I nod. All their awkward pauses and tension make sense now.

“I don’t know what happened before you got here, but I’m not going to hurt you.”

Then she says something that disarms me. “He said that too.”

“Chase Lockwood?” I ask.

I’m impressed by her reaction—absolutely nothing. Her jaw doesn’t tighten, and her eyes don’t narrow.

“Anora,” Jayne calls from the front door. “Please come in and do these dishes.”

Anora looks relieved at the interruption.

And now I’m even more curious about what happened between her and Chase. I pull the keys to my Jeep out and say, “Put the obsidian in your windowsill.”

Then I climb into my Jeep. As I leave, I glance in my rearview mirror. Anora’s still standing on the sidewalk outside her house, watching me go. I wrap my fingers around the steering wheel tight, fighting the urge to turn around and stay with her until she trusts me, even as I wonder if I’ll ever be able to trust her.

Instead, I put my foot to the gas and speed away.

When I get home, Lily is waiting for me. She sits on the steps, elbows resting on her knees. She’s dressed in jeans and a dark-blue sweatshirt. The hood is pulled up, covering her head.

“Hey,” I say as I get out of my Jeep. “You know Mom’s inside.”

“I didn’t want to bother her,” Lily says, and I know it’s because she’s embarrassed.

I take a seat beside her. “How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long. Where were you?”

I pause before answering—something I probably shouldn’t do, because it implies guilt. “With Anora.”

Lily looks confused. “I know we promised each other we wouldn’t ask, but I have to, Shy. What are you doing with her?”

“Nothing, Lils. Seriously. I’m just…we’re just friends.” It is hard to use that word after the interaction I’ve just had with her, but what am I supposed to say? I feel better when I’m around her, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t trust me as far as she can throw me, and I’m also sure she killed Chase Lockwood…which, according to what I learned at Council, would make her the Eurydice and add a whole new layer of complication and mistrust.

“I’ve never seen you act like this with a human girl. You’re going out of your way to see her—to look at her. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Yeah, because my chest feels like it will implode if I don’t.

“Please don’t lecture me about this, Lils. I get enough from Nat.”

“I’m not going to tell you the same stuff Natalie will tell you, but whatever you’re doing better be genuine.”

“What do you mean ‘genuine’?”