Death was supposed to be silent.
Instead… it whispered my name.
Mom?"
The figure smiled.
Tears immediately filled Kaden's eyes.
"Hi, sweetheart."
He didn't hesitate.
He rushed toward her.
His arms passed straight through.
He froze.
She offered him a sad smile.
"I'm sorry."
His knees gave out beneath him.
"I couldn't save you."
She knelt in front of him, even though he couldn't feel her touch.
"Kaden…"
"Look at me."
He slowly raised his eyes.
"None of this was your fault."
"Your father is alive."
Kaden stopped breathing.
"What?"
"I don't know where he is anymore."
"But he's alive."
"There are things even the council fears."
She paused for a second looking around to make sure they were alone
"You were never supposed to know this yet."
Know what?"
"What you are, your father and I did everything we could to protect you"
"From Barry?"
"From the council."
"The vampires aren't the only ones looking for you."
Just before she could continue she felt a shift in the air.
Her expression changed.
"Kaden…"
"What?"
She didn't answer.
She was staring at something behind him.
"You need to end the spell."
Kaden's heart dropped. "Why?"
"Because you didn't open the door for me alone."
He slowly turned around.
Nothing was there.
"Mom?"
She looked back at him.
"You need to listen to me. Whatever happens next, don't follow the voices."
"What voices?"
Her expression softened.
"I love you."
"Mom, wait—"
Her form began to fade.
"Don't let your anger become who you are."
"Mom!"
The room went completely dark.
Kaden sat frozen inside the circle.
Then he heard it.
A whisper.
Right beside his ear.
"She shouldn't have come."
THE NEXT DAY…
Kaden didn't sleep.
He sat on the floor until the candles burned themselves out, staring at the empty space where his mother's spirit had stood.
She had been there.
He knew she had.
He'd heard her voice.
He'd seen her face.
She had told him his father was alive.
She had told him it wasn't his fault.
For the first time in two weeks, Kaden felt something other than grief.
Hope.
But there was one thing he couldn't stop thinking about.
You didn't open the door for me alone.
He glanced toward the doorway.
Nothing.
"I'm losing my mind," he whispered.
Then something whispered back.
"Maybe."
Kaden jerked his head around, his eyes searching every corner of the room.
Nothing.
There was no one there.
Just an empty bedroom staring back at him.
He swallowed hard.
Maybe he was losing his mind.
After everything he'd been through, though, that possibility barely registered as a concern anymore.
He had bigger problems.
His father was missing. Barry was still out there. Victoria had the medallion. And now, somehow, he'd managed to open a doorway to the dead.
Kaden rubbed his eyes and took a shaky breath.
I don't have time for this.
Whatever he'd heard, whatever he'd seen, he would figure it out later.
For now, he needed to put it out of his mind.
He stood and began gathering the candles scattered around the circle. Most had burned down to small stubs, their flames long gone. He carefully collected them and placed them inside a small chest at the foot of his bed.
He closed the lid.
For a moment, he stood there in silence.
Then he headed downstairs.
The house was quiet when he reached the kitchen.
Carter sat at the table, scrolling through her phone.
Carter looked up from the kitchen table.
"You okay?"
Kaden nodded, trying to act normal.
"Yeah. Just tired."
Lola walked into the kitchen behind him, her expression uneasy.
"Did you hear that?"
Kaden stopped.
"Hear what?"
She glanced toward the ceiling.
"Upstairs. Last night."
Carter nodded. "I heard it too."
Kaden's stomach tightened.
"What did you hear?"
"I don't know," Carter said. "It sounded like… talking."
Lola crossed her arms. "And then there was this weird humming. The lights kept flickering too."
Kaden looked away.
"Probably the house settling."
Carter gave him a skeptical look.
"The house settling doesn't usually make the lights flicker."
"Maybe it was a power surge."
Lola stared at him for a moment.
"Kaden…"
He forced a smile.
"I'm fine. Seriously."
He turned toward the refrigerator then could feel a slight change in the air he turned around slowly back towards the girls
And that's when he saw her.
A woman stood directly behind Carter.
She looked to be in her sixties.
Blood covered her throat, soaking into the collar of her dress.
She wasn't looking at Carter.
She was looking directly at him.
Kaden froze.
He blinked.
The woman was gone.
His heart slammed against his chest.
He stared at her.
Kaden?"
Carter's voice pulled him back.
"Yeah?"
"You were staring at me."
Kaden glanced behind her.
Nothing.
"Sorry. I thought I saw something."
Carter raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
Kaden hesitated.
"Nothing."
He forced a smile.
"I'm just exhausted."
Kaden breathed slowly
"I'm fine," Kaden said, reaching for a glass of water.
Carter didn't look convinced.
"You're not."
"I said I'm fine."
Lola exchanged a glance with Carter.
