“I promise you,” Michael said. “I won’t tell my mother any of this after you’re gone. She’ll never have to know.” “It’s not for you to protect me, Michael,” someone spoke up. Slowly, we turned around, the two masked figures I didn’t recognize standing on both sides of Kai as they pulled off their masks and pushed down their hoods. Christiane Fane stood on the left, tears filling her eyes, as Delia Crist, Michael’s mother, stood on the right, her light brown bangs hanging in her eyes. Kai shrugged, looking apologetic. “The kids are safe,” he assured. “I couldn’t stop them. Sorry, man.”