Flora slowly opened her eyes.
Everything around her was white—the walls, the ceiling, the sheets covering her body. A bright light shone above her, forcing her to close her eyes again.
Her head felt strange and heavy. A sharp ache ran through her body whenever she tried to move.
Flora placed a hand against her forehead.
“What is happening to me?” she whispered.
She had experienced many things during her long life in Tropius, but this feeling was unfamiliar. Her arms hurt. Her back ached, and something throbbed beneath the bandage wrapped around her head.
She didn’t understand it.
She didn’t understand that she was in pain.
“Nyla, are you okay?”
Flora recognized Jordan’s voice nearby.
Before she could answer, another worried voice reached her ears.
“Flora! Are you okay?”
She slowly opened her eyes again and saw Jordan standing beside the bed. He had a dark bruise on his cheek and several marks along his arms.
Grillo stood beside him, his golden eyes filled with concern. His striped tail hung low behind him.
Both of them were staring at her.
“I am awake,” Flora said weakly.
Grillo climbed onto the side of the bed.
“I thought we lost you!”
Jordan lowered his head.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t protect you. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
Flora studied his face. She noticed the sadness in his eyes and the way his hands trembled.
“You were hurt too,” she said.
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Why doesn’t it matter?”
Jordan looked at her.
“Because friends are supposed to protect each other.”
Flora remembered what Jordan had told her about friendship.
A friend was someone who stayed beside you. Someone who cared about what happened to you.
She placed a hand over her chest.
The strange warmth she had felt before returned.
“Where is that creepy man?” Flora asked.
Jordan immediately knew she meant Silas.
“Don’t worry about him,” he answered. “He disappeared before the police arrived.”
Grillo’s ears folded back.
“He could still be nearby.”
Jordan glanced toward the empty space where Grillo stood. He couldn’t see him, but he heard Nyla’s voice speaking again.
“Who are you talking to?” Jordan asked.
Flora looked at Grillo.
“No one.”
Grillo quickly placed one tiny finger over his mouth. Flora tried to sit up, but pain shot through her side.
She gasped and fell back against the pillow.
Jordan stepped closer.
“Take it easy. The doctor said you need to rest.”
“What is a doctor?”
Jordan stared at her for a moment.
“A doctor is someone who helps sick or injured people get better.”
Flora looked around the room.
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital,” Jordan explained. “They’re taking care of you.”
Flora touched the bandage on her head.
“Why does my body feel like this?”
“You got hurt when Silas threw you.”
“Hurt,” Flora repeated.
She knew the word, but she had never truly understood its meaning.
“Is this pain?”
Jordan nodded.
“Yeah. That’s pain.”
Flora became quiet.
She had seen others cry out in pain before. She had watched people in the mirrors of Mirrorland hold their wounds and beg for help. Until now, she had never understood what they felt.
“So this is why people scream when they are injured,” she whispered.
Grillo nodded sadly.
“Yes.”
Jordan sat in the chair beside the bed.
“I called my dad,” he said. “He’s going to help us.”
“Your father?”
“He’s here right now. I want you to meet him.”
Flora remembered Jordan warning Silas about his father.
“Is your father powerful?”
Jordan smiled slightly.
“People around Oaktown respect him.”
“Why?”
Jordan hesitated.
“It’s complicated.”
Before Flora could ask another question, Grillo leaned close to her ear.
“Flora, Jordan’s father probably can’t see me either.”
“Why not?”
“Shh!” Grillo whispered. “Don’t talk to me while he’s here. Everyone will think Nyla is talking to herself.”
Flora frowned.
“But I am not Nyla.”
Grillo glanced at Jordan.
“Not so loud.”
At that moment, footsteps approached from the hallway.
Jordan immediately stood.
The hospital-room door slowly opened.
A tall man stepped inside. The man wore a deep purple suit with polished black shoes. A wide-brimmed hat rested on his head, tilted slightly to one side. Gold rings covered several of his fingers, and a long coat hung from his shoulders.
