Hailey went to sleep with the full expectation of tossing and turning all night, worried about what might have happened in Washington, if anyone she knew had died. When she finally did drift off, she didn't sleep well, but for two entirely different reasons. The first was Beth Silverdale's face, leering at her from the witness box, vindictive and victorious, finally getting her own form of justice for all of Hailey's transgressions.

  She treated her own daughter horribly… Jessica moved in with me because they kicked her out.

  She'd gone over that with Jefferson, and pointed out that Weston could testify to that effect, as could—and she mentioned him with great reluctance—Ian Wong, whom Jessica had lived with until turning to Hailey. Jefferson thought it might be useful, but discrediting one character witness when they had so much more to deal with wasn't something worth focusing on.

  Hailey privately disagreed, but he was the legal expert. She was out of her depth. She studied business in college.

  I wonder if I'll ever work a desk job in my life. Probably not. People like me don't really end up in normal offices. Sorry, Mom. Guess I'm not following in your footsteps after all.

  The second reason for Hailey's lack of sleep wasn't in her head at all. It was another unexpected visitor to her cell in the morning, well after the sun had risen.

  "Hailey," whispered a voice nearby.

  Hailey's eyes slid open. She wondered why she'd managed to awaken so peacefully, despite the apparent presence of someone in her cell. Yet, the moment she heard that voice, she knew she was safe. With that voice, Hailey was safer than she'd ever been in her life—because despite how much she hated her own power, Beverly Bensen was that powerful.

  "Hi, Beverly," said Hailey. She pulled herself to a sitting position against the hard brick wall, and glanced down at her plain and scratchy prison clothes. "Like my new outfit?"

  "...I wanted to come see you sooner."

  "You're busy and I'm not exactly the nicest person to talk to lately," said Hailey. "I get it, seriously."

  "Okay." Beverly shuffled slightly in place, seeming to shrink again. Hailey patted the seat next to her on the bed, and Beverly took it. Hailey put an arm around her, just as she might have done for Jessica, and Beverly leaned in. "Thanks."

  "You okay?"

  "...Yes. I'm just… last night was exhausting."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Keeping them alive," murmured Beverly.

  Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Them? I thought—"

  "My brother and sister are there."

  "Alden and Meg are there?" asked Hailey, shocked.

  "Yes. I don't know why. I… wait, you know?"

  "I listened in on a TV in the guard room last night." Hailey shook her head. "Don't worry about me. You protected them all night?"

  "Yes… Alden nearly got shot so many times… Meg too… Neither of them know the other one's there. I'm really worried about them."

  "Why don't you tell them?" asked Hailey finally, breaking a months-long embargo. She'd been dying to ask that question for so long, but held back because she wasn't sure where she stood with Beverly yet. Now, though, she felt like Beverly was being foolish. Her siblings deserved to know the truth.

  "What if they—"

  "They'll get it. Alden will get it," said Hailey impatiently. "After everything we've been through? Your brother's a smart guy, Beverly."

  "I don't want to put them in danger."

  Hailey snorted. "'Cause that's worked out really well so far."

  "They're like I was…" said Beverly quietly.

  She leaned against Hailey slightly. It reminded her so much of Jessica, Hailey's throat choked up—but as always, Jessica was a source of warmth, while Beverly was always cold, always distant, even if she sat only a few inches away.

  "I was so curious. I read the book without a second thought. Same as Alden. When I saw him… when I saw the page in his hand…"

  "You did it though."

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  "What was I supposed to do?" asked Beverly. "it was either let him die or let him go through the same nightmare I did."

  "It's not a nightmare," said Hailey firmly.

  "...It's not," agreed Beverly finally. "But…"

  "I get it, you're afraid. But you can't keep this up forever. Scraps are going to keep spreading, you're gonna get even busier. Nobody else can awaken people, since nobody else knows the book like you do," said Hailey.

  "Yeah."

  ”They’ll be okay,” said Hailey, and hugged her a little tighter. “Meg’s tough, she’ll be fine.”

  "I hope so," said Beverly, but Hailey could see her vague smile in the mirror above her sink.

  "So you were there last night," prompted Hailey. "Did…" she trailed off, too afraid to ask.

  "People died…" said Beverly quietly. "But… nobody you know, I think. I wasn't able to keep it all in my head at once, but I tried."

  "What do you mean, keep it all in your head?"

  "I…" Beverly hesitated. "That's a kind of magic I don't think I should share. I'm sorry."

  Hailey shook her head. "If it's dangerous, I'm the last person you should share it with. Don't worry about it." She glanced out of the cell. "I'm kinda surprised though. Nobody's awakened or anything since you got here?"

  "I… I did another time bubble." Beverly leaned up again, shrugging Hailey's arm off. "I wasn't just here to say hi. I was…"

  She grimaced, and a current of rage wash through her eyes. She hadn't ever seen that before, and it terrified her.

