"We need to bring the others here safely, then we can discuss Asair further," Lina said. "I wasn't here when the spell was cast. I'll meet them in the lobby." She opened the door as the cell phone rang.

Dax spoke, walking to the window, and Halen followed. 

Alarms screamed and red lights flashed between clouds of smoke; the glow of flames from the Bay illuminated the sky. Below, a husky bear galloped with Daspar and Corinne by his side. Daspar ran with his arm outstretched; a neon blue streak emanated from his palm and the crowds parted, allowing them a clear passage.

"Room 2311." Dax ended the call.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day," Ezra said.

"I forget what every day looks like." If Halen woke to find a stack of books, warm toast, and a cup of tea by her bed, she would find that kind of normal strange now.

Dax placed his hand on her shoulder. She rested her cheek on his fingertips. His energy warmed her through to her bones. When she glanced up, his lips quirked with a half-smile.

"We'll get you out of here," he said. "I promise."

"I don't want anyone else to die." Dax may be used to a life where people lost their lives for the cause, but she couldn't live with the souls of the dead haunting her conscience.

"We'll do what it takes," he said.  

"Like with Asair? You don't know what it was like."

"I was there with you—I felt everything."

Lina spoke, "Taking a life never is never easy."

Ezra's gaze darted to Tage. "I don't like this."

The heavy pounding on the door made Halen jump.  

Lina rushed to open it. 

As soon as the door cracked open, a woman—her hair matted, her eyes rimmed with soot and sleepless nights—pushed past Lina.

"Mom!" Halen ran to her, wrapping her arms around her as tightly as if she were a life raft in the wake of a storm. She buried her face in her mom's dark hair. She smelled of nights sitting around a campfire, pulling Halen back to a time before all the chaos and the ruin that came with her true destiny—before she understood the cursed life of a siren.

"Thank heavens you're all right." Her mom squeezed her.

Glancing over her mom's shoulder, Halen smiled at Daspar. 

He winced when he smiled back, lines sprouting across his forehead, where ash settled in the creases. "Hey, kiddo." He stumbled into the room with Tasar by his side.

Tasar had transformed back into a young man, though curly rust-colored fur still coated his body. He rubbed Halen on the top of her head as he passed. "You're looking good, girl." He hooked his nail through the cord fastened around her neck and eyed the oval stone. "Glad to see you still have this."

"I wouldn't dream of taking it off. I only wish I could have helped you go home."

"Never give up hope." He winked.

When her mom nudged him, he dropped the necklace back on her chest. She guided Halen out of the way so she could shut the door and secure the chain. 

"Remove that spell at once!"

Halen's attention snapped to Daspar.

"We have Hunters on our backs. You don't want to be stuck in here." Tage opened her mouth to speak, but Daspar cut her off. "Now!"

Head down, Tage knelt, chanting the words to remove the spell.

Dax strode over to his father. He wrapped his arms around him. Daspar patted him heartily on the back.

Tage eyed them from beneath her dark lashes.

"It's good to see you, son," Daspar said.

"And you." Dax stood back.

From his jacket pocket, Daspar pulled out a small vial. The smoky contents faded from violet to bluish green, transitioning through to a jaundiced yellow—the Hunter Otho's soul.

Dax rubbed his arm, where two welled lines, branded by the Hunter, crossed over his birthmark. 

Daspar placed the vial in Dax's hand, not letting go. "The Hunters are coming for us. If they believe Corinne and I still have Otho's soul, we can distract them while you get to safer ground." He turned his attention toward Lina. "Can you create a portal from here?"

She tilted her chin toward the ceiling. "Not there," she said under her breath. She stomped the floor with her heel, then crossed over to the window. "What happened here?"

"A dragon cracked the glass." Ezra huddled next to Tage, scooping the water into the ice bucket as her spell melted.

Lina's long, thin eyebrows arched high. Placing her hands on the window, she blew out. The glass rippled with her breath. "This will work."

"We can't separate again." Halen gripped her mom's arm. "Come with us. Besides, if we take the Hunter's soul, they'll follow. There's no reason for you to stay here."

Her mom placed her hand over Halen's; her dark eyes narrowed. "When we find a way to stop the fires, go to Etlis. I will find you."

