Things moved quickly after that. Payton struggled up to a sitting position. Sienna perched next to her, a look of concentration on her face. Jace was sure she had something to with why Payton had changed from a gasping, writhing mess to being awake and talking. Not that she was admitting to any of it. Lainey was looking at her sharply, but the only person who could see inside Sienna’s mind and know for sure was Payton, and her attentions were definitely elsewhere at that moment.

Jason thrust a piece of paper into Payton’s hands and she sketched a basic map. “This is where they took him. There’s a front entrance, but also a way in around the back. It looks normal from the front, benign almost, but there’s a network of tunnels that lead you through to the parts of her operation she keeps hidden.” Payton tapped on a square she’d drawn on the map. “This room is where Cole’s being held. He doesn’t know the extent of the facility, but we at least know how to get to him.” She looked up. “He’s close, really close. They didn’t travel for more than half an hour after they picked him up.” She threw the pen down on the table, hard enough to bounce. “She’s been right under our fucking noses the whole time, and we missed it.” Payton’s gaze turned to Keila. “How did you not sense her?”

Keila closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. “I don’t know.” Her voice was quiet, changed from her usual brusque tone. “I don’t think I ever could. Maybe this is different, or maybe I was too busy trying to avoid being killed to notice.” Her voice cracked. “I just don’t know!”

“It’s okay,” Emily said. “You’ve done more than enough, for everyone here.”

Keila’s head shot up, locking her gaze with Sienna’s. “I can’t feel you, either of you, right now. But I found you . . .” Her forehead creased. “What are you doing right now? That had to be the answer.”

“Nothing,” Sienna said. “I’m just helping Payton.”

Keila’s eyes narrowed. “Helping Payton how?”

Sienna stayed sitting down, but her fingers resting on her knees curled, her nails digging into her thighs. Jace moved forward. If Sienna was going to stay next to Payton, then he was going to be right next to her. He didn’t care how “friendly” anyone was supposed to be. Keila was making Sienna uncomfortable, and he wasn’t going to let her.

“It’s okay, Jace.” Lainey said, almost before his feet started moving.

“I don’t care.” Jace sat next to Sienna, unfurling her fingers and holding her hand in his. He looked over at Keila. “Back off with the accusations.”

Keila’s eyes widened. “Is that what you think I’m doing?” She turned back to Sienna. “I’m so sorry. I would never . . . I just don’t understand.”

“And if you’d listened to me, I would have told you that,” Lainey muttered.

“Enough!” Emily said. Her green eyes were swirling. Jace had only known them for a few days, but he’d never seen that before. The effect was mesmerizing, if not a little fucking scary. “Fighting between ourselves is going to get us absolutely nowhere.” She threw Jace a glare before moving toward the chairs, elbowing Keila over and sitting next to her. “Something’s going on, something that perhaps we can use. I don’t know how all this clone stuff is supposed to work, but if Keila can’t see you anymore, Sienna, then you’re doing something new. Something that maybe we can use.” Emily leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and resting her head on her hands, staring intently at Sienna. “What did you think when you wanted to help Payton?”

The look of confusion was back on Sienna’s face. Jace’s hand tightened around hers. “I just wanted to stop the pain she was feeling. I wanted to protect her from having to see it.”

Payton’s eyes shot up. “So he’s still trying to talk to me? Damn it, Sienna. Turn it off!”

“Carefully,” Keila added. “I want to see if I can figure this out.”

Sienna’s eyes closed, her forehead creasing in concentration. Jace watched, and within a few seconds, something in the room changed. It all looked the same, but there was something stronger, almost darker feeling. Payton shook, a fine shiver passing over her. “He’s there,” she whispered. “But he’s not awake right now. Unconscious, or simply dreaming, I can’t tell.” A tear ran down her face.

“And I can see Payton’s powers again,” Keila said. “She’s glowing. You, Sienna, however, may as well not be here.”

“Try moving it,” Emily said. “Instead of shielding Payton from Cole, pull it over both of you.”

Sienna nodded, her eyes drifting closed again. This time, it was her hand that tightened in his. He squeezed back. She’d only just found some sort of tenuous control, and her whole world was spinning out again. He was going to be the one thing she could always rely on. A light sweat broke out across her forehead, and her hand trembled a little in his, seconds before Keila thumped down on the arm of her chair. “There you are!”

Sienna’s eyes snapped open and she wobbled into him. Jace moved from simply holding her hand to wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Easy there, Gorgeous. We don’t need any floating couches to add to the beds.”

She gave him a wobbly smile. “That won’t happen. I’m getting the hang of this now.” She turned to Payton. “I can see him. Feel what you can.” Another fine shudder. “It’s not fun. But maybe we can look together, see something he missed, and I can stop the pain from getting too bad?”

Payton nodded, taking Sienna’s now-free hands in hers. “You got it, Sister.”