Alden spluttered awake. He'd fallen asleep in the chair next to the fire, so exhausted from the day that he'd simply drifted off. He checked his phone, and to his relief, only an hour had gone by. They wouldn't have gone back yet, most likely. He hurried outside, careful to lock the door behind him as Julian had asked.

  Outside, the place was even more bustling than before. As night descended, lights were flickering on—some magic, some not. Many seemed to be gravitating this way as the forest became more foreboding. Alden noticed a gathering of tents and RVs behind the parking lot he hadn't seen when he came in. People were setting up camp for the night, anyone who wanted to band together rather than claim a spot out in the woods.

  The market area still thrived, and Alden hurried around, looking for familiar faces. It took him a few minutes, but eventually, he spotted someone—a face right out of his memory, once seated next to Rachel at the head of the Council. He was now perched at a food cart, digging into a hot plate of Chinese food with a contented sigh.

  "Hey, Josh," Alden murmured, taking a seat next to him.

  "Holy shit." Josh Miller nearly dropped his food jumping in shock. "Where the hell did you come from?"

  "Long story," said Alden impatiently. "I have a lot to tell you guys, but I'm looking for Rika first."

  "Well, she's here." Josh glanced around. "Probably went looking for a drink. We don't have any alcohol back at camp. Or Chinese," he added, nodding at his chopsticks.

  "Got it." Alden got up, but Josh grabbed him by the sleeve.

  "Wait, dude. At least eat something first."

  "Later," said Alden, starting away.

  "Shit!" said Josh. He wolfed down the rest of his food as fast as he could, tossing the trash into a bin nearby. "All right, all right, I'm coming."

  "I can find her."

  Josh rolled his eyes. "She's probably getting into a shitload of trouble. She was yesterday."

  "So why bring her again?"

  "'Cause nobody else wants to come out here. Me and Rika are the only two people who actually want to get out of the damn woods, and Joe comes along 'cause… I dunno. Probably still mad about Nikki breaking up with him." He shrugged. "We sorta stopped caring about the risk of us being recognized. If anything, we'd probably get treated like damn celebrities just like Hailey."

  Alden gulped. "How's she—"

  "No idea," said Josh darkly. "Last I heard, they arrested her, and Cinza's working on getting her back out again. That's all I've got."

  "She met with the President today, didn't she?"

  "Yesterday too." Josh glanced around, making sure they weren't being overhead. Evidently, they weren't quite as casual about their identities as he said. "No idea how well it's going, but it's still going, so that's something. I wish I were out there with her."

  "I thought you hated this stuff," said Alden.

  Josh rolled his eyes. "I really do, but somebody's gotta balance us out. It's been my job since the Council, with Rachel. Now we're playing on a way bigger stage, and Cinza's way crazier than Rachel ever was. We can't screw this up." A loud argument broke out ahead, and Josh sighed. "Goddammit…"

  Josh hurried forward, Alden on his heels. They both recognized the voice, even a little slurred. Alden felt a huge rush of anticipation, coupled with the fear and dread still lurking through his entire body.

  "...And if you don't fucking back off, I'll shove a goddamn lightning bolt so far up your—the fuck?"

  A small stone knocked into her back. Rika turned around, indignant. Electricity was already dancing along her fingers. She looked surprised. "What do you want?"

  "Time to go," said Josh firmly.

  "I still got ten fucking minutes. Don't take this from me."

  "We've got shit to do. Let's get out of here," he added, strangely urgent. I don't remember him being so pushy… Maybe something else is going on?

  "Rika," said Alden firmly. "Time to go."

  "Eh? Is that… shit, Alzack, is that you?" Rika stumbled forward a little, drink spilling everywhere. "Alzack. All-zack. Hahss. Ever notished your name sounds like ballsack?"

  "That's not even my name," said Alden, annoyed.

  Josh grabbed her by the arm, wincing at the electrical current under her skin. He dragged her out of the enclosed tent, far from the alcohol. Alden hurried behind them, while Rika streamed curses at whomever she'd pissed off that time.

