Lia flipped her hands front to back, looking them over. Then she walked to the mirror and stared at her reflection. “Am I supposed to feel different or something?”
“I don’t know,” Addison replied. “Do you feel different?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Give it time.”
“How much time? I mean … how will I know what to do when I need to do it?”
“It will come to you, trust me.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I’ll teach you.”
Lia stood. “I need to head home and pack a bag. I won’t be long.”
Addison walked her to the door and then headed upstairs. “Luke, you up here?”
“In the bedroom,” he answered.
Addison entered the room and found Amara Jane sitting in the middle of the bed playing with her toys while Luke filled a suitcase with clothes.
“I was going to put a few things in for you and Amara Jane, but I’m not sure what you want to take,” Luke said.
“I don’t even know how long we’ll be away or what you wear to such a place. Where’s Samael?”
“He, ahh … he left. Said he’ll return soon. Then we’d all leave together.”
He’d return soon.
Hard to know how long that would be.
“Did he mention why he had to go?” Addison asked.
“He didn’t.”
Whatever Samael’s reasons were for taking off, Addison assumed it was important, or he wouldn’t have left. Not when so much was at stake.
As Addison packed a few bags, she thought about the great-grandmother she was about to meet, about Gaia itself, and what it would be like. The decision to put her faith in Samael wasn’t an easy one, but in her heart, she believed his intentions were good, even if they hadn’t always been.
Lia returned an hour later, entering the house with a backpack slung over her shoulder. “Hey, guys, I’m ready to go. Are you?”
“That’s all you’re bringing?” Addison asked. “A small backpack?”
Lia patted the bag and smiled. “What can I say? I’m a minimalist. Where’s your, you know, raven dad?”
“I have no idea. He told Luke he’d be back soon.”
Lia muttered something about her neighbor agreeing to watch her cat while they were away, but Addison was too busy staring out the window to focus on everything Lia was saying. The sky had changed, the sun’s warmth disappearing behind a spate of ominous dark clouds.
“Check it out,” Addison said. “Looks like a storm’s coming.”
“A storm? Can’t be. I checked the weather report this morning. Supposed to be sunny. Clear skies all week.”
Addison pointed at the window.
Lia turned, her eyes widening as she said, “What the—”
“It doesn’t just look like a storm, does it?” Addison opened the window and stuck her head out. “Listen. Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“That’s what I mean. It’s quiet. Too quiet. No birds chirping, no buzz in the air … nothing.”
“Don’t birds like know when severe weather is coming? I read once that they hear low-frequency sounds, called, ehh … infrasound, if I remember right. That’s why they hightail it out of a place before a storm hits.”
Addison shrugged and turned, focusing back on the bags she’d packed. She zipped them closed and wheeled them into the hallway. “Guess we should gather our bags so we’ll be ready when Samael decides to grace us with his presence.”
Lia backed away from the window, her expression apprehensive. “Umm, Addison?”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“You’d better come see for yourself.”
Addison approached the window and glanced downward. There, in the front yard, was Aamon. He appeared as himself this time and was dressed in a long, black trench coat and matching gloves. Under his left arm was the book of black arts.
“Who is that guy?” Lia asked.
“It’s Aamon, Samael’s brother.”
“I thought he wasn’t supposed to know about this place.”
“He must have used the book to find Grayson Manor. Get Luke and Amara Jane and bring them here. No one opens the front door. No one goes outside. Understand?”
Lia nodded and left the room.
Addison leaned out the window, glaring at Aamon.
He tipped his head in her direction. “Why don’t you invite me inside so we can have a little chat? I promise to play nice. For now, anyway.”
“I have nothing to say to you. I want you to leave.”
“Oh, I believe I’ll stay, if you don’t mind.”
“I do mind. You’re trespassing.”
“If you say so. Still,” he said, his arms extended, “this will all be mine soon enough. This manor, this city, this country … all the countries in the world. All under my control. The mere thought of it is delicious, isn’t it? And so close ... I can feel it. Can’t you?”
“Wishful thinking, if you ask me,” Addison said.
“Now then, where’s that brother of mine?”
