Without warning, the interval between consciousness of fear and acknowledgement of something greater, shattered. Buckling under the force, and powerless to resist, I was made to yield as the Shadow Person pushed aside my soul and took control over my body. With my peripheral view fogged so that I was able to see only what was directly before me, I waited as the swirling funnel slowed, and the airborne debris outside of it gradually settled back onto the floor. With my movements not my own, I stepped forth and stared at the being before me. Then, recognition hit.

Rhys.

It had sensed his weakness and knew him to be something easily destroyed.

Like a helpless bystander, made to witness everything as it happened and forced to participate, my eyes locked with his. Smiling wickedly, the Shadow Person took me to where Rhys stood and, faster than humanly possible, snatched the Ovilus from his grasp, and threw it to the ground so that it smashed into tiny pieces.

Unmoving, Rhys gaped at me.

Zaamee was suddenly at his side. Seeming to look through me to the evil entity, she took Rhys by his shoulder and moved him back a few feet with her, saying brusquely, "Do not feed it by your fear, or pose a challenge. Go back to the protection of the sage smoke."

She let go, but he stayed.

To their right, Zil cautiously moved from the shadows into view. His body tense and his stare vicious, he stopped a few steps behind Rhys and Zaamee.

The Shadow Person's rage overcame me – it wanted to harm Rhys, make him bleed, and see what the vampire would do. My head lowered involuntarily and the evil entity within exalted as energy waves pulsated through my body – and the agony of surprise registered in Rhys' eyes.

He glanced down at his arm. Seeing his own blood, he quickly looked to Zil.

A shadowy mist near Rhys and Zaamee moved.

The priest!

The monster, incensed by the holy man's attempt to protect the boy and his mother, started to make me move toward him – and stopped.

With a determined look of fearlessness, Zaamee slowly left Rhys and began to approach us; me and the beast in control of me, and then halted. She extended her left arm out, and holding a smoldering sage bundle, she began to slowly move it in a circle. The smoke followed, and just like before, a large, misty spiral gradually started to form. Kept intact by her magic, it began to move out from her, shifted in an odd way, and then went to enclose the shadow of the holy man where he remained, behind her.

The Shadow Person was angered – escape would not be allowed! It started to rush us in their direction – destruction its only motive.

Sounding panicked, Rhys said, "Zaamee, you'd better hurry. He, she ... it, what used to be Ashe and isn't any more, is on its way over here!"

"Stall her!"

"Stall her? I'm not going near her!"

Zil moved between me and them. "She is not speaking to you."

I felt my body stop.

Zil took a wary step toward me. "I will not be distracted by the mortal's blood. Tell me who you are and why you are holding the ghosts of the boy and his mother captive."

Baring my teeth and growling, I started past Zil to reach Zaamee and the priest before he faded and was gone. Taking my wrist into his cold grasp, Zil stood before me. "You are in human form. I can touch you now."

My arm wrenched free of his hold, and I was made to start forward once more, with only one desire ... to bring about their end, beginning with the priest!

Zil stepped before me again. "Ashe? Why did you remove my hand?"

When I spoke, it was guttural. "I am not your Ashe." I started to move past him, but Zil once again strategically put himself between me and what the entity wanted.

"Of course you are. I am looking at you. You are Ashe."

"Move out of my way!" the Shadow Person in control of me demanded.

"If you are not Ashe, then who?"

"Ancient." As I started past him, Zil barred me. Enraged, I took his arm, and with the strength of the entity, I flung Zil from me. Its voice boomed, "Do not attempt to stop me again!"

The Shadow Person forced me to rush forward. When we were nearly to where Rhys, Zaamee, and the priest were, Zil suddenly appeared – muscles tensed and his silvery eyes viciously locked to mine. Exposing his fangs, a low growl escaped him. Suddenly, he had my arm in a vice-like grip. With his face to mine, he hissed, "You will allow the boy and his mother to escape this hellhole, Demon! Let them go. You do not need them." To Zaamee, he shouted, "Hurry! Get them out!"

The monster inside of me began to thrash about in its attempt to throw Zil off, but Zil was too strong. With neither willing to surrender, each braced against the other in their indomitable determination to conquer, and the pressure of it was almost enough to bring me to my breaking point.

