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  Erica smiled. "No. I'm one of the good guys. We're on the same side, Vott."

  Vott took down another note and leaned even closer. "Do the good guys have a command structure?"

  Erica nodded. "Yes."

  "Are you at the top of that structure?"

  "No."

  Vott was holding his pencil so tightly, Ted thought he might break it. "Then, we'd like to talk to your superiors."

  Erica leaned closer to Vott. "That's not possible."

  Vott pushed away from the desk and flipped the light back off. He pointed back to the map.

  "Ms. LaPlante, we've detected signatures in multiple locations. Places where you and Ted haven't even been. Something is using these powers, and we need to know if this is part of another attack or if it's your 'friends' in action."

  Ted watched as Erica stood up to get a closer look at the map. He followed suit. There were signatures in the Midwest and the Southeast in locations he'd never been.

  Is there gonna be another attack?

  "I had one way to communicate with my people, but it was destroyed during the attacks in Treasure." Erica's tone progressed from annoyed to angry. "I couldn't reach them if I wanted to."

  "That's awfully convenient," Harding said.

  Vott's pencil finally did snap as his eyes darted back to his partner. "Shut up, Harding!" He focused on Erica again. "That's awfully convenient, Ms. LaPlante."

  Erica rested her hands on the desk. "If your world was ready to know about everything there is out there, we'd gladly share it. But it's not."

  Vott brought his hands together over the map to zoom in on the state of North Carolina. "We're sending a team to investigate these signatures in three days. I've been asked to invite both of you to join us, but unless you tell us the truth, Erica, we'll have to protect Ted for you."

  Ted could sense that Erica was about to burst. If she threw the table across the room or lashed out at the agents, Ted didn't know what the consequences could be. He stepped in between the staring contest that had begun between Vott and Erica.

  "Hey." Ted put his hands on Erica's shoulder. He could feel heat radiating off her, as if Vott had caused Erica to catch on fire. "Hey. He's just trying to rile you up, okay?"

  Erica flared her nostrils. "It's working."

  Ted tried to calm her with his eyes. She looked through him like he was transparent. Ted turned back over his shoulder. "Can we have a minute to discuss this alone?"

  Vott blinked before nodding. The agents turned the lights back on as they exited the room. As soon as they left, Erica pushed Ted out of her way, sending him flying against the wall. Ted's shoulder took most of the blow. She flipped the table over with a yell and the loud crash that ensued reverberated throughout the small room. Ted waited a moment for Erica to get some deep breaths in before he walked back over.

  "You know, you get this cute little vein over your eye when you get angry."

  Erica gave one last exhale before she rested her back against the wall and slid to the ground. "These are things they're not supposed to know, Ted."

  Ted crouched down beside her. He watched Erica's arms began to shake.

  Ted put an arm around her shoulder. "They already knew about me. It was bound to happen eventually."

  Erica relaxed a bit and looked into Ted's eyes. He wished they were still beside the pond. Ted didn't want to be a hero anymore. He just wanted to be a boyfriend.

  "I can't give them what they want, Ted."

  Ted leaned his face close to hers. "Then I won't go with their team to North Carolina. Besides, I was really looking forward to speech and debate class this semes–"

  "It's not that simple." Erica took Ted's hand. "If something's going to happen down there, you need to be ready to stop it."

  Ted shook his head. "But I just got back. We were going to do this together."

  "I know. It sucks. But, we'll help you from this end. At least we'll be working toward the same goal."

  Ted scratched the back of his neck. "I guess. What am I going to tell them?"

  Erica kissed Ted's forehead and pulled herself back. Even with the tears in her eyes, she was as beautiful as ever.

  "Tell them you're in, because you're here to protect the world."

  Chapter 17

  Dhiraj awoke to his alarm clock with a smile. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been more fired up for a school year. After years of getting up at the crack of dawn to work harder than anyone else at Treasure High, he had the grades and test scores he needed to get into his top school, as well as the money to pay for it. His business dealings with Ted Finley LLC had earned him more than enough to pay for undergrad and up to two graduate degrees. Now that everything was lined up perfectly, he was prepared to live out his dream senior year.

