All His Wrath

Freida folded over with her hands pressed against her face.

Danielle patted Freida on the back, trying to smile. “I think you’ve expressed perfectly how we all feel, Freida.”

At least she assumed so. Danielle figured that her own sense of conflict was similar to the other girls: a largely unpleasant mix of excitement and nervousness about their quest, combined with an overwhelming urgency to do something. I suppose this is what my dad means when he talks about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

As she patted Freida’s back and also observed Bettina’s faraway look, Danielle felt isolated from the others, alone with the horror of her vision. It was as if what Lohxnahr said about the hybrid—his ability to absorb his prey, changing its very nature into himself—was being done to Paign, but very slowly, methodically. Involuntarily, she shuddered, the fear of it clawing at her heart like a frightened dog scratches at the door, wanting in on a cold, stormy night.

It’s one thing to rescue them from the cavern, but how do we rescue Paign from himself?

She took what comfort she could from the company of the other girls.