"Kaden, we heard you upstairs."
He froze.
"You were screaming."
"I wasn't."
"We heard you talking to someone."
Kaden's grip tightened around the glass.
They can't know.
Not yet.
" I've been having night terrors since mom died"
He confessed, he did feel bad about lying but he didn't want to tell them and have them worry about him.
"Maybe we just need to get into town and breathe some fresh air. We've been cooped up in the house since the funeral "
Carter stated softly as Lola and Kaden agreed
" let's all go get ready and we can meet down here in a bit"she said
Kaden nodded and returned to his room quickly pulling himself and an outfit together for his outing with the girls. He returned downstairs and smiled brightly at them
" "Okay, so I'm thinking brunch at The Harvest, then some retail therapy at the shops, and after that we can go to the bookstore Mom used to take us to."
Lola gave Kaden a small smile.
She'd always known the fastest way to cheer him up was shopping and books.
Kaden and Carter exchanged a look before smiling.
"You know," Kaden said, glancing down at his worn-out shoes, "I actually do need some new shoes."
"That's the spirit," Carter said, grabbing her keys.
"And before you say anything," Kaden added, "I am not spending three hundred dollars on shoes."
Lola raised an eyebrow.
"You said that last time."
"And I meant it."
"You bought the three-hundred-dollar shoes."
"They were on sale."
Carter laughed. "They were two hundred and seventy dollars."
Kaden shrugged.
"Still a sale."
For the first time since his mother's death, the laughter that escaped him didn't feel completely forced.
It was small.
Barely there.
But it was something.
The three of them climbed into the car, Lola taking the passenger seat while Kaden climbed into the back.
As Carter pulled out of the driveway, Kaden watched the house disappear behind them.
He knew he should have been thinking about Barry.
About his father.
About the strange voice he'd heard the night before.
Instead, he tried to focus on anything else.
For once, he just wanted to be Kaden.
Not a vampire.
Not whatever his powers were turning him into.
Not a son who had just buried his mother.
Just Kaden.
"Music?" Carter asked.
"Absolutely," Lola said.
Kaden smiled as Carter turned up the radio.
For the next few minutes, they sang along badly to whatever song came on, arguing over who had the worst singing voice.
It wasn't much.
But for a little while, everything felt almost normal.
Almost.
By the time they reached town, the streets were already busy. People wandered between shops, couples sat outside cafés, and music drifted through the open doors of the stores.
Kaden stepped out of the car and took a slow breath.
The warm sunlight hit his face.
For the first time in days, he didn't feel like he was trapped inside a nightmare.
"Come on," Lola said, grabbing his arm. "We're getting food before you start complaining about being hungry."
"I don't complain."
Carter slammed the car door.
"You absolutely complain."
"I prefer the term dramatically express my hunger."
Lola laughed.
"Whatever you say, Kaden."
Kaden smiled as they walked into The Harvest everything in his life had changed but this restaurant always stayed the same. From the black leather booths to the pie case as the host station.
The host smiled as they approached the front desk.
I'm Elliot," the host said, offering him a smile.
"Kaden."
"Kaden," Elliot repeated. "That's a nice name."
Kaden smiled. "Thanks. I like yours too."
Lola's eyes immediately widened.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
Elliot handed Kaden a menu.
"If you need anything, just let me know."
Kaden glanced at him.
"Anything?"
Elliot's smile grew.
"Within reason."
Kaden laughed.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Elliot walked away.
There was a brief silence.
Lola slowly turned toward him.
"Excuse me?"
Kaden looked innocent. "What?"
"You were flirting."
"No, I wasn't."
Carter laughed. "Kaden, you absolutely were."
"Maybe a little."
Lola gasped dramatically.
"Our boy is finally back!"
"I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu" Elliot said. His eyes lingered on Kaden for just a second longer than necessary. "Although if you need help choosing, I'd be happy to make a recommendation."
"He's talking about the menu, Kaden," Lola whispered.
"I know."
Carter snorted.
"Do you?"
Kaden's smile slowly disappeared.
Standing directly behind Elliot was the woman from his bedroom.
Her blood-soaked throat was impossible to miss. She stared directly at Kaden, her expression unreadable.
His heart stopped.
He blinked.
She was gone.
Kaden looked around the restaurant, searching between the tables and down the aisles.
Nothing.
"Kaden?"
Lola's voice pulled him back.
He turned toward her.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." His voice came out quieter than he intended. "I'm fine."
Carter glanced toward where Kaden had been staring.
"What were you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Lola raised an eyebrow.
"You've been saying that a lot lately."
Kaden forced a smile.
"I'm just tired. That's all."
Before either of them could question him again, Elliot returned with their drinks.
"Everything okay?"
Kaden looked at him.
For a split second, he could still see the woman standing behind him.
He quickly looked away.
