He felt Marsha stiffen slightly next to him. She'd noticed his near slip of the tongue.

Levi tipped his hat to them. "It is very nice to meet you both. Now please, I hope you don't think me rude, but I must know more about what you encountered. Tell me everything. Every detail, no matter how trivial or unimportant it might seem to you."

"We stick around here any longer," Donny said, "and I reckon they'll find us. Trust me, you don't want that to happen. Come on, Mr. Stoltzfus. You can hide with us."

They started to move past him, but Levi stepped in their way.

"Do you both live around here? Are you locals?"

Donny nodded. Marsha said nothing.

"Well, then," Levi continued, "if you care about your town-if you care at all about your family and friends and loved ones-then tell me, quickly, whom you saw and how I can find them. I'm not asking you to come with me. I just want information."

Donny sighed. "Can we at least get under cover? I don't like standing out here in the open."

"Of course," Levi said. "I think that would be best."

They hurried into the nearest yard and hid in the shadows alongside a house. When they were settled, Levi nodded at Donny in encouragement.

"We were standing out in the street," Donny began. "The power went out all across town and then all of the dogs started barking and howling at the same time. Then my cell phone wouldn't work and my truck wouldn't start."

"My cell phone didn't work either," Marsha said.

"Does that happen often? Power outages and your cellular network going down?"

"Not that often," Marsha replied. "I mean, our coverage isn't the best, on account of the mountains and everything, but it's never been like this. And I don't just mean that the network is down. My cell phone is dead. It won't even power up."

"Same with everything else," Donny added. "Flashlights-anything electronic or battery operated seems to be out. It's like somebody set off an EMP inside Brinkley Springs. My truck was just serviced. There's no reason it would have been fucking dead like that."

"I saw two vehicles race by earlier," Levi said. "A car and a truck. But otherwise, the streets have been empty of vehicular traffic."

"But why?"

"I don't know yet. What happened after you lost power?"

"We were...talking." Donny glanced at Marsha as he explained. She lowered her gaze. "The dogs stopped howling and then everybody started screaming. We heard it coming from all over town. Gunshots, too. It sounded like there was a house-to-house battle going on. Then this weird guy appeared."

Marsha shuddered, and Donny was surprised to find himself shivering, as well.

"Go on," Levi urged softly. "Tell me about him."

Donny did, recounting their escape in short, halting sentences. He fought back tears as he told of the slaughter, and the fear and despair they'd both felt in running away and leaving Brandon and the neighbor behind. When he mentioned the strange abilities that the men in black had possessed, he assumed Levi would make fun of him, but the Amish man merely stroked his beard and listened intently, his expression showing no disbelief. When he was finished, Donny felt physically exhausted and emotionally drained. He noticed that Marsha was crying, and he slid his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. The memory of their kiss came to him again. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled like honeysuckle shampoo just as it had when they were in high school. Something stirred inside of him.

"None of this makes any sense," Levi muttered. Donny got the impression that the Amish man was talking to himself rather than to them. When Levi looked up again, he almost seemed surprised that they were still there. "Are you sure you've told me everything?"

"The kiss," Marsha said.

For a moment, Donny thought she was talking about the kiss they'd shared in the bushes, and then he realized what she meant.

"They leaned over each person as they killed them," Donny said. "And then they kissed them."

"Kissed them? How do you mean? A gentle kiss on the forehead to honor their victims in some way?"

"No. This was...obscene. It's like they were sucking the air from their lungs or something."

Levi became alert. His eyes blazed. Donny thought at first that he'd said or done something to anger the man.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Sucking the air from their lungs...or the souls from their bodies?"

Donny shrugged. "I don't know about that."

"It's okay. I do. This still doesn't make sense, but at least now I know what they might possibly be after."

Levi placed a hand on Donny's shoulder, and Donny was surprised at the man's strength. He felt it radiating through him.

"Tell me how to get there," Levi said. "The street where you first encountered them."

"You don't need directions. If you want to find them, just follow the closest scream."

Something fluttered softly in the darkness. All three glanced upward and saw a large black crow perched directly above them atop the eaves of the house. It tilted its head and croaked, almost as if mocking them.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Levi whispered. "It appears that they've found us instead."

Chapter Seven.

The crow cawed again. The sound echoed through the night, loud and obnoxious. Then the bird spread its massive wings and swooped toward them. Donny and Marsha stood transfixed, gaping as it approached. Levi stepped in front of them.

"Stay behind me."

"It's just a bird," Donny said.

"No, it isn't. This is something else."

