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"Why does an evil Queen do anything?" Laylen asks "For power She’s up to so and you know it"

"My drea any mark on my neck "They’re just dreams"

"You knohat I think" Laylen takes ht in the eye "I think that your dreams will always be more than just dreams I think you’reaway yourto stop you I mean, think about it Even before you found out you were a Foreseer, you were having realistic drea for h "And allto help us save Alex?"

"Think about what you’ve seen" He lets go of"Maybe there’s a clue hidden in one of theh er and she wanted the Essences for so about her connection to the world"

"That could be Alex" Aislin smears the tears aith the sleeve of her jacket "Maybe she was the one possessing him"

"No, Alex told me he could sometimes hear Helena when he was possessed, but that she wasn’t the one possessing him," I say "But Helena did say it was a human connection Still, we don’t even know if any of this has happened yet It could be so in the future"

We ht ss the outside The more time drifts by, the more panicked I become Alex may be trapped in The Afterlife, with Helena, for God knohat reasons

"What about Stasha?" Aislin speaks as if she’s terrified "Didn’t you see so with her?"

I frown, dispirited "Yeah, and she was here for whatever reason… Alex thought shehih He just said he had a suspicion Stasha showed up because she kneas possessed"

A

"Gemma, I hate to say this--" Aislin starts

I hold upto say" I sigh tiredly "And I think you’re right We should go talk to her and see what she’s up to"

"And since you’re immune to death, you should be safe," Aislin atteh-pitched squeal

Laylen offers a small sive out the inforht have to torture it out of her"

They’re trying to make me feel better, and I love them for that But it can’t erase the drea she can save hiuess it’s to Stasha’s," I say and they agree We depart for the front door I grab Laylen’s sleeve and lug hi to plan B"

Before he can protest, I free his sleeve and hurry by him Aislin hooks her purse on her shoulder and opens the front door, allowing in the icy night air

"Ge the door open

I nod, retreating to the stairway Abruptly, the entire castle’s power fails Darkness encases us, except for the gray e in froain," Laylen says with a heavy sigh He flicks on the lighter he carries in his pocket "I’ll go flip it back on"

Aislin opens the door wider "I don’t--" The door slams shut with such force it rattles the house s "What the heck is that?!" Aislin shouts, yanking on the doorknob

The lighter shoots from Laylen’s hand and he hits the floor hard "Son of a… what is that?"

"Did you trip ov--" Footsteps barrel between s I skitter to the side They whirl around and sink their teeth intoet rid of the sprites in the closet?"

Her silence says everything "Umm… I meant to but I--da breezes bymy chin into the stone floor

"Gemma?" Aislin whispers "Where are you?"

I scan the dark for her "On the floor Where are you? And where’s Laylen?"

"I’m by the door" Sparks forht… I don’t knohere Laylen is"

Cold fingers cloak my ankle

"Laylen is that you?" I ask with false hope "Uers? I re short and nubby"