Azoria froze as Kaylin watched. “You—you do not know what you do here,” she said, struggling to speak. “There are things here that we can accomplish that even the Ancients could not!” Even as she struggled, the children once again touched what remained of ground.

“Jamal, get behind me,” Mrs. Erickson said. “And no, Azoria, this is not your home. It is my home. Your home no longer exists in our world. You are the intruder here, and you are not a person I would ever invite into my home as a guest.

“Stand down. You will not attempt to harm the friends I did invite, and you will release those poor souls you’ve murdered and trapped here.”

The floors stopped moving; the walls reasserted solidity.

Mrs. Erickson then turned to the children. “You can go home, now. Wait for me there if you can. And if you can’t, know that I love you all. You were the children we could never have. You made my life better, and I hope...” Her natural smile reasserted itself. “I have to speak with the rest of the people Azoria imprisoned, and...we have to figure out what to do with this place.”

“Will you send her away?” Katie whispered.

“Yes, dear. But not immediately. We’ll need to know who else is trapped here, and we’ll need to free them as well.”

Esme said, “We’ll wait. Jamal?”

“I want to see her gone,” he replied, voice so low it was barely audible.

Mrs. Erickson nodded. “I understand. But it won’t be immediate.” She paused, her shoulders relaxing; Jamal and the children were clearly unharmed—if that word had any meaning for the dead.

Jamal nodded. He looked up at the older woman, and said, “You won’t do it again?”

“No. Thank you for giving me permission this time.”

He nodded.

There were more trapped spirits within the halls Azoria had created—somehow—but the self-portrait that had hung on the wall was gone; the frame was empty, and the wall behind it visible. But there were other rooms and other paintings, some unframed and stacked in the dark. Azoria went through each one, Mrs. Erickson by her side. The dead Barrani woman had not yet accepted that she could not fight the compulsion; her answers were short and abrasive. They were also truthful.

Sedarias, Teela, and Terrano remained; Serralyn and Bakkon joined them.

Kaylin was exhausted. She wanted to go home, but she didn’t trust Azoria. Mrs. Erickson might have command of the dead, but she’d had no training. Clearly Azoria believed this was a weakness as well—but the commands themselves appeared to be absolute.