Nora's POV
"Humans?" I whisper, my voice barely audible. "The enchanted barriers should keep them away. Of all nights for them to break through..."
A piercing scream cuts through the darkness, sending ice through my veins. James and I bolt toward the sound, racing to where the group from my house stands clustered around the magical doorway. They've completed the opening ritual, but nobody dares step through. Instead, they're pressed together, hands raised in a protective barrier that shimmers with desperate energy.
The humans James detected earlier surround them completely. Their eyes are pitch black, confirming my worst fears. They're possessed. If even one demon manages to get witch blood on their hands, they could breach the doorway and follow us to safety. They push against our defensive circle, testing its strength like predators sensing weakness. Linda and her brother huddle behind the adults, their familiar snarling and snapping at the advancing demons.
