Muses, Mishaps, and Murder!

Chapter 36 Postcards

Muse Paisley

Nickel sat in the room.

"The doctors are watching everything." Holbrook pointed to the security cameras.

Nickel's wings were no longer hidden by a back brace.

She hugged Mason and Holbrook.

"What name do you plan to go by?" Holbrook asked.

"Lexi Nickel, I refuse to use my real last name or salamander," she whispered. "Even-Core is not a name I'm ready to claim as my own. Mother told me I had to forget my name, but I wrote yours over and over, hidden. There were a few others who completely changed, but I had your phone calls. Your father wasn't supposed to let us talk as long as we did."

"I didn't know which name you'd go under," he said.

Nickel turned away. "Is it wrong? I still love Mother and think she's wonderful even after everything she's done to you; I mean us."

"No, you're just forgiving. There is rage, and I won't visit her much, but I do love her."

Nickel grabbed Holbrook's arm. "I'm so sorry for failing Mother, but I couldn't kill, and I didn't want you to be hurt. She gave me a choice to break it off with Kitten and go with Zander, or she would cut you to...." Nickel paused.

"Was it to keep you in line?" Holbrook asked.

Nickel nodded, 'yes.' "But it was my fault. I didn't have permission to ask Kitten out, and I needed to be punished. She cut Dina too when I tried to escape. Dina was nice to me, and I almost told her. Everyone suffers because of me."

"No, you didn't deserve that." Mason hugged her.

"And I didn't ask permission to save you from Mother, but I saw that you came for me." She reached for Mason's hand.

"I did," Mason said.

When they left, Holbrook spotted her father sitting in the lobby.

"I want to know how you tracked your sister down?" he asked Mason.

"I thought my father was behind the postcards, but the cult dangled her over my head. Two postcards slipped through, a description of a man she loved, enough I could track her down through you. The Flying Clutch was my way into the records. When she is ready, she might let you read them. I kept them."