“Everyone!” she cries. “They forgot me! But they won’t forget me again. I’ll hang here forever, a nightmare burned into their memories. I’ll haunt them all!”

The words are like chains, binding her to earth in death.

My fingers ache from clenching them so hard. I could capture Vera’s soul again, but then what? I’d have a lifeless body on my hands—Lily’s lifeless body with a missing soul—and I can’t let Vera go through with her plan either.

I need help.

Suddenly, I’m torn between two evils—Thane or Shy. Thane already assumes I had something to do with Vera’s disappearance. Will he think I did this to Lily? Will he even know how to help? But Shy carries a scythe, and the last time I saw one of those, the blade was pressed to my neck, and everything I ever loved was threatened.

I’ll take the lesser of two evils—Thane.

I start to move, hoping to slip away and find him, when Lily looks at me again. This time, recognition blossoms on her face.

“You!” She jabs a finger in my direction. “You did this to me! Send me back!” she demands and lunges.

I try to dodge but lose my footing on the edge of the sidewalk, collapsing to the ground, only to feel a sharp pain as Lily grabs a handful of my hair and pulls.

“Send me back!” she shrieks.

I reach for her arm with both hands and yank, sending her over my head and onto her back in the middle of the rose garden. I twist, attempting to scramble to my feet. I have to get out of here before I make another mistake, but Lily grips my ankle, and I fall hard to my knees, scraping my hands against the cement. I kick at her, hitting her square in the face, and she lets me go.

I run.

Thane. I have to find Thane.

It’s still lunch, and the past few days, he’s been hanging out in the cafeteria. What are the chances he’s there today?

I head inside Emerson in search of him, but the bell rings, and the hall fills with students. It’s hard to move in the crowd, and the skin on my hands and knees stings as I’m jostled about like a ship on a stormy sea.

Someone grabs my arm and pulls me. I’m about to rip myself free when I realize it’s Shy. He looks down at my shirt. It’s then I realize I’ve been holding my bloodied hands to my white top. I meet his gaze. His jaw is set tight.

“What happened?” he demands.

“Please.” I try to pull away, but he moves his arms to either side of my shoulders.

“Anora, who did this to you?”

“No one!”

He frowns and releases me. “We both know that’s not true.”