Author's Note:

Well, well, well...I see you got my message.

You've been waiting for someone with a little more... sophistication, right?

Someone who knows how to pull the strings and still keep it smooth.

That's me.

Ace wanted you all to know she appreciates you for reading and-

Blah, blah, blah.

We all know why we're here.

So keep those Favorites and Reviews coming.

There's more to come. Especially since that other story only has 4-6 Chapters left.

Happy Reading.

I Know You'll Enjoy This One,

Thaddeus.

Chapter Four
"And tonight we on a hundred,
One hundred."
- Chloe x Halle

The ride to the courthouse had been comfortably silent until they'd reached the parking lot. Now, the tension swirled through the air, threatening to explode at any moment.

Jazmine nervously nibbled on her bottom lip, glancing at the tall, white building that laid up ahead.

"Please relax." Huey stared down at her hands, already glowing with bright miniature bolts again. "I can't hack into your dad's computer if you freeze me."

She nodded, taking several breaths as she tried and failed to calm herself down.

Her glow became undeniable, the soft green color overtaking her features until the streetlights around them flickered back and forth.

"Jazmine, listen." He placed his arm on the steering wheel, staring calmly at her. "There's still time to turn around. You don't need to do this if you're not ready."

"No." Jazmine shook her head, her voice soft. "I can do this."

Huey opened the car door, sighing as his feet hit the pavement.

"Then, let's go."

Jazmine really had tried not to freak out.

When they'd walked up to the courthouse and every light on the block went out, she'd kept her cool, staying close to Huey as they entered the dark building.

And when they'd found her father's office, just as the lights flickered back on, the silence that followed felt unnerving, as if the entire building was holding its breath, but she'd trudged forward with no complaints, putting on a brave face.

Even when the information popped up on her father's desktop instantly, without Huey even having to press a button, she'd found it weird, a bit creepy even, but she'd still managed to hold it together.

Or so she thought.

"Come look at this." Huey's voice cut through the quiet, drawing her to the computer. "Your parents aren't from around here." He said, staring at her with an unreadable expression. "Apparently, you and your parents were last seen in Florida. But you all somehow ended up in Woodcrest approximately an hour later." He paused, glancing up at her. "They found your parents' remains in Sedona. They were unable to determine the cause of death despite evidence of excessive trauma. The bite marks on their bones didn't match any species native to Arizona or the United States."

Jazmine felt like the room was spinning. She somehow met his gaze, plopping down into the chair as he lifted from the table.

"But that's impossible." Jazmine's eyes widened as she scanned the documents, trying to piece together what it meant. "How could that even happen?"

"My guess?" Huey grabbed the copies from the printer and stuffed them into his backpack. "Teleportation."

He shrugged when she shot him a skeptical look, like he did this every day.

"What?" He raised a brow. "When you think about it, it's the only thing that makes sense."

Jazmine kept reading, her heart pounding as she realized how bad this was. "So they were all here for some sort of convention. Then, what?"

"It was most likely a trap." Huey leaned over, staring at the documents with a furrowed brow. "And that's not all." He pointed to another section. "There was some sort of ritual that went down, something they think went horribly wrong." He kept scrolling. "Apparently, they could never find the room where it happened to investigate it."

Jazmine held her breath as she read further. "And my parents were at the center of it."

"Yeah." Huey nodded, his eyes flicking down to her hands before she noticed. The bolts of energy were flying out of control now, crackling with intensity. "Jazmine…." His voice was sharp. "Not now. You need to calm—"

A loud crash echoed down the hallway, followed by the sound of shattering glass as the pressure dropped and the windows exploded around them. The wind picked up next, whipping through the room, even though they were inside the courthouse. Papers flew off the desk, swirling through the air like leaves in a storm.

"What did you do?" Huey yelled over the noise, his frustration building as the wind grew stronger. "Jazmine, snap out of it! You need to make it stop!"

"I can't!" Jazmine cried, her glow nearly blinding. "I don't know how!"

