Not long after Hans cast a cloaking spell on them, Phoebe stepped into the clearing carrying the three basic artifacts from their ancestors’ memories. Tears streamed down her face, one falling soon after another, raking over Jolie’s heart. Everything was going to be okay, right? Her sister still had another twenty years to live.

Once on the hill with them, her sister opened her pack, pulled out a small blanket, and spread it out. She then took a seat, sniffling, weighing on Jolie. Next, she retrieved the sacred dagger with a never dulling blade for a quick and painless death for the sacrifice; Reginia’s fae crystal, to magnify the witch’s power for the orb so it’d protect all within its barrier—their family’s secret land almost abandoned; and a large, fat candle with three wicks representing the sacred triad none dare speak of. All that was missing was the sacrifice; a living animal to offer to their gods.

Jolie mentally cast a silencing spell on herself so she wouldn’t speak out and demand what was going on.

Johnny walked up the hill, his face stoic.

Her sister flinched, though she didn’t turn to look. “Are you the sacrifice?” Phoebe’s words sped Jolie’s pulse.

Jolie’s heart crashed against her ribs. No. No, he couldn’t be.

“I am.” His deep voice was smooth and calm.

Ancestors help her. Johnny couldn’t do that.

Spirits flew around, then to Jolie, each touching part of her body, steadying her.

The strong arms around her waist tightened.

“Then come kneel before me.” The pain in Phoebe’s voice rocked the center of Jolie’s world.

Jolie’s lower lip quivered. Why? Why would Johnny sacrifice himself?

A man appeared in her mind, a dangerous storm in his aura. With one thought, he destroyed Medlotama’s home, crushing her parents, only her father shoved her out a window at the last possible moment.

He cursed Mary’s father with possession, adhering five high-level demons to him with the order to kill Mary and her mother to end their line. Little by little, they chipped away at her father’s resolve until he drank himself unconscious. Then they were able to take over, breaking him down, abusing his wife and children. Only Joshua used his magic to protect Mary.

Under a blood moon, the demons’ powers were magnified. That was when they killed Mary’s mom and went after her, only Joshua pulled her out a window before they caught him and slit his throat.

Pressure built in her eyes as tears welled.

Time and time again the man appeared, casting curses and murdering the women in her line so he could steal their magic and keep them from protecting the veil, but every time a child escaped, always protected by a male relative.

A familiar man dressed in a kilt and tunic battled the evil man and defeated him. Yet with his last dying breath, the killer cast a final curse; eternal life as a boy who’d never find love or taste death.

In an instant, Jolie witnessed all of his loved ones die, the sorrow and pain he suffered.

One day he stumbled on a gypsy. She gave him a message and cast her own spell. There was a special line of witches. Every other to third generation, one would return to her family’s sacred land in the Americas, a land not yet discovered. Each had the potential to break his curse, only it’d be tied to another. He had but to go and wait.

He found the secret land after it was magicked to hide it from the outside world.

Time passed, and the numbers of her family dwindled with each generation, but every other generation to a third, one of her ancestors gathered the three blessed artifacts, sang the spell, made the sacrifice, and gave up years of her life. And all to protect their family land. Yet most didn’t know exactly why.

The veil appeared. Beyond it were doors leading to all manner of frightening places not from Earth.

Her memories swirled and stopped on Epia, her original home in ancient Gaul. A seeress revealed to her a dangerous portal that’d unleash hell on earth. But Epia and her descendants could prevent it from opening enough to let all manner of dangerous entities from passing through. And one day a second-born witch would help a… The word wasn’t right. It didn’t make sense. But somewhere along the way, someone used enchantress in its stead.

The memories suddenly stopped as time in her reality started flowing again.

Johnny walked around Phoebe and knelt.

Jolie’s stomach knotted. He’d walked the earth for centuries, unable to die, suffering each time someone he cared for passed away, leaving him behind. Yet her sister offered him freedom from his heavy burden—only she could grant it.

Phoebe’s trembling hand picked up the dagger.

Johnny reached out with both hands and trapped hers with it, then guided it to his chest, over his heart. “Release me, Phoebe. Push hard and lean your body into it.”

Jolie helplessly clung to Hans’s hands as tears fell free. Her sister couldn’t… There was no way she would.

“Please.” Johnny’s plea strangled her breath from her.

Phoebe’s eyes squeezed shut before she drove the knife deep into Johnny’s chest.

Jolie sucked in a silent breath.

Right before the light dimmed in his eyes, a peaceful smile formed.

Jolie trembled, crying harder.

Phoebe released the dagger as Johnny’s heavy body fell to the side. She sobbed, pain etched in her face, her body wracking. But Jolie couldn’t go to her. Couldn’t hold her and mourn alongside her.

