Elijah refused to take Zed to a hospital, and Victor wasn't arguing. Everyone knew there was nothing anyone could do for him after Xav managed to heal his superficial injuries. The memory Zed held of him killing me was buried too deep for him to shake off, and no one was entirely sure what to do next. So we were taken by to Wrickenridge to organise ourselves and figure out exactly how to take the Kellys down.

That was now something I was determined to do. As far as I was concerned, that was all that was left. Daniel Kelly had ruined my life. Now, I was going to return the favour.

"You need to eat something," Karla scolded me gently.

I didn't look up from the kitchen table, drumming my fingertips on the surface. It was Monday morning, and the others were getting ready for school. Thea was staying with Karla and Saul while they tried to organise getting her into the high school, and Xav was watching over Zed to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Alex and Yves had spent most of the night trying to convince me to give Zed room by going to school and acting normal, but they gave up shortly when I broke through their mental blocks and pushed them back out of the room, locking the door behind them.

"Honey, starving yourself isn't the answer," Karla persisted, sitting herself down opposite me with a concerned look.

"No, because there is no answer," I replied, tensing irritably. Karla blinked at me, and I sighed heavily and forced myself to relax. "I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything since you got back," she frowned softly.

"That would be because I'm not hungry."

"Grace, honey," she sighed, taking my hand from the table before I could pull back. I flinched automatically, but she held on with a slight frown. "If anyone is going to get Zed through this, it's you. Please, I know you might not worry about yourself like everyone else does, but if you won't look after yourself for us, do it for Zed. Please?"

I shuffled awkwardly, my eyes boring into hers. What was I supposed to say to that? Zed truly believed he'd killed me. He must have thought I was a hallucination, at best. How was me sticking around helping him? And how on Earth was I ever going to get him back? I just didn't see how it could be possible. It wasn't like Daniel Kelly was going to offer to reverse it.

But this was Zed's mother. How was I supposed to sit here and tell her I already knew her son was gone?

Reluctantly, I pulled my hand back from hers and took the plate of pancakes she'd placed on the table. Her lips twitched sadly in relief, and she pushed herself up to sort her own breakfast.

"Look who's up!" I flicked my eyes carefully to the side to see Xav beaming at me from the doorway. "You've been quiet all night, I thought I'd gone deaf."

"I'm beginning to wish I had," I muttered sourly, chewing through the pancakes with great difficulty.

He held out his hands in surrender when Karla shot him a stern look. "I'm leaving!" he defended. "Victor asked me to pass on a message. He said he and Elijah will be here in fifteen minutes to talk to you."

My mood sank even lower. "There's nothing else to say," I mumbled darkly.

Xav and Karla exchanged strange looks. "Matthews is still after you and Alex," he pointed out carefully, and I had to bite my tongue to stop me saying what was on my mind. Right now, I couldn't care less if my father came over here himself. "This isn't over, Grace."

I locked my jaw and pushed myself to my feet, forgetting the rest of the pancakes as I glared at Xav. "It is for me," I replied shortly. His face straightened, and he made to say something else, but before he could, Zed barged past, not bothering to apologise when Xav stumbled out of his way with a scowl. I went rigid on the spot, and I knew he could tell I was here, but he ignored me completely.

"Zed," Karla started cautiously, watching as her son snatched the keys to his motorbike off the counter. "Where are you going?"

"School," Zed replied gruffly, striding back out of the room without looking at any of us.

Xav blinked, watching him leaving for a second, then shooting his mother a strange look. "He's going to do something stupid, isn't he?"

Karla sighed heavily. "Perhaps you should warn Alex and Yves."

Rolling my eyes, I took a deep breath followed Zed out of the room, my fists clenched at my sides in restraint. This was stupid. It didn't even make sense! I wasn't dead, I wasn't even hurt, and Zed was breaking. Gritting my teeth, I strode straight out of the house, quickly finding Zed by the garage. Hesitating only a split second, I collected my nerves as best as I could and rushed forward, skidding to a halt in front of his bike just as he climbed on it.

