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Three days passed like three seconds, while life at the Institute gradually returned to normal. Well, sort of. Lessons hadn’t restarted yet. Victoria had put out a blanket order for all of the returnees to spend a week in quarantine, in case of Fergus-world side effects. I’d chosen to quarantine in Persie’s room, or I’d have died of boredom. Plus, Nathan snuck Boudicca out of her orb most mornings so she could keep us entertained. And man, did pixies know how to be the life and soul of the party. She taught us how to jig, pixie-style; she’d snazzed up some flowery headbands for us; and she’d started a tournament of what I liked to call “toothpaste archery.” She’d also given us a few lessons in pixie-speak. Of all the monsters Persie had Purged, she was my fave.

As for my memories of Fergus’s messed-up paradise, they’d grown fuzzy. I knew I’d yammered on about my dad and arranged marriages, but I couldn’t recall the exact words I’d said. Still, it was therapeutic in a way. I felt like I’d hashed out my issues without intending to. That could happen when you were stuck on a loop for… however long I was in there. I knew, more than ever, that I wouldn’t settle for an arranged marriage. The gut-wrenching Fergus-and-Lorelei story had further cemented my thoughts on love. I wanted what they’d had, minus the sacrifice and Wisp-trapping and anguishing death. I wanted a love that made people cry in a good way. If I couldn’t have that, then I didn’t want any of it. End of story.

“Relax, Mom, it’s honestly fine.” Persie’s desperate gaze pulled me from my thoughts and back into reality. She’d called her mom on video chat to relay everything that had happened, and it wasn’t being well received.

I dove into frame. “It really is fine, and you know I wouldn’t fib where Persie’s concerned. Victoria cleared her of all charges, and everyone’s okay. No harm done.”

Nathan had also been cleared and had somehow wrangled the benefit of not being stuck in his room all day. But I was secretly glad about that. I’d started to look forward to his morning Boudicca deliveries. He usually stayed to chat and watch the pixie’s antics, and I sort of liked having him around. He suited a casual atmosphere. It warmed him up and loosened his natural stiff-upper-lip-ness. And, as it turned out, he had some funny bones of his own. Naturally, Persie had told me how livid he’d been when he’d heard me babbling about arranged marriages. I wouldn’t say it had made me swoon, but I liked that he’d jumped to love’s defense.

“I just don’t understand why you didn’t call me,” Harley replied, her tone momified. “I could have helped.”

Persie groaned under her breath. “I told you, the signal went down due to a storm.” She hadn’t told her mom about Victoria’s Institute-wide comms block in case it made her more nervous. “We handled it, Mom. If things had gotten worse, you know I’d have tried to get in touch once the signal came back, but they didn’t. And you’re kind of missing the point—I managed to control monsters and rescue everyone, by myself. Well, with help, but mostly by myself.”

I patted my friend on the back. “She even swam in a grave filled with water. I don’t think I’ll ever get the stink out of my nostrils.” I winked at Persie. “You don’t need to worry. Persie totally owned the show, and now everyone at the Institute is in awe of her. Myself included.”

Harley reeled back in horror. “You. Swam. In. A. Grave?!”

“To reunite the bones. I told you that already.” Persie shot me a did-you-have-to-say-that? look. “Everything really is fine, and people are being a lot nicer to us now.” She paused, realizing she’d messed up. “Not that they weren’t before! I just mean, we’ve found our footing a bit more. And people aren’t as scared of what I can do, which is great news.”

I even got an apology from that uppity cow. I grinned at the memory of a sheepish Xanthippe saying she was sorry. If I could’ve taken a picture, I’d have framed it. But the fact remained—we weren’t pariahs anymore. Who knew that all it would take was my best friend saving a bunch of hunters and trainees from a lovesick spirit and a horde of evil Wisps? We’d have done that from the start, if someone had given us a heads-up.

“Ooh, and Persie’s allowed to carry puzzle boxes at all times, so you don’t need to have any more sleepless nights about her Purging something she can’t catch,” I chimed in, giving Persie a nudge. “Unless she spews up an army of, like, dragons. Even then, she’d probably just befriend them, so it’s all cool.”

Harley shook her head in despair. “I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep well again.”

“Mom, you have to trust me.” Persie leaned closer to the camera. “I fixed everything. Don’t I get some credit for that?”

Harley sank back in her chair and sighed the kind of sigh only a mother can expel. “I’m… insanely proud of you, Persie. What you did is incredible, by anyone’s standards. And I know I’m being hypocritical, worrying about you being in danger when I was doing similar things at your age. But it’s my job to worry.” She managed a half-smile. “Nothing you can say will change that. You could be in a cotton-candy bubble, and I’d still worry. But I am so very proud of what you’ve achieved.”

Persie relaxed. “That’s nice to hear.”

“Will I be able to see these pixies in the Bestiary?” Harley asked. “I’m always curious to see what you’ve created. It used to be artwork, but I suppose Purge beasts are sort of like living art.”

I snorted. “And the gargoyles are the really ugly portraits that make people giggle.”

“Gargoyles have their merits,” Harley said, laughing. “You’ve just got to make sure they don’t get too fond of you, or you’ll never get the slime out of your clothes. Murray has always been partial to licking.”

Persie’s eyes brightened. “Victoria let me keep the pixies here, in the Repository. She’s not sending them on to the Bestiary, so you’ll have to see them when you visit. I think you’d get along well with one of them.” She grinned, and a flutter in the corner of the room signaled an eavesdropper.

“Victoria thought it would be important to Persie’s development,” I added sagely. “This way, she gets to visit the pixies and spend time with them, so she can relate to what she’s created. They’re genuinely amazing. I never knew monsters could have these huge personalities. Everyone in this place has a lot to learn from her.”

Harley’s smile widened. “I’m just glad you’re both safe. I knew there was a reason you two were best friends. Just don’t make this a habit, okay? Less saving the world, more learning.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Kes is driving your uncle up the wall. He’s so jealous of the pair of you. But now that Tobe has banned him from the Bestiary, he’s diverted his efforts into monster-study so he can get into the Institute when he’s old enough.”

“Tell him there’s a spell I can give him if he wants to sneak into the Bestiary without old Tobes knowing.” I flashed a mischievous smirk, channeling my pixie friend.

“Don’t even joke.” Harley rolled her eyes. “He’d snap up the offer in a heartbeat.”

I chuckled. “Who said I was joking?”

“From here on in, it’s all about studying and training,” Persie interjected before her mom had a heart attack. “And I swear I’ll call you—”

Her sentence was cut short by a knock on the door. The hunter behind it didn’t wait for permission to come in.

“Victoria wants to see you in her office,” he said gruffly.

Persie immediately stiffened. “I’ll have to call you back, Mom. And, seriously, you don’t have anything to worry about. We’re fine, everyone’s fine.” She pressed her lips to her fingertips and put them to the camera. “Bye. Speak soon.”

She swiped the end-call button before her mom could reply. “What does she want now?”

“I’m betting it’s good news,” I encouraged. “She’s already raked you across the coals for sneaking out and stuff, and you got away with a reluctant ‘thank you’ and a slap on the wrist. Now that things are getting back to normal, I bet it’ll be about developing your control. She wants you to be here, Pers. Everyone does.”

She sighed and stood. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

With that, she left the room, leaving me and Boudicca to get started on another round of toothpaste archery.