Looking strained with the effort, Zil grunted, "Do not make me do something I will regret!"

Suddenly, my body straightened and my arms pulled back, moving him tightly against me – and then powerfully thrust outward, shoving Zil from us. My body vibrated with the monster's cruel laughter. "You will not stop me, Vampire. In the body of the girl, you will do me no harm."

From out of nowhere, the semi-solid form of the holy man appeared next to me, his unfriendly eyes boring into mine. With slow deliberation, the priest reached out and took forceful hold of my wrist ...

The instant he touched me, the entity and I both suffered a terrible scorching heat ... its scream tore at my throat. My body twisted and whipped side to side, pulling against the priest's grip, but I was unable to break away.

"Espiritu Santi ..."

A sharp, swift pain shot through my body. The entity roared and I was made to bend backwards severely so that I thought my spine would snap, and stayed in that impossible position until the Shadow Person forced movement. As it tore my blistered and burned arm away, it bellowed, "Let go, you damned priest! Your touch burns!"

Inside my body something severed. Feeling uneven on my feet, I took a few disjointed steps forward, but miraculously was somehow able to stop myself from falling. Gasping for air and afraid to move, I remained standing still, even as my mind screamed for me to get away, to escape, that fighting such a beast who seemingly couldn't be overcome was a stupid thing to do, and if I continued to try, I might end up dead, as well as the others.

But I refused to give in, to stop. I knew that Sonny and Chelsea, maybe even the priest, needed us, and I'd do what I went there to do – to save them. But, before I'd be able to help them, I knew that I needed to get to Zaamee and beg her to take the Shadow Person out of me!

Staggering in her direction, an unfamiliar stirring began in the pit of my stomach. Fearing what it might be, I tried to steel myself as another devastating pain ripped through me to my core. Paralyzed by it, and unable to make a sound, I teetered before collapsing to the floor. The monster had left me. I was free. But at what cost?

I felt nauseated and beaten. Through still blurred vision, I looked up to see a huge gray cloud swirling menacingly before me, and prayed it wasn't about to take control again.

To my left, something moved within the pitch black. It was the priest. He gazed down at me, and then evaporated into a rapidly moving, whitish cloud, trailing a mist in his wake.

Not expecting Zil to be there, I reacted when I heard his strained voice in my ear. "Chere, I need to get you to safety." My eyes shifted to my left. He was there and his expression was pained. I reached for him and he took my hands, but as he started to pull me to stand with him, I didn't move. His brow furrowed and he tried again with more force, but I winced and grunted loudly as an invisible, crushing weight kept me from going with him.

He stopped, and our eyes locked.

"Pull!" I rasped.

Zil did – and I gave a strangled yelp as my right shoulder popped.

The recorder strapped to my arm gave three hard clicks and then, in its paranormal tantrum, I heard the voice of the entity. "NO!"

The roar, mixed with the ear-splitting sound of scraping along the concrete floor, filled the empty warehouse as scrap pilings of metal, bricks, and wood gathered ... and rose up like a tidal wave behind the entity. It bowed, and then came crashing down so hard that I could feel the vibration in my body. Shooting back up into the air, shards of debris flew in all directions, smashing into walls, and even into the ceiling, before landing to the floor for a final time with a pounding force.

Zil squatted down. Holding me tighter, he pulled. The pressure released and I flew up into him. Together, we fell to the ground ... Zil on his back and me on top of him. Immediately, he rolled so that his back was to the flying objects and I'd be protected from being struck.

Abruptly, the bombardment ended. Zil cautiously raised his head and looked around. Over his shoulder, I saw the entity dart away, trailing a dark fog behind it.

"Chere, we must leave. It has become too dangerous."

"I'm staying. I'm not running away like a scared rabbit. We need to help them. Not later. Tonight." He started to reply, but I cut him off. "I won't go!"

Zil stood and, keeping me close, he brought me up with him. "I meant it when I said I would take you out if ... AH!"

Caught unexpectantly by his primal scream, I stumbled back away from him.

Looking like he was under immense, physical strain, Zil's body stiffened. His face contorted, and his silvery eyes opened wide. His head snapped back ... and he cried out again. Thinking he'd been possessed, I turned to run, but something caught my arm. Trying to yank it free, I looked to see what it was. Zil had me. He pulled me back, even as I fought against him.

