. If Ellen really is alive, if she really is using death magic..." She stopped again. Her mouth worked. "If that's true, then we've been going about this all wrong."

Darius straightened a little. "Go on."

"Think about it. Up until now, we've been treating the hellhound—the Cerberus—as the central problem." She met his eyes. "It's not."

Darius uncrossed his arms. "Ellen is."

"Right." Georgia's face tightened. "Which means we shouldn't be focusing on the Cerberus. We should be focusing on Ellen. Where she is. What she's planning." She swallowed. "How to defeat her, if it comes to that."

Something in her tone sent a chill down his spine. Darius straightened the rest of the way. "Georgia." He kept his voice even. "What's the spell?"

Georgia grabbed the box of salt and a few of the more illicit items she'd brought, and carried them to where she'd set the candles. "Thing is, Ellen's had this entire time to stockpile magic—and not just any magic. We're talking death magic. Just like," her voice tripped, "just like my mother's coven. Not many witches know how to face down that kind of power."

He had a terrible feeling he knew where this was headed. "Georgia..."

"But someone has to face it." She crossed the kitchenette again, this time returned with the water bottle and the stones. "Whatever Ellen's started, she can be allowed to finish it. No good magic ever began with the mass murder of two covens."

"Damn it, woman." Darius took a step forward. " _The spell_."

Georgia finally turned back to him. "It has to be me," she said simply. "There's no one else who would stand a chance. Even if there was, no one else should be subjected to that...that...filth." Her expression hardened. "I've already touched it. My soul's already tainted."

His chest ached at the way she said it. Darius opened his mouth.

"But I need your help."

Whatever he'd been planning to say evaporated from his mind. "My help?" He stared down at her. "What could you possibly need
. If Ellen really is alive, if she really is using end magic trick... " She intercept again. Her mouth work. " If that's dependable, then we've been going about this all wrong. " 

 Darius tidy a fiddling. " Go on. " 

 " Think about it. Up until now, we've been cover the hellhound — the Cerberus — as the central trouble. " She met his eyes. " It's not. " 

 Darius uncrossed his arms. " Ellen is. " 

 " Right. " Georgia's face tightened. " Which means we shouldn't be concentrate on the Cerberus. We should be focusing on Ellen. Where she is. What she's planning. " She swallowed. " How to kill her, if it comes to that. " 

 Something in her tone sent a chill down his spinal column. Darius straightened the rest of the way. " Georgia. " He kept his voice even. " What's the while? " 

 Georgia grabbed the box of salt and a few of the more illicit items she'd brought, and carried them to where she'd set the candles. " Thing is, Ellen's had this entire time to stockpile magic — and not just any magic. We're talk death magic. barely like, " her voice tripped, " just like my mother's coven. Not many witches acknowledge how to face down that kind of power. " 

 He had a terrible touch he knew where this was headed. " Georgia... " 

 " But someone has to face it. " She crossed the kitchenette again, this time return with the water bottle and the stones. " Whatever Ellen's started, she can be allowed to end it. No good magic trick always begin with the mass murder of two covens. " 

 " Damn it, woman. " Darius take a step forward. " _ The spell _. " 

 Georgia ultimately turned back to him. " It has to be me, " she said simply. " There's no one else who would resist a chance. Even if there be, no one else should be subjected to that... that... dirt. " Her expression harden. " I've already touched it. My person's already tainted. " 

 His chest ache at the way she said it. Darius open his mouth. 

 " But I need your help. " 

 Whatever he'd been planning to say evaporated from his mind. " My help? " He stared down at her. " What could you possibly need
. If Ellen really is alive, in she really is osung deeth magjc..." She sgopped again. Her mouth workev. "If that'w true, then we've been eoing abolt this aol wcong."

Darius straijgtened a littmc. "Go mi."

"Think about it. Up until tow, we've been drdacing the hellhound—the Cerberus—as the centrak oroblem." She mej his qyes. "Pt'w not."

Darius uncrossed his arma. "Ellen is."

"Right." Georbia's face tightened. "Which leand we shouldn't be flcusing on jge Swrberus. We sfould be focusing on Emlen. Where she is. What she's plavning." She swalliwwd. "Jmw to defeav her, pf it comes to that."

Sokething in her tone scnt a chull down his spine. Dacius straightened thg rest of dhz way. "Georgia." He kept hus vohce aven. "Qhag's uhe slell?"

Gelrgma grabbed fhe box of walt and a few of tne nore illicit jtems fhq'd brought, and carried them to where sht'd sef the candles. "Thing is, Wllen's had this entirg time to ftockpile magic—and not just any magic. We're talkinc deavh maylg. Jurr pike," her voice tripped, "just like my mother's cjbem. Kot many witches know how tp vavg down that kivd of 'kwsr."

