A Vial of Life (A Shade of Vampire #21)(41)

I fell silent and focused on their words.

“First thing after the funeral this morning,” my father said, his voice deep and sober, “we will begin the investigation.”

Panic arrested me again. Funeral? What happened?

My father’s eyes rested on the wrecked cabin, a deep scowl marring his face. “Whoever is behind this will pay.”

“What’s going on?” I spoke aloud, even though I knew they couldn’t hear me. “Where’s Mom? Where is Rose? The rest of our family? River? Is everyone okay?”

There was a span of silence between the two of them as they both stared at the remains of the fire before they turned on their heels and headed back toward the woods. I followed them, hoping that they would lead me toward the rest of my family, where I could verify that they were all right. But then Ibrahim touched my father’s shoulder and they both vanished, leaving the trail cold once again. Though not as cold as before. Perhaps Ibrahim had taken my father back to the Sanctuary? I figured that Corrine’s place—particularly the courtyard outside—was usually used as the base for funerals. It made sense to head there.

I raced back through the woods and reached the courtyard outside Ibrahim and Corrine’s home. I stopped outside their front door and paused for a moment, attempting to steel myself for what I might find on the other side.

I glided through the door, emerging at the beginning of a long corridor. I heard the crying of an infant, but also that of a woman. I hurried along the hallway toward the source of the noise.

The baby’s cries were coming from the fifth room on my right. Its door was ajar. I moved inside to find my aunt lying in bed and cradling in her arms a beautiful baby. My new cousin. He or she was wrapped in a blanket, and I couldn’t make out the child’s gender. I moved to the foot of the bed. Vivienne appeared tired and drained, though her eyes were brimming with affection as she cuddled up with her newborn. I wondered how long ago she had given birth. I gazed down at the child’s face, and wished that I could have greeted my cousin.

Although I wanted to stay in the room longer, even if I couldn’t hold the baby, the crying of the grown woman was eating at my nerves. I left my aunt and cousin alone and returned to the corridor. The sobs sounded like they were coming from Corrine’s treatment room. My anxiety intensified as I approached it, trying to figure out if I recognized the voice.

I reached the end of the corridor and turned the corner to find myself standing in front of my grandfather, sister, and mother. The three of them sat on a narrow bench against the wall. Aiden’s head was resting in his palms, and his chest and back were shaking silently with… sobs? My sister and mother sat on either side of him, their arms wrapped around his midriff. I didn’t understand the source of my grandfather’s grief, but I felt relieved to have verified that all of my family was okay and had survived the strange fires—assuming that Xavier was somewhere around and in good health too.

I wanted to stop and just be with my sister, mother and grandfather, even if they couldn’t see or hear me. But I had to keep moving. I had to find out what had happened here. I left them and moved into the treatment room, finally arriving at the source of the woman’s crying.

Kira, the werewolf, was bent down over a large, teak coffin. Her cheek rested over the wood, her curly blonde hair spilling over the side of the casket. Her body shuddered with sobs. Micah knelt next to her on the floor, his arms around her, trying to offer her comfort.

“My sister wasn’t ready to go,” she rasped. “She had too much left to live for!”

Her sister.

It was Kailyn who died.

My gaze traveled to Corrine, who sat perched on the edge of the treatment bed. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, and her lips were pursed as she gazed with mournful eyes upon the grieving werewolf. I stayed for several moments longer before leaving the sorrowful scene.

Who would have killed Kailyn? Was this really not an accident? My father certainly didn’t seem to think so.

As I arrived back in the corridor, it was to see my father again, standing next to Aiden, my mother and sister. He leaned against the wall, looking down with a pained look on his face at my grandfather, whose face was still covered by his palms.

We all knew how much heartbreak my grandfather had suffered in the past due to his first love, Camilla Claremont—my grandmother. After she’d died, he’d struggled for years—almost two decades—to let another woman into his life again. For him to lose Kailyn, whom he’d appeared to have truly fallen in love with, was a cruel twist.

I gazed down at my shattered grandfather. I wasn’t sure how long it would take him to recover from this. Another two decades before he was willing to lay his heart on the line again for someone? What if he never recovered? He was a strong man, one of the strongest I knew, and he’d always been an inspiration for me, but behind his steely exterior was a broken man. When he’d met Kailyn and fallen for her, we’d all hoped that his heart was on its way to healing… but now I wondered if he would ever open up to anyone again.

I reached out a hand and moved it over his shoulder. I wished with all that I had that he could feel my touch—even just the smallest squeeze of reassurance, of empathy. My mother, father and sister, I wanted to hug them, too. I wanted them to see that I was alive, that I was home. I found myself starving to reconnect. To feel the ground beneath my feet. To stop feeling like I was a wisp of smoke, at risk of dissolving with the slightest gust of wind.