A Secret Fate

by Susan Griscom

  “You can thank Jared for that,” Cael said.

  “Caitlin.” A male’s voice bellowed from behind them.

  “See. I told you he’d be along soon. Hey, Dad, over here.” Caitlin waved and Addie and Cael turned to see the man walking toward them. Cael’s eyes grew huge then narrowed to angry slits.

  Chapter 24

  “What are you doing here?” Cael asked.

  “This is my dad,” Caitlin said, making her way toward the man. “Sorry, is something wrong? Do you two know each other?” Caitlin asked.

  “Hello, Cael. I didn’t realize you would be here. When Caitlin told me we were invited to a local party, I just thought she meant with some girls she’d become acquainted with around town. I had no idea.”

  “Bullshit!”

  “Cael!?” Addie said. “Why are you acting this way? Who is this man?”

  “Okay, okay. Cael, you’re right. It’s not just by chance that I’m here. You caught me. Happy now?”

  “No. I want you to leave.”

  “I wanted to see you. I needed to see you.”

  “You’ve had your chances, a lot of them. Now leave.”

  “What is going on?” Caitlin asked. “How do you know each other?”

  “Cael, please. Give him a chance,” Siana said, walking up to them and placing her hand on Cael’s shoulder.

  “Mom? What are you doing here?” Caitlin asked, looking just as shocked as Cael. Why was she calling his mother “Mom?” His mother wore her hair up, giving her that extra edge of authority she liked to convey. Portraying that self-confidence with a royal blue skirt and jacket only solidified the effect.

  “Caitlin, honey, please let your father explain.”

  “Her father? Why is she calling you ‘Mom?’” At this point, Cael figured his ears must be deceiving him, because she couldn’t have called his mother “Mom.” No way.

  “Please. Let’s all go inside and talk. The other guests don’t need to hear about all this,” Siana suggested.

  “Well, then you shouldn’t have chosen this time and place to lay it all out. What the hell are you trying to say? That this is my sister? Why would you keep something like that a secret? Fuck. I hate all these fucking secrets you guys have decided to keep.”

  “I’m beginning to agree with you,” Caitlin added.

  “Cael, let’s go inside.” Addison took his arm, leading him toward the house. “Darcy, Jared, could you please mingle with everyone and let them know we’ll be out shortly?”

  “Sure. Come on, Jared. Let’s eat. This conversation seems a little too heavy and bizarre to even try to figure out.”

  Inside the house, everyone took a seat, except for Cael. He was too hyped up with hatred and confusion to sit. Siana removed the royal blue suit jacket he knew was silk and carefully draped it over the back of the sofa before sitting next to … Christ, his sister? His mom smoothed her hand down the front of her cream lace top and folded her hands in her lap. His father took up the rest of the sofa on Siana’s other side and Addison … why was Addison here? He didn’t want her hearing all this crap. He loved her and didn’t think she should be exposed to his family’s dirty laundry. “Addison, maybe you should wait outside with the others.”

  “No, Cael. She needs to be here,” his mother said.

  Addison’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t think I do, if Cael doesn’t want me here. I should probably go.” He most definitely sensed her discomfort about being included as she ran her fingers through a few of the soft looking tendrils of hair at her neck.

  “No. Addison, please stay. I’m Cael’s father, Eric. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Cut the crap, Dad,” Cael said before Addison had a chance to respond. “Why does she need to hear about our shitty family and all its fucked up secrets?”

  Eric sighed. “Because this concerns her too.”

  “How could the fact that you two had another child and didn’t tell me concern Addison?”

  “Well, honey,” Siana began, “that part doesn’t concern her, but the reason why your father and sister are here does.” Cael walked to the doorway of the kitchen and back again. “Please, Cael, for heaven’s sake, sit down.”

  He pulled the small wooden chair from the corner of the room and turned it so the back faced the others. Straddling the seat, he sat with his arms resting on the back of the chair. “Okay. Somebody better start talking.”

  Siana picked up Caitlin’s hand and held it in hers. “I got pregnant with Caitlin and Carly when you were only thirteen months old.”

  “Wait. Carly?”

  “I have a twin sister,” Caitlin added.

  Oh, this was getting better by the minute. “I have twin sisters,” Cael said the words aloud, hoping they didn’t sound as begrudging as they felt when his eyes inadvertently met Caitlin’s.

  “Yes.” Siana agreed.

  “We’re twenty-eight,” Caitlin filled in while Cael was doing the math in his head.

  “Your mother and I felt it would be better and safer for the girls if they lived away from the Sectory.”

  Cael knew what he was saying; away from people with abilities, considering that’s why he’d left.

  “Your father had some difficulties with the company he works for. We thought it best if he and the girls lived somewhere else.”

  “So you still work for this company. Why didn’t you just quit?” Cael asked. This whole experience seemed like a bad dream.

  “I couldn’t. They suspected things that I needed to keep under wraps. I had to continue working for them so they wouldn’t discover what they were looking for.”

  “And what was that?”

  “Well, you, for one, along with your mother and everyone else who has supernatural abilities.”

