When they were a good mile or two away from the house, Clare finally stirred. At first she looked relieved to finally be free, but then her eyes bulged and she began whining. “No…we have to go back!”

  “Calm down.” Aria rubbed her shoulder. “You’re safe with us. Why would you want to go back?”

  “We need to stop her, Aria.”

  “Why?”

  Margot leaned forward. “And what did you mean about her going out hunting?”

  Clare swallowed hard and looked like she would sick up. “Mira doesn’t eat sins, Aria. She eats souls. And she doesn’t stop. She never stops.”

  Aria pulled her mother toward her and enveloped her in her arms. The terror in the woman’s eyes, a powerful witch who had a long life, frightened her. Her sister, who she had hoped to meet and bond with, was a monster. And it would be up to Aria to stop her.

  11

  Harry

  Harry’s eyes blinked open. He focused on the big brown spot on the white ceiling .

  Movement caught his attention, pulling his eyes toward the figure lying naked in the bed next to him. Long blonde hair draped across the pillow. Harry followed the curve of the woman’s body and remembered that he had met her at the hotel bar last night.

  But what was her name? Becky? Donna? Whatever.

  A smile pulled his lips, puffing his cheeks as she rolled over and the sheets pulled down, revealing perfect, supple breasts. She’s still asleep, for the moment. Harry yawned then tried to lick his lips with a dry tongue. He eyed the whiskey sitting on top of the dresser across from the bed.

  That ought to do it, Harry thought, and pulled himself from the bed. He grabbed a shot glass, pulled some half-melted ice chips from the ice bucket, and dropped them into the glass. The girl sighed. Harry reached for the bottle, setting his eyes on the woman’s image in the mirror. The smell of whiskey hit his nose, making his thirst stronger. He replaced the bottle then turned to face the woman who sat up in bed, smiling.

  Harry knocked back the drink and rushed back into bed. He planted a soft kiss on her lips.

  She pulled back and smiled at him. “Can you do that thing that you did last night?”

  “I sure can.” Harry buried his face in his hair and inhaled her scent. He began planting a trail of kisses down her neck.

  She laughed, stopping him. “No, not that thing. The other thing.”

  He realized what she was referring to and turned his head, pursing his lips toward the glass sitting on the stand next to the bed. He drew in a long breath, then slowly blew it out, sending a bright yellow mist into the glass. Sounds that reminded him of crackling ice came from the glass, until the last of his breath left his lungs.

  The glass had been turned into pure ice.

  The woman gasped in awe. She eyed him as if he were both a mystery and a miracle. She crawled over him to take the frozen glass in her hands, eyes wide. “What kind of wizard are you? I’ve never met a real one before.”

  He wasn’t even sure he was a wizard, in truth. As far as he knew, he only possessed residual powers from the exorcised ghost, Vlad. Semi-permanent, residual powers. Whether that made him a wizard was left to be seen. He shrugged, then rolled onto his back, concentrating on the ceiling. He focused on his power, wondering if perhaps he could find a way to control them and beat the darkness. He sent tendrils of energy forward. Moments later, snowflakes fell from the ceiling and onto the bed.

  The woman’s eyes widened. She extended her fingers and touched the flakes.

  Harry couldn’t help but grin when she turned her gaze toward him, looking at him with admiration. He thought he’d fascinate her even more with a few creative changes. The snowflakes sparked, dancing in circles and changing their shapes to letters and other images, forming elaborate paintings. He grew too arrogant though, pulling the sparks to close to the bed. Some of the sparks coalesced into a ball of flame and landed near the woman, singeing the woman’s arm.

  She let out a sharp cry and recoiled. His concentration broke, and the remaining sparks turned into flames and headed toward the bed.

  The blonde woman jumped from the bed with a screech, falling onto the floor and hastily rising to her feet. She quickly threw on her clothes and gathered her belongings as Harry quenched the flames. She dashed to the door, then turned and snapped at him.

  “Freak! Learn to control that before you kill someone!”

  The door slammed shut, and Harry lay in silence. He was so humiliated that he didn’t dare try to rush after her and explain himself. How could he? Now, he was alone. That horrible word echoed through his mind. He got up and approached the mirror across from him, seeing Vlad’s face in his reflection.

  You blamed me this entire time for what you did, but in the end, I was only showing you who you truly were. A Monster.

  The image disappeared, leaving a hyperventilating Harry staring back at himself. He hated what he saw, what he had become. Anger rose within him, and it turned into rage. He let out a scream, smashing the mirror with the ice bucket, overturning a table in the corner, and throwing around anything that wasn’t nailed down.

  A loud buzz and the high pitch of his cell phone’s ringtone pulled him from completely destroying what was left of the room. He stormed over to the bed and reached beneath it, grabbing his phone and checking the caller ID. Detective Rosito.

  He also saw that Aria had been calling him, but he didn’t want to talk to her right now. He couldn’t. Besides, in his current mood, he’d just piss her off as she’s cozying up to Mommy Dearest. Harry decided to let Rosito’s call go to voicemail.

  With a sigh, he collected his clothes and began dressing himself. The phone rang again. Harry gritted his teeth when he saw Rosito calling for a second time. Figuring it had to be important (at least it had better be), he swooped up the phone and answered.

