The cheers of the crowd chased them back down the metal stairs as they descended from the stage and back into the purple-curtained abyss. As Penelope's feet found solid ground again, she released a big sigh of relief. Her muscles unwound and her smile turned serene as that signature high washed over her, the one that always followed finishing something she had been dreading. She was thankful to be off that stage. Whatever Gunnar threw at her next couldn't be worse than that. And she'd be ready for it... Anything to keep him busy.

"What's next?" she asked Gunnar as she stretched out her newly loose muscles.

"Meet-and-greet," he said, not even bothering to pause for a minute. He was already striding off, deeper into the purple hive of activity, dodging the worker-bees with their headsets and clipboards. Another band started up behind them, playing more dad-rock.

Penelope's newly calm stomach did a little flip. Okay, maybe it could be worse. After her less-than-friendly welcome, the idea of facing the public in a more intimate setting was hair-raising. She jogged to catch up. "Is that a good idea?" she asked, falling into step beside him. "You saw how the crowd reacted to me..."

"It's too late to argue," Gunnar said, his tone blunt. He wasn't his usual chatty self... "We already had to offer refunds and discounts to make up for it being you and not Xander..." His words trailed away.

Penelope raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She wasn't going to complain about Gunnar shutting his mouth for once.

He led her deeper into the purple-tinted labyrinth. He didn't look at her, his gaze was focused and far away like he was doing math in his head or something. But soon enough they made it right to the very back of backstage, to the final purple curtain that separated them from the street. Rita was there again, as well as another member of the clipboard mafia, a bald man who was much bigger and bulkier than little ol' Rita. With his all-black outfit and much smaller earpiece, Penelope guessed that he had to be security or something; he looked more like the bouncer for a very exclusive club than some lowly PA. As he saw them, he pulled back the edge of the curtain, to reveal a smaller black-curtained area beyond.

Gunnar side-stepped the bouncer and leaned down to whisper something in Rita's ear. She gave him a quick nod before shooting Penelope a look that she didn't quite understand.

"You know what," Gunnar began, his face blank as he turned back to Penelope. "You go ahead. While you're busy with the meet-and-greet, I've got some other business to attend to. I'll be back in a minute."

And with that, he stepped back from them and headed back into the purple labyrinth. As she watched him go, Penelope couldn't explain the sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. His explanation was simple enough...

But something had changed—she just knew.

Meet-and-greet be damned. She felt a small pang for the people—her fans—who were loyal enough to show up to see her, after everything, but there were more important things at stake. She couldn't let Gunnar out of her sight. She turned to follow him, but Rita grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" she hissed. "You have to get out there," she nodded towards the gap in the curtain that the bouncer was still holding open, "like, now."

"I can't," Penelope snapped, struggling to pull her arm free. Rita was stronger than she looked. "I... I've gotta use the bathroom first."

Rita narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yeah..." Penelope said, frowning. What is her problem?

"Do you even know where they are?" she asked with a scoff.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I can find them. There's gotta be signs—"

"There's no time for that. I'll show you."

"No thanks," Penelope said, finally wrenching her arm out of Rita's hand. "I've got it."

"I don't think you do," Rita said, stepping closer instead. She was full-on glaring now. "Gunnar said you were a flight risk and that I shouldn't let you out of my sight. My job is on the line here, okay?"

Penelope glared back. She didn't have time for this. "Fine, then. Show me."

Rita sighed and gave the bouncer-dude a look. "We'll be right back," she said. "Keep an ear out for any trouble, okay?" Then she pushed against Penelope's back, forcing her forward with Rita following right behind.

Penelope guessed that she was the 'trouble' that Rita referred to. She ground her teeth together, her anxiety ramping up by the second. If Gunnar had told them she was a flight risk, then something was definitely up.

She needed to find him.

But right now Rita was digging the corner of her clipboard into her back, guiding her through the crowded backstage, in the exact opposite direction Gunnar had gone. A big white sign labelled 'WASHROOMS' appeared over a gap in the curtains.

"See?" Penelope said. "There was a sign."

"Great," Rita said, disinterested in Penelope's snark. "Now go." She gave her a not-so-little push.

Penelope grumbled under her breath and headed for the gap in the curtain. Beyond it a small row of blue porta-potties and a line of chain link fences enclosing the area.

"Are you fucking serious?" Penelope grumbled, as her gaze traced the height of the fences. They were twice as tall as her, and for what? To keep out groupies? She thought of scaling them, but that would be crazy... There had to be an easier way. She looked over her shoulder and saw Rita there, staring her down from the gap in the curtain. Penelope was good and cornered. Maybe she could find a way to escape Rita on the way back...

