“Excuse me? Who are you?” Esadora said. “How do you know my mom?”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Is that really what’s important right now? Your mom—”

“Yes, yes, my mom—how do you know her?”

The girl muttered something under her breath, then said, “My dad’s part of the Chamber of Aster.”

Esadora wasn’t given the time to process that as the soldiers dragged the girl past her to the stairs.

“Hey!” the girl called out. “I haven’t finished talking!”

The soldiers didn’t respond, continuing to pull her up the stairs as she thrashed in their arms.

Esadora sighed and chose not to go after her. When she came out, she’d be waiting for her.

It was over half an hour later the girl finally came out. Esadora stood up from the bench as she came down the stairs.

“Oh my, what did I do to deserve this? The great and majestic Esadora Morgan is waiting for me!” the girl announced.

Esadora crossed her arms. “If you’re going to be sarcastic, we don’t have to talk. After all, the great and majestic Esadora Morgan did just waste her time sitting down here when she could’ve been doing something much more important.”

“People weren’t lying when they said you were arrogant.”

“But you—”

The girl raised a hand. “Relax. I’m kidding.” She glanced. “Can we go somewhere more private?”

Esadora dragged in a breath. “Yeah. Follow me.”

When they entered her Holly’s room, Holly was reading a book. Or she was trying to, but her eyes closed and opened again and again.

“Uh, Holly?”

Holly’s head snapped up. “Yeah?”

Esadora smiled and said, “Holly, meet… this person. This person, meet Holly.”

The girl put her hands on her hips. “I do have a name, you know!”

“I asked that earlier, but you never really bothered to tell me.”

“Whatever.” The girl turned to Holly and stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Holly! I’m Allecky Stone.”

Holly stared at her for a minute, then stood to shake her hand. “Same here, I guess.”

Allecky smiled. “Now, onto the matter at hand. You guys might want to sit for this.”

Holly glanced at Esadora with a furrowed brow, but she just shrugged. They went to sit down.

“Like I said, Esadora, your mom’s in danger. And you might be a little shocked when you hear why. But promise you’ll listen and, like, not kill me or something.”

Esadora’s heart rate sped up. What could Allecky tell her that would make her want to kill her?

“After you left Esmeralda, the Chamber went crazy.”

“Wait. How would you know that I left Esmeralda? Aren’t you from Aster?” From the corner of her eyes, she saw Holly’s eyes widen.

“Esadora, you’re kind of a big deal. Once they found out you left, all members of the Chamber in Aster and in Wirania were told. The most important Chamber Representatives of Aster and Wirania gathered in Esmeralda, including my dad. So I went with him.”

Allecky stepped closer to them, eyes narrowing. “What I say next has to stay between us, okay? I mean, they’ll probably find out anyway, but I want to postpone that for as long as possible.”

Holly and Esadora nodded slowly, but Esadora’s mind was moving a mile a minute.

“Listen. The Chambers aren’t all that you guys think it is. Yeah, they run Aster and Wirania, but I think the core of the Chambers are involved in something big. I mean, I get that you’re the daughter of one of the Chamber members, but that’s not enough to warrant this. If this were just about that, they probably would’ve just sent some people from Esmeralda’s Chamber’s Investigation Department.

“But not only did they get people from Aster, they also… they took your mom.”

Esadora calmed her racing heart. “What do you mean?”

“Before I left, they were interrogating her on your whereabouts. That already sounds weird, right? She was the one who reported you missing. But I overheard some members of Esmeralda’s Chamber talking, and they said that if she didn’t know where you were, they would use her as blackmail to get you to come back. And if that didn’t work, they’d turn to your—”

“Blackmail? What do you mean by that?”

“They said that they’d send someone from the Chamber to give you a discreet message of what they’d do to her if you didn’t comply, but I imagine that they’d… um… torture her…”

Esadora stared at her, mouth falling open. How could the Chamber do such a thing? And to her mother, who was a part of them? But there was always the chance that Allecky was lying. “How do I know that you’re telling the truth?”

