The Star Child (The Star Child Series) by Stephanie Keyes Read Free Book Online

the house.
    It all came to a head when Alistair caught Stephen in Heath’s room with a pillow positioned above Heath’s face, as though to suffocate him. When Stephen met Alistair’s eyes, they held a decidedly evil glint to them.
    Stephen was immediately removed to the drawing room, where Alistair confronted him. Alistair had been disgusted and demanded to know why he was doing these things. The conversation was a long one. Stephen was a practiced liar, yet Alistair, who’d become a successful barrister in years past, had no qualms about pressing the matter again and again. It was finally enough to make Stephen snap.
    Stephen screamed at Alistair, disclosing that he hated him and his rich family. He claimed that Alistair’s uptight sons hadn’t the faintest idea what it was like being known as the son of a fisherman and the village whore.
    Alistair hit him, though he immediately regretted it. He was shocked and amazed that this amount of anger was possible from a boy. He pleaded with Stephen, explaining that if he’d only known about his existence, he never would have left.
    Stephen wasn’t interested. He vowed that one-day things would be different and he ’ d be the one with the money and titles.
    Alistair reprimanded him, tried to turn him around, but it did no good. After Stephen attempted to trip Imogen at the top of the stairs, it was clear that there was something wrong with him. Alistair had little choice but to send Stephen to St. Bernard’s Care Home, a reformatory school in the Berkshire town of Reading.
    It broke Gran’s heart to hear Alistair’s stories, knowing somehow that they were true. After all, she’d glimpsed of this type of behavior before; try as she might to pretend they weren’t real. Alistair was adamant for Gran’s own safety, as there was nothing to stop Stephen from harming her as well. So off Stephen went to school.
    When he was sent home for good several years later, he was a stranger to Gran. He refused visits from both parents during his stay, and the young man that arrived at her doorstep was cold and controlled. He stayed with Gran long enough to get into college.
    Once Stephen got accepted on a partial scholarship to Yale, he packed up everything and left in the middle of the night. No goodbye to Gran or phone calls to Alistair, although his tuition checks were cashed quickly enough.
    Alistair continued to try and have a relationship with Stephen, but his son wanted nothing to do with him. Even when his grandchildren were born, he was not allowed to see them, though my mother sent photographs. When Alistair came to see me, though his name was familiar to me, we’d never met.
    “Why are you coming to see me, Grandfather, if you know how horrible my father is?”
    “Kellen, I have the opportunity to act as role model with you and your brother in a way that I couldn’t be with Stephen, though goodness knows I tried. If you’ll let me.”
    “Sure, but I don’t know about Roger. Good luck with that one.”
    Roger, staying in character, showed no interest in Alistair when he reached out. I, on the other hand, had plenty of interest.
    From that day on, I had another grandfather. Alistair called once a week to check on me. Imogen sent packages of sweets and baked goods. Trips to London were arranged during long weekends, and I met my uncles and their families as well. No one seemed to care that I was Stephen’s son, though he was rarely mentioned.
    Alistair and Gran provided me with the sense of family that I never received from Stephen. He hadn’t spoken to me since he sent me to the school. No arrangements were made for me to come home for Christmas, so I’d spent it with Gran and Grandda.
    After a full year away, Stephen finally called me. I’ll never forget the chattering between the other students as I was removed from my Ancient History class to take the phone call.
    “Kellen.” I found this a very cold greeting after having no contact for over a year.
    “Yes,