Atoning
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Date: 2000-01-01 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Young Adult; Urban Fantasy; Paranormal; Fantasy; Werewolves; Novella; Short Stories; Supernatural; Romance; Magic
Description: A Darkest Powers/Darkness Rising novella.Chloe and Derek have adjusted to life in Badger Lake. It’s not perfect, but it’s safe and they’re learning the skills they’ll need when it comes time to make a decision about their futures. They’re comfortable and they’re settled . . . until a weekend camping trip with Maya and Daniel reunites them with someone they thought they’d left in the past. Someone Derek really hoped they’d left in the past, because as much as this former friend might want to atone for past mistakes, she’s nothing but trouble.
Rights: Copyright © 2014 by KLA Fricke Inc. All rights reserved.

Atoning Copyright © 2014 by KLA Fricke Inc. All rights reserved.

Cover illustration Copyright © 2015 by Maurizio Manzieri. All rights reserved.

Print version interior design Copyright © 2015 by Desert Isle Design, LLC.
All rights reserved.

Electronic Edition

ISBN

978-1-59606-729-5

Subterranean Press

PO Box 190106

Burton, MI 48513

www.subterraneanpress.com

Prologue - Rae

Rae had failed Chloe once. She wouldn’t do it again.

She sat in the hotel room, listening to her mom talk to John Schultz. He was their main contact with “the group.” They were talking about Chloe. Schultz had “a man on the inside,” as he called him. Someone at Badger Lake feeding him information about the kids being held captive there: Chloe, Simon, Derek and Tori. There were also a bunch of others Rae didn’t know—subjects in another Edison Group experiment called Project Phoenix.

Rae had been on the run for almost eighteen months now. Ever since her mother rescued her from the Edison Group, after Rae had…

She swallowed. After she’d betrayed Chloe. She’d thought she was doing the right thing—Dr. Davidoff had convinced her that the Edison Group only wanted to help the kids. She should have seen right through the lie, but after years in foster care, competing for attention with her younger foster siblings—and almost always losing… Well, her mom said that was why Rae had done it. Dr. Davidoff had made her feel special and promised her an amazing life, and she’d fallen for it. She wouldn’t make excuses for that. She’d messed up bad. Betrayed the best friend she’d had in years. But she was going to fix that now.

Chloe and the others had been captured by the Nast Cabal. Six months ago, when Sean Nast had tracked down Rae and her mom, he’d seemed like the answer to their prayers. He’d cut a deal with the St. Cloud Cabal to let all the Edison Group kids finally stop running. He would protect them from others, and he’d give them a place to live—Badger Lake, a community custom-made for the kids and their families. They’d get a house. Her mom would have a job. Rae would go to school and, later, to college, all of it paid for by the Nasts. The only catch was that they’d also get special training in hopes that they’d decide to become Cabal employees when they were old enough.

Did it sound too good to be true? Not exactly, and that’s why they’d fallen for it. Because, as her mom said, the Nasts knew exactly how to make their offer both enticing and plausible. It was like an athletic company wooing future Olympians by giving them all the training and equipment they need in hopes it will pay off in sponsorship. A business gamble. Perfectly logical. Except it was a lie.

Two weeks before they were due to move to Badger Lake, Schultz and his group of anti-Cabal activists found Rae and her mom and told them the truth. There was no “Badger Lake.” Not really. Oh, the place existed, but it was an armed camp. When they arrived, Rae would be put into barracks with the other kids, where she’d be brainwashed and forced to train as a Cabal soldier. As for her mother? Well, they’d tell Rae that Jacinda was fine, but they’d only keep her around for as long as she was useful, for as long as they could force Rae to comply by threatening her mother. In other words, for as long as it took the brainwashing to kick in and for Rae to forget she’d ever had a mother.

Schultz and his group had saved them from the horrors of Badger Lake. Now Rae was going to save Chloe.

“It’s all been arranged,” Schultz was saying. “The kids sometimes get weekend trips into North Bay as a reward for good behavior. Chloe and a few of the others will be there this weekend.”

“Under guard, of course,” her mother said.

“Yes, but remember these kids are fully brainwashed. As far as they’re concerned, they’re happy at Badger Lake, and they have no desire to leave it. There’s little chance of them escaping, so they’ll only have a few guards, and one of them is our guy. He’ll make sure the others are preoccupied when Rae moves in.” He turned to Rae. “You understand what you’re to do, Rachelle?”

Rae nodded. “Let her catch a glimpse of me and lure her away.”

“Right. When we do take her down, she’s going to fight. She’s going to lie. These kids haven’t just been brainwashed—they’ve been taught CIA-grade techniques for dealing with capture and interrogation. She’ll have a complete story fabricated. She’ll tell you how wonderful Badger Lake is and that she’s living there with her aunt and her dad in a house in their perfect little community, exactly as Sean Nast promised you. She’ll lie to get away and maybe even take you with her.”

“She won’t,” Rae said. “I’m going to rescue Chloe, whether she wants it or not.”

One - Chloe

I was playing fetch with Derek. Except I was the stick, which can be a little dangerous with a werewolf. That’s why we did it—training him so he wouldn’t see a fleeing human as dinner. Which can be somewhat disconcerting when playing the role of the fleeing human. We’ve been doing it for over a year, though, starting slow and working up, and he’s never so much as spooked me. They say that werewolves chase by instinct, but Derek doesn’t seem to have any of that. Maybe it’s the genetic modification; maybe it’s just him. The point of the game is simply to reassure him that he’s not going to accidentally devour his girlfriend. Which would be inconvenient, especially for that girlfriend.

“Okay, boy,” I said, crouching in front of him. “Are you ready?”

He snorted. I don’t need to crouch very far to get on his level. I’ve shot up a couple of inches in the last eighteen months. At sixteen, I’m a whopping five-foot-three. Derek, luckily, seems to have topped out at six-three. With conservation of mass, that still makes him a huge wolf. That’s what he looks like, too—a wolf not a wolfman. He’s a two-hundred-pound black wolf with green eyes. Those green eyes were currently giving me his best get on with it look.

“Hmm,” I said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of tired. Maybe you can chase your tail instead.”

He growled.

“Or I can throw a stick. As long as you promise to bring it back.”

Another growl.

“What’s that? I think you’re saying that you’re tired of playing with me, and you just want to take off on your own and chase squirrels. Speaking of which…squirrel!”

I pointed at one, and he actually took off. I stood there, straining to see what was behind the squirrel, clearly some serious threat because Derek would never run after an actual…

The squirrel saw a giant wolf bearing down, and it ran, and Derek went after it, leaving me staring after him.

“Okay,” I murmured. “That’s new.”

I turned to find a place to sit. There was a fallen log nearby. I was lowering myself onto it when I heard a dry leaf crunch and turned just in time to see a blur of black fur. I tried to scramble out of the way, but I was too slow. He sent me toppling and pinned me on the ground as he loomed over me with his canine equivalent of a grin and a gotcha.

“I really shouldn’t have fallen for that,” I said with a sigh.

His chuff agreed. He bent down, nuzzling my neck, nose buried in my hair as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. It’s taken time to get to the point where he’s this comfortable with me in wolf form. I’ve been there since his first Change and most since then. It’s our thing. Also, it makes a good excuse for being together, away from everyone else. Hey Dad, time for Derek to Change, so we’ll be in the forest for a couple of hours and everyone else better stay away, just to be safe. Of course, it doesn’t take him two hours to Change and run. The rest of the time is for other forms of recreation, ones that are best enjoyed in total and uninterrupted privacy.

I hugged Derek, running my fingers through his fur. Then, I slid from under him and stood.

“All right,” I said. “One last chase. The quicker you catch me, the quicker you can Change back, and then we’ll take a nap, because I know you’ll be exhausted and want to sleep.”

He snorted and gave me a look that said, Hell, no.

I grinned. “Well, then, you’d better catch me fast, before you really are too tired for anything but a nap.”

I took a look around, staking out the best route. The clearest path wasn’t always best—I can outrun Derek a lot faster in thick brush than on open ground. I picked my course, then I took off. No thunder of running paws followed. That was the “fetch” part of this game. He didn’t chase me until I gave the signal. I counted steps. Once I got to a hundred, I whistled. That’s when I heard the pounding of paws. And that’s when I started running for real.

Two

Derek was Changing back. That took about ten minutes, and it didn’t seem to get shorter as he grew more accustomed to the process. It was a body changing forms; I guess it couldn’t be rushed. It couldn’t be painless either, unfortunately. At least the projectile vomiting had stopped. That had been unpleasant. Not that I’d ever said so to him.

I stay with Derek during his Changes. When it gets tough, I rub his shoulders or just talk to him. I don’t know if that helps, but he hates to Change without me, so it must at least be some comfort.

He’d finished his Change and was resting, both of us lying on the ground, as he curled up behind me, his arms wrapped around me, heart racing against my back. I’d brought a blanket—two, in fact, one for under us and one for over, to ward off the October chill. Back home, in Buffalo, fall would just be setting in around now. But we didn’t live in Buffalo anymore. Didn’t live in the United States anymore. We were three hundred miles almost due north in the middle of the Canadian wilderness.

Badger Lake is a private community run by a Cabal. Yes, a Cabal, like the one we’d escaped when I met Derek, and then had spent six months running from. And no, we weren’t captives. We were here voluntarily. At least as “voluntarily” as we could be under the circumstances. It was the safest place for us until we were old enough to make serious choices for our futures.

I lay there, listening to Derek’s breathing, waiting for it to slow, and, when it did, his hands went to my waist, slipping under my shirt, fingers hot against my bare skin. He nuzzled my neck, which was nice in wolf form but a whole lot nicer in human, as he kissed and nibbled, his hands tight around my waist. I still waited, giving him a few minutes to fully recover. He needs time to get his energy back. Which is one reason we cuddle like this, with my back to him—it’s a whole lot easier not to rush when I can’t see him and think maybe just a quick… Nope. Better to wait.

He turned me around, one hand under my waist, the other in my hair, bringing me over to him, lips going to his. I remember when we first got together, those sweet and tentative kisses. It wasn’t like that anymore. It could be, when we kissed behind the school or our houses, stealing a few moments of privacy when we couldn’t hope for more. But when we got this private time in the forest, the kisses were a whole lot different.

In the beginning, as soon as he’d Change back, I’d turn away and wait for him to get dressed. He didn’t get dressed anymore—not beyond pulling on his boxers. It had started with an unseasonably hot spell in late spring, when he’d been done Changing and was already overheated, and it seemed perfectly reasonable to postpone the redressing until he caught his breath. Then, he’d catch his breath, and the interruption of getting dressed was just too much. By the end of summer we’d given up any pretense of excuses. If I wasn’t in a rush for him to put his clothes back on, he wasn’t in a rush to get them on. And I really wasn’t in a rush.

That doesn’t mean we’re in a rush to have sex, though. We’ll get there. For now, there are other things we can do as we head in that direction. Lots of other things that keep us plenty entertained on the journey.

We kissed for a while, slow side-by-side kisses and embraces that quickly heated up, turning into deep, hungry, no-holds-barred kissing with Derek on top of me, my legs wrapped around him, his hands under my shirt, unclasping my bra and—

A whistle cut through the forest. Derek’s head whipped toward it, his lip curling in a very canine snarl. I chuckled and reached up, my hands in his hair.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “This is our spot. They’ll steer clear.”

He continued to scowl in the direction of the whistle. I kissed his chin, my lips moving down his neck as I wriggled under him. He turned from the intruders, kissing me again, fingers undoing my bra. I laid my hand over his.

“Wait,” I said. “Let’s just make sure they go past.”

A low growl. I wriggled some more, teasing him. “Wait…wait…” I murmured while tickling kisses down his neck and onto his shoulder, my hands on his back, running over his bare skin, raising goose bumps. I moved against him, and he groaned softly and—

Another whistle.

“Goddamn it!” he said, his head up, eyes narrowing. “That’s Maya, and she knows—”

“Exactly,” I said, easing out from under him. “She knows why she shouldn’t come here, which is exactly why she’s whistling. So she doesn’t stumble on us half naked.” I glanced down at him. “Or mostly naked.”

He grumbled under his breath. I kept looking at him, enjoying the sight before pulling my gaze away with a deep sigh of regret.

“She wouldn’t interrupt if she didn’t have to,” I said. “You know that. Stay here. I’ll go see what’s up.”

Three

We hadn’t come to Badger Lake alone. I don’t think any Cabal would have wanted us badly enough to pour millions of dollars into a community for me, Derek, Simon and Tori. We’re more dangerous than valuable, which was why the St. Cloud Cabal had been so determined to either lock us up or put us down.

It was the Nast Cabal that had us now. Specifically Sean Nast, the CEO’s twenty-nine-year-old grandson. While even Derek will grudgingly admit that Sean is as nice a guy as you could imagine for a Cabal sorcerer, Sean isn’t a philanthropist. We were here because he hoped to train us and prove that life in a Cabal wouldn’t be nearly as terrible as we feared. In other words, he was courting future employees. But while he was interested in the four of us, the ones everyone really wanted were the kids from Salmon Creek, because they aren’t just genetically modified supernaturals—they’re reintroduced extinct supernatural types.

When I headed through the woods in search of Maya, I found her easily enough, as I usually can when she’s with Daniel. They seem to always be talking, with an enthusiasm and an energy that makes me smile. They’ve been best friends since they were five, yet they never run out of new things to discuss, and that’s reassuring. It’s what I have with Derek, and it’s what I always want to have.

“Table tennis,” Maya was saying to him as I approached down a side path.

“Uh-huh,” Daniel replied.

