Capítulo 4: Chapter 4: Gabriel's Real Father

I choked on my coffee, staring at her, all amusement gone. Quaid recovered first, tipping Ethie's face up to his.

"Pop-tart," he said. "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes at him while Gabriel looked up, hopeful and quiet. "Dad," she drew out the name, already a mistress of sarcasm at six years old. "Have you looked at him lately?" She jabbed a finger at her brother who smiled just a little, cheeks rosy. "And seriously." She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers on her arm. "His power is totally different than ours." Ethie looked back and forth between Quaid and me. "There's only one logical explanation." My daughter really was too smart for her own damned good. If she was this intelligent at six, the whole Universe had better watch out. "So, out with it." She tossed her dark curls, sniffing. "Gabriel deserves to know."

I met Sassafras's eyes and he offered a cat shrug, but no "I told you so". It wasn't that we were purposely keeping the truth from the kids. I just wanted them to be old enough to understand before we told them. I shook my head at Quaid and sighed.

I totally underestimated them, I sent.

We both did, he sent with a warm hug of power that extended around our little family. "Kids," Quaid said, setting his coffee on the opposite end table. "It's true. I'm not Gabriel's biological father."

Gabriel nodded, playing with the hem of the sheets. "I knew a long time ago, Dad."

Ethie made a face. "Did not."

Her brother didn't respond. He didn't have to. She pouted and sank against Quaid as I ran my fingers through my son's hair and ignored the fact his sister wanted to be the star of this show.

"We did plan to tell you," I said. "But it's a hard story, baby. Are you sure you want to hear it now?"

He nodded, sparks of green lighting in his hazel eyes. For the second time in a very short period, my throat tightened. I covered my surge of grief by kissing his forehead.

I skimmed most of the details. The bigger story could wait for later. But Gabriel and Ethie both listened, wide-eyed as I told them about the past and who Liam was.

We were all crying by the time I finished, explaining that Fate needed Liam to sacrifice himself so the Universe could continue. I wiped tears from my cheeks with the corner of the sheets, rocking Gabriel against me. "He loved me so much," I said. "And you, my beautiful boy, are just like him. Kind and sweet and with a solid oak tree at your center. The only thing that kept me from falling apart completely when your father died, was knowing I had you."

Gabriel snuffled a bit then sighed. "Thanks for telling me, Mom," he said. "You're right. I needed to wait to hear it. Until I was ready."

Quaid's big hand slipped over Gabriel's fair hair. "You have to know," he said, voice heavy with grief, "how much I love you, Gabe." My son-our son-turned his head and looked up at Quaid. "I know Liam was your real father, but I'm your dad."

Gabriel hugged Quaid, Ethie snuggling between them.

"I know," our boy whispered. "You're the best dad ever."

"Mom." Ethie met my eyes, tears sparkling in her blues. "Is that why Gabriel can open gates?"

Second jaw drop moment, this one massive. "What?"

Gabriel leaned back and met my eyes, guilt flickering over his face. "You know, Mom," he said, steady and sure. "Gateways. To other places."

But... but, I...

Oh. My. Swearword.

I walled up that particular part of his power years ago. To protect him and the rest of us, after Ameline forced him to grow faster than he should, used him to open the way between our Universe and the dark one lying on the other side of the divide.

How did he manage to unblock himself?

Gabriel must have seen the confusion and worry on my face, because he shrugged apologetically. "I know you wanted me to keep that power locked up," he said. "When I first found the wall, I figured it protected me from something. But I had to know what it was." His face crumpled. "I'm sorry."

The last thing I wanted to do was cripple my son's abilities. Or make him feel like what he could do was wrong in any way. I'd seen the result of such control, when my friend Mia had her power walled off as a baby by her mother who was only trying to protect her. But, it made Mia weak, drove her mad in the end. I didn't want my son to go through what the former Dumont coven leader had.

