Author's Note: See guys? I told you the wait wouldn't be too bad this time! What's it been, less than a month? That has to be a record or something! :P

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who wished me luck on my test – I'm proud to say I passed and am now the proud owner of a driver's license (kinda). Thank you for the support, everyone! And I'd also like to say congrats to Christina, who passed her road test and can now legally drive me to the bookstore (yay)!

Second, I owe some awesome people some shout-outs! Big cyber-hugs go out to: new-Necro03 (it's for a copy of The Gathering that I'll be giving away soon, and I'll do what I can :P), Alondra87 (I miss him too!), suzi1811 (Thank you for your awesome reviews every chapter! I hope the wait wasn't too bad for this chapter), Bloody Phantom (lol! I think he would worry about Tori… not quite sure), ceesy5 (they're still looking for Kit, but he's not as big of a priority right now. As for the other stuff – you just gotta wait and see, I'm afraid!), Autumn O'Shea Swan (*Steph tips her hat* Thank you for the awesome reviews every chapter! And you're right, she is definitely a fighter!), iBook-95 (Thank you for the review! I wish it did… although I would probably go a little 'like'-happy!), cowgirl137 (You have been waiting patiently, but what if it's for nothing?), vampiremom1221 (Thank you so much! I'm glad to be back!), jenaca (I'm trying to write quickly, I swear!), Smogle (Thank you so much! And I know the last chapter was a little dry… hopefully the next ones are more exciting!), SweetDreamzz3116 (Thank you for the support!), moon-called-princess (You say so little, yet so much!), 19furby85 (I'm anti super-long-waits-between-chapters too; sorry for the waits!), LittleMissDreamer7 (I laughed so hard reading your review! Thank you so much!), burning (of course, I mean common now, she is the driving force behind this story!), RenesmeeRedbird (I know it wasn't great, but it was needed. This one is exciting though, I swear! And thank you!), Kissed by a Demon (I read the first line of your review and got all sad before I realized it kept going and that you were joking :P Thank you so much! And do I get those points now?), xXChlerekXx (Yes I did! And now I'm about to update again within the same month… it's a miracle in my books!), DreamDark (Thank you so much! I'm honoured to be your favourite :P), shellybellypie (I agree, Derek was definitely a BAMF!), TillylovelifeO.o (Thank you so, so much! And I will definitely keep updating if you sneak me more cookies! :D), (Thank you so much!), Bookninja15 (YOU IZ WOWNESS!), and finally, suzy the (grumpy) anonymous reviewer (I'm sorry you feel that way – I try to write each chapter to be entertaining, but if they seem like fillers to you, sweetie, you are welcome to STOP READING… just saying). Anyways, thank you all so much (even you, suzy the meanie anonymous reviewer)! *Sends pink cyber-ponies to everyone*

IMPORTANT! ******** And third: What the heck is up with fanfic, guys? I was just reading through the last chapter and realized that there are a couple of paragraphs missing from the end! I've fixed it now (I think), but please take a minute to check back, read it, and lemme know if it's still stuck at the part before Simon & Chloe visit the infirmary, because this chapter will make no sense if you don't). ***********

Thank you, darlings! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: After a year of putting it off, Steph has finally passed her driver's test, and to celebrate, she and Christina (who has also passed) decide to go for a drive.

Christina: *Carefully handling the car like the awesome driver she is*
So I was thinking: it's time to do something new and exciting for a change! I mean look at us! We passed our driver's tests – we're not the same people we were last week!

Steph: *Confused*
What are you talking about? I'm still the same person I was last week; the only difference is now I have a learner's permit and can drive (provided, of course, that there is a licensed adult in the vehicle between the hours of 5am – 11pm)!

Christina: Don't say that! You're different now, I swear! You're not the same girl who used to spend hours writing fan fiction about stories she didn't own! And you don't even react anymore when you see huskies or golden retrievers or—

Steph: *Points to a spot in the distance*
Do you see that? It's a black wolf!
*Turns to Christina with a crazy look in her eyes*
It's Derek! I knew it! He's been following us - we can't let him escape!
*Jerks the steering wheel so the car turns sharply, then somehow manages to push down on the gas pedal*

Christina: *Screaming*
YOU DELUSIONAL IDIOT! IF YOU GET US KILLED, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!
*Car begins to spin out of control*

Deals

"If you make a deal with the devil, you're bound to get burned."

