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“Nothing’s wrong with me ,” he replied, and now there was anger there too.

I was even more certain that my initial analysis of Damen had been correct—he was a weirdly sensitive man. But what could have set him off this time?

Or did he want me around that much? He was rather needy.

I crossed the room before I could second-guess myself and grasped the bottom of his untucked, burgundy tank top.

“There’s no reason to miss me. It has to be this way,” I told him. “But I’ll be back.”

How could he not see that this was a golden opportunity? My absence would provide the perfect excuse .

The expression fell from his face as he blinked. “What?”

I looked around, making sure—but we were safe. Bryce was busy lecturing Brayden.

I cupped my hand around my mouth and told him, “With the brothers separated, he is vulnerable. I’m giving you the perfect opportunity to strike. Besides, then you can also use my absence as a reason to suck his energy and make him cry.”

“ What ?” Damen took a step back, looking rather disturbed.

That was a positive sign. It meant he understood. My research had not been entirely in vain.

So long as he followed the plan that I’d only just created, Bryce wouldn’t be able to bother us for at least a week.

Which would give me enough time to come up with the next thing.

“Good,” I told him. Typically, I was more composed than this, but enough time had been squandered. Damen had been left with his instructions, and considering that they’d all be wasting a lot of time and energy very soon, mayhap he’d follow them.

“Have fun.” I petted his arm, then walked away.

“Where are we going?” Miles put his hands in his checkeredprint pant pockets as I met him at the door.

I glanced at the others as they not-so-discretely listened to our conversation. “Out.”

“Out where?” Brayden asked, stepping away from Bryce.

“A special place,” I told them. What were they doing? There was no time for trivialities. “Get your coats.”

“Really?” Miles stopped me before I stepped out into the hallway. “We’re going out in our pajamas?” he asked, allowing his gaze to linger on my silk cami. “Won’t you be cold?”

I pursed my lips. “That’s why we are getting our coats.”

“Are other people going to be there?” Brayden asked.

I narrowed my eyes at them—they were the worst co-conspirators of all time. We were supposed to be on a mission, and they were basically trying to alert the others of our eventual location, hence ruining my vision.

“There wasn’t going to be,” I answered, pulling out my phone.

They left me with no choice but to move on to desperate measures. With every second that passed, every strike that Damen had made to sharpen his blade and prepare for his own ritual, my advantage was being lost.

“Who are you texting?” Miles eyed my hands.

“Finn,” I told him, hitting send. He, at least, knew how to do these things.

“Wait—” Miles covered my hand, but he was too late. “—why are you texting him? When did you even start texting him? I thought he scared you.”

Even Brayden was scowling now. I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not scared of Finn Abernathy. Didn’t I tell you my plan?”

“The one where you’re supposed to stay away from him?” Miles asked.

“No, that one sucked.” I waved my hand in the air. “The better plan.”

“Oh,” Miles frowned again. “The one where you were going to kick him in the balls and destroy him.”

“Yes!” I clenched my fist to my chest. How dare these men insult me so. “It would not be prudent to fear him.”

“So…” Miles said slowly, looking at me warily. “You are not afraid for the sole reason that you’ll ultimately win against him?”

“Yes.” Miles was catching on. I didn’t need to worry about Brayden. I could tell from his smirk that he’d followed my logic from the very beginning. Bryce, too, seemed to understand.

“But”— Miles looked at the other’s dumbfounded faces— “That still doesn’t explain anything. Where are we going? Why did you contact Finn? ”

My phone vibrated, and I opened my messages.

“Excellent,” I said and turned my screen off. At least someone knew how to listen.

I waved to the rest of my quintet. “Bye, everyone! Have a good time!” Then I left before anyone could stop me, Miles and Brayden following behind.

Let them waste their efforts. Damen Abernathy would rue the day he tried to harm a spirit under my protection.