  Cael flicked his eyes toward his father, who wiped his hand over his mouth, then continued. “Joseph, my coworker, became suspicious of your mother. She’d forgotten about a meeting she promised to accompany me to and arrived in our hotel room later than she should have. Joseph was there when she materialized in the room.”

  “It was a stupid mistake on my part.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, Si. It was a private room, you had no idea he’d be there.” The endearing nickname his father used took Cael by surprise. His dad had always called his mom “Si” when he was a little boy. He remembered making fun of his mom one day, mimicking his dad, calling her “Si.” Those were pleasant memories, ones he hadn’t thought of in years and he suddenly realized his parents still loved each other.

  That fact was verified when his mother quickly added, “Yes, darling, but I should have been more careful.”

  “I accidentally left the door open while I was shaving. The heat in the room had been stifling and the air conditioner wasn’t working. Anyway, he walked in uninvited right before your mother appeared.” Cael looked at his mother, then his father.

  “You two never divorced, did you?”

  “No, they are still married. Right?” Caitlin asked as an afterthought.

  “Oh yes, very much so,” Eric said, taking Siana’s hand in his. “And still very much in love. Cael, after I left you with your mother, I tried to be there for you the way your mother was for the girls. It just wasn’t as easy for me. I couldn’t dematerialize the way she could and live in two houses at the same time. It worked well when you were all so little, but as you grew older and began to ask questions, we had to take a different route. If you had known about each other, you might have slipped up, said something to someone. The less you knew about each other the less chance of someone harming you. We had to make it look like you didn’t exist.” He glanced at Addison. “Like none of you existed. The company would have done terrible things. I … your mother, Ristéard and I couldn’t let that happen.

  “My dad knew?” Addison stood now. “Siana, why didn’t you … never mind. I know why.”

  “When Joseph became suspicious of your mother, I had to stop coming to see you. I never deserted you and your mother.
A couple of times, when you were older, I did risk a few visits, but you would never see me.”

  “You could have told me. I would have understood.”

  “We couldn’t take the chance of anyone finding out the girls were related to you, particularly after you developed the ability to dematerialize. If the company found out I knew where your mother and you were, they would have taken you and anyone else they discovered.”

  “So why now? Why tell us now?”

  “Wait a freaking minute,” Caitlin interrupted. “What are you talking about? What does dematerialize mean?”

  “Oh, Caitlin. I’m sorry, honey. We couldn’t let you know about your brother’s abilities, or your mother’s for that matter. It was too dangerous.”

  “Abilities?”

  “Christ.” Cael swiped his hand down his face. They never divulged his mother’s abilities to his sisters? This was one conversation he didn’t want to be a part of. It was his parents’ secret, not his. If she was his sister, which apparently she was, then he didn’t want her hating him because of the way their parents handled things. “If you two are finished with all the surprises, Addison and I will go get some drinks and let you explain this part to ...” he glanced at Caitlin. “… my sister.” He shook his head and ran an agitated hand through his hair. “I think we could all use a drink.” Cael gestured to Addison, “Let’s go. We’ll be back in a minute.”

  ***

  While Cael collected some refreshments for his … family—Addie grinned about that, feeling a little elated for him, and at the same time, a little sad about her own father not being there—she found Darcy talking with Maia, Gerry and Aiden. She’d worried about Aiden attending but he looked happy enough talking to Jared. Maybe she could persuade him to play a song or two and grinned when she saw his black guitar case leaning up against the tree.

  Maia looked radiant in a purple and pink striped dress. Her stomach looked like it was about to pop through the silky material clinging to it. Man, if she didn’t have those babies soon, Addie thought, it would do just that. How could one’s stomach stretch like so much?

  “Oh Addie, the yard looks beautiful. I love all the lights,” Maia said. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just found out Cael has twin sisters and his mom and dad never divorced, but hey, what are parties for?”

  “Oh my. How is Cael taking it?”

  “Oh, you know. Considering it’s on top of trying so hard to remember the last five years of his life, I think he’s doing just great. Finding out you have twin sisters and your father still loves you beats the alternative, though, don’t you think?”

  “Yes,” Maia laughed. “I suppose it does.”

  “Cael’s a tough guy, Addie.”

  She nodded at Gerry. “Yeah, he is. And when you figure out how to give him back his memory the world will almost be perfect.”

  “Ah… I wish I could, darlin’. I wish I could.”

  “I’d better go help Cael with the drinks. Have fun. We’ll be back out here soon, I hope. Hi Aiden,” Addie said quickly before turning to walk away. She almost ran back to Cael, not wanting to be anywhere near Aiden without Cael by her side. He claimed he wasn’t jealous, but she knew better.

  ***

  “Oh good, you’re here.” Cael jostled two drinks toward Addison. “Here, take a couple of these.” Addison accepted the drinks Cael shoved at her with ease. “Sorry, we should get back in there. I can’t believe this. I have two sisters. I wonder where the other one is.”

  “You seem happy about it. Are you, I mean about your dad too?”

  “No. Not happy with him. That’s going to take a while. But, yeah, I’m happy to have sisters. I’m sad that I didn’t get to grow up with them, though. That’s just one of those things that I’m not ready to forgive.”

  “Understandable.”

