Gretchen awkwardly pats me on the back. Then, in an uncharacteristic moment of emotion, she gives me a brief squeeze. She’s stepping away before I can squeeze back.
“I take it you learned something about him,” Greer says, indicating Nick’s unconscious lump. “Or did someone else land the punch that knocked him out?”
Gretchen’s scowl says everything.
“He’s no protector,” she says. “He was sent by the monster side to watch us, to help us until we open the door.”
“And then?” I ask.
“Then, I assume, he’d help them kill us.”
Greer frowns, twisting her head to the side. “Are you certain?”
Gretchen doesn’t respond, but the set of her jaw indicates the end of discussion. “How long was I in?”
“An entire week,” Greer answers.
“We were just about to come in after you,” I say. At Gretchen’s confused look, I explain, “Greer figured out how to open a portal.” I’m proud of her even if the prospect of stepping into the abyss nearly scared me to death.
“Where are we?” Gretchen asks.
“In Greer’s basement,” I answer.
“No one comes down here,” Greer adds. “Not anymore.”
“Good,” Gretchen says. “I need a chair. Something I can tie this traitor to while I interrogate him.”
I’m a little shocked at the venom in Gretchen’s tone. Then again, she doesn’t trust easily, but she was starting to trust Nick. She thought he was someone she could rely on, and Gretchen doesn’t rely on many people. I’m sure his betrayal cuts deep.
“How about a bar stool?” I suggest.
Gretchen shakes her head. “I want to be able to tower over him. I want the physical advantage.”
Greer says, “I’ll get one.”
While Greer goes to get the chair, I ask, “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Gretchen says. Then, as if she remembers that we’re sisters, allies, she softens. “Hungry, actually. Haven’t had a thing to eat in days.”
“Of course.” I can’t begin to imagine what she’s been through. Hopefully one day she’ll tell us. Now isn’t the time. “I’ll get you something.”
I turn to head upstairs to the kitchen.
“Grace,” Gretchen calls as I reach the door. When I turn back, she says, “Thanks.”
I rush back across the room and fling my arms around her again. “I’m so glad you’re back,” I say against her shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
She pats me once on the back, and I know she feels the same way. Before I embarrass her by making her emotional, I head for the stairs. As I climb up to the kitchen, I hear her yell at Sillus, “Get off that, you little monkey freak!”
I smile. Now that Gretchen is back, I know everything is going to be fine. Whatever changed while she was inside, we’ll get through it. We’ll figure it out. Together.
CHAPTER 26
GREER
There is a stack of extra chairs in the storage room off the garage. Mother does not allow even our storage space to have an ounce of dust or clutter, and every inch is perfectly organized, labeled, and accessible. The chairs are in the back, and I weave my way between precisely stacked boxes of cocktail party supplies and winter clothing and Dad’s grad school papers.
I’m almost near the chairs when a wave of dizziness hits me.
This isn’t a gentle fuzziness, like if I’ve forgotten to eat or haven’t had enough sleep. This is like a tsunami wave of numbness, and for a moment I think I’m going to faint.
I brace myself against a stack of boxes. When I close my eyes, I don’t see the darkness of my lids, I see Grace’s brother, Thane. He’s standing in front of a mirror, shirtless. Three jagged lines are carved into his chest, running from one shoulder to the opposite hip. After soaking a cotton ball in green liquid, he dabs it on the wounds. He winces and I reach out instinctively to ease the pain.
Then, just as quickly as it came, the dizziness is gone. The image of Thane is gone. I’m staring at my own eyelids, leaning against a box in our storage room.
It was such a strong, clear image. My stomach lurches back into place and my entire body is covered in goose bumps.
I take a deep breath and try to shake off the unsettling feeling. I struggle to bring myself back into the here and now. When I feel in full control of my brain and my body again, I continue to the chairs. Pulling one off the top of the stack, I carry it out of the storage room and back to the rec room.
Grace arrives moments later, a plate of leftovers in one hand and the bottle of mandarin orange soda in the other. I want to ask if her brother has those wounds on his chest, but … I can’t. Besides, she might not even know.
Gretchen takes the food and tucks in, devouring it like a starving animal. I quietly carry the chair to the center of the room and set it down next to Nick.
I have no idea what happened to me in the storage room, but clearly it was a vision of some kind. Could my second sight be improving? I can’t be certain what triggered it, but I’ve never had such a clear, realistic feeling before. Maybe it has something to do with the pendant. With its connection to Apollo. Touching it didn’t send me into a coma. Maybe it amplified my powers or brought them closer to the surface. I’m relieved that Grace has it back safely in her possession. Until we can learn more about it, it’s probably best if I don’t come into contact with the powerful object again.