“Is Nash with you?”

I sighed, and let my head fall back against the headrest, watching as the highway lights passed over us in a steady, hypnotic rhythm. “This isn’t his fault,” I insisted. “I asked him to help. I’ll explain everything when I get home.”

“Kaylee—”

“I gotta go, Dad. I just wanted to tell you I’m okay. And please don’t go to the police. They won’t understand.” With that, I slid my phone closed and pressed the button to ignore the incoming call when it began to ring an instant later. Instead of answering, I called Addison. She answered on the first ring and assured me that Regan was up, if not exactly perky.

I told her to funnel another Jolt down her sister’s throat and get her dressed. We’d be there in ten minutes.

Again, Addy met us at the door, but this time Regan sat on the couch in designer jeans and a couple of snug, layered, long-sleeved tees. She stared across the room with those weird, solid-white eyes until our arrival caught her attention and she smiled blankly at me, her lips barely curling up enough to qualify as an actual expression.

“She’s gonna have to put her contacts in,” I said, forcing myself to look somewhere other than Regan’s eyes. Anywhere else. “She can’t go out like that.”

Addison crossed the room toward her sister, a brown leather jacket folded over one arm. “I don’t think I can get them in her eyes, and she’s not up to it yet. Can’t she just wear sunglasses?”

“It’s the middle of the night.” I picked up one of Regan’s listless arms and slid it through the jacket sleeve her sister held.

“We’re not trying to make a fashion statement, Kaylee.” Addy stuffed her sister’s remaining hand through its sleeve. “We’re just trying to avoid notice.”

“Will we have to worry about paparazzi at three in the morning?” I asked as Addison knelt to slide a pair of glittery canvas shoes on her sister’s bare feet. Not exactly winter attire, but it would work in a pinch. As would the sunglasses.

“Not in your car,” the pop princess said, and I didn’t bother to tell her it wasn’t my car. She would have been much more embarrassed to appear in mine than in Emma’s. “Not unless someone tipped them off. And if that’s the case, we have bigger things to worry about.” She rose and pulled her sister up by both hands.

Regan just stood there.

“How much did you give her?” Nash stepped closer to the youngest Page with his arms out, as if to catch her. Because she looked pretty wobbly.

“You mean Jolt or pills?”

“Pills.”

“Two. But I think part of this is shock.”

Nash exhaled deeply, frowning. “Grab another Jolt for the road.” He wrapped one arm around Regan’sshoulders and led her toward the door. Addy ducked into the kitchen while I snatched a pair of oversize, super-dark sunglasses from the bar between the living room and kitchen, sliding them in place over Regan’s ears right before Nash pushed her gently over the threshold and onto the porch.

Addy sat by her sister in the back, and I slid into the passenger seat, buckling my seat belt as Nash started the engine. I resisted the urge to take another look at my ankle because I didn’t want Addy or Regan to see it.

I didn’t really want to see it, either.

“Regan, can you hear me?” Nash asked, as we took the on-ramp back onto the highway.

“Yeah…” Regan said, frowning slightly.

“Here, drink this.” Addison popped the top on the drink can and held it to her sister’s lips.

“No…” Regan pushed sluggishly at the can, and Addy pulled it back to keep from spilling.

“We need you coherent, Regan,” I said, wishing I had Nash’s Influence rather than my own much harsher abilities. “Don’t you want to get your soul back?”

Regan shrugged, and I couldn’t even tell if she was looking at me from behind those huge sunglasses.

“Keep making her drink.” I settled into my seat, concentrating on the pain in my leg to keep from falling asleep.

My eyes were just starting to close when my phone buzzed in my pocket. My dad had called me twice more on the way to Addy’s house, but I checked the display just in case. It was Tod, calling on Nash’s phone.

“Hello?” I jabbed Nash’s arm as I answered, then mouthed his brother’s name.

“Kaylee? I found him. If you guys get here before he leaves, this might just work.” Tod sucked in a tense, worried breath. “But, Kay, this place isn’t like the stadium. It’s…busy. You’ll have to cross over in the parking lot, then bring everyone in through the side door, because the building’s still closed in the human world. And be careful. Don’t touch anything—”

“Like I haven’t learned my lesson on that one…” I interrupted.

“And don’t let Addy and Regan touch anything, either. Or talk to anyone.”

“We’ll be careful.” I was as eager as the next person to walk out of this alive. “Make sure he doesn’t leave. We’re about fifteen minutes away.” Fortunately, we were too early for morning rush-hour traffic, and most of our fellow highway drivers were truckers on overnight routes.

“I don’t think he will. Everyone’s here to absorb the bleed-through of human life force, and they’re not going to leave before the workday starts. That’s when the energy here will go through the roof.” Another pause. “But hurry, just in case.”