Emry settled back on the bed and was out in seconds. I would’ve been content holding her hand all through the evening if I could, but Slade tapped me on the shoulder. The others filed out of the room, and he motioned for me to follow.
“You can come right back, but we need to talk about a couple of things.”
I gave in and left Emry’s room. Once outside, I quietly shut the door behind me and joined the others in the clinic’s waiting area. “Before you stand there and tell me she’s one of the bad guys, just remember what she’s been through. I saved her from Black Diamonds. She’s one of them, but she’s not involved in this. Whatever it is.”
Slade and Everest exchanged a weighted look.
“The Fell Gates were destroyed,” my sister said quietly. “Radnak is dead. Wherever she’s been or what she saw, it can’t be real. We understand she’s been through some sort of torture and I think it’s messed with her mind, but we can’t just take her at her word.”
“And you can’t trust me? Why not?”
“You said it yourself; you have no idea what you saw or where you two were,” Slade said with a shrug. “You can’t honestly believe the priests are back there and trying to raise Radnak from the dead.”
“I know what I saw,” I insisted.
“And what did you see?” Amelie asked.
I threw back my head then found myself looking at the door to Emry’s room. “I saw them drag her into a stone circle,” I told them all quietly, wishing I didn’t have to relive that moment again. “The priests surrounded it. One of the Black Diamonds cut her and spread her blood around the circle.”
Amelie gripped Tank’s arm hard, and he gave her a worried look. “And then?”
“That was when I interrupted, and she took off. Nothing came of it. At least, I didn’t think it did.” Why was Amelie looking so panicked?
“And anything else?”
I turned my back to them, planting my hands on my hips as I hung my head. “The next time I saw Radnak.” Everest cursed behind me, but I didn’t turn around. “Or something that looked like him. He only had half a face, but his eyes were filled with evil. They had Emry again, and whatever magic they were using was killing her. Or at least that’s what it looked like. He was trying to take something from her, but I managed to stab him, and we escaped through a portal. It closed behind us; I’m not sure how, but that’s where I left her.”
“Until she tried to run you off the road.”
I glared at Everest as I whipped back around. “It’s not like she tried to kill me. She was wounded when I left her, and somehow, she managed to find me. I told her to because she needs our help. She’s not one of them. She’s not here to hurt us. She’s the one who’s hurt.”
Everest’s face softened, but whatever she was thinking she kept to herself. It was Amelie I was more concerned with. She tugged on Tank’s arm and told us all she’d see us later.
“Where are you going?” Everest asked her.
“I need to make some calls. I don’t want to say anything until I know more.”
“You hear back about the other issue yet?”
“What other issue?” I demanded of Everest, but she didn’t look at me. “What other issue, Everest?”
“You and these dreams,” Slade replied for her, and she smacked his arm. “What? I’m not going to stand here and lie to him.”
I wasn’t mad about that part. I also wanted to know how I was able to reach out to Emry. Amelie hurried out of the clinic, and I paced around the waiting area, running over everything I could remember from my last few visits to Emry in that other realm. Was it really the Fell Gates? I remembered the inside of a fortress, and there’d been dead trees when we were outside, but since I didn’t see the actual gates, that could’ve been anywhere. Could’ve been somewhere in this realm for all I knew.
“Wait,” I said, holding up my hand. “Where are the three Black Diamonds who attacked?”
“Holding cells,” Jared informed me. “They haven’t said anything yet.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Why don’t we go and talk to them? I’m sure between the four of you, you’ll get some sort of answer out of them.”
“Got nothing but time to kill right now anyway,” Slade agreed and motioned to Jared to lead the way.
We were all at the door when Everest caught my arm. “Mason, she’s a Black Diamond.”
“I know that.”
“But she’s all red. We’ve never seen one like her before. And what you were talking about earlier? The priests sound like they were using her for some sort of ritual. There might be blood magic involved.”
I was anxious to catch up to the others and waved her one. “Not sure where you’re going with this.”
“Why does Radnak want her specifically?”
I opened my mouth to reply then paused. I hadn’t even stopped to think of that myself. There had to be plenty of other Black Diamond dragons who would love to sacrifice themselves to bring Radnak back if that’s what they were using Emry for. So why her? They’d gone so far as to track her down to try and drag her back. The crimson scales were different, too.
