Chapter 445
I had a huge lump in my throat and realized I knew who was missing before my sister even opened her mouth. Aurora asked her what was going on again, and when Cadence spoke, I felt my heart stop beating.
“Alex.” She had to pause to force herself to breathe. “He was wounded in the leg, and he told Jamie he didn’t want to be healed.” She looked around the table. “He... passed away.”
Immediately, all eyes were on me. Everyone began offering their condolences, how they were so sorry I’d lost a friend, maybe even Christian. I didn’t know. I couldn’t believe it—even though I’d had a horrible feeling earlier. I still never thought it would actually happen. Hannah said something about this being what he wanted.... I didn’t hear it all.
“I told Tara I’d let her know as soon as we heard something since Dax can’t text her. I’ll be back.”
My sister nodded, and I got up on unsteady feet, trying to breathe. Hannah hit me again with one of her rainbow beams, but I didn’t want it. I needed to feel this.
I rushed out of the building, just needing some air. The sun was up now, and I thought it was mocking me, rising like it always did when Alex would never see it again. I knew in my heart this is what he had wanted. I knew he was truly in a better place, and I was thankful he was back with his family. Part of me was also glad he’d gone when I didn’t have to witness it. His plan had been to take the Re-Transformation serum and then put himself in the most dangerous situations he could until he died. I don’t think I could’ve watched that.
But Brandon had just watched him die, had just stood there helplessly while Alex bled to death. I didn’t know what that would be like. It had to have been even worse for Jamie, knowing he could save him but having to abstain from doing so.
I gulped in some air, trying to stay focused. As upset as I was, I had a job to do. I needed to help the others figure out whatever those puzzles were Ward was talking about. I couldn’t fall apart now. I could do that later, when Brandon was back to comfort me and remind me that it was all going to be all right.
“Tara, there were two messages. The first one said they were all okay and still trying to find a way out. The second one said....”
“Why didn’t I get a blip from Alex, Cass? Is he okay?”
She’d had plenty of time to go back and look at those IAC registrations, too. She wasn’t stupid, and she’d had a few minutes of wait time. “No, he’s not. He got injured and wouldn’t let Jamie save him.”
Tara was quiet for a long moment before she asked, “So... he’s... dead?”
“Yeah. Just like he wanted.”
“Oh, gosh, Cass. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“I am. I have to be.”
“You know, you don’t have to be an iron princess all the time, girl. You’re allowed to have feelings.”
“I know that, Tara. But right now, I’ve gotta keep my head in the game. Ward’s making progress with this book. I need to help out.”
“Okay. Thanks for the update. I love you, girly.”
“I love you, too, Tara.”
“And when I see you, which better be soon, I’m going to give you a huge hug.”
“You’d better.”
I took another deep breath and turned to go back inside, wiping at a few tears that managed to escape before I could shut them down.
When I got back in the room, I noticed Cadence was cradling her hand. I hadn’t even realized I had been holding it until I saw her sitting like that and it hit me I’d squeezed it pretty tightly. I wondered why she hadn’t asked Cale to fix it. “Sorry about your hand.”
“I’m okay.” She brushed my hair out of my eyes to prove it, and then we all turned back to Ward. It was nice of them to wait for me, though it wasn’t necessary. I was glad to have not missed anything.
Ward waited until he had everyone’s attention again. His “sympathetic” look had somehow doubled in sympathy while I was gone. I wondered if he’d known Alex and figured he had. My thoughts was focused elsewhere as he began to talk about the book again.
“I’ve read through these pages several times, and I think I have a decent understanding of what the portal does—not how it works, mind you—but when it opens. I think it is possible to determine where it will open and at what time, but that’s where our investigative work will come into play.”
The sound of Christian’s voice irritated the crap out of me. “Are you talking about that list on the second page, after it mentions how to open the portal during a blood moon?” Cadence was staring at him dumbfounded, and I wondered how in the world he knew what it said. His explanation wasn’t complete. “I saw it, but I had no idea what it was talking about.”
Ward didn’t seem to think it was peculiar that Christian hadn’t mentioned this to Aaron—or anyone else. “Yes, that’s precisely what I’m talking about. I believe this is a list of locations. There are thirty-six named sites. We’d have to try to figure out what they’re talking about, which will be difficult since most place names don’t stay the same for that long, and some of them are very vague.”
Cale spoke for the first time in a while. “So you think you can force it to open again?”
Cadence jumped a little at the sound of his voice, like she’d forgotten he was there. Clearly, Cale was a little behind. “It opens every six hours. We just don’t know where it’s going to open.”
“So why don’t they just hop out while it’s open? Why does it matter where they are? They can call us when they’re out?” the doctor asked.
I had been wondering the same thing. Even though Brandon sort of said why, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, unless there was something he hadn’t told me. Maybe those demons they were fighting were doing something to prevent that from happening.
