Alejandra was sick to her stomach. Rafael came home Sunday night and told her everything. He did so in a calm manner, and though he never accused her of anything, she felt it deep in her bones.

  She had been wrong about Nick.

  This knowledge kept her from getting much sleep Sunday night. Monday, she went out of her way to avoid Nick out of shame. Rafael had explained it to her and then never brought it up again. Somehow, she was both thankful and angry that he did that. Alejandra had been wrong. Shouldn’t there have been a stern lecture? Angry shouting? Gloating?

  Rafael stayed by her side, as he noticed how much she didn’t want to be around the others. They needed to remain in groups for safety, and Rafael seemed to volunteer to be by Alejandra throughout the school day. Even though she was capable of teleporting a half-orc to her, she was grateful for Rafael. And yet every time she saw Rafael, her cheeks burned with guilt.

  Even seeing the others was painful. She saw Derek comparing monologues with his other drama friends, their tryouts next week for the school musical. Perhaps Alejandra hadn’t spent as much time as she thought, but Derek did not look nearly as frightened as he did after his kidnapping. He seemed almost back to normal. Laughing and joking with his group of friends. Or maybe he wasn’t fine at all, and it was all a front, but Derek wouldn’t tell her.

  Then she noticed Evelyn, looking like a completely different girl. Where before she had a haunted look in her eye, Evelyn walked down the hall looking like she was light as a feather. Evelyn had been right. She believed something horrible must have been going on with her brother, instead of believing her brother was horrible. With her suspicions confirmed, it didn’t take a genius to notice Evelyn had forgiven him overnight. Evelyn was right, after all. There was nothing wrong with her brother, and she stuck by his side.

  Everyone was right. Everyone but Alejandra.

  It wasn’t until Alejandra glimpsed Nick on Wednesday that she felt the full guilt of it all slam into her. The shame burned so hard as he walked down the hall, looking like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. Knowing he had friends to support him. He was even smiling a little.

  God, she loved his smile. The shame of her own betrayal twisted in her gut like a stab wound.

  She slipped into the bathroom before Nick could spot her. She locked herself in the stall, covering her mouth to calm her breathing as tears raced down her cheeks. She had slapped him. When he didn’t even say what she thought he said. She hurt him. She was quick to abandon him. Quick to think he had reverted to his old ways. She had so easily assumed he was rotten to the core, that he could never actually be good anymore. Nick punching Rafael was proof that he had to be a horrible human being. But the truth was, Nick was justified in punching Rafael. She had not been justified slapping him.

  Nick already apologized for his anger spilling over to crushing his ribs and glaring at him throughout the week. But it didn’t matter to Alejandra at the time. She was done with him. So certain that she was right. Almost to the point of being smug.

  But she had been wrong.

  The bell rang, and Alejandra realized she was late for Spanish. She rushed out of the bathroom, confident that she wouldn’t run into Nick. Hating that she sat down in Spanish with Se?ora Florez talking about more advanced vocabulary words, her eyes lingering on Alejandra more than a few times.

  Alejandra didn’t let Se?ora Florez stop her on the way out. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Not Se?ora Florez, not Rafael. Derek or Evelyn.

  Not Nick.

  She had hurt them. She felt such a deep shame that she considered calling in sick tomorrow. She could have Quetzal or Hraktar stay with her at home. From what she could gather, the neighbor’s thought Quetzal was a dog. Between Quetzal and teleporting Hraktar, she would be safe.

  When school ended, her mind was made up. She needed to stay home tomorrow. She could hardly concentrate as it was.

  Alejandra quickly left the school, the shame so deep she was certain it could make her physically sick. She opened her car door and slipped inside, using a moment to cover her face and let out a quiet sob. Behind the sun visors in her car, there was a small semblance of privacy.

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  She quickly wiped her eyes, then glanced at the rear-view mirror. Something had caught her eye, almost like a light. She furrowed her brows when scaly hands reached out and grabbed her. Alejandra screamed, but it was muffled. Her eyes were wide as she started to thrash, until she felt something sharp against her neck. She stilled as Akshi’s face moved around the seat, looking ahead. The crime lord of Osvoroth was in her back seat.

  Hraktar’s sheet appeared in her vision, and she forced herself to calm. Hraktar had only killed Akshi when the rest of the group was there. She couldn’t be certain how well he could do on his own.

  “Let’s run through this quickly because I’m getting bored,” he whispered.

