Swords drawn, we formed a small circle beside the pylon facing the trees.

Between Ceris and Keisha, Zelen’s tiny figure grew a few inches, his brown eyes becoming golden with pure rage.

“It’s your fault!” he shouted.

“We weren’t followed,” Ceris assured him. “You have my word.”

He narrowed his eyes at her but didn’t say anything. He tapped the end of his staff on the grass three times. A second later, a dozen nymphs sprouted from the ground around us. Like the ones I had seen before in a vision, they were beautiful, delicate, with skimpy dresses covering little of their pale skin, and long colorful hair adorned by flowers.

They positioned themselves between the trees and us.

“The demons are close,” Morgan whispered on my left.

Micah was on my right, one sword in each hand. He looked badass, except for the quick glances he stole at me. His black eyes shone with worry.

“I’ll be fine,” I said in a low tone.

His jaw flexed. “I’ll believe it once we’re out of here.”

Morgan’s movement caught my attention. He switched his sword to his right hand, and he delved his left hand in the side pocket of his belt. When he pulled the Crimson Dagger from there, I gasped.

“You still have that thing?” I asked, not hiding the incredulity from my voice.

Instead of answering me, he said, “They are here.”

Turning to face us, half of the nymphs wiggled their bodies in odd ways. Their skin shifted from whitish to grayish, their hair lost its volume and color, becoming dull and black. Their nails and teeth elongated, looking like razors.

“By the Everlast,” Zelen whispered.

They lunged at us.

The other six nymphs stood frozen in their places, apparently shocked to see their sisters becoming demons right in front of their eyes.

One of the nymphs-turned-demon had its claws aimed at me. Swallowing the memory that it had been a nymph a few seconds ago, I raised my sword, ready to strike. However, Micah stepped in front of me and slashed its chest. It jerked a little, trying to hit him, but he ducked and swung his sword across its ankles. It fell back and thrashed for a few seconds, then stopped, its once bright eyes becoming a sickening glossed white.

“What the hell was that?” I asked, spitting my words with frustration.

“A demon,” Micah said, knowing too well that wasn’t what I meant.

I gripped the hilt of my sword tight. “I can take care of myself.”

He loomed over me, the heat of his body brushing against me. “I know that.”

“Do you?”

“Hey, you two.” Keisha bumped into me before piercing her sword through a nymph-demon’s chest. She pulled her sword out, and the body dropped to the ground. She turned to us, one hand on her hips. “This isn’t the time to bicker like an old married couple.”

“Excuse me?” I asked at the same time Micah said, “What?”

With Victor and Zelen, Ceris approached us. “We need to go.”

I looked around. Everyone seemed okay. Victor cleaned his sword on his pants, Morgan put the Crimson Dagger back into his pocket—I made a mental note to talk to him later—Keisha seemed to be still ready for battle, Micah stood beside me, his tension making me tense. Zelen watched his dead nymph-demons with such desolation in his eyes. The other nymphs had gotten together in a circle, hand in hand, chanting in a language I didn’t understand.

Without a word Zelen approached them, breaking their circle, and headed toward the body of a non-demon nymph lying on the grass.

“One of them jumped onto her first,” Keisha said. “I killed the demon, but I was too late.”

I put a hand on her arm. “You did what you could.”

Morgan stiffened, Micah sprung in front of me, and Ceris cursed.

“What?” Victor asked.

“More are coming,” Zelen said, his tone dejected.

Near the trees the grass became a dark green, then brown, and finally black. Next, the bordering trees were affected, their trunks shrinking, the leaves turning brown and falling. Slowly, the poison spread toward the center. It had advanced three feet when demons appeared among the trees. Many demons—Ornek and Arak—stared at us as if we were the banquet they were promised after a week of starvation.

We huddled in a circle, weapons in hand. Zelen looked pained, as if the death of his forest physically hurt him. Maybe it did.

As slowly as the poison that was killing the grass and the beautiful bushes along the paths, the demons stepped into the clearing.

“We need to get out of here,” Ceris said in a low voice. “We need to get to the edge of the shield. Unless you can drop it right now.”

“I can’t,” Zelen answered. I didn’t dare glance back at them with all these demons advancing on us. “I would need spell ingredients I don’t carry with me.”

“All right,” Ceris said. “Once they attack, we advance through the forest. Please, stick together.”

The poison reached halfway, and the demons were two feet behind it. My grip tightened on the hilt of my sword.

Suddenly green vines surged from the ground, tall and thick, twisting around the demons, trapping their arms and legs, immobilizing them.

“It won’t hold them for long,” a serene voice said from behind me.

We all turned and in the center of our circle a woman, wearing a white dress similar to Ceris, stood tall. Her skin was almost as dark as Keisha’s was, her hair was reddish brown like the ground, and her eyes were a deep green like leaves. In her right hand, she held a scepter topped by a green orb.

“Izaera,” Ceris whispered.

She stepped forward, and both women embraced in a brief but tight hug.

