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“So when they called the ring, she was the closest one to it.” Benchley covered his face with his hands. “Oh, shit.”

“Where was she?” Cian asked, his hand gently rubbing his daughter’s back as he tried to console her.

“Tennessee. Near Nashville,” Aimee answered.

“Did you know about this?” Jeff asked Samantha.

“I knew they were calling the ring, but I didn’t realize Cass’s mom had it.”

Baptiste leaned forward to pat Cassandra’s leg gently. “Cass, I’m sorry. I know how it is about family.”

Alexia was typing away on her keyboard and scrolling through information. “It’s about a fourteen hour drive to San Antonio. Maybe fifteen with stops for the restroom, food and gas. If they called the ring today, then she’s probably still on her way.”

“Assuming she drove,” Benchley said, wincing.

“I can check flights.” Alexia started typing again.

Cassandra clung to her girlfriend, sobbing. “We need to find her, Aimee.”

“Cass, baby, I need to start working on a tracking spell right away.” The witch carefully disengaged herself from Cassandra’s grip. Giving Cian a significant look, she kissed Cassandra then ran out of the room.

Cian climbed over the back of the loveseat and drew his daughter into his arms. Holding her lovingly, he stroked her hair as she wept. “What else did you find out, Roberto?”

The sun was below the trees now and the vampire was more lucid and appeared much more dangerous.

Roberto rocked back and forth, heel to toe, his gaze on the floor in front of him. “Amaliya told me that The Summoner can tear down the veil at any time once the sword is restored. There is a ritual to maintain the tear and allow the abyss to consume the world. They’ve been preparing for it for months.”

“You know where his haven is, so we’ll go there immediately,” Cian said.

“The ritual won’t take place there. It will take place in a Mayan temple.” Roberto raised his eyes and Jeff wished he could read the expression in them.

“We have to go to Mexico?” Benchley gasped.

“No.” Roberto shook his head.

“It’s under San Antonio,” Samantha spoke up. “The Mayans had a temple in the area of San Antonio and it is still there. Buried underneath the fuckin’ junction of Highway 1604 and Interstate I-35. Bianca told Amaliya about it.”

“Holy shit,” Benchley said. “Holy shit!”

“He’s going to bring it forth,” Roberto continued. “And then tear the veil. He doesn’t have to wait for December 21, 2012 to do it either. He can do it as soon as the sword is formed.”

“And with the ring on its way...” Baptiste rubbed his hands over his bald head. “Shit.”

“It’ll happen tonight,” Alexia breathed.

“Yeah.” Samantha raised her eyes, tears filling them.

“So, it’s time to save the world,” Jeff said, finding it hard to take a breath. “Tonight.”

Chapter 26

The ambience of the room continued to weigh on Amaliya’s mind and body as she lay on the bed waiting for the night to come. She had tried several times to walk across the room

to the door only to feel an intense lethargy that started to paralyze her limbs. Each time, Bianca had pulled her back to the bed. At last she had relented to the reality that she was trapped as surely as Bianca was. Pulling on her discarded tank top and panties, she’d lit another cigarette and contemplated the situation while Bianca drifted back to sleep curled into Amaliya’s side.

When Roberto had slipped into the room, hesitant and fearful, she’d been startled at his sudden appearance, but in retrospect wasn’t really surprised. Samantha had been diligently working on her abilities. Though it was difficult to feel it through the layers of mind-numbing energy filling the room, Amaliya was grateful for the fine thread of magic that connected her to Samantha. She was even more grateful for Roberto’s bravery at breaching The Summoner’s defenses.

Their conversation had been quick, thorough, and anxiety-inducing. Amaliya had watched the silent, kneeling form of The Summoner while Roberto had hid in the shadows. She’d told him everything she had discovered, then watched him vanish.