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“—d id this to her!” Gage’s shout almost wakes me, bringing me to the edge of consciousness.

“You’re lucky I don’t gut you right here, right fucking now.” Valen, his tone cold as death and twice as dark.

“You told me you’d protect her. You?—”

“She is not your concern. She is mine .” Valen’s snarl echoes around my halfway dreaming mind.

“He could’ve killed her. You weren’t there!” The accusation in Gage’s voice is sharp and acidic.

“Don’t you think I know that!” Valen roars. “I was busy working with your pathetic military trying to get her somewhere safe before Gregor comes for her. You’ve failed me on that front, and you continue failing me as you have for years!”

They’ve known each other for years?

I dip back into whatever dream I’d been having. I was somewhere sunny, palm trees overhead. Music floats on the warm breeze, the gentle ocean waves lap at my feet.

“—something that can change things. She’s found a compound or a poison. Something we can use.” Gage is conspiratorial now.

“What?”

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” Gage’s voice fades. “If she’s harmed, I’ll find you. I’ll kill you.”

“You are nothing. No one. A buzzing fly that I’ll swat soon enough,” Valen taunts. “Never come here again. If you do, your life is forfeit.”

The ocean waves pull me back to blue skies and warm, sugary sand.

“The sun looks good on you, my Blood.” Valen lies next to me, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. Reaching out, he plucks at the bikini tie at my neck. “I want to see it shine on every bare inch.”

* * *

“We know he isn’t coming back.” Evie swipes some jam across a piece of toast. She’s sitting on my bed, her face wan in the morning light. “Valen told us he isn’t. I think he didn’t want us asking you.” She puts the toast on the plate. “And I’m not—I’m not asking you.” Her eyes meet mine. “I just want you to know that we know. You don’t have to… You don’t have to talk about it.”

“He’s gone,” I whisper, afraid to say it too loud. Too loud is like stirring up silt on the bottom of a river, muddying everything.

“Right.” She swipes at her cheek. “You need to eat. Gene is downstairs making us little food packs for the trip.”

I look at her questioningly.

“Major Barker told us yesterday after … Well, after you came back, and I went looking for sedatives.” She hands me a cup of coffee. “Turns out I didn’t need them.”

Valen’s blood had put me to sleep. All he had to do was use his intention on me, and I was gone. I sip my coffee, still unsure of what to say. Scared of my own voice. Fearful of stirring up the silt, the memories of blood and horror.

“Anyway,” Evie continues nervously. “We had to let them go ahead and pack up the lab, including the new blood samples. We didn’t have a chance to look at them any further. But, once we get to Atlanta, we’ll be able to get up and running within a day. At least, that’s what Major Barker says. And we can pick up right where we left off.” She offers me the toast. “You should eat. We’re leaving as soon as possible.”

My eyebrows rise.

“Earlier than we expected, yeah. I think Major Barker got spooked when he heard about you coming back with bloo—” She abruptly cuts herself off. “When you came back in a state.” She clears her throat. “Take a bite.”

I obey. It’s easier that way.

“So he told us to go ahead and get ready. Wyatt oversaw his record collection last night, making sure none of them were so much as coughed on. We, um, well, Gretchen and I went to Aang’s room and got a few things.” She looks away. “Mementos. Little things.” She swipes at her face again.

I don’t cry. I’m not sure why. Maybe I’ve run dry. Maybe I’m just not ready.

“Another bite.” She proffers the toast.

I chew slowly, the dry toast and tart jam coating my tongue.

“So, that’s it, really. They’re still loading up the last few things downstairs. And, of course, we need to let them up here so they can pack up the things you want to take. I guess I could get a head start.” She looks around. “You didn’t get rid of your boxes from before. Lucky. I can start in the bathroom. You don’t have to get up. I’ll ask what you want to take. Just give me a yes or a no.”

I put my coffee on the nightstand and take her hand.

She meets my gaze, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. “What?”

I squeeze her hand and shake my head slowly.

Evie’s the most intuitive of all of us. She seems to read me easily, her eyes welling with tears. “No.”

“I have to stay.”

“No!” She pulls her hand from mine and stands. “What are you talking about? You know what will happen if you stay here! You can’t. I don’t care about whatever stupid martyr reason you think you have for staying. You’re coming.” She stomps to my empty moving boxes and grabs one, then yanks open my dresser drawers. “Panties, yep. Going to need those.” She grabs a handful and stuffs them in the box, then pulls open the next drawer. “Socks. Yep. I know it’s hot in Atlanta, but you’ll still need socks. Okay, moving on?—”

“Evie.” I stand and go to her, then wrap my arms around her from the back. “It’s okay.”

She stills, her breathing becoming labored as a sob breaks free. “Don’t. Please don’t stay.” She covers her face with her hands. “You’ll die. I can’t—I don’t think I can take losing you too.”

“I have to.” I press my cheek to her back. “My time is up.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” She spins in my hold, and I let her go. “We can figure it out. We have the key.”