  After a few hours of giving his army of outsourced overseas workers their tasks for the day, he pulled on a white button-down shirt and looked himself in the mirror.

  "You've put in all the hard work. Now it's time to reap the rewards, you handsome, wealthy devil."

  Dhiraj turned on some classic rock and shook his hips as he donned the rest of his outfit. The music was still playing when the horn honked in his driveway. He looked back in the mirror.

  "Sorry, Dhiraj, I've gotta go. My dream girl is driving me to school today."

  Dhiraj shut the door to his room and shimmied down the stairs. He tossed his backpack into Jennifer's car and strapped himself into the passenger seat. Jennifer wore a light top and purple jeans. With her hair tied back in a ponytail and sporting a necklace Dhiraj had given her as a birthday gift, she was absolutely beautiful.

  And I'm the one who gets to kiss her.

  Dhiraj leaned over, and she kissed him. He let himself linger in front of her mouth for a moment.

  "Hi." Dhiraj felt the happiness wash over him.

  "Hi." Jennifer closed her eyes and moved forward for another kiss.

  Dhiraj gladly obliged before leaning back in his seat.

  After a few minutes of discussing Ted Finley LLC business, including merchandising rights for Super Ted action figures and a Saturday morning cartoon show, the car pulled into the Treasure High lot. Dhiraj had worked his administrative magic to get them one of the best spots in the entire school. All he'd had to do was balance the district budget, which only took a few hours of his spare time.

  Dhiraj was about to open his door when he noticed Jennifer staring straight ahead at the school. The gloss glistened off her lips and a peach aroma wafted over.

  "Can you believe it?" Jen's eyes were as wide as silver dollars. "We're seniors. I wasn't even sure we were gonna live through junior year."

  Dhiraj took Jennifer's hand and rested it on the gearshift. "It's like a dream, Jen. We get to run this school. A field hockey captain and a current business leader of America."

  Jennifer's face twitched. Dhiraj had read countless books on body language, but he wasn't sure what the tick meant.

  He put his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

  She let out a sigh and the look disappeared. "Of course. I'm just nervous, I guess."

  Dhiraj grinned. "We got this." He took her hand. "Right, cents?"

  Jennifer undid her seatbelt. "Right, dollar." She turned toward him and leaned in for another smooch.

  Can it possibly get better than this?

  The familiar scent of floor polish struck Dhiraj as he held open the front door for his girlfriend. In past years, he'd associated the smell with bullies and homework and lectures that wouldn't end. Now it was the aroma of superiority.

  After bidding adieu to Jennifer at her locker, Dhiraj walked the halls like the top dog in town. He got a few high fives from classmates and several awe-filled stares from lower classmen. He knew the younger kids wished they could rule the school like him and Jennifer, but it was the seniors' time for sure. Dhiraj planted his books at his homeroom desk and walked over to Ted, who appeared to be moping in the direction of a wall.

  "Hey, buddy, your face is longer than usu
al." Ted moved his eyes off the wall and toward Dhiraj's face.

  "Hey, man. I can't believe I only get one more day of this before I have to go."

  Dhiraj felt for his friend, but he wasn't about to let anything mess with his vibe. He gave Ted a playful tap on the cheek.

  "Soak it up while it lasts, my man. Whether it's a day or eight months, senior year is a temporary state of mind. Love everything as long as you can."

  Ted's glum demeanor brightened slightly. "You're like a cross between a hippie and a self-help guru right now."

  Dhiraj turned his open hand into a fist and presented it for Ted. "I can dig it."

  Ted looked away before giving into the fist bump.

  When the next bell rang, Dhiraj and Ted headed to first period calculus. Ted's mood had perked up slightly, but Dhiraj wanted to take it all the way to joy.

