During my final period, I congratulated Manny. “It worked. Evan flunked and he’s off the team until his grades improve—which could be a quite a while without Danielle doing his homework.”

“Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.” Manny said. “Didn’t I tell you my powers of persuasion were infallible?”

“Thorn’s fortune cookie helped.”

“All part of my grand scheme, which came off beautifully, even if I say so myself.”

“And you will,” I teased. “Over and over.”

“Why deny brilliance? But you and Thorn helped, too. We make a great team, like Charlie’s Angels. I’m Charlie and you girls are my ‘angels.’”

“Thorn would knock that grin off your face if she heard you say that. And there’s nothing angelic about me—except sometimes I see angels.”

“Like now?” Manny whipped his head around, as if expecting a winged-being to pop up behind him.

“No.” I shook my head. “But Opal says people who attract trouble usually have a lot of angels watching over them. So you must have at least a dozen.”

He barked out a laugh so loud that everyone turned to look. But shameless Manny just bowed and waved to the class while I scooted low in my chair and hid behind the latest earth-shattering Shout-Out article I’d been proofing, “Teachers with Bad Breath—Is Mouthwash the Answer?”

After school, I stopped by my locker and felt a bit abandoned when no one was there to meet me. Josh had left early for a dentist appointment and Penny-Love was rah-rahing at cheer practice. I saw a lot of familiar faces as I started for home, but not anyone I wanted to hang out with, until I spotted a black-haired girl heading away from school, her single fishhook earring swinging with each step.

“Thorn!” I called, hurrying to catch up with her. “Wait up!”

She stopped, grinning when she saw me. “Hey, Sabine. I’ve been hoping to see you. I heard about Evan.”

“News travels fast.”

“Especially when it concerns the most popular jock at school. Everyone’s talking about poor, poor Evan,” Thorn said, her eyes twinkling under glitter eye shadow. “Off the team and flunking bio.”

“Such a tragedy,” I replied in mock sympathy.

“And after he worked so hard to stay on the team,” Thorn added. “Trashing the school, painting walls, copying a test, knocking out the janitor, and—”

“Trying to frame me,” I finished.

“Which backfired on him.”

“Even Josh knows he’s got problems. He’s too loyal just to give up on Evan, but he won’t fall for Evan’s lies anymore. And no more double dates.”

“So let’s celebrate.” Thorn adjusted her backpack straps. “Want to go to Trick and Treats for something sinfully chocolate? Anything you want—my treat.”

“Oooh, sounds great!” My mouth watered, until I remembered that I’d promised Nona I’d come directly home today. “But I can’t. Nona needs help with spring cleaning.”

“Spring cleaning in the fall?”

“Nona doesn’t follow normal rules. And she’s done so much for me, I don’t mind cleaning out the pantry and defrosting the freezer.”

“Some celebration,” Thorn grumbled. “Work, work, and more work.”

“But there are perks of the job—like ice cream.”

She brightened. “Ice cream?”

“A half-finished carton of Heavenly Hash may melt during the defrosting if someone doesn’t eat it first.”

“Say no more. I’m always willing to help a friend.” Then Thorn gave me a deep look. “But are you sure—sure you don’t mind being seen with me?”

“Why would I?” I tried not to think of Penny-Love’s reaction to my hanging out with Thorn.

“Your preppy cheerleading girlfriends won’t like it.” Thorn wiggled the silver ring in her left eyebrow.

“You think that matters to me?”

“Well … doesn’t it?”

“Maybe it did a little at first, but not now.” I jiggled my fishhook earring. “Being a little different is cool.”

“So, does that mean you’ll let me dye your hair blood red and spike it?” She arched an eyebrow at me.

“Not that different.” I punched her playfully, then we fell in step and talked all the way home.

At the entrance to our driveway, we stopped a moment while I checked the mailbox. Then I glanced at Thorn, wondering what she’d think of my home. It had taken me a week to work up the courage to invite Penny-Love over, and at first, she was put off by the dirt, weeds, and livestock smells. But she didn’t complain anymore and got along great with Nona, always eager to hear matchmaking stories.

As Thorn and I walked down the driveway, her eyes widened at the farmhouse I now called home.

“I know it’s rundown,” I said before she had a chance to criticize. “It’s older than air and needs a paint job, but that’s so expensive, and Nona does plan to fix those window frames and the broken porch step.”

“It’s—It’s … ” Thorn shook her head. “Fabulous!”

“Really?”

“You’re lucky to live in the country, instead of in a neighborhood where neighbors are close enough to hear you flush the toilet. Your animals are cool, too. Is that floppy-eared animal a goat?”

“Yeah. A Nubian.”

Thorn spread out her arms expressively. “It’s so roomy here. You should see the tiny box I live in—only three bedrooms and I have five siblings. But you have all this space for only two people!”

“Actually three.” I pointed to the barn where I could see Dominic lifting an ax and splitting wood.

