Hearing the engine of the BMW starting up, I jumped out of bed and went to the window. From the looks of the girls’ clothes, they’d had a snowball fight. Gemma was laughing with her Sisters and was so calm as she got into the car. I should have been happy, but instead I was jealous—jealous and worried they would take her away from me. Gemma’s bond with them would make the transformation easier for her, but it would also make it harder for her to renounce evil.

  Ginevra, on the other hand, didn’t seem the least bit worried. Being reunited with her Sisters had given back to her something she thought she’d lost. She was beaming. On top of that, though at times she harbored doubts that she didn’t dare voice, she had endless trust in Gemma. She was convinced that once Gemma transformed she wouldn’t lose herself, that our love and her love for our baby would eradicate the evil inside her. Gemma wouldn’t be human any more—she would be a Witch—but she would keep all her memories and human emotions. Still, not even Ginevra could be sure.

  Gemma noticed me staring at her and waved to me from the front seat. I returned her smile and waited until they drove off. Then I balled my fists against the windowpane, frustrated. I couldn’t risk it. No, I would never allow Gemma to transform.

  FOUL PLAY

  I got into the shower and washed away the dirt from the battle. Maybe it wasn’t appropriate to feel this way, but I’d had an awesome time fighting the Subterraneans. Simon and I had worked as a team, defeating over half of them, though many of them were strong and battle hardened. Still, they hadn’t been as determined as I was. Once we’d subdued them, the Witches had taken over. It wasn’t that long ago I would never have believed it if somebody had told me I would form an alliance with the Witches—with Devina. I hadn’t forgotten the ‘special treatment’ she’d given me in her world to try to dominate me, and I couldn’t wait to repay her the favor.

  I put my head under the jet of water and tilted it back, hoping to rinse away my anger at Devina. We were allies. I had to force myself to remember that. And although we’d imprisoned the nine Subterraneans who’d attacked us over the last week, I had to stay focused and never let my guard down.

  The Màsala were willing to do anything to kill Gemma. What they might not realize was that I wasn’t going to let a Subterranean take her away from me. If they managed to make her soul cross over, I would lose her forever, and with her, our child. The stakes were too high. An unexpected smile spread across my lips. A hundred Subterraneans wouldn’t have been enough to stop me. I was willing to kill them all.

  The blood and dirt washed away, tinting the water, and my chest trembled at the memory of the paints blending together in our hands, the warmth of our intertwined bodies, the intense emotions that flooded me when I was in my ethereal form. It had been an otherworldly experience. I smiled, remembering the picture of us that Gemma’s soul had created. While the entire world tried to separate us, Gemma and I became more and more closely bonded. Our love was growing as intensely as the passion that burned whenever we were alone. I rested my palms on the stone wall and closed my eyes, the sensations sweeping me away. Gemma satiated me, yet I was always hungry for her. Her attempts to seduce me made me lose my mind . . . and all control. She’d realized that and had fun toying with me. Most times desire consumed me and I let it take me over, burning together with her.

  I shook my head and ran my hands over my face. Making love in her dream had been all-consuming and I still felt a bit dazed. I should have been focusing on the orders I was about to carry out but I couldn’t think of anything except her, the scent of her skin, her lips on me, my hands on her body. Gemma was my obsession. It had always been that way and I had no intention of resisting it. I was hers. Mind, soul, body . . . and my stilled heart, which beat only for her.

  I turned off the water and got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist. I looked at myself in the mirror as I dried my hair with a towel and noticed writing on the fogged-over glass:

  I’ll be waiting for you ∞

  I smiled when I recognized Gemma’s handwriting and walked out of the room barefoot. I was a Soldier of Death who was about to kill two people, but Gemma made me feel like a little kid who couldn’t wait to finish his homework so he could see her. The towel still around my waist, I went into my room to get dressed, tossing my dirty boxers onto a chair.

