"What about this one?" I asked Calin, holding up a book I'd found in the library at the Malloy's house.
We'd come to his house everyday for the rest of the week. Maible had been spending her afternoons with Brant after school, forgetting about her lack of powers and leaving us to research unhindered. We usually spent an hour in the library and then our efforts would wane, and we would watch a movie or go out for supper. I liked when we stayed in and ate with Islene, but she was always busy and that had only occurred once.
"No." Calin shook his head. "That is a book that involves sacrifices, so I don't think we want to try a locator spell from there. Not worth it."
"Agreed." I shuddered and put the book back on the shelf. Walking over to the table we'd settled at in the middle of the room, I slumped in my chair. "This is useless. You guys have so many books and not one of them has a locator spell that works. I want to figure out who bound Maible."
"You can't visualize it?"
I pushed my lips together and shook my head. "No, I tried."
Calin stood up and came to stand behind me, rubbing my shoulders. We both looked up as the library door opened and Islene walked in, frowning. She crossed the room and sat in a chair opposite us, folding her hands on the top of the table. Exhaling, she looked up.
"What is it?" I asked, leaning forward, and Calin dropped his hands.
"My vision expanded," she said.
Calin pulled his chair closer to me and sat, putting his hand on my leg even though my foot wasn't tapping. "What did you see, Mom?"
"Maible's father has no connection to her," she said.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "They don't get along?"
Islene looked at me. "Every child has a hint of the essence which makes up their parents, like the markers in DNA. Maible and her father don't share anything together."
"So, what? Does that mean she was adopted or something?" Calin asked.
"No." Islene shook her head and looked between us. "Maible shares her mother's essence."
"So..." I gasped, and Islene nodded.
"Maible's mom had an affair?" Calin exclaimed, and Islene looked at him, nodding again.
"Maible obviously doesn't know," I said. "Does her dad?"
"No, I don't think so," Islene said. "It isn't something that has been talked about. At least, not from what I gathered from my vision. Even if he has a suspicion, I'm positive that Maible's father doesn't know that she isn't his biological child."
"Do you think whoever bound her did it to protect that secret?"
"It's likely," Islene said. "If Maible had access to her power and her father could sense it—"
"—he would realize that he isn't her father," I finished, nodding.
"Who would do that?" Calin asked.
I sighed. "I assume that whoever bound Maible did it to keep her parentage a secret. That means that they are probably her real father."
"Wow."
Calin sat back in his chair, his brow furrowed. He continued to rub my leg, his energy calm in a way that belied the confusion his expression portrayed. I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table, holding my chin in my hands as I stared at the grains in the wood.
Who would do that to Maible?
It wasn't her fault that her mother cheated on her father.
How did they justify keeping a part of something so integral to who she was away from her in order to keep a secret?
It reminded me of all that I still didn't know and how my mother and Zach had kept secrets from me that I still hadn't discovered. I looked at Islene and caught her already watching me, and I knew she understood what I was thinking.
Secrets were lies and eventually caught up to haunt you.
"Well," Islene said, pushing her chair back. "Let's leave this for a while and go eat some supper. Nolyn is home and would like to meet Nora."
"Dad's here?" Calin looked up and smiled.
We got up and left the library. Calin took my hand and led me into the kitchen where his father was already setting the table, and I saw the resemblance between them immediately. Although older, he had the same sun-kissed skin and unruly hair. When he looked up and grinned, I saw the twinkle in his silver-grey eyes as charisma and warmth radiated out.
"Dad, this is Nora," Calin said, gesturing between us. "Nora, this is my dad, Nolyn Malloy."
"Hi." I smiled and gave him a small wave.
Nolyn stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. "Nora! It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm so sorry about your mom. She was a great lady. I'm glad my son chose to keep chasing after you."
"He didn't—"
"Yeah, I did," Calin said, nodding. "Remember when you first arrived and would only talk to me when you were telling me we couldn't be friends?"
"Oh, yeah." I smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'm glad you're stubborn."
Everyone laughed and sat down to eat. Nolyn barbequed steak and chicken and there was an array of salad and vegetables to choose from as sides. It was homey and warm, and I felt like I never wanted to leave, but eventually I had to return to the coldness within the Manor. Before I left, I grabbed the book Devland had spelled and gave it to Islene.
*****
"Your dad is nice," I told Calin the next morning as we drove to school in his car after Maible texted to say that Brant would be driving her.
He squeezed my fingers but didn't look away from the road as he nodded. "Yeah, I guess I could do worse."
"He's not home much, though, huh?"
"Nah, not really. He just finished a case, so we'll be seeing more of him until the next one."
"That's nice."
Calin nodded and snuck a glance at me. "Yeah."
I turned and looked out the passenger window, thinking about what Islene had said about the essence of a person being connected to their parents. As frustrating as it was regarding Maible, it was nice to know I was still connected to my mother. More than DNA markers, a person's essence was a part of who they were. I liked thinking that I was a part of her and would always have something inside of me that came from who she was.
"Are you okay?" Calin asked as he turned into the student parking lot.
I nodded. "Yeah, just thinking."
"About?"
"Nothing, really." I shrugged and looked out the front windshield, avoiding glancing at Calin.
"You seem off."
"Off?"
"Yeah, like something is bugging you."
"That's inevitable, don't you think?"
"Yeah, but it seems like there's more today."
"There's not," I said, shaking my head. "Just the usual. I'm frustrated because I can't figure it out."
It was more than that, I knew. I was frustrated, yes, but I was also angry. With all of my so-called power, I should have been able to determine who had bound Maible already so that I could move on to figure out other things, like what really happened to my mother and why she'd left Devland. The missing persons needed help, too, and I felt like the Council wouldn't be able to provide it. Somehow, I felt like I had a duty to try where they obviously failed.
More than anything, I was pissed my mom left me in this situation unprepared.
Then, because of that, I felt bad.
She was dead and I was here, so I shouldn't complain.
"My mom told me this morning that she made a lunch date with Maible's mom," Calin said. "She hopes she'll learn more about what's going on. Even if Maible's mom doesn't say anything, my mom usually gets clearer visions after meeting with whoever is in them."
"What if Maible's mom realizes why Islene is asking?" I asked, finally looking at him. "She could tell whoever bound Maible."
"Trust me, my mother is subtle."
"Well, unless she asks her who bound Maible or who Maible's mom had an affair with, we're stuck not knowing. I have no idea why I can't sense them."
"We know it's a man."
"And someone powerful," I said.
We pulled into a parking space in front of the school and sat in the car, staring out the windshield. Calin squeezed my fingers again, but neither of us moved to get out. I didn't want to go to class feeling so useless. Thankfully, it was only for the morning. After class, I was going to skip lunch and go for a run despite the chill in the air.
I sighed and unbuckled my seat belt, then looked down as my phone dinged. I took it out of my bag and rolled my eyes as I saw a text from Maible. "Speaking of," I said, and held the display in front of Calin so he could read it. "Maible wants to double again."
"Tonight?"
I brought the phone back to me and opened the message. "Yeah. A movie. Do you want to go?"
"Sure." Calin shrugged and we got out of the car. After rounding the front, he put his arm around my shoulders and said, "It'll be good to have a break from trying to figure everything out for a night."
"Kay." I typed a response, telling Maible we'd meet her and Brant at the theatre.