“Why did I even bother?” I’d been feeling guilty about keeping my family—Carmen and Henry included—in the dark all this time—and they knew? They all knew?
“We figured it helped you cope.”
“You discussed this?”
“Of course.”
“When Adrian came out to visit, Kovo was—”
“He doesn’t know.” Carmen lifted one baby carrier—I smiled at Alena as her car seat swung around to rest against Carmen’s side. “Neither does Max.”
That made more sense. Kovo had held the twins and cooed at them, sung them Atlan lullabies until I was forced to either leave the room, or break down in a crying fit.
Should have been Velik doing those things. Shoulda, woulda, coulda…
Carmen smiled at the two eager teens. “Thanks ladies. You are both super helpful.” They blushed and scurried away like bashful mice. I thanked my neighbor, and she followed the teens back out to the pool.
I lifted Terra, safely buckled into her car seat, and we walked out front to the parking lot so we could drive home.
Speaking of home… “What about Henry?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll text him.” Carmen waved off my concern. “He can use a ride app or get a taxi. He’s a big boy. He’ll figure it out.”
We locked the car seats into place and then climbed into the front seats.
Ring…ring…ring
“Shit.” I had to twist myself into a pretzel to dig around inside the baby bag. I’d left it on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat. I pulled it out, sat up straight and cursed again. Same blocked number. “Warden Egara.”
“Well, answer it.” Carmen accelerated out of the parking lot like we were in a drag race.
“Hello?”
“And find out exactly where he is. We need to know how much time we have.” Carmen whisper-shouted the instructions as Warden Egara’s voice came through loud and clear.
“Stefani. Don’t hang up.”
“Not going to. Sorry about that. I was surprised, that’s all.”
I heard the warden sigh and waited to find out what she needed to tell me. Then I would find out exactly where Velik was. Maybe he wasn’t here for the twins at all.
But then, why would the warden be calling me?
“I called to let you know Warlord Velik is here, on Earth.”
“Yes, thank you. I got that. What I don’t know is why.”
“I don’t know what happened between you two, or how the hell he walked out of here like he did.” She paused, muttered something under her breath that sounded like helium? Like, for balloons? Huh?
“I don’t understand. Why did you call me? Why is he back in Miami?”
“He’s not in Miami. He’s in California.”
“What?!” Shit. Shit. Shit. I turned to Carmen and mouthed the words, ‘he’s here’, while pointing down toward the ground.
Carmen didn’t say a word, but the back of my head hit the headrest as the SUV jolted forward.
“Warlord Velik contacted your father.”
