“You were thinking Love Lost might go for Rain where he is,” Ashley said. “And the past allies of Beast of Burden might come for me.”

“It’s not out of the question.”

“I won’t be alone,” Ashley said. “I have friends waiting for me.”

“Still.”

“Still,” she replied.

“Okay.”

As people finished their drinks or got restless, they stepped away to start investigating what needed to be put away. I licked chocolate from my fingers and cleaned them off with a damp napkin.

Ashley stood, stretching as she walked to the window. The unnamed Patrol member who stood at the top of the stairwell cleared his throat loudly.

“I’m not doing anything,” Ashley said.

“Away from the window,” he said. “You’re on paper as a low-rated mover.”

“Harry,” Jester said. “I think we’re okay.”

“Away from the window,” Harry said.

I tensed, seeing Ashley bristle, standing a little taller, her pupils disappearing.

I thought about intervening, and I had no idea how I was supposed to go about it. Maybe getting Harry to safety.

Ashley stepped away from the window. “I’m going to have to get used to this, I think. It’s going to be hard.”

“You promised me there’d be a someday we’d meet again,” Kenzie said. “And you’ve already broken one promise.”

“I know,” Ashley said.

I’d been told to do the clothes, but it felt weird to go through Ashley’s bedroom and things without her there, so I started on the bookshelf.

The team wasn’t technically a team anymore, but we couldn’t break away clean.

The moment Ashley was on her own retreating to the stairs to look down at the rest of us, it was Chris who went straight to her. The two of them walked into the dining room. Ashley rubbed at her arm as the two of them talked, and the Patrol officer stood a ways back, watching them closely.

That was interesting. Were there commonalities, in the physical breakdown?

I noticed Kenzie was off on her own, fidgeting, and made a concerted effort to rope her into helping me. I made it something of a game, filling the box as quickly as I could with one hand while being kind to the books, with Kenzie holding the box, and then taking turns, as she pulled books off the lower shelves.

“Victoria,” Ashley said. “Can we talk?”

The moment Ashley had been free, Chris had gone to her. The moment she was free, she chose me?

I was caught off guard, but I nodded.

She led me up to her bedroom. There were pictures by the wall that hadn’t yet been hung up, judging by the lack of marks on the walls. The bed was a four-poster with black silk cloth.

“Who are you keeping an eye on?” she asked.

“Everyone,” I said. “I’m making plans to check on members of the team.”