3

I cried out in pure happiness, jumping out of my seat and running to engulf him in a huge hug. "You're awake! Adrian, you're awake!"

He laughed, boney in my embrace and pasty in complexion, but that wonderful smile was on his face nonetheless, "So I am, and I've got the appetite of a wooly mammoth!"

Ben stood up."I've got you covered," he said, moving quickly to the stove to pile some pancakes onto a plate for him.

Adrian sat down stiffly at the table, and to my amazement, he still appeared tired. "Glad to see you all have made yourself at home."

Ben placed the pancakes and some water in front of him. "Welcome back to the world of the living, man."

"Still feel pretty dead though. I won't be teleporting with anyone again any time soon."

"How about never again?" I suggested, unable to keep from grinning ear to ear. It was such a relief to see him awake. "We have to let the others know you're up!"

"Now, now," Adrian said, waving a hand, "let everyone sleep. Poor Berit was in the chair next to my bed when I woke up, drooling like a saint brenard. He could probably use some rest, judging by all the books scattered about."

"He was looking for ways to help you," I explained, "he's barely left your side all this time."

"All this time?" Adrian paled, looking impossibly whiter than he already was. "How long was I out for?"

Ben and I exchanged a dark look. "You were out cold for over three weeks," Ben told him.

The glass in Adrian's hand started to slip out of his grasp, and I leaned forward quickly to catch it. He let out a laugh, but it sounded dry, "Whoops, still working on the old body mechanics, I guess."

"Just take it easy," Ben said, giving him a concerned look, "eat what you can. We'll tell the others when they get up. You probably want a little quiet before the commotion begins."

"Yes, I think so," he smiled, but I could see that it was strained. Adrian was scared, and I didn't blame him. Three weeks was a long time.

"Th-this is a lovely house," I said, trying to distract him, inadvertingly reminding myself to ask, "Adrian, where are we? Why did you bring us here?"

"That's a good question," he said, pushing his pancake around his plate, apparently having lost his appetite. "This is just property my father has kept for whatever reason. It's been in the family for ages. We were supposed to live here, my family and I, did for a while, but some things got in the way, and now it just sits here." He looked around, narrowing his eyes at his surroundings. The house was looking better because of Ben's efforts, but it still wasn't quite up to par, and much of the place was barren for furniture. Adrian dropped his eyes back to his plate, "This is Canada, we're in Alberta, in Redwood Meadows. It's a good spot to be, all things considered. Back in the suite, I just wanted to get us out somewhere safe and far away, and I guess I just thought of here."

Ben nodded, sitting at the other end of the table. "That was smart of you."

"I only wish it was more presentable, and up until now, I've been a terrible host."

"It's decent enough," Ben said, "the others don't seem to mind either. We all miss cellphones though, and T.V."

Adrian clapped his hands together, "I can get Bluma to make a few calls, but we won't be getting cellphones, they're too easily tracked and the Necro Proxy is everywhere." then he jumped, seeming to startle himself. "Have you all met Bluma? She is here, is she not?"

"Yeah, hiding in the bushes outside somewhere," Ben droned.

"She hasn't answered any of our questions, and I've barely seen her. She checked on you often though, and she is the one who has kept us well supplied and comfortable. She was a great help that night we came here," I told him, remembering how everyone was taken care of, given fresh clothes and linen for our beds. "I've tried to thank her, but she seems wary of us."

"Ah, yes, I suppose she would be," Adrian said, finally taking a bite of pancake, "she hasn't had company for a long time, and she certainly hadn't expected me to quite literally pop in. Bluma is the groundskeeper. Her family, the Chowdhury family, has worked for mine for a very long time, since colonial times. The families grew close when my father became head of the family, and now Dad hires them as groundskeepers and such."

"How long has your dad lived for?" Ben asked, leaning forward.

"Far longer than average."

"Adrian..." I said, "the Demons... your dad may be –"

" – in danger," he finished, "because of me."

No, because of me.

But placing blame was not going to protect Mr. Kenway, nor was it going to get Lidia back.

