Hailey waved goodbye as they took off and hurtled through the air. Jessica summoned up their small shield of invisibility and they set off back towards home. Practically, Hailey felt frustrated her diffinity for Nature magic prevented her from ever using light manipulation to hide herself like Jessica could—but at the same time, she liked how it made them a duo, always flying around together and keeping each other warm through the night skies. It felt nice to always have her around to talk to.

  She wondered if they'd ever show up on radar though.

  As they coasted back over Tacoma, Jessica noticed that they weren't taking their usual route home and tugged at her sleeve to indicate Hailey might be going the wrong way. While they were still heading for Kent like normal, Hailey's angle was wrong. They were going too far north.

  Hailey shook her head. She held up a single finger, saying they had one stop to make first. Jessica nodded, then buried her head back below Hailey's to keep warm from the chill. Hailey started circling them down gently, enjoying the lazy glide and the gentle breeze as opposed to a fast and flashy dive. She pulled out her phone and texted him, letting him know she was about to touch down and to open up his window.

  She saw a slant of light open on the second floor and smiled. She tucked her wings and started to dive. In a second she'd flown through the tall open pane, throwing out a massive gust of wind in front of her to come to a stop before she slammed into the opposite wall. Anything lightweight in his room went flying at the brief tornado, while Hailey flipped upright and landed gently on his floor, just in case anyone else in the house was still awake.

  "Nice," said Alden Bensen dryly, starting to pick up his stuff. His brown hair was growing out, covering up his ears. It actually didn't look too bad that way, but with the brief hurricane his hair was now totally messed up.

  Hailey suppressed a laugh, grinning wide. She unstrapped Jessica and together the three of them quickly put his room back in order.

  "So what's the big news at two in the morning here?"

  "I just got back from Cinza's," Hailey explained, while Jessica plopped down on the bed and started poking at Alden's cat.

  "Yeah, I figured," Alden added. He glanced at the wall clock, which Hailey noticed he'd swapped over to a slightly glowing analog one instead of digital. She smiled at the thoughtfulness, since Alden was one of the few people Jessica spent regular time with. "This has to be big though, if you're rushing over here so late."

  Hailey shrugged. "Honestly, it could've waited til morning, but since you were awake and we weren't back yet, I figured why not drop by?"

  They both froze as they heard the door handle click slightly. "Shit!" Alden hissed. He ran for the door and pulled it open. Alden's younger sister Meg was standing there, pajama-clad, staring wide-eyed at them both.

  "Hi," Hailey greeted awkwardly. Jessica looked up and waved cheerfully, before returning to the cat.

  "Zack, wha—" Meg started, before Alden pulled her inside and closed the door as quietly as he could.

  "You forgot to mute us, didn't you?" Alden muttered to Hailey.

  She slapped her hand to her forehead. "Jess," she said, getting Jessica's attention. Hailey pointed all around the room, then put her hands over her ears.

  Jessica nodded, then murmured something under her breath. Hailey could sense the airflow in the room shift slightly, but it was barely perceptible even to her. She still had no real idea how Jess did it, besides that it was a Nature spell.

  "Was it always Jess doing that spell?" Alden asked curiously. "I thought you could do sound stuff too."

  "I can hear people from far away by helping sound bounce around the air, but it's harder to make us quiet without just making tons more noise," Hailey said, shrugging. "Jess can do it for real."

  Jessica gave her a thumbs-up, understanding that she'd just explained how it worked, then went back to playing with the cat.

  "This is magic stuff, right?" said Meg excitedly. "You guys are talking about magic stuff?"

  "Nope, definitely not."

  "Oh come on, it's not like you're here for anything el… " Meg trailed off. "Ohhh. Noise-proofing."

  "God, Meg," Alden shook his head. "No. It's not that."

  "I have a boyfriend," Hailey added, trying not to laugh.

  "Huh. Okay, so what's going on then? You're not getting away without telling me," Meg added, crossing her arms.

  "...You know, I think I had those exact same penguin pajamas once."

  "Really?"

  "Really really."

  "That's so cool," Meg said breathlessly. "Did you fly in here?"

  "Totally did."

  "Awesome."

  "Okay, enough," Alden cut in pointedly.

  "But it's so much fun," Hailey mock-whined.

  "Meg, you can stay, but this stays secret, okay?"

