h4Chapter 168: Calling Hiro./h4

    "Are you feeling better now?" Kaito asked. They had stopped earlier to buy painkillers for Kael because he keptining about his headache. A hospital would have been better, but what Kael needed was a werewolf hospital, and that was impossible for now.

    "My head doesn’t ache much anymore," Kael said as he took the bottle of water from him. "We should just continue our journey."

    "We are already in Mistvale. In less than an hour, we will be approaching the academy," Renn told him. He was worried because Kael looked pale, yet Kael did not seem as bothered. "Are you hungry? We could get something for you at a nearby restaurant."

    "No. Let’s just get to the academy," Kael replied, trying to put on a smile even though it was clear he was weak.

    "I wonder what they injected you with. Could it really be just a lupine sedative?" Kaito asked as he leaned against the car. He was beginning to think there had been another injection while Kael was unconscious, something else that was making him sick. "If you don’t feel too good when we reach the academy, we can stop at the hospital there, alright?"

    "You both need to calm down. It was just a sedative. I am only feeling drowsy, and theck of sleep is giving me this headache," Kael insisted. He leaned back against the seat while Renn stood at the open door, letting the air reach him. "I am fine."

    "But you slept on the way," Renn pointed out as he looked at him.

    "I didn’t get enough. I can’t sleep properly in a moving car," Kael said. "Can we continue now? We have no time left."

    "Who said so?" Renn muttered as he closed the door. He walked around to the other side and got in, while Kaito returned to the driver’s seat and started the car. Soon they were on the road again.

    "I thought we had to hurry and get to Ang’s party. Miss Valois is waiting for us."

    "So you weren’t sleeping when I said that," Renn smirked. Even though Kael had not gotten the whole news right, at least it proved he had been awake and listening at that moment. "We won’t be going to the party anymore because the principal gave up. She believed the story we told her about going to get Ang a cake."

    Kaelughed weakly. He could not believe they had managed to convince Miss Valois. She was a tough woman, and if she ever discovered they fooled her, she would not take it lightly.

    "Did you see Principal Jane? At first she almost refused to let us into her house," Renn said, trying to keep the conversation going, hoping it would make Kael feel a little better. "And when she finally did, she wouldn’t stop talking. If we had stayed any longer, I swear we would have learned every secret in that town."

    "Really? I didn’t get to see her," Kael said with a tiredugh, forcing his eyes to stay open. If given the chance, he would have dozed off and woken again in less than ten minutes.

    "She told us everything we needed to know about Grace. She is Ang’s mother," Renn added as he recalled all the things Principal Jane had revealed.

    "I think I saw her. She is so young and beautiful," Kael said softly. "One would think she is Ang’s younger sister."

    "Grace is the worst mother I have ever known," Kaito replied, his voice heavy with annoyance. He hated that such a woman could be Ang’s mother. If there had been a way to change that truth, he would have.

    "Yes, she is. But Grace is better than some," Renn said as he turned his eyes to the window, memories pushing their way back into his mind. "She did not abandon her daughter, but she made her regret not being abandoned."

    "What exactly are you trying to say?" Kaito asked, confused. He nced at the rear mirror and noticed Kael had already drifted into sleep.

    "Parents can easily ruin our lives, but they never want us to hold them ountable for it," Renn muttered.

    "Yes, but your mother died when you were born," Kaito reminded him, trying to understand. "Your father seemed to be a kind man."

    "Yeah, you can say that," Renn answered in a low tone. He noticed Kael sleeping peacefully now, so he leaned back and allowed himself to rx.

    His eyes wandered to the road outside. Mistvale was full of life, yet the part surrounding the academy seemed quiet, untouched, because thends there were never for sale. They stood apart, still and waiting, like secrets hidden from the rest of the world.

    "I wonder how Ang is doing," Kaito said, his eyes fixed on the road. He wanted to call her, to ask if she had been able to find out anything about her family or not.

    "It’s better we wait. But I know she will be fine," Renn replied. He could already feel her now that they were getting closer to the academy. "Hopefully Marcus won’t turn out to be her father. I have not seen him, but from the little I heard, I don’t think he is a good man."

    "Yes. Alex recognized someone from his crew as his father’s killer," Kaito said. "From what Ang has told us so far about her father, he does not sound like a bad man, so it cannot be Marcus. But people change."

    "Yeah, they do," Renn muttered, his own story shing in his mind. He turned to check if Kael was asleep, because he had just heard him mumble a few words. "Kael, are you awake?"

    There was no response.

    Renn leaned closer and touched his forehead. Kael was burning hot, and beads of sweat covered his skin. Fear gripped him as he spoke quickly. "Something is not right with Kael. I think he has a high temperature. Shouldn’t we call for help?"

    "What?" Kaito nced back briefly before keeping his eyes on the road. He pulled out his phone and dialed Hiro’s number. It rang twice but no one picked up. "Dammit, Hiro. Renn, try calling him."