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“The binding was meant to hold a whole spirit. Releasing what’s in there wouldn’t necessarily put you back together. I don’t know what would happen.”

“Did you ever try to find out?” Leo demanded.

“I looked for a way. I read what I could find, but there isn’t much about damage like this.”

“Did you ask my mother?” Nate asked.

Caleb didn’t answer immediately, which was answer enough.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. “You sat right next to my mom while she tried to figure out what was wrong with him. You should have said something.”

“I couldn’t tell her.”

“Yes, you fucking could.” Nate didn’t try to keep his voice even. “You’re going to tell her now. Everything. Whatever she needs to know to help him.”

“All right.”

“And Walt,” Leo said.

Caleb turned toward him.

“He thought you’d helped me. He thought I was gone. You’re going to tell him what you actually did.”

“I will.”

Nate didn’t want to look at his cousin anymore, but apparently, his cousin wasn’t done talking.

“There are people waiting for me,” he said.

Nate couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What?”

“I’ve taken on work. There are things I’ve already started that I can’t finish without that ring.”

“Then you’ll have to tell them that.”

“And what are they supposed to do? Some of them have been struggling for years.”

“So have I,” Leo said.

Caleb’s mouth closed.

For a moment, nobody said anything. Nate could hear the refrigerator running behind him. His phone screen went dark.

“I came here to try to put this right,” Caleb said at last.

“Then help my mother,” Nate told him.

“I’ll tell her everything.”

“Do it over the phone,” Leo said. “I don’t want you in my house anymore. We don’t want you in our house anymore.”

Caleb looked at Nate.

“He speaks for both of us,” Nate said.

“I’m sorry,” Caleb said.

Nate only waited. After a moment, Caleb got up and walked out.