“That isn’t strain,” Nast said. “She’s reverting. You know it and I know it, and coddling the girl isn’t going to change that.”

As they argued, Dr. Inglis tried to reassure Antone, verbally tripping over herself. Behind him, Moreno rolled his eyes and shot a smirk my way, as if we were sharing some secret.

Finally, Nast agreed they were done with the interview anyway, so Antone could take me. He led me out as Moreno stayed behind to talk to Nast.

“You started to shift, didn’t you?” Antone whispered as we walked down the hall.

I considered ignoring him, but that seemed petty. Not just petty but unwise. What’s that saying about the fire and the frying pan? Antone was my frying pan. It wasn’t a comfortable place to be, but it was safe, at least compared to the fire.

“I did.”

“I know what they were saying wasn’t easy to hear, but you didn’t seem that angry.”

“I wasn’t. Not until . . .”

“Until what? Did they say something to trigger it?”

“I . . . I don’t think so. I was okay. And then . . . and then I wasn’t. I don’t know how to explain—”

“Calvin!”

Pumps clicked on the hardwood as Dr. Inglis jogged toward us. Antone looked back, then turned away and kept walking.

“Calvin, please.”

He slowed until she caught up.

“I’m so sorry about—” she began.

He stopped so abruptly she fell back. “You were supposed to be in there for me. In my stead. Watching out for my daughter’s interests.”

“I—”

“I trusted you, Maggie, and when things went wrong, you were right in there, pushing Maya as hard as he was.”

Her mouth opened and closed, and she stared up at him with . . . Oh God. I recognized that look. Any teenage girl did.

Dr. Inglis had a crush on my biological father. A serious, starry-eyed, “OMG, I’d do anything for you” kind of crush.

Ick.

I suppose I shouldn’t say that. I’m not the kind of kid who freaks out when I catch my parents kissing. I don’t think romance is reserved for those under the age of twenty. And yet, seeing Dr. Inglis making goo-goo eyes at Antone just seemed creepy. She was an attractive, smart, accomplished woman. She shouldn’t be simpering over any man.

I suspect it didn’t seem as creepy to Antone. But he didn’t exactly return her moonstruck gaze. Just stood there, looking pissed.

“I’m sorry, Calvin. I thought I was helping. It won’t happen again.”

He hesitated, as if considering. “Have you gotten the results of Maya’s physical yet?”

“No, but I’ll do that right away.”

He didn’t exactly smile, but his face relaxed and she breathed an audible sigh of relief. I looked at him. You’re using her. You know how she feels and you’re using her. And . . . and I don’t care. Part of me feels bad for her, but mostly, I’m beyond that. Whatever works. Whatever helps.

TWENTY-FIVE

DR. INGLIS LEFT AND Antone led me to my room. He didn’t say a word until the door was closed. I walked to the bed and sat. Kenjii hopped up and laid down with her head on my lap.

“So they told you the grand plan,” Antone said.

“Yep. I get a brand-new life. Everything I could ever want . . . except my parents, but that’s okay, because they’ll get a new puppy—I mean, baby.”

He sat beside me on the bed. “If you think that means the Delaneys will forget you, they won’t.”

“You really think I’m worried about that?” I shook my head. “I’m not pissed off at being replaced. I’m pissed off at the basic lack of respect for my parents. They lost a daughter? Let’s give them a new one. A real one. Then everyone will be happy.”

“Except you.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be happy. I get a new puppy, too. A brand-new daddy. Lucky me.”

He flinched at my sarcasm, and I reminded myself that I couldn’t do this anymore. I didn’t have to suck up to him—I couldn’t—but nor could I afford to antagonize him.

“This isn’t what I wanted either, Maya,” he said after a moment.

“What did you want?”

He took a moment before answering. “Contact. That’s all I’ve wanted for years, since you got too old to be taken from the Delaneys. I just wanted to be part of your life. I won’t make excuses. I allowed the Nasts to commandeer that rescue helicopter. They promised it would be temporary. They’d tell you kids what you were and, they hoped, woo you from the St. Clouds.”

“Like head-hunting new employees? Seriously?”

“That’s what you are to them, Maya. Very valuable future employees. The Cabals . . . I can’t get into it now, but this isn’t unusual, fighting for rare supernatural types. The Nasts would have laid out the situation. Positioned themselves, not as the people who kidnapped you, but as the people who were honest with you. Told you the truth. Let you make your own choices.”

“And let me go back to my parents?”

“Yes. I know you don’t believe that, but I’m really not the enemy here, Maya. I’m the guy trying to make the best of a lousy situation. An impossible situation.” He looked at me. “You understand that, don’t you? The situation. You can’t escape it. There’s no place to go. You need the Cabals.”

“Good.”

He hesitated. Then said, slowly, “Good?”

“Yes, good, because that means we can negotiate.”

“Negotiate?”

I paused. Daniel and I had discussed this, but only briefly. Negotiate with our captors? We’d rather fight and we’d win.

Win what? Our freedom? No, because even if we got our friends and our families back, we were still held prisoner by our conditions. Corey’s headaches would get worse, Annie would stop progressing, and I’d continue regressing.

I took a deep breath. “They want happy little future employees? Let’s back up a step. Back to what they planned before the crash. They can pitch us their packages. We’ll make our own decisions, including the decision to be reunited with our parents.”

He went quiet. Very quiet. When he tried to speak, his breath hitched and he had to take another moment. Then he looked me in the eyes. “That’s a very mature solution, Maya. Remarkably mature, and you have no idea how proud I am of you right now, for even thinking of it.”