"Miridald, please, don't!" Renee hollered down the corridor, hastening after her sister.
Miridald stopped at the foyer and spun back to face her, her eyes a mixture of determination and plea. "Something's wrong, Renee. I feel it—in my bones, in every fibre of my being. I need to get to him."
Though sympathetic, Renee felt flustered by her sister's behaviour. She let out a scoff and lightly threw out her hands. "Miri…" The concern in her voice couldn't be mistaken. "He just refused to answer your calls, okay? As we both probably predicted he would."
"No!" Miridald snapped, clutching the car keys tighter in her hands. Her eyes brimmed. "I need to get him. I need to, Renee… I feel it."
"Jenevive, Anita, and Mdachi aren't gonna be so happy to see you, and you know it… Siz, why don't you just give it a rest for now, okay? Whatever you're feeling is probably—"
"Don't!" Miridald shot out before Renee could finish her sentence, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I am not going through that again—and I'm definitely not gonna lose another son."
Whoa. That landed with a pang in Renee's chest.
She struggled to restrain her tears.
Just as Miridald was turning the knob, she suddenly felt a hand over hers. She turned to see an apologetic Renee standing by her side.
The silence was drenched in an intoxicating sorrow—an unspoken, yet dehumanising history lingering at the forefront of both their minds. Bloody. Muddy.
"Count me in, siz," Renee said. A tear slipped from her eye. "…Till the dusk of time."
Miridald couldn't help but feel hot liquid trail down her cheeks too.
------------
The door clicked shut, signalling Mdachi and his sisters' departure.
Anita rose to her feet and walked to her mother. She hesitated. Then she didn't.
"Did you know about Auntma?" The question hurried out of her mouth.
…
Jenevive didn't know if it was her she was talking to.
"Did you know what—and who—she really is?" Anita repeated, confirming Jenevive's dreadful intuition.
Jesse rose from the couch too and walked toward them. He hadn't really known what had happened out there before they had returned—what they meant by who and what Auntma was, the sudden turn of events that led to their mother arriving with Anita and Mdachi, why Edward hadn't come with them even though he'd left separately with everyone else, why Edward—and everyone else—looked so devastated, exhausted, and shaken, and most importantly: why they hadn't come back with the camera.
Like, seriously—wasn't the camera what Anita and Mdachi had gone for? So where the hell was it?
Why was everything so confusing and disarming, and yet no one seemed to have the courtesy of explaining it to him?
They had put on a charade earlier to steer clear of the twins' worry and curiosity. Sure—he understood that. But why were they still keeping to themselves now?
Jesse genuinely felt stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
He had no choice but to voice his complaints.
"Hey!" he called out—but the two ladies were too busy feuding over what Jenevive had kept to herself.
Turned out Auntma was a witch? A Ktsi? And… a Najzha?!
Jesse's eyes widened at the revelation. He found himself frozen stiff where he stood. Somehow, it all made sense—though not in a way he had expected.
"Ughh, Anita," Jenevive groaned in exasperation, running her hands through her hair as she paced before turning back to her daughter. "Seriously? So me knowing Miridald—or should I call her Lynette—is a Najzha through BAJIMSA is more of a crisis than what we have on our hands right now? Should I remind you that I learned that today—the same day she almost did whatever she wanted to do to you guys?"
"Hm." Anita scoffed sarcastically.
"What did she even do to you?" Jenevive pressed, her tone sharpening. "Huh, baby? I felt the protection spell I put on you break. What even happened afterwards? How—and when—did Edward come in? Did Miridald plan to harm you?"
Her voice turned vile—protective.
"Is Edward the one who saved you? I did see the Mpata Njia ritual markings… and the remnants of herbal paste on Edward's chest."
Herbal paste on his chest? Mpata Njia ritual markings?
Jesse was getting more information than a lucky man on a rainy Sunday who'd accidentally tapped into the radio waves of a secret agency. That all pointed to the recovery ritual used to guide souls back to the body after an endangering use of Pepo…
Did Edward go into Pepo?
Cool—
Wait. No. Not cool.
So not cool.
Dangerous. Yeah. That was the word.
"No, Mom..."
Jesse snapped his attention back to Anita.
"She didn't want to harm us… not in the way you think."
"Then hoooow?!"
He turned to Jenevive.
"She just wanted to erase our memories, okay?" Anita said. "Just like she did with Edward's."
Ummm. Plot twiiiist!
"What?!" Jenevive couldn't help but pop her eyes wide.
She tugged at her wavy curls and dropped into a seat. She would've lost it if she hadn't. She took deep breaths—slow and soothing. She really needed to calm herself.
Jesse was starting to think the camera's retrieval wasn't much of a big deal anymore.
"Mom…" Anita tried to soothe her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Jenevive gently nudged it away and looked up to meet Anita's gaze. She was crying now.
