Page 37 of The Executioners Three

“Um.” Laina shrugged. “Only a few times. It just started last month, but… Yeah, I’m seeing an out-of-towner about it.” Her eyes dropped to her boots.

And Freddie frowned. Sleepwalkers did weird stuff—sure, she could buy that. But did they walk with lit candles to ancient graves?

“Do you speak French?”

“Huh?” Laina blinked.

“Do you speak French?” Freddie repeated.

“No.” Laina wagged her head. “I’m in AP German. Why do you ask?”

Freddie ignored the question. “Do you always go to the county park when you sleepwalk?”

Laina swallowed. “No. I went to Fortin Prep once.”

Freddie’s eyebrows launched high. “The Allard Fortin crypt?”

“Maybe? I woke up near the parking lot, so yeah. Maybe.” She gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t remember, and needless to say, that really freaks me out.”

“Do you normally carry a candle with you on your… trips?”

“I had a candle ?”

“Leave her alone,” Divya ordered, shoving into the room with a teacup and platter of cookies. “She’s been through enough today.”

“Sorry.” Freddie popped up her hands defensively. She wasn’t actually sorry, but she could keep her mouth shut. For a few minutes, at least.

Divya knelt beside Laina, and instantly the lines of Laina’s face relaxed.

She watched Divya set the tea before her, watched as she laid out the cookies, and were this any other situation, Freddie would’ve been delighted by such a stare and the clear longing in Laina’s eyes. The girl was head over heels for Divya.

Right now, though, Freddie had other concerns.

“Your family,” Freddie said as Laina lifted the tea to her lips. The scent of cinnamon wafted through the room. “Does anyone else sleepwalk?”

Laina winced slightly. “Not that I know of.”

“And do you know how long your family has lived in this region?”

“Um.” Laina’s forehead bunched up. She glanced at Divya. “A long time, I think. Does… does it matter?”

“Of course not,” Divya murmured. She shot Freddie a glare.

Freddie ignored it. “What’s the last thing you remember before you woke up in the woods?”

Laina took another sip and gave another frown. “I was in AP Bio, and then…” Laina’s hand started trembling. Her eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t remember.”

“Try.” Freddie leaned toward her.

“I think… I went to the bathroom, and…” She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Please,” Freddie pressed.

“Enough,” Divya snapped. With shocking strength for someone so small, she grabbed Freddie by the collar and hauled her to her feet. Then Divya dragged Freddie into the hall.

“You need to take a chill pill. What the hell, Freddie?”

Freddie’s nostrils flared. She knew her best friend was right. She knew she was pushing too hard. Just like Mulder. Just like your dad. Laina had been through some serious stuff, and yeah. She needed some relief.

But Laina was also the only person who might be able to fill in some of these gaps in Freddie’s brain—and there were a lot of gaps. A lot of dots that needed connecting. A lot of truths still out there to be found.

Before Freddie could apologize, though, and explain why she’d pushed Laina so hard, a familiar refrain split the air. Freddie rifled out Sabrina and found a local number lighting up the screen.

“Hello?” she answered while Divya continued glaring.

“Is Theo Porter available?”

“Uh…” Freddie’s brows drew tight. “May I ask who’s calling?”

“This is Joseph. I’m a nurse at the hospital. I was told to call this number when his grandmother woke up.”

“Oh.” Freddie’s brows relaxed. Theo must’ve given the nurse her number, since he no longer had a phone. And wow, that was some serious follow-through on his favor. She really owed him for that.

“Can you pass on the message to Mr. Porter?” Joseph asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to let him know.”

“Great. Thank you—”

“Wait,” Freddie cut in. “Is she allowed to see anyone? Mrs. Ferris, I mean. Can she have visitors?”

“Yes,” the nurse answered. Then with a prim goodbye, he hung up.

“Who was that?” Divya asked while Freddie pocketed Sabrina. Her earlier anger was gone, replaced by frowning curiosity.

“It was the hospital.” Freddie’s mind was already racing ahead. “Mrs. Ferris woke up, and I have a lot of questions for her.”

Divya’s lips pressed into a line. “Why? What do you think she’ll tell you?”

“I don’t know. I just think she might know something about…” Freddie waved vaguely. “Everything going on. Plus, I’m the reason she got hurt—”

“Actually, you’re the reason she got rescued.”

“—so I want to make sure she’s okay.”

After ducking into Divya’s room to grab Xena and offer Laina a soft “See you later,” Freddie met Divya back in the hall. She hooked her arm in Divya’s and towed her toward the stairs. “Listen,” she whispered. “Don’t let Laina out of your sight.”

Divya bit her lip. “I mean, she has to leave sometime, Fred.”

“Does she?” Freddie pulled Divya down the stairs. “Because I don’t think she should be alone right now. Like at all. Try to find a way to keep her here. Maybe an impromptu slumber party or something.”

Now Divya was really chewing her lip. “Freddie,” she said quietly, “tell me straight: Is Laina in danger?”

Freddie’s mouth opened. Then clamped back shut. She couldn’t lie to her BFF. She felt rotten enough for not confessing to the second kiss with Theo; she refused to keep any more secrets. Like Divya had said, We tell each other everything .

So even if Freddie had more questions than answers, she knew what her gut was telling her.

“Yeah, Div,” she said when they reached the foyer.

“I think Laina might be in danger. I don’t really know why yet…

but my gut is telling me we should be afraid.

Hey, though,” she added at Divya’s paling face, “I’ll call you soon, okay?

If you keep Laina here, then everything will be alright. ”