TWENTY-ONE

ON THE DRIVE BACK TO MASONVILLE, Ray Anne and I spotted a food truck and stopped to grab a bite. While seated side by side on a wobbly bench, I delivered the depressing news about her mom’s infested spine, identical to hers. “It’s a curse that runs in your family, I think.”

Thankfully Ray Anne was almost done with her taco by then, because she completely lost her appetite. She changed the subject, too distraught to even discuss it, I think. Her new way of coping lately.

“Sunday’s meeting was an epic fail,” she said. “How are we ever going to gather people onto your land when, from what I can tell, Ethan’s about the only one in Masonville who’s on board?”

He was more than on board. He was an official spirit-world defender, like us. But I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her that.

“Don’t you think we should get with Ethan soon and discuss things?” she asked. “Maybe he’ll have suggestions about what we should do next.”

Of course we should. But as disgraceful as it is to admit, I was willing to compromise the fate of our town—and ultimately our nation and world—just to avoid having to endure seeing my girlfriend interact with him. Jealousy burns the soul that bad. “Let’s give it a few days and see what happens,” I said. “I have some ideas.” Never mind that we had no time to waste, and I didn’t have any strong suggestions about what to do. But I told myself I’d figure something out.

I had to.

This time, I changed the subject—to the suicidal students in Gentry’s support group.

Ray Anne pointed out the obvious. “Warning them that Molek and Cosmic Rulers want them dead won’t work.”

She and I brainstormed one intervention strategy after another, but they all had gaping flaws.

Ray Anne lowered her head and sighed. “Who am I to try and help anyone right now, anyway? I can’t even help myself.”

I looked around, suspicious. Sure enough, I spied a Creeper next to a dumpster, its gaze fixed on Ray Anne. “That thought didn’t come from you, babe.” I pointed to the liar. “He hit you with that.”

We threw away our trash and left.

The sun was beginning to set as I pulled up to Ray Anne’s. She invited me inside, I think so we could pray, but I stayed outside when I spotted that infamous diaper box, tattered and jostling behind the bushes. The two predators had dared to move their “home” a few feet from Ray’s door.

I pointed to it. “They keep coming back because you allow it. Let’s command them to go once and for all and throw that box away.”

She winced. “But they need shelter.”

I sighed. Here we go again.

“Ramus was out here yesterday,” she said, “and he didn’t seem bothered by it. He just glanced at the box, then took his usual post on the roof.”

“Because he expects you to deal with it. Watchmen leave certain things to us—the things we can stand up to ourselves. They step in and help when we need it.” I’d witnessed it more than once.

“We’ve had such a good day. Can we please not argue about this?”

“But you’re not using your head, Ray Anne.”

She put her fists on her hips and told me I had no business telling her how to handle the situation, which of course, made me defensive. “’Cause you think I could never have more spiritual insight about something than you?”

It went downhill from there. We shouted back and forth—until that unholy mix of death dust and black grit came billowing out of our mouths. Our mouths—the last two people on earth who should be guilty of helping Molek regain his strength.

Before we had time to even discuss it, two of Molek’s fat brown bats descended on us and sucked the stuff out of the air, then flew away.

“Ugh!” I punched the brick wall, skinning my knuckles. “We just made Molek stronger.”

Ray Anne tossed her hands up. “See? I told you it wasn’t worth fighting about.”

“You’re totally missing the point.”

We were both panting and tense, ready to keep defending our stances, but we couldn’t afford to spew out more nourishment for our opponent. We had no choice but to shut up.

Neither of us brought up praying. Or said we were sorry.

I walked away, battling heart-pounding intensity—my own flaring temper intensified by Strife’s proximity. I lowered onto my bike, about to slide my helmet on, when a realization came to me. I called out to Ray Anne as she stood eyeing me from her doorway. “Hey, do you remember what Veronica told you the day you first met her? The prediction she gave you?”

She grimaced. “Something about me having kids, even though I’d just found out I never can.”

I flinched, surprised by how bluntly she’d spoken of her infertility. I cleared my throat. “Veronica said you’d have twins someday.” I nodded toward her two identical Creeper pets. “Think about it.”

Slowly, and finally with some hesitancy, Ray Anne stared down at the box.

“Veronica was possessed,” I said. “She was telling you evil’s plans for your future.”

If that didn’t make Ray Anne reconsider the situation, nothing would.

I was walking my motorcycle out of the driveway when a spotless red Ferrari parked against the curb in front of Ray Anne’s house—same model and color as the one I’d seen in the woods at the human auction. When Dr. Bradford exited and stood next to his car, I dismounted my bike. He told me hello, then called out to Ray Anne, “How’s Jackson?”

She managed to say, “He’s fine. He’s not here.” Thankfully Mrs. Greiner hadn’t made it home with him from the zoo yet.

