Coralis chuckled. “I’m afraid they are from a different generation.”

“I guess you’re right,” she said sulkily. “But you remember the Duke, don’t you?”

Coralis twisted uncomfortably in his seat. “The duke … ah! The Duke of Devonshire!”

She sighed. “Maybe we should talk about something else.”

There wasn’t much in the town of Winslow for Henry to see, except for a statue of a man standing on a corner. The window behind him had an image of a woman in a pickup truck. People were taking pictures, and Grandma Gailene explained that the sculpture and picture were a scene from a well-known song.

Once they turned left to head north on State Route 87, there was even less. But in his eyes, it was the most beautiful land he’d ever seen. The sun was setting on one horizon while the moon was rising on the other. Large boulders that dwarfed the van cast shadows in abstract shapes that stretched as the sun dipped lower.

Suddenly he felt an overpowering urge to look in the opposite direction. Staring at the moon made a chill run down his spine. He absentmindedly rubbed a hand through his hair.

Brianna picked up on it. “What’s wrong, Henry?”

“It’s hard to say.” He kept his voice down. “It’s almost like something is pulling at me. It’s like a whisper in my mind telling me to do bad things.”

“Well, don’t listen to it.” Brianna softened her voice, musical tones woven into her words. “You must think of Coralis and how important it is to succeed in our mission, whatever it may be. Think of Mom, Henry. Ignore the voice. Push it away!”

As she spoke, Henry calmed down. He tenderly scratched Brianna’s head. “Thanks. I’m okay now.” But when he looked up, the two adults were looking back at him.

Coralis held the ring on his finger up for all to see. The black swirl had clouded the entire crystal. It pulsed with evil energy. “We have no time to waste.”

A short while later, Grandma Gailene needed what she called a “pit stop for her aging kidneys.” She pulled over at a small roadside shack where tourists bought souvenir pottery. The others piled out of the van to stretch their legs.

“How are you holding up, Henry?” Coralis asked.

“I’m okay now.” He relaxed noticeably as he realized it was the truth. Whatever had come over him had not resurfaced. He strolled past the cars to watch a group of old men playing cards in front of the shack.