"Chere, you are safe," he grunted.

Suddenly it was smoky and Rhys and Zaamee were moving aside ... and we were inside Zaamee's protective barrier.

With my mind still reeling, I glanced at Zil. Though still vampirien, and strained, the look in his eyes was familiar and kind as he gazed back at me and he lowered me gently to the ground.

I started to reach up to his cheek, to the red gash that colored his unnaturally white skin, but stopped, unsure if I should. "You're cut. I'm sorry it made me do that to you."

"Ashe ..." he murmured.

"She'll be fine," Zaamee interjected softly.

He looked out into the warehouse. "And the priest?"

"He knows the perils of fighting the Shadow Person, but he refuses to be set free," Zaamee said quietly.

"I didn't think anything bad could happen to a ghost," Rhys said.

"The evil one is powerful. It can overtake the priest and absorb his energy, thereby killing him. That death will be much worse than his first," Zaamee replied.

"We have to do something to save him," Rhys said. He looked at Sonny and Chelsea. "They'll need him."

Zaamee answered solemnly, "I can only send the priest if he is victorious."

As they talked, something distracted me. I turned my attention back to the warehouse. Then, I realized what it was ... the raging had stilled, but something unseen seemed to hang heavily in the air.

An odd, low humming sound began.

One by one, the others fell silent and looked out into the abyss.

"Was that thunder?" Rhys whispered.

"No. It is the entity," Zil answered quietly.

Wishing I had the ability to see in the dark so I'd know what was about to happen, I searched for a sign of the Shadow Person. And then I saw it – movement!

A funnel, transparent except for the debris caught up in its rotating mass, a barrier against any interference, had slowly started in our direction – and jumped! Ghoulishly reminiscent of an old-time movie, the images of the priest and the Shadow Person as they faced one another flickered in and out of focus as the swirling continued to quicken.

The priest held out his crucifix.

Trying to sit up, I whispered, "What are they doing?"

Gently helping me to rest against him, Zil answered softly, "The priest will attempt to banish the evil."

"Will it work?"

"I pray that it does."

As the funnel began to thicken from dark gray to black, a noticeable increase in air pressure started, causing my head to hurt.

The pressure released as the siphon suddenly exploded outwardly and all hell broke loose. Echoes rang out throughout the old building, created from the sounds of heavy objects flying through the air, crashing into different parts of the old structure, and finally, raining down onto the floor, damaging everything in their path ... and in the center of it stood the priest, a crucifix in one hand and a Bible in the other. He seemed unaffected by the malevolency surrounding him as his lips began to move in silent prayer.

"He looks unafraid," Rhys said.

"Almost serene," added Zil.

"What are you two talking about? He's in danger!" I exclaimed.

Rhys asked, "Wouldn't now be a good time to send Sonny and Chelsea while the Shadow Person is busy with the priest?"

Zaamee said, "There are too many in this shell. It will prevent me from doing the ritual."

I saw grave acceptance in Zil's expression as he looked at me. Braced for what we'd have to do, I nodded. He pulled me closer. Then, before he could protest, Zil had Rhys, as well – and I felt the force of the barrier break as it instantly shut behind us we were outside of the protective wall.

"Hey –!" Rhys yelled, shoving away from Zil.

We hunkered down as dangerous projectiles flew past us and the sounds of creaking metal and splitting wood echoed madly from all around. Praying the warehouse would withstand the burden of the spectre's wrath and not collapse on top of us, I looked over my shoulder to where Zaamee was. But she, and the ghosts of Sonny and Chelsea, were blocked from view by the thick, counterclockwise-rotating, grayish-white circle of smoke.

"I liked it better with Zaamee!" Rhys yelled over the sound of crashing objects.

