It was nearing the end of October and the Boiling Isle residents were still stuck in the Human Realm. Luz had school most of the week so she couldn't help out as much as she would have liked. Hunter seemed preoccupied with a secret mission.

Vee was working hard at learning Spanish so she could join Luz's school next semester as her foster sister. When Willow wasn't working in the garden, she split her time between her new hobby, photography, and the door.

Gus was getting better at understanding mechanics which helped him make blueprints for the new portal door. Also, he had stopped taking apart items in the house because he spent his free time reading some books he found in the basement.

Amity felt like she was the only one completely engrossed in creating a new door. She wanted to get back very badly. She knew it was illogical to believe Camila would take care of them forever if they never found a way back. The Human Realm was not the worst place to be stuck in forever.

The thought of never seeing her family again was dragging her down. She supposed that's why her friends were keeping busy with other hobbies. To prevent them from thinking about the possibility they never would get home.

She decided it was time to hold a meeting in the clubhouse while Camila picked up Luz from school. "Alright, everyone, it's time to refocus our efforts to rebuild a portal to the Demon Realm. So, let's review what went wrong."

Gus rolled his eyes. "We know what went wrong. We didn't have the right power source and were missing pieces for the door that can only be found back home."

"So, we need to get creative. You've been drawing up new blueprints, Gus. Surely you have figured out a substitute for the parts from the Boiling Isles."

Gus agreed saying he found items that were similar enough in the Gravesfield junkyard. That wasn't the main problem. "Nothing can be used as a substitute for the Titan's Blood. It's the only known substance that can pierce the divide between realms."

Willow asked Vee if when she shapeshifted did her blood change too?

"It will come out the same color as whom I'm impersonating. The properties of my blood don't change. I'm sorry everyone." Willow assured Vee she didn't have anything to be sorry about.

Hunter cleared his throat. "I might be able to help but I need your assistance." He pulled the journal out of his jacket and explained what he read.

"The ingredients for making the portal are hidden all over town. Flapjack told me there is a map that would lead us to the ingredients. It's somewhere in the clubhouse, but he can't remember exactly."

Amity pointed out they had searched the entire house. They hadn't found anything like that. Then she remembered one place they hadn't checked. She summoned a small abomination.

"Slip through the floorboards and see if you find anything. If you do, bring it back to me."

The abomination divided itself into dozens of smaller versions. Each one went to inspect different rooms. A few minutes later, something was pushed up through a hole in the floor.

Amity picked up the small octagon box and opened the lid. Inside was a map with strange symbols on it. "Flapjack, is this what you were looking for?"

The bird chirped yes. He warbled at Hunter who translated for him. "He says there's a code on it to decipher where the ingredients are. He can't read it though. We'll need someone to translate it for us."

Willow took the map and looked at it. She saw at each end of the map there were symbols. She turned it slowly and then found two smaller symbols on it. "It seems there are four ingredients. One hidden in each direction of the map."

"Why are their four ingredients? Don't you just need a door and Titan's Blood?" Vee asked in confusion.

The others shrugged their shoulders. They didn't know what other ingredients would be needed to make a portal. Hunter was about to say something when he stopped.

Flapjack turned to staff form and they dashed outside. He felt something squish under his shoe. He sat down to remove his shoe. The others came out demanding an explanation.

"Dude, this is like the eighth time you've dashed outside in the middle of a conversation. What gives?" Gus inquired.

Hunter didn't answer as he stared at the bottom of his shoe. Something green and rotten was stuck to it. He peered at it wondering what it was.

He reached to touch it only for Flapjack to bite his finger. "OWW! Flapjack, why did you do that?!"

"I don't believe he wants you to touch it. Here, Mom had some extra paper bags." Hunter took the bag from Vee and dropped the shoe inside. Willow used her magic to tie the bag closed.

Amity cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Hunter, Gus asked you a question. Do you mind answering it?"

"When we arrived on Earth, I felt something was off and I don't mean being in another realm. I keep getting this gut feeling something from the Boiling Isles followed us here. Lately, that gut feeling has gotten worse."

