"Nancy," I finally said, groaning. "You're choking me."

She squeezed me tighter.

"Seriously, I can't breathe!"

Nancy stepped back and was as tearful as me, making me feel better. Still, I was aware of Calin and that the minimal make-up I had applied would be painting my under-eyes like a raccoon. Given his last girlfriend, I didn't know if that was something that he was into, but I didn't care for the look. Obviously, Nancy hadn't noticed him. She kept her hands on my shoulders and smiled.

"You cut your hair!"

"How did you grow yours so quickly?"

She dropped her hand to finger the tips of a few strands of her honey-blonde hair and smiled. "The pixie cut didn't fit. Dad finally caved and let me get extensions so long as I didn't dye it anymore."

"Fair deal."

"I thought so, too." Nancy laughed. "I love your hair! I can't believe you let someone cut it though. And you're wearing contacts! Wow, your eyes really pop, just like your..."

"Mom?" I nodded and wiped my cheeks. "I know. Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Nah, she always said it would happen," Nancy said, and her smile turned wistful. Slowly, her gaze moved to my right and her eyes widened slightly. "Hey."

Calin chuckled. "Hi, I'm Calin."

Nancy turned to me and wiggled her thinly plucked eyebrows. "Uh huh."

"Oh, shut it, Nancy." I slapped her arm and she took the opportunity to pull me into a one-armed hug. "Don't mind her manners, Calin. This is Nancy. Nancy, this is Calin. Say hi."

"Hi!"

Before he could respond, she started pulling me back towards the front door. I looked over my shoulder and whispered an, "I'm sorry," to Calin, who shrugged as he slowly trailed us. Neither of us could say anything, though, because Nancy was already in chatter mode. I'd need a recorder to be able to playback what she'd already said in order to follow along.

"Oh, my God, Nora. I can't believe you are here. Mom and dad are so happy. I can't wait to catch you up on everything that's been going on around here at school and, of course, with Julian. We're still together, obviously, and he is home now. He is going to come over for supper so he can see you. Mom made a freaking feast, if you count dialing the caterer as cooking, but you know how that goes. Dad has a bunch of legal jibberish to talk to you about, but whatever. Before all that, you have to tell me what is going on! You lost your memory! You're practicing the Craft? How's that?"

"Okay, Nance? I love you but slow down. Okay? None of those questions have a quick answer."

She let me go so that we could file through the doorway single file, and I was grateful to feel Calin's hand on the small of my back, giving me the fortitude that I needed for Nancy's inquisition. Of course, as she turned to face me, Nancy saw his gesture, and she looked at me as if to say, "I knew it!"

At least someone seemed to understand what it meant.

I rolled my eyes and looked around the entryway. "Where's your parents?"

"Mom! Dad!" Nancy looked to the ceiling and screamed. "Nora's here!" She looked at me. "They're coming."

"Thanks for letting us drop in like this," Calin said, staying at my side. "I know it was last minute, but our friend was able to provide Nora with an alibi, so I wanted to bring her as soon as all that was figured out."

"Pchaw!" Nancy waved her hand through the air dismissively. "My parents would be happy if Nora lived here, so it's no biggie. They've met your mom and know how close she was with Vavila, so they're happy to have you over, too. We should be thanking you for making the trip for Nora. Obviously, a lot has happened, and the little devil man didn't keep his word. She was supposed to be safe moving in with him!"

"Okay, Nancy, let Nora breathe," Aubrey-Lynn said as she came into the entryway with Aiden trailing behind her. Immediately, she pulled me into a hug. "How are you? You look so different!"

"Mmm... Good," I said, my words muffled as my face smushed into her shoulder.

Her light, golden blonde hair was hanging and tickled my nose, but I wasn't complaining. It felt good to be held. Her touch was second only to my mother's.

"Hi, Nora," Aiden said, watching us with a hint of a smile. His muscled arms were crossed, though I could see a folder sticking out.

"Are you working?" I asked, lifting my head to meet his gaze over Aubrey-Lynn's shoulder.

Aiden shook his head and unfolded his arms, holding the file folder up. "Actually, since you're early, I thought we could take a few minutes to go over some things."

"Are you a mind reader? I need to talk to you, too."

He smiled. "In my office?"

I nodded and turned to Calin. "Do you mind?"

"No," he said.

"I'll keep Calin company," Nancy said, and I winced, causing Calin to laugh.

I could only imagine what she would choose to discuss with him while I was with Aiden. Honestly, it was probably better if I didn't try. Knowing Nancy, it would revolve around what we meant to each other. When that topic was exhausted, she would grill Calin about what had been happening in Wickenton. Then she'd chastise him for letting things happen.

"If you get overwhelmed, just come get me," I said, giving Calin a way out.

"Hey!" Nancy swatted me and we all laughed.

"Okay, I'm only half-joking." I rolled my eyes at Nancy and stepped out of Aubrey-Lynn's embrace to go with Aiden to his office.

Giving Calin one last smile, I followed Aiden out of the room and down the familiar hallway. We went into his office, which was warmer than Devland's, and I took a seat in the chair opposite his, clasping my hands in my lap. I hadn't been in here since I informed him that my mother was dead the day the cops came to the Aldenburg's for me. Despite the memory, I was at ease.