The crow landed in the yard and then seemed to blur. It grew, changing shape, transforming into a tall man. The entire process took only seconds. Behind him, Levi heard Donny and Marsha gasp. He knew how they felt. The transformation was simultaneously incredible and terrifying. He'd certainly never seen anything like it before, and he'd seen a lot in his travels. Encountering it like this left him momentarily stunned. He knew of therianthropy and zoanthropy, of course. They were two terms that described the same thing-the metamorphosis of human beings into animals, and vice versa. His library back home was full of examples, and although he had never witnessed it personally, Levi knew associates and peers who had, and he'd heard their stories. Werewolves were the most obvious example, but the phenomena extended far beyond mere lycanthropy. In many Native American, Chinese, West African, Central American and Pacific Island cultures, there were incidents of people turning into dogs, cats, bears, boars, owls, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, lions, lizards and even sharks. Some scholars believed that this was where stories of centaurs and mermaids had originally come from, as well as human-animal hybrid deities like Ra and Anubis, but Levi knew better. Indeed, most of what passed for mankind's collective knowledge regarding religion, the paranormal and their own human history was incorrect. Man's understanding of shape-shifting was no different.

"Holy shit," Donny said.

Marsha whimpered in agreement.

The figure took form, rising to its full height. It was a man, dressed in black, archaic clothes that made Levi's outfit seem positively risque. Looking at the Puritan-style hat, cloak and garments, Levi was reminded of the "Terror of Salem"-the Reverend Cotton Mather, scientist, theologian and witch hunter. The man's face seemed hidden in perpetual shadow. Only his cruel eyes and crueler mouth were clearly visible. The sight filled Levi with dread.

So fast, Levi thought. It changed so quickly...What am I facing here? What are these things, Lord?

Whatever its identity, this was no mere shape-shifter. If a human being turned into a wolf or bird or anything else and then transformed back to their human form again, they'd have an aura. All living human beings had auras. Levi had been able to see auras since birth, and his father and grandfather had taught him how to read them when he was just a child. Just like snowflakes, no two auras were alike. Their colors varied, encompassing the entire spectrum. A trained eye could tell if a person was healthy or sick, happy or sad, just by noting the color of their aura. Different colors meant different things. Levi learned a lot about the man standing before them by reading his aura. It was black, just like the shadows concealing his face and the strange garb covering his body. Human auras were never black. That meant the man was something else.

Something inhuman.

That alone didn't frighten Levi. He'd dealt with more than his fair share of supernatural entities over the years. Indeed, just two years before, he'd defeated Nodens, most powerful of the Thirteen, and stopped the beings' attempt to breach the walls of this Earth and drown it in eternal darkness, snuffing out all life. Their battle had started with a confrontation much like this. Levi had encountered a seemingly human woman whose aura was black. While investigating, Levi had soon learned that the woman was nothing more than an empty shell. Her husk had been commandeered by Nodens. She was transport. Nothing more.

The entity standing before him now was different. Levi probed silently, reaching out with his mind. Although the thing-because Levi could no longer think of it as a man-radiated evil and contempt, it wasn't the encompassing, overwhelming nihilism projected by a deity like Nodens. This was a lesser adversary. An avatar, perhaps. A psychic projection. Maybe even a minor demon. But none of those would account for the level of chaos and destruction that had been visited upon Brinkley Springs. Such lesser supernatural beings would be incapable of such transgressions-at least, without being discovered. But then again, perhaps their actions had been discovered. Perhaps they had been noticed, and that was why he'd been placed here tonight.

"You stink of magic." The thing's voice was a raspy, grating whisper, as if its throat were filled with gravel or dirt.

"And you stink of blood and offal."

"Indeed. And now I'll add yours to the stench, little thing, as well as the blood and innards of those behind you."

"You can try, but I warn you, these two are under my protection. You will fail."

"Don't be ridiculous. You are weak. You may know the art, but that will not save you."

"That remains to be seen." Levi struggled to keep his voice calm and his expression serene. "Tell me, whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

"So polite, you are. I'm impressed. Most of these creatures have simply run away from me, or screamed or tried in vain to fight back, but you seek dialogue. You, sir, are a gentleman. Since you asked politely, My name is Samuel."

Levi paused. "Samuel?"

The creature laughed. "You pitiful bag of meat. Of course my name isn't Samuel. Did you actually think I would give you my real name?"

"I suppose not, but it certainly never hurts to try." Dispensing with the charade, Levi recited a passage from The Long Lost Friend, issuing a challenge of sorts. "Enoch and Elias, the two prophets, were never imprisoned, nor bound, nor beaten."

"Is that a fact?"

Levi ignored the interruption. His voice rose to a shout as he continued. "Thus, no one of my enemies must be able to injure or attack me in my body or my life, in the name of God the Father-"

"Don't you mean God the Destroyer?"

"-the Son and the Holy Ghost. Ut nemo in sense tentat, descendere nemo. At precedenti spectatur mantica tergo."

The challenge completed, Levi's shoulders went slack. He stood, panting, covered with sweat, and waited for the adversary's reaction. When the reply came, it wasn't at all what Levi had expected.

"Are you quite finished, little magus?"

