“A little longer and nobody would have been able to drag these two off the couch,” Jeneane exclaimed, climbing over Peter’s legs to be closer to Brandon, who suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled.

  “Hey!” she cried, toppling onto his lap. He laughed and held her tight.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting. There was a slight holdup.” Instinctively, my eyes sought Evan’s. He smiled at me, making me blush. Faith and Jeneane must have noticed because they whispered something to each other. Peter glanced at me and then at Evan before looking away, irritated.

  “I told you there wasn’t time,” I murmured, moving closer to Evan. I wished I could have avoided making a big entrance, with everyone’s attention focused on me. They could read on my face what we’d just done.

  He smiled, sensing my embarrassment, and moved his mouth to my ear. “Then you should choose your words more carefully. ‘I’m going to take a shower’ isn’t the best way to get rid of me.”

  “I have the impression you wouldn’t have given up no matter what I said,” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “And I’m sorry about this,” he whispered, running his finger over the hickey.

  I raised the neck of my sweatshirt and looked around. No one was paying attention to us, but Evan still had that saucy grin on his face. “You’re completely insane,” I said, grinning back at him.

  “I know, that’s what makes me irresistible.” He winked at me, took me by the hand and pulled me away.

  “Get your lazy asses off the sofa, it’s time to go,” Ginevra announced, coming down the stairs. I hadn’t heard her upstairs. She must have been in the Copse, a little corner of Hell she’d recreated for her serpent in her bedroom—an area that was off limits for all of us. She opened the front door and motioned to us impatiently.

  “For crying out loud,” Brandon grumbled, still sunk into the couch, “why can’t we stay here and watch the ga—” All at once he jumped in his seat, shocked, and pointed at the picture window in the kitchen, his eyes bulging. “Did you guys see that?! A black panther just walked by!” The others stared at him in silent disbelief as he clung to the couch, still scared. “It was there! You’ve got to believe me!”

  Ginevra and I exchanged tense glances but then burst out laughing, followed immediately by the others. “I told you not to smoke that stuff, dude. It’s too strong,” Jake said, jeering.

  Brandon composed himself, looking annoyed. “I saw it, okay?!” he insisted. Ginevra walked over to the window. He tried to stop her, more frightened than ever. “Are you crazy?! Get away from there!” he warned her, not bothering to hide the fear in his voice.

  Ginevra ignored him and opened the window wide. Everyone held their breath. Peter had a grim look on his face again, like he felt he was in enemy territory, almost as if he suspected something. Evan and I exchanged looks. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to invite a group of mortals to a house full of Witches, panthers, and imprisoned Executioners.

  “There it is! It’s right there! I can see its tail!” Brandon cried. “Close it, or—”

  “She’ll devour us all?” Ginevra turned to us, cradling a big black cat that flicked its tail in irritation. Everybody laughed and Brandon ran a hand up his neck, embarrassed but relieved.

  “Maybe you really did overdo it with that stuff,” Faith chided, one eyebrow raised.

  “It was just a big, stupid cat,” he muttered.

  Ginevra held the cat up to his face and it hissed, making him pull back. “She must not have appreciated the word ‘stupid.’”

  “Come with me, champ.” Jeneane grabbed Brandon by the shirt and pulled him away.

  “Dude! Seriously? There are no panthers in the Adirondacks. At most it might’ve been a black bear!” Jake joked.

  “I hate bears,” Faith said. “They can rip your head off with a single blow.”

  “You’ve never seen what a panther can do to you,” Ginevra said mischievously.

  “There are no panthers around here,” I repeated.

  “You have to admit it’s really big for a cat,” Brandon insisted.

  “Yeah, we will when you admit we destroyed you during the game!” Faith teased.

  “You didn’t win. The game wasn’t over yet!” he said, annoyed.

  The entire group started a heated discussion about how the game had gone and Evan took my hand, distracting me from the chatter. We exchanged a complicit glance. With our “slight holdup,” we’d risked really messing things up, and Brandon had almost had a heart attack.

