"Megan. It's Mike."

"Mike, hey, how are you?"

"Good, good, thanks."

"Guess what? I did get to see Andy. My Aunt Martha was there, and she was friends with the nurse, and we got in for a moment."

"How's the old codger doing?"

Megan hesitated, then decided that she just wasn't saying anything more about her belief that Andy had spoken, not even to Mike.

"Holding his own," she said.

"Good, good," Mike told her. Apparently, he was preoccupied. "Megan, are you alone?""Kind of," she said, glancing toward the closed door to her room. "Finn is in the parlor, talking to Aunt Martha. Why?"

"Well, I don't think that your husband likes me very much, that's all. And I don't want him to think that I'm interfering. I don't understand this myself-I just felt that I had to call you."

"Why? What is it?"

"Um, listen, this is going to sound really strange, but... I just met someone who said that he was a friend of yours from back home, and... I don't know. I don't even know how to say this. You know me-I don't believe in any kind of weird c.r.a.p-but... the guy gave me the creeps."

"Lucian," she murmured. "You must have met Lucian."

"Megan, like I said, this is just the strangest thing, but I had to call you. I don't mean to offend you, or insult you or anyone who really is a good friend, but... well, especially in your current state of mind. Watch out for this guy. There's something that's not quite right about him. I sound like an idiot, huh? Anyway, I'm just calling because I'm your friend."

"Thanks, Mike. He is-" she hesitated briefly. "He is a friend. But thanks for the warning. And I'm watching out all the way around, okay?"

"Sure. I'll be there tonight I'm going to watch out for you, too."

"Great. Thanks."

Darkness fell early in the fall in New England. Despite the nearly full moon and the illumination pouring from street lamps and shops, it seemed as if it had deeply penetrated Salem that night.

When Lucian returned to the bookshop that night, Eddie was behind the counter with a gaggle of customers waiting to pay for their purchases. Despite that, he was yawning. He was probably tired as all h.e.l.l, Lucian figured, considering the fact that during the week preceding Halloween, the shop opened early, closed late, and was probably busy throughout the hours.

Eddie, however, saw him, grinned, and inclined his head toward the back.

Lucian found Jade still pouring over volumes and journals.

She lifted her head as he entered, grimaced, and stretched. She, too, yawned.

"I don't think that I can read anymore," she told him.

"Come across anything you need me for?" he asked.

She gazed at him dryly. "No-everything was in English. Kind of English, anyway. It's just that the few people who were writing just didn't comprehend the proper use of p.r.o.nouns. And they used different p.r.o.nouns. I found another reference to a Douglas, though. And there are several references to a Merrill-which was Megan's maiden name, right? Merrill is easy to pinpoint. She had an ancestor who was an outspoken opponent to the proceedings, but one who was so involved with the church at the time that he apparently escaped persecution, despite his opinions. Heck, that could have been witchcraft right there, the way accusations were flying around here back then. It's easy to presume that this same man, Jacob Merrill, was with the group who went out that long ago Halloween night and took part with the mob that killed Caleb Thome. So, if there is a cult now attempting to bring back Bac- Dal once again, Megan would certainly make what they consider to be a perfect offering or sacrifice for their demon. She really is in danger."

"Maybe they should leave," Lucian commented. "And maybe you should go with them.""Someone is going to die on Halloween night, if nothing is done," Jade said softly.

He shook his head. "I'll stay."

She lifted her chin. "You're dealing with something new here yourself, and you know it."

He shrugged. Taking a seat on the corner of the desk he told her, "What bothers me is the pa.s.sage about bringing Bac-Dal back.

The three things needed-the hair, the personal possession, and the blood. Why would those be needed before the rite-if the rite was just to be a sacrifice?"

"And why would these things be happening to Finn as well as Megan?" Jade said. "Actually, he's the one who cut his hand on the dragon in Morwenna's shop. According to our conversations, they both lost hair to that creature thing at the hotel the first night they were playing."

"Maybe they're both supposed to die," Lucian said.

Jade shook her head, sitting back. "That doesn't make sense. I agree with Finn. What does make sense is the concept that she's to be an offering to this demon. 'Bac-Dal wants you.' That could mean he wants her alive in a s.e.xual content-especially if you listen to their stories about their dreams-or else he wants her alive, and then dead. The murder of the girl in Boston could have provided the blood they needed first, and more-Finn went through Boston that night. He was compelled to stop there. So, here they are in Salem-obviously at odds with one another, since-no matter how discreet they've been, locals will know that he stayed at Huntington House while she moved in with her aunt. Megan's body is found-and Finn winds up accused of both murders. And certainly, there would be evidence planted to a.s.sure that he was convicted."

Lucian had been idly turning a pen forward and backward and studying the practiced movements of his hands. He looked at Jade then.

"Maybe."

"It makes sense. Unless, of course, Finn is evil, doesn't know it, and did murder the girl in Boston, is a disciple of Bac-Dal, and has brought his wife here to be sacrificed."

Lucian arched a brow. "That does remain a possibility."

She stared at him, frowning. "You mean... he may already be under possession by the demon, or something like that?"

"As I said-it remains a possibility."

Jade closed the book she'd been reading. She shook her head. "The answer is here, somewhere. I don't believe that Finn Douglas can be that dual-even if possessed by a demon."

