Chelsey pitched to one side. She stumbled, then fell over the edge of the ferry. Instantly, the demon pieces sped toward her. Ocean spray kicked into the air, and Kira screamed, throwing her hands forward. Golden light spilled from her palms, but she couldn’t make it take form. Gwen was shouting, struggling against Rafael as he held her back.
A dark shape leapt from the docks into the water. Michael. He reached Chelsey just as the demons converged on her. Kira’s foot caught on something, and she fell, her shield flickering out as she braced to catch herself.
By the time she’d pushed herself back to her feet, Michael had dragged Chelsey back onto the shore. Water sloughed off his fur as he pulled her by the back of her shirt. Chelsey choked as she scrambled to find her footing. The demons lifted and shot toward her again, but this time the protective barrier around the town diverted them. Kira and Gwen rushed to Chelsey. Rafael shifted to wolf form and howled.
The demons fled, disappearing as quickly as they had arrived.
“I’m alright,” Chelsey insisted as Kira worried over her.
Kira’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding as she pulled her sister close. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
Chelsey groaned but nodded. “I guess not.” She glanced over at Michael, standing nearby with his gaze locked on the ocean still. “Uh… thanks.”
Michael jumped, then gave her a piercing look. He snorted and trotted off, shifting to human form to help the ferry redock. Passengers spilled back onto Nightfall, shaken and sobbing.
“Asshole,” Chelsey growled under her breath.
Kira hugged her again. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“At least I’ll be here to help with potions, right?” Chelsey smiled, shivering. “But first…” She glanced at her sopping clothes. “I need some dry clothes.”
***
Over the next week, there was no further sign of the demon. And day by day, the pattern stayed the same. Kira, Gwen, and Chelsey would get together to scour the grimoires and discuss new types of potions. The special ops would be out all day. After Chelsey went home, she refused to be driven out of her own house, insisting that it was just as safe as everywhere else in town—Kira would make dinner and wait. Joshua always came home late, thanked her for the meal, and took his portion to his room. Even when she asked him to eat with her, he would gently refuse.
She understood. Even if she hadn’t treated him so badly after making love in the forest, he was busy. He must be exhausted and frustrated at not being able to make progress in finding the demon.
One night, as he took his plate away as per usual, Kira put her hand on his arm. “Wait.”
Joshua lifted his golden gaze to her.
“I’m sorry I—” she started.
“You don’t need to apologize for anything.” Joshua pulled his arm away.
“Joshua—”
“I’m tired. I need to go to bed.” He lifted his plate slightly. “Thank you for the food.”
He left. Kira didn’t try to stop him. If he didn’t want her to apologize… well, maybe now wasn’t the time to insist on it.
So she tried her best not to think about it. Instead, she focused on trying to improve her magic. Whenever she wasn’t making potions, she and Gwen worked together to make their magic stronger. Kira was surprised at how much better she was now. She was able to maintain her protective field for severalminutes, and when she tentatively started to use offensive magics again, she had a lot more control over her spells.
That continued for yet another week. Still no demons. Chelsey at one point suggested that maybe it was safe for her to return to school, but Kira shot that down quickly.
“You’ve got the online accommodation. Just wait until the demon has been found, okay?” she pleaded.
Chelsey sighed. “I just… really like school.”
Kira stared at her. There was something else, she knew there was. But Chelsey didn’t seem to be in the mood to share anything.
The next day, while Kira was making supper and hoping this time Joshua would eat with her so they could talk, the doorbell rang. Frowning, Kira turned down the heat on the stovetop and went to answer it. To her surprise, Mark and Susan were outside. Both of them had their arms filled with tin-foil dinners.
“Oh! Come in,” Kira said, holding the door open for them.
She’d seen them on and off since that dinner they’d had together, but hadn’t spent a significant amount of time with them. The delicious smell of food wafted through the air as she led them to the kitchen.
“We know you’ve been busy with your training and Joshua’s patrols,” Susan said, setting her containers onto the table. She embraced Kira tightly, making instant tears spring to Kira’s eyes. “I’m so sorry we haven’t been here sooner. After hearing about what almost happened to your sister… well, we should have stopped by before.”
