We make it to the compound without Rae running anyone else over, thankfully.

Will has every able-bodied person loading into cars, weapons ready. The few older guns we've managed to acquire are being passed out, along with the very limited ammo.

Will stands at the front of the garage, barking out orders and evacuating civilians.

I rush to him with Rae and Erick on my heels.

"Where do you want me?" I ask and he looks me over, annoyed.

"Nowhere. You're injured. No good in a fight!"

"I can still do my part!" I shout.

"Do your part by getting out of the way!" William shouts, moving past me to help a family into one of the SUVs.

I grab his arm. "Where's Ava!?"

He hesitates, then growls, "you can't leave the compound."

"She left the compound!?" I shout.

He grits his teeth. He looks around. "I-I can't leave them. They need me to get them to safety. But you can't leave my side, Raven!"

"Where did Ava go!?" I screech, grabbing the front of his shirt.

He looks down at my hand on him and grabs my wrist. "You have five seconds to let go, Raven Black. One."

I let go and shove him. "Where is she!?"

Will seems to be fighting himself. He's glancing around the compound, trying to get everything under control, while also trying to keep me complacent and safe. "She said she had a dream. She was worried about you."

My eyes widen. "She followed us?"

He shakes his head. "No, no, she said something was going to happen to you. She wasn't making sense."

"Where is Ava? You know what she means to me. I can't lose her!"

Will shakes his head. "I don't care, Raven. You can't go. You'll get yourself killed."

"I don't give a damn!"

Rae pulls me back. "We'll escort her," Rae assures. "She'll be safe with me and Erick."

Will glances between Rae and Erick, starting to shake his head. "No. Even with two other people, it's not-."

"How about three?"

My body revolts against itself at the voice. Guilt bursts through me like I've swallowed a bag of bitter pop rocks. I jolt away, turning to face Alex.

He's got his tongue jabbed into his cheek and he won't look at me. "It's for Ava," he says.

"Alex," I protest, in a small voice. "It's dangerous out there."

He cuts me with a glare. "Like you care."

I close my eyes and flinch.

"You know we're not going to help you until Ava's safe, Will. You may as well just tell us where she went."

Will blows out a breath. "She said she needed to find Zoey."

I almost throw up. "She went to my house?" I hiss.

Will only offers a nod before disappearing into the crowd of soldiers.

I stare after him, stunned.

Rae tugs on my arm. "C'mon. She must've walked. We have to make sure she got there safely."

That's the only thing that prompts me to slide into Rae's car.

Alex sits beside me, but I can't even feel guilty right now. My only thought is making sure Ava's okay.

Would she be safe from the creatures?

More importantly, would she be safe from my mother?

I haven't been home in months. Even after I ran away, I would return every few days to grab something of mine or let her know I was alive. But after I learned what she'd done to... I'd stop coming around at all.

Will she blame Ava for telling me the truth?

We're only a few minutes from my house when Rae's car sputters and dies. It rolls to a stop, slamming into the car in front of us.

"What's going on?" Alex asks, leaning between the seats. His voice tremors and his fingers shake.

I don't blame him. Last time he was out here, a cop knocked him out and tried to arrest him.

The people in the car in front of us spill out onto the ground just as one of the street lamps stops hovering and crashes into their car.

All around us, things are dying.

Panic flares through me like an exploding star. I grab Rae's arm. "Ava," I breathe, hoping she'll understand what I'm trying to say.

If the power is going out...

My bracelet buzzes and I briefly see my mom's face flash on my wrist before the hologram flickers and dies.

I start for the door, but stop as a ringing fills my ears. I grab them and cry out.

"Raven?" Alex's voice floats towards me, as if I'm underwater. "Are you okay?"

The ringing turns to a Banshee scream.

"She's bleeding!" Alex shouts.

"Where?" Rae cries, opening her door.

"I-I don't know! Everywhere!" 

Erick opens my door and catches me as I slump forward.

I can only feel vaguely annoyed at him touching me as my stomach twists and empties onto his shoes.

Credit to him, he doesn't say anything as he lays me on the sidewalk away from the car.

My body starts to convulse and Rae rolls me onto the side.

I try to sob but it comes out like a mangled scream.