  “Wait for me!” Nausyka ran out the door after us. She must have been the panther guarding the grounds. “You can’t go to the Castle without me. I’m the main attraction!” she whined arrogantly, striding ahead of us. Actually, Nausyka did seem like an ice queen.

  Evan rolled his eyes and both of us smiled. With all the Witches, supernatural creatures, and bloodthirsty Reaper Angels, one thing was certain: in that house, nobody ever got bored.

  We arrived at the Ice Castle at dusk. The parade had already begun and the floats were making their way down the streets filled with music and groups of people wearing masks. After leaving the house, we’d gone to the North Elba toboggan run, where some middle-school students were still hanging out. They didn’t take part in the Winter Carnival, so during the two days of competitions they would go sledding and have fun in the snow. Before leaving for the Ice Castle, we had some hot tea at my parents’ diner.

  In Saranac Lake they celebrated the Winter Carnival with two weeks full of events like the Ladies’ Fry Pan Toss, musicals, great plays, and a parade complete with fireworks. But the most spectacular attraction was the Ice Castle on the shore of Lake Flower’s Pontiac Bay. It was built out of two tons of ice blocks and had tunnels, mazes, and ever-changing surprises. I loved it. It was massive and majestic, one of the most magical parts of the Winter Carnival, and it made me feel like I was in a medieval fairy tale.

  I took snapshots of the parade and my friends. Some of them complained because I was constantly taking pictures, but then they struck a pose, making funny faces for the camera.

  Jeneane let out a sudden shriek and we all turned around, worried. “I can’t wait to go inside!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down. She left us behind and slipped into the Castle with a huge smile.

  “Wait for me!” Brandon broke away from the group to follow her.

  “Relax,” Evan whispered to me. He squeezed my hand and I took a deep breath. We were too tense. Ginevra and Simon also had serious looks on their faces. Anya, on the other hand, was looking around with her eyes full of enthusiasm while Nausyka was beaming and self-confident. On the way there, Evan had been very strict in reminding her that the only reason we were taking her with us was for my safety. She couldn’t let the mortals’ souls distract her. She was there to protect me. Evan had repeated it over and over again. Still, none of us were sure she would manage to restrain her instincts.

  “What do we do, go track Jeneane down?” Faith asked, gesturing at the Ice Castle.

  “I’m sure Brandon’s checking the Castle for a cozy little room where he can be alone with her,” Jake said.

  “Not a bad idea,” Nausyka said, her voice suddenly velvety. She rested her hand on Jake’s shoulder and caressed his muscles. I looked at Faith. Her cheeks were practically purple, contrasting with her pale skin. Jake, on the other hand, paid no attention to Nausyka. The Witch suddenly turned to Peter and took his hand. “What do you say, want to go with me?”

  “Nausyka, enough!” Ginevra said, stopping her and continuing the rest of the conversation mentally.

  “Can’t I have even a little bit of fun? I’m not doing anything wrong,” she huffed. “Besides, he’s adorable!” She pulled Peter closer, still holding him by the hand.

  “Evan . . .” I murmured, worried. I turned to look at him but he was concentrating on something else.

  “Don’t worry. She won’t tempt Peter’s soul,” he told me. Like Ginevra, he must have communicated telepathically with the Witch to remind her of the rules of the game.

  “Okay,” I said, though I still wasn’t completely convinced she would abide by them. I’d noticed the constant glances she’d thrown at Peter during the game at school, and I wouldn’t have had any objections if she’d been a mere mortal.

  Peter readily accepted her attentions, though I saw caution in his eyes. He continued to hold her hand and from time to time even squeezed her waist, peeking in my direction. Chances were he was hoping to make me jealous, though that was impossible. My heart belonged to Evan and no one else. My only reaction to Nausyka’s being so close to Peter was concern. Evil lurked inside her, and he didn’t know it. The last thing I wanted was for Peter to lose his soul because of me.

  “We’re going to look for Brandon and Jeneane,” Faith insisted, taking Jake by the arm. She was clearly doing everything she could to keep Nausyka away from him.

  “We’ll come with you.” Peter glanced at Nausyka for confirmation. “Feel like it?”

