Tearing Declan away from his siren’s pull takes less effort than projected. Entranced, we easily guide him into the back of Tally’s Mercedes. Similarly uncontested is my request that Derry not follow us outside. That should relieve me. Instead, it illogically disappoints me more than a bit. Where the heck was his hammer? When she peels out, my sense of foreboding increases. Have I left the most important part of me behind? Is the distance affecting him, too?

“Oh, this’ll be an awesome drive back, full of cheer.” Her grip firms on the steering wheel. “The least you could do is entertain me by telling me what in the world you were thinking. You’ve caused so much trouble.”

I slump down in the passenger seat, waiting to receive my due tongue-lashing. I hope she gets all the raking done on the drive so I don’t have to listen to it once we get back. Asking her to drop me off at home won’t happen, either. I’ve proven, yet again, I require supervision at all times.

“Fine. I’ll figure it out myself.” She smirks and continues on. Bright side: she shuts up.

Declan’s cheek is pressed to the window glass. His emotions are unreadable. They aren’t confused. They aren’t anything. He’s dead inside.

Halfway back, Tally stops the car in the middle of the road. She snaps her fingers impatiently until I produce my phone, relinquishing it to her. After some rapid clicking, she hands it back. “You can stop moping now.”

The emeralds in her eyes are lost in a milky-white cloud. Derry’s number glares at me from my contact list. I panic. “Tally, are you still there?”

“I’m here,” she responds cryptically.

“But are you there?” My voice takes on a shrill tone.

“As if I’d chuck that hunk of man meat.” She throws her head back and laughs. “Multitasker extraordinaire at your service! Besides, you weren’t offering any information. I’m curious by nature.”

She’s using her ability to be in both places at once. Which one is real? Are they both real? If Tally2 is damaged, does that damage carry over to Tally1? Not worth the risk. “Get out of there. You’re not safe.”

“I’m not texting and driving. I stopped for that.”

In the middle of the road, Superego admonishes.

“Tally, you have to leave the Rec Room,” I demand. “Now!”

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

She frowns, jutting her lip out into a perfect pout. “Why would I do that?”

My conscience declares civil war. I don’t want to out Derry. If he’s a Sumair, Kiley and Barry probably are. What if something happens to her? To them? I don’t want anyone to get hurt.

“Tally, please, you need to leave.” I lower my tone to even my voice, but the shaking persists.

“No.”

“It’s dangerous for you to stay there.”

She laughs again, and I groan in frustration.

“Please listen to me.”

She won’t relent.

Tell her, Superego urges.

“That guy you saw...” My skin crawls at the thought of saying it out loud. “I think he’s—”

“A delicious snack,” she interrupts. “I’ll have fun with this one.”

“You can’t have fun with him.” Closing my eyes, I try to find the strength to betray them. “Derry, the singer, the bouncer.” I cough, jostling my frog friend. “I think...I mean…I’m pretty sure...”

She rolls her eyes. “Just say it, Spitfire.”

“They’re Sumairs,” I whisper.

This revelation elicits another round of laughter from her and a sigh from Declan.

“That’s funny?” It’s easy to trade in my concern for anger. “Getting sucked dry is amusing to you?”

“Okay, there are a few things wrong with what you said.” Her amusement subsides momentarily so she can school me. “Firstly, while I am in two places, the second is blurry. It’s like looking through a glass. My clone is empty calories.”

“Small mercy,” I mutter.

“Secondly, no one can take anything from me or Declan. A Sumair can’t take the energy of a Solathair. Not by force, anyway, and when did you ever get the impression I’m a giver?”

I rub my fingers, making small circles. I miss the sparks it generally invokes. “Never.”

She smiles mockingly. “Well, aren’t you a bright little lantern?”

I clench my fists, wishing for my fire. It doesn’t come. “Okay, that’s true for you. What about Declan? You saw him, same as me. He would’ve ripped his soul out and handed it to Kiley himself.”

“Kiley,” he murmurs, drumming his fingers on the window.

“Moot.” She huffs. “They aren’t Sumairs.”

“They couldn’t be.” Declan isn’t as adamant as Tally but doesn’t debate it. His hesitation tells me he doesn’t want it to be true.

“How can you be sure?”

“If we come into contact with a Sumair, something happens.”

“We just know,” Declan confirms.

“Well, how do you just know?”

“It’s impossible not to.” He sighs. “Trust me, you’ll see if we ever run into one. It’s not something you’ll ever need to question. You’ll know.”

I don’t believe them. What I underwent with Derry isn’t ordinary. While I’m not exactly experienced in the intimacy department, kisses aren’t supposed to be like that. Something catastrophic should’ve happened because of the heat escalating between us. If a mere peck on the lips causes an inferno, as was the case during the great football field fire in high school year two, what Derry and I shared should’ve blown the place to bits. It didn’t.

“Wouldn’t it work differently with me since I haven’t fully transitioned? I wouldn’t necessarily know.”

“There were no Sumairs in the vicinity,” they state simultaneously. “We would’ve known.”

Tally’s obstinate, Declan seems on the verge of convincing himself, and I still don’t believe them. I wish I did, though, as my doubt takes the knife in my tinder heart, twisting it sardonically.

As we turn a tight curve, Kiley’s stage lights have nothing on what I witness next. Tally’s entire car lights up with all the kaleidoscopic glory of an Aurora Borealis when two creatures step onto the roadway.