Chapter Spider Brand
Spider Brand
Fiona
Max sounded about as excited as a person on their way to get a root canal, but he’s on his way to see his grandmother today.
How I ended up with his father following Hope and me around, I don’t know, but it’s slightly terrifying. It’s even weirder knowing I’m living with his family.
I live with a mafia don.
Max needs to figure out this Micky guy soon, so I can move back home. Saying that, even in my head, feels wrong.
All you have to do is walk in and do your job today. The rest will figure itself out.
And drink all the coffee.
“I’m so tired.” Hope yawns.
“You should have stayed in bed.” Talon nudges her carefully.
Hope yawns again. “Fiona came to work.”
“I told you last night that you didn’t need to come in.” That little girl is almost as stubborn as her father. He lost his mind at the idea of me going to work without him.
“Fea, are you back there?” Riverie walks up with a child next to her.
A child who’s way too young. Kids of all ages show up here looking for a safe place.
But rarely do children this young find their way to us.
The system scoops them up before they hit the street.
It’s usually teenage runaways. Kids who have been battered and abused one too many times to trust others. The little ones don’t come to us.
Paisley needs to be notified as soon as possible, and Riverie knows that.
“I am. Who have you got there with you?” It’s tempting to rush up and lift the little girl into my arms and shield her from the world.
“This is Gemma. She’s five.”
The little girl’s face is hidden by dark, stringy hair, but her bony wrists speak to a lack of nourishment. I sink down to her level. “Hi, Gemma. My name is Fiona.”
“You don’t look like a monster.” She peeks up at me from behind her hair.
There’s something familiar about her. “I don’t?” That might not be true in a few hours.
“No. Riverie said you made the best food.”
That would be Ace, but I do sweets well and comfort even better.
“Are you hungry?” A little more of her face peeks through, and my gut clenches.
This can’t be possible. My mind is making things up.
I can’t be seeing what I think I’m seeing.
This is just your mind playing tricks on you.
Act normal. This is just a normal day, starting a normal week.
The little girl nods.
This isn’t real. Do what you need to do. Pretend you’re fine. “What do you like?” When given the choice, most kids choose something filled with sugar.
She stares down at her feet.
“Cookies?” Daria liked…No. No. It can’t be.
“Like they have on the television?”
Has she never had a cookie? “Even better.” Where was she that she’s never had a cookie? Are we looking at a kid who escaped a cult? We’ve had a few that have escaped from cults.
Gemma starts to sway on her feet.
All of a sudden, Talon is by my side. “Hi, Gemma. My name is Talon.”
“That’s a funny name.” She wiggles her nose at him but doesn’t shrink back.
“It is.”
She sways a little more. Riverie tries to stabilize her, but the little one is fading fast. Gemma needs more than food. Medical care and a home are priorities.
A home. How can a child who could be Daria’s mirror image at that age go anywhere but home with me? But we don’t do that here. Kids not in their teens will end up in foster care. They need a stable place and family.
Everyone in the world has a twin. Daria’s is just this child.
“You look tired. When my daughter Milia was tired, I’d lift her up and put her on my shoulders so that she could reach up and touch the sky. Would you like to touch the sky?”
“I’ve never touched the sky.” Her head turns up, and her nose wiggles just like Daria’s used to.
Talon holds out two giant hands, and Gemma stumbles right into them.
As he lifts her, her shirt rides up a tiny bit, and the world swirls around me. It can’t be. It just can’t be. The scars from being whipped I’ve seen before, but that brand…Gemma shouldn’t…No one should ever bear that brand again.
That means…
“Nonno.” Hope must have seen what I just did.
Talon turns around, and Gemma giggles on his shoulder. But the lion just turned deadly.
I lean over and whisper to Riverie, “You need to walk away and pretend you’ve never seen this little girl.”
She nods. Thankfully, people are used to weirdness around here. “Should I get Maddox?”
No, my entire body screams. This is a secret I’ve kept from everyone. But Gemma could bring danger to Willow Street. “Tell him to meet us in the back room of the Med Center.”
“The back room?” Riverie’s jaw drops.
“Yes.” We need to protect Willow Street.
Talon’s voice is almost a breath when he asks, “What?”
“Hope, go get a few cookies and a sandwich from inside. Your grandfather and I are going to help Gemma fly over to the Medical Center.”