  “Go ahead,” Evan told her in his mind, letting me listen in, “but no tricks with the kid.”

  “I don’t take orders from you,” she hissed as she passed him. They exchanged an icy glare and she grabbed hold of Peter’s arm. The two of them headed toward the Castle.

  I knew Nausyka’s presence bothered Evan and he was probably happy to be rid of her. I went up to Anya, but there was no need for me to voice my concern out loud. “Would you . . . ?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her.” Anya smiled at me and followed her Sister into the Castle.

  “Anyone else want to join their group?” Simon joked, irritated that the Witches hadn’t stayed there to protect me.

  “I’m just fine here with you guys,” I said. He winked at me. Evan, Simon, and Ginevra were a more-than-capable surveillance team. Nausyka could go ahead and have some fun in the world of the mortals . . . just as long as it made her forget her Witch instincts.

  I moved closer to Ginevra. “Gwen,” I said in a low voice, “can we trust her?”

  She’d already read the concern in my thoughts. “She won’t claim Peter’s soul—don’t worry about that. Anya’s there with them. Besides, I’ll continue to keep an eye on their minds, if it makes you feel better.”

  I nodded, thankful for her help. I didn’t want anyone else to pay the price for my destiny again. Drake’s sacrifice was still a dagger piercing my stomach. We missed him every second of the day, and it was my fault. Protecting me had landed him in Hell.

  “And thanks to that, he found his beloved Stella,” Ginevra reproached me, listening to my thoughts. “Relax, Gemma. Nothing’s going to happen to anyone today. We should all be like Nausyka. After all, we came here to have fun. The Executioners are all under lock and key, so we have nothing to worry about.”

  I took a deep breath, the cold air chilling my lungs. “You’re right. I have no reason to be this nervous.”

  “Hear that, Evan?” Simon said. “Your girlfriend’s really nervous. Why don’t you warm her up a little?”

  “Ooooh . . . ” Ginevra said, provoking me.

  We’d been left on our own and all things considered, it was a good thing, because I felt more comfortable. In the past I would have found Simon’s allusion embarrassing, but now we were all so close it was natural for us to tease each other in every situation. Evan, Simon, Ginevra, and I were a family—close-knit and inseparable.

  “Hey, that was a private conversation.” I punched Simon on the shoulder and clung to Evan’s arm. “But he’s not all wrong—it really is cold. I wouldn’t mind a bit of your warmth.”

  Evan laughed. “Careful, I might take you at your word.” He winked at me and we headed toward the Ice Castle. I fell behind to snap a few shots, and the others told me to hurry up. At the entrance, a big sign carved into the ice, lit up in blue lights, welcomed the visitors:

  SARANAC LAKE

  WINTER CARNIVAL

  The air was even colder between the mighty walls of ice. I caught up with the group, snapping pictures of the amazing ice sculptures. There was a magnificent moose, a giant spider web, and even a motorcycle meticulously carved in the smallest detail. I turned the corner and found myself before a crystal carriage like the one I’d seen as a little girl. I couldn’t help but remember the moment when I’d shared that memory with Evan and he’d created a prince and princess just for me on the frozen lake under the stars. The halls were full of incredible creations: a magnificent angel with unfurled wings, an archer with his bow pulled taut, and even a unicorn reared up on its hind legs. I turned another corner and found the sculpture of a ferocious beast in front of me. It was a wolf with its jaws open wide. A shiver ran down my back. I took a picture of it and realized I was all alone. Where had the others gone? I must have gotten too distracted. It was so easy to get lost while daydreaming in that enchanted kingdom. I turned around, still peering through the viewfinder, and a little boy’s face filled the lens. I jumped in surprise. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. I smiled at him, but he continued to stare at me in silence. He must have been around four, and he was adorable, with eyes so blue they looked like ice. Instinctively I raised the lens to frame him. I had just snapped the picture when someone behind me grabbed me by the waist. “Boo!”

  I whirled around, frightened. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.” Evan’s smile shone reassuringly but my heart was still pounding.

  “Evan, you scared me to death.”

