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"We want to visit the other grandmother."
Nevada stopped, turned from where she'd been packing up filing cabinets in preparation for the Baylor Investigative Agency's move to a newer, more secure headquarters in a House Rogan building. Sure enough, both her sisters stood in the middle of her office, despite it having only been Arabella who had spoken. Both girls looked determined.
She fought back the instinctive no that their mother would have demanded, and said instead, "Why?"
This time it was Catalina who spoke for them both. "She's our grandmother. Do we need another reason?"
Nevada snorted. She stood, brushing dust off her knees and took the chair behind her desk. She motioned her sisters towards the visitor chairs. "If you'd like me to live to see my wedding day when mom finds out you've made the request, yes." Arabella opened her mouth to speak and Nevada held up a hand. "I'm not saying no. But if you want my help in arranging this, in explaining it to mom, then I need to understand why you want to do this. Explain it to me."
Arabella flopped down into a chair and made a face at Nevada. "I really hate when you're a reasonable grown up. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes," said Nevada. She looked at Catalina, who was still standing. "Do you hate me too?"
Catalina didn't answer right away, and Nevada waited to hear what her sister would say. In the months since the trials, her sister had changed, grown more confident in her skin. Where Arabella had never displayed any fear at the power she possessed, Catalina had always been more hesitant to embrace her gifts. She stood up for herself more now, took more initiative. And as an adult, she truthfully didn't need anything from Nevada if she wanted to do this. She just had to turn up and the guards would let her in without another question.
"No," said Catalina finally. "I know mom. I know you're not wrong."
"But?"
"But she is our grandmother," said Catalina, finally sitting down. "Mom shouldn't need more of a reason than that."
It was a hard point to argue with. "Victoria isn't a good person. I don't believe she'd ever hurt either of you--she is very fixated on family being important--but she would try to manipulate you. And she hurt dad. They spent years in hiding, so we'd be safe. Mom has a hard time seeing past that."
"But she knows about us now," Arabella said, leaning forward in her chair. "Isn't it better that we know her and see her for what she is so that she can't try to manipulate us?"
"It's a good argument," Nevada said. "Catalina, what do you have?"
Her sister straightened her slim shoulders and looked Nevada square in the face. "Mom and dad raised us to have strong principles. If mom is so worried that Victoria Tremaine can undo those with a few kind words, then that doesn't say very much about her belief in her own parenting skills."
Nevada winced, imagining their mother's reaction. "I wouldn't lead with that."
"Does that mean you'll help us convince her it's a good idea?" Arabella asked.
"Yes," said Nevada. She saw her sisters start to react, held up a hand. "But we do this my way. We're all going to sit down and have a nice, rational conversation about why this is a good idea, and mom can't feel like we're all ganging up on her."
She looked at her sisters in warning. "Okay?"
Arabella nodded. Catalina nodded.
"Okay," said Nevada. "Now unless you'd like to help me pack, leave me alone and let me come up with a way to break this to mom that won't result in all of us being disowned. Shoo."
Her sisters left. Nevada went back to packing.
She should have known it was too easy.
***
Nevada and Rogan were hosting Sunday night family dinners for the whole Baylor clan, while the new Baylor family home was under construction not far away. Sometimes Rogan's mother came and joined them, but mostly it was to make sure that everyone still saw plenty of each other, even without Nevada living under the same roof.
For this particular dinner, Rogan made tacos, in a shameless attempt to make Nevada's mother like him more. Since Nevada wanted her mother softened up for her sister's request, she didn't bother to reassure him that her mother liked him just fine.
They were all sitting around the dining room table, conversation having more or less stopped while they stuffed their faces, when Bern, of all people, ruined things.
He looked at Nevada, between inhaling tacos. "Forgot. Got that visitation list you wanted. It's like you thought."
Nevada inwardly cringed, but tried not to let it show on her face. "Thanks. I'll get it from you after dinner. You know the rules!" she said too brightly. "No work talk at family dinner!"
It was too late.
"What visitation list?" her mother asked.
Everyone at the table looked at her. Her sisters, because this wasn't the plan. Bern, in apology, because he'd apparently remembered that this was supposed to be private. Leon, in curiosity. Grandma Frida, in support, which mean that her sisters had told someone else their plans.
Under the table, Connor squeezed her hand.
She took a breath. "Arabella and Catalina came to me with a request to visit Victoria Tremaine. I thought that it would be a good idea to find out if it was even possible before we all had a nice, rational talk about it as a family."
"Absolutely not," said Penelope.
"Mom," said Nevada. "We should talk about it."
"What do you think you could say that would make me give you permission to take your sisters to see that woman?"
"Well, for starters, that I'm eighteen and don't need it," said Catalina.
Nevada didn't bother trying to hold back her groan. This was not how this was supposed to go. "Thanks, Catalina, that was very helpful."
"I know this isn't how you wanted to handle it, but it's true," Catalina said. She looked at their mother with a rare expression of open defiance. "She's our grandmother and we want to see her. We know she's evil. We're not going to be taken in by it and we'll take Nevada with us. Even if you don't trust us, you trust her, don't you?"
"You'd be surprised," Nevada muttered.
"What was that?" Penelope demanded.
"Nothing," Nevada said, on a sigh. She looked at Arabella. "You're being awfully quiet."