His eyes hovered over my face for a nanosecond, before dropping to his handlebars with a scowl. "Get out of the way."

"Oh look, he speaks," I snapped irritably. "When are you going to get over this?"

He snorted, shaking himself. "Out of the way. Now."

"Or what? You'll run me over?" He flinched painfully. "You see?" I gawped. "How the hell could you have hurt me if you can't even run me over when you think I'm already dead?"

"Grace, get out of the way!" he yelled.

"Look at me then," I shrugged simply, and his jaw locked. "Zed, you didn't hurt me, for Christ sake, you know that!"

Something shifted across his face. "Please. Move." He wasn't angry any more. His voice was too quiet and too soft.

There was a large lump in my throat as I took a step back, moving out of his way. Starting the ignition, he still wouldn't look at me as he pulled away. He had to realise I was still here, didn't he? How long could he go on convincing himself that this was a hallucination?

"We'll get him back, Grace."

I glanced back at Alex, stood in the doorway, with a scowl. "In the meantime, if you could look out for him without getting arrested, that would be great."

My brother's face twitched irritably, but he put it straight when Thea cleared her throat pointedly behind him. My eyes rolled of their own accord. "I'll try my best," he promised through his teeth.

Karla kept me in the house after that. Saul had headed out to work with Thea and Xav, while Alex and Yves kept an eye on Zed at school. Honestly, I wanted to be out, sorting things out at the stables, which for the time being, had been closed, with the stable-hands in to look after the horses and nothing else. But Karla didn't trust me out there alone, so now I was stuck in here.

Victor and Elijah arrived exactly when they said they would. Neither of them looked at all pleased; Elijah had failed to take out the Kellys, and Victor's brother's fate rested in the balance. But, credit to them, they both looked very determined.

"How you doing this morning, kid?" Elijah grimaced at me as they settled in the living room.

I rolled a cup of coffee between my hands, my eyebrows tight. "Oh yeah. Great. Apparently, I'm dead, so having a heart beat and still being able to breath is quite an accomplishment. Can't complain."

He scoffed at me. "And your brother thinks you don't have a sense of humour." I shot him a cool look.

"There's something we need to run past you," Victor told me, ignoring Elijah's casual chatting.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Elijah took a deep breath. "As far as we can tell, Zed's false memories are buried much deeper than anything Thea experienced, probably because he resisted a lot more than she was able to." I flinched at the thought, but pursed my lips and forced myself to listen. "Unfortunately, this means it's going to take quite a lot to shift it. In fact, we think the only person that can undo the damage is someone like Kelly."

"Someone who can alter memories?" I stared. He nodded slowly. "So now you're telling me the only way I get my soulfinder back is the search the planet for one more Savant?"

"Yes," he conceded. "Or we would be. If we hadn't already found one."

I gawped, my chest tightening in shock. For a moment, it wasn't physically possible for me to make a sound. Finally, I managed to choke quietly, clearing my throat. "What?" I breathed. "You can't be serious."

"Deadly," Elijah nodded. "Excusing the pun."

Victor glared at him. "We didn't have to look far," he explained patiently. "Daniel Kelly is very paranoid about his gift. So when he stumbled across someone with the potential to undo all of his work, he kept her close enough to ensure she didn't."

"She's still alive?" I blinked.

"It seems so," he frowned. "For what reason we don't know." By the tone of his voice, it couldn't have been anything good.

"Thing is, she's back in Vegas," Elijah grimaced.

"Under Kelly's protection," I glowered. "Look how well it worked the first time we were there."

The two of them exchanged a strange look. "You got Zed out, Grace," Elijah muttered, and it took me a moment to realise what they were suggesting.

"You've got to be kidding me," I blinked. "You want me to go in there and get her out? How am I supposed to do that?"

"Grace, this girl could be the key to bringing them down," Victor frowned. "If she can reverse the effects on all of Kelly's victims, then we have him, and Matthews is locked out of America. She'll be able to fix Zed's memories."

