The crowd of Sableth’s people pushed forward, but our group held them back. They started screaming and yelling at each other, and people started swinging swords and chopping at one another. The shrieking and bloody violence made my stomach turn. I needed to do something to drive back Sableth’s people—and protect my followers.

  Gritting my teeth, I envisioned swarms of bats. The stone pulsed like ice in the palm of my hand as the imaginary bats appeared. Sweat broke out on my face as I directed the make-believe bats to divebomb Sableth’s group. Many of them screamed and fled, but most of them stayed, swiping at the air as they battled the fantasy creatures I’d created.

  When the bats seemed to lose their effectiveness, I switched visions quickly, trying to think of something scarier. Snakes came to mind, so I focused on creating piles of slithering rattlesnakes. The slithering reptiles definitely helped clear more of Sableth’s people from the church. They ran in terror as fantasy snakes hung from the rafters and squirmed on the ground.

  When the snakes seemed to lose their effectiveness, I then moved onto flesh-searing flames. The screaming and gnashing of teeth from Sableth’s people was horrifying to witness, but I knew it needed to be done. Sableth’s followers seemed far more violent and bloodthirsty than those on our side. I had to at least try to protect my followers.

  I was forced to abandon my focus on Sableth’s minions when the pressure in the chapel suddenly changed. I knew immediately that signaled the arrival of Sableth. Fear roared through me, and the blood rushed through my ears as the air crackled with energy. The scent of ozone filled the room as Sableth’s malevolent presence seeped into the room like sewer gas. I shuddered as the chill of him surrounded me.

  Whether I was The Vessel or not, it took all of my willpower not to turn and run as a swirling spiral of smoke and flame formed a few feet from me. Pure evil seemed to wash over me, and I choked on the rotten scent of it. Naturally, when faced with such wickedness, my instinct was to retreat, but I knew that wasn’t an option. Everyone was counting on me.

  I stepped forward, my senses immediately assaulted by heat and putrid odors. The world around me seemed to morph into a distorted dreamscape, an ever-shifting labyrinth of horrors. The ground felt like writhing serpents beneath my feet, and the walls seemed to breathe with a sinister life of their own.

  Sableth’s malicious presence pressed against my mind, trying to force its way in. I gritted my teeth, resisting the intrusion. Instead, I tried pushing back, probing the swirling heat and smoke in front of me with chilled determination. The heat was so intense, I knew the only reason my skin wasn’t blistering was the frozen Mossfire Stone in my hand. I clutched it even tighter, well aware that if I dropped it, I’d be finished.

  A chorus of voices echoed through in my head, whispering and hissing threats. The air grew thick with the stench of decay and sulfur, making it even harder to breathe. I couldn’t see Ian or Julian anymore. The air around me was too thick and acrid. I felt panicked that I couldn’t get enough oxygen, but I told myself to calm down. I had the Mossfire stone. I needed to keep moving forward. That was the only path for me. Coughing and hacking, I took another step.

  Sableth’s form seemed to shudder with anger at my impudence. I could feel its rage and fury that I dared to advance. It gave me an almost twisted sense of pleasure though—knowing Sableth was furious with me. After running from him for so long, it felt perfect to now come at him instead. I could feel a sort of icy shield around my body, almost as if I was wrapped in the Mossfire Stone’s frigid arms.

  The sound roared around me, the volume of wind and heat almost lifting me off my feet. I cried out when debris smacked against me. It was difficult to hold my concentration, but I somehow managed. I had to get inside Sableth’s swirling vortex. That was the only way I could explode him into oblivion. While it seemed like an impossible task, especially since I’d only traveled mere inches in all this time, I knew I had to do it.

  Up to that point, I’d really only been advancing on him with my body. Now I tried pushing forward with my mind as well. I dipped my thoughts into the nightmarish realm swirling around me. The darkness seemed to solidify into a towering demonic figure. Its eyes burned with malevolence, and its twisted form radiated an aura of dread.

  When it reached for me, terror jolted through me. Sableth clawed at me, as if trying to gouge my heart from my chest. I evaded the attack with a swift backstep, the force of the creature’s assault leaving trails of black energy in the air. The chamber shook with the intensity of our clash, and instead of waiting for him to reach out to me again, I moved toward him instead.

