Dim Cassilda would change her, missing piece reunited with the whole. Marie held it up before her, as lightning flashed in the firmament. In the thunder, the howl of the corrupted earth filled the world. In the thunder the howl of the earth rose. Beyond her body, she could feel the world, and the dark life that beat with the storm. She closed her eyes, drew in air to taste gingerbread. The world sharpened, and she could hear each drop strike the earth. Warmth of the water upon the skin were like tears of the forgotten, here then gone.

"Okay," she breathed out, "I'm ready mom."

A ball of thistle-purple flame burned in the dark. Marie smiled. Eleanor had used her knowledge to save her family, but Lance was correct. It was temporary, one day to fall. Bethany had known this day would come, when the Cycle would be cleansed. The La Voison was there at the beginning bound to be at the end. What they'd helped to create, it was theirs to undo.

Over the soaked earth, through the storm, Marie followed the mote of flame. The Van Lear family had forced Eleanor to help, she knew. They'd ruled over this land, until the McWhorter and Gregory men came. They all worshipped the past, yet none had learned from it, except the La Voison. It was to be studied, so one could learn from it, but never control the present. The Cycle of time brought them together once again, fate convened.

"You come to stop us?" Rutger said, surprised by her sudden appearance.

"No, I came to stop Diana and Lance," Marie countered. She held her chin up, ready for a jeer or insult.

"Lance," the Sheriff repeated, but grew a shade lighter. "What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath, "The General's…ghost haunts this place. I think I can stop him"

"With no gun," he said, though with a hint of admiration.

Marie held up Dim Cassilda, "I have this, and I know how that devil and his kin escaped judgment."

Rutger pulled back from the book, but held his ground, "What you consider, it is a hard thing, Marie. But," he studied her lush green eyes flecked with gold, "But, you're a La Voison, and I don't know what missteps brought you here." The Sheriff looked at his revolver, thought of his son and dead kin, heart heavy. "I intend to see this to the end," he said, gaze steady.

"I intend to see it to the end," she glanced at Dim Cassilda, "and beyond that, until balance is restored."

"They've barred all the entrances, I've seen," he looked at his men, who nodded their agreement.

Marie saw the mote of thistle-purple dance and flicker, for it beckoned to her, "I may have a way."

Tim and Rutger walked beside her, as the men followed. With the Sheriff and La Voison at their front, they grew bolder. All heard stories of the Hill Witches and the old man's prowess with firearms. All could feel fate turn; justice had come to House Lance. It would be of iron drenched in blood.

The panicked yells of Diana's gunmen brought smiles to the Sheriff's men. Worked loose, a Ward protruded up from the wood enough to make it impossible to close. None dared pull it free, but it would go no deeper. They saw them. A bolt of lightning split the fountain stones to the earth. Like vengeful spirits, they were silhouettes in the night.

Before the Grays could fire, a grenade left over from Rutger's military days bounced across the floor. The men threw themselves back from it. A beat passed, no explosion rocked the foyer. They looked at each other. Gunfire peeled out from just beyond the door. Reckless charge of Rutger was covered in a hail of bullets.

All through the door, Rutger shot from cover. Marie dropped to her knees; Tim snatched at her. Return fire poured through the doorway, but she pulled the Ward free of the wood. The Confederates, if only for a moment, saw the doorway go dark. Velvet shadows swarmed past Marie, touch light as a kiss. Through into the house the Shades poured. Reflexive, Diana's men felt a terror of icy flame, flushed the cold skin.

They broke, and Rutger fired. Flash of lightning caught him, turned him to a shadow. It caught in his eyes, which filled with their doom. Emboldened, the men followed inside. Up Tim pulled Marie. Shades gathered to the Federals, who felt invigorated.

"Cover," the Sheriff commanded.

Marie, upon instinct, pulled Tim down as a bullet struck the wall. Barnett's mean laugh steeled his men's resolve. Between the Sheriff and Diana's hard cases, they knew the depths of the man in the trilby hat. Both opened fire.

Gun smoke filled the hall. Deeper the Hallowed Dream drew Marie. Swirls of Shades, they grew up around the Federals, who pressed forward. Even with the ghosts of the Van Lear, Diana's men fell back. So much gunfire filled the room, most only blind fired.

Darkness swirled around Marie. Deeper the Hallowed Dream took her, and the world withdrew. Dark waters swept over the house, left nothing. Out of the shadows, Ashless Hollow grew. The Uroboros rose up out of the earth. Rage now cooled, it gazed down at her. She met the great serpent's pearlescent-white eyes. Upon its breath the lines of power were unveiled, like drops of flame on spider string. So corrupted was the cycle it turned slow. Cry of the lowland was born in the earth, rose up through the cracks. This wail echoed over the bog.

Marie listened, turned back to the Uroboros. A plea was in its large eyes, a hope of salvation. Inside of the great serpent's gaze there was a possibility. All the darkness of Ashless Hollow bled away, and the beauty underneath craved the light. It waited for the boundless machine's restoration, prosperity long denied. This was Marie's choice to make.

"Inky," Tim pulled her, and the Hallowed Dream fell from Marie's eyes.

"What is going on?" she blinked away shadows.

"You've been moving through the house," he said, but dismissed the pin pricks of pearlescent-white that faded in her eyes. "Rutger is advancing on Diana. There are dead bodies everywhere," his face drained of color.

Shades flew about the room, like a dark tide, which were held back by the Ward. Marie thought of a bottle under a faucet. Pulled on, she resisted, "I don't know how this ends," she looked at him, "but I have to tell you something."