"What do we do!?" Erick shouts, almost sounding concerned.

Rae sounds unsure of herself, "I-I don't know!"

"We're only a few minutes from her house. Maybe Zoey can help! She can get the best doctors here in minutes!" Erick shouts.

"I'm the best doctor!" Rae snaps.

"Clearly not!" He snaps.

My brain tells me to smack him, but I just scream again.

I'm hoisted into someone's arms. Time feels like molasses right now. By the time someone is forcing the door to my house open, I feel like it's been hours.

Rae screams for my mom and I almost laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

The first time in months my mom sees me and I'm vomiting and bleeding everything.

Are you proud, mom?

In the distance, I hear Zoey's voice, but I can't make out words.

For a moment, the world stops when I hear Ava crying. But even then, I can't speak or do much else besides convulse and bleed.

There's something cool under my stomach and hands. Arms on my limbs. Someone pulling my hair off my neck. There's a sharp pain at the base of my skull, and just when I start to think darkness is going to take me, the pain clears.

I relax my entire body, panting and still kind of dribbling vomit. The only pain is a dull ache in my shoulder and a sharp stabbing in my head.

I must lose consciousness for a bit, because next thing I know, my head is on someone's lap and they're cleaning my face.

"What the hell was that?" Erick is snarling.

"I don't know what you're talking about," my mom snaps.

Despite what she'd done and our inability to get along, I'm normally comforted by her voice. Despite everything, she'd been there for me growing up and she raised me.

But now, her voice sends an ice spike into my stomach. I shudder and cool hands run over my forehead.

"One minute she's bleeding from every hole in her face and vomiting, then you remove her chip and she's fine?" Erick growls.

"The power went out. It malfunctioned," my mom explains.

Everything in me tells me to run as fast as I can, but I can't even open my eyes.

"No one else's did," Rae protests. "We were all with her."

"Raven's chip is different than yours. I modified it so it would work better. It's not my fault she couldn't handle the power."

"What do you mean you modified it?" Rae snarls. "That's impossible."

"Maybe for you," my mom says. "It was for her own good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ava growls.

I gasp at her voice before I can suppress it.

"You're awake," my mom says. Her voice sounds colder than usual.

"Raven?" Ava cries. "Are you okay?"

My heart starts to race. I scramble to my feet despite Rae's protests. The red haze is gone from my eyes, but everything seems to vibrate as I stumble to Ava and practically tackle her in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright," I sob into her hair, squeezing her into me. "Can you still move around?"

She clears her throat and tightens her grip on me. "My sensors are gone," she murmurs, confirming my fears.

For the first time in her life, she's truly blind.

"It's okay," I tell her. "The electricity won't be off forever."

"Don't be so sure," my mom says.

"What do you mean?" Alex asks, looking up.

She smirks. "I'm the head councilwoman. I know things you don't. The creatures used an EMP. The electricity could be out for a long time."

Ava grins her teeth together and balls her fists. "But that means-."

I grab her face and shush her. "It's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"You can't promise that," she whispers.

Rae steps forward, glaring at my mom. "Well, councilwoman. What do we do now?"

"Raven and I will be evacuated until this blows over."

I frown. "What about my friends? What about the city!?"

She blinks, innocently. "What about them?"

My blood rushes in my ears. I can almost believe she's being ignorant about what she's saying. But everything about her seems slightly off now. Even the tiniest shift of her expression tells me she's being intentionally cruel.

It's like she's been replaced with the other mother from Coraline.

"I'm not leaving my friends to die," I snap.

"Come now, dearest, don't be stubborn," she coos.

I nearly gag. I step towards her and the floor bucks under my feet. My vision swims. "Have you seen what's going on out there?" I ask, as if she can't look out any of the glass walls and see the people being attacked in the streets. As if they won't come for us at any minute.

"We're evacuating for that exact reason."

"What about everyone else!?"

She cups my face, smiling sweetly. "You're not everyone else, my dear."

I smack her hand away and stumble back. "Fine," I growl, "you run and hide. But I'm going with my friends. And I'm going to help the people you're supposed to protect!"

Zoey raises her eyebrow, almost teasing, but it looks like a dare. "Oh?" She asks, in that cooing tone. "Where do you think you'll go? Back to that silly rebellion? You're coming with me, Raven Black, and you'll like it!"

