In some ways, Penny had never been happier. At first, the idea of staying isolated inside the palace had been almost stroke-inducing, but as the days passed and there seemed to be no sign of trouble, Penny realized that perhaps Reef had a very smart scheme hiding her in plain sight.

She freely admitted that the palace was a huge step up from the apartment in the Trenches. She not only had indoor plumbing; she also had two full bathrooms with an ensuite jacuzzi and her own rooftop garden, completely hidden from the rest of the world. When Reef had asked her if she wanted to stay, there was nothing in the world she would have done faster than strap a chain on her own leg and stayed in that suite forever.

But she was not blind to the danger she remained in, which likely got worse the longer she stayed. Penny didn’t doubt there were teams of people combing through the Hollows, looking for her. While Reef had not told her how much the bounty was for, she had a bad feeling it was enough to keep the people motivated to stay on her trail for a while.

Reef had left to attend some issues at work, and Penny was feeling more restless than usual in his absence. She hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that something was going to happen that day—something big. Whether it was a good feeling or a bad one, she wasn’t sure, but she could sense something coming. She double checked the locks on the doors and paced around, her mind whirling for no reason in particular.

I shouldn’t have let him go to work today. The thought was silly. Reef needed to keep up with his usual routine as to not arouse suspicion, and even though he hadn’t said anything, she felt like he might be onto something big.

Penny flopped down in the sitting room and reached for her book, but as soon as she tried to read, her mind started racing again.

Reading isn’t going to happen, she thought, reaching for the computer. She opened up the laptop Reef had brought for her and signed into her Facebook. Instantly, she smacked her hand to her forehead at the stupidity. I could have sent Mom a Facebook message! I have the internet!

But a quick look at her notifications told her that her idea had occurred to her mother without issue: she had four scathing messages from her.

A knot of tension formed in Penny’s gut when she read her mother’s words. The first of the lot had started off concerned enough: Hon, we’ve been trying your cell, and it goes to voicemail every time. Can you call Dad at least and let us know you’re okay?

The second was much the same, later the same day; the very day she’d been swept into the vortex known as the Hollows. The third message had a more annoyed tone to it, later the second day: Not doing drugs, huh? Why else would you disappear for two days without a word?

The fourth message was the last and caused tears to fill Penny’s eyes: I’ve spoken to your father, and we don’t think it’s wise if you come back here. Maybe check yourself into a hospital or rehab. Hopefully, your insurance will cover it. We’ll pray for you.

Penny choked back a sob and sat back against the soft fabric of the sofa, her taut shoulders sinking into the plush material.

Just like that? she thought. Four messages and the word of some man they met twice, and they’ve made up their minds?

The hurt was searing, and her instinct was to write back immediately, but she stopped herself. What would she even say? She had no idea when she was going back, if she was going back at all. There was no story good enough that would make them believe she couldn’t just make a call.

When she had asked Reef about calling out, he had said he could arrange for a burner phone, but he was worried about being caught buying one. “My brother is watching my every move. I guess I can find someone to buy one for you, but…”

“Then you’ll arouse the suspicion of someone else,” Penny had sighed. “Never mind. I’ll figure out another way to contact them.” But she hadn’t, and now, even if she did get home, she had nothing to return to.

So my choices are either to stay here and inevitably die the second someone finds me, or go home and live in a box somewhere?

Penny knew that Reef wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but she couldn’t depend on him to take care of her, either. Idly, she thought of the pipe dream she’d long forgotten, the dream of being a novelist. In an old, abused laptop among the boxes Ryland had undoubtedly burned in Houston were dozens upon dozens of stories she had tried to write over the years.

Ghost stories, she remembered, smiling slightly through her misery. Paranormal fiction. Now I could write firsthand accounts.

On a whim, she pulled up the Word program on the laptop, closing Facebook. She could only hope to deal with her parents when she could ensure she would see them face to face or minimally speak with them on the phone. Sending a message wouldn’t solve anything.

She opened a blank page and began to type with speed she had forgotten she had at her fingertips. As she worked, the tension she’d accumulated since waking seemed to drain through her hands. For hours, the story flowed, and Penny was so captivated by the characters that she didn’t notice when someone else joined her inside the spacious suite.

“Penny.”

She screamed and whipped her head around, instantly looking for a weapon to defend herself. Before she could, her heart stopped completely, and confusion trembled through her body.

“Violet!” Tossing the computer aside, Penny bolted toward the sprite, almost knocking her over with a hug of gratitude. “You’re here! You’re really here!”

“I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you,” the fresh-faced brunette told her gravely. “I wanted to be here much sooner, but the heat…”

Penny froze, realizing that if they had not been looking for her so hard, Violet may have come back much sooner. “I know, Violet, but you’re here now, and you have to get me out of here.”

“Of course,” the sprite said. “We have to go. Now.”