  The door closed behind me and I straightened up. I didn’t need to turn around to know who had followed me. “If you’re looking for cat kibble, the kitchen is downstairs,” I snapped.

  Devina walked up and touched my shoulder, stepping around me. “I’m hungry for something else right now.” She slid her finger down the scar she herself had inflicted on me.

  I stood stock still, my jaw clenched and my eyes burning into hers. “I’m afraid you’ll have to make do,” I said curtly. “I’m not on the menu.”

  She sat on the bed, hoping to seduce me, but I turned my back on her and went over to the dresser where I let the towel fall to the floor. She whistled. I pulled on boxers and jeans without blinking an eye.

  “I’m confused, Evan. Undressing isn’t the best way to get me out of here—you should know that.”

  I approached the bed and grabbed her by the throat, catching her off guard. “And you should know that I’d like nothing more than to tear you limb from limb. Now get out of here before I decide to follow my instinct. I haven’t been very good at holding back lately.” I jerked my hand away.

  She rubbed her throat, vexed. “Mind your manners. I just stopped by to say hello.”

  “Stay away from me, Witch. I’m trying hard not to incinerate you, but you’re not making it easy.”

  Instead of leaving, she spread her legs and snapped her whip between them, her eyes glittering like molten gold. “You’ve already lit a fire inside me, right here. Only you can put it out.”

  “You can burn for all I care.”

  “Why don’t we let bygones be bygones? We’re allies now, aren’t we?” She stroked the bed with her hand suggestively, looking me in the eye. “We could seal our deal right here . . .” Her whip cracked again. “I like the thought of doing it in your bed.”

  I snorted. “Aren’t you Witches bound by claiming rights?”

  “We’ll talk about that when she’s a Witch and she’s claimed you. Until then, she isn’t your Amìsha.” She raised her eyebrows and a subtle scent wafted in my direction.

  “Keep your pheromones to yourself—they have no effect on me.”

  Devina stood up and came close. “Are you so sure? I heard your thoughts while you were in the shower and figured you might need someone to have a little fun with,” she whispered in my ear, touching my bare chest. “We’re alone. Gemma will never find out.”

  “Have fun with you? What, are you offering me your head on a platter?”

  “I’m offering you much more than revenge, don’t you see?” Her hand slid up the inside of my thigh until it reached my crotch. “I’m offering you expiation. I can give you much more than myself. I can give you my heart.” Devina stroked my lip with her thumb and tried to kiss me. On her mouth sparkled the trickle of blood with which she hoped to subjugate me.

  I grabbed her wrist and looked her in the eye. “The only place I could want your heart is in my fist,” I growled. “You’re insane if you think you have the slightest chance with me.”

  The amber in her eyes seemed to melt, extending over their whites, and her pupils lengthened like a serpent’s. “Be careful how you speak to me, Child of Eve. Your princess is still sweet and vulnerable.”

  The second she mentioned Gemma, a burst of rage blinded me. “Threaten her again and I’ll personally scatter your ashes in Hell,” I hissed, snatching my shirt off the chair and heading for the door. “Oh, and have fun on your own. The bed’s still warm. Use your imagination.”

  Devina cracked her whip and I smiled without turning around. I went down the stairs just as Simon appeared in the kitchen.

  “Morning. Long night?” he said, grinning.

  “Not long enough,” I shot back, pulling on my shirt. “What happened to your battle wounds?”

  “A sweet young maiden cured them for me last night.”

  “Just like you’d hoped.”

  Simon filled two shot glasses with bourbon and held one out to me. A panther nonchalantly glided through the room and I cast my brother a glance.

  “I’m afraid we’ll have to get used to that,” he said.

  “I’d rather die.”

  Simon laughed and raised his glass in a toast. “To the battle.”

  “And to those to come.” I downed the liquor in a single gulp to celebrate our victory. Another panther jumped onto the railing at the top of the stairs and leapt down. Simon and I stared at her and she snarled. I didn’t need to check for the red patch on her paw to know who it was: Devina. Her eyes challenged me, glittering like drops of amber.

