Molly and Seraphina strolled slowly toward Jonathan's bookstore that Saturday afternoon, ready to execute their plan. Both carried bags filled with heavy books, but it wasn't the weight slowing them down—Molly was dragging her feet, she was clearly uneasy.
"What if he hears you?" she asked, anxiety tinging her voice. "You're going to be walking right above his head."
"I can be light on my feet. Stop worrying," Seraphina replied coolly.
Molly still looked unconvinced. "Don't you think he'll wonder why you aren't with me? Even if he's not suspicious, maybe he'll think you don't like him anymore." She stopped, turning toward her companion. "It wasn't like you two had major chemistry at your little poster party."
Seraphina sighed and shook her head. "Just tell him I'm under the weather—no, tell him I'm working on more posters. That'll impress him. He'll think I'm hardworking." She offered a confident grin, but it did little to ease Bethany's nerves.
The human girl started walking again, grumbling. "God, I can't believe we're doing this. That I'm doing this. I'm an accomplice to a crime." She threw a glance over her shoulder. "I don't know how things work in your world, but here this is illegal. We'll go to jail. Or at least get stuck with community service. Sera, I look terrible in orange. Do you hear me?"
Just before they reached the bookstore door, Seraphina stopped and grabbed Molly's arm, fixing her with a sharp glare. "If you don't have the stomach for this, I'll find someone who does. But I am doing this." Molly bit her lip, clearly weighing her options. Seraphina pressed on, "Maybe your friend will come back. Maybe she won't. But stop the incessant whining."
Molly yanked her arm free and hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. "Fine," she snapped. "I'll do this. Not for you—for Sera. And because the longer you're here, the more my life spirals into chaos."
With that, she snatched the bag Seraphina had been carrying and marched up the steps, entering the bookstore as planned. Andromeda hung back, waiting a few minutes for Molly to get Jonathan's attention.
Once three minutes had passed, she crept to the window and peered inside. Molly had placed a towering stack of books on the counter, and Jonathan was visible only by the top of his hair as he sorted through them. So far, everything was going smoothly.
Seraphina opened the door just enough to slip inside. She moved quickly, ducking behind one of the tall shelves. She paused, listening. Molly's voice echoed faintly in the background, keeping Jonathan busy.
Moving with stealthy grace, Seraphina made her way through the aisles, occasionally peeking between shelves to confirm the coast was clear. The sign reading EMPLOYEES ONLY appeared ahead, just as Molly had described. Slipping through the door quietly, Seraphina found herself in a small stockroom full of boxes, tables, and clutter. One table was scattered with tools, papers, and sealed packages. Another held the remnants of what appeared to be lunch.
She spotted the staircase in the corner—her target—and climbed it swiftly, heart pounding. At the top, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key Jonathan hadn't realized was missing.
Inside the apartment, silence greeted her. She paused just inside the door, listening for signs of life. Nothing. The place was small but tidy, filled with dark wood and leather furniture—a comforting contrast to Sera's vibrant, overly decorated apartment. Though pressed for time, she allowed herself a moment to admire the masculine simplicity.
Framed maps lined the walls—landscapes unfamiliar to Seraphina. She smirked to herself. Even in this world, Jonathan still fantasized about adventure. That was the difference between them: Jonathan dreamed of heroism, but Seraphina had lived it.
Shaking off the thought, she reminded herself that Molly couldn't stall him forever. She needed to move fast. The crystal wouldn't be in plain sight—it had to be hidden.
Her eyes landed on a large bookshelf near the back wall. It made sense for Jonathan to hide something valuable there. She combed through every shelf, but all she found was a sizable collection of mystery novels.
"Dammit," she muttered under her breath.
Next, she checked the kitchen. Other than discovering Jonathan's apparent addiction to something called "Oreos," it offered no clues. Time was slipping away fast.
Only one door remained—likely Jonathan's bedroom. She entered and was immediately struck by the rows of shoes lining the wall. She thought that it was odd. Jonathan didn't strike her as someone particularly obsessed with footwear.
Her eyes were drawn to a dresser, where a framed photograph of a smiling woman sat. Seraphina narrowed her gaze. The woman was stunning—wavy brown hair, bright smile, an unmistakable air of affection captured in the frame. So, this Jonathan had a lover. The thought stung unexpectedly. She forced herself to turn away.
The dresser drawers held nothing useful—just clothing, watches, a ring, and other trinkets. But beside the dresser on the floor was a small stack of what Molly had called "photo albums." She knelt and flipped through the top one, not expecting anything of value.
But then, a photo caught her eye. Her breath caught in her throat.
A young Japanese woman smiled from the image—and around her neck hung the unmistakable pendant housing the very crystal Jonathan had used to steal Andromeda's magic. A surge of triumph and fury flared in her chest. There it was. Proof. A lead. A link to the crystal that could return her power—and her place.
She carefully slid the thick page out of its sleeve and lifted it to her face, her eyes drinking in the image.
"Finally," she whispered, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "I found you."
In a trance, Seraphina made her way back out to the living room, staring down at the image in her hand. She ran a finger over the photograph, needing to prove it was real—that she hadn't imagined this whole thing about the crystal. This was it—the proof the crystal existed. Not only that, but it had made it into this world and was clearly connected to Jonathan and his family in some way. Thinking back to the day he'd visited her apartment, she wished she had gotten more information out of him.
A mixture of emotions swirled inside her. This should have been good news—and it was. But the excitement of finding something that could help her get home was tainted by the memory of how the crystal had been the conduit of her downfall. Even worse, it had been wielded by Jonathan. It was as if she were right back in that moment. The sickly sensation of her power draining away swept over her again, along with the despair at how quickly the crystal had turned the tide of the battle to Jonathan's side. It was unthinkable that such a small object had been enough to overpower her. Her.