"I'm going to get stronger," I vowed. "I'm going to fix this."

"I will too," Adrian said, "I just need to rest up a little more."

"No offense, man, but you look like shit."

"Why thank you, Benjamin." Adrian examined Ben, as if just noticing something, "You look well."

"Really?" Ben said, "I've been keeping busy."

"Yes, thank you. I knew this place looked better than I had expected it would. Perhaps my father will hire you too – if he isn't captured that is." With a grimace, Adrian stood up. "I need to go speak with Bluma, I need to know what's happening, if he's okay or not. Maybe I can get a message to him to stay low."

"Adrian, Bluma may be under the surveillance of the Between," I reminded, "the one assigned to her might have reported us already. I tried to warn her of this, but she just kept saying that she would keep you and the house safe. I don't think she understood what I meant."

Adrian gave me a reassuring smile. "Trust me, K, this isn't Bluma's first rodeo. I'm not the first Kenway to show up so unceremoniously, and I probably won't be the last."His confidence in her ability to thwart the threat of Purgatory was so strong that I questioned no further.

"Well then, may I come with you? She seems to have a good relationship with the land, so..."

"Bluma's pretty private, Kairos, it might not be best," he said apologetically.

"And I make her nervous," I agreed, recalling her flashing gray eyes whenever she looked my way, like alarms were going off in her head at the sight of me. I made everyone look that way, except him and Ben. "I understand."

"But I will ask her if she will come out here and consider speaking to you, okay? Thanks for the pancakes, folks," Adrain beamed, then exited, heading upsatirs. Almost all of the pancakes were left on his plate.

"He isn't doing well," I said.

"Yeah, you're right. At least he's awake though. I was beginning to think he was gonna be in a coma forever."

Just then, we heard gasps and shouts of happiness coming from upstairs, making me smile. "Thank goodness."

"Maybe now everyone will be a little less anxious with him bustling around here."

"Yes, he does have a way with alleviating tension... but Ben, you and I need to work harder to earn their trust."

Ben got up from the table, collecting Adrian's plate. "You're talking to the wrong guy. People are not my forte."

I groaned at him, going back to wolfing down my pancakes before saying, "Well at least try. Sema said we would need allies, remember?"

"No, Sema said you would need allies. I was just the bait to get you to her realm."

I stabbed at my breakfast, feeling irritated at his words. Why did he always have to be like this? But even more so, the fact that Ben had changed was making me feel a sense of discomfort, worry gnawing a hole in my sternum. I hated when he talked like that, like he didn't need anyone. Sema's eyes, when we were speaking with her about my past in her realm, when she was studying Ben, had been concealing the same kind of worry I was feeling. The worry that he was capable of changing far beyond the bounds of what was human – even in mind. I could recognize now what she had foreseen. "Ben?"

"Hmm?" he grunted, filling the sink up with dishes, placing pancakes aside for everyone else.

"If you were to... if you ever felt like you were in danger, you would tell me, right?"

He turned around to look at me. "Why do you ask that all of a sudden?"

I gripped the edge of the table. "Just answer. You would, right?"

"It's what I've been doing this whole time, haven't I?'

Regarding the danger of outside forces, yes. Regarding the danger of himself was another story. Or was I worrying for nothing? Something told me I wasn't. "Yes, I guess."

He gave me a funny look and was about to say something, but then footfalls came pounding down the stairs and everyone was laughing in relief about Adrain. I was hoping this progress would have coaxed Zuri out of her room, but it was still a great spectacle to see Justice, Berit, and Kanoa celebrating.The jovial air subsided some when they entered the kitchen with us, but Kanoa still gave me a bright smile that I returned just as strongly and Berit praised Ben for his culinary skills.

"We'd probably starve without you," he said gratefully, and everyone found themselves nodding in agreement.

Ben received this compliment awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and muttering about it only being pancakes. I felt better, looking at the expression on his face. He was bluffing before, of course he wanted friendship as badly as I did.

Loneliness was fit for no person.

I balled my hands into fists. I wanted Lidia back.