Chapter 23

Cracks in the sidewalk should be illegal. The thought became increasingly reasonable to Kara as she walked along the uneven pavement. Her heel caught on a crevice in the cement and she stumbled a little before righting herself, giggling. The heeled boots were impractical for walking home but absolutely essential for her costume. Or so Dani had told her. Kara couldn't help but agree, even if her feet were starting to ache.

Kara turned down a familiar street. She slowed, eyes fixated on a tall building across the road. There were other routes she could have taken back to her apartment. Somehow, Kara always ended up back here.

The loft was the first home she'd known in Beacon Hills, but Kara knew that it was more than that. So when Kara spotted the figure standing in the parking lot, she froze. Or, she would have frozen, if the alcohol in her system hadn't made her sway a little. Kara tightened her grip on the jacket slung over her arm and squinted at the person—a man, with his back to her. Someone else must have moved into the building. That was the only explanation. Three little kids stood in front of him, and he seemed to be handing out candy. Kara thought she was going crazy until the man let out a snarl—a real, animalistic noise that was all too familiar—and the kids ran away, squealing in fright. Her feet found the road separating her from him.

"That wasn't very nice," she said matter-of-factly. Derek spun to face her, surprise written all over his face. Evidently, he hadn't expected to see her tonight—at least, not like this. He took in her costume as she walked toward him. His eyes trailed over the black bodice and pants she wore, paired with thigh-high boots. She'd left her hair unbound, and it shone almost white against the black clothing. Everything about her seemed more vivid, more alive. Derek wondered if it seemed that way because he hadn't seen her for weeks, but there was no mistaking the glow in her eyes. Dark red lips stretched into a smirk as she noticed his stare.

"I, uh, I didn't know you were into Halloween." Derek cleared his throat.

Kara waved a hand dismissively. "It was my friend's idea." Dani, as it turned out, had a knack for makeup. She wasn't short on talent in the costume department either. Dani had offered to enhance her costume when Kara arrived at the party, and she was so excited to have someone to practice on that Kara hadn't had the heart to say no. Luke had nearly choked on his drink when he saw Kara after Dani was finished with her. But Kara wasn't thinking about that now. She inched closer to Derek, face tilted up towards his. "Can you guess what I am?"

Amusement shone in his eyes. "You tell me."

"Honestly, I forget," Kara said, frowning. "Dani made me look like a character from some show she likes, but I can't remember the name of it. I've been telling people I'm Catwoman all night." Derek chuckled, and Kara's smile flashed in the dark. "I was going to go as a werewolf hunter, but I happen to have a few werewolf friends."

Derek was suddenly aware of how little distance remained between them. He was close enough to be struck by the blue of her eyes, to notice the tiny white scar on her temple, half-hidden in her hairline. Close enough to smell her breath.

Derek stepped back. "You're drunk," he said, almost letting out a laugh. He had never seen her drink around him. Had Kara changed in the time that he'd been away, or had he never really known her that well at all?

Kara looked offended. "I am not. I'm…mildly inebriated."

"Trust you to sound sophisticated when you're smashed." He grinned, and Kara's stomach gave a familiar flutter. His smile faded a little. "Are you sure it's a good idea to be walking home by yourself after you've been drinking?"

"Don't worry," Kara whispered to him conspiratorially, leaning closer. "I have this." She held out her hand and small threads of golden light danced across her palm. They flickered momentarily before vanishing. Kara blinked in confusion. "Maybe I have had a bit to drink," she admitted.

She peered at Derek curiously, a bit of sense returning to her. "How come you're back?"

"Beacon Hills is my home. My family has been protecting it for years and…I want to do the same."

"And Cora?"

Derek didn't miss the hope in her eyes. He shook his head apologetically. "She found a pack that will keep her safe."

Kara nodded, the knowledge sobering her. She missed the younger Hale. Even if she was the angrier, slightly less brooding version of Derek.

"So, you have a place around here?" he asked. Derek had been disappointed but not surprised to find the loft empty when he'd returned days ago. He'd thought that Kara had left town—that is, until now.

"Yeah, an apartment a few blocks away."

"I'll drive you home."

Kara nodded, relieved. Her feet were going numb.