I take a step away from her and Rae blocks me from her gaze.

"I don't know what you think you're doing," Rae snarls, "but Raven's not going with you."

"Please," my mom purrs, "you're a child! You're going to keep me from my daughter? Hilarious."

"I'll be nineteen next month, I'm not a child. You're the one acting like a child, Zoey."

"I'm older and the head councilwoman. And Raven's my daughter. You don't get a say in this."

Rae responds, sharply, but I'm swaying on my feet.

Alex stands. "Raven?"

Everyone turns to me as my knees give out and I collapse onto the cold tile floor.

"Birdy." The voice is melodic. I want to sink into the soft, masculine voice, but I open my eyes, tired.

A man sits beside me on a warm, comfortable bed.

"Papa?" I question. I can't tell how old I am, but I'm definitely young. Around five or six.

The man holds something in his hands.

I recognize it, because I still own it. If I tell Rae, she'll tell me I'm drawing from my surroundings and dreaming about it.

He hands me the blue, ancient MP3 player.

I turn it over and over in my hands, as if I've never seen something like it. "Wow, where did you get this?"

He smiles and pokes my nose. "Don't tell your mother." His expression tightens and he glances towards the door. "This is going to be our little secret, okay? I recorded some messages on it for you." He rubs my arms. "I hope you never have to listen to them."

"What?"

He chuckles, easing my concerns. He ruffles my choppy, black hair. "Never mind all that. Happy birthday, birdy."

"Thanks, papa, I love you."

"I love you too, Raven. Remember that." He squeezes me into him and squeezes his eyes shut. "Remember that."

I jolt awake, then force my body to remain still. When I don't hear anything, I open my eyes. I'm lying in my bed, and I've gotten blood on the white sheets.

It's not the first time that's happened, but it doesn't stop annoyance from flaring through me.

"Rae?" I call and she's immediately in the room.

"Raven, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. The dizziness has passed."

"You were experiencing dizziness? Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were kind of in the middle of something," I grumble, pushing myself out of the bed.

I don't stumble, which lessens the fear in Rae's eyes a little.

"Your mom has gotten the rendezvous point for the evacuation. You should go."

I stare at her. "What?"

Rae steps towards me, glancing through the wall into the living room, where everyone is gathered. "Listen, I know you'll be worried, but we can take care of ourselves."

"And I can't?" I growl.

"I know you can. But those things have every council member except your mother."

"Ava's parents?" I rasp.

Rae nods. "They're gone."

I cover my mouth and close my eyes. "That means I should stay with you all, Rae."

"Maybe you'll be safer with her. That one recognized you earlier, didn't he? He said your name."

"I thought you didn't hear that," I whisper.

"I didn't want to be right," she rasps. "They know who you are, Raven. You should go somewhere safe."

I look through the glass and lock eyes with my mother.

She stands, smiling at me.

"I'm safer with you," I whisper.

She follows my gaze, then grunts, "you might be right. But what now? Those things are gonna be coming for you. To use you against Zoey. We'll have to get you somewhere safe."

"Maybe we could try to talking to them," I say, remembering the look in that man's eyes when he said my name. "Maybe they're friendly."

"One almost killed you, Raven. They kidnapped the council. Ava's parents. Do you have any braincells left? I'm being serious."

"Serious answer, no I do not."

She groans, "you could've lied."

I smile at her. "I don't lie to you. Get the others to gather food. There's duffel bags and back packs in the hall closet. We should try getting supplies to the compound. The evacuees will need it."

Rae nods. "What about you?"

"I'm going to get some clothes. I don't think I'm coming back here ever again."

She leaves me to it. I wait for the others to be distracted and my mom to be knocking back a glass of wine before getting into my closet and digging up the box I'd hidden.

I'm sure my mom knows I have this, but for some reason she never took it from me. Even though she hates me having anything connected to my father.

I pull the MP3 player out and toss it on my bed with a bag. I shove clothes into it. Once the bag is packed, I stare at the MP3 player. I should just leave it here.

My dream didn't mean anything. Even if there is a secret message on there, I haven't been able to turn it on. It would be a waste of time to worry about the damn thing after all this time.

