Every second counted.

Chloe took less than five minutes to grab everything she needed before rushing out of the house to her truck. Her tires had screeched onto the road when her phone rang. Seeing the number, she picked up instantly.

"Brooke!"

"Chloe." The voice on the other end sounded coarse and drained. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I managed to snap out of it. You too, huh?"

"Just barely. Had help. Kate and the rest are taking me to the hospital right now."

Chloe's chest loosened. "Good. I'm glad you're okay. Really."

"What happened to us?"

"Some kind of mental compulsion—I dunno. That woman fucked us over good. I'm looking for some payback."

"You're going after them? Chloe, they'll kill you."

"They said they're after Rachel next. I have to stop them. Look, I'll call you back. Gotta find them before—"

"They just left, driving west from Blackwell towards Arcadia Bay Drive."

"What? How did you—"

"It's quite a view from the top floor of Blackwell. Hard to miss a big black SUV driving out of the football field and crashing through the fence." She paused. "There were these huge scorch marks on the turf. Chloe, what's going on?"

Shit! If the Twins are alive and leaving Blackwell, that means Rachel—

"No time to explain." Cradling the phone in her ear, Chloe fired up the engine and backed out into the road, tires screeching. "I have to find them NOW."

"Chloe, you need backup—"

"No one's coming to help. Either I get to Rachel or we lose them forever. Wish me luck."

"Alright, Chloe. If you get through this..." She stopped, chuckling to herself. "What am I saying? It's you. Of course you got this. Look—check your email later. I'm sending you the unencrypted files."

"You didn't delete them?"

"Recovering files is the first thing I learned as a hacker. Good hunting, Chloe. Glad you made it."

"Me too. Thanks, Brooke." Chloe let the phone drop from her shoulder and pushed her truck faster. If those Twins were driving west, there was only one place in town they could be headed. The one place Rachel was afraid to go.

Brooke's right; the Twins ARE dangerous. But they've got three disadvantages: They don't know these roads like I do. They're up against me and Rachel. And they think they've already won.

Maja leaned back against the headrest and focused on her breathing. Her head was close to bursting, like some wild animal was trapped inside, beating at its cage. She couldn't wait to get this over with.

Still, the hard part was done. Now that she'd notified Father, they would all be coming here. All of Dionysus converging on this backwater town and giving it its moment in history—the site of their final victory.

Alrik was driving a little too slowly for her taste, but she understood that he didn't want to catch attention during this delicate stage. Running red lights and breaking the speed limit were sure ways of getting flagged down by a traffic cop, who would be sure to stick their nose into their battered appearance and the girl strapped in the back seat. She wasn't sure she could use her gaze one more fucking time.

She glanced at Alrik, but her brother remained focused on driving. He's squinting. He hasn't fully regenerated from eating the three million watts of atmospheric rage the princess had called down. And speaking of…

Grinning, Maja turned her head to look behind her. Rachel Amber was fast asleep, sitting up and secured by her seatbelt, her breathing even and slow. Each time Maja looked at her, she couldn't suppress the giddiness that made her want to bounce in her seat.

The last Incarnate! We've dreamed of this for so long! Having her here made the suffering worth it. Now, there was only the celebration.

Inhaling deeply, she laid back again and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they had reached the northern borders of town. Up ahead was the right turn to the narrow dirt road leading to the Theater—and once they crossed that building's threshold, their victory would be complete.

Wait. As Alrik turned into the service road, he hit the brakes. Some thirty feet ahead, a rusty yellow truck was parked across the dirt.

Maja's brows curled up at the sight. "Hva i helvete?"

Even as she gazed at it in confusion, a green-haired mop poked out from the other side of the hood, followed swiftly by a handgun. She had no time to duck before the muzzle flash and two bangs—but no bullet pierced the windshield. Instead, the clank came from the front of their vehicle.

Did she shoot our fucking radiator?

Seething, Maja turned to her twin. "We're close to the Theater! Get rid of her before the car dies on us!"