  “You’re right. I’ll never get used to this.” Simon refilled our glasses. The panthers exchanged growls, crossed the living room, and headed toward the dungeon. The door closed behind them.

  “You, on the other hand, should clean yourself up,” I suggested. Simon didn’t seem to have washed away the blood or dirt from the battle.

  “I know. I just need to recharge my batteries first.”

  “Nine Subterraneans too much for you?” I joked.

  “No, Ginevra on her own is enough to zap my energy. Being with her is like taking on a hundred Executioners all at once. Speaking of which, I checked on Gemma at school before coming back here. She’s fine, having fun with the girls.” I nodded to thank him, but my face clouded. It didn’t escape Simon’s notice. “You worried?”

  “Wouldn’t you be?”

  “Take it easy, Evan. Ginevra’s there with her. Besides, if Gemma is finally able to have fun it’s only because you’re back here with her.”

  I looked at Simon, thankful for his words. He lowered his voice, though there was no risk the Witches would hear him, since the workout room was soundproof. “Do you have any idea what she went through when she thought she’d lost you? She didn’t want me to take the pain away because she didn’t want to lose a single memory of you. Do you think she would accept the thought of losing you forever to join them? That’s insane. Gemma would never give you up, Evan. She would never give up the two of you. She would accept the transformation but she would stay herself. I believe it, and you should too. Her plan is going to work.”

  “What if it doesn’t? What happens to me?”

  “It has to work—it’s all we’ve got.”

  “Wrong. What if there was an alternative?”

  My brother looked at me. I had his attention. I clenched my fists, preparing to lay it on him. “What if Gemma ate of the Tree?”

  “Have you lost your mind?! You’ve always had insane ideas, but this one tops them all.”

  “Why? It might work! What if the Divine Fruit eradicated the evil inside her? What if it purified her soul? She would be one of us: immortal.”

  “Okay. You must have ingested too much poison in Hell,” he said, raising both hands. I sighed. Why didn’t Simon understand me? “Evan, did you hear how many what ifs there are in your plan? Here’s a couple more for you: what if you were both punished for it? What if it had catastrophic consequences?”

  “What punishment could ever be worse than the one I’m already suffering? Anything would be better than this. I’m not going to let the Witches obliterate her.”

  “Evan, no one who isn’t a Subterranean has ever eaten of the Tree.”

  “Then she’ll be the first,” I shot back, determined.

  “Evan . . .”

  “I hoped at least you would understand me!”

  “And I do.” Simon rested his hands on the table and looked me in the eye. “But you have to think of the consequences this might have for her and everyone else.”

  “You think I haven’t?” I stared at him steadily. “I think about that every minute. And for now it’s all I have to cling to. I need this hope.” I knew my brother was right, that I should assess everything down to the smallest detail, but no one could give me any certainties. “Simon, I’ve thought it over long and hard, honestly, and I’ll keep thinking it over, but it’s a possibility we need to consider.”

  “All right. We’ll talk about it later. Give me some time to reflect.”

  I nodded, grateful that he was at least making an effort. “It’s late. I’ve got orders to carry out.”

  “And I’d better take a shower,” he said. We fist-bumped and I disappeared behind him.

  The conversation with my brother left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. It was true, my plan still needed to be ironed out, but at least it was something. I refused to give in to the idea of losing Gemma. Only a few months were left before she would transform into a Witch and begin to hate me. The thought was devastating. I ran a hand over my face. I had to concentrate. I focused on the flickering lights illuminating the night and went to the scene of the accident. My assignment had taken me to Japan.

