The rest of the day passed quickly. Crystal saw Ballad briefly at lunch, though she made no attempt to talk to him. She also saw Cassie and the red-haired boy, Adam, heading for the glass walled back room of the lunchroom. The voluptuous black-haired beauty was in that back room, as were the two blond boys Crystal and Ballad had briefly met at the top of Crowhaven Road. Crystal saw a few others in the back room as well, but didn't get a good look at them.

When the final bell of the day rang, Crystal picked up her books, made a quick stop at her locker and headed out to the parking lot. Ballad was waiting for her at their rental car. They didn't speak on the drive back to the apartment. When they parked, Ballad muttered something about 'mail' and headed for the mail room. Crystal, feeling exhausted and wrung out, headed up to the apartment.

Maybe I should have stayed home and slept, she thought.

She dropped into an overstuffed chair in the living room and curled up, wishing she could take a nap.

There's no time, she thought. It's growing stronger every day.

A soft hissing followed by a heavy weight moving up her leg announced the arrival of Crystal's familiar.

"Your ki is low, mistress," the huge albino constrictor said, pulling his coils up to rest in Crystal's lap.

Crystal stroked the snake's head. "I know. I haven't fully recovered from— before."

The snake touched his cool nose to Crystal's cheek, his tongue flicking over her skin.

"Sleep, mistress," the snake said. "I'll watch over you."

Crystal heard a thud, and a small gasp. She looked up to see her brother standing in the doorway, his school bag on the floor. His face was white and drawn.

"What is that– thing– doing here?" he asked in a tight voice.

"Bal," she said placatingly, "you know Shin can help us."

Ballad shook his head. "No. How could you . . . he . . . that thing was . . ."

Shin, the snake, lifted himself until he stood higher than Ballad's head. His sinuous body swayed hypnotically.

"Do you question your elder sister's judgment?" the snake hissed.

Ballad stared at the snake, his eyes going vacant, as he began to sway in time with Shin. The snake's thin lips parted in a smile.

Ballad suddenly blinked and shuddered. "Stop!" he barked.

The word seemed to solidify around the snake, and the long sinuous body quivered as if straining against a restraint.

"No," Ballad said softly. "I don't question my sister. I only question your motives and loyalty, demon."

Crystal grabbed Shin at the back of his head and the large snake went limp, coiling down into her lap.

"Stop it you two. We don't need this." She looked at her brother. "Shin has promised his loyalty. He won't touch you or bother you, Bal. Don't taunt him please."

Ballad picked up his bag and slammed the front door shut. He flung a letter at her as he stalked to his room.

"It's from Mom," he said in passing.

He shut himself in his room and she heard the lock click. With a weary sigh, Crystal released Shin and pushed herself out of the chair.

"I'm going for a walk Shin. Please don't bother Ballad."

"As my mistress commands," the familiar said with a dip of his head.

The snake slithered off into Chrystal's room and disappeared under the bed.

Crystal left the apartment and just walked. She felt dazed, tired, wrung out. She tried to be strong for Ballad. For both of them. It was important that she was strong, that she protected him. He was still new to his Power after all, and she was older and wiser.

Not so wise, she thought regretfully. If I'd been wise, I'd have realized how strong the demon was, back in California. I'd have realized what the demon wanted. A host. The body of a talented magic user. If I'd been wise, I'd have never left Ballad alone to be attacked. Taken. Tortured.

Blinded by tears and fatigue, Crystal didn't see the young man until she crashed into him. She'd have landed on her butt if he hadn't reached out and caught her with strong hands. He steadied her, holding on to her until she found her balance again. Then he bent and picked up the letter she'd dropped. She'd forgotten she'd been carrying it.

"You okay?" he asked, holding the letter out to her.

She reached out to take it and looked up. His eyes caught and held her. Deep mahogany pools, full of sorrow, quickly hidden.

"Yes, thank you."

The young man shoved his hands into the pockets of his tight black jeans and nodded. His eyes searched her face for a moment, then looked away.

"See ya 'round."

"Wait."

He paused and looked at her again.

"What's your name?"

"Nick."

"Thank you, Nick."

He grunted noncommittally and walked away. Crystal watched him for a moment. There was something about him . . . She sighed, looked around, and headed for a coffee shop across the street. She ordered a cup of black coffee and a doughnut and sat to read her letter.

It was a generic 'hope you arrived safely' letter, though Crystal detected a hint of worry in the delicately penned lines. Though her mother would never admit it to her children, she worried every time they left home.

Crystal sat and sipped her coffee, letting her mind go blank. She just wanted to go home and sleep. A tap at the glass brought her attention to the window she was sitting next to. A large black bird was sitting there, looking at her.

"Raven," Crystal said.

The bird cawed and tapped the window again with his beak. Crystal lifted her hand and touched the black lock in her hair blond. An electric jolt went through her.

"It's moving," she whispered.

Crystal staggered out of her seat and ran out of the shop. Hardly knowing where she was going, she ran. When she finally stopped, sobbing for breath, she found herself at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the school. Icy dread cascaded down her spine as she began climbing the rough stone steps.

It's here, she thought. Can I defeat it? Bile rose at the back of her throat.

She stopped at the top of the stairs, facing the school entrance. A figure huddled there, human, hunched over. Something flashed silver in the moonlight and Crystal gasped. The figure turned at the sound. Looked at her. And fled.

Crystal ran to the place the figure had been and stopped abruptly. A dark, thick fluid covered the stairs, shining faintly in the moonlight. Crystal moved a step closer. There was a small body, dark, and lumpy, amid the sticky mess. Her eyes didn't seem to want to focus on it. A soft breeze wafted an unpleasant smell to Crystal's nose and all at once the scene took on sharp clarity.

It was a cat. It had been eviscerated, the organs laid out neatly next to the empty body. Blood pooled around the still form, matting the fur, and spilling down the stairs. Crystal turned away and vomited.

It's happening again, she thought wiping her mouth. Just like in California.

Something rustled in the grass and Crystal's head snapped up. A wolf, black with blue and silver highlights in its moonlit fur, stared at her with dark, mysterious eyes. It walked past her and sniffed at the small corpse on the steps. Dark lips pulled back from gleaming white fangs as the wolf snarled. It gave Crystal a golden-eyed look, then bounded off into the night.

She staggered into the bathroom and ran the water hot. She didn't feel the tears streaming down her face, nor the scalding water that turned her hands red.

All she could see was the blood. Rivers and oceans of blood.

Someone grabbed her from behind, turned the water cold, and held her burned hands there.

"What are you doing?" her brother hissed.

She couldn't answer. She could hardly breathe.

"Where did this blood come from? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

He turned her, forcing her to look at him.

"What's happened?"

She held her hands up where he could see them.

"Blood," she whispered. "Blood. It's everywhere. It's everywhere. It's coming. Coming."