I’m just about to lead Remi to Heartley’s bedroom so we can pick her up and head out on the cyborg mission, when August comes rushing through the double doors of the emergency entrance. His eyes have never carried so much panic, so much emotion, as he looks around helplessly. When my gaze falls to what he’s carrying, I soon figure out why.

Lying lifelessly in his arms is a girl with long brown hair and pale skin. Her eyes are shut, her chest isn’t moving, and her entire body is limp. At first glance, she appears dead. Upon closer observation, I notice her veins are becoming more defined, and her lips are darkening.

She’s transitioning into a zombie. How? I haven’t even put August’s blood inside her yet.

“What the hell happened?” I ask, rushing down the narrow hallway toward them.

“The demon killed her,” he replies, his voice shaking with anger. “He didn’t try to collect her curse like you said he would. He killed her and took off. I didn’t know what to do … She was dying, so I …” He trails off, but I already know what he’s going to say. The answer is right there on Ava’s wrist.

“You bit her.” I don’t know whether to be proud of him or upset. Yes, he wasn’t supposed to bite her, but he may have saved her and hopefully also saved my plan by thinking on his feet.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what to do.” He holds Ava closer to his chest and stares down at her. “She tried to save me, too. Sure, I didn’t really need saving, but it was nice … not to be completely hated.”

Great. Maybe this is worse than I thought. Not only is Ava already turning into a zombie without me adding the elements that will make her more like August, but I think my first successful zombie experiment might be falling in love.

I need to fix this ASAP.

“Here, bring her in here.” I push open a door to our right and signal for Remi to wait outside.

She nods, her eyes widen as her gaze wanders to Ava. Great. Now she’s going to start asking questions. Well, more than she already has.

August rushes inside the small room and sets Ava down on the steel operating table. Then he sweeps her hair out of her eyes and cups her cheek.

“She looks like she’s sleeping.”

“Well, she’s not.” I roll up my sleeves and begin booting up monitors. “She’s hovering somewhere between life and death right now. Either we can let her fully die and she’ll turn into one of those brain-crazed zombies you hate so much, or I can try to bring her back and make her like you. I have to say, I’m not sure how well that will work since you bite her first.”

“You’re going to at least try to save her, right?” August asks, more like pleads.

I waver, unsure of what to do. While I think I can save her, I’m not sure how well of a superhero Ava will make without the demon having collected her curse. Eventually, if she remains alive, well, as alive as a zombie is, it’ll come back to collect the curse. But just letting her turn into a brain-crazed monster doesn’t feel right.

“I’m going to try to save her,” I tell him as I collect a syringe from a drawer. “While I do, I need you to do me a favor and take Remi and Heartley to the wall to recruit a cyborg.”

August gives a firm shake of his head. “I want to stay here until she wakes up.”

“This is going to take a while.” I open the glass fridge to grab a few vials. “And I need you to do this for me. It’s important.”

“But you might need my help,” he says, refusing to take his gaze off Ava.

Without warning, I shove a needle into August’s arm. The needle piercing his skin barely fazes him, and he allows me to draw his blood while watching Ava. Once I’ve collected enough, I remove the needle.

“That’s the only thing you’ll be able to do to help Ava.” I motion for him to leave the room. “Now please, August, take the girls and head to the wall to recruit the cyborg. I need that cyborg, or the world could be doomed.” I move toward the side of the bed with the syringe and vials in my hand. “Since I won’t be there to help control Heartley, you should take Caspian with you. I’d suggest taking Cameron to help control Remi, but he’s currently having a tantrum in the Underworld, so you’ll just have to keep an eye on her.”

August appears torn as he tears his eyes off Ava. “I’ll go, but only if you promise me you’ll save her.”

I loathe making those sorts of promises. Needing him to collect my cyborg for me, though, I nod. “All right, I promise.”

I just hope that, after I’m done saving Ava, her lack of emotion will help her put a stop to August’s developing obsession with her. I can’t have my superheroes falling in love and wanting to back out of the mission.

Casting one last, longing look at Ava, August begrudgingly strides for the door, then pauses before he exits. “The demon said something strange to me about killing Ava so he could win something going on between you two.” He glances at me. “What did he mean by that?”

I fight the urge to swallow hard. “I have no idea.”

The truth is, I know exactly what the demon was referring to—the battle that’s been going on between us since the day he failed at collecting my curse. I’m not about to admit this aloud, though. Then August might start asking too many questions. And then my whole mission might end up under examination.

He eyes me over with a drop of skepticism before shoving the door open and walking out.

I blow out a stressed breath, then redirect my attention back to Ava. I make a mental note to figure out what the demon is up to. If it stops collecting curses, then my future superheroes will never be created. That means the team I planned to create will be no more. I need my entire team.

The world’s fate depends on it.