“I need to see Lily’s medical records,” he said. He knew it was a strange request, one that would require a much needed explanation.
“Why would you need to see them?” Tess asked curiously.
“Honestly, I’m not sure, Tess. If you can’t help me I’ll understand,” Carter said, letting her off the hook.
“Carter, don’t you know by now that I’d do anything for you?” she confessed. “Of course I can help you. His office closes at 5pm but I have a key. We can go in after hours if you can wait till then.”
“Thanks, Tess! You’re the best!” Carter said, kissing her on the cheek. In three hours, he thought, I’ll begin my search for the truth. He hoped the medical records would reveal something that would help him piece together the puzzle Lucian had created for them. There was something tugging at Carter whenever he thought about the records, and he felt sure whatever information they held would blow Lucian’s plan wide open.
“Well, since we have some time to kill, would you like to hang out for a while?” Carter inquired.
“Here?” Tess asked, looking around the dreary hospital.
“No, not here! I was thinking we could head back to my place. My mom would love to see you,” he added. That seemed to please her.
“Sure,” Tess replied enthusiastically.
They left the hospital and headed back to the Stone Ranch, finding Katherine at home and in the kitchen when they arrived. She was surprised to see Tess Montgomery standing with her son.
“Hey, what are you two up to?” Katherine asked.
“Tess and I are helping each other with something,” Carter replied, unable to lie.
“That’s terrific. Can I get you kids anything?” she offered politely.
“No thanks, Mrs. Stone,” Tess replied. Carter echoed her sentiments.
“Mom, we’re going to head upstairs and get to work, if you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all. It was good to see you, Tess. Tell your parents we’ll have to get together for dinner soon, all right?” Katherine said with a smile.
“Sure thing, Mrs. Stone,” Tess said. They continued up the stairs to Carter’s room. Tess took a seat on his bed, and then her curiosity got the better of her. “So, what’s the relevance of Lily’s medical records? I mean, what is it you hope to find?”
“You must be thirsty; I know I am.” Carter evaded her inquiries. “How about I get us some cold drinks?” He knew now was not the time to reveal anything to Tess.
“Sure, Carter,” Tess replied suspiciously as he left the room.
What secrets are you hiding from me, Carter Stone? she thought as she looked around his room. Tess took the opportunity to search for her own answers as she rifled through Carter’s belongings. She opened his dresser drawer and found the very thing she was looking for: the Angel Blade.
Carter returned with drinks in hand and Tess quickly tucked the blade in her jacket.
“Here we are,” he said.
“You know what, Carter? I just remembered I have something I have to do,” she said.
“What? Now?”
“Yeah, it’s just this thing…for the cheer squad. It’s really important and I forgot all about it. I’ll call you later!” she shouted as she ran out of his room.
“Okay, that was weird…” he said to himself, still holding the two drinks.
Carter thought her abrupt exit was strange, but he needed to meet with Raphael anyway so he could bring him up to speed on what he was up to; rather, what Lucian was up to. He found Raphael waiting for him behind the gatehouse where they frequently met, and Carter filled him in on his suspicions about Lucian as well as his plan to uncover the truth.
Raphael seemed impressed with Carter’s discovery. “Keep me posted, okay? Now let’s get busy.” They trained for several hours, and again he noticed Carter’s weakened state.
“Carter, I can see you ignored my warnings,” Raphael stated.
“What?” Carter replied, not as clueless as he wanted Raphael to believe.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I know I’m not Gabriel, but come on,” he replied.
Carter remained quiet and Raphael found his silence as good as an admission of guilt.
“Carter, does something bad have to happen before you can see the danger in continuing with your reckless behavior? You cannot keep supplying Vivian with your energy to sustain her life! Do I make myself clear?” he lectured Carter yet again, with little result.
Raphael was becoming increasingly concerned about the Chosen One and his stubbornness. He worried that if Lucian were to surface, Carter would be unable to defend himself against the Dark One’s powers. Raphael decided he needed to find a way to get his point across to Carter in a way he would understand.
