Elly jumped into her car in a state of maddened rage and sped off. What Joe had said on the phone was driving her insane. Was the man she had grown up with, playing among books, the man she had fallen in love with through their first excitements, now using that ancient knowledge against her? She tried to shake off her anger and focus on the road. Her eyes were constantly on the rearview mirrors, watching for anyone following her.
Her destination was clear, the great demon castle carved into the mountain. Even the thought of returning to that cursed place after all these years filled her with dread. The last time they had attempted this madness, they had been two sixteen year olds and had barely escaped with their lives. Because from the foothills of the mountain onward, with poisonous nee