"Yeah," he said. "We're good."
Elliot smiled and set the drinks down.
"Good. I'll let you guys enjoy your brunch."
As he walked away, Kaden watched him disappear into the crowd.
Something about him suddenly made Kaden uneasy, and he couldn't understand why.
"Okay," Lola said, grabbing her purse. "I think we've tortured Kaden enough for one morning."
Carter laughed.
"Agreed. Shopping?"
"Definitely."
Kaden stood, grabbing his jacket.
"Please tell me we're still getting those shoes."
Lola smiled.
"Obviously."
They headed toward the door, Kaden following behind them.
He glanced back one last time.
Elliot was nowhere in sight.
Neither was the woman.
They stepped outside The Harvest, the afternoon sun hitting Kaden's face as Lola and Carter continued arguing over which store they should visit first.
Kaden smiled faintly, letting their voices blend into the noise of the busy street.
For the first time in days, he almost felt normal.
Then he stopped.
Across the street stood an old man.
Kaden stared at him.
He was dressed in an old-fashioned suit, his gray hair neatly combed back. People walked past him without giving him a second glance.
Kaden's smile disappeared.
No.
The old man was staring directly at him.
"Kaden?"
He barely heard Carter.
The old man's lips moved.
Kaden couldn't hear anything over the traffic.
Then suddenly, a voice whispered directly into his ear.
"Stay away from him."
Kaden spun around.
Nobody was there.
His heart pounded.
He looked back across the street.
The old man was gone.
"Kaden?" Lola asked. "What's wrong?"
He swallowed.
"Nothing."
"You keep saying that."
Kaden looked toward The Harvest.
Through the window, he could see Elliot talking to another employee.
His stomach tightened.
Stay away from him.
He didn't know whether the warning was about Elliot.
He didn't know who the old man was.
He didn't even know if the voice had actually been real.
But one thing was becoming impossible to ignore.
He wasn't imagining them.
Kaden stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring at the empty space where the old man had been.
"Kaden?"
He blinked.
Lola was standing in front of him, waving a hand in front of his face.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You sure?"
Kaden forced a smile.
"Yeah. Just… zoned out."
Carter looked between them.
"You've been doing that a lot lately."
"I know."
Kaden glanced back toward The Harvest.
Elliot was still inside.
Stay away from him.
He shook his head.
"Come on," Lola said, linking her arm through his. "We're supposed to be having a good day."
Kaden let her pull him along.
"Right. A good day."
But as they walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
Okay," Lola announced, pushing open the doors. "Rule number one: Kaden is not allowed to look at anything over two hundred dollars."
"That's discrimination."
"It's financial responsibility."
Carter laughed. "I'm with Lola."
Kaden shook his head.
"You two are horrible friends."
"And yet you love us."
Kaden smiled.
"Unfortunately."
Lola quickly grabbed Kaden by the arm
"Come on. You said you needed new shoes, so we're getting you new shoes."
"I said I might need new shoes."
"You literally said you needed new shoes ten minutes ago."
"I was emotionally vulnerable."
Carter laughed behind them.
"That is not how shoe shopping works."
Kaden rolled his eyes but followed them toward the men's section.
After a few minutes of searching, Kaden spotted a pair of black boots sitting on a display.
He picked them up.
"Okay. These."
Lola looked at the price tag.
"Absolutely not."
Kaden frowned.
"What?"
"Those cost more than the ones you said you weren't spending three hundred dollars on."
"They're different."
"How?"
"These are cooler."
Carter laughed.
"That's your argument?"
"Yes."
Lola sighed dramatically.
"Fine. Try them on."
Kaden sat down on the bench and pulled the first boot onto his foot.
He stood.
"They actually fit."
Lola looked him up and down.
"Okay…"
"What?"
She smiled.
"I hate to admit it, but those actually look really good on you."
Kaden grinned.
"I know."
Carter shook her head.
"He's getting his confidence back."
Kaden looked at himself in the mirror.
For a moment, he barely recognized the person staring back at him.
He looked tired. His eyes were still swollen from crying, and there were faint shadows beneath them.
But for the first time in days, he didn't look completely broken.
He smiled at his reflection.
Then the smile disappeared.
Someone was standing behind him.
Kaden froze.
The old man.
He was reflected in the mirror, standing several feet behind him.
Kaden spun around.
Nothing.
The store was still busy. People browsed the shelves, employees walked between the displays, and Carter was looking through another rack of shoes.
"Kaden?"
He looked back at the mirror.
The old man was gone.
His breathing quickened.
"Kaden, are you okay?" Carter asked.
"Yeah."
Lola looked at him suspiciously.
"You sure?"
Kaden nodded.
"Yeah. I just…"
He looked around the store.
"I thought I saw someone."
Carter frowned.
"Who?"
