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“Gen! Oh my Gods!” Calli jumps up, running into Gen’s arms, tears streaming down her face.

Gen looks her up and down as Ben enters behind her holding his shoulder. He looks around the room and sees Rosa, his face unreadable.

“What happened to you?” Calli asks, holding Gen’s face.

“What happened to you?” Gen’s voice cracks as she touches Calli’s hair.

“My hundredth great-grandpa was a titan, it’s a long story, but we need to get you guys out of here.” She looks at Ben. “I thought they killed you…”

“No worries, I’m too stubborn to die. But a bulletproof vest under your suit helps.” He laughs and winces. “I’ll survive.”

Calli looks at Gen, then to Ben’s wound as if asking permission.

“I want to try something.” She lifts her pointer finger and it glows a white light. The air shifts and the wound appears not to heal, but as if time moved backward and the injury never happened.

“We trained once, that’s impressive,” Gen says in awe.

Ben’s face is the picture of shock as Calli hugs Gen again. “Let’s go.”

My ears perk up at another tiny sound, and I reach up to the side of my head. My ears are pointed. I ignore that for the moment as the sound grows, and we all begin to hear the echoes of fast footfalls rushing toward us.

Kai, Alok, and I all turn and prepare ourselves for another fight when we see Jack appear.

He stops short as he stares at me, eyes wide, and his mouth drops.

“We’re okay, Jack,” I hear Calli say from behind me.

He backs up a few steps, not saying a word as he takes in the scene around him—bodies splayed all over the floor, and the two people he’s known since he was a boy probably unrecognizable to him. Realizing that, I choose to say nothing.

“It’s okay. I’m still me,” Calli says, reaching her hand out.

“Cal?” he says apprehensively, looking back and forth between all of us before shaking his head.

“We need to get you guys out of here. There are cops inbound,” he says hesitantly.

“How the hell are we going to sneak out of here like this?” Calli asks, pointing to me.

“Speak for yourself, fairy princess,” I reply flatly, pointing back to her as I lower my sleeves.

“Your eyes are red,” she says with an attitude, until she turns and catches sight of herself in a mirror.

“My fucking hair!” she screams. I roll my eyes. The pale strands are white with an oil slick effect that seems to shine in the light. “I look like an old woman.”

I look at Kai who stands there playing with one of his own white strands before looking at me. “Do I look old to you?”

“Can we not do this now?” Ben says, rolling his shoulder as if testing it. “There is a back entrance through underground tunnels that lead through the forest—this way.”

“That would have been very useful information earlier, Ben,” I say, lifting a brow.

“And you being a creepy demon-thing would have been useful information earlier, but you don’t see me giving you shit,” Ben replies with a sarcastic tone.

“I like him,” Kai says, nudging Calli.

She rolls her eyes as we all follow Ben.

“If it helps, I didn’t know,” he clarifies. “I heard Rosa’s guards talk about the tunnels after I woke up and went to find Gen.”

“I’m surprised you’re alive, you lost so much blood,” Calli says.