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“Strangely enough,” Aurora laughed as Dean’s eyebrows rose, “he’s one of the best guards we ever had.”

“That’s because I control my own space, Dude.”

After a short tussle over the keys and a little more teasing of the new guy, they started up the stairs. Six steps up, one of them sneezed violently.“I think I’m allergic to the damned cat.”

“Well, he won’t be in the damned room,” Aurora mocked, slipping her arm around the shoulders of the last man standing in the lobby. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked in lockstep up to the second floor.

“I’m guessing that one’s happy,” Austin murmured as they heard the fourth door close.

Dean removed his glasses and polished them against the hem of his T-shirt.“I’m not going there.”

“Probably wise.”

*

Struggling up through a pounding headache and the kind of nausea that made even breathing seem like a bad idea, Diana opened her eyes. The ceiling—a long, long way up—didn’t look familiar. Where was she? Mattress and pillow under her. Blanket over. She was obviously in a bed. In her underwear. So she’d been here for a while.

Her head flopped to the left and she could see a row of beds stretching off across a…store?

To the right, baby and toddler pajamas were twenty percent off.

Okay. Got it now. Otherside. Mall. Meat-minds. Mall elves. Battle. Wand. Ow.

The two nearest beds were also occupied. She identified Colin by his pale hair but didn’t know who the second wounded elf was.

Raising her head, she could see another row of beds facing the first. Since all the beds were made—bedding, aisle fifteen—she assumed the elves were using it as a dormitory slash infirmary.

“Hey. You’re awake.”

“Claire!” A strong hand behind her back helped her sit. The world tilted. “Bucket!”

A bucket appeared with an efficiency that suggested this was not the first time.

Legs crossed, Diana grasped the turquoise plastic sides firmly and bent over.

“I can’t believe you’ve still got that much in your stomach,” Claire murmured worriedly when Diana finally sat up.

“I don’t. We’re on the Otherside, remember?” Diana gratefully took the offered water, poured some into her mouth, rinsed, and spat. “I could be channeling it from anywhere. Why is everything on an angle?”

“I’m guessing that when you sat up, the world tilted. It’s been happening every time you vomit, but don’t worry, it settles down.”

“I hurl and the earth moves?”

“I know, just what you need, more ego reinforcement.” Eyes averted from the contents, Claire set the bucket into the lower cupboard of the bedside table and closed the door.

Diana thought about that for a moment and shuddered.“Uh, Claire…”

“Do you want to deal with it?”

“Well, no, but…”

“Well, I don’t want to deal with it either and that means we don’t have to. Next time it comes out of the cupboard, it’ll be a new bucket. Okay, once it was a new cauldron because a couple of the kids were hanging around, but, mostly, it’s a bucket.”

“Cauldron?”

“We’re wizards.”

“Right. Don’t cauldrons go with witches?”

“I suspect the kids were a little confused by that wand trick.” Arms folded, brow furrowed, Claire walked almost all the way to Baby and Toddler Pajamas, returned, and reluctantly continued. “And they were also impressed.”

“I get the impression you’re less impressed,” Diana sighed.

“When you used the wand to destroy the dark elf, it didn’t pull power from the possibilities, it pulled it from you.”

“No sh…kidding, Sherlock.” Throwing back the covers, Diana cautiously swung her legs out over the side of the bed. The world wobbled a bit but went no farther off center. “That certainly explains why I feel like I’ve been puked up and left to dry on the sidewalk. Do you think the wand wasa trap?”

“No, I think it was thrown together for the tourist trade with no real thought. It’d have little effect on a Bystander and a Bystander would have less effect on it, but a Keeper…”

“…it sucks dry.”

“It’s why you collapsed.”

“Yeah, I got that.” She glanced around for her clothes, saw them folded neatly on the end of the opposite bed, and sent a pleading look toward Claire.

“Are you sure you’re well enough?”

“My head’s pounding, but I don’t actually want or enjoy the feeling of my brain being ground between bricks, so I should be better soon.” It wasn’t until Claire picked up her shorts and T-shirt with her left hand that Diana realized her right arm was held tight against her chest. “You okay?”

Claire followed her gaze, flexed the fingers, and nodded.“I took a hit from one of those tote bags when the dark elf realized what I was doing with the pepper. It’s almost healed.”

“How long was I out?”

“About four hours.” Three words. A whole lot of feelings.

Diana reached out and touched her sister lightly on the shoulder.“I’m okay.”

“I know.”

“And if I wasn’t okay, it wouldn’t have been your fault.”

“I know.”

“I’m an active Keeper now, and I’m my own responsibility.”

“Iknow.”