“I’m serious. I want a rec center with a table tennis table. We’ll tell them it’ll help our reflexes. Pinball machines, too. And a pool table. If Sean wants to build super secret agents, we need to develop fast reflexes and superior strategy skills. But we’re kids. Easily distracted. Easily bored. So we need table tennis, pinball, pool…”

“And a rec center to hold it all?”

“They can add it to the gym. There’s room. I checked.”

Daniel chuckled. “Of course you did. I suppose I could argue that pool would help me focus.”

“Perfect. Tell them that.”

When Maya sets her mind to a thing, she does it—by force of will, if necessary. Put her with Daniel, and there isn’t an adult in Badger Lake who won’t listen to them and not just in that we’re pretending to listen to humor you way. It’s an impressive talent to someone who grew up too shy to raise her hand in class. I’m not nearly as insecure as I used to be—and Maya isn’t nearly as confident as she seems to be—but it’s one more reason we’ve become friends.

I could see them now, holding hands, still chattering away. Maya’s German shepherd Kenjii walked on her other side. Maya will turn seventeen in a week. She’s Native American—mostly, at least—a few inches taller than me with long black hair and dark eyes. Daniel is about five-ten, with a boxer’s build, blond hair and blue eyes. When we first arrived, Tori had checked him out, but she’d declared that, as cute as he was, he wasn’t to her tastes. In other words, she’d seen how he looked at Maya and had known she didn’t stand a chance.

“Hey,” Maya said, turning as she heard my footsteps. “I thought if we talked loud enough, Derek would hear and come barreling over to give us crap for disturbing you two. But I’m guessing he’s not dressed yet.”

“He just finished Changing back,” I said as I gave Kenjii a pat.

“Uh-huh. In the last hour or so, right?”

A year ago, I’d have turned crimson and started stammering. Now I just laughed. Maybe I was growing up. Maybe it’s Maya, rubbing off on me. Or maybe it’s just learning that being able to talk openly about sex—with both my boyfriend and with a girl friend—makes it easier to navigate what can be really tricky ground. And yes, maybe that’s part of the “growing up” thing, too.

“Apologies for the interruption,” Daniel said. “We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, I know,” Derek said, appearing beside me. “So, what’s up?”

“If we’re going to North Bay, we need to leave”—Daniel checked his watch—“right about now.”

“What?” I said.

“Moreno just got word that Sean had to move his visit up to Monday. While we don’t necessarily have to be here for that…”

“We have a list of things we want to discuss with him,” I said.

“Right. And Maya wants a rec center.”

“To hone our skills,” she said.

“Through table tennis, pinball, and pool,” Daniel said. “Don’t ask.”

“I wouldn’t mind a pinball game,” Derek said.

“Then you can ask Sean for that,” Maya said. “Tell him it’ll help you work off any extra aggression. We’ll divvy up the list. So we agree that we want to be back for Sean’s visit and that we still want to go to North Bay for the weekend?”

We did. Which meant we had to pack fast.

The town looked deserted. It was, almost. We get monthly trips to Toronto, by helicopter, but after about a year, a few of us started skipping alternate months. Some of the kids chafed at small-town life. Others embraced it. While “embrace” might not be the word to use for Derek, he was certainly happier here, in the middle of our wilderness. Maya was the same—she’s a skin-walker, and her dad is a forest ranger, so even small-town living could be a bit too much for her. Like Maya, Daniel is accustomed to living in a village of under two hundred people. Me? I just want to be where my family and friends are, which is here.

They’d brought my dad in a few months ago. We were still getting used to that, after a year apart. To be honest, we’d never been very close—my mom died when I was five, and he’d buried himself in his work, including endless business trips. To come here, he had to take a back seat in his own company, which is tough, but it’s what he wants. I’ll be off to college soon, and it’s important to him to make up for lost time.

Dad does the monthly trips to Toronto for business. Aunt Lauren was gone too, along with Kit, and Maya’s parents and pretty much everyone else in town. The only adults left behind were members of the security team, including Moreno and Antone, who is Maya’s biological father. Both would be joining us on our North Bay trip.

One more person was coming with us: the only other kid who didn’t join the Toronto excursion. Maya and I went to talk to him after we had dropped off Derek and Daniel at their respective houses. I’d been staying with Maya while our parents were away, so my stuff was at her place, too.

When we saw the door to Maya’s animal rehab shed open, we headed that way. Kenjii walked to the house porch instead, knowing he wasn’t allowed in the shed. We went in and found Ash sitting on a crate, staring at a hutch of young rabbits.

“If you’re hungry, Mom and Dad left a house full of food,” Maya said.

He flipped her the finger and stood, shoving the crate away with his foot. This was Ash. Actually, Ashton, but the only person who calls him that is Tori and just to piss him off. He’s Maya’s twin brother. They’d been separated as babies and reunited a year ago.

Anyone who thinks Derek is antisocial has never met Ash. The only thing the twins have in common is a quick tongue. With Ash, though, that tongue can be vicious. Which might explain why Tori is kind of crazy about him.

Ash saw me and nodded. For him, that was a friendly greeting, far better than the snarl or cold shoulder that most people got.

“You need to pack,” Maya said. “We’re leaving ASAP. Sean’s coming in Monday.”

“Not going.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “Changed my mind.”

“But—You… The plan… It was for you. Rent ATVs, do some rock climbing, camp overnight on the escarpment, work on your shifting… It was for you, Ash.”

“Changed my mind,” he repeated.

No one is more patient with Ash than Maya. He hasn’t had an easy life. He spent three years on the streets. He has a reason to be prickly. But as she stared at him, I could feel her patience fraying. When she finally said, “All right then,” the words came out brittle.

She turned to walk out. He caught her arm, leaned over and murmured, “Next time, okay? I just…I have stuff to do.”

“What could you—?” She cut herself short and shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll talk to Antone.”

“Nah, I’ll do it. You go and get ready. Have a good weekend.”

“I’d have a better weekend if—” Again, she stopped herself. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

We got about ten feet from the shed when I said, “Oh, I forgot to check on the owl.” The injured young eastern screech owl was my first solo patient. Maya nodded, distracted, and headed for the house.

Ash was still in the shed, now crouched and checking the hinges on the rabbit hutch. He handled construction for Maya’s shed, and he was forever fussing with it, worrying it wasn’t quite good enough.

“She’s pissed, isn’t she?” he said as I walked in.

“She put a lot of work into planning this weekend. You agreed to come, and she didn’t want you feeling like a fifth wheel, so she and Daniel dreamed up this whole aganda to suit you.”

“Fuck.” He exhaled and straightened to face me. “I didn’t know…” He shook his head and shoved back his hair. “Fuck.”

“Can you just come? Please. It would mean a lot to her.”

“I know, but I can’t. I’ve…got stuff.” He lifted his hands. “And, no, I’m not just saying that to skip out. I’m working on something. For Maya. For next week.”

“Her birthday. Well, your birthday, I mean. Both of you.”

“I want to get it done while she’s gone. I figured you guys would be okay with me staying back, maybe even be happy not to have me tagging along.”

I gave him a look.

“Yeah, I know. You’d be okay with me coming. I just thought it wouldn’t be a big deal if I bailed. Now it is, and I really want to do this, and Maya’s pissed.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

“Thanks.”

Four

Maya’s place is tucked into the forest, but it is still close enough to see another house—an empty house, built for Rae and her mother. Sean had tracked them down and convinced them to come to Badger Lake. I’d gone with him to meet her months ago, but they hadn’t shown up.

Sean had worried something had happened, but his spies had caught sight of them a few weeks later. As soon as Sean tried to make contact, Rae and her mother took off again. Apparently, they’d changed their minds. I couldn’t blame them—taking refuge with a Cabal seemed crazy. But I wished I’d gotten the chance to talk to Rae myself. I don’t know if that would have helped. The last time I’d seen her, she’d refused to leave the St. Cloud laboratory, convinced the Edison Group had our best interests in mind. Once burned, twice shy, I guess. I would still have liked to try.

North Bay is the biggest city in the area, but it’s still almost a two-hour drive, and at fifty thousand people, it’s not exactly a major metropolis. It has what we need, though, for a weekend away.

Maya left Kenjii behind with Ash. Antone stayed, too. So we had Moreno and Luke, one of the security guys. There are a dozen “security guys” at Badger Lake—well, ten guys and two women. They keep to themselves, but I at least try to learn their names, which can be tough when they only stay for three month shifts and don’t interact with us much. Luke has been one of the exceptions. At twenty-three, he’s the youngest guard we’ve had, and he’s into caving and rock climbing, which we have plenty of around Badger Lake so he’s joined us at that a few times. He’s careful not to cross the line between guard and friend, but everyone likes him, and we were happy to have him joining us now.

We’d taken two vehicles. Maya and Daniel were in Daniel’s truck. Derek and I were with Moreno and Luke in one of the vans. We could have all fit in the van, but we like the autonomy of having a separate vehicle—we all have our licenses—and to their credit, the Cabal guys are really good about allowing us that autonomy.

On the way, I did homework. I’m trying to graduate early so I can go to college with Derek. He’s a year ahead of me in school. Simon, Maya and Daniel are too, and I’d like us all to go to college together, but mostly, I need to go for Derek. He’s made it clear he won’t leave without me, and, while he’s willing to wait, I don’t want that. He’s already been taking college-level math and science courses for two years now. He needs more of a challenge.

We got to the park around five. It was too late for the ATVs, but that plan had really been for Ash. We’d probably stick to hiking and rock climbing. On tonight’s agenda was dinner in town, shopping, a movie and then a bonfire. We set up the tents, and the guys took off in the truck to buy campfire wood while Maya and I laid out the duffels and sleeping bags in the tents. Moreno sat on the picnic table and watched us carrying them in.

“Uh, I think you’re doing that wrong,” he said as we unzipped the flaps on our respective tents. “Boys on the left, girls on the right.”

“Nope,” Maya said and tossed Daniel’s sleeping bag and hers into a tent.

“You’re supposed to humor the grown-ups and then swap in the middle of the night.”

“I prefer honesty.”

“Then you won’t mind me telling your parents about your arrangement?”

“Not at all. Of course, you’ll have to tell them that you allowed it. Or you’ll have to stop us. You could shoot me again. It’s been a while.”

Luke laughed as he walked by with his pack.

Moreno sighed. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Oddly, no.”

He only shook his head. Moreno is a teleporting half-demon and former mercenary. I don’t quite know what to make of him. I suspect he’s not a very nice guy, but he’s loyal to Antone and committed to his job protecting us, and that’s the main thing.

Maya and Moreno have an…interesting relationship. He chased her and the other Project Phoenix kids through the wilds of Vancouver Island, and she’s not kidding when she says he shot at her, but he’d argue he wasn’t trying to kill her, and, to him, that’s a perfectly valid excuse, and it was completely business, not a reflection on her personally. Yeah, it’s a little weird. But he’s as devoted to Maya and Ash as he is to their father.

“Do you want me to make a drugstore run for you, too?” he asked as she hauled in their duffels.

“If we need that, I’m perfectly capable of getting it myself.”

“Of course you are.”

“And we don’t need it,” Maya said. We aren’t having sex. We’re just sleeping together.”

“You realize you aren’t actually supposed to tell me that, right?”

“Did I mention the honesty thing? And now you don’t have to worry about telling Antone you let his kid get knocked up. Or telling my dad. I’m not sure which would be worse.”

“Your mom.”

“True. Oh, but we do need you to hit the beer store. We’d like a six pack.”

He sighed.

“Would you rather I asked for a bottle of vodka and some weed?”

He shook his head and went to put up his own tent.

Maya took off to fill the water containers with Moreno. I was sitting on top of the picnic table, studying. I hid my work as soon as I heard the truck coming. My plan to get into college early isn’t one I share with Derek. I mentioned the idea once, just an offhand comment, and he kiboshed it. I could have argued, but if I had, then it would have been obvious it had been more than an offhand remark.

I’ve asked my tutors to keep my advanced studies a secret, just in case I don’t manage it, and I do as much of the work on the sly as I can. Maya knows, and she swears keeping it from Derek is a really bad idea. I tell myself she just doesn’t understand, which is crap, but I’m determined to do this for him.

When the guys returned, I had the study pages stuffed into my novel before Daniel parked.

“Did everyone abandon you?” Daniel called as he got out.

“Luke’s around. Maya and Moreno are fetching water.”

“That way?” he said, pointing.

I nodded. He took off at a jog as Derek walked over to me. He glanced at my book. I clasped it shut, better hiding the study pages.

“How far are you?” he said.

“Not far.” I stuffed it into my jacket pocket.

“Been working on that one for a while,” he said.

I shrugged. “It’s not really grabbing me. I’ll find another.” I caught the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. “We probably have time for a walk before—”

His stomach growled.

“And that answers my question,” I said. “We should get everyone moving for dinner.”

He pulled a granola bar from his pocket, opened it and waved to the nearby path. I grinned, hopped down, took his free hand and led him toward the forest.

Dinner eaten. Shopping list conquered. Time for a movie. That part was for me. While the others enjoy movies, I’m the one who’s crazy about them. Or I used to be.

I guess you’d still say I’m a film buff, but not like I used to be. For one thing, I don’t have the opportunity to get out and watch many movies, and we don’t get cable at Badger Lake. But to be honest, it’s mostly inclination. I used to lose myself in movies to forget the crappier parts of my life, like the constant moving that kept me from making real friends. I don’t need that now. My entertainment these days comes more from books—which we can get a lot more easily—and from just getting out and doing stuff. But that doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned that first love, and if we’re in a town with a cinema, Derek makes sure I get a movie.

