I'm sorry for taking so long. I was trying to decide the best course of action for the plot, and there were some facts that I needed to brush up on but was too lazy to reread. Poor, panicky Tamara! But now they're all back. And I sorta made something up, but come on, I had to! Anyway, that's what fanfiction is about, right? And I hope you like the new cover... much darker... nice, isn't it?

The world stood frozen in place, dead silent except for Evan's heavy breathing. The twelve children of Miss Canary's, Evan, the unconscious Wight, and petrified Tamara and the other monster.

No one spoke. The Wight held its gun casually, yet kept it fixed on Tamara. Tamara was blind with fear, the only thing keeping her motionless being the knowledge that she would die if she so much as relaxed her grip on her gun.

Evan wanted to cry out, but he knew that doing that would be fatal.

The Wight gestured wordlessly for Tamara to walk. Tears streaming down her face, mind unable to think a single thing, she complied.

They faced each other, walking sideways to stay on guard. Everyone was still quiet.

Soon, they were at the exit from the loop. The Wight indicated for Tamara to leave.

She didn't think about it, really. What was there to think about? She was having another nervous breakdown, worse than the time with the Hollow. This time, she couldn't even think. It was like she had gone into shock.

No expression was on her face. Evan stared at her from across the room, willing her to look his way. But she didn't.

Soundlessly, she turned to leave.

And then she attacked.

It was lightning fast; Evan didn't even see it. But he heard it all right.

The gunshot rang through the air. Tamara had shot the Wight, faking it out first. Since it hadn't expected it, she had managed to throw off its aim before it struck back.

But of course the Wight shot her back. It was obvious the way the blood blossomed on her sleeve, the way she gasped more piercing than any gunshot, the way she stumbled to the ground.

The Wight wasn't even dead. Tamara had shot it in the torso, but it was taking a long time to die. Evan abandoned all caution, racing over to Tamara, when it coughed out to him, "I will get you anyway. We all will. And you will wish I had killed you instead."

Evan ignored the chilling words, kneeling down next to Tamara. The Wight was wrong. She wasn't dead. He kept telling himself that.

Tamara was already out cold. No person should go through that, Evan thought. Not even peculiars.

He glanced up at Miss Canary's wards. They were staring at him with a mixture of sorrow and gratitude.

"Can you help her?" he asked desperately.

"I think so," said the girl who had helped him before. The children glanced at each other, and in unison they parted. A skinny kid with thin snow-colored hair stood in the empty space. She seemed about nine years old, but Evan knew she could really be more than ninety. The price of living in time loops had been one of the factors that had made him and Tamara turn down the offer to join Miss Canary's wards years ago.

The little girl walked silently through the parted crowd. When she reached Evan beside Tamara, she whispered, "I can heal people. But I have never tried a bullet wound before."

Evan nodded, his heartbeat loud in his ears. The children, still handcuffed to one another, had to shuffle closer so the young girl could reach Tamara.

The girl knelt next to her. She touched her wounded arm, mumbling quiet words. It seemed to take forever to Evan. He was about to say something when she breathed, "The bullet did not stay in her arm. She is healed."

With that, the odd girl stood up and departed back into the group, which effectively swallowed her. For eleven kids, they were exceptional at blocking her from view once again.

Evan looked down at Tamara. The color that had vanished from her cheeks because of blood loss had begun to return. She would be all right.

His POV

I was taken to a place. It was a loop; that was clear.

My superior motioned for me to go in.

I stared at him. Surely he knew I couldn't go in loops?

"Special loop," he said as if guessing the reason for my hesitation. "Created by one of us. He has relations to an ymbryne. This allows him to let Hollowgasts into other times."

He didn't exactly explain it correctly in my opinion, but being technically not a sentient creature, I didn't care.

I entered the loop, expecting to feel some amazing change. The air around me pushed, as though I was not wanted there, but I shoved past.

And then I was through. Instead of some strange thing like I'd imagined, everything was basically the same. Except for some stuff, of course, but nothing important to me.

Then the odor hit me.

It was sudden, smelling of fish and rural life. It made my mouth water.

And there was also the unmistakable scent of syndrigasti.

I made to trail after it, but just then the leader entered the loop, too. He shook his head at me and gestured for me to follow him.

He led me to something wholly odd. A building completely encased in ice.

Hundreds of leaders and other Hollows were attacking it, trying to find ways in.

Syndrigasti were in there. Food.

I pressed against the building. There was Food in there.

Is that why I am here? the human part of me asked.

The commander of our leaders nodded. He pointed wordlessly to a crack in the ice covering the building.

The meaning was clear once I looked at the tiny crevasse: go inside because you are the only one small enough. Of course the other, fatter Hollowgasts couldn't get through; they'd eaten too many syndrigasti.

And of course, I would redeem myself in their eyes.

But could I?

Yes, I could. I had to. There was Food – syndrigasti – in there.

And maybe, maybe I could stop myself in time and get answers.

I dove into the hole.