Ch 7: No Light

Jackie stopped in the doorway, frozen. She hadn’t seen her dad since he dropped Andrea off at her place before Uni started. Since the attack, she had been avoiding long conversations with him, unwilling to face what she knew was coming. She could only imagine how the situation looked to him. Andrea was healing, wounded and fragile, while Jackie looked better than she ever had. It was cruel in a way, the way fate had drawn its lines. Unable to breathe, she just stared at him.

‘He’s not my father. Does he know? He’s never mistreated me. I know he loves me. But I don’t want to deal with this. I just wanted to see Andrea…’

“Jackie. You’re really okay!” Her father’s voice broke through her thoughts, thick with emotion. Before she could react, he was rushing toward her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She stood stiffly in his arms, caught off guard. She had expected anger, maybe coldness, but not this relief.

Despite herself, she hugged him back, her throat tightening as the weight of it all threatened to break her. But just as she felt herself unraveling, he pulled back, gripping her shoulders and searching her face. His voice shifted, sharper now and accusing.

“You’re okay! What the hell, Jackie? Why won’t you have a real conversation with me?”

“Dad, I,”

“I’ve been so worried about you! I knew you were better off than your sister, but geez, Jackie, you look fine. And you haven’t even come to see Drea?” That stung. She had seen Andrea every chance she could, just never when he was around. She had been trying to avoid this moment, this inevitable confrontation. And yet, before she could stop herself, the question escaped her lips, quiet but heavy.

“Did you know?”

His expression shifted, confusion flickering across his face. “Know what?”

“About me.” Her voice wavered. “About my mom. I never really did the math before.”

The air left the room. Silence settled like a weight between them. He took a step back, unable to meet her eyes. So she pushed forward, hurt and emboldened.

“I know you tried your best to love me, and I’ve never blamed you for anything. Drea has always been the better child. I knew I was different, I just didn’t know how much until now. I mean, of course, you knew. I don’t want this to change things, but…” She swallowed. “Do you know who he is?”

He looked stricken, like a deer caught in headlights. But when he finally met her gaze, his expression softened. He gestured for her to sit beside him, and, hesitantly, she did. Taking her hand, he exhaled. “Yes. I knew.”

Jackie’s breath hitched.

“You were just two months old when I finally worked up the nerve to ask your mom out,” he continued. “We worked in the same building. I knew she was having problems at home, but it wasn’t until I heard gossip that she’d left her boyfriend that I even thought about approaching her. I was already half in love with her before I ever said a word. And loving you? That was easy.”

He hesitated, his grip tightening.

“I met your father once. It wasn’t a good encounter, which is why we moved back to my hometown in America. And I’m sorry, sweetheart. Your mom never wanted you to find out this way. She actually left you a letter. I was supposed to give you only if you ever asked about him.” A sad smile ghosted his lips. “I guess I was naive, thinking maybe you never would. Or maybe I was just afraid.” From his pocket, he pulled out an envelope. Jackie’s name was scrawled across it in her mother’s handwriting.

“I… I read it,” he admitted. “I shouldn’t have, but I did. And I don’t understand all of it. She mentions something about a Noonday… some crazy stuff that didn’t make much sense to me. But I’ll let you figure it out.”

Jackie took the letter with trembling hands, the world narrowing to the weight of paper between her fingers. Her father stood. “I’ll give you some space. I’m here almost every day, and you have my number.” He lingered a second longer. “I really am glad you’re okay.”

She only nodded, barely registering when he walked out, leaving her alone with her sister. The only sounds in the room were the steady beeps of the machines and the blood roaring in her ears as she unfolded the letter and began to read.

My firefly Jackie,

I am so sorry I am not there with you. If you are reading this, then your world has changed forever. I know you must have a million questions, questions I always feared you would one day have to ask. I only wish I could be there to answer them in person. I know you must be hurting, not only because of what has happened but because you have learned the truth: Brenton is not your biological father. But, my love, he has always been your real dad in every way that matters. He loves you as fiercely as if you were his own blood. He knows nothing of The Society, nor of the world I tried to shield you from, so do not blame him. He was only honoring my wishes.

