There was another short, dark stretch beyond the gate. Cinza kept walking, but as Natalie got close, her voice dropped low and the accent returned in full, though the magical echo stayed gone. Natalie was really starting to miss it.

  "I despise that man."

  "We can talk?" she whispered.

  "For a few moments."

  "What was all that?"

  Cinza hesitated. "I used to work in this market, years ago. I haven't been to this particular spot, since it moves to keep ahead of the police, but I remember how they operate. I spent a long time here."

  "Is this a place for drugs?"

  She shook her head. "Not primarily. They'll trade narcotics, but the main product for sale is… well, girls."

  "What?"

  "You're going to see some things I wish you could avoid," Cinza continued, "but we don't have time. That bag is running out of magic, and I don't think I can get it back alone."

  "What happens when it runs out?" She'd never asked before, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

  "It collapses." Cinza paused, taking another quick break. She considered leaning up against the wall, but after seeing how grimy and disgusting it was, she seemed to decide against it. Natalie, too, avoided touching anything she possibly could. The entire place had a bad stench about it, too, inescapable and filling everything. "It essentially becomes an ultra-dense object in an instant, with all the expected consequences. Most everything inside will be crushed, then explode outward as it expands the compressed mass."

  Cinza stood back up, resuming her new walk and attitude. She raised her voice a little louder than necessary, slipping back into her casual slippery tone from before in a heartbeat. "Keep up, Jenny. If we don't get in there and start sellin' we gonna be starvin' tonight, so put on your face and smile pretty for the men."

  The alleyway opened up into a space surrounded by tall buildings. Temporary fences walled off every other entrance to the area. A broken fountain stood in the middle, around which sat a half-dozen young women in various stages of undress, lounging about like mermaids without tails in a pool without water. They batted their eyelashes and stretched out as men walked by, trying to catch some attention. Many of the men in turn were moving about between a row of tables, where people were selling things Natalie didn't recognize. Bags of things, sharp needles, spoons, lighters, pills. It was almost like a pharmacy or a doctor's office.

  On the other side, she saw an area full of lounge chairs and couches, where more women and men were standing around, or sitting, or… something. As she watched, one man took a woman by the arm and lead her into the open back door of the nearest building, disappearing into the pale yellow light. No one paid them any mind.

  As soon as Natalie and Cinza walked into the space, a few heads twisted their direction. One man in particular gave them a leer that made Natalie's hands clench involuntarily into fists, but he was already heading into a building with a girl slavishly hanging off his arm. Cinza ignored him entirely, beelining for one of the women lounging alone on the couch. As she approached, the woman glanced up lazily, as if Cinza were no one particularly interesting.

  A second later, the woman made a double take. Natalie noticed that, while Cinza had changed into plain clothes, they were still quite different from what most of the girls wore. Cinza wore her usual practical, clean and simple outfit, but the woman was wearing a dress so sparkly Natalie felt like she'd go blind if any light hit it directly. More importantly, it barely stretched past her waist, and the top was cut impossibly low with straps so thin, it may as well have ended below her shoulders.

  The woman spoke up suddenly in a sultry voice. "You come lookin' for a easy night? I'm down to party."

  "What'll you charge?" Cinza asked. Natalie was confused. From what she'd understood, they were there pretending to work, not buy. Had their story changed now that they were inside?

  "Warm up two girls as pretty as you? Why don't we head upstairs and I'll blow your minds right now." She stood up quickly and started toward the nearest building, throwing them a look over her shoulder, narrow-eyed and smirking. Natalie still had no clue what was going on, but followed Cinza and the woman inside.

  One flight of stairs and a beaten wooden door later, and they were inside an apartment with the door closed. The woman sat down on the edge of the wide double-bed, the only clean piece of furniture Natalie had seen in hours.

  "Jesus Christ, Candy," she muttered. "Where the hell have you been?"

  Cinza rushed forward and hugged her tight. "I missed you, Crystal. I'm glad you're all right."

  Crystal leaned down to wrap up Cinza in her arms. "You doin' okay, girl?"

  "More than okay."

  "Damn, girl, what's up with your voice? You always have that accent?"

  "Yes." Cinza smiled. She'd let her full accent slip back into place, though still without her signature echo. She took a few steps back, returning to Natalie's side. "I'm sorry, but we don't have a whole lot of time."

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  "Oh God, don't tell me you're bringin' her in now too?" Crystal looked at Natalie with a worried expression. "She looks even younger than you were when you started. I had a hard enough time keepin' you strong, baby."

  "No."

  Natalie shook her head in agreement. She already knew she wanted nothing to do with this life, from what she'd seen and what Cinza had said.

  "I'm not sayin' I wouldn't," Crystal added hastily, looking at Natalie. "You ever need a place to lay your head for a night, need an escape, I'm here for you."

  "...Thanks?" said Natalie, not certain what she meant.

  "Just don't go tryin' most others, plenty of 'em don't swing that and they get bitchy when you ask. Candy learned that the hard way."

  Cinza shook her head. "Jenny and I will be leaving as soon as possible. We came here to get something of hers that was stolen."

  "You know Harley don't fence. Crews would tear this place up. Keepin' the peace and makin' free trade is how we all live." Crystal glanced out the window, where they could just make out some of the people down in the square.

  "We're searching for Meltyface," said Cinza. "I received a tip he and his partner would be perusing Harley's tonight."

  "There you go, talkin' fancy again," Crystal grinned. She glanced at Natalie. "You know this is the most proper little girl I ever saw workin' a corner? And all that writing. Made my wrists tired just watchin' her. She's a smart one, Jenny. Don't you go losin' her."

