"Let's check in the back." I let Link go ahead so Liv could walk between us. Even though she was checking out every corner of the club as if she wanted to remember it al , I knew she was nervous. This was no place for a Mortal girl, or a Mortal guy, and I felt responsible for dragging Link and Liv into this. We kept close to the wal , circling the perimeter. But it was crowded, and I felt my shoulder bump against someone. Someone with a body.

"Sorry." I said instinctively.

"No problem." The guy stopped, noticing Liv. "Quite the opposite." He winked at her. "You lost?" He smiled, his shiny black eyes gleaming in the darkness. She froze. The red liquid swirled in his glass as he leaned closer.

Liv cleared her throat. "No. I'm fine, thanks. Just looking for a friend."

"I'l be your friend." He smiled. His white teeth were unnatural y bright in the dim light of the club.

"A ... different sort of friend, I'm afraid." I could see Liv's hand shaking where it held the strap of her knapsack.

"If you find her, I'l be over here." He turned back to the bar, where Incubuses were lined up to refil their glasses with red liquid from a strange glass tap. I tried not to think about it.

Link pul ed us against one of the velvet curtains on the wal . "I'm startin' to get the feelin' this was a bad idea."

"When did you come to this bril iant conclusion?" Liv's sarcasm was lost on Link.

"I don't know, right about the time I saw that dude's drink. Which I'm guessin' wasn't punch." Link glanced around the room. "How do we even know if they're here, man?"

"They're here." Lena had to be here. I was about to tel Link about how I'd heard the song and could sense she was here, when a stripe of pink and blond hair spun onto the dance floor.

Ridley.

When she saw us, she stopped spinning, and I could see across the dance floor behind her. John Breed was dancing with a girl, her arms wrapped around his neck, and his hands resting on her hips. Their bodies were pressed against each other, and they seemed to be in their own world. At least, that's how it felt when my hands were resting on those hips. My hands bal ed into fists, and my stomach lurched. I knew it was her even before I saw the black curls.

Lena --

Ethan?

6.15

Vexed

It's not what you think.

What do I think?

She pushed John away as I crossed the dance floor. He turned around, his eyes black and menacing. Then he smiled to let me know I wasn't a threat. He knew I was no match for him physical y, and after seeing him and Lena on the dance floor together, I bet he didn't consider me any other kind of threat anymore.

What did I think?

I knew I was in the moment before the thing happens -- the thing that changes your life forever. It was like time stopped, even though everything around me was stil moving. The thing I had dreaded for months was actual y happening. Lena was slipping through my fingers. And it wasn't because of her birthday, or her mother and Hunting, or any curse or Cast or attack.

It was another guy.

Ethan! You have to go.

I'm not going anywhere.

Ridley stepped in front of me, the dancers swel ing around us. "Slow down, Boyfriend. I knew you had guts, but this is crazy." She sounded concerned, like she actual y gave a crap about what happened to me. It was a lie, like everything else about her.

"Get out of my way, Ridley."

"You're done here, Short Straw."

"Sorry, the lol ipops don't work on me, or whatever you and John are using to manipulate Lena."

She grabbed my arm, her icy fingers cutting into my skin. I had forgotten how strong she was, and how cold. She lowered her voice. "Don't be stupid. You're way out of your league and way out of your mind."

"You should know."

She tightened her grip on my arm. "You don't wanna do this. You shouldn't be in here. Go home before --"

"Before what? Before you cause even more trouble than usual?" Link caught up to me. Ridley locked eyes with him. For a second, I thought there was a flutter, the slightest spark in her eye, like the sight of Link cal ed up something almost human in her. Something that made her as vulnerable as he was. It disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced.

Ridley was rattled and starting to panic. I could tel by the way she was unwrapping a lol ipop before she could even get the words out of her mouth. "What the hel are you doing here? Get out of here now, and take him with you." The playful tone was gone. "Go!" She shoved us both as hard as she could.

I stood my ground. "I'm not going until I talk to Lena."

"She doesn't want you here."

"She'l have to tel me that herself."

Say it to my face, L.

Lena was winding her way through the crowd. John Breed hung back, his eyes fixed on us. I didn't want to imagine what she must have said to him to keep him there. That she would handle this? It was nothing, just a guy who couldn't get over her? Some desperate Mortal who couldn't compete with everything she had now?

Like him.

She had John, and he had me beat in the only way that counted. He was part of her world.

I'm not leaving unless you say it.

Ridley dropped her voice, more serious than I'd ever seen her. "We don't have time to screw around. I know you're bent outta shape, but you don't understand. He'l kil you, and if you're lucky, the rest of them won't join in for fun."