“Yeah, starving,” said Alex. He let go of Willow’s hand and scraped his palm across his face; his cheek gave a throb where Sam had punched him. It felt as if he’d been awake for days.

“Liz?” asked Willow.

“The one with dark hair,” Kara reminded her, opening the fridge and taking out a covered casserole dish.

“Oh yeah, her. The one whose life Willow saved,” said Alex pointedly, and took a dark enjoyment in the startled look on Kara’s face. “Man, Kara, that group of yours needs some serious training,” he went on. “What did you even have them out on a hunt for? Are you trying to get rid of them or something?”

Kara rested her hands on the counter; closing her eyes, she hung her head for a second, shaking it. “Okay. I’ve got to hear all about this, and I don’t like the sound of it one little bit...but let me answer your questions first, and then we’ll get to it.”

She slid the casserole dish into a microwave and punched a few buttons; a low humming noise started. “So, the first thing you should know is – this place isn’t mine, it was Juan’s originally. He bought it for us to use.”

“Juan? Is he alive too?” Alex sat up straight, heart thumping. Juan Escobido had been one of the best AKs at the camp – he’d often been the team lead on hunts, especially after the accident that had cost Cully his leg. If he was still alive, it was some of the best news Alex had heard in months.

“No,” said Kara heavily, leaning against the counter. The fluorescent light cast the exotic lines of her face into sharp relief. “He was the one who brought us all down here; that white van in the drive is his. But he was killed the day after we finished fixing this place up. He didn’t even have a chance to start training the team.”

Alex went still. He could feel Willow’s eyes on him, gentle with sympathy.

Kara’s voice turned rough. “And the way it happened was just – stupid. The two of us had gone out to get some supplies, and we forgot to scan. An angel linked minds with Juan to feed, and he managed to break away enough to try and shoot it...but then it tore his life force away.”

Alex didn’t speak. “I called an ambulance, but I already knew he was gone,” Kara went on. “And you know the worst part? I had to pretend I didn’t even know him, that he was just some man I’d found collapsed on the sidewalk. Thankfully, I managed to get his gun, and he never carried ID...” She trailed off. “I got the angel,” she added after a moment. “But it was sort of too late by then.”