Everyone dispersed. Erlan and Caze took the bracelet and left the hotel, presumably to test its limits. The more we knew about its ability, the more we knew about Dani's forces. Jennifer started to make phone calls, telling us that she was rounding up Informants she knew and other Enforcers.

   I pulled Daniella into the room I'd slept in. She'd given me a funny look when I asked about the magic-blocking spell. "You mean you've never felt the effects of your own spell."

   "Not on my own body, no," I'd defended myself.

   "Well, it lasted nearly twenty-four hours."

   It was twenty hours in already, having slept for eighteen. I had four hours -- roughly -- until I had my magic back. Daniella frowned as I closed the door after us. "Why am I in here?"

   "Because I'm going to try and keep you alive," I said tiredly. "You need to experience the gap on your own, too. So you're prepared in case Dani locates me in the gap. I'm not sure we can put ourselves there, so you're going to find out."

   She nodded. Her hand pressed the release button on her shoulder and the bands around her staff released. She brought it to her front. "What's the gap?"

   "Imagine a cake," I said. "There's a bottom layer -- that's the Mortal Realm. The middle layer is the barrier. The top layer is the wall that is between us and the Ghost Realm. The icing on top is the Ghost Realm itself. There's filling between the Mortal Realm and the barrier -- that's the gap. Get it?"

   Her face pulled. "Uh, sure."

   "It's literally the zone between our reality and the barrier, where we draw magic." I lifted my hand. "That's where I get my staff from when you see it disappear." I suddenly cursed. "Shit! My staff. I had it when Dani ambushed us at Simone's house. Do you have it?"

   "I think Tate does, somewhere. I tracked you to where you left the nex line. Your staff was in the grass." She looked at me. "By the way, when you chased after Dani, did you know that you literally bent the nex lines? Like you rearranged them."

   I blinked. "Uh, no. I didn't. That's possible?"

   "Apparently it is. Also, there was a literal hole in the nex line's wall. Was that you or Dani?"

   "I don't know. What do you mean, a hole?"

   "Through the wall." Daniella stared at me. "The magic poured out of it. I patched the hole the best I could -- I don't even know how that's possible. But one of you came rocketing out of the nex lines so fast that they shattered the exterior."

   I recalled hearing a shattering noise, like broken glass, when I materialized. I'd also heard that sound when I broke out of the gap. So it appeared I was the one to break the nex line. Whoops. Not that I'd ever admit it.

   "Guess it was Dani." I shrugged. "Anyway. How I usually get things into the gap is somewhat simple. You just have to reach for it. When you reach for the barrier, you should feel the gap from when you reach past your physical body to when you get within the barrier's reach. You need to try and step into that gap."

   Daniella grimaced. "Uh, I can try, but that's all I can promise. I've never even heard of this gap."

   "Well, good luck." I sat onto the bed, already tired again. Not eating or drinking for days was a pain in the ass. "Give it a shot."

~

   "This is impossible!" swore Daniella. Sweat dripped down her arms. She'd been at it for several hours now. I'd ordered food from the hotel and ate at the table while she struggled to get into the gap. She was getting more and more frustrated. 

   "You make it sound so easy." Her cheeks were flushed with exertion. "I can feel the gap -- I can tell it's there, but I can't get into it." It had taken a while before she was even able to sense the gap, but that was where her progress had stopped.

   "I've never actually gone into it willingly," I told her. "I was thrown in there. Have you tried to get in like you would a nex line?"

   "Yes, but it's not the same. A nex line is a river. This is a plane of existence. I can't use a handhold to pull myself in."

   "Then make one."

   Her eyes narrowed. "Are you kidding me?"

   I shook my head. "Number one lesson from Alexie: think outside the box. Magic isn't meant to be rigid. Be creative. Use your magic and make a handhold: something you can use to leverage yourself in."

   She held up her hand. Lilac magic poured from her staff and pooled in her palm. A rough spike formed, dripping with sparks. "Okay," she sighed. "Fine." I watched as she closed her eyes. Her arm reached out. A few seconds passed and the spike dissolved from her hand. My eyes narrowed. About a minute later, Daniella's body flashed with a lilac light and she disappeared.

   I stared at the space where she'd stood. Had it worked? Or had she accidentally gone into the Ghost Realm? At this rate, I wouldn't put it past her. Trying to teach her something was agonizing. She was almost as annoying as me when it came to learning.

   Five minutes later and her body reappeared. She stumbled. When her foot touched down, her knee buckled. The mage tumbled down. She sucked in harsh breaths, coughing violently. I recognized the wheezing from the same sounds I'd made when I got free from the gap. "You made it."

   She nodded, pressing a hand to her heart. She hacked. "Y-Yeah." I rolled a water bottle to her feet. Daniella drank greedily, wiping her lips. "Holy crap. You weren't kidding. There's hardly any air in there."

   "Were you able to walk around or function at all?"

   She nodded again. "I was. I walked around the room. Actually tried to knock your plate off of the table."

   I looked down. "What? Why?" My hand curled defensively around my food. 

   "Felt like it. But I can't touch anything while in there." She finally got up, having caught most of her breath. I narrowed my eyes.

   "I think that when you're not linked to someone outside the gap, you can breathe better. You caught your breath incredibly quick compared to when I had to. Some of it might have been related to my dehydration, but I don't think so." That's good. That means I can move faster to remove the sources.

   The door beeped. Daniella and I looked over as it swung open. Tate stuffed his key card back into his pocket. I looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

   He shut the door. With a faint smile, he pulled down the collar of his shirt. A tattoo identical to Jennifer's sat on his chest, right above his heart. I grinned. Daniella dipped her head. "Congratulations."

   "Thanks. It's not how I imagined it, but I guess beggars can't be choosers."

   "I think you got your emblem in the most unique way," I snorted. "Anyway, guess what?"

   "Hm?" He sat beside me on the couch, peering at the food.

   "Daniella can go into the gap without any help."

   "Really?" He looked up, his eyes bright. "You can?"

   "Yes."

   "Let's see if you can do it in under two minutes," I said without looking. I saw her give me a cross look from the edge of my vision. Exasperated, Daniella closed her eyes. A spike formed in her hand. Thirty seconds later and light flashed as she vanished.

   Tate nodded. My glass of water on my lap, I reached for another bite of food when Tate snagged the glass. I gave an indignant sound as he set it on the table. He didn't let me grab any food, either. "Dude, what're you--"

   His lips cut me off. Quite effectively, actually. My spine locked in surprise and my brain froze, completely caught off guard. Heat flushed through my cheeks and down my back. Tate leaned back, concerned. He seemed to be about to apologize when I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him back.

   Thirty seconds later and he broke apart again, his lips pulling into a dazed grin. I felt my lips with a shake of my head. "So you're really happy about that emblem, huh? How long have you been waiting for that?" Was I surprised? Not really. Was I irritated that he'd waited to do it until we were preparing for war? A bit. Was I happy? . . . Maybe a little.

   "A while," he admitted. His hand buried into the hair at the back of my head. Goosebumps raced down my back. "I just wanted a little privacy."

   I winced. "Uh, Daniella can still see us, Tate. And hear us."

   His eyes widened. "You're joking."

   "She's not."

   Tate grimaced at the extra voice. Daniella stood off to the side, her arms folded. She had a bit of a smirk on her face. "But don't worry, I won't tell. At least, not for now."

   I scowled. "Don't make me start calling you Karen again."

   Her lips pulled into a real smirk. "Wouldn't dream of it."