  Adrenaline pumped through my body with the knowledge that one misstep could be fatal. But now was not the time to weaken my attack. I needed to psychically crawl inside Sableth and eradicate his very soul. With every inch closer to Sableth, the stone pulsed and vibrated like ice in my hand, as if rejoicing.

  I stiffened when I thought I heard my brother Nico’s voice. When he suddenly materialized in front of me, I was stunned. I gaped at him, my heart throbbing with shock. I wanted to hug him. Hold him. Beg his forgiveness. His smile was just as I remembered, warm and shy. His eyes, the same chocolate brown. Even his scent was the same, and his voice—that husky, plaintive voice—almost brought me to my knees.

  It’s not real. Nico isn’t here.

  I didn’t want to believe that. I wanted Nico to be real. I desperately wanted him back. When the stone seared my palm, I cursed and glanced down at it. It was so bright, I winced at the brilliant green. It looked angry, a glaring expression spinning over the face of the stone. It looked as if it was mouthing threats at me. Uneasiness moved through me because as the heat increased from the stone, the more powerfully I felt Sableth’s evil seeping into me.

  If the stone gave up on me right now, I’d die for sure. That meant Ian and Claire would die. Julian would die. Cecil would die. All the brave souls who had come to fight against Sableh would die. All because I was allowing Sableth inside my head. He knew my weakest spots, and Nico was definitely one of them.

  Gritting my teeth, I ignored the vision of Nico. It hurt to pretend I didn’t see or hear him, but I knew he wasn’t really in front of me. No matter how real he seemed, I had to focus on destroying Sableth. My body trembled with fatigue, but I kept inching forward. I probed Sableth’s energy, trying to find a crack I could slip into.

  I could no longer hear or see anyone in the room. It was just Sableth and me now, wrestling with each other’s minds. I prayed Ian and the others were okay, but I couldn’t think about them right now. I gasped when something slammed against me, knocking me almost to the ground. The stone slipped in my sweaty hand, but I held on to it. I couldn’t see what had struck me, so it was impossible to avoid it happening again.

  As the flames attempted to sear my flesh, the Mossfire Stone vibrated against my skin, freezingly cold. As I clutched the frozen stone, the screeching noises began to make sense to my brain. I realized with a jolt that the Mossfire Stone was speaking to me in a language I didn’t recognize, but was able to comprehend.

  Pull him in. Let Sableth inside.

  Shock resonated through me as I began to understand the words swirling through my mind. Ice crystals seemed to splinter through my brain as the stone’s message became clear. I wasn’t meant to enter Sableth; I was The Vessel. I was meant to pull Sableth into my body and soul. The professor and Julian had misinterpreted my reason for existing. But that purpose was clear to me now: As The Vessel I was born to literally contain Sableth’s evil presence.

  I now realized I had the ability to hold Sableth inside my body. So long as I played my hand correctly, the world would be safe. I had to entice Sableth into possessing my body. If I psychically overpowered Sableth, he’d be destroyed. But if Sableth overpowered me, he’d still be contained inside my spirit. Even if I failed to obliterate Sableth, he’d go with me into the afterlife. He’d be forever removed from the mortal realm, never to return.

  Everyone will be safe whether I live or die.

  Acceptance washed through me, and a strange calm descended. I had no choice but to push forward. I had hope I could win against Sableth. He was so overly confident, I was certain he didn’t suspect my true reason for existing. I could feel his hubris vibrating around me. It wouldn’t take much to lure him in because he’d underestimated me from the start.

  A harsh laugh broke from my tight throat as I stepped closer to the swirling black vortex in front of me. Voices roared around me, but the chilled stone in my palm comforted me. The stench of sulfur filled my nostrils, and the heat increased. But I didn’t cower. I held the stone out, confident the chilled rock would keep me safe.

  “Enter me, Sableth,” I whispered. “I’m far too weak to keep you out.”

  A growling laugh swept around me like a tornado, mocking me. Needling me. The heat increased, and black smoke puffed in my face as if taunting me.