  "Let go of me," said Rika impatiently, as soon as they were out of earshot.

  "Like hell," said Josh.

  "I'm not actually drunk, you idiot."

  Alden suddenly realized her words weren't slurred at all anymore, and she was perfectly steady. "Josh, she's telling the truth."

  "...What?"

  "I'm not so fucking stupid as to get drunk when we're out here," said Rika. "I was playing them."

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  "Why were… fuck it, I don't care." Josh shook his head. "We should head back."

  "Rika…" said Alden slowly.

  "Sup?" she said, casually glancing over at him.

  "I was—" He cut short. He'd been thinking about this meeting for so long, and it wasn't going at all how he expected. Not even the worst-case possibilities were anything like this. She seemed like she barely remembered him.

  Josh rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go find Joe. Stay here, all right? Don't go anywhere."

  "Yeah, yeah," Rika snapped after him as Josh headed back toward the market. "What's up, Alzack? Didn't expect you in town."

  "I've been looking for you," he muttered.

  "...Shit," said Rika. The hostility fled from her face. Her body relaxed. "What the fuck happened to you, Alden?" she asked softly.

  With just that single note of sympathy, Alden collapsed. He fell against the nearest tree and to the ground, wrapping his legs up in his arms. Rika stared at him, utterly confused. After a few moments of silence, she sat down in front of him, cross-legged.

  She held out her hand and grasped one of his. The electricity shot through him, weak but invigorating. "Let it out, man."

  In a vague blur, Alden spilled everything—his night terrors starting the day he got home, the constant nightmares about Rallsburg and golems and Jackson, going out with Hailey and nearly getting killed, chasing after her for a month on his own with more than a few close calls, nearly getting killed again in Seattle, and finally the events of the day, running into Brian yet again. He held nothing back, not even his role in killing Jackson, his suspicions about his life, Meg's role in everything.

  "...and I feel like it's coming back because I was there," he finished. "I helped kill him. Me and Rachel did it."

  "...Yeah, I figured," said Rika finally. She was sitting next to him now against the tree, holding out a water bottle. He sipped at it gratefully. "Well shit. You've had about as crazy a fuckin' time as I have."

  "All I want is to know why," Alden finally said, wiping water from his mouth with a napkin that had ended up in his pocket at some point. "Why was it me? My memories, my sibling, my life. I don't know who I was supposed to be anymore, but somehow I'm still important. Even Grey-eyes is following me around and protecting me. It's fate, just like you said, and I'm stuck in it, and I really, really hate it."

  "You and me both," said Rika. She sighed and leaned against him, staring up into the dark orange sky. "Every goddamn step I take toward my dad throws me further into this shit. You know I was the second car in the Lakewood chase?"

  "You?" Alden asked, surprised.

  "Viper came back, grabbed Ryan just like he tried to do to you. I went after them." She glanced off into the forest. "Ryan's completely fucked up now. No idea what they did to him, but he's terrified. Hasn't left the Greywood since the funeral."

  "Oh…" Alden winced.

  Rika nodded. "It's okay, man. You wouldn't have wanted to be there anyway, trust me."

  "I would have wanted to be there for her."

  She sighed. "Yeah… okay, nevermind. I wish you'd been there too." Rika smiled slightly. "Met your sister though. How come you aren't cool as fuck like her, eh?"

  Alden laughed weakly. "Maybe I was."

  "Shit…" Rika put an arm around him. "Sorry."

  "I don't know why I'm not mad at you," said Alden before thinking.

  "What?"

  He winced. "Nothing."

  "Mad at me for ditching you, right?" she asked, not letting go. Alden nodded. "Well, fuck, I'd be mad at me. You obviously made the right call. We won, didn't we?"

  "I guess."

  "Well, I'm trying to make up for that now," said Rika. "I could've left any time, gone back to looking for my dad, but I'm still here. Still working for the good guys, or whoever the fuck we are." She sighed. "I still got a lot of shit to make up for. I said that back in Rallsburg, I know, and then I ditched again, so you probably don't believe me."

