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R osa threw herself into Jake’s arms when he appeared in the living room of the furnished house they had rented not far from her parents’ home. “I’m so glad to see you!”

Lifting her off her feet, he swung her around and around, making her laugh. Gradually slowing, he held her tight and kissed her, long and slow. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. How’s Saintcrow? How’s Kadie? When can we go home?”

Sitting on the sofa, Jake tugged her down beside him. “I’ve got a lot to tell you, but let’s get everybody over here so I only have to say it once.”

Rosa frowned at him. “Don’t tell me it’s bad news?”

“Not exactly.”

Picking up her cell phone, Rosa sent a group text to the family.

Twenty minutes later, Micah, Holly, Ethan and Sofia materialized in the room. They all sat down and looked at Kincaid anxiously.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Micah said.

“Izabela used the Methuselah Stone and freed Kadie from the curse,” Kincaid said, his gaze moving from one to the other. “That’s the good news.”

“That is good news!” Sofia exclaimed. “How soon can we go home and see her?”

Kincaid held up his hand. “Not so fast. The bad news is that Kadie’s lost her memory. She doesn’t remember Saintcrow or anything else.”

“Oh, no,” Rosa murmured. “That’s terrible. Poor Kadie. And Saintcrow. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for him.”

“Don’t you think her memory will come back?” Holly asked. “Lots of people get amnesia and get better, in time.”

“Yeah,” Kincaid said. “But she didn’t have amnesia. She was the victim of a nasty curse.”

He held up his hand again when Ethan started to speak. “There’s more. She’s human again.”

Rosa and the others stared at him.

“Human again?” Micah asked. “How on earth is that possible?”

Kincaid shrugged. “No one knows.”

“Does that mean the Medallion can cure vampirism?” Holly asked.

“I have no idea.” Kincaid’s gaze settled on each of them. “Any of you thinking of trying it out?”

There was a long moment of silence. Then, one by one, each of them shook his or her head, even Ethan, who had been turned without his consent.

“So, is it safe to go home now?” Rosa asked. “Maybe seeing all of us would help Kadie regain her memory?”

“I don’t know,” Kincaid said. “I guess it depends on whether healing Kadie also healed the town.”

“And the state,” Micah added. “I don’t think any of us should visit Morgan Creek until we know for sure that it’s safe. And there’s only one way to find out.”

“What do you mean?” Sofia asked. And then she frowned. “You aren’t suggesting one of us should go to Morgan Creek and see what happens?”

Micah shrugged. “Can you think of another way?”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. “This is something for Saintcrow to decide,” Kincaid remarked. “As the owner of the town and the oldest among us, it has to be his decision.” He wasn’t surprised when no one objected.