“Wait for me, Johnny.”

Jolie’s breath caught. What’d Phoebe meant? She started to lean forward, but Hans held her tighter and the spirits helped restrain her.

After a moment, Phoebe lit the sacred candle and started her spell, a song of renewal, peace, and protection.

Soft blue light flowed in a steady stream.

“Gather it.” Epia’s voice filled Jolie’s head.

With one thought, Jolie created an invisible giant globe with part of the sphere missing, and captured the beautiful light.

Her sister fell forward.

Jolie almost dropped the container, but another memory assaulted her. To permanently close the veil near them, she had to gather all of what Phoebe willingly gave her.

She doubled her focus. Her sister knew what she was doing. She’d received visions. Was guided to that place and time. Yet Jolie’s heart bled for her.

When the light waned, Jolie captured the rest of it, then closed the sphere before shifting her attention to her sister.

A void opened inside her. Phoebe lay pale, unmoving. Her gaze fell on the crystal, no longer beautiful, but dull and grey, completely spent.

The spirits released her.

“Together we must blow out the candle.” Hans’s voice was almost too soft to hear.

Tears falling down her own face, Jolie released her silence spell, and together, she and Hans crouched.

She inhaled when he did, then leaned forward. He started to blow, so she followed. The flames turned black, then purple, burned white, and finally went out.

“It’s done.”

Jolie fell forward, but Hans stopped her, his arms still around her waist.

“Part of their essence will seal the veil. Dear, I need your help. We need to use Phoebe’s lifeforce and some of Johnny’s…” blood. He didn’t have to say it.

Jolie studied the orb for a moment.

“Her lifeforce, surround the orb with it. I’ll use my magic to create pressure so it’ll make a barrier around it.”

Instructions. She could follow them, allowing a numbing sensation to swallow her up.

A few minutes later, Phoebe’s lifeforce reflected sunlight from its pristine, hardened surface.

“Grab the dagger. I’m sorry, but I can’t touch it.”

That was what she was there for. To protect the veil. All life on Mother Earth.

Her breath choked from her as she moved her sister’s stiff hand away and grasped the hilt sticking in Johnny. The handle was still warm from her sister’s touch. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. May the gods and her ancestors give her strength. She had to do it. Couldn’t let their sacrifice be in vain.

Jolie pulled the dagger free, allowing Johnny’s blood to flow from the gaping wound.

“Now I’ll take you to the veil to seal it.”

Jolie lifted away from the ground, Hans’s arms no longer around her. She gasped, and his arms snaked around her and held her against him.

“I’ve got you, dear.” He held her tight as he walked down the hill, to the road, and followed it to the end where it turned into ice. He continued out over the frozen water and stopped a few feet away from where it melted away.

Feral growls and snarls greeted them. Only they were nothing compared to what Hans had faced. She mushed her lips and focused on what they had to do.

“Lift the dagger and touch the top of the veil with the blade.”

Jolie reached up and pressed the tip of the blade near the top of the tear.

Hans chanted.

The blood glowed on the edges, burning the hole closed.

She drew the knife down along the tear, Johnny’s blood welding the thin barrier together. She didn’t question it, but continued all the way to the bottom.

Light flared behind her.

Jolie straightened and turned. Her sister shimmered within reach. “Phoebe.” Her hands shook. She almost dropped the dagger, but clutched it tighter. “Oh, Phoebe, why?”

Her sister floated closer and kissed her forehead, a light pressure pressing against her tingling skin.

Visions of grown up Johnny filled her mind.

“For the last year, I’ve been dreaming of a man.” Phoebe’s voice was smooth and reverent. “And I…I fell in love. But to gain him, I had to make a sacrifice. My life.”

Such a simple answer for a huge decision.

Phoebe’s gaze fell to the ring on Jolie’s finger, then shifted to the man beside Jolie. “Thank you for protecting her. And for sacrificing what you most desired to follow the oracle. Does she know who you really are?”

Jolie’s spine went rigid. Who he really was?

“Not yet.”

Her sister flashed her a radiant smile. “Dad’s going to royally freak. I’ll be there in spirit watching.”

Dad. Jolie’s chest tightened. “Phoebe, what do I tell him?”

“That I’m at peace.”

Johnny appeared and took Phoebe’s hand. “I’ll see to her, Jolie. Thank you for breaking my curse.”

Her? She’d broken his curse? What curse? Because her sister was the one who’d freed him.

He turned to Phoebe. “Let’s go. The others are anxious to see you.”

Adoration filled her sister’s countenance. “Okay. Jolie, I love you and I’m proud of you.”

They vanished, taking a piece of her heart with them.