The halls of Twin Trees High felt dead with no students roaming them. The clock ticked rhythmically as it had done for the last three hours, but nothing else changed. A dozen men I had spread around the school radioed in every ten minutes to clear their sections. Officer Reese waited in the lobby while I finished my walk-through.

My shoes echoed on the tiles as I passed empty classrooms. There were loose papers on the floor and a few open lockers. From what I'd learned, the teachers had silently evacuated the school when they received the order. It was impressive that they had done it so stealthily and the word still hadn't spread, but that was probably due to the threat of retribution if anyone let it slip.

"Anything?" Officer Reese asked as I rounded the corner.

"No. I'm beginning to think we got the wrong day, or he knows something is up." I crouched on the steps next to him, staring at the front door where the light from the sun drew backward. "If he wanted to attack the students, he would do it during school hours. There's only an hour before school lets out."

"I don't think we should leave though."

"I'm not leaving."

"We'll have to change the men out or start thinking about taking shifts tonight."

"I don't have any experience with that," I admitted. "But they are going to start asking questions."

"They deserve answers."

"I know, but those answers aren't easy to give. Would all of them agree if they knew I was the one leading them? Would they stay if they knew what they could face?"

"Most of them, yes. You have a tendency to underestimate us, you know?" Officer Reese leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand. "You told me that we're not so different. I think you sometimes forget that."

"Maybe," I said, but I didn't know what else to say.

"Do you see that?" Officer Reese jumped slightly.

"What is it?" My voice betrayed the thumping in my chest.

"There are cars out front." Through the glass doors, I saw a trail of vehicles making their way up the path. I recognized the lead truck.

"Those are The Children of Man's cars. I don't know why they'd be here." This is the worst possible time.

"You said that humans can be controlled by the supernatural, right?"

I stood and Officer Reese was startled to his feet. "Get your men down here now!" I commanded. "Get them here and ready for an attack."

As he relayed the information to the other cops, I slunk to the window. Four cars with about five people in each were parked in front, but there was no sign of my uncle. For all I knew, he was watching from afar like the coward he was.

"What's going on?" The first of the men arrived, weapons ready.

"There are about twenty men and women out there who may be preparing to attack." A few of the officers looked startled by my words, looking to Officer Reese for confirmation. "None of them will be in control of their actions. You can fight, but don't kill anyone unless it is necessary."

"What's going on?" One of the younger officers asked. But his question was cut off when the doors banged open and people streamed in.

I waited for the assailants to pass, their motions forced and sluggish, but deadly with the handguns and rifles they sported. Harsh words were exchanged, but I ignored them. The last person through was a larger man, and a kick to his knee brought him down. His head hit the floor and a hit to the temple left him out cold.

Gunshots rang out, but they were few and far between. The Children of Man weren't shooting to kill.

I took down another young man who advanced on a female officer, his gun held awkwardly as he shot in a random fashion. If they had been shooting to kill, there would have been far more tragedies.

I watched as the halls emptied. Most of the officers had gone for cover immediately, and I heard the echoes of fighting in the distance. I was about to follow when a hiss radiated behind me.

I turned to find a young girl standing there. She appeared to be a few years younger than me with matted blond hair and eyes rolled into her head. I knew the face, knew that stance. Before I could think, I was off, running blindly.

It followed as I ran, steadily, never quite meeting me and never quite falling back. It wasn't hunting me. It was herding me.

Mrs. Harris had thankfully left her door unlocked, and I slipped in, bolting the door behind me as the footsteps drew closer. Surprisingly, it stopped outside the door.

"It's lovely isn't it?" The cold voice chilled me.

I didn't have to look to know who it was. I easily recognized the bland, sarcastic tone. "How long have you been here?" I said as I turned.

"Long enough to find your men." He wore all black this time, fitting of a murderer. "Humans? Really, Alexis, I thought higher of you."

"It got you in the door," I drew the small gun from my waist. The cops had been reluctant to give it to me, but a few words from Officer Reese and they handed it over. Leveling the weapon, I flicked the switch on the walkie-talkie. "You're not going anywhere."

"I think that's unlikely." Uncle stepped closer, and I clicked off the safety. He raised his arm, pupils swallowing his iris. A moment passed and his head cocked to the side, surprised. "You took dead man's blood?"

His arm dropped. "That's not going to make a difference. You've only slowed my plan."

"So, you do want to start a war? Why?" I needed to keep stalling so Alpha Daniel would know it was time to move in.

Keep stalling, Alexis. Alpha Daniel will hear you talking and know it's time to move in. We will have Uncle surrounded and captured; the monster will be in his cage.

"I don't need to explain everything to you." His phone rang and he answered, holding up one finger. After a minute, he smiled and clicked it off. "I see you sent the students home. I should have known you were soft-hearted."

"What was I supposed to do, let you kill them?"

"I would only have killed the ones that didn't survive my blood," he said. "They would have had a fair chance to live as vampires. It was a surprise you escaped the crypt, though. I have to admit I am impressed."

"You did train me."

"Apparently, too well. Still, you are weak. It will be easier to kill you than the others." His eyes darkened. "It comes down to how long I want to drag this out."

"I am not so easy to kill."

"You level a gun at me, yet you are unable to pull the trigger. I would say that is weak." He took another step forward.

