It was the first pain Megan Mary McGill had felt in more than a hundred years. She brought her hands to her face, but it hurt to even touch it. She felt she would die from the pain, and she wished that she would, so she could be free from this horribly limited body. I’m alive, Mary thought. Heaven help me, I’m alive! There was no greater hell for Mary than to be bound to a flesh-filled hell on earth.

Allie prepared to peel back into Everlost, but before she could, a man grabbed her by the throat, and pushed her against the wall. It was the tourist who had fainted.

“I should never have freed you! So much trouble you have become!”

Milos! He had found her, but he was too late.

“Before you strangle this poor fleshie,” Allie said, “why don’t you have a look at your fearless leader.”

Milos turned to see Mary, and he was stunned.

“Milos? Milos, is that you in there?” Mary, her eye already starting to swell, stood and gathered what composure she could. “This is only a small setback. You have to go through with the plan—nothing has changed.”

Milos just stared at her, still trying to take it in. “But … but look at you … everything has changed… .”

“No!” insisted Mary. “You’ll have to take care of my children for a while, but I’ll work this out! I will! I’ll work it out!”

Allie knew she should have taken this moment to escape, but watching Mary Hightower sink into absolute desperation was mesmerizing.

“I can still work from this side!” Mary insisted.

“I think you fool yourself,” said Milos.

“No! I can make this work, I know I can. Please, Milos,” and Mary fell to her knees—a gesture so foreign for her, Allie could only stare. “Please don’t leave me like this! I’m begging you, Milos! Please don’t leave me!” There were tears on her face now—real human tears.

Milos reached out his fleshie’s hand, and wiped away her tears. “Your children do need you,” Milos said thoughtfully. “We will see… .”

Then he whispered something in Mary’s ear that Allie couldn’t hear. Whatever he said, it calmed Mary down. She nodded a glum acceptance. Then Milos turned to Allie and she realized she had waited too long.

Allie could leap to another fleshie, and run, but there were none in the room other than the ones she and Milos had already skinjacked. Then suddenly something occurred to Allie.

Mary was now a fleshie… .

Did she dare do it? Did she dare skinjack Mary Hightower, the self-appointed Queen of Everlost? Of course! In fact she couldn’t resist! As Milos came at her, she leaped from the guard, and directly into the flesh of Mary Hightower.

Mary knew the instant it happened.