“I don’t want to put ideas into anyone’s head,” Everest went on quietly, “but we need to figure out who she is. Why he wants her. That’s all.”
“I just worry about her all the time now,” I admitted. “It’s the strangest feeling.”
“Trust me, I get it. It’s like a pull that you don’t understand, but you can’t ignore.”
“Yeah, exactly like that,” I said. “That’s what you felt with Slade?”
“It’s what I always feel with him. You and Emry have a connection, and no matter what happens, that girl in there needs you right now. She will be safe here, that I promise you. No one is going to hurt her, but until we have proof of what she says, I can’t say anyone is willing to believe her, not easily.” She squeezed my arm then hurried out the door. “Come on.”
I waited another few seconds, looking back at Emry’s door. Who was she really? I wondered if she even knew after seeing how confused she’d been today. I followed Everest, and we caught up with the guys outside the Hunters headquarters had set up in the valley. The holding cells were around the rear of the building, and we marched back to them. Jared was about to open the door when a Hunter rushed out, spewing curses. When he saw Jared, his face paled, and he started babbling too fast for me to follow.
“Stop,” Jared ordered. “What happened?”
The guard sucked in a deep breath and grimaced. “We were changing the guard. We left them alone for maybe a minute.”
Slade pushed past him and inside, the rest of us right behind him. “Damn it,” he yelled and rushed inside one of the cells. There on the floor was one of the dragons. Slade pressed his fingers to his neck, but from the furious look on his face, we were too late. He was dead.
I turned all the way around to find the other two also on the floor. The cell doors were thrown open, and two more Hunters stood nearby, looking ticked off and confused. Dead. All three of them were dead.
Jared walked to each dragon then turned to his Hunters. “You checked them when they were brought in, right?”
“We did, sir, we found nothing on them. Nothing at all,” one answered.
“You must’ve missed it then. Now they’re dead, and we just lost any chance at corroborating Emry’s story.” Jared gave me an apologetic look, but it wasn’t his fault.
“How did they die? Can you tell?” Everest asked Slade as he examined the body he knelt by.
Slade checked the dragon’s neck, eyes, face, arms, but finally gave up. “Nothing I can see. Amelie or one of the others might have better luck. Get these bodies to the morgue. I want each one of them examined for a cause of death.”
I stepped back, numb. They could’ve confirmed Emry’s story, but now they were all dead. What the hell killed them? They hadn’t been alone for more than a minute, and they were dead. Everest asked if I was alright and I told her quietly I was, just going to head back to keep Emry company. I wasn’t sure why but being around those dead dragons had me on edge.
What if Radnak killed them? If he could get to them, he could get to Emry easily enough.
I picked up the pace then found myself running back to the clinic. I rushed inside and opened her door to find her safe and sound, breathing steadily as she slept. One of the healers asked if I wanted a cot brought in and I told her that’d be great.
“Not leaving your side for anything.”
I leaned over and kissed Emry’s forehead. This twisting sensation in my gut from worrying about her was driving me nuts. Thinking about her constantly. I hardly knew who she was, but when her lips parted, and she breathed my name in her sleep, it’s like I was seeing who she could be with me. In a place far away from that dank cage and Radnak or his dragons. She could be happy here, have a life.
Hopefully a life with me. I smirked, knowing I sounded just like Everest had when she first met Slade, but I couldn’t help it. I had no idea what brought us together, but it’d take a hell of a lot more than Radnak coming back to scare me off.
“Mason, you awake?”
“Hmm?” I lifted my head from Emry’s bedside to see Everest standing in the doorway. “I’m up. What’s wrong? Something happen?” I glanced at Emry, but she was still sound asleep, her hand secure in mine. I rubbed my face hard and opened my eyes wide trying to wake up.
“No, everything’s fine. Amelie called though. She’ll be headed to Mom and Dad’s soon, said we should meet her there. Selma’s with her.” She held out one tote bag, and another bag that I knew came from the diner. “I brought fresh clothes for Emry and some breakfast for you both.”
“Thanks. How’s Slade?”
“Trying not to go into panic mode about everything. He wants to believe she’s just confused.”
“I wish that’s all this was, too.” I took both bags from her and set them on the table in the room.
“You sleep okay?”
