I was an aching, yearning pile of flesh lying in bed next to Mys as Zyr dragged himself up between us. Oh, but we aren't done, his eyes seemed to say. My lips parted in anticipation. Tegan's absence gave us room to unleash the fear and passion building between us.

The simply adorned cabin got torn apart as the puddles of sunlight stretched from pale morning slivers to late noon slants through the dusty windows. Hours had passed. The bedcovers wound up scattered. Chairs at the kitchen table were thrown aside as we traversed the space.

The laptop on the table kept flashing different angles of the surrounding woods where nothing untoward stirred, and the weather radio stood silent sentinel waiting to warn of the next hurricane update. But nothing else was left as it should be.

When we finally came to ourselves, I stared at claw marks that raked the log cabin wall, as Mys held up a sofa cushion that had been rendered a tattered piece of foam. We both laughed until my roommate looked at me closer and bolted upright on the couch.

"Wow, Yokai. If you were living, that would leave a scar." They pointed.

I inspected myself. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed. Zyr lifted his head from the floor where he had collapsed midway between the bed and the sofa. He swore in Punjabi and shoved to his feet to stumble to where I lay sprawled on the mattress.

"Let me see. Let me, Aurie," he demanded as I tried to wave him off. His brow crinkled with concern. Somehow, he had managed to leave wicked claw marks down my side from the bottom of my rib cage to the top of my hip. The wounds didn't bleed, but they were fresh.

"Don't worry about it. I feel nothing," I scoffed.

"It's not safe. I'm going feral. I should've known better," Zyr said in a tremulous voice. He retreated a few steps.

"I told you, I'm okay! Chill." I tried to smile, but the puzzled expression on my roommate's face gave me pause. Mys came closer to examine the marks. I lifted my arm and twisted to see for myself. How, though? I wondered. How could a ghost be injured?

"This isn't natural," Mys intoned.

The detective's Adam's apple bobbed. "No, it's not. Because Aurie isn't your average, run-of-the-mill ghost, as I've tried to explain from day one," he said thickly.

The half-smile froze on my lips. "Then what am I?" I asked. I hugged myself as I sat up. I felt sick. This was what Tegan had asked about. One last secret between us despite Zyr giving his word there would be no more.

He shoved his hands through his hair, his tortured face contorting with raw emotion. "If I tell you, you could crack up worse than I am right now," he breathed.

I made a sound of disbelief.

Mys raised both hands in a mollifying act. "Alright, let's keep calm and-and sort this out. Zyr, pull yourself together. You're on the verge of a shift. That's the last thing we need at the moment. Take a breather. I'm, uh, gonna get cleaned up, and we'll have a nice chat. Is that fine with the two of you?" My roommate slipped off to the bathroom before I could reply. The sound of the showerhead quickly filled the cabin.

"This is insane," I whispered.

Restless, I slid from the bed and started returning the cabin to rights while Zyr burned a hole in the floor with his pacing. I stared when he slammed a fist into the wall, but I didn't know how I was supposed to feel—concerned? For him or for myself? What was he hiding?

He dragged on his jeans without facing me. With a plaintive groan, he threw his head back and scowled at the ceiling. My numb fingers hesitated upon lifting the last chair, and I watched him. "You need to tell me what's going on," I managed.

"I don't want the same thing to happen to you that happened to Haley. Wallace said that you could—"

"Wallace?" I asked, confused. Zyr jerked his head toward the cabin door. I was startled by his abrupt movement, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get answers. "And what happened to Haley? You've been vague about my sister from the very beginning. This time I want the truth!"

Zyr shushed me as he hurried to the laptop to see the surveillance. It dawned on me the werewolf had heard something I hadn't. It wasn't Tegan coming back from the convenience store. Someone else was speeding along the main highway. I saw the jeep on the laptop screen over his shoulders. He threw on the rest of his clothes.

"Who is it, Zyr?" I sighed, at the end of my rope.

"I don't know."

I parked my hands on my hips. "Is it Darcy?" I tried again.

"Aurie, I don't know. Get Mys and be ready to run on my signal. Wait, one other thing."

"What?" I snapped.

He dropped his gaze. "Tegan. She...We had a disagreement. She may not return."

"You mean she may not return in time."

"No, Aurie, at all. She left midmorning. She should be back by now. It's after two."

