Chapter 90

The room was a shambles, the storm outside only worsening the chaos. Rain lashed in sideways, drenching a book near the window. Shattered porcelain lay scattered across the floor. Grandma lay still, and a cold dread gripped me.

Mom, who always held Grandma in high regard—despite occasional disagreements—was clearly distraught. Seeing Grandma like this was a shock. Mom rushed to her side, calling her name.

Nicole, unnoticed by Mom, momentarily revealed a fleeting darkness in her eyes before swiftly masking it. Her voice, laced with feigned concern, shifted gears instantly. "Mom, Grandma just lost it and came at me. I was trying to help, but I couldn't catch her in time, and she fell. It's all my fault…"

A red mark on Nicole's face, a clear result of Grandma's slap, sealed her fabricated story. Mom believed her without question. If I hadn't witnessed the actual events, I might have, too.

Mom, shouting for Marian, knelt beside Grandma. "Mom, Mom…" But Grandma remained motionless.

My heart ached, and I cried out, desperate for her to awaken. "Grandma, please…"

Mom checked for Grandma's breath, her hands trembling as violently as my own. Relief flooded her face. "Thank goodness, she just got knocked out."

Nicole's annoyance was palpable; this was likely her intended outcome, thwarted by Mom's unwitting intervention.

"Call 911, Nicole!" Mom urged.

Nicole snapped to attention. "Oh, right."

Mom, oblivious to Nicole's sinister plotting, assumed she was simply shaken.

Grandma was rushed to the hospital, and I remained at her side, my heart heavy at her frailty. Though she'd escaped death today, I knew Nicole would try again. Even with my unique perspective, I felt powerless to prevent it.

All I could do was pray incessantly for her safety. But the moment the ambulance left the Kennedy estate, I was trapped. I couldn't follow; bound to my spectral resting place, I couldn't be with Grandma without the book she always carried.

I returned to the prayer room, kneeling before the Virgin Mary statue Grandma often prayed to, my head bowed in fervent supplication. If any higher power existed, I was prepared to bargain anything for Grandma's well-being. She deserved peace, not this turmoil.

I don't know how long I remained there, but when I finally looked up, my surroundings had shifted, and I was with Chase.

He and Dad had just landed, Shadowmoor shrouded in darkness. They left the airport in a heavily armored SUV, its bulletproof construction evident.

The landscape outside the city was starkly different from home, where lights blazed even at night. Shadowmoor grew increasingly desolate the farther we traveled, the moon's pale light barely outlining distant hills.

I'd heard stories about Shadowmoor—a dangerous place, its hills said to consume men whole. War-torn and divided for ages, its economy lay in ruins, its people caught in the crossfire of rampant crime.

Dad offered Chase fast food. "You need to eat something. It's been hours; you can't keep going like this."

Chase looked gaunt, his weariness and inner turmoil palpable. He longed to see me but feared what he might find.

His indecision grated on me. I wished he would either harden his resolve or see through Nicole's machinations.

My worry for Grandma intensified. With Nicole nearby, she was in grave danger, and I was helpless to intervene.

Chase barely touched his food. Hank, the driver, interjected, "Boss, you should eat. It's not like home; if fighting starts, we might go days without food."

Hank, lean and dark-skinned, wore flip-flops but carried a gun tucked into his waistband.

Chase took a bite, his voice raspy. "I wonder how she's doing."

Hank's reply was grim. "If they took her to the camps, getting there early might be okay, but if it's late…"

Chase's grip tightened on his burger. "What are you saying?"

"She's a woman, so chances are she's gone. Even if you find her, it might be too late."

Chapter 91