“The tablet connected with me, but there was some kind of confused, faulty connection with Kenzie, too. Like, the tall man and Zia—they could focus on people if they had something of theirs, right? Hair, blood, whatever. And I had Kenzie’s blood in there. It’s like I was using him. I had to go through him to get to the power, to make the connection. Or the power went through him before it got to me—he could see things happening that I couldn’t, that hadn’t happened yet, but he didn’t know what any of it was. All he knew was, the more it happened, the worse he felt, I guess. Grandad said there’s always a . . . cost. And Kenzie was paying it. Every time I used the tablet, I was using him. Using him up. Like he was . . . insulating me from it. I got a message he’d fallen into a coma. I think I almost killed him, Harry, without realizing. But, yeah, there was this part missing, or an extra part in the way. The tall man couldn’t work it out. I tried to call Kenzie so we could get to the power together, so it would go through both of us. So that I’d pay the cost. Then I tried to let Kenzie go. I wonder if he’s feeling better now.”

Alex took a step toward his grandfather. The dogs gave a warning growl. He sat down in the mud.

“Harry. Zia and her father, they both said stuff about my dad. What happened to my dad? Do you know? How he died?”

Harry lowered himself with a grunt. “Well . . . Well, ’e crashed in ’is car, son. You know that.”

“There’s more to it than that.”

“Well. Yeah, a little. Not sure it’s my place to, uh . . .” Harry gazed at the still figure on the ground and seemed to come to a decision. “When your dad came along, Alex . . .” Harry paused and looked off. “Blimey. Seems like yesterday. An’ seems like forever ago. Anyway. When ’e was born, your grandad swore off all of this.” He gestured around them with a big hand.

“Like ’e wanted to stop fightin’ and just live a life, y’know. And ’e tried to keep ’is old life away. But ’is father found out about the boy eventually. ’E knew there was something of ’is potion being passed along from your grandad’s blood, see, and ’e wanted to study it, use it. Although, after what ’appened with you tonight, I reckon maybe ’e ’ad other reasons for wanting a male descendant close to ’im. A convenient body to take over, if needs be.