A window in the computer lab had been smashed, and when I arrived for my sixth period newspaper/journalism class, a worker was hammering plywood over the window frame.

“Luckily the computers weren’t damaged,” Manny said, looking up from his keyboard. With barbed wire woven in his dreadlocks and carefully planned rips in his jeans, he had an edgy yet polished style that demanded attention. “Too bad about the vandalism and the janitor, but it makes a great story. I got out of my last class to work on it, and I’m almost finished.”

“I hope you have the facts straight. The rumors have gotten so wild.”

“Yeah. The popular guilt vote goes to the jocks from Regis High, but I don’t think they’d attack the janitor.”

I dumped my stuff at my desk, then came up beside Manny. “Did you interview the police?”

“Not yet. But Dunlap gave me enough info for my article. I can’t believe how sloppy the vandals were. They left behind loads of evidence.”

“They did?” I gulped. “Like what?”

“Read about it when you edit my piece.” He hit a key and the printer started up. When it stopped, he handed me two full pages. “The sooner the better. Thanks in advance.”

I nodded, already skimming the article with shaky hands. Manny had opened with basic information: location, time, date, and a description of the damage. He’d included a list of the missing items: from staplers to a television. Then it went on to describe the janitor’s injuries: a bash on his head, cuts and bruises. He’d regained consciousness, but his memory was confused and the police hadn’t been able to get any answers from him.

Chills crawled up and down my skin. Mr. Watkins might have stolen supplies, but he hadn’t attacked himself. What if he were so confused he thought Danielle and I jumped him? I didn’t even have an alibi. Nona had been asleep when I’d returned home. And I couldn’t tell anyone why I’d left Jill’s early. Who would believe a psychic vision led me to the school?

The words on the paper blurred as I fought to stay calm. I’d been in trouble before, accused of things I had no control over. “I won’t let it happen again,” I murmured, then flushed when I realized I’d spoken out loud.

“What did you say?” Manny swiveled in his chair to face me. “Did you find something wrong?”

“Not with your article.”

But there was plenty wrong with my life, and I couldn’t sit around waiting for the police to slap on the handcuffs. Last time I’d been accused unfairly, I’d stood by without defending myself. I’d counted on my parents to stand up for me, and I’d been disappointed. The only person I could count on was myself. I had to find out what really happened last night.

And I’d begin by questioning the person who’d gotten me into the mess.

* * *

Josh told me that Evan told him that Danielle was sick and wouldn’t be at school for a few days.

“But here’s her phone number,” Josh added, walking to his car. When he wasn’t busy after school, Josh liked to drop me off; then we’d talk on the phone later. I hadn’t worked up the nerve to invite him in to meet Nona yet.

Fallen leaves crunched under my feet as I walked down my long gravel driveway. In the distant pasture, I saw Nona and Dominic tending to one of the cows. Good. No one would be around when I called Danielle.

I grabbed the phone and dialed the number Josh had given me.

“Crother residence,” a man answered. Probably Danielle’s father.

“Uh, hi. Is Danielle there?”

“Yes, but she isn’t feeling well.”

“Can I talk to her for just a minute? It’s kind of important.”

“Well … guess it can’t hurt. I’ll see if she’s up to it. Hang on a minute.”

It was more like four minutes before Danielle came on the line, coughing as she asked who was calling.

“Sabine,” I told her. “We have to talk.”

“Can’t it wait?” Another cough. “I’m not feeling too hot. I have to go—”

“Don’t hang up!”

“I think I’m going to vomit—”

“Stop the act. You’re not really sick.”

“Yes, I am!”

“Right,” I said sarcastically. “And last night was only a bad dream. Don’t put me off, Danielle. Or I’ll just call back and talk to your father. I bet he’d be very interested to know his daughter broke into the school and—”

“No! You don’t understand.”

“That’s for sure.”

“You can’t tell my parents anything. They think I was studying with a friend last night, and they’d be devastated if they knew I lied. They’ve got this unreal idea that I’m this perfect daughter, and I don’t want to hurt them.”

“I won’t say anything—as long as you explain what happened. Things have gotten serious. Didn’t you hear about the vandalism and the attack on the janitor?”

“Sure. Evan told me—but that doesn’t involve us. We were already gone.”

“Only we can’t prove that. It doesn’t sound like the janitor remembers much, but what if he tells the police we were there? We could get blamed for everything.”

“But that’s wrong!” she exclaimed shrilly. “We weren’t even there when that stuff happened.”

“If anyone finds out we were there at all, we could be in big trouble. Expelled or even arrested.”

“Ohmygod! I—I’d die if it got that bad,” she whispered. “Oh, Sabine … What can we do?”

“You can tell me what you were really looking for last night.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, and I had an image of Danielle huddled under a patchwork quilt, clutching a pillow to her chest with trembling hands. Her pale face was tear-stained and a dinner plate was untouched beside her bed.

“You win,” she finally said in a weary tone.

Then she told me.

* * *

Danielle was a liar and a cheat.

Or at least she planned to cheat by stealing an important test from her bio teacher. By working in the school office, she’d learned that the only copy of the test was hidden in a locked storage room. So she’d “borrowed” a key from the office. Her plan seemed simple: go to the room after school, sneak inside, and copy the test. No one would know, and she’d ace her bio test.

