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the hands folded in her lap. They were glowing again, and she had no control over it. She took a deep breath and met Jules frightened eyes. Paden turned around in his seat to see what was going on.
    “I'm not sure what’s happening, but we really need to get to the dock soon.” Paden looked at her hands and his face shifted. Something in his eyes flashed from worried to dangerous. His gaze shifted to Bryce, and his tone was commanding. “When we get to the next stoplight, slow down and let me out. Take everyone else to the dock.”
    “No, no, no. There is no way you are getting out of this car!” Bryce yelled frustrated.
    “Listen, I think I can handle them. I need to do this,” Paden said his voice tight. “I can't let them get to Ree.”
    Ree’s heart did a little leap in her chest when he spoke of her. He was trying to protect her at the cost of his own safety. She couldn't let him do that! Just as she was about to tell him hell no, Bryce answered for her.
    Bryce turned onto Waters Avenue, the tires screeching, and hit the child-lock button on his door. “No one gets out right now. And no one is getting to Ree or anyone else.” As they drove down the busy road passing other streets, Ree could feel the power begin to leak from her fingertips. Almost like she could no longer hold it all bottled up. She concentrated on holding it inside and trying to stay calm. Juliette's hand on her arm was soothing, but it did nothing to stop the pain building in her head and chest. The heat in the pit of her soul was still growing, still trying to escape. She felt like there were things pushing on her every time they neared another car or passed a busy store. It was like walking through cobwebs that clung to you as you tried to brush them away. You couldn’t see them, but you could feel them sticking to your face and arms. Now that they were in the coastal neighborhood the feeling stayed, constantly pulling and weighing on her. Emotions warred inside of her head, varying from anger, to amusement, to fatigue, to elation. That by itself might push her over the edge of reason.
    When they turned onto Shipyard Road, a black Mercedes sped out of the dark, slipping quietly between them and the red Eclipse.  The smaller car swerved to avoid the larger sedan, but the Mercedes continued to block its path.
    “Is that guy on our side?” Weylin demanded. “Or just on crack?”
    The Mercedes slammed on its brakes and spun to the side, completely blocking the little red car.
    Ree looked out the window and her eye swirled like silver mercury. She felt the being in the black car open its door and rush the others. She knew whoever was protecting them wasn’t human, but also didn’t carry that evil feeling that would make her skin crawl.
    “Holy crap!” Melanie said loudly. “He totally cut them off for us!”
    “Let's hope it buys us enough time. We're close now.” Bryce turned the car down a small private road, and she could see the glint of silver in the distance that must be water. Paden continued to watch behind them, refusing to take his eyes away from the immediate threat.
    “There's a boat,” Bryce said. He slammed the SUV into park next to several expensive models under a shelter. “Paden, Ree, you talk to the guy on the boat. I hope he’s expecting us.”
    Everyone bailed out of the vehicle and rushed down the large wooden pier. Ree looked back over her shoulder, but could see nothing through the shadows other than a large Victorian house. When they neared the boat, a large man with a thick beard motioned them to hurry.
    “Come on, then. I've been waiting. We got worried when Roland called to tell us that you guys had company.”

 
     
 
     
Chapter 6
     

     
    No one said anything, just climbed into the boat. Paden and Weylin helped push off the dock and they were out in the water, heading into the dark. It was the biggest boat Ree had ever been on, much bigger than her grandfather’s bass boat. The large hull