I followed the smell of honeysuckle to the dense overgrown thicket and from there I followed the murmur of voices to a wide circular glade where a large crowd of townspeople, college faculty, Grove members, and a motley assortment of creatures had gathered. Standing on the edge of the thicket before anyone saw me I noticed that the glade seemed to have widened since I’d last been here. I listened to the creak of intertwined branches above me and had the uneasy feeling that the honeysuckle thicket had widened the glade to accommodate this morning’s gathering – and that the thicket could just as easily tighten the noose again and squeeze us all to death in its grip. Nor was I the only one who seemed to feel that way. The nine members of the Grove stood on the far side of the glade nervously looking up to the sky as if that might be their only exit. The crowd of townspeople and college faculty were, oddly, less anxious looking. They stood in small groups, talking softly among themselves, saying last goodbyes. They were sad and resigned, or angry and indignant, but unafraid. I felt a stirring of pride in their bravery – and a renewed determination to make those farewells unnecessary. We would unmask the nephilim and then I would open the door and keep it open using the heart binding spell. But where were Frank and Bill? I looked around for them, but didn’t see either man. I caught Liz’s eye and she hurried toward me. I stepped into the glade to greet her – and heard the branches and vines snick closed behind me.

“Callie, there you are! We’d begun to wonder if you were coming.” A fleeting look of hope passed over her strained features.

“I had to see Lorelei,” I said loudly and then, beneath my breath, added, “I have a spell to keep the door open and Frank has a plan to stop the Grove. He’s with my friend Bill. Are they here yet?”

Liz shook her head. She looked around the glade, wringing her hands. “I can’t believe it’s come to this. Perhaps if I had been stricter in whom I let in … but each case was so compelling and I truly believed that diversity made us stronger. Now look at us! What will the college and town do without all these good people?”