The darkness is thick by the time Cupid parks the car in a small parking lot on the cliff above the cove. A part of me had expected Valentine and his army to jump out of the shadows at us the moment we arrived, but the desolate coast seems deserted. When the engine cuts out, all I can hear is the wild song of the waves, crashing against the rocks and creeping onto the sand.

For a moment I feel a pang of panic, twisting inside my body.

What if I got it wrong? What if the hearts aren't here after all, and I've wasted the final hours that we have to figure this out?

But then I force the nagging voices away, my resolve strengthening.

No, this is it. It has to be.

Cupid catches my eye in the rear-view mirror.

"You remember which cave?" he says.

I chew on my lip nervously.

"I was only four years old," I say. "Hopefully I'll know it when I see it..."

He nods, a grin spreading on his face that doesn't meet his eyes.

"OK. Better start looking then! I'll get the weapons."

He opens the door and climbs out, letting in a whoosh cold air. I tense for a moment, the scent of the ocean involuntarily bringing back the memory of Valentine's blue eyes. When the door closes again, blocking out the wind and the memory, Cal turns stiffly in his seat to look at me. His slender shoulders tense beneath the grey sweater he's wearing. He takes a deep breath – seemingly struggling to meet my eyes. When he does there's a passion burning among the silvery flecks.

"Lila," his voice sounds a little choked.

"What is it, Cal?"

He runs a hand through his hair agitatedly, then looks at me again.

"I don't think I'm going to survive this..."

"Cal...you will. We all will. We're going to beat him."

"Lila," he says. "Let me finish."

I close my mouth and nod. He hesitates.

"I accept it," he says. "I accept my death. And..."

Outside we hear Cupid close the trunk of the car. Cal's eyes sharpen.

"Don't do anything brave. Don't do anything stupid. Not for me. If it's my time, it's my time. Don't let Valentine manipulate you. I've lived a long life. And I've had more than my share of loss. So has Cupid. I...he..." he sighs. "we don't want to live in a world without you."

I shake my head violently, dispelling the negative thoughts Cal has provoked.

"No...you're going to be fine. We're going to be fine. We'll get the hearts, destroy them, send Venus back, and get your life thread back."

"Lila..."

I continue to shake my head and he reaches out for my arm – then stops himself, his hand lingering awkwardly and grasping air before he draws it back. I slowly meet his gaze. He sighs.

"Promise me – if it comes to it," he says sternly, "you'll put your life – and you'll put Cupid's life – before mine."

"How can I promise that?"

"Venus cannot return," he says. "You know that's true. If you can't do it for yourself – do it for humanity. If she returns...she'll kill us all."

There's a wildness behind his eyes – one I haven't seen before.

"Lila...promise..."

The door to the driving seat opens and Cupid pokes his head inside. Cal jerks his head back and turns.

"Are you two coming or what?" says Cupid, three bows slung over his shoulder.

He looks at the grim expressions on both of our faces and raises his eyebrows.

"What? What did I miss?"

"Just discussing the possibility of us dying, Venus coming back, the end of the world, and our overall impending doom..." I say.

He rolls his eyes.

"Well! Great to know you're both keeping positive!" he says. He gestures with his head. "Come on, let's get going. Crystal and the others will be here soon."

His head disappears.

Cal turns around to say something else, his eyes blazing, the ghostly moonlight from outside highlighting his cheekbones. But I can't hear it. Not now. I need to stay strong. I need to believe we can win this.

Not all will survive.

I shake my head hard and climb out of the car.

The seaweed scented air is buzzing, and the ocean breeze whips my hair into my face.

My resolve strengthens. This is the place; it has to be.

As Cal comes to stand beside me, Cupid passes us bows and arrows, which we sling over out bodies. Then – in silence - we start to walk down the damp, wooden steps that lead to the empty beach.

"I'd thought he would be here," I say quietly over the lull of the waves.

"I'm sure he is," says Cupid – turning to look over his shoulder at me, his expression darkening. "Somewhere..."

Behind us the sound of car engines approaches – a loud ravenous growl in the night. My pulse races but as I jolt my head toward the source I see Crystal's car pull into the lot – followed by a trail of cars from the Matchmaking Service. I feel a wave of relief.

At least we have backup.

We step off the final wooden step onto the small cove. Ragged rocks jut from the sand, and there are a number of open archways created by the arms of the cliff. It's been a long time since I last came here, but it's just like I remember it, only now painted in shadows – tainting my bright memories of childhood with darkness.

"Anything coming back to you, Lila?" says Cupid.

I look around, scanning black holes in the rocks

"Maybe..." I say.

There's a cave in the cliff face that feels familiar. My heart begins to pound. I point.

"There."

"You sure?" says Cal, moonlight reflecting from his eyes.

I nod.

Tentatively we head across the sand.

I find myself jumping at every flicker of shadow; and notice Cal's pale fingers tighten around his bow, and Cupid's eyes narrow at every slosh of the water. It's too quiet – all I can hear is the sound of our heavy breathing, the ocean, and Crystal and her army on the clifftop getting ready to march down.

Wrongness hangs in the air. Heavy. Unnatural.

Something isn't right.

I know from the tension in the shoulders of the two brothers on either side of me that they feel it too.

We reach the mouth of the cave.

Pause.

"He could be in there," says Cal – his eyes fixed ahead into the darkness. "The Fates too if our theories are correct."

In a flicker of movement Cupid raises the bow from his body, and in quick succession fires a bunch of arrows into the gloom. I hear them whooshing through the air, then silence.

Cal looks sharply to his side.

"Well that'll make it easier to sneak in, won't it?" he snaps – a scowl playing about his lips. "Way to announce our entrance..."

