I held the Talisman up and called out, “Lord of all creation, hear me! I summon your sacred elements! Let their powers be my powers; let their justice be my justice; let their light shine on me!”

A crack of electricity leaped from the sparkling jewel.

“I serve the living waters and the eternal fire,” I cried. “I claim my right to approach the sacred flame!” Everything began to spin and I seemed to fall a long way, falling endlessly. Then I was alone in the deep cavern of crystal that I had seen before. The pillar of fire twisted and turned in front of me, and a voice spoke from its depths.

“You are welcome, sister. You may approach.”

I plunged the Talisman into the heart of the flame and cried, “I release you!”

And then…and then…I was light and air and fire. I was all my past and all my future. I was myself and yet I was Agnes too. She was standing by my side, and I had her memories, her thoughts, her knowledge. Scenes from her life flashed through my mind at top speed. As Agnes, I seemed to feel again the joy of Sebastian’s return from his journey abroad; I saw him press the Book into my hands; I felt the touch of his kiss; I felt the pain that Agnes felt as he descended into the dark. I saw everything through her eyes. I understood everything. I forgave everything, as Agnes had done before me.

The fire burned inside me. Now I knew every one of its secrets; I understood its powers that would heal and cleanse, bringing life and strength. But I knew more than that. The fire of our desires…the power of love…stronger than life…stronger than death… Now I knew what Agnes had preserved in the Talisman. She had no anger for Sebastian’s weaknesses and mistakes, only love and forgiveness. I turned to the girl at my side and said wonderingly, “Your real power…it’s love, isn’t it? All along, all this time, that was it….”

“Yes,” said Agnes. “Love is the greatest power of all, and it can never be corrupted. You cannot snatch Sebastian from the Unconquered by giving him immortal life, which would make him as evil as they are. I could not do this. You cannot do this. That is not the way. The Talisman bestows other gifts.”

“But what can I do to save him?” I begged.

“Love him,” she said simply. “It is enough. Let your love show you the way.”

Love. A light in the darkness that can never be destroyed. The only reality.

My reality.

The next moment I was kneeling next to Sebastian on the cold ground, and I knew what I had to do.

“Sebastian, listen to me. I’m going to help you. I’m going to give you something.”

His eyes fluttered opened, and he tried to focus on my face.

“I have a gift for you,” I said. “Please take it.” I saw that Sebastian understood what I meant, and was afraid. The Dark Sisters had done this willingly, hoping for a greater gift in return. Laura had been forced to do it, and had paid with her life. But I wanted to do this. No one was forcing me, and I didn’t expect to get anything back. I was doing it freely, from my heart, for Sebastian. Now it was my turn to feed him with my life’s blood, my very soul. “Let me do this for you, Sebastian. It’s the only way.”

“No,” he groaned. “I won’t accept this gift. I won’t let you sacrifice your life for me.”

“I’m not talking about my life. Just one day, that’s all. It will be enough.”

“Enough for what?”

I looked into the blue of his eyes and smiled. “Enough for me to give you my real gift. Please, Sebastian. If you love me, let me do this.”

I grasped the Talisman tightly in my trembling fingers, and its light filled my mind. Unknown words sang in my head. I saw the two of us walking together by a river of endless light. The fire blazed inside me. I leaned forward and kissed Sebastian. At that moment, we knew every secret of each other’s minds; we knew our pasts and our futures; we saw eternity stretching out around us. We knew the truth: The greatest of all the powers is love…. I felt a part of my life’s breath leave me and flow into him. With that long, sweet kiss, I had given Sebastian a day of my life.

When I opened my eyes, the fatigue and pain had gone from Sebastian’s face. He was young and strong again, just for one more day. We were ready to face whatever would come. Together we stepped out of the circle, back to the noise and confusion of the storm-lashed hilltop.