Something brushed my side. I looked but saw nothing. Assuming it'd been Rhys, I went back to watching the destruction happening inside the warehouse. Suddenly, my waist was encircled tightly. As I started to tell Rhys to let go, I was torn away from them, and catapulted upward, my arms and legs flailing wildly, trying to grab something, anything, to stop myself from being thrown. All at once, I was stopped in mid-air, and then jerked sideways with unimaginable force, until I came to an abrupt and stinging halt against a wall ... where I stayed, held in place by the sheer power of the Shadow Person. A virtual prisoner of the evil entity, I couldn't tell if any of my bones had been broken. My head swam and I struggled to catch my breath, but couldn't get enough air to fill my lungs. Doing my best to not lose consciousness, I made myself glance down to look for Zil and Rhys. But with so many moving parts, it was difficult to see them in the darkness. Shifting my eyes only slightly, I found myself looking down inside the funnel, and became alarmed by what I saw – the Shadow Person and the ghost of the priest were engaged in a deadly grapple, with the holy man appearing more mortal than spectre!

My limbs were beginning to deaden and the swimming in my head strengthened, and it felt too heavy to hold up.

In my mind, I heard Zil's voice. "Chere, stay awake."

It was a burden to continue to hold my eyes open, but I did. I searched for him – he wasn't there. Thinking I'd imagined it, I gave in against the struggle of fighting to keep conscious – it was a relief to allow my head to lower and my eyes to shut.

Then, like a string starting to unravel from bottom to top, the invisible cocoon I was trapped in loosened until it was no longer there. With nothing to grasp onto, and nothing to stop me, I began to plummet. I started to cry out, but my scream died in my throat the second I hit the filthy floor, full frontal, near the funnel. With the Shadow Person's impossible hold on me gone, the sensation of landing was intensified by the numbness being quickly replaced by the prickliness of my nerves once again coming alive.

Bodily wracked, I lay very still. My eyes welled with tears, and with the last breath of air in my lungs, I whimpered. "Oh – oh!"

A loud noise, like metal being torn apart, jarred me. Without time to recover from the brutal landing, I cast my eyes upward into the darkness.

From above me, I watched as a very large piece of metal flew across the room and crash landed too close to where Zaamee and Rhys were. "No," I murmured. "No – you can't do this. Stop."

Desperate to know that they were safe, I forced myself up onto my damaged hands and knees and slowly began to crawl to them. Finally, the swirling mist came into view –Zaamee and Rhys were outside of it and I could see Rhys' fear.

Zil wasn't there.

Rhys shouted my name and ran to me. He bent and draped my uninjured arm around his shoulder. I moaned as he lifted me so I could stand. Finding it hard to focus clearly, I clung to him, hobbling the best I could on my hurt leg as he dragged me into the protective barrier. Once inside of it, he lowered me gently to the floor and knelt next to me. "Sonny and Chelsea were released."

From where I sat uncomfortably against the wall, I gazed up at Zaamee and said, "The priest is inside the funnel with the Shadow Person." I grunted as I shifted into an even more awkward position. "Now that Sonny and Chelsea are gone, we can get him out of this hellish pit, exorcise the Shadow Person, and leave. Right?"

"No, child. We need him here. Without him, we will all perish," Zaamee replied.

"That's not fair! He should be freed. He could die again if we don't ..."

Stopped from saying more by a loud crash, we all looked.

Zil was off his feet and flying!

For a nanosecond, time for me had stopped. With a sudden and renewed energy, I screamed, "NO!"

Gawkily, I pushed away from the wall, but when I tried to leave and go to Zil, Rhys held me back. Unable to fight him off, I was made to stay and watch as Zil was repeatedly picked up and thrown, both of us powerless to make it quit.

When he landed the final time, he looked ready for a fight. He started to spring ... but the priest appeared before him.

Zil's look immediately changed from ferocious to fearful respect. He started to move back, but the priest took him by his shoulders – and gazing warily at the priest, Zil paused.

I held my breath and watched them closely as I anticipated what might happen next. Almost too incredible to believe, as the ghostly priest and the vampire stood facing each other, Zil's obvious distress gradually shifted to a look of serenity, despite everything that was threatening them.

Zil closed his eyes, lowered his head, and slowly opened his arms wide ... and the priest stepped forward!

The possession over Zil was instantaneous. Everything vampirien was gone, as if it never existed – viciousness, replaced by tranquility. Showing no fear, Zil calmly retrieved the Bible from where it lay on the gritty floor, opened it, and turned to face the evil before him. His lips began to move as he started to read. It was both incredible and wrenching. Had Zil never been made into a vampire it was almost exactly how he would've looked doing what he loved most when he was still alive and mortal, serving God. But it was a mockery. His greatest desire would never be his and I wondered at the pain he'd suffer later because of it.