In the end, it was decided that we’d take Miles’s environmentally unfriendly orange Jeep. While I did not comment on the juxtaposition of his purchase, it was only because I was reviewing the scattered pieces of my findings that I’d gathered over the past few days.

“Just keep driving towards Damen’s,” I told Miles, barely looking up from my phone. “I’ll let you know when we should stop.”

“So”—Brayden unbuckled and leaned over the center console — “what are we doing?”

“We’re going to summon the spirit before Damen has a chance to,” I told him. “And save it.”

I could do it with Rosalie; I might be able to do it again.

Brayden lifted his eyebrow, but Miles almost jerked the vehicle off the road.

“Excuse me?” The witch was pale, and his eyes were wide. “What?”

“Don’t worry,” I told him, only half paying attention. “We’ll protect you from the ghost.”

“That’s the last thing I’m concerned about right now!” Miles snapped, regaining control of his vehicle. “Damen said that we were exorcising it.”

I lowered my phone and looked at him, and his lecture died. “But,” he said instead, rather weakly this time. “Damen said…”

“And does that make him correct?” I asked him.

“It tried to kill you!” Miles argued. Yet it didn’t escape my notice that he was still driving in the correct direction.

I sighed and looked out the window. “There’s something not right,” I said, biting the tip of my thumb. “And I can’t place my finger on what it might be. But letting this happen now would be a mistake. I think we should try to communicate with it one more time.”

“Then why do we need Finn?” Brayden asked.

A tension had released from his shoulders, and it occurred to me that he was telling the truth earlier—he did not like exorcisms.

“Insurance,” I said, looking back at my phone. “It works out better this way. I assume Finn can do most things that Damen can, yes?”

“Right,” Brayden replied. Then everything would be fine. My attention became more riveted as we approached the bus stop.

“Pull in here,” I told Miles, pointing to the small three-car parking lot. There were only two spaces open.

Miles obeyed. I exited the car and pushed my phone back into my coat pocket. Miles and Brayden followed me.

Finn also left his vehicle.

“I’m here,” Finn said and looked over his shoulder. Anthony was jumping out of the passenger seat. “But he wouldn’t stop following me.”

No matter. A necromancer might be useful anyway.

“Finn!” Miles was beside me in a flash. “You were told not to talk to her!”

“Actually”—I tugged on the witch’s hand—“Damen told him not to talk to me until I said otherwise. I’m saying otherwise—for now.”

Miles glared at the ground.

Brayden had joined Anthony behind Finn’s SUV. At first, I worried they might conspire against me, but then I saw they were thrilled about our potential adventure.

Apparently, I was so much more exciting than Damen.

That was good to know.

“Okay, let’s hurry,” I told them.

I led them into the bushes, past the mountain laurels, and to the path leading to Damen’s house. “I found the perfect place back when I was being stalked.”

Miles kept my pace, allowing the others to follow closely behind, and frowned. “Who was stalking you?”

“You guys.” Didn’t he remember? I recalled the incident with such vividity. “But then you brought me flowers, so it was okay.”

Miles’s face exploded in red. “We weren’t stalking you! We followed you because we were worried.”

“Sure,” I said, grabbing his hand. Whatever helped them sleep at night.

I stepped into the clearing and gestured around at the circular placement of the surrounding trees.

“Here we are,” I told them.

“You found a fairy circle.” Brayden stepped beside me as he surveyed the area. “Nice.”

“I was doing some light reading and learned all about it,” I explained.

Plus, Bryce had been complaining about this very thing when he could not contact Mr. Weaver.

“The others won’t be able to summon the spirit if we can do it first. And if they can’t get ahold of him, Damen won’t be able to perform his ritual. ”

“But what if it lashes out? It’s been violent before.” Anthony, who’d been standing beside Brayden, looked at me. “Or tries to run away?”

I shrugged. “Miles can put up a barrier,” I answered. “And trap it.”

“What?” Miles dropped his hand from mine.