  “Relax, I was just teasing you. You shouldn’t go wandering around all by yourself. Ginevra’s keeping track of your thoughts, but even you know that sometimes your mind manages to block her.”

  “It’s not my fault they designed a maze worthy of James Dashner this year.”

  “Who?”

  “Nothing, never mind. I must have gotten lost,” I said, gesticulating with the camera in my hand.

  Evan grabbed it and took it from around my neck. “Maybe if you looked with your eyes and not through your viewfinder it would be easier for you to see where we’re going.” He pointed the lens at me as I held back a smile, pretending to pout. “You’re beautiful,” he said softly, snapping a couple of pictures.

  “What are you doing?!” I protested.

  “There’s only one thing in this whole Castle worth immortalizing, and that’s you.”

  “Cut it out!” I laughed and covered the lens with my hand. It was embarrassing to be on the other side of it. “Come on, give it back!”

  “No, for today I’m holding it hostage.” He pulled me into a secluded corner. “What do you say we melt a few blocks of ice?” he whispered into my hair.

  I shivered. “What, is sneaking me into cramped spaces becoming your favorite pastime?”

  “You’re my favorite pastime.” I closed my eyes in ecstasy as Evan’s lips traced sweet kisses on my neck. “Kissing you,” he went on, “touching you”—his hand slid up my thigh and came to rest on my bottom—“making love to you.” He pulled me roughly against him and a moan escaped me.

  “Evan, everybody will see us!”

  “I can’t do without it,” he murmured against my skin, holding me tight.

  “That’s pretty obvious,” I joked. He brushed his tongue over the hickey he’d left on me and I closed my eyes, tingles running through me. I clung to him and dug my fingers into his back. When he nibbled at my neck I broke free. “Evan, that tickles!”

  He took my hand and his resonant laugh echoed through the tunnel as he backed away with a little smile on his lips. “Stay close to me or the next time you get lost I’ll be forced to melt down the whole Castle to find you.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Try me if you don’t believe it.”

  “I’d better not—I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun for the whole town.” I didn’t dare challenge him. As stubborn as he was, there was a serious risk he would really do it.

  Suddenly I remembered the little boy. “Wait a sec!” What if he’d gotten lost too? In that maze it wasn’t hard to do. I turned around, but he was gone.

  “What’s wrong?” Evan asked, stopping to stare at me.

  I walked back a few steps. He couldn’t have gone far. I turned the corner and froze. It was a dead end. Where had the boy gone? Had he walked by us while we were fooling around?

  “Gemma, what’s worrying you?”

  “I don’t know where he went.”

  “Who?” Evan asked, puzzled.

  “The little boy who was here with me.”

  “There was no boy when I got here.”

  “Yes there was—he was right there. I should’ve helped him. Maybe he was lost.”

  Evan drew me against him. “Relax. If he was, I’m sure he’s already tracked down his parents.”

  I’d become hypersensitive when it came to children. Making it seem like a casual gesture, Evan touched his hand to my forehead. On the occasions when my power emerged, my body reacted with a high fever, more intense than any human being could bear. Sometimes just being near a Witch was enough to set it off. At first the fits had been so strong I’d passed out. With time I’d learned to control the power, especially once I’d accepted my true nature. Even my hair had grown darker recently.

  “I saw him, Evan. I’m not seeing things!” I snapped, rage rising inside me. Why did everyone blame me whenever things weren’t like they said they were?

  “All right, all right! I didn’t say anything. Calm down,” Evan whispered, stroking my hair. He cupped my face in his hands and made me look at him.

  Only when I’d begun to think clearly again did I realize I was trembling. I read the concern in his eyes and my anger vanished. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, burying my face in his chest.

  “Shh, everything’s okay. It’ll all be fine.”

  I wasn’t so sure of that any more. If I already slipped toward evil so quickly without realizing it, how would I ever manage to resist the darkness once the serpent had sunk its fangs into me? With its venom in my bloodstream, rage and hatred would banish all the rest, just like everyone kept telling me. But I was stubborn. I’d convinced everyone it would be all right. Now doubts were starting to creep into my mind.