She had underestimated Jonathan, never imagining he could find—and hold onto—such a powerful relic. She would never make that mistake again. Anger bubbled inside her at the image of him wielding that tiny object against her, draining her magic, weakening her until she collapsed before him—vulnerable to his blade, which he hadn't hesitated to plunge into her. Damn him.
This was the reminder she needed—that this whole nightmare was his fault. He was the one who had sent her to this wretched place, and she wouldn't let this world's version of him fool her with his meek disguise and noble aspirations. For all she knew, it was all a lie. Once she found the crystal, the truth would come out, and Jonathan... well, he would be dealt with—harshly.
But as she held the image in her hand, she realized she wasn't much closer to finding the actual crystal. After all, this photograph was not a map. It was merely the first step in her crusade. The photo was clearly an old one. So how would she go about finding the necklace itself? She couldn't exactly confront him and say, "So, I found this picture when I broke into your apartment." No, she had to figure this out without him knowing anything, which meant she'd need to return the photograph before she left.
Just as she was about to do that, a sound from another room startled her—until she remembered she wasn't alone. "Farlow?" she whispered.
In answer, her familiar bounded into the living room. A blue shoe stuck out from each side of his mouth, saliva coating the canvas and highlighting a row of tiny teeth marks along the toe.
Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Farlow, we're not supposed to leave any proof we were here," she scolded.
With wide, sorrowful eyes, Farlow dropped his head and released the shoe at her feet. "I apologize, my queen," he said telepathically. "I don't know what came over me. It would seem some of this mongrel's traits have rubbed off on me, and I find I can't help myself at times."
"Really? That's your defense?"
"I swear it, my lady. It's like a second nature I can't ignore in this stupid, small body. But I will work on it."
Despite her frustration, Seraphina felt a pang of sympathy. At least she, even in this strange person's body and life, looked the same as the real her. "I'm sorry, my dear friend. I know—it's strange here, isn't it?"
"Yes. And it sucks!"
She tilted her head at him.
"I heard someone on the street say it. It seemed fitting. So... erm, did you find anything to help us get home?"
"Only this." She took a seat on the couch and patted the spot next to her so Farlow could see what she'd found.
He jumped up and turned toward the image. Farlow stared longer than she expected before finally saying, "Is that—?"
"The crystal. Or at least part of it. It doesn't seem large enough, but it's definitely something."
Farlow leaped off the couch and began sprinting around the room. "Do you think it's here? And if we find it..." He skidded to a stop, wrinkling a throw rug in the process. "Could we get home today, my lady? Oh, that would be so wonderful. I need to be me again, rid myself of this stupid body"
She shook her head. "Settle down, Farlow. You're getting way ahead of yourself. I don't think the crystal is actually here, in Jonathan's apartment."
"Why? Why couldn't it be?" His mental voice was laced with sadness and frustration.
Seraphina stood from the couch and looked down at him. "Because I would know... I would feel it instinctively. That damn thing has my power, and if it were here, I'd know it." She was certain her magic still had a connection to her, even though it had been taken. Her magic would call out to her when she came near that crystal. She had to believe that.
Farlow growled in frustration. "Even here, in this horrible world, we are forced to be weak because of Jonathan." He bared his teeth. "I will tear out his throat and spit it out on his stupid blue shoes."
Seraphina couldn't help but laugh despite their situation. But she knew it was time to wrap things up. "Farlow, I know this sucks, as you say, but you need to have patience. He may have won the battle, but we, my friend, are going to win this war. I promise you that."
"I believe you, Seraphina. And I trust you. I will try to be patient."
"Good. And then after we find the crystal, you can tear out Jonathan's throat, my friend."
Farlow's tail wagged with lightning speed. Just then, Seraphina's phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and read the message she knew was coming from Molly: Stalled Jonathan as long as I could. He's coming up the stairs! Get out!
She froze for a few seconds, adrenaline kicking up dangerous fantasies. Like Farlow, all she wanted was to fight Jonathan. To teach that do-gooder hypocrite a lesson for ruining her life and taking everything from her. She could taste vengeance on her tongue. She glanced at Farlow, and even without words, she knew he was thinking the same thing: they could take Jonathan right now. Even without her powers, the two of them could ambush him. She imagined his pathetic, terrified face.
Would his fighting instinct kick in? Would he remember who he truly was? Or was he merely playing a part, just as she was?
"My Lady," Farlow spoke in her mind, grounding her.
Rational thought returned. She shook her head, realizing what a huge mistake she'd nearly made—and how much time she'd lost. Of course, she couldn't kill Jonathan. A dead Jonathan couldn't tell her where the crystal was. She had to find it before she could do anything to him. She couldn't take any chances, especially not ones that could leave her stranded in this world forever. No, she needed Jonathan to believe she was on his side.
And that meant he couldn't find her sitting in his apartment going through his things.
"We have to get out of here!" she said telepathically to Farlow. She swept her gaze around the room and realized she was still holding the photograph. "Wait here!" she whispered, then dashed into the bedroom and rushed to the dresser. She slipped the page back into the album and shut it. There was no time to check if anything was out of place; she had to hope Jonathan wouldn't notice.
When she returned to the living room, Farlow was gone. Panic gripped her. "Farlow!" she shouted in her mind. "Now!"
He came racing from the front door. "I was listening for him. He's coming up the stairs, my lady."
That was their way out.
Farlow hurried to her side. "What now?"