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If Warrick had done what he said he would, Jane’s body would be somewhere in the city now. I hoped they made it look like an accident and not the brutal end she’d come to. But with the injuries she’d had, I wasn’t sure that was possible. That was all I could think about while I’d talked to Rebecca. Right then, she still had hope, still believed her daughter was alive and out there somewhere. She had no clue she was already dead. Already gone.

My phone beeped, and I tugged it from my back pocket, and my stupid belly flipped. Speaking of the sex-obsessed alpha-hole himself.

Warrick: Maddox is foaming at the mouth and bleeding from the eyes.

I stared down at his message and imagined him stabbing at the screen with those massive, blunt, often motor oil-stained fingers.

Willow: That can happen. Just make sure he can’t hurt himself or others. Any sign of Edric?

Warrick: No. What time you getting here in the morning?

Willow: Ten. I need to prepare. I’ll do the exorcism at noon.

Warrick: Good.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and tried not to think about tomorrow. So many things could go wrong, and I’d be in a room full of hellhounds who probably wouldn’t love it if I accidentally killed one of them. Let’s hope that didn’t happen. I’d prefer to walk out of there in one piece tomorrow.

* * *

My hair was still damp from my shower when I walked downstairs and into the living room an hour later. There was a fire blazing, and Rose was sitting in front of the TV, a woolen blanket draped over her knees.

She smiled at me when I walked in. “How did it go at the cemetery?”

I sat and lifted her feet onto my lap and started rubbing them. Her feet were always so cold. “Good. I’m all set to vanquish an evil spirit tomorrow.”

“You think that’s it? That once it’s gone, this task will be over?”

“I don’t think so. There’s Edric as well, another hound. He’s still on the loose, but once they bring him in, I hope so.”

“It’s a shame Zinnia isn’t in town,” she said. “She could’ve used her magic to contact the sprits.”

I wish that was an option. “Zinny’s family and a member of our coven. I can’t ask family for help, remember?”

“I hate that rule.”

“Me too.” Rose looked thinner, her wrists so painfully tiny. “You want a snack? I’m in the mood for some popcorn.” We were always trying to feed her, but she had the appetite of a sparrow.

She shrugged her thin shoulders. “Sure.”

“Be right back.” I hit the kitchen and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave, closed my eyes, and drew in a calming breath.

“What’s going on?” Iris asked, walking in.

“You just finished work?”

Iris picked up a plate someone had left on the table. “Yeah, it was quiet tonight. Jim let me leave early.” She put it in the dishwasher, grabbed a cloth, and went back to wipe down the table. She couldn’t help herself.

“Rose’s in the living room. We were going to have some popcorn. Are you seeing Brody tonight or can you hang out with us?”

“Brody’s working.” Iris looked toward the muted light coming from the living room door. “How’s she doing?”

The microwave beeped, and I took the popcorn out. “Tired.”

“She’s getting worse,” Iris said, voice shaking.

My stomach churned. “Yes.”

Iris looked down at her hands, and I watched as she crushed them into tight fists. When she looked up, her eyes were bright with fury. “Why is this happening to her, Wills? What if…what if she…”