the book knows what it wants, and it wanted Summer.”
“Don’t attempt to use logic on fanatics.” Erna sighed and sat down at the table. “The Path has been in Arete for millennia. It has chosen queens, and the words in it have changed the course of our history again and again. I assure you the idea of it being in foreign hands will set my people to war, but it was necessary. If we don’t stop the convergences, there won’t be any world left to war on.”
“I thought the point of stealing that book was to study the prophecy about Dean.” I said the words but didn’t take my eyes off that book. I had no intention of leaving here without that book in my hands. It didn’t matter that all the words had disappeared. We would find a way.
Never leave The Path.
See. Grammar matters, people. It matters a lot.
Erna’s expression shuttered. “Yes, you would suspect that, but they’re a stubborn people. And of course it’s about Dean. But Dean can’t do what he was born to do if the convergences kill him. Now that we have The Path, we can find a safer place while I figure out how to break the binding on it so we can read the words. However, none of this will happen until you find Summer and bring her back home. Summer must not be left with the witches.”
Daniel stood. “I’m ready. We should go as soon as Dean is feeling better.”
Erna moved to the young man and frowned as she looked down at him. “Dean, you didn’t drink your tea.”
Dean shrugged. “I don’t like the smell. I’ll be fine.”
“But I told you…” Erna began.
I was about to distract her with…well, I hadn’t come up with anything, but that blaring alarm went off again, saving me from having to do something stupid to get her off track.
We all got to our feet as the alarm seemed to be trying to make my brain bleed.
“What the hell is that?” Daniel made it to the front room first and stood at the window looking out over the yard.
“Demons,” I said. “That is a mega shit ton of demons.”
And they were all coming our way.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zoey
I was distinctly happy I hadn’t had much of a breakfast because the sight in front of me would have made me lose it. There had to be fifty or sixty Planeswalkers coming our way. “I thought they were solitary creatures.”
“They are,” Dev said, his voice barely above a whisper. “No one I know has ever seen more than one of them at a time. I think we should go out the back.”
“They aren’t healthy.” Daniel moved toward the door. “They’re not here to start a fight.”
I stepped in front of him. I was glad he was feeling better, but he wasn’t thinking. “Danny, there’s a reason you didn’t get involved with the last one. Let Devinshea take care of this. We don’t know why they’re coming.”
Dean stepped up. He stared out the window, and he’d gotten some color back in his cheeks. His eyes narrowed as he seemed to concentrate. “They’re looking for help. They’re desperate. They’re dying.”
It was handy to have a mind reader with me, though it had been explained that Dean’s powers weren’t exactly that precise, but in this case I would take it. “Can you tell why they’re coming here?”
Dean’s eyes closed briefly.
I looked back out that window, a sinking feeling in my gut because there were so many of them.
“I think they’re looking for Summer,” Dean said. “That’s not exactly what they’re thinking. They don’t know they’re looking for Summer, but what I get from them is a deep need to find magic. They’re looking for the source of the magic that feeds them.”
Erna gasped behind me but I didn’t have time to deal with her. I didn’t like the idea that someone was thinking of feeding off my daughter.
“Do they mean Summer harm?” I asked.
Dean shook his head. “I don’t think so. They’re attracted to here for some reason. I can’t tell much more. I might if I could get closer to them. When I was with Kelsey earlier, I managed to make contact with the one in the barn. I got into his head.”
“Dean, that’s dangerous,” Erna said. “You can’t do that. I forbid it.”
Dean’s eyes flared, and I realized this might be the first time since he’d met this woman that his mind had been free enough for him to rebel. Unfortunately, I