“Uh, care to finish your sentence? See what?” And how am I supposed to write words on my heart?

    He winks at me, code for figure it out for yourself, dummy.

    Fine. I arch a brow at him. “Please tell me the book is only a single page long, and part two of my assignment isn’t literal.”

    Another wink.

    Great!

    “So sorry we’re late,” a familiar voice says. “Class ran over.”

    Excitement blooms as Kayla Brooks and Reed Haynesworth make their way through the throng. I met short, pale-haired Kayla and tall, dark-haired Reed in Many Ends. My first saves.

    But not my last!

    Like too many others, Kayla and Reed died too young. She’s only eighteen, and he’s a whopping nineteen.

    Troika has been good to the pair. They glow.

    In their Firstlife, they were Unsigned, refusing to choose a side and fight in a war they didn’t understand. Instead, they joined HART. Humans Against Realm Turmoil.

    They died when protestors bombed HART headquarters.

    Had their deaths occurred before the age of sixteen, they could have entered either Troika or Myriad without problem. Anyone under sixteen—the Age of Accountability—has no ties to Many Ends, even if they are Unsigned.

    Later, when the spirit-child reaches the AoA, he can choose to forsake whichever realm he’s been living in and enter the other.

    I’m not sure how much time Reed and Kayla spent in Many Ends before I showed up...once, twice, three times. Third time is the charm. We escaped together, forever changing the course of our Everlives; that’s how I know the captives can be freed. There’s a secret Gate or Veil or whatever inside Myriad—where we ended up.

    “Hey, guys.” I grin as I embrace them. “I’m so happy to see you.”

    “A word of warning, my friend.” Reed gives me a pitying look. “You’ve already made adversaries here. You’re being blamed for the loss of several TLs.”

    My heart cracks down the center and leaks acid. “I made mistakes. I’ll deal with the consequences.”

    “You’re a new spirit in a new world,” Levi says, and sighs. “None of us had a perfect start, and anyone who casts stones will have to deal with me.”

    The show of support both elates and depresses me. I don’t want people to pretend to like me, fearing they’ll get into trouble if they don’t.

    Jeremy waves his arms and kicks his legs in a bid for freedom. I’ve never been around babies, so I’m not sure what to do. My unease must show, because Levi gathers him close. In thanks, my brother upchucks all over his tie.

    “Slob goblin.” Levi laughs and gives Jeremy’s butt a gentle tap. “That’s what you are, isn’t it, young man?”

    Jeremy farts.

    My grandmother moves to my side and nudges me with her shoulder. She’s my mom’s mom, strong but elegant, even regal, and up close she’s more than beautiful. She’s absolutely stunning. A gold catsuit makes her luminous from head to toe.

    “I’m glad you finally saw the Light,” she says.

    Light Brings Sight is our realm’s battle cry.

    “Should I call you Granny?” I tease. “Or maybe Gran Gran?”

    She snorts. “You refer to me by either name, and I’ll put you over my knee to paddle the Light right out of you.”

    You can’t take the old lady sass out of the young spirit, I see.

    “Why don’t you call me Meredith,” she suggests, tugging on a lock of my blue hair.

    “Sure. But I’m going to creep myself out every time I do it,” I admit. “You aren’t supposed to be so...”

    “Hot?” She fluffs her glossy waves. “Just wait till you meet my mother—your great-grandmother—Hazel.”

    Curious, I scan the sea of faces. “Is she here?”

    “No, she’s out on an assignment. The job never sleeps.”

    To my knowledge, only two positions ever really leave the realm. “She’s a Laborer, then? Or a Messenger?”

    “Laborer. And a very good one.”

    So she works with human souls while I’ll be working with Light. I’m supposed to absorb sunlight—which is more than just heat and illumination, I’ve been told—and direct the beams to Troika.

    “And you are...what?” I ask.

    “A Leader. I serve directly under Levi as one of his many assistants.”

    Meaning she’s a step above a Laborer, and her official title is Madame. “Cool. But I kind of outrank you, right?” I say with a smile.

    Another snort. “Honey, you outrank us all. Or rather, you will. You’ve got a lot to learn first. Here’s proof.” Moving too swiftly for me to track, she secures her leg behind my knee and gives me a push.

    I topple to my butt, air leaving my lungs in a single heave. Before I can catch my breath, I’m lumbering to my feet. Never stay down!

    Her eyes gleam with pride. She motions to my right arm with a tilt of her chin. “Have you decoded your Key yet?”

    Only then do I realize I’m rubbing the numbers branded into my flesh. “Uh—no. I haven’t. How am I supposed to decode my... Key? What Key?”

    She ignores my questions. “You will. Until then, the Grid will provide an invisible link between you and every other Troikan. We’re all tied together, an army of millions with one true heart. Draw on our strength and peace.”