Bo veered between them and headed for the fridge, throwing her head back as if she’d just been told the best fucking joke of her life. ”And then what? Did you kick him where it counts?” Bo waited for an answer. She opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottle of orange juice before spinning around on her heels.

The sight of this Bo baffled Vex. He observed the sickly pallor of her skin and the once lively, intense eyes of brown now unfocused and lost to some unforgiving fog that not only stole their luminance but also made her blind to everything around her—even him, of all people, and he knew how much Bo hated him. A smile flickered briefly over her lips as she passed by him but it was not the smile of delight—but the grin of desperation and Vex finally understood Tamsin’s urgency in wanting him to return as quickly as possible. Something harsh and terrible happened here and the sight of it petrified him. ”If this is what it looks like to save the world, you can have it,” he stammered.

Bo marched away from Vex and Tamsin conversing with her unseen conspirator, until she disappeared from view.

”What was that?” Vex brought his hands to his cheeks. ”I mean—”

”You said you took something of hers, of Kenzi’s or Lauren’s?” Tamsin seemed unaffected by what clearly unnerved the usually cocky Mesmer. Vex locked eyes with hers but did not answer. She came closer and grabbed his lapels pulling him within inches of her own face, a face white with panic. ”Did you bring it?”

Vex reached into his jacket, pulled a long and delicate pastel green and floral scarf from his pocket, and dangled it in front of Tamsin. She pushed back from Vex, grabbed the scarf, and without hesitation stormed in Bo’s direction. ”Aren’t you going to say something?” he asked, confused, and running to keep up with her.

”Shut it,” she called over her shoulder, ”and just follow me.”

”How dare you?” Bo screamed, bolting upright as Tamsin burst into her bedroom. Bruce was there, too, squeezed into an armchair too small to contain the giant. On instinct he jumped to his feet, having first to forcibly pop himself out of the chair that gripped his backside.