I sling my pack onto my back and reach for it. Waste or not, it's the only connection I have left to my father.

Before my hand can make contact, Erick grabs my arm and yanks me behind him.

I cry out as pain flare through my shoulder. "What is your problem?"

"What's yours!?" He shouts, pointing at the wall.

Through it, the winged man stares at me.

He's shouting at me, but I can't hear him through the thick glass. He seems to realize he's about to lose his chance to get to me and lifts his sword.

"Go!" Erick shouts, shoving at me.

I dart past him. "Wait! My-!"

Erick scoops me off my feet and throws me over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I shout.

He jostles me and the worst pain yet flares through my shoulder.

I cry out and it takes everything in me to not pass out again.

The glass in my room shatters as Erick bolts through the house and out the back door.

"Take me back!" I shout, hitting Erick in the back.

"To the maniac? No way!"

"I left something!"

"It's not more important than your life," he snarls, dropping me to my feet.

Before I can run back in, Ava grabs my hand. "Raven?" She asks, feeling for the scar on the inside of my palm.

"I'm here," I assure.

"Raven!"

All of us turn at the voice.

Will is sprinting towards us. He looks a bit shell-shocked, as if someone shot him point-blank and he somehow survived.

"Will?" Alex asks, stepping in front of him to stop him from running into me.

Except Will isn't looking at me. He's looking over my head and the shell-shock is fading to rage.

"What happened?" I ask.

Will jabs a finger behind me. "Ask her."

I turn.

My mother bats her eyelashes. "Me? What did I do?"

Will throws himself at her, but Alex and Erick hold him back. "They burned the compound!"

"I'm not in control of the creatures," she snarls.

"Your soldiers!" He shouts.

"The people?" I ask. "The garden?" What happened to those under-watered Tiger Lilies?

"I'd evacuated everyone," he snarls, "but the garden is up in flames. We have nowhere to go!"

Rae puts her hands out. "Calm down. We have other compounds."

Will shakes his head like a bull about to charge. "You don't understand! They burned all the Rebel compounds. On councilwoman Zoey Black's orders."

I turn on her. "What have you done?" I snarl.

"She's in danger from the creatures too," Erick argues, "we don't have time to fight. We need to go."

"She could've killed people," Rae snaps.

"She did kill people!" Will roars, lunging for Zoey.

Erick intercepts him and he unfortunately has a height advantage that keeps Will at bay.

"We don't have time for this," I snap. "We'll take a head start and if she follows, we'll kill her."

"Raven," Zoey protests. She grabs my arm.

I smack her hand off. "Don't touch me."

"Where are we supposed to go?" Alex asks, voice tremoring. "All our safe houses are... gone."

Ava had been unusually quiet up to this point. But now, she says, "outside the dome."

Everyone goes quiet.

"Are you nuts?" Alex asks.

Ava swats at him. "It's a good idea. We're in danger here from Zoey's troops. And the attack is happening on the city. If we're outside the city, we should be safe."

My heart stammers. Outside? Where there could be real animals and forests. Lakes, and waterfalls, and the sun? What do real stars look like? Are constellations real things or just something I read about in a book? What could be out there?

"No," Will snaps.

Zoey smiles. "That's right. It's more dangerous out there than it is in here. As you can see by these freaks of nature with their wings. The radiation will kill you."

Ava lifts her arms. "The dome is open! If there were radiation, we'd be experiencing its effects already. Stop lying, Zoey. You agree with me, right Raven?"

I look around my group of friends. Rae is grabbing her throat and squeezing her eyes shut. Alex is squatting down, holding his head in his hands. Will shakes his head at me.

Of course, I agree. I'd love to leave the dome more than anything.

It's not like anyone would miss me. But what about Rae? She's an up-and-coming young doctor. She went to college at a young age because she's a medical prodigy. What would be waiting for her outside?

And Alex... As much as he hates me for what I did... he's one of my best friends. He loves art and he's clumsy. And he's scared of being in the rebellion, but he joined to avenge Oliver. Because I asked.

They've all done too much for me.

It's time I do something for them.

"No, Ava."

Ava's jaw drops. "What?"

My mom smiles and slides up beside me, coiling an arm around my shoulder.