  Alejandra was breathing fast, terrified to move, feeling the sharp metal against her throat and scared that Akshi could kill her now.

  “First of all, no, this isn’t our first time meeting each other. Modify memory works very well on you, and has for about a month and a half now. Yes, I’m as annoyed as you that it’s taking me this long to kidnap you. Finally, no, I’m not interested in Nick Larsen and Grizzizzik at the moment. Stop telling me you’ll never trade in that lover of yours no matter what I do to you. No need to embarrass yourself when he’s never been my focus.” He leaned over closer, his snake face so close to her. “It’s always been you, Alejandra. Since the first moment I smelled your fear. I need you, desperately. I need to figure out more about this world, and you are my key.” The knife disappeared from her throat, and Akshi moved the hand up to show a potion bottle. “You will drink this, and I will see if the combination of fear and mana in your body can finally move you through my dimension door spell. Drink it.” Akshi placed the bottle into Alejandra’s hand and dropped the hand from her mouth.

  “What makes you think I’ll-”

  “You’ll drink it, because you’re afraid of me,” Akshi hissed. “Because your imagination is already going through all the different ways I can hurt you or your friends. You and Hraktar. And here’s a little secret, girl.” Akshi leaned over closer, and Alejandra closed her eyes as she felt his breath on her cheeks. “Everything you’re imagining right now only scratches the surface of what I’ll do to your little group. Drink it, or I will start my plans now.”

  Alejandra let out a breath as she uncorked the bottle. Tears streamed down her cheeks. It would be okay. Grizzizzik now had a sword that could kill Akshi permanently.

  “Mmm, does he now?” Akshi whispered.

  Alejandra cursed herself for forgetting Akshi could read people’s thoughts. She immediately shut down all the information, hoping Akshi didn’t think highly enough of his son.

  “I have no doubt he figured out some way to kill me. He’s been trying for twenty years. Doesn’t matter. He’ll be all alone when he finally does, because I will have killed all his little friends. Starting with Hraktar. Starting with you. Drink it. Now.”

  Alejandra drained the bottle without thinking about it. She should fight back. She should be brave. But she wasn’t. Akshi ordered her to drink it, and she did. She was too scared.

  A light appeared next to her, and she recognized dimension door. Akshi grabbed her wrist and forced it through the light, and Alejandra gasped as her hand moved through the light at a snail’s pace. Akshi chuckled in pure delight.

  “It’s working. It’s finally working!” He pulled out another bottle. “Drink this now. By my estimates, you will travel through dimension door easily by next week, as long as I make you afraid enough. And that is when I shall kidnap you in front of everyone, starting off the reaction I need to destroy your group.”

  Why was he telling her this? Didn’t he know it was pointless to tell her all his thoughts. She could use them against him.

  “Again, modify memory, Alejandra,” Akshi said. “You haven’t been able to remember any of our weekly chats. Your fear is so potent that my spells work on you like you were from the Shrouded Domain. I had to spend a month terrifying Robert Stower for it to work. I heard your thoughts the moment I stepped into that classroom all those weeks ago.”

  Alejandra closed her eyes, trying to calm her fears. Trying to get stronger. Akshi chuckled, and she felt her resolve disappear.

  “Do try, Alejandra. It’ll be more fun to break you,” Akshi said.

  Her fingers gripped the bottle. She didn’t want to drink it. Akshi’s breath was back on her face. “Do it, girl. Or your worst nightmare will be a week ahead of schedule.”

  Alejandra let out a small cry and drank the second bottle. It was as she feared. She was, after all, the weakest of the group. Unable to be strong in the face of danger. She wasn’t like her character at all.

  “Good. I will see you next week, Alejandra Walker. At last, you will be in my headquarters. It’ll be so much fun,” Akshi said. He started chanting something, his wrist turning black before all the energy slammed into the back of her head.

  Alejandra’s head shot up as she gasped. She glanced around, her breathing unsteady as she patted her cheeks. What had happened? Something happened. Something horrible. She was sobbing. Even as she questioned what happened, her sobbing eased.

  Panic attack. She had another panic attack. One so bad that it left her feeling weak and her emotions scattered. She was scared of meeting up with Nick.

  Alejandra dried her cheeks before taking down the sun visor and starting the car. She gave her cheeks a final swipe before backing out of the parking lot. She had a panic attack in the parking lot, and she was exhausted. She absolutely needed the day off from school tomorrow.