The Survivors: Body & Blood (book 3)

The Longest Night, pt. 2

Everett looked at me with a sadness in his eyes. "Sadie," he said genuinely, "I can explain stuff."

"But he's a human!" I protested.

"A human who has lived for twenty-five years. I have lived in the human world for 164 years. Which of us do you think knows more?" he reasoned.

I had never thought about it that way. He had a point.

But Everett shook his head. "You aren't convinced. Okay, humor me and give me a concrete example of something you wished you understood that you might ask Cole to explain."

I sighed and, embarrassed for some reason, said, "American Pie."

He laughed. "As in the song?"

"Yes. It means things. It refers to events in history, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Things I was alive for and Cole was not," he said.

"Well I don't understand it. And when I Google it, it just circles me back to a million others things I don't get, and so I have never understood what I've heard is one of the most classic songs of all time," I admitted.

"Well, you're in luck, princess. I remember a thing or two about the death of rock 'n' roll. I even have "American Pie' on vinyl at the Canada house. I'll play it for you and tell you the whole story," he said.

"Do you promise?" I said.

"I swear it," he said. He took my hand and kissed it. "Your turn." Our hands stayed connected.

"Why are you mad at Mark?"

Everett winced. "I wouldn't call it mad, exactly."

"Then what would you call it?"

He thought about it. "Worried. I'd call it worried." He deliberated what to say next, and he settled on, "He's scaring me. He's doing things he's done before that put everyone in this family in jeopardy. I want to make sure history doesn't repeat itself."

"But he's mad at you too," I said.

"Yeah, for thinking he's doing what he did before," he said.

"That's all you're going to tell me?"

"My judgment is clouded, I admit. And I see that you and Mark are very close and trust each other greatly, and I think that is beneficial for you in many ways. I don't want to say anything that might be unfair to him. It could make you act differently toward him, and what good will that do?"

"Will you two be okay?" I asked.

"If I can keep my wits about me, and he can keep himself in check, then, yeah, this too shall pass," he said. "Look. Ask him. If he wants to tell you, then he will. But for now, you're just going to have to trust me that it is better not to know. Okay?"

"Okay," I said, but this made me uneasy, and he could tell. Weren't we just opening up? "Your turn."

"Nope. I didn't answer your question. You get another," he smiled.

"What happened after I left a month ago? Did you stay in the Survivors' City? What did everyone do? Did the Survivors seem to care that I was MIA? What?" I asked.

"I'm counting that as more than one question, just so you know. I went back and forth between here and Canada, and traveled a little bit. Ginny stayed most of the time, working with Ben and Sarah and Lizzie on this merging/separating power thing. Mom and Dad bounced back and forth, though Mom mainly stayed here, and Mark did whatever it is Mark does. Madeline and Patrick took Narcisa back to Canada, where they've been ever since," he said.