Pat thought about that without answering. Worship. Is that what I feel about him? That’s Xena and Sin, even Laurette, but not me. I don’t worship anybody. I’ve never been able to even be a fan—no actor, no singer, no athlete, nobody that I admired enough to shiver and be all excited to see him in person. I know other people feel that, but …

“I don’t see you as a quivering worshiper of Danny North,” said Pat finally. “You’ve always treated him as an equal.”

“Oh, I’ve treated him as being somewhat beneath me. I’m not talking about how I act. I’m talking about what I feel. We’re having a discussion about ‘feelings.’” Hermia made the air quotes again.

“How very high-school of us,” said Pat.

“When you think about this discussion later, you’ll conclude that I was just playing you to try to get you to bond with me so I can be excused from this house arrest you and Danny have me under.”

“Never crossed my mind,” said Pat. “Until now.”

“It would have,” said Hermia. “Because you’re smart, and it’s true. Until you like me, you won’t trust me. I want very much for you to trust me.”

“I’ve been pissed off all afternoon because I already like you and I find that shameful and annoying.”

“Teach me how to do the gateless gate thing that you and Danny do.”

And there it was. Cut to the chase. Here’s what she really wants—not Danny, not me, not trust, not friendship. Power.

And yet the power came to me because I was stupid and got myself killed, and for some reason This One decided to let me come back to my dead body and revivify. Why should I guard it?

Because Hermia has already proven her willingness to use whatever power she has to hurt Danny.

“I don’t think I can teach you,” said Pat. “If Danny couldn’t teach Veevee…”

“Veevee is not a quick learner,” said Hermia. “She’s not dumb—gatemages are never dumb—but she’s so full of her own thoughts and her own ego that she really can’t observe anything. I know that about her because she and I worked together trying to learn how to move gates and other useful skills back when Danny had gates and we were still on the same team. You notice that I learned how, and she didn’t.”

“Yes,” said Pat.

“I’m just as full of my own thoughts and my own ego,” said Hermia. “But I know that about myself, and I can switch it off long enough to really concentrate on things outside myself. I’ve spent this afternoon concentrating on you.”

Pat found this flattering, which annoyed her. She hated being so manipulable. “I haven’t done anything,” said Pat.