I stared at the ceiling and thought it through again from the beginning. There were so many things I couldn't recollect from the past week. I'd been moving through life in a haze. Vaguely, I thought something might be wrong with me, but I couldn't muster the energy to care.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember what I was looking at when Mom was stabbed. Who was I protecting while my mom was being killed? That fight was all a blur of movement and sound; nothing was clear anymore.

I remembered leaving her on the floor in the living room and going back later to find her. I remembered sirens and people. Questions I didn't want to answer and pain. Everything inside me hurt.

Her body was taken away on a stretcher. Ash held me back from trying to go with her. I wasn't supposed to go. Bea sent us to her house; she said she'd talk to the police. She managed it all.

Bea took care of us the way she had my entire life and planned everything. When she asked for my opinion, I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. She talked about which dress Mom would have liked to wear and what music she might have wanted playing. I couldn't see how that mattered, she's gone.

The funeral was yesterday. People talked about saying goodbye and closure. They eulogized her as beautiful inside and out, and they were right. I let strangers pat my shoulders and say they were sorry until I wanted to scream. Ash took me home.

Not my home. That house had been cleaned and repaired, Bea saw to that too. But I wasn't ready to be there. We were all living at Bea's for now.

She kept trying to talk to me. Telling me how much Mom loved me. I knew that. What I didn't know was if things would ever feel normal again. Would I ever be able to breathe without aching? Would I ever sleep and not wake with her face in my mind?

If it wasn't for Ash I was sure I'd be having nightmares. Instead, I dreamt with him. Things were different in dreams. Mom wasn't missing from my life, she just wasn't there. It was like she was at work and he and I had the time to spend as we pleased. I was happy until I woke up.

Finally, Bea couldn't handle seeing me that way anymore. She said she wanted to talk when I was ready and left me to wallow, but I wasn't alone. Ash never left my side and Mark had become my shadow. If I left this bed, I knew he'd show up right next to me.

He and Tate were staying in the room across the hall and the door remained open so he could watch for me. I knew it was because they were worried, but it was starting to feel like a prison. I wanted to tell them to leave me alone, but I couldn't. Mark was hurting too. I was glad he had Tate to lean on while I was too weak to even stand on my own.

Why did this have to happen? Everything was so close to perfect. Why did Crystal have to involve Mom? Then I remembered Flint, and my blood ran cold.

Ash's thumb rubbed the back of my hand. "Jolie? Are you alright?" He leaned on his elbow to look down at me when I didn't answer. "No need to be alarmed. You're safe, love."

"I know." My voice was scratchy from lack of use. "Did you know Flint died protecting us?"

"No. Neither did Tate, I asked."

Sitting up, I said, "I think it's time to get some answers." Ash followed me from the room and when Mark appeared in the hall I said, "Get Tate. I'm going to find out what really happened. You guys should probably hear it too."

We gathered in the living room with Hedera and Bea.

Everyone watched me like I was fragile. I hated it. "Crystal said Flint died because of Mom and me. Mom said he died protecting us. Tell me the truth."

Bea took a deep breath and looked at me sadly. "He would never have said he died because of you, but yes, he was protecting the two of you."

"From what?" My heart raced and I realized I might not want to hear the answer.

"Emily didn't want you to know, and I agreed. I never thought anyone would distort what happened and try to blame either of you." Bea looked disgusted, "That Crystal doesn't know what she's talking about."

"So tell me."

She stared at her hands and twisted the wedding band she still wore. She looked up with tears in her eyes, "Emily told you your father died when you were young, and that's true, but he was no father."

This wasn't how I was expecting this to start. Ash gave my hand a comforting squeeze. I glanced at Mark and he looked as confused as I felt.

Bea sniffed and sat up straighter. "I'll start from the beginning. I met Emily when she came into the bookstore and we got talking. She was a timid thing, but very sweet, and you were the most precious little baby. Only a few weeks old.

"She was working at Rae's Diner and I started going to visit with her and have coffee, or Flint and I would go for dinner. She seemed like she could use a friend and I liked the two of you. Anyway, some weeks went by and she lost her childcare. So, I volunteered."

She smiled at me, "That was the best decision I've ever made. When I found out the two of you were living in the motel, I talked to Flint and we decided to invite you to live with us."

Tate leaned forward, "Did Emily know about Flint then?"

"No, she didn't find out until after they'd moved to their own house. They could have stayed forever, but it was important to her to be independent. I still got to keep Jolie while she worked. You loved the bookshop and on pretty days, Flint would take you to the park. You probably don't remember."

