It was bad enough coexisting with Ollie’s Duplicate, but now the sight of Jane’s copy striding around the school, wearing Jane’s clothes and mingling with students, guts me with equal measure. We wonder who we could reasonably go to for help. The Darkwood board? But what if they didn’t believe us? Or worse, what if they’re in Gravelle’s pocket? It’s not lost on any of us that, except for Jaeger, the adults we can usually count on, like my dad and Jane, are the very people we can no longer trust, because they aren’t themselves.

In my head, I make desperate plans to leave school and look for them myself. I know it’s a reckless, stupid idea, one that could get me killed. But I’ll crack if I consider the reality that my hands really are tied. That I have no out, no way to help my loved ones. So I let myself imagine a heroic rescue. It’s the only thing that allows me to close my eyes at night and get any rest.

The only consolation in any of this is that Bianca and Jaeger haven’t been replaced yet, and we discovered Gravelle’s master plan in time to keep them safe. Still, we know Gravelle is nothing if not persistent. I believe in my gut he has not given up on his plans to kidnap them. I wish I knew how, and when.

One early March morning, I arrive in the dining hall to new flyers being passed around to the student body. They advertise the Darkwood Academy Human Rights Club, and I’m fooled, at first, into thinking someone’s actually started a civil rights organization on campus. Then I see Harlowe, flanked by a couple of first years, Ivy, and Graham. Harlowe stands there watching as the others hand out leaflets. I get my hands on one.

Darkwood Academy Human Rights Club

Help Us Defend Humanity

Our Rights

Our Safety

Our Identities

Our Freedoms

First meeting: March 22, the gym, 7:00 p.m.

Spread the word…

It’s vague enough that you could miss it if you didn’t know what you were looking for. But it’s clearly DAAM, restructured and given a new name.

“Who approved this?” I ask the Similars, slamming the paper onto the table.

I get my answer when I notice Principal Fleischer walking over to where Harlowe and her friends are answering questions and recruiting members. Fleischer doesn’t seem angry at Harlowe. If anything, she looks pleased.

“Fleischer is their faculty sponsor,” I blurt, almost spitting out my soup. “I bet she signed off on this. After Jane dismantled DAAM, Harlowe must have bypassed her and gone straight to Fleischer for a sign-off. Probably when Jane was back in California.”