-Anonymous

Summoning the demi-demon had never been so difficult.

I knew it was going to be a challenge before I'd even begun – I was summoning a demon, after all, which would definitely take more effort than calling forth a mere ghost – but even when I'd managed to direct all my thoughts to summoning the demon, it didn't feel like enough. I knew she was resisting me, especially after our last encounter, but it wasn't a very comforting thought, knowing she had the upper hand in this situation; she would only appear if there was something in it for her, and my stomach turned just thinking about what that could possibly be. My mind was still reeling from seeing Tori, and I had tons of energy with no useful way to get rid of it all. I felt jittery and nervous – almost like I'd drunk too much coffee and was working off a caffeine buzz. Coupled with the fact that I had to ramp up my power while simultaneously reining it in, and I was so frustrated that I probably would've snapped at some innocent passer-by.

But there was an advantage to all of this: my power was escalated by my frustration, and my summons became harder for the demon to ignore. And I wasn't quitting. I knew that if I pursued this, the demon would have to appear – even if she only meant to tell me she wasn't interested in my offer.

Amazingly, it worked.

After almost an hour of deep, nerve-wracking concentration, I felt the familiar gust of warm air against my neck and heard the demon's twinkling, maniacal laughter fill the room. "My dear child," she practically purred, "were you calling out for lil' old me? I would have answered sooner, but I distinctly remember you sending me away after I showed you - "

I wasn't in the mood for her bullshit, so I cut her off abruptly, pushing away the memory of the night she'd described. "I need to make a deal," I said simply.

She laughed again, genuinely amused by what I'd said. "How forward of you!" Another laugh, before, "My dear girl, what makes you think I would want to make a deal with the likes of you?" She laughed like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard, and I felt myself shrinking, becoming the stupid, defenseless little girl I probably seemed like to her.

That's what she wants, I realized. She's trying to make me feel like I don't have any power so I offer her more than I have to.

"Enough," I commanded. "You and I both know that you have thousands of uses for me. All I'm asking for is a trade – a service performed for a service performed."

"And what type of service would this entail?" she asked. "Because there are limits to what I can do for you, necromancer." You could practically hear the sneer in her voice, and I would've bet money that the look on her face – if she even had one – was that of contempt.

"Could you heal someone?" I asked, working hard to keep my voice level.

"Of course … but the price, as you would imagine, is quite high, especially given the state of your friend's health… she is the one you wish to heal, correct?"

I felt sick for a second. Just how high is this price? I bit my lip, trying not to reveal how worried I was.

And if it's too high… will I be able to go through with it?

I rolled my eyes, hoping she hasn't noticed anything amiss. "Yes, she is. Obviously. But what is it you will want from me in return?" I kept my tone casual, knowing that sounding too serious would make her think I was willing to do whatever it took to save Tori.

Even though I am….

"What would you have to do on your end, you mean?" She paused for a moment, "Well, I'd like to think you'd do something equally difficult for me, Chloe: I have some friends who are waiting for release them from their bindings; I think that would be a fair trade, as far as deals go..."

The way she said it, I knew she was bluffing, trying to see what I'd be willing to do. So I showed her.

"No fucking way," I said bluntly. "There is no way in hell-"

"Precisely where they are, actually-"

"- that'd I'd ever agree to releasing another demon into this world. You're going to have to pick something else."

"You're mistaken; I don't have to do anything," she said, her tone both sickly sweet and threatening. "You seem to have forgotten that you're the one who needs my help - I'm doing you a favour here, Chloe, not the other way around."

"So you are going to do this?" I asked incredulously.

She sighed, her annoyance evident in her tone. "I believe I made it clear that I will help your friend if you agree to my terms…."

"How about these terms: you help Tori and pick a less unethical task for me, or I'll banish you to the farthest layer of hell I can manage. Sound like a plan?" I kept my voice as level as possible, hoping my threat would work. If it didn't, I had pissed off yet another evil spirit – not a good idea.