With a single, scowling nod, Alrik shoved his door open. Maja sat back and crossed her arms. That girl, she seethed. Broke out of my compulsion, did she? She has some guts to follow us out here. But if guts are all she has, she'll be dead before she knows it.

Chloe crouched next to her truck's front wheel. She didn't think for a second she could hit the broad side of a barn with the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but she caught the spark on the SUV's grill and knew one of her shots had landed. That established her as a threat. She wouldn't risk firing another—she had glimpsed a golden head in the backseat and realized they had Rachel helpless under that woman's spell. From now on, all her shots had to be at dead aim.

A car door slamming made her peer over the truck's hood. The gorilla guy—Alrik—stood beside the SUV, feet planted apart as he shrugged off his coat. He looked hurt; dark web-like burns ran down his neck and his pale hair was partially singed. Rachel must've given him a hell of a beating. With any luck, he would go down easier this time.

Her plan was nothing fancy—distract the gorilla first, then run in and shoot Maja, all without looking her in the eye. If she could take that woman out, Rachel would be free to kick Alrik's ass and they could make their escape.

Yeah, right. While I'm at it, I might as well Chuck Norris my way through Area 51 and free all the aliens.

But without Max's time powers, what did they have left? Who else was going to fight for Rachel?

Me, that's who. If she's a witch, then—then I'm her knight.

The passenger side window rolled down and the white-haired bitch shouted, "Chloe Elizabeth Price! What a surprise! I pegged you for a dead girl half an hour ago!"

"Guess you did a shit job!" Chloe shouted back, pointing the handgun again. She doubted she could hit her through the windshield; better not waste her literal handful of ammo. "Why don't you step outside and I'll show you how it's done, yeah?"

"Ha ha, listen to this sly hurpe! Well, girl, since you're chasing your death, we'll oblige you!"

Chloe realized too late that Maja was merely distracting her; the rapid heavy footfalls and the shadow passing overhead were her only warnings. She spun on her heel in time to find Alrik landing in a ground-shattering crouch on the dirt before her. Before she could train her pistol on him, his enormous hand reached out, catching her neck in his grasp.

Too goddamn fast!

They'd played her like an idiot child with a single move. He lifted her like a rag doll, his grip robbing her lungs of air. The gun dropped from her now nerveless hand. She couldn't move or think, was left gasping for breaths that wouldn't come, unconsciousness only seconds away—if he didn't snap her neck first.

"Keep your cool, kiddo." Her dad's voice rang in her head. Remember the plan. You got this. For an instant, his voice quelled her panic. Her hands knew what to do.

She slipped her left hand into her back pocket and pulled out the gin flask she'd prepared. The man's forehead must be built like a rock; she doubted she could plant a bullet through his skull.

Chloe was counting on it.

She hurled the bottle full force at him. It shattered on his forehead, spilling its contents in rivulets down his face and shoulders. Alrik registered surprise if not pain, but only for a moment—until the liquid filled his eyes and he choked on the fumes.

So you're not invincible everywhere, Chloe thought, satisfied. Gorilla dude, meet C3H6O—acetone. Flashpoint: -4° F.

Her lungs still burned for air, but she jammed her right hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out her lighter. One flick brought a flame to life.

Acetone, meet Bic lighter. Temperature: 1600° F.

She hurled the lighter at Alrik's head. She botched the throw, turning it into a spin. It bounced off his white crown and, for a horrifying instant, she thought it didn't take.

But then the blue and orange flames erupted from the top of his head and ran down his hair. His eyes bulged before his face disappeared behind a sheet of flame. He released his hold on her as he dropped to his knees, his head a roaring fireball.

Chloe fell on her side, gagging and gasping as she massaged her neck. It felt bruised and every muscle below it was screaming, but she had air again—sweet, precious air! She pushed herself to sit up and felt around for her gun. Panic surged through her when she couldn't find it, but a glint behind the tire caught her eye and she reached out till her fingers clutched the heated metal.

Using the car door to haul herself onto her feet, she pointed the gun at her attacker. All seven feet of him was on his knees like a penitent, one hand clasped around his eyes with the other futilely trying to beat the flames. His shirt had caught fire as well. While his skin wasn't going to be more than a little singed, the flames left him blinded and starving for air. Despite that, he hadn't uttered a single moan or cry of pain.