Levi's stomach fluttered. He suddenly felt very cold. The creature wasn't evil-at least, not in an earthly sense. He had faced evil countless times. He'd seen its effects, the damage it caused. He'd seen evil reflected in both human and inhuman beings. This creature, while certainly evil in both its intent and the acts it committed, wasn't an agent of hell, nor had it been spawned in one of the nether regions. If it had originated in the Pit or been satanic in origin, it would have reacted strongly-perhaps violently-to his challenge. The fact that it had merely taunted him told Levi that this was something else, something beyond the Judeo-Christian pantheon or any other of the world's major religions. This wasn't just evil. This was something much worse. Levi knew of only one pantheon that fit that description: the Thirteen, a race of beings that were neither gods nor demons, but holdovers from a universe that had existed long before this one. They were the ultimate in antiquity, older than the stars. Concepts like good and evil were beneath them, inconsequential, as was human life.

Only one of the Thirteen would have reacted to Levi's challenge as this being had. But that made no sense either. Levi knew all of the Thirteen, and none of them matched this entity's description. He quickly ticked them off in his mind. Ob, Ab and Api. Leviathan and Behemoth. Kandara. Meeble. Purturabo. Nodens. Shtar, Kat, Apu and- Levi heard footsteps sweeping through the grass behind him as Donny and Marsha slowly backed away.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" The creature's condescending tone dripped with impatience and boredom. "Anything at all that you'd like to add before I eviscerate you and decorate yon trees with your innards?"

"Actually, yes there is. Donny? Marsha?"

"Y-yeah?" Donny sounded as terrified as Levi felt.

"Run!"

The shadow surged forward, roaring. Marsha screamed. Levi took one step backward and then braced his feet, squaring off against the onrushing attacker. Meeting its furious stare, Levi kept his eyes wide. He did not blink. He did not dare. His heart pounded as he recited an enchantment to spellbind an enemy.

"Thou horse man and footman," he cried, making a motion with both hands. "You are coming apart under your hat. You are scattered. With the blood of the five holy wounds, I bind thee. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, you are enchanted and bound."

"No, little magus, I am not."

Levi scampered backward, dismayed. In truth, he'd suspected the spell would be ineffectual against this enemy, but at the very least, it should have bought him some time. Even if only to flee. Like his challenge, the creature just ignored it.

Its terrible mouth curled into a garish smile. "Now it is my turn. Your soul will feed me well."

"Levi!"

The shout came from behind him-Donny's voice. What were they still doing here? He'd told them to run. Not wanting to risk taking his eyes off his opponent, Levi yelled, "Get out of here. Please, you don't-"

The creature slashed at him with one hand, sprouting long, black talons from its fingertips as it struck. Levi grunted. The air rushed from his lungs as the sharp claws raked across his chest, shredding the fabric of his shirt. As they tore through his shirt pocket, one of the nails slid against Levi's copy of The Long Lost Friend. There was a sharp, crackling sound, accompanied by a spark of blue-white light. The attacker yanked its hand away as if it had been shocked. Grinning, Levi breathed deep. The air smelled bitter and electric. He glanced down at his chest. The shirt was torn but his skin remained unbroken.

The shadow-man growled. "How?"

Still smiling, Levi patted his now-frayed pocket. "Whoever carries this book with him is safe from all enemies, visible or invisible; and whoever has this book with him cannot die without the-"

The entity struck at him again, this time aiming its talons at Levi's eyes. Levi sidestepped the charge and delivered an uppercut to the being's abdomen. Pain raced up his arm, and his fist went numb. It was like punching a block of ice.

"C-cold..."

"Not nearly as cold as your corpse will be in death. And that is all that will exist of you-an empty husk of decaying flesh. And then, not even that. You will return to the dirt that spawned you. Your soul is mine to consume. You will not exist beyond this level."

"Well, you'll have to succeed in striking me first, and I don't intend to let that happen."

They stepped away from each other. Levi panted for breath. His adversary scowled, clearly unhappy with the stalemate.

"I order you to leave this place," Levi said.

"You order me to do nothing, bearded one. My brothers and I will deal with you later. For now, I am content to turn my attention to your companions, instead."

The thing rushed past Levi, unleashing a powerful swipe with its forearm. The blow didn't connect, but Levi stumbled backward anyway, more from instinct than fear. The entity raced past him and charged toward Donny and Marsha, who were still standing at the edge of the yard, seemingly mesmerized by the battle.

Levi steadied himself and pointed his right index finger at the creature. Winded and half-nauseous from the adrenaline surging through his body, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His finger wavered in the air. His arm shook.

Marsha shrieked.

"Get the fuck back," Donny shouted. "What are you doing? Get out of there."

Levi opened his eyes again, and in a calm, clear voice, said, "Hbbi Massa danti Lantien."

The entity slowed, as if running through wet cement. It glanced over his shoulder at Levi.