Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mist: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

Kiran crossed his arms on the counter and briefly closed his eyes. “I found out about Lucy when she was five–”“Dad, I shouldn’t have …” I began to say, but it was like he didn’t even hear me, or maybe, he just wanted to get it off his chest.“I didn’t tell your mother, because I didn’t want to hurt her again. I send Marissa money, and I pay for her schooling, and things like that. I see her whenever I go to Fresno, where I’m just Uncle Josh’s friend, she doesn’t know who I am to her.”“Dad, Lucy knows exactly who you are,” I said, and they both looked at me with a frown. I was surprised because Lucy had told me that she was going to confront Marissa with the news, that she wanted to know for sure, and meet Kiran as her father, and not just as a family friend. Obviously, she hadn’t, or she had, and Marissa hadn’t contacted Kiran yet.“How?” Kiran asked me. “Well, she didn’t say Kiran Sinclair is my father, or anything like that, but she suspects that you’re her father because of the

I called Kari’s number again, and with each word spoken, my heart sank more. It went to voicemail again, and I turned around. Kiran frowned as he put his glass down and looked at me with a worried expression on his face.“What is it?” he asked me.“Nobody knows where Kari is,” I said, and James walked over to us, as well. “Saga hasn’t spoken to her all day, and now her phone’s off.”Levi took his phone out and dialed a number. “Bluebird, get me the location of the number I’m sending to you.” Levi typed on his phone, and went back to his conversation with Bluebird. He listened to whatever she was saying, then he ended the call.“Her phone pinged from a tower in Sterling at 6 p.m.,” Levi said, as we stood apart from the rest of the people who had already arrived.“That’s when I phoned her. It just rang and rang, and I assumed she might be busy getting ready.” I turned around and walked out of the room and into the garage. Kiran, Levi, and James followed me outside.“Get in,” Levi said,

Levi was the calmest one of us all, he always had been. I was pacing up and down, feeling like I was going out of my mind with worry. I needed to do something. I needed to find her. James was beyond hysterical, and Adara had eventually sedated him.Gunnar stood quietly to one side, but I knew he wasn’t okay. Kiran and Levi kept whispering to each other, then Kiran looked at me and walked down the hall to his study. I followed him inside, and a few seconds later, Levi joined us.“What’s going on?” I asked Kiran, and he looked at Levi. I couldn’t decipher the look on his face but something told me I was about to find out.“His name’s Jeffrey White,” Levi said, and my eyes snapped up to him. Jeffrey White. I knew that name. Son of a bitch. No wonder he looked so familiar.“He was in our school. He’s four years older than us,” I said.“He owns some property in Sterling, Salamatof, and Nikiski,” Levi said.“Three different towns?” I said, in dismay.“Bluebird’s getting addresses and aerial

Kari’s resurrection ceremony was done the very next night. James had insisted on it. He didn’t want her to be vulnerable without her healing again. Kari hadn’t spoken to me since that night we brought Gunnar home, as if she too blamed me, like I blamed myself. I called and texted, but all I got in return was silence. She read my texts, but that was the only thing I got, a read notification.Her resurrection had been done in private. Only James was with her in the clearing. He was shutting everyone out, and we only knew she’d shifted successfully, when we heard her sorrowful howls from deep within the forest.Four days later, we stood in the clearing with Gunnar’s body lying in the middle. We’d already held his funeral, and the church had been packed. The lie we told was that he’d died from anaphylactic shock from an allergy we hadn’t known about. It was hard to swallow, but it was still better than the truth.Kari stood next to James looking down. She looked different since her resurr

Malachi stood in Kiran’s study and sighed. It was a terrible time for all of them as they watched James retreat and cling to Kari as if she was the only thing that could keep him from falling apart.“You need to speak to James,” Malachi said to Kiran.“There’s nothing I can say that will change anything,” Kiran said, and dropped his pen on the desk.“He’s falling,” Malachi said, solemnly.“I know, Dad. It’s breaking my heart, but we both know what it feels like to lose a son. There’s nothing I can say,” Kiran said. Malachi had lost Kai at birth, and Kiran had lost Christian. They both knew exactly how James was feeling.“I know, but not everything is Kai’s fault. He’s still a kid,” Malachi said.“I know. How do you think all this makes me feel?” Kiran asked, as he stood up.“Kai’s just like you, you know,” Malachi said. “He goes off and does what he believes is right.”“It’s infuriating, to say the least,” Kiran admitted, and Malachi smiled.“James needs to let go of his hate,” Malach