In the office, a futon was folded out and fitted with sheets and a blanket. An old crib mattress was on the floor beside it with its own sheets and a patchwork blanket that looked like it had been passed down through generations.

Izabel said, “I just wanted to thank you for being there, at the hospital, when I woke up.”

“Yeah, that was lucky,” Kaito said.

“Yeah,” she said. But it wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. He would usually say, Of course, or, We wouldn’t have not been there. “Wait,” she said. “What do you mean?”

“Shit,” he said.

“What?”

“I never told you. Things were so chaotic with you and the police.”

“What? Tell me now.”

“Cami did that thing where she was talking in her sleep again.”

“About the killer? When I was near him?”

“Yeah. And she wouldn’t stop shaking. It seemed serious. But then, not compared to what was happening with you.”

“It was so bad you took her to the hospital?”

“She was screaming and she wouldn’t wake up.”

“What did the doctors say?”

“It stopped in the ambulance. They examined her and drew some blood. I described what she’d been like and the EMTs confirmed it.”

“It’s good they saw it.”

“Yeah. And when they were done checking her out, she went back to sleep. The normal kind. We were waiting for the blood results when we heard about you.”

“What’s going on with her?”

“I don’t know,” he said. But he was making a face.

“What is it?”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“I won’t.”

“What if she’s inspirited?” Kaito said.

“She’s not inspirited.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Maybe we should take her to a therapist,” Izabel said. “Maybe it’s some kind of night terror.”

“Yeah,” he said. “That’s a good idea.”

But she could tell he was thinking of yōkai and old stories from his father.

The next day Izabel thought she’d be able to let Cami go to school if she went along in the car with her and Hestia. Andy said she’d go, too.

Everything went fine inside—putting on shoes and masks and backpacks. Even through the double doors, Izabel felt okay. But as Izabel got closer and closer to the car, she panicked. Her knees buckled and she dropped to the ground.

“Mom!” Cami said.

“Your mom is okay,” Andy said, putting her body between Izabel and the girls. In an extra-cheery voice she said, “You girls go to school now.” She slammed the car door shut as soon as both girls were in.

As the car drove off, she grabbed Izabel’s arm and put it around her shoulders. “You can do it,” Andy said. “Back to the house now.”