But there was something else she needed to do first.

She ducked into one of the vacant porta-potties and locked the door behind her. It wasn't exactly soundproof but she doubted Rita wanted to listen too closely to what happened in here.

She pulled out her phone and dialled Henry's number. She hoped it would connect. He had to be getting close to the subdivision by now and its notoriously crappy reception.

It began to ring, and ring, and ring, and every one felt like it lasted forever...

Then, thankfully, he answered.

"Penelope?" Henry said. "Why are you calling? Aren't you supposed to be with Gunnar?"

"Are you there yet?" she whispered into the phone, ignoring his questions.

"Yeah, I just arrived. Parked at the house across the road." His voice sputtered with static as the connection threatened to weaken. "I'm heading over now."

That calmed Penelope somewhat. "Good. Hurry."

Henry went quiet and for a minute Penelope feared the call dropped, but then his voice crackled down the line. "Why?"

"I-I lost Gunnar."

"Shit!" Henry snapped. "How'd you—Nevermind. You don't think he's heading this way, do you?"

"I-I don't know," Penelope said. "Why would he?" Then she thought of that moment on stage, when Gunnar watched her wave to Henry before he headed out...

He couldn't possibly know what that had meant...

Could he?

"But even if he is," Penelope said, "he only left a few minutes ago. It'll take him a bit. But that's why you should hurry."

"Alright, alright," Henry grumbled. She could hear a crunching sound echoing from his side. She wasn't sure if that was the sound of his footsteps or the worsening reception. "I can already see the bunkhouse." His voice crackled again. "I'm going in."

"Great," Penelope sighed. She closed her eyes and rubbed at the bridge of their nose. They weren't beat yet. "Call me when you've got them out, okay? I'll try and find—"

Henry cut her off. "Wait." She could hear his creaking footsteps as he walked around the bunkhouse.

There was a tone in his voice that sent a chill shuddering through her. "What is it?"

"They're not here..."

"What?" Penelope gasped.

"Maybe he moved them," Henry said, trying to remain calm but there was a shaking in his voice that Penelope couldn't blame on the rough connection. "Maybe they're in the cellar—"

A piercing metallic screech echoed down the line and Penelope had to yank the phone away from her head to save her eardrums. As soon as the screeching cut out, she placed it back to her ear.

"Henry? HENRY?"

But the call had dropped.

"Fuck!" Penelope growled. She was starting to pant. She placed her cold hands against her flushed chest as if that would stop her heart from racing.

She tried to tell herself that it was just the connection, that Henry was fine, that there was no way Gunnar had made it out there in such a short amount of time...

But something deep down wouldn't let her believe that.

Gunnar's face flashed into her mind. His healed face.

Was that The Raven's doing? It wasn't impossible. It had strange powers. After all, it had transported her through the woods, from the subdivision to the little stone beach, miles in a matter of seconds... So fast she hadn't even noticed it had happened until she stepped out of the treeline.

And if The Raven could heal Gunnar's wounds, then—

She realized then that it wasn't just that Gunnar was keeping The Raven captive... He had some kind of hold over it.

And he could use its powers for his own needs.

And if Gunnar had control of that kind of power...

She needed to get out there. Now.

Someone knocked hard on the plastic door, making the whole porta-potty shake.

"You okay in there?" Rita called from outside. She sounded a little wary.

"F-Fine," Penelope said, swallowing hard. "I'll be out in a second."

"Great," Rita said and Penelope heard her step back from the door.

Penelope took a deep shuddering breath, trying to centre herself as she roughed out a plan in her head. There wasn't much of a plan to make, but she knew what she needed to do... She fixed a smile to her face and opened the plastic door.

Rita was back in her position next to the curtained opening. She had her arms crossed her chest, her clipboard stuck under her armpit, and she was tapping her foot impatiently. As she spotted Penelope she frowned and then cocked a single eyebrow.

"Ready?" she asked.

Penelope widened her smile, doing her best to look friendly and complacent. "Ready," she said.

And then she turned and threw herself at the chainlink fence.

She had made it halfway up before Rita was able to scramble forward to try and grab her, but it was already too late. Penelope had already scaled to the top. She swung herself over to the other side and let herself dangle for a second before dropping. The bottom of her feet burned as she landed on the hard cement below.

As she stood up, she met Rita's furious glare on the other side, through the gaps in the chainlink.

"Sorry!" Penelope said with a shrug before taking off running and disappearing into the loud, crowded night.