CHAPTER 47

Maxine left at exactly 3 a.m. as Alph had instructed her to do. The night was heavy with silence, save the sporadic rustling of leaves; her breathing remained regular as she quickened her pace. Alph had been right-there were no guards to be seen. The gate, however, was closed.

But that was no problem.

In one swift move, Maxine went over the gate with ease, landing quietly on the other side. Her heart was racing, but not from the exertion; it was at what lay ahead. She couldn't get rid of this feeling that something was amiss. Sarah had been distant as of late, more than usual, and tonight, Maxine felt it in her bones-an unease gnawing at her.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and sent Sarah a text.

*"I'm outside. Are you up?"*

She waited, pacing back and forth in the quiet street. Normally, Sarah replied within seconds, but this time, the minutes stretched out, each one more unsettling than the last. Five minutes passed, then six, and still, no response.

Maxine's worry deepened. Sa