Gem’s car sat empty and off in the middle of the lot.

And Gem, unmoving, sat propped up against its side.

Lia froze. Hot, sticky fear prickled over her skin and clogged her throat. There was no one else around, and no reason why Gem would ever sit on the ground. Lia forced one leg forward. Then the other.

“Gem?” she called, voice shaking. The hair stood up straight on Lia’s arms.

“I messed up,” shouted Gem. “I’m out.”

“Gem,” Lia croaked. “What the heck?”

“I got tagged and my leggings are wet. If I stand up, it’ll look like I peed myself.” Gem stared up at Lia. “What’s up?”

Lia let out a strangled laugh. “I thought you were dead.”

“Crap. I’m sorry.”

Lia sank down next to Gem, still laughing. Gem snorted. “Is it really that funny?”

“No,” Lia said, gasping for breath. “But you’re not dead, so…”

“I was foolish!” Gem gasped and swooned, lying across Lia’s legs. “They have killed me mother. Run away, I pray you!”

“Okay, calm down, Macbeth.” Lia hugged Gem tightly, then pushed them off. “You’re getting me all wet.”

“It was Nelson Zook, and his water gun’s tank was basically a bucket,” Gem told her. “Macduff’s son, actually.”

“I only watched the play because you were in it.” Lia stood and helped Gem up. “Let’s go, Macduff.”

Lia delivered Devon a few tater tots, then left, removing the rock from the door and rejoining Gem in the car. Lia let Devon know that Gem was out

Bold of them to do it so close to school, Devon texted as Gem drove Lia home. Get home safe.

You too, Lia said. It was a good excuse to get together while it lasted at least.

We don’t need an excuse to get together.

Lia grinned and tucked her phone away. “It wasn’t Nelson the other day, you know.”

Nelson was a stout kid with lanky brown hair and a love of neon hoodies. His family had lived and died in Lincoln for over a century. The tradition must have run too deep in his family for him to quit even with the ban.

“Yeah, our park stalker was too tall,” Gem said.

Lia turned her phone over and over in her hands. “I wonder how many people withdrew.”

There was no way to know how many people were still playing, but Lia was convinced there were definitely more than Devon, Lia, and Nelson still in the game.

If Nelson was willing to get Gem so close to school, maybe her assassin—Aubree, Bryce, Cassidy, Devon, Hunter, Jeremiah, Mercedes, Nicky, Noah, Oliver, Rose, Stephen, Tamora, Zack, or someone else she hadn’t considered—was too.

“Can you drop me off at the corner?” Lia asked as they turned onto her street. “I want to walk around the block.”

Gem stared at her. “Alone?”

“Hardly.” Lia gestured to the handful of people getting home, checking the mail, and walking after work. “I have an hour and a half before sunset, and I’ll be three blocks away. I just want to see how closely my assassin is watching me.”