The demon laughed, and a warm breeze fluttered past my ear, stirring my hair. "And what if you've pissed me off enough that I pretend to help and injure your friend just to spite you, hmm?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up – I hadn't considered that she might just pretend to help me and do something horrible to Tori. If she was going to use her magic on Tori, I had to make sure she did exactly what I told her to do and nothing else. "Then I'll … summon you inside a demon's circle," I told her, struggling to remember what little information Derek had told me about trapping a demon. "And I'll leave you there to rot, forever."

"My my, we've been doing our homework, haven't we? I would never have expected such a nice girl to know about things like those foul demon circles – incredibly annoying things, as if it makes sense for a few chalk lines to be able to ensnare the power of a hell…"

"Are you going to heal Tori?" I inquired, tired of listening to her rambling on.

"I suppose I'll have to…" she replied, sounding like she'd finally given up. "I admire you, girl – you've gone from a naïve young fool to quite the business woman in a very short amount of time. Our side could use necromancers such as yourself; you know, we're always looking to recruit-"

"Cut the crap and go heal Tori," I ordered.

"Oh, I will. But see here – what I do won't have any effect whatsoever if you don't hold up your end of the bargain."

I growled under my breath. "Did we not just go through this? I told you I wouldn't raise your stupid demon friends-"

"And then you told me to pick another task for you to perform," she reminded me. "And I have: in approximately half an hour, I want you to be in front of the barrier around this property. You must stay there until I tell you otherwise. Understood?"

"Why…?" I began, trying to make sense of her outlandish request. I knew it was probably some sort of trap, but I figured it could be a sort of payback, too – I had threatened to trap her, and now, in a way, she was trapping me, forcing me to remain outside in the dark (where I would, no doubt, be incredibly uncomfortable), unprotected and completely exposed. I would be a sitting duck out there.

"You'll see," was all she said. Immediately she disappeared, her laugh still ringing in my ears even after the room had fallen silent.

I only had 30 minutes, so I began to prepare.

First, since I knew I was going to be outside for a while, I checked inside the closet for clothing – there was nothing there or in the dresser's drawers, so I unzipped my backpack and retrieved Derek's hoodie. I pulled it on over my head and tried to clear my mind, trying to keep the thoughts of him at bay so I could concentrate. I had a bit of a headache, so my next stop was the kitchen to raid the medicine cabinet for Tylenol.

I tip-toed down the stairs, praying that I didn't meet any of the rebels on my way down – I knew I'd look suspicious to them, and I'd rather not have to explain what I was doing (and why) to someone who already thought I was dangerous. Thankfully, I made it down the stairs and into the kitchen without running into anyone, so I proceeded to the medicine cabinet. The Tylenol was one of the first things I found in the cabinet, amidst the remnants of half-finished prescriptions and expired vitamins that every medicine cabinet seems to accumulate. There were also a few glass bottles without labels, but I was too busy to ponder what might be inside them. After taking the pills, I exited the kitchen, shoving a bottle of water into my bag on my way out.

And then I just… stepped out the door.

I braced for the chimes of an alarm system, or for someone to ask where I was going, but apparently my worrying had all been in vain – absolutely nothing happened. I'd been expecting something to appear – maybe I was too early? – but the yard and the surrounding area remained as calm as they'd been before I stepped out.

I looked around and surveyed the property, unsure of where I was supposed to be – I couldn't see the barrier, and I had no idea how far out the blanket of protective spells extended. I did, however, know that it was extremely dark, and cold, and that it was only a matter of time before I tripped over some unseen obstacle and injured myself the way only klutzes such as I seemed to manage to do.

I closed the door behind me carefully and walked forward into the darkness, mentally cursing the demi-demon for forcing me outside at the darkest time of night - those few hours before the crack of dawn that you can't even seen your own hand in front of your face – without proper instructions.

I'm alone. Outside. At night. Waiting for a demon to come tell me what to do. I shook my head. If this were a movie, this would be the point where something jumps out and starts chasing the heroine ….

