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fingertips digging in and working his temples. “You just… you just need to not think about it, Lirium. Just do it. Ophelia will help.”
    “It’s insane.” I stop my pacing and stand straight. I want to escape, but I’m not going to kill a drugged-up kid to get there. “I’m not going to do it, Valac.”
    He closes his eyes and stills the hands on his face. When he opens them, he looks at me with a sadness I don’t understand. “Please, little bird, please just do this. You can just…” He searches the room for the words he wants.
    I frown, waiting. I’m desperate for a way out of this, but I can’t imagine Valac’s going to find it in this dingy back bedroom.
    His gaze works its way back to me. “You can just give her some of the hit, okay? Not the whole thing. Let Ophelia help you. Give the girl enough to get her high and convince her manager that you’ve paid out.”
    My heart lifts. “Won’t he know the difference?” If I can pay out, but keep the girl alive, then Ophelia and I will still have our chance to escape. Otherwise, if I disobey an order, Kolek will go after my mom. Which means I have to make sure I escape or die trying. I’m sure Nico has instructions to shoot me if I make a run for it. He’s probably itching to do it anyway, so it shouldn’t take much to provoke him.
    “The manager’s an idiot. He’ll never know.”
    “But Nico—”
    “He won’t… he won’t care,” Valac says, although the way he hesitates makes me wonder what the hell is going on in Valac’s head.
    “I’ll just give her enough to get her high,” I check one more time.
    “Stretch it out,” Valac says with a sigh. “Make it look good.”
    I nod slowly, wondering when Valac went soft. And why. And if it has something to do with the boy. Maybe he just knows I won’t back down.
    “I can make it look good,” I say.
    The corner of his mouth lifts, and he places a hand on my shoulder. For once, I don’t mind. “I’m sure you can, little bird.” He drops his hand and gestures for me to go first through the door.
    I stride out, a strange lightness filling me. The feeling of freedom, of hope , is back. It makes my steps strong, carrying me out to the girl I hope is my last payout for the mob.

 
     

    I stretch out the hit to Anna for a full twenty minutes.
    Ophelia isn’t privy to my plan to only pay out a week or two, but she gives me a knowing look as soon as I slow the life energy transfer to a trickle. I insisted that Anna lay down, so we’re back in the bedroom with the girl stretched out on the moldy bed covering. Ophelia sits next to her on one side and I’m on the other. Our hands lay on her forehead, Ophelia’s on top of mine, but I’m doing all the work, such as it is. Taking it slow has the added benefit that I won’t be exhausted when we make a run for it, especially since Ophelia is boosting me as well. She’s countering the effects of the payout, giving me a high that lifts my hopes more with every passing minute.
    Any fool that cared to pay attention could tell I’m not paying out three years worth of life energy. Anna should be crawling out of her skin with the high, not lying still with a rosy blush that peeks out from her junkie makeup. I should resemble death, curling over and ready to hurl, not fighting to keep the smile off my face. But Nico and Larry are out in the front office, having grown bored after the first five minutes. The only way out is through the front door, so it’s no wonder they’re not worried.
    Valac watches us from the bedroom door, where Anna’s manager is smooth-talking him into some Hollywood sleaze business he has going. Valac keeps him engaged and away from us, and the manager barely spares us a look. I think Valac wants this payout scam to work as much as I do.
    When I stop transferring, I keep my palm to Anna’s forehead for a few moments more. I look at Ophelia, trying to communicate with my eyes that we’re on for the escape plan. We should