“Do I have any reason to lie?”

Esadora sighed. “You, a girl I’ve never seen in my life, come all the way to the Vampire Belt to warn me about this. Doesn’t that seem a little suspicious to you?”

Allecky shrugged. “Sure, but there’s thing called basic morals. I know a lot of people don’t have them these days, but I do.”

“...Right.” Esadora looked at the ground. She didn’t want to think that Allecky was lying, but she was accusing the Chamber of something so terrible. How could she possibly believe her?

She snapped back to reality when Holly spoke. “Allecky, you’re from Aster, right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Holly was silent for a moment. “Have you heard anything about Elias Aimes?”

Allecky furrowed her eyebrows. “Um… yes! I heard that he’s missing.”

Esadora’s mouth dropped open.

“What? Since when?” Holly was much more restrained than what Esadora thought she’d be.

“A few weeks ago, I’d say. Why? Wait… Are you Holly Aimes?”

“...Yes.”

“You were,” Allecky said with a mindful voice, eyes widening, “announced as missing a couple weeks ago too! What even—”

“Don’t tell the Chamber!”

Esadora raised her eyebrows. Stuff like missing civilian were kept to the Order Administration, so of course Allecky wouldn’t tell the Chamber.

Clearly, Allecky thought the same. “Okay. Why would I, in the first place?”

Holly shrugged stiffly. “I don’t know.”

“Anyway, why did you even leave Aster?” Esadora asked. “And why does it seem like you and your brother disappeared at the same time?”

“I don’t know! Why would I know? I just want to go back to Aster.”

“Then why don’t you just go? What’s keeping—”

“Hold up,” Allecky said. “Before you start arguing, there’s something you need to know, Holly.”

Holly sighed. “What?”

“They recently put a barrier around all of Aster. It’s really similar to the one around Esmeralda, except people can’t just leave either.”

“But why would they do this?” Holly was standing now.

“Fuck if I—”

A vehement knock interrupted her.

“Um… should I get that? I’m not getting that.” Allecky leaned against the wall.

Esadora rolled her eyes and stalked toward the door. She paused when she turned the doorknob. Who could be on the other side? Emil? What if it was Leon? While she’d been looking for Leon, she couldn’t help the shaking in her hand as she remembered being slammed to the floor.

She groaned and pulled the door open before she could think about it any longer. Her eyes automatically narrowed at the sight in front of her.

Leon leaned against the wall, mouth raised in a smug smile. “What took you so long? My dad wants to see you.”

Esadora’s blood ran cold. What could Mr. Veharic have to say to them?

“Heard that, ladies? All of you have been summoned.” Leon gestured down the hall. “Come along.”

He turned and walked off. Esadora glanced back at the girls, mood lifting slightly when Allecky said, “I think I’m actually about to murder someone” and flipped her hair in indignation as she approached her. Holly grumbled something under her breath with her nose wrinkled.

Esadora followed after Leon, every step heavier than the last. When they came to the suddenly imposing doors, Leon looked at her and winked, then opened the doors. Her feet dragged as she stepped into the office. Once again, Mr. Veharic sat in his desk, eyes glued to her. She shifted as she stood before him, Holly and Allecky coming to the sides of her.

Mr. Veharic leaned back in his chair. “It has come to my attention just exactly who you are, Esadora Morgan.”

Esadora’s heart pounded, hands going clammy.

“And I’ve decided that I won’t let you leave.”

She stilled. “What?”

“Regardless of whether you planned on leaving or not, you are now restricted from leaving,” he said, face a blank sheet. “You’re essential in ways I’m almost positive you don’t even know.”

Esadora stared at him, stomach filling with dread.

“Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t do such a thing, but this situation is exceptionally complicated. However, it’s not as bad as it sounds. You can continue living as you always have here, save for the interrogation I will have you undergo after we’re finished her. But you will be under supervision, and if you try to leave, you will be detained.

“I really do hate that it has to be this way, but hard times call for drastic measures.”