  The headlight of the downed motorcycle cast a sinister shaft of light across the asphalt. The families of the two kids hit by the car had just arrived. The boy driving the bike was loaded onto one of the three ambulances while his mother wept at his side, calling his name. I walked past him. The life was gone from his legs, but no Subterranean was there for him. The girl was loaded onto another ambulance and I got in with her. The rear doors closed and the inside filled with the sobs of her mother, who was gripping the girl’s hand. The sirens screamed their urgency as the vehicle began its desperate race against time. Against me. It was a race they wouldn’t win.

  “Mmm . . . mmmom,” the girl moaned.

  The mother wiped away her tears, forcing a smile. “I’m right here. I’m here, sweetheart.”

  “I’m . . .” The girl’s chest rose and fell with effort.

  “Don’t strain yourself. We’ll be at the hospital in no time and you’ll get better.”

  A tear slid down the girl’s cheek. “I love you.”

  The woman burst into tears. “I love you too. Now don’t talk. You’ll be better soon. You’ll be better soon.”

  “I’m . . .”

  I held my hand over her chest and paused, waiting for her last words.

  “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  I lowered my hand and the life left her body. Her eyes stared blankly into space and her mother began to shriek, tears of despair running down her cheeks. The paramedics intervened to resuscitate her daughter as the mother huddled in the corner, but there was nothing they could do. The girl, Sachiko, was already staring at me from the far side of the ambulance, ignoring the chaos around us. She came over and tried to touch me. “Who are you?”

  “I’m here for you. I’ll take you to safety.”

  Sachiko thought over what I’d said and seemed to understand. She looked at her mother, who was clutching her daughter’s jacket to her mouth to stifle her sobs. “Is she going to be okay?” she asked.

  I stared at her, searching for an answer. I couldn’t guarantee that in this life she would forget her pain, but if she made the right decisions on Earth then yes, she would be all right and the two of them would be together again. “One day,” I reassured her.

  Sachiko hung her head. “It’s all my fault. We got into a fight. I ran out of the house with Takeshi, my boyfriend. Mom didn’t trust him. She wanted me to dump him . . . Is he okay?”

  “They only entrusted me with you.”

  She huffed. “He only had one helmet and said it would be too big on me.”

  I balled my hands into fists, wishing I could change ambulances. “Parents often understand things their children aren’t willing to listen to.”

  “I get that now, but it’s too late,” she said softly.

  I held out my hand and she took it, vanishing like a puff of smoke. After I’d guided her through the worlds, the sounds in the ambulance hit me again, like someone had turned up the volume with a remote control.

  The paramedics had stopped trying to revive Sachiko and were now holding the mother still as one of them sedated her. I sat down beside her and held her hand, hoping to give her a bit of comfort. Would she feel better if she knew her daughter would be all right in the place I’d led her to? If she knew that one day they would be together again, in a world without corruption, without pain, without darkness . . . a world that was denied to me.

  All I wanted—all I had ever wanted—was to know that even if Gemma died I wouldn’t lose her. Instead I was condemned to an existence of solitude. Not a Soul in Eden could see me. To me, a descendant of the Children of Eve, it was a deserted place. Gemma and I could be together only on Earth. If she crossed over, I would never see her again.

  My power flowed into the woman and she fell asleep. The thoughts that had been running through my head triggered within me the compelling urge to see Gemma. I would have to make it fast, since I still had another execution order, but I couldn’t resist my need for her. I concentrated and the ambulance disappeared.

  Gemma was sitting in front of me, so engrossed in the story she was reading she didn’t notice me. The seats in the auditorium were dimly lit, so when I was sure no one would spot me I materialized. The only lights were pointed at the stage, where Jeneane was singing a number from the musical she would be performing in. The boy at the piano played the notes wrong, angering her and leading to a heated argument. Gemma didn’t move, as though she couldn’t even hear them. She seemed to be in another world—a world where there were no Executioners who wanted to kill her. It was nice that she had a means of escape and could hide away in a place where negative thoughts wouldn’t hound her. For a second, sorry to pull her out of that world, I considered leaving, but then she smiled. I leaned toward her, wondering what she was reading.