“Who’s that? Your brother?”

“No!” Heat rose in my cheeks. “We’re not related—I barely know him. He’s just Dominic. He helps with the chores.”

“So he lives here?”

“Not in the house, the barn apartment.”

“Cool. He looks about our age, but I haven’t seen him at school.”

“He could be a drop-out or have graduated early, for all I know. I’ve asked my grandmother, but she won’t tell me any personal stuff about him.” I shook my head. “Don’t bother trying to talk to him. He’s complicated—doesn’t like people much. He’s just—different.” I changed the subject. “Anyway, you’ll love my grandmother. Come on inside.”

“Lead the way.”

I pushed open the front gate and a streak of white zoomed by my legs, rubbing against my ankles. Picking up Lillybelle, I cuddled her silky body in my arms.

“What fabulous mismatched eyes. She’s beautiful!” Thorn scratched Lillybelle by the ears and received an appreciative purr. “I wanted a cat, but my sister Meg is allergic. So we have fish.”

“Lillybelle loves fish,” I said teasingly.

“Well, she isn’t invited over to my house. But you can come anytime.”

“Is your family into the Goth look, too?”

“Not even!” She almost doubled over with laughter. “They’re so Brady Bunch, I want to puke most of the time. They can’t figure out what to make of me—and that’s the way I like it.”

Lillybelle squirmed in my arms and bounded toward the pasture as I stepped up on the porch. Opening the front door, I called out for Nona. She didn’t answer and wasn’t in the living room or her office. When I checked the kitchen, I found the freezer door open and packaged food stacked on the counters.

“Melted ice cream,” Thorn said, picking up a soggy, dripping container that had once been Heavenly Hash. She licked her fingers. “But it still tastes yummy.”

“I wonder why Nona started cleaning without me?”

“She must have got interrupted. It happens all the time at my place.”

“Her car is here,” I said with a peek out the front window. “So she has to be around somewhere.”

We left the kitchen and went through the rest of the house. I was starting to get worried, when I opened her bedroom door and found her sleeping.

“My father makes little snoring sounds like that, too,” Thorn whispered. “She looks so peaceful.”

“How can she just go to sleep with food melting in the kitchen?” I shut the door quietly.

“She must be really tired.”

“Nona has been working late hours,” I admitted. “I’ll let her sleep and finish up in the kitchen.”

Thorn jumped right in and started cleaning with me. Most of the food was still frozen—except for the ice cream and a soggy bag that used to be ice cubes. As I stacked food back into the freezer, my fingers stung with icy cold. By the time I was done, my hands were almsot completely numb.

Running hot water over my chilled fingers helped a little. My hands warmed, tingling back to life. But the rest of me suddenly wasn’t feeling so well. My head throbbed and my vision blurred. I stared down at the sink, mesmerized by the water pouring over my fingers. As I watched, the water darkened in color, from clear to blood red. Spilling on silverware and plates, swirling down the drain, flowing over my skin.

With a shriek, I stared down in horror at my hands. Was it really blood? Or was I going crazy? My left wrist throbbed, its color changing, too, as a dark shape with wings appeared etched in my flesh.

A dragonfly tattoo.

“NO!” I rubbed at the image. “Go away!”

Thorn tossed down a rag she’d been using to wipe the counter and hurried over to me. “What’s wrong?”

“The water! My wrist!” I cried, trembling. “It’s on me!”

“What? Are you hurt?”

“Look!” I stuck my arm out toward her. “Don’t you see it?”

“See what?” She shook her head, and when I looked back down, my hand had returned to normal. The blood and the dragonfly were gone.

“Talk to me, Sabine. Are you sick?”

I gulped a deep breath. “It’s not me … it’s her.”

“Who?”

“Danielle.” Fear thumped with my rapid heartbeats. “Either I’m losing my mind or I just had a vision—a warning. Danielle’s in trouble.”

“Go with your gut.” Thorn shut off the water faucet, then turned back to me. “Do you know her phone number?”

“Yeah,” I said, relieved Thorn understood and didn’t ask any unnecessary questions. Seconds later, I was dialing the number.

But it was busy.

“Why doesn’t she have call waiting?” I complained, slamming the receiver down.

“Want to keep trying?” Thorn asked.

“I don’t think there’s time. I don’t know what’s going on, just that I’m supposed to help her.”

“Then we’ll help her,” Thorn said. “Together.”

I ran to the hook where Nona normally left her car keys, but they weren’t there. I thought about Nona’s recent tendency to hide things from herself, and I wasn’t sure if there was any point in looking for them. I went into her room and whispered softly, “Nona, I need to use your car. Do you know where you left your keys?”

“Helene? Is that you? What do you need?” She rolled over and seemed to fall back to sleep. Nona was obviously exhausted; Helene was my mother’s name. Finding the keys could take time we didn’t have. We needed to get going.

