His expression shifts to pleasantly amused just as there’s a knock at the door. “Right on time,” he says, as if we’d just ordered room service at a fancy hotel.

When the door opens, my whole world cracks into a million excruciating shards.

Alice enters the room in her matching polka dotted pajamas as if sleepwalking, her face slack and eyes half-open—with Isaac holding her tight at his side.

“Alice?” I cry. “Alice!”

She sways, silent, and her forehead glistens like she’s sweating out a fever.

“Alice!”

Davis leans away, wincing with a finger to his ear. “No need to yell. She can’t hear you.”

Fury races through my body like a forest fire. “What have you done to her?” Isaac bares his teeth in a chilling smile. He holds Alice’s hand in both of his, caressing the top of her fingers. “Don’t touch her!”

“I’m afraid Isaac has to keep touching Ms. Chen in order for this particular mesmer to continue.” Davis walks back to his chair and settles in his desk. “Which it will until we come to an understanding.”

“If you don’t let her go—” I choke out. “I swear to God, I will tear you apart!”

“Such fire.” Davis smirks. “Let’s see if we can put it out. Isaac?”

Isaac moves in front of Alice as if wrapping her in a hug and slides his hands up to her cheeks, holding her head still until their eyes meet. A slow, sickly shimmer of silver-gray mage flame circles her from the neck up. A second later, Alice blinks rapidly.

“Bree?” she whispers. Her eyes focus on me. “What happened to your dress? Why are you tied to a chair? What’s going on?”

“Alice! Alice, listen to me. I’m going to get you out of here!” Isaac shifts his fingers, and she goes under again, slouching slightly against the Merlin’s chest.

“What are you doing to her?” I demand, looking back and forth between Isaac and Davis.

Davis nods to the other man, and he brings Alice up again, like a puppet being tugged awake by its strings.

This time her eyes take a while to find me, and even then, they don’t focus. I don’t think she can see me at all. I call her name again, but she frowns, disoriented. “Matty? I know you don’t have a dress for the gala thing this weekend. We should go shopping after class…”

She’d said this exact sentence to me two days ago at breakfast.… Cold horror bleeds through me when I realize what Isaac is doing.

He’s erasing her memories.

“Stop!” I strain against the ropes, tears burning my eyes. “Stop it, please!”

Isaac grins and clasps his hand tighter against her skull.

“You’ve been weird all week.”

“Stop it!”