room. I heard people rummaging softly through the kitchen.
Aurora’s mom was sitting at the kitchen table, wringing her hands. She jumped up when she saw me. I put my finger to my lips to remind her to stay quiet.
She hugged me. “I’m so glad to hear she’s okay, thank God!” she whispered into my shoulder. “She’s okay, right?”
“ She’s a little bruised up, but fine. Exhausted.”
She wiped her eyes. “I should go check on her.”
“ She needs to rest.” I left my hand on her shoulder.
Her eyes flashed in a very familiar way. “I’m going to check on her. Get out of my way, son.” She stepped out of my grasp. “I won’t wake her, don’t worry.”
I smiled, because I knew it was a waste of time to argue with her. “Yes, ma’am.”
She tiptoed to the door then pushed it open a crack. Her hand fluttered to cover her mouth as she watched Aurora sleeping. I’m sure she noticed how thin and frail her daughter looked. Maybe she saw the dark circles under her eyes or the healing laceration across her face.
Maybe she was just relieved to see her alive.
I left them alone, keeping my footsteps light as I returned to the kitchen. Dennis, Konstantin, and Carmen were clustered around the table, speaking in low tones.
“ How is she?” Carmen asked. When Dennis and Konstantin noticed me standing there, they stopped talking mid-sentence.
“ She’s a little bruised up and lost some weight, but fine,” I said.
Carmen released a loud breath. “That’s a relief. We still need to get her looked over by a doctor.”
“ I agree.” I sat down at the table.
“ We need to debrief her, mate,” Dennis said. “Did she tell you anything about what happened to her? What they did to her? Keith?”
I rubbed my hands together, searching for the right words for these people. They were a permanent part of Aurora’s life, and accordingly, mine. “I understand you need to speak with her, but she needs to rest first. I’ll not have anyone wake her. She is totally and utterly exhausted. There will be no argument.”
Dennis shifted his eyes from Konstantin to Carmen. He glanced at the clock wall, then back at me. These seemingly casual movements were giving his mind time to think through logistics of what I’d asked. He finally spoke , “We shall wait until morning. And I am ordering additional guard units around this house.”
“ Not too early in the morning,” I said.
Dennis smiled. “Not too early.”
“ What did she tell you?” Carmen said. “I saw so many things from her, all jumbled together. Her captor, Keith, her fear. I’ve been trying to untangle it all.”
“ There’s a lot, but there was something she wanted to talk to you about immediately. She was fighting to stay awake so she could tell you, but her body gave out.”
Konstantin covered his mouth and looked away
“What was it?” Dennis said. He leaned forward in his chair, body tense, like a tiger ready to spring on its prey.
“ Rock demons. She said something about rock demons killing us all. She mentioned the name Asag. We are in imminent danger. Something is going to happen.”
“ Rock demons,” Dennis repeated. “Didn’t someone pull info on that a couple days ago?”
“ Yes, the researchers pulled some information on that,” Carmen said. “I didn’t read it over, though, so I’m not sure what they found out.”
“ Let me get them on the horn.” He pulled his ever present phone out of his pocket.
“ There’s more, but maybe we should wait until she can explain what she meant,” I said.
“ What is it?” Dennis had halfway scooted away from the table, but he paused.
“ She said she knew what the Shyama and Gifteds are.”
“ Demons,” Carmen said. “I picked that up from her loud and clear.”
“ Yes,” I said. “Two sides of the same coin.”
Dennis pushed his fingertips into the table. He was trying to hide it, but tension pulled his shoulders higher and higher. “What else did she
Aurora’s mom was sitting at the kitchen table, wringing her hands. She jumped up when she saw me. I put my finger to my lips to remind her to stay quiet.
She hugged me. “I’m so glad to hear she’s okay, thank God!” she whispered into my shoulder. “She’s okay, right?”
“ She’s a little bruised up, but fine. Exhausted.”
She wiped her eyes. “I should go check on her.”
“ She needs to rest.” I left my hand on her shoulder.
Her eyes flashed in a very familiar way. “I’m going to check on her. Get out of my way, son.” She stepped out of my grasp. “I won’t wake her, don’t worry.”
I smiled, because I knew it was a waste of time to argue with her. “Yes, ma’am.”
She tiptoed to the door then pushed it open a crack. Her hand fluttered to cover her mouth as she watched Aurora sleeping. I’m sure she noticed how thin and frail her daughter looked. Maybe she saw the dark circles under her eyes or the healing laceration across her face.
Maybe she was just relieved to see her alive.
I left them alone, keeping my footsteps light as I returned to the kitchen. Dennis, Konstantin, and Carmen were clustered around the table, speaking in low tones.
“ How is she?” Carmen asked. When Dennis and Konstantin noticed me standing there, they stopped talking mid-sentence.
“ She’s a little bruised up and lost some weight, but fine,” I said.
Carmen released a loud breath. “That’s a relief. We still need to get her looked over by a doctor.”
“ I agree.” I sat down at the table.
“ We need to debrief her, mate,” Dennis said. “Did she tell you anything about what happened to her? What they did to her? Keith?”
I rubbed my hands together, searching for the right words for these people. They were a permanent part of Aurora’s life, and accordingly, mine. “I understand you need to speak with her, but she needs to rest first. I’ll not have anyone wake her. She is totally and utterly exhausted. There will be no argument.”
Dennis shifted his eyes from Konstantin to Carmen. He glanced at the clock wall, then back at me. These seemingly casual movements were giving his mind time to think through logistics of what I’d asked. He finally spoke , “We shall wait until morning. And I am ordering additional guard units around this house.”
“ Not too early in the morning,” I said.
Dennis smiled. “Not too early.”
“ What did she tell you?” Carmen said. “I saw so many things from her, all jumbled together. Her captor, Keith, her fear. I’ve been trying to untangle it all.”
“ There’s a lot, but there was something she wanted to talk to you about immediately. She was fighting to stay awake so she could tell you, but her body gave out.”
Konstantin covered his mouth and looked away
“What was it?” Dennis said. He leaned forward in his chair, body tense, like a tiger ready to spring on its prey.
“ Rock demons. She said something about rock demons killing us all. She mentioned the name Asag. We are in imminent danger. Something is going to happen.”
“ Rock demons,” Dennis repeated. “Didn’t someone pull info on that a couple days ago?”
“ Yes, the researchers pulled some information on that,” Carmen said. “I didn’t read it over, though, so I’m not sure what they found out.”
“ Let me get them on the horn.” He pulled his ever present phone out of his pocket.
“ There’s more, but maybe we should wait until she can explain what she meant,” I said.
“ What is it?” Dennis had halfway scooted away from the table, but he paused.
“ She said she knew what the Shyama and Gifteds are.”
“ Demons,” Carmen said. “I picked that up from her loud and clear.”
“ Yes,” I said. “Two sides of the same coin.”
Dennis pushed his fingertips into the table. He was trying to hide it, but tension pulled his shoulders higher and higher. “What else did she
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