We were at a repertory house watching Iron Man, which I’d missed when it came out last year. Partway through the film, I ducked out for a bathroom break. Moreno and Luke were in a separate theatre. Moreno said they were seeing some comedy, but Maya swore they ducked into Twilight. She planned to be waiting at the exit with her camera for blackmail fodder.

I was washing my hands when a girl came into the restroom for a quick check in the full-length mirror behind me. Through my mirror, I caught a glimpse of dark curls. Familiar dark curls. Of course it couldn’t be Rae, but I still stepped to the side to get a better angle, see her face and—

I froze, my hands dripping suds and water as the girl walked out of the restroom. It took three seconds before my legs would work, and then I was bolting out, wiping my hands on my jeans.

I made it to the foyer just in time to see her walking out the front doors.

Five

“Rae!” I called.

The door had already shut. I went after her, running into the street and looking around frantically. There was no one in sight.

I knew I’d seen Rae, beyond any doubt. The question was: had I really seen her…or her ghost? At the thought, my stomach clenched so hard that I nearly doubled over.

I forced myself to replay exactly what I’d seen. Rae’s reflection in the mirror. Did necromancers see the reflection of ghosts? Honestly, I’d never had reason to notice.

I hadn’t seen Rae open the door as she left, though, that was because it was around the corner. Nor had I seen her open the one to leave the theater. Yet I had seen it open. That was undeniable. I had watched her walk through an open door and seen it close behind her. She wasn’t a ghost.

I took out my cell phone. In Badger Lake, they work on a private network, but out here, we have full access. I’m sure they track our calls, but it still gives us some sense, again, of autonomy. We weren’t captives or prisoners. If we really wanted to, we could call for help before the Cabal could intervene.

I rang Derek. Or I tried, but no answer suggested cell service was blocked for moviegoers.

I was trying again when the door opened and Derek stepped out.

“Was I gone five seconds too long?” I said.

“Yeah, sorry.”

Speaking of autonomy…Derek knows I need my space, but giving me that can be a struggle for him. There’s a fine line between watching out for your girlfriend and making her feel she can’t watch out for herself. It’s particularly hard with a wolf’s instinct to protect.

“Well, in this one case, I appreciate it.” I lifted the phone. “I was trying to call you. I just saw…”

As I remembered what I’d seen, my smile of welcome evaporated. Derek strode over. “What’s wrong?”

I told him.

“That’s…” he began.

“Extremely statistically unlikely?” I said. “The probability that I’d randomly run into Rachelle in a North Bay movie theater?”

“Yeah.”

“I know it’s a trap. Which is why I didn’t take off after her myself. Someone’s gotten to her and is forcing her to lure me away. So I need you to go back inside.”

“And get Moreno?” He shook his head. “Whoever set this up knows our plans. Meaning there’s a leak and—”

“I know that. I also know that the more people we bring into this, the greater chance we have of losing Rae. Same goes if we stand out here discussing it. I want you to go back inside and out a rear exit. Wait until I take off after her—presuming she’ll try again—and then follow us.”

“To do what?”

“Rescue Rae, of course.”

He rubbed his mouth.

“Yes, she betrayed us,” I said. “Me, especially, and for that, you didn’t even want her in Badger Lake. If she did come back, you didn’t want me to have anything to do with her. We argued about it enough that I could hardly forget. But I’m going after her, Derek. Either you help or you go watch the movie.”

He gave me a look.

“As much as you don’t like Rae, there’s a difference between ignoring her when she’s safe in Badger Lake and ignoring her when she could be in real danger. You’re not going to stop me, and you’re not going to make me handle this alone, so just register your disapproval, and let me go after her.”

“It’s serious disapproval.”

“Noted.” I lifted up and kissed him. “And I’m sorry. Mostly. But I’m going to give you the chance to tell me off, as loudly as you can, and then I’m going to run away, and you’re going to storm back inside and pretend you’ve left me to chase a figment of my imagination. In three, two, one… Go.”

While I’ve never dreamed of being an actor—I’d rather be behind the camera—years of drama class means I’m pretty good at it. Six months on the run, playing roles every day, had helped. Derek has zero natural talent and almost as little inclination to learn, but he did a good job of it that night, probably because he really did think I was making a big mistake, so chewing me out for it came easily.

After our fake fight, I raced down the street and ducked around a building, “hiding” in case Derek came after me. Then, I called Liz. I didn’t need a cell phone for that. My former roommate from Lyle House, Liz died a day after I arrived. When I contact her, I’m summoning her spirit.

In the beginning, ghost-Liz was like a friend who lived next door. Give her a shout and there she was. Now it’s as if she’s in another country, and sometimes I just can’t get in touch with her. We haven’t grown apart—the distance is actually a good thing, because it means she’s crossed over into the afterlife. That’s what I had wanted for her. It just took her a long time to want the same thing, to accept she couldn’t hang out in our world and pretend nothing had happened. My necromancer powers are strong enough that I can pull her back, but it’s like making an overseas call on a bad phone line. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. Tonight, when I hoped for her help scouting, no one answered.

After about five minutes, I saw Rae walking along the road, as if there were nothing odd about a sixteen-year-old girl aimlessly wandering an empty street on a Friday night. I backed down the side street. Then, I came running out onto the main one, panting as hard as Rae would remember me panting when we’d escaped Lyle House together. I won’t say I’m in amazing shape now, but between playing fetch with Derek and keeping up with Maya, I get a lot more physical activity than I used to. I faked it for Rae, though, heaving like I was about to hack up a lung.

“Rae?”

She didn’t turn, and, as I ran toward her, I had to entertain the possibility that my fake scenario with Derek wasn’t totally fake after all—that Rae had a doppelgänger in North Bay, Ontario. But when I darted into her path, there was no doubt. She was standing three feet from me, and I knew her as well as if it were Tori standing there.

“Rachelle,” I said.

She screwed up her face. “Huh?”

“Rae, it’s me. Chloe.”

“Do I know you?”

I hesitated. “You’re Rachelle Rodgers, right?”

Quite possibly the easiest question in the world to answer, but she stood there, giving me this look like I’d asked her to name the capital of Liberia…and getting the right answer was a matter of life or death.

“I…I don’t think so. I…can’t remember.”

“What?”

She looked around. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. The last thing I remember…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I think there was a man. Maybe a truck? A van? I…I don’t remember.”

Amnesia? They were seriously going with the classic—and classically overused—amnesia plot? The chances of someone wandering a street honestly not knowing who she was were—as Derek would point out—statistically improbable. To the nth degree.

She peered at me. “Did you say Chloe?”

“Right. Chloe Saunders. We—”

“I know you, don’t I? It’s…” Her eyes went wide. “Oh my God, yes. Chloe. Lyle House. We…” Her eyes rounded, and she grabbed my arm. “We need to get out of here.”

Uh-huh. I saw that plot twist coming.

She continued. “There are men. They…I don’t remember—” She looked around. “Where are we?”

“North Bay, Ontario.”

Her face screwed up. It was a good try, but her acting ability is strictly small-town community theater.

Her eyes widened again. “They put me here to find you. Or so you’d find me.”

Yep, that’d be my guess.

She looked around, still grasping my arm. “Come on! We need to get out of here!”

I cast a glance down the darkened street. No sign of Derek, but I had to trust he was there. I took off after Rae.

Six

I followed Rae, our footfalls echoing down the empty street. It had rained while we were in the theater. The light drizzle had cleared up before I’d come out, but it had left the road shimmering under the streetlights. Droplets plinked into puddles, adding to the air of desolation. A noir crime-thriller stage. Silent, vacant and hazy with the gauzy sheen of rain.

We passed shop after shop, all of them closed, some permanently. When I strained, I could make out distant music, maybe from a bar, but it was far away. The only place open on this block was the movie theater, and once the shows were on, the streets emptied. I was sure they weren’t completely empty, though. Someone was watching us. And I had a good idea where he or she waited: in the direction Rae was leading me.

I fake-staggered, as if I’d slipped on the wet pavement. I went down on one knee, crying out.

“Come on!” Rae said.

I rose, took a step and stumbled, wincing and inhaling a sharp breath.

“Chloe!” Rae said. “Come on. They’re—”

“I need a sec,” I said. “Let’s duck in there.”

I pointed at a narrow passage between two buildings. She opened her mouth, as if to argue, but I was already lurching toward it.

I hobbled into the alley and lowered myself to the pavement, grimacing as I did. “Just give me a moment.”

She looked genuinely torn now. She had a duty to lead me to whoever was holding her captive, and she probably feared whatever punishment awaited if she failed. But I was injured. So she hesitated while looking anxiously toward the street.

“You stand guard,” I whispered. “Just two minutes. That’s all I need. I banged up my knee last week, and that got it going again.”

I waited until she got into position, crouched, peering out at the street. Then, I motioned to the figure I’d spotted, which I really hoped was Derek. While I could take down Rae myself, this would go a lot more smoothly with the guy who had supernatural strength.

When Derek stepped from the shadows, I exhaled in relief and hobbled up beside Rae.

“Do you see anything?” I whispered.

She shook her head.

“There!” I gasped and pointed at a random store. “I saw something moving.”

She leaned over to peer out. I kept pointing, jabbing my finger at the shadows in a doorway. Behind her, Derek slipped out, moving soundlessly our way.

“I don’t see anyone,” she said.

“There, back in the shadows. I saw a hand move.”

And a hand did move as Derek seized her from behind and covered her mouth.

“Her hands,” I blurted. “Grab—”

He cursed as he remembered Rae’s power. Fire. He wasn’t fast enough, and he hissed as she burned him in her struggles. We caught her hands. She fought in earnest then, fighting and kicking and grunting. Behind us, a stray scrap of paper burst into flame.

Derek pinned Rae against the wall, her face pressed to it hard enough to make me wince. He held her there, her feet dangling as he leaned down to her ear.

“Remember me?” he whispered. “I remember you, Rachelle, and exactly what you thought of me. Except now I’m not just some big, ugly brute. I’m a big, ugly, werewolf brute. Which means I’m even stronger—and more dangerous—than you thought. A lot more pissed off, too, because you betrayed Chloe, and that’s worse than anything you did to me. The harder you struggle, the more I’m going to remember what you did to her. Understood?”

She still gave a few token kicks and squirms. He tightened his grip until she gasped. Then, she went still.

“Now we’re going to take you someplace where we can talk, and you can tell us why you tried to lure Chloe—”

His head shot up, and I knew he’d heard something I couldn’t. His gaze swung toward the street. I hurried down the alley and peeked out. A dark shape moved along the buildings across the road. Another followed. Two figures. Both dressed in black.

“We have to move,” I whispered.

He nodded, hefted Rae over his shoulder and started down the alley. I went ahead and scouted. A couple walked along the road. As always, I took a closer look in case they were ghosts. That had become second nature now—assessing clothing and actions, checking for some sign that I wasn’t seeing living people. These two were dressed in modern outfits. The woman circled past a pop can in her path. Living people, then. Just an ordinary couple out for…

The woman lifted a two-way radio to her lips. Okay, not so ordinary. Damn.

I backed up fast, bumping into Derek.

“We’re surrounded,” I said. “We’ll have to—”

“Chloe!” a voice called from the street behind us.

I turned that way. The voice came again. “Hey, Chloe! You out here?”

It was Daniel. And there was no way in hell he was actually walking down a deserted street yelling for me. I took out my cell phone. Derek and I had silenced them so we wouldn’t blow our cover. I had a string of texts from Maya.

9:15. Maya: Hey, guys. If u r just ‘busy,’ let me know. Concerned.

9:20. Maya: OK, not in the bldg, grabbing D.

9:23. Maya: D’s picking up 1/2 demon. Not M. Guessing u know that. We’re out & about.

Daniel was a benandanti—an Italian witch hunter with supernatural powers, including the ability to sense half-demons, because their demon blood tripped his “bad-mojo” sensor.

“Chloe? You out here?” Daniel called. “Oh, hey, you there! I’m looking for my friend.”

I peered out to see Daniel hailing one of the guys in black. The guy had decided to play it straight and had come out of hiding, his hands in his pockets, just a random dude out for a stroll.

“My friend wandered off,” Daniel said. “We’re not local, so I’m worried she got lost. She’s about this tall. Blond hair. Ponytail.”

“Wearing a pink hoodie?”

“That’s her.”

“I just saw her over here, not two minutes ago. I’ll show you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.”

They set out toward a side street.

“Hey,” Daniel said. “While we’re at it, you haven’t seen my cat, have you?”

“What?”

“My cat. She took off, too. She’s brown, about this tall, really cute, with—”

A scream cut through the night. And no matter how often I hear that sound, I jump every time. Rae’s eyes went wild, and she started struggling as Derek pinned her to the wall. The man talking to Daniel wheeled toward the noise. Daniel shouted, “No!” and the guy flew clear off his feet—literally knocked over by that sonic boom shout, another of Daniel’s powers.

Daniel dove for the guy, and I heard the skitter of a gun hitting the ground as Daniel yanked it out and tossed it aside. The man’s partner was running to his aid when a tawny shape leapt from atop a building. A mountain lion. A hundred-and–twenty-odd pounds of muscle, fangs and claws. It fell on the second man, dropping him to the pavement.

“Good,” Daniel said between swings as he battled his opponent. “You found my kitty.”

Maya snarled at him. She easily pinned the second man while the first fought Daniel.

One thing a benandanti is really good at? Fighting. Yet it looked as if Daniel was just toying with his guy.

“Come on,” I whispered. “End it already.”

“He has a reason,” Derek rumbled beside me. Which was right. Daniel’s benandanti blood meant he had a tendency to lash out, but he’d gotten that under control months ago.

Derek’s head shot up as if hearing something again. He shoved Rae to the ground and pinned her there, and then he said to me, “Can you hold her?”

