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“She's so bright it burns my eyes!” I slammed my fist into the wall. “Come on. This way. ” We ran back across the connecting hall and down another passageway. Everywhere in the Center looked exactly the same. Brilliant floor plan. Perfect for getting lost and trapped. Normally I knew every inch, but in my rush I had gotten turned around. Taking another hall, we stopped. Four bodies were slumped on the ground.
“This way,” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off the bodies as I palmed open a door to cut through. When we got out into the next hall it was clear--and another dead end. I realized to my horror that I didn't know where we were. “Maybe one of these rooms connects somewhere. ” I desperately opened doors, looking for any way out. They were all storage rooms. There was nothing. “Back, back,” I said, trying not to sob. I opened the door and we ran through the room and turned into the hall. She was already there.
“Here you are,” she said. I heard the smile in her voice--her bizarrely normal, pleasant voice.
I screamed, pulling Lend back into the room and waiting for the door to lock. We ran back through and into the small hallway and I locked that door behind us, too.
“That won't stop her!” She could probably melt straight through the door. They weren't designed to withstand attack or fire.
“Evie, are you sure that's her?” Lend asked, out of breath and confused.
“Yes! What's wrong with you?”
He was quiet for a second. “She looks totally normal. Like a person. Like--” he paused “--like you. ”
Chapter Twenty
WHAT'S IN A NAME
What do you mean she looks like me?“ I asked. ”She's freaking on fire!"
“I can't see that! It must be under her glamour or whatever, I didn't see anything. ”
“Show me what she looks like then!”
Lend's face shimmered and he shrank a few inches. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. She had short, light blond hair, a pretty face, and a similar build to me, maybe a few years older. She also had eyes such a pale gray that Lend couldn't get them right. “Same eyes,” he said softly in her voice.
“That's--I don't--What is she? Why is she on fire underneath her skin? She's all bright and glowing, like--” I looked down and pulled up my sleeve. “Like this. ” I watched the flames under my skin. “Times a million. ”
“'Liquid flames to hide her grief,'” Lend-?as-?fire-?girl said.
“Well, she's got the 'death, death, death,' part down. There has to be a way out of this. ” I pulled out my communicator. If I could get ahold of Raquel, she'd send help. The communicator flashed dully, then displayed that Raquel couldn't be reached. “I can't call Fehl. I made her save the werewolves--they're all sleeping. She hasn't had enough time to move them. ” I couldn't risk all their lives for my own. That left me with one option; I shook my head, unwilling to face it.
“Isn't this exciting?” Reth said from behind us. I whipped around. Speak--or rather think--of the devil. He leaned casually against the wall, beaming. “I do love a good reunion. ” He looked at Lend and waved, then frowned. “That's not her. ”
“How would you know?” I asked.
“We've already met. Lovely girl. Very gracious. ”
“You--you let her in!”
“They said to go and see what was happening. They never said not to bring anyone back with me. And she asked so nicely. ”
I shook my head in disbelief and rage. This was what came of thinking you could control faeries. My best friend had paid the ultimate price. “I'll kill you for this,” I said, angry tears stinging my eyes.
He sighed. “Really, there's no need for melodrama. There will be drama enough when she gets through those doors. ”
I looked back nervously. I didn't know what powers she had besides the whole sucking the life straight out of immortals thing, but I didn't want to find out. “I'll check the doors again,” I said to Lend. He nodded, shimmering and switching back from my look-?alike into his typical form.
“I remember you,” Reth said. “If Evelyn dies, it will be your fault for interrupting us. ”
“Shut up!” I ran up and down the hall, opening all the doors, looking for any way out. “Enough of your stupid riddles. ”
“No riddle. But I never finished filling you, and I'm afraid our new friend is a tad impulsive. No telling what she'll do, and she's much, much stronger than you. Pity, too. I do so enjoy you, my love. I had high hopes for us. ”
I pulled out my knife and stepped right in front of him, holding the point near his throat. “Shut up. Now. You're taking Lend and me out of here. ”
“I would like nothing more. Unfortunately I cannot touch you, and you cannot go through a faerie door if you aren't touching me. You see, I have a very binding order from IPCA, and I simply cannot break it. ”