“Define okay.” I mumbled then yawned as I stretched my arms over my head. My back was sore, as was my neck. I’d started out on the cot, but halfway through the night, Emry had woken up crying. She’d been frantic, and it had taken an hour to calm her down. I’d finally gotten her to go back to sleep but hadn’t wanted to move away from her side. I told Everest all about it, and she gave Emry a sympathetic look.
“Poor girl. And here I thought the horrors of this war were behind us.”
“Guess not all of them. Not yet.”
“Amelie said she saw some burning on her arm and back.” Everest shook her head disgusted. “How long was she held in that cage?”
“When I first saw her, that’s where she was.”
Everest cursed, and I was in full agreement with every word. She told me to be at our parents’ house by eleven if we could, but not to rush Emry. I thanked her for everything when she hugged me. I was finally taller than her and picked her off her feet as I hugged her back.
“Sorry I’m putting you through all of this,” I told her as I set her back on her feet.
“Eh, you’re my kid brother. You’re supposed to keep me on my toes, right?” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and she backed out of the room, saying she’d see me later.
I considered letting Emry sleep, but if whatever Amelie found out was serious enough to bring in Selma, I didn’t want to waste too much time. I gently shook her shoulder to wake her. Emry’s eyes fluttered open, and she yawned as she stretched. Her gaze found mine, and she smiled.
“Morning,” I said, happy to see her looking better. There was no confusion in her eyes.
“Morning.” She sniffed the air, her face scrunching. “Is that… is that bacon?” she sniffed the air again. “And syrup or am I really going crazy?”
“Everest brought you a fresh change of clothes, new stuff from the look of it, and breakfast in case you were hungry. You haven’t eaten since you’ve been here, so enjoy.” I helped her sit up, and once she was standing, I decided I’d give her a bit of time to herself. “I’ll be just outside in the waiting area when you’re finished. Everest said the others are meeting at eleven to go over a few things.”
“We should get going then,” she said and started to reach for the bag of clothes.
“We have a couple of hours. Relax, eat your breakfast. No need to run off anywhere.”
The urgent look she gave me said there was, and I remembered those glowing red eyes. But then she nodded and after she had the bag of food in hand, sat back down on the bed to eat.
I left her alone. Everest was still out in the waiting area with two cups of coffee. She handed me one, and I took it with a grateful murmur.
“I take it she’s up?”
“Yeah, I have a feeling we’ll be over there much sooner than necessary. She wants answers, just like I do.” I sipped the coffee, wincing when it burned my tongue. “What do you think Selma knows? About me, I mean?”
She patted me on the shoulder. “Whatever it is, you’re going to be fine. I’ll see you over there.”
As I anticipated, I’d barely finished my coffee when Emry stepped out of the room dressed in a new pair of jeans, a long-sleeve black shirt, and had her hair pulled back loosely. The food had done her good, too. She looked so much better than the first time I held her in my arms as she bled out in the grass.
“Right, I’m ready. Where are we headed?”
I finished my coffee, tossed the cup in the trash, and led the way outside. As soon as we exited the clinic, Landon and two other Hunters fell into step behind us. I growled at them all, but Landon shrugged as if it say he had his orders. I ignored the trio the best I could, but it was a very silent, tense walk to Mom and Dad’s, two streets over. We stepped off the sidewalk and to the front walk, leaving Landon and the two Hunters back near the gate. Not having them so close made it easier to breathe, until we approached the front door and I heard yelling coming from inside.
Emry scratched at her left arm, but I gently reached over and stopped her. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for or worried about. We’ll just go inside and see what they’re all shouting about.” I braced myself for whatever was on the other side of that door and stepped inside. “Mom? We’re here,” I yelled, and the uproar in the kitchen cut off abruptly.
Mom appeared in the hall and hurried forward. “Mason, you’re early.”
“No point in waiting around. Emry, this is my mother, Mahlia,” I said and stepped to the side.
Mom looked at Emry for three whole seconds then pulled her into a hug. Emry’s eyes widened, then she smiled and hugged Mom right back. “I’m so glad to see you up and moving around. We were all so worried.”
“Right, worried. Is that why everyone’s yelling?”
Mom shot me a look as she released Emry. “Just come into the kitchen, and we’ll discuss it.”
I knew that tone far too well and groaned. I motioned for Emry to follow Mom and we traipsed to the rear of the house to find Slade, Everest, Amelie, Tank, Dad, Selma, and Jared. Even Preston and Jenny were there. The large kitchen suddenly seemed very tiny, but they all made room for us. Mom introduced Emry to Dad and the others she hadn’t met. When Mom said Selma’s name, the old witch stood and reached for Emry’s hand.