She went to open the door to Derek's car but froze. A chill crawled up her spine. It was as though her body had gained a sixth sense. She felt the air change and knew with paralysing certainty that something was terribly wrong. Kara gripped her keys with a shaking hand. "Derek," she breathed, afraid of what she would see when she turned around. He growled, pushing her behind him, and that was when she saw them. Three figures cloaked in black. Grotesque masks covered their faces, surrounded by a haze of black smoke. As if they had been forged from shadows. One of them fixed its glowing yellow eyes on Kara, and to her horror, she found that she could not look away. Derek started forward with a snarl, but another figure grasped him by the neck, forcing him to stare into the depths of those horrible eyes. Kara felt as though they were piercing right through to her soul. Distantly, she was aware of the figure reaching a gloved hand toward her face. The burn of the skin behind her ear was the last thing Kara remembered before she crumpled to the ground.

A roar sounded somewhere in the distance. It seemed both far away and close at the same time, but it was not enough to break the haze Kara had fallen into. She drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness. The only thing that her mind registered was the all-consuming cold that had gripped her body. It held her in an icy vice, numbing her brain and making her body shake uncontrollably. Slowly, other things started to puncture through the haze. The hard ground beneath her. A sharp object held in her fist. Hands shaking her trembling form. But all of it was cold. Kara squeezed her eyes tightly, wondering if sinking into the darkness that lurked at the edge of her consciousness would relieve her of this bone-deep chill.

"Kara!"

Something was placed over her shoulders, and she was being hoisted up. Her eyes flew open.

"We have to get you warm," Derek panted, cradling her to him. Her whole body seized with tremors, her teeth chattering so violently she thought for a wild moment that they would break. Kara looked down at the keys gripped in her hand with confusion. She didn't remember taking them out. But then suddenly she remembered subconsciously pulling them out as if to defend herself, and why she would do such a thing.

"What t-the hell w-were they?" she managed to get out in between gasping breaths. Derek didn't answer her. Instead, he lifted her into the backseat of his car. He'd turned up the heating as far as it would go, and relief washed through Kara. Derek closed the door behind him and held her tightly. She could feel her body starting to warm, but the shaking wouldn't stop. She pressed her face into the crook of Derek's neck and tucked her arms against her chest.

"God, you're freezing," Derek said, eyes scanning his car for something to place over her. When he came up empty, he pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders. Derek rubbed warmth back into her arms until her muscles loosened and the shaking slowed.

"What were those things?" she asked again.

"I have no idea. But I'm more confused as to why they left us alive."

Kara looked up at him. His face was unusually pale, his eyes troubled. "Did they knock you out too?"

He nodded. "I managed to force myself to heal."

The roar she'd heard—that had been Derek. Kara shut her eyes and allowed herself a moment to breathe. She slowly withdrew from their embrace, hating how much she missed it.

"It was like they appeared out of nowhere. As if they…"

"Came out of the shadows," Derek finished. She was quiet for a long moment, then her gaze darted to the windows. She searched outside the car with sharp eyes.

"I don't think they're still here," Derek said.

Doubt flickered on Kara's face. "You sure they're not just waiting out there to finish us off?"

"If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it already."

He did have a point. Kara checked her phone, her eyes widening. "We've been out for nearly two hours."

Derek opened the door with uncharacteristic caution. In the end, impatience got the better of him, and he jumped out of the car. Kara followed, eyes scanning their surroundings. It seemed that Derek was right—whatever kind of monster the masked figures were, they had left.

Kara wrapped her arms around herself. The cold had left her body weak, and she felt much too frail for her liking. What had been the point? Why leave them temporarily incapacitated? Absentmindedly, she reached up to touch behind her ear. Her fingertips were met with hard, raised skin. Derek watched her, frowning. She ignored his look of bewilderment and turned his jaw to the side. A symbol had been imprinted behind his ear.

"They've marked us," Kara realised aloud. She pulled her hair to one side to let Derek inspect her too and resisted the urge to shiver when his fingers ghosted over her skin.

"A backwards five," he murmured.

"It's the same as yours." They shared a worried look, silently asking the same question. Why?

Derek spotted something over her shoulder, and his nostrils flared. "You've got to be kidding me," he growled. Kara followed his gaze. The loft had been lit up from the inside, where people danced in a mass of flashing colours. Derek strode past her. She followed him with an internal wince. Whoever thought it was a brilliant idea to throw a party without Derek knowing was about to regret it.