I nodded and moved onto her back, my knee against her spine, my hand on her neck. As Derek took off, I heard what he must have: the sound of running footsteps.

Seven

Daniel had been toying with his opponent to flush out the man’s allies, who were now joining the fray. I listened to the fight with relative calm. Daniel’s opponent was obviously no skilled assassin. I won’t say we were but…well, the Nasts weren’t training us for desk jobs. We all got private lessons with world-class instructors, who had determined the best mix to suit our personality and size. I got jujitsu and aikido, plus archery and marksmanship.

My dad nearly had heart failure the first time he saw me fire a gun, but I embraced the lessons because our months on the run taught me I needed to be able to defend myself, by any means necessary.

This fight was four average supernaturals against a benandanti, a werewolf and a mountain lion. Even without training, I think we could have taken them. Maya and Daniel had disabled their adversaries as soon as they heard the others coming. Then, Derek joined in, and I sat on Rae and relaxed as I listened for it to be over.

“You’ve changed,” Rae said, her first words since Derek had captured her.

“Uh-huh.”

She tried to rise. I held her firmly, being clear that escape attempts would be frowned upon.

“You’re as bad as he is now,” she said.

“No, I’m as good as he is. Which doesn’t mean being able to fight makes me a better person. But I’ve adjusted to the situation, because the situation is unlikely to adjust to me.”

“You’ve really changed.”

I have. But Derek says I’m still the girl he fell for, because when he fell for me, I’d already been evolving. So had he, learning to be less angry with the world and more a part of the world. That doesn’t mean he’ll ever be a cheerful extrovert like Simon. No more than I’ll ever be a cold-hearted bitch like… Well, Tori’s not what I thought she was at Lyle House either. None of us are. A couple of adjectives can’t define anyone. In the right situation, I can be a cold-hearted bitch. Or at least I can play the role.

“You don’t need to live like this,” Rae said. “Always on the run, always fighting.”

“We don’t.”

“Because you think you’ve found a safe place. Badger Lake. It’s not real. You know that, don’t you? It’s just brainwashing. They’ve convinced you that you’re happy.”

“I am happy.”

The words came without hesitation, and I paused after I said them. Was I happy? Yes. There’s part of me that feels I should be pacing like a caged lion, looking for a way to escape, but even Derek isn’t. That’s not brainwashing. We know we’re living in a cage, and we wouldn’t want to live there forever. But for now, it’s kind of like being in an amazing boarding school, and we know that’s intentional—Sean pampers us to show us how good Cabal life could be—but if we keep our eyes open to the truth, I think it’s okay to say “I’m happy.”

Rae kept going on about brainwashing and the evil Cabals. I let her, because, as long as I didn’t argue, she thought I was listening and hoped I’d “escape” with her. I wasn’t listening, though. I was focused on the others as they disabled their attackers. The second the fighting stopped, the thump of running footfalls followed. Derek appeared in the alley mouth, blood on his T-shirt.

“Not mine,” he said, catching my look of alarm.

As he walked over, Daniel appeared, Maya beside him. Rae saw Maya and let out a shriek that had me scrambling to cover her mouth.

“She’s with us,” I said. “She’s a skin-walker.”

Rae’s expression said she had no idea what that was and didn’t really care, because there was a mountain lion padding straight for her. Maya surveyed me, looking for signs of injury. Then she lowered her head to peer at Rae. Her lip curled in a snarl, showing off fangs as big as my forefingers. She stretched out her oversized front paws, claws flicking out like switchblades.

Rae yelped. I tried not to chuckle. A wolf is an impressive sight, but a mountain lion at close range is terrifying, especially when she’s showing off her weaponry.

Maya leaned against me, and I gave her a quick scratch behind the ears. Then, she bounded off.

“Back in five,” Daniel said, and he went after her.

It really would only be a few minutes before she returned. While the shift from cat to human is as physically demanding as wolf to human, Maya gets a pass on the pain and agony part. She used to lose consciousness. Now it’s more of a trance state, which still means her shift is much easier than Derek’s. He tries not to grumble. He still does. I don’t blame him.

“You’re making a mistake,” Rae said as Derek hauled her up.

“You can tell us about it in a few minutes,” I said. “We need to get farther from those guys before we chat.”

“And if you try to call for help?” Derek said. “I’ve got a sock that’ll fit in your mouth. Been wearing it all day.”

I texted Maya, and we arrived at Daniel’s truck at the same time. She was still catching her breath. She might be spared the pain of the transformation, but she still has to deal with the aftereffects.

Maya and I patted Rae down. She had a cell phone. We left it behind. We also made her leave her jacket and sneakers, which were the most likely places to hide a transmitter.

Maya climbed into the truck bed with Daniel. Rae sat in the middle of the front seat. I drove. Derek rode shotgun, which made it easier for him to subdue Rae if needed. It wasn’t needed. She sat quietly until we got out of the city and pulled onto a dirt road. Then, she said, “What exactly do you plan to do with me?”

“That depends. I thought you were being held captive by those guys, so this was supposed to be a rescue mission, but, obviously, I was wrong. You were trying to kidnap me.”

“For your own good.”

“Naturally.” I pulled into a wooded lane leading to a trail. “Just like with the Edison Group. You tried to keep me in the laboratory for my own good. How’d that work out?”

Silence. Then, her voice lowered. “I made a mistake.”

Derek snorted. When she turned to him, I said, “Glaring at him isn’t going to help your case. He’s the friend who stuck by my side. Just like Simon and Tori. Yes, Tori. The girl who nearly got me killed at Lyle House turned out to be a better friend than the one who pretended she was my friend.”

“I was.” There was no anger in her tone, no defensiveness. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. “I was your friend, Chloe. I made a mistake. I want to fix that.”

“Yeah,” Derek said. “By kidnapping her again. Either you’re a whole lot dumber than I thought—”

“I’m not stupid, Derek,” she said, anger flaring. “I admit I made a mistake, and now I want to fix it by rescuing Chloe.” She lifted a hand as I opened my mouth. “I know you think you don’t need rescue, but you do.”

I looked at Derek. He rolled his eyes.

“All right,” I said. “Let’s get out and talk.”

Eight

“We have a problem,” Maya whispered as we headed into the forest. The trail was closed at dusk, but there was no one to enforce that. It’s Canada. They expect you’ll understand that the rule is for your own good, and they leave the rest up to you.

The guys walked behind us with Rae between them. Maya had suggested she and I go on ahead to find a good spot to talk, but it seemed the person she wanted to talk to first was me. She passed over her phone, text messages displayed.

When I read them, I cursed under my breath.

“Uh-huh,” she said.

9:47. Moreno: Hey, movie’s over, Miss Maya.

9:52. Moreno: OK, I give up. Where r u? 5 sec to reply or I come hunting.

9:53. Moreno: Maya? Answer. Now.

9:54. Maya: Sry! Didn’t u get txts? Had problem. Jerk talking in movie. Guys abt to cause scene. C&I got them out. Pizza.

9:55. Moreno: OK. Where r u?

She’d dragged out the conversation after that, taking longer to reply. She’d said we’d gone for pizza, and she had no idea where, because Daniel had seen a sign on the way in, but, when we went back, it was out of business, so we’d driven around and around…And all she knew was that we were having pizza somewhere in North Bay. Give us a half hour, and we’d swing back and meet them.

Moreno grumbled, but he trusted Maya. The problem was that we couldn’t trust him.

“Someone knew we were at the movie,” I said. “And the only people who knew are Moreno and Luke.”

“I know. I really don’t think…” She inhaled and put her phone away. “Moreno is a mercenary son of a bitch, so he should be at the top of my list…”

“But he’s not.”

She made a face, fidgeting with the zipper on her sweater. “Logically, I know there’s no reason to suspect Luke any more than Moreno. Probably less, because Moreno is head of security. If he wanted to sell us out, he has everything he would need to do it, and the only thing stopping him would be…”

“Loyalty to your father.”

“Loyalty from a guy who, I suspect, is only loyal as long as it’s in his best interests. My gut says to trust him, but my head says, hell, no. I’ll keep putting him off, and we’ll see how it goes.”

We found out why Rae and her mother hadn’t come to Badger Lake. It seemed someone had gotten to her and convinced her that the Cabal was evil and Badger Lake didn’t exist, at least not as Sean had sold it to her. I wasn’t surprised. It’s not like Cabals are known for altruism, especially this one.

The Nasts were the Cabal that had kidnapped Simon and Derek’s dad, Kit and held him captive, interrogating him about the Edison Group while Derek and Simon ended up at Lyle House. Which should make it seem as if brainwashing really had been involved in our decision to trust Sean. The truth is that Kit had been remarkably unwilling to hold a grudge. The Nasts had treated him well enough and he had worked for the Edison Group, so it was perfectly reasonable that they would kidnap him to learn more. It was just business. I suppose that says a lot about the supernatural world. Yet Kit’s experience also meant he hadn’t been about to trust the Nasts without a whole lot of negotiations and background checks on Sean. Rae’s mother wouldn’t have gone that far. She’d been told “Nasts = bad,” and they’d run.

The people who’d saved her and Rae from the Nasts had continued to be helpful. They’d backed off for a while, after letting Rae and her mom know they were there for support. Then, they’d come back, admitting they were concerned about the rest of us. They hated to get involved—they feared the Cabals—but it was their duty as supernaturals to help these innocent teens escape the tyrannical Nasts. And as much as they’d love to do it themselves, they really needed Rae’s help. She’d never gotten over what happened with the Edison Group and had told her mother many times that she wished she could do something to make up for her mistakes. Now she finally could.

“You realize they’ve fed you a complete line of bullshit,” Maya said.

Rae turned a cool look on her. “I’m not actually talking to you. I don’t know you.”

“Oh, sorry,” Maya put out her hand. “Maya Delaney. Seventeen. Grade twelve. Skin-walker, as you saw. I love animals, science, track-and-field and long walks in the rain. Well, no, actually, I hate the rain. It’s a cat thing. But while I might not have as good a sense of smell as Derek here, mine’s not bad, and it’s particularly attuned to the smell of bullshit. I’m guessing, though, that yours isn’t quite as good. You bought their story, right?”

Rae bristled. “Of course I did. Because it’s true.”

“No,” Daniel said. “It just has enough of a ring of truth to make it believable. Everyone knows the Nast Cabal is capable of exactly what you’ve been told. You want to believe it, because you want to make up for what you did to Chloe. But take a good look at their story, Rae. They’re saying that Chloe and Derek have been brainwashed into thinking they’ve got it good in Badger Lake. Yet, according to them, we’re living in some kind of institution, our parents dead or missing from our lives. Doesn’t that sound exactly like the lab Chloe escaped? What amount of brainwashing could make her accept that life? What amount could make Derek accept it?”

Oh, and another gift that benandanti get? The power of persuasion. Daniel knows how to formulate and deliver a good argument, and his powers give him an extra boost that ensures people listen. Rae didn’t cave immediately, but when he asked her for more details, she gave them. He teased out everything these people had said about us, and then he poked holes, gently but convincingly, through the fabric of their story, until there was nothing left but shreds.

“So, you’re telling me I’ve done it again,” Rae said quietly. “First the Edison Group tricks me into thinking Chloe is better off with them. Then, this group tricks me into thinking she’s better off escaping to them.”

“You tried to do the right thing,” Daniel said. “Both times. We all get that.”

Her gaze slid to Derek, who said, “After you were fooled once, I’d really think you’d do a little more digging before you let it happen again.”

Maya shot him a you’re not helping look.

“I’ll accept that you screwed up,” Derek said. “Twice. But it doesn’t mean I understand how it can happen. Twice.”

Maya looked at him. “From the guy who spent months in a group home run by the Edison Group and thought it was just a group home.”

“Hey, I figured it out. And I never did it again.”

“And you guarantee you never could do it again? Get tricked like that?”

Derek’s gaze shot to me for backup. I did nothing. Maya got his attention and mouthed Just work with us. Please? I suspected she found it equally hard to believe that Rae had been fooled twice, but making her feel bad about it would only get her back up, and, right now, we really needed Rae on our side.

“I won’t say it couldn’t happen,” Derek finally allowed. “If it did, though, I’d hope that I’d have the sense to shape up and help out the person I nearly betrayed a second time.”

Maya winced at the heavy-handedness of that. Clearly werewolves did not have the gift of persuasion.

“Badger Lake isn’t perfect,” I said. “We know exactly what it is, and we’ll be happy to explain it to you, but, I can guarantee, we aren’t prisoners there, and we aren’t brainwashed. We’ve all been through that sort of thing before, and we’re never going to let it happen again. Ask us anything you like, but quickly because we really need to get out of here, before your new friends find us.”

“I’d suggest we get out of here anyway,” Daniel said. “We can talk as we walk.”

We gave Rae the proof she seemed to need that our story was legit. Derek contributed nothing beyond the suggestion that we tie her to the nearest tree and leave her there. While I was the first to defend her, it wasn’t with the same conviction as a year ago. I didn’t suspect her of treachery this time, but, well, I struggled more now, with the same exasperation and frustration Derek felt.

More than that, having her here thrust me back into those memories, and I looked at them with fresh eyes. She had been tricked. I knew that beyond a doubt. Yet she’d refused to listen to reason, and while I understood where that came from—the seemingly orphaned girl who desperately needed to belong, needed to feel as if someone cared—I look back now, and I’m angrier than I was then. I have less patience with her than I did then.

