Free Cursed by Ella Price

 
    I
looked from the woman claiming to be my mother, to the cloaked man. I wasn’t
sure what to do. Somehow I knew she was my mother, but that would change
everything.
    “If
you are my mother, why am I just meeting you?” I asked sharply, snapping out of
my shock. She couldn’t just come her and expect me to accept the fact that she
was my birth mother.
    “That
is a long story. One I am more than willing to share with you in time. Right
now it is important that you come with me,” she said softly. Her expression was
sincere, but I was cautious by nature. So many things had happened I wouldn’t
have been surprised if it was a trick.
    “I
can’t come with you. I have concerns here,” I said curtly.
    Her
expression darkened slightly at my rejection. “Oliver just saved your life. You
could at least show your appreciation by cooperating.”
    “I
would have been fine on my own. I have been fine on my own for a while,” I
countered. I wasn’t about to let her push me around. She couldn’t just show up
and expect me to listen.
    She
sighed impatiently. “Well you certainly are my daughter.”
    Oliver
smiled slightly at her comment. “We need to go mistress,” he said quietly.
    The
woman claiming to be my mother nodded. “Another time then Lillian. I suppose
you will eventually get curious.”
    Before
I could say anything, they were both gone. Julian groaned as he started to
stir. I glanced at him. I wasn’t about to wait around until he recovered. I
turned and I ran toward the hunter’s compound.
    The
sudden appearance of the woman and Oliver was bugging me. I should have asked
more questions instead of being on guard. I wasn’t sure what was going on
anymore. The only hunter I could ask that would know anything was Luca. He was
the only one that was around when I was young.
    I
walked into the house, and went straight for Luca’s office. I knocked briskly,
then walked in. Luca looked up a little startled by my forceful entrance.
Aubrey was standing next to him. They were looking down at something on the
table.
    “Is
something wrong Lillian?” Luca asked as he quickly covered whatever he and
Aubrey were looking at.
    “What
are you doing?” I asked sounding a little more accusing then I meant to.
    Luca
glanced at Aubrey. “We were looking at a treaty,” Aubrey said simply. “What
happened to your face?” he asked changing the subject as he walked over to me.
I didn’t really believe him. I watched him trying to decide what to say. He
cupped my chin, and brushed his thumb over a cut on my cheek.
    I
winced and pulled away. “I ran into Julian.”
    “Julian
shouldn’t be in town,” Luca said annoyed as he stood up straighter.
    “He
has a reason, I am guessing,” Aubrey said as he let his hand drop to his side.
    “He
says there is a bounty on my head. Do you know anything about that?” I asked
looking from Aubrey to Luca.
    “No,
of course not. I will make some calls. Maybe we can find out why,” Luca said as
he walked around his desk.
    “Do
you know why?” Aubrey asked as he watched me intently. He almost seemed like he
was trying to read between the lines. He was acting like he didn’t believe me.
    I
looked at him trying to decide what to say. “Not completely. Luca do you know
where I was born?” I asked looking back at Luca.
    He
looked at me a little confused by the sudden change of subject. “I don’t really
know. I didn’t arrive here until you were around two. Why do you ask?”
    I
shook my head. He didn’t know anything, so there was no point in telling him
anything. If something was going on, I didn’t want to give too much information
away. I needed to find out everything before I said anything. “No reason. I am
going up to bed. I will see you later,” I said curtly, then walked out.
    I
hurried up the stairs to my bedroom, but I had no plans on sleeping. I wasn’t
sure what I was going to do. I retrieved my father’s journal and sat on my bed.
I wasn’t entirely sure the