Free Wuthering Frights by H.P. Mallory Page B

swallowed hard. "There are many people with the last name O'Neil," I said simply, even adding a shrug, trying to portray the image of someone bored, apathetic and uninterested. 
    "Very true," he answered noncommittally. 
    "Why were the prison guards so frightened of you, Bram, and why do you have your own portal entrance to the Netherworld?"
    He smiled, long and languidly. "Why do you share the same last name as the Head of the Netherworld? And why was the Loki returned when Melchior had him exactly where he wanted him?"
    I didn't say anything for four seconds and I'm sure I was wearing my anxiety. Bram smiled even more broadly.
    "It seems we are at a standstill, Dulcie, sweet."

Six
     
    Somehow Bram knew Melchior was related to me and I was pretty sure it wasn't just a guess based on the similarity of our last names. Since Bram hadn't said anything for the last few seconds, he was right—we were at a standstill.
    "How did you know?" I asked finally. My voice sounded hoarse as I realized I'd been first to show my hand.
    Bram smiled slightly, like he was pleased I'd finally acknowledged my familial relationship to Melchior. I watched as he relaxed against my couch and sighed dramatically. "I assumed from the moment I met you, sweet."
    The word "assumed" held a lot of weight because it implied that Bram didn't know I was related to Melchior. And I must say I was relieved he hadn't been in the know—I mean, it's not exactly a good feeling when you realize everyone around you knows more about your life than you do.
    "Well, he's my father," I finished, my jaw tight and my tone betraying the fact that I wasn't happy about it.
    "Ah, I see," Bram said, nodding thoughtfully. "And it seems you just learned this?"
    It was my turn to nod. "Yep."
    "And your story regarding the escape from Caressa?" he pried, eyeing me with a drawn brow as if he knew I hadn't exactly been telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
    I inhaled deeply and exhaled just as deeply. "It wasn't true."
    Bram's left brow continued to reach for the ceiling but, otherwise, his countenance remained unchanged—the same expectant, yet unconcerned look he tried so hard to achieve. "And what is the truth?"
    "Before we get into this dog and pony show," I started, my voice suddenly sounding bossy and harsh, "this has to be a quid pro quo, Bram. If I'm going to spill the contents of my diary to you, I expect the same in return."
    Bram threw his head back, laughing heartily before his merriment died on his lips and he faced me with a wide smile and shook his head in wonder—like he seemed to approve of my sense of humor. "Of course, sweet, of course."
    I nodded and continued. "The truth is that I broke into the Head of the Netherworld's office with the express purpose of holding a gun to his head and forcing him to release Knight." Bram's eyes went wide, but he said nothing while I merely shook my head, admitting that my plan had gone off with a major hitch. "The joke ended up being on me when I found out Melchior was my father ."
    "Quite the sobering joke," Bram said in an aristocratic tone, his English accent dripping. Sometimes I wondered about how, after living in California for a hundred years, his accent still sounded like he'd just jumped off a plane from Heathrow airport. Yep, Bram was one of those people who impressed himself often and it wouldn't have surprised me in the least to learn that Bram talked to himself just to hear the sound of his own voice.
    "Yeah, I wasn't exactly laughing," I admitted.
    "Then you negotiated the Loki's release with the Head of the Netherworld?"
    "Yes," I replied, feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. The matter of what those negotiations with my father entailed was now just a matter of connecting A with B to arrive at C.
    "And what did your father gain in return for releasing the Loki?"
    "A daughter," I said simply, not wanting to delve much deeper than that. I already felt as if my