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Anyway, Dex and Perry ended up getting back together after that (Dex saved the day by getting a shaman in Idaho to perform an exorcism—told you it was a long story), and Maximus was briefly brought on to be their partner in their ghost-hunting reality show, Experiment In Terror.

At that point, I think they let bygones be bygones (which says a lot since Dex does not forgive easily), and then they found out that Maximus is this supernatural being called a Jacob (the same as my Jay), and that he’d fallen in love with a woman named Rose and gave up his Jacob role and immortality to be with her and it didn’t work out. How is that for a bummer?

Anyway, this is where things get really heavy, something I don’t like to think about too often for a number of reasons but…

Three years ago, my mother died in New York City. She died saving me. And shortly before that, Maximus died, both of them by the demon named Michael. Since Maximus was no longer immortal, Michael dragged him to Hell.

He also did the same to my mother, by the way. But just over a year ago, I discovered I had the ability to open and close portals to the Veil, to Hell, and either throw things in or drag them out.

I was able to rescue my mother. She’s still dead, unfortunately, but she’s at peace, with my grandmother Pippa, and no longer suffering. Well…actually there’s more to that, but I’ll have to touch on that later.

Maximus on the other hand, I didn’t think that rescuing him was in the cards. No one even brought it up until Perry mentioned that they’d found Maximus in this haunted house here in Seattle. Somehow he’d gotten to the thinnest part of the Veil, and Jacob (who is like my guardian and trainer now that Jay is gone) said it was possible for someone to pull him through. Perry thought she could do it, but she couldn’t. Then she mentioned me to Jacob, and he was adamant I wouldn’t be able to.

But I knew I could.

So when Perry asked, I jumped at the opportunity to help.

Okay, so maybe I don’t know for sure if I can help him, but I’m going to try my best.

Whew. I think that’s most of it.

Right now, I’m standing on the sidewalk outside the haunted house, with Perry (and Dex, who is both unconscious in the passenger seat of their Highlander and also inside Perry at the same time), and a Lexus has just parked in front of us.

A blonde woman wearing a long camel trench coat gets out, her hair flowing behind her. Holy hell, she’s stylish and super pretty for a witch.

And yes. This is Perry’s psychologist, who also happens to be a witch. She’s the one who gave Perry the idea to invite Dex to possess her while they dealt with the whole Max situation, because there’s another witch in that haunted house that wants to possess Perry.

My god, it’s a wonder I’m not drunk right now. Sometimes I really do have to take a moment and realize how fucking crazy my life is, not to mention the life of my sister.

But I digress.

The doctor approaches me, her hand out. “I’m Dr. Leivo,” she says to me. “But you can call me Lana.”

I grin at her, shaking her hand. She’s got a tight grip, but then again so do I these days. “I’m Ada. But you can call me Demon Slayer.”

She gives me an appreciative smile, which is a relief since not everyone gets me or my humor, then she goes into mom mode, looking me up and down. “You’re certainly dressed for the part. You’re not cold?”

I shake my head. I don’t even feel the rain falling on me right now. All I feel is this building sense of power and urgency, like somewhere in the pit of my soul—a place that’s been squashed and neglected these days—there’s something rising. Flames. A fire. An energy source that I’ve only felt on rare occasions.

Usually with Jay.

I push the thoughts of him out of my head and raise my fist in the air. “I’m fucking pumped. Let’s do this thing!”

I swear I see Perry exchange a look with herself, which tells me all I need to know.

The three of us (well, four, if you count Dex inside Perry, which I don’t really since the two of them are so entwined with each other anyway) head down the narrow path toward the house.

I know just the idea of a haunted house seems a bit corny, but I have to say, this place is not only definitely haunted (I was here on Halloween and I saw ghosts and I never even went inside), but it looks haunted too. All old and shit, with no electricity, and the weirdest energy emanating from the inside. Like it has a soul.