Asair knew how to stop the fires. All she had to do was surrender. But there was no guarantee he would free Etlis. "What if there isn't a way? What if the fires continue to burn?"

"We'll find a way," Daspar said. "We were just on the wrong path. All these years, we thought Asair's death was the key, but now we know that's not the case."

"I don't think he's dead," Tage said.

Halen shrank back, shooting her a stern glare.

"What do you mean?" Daspar asked.

"Tage thinks Asair's soul is inside Halen," Dax said.

"Is this true?" Daspar's voice held a strange inflection of hope.

Halen's mom nudged her back, ever so slightly away from Daspar. Could she sense Asair? 

"I'm not feeling anything," Dax said. 

"And that's pretty freaking scary—you're her Guardian," Tage blurted. 

"What about you?" Daspar turned to Tage.  

"Nothing!" Tage threw up her hands. "It's like her emotions are turned off. Even now, with us talking about her like this, I should be able to feel how pissed she is, but I feel nothing."

"Maybe I just have a better handle on things." Halen couldn't believe this. Tage was going to blow this whole thing wide open in front of everyone. Didn't she care what Lina and Tasar might do to her? Would they protect her or shove her out the window into the next fire ring?

"Or maybe Asair does." Tage crossed her arms. 

"Get over it, already. I killed him. I'm just having flashbacks of his memories."

"That's normal." Lina too stepped in front of Halen. "She entered his seam. She's bound to have residual memories and it might even affect your ability to read her. We can fix this."

When Lina reached back, soft green light emanated from the center of her palm, jumping with static energy. Halen's sparks awoke with tingly fear. Was she preparing to strike? And at whom—Daspar? They were all on the same side here.

The outer corners of Daspar's eyes sprouted with lines as he studied her. He possessed Dax's same haunting stare, the fiery look that melted away self-confidence.

"Corinne, perform the test." Daspar's harsh tone alarmed Halen.

"I don't think that's necessary." Her mom's smile was tight. "I'm sure Halen would know. Remember how sick you were when Pura entered your body? It took you months to adjust to her memories while they merged with yours, and then when her soul took root, you vomited for days. You couldn't even get out of bed."

"I was human. My lungs, my blood, my heart, even my brain changed. Halen is a siren already. Do the test," Daspar said.

Halen looked at Tage. How could she rat her out? 

Tage shifted her gaze to the floor and Ezra placed his hand on her shoulder.

Halen swallowed hard. Already, sides were being drawn. 

"None of this is necessary," Tasar said. "We all know Halen killed Asair." He nodded toward Lina. The green glow in her palm spun to turquoise.

"I'll perform the test." Corinne touched Lina's shoulder. 

Lina made a fist, and the glow extinguished. She stepped aside, leaving Halen in the open.

Her heart raced, searching for a way out of this colossal mess. "Mom, I'm fine. I don't need a test." Her gaze darted to Dax. "You watched him die. Tell them." 

His jaw was tight, his arms crossed.

Before she could protest further, her mom grasped her by the back of the neck, yanking her forward. Her hot palm sent a chill down Halen's spine. She squirmed, trying to break free.

"Be still." Her mom's fingers curled around her neck.

"Mom, I—"

"Shh," she all but hissed. With her free hand, she pried Halen's eye open so she couldn't blink. When her eye watered, her mom scraped a tear out with her nail. 

Heat flushed her cheeks as everyone watched her mom bring the tear to her tongue. Her back was to the room, so only Halen saw the shock flicker in her eyes when she tasted the tear. Halen recalled the same stricken look in her mother's eyes when she was nine—after setting their beach house on fire. Her mom no longer looked at her as a daughter, but as something to fear.

Corinne licked the tear and her lips puckered. Her eyes flecked with pain, but when she turned toward Daspar, she smiled. She reached back, gripping Halen's hand. "There's no sign of another soul. She's telling the truth."

Halen's frantic heartbeat thrummed in her ears. If her mom was lying to Daspar, the one person who had always been there for them, then the truth was as dangerous as she had thought.

"I'm sorry, Halen," Tage said. "I just wanted to make sure."

