And that would be a disaster, because as strong as Alana was, she would still die, and so would Grace, and so would everyone else.

“Alana, I didn’t know what he intended to do about Grace. And I could have fought him then, yes, of course, I could have, but he would have killed her.”

Eric put his face up close to Alana’s. “Do you hear me? He would have killed her. He still could. If you go after him now, he will win. We will all lose. I know what he has planned, and he will win, Alana.”

She was speeding up. Her fingers were stretching for him.

“I came to you because we have one chance to stop him, like last time. You, me, Danny, and Carrie. But none of us can do it on our own. We all have to do our parts. Only this time, I swear, we can do it right. We can save Grace, we can save the kid. We can save everyone. But you have to trust me. Please, Alana. Please.”

Her fingers were right at his face again. The sheer kinetic energy she had put into straining for him was staggering. She’d tear him apart if he gave her the chance.

He’d made his pitch. It was up to her.

He let her move again.

She was going too fast to stop completely. All that power had to go somewhere. She hit him hard. But she checked herself enough so that it was like being kicked by a horse rather than run down by a car.

The room spun around Eric and he realized he was on his back. He looked up at her. Alana was breathing heavily, her eyes pinning him like a bug. Danny and Carrie stood beside her.

She looked at him, but didn’t speak. She went to her luggage, and took out her sword. It slid easily from the scabbard, and she drew it back, ready to thrust it into his throat.

Eric didn’t move.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I didn’t know what he would do. I can’t see the future. But I know how we stop him now. Believe me.”

For a moment, Eric wasn’t sure if Alana would kill him. Danny and Carrie couldn’t stop her if they tried, but they didn’t look inclined to try.

He waited.

Alana hesitated. Not because she didn’t want to kill Eric.

But because her sword was not glowing. It didn’t light up as it always did in the presence of evil.

Whatever else Eric had done, he was not lying to her. He was an asshole, but he wasn’t evil.

She lowered the sword. She pulled him up and deposited him roughly on his feet. He nearly went over again, but managed to stay upright.

“I believe you,” she said. “We’ll stop him.”