In the shadowy world between life and death, my heart slows. I'm not dead. Not yet, at least. But my sacrifice, I hope, was all it took for them to succeed. I'm not sure exactly how. I just have a gut feeling. My common sense battles against that gut feeling.

Your death will just announce their victory! says common sense.

It's what they would have wanted you to do! argues gut feeling.

I'm confused. But I think.

This isn't discrimination. Just an extreme form of egoism. Are the Etherians the type who discriminate people? No. Only some. The crazy ones. My false aunt and Nina are crazy. I've seen that side so many times. So untypical of Etherians. Something's wrong with their minds.

Then I'm lifted out of that world.

I blink several times, then take a deep breath, feeling the air in my lungs again.

"Did we—did we do it?" I croak.

Candice's face swims into focus. "Yes. We did. I don't know why, but. . .after you. . .went, well, they started screaming. Like they had lost their minds. Mr. Horace checked them. There's an enormous addlement to their brains. Implanted there."

So I was right. "Do you know who implanted it?"

"Yup. Mr. Horace told us after he examined them. It was Agone, founder of Alium. It turns out that all Agone was a headcase and all he wanted was a big show."

"How do you know?"

She looks strained. "l've always known. I was part of the Heads' innner circle. They knew that Agone was mental. They told me." My face must show my feelings of betrayal, because she hurriedly says, "I'm sorry Elara. I was under orders."

"That's—alright."

A big show. That's all we were. A performance.

I try to smile weakly. "Where are they now?"

"Awaiting trial. Pretty useless in my opinion. Their minds are so fractured that it's hard to get a straight answer out of them."

I feel sorry for them. They weren't evil on purpose. It seems all wrong for them to end up like this.

"Can we save them?" Strangely, I'm hoping against hope that we can.

"We're trying to. Gurdy seems to have found something." Her attention is diverted by something out of my sight. "I've got to go, I'll be right back."

"Okay."

After she goes, Jinx slides over. "Hey," he says.

"Hey."

"Look," he says uncomfortably. "I've got to tell you something."

I let out a soft laugh. "I know. Candice told me."

He curses under his breath. "That Candy," he says, more loudly, "never being able to keep a secret."

"And it's okay," I say. "I like you too."

"Really?"

"Really."

Jinx punches the air.