“Like…speed. And strength. They can run fast, so you have to be able to run fast. They’re strong, so you have to be strong. But like I said, those additional abilities have to be triggered.” He glanced up at me with a shrug. “That’s what we call it, anyway.”

And he’d told Devi that had already happened. “How?” When I realized my head was no longer spinning, I shook out the blue blanket—the best I could, still seated—and folded it in my lap.

“By exorcising your first demon.” He grabbed a flashlight standing on end near the rows of cans and dropped it into the duffel bag. “In your case, that was your mother.”

“Superpowers as a reward for matricide. This just keeps getting weirder.”

Finn glanced at me in surprise, and I remembered that he hadn’t read Mr. Yung’s old picture novels, and he probably had no idea what I meant by “superpowers.” But then he smiled.

“They’re not superpowers, and you’ll only be able to use them to their full extent when there’s a demon near, but yeah. I guess it’s kind of weird if you’re not used to it.”

“So why did I pass out?”

“Because it takes a lot of energy for your body to implement those changes. That happens to everyone, and obviously you’re most vulnerable when you’re unconscious. Which is why we’re here.” He made a sweeping gesture to take in the entire warehouse. “I wasn’t sure how soon you would shut down, and I didn’t want to be running when that happened. But now we have to go. Can you stand yet?”

I planted both palms on the ground, then carefully got to my knees on the pillow beneath me. “Did it ever occur to you to tell me I was about to lose control of my own body?”

“I was getting to it when you passed out.” He grabbed the blanket I’d folded, and refolded it into a longer, narrower shape, then stuffed it into the duffel on one side, as padding for the other supplies. “How do you feel?”

I stood slowly, my arms out for balance, and when the warehouse didn’t pitch around me, I let out a sigh. “Fine. I feel pretty good.”

“Great.” He tossed me my school satchel, and I caught it easily. “Take all the cans you can carry.”

I stepped over the lantern and two pillows, then knelt in front of the double row of canned goods. “Who’s Devi?”

Finn made an annoyed sound deep in his throat, and some small bit of dread inside me eased. She was definitely not his girlfriend.