Jesse, still thoroughly bamboozled by just about everything, stepped forward and hugged her—silent, drowned in his own thoughts.
Jenevive didn't resist. She pulled him in, then reached out for Anita's hand and drew her closer too.
"Today was a great example," she said, sniffling, "that I couldn't protect you enough, my babies."
The thought that Anita had been an inch away from having her memories erased—and that there was nothing she could've done to stop it—ate her alive from the inside out.
"Hey, hey, hey," Anita said, lifting her mother's chin gently. "What happened today was not your fault, okay? I mean…" She shrugged lightly. "I am kind of mad about the BAJIMSA thingy," she added, earning a chuckle from both Jesse and Jenevive. "But not about today. Not at you. It was completely out of your control—and that doesn't mean you should beat yourself up for it."
She sat down on a puff beside her mother, clasping her hand tightly in hers.
"Mom, you have no idea how much I adore you… and the strength you carry."
That was one of the most tragically beautiful things Anita had ever said to her mother.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
They heard the door.
There was someone impatiently waiting outside.
Jenevive rose to her feet—calm, though cautious—and went to answer it.
"Si wangering hadi bell," she grumbled on her way.
But suddenly, Anita grabbed her by the arm. "Don't, Mom." Her voice was tense.
Jenevive and Jesse were equally puzzled.
"What's wrong, baby? Do you know who's at the door?"
Anita didn't respond, but the fear in her eyes was palpable.
Jenevive and Jesse caught the gist.
"Hey," Jesse said, stepping in front of her and taking her hands in his. "It's going to be okay, okay? I might be a bit young to understand everything, but one thing I know is that Auntma won't hurt us. Mom wouldn't allow it."
"But she's—"
"A Najzha?" Jesse countered, just as composed as before. "Yeah. I know. You guys mentioned it earlier while squabbling, like always." A bittersweet smile curved his lips. "But that doesn't make her a god—or even the devil."
Jenevive couldn't help but feel proud of her son's emotional maturity.
"She might be indestructible, Anita," Jesse continued softly. "But our mom is undefeatable. She always has been."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The knocking came again.
With one hand still holding his sister's, Jesse turned to his mother. "Now go open the door, Mom. Let's hear what Auntma has to say."
Jenevive obliged and went ahead.
"Where's Edward?" Miridald demanded as she barged in—only to stop short when she met Anita's and Jesse's faces.
Renee stepped in after her, and Jenevive shut the door behind them.
"What are you doing here?" Jenevive questioned, arms crossed, her gaze nonchalant.
"We're just here fo—"
"I didn't ask you," Jenevive cut in sharply, offending Renee. Indifferent to her reaction, she turned back to Miridald, her gaze unwavering—almost glaring.
"What are you doing here, Miri… I'm sorry—Lynette? Didn't you hear Edward say he didn't want to speak to you?"
Anita and Jesse's brows furrowed at the second mentioning of 'Lynette'. So that was really auntma's name? They hadn't really taken into much account the first time their mom had mentioned it.
"I'm not here for trouble, Jenevive-" Miridald tried to explain.
"Ahhh?" Jenevive cut in.
"I just want my son. To talk to him. To explain everything to him…"
Jesse scoffed quietly.
Miridald went on. "I know he's in pain—"
"No shit," Jenevive snapped.
"Can you just let her finish?!" Renee retorted.
"Hey," Miridald said softly, turning to Renee and holding her arm. "It's okay. It's alright." She turned back to Jenevive. "I don't blame you for how you're feeling right now. I know I'm to blame, and I completely accept that."
"Miri?" Renee tried to protest.
"It's right. It's true," Miridald assured her with a gentle squeeze.
Renee couldn't help but feel indignant.
Miridald then turned to Anita. They hadn't really spoken since she and Mdachi had woken up from the power blast. They had only reached a temporary and mutual agreement to help guide Edward's soul back to his body. Nothing more.
"I'm so sorry, Anita, for all the horrible things I've put all of you guys through because of my actions—today, and even before that. I'm sorry. I really am."
She turned to Jesse and bent slightly, resting her hands on her knees. He was hiding behind his sister. Miridald's tone softened. "I'd never hurt you, kababa. None of you."
She straightened and faced Jenevive again.
"I was just trying to protect my son—and everyone else—in the best way I knew how. But now I know I was wrong. I'm so sorry. But, Jenevive…" Her tone sharpened once more. "I need to talk to my son. He's in a lot of pain, and I can feel it."
Jenevive furrowed her brows. Did she link herself to him?
"No," Miridald said, as if reading her thoughts—though not literally. "I didn't link myself to Edward. I didn't string him to me. I couldn't. I just know. I'm his mom—and besides, he didn't fully recover from the power override earlier. He went into Pepo," she explained.