When she was supposed to join us in Badger Lake, I’d still hoped we could be friends again. Now, being with her and Maya, and Daniel and Derek, I had to face the truth, that my friends were those who’d stuck by me—these three and Simon and, yes, even Tori. I wanted to help Rae. I wanted to bring her to Badger Lake, if that was the best thing for her. And I was sure we’d get along, the same as I did with Sam, Corey and Hayley, but it might never be more than that. Too much had happened. I forgave her mistakes, but I couldn’t trust that she wouldn’t keep making them, and that endangered all of us. So, as we reached the truck, I agreed when Daniel suggested he drive, putting me in the back with Maya. I had taken the driver’s seat earlier to shield Rae from Derek, but she didn’t need that, and I trusted he wasn’t going to do anything to make her take off.

“We need to deal with Moreno,” Maya said, raising her voice to be heard over the rumble of the truck’s tires on the dirt road.

She showed me her cell. Our half-hour grace period had ended ten minutes ago, and he’d texted eight times since. She’d started replying that we were almost done, which had worked for about five minutes. Then:

10:33. Moreno: U know I can track yr phone, right?

Maya: But u r not supposed to. Company rules.

Moreno: Not until I need to, my discretion.

Maya: Is that a threat?

Moreno: Does it need 2 b?

Maya: It’s PIZZA.

Moreno: No, it’s not.

Moreno: Don’t play the irresponsible teen, Miss Maya. doesn’t suit u.

Moreno: Five minutes & I turn on tracking.

“Ask where he is,” I said.

She did, and he replied that he was at the campsite, where we should be. We discussed our options. Then, I rapped on the divider between the truck bed and the cab. Derek opened it.

“Moreno’s had enough,” I said. “He knows something’s up. Maya and I think we should agree to meet him back at the campsite. Go in prepared for ambush. It’s that or ditch our cell phones and hope the Nasts haven’t implanted tracking devices during our medical exams.”

“Oh, they have,” Daniel said. “Guaranteed. And if anyone has access to that data, it’s Moreno.”

“That’s a ‘yes,’ then? Meet him at the campsite?”

“It’s our only option,” Derek said. “Best case, we prove he’s not the one who sold us out. Worst case?”

“Take him down and interrogate him,” Daniel said.

Derek nodded, and I returned to Maya.

Nine

We weren’t about to drive right up to the campsite. Daniel parked a half mile away. Derek wanted to leave Rae there, bound and gagged, and I think we actually might have, if we’d had anything to bind her with. Instead, she walked in front of Derek, who warned that if she made any sudden moves, he’d put her down. We knew he meant “put her down on the ground.” Rae didn’t seem so sure. He didn’t clarify.

We’d just started down a path to the campsite when Maya’s phone chirped with a text. She frowned at it and showed us.

10:55. Moreno: Stay where u r.

10:56. Maya texted back: What?

It took about ten seconds for a reply. When it came, it was one word: STAY!!!

“Huh,” Daniel said.

“Yep, that’s my reaction, too,” Maya said. “It could mean he’s realized Luke is a traitor. Or that he’s seen someone staking out the campsite. Or that he wants us to think that, so we’ll trust him when we catch up.”

“Isn’t this guy supposed to be your head of security?” Rae said.

Maya nodded.

“And you don’t trust him?” Rae said. “Maybe that’s a sign things aren’t as good as you think.”

“Things are exactly what we think they are,” Maya said as she pocketed her phone. “We’re in the safest possible situation, which, for us, means we still have to suspect the worst of everyone over the age of eighteen, however much we might like them.”

“And you’re okay living like that?”

“It’s the only way we will live. Which is kinda the long-term goal.”

When we neared the camp, we split up. Derek took Rae. Maya and I stuck together. Daniel looped around the other side, to circle in from that angle.

“Up?” Maya said as she scanned the trees.

I nodded.

Being a part-time wildcat, Maya’s a first-rate climber. As for me, it was one of the few physical skills I was good at even before I went on the run—my small size and a few gymnastics trophies made me a natural. Up we went, shimmying into a tree as close to the camp as we could get. Then, we did something I never would have dared before—moving from tree to tree. I’ve had practice, though, goofing around with Maya, and we managed to position ourselves right over the camp.

Maya and I texted the guys to let them know where we were, and then we silenced our phones against the inevitable replies. At a noise from below, we peered through the canopy to see Moreno perched on the same table I’d sat on earlier. He had a beer in one hand and a trail guide in the other. A fire blazed in the pit, the only source of light in the dark campsite.

“You getting that lantern?” Moreno called. “I can’t read this damn thing by firelight. Hell if I know why I’m reading it at all. Those kids are in serious shit when they get back here. We’re not taking them hiking in the morning. They’ll be lucky if I don’t haul their asses home tonight.”

“They’re teenagers,” Luke said. “Cut them some slack. There are far worse things they could do than play hooky for a few hours. I want to see that waterfall tomorrow. I’ll read the trail guide myself, just as soon as I find this lantern.” A shuffle of movement from their tent. “Are you sure you packed it?”

“Yes, I’m sure, just like I’m sure it’s exactly where I said it was.” Moreno snapped the trail guide shut. “I suppose you need me to come there and find it.”

“Well, it’s a little hard to find without actual illumination. You’re the one with the flashlight.”

“Penlight,” Moreno said, taking out his keys and flicking it on. “Which doesn’t do shit, as you’re about to see.”

He stalked off to the tent, disappeared inside and said, “The least you can do is hold the flap so I get some extra light.”

“How? The fire’s over on the other side.”

Moreno grumbled, and I heard him moving things around the tent, saying, “Goddamn it, you made a mess. Why the hell were you looking in my backpack? I said the duff—”

An oomph cut Moreno off mid-word. Then, a gasp. Maya was already dropping out of the tree. I scrambled down as the sounds of struggle erupted from inside the tent. Then, the pfft of a silenced shot. Maya let out a cry, and a dark shape charged into her, sending her flying off her feet. I hit the ground and took three running steps before I saw who’d knocked her down. It was Derek, now on his stomach a few feet from where she was doing the same.

I caught a glimpse of Rae, hunkered down where Derek had left her, on the other side of the fire. Daniel was running toward them, hunched over. Derek saw me and started pushing to his feet, his eyes so wide I could see the whites. I hit the ground before he got up, and we all went still, gazes fixed on the tent, silent now.

“Fuck.” It was Moreno, the word coming on a heave of breath. “You fucking, stupid kid. Goddamn you.”

Daniel veered toward the tent. When Maya and Derek started to rise, he motioned a game plan. They nodded and separated, circling around the tent, animal instincts keeping their footfalls silent.

Daniel glanced my way to make sure I was staying where I was. I can hold my own in a fight, but my powers don’t give me any advantage. In this situation—like when they’d been fighting in the alley—the best thing I could do was stand watch against unexpected interference. That also meant keeping an eye on Rae, but she was staying where she was.

Daniel neared the tent flap. Inside, Moreno was still cursing. A sudden hiss had Derek, Maya and Daniel going still. It was the lantern, hissing to life. I could see Moreno’s figure inside the tent now, crouching as he muttered under his breath.

“Moreno?” Daniel said.

Moreno shot up. “Goddamn it? I told—”

“Throw the gun toward the door.”

A sigh. Then, a thump.

“Yours, too. And if I see you disappear—”

“I’m not going anywhere.” The thump of a second gun. Moreno’s silhouette waved his hands over his head. “Can you see me?”

“Where’s Luke?”

“Well, I’m guessing you heard that shot.”

“Is he okay?” Maya called.

Another sigh. Deeper. “No, he’s not. Dumb kid. Can I come out, and we can have this conversation in person?”

Daniel retrieved the guns and had Moreno walk, hands on his head, to the fire pit. We all joined him there, Derek escorting Rae. Moreno glanced at her, eyes narrowing as if she looked familiar. Then, he said, “Fuck. Is that what this is about?”

“Tell us what happened,” Maya said.

As Moreno started to explain, I leaned over and whispered something to Maya. She nodded, and I went to the tent. Derek watched me but didn’t come after me. I could hear Moreno telling his story as I slipped into the tent.

I tried not to look at Luke’s body. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen a corpse before. I’m a necromancer; I see more than I like. A necromancer can’t only communicate with the dead—she can raise them, too, and part of my wonky, genetically modified powers means that my zombie juice is a little overpowered. I’ve been known to accidentally reanimate dead things. Which is not pleasant—for me or the poor spirit caught in the rotting body.

I’d learned to control it, but that was part of the reason I hadn’t asked someone else to run this errand. Dead bodies make me nervous, and the more exposure I have to them, the more confident I get that I won’t have an unfortunate power surge around them. I entered the tent and avoided looking at Luke while clutching my necklace, which seemed to be oddly warm. My sweaty hands, I guess. I walked to Moreno’s backpack, found what I was looking for and left.

Moreno was telling the others that he’d overheard Luke making a phone call, one telling someone we were missing. Luke promised he’d “take care of things.” That’s when Moreno had texted Maya to stay away. When Luke lured him into the tent to find the lantern, he knew he was about to get jumped. He’d used his powers to get the jump on Luke instead, wresting the gun away. In the ensuing struggle, the gun went off, and Luke was now dead on the tent floor. Which was not what Moreno had intended, as evidenced by the cursing.

“Can’t interrogate a corpse,” Moreno said.

“Also, he’s dead,” Maya said.

Moreno muttered that anyone who pulled a gun on him shouldn’t expect to live through it, but he added, “Dumb kid,” with an angry shake of his head, and I knew he regretted what happened. Not that he had a problem with killing someone who posed a threat, but neither Luke’s crimes nor his threat potential had warranted the death penalty.

“So, that’s your story,” Maya said.

“Story?”

She gave him a hard look. “Don’t expect us to believe it just because you warned us. That would be a good way to gain our trust. Killing Luke would be a good way to claim he was the leak, since he’s not alive to claim otherwise.”

“You must have heard us fighting in the tent. You heard him jump me.”

“No,” Derek said. “We heard a fight in the tent and a gun go off. We can’t say for sure who started that fight.”

“So you don’t trust me: the guy who taught you everything you know. I’m guessing if you have her”—he jerked his thumb at Rae—“that’s no accident. Luke’s buddies sent her to trap you, and she thought she was doing the right thing, because, duh, she’s already proven she’s kinda gullible that way.”

“Hey!” Rae said.

“You are. Own it. Fix it. Now, you guys have her, which means you escaped whoever sent her after you. You didn’t escape without a fight, given that bruise I see rising on Daniel’s jaw and the scrapes on Derek’s knuckles. But you escaped, and you came back here, and you captured me. Who taught you all that?”

“Daniel and I had already started learning,” Maya said, “during those weeks you were chasing us.”

“Trial by fire,” he said. “Followed by hardcore, hands-on tactical training. You got away scot-free from these guys because of my lessons. And yet now you don’t trust I’m on your side?”

“Nope,” Derek said.

“Sorry,” Daniel said.

Maya crossed her arms and shook her head. I shrugged.

Moreno broke into a grin. “You guys do me proud. I’d give you all a hug, if that wasn’t a little creepy. And if I was the hugging sort. But if you survive the rest of this, I’ll take you all out for beer and ice cream.”

“You don’t need to be sarcastic,” Rae muttered.

“Oh, but I’m not, and they know it. This is exactly what I trained them for. Trust no one except one another. Excluding you, kid, because I don’t know you, and you have a bad habit of screwing up. But these guys are doing the right thing. Next step?”

“Turn the tables,” I said. “Capture someone who’s behind this and get them to talk.”

“Mmm, yes. That would work. But even better?”

“Stop them,” Derek said. “Don’t just take down one. Take them all down.”

“Without running to the Nasts for help,” Daniel said. “Because in another year, some of us will be off to college, and we need to be able to look after ourselves.”

“Starting with proving we can look after ourselves,” Maya said.

Moreno beamed. “You guys are ace. See, this is what I told Sean. The best time to train operatives is when they’re still young and malleable. None of that shit about waiting until they’re eighteen and legally old enough to consent.”

Maya shook her head. “I suppose you’d also suggest he have the Cabal terrorize them for weeks first, so they’re properly motivated.”

“Exactly. Personal rights and freedoms are vastly overrated. And there’s nothing wrong with a little PTSD. I’ve always found mine useful. Keeps me on my toes.”

Rae stared at him.

“I’m kidding,” he said to her. “Mostly. Don’t you joke around like this with your instructors? Oh, wait. You don’t have any. Which is why you got tricked—again. And got captured by these guys.”

“Can we tie him up now?” Rae said. “And gag him?”

“Doesn’t do any good,” Derek said.

“We could try.”

“No, actually, Derek’s right,” I said. “Tying him up is pointless. He’s an Evanidus.”

When she frowned at me, Moreno groaned. “No fight training. No intelligence training. And no cultural training? You are a half-demon, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“Evanidus half-demon,” he said. “Special power?” He disappeared and reappeared a foot away.

“Oh,” Rae said.

“So there’s no sense tying me up. Just take my keys, and I’ll find my way…”

He trailed off as I held up the syringe from his backpack.

“I know you used tranq darts when you hunted Maya and the others,” I said. “I guessed you’d have some sedative in your first-aid kit, just in case one of us decided to be difficult.”

“Smart girl. Now, uh…before you use that on me…”

“Get you away from here, so if you aren’t one of the bad guys, and the actual bad guys come looking for Luke, they won’t find you conveniently passed out in the tent.”

“You got it. Hands on my head, I presume? Quick march to a secluded spot in the woods where I can take a long nap?”

I nodded. “First, though, we’re taking your cell phone. Both to check for calls and so you can’t wake up early and get in our way.”

“And don’t forget—”

“Luke’s phone,” Daniel said. “It’s our best source of intel. Take that and search him for a backup.”

“Gold star, kids. Gold star.”

