“My talent isn’t good for much except hiding in plain sight and scaring the shit out of people. I like to have backup.”

“I’m crashing, Harlan.”

“I know. We’re almost out of here. Just a few more steps.”

“You’re supposed to be an illusion talent,” she said. “But you’re not.”

“No?”

“You’re exactly who you said you were the first time I met you—the man who would walk into hell to find me.”

He said something, but she could no longer concentrate enough to understand the words. The dark night of a total psychic crash descended. The last thing she remembered was Harlan picking her up in his arms. He carried her out of the dying garden.

CHAPTER 47

The first time she woke up, it was dark outside. It took her a moment to realize she was in her own bedroom. A familiar voice spoke to her from the shadows.

“How are you feeling?” Catalina asked.

Olivia yawned and turned onto her back. Catalina was sitting in a chair near the window reading a book on her e-reader. Keeping watch. In the shadows Olivia could see that her childhood friend was wearing her signature black—black trousers, black pullover. Her dark hair was clipped back in a stern knot.

“I’m okay,” Olivia said. “I need more sleep, but I’m okay. When did you get into town?”

“I’m not sure. It’s all a bit of a blur. At some point Lucas Pine called us to tell us what was going on. We caught the first flight home, but it’s a long haul from Australia. By the time we landed at SeaTac most of the excitement was over. Harlan delivered you here to your apartment. I told him I’d keep an eye on you while he and Victor and Lucas figure out what happened to Gwendolyn and Eloisa Swan.”

“I don’t understand. I thought they were all right. The last time I saw them they were following the recorder music out of the maze.”

“They made it out of the maze. In the confusion they managed to grab the boat Spode and Barrow used. The Swans have since disappeared.”

“What?” Olivia tried to absorb the implications. “You mean deliberately?”

“Yep.”

“Well, that is interesting.”

“Very,” Catalina said. “Got some ideas?”

“Turns out Gwendolyn and Eloisa Swan are the granddaughters of Aurora Winston, the woman who was responsible for overcoming the last technological hurdles involved with the development of Vortex. They told me they had two of Winston’s private journals. Gwendolyn said something about the original formula for the serum that made the enhancement process fairly stable.”

“The Vortex machine was destroyed when you somehow shattered the crystal that was the power source,” Catalina said. “But the serum is a big mystery as far as everyone can tell. Barrow talked before he went into the maze.”

“Barrow got away?”