Dead Lost (Kiera Hudson Series Two (Book 8)) by Tim O'Rourke

forbidden by the Elders. Pen had had two daughters with Murphy, Meren and Nessa, which she had left for Murphy to raise alone. Potter explained that Pen had gone on the run and changed her name to Lilly Blu. She wanted the Elders to believe she was dead. Pen had promised Murphy that if she ever needed him, she would leave a message in the local newspaper under her new name. But she had never left one. Not until now, that is. Lilly had been pushed through to this world and was now helping an Elder named Noah, to make cracks in this world.”
    “Noah?” I frowned. “Why would she be helping one of the Elders?”
    “This Elder isn’t like the others,” Potter said. “He’s built this railway station – a fortress – that the other Elders are unaware of. He is sending humans back to the old world on trains that leave from beneath the station.”
    “Through cracks,” I told him. “That’s how Sam’s mother explained it to us.”
    “Maybe,” Potter said thoughtfully. “She sent me and Jack to intercept the photographer – you and Sam.”
    “Why?” I asked. “We have been doing a good thing.”
    “Lilly and Noah weren’t so sure what the photographer’s motives were,” Potter said. “They didn’t know whether you were trying to cause us all as much pain as possible for the Elders to feed off of, or whether you were trying to make cracks in this world to help the old one bleed through.”
    “I was trying to help,” I assured him. “Just like Sam and his parents are trying to help.
    “Maybe you should take me to meet them,” Potter said. “What are they like? Can they be trusted?”
    “I’ve only met Sam’s mother,” I told him. “Her name is Sue.”
    “What does she look like?” Potter eyed me.
    “Long black hair, pale skin, full red lips… you’d love her, Potter,” I half-smiled at him.
    “And the father?”      
             “I haven’t met him yet.”
    “Why not?” Potter asked, not taking his eyes from mine.
    “He was away on one of those secret trips I told you about,” I explained. “But I will meet up with him, Sam, and his mother when I go forward again through the cracks.”
    “I think we should go now,” Potter said, leaning against the car door as if getting out already.  
    “We can’t. Not yet,” I said, placing one hand on his arm.
    “Why not?” Potter scowled.
    “The photograph and the letters,” I reminded him. “The photograph needs to be left in Kiera’s apartment for you to find or you will never give it to Kiera and the letters have to be posted to Sophie…”
    “I’ve already told you that I want nothing to do with them,” he said, glancing at the pile of envelopes stacked on the dashboard. His eyes had grown darker as if he suddenly felt very sad.
    “But they have to be delivered to her or she won’t remember you…” I started.
    “Good,” Potter cut in. “Then perhaps she won’t die.”
    “She’ll die anyway in this pushed world,” I told him. “You can’t change that. “Sophie was the person who stole the vial of Kiera’s blood. The wolves will hunt her down and kill her anyway and take that vial. Once they have that, they will work out that the dead angel they are searching for has come. They will be warned. The Wolf Man – Luke Bishop will be warned that Kiera has come back.”
    “You know the identity of the Wolf Man?” Potter asked.
    “I heard you and that other Kiera talking about him,” I said, a well of anger bubbling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of the man who had once murdered me.
    “I think he already knows Kiera has come back,” Potter said.
    “He can’t know for sure or she would be dead already,” I told him.
    “He captured me and Jack Seth,” Potter explained. “He was going to behead us, but Jack’s brother switched with me, and Lilly rescued us. So as far as Bishop believes, me and Jack are both dead. He wanted Kiera to crawl into the town of Wasp Water and beg to be his