Lost in her—my—memory, Kael, the real Smith, and I are forced to follow as she sprints back to the room we first appeared in, with no clue of what happens to the younger Smith once we’re gone. But we don’t have to wait long, because minutes later, Riley returns, gathering her—me—in his arms again, holding her close as she cries a river of tears.

“I’m so sorry, Lyss,” Riley whispers, over and over. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. It’s what he wanted. It’s done now, and he can start fresh. He can be happy.”

I wipe at my face, dimly aware that Smith is doing the same beside me, using his shoulder since neither of his hands are free.

It takes a while before my younger self calms enough for the sobbing to cease, but when it does, she pulls back and looks at Riley not with anguish, but with determination. Despite her red eyes and swollen cheeks, her voice is surprisingly steady when she says, “You have to do the same for me.”

There’s a moment of absolute stillness before Riley breathes, “What?”

“You made him forget, Riles. You took away his memories, so now you have to do the same for me.”

You took away his memories … You made him forget …

It’s all the confirmation that I need.

So much power. Riley must have a similar ability to our mother—perhaps not her gift of suggestion, but close. If not for him begging me to remember him, if not for him thinking me dead, I’d be wondering if he played a part in my own missing memories. But I still believe him to be as much of a victim in all of this as I am.

“I’m not making you forget,” Riley says in a firm voice. “No way.”

“You have to, Riles. If Theo”—her voice cracks on his name—“if he’s already forgotten all about me, I can’t—I won’t—”

She breaks off in a sob, and Riley wraps his arm around her again, pulling her close.

Softly he says, “Tonight was the first time you Spoke, Lyss. I’m not letting you forget that.”

“I have the rest of my life to Speak. The rest of my life to figure out what I can do and how to control it. How to not pass out from it. I can afford to forget one night.”

There’s a beat of silence from Riley, before he quietly says, “Mum and Dad think you’re a Creator.”

She looks visibly shocked. Then the fear follows. “No.”

“You’re going to have to be so, so careful from now on. Forgetting what happened tonight might mean you end up learning that the hard way.”