A Matter of Seconds

Returning to Southeastern is nothing short of a nightmare-and at this point, I'm an expert on those. My half-sister and cousin hate me, which is fantastic since we're living together on campus. Rhys is here too, but he's giving me the cold shoulder as of late. Not even the Divinities Sword is sharp enough to cut through the awkwardness at home. School isn't so great, either. I have the sword to defeat Astaroth, but without any allies, it looks like I'm going to be facing him alone...and signing my death warrant. To make matters worse, a deadly plague is spreading through the Veil, turning beastbloods into savage monsters. All in all, it's shaping up to be a horrible semester. Amidst all the chaos, Neil is lying to me about who I really am. He's got big plans for me, and they're more sinister than I could have ever imagined. But to gain enough power to defeat him, I'll need to play directly into his hands. It's a dangerous gamble, but I have no other choice. With supernatural threats around every corner and secrets lurking in every shadow, I'll have to be clever, cunning, and above all, brave, if I want to survive. Maybe then, I can finally return home.