"Assuming she wants to," I scowled. "Just because I rush in there and break her out, it won't mean she trusts me."

"You don't know that," he argued.

"Yes I do," I snapped back, pushing myself to my feet and pacing in front of them. "This girl has been locked away by some psychotic criminal Savant for years. She isn't going to trust anyone, even if they do break her out of that place. The first thing that will cross her mind is what we'll expect in return, and she'll be right! We're going to break her out, just to force her to testify against the man who's been ruling her life for God knows how long, and you think she isn't going to be slightly suspicious?"

They exchanged another look. "The truth is, we have no other option," Victor finally admitted with a small shrug.

My lips pursed. "And how to do you expect me to break her out?"

Elijah snorted. "You can turn back time," he pointed out.

"Which is useless if they're blocking their mind off strongly enough, and they manage to shoot me before I can push them back," I pointed out dryly. "I might be able to reserve their movements, but it isn't actual time travel."

"We're aware of that," Victor nodded. "And we'll protect you as much as possible. But you've already managed it once, and the Kellys want you enough to let you slip through their security if you're caught. They won't kill you unless they have no other option."

"Like if they catch me breaking this girl out you mean?" I frowned.

He immediately made to argue, but Elijah held up a hand to silence him. "Grace, the thing is, you're the first person in a long time that's been able to break through Daniel Kelly's defences at all."

"What about you?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "If Matthews find out I'm here, things will escalate and that contingency plan I was talking about will have to be used. That's too many people's lives to mess with when we're so close to closing the US off for him."

I shifted on the spot, glancing between the two of them slowly. It was starting to sound like I hadn't actually got much say in the matter, but honestly, did that matter? There was a chance, however small, that this girl could fix all this. Wasn't that worth it, even if the odds were stacked against us?

The odds that Zed was your soulfinder in the first place weren't good, the voice at the back of my mind reminded me. Hell, the odds are always stacked against you.

"Alright," I sighed heavily. "What do I need to do?"

Victor straightened out. "We think we've located her in one of the buildings in Kelly's complex."

"Think," I muttered exasperatedly. "This is off to a good start."

"There is a catch," Elijah grimaced. I lifted an eyebrow cautiously. "Technically, this hasn't been authorised."

For a moment, I stared. Then his words seemed to register properly, and my jaw hung open. "You're telling me I'm kidnapping someone?"

"It's not kidnap if they're being held against their will in the first place," he shrugged at me.

"You've got to be kidding," I breathed at him, wide eyed.

"We wouldn't ask you to do this if there was any other way," Victor frowned at me, and I knew he was thinking about what Zed was going to say when he found out what I was agreeing to. If he bothered to pay attention, that was.

Sighing heavily, I shrugged. "I've already agreed to do it. Just get me there, and I'll do my best to get her out."

He nodded at me, opening his mouth to continue his instructions, but before he could say anything, my phone gave a shrill ring from my pocket. Restraining a groan, I pulled it out and glared at the screen. Yves. What the hell was going on this time?

"Hello?" I answered with an impending sense of doom.

"You're going to want to get down here," Yves's rushed voice came. "Alex and Zed, they're . . ."

"Again?" I growled, anger suddenly burning in my chest as though his words had just lit a fire. "I'm on my way."

"What's wrong?" Victor frowned as I hung up.

"Alex and Zed are fighting again," I snapped back, already stalking toward the front door. "For once in his life, would it be so difficult for my brother to do as he was told!"

Victor drove me down to the school, leaving Elijah to co-ordinate with the FBI and Vegas police department so that we could get to the girl as soon as possible. But I'd already forgotten about that for now. Why was it so difficult for Alex to hold his tongue for five minutes? All he had to do was make sure Zed didn't run off or start another fight. Apparently, that was harder than it sounded.

By the time the car pulled up outside the school, a large crowd had gathered around Zed and his friends. I couldn't make out much, but it was enough to set my teeth on edge. Without waiting for Victor, I leapt out of the car and slammed the door shut, bolting forward and shoving my way through the crowd.

