Page 135 of Victorious

And she was trapped inside it.

“Okay,” said Syd, trying her best to sound placated. “You’re right.”

The lights came back on behind Serena’s eyes. The whole house settled.

“Good!” she said with sudden, almost violent cheerfulness. “Now,” she went on, stabbing the last few candles into the frosted cake. “You better start thinking of a wish.”

Just then her gaze flicked past Syd. No one had knocked, or rung the bell, but her attention locked on the front door.

“Oh look,” she said, still smiling. “I think we have a guest.”

XVINOW. THEN.

FOR an instant, when the green door opened, Eli saw Angie again. Standing there, just like she had in the apartment. But then the dream world flickered, glitched, and she was gone. And he was staring at Serena. She tipped her shoulder in the doorway and studied him with ice-blue eyes.

“Hello, stranger.”

Sydney peered out from behind her, a pale shadow, looking scared.

Serena had told him all about her little sister. What she could do. Which was why he had to—

No.

Eli clenched his teeth, fought to clear his head as the fog tried to cloud his thoughts, confuse the present for the past.

He had already met the girl, already tried to—

“Kill him,” snapped Sydney, eyes gone wide with panic. “Do it before he—”

“Now, Syd,” Serena chided playfully. “Is that any way to treat a guest?”

Her attention hung on Eli, her smirk turning to a full-blown smile. “Oh, are those for me?”

Eli looked down and found that he was holding a bouquet of daffodils. Odd. That wasn’t … but the thought danced away from him as Serena took the flowers and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

She smelled the way she always had, like winter mint.

“You won’t hurt us, will you?” she whispered in his ear.

Eli frowned, and answered, “You won’t let me.”

That was how it had always been. Serena’s will. Serena’s way. No matter how he tried—but something had happened to the EO, hadn’t it? Something had changed …

“See, Sydney?” she said, pulling back. “Everything will be just fine.”

But when Eli caught the girl’s eyes, the fear and anger in them was enough to jar his memory. What she’d done to him. What he was there to do.

He clenched his hand around the gun, only to realize it wasn’t there. He looked down at his empty hand. The daffodils. Somehow Serena had—

But she was already reaching out, fingers catching his.

“Why don’t you come in?” she said, drawing him forward. “You’re just in time for cake.”

XVIINOW. THEN.

8 HOURS BEFORE THE END

LOCATION UNKNOWN