“Yemoja has convinced the human leaders of the threat, and we’re relocating as many people as possible to a suitable planet with similar conditions,” Papa said as he and Mama walked with Sidda to the door. “We cannot simply take humans away unless they are willing to leave. Even we have limits imposed by the universe and rules we must follow.” Papa stopped cold, his eyes going blank for a split second. “The Lord of Shadows has broken through the first perimeter around the library. Yemoja and the others have fallen back to concentrate their efforts around the second perimeter—Jackson Middle School.”

Eleni nudged my arm and whispered, “Maya.”

I followed her gaze back to the window. The sky, the trees, and the houses had all turned grayer. Everything was dull. The red curtains at Latesha’s living room window, Mr. Mason’s blue shutters, the stop sign on the corner, the mural of the three brothers in celebration plastered against the Lees’ fence. The small multicolor elephant statue on the Patels’ windowsill. The Okekes’ bright yellow birdhouse.

I swallowed hard. “It’s starting.”

Eleni slumped against the couch. “How can anyone stop that?”

For the first time, all I could say was, “I don’t know.”

The next hour was a frenzy of activity. Papa left to triple-check the third and final perimeter—a veil he’d placed around our neighborhood. Sidda went to the Johnstons’ house to get the darkbringer children ready to leave. “Are you girls done packing?” Mama asked as she whisked into the den. “We leave in ten minutes.”

“I finished last night,” Eleni said.

“And you, Maya?” Mama asked with her hands on her hips.

I sank deeper into the sofa. “I haven’t started.”

“I’ll help you,” Eleni said.

“Ten minutes,” Mama reiterated, her eyes serious. “Be ready.”

Exactly eight minutes later, Eleni and I were rolling our luggage out the front door. Mama said she would meet us at the community center after making a few urgent calls. The metal detector that opened to the gods’ realm was a multilocational gateway that could also take us to Azur.

Miss Ida and Miss Lucille were already outside with Zeran, Billu, their mom, and the other darkbringer children. Each recruit, all nine of them, counting Billu, had duffel bags across their shoulders. When Lucille caught me looking, she said, “We know a good tailor or two.”

“Can I walk with Maya and Eleni?” Zeran asked his mom. “I’ll meet you once we get to Azur.”

Sidda was busy rounding up the other children, who had started to throw snowballs at each other. “Yes, but try to stay out of trouble, Z.”

“Z,” Eleni mouthed as she looked at Zeran. “Like Dr. Z from the Oya comic books?”

I smirked at Zeran. “Exactly like Dr. Z, diabolical to the end.”