“Fine, I’ll go get her!” the servant grumbles. I let my fist drop to my side and sink to the floor. My hand aches from all the pounding, and I can feel the sore spot on the side that no doubt will become a bruise.

It feels like forever before Rachel arrives. I’ve stopped trying to keep my talent in check; I’m too desperate to get out of this room and do something. I hear her worried thoughts before we see her.

The poor dears. This must be hard on them. I hope Maeve didn’t just abandon them. They’ll be devastated if she did.

Her words are a strike across the face. I steady myself on the wall. Maeve would never abandon us. Why would Rachel think such an awful thing?

It’s the first thing I ask her when she opens the door.

“What makes you think Maeve would abandon us? She loves us!” I cry. Sebastian looks stricken, since this is the first he’s heard of it.

Rachel swallows hard. “Now, Simone, it isn’t polite to listen to other people’s private thoughts without their permission. I thought Maeve was working with you on that.”

I clench my hands into fists, but my head hangs in shame.

She places a warm hand on my arm. “I know you’re upset about Maeve being gone and not being able to be part of the search party. It’s all right.”

“But what do you mean?” Sebastian asks. “What would make you think such a thing?”

Rachel’s expression softens. “It was a careless thought. I just… I don’t know.”

“Has there been any word from the search parties?” I ask more quietly.

She shakes her head. “Not yet, but hopefully soon.” She places her hands on her hips. “Now, I hear you urgently needed to speak to me or Euna. What’s going on?”

“We need to go the library. We were looking at a promising stack of books yesterday that could contain information that would help with the body walker.”

Rachel raises an eyebrow as she considers. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Especially since I know you want to help, and I can’t let you run off and search by yourselves.” She stretches out her hands to us. “All right, I’ll take you. But you must stay close and promise me you won’t try to run away.”

“We promise,” Sebastian and I say at the same time. But my fingers are crossed behind my back. As much as I hate to lie to Rachel, I have no intention of remaining here once we find what we need.

Chapter Seventeen

We waste no time returning to where we left off. We split the remaining books in the stack in half, but Rachel also takes some to search through.

The terror that’s been holding me hostage all day keeps my focus razor sharp. I don’t wander, even though the words swim in front of my eyes. My talent remains alert, brushing over every mind in the building, just in case the body walker or Maeve returns. I no longer care that I’m invading other people’s privacy; I must find Maeve, and I will go to any length to help her.