  "Dude, you've got a college girl in your bedroom in the middle of the night. This is so beyond blackmail," Meg said wickedly.

  "Blackmail's not cool," Hailey intoned, playing up her noble hero voice.

  "Two college girls," Meg added, glancing over at Jessica. "Hi there." Jessica, of course, ignored her. "What's with her?"

  "Long story," Hailey answered quickly, thinking she'd accept that more than if Alden had said the same. "I'm Hailey, by the way, and that's Jessica."

  "I'm Meg." She sat down on the edge of the bed, watching them both eagerly. "Well go on, do your super secret meeting."

  "Is it secret?" Alden asked Hailey pointedly.

  "No more than usual. Actually, it might be helpful to have her around." Hailey looked at Meg very seriously. "Meg, do you want to help with the mission?"

  "The mission?" Meg asked, eyes wide.

  "Hailey, she's fifteen," Alden started.

  "Don't worry," Hailey said firmly. "I'm sure she's smart enough to handle it."

  "Fuck yeah I am!"

  "Don't swear," Alden said reflexively.

  Meg stuck out her tongue at him, before turning eagerly back to Hailey. She was just so excited about everything, it was infectious. "What do you need me to do?"

  "Alden's gonna be helping us out a lot soon," Hailey started. Alden looked up slightly, surprised, and Hailey realized she hadn't actually told him what they needed him to do yet. She figured he'd agree, though, or at worst she'd just have gotten him an easy excuse to leave the house whenever he wanted and be covered for it. "He might be gone a lot, maybe way out of town. We're gonna need someone to cover for him."

  "Aww man, I'm the best friend who covers at home?" Meg whined. "This sucks."

  "Hey, it's important," Hailey said firmly. "Your brother's the best person for the job and we don't have anyone else. If his parents or anyone else starts asking questions, you gotta be ready to lie."

  "It could still get dangerous," Alden added quietly. "Meg, don't you remember where Hailey and Jessica are from?"

  Meg frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "Where do you think I met them?"

  She thought for a second. "Oh… You're..." She hesitated. "You're Hailey Winscombe. And that's Jessica Silverdale. Right?"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Hailey was taken aback. "You know our names?"

  "I memorized everyone on those lists they put out," Meg boasted. "Since I knew some of you guys weren't dead. Zack wouldn't tell me who though."

  "For good reason," Alden added.

  "You don't look like your pictures though," she added, looking at Hailey.

  Hailey grinned. She grasped at her magic and sent a burst through her face and hair. Just for Meg, she added a bit of Cinza-esque flair, making it shift rapidly in color before it settled on her natural blonde and straightened out to gentle waves from Jessica's more bushy, messy style, while her freckles disappeared in a wave rather than instantly.

  Meg's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh my god!"

  "Hi again," Hailey said, laughing. "I'm Hailey."

  "You totally are!" Meg turned to Alden and punched him in the arm. "You didn't tell me you were friends with Hailey Winscombe!"

  "I didn't know I was famous."

  "Around my friends you are! We went over those photos they released so many times, and your profile and your blog and everything! You're so beautiful and brave. I want to be you."

  Hailey was getting embarrassed. "Okay, okay. Look, I need to talk to Alden alone for a bit. Is that all right?"

  Meg nodded. "You got it, Hailey. Just don't leave without saying goodbye."

  "'Course not, I haven't given you your mission yet."

  Meg looked like she might squeal with happiness. She retreated from the room, thunderstruck. As soon as the door closed and the place was sealed off again, Hailey burst out laughing.

  "Oh wow, I didn't expect that," she choked out, falling back into Alden's computer chair.

  Alden grinned. "I figured you probably didn't need to know you had legit fangirls."

  "No kidding." Hailey forced herself to calm down. "That was something else."

  "So what's this mission I'm going on?" Alden asked, sitting down on the edge of his bed. Jessica scooted over to make room for him, leaning up against the wall and setting his cat into her lap. It protested and tried to get away, but she shushed it and continued to pet it until it gave in and settled down.

  "You know we've been hearing about people getting awakened, right? A couple here and there, mostly around Olympia. One all the way up B.C., in Vancouver."

  "Yeah. Nothing's shown up on the news yet or anything, but yeah."

  "Cinza thinks it's time we start trying to get people back together again. Make sure the new awakened know what they're getting into and who to talk to."

  "And you want me to do it," Alden concluded.

