Page 73 of Haunted Hearts

No answer.

How could Kai keep something like this from me? There has to be a reason, I have to believe that. But I have to get away from here. This is too much. I’m so fucking confused. Maybe that’s why Gen called, maybe she can tell me what’s going on. My hands shake as I grip the steering wheel tighter.

About fifteen minutes later, I pull up to the coffee shop and park the truck. My legs feel heavy as I slowly enter.

After I get my coffee and sit at the table, it takes twenty minutes before I see Jack’s red truck pull in.

I’m sitting at the corner table next to a large window. Gen walks in and the barista attempts to greet her. Gen waves her off and heads straight to my table, grabbing my hand.

“Come on.”

I follow her as she leads me outside to one of the tables next to the building, the cold biting my fingers as I clutch my warm coffee.

“Do you have anything with you? Clothes, wallet?” Gen seems like she’s in a rush, scared even.

“No, was I supposed to?”

“We need to get you out of here. I took the tracker box thing out of Jack’s truck so we won’t be tracked; we need to get out of town.”

“I know,” I say quickly.

“Does Kai know you’re here? Wait, what do you know?”

“Is Jack okay?” I don’t look at her when I ask. Just sitting, my body heavy as I sink further into my seat.

“Yeah… Jack is fine; did Cade call you?”

“No. Alok came to our hotel. I— I didn’t know how to process everything, so I just left.”

Gen sighs and sits down next to me, rubbing my shoulder in slow circles.

“Listen… That’s not why I came here. And there is no easy way for me to tell you this…”

I feel nauseated waiting for her to tell me what the hell is going on.

“Is Cade okay?”

“Everyone is fine, but this is about Kai.” Oh my God, she found out… relief washes over me—she must’ve figured out that he is clearly not just a witch.

“Listen, I already kno—”

“Alabaster is the God.”

“What?”

My body freezes from her statement.

No. That can’t be right.

I turn to look at her and I see her eyes widen as my vision goes black and I scream. My body is lifted and thrown onto a hard textured floor. I jerk and kick when I feel something stick at my neck, and everything goes black.

CHAPTER 22 KAI

Fuck. I’ve tried calling Cade four times with no answer. Calli won’t answer either. A sharp pang shoots through my temples.

I get it— Ease up on the headache. I fucked up. I know.

I feel my chest tighten. Something is wrong.