The next morning, I get up, dress, and go train in the backyard, like I’ve been doing at the Kirs’. The cold morning air hits my skin, waking me and putting me on edge. I start strong with a couple hundred push-ups to start, followed by sit-ups and squats. Next, some fight training. I wrap an old blanket around one of the trees in the backyard and use it as a punching bag. As I start hitting the tree, my mind drifts. The tree fades from in front of me, and I’m walking down a dark road. At the end of the road, there’s a light, and I hear a familiar voice: “Be prepared, little Shadow. The fight ahead will be a hard one.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. Like who you are.”

It chuckles lightly. “I am the light, and you’re being watched.”

The light vanishes, and the world slowly reappears around me. With one last punch, I notice that the blanket and the bark of the tree are gone. My fists are bloody, but I don’t feel it at all. I turn to head back to the house. Mayra is there, sitting on the patio in sweats and a jacket that’s halfway zipped up, staring at me. There are bags under her eyes. “Are you okay?” she asks, looking at my hands.

“I’m fine. Just lost myself for a minute. They’ll heal within a few minutes.”

“You’ve fully embraced your abilities?”

“Training with Selene and Valene, I had to, or I would have died,” I explain.

“Right.”

“Mayra, I—”

“Let’s get your hands cleaned up.” She gets up and starts inside. I follow her into the kitchen and over to the sink. She runs the water, takes my hands, and rinses them. “So, what are you doing today?” Her voice is raspy, monotone, and tired.

“I want to talk to my friends. My phone has been acting weird since I’ve been able to manipulate energy. I haven’t spoken to them since the mall incident.”

“Yeah, you’ve probably shorted something out. Serena will have to get you a new one.” Mayra takes my hands and dries them.

“Mayra, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean the awful things that I said.”

“I know, little brother. Me too.”

Mayra’s eyes are distant as she dabs away the water and blood from my hands. “So, Call to War. What a crazy ability.”

“It was given to me by my father.”

“Dad taught that to you?”

Mayra looks at me in confusion, then she smiles. “No. Kyle, you were half right about me not being your sister. I am our mother’s firstborn, but from a previous relationship. I didn’t meet Dad until a couple of dytics after they were married. They saved me from a bad place, raised me, introduced me to Leo, and gave me a good life. Then they were taken from me, and now Leo.” She caresses my face. “I just want you safe. I couldn’t stand to lose you too.”

This is a sour subject that I don’t want to linger on. I take her hands. “I know, Sis. So, who’s your father?”

Mayra just stares at me. The look in her eyes grows even more distant, until she walks away from me and over to the fridge. “You said that you were going to go see your friends today. Well, two of them have left the city on vacation. Here, they left a note.” She grabs a piece of paper from under a magnet and hands it to me.

Dear Kyle,

Where have you been? We were at the mall, then the ceiling collapsed, and you were gone. We’ve tried calling and texting you, but it just says that your service is down. If your aunt hadn’t told us you were okay, I don’t know what we would have done. Anyway, if you’re reading this, then you know we’re not in town. Well, Page and I. My parents decided to take us all on a two-week cruise. But you were MIA, and Airca got a job at the mall—some perfume place, so yeah. I hope you’re safe, and see you later.

Xoxo,

Rica

“Well, at least they’re safe. I guess I’ll only be seeing Airca.” I make my way through the kitchen and down the hall to the stairs with Mayra trailing behind me.

At the top of the stairs, she grabs me by the wrist tight enough that it hurts a little. “Kyle, promise me you won’t go. Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“Mayra, I can’t promise that.”

She shakes her head and sighs. Her grip tightens before she lets me go. Her eyes glisten as they well up with tears. “I understand. When are you leaving?”

“After a shower and some food.”

“You do that, and I’ll wake up Serena so that she can make breakfast.”

“I thought you were going to say you would make the food.”

“Me, cook? The last few times that happened, the house nearly burnt down. Mom made it a rule that I could never cook again. That is, until microwaves were invented.”

