I saw the shock appear on Isla's face instantly.

"W...What?!" Isla clearly couldn't believe it.

"She's my mother. I do believe I said that clearly," I said calmly.

"B... But..." 

"But she's your stepmother? Yes, I know. I suppose that makes us related. Step-siblings at least."

"Not that!" Isla growled, "But how could your own mother treat you... the way she does?"

"The same way she treats her stepdaughter, Isla."

"So... how come you're not like her? Like mother like son?"

"Is that what people say? She wasn't always like that, you know. She has been for a while, but not... not always."

"What could have possibly happened to make her that way?!"

"Maybe she was a bit cold, I guess would be the word...? But nothing like this... Not until..."

"Until what?!" Isla demanded to know. But I didn't really want to tell her... Or anyone. It hurt to recall.

"Well..." I hesitated.

My moment of hesitation seemed to make Isla realize something.

"Wait? So you're not really lying when you say you're not evil? You're only doing what Zaila tells you?"

"I guess that would be true."

Isla thought for a moment, her face scrunched up in thought. "Would you walk away from Zaila if you could do so completely unharmed?"

"Isla, you don't..." My voice fell. "You don't just walk away from your mother... even if she's..."

"I said, would you walk away from Zaila if you could do so completely unharmed? "

The million dollar question. A question to make you think. More so than any question I had ever been asked before.

After a long moment of silence, I finally answered. 

"...yes. Yes, I would."

What was I even saying?

She'd never let me go. Ever. She would hunt me down and kill me, or worse...

It was useless to even think like that.

"Your curiosity for things like that will get you killed, Isla. I would watch what you ask people."

"Is that a threat?"

"Not from me. Just a warning. Curiosity killed the cat, right?"

"But if no one was curious ever, we'd never learn anything new."

I shook my head. It was useless to try and argue with her. She was wrong.

She was going to get herself killed by trying to figure out the truth. Some people would rather take the convenient lies than the hard truth. Isla might have even more people chasing after her if she lets the truth about Miss and me out. Miss will also have another reason to want to kill Isla, as if Miss didn't have enough reasons already.

I decided to turn away from Isla's death wishes, and turned it to explaining why she couldn't tell anyone.

"And definitely don't go around telling people what I told you."

"Why? You scared?"

I sighed. I couldn't answer that completely truthfully.

"For you."

It was partially true. If Isla told anyone, Miss would find out. And since the only way Isla could've possibly known that is through me... 

Yes. I was scared. Scared for a lot of reasons.

Isla could kill me. She could just tell anyone, and it would get back to Miss, and Miss would kill me instantly.

The fact that I am Miss's son does not protect me from her wrath.

Isla could kill herself. She could just tell anyone, and it would get back to Miss, and Miss would have another reason to kill Isla. Miss doesn't need another reason...

My life was in Isla's hands now. Because of my decision to tell her the truth. Because of Isla's curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat, right?