  I gave a choking cough and rasped, “Come on. Don’t be shy, asshole.”

  I grunted as molten heat seemed to seep through the pores of my skin. Sableth also tried to enter my brain, clawing and hissing, but that I couldn’t allow. I poured all my energy into my psychic shield, allowing Sableth to inch into my body but not my mind. Sableth rammed my psychic shield, but it held. He roared and slithered, but he didn’t make any headway.

  Sweat covered my entire body as I strained to bring Sableth inside without losing my mind in the process. The heat of him ached through me, and the hot wind whistled in my ears. Panting, I tried to pull Sableth deeper inside my core. I cried out in agony as he entered me, burning like an ulcer.

  In the distance, I heard Ian’s voice. Then he was beside me, slipping his hand into mine. His blond hair whipped around his head, and his eyes glittered with determination. Even though I was scared for him to be so close to Sableth, instinctively I drank in some of his energy. It flowed through me like sweet honey, and I felt a surge of excitement and power.

  I tried to speak to Ian, but the wind was so violent, my words were ripped away. Instead, I laced my fingers with his, drawing fresh strength from him. My skin felt tight and my ribs ached as Sableth’s presence expanded, trying to claim his spot inside of me. I shuddered as the pain increased, and for one terrifying moment, I feared I didn’t have the strength to continue.

  Then I heard Nico’s voice.

  The husky sound threaded through the harsh wind, and he materialized in front of me. Unlike when Sableth had used the memory of Nico to confuse me, this vision comforted me immediately. I tangibly felt his warmth and goodness wrapping around me like a cocoon. Tears filled my eyes as I inhaled his familiar scent. Words of encouragement spun around me, reassuring me that I could defeat Sableth.

  Ian squeezed my fingers as I met Nico’s brown eyes. Nico’s smile was sweet. Inspiring. I could feel his love and knew without a doubt he’d never blamed me for anything. I’d tortured myself with guilt, but Nico had never wanted that.

  Nico whispered, “Say the words that need saying, brother, and let this be finished.”

  Without even giving it thought, words imprinted on my mind from another time and place spilled from my numb lips. “Cleanse this malevolent spirit from our world, and send Sableth to the bowels of the earth, never to return.”

  The Mossfire Stone blazed like a supernova, and there was a hot white flash that momentarily blinded me. I expected intense heat, but what I felt was extreme cold. Teeth chattering, I shivered as everything around me seemed to contract. The universe appeared to heave and shudder, and Sableth let out a roar that made the ground rattle. In an instant, Sableth’s malevolent presence was ripped from my body, and I seemed to float and spin like a deflating balloon.

  A deafening silence filled my ears, and I realized I was lying on the ground. I couldn’t move, my body so weak even breathing was difficult. There were voices around me, and hands grabbed hold of me.

  “Don’t touch him. Don’t move him.” Ian’s voice was urgent.

  I felt his familiar touch skirting over my head, neck, spine. I groaned, feeling dazed. I wanted to ask if it was safe. I wanted to know if I’d succeeded in destroying Sableth, but my lips wouldn’t move. The sound of sirens came to me, and hard as I tried I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I stopped fighting so hard to stay awake, and drifted into oblivion.

  Epilogue

  My eyelids felt glued shut, but when I finally managed to open them, I found a nurse fiddling with an IV bag next to my hospital bed. I recognized Nurse Brown from my previous stay after my appendectomy.

  She glanced over, pinning me with her piercing blue gaze. “Oh, you’re awake. We need to stop meeting like this. People will talk.”

  I gave a weak smile and whispered, “Can I have some water?” The room I was in was almost identical to the room I’d stayed in the last time. There was another patient sleeping in a bed across the room, but so far, no ghosts were hovering.

  “Of course.” She filled a small pink plastic cup with water from a matching pitcher. She pushed a button, and the back of my bed raised, lifting me into a more upright position. She handed me the cup. “Don’t drink it too fast. I don’t need you puking it all back up again.”

  “I wish you’d stop being so charming, Nurse Brown. People really will talk.”

