The next evening found Eli waiting in the Claw once more, much sooner than he would have liked. He had to Bring Nella as soon after sundown as possible, to avoid being seen and avoid running into the Takers.

He fidgeted. He had a plan, it was true. But how stubborn Nella would prove to be remained to be seen.

He felt for the shell vial in his pocket. It was a full dose of the Taking drug, enough for the two weeks before the new moon festival.

He rubbed the healing wound on his arm and shuddered at the memory of his blood clouding the water and making the walls swim. Dom had taken way more blood than was necessary for the drug—probably out of spite. But hopefully, it wouldn’t matter, and Nella would be gone within a couple of days.

But Mil was still a kid. Would she even bother to answer Dom? Would she let her sister take the fall for her? Eli knew there was a possibility. Even so, he’d only have to put up with hiding a Kar-Tog for two weeks. Then she’d be disposed of how Dom saw fit.

He found some comfort in that, though the thought of hiding it all from Dad made his stomach flip with guilt.

It would all be fine. He had to remember the Guardianship, remember his honor.

The sun disappeared over the horizon a few moments later, leaving the park doused in the light violet of dusk. Eli took a deep breath and expanded his mind. Dom had said the girls lived close by the park, just up the road.

It took a moment, but soon the outermost ripple of his thought sensed a human presence, or more accurately, three. He used the sister’s name— Nella— to find hers.

Immediately her moon-light presence brightened in his mind. He crept slowly forward with his mind, just to get a glimpse of her thoughts, to see what was happening in the house. He might need to bide his time if she and her sister— and who he presumed to be their mother— were still together.

“Goodnight.” Nella said.

An image of a woman, older, but with Nella’s green eyes and Mil’s wild red hair, wobbled, then stilled and clarified in Eli’s mind. She stirred something in a pitcher and frowned at Nella.

“It’s only nine.” She held up the pitcher. “I thought you wanted tea.”

“I’m just tired,” Nella said.

Mil popped up in front of her.

Nel jumped, her aura flooding Eli’s mind with violet. “Oh! Millie!”

“Why’re you going to sleep so early?”

Violet sparked to red-orange. “Good grief. You scared me!”

Mil pouted. “Sorry.” She threw her arms around Nella.

The red-orange faded to rose. Nella squeezed her tight. “It’s alright. I’m just tired, that’s all. I did a lot of research today.”

“It’s only the beginning of the year.” Mil released Nella and made a face.

“Yes, but earning a doctorate is no joke.”

“So what did you do today?”

Nella sighed. “I had to take samples of the sediment on the banks.”

“And that took you all day?”

Nella grinned. “I still have to take them back and examine them in the lab.”

Mil threw her head back and groaned.

“Don’t worry,” Nella said. “It’ll only take four weeks once I get back to school.” She turned and opened the door to her room.

“Can’t I come with you?”

“No, I’m going to sleep.”

“I meant to school.”

Nella paused and gazed at Mil. Her green eyes pleaded.

Nella’s aura swirled with a mixture of yellow laughter and deep blue longing. “You know Mom would never let you.”

Mil sighed. “I know. I just miss you.”

Nella looked at her. An image of Mil’s soaked and pale body lying on the banks, her red hair dark with moisture, assaulted her mind and Eli’s. Her aura flashed blue. She pulled Mil into a hug.

“I’ll be sure to come back more often. Especially after the week we’ve had.”

“You’d better, you big dork.” Mil pulled away and stuck out her tongue.

Nella chuckled and scrunched up her nose. “Goodnight, carrot top.”

She retreated into her room, and as she closed the door her yellow aura faded to a dull violet-black. She leaned against the door for a moment and took in slow breaths.

No, I can’t cry. Crying’s done. Millie’s safe. I know Mom won’t let her out of her sight. She looked around her room, painted a light blue-green. Open suitcases overflowed with clothes, one on the floor, and another on the paper-strewn desk.

A lumpy tartan bag sat on her bed. She crossed the room and sat the bag on the floor.

Eli caught a glimpse of glass jars within. Must have been her samples.

Nella gasped and dropped the edge of the blanket.

Eli hurried to hide his thoughts, cursing himself for letting his guard slip.

Really, Nella, she scolded herself. She forced her breathing to slow and crossed back to the door. Her hand hovered on the light switch, but at a stern command to herself, she turned it off and hurried into her bed.

