Haunting Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 60

Of all the insane things Zane had ever heard in his life, this stranger standing in front of him had to have said the craziest. He had a father. Lord Eleanor was his father. Why would this man claim to be his father when he already had one? It didn’t make sense. The only explanation there was, was that this man was mad. Zane started to close the door, but the man caught it and kept him from slamming him out.

“I know it may be difficult for you to understand, and you must think me completely mad, but please, allow me to explain,” the man said, his deep brown eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Zane paused momentarily, trying to fully register what it was this man – James Wilston he had said his name was – was saying. “Why would I trust you, or believe you for that matter? You are a complete stranger and I know exactly who my father is!”

“But do you know who your mother is? What kind of person she is? What she might have done or been doing before she became your mother? You have magic, don’t you? Magic that you don’t know how to explain?”

Zane staggered backward as if James had physically hit him. How could he have known he had magic? It was impossible. The only person he had told had been Lana, and Lana was… Lana was…. The thought was still too painful to even think. His sister was gone.

“How could you possibly know that?” Zane demanded, anger boiling inside him. He probably should’ve gone the safer route and denied having any magic at all, but curiosity won out. Plus, he argued that he could silence this man before it would become a problem. After losing his sister to the stake, his qualms about killing people were just about nonexistent.

“We really should be sitting for this conversation, but I promise I will explain everything to y—“

“We will not sit! You will tell me how you know of my magic right now, or I will be forced to –“

“Make me disappear? Dear boy, that is my job. Now before you get all worked up and actually think that if it comes down to it that, you could take me in a fight, let me explain things and neither of us will be forced to do anything we don’t want to.”

Zane backed away slightly from the man that suddenly induced him with a spike of fear. He could’ve sworn the man’s eyes were brown, a color very similar to his sister’s, but now they were glowing a very faint green. There was no doubt that this man’s threat was very real, but that only made Zane even more hesitant to let him inside the house. James Wilston didn’t exactly scream trustworthy.

But Zane couldn’t deny the part of him that was curious. How did this man know of his magic? And more importantly, why on earth would he claim to be his father?

“You aren’t going to explain anything unless I invite you inside and we sit?” Zane asked, his eyes thin slits of concentration.

“Exactly. And I do promise to tell you everything.”

“How do I know that you are not just some madman planning on killing me and my family the minute I allow you entrance to my house?”

“I am not a vampire. I do not have to be invited inside. And if I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already. I’m not here to hurt you. That is that last thing I plan on doing, I assure you.”

Zane scrutinized the man. His eyes had returned to brown once more, and it picked at something in Zane’s mind. He was struck, by not only how similar the color was to his late sister, but also how much they reminded him of Lana’s eyes. Zane mentally shook himself. No, that didn’t mean anything. He had been seeing Lana everywhere over the past weeks. What he did find, though, was that James seemed sincere.