THE TAINTED BONE phalanges rattle the cage. Fourteen-year-old Amye draws herself as far back into the corner as her thin body will fit.

“You failed!” it howls. “None of them will trust you again.”

Amye squares her shoulders, stepping forward. “You can’t harm me. You may need to scare me to control me, but you need me. You need me, or you would have eaten my brains.”

The creature speaks with Kymberlynn’s voice. “Careful, Little Sis, or the Sandman will roll back your memories, trapping you at fourteen—forever.”

“You’ll drink my mind before I let you return me to then.”

“You think you have control—you have no control.” The damaged mask transforms into the perfect face of Kymberlynn. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? You failed the exam by one question, and they kicked you out of the program. Didn’t you appeal? It had to be a misread. You’re too smart. No one gets into the program whose IQ doesn’t max out the chart.”

“You don’t understand.” Fourteen-year-old Amye has no control over her emotions, releasing streams of tears. “Just let me out. Take me back to Tartarus.”

“Why, so you finish what you started when you were buried in the landslide? Do it here, Little Sis.”

“Let me out, Kymberlynn,” fourteen-year-old Amye pleads.