But the plan was to wait until he was old enough to control it and then teach him. Not to have him experimenting on his own.

Syd, Sassafras's mind touched mine. Gently.

No kidding. I drew a breath and smiled at my worried son.

"I shouldn't be surprised," I said. "My clever boy."

"I helped." Ethie clamped her lips together, eyes huge.

I laughed and kissed them both, making my daughter squeal. "Of course you did," I said. And sighed out my tension. What was done was done.

"Gabriel," I said, while Quaid ran his hands through his hair. "Can you show me, sweetie?"

His beaming smile wiped away all of his worry, turning him into a bouncing, excited ball shaking the bed. "Sure!" He turned without warning and gestured at the air beside him. Galleytrot let out a yelp and dodged out of the way as the space where he'd been divided and separated. But not like the rifts I made in the veil. It expanded upward, forming an arch, had edges, boundaries. Like a real gate. And, on the other side, a field of pale blue with a sky tinted softly green.

"Just found this one," Gabriel said with a grin. A small, furry creature resembling a rabbit, but with four front legs and six eyes, hopped over to the gate and sniffed the air. "Cool, right?"

The last thing we needed was one of those creatures on our side. Sure, it might be adorable from here, but I'd run into enough trouble with critters that seemed cute and fluffy at first glance to trust this would turn out well. "Gabriel," I said, voice shaking just slightly at how easy it was for him to do that. "Is this gate to a plane in our Universe?"

He frowned at me while the rabbit creature shrugged and hopped away. I caught the scent of salt and something crisp coming through the gateway as my son answered.

"Yes, Mom," he said. And shivered. "The other Universe feels bad, so I stay away from it."

Heart pounding, I did my best not to swallow audibly. Which meant he remembered about the other Universe. Had likely experimented with it to come to that conclusion. I waffled between feeling like I'd failed him as a mother and coven leader and pride he'd come to this amazing conclusion on his own.

"You can close it now, kiddo." Quaid's own smile was gentle, but I could feel his tension was probably about an equal to mine. Between the two of us we could have powered a city with the amount of vibratory energy we were containing.

Gabriel looked disappointed for a moment, and my heart ached for him. His sister was so often the center of attention-if only because she demanded the spotlight-I was sure he felt this was an amazing accomplishment for him. But we really needed to hash things out and doing so with an open gate hanging out in our bedroom wasn't the ideal situation. Sure, the rabbit thing may have been okay after all, but every world had predators. I'd rather not fight one off all over my fifteen hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

Our son finally nodded and gestured again. The gate closed as he slumped forward, dejected.

I had to do something. The poor sweets was crushed. "That was amazing," I said. Gabriel perked, smiled tentatively. "But I need you to promise me something."

His smile faltered and he sighed. "Don't do it anymore," he said.

"No, baby." I touched his cheek with my fingertips. "Now that I know you're experimenting, we can't close that door. You'll be making many, many more gates in the next little while." His face lit up again. "So many, you'll be sick of it by the time we're done."

His expression told me he thought I was looney. "Okay, Mom."

"But."

He hovered, intent and waiting for the "but" to be described.

"From now on," I said, "you can only do this with supervision." Ethie's mouth flew open and I glared at her, pointing an index finger. "You, little miss," I poked her belly, making her giggle, "do not count as a supervisor." I broke out into a sudden cold sweat thinking of the trouble these two could have gotten themselves into. But they were here and safe and as far as I knew nothing horrible had happened.

As far as I knew.

Dear elements.

Yet.

"Okay, Mom." Gabriel offered his hand and I shook it, Quaid repeating the gesture. "Deal."

Crisis averted. For now. I hoped.

All I could think of as our son lunged forward and hugged me was how Mom would laugh her head off when she found out. Not because of Gabriel's ability being free, no sirree. Because I'm sure she figured out long ago something I was only realizing.

I thought I only had one of me to raise. Turned out I had two.

***

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