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simply acquiring useful data.”
    Table, table, table. 
    “She’s back to focusing on the table,” Lexie said. “He’s mentally shouting expletives at me.”
    “I’m growing bored.” Dedrick sighed. “Let me know how Maryah responds to this.” He stepped closer, nudging River aside. “I require the use of your ability, my dear, powerful, Maryah.” He fanned his bony fingers over Rina’s head. “Rina is a pathetic little thing, but she does have one endearing and useful trait—she is a conductor.”
    I noted the girl was a conductor, but tried not to think anything else.
    Dedrick continued, “Rina will connect us so I may use your power to gather the necessary intel to help me acquire the last few things needed to put my master plan into effect. Don’t worry, the exceptional beings I’ll be spying on aren’t any of your kindrily. Amusingly, those hacks aren’t nearly as clever or powerful as they think they are.” He pulled back his long hair, securing it into a low ponytail. “At least not for my purposes.”
    He was spying on people more powerful than my kindrily. What kind of powers must those people have? What was he planning?
    “She wants to know what you’re planning,” Lexie said.
    Dedrick huffed a half-laugh. Strange as it was, I smelled his sour breath. How could I smell anything without being in my body?
    “Nathaniel didn’t tell you?” Dedrick asked me. “I’m going to become the gatekeeper of this world.”
    Nathan had told us that, but we didn’t understand what it meant.
    “She doesn’t know what that means,” Lexie reported.
    Dedrick stood tall, his chest expanding as if proud of what he was about to say. “I’ll control who comes into this world. Some souls should never b e allowed reentry.” His eyes shifted upward. “ Certain meddling ones need to be permanently banished. If so, this world would be a much better place and evolve at a faster pace. Reincarnation,” he hissed, “is a broken and outdated system, and I plan to update it.”
    He was a lunatic. No way could Dedrick ever change a universal system that had been in existence longer than anyone knew. Could he?
    Lexie started to speak. “She thinks—”
    “I know what she’s thinking,” Dedrick barked. “That it’s impossible for me to play God. That I’d never be able to acquire that sort of power, but she’s wrong.” He leaned close to me, and his foul breath of stale coffee and rotten milk hit me again. “You’re wrong, Maryah. I’m not only going to play God. I’m going to be God.”
    “How?” The one word came out breathless because I was shocked and scared. The confidence in his voice, the calm and collected yet steady fire burning in his eyes: it was almost enough to make me believe he could pull it off. And if he did, I didn’t want to imagine the state of our world.
    River sat on the edge of the table, running his hand over his hairy jaw. Lexie didn’t flinch. Rina gnawed her fingers, her head down as if trying to be invisible.
    Lexie repeated my question. “How?”
    “You’ll see soon enough.” Dedrick turned to River. “Any parting words, nephew of mine?”
    River fidgeted. “Uh, no, not right now, sir.”
    Dedrick eyed him suspiciously. “Not right now because you have an audience?”
    River shrugged.
    “I understand,” Dedrick said. “I’d allow you alone time with her, but it would be a one-sided conversation without Lexie.”
    River tapped his knuckles on the table as he seemed to silently plead with his uncle.
    Dedrick squinted at him before tossing his hands in the air. “Fine. I’ll grant you ten minutes alone with her.”
    “Thank you.” River stood too eagerly. I wanted to shove him back down.
    “Let’s be on our way, Lexie. We have much to accomplish today.”
    “Wait.” River motioned to Rina. “What about her?”
    “My mute?” Dedrick asked. “I can’t take her out of this room, but I can see why you wouldn’t want anyone eavesdropping. Very well