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I’d forgotten Quinfina said killing me would kill them.

“Keep it to yourself. Don’t even speak of it to the council.” Ezra pushed off the wall.

I looked up at him. “Why not them?”

A twitch in his jaw told me he was grinding his teeth.

He stepped closer, my breath stalling as his whisper brushed my ear. “Don’t trust my father.”

I gaped as he stepped away into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle.

Ash chuckled at my expression. “What’d he say?”

Ezra took a drink of water and set the bottle on the counter.

His curious, cold gaze studied me—as though I were a butterfly right before he plucked my wings off. A shudder ran through me, and the corner of his mouth upturned slightly, as if my unease amused him.

“Rae?”

I wrenched my gaze away from Ezra to Ash. “N-nothing. Nothing major.”

Ash hummed, glancing at Ezra, who hadn’t stopped staring at me. “That so?” He nodded. “If you say so.”

Ezra placed his hands on the counter and looked between us. “We have a week to settle whatever affairs you need to handle before we must return to Elyrdin.”

I groaned and pressed my fingers hard into my eyes until spots appeared.

All I wanted was a long, hot shower and to strip off the clothes I’d worn for days. The pants over my shorts were already dirty to start with.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna tell Maya, Trudy, or even Diane.” I peeled off the dirty pants over my shorts.

Ash’s brows rose, then dropped when he saw the shorts.

“My aunt and uncle won’t be a problem. With Grandma gone, they won’t notice if I go missing.”

They barely noticed when she was alive.

“If you don’t want to lie, why don’t you just tell them you have to move far away?” When I gave Ash a flat look as I carried my pants to the basket, he added, “What? It’s the truth, at least.”

“On such short notice? ‘Hey y’all, I need to move away all of a sudden. Can’t really talk about it. Sorry. Later, bitches!’” I threw my hands up with a huff of laughter. “That’ll go over real smooth.”

Ezra’s lip twitched, surprising me. “None of that is necessary.”

We looked at him, and both asked, “Why?” at the same time.

“Lymsrana spoke to me before we teleported,” he said, eyes on me. “She already placed an illusion spell to influence those you know on Earth.”

“Do what now?”

“They believe you’ve moved across the country, with planted memories of helping you prepare for the last month.”

I gripped the edge of the counter as my eyes burned.

I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry or scream.

Logically, it made sense. But I was so tired of people running my life. And now I might never see my friends again.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” I whispered, staring at a crack in the counter.