"Calm the hell down, that's how!" Huey barked back, his voice cutting through the chaos with a force that startled her. The wind stilled, and the noise ceased instantly, leaving them alone with the eerie silence.

"Thank you." He huffed dryly.

Just as Jazmine let out a shaky breath, she heard another crash, then another, and another, followed by a low creaking noise from the hallway.

Huey slowly turned his head towards the sound, his muscles tight as he glanced back at her. "That's not you, is it?"

"No." Jazmine's voice was barely above a whisper. "At least, I don't think so."

"Then…" Huey backed them both towards the window in the corner of the office. "We need to get outta here."

But it was too late.

A woman dressed in black appeared out of nowhere, moving so fast they could barely see her. With a flick of her wrist, Huey and Jazmine were thrown into the hallway, crashing into the wall.

The pain hit Jazmine hard, shards of glass cutting into her knees. She groaned, watching as the woman drew closer.

"This." The woman smirked. "Was easy."

Jazmine scrambled to stand in front of Huey, trying to shield him.

If they got out of this alive, she'd never ignore his warnings again. He'd been right—this was dangerous.

"Any last words?"

Jazmine looked down at her hands, fear driving her to act. As fast as she could, she raised them, focusing her energy on freezing time until the building fell silent, so quiet she couldn't even hear the hum of electricity.

She glanced at the woman, relieved to see her frozen. But when she turned to Huey, she was shocked to find him awake, groaning as he lifted his head.

"You can freeze on command?" Huey asked her, staring up at her in awe. "How'd that happen?"

"How come you didn't freeze?" She demanded, her eyes narrow. "If it worked on her, it should work on you, too."

"I don't know!" He hissed slowly, standing to his feet. "Can we at least get outta here before you start jumping to conclusions? Now is really not the time. We need to keep moving."

"For what, Huey?" Jazmine's voice rose, her hands glowing brighter. "So you can try and kill me too? How do I know you didn't set me up?"

"What?!" Huey backed away, stunned. "Jazmine, you're being ridiculous!"

"Am I?" She let the power surge through her, stepping closer. "Everything went crazy the minute you showed up!"

"The hell it did!" Huey snapped back. "This was bound to go south whether I was here or not! Maybe someone wants us to turn on each other! Did you think of that?"

His words hung in the air, and slowly, Jazmine lowered her hands, the power fading. "I guess you're right…"

"As usual." Huey rolled his eyes. "Now—"

They both froze as footsteps echoed down the hallway and Erin slowly panned into view. She advanced slowly but surely, despite everything else being frozen in time.

Jazmine tried her best to freeze her again, but nothing worked. Panicking, she tried again with trembling hands, horrified as the woman got closer and closer.

Huey grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door leading to the parking lot.

"Running's not gonna help, Huey!" Jazmine looked back, seeing the woman gaining speed. "She's just gonna—"

"Blip." The woman smirked, already blocking their exit in seconds. "Erin's just gonna blip right over here." She patted the door handle before inching toward them. "Now—"

"Wait!" Jazmine raised both her hands, stalling for time as she struggled to freeze her. "Can you at least tell us why we're dying? I mean…I just had a birthday, found out I'm adopted, and then I found out I had powers after kissing this guy named Vince, who totally could have been the love of my life, which…"

She trailed off, noting the woman's bored look.

"You done?" Erin didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she began lifting her hands, her eyes glowing blood red.

"I'm here on strict orders." Erin blipped again, suddenly right behind them. "Nothing personal. You and your boyfriend seem nice enough."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Jazmine gasped, so shocked by her statement that her head whirled around. "Why would you even say that?"

"Really, Jazmine?!" Huey glared. "She's about to kill our asses, and that's what you're worried about right now?"

"Not worried, just—" Jazmine pressed her hands to her temples as Erin disappeared again. "Where did she go?!"

They could hear laughter in the distance as the lights blinked on and off, flickering faster and faster, again and again.

Just as Erin came into view, raising her hands to strike, Jazmine noticed something nearby—a crack in the wall, with a golden light shining through.

A trap door.