I stopped dead in my tracks to look around, scared by my own thoughts. I couldn't see a thing in the dark, and the pale glow cast by the moon wasn't strong enough to light up the yard enough for me to be able to see where I was going. I was tempted for a moment to go back inside and forget the whole thing – give up on the demon's deal, cut my losses – but the image of Tori lying in that bed in the infirmary was burned into my head, and envisioning her waking up strengthened my resolve. She almost killed herself trying to buy you and Simon some time to escape. Don't you think she was afraid as well? She was, but she still did what she had to do… and so do you.

So I started walking again, this time not allowing myself to think about what could be lurking in the forest around me. Does every freaking mysterious moment come with a dark, spooky forest? I wondered, thinking back to all the old horror films I'd ever watched. I pondered as I walked, trying not to let myself concentrate on the fact that I was, at that moment, right smack in the middle of a dark, spooky forest, without any idea what I was doing there. After a few more minutes of walking, I felt a warm blast of air on the back of my neck and stopped. "Are you going to tell me why the hell you brought me out here?" I called, not sure which direction I should direct my question to.

"You are standing exactly five feet from the edge of the protective barrier," the demi-demon said, ignoring me as if I hadn't said anything at all. "Do you see the barrier, child?"

"No," I said truthfully, trying to mentally estimate the distance.

She sighed, then, "Concentrate, child; imagine it appearing before you, clear as day, and the glamour will disappear."

"Glamour?" I asked, squinting in concentration. I tried wiping my mind clear of everything and closing my eyes, willing the barrier to become visible.

"It's an illusion used by supernaturals to hide something they do not wish the mortals to see," she explained, sounding like an impatient parent. "With a glamour and a few deflection spells, you can hide something as large as a country in plain sight. Mortals are known for their ignorance, you know – people see only what they wish to see."

I opened my eyes, gasped, and took a step back, not believing what I was seeing.

I was inside the barrier, standing at the edge of what appeared to be a large glass dome; it wasn't glass, though. Upon closer inspection, I realized the dome itself was made of what looked like brightly coloured wisps of smoke and droplets of water, all intermingling and held up by some unseen force. Sparks of electricity crackled along the inside, jumping from wisp of smoke to wisp of smoke and passing through the water droplets like they were nothing.

If it hadn't been so terrifying, it would have been really beautiful.

I could tell each colour of smoke was a different spell, and the fact that there appeared to be over 20 different colours comforted me slightly. No one could get through this thing without being invited in. We're completely safe as long as we're inside the barrier.

"It is quite pretty, isn't it?" the demon noted. I nodded, transfixed, wondering how long it had taken the group to create the barrier. It must have required both witch and sorcerer magic, along with rituals and -

"Cross through it," the demon whispered against my neck.

I spun even though I knew there was no one there. "Are you crazy?" I asked, pointing to the barrier, my tone defiant. "You want me to walk through that thing, in the middle of the night, when there are people trying to kill me?" I shook my head. "Nu uh. No. Way. You were trapped in that lab for too long, because you have obviously lost your mind!"

The demon made a disappointed clicking noise with her tongue. "My dear child, it's a simple request – exit the barrier and remain outside for a mere 20 minutes - I would have thought that you would do everything in your power to keep from letting another friend die for you…." She yawned obnoxiously, feigning tiredness. "Well, it's late – I'll be going now, if you are sure you don't wish to fulfill your end of the bargain."

I clenched my fist as her words replayed inside my head. Letting another friend die for me … was I the kind of person who would step back and let others fight for her, watch others take risks while I stood back and watched things play out? Was I that type of person? A little voice inside me whispered, no, of course not!, but I knew the answer already. The real question was this: was I really going to let my friend suffer because I was afraid?

"I'll do it," I whispered. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, perching myself directly in front of the wall of smoke.

"Good choice," she said, her voice filled with false enthusiasm. "Do this, and your friend will awaken, healthy as a horse-" I nodded, content with what she was describing, "—but you must continue this every day for three days before it becomes permanent, and you must ensure that you remain outside the barrier for the full stretch of time."

