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  Lying in front of the area, just inside the barrier, was a large chunk of pitch black rock—shadow stone, she realized. Sylvan really had done everything that Vashtar had told them, including providing the stone to absorb the demons once they were evicted from their host bodies.

  The amulet was now hovering just in front of the shield wall, glowing and humming louder than ever. Some of the possessed males began looking up groggily. When they saw the amulet, the drugged expressions on their faces changed abruptly from stupor to horror.

  “What is it doing now?” Truth asked impatiently.

  “Maybe waiting to be let in?” Becca asked, remembering the way the amulet had waited until the door of Truth’s suite was opened to zip out.

  “I don’t understand,” Sylvan said frowning. “This is not what we were told to expect.”

  “But look at their faces.” Far gestured weakly at the Unmated Males area where more and more of the possessed males were coming awake and staring up at the shining, hovering amulet. “Clearly they fear it. You should let it in.”

  “I don’t know…” Sylvan shook his head. “If I let down the shield barrier even for a moment and they get out—”

  “Commander…” Far laid a hand on his arm. “I think…think you’re going to have to take a chance.”

  “Far?” Sylvan looked at him more closely, an expression of concern on his strong features. “Are you well? You look significantly worse than the last time I saw you. When this is over I want you to the Med center for a completely workup.”

  “Yes, Commander.” Far sketched a weak salute. “But in the meantime, you need to let the amulet in to do its…its job.” He faltered and almost fell but Truth held him up.

  “Steady, Brother,” he muttered, gripping Far more tightly. “The bonding took a lot out of him,” he explained to Sylvan.

  “Far, honey, are you okay?” Becca came to stand on the light twin’s other side. His skin felt cold which worried her even more. “Hang in there, all right? We’re going to get you to the doctor as soon as this is done.”

  “Of course.” Far gave her a tired, weak smile that made her heart clench in her chest. She was about to insist that they get him to the med center now instead of later when she heard Sylvan shouting at the warriors guarding the area.

  “Hold your ground and be wary. The shield barrier is coming down!”

  There were grumbles of disbelief but before anyone could become more vocal, Sylvan pressed a control on a small hand-held device and the shimmering, iridescent shield suddenly ceased to exist.

  At once the amulet, shining like a star, zipped into the Unmated Males area. The possessed males who saw it, tried to run, tripping and stumbling, their glowing red eyes filled with horror.

  “No!” one screamed in a high, inhuman voice. “The star—the star of purity! It has returned!”

  “They’re getting out—getting away!” one of the Kindred who was guarding the area shouted.

  “Hold your fire—do not shoot your brethren,” Sylvan roared. “Wait—let the amulet work!”

  Becca watched, breathless, wondering what the amulet would do. Would it chase down every single possessed warrior or would it—

  Her question was abruptly answered when the amulet rose almost to the high ceiling of the Unmated Males area. The humming it had been making swelled to a single, high, perfect note so beautiful it brought tears to her eyes. Then suddenly it erupted into a thousand piercing rays of brilliant white light. The beams shot out in all directions, raining down on the possessed males who were scrambling madly to get away.

  “Mother of God,” she whispered as she saw first one, then dozens, then hundreds of the unmated males pierced by the beams. It looked like they were all being shot with impossibly bright lasers which stopped them dead in their tracks and passed right through them.

  Then, horribly, the possessed males began to scream. They stayed where they were, impaled by light, their bodies contorted into rigid postures of agony while high, terrible shrieks and howls ripped from their throats.

  “Goddess,” Truth muttered. “It’s killing them!”

  “I don’t think so—look!” Becca gestured to a male who was closer to them than the rest. The huge Kindred body was doubled over and shaking, almost as though the male was having some kind of a fit. The laser beam of brilliant white coming from the amulet seemed to fill him until he glowed from within and Becca almost thought she could see his bones. Then, suddenly, he shot upright, threw back his head, and gave a high, ululating shriek.

  As the sound left his mouth, so did something else—a dark cloud that seemed to be vaguely shaped like a person. It turned to look at Becca for a moment, its eyes glowing red and filled with malevolence. For a second she thought it was headed in their direction and she drew back in fear. But then the cloud was tugged away, sucked in the opposite direction.

  Becca looked to see what was happening and saw that the dark cloud was being pulled towards the chunk of black shadow stone, like a line of iron filings being drawn to a magnet.

  “Oh my goodness—look!” she gasped as the black cloud with its glowing red eyes disappeared and many other similar clouds followed. “They really are being pulled into the stone!”

  “It’s working,” Sylvan said in a low voice. “Look—the unmated males are waking up—coming back to themselves.”

  It was true, Becca saw. The male she’d just watched become unpossessed was shaking his head and rubbing his neck. He shook out his arms and stretched like a man who had just spent a long night in a very cramped position. When he looked up at Becca, his eyes were clear with no trace of red in them. There was a look of confusion on his face but also joy, as though he had been on a long, troubling journey but had finally returned home.

  Becca felt a surge of delight. He was free of the unclean spirit that had been using him as a host—he had his body and his life back. Even though she didn’t know this warrior, she wanted to hug him and welcome him back to the land of the living.

  “Look,” she whispered, a lump in her throat. “The demon that was in him is gone—he’s going to be okay.”

  “I guess it was right to lower the shield wall, after all,” Truth murmured. “You were right, Brother…Brother? Far?”

  The panic in his voice made Becca realize that it had been a while since the light twin had spoken. And now that she thought if it, she couldn’t feel any emotion coming from him either. She turned toward him, feeling like she was moving in slow motion, and saw to her horror that his eyes were closed and he was sagging against Truth.

  “Far? Far, can you hear me?” Truth slapped him lightly on the cheek but got no response.

  “Let me see him.” Sylvan was suddenly right beside them. “Lower him down to the ground—let me examine him,” he commanded.

  Truth and Becca laid the long, limp form out on the grass and watched as Sylvan examined him.

  You looked away, a little voice inside her head yammered. You looked away and now he’s gone. He slipped away and you didn’t even notice because you did the one thing you promised you wouldn’t do—you took your eyes off him. This is your fault—your fault!

  Becca pushed the evil little voice away. No, can’t think like that! Far’s okay. He’s just tired.

  “He just fainted, right?” she demanded, her voice shaking. “I mean, he’ll be all right—he has to be! Please, Commander Sylvan!”

  To her horror, Sylvan sat back on his heels, an expression of deep sorrow on his face. He looked up at Truth, who was watching silently, and then at Becca and slowly shook his head.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “But Far is gone. He’s dead.”

  Chapter Forty-six

  “No.” Becca shook her head, denying his words. “No, you’re wrong, Sylvan! Check again! You have to check him again!” She could hear the hysteria in her own voice but she couldn’t seem to stop it.

  Truth, who was kneeling beside his brother’s body, reached over and pressed two fingers to the s