“How? Ben is still in my basement. I’ve been trying to find a way to dispose of his body. I hoped we could buy some time before Dylan found out Ben was dead.”

“You can’t. Dylan knows, and my guess is he’s coming for you.”

“Why me? Why not you?”

Oh, God! He could be on his way to the cottage.

“You’re right. Nora, I’m not home, but Ethan is. He’s alone!”

“Okay, calm down.” I could hear her moving around, and a few seconds later, I heard the engine of her car. “I’m on my way. For now, call Ethan. Tell him to put the rocks outside your house back into a circle. It will protect him from Dylan.”

“What?” I turned down another street, heading for home.

“The rocks—they form a barrier a witch can’t cross.”

It made sense. All the times Dylan had gotten inside the cottage, the rocks had been out of place. “Did you put them there?”

She hesitated before saying yes. I should’ve known. She’d been trying to help me before I even knew her.

“The rocks are still in place from the last time you fixed them. We thought it was a prank some kids from school had set up. We left the circle hoping they’d leave us alone if we didn’t react to it.”

“Okay, good. I’m on my way.”

“Nora, wait! How will you get in the cottage if the barrier is up?”

“You’ll have to take it down when I get there, but I’ll be able to protect us from Dylan with other spells.”

I hung up and floored it home. Ethan would have to believe me now. When he saw Nora, and if Dylan showed up…well, there’d be no way Ethan could think I was hallucinating. And maybe he’d be able to tell us how Dylan and the others brought me back. Any hint might be what Nora needed to duplicate the spell and save him.

I pulled into the driveway and burst through the front door. “Ethan!” All the lights were off. Had he gone looking for me? I’d taken the car, but he could’ve called a cab. “Ethan?” I checked the bedroom. Maybe if he’d been mad enough, he’d have just gone to sleep, let me drive around to blow off steam.

I flicked on the light. The bed was empty. Not even unmade. I grabbed my cell from my purse and dialed Nora again.

“What’s wrong? Is Dylan there already?”

“No. Ethan’s not here either. The house is empty.”

“Are you sure? Did you check every room?”

“Well, no. I checked the living room and bedroom. And sort of the kitchen. The place is small. You know that.”

“Look everywhere.” She paused and then said, “Were the rocks still in place? Dylan could’ve used magic to make someone move the rocks so he could get inside.”

“Yes. At least I think so. I didn’t walk around the house. I came right inside, but the rocks in front of the house were all in place.”

“Can you see the back of the house from any of the windows?”

“Yeah, the one in the bathroom.” I headed for the bathroom. The door was shut. I hadn’t noticed it when I came in. The place was too dark. “Nora,” I whispered, afraid that Dylan was waiting for me on the other side of the door. He’d already broken into my bathroom once when he stole my necklace.

“What? Are you okay? Is it Dylan?”

“I don’t know. The bathroom door is closed. What if he’s in there?”

“Grab a weapon and don’t go in there. Stay put. Just be prepared in case he comes out, okay? I’m almost there.”

I didn’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have her. I’d never been so scared. The best weapon I had was myself, but I didn’t feel an attack coming on. My breathing was normal. My body temperature was normal. I wished I could tap into the magic I’d drained from Ben.

I kept an eye on the bathroom door as I looked around the kitchen. We had a big carving knife, but it was in a drawer. I wasn’t sure I could get it without making noise. Not that I was sure making noise was going to matter. I’d already yelled Ethan’s name, and I was talking on the phone. If Dylan was in the bathroom, he was waiting me out.

Terrified, I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the drawer and inched it out. The tracks squeaked, making my breath catch in my throat. What was he waiting for? This was torture. I knew he was in there. I was sure of it. The circle of rocks must have been destroyed in the back, and Dylan had slipped in through the bathroom window, just like before.

I wanted to grab the knife and burst in there, end this agony. But I’d only get myself killed. He was a witch. He used black magic. I didn’t stand a chance. I had to wait for Nora and hope she got here before Dylan made his move.

My cell vibrated in my hand, making me jump, and a small gasp escaped my lips. I grabbed the knife before reading the text.

I’m here. Circle is broken in back of the house. Coming to front door.

I backed up, making my way slowly and silently to the front door. Nora was on the porch when I opened the door. I motioned for her to come inside. She put her hand up for me to stay where I was.

She closed her eyes for a moment and mumbled something under her breath. Her eyes shot open and toward the bathroom door. She must have sensed Dylan’s presence because I didn’t even have to point her in the right direction. She knew where the bathroom was.

She moved closer, and I fell in step behind her. I couldn’t stay back. Fear and curiosity were keeping me close to Nora. She continued to mumble her spell as we got closer. Her hands rose in front of her, reaching out for the door. She pulled her hands back to her chest and then pushed forward. A burst of wind blew the bathroom door right open. I cringed, expecting to see Dylan, but instead I saw Ethan lying face down on the floor.

“Ethan!” I pushed past Nora, dropping the knife, and ran to him. His hands were ice cold.

“What did you do to him?”

“Nothing. I was saying a spell to bind any magic behind the door.”

“What about that thing you did to break the door down?

“That’s not what hurt him. I’m sure of it.”

I gently rolled Ethan onto his side. His eyes were closed, and his face was peaceful. “Oh, God! No, no, no!” I burst into tears. Ethan was dead. He was cold and lifeless and dead. “The vision. I had more time. I had more time!”

“Sam,” Nora said.

“He can’t be dead. I saw him in my vision. He wasn’t supposed to die until after Beth invited us to some party.” I shook my head and tears splattered on Ethan’s gray T-shirt. “I saw it.”

Nora reached for me. “Your visions are of things that won’t happen. Why did you think he wouldn’t die until after you were invited to that party?”

“I don’t know.” She was right. How could I have been so stupid, so careless? It was Ethan’s life, and I’d told myself I had more time to save him. I’d left him to die here alone because I was angry. He’d been with me every step of the way when I had cancer. He’d put up with my mood swings. He’d held my hand as I took my last breath. And this was what I’d done for him. Yelled at him and stormed out. Stole his car and left him to die alone on the bathroom floor.

“Please, do something, Nora.” I clutched onto her shirt. “Don’t let him stay like this. You must know a spell that will bring him back. Dylan told me you brought me back. I know that’s a lie. It was him. Him and the others, but you must have some clue what they did.”

Her face hardened. “I do know, Sam, but the spell they used…it’s rooted in black magic. Look at how you came back. You have to feed to survive. Ethan would be like you.”

“Bring him back. I’ll deal with the consequences later. We’ll figure something out. Just bring him back.”

“He’d need to steal life from someone else. That’s how the spell works. You can’t give life without taking it from somewhere else. It’s about balance.”

“Then he can have mine. Take it! I don’t want it. I don’t want to be here like this, not if it means he’s gone.”

Nora shook her head. “I can’t take borrowed time.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What does that mean?”