“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe he was. Maybe there’s more than one way. But it doesn’t matter. We’re doing it. Together this time.” She stood and walked slowly toward the eastern edge of the rock palm. We followed, a little behind her. It made me dizzy to stand there, even a few yards back. Across the empty drop, the branches of the weeping willow–girl were still. The darkness below us felt like a vacuum, deleted space, although I knew it was not, that it was full of air. It must have been eighty feet of air at least. The rock close to the edge looked flat and soft, like mica. I imagined walking up to it and peeling back a layer with my fingernails and hurling it into the void. But of course it was not me but Serena who stepped up onto the lip.

“What now?” Laurel said. She was leaning on Janet’s shoulder.

“Now we step off,” Serena said. She looked unstable, listing slightly to one side. For the first time, there was something uneasy about her. Now I wonder how many of her own rules she had broken.

“It’s a long way down,” Janet said.

“Exactly,” Serena said.

“What if it doesn’t work?” I said.

“Then we’ll die,” Janet said.

“Luke only thinks he’s the most powerful person here,” Serena said, almost to herself. She raised her arms above her head. “He thinks he’s the chosen one, that he can do anything he wants. But he’s wrong. We are the ones. And this is going to transform us,” she said. “This is going to turn us into beautiful, wrathful, whole new creatures.”

Nobody moved. She lowered her arms.

“Laurel,” she said, her voice soft now. “After this, you won’t have to let anyone touch you. Unless you want it. Imagine what they’ll say. Or don’t, because you won’t have to listen.” Serena reached out her hand. “Come on, dearest,” she said. “Don’t you know I love you?”

Laurel only hesitated for a moment before she took Serena’s hand and stepped forward to join her on the rock lip. I could see her trembling from where I stood.

“Janet,” Serena said. “You need this too.”

“Do I?” Janet said. She sounded like she really wanted to know.

“I know you didn’t break your arm falling off a bicycle. Since when have you ever fallen off a bicycle? Please. You’re strong, but they’re men now.”

I looked at Janet, but she was staring straight ahead.

“Consider the possibilities,” Serena said.

Janet didn’t move.

“Janet,” Laurel said. “I need you to come.” And it was only for this, for Laurel, that Janet finally stepped forward. Laurel reached for her and held her tightly to her side.