By the time I get back downstairs, the food is already done. We all sit down to eat, and they tell me stories of when they were growing up. How awkward Mayra used to be, how Serena and Valene were crazy competitive against one another for the attention of the grown-ups.

Mayra is laughing and enjoying our talk, but there are times I catch her staring at me. Serena offers to give me a ride to the mall. I decline her offer and leave, but not before giving them both hugs.

I’ve gone on this walk countless times, but today’s different. Everything is in such crazy focus. It’s like I can see the rays of sunlight dancing on whatever they touch. Everything has a life to it. The Kir Estate didn’t have this kind of vibrancy—not that I noticed.

I’m the only person at the platform as the tram arrives. The doors open, and I get on and take my seat. There aren’t that many people riding today—four in the car ahead of me and one person in the car behind. In my car is a guy and a girl—a couple, I think—chatting and laughing it up. They’re cute together. The guy leans in and says something to her. There’s a shift in the air. Energy. They look up at me and seem suddenly tense. Their eyes shine red for a split second as they scoot closer to the door. The tram comes to a stop, and the two of them rush out when the doors open. From the platform, the couple never takes their eyes off me until the tram moves out of the station and I’m no longer in their line of sight. That was weird. If I had to guess, I’d say they weren’t human. Even weirder, it seemed like they were afraid of me.

The tram comes to a stop at the city platform. Like normal, I get off and admire the skyline. This time, I don’t have to rush to catch up with the others, and I can linger a bit and enjoy the view. After a moment, I pull myself away from my spot, make my way to the street, and head for mall. There’s barely any foot traffic as I go through city, so the walk doesn’t take long at all.

Inside the mall, I wander a bit, trying to find this perfume shop. With so many stores and little kiosks that sell perfumes, oils, and such, it’ll take a while to find Airca. I walk by the arcade. Yellow tape lines the back wall where the punching machine-turned-scrap metal had been. I wonder if that lug, Mack, had to pay for it.

I come across construction workers hurrying back and forth with materials, fixing the ceiling. It’s coming along nicely. It would seem the property owners are going to save a bit of money and time by just turning the hole it into a skylight. “Nice job, guys,” I say to some of the workers.

At an essential oils kiosk, I ask if there is a new perfume shop that recently opened. The merchant points to a spot not far from the construction area. There is a free-standing sign that reads, “Hyped Cosmetics Grand Opening. Right this way!” I walk over to the storefront and peek inside. At the counter is someone reading a magazine. Her face is made up, and her hair is straightened, but I’d recognize Airca anywhere. There’s a loud ding as I cross the threshold.

“Hi, and welcome to Hyped Cosmetics. How may I help you?” she says unenthusiastically from behind the magazine.

“Well, pretty lady,” I say with a crappy country accent, “I’m looking to purchase your finest feminine fragrance and possibly get them digits.” I complete my line as I arrive at the counter.

She looks up from her magazine, and I meet her gaze with a smile. “Kyle!” she yells, practically jumping over the counter to hug me. “You’re alive. Where have you been?”

“Well, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about. You got time?”

She looks around at the empty store. “Loads of it. Grab a seat.” I snag a stool I’m assuming is for customers trying out products and set it up on the side of the counter. “Now, tell me why you were MIA.”

“Well, I just recently found out some things.”

“Like?”

“I met my godparents.”

“Godparents? I thought you didn’t have any other family besides your aunt.”

“So did I, but that’s not even the kicker…” I trail off, wondering how much I should tell her. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything too crazy. She did go through a lot with that Ben guy. I’ll sugarcoat it.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging,” she says, eyebrow raised.

“Well—”

There’s a ding as someone comes in. Airca quickly turns her attention to the new customer. “Hi, and welcome to Hyped Cosmetics. How may I…” She grows silent.

“I’m just out for a stroll and look who I happen by,” says the costumer. “Hello again, Sara.”

A wave of energy blankets the store as he steps farther in. A demon. Airca backs up against the counter, her face one of complete terror.

