Olive poked her head in the room. "Miss Peregrine! Come quickly! Miss Avocet's awake."

Alma immediately stood, but she paused to face Riya. "I believe it would be best if you came with me. You might be able to calm her where I cannot."

The brunette nodded and stood to follow the Ymbryne. Emma and Jake followed her curiously.

Miss Avocet noticed them immediately. "Oh Miss Peregrine! They found my new loop. The children... I tried to save them but there were so many Hollows... I don't know how I escaped!"

Riya frowned. Had she really escaped? Or was she a beacon to lead the Hollows to them.

Miss Peregrine gave Miss Avocet a hug and looked at Riya. She'd obviously had the same thought. "You are safe now," she whispered.

Miss Avocet pulled back. "None of us are safe. They set up the machine in my loop."

"They put it in the cellar at Blackpool Tower. They're still there..." Olive had obviously been informed.

"The machine?" Alma asked.

"The experiment. They intend to do it again!" Miss Avocet's croaky voice exclaimed as best she could.

"This time, he's using more Ymbrynes," Enoch added. "He still wants to be immortal."

Alma looked over at him, a subtly frightened smile on her face. Miss Avocet had a gloved hand on her shoulder. Alma stood, her hands clasped together. She walked off to the side. She neutralized her face to keep from scaring the young ones who'd also congregated in the sun room.

"Do Hollows only attack peculiars?" Jacob chanced a question.

Alma faced them for a moment. "Of course not!" She turned back around. "They're monsters, Jake, they'll slaughter anything in their path."

Riya stepped in. "Well, Jake and I were accused of killing some cows. About 2 dozen of them, just lied over, dead." She waved her hands out.

"You don't think they're here already, do you?" Jake built on her her thought.

Misses Peregrine and Avocet shared a look.

"Have you seen anyone with white eyes?" Miss Avocet asked, her eyes glued to Riya.

Said woman pointed to Jake. "Oggie," she realized.

"You don't know what color his eyes are." Oh, and the disbelieving little shit was back.

"No, but he wore huge sunglasses."

"He was blind!" Jake exclaimed.

"He saw that you were missing a shoe that first day when we saw the burnt house. And, when we first got here, he knew you were looking at that creepy... mummy picture and he laughed at your terror. How would he do that if he couldn't see?" Jake opened his mouth to argue. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to slap you so hard, you'll stop seeing Hollows."

Alma squeezed her hands together. "I'm sorry children, we can't remain here."

"What?" Enoch snapped.

"We leave on the first ferry, off the island tomorrow. Pack anything of importance." She held out her hands and helped the twins up, guiding them from the room. "Then it's sandwiches and early to bed."

"Are we leaving for good?" Hugh asked

"When are we coming back?" Fiona asked.

"Never," Enoch snapped as an answer. "If Miss Peregrine's not here to reset the loop tomorrow night the house gets bombed."

Claire looked like she was about to cry. "What? Our house?"

Miss Avocet jumped to soothe her. "Don't cry, Miss Peregrine will find you another lovely house... somewhere else." She stood and led Claire to the stairs. She let Claire go the rest of the way on her own and stopped beside Miss Peregrine. "Alma," she called. "Mr. and Ms. Portman. We usually give children weeks to decide whether or not to stay with us. How long have they known?"

"Under a week," Alma replied.

"Oh..."

Alma nodded.

Riya noticed how pale Jake had gone. "Are you alright?"

Jake nodded. He held his hand out and wobbled it. "Yeah. I'm just... Not feeling so well. Kinda out of it," he summarized.

Riya leaned forward. "Want some of my pills?" She smirked, walking off.

"Where are you going?" Jake demanded.

"To make sure Dad doesn't get killed!" she replied, slipping into her jacket.

Alma met her at the door. She was frowning worriedly.

Jake was led upstairs with Emma.

Riya let out a breath. "Alma," she finally called the Ymbryne by her name.

Said Ymbryne stepped forward. She took Riya's cheek in her hand and just shared their closeness for a moment. "You could come with us," she offered. Her eyes slipped closed.

So did Riya's. "I'm not peculiar," she protested.

Alma opened her eyes. "You are," she disagreed. "I know you are and you know you are. And I know this isn't fair, but... I want you to come with me. With us. The children love you even after such a short time."

Riya opened her mouth. She wanted to agree to do anything for the Ymbryne and, if she'd had more time, she was sure she would. "I-" Her voice was cracking already "- will think very fast, but... I don't know," she whimpered.

Alma kissed her cheek. "You will."

*

Riya and Jake were walking the usual way back in contemplating silence.

Franklin ran up to them. "Jake... Jake, here you are! Thank God!" He wound his arm around Jake's shoulders, ignoring Riya, which was fine by her. "When I heard they found a body, I freaked."

There was a wheelchair going through the fence.

*

Once the lot of them got down to the beach, they saw Oggie laid out on a rock. His eyes were gone.

"Are there stray dogs around here?" Franklin choked out.

Kev turned to face them. "What are you talking about?"

"It's like, when they find an injured animal, they go for the soft parts first," he tried to explain.

"It's how our grandfather died," Riya commented.

The man who was definitely Barron walked over to Kev. "The police are on their way."

Jake pulled away from Franklin, needing to tell Miss Peregrine she may not have until the next day. "Dad, I gotta go."

Franklin grabbed Jake's arm. "No... you don't, Jake. If this wasn't an accident, there's a lunatic on the island."

Kev spun around. "I've known everyone on this island my whole life except you three and him," he yelped, pointing. "And he's been in the pub all afternoon."

"So have I... I was sleeping," Franklin explained.

"What about the blind fellow? I mean... I assumed he was blind. Gentleman with the dark glasses. Arrived on the same ferry as me. I kept seeing him around," Barron lied, using a phoney accent.

That made sense to Jake, but a Hollow wouldn't kill a Wight so he had to tell Miss Peregrine. He ran off.

"Jake! Jake!" Franklin yelled, following him.

"That was my uncle. He didn't arrive on a ferry. He's lived here his whole life," Kev argued.

Barron shrugged, smirking at the two Americans who'd run off. He jogged to follow.

"Dr. Golan!" Riya yelled.

Barron stopped, turning around. He looked at Riya.