Izaera rested her hand on Ceris’s cheek. “It’s good to see you, my sister. But you and your friends need to go. My magic won’t hold them for long.”

Ceris grabbed her hand, enclosing it between hers. “Come with us.” Izaera looked divided. “Please, sister. It hurts me to say it, but this place is no more. Come with us.”

She nodded, and then turned her back to us. She approached the pylon and the silver symbol on the stone with the orb of her scepter. Green light shone from it and seeped into the orb causing it to shine even brighter. Something silver swirled inside it, and I leaned forward, trying to get a better look.

“We gotta go,” Victor said, watching the demons as they fought against the vines. Some had broken half-free already.

Izaera pulled the scepter away from the pylon, and its glow faded, leaving only dull white stones behind. We turned on our flashlights.

“Done.” She turned to the trees pointing her scepter to the demons in front of her. Instantly the vines pulled them to the side, and more vines appeared, creating a wall that flanked the path she had just opened. “Hurry,” she said, gesturing to the path.

Morgan was the first to run through, followed by Keisha, Ceris, and Victor. Micah and I were next, with Zelen and Izaera right behind us, then the nymphs. Halfway down the path, the growl of demons and the snapping of vines told me we needed to rush.

A claw broke through the wall of vines and scratched my upper arm.

“Ow,” I muttered. I raised my sword, but Micah was faster. His blade sliced through the air, taking the demon’s arm with the cut—déjà vu. The limb landed on the ground with a pool of blood.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. “How bad is it?” He stole a quick glance at the wound.

“Not too bad,” I said, peeking at it. Three red lines with a little blood trickling from it. “Just scratches.”

We reached the trees and increased our speed. The demons were breaking free.

Weaving through the dying trees, I tripped and stumbled, my steps stalled by grabbing roots and my legs snagged on branches.

Fifteen minutes of running—my heart pounded in my chest—and growls echoed from directly behind us.

“We’re almost there!” Ceris cried from the front of the group.

Almost there was relative. It could be ten steps; it could be another ten minutes. Honestly, I didn’t think we had that long before they caught up with us.

The trees and shrubbery thinned out as we approached the edge of the protective shield, making it easier to maneuver through the woods. My footfalls fell deftly now.

A growl of a demon sounded to my left. Micah, still holding my hand, yanked me out of the way, and then kicked the demon. He was about to swing his sword at it, but Izaera used her powers. Vines twined around the demon’s arms, legs, and torso, and tugged it high into a tree, where it dangled like a wild beast caught in a hunter’s trap.

“There’s no time,” Izaera whispered.

“What?” I asked, confused.

I glanced back. She stopped and pointed her scepter at the demons charging her. More walls of vines surged, blocking their way, but it was easy to see that it wouldn’t hold them for long.

She moved again but not as fast as before. What was she doing?

Micah’s grip tightened around my hand. “By the Everlast.” He cursed under his breath.

I looked at him. “What?”

“Omi,” he said, glancing back.

Ceris and Morgan had already slowed their steps and were watching behind us.

Big trees fell to the side as if they weighed as much as each of their leaves, opening a path covered in fire.

Omi sauntered over it with a big smile on his drunken face. “By the Everlast, look what we’ve got here.”

Micah pushed me behind him, and Victor came to stand beside him. I was towered by giants, but most of all, I felt cheated. Why did they feel the need to protect me? I could take care of myself.

Ceris extended her hand, and her scepter appeared on her palm. She stood beside Izaera and Zelen, with Keisha behind them. Morgan seemed undecided if he should stay by Keisha or by Micah and Victor.

“You destroyed my forest, Omi,” Izaera said, her voice much more confident than before.

He scoffed. “Who cares about a forest? Not interesting. Now, interesting are those two men in front of Nadine. Their auras are quite interesting.” I watched him through the small space between Victor’s and Micah’s arms. His gaze found mine, and I gasped as goose bumps crawled up my arms. His eerie smile widened. “Hello there, Nadine. I missed you. Oh, and I miss your family too.”

Rage bubbled in the pit of my stomach, surging up like a volcano and transforming my rage into stamina. I pushed Micah and Victor aside and marched forward with every intention of slashing Omi’s throat with my sword. Big hands clasped around my arms and held me back.

“Let me go!” I hissed.

“That’s what he wants,” Micah whispered, holding my left arm. “To provoke you and have you go to him.”

I jerked against his hold. “It’s working.”

“Don’t let it work,” Victor said, his grip firm around my right arm.

Omi chuckled. “Oh, Nadine, won’t you introduce me to your friends?”

In his dreams. Even then, he would have a hard time getting any answers from me.

“You’re wasting your time, Omi,” Ceris spoke.

His eyes turned to Ceris, a wicked shine in them. “Ceris, my dear sister. I enjoyed our cat and mouse game. It has been fun, really, but everything has a limit. Time to surrender.”

Ceris let out one of her witch-like laughs. “Do you really know me so little?”

Narrowing his eyes, Omi tilted his head. “Not really.”

