From Francine’s fingertips, lights like little electrical charges sparked. A moment later, the earth beneath Yvette’s feet trembled with earthquake-like tremors. It only lasted a second, but whatever Francine had tried to do, it was sufficient.

Bolts of lightning shot from Francine’s fingers as she charged toward the other witch, targeting her. Her adversary’s head snapped toward her, the chant interrupted now, her concentration broken. Collecting her strength for a counterattack, Bess stretched her arms out toward Francine.

Gabriel’s command came through Yvette’s earpiece. “Move in!”

From all sides, shadows emerged from the trees in stealth-like fashion, descending swiftly onto the clearing as the first bolts of Bess’ counterattack illuminated the night.

Yvette sprinted forward, conscious to stay clear of Francine’s path. As the two witches sent lightning bolts at each other, Francine moved closer to her adversary. Besieged by not only Francine, but the many vampires closing in on her from three sides, Bess sent charges into all directions while seemingly still preventing the siblings from moving.

Yvette dove as a flash of bright light shot into her direction and rolled onto the ground, narrowly avoiding the burning flame. The moment she jumped back up, she saw three vampires attacking Bess from the side. As one managed to grab her arm and twist it behind her back, her fighting force was instantly cut in half. Within seconds, the other two vampires had her in a firm grip, disabling her from launching any further fire bolts.

Relieved, Yvette charged toward the scene. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash pass her. A split-second later, the energy bolt hit Bess squarely in the chest. The vampires who’d restrained her were thrown into the air and landed several feet away.

The stench of burnt hair and flesh traveled through the air as Bess fell to the ground, her body in flames, her cries echoing in the chilly night like the wailing of a child in agony.

Yvette snapped her head into the direction the bolt had come from and stared at Francine. “We had her!” Disbelief rolled over Yvette as she called out, “What were—?”

But a lightning bolt coming from Francine’s hands hit the ground in front of Yvette’s feet, instinctively making her jerk back.

“No further!” Francine yelled.

Shock, and the sharp warning in Francine’s voice, made Yvette freeze instantly. When she looked into Francine’s eyes as the woman approached the altar, holding out her arms like a shield, Yvette saw a glint in her eyes that could only mean one thing: Francine had turned against them.

“No, Francine!” Gabriel yelled as he ran toward her. She shot a warning bolt toward him, making him stop in his tracks.

“Move!” Gabriel’s whispered command sounded through the earpiece. “Take her down!”

But it was too late. As Yvette and her colleagues advanced on her, they suddenly bounced against an invisible wall, which separated them from Francine and the altar and the siblings in front of it.

She’d erected a shield.

Angry shouts came from all sides.

“Francine, you don’t have to do this!” Gabriel cried.

The hunted look on Francine’s face was chilling, but her next words brought the horror home. “I’ve tried for too long to resist it. No more.” Then she looked at the three siblings, her hand reaching toward them. “Don’t you see? I tried everything not to submit to the temptation. But the power is too strong. I fought it. I did.”

Yvette pressed her body weight against the invisible shield, but the ward stayed in place. Why had Francine betrayed them? How could she, after all she’d done for them earlier? How long had she planned this? And why hadn’t they seen this coming?

“Francine,” Gabriel urged. He glanced at Yvette, stretching out his arm as if to tell her to calm herself. “Let them go. You can resist this. You’re stronger.”

Francine shook her head, a sad look on her face. “No. It’s too late. The power is too close, too real. I did everything to prevent this, everything! I tried to stop Jennifer from going through with it, but she wouldn’t be persuaded. Even when I had Katie kidnapped when she was a baby, it wasn’t enough. I wanted to make sure the prophecy would never come to pass. I even made him promise never to tell me where he left her. I made him promise so I wouldn’t have a means to find her.”

“You kidnapped Katie?” Haven yelled, fisting his hands, clearly trying to move toward her, but he was held back by an invisible force. “Oh, God! I should have known. You and mom, you fought! You betrayed her!”