He walked over, opened the drapes, and then slid open the window. Next, he flicked off the lights. The black candles glowed in the dark. He took out a piece of red chalk from his pocket, leaned over, and began to draw a symbol on the floor around me. It was a pentagram surrounded by a triangle. At each point he drew words I didn't recognize.

He looked up and saw me watching him. "Latin. I'm not sure what'll be coming through. It's getting closer to a dark moon and that sometimes makes the spirits stronger. I want to be prepared for whatever comes."

"You're drawing a protection circle?"

"Not just for protection. It also amps up my abilities. Focuses them, allows me to be at my strongest." He went back to drawing. He finished the circle and then slowly etched out a phoenix to one side of it. "Ready?" he asked.

No. I would never be ready to be possessed by spirits. But we were here, and I was committed. Or should be committed, I thought wryly. This was crazy. I took a deep breath. "Let's do it." Goddess protect me. I said the prayer under my breath.

He picked up a leather-bound book, flipped it open, and looked at me. "Here we go." He started to read from the book. Latin flew from his mouth.

I recognized some of the words. I'd been given some lessons in Latin but had forgotten most of them, except the ones dealing with plants and flowers. And yet, words seemed to whisper in the corner of my memory.

"Animus," Luke said the word for spirit. He raised his arms and shouted out, "Ex vita abire!" That was something about death. As the last word left his lips, a light began to form by the window.

At first, I thought it was a trick of the eye—perhaps the shadows from the candles flickering against the ceiling and the floor. But these shadows were moving independently. They were coming at me. I didn't bother to stifle my horrified scream as the shadows stretched out and rushed toward me.

I was drowning. It felt like my mind was being sucked down into a whirlpool of darkness. The worst part, I suddenly realized, was that I was not alone. There was something there in the darkness with me. I could feel its presence. It was close, watching and waiting. I tried pushing myself to the surface of consciousness, and for a brief moment, I broke free and felt myself rising up. Then something grabbed me and started to pull me back down. I kicked and struggled to no avail. The grip of whatever held me was too strong.

Then all movement stopped, and I found myself in a small, gray place. I couldn't feel my body, but I could hear voices. My ears strained to make sense of the words.

The conversation was garbled at first, but then it became clearer. I realized in horror that it was my voice speaking. But then again it wasn't my voice—it didn't sound like me at all. There was sound coming from my lips, but only because something had possession of my body, possession over my lips and vocal cords. At this realization, I felt myself fall further into the oblivion.

"Good evening, death dealer."

Luke's voice answered. "Who are you?"

"You want to know my name? We both know there's power in a name."

"Who are you?" This time Luke's voice was louder, more commanding.

"I'm Wanda Branston. There, you forced it out of me. Aren't you proud? What a nice looking young man you are. I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. If you let me keep this one, I promise to do your bidding."

"You will leave her when I tell you." Luke sounded angry.

"Will I? Do you think you're strong enough to make me go?"

"Colina, can you hear me?" Luke's voice called out.

I could hear him, but I couldn't respond. I was in this small, dark place, alone and frightened.

"Colina, you have to fight, bring yourself to the surface."

"Is she strong enough to fight, boy?" Wanda's voice spoke. "Do you really think this youngling is going to break free?"

"Colina, focus on my voice. Center all your thoughts on my voice. I know you're feeling fear right now, and that's what the spirit feeds on. Break the fear and find yourself again, and you'll regain control."

As Luke said the last words, I felt the presence move closer to me and heard a wicked giggle.

It's all in my imagination. I'm not in this small, dark space—I'm tied to a chair in a room.

I tried to force my panic and fears away, or at least gain control of them.

I'm not afraid. Luke will make sure I'm not hurt. As the words echoed in my mind, I felt the presence edge farther away.

I can do this. I can break the surface and regain myself.

I struggled, and then struggled some more. It felt like I was wrapped in cotton candy.

Luke's voice spoke out again. "Is there anything you want to tell me before I banish you, spirit?"

