“Come in.” Madeline’s rich voice was laced with anger and resignation as she stepped back to wave us inside.

I went first and Nikolas followed me closely. My mother or not, he wasn’t taking any chances. Normally, I’d tell him he was being overprotective, but I let it pass because just bringing me here was a big step for him.

Madeline locked the door and led us into the living room that was tastefully done in browns and creams, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided an amazing view of the Strip. She seated herself in a leather chair, and Nikolas and I sat on the matching couch. I looked at her and wondered what I should be feeling, being in the same room with the woman who had given birth to me and abandoned me when I was just a baby. She was Tristan’s daughter and the woman my dad had loved. Yet all I saw was a beautiful stranger. All I felt was cold detachment.

“You look like Daniel.” It was said in a very matter-of-fact way, no emotion coloring her tone.

“I know.”

We stared at each other for a long moment. She looked away first. “It’s been a long time, Nikolas.”

“It has. I’d say you look well, but I can’t see past the glamour.”

Madeline’s brows drew together and she swung her gaze back to me. “And how is it that you can? Did Orias give you something to see past it? Did he tell you where I was? I know Adele would never betray me.”

A small smile touched my lips. “Orias and I are not exactly on the best of terms, and Adele didn’t give you up. She is amazingly loyal to you.”

“Then how did you find me? How can you see me now?”

“Some very resourceful friends of mine found you for me. As for how I can see you, that’s irrelevant.” I saw no reason to beat around the bush, and I got right to the reason for our visit. “You know the identity of a Master and we want to know who he is.”

She started to shake her head, and I said, “He had my dad killed. Your husband. He’s spent the last six months trying to kill me and everyone I love. I know family means nothing to you, but you must have felt something for my dad once upon a time.”

Madeline recoiled as if I’d slapped her. “You know nothing about what I felt for him.”

“You’re right. I don’t.” Anger slipped into my voice. “I don’t know how you can love someone and hurt them so completely. I don’t know how you can stand back while they are murdered and let the one responsible walk free so he can destroy other families. I have no idea what a person who does something like that is feeling. So why don’t you enlighten me?”

“I know you are angry because I left you –”

I couldn’t stop the harsh laugh that burst from me. “I don’t even remember you. My dad gave me all the love I needed until they took him from me. You have the information I need to find them, and that is the only reason I’m here now.”

Silence fell over the room, broken by the soft patter of raindrops against the windows. I looked at the sky and watched dark clouds roll in.

“I loved him.”

I turned back to Madeline. “What?”

“Your father.” Her hands entwined on her lap. “I met him in college. I knew he was human and it could never work between us, but he was... He had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in his world.”

I didn’t know why she was telling me this, but I knew what she meant about my dad. His life had revolved around me, and he’d always made sure I knew how much he loved me. I’d been his world, just like he’d been mine.

“I should not have married him, but I was in love, and I couldn’t think of leaving him. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he realized I was different, so a month before our wedding, I told him what I was.”

Shock rippled through me. “He knew what you were?”

“I told him I was Mohiri, but not about my Mori because I didn’t think he could cope with that. It was a struggle for him to learn about the real world, but he said what I was didn’t matter to him.” Her eyes and voice grew soft. “Even when I said I would not age, he wanted me to stay. So we got married. Those two years were the happiest of my life.”

I didn’t need to ask what had ended her blissful state. I was born in the third year of their marriage.

Madeline looked almost apologetic when she spoke again. “I was content with just the two of us, but Daniel wanted a child. He talked about how wonderful it would be, and I loved him so much that I let myself believe it was what I wanted, too. The day you were born, he was the happiest I’d ever seen him. I thought that would be enough for me to be happy too, but I was wrong. I loved my daughter – you, but being a mother wasn’t something I had ever wanted. I did it for two years, and then I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

“You left your child with a human who had no idea what would happen to her when her Mori emerged,” Nikolas said in a hard voice.

“I could sense no Mori in her,” Madeline replied defensively. “I thought she was human like her father.” She looked at me. “I came back sometimes to see how the two of you were doing, but neither of you knew it. If I’d seen a sign that you were different, I would have gone to your father. You looked happy together.”

“We were happy. Until he was killed.”

Pain flashed in her eyes. “I went to him and warned him he might be in danger. He didn’t believe me. The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt.”