  "You're probably the best for the job, you know? I mean, I'd do it, but hell—just look at how Meg reacted." Hailey shrugged. She released the magic holding her old appearance, letting her hair change back to bushy brown and the freckles re-emerge onto her skin. It felt weird to shift, very uncomfortable and slightly painful with how her hair got pulled and moved around. "Even looking like this, everybody thinks I still stand out."

  "The perils of being good looking," Alden deadpanned.

  "Jeez, man, when did you pick up Rika's sense of humor?"

  "Sorry." Alden unsuccessfully stifled a yawn. "I've been way too negative lately. It's a bad habit." He shrugged. "You want me because I'm not a dead guy walking like everyone else, right?"

  "We want you because you're really good with people, Alden," Hailey said firmly. "You even got Rika to like you. You're gonna be going up to new people who might have all sorts of powers and talking them into working with us. That's not gonna be easy."

  Alden frowned. "I'm not really the best with magic, though. What if there's a fight?"

  "You're not going out there alone." Hailey rolled her eyes. "Jess and I will be there to back you up, every time. You get a whiff of trouble, we lay the smackdown."

  Alden thought for a couple minutes, closing his eyes and leaning back on the bed. For a moment, Hailey thought he might have actually fallen asleep, but just as she was about to get up and check on him, his eyes slid open. "I'll do it."

  "You sure?"

  He nodded "Yeah. If it'll help everyone out, I'm in."

  "Okay." Hailey smiled. "We don't have anyone picked out yet, so I'll let you know when it's time. We'll pick you up," she added, grinning.

  "Wonderful."

  "Hey, you think it's cool if I send some wind to get Meg?" Hailey asked excitedly.

  "Sure."

  Hailey clapped her hands together. She sent a gust of wind around outside the door, where she knew Meg was waiting with bated breath. Sure enough, the door burst open again and Meg sped in, closing it behind her. "I'm here. What's up?"

  "What's up is I need a lock for that door," Alden grumbled.

  "I'll figure out how to pick it," Meg shot back. She looked at Hailey eagerly. "What do you need me to do?"

  Hailey fought back laughter as she tried to answer Meg very seriously. "We don't have anything planned yet, but when we do, you're going to be covering for Alden while he comes with me on some business. We'll give you a story to tell anyone who asks."

  "Okay." Hailey noticed she didn't protest at all this time. Apparently hero worship was for real.

  "Thanks, Meg." She smiled, and Meg's face lit up with joy. Jessica watched her curiously, but the cat took the opportunity to leap out of her lap and she had to quickly chase it down to get it back.

  "Are you sure he's all good for your missions though?" Meg asked, glancing at Alden. Hailey looked over just quick enough to notice Alden shaking his head sharply.

  "What's up?" she asked.

  "Nothing. I'm good."

  "Why do you think he's up in the middle of the night?" Meg went on, heedless. "He can't sleep through a single night since he got back. A couple times he woke up screaming and I had to help him stay quiet so Mom and Dad didn't come in."

  "Meg, shut up," Alden snapped.

  Meg fell silent. Hailey glanced between the two of them before turning to Meg. She spoke very carefully. "Meg, you shouldn't share secrets like that."

  "But I…" She looked terrified for a second, probably thinking she'd just ruined her budding relationship with her idol.

  Hailey tried to soften her expression. "Just keep it in mind, okay? I'm still counting on you."

  A wave of relief washed over her face. Meg nodded emphatically. "You got it, Hailey. I'll leave you guys alone now."

  As soon as the room was sealed, Hailey looked at Alden, very concerned.

  "It's true," he said glumly.

  "No wonder you're always awake when I get back," Hailey said quietly. "What's going on?"

  "Nightmares." He laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Nightmares of golems tearing people apart in the streets, or his face staring me down like he's about to kill me. Or that look in his eyes while I held him down, right before Rachel shot him. Collins getting ripped apart. The whole place burning up." He took a deep breath. "It didn't really start to hit me until a couple days after we got back."

  Hailey walked over and sat down next to him. She held his hand while he took a few more deep breaths. "We won, though."

  "That's what I told Rachel, but you know what she said to me?" Alden closed his eyes. "She didn't want to be alive anymore. She said she deserved to be dead along with Jackson. That we didn't win, we just survived."

  "Heat of the moment, Alden," Hailey said softly. "She didn't mean it. We didn't win easily, but we won."

