Book Three: Chapter 53

“No.” Mike shook his head. “That can’t be something we do. It would make me no better than the people outside, and then where-”

A crack of thunder, louder than an approaching train, shook the house, causing everybody to cover their ears. The earth shook beneath their feet, and dust scattered off the roof, settling around them like tiny clouds.

“What the fuck was that?” Mike called, his ears ringing. He noticed that Naia stared incredulously at the sky, her mouth open. Cecilia burst through the rear wall of the house, energy crackling around her body.

“The Geas,” she said. “It’s cracked!”

“How can you tell?” Mike asked.

Cecilia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters now is that we need to get that crazy woman out of our front yard. The Geas is a powerful spell, but it can be dismantled given enough time.”

“Well, I can’t go get Tink with Beth like this,” Mike said. “I really want to do this by the book.”

“Are you going to go stab tha