“Why. Are. You. Here?” Cathain doesn’t waste any time with her beehive. The emphasis she places on each word unifies the colony. They take to synchronized skull smashing, trying to bore their way out.

“I’m paying off a debt,” I mumble, my mouth half-blocked by the pillow.

All the while, Alexandria is playing a game of her own—Kidney Crush. She’s holding me down with her knee anchoring my lower back. Tayte’s other daughter has as many powers as she has personalities. Each offers its own specialty, except Andrea. She’s all business. Angsty Alexis invokes suffering using asphyxiation. Currently, she’s helping my predicament along by further constricting my lungs. Immature Andi toys with body temperature manipulation. Sentimental Dria, who’s only ever called upon as a last resort, can heart hug someone. Finally, there’s Sexy Lexy, who works her magic in the way of libido liberation. I’m not a fan of anything she can do. I’m not a fan of her, in general. Any of her. All of her. Whatever. Cathain also gets a big, bad dislike from me since we’re on the subject.

“She can’t talk if she can’t breathe, Alexis,” Cathain chastises her sister.

She moves from the bed, releasing the pressure from my lower back at the same time she stops messing with my lungs. It’s akin to taking out a hair elastic after wearing a ponytail all day. There’s a sharp twinge followed by glorious relief. I flip over. If they’re full-on throttling me, I want to at least see it coming.

“Why are you alone?” Alexandria clips.

I glower at her.

“Allow me,” Cathain offers. “Why are you alone?”

The bees resume their assault. “I’m trying to get some decent sleep.”

Alexandria scoffs. “How rude of us to interrupt something so critical. Maybe you’d like an upgrade to the eternal suite.”

I shrug.

“Why did you come back here?” Cathain circles back to the first question.

“It was a life or death situation.”

I don’t have the energy to lie. It isn’t like I could even if I wanted to. I’m not struggling with the truth. I actually prefer it. Lack of self-protection is my worry. I’m at their mercy. Did Tayte deliberately feed me to the wolves? Is he trying to prove a point? Is this my punishment for my public display of magic?

Hindsight, right? I should’ve been more skeptical of his private room offer, but the temptation of just me and the backs of my eyelids as company was too strong. With Tayte, nothing comes without provisions and, apparently, ramifications when those provisions aren’t met.

“Where are your people?” she presses.

“Across the hall.”

“Where are our people?” she persists.

“Ask your father.”

“No need,” she tuts. “I’m asking you, and you’ll answer.”

The bees grow more frenzied with no specific destination other than out. They want free of my head however they can get there, stinging as they ricochet off my skull.

“Where are our people?”

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“Gone,” I admit.

“They wouldn’t leave. Where would they go?”

“Anywhere they want.”

“They pledged their allegiance to the cause,” Cathain insists. “A Sumair Rebel keeps their word. Their life is given to the cause.”

“Maybe they changed their minds.”

“We are bonded by one uniform purpose,” she argues. “You can’t get away from your family, no matter how much you want to.”

“Maybe you weren’t holding on hard enough,” I suggest.

“You’ve found a way to lie to me.” Her tone’s deadly cold. “They wouldn’t discuss these things with you. You’re our enemy.”

“I’m not your enemy. Not standing with you doesn’t mean I’m standing against you.”

“Not standing with us means you’re standing in our way,” Alexandria volleys.

“More lies,” Cathain seethes. “What is your real purpose here?”

“Look, I’m not lying. I didn’t come here for you. It wasn’t even my choice to come. I’m not welcome and will leave as soon as your father lets me. Your friends didn’t mention the Rebels. We talked but not about anything like that. I can’t lie to you, especially not now.”

“Why, especially not now?”

Alexandra cuffs her sister. “The bees. Duh.”

I roll my eyes. “Not the bees. Your father is holding my fire fuel hostage.”

Her lips curl up at the side. “You’re helpless.”

“Not now,” Cathain scolds. “If you’re telling the truth, where are they?”

“They’re gone.”

“People don’t just disappear...unless...”

Cathain jumps on the bed, wrapping her strong hands around my throat, squeezing for all she’s worth. She means to choke me to death. She’s obviously mistaken the meaning of gone. My bad. I wanted to be purposely vague to invite more questions. More questions? Boom. More time. More time might give someone a chance to rescue me from Tayte’s lunatic offspring. I didn’t mean to imply I’d disappeared anyone. I don’t want to disappear anyone. Not even these two, though if I had a list…yeah, they’d be right on top.

Okay, I’ve reached max stall level. No one’s coming to rescue me. My fault, really. I didn’t want them to. I wanted them to leave me alone, and they’re respecting that wish. Sort of sucks they’ve picked now to listen, but whatever. Whether Tayte has sent his daughters to destroy me or not, he won’t care if they do. I’ve outlived my usefulness. His hope was to learn how to take and use reversion energy. That’s been a super, duper fail. While strong in will, he’s weak in skill. Valid, albeit moot.

“I. didn’t. kill. them.” I gasp out each word, pulling at her hands in a futile attempt to dislodge them from my throat.

“Then where are they?”

“Reverted. them.”

I rub my throat furiously when she releases me, tears spilling from my eyes.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” she shrieks. It’s more of an accusation than a question.

“I gave two people peace,” I wheeze out.

Her shrill laugh makes me sick to my stomach. “You’ve given them no such peace.”

I inhale deeply, brushing the tears from my eyes. “They didn’t want this life anymore. You wouldn’t listen to them. If you’d listened, you’d agree I did the right thing.”

“You thought you were giving them the peace they were seeking,” Cathain chides.

“You do not leave the Rebels,” Alexandria reiterates, taking hold of my heart with a vice grip and squeezing the life out of me. I’m sharing the pain visible in her tear-stricken face.

Why is she crying? What has her so upset? Why would reversion cause them any concern or pain? Anger is something I get. After failing to force my hand, a hand they don’t even want, losing active members isn’t a concession they’ll want to make. Problem is, they don’t look angry. Not in the raging bull way. They’re all done with their throat hugs, too. What they are now is desperate. Why? Ugh, the stench. House fire. They’re absolutely terrified. What are they scared of? Are they scared for Gundy and Flint? What will Cathain and Alexandria have to do to them as punishment for their defection?

“You won’t find them. They’re out of your reach now.”

“No, we won’t find them,” Cathain agrees.

“Father will see to it,” Alexandria adds.

“What do you mean?”

“You do not leave the Rebels,” Alexandria repeats softly.

The scent of grease fire narrows my lungs as swiftly as Alexandria did with her gift. I realize what I did. This is on me. Tayte’s objectives were perfectly clear. He told me himself. Three reversions for three departure stones. That was our agreement. My wage was paid back through the same lives I thought to be saving. He allowed Gundy to revert but didn’t intend to let her leave. That was a price he wasn’t willing to pay. I touch the stone in my pocket he gave me as payment. Another life lost because of me. Can I carry two more lives on my conscience? My camel’s out of commission as it is.

Part of me wants to believe it isn’t too late for Flint, but that can’t possibly be true. Tayte has eyes everywhere. And hands. Cathain rams her fist straight in my face, knocking me unconscious. Guess who’s getting a nap? This girl! Wonder if there’ll be dirt.