Eli waited until she’d gotten herself comfortable and her thoughts bordered sleep. He took a deep breath. The time had come.

“Not quite willing to give into the fairy tale, are we?”

Nella bolted up. She threw a barrier around her thoughts, then thought better of it. It’s only the beginning of a dream. It’s not uncommon to hear a voice right before sleep comes.

“True, true. But does that voice always respond once you are awake?”

She sat stunned. Her thoughts ground to a standstill.

“Why so surprised? You hear me, don’t you?”

What sort of crazy phantom has my mind created for me?

“Your mind, my dear, has nothing to do with me.”

Nella sat frozen in her bed, unable to respond.

“I am as real and as alive as your sister says I am.”

Her thoughts, now running wild, struggled to find the connection. My sister…what about— The answer dawned on her, and more than a hint of disapproval colored her next thought. The silly Tognir thing. Now really, Nella. Is this how we spend our last night home, dreaming of monsters that don’t exist?

“Really. I don’t exist? Are you awake, or not?”

Nella blinked a few times, and flexed her fingers. Awake. I thought I was awake. But obviously I’m dreaming. She took a deep breath. Wake up, Nella. Wake up. It’s all a silly dream. She waited for a moment, and so did Eli, for the return to consciousness that didn’t come.

The first violet flicker of real fear brightened her presence.

“Well?” Eli demanded. “Are you awake, or aren’t you?”

I can’t be.

“Go on, pinch yourself. Prove it.”

Nella did precisely as she was told, and a little spark of pain flashed in her presence. Still not satisfied, she smacked herself a few times on the cheek. Wake up.

“You’re wasting your time. Quit denying it. You’re awake. Can we move on from that fact now?”

Nella, for the first time, turned her thoughts toward Eli, her moonlight quavering as she did so. Whatever this voice is, it isn’t coming from me. “Who are you?”

“Ah, my presence acknowledged at last. I was beginning to think I was going to have to shout.”

Nella drew back, but Eli spun a melody, just enough to keep her attention.

“No, don’t go running away now. I’ve already told you what I am. As for who I am, well, you’ll have to come see for yourself.”

“You are not one of those stupid Tognir things that Millie keeps talking about.” There was the anger, the pride, the independence.

“How do you know? Can you prove it?”

Nella scoffed. “You’re just a stupid voice in my head. Something in my brain is making it up. I don’t know what, but it has to be.”

“You’re not sure about that. You’re afraid it’s true, that you have, in fact, established contact with the dreaded Tognir.”

Nella pushed away with irritation, and again Eli drew her back.

“If you’re so sure that you’re right, why don’t you prove it, Miss Scientist? You can silence Millie’s stories…and your own doubts.”

“What are you talking about?” Nella snapped. “None of it is true.”

“Then you have nothing to lose. Go on. Go to the riverside and meet me, face to face. Prove to me and to yourself and your sister that I don’t exist.” Eli wove his next words with a melody chosen to infuriate her pride. “I dare you.”

The song had its desired effect. Nella’s presence glowed with a warmer light, like a harvest moon, and she got up out of her bed and went for her shoes. “I will,” she spat at Eli. “I will and then I can prove it’s all just a drug-induced nightmare that my sister had.”

Eli chuckled at this, letting it echo in her head, and then settled back to watch her thoughts run wild.

This is stupid, Nella told herself as she laced up her sneakers. Why do you need to prove anything to this voice? It’s just a voice. Just tell it to leave, and it’ll go away.

“Nice try,” Eli put in. “I’ll go away once you keep your end of the dare.”

Her aura lit up. “Shut up.” She finished the laces on her shoes and went to the door, then seemed to think better of it and went to the window.

She slid up the sash. This is crazy. This is really crazy. She hung one leg out the window, then hesitated. What if it is real? What if Millie’s right?

“There’s only one way to find out,” Eli sneered.

That was all the push Nella needed. She clambered through the window and crept through the yard.

Eli’s heart began to beat just a little faster. Show time.

He pushed himself out from under the Claw, climbed up onto the park bank, and hid under the shadow of the massive tree.

He focused back on Nella. She was running, red-violet anger churning through all her thoughts. She’d be to the park in a matter of a moment or two. He felt again for the vial in his pocket and allowed himself a grim smile. All was going according to plan.

