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“Charlotte,” he said, stock still, eyes glinting with something like pain.

“Not expecting me to crash the party? You knew all along where these kids were and what was happening to them, didn’t you?” I demanded. It was the only thing that made sense to me.

“No. No, I came to free them as soon as I found out where the lab was. We have to get them out quickly. Where are they?”

“Why should we believe that?” I challenged, angrier at my own warring emotions than him.

“I have…an informant—you have to believe me,” he begged.

“How very convenient,” I said as Sam stepped up beside me, and I turned, ready to leave.

“I texted him at his old number hoping he’d get it,” Zoe yelled through the portal, and I spun back around, shocked that my sister could be such a traitor.

“She thought I might be helpful, but I see you have this under control.” He took a step back.

“Why didn’t she tell us?” Sam asked, and Julian hesitated.

“I…suppose she didn’t want to cloud the situation when children’s lives were at stake. She knew things may become awkward,” Julian stammered.

“Great choice then,” Hazel said with a smirk. “Cuz this isn’t super awkward.”

“We have to go,” I said. “Zo can’t hold the portal for long.”

“Let me take the children. I have safe houses set up away from the island,” Julian said, reaching out but not quite touching me. Good choice.

“You aren’t laying a finger on a single one of them,” I said, moving between him and the portal.

“It will be easier and safer for all of you than taking them to your home when Zoe will be too tired to portal them out for hours.” Julian stepped toe-to-toe with me. “You hate me, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

Sam’s hand fell on my shoulder. “He’s right. I think we should let him, especially if Zoe called him in. And he’ll give me the information so I can check on them. Right, Bloodsucker?”

Julian nodded. His eyes were a lighter blue than I remembered. He hadn’t been feeding. I wondered why then shook myself. “I don’t know.”

“We have to decide now,” Hazel said, glancing at the portal that seemed to be shrinking slightly by the second.

“The security—” I started.

“Are taken care of,” Julian said.

That explained why we met no interference when we broke in.

“Send them back through,” Hazel yelled through the portal.

I spun as the children trailed back into the room. How had I lost control of this situation? Had Julian glamoured my friends? When would he have gotten to Zoe?

“Come on, Char.” Sam tugged my arm until I followed him and Hazel back to the portal.

I hesitated, glancing back at Julian. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was longing I saw in his eyes. But it was probably just a trick of the light.

Back in the house, Zoe collapsed before I could berate her, and Hazel helped her to the couch where she fell asleep. Daphne had Orpheus pinned to the ground beneath her boot, and Mama and Em were presumably in the backyard doing lessons where I’d asked them to stay during this operation.

“What took so long?” Daphne asked, eyes wide.

“Julian showed up, thanks to my sister, Benedict Arnold,” I said, sitting next to Orpheus on the floor. “And these two decided he was a better choice to get the kids to safety than we were.”

“Makes sense.” Daphne nodded.

“Wait, you agree?” I asked, feeling completely betrayed by all of them.