I blinked in shock. The multitude of speeches about trusting her. Shaking my head, I marched to the bathroom and banged on the door. When I glanced back, Zyr was already out the cabin. Mys exited the bath, toweling dry. I shoved the backpack with the rest of our belongings at them.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Mys asked as they struggled into black sweats and a matching hoodie.

"We might have to go."

Snatching the kimono from a hook on the wall, I covered my nudity and sprinted to the partially open door to eavesdrop. Zyr was in the front yard with a gun in hand. He was staring toward the red dirt road, and I faintly heard what had forced him outside—a car stereo at top volume—getting louder as the vehicle drew nearer.

"Do you sense anything?" I asked Mys.

The Empath hovered behind me. "For one, Zyr isn't as worried as he was when he left out, but I'm not sure about the new arrival."

A red Jeep Cherokee emerged from the trees, bouncing over the deeply rutted lane and coming to a stop in front of Zyr. The driver turned the volume down a negligible amount before standing up in the open truck door and grinning as he made the touch-down sign with his hands.

"Have you missed me?" he shouted at Zyr.

My eyes bounced from one man to the other, and I saw the resemblance. This was the younger brother Zyr had told us about. The one from the phone call that had left us scrambling to prepare for one of Darcy Cyprian's tricks. Mys strained closer as the younger Ravani hopped from the vehicle.

The guy was less tanned but had the same black wavy hair and amber gaze as his brother. He had a gorgeous babyface, and rangy muscles tightened beneath his t-shirt as he reached in the backseat and pulled out a heavy-looking duffle.

"I told you not to come, Yazeed," the detective said over the music.

"No choice," his brother replied. "I had to get you to come with me so we can take care of Ammi."

"That's what I'm doing, Yah. Taking care of our mother." Zyr spread his arms. His younger brother approached and opened the duffle bag. He held up bundles of cash. My eyes popped, though the detective looked less impressed. He snorted a laugh and shook his head. "You're wasting your time and whoever's money you're trying to bribe me with."

"This isn't a bribe. It's a way out! C'mon, use your head, alright?" Yazeed stepped up in desperation. The interaction was almost drowned out by the obnoxious music. "Sooner or later, the Council will find you, bro. They don't give a damn about whatever case you're building. You're a fugitive to them now! But if you come with me, there won't be any trouble."

"I told you I—" Zyr growled, clutching his skull. "Goddamnit! Turn the fucking radio down so I can think!"

Yazeed took a step back. "You're going feral," he gasped. When the detective didn't reply, his face crumbled. "This is crazy, Zyr. We have to go. You know you don't have much time left."

"I have everything under control," Zyr mustered. "I'm gonna put that bastard—Cyprian—away for good. Going on the run will make me appear to be guilty, and the Ravanis haven't done anything wrong."

There was a pregnant pause as they stared each other down. Yazeed was the first to look away. "What if I told you the Council is willing to let Mum go if they get you?" he asked quietly. I felt Mys turn to stone. Suddenly, I was airborne as my roommate hauled me toward the back door and escape.

The last thing I heard was Zyr hoarsely say: "What have you done?"

Mys threw me to my feet in the backyard, and we sprinted toward the forest. As we ran, the kimono fluttered behind me like wings. Mys thrust a revolver into my hand.

"Please, tell me what the hell is going on," I panicked.

"Yazeed betrayed him," Mys stated. Branches swatted our faces as we scrambled over anything in our path. My companion fumbled the compass out of the backpack still in hand and directed us toward our hidden stash of supplies. The location was at least a half-hour away. "We have to get our stuff and find Tegan."

"She's the wrong person to put our faith in. She might not be coming back. Zyr said they had an argument."

"Fuck all! I have to get you out of here before they find us."

"They, who?" I asked. That's when I heard what Yazeed's loud music had been masking. The swelling sound of chopper blades drawing closer. "Who?!" I repeated frantically.

"The Council of Overlay Affairs Security Force. The minute they realize Zyr is feral, they'll order euthanasia. It's a crime, and if they find us, they'll consider us accessories."

"Oh my god! We have to go back!" I pivoted, but my roommate clutched my shoulders and shook me hard enough to make my teeth clack.

"Listen to me! The whole case against Cyprian goes up in flames while we try to defend our innocence. We have to do what Zyr told us to do. Do you understand?" Mys fought tears. I nodded as I clamped my lips together to keep from sobbing. I understood. We were on our own.