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Chapters (34)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-One
  24. Twenty-Two
  25. Twenty-Three
  26. Twenty-Four
  27. Twenty-Five
  28. Twenty-Six
  29. Twenty-Seven
  30. Twenty-Eight
  31. Twenty-Nine
  32. Acknowledgments
  33. About the Author
  34. About the Publisher

Together we concentrated our energy on building more light. In his kid form, the Lord of Shadows roared at us, screaming in pain. He backed onto the porch, step by step. “When this is over, I will get rid of you both,” he said before fading back into the house. The door slammed shut behind him.

“Not today you won’t,” Eleni said. “Not ever.”

“The Abeola sisters: one,” I said, feeling drained. “The Lord of Shadows: a big, empty zero.”

“We did it,” Eleni cheered, still facing the old house.

I slipped to the ground to rest and closed my eyes. I could hear the echo of Eleni urgently calling my name. “Maya, are you okay?”

I woke to ear-piercing screams. My heart slammed against my chest, and I was drenched in sweat. Eleni. I had to get to my sister. Had the Lord of Shadows doubled back on the crossroads? I tried to climb out of bed, but I couldn’t. Why was my throat so raw?

I yanked back my blanket, then I saw it. Gray ash spread across my chest where the Lord of Shadows had attacked me in my dream. But I couldn’t worry about that—I had to help my sister. Only, it took my brain too long to register my grave miscalculation. It wasn’t Eleni screaming. It was me.

Eighteen

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WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?

TO SAY THAT my life flashed before my eyes would be an understatement. I stared in shock as my hands turned from brown to ash gray. Searing pain cut across my chest, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I inhaled, but even the air burned my lungs. I clenched my hands into fists, but again, the pain only grew worse. It couldn’t end this way.

My tombstone would read, Here lies Maya Janine Abeola, guardian of the veil in training, bested by the sinister Lord of Shadows, enemy to all. Or would it read, Here lies Maya Janine Abeola, guardian of the veil in training, who let the Lord of Shadows outsmart her? I could think of a thousand ways to say what basically came down to this fact: the Lord of Shadows had dealt me the death blow.

“Maya, breathe, baby girl,” Papa said. His voice was soothing, calm.

I latched on to my father’s words like they were a lifeline. I could feel warm light wash over me, and the pain began to lessen. When I opened my eyes, he was sitting on the side of my bed. Mama sat on the opposite side, stroking my hair and blinking back tears. Eleni stood nearby with her arms wrapped around her.

“The Lord of Shadows . . .” I groaned.

Papa squeezed my hand. “He can’t hurt you now.”

Mama pressed a cool towel to my forehead, just like she used to do when I was little and had a dizzy spell. It always helped me feel better. “How are you feeling, baby?”