Daniel and I stood and followed him into the farmhouse. The rest of my family followed us, while the Etlu Clan scattered to their various prearranged positions for the ceremony. April picked up two black garment bags from the musty old sofa in the living room. “I thought you two should have robes for the ceremony. Like everyone else,” she said. “I made them myself.”
“Thank you.” I took the bags and handed the one marked with Daniel’s name to him. I hung my bag over my shoulder and turned to my parents. I pulled the keys to the Aston Martin from my pocket and pressed them into Mom’s hand. “I want you guys to take Charity and April and start driving. Just keep going as far and as fast as you can. Go to Carol’s or Grandma’s. Just someplace far from here. In case something goes wrong.”
Mom looked at the key and then back at me. “No,” she said. “They’re bringing James here. I can’t take off to some other state. I need to be here for him.”
“Mom, it’s too dangerous. You can’t be here.…”
“Meredith,” Dad said, placing his hand on the small of my mother’s back, “how about we drive a few miles down the road, out of harm’s way. Grace can call us as soon as they’ve secured James, and we’ll come for him.”
Mom thought about it for a moment and agreed. “You won’t come with us?” she asked me. “Even if I beg?”
“My place is here.”
She nodded.
Dad stepped forward and hugged me. He traced a cross on my forehead. “God be with you.”
Mom and April took turns hugging Jude and me tight, and then they left wth Charity and my dad.
Brent, Ryan, and Zach came into the entryway. Ryan and Zach held two hunting rifles at their sides—the same ones I’d stolen from those hunters who had tried to kill Daniel.
Brent held something out to me in a little black pouch.
“This isn’t another trick, is it?”
The boys were enjoying staying at a haunted house all too much, and they’d taken to trying to scare people at every turn with whatever leftover Halloween decorations they could find. I’d about lost my soul when Brent lured me up into the hayloft after lunch to show me “something vitally important.” It had turned out to be a giant faux battle-ax, the size of a mountain bike that came swinging out of the ceiling at the press of a button. The stupid thing almost hit me in the shoulder, but the boys had thought the look on my face had been oh-so-funny.
“It’s an earpiece,” Brent said. “I got it from Sirhan’s spokesperson guy. I’ve got the other one in my ear.” He pointed at it. “That way we can communicate while you’re on the battlefield.”
“Good,” I said. “You guys know exactly what you’re supposed to do, right?”
The boys nodded.
“No mistakes,” I said. “Wait for my signal before you do anything.”
They agreed and then ran off to take their places upstairs. Their plan for tonight was our secret weapon against the Shadow Kings—but it was also an extremely dangerous plan, and I worried something might go wrong.
Gabriel put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. He looked at me. “I’ll give you two a few minutes.”
Gabriel bowed his head slightly and then went into the kitchen with Jude, leaving Daniel and me alone.
The second they were out of sight, Daniel pulled me into his arms. He held me for a full two minutes, neither of us saying anything. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if this would be the last time Daniel would ever hold me. Wondered if both of us would survive this night. Wondered if we should say a few last words…
No, I thought. This isn’t a time for farewells. I refuse to say good-bye.
A horn honked outside. I glanced out the window. A long procession of cars rolled into the parking field beyond the house.
Daniel caressed his hands against my face, cupping my cheeks and brushing away with his thumbs the tears I didn’t even know I was crying.
“This isn’t good-bye,” I said.
“Never, ever good-bye.” He leaned in and kissed me in a way that reminded me of dark chocolate—both bittersweet and delicious, leaving me wanting more.