FINN’S HELPThe stone walls felt like they were closing in. My hands... I couldn't even look at them. They throbbed with a heat that made my vision blur. The silver light that had burst from my skin felt like it had taken a piece of my soul with it. I was shaking, leaning against the cold, damp wall of the back corridor, trying to breathe.

"You have to move, Esme," I whispered to myself. My voice sounded like someone was crushing dry leaves. "Just one step. Then another."

Every time I closed ...