He didn’t have to tell me twice. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, but you’ll be stopping a very evil witch. Thank you for your gift.” I grabbed a handful of the mage’s long white braids and pulled. They slipped easily out of his dried scalp. I wrapped them in a knot and placed them in my purse next to my cellphone.

Then I noticed the ring on his hand. It was a thick band of silver with a large ruby in the middle. The aura glowed white around the ring, but the ruby had a different aura. It was a hundred shades of red, separate yet all together at the same time. It took me a second to get the ring over his thick, gnarled knuckles, and put that in my purse, too.

Now, I just needed a bone. But what? It had to be something small—something I could take in my purse—but something that held a lot of power.

A hand. That was the implement that we used the most when practicing magic. If I could dislodge his hand…

My stomach roiled at the thought, but I had to try. I hoped it would be enough. I grasped the mage’s hand like I was going to shake it. The whole thing fell off at the wrist.

I screeched and jumped back, nearly dropping it.

“Calm down!” Lucas shouted.

“Sorry.” My heart was racing. “Sorry. I just…” I turned toward him to show him. “I have a some hair, his ring, and a hand. I think I’m done here. That’s all I need to—”

When I turned all the way around, my stomach dropped.

Father Valentine stood in the hallway.

Lucas had been right. Someone had been here before. Someone really bad.

Father Valentine waved his hand in a spell-like motion.

“No!” I finally found my voice. I pointed behind Lucas. “Stop him! Now!”

Lucas lunged, but he was too late. The fire was out in an instant and the doors swung shut with a deafening thud.

We were alone. In the dark.

With at least a few hundred vampires.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Fire burning bright. Show me your light.” My magic sped out, but I could feel how weak it was. How weak I was.

Not now. If my power failed…

The fire around the altar flared again.

The vampires were slowly starting to move. Turning their heads slightly. A few tensed their arms just a little.

The magic holding them in place was fading as Lucas pounded on the door. “It’s stuck. I can’t get it open.”

“Get back over here!” Vampires didn’t like fire. “Jump onto the altar. The fire will keep them away.”

Lucas frantically looked around, and then ran toward me. He leapt over the fire, sliding to a stop at my side.

“Get under,” he said, practically shoving me down.