“It’s okay,” he tries to say, blinking through the deluge. “It’s okay.”
With a light shake of her head, Mitsuha sniffs back some of her tears. “I am sorry.” She pats Jasper’s hand. “But I’m also so proud of the man you’ve grown into and the way you’ve dealt with the hand you’ve been given. You couldn’t have turned out better.”
For a moment, Jasper sits with his mother’s last comment. Then he glances at me. “You have my mate to thank for a lot of that.”
She looks my way too, studying me gently. “Well, thank you, Max.”
Outside, I sense a shift in the light, as if despite the morning seeming to have stretched to accommodate Jasper’s reunion with Mitsuha, the evening is fast approaching. Through the window the sky takes on a purplish hue, glowing orange at the horizon, the clouds a burning shade of pink.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much more time,” Mitsuha says, placing her free hand on top of hers and Jasper’s. “I know you came here looking for help. I would like to do what I can.”
Jasper’s relaxed expression turns stony. “There are people who wish to see the Elite Pack destroyed. And not just that. The same people would decimate rogue society. They want to overrun the country with their way of thinking. We’re facing a threat unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Bigger, more violent, single focused. And father ...”
He grinds his teeth, one foot tapping relentlessly under the table.
“It’s all on me, Mom. I’m in charge now and I—I don’t know if what I’m doing is right. If it’s what Dad would have done. We came here to speak with him and—”
“And you found me.”
Gently, she lifts the tips of her fingers to her lips, thinking.
I lean forward, wanting to help. “We thought maybe we could find Jericho on the Lunar Plane to ask for his advice.”
“I see.” She nods. “But your father isn’t here.”
Jasper starts up, panicked. “Is he . . . ?”
Mitsuha smiles and shakes her head. “No, he is still alive. But I haven’t sensed his presence on this plane. Wherever he is, I know he will be fighting to get back to you.”
“But that means . . .”
“Yes,” she says. “It means you will need to guide yourself. The path is yours to make.”
He runs a hand through his hair. “But there are so many people relying on me to do the right thing. How do I know I’m not making a huge mistake?”
“My dear one, we never know if the actions we take are the right ones. All you can do is follow the light in your soul. Trust in your own judgment. And leap.”
Jasper stares at her, maybe wishing she would give him more specific notes.
“You’ve seen the world,” she says, reaching for his cheek. “You’ve experienced hardship”—a glance at me—“and love. You have all the tools you need.”
“But I’m scared,” he says. “I’m scared of messing up.”
“I wish I could tell you what to do. But that wouldn’t be fair to you, not in the long run. You’ll know the right thing to do when the time comes.” Mitsuha pulls him to her, holding his head against her shoulder and stroking his hair. “You’ve got everything you need.”
With a sigh, Mitsuha glances at the window, where the sun has suddenly set and the stars have awakened.
“I’m afraid we’re out of time, my dear one.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Jasper says, sitting back and wiping at his tear-streaked face.
“You never will,” she replies. “But the people who need you are waiting.” Reluctantly, she stands. “And won’t they be surprised at the amazing things you’ll do.”
She walks us to the door, and they say a tearful goodbye. On the porch, they embrace for a long time, and I know Jasper probably wishes he never had to let go. The air has turned chilly, the sky is ominously dark. Hanging low on the horizon is the moon, and more than ever, I can feel her presence, her attention zeroed in on me. I wonder if we’ve stayed too long. If we were meant to find this place to begin with. Either way, it’s time to leave.
“Jasp,” I say. “We gotta go.”
He pulls himself away from his mother and she kisses his forehead.
