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know...."
    Brie scraped at the chipped nail polish on her index finger. Rykken waited for her to finish her sentence, but her jaw was set.
    "Who?" he asked.
    "Sirena," Brie said. "And three other girls—Thessa, Clara, and Cora. Actually, what am I thinking?
    You wouldn't even know Sirena." Brie laughed a little. "She moved here right before we did."
    Rykken felt sorry for Brie. "I thought Sirena was your friend."
    Brie looked at him, finally meeting his eyes. "Me too."
    Rykken thought about her question, getting momentarily lost in the pearly green pools of Brie's eyes. He felt a slight urge to comfort her; then he remembered that the only reason she was talking to him was because she wanted information. "You can trust Cora," he said. "I don't know the other girls that well, but Cora wouldn't lie to you."
    Brie exhaled. "Thank you. That really helps." She adjusted the straps of her large purse on her shoulder and squeezed his forearm lightly as she made her way to the exit. Rykken's hand automatically went to his arm, where the tingling sensation of her touch lingered.
    When he looked up again, Brie was standing in the door frame. "I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you," she said quickly, her words rushing out of her like a freight train. Rykken said nothing as his emotions twisted over how to reply.
    "Okay, then," she said quietly. "I guess I'll see you after school." She left the room, leaving him dazed and silent, staring out into the hall after her.

    *****
"What are you doing?" Clara whispered to Thessa. They were hiding out in a small corner of the school library, skipping class again. Of course, they rarely ever went to class; their enrollment at Punahou was just a ruse, a way to act like they were contributing to the New Order's cause.
    "We're supposed to be laying low," Clara continued. "First you let Sirena into our lives, and now you want to help with Brie? I know you feel guilty, but this has to stop."
    Thessa groaned. She knew Clara was right—the whole reason they had moved to Honolulu was to escape the power-hungry politics of the New Order. Back when Barcelona was controlled by the monarchy, the Hallows focused on the smaller picture—intimate communities, one-on-one conversations, grassroots movements in the eastern hemisphere. When the New Order took over, they set their sights on America—and more importantly, on controlling it.
    Strategically, it was a sound move for a group of people trying to influence the masses. After all, America was becoming a superpower at the time, and even if they hadn't been, the Nephilim were attempting the same thing. Hallows were sent to America to create new systems of power and infiltrate the systems of power already in place. The presidential election was the ultimate prize for the Hallows, but there were other areas to make a difference in besides politics—churches, sports, broadcasting, music, writing, and speaking.
    Thessa took a deep breath. "The New Order won't find out. We can contain this."
    Clara cast a withering gaze in Thessa's direction. "Sirena, sure. But Brie attracts too much media attention and you know it."
    Again, Thessa agreed, but she knew saying so wouldn't help with Clara. The coverage about Milena van Rossum's death had been relentless, but Brie had gotten her share of coverage too. The press was fascinated with the young teenager, perhaps because she was a miniature version of her beloved mother; but also because she had celebrity appeal, the type that people couldn't explain—a star quality that was all Brie's own.
    "It's a risk," Thessa admitted. "But if we can help Brie, we should. What are you so afraid of?"
    "You mean aside from being tried for aiding enemies of the New Order?"
    "Clara, I owe Sirena's mother." Thessa folded her arms across her chest. "I promised." She felt like they'd had this argument a hundred times before, but for some reason, Clara still didn't understand Thessa's obligation to the Guerrero family.
    Clara was