  She gave a gruff laugh and went to adjust the blinds. I winced as the afternoon sun peeked through. “I guess you’re feeling better if you can sass me.” Her silver hair seemed even shorter than the last time I’d seen her, but her warden-like demeanor remained unchanged.

  I glanced down at the bruises that covered my arms. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a train.”

  “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you’re one lucky guy.” She studied me. “No broken bones. Just a whole heck of a lot of bruising.”

  “That’s good, I guess.” I sipped the water, embarrassed when some dribbled down my chin. I wiped at it and sighed. “I’m so tired I can barely drink water.”

  “I’ll bet.” She sighed and began straightening my sheets. “People are saying you’re a hero.”

  My face warmed. “I’m no hero.”

  “That’s not the scuttlebutt.” She patted my leg. “Rest. You probably won’t be released until tomorrow.”

  Before I could respond, Ian walked into the room wearing his white coat. My heart flip-flopped at the sight of him. He looked handsome but concerned as he approached my bed. While we’d faced down Sableth together, oddly enough it was memories of our night together in Cecil’s room that occupied my thoughts. We’d been so open with each other that night, and I felt shy as he stopped beside my bed. He had scratches on his face and hands, but he looked otherwise unharmed.

  “You’re finally awake,” he said. While he was smiling, there were lines of strain beneath his eyes. “I was worried sick about you, Lorenzo.”

  “I’m happy to see you seem unscathed,” I said, wishing I could touch him. But it seemed too awkward to initiate that with Nurse Brown in the vicinity.

  “Physically, yes. Emotionally, I was a wreck.” He laughed sheepishly. “I fear I did a lot of hovering.”

  “That he did.” Nurse Brown nodded. “He about wore a rut in the tiles going back and forth from your bed to his other patients.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Ian took my hand finally, sending tingles along my skin.

  Nurse Brown gave a knowing smile. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She winked and left the room.

  Leaning down, Ian pressed his mouth to mine. Then he whispered, “You’ve been asleep for three days. You scared the shit out of me, Lorenzo.”

  “I was asleep for three days?”

  He straightened, nodding. “Yes.”

  “Was I in a coma?”

  He grimaced. “No. Not technically. You just didn’t want to wake up.”

  Panic surged inside me as I remembered why I was in the hospital. “Is Claire okay?”

  He nodded. “Yes, she’s safe. She’s fine. She was here the last three days sitting with you. I forced her to go home and rest. She’ll be back later. Julian and Cecil are also fine. We’re all a little banged up, but we’re alive.”

  “Thank God.” My stomach churned as I met his gaze. “I’m afraid to ask, but, did I succeed? Did I get rid of Sableth?”

  “You did.” He winced. “I’m sorry, I assumed you knew. I should have told you that right away.” He squeezed my hand. “Everything seems back to normal. You did it, Lorenzo.”

  I slumped. “Oh, thank God. I was so afraid you’d say I’d failed.”

  “You didn’t fail.” His eyes gleamed with pride. “You were . . . amazing. Brave.”

  I smiled weakly. “You left out scared shitless.”

  “Scared or not, you did what you needed to do.”

  “Thank goodness. I can barely believe this is real.” I closed my eyes, relief flooding through me, and then opened them again. “Did I imagine that Irene changed sides?”

  He gritted his teeth. “Unfortunately, no. She betrayed you. She betrayed Julian. He was devastated.”

  “What happened to her and the others who followed Sableth?”

  “There was a lot of bloodshed. A lot of innocent people died.” He gritted his teeth. “While you were fighting Sableth, our people and theirs clashed. It was brutal.” He studied the scratches covering his hands. “I’m afraid to say, even I had to join in the fight to keep them away from you, and I’m no warrior.”

  “But you’re safe, and that’s what matters to me.”

  He smiled. “Back at you.”

  “What happened to Weston?” I asked gruffly.

  Ian’s face hardened. “He was arrested.”

  “That’s the best news of all.” I felt enormous satisfaction picturing him in handcuffs in the back of a police car. “What did they arrest Weston for?”

  “Detective Monroe found a connection between him and Professor Buckler. Apparently, Professor Buckler visited Weston’s shop. He drank some special tea Weston prepared for him. Funny how he ended up dead after drinking that concoction.”