'Forget him!' Her dad said in her ear. 'You'll never put him down, so stick to the plan!'

Maja. Chloe dragged in another breath before jogging around her truck. The SUV was just ahead, Maja with her head out the window, yelling for her brother. She had no idea what Chloe had done to him. She was vulnerable!

Chloe broke into a run, keeping her gaze low as she worked her legs as fast as they could go. This was the crucial moment. It had to be quick and point-blank; she didn't dare shoot blindly with Rachel trapped in that enclosed space.

She had made it halfway to her target when Maja said something that chilled her to the bone.

"You think averting your gaze will save you? But little girl, you've already seen my eyes."

Ignore her! Breathing hard, Chloe pushed herself even faster and raised the gun, finger hot on the trigger. The SUV was less than six feet away.

"Let's try it. Don't think about my eyes. Don't think about what they look like, all black and yellow and full of suffering."

And to Chloe's horror, her mind conjured up the image of Maja's tar-pit gaze and the sickly yellow cornea that emitted a tidal wave of colors. Only this time, the only colors she saw were shades of red.

Chloe gasped as a sickening pain ravaged her body—as if her bones had turned to glass and her every step was shattering her. The jagged pieces cut into her flesh and sinew, tiny splinters entering her bloodstream and ripping through each vessel. White spots erupted across her vision. Her knees buckled, her feet dragged as though she had stepped into quicksand. Then she pitched forward, bodily slamming onto the ground, the gun skittering from her grasp.

She dimly caught the car door slamming and the scrape of leather shoes on the road.

"How do you like my Agonizing Gaze, Chloe Elizabeth Price?" said Maja, coming to stand before her. "Compulsion won't work on you after the first time, but as you can see, pain is still very much on the table."

A ragged scream tore itself from Chloe's throat. The slivers of glass were working themselves behind her eyes, slicing up nerves and muscles with each heartbeat. Tears ran down her cheeks; she thought she might be weeping blood. She reached out, her fingertips brushing the SUV's grill before her arm collapsed to the ground.

Rachel…

Rachel dreamed.

The audience was already on their feet, their applause turning thunderous as she took the stage for her encore. She grinned as she and her co-star stepped into the banked lights, Dulcinea arm in arm with her Don Quixote. They bowed together. He kissed her hand before gesturing grandly to the audience, and their applause came down on her in a torrent of adulation. There was nothing to do but bask in it.

She shone in her heaven, exactly where she was meant to be.

Maja's shadow fell upon Chloe like a bird of prey. "My, my, you ARE persistent," the woman chuckled. "Look at you, a worm trying to wriggle into the apple."

Screeching, Chloe strained to reach her gun, but Maja simply kicked the pistol away and bent over her. "Don't pass out now, girl. You're so close. Just tell yourself—the pain's all in your head."

Chloe doubled over as the agony seized her again. A million fire ants were marching over her, ripping into every square inch of her flesh. But something else drew her attention—a slither of leather, followed by the cock of a pistol somewhere above her head. She looked up, up at the towering dark giant before her, the twin red suns it had for eyes stabbing into her brain.

"That's it, keep trying. Prolong it. You know, of everyone in this armpit of a town, you're the one who's given us the most trouble. Think about that on your way to hell."

This is it, Chloe thought, head dropping to the ground. Her tongue tasted of dirt and bile and she thought she might puke out her guts. I lost again. I'm sorry, Max. Sorry, Rachel. I love you so much. I'm sor—

"What are you doing, Chloe?"

Her father's voice rang so loud in her head that it momentarily blocked out the pain.

"It's in your left pocket! USE IT!"

Miles above her, Maja turned her gaze away and shrieked, "Alrik! Get a hold of yourself and come here!"

Chloe's eyes opened wide, but she didn't think twice. Clamping her jaws shut, she inched her hand down to her pocket—even this sent the muscles of her arm seizing and jerking.

"For the love of God, Alrik, are you a man or a little boy? Do you need me to wipe your ass for you? Get over here and get rid of this filth so we can go!"