"So, how have you been?" Aiden asked, settling in his chair across from me. "I've heard some things, but you look good."

"Thank you." I didn't elaborate, though we both knew that by good he meant changed. I darted my eyes to the folder he set down and then up to him.

Aiden sighed. "Are you okay, Nora?"

"I—yes." I nodded. "It's just... A lot has happened. I'm anxious to know what's been going on here."

"With your mother's house, you mean."

"Yes."

"Well, you were right." Aiden leaned forward and opened the folder. "Devland has put it on the market."

A weight settled in my stomach. I blinked, hoping to keep a sudden wave of tears at bay. "Uh, can we—Are you able to stop that from, uh... happening?"

"I think so, yes." Aiden nodded and settled his light blue eyes on me. "I spoke to a judge I know in order to become the full executor of your mother's estate. I've shown him that the house does not need to be sold in order to maintain the estate, as well that there is plenty of money for your future without its sale."

"So, now what?" The knots in my stomach began to loosen, and I felt better just speaking with Aiden knowing that I could trust him to fix things or, at the least, be upfront with me when he couldn't. "Devland can't touch it now?"

"I'm just waiting on confirmation. A conversation is one thing, Nora, but we need documents to prove that the order has been enacted."

"Okay." I nodded, hoping it didn't take too long. "Can I go there while we wait? I want to see my home while I am in Briarville."

"Of course."

I smiled. "Thank you."

Aiden closed the file folder and once again raised his head to look at me. "Now, back to what I've heard has been going on in Wickenton. How are you feeling?"

I forced a laugh, though it held no humor. "I haven't really figured that out."

"Understandable." He clasped his hands on top of the desk. "But you're okay? You lost your memory, right? Were you hurt? Have your memories returned?"

"Physically, I am fine. I promise," I said. "I did lose my memories, but I have them all back except for one. I still don't know what happened to cause the accident on the boat, which is how I lost my memories." I shrugged. "The doctor didn't know if I would ever recover that."

"Your friend told Nancy a few things about Devland," Aiden said. "Did he... Was he trying to make you forget?"

Slowly, I nodded. "I think so, but I can't be certain. I think it was a combination of him and a girl at school, but she won't be able to do that to anyone else. Right now, I'm just trying to ignore Devland, and I'm definitely not accepting any gifts from him."

"I know you made a deal with him."

"That's moot now, don't you think? He broke the terms of our agreement."

"Still, agreement or not, you are still a minor. Legally, you are in his care until you turn eighteen. The agreement that he made with you was only a mechanism on his part to get you to leave willingly. Neither of you even signed anything." Aiden sat back and appraised me. After a stretch of silence passed, he said, "Given the situation, I can start working on having you emancipated, which would allow you to leave prior to your eighteenth birthday."

"I..." I shook my head. "I would love to get away from Devland, Aiden, but there are a few things that I've promised to do first."

"Okay, well, I will get things started so that it's ready when you are."

I nodded and leaned back, looking down to my hands where I twisted my fingers together.

"Is there something else you wish to discuss?"

I lifted my head, narrowing my eyes. "I, uh... Before my mom died, she was talking about a girl that went missing. They found her and all her magic was gone. Do you know anything about that?"

"Why?"

"Because I think someone else is missing and it worries me. Did mom find the girl when the Council couldn't?"

Aiden sighed and leaned forward again. "Yes, she did."

"How?"

"Your mother helped to find the girl, yes," he said. "The Council was limited because they know how to search for a person's magical signature. If that magic is gone, their hands are tied."

"Couldn't the police help?"

"Sure, they were involved, but missing people are lost all the time."

"How did my mother find her, then?"

"Well, Vavila was able to search for her by seeking her essence, which is basically akin to the signature of a person's soul."

"That's not the same thing?"

Aiden laughed. "No, not at all. The essence is like a base model of a vehicle. Magic is the optional equipment added to a vehicle."

"Devland says a boy is missing this time, though that's all I know. He won't tell me anything, but I overheard that much."

"Be careful."

"Of what? Going missing?" I laughed.

Aiden nodded. "Yes, and Devland. I know your mother was worried about Devland being around you, so I don't trust him."

"Do you know why she left him?"

"No."

Okay then. I didn't know what to say. Obviously, there were things about Devland that my mother didn't want me exposed to, but it was too late for me to be sheltered. I had seen what he was capable of, or at least what he appeared to be capable of. Somehow, the fact that I was sure that I hadn't even grazed the surface of his abilities made his presence in my life more ominous. The real question was if my mother had been scared that Devland would be able to influence me or hurt me.

"I—we should go back out there," I said, pushing up on the sides of the chair to get to my feet. "Calin isn't used to Nancy's... bubbly personality."

Aiden laughed but didn't move. He pointed to the door. "You go on. I'm going to follow up on that paperwork regarding your mother's estate. You'll have some things to sign."

I nodded and started to leave, pausing halfway across the room. "Hey, Aiden?"

With the receiver of the phone against his ear, he looked up and paused as he was dialing. "Yeah?"

"Thank you. My mom would be happy that I have you guys."