Corinne turned to Lina. "We need to get them out of here before the Hunters come. How fast can you create the portal?"

"I'll start now," Lina said.

"Good." Her mom shoved Halen toward the other room. "I think I may have scratched you a little. Let me have a look at it in a better light. I can also remove the stitches from your ear. You don't want a scar to form over the thread."

"Mom, I'm fine."

Her mom's death grip tightened. "Always so stubborn." She pushed Halen inside, hurrying past the bed and into the bathroom. She shut the door behind them, secured the lock, and turned on the tap full force.

"Listen to me." Her mom's words were rushed, her voice low.

"You know—don't you?"

"You were smart to keep this to yourself."

"Are you sure he's alive?" Halen already knew the answer, but to have confirmation made it seem that much worse. "I don't feel him all the time."

"Your tears are sour, which means your body is fighting his soul." She glanced back at the door. "Your emotional memory will also fight a merge because you tried to kill him. You have to accept him or purge him. You won't be able to coexist. Has he spoken to you?"

"A few times." Halen nodded.

"He's aware. Sometimes a transferred soul takes time to realize they're in another body. They can lay dormant for years without the host waking them."

"You can purge him though, right?"

Her mom leaned against the counter and closed her eyes.

"Mom? Get him out!" Her voice grew shrill.

She slapped her hand over Halen's mouth. "I can't do anything. This is beyond my capabilities, but there's someone who can help." She dropped her hand by her side.

"Who?"

"Her name is Jae. She's an Etlin—a powerful shifter."

"Then take me to her. I want him out."

"She lives in London. You need to find her on your own. She'll know what to do."

"What? I can't go to London! How am I supposed to do that?" Her voice rose, and then she lowered it once more. "This is ridiculous. Take him out of me!"

"It's too dangerous. The separation would leave you a shell of your former self. If Asair's clinging to you, he could drag a part of your soul out with him. I can't perform a task of this magnitude."

She glanced in the mirror. They shared the same dark hair, but Halen had her Elosian father's heart shaped face and bright green eyes. Still, she had the best parts of her mother—her strength and her determined will. "Take him out—at least try. I can handle it."

"You're the strongest person I know, but I can't do this. Find Jae. She knows about these things." Her mom turned so she could connect with more than Halen's reflection. "Keep this a secret. Don't tell anyone he's inside you. Do you understand? You must find Jae on your own."

"Dax can help. If he can enter my seam, I'm sure he can block Asair somehow." 

"Trust no one. Instead, place your trust in your instincts. They will guide you to her."

"This doesn't make sense." Halen rubbed her forehead. "I thought you wanted me to trust Dax. I placed my life in his hands."

"I don't have time to explain. You need to get out of this hotel before the Hunters arrive."

"Come with me. You're the only one who knows the truth."

"I can't. Already, there are those who don't believe Asair is dead. I need to spread the word and tell them I performed the test or no place will be safe for you." She leaned back on the counter and released a heavy sigh. "I shouldn't be letting you go."

"Why are you then? Why did you lie to Daspar?"

She bowed her head. "I haven't been the best mother. But I love you, Halen."

"I love you too. And really, you've been an amazing mom."

She laughed. "Mothers don't lie to their children."

"They do if they're trying to protect them."

"Thank you for seeing it that way." She brushed Halen's cheek. "You are more than I ever could have asked for in a daughter."

She held her mom's hand against her cheek. "I won't let you down. I'll find Jae, but you have to promise me one thing..."

"Anything."

"In ten days, if I don't find her, you find me." Halen swallowed back her fear. She wasn't giving in to Asair. If Jae didn't have a solution, there was only one way to stop the fires. "Asair can't live if he doesn't have a host."

Her eyes creased in the corners as if fighting back tears. "That won't be necessary."

"We both know what will happen if Asair takes control of my powers. I refuse to be a slave to him. Promise you'll end this."

"Let's get these stitches out." Her mom reached for her ear, gently tugging the thread.

"Mom? I need to hear you say it."

Without meeting her gaze, her mom spoke, "I will do what needs to be done."

She gathered her into her arms, embracing Halen so tightly—the hands holding her both loving and threatening—nothing would ever be the same between them again.