Taraana is sitting on the floor, leaning against the chair Paheli is curled up on. She is trying to braid his longish hair idly. Neither of them is aware of our scrutiny. Paheli has never shown any romantic interest in anyone before. We don’t yet know what she feels for this boy made of stars, but we are certain her feelings are more than the usual kindness she shows us.

While we wait for Eulalie to return, we listen to Widad sing. She refuses to sing love songs, so we are left listening to nursery rhymes in a variety of languages. She is halfway through “Alouette” when the door to the parlor opens and Eulalie enters. We all turn and look at her, and she stops, suddenly hesitant. “Am I intruding?”

“No, we were waiting for you.” Paheli straightens up, her hands falling away from Taraana’s hair.

Our frivolity melts away with Eulalie’s arrival. What words do we use to tell you how we feel? Scared? Angry that we haven’t yet outrun fear? Predatory because anger makes beasts out of us all? Alive because danger reminds us that we are still alive and we want to remain alive? A mixture of all four and perhaps more? The mixture of our emotions makes a potent drink, and we are all drunk from it.

First, Valentina fills Eulalie in on everything that has occurred, starting from Assi’s invitation all the way to the abduction attempt we interrupted in the Between.

“Can you do something for us?” Paheli asks after Valentina is done.

“Of course, ma chérie,” Eulalie replies immediately. Warmly.

“Will you find out what happened to”—Paheli glances at Taraana—“Assi?” She gestures for Taraana to fill in the details.

“I…” He hesitates, then takes a breath. “Assi and I met on a crisp blue September morning when we were both running for our lives from middle worlders who think our bodies objects to exploit. In the beginning, what we had wasn’t friendship but a forced companionship. Or perhaps charity. She is stronger than me in all ways, plus, she has a good heart that refuses to see me fall to the same demons that chase her. I owe her a lot, but this isn’t the first time I have failed her.” He squeezes his eyes shut in some private anguish. “As time passed, our group of two gradually grew as we took in others targeted by those stronger than them. I fancied that I was growing a group just like…” He looks at us. “You.”

“What happened?” Valentina prompts after a few beats of silence.