Willow admitted she felt like she was being observed when she was working in the garden. "I know Camila usually keeps an eye on me when I'm working in the garden. When she's not looking, I feel as if I'm being stalked."

Gus acknowledged when they came over to the clubhouse, he kept hearing something scampering nearby. He was convinced that it wasn't an animal.

Amity peered down at the ground. "I thought Luz's magic was acting up. Her control over her powers is in flux. I do believe though she wouldn't try anything that might hurt us."

Vee stated they needed to be extra careful. "If it is something from the Boiling Isles, we can't discount the fact that it might have a human partner." She shuddered as she recalled Jacob.

The others agreed. They would show the map to Camila and see if she could decipher the clues. If she couldn't, they would go around town until they found someone who could.

Meanwhile, Camila was trying to engage her daughter in conversation. "So, how was school today?"

"Not too bad. I got to participate in gym class today. We were doing group exercise and one group was short a member."

"What do you mean participate today? I don't remember us having to sign a behavioral contract for gym class."

Luz tapped her fingers together as she clarified what she meant. "I do participate in every gym class but not with my peers. The teacher was concerned I would hurt someone with my exuberant energy levels. I'm usually on the opposite side of the gym each class."

Camila growled as her hands tightened around the steering wheel. How far was the school prepared to go to isolate and penalize her daughter for last year? How was Luz supposed to learn anything if no one cared about her needs?

I'm going to sue that school for Luz's treatment. Once I save up the money to hire a lawyer for her. Maybe I can ask Rosa if her husband could look over the contracts. He's a paralegal after all.

Changing the subject, she asked Luz if there was anything new regarding her palisman.

"No, there isn't. The celestial magic I possess tells me there is something alive inside the egg. It won't hatch until I figure out my deepest desire."

"I'm sure you will, Luz. Now, we need to talk about the meals your friends prepare for us. I think we need to be honest…"

"Mom, look out!"

Camila stopped just in time. Any further she would have run over the state trooper or into the damaged car. She carefully made her way around it.

As they continued, a chill went down her spine. She glanced in the rearview mirror. There was nothing in it. She still locked all the doors and made sure the windows were rolled up.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Luz. I really need to concentrate on the road right now."

Later that night, Camila was still up after everyone else had gone to bed. Her troubled mind wouldn't let her rest. She was stressed about being a mother to six kids, what would happen to them if they couldn't return home, and of course paying the bills.

Her biggest worry was still her daughter. Luz was becoming withdrawn from her friends. Her fear of hurting them was causing her to hesitate in doing anything with them. Even Amity was having trouble getting Luz to pay attention to her.

"Oh, Manny, I wish you were here. I know you could talk some sense into the school administration about what they're doing to our daughter. I'm sure you and Vee would get along well."

She opened her window and leaned in. She gazed at the billions of stars out there wondering if her husband was watching her from heaven. "I truly miss you, Manny. If you're watching from above, please help Luz and her friends through this difficult time."

The next morning Camila took Luz and Hunter with her to the vet's office. Hunter went with them under the pretext he wanted to learn more about vet care. Well, he did want to know that but his priority mission was to keep Luz and Camila secure in case the hidden evil attacked them.

Meanwhile, Amity, Willow, along with, Gus and Vee went around Gravesfield trying to figure out how to read the map. They struck out at a costume shop, the library, and the zoo. No one could assist them.

That's when Vee suggested going to the Historical Society. Her friend Masha worked there after Jacob was fired for illegally setting cameras on private property. Masha also was her partner.

Surprisingly, Masha also knew Vee's secret. It turned out, on Vee's first night at Reality Check Camp, she reverted to her usual self in her sleep because she hadn't fully mastered her powers. Her cabinmates had seen her and they hadn't ratted her out. Her secret had made them even closer as friends.

Entering the Historical Society, Vee smiled at her significant other. "Hi, Masha."

"Vee!" they shouted in joy. "I was wondering if you would ever be bringing your other friends around. So, the three of you are from the Boiling Isles?" Masha asked as she got into their personal space.

A bit taken aback by Masha's directness the trio simply nodded. Amity held out the map. "We found this map. Our friend Hunter said it can lead us to four items we need to return home. He didn't know how to read it."