“You’ll figure it out. You and Wyatt and Gretchen.” I wipe her tears away. “This whole time I thought I was the one who was going to make the big discovery.” I roll my eyes at myself. “But it’s all of you. It’s our team. Part of me. Part of Aang. You. Gretchen. Wyatt.”

“Why won’t you come?” Tears spill down her cheeks. “Please come with us.”

“My sister is here.” I close my eyes tightly and fight away the nausea that rises in my throat as I remember her, sitting in that chair, rotting while alive. “I can’t leave her.”

“I’m your sister now, too.” Evie sniffles. “Gretchen. Wyatt’s our goofy older brother.” She laughs a little.

I smile. “He said we’re the Scooby Gang. I guess that makes him Shaggy. You’re the hot one. I forgot her name.”

“Velma?”

“Daphne,” I amend. “Though Velma is hot in her own right. I think Gretchen would want to be Velma.”

“Aang is the handsome, bossy guy.” She smiles through her tears. “The one in the preppy clothes.”

“Does that mean I’m Scooby?” I ask. “Not the first time I’ve been called a bitch.”

She laughs, but it turns into a cry, then pulls me in for a hug. “I need you to change your mind.”

“Can’t do it.” I hug her back.

We stand there for a long while. Needing each other.

Eventually, she takes a deep breath and steps back. “Finish your breakfast. I’ll tell Gretchen and Wyatt. It might be easier that way, coming from me.”

“Okay.”

“Come down when you’re ready.” She squeezes my arms. “We have to say a proper goodbye.”

I want to tell her it’s not really goodbye. That it’s more of a ‘see you later’. But I don’t want to lie to her. Not now.

She leaves, and I crawl back into bed. Hiding from the world, from the truth. I can’t sleep. The longer I lie here, the more Juno creeps in, her raspy voice whispering “I’m sorry” endlessly.

I bury my face in my pillow and scream. Again and again, I let loose. Whatever block was inside me disintegrates under the force of my bloodcurdling shrieks, and I finally cry. I keep screaming until I can’t anymore. Until my breath is gone and my throat is raw.

Gulping in air, I force myself to still. After long moments, my breathing evens out, and I sit up, my head pounding, my throat on fire. Bumbling into the kitchen, I pour myself a glass of water.

The soldiers are still moving items onto the trucks down below, but their numbers are fewer. Only last-minute goods, I guess. Perhaps things looted from the surrounding buildings to make the journey easier.

I pop some ibuprofen, then drag my laptop down the counter. Evie must’ve brought it for me.

Cracking it open, I pull up the data from my blood. I’m deep into the images when I hear the elevator.

“No, I’m saying I can grab her. Then we’ll use Gretchen as the like, transporter.”

“My wheelchair isn’t for hire,” Gretchen grumbles.

“Hi!” I close my laptop and spin around in my chair as they all appear from the hallway.

“You’re coming with us,” Wyatt declares and plops onto my couch.

“Guys, we talked about this.” Evie glares at Wyatt.

“The Fellowship is breaking; it has already begun,” Wyatt says with a deep voice filled with gravity.

“What?” I raise my brows.

“He’s doing ‘Lord of the Rings’.” Evie sighs resignedly. “Again.”

“Yeah, it’s that serious.” Wyatt rubs his eyes. “It’s that fucking serious. We already lost—” He chokes up, then clears his throat. “We can’t lose anyone else, Georgia. We can’t.”

“I love you all.” The words just come out. The truth is like that, I guess. “And if I could go with you, I would. But I can’t. My sister is here. She’s in trouble, and I can’t leave her.”

“Then we can stay.” Wyatt shrugs. “We can help. I’ll tell all those little soldiers downstairs to unpack our shit, and?—”

“Wyatt.” I sink beside him on the couch. “You have to leave. All of you. I’ll be safe.”

“How?”

“I won’t be in this building when the mob shows up. Nothing to worry about.” I don’t know where I’ll be, but they don’t need to know that tidbit. “They can burn the place to the ground, but no one will be here to suffer it.”

“What did you see?” Gretchen asks, her voice quiet and even. “Tell us what you saw at the White House.”

“Gretchen, don’t,” Evie warns.

“We need to know.” Gretchen’s gaze pierces me, her eyes clear. “We need to know how bad it will get if we fail.”

I cross my arms, hugging myself instinctively.

“Hey.” Evie squeezes beside me and throws her arm around my shoulders. “Just breathe.”

“Trying.” I swallow hard, my gorge rising.

Wyatt stacks his arm on Evie’s, and Gretchen rolls around to my front, pushing the coffee table out of the way.

“We’ve got you.” Gretchen puts her palms on my knees. “We’re here.”

I glance up, still searching for whatever surveillance is buried in these walls. Then I realize it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s daytime. My friends will be long gone before anyone can report back to Gregor. Even so, I’m still careful. I don’t know how far Gregor’s reach goes.