A battle was raging. Helen and Sarah, together with Cal and his riders, were fighting for their lives against the coven. Sarah had torn the earth open and uncovered ancient cairns of weathered stones, and Helen was sending them hurtling down the wind like a shower of hail onto our enemies. But the Dark Sisters were still fighting back, led by their High Mistress. Her hair had fallen around her face, and she was savage with fury and madness. As soon as she saw Sebastian she screamed, “Seize him!”

But even as the crazed words fell from her lips, the thin chimes of the church bell began to float across the valley from the little gray church.

Midnight had come at last.

A deathly chill spread over the hilltop, and a mist rose from the ground. The fighting stopped, and everyone fell silent as a black shape emerged from the gloom. It was the mighty figure of a king that glimmered in the night, as though we were seeing a dark angel reflected in a deep, black pool. His long robes swirled around him like smoke, and he was crowned with tongues of red fire. His face, once gloriously beautiful, was now wholly corrupt, twisted by scorn and hatred. It was the king of the Unconquered, ready to claim his prize.

“This is the hour. Sebastian has failed in his quest. I have come to bind him to the Shadow world as our slave.”

The High Mistress was the first to speak. “No—no, you cannot take him yet,” she protested wildly. “He is mine…leave him to me…. I will make him reach out to grasp immortality, and then eternity shall also be mine…please, just a few more moments, I beg you…”

The Unconquered moved his head slightly toward her. “Silence! You will not deprive me of my prey.”

“But I already have,” I said quietly.

“You?” He turned his terrible glare on me. “What can you have done that would concern me?”

“Sebastian is no longer fading,” I said, trying to speak without fear. “You cannot take him. I have given him one day of my life. He is healed.”

“One day! One day! What will that achieve? In twenty-four short hours I will return and take him then.”

“No, you will never touch him now. Being your equal or being your slave—they are as bad as each other. You are evil and Sebastian is not. He doesn’t belong with you.” I held the Talisman high, and its glittering light made the dark king stagger backward. “My gift for him is greater than you know, and I am stronger than you are. I always will be, because I haven’t forgotten how to love.”

Then the Unconquered blazed with anger and disgust. Sparks fell from his shadowy garments, and his fury made the earth tremble. “Love! Love! You dare speak to me of love?”

“What will be the use of your feeble love when death comes to take you in the end?” said Mrs. Hartle bitterly. “Oh, you are young; you think life will go on forever, but it won’t. Love dies. Hope dies. Everything dies in the end.” She seemed to collapse in front of us, turning into nothing more than a sad, frustrated woman clinging to an impossible dream. “I have given all my life for this moment,” she moaned. “I wanted to live forever, and you promised me, Sebastian Fairfax, that it would happen…you promised us…”

“Death is the gateway to immortal life, not these twisted spells,” said Sebastian. “I was wrong—and you are wrong to cling to this mania that is poisoning the only life you have.”

“What good is life if death will destroy everything I have ever worked for?”

“You have a daughter,” said Sebastian. “After your death, her life will honor yours, and her children—”

“Oh, spare me your sentimental drivel,” she sneered. “‘You can die and rot, but your children will take your place, like little flowers springing up in the sunlight….’ I do not wish anyone to take my place!” Mrs. Hartle suddenly bowed to the Unconquered lord. “If I cannot live forever in this world, take me into your world, I beg you. Take me into your kingdom as your servant. I will be faithful to your sublime powers. I will have immortal life through your greatness.”

“No! Mother—no!” Helen darted forward and tried to drag Mrs. Hartle away.

But the High Mistress twisted from Helen’s touch with a cold laugh. “I don’t need your love, my daughter. You have chosen your path. I have chosen mine. I am the High Mistress—now and forever.” She stepped into the shadows that were swirling around the dark king and threw herself down at his feet. The next moment she gave a terrible cry as his steel-clad hand gripped her throat.

“I will take you in place of the other.” He laughed. “So be it! You will serve me well!”

She fell back, lifeless. A pale figure, like ash, rose from her body and hovered next to the Unconquered and was then sucked into his darkness. The next moment they had gone. Only Mrs. Hartle’s body was left behind, as still as the heart of silence, and her blank eyes stared up into eternity.