It would be a memory I'd carry with me for the rest of my life.

"Can't that destroy him?" Rhys asked.

"Because Zil has been taken over by the priest for this undertaking, he cannot," Zaamee said. "It's limited, but as the priest's oracle, Zil is protected."

Seemingly aware of the transformation between Zil and the priest, and unwilling to concede defeat, the Shadow Person strengthened its barrage on the old building. The walls and roof groaned and creaked louder than before and I watched closely for signs of imminent collapse. I hoped it wouldn't until the priest had been freed and the four of us were away from it.

Gradually, everything quieted, and a penetrating hush filled the enormous building.

I was on pins and needles, wondering if the exorcism had worked and the evil sent away.

Zil paused and looked around. He gently replaced the Bible onto the ground. Then, looking satisfied at the job held done, he turned to us. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Too silent, too calm – too deceptive. Gripped with fear, I started to yell for him to move ...!

In that instant, a frightful-looking shadow, one that nearly extended to the ceiling, rose up behind him. It wasn't gone, tamed – or banished. It was enraged!

My cries went unheard as an inhuman, warlike growl tore through the building and the evil one reached for Zil. His body, struck by the savage force, bent backwards at an impossible angle and he screamed. He held that position for what seemed an eternity before slumping to the floor.

The being reached down to Zil's fallen form. His body gave a violent spasm just as the priest, looking ruined, was removed from Zil with a vicious pull – and then, both the holy man and the Shadow Person began to fade from view.

Everything went deathly still.

"No! No!" I whispered. Motivated by fear of the unthinkable, I pushed Rhys from me and hastily crawled to the invisible shield. It was sickening, and bone-chilling, how the noise of my beating on it until I thought my hands would break was the only interruption to the deafening silence.

Rhys tried to grab me. "Ashe – stop!"

"Get off me!" I said, thrusting him away, and doing my best to ignore the echoes of my voice and my pummeling against the mystical barrier as they traveled deep into the depths of the enormous emporium. Undeterred by my inability to batter it down, I pulled back – and shoved.

The wall wasn't there and I fell out onto my hands and knees.

Not caring about how my skin stung from my landing, I clumsily got up and hurriedly stumbled over to Zil. As I did, paranoid the evil entity would beat me there because of the rippling sound of my footsteps on the filthy floor, I looked over my shoulder to see if I was being chased – and tripped over something and fell next to where Zil lay motionless.

At that very moment nothing – not my injuries, nor my pain, not even the danger I might be in from the Shadow Person, was important to me. What mattered was that Zil was hurt.

Filled with desperation to know he hadn't been sent to his second death, I gently took his face between my hands. Searching for signs of life, I silently began to pray for his recovery.

A low snarl from behind me broke the terrible silence.

Something inside of me snapped. Rhys had been hurt and Zil, severely, possibly worse. Chelsea and Sonny had been released, but Zaamee and the priest were in danger. It was time to end the terror, and I would, even if it meant risking my own mortality! With Zil at my feet, I slowly rose, and turned to face the dark, nearly solid shape of a tall man.

It growled again.

I felt oddly calm, as if another part of me had taken over. "You destroyed my friend. Maybe even killed him. Obviously, you're not through. So, here's your invitation to what you've wanted all along ... come and play with me."

"Ashe – no!" Zaamee cried out.

Rhys yelled, "Ashe, get out of there!"

I was struck hard to my abdomen by something I couldn't see, and doubled over. Thinking I'd been run through with something sharp, my hands automatically went to it. No blood – I hadn't been pierced. Doing what I thought was best to save Zil, I staggered from where he lay, trying to lure the demonic ghost away. But it grabbed me and spun me inhumanly fast before shoving me by my chest to the floor, and onto my back. Nearly breathless, I tried to get up. But weakened by the attack, I was forced to stay where I was. I glanced to my left, at Zil. He hadn't stirred. Determined not to give in without a damn good try, I inhaled, but I couldn't draw in enough air to give me the strength I needed to move.

