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Subworlder? Who are these people? Role-players or LARPers or something? Because they’re damn good actors. I have the weird urge to laugh, but I bite my lip and wait for the next absurd phrase to come out of someone’s mouth.

Topaz looks at me with distaste. “She’s a distraction.”

My amusement gives way to annoyance. She is a person, not a circus freak.

“I’m sorry,” I say to Topaz, the sarcasm bleeding right through my words. “Who are you, again? ”

Leo drops my hand and grabs my waist, impulsively, protectively, pulling me closer. Maybe I’m about to get bitch-slapped by this bitch, but I don’t care.

“I’m Topaz,” she answers slowly, like I’m stupid or hard of hearing. “And I’m a… family friend of Leo’s.”

“From Philly?”

“Philly?” Rime grins, amused. “As in Philadelphia?” He turns to Leo. “Is that where we’re from?”

All this goading and schadenfreude. There must be some bad blood between Rime and Leo. One of them stole the other’s girlfriend or got the choice spot on the football team.

Football? Who am I kidding? No one in this room ever played football.

Topaz scowls at Leo. “You haven’t told her, have you?” It’s a reprimand, not a question.

Leo lets go of me and marches to the door. “I will when you get out.”

“We’re not leaving,” Rime says, mouth tight. “You’ve already wasted too much time.”

I get the weird feeling this could come to blows and I don’t want to be here to see it. Rime and Leo are glaring at one another and it’s impossible to tell who has the upper hand. Rime’s bigger, but Leo’s angrier. Cornered animal angry.

Do they know something Leo doesn’t want me to hear? Was Zander right? He’s not who you think he is. Then who else could Leo be? Because he’s not the threat Zander was implying he is. He just can’t be.

If there was ever a time to use my ‘gift,’ it would be now.

If someone here is dangerous or is lying, I should be able to sense it, shouldn’t I?

I have to try. Hastily, I sweep aside my own emotions and presuppositions.

Then, going still, I open myself up to the energy coming off the three other people in the room.

It hits me fast and hard and all at once .

What the?—?

When I choke on a breath, Rime turns his attention to me. “What are you sensing there, little psychic?”

I inhale as I struggle to compose myself, glancing desperately over at Leo who’s still by the door.

Open it and shove them out! Please. But he’s frozen, waiting expectantly for me to answer.

I don’t want to reply; I don’t even want to speak.

But if explaining what I sense will satisfy Rime and get him and Topaz out of here, I’ll do it.

“Something’s out of place,” I say. God, how do I put these feelings into words? “Like…like a puzzle piece from the wrong puzzle. One that’ll never fit.” The energies churn inside me, disturbing and potent. “There’s fear, too. Of something big and dark and…and evil.”

“Go on,” Rime urges, pale eyebrows arching.

“It’s that weird feeling…that scary feeling…the one you get when you realize there are things out there bigger than you.”

His eyes are wide. “She’s good.”

I don’t want to be good, I want to be wrong. I turn to Leo. Please tell me I’m wrong .

Please tell me what’s going on!

He closes the distance between us and takes me gently by the elbow. “Go get your stuff. I’ll take you home.”

Rime sprawls onto the couch. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m taking her home,” Leo bites out, but his voice softens as he turns back to me. “Go get your stuff.”

Whatever is going on here, I don’t want to make it worse for him.

My backpack is by the door, but my phone and jewelry are still in his room.

I steel myself as I make my way down the hall, anticipating shouting and punches the moment I’m out of sight.

But they don’t come. Instead, I have to strain from the bedroom to hear the relatively peaceful discussion.

“What about your other psychics?” Rime asks. “Do they know?”

I stop moving, stop breathing, but I can’t make out Leo’s response .

What if that’s because he doesn’t want me to?

“Brier sent out his own team,” Topaz says.

“What?” Leo gasps. “When?”

“Most likely on the solstice.”

“Where are they?” There’s dread in Leo’s voice.

Rime answers, “We don’t know.”

My fingers tremble as I work the clasp on my amethyst necklace. I squint in the dusty full-length mirror, foolishly believing that if I can see better, I’ll stop missing the hook.

Their conversation collides with Zander’s accusations in the library.

It blends with the words straight from Leo’s lips, I need to talk to you—tell you some things, and with the ominous feelings I just picked up in the living room.

Has he gotten himself into some sort of trouble?

Drugs? Organized crime? Does he owe Rime and Topaz money? Are they blackmailing him?

What is it that Leo’s so afraid to tell me?

I miss my finger three times before I manage to slide on my ring.

