I kneel before her, taking her hand in mine. “How long have you known I was the Scala Heir?”
Mom looks away, biting her bottom lip. My eyes narrow. I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer this time.
I give her hand a squeeze. “I understand what happened with Xavier and Armageddon. Verus showed me in a dreamscape last night. I know you’re frightened about losing me the way you lost my father. But I need you to be strong now, like you were as a Senator. I need you to answer my questions. How long have you known I was the Scala Heir?”
Mom’s lower lip trembles. “After Armageddon took Xavier, I never saw your father again. Three months later you were born.”
“Three months?” I wince. “That can’t be right.”
Mom inhales a shaky breath. “The Scala Heir develops faster than other children until age th
