Chapter 194

That voice...

"Who is it?"

"AlphaXS32," Xavier answered.

The door swung wider. The woman inside—veiled, draped in bohemian nonsense—turned away without looking at us. "Lock it behind you."

Every hair on my arms stood up. I didn't know her... but I knew her. The way she moved. That voice. Even through the ridiculous costume, something screamed familiar.

Her "apartment" looked like a witch's flea market exploded—herbs dangling from the ceiling, a cauldron bubbling over fake flames, pentagrams drawn in what I hoped was ketchup. She gestured vaguely at the clutter. "Sit somewhere."

Then she turned. Our eyes met. A feather slipped from her fingers.

"MJ?" The name left my lips before I could stop it.

"Zo?" Her voice cracked.

Xavier's head whipped between us. "Maisie?"

Time stopped. The veil came off, revealing my best friend's face—paler than I remembered, dark circles under those mismatched eyes, but undeniably her.

We crashed together like colliding stars. I clung to her, breathing in the