  "Do a favor for me, buddy. Close your eyes and breathe in the senior superiority. It'll help you feel better."

  "Fine."

  Ted closed his eyes and Dhiraj followed suit. He took in a deep breath and thought about how fulfilling this year would be. As they both exhaled, Dhiraj opened his eyes. The image before him didn't seem to make sense. He blinked several times just to make sure.

  "No freakin' way." Dhiraj turned to Ted and saw the same shock and awe on his face as well. He turned back ahead to see Natalie and Travis walking toward them, and they were definitely holding hands. Dhiraj's cloud nine had evaporated, and he landed with a thud back on solid ground.

  Travis looked smug as he nodded in their direction. "Ted. Moneybags."

  "Hey guys." Natalie wore a strained smile. "Travis is my boyfriend now. Deal with it."

  Chapter 18

  Sela and Cal Fortbright sat on the top of a church tower overlooking the bustling main street. Behind them lay the fresh green grass and tall brick buildings of the university. In front of them, students and residents moved from shop to shop, unaware of what was coming their way.

  Sela felt strange next to her brother. Even though they'd both died and come back as dark souls, there was still a part of them that remained family. And yet, Cal could barely talk at the time she was taken away for her training.

  They watched a mother and father pass by below. The father pushed a large stroller in front of him, as their infant's legs kicked forward at an odd angle. The mother led a toddler by the hand as they continued at a slow pace toward the busiest part of the strip.

  "How do you think things would've been different if you'd stayed?" Cal ducked his head in an effort to reach Sela's downturned eyes.

  She continued to look more at the passersby than her brother. "We probably wouldn't be at the top of a tower together on Earth."

  Cal sighed with his entire body. "You know that's not what I mean."

  Sela let her eyes drift to her left. Cal looked like the rest of her family, but aside from a similar nose and complexion, most people wouldn't have pegged them as related. "Look, Cal." Sela turned her body completely toward him. "They thought I could be something great. And I was." She put her hand on Cal's leg. "But I was also lonely. And I wasn't even allowed to do most of the stuff I learned."

  Cal's eyes softened. "That's the most I've heard you say… well, ever."

  Sela grinned. "I'm half the girl I used to be." She reached behind her to take the metal staff from the holster on her back. "Do you want to help me do this?"

  Cal's face went from quiet grin to goofy chuckle in a hurry. Sela felt like the look gave her a peek into her brother's adolescence, and she was grateful for it. She offered part of the staff to him, and he touched it lightly, as if it were a piece of artwork he was worried would break.

  "How do I do it?"

  Sela clasped her brother's hands around the very edge of the staff. She gripped just beneath his.

  "I'm going to concentrate on the middle of the street there." A thought washed over her of what it would've been like to teach Cal to string his first bow or set his first trap. "Once you're focused on it, we're going to tap the other end of the staff against the building."

  Cal looked down at the street so intently, Sela thought he might burn a hole in one of the vehicles passing by. She followed suit and focused in the very middle of the intersection just across from a post office. "Are you ready?"

  Cal nodded. "I'm ready, sister."

  Sela felt a calmness take her body as they tapped the staff against the building. A stream of energy zipped through Sela's body and out through the weapon. She watched as a portal began to open on the street below. A car making a turn onto the road was almost right above the gateway as it expanded. The vehicle's front wheel dipped immediately. Soon, it titled deep into the portal. Sela continued to concentrate on growing the gateway, ignoring the screams of the people on the sidewalk. Two students rushed to the car in an effort to save the vehicles' passengers. As the portal grew and grew, the entire car and its rescuers fell inside, disappearing into the blue unknown.

  Sela smiled and looked away from the street. "Okay, we did it."

  Cal's body vibrated with energy. "That was amazing, Sela!"

  He pulled his hands from the staff and wrapped his arms around his sister. She felt lucky to have a second chance with her family. Sharing her power made it feel like an infinitely more impressive accomplishment.

