Anna’s mobile rings, and when she sees it’s Marna, she begins trembling. I’ve no clue why the sight of her friend’s name would cause her to go pale. But the way she looks up at me tells me something big is going on.

On the other end of the line, Marna is equally distraught. “Anna. She’s still not back and she won’t answer her phone. It’s been more than a day, and I’m too scared to wait any longer. I’m going to her.”

Who’s she going on about? Ginger? I move closer, trying to figure out what’s happening.

“Are there any Dukes in California?” Anna asks me. “Blake’s dad?”

I shake my head. “All the Dukes should be back in their respective areas,” I say. “What’s going on?”

“Is that Kai?” Marna asks. “What’s he doing there?”

“Yes, it’s him,” Anna tells her. She puts the phone to her shoulder and looks at me. “Can you call Blake and see if he answers? We think Ginger’s with him.”

What? That makes no sense. They’d never be so stupid.

I dial Blake and leave him a message telling him to ring me back straightaway.

“I’m going to meet you there,” Anna tells Marna. “I think it’s going to take more than just you to break the two of them apart.”

Wait just a damn minute. They’re going to Santa Barbara?

“I’m going,” I say.

Anna doesn’t argue. She hangs up with Marna and buys tickets, then gets her things together in a rush. Her lips are pursed and there’s obvious sadness in her eyes. Whatever’s going on, she doesn’t want to talk about it, but I need to know.

“Did Gin go mad when she found out Blake’s engaged?” I ask.

She stops and chews the inside of her lip for a second before standing to face me.

“She was upset about that, but it’s not what sent her over the edge.”

“So what did?” What on earth could possibly cause Gin to leave her sister and do something as reckless as shack up with another Neph?

“The twins had a . . . disagreement.” Anna looks scared to death, and I’m starting to get bloody nervous.

“About what?” I ask.

She swallows. “Marna’s pregnant.” The words come out dry and brittle, and I cannot make sense of them. Those two simple words cannot possibly go together. Marna . . . no. NO. There’s been a mistake.

“I sensed it,” Anna whispers. “It’s Jay’s.”

“Bloody hell.” Each of her words slams into me like a bullet and I cannot stand. I fall back onto the bed and grab at my hair as if I might rip the words out of my mind. This cannot be happening. Marna. She’s like a baby sister to me. God, no wonder Anna didn’t want to tell me. We only have Marna for nine more months, and then she’ll be . . . no. I shake my head. I can’t fathom it. I cannot think about Marna in hell.

I raise my heavy eyes to Anna, and my heart sinks further. Her eyes are lowered. Devastated. I think of Jay, how Anna never told him what we were, or that her mother died in childbirth, as all mothers of Neph do. I imagine how she must’ve felt when she sensed the pregnancy, when she had to tell them. Ginger’s reaction would’ve been colossal. I can’t bloody believe this is happening. It’s madness.

“Come here,” I say to her, holding out a hand. I pull her to my lap and she wraps her arms around me. “It’s not your fault.”

She lets out a sob. “It is my fault they got together. I didn’t think they’d move so fast, and if I’d known she could get pregnant—”

“Sh, Anna. Those two always fancied each other, yeah? This whole thing is awful, but you can’t stop the inevitable.”

I hold her a moment longer before she wipes her eyes, pulling herself together. “We’d better go,” she says, standing. “I’ll tell you everything on the plane.”

“Wait,” I say. “How much does Jay know?”

“He knows everything,” she says with downcast eyes.

Everything. That his best friend Anna, along with the girl he’s fallen in love with, are the daughters of demons. That Marna will die in childbirth, because their child will also be a Nephilim. That the baby’s soul will essentially rip Marna’s soul from her body when it’s born. That we’re all fighting for our lives right now. What a thing for Jay to walk into. Poor sodding chap.

Blake and Ginger, two of the most careful Neph I know, have bloody well lost their minds. They’re bunked up in the mansion while his psychotically envious fiancée rages outside the gate. News vans are there to catch it all. He’s a local motocross celebrity whose fabulously rich father has just “died,” and this is what they choose to do?

Yes, they’ve wanted each other for a bloody long time and have always held back. Yes, Ginger’s just found out she’s losing the person she loves most in the world, but getting themselves killed is not the answer. Especially now that the prophecy is on the horizon. It’s no longer about us as individuals. Each ally is important.

I am livid when we finally get inside the gate. I bang on Blake’s front door, but they don’t answer. I bang again. “Open up, idiot! This is bloody stupid!”

Finally they come to the door. They’re clearly lost to their beasts—Blake is feeding off his fiancée’s envy while Ginger gets her kicks off causing Blake to cheat. They’re both half dressed, showing signs of a shag fest with wild hair and flushed skin. For a moment I am jealous they’ve been able to give in to their need for each other, and that jealousy makes me even angrier.

“It’s time to go, Gin,” Marna tells her.

Ginger gives her a malicious stare. “You’re one to talk. I seem to recall that line didn’t work on you.” So, Ginger tried to warn Marna, to get her away from Jay. That makes this all the worse. “I’m quite fine where I am, thanks,” Gin snaps.

“Like hell.” I shove open the door and stride past them, the others following. I slam the door once we’re all inside. I point at Blake. “Have whisperers seen you together?”

“Course not.” He sounds far too blasé, and I want to beat some sense into him.

“You’re bleedin’ lucky!”

“Back off, brah.” He gets in my face. “What, you’re the only one who can be with your girl?”

I want to point out that I haven’t even shagged my girl, but I know this is about more than sex. It’s about the danger of even being seen together, as we are now.

“The Dukes were at their summit when we were together,” I remind him.

Anna tries to intervene and calm us, but Ginger moves in. “Why do you care?” she asks me. Her eyes are wet and hardened.

“Because we’re this close.” I lean toward her, enraged. “This close to fulfilling the prophecy, and the two of you are likely to get yourselves killed!”

“As if you care!” Ginger screams at me. “You only give a shite about yourself. You want everyone to be willing to sacrifice themselves so you can finally be with your precious Anna. Well, I’m not waiting around anymore. I’m taking what I want from this damned life while I can!” Her cheeks have gone red.

“It’s about all of us!” I shout back.

“Oh, right!”

God, this is too like our fights as children, matched in temperament. I’m filled again with a sibling-like sentiment as I let myself feel the ache Ginger must be living with.

I take her by the shoulders. “I don’t want you dead, Gin.”

Her eyes fill with tears. My strong Ginger, who, like me, never cries. “I’ve nothing to live for now, don’t you see? She’ll be gone. My sister is dying! And Blake will be married off to that cow. I’d rather be dead.”

Oh, Gin. I swallow hard and take her into my arms, where she breaks down and lets me hold her up. Marna, sobbing, comes forward, and I open the embrace to include her. I want to fix this for them. It’s all so wrong. Why should mothers of Neph have to die? It’s all shite. Nothing about the life of a Neph makes any sense.

Soon the twins are moving from my arms to embrace each other, their heads buried in each other’s shoulders as they grieve. I rub their backs and swallow again. I know they need this moment, but I turn my head and look around, wondering how long it will take for the whisperers to find us. We can’t stay here. We could ruin everything.