"Kind of feels like Catalina has it covered," she said. "And mom really could tell me no, so keeping quiet felt like the better option."
Leon laughed, and everyone glared at him.
"You should let them go," said Grandma Frida. "They're smart girls, Penelope. Of course they're curious about her. Better to let them get it out of their systems while she's locked up."
"Thank you, mother," said Penelope. "I appreciate the support."
"It is, though," said Catalina. "Please trust us. You did a good job. Believe that."
Nevada watched her mother struggle with the idea of it. She didn't blame her. She'd sat across from Victoria and despite knowing what she'd done, Nevada hadn't hated her. Victoria was matter of fact and honest in a way that greatly appealed to Nevada's inner Truthseeker.
Victoria told the truth, as she understood it. Making sure that her sisters understood that her version was not the only truth was what was key.
"I'll take good care of them," said Nevada. "We'll take as much backup as you want, and you can even wait for us outside the facility where she's being held. We'll tell you everything that happened." She looked pointedly at her sisters. "Won't we?"
Both Arabella and Catalina nodded.
Their mother looked defeated. "It's just like the house. I can't stop you."
"Is that a yes?" Arabella asked tentatively.
"It's as close as you're getting," said Penelope. "Eat your tacos."
Nevada let out a small sigh of relief. Her mother had agreed. Her sisters wouldn't be tempted to do anything stupid like attempt this visit on their own. No one had thrown any food.
Connor leaned over and kissed her cheek. "What are your mother's other favorite foods? I think we're going to need them."
She laughed, and she kissed him. Then, she did as her mother said, and ate her tacos.
***
It took a week to organize the visit to the prison, if you could call a walled estate with gardens a prison. Nevada kept her word and arranged for security from Rogan's team to travel with them, and then when Rogan looked at her plans, he added more.
She protested. Her mother approved.
When they got to the facility, their mother hugged all of them hard and made them promise to tell her everything. They all agreed, for at least the tenth time.
At the entrance, they each were required to present identification. They were fingerprinted and photographed. Their bags were searched and placed in lockers for them to be claimed later. When this was all finished, they were each given a badge and led to a table in the gardens where their grandmother waited.
"Hello, Victoria," said Nevada. "My sisters asked to meet you. Behave."
Victoria laughed, and it was nothing like Grandma Frida's laugh. Nevada saw her sisters take it in. Good, she thought. The less Victoria was like the only grandmother her sisters had ever known, the less likely they were to be able to draw comparisons. It could only help them see through whatever Victoria would try to sell.
She nudged them forward towards the chairs. "Introduce yourselves."
Victoria waved that nicety away. "There's no need." She looked at each girl in turn. "You are Catalina, the Siren. And you are Arabella, the--"
"Monster," Arabella supplied helpfully. "I hear that's because of you."
"Yes," said Victoria. She looked amused. "I suppose that it is. Do you resent me terribly for it?"
Arabella shrugged, and she sat. "Personally, I think it's pretty cool. But it tends to freak other people out."
Victoria laughed again. She looked at Catalina. "Don't you speak?"
"When I have something to say," Catalina said coolly. She took the chair next to her sister. "I suppose you think there's nothing monstrous about my magic. Just useful to someone bent on destroying the minds of others."
"Well, well," murmured Victoria. She looked pleased. "The kitten has claws."
Catalina lifted her chin. "I'm not afraid of you."
"And why should you be?" Victoria countered. She spread her hands wide, gesturing towards the prison garden with its heavy security presence. "Your sister must have told you how proud I am of you girls. All primes! I never imagined it."
"All with gifts that make others want to run away screaming," said Catalina. "Should we thank you for that?"
Victoria shrugged. "If they're scared, they're weak. Never apologize for what you can do."
Catalina looked like she wanted to respond, but she change the subject instead. "Tell me about house Molpe."
"Ah," said Victoria. "I thought that might be it. Ran into a dead end, did you?"
"Is it so shocking they wouldn't want word of their true talent leaking out?" Catalina countered.
"Yes," said Victoria. "But I'm not weak enough to care what others think. Are you?"
Nevada knew her sister, and she knew when she was approaching boiling. While it might be fun to watch Victoria get hit with the full force of Catalina's anger, it wouldn't get them what her sisters came for.
"Let's take a walk," she said. She looked down at Victoria from where she stood at her sister's backs. "You are allowed to do that, aren't you?"
Victoria looked amused. "And who do you think would stop me?"
"The men with guns?" Arabella suggested.
"My dear, do you really think they could stop me?"
Nevada could feel it all slipping out of her control. "Let's walk," she said, a little desperately. "Victoria, you'll answer Catalina's questions about our biological grandfather. Catalina, you'll keep your head, and you--" she looked down at Arabella "--you'll behave. Everyone understand? Good."
They all looked at her like she'd lost her mind, but they did what she said.
Victoria and Catalina walked together, in low conversation. Arabella walked with Nevada, trailing behind them.
"So what do you think?" Nevada asked Arabella. "Worth it?"
She shrugged. "I bet she can't rebuild a tank."
It was exactly the right thing to say. Nevada slung her arm around her sister's shoulders and hugged her to her side. "You're not so bad, you know that?"
"Yep," said Arabella. "Now when do we get to visit Misha Marcotte? I want to explore my roots too."
Nevada looked at her sister and groaned. Their mother was going to kill her.