  “What is it, Rosito?”

  “Harry?” Rosito sounded panicked. A litany of voices shouted and echoed into Harry’s ear.

  “Hey…what’s going on, Rosito?” Now the detective had his attention. He even heard people crying in the background.

  “Where in the hell is Jacob Wolfe?” Rosito’s voice went up an octave.

  A pinch formed in the center of Harry’s forehead. “How should I know? I’m still in Blythe Meadows.”

  “Are you with Aria? Jacob was headed that way.”

  “No, but what’s going on?” He cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear as he buttoned up his shirt.

  The noises feeding into the line ended with a click. It sounded like Rosito had stepped into a quiet room. “Mayor Farley is dead. The city council has appointed Mr. Wolfe as interim mayor until a new one can be elected. So, it’s imperative for him to drag his ass out of whatever hole he’s in and help take care of the chaos that’s taken over the city.”

  Damn. He guessed it was time to find Pretty Boy and Aria and break the news.

  He slipped on his jacket and retrieved the dampening ring from his pocket. He was a fool to take it off and believe he could control these powers. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Hurry, Harry. Shit’s getting out of control here.”

  “Yeah. I believe you.” Harry hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. He stood there, staring at the simple band that stood as a delicate a barrier between him and utter darkness. He shook his head as an iron weight settled in his chest. “I can’t use magic anymore. It’s too much to handle. I can’t do this.”

  “In time, Harry,” Sola said, materializing beside him. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

  Harry snorted. “No. I don’t want to get the hang of it. Look at what it’s done to me.”

  “Wearing that ring won’t help you, Harry. It’ll do nothing, in the end.”

  Harry ignored Sola and held the ring between his thumb and forefinger, studying it and wondering how long it would work. He gazed at his reflection in what was left of the mirror, catching a glimpse of his sad, unshaven face. His eyes held dark bags underneath them, and his disheveled hair was beyond the help of a comb. As much as he hated Sola, he knew the dead witch never lied. Would he give in to the darkness within a year? A month? A day?

  His bottom lip quivered as he dropped to his knees. Desperation was a bitch. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Okay…okay, if sin eaters and heaven and hell are all real and shit, then maybe You are too.”

  He felt like an idiot doing this. He hadn’t been to church since he was a kid, and he would probably need Aria’s services times a hundred when he croaked. He wasn’t even sure he was talking to the right deity. But, even this was better than becoming a soulless murderer. He had endured a taste of it when the ghost Vlad lived inside him, and in his mind, such an existence was Hell itself. He wasn’t sure what to say next, so he decided to wrap up his impromptu prayer.

  “Help me beat this. Send me some good mojo, divine assistance, or whatever, and I will pay You back in some way. I swear.”

  He shuddered, letting go of the anxiety that had settled in his chest. Then, he waited. No shining light from above graced his view, nor did any hallelujahs ring in his ears. However, a deep, calming peace spread throughout his center, and for some reason he knew that there would be a way out of this nightmare. He rose to his feet, glancing in the mirror once more and seeing determination in his face. This was the Harry he wanted to be.

  Still, before he left, he put on the dampening ring, just in case.

  12

  Aria

  Aria almost regretted the trip to Blythe Meadows. Almost .

  The revelation of her sister being a soul eater shook her to her core, and dread settled in her chest when examining her conflicting emotions toward Clare. She didn’t completely understand or trust the woman, yet she pitied her and still wanted to get to know her. She mulled over her thoughts as she rested on the sofa in the middle of the hotel suite Jacob had paid for. He had insisted on lying on the floor beneath her. Margot had taken the futon across from them, and Aria’s mother, Clare, took the adjacent room. Part of Aria felt guilty for leaving her mother in a room alone, but she needed some time, and space, to sort this all out.

  And where is Harry? Why isn’t he taking my calls? She hoped he hadn’t decided to go back to the house. She figured he’d at least call her before leaving his hotel.

  Aria shifted and gazed over the edge of the couch to peek at Jacob. His glanced up at her and smiled. He looked tired, probably didn’t even sleep last night after fleeing Clare’s house. She gave him a half-hearted grin and whispered, “I’m sorry about this mess.”

  Tears prick her eyes and she swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat. Aria couldn’t believe she had been so naive as to think she could find her mother, get her questions answered, be accepted, and have everything turn out like some fairytale.

  Jacob sat up and faced her, concern pinching his brows as his eyes searched hers. “Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry for. I came because I care. Your sister is obviously a very sick woman and needs help. She’s been isolated for God knows how many years, and her magical ability is to eat people’s souls. Yes, she needs help, Aria. Maybe we can find her and give her what she needs, but first we need to get to safety. Your sister could very well be tracking us.”

  Aria nodded. “It’s just that I keep asking myself, what sort of heritage do I have to live by, and does that mean I’m bad too? What if something’s wrong with me, like Mira?”

  She really didn’t intend to say that out loud, but it hurt her to feel like she was doomed to an inherited evil within her blood.