Finn, who’d circled to the front of me, sighed. He dropped his backpack at my feet. “That explains why you wanted the salt.”

“Bianca,” Miles said, stepping between us. His features were tense with panic. “I haven’t graduated from my basic training yet.”

My heart began to race. This could be a problem. I knew he was still learning, but he shouldn’t be this poorly prepared.

“When do you graduate?” I asked.

“Halloween,” Miles answered.

“Ah.” I squeezed his hands and pulled them to my chest. That was only a month away. At this stage, he should understand the basics. He just lacked confidence.

“But you know how to do it, right?” I asked.

“Well…” he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Technically, yes… But how do you even know—”

“The ghost documentary showed me everything,” I confessed.

Miles’s eyebrows drew together. “What ghost documentary?”

Now, the others were looking at me curiously as well.

“ Spectral Secrets: Tales of Ghosts and Witches ,” I explained.

“ Spectral Secrets !” Miles covered his mouth, sounding distraught. “That’s fake!”

He was lying. It was on the Science Channel, so it had to be accurate.

“Are witches able to trap a spirit with salt?” I asked. It sounded like he was just scared.

“Well, yes,” he said again, answering begrudgingly. “But—”

I gestured to myself and the other three as I interrupted him. “ Do not worry. We will be here to protect you,” I reassured him again. Perhaps that was his concern. “Once you cast the circle, you can sit outside, all safe and sound.”

“I don’t want you to protect me!” Miles’s eyes were wide. “Why are you—”

“Please,” I asked, clenching my hands in front of me. “I can’t let Damen hurt it. You know I’m right.”

Or at least, I’d hoped so. Julian had said Miles was the only one with morals, and from the harsh way the other three traitors wanted to intrude into my territory I believed it. Besides, “I don’t feel like, at its core, it’s bad. I think it’s hurting.”

Finn rolled his eyes, and I scowled at him.

“What if...” I continued. For some reason, my eyes burned. “What if we can save it?”

Miles groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll do it. It’ll be good practice anyway. But Damen is going to kill us.”

“No, he won’t.” I shrugged, glancing at the other three—all of whom appeared highly invested in this conversation. “He told me it made him proud when I didn’t listen.”

“That’s not what he meant!” Miles threw his hands up in the air.

I touched my lips. “It must be. Besides”—I clenched my fists as my shoulders shook—“he should be the one afraid.”

Miles took a step back and lifted his eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Who did Damen think he was? I’d come to him for help. Therefore, I was, technically, the client. He had no right to dictate what I considered a job well done.

“It’s my ghost,” I told him.

“You can’t own a ghost.” Miles shook his head. He pointed at the others. “Besides, even if you and I can get away with it, he’ll kill them for sure.”

I looked at them.

Finn did appear to be somewhat frightened, but it was me he was looking at. Meanwhile, Anthony and Brayden both wore equal looks of glee.

“Do you want to leave?” I asked them. I didn’t want anyone to be put out on my account.

“No—” Anthony replied. “We’re good here. Carry on.”

“We’re not good!” Finn snapped at him, but I ignored him. It wasn’t like Damen was going to hurt his own brother. Besides, he was supposed to do my bidding. He owed me in order to get back on my good graces.

“Right.” I dropped to my knees and opened the bag.

The salt was right on top. The bottom of my braid brushed against my bare ankles as I offered the brown bag to Miles.

His gaze softened, and once more, he resembled the sweet, darling witch I’d come to know.

“Here,” I told him. “I got this for you.”

“I got it!” Finn protested.

“Witches like salt, right?” I asked.

Miles’s taut form relaxed further as I watched, and his cheeks were dusted with pink.

“Thanks,” he said, taking the satchel from my hands. “I can’t turn you down when you put it that way.”

“I bought it from the supermarket,” Finn added.

“Just give me a few minutes.” Miles touched my head, and his mellow voice made my skin tingle. “And you’ll have your magic circle.”