Jazmine tugged Huey towards it, surprised when he followed without hesitation. They scrambled inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

"No!" Erin's wail echoed through the wall. "I can't get in! Why can't I get in?!"

The handle fell to the floor, and Huey picked it up, grimacing. "That might have something to do with it."

Jazmine turned, staring in horror as the room began to shake violently. Drywall crumbled around them as the walls caved in, loud crashes echoing from above them.

"Hold tight." Huey ordered, shielding Jazmine as they dropped to the ground.

He didn't have to tell her twice.

She clung to him, feeling the tremors course through her body as the shaking continued. When it stopped, Jazmine slowly lifted her head, her eyes locking onto a room revealed by the rubble.

"That's…" Jazmine gasped, staring at Huey. "It has to be…"

"I think so." He nodded, still in disbelief. "This is where they held those meetings. Where those people were before they died."

Jazmine crawled to her feet, drawn to the room by an invisible force.

"Jazmine…" Huey called after her. "I don't think walking in there is a good idea."

But she barely heard him.

Ahead, near the far wall, was a massive mural, glowing brighter with each step she took. Compelled by something she couldn't explain, she moved forward, her eyes fixated on the inscription at the top: The Child Next Prophesied.

Next to that inscription, in a slightly smaller font, there were more words etched underneath, the same words that were inscribed on the spell book from her attic.

"The Golden One." She read the words aloud, her voice trembling as she took in the artwork. A large mural showed a baby in a sunflower field, surrounded by people. The images shifted, showing the child running through the woods, then sitting in the grass, and finally…

"That's…" She breathed, staring at the last image—a tall, glowing teenager with wild ginger-blonde hair and striking green eyes. "That's me."

Huey didn't seem too surprised. "Yup."

"Which would make me…" Jazmine gulped, her voice shaky. "The chosen one?!"

Huey nodded again, almost bored. "Looks like it."

"How are you not freaking out about this?" Jazmine shook her head, her panic rising. "I'm literally the Child Twice Prophesied!"

"Because it's not surprising." Huey shrugged, glancing over at her. "People trying to kill you, dead parents, an ancient prophecy. C'mon, Jazmine! What else could it be?"

"A decoy." Jazmine muttered, frowning. "For the real chosen one."

"I don't even think you believe that." Huey rolled his eyes. "Jazmine, seriously…you can't be this dense."

"Just think about it for a second, Huey!" She jabbed her finger into her forehead, her frustration growing by the minute. "Nobody in their right mind would make me responsible for this! What if someone put me up there to throw everyone off? To protect the identity of the real chosen one?"

"Jazmine." Huey leaned in closer, his voice firm. "It's you. Get over it."

Easy for him to say. He hadn't discovered his whole life had been a lie, that he was somehow expected to save the world from crazy dark forces. For Huey, something like this was a dream come true.

For her, it was an absolute nightmare.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Jazmine groaned, burying her face into her hands. "I couldn't even fight that lady in the hall! How am I supposed to save the entire world from evil?"

The room suddenly flooded with a brilliant light, dimming until everything—including Huey—faded with it, leaving Jazmine alone in front of the mural on the wall.

"Jazmine Arceneaux." A gentle voice spoke, familiar yet distant. "We have been waiting for you to take your rightful place. To change the world as the powerful witch you are destined to become."

"But I don't want that." Jazmine argued, tears welling in her eyes.

"Sometimes, the things we want the least are the things we need the most." The voice continued, trying to soothe her. "It is your destiny to protect the innocent, to use your gifts to restore order to this world."

"They barely even work!" Jazmine snapped, the fear completely taking over. "What's the point of having powers if I don't know what they do? Especially if they're as weak as they say they are."

"Patience." The voice said. "Your gifts are being strengthened as we speak. You already have the ability to stop time, and telekinesis, of course."

Jazmine gasped, recalling what happened with Huey earlier, when he'd tried to open the door.

"Yes." The voice confirmed. "You can even teleport by orbing, gain insights from your visions, and as you continue on this path, you will find extra gifts as well, new powers that you'll discover along the way."

