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would win me over. He knew it would draw me to the particle accelerator and get us all there so he could infect us with that virus that would’ve cut us off from Othersphere. At least that didn’t happen, but . . .”
    â€œSiku died,” November said. London put a hand on her shoulder, but she yanked it away. “Dez is right—Ximon’s a liar and a murderer. I vote that we let him think we believe him, arrange to meet him, and kill him.”
    â€œAfter we get the information we need to bring Amaris back,” London said.
    Arnaldo narrowed his eyes, calculating. “If he’s lying about this demon, then he’s got to have more of that twine, or a map, or some way to open up the veil and locate Amaris.”
    â€œWe get that from him . . .” I said.
    â€œAnd we get her back,” Lazar finished.
    â€œIt’s a plan,” I said. Everyone had spoken except for one. “Caleb?” I asked. He was in this now, with the rest of us. “What do you think?”
    â€œI want Amaris back,” Caleb said. “But there’s more going on here than just a trap.”
    â€œCaleb’s vote doesn’t count,” November said. “Sorry, handsome, but you gave that up when you ditched us.”
    Caleb opened his mouth to retort, and then shut it again in a hard line.
    â€œOr if it does count,” Arnaldo said, his voice reasonable, “he’s outvoted. This time we lay the trap for Ximon.”
    â€œGood,” I said. I’d wanted Caleb to agree with us, but when he didn’t, I felt a weird, shameful satisfaction when my friends put him in his place. And it just felt good to be doing something, anything, to get Amaris back. “I propose that we let him think we buy his story and make him agree to meet us. He’ll think we’re there to exorcise this demon, but instead we capture him, go through all his records and his stuff for clues, and force him to tell us the real story.”
    Everyone but Caleb nodded slowly. “Tell him we need a phone number where we can call him back with details,” Arnaldo said. “We might be able to use that to track him.”
    â€œCool,” I said. “I’m going to play it like we’re still skeptical but open to a meeting, so it doesn’t look like we did a complete one-eighty.” Arnaldo pressed the hold button again. “Okay, Ximon. We’ve discussed what you’ve told us. I’m not completely convinced, but my friends think you might be telling the truth, and we’ve got to take the chance on you to get Amaris back.”
    Ximon exhaled a breath so big, it sounded like he’d been holding it for days. “I . . . thank you. I promise you won’t regret this.”
    â€œI already regret it,” I said. “Give us a number where we can reach you. We’ll find a spot to meet up with you that works for us.”
    â€œI’m not far from Livermore,” he said, and gave us a phone number.
    I got up, moving toward the computer to disconnect the call. Caleb grabbed my hand to stop me. “One more question, Ximon.” His touch sent an electrical jolt through me. I pulled my hand away. But Caleb was focused on his father. “What does this demon want from you so badly that he’s willing to shove Amaris into Othersphere to force you to give it to him? We destroyed your particle accelerator. What else have you got?”
    â€œI don’t know the details yet,” Ximon said. “But he’s very interested in the files on a project I abandoned a few years ago in order to concentrate on the accelerator. I felt it was too dangerous, too likely to rip the veil between worlds completely.” He took a deep breath. “It involved construction of the world’s most powerful laser.”

CHAPTER 4
    While Morfael vanished and the rest of us made popcorn, Arnaldo pulled up a Google map of Livermore, California, on one screen