That’s the circle she kept running through, around and around in her mind, and underneath it all this nagging thought: Why did the Belmage go to all three of them and try to get Danny to have sex with them but he didn’t bring Danny to me? Can he read Danny’s mind and figure out that Danny doesn’t actually want me that way? Or was that gross encounter up on the hill the only try he’s going to make? That sure wasn’t smooth or experienced, that was just crude.

She wasn’t sure where she was. She had been so lost in thought that she was probably lucky not to have wandered into traffic. Now she only knew she was on some rural road south of Buena Vista.

Not that it mattered. She could get back to the school grounds whenever she wanted.

She fingered her amulet, and then realized that using it would not only get her back to their little clearing in the woods overlooking the high school, it would also be noticed. By Danny, perhaps—though maybe he could hide his perceptions of his gates from the being who possessed him. But also by Danny’s friend Veevee. The one who pretended to be his aunt. Danny had said that she could sense whenever someone used his gates. Maybe she would come to see what Pat was doing. Maybe not. But if she came, Pat could talk things through with her. Stone said that Veevee had done a lot of research into the Belmage. Maybe she would know things that could help Pat make a rational decision.

So Pat pushed her finger into the amulet.

She was relieved that none of the others were in the clearing. The last thing she wanted was their company.

She walked to the downhill side of the clearing and looked out over the school. Pat had been walking all afternoon—but not really, because school was still in session and the buses hadn’t even assembled. Some poor unfortunate PE class was running the hill with Coach Lieder watching them. Soon to be a grandpa, Coach Lieder. To the child of a Gatefather who was seduced by a succubus. Your daughter.

Don’t dwell on that.

“If you want to be alone I’ll go away again.”

Pat turned around and gave Veevee a half-smile. “I was actually calling you. Or at least I kind of hoped you’d notice me and look into why someone was using Danny’s gates.”

Veevee frowned. “They aren’t Danny’s gates.”

Pat had no idea what this meant. “They go where Danny made them go.”

“All very complicated,” said Veevee. “I don’t think I could have made sense of any of it before I went through the Great Gate. But here’s what happened. Loki—Wad—the Gate Thief—he gave his gates to Danny.”

“But Danny already took them.”