The Alpha King Call Boy – Chapter 90
“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it’s really you.” Iris looked me up and down, wide-eyed, as Kayden and I approached the cabin.
Terry had finally lowered her shotgun, stood aside and gave us reluctant permission to enter her home. We met Iris at the base of the deck stairs.
“Hello, Iris. It’s been a long time.” I maintained a cool demeanor despite the flood of relief and excitement washing over me. Finally, I had found the one person in the world who could tell me exactly what happened to my mother.
ng time,” she said, studyi
actually. Can we talk?”
ourse,” she breathed. She glanced briefly at Kayden,
end.”
you, Iris.” Kayden bowed his head briefly.
,” she said. “I’ll make some tea.”
. But not before darting another menacing glance right at me.
bout Terry,” Iris whispered, once she’d gotten water boiling on the stove and the three of us were seated at a small table
kind of a long story.”
ng steam out of its spout.
jumping up.
nce her back was turned.
us as she tarried at the stove.
e, not wanting her to feel pressured.
were considering something very carefully, while she arranged the tea and accoutr
returned to the table and set the tray down with a sigh.
help for?”
u can answer some questions for me regarding your time at the palace in my mother’s final weeks.”
.
y call up some troubling memories for you…”
reason would you have for tracking me down? But, see, I don’t think I can answer your questions. Not right now, at least.”
eyes. “Why not?”
n the table. “Well, see, I got hurt the day Queen Alexandra died. Only, I don’t remember what happened. I just heard s
sing what she’d just told me. Swallowing it down like a ton of bricks.
kind of injury you sustained?”
ght up at me, her mouth falling into a funny half-smile, h
e gingerly.
million questions raced through my mind. “Oh, Iris. I am so sorry that you went through that.”
have been very painful to recover from.”
said unemotionally, her mouth stuck in that odd shape. She looked at the wall, stared at it blankly.
y unhappy. I recognized this as a trauma response, one I’d seen in wounded soldiers.
jury like that.”
th twitched up into a smile. A moment later the other side followed. “That’s a nice thing to say.” Then she frowned at Kayden. “But the truth is t
l got. But I’m alive.”
ou know
erry was there. She’d found me before I came back to remembering anything at all. I guess just the fact I was shot, she knew someone, somewhere wanted to hurt me. So that’s when she took me here to get away, and get better.”
y hair back with my fingers. The g
u remember?”
ow, Alexander. See, I have spent many year
g in from the window behind me. Her eyes were starting to look glassy with brimming tears.
in.”
try again, see if I can remember more.”
u, Iris. You have no idea how much I appreciate you talking with me about all this. I am very gra
apidly once again.
e northbound overnight train.” I glanced at my watch. “And I was hoping you might be will to come with us, back to the city.”
ugh?” A look of fear flashed across her face.
us. I know this is a lot to ask. But please at least consider it. I will need your testimony if I am ever going to get justice for my mother.”
ged quickly again. It looked like she was
.”