The four of us made our way back down the hall, me and Bee in front, the boys trailing behind. We weren’t even halfway to the front door when David said, “So where did they have you?”

Next to me, Bee twisted to glance back at him. “Here,” she said. “But... it’s like it wasn’t here. It was this house, but not in this place.”

“But this is the house that was originally here,” David said, walking a little faster so that he was right behind us, the toes of his sneakers nearly catching the back of my heels. “He... magicked it up or whatever. Are you sure it wasn’t here?”

Bee’s fingers were clammy in mine when she answered, “I never went outside, but I don’t think it was here. Or maybe it wasn’t this house.” Stopping, she pressed her fingers to her forehead. “It was just a bunch of rooms, like a hotel. I never saw anyone but Alexander, but there was food, and all these books about Paladins and Oracles and—”

“What did the books say?” David asked, and that was enough for me. I stopped in front of the door, my hand already on the crystal knob.

“Okay, look. This has been a weird night. Bee has had a weird few months. Ease up on the third degree, please?”

David’s blue eyes fixed on mine, his fingers flexing at his side. “We need to know this stuff, Pres.”

Ryan’s hand came down on David’s shoulder. It was a friendly enough gesture, but it was firm, too. Unlike me, Ryan could be firm with David.

“Harper’s right,” he said. “We can talk about all this later, but for now, let’s get Bee home.”

“Home,” she mumbled, following me out onto the porch in a kind of daze. “God, what do my parents think happened to me?” When she turned to look at me, her eyes were so big that I could see the whites all the way around her irises. “Are they okay? Are the police looking for me?” Her grip tightened on my arm. “Have I been on one of those true-crime TV shows?”

“No,” I told her, covering her hand with mine. “No, everyone thinks you were at cheerleading camp. Ryan did a spell.” I stopped suddenly, pulling Bee up short. “I... should probably explain that.”

But Bee shook her head. “No, Ryan’s a Mage and does magic. Alexander told me when I was... wherever I was.” She frowned slightly, tugging her hand from mine and hugging herself. “But I have to be honest, I still don’t totally get... any of this.”

“We’ll explain in the car,” I told her.

So we did. The entire ride back into town, the three of us took turns explaining how all this had come about, starting with that first night in the school bathroom, ending at the frat party tonight.