“He’s around.”
Aamon snickered. “You’re lying, Addison. If he were here, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now, would we? He can’t save you from what’s coming, you know. No one can. Now that I’ve acquired the book, the future is for the taking. It’s in my hands now.”
“Funny. I was under the impression it was in mine.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. But if it makes you feel better …”
Enough banter.
Time to give him a taste of what he was up against. Thrusting her hands in front of her, she said, “I banish you from this manor and everyone inside it.”
The moment the words left her lips, Aamon was hurled back as if a vigorous gust of wind had stabbed him in the chest. His body whipped through the air. Then he was gone.
Lia entered the room along with Luke, who carried Amara Jane in his arms.
“What can I do?” Lia asked. “How can I help?”
Addison lifted a finger into the air. “Shhh. I need a moment.”
Closing her eyes, Addison was about to channel Samael when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find him standing there.
“I already know,” he said. “I felt his presence here.”
“Where have you been?”
“I left to retrieve a valuable, one I haven’t had any use for in a long time.”
Addison glanced at his hand. On one of his fingers was a ring. It was a silver band, thin and delicate. It didn’t seem like something he’d wear. “Why do you need the ring?”
“It symbolizes an invitation. When offered it grants permission to enter Gaia. Now … where is my brother?”
“I’m not sure. Somewhere close by, I assume.”
“We must go. If I know Aamon, he didn’t come alone this time.”
“I didn’t see anyone with him.”
“It doesn’t mean they’re not there. Let’s find out.” Samael approached the window. “Brother, show yourself.”
Aamon materialized, hovering in the sky just behind the manor’s property line. “Nice to see you again, Samael. I’d come closer, but it appears I’m unable to at present—a tiny hiccup I’ll soon correct.”
“It’s not too late to give up this ridiculous crusade of yours,” Samael said.
“Oh, but it is, brother. I’ve come too far to turn back now. Where’s the book of enchantments? Tell me, and this can all be over right now.”
“It is you who needs to return what you stole from the necromancers. Hand over the book of black arts, and we’ll let you live.”
Addison faced Samael. “Let him live? His fate … it isn’t up to you.”
Samael glanced back, eyeing Addison, Luke, Lia, and Amara Jane in turn. “Get to the red room. All of you.”
Samael may have been accustomed to being the one in charge, but he was in her house, and she had a different objective in mind.
“Luke and Lia, take Amara Jane, the bags we packed, and go,” Addison said. “I’ll join you in a minute.”
Luke opened his mouth to protest, but Addison cut in before he had the chance. “Please, Luke. Go. I’ll be right behind you, okay?”
Though reluctant, he nodded, and the threesome departed.
Turning toward Samael, Addison said, “What now?”
“Now we find out what size audience we’re entertaining.”
He leaned out the window and curled a hand into a fist. The earth around the area where Aamon was standing split open and with it arose droves of fiendish creatures—demons—ready to fight.
Aamon glanced around, smiling at the new arrivals as they congregated behind him. “I know better than to come alone when I’m dealing with you, Samael. Go ahead … say hello. Ask if they’ve missed you. It’s been a while, but you still remember them, don’t you? They remember you.”
“What is he talking about?” Addison asked. “Who are they … or were they?”
“This isn’t a conversation we should have right now.”
“But it is a conversation we need to have.”
Aamon snorted a laugh and cut in. “You know so little of your father, Addison. Why don’t the two of you come on out and we’ll have a good, old-fashioned family chat, or a family honesty session. I’m good either way.”
“We’ll pass,” Addison said.
“Too bad. There’s much to tell. You can’t shield yourselves behind the manor forever. You must leave sometime, and we’ll be right here waiting when you do.”
Addison reached for Samael’s hand. The moment he took it, they found themselves inside the red room with Luke, Lia, and Amara Jane.
“All of you, stand behind me,” Samael said. “And get ready.”
“Get ready for what?” Luke asked.
Samael circled a finger into the air, creating a portal, a ring of fire the perfect size to step through.
“Grab your things,” Samael said. “It’s time we leave this place.”