Silence. Deathly still, silence. Nikki was aware of it descending over the group when she appeared in the kitchen doorway but she stumbled forwards anyway. She didn't care, what ever they were saying was completely trivial. Let them bitch and whine, she had far more pressing matters at hand. Her eyes blankly skipped over the faces staring at her until she met his stare. Only then did her stupefied demeanour crack. As their gaze locked Josh flew to her side, his hands entwined with hers before she could even blink.

"What is it?"

Inside her mind her inner monologue rushed through the discovery, voicing her concerns eloquently, however she couldn't spit out the words. Instead she stood stupidly opening and closing her mouth. Slipping one hand free Josh cupped her face and closed his eyes. With an intense look of concentration he pushed into the torrent within Nikki's head, gasping as he found himself swept away by her fear. His knees trembled and his breathing became harder but he refused to give in. Sifting through the mass of terror he found himself pushing Nikki back until her back touched the walls. Lifting her hand in his he braced his weight against the wall, the physical exertion of what he was doing, draining him fast.

Snippets of a rhyme he didn't recognise floated above him, whispering and jeering.

One to live, the other fall,

Ashes to ashes, they answer the call.

Slowly he pieced the riddle together. 

"It's talking about us. It's telling us what's going to happen ... One of us is going to kill the other." Nikki cried in his mind.

Josh bit his lip and pressed his forehead to hers. "Tell me everything, start at the beginning."

Across the kitchen, Sam cleared his throat. "Is everything okay?"

"No." Nikki answered flatly.

"Let's go get the book, and then you can read it to me and we'll figure it out together."

Squeezing her closed eyes tight, Nikki sighed.

"Come on, lets get out of here." Josh backed away, wrapping his arm around her waist, he tugged her to the door. "She's read the book. We're going to get it and then she's going to read it to us." He said aloud.

"Wait!" Sam rushed, following them as they retreated from the room. "Nikki, are you okay?" He ducked his head to meet her empty eyes. "Nikki?"

His expression darkened and his eyes flicked to Josh. "The book," she explained weakly, "it made a prediction, a prophecy. It said that there'll be a battle and that the demons will fall but-–"

"We don't know what it means, Nikki!" Josh stated firmly. "It was written centuries ago by god knows who, it's not necessarily true—"

Righting herself, she twisted free of his hold and scowled. "You think Zeke died to give me a fairy story book?"

"No! But I do think we need to take this thing with a pinch of salt. You said it yourself, different cultures use different terminology. We can't be entirely sure what the rhyme means without more information."

Nikki's jaw tensed. Standing up straight she glared. "Don't be so naive Josh."

"Don't be so pig headed!" he countered before grabbing her arm and dragging her to the staircase. "We'll be down shortly. Wait in the kitchen."

"Good luck." Sam mumbled as he headed back to the group.

"Joshua you aren't list—" Nikki was cut short as Josh whirled her around and took hold of her shoulders. He shook her lightly and sternly shook his head.

"Shut up Nikki," he growled unable to curb his anger. "I'm done with this now. Get a grip and calm the hell down. I'm not letting something written in a time when they thought the world was flat, dictate what happens to me, to us," he corrected. "I'm sick of the doom and gloom, panic and fear. In case you haven't noticed my Charge has been kidnapped by a world of demons but you haven't seen me flipping out have you? Even though it's tearing me apart with guilt and worry, am I sat moping and miserable? No! Because I've learned that it's pointless. To get through this we need to keep our heads and stick together so I'm telling you now, get a grip and for gods sake ... Breathe!"

Nikki exhaled the air she'd been holding in and swallowed. She couldn't ever remember Josh putting her in her place so forcibly.

"Good, now just keep breathing, slow and steady, and stop fighting me."

She wrenched her eyes from his to look at her hands, which were splayed against his chest, pushing him away. Dropping them to her sides she allowed his reprimand sink in. Maybe he was right, but then he hadn't read the text, he didn't know what the rest of the book said. She couldn't just ignore it, not when the Hunters had been so desperate to give her the book. They were at the top of the stairs, turning towards the bedroom when she finally worked up the nerve to speak. "Josh?"

"Nikki?" His reply was terse. She reached for his arm and grabbed a fistful of his jacket, tugging him until he came to a stop. "What is it?" He sighed. She could see the repressed fury rolling off him in waves and it excited and scared her in equal measures. Sucking in her bottom lip, she looked down to his shoes.

"I'm scared. I don't know what to do and Zeke isn't here to guide me. I'm at the epicentre of impending doom and I'm supposed to stop it but I don't know how and there's no one left for me to ask. I'm scared because what that book predicted is my greatest fear. I ... I can live without Zeke, I can live alone if it means you're safe and happy but I can't survive if—"

Before she could say another word he had her pinned against the wall again, his fiery eyes burning into hers. "You infuriate me at times woman!" he whispered, his lips suddenly by her ear.

Nikki jumped at the lightning quick speed at which he was moving. Opening her mouth to speak she was silenced as he clamped his hand over her lips.

"I'm not nearly done yet!" His low growl reverberated through his chest. "You infuriate me and you astound me and you set my soul on fire. I am nothing without you. But this thing between us is more than just love, it's stronger than lust and it's infinitely bigger than you or I could ever fully grasp. I am nothing without you, in fact I am less than nothing, I cease to exist because you are my soul, my life, my everything! I was created for you, you are my purpose, so no, I don't give a damn what some ink on some paper may or may not say. Book or no book we're putting an end to this and when we do it'll be together. We're destined to be together, fuck it Nikki we're predestined. We don't work apart, we're useless apart, but together we're whole. So just stop. Stop thinking, stop worrying and fucking kiss me already."

The knot in Nikki's stomach tightened as his hungry mouth found hers, but it wasn't from fear or dread. Matching his passion she clung to the lapels on his jacket and revelled in his touch. Breathing deeply, Josh broke their kiss. Resting his head to hers he searched her eyes.

"I do love the colour of your eyes recently," he smiled, "now come on, let's get the book and go figure this thing out."