"Why can't you tell me what they are, now?" Jazmine felt herself growing weaker, her eyelids fluttering lower, no matter how hard she tried to stay awake. "Please." She felt herself falling again. "Who are you?"

"Patience." The voice remained cryptic, only offering vague reassurance. "It will all be revealed in time."

She already knew what was coming, so she braced herself, not surprised when she was plunged back into the darkness, spiraling again, until everything went black, and her questions went unanswered.

He was starting to worry she'd never wake up.

Jazmine had passed out without warning, nearly hitting the floor before Huey caught her. He'd tried everything short of attempting to tear the door down, but it was pointless.

They were trapped. Stuck in some room with a powerful, murderous woman on the loose, with no clear way out.

He sighed, ready to attempt CPR again, when he noticed a familiar spirit rushing through the walls, smiling at him.

"What do you want?" He glared, staring at her. "I thought you had somewhere to be?"

Devyn ignored his attitude.

"I told you it'd make sense soon." She floated over, examining Jazmine in his arms. "You're both destined for much greater things." She said, nodding at Jazmine. "And she's just getting started."

Huey glanced down at her, his expression softening.

"You can loosen your grip a little." Devyn shot him a look. "She's fine. I promise."

Huey shot one back but loosened his grip regardless, relieved Jazmine was okay.

"Finally, something useful." He muttered, then glanced around the room. "Is this where it happened?"

Devyn shook her head, frowning. "I don't think so." She shrugged. "Like I said before, the last thing I remember is meeting here with The Council. After that, it's all a blur."

Huey clenched his jaw, struggling not to snap at her. This was exactly what she'd told him the last time, and it wasn't getting them anywhere.

"Then what can you tell me?" He cradled Jazmine's head in his arms. "Because in case you didn't notice, neither one of us is doing too hot right now."

"You'll be fine." Devyn rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a drama king."

Huey's gaze hardened. "Devyn…" He let his voice trail off, fighting the urge to say something harsh. "Spit it out."

"Fine." She shrugged. "When Jazmine wakes up, she'll be a lot more powerful. That kind of power will awaken something else. The demon from your brother's drawing, along with all his minions."

"Thaddeus…" Huey murmured, the pieces clicking into place. He thought back to the illustrations from the other night, the clues he'd missed until now. "He's the demon after Jazmine. And since she's the chosen one…."

"He'll try to kill her." Devyn's face darkened. "And if you don't get her out as soon as she kills Erin—"

"Kills?" Huey choked on the word, finding it hard to picture Jazmine hurting anyone, let alone killing them. "Jazmine's gonna kill someone tonight?"

"More like something." Devyn's eyes darted around, as if listening for something only she could hear. "Erin is a demon that needs to be vanquished. Leaving her alive is more dangerous than you can fathom. Make sure she's dead."

Huey shot Devyn a sharp look, but before he could respond, she faded away, her final words echoing in the air.

"You'll see."

But that was the thing.

Huey wasn't so sure he wanted to anymore.

He was still staring at her when she came to, his brows slowly rising when she began to stir.

"Um?" Jazmine's voice cracked despite her attempt to keep it casual. "Hello?"

"Welcome back." Huey rolled his eyes. "Have a nice nap?"

"Hardly." Jazmine rolled out of his arms and stood to her feet. "I'm clearly new at this. What's your excuse?"

"I'm not as new as you think." He said, cutting her off before she could ask any questions. "I'll explain once we're outta here."

Jazmine didn't argue. Instead, she dusted herself off, nervously staring at her hands before nodding at him. "I'll hold you to that."

"Now." He gestured towards some rubble blocking the trap door. "I want you to start worrying." He told her. "I think you can move that over if you do."

"What?!" She blinked, her mouth dropping open. "Hell no!" She objected. "I'd probably just end up killing us!"

"Well." He shrugged, his tone flat. "We could always stay here. Y'know, until we run out of oxygen, of course. I'm sure we'll be just fine. No need to rush or anything."

