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Ez breathed deeply. “What if they don’t?”

“They’d try to follow me . . . wouldn’t they?”

“What if they don’t leave and use the town against you? They’ll do more than make people sick. The’ll put pressure on you to return. They know you’ve taken a liking to the town. What if they destroy the town, piece by piece, until nothing is left?”

Alice shook her head in disbelief. “They wouldn’t. They’d . . . they’d try to follow me.”

“Kiddo, they wouldn’t. They’d destroy everything and everyone, including your friends, the Raskins. And who would stop them? I can’t move an entire town. I can’t send witches and wizards to fight vampires. It would escalate into another war. You’re the only one standing between them and the place you call home. The people you love.”

Alice pursed her lips and sniffled to hold back tears. “Nope. There has to be someone else. I can’t do it. I should run and draw them away.”

Esmerelda tapped the hardwood flooring with her shoe and crossed her arms. She glared at Alice. “Who are you?”

Alice was taken aback by the question. She scrunched her eyebrows, narrowing her eyes. “What kind of question is that?”

“I want to know who you are. Which witch are you?” Ez asked.

Alice stood in stunned silence.

Ez continued, “Are you a witch who runs from her troubles? You ran from Sam.”

Alice broke her gaze from Ez. Her mouth gaped open. Her mind blank.

“Or are you a witch that turns around and fights? Who upholds the promise you made to your grandmother? Who honors the legacy of your great-great grandmother? She guarded the spell and defended an entire town when faced with overwhelming odds. The same great-great grandmother who wasn’t willing to abandon the people she loved.”

Alice surveyed the room for answers, but found none. Her breath shortened, constricted by an unseen force collapsing her throat. She struggled to breathe. She shook her head, not wanting to answer.

“So, which witch are you?”

Alice’s phone dinged from an incoming text message. She withdrew her phone from her pocket, glancing at the screen. Alice let out a blood-curdling scream.

“No,” she yelled before covering her mouth.

“What is it?” Ez asked.

She read the words over and over as fast as she could.

From Hugo:

Looks like I now have a key - Sylvia

Alice beheld the horror of the picture that accompanied the text. It was a picture of her front door. Hugo slumped in the corner unconscious. Blood dripped down his neck.

“They got Hugo!” Alice shouted as she showed Ez the picture. “I have to go.”

“Oh, kiddo, get out of here. Go. Let me know what you need,” Ez said.

Alice sprinted toward the entrance. She leaned her shoulder into the door to push it open and disappeared into the hallway.

Chapter 14

Special Delivery

Alice smashed the gas pedal to the floor. Her black SUV revved and pushed well beyond the speed limit for US 33. The highway was dark, except for the occasional car light traveling in the opposite direction, as it approached the witching hour. She was well beyond the lights of the Columbus city limits and into developing farmland. She let off the gas momentarily to pass a straggling car before pressing the accelerator again as the car revved forward.

“Hugo, what did you do?” Alice asked. “What did you do?”

She was tormented by the agony of the hours long drive. Uncontrollable thoughts raced through her mind. Was he dead? Was he still alive? Was it worse?