I'm pretty sure I broke almost every driving rule and traffic law out there on that ride home. But luck was with us. The road was quiet. We avoided the police and the Mustang still had an intact transmission by the time I pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition.Not that I planned to kiss the pavement or anything, but I was happy to be home.Mom stayed silent on the drive. Aside from the soft crying that eased as Meira hiccupped her way to exhaustion and the hum of the radio, the car was quiet. Even Gram stopped her endless chanting, something I was grateful for.I managed to get my mother out of the car and into the house. It was so still, it seemed like even the house knew we didn't belong there anymore.I maneuvered Mom into a chair and turned to Meira and Gram."Meira," I said softly, "stay with Mom, okay?"She climbed up into Mom's lap as I led Gram through the house to her room. She followed, more docile than I had ever seen her. I left her there, sitting on he

I don't know if I would have stayed there and let Dominic take us at knifepoint, but I didn't get to find out.The part of the shield generated by our mother seized on the scorching power of my demon and freed her to act.My demon roared. Everything went to slow motion. I barely took the time to bend as I simultaneously lifted Meira into my arms and spun, taking the hallway at a dead run from a full stop before I even had a chance to know I moved. I had no idea what was happening behind me and really didn't care.Time sped up back to normal as I slammed open the front door and hit the sidewalk running, Meira clutched desperately to my chest. I didn't know where I was going, what I would do when I made it there or even how I would figure any of that out. All I could focus on, breathe in, feel in every corner of me, was flight.If it hadn't been for the spell of protection, I would have stayed behind to fight. But the compulsion to protect my sister was so powerful I had to get away,

It wasn't until Sassy cried out and I felt the presence of my father I grasped the full extent of what Batsheva planned. She floated the granite effigy of Haralthazar into the circle before closing it tightly behind him. His statue settled in the pentagram, cold and lifeless, but an open vessel for his presence.Sassafras cried out again, ending in a hissing, snarling growl. He pulled himself free of Meira's arms and dragged his horribly damaged cat body toward the statue, useless back legs lurching along behind him.He worked his way forward with his front paws, claws tearing at the dirt as he went. I wanted to cry at the trail of fresh blood he left behind, to throw a fit, curl up in a ball and make it all go away. But I didn't. I watched our brave and broken Sassafras as he gathered the last of his strength and used it to get to Dad.The statue warmed, the stone becoming flesh, real, and I knew why they kidnapped Sass. They needed a demon focus, someone to channel the unfamiliar po

The wailing started and would not stop. It was a horrible, broken sound, full of frustration and despair. It pierced me like a knife.We all came together over the hunched form of Batsheva Moromond. I felt Quaid join us, his face expressionless but eyes soft as he watched his mother, wretched, shattered, shriek her sanity away into the night.As she did, they started to arrive, slowly at first, in ones and twos, then large groups of them all at once, the coven, our family, come to pass judgment on the saboteur who almost destroyed us. None of them approached, leaving us alone, keeping their distance, standing guard over the Moromonds to allow us our moment together.By the time the witches gathered, it was getting close to dawn."We should go," Uncle Frank said to us. Sunny shone beside him. She brushed my face with her fingertips in thanks."Stay," Mom said. "You are welcome here, both of you. From now on, you are always welcome."Frank grinned at her. "Thanks, and any other tim

Book Two: Witch HuntI had the tune, no problem. It was the words eluding me. The latest pop song to make it to the top of the charts circled around inside my head, the lyrics begging to be recalled and hummed to the catchy melody. He loves my pain? He loves the rain? He lives in Spain? I struggled as my mind wandered, feeling the right words on the tip of my brain. Damn it, what was the line?"Syd."I thought I had the words right by now. I sang it in my best friend Alison's car on the way home. She knew every word, maybe I could call her and have her tell me. Or I could download the video and find out that way."Syd!"It drove me crazy. I hated when I couldn't remember. My mind wanted to make up new lyrics and I refused to be one of those losers who everyone picked on because they sang the words wrong."Sydlynn Thaddea Hayle!"I snapped to attention just in time to lose the wavering shield I was supposed to be holding around the huge red candle in the middle of the pentagram