I turn to see a guy with dark, blond hair and gray eyes. His cowboy boots, jeans, and Hawaiian shirt are all tattered and covered in dirt. Ben. With a smile, his energy intensifies, creating a pressure all around us. I’m sure his plan is to overwhelm Airca, but with her so close to me, she is shielded by the blanket of my energy. I’ve learned to keep a small area of it up around me during training, to keep me safe in such situations.

His energy is pure, but it’s nothing like Valene’s. He’s much weaker. I’m sure even I can take him based on the potency of his energy. “Airca,” I say softly. Her eyes dart between me and Ben. I smile. “It’s okay.”

“So Airca’s your real name? No wonder my enchantment didn’t work. No matter. You’re not needed anymore, but I think you owe me an apology.” He tugs at his pants. “You actually hurt me.”

I stand, facing the demon. “She owes you nothing.”

He looks at me, surprised. “And you are?”

“The guy telling you that she has nothing to apologize for and that you should leave.”

Ben smiles devilishly as he steps forward. In a flash of darkness, he vanishes. Shadow walking. His energy is everywhere, but I can sense a huge pocket of it moving as he travels through limbo. The air shifts, and the rift into limbo opens to my left. Time slows to a snail’s pace, and I see him start to appear through the breach. I reach into the distorted space, wrap my hand around his neck, and pull him out of thin air, slamming him to the ground. After catching his breath, he looks up at me in surprise. “How in the hell?” He tries to fight me. I flex my own energy, bringing the weight of it down on him. “You’re a demon?” he manages.

I clench harder around his neck. “Ben, was it? My sister told me about you, hunting my friends.” I feel him start to push against my energy, holding me at bay. Crap. He’s a lot stronger than I thought. I can’t hold him down for long. I take a deep breath and, with all I have, push back harder. The makeup on display rattles as his wall of energy shatters and he’s laid out flat on the floor.

“Listen to me. You will never come near Airca or my other friends again, or you’ll have to answer to me,” I say, putting as much power behind my words as possible. He nods.

I let up, and he disappears out from under me. He appears outside the shop, breathing heavily, a look of shock in his eyes. I stand to watch him. “You’ll pay for this. Mark my words,” he says with a slight tremble. In a flash of darkness, Ben disappears.

His energy vanishes along with him, and that’s when I relax. My legs nearly give out on me, and I fall back against the register counter. That was crazy, but at least it worked. He looked scared. Hell, I scared myself, sounding so threatening. When did I get strong enough to best an actual demon?

I look over my shoulder. “Airca, you okay?” She yelps a little, pressing harder against the wall. “Airca, please don’t be afraid,” I say, putting my hands up.

“What just happened? What’s going on?” She starts hyperventilating.

Man, if someone were to walk in, this wouldn’t look so good on my part.

“Just listen to me and let me explain,” I say, holding out my hands. She just looks at them. I can clearly see the fear in her eyes and in her every movement. I slowly step around the counter and offer my hand. “Airca, please.” Her face is full of skepticism. After a few deep breaths, she hesitantly takes my hand. I help her up off the floor and back into her seat. “I’ll start from the beginning.”

I tell her everything that I’ve gone through and learned, and what’s happening tonight. Her face is completely blank as she tries to comprehend it all, and I know exactly what she’s going through. She starts to move her lips, saying something too low for me to hear.

“What?”

“You can’t do it,” Airca says, grabbing my hand. Somehow, she just completely bypassed the whole me being a demon thing, along with me having sisters I never knew about.

“My sister told me the same thing. Threatened to kill me before she would let me go, but my mind is made up.”

“So, what is this, a goodbye?” I nod. Her eyes begin to water, and her shoulders shake. “You suck, Kyle Ross. You suck so much!” she yells, tears now running down her face.