Ten

Moreno didn’t walk quietly to his resting place. I don’t think that would be physically possible. He had us bring the phone and tell him what was on it, and then he spent the ten-minute walk speculating about who might be behind the intended kidnapping. It wasn’t blind speculation—it was advice. If it was a Cabal, did we remember our lectures on the differences between them, how to handle each one? If it was independent contractors—mercenaries hoping to sell us to the highest bidder—did we remember what he’d taught us about them? And the various splinter groups—those who’d want to control us and those who’d want to “free” us, what did we know about them? His money was on the splinter groups, but we shouldn’t make any presumptions until we knew more.

We left him, unconscious and resting comfortably, in a safe spot. Then, we plotted. We knew what we had to do. Or three of us did. No, Derek did know what we had to do; he just really, really didn’t like it. In the end, we made an adjustment to increase his comfort level, and then we put the plan into action.

“You’re making the right choice,” Rae said.

We were darting along a path, lit only by Moreno’s penlight. I stumbled over a root, and she helped me upright. Dry leaves crackled to our left, but we pretended not to hear them.

“I-I don’t know,” I said. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“And staying in Badger Lake doesn’t feel right either. You know something’s up there. That’s why you’re doing this.”

“I-I just want to talk to these people. I can do that, right? Just talk? You said that would be okay.”

“It’s definitely okay,” she said, gripping my elbow and propelling me along the path. “They aren’t the bad guys. They want to help. Just talk to them, and you’ll understand.”

“B-but what if…”

I trailed off as we stepped into the campsite parking lot. The door on a dark van slid open.

“Th-they’re here?” I said, tensing, as if ready to bolt. Rae gripped my elbow tighter.

“That saves us from having to find them then, doesn’t it?”

We’d guessed it wouldn’t take long for Luke’s compatriots to show up at the campsite. Rae and I had been bumbling around—“whispering” as loud as we could, supposedly in flight from the others—for about ten minutes before we’d heard the van arrive and two people come after us, following through the forest, listening to our conversation.

When I faltered on seeing that van, it hadn’t been entirely faked. I couldn’t help thinking: Isn’t this good enough? We had a van full of the enemy, all focused on us. Derek, Maya and Daniel could jump them and—

And then what? Revert to plan A, where we interrogated someone, got answers and took them to Sean to complete clean-up? No. Moreno was right—we had to dispatch this threat on our own. We also had to think of Rae’s mother, who was with the enemy. If we gave them time to realize their plan had been foiled, they’d whisk her away as negotiating collateral. Or that’s what I’d told Rae they’d do. My fear was that she wasn’t worth enough for that.

“I-I’m not sure,” I said, poised at the edge of the lot.

“It’s okay, Chloe. You want to do this. You need to do it. For yourself and for the others.”

“That’s right.” A dark-clothed woman approached from the van. “This is the best thing for all of you. You know that, Chloe.”

“I-I just want to talk. Rae said—”

“We heard what Rae said, and she’s absolutely right. We’re the white hats here. We’ve come to help you. Now let’s find someplace where we can talk.”

“Well, that didn’t take long,” I muttered when I woke with my hands bound behind my back.

“They’re not tied very well,” a girl’s voice said behind me. “Here, lift your thumb about an inch…”

I glanced back. The room was lit only by light seeping under the door, but I could see a girl with long blond hair and a Minnie Mouse nightshirt.

“Liz?” I whispered.

“The shirt gave it away, huh?” she said with a grin. “I wore it for old times’ sake. Thought you’d get a laugh. Of course, I didn’t expect to find you out cold, bound hand and foot. Trying on a little nostalgia-wear yourself?”

“Ha-ha.”

“Okay, now lift your thumb—”

“Leave it for now,” I said. “I can’t afford to go off-script just yet.”

“Ah.” She hunkered down in front of me. “This is a performance piece. Well, that makes more sense. I’d be concerned if you’d really gotten taken captive again. Especially given your cellmate.” She waved at Rae, lying on her side on the floor, unconscious. “Care to give me the Cliff’s Notes version?”

I did, and then I said, “I kinda expected they’d stretch out their good-guy routine a little longer. The last thing I remember I was in the back of a van with Rae. A woman was talking to me, and then I woke up here. Gassed? Sedated? Knocked out? I suppose it’s not important.” I blinked hard and looked around. “This isn’t quite what I hoped for, but I can work with it.”

She laughed, a high girlish laugh. “You should hear yourself, Chloe. Knocked out, tied up, held captive—huh, I can work with this.”

“Not quite the girl you met in Lyle House?”

She went serious, pushing her hair back. “Not exactly, but not all that different either. You had guts, even then. You just didn’t know how to use them. Now you do. We’ve all changed. Evolution, though, not devolution. That’s what Derek says.” She sat cross-legged. “Speaking of the big guy, I’m guessing he followed you here and is lurking around outside.”

“That’s the plan. Except not exactly as you might—”

A commotion sounded outside the door. Then, a snarled, “Get your hands off me. Am I trying to escape? You made your threat, and I’m coming along peacefully, and if you use that damned cattle prod again…”

I didn’t hear the rest of the threat, cut short by Liz’s gasp as she said, “Derek?” and then ran through the wall as I hissed, “Stop! He’s—”

She was gone. A moment later, the door opened. I’d already dropped to the floor, eyes shut. I listened as they shoved Derek inside, with him still cursing and snarling threats.

“Can I sedate him again?” someone said.

“Mike said it just takes longer with werewolves.” A soft thud. “And there he goes. Better lie down, kid. That’s a long way to fall, and you’re going to hurt yourself—”

A bigger thud as Derek slumped to the floor. The man sighed. “I tried to warn him. Okay, two down, two to go. Send out the rest of the team. If the necro and the wolf are here, then cat-girl and the witch-hunter won’t be far behind.”

The door shut. I scrambled up. Liz was kneeling beside Derek. As I crawled over fast, he opened his eyes. Then, he rose, sitting, and gave himself a shake, blinking hard.

“You’re all right?” I said. “That sounded like a hard drop.”

“Yeah, I gotta work on my pratfalls. Having my hands tied doesn’t help.”

He blinked harder, lips curling in a yawn.

“The sedative?” I whispered.

He nodded. “It’s not enough to knock me out, but I could really use a nap.” He made a face. “Just give me a couple minutes.” He shook himself and then peered over. “You’re okay?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, should have asked that first. Definitely a little fuzzy.”

“Are you going to be all right?”

“Eventually. Just hope they don’t come barreling through that door in the next five minutes.” He craned to see his hands. “They’ve done a good job with the bindings. I’ll need to be more awake before I can snap them.”

“Liz thinks she can help me untie mine. If I can do that, you can save your strength.”

“Hey, Liz.”

“Hey, sleepy,” she said, smiling. “You’re a lot friendlier when you’re tired, you know that?”

I relayed the message. He only chuckled, his eyelids flagging. Liz hunkered down, watching him, her head tilted.

“You’ve both learned a lot, Chloe,” she said. “But one lesson he’s not picking up? That you can take care of yourself. I mean, it’s really sweet that he worries about you and looks out for you. You don’t want a boyfriend who doesn’t care. With Mitchell— Oh, wait. I haven’t seen you since Mitchell finally asked me out. On a date. A real one. We went to…” She trailed off and made a face. “Sorry, brain-flit.”

I laughed under my breath. We weren’t the only ones who’d changed in eighteen months. When Liz finally accepted she wasn’t coming back, it had marked a change in her, too. She wasn’t the girl I’d met, flighty and a little bit, well, unfocused. There were still hints of that girl, though—the brain-flits, as she called them, her mind temporarily zigging down another path.

“As I was saying,” she said. “As nice as it is that Derek watches out for you, you’d have both been a lot better off right now if he hadn’t come charging to your rescue.”

“He didn’t,” I said. “It’s part of the plan. It’s safer for me and Rae on the inside if he’s here for muscle. Also, his nose can help us find Rae’s mother. But if Rae showed up with both of us in tow, it’d have looked suspicious. So we did it this way.”

“He faked coming after you so he’d get captured. Good plan. But now that I’m here, I can find Rae’s mom for you. You guys hang tight and sleep it off. We’ll spring this trap as soon as I get back.”

Eleven

Liz was gone exactly the right amount of time—long enough for Derek to get a wolf-nap and for Rae to stir from her sedated sleep, but not so long that I started worrying our captors would reappear any second.

“Found her!” Liz said when she popped back in. “Oh, hey, Rae. Been a while.”

I conveyed the greeting. Rae looked abashed. They hadn’t exactly been friends in Lyle House. Well, Rae hadn’t been friends with Liz. I think Liz had considered herself friends with everyone. To Rae, Liz was just a blond ditz. I’m sure that would have changed if she’d believed me about Liz’s death, but she hadn’t, and this was the first time she’d “seen” Liz since that.

“I’m really sorry that…” Rae cleared her throat. “I mean, obviously, I’m sorry you’re…”

“The word is ‘dead,’” Derek said.

Rae scowled at him.

“What?” he said. “You were trying to avoid saying it, which only makes it worse. She’s dead. The Edison Group killed her. It was a shitty thing to happen to anyone, but even shittier for Liz. She was—is—a good person who really didn’t deserve that.”

“Aww,” Liz said. “That’s so sweet. Tell him that’s sweet. And that I totally take back anything less-than-sweet I’ve ever said about him.”

I relayed it, verbatim. Derek smiled and then said, “So what’d you find, Liz?”

“Has Derek given you the lay of the land yet?” she asked. “I’m guessing he got a good look around outside.”

He had—when he’d woken, he’d told us that we were in what looked and smelled like an old lumber mill. Long abandoned, about twenty minutes outside North Bay, in the forest. Right now, we were in an office. There was a row of them, all window-free.

“Jacinda is being held in another office,” Liz said, “at the end of the hall. She’s bound and gagged. Obviously, none of you get the preferred-guest treatment. She’s fine, though. I also got to overhear their plans. Well, not all of them. I never seem to wander in at exactly the moment when they’re sitting around discussing their master scheme.” She glanced at me. “Do bad guys actually do that?”

“Only in the movies, when they need a convenient way to tell the audience what they’re doing…by repeating their plan to people who already know it.”

Liz snickered. “Well, I never hear those conversations. I just get people giving orders and talking on radios, and I have to piece it all together like a jigsaw. I didn’t hear anything about who they are or why they’re doing this.”

“Because you aren’t the action hero, tied up and about to die. That’s when you get to hear who they are, what they’ve done and what they plan to do. Then, you can stop them when you escape.”

“Otherwise, again, everyone I hear talking already knows who they are and what they’re doing. Which is very inconvenient for a spy. I did hear something that… Well, it was weird. They seem to want…” She shook her head. “I’ll get to that. First thing: the plan. It’s pretty much what you’ve figured out. Rae was supposed to capture you. Derek would come running and they’d nab him. Then, Maya and Daniel. Except they’re having trouble finding Maya and Daniel, not surprisingly, considering I’m guessing that getting captured isn’t their role.”

“It’s not.”

“They’re still hunting for them. Once they have them, they’ll hold all four of you for ransom. Well, five, because they’re tossing in Rae as a bonus.”

“Ransom?” I said. “That’s all this is?”

Derek caught my eye. He’d been waiting, as patiently as he could, while I talked to Liz, but, at that, he needed an explanation. I told him and Rae what was going on.

“Mom and I are bonus captives?” Rae said.

“Apparently.”

“So it was all about money,” Derek said. “Huh. That’s new.”

I passed him a wry smile. “Yep, after all these months of being chased because we’re dangerous, we’re finally valuable…as a quick way to turn a profit. Just like any other kids with rich guardians. Makes me feel normal again. It’s a bit discouraging too, though. Just once, I want someone to try to kidnap me to harness the awesome potential of my amazing powers.”

“I’d rather they didn’t kidnap us at all,” Rae said.

“True, but still, if you have to be kidnapped, it’s better for your ego if it’s actually about you.”

Derek chuckled and tugged me back to lean against him.

“Actually, it isn’t,” Liz said. “They don’t want money.”

“Ah,” I said. “They want something else the Nasts have.”

“Kind of.”

“Business stuff? Stock shares or clients? Or supernatural stuff? Access to special spells or books?”

“They want one of you. Just, uh, not you guys.”

I told Derek and Rae, and said, “Typical, huh? I’m guessing one of the Salmon Creek kids, but I’m surprised it isn’t Maya or Daniel. Annie, Rafe and Ash aren’t as far along as Maya with their skin-walker skills. And for benandanti, Sam’s still struggling with her powers. Wait—Corey. A guy who can see the future is way more valuable than one who can change into a mountain lion or fight demons. Corey’s powers have a long way to go, but, he’s definitely the most valuable. Just don’t tell him that.”

Corey was the kind of guy that I’d never have crossed paths with at school. The party-boy, class-cutup jock. I would have worried, if our paths did cross, I’d become a source for his jokes, because of my stutter. In Corey’s case, I won’t say he wouldn’t have done it, but it would have been ignorance rather than cruelty, and he’d have stopped as soon as he saw that it upset me—or as soon as Daniel caught him and told him to cut it out.

“Ooh, I like Corey,” Liz piped up. “He’s super cute. Super funny, too. He’s not a genius, but I don’t mind that. Cute and funny is better. Plus, he was really sweet that time he wanted to know more about Greek myths, and I asked a ghost who’d been there and—”

“Is she still talking about Corey?” Derek cut in.

“Sorry,” Liz said, blushing. “But cute. And funny. And sweet. Not dead, too, though, which is a problem. Not that I wish he was…” She straightened and cleared her throat. “Okay, boy-gushing over. I’m back. And it’s not Corey, which is weird, because he’s definitely got cool powers and—” She made a face. “Back again. Ahem. It’s not Corey.”