  "I was sent here."

  "What?" Hailey glanced around, as if expecting somebody else to appear in the cell, but of course no one did. "By who?"

  "Rachel," said Beverly, with an odd bitterness to her words. She stood up. "She's called another meeting."

  "Huh?"

  "Just like last time." Beverly shook her head. "She's calling everyone back together to figure out what to do." Just like when we decided to kill Jackson, Hailey mentally filled in, realizing Beverly's reluctance.

  "...I can't leave," said Hailey firmly. "I'm in prison."

  "Well," said Beverly, gesturing to the cell bars. "They can't see inside anymore… and in a way, you aren't leaving your cell."

  "What?"

  "I did something to make it look like you'll still be here sleeping. You shouldn't be gone that long anyway… I hope…"

  "No, what do you mean I'm not leaving my cell?"

  "Oh, well…" Beverly hesitated, then seemed to let out a breath.

  Suddenly, though Hailey hadn't noticed they were gone, she realized the birds outside had started chirping again and the engines were rumbling on the streets outside. Hailey looked around her small cell, expecting something to happen, but all she saw were the same grey-bricked walls she was used to.

  There was a wooden door in her wall. A plain wooden door with a brass doorknob. As far as she could tell, it had always been there—though of course, Hailey had never seen it before in her life.

  "...How?" asked Hailey breathlessly.

  "I don't know," said Beverly uncomfortably. "And that scares me. Remember when I said there wasn't any magic I didn't know, except your wings?"

  "...Yeah?"

  "That's not true anymore. People are inventing new magic… it's not just what's in the book anymore. I helped her do it, and I still don't know how it works. I'm exhausted, and I'm scared." Beverly shivered. "I'm worried what might be next."

  "So… I'm just supposed to… go in?"

  "Yes." Beverly hesitated. "I have to go now. Will you go in? I was told you needed to be there."

  "...For you," said Hailey firmly. Not for me. Not because I wanted to leave anyway. I'll do it because Beverly agreed to ask me, so she must think it's important, even though she doesn't like Rachel. She got to her feet, glancing down at her clothes uncomfortably. "Wish I had something better to wear…"

  Beverly gave a small smile. "I thought… I thought you might say that." She gestured to the bed, and one of Hailey's old favorite outfits was there—her usual flight outfit, no less, and exactly what she'd want to be wearing going into something unfamiliar. "I won't be there… Good luck."

  Hailey nodded. "Thank you."

  Beverly disappeared. Hailey quickly changed, summoned her bag from across the hall, then took a deep breath and opened the door. Behind it, a black veil, exactly as she'd once seen in a portal behind the Kettle and Bones, back in Rallsburg over six months ago. Hailey steeled herself and stepped through, closing the door behind her… only to find exactly the same void she remembered.

  The cobblestone path stretched out in an eight point circle. In the center, a very different building than the one she'd previously seen, but the doors at the points of the circle still remained. None of the tents or structures had returned save one—the very same portable classroom they'd met in.

  Hailey took another breath, very conscious of the sudden change in air quality. She started walking, and as she got halfway around the circle, another door opened—and out stepped Rika Nishimura. She wore an orange prison outfit very similar to the one Hailey had just taken off, and looked far worse for wear.

  "...Well, fuck me, why didn't I get that kind of service?" grumbled Rika, eyeing Hailey up and down.

  Hailey burst out laughing. "You too, huh?"

  "Door in my fucking cell wall. Figured it was worth stepping through." Rika shrugged. "Looks like we're in for round two, eh?"

  Digging into her bag, Hailey quickly found a set of clothes Rika could throw on. It wasn't great—Hailey was a good three inches taller, with a larger bust and wider hips—but still, it was something.

  "I feel like I'm getting swallowed by your clothes," Rika muttered. "Don't you have anything smaller?"

  "No… sorry," said Hailey, apologetically.

  "Well, still better than goddamn bright orange," she sighed. "On that note… that blue in your hair?"

  "...Yeah?"

  "Nice," said Rika, with a small smile. "Exactly the same color as hers."

  Hailey smiled. Neither of them said another word as they finished the circuit of the cobblestone, finally arriving at the portable classroom. As soon as they walked up, the door swung open. Hailey glanced at Rika, who shrugged and started forward.

  Just to help. For Beverly, for Jessica, and then back to my cell. I'm not doing anything else.

  Even as she took her first step forward, Hailey could feel the tingle again—the rush, the excitement. Hailey had always been searching for an adventure her whole life. She ran away from home, she crossed the country to meet her boyfriend, she traveled the world. She chose a remote and mysterious college. She'd been the first to read the page in Beverly's room, before the girl erased herself.

  And it led to everything else. Keep her in mind, Hailey. Keep it steady.

  Torn between two desires, Hailey walked into the room, with Rika only a few steps behind.