“Airca, calm down. Look, I’m sorry, but—”

She hops up off her stool and shoves me off mine. She takes me by surprise, but I manage to land on my feet. “No,” she says through her tears. “You vanish without a word for more than a week, and now you show up out of the blue to tell me that you’re some kind of demon, your aunt is actually your sister, you’re going on some super dangerous undercover mission with some random demon-girl, and that this may be the last time I get to see you alive? I can’t forgive you for this. Just leave,” she shouts.

Not the reaction I thought I was going to get, but she has a point. “All right, I’m gone.” My heart is in my throat as I try to fight back tears.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” she yells angrily as the door dings.

“You just told me to leave.” I turn to see her stomping toward me.

Reaching me, she slaps me as hard as she possibly can, then hugs me. “God, you’re so stupid sometimes!” She cries into my shoulder. “I’m off in an hour. Let’s get some food. This can’t be goodbye.”

I sit with her until her relief shows up. We are silent all the way to the food court, and up until we’re halfway through our meal. Airca brings up something from our childhood, sparking a long conversation. It lasts for hours—from the food court, through the city, the tram ride, and then to her house. It’s late in the afternoon now; the sun is on the verge of setting. I didn’t even notice the time go by, but that normally happens when I’m with her.

Her mom makes us dinner. Mrs. Cove doesn’t cook often, but when she does, she gives Serena a run for her money. After dessert, Airca and I go out onto the roof, just outside of her bedroom window, to watch the sun set. This time of day has always been our favorite. We wait for the stars to begin blinking to life in the darkening sky.

Airca takes my hand. “Do you remember when we would sit up here when we were little?”

“Looking for the wishing star, telling secrets, making our silly little promises.”

“Yeah. Kyle?”

“Yeah?”

“Make me a promise,” she says, gripping my hand tighter and looking over at me.

“What is it?”

“Promise me that this won’t be the last time we see each other.”

I think about it for a second. “Airca, with this mission coming up, I don’t think…” I see the sadness in her eyes. “You know I don’t like making promises I’m not sure I can keep.”

She just smiles. “I know. That’s why I know if you make this promise, you’ll do all you can to keep it.” She lifts her right hand, pinky extended. “Now promise me.” I latch my pinky with hers. “Promise set.” She turns her attention back to the sky. “So, you really have a girlfriend now? That happened kind of fast, didn’t it?”

As I look at Airca, I can see the skepticism she has about my relationship with Valene. “Yeah, it did. We just hit it off. She’s so cool though and super strong.”

She leans against me. “I want to meet her. See what I lost to.”

“Airca, that’s not—”

She puts her fingers to my lips. “Just forget I said anything,” she says, her voice filled with annoyance. She wraps her arms around mine and snuggles up to me.

For a while, we just talk and stargaze. It’s not long before she’s fast asleep in my lap. Gingerly, I pick her up. She weighs practically nothing. I take her back into her room and tuck her in with a kiss on the forehead.

“How cute,” says a voice from behind me.

I spin around and prepare myself. At the window, an Egyptian Mau hops down from the frame to the floor. “Mayra, what are you doing here?”

“Checking on you. Following you, really.” She sits. “I was impressed by how well you handled that worm back at the mall. I thought I was going to have to step in.”

“That’s what my training is for. Why are you here?”

“After our talk this morning, I’ve come to a decision. You are not going, and I will do everything in my power to stop you,” she says, never averting her eyes from mine. “Even if that means breaking you.”

My hands tremble. I’m not angry this time, just scared. Even with her being so small, I can clearly sense how powerful she is. Serena’s words play in my mind: she is a force. I prepare to stand my ground. “Look, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going.”

She growls, but instead of a groan, like most house cats, it’s loud and strong like a lion’s. “Very well.” Her form turns black and starts to change. The amount of energy she’s putting off is frightening. I’ve never felt anything like this before. The whole house starts to shake.

“Mayra, calm down,” I say as gently as possible. “I don’t understand why, but I know you can’t make your presence known here on Earth, or New Birth whatever, and if you continue the way you’re going, that’s going to happen. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

The shaking grows more intense, along with her energy. Car alarms echo from the neighborhood outside. “Banishment will be bearable as long as you’re alive.” Her shapeless form glows red and yellow as it begins to take shape.

