It took me another few minutes to hobble through the streets of Salem, feeling like I was living a scene out of Jurassic Park. My pulse was flying so fast my hands trembled. A cold gust of wind washed over me, carrying the scent of salt water. In Leyka’s old house by the river, this is it. I’m getting closer. I have to be. I rounded a corner, then hobbled through a narrow alley between houses to come out on a riverbank. Massive sprawling oak trees surrounded a wooden house that looked downright ancient. There was absolutely nothing modern about the outside. It was like a piece of abandoned history no one in the town had ever touched.

And my arrow pointed right at it.

The front door had a pentacle carved into the wood. When I turned the handle, I was surprised it flew open so easily, but I didn’t have time to think on it. I carefully shut the door behind me, then turned to peek out the dusty, dingy windows filled with cobwebs. So far, Mammon hadn’t reappeared, but I knew better than to believe he’d given up. Inside, the house was nearly pitch-black, with the only light coming from the city-lights outside the windows.

“Meemaw?”

I gasped and spun around so fast my feet slipped on the dust-covered floor. I threw my hand out to catch myself on a wooden table, but the dust had to be inches thick. I cringed and wiped my hand on my dress as I looked up to meet the wide gaze of a man I’d never seen before. He was tall, with deeply tanned skin, short black hair, and big black eyes. There was something familiar about this face, but it was so dark in here I needed to get a better look.

And then his word registered. He’d said Meemaw.

I swayed on my feet. My eyes tearing up. “Raeven?”

He grinned and his eyes flashed through every color in the rainbow in rapid succession. His shoulders sagged. “Meemaw. Finally.”

I leapt for him at the same time he dove for me. He swept me up in his arms and lifted me off my feet, giggling in my ear. “I can’t believe the wait is finally over. You’re here. We’re in the same timeline.”

I squeezed him tight. “Your waiting is over.”

He pulled back, then glanced over my shoulder out the windows. “Where’s Grandfather?”

“I don’t know. I just got back. He put me in the tunnel in 1712 and I came out here—Wait, what’s today?”

“April 2nd, 2019. Only a few days after you left, or that’s what they told me.” He must’ve just realized what shape I was in because his face fell. He looked me up and down. “What happened to you?”

“Mammon.”

His dark eyes widened. “He’s here? In Salem⁠—”