The Story of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book One

Chapter Ten

After I was led into the office, I saw a painting of my mother hanging on the wall over his desk. Her dark golden hair draped around the purple velvet chair she sat on and pooled upon the blue floor in wavy rivulets. She looked serene and perfect, with a tiny Mona Lisa smile on her face. She was wearing a high-waisted, empire-style gown in lavender that had tight, long sleeves.

My mouth twisted into a sneer because it was the most inaccurate painting I'd ever seen. Mother was a presence that was too large for such a sedate pose. She had raised me alone and fiercely guarded me against all comers. She'd taught me a history of wild beings that could never be content to sit in a chair, and she was born of those same beings.

More ridiculous was the yellow-haired cherub peeking over my mother's left shoulder that I assumed was me. Painted on each of my shoulders were big, flashy, white wings! I also had the same overly long hair, which mixed with my mother's glorious golden strands. What was even more laughable was the sweet, big-eyed expression on my face -- like I thought whoever was painting us was a deity!

The artist even painted me with dimples. I wished I had dimples but no such luck. It would have been fantastic for getting away with stuff. Still, I drank in that picture of my mother and felt wistful. I'd hoped I would finally see her in the alley.

In the room, two women sat in front of a wide oak desk. The younger woman had gleaming dark hair that, under the overhead light, had the hue of a black sapphire. I imagined it would be striking under the sun, though it was muted indoors. She had it pulled up into a tight topknot and, inserted into the knot, was a jeweled comb winged with two golden, horn-like projections. Attached to the comb was a gray, fluttery veil that partially obscured her face. I could tell that she was lovely in a vague sort of way. She stood up, and I saw she was about 5'8" tall and had a regal bearing. She was wearing a dove-gray robe with a broad, vertical strip of heavy embroidery down the front. Acorns, Celtic knots, and vines made up the embroidery.

The other woman, who was unveiled, resembled my mother. The only differences were her bronze-colored hair, narrower face, and shorter nose. All the oxygen in the room fled. I put my hand over my mouth and shook my head, tears threatening to spill. She also stood, with the quick rising and look of shock of someone that had seen a ghost.

"Is that..." She stepped forward once, but the younger woman laid a hand on her shoulder, so she stopped. Her hands had raised into a hug, but they fell to her sides. I looked between the two and saw the younger woman's mouth compress in annoyance. My mother's doppelganger lifted her head regally.

I was frozen until Luke touched my shoulder to steer me to a chair next to the two women. I balked at sitting near them.

Klack pecked at Luke and hissed, causing him to snatch his hand from me. I tore my stricken gaze from the two women and stared at the surface of the desk.

"I prefer to stand, thank you."

" Very well. This is your aunt, Athalia, and your cousin, Regina." Luke was brusque with his introduction.

The two women nodded, both of them so stiff they belonged in a house of wax. It was not the Hallmark reunion I'd imagined all my life, and I missed my mother like it was a knife in my chest. Athalia still looked stricken, but Regina's harsh mouth suggested controlled ire. I wished I could see her eyes better.

Luke had a handkerchief out and was wiping the hand Klack pecked as he stared at my pets. Disgust pinched his features. Klack had been wiping its beak on my shoulder, so it shared Luke's opinions.

"Nice to meet you." I ignored the questions in Luke's eyes about my pets as I murmured insincere pleasantries to my new relatives. It felt about as lovely as stabbing my foot with a needle to meet them.