From behind me, somewhere in the dark, I heard what sounded like fast footsteps. I twisted to look to my far right. Rhys was running toward me ... and danger! I tried to shout for him to go back, to stay safe, but I was unable to. Too late, I heard a sickening, resounding slap and watched as my best friend's head shot back and he flew up into the air, backwards, flipped in mid-air, and then landed onto the ground with a thud.

Unwilling to wait for it to return and kill me, I forced movement. I rolled to my side, and pushed against the grimy floor with my badly hurt hands. Balanced mainly on my left hip, I shifted to my knees and tried to stand. After failing a couple of times, I finally got to my feet.

The swirling mass approached me. Bracing for what it might do, I looked into its center, at the fully materialized face of an angry man, while the rest of his body remained as part of the rotating cloud.

I shook my head slowly and gritted my teeth. "No. I will not let you win."

He yelled something unintelligible just before a powerful force shot out from the rotating cloud, snaked around me – and squeezed. I wanted to shout at the Shadow Person to release me, but with no air left in my lungs, all I could do was wheeze.

In an agonizing start-stop motion, I was hoisted several feet into the air. Just as I thought it would send me colliding into the ceiling, the jolting upward movement of my limp body quit. Then, suspended in mid-air like a ballerina in an opened, music-less, jewelry box, it began to move me in a macabre, unhurried, clockwise rotation.

Weakened and outmaneuvered, no thought was left to me except that I was dying. To protect the others, I'd dared to challenge the monster and would pay the price for doing so.

"Stop!"

My captor's movement of me slowed to a halt.

Drunkenly, I watched Zaamee slowly come into view, and approach where I was hung droopingly in mid-air. With fiery determination, she made her demand. "Release her! She will not bring you what you seek!"

Unable to take the punishment any longer, I allowed my eyes to close. Sounds became muffled whispers.

The pressure on me ceased.

Sensing the start of my descent, I tensed, trying to prepare for the final pain ...

It didn't come. Instead of the expected agony of a bone-breaking impact, my head was cradled with care and I was being gently lowered onto something hard beneath me. My eyes fluttered open. Rhys was there. "What happened?" I murmured. "Am I still alive?"

His brow was creased with worry, but his voice was soft. "Yeah. It let go of you."

"I saw you being thrown. Are you okay?"

"I actually landed on a pile of dirty, disgusting cloths. So, yeah, I am."

"What about Zil? Is he ...?" I stopped. He'd been on the floor, unconscious. Even though I wanted to know, I couldn't bear to ask if he'd been sent to his last death.

Rhys glanced up and then moved back a little as I heard, "Chere, I am here." With worry etched on his handsome face, Zil came into view. Softly, he gazed down at me.

My emotions were a tossed salad ... I'd been afraid, but he was there, he was okay, and I was safe. We all were. "You're alive," I whispered. "I'm glad."

He was gone.

Shivering, and feeling disoriented, I was staring up at the starry sky. "How did I ...?" I looked around. "Zil?" My eyes started to fill with tears. It was too much. Louder, I called out again, "Zil?" Wildly searching for him, I felt like I wanted to scream. "Oh, my God! Did he die and I just dreamed him still being here?"

"Hey – stop." Rhys knelt beside me. "Zil moved you outside. He and Zaamee are back in the warehouse."

"What?"

"They're going to do something. Just relax."

"Relax? No." Not trusting what he'd said, but afraid that if it was true, Zil and Zaamee would be harmed by the Shadow Person, I tried to get up. My energy was drained and every movement was a horrendous struggle.

Before I could ask Rhys what they planned to do, loud bangs started again from inside the building. Rhys turned sharply to look behind him while I fought through my pain to roll onto my left side and look at the warehouse. The terrible sounds continued. "We need to go back. They may need our help!"

"Show me that you can get up on your own and I'll consider it. Besides, Zil said to keep you here – no matter what."

Sitting up was hard enough, but standing might be impossible. Irritated with myself for being so helpless, I glowered at Rhys. "And that's enough to make us not go?"

"It is for me."

Stubborn in my determination not to give in, I tried to get up, but fell back. Without an offer of assistance, Rhys watched me. He looked like he was waiting for a miracle – and I'd need one. With the last of my strength, I forced myself to a kneeling position, and he came over and extended his hand.

