She didn’t tell anyone else where she was truly looking and that the First Grimoire could remain hidden for just a little longer.

Gabriel contemplated asking Dion or Rhiannon to film the funeral on their phones for closure. But it wouldn’t look right for a detective and journalist to record a corpse being lowered to the ground.

He could see Dana’s family huddled up; they all looked so skinny and gaunt; just a week prior, they’d recovered from a strange illness their grief had caused. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he visited Dana’s sister on her sickbed, and he could have sworn he was about to lose her too. Sweaty hair clung to her skin, her cheeks were drained of all colour and she vomited constantly. Elnora Rennigan was by her bedside, wiping a cold cloth over Bethan’s face.

Dana’s sister, who stood by the body wrapped in a white sheet, dropped something in Dana’s grave, then returned to her family.

The funeral ended, and Gabriel waited for everyone to leave before saying goodbye to Dana.

Henry Kore dispersed from the crowd and made his way toward him. Gabriel was surprised to even see Henry leave his wife’s side.

‘It is a beautiful day,’ he told Gabriel.

It wasn’t. Grey clouds masked the sunrays, and fog covered the horizon before them. The day, so far, had been nothing but harsh winds accompanied by the sound of tree branches hitting the ground.

Gabriel could only nod in response.

‘I want you to know that, just because she’s gone, doesn’t mean you’re not part of our family,’ he said.

Something tightened in Gabriel’s chest. His eyes widened.

‘Sir—’

‘You have a place with us.’

‘I’m moving,’ he blurted. ‘To Phaistos. I can’t be in this city anymore. I don’t even think I can be close to any of you. It’s too much.’

Henry nodded.

‘I was hoping you’d stay here and be there for Bethan. Since she is staying in Malia as well.’

‘She has her own friends. I doubt she’d want me hovering over her.’

He met Bethan a handful of times; she was a sweet girl, a bit quieter than Dana. Always in her boyfriend’s shadow, who he had heard she wasn’t with anymore. Bethan was struck with the illness the worst. It was no wonder her father was worried about her being alone in the city.

‘I prefer to have someone from our family watching her,’ Henry said. ‘But I suppose it was wrong of me to burden you.’

‘I would love to stay, but I heard rumours that the Adelian Resistance is getting more popular. I don’t want to stay in a city telling me to go. And—’