normal Friday night, and then the streets are unsafe because people are killing each other. This isn’t how it’s meant to be. Right now, I should be snuggling in Quinn’s arms . . . not hiding from him.”

The silence seemed endless until my grandmother finally spoke. “You might need to accept the fact you can’t save Quinn. From what you’re telling me, the charm is pretty strong and I’m not sure if there’s a way to break it.” I could hear how much it pained her to warn me.

“I refuse to believe there’s no hope. I will find a way, Grandma. I love him, and if that was me, he would move heaven and hell to save me. How can I not do the same?”

I was grateful when she responded. “Okay then, you do whatever your heart’s telling you. Explain the situation with Quinn.”

I laid out everything that had happened, sparing no detail. It sounded so grim as I repeated it—like a nightmare come to life. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d be having this conversation about Quinn—describing his threats and taunts. Once I was finished, we sat there surrounded by our private thoughts. It was my grandmother who commented first.

“Oh, honey.” I heard her voice crack as though she was trying not to cry. “I’m going to be truthful here—I’m still not sure if there’s a way to bring him back, but I’ll do everything I can to help. I’ll have some of the Guardians search through the library here to see if they can find anything.”

“I’m scared it’s too late as well. You didn’t see him. He’s so full of anger and all he talks about is what he wants to do with me.” My voice wobbled. “I just can’t give up.”

“I’m sorry. I know you’re terrified,” she repeated. “Just remember the Quinn you’re seeing isn’t the real him. Hold onto those powerful memories and use that as an anchor. No matter what happens, don’t let the charm deceive you.” She paused between sentences, weighing her words. “I’m scared for you, Brianna. I know Quinn loves you, but he’s not himself, especially if he’s talking about hurting you. I don’t want you putting yourself in danger like that. It may be better if you wait and see how everything unfolds. Leave him alone.”

“I can’t.” I knew she made sense, but I wanted him back.

“I know that too. Just agree you’ll take precautions. I don’t want to lose you either.”

“Okay, I promise.” I began tying happy memories of Quinn to my heart. With each one firmly in place, my strength and conviction grew—comforting me.

“So what are you going to do? I didn’t ask you what’s happening where you are.” It was hard having her on the other side of the world, especially now. I’d even contemplated moving to be with her when my mother died, but I’d met Quinn—taking away the loneliness.  

“We’ve been getting reports from around the globe about similar situations like yours—people acting normal and then breaking out into violence. Sightings have been made of the General, which tells me he’s surveying the damage and evaluating how smoothly his plan is going.”

“He’s vile. I still can’t get his words out of my mind. They make my skin crawl. I don’t like that he’s gloating over the destruction he’s causing.” I shuddered slightly at the thought, when another one surfaced. “If Guardians exist, why weren’t they stopped?”

“We work hard at keeping them from crossing through the portal, but this caught us off guard. I need to send a message to your father and let him know what’s happening.” My heart sped up again at the mention of him.

“What’s he got to do with this?” I asked. When everything died down, maybe I could finally meet him—ask him all my questions.

“Honey, your father has everything to do with this.” Confusion gripped me. Everything hung on the answer to my next question.

“How?” I whispered, my eyes scrunched shut as I waited for the answer I suddenly knew was coming.

“Because he’s Fae as well.”

“But that would mean . . .” I couldn’t even bring myself to finish.

“That would mean you’re part Fae.”

Chapter Fourteen

“What does that mean, I’m part Fae?” I asked. It was one thing to find out I was a blend of different cultures—another to learn it was two species.

“It means your mother was human and your father is Fae,” she stated simply.

The revelation hit me like a bombshell.  I was the result of a love affair my mother had with a supernatural creature. All those times I’d swooned over my romance novels, never realizing my life mirrored them. I didn’t know whether to shake my head in disbelief or sigh over how romantic it sounded. A Fae had swooped in and fell in love with my mother . . . it boggled my mind.

“I’m part Fae,” I said, still stunned, testing out how it sounded. “Wow, Grandma. Just wow. Wait … does that mean vampires and werewolves are real?”

She burst into laughter, easing some of the tension. “Oh Brianna, you’re priceless. No honey, there are no monsters so you can put away your cross and silver bullets.”

I joined in with her. No matter what else she’d tell me I knew we’d be okay. The thought settled me.

“All joking aside, I understand this is a lot to digest. With everything unfolding so fast, there wasn’t time to do it properly. What can I do to help you?”

“I’m okay. You’re right, it would’ve been nice to find out differently, but I’m just grateful I know now. Growing up I always had some fancy idea about who my father was and why he wasn’t with us, but this? This wasn’t even a possibility.” I exhaled loudly, staring into my lap. “Can you tell me how they met at least? From what you’ve told me, I can’t see how they got together. Wouldn’t it be a “sleeping with the enemy” kind of thing? Taboo even?”

“Yes, it was taboo. It still is, and one of the reasons your parents wanted to keep it private. They figured if you ever found out, you would have a hard enough time dealing with it without hearing all the gossip and judgment that came with it. It’s the only thing I agreed with them on.”