I keep my distance from most of the librarians and researchers. The realization that any of them might be the body walker has me skittish around them. Especially Connor, who is still as grumpy as ever, and Devynne and Ida too. Ida’s attention leaves me cold. Somehow, she seems to be around nearly every corner I turn. Devynne’s a bit too keen on learning about our talents. She’s been hounding us for an interview, but Maeve rebuffs her every time. A thing we’re grateful for. We don’t wish to relive our time with the Lady any more than we need to. Our lives in the Garden feel further away with every tick of the clock.

Our days pass in a simple rhythm. One we begin to grow accustomed to. Every day, the fear of the body walker returning lessens. Maybe they ran into Euna and established their connection to her when she wasn’t even in the Archives and just overtook her on a whim. Or perhaps they were looking for something and left. However strange it is that we had several near-misses with them, they don’t seem to have been following us after all. Wherever they went, we’re safe now. Though I still steer clear of Ida, Devynne, and Connor just to be safe.

Sebastian still worries about his sister, but Maeve has grown to be such a fixture in our lives that the sting has finally begun to fade. Some days he hardly thinks of Jemma at all. And when he does, he feels guilty for not missing her more. I’ve tried telling him not to feel guilty, that she’ll no doubt join us soon, but it doesn’t seem to help.

One morning, two weeks after Euna was attacked, I skip down the stairs ahead of Sebastian, eager for breakfast. Maeve isn’t seated at our usual table when we arrive. She must’ve headed off to the stacks already. We eat a bowl of oatmeal and hurry to the third floor of the library. That’s where we left off the day before, and I recall Maeve had found something that interested her there. I hadn’t meant to peek into her mind, but I could feel her eagerness to investigate more.

But when we reach her favorite spot—a desk on the north side that looks out over the mountain range and a lush waterfall on the other side of the mountain—she isn’t there. The books she was using the night before sit silently as if waiting for her to return and open them again. I run a hand over the words written on the spine of one: A History of Rare Talents. I frown. It sounds more like something Devynne would have on her desk than Maeve.

“Why do you think she was looking at talents?” I say aloud. Sebastian shrugs.

“Maybe she was researching body walkers too. Just in case.” He shivers involuntarily.

I brush the same chill off my shoulders. “Well, we can ask her when we find her. I guess she must still be sleeping.”