Walking to Danielle’s house wouldn’t be fast enough, so I went to the shed where I kept my bicycle. Nona had a bike, too, and I offered it to Thorn. We started to kick off, when I heard a motor and saw an approaching cloud of dust. A white Dodge truck roared to a stop in front of us.

Dominic rolled down the window. “Need a ride?”

I was tempted to ask if Dagger had been spying on me again, but I was so grateful for the offer that I just nodded. “Thanks. Driving will be faster.”

Thorn was eyeing Dominic. Did she sense that he was different like us? Or was she interested in him the way Penny-Love had been? There wasn’t time for polite introductions, so I skipped that part and gave Dominic directions to Danielle’s house.

When the truck slowed to a stop five minutes later, my seatbelt was already off and I flew up a stone walkway to the door. I pressed the bell, over and over, until a tall man I recognized as Danielle’s father showed up.

Mr. Crother frowned at me. “One push of the bell would suffice.”

“Where’s Danielle?”

“Upstairs in her room.”

“I have to see her now,” I said, aware that Thorn had come up beside me. “I tried to call, but the line was busy.”

“I was on the computer.” He looked at us for a moment. “Go on up, but Danielle is probably sleeping. I haven’t seen her in hours.”

“Hours?” I repeated uneasily. Then I bolted past him, up the stairs, Thorn’s footsteps pounding behind mine. I tried two doors, one was a linen closet and the other a bathroom, before I stepped into a feminine, pink-and-white room decorated with a shelf of dolls from other countries and a canopy bed covered with stuffed toys and a patchwork quilt.

But there was no Danielle.

“So where’s your friend?” Thorn asked.

“Not here.” I frowned. “Something’s terribly wrong.”

Mr. Crother appeared in the doorway and looked around with a puzzled expression. “That’s odd. I was sure Danielle was up here. She hasn’t been well and has been sleeping a lot.”

Beyond the room’s cheerful pink decor, a gray aura of sadness was overwhelming. “So where is she?”

Mr. Crother shrugged. “Maybe with her boyfriend.”

“They broke up,” I told him.

“They did? But she never said anything.”

“Haven’t you noticed how unhappy she’s been?” I asked.

“Well she hasn’t felt well. I thought it was a mild flu.”

“I’m afraid it’s more than that.” I frowned. “Do you have any idea how long she’s been gone?”

“She didn’t tell me she was leaving.” He rubbed his chin anxiously. “This isn’t like her. She’s always very dependable and let’s us know where she’s going. Danielle is such a good girl.”

“What’s that on her pillow?” Thorn stepped into the room and picked up a paper. “An envelope—addressed to you.” She handed it to Mr. Crother.

“See, I told you my girl is reliable. She just didn’t want to interrupt my work, so she left a note. She’s always doing thoughtful things like that.”

He ripped into the envelope and withdrew a single sheet of paper. As he read, his face drained of color and he sagged against the bed.

“What is it?” Thorn and I asked, coming to his side.

“She can’t! She wouldn’t—” he choked on his words.

“Is it from Danielle?”

He nodded weakly and held out the letter. He looked as if he’d aged twenty years in seconds and seemed confused. “Read it. Tell me what you think.”

I held the letter so Thorn could see to, then read the short scrawled message: “I can’t go on without him. Not anymore. Sorry I let everyone down … Danielle.”

I gasped. “Ohmygod!”

“This sounds like a sui—!” Thorn stopped when she saw the stricken look on Mr. Crother’s face. He grabbed the letter back and clutched it to his chest, clearly in shock.

My visions had nothing to do with the vandalism, I realized. I’d been so focused on denying my gift and playing Nancy Drew that I hadn’t realized the danger for Danielle wasn’t from Evan—but from herself. And while getting back at Evan felt good, it was only a small victory. Danielle was more important.

Mr. Crother seemed to recover, jumping up and grabbing a phone. He forget about us as he barked out orders to the police. I was glad he was taking action, but would the police find her soon enough? An hourglass flashed in my head, not filled with sand, but with life minutes ticking away.

Danielle could be anywhere—miles from here or hiding nearby. I had no idea how to find her. “Opal,” I thought desperately. “Interfere just this once, I’m begging you. I can’t do this alone.”

I thought I heard a soft reply, You’re not alone.

“So tell me where Danielle is,” I begged. Then I waited, listening for an answer. Only none came, and my frustration boiled to anger.

“I didn’t ask for any of this!” I silently raged. “I can’t go through another tragedy, always wondering if I could have prevented it. You say I’m not alone, yet I’m standing here with no answers and no one to help me.”

There was a tap on my shoulder and my fishhook earring slapped my neck as I turned to Thorn. “Are you okay?” she asked.

I started to shake my head, then looked at Thorn—really looked—and realized that Opal was right. I wasn’t alone.

“Thorn!” I exclaimed. “You can find anything, right?”

“Most of the time. But what—”

“What about people?” I interrupted, grasping her hands. “Can you find Danielle?”