The afternoon was productive, and Anne was able to find what she was looking for. When I dropped her off at her house, I went back to mine. Anne was very excited and thrilled; I can't remember the last time I saw her like that. When I arrived home, I noticed Kayler Brown's car in the driveway. Mom's car wasn't there, which I appreciated. I didn't want any more sermons. I got out of the car and entered the house.
"Dad, Carolina is here!" Kylie shouted from the couch. She was watching movies on TV.
"Hello, Kylie," I greeted her. Kayler quickly descended the stairs and took hold of my arm, leading me to the kitchen.
"What's wrong with you?" I freed myself from his grasp. Sometimes Kayler's mood changed very quickly. I forgot he's Mr. Bipolar.
"Why did you follow me?" he wanted to know.
I played dumb.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. I know you and Anne followed me to Elias Johnson's house."
"And if we did, so what? I don't trust you, Kayler Brown," I challenged him with my gaze.
"I know, Carolina. You remind me of that all the time," he ran his hands through his hair. "And believe me, it tires me."
"What do you want me to do? It's the truth. I thought you were meeting up with Piper or..."
"I have to see her because she's Kylie's mother."
I felt something in my chest.
"I know, you don't have to repeat it."
Kayler sighed, calming down a bit.
"Fine, let's leave this behind. I don't want to start an argument with you. Not now that..."
"What?"
"I went to look for your ex-boyfriend."
I furrowed my brow.
"Which one?"
"How many do you have?" he snapped.
"Gadreel, I suppose."
"Yes. Do you know where he lives? I need to talk to him, and I couldn't find him where he was supposed to be staying."
"I don't know."
"I know you do, Carolina. Don't protect him. This is very important and delicate."
"Kayler, believe me, I don't know. The last time he told me he was staying on the highest mountain. He took me up there. You can see the whole town from there."
"I know where it is. Will you stay with Kylie? I need to go right away."
"No, I'm coming with you."
"I need you to take care of Kylie."
"I'll go with you."
Kayler sighed and took out his cellphone.
"As you wish."
Kayler left the kitchen, so I followed him.
"Kylie, we'll be out for a while, okay? Behave yourself; they'll be watching you outside. We won't be long," Kayler said goodbye to his daughter. "Let's go," he told me. We left the house, and two wolves were coming out of the woods. I guess they are the ones who will take care of Kylie. We got into Kayler's jeep.
"Are you angry?"
"Not with you. I know how you are, Carolina. What bothers me is your lack of trust," he started the engine.
"I'm sorry, but once you lose trust in someone, it's hard to regain it."
"I haven't failed you. I'm not like those men who are unfaithful and then come to you asking for forgiveness, trying to be the perfect man to make it up to you and keep you happy."
I looked out the window.
"Okay."
Kayler drove along a dirt road until we reached the mountain. It's very tall, too tall. How are we supposed to climb up there? We got out of the car, and Kayler took something out of the trunk. It was a harness and other things I didn't recognize. I've seen them in movies; they're used for mountain climbing.
"Come on, I'll put it on you."
"Kayler, it's dangerous. We don't even have any support or anything. What if I fall?"
"You won't fall."
"I'm pregnant."
"Carolina... wait for me here, then."
"No, I want to go," I agreed to put on the gear.
"All you have to do is dig this hook into the rocks and so on. We have speed and strength, Carolina, put it into practice."
I nodded with some courage. I have to stop being so fearful. Kayler put on his gear and was the first to start climbing the mountain. I followed him. Once we started doing this, it seemed easy to me. We climbed and climbed. We were halfway up, so far from the ground. If I look down, I'll get dizzy. Oh no, I completely forgot that with pregnancy, I can get dizzy, faint, or even vomit. Now I'm afraid that something like that might happen.
"Are you okay?" Kayler asked me, almost by my side.
"I'm scared."
"I'm here, darling, I won't let you fall."
That reassured me a bit. I kept climbing by his side until we finally reached the top. Kayler helped me up. It's good to touch the ground again. I was here with Gadreel the other night.
"We've arrived."
"Where is Gadreel?" he wanted to know.
I stood up and searched for the guy everywhere. I moved forward and advanced until I reached the other side. There was Gadreel, sitting on a tree, looking at the clouds, the sky.
"Gadreel," I called his attention. Gadreel looked at me, astonished. I think he was wondering how I got here.
"Carolina, what...? How did you get up here?"
"With this," I pointed to the harness on me and approached him. "Someone wants to talk to you."
"Kayler Brown," he looked behind me. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
"I have nothing to talk to you about."
"Gadreel, it's something important," I said. Only then could Gadreel relax a bit and agree.
"There are certain people erasing memories in the town, putting in their minds that they have to hunt wolves," Kayler began telling him. "I want to know if you're involved in this."
Gadreel seemed surprised.
"Why me?"
"Because you have the power to do that."
"I'm not the only one," Gadreel laughed. "No, I haven't done any of that. I wouldn't put Carolina at risk."
Kayler tensed when Gadreel said that. I know Kayler was holding back from hitting Gadreel. I'm sure if he had come alone, it would have ended in a fight.
"Then who?"
"You have many enemies, Kayler Brown. Besides, the other fallen ones are against you. Maybe they seek revenge."
"Revenge for what?"
"Because the other time you ruined the sacrifice," Gadreel looked at me. "Where Carolina would have been the chosen one."
I tensed.
"If I hadn't arrived, you would have killed her, you idiot," Kayler grabbed Gadreel by the collar of his shirt.
"Of course not," Gadreel responded confidently. "I just wanted to mislead them, gather them to finally eliminate them once and for all. They're demons, Kayler Brown, and that's what demons do: ruin people's lives. So don't be surprised if chaos starts in your town."