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I pointmy eyebrows "Wait a minute I knohat this is about And let o, but I made him"

She stares blankly atabout?"

"You know, the other night, when I had Laylen get that address for me--the one to Nalina’s"

Her body judders forith the door and her eyes pop wide "Apology accepted Now can you go? Like I said, I’ the door crack open and shut "Are you hiding someone in the closet?"

She shakes her head swiftly "Why would I be hiding anyone in my closet? That would be weird"

"About as weird as you’re acting" I rab the doorknob

"Gemma, don’t," she stammers The door rocks forward and backward Aislin uses her weight to force it shut "If you open it, we’re in trouble"

"We’re in trouble," I say, deciding whether to push or pull on the door "I don’t knohat’s going on"

"Just helpto shove up against it"

I remove my hand and hunt the room for a heavy object "It would help if I kneas in there" I grab the handle of a sical? What is it?"

"Umm…" She stumbles from another thrust of the door and scurries backward "Get soer at the bed "Drag that over here"

It’s a thin metal-framed bed, but it takes a minute to haul it over Once it’s secure, Aislin relaxes, collapsing on the bed with her hand draped over her forehead melodramatically

"So do you want to tellA choir of giggles flow through the opposite side "Or what’s in there?"

She pulls a guilty face "I think I s shut "Like really, really bad" She hops up and adjusts the bed as near to the door as it will go "You knoas really upset about the whole Luna thing"

"I told you not to worry about that," I tell her "We’ll figure out how to get Aleesa out without freeing the greedy Empress"

She fluffs a pillow on the bed "I know you did and I know youabout it And the ot I mean, how dare she threaten me Me Me! Doesn’t she realize hoerful I am?"

"I think that’s what the problem is," I say "She et you to do a spell"

"Too bad for her, because I have my own plans" She sed hair "Well, I had my own plans--a brilliant plan" She looks at the door warily "Or at least I thought I did" She starts picking up the clothes on the floor "I used a spell to open the Faerie Real to sprites"

Slowly, aze travels to the closet door "There are sprites in your closet?"

A flutter of giggles answers for her, followed by ha on the door

"Yeah, and there’s an entrance to the Faerie Realm" She folds a shirt and tucks in the dresser

"How did you… what did you…" I clear h-pitched voice "Aislin, we have to fix this"

"Oh, don’t worry," she says, picking up a pair of khakis "Luna still can’t get through She was banished by witches centuries ago, and she can’t leave the Faerie Realape at her "Aislin, are you hearing yourself?" I signal my hand at the door, speechless "There’s a realm to Faerie Land inside your bedroom closet, which is now inhabited by sprites And if I reers"

She shrugs, putting the jeans in the drawer "Ge They just bite That’s all"

"Geles

"Great Now they know s draes the drawer shut "It’s not like they’re going to look up your phone nu"

"They’re not going to do anything," I say "Because you’re going to get that realm shut down"

"No" She stares at her crookedly buttoned shirt "I’et past the sprites and perfect the Tracker Spell so I’ll knohere Luna and Aleesa are I need to be able to get ht you had that spell perfected?" I ask "I’ve seen you use it like a thousand times"

"This is different," she replies "This is using a spell on a s creak against the stone floor and the door launches open Aislin rushes to the trunk and stacks it next to the bed