“My dear, what you’ve been through,” she murmured. “I am so sorry.”
“Thanks, I think,” Emry replied quietly.
Selma continued to study Emry, and the air in the kitchen changed, growing heavy. Emry was growing uncomfortable, and I sensed her fragile mind was leaning toward freaking out again. I stepped in, breaking Selma’s contact with Emry and everything returned to normal. Mom scowled at me, but I didn’t care.
“Emry? Look at me. You’re safe. You’re with me, remember?”
She was breathing hard, but her eyes found mine and held on. “Right, I’m good. Thank you.”
I kept my hand on her shoulder and stood right behind her as I glared at the witch. “What are you trying to do?”
“I’m sorry, my girl.” Selma offered her a smile but didn’t back away. “There is much we need to discuss. Why don’t the two of you sit down, hmm? It’s going to be a long day for everyone.”
The urge to drag Emry away from them all was strong, but we moved to the table and sat down. I started to pull my hand free of her shoulder, but she ended up holding it tightly in hers. I wasn’t about to let go. Once we were seated, Selma gave me one more hard long look, then started talking.
And with everything she said, my heart sank just a bit more.
“Mason? You okay?”
I barely glanced up at Everest’s question. “Am I okay? Really?”
“You look like you’re going to be sick.”
I switched my annoyed glare to her, and she tried to smile, but it wasn’t working. I just found out the magic I used to reach out to Emry was rare, very rare. They hadn’t seen someone like me in over fifty years. I was a Traveler, someone who could reach out to others through my dreams and appear to them. That’s why I appeared to Emry. Selma could only tell me that was in the hands of destiny, but that’s what I was. A Traveler.
But it wasn’t that information that had me ready to leave this room. Emry sat stiffly beside me, her eyes focused on the kitchen table. She was rubbing at her left arm again. I reached over to stop her, but she pulled away, her forehead wrinkling as she shook her head.
“I don’t understand,” she finally uttered. “You’re telling me the rituals are ways to bring someone back, but you still don’t believe me.”
Slade had been saying it for the last couple of hours. Radnak was not coming back. The Fell Gates were destroyed. Even Selma chimed in—unhelpfully—to say the trauma suffered by Emry could very well have led to strong hallucinations. She’d seen people imagine all sorts of situations.
“We don’t know much about blood magic,” Selma said again. “We could be wrong about what those rituals were for. And honestly, I’m not sure why he would be using you in them unless it was to try and bolster his strength.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean if Emry is merely a Black Diamond, she isn’t enough to bring Radnak back.”
“I wasn’t the only one,” she whispered, but she didn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she said it. “He used others before me. I saw them in those circles. I saw them die.”
She was lying or leaving something out. She stopped rubbing her left arm and sat on her hands as if she was afraid to give herself away. What else wasn’t she telling us? If we were alone, I might’ve called her out on it, but there were too many people in the kitchen. She was already nervous. She trusted me right now. I wanted to keep that trust.
“We still have no proof.” Slade’s firm look told me he’d made up his mind and there’d be no changing it. “If he was coming back, if there were priests gathering, we would know. I’m sorry, Emry, for whatever you’ve been through, but it’s all in your head. I won’t send my clan into a frenzy based on a rumor.”
“A rumor,” she repeated with a scoff. “You’ll wish you hadn’t said that when he comes.”
The entire kitchen seemed to hold its collective breath.
Slade’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a threat?”
“No. It’s me trying to warn you, but all you people see is a crazy person.” She shot up from her chair and aimed for the door, stopped, spun around, and marched right up to Slade like he wasn’t the most intimidating figure in the room. “I know what I saw. It’s real, it’s all real, and you standing there in denial is only going to make everything worse. I don’t want anyone else to die. I don’t.” She worked her jaw, but nothing else came out, and she stomped toward the door.
I stood and made to follow, but Selma stopped me with a touch to my arm. “What?”
“You need to be careful with your powers. They might become unstable. The last Traveler I met wasn’t a dragon.”
“And?”
“And I simply want to tell you that this ability of yours seems to focus around Emry. There is a chance, a slim chance, that it will only work with her.”
I frowned. “Why would it do that?”
