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a lot?”
    She bit her lip. “Remember what I said in the car about technology hating me and files not saving?”
    “Yeah?” Curiosity coated that one little word.
    “Sometimes electricity gets weird around me too. I-I have no idea why. It’s kind of embarrassing. Annoying, really. Though no one ever thinks stuff is my fault, so I guess it doesn’t matter.” Darn it, she was babbling again.
    “I’m sure you’re not the only one,” he murmured.
    She blinked. That wasn’t what she expected him to say, and what did that even mean? Most people were surprised at her electrical quirk, or at least thought she was weird.
    “You should go in,” he said, his voice a rumble that danced across her skin.
    “I should,” she repeated. “My code is…” By some miracle, the four digits popped back into her mind and she typed them before she forgot for a second time. “Thanks again.” She gave a small wave and ducked in.
    She leaned on the heavy wooden door for a moment. Oh my god, how embarrassing. First getting so flustered by him that she forgot her own door code, then her stupid electrical issues.
    But wow. Being in proximity to him had short-circuited her brain. Either that, or she’d blame the crazy sequence of events she’d just been through.
    Her eyes dropped to the tacky maroon and gold carpet in the hall. Truth was, she’d felt different all her life. No one else she knew had so many problems with computers and electronics. If it weren’t for the predictable constant of good old-fashioned ovens and the way ingredients behaved like they were supposed to when she combined them, she would be utterly lost. Her friends and family lovingly teased her about her technical challenges but, seriously, it had gotten old years ago.
    She drew a breath, taking in the familiar scents of her building. Each unit was as olfactorily distinct to her as if it had a neon sign. Mrs. Yu’s apartment always smelled like garlic stir fry. On the second floor, Mr. Alonso sneaked cigarettes even though this was a non-smoking building. Her ultra-mellow next door neighbor, Jack, held regular beer and weed parties. The carpet’s musty smell never changed, even after being shampooed.
    All of it combined into a familiar mix that announced home , even though the neighborhood made her mom disagree. Enza trudged up the stairs, noting every chip in the painted walls, and each worn doorway as if seeing it in a new light. Rhys’s words lingered in her ears.
    There are creatures in our city that aren’t human.
    And apparently, tonight, she had run right past some of them. Would she meet more? Were some of them good?
    Did any of them create unintentional interference with electricity?
    Okay, maybe that was a stretch.
    Honestly, she was intrigued. And if Rhys could tell her more, then she wanted to hear it. Too bad she had no way to contact him.
    She reached her door and unlocked it, then stepped in and quickly flipped her three locks. Midnight. Too late to call Meena or her mom. What would she say to them anyway? If she launched into the stuff Rhys had said, they would think she was crazy.
    And there was no way Enza could explain how Rhys had put her at ease and gained her trust. No, she’d tell them she’d been chased by muggers, lost her phone, then got away. Those facts were true, even if they weren’t the complete story.
    She could never account for the portal or being in The Arboretum.
    Or even stranger, that she wanted to believe a man who seemed fully convinced that werewolves, vampires, and elves existed.

C HAPTER 5
     
     
    R HYS DROVE AWAY FROM E NZA ’ S place, the sugar scent of her skin and hair clinging to the leather of the Cadillac like a signal he couldn’t ignore. Didn’t want to ignore, with questions flickering in his mind. She was a puzzle he wanted to put together, even if she didn’t have all the pieces yet. Energy surged through his veins, fueling him to help her with that.
    But did she want help? Or was she thanking