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I expect Sarah to look scared, start fiddling with her sleeve or biting her lower lip. But she doesn’t; she just nods. “Yes,” she says. “You must. She cannot stay with him.” She squeezes my elbow and meets my eyes. “I will help you, Sam. I’ll be at your side. I let you down all those years ago. I allowed them to take you away and—” Her breath falters but she draws her chin up and tries to look a little more stoic.

“You did not let me down. You tried your best.” I look down at her pocket. Her wand is sticking out of it.

Catching me staring, she takes the wand out and holds it in front of her. “I am not as strong as the rest of you. I’m not even as strong as the weakest elemental witch in this town, but I will not take the easy road this time. When you disappeared, I could have fought to find you. Instead, I worked for Ragnor. I betrayed Nova. Because I was too weak to stand up to him.” She turns the wand over in her hands, her thumbs tracing the smooth wood. “This is my chance to make it up to you all.”

I nod slowly and hug her for a second time. “I won’t tell you to stay behind,” I whisper. “I know what it’s like to feel as if you’re a spare part because your powers aren’t as kick-ass as everyone else’s.”

Laughing, wiping her moist eyes, Sarah shakes her head at me. “You can kick ass, Sam. You’ve always been feisty. Don’t underestimate yourself.” She turns and looks up at the sky. It is almost sunset now. “You might not have Nova’s blood in your veins, but you have her love. And love is a very powerful thing.”

I reach for her hand. On my other side, Rev steps up next to me and slots her arm through mine. “Any minute now,” she says. “If their plan works, we should see Nova’s sign any minute now.”

As we stare at the sky, up and down the street, doors begin to open. Despite the fact Nova’s sign has yet to appear, witches, shifters, and mages head toward the town square. In quivering silence, they gather behind us and tilt their heads toward the setting sun like they know it must be tonight.

The sun’s final descent is fast and, as soon as it has ducked below the horizon, the vamps join us too. The town’s collective energy presses down on my back, almost propelling me forward. I glance at Rev, and she smiles softly. “Seems like whatever happens, Phoenix Falls is not going down without a fight.”

Murmurs begin to ripple through the crowd. The sky is dark now, but there are no stars, and people are getting twitchy. “They’ll be here soon,” someone shouts. “Those hell creatures will be waking up. When will it happen? When will we see the sign?”

Someone else yells, “Are you sure it’s tonight? She never said it would be tonight.”

Another joins the chorus, pointing at me. “That’s one of her boyfriends. He wouldn’t be out here if it wasn’t tonight.”

I run up the town hall steps and wave at them for quiet. I’m about to tell them to go back to their homes until we know it’s time. But before even a whisper can leave my lips, we see it… a beam of bright blue light shoots up into the sky and breaks apart the blackness.

Everyone turns to look at me. “Can’t get much more obvious than that,” I shout, taking the steps two at a time to arrive back at Rev’s side.

“Time to go,” she says darkly.

I look from Rev to Sarah, then nod. “Time to go.”

* * *

The three of us walk ahead, telling the rest of the town to follow behind and remain as quiet as possible. When we reach the woods, the shifters turn. Mostly wolves and panthers, but a couple of tigers, too.

The vamps flit quickly from tree to tree, preferring the air to the ground. At first, there is an air of confidence, a surge of adrenaline as we march toward the fight. But the closer we get to The Hollow, the thicker the air becomes.

Thick with the same creeping, black terror I felt when I was in his realm. Sarah takes out her wand and holds it so tight her knuckles whiten. Rev’s hands are at her sides, ready to use whatever magick she can muster. The one with the scar on it twitches. She’s in pain, but she’s not showing it.

I stay human until we reach the tree line in front of The Hollow. I’m about to shift when I realize all is not as it should be. Nova is shaking Tanner, yelling at him. Behind them, The Split is aching, heaving, crawling with demons.

Snow, Kole, and the others are fighting them back, but they keep coming.

“Something’s gone wrong.” Rev scans the grounds. “I don’t see any ghost witches, do you?”

Sarah grabs my arm. “It looks like they’re losing.”

My eyes roam the scene in front of me. “It doesn’t matter what was supposed to happen. They need help.” I turn and raise my voice. “This is it. If we give up now, Phoenix Falls is gone and The Shadow King will be released on the world. So, do we run like cowards or fight like supers?”

No one speaks.

Groans, and shrieks, and howls fill the air.

Rev grabs my hand. Staring out into the trees, at the blinking eyes that are watching us, she yells, “I’m not giving up my town without a fight!”

A vamp drops down from a tree and lands in front of us. “Me neither.” He flashes his fangs and cracks his knuckles. “I’ve never tasted demon blood, but there’s a first time for everything.”

“We’re with you.” Three young witches, hugging one another’s waists, nod at Rev and me.

More voices speak up. The wolves bark, the panthers yowl. Somewhere in the undergrowth, a tiger roars.