  Cinza put an arm around Natalie's shoulders. She felt an urge to push her away, to recoil and get as far away as possible. Why is this all happening? Is it… is it because I killed them? Because I killed people back home? Am I being punished?

  It is not your fault. It is not Cinza's fault either. It's his fault. It's all their faults. Cinza is trying to keep to a story. Just play along.

  "Have you seen them?" Cinza asked. "We're in a bit of a hurry."

  Crystal frowned. "Not in weeks, sorry." As Natalie's face fell, she quickly went on. "But that doesn't mean they ain't here. I had a few early in the night, might have missed 'em walk in. You remember Meltyface's type, dontchu?" she added, glancing at Cinza.

  She nodded. "Unfortunately."

  "Lemme think. Only girl here tonight that fits the build is Kitty. She'll be over in 302, 'cross the way." She pointed at the far building, straight across the square and one to the left. "Not many girls get that building. Gotta be in Niddles' stable. Shouldn't be too hard to find her room. Could be tricky gettin' in though."

  Cinza gave her another quick hug. "Thank you, Crystal."

  "Hold up now," Crystal said, before Cinza could hurry out of the room. "You told 'em you were here to trick, right?" Cinza nodded. "They're tighter than they used to be. Suspicious."

  "That much?"

  "Couple o' near-busts. Pay-offs didn't go as planned or somethin', rumors of a leak, so they tightened up security. If they spot you runnin' out of here and straight into another buildin' without so much as a 'hey there', they gonna bust you. Out on your ass 'fore you can say please." Crystal shook her head. "You gotta warm up, like you said."

  "How soundproof is this room?" Cinza asked hesitantly, glancing around the room.

  She chuckled. "Oh, heavens baby girl, I didn't mean that. I mean, I miss you, but your sweetie's standin' right there!" She shook her head. "I got fake sweat. That and a good fifteen minutes and you'll be good to go."

  Cinza smirked. "Fifteen minutes?"

  "Don't you start," Crystal snapped, getting up to fetch a spray bottle from the bathroom cabinet while Cinza smiled suggestively. "I'll blow your mind in any clock you want, you just say the word."

  While she was busy filling the bottle, Natalie leaned away from Cinza just slightly. Cinza noticed and immediately released her. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

  "It's okay," Natalie replied, but she really didn't feel like it. She'd been incredibly uncomfortable the whole time, with what little she understood of the situation they were in, and the constant waves of revulsion and pain. She wanted to get away, but there was no way she could leave without her bag.

  "It's not. I should have remembered."

  "Crystal seems nice," Natalie said, desperate to change the subject.

  Cinza smiled again. "A rare trait in this life."

  "Is it that bad?"

  "Almost everyone here only ever thinks of themselves. Crystal's one of the few to remember we're all on the same side."

  "And you… did all this too?"

  Cinza took a seat on the bed, taking the opportunity to rest again. "I did."

  Natalie bit her lip slightly, uncertain. "Isn't this… really bad?"

  She hesitated. "...I don't really know. I don't like a lot of what I did, but if I hadn't done it, I would probably be dead. I ended up in this life, and I tried to make the most of it." Cinza gestured to the bed, and Natalie reluctantly took a seat. The bathroom door closed, startling them both. "She's giving us time to talk, it seems."

  "But aren't you supposed to… you know… only with someone you really love?" Natalie couldn't bring herself to say it.

  Cinza looked at her oddly. "I think I was raised very differently from you. I was never taught anything like that. I was never taught at all, in fact. I had to learn in bits and pieces."

  "Oh."

  "I've never thought anything two people might do together is wrong or bad, if they're both choosing to do it," she continued. "I can only trust in my own instincts. I believed that I was in control, and when I felt like I wasn't anymore, I escaped. But even so, everything I did, with whomever, was my choice. I can't see anything wrong with that."

  "Do you mean wrong like how some people think… two girls is wrong?" Natalie asked.

  Cinza smiled. "Exactly. When Ruby and I are together, I don't feel anything wrong. Quite the opposite." She hesitated, and her voice dropped a little. "But when you were in the park, what did you feel?"

  A chill went through Natalie's mind as the painful memory forced itself back to the surface. Suddenly, though, there was a layer between it and her mind. It still hurt, and she still shuddered to think about it, but it wasn't quite so painful that she couldn't talk about it.

  "Like I was trapped," she murmured.

  Cinza nodded. "Because that was wrong. What was happening was monstrous and wrong." She frowned. "The other person won't feel the same way, and sometimes you'll have to make sure they understand. But if you ever feel that feeling, if you are ever in doubt and feel that wrong-ness in your mind, remember this. They are not in control. It's your choice. If they won't listen, then you make them listen."

  "But what if I can't do anything?" Natalie asked, a note of dismay breaking into her voice. "What if I'm really trapped?"

  Cinza glanced at the bathroom door, where the water was still running and the door was still shut tight. There's no way the bottle isn't full by now, Natalie realized. In a low voice, Cinza continued. "I'm sorry, because I think I was part of the reason you felt you could not act. We told you never to use magic, under any circumstances, but I never imagined something like this happening. That's my fault, and I regret my part in it."

  Natalie didn't answer, but she started shaking a little. She felt another wave of emotion crashing in and threatening to pull her under. Cinza reached up to hug her, but stopped a few inches away, and Natalie was torn between wanting to be comforted… and never wanting another human being to touch her ever again.

  The fear won out, and she recoiled away before Cinza even got close.