They trained vigorously for hours and Carter was exhausted, but Raphael kept coming at him. Carter fought him off, but it was getting harder and harder to defend himself against the mighty Guardian. Then just at the moment Carter thought he had Raphael exactly where he wanted him, he felt his head hit the ground and Raphael was above him with a blade in hand, inches from cutting his neck.
“Checkmate!” he remarked, looking at Carter lying defenseless and beaten on the ground.
“You see, my friend, this is what will happen if you continue to ignore my warnings about the Thorne girl. The difference is this: I am not Lucian; but if I were, it would be ‘game over’ for you.” He allowed the severity of the situation to resonate with Carter.
“Okay, I get it, Raph!” he said, pushing him off. “But I know Lucian wants Vivian for a reason, and if I could just figure out what that reason is, it might help us defeat him.”
“I understand, Carter. I just want you to understand that the way you’re going about it is wrong. You won’t be of any help to Vivian if you’re not around. Are we clear?” Raphael asked.
“Crystal.”
Carter’s cell phone rang; it was Tess, telling him she was ready to meet him. Carter told Raphael he would see him later, ran back to his Jeep, and sped off.
By the time he arrived at Dr. Montgomery’s office, Tess was already there, waiting nervously for him. Carter could see she was a little uneasy about entering the building.
“Tess, you don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable,” Carter said, clearly seeing the anxiety clinging to her face. “I can do this by myself. You can wait for me here.”
“No, it’s fine. I want to help,” Tess insisted.
They entered and began searching for old medical records, specifically ones with the name Lily Thorne on them. Tess struck gold, calling Carter over to view the record she’d found. She held the flashlight up as Carter read the file.
What Carter read was unbelievable: Lily had been carrying twins. This was completely new information, and very relevant to Carter’s investigation. Bingo.
“Twins? Lily was carrying twins?” He said aloud, stunned by the news. “Tess, why is there no record of Lily giving birth to twins in here?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, confused. “Maybe my father didn’t deliver the babies,” she suggested. “But why not? I’m sure Henry would be able to shed some light.”
“I knew I brought you along for a reason. Of course Henry would know. Thank you, Tess, for helping me with all of this,” Carter said sincerely.
“Even though all of this is intriguing, I really wish you would explain to me why it’s so important for you to figure out the ‘Thorne Family Secrets.’ I mean, I just don’t understand what it is you hope to gain by opening the door to the past.” She sounded puzzled, but Carter got the idea that she was prying.
“A friend once told me that life can only be understood backward, but must be lived forward,” Carter said. “The past is always relevant to the present.”
“Yes, I think I’ve heard that somewhere before,” she replied.
“You did? From whom?” Carter wondered, knowing that Gabriel was the one who had spoken those particular words of wisdom to him.
“Oh, just an old friend,” she replied, deep in thought.
“Okay, Tess, thanks for everything, but I’ve got to run now. I need to speak with Henry,” he said.
“Do you want me to come with?” she asked.
“No, I think I should go alone. I’ve got this, Tess—but thanks for asking,” Carter replied with a friendly smile.
Carter arrived at the Thorne residence and knocked at the door. Henry answered.
“Henry, I’m sorry to be stopping by so late, but this couldn’t wait,” Carter explained.
“You don’t need to apologize, Carter. Please—come in.” Henry welcomed the unexpected company and invited Carter inside.
Now the difficult part began. How would he find a way to ask Henry about Lily without seeming like he was being intrusive? Carter started with small talk and then casually led Henry down the road of reminiscing about the day Vivian was born.
“So, I was thinking about a conversation I had with Vivian a few days ago. We were talking about family, and Vivian mentioned wanting a sister. Weird, huh?” Carter said.