"He does have a certain charm," Lucian commented dryly, but he was smiling, and Jade knew it.

"When he talks about Megan, you can see... he would rather die than ever hurt her."

"People don't always have that choice."

"I think you're wrong," Jade said.

"Maybe I should have sent you out to meet people," he said.

"Oh?"

He shook his head. "Either everyone I've come across is as pure as the driven snow, or the protection Bac-Dal can provide is immense. I'm managing to do nothing but make people wary.""No hint of anything from anyone?"

"No," he said, and stood. "I'm blinded here, in a way I've never been before."

"You got us a room in an overbooked hotel," she reminded him. "And I hear some ladies downed their coffee quickly; that's for certain."

He smiled dryly. "We wouldn't want to have to wait for coffee."

"Coffee now would be good."

"It would be, but why don't you keep at it a little longer?"

"I'm just about cross-eyed now, "Jade said.

He grinned. "Just about doesn't cut it." Then he said seriously, "Tomorrow is Halloween."

"I know," she said. "And I'm still missing something. Lucian, do you think that back in the early seventeen hundreds, when the people attacked Cabal Thome... were they part of the Alliance?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I wasn't here in the seventeen hundreds," he said lightly.

"Brent is here, you know. He called me."

"Yes. I'm aware of that."

"Of course. You would be," she murmured.

There was a slight tone of sarcasm to her voice, but he didn't note it. He lifted his hands, distracted. "This should be... h.e.l.l, between us all, it should be easy."

"But it's not."

"No, and it's not going to be, because... well, it's strange. It's kind of like fear, which can exist in the imagination with devastating effect. So much that is going on is in the mind-the dreams, for instance. You can't hunt down and destroy a dream. And what bothers me more than anything is this... this veil that exists. Like the blue fog. You don't always know what you're seeing through it.

Let's a.s.sume it is the demon. And then the high priest, or priestess, who came across all the right rituals to bring Bac-Dal to life.

Whichever, however, there is an incredibly strong power than can enter into the world of the mind. I'm afraid that we could capture a dozen followers who are merely on the fringes, and there would be a dozen more to take their places. The thing is, we've got to get to the absolute root of what is going on."

"And then?"

"Then, I believe, we'll need to know the right rituals ourselves to counter everything that is going on. I've got to leave. And you have to keep reading, and bear that in mind-that our strength may not be sufficient, despite the fact that we could mow down dozens of people. We're going to need to do all the right things, not barrel in like an army."

"Where are you going now?"

"It's getting late-places to be, people to see. If I don't come back for you in an hour, head on to the hotel without me. I'll meet you there."

"Lucian!" Jade rose, calling his name. But by that time, he was already halfway toward the door.

Jade sat back down at the table, staring at the array of written material before her. She picked up an old volume, but set it back down again.

"The necessary items," she murmured softly to herself. "Hair of the victim... blood of the victim..."

Finn Douglas had hurt himself on a dragon in Morwenna's shop. A decorative "monster" had ripped hair from the heads of both Megan and Finn. Personal objects could have easily been acquired from the two as well.

Jade gnawed on a pencil eraser.

She glanced at the store phone on the desk, then decided against it, reaching for her shoulder bag and digging into it for her cell phone. In a few moments, she'd found Megan's and Finn's cell phone numbers, but decided against dialing as well, and hoped that, when she'd interviewed them two weeks earlier, she'd had the sense to put both their cell numbers into her own phone.

She had.

She dialed Megan's number. Megan didn't answer with "h.e.l.lo?"

"Mike?" Came Megan's voice again. "I've got to get going, Finn is waiting."

"Megan, it's Jade."

"Oh, Jade. Hi, I'm sorry. I thought you were a friend calling back. Is anything wrong?" Megan asked. "Or, more so than before, I should say."

"No. I was just wondering-Megan, have you hurt yourself while you've been here? Just a scratch, anything?"

There was a long hesitation on the other end.

"Megan?"

"Well, this is a little weird. And it's very strange that you should ask... wait, just a minute. I'm going to close the door. I'm at Aunt Martha's packing up... Finn is just outside." She was gone for a second, then returned to the line. "I didn't want to say anything to him. For several reasons, a few I'm still sorting out myself. But I dreamed last night that I was walking in the woods, and this morning, when I woke up... well, my feet were dirty and I had cut the bottom of my left. It's nothing, really, just a scratch, as you were saying." Jade stared at the phone.

"Jade?"

"I'm sorry, I'm here."

"Please, don't say anything to Finn."

"No, no... I've one more question. Are you missing anything?"

"No. Yes! I lost it when we first got here."

"What?"

"A bracelet. A really beautiful bracelet that my father gave me. A claddagh bracelet."

"Ah."

"How about Finn?"

"Did he lose anything, do you mean?""Yes."

"Not that I know of, but... Finn can be careless sometimes. He goes through guitar picks by the dozens. Of course, those wouldn't really be lost because he expects to use them up just like tissues. Jade, why are you asking all this?"

"I don't know yet. I'm just trying to get to bottom of what's going on, figure it all out."

"You'll call me back if you think of anything... if we should know anything that you've found."

"Of course! And we'll be there tonight. Maybe a little late, but we'll be there."

"Great."

"I'll let you go now."

"Thanks. See you later."