“You’re out of time, my friend,” I hear Rime declare. “Either you tell her right now, or I will.”

“You’re not telling her anything,” Leo snaps back. “Leave her out of it.”

“Not if she’s as useful as she appears to be.”

Silently, I slip into the hall.

Rime’s voice is low and deep with warning, “Just so you know, we have orders to send you back if we think you’re a hindrance to the mission.”

“A hindrance to the mission?!” Leo sounds like he’s trying not to yell.

“You’ve gotten too close to a Subworlder,” Topaz says. I peek around the corner. She’s studying her nails.

Rime rests his elbows on his knees as he watches Leo pace in front of the coffee table. “It’s an issue of loyalty. You know what’s waiting for us on the other side, the kind of danger we’re dealing with. Who comes first, Nàdar or her ?”

Nàdar? Mission? Other side? Okay, these people are definitely, literally, on drugs.

“Oh, and there she is.” Rime spots me and leans back, his lips stretching into a smile.

“Leo?” I whisper as I approach and reach for his arm. “Are you okay?”

His eyes dart nervously to the duo on the couch, but he doesn’t let their glares keep him from reaching for me. “I’m fine. I’ll explain later. Let’s get you home.”

Rime startles us both by shooting to his feet. He swipes Leo’s car keys off the end table and gives them to me. “She can take herself home.”

I stare at the keys as though they’re a scorpion in my hand.

Leo squares his shoulders. “It’ll take me fifteen minutes.”

“Loyalties,” Rime hisses at him. He’s dropped his cool demeanor and looms over us, angry. Challenging. Leo glowers back, gauging how far Rime will go to get his way. “I’m taking her home.” He tugs me gently toward the door.

But Rime steps in our path. “Wrong choice.”

“If you want to fight with me, then fine.” Leo shoulders him aside. “But not with her here.”

Rime lets Leo pass but cuts in front of me, breaking Leo’s hold on my arm. “Look at me, sweetheart.” He ducks and sways, blocking my way to Leo and putting himself directly in my line of sight.

My heart leaps into my throat.

“Don’t!” Leo charges him and slams him against the door.

But it’s too late. I saw them: Rime’s eyes. They’re not blue anymore, they’re red, the glowing orange-red of embers, and they’re burning around opaque discs of black.

A loud thud draws my attention back to the two men, one pinned to the wall, the other straining to keep him there. They seethe like wild animals, their faces mere inches apart.

“Put it back!” Leo snarls, fists twisted in Rime’s shirt.

“She needs to know. Now!”

“Put it back!”

“Tell her!”

Over his shoulder, Leo orders me, “Go back to the bedroom.” He’s leaning back far enough that I can see Rime’s eyes. They’re still red. And his ears?—

Oh my god.

Impossible.

Rime takes advantage of Leo’s momentary distraction, seizing him by the shoulders and swinging him around. He growls as he thrusts Leo against the adjacent wall. “Take off the glamour.”

In the struggle, first Leo, then Rime, gets the advantage. One shoves, the other shoves back. One grips, the other breaks free.

“Do it!” Rime commands.

I want to shout at them to stop, but my voice, my breath , is trapped in my throat. And I could no more force them apart than I could part the sea. I cast a silent appeal to Topaz, hoping she’ll intervene, but all I get is a bored shrug.

There’s only one other way I can think of to end this: drain them. Energy hums all around me, so dense and heavy I can hardly stand. But bravely I wrap my arms around my stomach and draw it in, wave after nauseating wave of fury and fear.

“I remember the old days, fighting like this.” Rime manages a chuckle before he lets loose and whips Leo into a chokehold. “But that was before I chose the militia.” He snorts. “And you chose books.”

Leo twists and jerks and clutches at Rime’s arms, but he can’t break free. As he grapples, he grunts, “Put. It. Back.”

“As you wish.” Rime lets him go before passing a hand in front of his own face. “But she’s already seen me.”

Leo calls my name and holds out a hand. But my heart has stopped. It’s not only Rime’s eyes that have changed, so have Leo’s. The gold is back, even brighter this time. So bright that his dark brown irises look like the starry night sky .

And peeking out from among the wild tempest that is his hair...are the tips of pointed ears.

I shake my head, barely aware I’ve dropped to my knees. Drugs. Somebody gave me a hallucinogen. That has to be what’s wrong with me. Or maybe Leo did something to me when he healed me. Some sort of side effect.

“Betts—” Leo scrambles for me.

“What’s wrong with me?” I whimper. “What did you give me?”