Page 34 of Midnight Mist

“So which is it?” Trunk demands. “Is Kryzon working for Grytel, or is Grytel the decoy?”

“That’s what I intend to find out.” Scar drains the last of his ale. “I have contacts. Beings who owe me favors. And I’m goingto follow Kryzon until I know exactly whose door he’s knocking on in the middle of the night.”

“And until then?” Trunk asks.

“Until then, we work and live our lives. We protect our families and our crystals.” Scar stands, stretching. “And we wait for them to make their next move.”

He heads toward the back door, toward the laughter and the light and our gathered family.

Trunk and I sit in silence for a moment, staring into the fire.

“He hasn’t smiled since our parents died,” Trunk says quietly. “You know that, right? Scar used to laugh all the time when we were young. Now he just... investigates. Obsesses.”

“He’s trying to protect us.”

“I know.” Trunk finishes his ale and sets the empty cup aside. “I just hope he finds what he’s looking for. Before it destroys him.”

I think about my brother, about the weight he carries, about the mission he’s made his life since the night we lost our parents. And I think about Naomi, about the future we’re building together, about the offspring that might already be growing in her womb.

“We’ll end this,” I say. “Whatever it takes. Whoever is really behind it all. We’ll find them and we’ll end it.”

Trunk nods slowly. “Together.”

“Together.”

We stand and head toward the backyard, toward our family, toward the females who have made our lives worth fighting for.

But even as I step into the sunshine and Naomi’s smile lights up at the sight of me, I can’t shake the chill that settled into my bones.

Someone is watching us.

Someone is waiting.

And eventually, they’re going to strike again.