Only, I’d come along and caught her in the act. She’d lied and manipulated me into helping her. I should have been angry, but she sounded so miserable that I just felt sad for her. Also, I felt relieved because this time I’d acted on my vision and maybe prevented Danielle from running into the vandals and being attacked like the janitor.

Danielle begged me to keep her secret, and because I had secrets of my own to protect, I agreed.

Still I wondered who vandalized the school. I turned this problem over in my mind as I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling. My eyes ached and blurred. Shutting them, I went over last night’s events. Over and over, trying to untangle questions, straighten them into answers—but only getting more questions. Where had Danielle gone after she left me? Did the janitor see who attacked him? Was it one person or a gang? I visualized a paint-splattered wall with ugly scrawled messages.

A banging door from downstairs snapped my concentration. Nona must have come in from the pasture to start dinner. She was a terrific cook and she’d promised to make my favorite tonight—lasagna. My mouth watered as I anticipated cheesy noodles, vegetables, and homemade sausage. Although we had a formal dining room table, we always ate on the big porch, watching the sunset. Dominic never joined us, which suited me fine.

Since moving here, my relationship with Nona had grown into a close friendship. She told me we had a strong connection that went back into past lives. We’d been sisters, mother and daughter, and even married. I’d laughed, pretending not to believe. But I had no doubt that our bond went deep and long ago.

All this would end if I had to leave.

I should offer to help with dinner, I thought. But if I go downstairs now, Nona’s radar will pick up my anxiety in a heartbeat.

So I reached for my craft bag and channeled my nervous energy into embroidery. Needle in and needle out, twisting, twirling yarn into delicate designs. My mind wove patterns, too. Incriminating evidence was stacked against me. I’d been in the storage room and left behind paint marks. A witness might have seen me. And I’d argued with the janitor, who was now hospitalized.

“Not looking good,” I murmured as I snipped a silver yarn with scissors.

Staring down at the white landscape, I saw shapes that weren’t there at a first glance. An owl flying in a blizzard and a snow bunny nibbling on a lone blade of frosted grass. Things became clear when you looked beyond the obvious.

That’s what I should do, too. Search deeper than the surface for answers. And I couldn’t rely on Opal or confusing psychic visions. There was no controlling my gift, only learning to live with it—which I didn’t want to do. The more I used my sixth sense, the stronger it would become. Then I’d never be free of other worlds.

“Sabine, can I come in?”

Glancing up, I saw Dominic standing in my doorway.

“What are you doing here?” I asked ungraciously.

He shifted his feet, looking uncomfortable. “I want to ask you something.”

“Make it quick.” I gestured to my embroidery. “I’m kind of busy here.”

“It’s about what you said—about seeing my mom.”

“Forget it. I was hallucinating.”

“That’s what I thought … at first.” He stepped closer and although he wasn’t as tall as Josh, he filled my room with a strong presence. “But then I found something odd.”

My needle slipped, lightly jabbing my finger. I winced. “What?”

“This.” He handed me a silver coin. “It was in my pocket.”

“So what? It’s just an ordinary nickel.”

“You know it’s more. It’s dated the year I was born.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The coin tingled in my palm, and I tossed it back to him without looking at it.

He caught it and eyed me accusingly. “You know a lot of things, don’t you?”

I pointed to the door. “Get out.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you explain. How did you know about my mother? Did Nona tell you? Was it all some kind of trick? Or did you really see her?”

“You were there. Figure it out.”

“I think I have,” he said quietly. “But I can’t figure out why you lied to your grandmother about losing your gift.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I folded my arms across my chest. “And who’d believe you anyway?”

“No one has to believe me.” He glanced at my shelves with nightlights, brushing his callused fingertips over the spiked fin of a shark nightlight. “You’re going to tell your grandmother.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. And you have just twenty-four hours.”

“Or what?” I demanded sarcastically. “You’ll tell on me?”

“If I have to,” he said with an expression as impossible to read as his falcon’s.

“Go ahead. My grandmother will never believe you over me.”

“You sure about that? Haven’t you wondered why Nona invited me to live here?”

“No,” I lied.

“Part of the reason is that she knew my mother. But the other part has to do with unusual gifts and Nona asked me not to tell you. She worried you’d be upset because you weren’t psychic anymore.” He snorted. “I guess the joke’s on her.”

I dug my fingers into my embroidered cloth. “What goes on between Nona and me isn’t your business.”

“It became my business when she asked me to take your place.”

“My place?” His words were a hammer slamming into my heart.

“You’re so busy running around with your friends, dating that lightweight who only plays at magic, you don’t know what’s going on with your own grandmother. You told her you lost your gift when she needed you. So she chose a different apprentice, someone she could trust with her secrets.”

“You?” I whispered.

He nodded solemnly.

“But why?”

“That’s for her to explain. I’ve already said too much.” He reached for the doorknob. “If you haven’t told Nona by tomorrow, I will.”

Then he strode out of the room, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.

I glanced at my watch and felt sick inside. I couldn’t face Nona, but I’d have to—in twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes.