Redamancy | Elena Gilbert

Chapter 54

Rosalind and Ruby were both confused.

"Your mom?" asked Ruby, knowing the truth but still in denial. "Wait... wait just a moment, who are you?"

The hybrid stood as tall as she could. "Rosalind Lockwood. Daughter of Mason Lockwood and... you. My Aunt Carol showed me a picture. You look... exactly the same."

Ruby was at a loss for words. "Rosalind. But... you look like you're twenty."

"That's because I am. Now, why the hell do you look sixteen?"

"Just—" Ruby waved her hands, trying to shut her up. "When is it? In the real world? What's the date?"

"Last I checked, we were in September of 2011," said Rosalind. "Don't—" she waved her own hands, swatting Ruby's aside. "Don't do that, that's annoying. You don't get to shut me up."

She recalled what she had planned to say to her mother, if she ever saw her. If she ever had the audacity to come back and show her face.

"Perhaps you get it from your mother," said Klaus, once when she'd been wondering about her dark side, and why it was present. "You know nothing about her and what she was like. What genes she left you saddled with. She left her own child. There must have been a certain darkness in that woman. Have you ever wished to find her?"

"I don't care about her," said Rosalind. "I already know what I plan to tell her if I ever see her. If she ever shows her face and tries to give any opinions." She faced the ceiling and quoted her planned words, "'I don't care what your reason was for leaving me. I don't care if it's because you hated my dad or you hated me. I don't care if it's because you thought you wouldn't be a good mother. Your reason doesn't matter to me and you don't get to have an opinion about my life. You lost that privilege when you left. I'm an adult, I'm independent, I can make my own choices and you don't get to say a damn thing about it.'"

Klaus smirked. "Well, that one is locked and loaded, as are most of your other comments. If you ever wanted to see her, I could locate her for you."

She shook her head. "No. I never needed her before and I don't need her now. I will never stoop low enough to seek her out. If she cared about me, she'd be here. Who knows, she might be dead. Might have died a long time ago."

Her plan had flown out the window. She didn't know if she was capable of saying that to Ruby's face, considering she looked like a literal child. One might mistaken her as Rosalind's younger sister. No one would expect a girl like that to be her mother.

"September 2011," repeated Ruby, hanging her arms at her sides to avoid making gestures. "I would be... thirty-six. You would be twenty. How... how is this possible?"

"No idea," said Rosalind. "But you're talking first." She grabbed the nearest object (a coat rack), holding it defensively, like one would a sword. "Sit in that armchair and tell me everything. No leaving details out. Mind you, I'm a hybrid, I will hear your heartbeat jumping if you're being dishonest."

"Hybrid?" said Ruby, furrowing her brows as she sat, crossing her legs. "What... what is that?"

"A wolf-vampire hybrid. Do you know what a vampire is?"

Ruby's eyes turned red, and veins ran over her cheeks. "I'm vaguely familiar," she said sarcastically.

"Quit the attitude," said Rosalind. Internally, she was surprised she'd ever have to say such a thing to her own mother. "Let's check some facts first. When is your birthday?"

"June 14, 1975," said Ruby. "Mason's was April 11, 1975. You were born... April 18, 1991. I named you Rosalind because it was a moon of Uranus. I was an astronomy geek, I... this is so strange. I never... I didn't think..."