Gritting her teeth, Chloe shoved her hand further down into her pocket, till at last her fingers closed around a cylindrical plastic handle. She shut her eyes and grinned.

Dad…thank you.

She coughed once and spat the acid out of her mouth. The first word she spoke came out as a groan.

"What's that, girl?" Maja said, bending over Chloe again. "Something on your mind?"

Pressing her forehead to the ground for leverage, Chloe pulled her knees under her, cleared her parched throat, and made her tongue work through willpower alone.

"I'm—"

Her mind focused on one image: a coiled spring, tightly wound and straining to release. This was her last chance. If she fucked up, she'd be dead—and so would Rachel.

"Not—"

She pulled her eyes up to the dark giant before her, stared directly into the two agonizing suns.

"DONE!"

Chloe sprang up, stabbing with everything she had. The two suns disappeared, and for an instant, darkness flooded the world. She tumbled back to earth with her hand and her head empty. The ringing in her ears told her she was still alive; what's more, the pain had vanished, leaving her body bereft of sensation.

Then a bloodcurdling scream pierced the dark.

Chloe's eyes flew open. She was prone with her cheek on the sun-baked soil. Before her sat Maja, her mouth and right eye round as black coins. From her left eye dangled the half-buried flathead screwdriver, its handle dripping dark blood on her darker suit. The woman sucked in a breath—and screamed like a harpy.

"Don't worry," Chloe sneered. "It's all in your head."

The noise of scraping rubber and metal made Chloe look behind. Thirty feet away, Alrik had shoved her truck to the side of the road and was back on his feet. His smoking head seemed comical now with his hair all burned away—but that look on his face. That look could give the devil a heart attack.

Swallowing hard, Chloe pushed herself onward, half-crawling, half-falling toward the SUV. As heavy footsteps pursued her, she put all her lungs into a scream:

"RACHEL!"

Applause. Rachel had never experienced so much of it all at once; it was like a tide carrying her from the shore.

Someone had turned the floodlights on. The house was packed and not a single person was sitting down; they had spilled into the aisles, filling the air with whistles and cheers and camera flashes. Everyone who was someone in her life had come to see her: her parents, her friends, even her enemies.

As she bowed once more, she knew this was it—the grandest moment of her life.

Except...

In the front row, right before her spot on the stage, a pair of adjacent seats stood empty. Though she smiled and waved toward every corner of the theater, her eyes were drawn inevitably back to those unoccupied chairs. An imperfection, like missing teeth from what would have been a beautiful smile.

Someone should be there, came her unwelcome thought. But I can't remember who. Why wouldn't they come to see me, tonight of all nights?

A bunch of people were coming from the aisles now—the stage crew, bearing a bouquet of lilies. She forgot about the empty chairs and turned to accept their gift.

Bearing the bouquet in their arms, two bronzed-skinned women approached her. One was matronly and sported dark curly hair, the other a grizzled old woman with a large nose and a kind smile. As they reached up to hand Rachel the flowers, the elderly woman asked, "Who are you?"

Rachel's hands froze and she could only stare back in response. Such a strange question. And how familiar the old woman seemed, like someone she had met in a dream.

"Who are you?" the old woman repeated, still smiling. "Why are you here?"

Who am I? I'm...I'm me. I've always been who I meant to be. And I'm here because of—

My heart's desire.

Her gaze fell once more on the two seats, all the emptier now that they were surrounded by a cheering crowd. Someone was supposed to be there tonight. People who knew her, who loved her best, and whom she loved in return. Why weren't they here?

Had they decided not to come?

Or was she the one who wasn't there for them, when they needed her?

She looked down at the lilies. Written on the ribbon was a pile of gibberish, a jumble of symbols that weren't even letters. It didn't even bear her name.

Who then was Rachel Amber? The lead actress in this world of cardboard and lights? Dulcinea, who was naught but flame and air?

The tears fell onto the flower petals before Rachel even realized she was weeping. From the pit, the orchestra was playing again, signaling it was time to leave. The crowd was still chanting for their encore. But through it all, she was hearing something else. A familiar voice that called to her with singular desperation.

