“We have the element of surprise on our side,” she said.

“It really would depend on how many witches came out to investigate.

If it was two or three, I might just be able to manage.

More than that, I doubt it.” “So we’d all have to be touching the witch in order to gain entrance?” The witch nodded and stood up.

“We can try an explosion, I suppose, and see what happens.

In the meantime…” Her voice trailed off as she gripped each of our hands and pulled us toward her while muttering a chant under her breath.

A few moments later, she, Abby and Erik disappeared.

Looking down at my hands, I realized I had too.

“We have a better chance of succeeding at this if we’re invisible.” Patricia’s voice came from my left.

“All right.

Now what?” I said.

“You vamps need to wait here in the shade while I figure out the best place to set off the explosion.

Once I set it off, we’ll wait to see if anybody comes.

If there are fewer than three, assume that I will attempt to close in on them and start walking toward the witches—I’ll emerge as soon as I feel I’ve got control of the situation and beckon you over.” “And if there are more than three?” Erik’s voice came from my left.

“Then stay where you are,” Patricia replied.

“I won’t attempt anything and we’ll have to come up with some other idea… I’m leaving now.” As the witch’s presence left us, I walked over to the edge of the rocks where I could best position myself for scanning the beach.

I was almost knocked forward as someone bumped into me from behind.

“Oh, sorry.” Abby’s voice came quickly.

I reached behind me and, finding her arm, guided her to a spot next to me where she was in no danger of knocking me again.

“Erik?” I said.

“Yeah.” He sounded like he was standing next to Abby.

“Okay,” I said.

“Now, pay attention.” I kept watching the beach, alert to even the slightest bit of movement as I tried to determine where Patricia was.

After a few minutes, there was a sudden noise that sounded like the crack of a whip, and then in the sky, a ball of fire appeared, swirling and circling as it gathered speed.

With one deafening roar, the ball exploded, sending glowing fragments flying down into the sea and onto the beach.

“Somebody must have heard that,” Abby said.

“Now it’s just a question of whether anyone cares enough to come and investigate,” Erik said.

We couldn’t be sure where Patricia was now that the explosion had died down.

I supposed that, like us, she was watching the boundary.

“Come on,” I whispered, willing someone to emerge from the line of trees.

Minutes passed and nothing happened.

I was beginning to think that Patricia ought to cause another explosion when a woman emerged from the forest, a few hundred yards away from us.

One strap of her long blue gown hung down her shoulder and her hair was disheveled.

She stopped just before crossing the boundary and looked up and down along the length of the beach.

“Phinneas,” she called.

A bare-chested warlock wearing dark pants emerged behind her.

His hair was also mussed, and lipstick stained his face.

“Do you see anything?” she asked.

Both scanned the length of the beach.

“What could it have been?” The warlock shrugged.

“It was probably just young ones up to no good.

There are no lessons today.” His hands snaked around her waist.

He drew her closer to him and buried his face in her neck.

“Don’t let this distract us, Riona,” he whispered.

“We don’t have long.” I held my breath, ready to let out a curse as he began pulling her back away from the boundary.

They’d almost disappeared from view when the woman stopped in her tracks.

“Wait, darling,” she said breathlessly through his kisses.

“Those rocks look more comfortable.” She pointed toward where Abby, Erik and I were standing.

Catching the warlock’s hand, the witch stepped out of the boundary with him and crossed the sand toward us.

“We need to move,” I hissed.

Although the sun hadn’t yet set, we had no choice but to make way for them.

I wasn’t sure where Erik and Abby had scrambled off to—from the sounds of it, they’d climbed up the cliff—but I leapt from the rocks and dropped into the waters below.

Hopefully I wouldn’t have to endure the sun for long, but the sea would at least help to soothe some of the burning in the meantime.

I swam round the rocky enclosure and made my way back toward the beach, scanning it for any sign of Patricia.

Come on, Patricia.

Where are you? I tried to ignore the moans that were beginning to drift down from the rocks above me, but it was hard when I was still so close.

Bracing myself for the full heat of the sun, I climbed out of the water in hopes of getting a better understanding of where Patricia was and what was holding her up.

She’d said she’d emerge once she felt she’d gotten control of the situation, whatever that meant.

I cast my eyes toward the two now-bare bodies writhing on the rocks.

I grimaced.

I wasn’t sure how we were going to pull this off.

We only needed one of them, but from the looks of it, separating those two would be like separating Siamese twins.