Wanda answered with a cackle. "What? Kind words for my loved ones? Maybe a secret I could share with them or you? Is that what you think I'll do? Be grateful to you for passing my words onto the living and then leave quietly? That's what you hope for, isn't it, boy? But I won't go. I won't, do you hear me! I'm here, breathing this fresh air. Smelling the . . . what's that? Yes, jasmine in the air. I love the smell of jasmine. And watching the stars, the way they glimmer in the night sky. I miss living."

"You can't stay. You can't have this body," Luke said.

"But why not? I beat others to get to it. Finders, keepers. It's a strong body, a young body. It's mine now, and I won't give it up!"

"You don't have a choice." More Latin words. Luke was working a spell.

"Stop! Stop, I say! You can't make me go!" Wanda screamed.

Suddenly in the darkness around me was a small glimmer of colored lights. The lights expanded, and as they did, I tried to reach out to them. But before I could, the presence was there beside me again. It spoke not from outside my body, but from inside, this my small, dark place I seemed to be stuck in. "I won't go. You hear me, girly? I'm not leaving again." As the voice spoke, I realized in horror that there wasn't just one presence near me. I felt other things. There was no sound or physical shapes, just movement and gray swirls of—

What is that?

Something in the blackness was near me. I suddenly felt like a deer in the woods being hunted by wolves. There was something out there worse than Wanda. Something out there, waiting, and hungry. I was so small and vulnerable and any moment it would reach out and grab me.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Fear raced through me. A panic I had never felt before gripped me, and I tried to cry out.

"Colina!" Luke's voice again. "You have to break free. I can't do this without your help."

If he couldn't do this, would I be stuck forever in this small corner of...there was only darkness and emptiness.

Is this hell? Is this the ether sea?

Wanda's voice inside my head cried out, "No, girly, this isn't the other side. And it ain't heaven, neither. No loved ones surrounding you here. I've tried to go to the light, I have, but I can't seem to get there. It beckons to me, but every time I move its way, it disappears. So here I am, floating around. But now I have a chance. I have you. You've given me a chance to be alive again. To live in the outside world. You just be a good girly and stay put."

No. The word resounded inside me. I wouldn't be forced into this corner of darkness forever. Luke was waiting for me out there.

You won't hold me here. I'll break free. As I said the words in my head, I felt the panic and fear start to ebb away.

Luke said fear fueled the possessing spirit. The more scared I was, the stronger it became. I had to be brave. I had to trust that he could get me out. I could do this. I forced myself to concentrate on the lights again. I reached out with my mind and my whole being.

I can do this. I will do this.

"You can't—stop fighting. Just give in and let me stay." Wanda's voice sounded weaker now.

No! This time when the word echoed through my mind, I felt myself rise. I felt the presence shrink back. Wanda was no longer controlling me. But as she left, I felt the other presence move in to take her place. The bigger and darker presence that seemed so much worse than Wanda. It had no voice, no personality trying to overcome my own—just desperate anger. It seeped inside me, a cold anger filling me up. I again felt like I was drowning. I fell back into that small, empty place again, but this time there was a light, a bright light that seemed to be coming not from outside, but from within. The light began to dim, and I reached out to it desperately. It grew brighter, and suddenly it was like I was pulled from the dark waters. I broke the surface and gasped in a breath of air.

I was back in my body. My head was throbbing, my chest was pounding, but I was back in the chair. I felt the ropes digging into my flesh. I felt a cramp in my left leg. I let out a cry of relief and Luke was beside me.

"Colina?" he whispered, looking into my eyes.

"It's me." The words came out in a sob.

He nodded, untied me, and then reached out and pulled me toward him. I was wrapped up in his arms.

I should have felt comforted to be free—to be standing in his embrace. I should have felt safe, but I didn't. Everything looked different. The room, his face, even the air around me smelled different. It was hard to explain. Had I truly come back? Was this really me? Or was a part of me still in that dark corner? I could feel the material of his shirt pressed against my cheek.

I was me, but somehow, I was not the same. And the thought terrified me.