“The old portal in New York City,” Tattletale said. “Where the Wardens Headquarters used to be.”

“You sure?” I asked. “That’s a long trip.”

“Has to be. Trust me,” Tattletale said.

She met my eyes for a long moment.

I didn’t trust Tattletale as far as I could throw her, whether I used my power or not. She knew that. She knew I’d know she knew that.

Was that supposed to be a signal?

We’re being watched, and they’re going to start taking action. If we assume they’re tracking everything we say, then stating one plan and following another makes a ton of sense.

“We should go now,” Tattletale said. “You two should come. You too, Scraping, if you want to chaperone these two.”

“I do.”

“Do you have a car?”

“I do, yes.”

Once the trio got moving, they wasted no time. Engel slapped down some money on the counter on her way past it. Tattletale paid the tea shop’s owner.

The only slow process was easing the Old Man into the back of Tattletale’s car. He was hurt and just conscious enough to be moving, writhing over that hurt. Sveta was gentle, while Snuff, Tattletale and I watched out for trouble.

“I loved you,” Engel said, behind Sveta.

Sveta straightened, turning around.

“I love all of my brothers and sisters, but I loved you in particular.”

Present tense, then past tense.

“I will always cherish my memories of the company you provided me in darker days. You helped me find optimism and a brighter outlook in lonely days. Without that girl from the hospital, I would not be out and about today, chasing my dreams.”

“We could still talk.”

“No.”

I saw the pain in Sveta’s face. No response came to her lips.

“Why the hell not? You’re being asinine about this whole thing,” I told Engel.

“I am grieving my friend Sveta,” Engel said. “It is easier to move on without reminders.”

“I’m still here.”

“You are,” Engel said, and her voice was accented more as she said it, still warm and an eerie, discomfiting kaleidoscope of pleasant sensations. “But she isn’t. And I will forever miss her.”

“Will you work with us on this thing?” Sveta asked, bitter.

“I will endure,” Engel answered.

“Oh fuc—” I started, before Sveta took hold of my arm.

“You’ll continue being a moron over this whole thing, you mean,” Tattletale said, from the far side of the car. “Getting caught up in the ‘hate the tentacle girl for going against the hive mind’ thing.”

“No hate,” Engel said. “Only disappointment.”

“Can we just—” Sveta started, stopping for no explicit reason. “Get in the car?”

Tattletale hesitated, and Sveta reached a tendril inside, around the passenger seat, and tugged Tattletale partway in. Tattletale climbed in the rest of the way.