"If they're here, they know we're here, brother," he replies calmly. "I thought we might at least catch them off their guard with a little archery..."

He frowns.

"Though I would have expected a bigger reaction if there was anyone inside..."

He puts the bow back, then looks at me.

I preempt his question and nod.

"This is the place," I say.

I can feel power in the air, the buzz of anticipation. And as the wind enters and exits the gaping hole, I smell the sweet scent of decay mixed with salt and the ocean.

"The hearts are in there. I know it."

Cupid nods. And together, we enter the cave.

My pulse races as we step over the threshold. I feel my body readying itself for an attack.

Is Valentine in here? Is Morta? The Fates? The zombies?

It's pitch black inside and the air is thick and damp. Hurriedly I fumble for my cell, turning on the flashlight. My stomach lurches as I point the thin beam of light frantically about the space.

The cave stretches back into the cliff face – about the size of a football pitch.

And It's empty. Abandoned.

There's nothing here.

My heart hammers hard against my chest.

"No..." the word escapes my lips in a horrified whisper.

This was our only shot. I've led us to failure.

Suddenly Cupid softly grabs my hand.

"Look..."

He gently moves my wrist, adjusting the thin beam of light and landing it on something shining by the rocks. Nausea and elation fill me in equal measure. There's a hole in the ground, the wet sand around it stained crimson. The light reflects on something shiny inside it.

"The hearts..." I say.

Before the others can stop me I run forward, falling to my knees in the disgusting sticky sand. There's a metal box in the hole.

"Lila!" suddenly Cal is at one side and Cupid at the other.

"Will you be careful?!" snaps Cal "It could be a trap." He looks between us with disdain painted across his pale face, but I see the flicker of fondness behind his clear irritation. "You two are a complete liability..."

I ignore him, placing my phone down on the floor and scrambling toward the box. Relief crashes over me.

"They're in here. They have to be."

We destroy the hearts, and we end this now.

Fingers trembling I grab its edges. It's ice cold, the metal stained the dark brown of old blood. The smell makes me gag as I try to pull it up. Cupid and a reluctant Cal reach down and grab the other ends, and together we haul it up onto the dark sand.

I turn it around, smoothing my hands around the lid looking for a way to open it – a groove, or a clasp, or anything. When I find a small key hole my heart sinks.

"We can't open it..." I whisper in horror.

Cupid and Cal reach for it, hands slippering around the ice cold metal.

"Titanium," says Cal – his voice deflated.

As they're studying it – a vibration echoes around the cave, and the light shudders. Dread creeps through my body. I reach for my phone. It could be anyone messaging me – but I think I know who it will be.

"There's no way we can open this by force," says Cupid. "Not here. Maybe if we get it back to the Matchmaking Service..."

I look at the screen of my cell.

My stomach clenches tightly. I think I'm going to be sick as I see Valentine's message.

I think you need a key, for that.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. My insides turn to jelly.

No.

Another message flashes onto the screen. Only this time it's a picture.

Valentine's eyes meet mine in the grainy image, a grin wide on his face. He's on a boat. And he's holding a silvery string around his neck to the camera.

On the end of it hangs a key.

I stare at it as Cupid and Cal continue to shuffle around with the box in the bloody sand.

Another message appears on my screen.

Don't worry. You'll get your chance to take it very soon.

We're heading to shore. I still need a couple of hearts for the main event at midnight.

See you any minute now!

Valentine.

I reach for Cupid and Cal – pulling them back and thrusting my phone in their faces. Cal's face blanches and a stream of curse words fall out of Cupid's mouth. The three of us jump to our feet, and together we race out onto the shore.

The sound of faint drums now fill the air – though I can't see where they're coming from. Because the Matchmaking Service army are congregated on the sand, bows and arrows raised, blocking the coastline from view. We push through them; and I spot Cassie, Mino and Selena heading a section of the army to one side.

We emerge at the front and, breathing hard, come to stand between Crystal and Charlie. They don't say anything. They're looking out to sea, eyes filled with horror. I follow their gaze and my blood runs cold.

A supernatural, ghostly light shines from the horizon. And within its ethereal glow is the fuzzy outline of a great ship.

Charon's ferry of the dead.

It doesn't seem to be moving. It can't. Not yet.

But there are smaller dots in the crashing waves, getting larger by the second. Rowing boats. They follow a slightly larger one at the helm. Heading to shore.

My breathing quickens, and my heart pounds against my chest with same force as the war drums coming from the water.

This is it.

We didn't get the hearts in time.

We failed.

Valentine is coming to kill us and bring back his mother.

I feel like I should say something. But what can I say? What words could possibly ease the horror that we're about to face?

Instead, eyes fixed ahead, I reach out for Cupid's hand at the same moment that he reaches for mine. Beside me Cal tenses and – for some reason I can't explain – I grab his hand too. He doesn't pull away. Instead he reaches for Charlie's hand on his other side, while Cupid reaches for Crystal's.

Hand in hand we stand there; bows slung across our bodies, ready for battle.

Five silent figures communicating the only thing that matters.

We are in this together. We will fight this until the end.

I try to take comfort in the warmth of their bodies as the cold sea wind surrounds us; bringing with it the scent of sweet decay and the roar of the ocean. I try to block out the thought that loops around my mind – the only line of Cassie's prophecy that hasn't happened yet.

Not all will survive.

Second by second the boats get closer to shore.

They are coming.

(final 3 chapters to be posted tomorrow!!!! Are you ready?!?!)

(feel like I should leave you with some dramatic music...!)

https://youtu.be/hMAVLXk9QWA

(See you tomorrow!!!)