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“Saw who?”
“That boy,” he said, slow and hesitant before mentioning the name, “Gray.”
For a moment, time seemed to have slowed as everything around me went quiet. No music, no chattering, nothing.
The mere mention of Gray’s name made me want to choke on a cry. I struggled to keep my voice calm, refusing to let my vulnerability show. “What do you mean?” I managed to mumble at least.
“Aera, I think Gray is alive.”
My eyes widened, surprised but hopeful. “How?” I asked, eyes brimming with tears.
“I don’t know how,” he replied. “But something as huge as this would only be possible with forceful black magic or worse—demons.”
Perhaps, I wanted so badly to believe Gray had survived that anything seemed plausible, even believing in a man I barely knew and making up theories to support it.
Cole seemed okay before he and his mom moved away the day after the funeral. He and Gray always had this unique bond, so I had to consider this one possibility: could Cole have done something as crazy as black magic or bringing demons into the picture to bring his cousin back to life?
* * *
The day after graduation,I made up my mind—I was going to live with Ellis and explore his discovery. It was late midnight when I finished packing my clothes and books in a suitcase. Including Gray’s music box.
I made sure not to make any noise, not wanting to wake Aunt Yeong-ja up and have her lock me up or call my mom. Something between those lines.
Tiptoeing down the hall, I locked the door behind me, and let out a sigh of relief as soon as I stepped out front. For the sake of a swift escape, I lifted my suitcase until I reached the second closest lamppost away from home.
I didn’t expect Keith to catch me red-handed, though.
I didn’t expect him to be there at all.
“I’m coming with you,” he declared. He was standing under the streetlight with a backpack hanging from his shoulder and a baseball bat in his hand.
It looked like he was going to a fight.
I shook my head.
“I’m not asking you,” he said resolutely. “I’m not letting you go alone.”
“This has nothing to do with you. I’m meeting with my dad.”
“Because of Gray?” He smirked. “Yeah, I heard all of it. You eavesdropped on me before. This is payback.”
I squinted my eyes. “That’s not nice. What about college and your dad?”
“How aboutyou? You wanted to be an ER doctor,” he demanded.
“Not likethis, I won’t.” I pointed at my own careworn expression and my unkempt hair. “My patients would die of anxiety before I could treat them. But you, Keith—youhave a future ahead of you.”
He hissed. “Okay, first, there’s no college major for hunting the supernatural—which is my dream job, by the way, but not because it’s dominated by men.”
“Really?” I gave him the stink eye.
“I swear!” he retorted. “Second, my dad will be fine. He’s too busy being the sheriff. I’m eighteen years old and legal. He’ll understand my rash decisions later. And if not, then he’ll come find me himself. Not a problem. Either way, I’ll take the risk.”
“Do you want to get me arrested by your dad?” I rifled through my own hair in frustration. “Look, I don’t have enough fare for two.”Any excuse will do, I thought in the moment. “Even if I did, your dad will still arrest me for kidnapping.”
“Or he’ll arrest his own son. You see, I might have stolen a few bucks from his safe,” Keith boasted, refusing to back down. “And if I have to steal some more, work at retail stores and bars, or find myself a sugar daddy so we’ll have enough fare for two, then so be it. ButIam coming with you even if we have to climb Mount Everest.”
My brain began running wild. I imagined Keith getting ambushed by my family of ravens on top of Mount Everest.
