“Well, I’m sure they miss you very much.” Sabine nods, reverting to her courtroom litigator’s tone.

But Haven’s not playing that game, the one where everyone acts all polite and politically correct and pretends that what was just said really wasn’t, and that everything will work out in the end despite a load of evidence piling up against it.

She’s also way past playing the parent and/or guardian game where you work overtime trying to put your best manners on display, so your friends’ parents will like you, trust you, and invite you to come back again.

Because Haven and I aren’t friends.

And she couldn’t care less what Sabine thinks of her or if she’s ever invited back.

So she shrugs and rolls her eyes and sings, “Doubtful!”

Causing Sabine’s gaze to immediately harden and switch over to me as though I’m somehow responsible, that my silence, my not saying a word, my not doing anything to stop it, signals consent of some kind. When really, I’m just waiting for this whole thing to end. Waiting for Haven to finally shut up, for Sabine to finally give up, head into the kitchen, and put the groceries away, so I can finally make some progress toward closing the deal Haven and I made.

Though, unfortunately, Haven’s far from done. Clearly relishing every last bit of tension she’s introduced and eager to add to it, she says, “But then, I don’t miss them either, so I guess that makes us even.”

Sabine looks at me, ready to speak, but Haven just waves her hand in the air, temporarily losing control of the juice and watching as it hurtles toward the floor—sparking and flaring as it splashes up the sides, until she casually reaches out, flattens her palm, and catches it in midair. Her eyes glinting when she sees the way Sabine blinks, shakes her head, and instantly talks herself out of what she just saw, convincing herself that no one can actually move that fast, that it didn’t happen at all like she thought.

“Whoops!” Haven laughs. “Well, anywho, don’t mean to keep you. Just came over to grab some of Ever’s elixir here.” She holds the bottle before her, tilting it from side to side, causing it to spark and flare, before pointing at the box I grasp in my arms, the one that houses the rest of the supply.

“You came to get her…what?” Sabine squints, struggling to make sense of it, glaring suspiciously between the bottle and me, before rising up onto her toes and peering inside the box, wondering why she failed to pay it any real notice until now. She places her bag on the entry table and reaches for the bottle Haven happily offers. If it means trouble for me, Haven will gladly hand it right over.

But this has gone far enough, and there’s no way I can let it continue.

I can’t allow Sabine to get her hands on the juice.

Can’t allow Haven to play me like this.

“It’snothing ,” I say, shoving the box into Haven’s side, pushing hard against her. “It’s just that energy sports drink I like.”

But Sabine’s not buying it. One look at her face is all it takes to know that she’s launched into a full-scale alert. Suddenly making the connection between my strange behavior, my refusal to eat, and all of my other strange, unexplainable, and just plain weird habits, assuming, somewhat correctly, that it all stems from this one single thing.

Haven laughs, thrusting the elixir toward her, taunting her, tempting her, urging Sabine to try a little sip so she can see for herself just howgood —just howrefreshing —just howenergizing and lifechanging one sip can be.

And Sabine’s just about to do it, lured by the pull of Haven’s gaze, the spark of the elixir, and just about to take the bait, when Haven laughs even harder and snatches it away.

Causing Sabine to shake her head, straighten her shoulders, and quickly pull herself together when she says, “I think you should leave.” The words ground between tightly clenched teeth. “I think you should go right now . And while I’m sorry to have to say it, Haven, you’re obviously very troubled and in need of some serious help, and until you find a way to get your behavior under control, I really don’t want to see you hanging around here anymore.” She reaches for the shopping bag, lifting it off the table and balancing it back on her hip as she continues to eyeball her carefully.

“Oh, no worries.” Haven smiles, turning to leave. “You willnot be seeing me again anytime soon. I have absolutely no need to ever return, now that I got what I need.”

She reaches for the door and I’m right there behind her, determined to get this over with as quickly and seamlessly as I can, before the calming effects of the juice wear off and Haven starts raging again.

But just as I’m about to step onto the stoop, Sabine stops me by grabbing hold of my arm. She has no intention of letting me leave, not now, and certainly not with a friend she just banned from her house.

She narrows her gaze, fingers slipping down to my wrist, circling tightly, as she says, “And just where do you think you’re going?”

My gaze meets hers, and I know I have no choice but to say it as calmly and succinctly as I can. Leave no doubt whatsoever that whether she likes it or not, she will not keep me from going through with my plan.

“Sabine—I have to go somewhere with Haven. It won’t take long, and when I get back, we can talk all you want, but for now, Ihave to go.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort!” she cries, her voice high-pitched, shrill, as she grips me that much tighter, my wrist turning an angry shade of red that won’t even have time to bruise before it’s healed again.