| HIDDEN IN SECRETS |

chapter thirty-eight

FAMILY MEETING

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At last, the Salvador family had a real meeting. A week after Verena came home from school, she demanded that her parents tell her everything about her Sight and Aunt Dahlia. Damien supported her, of course. He was curious about it all after Verena shared some of the entries.

"Well?" Verena said first, looking at them.

Duvessa looked at Silas, and then he said, "Why are you looking at me? This is your family."

"Mum, please," Damien said.

"I know you've known I had Sight so when did you know?" Verena asked.

"Since the night you lit a fire in your room," Silas replied after his wife did not speak. "We had a feeling then."

"But why haven't you told us?" Duvessa asked.

"Don't turn this on her," said Damien defensively.

"Damien," Silas warned.

"She dealt with this crap for two years on her own," Damien went on. "When she tried telling me the first time, I thought she had gone mental, so excuse her for not telling you guys."

"We get it, Damien, I understand," Duvessa said sharply, "but you know you could have told us."

Verena thought for a moment and said, "Professor Dumbledore said to keep it a secret, even from you... And I've recently learned you two really were followers of the Dark Lord so now I know why."

"What are you talking about?" asked Silas. "I was— "

"Under the Imperius Curse, so you said," Verena cut him off. "That was your cover. Aunt Dahlia wrote the truth in her diaries."

Duvessa's expression changed. Suddenly, her eyes had turned cold. Silas looked at her cautiously. He slowly reached a comforting hand toward her, but she pulled away.

"Aunt Dahlia didn't share the family ideals, she wanted a different path, but— "

"She betrayed our family!" Duvessa said loudly. "She ruined us!"

"You ruined yourselves," Verena remarked.

"Verena, I understand you are upset, but you cannot speak like that to your mother," Silas said, calm but stern.

"Mother didn't even care about her," Verena said.

"How dare you!" Duvessa cried. "She was my sister! Of course I cared about her! I will hear no more of her. I will not let you talk about things you do not understand."

Duvessa got up and left the table.

"Nice going," Silas commented. "Upsetting your mother. Good way to go."

"As if you're such a good parent," Damien retorted. "It just occurred to me that you were barely around when I was small. No doubt killing people."

Silas pounded his fist on the table, the glass dishes clattering by the vibration, and he pointed at Damien saying, "Everything I have ever done was for this family. Don't you dare mock me or your mother. Hell knows what she's sacrificed for the two of you."

Silas got up and left, leaving the two siblings alone. Verena and Damien looked at each other and sighed. They got up, knowing they had to speak to their parents.

Verena went up to her mother's room. Before she entered, she could see her holding a picture, and it sounded as though she had been crying. Verena knocked on the door and walked inside toward her mother.