Kara struggled to keep up with him as they climbed the stairs leading up the loft. The music sounded louder the closer they got, and soon Kara could feel it pulsing in her chest. Derek slowed for a moment, looking back at her guiltily.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, hoping he didn't notice how her legs trembled. Kara gripped the railing as they continued up the stairs. A headache worked its way into her skull with every step she took, but she wasn't sure if the attack or the alcohol was to blame. At least she had sobered enough to walk straight. Kara's face heated. She'd been flirting with Derek before, and he knew it. Kara hoped that he would just put it down to the alcohol.

Derek slid the loft door open, and they were hit by the blaring music. Kara couldn't help but stare. Whoever had organised this sure knew how to throw a party. She was struck by the hordes of bodies covered in swirling designs, fluorescent paint illuminated by the UV light. There was something almost alien about it.

Kara hung back near the door as Derek made his way to the DJ, content to watch the party unfold from afar. She leaned against the wall with a sigh, letting her body rest. A couple made out aggressively nearby. Kara turned her face away with a grimace. Her teenage years had only just ended, but Kara never remembered being that bad. Sometimes she caught herself wondering what she would have acted like had she not devoted so much time to working and caring for her mother. With school on top of that, she'd never had much spare time to hang out with friends or go to parties. People had eventually stopped inviting her out. Kara had told herself that it was easier that way. Still, she'd always been curious—would she have kissed strangers at parties? Gotten drunk with her friends? Snuck out of the house to visit a secret boyfriend? It had taken Kara a long time to shake the feeling that she had been robbed. Maybe she still hadn't.

A crash drew Kara's attention to the other side of the room. Everyone froze, looking on in confusion. Derek had upturned the table supporting the DJ's equipment, and the music had cut out in an instant. Well, that's one way to kill a party, Kara thought wryly.

"GET OUT!" Derek yelled, and everyone's faces quickly turned from confusion to fear. They scrambled out of the door in a panicked horde. All except for a few familiar faces. Kara spotted one of the twins supporting a red-haired girl. Kara stepped forward in alarm. What had happened to Lydia?

A sense of trepidation began to unfurl in Kara's stomach, and she knew immediately what it meant. They were here.

The cloaked figures appeared, encased by a mass of swirling black smoke. The way they stood made Kara's skin crawl. Still, like stone. Inhumane. She kept her distance, eyes darting to where Scott and a girl she'd never seen before appeared from the stairs. Allison and Isaac entered the room, one of the twins hanging limply between them. He and Lydia were marked, Kara realised with a sick feeling. Then, in one swift movement, the figures pivoted to face Aiden.

"Guys," he said uneasily. "They're all looking at me."

The figures took a step forward.

"Why are they all looking at me? Guys!"

Kara gathered her strength and summoned her powers. She wasn't keen on fighting for Aiden, but she knew that this could turn into a fight for everyone.

Scott moved first. With a snarl, he lunged at the black-cloaked intruder closest to him, and Derek followed suit. At the opposite side of the room, Kara attacked from behind. She shot a blade of power at the nearest figure, who spun to avoid it. Frustrated, Kara slammed her hands together and thrust them out, sending forth a heavy stream of golden light. It struck her opponent square in the chest, but he merely skidded back a few metres without losing his balance. Kara gaped. He should have been knocked right off his feet. Kara had to clumsily dodge a blow from the figure, who appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye. To her left, Derek hit the ground hard. Distracted, Kara attempted to block a swing from her attacker with her forearm. She cried out as the impact made the whole right of her body shudder. It felt like trying to block steel. The figure gripped her jacket and yanked her forwards. Kara flailed as she was lifted in the air and thrown to the side. She hit the ground with bone-jarring force and managed to roll across the ground, trying to disperse the impact. Kara came to a stop at someone's feet. She gasped for air, winded so badly that she could scarcely breathe. Allison appeared over her, eyes wide with worry. Kara groaned as Allison helped her sit up.

The masked figures moved as swiftly as shadows. Both Scott and Derek were sent flying through the air, landing heavily on the ground. Isaac stepped forward with claws at the ready to confront one of the figures. The intruder reached inside of himself and pulled out a wickedly sharp blade, which lengthened with each threatening swipe. Isaac backed off. At that moment, Kara knew that not one inch of these creatures was human. It was like nothing they had ever faced before. As one, the figures turned to face Aiden, whose eyes widened with panic. Two grabbed him, holding him in place, while another stared at him with glowing yellow eyes.