“Juno isn’t well.” I can’t keep the tremor from my voice. I clear my throat. “She’s not… I don’t know if she’s going to be all right.”

“Shit.” Wyatt leans into me.

“It’s bad. Really bad. I can’t leave her.” My words tumble out. “She needs me, and she’s needed me for a while, but I stayed away. She told me to stay away. I shouldn’t have listened. I should’ve realized she was all alone there. Without me. Without someone who could help her, pull her back from the edge. She-she—” I snap my mouth shut as a sob tries to escape.

Evie rests her head against mine.

I wrestle myself back under control. Sitting silent for a while, I feel how empty my life is going to be without them.

“And Aang—” I have to stop again.

“Breathe,” Gretchen says. “In through your nose. Out through your mouth.”

Wyatt follows the breathing exercise. I join in. Then all of us are doing it. Slow and steady. My panic fades enough for me to go on.

“He didn’t have a chance.” I shake my head, trying to rid it of the image of his wide eyes staring at me. “The moment he went in, it was over. One of them.” I meet Gretchen’s eyes. “One of them has been there this whole time, pulling the strings. Understand?”

“Yeah.”

“Like a spider on a web.” I squeeze my arms tighter around my ribs. “It’s worse than anything I can say.” Not just because they’re listening. Because I don’t think I can voice what I saw.

“That’s enough,” Evie coos. “Don’t tell any more.”

“Fuck.” Wyatt sighs and wraps his other arm around me. “I’m sorry, Georgia. I wish I could do something.”

“I just need you all to get out safely.”

Gretchen takes my hands. “We don’t want to leave you here.”

“I know, but that’s what has to happen, okay? I can’t leave Juno.”

“Even if she’s caused this?” Gretchen asks gently, her voice free of judgment.

I hate that my answer is yes. But it’s still the only answer I have. I won’t abandon her.

“All right.” Gretchen nods, seemingly reading my answer on my face. “I understand.”

“I’m sorry.” I shake, trying to stop myself from crying. “I’m so sorry. I know this is wrong, all of it. I know Juno has done …” I can’t say it. If I do, I feel like I might die.

“Nothing for you to be sorry about.” Wyatt squeezes me tighter. “Nothing at all.”

I let them hug me, feeling their warmth for the last time. New friends, gone as quickly as they came. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“We’ll see you again,” Wyatt says, determination in his tone. “This isn’t goodbye forever, all right? Chill out with that.”

I hope he’s right, but I know in my heart he isn’t.

“Hello in there?” Gene’s voice creaks down the hallway.

“We’re here!” Evie calls.

My eyes water more when he appears, a sandwich in one hand. “Got this for you. Heard you were going to stay a while.”

“Yeah.” I only a sniffle a little.

“You sure we can’t get you to change your mind, Doc?” He puts the sandwich on the coffee table.

“I’m sure.” I offer him my hand.

He takes it, the usual tremor gone from his grip. “I don’t like it, but I’ve learned not to question you scientists. Have to let you go your own way, I suppose.”

Tears try to choke me up, so I hurriedly say, “You have to go,” then disentangle myself from them. “I don’t want you staying a moment longer than necessary.” I stand, forcing Evie and Wyatt up with me. “Go on. Get out of here. This penthouse is just for me.”

“I’ll have a nice meal ready for when you get to Atlanta.” Gene wraps me up in a hug, his arms strong around me.

Then Evie, smiling with tears in her eyes, gives me one more embrace. “See you soon,” she whispers.

Wyatt’s next. “I’ll work up a playlist for when you show up in Atlanta. Something with pizzazz.”

“Sounds good.” I squeeze him, then let him go.

“Try to keep them in line, would you?” I hug Gretchen.

“These two? Not possible.” She digs around in the bag on the side of her chair, then hands me a fresh syringe.

“What’s this?”

“You’re not the only one capable of whipping up a weapon.”

My eyes widen. “Is this the?—”

“Yes. A ‘break glass in case of emergency’ sort of thing. I’ll be able to replicate it in Atlanta, and I figured you might need this sooner rather than later. Be careful. Okay?”

“Thanks.” I slip the syringe into my pocket, the weight of it somehow heavier than the actual contents.

“Don’t be afraid to use it. Defend yourself any way you can,” she whispers.

“I will.” I walk her to the elevator.

Gene, Wyatt, and Evie are waiting, the tears in their eyes pulling more from my own.

“Soon, okay?” Gretchen rolls into the elevator. “You know where to find us.”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

“We love you.” Evie tries to smile. “Remember that.”

“I will.” I choke the words out and press the button to send the elevator down.

Once the doors close, I sink to the floor and muffle my cries in my arm as best I can. I can’t bear to watch at the window as they leave, but I hear the trucks start up about ten minutes later. Their engines loud in the stillness of the dead city.

When the sounds die away, I force myself to my feet, my heart torn into so many pieces I’ll never be able to put it back together.

* * *