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I blinked at the sound of Zinnia’s voice. She was on the bed, lying beside me.

She brushed my hair back from my face. “You’re back.”

My gaze shot around the room, but it was just the two of us here now, and it was light outside. “There were souls, Zinny.” I sat up and my head spun. “So many.”

“Take it easy. Don’t stand yet. Passing out happens sometimes. It’s the whole straddling-life-and-death thing the first time, it’s a real kick in the head. It shouldn’t happen again.”

“It never happened to you.”

“No, but you’re sweet and caring and feel everything deeply.”

Her gaze was steady, sympathetic, and even though I knew what this was, what it meant for me, my stomach sank. “I don’t want this.”

“The mother gave you this gift for a reason, Jazzy. Trust her.”

I shook my head. “I already have a gift. I don’t want this one.”

“She sees the goodness in you, baby sister, just like I do, like everyone who meets you does, and she knows what good you can do with your gifts and how many people’s lives you can touch.” She brushed my hair back from my face. “I promise, Jazzy, it’ll be okay. And you won’t be doing this alone, you’ll have me.”

I wrapped my arms around my sister and clung to her because I couldn’t do this without her. “There’s something else I need to do when we’re in Roxburgh,” I said against her sweater.

She ran her hand over my hair. “What’s that?”

“They gave me a message…for Ren.”

We finally finished the ritual, the reason we’d made the trip here, and I could feel it, the difference. Our family’s cemetery had been tainted by evil, poisoned by darkness, and it’d taken almost two hours, and the combined magic of Zinnia and me, my cousins Willow, Iris, and Magnolia, as well as my aunts Daisy and Else to remove every last drop from the soil. I stomped my numb feet to get the blood flowing again.

“All right?” Zinnia rasped, then cleared her throat.

Our voices were hoarse from chanting for so long. I nodded, though it was a lie. I was far from all right, but it wasn’t like I could do anything about it. I quickly finished dressing, pulling on my shirt, and shoved on my sneakers.

“Okay, let’s head back…” Iris trailed off as she looked across the cemetery.

I knew who she was looking at without having to turn around.

Ren.

Zinny had given me her sigil necklace to wear so I couldn’t see them, but I still felt them. The souls, they surrounded me now because he was here. The closer we’d gotten to Roxburgh, the more I’d felt their presence. They were eager for me to pass on their message.

Zinnia turned and waved at him. I took a steadying breath and turned as well. A large red fox moved out of the shadows.

“Ren?” Willow choked out when she saw her familiar. He’d been staying away from even her, and it was causing her so much pain. She missed him terribly.

She took a step in his direction, but Zinnia stopped her before she could go to him. “He’s here because I asked him to come,” she said gently.

Willow stared at my sister in shock. “What? Why? How?”

“I got his number from Else. I wasn’t sure he’d come.” Zinnia rubbed my back, trying to keep me calm. “Jazzy has a message for him.” She gave me a nod.

Willow’s gaze sliced to me. I could tell she wanted to say more, to ask me what it was, but she didn’t.

My mouth was dry, and I swallowed repeatedly, trying to control my breathing when I felt the souls surrounding me press closer. Gathering my courage, I started across the cemetery, heading to Ren.

I hadn’t seen him in at least a year. In his human form he was, well…beautiful, like model gorgeous. He’d never been conceited about it, though. He’d always been kind to me, to everyone, and funny. I hated that he was suffering, and despite how much I didn’t want this “gift,” I was glad that my first message was for Ren. I only hoped it helped.

He stood utterly still as I approached him. He didn’t shift from his animal form, but I knew he was in there, that he’d hear me.

Not sure what else to do, I crouched in front of the large fox. Touch came naturally to me, was part of the first gift the mother gave me. Providing comfort was something that went hand in hand with my empathic power—that and the ability to soothe and heal others’ emotional damage. So I ran a trembling hand across his neck. I could feel his anguish, his self-loathing, his helplessness. It rolled off him in agonizing waves. Still, he didn’t move, his amber eyes remained fixed on me.