my lead. That’s all.”
She felt Storm squeezing her tight and his warm energy filled her. Instantly, everything came
rushing back. Something forced her into her body with such a might, she thought she felt the
earth shake beneath her. When she opened her eyes, Storm was in the circle with her and Cyrus.
Storm grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground.
“Impossible!” Cyrus boomed. “Release me, now!”
Storm chanted, freeing her from the bonds.
Following Storm’s lead, she grabbed his other arm and held him tight.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Cyrus bellowed.
“Taking you back to hell, where you belong,” Rose hissed. “Kiot’e, eaisai’ kwen’to ,ah!”
Storm completed his chant, and she felt herself being sucked into a black hole. Clutching
McKay, so he wouldn’t get away, she gave in to everything she and Storm were experiencing.
This one moment would bring them both together. Her stomach tightened and she resisted the
urge to vomit. When it felt like they were falling for an eternity, the ground broke their fall.
“Noooo!” Cyrus looked around, shaking his head frantically. “What have you done to me?
Where am I?”
“Where you should have been long ago.” Rose clutched the man’s forearm.
“Keeper!” Storm forced Cyrus to his feet.
“Who?” she asked.
Storm pressed his finger to his lips. “Whatever happens…You must remain calm.”
Filled with dread, she quickly nodded her head and a man appeared before them all. She
gasped at his appearance.
A tall Native man swaddled in buffalo skin. He would have appeared human if it weren’t for
his unnaturally large yellowish eyes. “I see you’ve captured him.” The man said approvingly.
“Cyrus McKay. You’ve caused such a unnecessary, unholy chaos down here. Now, all the souls
wish to travel to the surface and possess those who walk the earth.”
“And I’ll do it again,” McKay promised with a nasty hiss. “The McQueens owe me.”
“We owe you nothing!” Rose sneered.
“Rose!” Storm nudged her.
The man peered at her with intense eyes, eyes that made her feel like he was stripping her
down to her very soul.
Keeper of Darkness smiled, focusing his attention on McKay. With a flick of his wrist, the
man turned McKay into a large inky black mist. With a few chants, the ball of mist became
smaller. He extended his arm and outstretched his palm, until the little ball floated and settled within his grasp.
Before Rose could blink, the man opened his mouth, gobbling the black mist. Rose
swallowed hard as the man peered at her again.
“McQueen witches have such a horrible cross to bear.” He slowly shook his head. “But you
all have my undying respect.” He laughed, then turned to Storm. “You have performed the task
well.” he waved his hand. “Once again, you are raven and worthy of your status.”
“So, we’re finished here?” Storm asked.
“Yes. However, I’ll be seeing you again, dear Rose.” The man looked at her and smiled.
“What are you talking about?” She straightened to look him in the eye even though he made
her feel horribly uncomfortable.
He winked at her. “You’ll know when the time comes.” He vanished, leaving them in the
cavern.
“Storm, what did he mean by that?”
“That’s a question for another day.” Gripping her in his arms, he returned to the earth.
Rose woke to the sound of the waterfall and to find herself within Storm’s embrace. She
moaned at the minor pain in her chest and sat up. They all were in the woods still, the circle
broken and the moon fading. “What happened,” she whispered. “Were we really in the
Netherworld?”
Storm nodded and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Is everyone okay?” she asked her family. “Dad?” She looked to the far right to see Shawn
and Wes in a strong embrace. “Oh, daddy.”
Wes smiled faintly. “I’m okay, darling.”
“Wes was innocent.” Jesse shook his head.
She felt Storm squeezing her tight and his warm energy filled her. Instantly, everything came
rushing back. Something forced her into her body with such a might, she thought she felt the
earth shake beneath her. When she opened her eyes, Storm was in the circle with her and Cyrus.
Storm grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground.
“Impossible!” Cyrus boomed. “Release me, now!”
Storm chanted, freeing her from the bonds.
Following Storm’s lead, she grabbed his other arm and held him tight.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Cyrus bellowed.
“Taking you back to hell, where you belong,” Rose hissed. “Kiot’e, eaisai’ kwen’to ,ah!”
Storm completed his chant, and she felt herself being sucked into a black hole. Clutching
McKay, so he wouldn’t get away, she gave in to everything she and Storm were experiencing.
This one moment would bring them both together. Her stomach tightened and she resisted the
urge to vomit. When it felt like they were falling for an eternity, the ground broke their fall.
“Noooo!” Cyrus looked around, shaking his head frantically. “What have you done to me?
Where am I?”
“Where you should have been long ago.” Rose clutched the man’s forearm.
“Keeper!” Storm forced Cyrus to his feet.
“Who?” she asked.
Storm pressed his finger to his lips. “Whatever happens…You must remain calm.”
Filled with dread, she quickly nodded her head and a man appeared before them all. She
gasped at his appearance.
A tall Native man swaddled in buffalo skin. He would have appeared human if it weren’t for
his unnaturally large yellowish eyes. “I see you’ve captured him.” The man said approvingly.
“Cyrus McKay. You’ve caused such a unnecessary, unholy chaos down here. Now, all the souls
wish to travel to the surface and possess those who walk the earth.”
“And I’ll do it again,” McKay promised with a nasty hiss. “The McQueens owe me.”
“We owe you nothing!” Rose sneered.
“Rose!” Storm nudged her.
The man peered at her with intense eyes, eyes that made her feel like he was stripping her
down to her very soul.
Keeper of Darkness smiled, focusing his attention on McKay. With a flick of his wrist, the
man turned McKay into a large inky black mist. With a few chants, the ball of mist became
smaller. He extended his arm and outstretched his palm, until the little ball floated and settled within his grasp.
Before Rose could blink, the man opened his mouth, gobbling the black mist. Rose
swallowed hard as the man peered at her again.
“McQueen witches have such a horrible cross to bear.” He slowly shook his head. “But you
all have my undying respect.” He laughed, then turned to Storm. “You have performed the task
well.” he waved his hand. “Once again, you are raven and worthy of your status.”
“So, we’re finished here?” Storm asked.
“Yes. However, I’ll be seeing you again, dear Rose.” The man looked at her and smiled.
“What are you talking about?” She straightened to look him in the eye even though he made
her feel horribly uncomfortable.
He winked at her. “You’ll know when the time comes.” He vanished, leaving them in the
cavern.
“Storm, what did he mean by that?”
“That’s a question for another day.” Gripping her in his arms, he returned to the earth.
Rose woke to the sound of the waterfall and to find herself within Storm’s embrace. She
moaned at the minor pain in her chest and sat up. They all were in the woods still, the circle
broken and the moon fading. “What happened,” she whispered. “Were we really in the
Netherworld?”
Storm nodded and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Is everyone okay?” she asked her family. “Dad?” She looked to the far right to see Shawn
and Wes in a strong embrace. “Oh, daddy.”
Wes smiled faintly. “I’m okay, darling.”
“Wes was innocent.” Jesse shook his head.
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