With a groan, she slowly walked over, clearly hesitant to do much with her powers at all.

"Lucky for you." He said. "I think I've figured it out. Some of it, anyway."

Her hands still at her side, she stared at him, raising a brow. "How?"

"Just…" He paused, demonstrating with his hands. "Take a deep breath. And then focus on whatever you're trying to do. It should be smooth sailing from there."

She stared at the rubble and held her hands towards it, not surprised when nothing happened.

"See?" She looked at Huey. "Nothing. I don't think it wor-"

The rocks slammed against the wall with a loud bang, causing both of them to duck until it was quiet again.

Huey smirked at her. "You were saying?"

"Lucky guess." She grumbled. "Still doesn't help me figure out which power to use and when."

Something told him they didn't have long to test that theory.

"Well, if I had to guess." He mused. "When you get scared, you freeze things. So if your mind starts racing….."

"I move things." She snapped, focusing on all her worries until the rubble lifted into the air, floating in front of her until she flicked her hand forward, gasping aloud once it slammed against the wall.

"Okay." Huey managed, impressed with her himself. "That works."

The feeling didn't last long.

Jazmine walked back over to the mural, pulling her phone out.

"What are you doing?" Huey turned around, motioning for her to come back. "Do you think we have long before things get bad? Because we don't."

"It'll only take a few seconds." She snapped a few photos, nodding to herself as she swiped through them. "Now we'll have these to refer back to if we need them."

He fell completely silent, glaring at her until she got the message and turned around.

"You know it was a good idea." She tried to show him the photos, blinking when she realized the screen wasn't showing anything. "Huh. That's weird."

"Surprise, surprise." Huey's voice went dry. "It didn't work, did it?"

"Gee, Huey." Jazmine made her way to the trap door, slowly walking over the rest of the rubble. "I totally didn't notice the photos I'd taken had disappeared. Thanks so much for pointing it out. Really. You're so brilliant. I don't know how I'd ever-"

"Hold up." He told her, placing a finger over his lips.

"Seriously?!" She cut her eyes at him, louder than ever. "I know you didn't just shush me!"

The door immediately flew open, revealing Erin and her powerful hand flicking quickly towards Jazmine. She flew backwards, her hand crashing against one of the chairs in the room with the mural.

Jazmine felt the vision coming, tears prickling in her eyes as she tried to will it away, to stop it as Erin blipped forward, clearly about to kill her.

Time was running out.

"You really believed a weak spell could get rid of me?" Thaddeus chuckled, his voice thundering over her horrified screams. "I'm disappointed." He shook his head, not even reacting to the objects floating behind him. "Your whole coven combined barely even bruised me. It's pathetic, really. I've waited centuries for this to end so easily."

"No." Dina gasped as she stared at her husband's body, tears streaming down her face. "That isn't real! He isn't dead! Julian can't be…."

"He is." Thaddeus grinned, easing towards her with a swagger in his walk. "You know how he is, real protective of his babygirl." He chuckled, as if laughing at an inside joke. "But I wouldn't worry." He snapped his fingers, causing the door behind him to open. "You'll be together again soon."

He held up his hand, slamming her hard against the walls of the cavern without looking back.

Dina went limp, sobbing to herself as he walked past her.

"You have twelve hours." He told her, pleased by the strong amount of emotion she displayed. This would go even better than he thought, especially since he was just getting started. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

With a gasp, Jazmine came to, just in time to see Erin hovering over Huey, her eyes glowing blood red again as he fell to his knees with a loud groan, struggling to regain his strength.

Without bothering to think about it, Jazmine flicked her hand towards the door she'd come through, relieved when Erin flew out without a hitch, slamming onto the floor with a strangled cry.

"Jazmine!" Huey ran to her side, examining her. "You okay?"

"For now." Jazmine panted, keeping her hand raised as Erin stirred. "But I don't think this will hold for long."

They both started running when the ground started shaking again, the earth moving beneath their feet, rocking them back and forth.

