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I trip a little in my steps at the implication of Gaspard’s words. Sebastian. Sebastian is dead. My stomach roils. Gaspard said they killed the others who went with them, but I didn’t think it was someone that I knew. I mean, I didn’t know him well, and he was stand-offish during that day we spent together, but still. The idea that he’s dead now because Colton wants me, and is willing to kill to get me, makes me feel sick. It makes the threat seem even more real.

Gaspard doesn’t seem to notice my distress, however, and heads to one of the cars at the end of the line. A silver Hummer, I think, but I don’t really know cars, so I’m not sure. Some big, armored-looking gas-guzzling monstrosity. He lifts Jade into the passenger-side seat and then moves to the driver’s side door.

“Get in,” he orders. “And stay down in the backseat. We don’t want anyone to see you.”

Nodding, I climb up into the car’s back seat. Gaspard closes the door behind me and then gets into the driver’s seat. The engine turns over with a powerful rumble, and I hastily buckle my seatbelt before hunching down so that even my outline can’t be seen from behind the tinted windows. The garage opens, and Gaspard peels out of the garage, roaring down the street. The other cars follow him, but pull away in different directions as we drive, until soon we are alone.

We drive in tense silence until we finally pull into a private airport that I didn't even know existed in New Orleans. A private plane is on the runway, its door already open, with stairs leading up into the cabin.

“Get out, but keep your head down,” Gaspard commands while parking the car. “Keep your hair in front of your face. You too, Jade. If they’re following us, we don’t want them to know for sure where you’re leaving from. I sent the others to different locations throughout the city, so that they couldn't be sure which car you were in, but we’re dealing with warlocks here. We can’t be too careful.”

Man, I’m having a hard time keeping it together. I wasn’t made for all this cloak-and-dagger bullshit. But this is the only way for me to be safe, so I need to follow directions. Nodding again, I unbuckle my seatbelt and pull my hair in front of my face. Gaspard gets out and heads to the passenger side door, lifting Jade. When he grabs her, she pushes her face into the crook of his neck, hiding her own face.

The door to my left suddenly opens, and I see a man in a black suit standing in the car’s doorframe.

“Miss Smith? If you’ll allow me to escort you?”

I don’t recognize this man, or vampire, or whatever, but I don’t really have a choice but to follow him. I let him help me out of the car, and then he pulls his jacket off, draping it over my head, and then escorts me toward the stairs. I start to climb into the plane when the roar of engines cuts into the silence.

“The Circle!” shouts Gaspard, coming out of the plane and pulling a huge gun from a holster at his back. “They found us!”

“Miss Smith!” shouts the nameless bodyguard, “Get in the plane, quickly!”

Without hesitation, I run up the stairs as Gaspard passes me, and a flight attendant pulls the door shut quickly behind me.

“Get buckled in!” she says, pulling a phone off the wall and hitting a button. “We’re going to take off now before they can stop us!”

Jade is already in her chair, buckled in, her eyes wide. I dive for the closest seat and hurriedly buckle my seatbelt as the report of gunfire comes from outside and the plane begins to move. From out the window, I see Gaspard and the other vampire trading gunfire with the other cars that drove up, but they are getting further away as the plane moves toward the runway. Then, as I watch, a dark blue glow appears around the outside of the plane, and the wheels grind to a halt, even as the engines whine with effort.

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“The Circle is stopping the plane from moving!” the flight attendant exclaims. “We’re sitting ducks unless we can break the spell.”

“Jade?” I ask, turning to my friend. “Can you do it?”

Jade’s eyes get even bigger. “Are you kidding? Me against a coven? There’s no way I would succeed.”

“But you know a spell that could break it?”

“I mean, yeah, I know a negating spell, but . . . ”

“That’s all we need,” I say. Turning to the flight attendant, I say, “We need a knife or something sharp, now.”

“On a plane? Are you kidding?” she replies.

“Anything! I need to bleed.”

Understanding dawns on both Jade’s and the flight attendant’s faces. “I have nail clippers,” the flight attendant says, reaching into her pocket.

“That will work,” I hope, I silently add to myself.

“Andi, even with your blood, I don’t know . . .” Jade says, looking tortured.

“We have to try, Jade. It’s our only play.”

The flight attendant hands me the nail clippers, and I turn to Jade. “Okay, how does this work? Do you just need to hold it or . . .”

“Yeah, just give me some drops in my hand. I’ll channel through that. Hopefully, it’ll work.”