To begin, you come from two powerful bloodlines. Your father’s name is Rami Ashraf. And my true name is Ami El-Hamza, we are the last of our line, and you my love could be in danger once the wrong people learn of your existence. So only share your father’s name unless you are with someone you trust with your life. Our families hold great influence, but power comes at a cost. That is why I tried to give you a normal life, far from the tangled web of their politics. I did not want you to be a pawn in their games, nor did I want you to be shaped by a family that exists an ocean away, one that would see you as a legacy, not a person. That is why I left your father. He is a good man, loyal to a fault, stubborn beyond reason, but good. Yet I knew, deep in my heart, that his loyalty would always belong to his family first. And I could not bear to let them decide your fate. I also fled from my own family’s legacy. You will probably learn of our fate, and how your grandmother fled the massacre with me in her belly, unknown to our enemies.

Your sister did not inherit the curse. That burden falls to you. There is so much I cannot put into words, not here. It is not safe. But know this: if you seek the truth, you must find your father. Only he can guide you to your place in this world. Jackie, you have always been strong. But now… now you are something more. I cannot begin to imagine the power you hold. No matter what you choose to do, know that I am so proud of you. I will always be with you. I love you most, my darling.

Love, Mom

Jackie read the letter three more times before she could bring herself to set it down. The truth about her parents was almost too much to bear. It felt like a weight pressing against her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. Slowly, she blinked away the blur of her tears and looked at Andrea, lying still beneath the dim hospital lights. Her sister’s hand was warm in her own, and with that touch, the dam finally broke. A sob tore through her violently and turned silent shakes through her whole body. She cried for the mother she had lost, for the father she had never known, for the man who had raised her despite everything. But most of all, she cried for this, for the moment she needed Andrea the most, only to have her lost in an unreachable sleep.

Sniffling, she whispered, “I know I’m a mess right now. And I know you heard what Dad said… so you know why I’m like this.” Her fingers tightened around Andrea’s. “I feel like my whole life is a lie, like I’ve been walking through some giant conspiracy without ever realizing it. But what scares me the most is you. If you knew everything, would you still look at me the same way?”

Jackie exhaled shakily. “You’re my head and my heart, Drea. I would do anything to make you stay, to bring you back to me. I need you more than ever. I’d give anything for one of your hugs or just to see you smile at me when I’m being an idiot. I wish you could tell me what to do. What to say.”

She swallowed. “I started my new job. But the only reason I even got hired was because of my biological father, who before today I didn’t even know existed. And I don’t know what to do with that. I want to stay here all night, but I have to get back to the twins.” Her voice softened. “I hope you get to meet them one day.”

Jackie stood, taking a deep breath, and leaned down to press a kiss against Andrea’s forehead. She lingered for just a moment, then forced herself to step back. One last look at her and prayed that Andrea would open her eyes, that this wouldn’t be the last time she saw her like this. But the machines continued their monotonous beeping, and Andrea remained still. So Jackie turned and walked away.

When she returned to the twins, she told them everything. Every word of the letter because she trusted them. With every revelation she revealed she watched as shock flickered across their faces, as their eyebrows raised with every sentence. Once she was done regurgitating her day they sat in stunned silence.

Laura was the first to break the silence. She let out a low whistle, shaking her head. “No wonder the Society is in a tizzy over you. An Ashraf? And come to find out you're the last of the royal El-Hamza line? One of those bloodlines alone would be enough to shake things up, but both? That explains everything. Why you’re so strong. Why you’ve been excelling so fast. I should have known from your coloring too.”

Jackie frowned. “Wait, I thought you said my progress was good but normal?”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “I told you that to make sure it didn’t go to your head.”

Laura smirked. “Yeah, it’s been great watching you put my brother on his ass over and over.” But her teasing faded into something more serious. “Honestly, though? You are unusually strong. Faster than you should be. Your healing is unnatural even for us.”

Jackie began to feel unnerved and vulnerable. Her energy coiled tight in her limbs like a spring wound too far. She stood abruptly, pacing the room. “I, I think I need to run. Clear my head.”

Laura’s expression softened. “Okay. But I’m coming with you. You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

Jackie only nodded, disappearing into her room to change. By the time she returned, Laura was already waiting in the kitchen, lacing up her shoes.They left without a word.

The night was crisp, the air electric. Overhead, the full moon bathed the world in silver, its pull thrumming in Jackie’s veins. Their feet pounded against the pavement, in perfect rhythm with the quiet hum of the city that felt like a trance. But something felt off. A prickle ran down Jackie’s spine. She slowed, turning to tell Laura. But Laura was gone.

Jackie was alone.