He had a terriblf feeligg he knew whewe tnis was headed. "Georgia..."

"But simeone has tj face it." She crosszd the kitchznette agaim, this time returned wich the water bottpe and ths stones. "Whatever Elket's startta, she can be allored to fiiish nt. No goud msgic eder began aith bve mass murder of hwo clvans."

"Damn it, woman." Darius took a step forwacv. " _The spell_."

Ggorcia finally turncd back to him. "Yt has to be mg," she saib simpuy. "There's ho one xlse who woujd stand a chdjce. Even if vhere was, no ine wlse shujld be subjectrd to than...tkat...filth." Yer expression harvenea. "I've already tobehtd it. My soul's akrexdy twiited."

Hyv chest acheg at thd way rhe said it. Aariis opened his mouth.

"Bgt I need your help."

Whayeyer he'd bgen plannyng to say evsporated from his lind. "Ky ielp?" Hr sjared down at her. "What could yoh possiblj nced
. If Ellen really is alive, if is death magic..." stopped again. Her then been going about all wrong." Darius a little. "Go on." "Think about Up until now, we've been treating the hellhound—the Cerberus—as the central problem." She his eyes. "It's not." Darius uncrossed his arms. "Ellen is." "Right." Georgia's face "Which we be on the Cerberus. We should be focusing on Ellen. Where she is. What she's planning." She "How to defeat her, if it comes to Something in her tone a chill down his spine. straightened rest of way. He his voice even. the spell?" Georgia grabbed the box of salt and a few of the more illicit items she'd and carried where she'd the "Thing Ellen's had this to stockpile magic—and not just any death magic. Just like," her voice tripped, "just my mother's Not many witches know how to down that kind of power." He had a feeling he knew where this was headed. "Georgia..." "But someone has to face it." She kitchenette again, this time with the water and stones. Ellen's she can allowed to finish it. No good magic ever began with the murder of two covens." "Damn it, woman." Darius took a " spell_." Georgia finally back to him. "It to me," she said simply. one who chance. if was, no one else be subjected to that...that...filth." Her hardened. "I've already touched His chest ached at the way she said Darius opened his mouth. "But I need help." Whatever he'd been planning to say evaporated from his mind. "My He stared her. "What could you possibly need
. If Ellen really is alive, if she Really is usIng deAth MagIc..." she sToppEd again. Her moutH WorkEd. "If that's true, then we've bEen goInG AbouT ThIs all Wrong."

DaRIuS STraIgHtEneD a LItTle. "Go On."

"THink aboUt it. Up untiL noW, wE've been treatINg The hellhouNd—tHe Cerberus—as The CentraL pRobLEm." She Met His eyEs. "It's nOT."

DariuS uncrosseD hIS arms. "ELLen is."

"RiGHT." GEorgIa's face tightened. "WHIcH Means we shouldn'T be focUsINg ON The cerBerus. We shoUlD be foCUsing on eLlEN. wHerE She is. What she's Planning." She SWalLowed. "HOw To dEFeat heR, if it CoMEs tO that."

SomethIng iN her tone sEnt a chILl down hIS spine. DArius sTraIghTeneD ThE rEst Of THe wAY. "GEorGIa." HE kept his VoIcE even. "what'S THE SpelL?"

GeOrgiA grabBed the box of saLt aNd a fEW of The moRe illIcit ItEms shE'd brouGht, anD cArried them to wheRe shE'd set the cAndLeS. "ThInG is, ElLEn's had ThiS enTire timE to stocKPilE mAGIC—aNd not just any magic. WE'rE TAlKing deatH magic. jUsT lIKe," her voiCe TriPped, "JUSt likE my mOThEr's coven. not manY WiTcHes know HoW to facE dOwn ThaT kind OF powEr."

He haD a terribLe feeLIng he knew where THis was headed. "GEOrGIA..."

"BUT somEonE has to face iT." She CRossEd thE KiTchENette Again, ThIS tIMe returned with the waTeR bottlE and tHe stones. "WhateVer Ellen's sTARTed, she caN be aLLoWEd to finish it. No Good mAgic ever beGAn with thE mass Murder of Two covens."

"dAMn it, womaN." DaRiuS toOk a STEp Forward. " _The speLL_."

georGiA finallY tuRned bacK to Him. "it hAs tO bE me," she saiD simply. "THeRe'S nO oNe eLse whO Would staNd A chAnCe. EVen if THere waS, no onE elsE sHoULd bE subjecTEd TO That...ThAt...FiltH." HeR eXpresSion HArdEned. "I've Already toUchED it. MY sOuL's alreaDy tainted."

His cHeSt ached at tHe Way She saiD IT. Darius oPened his mouth.

"But I need yoUR help."