Because I wasn't in a position to let pride take over, I accepted, and held onto it firmly as he pulled. But even with his help, standing was a monstrously trying endeavor. Finally, I was up. Without wasting any more time, I lumbered precariously back to the warehouse.

When I reached the door, I tried to open it, but didn't have the strength to. I turned to ask Rhys for help, but he hadn't followed. "Rhys, don't just stand there! They need our ..."

I heard a noise inside the warehouse that sounded as if the place was about to crumble to the ground any minute. Wanting to get Zil and Zaamee out of there before it did, I turned back and grasped the roughened, rusted doorknob. As hard as I could, I tugged, but the door still wouldn't open! I looked over my shoulder at Rhys. "Get over here and help me!"

"It's no use. Zil said he'd lock the door."

"Argh!" I let go of the knob. "Damn it to Hell!"

"I think that's what they're trying to do."

The warehouse suddenly fell silent. With no way to know what was happening inside, why they hadn't come out, or if they'd been hurt, or worse, I pressed my ear to the door and listened keenly.

Rhys came and stood next to me. "I don't like it. It's too quiet."

"Well, with the stupid door locked we can't get in! Why did he have to do that?"

"Maybe to save you from yourself."

"To ... save ... me – Oh, my God! He said he'd do that!" I balled my hands into fists and started to bang on the door. "Open up! Zil? Zaamee? Open this door!"

The only answer I got was silence.

Again, I yelled to them.

No reply.

"Please ..." I whispered.

Unable to think of a way to help them, I backed away from the door, and stared at it fixedly, willing it to open.

But the door remained shut.

A sick feeling started in the pit of my stomach. Zil was my friend and I cared about him. But until that moment, I hadn't realized how attached I'd become to Zaamee, too. To lose more people that I cared about, even if they were immortal and not really alive – I'd never forgive myself.

I couldn't take it any longer. The stress of not knowing their fate was unbearable. I stepped back up to the door and raised my fist to pound on it again.

It opened.

Zil was there.

Unable to catch my balance, I fell into him. He caught me. I held on and didn't let go, silently rejoicing that nothing permanent had happened to him.

It hurt when he wrapped his arms around me and moved us a short distance away from the warehouse, but I didn't care. What I cared most about was there with me. He loosened his embrace, but only enough so that my feet could touch the ground. He nuzzled my hair. "Chere, you are safe. I was so worried."

I pulled back slightly so I could look at him. "Your scratch. It looks painful."

"It is, but vampires have accelerated healing time. It will be gone soon."

"I hate to break up this lovely reunion, but where's Zaamee?" Rhys asked.

I heard the sound of shuffling feet, and then Zaamee exited the building. "The entity has found its eternity."

"Good!" Rhys said emphatically.

Zaamee looked at Zil. "We need to talk."

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Zil released me. "I will be right back. We also need to talk."

"Doesn't anyone need to talk to me? I'm feeling left out," Rhys piped in sarcastically.

Relieved the ordeal was over and Sonny and Chelsea had escaped safely, as well as us, I said to Rhys, "Let's get our stuff."

Aided by him, we slowly walked back to the warehouse. At the door, he turned on the flashlight. Sharing a look of uncertainty, we peered in as he directed the beam inside.

It was beyond repair. Shards of glass, pieces of metal, rocks, bricks, and wood, both splintered and whole, lay scattered. "I can't believe this place is still standing," he murmured.

Cautiously, we entered. After only taking a few steps inside the old structure, something clanged loudly. Ready to bolt, I scanned the ceiling for something lethal to fall from above. "What was that?"

Rhys cursed under his breath and then said, "Nothing supernatural. I accidentally kicked a metal pipe. It hurt, too." He paused. "Listen, with you being wounded, you won't be much help. I'll do this."

I didn't like the idea of him being in there alone. "I don't know ... are you sure?"

"Yeah. But if the roof caves, don't send the vampire to save me, especially if I'm bleeding. I don't want him to forget why he's there." Following the beam from his flashlight, Rhys carefully moved past the debris in his search for the abandoned equipment.

"Maybe it's good that this place is condemned. It looks like it's about to collapse."

As if answering me, something within the building creaked. I looked at Rhys. He glanced up at the ceiling and then back at me. "I'll make it fast."