Rachel.

Rachel!

RACHEL!

My heart's desire, she thought, a smile lighting up her face. I understand now. You know me for who I am and you love me just the same. As she let the bouquet fall from her grasp, Rachel released a deep sigh.

And opened her eyes.

Get to Rachel.

The footsteps thundering behind her pushed Chloe to crawl faster. She didn't dare look at her pursuer this time; the terror drove her on even as it threatened to suffocate her. Wiggling on the dirt, she managed to get to the rear door and struggled to reach it.

Just get to Rachel and we might have a chance.

Her fingers strained for the latch—and it lifted away from her hand.

Chloe blinked in confusion. Behind her, Alrik's footsteps tapered to a halt. Even Maja ceased her screaming as she sat on the dirt, gazing up in awe and growing dread.

The SUV was floating, weightless as it was buoyed up by a bed of swirling air.

"Rachel," Chloe coughed, letting her hand fall to her side.

Rising without pause, the car did a dreamlike spin before lying on its side. From below, a pair of bare feet, toenails painted black, emerged from the window, followed by legs clad in torn jeans and a familiar red plaid shirt. Slowly, as if revealed by a rising curtain, Rachel appeared before them, drifting in a cocoon of air.

"Rachel," Chloe whispered, eyes wide as saucers. She looked exactly as before—the angelic face, the lustrous mane glowing in the afternoon sun. But the glare when she opened her eyes. Something that wasn't Rachel lived in there, something that fed off of her rage, like flames on kindling.

The car stopped rising, hovering a foot above Rachel's head.

"No more," she intoned, staring down at the Twins. "YOU DON'T GET TO HURT THEM ANY MORE!"

The wind roared with her, and the SUV hurled itself at the Twins like a giant fist. Maja threw herself to the side; Alrik leaped forward, enormous arms outstretched, interposing himself between his sister and certain, crushing death. The car slammed into him with an unholy shriek of twisting metal and the wreck tumbled along the road, cutting furrows into the dirt as it slid to a halt several feet away.

Chloe tried to say her name again, but Rachel had wheeled to face Maja. The woman crouched on the ground, the screwdriver sticking out of her eye socket, her face a seething, crimson mask.

"Rachel, don't look at her!" Chloe warned as she wobbled to her feet. "Don't listen to what she says!"

Rachel seemed to hear; she averted her gaze as the groan of metal drew her attention. Further down the road, the SUV lifted away from the ground as Alrik emerged from underneath.

How is that fucker not dead? Even from here, Chloe could see the stark white of his eyes, radiating madness and fury. Then she shrank back as he reached for the SUV's closest tire and ripped it off the axle like it was made of paper. Baring his teeth, he cocked it back before hurling it full-force at Chloe.

There was no time for her to cry out or raise a warding hand. The enormous wheel spun toward her head like a flying guillotine—

Rachel whipped out her arm and a barrier of air blasted the tire over Chloe's head. The breath Chloe had been holding rushed out in a wheeze. Then her eyes widened as Alrik ripped off the SUV's bumper.

"Look out!"

With dizzying speed, Alrik closed the distance to Rachel and leaped into the air, his makeshift club raised, ready to crash down upon that blonde head. Chloe reached a hand out to pull her back but she was far too late—

The steel bumper smashed into the road, sending up a cloud of dust and a shockwave that nearly knocked Chloe back down.

She could barely understand what her eyes were telling her. Above floated a translucent human figure that looked exactly like Rachel, but made from tip to toe with some form of bluish gel. Then her mind reeled back to that afternoon when they danced with Max on the waves—

It's water. She's turned her whole body into water.

If Alrik had noticed it, it didn't show. Grunting, he pulled back his club and struck again at Rachel's side. The bumper passed through her liquid form and came away wet—but then the droplets of water peeled away from its surface and reattached themselves to her body. Rachel didn't even flinch.

"Keep her busy, Alrik!" Maja cried, staggering to her feet. "I've got her!"