"Let me take a look at it," Masha said as Amity gave them the map. After a minute or two, Masha figured it out. "It's a rebus map. These pictures depict words."

She pointed to one end of the map. "See, this ear with an H? It stands for the word here as a place or the word hear as in to listen. These other little pictures next to it, the eye and door, and they represent words also."

"Well, if there's a place, then what does the eye and door mean?" Gus asked.

Willow looked at the pictures and started muttering the symbols to herself over and over. A lightbulb went off in her head. "Here lies the portal door! The eye is a play on words and the description of what the door is!"

Masha commented that Vee's friends were keen. She wouldn't mind Willow helping her with her math homework. Willow blushed at the compliment.

Vee looked at another series of three pictures. There was a picture of an angel, a star, and what looked like a feather duster. "Camila said her husband was an angel now. What was the word she used to describe Heaven? Celestial! Wait a minute!"

"This picture here represents Celestial stardust. Didn't you guys say The Collector was a Celestial being?"

The others nodded in shock. Could the stardust be a concentrated form of Luz's magic? How powerful was this ingredient?

Gus took a peek at another three pictures. They were of a tiny bird, a log, and a torch. "Hmm, what do these three have in common? Hey, Masha, right?"

Masha smirked and Gus questioned if they knew what a torch symbolized in the human world.

"It can be a symbol of hope, enlightenment, or even education. It was also the symbol of the Greek goddess Hecate. She was the goddess of the crossroads, magic, and the moon. She's also known as the Triple-Face Goddess."

"Her symbols are a black dog, a polecat, and two torches. She uses them to guide Demeter, another goddess when she was searching for her missing daughter."

Gus's eyes went wide as a huge grin appeared on his face. "Guide! Hunter said Flapjack was Caleb's palisman. Evelyn's was also a bird, a blue jay. A bird made of wood, there has to be a palisman somewhere in town to guide us on our quest!"

It was crazy to think about. Could a palisman carved centuries ago still be alive in the human realm? Flapjack had survived in the Demon Realm for hundreds of years under Bat Queen's protection. Perhaps the palisman had also done so.

A minute later, Amity deciphered what the last rebus clue was. "There's a stash of Titan's blood in Gravesfield!" She shouted the last part so loudly, that everyone's ears were left ringing.

The others glared at her and she apologized. "These pictures are saying there's a stash of Titan's Blood here. I don't know where though."

They saw there were faded marks that might be arrows from the pictures to the map. Amity tried to follow the path but time had worn the marks out.

Vee remembered something from her previous time in the building. She took the rebus and went into the other room. She was glancing between the rebus and an old map on the wall.

"The rebus and this map match perfectly. All the ingredients we need are in this part of town. We should go take a look right now."

Masha grabbed Vee's hand. "You can't go walking into Old Gravesfield right now. They're setting up for the Haunted Hayride tomorrow. Since the entire festival was pranked last year, only workers and residents are permitted in the area until tomorrow night."

The kids were disappointed to hear that. Masha reminded them they still needed to figure out exactly where in Old Gravesfield the items were. "A lot of things have been relocated or are gone entirely."

It was agreed they would attend the Haunted Hayride tomorrow and search for the ingredients then. They couldn't wait to tell Hunter and Luz what they found.

At the vet clinic, Hunter had just finished his patrol and went to the back to check on Luz and Camila. Luz was talking to her palisman egg. "Come on, I know you're close to hatching. What are you waiting for?"

She glanced up at Hunter and sighed. "I'm not sure what to do. Everyone else has a palisman. Do you think because I'm a Celestial now that it doesn't recognize me?"

"It knows who you are. You need to be patient." Hunter scrutinized the room before frowning. "Where's Mousy? I thought you brought him with you to be checked on?"

Luz replied he was with her mom in an exam room. There was no way to explain why a mouse had a skull for a face to the other vets. A locked exam room was the best place to do the checkup.