"What? When did this become part of the deal?" I demanded, furious. "I thought I only had to do it once and she'd be healed!"

The demon chuckled, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. "I never mentioned how many times, you silly girl," she said, overjoyed with the discomfort she'd caused me.

"You evil son of a bi-"

"Goodbye now, Chloe!" she called, her sing-song voice retreating. "And remember dear: I'll be watching!"

She laughed once more before I felt her presence leave the yard.

I was back at square one, standing outside in the dark, practically blind and most definitely defenseless. The only difference was this: I knew what I had to do… even if it made no sense whatsoever.

So why don't you do it then? Once you do what she wants, we can go back inside!

Because there could be a hundred Edison Group guards waiting on the other side? There wasn't, of course – I could see through the barrier as if it was a window, and nothing lay on the other side of the smoke but some grass and a few trees.

So why couldn't I will myself to step forward?

You're being an idiot, my inner voice taunted. You're making a huge deal out of this for nothing!

It felt as though I was, but logic kept nagging at me: why would she want me to do this if she had nothing to gain from it?

She just wants to see if you trust her, my inner voice supplied.

But I didn't trust the demon – that was the problem. I'd learned my lesson the last time after she'd abandoned me in the halls of the Edison Group's headquarters during our escape. I knew, without a doubt, that the demon had something to gain from this… even if I couldn't figure out what exactly that could be yet.

I heard the demon's voice in my head, the memory of what she'd said replaying again. Do it for Tori. Do it for your friend.

I stepped forward, through the smoke and out the other side. The feeling of air get sucked out of my lungs was confounding, but I felt better the minute my feet touched the ground on the other side. I tensed, waiting for something to jump out at me.

Nothing. I took a step forward.

This isn't so bad, I thought. A few minutes of this a night is a small price to pay for Tori's health. I can't believe I was afraid to step out of the barrier – it's not like something's gunna jump out and scream 'boo!'….

I stopped, hearing the sound of a twig snapping as it echoed through the forest.

Oh fuck.

I stood perfectly still, not daring to breathe in case there was something listening. The first thing that came to mind was the mysterious spirit that had chased me through the forest after we'd escaped from the Edison Group's headquarters, but the feeling was all wrong. This was something new – something I'd never experienced before; a fresh challenge for the idiotic necromancer who let herself get lured into dangerous situations like these.

Behind me, the sparks crackled between the curls of magical energy, taunting me: It's safe back here, but you can't come in yet. Sucker!

I focused my gaze, forcing myself to look straight out in front of me. For a few more minutes, there was nothing, and I tried to convince myself that I'd just been hearing some sort of animal indigenous to these types of places – a squirrel or a chipmunk or something. I'm just being my usual jumpy self, paranoid to the extreme. There is nothing in the woods that could hurt me; and besides, I only have a few more minutes to go before I can retreat into the safety of the protective spells…

Just when I was beginning to feel better, the sounds of wolves howling penetrated the silence of the night.

I froze in place, and I swear for a second my heart stopped beating. It's just a few wolves out hunting, I assured myself. Just some animals looking for their next meal. The circle of life and all that, right? It doesn't matter that they sound close – sound travels in the forest, doesn't it?

Less than two minutes later, I spotted a pair of eyes peering at me from a few meters away, the body completely obscured by shadows. I held my breath again, trying not to panic. They're just normal animals looking for food… completely normal for them to be hunting at this time of the night, right?

A second pair of eyes joined the first, the bodies forming an isosceles triangle with me as the tip. Amazingly enough, my mind was processing this all as it was happening, but I refused to believe it – it couldn't be happening. Not to me. Not now.

It just couldn't.

I knew I should run – put as much distance between myself and them as I could. I also knew that it was impossible for them to have found me so fast, if they were in fact just animals looking for food. But all I found myself thinking was: them having practically human eyes is perfectly norma—

The wolves stepped out of the shadows, and I started to run.

A/N: I'm hoping this one didn't suck too much… please let me know what you thought of it! The next chapter will have shout-outs as well, in case I missed someone the last time, so reviews still = shout-out in next chapter! :)

Thank you all for all the support!