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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

“Well, it depends—” she began, but her phone started ringing, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “It’s Bekk.” She answered and talked for a few minutes, but most of the conversation on her end was monosyllabic until just before she hung up and said the name of the hotel.

“So?” I asked when she hung up.

“Bekk will be here in about twenty minutes,” Bryn said. “And we’ll talk then.”

27

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Roots

“Are you sure it’s safe for the baby?” Bekk asked again.

We were in the waiting room of the Omte clinic. It was a surprisingly modern little building sitting on top of a hill. The exterior walls were beige and overgrown with flowering vines. Inside, it was bright, clean, and almost cozy, reminding me of a country vet clinic I had been to once.

After Bekk called, she’d shown up exactly eighteen minutes later, and everyone had piled into our room to have a cramped conversation. Bekk was due in a matter of weeks, and with her belly, she sat awkwardly on my bed. I’d stepped out on the balcony, preferring the muggy fresh air to the claustrophobia of the five of us crammed in one small room (six if counting the baby).

Bryn and Elof explained the whole situation to Bekk, and he assured her that it was a safe, simple blood draw that he could use to confirm that her baby and Bryn were siblings. Bekk was hesitant at first, but Elof eventually persuaded her by telling her it could also be used to learn things about the baby, including possible genetic issues.

Since we’d flown, Elof had decided to leave the more nefarious-looking parts of his equipment—namely syringes—at home, for fear of issues with humans’ security. He had brought along his machine—a hefty cylinder that reminded me of a clunky food dehydrator. But for the actual procedure and analyzation, he needed better facilities.

That’s where Pan came in. He’d called Rikky, who worked as a nursing assistant. She put Elof in contact with her supervisor, and he used his charm and credentials to secure the access and equipment he needed at the clinic and arranged for us to meet there at eight A.M.

So the next morning, after a complimentary breakfast of avocado toast and tea, we all ended up in the clinic waiting room. Elof was taking blood from Bryn, Bekk, and myself to compare them, and Pan had come along as a sort of emissary with Rikky.

“It’s all perfectly safe,” Elof reassured Bekk again. He sat across from us on a vinyl sofa, the analyzer machine resting beside him in a duffel bag. “I’ll draw some blood and the baby won’t feel a thing.”