“Who then?” I said.

“Victoria.”

“Tori? Seriously?”

“Exactly what I said. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with Tori…”

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with her,” I said.

“Nothing a frontal lobotomy couldn’t fix,” Derek said, and Rae snickered. I gave them both a look. Tori might have been the token “mean girl” at Lyle House, and I won’t say she turned out to be a misunderstood nice girl, but, as with most people, there was more to it than that. We’d become friends on the run, and while we weren’t quite as close these days—the Salmon Creek kids offered us both more suitable companions, in Maya for me and Hayley for her—we were still friends. Derek, as usual, was a different matter. He no more forgave Tori her trespasses against me than he did Rae.

When I gave them a look, Liz said, “It’s okay. I know Tori’s not always easy to get along with. And she is powerful—that witch and sorcerer combo means she kicks serious spell-casting butt. But, well, it’s not special, right? You’re just as powerful as a necromancer. Derek’s just as powerful as a werewolf. And the Salmon Creek kids are unique. So, why Tori?”

“Could you have misunderstood?”

“Maybe,” she said. “Is there another Victoria in the group? Someone new?”

I shook my head. “They keep telling us one of the other Salmon Creek kids showed powers and will be joining us, but nothing’s happened. It’s the exact same group it was from day one.”

“Huh. And they said Victoria not Tori, so I couldn’t have mistaken it for Corey. Either it’s really her or I need my ears cleaned out.”

“Let’s not worry about that,” I said. “If you can help me get free, Rae and I will sneak down and get her mom while Derek waits for Maya and Daniel to make their move.”

The next few steps went without a hitch. Liz helped me get free, and I untied Rae and Derek. Then Derek snapped the lock on the door. Next he Changed forms while Liz scouted the hall. She’d already checked for cameras. There weren’t any—this was just a temporary holding spot, not a remodeled jail site.

When all was clear, we slipped into the hall. Derek used his jaws to jam the doorknob, so our kidnappers wouldn’t be able to get inside, and it would take them a while to realize we’d left. He was still waiting for Maya and Daniel’s signal, but he’d do it from a better vantage point, using his nose and ears to make sure his own way was clear.

With Liz leading, Rae and I snuck down to Jacinda’s holding cell. Liz had confirmed the door locked from the outside, meaning we didn’t need brute strength to open it. Five minutes after initiating our escape, we were freeing Rae’s mom.

I’d never met Jacinda. Rae had grown up thinking she was dead. Then, the Edison Group hinted she wasn’t, and, I’ll admit, I thought they were just saying that to keep Rae happy and content in captivity. They weren’t. While we’d been out on our adventures, preparing to strike back against the St. Clouds, Jacinda had rescued her daughter and gone on the run.

Jacinda looked…well, like Rae in twenty years. That wasn’t unexpected. Half-demons might have a demonic father, but they don’t inherit any of his appearance—whatever that is.

I explained what happened, as quickly as I could, but there was little need. Jacinda had figured out they’d been tricked. Being tied up in a dark room tipped her off.

“I’m sorry,” she said to me. “I could say a lot more than that, but for now, I’m sorry. We really did think—” A sharp shake of her head. “No excuses. That’s just to say that we thought we were doing the right thing. But one look at you, Chloe, and I can see we weren’t.” She managed a smile. “You remind me of your mom, and you obviously inherited more than just her looks, so I’m going to leave this escape plan to you. Just tell me what to do.”

I did.

Twelve

“It’s past time, isn’t it?” Rae whispered as we crouched behind a huge, rusted industrial saw in the main building.

“It’s fine, Rae,” her mom whispered. “You can’t time these things down to the second.”

Except we had. At exactly one o’clock, we were supposed to hear the signal that told us Maya and Daniel were in position. The signal? Maya’s cat scream, guaranteed to echo unmistakably through the building. She’d yowl, Derek would get to her, and, between the two of them, they’d take down our captors while Daniel went through a bag of zip-strips tying them up.

It was now 1:10.

“It’s a slight delay,” I whispered. “But as long as everything’s quiet, that’s all it is: a delay. If something went wrong, we’d hear it. And we do have a backup plan.”

“Which is that if we see trouble or it goes past one-thirty, we get out. Any way we can.” Jacinda squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “It’s okay, baby. Chloe has this—”

Footsteps pounded down the hall. We simultaneously dove under the old saw. That’s why we’d been waiting there—the big hunk of machinery was conveniently raised just far enough off the floor to provide a good—if tight—hiding spot.

“Sorry!” Liz whispered as she crouched beside the machine and peered under it at me. “I was checking the other direction and didn’t see him coming. It’s one guy heading straight this way, so don’t move.”

I nodded and whispered something to Jacinda. She agreed and passed on the message to Rae, on her other side.

“Murray’s right,” a voice said. “The kids are gone. Whatever he heard over in the west quadrant? It wasn’t rats.”

A reply came across a radio. The footfalls stopped with a squeak.

“Hold on,” he said. “I think I’ve got something. I’ll call you back.”

The radio clicked off. The footsteps continued. Then, a hand reached down and grabbed Jacinda’s ankle, and the man yanked her from her hiding place as she squeaked in protest.

“Are you girls under there, too?” He bent and peered beneath the saw. “Why, hello, Rachelle.”

“Hello, asshole,” she said and held up her glowing fingers. “Want to try pulling me out? Don’t worry—I only give second-degree burns.”

He snatched for her outstretched leg—and I slammed a sedative dart into his shoulder as Jacinda slapped her hand over his mouth. I’d crawled out the other way while he’d been focused on Jacinda and Rae. The darts came courtesy of Derek. He’d brought them in, hoping—correctly it seemed—that they wouldn’t be so thorough checking for weapons on a werewolf, presuming he came with his own built-in. When I’d realized it was only one guy, I’d had Jacinda stick her leg out. Better to take this guy down while we could.

We bound and gagged him. Then, we took his gun and radio. Rae wanted to stuff him back under the saw, but if we did that, a few kicks against the metal would bring everyone running. I didn’t say that to Rae, or she’d feel like she’d overlooked the obvious. Eighteen months ago, I’d have suggested the same thing. Jacinda understood the issue, though, and suggested we haul him deeper onto the shop floor, hidden between pieces of machinery. We did, and Liz found an old oil-soaked tarp that we draped over him.

We had to find a new hiding spot, in case he still managed to make enough noise to alert the others. After a whispered conference, I gave Jacinda the gun. I could handle it, but I had two more tranq darts and needed to keep my attention on Liz as she zipped back and forth. Jacinda also knew how to use a gun and didn’t have any supernatural powers.

Rae took the radio. We kept it on low, and she heard someone looking for the guy we’d disabled, but they didn’t seem to know exactly where he’d been when he went offline, and they were too busy hunting for us. Liz was hunting too—for a good hiding place—when she raced back, calling, “They’re coming! Two of them! Right around the—”

Right around the corner is what I’m sure she’d been about to say, but by that time they were turning the corner. A man and a woman, both carrying guns. We scooted, doubled over, through the machinery, but they’d spotted us, and footfalls pounded as they gave chase and radioed the others. That’s when it finally came: Maya’s catamount scream.

“About time,” Rae muttered.

“That’s certainly an attention-getter,” Jacinda whispered. And it did grab our pursuers’ attention as they skidded to a stop with exclamations of “What—?” and “Jesus!”

We tore off as fast as we could in the direction of the scream. Not exactly the plan, but the others would accommodate when they heard us coming. Except we didn’t get far before our pursuers resumed chase. One of them fired at Jacinda, and I don’t know if they were shooting to kill or just to spook us, but the fact they aimed for her told me they’d decided she was the most expendable, so I wasn’t taking a chance.

“Left!” Liz shouted. “Into the offices! I’ll back them off.”

Something crashed behind us. I don’t know what exactly it was, but it hit one of our pursuers. That’s the advantage of having a Volo half-demon ghost. In life, Liz had the power of telekinesis; in death, she’s a poltergeist.

We raced into the back hall. My necklace got warm again, like it had in the tent when I’d blamed my sweaty hands. But I wasn’t clutching it now. Why would it…? I thought of what had been in that tent, and I stopped. I opened one door. Closed it. Opened another.

“Chloe?” Rae said.

I threw open the second door and waved them inside. Rae ran through and then stopped.

“There’s a—” she began.

“I know.”

I pushed her in and closed the door behind us. Rae stared at the old desk in the middle of the room. Stared at what lay on top of it.

“Is that…?” she said.

“Luke,” I whispered. “They brought his body back. And I’m going to use it to get us out.”

I resurrected Luke to use against our pursuers. I’d done that once before, in our attack on the Edison Group, raising a guard who’d been killed in the fighting. I’d felt horrible about it—dragging his spirit back into his broken body and forcing him to do my bidding. I did not feel horrible now. Like the guard, Luke had chosen to join a group hell-bent on holding us captive and not above hurting us if we didn’t care for that captivity. He’d made his choice. He’d paid for it. Now he’d pay again.

Of course Luke didn’t want to do what I told him. But the point of being able to raise the dead is that I have the power to command them. I’d been getting training from a Cabal necromancer. I commanded Luke, and I ignored the rage and outrage in his eyes.

Outside, we could hear our pursuers checking doors. From the footfalls, it was still the two of them. When Liz popped back, she confirmed that. She’d been racing between us and the others, checking in on them. They were doing fine. Whatever obstacle had delayed their attack, they’d overcome it. It wasn’t an easy fight, though. There were four other members of this group, all having converged on Derek, Maya and Daniel, all presumably armed, though Liz wisely didn’t tell me that.

That meant the others were holding their own, but they couldn’t come to our rescue anytime soon. Which was fine. For perhaps the first time in my life, I didn’t just tell myself I could handle this—I believed it.

Liz stood in the hall and called a play-by-play. Whatever our pursuers’ supernatural powers, neither was a necromancer, obviously, and they didn’t hear her as she told us exactly where they were and what they were doing.

“Your door is next!” she called. “Get ready!”

I motioned Luke into position.

“Did you hear that?” the man whispered, his voice clear through the door. “They’re in here.”

He already had his hand on the knob, turning it, as the woman said, “Wait! Isn’t that where Luke—?”

He pulled the door open, and Luke charged. The man shot. The woman cursed. She didn’t shoot—she knew better. A thump sounded as the man hit the floor, followed by a yelp as Luke grabbed the man’s gun and whipped it into our room, on my command. Rae ran from our place behind the door, and Jacinda said, “Rae!” but her daughter was, finally, being careful, and she only snagged the gun with her foot, kicking-dragging it back our way without moving past the barrier of the door.

As Luke fought, overcoming whatever supernatural powers the man had, the woman began murmuring in Greek or Latin.

“Witch!” I said, as she swung through the doorway, spell still on her lips, only to find herself face-to-barrel with Jacinda’s gun.

“Finish that spell, and I shoot,” Jacinda said. “Raise that gun at either of these two girls, and I shoot. Really, just give me an excuse, bitch, and I shoot.”

The witch stopped casting.

Thirteen

A few minutes later, Derek came running, still in wolf form, only to discover we’d secured our two. He Changed back, and before he was finished enough to explain, Maya and Daniel had returned to do it for him. There’d been some hiccups, but they’d taken down the other four. Everyone was bound, gagged and awaiting interrogation.

Before we did that, I retrieved my cell phone and made a call to a number I’d never had occasion to use. On the third ring, someone picked up with, “Chloe? Is everything all right?”

I hesitated. “Did you hear something happened?”

“No,” Sean said. “But if it’s you calling, it’s serious. Is everything okay?”

“It is now,” I said. “I was just wondering if you could get here a little sooner.”

“What happened?”

I told him.

Sean dispatched a Cabal team immediately. They were coming in from New York, which meant they’d be a couple of hours. We weren’t waiting. We selected a likely subject and conducted an interrogation. It wasn’t difficult—Jacinda knew a few members of the group well enough to pick which one would fold the fastest, and he did, without us needing to do more than threaten, which was good. Whatever our training, I don’t think we could have done more. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

He spilled his story, and then we left him there with the others, trussed up and awaiting transport to the Nast satellite office in NYC. I didn’t know what Sean would do with them. As nice a guy as he was, whatever he’d do would not be nice. It couldn’t be. It had to impart a lesson—one that told anyone else thinking of messing with us that it was a very, very bad idea.

We collected Moreno after that. He was awake and waiting back at camp. He acted as if we’d just gone for pizza—and taken our sweet time getting back—but I didn’t miss his look of relief when we walked into the campsite.

“Of course you did,” he said when Maya told him we’d succeeded. “I trained you, didn’t I? Now let’s get these tents taken down and go home. Oh, and get that beer gone on the way. If Sean sees I bought it for you, he’ll give me proper shit.”

Jacinda cleared her throat.

“Fine,” he said. “You can have one, too.”

She gave him a look.

“What?” he said. “They’re not going to drink and drive. That would be wrong.” He walked to me. “You okay with taking the wheel, kid?”

I nodded. I don’t drink. Not because I’m too young, but because, well, I just don’t. A valid choice.

“I’ll drive,” Jacinda said. “And as long as it’s only beer…”

“It is,” Maya said. “Just beer and just one each. That’s the rule.”

Moreno leaned over and whispered. “It’s their rule. They’re very responsible. It’s kinda scary.”

We packed to go. Sean was already in his jet, heading our way from Los Angeles. His flight would take a few more hours, but we wanted to be back to Badger Lake and settled in before he arrived. I’d just finished helping Maya take down a tent when Derek walked over.

“Don’t forget this,” he said, handing me my novel.

I took it…and my study pages fell out.

“So that’s where I put those,” I said and reached down to scoop them up before he did. “I must have put them in there before we left—”

“Don’t,” he said, his voice low.

