POV: Cade
Black smoke poured into Ember's mouth like a river of nightmares.
"EMBER!" I screamed, throwing my whole body against the cabin wall.
The wood cracked but didn't break. I was trapped outside, forced to watch through the window as the woman I loved invited a demon into her soul.
Ash slammed into the wall beside me. "We have to get in there!"
"The door won't budge! Something is blocking it with magic!"
Ember stood perfectly still as the dark spirit flowed into her. Her eyes rolled back until only the whites showed. Her hair whipped around her face like she was standing in a hurricane, but there was no wind.
Then Victoria collapsed.
She hit the floor hard, her body going limp like a broken doll. The crystal dagger fell from her hand and shattered into a million pieces. For the first time in months, her face looked peaceful.
"Victoria!" I called out. "Are you okay?"
She didn't answer. She wasn't moving at all.
But Ember was moving. Too much.
