“Because she’s my daughter,” Jack said firmly, standing. He walked to the bedroom door, and then turned to face Shax, his hand on the knob. “You’ve underestimated my family many times, Beast. This time may be your last.”

Shax waved him away, and a loud noise forced me to cover my ears. Misshapen arms exploded through the door, throwing splintered wood onto the floor and my covers. Before I could recover from the noise, Jack was pulled through the door. Only traces of his blood on the door jamb and carpet had been left behind.

“No!” I screamed, reaching out from my bed.

Shax took a step closer, and I recoiled.

“Stay away from me,” I said, looking around the room for something to use to defend myself.

Shax lurched forward, his wild, black eyes and sharp features inches from my face. I scampered back, first against the head of my bead. Panicked, I continued to crawl backward away from him, and found myself half- way up the wall.

Shax stood, looking up at me. He smiled with his crooked mouth and perfectly white teeth. “Running will get you nowhere, Precious. We know what you are.”

He jumped, landing on all fours on the wall. My arms and legs couldn’t move fast enough as I climbed backward up the remainder of the wall. Shax's arms and legs made quick, jerking movements as he moved slowly toward me. His body looked twisted and unnatural.

When I realized I was on the ceiling, looking down at my bed, I closed my eyes.

“Wake me up, Jared! Wake me up!”

I opened my eyes, and I was back at the loft. Jared, Bex, and the bed were all twelve feet below me.

“Agh!” I screamed as I fell face-down onto the bed.

“I’ve gotta learn how to do that!” Bex said, jumping once with excitement.

Jared immediately turned me onto my back. “Nina?” he said, brushing my hair from my face.

“I’m fine,” I said, angry.

“That…was creepy,” Jared said, scanning me with his dark-blue eyes.

“She was like Spiderman! That was freakin’ incredible!” Bex said. “I bet I can do that. I’m going to try.”

“We can’t float or climb walls,” Jared said through his teeth. The skin around his eyes was tight with worry.

“But she’s human! Even if she’s influenced, if she can do it, we must be able to!”

Jared’s brows pulled in. “What happened?”

I took a breath. “Jack was there.”

“And Gabe?”

“No, but Shax came. He said he knew what I was. Jack said that Shax had underestimated our family before. He said to get the book.”

Jared nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“I think he meant now,” I said, feeling a sense of urgency.

Jared looked to Bex, who was looking around the loft, listening.

“Bex?” Jared said.

Bex nodded.