Alicia walked into her office with her heart slamming so hard against her ribs that she could hear it in her ears. Her hands were shaking like she had been standing outside in a blizzard instead of a climate-controlled office building. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, trying to remember how breathing worked.
This could not be happening. Not now. Not when everything was finally falling into place.
She crossed to her desk, sat down, dug her phone out of her bag with fingers that did not seem to be hers, and dialled her mother's number. It rang once. Twice. Three times. Alicia's grip on the phone tightened with each unanswered tone.
"This had better be important, Alicia." Valerie's voice came through with sunshine behind it. "I am on holiday. Do you know what a holiday is? It is the thing where nobody rings me. And if you are calling about Kai and his illusions again, I will—"
