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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
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  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
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  33. 31
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  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

He was silent for a moment, staring off at some spot beyond the computer. Behind him, I could see the rows of books filling the curved shelves that surrounded him in his towering study. He was sitting in the room where I’d chatted with him at the beginning of the summer. It had smelled of earthy sandalwood, and we’d sat near the fireplace, him sipping wine while telling me how the tales of Jem-Kruk were his favorites.

And now he didn’t seem to want to talk about it at all. Maybe he was put off by the intrusion, or maybe he was hurt that Hanna’s interest wasn’t more motivated by love. Or maybe it was something else entirely, but I didn’t know what was going on.

Finally, he asked, “Is that true, Hanna?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m ready to know about Nikolas.”

“Well, I’ll have plenty to tell you, but I’d like some time to collect my thoughts before we get into that,” he said. “Maybe we can set up another one of these video chats later on with Grandma Sarina? I know she has a lot she wants to talk to you about.”

Hanna smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Sarina did have a . . . friend named Senka,” Johan said. “Years ago, and I don’t really remember her anymore, but I can talk to her. It’s likely not the same Senka you’re looking for, but Sarina will most likely be happy to speak with you.”

“Yeah, that would be really great,” I said.

He smiled in a way that didn’t quite reach his eyes and said, “I’m always happy to help.”

9

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Plans

The conversation veered after that, with both Mia and Johan getting teary-eyed, and I felt like I was encroaching on a private moment. I excused myself, and they talked for a while longer, just long enough for me to make a pot of tea on the stove.

Mia tried to apologize about the conversation not being more fruitful for me, but I told her that she’d already been more helpful than she needed to be. The call seemed to have left her sad and tired, so I offered to make lunch for the kids while she lay down.

She took me up on it, and soon I was boiling carrots I’d plucked fresh from the family garden. And as I stood over the stove, it occurred to me how seamlessly I slid back into the life I had before.

When Finn and Mia took me in five and a half years ago, I’d known that I couldn’t stay here forever. I’m nineteen years old. I have to make my way in the world eventually.