I turn around to check on Airca. Luckily, she’s a heavy sleeper and isn’t fazed by this, but Mrs. Cove will be up here in any second. “Mayra. Drink long…”

Instantly, the shaking fades to a rumble, and energy ceases to flow from her. “What did you say?” her disembodied voice asks.

“And drink deep. Let the sound soothe you.” The yellow and red lights that comprise Mayra’s incomplete body dull, turning black. She shrinks into a blob of darkness the size of her cat form. “Wild of heart, now calm of mind. Rest.”

Two circles of symbols appear in the air around the blob and constrict around her. With a long, pained groan, Mayra’s body turns back into her cat form. Steam rises off her fur as she stands shakily. “How…did you learn that binding spell… Damn you, Kir,” she says, trembling. I take a step toward her. She looks at me, her eyes now a deep crimson red. “Don’t come near me!” She hisses and then jumps out of the window.

Oh, Mayra.

Not even a second later, Mrs. Cove comes bursting through the door to make sure that Airca and I are okay. Airca is still out like nothing happened. Her mom offers to drive me home, but I refuse. After all that just happened, a walk would be best to clear my mind.

As I walk down the street, a wave of nausea and panic hits me. I lean against the light post at the end of our driveway to catch my breath and fight down my dinner. God, what did I just do? Betrayed my sister, that’s what.

The air grows thick with a familiar energy, and a hand appears on my shoulder from out of darkness. “Hey, Hero.” I turn to her and hug her tight. “What’s wrong?” Valene asks, rubbing my back.

“A lot. I had to use that phrase your dad gave me on Mayra. Apparently, it’s a binding spell. I feel like crap for using it on her.”

“It’s okay, Hero. Knowing her, she did something that forced your hand. All of this will blow over; just give it time.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek. “It’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know. The way she looked at me…”

“It will be fine. Trust me. Mayra’s a big girl who has been through a lot. She’s just upset. Give her a little time.”

I nod. “Thanks.” I step back and get a good look at her. Her hair is in a bun, and she has on a sleeveless purple hoodie, black tights, and purple tennis shoes. “You’re dressed pretty cute for someone about to do something life threatening.”

“Of course. Gotta show out no matter what you’re doing.” She takes my hand and leads me to sit down on the curb. She rests her head on my shoulder. “I missed you today.”

“I missed you too. How was your day?”

“It was good. I spent the first half of day with my family, Talked to today with Vivica and Simone, and then a couple of hours with Serena. How about you?”

“Spent most of the day with Airca. Fought a demon.” She looks at me, eyebrows raised. “Long story short: He tried to abduct Airca and the girls a bit ago. He was stopped, but not before getting a swift kick in the ‘nads. He popped up again today, and I scared him a bit.”

“You scared him?”

“Well, I at least chased him off.”

She sighs. “Thank goodness. Hero, you have to be more careful. I’m so proud though. Now I see that I can get a little more serious with you.”

“You mean you haven’t been?” She shakes her head no, which comes as a surprise. The only reason I considered taking Ben on was because I thought she had been.

“So, which of your friends kicked him hard enough to feel it?”

“Airca. She’s always been able to hit harder than most girls.”

“I think I like her. I want to meet her.”

“You two would probably hit it off.”

We sit in silence. The time for us to go is approaching fast, and my nerves are winding up. I take a deep breath. Valene puts her hand onto my chest; it’s so warm I can feel it through my shirt. She’s staring out into the darkness of the neighborhood, and I realize she’s nervous too. I take my arm from her, wrap it around her waist, and pull her in close. This startles her a bit, but then she starts smiling.

“We can be nervous wrecks together,” I tell her.

Valene brings her hand to my cheek and draws me in. Heat engulfs the two of us the moment our lips touch. My entire body unwinds, and my fear melts away. Before we are swept in the moment entirely, the both of us pull back and laugh.

“All right. So, what’s the plan?” I ask.