“But I could have used it. I could have used it to save our whole family. I didn’t. I’m no better than one of those things, angry and starving.”

“You saved Daniel,” Phillip said. “And you can save him still. You understand it better now. You know what it can do, for better or worse.” His voice hitched; he felt the force of Mr. Connolly’s carefree dismissal of all the harm his invention had done. But he chose to do better. He had that choice. And so did she.

Rebeka blinked. When her lids opened, her eyes were filled with blackness; her body felt thinner in his grip, like he could close his palms around her shoulders and move right through her. Then she blinked again and was herself. No—that wasn’t right. She’d always been herself. Darkness, grief, rage—why shouldn’t she feel those things? Why shouldn’t they all? What use was it to try to act so noble when fighting monsters who believed in no such thing?

“You can ignore the darkness. Pretend you don’t feel it,” Phillip said. “Or you can use it to stop people who’d use it for far worse.”

Something tugged at Rebeka’s lips: the dimmest hint of a smile. To him, it felt as warm, as real as spring.

“You’re right. I didn’t ask for any of this to happen.” She stood up straighter. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t use it now.”

Simone stepped toward them from the alley’s mouth. “It’s been almost an hour,” she said. “One more hour until I have to hail Magpie.”

“When we’re done, we have to close the bridge to the other universe. For good.” Rebeka swallowed, her slender throat bobbing. “This has to be the end of it. Otherwise it could destroy both our world and theirs.”

Phillip’s fingers moved involuntarily toward the pouch where he kept the frequency folder. It could help negate the pull of the other universe. With enough juice, he could help seal it for good. But they’d still need Liam and Rebeka to do it, too. “And you really think you can convince Liam of that?”

She drew a slow breath, twisting her fingers in the folds of her jacket. “We have to try.”

An air raid siren groaned to life on the streets beneath them.

“Shit.” Simone peered around the corner. “They’re going to call for reinforcements. If our stupid American isn’t careful, he’s going to summon the entire Wehrmacht.”