The Caste - On Hold, major edits and title change.

Chapter Twelve

Camlin worked diligently to help find the answers Corvus needed about his past. He managed to track down where Corvus' father actually lived, and discover the reports Baron Sauer filed about his stolen child. Camlin managed to find photographs of Corvus' father, and the boy was happy he knew what the man looked like. He was surprised to see how much he looked like the man.

"Well, I see my being born in Pontiac was a lie too," Corvus told Camlin.

"I tried to warn you, kid. I am sorry you are finding out about all of these lies. I am sure she did it in your best interest, believe it or not. From that letter you found in Crum'ump's office, you were nothing more to the man than a piece of equipment," Camlin said.

"Was she even my mother, do you think?" Corvus closed his eyes, squeezing them shut.

"She may not have given birth to you, but she was still your mother, try to remember that, and dwell on the good memories," Camlin said. "If blood was all that made you a parent, I wouldn't have you or Ardelia."

"True and I wouldn't think of you as my father. By the way, Aquis told me how you met," Corvus confessed.

"So I have heard. Segna told me about Ardelia's question," Camlin said. "I wasn't amused, to say the least. It hurt Segna a lot."

"I am sorry; I assumed it was just another thing that was kept from me. I didn't mean to cause any harm." Corvus hadn't meant to hurt Segna; he had started to look at her like a mother figure.

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions and the sorrow of others, Corvus. That is how the world got into this mess in the first place. Shit happens, and sometimes it shits all over you." Camlin flipped his goggles down and went back to his research.

"Did you find out anything?" Segna's voice broke the tension as she entered the lab.

"I wasn't born in Pontiac; I was born on Mackinac Island. Apparently, my sperm donor owns it," Corvus told her.

"Boy, you don't talk like that. Swearing twice in two weeks, you would think you were hanging out with Ardelia too much. I am starting to worry about you," Camlin said.

"Leave him alone, Camlin. Corvus has been through a lot of heartaches. He is entitled to swear if he chooses." Segna rested a hand on Corvus' shoulder, and again, her maternal instinct took over.

Since the truth had come out to Ardelia and Corvus that she was once human, she had allowed herself to show the two of them more of the real her. Corvus rather liked the softer side of Segna; she was very motherly and the absence of his own mother, or who he thought was his mother, was no longer missed. Regardless, he still needed answers; he needed to know who he really was.

"I was born on Mackinac Island too, Corvus. Odd that we come from the same place, there has to be something to it. I doubt it's coincidental," Segna said.

"You should talk to him, Segna. Tell him the truth," Camlin said.

"The truth, do you know who I am?" Corvus asked Segna.

"No, of course, I don't know anything about your past, silly. I would tell you if I knew anything that would help you find out who you are. I think he meant the truth about me." Segna tugged at his ponytail. "Come on, let's talk.

Corvus followed Segna into the living room pod, and sat down on the sofa, waiting for her to talk. She seemed to be taking her time, and he realized it was the painful memories from her own past. She had, after all, been human once and had died. Corvus would feel traumatized bringing those memories up if it had happened to him.

Segna was still dressed in the manner she was when the family left the lab and headed for Pontiac. She looked incredibly human, having all of her metal covered, and at a glance, you would never know she was a bot.