“Yes, Vivi did always wish she had a sister.” Henry remembered her wishing for one as she blew out the candles on her birthday cake when she was five years old. He smiled as he remembered that day.
“Well, she almost had a sister, right? I mean, Vivian was a twin, wasn’t she?” Carter waited for Henry’s reaction.
Henry looked at Carter with an unimaginable amount of surprise in his eyes and said, “What are you talking about?”
Carter was reeling now. He didn’t know how to respond to Henry’s question. Could it be that Henry really didn’t know about Lily carrying twins?
Henry waited for Carter’s reply. Frustrated by his silence, he asked again, “Why would you ask me if Vivian was a twin?”
“I’m sorry Henry, maybe I was mistaken,” Carter replied quickly, trying to cover his error.
Henry looked deep into Carter’s eyes like he’d done once before, and knew he was hiding something from him. He called him out on his feeling, and Carter just hung his head. He couldn’t look into Henry’s eyes and lie to him. Besides, Carter needed to know why Lily hadn’t told her husband about the twins—and wondered what may have happened to the other baby.
“Henry, some things are happening that I’m not at liberty to discuss with you right now, but it’s very important that we figure all of this all out. I need to know the truth so I can help Vivian,” Carter said.
Henry was a man of God. Although he hadn’t shared his thoughts with anyone, he could feel his daughter was in grave danger. He could tell Carter knew this as well, and for some reason he believed Carter had the power to save her.
“Tell me what you know about my Lily and these babies,” Henry said, ready to help, no questions asked.
“So Lily never told you she was carrying twins?” Carter asked Henry again, clarifying his information.
“No, she didn’t,” Henry said sadly.
“Do you know why she wouldn’t have discussed this with you?”
“No. Lily and I never kept secrets from each other. Never!” he said with conviction.
“Okay.” Carter thought about this for a moment, then asked, “Well, weren’t you in the room when Lily gave birth? Didn’t Dr. Montgomery deliver Vivian?”
“No, I wasn’t in town when my Lily went into labor; I was on a retreat with the church. Lily called me after she gave birth and told me I was the father of a sweet, perfect little baby girl. We named her together on the phone—Vivian, after Lily’s mom. Dr. Montgomery didn’t deliver the baby.”
“Then who did?” Carter asked. Henry’s answer shocked him.
“It was Katherine, your mother.”
Chapter Nine
Twins
It was late when Carter arrived back at the ranch. He noticed a light on in the kitchen and went to see who was still awake. He found his mother waiting up for him at the long wooden table, a hot cup of tea in her hand and her ever-present smile in place.
He sat down at the table next to her and looked at her for a minute, wondering what secrets she was harboring about the birth of Vivian Thorne—and why she had kept those secrets all these years.
Katherine could tell there was something wrong. She recognized the searching look in her son’s eyes and she knew the day she had always feared had finally come: Carter had questions, and needed answers only she could provide.
She took his hand and said, “Tell me what you need to know, Carter.”
He responded by saying, “The truth, Mom; I need to know the truth. I want to know everything about the Thorne family, beginning with the birth of their twins.”
Katherine took one last sip of her tea and, taking a deep breath, she began her story.
“I met Lily when she moved back here with Henry. I was working as a counselor for battered women at a shelter where Lily volunteered weekly. We became friends and Lily confided in me that she’d been diagnosed with schizophrenia when she’d lived in Chicago. Shortly after that, I started sessions with her to help with the treatment of her illness. Apparently, she had begun hearing voices—demons, as she described them—and a doctor in Chicago had diagnosed her with the illness, prescribing pills that were supposed to help her. Even on medication, Lily couldn’t escape her torture completely; she was in a terrible relationship with a controlling, overbearing man who was pure evil. When she met Henry, she said her life was changed instantly. She stopped taking her meds, and she explained to me that Henry protected her from the demons in her head. From the moment they met, Lily said she was transformed: Henry was her savior and she was his.