Kaden stared at the empty space in the mirror.
"I don't know."
Kaden placed the boots on the counter.
His hands were still shaking.
He tried to steady them.
The lights above him flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then every light in the store went out.
The employees groaned.
"Great," someone muttered.
A second later, the lights came back.
Kaden stared at them.
Carter stared at Kaden.
"Okay," she said slowly. "That was weird."
"Yeah," Kaden whispered.
He looked down at his hands.
They were still shaking
The cashier handed Kaden the bag, and he thanked her before turning toward Lola and Carter.
"Happy?" Lola asked.
Kaden held up the bag.
"Very."
"Good. Because we're going to the bookstore next."
Kaden's smile faded slightly.
"The bookstore?"
"Mom's bookstore," Lola reminded him.
Kaden nodded.
"Right."
For a moment, the excitement disappeared from his face.
He'd forgotten how many places in town reminded him of his mother.
Carter noticed.
"We don't have to go if you don't want to."
Kaden shook his head.
"No. I want to."
He forced a small smile.
"She loved that place."
Lola smiled softly.
"Then let's go."
The three of them walked out of the store.
The moment Kaden stepped outside, the sounds of the city surrounded him again—cars passing, people talking, music playing from somewhere down the street.
He took a deep breath.
Normal.
Everything was normal.
He looked down at the shopping bag in his hand.
Maybe he'd imagined the woman.
Maybe he'd imagined the old man.
Maybe the séance had simply messed with his head.
He could live with that.
He looked up.
Across the street, an old man stood completely still.
Kaden stopped walking.
His heart dropped.
It was him.
The same man from before.
Kaden stared at him.
Nobody else seemed to notice.
The man slowly raised his head.
Their eyes met.
Kaden's breathing stopped.
Then the man's lips moved.
This time, Kaden heard him clearly.
"Stay away from him."
Kaden's eyes widened.
"Who?"
The man pointed.
Kaden followed his finger.
It was pointing directly toward—
Elliot.
The old man disappeared.
"Kaden?"
Lola grabbed his arm.
Kaden turned toward her.
"Did you see that?"
"See what?"
Kaden looked back across the street.
Nothing.
He swallowed.
"Nothing."
Carter frowned.
"You're starting to scare me."
Kaden looked down at his trembling hands.
"So am I."
The bookstore was only a few blocks from The Harvest, tucked between an old clothing store and a small café. The faded sign above the entrance hadn't changed in years.
Kaden smiled as he looked at it.
"I can't believe this place is still here."
Lola smiled beside him.
"Mom used to bring us here every Saturday."
"And she'd always tell us we could only get one book."
Kaden laughed softly.
"And then she'd buy us three."
"Because she couldn't say no to us."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The memory settled between them.
Kaden looked down.
"I miss her."
Lola slipped her arm through his.
"I know."
They walked inside.
The familiar smell of old paper and coffee immediately surrounded Kaden. The wooden floors creaked beneath their feet, and shelves stretched nearly to the ceiling.
He looked around slowly.
Everything felt exactly the same.
Almost.
"Okay," Carter said, grabbing Lola's arm. "You two go find your depressing childhood books. I'm going to see if they have anything actually interesting."
Lola laughed.
"You're impossible."
"I know."
They split up.
Kaden wandered toward the back of the store.
His feet seemed to know where they were going before he did.
He stopped in front of a familiar shelf.
His mother's favorite section.
He ran his fingers along the spines until he found one.
He pulled it free.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Mom loved this one."
He opened the cover.
A handwritten note was inside.
Kaden froze.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
His mother's.
He read the words beneath the faded date.
For my little bookworm. One day you'll understand why these stories matter.
Kaden's heart skipped.
He turned the page.
Nothing.
He flipped through the book again.
There was no explanation.
"Why would you write that?"
He whispered it to himself.
He looked toward the end of the aisle.
For a split second, he thought he saw someone standing there.
Kaden froze.
The woman.
The same woman he'd seen behind Elliot.
She stood completely still between the shelves.
Blood covered her throat.
Kaden's fingers tightened around the book.
"Not again."
He blinked.
She was gone.
Kaden quickly looked around.
No one.
He took a shaky breath.
Maybe he needed to leave.
Then he noticed something.
The book in his hands had fallen open to a page he'd never seen before.
There was a symbol drawn in the margin.
A circle surrounded by strange markings.
Kaden stared at it.
Something about it felt familiar.
His bracelet suddenly grew warm against his wrist.
He pulled his sleeve back.
The birthstone was glowing faintly.
Kaden's eyes widened.
"What the…"
The lights above him flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then the book slammed shut in his hands.
Kaden jumped.
"Kaden?"
Lola's voice came from behind him.
He turned quickly.
She was standing at the end of the aisle.
"What are you doing?"
Kaden looked down at the book.