I whimper as she grips my wound, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"That's it, dear. I know of a safe house where I can protect you. Come with me and this will all be over s-."

"I'm not going with you. Not without my friends."

She sneers, glancing from me to them. "Fine. They can come."

Relief floods through me. "Good. Let's go."

"No."

I turn on Ava. "What?"

She sets her shoulders and balls her fists. "I'm not going with her. We need to leave the dome, Raven. I need you to trust me."

"I do trust you," I assure, stepping towards her, shrugging my mom off. "But we can't leave the dome. It's too risky."

She lifts her chin and her expression becomes much too calm. "Fine," she says. "You go. But I'm not."

"Ava, don't be ridiculous. Come with-."

She turns and takes off.

"Ava!" I shout.

As she runs, she kicks off her shoes and sprints through the grass.

Somehow, she seems to have no trouble navigating where she's going, as if she doesn't need the sensors to tell her where to go anymore.

"Ava!" I scream, taking off after her.

"Raven, stop!" Will shouts, trying to grab me.

I feel his fingers brush my arm, but nothing matters except reaching Ava.

She'd gotten a head start and seems to know exactly where she's going.

I sprint around a corner I'd seen her red hair disappear around, then freeze.

Ava stands at the end of an alleyway, with the winged man at her side.

"Ava, what the hell is this?" I growl.

The man grabs her arm. "I'm, um, threatening her," he says.

I shake my head. "What? Ava, get over here!"

Ava sets her feet and shakes her head. "No."

The man leans in close. "I don't think she's going to believe I'm threatening you if you agree to stay with me."

Ava scoffs, "you know she can hear you, right?"

The man glances at me and shakes Ava. "You must come with me, Raven Zora Black. Or I'll kill your small friend."

"I'm not small," Ava protests.

I step forward. "You'll let her go or I'll stab you in those nice wings of yours."

The wings fold in against him and he shuffles back. "No, thanks."

Ava elbows him.

"We must leave the dome," he insists. A dagger appears in his hand and he presses it to Ava's throat.

I tense. Whether they're faking this or not, that dagger is very real.

"Raven!" My mom comes spilling around the corner, then freezes when she sees the man.

The man's eyes lock on her and he shoves Ava behind him. "You!" He roars, throwing the dagger at her — which she dodges — and drawing a sword.

How many weapons does this guy have?

He points the sword at my mother. "Zoey Black! Stay right where you are! I place you under arrest!"

My mom scoffs, "excuse me? Who are you?"

"It matters not who I am, Zoey Black. It matters that finally, after all these years, you will pay for what you've done."

She blinks at him. "Cute. Let's go, Raven."

I find myself stepping towards the winged man. "No," I growl.

Her jaw tightens. "Now's not the time for you to play games, Raven. Get off your high horse and get your ass in gear. Now."

The man's wings snap out. "You will never take her from me again," the man snarls. "Thomas will find you and kill you."

For the first time, my mom's expression flickers from cool and calm to panicked. "Thomas? He's not here... is he?"

The man steps forward. "Who do you think sent us!? He has come to correct your mistake. I am here for the people you've hurt!"

Faster than I can comprehend, something cold and sharp presses into my throat.

The man's wings flare wider, hitting the alley walls.

"Mom?" I whimper, lifting my chin.

The dagger digs in deeper and slices into my skin. The smell of silver fills the air, even though I should smell my blood over the dagger.

My breath shudders out of me. "What are you doing?"

"Put the sword down," she orders, watching the man. "You make one move towards me or my daughter, and it's lights out for her. I will not go back to him. I did what I did for a reason. He'll ruin everything. Stand down, soldier. As your q-."

"You're nothing to me," he snarls. He lowers the sword, staring into my eyes. "But she's something."

My mom nods. "Good boy. Come on, Raven."

"I'm not going with you!" I shout.

She jabs the dagger deeper. "Do what I say, or I will kill you."

Sadly, I think she means it.

I put my hands up and take a step back.

"Stop," the man pleads.

"Raven?" Ava calls.

I blink back tears and keep backing away with my mom. "It's going to be okay, Ava. I'll find you."

"Don't count on it," my mom breathes in my ear. "I'm never letting you go again. You're mine."