“We’ll fly around here until Hope is ready.” There’s no give in Talon’s voice. “And call your grandmother, Hope.”
I open my mouth to stop him, but the words don’t come out. Temperance Vincenti knows how to keep her mouth shut. Our doctors understand how the streets work. This is on a whole different level.
Gemma giggles as Talon walks the perimeter.
This isn’t good. I should try to do something to calm his nerves. How do I do that when there’s an elephant sitting on my chest? The brand on my back burns like it was just done a day ago, not way back when I was around Gemma’s age.
Pull yourself together.
Maddox has the neighborhood locked down tight. You’re safe. Daria’s safe… “Daria.”
Talon turns to me and raises an eyebrow. How do I explain? What is there that I could possibly say that would make any rational sense? I shake my head and stand in silence.
Deafening silence. Daria’s sister is alive.
And I left her alone with that monster for all those years.
The world goes fuzzy.
“Sit down.” Talon is by my side. “Sit down before you fall down.”
I won’t fall down. I can’t fall down. There’s too much to do. And not enough time to do it. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. Don’t make me put you over my other shoulder.” Talon can be way more intimidating than Max.
It’s just easier not to fight with him.
Hope comes out a few minutes later with a sandwich and several cookies.
She looks at me strangely before walking over to Gemma.
“This is my favorite cookie. It’s a plain chocolate chip, but they’re always the best.” Hope breaks off a piece and puts it in her mouth before holding the rest up for the little girl to take.
Gemma.
She named her Gemma, like we always talked about. “I need to call Daria. Someone needs to go get Daria. She can’t leave Willow Street anymore. It’s not safe. It’s not safe. Knight. I’ll call Knight. He’ll take care of her.”
“You’ll do no such thing. War will pick up your sister. And we’re ready to go to the clinic now.”
No. Not him. Not them. I can’t involve them. “You need to go home. Give me Gemma and take Hope home.” They can’t be here. They can’t get involved.
“Right now, the only thing that’s happening is we’re walking Gemma to the clinic, and then you’re going to answer some questions.”
No, I’m not. I’m going to get Maddox to kick them off The Street. Then lock things down until I can rescue a friend and kill a monster. A shudder runs through me.
You can shower when you’re done.
Now, you need to walk to the clinic. “Let’s go.”
Maddox arrives at the clinic’s back door at the same time we do. “What’s wrong?”
“You need a full lockdown now.”
He freezes. “Fea?”
“Every kid needs to be picked up.”
His eyes widen. “You’re sure.”
“It’s branded on her back.”
He nods. “It’ll be done. You're sure this isn’t Micky?”
“One hundred percent. You’re looking at Daria’s niece.”
Maddox gasps. “I thought you said it was done.”
“I thought it was. I thought it was all over.” Tears fight their way into my eyes. “Maddox, you need to make them leave.”
He glances over at Talon. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“Max has a daughter. Talon has a daughter. Do what you need to do to convince them. But they need to be gone now. And no one can know Gemma is here.” How are we going to hide her?
How could he have survived? I saw her lunging at him with a knife right before I escaped.
He can’t still be alive. She can’t be alive. “Give me Gemma, please.”
“You can take her. But we aren’t leaving.” Talon makes those words into a threat.
“Think of Hope. Of Milia.”
“All my daughters are important. And you became one the minute my son claimed you as his. You think about that while they take care of this little girl.” Talon lifts Gemma off his shoulders.
All the little girl’s focus is on the cookie in her hands.
Time to make sure this little girl’s medical needs are seen too.
***
Twenty minutes later, Temperance walks into the exam room.
Gemma fell asleep in my arms about five minutes ago.
“That’s Gemma?” She pitches her voice low to not disturb the child.
“Yeah.”
“How’s she doing?”
About as good as can be expected for a child who’s been starved, beaten, and branded to control her mother. “They’re running some blood tests right now, but the doctor’s biggest concern is malnutrition.”
Temperance sits down next to me. “And how are you doing?”
Losing my mind. “I’ll survive.” I always do, regardless of what’s happening.
“Talon said you believe this might be Daria’s niece.”
Believe. “No. I don’t believe it. I know it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Other than looking at her and the brand on her back, it’s her name. Gemma was going to be my imaginary daughter’s name. Daria’s sister was the only one who knew that. She told me if she ever had a child, she would name her Gemma.” I failed my best friend once, but I’m not going to fail her again.