We had to find the right spot under the moon for this spell to work. Henry had explained to me that the moon controls the witches' magic and makes it more powerful, and if we don't get this spell just right, then we have no hope of Carter and Leon returning to the world. My body was still healing, and unfortunately, I wasn't as strong as I hoped I would be by now.

"Are we there yet?" I groaned to Callan as I climbed off his back and let him stretch out his body. He had been carrying me for miles now.

"It's just up ahead." Callan said, pointing to a clearing in front of us. "How's the leg?" He cracked his neck and stretched his arms over his head, releasing a groan of pure satisfaction. "That feels good." He smiled proudly to himself.

"I'm glad." I smiled back. "My leg is feeling ok. Thanks for helping me." I touched his arm. "And thanks for not making a big deal about the human girl getting tired again thing back there."

"Anytime." He winked, stretching his muscular arms to the side. "We should be safe here for a rest. Sit down and have a drink before everything gets started."

"What about those rogue creature things from before. Are we in danger?" I looked around the forest and felt my heart started to beat faster.

"We are surrounded by the king's army, Ebony. We are safe." Callan scoffed, pointing to Henry's army surrounding us in their armor and holding mighty big swords. "Look at those big bastards. They could  eat you in one bite if they wanted. Just chomp! No more Ebony."

"Oh, well, that's reassuring." I looked around the dark forest nervously again. "I feel really safe now."

"You're welcome." Callan winked and gave a wicked deep laugh.

"Yo Callan, I just meet the girl of dreams, man. She's totally into me." Jake ran to Callan's side. "She is gorgeous, and she wants me like right now."

"I know, right. These witches are crazy horny." Callan gave Jake a high five.

"Not every girl wants to have sex with you. You know that, right?" I said, raising my eyebrow at them. "You understand that?"

"How dare you!" Jake said, making a dramatic face at me. "Look at me! Who would not want to be with this masterpiece?" Jake gestured to his body.

"You do nothing for me, mate." Callan said, shaking his head. "Not a damn thing."

"You tell yourself that." Jake blew a kiss at Callan who instantly punched Jake in the stomach. I rolled my eyes at them as they started to hit each other and throw all their testosterone into the air like monkeys fling poop.

"Enough, both of you! Why do you assume all these witches want you anyway?"

"I think these answer that question." Callan flexed his muscles at me and posed like a superhero.

"We actually want more than that. You know like maybe...Oh, never mind. You're not listening to me anyway." I sighed loudly watching them both eye off the young witches and continue to show off their muscular frames. "Why do I even bother?"

"Hello, beautiful. Where have been all my life?" Jake cooed to some brunette witch learning on a tree. "Let's get to know each other a little better..." he walked over to her fixing his hair.

"Seriously?" I looked at Callan. "What is it with these witches. You are all losing your damn minds."

"Don't be jealous." Callan smiled sweetly at me.

"You did not just say that to me! Jealous? Of what?" I stood up and hobbled over to him. "Jealous, my ass." I hit him on arm. "Are you all possessed or something?"

"Okay, Okay!" He rubbed his arm. "Ouch. That actually hurt. The reason might be because they are locked away in their cave until proven worthy by their elder, so when they are set free again, they basically do anything. Like literally anything anywhere anytime ...." Callan stopped talking as he watched a group of young witches waving at him and blowing kisses into the air. "Hello, ladies." He winked and once again flexed his muscles as he smiled.

I sighed loudly and cleared my throat.

"What?" Callan said, suddenly coming out of his trance. "Oh shit, Ebony. I completely forgot you were there."

"Awww, every girl wants to hear that." I battered my eyelashes at him.

"What?" Callan mumbled as his eyes trailed off to the young witches again. "What did you...Who?" Callan was once again in a trance with the young pretty girls.

"Ebony, cover your ears for a minute," Jake said, walking back towards us.

"Why?"

"I want to tell Callan what I just did back there with that smoking hot ...." I didn't hear the rest of Jake's conversation as I just rolled my eyes and walked away. I didn't need to hear another conversation about that. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second to cleanse my mind, but that was impossible around here and I bumped into someone in my path. My eyes sprung open in fear as I looked up into the eyes of a stranger.

"Are you okay, miss?" The stranger said in front of me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." I stuttered to a very tall, dark, and handsome vampire next to me. "I'm so sorry..."

"No need to apologize. It was completely my fault. You must be Ebony? King Henry has told me much about you."

"He has?" I looked up into his very dark brown almost black eyes.

"Of course. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Anthony, but most vampires call me Tony. I am the king's advisor, and you are Miss Ebony Summers of the human world." He bowed his head to me.

"Tony, it's an nice to meet you." I shook his hand before we continued walking.

"The king tells me it was you who was trapped in this parallel world we are about to open and that it is your beloved who is trapped inside?"

"Carter Morgan, yes. Do you know him?"

"Only by reputation, I'm afraid. He is a legend in our world. I'm honored to be assisting him and his brother tonight." Tony said nodding his head.

"Thank you. I just want him home safely. He has been through so much, and I'm really worried about him. I just hope he is alright." I felt my heart hurt as I thought about Carter.

"If the stories about him are true, then I can assure you he will never give up the fight. He will be with you again soon."

I just nodded my head. "I hope so."

"Ebony, we are here," Henry yelled as he ran towards me. "We can start the spell here according to the witches. This is good news but you must take cover until I know everything is going as planned. I don't want you in any danger. Not again."

"Danger? Other than being in the vampire world surrounded by rogue flesh-eating creatures, what could possibly go wrong?" I scoffed.