She raised her head to Rachel's floating form and spoke rapidly. "You don't have to look at me, Incarnate. You've already seen my eyes. Don't think about my eyes—"

"NO YOU DON'T, BITCH!" Chloe sprinted full-tilt at her. No more plans, no more tricks—she just needed to keep Maja's mouth shut. She launched herself at the taller woman, tackling her to the ground.

"Stupid fucking slut!" Maja shrieked. Her kick caught Chloe full on the chest and she fell back onto the dirt. Struggling to her feet, the woman turned to the side of the road. To where Chloe's gun lay.

"I said no fucking way!" Chloe lashed out with her foot and caught Maja's leg midstep. The woman face-planted onto the dirt and gave another guttural shriek.

Chloe lunged past her. Her fingers grasped her gun, nearly dropping it in her haste, and wheeled to point it at Maja. The woman hadn't moved, and Chloe quickly saw why. The fall had buried the screwdriver deeper into her eye.

Alrik, however, hadn't noticed what happened to his sister; he was trapped in tunnel vision, swinging futilely away at Rachel's liquid body. Rachel watched him without expression for a moment, then lifted her arm to the sky.

—KRAKOOM—

Chloe hadn't even noticed the dark clouds that had gathered overhead, and she felt—more than saw—the lightning that streaked down onto the steel bumper. Too late, she shielded her ears from the thunder; the painful flash scattered pale dots across her vision. When she looked up again, Alrik was frozen where he stood, the bumper held overhead, his hands sizzling against its red-hot surface. The air around them smelled strongly of chlorine.

But his face registered no pain; it was a mask of inhuman fury.

Rachel raised her hand again. A second bolt came shrieking down, the thunder sending Chloe reeling. Still, the giant kept to his feet, but his club fell from his weakened fingers. His shaking hands formed fists as he stumbled closer to Rachel, mouth open in a silent scream, arm poised to strike.

Rachel shoved her liquid hand into his wide-open mouth, surprising him to a stop. Another lightning bolt sizzled down, striking her body. This time, the blast of heated air knocked Chloe flat on her ass.

Wiping the dust from her eyes, she looked up to see Rachel withdrawing her hand from Alrik's mouth. The giant remained still, a smoking marble sculpture half-covered in burnt cloth. A plume of steam erupted from deep in his throat. He has no voice to cry out with, Chloe realized.

Alrik lingered on his feet a moment more, then pitched sideways onto the dirt and lay there, lifeless. As Chloe watched, Rachel's body reformed from her liquid state, gaining color and texture until she was human again.

She took a moment to regard the giant she had slain. But she was far from done. Turning, she floated over to where Maja lay, her feet never once touching the ground.

Keeping the gun trained on Maja, Chloe moved off to Rachel's side. But Maja seemed to have lost the will to fight. She weakly twisted her head, her good eye gazing sadly at her fallen brother.

"So..." she muttered. "That's that. Thought we'd make it, lillebror. We almost did."

With her remaining strength, Maja crawled over to Alrik. "But there's some comfort, at least. We die like Vikings. Together." Reaching her brother's body, she pressed her forehead to his enormous shoulder. "Like the kids we were, I get to sleep by your side."

Wordlessly, Chloe lowered her gun and looked up at Rachel. What else was there to do?

Rachel's expression hadn't changed. She raised her open palm and said, "This is for Juliet."

A blast of flame erupted from her fingers. Chloe turned away to escape the sudden heat and the sight of burning flesh. At least she was spared the cries; Maja died as quietly as her brother, consumed by the hungry flames.

Still, Chloe was surprised to find tears running down her face. Those two were more like monsters than people. The harm they caused...They deserved what they got, she was sure of it. And yet—

"Chloe?"

She hesitated a moment before turning around. Rachel stood on the dirt a couple of steps away, solid and real. There was no god-like aura on her now—just a girl who was lost, tired, and trying her best not to cry.

It was her Rachel.

Chloe opened her arms and Rachel fell into her embrace. They held each other quietly for a moment as it all sank in. They were together. They were alive.

Rachel reached up to Chloe's face and wiped her tears away. "Are you alright?"