  Jacob slipped a hand along Aria’s cheek. She closed her eyes, relishing the warmth of his hand, and the softness of his skin, as he rubbed his thumb under her eye where an offending tear forced its way through. “There’s no way you could be bad, Aria. Just look at all the wonderful things you do for others. You helped me with Karina, for starters. You’re a damn good nanny for the Volgens children, and you stood up against Edwin when he wanted you to leave Miracle Falls and join the other sin eaters. You’re amazing.”

  She broke out into a goofy grin, but she didn’t care.

  Jacob pressed his hand over hers, then said something in Latin.

  “What spell was that?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t a spell. I was just telling you how beautiful you are.”

  “You know, I’m awake and can hear every word you’re saying, right? But don’t worry about it. I’m going downstairs for some waffles.” Margot sat up on the futon and stretched. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes then locked gazes with Aria. She smiled, winked, and nodded at her before dashing to the door.

  Aria sighed, wanting to shake her head but reluctant to make Jacob move his hand.

  “As I was saying,” Jacob said, “You are too good to have an ounce of bad in you.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Aria laced her fingers with his.

  “I think you’re challenging me,” Jacob said, pulling a little closer.

  Aria smiled, focusing on his lips. “I just may be.”

  “Challenge accepted.”

  Jacob drew nearer. A shape moved from just outside of Aria’s peripheral vision. She turned and saw Clare staring at them.

  Aria broke away from Jacob and got up. “Clare, how’d you sleep? Can we get you anything?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry about all this, Aria. I thought by giving you up to Edwin, that I could save you from trouble and keep you safe. I was stuck with Mira and her…abilities, but you didn’t have to be. I wanted something better for you. I wanted you to be free.”

  “So that’s why you gave me to Edwin.” Aria felt that she at least had one pressing question answered.

  Clare gave her a sad smile. “And Edwin did a fine job raising you as his own. Look at you.”

  Jacob pulled himself from the floor and grabbed his phone from the coffee table. He ran his thumb over the screen as a crease continued to deepen within his brow. “I’ll leave you two to connect for a moment. I’ll be right in the hall if you need anything.”

  Aria nodded and watched him head out the door. She turned her attention back to her mother and cleared her throat. “Why does Mira hate you so much? Besides the fact that you kept her locked away for so long?”

  Clare crossed her arms and glanced at the floor. “You must believe me when I say I tried so hard to help her. But, the best I could do was keep her away from other people so she wouldn’t harm them. In her mind, I favored you because you were a sin eater, not a soul eater. She believed I blessed you and cursed her.”

  Aria peered into her eyes. “She could’ve killed me when I stayed at the house, but she didn’t. And, she didn’t kill you. She even took on your appearance and still wears her hair like yours. That must mean something. Do you think there’s still some good in her?”

  Clare’s bottom lip quivered, and her gray eyes became glassy. “No. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back into the room so I can gather my strength and prepare.”

  “For what?”

  “For war.”

  13

  Aria

  “A ria, it’s Harry. Are you heading back to Miracle Falls ?”

  She was glad to hear his gruff voice over the phone. She stepped out into the hallway, just in case Clare decided to come out of her room. Jacob was nowhere in sight, probably going downstairs to grab breakfast.

  “We’re about an hour or so south of Blythe Meadows. We should be back in Miracle Falls later today. But Harry...what’s this I hear about you attacking a woman? What’s going on? You’ve been out of it lately, and I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it.”

  A long pause preceded his response. “Listen, the woman was part of an ambush by the Watchers, but I took care of myself. But, we have bigger problems on our hands.”

  “Like…?”

  “Like someone offed Mayor Farley, and the city council has appointed your boyfriend interim mayor. So we need to get back there, pronto.”

  Shock spread throughout her body like an electric current. The back of her neck burned, and she felt a slight headache coming on. “Who did it? Who killed Mayor Farley?”

  “Detective Rosito didn’t say, though my bet is on the Guardians. By the way, did you know Benjamin Volgens is part of that gang?”

  “No, Benjamin wouldn’t—”

  “I saw him with my own eyes, Aria. Sorry to break it to you.”

  Though she wanted to argue against Harry and defend Benjamin, part of her knew it was all true. Wasn’t that where Zarek followed him to at night? Ars Magicka, where the Guardians met in secret and concocted their plots?

  “Did you confront him, Harry? Did he say anything?”

  “No, but from what I hear, he thinks he’s protecting his family.”

  She groaned, and prayed that Benjamin Volgens didn’t play a part in Mayor Farley’s death. For his sake, and his family’s sake. The medical doctor and healing wizard just didn’t seem the type to condone or participate in something like that, but as she’s learned, even the best people could have sides to themselves that they kept hidden from others. Which brought her back to Harry.

  “Are you still taking your potion? Are Sola and Jonathan bothering you?”

  “They usually leave me alone if I tell them to shove it. I take the potion like I’m supposed to, but that thing about Vlad’s powers inside me, remember what Edwin Kovar told us?”

  She felt a cold lump in the pit of her stomach. “Yeah. I remember.”

  Harry hissed over the phone, and grunted as if struggling against something. “I gotta tell you, Aria, this is tough as hell. But, I got a dampening ring to help me out.”