I limped back outside to look for Zil and Zaamee. They had separated themselves from the building. Both looked serious and were speaking in hushed tones. With neither of them having noticed me, I started over to them, but paused when I heard Zaamee say, "I think it would be the right thing to do."

Zil's reply sounded tense. "How can I know that? She has said ..." He sighed. "It is unwise."

"You're afraid it will happen again – I know. Zil, this is different, she's different. She fits. Ashe can easily move from one existence to another, unscathed. She's strong and she knows what it could be like. It's not her fear you're battling – it's your own."

His expression was unreadable and he didn't answer right away. Finally, he said, "Zaamee, an eternity of being an outsider ..." He shook his head. "Right now it may seem desirable, but if she changes her mind later, it would be too late – it could turn out to be the same as ..." His face darkened and then he continued slowly, "Once done, it cannot be reversed."

Interested in their conversation because I was the topic, I moved a little closer to hear them more clearly.

"I didn't think so before, but I've since changed my mind. I believe she belongs with us. Use of the equipment is unnecessary, or have you not noticed her ability?"

My mind was in a flurry. I had said I wanted to be involved, but as more of a challenge than with true conviction. But to hear that one of them, someone from the Underground believed I belonged ...? The idea ... to be like them, and not just as a mortal tag-along ... I listened intently.

"There are too many dangers," Zil said.

That had my attention, and I had a ready answer – with the paranormal, anything was possible; and I'd use that argument to compare the mortal world, and all its faults, to his if I had to.

So I wouldn't miss hearing anything either of them said, I started to inch closer and ... stepped on a loose rock. It shifted, and in the stillness, the noise it made might as well have been a seismic boom. "Damn it," I muttered as Zaamee and Zil stopped talking to look over.

Zaamee asked, "Ashe, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"No, you are not." Zil walked over to me. "You have been badly beaten and need rest."

"Where's Rhys?" Zaamee asked.

"He's getting the rest of the equipment."

"I'll help him."

"Actually – Zaamee, I wanted to ask you something."

"I will go and help," Zil offered.

I smiled and watched him go into the warehouse. When I turned back, Zaamee was looking at me with an intense and curious stare, making me feel that, if she wanted, she could see into my soul and know all of my secrets. I'd never liked it when mortals looked at me that way, but with a ghost doing it, it was even more disarming.

"What would you like to ask?"

"I was worried. How do you feel?" I said.

"I'm weary. It was a difficult struggle."

"What happened to the priest? When he was removed from Zil, he looked like he was in so much pain. Did he ... was he ..." I swallowed hard. "Did he die again?"

"No."

I waited, but she offered no further explanation. "What happened to him?"

"Because he was a man of God, the evil could not consume him. It could only cause suffering. Zil released the priest before the entity could do further harm. He went directly into the light."

"Please don't say that to make me feel better. I need to know. I feel responsible."

"Child, he is in the light."

"Is the evil Shadow Person gone? You know – forever?"

Zaamee kept her eyes to mine as she reached into her pocket and slowly withdrew a yellow amulet with no distinct shape to it. It was nearly the size of a silver dollar and glowed magnificently. "An offer for a trade. Unless this breaks, the entity will remain in here for all eternity."

"Trade? For what?"

"For you. I told it that your energy would last for only a short period of time, but the amulet would be an everlasting source."

I studied it. "That can hold something as big as the Shadow Person? Amazing!"

Zaamee carefully returned it to her pocket. "I must go and rest. I've overexerted my strength."

She faded.

I looked up to the starry sky. "Thank you, Priest. You saved me, all of us, from that monster, and helped Chelsea and Sonny escape. Have a good eternity."

I heard the trunk of Rhys' car shut and turned. Rhys was at the driver's side door, but Zil was close behind me, watching me intently. "I think we did well for tonight." He offered his arm. I took it and, together, we walked to Rhys' car. When we reached the passenger side, Rhys said to Zil, "I guess I can give you a ride back."

Rhys got in, closed the door, and started the engine. I looked at Zil. "Another mind trick?"

He smiled. "No. I am as surprised as you, but I will take it." He opened the door for me, and after making sure I was safely inside, he closed the door, and got into the back seat.

With a last look at the warehouse, we headed home.