“If you can’t agree to my terms, you can’t have her.” Helen grabbed Sami’s hand to tug her away.

“I’ll do it,” he promised, and Helen stilled. “What do I tell her when she asks about you?”

“She won’t. She won’t remember me.”

He frowned, but didn’t question her further.

“She’s in danger. People want her. Bad people. If they get her, they will hurt her.” Tears splashed down Helen’s cheeks. “Only one person knows you’re her father, and I’m going to— Well, it doesn’t matter. She won’t matter. You’ll have to change Sami’s name. Something significant to your family. Give her a new past, and then live as if every word of that past is true. You speak as if it’s true.”

My dad straightened, nodded. “I’ll do everything you’ve asked. So will Miranda. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Helen stood there for several seconds, a war obviously waging in her mind. Finally she said, “Go back to your car. I’ll bring her to you in a minute.”

She waited until he’d done as commanded before turning and kneeling in front of Sami, taking her by the shoulders. “I love you. So much. That’s never going to change.”

“Don’t go,” Sami whispered, agonized. “Please.”

“It has to be this way. You’ll never know how sorry I am.” Helen’s chin lifted again. She moved her hands to the little girl’s temples. It didn’t look as if she was doing anything. Just holding her daughter. But in seconds, the terror and desperation faded from Sami’s eyes. Her features smoothed out.

“Do you know who you are?” Helen asked, arms falling to her sides. “Do you know who I am?”

Sami thought for a moment, paled. “I... No.” The terror and desperation returned in a blink. She spun, searching for something, anything familiar. “Where am I? Who are you?”

Tears once again streaming, Helen took her hand. “Come on. Your father is waiting for you. And so is...your mother.”

* * *

The next day, I tried to compartmentalize the dream—memory—with zero success. Maybe because I couldn’t get past a single thought: I was Sami. Me. There was no denying the truth in the bright light of the morning.

Helen the Slayer Killer was my mother. And I liked her.

Was that wrong? Was it a betrayal of Cole?

Leaving Kat and Reeve sleeping in bed, I showered, dressed and went in search of him, ready to have our chat. He wasn’t in his room. The next most likely place was the dungeon, but he wasn’t there, either. River was finally having his fun with Benjamin, with, surprisingly enough, help from Frosty. The two had the assassin strapped to a chair and were taking turns introducing his face to their fists.

“Guys,” I said. “This isn’t the way.”

River looked over at me, frowned.

“When you think of another way, then we’ll talk.” Frosty closed the distance and shut the door in my face.

I could have protested. But he was right—I didn’t know another way.

I’d talk to Cole about it—I just had to find him first. I tried the gym. Bronx and Gavin were working out, but again, my boyfriend wasn’t anywhere nearby. No one knew where he’d gone.

Great!

I turned my efforts to Nana. Standing in the foyer, I typed up a text.

I know about Helen. I know who she is 2 me. U should have told me.

I waited one minute...two...

Finally my phone rang. She was calling. But of course, the doorbell had to buzz a second later. From my vantage point, I had a direct view of the smoked-glass doors.

The detectives were back.

Mr. Ankh strode out of his office, his features pinched. “This is going to be fun.”

I let my phone roll to voice mail.

Mr. Ankh did not invite the detectives inside, just stood in the entryway, a pillar of calm. “All further inquiries are to be directed to my lawyer.”

“We’re not here with questions,” Verra said in her no-nonsense way. “We’re here for Jaclyn Silverstone. She’s sixteen and therefore underage. Someone called her parents and told them she was here.”

Someone from Anima?

Mr. Ankh stood still and quiet for several prolonged seconds. “I’ll get her.” He shut the door. His bleak gaze met mine. “We have to do it.”

“I know.” I also knew I couldn’t be the one to tell her. She’d fight me, and I might help her run. Already my heart was breaking for her.

Mr. Ankh stomped up the stairs, reappearing five minutes later with a crying Jaclyn at his side. A scowling Gavin strode behind him.

I wanted so badly to barricade the door. Maybe Gavin wanted it, too. He stopped at my side, his hands fisted.

Was he actually angry about her eviction?

We moved to the porch. Jaclyn cried even harder as the detectives helped her inside their sedan.

The car’s engine purred to life.

She looked out the window, met my gaze.

“Remember my promise,” I said.

A tormented nod. The car pulled away, soon vanishing beyond the gate.

Can’t react.

“She and I had a vision, you know,” Gavin said, as we sealed ourselves inside the house. “In it, we were in bed together.”

“What! You did? How? When?”

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Yes, we did. And I don’t know how. I’ve only ever had a vision with you and Cole, and I thought it was because all of our parents were slayers, so we got a little something extra. Well, neither of her parents are slayers, and yet still, when I saw her this morning, time stopped and we were suddenly... Let’s just say she was the recipient of my best moves.”