"That's the thing, Ebony. I don't know. The world we are about to open contains the darkness that nearly destroyed our world and yours. I can only hope that Carter and Leon have it under control long enough for us to pull them out safely and...." he paused for a moment. "I have no idea what state Carter is going to be in. I mean, he has literally just gotten out of hell, and he is very weak. I just want you to be prepared for anything." Henry reached out and touched my shoulder. "But I will do my very best to make sure they both return to our world no matter what. I owe Carter that."

"I know you will." I put my hand on top of his. "Thank you."

"It won't be long now, I promise." Henry whispered leaned in close to me. "You have my word."

"Hey, hey, lookout. That's my job, buddy boy. Only enough room for one creepy vampire here." Jake's said, pulling me from Henry.

"Eww, don't touch me until you have washed your hands." I pushed Jake away from me.

"Calm down. I didn't even need my hands." Jake smiled beside me. "See, perfectly clean." He flashed his hands in front of me and winked proudly.

"Ewww," I said, shaking my head. "I don't need to know these things."

"You're the one who friend-zoned me, so this is what you get." He patted me on the back. "You had your chance at me, and you refused."

"Yet, you never gave up." I smiled.

"I'm never one to give up on a challenge, my friend. You should know that by now. Besides, I've moved on to bigger and better things." He smiled in my face and turned slowly to look Henry. "So, what's the plan here, big boy?" Jake winked at a very uncomfortable looking Henry.

"Ummm, well, you take cover with Ebony, and Callan will assist the witches with the spell. I will stand with the army and await whatever comes through that portal." Henry said with a stern look on his face ignoring Jake's puppy dog eyes at him.

"Got it," Jake said, taking my hand and pulling me away.

"You are making him very uncomfortable with your flirting," I said, looking back at Henry as he spoke to Tony.

"I know, and it's hilarious," Jake said, pulling me closer to him. "We will stay behind the trees and wait." He instructed. "Whatever happens, you need to wait until the portal is closed. No running off being a fucken hero, Ebony. You stay here until the portal is closed."

"Yes, I know the drill."

"Do you? Because every other time I've told you to do something, you do the opposite."

"I do not."

"You do."

"I do not."

"Ya. Do."

"You are so damn annoying."

"Am not." He smiled.

"Are too." I tried not to laugh.

"I'm serious, though, Eb. This time you have to wait until we have the all-clear. We have no idea what is about to happen, and you could get sucked right back into that world for good."

"I get it. I promise I'll stay right here." I said, watching the witches take their position in the circle. "Where is Callan?"

"He's with the witch elder. They have to use his blood to open the world."

"He's the blood sacrifice?"

"Yeah, it's the blood that connects to Carter and Leon. Once the blood has connected with them, they can open the portal and pull them both out."

"This sounds dangerous."

"It's black magic, Ebony. What did you think they were going to use? Fairy floss?" He rolled his eyes.

"Will he be okay?"

"Yeah, he's a big boy. He'll be fine. A little light-headed but fine." He grinned.

I sighed as I watched Callan walk out with the witch elder and all of the young witches dropped to their knees as they approached.

"He is gonna get so much ass after this," Jake said with wide eyes.

"Welcome, everyone." The witch elder called through the forest. "Tonight, we ask our past sisters to watch over us and protect us from the evil that may face us, and we pray that Master Carter and Leon return to us undamaged. I would also like to thank Master Callan here for volunteering his blood to our ancestors so we can safely retrieve our missing brothers." She bowed her head to Callan. "Can I ask that everyone please take their positions so we can begin?"

I watched as the witches stood up and joined hands in their circle. The witch elder-led Callan to the middle of the circle and took his hand in hers.

"Sisters, begin." The witch elder instructed, and the air was suddenly filled with the sound of their chanting, and the forest seemed to fall still as they got louder.

"We ask you fallen sisters to protect us tonight as we open the door to another world. We ask that you accept this boy's blood for the safe return of his family." The witch elder pulled out a knife from her robe and held it up over her head. "Accept this blood and return them to us tonight." She yelled right before she plunged the knife into Callan's hand.

I gasped as I watched Callan's black blood pour to the ground but he did not move a muscle.

"Protect them sisters from the evil and return them to us." The witch elder yelled as she dropped to her knees in the pool of black blood. "The time is now." She cried, looking up to the pitch-black sky.

I felt the ground beneath me rumble as lightning struck the earth around us. The ice-cold wind that I had felt in the other world was suddenly around me, and the sound of thunder above us made me jump. I looked over at Jake, who was as calm as a cucumber.

"Here it comes." He smiled as the lightning hit the ground once more, and the portal suddenly flashed open in the sky above the witches as they chanted louder.

"Sisters, protect us as we call for our fallen brothers. Bring them to us once more." The witch elder cut her hand with the knife, and her red blood dropped to the ground with Callan's as the portal flashed open above them. "Hear us fallen brothers and return to us." She yelled as the trees started to sway with the pull of the portal.

"NOW." The witch elder demand.

I watched in awe as someone was suddenly pulled out of the portal and landed with a thud on the ground. Leon stood up and rubbed his head as he looked around confused.

"There is some resistance here. Brother, you must return before the portal closes for good. No magic, no matter how dark, will ever be able to reopen this portal once it has closed. I beg you to return home to your loved ones now." The witch elder yelled into the portal.

I watched as the portal started to become smaller.

"Now. You must leave that world now." She begged as she stood up. "We can not hold it open any longer."

I watched as the portal flashed in the night sky. The lightning struck the ground once more as the portal started to become even smaller. I watched as Leon ran towards the portal once more and yelled something into it.

"Listen to your brother. You must return now." The witch elder yelled.

"Jake, What is happening?" I cried out.

"I don't know." He said nervously.

"NOW, BROTHER." Leon bellowed as a dark figure suddenly came shooting out of the portal along with what looked like a large shadow right behind him.

"Carter," I yelled as the portal closed behind him, and the vampire world went silent once more.