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Back The Ever After Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. Cover
  2. TheEVERAFTER
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. 82
  85. 83
  86. 84
  87. 85
  88. 86
  89. Epilogue
  90. GLOSSARY
  91. TheEVERAFTER
  92. By Amanda Hocking

But then the ringing stopped, and a moment later, I heard the familiar voice of Johan saying, “What a pleasant surprise, Hanna!”

The way Hanna was situated, with Eliana sitting beside her, the laptop was facing the couch, where Jem and Sumi sat. I was on the chair off to the side of the room, and I couldn’t see anything from that angle, so I stood up, carrying Niko with me.

There was Johan, readjusting his oval spectacles and grinning into the camera through his bushy beard.

“I wanted to introduce you to some of my friends.” Hanna leaned back, so he’d more easily be able to see Jem and Sumi.

Jem glanced back at me, a bemused expression on his face, and to encourage him to interact with Johan, I said, “He’s the one that wrote the book about Jem-Kruk and his adventures.”

“Oh.” He uncrossed his long legs and leaned forward, closer to the laptop. “Good morning, sir.”

“And good morning to you,” Johan said with a laugh.

Slowly, Jem’s expression changed. His brow furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw dropped. He leaned in closer to the screen, and in an awed voice, he said, “Oleva, Jo-Huk? Is that you?”

45

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Time

It took quite a bit of back and forth, especially with everyone talking over each other. Finn came back just when it was reaching a fever pitch, and he held up his hands. In his most commanding voice he said, “Everyone, quiet! One at a time, please!”

Johan went first—maybe the threat of Finn’s angry-dad voice didn’t translate fully through the laptop speakers. He sat back in the chair of his study, a befuddled expression on his face, and cleared his throat.

“As I was saying, I don’t . . .” He trailed off and squinted at the screen, at Jem-Kruk smiling uncertainly back at him. “I have a brother.” He put a hand to his mouth, and his eyes welled with tears.

Hanna looked between the handsome, much younger Jem and her elderly grandfather. “You guys can’t be brothers. The age difference is . . . a lot.”

Eliana leaned over the coffee table, her chin propped up on her hand. Her eyes watched Hanna intensely, and her heart-shaped face was sweet and youthful.

“How old is Eliana?” I asked.

“Ellie’s . . . well, she’s—” Jem said, then looked to Sumi, who just sighed.

“It’s a harder answer,” Sumi said. “Eliana was born in Alfheim around four years ago, but in that time, thirty-two years have passed in your kingdom. Time moves differently in our lands, and she’s spent time in both places, so it’s very hard to say precisely how long she’s been alive. I would put her age at about seventeen.”

“Illaria’s older because she spent much more time here with the Älvolk,” Jem added.