She then dryly asked if he had any luck finding what supposed evil was out there. In response, Hunter placed a decomposing dog's body on the table.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Camila rushed into the back and gagged when she saw what was on the table. "What on Earth? Luz, Hunter, why is there a decomposing body on the breakroom table?!"

"He brought it in here!" She pointed to Hunter, who had found a trash bag and was stuffing the remains in there. Luz ran to the storage closet to get the cleaning supplies.

Meanwhile, Camila was demanding answers from Hunter. "Why would you touch a dead body? Don't you know you can get sick from doing that?"

The boy just shrugged. He didn't get what the big deal was. Camila told him to wash his hands thoroughly. "I hope you're not scared of doctors because you're going to the fast care clinic to be checked over."

Luz gasped and told her mother that was a bad idea. "Hunter's not your typical witch. If you take him to fast care, he's going to be locked up in isolation!"

Camila conceded that her daughter was right. He still needed to be checked over. Luz said that Amity's sister knew healing spells. She might have taught some to Amity.

They both were still wondering why Hunter brought the dead carcass here in the first place. When he came out to the breakroom, Camila once again asked for an explanation.

"The animal didn't die by ordinary means. The carcass showed signs of possession."

Luz and her mom were skeptical. Animals died all the time and decomposition could distort their remains. Camila asked him if, he was sure.

Hunter replied he was eighty percent sure. He had read up on the subject back on the Boiling Isles. Green goop and strange appendages that didn't belong were signs of possession.

"That goop could have been gangrene flesh that had dissolved. What strange appendages did you find anyways?"

"It had two small holes on its head. Dogs don't have holes in their heads!"

Camila explained that the dog could have been shot in the head. A necropsy would have to wait a day or two. "As soon as I have free time, I'll ask one of the pathologists to do a necropsy on the dog."

It irked Hunter that she was not taking him seriously. There was nothing he could do at the moment. He spotted Mousy running around on his wheel. That's what Hunter felt was happening here.

When they got back to the house all their friends told them what they had discovered. Luz was excited because it meant she hadn't failed her friends by not making a portal. Since it would be Halloween, no one would find it strange if something magical happen, thinking it would just be special effects.

The next night the kids were all dressed up in their costumes, save for Vee, who was in her natural form. Camila made the kids promise once they found the ingredients they would come back to the house.

"I don't need the six of you running off with no plan or supplies to fight an all-powerful child. We will plan something together, understood?" she said as the car came to a stop.

"Yes, Mom/Camila," everyone replied. They all piled out of the car. Camila then went in search of a place to park the car.

The Haunted Hayride festival was jampacked with both kids and adults. There were games, merchandise, and of course the hayride. The decorations were amazing.

The kids got something to drink and sat down at a picnic table. Amity unrolled the rebus map. "The markings are to9 faded to read, but I think we can make them visible again."

"How do we do that, sweet potato?"

"With your powers of course. The ink has faded away but some minuscule traces might exist. If you could manipulate the matter, you might be able to reveal part of the directions."

"I haven't tried it on anything this small before. I'm not sure I can do it without damaging the map."

Vee told her sister she could help. If Luz felt her magic getting out of control, she would feed on it until Luz regained control.

After counting to five and back, Luz placed her right index finger on the rebus map. She released a tiny trickle of magic into the paper. She felt the magic binding to something.

Hoping it wasn't binding the map to the table, she pulled her finger back. As she did, little dashes appeared on the paper. They started at the pictures and then stopped in different locations.

It appeared that the portal and Titian's blood were near each other. The stardust was hidden behind the church. The palisman's location was in the woods near the original town hall.

"The woods have been cut down since the map was made. The palisman could be anywhere," Willow commented. "It could be anywhere by now."

"There are still some trees left thought. Maybe the palisman is still living there," Gus suggested. The hayride went right through that area.

It was decided that Willow and Gus would go on the hayride to find the palisman. Vee and Amity agreed to look for the stardust. Hunter and Luz were assigned to get the Titan's Blood and secure the portal door.

Amity and Vee maneuvered through the crowd. In front of the church was a dunk booth. People were lined up trying to dunk a witch. There were barriers to ensure people stayed in the front.

"What do we do now?" Amity whispered unhappily. "Someone will see us and ask what we're doing."

