Rachel paced the kitchen, a lukewarm cup of coffee in her right hand and her left arm wrapped around her waist in an unconscious hug—not against the cold, but to contain the emotions inside her. The team had gotten back to Trinity late last night, but David hadn’t come home yet. Like an idiot she’d stayed up waiting for him and her nerves were fraying from lack of sleep. He’d called to tell her he was popping in for a change of clothes and that he had something to talk to her about. Something important.

She knew it had to do with Sarah Beth.

Maybe it was just the tone of his voice—one he used whenever he was thinking about their daughter. Maybe it was years of marriage to a good man—a man who broke the stereotypes and was an honest communicator. Maybe it was a mother’s intuition.

Or maybe it was the other thing.

It still reared its head now and again, outside of her control and seemingly never when she needed it. Like a voice in another room, speaking just too softly to be clearly understood. It was so frustrating.

The security alarm chirped as David came through the front door—meaning he had left his car in the driveway and wouldn’t be here long. That he wasn’t following the new rule about pulling all the way into the garage before getting out of the car also seemed telling. The details David had shared with her about the weapon were vague, probably on purpose, but one thing felt certain: the Shepherds and Watchers were in grave danger.

Again.

“Rachel?” he called out.

She set her cup on the island, let out a long sigh, and put her best loving smile on her face as she headed toward the family room. She hurried to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face against his chest as he hugged her. She liked the warmth of him but also the rediscovered confidence and swagger that had risen to the surface these last few weeks.

“Everything okay?” he said, kissing the top of her head and smoothing her hair.

“You tell me, David,” she said, suddenly stiffening, his worries coming to her like a breath.

“Things are escalating. This weapon is the stuff of nightmares, and it’s out there right now, in the Dark Ones’ possession. We know Victor is planning to use it, but we don’t know when or who he’s targeting,” he said, stopping short of the punch line.

“Go on, spit it out. They want to use Sarah Beth to find it, don’t they?”

“Baby, it’s just that she has an ability that they haven’t seen in a long time, an ability to locate—”