Then at his bracelet.
Then back at Lola.
"Nothing."
Lola frowned.
"You're doing that thing again."
"What thing?"
"Where you say nothing when something is obviously wrong."
Kaden forced a smile.
"I just found something Mom wrote."
Lola's expression softened.
"What?"
Kaden hesitated.
He looked down at the book.
"I don't know yet."
And for the first time, Kaden wondered if his mother hadn't left him memories.
Maybe she'd left him answers.
Kaden closed the book and held it against his chest.
He wasn't ready to tell Lola what he'd found.
Not yet.
Whatever his mother had meant by that message, he needed to understand it first.
"Ready?" Carter called from near the front of the store.
Kaden looked toward her.
"Yeah."
He slipped the book into his bag.
Lola gave him a suspicious look but didn't push.
The three of them made their way toward the entrance.
Kaden glanced back one last time at the shelves.
For a second, he thought he saw the woman standing at the end of the aisle.
He stopped.
She was staring directly at him.
Kaden blinked.
Nothing.
Just rows of books.
He swallowed and hurried after the girls.
Outside, the afternoon sun was beginning to fade, casting long shadows across the sidewalk.
"Okay," Lola said, stretching her arms. "I think we've officially completed our retail therapy."
Carter held up her shopping bags.
"Speak for yourself."
Kaden laughed quietly.
"I think I'm done."
"Are you sure?" Lola asked.
Kaden nodded.
"Yeah. I just want to go home."
Neither girl argued.
They started walking toward the car.
Kaden followed behind them, but his thoughts were somewhere else.
The message in the book.
The woman.
The old man.
The warning.
And now the strange symbol.
His bracelet suddenly felt warm against his wrist.
Kaden stopped walking.
He looked down.
The birthstone was glowing again.
His breathing became shallow.
"No…"
"What?" Carter turned around.
Kaden quickly pulled his sleeve over the bracelet.
"Nothing."
Lola stared at him.
"Kaden."
"I'm fine."
The moment the words left his mouth, the streetlight above them flickered.
Kaden looked up.
Another light flickered.
Then another.
His hands began to shake.
Carter slowly stepped toward him.
"Okay… something is definitely wrong."
Kaden backed away.
"I don't know what's happening."
The lights continued flickering down the street.
A car alarm suddenly went off.
Then another.
People began looking around in confusion.
Kaden's breathing quickened.
And then he heard it.
A whisper.
Right beside his ear.
"Kaden…"
He spun around.
There was no one there.
But he could feel something watching him.
Something only he could see.
Kaden's breathing became faster.
He looked around the sidewalk, but everyone around him seemed completely normal. People continued walking past, talking and laughing, completely unaware of what was happening.
"Kaden?" Lola stepped closer. "Look at me."
He couldn't.
His eyes darted across the street.
There.
The old man.
Standing beside a parked car.
Watching him.
Kaden stumbled backward.
"No."
Carter grabbed his arm.
"Kaden, what's wrong?"
"He's here."
"Who's here?"
Kaden pointed across the street.
"The man."
Carter and Lola looked at each other before turning toward where Kaden was pointing.
There was nobody there.
Kaden's heart pounded harder.
"No, no, no…"
"Kaden," Carter said carefully, "there's nobody there."
"He was right there."
Lola moved closer.
"Who was?"
"The old man."
"What old man?"
Kaden looked between them.
Neither of them could see him.
That realization hit harder than anything else.
His hands began shaking violently.
"I think…"
He swallowed.
"I think I'm seeing things."
Carter's expression softened.
"You're exhausted. You've been through hell."
"No."
Kaden shook his head.
"This isn't that."
The streetlight above them exploded.
Everyone nearby jumped.
Kaden screamed and covered his head.
Another light shattered.
Then another.
The wind suddenly whipped around them, sending papers and leaves spiraling through the street.
"Kaden!" Lola shouted.
"I can't stop it!"
Carter grabbed both of his shoulders.
"Look at me!"
Kaden looked at her.
"Take a breath."
"I can't!"
"Yes, you can."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know what's happening to me."
Carter pulled him into a hug.
"It's okay."
"No, it's not."
Kaden's voice cracked.
"I saw my mom."
Lola froze.
"What?"
"Last night."
Kaden pulled away, wiping his eyes.
"When I did the spell… I saw her."
Neither of them spoke.
"I thought it was just because I wanted to see her so badly."
He looked across the street again.
"But then I started seeing other people."
Carter's expression changed.
"Other people?"
Kaden nodded.
"People who aren't alive."
Silence.
Lola slowly looked around the street.
"You mean ghosts?"
Kaden shook his head.
"I don't know."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"But they see me."
The wind suddenly stopped.
Everything went quiet.
Kaden stared at his hands.