Dr. Bradford approached Ray Anne, dragging half-a-dozen chains up the driveway, holding what looked like a small piece of paper. “Please, I want you to have this. It’s the least I can do.”

He handed Ray Anne the paper—a check. She unfolded it, then mumbled like she could hardly read. “Five thousand dollars . . .”

“My grandson should lack for nothing.”

“He doesn’t,” I said, walking back to Ray Anne and crossing my arms.

Dr. Bradford eyed me with confident ease, sporting high-dollar gray slacks and a navy-blue sports jacket. “What do I have to do to convince you that I care and am trustworthy?”

Ray Anne clung to my arm.

“I can tell you,” he said, “I have many regrets. I would do things much, much differently if only I could, starting with my misguided admiration for your grandparents, Owen.” He angled toward me. “It took me far too long, but I finally came to see them for what they really were—manipulators who preyed on me during my most vulnerable, impressionable time in life. I was a young man starving for parental acceptance and guidance.

“And it’s true, I got caught up in the supposed power and vitality offered to me, only to someday realize I’d bought into a terrible, pernicious lie.” He teared up. “I admit I’m still searching for truth. For redemption, if such a thing exists. But I’ve turned my back entirely on that society and severed all alliances. Steadily, daily, I’m becoming a new person, forging new loyalties.”

He made it sound so easy, like all he had to do was tell the occult, I quit. “They just let you walk away?” I asked.

He glanced over his shoulder, a common gesture in this town. “It’s been extremely difficult and risky. I’m so grateful for your mother, Owen. Susan has been an invaluable source of advice and comfort.”

Did he really just imply that my mom had been open with him about her childhood, about her involvement with and escape from the occult? “My mother never talks about anything related to her past.”

“She does to me.” Dr. Bradford touched his chest as if he was speaking from his heart. “I believe it’s been as healing for her as it has for me.”

Ray Anne was teary-eyed, like she was buying all this. I admit he looked sincere, but I wasn’t willing to go off appearances. Or be a coward. “Are you willing to tell us everything you know, like what happened to the missing Masonville kids?”

He took a big step back and shook his head. “I got out before the abductions. I know nothing about that.”

It occurred to me my next question could end up costing me my life, just like questioning had cost Officer McFarland his. Poor man. “Tell me, who is Veronica Snow’s handler? You’re bound to know.”

He shifted his weight and wiped his forehead, now beading with sweat, then leaned and whispered in my ear. “I suggest you never speak of her handler again.”

“Why?” I demanded. “If you have so much regret, how about you help expose the criminals around here?”

He whispered again. “If you value your life, you’ll stop seeking him out. That man shows no mercy to anyone who poses a threat to his anonymity.”

A quiver swam the length of my body. As strongly as I considered Dr. Bradford to be a liar, his words of advice rang true. I knew Detective Benny was dangerous, but maybe he was even more cutthroat than I suspected.

Ray Anne tried to give Dr. Bradford his check back, but he refused it.

“I hope to see my grandson soon.”

He drove away after that, but Ray Anne started heaving like she had asthma. “I told you he was going to try to get visitation with Jackson! And Owen, it’s not our job to confront Veronica’s handler. She can stand up to the detective herself. That’s not our battle to fight.”

“But it is, Ray Anne.” I wiped a strand of hair away from her clammy face. “Veronica said her handler has been issuing orders, rallying covens across the US to work against you and me and Elle—anyone viewed as a threat. And he’s vowed to kill Veronica if she doesn’t go along with it all. He’s the human force leading Molek’s charge against us. The person enforcing the Rulers’ agenda.”

“And you believe Veronica?”

“Yes. I mean, I think so.”

That was just it. I didn’t know what to believe. Veronica Snow, Brody Bradford—two corrupted people claiming to be remorseful and caring all of a sudden.

It was one thing to question and scrutinize the motives of spirit-world beings that appeared to bear light, but trying to sort through mixed signals from humans was proving even harder. And Ray Anne, the one person I would normally lean on to help me make sense of things, was trapped in her own whirlpool of confusion.

She burst into tears, as fragile as a teacup. “This is too hard.” She collapsed onto her driveway and dug her fingers into her scalp, sobbing as loud as I’d ever heard her.

I dropped down and tried to get her to look at me. “Sweetheart, please listen.”

“I can’t! I can’t!”

“Shh.” I rubbed up and down on her back, trying to stop what looked to me like the onset of a panic attack. And hoping I could ease her out of her fear-ridden state before . . .

Too late. I wasn’t surprised the kingdom of darkness had dispatched forces in immediate response to the distress call Ray was broadcasting for countless miles through the spiritual atmosphere. But I was startled by who they sent.