God of Malice (Legacy of Gods #1) by Rina Kent

Putting on my brightest smile, I pick up. “Glyn! I was just thinking about you. What are you doing up so early?”

I pause when I realize she’s standing on what seems like a patio that’s only lit by garden lights. “Where are you? Why does it look like night?”

She chews on her bottom lip. “Because it is. I’m in New York.”

“In what?”

She leans closer to the phone. “Keep it down. It’s late here, Mum.”

“Oh my God, did you get kidnapped? Nod if it’s true.”

“I can just speak.” She chuckles. “And no, I didn’t, technically.”

“Technically?”

“I didn’t, I didn’t. I just…came here to meet Killian’s parents. This is their house.” She clears her throat. “Killian is…my boyfriend. I’m sorry it took me a while to tell you.”

“It’s about time.”

“You…you knew?”

“Of course I did. I’m your mother, I know everything.”

It’s been weeks since I found out Glyndon was in a relationship. Ever since she started to smile more and had this rosy glow in her cheeks. One that she never had before.

But I was patient, respected her boundaries, and waited for her to spill of her own accord.

“Now, tell me about this Killian.”

Her expression softens, but it’s laced with some sadness. “He makes me feel alive, Mum. I didn’t know someone could make me feel alive, as if…as if…”

“You never lived before them?” I finish for her.

She nods, her face adorably shy. “At the same time, I’m not sure if it’s safe to fall so hard like this.”

“It’s never safe to fall, Glyn. You know you might break your bones or lose your life, but you still take the jump anyway, because you trust him to catch you.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Then I’ll be the one to break his bones.”

“Mum!”

“Fine, fine. On a serious note, it’d be good to find that he’s not worthy of your trust early on, so you can move on.”

She sighs. “You’re right. It’s better to find out than to stay in the dark.”

“That’s right.”

“Thanks, Mum, and not only for this…but for everything. And I’m sorry I’m the least talented of your kids.” She chokes on the last words.

“Glyndon—”

“No, let me finish. It took me a lot of courage to decide to tell you this, so just hear me out. I knew early on that I was no match for Lan and Bran, and that crushed me, Mum. I couldn’t talk to you about it, because I knew you’d placate me. You have to because you're my mother. I think you felt it, too, because you told Dad to build me a separate studio and encouraged me to pick up my brush again. And I love you for trying, but it didn’t really work. That inferiority complex drove me to a dangerous edge and I seriously contemplated committing suicide just to end it. I went to a cliff, twice, but I didn’t want to do it, Mum, and that’s why I can talk about it now. I don’t want to be that version of myself anymore. I realize that even if I’m less talented than Lan and Bran, I still matter to you, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, and everyone. And that’s what keeps me going every day. So thank you, Mum, thank you for telling me I’m different, for taking me to therapy, for waiting for me to come around and talk to you on my own. I needed that.”

Tears gather in my eyes and I quickly wipe them with the back of my hands I can’t have her see me cry. Not when she finally opened up to me.

It’s been years.

I didn’t wait a week or two, a month or a few, but entire years. I used every trick under the sun to have her open up to me, but she only withdrew further into herself.

We used to be best friends, but she decided that she’d grown up and didn’t need my shoulder to cry on.

She decided to go solo, battle with her pain alone, and cut me off. It’s not because she didn’t trust me, but more because she didn’t want to bother me.

My little baby has always been an angel who refused to cause anyone discomfort. Even if that hurt her in retrospect.

Until now.

“I’m the one who’s supposed to thank you, Glyn. Thank you for trusting me with all of that. I wish you were here so I could hug you.”

“Next time, okay?”

“Okay. And bring Killian home so we can meet him.”

I have a feeling he’s the reason behind her change. She’s finally removing the self-implanted shackles one by one after meeting him, and I want to thank him for it.

For bringing my youngest back.

“Prepare Dad mentally first.”

“Don’t worry about your dad, I’ll take care of him. He’ll be strict at the beginning, but I’ll make him come around.”

“Because he loves you?”

“I guess.”

“How did Dad fall in love with you, Mum?”

“I don’t know and I don’t think he has the answer to that either. Love can’t be forced or explained, it just happens, Glyn.”

She appears thoughtful, then nods and ends the call after she updates me on school life and assures me that they’re going back by the end of the weekend.