  "She's gone though, isn't she?"

  "She is not gone. She's not talking to anyone right now, but trust me. Rachel DuValle wouldn't kill herself. Not in a million years."

  Alden shrugged. "You knew her. I didn't."

  Hailey shook her head. "Come on. You need to sleep. I'm sticking around until you do."

  Alden looked about to protest, but Hailey stopped him with a look. She gestured to Jessica to clear off the bed, then waited until Alden was tucked back in again. She took his chair while Jessica sat watching from the corner of the room. Hailey reached out and flicked off the light with her mind, leaving only the moonlight streaming through the window.

  It took a while, but Alden finally fell asleep. As quietly as they could, Hailey opened the window and Jessica wrapped around her. They leapt out and took to the skies, Hailey magically sliding the window closed behind them as they flew out into the night once again.

----------------------------------------

  Hailey dangled her legs off the roof of the White residence, which was the last name Jessica's parents had ended up with. Jessica was inside finishing off a late night snack, while her parents were presumably asleep elsewhere in the house. Rupert was long-gone, hopefully before either of the Silverdales had gotten home. They'd never noticed him yet, so Hailey wasn't too worried.

  "I really should introduce him though, before they just walk in on him one day," she mused.

  "So he's nice?"

  "Yeah."

  "He's so good looking, and studying to be a nurse, and that accent. How are you always so lucky?"

  "Didn't you hear? I'm a goddess now, apparently," Hailey said, laughing.

  She frowned, stealing a bit of Hailey's mirth. "They called me that, you know."

  "Yeah… They still do." Hailey sighed. "He's really nice. I think we might actually have something."

  "I'm really happy for you, Hailey."

  "Thanks, BB." Hailey laid back on the roof and stared at the sky. "I dunno. Still feels weird."

  "What?"

  "BB. Sounds weird to me. Is that really what I called you?"

  "Everyone did," Beverly replied quietly. She laid down too, but there was a foot of space between them. Any of her other friends and Hailey would be right next to them. If it were Jessica, they'd practically be cuddling. Something about Beverly always kept her at a slight remove. Hailey wasn't sure if it was Beverly keeping them apart, or herself.

  "Didn't like your real name?"

  "Something like that." Beverly smiled slightly. "I don't hate it so much anymore though. If you want, call me Beverly. Call me whatever you like, really."

  "Almighty Grey-eyes the Fearsome and Powerful?"

  "Okay, don't call me that."

  "You know I—" Hailey cut off as Beverly abruptly vanished without so much as a sound. She simply disappeared into thin air. She waited patiently, and after a few minutes Beverly returned, popping back into the same spot and laying down again as if nothing had happened. "I went out to Rallsburg tonight."

  "Oh." Beverly paused. "How are they doing?"

  "They're okay. Mostly just bored, I think." She hesitated, but she decided Beverly deserved to know. If they were gonna try to redo this whole friendship thing, they ought to do it right. "Cinza's pushing for us to start going out and finding people again. But not like they used to. She wants it to be more cooperative. More, I dunno… Aggressive, kinda?"

  "Oh." Beverly didn't say anything for a while, and neither did Hailey. They just stared at the break in the clouds above, where a few stars peeked through the grey. Beverly disappeared again, leaving Hailey alone for another few minutes. She was just about to get up when Beverly finally reappeared.

  "Twice in one night? That's new."

  "It's only going to get faster." Beverly laid down again. "I hope you guys are ready for it."

  "We're trying." Hailey shrugged. "We'd be trying more, but everyone's still scared. I don't blame them, either. Their first try went really, really badly."

  "I know," Beverly said quietly.

  "Do you have any ideas on what to do?"

  She shook her head. "I know what I have to do. Past that, I have no clue. It was never my job to figure it out, and now I have no idea whose it is."

  "Mine, I guess," Hailey murmured. "Mine, or Cinza's, or Josh's, or who knows? All of us, maybe."

  "Just not mine. I can't be that person."

  Hailey sighed. "We all know who that person is supposed to be."

  Beverly didn't respond to the implied question. Hailey waited in silence for a few minutes, but Beverly still wouldn't answer. Finally, she sat up again and summoned up a few blocks of air to help her walk back down to her window. Jessica was already curled up in their bed, waiting for Hailey to join her.

  "Night, BB. See you again next week?"

  Beverly nodded. "Yeah. See you then."