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Lana waited, hands gripping the steering wheel Her thoughts were a jues, wild jump-cuts of her captivity with the coyotes and her encounters with the Darkness

The first time she had—

I ae

Lana froze

You cannot destroy me

Lana could barely breathe She thought she ht pass out The Darkness had never before spoken its name

I brought you here

Lana reached into her pocket and fingered the lighter It was siasoline-soaked rope would burn The flaas vapor

The gas would ignite

The explosion would shatter the ceiling and walls of the shaft

It ht even incinerate the creature

It ht kill her, too But if she survived, she would be able to heal any burns or injuries That was her bet: if she could simply stay alive for a few minutes, she would be able to heal herself

And then she would be truly healed The voice in her head would be gone

You do my will

“I am Lana Arwen Lazar,” she cried with all the shrill force she could e