He snorted. “Oh, yeah, like that’s a master disguise no one could see through.”

“But if you and Kara were covering me, then—”

“Do you even know what ‘covering’ someone means?” Alex asked coldly. “This isn’t a movie. Do you really want us to have to start shooting at a screaming mob to get you out of there if something goes wrong?”

Where had this argument come from? “No, of course I don’t want that,” I said. Everyone had gone quiet, watching us. Trish’s eyes were wide; her coffee mug paused in mid-air. “But Alex, you know I can usually sense if a place is going to be a danger to me. I mean, okay, it’s not foolproof, but—”

“Willow.” He lashed my name at me like a whip. “I said no, all right? Drop it.”

It felt like he had slapped me. In the sudden roaring silence, Alex tossed the sheet down and shoved his chair back. He left the room without a word.

My cheeks were on fire; at first I was too shocked to move. There was a long pause. Finally, Kara lifted a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. “Well. I see that his temper hasn’t improved any. I’ll go and talk to him.” She started to get up.

“No,” I burst out. “No – I’ll do it.”

She regarded me, her expression almost amused. “You sure? I’ve got a lot of experience dealing with Kylar boys when they get like this. It’s kind of an acquired skill.”

I hadn’t really been certain what I thought of Kara up until then, even with the look I’d seen her give Alex – but now it was becoming clearer to me. I didn’t like her very much. “I’ve acquired it, thanks,” I said, getting up from my chair. “I’ll go.”

I heard the silence in the kitchen erupt into words as I went down the hallway. I let the buzz fade away behind me, not trying to decipher what was being said. I could guess easily enough.

I knew Alex had to be in his bedroom. But when I got there, his door was shut, and I paused as I stood in the faintly sweaty-smelling mess of the boys’ dorm. His door was never shut, unless he was asleep or I was in there with him. Despite what I’d said to Kara, this was all new territory to me; Alex and I hardly ever argued. Then I remembered the way he’d snapped at me, and grimaced. We had to have this out.

I knocked. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”

There was a pause. “Yeah,” he said.