"Somebody do something!" Allison pleaded. No one moved.

Aiden was bathed in yellow light, and his face went slack. It was almost worse to watch it happen than to actually experienced it. One of the figures swiped a finger behind Aiden's ear, and he crumpled to the floor. The figures then set their sights on Scott. The alpha scrambled to his feet and backed away, growling in warning. All faces turned towards the window as sunlight spilled into the room. The night had ended.

As Kara watched, the masked creatures soundlessly dissolved into shadows. Everyone stood still for a moment as if daring to move would summon the figures again. Then Derek picked himself off the ground, and the spell was broken. Allison helped Kara up as Derek limped his way over to her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, eyes searching hers. Kara shook her head. She was incredibly lucky to have not seriously injured herself, even if her body throbbed. Derek looped her arm over his neck, bearing some of her weight.

"What the hell were those things?" Scott demanded.

Isaac sent Allison a pointed look. "Your dad's twenty-four hours are up."

While Allison called her father, Isaac explained how the creatures cornered him the previous night and marked him—just as they had done to Lydia and the twins.

"They marked us too," Kara added grimly, glancing at Derek. Her words were met with looks of concern from the others.

Allison turned back towards them with worry on her face. "He's not answering."

"You think your dad knows something about them?" Scott asked.

"I'm not sure. He left last night, and I think he's trying to find out what we're up against."

What we're up against. Kara hadn't really registered until now that this was another enemy they would have to fight, another war they would have to win. Sheer despair filled her at the thought. Was this how the supernatural world worked—they defeat one enemy, only to face another?

People slowly trickled out of the loft. The twins left once they had begun to heal, Ethan with his arm around Aiden. Scott took his friend home, and Kara later learned that her name was Kira. Distantly, she wondered how Kira had gotten caught up in this mess. If she was supernatural, she hadn't shown it.

Isaac stayed to help clean up, and to Kara's surprise, so did Allison. It was no secret she wasn't fond of Derek.

"Do you know if Lydia's okay?" Kara asked her.

Allison nodded, relief clear on her face. "One of our friends took her home before the fighting started."

They continued to pick up abandoned cups and bits of rubbish in silence. Kara found a paintbrush that had rolled underneath the coffee table and left a smear of paint on the floor. With a sigh, she retrieved a cloth to clean it.

"When did they mark you?" Allison asked.

"Before the party. I was in the parking lot with Derek and they just…appeared out of nowhere," Kara replied, resisting the urge to shudder. She couldn't get those piercing yellow eyes out of her head. She had never seen anything like it—not even in the supernatural world. At least when werewolves had yellow eyes, they looked human. These masked creatures were as far from human as you could get.

"I've been thinking that they almost look like soldiers," Allison said. "They're identical. They have those creepy masks. They move like robots, and they all move at the same time. It's almost like they're…"

"What? Following orders?" Kara said, frowning, but the idea made sense. They did look like soldiers, and soldiers needed a commander.

"They could be. You're sure Derek doesn't know anything about them?"

Kara looked over to Derek, who was picking up the debris from the table he upturned. "I'm sure."

Allison lowered her voice to a whisper. "Did you know he was coming back?"

"I had no idea," Kara murmured. In truth, she'd secretly hoped he would return even though she'd told him to find happiness elsewhere. She didn't know what to make of him coming back. He said it was to protect Beacon Hills, but how did he know that it needed protecting?

"You missed him," Allison said simply. Kara didn't answer her. There was no point in denying it. It was clear that Allison wasn't asking.

"Were you at a party before this?" Allison asked, smiling. Kara returned the smile, grateful that Allison changed the subject.

"My friend had an early Halloween party."

"This is the first Halloween party I've been to—the first good one, at least. I wish it had ended differently," Allison said, eyes downcast. She shook her head a little and looked at Kara, her smile returning. "You look really good."

"Thanks. It comes at a price though—these shoes are killing me," Kara half-laughed.

"Yeah, I was impressed you fought in them."

Kara's smile faded at the mention of the fight. Her body ached in a million different places, and she knew that bruises would soon follow. But if it weren't for the physical reminders, she would have only been half-certain that the fight had happened at all. She couldn't believe what she had seen tonight. The power she'd wielded against the masked figures was once enough to subdue an alpha werewolf—the alpha of alphas. But tonight, she'd barely been able to faze her opponent. Kara knew that it wasn't just because she had been in a weakened state. It was what scared her most.