"-you calm down?" Yves was snapping irritably, above the jeering of the crowd. He was stood in front of Zed, holding him back away from Alex, who's fists were clenched as he tried to keep away. Zed was glowering, angrier than I'd ever seen him before, his flashing eyes locked onto Alex's face.

"Oh, for Christ sake," I grumbled, pushing my way further through and heading straight for Alex. "Get out of here," I snapped at him, grabbing his arm and pushing him toward the crowd. He blinked in surprise for a moment, like he hadn't expected me to be there. "Go! Victor has the car."

He's unstable, Grace, he warned me with a frown, his eyes flicking back toward Zed, who'd gone rigid on the spot. I know his your soulfinder, but I'm not leaving you with him while he's like this.

"You don't have a say in the matter," I growled back under my breath, shoving him harder this time. "Now go!"

We've been here before, Olivia, he warned. You know that.

I flinched on the spot. Out of my sight, Alex. This is my problem, not yours.

Glaring at me, he turned and pushed his way through the crowd, who all groaned in disappointment. Glowering at them all, I spun around and shot forward, grabbing Zed's arm before he could move too far away.

"Don't," he growled at me.

I ignored him. "It's time you and I had a little talk."

"Let go, Grace. I mean it."

"So do I," I snapped back. "I'm fed up of cleaning up the mess after you and Alex, so we're sorting this out. Now."

The crowd were casting us strange looks, and I caught sight of Louisa and Niall gawping at me in shock, but I kept moving, dragging Zed through the crowd and back toward the school building. Yves was muttering something behind me, probably trying to make sure no one followed us, but he eventually moved out of earshot.

"Let go of me, Grace," Zed repeated through his teeth.

I cast my eyes back toward him, a lump forming in my throat. "No."

For a fraction of a second, his anger disappeared and he blinked in surprise, but as I yanked the door to an empty classroom open and shoved him inside, his eyes narrowed again. Ignoring it, I locked the door firmly behind me and leant against it, refusing to move out of his way.

"There's nothing left to say," he warned me under his breath.

I scoffed. "You know, I said the same thing this morning. There's actually plenty left. Like how you can't see there's nothing wrong with me."

His scowl remained in place for all of another second. Then it slipped and an expression crossed his face, so pained I might have actually felt my legs give way if I hadn't been leaning against the door. "I watched you die," he mumbled, and my chest clenched tightly. "I-I could feel your throat-" He cut off, wincing sharply, and a horrified sob choked me as my eyes started to burn.

"No," I insisted, shaking my head furiously and moving closer. He flinched, but didn't move back. "Zed, you didn't do that, okay? Kelly put that memory in your mind, you know that! Look at me, I'm still here!"

"It felt so real," he muttered, and I took his face in my hands and crushed my lips to his before I could stop myself. He melted in the same second, locking his arms around my waist and kissing me so deeply, I shivered.

"It wasn't," I promised him quietly as he rested his forehead on mine, shaking all over.

"How do I know that?" he frowned. "How do I know anything anymore? If I can't tell what's real and what isn't, how do I trust anything, if I can't even trust my own mind?"

My stomach churned anxiously. "You can trust me," I breathed, and his eyes locked on mine. He looked so lost, and so hurt, I almost burst into tears on the spot. In that moment, I panicked. This wasn't me. I wasn't this emotional, I wasn't brave enough to break into the Kelly's stronghold again. I didn't run trouble. I never had. So why was I doing all that now?

Because he needs you to, the voice in my mind supplied again. He's your soulfinder and he needs you. It's that simple.

I gulped hard. "We can get through this Zed," I assured him softly. "You just need to trust me." He stared, torn, and slowly, he lowered his lips to mine. I immediately fell into it, my hands in his hair, pulling myself closer and forgetting everything but me and him.

By the time we pulled ourselves apart, we were both breathless and shaking. "Okay," he choked quietly. "What do we need to do?"