Trolls were all around her: on the car’s roof, on the windshield, on the ground, perched against the opposite wall. There was even one inside the vehicle, wrapping spindly, irregular fingers around the steering wheel.
“H-Hazel.” The researcher cleared her throat. “Hazel, I promise—”
“Shut up!” Five whirled toward the four of us. Hesitation passed over her face. Then her bloodshot eyes narrowed into a scowl I didn’t recognize. “You sent her?” she spat. “So much for being on my side.”
Rainbow raised her hands defensively. “We didn’t send anyone!”
“They didn’t!” the researcher said. “Tara mentioned another ‘sister’ in the house, so I thought—”
“Shut up.”
The trolls’ attention shifted back and forth between us and the researcher. They seemed on edge, eager to attack, but like something was holding them back. Sharp claws twitched by their sides and dug into the concrete floor and walls.
Some of the trolls only came halfway to my calves, while one reached past my knee. Many had grainy white streaks running across their bodies. No—through their bodies. The trolls were dirt inside and out. One had roots protruding from its hip, and another was missing an arm, making its body stand crooked. Its one side was a straight slope from head to hand. Like poorly made clay figures.
“Hazel,” the researcher said carefully, “I want to talk.”
“We’ve done more than enough talking, Emma!” With every yell of Five’s, the trolls jolted. Yet they still didn’t attack. “Did you call the agents? How far out are they?”
“I haven’t told anyone,” the researcher—Emma?—said. They knew each other? “Cross my heart. Hope to die. Et cetera.”
Five’s fists tightened.
“If I’d called people, why would I come here myself? It’s kind of risky.” Emma nodded at the trolls. They inched closer. “And I’d be foolish to tip you off and give you time to run. I’d be offended you thought that about me if I wasn’t, y’know, terrified.”
“On that note, maybe we could all go someplace safe in that car.” Red’s voice trembled. She tried to hold it still. “The library? Leave town? Before those trolls change their minds about not attacking us?”
“They won’t. Unless you give them a reason.” Five lifted her chin. “I’m safest right here.”
“Are you sure they won’t attack?” Emma peered around, taking in the trolls around the garage—at least a dozen. She didn’t seem convinced.
“You, they’ll definitely attack. You’re lucky I got down here on time.”
I frowned. “What are you saying?” Had she trained them?
“I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine. Come inside. You too, Emma.”
“I thought you didn’t want me here—”
“If you haven’t reported my location yet, I don’t want to give you that chance. And if you did tell people, and they show up . . .” Five turned toward a door that had to lead to the house. “Well. You’ll make a good hostage.”
Several trolls dropped from the walls and gathered around Five’s legs.
“Correction,” Rainbow whispered to me. “Now we’ve found the evil twin.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
We followed Five through a sparsely decorated hallway and into a messy foyer and an even messier kitchen. Trolls followed us all the way. Their claws skittered on tile floors. My brain kept yelling at me to run, run, run—this deep lizard feeling I tried to tune out.
A soup pan was simmering on the stove, sending the sweet-and-savory smell of tomato wafting around the kitchen. Five stirred the contents.
Even with over half a dozen trolls in the kitchen, I couldn’t stop staring at her.
Five’s hair was like mine, Four’s, and Red’s: thick and dark blond. Her clothes were plain—a gray shirt and checkered pajama pants that barely reached her ankles. Her eyes were a bloodshot, shiny red. She looked agitated. Tense. We all did, but the difference was that Four, me, even Red, were tense in a way that suggested we were ready to flee.
Five was tense in a way that suggested she was ready to fight.
“Hazel . . .?” Emma tried.
Five had been rifling through the cabinets above the sink. Abruptly, she turned and leaned her back against stained countertops. Cutting boards and bowls had been dumped unceremoniously in the sink. The only items left on the counter were a soup spoon and a cleaver. The blade looked sparkling clean, like she hadn’t been using it but wanted to keep it within easy reach.
I hoped it was meant for the trolls.
Five eyed Emma. “Why?” she asked simply.
We stood around the breakfast bar. Two trolls had climbed on its surface and leaned toward us. I could barely tear my eyes away.
When Emma didn’t answer, Five went on. “Why haven’t you reported me? I know your superiors want me back. Them, too.” She tugged her chin at us.
Emma adjusted her glasses. “Yeah. Director Facet won’t be happy when he finds out I didn’t call this in.”
“So—why?”
“All five of you fled from us. You fought us. If Facet sent a team to take you in, people would get hurt, and odds are, you’d escape again anyway. That helps precisely no one.”
“Probably.” Rainbow looked wary.
Emma smiled—a little forced and awkward, but I had a feeling she meant it. “Sorry for everything that’s gone down. I haven’t met most of you, by the way: I’m Dr. Emma Torrance.”
I knew that name. She might’ve been present for some of my checkups.
Dr. Torrance searched our faces. “Instead of chasing you, it seemed more useful to talk. We’re not on opposite sides, you know.”
“We really are,” Five cut in. “You kept me prisoner.”
“You had nowhere else to go.”
“You didn’t exactly try to give me a place to go to!”
“We were still looking for a way to get you back to your dimension. We never wanted—”
“I don’t care what you wanted,” Five interrupted. The trolls made sudden chittering sounds. “I care about what you did. If I can’t