Allison and Isaac left once the loft was mostly in order, leaving Kara and Derek alone. Kara rose from the floor with a wince. She retreated to the bathroom to wash the paint and dirt from her hands. Her reflection startled her a little—she had forgotten about the makeup she was wearing. The eyeliner and dark eyeshadow had smudged a little underneath her eyes, giving the impression of dark circles, and her lipstick was fading. But what struck her most was her pale, washed-out skin. Kara felt like she was staring at a stranger.

She quickly busied herself with tying back her hair as Derek appeared in the doorway. "I'll take you home now, unless you want to crash here for a while," he offered.

Admittedly, the offer was tempting. She hadn't realised how exhausted she was until she thought about it. Kara gave him a tired smile. "Thanks, but I should go home. I have work today."

Derek nodded, and she followed him out of the loft.

Kara barely remembered the short drive from the loft to her apartment. She probably would have fallen asleep if she hadn't been giving Derek occasional directions. They came to a stop outside of her apartment complex, and silence enveloped them. Kara made no move to leave. She stared at her apartment. It was a culmination of everything she had worked so hard to achieve after the fight with the alpha pack was over—everything she had wanted for as long as she could remember. A normal life. Freedom. Peace. She had gotten a mere taste of it, and already it had been stolen from her. All in a single night.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked, eyes searching her face. Kara stared ahead, unseeing. Once again, her life had been reduced down to one thing: survival. It was all she had ever known, and she was beginning to think that maybe it was all she ever would know.

"I thought I was done fighting," she said quietly. "Does it ever end for people like you and I?"

The hopelessness in her voice tore at Derek's heart. He wanted to say yes, that it did end, that one day they would find peace. But it would have been a lie. The truth was, he had no idea. He had spent most of his life fighting. "Do you want me to stay for a bit?" he asked. He couldn't give her a lie, but maybe he could offer her this.

Kara turned her head to face him. There was a hesitancy in his eyes, like he was unsure if he had said the right thing. Suddenly, being alone seemed like the last thing Kara wanted. But before she could answer, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and her heart gave a guilty squeeze. It was Luke, checking to see if she had gotten home safely.

"Your friend?"

"My date," Kara sighed. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy going to the party with Luke. She liked being with him. It felt easy. Normal. He was genuine, and he made her laugh. Yet Kara couldn't help but feel distant from him. She wasn't used to easy, or normal. They lived completely different lives, and the thought of revealing her past to him made her skin crawl. There would always be a gap between them. A disparity. Kara didn't know how to explain that to Luke, but she knew that she would have to try.

Kara turned to Derek. His face had tightened almost imperceptibly, the warmth from his eyes gone. Kara opened her mouth, an explanation bubbling up in her throat, but she snapped it closed. She was angry at herself for feeling so compelled to tell Derek that Luke was just a friend. She had long since given up on hoping that Derek returned her feelings. It hurt too much to keep looking for signs, to read into every smile or gesture of affection. And yet, the thought of letting him go hurt more.

"I need to get as much sleep as I can before work," Kara said. "But thank you. For everything."

Derek smiled, but it looked strained. His sudden shift in mood perplexed Kara. How could he go from offering to stay with her to barely being able to look her in the eye? She hesitated with a hand on the door, feeling as though there was something else she should say. Why would you leave Cora to come back to Beacon Hills? What the hell are we up against? None of it felt right. Or maybe she just wasn't ready to hear his answers.

Kara forced her sore limbs out of the car. She watched as he drove away, the ache in her heart momentarily drowning out the ache in her body.

"You look rough."

Kara glared at Dani, but it was half-hearted. The lack of sleep combined with her activities last night had left her feeling exhausted, and her appearance showed it. The uniform policy limited her options to black clothing, and the only long-sleeved top she owned ended just below her elbows. It didn't quite cover the worst of her bruises, so Kara had worn a hoodie to work. She braced for Dani's reaction as she peeled it off.

"What happened to you?" Dani gasped, and Kara winced. "Seriously—did you get into a fistfight on your way home last night? You're lucky Luke isn't working today. He'd flip if he knew this happened because he let you walk home instead of giving you a ride!"

