I aimed a petrification spell at her, but before it could leave my lips, the fire around me and the wall torches blinked out all at once. Echo screamed, a pained, tortured one that scraped up my backbone.

"Echo!" I shouted.

Silence.

Panic shrieked between my ears, and tension clenched my muscles. Her scream had come from the direction of the red door. I broke out into a run, completely blind and with too much dark magic to light my way. By feel alone, ...