“There’s a heating system of some sort,” Letitia said. “I don’t quite understand it.”

“Who cares?” said the light-haired girl. “If it makes swimming water warm at night, it is the best kind of magic.” She tugged off pointy, low-heeled shoes and then reached under her skirt. She paused and looked at Letitia. “You won’t be shocked if I remove my stockings, will you?”

“Not if that’s all you remove,” the brunette said with a laugh. There was something about that laugh . . . a tinkling music almost too low for the ear to detect.

They’re fae.

“No,” I said.

I hurried over to the two girls, the light-haired one now sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in. The brunette swished her hand back and forth in the water, and under the surface, seaweed swirled about her hand, like the spats on a horse.

“Come here, Letty,” the light-haired girl called. “Sit with us.”

“Look at the water,” her companion said. “Isn’t it marvelous.”

They reached out their hands as Letitia walked over.

“No!” I said, jumping between them. I turned to the brunette. “Don’t do this. She’s not responsible. He is.”

I knew it was pointless. These were only phantasms, memories. But the brunette met my gaze, and she smiled, a terrible and beautiful smile.

“We know who is responsible. And this is how we repay him. Take from him as he took from us. That is our way. Death is quick. Regret is not.”

I remembered Gabriel saying almost the same thing, first to the men in the parking garage, then to James. Letitia walked through me and took the young women’s hands.

“Shall we go for a swim?” the light-haired one said.

“What?” Letitia forced a ragged laugh and pulled back. “You are really quite amusing, but I ought to go—” When the women didn’t release her, she said, “This isn’t funny. Please let me go.”

They opened their hands, but her fingers remained stuck to theirs.

“Wh-what?” she said, backpedaling uselessly.

“We’re taking you for a swim, pretty Letty. A swim in your new pool.”

They wrapped their arms around her and leapt, and as they did, their gowns puddled at their feet and their hair tumbled from its pins, cascading over their bare backs, pitch-black now on one, glowing white on the other. The brunette’s skin darkened, too, turning as black as her hair. Their bodies thickened, necks lengthening, as they transformed.

I raced to the pool edge. It didn’t matter that it would do no good. I shouted at the kelpies to stop.

They dove into the water with Letitia trapped between them, flailing wildly. Even after the water closed over them, I still heard her screaming. Down they went, so fast and so deep that I was certain the pool bottom was a mirage, that it somehow opened into the lake itself. Otherwise—