For the first time since the séance, he wasn't trying to convince himself that he'd imagined it.
Something had changed.
And he was beginning to realize that whatever he'd opened the night before…
hadn't closed.
The girls helped him to the car so no one could see him.
The drive home was nothing like the drive into town.
No music played.
No one joked.
The only sound was the quiet hum of the engine and the occasional click of the turn signal.
Kaden sat in the back seat, staring out the window. His hands were still trembling.
Lola finally broke the silence.
"How long?"
Kaden looked up.
"What?"
"How long have you been seeing them?"
Kaden swallowed.
"I don't know."
"Try."
He looked down at his hands.
"Since last night."
Carter glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Since the séance?"
Kaden didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Lola turned around in her seat.
"You actually did a spell?"
Kaden nodded slowly.
"I didn't know what else to do."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I knew you'd think I was crazy."
"We don't think you're crazy," Carter said.
Kaden gave a humorless laugh.
"You didn't see what I saw."
"No," Carter admitted. "But we heard you."
Kaden looked at her.
"What?"
"Last night. Lola and I heard you talking upstairs."
Lola nodded.
"And the house was shaking."
Kaden's stomach tightened.
"How much did you hear?"
"Not much," Lola said. "We heard you say something. It sounded like another language."
"Latin."
Carter frowned.
"Why were you speaking Latin?"
Kaden hesitated.
"I was trying to talk to Mom."
The car fell silent again.
Lola's expression softened.
"Did you?"
Kaden looked out the window.
"Yeah."
Her eyes widened.
"You actually saw her?"
Kaden nodded.
"For a few minutes."
"What did she say?"
Kaden's throat tightened.
"She told me Dad is alive."
Carter's eyes immediately returned to the road.
"Are you sure?"
"She said she didn't know where he was anymore."
Kaden rubbed his palms against his jeans.
"But she knew he was alive."
Lola turned back toward him.
"What else?"
Kaden hesitated.
"She told me none of this was my fault."
Lola reached her hand toward him.
Kaden grabbed it.
"And then she warned me."
"About what?"
Kaden looked between them.
"The council."
Carter's grip tightened around the steering wheel.
"What did she say?"
"She said there are things even the council fears."
Lola frowned.
"Like what?"
"I don't know."
Kaden's voice cracked.
"She disappeared before she could tell me."
Carter was quiet for a moment.
"Then the other people started appearing?"
Kaden nodded.
"I thought I was imagining them at first."
"And now?"
Kaden stared at his reflection in the window.
"Now I don't think I am."
Lola turned around again.
"Why can you see them?"
"I don't know."
"Can they hurt you?"
"I don't know."
"Can you talk to them?"
"Sometimes."
"Do they talk to you?"
Kaden nodded.
"One of them did."
Carter's eyes met his in the rearview mirror.
"What did they say?"
Kaden's face went pale.
"They told me to stay away from Elliot."
Lola and Carter exchanged a look.
"Why?" Lola asked.
"I don't know."
"Did you ask?"
"He disappeared before I could."
Carter was silent for several seconds.
Then she said, "Okay."
Kaden looked at her.
"Okay?"
"We're going home."
"Why?"
"Because whatever is happening to you, we're going to figure it out."
Lola squeezed his hand.
"But you're not doing it alone."
Kaden looked between them.
For the first time since the séance, his shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Thank you."
Carter gave him a small smile through the mirror.
"That's what friends are for."
Kaden looked back out the window.
But the relief didn't last.
Because in the reflection of the glass…
The bloody woman was sitting in the back seat beside him.
Kaden turned his head slowly and she was already gone.
As they arrived home he went straight upstairs to his room with Carter and Lola following him.
Kaden dropped the book onto his desk.
Lola stared at it.
"That's what you found?"
"Yeah."
"What does it have to do with the spirits?"
"I don't know yet."
Kaden reached for the spell book he'd used the night before.
He placed it beside the other book.
Carter frowned.
"Why those two?"
Lola leaned closer.
"Look"
She pointed toward the corner of the page.
"That symbol."
Lola's fingers brushed the symbol.
She suddenly pulled her hand back.
"l've seen this."
Kaden looked at her.
"Where?"
Lola stared at her own hand.
"I don't know."
"Lola."
"I'm serious. I don't remember seeing it, but.."
She looked at the symbol again.
"It feels familiar."
"How?"
"Mom's jewelry box."
Kaden's eyes widened.
"You're sure?"
"Yeah."
She paused.
"It was engraved on the inside of the lid."
Kaden stared at the symbol again.
"Why would Mom have the same symbol that's in a spell book?"
Lola's face went pale.
"I don't know."
Kaden slowly closed the book.
"Then I think we need to find that jewelry box."
Lola nodded in agreement as Kaden remembered where he had last seen it.
"We left most of her things at the old house."
