Kiera looked at Kane for a long time. She was waiting for him to tell her that he was kidding and they’d move on with the serious matter that they were discussing. His joke was tasteless and the timing was far from appropriate. She looked at Simone and saw that she didn’t react the way she would expect her to. Nobody said anything. Kane was looking at her as like he expected her to freak out. She finally said, “What the hell is this?”“I know this is hard for you to grasp,” he said slowly, as if he was talking to a child. “I’m going to try to explain this to you in the only way that I can.”Kiera ignored him and looked at Simone. “Simone.”She looked at her and then lowered her head. Firmly, she said, “This is for the best, Kiera. You’re confused now but you’ll understand by the time he’s finished. Listen closely and with an open mind.”Kiera scoffed. “He just said that none of us are human. What’s there to keep an open mind about? We’re talking about Mikael being a psycho here, for

Kane’s decision to move her as quickly as possible had to be changed. Kiera was still recovering from the injury on her ankle. It turned out not being as bad as they thought it was. She would have to stay off her leg for some weeks but after that, it would be as good as new. They would have to clean the wound to prevent it from infection like any normal injury but other than that, she was alright. She got lucky. They were making preparations to leave, though, so as soon as they packed everything, they would go. Kane didn’t want to leave any of her father’s ‘souvenirs’ behind. He was more attached to them than Kiera would ever be. Now that she knew why her father stayed in holed up in his office for so many hours just observing the artifacts, she couldn’t look at them the same way again. It was twisted and sick, though she didn’t say the words out loud. There was no point in speaking her mind. Simone and Kane would disagree with her. They didn’t think there was anything wrong with hi

The move was easier than Kiera thought it would be.It also helped that Simone was taking care of the whole thing with Kane's assurance. Because she was still debilitated, everything was done for her. They wanted her to make a full recovery and avoid unnecessary strains and injuries. She didn't mind helping. In fact, she would have preferred to help. But those two were always protective over her. There was no fighting them when they made a decision. Kiera couldn't say that the move wasn't exactly what she needed to clear her head. She had barely left the house and already felt better. The change of scenery would do her good. She didn't know how toxic her environment was until she left. It was poisoning her slowly. She was losing herself back there. Being in a place where she knew Mikael wasn't around and couldn't find her was helping her establish a clear understanding in her mind. He was a toxic asshole who shouldn't have included her in his revenge plot. She had nothing to do with

There was a knock on the door. Simone jumped up so quickly and swiftly that Kiera almost dropped her cup of coffee on her lap. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Simone, what is it? Who is that?"She didn't answer her. Frankly, it felt like she wasn't even listening. Kiera only had a few beats to wonder who it was at the door. She would have never guessed that it was in fact Kane. She was shocked for two seconds before she got up and walked toward them. He wrapped an arm around his mother's shoulders, not in greeting but for support. "Kane?" Kiera said aloud. She couldn't recognize her own voice. He was limping, she saw. She noticed as soon as she got close to him that his pants were torn and covered in dried blood. He made eye contact with her but said nothing. She felt terrible. Her heart weighed in her chest and she felt useless. Simone was practically carrying him into her bedroom and all she could do was follow mutely. He was hurt. Kane was hurt. It couldn't mean something good

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" Kiera asked as she neared the bed. Kane shifted a little to the side so that she could sit down. She was curious about what he had to say, especially because he didn’t want his mother to hear it. She groaned as he tried to lift his leg but she assured him that she had enough space to sit down. “I’m fine,” she told him. “It’s about Mikael,” he said. “There’s something about him that I have to tell you. About our last meeting.”Kiera gulped and nodded. “I didn’t realize that they had been following me but I did notice that there was a car behind me that would disappear and reappear occasionally. This was two hundred and twenty or more miles from here. I stopped at the nearest gas station and filled up the extra bottles I had and the car as well. They stopped as well. The windows were tinted so I couldn’t see who was inside but I could smell them. Or not smell but sense. It’s difficult to describe.”Kiera nodded. “It was Mikael?”“Yes,” he s