“I think so,” she replied in a whisper.
“I’m not okay with that,” I replied hotly. “But, they’re not sure. It might be the combination of genes. Maybe they’re somehow not compatible.”
“That’s horrible. That poor baby.” Her eyes filled with tears. Either she was a good actress or she actually cared about Linna. Somehow I felt like she was a good actress.
“I feel so bad for Riley. She’s been through so much.”
We continued a back and forth of conversation along the same vein. She asked questions, wondering what the baby ate, and the health of her twin, what the home life was like. She was digging for a reason behind the death.
“They’ve combed everything, looked into every avenue. The baby just didn’t live, she wasted away.”
Kelly closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She really was upset, but I had no idea if it was because of Linna or because she knew she’d have to report the bad news to her superiors. Hopefully she thought it important that they know, so they’d start looking into the cause to prevent their babies from suffering the same fate.
“I’m sorry, Kelly, my heart isn’t in the books today. I’d hoped to come down and take my mind off the baby, but I think I’ll head back and see if there’s anything I can do to help Riley today.”
“Of course,” she exclaimed. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know. That poor woman.” She pulled me into her arms and hugged me tight. I forced myself to relax and hug her back.
I threw in a few sniffles for good measure, and then wiped at my eyes when I pulled away from our hug. “Thanks for letting me talk. It’s good to get it out.”
“See you in a few days?” she asked.
“Yes, maybe even tomorrow.” I turned and walked from the shop, hunching my shoulders and ducking my head down. If she watched me walk out of sight, she’d see me trudging, obviously upset.
Keeping up the ruse was torture, but I did it all the way back to the castle, afraid she’d follow me, or somehow she hadn’t believed me. It occurred to me on the way that she might realize nobody in town knew the baby died, and I’d said the entire Unseen world would be at the funeral.
Alexander waited for me inside the doors of the castle. I jumped into his arms, relieved to have my part in the charade done. “I’ve had the worst thought. What if she tries to ask someone else in town about Linna? I’ve told her everyone knows.”
“We thought of that last night. We’re going to have someone from the castle staff and someone that works at the ports go into her shop at the same time, seemingly as a coincidence, and strike up a conversation about it. The guy that works at the port will say the entire pub was talking about it, and so on.”
“If she’s believed us, she won’t take the time to go out and talk to people. She’ll take off to see her people the moment she thinks we’re at the funeral.”
Alexander’s phone beeped in his pocket and he checked his fancy new watch. It displayed his text message on its screen. “She’s already taking the bait. Someone walked in to browse right after you left, and as soon as they went out the door she closed the shop. We’re moving in now.”
He took off running, through the hidden door. “I didn’t expect her to move this fast,” he said as he throttled down the stairs. “She’s already in her back room; they can hear the sound of the portal you described over the bugs.”
Of course I ran right behind him. I wasn’t going through with them, but I wanted to know what happened. He went to the room with the portal. “I thought this only took you to the Junta,” I said.
“It does. They’ve got the portal open to the shop right beside this—” His words were cut off as he jumped through. I followed without a thought.
I came out in the main Junta council amphitheater in time to see him pass through another portal, and I went right along with him, caught up in the moment. The second portal put us out in Kelly’s shop, right where I’d stood not an hour before as I told my story.
The room was filled with people, but they parted for Alexander, and I used the opportunity to go with him so I could see what was happening. I’d gladly move out of the way once I could watch. I felt a little guilty… What if I got in someone’s way or flubbed something up?
As soon as I saw Kelly’s strange scientific portal I lost my train of thought. She’d gone back to the same place as before. I could see the babies through the portal, like watching a television show with bad reception.
“We waited for you, sir,” a woman whispered to Alexander. I had been able to hear them talking through the portal the last time, so it was assumed they’d hear us if we weren’t careful.
“Let’s go. Formations like we discussed.” Alexander stepped to the side to direct. “Witches, go.” Three women and one man ran through without hesitation. “Yama,” he said before all of the witches were through. Four men this time, I assumed they were the Reapers. I didn’t want to know why they were going through at the beginning. I assumed the witches were for their portal making abilities.
Lights came on in the babies’ room, and I gasped, shocked at what I could see once the room was brightly lit. “Stop,” I whispered, but Alexander was barking orders and didn’t see what I did.
“Supay and Dannan, go.” Men and women of all shapes and sizes, armed with handguns, rushed through the portal one at a time. I spotted Riley’s Anthony and Elias going through.
“Stop!” I cried. The Unseen filing quickly into the massive room ignored me, but Alexander turned his sharp gaze to me. “Stop them!” I pointed to the portal. The room was too big. There were too many.
He turned and shouted, but the last of his people had entered the room. I looked back into the other room of the shop and discovered the witches that went through first had opened more portals, so that all the creatures in the other room had been able to go through. I was the only one left in the bookshop, and I’d never felt so alone. They’d walked into something far larger than we’d known, and it was all my fault.
CHAPTER TWELVE
