“Well, I do,” I said. “He’s sacrificing my daughter and the world. Come on, Jared. Think of the big picture.”
“Katherine.”Father Corletti’s sharp tone caught my attention. “There is still a hope. You must find them, and you must prevent the ceremony.”
“How? Allie’s phone is here and Jared ripped off her necklace.” That was a guess, but from the way he winced, I knew I was right. “My phone isn’t set to track Eric, and we don’t know where they’re going.”
“Lilith intends to move into this world, Kate. I think you do know where she will go. Where she needs to go.”
Of course. The ruins of the Stone Table. An old ritual site that predated the town itself, it had recently become a favorite location for demonic ceremonies. Not only that, it’s where Lilith had tried this trick before.
“How do we stop her? We barely survived last time. Father, I don’t have any weapon to use against a High Demon.”
“There is a way,” he said. “But you must listen carefully. Lilith will need to make the transfer into Allie’s body —once in, she would only need to place her hand on Eric’s flesh to open him up to a demonic entity. You must stop her before she enters Allie or all will indeed be lost.”
“But how?”
“She will need Eric’s blood. Prevent her from bleeding him, and you will stop the ceremony. Once he has shed even a drop, the door is open and she will attempt to come through.”
“Attempt?”
“This is the second point at which you can stop her, though the cost is high. But child, there is not a third.”
I swallowed, then met Laura’s eyes. She looked as scared as I felt, and I saw the way she clung to Cutter’s hand, her other arm around Mindy’s shoulder. In front of me, Jared’s head hung dejected. I was sorry for his sister’s torment—I was—but not enough to sacrifice my daughter or this world.
As he held the phone, Stuart looked at me. Then he mouthed,You can do this.
I closed my eyes, bolstered by his faith in me. Icoulddo it. More than that, I had to.
“I understand,” I told Father. “Just tell me what to do.”
CHAPTER 22
“Here, here, here,”I shouted, pointing at the turn-off to get to the Stone Table, a road down which I’d been many times. So many that I was beginning to think someone needed to pave it. For that matter, someone needed to haul the ruins away. Bury them at sea, or at least deep in a landfill.
Because honestly? I’d had enough of this place.
Cutter was behind the wheel and we bounced along. I’d conceded my driver’s seat because I wanted to think and plan with this ragtag team that consisted of me, Cutter, Stuart, Eddie, and Jared.
Jared because we might need him. Cutter because he’s got bad ass skills. Eddie, because he has the experience and has surprisingly sharp fighting skills for a guy his age. That, and he’d arrived home just as we were heading out, and when we told him the situation, he refused to stay behind, not even to help Laura and Mindy play host to the entire birthday party.
And, of course, there was Stuart, who was only along because I didn’t have time to argue, and he was determined.“If you think I’m not going to be there for my daughter, you are so wrong,”he’d said.
They were the right words, and I’d caved. With any luck, though, I could convince him to stay in the van. I really didn’t want to split my focus looking out for him. Even more, I didn’t want him to end up dead.
We parked, then tumbled out. I knew from experience that we had to walk the rest of the way. And as I looked up at the sky and saw four white streaks above us, I also knew we had to hurry.A meteor shower. Fire and ice.
Eliza’s warning rang in my head.
Lilith.
I took off at a run,
It won’t matter Kate.
The voice, cold and feminine, seemed to fill my head. I slowed long enough to glance at the men, and could tell from their expressions that it wasn’t just me. I caught Stuart’s eyes, his full of fear, and took off at a run again. Whatever was happening, the time was now. And oh, dear God, I hoped we weren’t too late.
But you are too late, Kate. It’s okay, though. I won’t hurt you. In the end, you’ll be my mother, too.
“You stay away from her, you bitch,” I snarled, just before I burst through the final clump of brush and into the open area around the battered Stone Table. I paused to get my bearings, noting the perimeter of demonic guards surrounding the ceremonial site.
