“You, I suppose,” Cynthia shrugged. Her eyes switched to Jared, then, resentful and accusing. “When your father recognized that you were in love with Nina, he shared a story with Jack. It was a story within the last passages of the book you're so desperate to acquire. About a human woman giving birth to a son of God, and that child would disturb The Balance.”

My face twisted. “You mean the story of the virgin Mary and Jesus? What could that possibly have to do with me and Jared?”

Cynthia sighed. “No, Dear. Sons of God are angels. Hell believes a human woman will give birth to an angel; a powerful angel that will threaten their power here.”

Jared frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why Nina, then? Human women have been giving birth to Half-breeds for centuries. And even if Nina and I had a child, the baby would have just a quarter of divine blood in its veins. Nothing for Hell to be concerned about.”

“A human woman gave birth to Jesus Christ, Jared,” Cynthia retorted.

“He was human,” I said.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “A mortal man who performs miracles and rises from the dead? That’s some human...now if you'll excuse me....”

Jared didn't budge, still unsatisfied. “Gabe and Jack believed Nina to be the woman in the prophecy, and they stole the book to try to figure out a way to stop it?”

“They stole it twice,” Cynthia corrected. “First, from a family…the Pollocks. They had spent lifetimes protecting it. Shax and his men alerted the Pollocks somehow, and your fathers were detected. While they and the Pollock men were distracted with one another, Shax absconded with his book. It was several months before Gabe located the book again and was able to successfully retrieve it. That’s when it all began.”

“Mother,” I said, impatient. “When what began?”

Her eyes widened a bit, and she raised her hands, her fingers flared. “This, Nina! This! When protecting you and your father became difficult for the Ryel’s, when dark things began surrounding our home on a daily basis…his death. Honestly, Nina! What else could I mean?” she said, exasperated.

“Okay. Okay, I'm sorry,” I said to calm her.

She relaxed, and then smoothed her expression. “Now, if you don’t mind, I really must be going,” she said, brushing past Jared.

Jared’s features tightened, instantly metamorphosing to anger. “I’m trying to save Nina’s life, and you’re worried about being on time for a party?”

Cynthia looked back at me with a sad expression. “It’s a mother’s duty to protect her child. But sometimes, we must let them save themselves.”

Her words stung me. Our relationship was never what one may call close, but when the occasion called for it, she extended some emotion. She had never been cruel or unkind, but at that moment, I felt like an orphan.