He raised his hands to the sky, and Akuma flew down, at the same time more Arak and Ornek popped out from behind trees.

“Run!” Ceris said. Her scepter was in her hand, and she produced a shield between Omi and us. Then she turned and darted with us. “Only a few more yards. Go!”

The shield detained Omi and the demons for a couple of minutes.

I looked up in time to see one of the winged demons descending with eyes and claws trained on me. I waited until it was closer, then jumped to the side, and slashed its wing with my sword. The demon let out an agonizing shriek, then turned to me, its claws ready once more. It swiped, and I parried it drawing its gooey blood. It came at me again, and I ducked stepping around it and slashing its side. The creature cried, spitting rage. I emerged behind it, and before it realized where I was, I buried my sword in its chest.

It cried and thrashed. When I pulled my sword out, it collapsed face-first to the ground.

Micah was right by my side, fighting two demons; Victor was by Micah’s side, fighting another two. Keisha was a few feet farther, and she had three demons sweating. Morgan had the Crimson Dagger, and it was all he could do to defend himself. Zelen fought one demon with his staff. For an old man, he was quite agile. Izaera conjured more vines while throwing green bolts that rendered demons immobile. Ceris created shields to detain the demons and threw pink energy balls at them.

A guttural growl sounded from behind me. I sidestepped as the dumb creature rushed me, catching it with my blade across the abdomen. It fell on its knees before slumping to the side—dead in the withering grass. My heart thundered in my chest, and I couldn’t think about what my fate would have been had I not heard its growl.

Another Ornek announced its arrival, its growl raised the hair on my neck. It swung its claw at my face, and I jumped back in time, feeling the swoosh of its talons against my cheeks. My heart pounded, and I stepped into it feigning right. The creature fell for it, and I let my sword drop on its side. It shrieked, trying to claw me as it collapsed on its knees. With a growl of my own, I raised my sword and pierced its back.

I pulled my sword back, nausea swirling in my stomach. I wasn’t one to feel sick easily, but I was deliberately killing—demons, yes, but killing nonetheless.

I put a hand over my stomach but had to focus back on the fight when an Arak and an Ornek charged me.

Coordinating their attacks, the Arak parried my blow, and the Ornek caught my wrist. It twisted my arm in hopes I would let go of my sword. I groaned with the pain. The Arak clawed my shoulder, and it was about to do it again when I decided to make it or break it. I bent my knees and let my whole weight pull me down, bringing the demon with me. Holding the demon’s arm, I fell on my back and pushed it over me with my legs. It toppled over the Arak, and both tangled to the ground. Ignoring the pains and aches, I jumped up and pierced my sword through both demons. The sounds of cutting flesh and the nasty smell of their gooey blood made me sick, but I pushed all I could, making sure both were dead.

“Wow, darling, that was impressive,” Micah said. I pulled my sword from the corpses and looked up. He winked before slashing the throat of the demon he fought. Then he turned to me with one of his cocky smiles. “And hot too.”

I rolled my eyes. Great timing.

The ground shook as a loud boom echoed through the forest. Micah gripped my elbow, and we used each other to stay upright.

I looked around.

Ceris produced a large shield around us, and Omi cast a huge, heavy bolt. He threw it at the shield. It hit and broke the barrier, causing a similar boom that vibrated through the air and the ground.

“Keep moving,” Victor said, pushing through the bodies on the ground, toward the border of Zelen’s shield.

We moved, fighting the few demons that reached us around the shield. A new boom resonated through the air every few seconds, almost sending us to the ground.

“Here,” Zelen said. He was a few feet in front of us. “The shield ends here.”

Micah grabbed my hand again and pulled me forward, killing demons that stepped in our way as if he were a machine. Victor had an arm around Morgan’s waist, hauling the priest to Zelen.

Izaera was right behind us. “Ceris!” she yelled. “Come, sister.” She raised her scepter and vines shot out from the dying grass and wrapped around Omi. “Now!”

Ceris raised one last shield, and then made a mad dash. Her steps dragged as if she were running in slow motion. At the barrier, Victor waited for her, his hand extended.

“Come on,” he said. I could hear the urgent tone in his voice, and it tugged at my heart, almost like a jealous pang. He still loved her. “Come on.”

We waited with him, hands already clasped.

“Izaera,” Zelen said. “You can take them out of here.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know where to and only the Fates know how long it would take to find her again.”

Zelen opened his mouth, but he was interrupted.

“Aaaahhhh!” Omi broke free. Without wasting a second, he destroyed the shield with one of his bolts. The fire was back, stronger and bigger, and more demons made their way out of the trees.

Keeping one foot on the other side of the barrier, Victor reached for Ceris. When her fingers brushed his, he clasped his hand around her wrist and pulled her to him. She bumped into him, knocking them back, just outside the barrier. His arms tightened around her.

Behind them, a sea of red bolts flew toward us.

“Oh, God,” I whispered.

“Ceris, now!” Izaera shouted.

Ceris closed her hands over ours and transported us to safety.