Vee proposed they play the game. As soon as they got to the head of the line, Vee would go to one of the port-a-potties. There she could safely transform into one of the officers keeping an eye on the people.

Amity questioned if Vee could do that. She was only a foot longer since her shedding. Would she have enough mass to do that?

"Yes, I do. If I need a little more, I can borrow some mass from the In-Between Realm." So many people wondered how shapeshifters could grow bigger or smaller than they actually were.

It wasn't possible according to science. That's because scientists didn't know that shapeshifters were instinctively connecting to another dimension that they could store or borrow mass.

Soon enough it was Amity's turn to dunk the witch. Vee hurried off to transform. When she returned, Amity had successfully dunked the witch. While the crowd cheered Vee slipped behind the church.

She started sniffing around for magic that matched Luz's scent. She picked up a very faint scent. She started walking towards it.

The scent got stronger as she went through a small batch of trees. She came to a halt when she heard voices. She hid behind the tree and listened.

It sounded like an argument was going on. Peering past the tree she saw where the sounds were coming from. It was a modest house where the church pastor lived.

The couple were arguing about some bills. Vee was about to move on when she caught a strong scent of Celestial magic. Honing in on the scent she gulped.

The scent was coming from under the house's porch. The stardust had been buried beneath it. She was going to need Amity's help to retrieve it.

At the same time, Gus and Willow were searching for the palisman. Masha had helped them by getting them close to the spot on the map. Gus then made illusions of himself and Willow as they jumped out of the trailer.

They moved slowly through the trees. "Can you sense if the palisman is nearby?" Gus asked Willow.

"No. Palistrom Wood is very different than other magical plants. I only know where Clover is at all times because of our bond."

"Maybe our palismans can find it. We're looking for a bird, right?" Gus said. Willow nodded in agreement. Clover and Emmeline came to life and started searching the trees for a bird.

Clover buzzed up high and Emmeline checked the lower branches. So far, they had no luck. Willow touched a trunk letting her magic spread throughout the tree.

Her magic spread down to the rings inside the tree. She read the layers and got what she was looking for. "This tree was very young when magic touched it."

"Is that helpful?" Gus questioned. Willow explained it meant that the tree they were looking for would have the strongest magic stored inside it. That would be the tree the palisman would most likely be hiding in.

Clover buzzed loudly before pointing her stinger to the right. That's where the largest source of magic was coming from. The two followed their palismans eagerly.

Hunter was on edge as he and Luz walked through the trees in a forbidden section of Gravesfield. According to the rebus map, the Titan's Blood and the portal door were in the old graveyard

Hunter told Flapjack to fly ahead to make sure it was safe. Luz sighed slightly. "Are you still being paranoid? My mom's vet tech did the necropsy earlier today. The results specified it died from a parasitic infection."

"I trust my instincts more than your human science. I know you want to believe there's nothing wrong. I do to but I have to keep my guard up if you're wrong."

Luz pinched her eyes shut. She didn't want to start crying because deep in her heart she knew her friends might be correct. She held up her hand and a small star appeared.

It glowed brightly and floated around Luz's head. "Keep the path lit up. We don't need to be breaking any bones by stumbling over roots we can't see."

The little star bowed and shined brighter. After another ten minutes of walking, they entered the old graveyard. Most of it was underwater due to past flooding. Flapjack was resting on top of a large, ornate arch.

The star floated over and bathed the arch in light. On the arch was a keystone with an eye on it. This was the portal door!

Now all they needed was to find the Titan's Blood. Luz picked up Hunter and flew to the small island. As soon as she landed, she felt something pushing back at her.

She ambled over and knelt next to a small grave. "I think this is where the Titan's blood is. It's pushing against my magic so I can't summon it."

Hunter and Flapjack came over and started digging into the soil. Once they got down a foot, Luz spotted something glittering. She brushed the soil aside revealing a small tube filled with Titan's Blood.

"We did it! We've got the blood and know the location of the portal door. We need to regroup with the others."

Luz started to get up when she was pushed hard down the hill stopping at the water's edge. Confused, she looked up at Hunter only to be horrified. Hunter was struggling with a green blob.

