Before I can figure out how to respond, my aunt presses onward in a more urgent tone. “I’ve spent the past few dayslooking through all the records and reports I can access on transportational magic and multi-universe theory, hoping I missed something that could make this right… I wanted to bring you better news. If I do stumble on a solution, I swear I’ll tell you right away.”
My throat constricts. She’s found nothing so far, then.
I grope for the right words to express my feelings, with consideration to the fact that I do have to live with this woman for at least a little while longer. “I wish you’d realized it wasn’t necessarily a great idea before you kidnapped me. But I can understand that you weren’t thinking straight. And that you weren’t trying to hurt me. I guess we just have to go forward with how things are now.”
“Yes.” Daphne smiles so bright that I brace against a cringe at whatever she might say next.
It turns out I don’t have to.
She takes another step closer, her hands loosening in front of her. “You deserve to have your own life. I hope we can find the person who attacked you and my Elodie, but beyond that… She’s gone. I know that. You can make this life into whatever works best for you.”
I blink at her. Does she even know what she’s offering?
“My… tastes are a lot different from hers,” I venture.
“And they have a right to be.” Her smile returns, gentler this time. “I can still see in you the parts of Ellie that I admired most. I’m looking forward to watching you spread your wings and making the changes you feel are right.”
She reaches out to graze her fingers over my purple-streaked hair. “And I’ll be the only one who knows that this butterfly flew from a totally different dimension. Your dad will love you the same no matter what path you go down. We’ll take care of you. I can promise that much.”
All at once, I’m choked up. The pang of homesickness that rises up tangles with a deeper jab of grief for the parent I lost well before my current situation.
If Mom had any idea where I’d end up…
She’d tell me to keep moving forward too, wouldn’t she? To make the best of what I have.
She always seemed to believe I could do anything, no matter what the rest of the world threw at us. I don’t see why that’d be any different now.
“Thank you,” I say to Daphne, and mean it more than I’d have thought I could an hour ago.
My aunt dips her head. “That’s all I wanted to say. I thought I should say it sooner than later. Don’t keep yourself up too late—you still need plenty of rest.”
“I know. Good night.”
As she goes, a flutter of sympathy passes through my veins.
How long will she be mourning her real niece, the one she didn’t watch over carefully enough to save her? As long as I’m here, she can’t show her grief, can’t lean on anyone else, can’t honor Other Elodie’s life with a funeral.
Her brash decision came with consequences for her too.
I shake off the mess of emotions that’ve congealed inside me and push to my feet. I will get my rest… after I’ve taken care of my problems in a way no one else can.
I putter around the bedroom for several minutes longer, tying back my hair, stuffing a club-friendly outfit into a small backpack, and limbering up my muscles for the possible fight ahead. After I’ve switched off my bedroom light as if I’ve turned in for the night, I cross my legs on the sofa. My breaths slow into a meditative rhythm, settling down my whirling thoughts.
Dad’s footsteps pause outside my door, but he must see the darkness beyond the gap and decide not to disturb me. Theycreak down the hall to his own bedroom. The shine that seeped in from the hall vanishes.
After a few more minutes, I go to my window. Pulling in ephemera to dampen any sounds, I pop the screen from the frame. It’s wide enough for me to clamber through to the ledge without banging my shoulders.
I collect a larger swath of energy and condense it on the ground beneath me. Then I jump, positioning myself to best absorb the impact.
The magical cushion swallows the thump of my fall as well. My bones shudder, but I stand up steadily enough.
All the training Nik put me through was good for something—something I can use instead of being used this time.
Staying quiet, I slip around the house and step onto the sidewalk beyond. The ephemera I’ve carried with me mutes the rasp of my sneakers against the concrete, but I don’t conceal my appearance at all.
I don’t know when to expect a possible attack. Any member of The Eclipse would know where I live, from the dinners and other gatherings Dad will have hosted or from the parties Other Elodie threw that I got glimpses of on her phone.
Ifthe killer noticed my bait and took it, will they think it’s smartest to come after me close to home, before I have time to meet up with anyone? Or to watch for me near Groove Garden where they can blend into the crowd?
