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My face and hands felt cold, like all the blood had drained out of them.

I looked at Jem, then at the girl.

The same.

That was what I’d been seeing while I looked at the girl.

That was the puzzle my brain couldn’t unravel.

Their bodies, their ages, their faces, and genders had confused what my light had known, probably from the first time I laid eyes on her. But there had always beensomethingthere, hadn’t there? Something I’d never been able to pinpoint, never been able to explain. I’d not tied it to either one of them specifically, but on some level I’d known.

I’d known that I knew her already.

I’d recognized my friend because they were the same.

They existed as dimensional mirrors.

Jem from Old Earth, who got here first.

Aura, from somewhere else, who arrived after Jem.

I’d known it was possible to run across two different versions of the same person across different dimensions. I’d known it in theory, at least, while I’d been hopping dimensions myself. I’ddiscussed that very possibility with Allie and Revik and the seer elders onUrtre,back when I’d been trying to learn everything I could about my dubious and very dangerous “gift.”

The spiritual leader ofUrtrewarned me specifically that I would need to leave any dimension where I encountered what seemed to be another version of myself. She said I should never return to such a dimension, either, as the consequences could be fatal for one or both of us. The idea struck me as bizarre, bordering on fanciful at the time, but I’d promised her I would do as she instructed. Of course, the assumption had been that my twin wouldlooklike me, that I’d recognize her. That’s not what had happened here.

Aura was Jem, but not.

Jem was Aura, but not.

I had no explanation for that, no way to understand it, but the end result was the same.

Gaos,I thought suddenly.Poor Nick.

Had he known on some level? Had he suspected something, at least? Or was this all new information for him, too? The girl had obviously known enough to get possessive with him.

Did that mean another Nick existed on a different dimension, as well?

The thought was disturbing, even unbalancing.

“Why did you bring them here?” Black growled, finally breaking the silence. He motioned towards the portal, still glaring at Brick. “What is the point of this? Did you plan to throw the girl through? Jem? Both of them?”

Brick laughed, louder that time.

He shook his head, a bemused look on his face as he smiled at Black.

“My dear fellow,” Brick said.“Ididn’t bring them here.” Brick nodded towards Jem. “He did.Hedragged her here… and I’m sure you can probably guess why.”

All of us turned to look at Jem.

He didn’t return our stares. His green and violet eyes never left Nick.

It was then that Nick must have decided to make his move.

37

THE DOOR

It only really hit me later, the actual sequence of events.