"I'd like to keep you alive. You have the information I want."

"I won't be answering any of your questions." Uncle turned his back and the air grew even colder. "I don't plan to stay long."

"I won't let you leave." I thought about Alpha Daniel and the pack, wondering if they had arrived. And if Officer Reese and his team were doing their job, they would be on the other side of the door, listening closely.

"I don't see how you'll stop me." Uncle's hand rested on the door handle. "I only wanted to say hi and give you a gift."

"Haley?"

"A reunion with an old friend," he smiled. He never smiled. "I'll leave you two alone. For what it's worth, you are hard to kill. I do hope you survive."

"You mean I'm harder to kill than my mother?"

"So, you've pieced that together," he mused. "Then I truly hope you survive. You must have questions."

The door swung open, revealing the demon outside. With two confident steps, he entered the hall and the demon took his place.

I kept the gun leveled on the thing, crossing to the middle of the room. Faster than I could see, the creature shot forward, and I found myself flying across the room. I hit the wall with a few bone-shattering crunches.

My lungs shook as I sat up, my back and left arm burning. Blood pounded in my ears and filled my mouth from the bite I took out of my tongue. The walkie-talkie was shattered in my coat pocket, and the gun lay on the floor halfway between me and the door. Outside, the gunfire had stopped

"Haley," I called and the girl's head ticked to the side. "You can fight it."

"I remember you." The demon spoke through her, forcing her mouth to move like a puppet. "You were the girl from before."

"They told me they got rid of you." I got to my feet, clutching my waist.

"They lied." The demon laughed.

"And what, you're here to kill me?" I pulled out my needle dagger, not that it could do much against a demon. "You couldn't last time."

"I didn't want to kill you last time." The thing laughed again. It was a monster, through and through.

"You only wanted me to make a deal with you." My legs wobbled as it stalked closer.

"You wanted what I offered." It angled its head, trying to keep me in its sights. The one advantage I had, demons couldn't see the human realm, at least not well. "Do you still want it?"

"I won't sell my soul for magic, sorry."

"Oh, but you want it. You still do. And you would have if that witch hadn't interrupted. I will still make the deal, or I could kill you."

I did want it, more than anything. The coffee pot chimed behind me, switching off the warmer. "What would this deal give me?" I asked the question as I flicked open the compartment holding the coffee grounds. There were salt packets further down the table. I needed those too.

"Power like you want. People would tremble at your feet, bow to your will." The demon shook, exited.

"Really? And how would I accept?" I set the dagger on the table, slipping a few salt packets into my hand while I furiously raked coffee grounds onto the table.

"Sign my contract, pledge your soul to me after your death, and I will give you my blood, my power. What is a soul when you have power?"

"How do I know you won't just kill me after I sign?"

The demon shook the girl's head faster than should have been possible. "I am a demon, we keep our deals." It offered a wide smile with pearly white teeth. "Your ancestors can attest to that."

"I know they can." My finger moved blindly behind me, tracing the rune Aunt Bea had used last time. I had studied it after our first altercation with the demon, in case anything happened again. "But I don't know you, and I don't want what you offer, not that much."

With one last circle, the rune was complete to the best of my ability, and I took possession of the dagger once more. All I needed was blood to seal the sacrifice required to hold a spirit, and I would be done.

It stung when I squeezed my flesh around the blade, more than I expected, but my palm would heal. The demon's head twitched as the blood dropped on the rune, and I felt heat radiate from the spot. I had enough magical blood, demon blood, from my ancestors to make it work, but it wouldn't last long.

With quick movements, the demon jumped forward, lunging at the barrier now providing me protection.

"You tricked me," it hissed, clawing at the invisible wall.

I pulled out my phone and the demon growled at the ringing tone. It knew what was coming, but it could do nothing to stop it.

"She knows your name, demon. No matter where you go, you will be banished back to your realm."

"Alexis?" Aunt Bea's worried tone came over the phone.

"Aunt Bea, I need you to perform an exorcism long distance. The same demon is back, the one you helped me with last time. I need you to banish it."

"Are you safe?"

I looked at the demon writhing and scraping just inches away. "I blocked it I can complete the ritual from my side, but I need you to complete the spell on your end. Can you?"

"If you know the movements," she agreed. "Do you have a pure element?"

"I have salt and coffee grounds."

"Then follow along and don't stop until I do."

I set the phone down as she began her chant. The demon continued its manic episode, clawing at the barrier as it yowled in an inhuman voice, somewhere between a cat's cry and a dying scream. It sounded wrong coming from the girl.

Latin rang through the phone as I traced a large circle next to the small rune. The first one was simple, three interlinked circles with protection runes in each. But this one was far more complicated.

For ten minutes, Aunt Bea chanted and I traced as the demon's screeching died down. It flopped to the floor as though it had left the girl for dead. She might have been, at this point. Even I felt the draining effects of exorcism.

As I finished the extensive drawing, my body seized. I had no time to brace myself. I would pay for the ability to banish the demon. I dropped to the ground and looked at Haley. Thankfully, she was still breathing. I would either wake up with her free, or I would not wake up at all. And, by God, did I want to get out of this alive.

As my eyes were forced closed, I thought of my promise to Kiri. I had to survive... had to... keep my... promise.