"Ash!" Lorcan appeared in a shower of gold sparkles and he was clutching Ralph. "Damnu air!"

"Fuck." Ash kept her blade against Synd's throat. He snarled and tried to stand. She kicked him in the balls. He wailed and fell to his side, clutching his genitals. My husband ran toward me and grabbed my shoulders. Relief shuddered through me.

"What's wrong, honey?"

I couldn't tell him. I couldn't speak or move. I couldn't even feel the beat of my own heart.

"Don't worry," he soothed. "I'm right here. It's okay."

"The change is coming," Ash said through gritted teeth. "Get what you need and then get the hell out of here."

Lorcan kneeled down and pried open Synd's jaw. I heard a popping sound that made my stomach lurch. I didn't see what Lorcan took. I was grateful that his sample was tucked into an opaque container.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

Ralph nodded. "Go. Get the cure for Patrick and Jess. We'll be all right."

Lorcan disappeared and Ralph stood in front of me, putting his arms around me awkwardly. He pressed his shoulder against my face.

I couldn't see. But I could hear just fine.

The sound of Ash's blade sliding through Synd's flesh reminded me of the butcher's knife hacking off a hunk of beef. If I wasn't already a vegan, I'd commit to the lifestyle immediately. The whole thing sickened me.

The magic binding me dissipated and I fell to the ground, my limbs shaking. I kept my eyes shut tight, but I felt the light beating against my eyelids and felt a wave of heat roll over me. I pushed out of Ralph's embrace and, despite the warning bells clanging in my mind, looked. The headless body of Synd lay on the ground. Ash stood before it, at least a dozen long blue lights circling her body like electric eels.

Hollowly, she looked at us. "No. Soul."

She sounded as if the words had been torn out of her mouth. She walked toward us jerkily, like her body was moving her along without permission. "Need. Soul."

Realization was sudden and terrifying. Synd didn't have a soul. Ash had initiated the process of absorption. She couldn't stop it.

She needed a soul.

Oh, God. I hated the idea of losing my life, and the life of my child. It was so goddamned unfair. But those two little boys were alive and well and had already lost their mother. I couldn't let their father sacrifice him for me.

I pulled the force field device off my jacket and stuck it onto Ralph's shirt. Then I pushed the button. He went invisible. I shoved him away, as hard I as could. I forgot I had dragon strength. A few yards away I saw a neatly trimmed hedgerow part. Safe. Ralph was safe. Ash reached me in mere seconds. She grabbed my hands, and held on to me. The blue lights crawled onto me. I started to burn from the inside. I felt pulled and twisted. My feet went numb first, then the numbness climbed into my calves and inched up my thighs.

My vision started to gray. I was dying.

"Libby!"

Ralph's voice. Damn it. Couldn't the man take a hint? My vision swam, but I recognized his blurry face.

"What are you doing?" Ralph yelled at Ash. "You're killing her! Stop!"

No one could touch me, especially not Ralph. I knew he wanted to, and I wished he could. I really wanted him to hold my hand. I wanted to feel loved . . . one last time. Then, suddenly, I was free.

Without Ash trying to suck the soul out of me, I could breathe again. My whole body burned and ached. I'd never been in so much pain before.

"Ralph?"

He was gone. I staggered to my feet and turned around.

Ash was standing face-to-face with Ralph. Her hands gripped his shoulders as the blue worms of light wiggled onto him.

I saw the moment his soul popped free. The orange-red ball of pure energy floated into the center of Ash's chest.

Then the lights solidified and Ralph's body was encased in the pulsing blue. Ash's eyes were empty, and I knew that she had no control over what was happening.

A mist formed around Ralph that was sucked into Ash's opened mouth. Then it was all over.

Ash woke up from her trance. She stumbled away, weaving like a woman who'd drunk too much tequila, and then she bent over and vomited.

Tears crowded my throat and seeped from my eyes. Ralph lay on the ground. I hurried toward him and fell to my knees. I collapsed on top of his chest and sobbed. He'd given more than his life for me. He'd given his very soul.

"Ralph," I cried. "Oh, Ralph."

"What . . . happened?"

I jolted upward and stared down at him. His eyes were open and his gaze was on me. "You're alive."

"Undead," he said. He grimaced. "I feel like I've been put through a wood chipper."

"I know the feeling."

"C'mere." He kissed me, then pulled back. "By the way, never, ever do anything like that again."

"I love you, too."

"You're not off the hook," he grumbled. "I still don't get why I'm not dust."

We looked at Ash, who was sitting down with her head between her knees.

"I got your half of Sybina's dragon soul," she said in a raspy voice. "You're all vampire again."

"I thought you killed the people whose souls you take," I said.

"I do. Don't ask me why your man is still able to walk around." She looked up at us, her lips tugged into a half smile. "I'm not a biologist."

We returned to the rec room. Ralph hadn't let go of my hand, not once. I felt protected and safe. We sat on the blue sofa amid a bunch of paranormal folks who were very glad to see us alive. Stephen sat on my lap sucking on his fist. Michael squirmed on his father's, plucking at his T-shirt.

"You know what would be really great?" said Patsy from her spot on the yellow couch. "If we could live in this town without some kind of asshole trying to off us every couple of months. I'd like to raise my kids without fearing for their lives every day."

"We could build a shield for the town," said Brady. He leaned against the wall, his eyes on all the exits. Ash was doing the same thing, but on the other side of the room. She hadn't said much since we'd gotten back.

"I can manipulate fire, make water dance, send demons back to hell, fly around the sky, bend metal, talk to ghosts, shift into a wolf, and glamour others," said Patsy. "But I still can't make a whole town invisible."

"I could do it," said Brady.

All eyes turned to him.

"Dora says we're staying. So, we're staying."

"Okay," said Patsy. She looked at me, my parents, and Brady. "Welcome to Broken Heart."