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“I said the land was normal.”

“The corn disagrees.”

The back door opens and Rhett steps outside wearing nothing but gray sweatpants and an expression suggesting consciousness has personally offended him.

“What are we yelling about?”

“Corn.”

He immediately turns around. “Good luck.”

“Rhett!”

He stops and looks over his shoulder. “I’ve learned boundaries.”

“You chased me through a corn maze.”

“And look how well that turned out.”

Malakai points toward the new stalk. “It moved.”

Rhett stares then walks back inside.

I blink. “Did he seriously just...”

He returns carrying a kitchen knife.

“Absolutely not.” I snatch it from him.

“What?”

“You are not stabbing my garden.”

“You just told Kai to murder it.”

“That was gardening.”

“Semantics.”

The door opens again, this time Ezra steps out fully dressed. Because apparently, even after centuries of imprisonment, Ezra Ward cannot relax before nine in the morning. His eyes move between us.

“No.”

I point at him. “See? That’s a normal response.”

“I don’t know what’s happening.”

“There’s new corn.”

His face changes. “How?”

“Exactly.”

He walks toward it and the stalk bends toward him.

Ezra stops and Rhett takes the knife from my hand. “Now, can I stab it?”

“No.”