Glimmer by Vivi Anna Read Free Book Online Page B

mermaid maybe. Or an undine. Although I don’t think the elemental is usually spiteful like a mermaid can be.”
    “You think a mermaid did this to you?”
    “Something from Nightfall did this. Something that can survive in water.” I touched my neck, running the tips of my fingers over the scabbed-up nail-sized divots.
    Shaking his head, he dropped his gaze. “I don’t believe it.”
    “Well, you better start to. This was the second assassination attempt on this family.”
    “Nina, you’re talking crazy. Assassination attempt? That doesn’t make any sense.” He frowned.
    I ripped down my collar to expose all the marks and bruises. Four prints on one side and one large black circle on the other, the size of someone’s thumb. “Does this look crazy? A figment of my imagination?”
    He refused to look at me.
    “First pixies attack you, then this mermaid tried to drown me in the pond. This isn’t a fairytale, Da. Those from Nightfall are not our friends. They mean us harm, and always have. Including her .”
    He raised his head then, a look of unexpected fury crossing his face. “Don’t talk about your mother like that. She has been nothing but kind to me, Nina. And she loves you. She would never hurt you.”
    In that one moment, he looked as ferocious as I’ve ever seen him. Then the emotion dissipated like fog evaporating in the morning sun.
    “She’s already hurt me. And she’s definitely destroyed you.”
    He looked aghast, as if I’d slapped him across his gaunt face. “Why do you say such mean things, Nina?”
    “Because it’s true, Da. She’s sucked the life out of you. You’re nothing but a frail old man now, with nothing to do but whittle away what time you have left by painting stupid portraits of a malicious woman who’s cursed you.”
    The second the words were out of my mouth, I knew I’d gone too far. But I’d been holding them in so long I couldn’t help myself. Although I’d hurt my father, badly by the broken look in his eyes, I couldn’t deny a sense of relief at having been able to purge myself. Thoughts I’d been harboring for years.
    At last, after a long period of uncomfortable silence, Da raised his head and looked at me.
    In his eyes I saw the pain I had inflicted and the shame he felt towards me.
    “You constantly say how cruel your mother is, and how you never want to be like her, but you just proved to me, right this moment, how very much alike the two of you really are.”
    Before I could respond to his accusation, the front doorbell rang. After a few seconds, the door opened and Mrs. Duka called out, “Hello! Jason, are you ready to go?”
    Without another word, Da brushed past me and out into the living room. “I’m ready, Dolores. Just let me get on my shoes.”
    I stayed where I was, leaning against the kitchen counter until I heard the front door open and close again, and I was alone with my shame.
    I had hurt my father deeply because of my own impatience of the situation. I wanted him to finally see what was truly going on, but in my haste, I had been cruel. Like her. He was right in that regard.
    However much I wanted to deny the possibility, over and over again, I was changing, growing, into the one person I swore I’d never become.
    My mother, the dark fae princess of Nightfall.
    I’m loathed to admit the fact, but I pampered myself for two hours preparing for my non-date dinner with Severin. I even wore my fanciest and sexiest bra and panties set—black lace. I paid careful attention to my make-up, taking great care to ensure the marks on my neck were camouflaged. Thanks to my fae blood, the wound on my cheek was nearly healed.
    Despite the fact I wore a skirt and heels, I drove my motorcycle to Lombardo’s. The valet wasn’t quite sure what to do with me when I rolled up. All he could do was stare at my legs and the flash of décolletage he was getting from under my half-buttoned black trench coat.
    I gave him a