His prediction was accurate. Within the next moment he caught sight of a figure running down the road to the park. The angry red moonlight he felt confirmed it was indeed Nella, and a little thrill raced through him. He’d never expected the process to be so enjoyable, so fun. For once, Dom had been right. He was almost too good at antagonizing people.

He touched her thoughts again and found she was running out of steam.

She slowed as she neared the bottom of the road. I’m at the park. I really ran all the way down here to meet…nothing. She stopped and stood heaving for breath. What am I doing? I need to go home and go back to bed.

“Ah, but you’re almost here,” Eli chuckled. He heard her gasp, saw her look around. “Come a little closer. I’m having a hard time seeing you.”

The full moon poked its pale head above the trees, throwing the park into a ghastly relief. In turn, her own purple moonlight brightened.

Eli was only too glad to capitalize on her fear. “Ah, that’s better. Now I see you. But can you see me?”

She froze in fear. Still, she was too far away for him to risk going out to meet her.

“Maybe if you come closer to the river, you’ll see me in the shadow of a big tree.”

Her eyes locked onto the tree where he stood.

“Yes, that one.”

“Why don’t you come out here?” she demanded. “You like creeping in the shadows because you’re nothing but a voice in my head, that stupid voice that makes little girls cry at night and call in their daddies to scare away the monsters under their bed.”

Something in her bared itself, and Eli tried to catch a glimpse of it, but only encountered the same heavily-guarded box as the day before.

“Perhaps so,” Eli retorted, “but how often does the voice lure grown women to the riverside?”

She didn’t respond, just stared at the tree.

Eli knew he’d have to do something to lure her closer. But what? He’d have to show his hand, just a little, just enough to get her curious.

He stooped, bent and picked up a rock, and tossed it into the water.

The splash made her jump.

“Come skip rocks with me. I know how much you like to play that game.”

The moonlight in her dimmed this time.

How does he know that? She shook herself. Oh, don’t be silly. It was a frog, jumping in the water.

“What if I told you how many rocks I’m about to skip? Would that convince you to come closer?”

Nella’s light remained dim and began to tremble. “You can’t do that. You’re just a voice.”

Eli bent and scooped up a handful of rocks. He edged around the side of the tree to the water’s edge.

“One.” He let the rock fly. It skipped twice before sinking down. He could almost taste her fear. “Two.” Another one, skipped only once. “Three.” This one skipped almost all the way out to the middle.

Finally, she took a step closer, and then another, as the anger returned. I don’t know what this is, she thought, but I’m about to find out. This can’t be happening. There must be some explanation.

“Four.” He let the rock go. “That was the last one. It’s your turn to play now.”

Her steps came closer, moving faster and faster, slapping against the pavement of the parking lot, then crunching in the grass on the upper part of the bank.

He peeked around the tree trunk and watched her come into the shadow of the tree.

There she stopped, about ten feet away, and stared at the bank.

“Now I can see you clearly. You ready to see me?”

She whirled toward the tree, her green eyes wide. The moonlight fell dappled through the leaves overhead. Eli released the melody of focus he’d put around her thoughts. The tethers fell from her mind, leaving only the sharp edge of fear.

Eli grinned. He lifted his hand so that the scales on his skin caught the moonlight.

She began to tremble.

“What are you scared of? Afraid you’re gonna be wrong after all?” Eli stepped out into the moonlight, at the same time breaching her unguarded thoughts to savor her first impression of the Tognir.

He saw what she saw, painted grotesque by her terror— a tall figure, covered in dark scales glittering in the moonlight, his dark hair falling flat, plastered to his human-like face, two glowing aquamarine eyes peering at her, and pale lips twisted into a menacing smile.

“Do you believe in the Tognir now?” he asked her aloud.

She opened her mouth to scream. He strode forward and with one quick movement pulled her back to him and clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Good.” With that, he drained the contents of the shell vial into her mouth and waited until her struggling stopped and her mind went blank.

Eli put Nella in the spare room of his house. It was windowless and remote— perfect, he hoped, for hiding her for the next few days.

Nella’s dark hair floated up as he laid her on the divan.

Mom’s image flashed before him, her hair falling on his face as she tucked him in. “Goodnight, my love.”

