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form before turning back to me. He looked at me for a few moments then slowly took some steps forwards.
    “Are you sure you’re all right? Do you need me to escort you home?” he asked. “It’s gotten pretty dark.”
    I studied him cautiously. He seemed to be honest. I didn’t think he was trying to lure me into a dark alley and do away with me.
    “No, that’s okay,” I declined at last. Pointing down the street, I added, “My house is just there.”
    “All right, then. Take care.” He turned and began walking after Kaira.
    “And the dark doesn’t bother me.”
    He threw a smirk over his shoulder. “I know.”
    I watched him until he faded out of view. Maybe my first impression was right and he wasn’t so bad. Couldn’t say the same for his friend. I turned and started making my way to the house, wincing as my knees burned from the movement. What a messed up evening. My mind buzzed in the aftermath of all that happened. A million questions flitted around my mind, and I didn’t know where to begin. Something big happened, and I was just as clueless now as I had been before I even got attacked. Who were those guys in the hoods? What were those guys? I couldn’t help but think about the way that Farron guy had looked at me so intensely. Does he know something about me? I growled in frustration as I began walking the path to the front door. My hand gripped the handle tightly, and a new thought suddenly crashed through the jumble of questions. Does he know something about my father?
     

Chapter 5
Aphelion
     
     
    M y father. Taboo subject, that one. Truth be told I didn’t really know much about the guy. He died when I was still a baby, leaving me with nothing but forgotten memories. Hell, I didn’t even have a picture of the guy. Growing up, my family hadn’t been the most forthcoming about what he was like, especially Auntie. From the uninhibited sneers, I got the feeling she wasn’t overly fond of him. Uncle Sebastian didn’t have much to say about him, either. So, yeah, he wasn’t exactly grooving with the in-laws. Well, there was one exception . . .
    “Mom.”
    I remember now. “Your father? He was just like you, of course!” She would always laugh and say it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I remember how she would always talk about how strong he was and how handsome he was. I remember how she would look out the window, a sad smile on her lips, a distant look in her stunning light green eyes.
    I felt my eyes begin to sting, and I pushed the painful memories back. There was no need to keep dwelling on this. She was gone and she wasn’t coming back. No matter how much I wanted her to. No matter how much I needed her.
    I opened the front door and stopped in the entrance. A pitch black void awaited me. It was too early for Auntie to go out on her late night binges. Where was she? I pushed down the fear that was rising in me. What if I wasn’t the only one those guys attacked. What if they got . . . Auntie . . .
    Coming into the living area, a flicker of light caught my eye, and I turned to find the source. Relief washed over me as I took in the image. She sat on the ground, a small, dim candle burning on the table in front of her.
    “What are doing, Auntie? Just sitting on the floor like that . . .” I trailed off. She didn’t even acknowledge my presence when I walked towards her. Stepping closer, I noticed her clothes looked even filthier than this morning. Her top had some new dark stains, and looking at her bare arms, I saw her pale skin was covered in a light film of sweat and dirt.
    “Is that dust, Auntie? Just how long were you in the attic?” I asked, peering over her shoulder and looking at her face. She didn’t so much as blink when I reached forwards and wiped her cheek. The dust was everywhere. Looking at her again, I looked into her eyes. Her gaze was deep and yet somehow lost, sadness glittering in the flicking flame. Following her line of sight, I felt my heart