Lola's expression changed.
"Not all of them."
She stood.
"Come on."
Kaden opened the drawer beneath his bed.
"I thought there was something else in here."
Lola crouched beside him.
"What's that?"
He pulled out a small wooden box.
The surface was covered in scratches and age-darkened carvings.
Kaden turned the book toward Lola.
Kaden hesitated for a minute as he did, his bracelet warming his moms stone glowing.
The lock clicked
The moment Kaden opened the lid, Lola's breath caught.
"That's it."
Kaden looked at her.
"What?"
She pointed to the silver ring inside.
The same symbol was engraved across its surface.
"That's the symbol."
Kaden stared at it.
"Then what the hell does it mean?"
Lola slowly shook her head.
"I think Mom knew exactly what we were."
Kaden stared at the ring in the jewelry box.
"What do you mean, what we were?"
"I don't know."
"Then how do you know there's something to know?"
Lola looked back at the book.
"Because Mom didn't just keep this symbol on her jewelry. It's in a spell book."
Carter stepped closer to the desk.
"And Kaden's bracelet reacted to it."
The three of them fell silent.
Kaden looked down at his wrist.
The ruby charm had stopped glowing, but it was still warm against his skin.
"Okay," he said quietly. "So we know this isn't a coincidence."
Lola nodded.
"Then let's figure out what it means."
Kaden picked up the book.
"Where do we start?"
Carter looked toward the stack of books Kaden had taken from his mother's old house.
"With everything your mom left behind."
Kaden's eyes moved toward the bookshelf.
"There are dozens of them."
"Then we'd better start reading."
Lola pulled the chair beside his desk closer.
"Together."
Kaden looked at both of them.
For the first time since his mother's death, he didn't feel like he was carrying everything alone.
He nodded.
"Okay."
He opened the first book. They looked through all the books for a good half hour in silence
This is useless," Carter groaned, dropping another book onto the desk.
Kaden laughed quietly.
"You said you'd help."
"I didn't say I'd enjoy it."
Lola suddenly went silent.
"Guys."
Kaden looked up.
"What?"
She was staring at an old photograph she'd pulled from the jewelry box.
"Look at this."
Kaden examined it for a second then turned the photograph over.
Kaden turned the photograph over.
Something was written across the back.
His breath caught.
He recognized the handwriting immediately.
Mom.
The ink had faded with age, but several dark stains covered the bottom corner of the photograph. They looked almost black against the yellowed paper.
Blood.
Kaden's stomach twisted.
"Guys…"
Lola leaned over his shoulder.
"What?"
Kaden carefully ran his thumb across one of the stains.
It was completely dry.
"Is that…?"
Carter's expression changed.
"Blood."
Kaden swallowed and looked back at the letter.
Kaden,
If you're reading this, then something has gone terribly wrong.
There are things about our family I wanted to tell you, but I spent your entire life trying to protect you from them.
The gift you're beginning to experience isn't a curse. It is part of who you are.
Kaden's eyes stopped on the word gift.
He looked at Lola.
"What does she mean by that?"
Lola shook her head.
"Keep reading."
Kaden's eyes moved down the page.
And if the veil has opened…
His breathing stopped.
…then you are no longer safe.
"The veil?" Carter asked.
Kaden didn't answer.
He was staring at the bloodstain.
Something about it felt familiar.
Almost like it was calling to him.
Before he could stop himself, Kaden touched it again.
His bracelet suddenly burned against his wrist.
"Kaden!" Lola shouted.
He ripped his hand away.
The blood on the photograph began to glow.
All three of them froze.
The handwriting on the back of the photograph began to shift.
Letters rearranged themselves across the page.
Kaden stared in disbelief.
FIND YOUR FATHER.
Then the light disappeared.
The blood went dark.
The handwriting returned to normal.
Nobody spoke.
Kaden stared at the message.
"He's alive," he whispered.
Lola's eyes filled with tears.
"Mom knew."
Carter looked between them.
"Knew what?"
Kaden slowly looked down at the bracelet.
"That I'd need to find him."
The three of them stared at the photograph.
No one spoke.
The words FIND YOUR FATHER remained burned into Kaden's mind.
Lola was the first to break the silence.
"Mom knew Dad was alive."
Kaden nodded slowly.
"She had to."
"Then why didn't she tell us?"
"I don't know."
Carter picked up the photograph carefully, studying the bloodstained corner.
"Maybe she couldn't."
Kaden looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Carter shrugged.
"Think about it. Your mom leaves behind a letter that only reveals itself after you touch her blood with that bracelet. Maybe she knew someone was watching her."
Kaden's expression hardened.
"The council."
Lola looked at him.
"You think they had something to do with this?"
"I don't know what to think anymore."
Kaden pushed away from the desk and began pacing.