He shook his head and batted Nella’s hair out of his face. She was nothing like Mom. Just a stupid Kar-Tog.

He left her there without a blanket, but some pang of guilt urged him back. Kar-Togs were always cold the first few days of their transformation. He pulled a spare, heavy drape from the stone coffer in the corner of his room and left it at the foot of her bed.

The drug would keep her unconscious for several hours while it worked through her system, first perfecting her underwater breathing, and then moving on to her skin. He’d only been able to get a few days off from Dad, but he’d at least be able to guide her through the worst of the process, as her whole appearance changed.

Not that it would change much. He looked at her for a few seconds. Tell-tale red welts had appeared on her face and hands already, signs that the drug was working. She would grow scales and develop webbing between her fingers and toes, but those features would remain pale, like her own skin, unlike the scales of a true Tognir.

His victims had always been like that, too human-looking when they came to the sacrifice. He knew the other Takers had noticed, though for fear of Dad they never dared to say anything. It was strange, yes, but at the end of the day, the drug did its job, and that was all that mattered.

After settling into his own bed, he reached out with his mind, looking for the tell-tale colorful glow of the Tognir king. He found it, awake and ready.

“Is it done?”

“Affirmative.”

“And was it easy?”

Eli smiled. “Laughably so.”

“Excellent, my friend. I’ll let my Mil know the tables have turned.”

“Dom?”

The Tognir king hesitated. “Ah, yes. Your Guardianship. You will have it after the new moon festival. I give my word.”

“What about Dad?”

Dom sighed. “If we are both very careful, he will never know. As for the reason behind your re-promotion, let me handle that. Luc won’t ask too many questions, you can be sure.”

“Fine.”

“Eli?”

Eli rolled his eyes. “Good night, Your Majesty.”

“And to you, my clever friend.”

With that, Dom released him, and Eli rolled over and let sleep take him.

A strangled kind of noise, like a drowning man, woke Eli.

The girl.

He leapt up and rushed to the spare bedroom.

Nella clung to the looking glass with one hand, clawing at her throat with the other.

“Stop,” he commanded her.

She did stop, but only to look at him in terror. Her mouth tried to form words, but all she managed to produce were bubbles.

“With your mind, dimwit,” he snapped.

Her presence, dulled by the drug, flashed warm. “I’m not an idiot.”

“Then why are you trying to tear your throat out?”

She turned back to the looking glass. “I don’t understand. How am I alive? I should be dead, shouldn’t I? Am I dead?”

“Far from it,” Eli said, making a wide gesture with his arms. “You’re in the process of becoming a Tognir.”

“Impossible.” She scratched her throat again, where her collar met her raw, red skin. “Why is this so itchy?”

“You need to change clothes,” he said. “Those human clothes make the itching worse.”

“Why am I itching?”

Eli grinned. “You’re growing scales, my dear.”

She whirled to stare at him, her eyes bulging, and almost toppled over. She grabbed the looking glass again and pulled herself up straight.

“You’re not serious, are you?”

“You just said you’re not an idiot. What did I tell you? You. Are. Becoming. A. Tognir.”

She stared at him, her mouth agape.

“Shut your mouth. You’ll start growing algae in there.”

She sunk to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut. Her shoulders began to shake, and she drew in sharp, ragged breaths.

Eli raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter with you?”

“I want to go home!”

It dawned on him then. She was crying.

He sighed, shook his head and sat on the end of the divan. “Listen. For the next few days, this is home, like it or not. It’ll be home until your sister decides to give herself up to the king.”

“Wake up, wake up!” Nella grabbed a bit of the skin on her arm between her nails and pinched hard. When that didn’t work, she gave a loud, frustrated cry, grasped a fistful of hair in each hand, and pulled.

She was going to wrench her hair out. Eli reached out to pry her hands away from her head. Her grip was tight, her dimmed aura dancing on the edge between consciousness and unconsciousness, her mind vivid with images of dank cavern walls where she should have seen alabaster and marble.

It was the Kar-Tog madness taking hold, the hallucinations they all saw when they transformed. He knelt in front of her, worked his fingers around hers and loosened them, then pushed them with some effort back down by her side.

