Unlike the others, Pax’s burden grew with the passage of time, and it took its toll. He wasn’t always, as you know him now, so old in his mind. His ability was a terrible weight, one that wouldn’t let him rest. And yet, early on, of all of us, Pax emerged the most unscathed. Perhaps because his world had ended long before when he’d lost his mother, the person who was everything to him. On the back of that loss, our lives in the aftermath were an adventure. His mind had always been surreal, the worlds and creatures he explored in his laboratory already separating his universe from others. It made me question if our abilities were as random as they claimed.

—Cindra, Letter to Omega

I looked down. My marigold gown had transformed into folds of camellia-white brocade. “How can any of these be real?” I said. “I mean, really real. This can’t just happen .” We’d been so caught up in the illusion that we hadn’t thought of it as anything but real. “I mean, these clothes, the rooms…and where did that man’s body go?” I pointed to the spot where he’d fallen. “It couldn’t have just disappeared, could it?”

“You’re right,” Oliver said. “I just—”

“I know, me too,” I said. “It looks and feels real. But it can’t be. Someone’s behind this. We need to find Fane then William.”

“William’s probably the one behind this, A.”

“I’m not sure that he is, Oliver.” I told him what William had said to the man before he’d killed him. “I think he might be caught up here, the same as we are.”

“Maybe,” Oliver said, sounding unconvinced. “Let’s find Fane first then we’ll deal with William.”

“I’ll wait with Grace,” Cindra said. “And we’ll stay right here, for as long as we can. We probably want to keep as low-key as possible.”

“Agreed. I’ll look for Fane. Oliver, see if you can figure out what’s going on.”

“I will. And we’ll meet back here when that damned clock strikes again. Hurry,” he said to me. “By my guess, we haven’t got long.”

I stood next to Cindra and Grace, closing my eyes under my mask and searching for Fane’s thread. It blazed so brightly that I found it immediately and went through it. He was spinning in the arms of an ivory-tuxedoed man wearing a mask with a visage so lined his jowls rivaled Arnold’s.

I pulled back then searched for that mask in the crowd. There, in the middle of the dance floor. In the man’s delicate grasp was a taller, broader man in bone-colored attire, whose mask scowled under bushy grey eyebrows the thickness of my arm. That has to be Fane.

I wove through the crowd toward the pair, trying to keep rhythm with the dancers. When I reached them, I tapped the jowled man on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he bowed graciously and spun away into the throng. I took Fane’s hands in mine and began to waltz, trying to remember what I’d been taught. One, two three. One, two, three.

“Fane?”

“Ailith?”

“Yes. Are you having a good time?” I asked, my voice acerbic.

He laughed. “Yes, actually. I was very flattered when he asked, and I don’t know how to lead. I thought maybe it was a good time to learn.”

“I’ve been trying to find everyone—you’re the last. Did you not see the commotion earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, why didn’t come and have a look? Oliver did—that’s how we found him.”

“I thought it was part of the celebration,” he replied. “And then this good gentleman asked me to dance—”

“Do you not see that something’s very wrong here?” I stopped dancing and glared at him.

“You know I can’t see your face, right?” he asked. “But I’ll assume that you’re glaring.”

“Fane, I just—” I threw up my hands in exasperation. “You understand our lives might be in danger, yes?”

“Yes, I do. And I figured the best way to minimize that danger was to blend in. Like we should be doing now.” He inclined his head. Several of the dancers closest to us had paused, watching us.

Fane threw back his head and gave a hearty laugh, belying his mask’s scowl. He pulled me close then twirled me away. The lingering couples’ interest in us vanished, and they returned to their waltz.

“Do you have any idea what’s behind all of this? I think that man in white was William. And Cindra has another theory.” I repeated the story of the Red Death as we danced across the floor.

“So according to Cindra, we have one more room before these walls turn black and everyone dies?”

“Yes. Hence my sense of urgency.”

“That’s not a lot of time.”

“Yes, Fane. I know.”

He grinned. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way out. We always do.”

“So far,” I grumbled. “But that’s bound to only last so long. C’mon, let’s meet up with the others and figure out a plan.”

We whirled with purpose toward them. “Do you have any idea what this place is, Fane? Who these people are?” I kept my eye on the clock as we rotated, just waiting for it to strike.

“No. But there’s something about them…”

“What do you mean?”

“When I was holding hands with that gentleman, he didn’t quite feel…real.”

“Not real?” I asked as an enthusiastic elbow caught me in ribs. The owner flashed me an apologetic smile as she jostled past. “Ouch. They certainly feel real. Still, I agree. There’s no way they can be.”

We reached the others without further incident. Grace had recovered enough to stand, but the white primrose woven into her hair shook with each breath.

“Any luck figuring out what’s going on?” I asked Oliver.

“No,” he said. “You?”

“I found Fane. But I haven’t seen William.” I’d kept an eye out for him on our way across the dance floor, but seeing as everyone present was now wearing white, I’d had no luck.

“William is our only lead at this point,” Cindra said. “but I don’t think we should split up to look for him. Can’t you find him the same way you found me and Fane?”

“I can try.” I found William’s thread in the network and slid into him. I was surrounded by darkness and silence.

Something’s gone wrong.

Then heavy cool air brushed over my lips and William opened his eyes. He was in the room he’d been in the night before, only this time, I was able to make out shapes in the gloom. He was surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of long, metallic tubes, dull gray in the shadow.

Someone’s here. His heart pounded in his chest. Real someones. Several of them. This could be it. My chance to end this. My only chance. Breathe, Will. You know what you have to do. A giddy laugh burst from him, echoing around the chamber. He patted the closest cylinder and spoke aloud. “Okay, everyone, wish me luck.” He closed his eyes again. Good luck.

I pulled back into myself. The sudden sea of white stung my eyes. “He’s not here,” I said, squinting at the others. “He’s in another room. But I’m positive we’ll see him again. From what I gathered, something is about to happen.”

“Do you think he’s on our side or not?” Cindra asked.

I hesitated. “I’m not sure. I think he is. He sees us as a chance for him to…stop whatever’s going on here.”

“That doesn’t exactly mean he’s with us, though, does it?” Oliver pointed out.

“I know. But we can’t know for certain until we actually meet him.”

“I don’t think we’ll have long to wait,” Fane said. And he was right.

Without any ceremony, the ebony clock gave a resounding chime.