  Alden shook his head. "I do."

  Rika smiled. "Well, maybe you do. Nobody else fucking does though. I'm doing my best. My best is pretty shitty, I guess, but I really hope it's something. Cinza needs all the help she can get right now."

  "You sure she's doing the right thing?" asked Alden nervously.

  "Not a clue. Honestly, I'm just hoping Rachel comes out from wherever the fuck she's been hiding." Rika leaned against him, and more electricity began to dance through his skin. "Nice to have you back though, Alzack… err, sorry, Alden. Zack. Whoever the fuck you are."

  "Whoever the fuck I am," Alden echoed.

  "...Shit, was that the first time you've cussed?"

  He rolled his eyes. "No."

  Rika grinned. "Well, guess it doesn't count since you were just quoting me. Don't worry, you're safe."

  Alden smiled, and finally, he felt some kind of peace. There was still so much dread and fear underneath the surface, but for once, he thought he could actually fall asleep without anything going wrong. Maybe, just maybe, he could get better again.

  "...the fuck is that?" asked Rika, looking up. Something was moving toward them through the underbrush. "That's not Joe…" she started slowly. Alden felt her body tense up next to his.

  Oh god. Not again.

  Floodlights flared from multiple directions. Rika sprang to her feet, electricity flashing wildly through her balled fists. Men in uniforms had surrounded them, pistols raised. Alden squinted into the light, trying to make out a logo or anything. It's not Brian… what's going on?

  "Rika Nishimura!"

  "The fuck wants to know?" she shouted, head flicking from uniform to uniform, but not attacking yet.

  "Federal marshals! You are under arrest in connection with multiple homicides. Surrender now and relinquish your spell!"

  She didn't… did she? I don't… no way.

  "What the fuck?" Rika glared around the circle. "I've never killed anyone. Now I'm a fucking serial killer?"

  "Come with us quietly, and you won't be harmed."

  "Like hell I won't," Rika growled. "I've got important things to do here. They fucking need me. I don't have time for this shit."

  "She's not a killer," Alden added, stepping up next to her. "No way."

  "Got proof?"

  "You haven't even told us who died yet, asshole!" Rika snapped.

  "D'angelo Cooper, Wallace Murphy, Mitchell Sobotka, Logan Chau, Daniel Bell, and Sherrod Perry," the marshal listed off. "Now, are you going to surrender quietly?"

  "Who the fuck are those people?"

  Alden knew. The six names from the warehouse killings. They were definitely here to pin this on Rika. He didn't believe she'd done it, but they weren't getting out of here one way or another. "Rika," he muttered. "They think you did it. We're not getting out of here."

  "God-fucking-dammit," Rika groaned. The electricity dissipated, and she held up her hands in surrender. "Fuck it. Take me, assholes."

  The marshals moved in. Alden stepped up next to her. "Take me too. I'm involved."

  They paused. Rika opened her mouth, but Alden jabbed her in the back with a pinecone and a quick burst of magic. She fell silent.

  "Didn't hear nothin' about him," said one of the marshals.

  The apparent leader shrugged. "We've got room, and the kid's volunteering. Just take him."

  "You got it."

  "Can I get a phone call?" asked Alden quickly.

  "Not til we're in the air."

  "Where are we going?" asked Rika again, as the cuffs slammed onto her wrists.

  "Washington."

  "We're in Washington, asshole."

  "D.C.," amended another marshal.

  They didn't get anything else in. The marshals cuffed Alden and herded them back into their jeeps, driving back out to the nearest airfield. A jet was waiting to take them all the way to D.C., where everything seemed to be happening. When Alden finally got his phone back, he dialed up the only person he really had to call.

  "Hey, Alden," said Meg. "What's going—"

  "Meg, I just got arrested by federal marshals with Rika. We're going to D.C. They're charging her with all those warehouse murders I mentioned."

  "...What the fu—"

  "Don't swear," said Alden automatically. "I need you to get in touch with someone."

  "Who?"

  "Hailey's mom. Tell her everything. We're going to need a lawyer."