"Okay," Jenevive said, seemingly convinced. She unfolded her arms. "I'll help you find him and try to talk to him…"
"Wait," Renee interrupted, exchanging a glance with her sister. "Isn't Edward here with you? Like—right now?"
"I watched him walk toward Embassavi Street," Jesse answered.
All attention snapped to him.
"I don't know how he got there or what he was doing, but it looked like he was heading to the NpB Park."
Ngong's per Bank Park—a stupid name, coined by a stupid member of parliament. Edward and his friends liked hanging out there sometimes. Jesse knew; he had mortifying memories from that place, courtesy of the twins.
"You—he wha—" Miridald struggled to voice her disbelief at Jenevive's judgment. "You let him wander around alone in that state?"
To steady herself, Miridald clutched her head and looked up, exhaling slow, whistling breaths.
Renee rubbed her shoulders while shooting Jenevive a dismissive glare.
"He said he needed to clear his head, Miridald!" Jenevive protested. "What was I supposed to do—tie him up with chains and lock him in a cage? So he'd suffocate? No! I respected his decision, for Christ's sake."
She sighed, tempering herself. "He said he'd be back in an hour." She checked her watch. "There are about thirty minutes left. So if you say you feel he's in pain and urgently needs help, then let's go find him."
Miridald started toward the door—but stopped.
She turned back to Jenevive slowly, deliberately. Her body trembled with an all-consuming rage she fought desperately to restrain.
"I'm sure you know more about Hallington's case than the public's been told?"
"Yes," Jenevive admitted, unsure where this was going.
"And that's through BAJIMSA—now that I know you're aware of them, and that you work for them—"
"I don't work for them; I used to," Jenevive clarified quickly, casting a nervous glance at Anita.
"The bottom line is," Miridald continued, "you know Hallington wasn't simply mugged in his house. He was murdered."
She turned sharply to Jesse. "I'm sorry, honey fo-"
"He knows," Anita clarified flatly.
"Oh," Miridald murmured, stunned.
Renee was equally shocked.
"There's a maniacal, savage-minded killer out there, Jenevive," Miridald carried on. "I don't know their objective or motive," her voice broke. "But I do know they might be trailing Edward right now. My poor baby isn't safe." She couldn't help but not restrain the tears anymore. "We need to find him."
Anita was touched. The guilt for letting Edward convince her and Mdachi not to go along gnawed at her hard. She should've followed her instincts.
Jesse looked between them, worry etched across his face.
"I'm so sorry," Jenevive whispered in sheer guilt as the realisation seeped in.
She hadn't thought that far—hadn't considered the danger waiting outside.
Beatrice wasn't a threat anymore, now that they knew who erased Edward's memories. She was only a thread—connected somehow. Jenevive's eyes had been opened too late, and it hurt deeply.
"It's not your fault," Miridald dismissed softly.
She turned to the siblings huddled behind her—then back to Jenevive.
"Let's just go find him. Hmm?"
With that, she marched outside, Renee close behind.
Jenevive followed, then Anita. But just as Jesse moved to go too, Jenevive spun around.
"And where do you think you are going?!"
Jesse flinched.
Anita stopped as well.
"To go find Edward with you," Jesse said.
"No."
"What?"
"You are not going."
"But—"
"No buts."
"I'm not staying here, Mom!"
"Just listen!"
"No!"
Jenevive took a breath, calming herself. Jesse wouldn't listen otherwise.
"You're grounded," she muttered.
Anita's eyes widened.
"What?!" Jesse cried.
"You're grounded," Jenevive repeated. "Until further notice, you're staying in this house."
"But what did I do?" Jesse was on the verge of tears.
"For sabotaging Mdachi yesterday."
The camera.
He knew this would come back to bite him—but not now? Like this? It felt unfair. Unjustified. Yet there was nothing he could do. He'd have to wait, simmering in indignation and guilt.
It was his fault the camera had been left at Edward's house—possibly the trigger for all of this.
Jenevive placed a hand on his shoulder.
Jesse looked up at her.
"I love you, honey," she said softly. "Hmm?"
She straightened.
"If you need anything, call your uncle—James. He'll come to your aid."
And with that, Jenevive and Anita left.
Jesse watched as the door clicked shut.
James was their personal chauffeur—built like a bodyguard.
When the elevator doors pinged open, Miridald and Renee rushed out and hurried toward the building's exit.
Mdachi, who had been leaning patiently against a wall near the elevator, waiting for it, gaped.
Fear jolted through him at the sight of Miridald and Renee.
Then he saw Jenevive and Anita step out of the same elevator.
He was officially and catastrophically bamboozled.
"Them… with them?" he muttered. "Didn't what happened… happen?"
"Mdachi?" Anita called brightly after noticing him. She approached him. "You're back already?"
"Yeah, but what—"
"Come with me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
"But, Anita—"
"It's about Edward. I'll explain later."