  When they entered the suddenly too small living room inside the beach house, his mother, father and sister were all laughing and hugging. How could Caitlin be so forgiving? Maybe it was because she hadn’t grown up without one parent the way he had. Brothers, he supposed, weren’t all that necessary for a happy family. One could argue the same goes for sisters, but in this case, Caitlin seemed to have fared better in the happy home department. She appeared to be accepting the ability aspect well also. “Well, aren’t you all the cozy little family.” The words popped out of his mouth as though they came from someone else—someone with a little too much animosity, but he felt entitled.

  “Oh, Cael!” Caitlin jumped up and lunged at him, smothering him with a big hug and almost knocking the drinks out of his hands. “You’re my brother,” she said so matter-of-factly.

  “And you’re my sister,” he concurred. “One of them,” he added, remembering there was a twin. “By the way, where is …?”

  “Carly,” Caitlin provided.

  “Yeah. Why isn’t Carly here?” As soon as he asked the question, he regretted it. God, what if she’d died or something? “I’m sorry. She is still … alive?” The words flowed from his lips so slowly he could have spelled out the sentence, precisely pronouncing each and every letter.

  “She’s …” Caitlin looked at her father. “She’s the reason why we’re here.”

  Chapter 25

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Cael asked, sort of feeling like he did when he first learned about the deaths of his aunt and Ristéard—wanting to know, but dreading the answer.

  “She’d not dead, not yet,” his mother supplied. Cael’s mind was an involuntary open book to her at the moment but he really didn’t give a shit.

  “Not yet? What’s wrong with her? Is she ill? Do you need Addison’s healing ability?”

  “Oh, wow! You can heal?” Caitlin asked, turning toward Addison.

  “Yes, she can,” Cael answered quickly for Addison, not wanting the possibility of a change of subject. “Where is my other sister?” He had this sudden urge and need to save the sibling he’d never known, never been given the opportunity to know. That thought intensified his anger again at this whole situation. The thought of losing a sister, even one he’d never become acquainted with, made his stomach hurt.

  “She’s been kidnapped.” Siana was the one to break the news as she stood and placed her hand on top of Eric’s shoulder as if protecting him from whatever wrath Cael might inflict upon the man. She’d picked up on his anger and knew without a doubt how much Cael wanted to pummel his father. Not just for being an absentee father, but for endangering his little sister. “It’s not your father’s fault, Cael.”

  “Oh? Then whose?”

  “Well, in a roundabout way it is my fault,” Eric stated. “I work for the people who have her.”

  Cael realized he’d taken a step toward his father when Siana placed her body in between the two, preventing Cael from rearranging his father’s jawbone, an act his knuckles itched to perform. “Cael, please sit down so your father can explain,” Siana pleaded.

  “Son …” Eric began.

  “Don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me that.” He looked at Caitlin. “I don’t share my younger sister’s eager acceptance of all this secrecy. And what the hell does this all have to do with Addison?”

  “You’re right, I don’t deserve to call you ‘son.’ I wish there was a way to undo the past but circumstances are what they are. The company I work for has always been suspicious of my family. That is why I didn’t come around anymore. I never wanted to lead them to you or your mother. She was there for the girls. It was easy because of her ability, and they never suspected anything.”

  “Of course, it did get easier when they went away to boarding school.” Siana hugged Caitlin against her. “I didn’t need to be there as much when they were away. But I missed you both so terribly.” Caitlin smiled at her. God, his sister was easy.

  “They never suspected anything, until recently,” Cael added, trying to ignore his mother’s and sister’s affection for one another.

  “Well, yes. Ca
itlin has been asking many questions since Carly’s abduction.”

  “And you can hardly blame me,” Caitlin scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “What about the company you work for? What is it they do and why did they take my sister?”

  “They are a weapons development company, well, extraordinarily different kinds of weapons. They do a lot of research, and lately they’ve been using humans as their subjects for their experiments. They are trying to create the ultimate ‘killing machine.’ They’ve been keeping tabs on the crystal for years now. They believe it will increase the possibility of reaching their goal. They have people, spies if you will, all over the world,” Eric supplied while Cael and Addison gave him an incredulous stare. “They were holding Carly in exchange for the crystal. They’ve assured me she is safe. I’ve even seen her via video and she was fine. At first she was there of her own accord, working as a lab technician. Once she discovered what they were doing to some of the subjects, she contacted me immediately. Until then, I had no idea they’d started doing such horrible experiments or I never would have agreed to let her work there.”

  “So this is about the crystal?” Addison asked, touching her fingertips to the spot on her neck where the pendant used to hang.

  “I’m sorry, Addison, I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly when I took the crystal from you,” Caitlin said and Addison glared at her.

  “It was you? You hit me over the head and took my necklace?”

  “I said I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were my brother’s girlfriend. Hell, I didn’t even know he was my brother. I assure you, if I had known, I never would have done that. Please forgive me.”

  From the look on Addison’s face, Cael didn’t think she’d forgive and forget too easily. He really couldn’t blame her. The blow to the back of her head had been brutal. Man, he guessed his little sis had some mad combat skills and he secretly held a new admiration for her, even though she did use them on the wrong person.