"I-I feel like I walked through hell and came out the other side." Chloe's voice was no more than a croak. "You?"

"Same." A lone tear traced a path down her ashen cheek. "I-I didn't want any of this, Chloe. But they—"

"I know." Chloe smoothed a lock of hair from Rachel's forehead. "It's what it is. But you saved me. You saved us both."

"No," Rachel shook her head. "You did the saving, Chloe Price. I heard you call out to me, and it brought me back. Thank you. I'd be dead without you."

It was criminal how good it felt to hear Rachel say her name again. "Let's leave the self-congratulations for later," Chloe said. "We gotta go before the cops get here." Chloe went to retrieve her gun, then took Rachel's shoulder and led them around the burning pile to her miraculously unharmed truck.

"That thing you did," Chloe said. "That was amazing. I didn't know you could transform—"

Rachel shuddered. "I'll never do that again. When I changed, I felt—detached. Disjointed. It was hard to think about anything but what was in front of me."

"Okay, gotcha. Well, it's over, at least for now." She helped Rachel into the truck. As Chloe moved past the shattered SUV, she saw Brooke's satchel on the ground. Snatching it up, she tossed it onto her seat. "Let's get back to Max before she wakes up," she said, getting into the driver's side. "We've got a fucking story to tell."

Gasping, Max opened her eyes.

The world blurred before her as if she were looking at the world through a dirty fishbowl. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes with unsteady hands, then nearly jumped out of her skin when a dark figure leaned over her.

"It's alright, Max," Lulu said. "It's me."

Max let out a sigh. Looking around, she realized she was on the couch inside the hideout. The dimness wasn't because of her eyes; it really was getting dark outside. "W-where's Chloe?"

Lulu grimaced. "She said she was going home—something about getting a gun."

"Oh no." Max pushed herself to try and sit up. It didn't work.

"That's an excellent way to wind up on the floor," Lulu said, laying a hand on Max's shoulder. "She'll be back in a bit. Then you can tell her how stupid her plan is. How are you feeling?"

"Woozy. My arms feel like overcooked spaghetti. And my throat's parched. Is all this normal?"

"Yeah. I did warn you." Lulu got up from the couch, stretching her arms. "Rachel left a canteen by the fire. I'll get you some water, so stay here and rest. You'll be fine, Max." Before she could protest, Lulu headed out the door.

Max let her head fall back down on the cushion. The herbs she'd taken must still be swirling around in her head; it felt stuffed with cotton and her eyelids kept sinking shut. She thought about calling Rachel or Chloe, but one look told her that her bag was hanging from a hook across the room. No way she was getting her phone without some help.

She remembered what happened during her trance. The spirit had refused to give her back her power. Just the Caulfield luck at work, I guess. Lately, I've been completely useless to Chloe and Rachel.

Sighing, she lifted her arm to look at her right hand. Once, she could grasp time and reel it back to save lives, but now—

Now there was a strange mark on the palm of her hand.

What the hell? Max examined the imprint—a dark brown bruise shaped like a four-pointed star, sitting dead center on her palm. What does this mean? Did the spirit do this?

She tried to think of the implications and kept drawing blanks; the fog in her mind still hadn't lifted enough for her to make any headway. She would have to ask Lulu about it, or maybe Rachel when she got back.

Closing her eyes, Max let her hand fall back to her chest and waited. Her throat ached. Maybe this is how Lisa feels whenever I neglect her. She wished Lulu would hurry with that water.

Footsteps at the door, coming to a halt beside her. Finally. Opening her eyes just a crack, she looked up at the dark figure hovering over her and said, "Could you get me my phone, please?"

"You won't need it where you're going, Ms. Caulfield," replied a familiar male voice.

Before Max could think, a damp cloth clamped down on her nose and mouth. She fought and kicked and tried to scream, but the hands holding her down were too strong.

"Shh, shh, breathe it in," Jefferson husked. "Don't worry, Max—I'll take good care of you."

As the chloroform seeped into her brain, Max thought of Chloe and Rachel coming back to her. She thought of her parents waiting for her in Seattle.

Then she thought nothing at all.