He entered the room with confidence, as though every place he stepped into belonged to him.
His sharp eyes immediately landed on Jordan.
“Son, what happened to you?”
The man hurried toward him and examined the bruises covering Jordan’s arms.
“Why do you have marks all over you?” he demanded.
“I’m okay, Dad.”
“You don’t look okay.”
The man turned toward the hospital bed.
His serious expression softened when he saw Flora.
“Well, look at that,” he said. “Is that little Nyla?”
Flora stared at him.
The man smiled.
“I remember when you were just a baby. You used to grab my hat every time your mother brought you around.”
Flora didn’t answer.
She had no memory of him because those memories belonged to Nyla.
Jordan stepped forward.
“Nyla, this is my dad.”
His father straightened his coat.
“Folks around here call me Slickback.”
Flora tilted her head.
“Why?”
Jordan’s eyes widened.
“Uh, Nyla—”
Slickback chuckled.
“Because I’m always smooth, always prepared, and never caught slipping.”
Grillo walked in a circle around him, studying the strange man.
“He dresses like a shiny purple bird.”
Flora almost responded, but Grillo quickly waved his arms.
“Don’t talk to me!”
Slickback glanced around the room.
“Did somebody say something?”
Jordan looked at Flora.
“She does that sometimes.”
“Does what?”
“Talks to herself.”
Flora frowned.
“I am not talking to myself.”
Grillo slapped both tiny hands over his face.
Slickback slowly raised one eyebrow.
Jordan quickly changed the subject.
“I tried to protect Nyla, Dad.”
Slickback’s playful expression disappeared.
“Protect her from what?”
Jordan clenched his jaw.
“A man grabbed her outside. He claimed he was her uncle.”
Slickback’s eyes narrowed.
“Who did this?”
Jordan hesitated.
“His name was Silas.”
The room became silent.
Slickback’s face changed the moment he heard the name.
“Silas?” he repeated.
“You know him?” Jordan asked.
Slickback glanced toward the hospital-room door before closing it behind him.
“I know enough.” Jordan looked at his father.
"Dad... did you hear what I said? He wasn't scared."
Slickback folded his arms.
"Tell me something."
Jordan nodded.
"Did you show him your gun?"
Flora looked confused.
She turned toward Jordan.
"Gun?"
"Is that the strange object you had on your waist?"
Jordan nodded.
"Yeah. That's what it was. It's called a gun."
Flora blinked.
"What does a gun do?"
Jordan hesitated.
"It can hurt people... or protect them. It depends on who's holding it."
Slickback sighed.
"So you pulled it on Silas?"
"I did."
"And?"
Jordan lowered his head.
"He didn't even flinch."
"He just smiled."
Slickback slowly shook his head.
"That's because Silas isn't afraid of weapons."
Grillo shivered.
"I knew there was something wrong with that guy." Jordan looked at his father.
"Dad... who is this guy?"
"He said he was Nyla's uncle."
Flora looked at Slickback.
"Is that true?"
Slickback's face became serious.
"No."
"He isn't family."
"He's something much worse."
Jordan frowned.
"You know him?"
Slickback slowly nodded.
"I knew him years ago."
"He has a reputation all over these streets."
"For what?" Jordan asked.
"Murder."
The room became silent.
"He doesn't care who stands in his way."
"Man..."
"Woman..."
"Child..."
"Even a pregnant woman."
"If Silas wants something..."
"...he'll do whatever it takes to get it."
Flora stared at him.
"But why does he want me?"
Slickback looked away.
"I wish I knew."Slickback placed a reassuring hand on Flora's shoulder.
"Here's what's going to happen."
"Jordan is taking you home with us."
"You'll stay there until you're feeling better."
"I'll talk with your parents myself."
"If anyone gives you trouble..."
"I'll take care of it."
Jordan smiled.
"You'll like our place."
"We've got food."
"A big TV."
"And my grandma makes the best macaroni and cheese in Oaktown."
Flora looked puzzled.
"What is macaroni?"
Jordan laughed.
"You'll find out."