Tomorrow, Nol and I have a plan. We'll be confronting Rebecca Burke, bringing her a memory that will wipe away all that she's stolen from us. Usually, we can't do this sort of operation on a memory stealer unless the memory has certain components. Without Nol guiding me through my memory catcher education, I'd missed these technical details. And without Nol's skill, I wouldn't be able to find a memory that could work this sort of magic. It's sort on the same level as the soulmate task. OK, so I did find two soulmate memories – my parents' and mine – and I'd transmitted one successfully. But this new challenge, well, I'm happy to partner with Nol on it.

But now – today – Nol and I aren't thinking about Rebecca Burke or lower-level memory stealers like Logan. We aren't thinking about the competition that we've ignored until this point because we know that when we face our fellow scientist, we're going to reduce her chances of winning and wreaking havoc to about zero. Together, we are a badass mother-daughter team.

Today, we're in the new apartment Nol has just rented. Well, actually we're not in the apartment. We're sitting in the small flower garden out back and staring at a pile of bits and pieces that Sky had dropped off for us earlier in the day: a couple of silly love notes, a bracelet made of blue string, used movie tickets, a few dried flower petals.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" I ask Nol.

"Do you doubt me?" She grins and raises an eyebrow. "Just because I was kind of living on my own planet for about twenty years doesn't mean I've lost my touch."

I laugh, a real laugh for the first time in a long while.

"If anyone can do it, you can."

Nol has spent the morning studying the bits and pieces, after earlier talking with Sky and spending time absorbing those memories. Those memories she is going to try to place in my mind, where they belong.

"Look, this is definitely easier than what you did when you brought me back, Cass."

"Oh, that wasn't about skill." I brush the compliment aside even though it fills me with delight. A compliment from Nol on my memory catcher abilities is valuable considering her experience in the area. "You're my mom and I wanted you back. It was more about desperation than anything else. Desperation works wonders."

Now it's Nol's turn to laugh. "Well, whatever it was, it merits recognition. You're among the best out there. Why do you think Logan wanted to destroy your abilities? Why do you think Rebecca Burke headed for your lab before trying to stir up trouble anywhere else? They knew they had to eliminate you, Cass, if they hoped to win this competition and assure their powers well into the future."

"OK, I'll try to graciously accept the compliment. Thanks."

Nol turns back to the table of memories and knits her brow, and I fidget with the hem of my cotton skirt. I'm nervous because though I know Sky and I can rebuild everything from here even if I can't get those memories back, I want those memories. They're a precious part of who I am, who we were – I want to know that young, carefree couple.

Nol stands up, takes me by the hands so that we're now face to face, and looks at me with a brilliant smile.

"Please don't tell me you're done," I say. "I can't remember a thing."

"My part is done."

"What do you mean? I have a part in this whole thing? I don't get it. When we transmit memories it's usually instantaneous, and the other person doesn't have to do anything and—"

Nol presses her fingers to my lips to stop the sudden panicked flow of words.

"These sorts of memories are a bit different."

"What do you mean?"

"They're like planting a seed. You know what happens there. You plant, then wait for it to grow."

"So I have to..." Now it's my turn to wrinkle my brow.

A knock at the door interrupts us. It's Sky, who enters with a huge bouquet of roses that he presses into my arms.

"You have to fall in love with him again, then the rest will follow," Nol says with a smile.

And right then and there, as I look into Sky's eyes, I believe her.