I shook my head. I remembered Bea was always there, but I couldn't remember Flint. I was too young. "What does my Father have to do with Flint?"

The smile fell from Bea's face with a sigh. "It took months for Emily to open up to me. I had a feeling, but I didn't ask. I knew she'd talk to me if she wanted to. Warren, that was your father's name, Emily said he was wonderful, at first.

"He was sweet, giving, and handsome. He made her feel like the most important person in the world. I'll spare you the details and just say she didn't see the changes he was making in her life until it was too late. She thought he loved her, and any time he was being overbearing or angry, he made her think it was because he cared about her so much."

I felt sick. "What do you mean angry? Mom never would have stayed with someone like that."

"Not the Emily you knew, no. But the Emily that was with him was another person. She said they were together six months before he even raised his voice to her. Eight before he raised his hand. That lasted almost three years."

"No way, she would have left him." I shook my head. I knew it wasn't possible.

"She did leave, several times. But he was always so apologetic. He lied about getting help for his anger, he promised to go to counseling. Eventually, the police were called and she got a restraining order. She didn't tell him, but she knew she was pregnant by then and she wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

Ash wrapped his arm around me and I realized tears were rolling down my cheeks. I glanced around at everyone, I'd forgotten they were there. Tate looked pissed and Mark was leaning forward with his face in his hands.

"The restraining order didn't help. A piece of paper couldn't keep him away. The last time she saw Warren involved a trip to the hospital. She was so afraid something had happened to you.

"When she was told you were okay, she decided to leave town. He'd be in jail for the night at most and she used that time to fill her car with her things and go.

"She moved from motel to motel, town to town, until she was almost out of money. Then she found a diner that was looking for a waitress." Bea smiled at me, "I'll always be grateful that Rae's stays shorthanded."

"But if she was here, what does Warren have to do with Flint?"

Bea folded her hands in her lap and her knuckles turned white from clasping her fists. "You were about two and a half when late one night Flint woke up with a bad feeling. He knew something was wrong with Emily. I tried to call and when she didn't answer by the second ring, he was gone.

"He ran to your house and found Emily blocking you from Warren. He was waving a gun and yelling, calling her ugly names. The two of you shared a bed in that little house and I found out later that he'd broke in and pulled her up by her hair before he even noticed you.

"Flint was shot trying to stop him, but he knocked the gun away and Emily picked it up. She killed Warren herself.

"When I got to the bedroom, Flint was holding his wound with one hand and your little foot with the other. He was whispering trying to calm you down. You were screaming, and Emily was frantic."

Ash looked at Tate suddenly, they were both wide-eyed but they didn't say anything. Hedera was staring at me with surprise like I was the one that shot someone.

Bea went on with her story. "In the end, we got Flint in my car so I could take him home. Emily called the police; it was clearly self-defense. Poor thing had the bruises to prove it. They managed to keep the whole thing quiet and you two moved back in with me until she could afford the home you have now."

"Why don't you hate us? Crystal was right. He'd still be alive if it wasn't for us."

She shook her head, "If Flint had known what was going to happen, he'd have ran there just as fast. He loved you both so much and I do too. I won't hear anymore about his death being anyone's fault except Warren's."

"How did he know something was wrong?" Mark asked.

"His gift for protection," Tate answered.

Bea nodded, "That's right. The two of you were our family and he watched over you as much as he could."

"How did Warren find her after years? Why would he even want to? She obviously didn't want to be with him." Mark was outraged.

"We never knew how he found her, we were just glad he was gone. She didn't have to worry about him anymore. As for why, who knows? He wasn't in his right mind."

"I guess I understand Emily's rules about you being able to take care of yourself and support yourself now," Mark said.

Bea nodded, "She didn't want you ever to feel trapped or afraid."

I wished I'd known all of this before, that I could have talked to Mom about it. "What did you do when you brought Flint home?" I asked.

"Emily helped me bury him deep in the tunnel that leads to the mist, between the two worlds he lived in. He told me once that when a fae is buried in fae land, you can see a glow as their magic goes back to the earth. There was no glow." She looked down sadly and then at each of the fae. "Do you think I did something wrong?"

Tate shook his head, "I don't think his magic was still in him when he was buried."

He looked at me and I realized Hedera was too. Ash was gazing at me with wonder and I remembered what they said about a fae passing their magic to someone else. But didn't that mean to another fae?

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