Chapter 453: A safety charm
It was only a short while later that another knock came at the door. Charlie opened it, since he was hanging out with the Espers in the kitchen.
It was Rene.
She looked a little frazzled, a little frantic. When she saw the state of Kellen and his Mom, her expression softened before she met Kellen’s gaze. She moved towards them, hugging them both together but Kellen could see the slight orange tint to her gaze.
"Do you...know where Pam is?" She asked carefully, quietly and Kellen felt a sinking feeling fill his gut. Had Pamela not told her? Uh oh.
"She...left for the front lines yesterday to help drop off equipment, Guides, and to make sure that everyone was calm while we’re dealing with this situation. Did she not tell you?" Kellen asked and watched as Rene’s face went through several changes.
She looked ill, angry, pissed, and then...guilty? Kellen had no idea why she looked like that, but it was also not his concern right now. He already had a lot on his plate. Someone else’s romance drama couldn’t be allowed. He had his own to deal with.
"I...I see. Okay. I guess...I deserved that." She muttered. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before she sat down on Kellen’s Mom’s other side. She took her hand in her own, giving it a squeeze. "Forget my petty shit. How are you holding up?" Rene asked, her voice full of worry.
Kellen’s Mom laughed.
"I’m about to lose both of my children to a fucking gate while they are both in their 20’s. I’m doing great." Rene’s eyes widened as she looked at Kellen and Kellen at least had the decency to flush.
"I’m not going to die." Kellen told her. "And someone else could be going into the gate." Kellen told her. Even if his desire to go into the gate was like a heartbeat in his chest, a deep, unending ache that he didn’t think would be fixed until he actually went into the gate.
He was going to compromise though. He was willing to offer this up to someone else.