Woman King (44 page)

“She didn’t though. And you didn’t,” I said.
“All of you knew, but you didn’t tell me. How dare you play with my
life like that? How dare you lie to me?”

“Olivia,” Gabriel pleaded. “You must listen.
You are my daughter, my only heir.”

“You can go to hell,” I said. “Both of you. I
never want to see either of you again.”

“Olivia,” Gabriel said, “You cannot walk
away. There is too much to discuss.”

“That is exactly what I am doing,” I said,
barely aware of my surroundings, my pulse in my throat.

“What did you think would happen when I found
out that you both had lied to me?” I continued. I grabbed my purse
and began to walk away. “Did you really think this would end
happily?”

I turned my back on the only mother I’d ever
known, my newly discovered father, and walked away. I did not look
back, my forehead burning with anger and humiliation. All the years
I had wondered and asked about my father and my mother had known
who he was. And then there was the Council. There had never been a
real opportunity for me there. It was a setup from the start, from
the minute Gabriel knew of my existence.

Looking back, it seemed even worse than that,
for he must have known I had skills—like becoming invisible, or the
telepathy—that I could not even imagine possessing. And he sat back
and watched them unfold, an owner watching his pedigreed animal
prance and kick to the pace of its trainer. I felt sick, wondering
if anything or anyone I’d come to rely on could be trusted.

William and Josef trailed alongside me,
saying nothing while they raced to open the door to the apartment.
They were right to treat me gingerly. I was infuriated, horrified
at being betrayed and unsure of whom to trust. Once we were inside
the apartment, I turned to face William, my hands clenched at my
sides.

“Did you know Gabriel was my father?” I
asked. “Did he set this whole thing up so we would meet? Are you my
compensation for him dragging me into his intrigue? Did he promise
me to you in exchange for being my bodyguard?”

William glared at me and then picked up one
of the nineteenth-century vases in the room and threw it against
the wall. I winced at its impact, exploding into a thousand
pieces.

“Give me some credit, Olivia,” he said. “I am
181 years old. Do you really think I would agree to an arranged
marriage to a human?”

“
Ohhh
, but I’m not human, not one
hundred percent anyway. I’m part witch, a fact you seem to have
figured out some time ago.”

“I only suspected, but I wasn’t certain,” he
said. “Gabriel told me you were his daughter the night Aidan died.
He intended to tell you everything in Paris, but your mother got
there first. He swore me to secrecy. He wanted to be the one to
tell you. As usual, you fled the scene before you gave him a chance
to explain.”

“Explain what?” I barked. “How he tricked me
into joining the Council? How he lured me into his convoluted
schemes, putting my life in danger, while failing to let me know he
was my father? How can he possibly provide a satisfactory
explanation for any of this?

Josef walked into the room, a furious look on
his face. As he approached I thought he might strike me, his body
was coiled so tightly.

“That’s enough, Olivia! Calm yourself. No
vampire would bind himself, give his blood,
risk his life
,
unless he was truly in love,” he said. “If you want to be angry at
your mother and father, fine, be angry. But don’t take it out on
William, or me, for that matter. We’re your allies… maybe the only
people you can trust.”

Josef words snapped me out of my hysterics
and I hung my head for a moment, feeling deflated. He was right, of
course. I looked up at William, transmitting my deep regret through
every fiber of my body.

“I am sorry,” I said. “This is all so
shocking.”

William came to stand next to me, holding my
hand and running his fingers across the copper bands on my
finger.

“I’m sorry, too,” he said. “I should have
told you my suspicions.”

“Listen up,” Josef said. “We have bigger
issues to consider. First there is the fact that as Gabriel’s heir,
Olivia is technically eligible one day to assume his seat on the
Council. If Nikola and his allies find out, it will give them
another reason to harm her. Second, she is next in line to head one
of the most powerful witchcraft families in Europe, not to mention
one of perhaps a handful of children ever produced from a human and
witch union. Rare, powerful and in line for the throne, that is a
potent trio of considerations.”

I was shocked to hear myself laughing at
Josef’s remarks, perhaps out of distress, perhaps out of fear.
“Forgive me. I think you are making too much of it,” I said. “I’m
not nearly that important. I was running one tiny campaign in
Silicon Valley.”

“Yes,” Josef agreed, “Because that is what
Gabriel wanted. He wanted to keep your profile low, until he could
assess your abilities, but then you stumbled onto the robbery and
began to reveal your skills—telepathy, invisibility. He knew he was
running out of time.”

I stood silent, unable to think of a
response.

“Olivia, darlin, stop thinking like a human,”
William said. “You’re an Other, at least partially, and that part,
however big or small, is what counts now. The rules in our world
are different and, I’m afraid, less forgiving.”

I was too bewildered to speak. Lily was
thousands of miles way. Elsa was missing. I was estranged from my
parents and far from San Francisco, and yet I knew I could not go
home again. Nothing I knew, or remembered, made sense.

“We need to get out of here,” I said finally.
“I want to disappear for a while, until I can figure this out.”

William nodded. “I’m ready to go now,” he
said, clasping my hand. “But you know you can’t stay hidden
forever.”

“I know,” I said. “I just want a little time
to think about all of this. Someplace where Nikola won’t find us,
or at least might not try to kill us.”

Josef regarded us both for a moment before
speaking, a knowing smile slowly appearing in his face.

“Pack your bags,” he said. “I know just the
place.”

****

****

I'm blessed to be part of a circle of
extremely intelligent, talented women who have all helped in some
way with the publication of this novel. I want to thank Sara
Hillman, my friend and neighbor who created my web site, and Leah
Hefner, the gifted graphic designer who created the artwork for
Woman King
.

I also would like to acknowledge Marcia
Schneider for her unwavering friendship and editing skills that
helped shape this book, and Donna Bero, whose confidence has helped
me to accomplish great things.

****

Evette Davis is co-owner of a San
Francisco-based public affairs firm. She also serves on the board
of Litquake, founders of San Francisco's iconic literary
festival.

Prior to founding her firm, Davis worked in
Washington as a press secretary for a member of Congress, and as a
reporter for daily newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area. She
earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Mills College
in Oakland, California.

For more information visit
www.evettedavis.com, or follow her on Twitter, @SFEvette.