“Surely you’ve heard?” She tosses her hair over her shoulder as she starts to move toward me. “I guess I just assumed that’s why you’re here, spying on Haven and all. But, whatever, all you need to know is that it worked. Stacia ishistory and Haven has taken her place.” Her eyes flash as she allows her lip to curl just the tiniest bit, no doubt feeling more than a little pleased with herself. “Things arevery, very different around Bay View these days. But, heck, don’t take my word for it, why don’t you drop by and see for yourself?”

I take a deep breath, resisting the urge to react, to pay any real notice to her mocking tone, her sense of superiority. It’s exactly what she wants, and I’m not about to comply.

Still, I am hoping to knock her down a notch when I say, “Excuse me, but did you just sayHaven ’s taken Stacia’s place?”

Honor nods, still smirking, still feeling all puffed up and triumphant.

“Sooo…” I narrow my eyes, dragging out the word as I take a moment to slowly look her over. Taking in her designer flats, black leggings, and the long-sleeved, clingy T-shirt that hangs well past her hips. My gaze finding its way back to hers when I say, “How does that make you feel?”

She glances toward the window, watching as Haven continues to entertain her minions, before returning to me. Her confidence beginning to waver, to fade, just like her aura, wondering just what it is that I’m getting at.

“I mean, that’s not quite the coup you had planned, now is it?”

She exhales loudly, deeply, gazing at the street, the yard, anywhere but me.

“Because, if I remember right, your whole deal was that you were tired of being number two—and now, well, from what you just told me anyway, you actually kind ofmissed the revolution since you’restill number two. I mean, think about it, Honor, according to what you just said, the only change is that you’re nowHaven ’s shadow instead ofStacia ’s—or at least that’s how it sounded to me.”

She crosses her arms before her, so quickly, so violently, the bag on her shoulder slips down to her elbow and bangs hard against her thigh. But she pays it no notice, just narrows her gaze on mine when she says, “I was sick of dealing with Stacia’s crap. And now, thanks to a little help from Haven, I don’t have to.No one has to. Stacia is nothing more than a big washed-up has-been who no one pays any attention to. She doesn’t matter anymore, and you shouldn’t feel sorry for her.” She lifts her brow and scowls.

But she can make all the faces and lob all the rebuttals she wants, the fact is, my work is done. I’ve gotten to her. Reminded her of her one big goal—to take Stacia’s place—and pointed out how from everything she’s just said, it was a total fail.

Figuring I may as well drive it all the way home when I add, “Because the thing is—” I raise and lower my shoulders casually, as though I have all the time in the world to explain it to her. “The thing about Haven—or at least thisnew and improved version of Haven—is that she’s really not so different from your old friend Stacia. No real difference at all. Except for onemajor thing—”

Honor inspects her nails, doing her best to appear bored, uninterested, but it’s no use. Her aura is blazing big and bright—her energy streaming toward me as though begging the words to come quicker.

Like a mood meter she’s not even aware of and couldn’t possibly hide if she was.

“Haven is far more dangerous than Stacia could ever be.” My gaze locks on hers, watching as she sighs and rolls her eyes.

Addressing me with a major dose of pity when she says, “Please. That may be true for you, but it’s hardly true for me.”

“Yeah? And what makes you so sure?” I cock my head to the side as though I truly need to hear it from her, as though I couldn’t just look straight into her mind.

“Because we’refriends .” She shrugs. “We share a common interest—a common…enemy.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sure you remember that it wasn’t all that long ago when Haven and I were friends too.”

I glance back toward the window, watching as Haven continues to drink and talk, talk and drink, with no signs of slowing, no signs of ceasing. “And now she’s determined to kill me.” I turn to face Honor, my voice so quiet it was almost as though I just spoke to myself But she heard it. The way she sniffs and fidgets and tries so hard to act like I didn’t just say what I said, assures me of that.

Her posture stiffening, her resolve hardening, as she heads for the door and says, “Listen, Ever, despite what you may think, the only enemy I share with Haven is Stacia. I really don’t want to have a problem with you. Whatever goes on between you and her—stays between you and her. Which means I won’t tell her I found you out here spying—okay? That can be our secret.”

I pluck a stray leaf from the front of my dress, not believing a word she just said. Knowing all too well she’ll be unable to resist it, that she’ll divulge the whole thing the second she walks through that door.

But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Maybe it’s time for Haven to get the long overdue message that her fun is now over—that, as of tomorrow, I’ll be back in full swing. She cannot continue to terrorize people—even when those people are Stacia. Or at least not while I’m still around.

“You know what they say about secrets, right?” My eyes fix on hers.