“A few months after living here in Newcastle, they were married, and Lily had involved herself in all aspects of the church. She set up fundraisers, hosted events for children with special needs, created charities for the less fortunate, and gave almost everything she had to the people who needed it most. She became the town’s Mother Teresa, our angel. She stopped our sessions during that time and seemed to be living the life she was meant to live.
“A few years later, Lily came to me one day and said ‘he’ had found her. I didn’t need to ask who ‘he’ was: I knew she was talking about the evil man from her past. I suggested that she contact the police to get a restraining order, but she laughed at me, saying no one could stop him. She seemed to be spiraling fast, consumed with fear of the man who had tracked her down.
“I hadn’t seen or spoken to her for several weeks when, out of the blue, she came to me and told me she was pregnant and worried about her baby. Thinking she was suffering from first-pregnancy nervousness, I gave her Dr. Montgomery’s information and told her he’d take good care of her and the baby.
“Things seemed to be going fine for the first few months of the pregnancy until the day she had an ultrasound. Apparently, Lily was carrying twins, and this seemed to terrify her to no end. She asked me not to tell anyone about the twins, including Henry. I told her I couldn’t, even if I wanted to, because of patient privacy laws. She asked me if Dr. Montgomery was bound by those laws as well and I assured her he was. Lily seemed relieved by that information, but I was very concerned about her mental state. I tried to stay close to her, but she withdrew from reinstating our sessions, and soon after that stopped taking my calls entirely. I would see her at church and she would act as if she didn’t know me at all. I was worried, but I was stuck: bound by my code of ethics, and estranged from my friend.
“Toward the end of Lily’s pregnancy, Henry went out of town on a retreat with the church; he phoned to tell me he was worried about leaving Lily and asked me to keep an eye on her for him and to call him if any problems arose. Then one night while he was away, I received a strange call from Lily. She was frantic, saying ‘he’ was coming for her. When I asked her where she was, she said she was driving, so I told her to get somewhere safe. She said there was no safe place for her—that he could find her anywhere. She told me then that she was in front of the Indian reservation; I begged her
stay there and wait for me. I raced out to meet her, and when I arrived, Lily was in labor. There was a terrible storm approaching and we had no time to get her to the hospital, so The Chief carried her into the clinic on the reservation. When the tribal doctor put his hand on her stomach, he turned as white as a ghost and started shouting, “Sica!” which the Chief told us meant ‘evil.’
“By then, Lily was screaming in pain and told us to get ‘the evil one’ out of her. I looked to the Chief and asked him what was going on, and he told me there was evil in the room. He said he could literally feel it. He believed what Lily did: that the babies inside Lily were, in fact, emitting an aura of evil.
“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; it seemed so ridiculous to me at the time, but they were all so certain about the evil they felt. The Chief told me the babies would be safe if we delivered them there on the reservation, because it was on sacred ground. He said we’d have to deliver them together; it scared the hell out of me, but I knew I had to help my friend.”
She stopped for a moment, sipped her tea, and continued, “We delivered the first baby, a girl, and we wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Lily. It was a magical moment for me, not having any children of my own yet, to watch Lily cradle her baby girl in her arms.
The second baby was fighting us, as if she didn’t want to leave the comforts of Lily’s womb. The cord was wrapped around her neck, and we feared we would lose her. We managed to get the cord unwound, and we gently guided the baby out. With one more push from Lily, her head was free, but when she opened her eyes and looked straight at us, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They were as red as fire! The Chief immediately let go of her, but I was too scared to move. The baby was looking at us with such intensity—I felt like she was looking to us to save her.
“The Chief came closer to her, and they made a connection to each other with just one look. He quickly grabbed her and wrapped her up in a blanket so he could take her to Lily. She just screamed at us to keep her away and held tighter to the other baby. Lily was clearly afraid of her own child, and, seeing those red eyes, I didn’t blame her.
Ascended (Fallen Guardian Saga #2) Page 8