The world tilted as Molly and the other women collapsed. The magic looped back on itself, sophisticated and complex like the stained-glass piece hanging in Sarah’s kitchen window, except Molly couldn’t turn her attention away from this spell. Couldn’t concentrate to use her Power.

Lauren gasped, “Mind trap.”

Molly lifted her head, squinting hazily. Several silhouetted figures fought off the entangling vines, but still others approached. Every movement spoke of unhurried confidence.

A vast roar of alien Power coalesced on the scene. It landed a few yards away from Molly and the others’ prone figures. Blinking, she tried to get her eyes to focus on this new development.

Seven new figures stood in the road, one at the lead and the others spread out on either side of him.

One of them said, “I will collect my favor at the time of my choosing,” and blew away, leaving six behind.

The one in the forefront was Josiah, still half dressed.

She caught a blurred glimpse of his hard face. He looked inhuman.

He opened his hands, and a gigantic force exploded out from him like a bomb. It lifted everything into the air and blew it back. Everyone standing. All thirteen vehicles. The only ones it didn’t touch were Molly and the others who were still sprawled on the ground.

Screams filled the air as bodies were crushed. Josiah and his coven hit the survivors with more individual blasts while one broke away to kneel by the incapacitated women.

It was a small Hispanic woman. She cupped Molly’s head with hands that glowed with Power and broke apart the mind trap. Her hard, shiny gaze met Molly’s. “Help him! He gave you everything—he doesn’t have anything in reserve.”

Right. Molly rolled up onto her hands and knees.

If there was one thing she’d learned how to do well over the past three months of helping Sarah, it was how to give someone else strength.

Locking her gaze on Josiah’s broad back, she dug inside as deep as she could and poured all that she had at him. Briefly his head went back, and he staggered as the wave of Power hit. Then he sucked it all in and strode forward while his coven followed.

*     *     *

All the years.

All the years of planning, training, preparing. All the years of patiently waiting.

They were all fuel for the holocaust of fury that drove him now. Grigori Rasputin’s Power saturated the other group of witches. Josiah could feel him.

His roaming gaze took in everything at a glance. His initial blast had killed a few of them outright and injured more. Others were fighting to get free of vines that held them trapped like flies in a spiderweb.

But more were free and able to fight than not.