Guilt ate away at Kara. She had insisted on walking home after the party despite knowing that Luke had intended on driving her home. Kara had texted Luke back this morning but said nothing beyond reassuring him that she was home safe. Part of her was relieved that he wasn't working today because it meant that she wouldn't have to face him. It had been a mistake to go to the party with him. He deserved someone who was sure of what they wanted.

Dani looked at her expectantly. Kara was saved the trouble of answering by a customer, who cleared his throat impatiently. Dani left to serve him, but she wasn't about to let Kara off the hook. She rounded on Kara before she could escape to the kitchen.

"If something serious happened, you can tell me," Dani said, unusually sincere. Gratitude swelled in Kara's chest, but it only made it harder to lie to her.

"It's not like that, I promise. I was sparring with my friend this morning."

Dani eyed her suspiciously. She inspected the bruise on Kara's forearm, which had come from her unsuccessful attempt to block a blow from one of the masked figures. It had turned her skin an ugly red-tinged purple, a painful reminder of how powerless she had been against him.
"I can't believe you would willingly exercise after the party last night. You're insane," Dani snorted, conceding.

"I've been told."

Dani glanced out at the customers in the eating area, and then at Kara's bruised skin. "You can stick to the kitchen today. Carson left without doing the dishes and Ryan is pissed, so I'd offer to finish them if I were you."

Kara nodded and headed for the kitchen. Ryan looked up from the sink as she entered, and she instinctively tugged her sleeve down.

"Hello Kara," her boss said a little curtly. He scrubbed at a tray vigorously enough to tell Kara that Dani had been right about his irritated mood.

"I can do those if you want." Kara kept her arm behind her back, not sure if Ryan would take her half-assed lie as Dani had.

Ryan glanced at her, his anger seeming to fade slightly. He dried his hands on his apron. "Ok, but I might need you out there if it gets any busier."

Kara nodded in understanding as he strode past her. She breathed a sigh of relief once she was alone. Studying the bruise on her arm, she absentmindedly wondered if she should buy a better concealer to disguise future injuries. The certainty of the thought struck her hard—the immediate assumption that there would be more bruises, more wounds to cover up. A lump formed in Kara's throat. She found herself scrubbing dishes nearly as aggressively as Ryan had.

Kara's phone rang the moment she stepped out of the café. She frowned at the caller ID. Why on earth would he be calling?

"Hello?"

"Hi Kara, it's Deaton. Do you have a minute to talk?"

Kara's frown deepened as she made her way to her car. "Sure."

"I have some good news for you. I think I've found someone who can help you with your powers. Or at least, figure out your supernatural heritage."

Surprise stopped her in her tracks. Of all the things he could have said, those words were what Kara least expected.

"I don't know her personally," Deaton went on, "but I've heard of a Druid who lives about a day's drive from here. From what I've gathered, if anyone is going to have information that can help you, it's her."

"Thank you," Kara said a little breathlessly. A memory rose in her mind, unbidden. Deucalion had once claimed that he knew someone—a she—who could give Kara answers about her powers. Could this be that same person?

"There's more I need to tell you, but it would be best done in person. Can you come to the clinic this afternoon?"

"Yes, of course."

"And Kara? If you decide to go, don't go alone."

Kara thanked him again and ended the call. She leaned against her car, trying to make sense of the information Deaton had just given her. If there really was someone out there who knew about Kara's abilities, who knew what she was…Kara would finally get answers to the questions that had been burning in her lungs for years. And not just about her either. If she could learn more about what she was, then maybe she could figure out why her mother became so sick after she was bitten. Why she slowly deteriorated for twelve years. Kara's chest tightened with grief. She owed it to her mother to find out the truth.

Don't go alone. After so many years of fending for herself, going alone was her first instinct. Kara was tempted to ignore Deaton's advice, but she'd made the mistake of solely relying on herself before.

Kara pulled out her phone and searched through her contacts. There was really only one person she could imagine asking for help from.

She dialled the number, biting her lip. Was she really ready to drag someone else into this? At least if anything went wrong and she was by herself, it would only affect her. If anything goes wrong and you're by yourself, you might not make it back alive, a voice reasoned. Kara had barely escaped with her life the last time she'd sought out a stranger for answers. She should have asked for help a long time ago.

"Hi. I…I need your help."