“As I said, Travelers are rare. We don’t know much about them, but the last one, he ended up only being able to travel to one person. She was his soulmate.”
The information hit me hard, and I found myself laughing. “Yeah, right.”
‘’This isn’t a joke, Mason. That dragon out there is confused and hurt. Whatever else you’re going through, you need her as much as she needs you.”
“Right now, what she needs is for you all to believe in her,” I scolded.
“I’m not telling the clan Radnak is back,” Slade informed me even as Everest tried to whisper something to him. “No, it’s not happening. I’m sorry, Mason, but I won’t send anyone back to the Fell Gates. That would be torture.”
I said nothing else and turned around to leave. Emry had waited for me at the front door, a strange look on her face. I touched her shoulder, and she jumped, but there was recognition in her eyes.
I took Emry by the arm and led her outside into the fresh air, hoping it’d calm her down. A room at the inn would be better for her than staying at the clinic, and I silently thanked Mom for setting it up. Landon and two Shadowguards fell in line behind us as we walked down the sidewalk. Emry said nothing, and after a couple of minutes of walking in complete silence, I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m sorry they aren’t willing to take you at your word,” I told her. “No one wants to believe it could be true.”
She barked a laugh as she whirled around on me. “I get that, but it is true, that’s the problem. You and I both saw it. We saw him. He’s back, Mason, and the longer we all sit around debating if I’m actually insane or not, the stronger he’s going to get.”
“There’s nothing else we can do.” I puffed out my cheeks and knew the second she saw uncertainty forming in my eyes because hers darkened even more. “Are you completely certain you were in the Fell Gates?”
“Don’t you dare ask me that,” she snapped, her anger seeming to cut through the numbness she’d shown during most of our conversation with the others. “I know what I’ve gone through. The scars on my skin should be enough for anyone to see that.”
I was at a loss at what to say to her anymore but didn’t want to leave her so worked up in case she lost control and shifted into a dragon again. Or forgot who I was. “Slade’s the clan leader. I have to listen to his orders. We all do. If he says we’re not going to the Fell Gates, then we’re not going.”
“But he’s wrong, and you know it.”
“I know I saw things I can’t explain,” I argued. “I know I saw you being hurt and that tore me apart, but I can’t just round up a bunch of Hunters and go running off.”
We looked at each other for a long moment, but I couldn’t get a read on what was going through her mind. For a second, I worried she was getting confused again and had forgotten where she was, but then she crossed her arms, and the red in her eyes shimmered with resolve.
“I need you, Mason. I hoped when I found you, that you would be the answer to my prayers.” She paced away from me then back again, and the fear in her eyes tore me apart. “I’m not strong. I haven’t been for a long time. I can’t keep fighting him.” She hung her head then ran her fingers through her hair like she was indeed losing her mind. “I hear him, his laughter. I sense his presence. I swear I see his eyes looking at me from everywhere. When you're close, that all goes away, but when you’re not, I can’t tell which way is up or down.”
I reached for her, but she backed away, and my heart sank. “I don’t know what else I can do. I’m trying to help you.
“Then convince them that they’re wrong,” she yelled. “Make them believe you.”
“I’ve tried, but there’s nothing else I can do.”
She smiled, but it was far from cheerful. “You have to because there’s no one else who can. I’m weak, I’m tired, I’m borderline insane, and I can’t keep doing this. If he’s not stopped, he’s going to come here and destroy everything.”
“He tried once, and he failed.”
“It’s different this time.” She gulped and scratched at her arm, something I noticed her doing any time she was agitated. I moved to stop her, but she backed away, her hand falling to her side. “He won’t just be a dragon. He’ll be a wraith, powerful and strong. He’s out for revenge and who do you think he’s going to come after first?”
I wanted to tell her that I could be her knight in shining armor, but that was a lie. I’d never fought in a real battle. The first time I attacked with the intent to kill was when I saved her. Then, I’d been driven by adrenaline and the belief that I was dreaming it all. Now that I knew it was real, part of me was uncomfortable with the fury with which I’d attacked those dragons. And at the same time, I was ready to do it all over again for Emry.
But stopping Radnak? I couldn’t do that on my own.
“If Slade doesn’t believe it then no one else will,” I finally said, hating the look of disappointment she gave me. “I’m sorry.”
