Page 78 of Scornful

Magnolia smooths her dress, brow furrowed at the crowd gathered on the porch.

"What's going on?" she asks. "Why is everyone here?"

The silence that follows is deafening.

How do you tell someone their home is gone?

Fern steps forward, ever the matriarch. "Honey, there's been... Your house..."

Kraken demands an answer. "What about our house?"

"There was an explosion," Fern says gently. "This morning. Your house is... it's gone."

The words hit Magnolia and she staggers.

Luckily, Kraken catches her arm. "My kids," she breathes. "Oh God, where are my kids?"

"Mom!" Njal pushes through the crowd, and she grabs him like a lifeline.

"Njal, baby, you're okay." She's scanning faces frantically. "Where's Bjorn? Where's Everly?"

The panic in her voice is contagious.

Kraken's already on his phone, dialing.

Once. Twice. His face goes gray.

"Neither of them are answering," he says.

"Bjorn stayed home sick," Njal offers. "And Everly's car was in the driveway when I left."

Magnolia's knees buckle. "No. No, no, no..."

A sound of a bike comes from the distance, quickly coming closer to the club.

It’s Rati, and Bodul lets him in through the gate.

Rati doesn’t waste any time getting off his bike, coming right up to Kraken and Magnolia.

He looks between the both of them, "We found them. They're being transported to County General."

"Are they..." Kraken can't finish.

"Alive," Rati confirms. "Everly's got some cuts and scrapes, but she's conscious. Bjorn..."

He pauses, and I feel Ingrid's hand slip into mine.

"He was thrown by the blast. Hit a tree. Fractured legs, burns across his back and arms. They're taking him straight to surgery. Medics said it’s a possibility he could lose a leg, or both of them… but they’re not the surgeons."

The sound Magnolia makes is inhuman—pure maternal anguish.

She clutches Njal tighter, as if she might lose him too.

"We need to go," Kraken says. "Now."

"I'll drive," Fern offers, keys in her hand.

Within minutes, they’re gone—Magnolia, Kraken, Njal and Fern.

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