“Marcus, don’t listen,” Kallie warned. “She’ll say anything to try and trick you.”
“You know I’m just looking out for my big brother,” Erica responded. “You can’t survive in prison. Just take my hand, and I’ll take you home.”
The burning look on Marcus’ face told me he really wanted to. Kallie’s hand on his arm was the only thing holding him back.
When Marcus didn’t move further, Erica added, “Everyone has forgiven you for what you did. I promise.”
As she said that, something in Marcus broke, and his expression shattered. He turned his back on the illusion. “I don’t need to earn everyone else’s forgiveness. I need to forgive myself first. And I’m just not ready to do that yet.”
The fake Erica frowned. I expected the illusion to fall away, but instead, Erica moved to the side, allowing us to pass by. As we continued down the hallway, the fake Erica floated behind us— like a mesmerized ghost.
“Why didn’t the illusion vanish?” I whispered to Kallie.
“I don’t know,” Kallie replied. Her eyebrows furrowed.
Marcus refused to look at the impersonation of his sister floating behind him. I tilted on Oberi’s back. I nearly fell off, until Charlie grabbed me before I did.
“Pidge, stay awake,” he said gruffly.
He jostled me, and I gagged. A bit of bile rose past my lips, and I spat it on the floor. Kallie gave me a worried glance.
Charlie bit his lip. “We need to go back.”
“We keep forging on.” I gripped Oberi’s fiery mane and held tighter. We weren’t quitting. Not yet.
Another figure emerged from the darkness ahead. I squinted to see who it could be, until my heart dropped into my stomach as the illusion stepped into Marcus’ witchlight.
It wasme.A complete clone of me, identical in every way. The fake version of me batted her brown eyes and flipped her dark hair, pursing her lips as she came forward.
Charlie had noticed our stunned silence. “Ancestors, whatnow?”
“Charlie,” Fake Me called in a sultry voice. “Charlie, it’s me. Your pidge.”
Charlie went completely white. He put a hand on Oberi’s side to steady himself as the illusion said, “Charlie, come home. Dinner’s ready. I made your favorite.”
“That bitch isnotme!” I cried. “It’s an illusion!”
The Fake Ava didn’t hear my words, and continued onward, taking a step closer. “I got a nice fire going. It’s really cozy. I know you like it when the house is warm.”
A twinge of irritation crossed over my forehead, and I said, “This ho doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Charlie, don’t listen.”
I reached for him, but I was too weak to lift my arm from Oberi’s mane. The venom had me spent. Charlie didn’t take my hand, which gutted me.
“I don’t have a home,” Charlie responded hollowly. “I don’t belong anywhere.”
“Don’t be silly. You have a home. You belong with me,” Fake Ass, Bitch Ass Me purred. “You’re so tired, aren’t you? Let’s take a nap. I fixed the hole in your favorite quilt— you know, the one I made you? Everything’s nice and dry.”
Charlie’s fingers twitched, like he wanted so badly to reach out and touchher. It was so crazy that Charlie was falling so easily under the illusion’s spell when the real me was right beside him.
“Charlie,” I whimpered. I was starting to get dizzy— worse than before. The whole cave was spinning by this point.
Charlie noticed, and put a hand on my back before he said to the Fake Ava, “I can’t go home with you. It’s not who you are.”
Fake Me scowled— damn, I had the bitchiest face when I was pissed— and moved aside. She fell in line beside the false Erica as we continued down the tunnel, hovering behind.
Charlie’s hand on my back grounded me, and the dizziness slowly began to fade— though some of it stuck with me as I raised my head off Oberi’s neck. “Good job, fighting off that illusion,” I told him.
“I know when things are too good to be true,” Charlie said quietly. “You can always tell.”