The blob forced its way into the boy's mouth. He screamed as his body was taken over. Horns sprouted out of his head. His limbs turned green while growing long. His eyes were glowing bright blue.

"Not my preferred choice of a host, but he will do," a familiar voice said. Hunter's body jerked around until it was facing her. "Hello, Luz. I've been looking forward to seeing you again."

"Belos?" Luz asked in disbelief. "How are you? I thought The Collector helped me kill you!"

Belos/Hunter moved closer and chuckled. "Ah, yes, my near demise. It hurt to see you attacking a fellow human. Mercifully, you possessed enough humanity to avoid killing me outright."

Belos/Hunter gestured to their body. "My weakened state left me without a stable physical form. My "nephew" was right when he suspected I was possessing bodies. Too bad you didn't listen to him."

One of those long limbs smacked her across the deep water and she hit the dirt near the entrance. Aside from having dirtied her costume, Luz was fine.

She fired a beam of Celestial magic at the possessed teenager. It struck him in the abdomen sending him skidding a few feet. Luz flew back to the little island. "Flapjack! Go get help!"

The cardinal palisman tweeted and began flying away. A large disfigured hand caught him. He began twittering excessively trying to break free.

"It was because of you that Caleb turned his back on humanity," Belos/Hunter growled. "Time to end your life! Goodbye, Evelyn."

"NO!" Luz shouted at them. There was a glint of light and Flapjack vanished from Belos/Hunter's hand. He reappeared near the entrance. With a chirp, he took his leave.

Belos/Hunter smiled. They were delighted that Luz had shown a new power. It meant that her Celestial powers were still growing.

Belos/Hunter charged her trying to get their limbs around her. Luz dodged about while using her shadow as a shield. Neither side would relent.

Eventually, Belos/Hunter open his mouth and spat out a large amount of green goop. It hit Luz with a lot of momentum trapping her against the huge grave behind the arch.

She struggled to break out of it. The goop tightened around her trapping her arms to her side. Another blast of goop landed on her legs locking them together before a third blast ended up pinning her head in place.

Belos/Hunter picked up the fallen tube of Titan's blood. "Perfect, now I have both things I need to return to the Boiling Isles and destroy it for good."

Belos/Hunter kneeled until they were at face level with Luz. "You don't know how thrilled I am right now. I'll kill this traitorous grimwalker and possess the body of a Celestial god. Now open wide."

At that instant, something grabbed one of the creature's horns and pull hard. Belos/Hunter shouted in pain as they were dragged away from Luz. The goop around her fell apart setting her free.

It was her family and friends! Willow and Amity made a bridge across the water. Vee slithered across and yelled at Flapjack to get clear. The palisman let go and Vee started sucking up the magic around Belos/Hunter.

Gus helped Luz up and got her off the island. "We have to save, Hunter!"

"We will, but we can't let Belos possess you next. Stay with your mom and Waffles."

Before Luz asked who Gus was referring to, he shoved her off the staff. Her mother caught her. On Camila's shoulder was a blue jay palisman who resembled Flapjack slightly.

"Are you okay, mija?"

"I'm fine Mom. I need…"

There was a scream as the bridge Vee was standing on broke apart. Amity managed to seize Vee before she sank. Willow snared Belos/Hunter with vines as Gus got close up to use the magic amplifier.

"No one takes over my best friend's body. Now get out!" Gus shouted. The mirror glowed brightly as Belos/Hunter screamed in agony. "Hunter, you need to fight back!"

Bellowing loudly, the possessed teenager burst free of the vines. He blasted the two witches with his green goop. The force was enough to send Luz's friends into the woods.

Flapjack noticed the Titan's Blood in Belos/Hunter's hand. He dive-bombed the monster. He clutched the stopper in his feet, trying to pull the whole tube out of his possessed owner's grasp.

"I've had enough of you!" Belos/Hunter growled. Growing claws on his free hand, he used them to stab Flapjack straight through the heart!

