Pain tore through Royce, seering him, blinding him to everything else. It shot up from his hand the instant Joey had disappeared. He had never felt such pain, even when he died. He would have crumpled to the ground if his muscles would work.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pain that seeped into his very core flowed out of him like a cloud passing slowly through him. This time, once the stinging subsided to a dull ache, he did fall to the floor. He coughed violently, his body trying to expell a substance he didn't have.

Royce's mind began working again. The first thing he realized was that he was breathing. He lifted his hands to look at them. They were flesh, living flesh. Moving his to his knees, he frantically patted his naked body, checking to see if it was true. He found warm skin, his scars replaced by a pulse. A triumphant laugh escaped his lips.

"Joey," he still laughed. He looked up at the table and knew something was wrong. "Joey?"

Royce stood and stared at the still body. She wasn't breathing. He hooked his arm under her, half lifting her off the table. Her body moved stiffly. His fingers moved to her cold, pale cheek.

"No, Joey," he pleaded, his voice sounding loud in the dead silence. Tears spilled from his new living eyes. "Don't let the first time I feel you be the last."

He pulled her fully against his chest, laying her head on his shoulder. Sobs wracked him as he rocked her back and forth. He looked up to see her brother standing, naked, staring, weeping. That's when Royce heard it. A deep, gasping breath at his ear as the body in his arms shifted.

"Joey," he questioned, pulling the body back.

She breathed deeply for a moment. The color returned to her skin, and when her eyes focused on him a weak smile tugged at her lips.

"Look like you've...seen a ghost," she whispered.

Royce laughed through his tears. Again clutching her tightly to him, he looked at Denny. The brother smiled past his sad eyes.

"We thought we'd lost you," Royce said, petting her hair.

Joey had just enough strength to turn her head to Dennis.

"Denny should know," she rasped. "Takes more than that to get rid of me."

Her eyes narrowed at her brother, then she looked down at Royce.

"Get some clothes, the both of you."

Denny hurried out, feeling awkward in the tensed tender moment. Royce held Joey a few more seconds, gently touching her face with his fingers. He laid her gently back on the table, grasping her hand.

"Will you be alright by yourself," he asked concerned.

She nodded weakly. "No problem."

He leaned in, brushing hair off her forehead. He planted a kiss on her temple. His finger lingered reluctantly in her hand before he left the room.

---

Joey awoke in the bedroom, covered up to her chin. Royce or Denny must have carried her there. Darkness still hung thick in the sky. Checking her watch, she found it was five o'clock in the morning.

She sat up, yawning. For a blissful moment she didn't remember the bad, painful things that had happened some hours ago. She only recollected the look of Royce's unscarred face and the feel of his fingers on his cheek. Then, everything came flooding back to her.

A coldness struck her back, chilling her to the bone. She whipped the covers off and ran to take a hot shower. After drying and changing quickly, she packed everything she had brought and some she hadn't.

She rushed through the eerily empty halls to the library. There she found Royce and Denny loitering around, speaking quietly to each other. They stopped talking as soon as she entered.

"Joey, you're awake," Dennis said, walking over to her.

"Yeah, that happened when people are done sleeping," she joked.

Denny smiled and hugged her shoulders. "Well, you never were the kind to do things simple."

Joey noticed the Arcanum lying on the floor. She moved away from her brother and bent to pick it up.

"I wanna get out of here," she said, stuffing the book in her pack. "Right now."

"How are we going to," Royce asked curiously. "Your car was totaled and mine wasn't real."

"My van's still here," Denny blurted out. "I hid it the night I came here. It hasn't moved."

Joey nodded. "Good. Let's go."

It somewhat surprised her that they didn't ask her why. They couldn't know. She wasn't even sure. Maybe they'd learned it was best to follow their instincts, and their instincts said to follow her.

Dennis left first, walking quickly out of the room as Royce stood. He stepped before her and gently took the pack form her arm. He didn't say anything, just took her hand and led her into the hall. There was something they left unspoken between them, as if saying the words might taint it or make it disappear all together. Their walk was quiet, but the silence was not empty or meaningless.