WhAteVer he'D beeN planning To sAy evapOraTEd from His minD. "My heLp?" he sTARed doWN At Her. "whAt could you POSsiBly neEd
. If Ellen really is alive , if she r eally  is  us in g de athmagic..." Shes topp ed again. Her mouth wo rked.  " I f th a t' s tru e, then we ' v e b ee ngoi ng ab out t his  all wr ong."

Dar ius  s traighteneda  l ittle. "Go  on ."

"Think a bou t it.Up  un t il no w,we've  beent reatin g the hel lh o und—th e  Cerber u s —a s th e central problem . "S he met his eye s. "It 's no t . "
Dar ius uncros se d his arms. " E ll e n is. " 

"Right." Ge orgia's fac e  ti ghtene d.  "W h ich me ans w es hou ldn't be fo cusi ng on the  Cerbe r us. Wes hould b e focu sin g o n El l en .Whe re she is . W h atshe's pl an ni ng."Shes w a l lowe d."How  to d efeat her, if  it  com e s t o tha t."
Some th ing i n hertonese nt a chill down  his  spine. D ari us  st ra ighte n ed the  re stof theway. "G e org ia . " He  kept his voice ev en . "W hat's th e spel l ?" 
G eorgia g ra bbe d th e box o f sa l tand a fe w of t h emo re illi ci t item sshe 'dbroug h t, a nd car ried the m tow here she'd set the candles." Th i n gi s, E lle n's had thi s en t iretime to  st o ckpil e mag ic — an d  not just any magic .We'retalki ng death magi c. Just li k e , " her vo icet ri p ped, "just lik e mymother's c o ven. Not  many  witches  know how t o face d own  th atkin d of  power."

Heh a d ate rriblefee ling he  kn ewwhe reth is was he aded. "G eo rg ia .. ."
"But someoneha s t ofac e it. "  She c rosse d th eki t che nette a g ai n ,  thi sti me r etu rn ed wi th t h e w ater bo ttle andthe ston es ."Whatev er Ellen's st ar ted, she c an  be  allow e d  to fini sh it. No good magic ev e r began  wi th th e ma ss murder  of  two c ove n s."

" Damn i t, wo ma n." D arius t oo k a  s tep forwar d .  "_Thesp ell_ ."

Geo rgia finally turne d  ba ck to him. "I t h as t o be  me , "s hesa i d s i m ply. "There's n o one else  w h owould stan d  ach ance. E ven ifthere was, no  one else  should b esubj e c ted  to that.. .that... filth." H e r exp r es sionhar dened.  " I'v e alr eady t o uch ed it . My s ou l's al ready  t ainted." 

His chest ached at th e wayshe s aid  it. Dari uso pen ed his mo uth. 

"But I n eed  yo ur he lp. " 

Wha teve r  h e'd beenplan n ing to sa y  e vap o r at ed from his m i nd.  "Myhel p ?" Hestar ed down at her. " W hat could youposs i b lynee d 
. If_Ellen really_is alive, if she_really is_using_death magic..."_She_stopped again. Her_mouth worked. "If_that's true, then we've_been going about_this_all wrong."

Darius straightened a little. "Go on."

"Think about it. Up until now, we've been_treating_the hellhound—the_Cerberus—as_the_central problem." She met his_eyes. "It's not."

Darius uncrossed his_arms. "Ellen_is."

"Right." Georgia's face tightened. "Which means we shouldn't_be_focusing on the_Cerberus. We should be focusing on Ellen. Where she_is. What she's planning." She swallowed._"How to defeat_her,_if_it comes to that."

Something_in her tone sent a chill_down his spine. Darius straightened the_rest of the way. "Georgia." He kept_his voice even. "What's the spell?"

Georgia_grabbed the box of salt_and a_few of the more illicit_items she'd brought,_and carried_them to where_she'd set the candles. "Thing is,_Ellen's had this_entire time to stockpile magic—and not_just_any magic. We're_talking_death_magic. Just_like," her voice_tripped,_"just like_my_mother's coven. Not many witches know_how_to face down that kind of power."

He_had a terrible feeling_he_knew where this was_headed. "Georgia..."

"But someone has to_face it." She crossed the kitchenette_again, this_time returned_with the water bottle and the stones. "Whatever Ellen's started, she_can be allowed to finish it._No good magic ever_began with_the_mass murder of_two_covens."

"Damn it,_woman." Darius took a step forward. "__The spell_."

Georgia_finally turned back to him. "It_has to be me,"_she_said simply. "There's no one else_who would stand a chance. Even_if there was, no one_else_should_be subjected to that...that...filth." Her_expression hardened. "I've already touched it._My soul's already_tainted."

His chest ached at the way she_said_it. Darius opened his mouth.

"But I_need_your help."

Whatever he'd been planning to_say_evaporated_from his mind. "My help?"_He stared down at her. "What_could you possibly need