Page 54 of One Forbidden Moment

"Fuck..."Moe shook his head."That was a shock."

"I hear you."Finn grunted."I'm probably older than you."

"At least someone is," he muttered."Tell me what happened when you arrived here."

Finn exhaled."I wouldn't have survived without Kallie.She had a life here.She helped me adapt.In Everstill, everything is routine.Emotionless.Coming back...all the feelings hit at once.It was a shock I wasn't prepared for."

Kallie nodded."He had to relearn how to live outside of Everstill."

Finn's voice dropped."The veil chose her a long time ago.Whether it was to get me out or not, I don't know."

Jillian leaned forward."The veil chooses who can go there?"

Finn nodded."That's the theory.The veil doesn't open on its own.Keys open it."

"Keys and doors," Moe muttered.

Finn pointed at him."Exactly.Some people are keys.Kallie is one.She opened the veil.That's how she visited me when she was growing up."

Jillian whispered, "I don't understand."

Moe said, "Copper explained it like this: keys open the veil.Doors let people pass through it.And some people get pulled."

He nodded toward Kallie."She's a key.She opened the rift.Without her, I couldn't have crossed.If I would've tried by myself, it would've killed me."

Kallie offered Jillian a soft smile."I didn't know I could.It first happened when I was ten."

Finn continued, "When the storm hit, Kallie opened the veil.I held on to her and got pulled through.I didn't open anything.I was taken."

Jillian's pulse kicked."And Moe?"

Finn looked at Moe with quiet understanding."He didn't open the veil.He followed because it reacted to him.It let him pass."

Moe's jaw tightened."Didn't feel like it let me do anything.Doors don't control the crossing, but they make it possible.A door can't come alone."

Jillian swallowed."I'm a door?"

"A strong one," Moe said, his hand brushing her shoulder.

Finn blew out a breath."You didn't force anything.But the veil reacted to you.You were the door Moe passed through."

Jillian's breath caught."I didn't do anything."

"You did everything," Finn said."Without you, Moe would've died between worlds."

Moe exhaled."Copper warned me."

Her stomach flipped.If she had known there was a chance of him dying, she never would've agreed to bring him home with her.

Finn continued, "Keys open the veil.Doors let people through.And the ones who cross?Everstill marks them.It doesn't let go easily."

Jillian looked up at Moe.His jaw was tight, eyes locked on Finn, but his hand stayed wrapped around hers.

Finn leaned back."And that's why we need to talk about what comes next."

Jillian's pulse hammered.

Finn exhaled."Everstill isn't a place.It's a force.A consciousness."