"I've got a witch to kill, tonight!" Erin was blipping again, impossible to see in the hallway as the walls shook around them. "Come out, and fight O, Golden One! What's the great, powerful Jazmine got? More tears? Another fainting episode?"

Huey tugged her towards the exit, yelling over the wind and thunder, the chaos exploding in the distance. "Whatever you need to do, do it fast! We've gotta get outta here, now!"

Jazmine flicked her hand back again, thinking back to the night of the ceremony, to what Katherine had told her before.

"You're not weak."

She thought back to her biological mother, trapped in a cavern, weakened by some demon who'd refused to spare her. She thought of what the spirit had told her when she'd frozen her own parents.

"Believe it and it's yours."

Refusing to accept the same fate, Jazmine lifted her chin, her voice so loud and powerful the words echoed around them.

"In this time, and in this hour, take her spirit, take her powers…." Jazmine lifted her glowing hands, the energy around her intensifying. "Do the things I have not said! Burn this bitch! Kill her dead!"

The shaking continued as Erin shrieked, falling to the ground just as they'd reached the door leading back to the parking lot.

Jazmine watched, transfixed as Erin began to twist and turn until flames consumed her flesh. She blipped from one place to the next until there was nothing left but bone, clattering to the floor before exploding, causing the entire building to catch fire.

"No!" Jazmine cried. "Dad's office!"

She couldn't tear her eyes away despite the screeching of the wind, the shaking of the building, the walls caving in around them.

This was her dad's entire life. Everything he'd worked for, every case he'd won. All of it was gone, just like that.

And it was all because of her.

"Let's go!" Huey tugged her hand again, racing with her towards the car as a nasty storm grew closer, settling over the building with a loud boom.

He slammed the car door shut, speeding onto the street as they raced away from the burning courthouse, the clouds above them looming closer.

"Okay." Jazmine tensed, her knuckles white from gripping the car door handle. "I'm pretty sure she's dead, Huey. You can slow down, now."

"It's not her that I'm worried about." He shook his head, driving into ongoing traffic.

Jazmine's eyes widened even more when he passed their exit, heading further and further away from city limits.

"Huey!" She cried out, her eyes darting back and forth. "You're seriously starting to scare me! Where are we going?!"

He only drove faster, not looking at her.

"What the hell, Huey?!" She shouted, stuck between him and the storm, a storm that only seemed to be following them. "Can you please tell me what's going on?"

There was a louder boom behind them, so powerful it had their ears ringing. She gasped when the lights in the city began to power off, one after another. There was screaming behind them, buildings collapsing all around them.

"What the hell was that?!" Jazmine gasped, turning around in her seat as more buildings collapsed, pieces of the interstate falling behind them.

"Thaddeus is what's going on!" Huey shouted as he zipped past the other cars, the speedometer climbing higher as he continued to accelerate. "He's back, Jazmine. I'm not sure how, but he is."

Jazmine froze with fear, glancing back at the clouds overhead, at the horrifying state of the city, until….

"How do you know that?" She stared at him, shocked when he averted his gaze.

"Huey…" She repeated herself. "How the fuck do you know that?!"

"Because it's part of what I am." He said, swerving around a truck in front of them.

Jazmine could hear her heart pounding, feel herself struggling to breathe.

"Part of what you are?" She repeated, slowly turning her head.

He nodded, not looking at her. "I've been able to see and hear the dead for a while. Since I was a kid." He shrugged, still speeding down the highway like the world wasn't ending. "Of course, they also don't bother me as much as they bother you. Not until recently, anyway."

It was like the wind had been knocked out of her. The mediumship, the cases, the visions—it all made a twisted kind of sense.

Jazmine just stared at him, lost for words. "I just….all this time?"

"I'll explain when we get there." Huey shifted gears, ignoring her screams as they flew forward, their hair whipping in the wind. His car windows blew out as the storm flew over them again, the shards scattering along the highway. "Just hold on."

That was all she could do as the storm raged louder, sending hail, debris, and wind their way, until she looked back, and nothing was left.

He couldn't believe how quiet it was here.

Outside of the chirping crickets and the soft rustling of the grass, it was peaceful here, energetically neutral. A feeling Huey preferred after running from an ancient demon.

But Jazmine couldn't handle the silence for long.

"Okay." She breathed. "Where are we? And why isn't the storm out here?"

"Because it's sacred ground." Huey said, glancing around the meadow. "Legend has it that no evil can touch you here, unless you will it on your own."

"But how do you know that?" Jazmine asked, her eyes narrowing. "And since when are you a medium?"

"Since forever." Huey shrugged. "It's not frequent. It doesn't come with crazy powers or anything like that. But it does help with other things. Especially the murder cases."

She just blinked, still lost for words.

"I should've known something was up when I started seeing more ghosts than usual." He frowned. "I just thought they were trying to help me solve their cases." He admitted. "But I was wrong. I'm starting to think they were sent here, to help lead us to one another, to get us to finish this somehow."

"So that's how you've been solving those cases?" Jazmine stared at him, gobsmacked. "With the help of the dead?"

"Barely." Huey shook his head, snorting. "Ghosts are like the Wikipedia of the spirit world, they aren't very reliable."

"Okay." Jazmine nodded, trying to wrap her head around it. "So….you're a medium."

"Yes."

"And you've been one your entire life."

"Uh-huh."

"Is that why you're so smart? Because they tell you everything?"

"No." He glared at her. "I'm naturally smart, even when it comes to the inner workings of the dead."

He softened when she slumped her shoulders, clearly worried she wouldn't manage as well as he had.

"But Devyn did help me earlier. Came to help me keep you out of trouble."

"Who?"

"Don't worry about it." He said. "Just know a spirit came to warn me about Thaddeus. They said he was coming here tonight, and that he'd try to kill you." He told her. "If we hadn't escaped right after you'd killed Erin, you'd be dead by now."

Jazmine collapsed to the ground with a sigh, gripping the grass in her hands.

"But what about everyone else back home?" She asked him, staring back in the opposite direction, tears filling her eyes. "We can't just leave them there! He'll kill them!"

"As long as he doesn't get you, they'll be fine." He told her, shaking his head. "We'll just have to wait here."

"Until what?" She raised a brow.

"Until me."

A bolt of lightning sped through the grass towards them, and they rolled out of the way. With a flick of his hand, a crackle of dark energy rippled through the air, an army of demons stomping loudly behind him .

She didn't have to see his presence to know who it was, and neither did he.

It was Thaddeus.

He could see him, feel his presence trudging closer with every second. His voice echoed in their ears, cold and mocking. "Five hundred years to play hide and seek?" He chuckled. "How disappointing."

He could see her heart racing, her breath shallow as she whispered. "Huey...run."

But Thaddeus was too fast. With a snap, Huey flew back towards the trees, amongst the shadows, walking towards him, easing closer with his minions.

"No!" Jazmine screamed, trying to run towards him as the demons closed in. "Huey!" Her voice broke as she cried out, watching as they dragged him away. "Hueyyyyyy!"

"He's going to die." Thaddeus murmured excitedly, making his way towards her. "You know what they say. If you want something done right-"

Huey felt something surround him, gleaming balls of light reaching for him just as the beings began to burn him. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut as they gently whirled around him.

He felt the grass underneath his feet and hopped back, shocked when he realized he was staring at Jazmine.

She'd placed them behind some sort of bright green wall of light, extending past the ground to the sky as it surrounded them, attracting his minions like a moth to a flame.

"Cute." Thaddeus sat on the ground, smirking at them. "That won't hold long." He glanced at Jazmine. "You're wearing yourself down, draining yourself of your power."

Jazmine gasped, weakening as she realized he was right, the glow on the shield was beginning to fade, slowly but surely.

"Don't listen to him." Huey said, cutting his eyes into slits. "He's trying to get in your head."

Thaddeus laughed hard at that, shaking his head. "I don't have to do that. She does that all on her own." He suddenly zeroed in on Huey, his lips curving into a serpentine smirk. "Just like your parents."

