Read Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily) for Free Online Page B

cut us off completely.”
    “Good. Let her.” He must have seen the pain register on my face. “I’m sorry, Nate. I didn’t mean that.”
    “Apology accepted.” Carson was more upset by the situation—and by the absence of me and Dylan—than I ever would have guessed. I promised myself I’d be a better brother to him. “Thank you again for your help during the fire. You never fail to impress me in dire situations.”
    A proud grin replaced his irritation. “It was nothing.”
    I couldn’t shake the image of Maryah surrounded by flames. “Do you think she saw me?”
    “She didn’t mention anything. She questioned Anthony freezing time, but Louise fed her some brain instinct theory.”
    “It’s like I’m invisible to her.” The words escaped my mouth by accident and sounded as insecure as I felt. Carson had already seen enough of my pain and weakness.
    “I thought you weren’t ready to see her again. So why do you keep stalking her?”
    I needed to tell him about the Nefariouns, but it wasn’t the proper time. Edgar could explain the situation better than I could. “Because she keeps ending up in danger.”
    He grabbed his phone and began texting, knowing it drove me insane when he did that during conversations. “You said when Maryah woke up, there were flames between the two of you. Maybe she couldn’t see past the fire. Or if she did catch a glimpse of you, your disappearing into thin air probably made her think she was hallucinating.”
    “What about the night she was attacked? She hasn’t mentioned me being there either, or at the hospital.” For fourteen nights I sat by her side, making sure her heart monitor continued beeping, and willing her to fight for her life.  
    Carson looked up from his phone. “Dude, she was practically dead. You’ve died a bunch of times. Can you remember all the details?”
    “Most of them, yes.”
    He rolled his eyes just as his phone chirped then he flicked the screen. “What a dickhead.”
    “Who?”
    “Dylan. He says I can’t move in with you guys.”
    I sat beside him. “You have friends here, and Harmony and Louise would be crushed if you left them. Besides, I’m counting on you to look after Maryah. We all need to be on high alert right now.”
    “Those pathetic outcasts thought they had the wrong girl. They wouldn’t follow her out here.”
    “You already know it was the Nefariouns who attacked her?”
    “Yeah. Louise and Anthony told me.”
    “Then you know they might come after someone else in our kindrily. If they have any common sense they may figure out it was Maryah, and that she erased. If they find out she’s here, it could lead them right to us.”
    “Good. This time we’ll be ready.” Carson punched the palm of his hand. “Those lowlifes kidnapped Gregory and murdered nine of us in the process. It’s time for paybacks.”
    “We won’t stand a chance unless we stick together.”
    “Exactly my point. You, Dylan, and Amber should move back home.”
    I considered his logic. “If I promise to work on convincing Dylan and Amber to return, will you help look after Maryah?”
    He looked down, tossing his phone back and forth. After several seconds of silent juggling, he countered. “That and you promise to answer all my phone calls and texts. And traverse here whenever I need you.”
    He was too smart for his own good. “Within reason. At times it may be impossible.”
    He squinted as if trying to assess how much more he could demand of me. “I’m only doing it because I miss you guys.”
    “Thank you, Carson.”
    Before I finished standing, he had stripped down to his boxers and blurred into bed. “It doesn’t mean I give a crap about her.” He threw a pillow at me much too fast for me to catch or dodge. “I still don’t understand what you see in that girl.”
    That was the soul-shattering issue. I saw nothing inside of her. No flicker of the depthless light in her eyes, no trace of the soul I had loved for centuries.