I scramble to my feet and shakily help Sebastian to his. It’s the body walker, I tell him.

Sebastian’s lip trembles. “We have to do something.” He shakes off my hand and runs after his sister and the mind that controls her.

For a moment, terror freezes me in place. The thought of going anywhere near the body walker is enough to make me nauseous. But I can’t leave Sebastian alone. And I can’t let him do something foolish.

I catch up to him as he corners his sister on the stairwell. His despair is as thick as smoke.

“Jemma, it’s me. Please!”

I grab his shoulder and yank him back. His satchel slips down his arm. “It’s not her anymore, Sebastian. It’s not her. She doesn’t know us.”

Jemma brushes off her sleeve with a shrewd light in her eyes. “What makes you think that, girl?”

“Nothing. I don’t know anything.” I shudder and pull Sebastian down the stairs, but Jemma grabs hold of his arm.

“Oh, I think you do. You have a talent, don’t you?” Jemma grins in such an un-Jemma-like fashion that it’s downright chilling.

I send my thoughts as loud as I can into Sebastian’s muddled head, hoping he hears me over the confusion roaring in his brain.

The body walker knows. Somehow they know we’re talented!

That gets Sebastian moving again. He jerks backward, stumbling into me as Jemma lunges for us. We run down the hall away from her, but in the wrong direction. She’s right behind us, blocking our path to the stairs.

“Now, what talents do you have? Let me guess. Something mind-based? Something that allowed you to know I’m not the woman you thought I was?”

I risk a glance back, only to find a look of twisted glee on Jemma’s face. Panic shoots through me, and we duck into the nearest room.

Sebastian spins around, panicking. What do we do? Where do we go now?

I rush to the window, but the drop down is too far. We’d never make it in one piece. I swallow hard and steel my spine.

We have to face her down. We have no other choice.

The door creaks open, and Sebastian and I clasp hands tightly. We back up instinctively as Jemma appears in the doorway, an unnatural smile on her face.

“Now, why don’t you just make it easy on us all and come here?” She holds out her hands as if she actually believes we will take them.

Take the memory of meeting us, and let’s go. Just make sure you take it from the body walker’s mind and not your sister’s.

Sebastian goes rigid. He steps forward and grips Jemma’s hand. She jerks him closer.

“Now, what can you do? Tell me…” Her eyes go blank, then she blinks rapidly for a moment, confused. She releases Sebastian, staring at him as if she’s never seen him before.

I know I only have a few moments, but I concentrate with everything I’ve got, until I finally hear Jemma’s thoughts faintly crying out.