“I have to wait for Reef to get back. It should be any time—”

“That’s why we have to go now, Penny. If I’m caught here, I’m screwed. You know that.”

“I won’t let him do anything to you!” Penny swore. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

Violet smiled sadly and shook her head. “That won’t work, Penny. You can’t even save yourself here. There’s a bounty on your head, you know.”

A prickle of worry touched Penny’s neck. “Are you going to kill me?” she whispered, backing away. “Did you come here to collect the bounty?”

Violet’s face registered genuine shock, and Penny wondered if she hadn’t given the sprite an idea she hadn’t previously had.

“Kill you?” she echoed. “Gods, no, Penny. I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“But…”

Violet stared at her blankly. “But what?”

“You took such a risk bringing us over here for a few bucks, Violet. The bounty is much more than that.” A look of sad understanding colored Violet’s face, and she sighed deeply.

“Bringing you across was never about money, Penny. It was something I had to do for me.”

Penny looked at her blankly. “For you?”

“I’ll explain on the way,” Violet promised. “But we have to go. Now.”

Penny shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere until I know I can trust you.”

Violet sighed heavily and looked around nervously. “Penny, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now.” Penny still wasn’t convinced. “Listen closely, because as soon as I tell you, we’re out of here, okay?”

“I’m listening.”

“I’ve been living on the Sunside for thirty years.”

“Thirty years? How old are you?” Penny demanded, and Violet scowled.

“There is no Q&A period in this story, all right?”

“Sorry. Go on.”

“I adopted a kid. His name is Luke.”

“You adopt—? Sorry, go on.” Penny clamped her mouth shut and waited.

“He’s a hybrid, but only distinctly so, his blood so mortalized that crossing over will kill him.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m a geneticist, Penny. I study my kind and yours and have been for centuries. Well, before it was trendy. I know precisely what will happen if Luke tries to cross. He’ll die, just like your group did, and just like that early group did, too. I’ve been trying to ensure that I’ve alienated all the variables and that the serum is foolproof before bringing him through. Your group was supposed to have been the last. Talk about a sign from the gods.”

“Why do you even need to bring him through?”

Violet grimaced again and looked toward the door. “You’re not a mother, but you will be. And when you are, you’ll understand that it’s important for a kid to know his roots. He needs to know where he comes from.”

Penny couldn’t accept that as the final answer, but Violet’s antsy demeanor was rubbing off on her. “You sought me out, Violet. Why?”

“I promised to change your life, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but why me?”

The brunette cocked her head to the side and peered at her speculatively. “Because you wear your loneliness on your sleeve, Penny. Or I should say, you wore it on your sleeve. Reef is good for you.”

Penny blushed. Suddenly, Violet was grabbing her arm and yanking her toward the front door.

“We can’t go out that way! And I can’t leave without telling Reef—”

“It’s too late,” Violet whispered in her ear, and that was the last thing Penny remembered before the world went black.

“Lady! Do you need medical attention?”

Penny blinked several times, her eyes gritty as the light shone directly in her eyes. She put her arms over her face to block it out and groaned, rolling onto her side and away from the piercing rays of the… sun?

She bolted up abruptly and realized she was lying on a bench in Louis Armstrong Park. A policeman stood over her, a baton in his hand. His eyes were dark blue like Reef’s, his hair was blond.

“Ah, so she lives,” he chuckled. “You can’t sleep here, honey. You need to move along, all right?” His nametag read “Reeve.”

I fell asleep on a park bench, Penny thought. He looks like Reef. He’s a cop. Did I dream this?

“What day is it?” she mumbled, but the cop had already moved on, leaving Penny to stare around in bewilderment. She looked for her purse, but she had nothing on except a pair of jeans and a—

Reef bought these for me! She leaped from the bench and again looked around for her bag, knowing it wouldn’t be there. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her purse, but if it was anywhere, it was in the Hollows. I have to find Violet again and get back there. I have to tell Reef I’m okay, or at least get a message to him somehow.

Penny couldn’t even begin to understand how someone as small as Violet had managed to get her back to the portal and onto the park bench, never mind through the palace, undetected. That was the least of her concerns at that moment. She hurried in the direction of the church, the place where the portal had been, but when she raced down the path, there was no such structure.

“Excuse me,” she called out to a random couple walking by. “Have you seen a church around here?”

They stared at her blankly for a minute before the man cleared his throat. “Uh… I think there’s one on Baronne—”

“No. I mean a church here, a little chapel. Like a wedding chapel,” Penny babbled. They shook their heads, the looks they gave her not lost on her, but she couldn’t give up. A building doesn’t just up and walk away, she snarled to herself. It’s here. It has to be here. If I have to sit here for the rest of my life until I find it or Violet, I will.

The hours passed, the sun began to lower in the sky, and Penny knew that any hope she’d had of finding what she was seeking had disappeared the minute she’d agreed to leave with Violet.