Everyone wheezed as they watched drips of green blood ooze out of the palisman. Belos/Hunter prepared to land a killing blow when Waffles flew in and picked up her big brother. Once he was safe, she chirped loudly at her brother's bonded witch.

Belos/Hunter's eyes switched from blue to pink. They gripped their free hand over the wrist of the other. "You know what Belos? I've had enough of you trying to control my every move."

They moved closer to the water's edge. Each step was taking an enormous effort. "I like having friends and playing flyer derby. I want to study magic at Hexside and learn palisman carving from the Clawthorns."

They were just on the rim when Hunter made his last declaration. "More significantly, I want to make ensure you never hurt anyone again!" They threw the tube as far as they could into the deep water.

Belos/Hunter dove into the water to get the tube. The freezing water quickly zapped their strength. The tube was heading for a small crevice at the bottom where it would be lost forever.

Belos/Hunter snagged the tube and started swimming up. Unwittingly, they tried to take a breath. With oxygen, they blacked out as their body drifted to the bottom.

Camila dove in after them. She swam as fast as she could and grabbed the boy's arm. Once she had a hold, she swam to the surface swiftly.

Vee slithered into the water and helped Camila bring Hunter's body to the newly reformed bridge. As the ladies crawled onto the bridge, Luz placed a hand on Hunter's stomach.

"It's time to let go, Belos." Luz pressed forcefully on the stomach, sending jolts of magic throughout the body. Hunter's body gagged and then spit out Belos.

Belos reformed into his monster body. He opened his mouth to yell at Hunter only to be blasted back by the palismans. The tube went flying from his hand and broke against the keystone.

Everyone gasped as a portal opened. Belos didn't hesitate and loped through it. The others turned their attention back to Hunter, who wasn't breathing.

Willow was begging the boy to open his eyes but they wouldn't. She knew that possession always ended with the host dying once the spirit left the body. "You can't die now!"

Flapjack chirped softly to his sister. Waffle helped her brother onto his witch's chest. They nuzzled each other and then both nuzzled Hunter.

Waffles flew off Hunter as Flapjack laid over Hunter's heart. Flapjack started to dissolve into green balls of light as his blood restarted Hunter's heart. With a final chirp, Flapjack was gone.

Hunter opened his eyes, which were now brown like Flapjack's had been. Tears streamed from his eyes already knowing his palisman was gone. Willow hugged him in support.

They stayed that way for a minute or two when they heard a chirp. Hunter was shocked to see Waffle gazing at him. "Who are you?"

"That's Waffle, Flapjack's little sister. They were both carved from the same branch but she was brought to life a whole year later," Willow elucidated. She was the palisman guide they had been searching for.

Waffle bowed to Hunter before presenting herself in staff form to him. Hunter was a mess, and not sure if he should accept this new palisman. Flapjack had just died but it seemed he made his sister promise to be Hunter's new palisman.

He took the staff in his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Waffle," he whispered.

There was a soft thrum as the portal as it started to flicker. Amity pulled the box of Celestial stardust out of her pocket. "The instructions on the box said we have to sprinkle this over both ends of the portal."

Vee added they would make a wish and the dust would link the two ends together from a new portal door. That's why this ingredient had been left in Gravesfield.

With the portal losing power they had only one choice. "We need to cross through the portal now. If we don't, we won't have any Titan's Blood to try again," Amity reasoned.

"Aye, so much for forming a plan before leaving," Camila commented. "I'm joining you to help keep kids safe. Vee, do you want to come with us?"

Vee shook her head. She wasn't ready to return to the Boiling Isles. She would stay here to keep up appearances. She held out her hand and Camila handed her the keys. It would be bad if she took them and Vee couldn't get the car home.

Her friends cuddled her while promising they would visit her. Luz shook hands with her sister telling her to be safe. Luz shook her sister's hand telling her to stay safe. Camila kissed her daughter goodbye.

Amity took a handful of Celestial dust and scattered it all over the arch. A rainbow-colored star appeared in the center of the portal. "Okay, that means this end of the portal's stable. Let's go."

One by one they all passed through the portal. They didn't know what was waiting for them on the other side. The one thing they were sure of was they didn't have to face the challenge alone.