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“I think I’m going to go find my aunt,” she said, looking up at Theo. He paused, his eyes on her, and for a second, she thought he was going to do something insane like kiss her in front of everyone.

She cleared her throat.

“Okay,” he said, coming back to himself. “See you later?”

“Yeah, later.”

She could tell he didn’t like her noncommittal answer, but she needed a break from his closeness.

She hurried across the street to the diner, which wasn’t nearly as empty as she would have expected considering the crowd at the bar. She figured everyone in town was over there, but most of the diner tables were filled with townsfolk making their own strategies and guesses about where and how to find Lena Bellerose.

“Mabel, where’s Gert?” Fee asked the waitress as she hurried by.

“Back office.”

“Thanks!”

Fee made her way behind the counter, through the kitchen and to the door of her aunt’s office.

“Gert? Are you in there?” she asked with a knock.

“Come in.”

The door could barely open into the cramped space. Gert sat at her desk, her reading glasses pushed up onto her head and stacks of paper in front of her.

“Back from your trip?”

Fee closed the door behind her, putting her even closer to her aunt.

“You say that like it was a vacation.”

“It’s beautiful up there.”

“That’s not really the point,” Fee said with a huff.

“Then, what is, Fee? I have inventory to do.”

“We can’t keep lying! I can’t keep lying. The whole town is going crazy looking for a woman and we know where she is.” Fee lowered her voice on that last part even as Gert’s eyes widened at her to be careful.

“Just for a few more days.”

“A few more days for what?! What is Knox even doing with her?”

Gert sighed. “He asked for a week to convince her. I haven’t heard from him since. I’m just doing what I agreed to do, Fee. One week, alone with Lena. Before everyone interferes with their own opinions. That’s all he wanted.”

It was Fee’s turn to sigh.

“I don’t know if we have a week. Rafe is determined to find him.”

“He’s in a nymph-cloaked house. Rafe can’t find him.”

“But I could.”

Gert held her gaze. “You could. I can’t make this decision for you, Phoebe.”

“I just don’t like lying to everyone.”

They were quiet for a minute, listening to the din of the crowd out in the diner, the sound of everyone who cared about Lena trying desperately to find her.