I glanced up. Maya caught my eye and motioned that she was stepping away. She bundled the tent under her arm and gathered pegs. Derek handed her the last two. She murmured a “thanks” and walked to the picnic table to bag the tent.

“It makes it worse when you lie about it,” Derek said.

“I-I wasn’t…I just…”

“You’re hiding the fact that you were studying on your vacation time, because you’re hiding the fact that you’re trying to get into college early. It’s a surprise for me. Which means it’s not really lying. Except it’s like giving people a surprise party when they really don’t want to celebrate. Part of the reason it’s a surprise is because they don’t want it. Which”—he met my gaze—“isn’t right.”

I swallowed. “But—”

“It’s for me. I know. I don’t want it, because I don’t like you pushing yourself this hard. So you think that if you choose to do it for me, that’s okay. Except I believe I should have a say in that.”

“I…”

“This isn’t the time. I know that.” He took the book and shoved it in his pocket. “If Jacinda’s driving I’d like you to rest on the ride home. Not study. Okay?”

I looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I—”

He cut me off with a kiss, reaching down to cup my face in his hands as he kissed me, sweet and gentle and long, not breaking off until Moreno cleared his throat across the campsite. Even then, he only pulled back a little, keeping my face in his hands.

“I’m not mad,” he said. “I get why you’re doing it. I just want to talk about it later. Okay?”

I nodded, and he took my hand, and we headed for the parking lot with the others.

Sean arrived a couple of hours after we got back. He’d texted when he got in, telling me he was in and that we could get some sleep before we talked. When he arrived, we were waiting in the community center. Moreno showed him in, and I handed him a coffee.

“There’s more where that came from,” I said. “But we’d like to do this tonight.”

He smiled and took the mug. “That makes sense.” He waved at the collection of couches and chairs in the meeting room. We settled in and explained everything.

“Does that make more sense to you than it does to us?” I asked when we finished. “That they wanted Tori because she fulfills some prophecy? Being both a sorcerer and a witch?”

“I do know what so-called prophecy they’re talking about. I say ‘so-called’ because our experts were never able to dig up definitive proof it existed, and we suspect it was at least in part concocted by a guy who was using it as proof that it was time for supernaturals to reveal themselves to the world.”

Maya snorted. “Oh, yeah. There’s a good idea. Because none of us spent any time locked up and being tested because of our powers. And that was by fellow supernaturals.”

“This particular plot was overthrown about four months ago, which is why I’m rolling my eyes at these guys trying to take Tori now. I suppose that proves there are still pockets left, and we need to root those out. At least I’m comforted by the fact that this group only hoped to sell Tori to believers and weren’t rekindling the movement themselves.”

“That might not be nearly as comforting to Tori,” Maya said.

Sean chuckled. “True. Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Derek said. “There are days when I’d hand her over for free. I’m not looking forward to telling her she was the special one here.”

“Perhaps we’ll skip that part,” Sean said. “If she does learn the truth, I can point out that she was the backup choice. My sister, Savannah, was targeted when the group was still active. I’m not surprised this group aimed for Tori rather than tangle with Savannah. But they did go to an awful lot of trouble to get Tori, which may mean there was more to their plot.”

“I suspect there was,” I said. “You can talk to Jacinda and Rae later. They might know more, but if these were the same people who convinced them not to move to Badger Lake, that suggests they had more in mind than taking Tori.”

“It does. You can leave that with me. You guys have done your share. More than your share. There was some concern that you weren’t ready to go away to college next year, but this should squelch it.”

“Gold star?” Maya said.

Sean smiled. “Gold star. And we’ll need to figure out a way to make up for your lost weekend.”

“Actually, I do have an idea,” she said. “We were thinking of a rec center…”

The others returned that evening. Derek and I went to meet Tori, Simon and Kit.

“You missed nothing,” Simon said as he climbed from the van. “Next time, I’m staying home with you guys. I showed up for my art lesson, and my instructor was drunk, again. He spent the entire hour moaning about the harsh life of the tortured artist. Dude, you draw comics. If you aren’t having fun, quit. Which I am. Him, at least. Not art.”

“He had a rough weekend,” Kit said coming up behind Simon. “He missed you guys.”

“So did I,” Tori said. “Because, without you there, he bitched and moaned to me.”

Simon turned on her. “Uh, who had to sit beside you on the helicopter and listen to the great and tragic story of the lost blue jeans.”

I looked at her. “You lost your jeans?”

“I lost the jeans. The perfect pair, on the sales rack, no less. They fit exactly. Then, I took in more clothes to try on, and Haley bought them.” She raised her voice. “So we are not talking until she returns them.”

“Then, we’re not talking for a long time,” Haley called from where she stood with Maya. “Because you put them in your discard pile.”

“Accidentally.” She looked back at us. “Also, I lost two hours work on my MIT application project, because someone borrowed my computer and shut off my backups.”

Haley flipped her the finger.

“So, we’re hanging out tonight,” Tori said to me.

“Speaking of backups…” I said.

“Oh, don’t give me that bull. The only time you come around is when Maya and Derek are busy. It’s a system that works for both of us.” She turned to Derek. “I’m borrowing your girlfriend tonight. Deal with it.”

“So,” Simon said. “To change the subject radically, how was your weekend? Anything exciting happen?”

“Not really,” I said as we headed into town. “Rae came back.”

“Rae? You don’t mean…?”

“Rachelle. She’s back. With her mom. They’d gotten mixed-up with a crazy group that wanted to kidnap us, but Derek, Maya, Daniel and I shut them down. Captured them. Interrogated them. Called in the Nasts to take them into custody. Other than that?” I shrugged. “A completely uneventful weekend.”

Fourteen

Monday night. It was Maya and Ash’s birthday, and Simon, Derek and I were hanging out with them and Rafe. Rafe is Maya’s ex. They’re still friends. Which is good to see. When couples break up, if it isn’t ugly, they say they’ll stay friends, but they rarely do. That’s one of the problems with living in a small place like this—couples get together, and, when it ends, it’s awkward, and there’s no place to escape. I saw that with Corey and Haley. With Haley and Simon, too, who dated briefly—very briefly. Really, it only happened because, of all the girls in Badger Lake, Maya and I are in relationships, Rafe’s sister Annie is twenty, Tori is Simon’s half sister and Sam is a lesbian. That left Haley, so of course Simon was going to give it a shot. It happened six months ago, and it’s still awkward between them.

The six of us were in the community center while the others put the final touches on the birthday party prep. Well, while Annie, Sam, Daniel and Corey did. I suspected Tori and Haley had found better things to do, at least until the party started. Yes, Tori and Haley were friends again, having come to a joint custody agreement on the jeans.

Rae had offered to help with the party prep. Annie had taken her along, having appointed herself Rae’s official “resident advisor” in Badger Lake. I appreciated that, because, otherwise, the job would have fallen to me, and I’m…I’m still working through how I feel about Rae.

I’d like to think we can be friends. I just…I need time, more than I thought I would. However much I’d protested that I understood what she did, it still stung, and having her around brought it back. I’d work through it and see what happened.

Daniel popped in five minutes before the party was due to start. He beckoned Ash out, with, “Need your help.”

“With getting ready for his own party?” Maya said.

I braced for Ash to say that it wasn’t really his party, he just happened to share a birthday with her. He’d said it before. Maya hated it, naturally, though it was, in a way, true. The Salmon Creek kids had grown up together, and they’d thrown birthday bashes for each other since they were old enough to organize them. I envy that, growing up with the kind of childhood you usually only read about it books. But Maya and Daniel make sure they do it for everyone now. Well, except Derek, who would sooner be devoured by fire ants than endure a party in his honor. I suspect Ash would prefer the fire ants, too. He’d just never say so to Maya. This time, though, he thankfully left without comment, Daniel saying only that it was a “construction thing.”

A few minutes later, Daniel returned and led Maya out. “The party is at the climbing ridge,” he said.

“To which you added a few holds for my birthday?”

“That would be a spoiler.”

“Um, you haven’t let me use it in two weeks. I kinda know you added holds.”

“Maybe I was adding something else.”

“Seriously?” She grinned at him. “What?”

“Spoiler.”

She kept needling him as we walked. When she saw where we were heading, she said, “The climbing ridge is that way.”

“Yep, and your first present is this way.”

“At my house?”

“Yep.”

We stepped from the woods to see Ash awkwardly sitting on the low front step of the rehab shed. Or it looked like the rehab shed. There was an entire second room on the back along with an external wire-covered run.

“You…” Maya stared at Ash. “You did…”

He shrugged. “You needed more room, and you said you’d like a run added someday so…”

She ran over and caught him up in a hug before he could escape it. He wriggled free after a moment and said, gruffly, “Glad you like it. Wasn’t just me, though. Daniel did the blueprints, and he and Corey helped with all the material prep.”

Maya turned to Daniel. He got the same exuberant hug, accepted with far more enthusiasm. When she pulled back, Corey stood there, arms extended. She rolled her eyes.

“Hey, I promise not to grab your ass this time,” he said.

“Good, then I can promise not to smack you for grabbing my ass this time.”

“Nuh-uh,” Daniel said. “Don’t say that. The only reason he grabs it is to get the smack.”

Corey grinned. Maya smacked his outstretched arm and said, “There. We can skip the stages in between.” She grabbed Daniel’s hand and said to Ash, “Take me inside. Show me what you did.”

“Uh, party waiting?” Corey said, pointing toward the woods.

“Go on. We’ll catch up.”

We stayed at the party for a couple of hours. Then, night fell and Ash wandered off, and Derek took that as the cue that he could leave without being rude. I told Maya I’d come by in the morning to help with the animals, and I left her starting a climbing race against Rafe, with Daniel and Annie at the top of the ridge, shouting support and spotting them on their ascent.

We’d decided Derek would Change. He usually only does it once a week, but the party gave us an excuse to be out late and Changing added to that, which meant no one would be looking for us back anytime soon. He Changed and we played, and then he Changed back, and we played some more.

Afterwards, I was the one catching my breath, feeling as if I’d gone through my own workout…one a whole lot more fun than Changing shapes. I lay there, snuggled against him, heart still pounding, muscles still quivering, the chill night air freeze-drying my sweaty skin and feeling not one moment’s inclination to reach for the blanket much less my clothes, content to just lie there and enjoy the aftermath. Derek did too, panting softly, until he got his breath, and then nuzzling and kissing me.

A few minutes of that, and then a few more of whispered words and I love yous. That passed too, and I was about to reach for the blanket, knowing the next stage was usually a dozy half-sleep, but Derek got the cover first, pulling it over us and saying, “Can we talk about school?”

My groan answered for me. But I followed it with, “We should.”

I flipped onto my side, facing him.

“I know you think this should be your decision,” he said.

“Shouldn’t it? If I choose to work—”

“—your ass off to get an extra year of school in because your boyfriend whines about not wanting to Change on his own?”

“You don’t whine.”

“Yeah, I kinda do. But that’s just the excuse, and I hope you know that. Sure, I don’t like the idea of Changing without you there, but I don’t like the idea of you not being there a whole lot more. I don’t want to go to school without you because I don’t want to go to school without you. But I can’t say that to my dad, or he’ll start worrying we’re getting too serious.”

“Has he said—?”

“No, he doesn’t say it. Neither does your dad. But that’s because your aunt does it for all of them. If I admitted I just don’t want to leave you, I’d get a talk on how if we’re meant to be together, we’ll be fine, and a little distance isn’t a bad thing. Dad knows you’re the best damned thing that ever happened to me, and he doesn’t want to interfere with that. But he’s still a dad. He worries. In this case, he worries that I’m going to suffocate you, and you’ll back off, and I’ll get hurt.”

“That won’t happen.”

“But he thinks it. He makes little comments, like wondering if you’re spending enough time with Maya, reminding me it’s important for you to have other friends. I know that, and I don’t think I get in the way of that, and if I do, tell me.”

“You don’t.”

“But it’s my nature, to keep you close, and he understands that. So he worries. That’s why I make excuses for staying home from college an extra year.”

“But you don’t have to. You shouldn’t—you’re already so far ahead, and you’re bored.”

“And my girlfriend has to work extra hard so I won’t get bored?” He put his fingers to my lips. “Don’t tell me you aren’t working that hard. When’s the last time you read a book that wasn’t a text?”

“I’ll have a whole summer to relax after I get into college. A whole summer.”

“Great. And I hope you can cram a whole lot of aikido and archery lessons in, too, because you’ve been cutting those and skimping on your practice time, and, yeah, you did great this weekend, but I think that showed how important those lessons are. We can’t go to college if we aren’t ready that way, too.”

Before I could comment, he went on. “Let me suggest something, okay? A compromise. You slow down. Take the full two years. Let me try to get in a semester early. I’ll start in the winter term, come home for summer and we’ll both go that fall. Which is four months of me living in Toronto and you being up here, but I’ll come back every weekend and holiday. That means you get time to finish high school at a reasonable pace while I start college earlier, and we both get to show our families that we can be apart.”

He didn’t say our relationship would survive a term apart. There was no question of that. The adults in our families might worry that we were too serious, that one of us would get hurt. Aunt Lauren likes to remind me that the guy you meet at fifteen usually isn’t the one you end up with. But sometimes it is. It just is, and there’s no question of that. Not for me.

“You aren’t the only one who doesn’t want to be separated,” I said.

“I know.” He kissed me, starting as just a quick press of the lips before turning deeper, arms going around each other, moving as close as we could, as if already thinking of that parting. When he finally eased off, he said, “But would it be okay? As a solution?”

“It would,” I said, and pulled him back into a kiss.

Table of Contents

- Title Page
- Copyright
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen