Page 39 (1/2)

"Just read," Sara said

But he frowned again The pages were handwritten The language was indeed archaic

"I can’t understand this It see In fact… it almost reads like a kid’s Halloween book ’Eye of newt’ and all that"

"There’s no eye of newt in there," Sara said impatiently She pointed down the lines, and read aloud

"Thou shalt take the greatest care; the blood of the anointed must be mixed with that of the sacrifice; and the hair that is taken must not be cut, but torn froreatest and utmost importance--the blood of the sacrifice, the blood of the anointed, the hair of the anointed And as these coether, as there has been life, there will be death, and where there has been the sleep of the dormant like dead, there will be life And to all ould honor He who is the God of Darkness, remember that All Hallow’s Eve, that which falls upon a full ht when the elements of the spirits and those who roaest, and therefore, it can be as well, the Ti’ "

Finn looked at Sara, and then at Eddie "I’ This man, Cabal Thorne, was a devil worshiper who came to Massachusetts at a time when he hat?

Left alone, because people were still ricocheting from all the horror that the craze had created But… lots of people have written things That doesn’t make them real"

"Hey, Morwenna found this text, and she wanted you to see it," Eddie said with a shrug

"Well, thank you," Finn said, still lost He rose, "I appreciate the ti so old, and surely rare"

"Finn!" Sara said, rising

"I’ve got to go," he told her "Thanks Thanks for the concern" He was feeling that strange sense of friction within hie to reach for her… and God knew just what exactly he wanted to do to her He needed distance right now Real distance Away frouy-next-door Eddie

"I have to do soht," he rushed out "Sound check," he lied He started out "But thanks… thanks, both of you"

He made it back to the street Kids in costume were in abundance He wanted to shout at thee to pick him up, and throw hiiving a quick wave and ignoring the fact that Sally and John were in the parlor, sipping tea, and wanting hian’s rooone And everyone around the his teeth Dareat He could play drunk--and confront Megan in the sa so else

It was the book he had inadvertently stolen from Morwenna’s shop The one written by the wootten both local and national coverage

He halfway sat up, grabbing it to draw it closer He pushed it off the bed instead Swearing, he rolled over and stuck his head over the edge of the bed to see just where it had fallen

Right in front of hi of a horrible, fire-breathing, horned creature and the chapter tide "The Known De and jerked up, throwing the book fro hard

He’d iestion

He forced hio for the book It still lay open, on the saain

Bac-Dal

Chapter 12

In New Orleans, a Thursday night poker ga tense, despite the fact that it was hardly a high stakes gaame as it had been for over a year, since the DeVeaus had moved to New Orleans from Charleston to be nearer their close friends, the Canadys There were soood friends all, but tonight, it was just the DeVeaus and the Canadys

"I’ll see your quarter, and bu the , dark eyes holding a touch of a fiery sizzle over the kill he was certain he was about to ht, leaned inward to the table as well, ready to h dark hair with just a touch of silver, and offered his nerim smile "I’ll just see your fifty cents, and bump you another fifty cents," he announced

"Let’s see ’em!" Lucian said

"Excuse a to the end of the table Maggie Canady, even in jeans and a T-shirt, had the ability to appear elegant with her sweep of dark auburn hair and riveting hazel eyes She spoke i as she demanded attention

Jade DeVeau, at the other end of the table, burst into laughter and reht you know You two see"

"Don’t be ridiculous," Sean argued "We would never get ht?"

"Or take it too seriously," Maggie htly