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I waited for Tobias as he walked toward ot tomine as he flipped out his cell phone and hit speed-dial A ot her," and flipped it shut again

"Let’s go," he said, his voice gruff and angry

I tried to get up, then said, "I can’t yet"

His expression morphed into concern "What happened?"

I stared up at him "I don’t know I just walked out of the house without thinking, and the next thing I kneas here" I sed "I think she put the whammy on me"

Tobias sat down next to s

"I’ "I just can’t et up,’ but I can’t"

"It’s okay" He pulled ainst hiive it a aainst his chest "She did the saht, when Millie attacked Peach At least, I think it’s the sahed "I don’t know I justI swear, I didn’t mean to do this"

"I believe you," he said quietly "We’ll just ain"

I shuddered, even in the heat, and pulled back to look up at hiet me, Tobias I think she’s just proven she can do that"

"No," he said, determination in his voice "She can’t We won’t let her"

We stared at each other for a while, and then I lowered o hoot up and held out his hand to me, and I took it I rose from the bench easily, naturally, the residual effects of Davina’s power over me fully dissipated Tobias released o ahead of hi side by side

Cain was on the porch e got there, and he darted down to meet us on the sidewalk

"What the hell do you think you’re - ?" he began, but Tobias said, "Leave her alone," and I was allowed to walk into my own home on my oer

I went inside to see Betty and Stacy in the foyer, looking tense

"I’m sorry," I said "I just" I shot a look at Tobias "I needed some air"

"That’s okay, honey," Betty said, but her eyes were tight orry

Stacy shook her head "If you need air, you get air, Liv Fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke"

"Davina was there," Tobias said, and I shot hi over one," I said, then shot guilty eyes at Betty "I don’t knohat happened I just suddenly wanted to go outside I didn’t think about it, I justwent And there she was"

Betty uess that confir some kind of mind control"

"The coffee," Cain said, and I looked at hi else in that coffee?"

He gave me a dark look and nodded "Tell me what happened"

I took a deep breath "She said it would be a few days, and then, if I didn’t coic, she’d syste the town"

"That’s it?"

"Well, she was more flowery about it butyeah Them’s the CliffsNotes"

He was quiet for a ht"

"Wait," I said "She told h yet - "

"If she’s exerting her will over you in the dayti for you to get your strength back, and then she’s going to strike I say we don’t give her the chance"

I shivered and rubbedto do?"

Cain took in a breath, thought for a moment, and said, "You said she had solanced at Stacy "Well, there’s Millie"

"Can we get to her?" Cain asked

Stacy tensed up "What do you ot a conduit," Cain said, "we can use that against her"

"Use Millie? How?"

Cain sighed, as though he was annoyed at having to explain everything "Running a conduit gives power She feeds off the extra life force But it also takes poe cut that off, it siphons that poay from Davina It’ll weaken her, buy us some more tiht for a moment "You could take her as a conduit, too Feed her some potion, take control, h her"

"Maybe? You’re not sure?"

"It’s ic," Tobias said "You can’t ever be sure"

"And would thisMillie?" I asked

Cain huffed "It’s not like we’ve been testing this stuff in a lab It’s all maybe"

I looked at Betty "What about As was exactly what Amber would do if she was under Davina’s control I can spare Ahth grade"

Betty shook her head "She went to stay with her sister in Syracuse"

"Then it’s gotta be Millie," Cain said

"No, it doesn’t," I said "Besides, it’s not like I could get her to take potion anyway She’s under Davina’s control at night She’d never say yes"

Cain looked atYou drop it in her drink when she’s not looking, the way Davina did"

"No Millie’swithout her knowledge Jesus What the hell’s wrong with you?"

Cain advanced on me "Look, you can play nice or you can win You think Davina had even a second thought about dosing your little friend?"

I took a step forward, getting in his face "I’m not Davina I don’t work like that"

"You don’t have a choice"

Tobias took ently by the shoulders, pulled me back, and stepped in between me and Cain

"What other ideas do you have?"

"None that involves getting per me with disdain

"Oh, screw you, Dr Dooh" Tobias looked at me, and his expression told me he meant business, so I backed off a bit He turned to Cain "Is there anything less risky that you can think of?"

Cain eyed hied "Less powerful"

"What is it?"

"I can put soical influence," he said "That’d take a chunk out of Davina, for a little while"

"But she’d still have to sneak it to Millie?" Stacy asked

I sighed "If it’s returning her free will to her" My stoht, but then I relented "I could sneak souess You sure it won’t hurt her?"

He met my eyes "Sure as I can be" Cain looked at the clock "Okay We got five hours till sunset I got work to do"

"Wait, sunset?" I said "We’re going at night?"

He nodded "The connection to the conduit is only open when she’s got power That’s night"