She heaved in fast breaths and stared at him, unblinking. She willed him to go away, imagining he was some sort of delusion. As she looked at him, though, her sanity regained control of her thoughts, and her breaths came in slower and deeper. The madness drained from her eyes, and her brow smoothed, and Eli caught an unwelcome glimpse of a beauty in her features, dark and edged like a well-made knife.

He forced himself to look away from her. “Are you done trying to kill yourself?”

She nodded, and he released her hands, stood, and stepped away from her.

“Good.” He produced a change of clothes from the coffer in the room. “Now get dressed. You’ll be much more comfortable in these.”

He tossed the clothes onto the end of her bed and turned to leave, at the same time noting her aura growing warm once again. What is she angry about this time?

He turned back, saw a glint of metal in her hand, and dodged her stumbling charge.

“Hey, hey, put that down!”

She came at him again, relentless despite her clumsiness. With a snarl he caught her outstretched wrist and twisted the knife out of her hand.

Disarming her only made her angrier. She kicked at him, freeing her wrist from his grasp, and swung at him with her fists.

He blocked her with ease and caught both of her fists in his hands.

“Let me go!” She tried to wrench away.

He held fast. “What’s the big idea?”

She leveled a simmering emerald glare at him.

“I’m not staying here. I’m going home.”

“Really? I’d beg to differ.”

She kicked him hard in the stomach and got herself free.

Eli grimaced in pain but clamped down on her arm right before she picked the knife up again. With a quick motion, he yanked her behind him and dove for the knife himself.

She charged at him yet again.

She simply wouldn’t quit. He caught her as she ran towards him, then pulled her against him and put the knife to her throat.

She stiffened, her breath ragged and short.

“Now that that’s over, do you mind telling me exactly how you got my knife?”

She didn’t respond.

“How’d you get the knife, Nella?”

Her aura bristled with violent reds. “I’m not telling you, fish-man.”

“Look,” he growled low in her mind. “I’ve got a name. And the proper term for what we are is Tognir. Got it?”

Again, no response.

He forced his way deep into her mind. “I can kill you right now and not feel an ounce of guilt. Do you understand?”

There was the fear, just a flicker.

She threw up a clumsy mental blockade. “Then why don’t you?” she muttered low.

“You know, that pride of yours is really gonna get you in trouble one of these days.”

“It already has.” Her frankness caught Eli off guard. “You used it to get me to come to the river. If I had any pride left, I wouldn’t have tried to attack you. I know you can kill me. I don’t care. I just want to keep my sister away from you monsters.”

Eli was silent for a moment. She was either the gutsiest Kar-Tog he’d ever dealt with, or the stupidest. Maybe a bit of both.

“There’s not much you can do about your sister,” he said. “The choice is hers, not yours. If I were you, I’d start praying to whatever god you humans believe in.”

“I don’t believe in God. I don’t believe in anything that can’t be proven to me beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

He spun her around to face him.

“Well, what about the Tognir? Do you believe in them?”

She looked at him, her brow furrowed. “That remains to be seen.”

Eli laughed.

“Why don’t you kill me now?” she said. “I know I’ve made you angry. Why wait?”

“Back to that question, are we?” Eli flipped the knife between his fingers and then stowed it in his pocket.

Nella followed his every move with her eyes.

“I kind of have to keep you alive, in case your sister does come back to set you free.” He flashed her a grim smile. “We Tognir are ruthless, yes, but we’re honest for the most part.”

“So that’s it, then.”

He released her, and she sat hard on the edge of the divan. If I stay, then Millie stays free. If I— She realized Eli was looking at her and stopped her thoughts.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

Her lips hardened into a thin line.

He pushed against her mental barriers, weak and flimsy like all humans’ were.

“Stop it,” she hissed. “Get out of my head.”

“Then learn to keep your escape plans to yourself,” Eli retorted, ignoring her.

She tried in vain to strengthen the barriers.

Eli broached the wall and found a blank slate where her thoughts should have been. He looked at her— her eyes were closed, her face contorted with the effort of keeping her mind clear.

He chuckled and shook his head, backing out of her mind.

She released the breath she’d been holding and glared at him.

“You’re a stubborn one,” he said.

“And you’re obnoxious.” She stood and picked up the clothes Eli had left on the divan. “I’d like to change now, so leave.”

“As you wish,” Eli said, making a mocking bow.

She made no response.