Vivian set the digital book down on the copilot’s chair when the comm rang through. Her feet were propped up on the terminal of her little ship, and she was beginning to feel sleepy.

“Did you get the peyote?” Beck asked.

The speakers of the little box-shaped freighter, Cudgel, chimed. It made a high pitched whistling sound, alerting the two men sitting inside the haphazardly-converted shipping bay that they had received a new message.

“Is it heavy?”

“When I went to the market today they didn’t even have bread.”

“Do you think they are staring at us because of how we smell?” William asked.

They drove in silence for a few hours, finally stopping at a hotel a few cities away. The roads held little traffic at this time of night, and if anyone outside Raven’s Peak knew what had happened, they didn’t let on. It seemed too quiet.

Abigail watched in horror when Haatim disappeared into the crevice. It seemed like watching through a blurry window, as she remained only vaguely aware of her surroundings. Still locked in mortal combat with the demon, it tried to finish crushing her.

“We need to go,” Frieda grabbed Haatim’s arm and tried to draw him back into the car. “It’s over.”