Ms. Terwilliger regarded us all with dry amusement. “Has everyone decided which brave roles they’ll be taking on?” she asked. She shot me a smile. “You don’t seem very concerned about how I plan on getting you out of here yet, Sydney.”

I shrugged. “I have faith in you, ma’am. If you say you’ve got a way, I believe it. What’s it involve?”

After she told me, silence fell in the room. We all stared at her, dumbfounded, until Adrian finally spoke. “Wow,” he said. “I can’t say I saw that coming.”

“I don’t think anyone could have,” admitted Eddie.

Ms. Terwilliger’s focus was on me. “Are you up for it, Sydney?”

I swallowed. “I guess I have to be. And we shouldn’t waste any more time.”

“First,” said Adrian, “can I have a word with my wife before the hilarity ensues?”

“Of course,” said Ms. Terwilliger, gesturing grandly.

Adrian steered me away and called to the others, “Talk amongst yourselves.” He led me to our bedroom, not saying anything else until the door shut behind us. “Sydney, you realize this is crazy, right? And I don’t say that lightly.”

I smiled and drew him to me. “I know. But we both also know there’s no way I can’t not follow a lead that might take us to Jill.”

His expression darkened. “I wish I could do more than be your cover,” he said. “But if that’s what it takes . . .” He sighed. “What also seems crazy is you leaving after we fought so hard to get here and be together.”

“Yeah, but . . .” I hesitated, hating to say my next words. “You can’t say this has exactly been what we imagined.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, but I could tell he already knew.

“Adrian, there’s no question I love you and want a life with you. But this particular life . . . hiding away from both our people . . . having your mother hovering over us . . . I don’t know. Maybe some space is a good thing.”

His green eyes widened. “You want to get away from me?”

“No, of course not! But I want to revaluate things, to figure out how we can get that life we’ve been wanting.” I sighed. “And of course, even more than that . . .”

“We need to find Jill,” he finished.

I nodded and rested my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. That earlier emotion rose up within me as I thought about the last year and all we’d gone through. We’d had to keep our relationship a secret, and then once it was discovered, the Alchemists had held me prisoner and tried to brainwash me into coming back into their fold. Every moment I had now with Adrian was a precious gift, but reveling in that, turning my back on Jill . . . well, that would be selfish.