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“Let’s split up and search the beach.” August shoved past her before she anticipated his move. “You take the right. I’ll go left. Meet back in the middle in ten minutes or if you find something.”

Esther jogged to catch up. “It sounds a little Scooby and the gang, but I guess that’ll work.”

They reached the sand, and despite the chill, the clouds, and the foreboding tone a missing friend made of the evening, Esther couldn’t help recalling the last time she was on a sunny beach with August, given an impossible choice that still haunted her. She cared about August, but some tension in her shoulders loosened when they parted ways.

She wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Tracks? Dropped clues? Neither of them were trackers. She hadn’t even been a Girl Scout. And was she supposed to turn around in ten minutes or be back at the middle in ten minutes? She couldn’t recall. It would take more than ten minutes to search all of the beach.

Continuing south, woods blocked her view of the parking lot. With the lake on one side and trees on the other, she imagined she was the only one for miles. Despite the clouds and a crisp breeze, Esther was lulled into a calm tranquility by the chittering of birds and crickets and the shushing waves across the shore. Her boots sank in the sand, making her calves burn by the time she came to a path of creeping vines. They crawled a path from the tree line into the lake.

As she approached, tiny white buds bloomed, unfurling in a wave that drew her eye to the forest. She may not be a tracker, but she got the message. Following the green trail, she let it lead her to the woods as Meg and Gwen emerged from the shadows.

“Were the theatrics necessary?” Stress sapped her energy. She crossed her arms, gazing up the small sandbank to the tree line. “You could have just come out and spoken to us.”

“We can help you get your friend back.” At least Meg remained blunt. “But first, give us the vial.”

Something wasn’t right, but Esther was having a hard time piecing it together. Did they know where Uther was? Was he actually in danger? Taken? Hurt? Who had him? Everything was processing slowly, her mind shutting down under pressure. She wished Ashley was here. Her calming presence and steadfast confidence were exactly what Esther needed.

The soft grind of steps in sand alerted her someone had found them.

“What’s going on?” August asked.

It wasn’t Uther or Ashley, but Esther still took comfort in having someone she trusted there at her side. Even if that someone was an emotionally compromised August.

“They know where Uther is.” Her hand sought his, but he didn’t notice, stepping past and engaging in a silent war of wills with Meg. Esther crossed her arms, shielding herself from another brisk breeze that rattled the leaves overhead.

“She wants the vial,” he said. His gaze remained on Meg, which meant he didn’t notice when Esther rolled her eyes.

“I know what she wants,” Esther snapped. August was officially useless. “And I want Uther back.”

He turned back to her, and that fire she first noticed the last time they were on a beach was back. “Well, it looks like that’s only happening if you give her the vial.”

“So, this is a ransom.”

“No, it’s the key to a problem.” He took her hand. “Why are you fighting this? You know Ashley would be better as a human.”

Esther pulled her hand back. “Ashley is fine as she is.”

“Come on, Esther. She’s a walking parasite. You want to be like that?” He pointed to the sun, finally released from the day’s cloud cover and painting the sky streaks of red as it burned its way into the lake. “She can’t even be here to help you find yourbest friend. My boyfriend.” His voice broke at the last syllable, his eyes tearing up, but he kept going. “Why? Because she can’t be in the sun without bursting into flames.”

He was hurt and scared. Esther knew this, but she was scared too. And there was nothing to guarantee this spell worked.

“She’s not getting older,” he continued. “You’ll never grow old together. She can’t offer you a life, only an eternity to eventually get it wrong.”

“What makes you think we would get it wrong?” She meant the words to come out stronger than they did.

“Look at you.” And he did, his gaze almost cruel. “You’re offered one choice, and you clam up in your little shell and hide from the world. Did you even tell her about the cure?”

Water dripped on her cheek, and to her utter horror, Esther remembered it wasn’t raining anymore. “I didn’t… She wouldn’t?—”

Words were failing her. Or maybe the words were fine, and it was Esther that was failing. August was right. One small pressure and she’d crumbled beneath it, and now she was taking Ashley, Uther, and who knew how many more innocent people down with her.

In a softer voice, he spoke so just Esther heard. “If you won’t do it for the two of you, do it for Ashley. You heard about her first two tries to join the vampires. They’re not going to let her in. And she’s not going to last long on her own. Remember the night carnival? That will be her every day. Give them the vial, Esther, and she’ll never have to go through that again.” August’s shoulders dropped, and the hard edges of his words softened. “We won’t force the cure on her. I promise. If you still want to be a vampire with Ashley, she can get you more blood. But this is the only way to beat that house of vampires and get Uther back.”

“Just”—she shoved him back a step. He was too close—“be quiet for a minute. I need to think.”

Esther pulled the vial from her pocket and held it in her fist. The metal casing was warm from being so close to her all day. She took a couple of deep breaths and closed her eyes, clearing her mind of August and Uther and the witches and any ticking clocks to look at this problem properly.

She had a choice to make. The way she saw it, she could hand over the vial or empty it into the sand right now so they’d never have it.