"I used to be friends with the Children of Still," Crammer Cole said.

In the Freeman space station's gray hall, Zoey stood next to her mother, who stood across from Crammer. They wielded swords Freemans had held. Zoey had used a throwing knife to turn one into smoke, and she didn't doubt she would kill another pale enemy. A Freeman could meet his or her future slayer inside a space station. So could a Soynite.

Crammer rubbed his Soynite pendant. "And when I was a friend of the Children of Still, I wasn't allowed to wear my pendant. I was more than their friend, actually. I was one of them."

"I'm not surprised," Zoey's mother said. "Can you finally tell me what a Child of Still is?"

"A Child of Still is any member of the cult that worships Still," Crammer replied. "They call themselves the Children of Still. They only let Soynites join them, and they kill anyone who doesn't want to join that horrible cult. I wish they would realize that Still isn't good."

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Crammer looked at Zoey, then made eye contact with her mother.

"Earlier, I wondered if the two of you were Children of Still," he said. "You two aren't wearing purple, but you could've been working undercover. But I don't have to worry about you or Zoey being Children of Still, Misty. You're not like those people."

"Hopefully, High Lovely and her Watcher never meet them," Zoey's mother said. "Both of them need to live. Zoey wants to meet them, and so do I."

"What's Lovely's Watcher's name?" Crammer asked.

"Marina Tome."

"Marina Tome?"

"Yes," Zoey's mother replied.

Crammer moved closer to a wall. He aimed his brown eyes at the floor.

"Are you okay, Crammer?" Zoey's mother asked.

He nodded. "I'm fine."

"I told you about my family. Can you tell me about yours?"

Crammer patted his pants pocket.

"That's none of your business," he said.

Zoey heard footsteps.

"Crammer!" a man said. "Is that you?"

He hadn't spoken Freeman, and the accent he had was the one Zoey, her mother, and Crammer possessed.

People moved into the hall. Five men. Five women. Some of them wielded Soynite daggers, and all of them wore purple shirts and purple pants. Their shoes were that color, too. None of them wore Soynite pendants.

The Children of Still.