He felt a chill run through him but willed himself to stay calm, not focusing his energy on him. Instead, he quickly racked his brain for another plan, thinking of the best way to get them out of this mess.

If going into that attic had activated her powers, then maybe….

"Jazmine." He tugged at her shirt, trying to get her attention. "Do that thing with the lights again."

"I don't know how I did that, Huey!" Jazmine was clearly frazzled because the shield was army of demons grew larger, becoming solid and tall as they pressed against it, sending red zaps crashing all around them, as if feeding off her fear. "I don't even know if I can get you far enough."

"Not me." He told her, wincing as the wind picked up inside of the shield, nearly knocking him backwards. "The spell book, Jazmine. Get the spell book!"

The shield started to shrink, pushing backwards as Jazmine squeezed her eyes shut, freaking out all over again.

"C'mon, c'mon, please!" She held her hands out, keeping the shield together as best as she could. "I need you."

There was a brilliant burst of white light, surrounding all of them until they were somewhere else, in a field full of sunflowers, just like in the mural.

"Where did you get that?" Thaddeus glared at her, staring as his demons backed away, standing behind him. "I buried that book ages ago!"

Jazmine didn't answer him.

Instead, she focused on the pages, on his name scrawled inside the book.

Crying out, her voice desperate and tearful, she stepped forward, holding onto the relic for dear life.

"I call upon my blessed name! To move you from this time and plane!"

The minions around him disappeared as Thaddeus stepped forward, his eyes red, his stature tall, reaching out towards her with a pained expression.

"With these words, I proclaim, an end to Thaddeus….and his games!"

Thaddeus' laugh erupted, proud and rumbling, like a man savoring a long awaited victory.

They watched, horrified, as he was swallowed into a portal of light. He lifted his hand towards Jazmine, who fell backwards with a gasp, glancing up in horror to see his eyes glowing green.

"Just like I planned!" He purred, his laugh tearing through the air. "This is exactly what I wanted!" He leaned back, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous charm as he kept his gaze on her. "And you…you just made it all too easy."

She stood to her feet, watching in horror as the portal closed shut. They could still hear his laughing, even after he'd fallen somewhere on the other side.

"Don't think this ends here, little girl!" Thaddeus' voice could be heard from the other dimension, still ringing around them like he was right in front of them. "When the right time comes, I'll be waiting!"

It suddenly went completely silent, the muted sound somehow scarier than the noise he'd been making.

And then, without warning, something shifted again.

"Let the games begin."

Suddenly, Huey was aware of the noises neither one of them were making, of the sound of talking, voices nearby.

"On your mark."

They looked around, surprised when they could feel other people walking around them. People they couldn't even see.

"Get set."

There was a huge explosion, knocking them both backwards until they collided with the side of his car, groaning loudly.

"Go."

"Hey!" An officer pointed at them, his eyes hard. "You two!"

Jazmine and Huey blinked, staring at one another.

It was like nothing had happened. The buildings were back, the cars were back on the highway, and the night was crystal clear, the full moon shining over them, bathing them in its glow.

Everything was back to normal.

Well, almost.

"You're under arrest." The officer told them, handcuffing them together before they could protest.

"For what?" Jazmine asked him. "I've never done anything illegal in my life!"

"The footage doesn't lie." Another officer snorted. He shoved them into the back of the car. "We've got both of you on camera lighting the courthouse on fire. Your blood was found on the glass near the scene, along with a box of matches. Your DNA matched perfectly."

Their eyes both widened.

"But-"

"Save it for the judge." The officer buckled himself in, frowning at them. "You'll be at the Woodcrest County Jail until your parents come and get you."

Jazmine gulped, tears streaming down her face.

But Huey was silent, his eyes on the clearing.

Something dark had been awakened, and it wasn't going anywhere.

Not anytime soon.

Thanks for reading!

Just wanted to add something Thaddeus failed to mention, earlier.

I'll be taking a week long hiatus from uploading, but I'll be back the following week!

So don't freak out if your favorite story hasn't been updated. Just taking a little break.

- Miss Ace Thank You