“You were a mess when you arrived here. Did you and Noah have an argument? You said you were tired,” Aunt Joyce said, pressing her lips together. “I helped you to bed, and you fell instantly asleep.”

I pressed my hands to my face and groaned. With a long breath, I met her eyes.

“Not a fight exactly,” I said, biting down on my cheek. “More of a break, I guess.”

Aunt Joyce’s eyes widened as she patted my leg. She leaned back and studied me for a long moment. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah? Why?” I asked.

“You look pale,” she said, frowning. “I’m going to get the thermometer.

Aunt Joyce rose with determined grace. I watched as she left the room, her steps echoing in the stillness, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

A thud reverberated through the entire house, plunging my room into inky darkness. Faint streaks of light painted the walls through the slightly parted curtains. A chilling realization settled in my gut… the power outage was no random coincidence.

“You are not safe here,” Darkness said, his eyes glowing from the black shadows inside the closet. “It’s weakening you just being in this realm.”

“Go away,” I said bitterly. “This is my realm. I lived here my entire life without ever being drained of anything.”

“Are you sure about that?” Darkness asked. “I would argue that is not true.”

I released a heavy sigh. “Just leave me alone.”

“You are putting your aunt’s life in danger,” Darkness pleaded, his voice thick and demanding. “They already know you are here. They won’t stop until they have you and the medallion.”

“Sure they are.”

“You may not believe what you are, but they do, and right or wrong, they won’t stop until they have you,” Darkness said, taking a step closer to the closet doors. “And they will destroy whatever gets in their way.”

I hugged myself. “You just want me to go with you, and you’ll say anything to make that happen.”

“Is that right? Turn on the news. Check your phone,” Darkness said, gesturing toward the window. “See what’s happening in your world?”

In the dark room, the TV flickered to life despite the lack of power. There was breaking news about the tsunami that hit Japan’s coast, killing thousands. Scrolling along the bottom marquee was a notification about a bank robber on the loose after killing the teller and fleeing with two hundred dollars.

I picked up my phone — not even sure how it got on the bedside table — to see a message I received yesterday from Charlie’s mom. She was in the hospital with a severe infection that led to sepsis.

It didn’t end there. There were copious fires raging across California, destroying homes and lives. The merciless war in the Middle East was growing more ferocious, leaving utter devastation in its path.

A massive sinkhole of unfathomable depths in China swallowed twenty people, all of whom were presumed dead. It was impossible for everything bad to be happening all at once.

“Do you see now?” Darkness said, the TV shutting off with a click. “This is only the beginning. We must stop this.”

I got to my feet. “I need to get to the hospital.”

“Your friend is fine for now. She’s recovering.” Darkness said, his eyes holding my gaze. “The best thing you can do for her is to come with me.”

My phone dinged, and I picked it up. A message from Charlie’s mom updating me on her situation. She was fine for now. Recovering.

“Darkness,” I said, crossing the floor. “How do I explain to you that there is nothing I can do to help? I don’t want to help. Look at what is happening here in the real world.”

“I can’t make you do anything,” Darkness said, sinking back into the shadows of the closet as Aunt Joyce’s steps tapped the wooden staircase. “But without you, I am not sure we have any chance of stopping what is coming. One thing is certain. If you do not try to help us, the world will end.”

Bone-rattling thuds echoed through the silence, punctuated by a shuddering crash. A heavy rain started abruptly. Each drop relentlessly slapped the window, a ceaseless barrage that threatened to breach the fragile barrier between safety and the world outside.

I charged out of the room, my heart squeezing tightly deep in my chest. My feet skidded to a halt at the top of the staircase. Aunt Joyce was sprawled out at the bottom of the stairs.

“Aunt Joyce!” I yelled, my voice laden with panic.

Without checking, I sensed Darkness watching us from the top of the stairs. Aunt Joyce sat up with her back to the stairs. I held her steady as she rubbed the back of her head with her palm.

“All the years I’ve lived here and never once have I fallen down these stupid stairs,” she said, wincing.

“Let me get you an ice pack,” I said.

“Oh, goodness, Remy. That is totally unnecessary. It was just a little stumble,” Aunt Joyce said, holding onto the railing as she got to her feet. “I’m fine.” Her eyes shifted down to the ground, to the broken plastic pieces on the floor. “But the thermometer is not.”

I dared a hesitant look over my shoulder, half-expecting to see Darkness looming at the top of the stairs. He wasn’t there… perhaps he never had been.

“I’ll just run to the pharmacy real quick and buy a new one,” Aunt Joyce said, patting my shoulder.

After what I’d seen on the TV, I didn’t want Aunt Joyce to leave the house. I seized her hand and looked into her eyes.

“I’m fine, really,” I said, sucking in a breath before wrapping my arms around her. “Please, don’t go.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, leaning back. Her eyes bore into mine, concern wrinkling her nose. “I won’t leave, but only if you promise to get some sleep, and then after that, you can tell me everything that happened with you and Noah.”

The weight of her condition settled heavily in the room. I’d agree to anything that would keep her safe inside the house. Because after seeing her lying there on the ground, I couldn’t shake Darkness’s words from my mind.

Aunt Joyce wasn’t safe as long as I was around her. Her safety hinged on my absence. I couldn’t go with Darkness for myself, but I could pretend to be the person they wanted if there were even a slight chance it would keep Aunt Joyce safe.

“I’m going to go back to bed,” I said, forcing a yawn.

“Let me know if I can get you anything,” Aunt Joyce said, mirroring my yawn. “Thank God today is my day off.”

I gave her another hug before heading up the stairs. At my desk, I pulled out a piece of paper and my favorite pen before sitting on the chair. I wrote a quick note to Aunt Joyce so she wouldn’t be surprised when I was gone.

Darkness stepped out of the closet and rested his hand on my shoulder. I set the pen down and placed my hand on top of his.

“Do I need to beg?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. Let’s go.”

Chapter

Twenty-One

Icame to an abrupt halt, turning to study the gloomy, ashen sky above Darkness’s house. He stood behind me, circling his arms around my waist and pulling me back against his body.