A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Five (Part 2)

"What does it all mean?" I ask in attempt to steer things away from the subject. "In the grand scheme of things. I mean, what do we do now?"

Kato sighs. "We... We don't know. I'll try and figure it out--look into the literature to discover any clues in history, trace any spirits who may be able to help. In the meantime, all of you need to keep moving. Don't stay in one place too long. Those evil spirits are sensitive to your energies now, and the longer you stay in one place, the more concentrated your energies become."

"Aren't the others safe?" I question. "Someone clearly wants my neck in a noose, sure, but they've got no reason to go after the others."

Kato shakes her head. "They're not safe. Whatever it is that's after you will use the others to locate you, and if you're not there when they track them... Well, dark spirits aren't particularly known for their patience and understanding."

To cut away all the frills, I've basically screwed everyone over, and they could quite literally all die because of me. Isn't that just the best thing ever? Everyone should be my mate. If I wasn't in a public space with the spirit talking parents of my flatmate, I'd probably be hitting something by now. What do these things even want from me? What would they gain from murdering me? What did they gain from killing an entire bloodline?

"I'm gonna guess going back to uni is out of the question, right?" I ask, refusing to dwell on questions that can't be answered.

Kato responds with a soft smile and a shake of her head, and finally, Mosi speaks. "We've brought the jeep with all your stuff," he explains. "Ava's insured to drive it as of today, and you should be able to get any assignments done on the road. It's not ideal, but there's not much else you can do."

I nod. Annabel, who's been sitting quietly this whole time, looks like she's about to speak but I cut her off before she can. She probably has a million and one questions, all of which I'm not in the mood to address right now. I need a break from all this crap.

"I better go get my stuff together," I say, standing up from the table.

"Do you not have any more questions?" Kato asks, forcing me to stay put.

"Ask her why I couldn't speak to Ava when I tried," Annabel butts in, finally getting her say.

"Not really, I guess it's just a lot to take in," I half lie. I probably will think of a million things later, but I need a break from all this for five minutes.

"Felix!" Annabel snaps at me from my side. "Ask!"

"Of course, yes," Kato says softly. "When you do think of any, Ava will be able to answer most, and we can answer those she can't. Don't hesitate to ask, dear."

I respond to Kato with a thumbs up, which naturally makes me look like an imbecile. I've just been told I'm the sole remaining member of my family after the rest were brutally murdered, and whatever did that has now made it its mission to slaughter me and all my friends, and the way I choose to end that conversation is with a thumbs up. If that doesn't symbolise how screwed we are, I don't know what does.

Annabel yells at me to ask her question again. Before I'm able to scurry away in a flurry of awkwardness and sheer embarrassment, Kato stops me.

"You need to remember," she says, her voice quiet. "I realise it's not quite that simple, but it's just that--Well, you see--"

"To put it bluntly," Mosi interrupts, "we can't help you. Not enough. The only people who can really know what these spirits want, why they did what they did, why they're doing what they're doing now, are the ones who experienced what started all of this, and you're the only one left who did." He lifts his eyes slightly, and locks them into mine. "And you're running out of time."