The woman unfolded the paper. Many moments passed as she examined it. Then she said, “An excellent likeness. I would not have thought you’d seen enough of my face that day on the island.”

“No, you don’t understand. I drew this before. I’ve been drawing you for months. Maybe longer.”

“He has,” said Tess. Theo nodded.

The woman in gray took two quick steps forward and gripped Jaime’s arm. “How? Where else did you see me? The obelisk? Red Hook?”

“What? No. I imagined you.”

“Did you see a picture? A photograph? I thought I made sure none were taken but maybe—”

“No! I . . . I . . .”

Another quick step forward. “What? You what?”

“I made you up.”

The woman stepped back. Looked at the drawing, looked at Jaime. A kaleidoscope of emotions animated her face: rage, pain, and lastly a cool detachment. She held out the drawing to him. “As I said, an excellent likeness. Yet, you did not make me up. If anyone conjured me, it was I and I alone. You must have seen me somewhere before.”

Jaime’s face crumpled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, but—”

The woman put up a palm. Stop. Jaime did, though Tess saw his eyes welling with tears. At the sight of them, the cool detachment gave way. “What’s your name?”

“Jaime. Jaime Cruz,” he said.

“You are a very talented young man, Jaime Cruz, and I’m glad to make your acquaintance, even under these circumstances.”

She held out a slim hand bloodied on the knuckles. Jaime hesitated, then shook it gently, so as not to hurt what had already been wounded.

“What may we call you, ma’am?” Jaime said, suddenly formal, as if he hadn’t spent months drawing her in his sketchbooks, as if they had not just witnessed this woman outfighting so many other ferocious women, as if she weren’t a dream made flesh.

But before the woman even had a chance to say her name, it came to Tess like a blast from a fizz gun, like lightning from a bruised and purple cloud.

“I’ve had many names,” the woman said. “But you may call me Ava.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Theo

Things that simply could not be done by humans: finding a word that rhymes with orange in English. Traveling faster than the speed of light. Living for nearly two hundred years without looking a day over twenty-five.

“You’re Ava,” said Theo. “But you’re not that Ava.”

Ava quirked a brow, amused. “There’s another?”

No. Nope. Nuh-uh. “You can’t be Ava Oneal. You can’t be.”

Ava didn’t answer, but her silence was the answer.

He couldn’t ask, he had to ask. “Are you a machine?”

Jaime sucked in a breath. “Theo!” Tess said, obviously horrified. But he needed to know.

“I’m always and forever a lady. And I’m as human as you are,” Ava said.