“Megan!” I said. “You can beat this thing! Think of your kids!”

“They’re hurting!” she screamed. “I can feel them!”

“Your brother has them, they’re fine!” I called back. “That’s a lie it’s trying to push on you! Don’t let it trick you!”

Megan glanced up at me, desperate, and I saw her face harden. She turned her face back into the shadowy assault of the flailing boggart and her lips peeled back from her teeth with a snarl.

“They’re mine,” she spat, the words sizzling with vitriol. “My babies. And you can’t touch them anymore!”

“Begone!” I called to her. “Tell it to begone!”

“Begone!” Megan screamed. “Begone! BEGONE!”

There was a surge of sound, a thunderous non-explosion, as if all the air in the room had suddenly rushed into a ball just in front of Megan’s pain-twisted face. Then there was a flash of light, a hollow-sounding scream, and a shockwave lashed out, scattering the salt of the circle, rattling toys, and pushing against my chest. I staggered back against the wall and turned my face away as a fine cloud of salt blasted out and rattled against the walls with a hiss.

Megan fell to her knees and started sobbing. I reached out around me with my senses, but felt no inexplicable absence in the aura of the house. The boogeyman was gone.

I went to Megan’s side at once and crouched down to touch her shoulder. She flung herself against me, still sobbing.

Ben Yardly appeared in the doorway to the room a few moments later. He had Joey in one arm, and Tamara in the other. Kat stood so close she was practically in his pocket, holding onto the hem of his jacket as if he was her own personal teddy bear.

“Okay,” I said quietly. “It’s okay. The thing is gone. Your mom stopped it.”