“I get it. No one believes the crazy person. But you’re not crazy,” she whispered as she poked me in the chest. “You’re a Traveler. They might not believe me, but you need to make them believe you before it’s too late. Please. I don’t want to watch him destroy your lives.”
The connection I had to Emry was far from simple, and I wanted to say so much more, but then she backed away from me. A voice in my head said I was losing her, but what more could I do?
“I think I’m going to lie down for the rest of the day. Where’s the inn?” she asked Landon.
“The guards will show you the way,” he replied after looking at me.
I didn’t have anything else to say.
Emry walked away with the two Shadowguards escorting her leaving me standing in the road with Landon. “So, that uh, that went well.”
“Shut up,” I snapped and stormed off the other direction.
“You know she’s going to try and leave here if Slade doesn’t believe her,” Landon said as he walked alongside me. “She’s hiding something else, and if you can’t get anyone else to believe you two, she’s going to do something that’ll probably get her hurt. Or worse.”
“They won’t let her leave.”
“She’ll still try, I know that look.”
“And what do you want me to do about it?” I whipped around suddenly. “Why did you agree to guard me? Why? Do you really think I’m that incapable like everyone else does? Because I’m a dragon gifted with some rare ability, I’m more fragile than I was two days ago?”
“You’re not.” Landon grabbed my shoulders and looked me right in the eye. “I saw you fight, remember? I know you trained under Slade and Tank. But you were sick for a long time. Now you have this new power. And the Black Diamonds show up then die without a mark? It has everyone on edge. No one thinks you’re weak.”
“Emry doesn’t think I can do this. She put all her faith in me, and now I’m failing her.”
“You’re not. You’re doing everything you can, aren’t you?”
The way he said it had me frowning then clenching my jaw. What more could I do? I wasn’t sure where I intended to go, but my mind was a mess so I wandered around town for a while. When I found myself in the park on a bench, Landon took a seat next to me. As pissed off as I was, in the beginning, to realize he was my bodyguard, I liked the guy. He was turning into a good friend.
“What do you think about all this?” I asked him, curious. “Do you believe her?”
Landon tilted his head back and forth. “I believe she believes what she said is true. That’s what matters.”
“You’re not helping.”
“All she needs is proof so she can figure her way back to being sane,” he told me. “She needs you to show her that way.” He frowned as he leaned back on the bench. “What I do know is those three Black Diamonds were after her for a reason. They were real enough.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“That’s not something I can answer. I think you know where you need to go to at least rule out one possibility, for Emry’s sake. She needs to know the truth. Then you can move on to what’s really happening out there.”
I mulled over his words, sensing he was right. Emry was certainly lost. I knew what I saw, but as she said, it could all have been hallucinations inside her head, right? We needed to prove to her without a doubt that the Fell Gates were indeed destroyed and Radnak was not coming back.
I decided to head back to my place. Ted, Roger, and Landon fell in step beside me. I figured it’d be good to hang out with them for the rest of the evening.
As we walked, I couldn’t help but see Emry in my mind again. Her dark black hair that was almost blue. The way her eyes shone with such fierceness, then confusion and fear the next. She had scars, but she was beautiful. I shoved my hands in my front pockets, muttering to myself that now was not the time to try and ask the Black Diamond dragon out on a date. She was attractive, yeah, but we had too many other issues going on now. I had to help her find her way back to sanity, and there was only one place to start.
I came to a sudden stop and turned back toward Slade and Everest’s house. I no longer wanted to sleep.
“Mason? Where are you going?”
“To talk with my sister and my brother-in-law. I’m not giving up, not yet.”
“And what do you hope to do?”
I blew out a breath as I picked up the pace. “I don’t know, but if I have to stay up all night talking to them, then that’s what I’m going to do. Everyone else played their part, and now it’s my turn. I had those dreams for a reason. Emry came here for a reason. I’m not going to let them dismiss her claims. Not if it helps her get back to who she used to be.”
I almost ran the rest of the way to Everest’s house. I knocked, hoping I wasn’t going to wake up the kids. It was a bit after seven, and I knew they usually put them down around this time.
Everest answered a couple of seconds later, holding a baby on her hip. “Mason? What’s wrong?”
“Slade here, too?”
“Yeah, we were just putting the kids to bed. You alright?”
I stepped inside, leaving Landon to stand out on the porch as I closed the door behind me.
“No, I’m not actually. Put the kids to bed, and then the three of us are going to have a very long talk.”