  "You did great, brother." Sela looked down to see the street dwellers who hadn't run in terror attempting to look down into the portal. "Now comes the fun part."

  A growling noise from the other side of the gateway was loud enough to reach them all the way at the top of the tower. It sent most of the people below running for their lives. When the snarling noise stopped, the car that had gone through the portal shot into the air much higher than the adjacent buildings and came crashing down on the sidewalk. The driver and passenger were gone. In their place was a trail of broken glass and a streak of dark red. The good Samaritans who tried to rescue the car were nowhere to be seen, either.

  After a moment or two of stunned silence, three hairy beasts emerged from the portal. As tall as the Draconfolk but twice as intimidating, the wolf-like creatures looked like they were all fur and teeth, though the latter part was what did most of the scaring. The blood from their afternoon snack trickled from their mouths. The three monsters surveyed their surroundings and let out a street-shaking howl in unison.

  "Wow!" Cal's mouth was wide open. "I've never seen a Lychos up close."

  Sela tapped her brother on the chest. "I wouldn't recommend it. I still have a scar from the last time I did."

  As the siblings spoke far above the ground, the Lychos had done enough howling. All three dashed in different directions. For creatures of such size, their speed was impressive. One Lychos snatched up a short-skirted sorority girl from a pack of her friends. Another took an older man who couldn't get away fast enough. The third one took the father of the family the Fortbrights had watched earlier. The girl screamed the loudest of the three, though it was difficult to hear through the rest of the havoc. Once the Lychos had their prey, they ran off together toward the wooded side of the street and dashed into the forest.

  "They make quick work." Cal put his hand back on the staff. "Should we let out any more?"

  Sela shook her head and reached toward the portal. The gateway made the sound of electricity running through a circuit as it closed in on itself. It only took a couple of seconds for the car-sized hole to disappear, leaving a pristine street beneath it.

  "That's all he wants," Sela said. "Enough to make the news, but not enough to destroy a town."

  She tapped the staff into the church one more time. Sela concentrated on the air beneath them and a portal big enough for two opened by their feet.

  "Was it worth it?" Cal's eyes were fixed on the blue hole below. "Learning how to do this? To create portals between worlds?"

  Sela looked down to see the mother holding her toddler, both of them sobbing.

  "It's been a gift and a curse." She took her brother's hand. "But
now that we're back together – now that we're a family again – I think it was a good tradeoff."

  Her brother grinned. "Race you to the hole."

  Before Sela could react, her brother had already leapt inside.

  She shook her head. "Little brothers."

  Sela placed her staff back into place and let herself fall inside the portal. High above the terrorized streets, the blue gateway closed into nothingness.

  Chapter 19

  Erica watched as Ted scribbled notes feverishly during the last half of English class. It wasn't that the teacher's lecture was all that interesting. The period had been typical first-day stuff with a reading list, what activities made up the final grade and general getting-to-know-each-other activities. Ted pushed his pencil so hard against his notebook that Erica wondered if it would leave a mark on the desk below. Part of her wanted to reach over and stop him. She didn't like the look in his eyes of half anger and half fear. It couldn't be healthy, but she needed to let him have this. She'd been to school several times over in her lifetimes. Unless he took a similar path as her, he'd only get to do this once.

  Ted continued to scribble down notes when the bell rang. By the time all the students had packed up their bags and left, Ted put the final period on the lecture. He looked around and squinted his eyes.

  "Where did everybody go?"

  Erica put her hand on his shoulder. "Even Ms. Adler left, Ted. It's time to move on."

  He threw his pencil onto the ground and rubbed at his cheeks. "I'm not ready." He looked up at her. "Why'd the light souls have to pick me?"

  Erica had gone through the same phase when she was a living soul. It just surprised her how long it took Ted to ask the same question she had.

  Erica pulled up a chair next to him. "Because you're strong on the inside. Because you're a good person. I mean, look at what you've done already."

  Erica could tell her words weren't reaching him. She opted to let him talk it out instead.