“My sweetest daughter,” he whispered, “in whom I see no fault, know the depths of love. A love that knows no fear. A love that formed you and named you and gave you to me. A blessing beyond my understanding.”

His fingers trembled. “Eli is the gift I bring you. Hear him. Keep him safe. He knows the way out of this great deception.”

He drew my hand to his face and kissed my knuckles. “I love you,” he said.

And then the guardians were on us. Tanner, Morton, and Claude, who was leading them. Claude yanked my father away from me. The moment my father’s touch was gone, the momentary warmth I’d allowed myself to feel was gone as well, replaced by the fear of what would happen to him now.

“Where did you come from?” Claude barked at my father. “What are you doing here?”

Before my father could answer, he fell into another wave of vicious coughing, so heavy that all three guardians stepped back. They exchanged worried looks as my father collapsed. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He couldn’t seem to get a breath.

“He needs help,” I said, ignoring the voices in my head that warned me to stay out of it. “Please, he needs the doctor.”

But Claude had stepped back, put off by whatever disease had ravaged my father, and he showed no sign that he’d even heard me.

I made a move toward my father, but Claude stepped up and held out his arm, face red. “What do you think you’re doing? He could be contagious!”

“He’s my father.”

“Your father?”

“He needs a doctor.”

After a moment of hesitation, Claude told Morton to find Dr. Charles.

My father lay on his side, wheezing heavily. I watched as his eyes rolled back into his skull. Then he went still. Either dead or unconscious.

I stood trembling, torn by impossible conflict.

“Move,” a voice boomed. I twisted to see Dr. Charles rushing forward, followed by his wife and nurse, Sherrie, and two more guardians, Marshall and Ralph. They hadn’t been far. Half the town seemed to have gathered.

I backed away to give them space, praying my father would live.

“We need to get him back to my clinic now.” Dr. Charles motioned for help from the guardians.

“He’s not contagious?” Tanner asked.

“Just don’t touch his blood. Hurry!”

The guardians quickly lifted my father off the ground, one on each leg and one on each arm. He hung like a sack between them as they hurried his body toward the clinic.

Claude jabbed a finger in my face. “You stay here.” He turned to Marshall, who’d remained by his side. “Take the boy to Harrison and bring them up to speed.”

The boy!