"Barry attacked our house. Mom is dead. Dad is missing. Victoria has the medallion. I'm seeing people who aren't alive, and apparently my family has some kind of…"
He gestured toward the books.
"…magic."
Carter glanced at the spell book.
"Then maybe we stop guessing."
Kaden looked at her.
"What?"
"We have books. We have your mom's letter. We have the symbol. We have the bracelet."
Carter pointed toward the bookshelf.
"Let's figure out what they all have in common."
Lola nodded.
"And we find Dad."
Kaden stared at both of them.
"You guys don't have to do this."
Lola immediately shook her head.
"We're not letting you do it alone."
Carter smiled.
"Besides, I'm already invested."
Kaden let out a small laugh.
It was the first genuine one he'd managed all day.
"Okay."
He looked down at the books.
"Then let's find out what Mom was hiding."
Kaden carefully placed the photograph on the desk, making sure the bloodstained corner didn't touch anything else.
The words FIND YOUR FATHER were still burned into his mind.
Lola pulled the spell book closer.
"Okay," she said. "Let's start with the obvious."
Carter raised an eyebrow.
"What's the obvious?"
"The symbol."
She pointed toward the page.
"It's on Mom's jewelry. It's in the spell book. And now we know it has something to do with whatever Kaden is experiencing."
Kaden sat beside her.
"Great. So how do we figure out what it means?"
"Books," Carter said.
Kaden stared at her.
"That's your answer?"
"Your mom literally left you an entire library."
She gestured toward the shelves.
"One of those has to have something."
Lola smiled.
"She's right."
Kaden sighed.
"Fine."
They spread the books across the floor and began sorting through them.
Some were ordinary family-history books.
Others were filled with handwritten notes, strange symbols, and passages Kaden couldn't understand.
Carter picked up one of the older books.
"Why does this look like it hasn't been opened in a hundred years?"
"Because it probably hasn't," Kaden said.
She opened it.
Dust floated into the air.
Carter sneezed.
"Okay. Maybe this one isn't it."
Lola laughed softly.
Kaden smiled for a moment before his attention returned to the books.
He picked up another.
The cover was worn and cracked, with the same symbol carved into the front.
His smile disappeared.
"Lola."
She looked over.
"What?"
He held up the book.
The symbol was identical to the one in the spell book.
Lola immediately moved closer.
"That's it."
Kaden opened the cover.
A handwritten name was written on the first page.
Eleanor Carrington.
Kaden frowned.
"Who is Eleanor?"
Lola shook her head.
"I don't know."
Carter leaned over his shoulder.
"Maybe your great-grandmother?"
Kaden flipped through the pages.
The first several were filled with dates and names.
Births.
Deaths.
Marriages.
Then he stopped.
One page had been marked with a red ribbon.
At the top, written in his mother's handwriting, were three words:
THE CARRINGTON GIFT
Kaden stared at it.
His stomach tightened.
"What the hell is the Carrington gift?"
Neither Lola nor Carter answered.
Kaden slowly turned the page.
And began to read.
"Kaden…"
He looked up.
She pointed to the bottom of the page.
There was another handwritten note.
"Your father knows where the records are kept"
"If you ever need the truth, use the key." The note read
"Wait."
Kaden looked up. "What?"
Lola held up the townhouse key.
"Mom left us this for a reason."
Carter frowned. "You think there's something there?"
Lola looked at Kaden.
"I think we should find out."
Kaden slowly pulled the key from his pocket.
"This?"
Lola nodded.
"That's the key Grandma gave us."
Carter looked at it.
"The one to the townhouse?"
"Yeah."
Kaden turned it over in his hand.
Something about it suddenly felt different.
The metal was warm.
"That's weird."
"What?"
"It's warm."
Lola reached for it.
The second her fingers touched the key, the room went completely silent.
Carter looked around.
"Okay… did anyone else feel that?"
Kaden didn't answer.
His eyes had landed on the full-length mirror across the room.
The glass was beginning to ripple.
"Uh…"
Carter stood.
"Mirrors aren't supposed to do that."
The surface of the mirror shimmered like water.
Kaden slowly approached it.
"What is happening?"
Lola looked at the key.
"Try it."
"Try what?"
"The key."
Kaden held it toward the mirror.
The moment the key touched the glass, the mirror flashed with light.
An image appeared on the other side.
The townhouse.
Kaden's breath caught.
"That's it."
Lola stepped beside him.
"Mom's house."
Carter stared at the mirror.
"You guys aren't seriously thinking about walking through that thing."
Kaden looked at her.
"You have a better idea and we've done it before. What's so different this time?"
Carter sighed.
"Unfortunately, no I don't have a better idea, but for some reason this time feels different."
Kaden tightened his grip on the key.
"Then we go together."
Lola nodded.
"Together."
They grabbed each other's hands and walked through the portal.