“Oh yes,” Alec hissed, “Lilith. Mother.” The bones of Alec’s forehead reknit themselves together, his nerves regrouped, and his skin creeped across the final result, making him whole again. Making him as Mother had intended.

Alec looked up, fangs bared. He’d kill the woman Winters first, for she bothered him. Then the magnus boy and his girlfriend. And finally he’d take his time torturing the smug man in the trench coat… the man who was now taking off his trench coat? and was smiling?

“What… what are you doing?” a confused Alec asked Blake.

Blake started tugging his t-shirt over his head, revealing the two dozen tattoos that adorned his flesh. But only one mattered to Alec, the glyph — like a four-pointed star — that burned to be viewed.

“What… what is that?” Alec screamed, cringing.

“Elder Sign, bitch,” Blake replied as he started pummeling Alec. “Simon,” Blake shouted, “Book of Eibon. Banishment of Dark Young chant. In Arabic. Now.”

“Arabic, I know,” Simon replied. “But… I don’t remember the chant.”